A new exhibit, ‘mOTHER Road: The Stories of African-Americans on Route 66,’ is now open in Springfield, Missouri. The exhibit is located in the recently renovated Benton Avenue Educational Center, formerly the Benton Avenue AME Church, on the Drury University campus.

Exploring the Forgotten History of Route 66

The exhibit aims to highlight the often-forgotten experiences of African American travelers, workers, and communities along Route 66. According to organizers, the dominant narrative of Route 66 often overlooks the constrained mobility, segregated lodging, and unevenly accessible opportunities faced by African Americans.

The exhibit features banners, multimedia, research, and artifacts from Ms. Alberta’s Hotel, a hotel featured in the Green Book, a travel guidebook for African Americans published from 1936-1966. The Green Book plays a significant role in the exhibit, which also includes details on African American Heritage Trail markers on Route 66 and within Springfield.

A mini-documentary, created by local residents, will be played on loop in the exhibit. The film utilizes archival footage to tell the story of African Americans on Route 66.

Lyle Foster, an associate professor at Missouri State University and exhibition organizer, said, ‘It is fascinating to know the richness and depth of the Springfield African-American community and the journey that has been undertaken here and the amazing contributions to our city and to our region. And I think this exhibit helps to celebrate that.’

The exhibit will be open until August 29, but there may be a future in other towns as well. ‘We’ve got many more months to celebrate the 100th-year anniversary, but we’re hoping people will want to see it in other places,’ Foster said.

Original reporting: Springfield Daily Citizen — read the source article.