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Elder Wisdom
This page celebrates the rich insights and life experiences of our respected elders. Through their stories, traditions, and hard-earned wisdom, we recognize the profound value of their transfer of knowledge. Here we honor their stories, traditions, and the wealth of resources that have significantly influenced our community. We invite you to join them in exploring the lessons passed down through generations and the enduring wisdom that continues to guide us today.
Dr. John A. Wright Sr.
Historian & Educator
Elder John Wright Sr. is a Fulbright Scholar, retired educator, and prolific historian whose work has profoundly shaped the understanding of African American history in the St. Louis region. With a career spanning from classroom teacher to superintendent, Dr. Wright has dedicated his life to education and historical scholarship.
Holding a BA from Harris Teachers College and both a Master's and PhD from St. Louis University, he has authored or coauthored over a dozen books focusing on local and regional history. Notable works include Extraordinary Black Missourians, Ethnic St. Louis, and African American St. Louis, which offer in-depth explorations of the community's rich cultural heritage.
Dr. Wright's commitment to preserving and sharing the stories of African Americans in Missouri has earned him recognition as a leading voice in local historical scholarship. His contributions continue to inspire and educate, ensuring that the narratives of the past remain accessible and relevant to future generations.
Angela da Silva
Public Historian & Historical Interpreter
Elder Angela da Silva is a St. Louis-based cultural preservationist, independent historian, educator, playwright, performer, and pioneer of Black history tourism, launching the National Black Tourism Network in 1998. Born in Missouri in 1954, she grew up in a semi-rural area in St. Charles County. Descended from enslaved individuals on both sides of her family, she credits her interest in Black history to her elders’ stories about their lives that held her attention.
Ms. da Silva’s public preservation work began in 1979 when she co-founded the Deep Morgan Neighborhood Arts Council in St. Louis. Its initial purpose was to bring to light lesser-known aspects of Black culture and history, and its first project was to save a historic home down the street from where Scott Joplin lived. The Council was the first to bring Juneteenth to St. Louis in the 1980s.
Known for her innovations in live performance as a form of historical interpretation, Ms. da Silva staged a re-enactment of a mid-19th century slave auction on the steps of the Old St. Louis Court House in 2011, a performance Ta-nehisi Coates wrote about in The Atlantic. Over 100 re-enactors participated in the mock auction, the first event of Missouri’s Civil War Sesquicentennial commemorations.
Ms. da Silva founded the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Celebration in 2002, an annual commemorative reenactment of significant figures and episodes in Missouri’s history that is staged at the Mary Meachum Underground Railroad Historic Site located along the Mississippi Riverfront. She is the longtime Tourism/Interpreting Director for this federally designated site that is part of the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom.
Father Gerry Kleba
Community Advocate & Black History Tour Leader
Father Gerry Kleba, a retired Catholic priest from St. Louis, has dedicated over five decades to confronting racism and preserving Black history. A tireless advocate for racial justice, he has worked closely with Black communities to challenge systemic inequities and uplift stories too often excluded from mainstream narratives.
He is best known for leading the Black History Tour of St. Louis, an educational bus tour that highlights key African American landmarks and untold histories across the city. Father Kleba has given over 17 bus tours and has reached hundreds of participants and, through them, thousands more, sparking conversations about racism, resilience, and reconciliation.
His recent documentary, A Black History Tour of St. Louis, created with filmmaker Tony West, extends his mission to educate and inspire a broader audience. For Father Kleba, Black history isn’t a side note—it’s essential to understanding the past and building a more just future.
Father Gerry Kleba, a retired Catholic priest from St. Louis, has dedicated over five decades to confronting racism and preserving Black history. A tireless advocate for racial justice, he has worked closely with Black communities to challenge systemic inequities and uplift stories too often excluded from mainstream narratives.
He is well known for leading the Black History educational bus tour that highlights key African American landmarks and untold histories across the city. Father Kleba has given over 17 bus tours and has reached hundreds of participants and, through them, thousands more, sparking conversations about racism, resilience, and reconciliation.
Father Kleba’s advocacy began long before the current wave of racial reckoning. Whether working in parishes committed to social justice, organizing for fair housing, or guiding church leaders through neighborhoods shaped by struggle and strength, he has remained committed to truth-telling and community empowerment.
Father Kleba also founded the St. Louis Association of Community Organizations (SLACO) more than four decades ago to empower neighborhood leaders and address systemic neglect, particularly in historically Black areas. From leading early housing justice campaigns to advocating for community investment, he has long pushed for solutions driven by those most affected.
His recent documentary, A Black History Tour of St. Louis, created with filmmaker Tony West, extends his mission to educate and inspire a broader audience. For Father Kleba, Black history isn’t a side note—it’s essential to understanding the past and building a more just future.
Books by
Dr. Wright
