Multimedia Reporting
Links to my multimedia reporting experience.
Missouri ranks 11th in the nation for agricultural production, but less than 2% of Missouri farmers are Black, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Some Missouri entrepreneurs are looking to change that with small-scale urban agriculture.
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In St. Louis, Tyrean “Heru” Lewis grows vegetables, fruits, herbs and much more at Heru Urban Farming. He has found a way to connect with his community through food production.
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“Heru means ‘liberator king,’ so I came with that name because I want to liberate my people through food,” Lewis said. “For the first three years over here, no one said nothing to me. I started growing food, and people started talking to each other.”
After establishing himself and his farm in the community, Lewis started seeing the interaction and community he sought for.
Callaway County residents acknowledge Black history, past and present
CALLAWAY COUNTY-- Last November, Callaway County turned 200 years old. With a history that dates back to the year of the Missouri Compromise, which established Missouri as a slave state in 1820, Callaway County possesses its own unique chapter of Black history.
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For a county that, according to the United States Census Bureau, is 91.7% white, the conservation and documentation of Black history in Callaway has been neglected as a priority.