St. Louis on the Air

“Black in the Middle: An Anthology of the Black Midwest" explores the experience of Black people in the Midwest. Editor Terrion L. Williamson and contributor Lyndsey Ellis discuss the book.

Lynne Jackson sometimes struggles to find her great-great-grandfather’s grave. Located in north St. Louis’ sprawling and historic Calvary Cemetery, the headstone is just two and a half feet high. A cemetery map helps, and on it, his grave is indicated in the key, with the number 19 beside his name: Dred Scott. It’s a modest memorial, and it’s also “the most asked-for grave out there,” according to Jackson, who last week launched a fundraiser in hopes of creating a nine-foot-tall educational memorial at the spot.

This month, the pop-up soup dinner that provides funding for good causes returns to St. Louis after a five-year hiatus. Anne McCullough explains what led her to bring back STL Sloup.

The new archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis shares his thoughts on racism, sexual abuse, and calls from activists to remove the statue of St. Louis the King atop of Art Hill.

We explore the latest Great Rivers Biennial exhibit at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis with Misa Jeffereis, the assistant curator at CAM who organized the show, and Rachel Youn, whose "Gather” gallery on display blends the lines between dance and worship.

Holden Thorp, who is now the editor-in-chief of Science, has found it necessary to speak out in recent months about what he terms “an extreme attack on science that’s acute and forceful and very much in the news.” He doesn't mince words in his latest editorial for the magazine.

Some companies are welcoming workers back to the office. That comes with risks because of the coronavirus pandemic but we talk with employers who are trying to do it the right way and making necessary accommodations. Architect Megan Ridgeway of Arcturis also explains how she's working with companies to accomplish these goals.

Benson Hill is considered a rising star in the ag-tech space. The company was established in 2012 and has garnered about $133 million in funding, including from the investor arm of Google, GV. Co-founder and CEO Matt Crisp joins the show to talk about creating better tasting and more sustainable food. He also explains why the company chose St. Louis to open a new $53 million headquarters.

Brock Seals talks about his “artivism,” a term coined to describe the intersection between art and activism, and his upcoming project called “The Artivist.”

Persistence Surveillance Systems originally developed its technology for military use and now hopes to bring it to St. Louis to lower the city's crime rate. The company has been running a pilot program in the city of Baltimore — in conjunction with the city's police department — since April. Baltimore journalist Joanne Cavanaugh Simpson discusses the results of the trial run and how residents feel about the new technology.