HISTORY PRESENTATION
DURING OLD-TIME MUSIC, OZARK HERITAGE FESTIVAL
The 25th annual Festival will be held May 31 and June 1, 2019, in and around the West Plains Civic Center. The two-day annual event in downtown West Plains, Mo., celebrates Ozarks music and culture. Admission to all festival events is free. Festival hours are noon-9 p.m. both Friday and Saturday.
The last two years, community members have hosted an historical bus tour of West Plains. This year that committee will sponsor a presentation by Dr. Jason McCollom, Assistant Professor of History at Missouri State University-West Plains. The African-American Experience in West Plains will be presented at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 1 at the 1st Presbyterian Church, 112 Aid Avenue in West Plains, with refreshments to follow.
Towards an African-American History of Olden and West Plains, Missouri – In what ways did African Americans make a home in two small communities of the southern Missouri Ozarks, and how did this marginalized society interact and coexist with the white majority? Dr. Jason McCollom, who teaches history at Missouri State University-West Plains, will highlight the African American history of West Plains by examining the intertwined lives of both white and black residents from the late 19th century through the first half of the 20th century.