Gabrielle Hays:
Yes, so the family has been involved from the very start.
The city of Creve Coeur has acknowledged what happened. Their sort of journey started in 2019. They established a task force. And they have been to work with the family to kind of figure out how to move forward, right, and how to make sure that this story isn’t forgotten.
And so they created a task force. They read dedicated that land to Dr. Venable. So now it bears his name. But the family also wants to make sure that it doesn’t end there. In fact, his nieces and nephews have said this cannot be a one-off, right? That can’t be the end of the road is changing the name on the sign. And even the city has recognized this as well.
So their hope and what they’re asking for is not only that the name of the park be changed, but also for there to be an annual day of recognition and for there to be some type of programming in Creve Coeur to make sure that people of color have an equal opportunity to live in that neighborhood.
They want a financial contribution to Washington University in Dr. Venable’s name to ensure that students have an opportunity to learn there. So, they are very much so part of this process, but, for them, it’s bigger than just acknowledging the story. It’s about making sure that it moves forward and that no one forgets.
