Matt Averett

Aerial photograph of suburban neighborhood. A maze of roads, sidewalks, and houses.

I love this stamp.

City takes step toward demolishing the former Club Imperial in north St. Louis Club Imperial opened as a dance hall and featured live performances by Chuck Berry, Ike and Tina Turner and other influential artists. The long-vacant building escaped previous demolition proposals.

"The venue opened as a dance hall in 1928 and later featured performances by the Ike and Tina Turner Revue — who recorded part of a live album there — Chuck Berry, Dolly Parton and many other well-known artists before they achieved stardom." #STL

#STL #Ferguson

I can't get over this number: in 2007, there were 360,000 newspaper jobs. Now, there are 80,000. "My local paper sucked!" Sure. What sucks even more? The void. "I get all my news from the Guardian!" No, the Guardian doesn't report on your town council, your school board, local cops.

#STLCards #STL

2026 SAH STL/SLPL– Steedman Library Lecture Series presents John C. Guenther The February installment of the 2026 SAH STL/SLPL Steedman Library Lecture Series presents John C. Guenther, FAIA, LEED AP, architect, historian, author, President of the Society of Architectural His...

Lecture this Tuesday!
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis: An Illustrated Timeline.
#STL
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Department of Education Backs Down on Unlawful Directive Targeting Educational Equity | NEA In a victory for academic freedom and education equity, the U.S. Department of Education conceded the end of its February 14, 2025, “Dear Colleague” directive that sought to restrict diversity, equity...

The Department of Education has ended its "Dear Colleague" directive that attempted to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in schools nationwide.

Guest post: Matthew Knox Averett - University of Missouri Press The following is a guest blog post by Matthew Knox Averett, author of Canfield Drive: A History of Race and the American City on a Street in St. Louis.

I have a guest post about CANFIELD DRIVE on the University of Missouri Press blog. #STL

@umissouripress.bsky.social

Matthew Knox Averett, Author of Canfield Drive — Leviathan Bookstore Join us on the evening of Thursday, February 12 for a conversation with Matthew Knox Averett about his book Canfield Drive: A History of Race and the American City on a Street in St. Louis . If you...

Tonight!
#STL

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@umissouripress.bsky.social

People Who Don’t Understand Downtowns Are Destroying Downtowns A far-fetched plan to demolish Dallas’s seat of government reflects the city’s diminished role in the region.

“For decades, a fatal assumption of American downtowns has been that, to compete, they must offer their best approximation of the big, blank parcels and ample parking of their suburban rivals. It’s an impossible game to win.”

Looking forward to this on Thursday at Leviathan Bookstore!

#STL
@leviathanbookstore.bsky.social

Thanks. I hate it. #STLCards

The disappearing art gallery in your post office The U.S. Postal Service is home to thousands of historic works of art in post offices nationwide. Hundreds have been lost, sold or destroyed.

👀 What if I told you there was a hidden art gallery scattered across the country?

What if I told you some of its treasures had vanished?

What if I told you that I found them?

A project three years in the making (🎁 gift link):

Struggling St. Louis program to repair vacant land bank homes gets boost from aldermen The struggling Prop NS program aimed at repairing vacant homes in the city’s land bank will have more relaxed spending rules under a bill approved by the Board of Aldermen.

"Through Prop NS, the city stabilizes homes in the city land bank and lists them for sale to investors or prospective home renovators. However, after five years, only 12 homes have been fully rehabbed through the program." #STL

#STLCards

Matthew Knox Averett, Author of Canfield Drive — Leviathan Bookstore Join us on the evening of Thursday, February 12 for a conversation with Matthew Knox Averett about his book Canfield Drive: A History of Race and the American City on a Street in St. Louis . If you...

Happy to be at Leviathan Bookstore in St. Louis next week to talk about my new book, CANFIELD DRIVE. #STL

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@umissouripress.bsky.social
#4theVille

In MoDOT’s plan to kill I-64/Compton interchange, the devil is in the details You can add Saint Louis University to the list of organizations and business owners speaking out against the Missouri Department of Transportation plan to rip out the Compton/I-64 interchange. In a st...

MoDOT has proposed plans to remove or significantly alter the I-64/Compton Avenue interchange in St. Louis. #STL

City weighs condemnations as deadline looms for tornado relief applications Eight months after the May 16 tornado, St. Louis officials are considering condemnation to address deteriorating, derelict properties whose owners have shown no interest in getting help for them. A Fe...

"Recovery officials urged property owners to apply if there’s any outstanding need before that deadline. After that, unsafe properties that haven’t applied for assistance and have shown no signs of improvement will be condemned..." #STL

#STL

#STL

Book Review: Canfield Drive: A History of Race and the American City on a Street in St. Louis A new book examines Black space in St. Louis, tracing a long history of racism in local urban planning.

Thanks to the Mound City Messenger for this review of Canfield Drive. #STL.
@umissouripress.bsky.social @moundcitymessenger.bsky.social

After McKee’s firm demanded $116M, city moved to seize Northside land The St. Louis Development Corp. only moved to seize land from developer Paul McKee after he sought to demand $116 million for the acreage, according to a letter released by the agency Friday. The lead...

"McKee and his firm are frequently cited as barriers to growth in North City. They’re accused of sitting on empty or deteriorating properties and not delivering on promises to redevelop the area after cutting a deal with the city to obtain around 1,500 acres of North St. Louis 17 years ago..." #STL

The Author’s Corner with Matthew Knox Averett Matthew Knox Averett is Professor of Art History at Creighton University. This interview is based on his new book, Canfield Drive: A History of Race and the American City on a Street in St. Louis (…

Happy to chat about my book on "The Way of Improvement Leads Home" blog.
#STL #Ferguson @umissouripress.bsky.social

Great to see my book, Canfield Drive, at the #AHA26 meetings!

Plan to revitalize north city neighborhoods aims to reverse more than just tornado damage St. Louis officials hope to reverse the impact of decades of disinvestment in the Ville, the Greater Ville and Kingsway East through a new neighborhood plan.

"The proposal lays out short-term actions including home repair, home down payment assistance, flexible retail permitting and more long-term plans like creating mixed-income housing, establishing a land trust and creating community improvement taxing districts." #STL

#STL

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said this about CANFIELD DRIVE by Matthew Knox Averett:

“Combining a narrative of racialized housing policies with deep, statistical dives into local history, including an illuminating series of maps, CANFIELD DRIVE provides a convincing systematic analysis.”

'Canfield Drive' traces the history of race relations in St. Louis and beyond Anyone who wants to trace the history of race relations in St. Louis, and its effect on housing, could start by listing the chapter headings in this comprehensive, exhaustively researched

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has a short review of my book on the urban history of Black spaces in St. Louis.
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#STL