Those Who Stayed Behind

The lynchings and racial violence that happened across the Ozarks during the years surrounding the turn of the 20th century led the vast majority of Blacks to leave their homes and start anew.

While most African Americans left the Ozarks, a small percentage remained behind, for reasons only known to them. These people and their families formed strong communities and supported themselves, starting Black-owned businesses, churches and everything else needed to establish themselves as proud local citizens.

The personal histories and stories of many of these people have been lost to time, but the popular fanscination with photographic portraiture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries has left future generations with images of African American's who remained in the Ozarks in the face of adversity.

Credits

Created by Dorothy Berry