Big Muddy Speaker Series

Presentation by Sociologist Cecilia Nadal and Cultural Historian Sydney Norton

Tuesday, May 9th, 2023

• 7 p.m. presentation (6 p.m. Social Hour)
• Register for Virtual Zoom Option here.
• Watch it LIVE on our YouTube Channel (and you can also catch the recording there later)
• The Bistro at Les Bourgeois Vineyards in Rocheport, MO
• Google Map – Directions Below

The Bistro Restaurant is closed on Tuesdays, but the bar will be open. You ARE welcome to come early, bring some food and gather with friends before the presentation. Speaker Series attendees are welcome after 6:00 p.m.

Hosted by Missouri River Relief and the Missouri Humanities Council 

Ever wondered how Missouri fit into the abolitionist movement? Within the social and political context of nineteenth-century Missouri, German specialist Sydney Norton will examine the contributions of German immigrants who dedicated their lives to ending slavery, and who, in some cases, worked with African Americans to institute laws of social equality after slavery was abolished. Join Sydney as she investigates the contributions of key political figures, such as Friedrich Muench, Arnold Krekel, and Henry and Augustus Boernstein, who, in their actions and writings, helped mobilize members of the German community to support Abraham Lincoln and fight for the principles of democracy.

Ordinance abolishing slavery in Missouri, signed by Judge Arnold Krekel, 1865.

Sociologist and playwright Cecilia Nadal will follow with a discussion of how the story of the German abolitionists inspired her to investigate the shared history of African Americans and German Americans. After discussing their complex and evolving historical relationships prior to, during, and following the Civil War, Nadal will share personal insights gleaned from discussion groups she facilitated with urban and rural Missourians from both ethnic groups. She will explain why this history of relationships is crucial for our society’s well-being today. Nadal will also discuss how this history shaped the direction of her play, An Amazing Story: German Abolitionists of Missouri, which toured in St. Louis, Washington and Hermann.

Cecilia Nadal is a sociologist and playwright who attended Saint Louis University receiving her bachelor’s degree in Sociology and master’s degree in Urban Sociology from Webster University. She completed all coursework for a PhD in Social Development at Saint Louis University. Cecilia was the founder and Executive Director of Gitana Productions Inc., a 23-year nonprofit arts and education company that builds communities through cross-cultural engagement and co-creation.

Cecilia wrote the play, An Amazing Story: German Abolitionists of Missouri and organized a number of Symposia on the Shared History of Germans and African Americans featured in St. Louis, Hermann and upcoming in Hannibal, Warrenton and Jefferson City.

She is now the President of Cross-Cultural Strategies, a training and consultant firm. Cecilia is the recipient of a number of awards at the local, state and national level including the 2019 Missouri Arts Award for Arts Leadership; 2017 Ethics in Action Award, Ethical Society and the St. Louis Visionary Award for Community Impact.

Sydney J. Norton is an independent scholar and educator in St. Louis. In 2016, she organized “German Immigrant Abolitionists: Fighting for a Free Missouri,” an exhibition that opened at Saint Louis University’s Center for Global Citizenship, and that traveled to Deutschheim State Historic Site in Hermann, Mo. Her research for this project and her close collaboration with colleagues in related fields has inspired a collection of essays that is coming out this year with University of Missouri Press. Sydney earned her doctorate in German literature and cultural studies from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Her publications include books and articles on contemporary German art and literature, the performing and visual arts of the Weimar Republic, and German immigrant abolitionists in Missouri. Currently, Sydney teaches German at Saint Louis Community College and The German School Association, and serves on the library staff at Concordia Historical Institute. As a member of the Missouri Speakers Bureau, she presents lectures on German immigrant abolitionists throughout the state.

Directions

• 14020 W. Hwy BB, Rocheport, MO
• Take I-70 to the Rocheport, MO, exit (Exit #115). It’s the first exit east of the Missouri River.
• Head north toward Rocheport.
• After about a mile, turn left at the sign for Les Bourgeois Bistro. Follow the signs to the Bistro. You will probably need to park in the lot above the Bistro and walk the trail down.
• The presentations are held in upstairs in the restaurant. The restaurant is no longer open on Tuesdays but the bar is! You are welcome to bring your own food or snacks.