The 2025 Cultural Diversity Committee’s Black History Luncheon will be held Feb. 22 at the Corpus Christi Center at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 6020 Old Antonia Road, in Imperial.
The 29th version of the annual event will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will offer live music, special awards and presentations, raffles and more.
Tickets cost $40 and include a lunch catered by Frankie Gianino’s restaurant in Imperial.
“We will have music from the MOBB (Missouri Big Band) and Torrey Casey from Crystal City, who plays a variety of music,” said Alvin Riney, the committee’s president. “There will be special recognition for William Matthews of Farmington, who passed away last year. He had been one of the individuals who had never missed a Black History Luncheon. He also was one of the last surviving members of Douglass School, an alumni.”
Douglass Cooperative High School in Festus enrolled Black students from a wide region from 1939-1955 during the days of segregated schools.
The event raises money for the committee to provide college scholarships to area students in need.
The keynote speaker is Marty K. Casey, a motivational speaker from St. Louis who describes herself as a “global peace ambassador.”
During a recent phone interview, Casey said she plans to speak about the importance of people working together.
“I will make mention that I believe what we need right now is to come together, no matter our different backgrounds,” she said. “We have to come together for the sake of humanity. I want to challenge people to take better care of their neighbors.”
Casey said that while she has been heartened by the outpouring of support for the victims of the recent California fires, it should not take natural disasters to bring about human kindness.
“We’re neighbors. We live on the same planet,” Casey said. “When you see the fires in California, they don’t happen street by street. No matter what street they live on, they experience the same trauma.
“The rest of the country is looking for ways to help them. But, you shouldn’t have to wait for a disaster to come together.”
Casey said she travels the world trying to spread her message calling for compassion.
“I work with schools around the globe,” she said.
Casey started a group called unGUN Institute intended to help reduce violence in society, adding that the organization is reducing trauma that plagues Black communities.
“If we could lessen the trauma, maybe we could lessen the violence,” she said.
Casey said her family has roots in Jefferson County, and her family’s experience of moving to another place provides a life lesson.
“My great-grandmother was originally from De Soto,” Casey said. “She was born in 1910, the last of 19 children. It was her desire to one day move to the big city of St. Louis. That was her big desire, to move 45 minutes away.
“(The family) found it’s the same to live in the big city as in a small town. So, if we take care of where we are, it’s the same as anywhere else.”
Riney stressed that everyone is invited to the luncheon, which will be an enjoyable and interesting event.
“We’re thankful this is luncheon No. 29 and it’s still going strong,” he said.
For ticket information, contact Riney at 314-402-7883 or Denise Brown at 314-766-0044 or visit the CU Diversity page on Facebook.