This Black History Month, Congresswoman Bush Introduces Resolution Honoring John and Mary Meachum, St. Louis Abolitionists
Washington D.C. (Feb. 29, 2024) — Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) introduced a resolution honoring Mary and John Meachum, two Black abolitionists from St. Louis who dedicated their lives to emancipating and educating enslaved Black people. This resolution aims to elevate Black History Month as a time to evoke historical memory about the sacrifices and contributions made by Black Americans, particularly Black abolitionists.
“In a time when extremist lawmakers are determined to erase any and all record of our progress, it is of utmost importance that Congress continues to amplify Black narratives and experiences throughout our nation's history,” said Congresswoman Bush. “I am proud of the rich history that St. Louis holds and am dedicated to ensuring that the stories of brave individuals like Mary and John Meachum are told for generations to come.”
A copy of the resolution can be found HERE.
Additional cosponsors of this resolution include Representatives Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Barbara Lee (CA-12), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Troy Carter (LA-02), André Carson (IN-7), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Jamaal Bowman (NY-16).
John Berry Meachum, born enslaved in 1789 in Virginia, was able to purchase his own freedom at the age of 21. After freeing himself from enslavement, he spent the next several years setting out to purchase the freedom of his father, mother, and siblings. During this time he met Mary Meachum—born enslaved in Kentucky and forcibly relocated to St. Louis, Missouri. John followed Mary to St. Louis and eventually bought her freedom.
As individuals and throughout their marriage, John and Mary Meachum spent their lives fighting to liberate enslaved Black people in St. Louis. Together, the Meachum’s defied ordinances banning education for both freed and enslaved Black individuals. In 1827, the couple established the First African Baptist Church in St. Louis, the oldest Black American church west of the Mississippi River. Reverend Meachum secretly taught Black students in the basement of the church until 1847, when the school was dismantled by the police. In defiance of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, the Meachum’s home served as a waypoint on the Underground Railroad, where they helped countless enslaved Black people escape to Illinois.
In 2001, the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing was dedicated as part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, a congressionally mandated program of the National Park Service that honors, preserves, and promotes the history of resistance to enslavement through escape and flight.
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