A new exhibition titled: "A Historic Look at Black Labor in St. Louis through the Eyes of Artist Spencer T. Banks (1912-1983)," curated by Joan Stack of the State Historical Society of Missouri, is on display at Ellis Library on the University of Missouri campus through May 18. The public is invited to see the exhibition during regular visitor hours of the library.
In conjunction with the exhibition, Dr. Stack will present a lecture Feb. 26, 12- 1p.m. at Ellis Library, Room 114A, that seeks to revive the legacy of an important Black artist in Missouri. In 1962, a reporter for the St. Louis Argus called Spencer T. Banks, "one of the most popular artists in St. Louis," yet despite his cultural importance, Banks's name has faded from public memory. Between 1930 and 1970, Banks not only produced design work for many important Black-owned businesses, but he also created the groundbreaking comic strip Pokenia for the St. Louis Argus from 1939-40. The comic centered around the adventures of a Black female office worker and her conflicts with an office thief and a criminal gang. Stack says that Pokenia is thought to be the first published newspaper comic with a Black heroine.