The State Historical Society of Missouri hosted a webinar featuring the historical case of Celia Newsom, an enslaved woman in Calloway County, Missouri, who was executed for the murder of her sexually abusive owner, Robert Newsome, on December 21, 1855.
Traci Wilson-Kleekamp, PhD, re-examines of the case of Celia, highlighting how her voice and actions constituted an act of radical resistance against the sustained sexual violence inflicted by her enslaver. Also on the webinar panel, Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge, president of the Celia Newsom Legacy Foundation and the second great granddaughter of Celia and Robert Newsom, shared updates on modern justice efforts led by the Foundation.
This webinar invites educators to critically revisit and reinterpret Celia’s story through engagement with primary sources, including digitized circuit court records and the Missouri Supreme Court case Missouri v. Celia, a slave.
About the Presenter
Traci Wilson-Kleekamp, PhD, is an avid genealogist, a critical family historian, and research consultant who helps family historians discover more about their African American heritage. She is featured on the Missouri State Archives website: African American Genealogy: Putting Together the Pieces of Your Past: A Five-Part Series with Traci L. Wilson-Kleekamp. In 2020, Wilson-Kleekamp published The Descendants of Celia and Robert Newsom Speak a scholarly article that explored family memories and oral histories of Celia. In May 2025, Wilson-Kleekamp graduated with a PhD in philosophy from the University of Missouri, College of Education and Human Development. Also at MU, she obtained a Graduate Certificate in Qualitative Research and a master’s degree in social studies education.
Pamela Wesbrooks-Hodge is the second great-granddaughter of Celia and Robert Newsom and the founding President of the Celia Newsom Legacy Foundation. She leads descendant-driven efforts to preserve Celia’s legacy and advance education, reconciliation, and justice. A St. Louis native, Pamela serves on the Missouri State Board of Education, where she chairs the Strategic Planning Committee. After a 30-year career in governance, risk, and compliance—including serving as a General Partner at Edward Jones Investments—Pamela retired to focus on Celia-centered historic and educational justice efforts. Today, she works to connect Celia’s story to modern initiatives addressing human trafficking, education, and systems change.