In 1959, the segregated working class neighborhood of Mill Creek Valley was razed to build Highway 40 through St. Louis. Before being torn down in the name of "urban renewal," this vibrant, if poor, neighborhood was full of hard-working Black families who attended church together, kids who played together in the streets and alleys, and the businesses that catered to their needs.
The Last Children of Mill Creek presents a look at everyday life in Mill Creek Valley through the eyes of a young girl, the author, who lived there with her parents and seven siblings in a three-room apartment. I found the book to be vibrant, humorous, and an illuminating personal narrative that brings into focus many of the historical bits of American life that are generally taught through statistics and maps (if at all) instead of stories of individuals. Well worth a read.
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