Linking past struggles to present challenges — Smithsonian exhibit in Sikeston explores democracy

SIKESTON, Mo. (KBSI) — A new Smithsonian exhibit in southeast Missouri highlights the 1939 Sharecroppers Strike, a pivotal moment in American history. Its themes still resonate today, reflecting ongoing struggles for democracy and economic justice.

“Voices and Votes: Democracy in America,” now open in Sikeston, features a locally produced display on the strike that saw hundreds of black and white tenant farmers stage a peaceful protest along Missouri highways after being displaced by federal agricultural policies.

“The beauty of this exhibit is that it really shows democracy has never been easy,” said Scarlett Loomas, a southeast Missouri native whose own grandparents were sharecroppers in the 1930s. “Americans from all backgrounds — from all walks of life — have always put their blood, sweat and tears and sacrifice into doing the things that they believe will make this country better for everyone.”

The strike, which gained national attention at the time, led to the creation of federal resettlement communities that provided housing, health care, schools, and farming support to displaced families. For Loomas, it’s not just history — it’s personal.

“Every day I drive down Highway 61, and it gives such an emotional sense of place,” she said. “I wouldn’t be here if they hadn’t been there.”

But, the legacy of that struggle remains.

“The way that the economy was set up years ago here — that ended up eventually leading to the sharecroppers strike — it still haunts this region.”

Today, poverty is still an issue. Nearly one in four children in southeast Missouri live in food-insecure households. Proposed federal budget cuts threaten to deepen challenges for families relying on health care and food assistance.

“There’s nothing in the exhibit that explicitly states or talks about this,” said Bailee Porteous, a Southeast Missouri State University student who helped curate the display. “We did want to keep more modern politics out of it, but modern politics also affect people in these communities.”

Porteous hopes highlighting the story of the sharecroppers struggles and their fight for better working conditions inspires people.

“I think it’s a way to inspire people to keep trucking along,” she said. “There are people looking out for them and advocating for them.”

The exhibit is open at the Malone Park Center for the Arts, until July 22, 2025. For more information, click here.