WE SAY THEIR NAMES: HONORING OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN ANCESTORS OF CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI & SURROUNDING AREAS: PRESERVING THE PAST FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS Paperback – January 29, 2026

This is a Black/White Paperback.Written by the Shady Grove Heritage & Preservation Organization Collective: Diane Giboney-Bell, Tameisha Bell, Judy Giboney Humphrey, Karl Lee, Anita Squires-Jones, & Gwendolyn Squires, Ph.D.The purpose of this book is to connect with our families, continue important conversations, and document the history of our ancestors. Through these pages, we honor their virtues, strengths, and perseverance in the face of challenges within a city, a country, and a world that was often hostile to them. As you read, you will discover that there are many ways to honor your ancestors, and no matter how you choose to do so, the experience is deeply spiritual. We hope the journeys, discoveries, and stories shared in this book will spark meaningful and lasting conversations.This project was a true collaboration among six of us, all with ancestral ties and stories to tell. We came together to write, to share, and most importantly, to say their names. By assembling the missing pieces of our past, we place them on the shoulders of future generations so they can carry them forward. Each chapter of this book reflects a labor of love and careful research. We drew on family letters, oral histories, public records, and photographs to reconstruct the lives of those who came before us. In doing so, we sought to preserve not just facts and dates, but the essence of who they were, their dreams, struggles, and triumphs. Read more