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The City of Metropolis honors two of its own who had highly acclaimed careers

WSIU Public Broadcasting | By Brad Palmer
Published August 7, 2023 at 6:26 PM CDT
The Mayor of Metropolis unveils the marker honoring Annie Turnbo Malone at a cermony on August 7, 2023.
Hannah Saad/WKMS
Metropolis Mayor Don Canada unveils a new historical marker on Aug. 7, 2023 honoring southern Illinois natives Annie Turnbo Malone, an entrepreneur who became one of the first Black female millionaires in
the country.

On Monday, two African Americans from Metropolis were honored with markers in front of the Chamber of Commerce building in their hometown.

Oscar Micheaux and Annie Turnbo Malone achieved their international acclaim in different industries in the early to mid-20th century, but were never widely recognized in Metropolis.

I spoke with Reverend Orlando McReynolds of First Missionary Baptist Church in Metropolis, who was responsible for the markers.

He tells us about these two historical figures, starting with Oscar Micheaux.

The photo of the marker honoring Oscar Micheaux
Hannah Saad/WKMS
The marker honoring Oscar Micheaux
Tags
History Metropolis
Brad Palmer
As a news producer and news anchor on All Things Considered, Brad provides the listeners with a recap of the day's top local and state news as well as breaking news at any given time. Contact WSIU Radio at 618-453-6101 or email wsiunews@wsiu.org
See stories by Brad Palmer
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