UMSL Cancels Annual Fundraiser for OBS, Digital Archives Premier
According to a press release from the Organization for Black Struggle (OBS), the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) has withdrawn its partnership from the group’s 46th anniversary celebration. The annual event was originally planned in collaboration with the university’s Museum Department and set to feature the public launch of OBS’s digitized Black Archives Project. The celebration, which was rescheduled from an earlier date due to severe weather, was to take place on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at UMSL’s Student Center under the title “Preserving the Legacy of Black Liberation in the Age of MAGA.” The program was to include panelists such as Clerk of the Board of Aldermen Terry Kennedy, Janey Archey, and longtime OBS leader Jamala Rogers. The event was also intended to serve as OBS’s primary annual fundraiser.
The statement from OBS states that it has maintained longstanding ties with UMSL through student groups, departments, and initiatives. Related to the event, OBS has partnered with UMSL’s Museum Department since 2024 to digitize and preserve its archives. These archives are housed by the Missouri State Historical Society. As the cancelled event was set to serve as the public release of the digitized archives, the anniversary program represented a key milestone in that collaboration. The decision to cancel the event came with very short notice and means that OBS faces the financial consequences of losing such a significant fundraising opportunity.
The press release from OBS attributes the withdrawal to pressures stemming from Missouri’s current political climate. The statement points to the group’s longstanding advocacy for police accountability and vocal opposition to the state takeover of the St. Louis Police Department. OBS leader Jamala Rogers highlighted the timing and context. “With the long relationship OBS has had with UMSL, we have to acknowledge that what makes it different now is the political climate in Missouri,” Rogers said. “Add to that my role as plaintiff in Rogers v State of Missouri, and that UMSL is the secondary employment for St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy. We don’t believe any of this is a coincidence.”
UMSL was offered the chance to respond to the press release’s contention that the decision to cancel the event was politically motivated. UMSL has not responded by the time of publication. If UMSL chooses to respond, the university’s comments will be added to this story.
