Shining light on forgotten voices to bring forward a better future.
During the fall of 2023, friends exploring a trail came upon something they never expected — a cemetery filled with unmarked graves. Reduced to numbers, the lives marked by the stones seemed to have been forgotten.
One thing was clear: their stories needed to be told. In that emotional moment, the seeds for Lantern for Lost Voices were planted.
“History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and of our common humanity, so that we can better face the future.”
Robert Penn Warren
Our Mission
Lantern for Lost Voices (LLV) is a nonprofit organization designed to shine light on the forgotten voices in history to bring forward a better future. In order to break the cycle of erased and silenced voices we need to research, be transparent about the past, tell their stories, and educate our communities. Our goals are to allow our communities to grow, empower & mobilize people to acknowledge our past and use their voice to have an impact on our future. Our focuses are: research, education, storytelling, empowerment, community building, and commemorating. Our stories connect us, drive us, and shape who we are. It is time to bring these voices to life one story at a time.
Source: City of St. Louis Water Department, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Comprehensive Programs
While research and commemoration play a big part in the work of LLV, it is with the goal of education in mind. In 2024, LLV will make available workshops and educational materials designed to bring forgotten history to life for youth and adults as a path to community change and growth. Through internships and group programming, we will share the stories of the past in an engaging way to cultivate the passion, empowerment, and action that will impact the way our community begins to confront, challenge, and heal issues such as poverty, discrimination, and mental health.
Local Support
We at LLV do not pretend to know local and social history better than the people of organizations like town, county, and state historical and genealogical societies. Our goal is to work alongside local organizations in a way that will help them gain access to additional researchers, resources, and volunteers. We understand that these organizations are often built upon the love and passion of a dedicated group of individuals but are rarely built upon the resources they need to fulfill their desires for knowledge and commemoration of the events that have built the community around them. LLV aims to provide assistance and support to those wishing for local stories to be heard in a way that will maximize the impact that comes from working together.
To meet the LLV Team, click here.
To learn about the 2024/2025 LLV Board of Directors, click here.