African Americans have been part of the story of St. Louis from the city's founding in 1764. Unfortunately, most histories of the city have overlooked or ignored their vital role, allowing their influence and accomplishments to go unrecorded or uncollected; that is, until the publication of Discovering African American St. Louis: A Guide to Historic Sites in 1994. The 2002 edition takes readers on a fascinating tour of nearly 400 African American landmarks, east and west of the Mississippi. From the boyhood home of jazz great Miles Davis in East St. Louis, Illinois, to the site of the house that sparked the landmark Shelly v. Kraemer court case, the maps, photographs, and text of Discovering African American St. Louis record a history that has been neglected.