Black girl turns into face of Missouri tourism

JEFFERSON CITY, MO. – A black woman has become the face of Missouri’s tourism campaign nearly four years after the NAACP warned travelers that visiting the state might not respect their civil rights.

The Missouri tourism division launched the campaign Monday, describing the woman the agency named Mo as “some kind of character and tour guide,” reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She can be seen in a promotional video where she hikes, watches a baseball game, and rides a roller coaster. Pictures also show them as Foodie Mo, Barbecue Mo, Lake Mo, History Mo and more.

“Mo embodies Missouri and everything we have to offer to visitors to our state,” said Stephen Foutes, director of tourism, in the press release.

However, Missouri NAACP President Nimrod Chapel said the group’s travel advisory will remain in effect until Missouri makes “significant progress on systemic abuse of people of color”. The state group warned travelers to be cautious in the state in June 2017 as it posed a risk of civil rights not being respected. The national NAACP recorded the warning a few months later.

“I don’t quite understand where they’re going with the campaign and why they’re putting a black face on it,” Chapel said.

“Missouri is a place marked by violence and Jim Crow,” said Chapel. “It is good that they are trying to think inclusive for people they should invite into the state,” but it is also unfortunate that the government “has done nothing to usefully address these risks”.

Ashley Santana, a St. Louis-based actress, model, and soprano, plays Mo. She declined to comment on the agency she represents.

In a statement sent to Post-Dispatch by email, Foutes did not respond directly to whether the casting decision was related to the NAACP report.

He said Visit Missouri, the tourism website with Mo, “auditioned over 200 actors and actresses with strong Missouri connections. When Mo came to life, we wanted to reflect the down-to-earth, easy-going, and welcoming Missouri personality. We are who we are proud to have an African American and a Missouri native man in this campaign to welcome future visitors to Missouri. “

Brian Hall, chief marketing officer for Explore St. Louis, said efforts to position St. Louis and Missouri as warm and welcoming have become especially important since Michael Brown’s death in 2014 brought the nation’s attention to unresolved issues of racial justice steered the region.

Although systemic changes are still required, the occupation of Santana “sends an important signal that our state is proud to present an African American woman as a representative, ambassador for our state”.