- [Jim Kirchherr] It's an idea that has Edwardsville students joining up in a group ride to school.

The adults call it a healthy alternative.

The kids call it... - So awesome!

- [Jim] He learned to fight on the streets of St. Louis and in prison.

- If not the best, in the top three best boxers that ever came outta St. Louis.

- [Jim] But Sonny Liston might be best remembered for his heavyweight title rematch with Cassius Clay, Muhammad Ali, who threw the famous Phantom Punch.

- [Sportscaster] Did you see the punch?

Did you see it?

- And it was a story of slavery, abuse, violent death, execution.

But today, Black and white descendants of the enslaved woman and her victim are working together for Justice for Celia.

It's all next on "Living St.

Louis."

(melodious music) (cheerful music) (cheerful music continues) (cheerful music continues) (cheerful music continues) I'm Jim Kirchherr, and we've done stories about people who are really into cycling.

I mean long-term treks, racing, that sort of thing.

But Brooke Butler's story isn't so much about cycling, it's about just plain old bike riding.

(tinkling music) - [Brooke Butler] For most kids, getting to and from school might not be the most exciting time of the day, but for these students at Columbus Elementary School in Edwardsville, Illinois, it's definitely a highlight.

That's because they get to ride their bikes with their friends.

(melodious music) - It was so awesome!

- [Brooke] What was so awesome about it?

- I just like riding my bike in general.

- [Brooke] It's called a Bike Bus.

Kids, or rather adults, organize a group bike ride instead of taking their regular mode of transportation.

It's a trend that's been catching on worldwide for many reasons, but for kids, as Reid said, sometimes it's just fun to ride your bike.

- All right, perfect.

So we got 10 riders, some grownups, and we're gonna get moving.

But before we do that, I need you to know a few things about how we do this.

We're gonna ride in a single file line.

- [Brooke] If you're like me, you may be thinking that a bunch of kids who probably don't have the most experience with street riding would be a little chaotic to manage, but it's very organized and safe with the help of Bike Bus drivers.

- Bike Bus is a great way for kids to ride to school in an organized ride.

We meet in five separate locations on three Fridays in May, and we'll do it again in September.

And the way the Bike Bus works is there's at least two dedicated bike bus drivers, one in front, one in back.

They all have these safety vests.

And the kids ride single file in between, and we ride them to school, and then we meet them at the end of school and we ride them back to the original start location.

- I think it's been awesome.

I mean, it's always great to have a reminder to people that they don't always have to take their car everywhere.

So having this group of kids going to school has been... You know, maybe this will start something, maybe this will encourage kids to ride to school every day.

(tinkling music) - [Brooke] But there once was a time when this mode of transportation was the norm.

In 1969, nearly 50% of kids ages 5-14 biked or walked to school, whereas in recent years, it's dropped to about 13%.

Many factors have contributed to this decline, including of course, concerns for traffic related dangers.

Although, as much as we teach our kids to look both ways before crossing the street, the number one reason is the distance families live to their school.

Beginning in the 1970s, many districts across the country began building new schools further out from the town center as a way to save on property expenses.

A Bike Bus may not be practical for every district or community, but for the neighborhoods where it does make sense, there are many reasons why people want to encourage kids to walk and bike again.

Is it to, you know, get kids active?

Is it environmental?

What's the... Or just to have fun?

- Well, I think everybody's got a reason.

I think for the kids, it's mostly just fun.

But, you know, I like to think about it as the bicycle is a great means of transportation.

And here in Edwardsville, we've got some great bike trails and we've got some great opportunities for people to ride, and pretty friendly drivers, and so it's a great way to introduce young people to thinking about the bicycle is not only fun but useful.

- [Brooke] Whatever the motivation may be, the benefits are clear.

Not only does cycling provide numerous improvements in physical health, studies also show the effects on mental wellbeing are just as impressive.

Decreases in stress, anxiety, depression, and increases in cognitive performance, are all significant findings from kids and adults who consistently ride their bikes.

Not to mention, any sort of group activity enhances feelings of connectedness and inclusion in one's community.

But don't just take my word for it.

- I used to hate to ride my bike, but my mom made a chart to help inspire me to ride my bike and now I love it.

- It's like, you get to get your energy out in the morning.

- [Brooke] Ooh, I like your sticker.

- And I love the Bike Bus.

Like, I used to always ride my scooter, but then me and my friends just kinda had races and just like, biked everywhere.

So then I had to get on my bike so then I would be able to catch up to them, and ever since, I've been riding my bike and I've loved it.

- [Brooke] What do you like about it?

- I get to spend time with my grandpa.

- [Brooke] Oh, that's so fun.

Is he one of the Bike Bus drivers?

- No, he's right there.

- [Brooke] Oh, he's right there.

Oh, he gets to ride along with you.

- Yeah.

- [Brooke] That's so fun.

That's awesome.

How do you usually get to school?

- On a bus.

- [Brooke] On a bus?

Do you like this better?

- Yeah.

- [Brooke] Yeah.

- And I wish it was every single day.

- [Brooke] Maybe it will be one day.

(melodious music) - If what happened in our next story happened today, it would probably be getting nonstop coverage.

I mean, it involved race, and sex, and violence, and courtroom drama, but it happened back in 1855 in Missouri.

And yet, the story of Celia and the man she killed is actually getting plenty of attention from scholars, and students, and from members of, shall we say, an extended family.

At a recent meeting of the St. Louis African-American history and genealogical society, the topic was a woman named "Celia."

In 1850, when she was 14 years old, Celia was purchased by widower Robert Newsom and brought to his farm in Callaway County, where for the next five years, she would be repeatedly raped.

She gave birth to two of his children.

And one night in 1855, she brought it all to an end by killing him and burning his body in her fireplace.

She was charged, tried, convicted, and hanged.

- And we're gonna share Celia's tragic story of sexual exploitation.

- [Jim] Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge, a member of the Missouri State Board of Education, only recently discovered that she was a descendant of Celia and Robert Newsom, and is now one of the leaders of the Justice for Celia Coalition.

- But we also hope to share a new ending to Celia's story, so you're not just gonna hear the bad, you're going to hear what we hope is the good that's going to come out of her tragedy.

- [Jim] There were other Celia descendants in the audience, as well as white descendants of Robert Newsom and his wife, and whose own family research brought them to this family gathering.

(audience applauding) - My heart, it almost come right outta my chest, because I had never imagined that at that time, did I come from a line that owned slaves, because... - [Jim] Nancy Fogle-Compos is now one of the Coalition's lead genealogists.

But this is just the latest chapter in efforts to ensure that Celia's story is not forgotten.

- Does everybody have a program?

- [Jim] In 1995, the late civil rights attorney, Margaret Bush Wilson, hosted an event focused on Celia.

There were also here, descendants of Celia's daughter, Jenny.

They knew it as a family story.

- The first time I heard the story of Celia, I was quite young, but when I really became interested was in 1934.

- It's just always been something that my grandmother used to tell us about.

No, she didn't dwell on it, it wasn't a constant thing, but periodically something might happen and she would say something about it.

- [Jim] By this time, Celia's story had reached a national audience in a book that took its title from the court case, "The State of Missouri vs. Celia, a Slave.

It was first published in 1991, more recently in a 30th anniversary edition.

Before that though, the story could pretty much only be found in law books, documents, and legal journals, and that's where Margaret Bush Wilson first came across Celia's case.

- And I keep telling people that Celia is a heroine of mine, because when everything gets unsettled, I can simply remind myself that nothing, and I mean nothing that can happen to me, can compare with what this young woman encountered.

And somehow, that is... - [Jim] There are no known images of Celia, so Margaret Bush Wilson commissioned artist Solomon Thurman to create a portrait that has come to represent Celia.

(melodious music) (audience applauding) This was still a time before internet research and DNA testing, but all of that has helped turn what had been a legal and academic topic to a more personal story of just who Celia was and how many people are connected to her.

(melodious music) A copy of the Celia portrait had been hanging for years in the entryway of Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge's St. Louis County home, long before she was told her DNA confirmed her connection.

- One daughter, Jenny, came here and married George Lewis, and we're all descendants of... - [Jim] And last summer, she hosted some members of the Black and white branches of the family, and they dug deep into the research.

- It looked like you have a hit.

- I've got a clue.

- Connected to a Broadwater... - [Jim] Next, they took a trip to Fulton, Missouri, where they were taken to the site of the Newsom farm and the overgrown family graveyard.

And there was a stop at the Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society, one of the partners in the coalition.

- So if we go through these detailed records right here, we may be able to find some more family members.

- [Jim] The Justice for Celia Coalition is working to have permanent Celia exhibits in Fulton and St. Louis.

It wants her story taught in Missouri schools.

It wants a monument erected to her in Fulton.

The legal record is clear, Celia confessed to killing Robert Newsom.

But her white defense attorney, a slave owner himself, did more than go through the motions.

He argued that she had acted to protect herself from sexual assault and killed in self-defense, but the jury was not allowed to consider motive and she was convicted.

There was evidence that there were those in Fulton who considered what Newsom did morally wrong, but under Missouri law, Robert Newsom's actions were within his rights.

And Celia, well, she could be a criminal, but had no standing as a victim.

The pro-slavery Missouri Supreme Court allowed Celia to be executed for murder.

So why do you think it's important that we know about this?

- So I'm having an out-of-body experience because my husband, Harlan Hodge, posed that question to me a couple of days ago.

He said, "Pamela, why is it important that... Why should anybody care about Celia?"

And I said, "Well, we should all care about Celia because her situation is representative of the vast majority of enslaved women of her time.

The reality of rape during enslavement and bondage."

And so we exist today because of their sacrifices, because of their toil, and so we owe it to them to tell their stories, put a name with a face, and honor them by making sure that no one ever forgets the shoulders that we're standing on.

- This is about a person who came and did an archeological dig.

- [Jim] Celia's case is no longer a footnote.

Her story is written about, taught in universities.

There are podcasts and videos.

And now there's this effort for Missouri to bring Justice for Celia.

- This is our shared heritage, and it is also probably, in my opinion, the biggest atrocity committed against, mass atrocity committed against women of African descent that we've never talked about, and I'm sure that no one's ever atoned for.

- So how often have you said or been told, "Just take care of yourself,"?

Well, it's advice that's easy to give, sometimes hard to follow, which is one reason why May is Mental Health Awareness month, and why Leah Gullet met up with some folks who were, well, taking care of themselves.

(melodious music) - [Instructor] We're just taking a moment to get grounded here.

Take a deep inhale through your nose.

Take a big exhale out your mouth.

Sigh it out.

- [Leah Gullet] Here, in the mud field at Washington University, the Sophia Project kicks off its annual wellness initiative to teach young women how to take charge of their own wellbeing.

- Today is Self-Care Saturday, and we partnered with Nike to present this activation because it's April Wellness Month.

And it also just makes sense for the Sophia Project because self-care is one of our pillars for our girls.

And we're here today to just teach kids how to breathe, how to relax, how to be in charge of their own mental wellness.

- [Leah] The National Institute of Health states that depression and anxiety disorders are higher in women than men.

Organizations like the Sophia Project aim to give young girls the tools they need to take care of themselves as they navigate life.

- I knew that we needed a Sophia Project 'cause you needed an opportunity for girls to have safe space, continuous safe space, in order for transformation.

Because statistics say that you have to have five trusted adults in your life.

That doesn't necessarily mean if you come from a good or a bad household, it's equal.

Everybody needs some guidance outside of parental guidance.

- [Instructor] Let's take a moment to feel the sun on your body.

- Like, generally, I'm a social person, and sometimes when I get excited, I get a little loud and people say, "Oh, you are too loud."

- Well, I feel like Black women specifically, are always called the loud ones.

We're always the disregarded last thought.

And being able to have a safe space where we don't have to worry about if we're coming off as too aggressive, we're all here to like... We're all here to center ourselves and meditate, and relieve the stress that we all collectively deal with on a daily basis.

- [Leah] Stress, anxiety and depression, can look different from person-to-person.

According to New York University's College of Nursing, it's possible that healthcare providers may miss symptoms in communities that go underrepresented in their studies.

This results in a lack of treatment and diagnosis.

- A lot of people struggle with it currently, have struggled with it in the past, and it was kind of taboo to talk about things.

But now they know that they're not the only one going through a situation.

It's a ways to get help if they need it, or even just to recognize if they have a problem.

- I just wanna reiterate how imperative it is for us to really push that message to young African-American women, that learning how to take care of yourself is going to be your biggest strength.

It's your own self-advocacy.

Like, you can have a therapist, you can have a Sophia Project in your life, but again, when you're alone in your thoughts, you need to have some tools in your toolbox that we've taught you, on how to regulate yourself.

(melodious music) - We've told a lot of stories in our "This Week in St. Louis History Series," but only a few continue to be subject to debate and disagreement, even maybe conspiracy theories.

But leave it to Veronica Mohesky to find one.

(dramatic music) - [Veronica Mohesky] This week in history, in 1965, Muhammad Ali threw the famous Phantom Punch that knocked out Sonny Liston.

- [Sportscaster] Did you see the punch?

Did you see it?

- [Veronica] Ali held onto his Heavyweight Champion title, and his fame skyrocketed.

Sonny Liston is probably still most well-known for the alleged Phantom Punch, but there's much more to his story.

And though it doesn't begin in St. Louis, much of Liston's life was spent here.

- But Sonny Liston had a really, one would think troubled life growing up.

He was one of 25 kids, and his father was a sharecropper.

- [Veronica] That's Reginald Williams Sr., he owns a boxing gym and is a coach for the Midwest Warriors Athletic Association.

He was also a member of the 1980 Olympic boxing team.

He says he grew up watching Liston fight.

- You know, I used to hear my dad and my uncles, they was all big fight fans, and I used to hear them talk about Sonny Liston and this, that, and the other.

The bear, you know?

The bear with the big hands.

- [Veronica] Liston was born in Eastern Arkansas.

- He was come up in a very abusive home.

Watched his mother and siblings get beat, he got beat, and basically just to work that field.

- [Veronica] Eventually, his mother left his father and came to St. Louis with a few of his siblings.

Sonny came to St. Louis on his own around age 13, to join her.

But his time in St. Louis wasn't easy either.

Of course, Liston was growing up during segregation, and according to many accounts, he was still illiterate at age 13 on account of receiving no formal education in Arkansas.

So school in St. Louis was difficult for him.

Soon, Liston was getting into trouble with the law.

- He was getting into a lot of street fights and basically strong arming, you know, resulting to robbing and strong arming.

And that got him into some trouble, and he ended up doing time at Missouri State Penitentiary.

- [Veronica] Boxing teams in prison were common at the time, so the penitentiary is actually where Liston learned to fight.

After he served two years there, he returned to St. Louis and began to compete.

- If you would compare Sonny Liston to a modern day boxer, well, he came up the same way as George Foreman.

Those guys basically had no boxing skills whatsoever, they just hit you and knocked your brains out your head.

- [Veronica] Liston had a few things going for him when it came to boxing.

He had a long reach, 84 inches to be exact, and the largest fists of any heavyweight champion ever.

- [Reginald Williams Sr.] He had hands three times the size of a normal man's hand.

I was told they had to kind of custom make his gloves to compete.

- [Veronica] He made his professional boxing debut in 1953, but as he continued to find success in boxing, Liston also continued getting into trouble.

He was arrested at least seven times in St. Louis for various crimes, including assault, larceny, gambling, and even impersonating a police officer.

With mounting legal troubles, Liston left St. Louis for Philadelphia in 1956.

Liston was also associated with organized crime through his managers.

All of this affected the public's perception of him, and to many, Liston was a villain.

See how the crowd reacts to his name versus Floyd Patterson's.

- [Announcer] Sonny Liston!

(crowd booing) - [Announcer] The world's Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Floyd Patterson.

(crowd cheering) - Floyd, if I recall correctly, was actually picked to win.

But no one really, unless you actually got into the ring with Sonny Liston, no one really knew how hard and how strong he was.

- [Veronica] In 1962, Floyd Patterson was the World Heavyweight Champion, and on September 25th of that year, Liston took his title.

- Who was the better boxer?

Floyd Patterson, by far, by none.

But you just can't take that kind of punishment.

- [Veronica] And villain or not, Liston was now the Heavyweight Champion.

Two years later, Liston would face an up-and-coming Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay.

The two fought on February 25th, 1964, for the first time.

Liston lost to Ali on a technical knockout, and Ali won the Heavyweight Champion title.

But to officially settle the feud, the two faced off again on May 25th, 1965.

And you probably know what happens next, Liston was knocked out by the alleged Phantom Punch.

The fight was over in less than two minutes.

In a press conference after the fight, Liston defended the punch.

- Sonny, did the punch surprise you?

Clay says it was a new tactic, the counter right.

- It was a surprising punch.

- [Veronica] And Ali said he hit Liston hard.

- That's all.

Just twist.

And you can't see it, but if you were hit with it, all of you'll be out.

- [Veronica] But many thought the fight was fixed because of Liston's connections to organized crime.

Reginald Williams Sr. doesn't buy it.

- The punch landed, it landed on a pressure point.

And for the ones that's not skilled into knowing what you're looking for, you would think that it was a Phantom Punch, that he took a dive.

I surely don't believe that.

You know, I think the guy just got a bad rap.

- [Veronica] Williams says because of Liston's difficult and often controversial life, he isn't remembered as well or as fondly as someone like Muhammad Ali.

- There should be statues of him.

Probably one...

I would say, now most people would disagree with me, probably, if not the best, in the top three best boxers that ever came outta St. Louis, 'cause this is where he came out of, you know?

You know, I know he was born in Arkansas, but this is what I would like to call Sonny Liston's home, but he never got his just due.

- [Veronica] Liston was knocked out by the Phantom Punch this week in history, 1965.

(melodious music) - And that's "Living St.

Louis."

If you've got something you'd like us to know, you can reach us at NinePBS.org/LSL.

Well, thanks for joining us.

I'm Jim Kirchherr, and we'll see you next time.

(cheerful music) (cheerful music continues) (cheerful music continues) (cheerful music continues) (cheerful music continues) - [Announcer] "Living St. Louis" is funded in part by the Betsy and Thomas Patterson Foundation and the members of Nine PBS.