Republican leadership in Jefferson City proposed an outrageous, anti-democratic amendment to allow the governor to remove St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner from office for nearly any reason. They have also introduced a bill that gives jurisdiction to the Attorney General’s Office t…

"Harlem was home; was where we belonged; where we knew and were known in return; where we felt most alive; where, if need be, somebody had to take us in. Harlem defined us, claiming our consciousness and, I suspect, our unconsciousness.” – Actor and activist Ossie Davis

On August 4, St. Louis city voters have a choice between two Democratic candidates to represent us as Circuit Attorney. Many voters already know who they will choose on Election Day; others remain undecided. As a civil rights and criminal defense attorney, I would like to share with you why …

St. Louis changed forever in mid-September 1920 as thousands of women lined up at polling places all around the city to ensure they could finally make their voices heard on Election Day. Congress had formally ratified the 19th Amendment about a month prior, officially giving women the voting…

The health of mothers and babies has long been a key indicator of the well-being of communities, and a reflection of a state’s priorities. In Missouri, where the rate of maternal mortality—the numbers of moms who die in or related to childbirth—is double the national level, pregnancy is a ma…

There is no question that communities of color in our nation face significant health disparities. African Americans have higher rates of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and maternal mortality than their white counterparts. The life expectancy of an African American is almost four years lower…

With COVID-19 cases surging and medical evidence showing children may be susceptible to the virus, some parents are facing a tough decision about whether to physically send their children back to school or to opt for distance learning. While this is a difficult decision for every parent, it …

Michael Brown’s death exposed to the nation the deep-seated and longstanding pain felt by the greater St. Louis community and the entire country. For decades leading up to the 2014 shooting, law enforcement in Ferguson and around the country overpoliced communities of color, used disproporti…

On May 5, 2017, Tory Sanders ran out of gas on the outskirts of Charleston in Mississippi County, Missouri. When he called his mother and asked her what to do, she told him to ask the police for help. Sanders died the next day. 

Two promising candidates, Rich Finneran and Elad Gross, have filed for Missouri attorney general as Democrats in the August 4 primary. We asked both to make the case for our endorsement in a 500-word statement. Their unedited statements are below.

My greatest accomplishment as St. Louis County councilperson in the 4th District has been developing many opportunities to bring resources to North County.

We are in the depths of an unprecedented global pandemic that has had a devastating impact on our social, emotional, and physical health. In times of crisis, we often search for reassurance that things can and will get better. We need a reassurance that if we get sick, there will be treatmen…

On behalf of YWCA Metro St. Louis, I want to express my outrage at the behavior of Florida Congressman Ted Yoho toward New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 

I am a supporter of Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner. As a former criminal trial attorney with the Public Defender’s Office I appreciate her commitment to being the type of circuit attorney our professional standards mandates.  

Missouri National Education Association President Phil Murray responded to Governor Mike Parson’s statement that Missouri school children will be infected with COVID-19, and when they do, “they’re gonna get over it.”

I personally attended the protests in the Central West End on June 28 when Mark and Patricia McCloskey left their residence and used loaded guns to threaten those seeking justice. Not one protestor set foot on their property or said or did anything that would have given them the impression t…

The St. Louis American asked three impressive Democratic candidates for the 5th District Missouri Senate seat to state their case for the editorial board’s endorsement in 500 words. Their unedited responses are presented in alphabetical order.

I serve as the president of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), the country's oldest and largest Black real estate trade association. Founded in 1947, our mission, "Democracy in Housing," has guided our efforts to ensure fair housing practices in neighborhoods across the…

The latest series of racial violence across America dealt a much-needed gut check to the nation and forced leaders to consider if their current policies would prevent the next tragedy from ensuing. For instance, is Missouri doing everything we can to hold police officers accountable? Are we …

For most of us the word “home” conjures images of safety and security. But for thousands in St. Louis who find themselves out of work because of COVID-19, the safety nets that have kept them sheltered are starting to unravel.

"Common sense and intelligence can still determine what we do, even in this crazy environment,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. “We’re not going to use our children as guinea pigs.”

Missouri’s new absentee and mail-in ballot rules are confusing. I believe that allowing notaries to charge voters to notarize a mail-in ballot is a poll tax. The League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis is fighting to make sure voters can cast their ballots safely and at no cost in the 2020…

Author Robin D.G Kelley once said: “Without new visions, we don't know what to build, only what to knock down.” Two years ago, in the spring of 2018, a group of organizers came together to envision St. Louis without The Workhouse and create an organizing strategy to get us there. We wanted t…

We are right smack dab in the middle of exciting, groundbreaking, times. But they are also perilous times. And although I am more optimistic than I have been in a long time, whether we are ultimately successful depends on whether we stay focused. We have so many challenges, and getting our p…

There has been much written about COVID-19’s disproportionately negative impact on St. Louis’ Black community, like communities of color across the country. With the looming end of increased unemployment payments and the reopening of the court system, we stand a few months out from what many…

The nine undersigned aldermen and alderwomen released this statement.

As the commander of the Diversity and Inclusion Unit, Lt. Keith Wildhaber has been tasked to foster inclusion in the St. Louis County Police Department (SLCPD) and help the department better serve its diverse community. Yet Lt. Wildhaber orchestrated a personal attack on a fellow officer and…

Thank you for the invitation. However, I distinctly remember that your editorial board at the Post-Dispatch made a decision in July 2016 not to endorse in county races other than circuit attorney. In case you forgot, here’s a link to the editorial where you said “the only candidates we would…

On June 4th, Governor Parson signed into law Senate Bill 631. This legislation added a new reason for absentee voting and an entirely new voting option called a “mail-in ballot.” These two new options for voters are exclusive to the August 4 Primary and November 3 General elections.

Discrimination against the LGBT community has always been wrong. With this ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledges that it also violates federal law. For everyone who cherishes fairness, equality and treating people with dignity, this is a cause for great celebration. 

The United States Supreme Court’ ruling that Title VII protects LGBTQ+ Americans from workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is an enormous win for equality and fairness for LGBTQ+ Missourians. This is about more than just a legal precedent. It’s about their…

Our political leaders here is Missouri will tell you that creating good jobs for the people of Missouri is a top priority. That is because good jobs solve many of the issues in our society.  A good job that raises the income for our families is the foundation for support for our community. U…

As part of our long tradition of working actively toward racial equity and our commitment to improving the ways we tell history, the Missouri Historical Society’s African American History Initiative is introducing a new series, “How Did We Get Here? Conversations about Race, Anti-Blackness, …

Recent events across the United States suggest that, although many Americans are becoming more aware of the inequities that plague our nation, there is still much that needs to be done to reckon with the legacy of systemic racism. As parents affiliated with Kennard Classical Junior Academy (…

On July 30, 1965, Medicaid was born with the passage of Title XIX of the Social Security Act but the struggle began in 1935, with President Franklin Roosevelt’s social security program. Conservative white southerners vehemently opposed this helping hand, fearing that the tax dollars provided…

Malcolm X stated that “the most disrespected person in America is the Black woman.” Over half a century later, his words still ring true.

I have been hearing from leaders in all sectors of American society that they are outraged by the brutal police killing of George Floyd. I have been hearing these leaders talk about their personal convictions and their resolution to change. I have been hearing new statements of anti-racism a…

Around when the 3rd of July turned into the 4th of July, St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson pulled over her SUV amid a group of protestors in front of her home in the Central West End. What appeared to be scraps of an American flag were burning in the street. The mayor exited her vehicle and stamp…