The movement to strip a three-bed health facility of the name Homer G. Phillips is gaining momentum.
“We will proceed with strategizing on what we feel will be the goals to get Homer G. Phillips’ name removed from that building.” Business owner Walle Amusa said, “Closing the first Homer G. Phillips hospital was an appeal to racism and a callous disregard for Black people.”
Community leaders gathered at the Southside Wellness Center on Thursday, Sept. 30 to protect the cherished Homer G. Phillips name.
“We thought it was wrong for Paul McKee to place Phillips’ name on a three-bed hospital and we felt it was wrong for him to disgrace such a powerful leader who is responsible for so many Black doctors and nurses,” said Ollie Stewart, the meeting’s organizer.
Nurses, developers, and other leaders who attended are insistent that the past affects their action against developer Paul McKee.
Zenobia Thompson, a retired Homer G. Phillips Hospital nurse and activist, said a St. Louis American article on a panel discussion at Saint Louis University, where the use of Homer G. Phillips’ name was sharply criticized and sparked reaction, drew much community response.
“People were concerned, so Ms. Ollie agreed to set up a meeting and we worked to reach out to community members and representatives,” Thompson said.
“We will proceed with strategizing on what we feel will be the goals to get Homer G. Phillips’ name removed from that building.” Business owner Walle Amusa said, “Closing the first Homer G. Phillips hospital was an appeal to racism and a callous disregard for Black people.”
“I must say that it is an absolute lie to talk about those who are close to the Homer G. Phillips Hospital, whose name is being attached to a three-bed clinic, as being people who don’t care about healthcare.”
Meeting attendees called for a public meeting with McKee.
“Step one is a professional request for a community meeting to hear from the owner and their partners,” Amusa said.
“Paul McKee has poisoned some people of the community and made them think that they don’t have to answer to anyone. What Paul McKee is doing reflects the lack of regard, respect and appreciation by the history of the struggles; that you can arbitrarily without any consultation snag a historical name.
“It’s not about if we want healthcare or not, it’s about people robbing us of our legacy.”
There was a proposal to name the clinic after the late Alderwoman Mary Ross. Ross was a member of the community and implemented significant city upgrades, including a project to reconstruct public sidewalks, alleys, tree planting, traffic lights and other infrastructure needs.
Murry Edwards, president and CEO of Contract Design and Development, LLC, said the time for talking McKee has passed and it is time to take legal action.
“I think we’ve met with him enough. I think we should find another course of action,” Edwards said.
“Their plan is to remove us, so we must fight back. The court of public opinion is what can win this battle. I know nurses who have fought these ongoing battles in court. We do not need Paul McKee at our table.”
Edwards later agreed that a community meeting with McKee and civil litigation should both happen.
Additionally, Mayor Tishaura O. Jones denounced Phillips’ name being used in the name for the new medical facility.
“Homer G. Phillips Hospital was a beacon for North City residents and for Black medical professionals across the country,” Jones said in a tweet. “Using the Homer G. Phillips name for a small facility over the objections of clergy, nurses, and the community is exploitative and wrong.”
In a Facebook post, Cassandra Butler called McKee, “a living example of total ignorance to the Black community.”
“It’s like a master eating steak at his table, and serving his servants the leftover bone and expecting gratitude.”