An article in Tuesday’s Post-Dispatch reported that on Friday Mayor Francis Slay fired Kenneth Jones from his job as director of the Civil Rights Enforcement Agency (CREA). The report went on to say that Jones was one of Slay’s first African-American allies who helped Slay win the Democratic nomination for mayor in 2001 and earn support for a racially sensitive plan to redraw ward boundaries. Prior to being appointed by Slay to the CREA position, Jones had represented the 22nd Ward as alderman for more than 20 years. When first elected, he was the only alderman who had ever been elected to the board as an independent in the city’s history.
Up until Slay fired him last Friday, Jones was considered one of (if not the most) ardent and loyal supporters of the mayor. Jones was the first elected official to publicly support Slay for president of the Board of Aldermen in 1995 despite strong lobbying from Congressman Bill Clay Sr. and other black elected officials, who wanted Clay’s son, Wm. Lacy Clay, to run. Jones stood his ground and supported Slay, who eventually won. Although Slay lost in most of the predominately black North St. Louis wards, he lost in the 22nd Ward by only one single vote.
When Slay became Board of Aldermen president, Jones was one of his staunchest supporters, again much to the chagrin of many of his black political colleagues. Jones continued to support Slay when he ran for mayor in 2001 against incumbent Mayor Clarence Harmon and former Mayor Freeman Bosley Jr., again incurring the wrath of his North St. Louis homeys. Jones’ reasoning for supporting Slay and other white (as well as black) elected officials was based upon his political philosophy of supporting candidates because of what they believed in, not because of their skin color.
So, the $64,000 question is: Why did Slay fire Jones?
According to a press release issued by Jones, he was fired because he would not withdraw his support for an effort to recall 22nd Ward Alderman Jeffrey Boyd. Boyd was elected in 2003, defeating Jay Ozier. Ozier is currently the 22nd Ward Democratic committeeman who, along with Jones, was a pioneer among African-American elected officials in endorsing Slay in 1995 when he was elected president of the Board of Aldermen.
Ozier and Jones are political allies and have been active in 22nd Ward politics for almost 25 years. Ozier was Jones’ campaign manager in each of his campaigns. It would not take a rocket scientist to figure out that Jones was not going to back off supporting Ozier and the 22nd Ward Organization’s effort to recall Boyd. That is why Slay’s firing of Jones has left most politicians scratching their heads.
This is the scenario. Slay calls Jones into a meeting to tell him to cease and desist in helping to recall Boyd – whose mantra in his successful aldermanic campaign was that Slay was a racist and Jones and Ozier were Uncle Toms for supporting him. Given Jones’ history as a independent, which Slay is well aware of, it is clear to the EYE that Slay is either stupid, silly or was bent on setting Jones up to fire him.
It is ludicrous to suggest that Slay or any politician in City Hall got upset because Jones allegedly “directed a profanity-laced tirade” at Slay. According to Jones, he did not use curse words with Slay until after Slay had fired him, and this was not the first or last time he would or had used curse words while talking to the mayor. Jones went on to say that he admits to using profanity in the meeting and hopes that Slay is man enough to admit that he used profanity also.
The thing that has sickened and saddened most political observers is the fact that Slay would take the drastic step of firing the sometimes volatile Jones while fully aware of Jones’ health problems, which are the result of a recent bout with prostrate cancer and a stroke. Jones writes that, after being challenged to resign, “I told Mayor Slay that I would be a fool to resign from my job and lose my health benefits because of my ill health and need for my medicine and doctor’s care, and that, if I resign, I would not even be able to draw unemployment benefits. When I told him that I would not resign, he said, ‘Kenny, you’re fired.'”
To suggest in political speeches that Jones is a personal friend, and then to set him up the way a lot of people think Slay set him up, and then dump a sick man into joblessness, says a lot about the trustworthiness of Francis Slay and the wisdom of becoming his loyal friend over the years, particularly if your skin is of a dark pigment.
