Former Missouri State Attorney General and now Senator Eric Schmitt was crystal clear in his analysis of the campaign to rid St. Louis of its Black female legislators. Sure, his post-election post was braggadocious in nature but do not get lost in the tone. Focus on the words which confirmed my declaration that there has been a campaign to rid St. Louis of any Black, forward-thinking elected officials, making St. Louis white again.Â
And it wasn’t magic, Schmitt. Like I and others have said, it was a cold, calculated plan by people like you to maintain white, male dominance in this city and in this state.
What will be key to assessing the prognosis of the Spencer Administration is not judging what the Black folks who supported the candidacy will get in return for their support but what will resourcing and development of the entire city look like.
St. Louis has a history of slavery and therefore, a Southern culture and tradition of racial superiority. That’s why there is such resistance to power sharing, equity, and other inclusive concepts. When white city fathers have a chance to change the racial, financial, and social dynamics, they often defaulted to the role of massa on the plantation.
I’ve been through the regimes of Mayors Cervantes, Poelker, Conway, Schoemehl, Slay and Krewson. You would be hard-pressed to produce any meaningful policies initiated by any of them that broke from the status quo. The status quo being white men in charge, with the optics of shared governance and racial equity by allowing token Blacks and women to advance in a very controlled, restricted way.
And speaking of Blacks and women brings up a graphic example of plantation politics. One day Francis Slay snapped his fingers and told some Blacks and women that he needed them by his side for an important announcement.
The invitees found out at the press conference that the announcement was that Slay was firing Percy Green II as director of the city’s minority contract compliance. Green had refused to sink to the pay-to-play game that apparently his predecessors were willing to play. He and his team were meticulous about weeding out front companies seeking contracts with the city. Front companies are mainly owned by white men who find a minority (race or gender), then make them part owner for a kickback from the contract.
The photo of Slay’s press conference to boot the local civil rights icon made the front page of the St. Louis American in September of 2001. There were many other scenarios that went down with those six white mayors that never allowed the public to bear witness to the flagrant use of modern-day slave overseers and drivers. This designated hierarchy keeps everyone in their designated places in order to maintain an environment where continued exploitation abounds.
The General Election was a jerk-back to the times when white people made the important decisions and Black folks were in proximity to give the appearance they were part of making decisions when in fact, they were only necessary to manage damage control.
What will be key to assessing the prognosis of the Spencer Administration is not judging what the Black folks who supported the candidacy will get in return for their support but what will resourcing and development of the entire city look like. What would a democratic, inclusive St. Louis look like and how does it function?
With all the confusion in this country caused by a few other white men in the White House, I’ve been calling on the wisdom of my ancestors to fortify my spirit. I frequently come back to the powerful cautionary words of Maya Angelou: When someone shows you who they are, believe them.
Let us be optimistic and hopeful but let us not ignore the facts and behaviors that have already been presented to us over time. The future of St. Louis is at stake.
Jamala Rogers is a columnist for The St. Louis American and one of the founding members of the Organization for Black Struggle based in St. Louis.
Criticizing others for their failures requires little effort, and is one of the easiest things to do. It requires no education, formal training or special skills. In contrast, creating effective solutions that actually solve problems or improve upon the mistakes and failures of others requires far more. We must teach our children to learn from their history but not to dwell upon the past because it does nothing to alter their life’s circumstances. They must not be taught to use past injustices as a crutch and in an attempt to appeal for sympathy or the lowering of any standards, but strive to rise or exceed those standards. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. tells us,” in a favorite book “Testament of Hope” that “doors are opening now that were not open in the past, and the great challenge facing minority groups is to be ready to enter these doors as they open. You must make it clear to your young people this is an age in which they will be forced to compete with people of all races and nationalities.” You must inspire them to develop their own character and skills to qualify to acquire the power of those being criticized . It serves no purpose to tell them how poor they are. They know this because they live in poverty. A good leader tells them how to escape that poverty.
If the replacement of Kim Gardner, Cori Bush, and Tishura Jones was “a cold, calculated plan by people like [Eric Schmitt] to maintain white, male dominance in this city and in this state.”, like you and others have stated, then it was not a success. These individuals (only one legislator) were replaced by two black men and a white woman. Maybe you should consider the possibility that their replacement had more to do with competence than race/sex.