Johnny Cotton sat front and center on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, as Mike McMillan, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis president and CEO, and other dignitaries celebrated the opening of a new Save Our Sons job training and skills center at 2626 Cherokee on the city’s southside.
Cotton, who spent 16 years in federal prison before being granted clemency by President Obama on his last day in the Oval Office, was the most powerful example of SOS success shared during the ceremony. SOS assists Black males in obtaining education and job training, and Cotton took full advantage.
He now works for the Missouri Department of Transportation in its signing and striping department and is one of more than 2,500 people that the program has helped.
Tydrell Stevens, SOS director, said Cotton’s story confirms that SOS “is about changing lives.”
“Since his release, it changed Johnny’s life. Today is amazing. The bar has been raised in south St. Louis,” he said.
Stevens said he was born and raised on the southside, and many of his friends “had different barriers keeping them from reaching the next stage [in their lives.]
“We plan on placing 150 people in jobs [annually] through this location. Just think what that can mean to this community,” he said.
McMillan said the Urban League now has eight SOS locations. The southside location is one of five that includes an Urban Closet, where clients can access suits, dresses, and accessories to wear during job interviews.
“This is a roadmap to empowerment,” McMillan said.
“We are serving in the purpose of what the Urban League was created to do. Nationally, we have placed more Black people in jobs than any other organization. And we help all people,” he said.
Mayor Tishaura Jones said the SOS impact on the city is vital “because you are less likely to pick up a gun if you are picking up a paycheck,”
“This is one of the most important ways to make the city safer.”
State Sen. Karla May said the SOS program gives people more than employment opportunities.
“It gives them hope. It gives them confidence,” she said.
“If you want to reduce crime, you have to reduce poverty. To reduce poverty, we need SOS. This model is so successful because the need is great.”
State Rep. Rasheen Aldridge said opening the new southside office “continues the transformative work we need to do in St. Louis.”
“This is not just about building wealth for yourself, but for your families as well,” he said.
McMillan said employment is the core pillar of the Urban League.
“It is the No. 1 thing we focus on. When you look at the crime rate, education, and housing; having a job can help all of them fall into place.”
The SOS office was developed through a partnership between the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development [MDHEWD] and the Urban League.
“We help Missourians find work, and we help Missourian stay at work,” said Mardy Leathers, MDHEWD director.
“No one does that better than the Urban League.”
SOS curriculum teaches career skills and work ethic, including how to find a job, how to keep a job, how to get promoted, and how to remain marketable in the workplace.
The newly established Save Our Sisters program provides employment, training, and mentorship to women as they work to improve financial management, career readiness, entrepreneurship, and being a caregiver.
“Together, we are creating a regional system that delivers in-demand programs and services that benefit those seeking employment and career advancement while meeting the needs of St. Louis employer partners,” McMillan said.
