St. Louis has ushered in a new era by welcoming its first African American woman
as mayor, Tishaura O. Jones. We join the ranks of eight other major cities led by strong, accomplished women leaders.
Like many of you, I want to congratulate our new mayor and the people of St. Louis for choosing her to be our leader. While I am embracing the historic relevance of this occasion, the real question is: “What took so long?”
Black women have proven to be the backbone of the Democratic Party. They have toiled for too many years by silently contributing to our democracy with blood, sweat and, most importantly, the intellect to hold our cities and country together.
I am proud that I was the first St. Louis citywide elected official to endorse our new Mayor. I look forward to supporting her and her administration by doing my share to help advance our city and region.
St. Louis finds itself at a dangerous precipice. COVID-19 has hammered our city and its
budget, crime is on a perilous path upward and the city has been on a downward spiral for more than 70 years. Yet, what is most important to our citizens are repairing a broken education system, paving streets and alleys, attaining regular trash pick-ups and improving police and fire protection.
Despite those concerns, St. Louis feels different with the new mayor. The air is rich with a sense of optimism and energy. The morning after Jones’ election, I was driving to City Hall and I felt different, as if a dark cloud had been pulled back from over the city.
Fourteen years ago, my brother left St. Louis for Los Angeles. When I asked him why he left, he said that he felt like the weight of the cloud of racism had constrained him and inhibited his ability to realize his full potential. He said that Los Angeles didn’t feel that way.
Fourteen years ago, Mayor Jones had just begun her journey as a Missouri state representative. The path led her to the Mayor’s office.
Now that dark cloud that has scarred our area seems to be clearing and we are feeling a sense of optimism, giving people hope that their dreams can come true.
The scourge of racism has robbed our city and region of much of its greatness and our collective
ability to grow and prosper. It now seems that St. Louis will benefit from a new electorate that is more open and willing to vote for diverse and enlightened candidates. Strong visionary leaders must and can pull diverse interests together and help mend wounds. These leaders must be willing to take on those wedge forces, expose them and work to re-purpose them into assets.
To paraphrase President John F. Kennedy, “We choose to take on these challenges, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone…”.
St. Louis has a great opportunity to thrive. We have a new captain at the
helm who is bringing energy, national relationships and smarts. We must get behind her with prayers, sweat and brains to regain the place that St. Louis once held nationally.
Mayor Jones deserves our support and our prayers and with everyone doing their share, St. Louis will move forward. May God Bless our New Mayor and smile upon her.
Michael Butler is the St. Louis recorder of deeds and Missouri Democratic Party chair.