Friday, May 16, the St. Louis area was hit by a EF3 tornado. Wind speeds estimated to be up to 165 mph wreaked devastation and caused at least five fatalities. The last time such a tornado touched ground in St. Louis city was 1959, out of memory for most city residents.
The relief response has a class and racial lens to it that is inescapable to ignore.
What is more current in the memories is how disaster relief shows up for predominantly working-class areas and neighborhoods where Black people call home. The relief response has a class and racial lens to it that is inescapable to ignore.
“This year is the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina,” remembered Jamala Rogers, spokesperson for the Organization for Black Struggle. “The Lower Ninth Ward has never been completely rebuilt and many New Orleanians are still displaced. If St. Louis leaders and residents don’t fight right now for the attention we deserve, North St. Louis will look like other abandoned cities plagued by natural disasters and urban uprisings.”
Neighborly support is always a welcome feature of disasters. Providing a helping hand for cleanup or giving a box of food is a show of compassion and a vital factor in building community spirit and determination. Concurrent with these efforts has to be a visible plan by the government to bring the massive resources to rebuild lives and neighborhoods.
In the short term, victims need shelter, food and an expedited path to insurance claims. In the long term, they need to see a development plan and available social services that includes trauma care.
In the coming days, OBS calls upon Mayor Cara Spencer, Governor Mike Kehoe and President Donald Trump to provide the coordinated leadership and federal dollars necessary to restore hope and normality for our citizens. All fair-minded citizens must hold our elected officials accountable for the designated use of government resources.