In the words of Kendrick Lamar, “Sometimes you just gotta pop out and show” them.
On May 16, a tornado swept through parts of St. Louis, leaving behind destroyed homes, power outages, and thousands of displaced residents—most of them Black and living in under-resourced neighborhoods. In its aftermath, a different kind of force sprang into action: grassroots organizers, neighbors, and volunteers rushed in to help within hours.
Their swift, direct efforts came despite a “do not self-deploy” directive from key officials. But in the absence of a clear and immediate government response, community members became first responders—coordinating food, housing, and emergency aid.
Meanwhile, some elected officials focused on formal aid requests, sporadic neighborhood appearances, infrastructure issues, and thanking volunteers—urging patience more than immediate support.
Organizers and small-scale mutual aid groups have had to “learn on the fly,” setting up impromptu relief hubs to triage thousands of people. This improvisation reflects community disorder—both social and structural.
While perhaps unintentional, this “unofficial” arrangement is exploitative. The fact that the mostly Black, unelected residents took on the emotional labor, logistics, and leadership in the absence of government coordination is not just admirable—it’s outrageous.
Community members acted from a place of moral conviction. But in doing so, their selflessness apparently became a convenient cover for decision-makers, allowing them to deliberate delayed actions without facing real consequences.
This raises a troubling question: Can top St. Louis officials be trusted to lead the city through disaster?
In a May 23 press conference, St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer explained the city’s priorities, “The humanitarian component here is really the next phase… We’ve been focused on the building and structural issues of the community first.”
But human needs should never be secondary. Structural and humanitarian issues are not mutually exclusive. Both are connected and crucial for public safety and well-being. Yet, the city appears to tackle them separately, despite people facing overlapping misfortunes simultaneously.
More broadly, vague public statements that seek praise while deflecting criticism deepen community distrust. They appear condescending, ignoring the exhaustion of volunteers and the suffering of constituents. This pattern of response contributes to ongoing government dysfunction and civic disillusionment.
Dysfunctional systems are not isolated; they ripple outward. Trauma, desperation, and a growing sense of abandonment increase the risk of crime, civic disengagement, and long-term harm to public trust.
As a native St. Louisan sociologist and criminologist, I have studied how discriminatory policies and negligent leadership fuel this kind of frustration. My work includes community disorder and Black resistance, and the ways people rely on one another for survival in the absence of institutional support.
Calls to “just vote” or shaming low turnout ignore lived reality. As a participant in my research, Fajah, 28, put it: “We done raised a billion dollars to build a stadium, but you can’t raise a billion dollars to invest in these communities…?”
“That’s ‘cause they’re so concerned about tourists,” Laila, 21, responded.
Fajah and Laila’s exchange reflects a widespread sense of being disregarded. And although years have passed since St. Louis pledged massive public funds for a new Rams stadium, similar debates now surround the $30 million from the Rams settlement recently allocated to storm relief.
Whether these funds or more result in real recovery will come down to leadership. Elected officials must act decisively and prioritize disaster-stricken residents over red tape, press conferences, and political performance.
Simply put, the community is tired. And while no system is perfect, prolonged neglect has consequences. The upside is that, in the spirited words of Dr. King, Jr.’s “How long, not long…”, new leaders are emerging. It’s through their collective resistance against the status quo and by holding officials accountable that will ultimately make a difference.
Andrea S. Boyles, Ph.D., is a sociologist, criminologist, and Africana studies scholar. She is the author of “You Can’t Stop the Revolution: Community Disorder and Social Ties in Post-Ferguson America.”
This article addresses the real need to put people in our community first. We are starting from zero. People are still hurting and don’t know how to excess help. We need less talk and more efforts to reach and assist people in need. The city needs a ongoing resource center fully staffed 7 days a week.