We wish to express our collective opinion on the move of the Annie Malone May Day Parade from Natural Bridge Blvd. to Downtown.
We, like many others in the African-American community, have reservations and mixed feelings about the move of an event with such tradition and deep roots in one of our community’s most historic and prestigious neighborhoods. However, there are good reasons for this move at this time.
Due to severe cutbacks in public funding Annie Malone must now attract a broad base of corporate support. Moving to the Downtown area could help to increase dialogue with some of the most affluent businesses in the region. We hope that Annie Malone will develop partnerships with many of these corporate entities.
We are also hopeful that the citizens of North St. Louis will continue to fully support the May Day Parade and that they will be joined by many thousands of African Americans living south of Highway 40. We would like to see an increase in attendance as a result of the move. We urge African Americans and all people of good will to continue to support the parade. After all, it’s really about the children they serve.
Rev. Douglas Parham
Rev. Dr. Sammie E. Jones
Clergy Coalition