I read James Ingram regularly because I am a native of East St. Louis. I concur with him 100 percent about the stereotypes of ESL, especially those from black St. Louisans. I have had people tell me about not being caught in East St. Louis, and my reply is, “But you live in Walnut Park or JVL?” Take away the big businesses and corporations and St. Louis becomes another East St. Louis. The sad part is, there are white people who would not be caught in St. Louis and make the same remarks about them as our own blacks from the west side of the Mississippi make about us.
Signed S.L.
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