An old – yet new – powerful force in the black community is now fully committed to challenging Mayor Francis Slay’s continuing disrespect of the city’s African-American population.
About 1,000 people met peacefully, but boisterously in the City Hall rotunda as the Community Concerned Clergy for the Betterment of St. Louis challenged Slay to bring “justice to Sherman George” and improve deteriorating race relations in the city.
More than 30 African-American pastors from various denominations lined the steps that lead to the mayor’s office as Concerned Clergy announced it would lead an effort to defeat a pending sales tax proposal that could be on the Feb. 5 ballot.
“There are actions we must take. We will defeat Mayor Slay’s tax proposal,” said the Rev. Douglas Parham, chair of the new clergy organization.
Bishop Alfonso Scott of Lively Stone Church of God said campaigning against that proposal is one way clergy and congregation members “will be a fly in (Mayor Slay’s) buttermilk.”
“We’re not going to take this anymore,” Scott thundered as hundreds in the crowd applauded.
“The preacher knows how to cause some agitation. We are going to turn loose the locusts to eat up your hatred.”
The backlash from Slay’s unprecedented demotion of former Fire Chief George that showed total disregard for the African-American community is now threatening the city on several fronts.
A pending full-fledged economic boycott of the city of St. Louis is looming. The hospitality industry is staring at the possibility that more than 11,000 visitors might go elsewhere for the 2011 National Society of Black Engineers national convention. More conventions and conferences are being targeted and other cities are recruiting these events and are using the boycott and St. Louis’ roiled racial climate against this region.
There is also a continuing effort to unseat Slay through a recall petition drive. A major date in that ongoing effort is Feb. 5 – Missouri Primary Day and also the possible date of a proposal to increase the city sales tax to increase Public Safety Department revenues.
Public Safety Director Charles Bryson was hastily promoted before he “officially” demoted George. That led to Dennis Jenkerson, a white firefighter and friend of the mayor’s with less qualifications than black fire chief candidate Charles Coyle, being named chief. All that transpired was to the delight of Local 73, the predominantly white union with a history of antagonism toward George and black firefighters.
Eric Vickers, a spokesperson for Citizens to Support Chief George and the proposed boycott said Community Concerned Clergy “emphatically let it be known that the black clergy is stepping forward to join ranks with others in their opposition to Mayor Slay.”
“This unprecedented action by the ministers marks the latest unveiling of a broad spectrum of opposition that was triggered two months ago when the mayor humiliatingly ousted the city’s first and only black fire chief, Sherman George.”
Scott said, “there is a new order of the day.”
“We want you to step out, join the preachers and say ‘let my people go’.”
The Rev. Anthony Witherspoon of Washington A.M.E Church said, “our race has always had to deal with urgent matters.”
“It is urgent that we do something and we do it right now. We cannot sit idly by and let our government do whatever it wants to do.
“Mayor Slay and (Chief of Staff) Jeff Rainford have their agenda. But God’s agenda is the most important.”
Parham warned the crowd that the mayor and his political backers are resorting to a divide-and-conquer strategy using black cronies. Several of Slay’s black agents are carrying the message that the Clergy Coalition of Metropolitan St. Louis, Gateway Classic Foundation and NAACP are in danger of losing not-for-profit status because individuals have taken a stance of opposition to the mayor.
“Our voices must rise above the effort to silence us. There are already attempts to turn one against another and to buy us out. We will not accept so-called progress that is based on the abandonment of black people and the protection (from the mayor’s office) of any job considered to be ‘a white man’s job.’ ”
Parham said the new clergy organization can work with activists and other members of the community in calling for “justice for Chief George.”
“There must be a moratorium on charter schools,” he added.
Parham said Concerned Clergy is monitoring the recall effort and proposed economic boycott “and will evaluate our position.”
He said that his organization would soon be calling on all black elected officials, all activists and others to come together to take on the powerful Slay administration.
“We must fight and we must fight with strong determination,” he said.
