On March 2, St. Louis voters will have the opportunity to make history again with the primary mayoral election and the general election on April 6. It’s been almost 30 years since the city elected its first Black mayor, Freeman Bosley, Jr. At the time, the city had a black mayor, a black comptroller (Virvus Jones) and two popular Black female candidates vying for the position of president of the board of aldermen. This trifecta of black power possibly controlling the city’s purse strings sent the rich and powerful into a literal tailspin. With the St. Louis Post-Dispatch serving as their predominant voice, a new form of negative, race-based, scandal-seeking coverage that, white politicians never received before the black political tsunami, became the template. This history of biased reporting is evident in the newspaper’s coverage of intimidating black, female politicians like Treasurer Tishaura Jones and City Attorney Kim Gardner.
Since Bosley, the beat-back-the-black movement has persisted to this day. Downtown interest groups and the white power structure still uses its might, money, and media alliances to advance their self-serving agenda. One nefarious part of that agenda is divestment in black communities. It has remained a constant since the mid-1970s when city leaders quietly adopted a de facto plan of “benign neglect” for North St. Louis. Sure, there are some promising developments in St. Louis’ black neighborhoods but the city’s financial investments pales in comparison to the billions it has callously invested in downtown, already wealthy, majority white neighborhoods.
With this election, voters can break the pattern of money-fueled momentum for certain individuals, interests, and neighborhoods. The most important question voters must ask themselves is who, among the four mayoral candidates, has the potential to bust up the cabal of clout that has seized city hall for decades?
Since voters can now select multiple primary candidates, the Post-Dispatch has endorsed Aldermanic President Lewis Reed and Alderman Cara Spencer. Both are competent and well-liked politicians. But do they have the juice or intention of advancing the interest of blacks in the city? Other than becoming the next black or female mayor, can they make real, transformative history for black St. Louisans?
After his election as alderman of the sixth ward in 1999, Reed helped spur revitalization in the Lafayette Square neighborhood. As alderman and BOA president, he drafted ordinances and used low-income and historic tax credits and tax increment financing (TIF) to target investment along Washington Avenue downtown.
Reed definitely has redevelopment credentials but throughout his 22-year political career, he hasn’t used his bully pulpit to restore areas of need in North St. Louis or empower black people. This might be understandable if he hadn’t been sitting in his position while politicians gifted billions to predominantly white wards in the city.
Reed is the Post-Dispatch’s top choice because he plays nicely with powerful interests. As the newspaper’s columnist, Tony Messenger, recently wrote, “Jones and Spencer have been on the side of the voiceless in supporting the Close the Workhouse campaign,” while Reed has been courting donors “on the other side of the issue.” Messenger noted how one influential group that’s funding Reed are also aligned with retired financier and philanthropist Rex Sinquefield who wants to privatize St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Voters, Messenger wrote, can either choose “the guy (Reed) who has Sinquefield on speed dial, or one (or both) of the women who stands up for the least among us.”
In its endorsement, the Post complimented Spencer’s “progressive brand of politics.” Indeed, Spencer’s work on criminal justice reform, fairer distribution of city resources, her rebuff of special interest groups and her stand against privatizing the airport are all commendable. But black voters must carefully dissect the word “progressive.” I haven’t seen any significant evidence of Spencer’s progressiveness or ability to coalesce with progressive black aldermen like Sharon Tyus (1st ward), John Collins-Muhammad (21st ward) or Brandon Bosley (3rd Ward). I haven’t seen Spencer’s ability to rally, inspire or push innovative agendas aimed specifically at empowering black people and revitalizing black neighborhoods.
St. Louis needs fresh, radical, revolutionary change. In a time of much needed transformation, the city needs much more than a likable go-along to get-along black politician or a political progressive who’s successfully challenged the old white power structure.
The Post-Dispatch’s endorsements should mean nothing to the black community. The city’s largest daily newspaper is still in lockstep with the power base that provides its advertising and political support. Further, it seems the PD’s editorial board, led by Tod Robberson, is still stuck in the 1990s. As the newspaper did in its 2017 mayoral endorsement of former black 21st Ward Alderman, Antonio French (who now sits on the newspaper’s editorial board by the way), its recent endorsement dedicated almost as much space to attacking Treasurer Jones as it did in supporting Reed and Spencer.
During the 2017 mayoral race, the PD’s editorial board defined Jones as a “high flying treasurer” who should be brought down. In an open response letter, Jones aptly defined Robberson’s slam as a euphemism akin to calling her an “uppity Black woman who didn’t know her place.”
There’s a simple reason for the newspaper’s ongoing attacks against Jones: Like the terrified, sexist dinosaur that it is, the Post fears what the mighty wave of black female legislators, mayors and circuit attorneys across the country might do to St. Louis’ fragile, white, male power base. It fears revolution.
Incredibly, the Post, in its endorsement of Reed and Spencer defined Jones’ relationship with the police department as “abysmal.” It wasn’t the department’s “abysmal” record of killing unarmed black people, targeting black protestors, having crooked cops and avowed racists among its ranks that was scrutinized; it was Jones.
Personally, I am deeply ashamed of the black male elected officials who have been basically silent as the media and members of the police department launched repeated, bodacious attacks on Jones and Circuit Attorney Gardner. If Reed can’t stand up for a black woman in power, how can he empower black women?
Earlier this month, Sarah Fenske with St. Louis Public Radio, interviewed all four mayoral candidates, including Republican nominee, Andrew Jones. In those interviews each detailed their plans to combat crime. Jones, the utility executive, wants to “unleash the police department” from political restraints. Reed boasted of his efforts to bring the “Cure Violence” program to St. Louis. Spencer advocated a plan of “focused deterrence,” which will bring police and other resources to high crime neighborhoods. Treasurer Jones spoke of putting the word ‘public’ back in public safety by “investing in the things that actually keep us safe.”
Personally, I’m sick and tired of politicians who mystify crime in poor communities. American history is replete with examples of gangs and violence perpetrated by poor Jews, Italians, Irish, Hispanic, and black people. The route to less crime and violence has always been increased opportunity. Unfortunately, blacks and Hispanics haven’t had the privilege of skin color to hasten their escape from poverty, drugs and violence so they, too, could pursue legitimate means of sustenance.
The next mayor of St. Louis must have the wherewithal to step away from tired methods that simply empower federal agents, police departments and feel-good organizations to solely reduce crime in black neighborhoods. What’s needed is bold innovation designed for the long-range mission of saving children and empowering blacks to control their own economic, educational and social destinies. The same money and attention that has provided jobs, opportunities and safety in the city’s toniest neighborhoods must be aggressively targeted to North St. Louis. A new mayor must have solid connections with elected officials like Congressman Cori Bush, Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden to hold him accountable for the promises made in his “Lift Every Voice” plan for Black America.
Treasurer Jones has already demonstrated that she can innovatively use government funds to make positive change for low-income families. She’s received national recognition and awards for the groundbreaking way she’s redirected some parking department funds to financial empowerment and savings programs for children.
On her campaign website, under the title, “Sustainable, Equitable and Intentional investments,” Jones outlines plans to force developers to adopt “community benefit agreements” if they expect city support. She wants to create guidelines for equitable growth for all neighborhoods, not just for downtown and the four central-corridor wards that has received 52% of all TIFs and Tax Abatements for the past few decades.
Jones is not just black, not just a woman, not just progressive and not just someone who’s stood up to the status quo. She’s all that and more. This is why Jones, out of the four candidates competing to be the city’s next leader, is best positioned to move the city progressively and equitably forward.
Jones is the candidate who’s armed and ready to make history for black St. Louis.
