Mayor Jones outlines ambitious goals for Black neighborhoods

Sylvester Brown Jr. | The St. Louis American |Apr 25, 2024

“There is something heartening and encouraging about a mayor, born and raised in North St. Louis, addressing opportunities for progress in that section of the city. This was on full display Tuesday during Mayor Tishaura Jones’ press conference held at the headquarters of Better Family Life, Inc. on Page Blvd in the city’s 13th Ward.

“My administration is committed to bringing people together to solve problems that impact you and create change that you can see and feel in your neighborhoods.”- Mayor Tishaura Jones

Think about it historically. In 200 years, since the election of St. Louis’ first mayor, William Carr Lane in 1823, none of the 46 preceding mayors have ever held news conferences announcing a plethora of specific investments, resources and opportunities for an area dominated by Black residents of the city.

As a prelude to Jones’ upcoming “State of the City” address next month, the mayor laid out specific investments in neighborhood stabilization; housing, construction, and rehabilitation; economic development; enhanced public services; early childhood education, small business development and many more endeavors her administration has implemented in North St. Louis.

“I grew up in this neighborhood,” Jones said in her opening remarks.

“My cousins and I used to ride our bikes up and down Page. I used to go to youth parties at the Monsanto YMCA. My mother and her sisters had many homes around here and we’d just hop between homes and have a good ole time with our families. Those are the times that I miss about growing up in St. Louis.”

During her first State of the City address in 2022, Jones promised to spend much of the $150 million in American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds in North St. Louis to “begin bridging the racial wealth gap” and “put St. Louis on the road to economic justice.””

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