By Antonio D. French
Filed Thursday, January 25, 2007 at 2:43 PM
As we reported earlier, the two candidates for President of the Board of Aldermen agreed yesterday not to use the city's significant racial divisions for political gain. But whether or not the two campaigns purposely fan the flames, the issue of race burns brightly at the core of this contest. Labels: BOA_President_Race
Lewis Reed is seeking to become the first African-American to unseat a white citywide elected official since 1982. He is also seeking to become the first black elected Board President. He has been endorsed by nearly every black member of the Board of Aldermen in addition to a handful of white members.
Political observers seem to be split on the impact, if any, that Reed's interracial marriage will play in this race, but Reed felt it necessary last night to publicly challenge his opponent to disavow a whisper campaign about the matter.
Jim Shrewsbury is being supported by the majority of white aldermen. He has been in the President's seat since Francis Slay became mayor in 2001. In the same year, he presided over the controversial redistricting meeting in which he denied a black female alderman the use of the board chamber's only restroom, which was reserved for men, by threat of her giving up the debate floor during a filibuster by a group of black aldermen.
The resulting incident was reported nationally and further damaged race relations in a city already known for its poor race relations.
For some, Shrewsbury will forever be linked to that incident and you can be sure it will come up in this campaign.
At the time of the incident Ald. Freeman Bosley, Sr. told Shrewsbury "Shame on you, Mr. President... If she was a white woman, you would never have done that."
"You will have to answer for that," said Bosley. For some, particularly some current and former black elected officials, that time is now.
And now some commentary...
Race is and will continue to be an issue in every campaign in this city as long as it continues to be an issue in the lives of its people.
Race was rightfully an issue in last year's 4th District State Senate race, it rightfully will be an issue in this year's Board President race, and it will rightfully be an issue in next year's 5th District State Senate race. Why? Because race matters in the daily lives of the majority of those electorates.
You know where race doesn't matter in elections? Homogeneous areas that never have to confront the issue.
It is an issue that should regularly, and much more frequently than it has been, be directly addressed in real and constructive ways by our elected leaders and those that wish to be.
*Lewis Reed is a client of A.D. French & Associates
Extra Reading: Click here to read at piece I wrote four years ago on how that 2001 incident helped lead to the creation of Pub Def.
23 Comments:
I had never see the actual video. Wow. What an asshole.
1/25/2007 3:16 PM
Race relations are a matter mostly held by policiticians in this city, "Im sure i misspelled that" but anyway, if you look at voting numbers, most blacks and white dont vote, period, so How is one, two, five or ten aldermen who have been elected (combined) by less than 8% of the city population view of race relations supposed to be my held view if im black? Ive lived and grew up in the city and I have never see a white person in my black neighborhood ever have any problems. I have only incountered one problem myself on the southside but in the last 12 years Ive never had a problem. See there are a hand full of people who hold key positions in the city with views the majority dont hold, but that majority also doesnt vote. I know plenty of blacks that talk about racism in this city, but I may only have ever known of 1 or 2 straight racist in this town that was black! And like wise with whites, I hear chatter about race issues but I have met only a handful were racist! Im black, and Ive found that working with whites is easier than working with blacks in this city, this "supposedly still" racist city. People are living in the past and atributing every "little" thing that happens thats race related to the whiteman being a racest. WAKE UP PEOPLE. forget the whiteman, look at your own black people and your own black problems. I have not heard of a race related killing in saint louis or surrounding areas in the last 25yrs, but I hear and see us killing each other every day! and I still dont see the "black leaders" jumping up saying anything about that! And one last thought, How is it that us as black people know how to fight at the drop of a hat when someone speaks foully about our family or kids, or disrespects us, we know how to handle that, but when the whiteman calls us a nigga or "nigger" we want to cry, and call the news and talk about how hurt we are, I DONT UNDERSTAND THIS!!!
1/25/2007 3:22 PM
I also had not seen that whole video before. And this guy wants to appoint someone to the school board now? Him and Slay will be fighting over who gets to appoint Veronica O'Brien again or maybe Roshel Moore.
1/25/2007 5:59 PM
Please explain/include the movment of the 20th ward in relation to Tyus and depopulatin of the north side.
Can you also include why the alderwomen had not passed an ordinance to put a womens room in the chamber?
Could you also throw in an explination why 20th ward in South city is numberd the 20th.
The Black caucus should have spent time finding a candidate in the 20th instead of philibustering.
The 20th is not a bunch of skinny white Dudes like Schmidt or Gondolfi!
1/25/2007 7:22 PM
Why didn’t Smith win against Slay?
Why didn’t Tyus beat Nasheed?
These women took one for the team but got the cold shoulder from voters.
1/25/2007 7:49 PM
Oertmann is hilarious with that fan.
Say Antonio-
Give us a little taste...
Will Lewis use the pottygate video in any TV ads?
1/25/2007 8:59 PM
What is not shown is the fact that the Alderwoman in question was trying a filabuster. President Shrewsbury was right. If she wanted to yeild the floor then she could do what ever she wanted. This is the BASIC rule of filabustering. If you want to hold the floor you stay on the floor. Once again it shows the callous disregard for the facts. She could have yeilded the floor to one of her allies but chose not to. Please remember that simple fact!
1/25/2007 11:16 PM
BNB, why was the only bathroom in the chamber ruled a "Men's only" bathroom? Was it a unisex that they wouldn't change? Was it possible for the president to change it? And if he wasn't for the redisticting plan how come he didn't try to help Irene?(He wasn't a sponsor on redistricting, and said he wasn't in favor of the bill)Not all of these are for BNB, if someone has an answer.
1/26/2007 12:09 AM
"You know where race doesn't matter in elections? Homogeneous areas that never have to confront the issue."
Ironically, North St. Louis is far more homogeneous than South St. Louis. So again, which areas aren't confronting race? Maybe the areas that vote most like a racial bloc, which would be North City.
1/26/2007 9:42 AM
You know I moved back to saint louis very recentlly and begain to see this great divide between black and white, it was a wake up for me. I forgot about racisim where I was. Sad for this place,
1/26/2007 10:12 AM
You said: "Ironically, North St. Louis is far more homogeneous than South St. Louis."
Please don't do that. Don't view north St. Louis like it's its own city with its own problems that "they" (we) need to solve on their own. North St. Louis' problems are all of our problems.
1/26/2007 12:39 PM
Your right Antonio. That is why we need a comprehensive plan for North St Louis, a plan that works to lift up the people who given generations to the community. For far too long there has been an invisible wall that blocked any kind of economic stimulus to the poor black communities of the north side. The landbanking that is currently taking place by Blairmont is not going to lift up, but rather it will throw out, people who stand in the way of the grand new scheme. Someone needs to get a conscience and stand up for the disenfranchised. Reed seems to be far to deep in the pockets of developers who have ties to Bairmont, In fact it seems he loves devolpment so much he probably can't even see what's wrong with the status quo.
1/26/2007 1:22 PM
Blairmont, Blairmont, Blairmont.
Is that all there is to talk about? Blairmont?
Blairmont, schmairmont.
Most of the property they own is vacant.
They're not displacing people; they're investing in the future.
1/26/2007 4:31 PM
- Anthony Coffin
"invisible wall that blocked any kind of economic stimulus"
Their is economic stimulus, unfortunatly is bad for the neghborhoods.
The development in working class and poor negbor hoods take the froms of section 8 housing, senior homes, and discount retailers.
All of the owners of thease bussness pool what little money people have and take it out of the community for their own use.
Take section 8 housing for example.
A devoper buys a cheep often delapitated property and turns it into 3 bedroom apartments.
A 3 bedroom apartment meets the requierments for section 8 housing.
When the unit is rented the is government gurentees income.
The developer can then go to a bank and refinnance the property for a lot more money than they purchased it for.
The developer then uses the income from the property and the cash taken from the refinancing to buy more property.
This cycle has made huge proffits for some but leaves many with nothing.
1/26/2007 5:02 PM
Nia,
Alderman Reed testified against redistricting at the Committee hearing which heard the Redistricting bill. He tesitified that he had experienced racism in the South and recognized racism, etc. He went on to complain about the reconfiguring of the 6th Ward and equated that to racism. He objected to the entire redistricting plan, but primarily because he wasn't happy with how his ward looked.
Alderman Reed then made a deal with Mayor Slay and had portions of the 6th Ward restored to him. Reed then voted FOR the bill which sent the 20th Ward to South St. Louis. Reed's primary position has been that he will provide "leadership" at the Board that hasn't been provided by Shrewsbury. Where has Lewis Reed been on the issues concerning not just North St. Louis, but any part that wasn't the 6th Ward?
He voted for the redistricting bill, he voted for the Parks bill today. He has NEVER spoked out on the floor of the Board, or anywhere else pubicly, against the rising crime in the City, police brutality, the school board and the problems there, how city funds are spent, labor issues or any other issue. He hasn't taken a "leadership" position on anything. Don't give me a list of Board Bill numbers of redevelopment bills he's sponsored, so what! The people in the 6th ward are all complaining about how he wouldn't return their calls. How do I know this? All three candidates trying to replace Reed all have returing calls or listing a number where they can be reached, as one of thier campaign promises. A promise the people of the Ward want that they didn't have from their current Alderman.
The only thing that the Firefighters' local 73 has as it's claim to fame is their history of fighting the black firefighters, sueing the City to obtain more white firefighters positions, fighting the Black Fire Cheif, Sherman George and attacking FIRE, the Black firefighters' organization. Does anyone believe that an organization with such a history of racist acts would endorse a candidate that would not support it's interest? Look at their website and read what their members blog on the web page. Then ask yourself why Reed would want their endorsement if he is indeed a candidate for all St. Louis Why would Reed want their endorsement and so proudly display it as his banner of achievement? Doesn't he know the history of Local 73? Where was he when Slay sued to keep an expired firefighters hiring list alive so that white firefighters would be hired from it because more were on it. Cheif George had to spend his own money to defend his office because the City refuse to provide him legal representation.
If Reed doesn't know who he's in bed with, what else doesn't he know? What has he done, not help to develop, but demonstrated leadership in advocating, supporting, or objecting to any specific important issue that has confronted this city during his eight years in office? When the Mayor attacked Darlene, where's the quote from Reed? School Board? What did he say? Crime stats going up, Reed said what?
I am African American and I am aware of what goes on in the political arena in this city. I would love to have an African American in the office of President that enbodies the leadership qualities that this City needs in order to move past our racial divide. Reed doesn't get an automatic okay that he would somehow be a better advocate on the behalf of black people simply because he is black. History is full of examples of white people who have be our advocates long before we were in elected positions to effectively do so for ourselves. We have our Clarence Thomas' and our Thurgood Marshals, we aren't all the same.
I don't assume that Reed is my friend because he looks like me. Let him tell me what fight he's lead on my community's behalf, and not some developers. Show me one time where his voice has been raised in outrage on ANY issue that wasn't his own. Why is it that most don't know who he is or what he's done. Until several months ago, only political junkies knew who he was because he hadn't performed any feat that would have brought him to anyone's attention.
Make this race about whatever you want; old school politican to the new blood, whatever. But don't give Reed some mantle of nobility he doesn't possess.
1/26/2007 6:30 PM
"They're not displacing people; they're investing in the future."
A very white future...and a very bad present for the black people who live around their properties. Code violation is ILLEGAL.
We're not talking about speculators.
We're talking about a plot to put an entire mostly black part of the city into the hands of white developers from O'Fallon, Mo.
Thanks for apologizing for secretive racist urban renewal.
1/26/2007 8:26 PM
"He voted for the redistricting bill, he voted for the Parks bill today."
More acurately, not only did he vote for the redistricting bill, he co-sponsored it.
Isn't it Ironic, Don't ya think?
1/26/2007 9:25 PM
How in the HELL do you equate the Forest Park deal (which helps north St. Louis ) with the redistricting bill that eliminated Sharon Tyus?
1/26/2007 9:45 PM
To Anonymous who is responding to Nia:
Right on. Thanks for bringing the discussion back to earth and away from the spacey orbit of the spin doctors. (Actually "doctors" gives them too much credit. More like "$100/hr bed pan changers.")
1/26/2007 11:14 PM
Where has Lewis Reed been on the issues concerning North St. Louis? Where has Shrewsbury? Why are only black candidates asked to represent the north side? Shrewsbury was supposed to be representing north side citizens just the same as south side citizens for the last 5 years and he has failed, failed, failed. Just watch the video for God's sake. Lewis Reed is not a citywide elected official. His only job has been to look out for the interests of 6th Ward residents, which he has done. Sometimes blacks are the hardest on blacks. I never hear Shrewsbury having to explain why many north side neighborhoods look as bad as they do. Where has he been on these issues? After all, that's been his job for 5 years!
I say support Lewis Reed. I like him. He's done good things in his ward. He works well with black and white people. And he talks about making the city better for everybody. Shrewsbury just blows smoke up my a** and says everything is going great. What planet does this guy live on?
If you want things to change in this city you have to make changes. Vote for Lewis Reed.
Alice Crowley
19th ward resident
1/27/2007 12:01 AM
I agree with Alice. Aldermen worry about their ward. Occassionally they talk in general terms about the city, but never have I heard Shrewsbury talk about education, crime, race relations or northside development. And he is elected city wide, to represent "ALL" the voters throughout the city.
Elect Lewis Reed!!
1/27/2007 5:42 AM
I hope and pray that Lewis Reed wins the President of the Board Election so that we never have to go through another redistructing fiasco. This was Shrewsbury's plan. Shrewsbury has shirked his responsibility to the city. My favorite quote of his.." I have all the power and no responsibiity.."Preisident's quote..
1/28/2007 11:02 AM
I think some people who post here are racist against white people. They are concerned that whites will move into Blairmont.
To "They're not displacing people; they're investing in the future."
A very white future...and a very bad present for the black people who live around their properties. Code violation is ILLEGAL.
We're not talking about speculators.
We're talking about a plot to put an entire mostly black part of the city into the hands of white developers from O'Fallon, Mo.
Thanks for apologizing for secretive racist urban renewal.
Are only St. Louis City blacks allowed to buy/develop property on the North side? Or perhaps a quota, where it can only be a certain percentage white, of course with enforceable covenants about selling the property. Why is the presence of white people bad for black people? Perhaps you should ask the black people who moved to the southside and why they haven't moved back.
1/29/2007 9:03 AM
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