Mayor Tishaura Jones recently addressed a crowd during the opening of a new woman’s center in St. Louis.
What We Know:
- During her speech at the opening of the facility, Jones said, ” there are segments of the population who are more deeply affected by societal norms.” She believes that the problem must be approached “with an eye towards equity.” Jones believes that St. Louis must focus on its most vulnerable populations to address core problems first.
- Jones took office on April 20th, and she is the first Black woman to win the seat. Jones is among elected leaders coming into power that is in favor of police reform. This comes as Congress looks to craft bipartisan legislation aimed to tackle police reform. Jones intends to challenge St. Louis’ leaders, residents, police unions, and community activists to rethink what a safe city means.
- In her speech, Jones mentions that African-Americans were leaving St. Louis at a higher rate than any other race. Jones faces pushback from St. Louis City Hall and the police union. The groups remain skeptical of her vision, which intends to diminish their resources. She also faces criticism from restless activists who have been advocating for a radical change instead of small reforms.
- Jones is among the first class of progressing Democratic candidates who ran on promises to end cash bail, curtail mass incarceration and hold police accountable. Tory Russell, the International Black Freedom Alliance founder, says he’s worried about the Obama effect in regards to Jones. He notes that Obama’s historic presidency paralleled some of the most high-profile police shootings in American history. Russell believes Jones’s historic rise must come second to the movement’s goals.
Jones’s first action when she took office was to focus on public safety reform.
