And it wasn’t magic, Schmitt. Like I and others have said, it was a cold, calculated plan by people like you to maintain white, male dominance in this city and in this state.

What will be key to assessing the prognosis of the Spencer Administration is not judging what the Black folks who supported the candidacy will get in return for their support but what will resourcing and development of the entire city look like.

St. Louis has a history of slavery and therefore, a Southern culture and tradition of racial superiority. That’s why there is such resistance to power sharing, equity, and other inclusive concepts. When white city fathers have a chance to change the racial, financial, and social dynamics, they often defaulted to the role of massa on the plantation.

I’ve been through the regimes of Mayors Cervantes, Poelker, Conway, Schoemehl, Slay and Krewson. You would be hard-pressed to produce any meaningful policies initiated by any of them that broke from the status quo. The status quo being white men in charge, with the optics of shared governance and racial equity by allowing token Blacks and women to advance in a very controlled, restricted way.

And speaking of Blacks and women brings up a graphic example of plantation politics. One day Francis Slay snapped his fingers and told some Blacks and women that he needed them by his side for an important announcement.

The invitees found out at the press conference that the announcement was that Slay was firing Percy Green II as director of the city’s minority contract compliance. Green had refused to sink to the pay-to-play game that apparently his predecessors were willing to play. He and his team were meticulous about weeding out front companies seeking contracts with the city. Front companies are mainly owned by white men who find a minority (race or gender), then make them part owner for a kickback from the contract.

The photo of Slay’s press conference to boot the local civil rights icon made the front page of the St. Louis American in September of 2001. There were many other scenarios that went down with those six white mayors that never allowed the public to bear witness to the flagrant use of modern-day slave overseers and drivers. This designated hierarchy keeps everyone in their designated places in order to maintain an environment where continued exploitation abounds.

The General Election was a jerk-back to the times when white people made the important decisions and Black folks were in proximity to give the appearance they were part of making decisions when in fact, they were only necessary to manage damage control.

What will be key to assessing the prognosis of the Spencer Administration is not judging what the Black folks who supported the candidacy will get in return for their support but what will resourcing and development of the entire city look like. What would a democratic, inclusive St. Louis look like and how does it function?

With all the confusion in this country caused by a few other white men in the White House, I’ve been calling on the wisdom of my ancestors to fortify my spirit. I frequently come back to the powerful cautionary words of Maya Angelou: When someone shows you who they are, believe them. 

Let us be optimistic and hopeful but let us not ignore the facts and behaviors that have already been presented to us over time. The future of St. Louis is at stake.