Long Marred By Racism, St. Louis Elects 1st Black Female Mayor
Amid unrest at local jails, surging gun violence and a pandemic that has disproportionately hurt people of color, Tishaura Jones says: "We are done avoiding race and how it holds this region back."
Voters in St. Louis last week delivered a historic victory for Tishaura Jones, the first Black woman elected mayor and the latest triumph for progressive candidates in the St. Louis region.
Amid unrest at local jails, surging gun violence and a pandemic that has disproportionately hurt people of color, Jones said race will no longer be an afterthought in the mayor's office.
"We are done avoiding race and how it holds this region back," she told NPR's All Things Considered.
The current city treasurer, Jones ran on a progressive platform â, one of the city's pretrial detention centers that has come under fierce scrutiny for inhumane conditions. After being sworn in April 20, she intends to shut down the Workhouse within 100 days.
