ST. LOUIS — Nine members have been appointed to the City of St. Louis’ Reparations Commission by Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. They all live in the City of St. Louis, and represent different backgrounds. Their first meeting will be within the next 45 days.
A statement from the mayor’s office says the group will, “Analyze the history of race-based harms in the city and reveal the modern manifestations of injustice. Ultimately, the commission will offer recommendations for methods to develop and implement reparations for Black St. Louisans and the descendants of enslaved peoples.”
In 2021, eleven U.S. mayors pledged to pay reparations for slavery to a small group of Black residents in their cities. Their aim is to set an example for the federal government on how a nationwide program could work.
Commission members:
- Will Ross, associate dean for Diversity at Washington University School of Medicine and professor of medicine in the Nephrology Division
- Delesha N. George, program manager at Deaconess Foundation
- Kayla Reed, co-founder and executive director of Action St. Louis
- William Foster, city resident and external audit generalist at Price Water House Coopers
- Gwen Moore, historian and curator of Urban Landscape and Community Identity
- Kevin Anthony, bridge pastor at Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ
- David Cunningham, professor and chair of sociology at Washington University in St. Louis
- Jada Brooks, a Communications student at Harris-Stowe University
- Kimberly Hicks Franks, attorney, activist, and board member of Dutchtown South Community Corporation
Slavery officially ended in the United States in 1865 with the adoption of the 13th amendment to U.S. Constitution. But its effects have lingered far beyond that, contributing to disparities in wealth and health between white and Black populations.
