When Dr. Sam Page took over as St. Louis County Executive in late April, he told SLM that one of the biggest problems facing the county was racial segregation—and that county government has a big role to play in changing course. “It all goes back to, there are certain segments in the county where kids grow up, and they just don’t have the same opportunities for health care, for a good education, for a job when they graduate from high school. That’s just not right,” he said. “County government has a big role to play in trying to make sure we put our resources in the places that make a difference. We should really be using our authority as the largest political organization in this region to be leading this conversation.” Page appointed County Councilwoman Hazel Erby to serve in his administration as director of diversity, equity, and inclusion. SLM asked Page what progress he has seen since August 9, 2014, and where there’s still work to be done.
What did Ferguson reveal about St. Louis? Our region’s response to Michael Brown’s death underscored some of the deeply ingrained problems that hold us back. Racial and economic inequities, unequal outcomes in education and health, strained community relations with police and courts, and lack of access to affordable housing—all required significant action long ago but often were ignored.
Where do you see signs of change? Progress has been made in the past five years. Private investment in North St. Louis County brought needed jobs. Public and nonprofit workforce development programs empowered residents to fill those jobs. And the Ferguson Commission gave our region a language to engage in respectful dialogue about tough topics.
What progress would you still like to see? A priority of my new administration is to tackle our region’s persistent challenges with race, disparities, and public safety. We’ve started that work by appointing social justice leaders to key positions, building a policy agenda emphasizing outcomes and metrics, and requiring county departments to incorporate equity into their everyday work. And we know we can’t do this work alone. It starts with building relationships and collaborating with our residents and other regional stakeholders. Working together, we can build a St. Louis region that works for all of our residents.
