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Shot of colleagues having a brainstorming session with sticky notes at work
St. Louis’ racial inequities have grabbed global attention in recent years, but local groups—from grassroots efforts to regional organizations—are working to combat these disparities in myriad ways.
Consider Dream Builders 4 Equity. As co-founder Michael Woods explains, “We’re putting youth in the center of the conversation. These are the people who want to be leading the community in the future. So why not start activating them early, not just in a program but giving them ownership and some real say? Then you will see them commit, because now it’s extremely tangible.”
The nonprofit’s eight-week Summer Youth Academy works with area contractors to employ and mentor local minority youth ages 16–24. Together, they build large-scale, community-led developments. The work doesn’t end there, though. The youth also receive an equity stake in the real estate project, with a portion of the home sales going toward scholarships. The students journal throughout the process, and then their writings are published in a book—these book sales also benefit the students.
The Regional Business Council recently established the Black Leadership Initiative, which connects African American business owners with mentors and resources. “As hard as it already is being an entrepreneur, you get started, you get going, and you hit some turbulent times,” says Michael B. Kennedy, who leads the initiative. “You go backwards, or you don’t exist anymore the next day. It’s at this point that they can really take this leap to the next level.”
In a similar spirit, there are other organizations working to support minority-owned businesses. The Asian-American Association Chamber of Commerce (AACC) supports Asian professionals, business owners, and those engaging in business throughout Asia with workshops, member happy hours, and special events.
Kevin A. Roberts
Michael Woods of Dream Builders 4 equity.
Since 2016, the Equity in Entrepreneurship Collective has been dedicated to safeguarding systems to support new entrepreneurs, including people of color and women. The collective strives to foster connections, secure key resources, and share best practices. The E3 St. Louis Leadership Institute, for instance, is a two-week leadership program that specializes in a cross section of racial equity, business development, and economic development.
Likewise, Greater St. Louis Inc. offers a Diverse Business Accelerator, a three-month program in which minority business owners can polish their expansion goals and marketing plans, build connections, and identify capital and resources. The civic-focused organization offers a Fellows Experience Leadership Program that’s dedicated to supporting multicultural and racially diverse business leaders and entrepreneurs.
The region is looking at additional ways to support minority-owned businesses on a larger, long-term basis. Released in 2021, the STL 2030 Jobs Plan is a 10-year plan that aims to serve as a blueprint for inclusive economic growth, such as by increasing the number of quality, living-wage jobs.
At the same time, Forward Through Ferguson has proposed a threefold action plan to address racial equity—with initiatives focused on policy, capacity building, and sustainability—to create a more racially equitable region by 2039, the 25th anniversary of Michael Brown’s death. And the St. Louis Promise Zone is working to increase economic activity, improve education, reduce crime, invest in development and improve health and wellness in North St. Louis City and North St. Louis County.
As the 2014 For the Sake of All report found, residents of certain affluent St. Louis ZIP codes can have up to an 18-year difference in life expectancy as compared to underserved neighbors just miles away. So the Washington University–based Health Equity Works initiative seeks to make local communities healthier, more inclusive, and more sustainable through groundbreaking research. The initiative provides key data to help shape policy in schools, neighborhoods, governing bodies, and city halls. For instance, the organization’s Healthy Schools Toolkit assists local education leaders in identifying ways to support the health and wellbeing of the school and community.
[BEAUTIFICATION IS] A SYMBOL OF REBIRTH AND PROSPERITY FOR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT NEED NURTURING.
Another organization working to address inequities in the community is the Urban League St. Louis, the No. 1–ranked branch of the organization in the country and the first to be five-star rated. The nonprofit offers myriad services geared toward minorities, including programs on economic independence, social services, basic needs in stabilizing families, scholarships, training, certification, and more.
Recently, Urban League consolidated its operations—which previously stretched across three buildings—into a new regional headquarters, located at Martin Luther King Boulevard and Kingshighway. “For the first time ever, we’re able to do a one-stop shop of all 60 programs in one location,” says president and CEO Michael McMillan, noting it’s particularly significant as many clients have transportation issues. “You can come here and get everything from going to our Panera food pantry to our utility assistance center to our weatherization center.”
As part of Urban League’s Clean Up, Build Up initiative, 100 volunteers gathered to clear 30 vacant properties of trash, greenery, and debris in the Castle Point neighborhood. Not only does such work beautify an area, but it’s also a symbol of rebirth and prosperity for neighborhoods that need nurturing.
Urban League also hosts large-scale community events, such as the Urban Expo Back to School & Community Empowerment Festival, which typically draws more than 27,000 attendees to America’s Center. McMillan describes the event as a melting pot of sorts, “a full array of a United Nation, primarily African Americans, but people of all ethnicities and races and backgrounds.
“That’s what St. Louis should be about: coming together to create a table where everybody has a seat at the table and feels comfortable, where we can all learn and grow from each other and be a great region.”
