ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – The City of St. Louis continues to seek input from the public on what the idea of reparations could look like but in the meantime, they believe an investment of $246 million can go a long way to righting years of disinvestment in St. Louis.
On Monday night, Mayor Tishaura Jones and St. Louis Development Corporation CEO Neal Richardson presented an Economic Justice Action plan to a meeting of the St. Louis Reparations Commission.
The plan outlines how the city is investing millions of American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds back into the community with a focus on reversing decades of disinvestment. The plan outlines dozens of programs and plans to address housing, job creation and neighborhood stabilization, many of which are underway, but Mayor Jones says these programs are part of the discussion of reparations.
“It’s a form of repairing the damage that has been done to Black and Brown communities in the city, intentionally, over several decades. We do see this as a piece but not the entire puzzle,” said Jones.
The city cannot use ARPA funds to pay for reparations, there are specific guidelines from the federal government on those funds.
Right now it’s up to the commission to determine what reparations will look like, how to fund them and what a plan is moving forward. They will present their recommendations to the mayor in September.
But for those who want to see reparations, more must be done.
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