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Vol. 93 No. 7 COMPLIMENTARY
Votercade rallies St. Louis against voter suppression Action at Sumner one of 100 nationwide
By Sophie Hurwitz Of the St. Louis American
Photo by Jennifer Sarti / St. Louis American
Roderick Nunn, executive vice president and head of education and employment with Concordance Academy of Leadership, says a ‘holistic’ approach is needed to cut down on the number of people who return to prison after release.
Concordance Academy and Connections to Success work to keep released inmates from making return trip to prison By Karen Robinson-Jacobs for The St. Louis American Two prominent St. Louis-area programs that help smooth the re-entry process for former inmates freed from incarceration are expanding to better address “the big problem”: the staggering rate of recidivism. St. Charles-based Connections to Success, which launched in 2001 as Dress For Success Midwest, offers returnees a support system that includes not only access to clothing and transportation to aid in the job search process, but also mentoring, skills building and “life transformation coaching,” officials said. The organization, which serves about 600 new individuals annually, has begun training other groups to offer similar training. In August 2020, Concordance Academy of Leadership,
which recently moved its national headquarters to Creve Coeur, launched The First Chance Campaign – a $50 million fundraising effort chaired by David Steward, World Wide Technology founder and chairman – to expand its ‘holistic’ re-entry model outside of St. Louis. About $15 million has been raised so far in the effort to add up to 11 U.S. cities by 2025, including potentially Kansas City, Kan., Dallas and Chicago. Reducing the rate of recidivism – the revolving door that sees many of those convicted of crimes head back to prison in short order – not only saves tax dollars, experts said, but also helps break what can become an intergenerational curse. “We call it the big problem, frankly,” said Roderick Nunn, executive vice president and head of education and
– Mataka Askari
See CONCORDANCE, A6
Dale Glass resigns as Corrections Commissioner
Former Corrections Commissioner Dale Glass speaks at a press conference on April 5, regarding the uprising that took place at the St. Louis City Justice Center on Easter Sunday.
Mayor reduces jail population, holds listening sessions with jail employees
By Dana Rieck Of The St. Louis American St. Louis Corrections Commissioner Dale Glass on Wednesday announced his resignation, effective June 1. While a release from St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones’ office noted that he was not asked to resign, Jones and U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis, released statements that indicated he didn’t have much of a choice. Jones wrote that failed leadership over the city’s jails has left a “huge mess to clean up” and promised once again to close the Workhouse within the first 100 days of her term as mayor.
See GLASS, A7
n “New skills, new patterns of behavior...I believe in that stuff, because I’m a living witness to it.”
Photo by Jennifer Sarti / St. Louis American
The late John Lewis would have been proud. About 75 people gathered to march and ride in a “votercade” in recognition of National John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Action Day at Sumner High School on May 7. It was part of a nationwide movement by 180 organizations to urge Congress to pass the “For the People Act;” “the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act;” and Washington, D.C. Admission Act for n In statehood. Missouri, The choice of Sumner voter for the event’s location restriction carried significance: over the past several months, and gerrycommunity members have mandering gathered in support of the as stratschool’s reopening next egies of year, though it was initially slated for closure as voter suppart of a “right-sizing” of pression St. Louis Public Schools. are not Now, the school will uncommon. reopen in Fall 2021 as an “arts and activism” high school, making it an appropriate choice for the setting of an event named for well-known Civil Rights activist and Congressman John Lewis. Alderwoman Dwinderlin Evans, Ward 4, called the event “fantastic, right on point.” “From the votercade to the activities later in the day, it was very successful,” she said. Sumner is located in Evan’s ward. “I plan on being visible and very actively involved to make sure Sumner is viable and stays See VOTERCADE, A7
Part II of II
The Ferguson movement On the cusp of revolutionizing political power in St. Louis
By Rebecca Rivas For The Missouri Independent and Reveal This is part two of a collaboration between The Missouri Independent and Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting looking at how the fight for police reform in St. Louis has evolved. The race was too close. Kayla Reed, co-founder and executive director of Action St. Louis, curled over her desk. Her long, dark locs created curtains around her body as she used one hand to search election results on her cellphone. With the other hand, she hopped into a Zoom call on her laptop. It was April 6, election night in St. Louis. And it was a defining moment for the Ferguson movement. “Blake, I can’t even …” Reed bursted out, as her close friend and activist Blake Strode See MOVEMENT, A9