☕ Morning fam,
Chicago. St. Louis. A tale of 2 cities roughly 3 hours apart. In 1900 both were booming cities, St. Louis the 4th largest in the nation. Both Dem run cities, Chicago an epicenter of black power (Black Panthers, black publishing Ebony/Jet) went on to produce the first black president. St. Louis home of the infamous Dred Scott decision, a political plantation of house negros, sellouts, opportunists and grifters working against the interest of black people pushing the interests of the Dem Party, NPIC, billionaires and their white neoliberal/progressive handlers.
Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s Chief of Staff returned to Chicago and used his credentials to become mayor. His failed administration opened the door for Lightfoot. St. Louis mayor Tishaura Jones’ path was similar coming after the failed administration of Lyda Krewson. Both Lightfoot and Jones were voted in under the ‘black girl magic’ brand putting a black face on white radical politics. Both pushed policies that sounded good, but were antiblack, exacerbated every issue in the black community and diluted black political power.
The trajectory of both cities is very different today. This week black voters in Chicago said no more. Next week black voters in St. Louis are being asked to vote for more… after a black history month filled with tragedy, death and destruction, the cornerstone of black life throughout the region.
Black Chicago will recover from Lightfoot. Black St. Louis may not recover from black girl magic.
