by Sylvester Brown, Jr.
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Photo courtesy of the Saint Louis African American Artifacts Festival and
Bazaar
Yesterday,
I attended the 6th Annual Saint
Louis African American Artifacts Festival and Bazaar in Old North
Yesterday. At first, I wasn’t going. I’m on deadline for a writing assignment.
But a friend stopped by and suggested we go. Why not, the festival starting on St.
Louis Ave. and 14th Street is literally two blocks from home. So, I
went and I’m glad I did.
The most inspiring aspect of the festival for me
was the young, entrepreneurial vendors and the parents who worked with them at some of the spaces. A young mother with the words “Momma Fresh”
emblazoned on her T-shirt stood quietly behind her ten-year-old son, “Mr. Fresh.”
The boy gave a brief elevator pitch telling how he wanted to start a car
business but settled on selling car fresheners for now.
“So,
what do you want to buy from me,” Mr. Fresh asked us.
I
bought a bottle of “Yellow Rose” freshener.
 
And
so it went. There was a father and sister helping a young artist sell his cool collection
of t-shirts, posters and coloring books. Another father tried to get me to buy
one of his family’s wooden, hand-painted boards with colorful, inspiring and
welcoming words designed to compliment any home, business or classroom. Then,
there was one of my former Sweet Potato Project students, Mirramoni Buford,
doing caricature art.
  
The whole experience kicked off the “what if”
game for me. What if all these young, budding entrepreneurs not only had this
annual festival to promote their talents and wares but a year-round hub? What if all the eclectic
musicians, spoken word artists, vendors with aromatic, ethnic foods, hand-made
candles, clothing and more had a designated place in the city that welcomed the
lush, robust beautiful crowds I witnessed Saturday?
What if Martin Luther King Drive from Wellston
to, let’s say, Clara Avenue, was chosen as the designated spot for a huge monetary
investment in a cultural district? Why there? I’ll give you at least four good
reasons.
Gov. Mike Parson visits Melvin White, founder of the Beloved Streets initiative
#1:
It could start at MLK and Skinker/Kienlen Blvd. It’s not that far from the U. City
Loop on Skinker and Delmar, an already touristy area. A tram, Uber, bus or
short car ride could take folk from U. City to the new Black Arts District in minutes.
Surely, we can copy Joe Edwards’ vision of the U. City Loop which started with
blocks and blocks of creative, specialty shops with a cool, cultural vibe.
#2:
MLK to Clara would put us in the Friendly Temple Church imprint. Under the
leadership of Pastor Michael Jones, the church has revitalized the area with senior resident facilities, new sanctuaries,
a school, an early childhood development center, affordable family housing and
a full-service bank. Friendly Temple’s base and beyond could be greatly
complimented by a host of new small businesses, social establishments, community
gardens, affordable homes, restaurants and cultural establishments and schools.
  Development on MLK Blvd. led by Friendly Temple Church
#3:
A black cultural/business zone could breathe new life into the Beloved Streets of America initiative aimed at revitalizing MLK Blvd. throughout the city. Perhaps politicians
can think equitably and help bring agricultural and empowerment zone money and other
government dollars to beautify and monetize another designated area in a
long-ignored part of the city. After all, tax dollars have been used to bolster the
NGA and Paul McKee plans, the Grove, the Cortex District, the Central West End
and other tonier areas of the city. Surely there are some politicians, visionaries
and corporate donors who can help steer dollars to a massive regeneration plan
in the heart of North St. Louis. Lastly, choosing this area would guarantee local,
regional and national media exposure every January on MLK’s birthday.
#4:
For at least the past five years, Robert Powell of Portfolio Art Gallery,
has been trying to institutionalize black art in the region. He wants to use the same tax base that supports the Art Museum, the
History Museum, Grand Center, the Botanical Garden and the Symphony Orchestra.
The verbiage for such a district is already on the books. From my talks with
Robert, all that is needed to become a reality is for local and state politicians
to get the measure on a ballot for voter support. Think about it; a cultural
destination, supported by tax dollars that be an attraction for locals
and out-of-towners on a regular basis.
What if we dreamed a bit more deliberately and
proactively? What if we boldly stated that we were going to empower regular
people in the designated area? What if, say, $20 million were identified and
set aside to help young entrepreneurs like those I met at the festival, start
small enterprises on the MLK strip? What might happen if each one qualified for
a $10,000 stipend to start their business? Now, this doesn’t include the money
necessary to tear down or rehab structures along the strip. It’s money set
aside to help small business owners build in the newly designated “cultural empowerment
zone.”
Let’s
go further. Page Blvd. is less than a mile south of MLK. The organization, Better
Family Life (BFL) has already initiated the demolition of dilapidated buildings and
have started building affordable homes just east of Skinker on Page Blvd. What
if we added to this effort with an incentive plan to help new entrepreneurs
and other millennials buy homes in the identified areas between MLK and Page
Blvd. I have read of nonprofit efforts around the country where nice, sturdy homes
can be built for under $40,000. What if banks, corporations, benevolent donors
and the City chipped in to provide, say, a $10,000 stipend for anyone
interested in living in the designated area. With this type of investment, home
ownership can be just as affordable as renting an apartment.
Those
who know me, know I believe that the growing and selling of fresh food and food-based
products can serve as a new economic engine in the region. Why not? Everybody
eats. With thousands and thousands of vacant lots owned by the city, surely a
few hundred can be given to urban farmers. Yes, I said “given.” The City doles
out vacant land to major developers all the time. It can give lots to North St.
Louis. With a stipend, they build a fence around their lot and set it up to grow food year round.
There
are several nonprofits-Gateway Greening, Good Life Growing, the Sweet Potato
Project and more-dedicated to showing young people how to grow and market certain
food and food products. Imagine a huge farmer’s market, like the ones in Soulard, Tower
Grove or Maplewood. The corner of MLK and Kienlen, would serve as an excellent weekend
spot for food, clothing, mini concerts and merchandise vendors. A food manufacturing plant, with its on brand
in the MLK/Page imprint would not only create neighborhood jobs, it would serve
as a long-term partner to residents who grow food.
Imagine
young people living and working in an area designated for rebirth. Now, they
have a vested interest in protecting their own neighborhoods and businesses. What
if we give hip-hop and sports figures a place to expand their “buy-the-block”
rhetoric? What if rappers used their influence and money to make owing homes
and businesses in “the hood” as hot as their music?
I
read about a private security company in Detroit. It was started by a former military
man and an ex-cop, I believe. The private security firm hires folk from the
neighborhoods they patrol. They also work hand-in-hand with the Detroit police Department.
Perhaps this is a model St. Louis can use to deal with its huge crime epidemic.
It’s a healthy and proactive way to get police engaged with community
residents. It’s also another way to invest and empower extraordinary, ordinary
people to do-for-self in areas where they live and work.
Behind
the “what if” scenario is the “what is” reality. What we have is a lack of
vision, black division and political impotency. Stale, stoic race-based thinking,
a collective refusal to invest in anything “black” in the city are all part of the “what
is.”
I
sat in the shade for awhile with Malik Ahmed, founder of BFL. I told him I had a
hard time grappling with the notion that we have everything we need to change the
trajectory of North St. Louis. We have organizations like his, we have
templates of revitalization in the city, just not many in the black parts of St. Louis. We have young entrepreneurs, musicians and activists. We have nonprofits doing good work…we’re just not doing it in a collective, unified way. We have stated mandates for progressive change echoed after the death of Mike Brown. We have renowned institutions like Washington University and Harris Stowe and
the momentum from those seeking a better, more equitable St. Louis. What we don’t
have is a strategic plan with a designated place to start.
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Sylvester Brown, Jr. is a former columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the founder of the Sweet Potato Project, an entrepreneurial program for urban youth and the author of the newly released book “When We Listen: Recognizing the Potential of Urban Youth.”
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