Kaelyn Sturgell

Ms. McCallister

Composition and Research 2

28 March 2016

Gateway to the North: The Lives of African Americans in St. Louis

Ever since the United States acquired St. Louis as part of the Louisiana Purchase in

1803, it has been a city of excitement and culture. With a little help from Lewis and Clark,

the river front city quickly became a symbol of westward expansion and was later picked to

host the 1904 World’s Fair. Current attractions include Cardinal baseball, the St. Louis Zoo,

Forest Park, the Science Center, museums, gardens, and, of course, the Arch. Despite the

variety of the previous options, they all have one thing in common; their location in south

St. Louis.

In 1954, the Supreme Court presented a unanimous decision in the case of Brown v.

The Board of Education Topeka that overruled their previous “separate but equal” stance on

Plessy v. Ferguson. All the judges agreed that segregation in schools was inherently unequal

and violated the Fourteenth Amendment. This decision began a series of other court

decisions that removed the backbone of Jim Crow laws in the south. As time went on,

schools, businesses, workplaces, and neighborhoods became integrated (Altman). Yet, 50

years later, St. Louis is still segregated – blacks living primarily in the north and whites

primarily in the south: not by law or force, but by social pressures, past policies, and the

poverty cycle.

The racial divide in St. Louis began as a result of northern industrialization. During

what was called the Great Migration, approximately 2 million African Americans moved

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north to obtain better paying factory jobs (Altman 22). In order to accommodate for the

increased population, restrictive deed covenants and redlining by the newly established

Federal Housing Authority funneled African Americans into certain neighborhoods and

made it difficult, and sometimes illegal, for them to live anywhere else (Goodman and

Gilbert 1). These housing policies remained in place until 1948 when a black family was

taken to court for buying a house in St. Louis on racially restricted land. The Supreme Court

ruled that, although the covenants themselves did not violate rights, enforcement from

state courts did (“Shelley vs. Kraemer”). This decision ended much of the explicit housing

discrimination in St. Louis, but the city still suffers from an implicit form of segregation:

segregation that has attracted local and international attention.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

produced a short video in 2012 on a

phenomenon that has been titled the ‘Delmar

Divide’. Delmar Boulevard runs east to west

through St. Louis and draws a line through the

city. The population north of Delmar is 99%

African American while south of Delmar is 70%

white (“Crossing a St. Louis Street”). Colleges in

St. Louis have found that the segregation extends

into St. Louis County as well. For the Sake of All,

a joint project between Washington University in

St. Louis and St. Louis University, included a

population break down by zip code in their 80-page report on the well-being of African

Figure 1 – Concentration of African American population in St. Louis City and St. Louis County (Purnell, Camberos, and Fields 30)

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Americans in St. Louis. Their 2013 findings matched BBC’s and revealed that the highest

concentration of African Americans in St. Louis and St. Louis County exists solely in the

north, and in the south and east regions of the city, the percentage of blacks drops

drastically from 45-97% to 1-5% (see figure 1). The statistics on the racial divide in St.

Louis are shocking on their own, but they are more than just numbers; they have a direct

impact on the health of African Americans.

Although health is a result of one’s lifestyle choices, environment and social context

cannot be taken out of the equation. Many of the negative health effects caused by

segregation are related to high poverty and little to no access to valuable resources

(Goodman and Gilbert). Since the poverty distribution and the race distribution in St. Louis

and St. Louis County look strikingly similar

(figure 2), one can conclude that African

Americans are experiencing the negative

effects of poverty at a greater rate and have

worse health than whites.

A healthy diet is crucial to good health, but

many of these impoverished areas lack quality

services like supermarkets. (Purnell,

Camberos, and Fields 31). Grocery stores are

thought to be equal nationwide, yet, in St.

Louis, they are not. Schnucks, a local St. Louis

chain, provides shoppers with a different range

of food depending on where in the city the

Figure 2 – Concentration of poverty in St. Louis city and St. Louis County (Purnell, Camberos, and Fields 30)

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store is located. Close to downtown, the stores are filled with long aisles of soda, chips, and

snack foods. The fruit and vegetable aisles are small and consist of bruised apples and old

onions. Schnucks in the County, however, have produce aisles the size of a classroom and

supply its area with all-natural and organic food options. It is the same chain with the same

owners, but the stores are supplying families and children a few city blocks apart with

different foods (Bass). This is more than a

simple observation made by a St. Louis

resident; it is something supported by

research done by the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention (figure 3). The poor

diet of African Americans in St. Louis puts

them at a higher risk for illnesses like heart

disease and certain types of cancer (Bass;

Purnell, Camberos, and Fields 33).

While the cause of heart disease in

African Americans can be partially traced

back to assess to quality food, cancer is

more random. It is common knowledge that cancer does not discriminate by age, sex, or

race. Actually, whites are twice as likely to be told they have cancer in St. Louis and St.

Louis County than African Americans are. Yet, African Americans experience greater cancer

fatality rates (Purnell, Camberos, and Fields 48-49). The death disparity is caused in part by

African American’s proximity to old factories and toxic materials, and that they have little

Figure 3 – Availability of quality nutritious retail foods by census tract in 2011 (Purnell, Camberos, and Fields 33)

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access to health care. If most of the struggles African American’s face in St. Louis is caused

by where they live what resources they have access to, why would they not move?

The simplest solutions are not always the easiest. Many blacks in northern St. Louis are

stuck in the poverty cycle. In 2012, 1 in 10 African American students from the area

dropped out of high school (Tate 1), and without a high school education, those teens

cannot go to college. In fact, BBC found that only 5% of residents north of the previously

mentioned Delmar Divide have a Bachelor degree compared to the 67% in the south. A

college education is needed to obtain high paying jobs that provide a livable income and

benefits like health insurance. And while the average income of $22,000 can support a

family north of Delmar, where the average house sells for approximately $78,000, it is

nearly impossible for that family to move to the south where houses are sold for over four

times as much (“Crossing a St. Louis Street”). Even if a black person were to graduate high

school, go to college, and earn a degree, there is still a chance they would not be able to

escape the conditions they grew up in. Much of their outcome is out of their hands. Decades

after FHA redlining and Shelley vs. Kraemer, there is still discrimination in real estate.

In Candace Bass’s orientation speech to volunteers at North City Church of Chris in St.

Louis, she tells of the experience her and her husband had when they bought their home in

St. Louis. Being new to the area, the two began to briefly search for houses on their own.

They noticed the same difference in housing prices that BBC did, and requested that their

real estate agent show them some of the cheap, but large, houses in the north. Instead, the

agent took them to five houses on the south side. Still wanting to see the addresses they

requested, they sent her more addresses. Again, she took them to the south side. Candace

finally broke down and said, “know we sent you those other addresses, when are we going

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to get to see those houses?” And the agent replied, “Well, you don’t want to live there.

People like you don’t live on the north side.” Candace and her husband were shocked. The

agent meant white people like them don’t live on the north side. They thanked the lady for

her business, but they had to find someone else: an agent willing to take them north of

Delmar (Bass). The Bass’ prejudiced real estate agent is simply a part of an older, less

tolerant generation. If African Americans were to do all that they could to better their

situation, it is only a matter of time until old racists die out and are replaced by a younger,

more accepting generation that is willing to help blacks advance in society. At least, that is

the assumption.

According to McElwee for PBS, racist and negative attitudes persist equally among

adults and youth. In his survey, 17-34 year old whites agreed at a higher percentage to

whether blacks faced little discrimination and if they had never felt admiration towards

blacks than people older than 65. And when asked whether blacks were lazy and if they

were unintelligent, there was only a 2-5% difference in agreement between the two age

groups. Recent events in the news support McElwee’s findings that racism is not exclusive

to age and also show that a discriminatory mindset can spread geographically.

This past fall, African American students at the University of Missouri began protesting.

Individuals spoke up about ways they had been mistreated by their peers, and the black

student organization on campus put out a statement and a list of demands. Several nation

media outlets covered the issue, but none of them related the demographics of the

university as part of the cause.

The average enrollment at the University of Missouri the past four years has been

approximately 34,600 students. On average, over 70% of those students are from Missouri,

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and close to half – 12,000 or more – are from the St. Louis area. Though, for unknown

reasons, enrollment from St. Louis has dropped each year, this means one-third of Mizzou

students have lived in the segregated city for most of their lives (University of Missouri).

This has resulted in some white students not knowing how to act around and treat their

black peers (from all locations, not just St. Louis), and it has given black students a feeling

of equality and the necessary platform to stand up for themselves when mistreated.

Statistics paint a picture of how African Americans in St. Louis live, but the racial

segregation makes it hard for white people to sympathize with the daily struggles of their

distant neighbors and the future majority of the United States (Purnell, Camberos, and

Fields 19).

There is an obvious issue in St. Louis, and it needs to be fixed. The city’s discriminatory

history has resulted in a lasting segregation that has resulted in a multitude of adverse

effects. African Americans from the area are stuck in a cycle of poverty, sickness, and can

only control a fraction of their ability to get out of the slums. Implicit racism has been

imbedded in our social history, and the primary solution is integration, education, and

exposure. Investing in quality neighborhoods and “deeply integrating” them gives black

and white youth an equal opportunity to succeed (McElwee): something that religious

organizations and law makers are already working on.

North City Church of Christ is located in the second worst St. Louis neighborhood:

second only to the neighborhood adjacent to it (Bass). It was North City that prompted

Candace and her husband to buy a house in St. Louis eight years ago. Ever since, Candace

has been committed to helping the local youth succeed. She heads the church’s mentoring

program, after school tutoring, summer vacation bible school, and has helped grow the

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outreach and involvement of the church. These programs teach kids valuable skills they

may not be learning at home or in the classroom. Candace and her volunteers shower

children with unconditional love, support, and encouragement. They teach area children

interpersonal skills and accountability, and they provide them with job skills and

opportunities. It is undeniable that North City is doing great things, but it creates only a

localized change. In order to make major progress, policies and programs must be funded

and supported at the city, county, state, and federal level.

Some great programs that already exist at a local level could be recreated and

funded at a higher level. For example, The St. Louis Healthy Corner Store Project is

addressing the immediate health of St. Louis residents. The project helps raise awareness

of what people consume, teaches cooking classes, and helps provide residents of the orange

areas in figure 3 with affordable, healthy food. Nationally, The Healthy Food Financing

Initiative provides low-income food retailers with money through grants and loans in order

to purchase and sell fresh food (Purnell, Camberos, and Fields 33). These programs work to

but an end to the difference in food access. Other programs in St. Louis emphasize putting

residents in a good financial situation.

Families with children can benefit from state and federally funded Child Development

Accounts that match funds put into a college savings account. Locally, a school district in St.

Louis County provides each kindergartener with a $500 college savings account that grows

with interest as they age. These programs are a good investment for the government

because for every $1 invested into a child, the child can return 7 to 17 dollars in income tax

(Purnell, Camberos, and Fields 69). Government programs are large entities that handle

their own business, so could an individual do, if anything, to possibly help?

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There are at least three ways one can help make a difference. If a person is financially

stable, they can help fund some of the aforementioned programs or donate to local

organizations that are already making a direct in a community. If a person cannot afford to

give money, perhaps he or she could donate a Saturday evening of work. Volunteering at

soup kitchens, shelters, and local churches like North City gives permanent workers extra

hands, needed assistance, and renewed spirits to keep doing good. Above all, an individual

can help spread the truth.

African Americans today no longer have to fight Jim Crow, but they, too, have their

battles. In 1963, Whitney Young spoke at the Lincoln Memorial on the same day as Martin

Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. He addressed the struggles “equal” blacks

faced in cities: struggles that are reminiscent to the ones blacks face over 50 years later. He

said,

[African Americans] must march from the rat infested, overcrowded ghettos to

decent … residential areas…. They must march from congested, ill-equipped schools

which breed dropouts…. And finally, they much march from a present feeling of

despair and hopelessness, despair and frustration, to renewed faith and confidence.

(Altman 91)

The first step in fixing a problem is acknowledging that there is a problem, and St. Louis

has one. There are people from the city and the county that recognize this fact and are

doing things to make a difference. Yet, there are still people living in ignorance. Before they,

or anyone, can begin to make a change, the public must become aware of how their

neighbors live, and they must learn to empathize with them.

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Works Cited

Altman, Linda Jacobs. The American Civil Rights Movement: The African-American Struggle

for Equality. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow, 2004. Print.

Bass, Candace. "North City Orientation." First Christian Church of Lamar Spring Break

Missions 2016. North City Church of Christ, St. Louis. 14 Mar. 2016. Lecture.

"Crossing a St Louis Street That Divides Communities." BBC News. BBC, 12 Mar. 2012. Web.

31 Mar. 2016.

Goodman, Melody S., and Keon L. Gilbert. Segregation: Divided citied lead to differences in

health. For the Sake of All, Nov. 2013. Web. 4 April. 2016.

McElwee, Sean. "The Hidden Racism of Young White Americans." PBS. PBS, 24 Mar. 2015.

Web. 31 Mar. 2016.

Purnell, Jason, Gabriela Camberos, and Robert Fields, eds. For the Sake of All : A Report on

the Health and Well-being of African Americans in St. Louis and Why It Matters for

Everyone. Rep. St. Louis: Washington U in St. Louis, 2015. Print.

"Shelley v. Kraemer." Oyez. Chicago-Kent College of Law at Illinois Tech, n.d. Apr 14, 2016.

Tate, William F., IV. How does health influence school dropout?. For the Sake of All, Sept.

2013. Web. 4 April. 2016.

University of Missouri. Missouri's Flagship University Fact Book. Columbia: U of Missouri,

2012. ISSUU. 2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2016.

---. Missouri's Flagship University Fact Book. Columbia: U of Missouri, 2013. ISSUU. 2013.

Web. 31 Mar. 2016.

---. Missouri's Flagship University Fact Book. Columbia: U of Missouri, 2014. ISSUU. 2014.

Web. 31 Mar. 2016.

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---. Missouri's Flagship University Fact Book. Columbia: U of Missouri, 2015. ISSUU. 2015.

Web. 31 Mar. 2016.

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