Reforming Black Education in a Turbulent Political Landscape: The Stimulus of Black Political Participation in North St. Louis

• In Event: The Ecology of Black Education in a Chaotic Political Landscape: Recreating Community, Advocacy, and Engagement

Abstract

Purpose
This study investigates the efforts of Black community members residing in North St. Louis to prevent the closure of their neighborhood schools. We focus on the pivotal role played by Communities One Project and explore how the collective lack of trust, self-efficacy, and group consciousness propelled their advocacy during a period of tumultuous local politics in the city of St. Louis. By examining the factors that fueled their determination in a historical context, this research sheds light on the importance of Black political participation in education reform.

Background
Surrounded by a barren landscape of empty lots and blighted buildings, Dunbar Elementary School stands quietly at the corner of Garrison Avenue and Sheridan Avenue. Yet, the scene was not always this way. The Tudor building was once a bustling school building at the center of a lively Black community. The 2021 shuttering of Dunbar—amid a tragic pandemic– dealt a devastating blow to the people of Jeff-Vander-Lou (JVL), a neighborhood in North St. Louis. It also led to a renaissance of political activism, reminiscent of early 20th-century battles for school reform and political participation.

Theoretical Framework
This study employs Critical Race Theory (CRT) and the concept of group identity as analytical frameworks to investigate the endeavors of Communities One Project and Black community members in response to the closure of their neighborhood schools and the broader ecosystem. Group identity is a sense of commonality and shared circumstances that encourage racial and ethnic groups to become politically involved (Dawson, 1994). Historical and contemporary sociopolitical occurrences have uniquely linked Blacks' experiences in America. CRT complements the workings of group identity theory and situates counter-stories while acknowledging race and racism as driving forces in law and politics (Delgado & Stefancic, 2017).

Methods
This paper utilizes an interdisciplinary approach that combines historical and political science analysis with ethnographic methods to place current events into a historical perspective. The archives of the St. Louis Argus, a St. Louis Black newspaper founded in 1912, create the backbone of this research, along with a two-year-long ethnographic study of Communities' One Project, which has included observations of community organizations, school board meetings, and interviews with community members.

Conclusion
The efforts of the Black community members on the Northside of St. Louis to save their neighborhood schools exemplify the potential for grassroots activism to effect change in the face of adversity. Communities One Project's emphasis on trust-building, self-efficacy, and group consciousness proved instrumental in driving their advocacy during a turbulent time in local politics. Their actions mirror the organizational work done by their forefathers in the 1920s, who pushed for a comprehensive plan of political reform that included but was not limited to education. This study serves as a testament to the importance of community-driven initiatives and highlights the ongoing struggle for equitable education in underserved communities.

Authors

• Tenille-Rose Martin, City of St. Louis

• Luimil Negrón, University of Missouri - St. Louis