Long Marred By Racism, St. Louis Elects 1st Black Female Mayor

Mayor-elect Tishaura Jones says race will no longer be an afterthought under her incoming administration.

Jeff Roberson / AP

Voters in St. Louis last week delivered a historic victory for Tishaura Jones, the first Black woman elected mayor and the latest triumph for progressive candidates in the St. Louis region.

Amid unrest at local jails, surging gun violence and a pandemic that has disproportionately hurt people of color, Jones said race will no longer be an afterthought in the mayor’s office.

“We are done avoiding race and how it holds this region back,” she told NPR’s All Things Considered.