In times of pain, turmoil and struggle, there are always a few rays of hope to push us forward, and Tuesday night’s election of City Councilwoman Ella Jones as the new mayor of Ferguson, Missouri is certainly one of them.
No one has forgotten the struggles of the people of Ferguson in the wake of the police murder of Michael Brown on Aug. 9, 2014, which energized the Black Lives Matter movement that had begun with the 2012 death of Trayvon Martin at the hands of wannabe cop George Zimmerman. BLM is of course currently dominating headlines as people across the United States and around the globe take to the streets, protesting continuing police action against Black people.
Jones, who was elected to the Ferguson City Council in 2015 and became the first Black woman to hold such a seat, won a hard-fought race against Councilwoman Heather Robinett, garnering 54% of the vote over Robinett’s 46%. Jones will not only be the first Black person to become mayor of Ferguson, she will be the first woman to hold that seat.
We could use more good news like this.
The New York Times hints at the progress Jones’ election promises.
The victory for Ms. Jones, a Ferguson City Council member, came as another night of protests unfolded throughout the country over the killing of George Floyd and persistent police brutality against black Americans.
Ms. Jones, 65, and her opponent, Heather Robinett, 49, had both vowed to continue changes enacted after the 2014 shooting of Mr. Brown, including a federal consent decree, a legally binding agreement requiring reforms to a police department.
According to her bio on the Ferguson website, Jones has resided in Ferguson for more than 40 years and is a widow with one daughter. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from the University of Missouri at St. Louis, and is a vocal leader in her community.
After 30 years of being a Mary Kay Sales Director and served 22 years as a Pastor in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Ella resigned her Mary Kay Directorship to serve her community full time. Ella serves the community in numerous capacities. She is a member of the Boards of the Emerson Family YMCA and of the St. Louis MetroMarket. St. Louis MetroMarket is a decommissioned bus that was retrofitted as a mobile farmers’, market to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to underserved communities. Ella is the founder and Chairperson of Community Forward, Inc., a nonprofit community development organization. As a Council Member, she serves as a council representative on the following commissions and boards: Human Rights, Traffic, Landmarks, Senior Citizens, Parks, and West Florissant Business Association. Ella is Chairperson of the Annual UNITY Weekend, which provides school supplies and support services to families with children attending schools in the districts serving Ferguson.
Here’s an interview with the victorious Jones on Wednesday morning with local station KSDK.
The station adds a little background in the text that accompanies the video.
Ferguson is one of the smallest cities in the country to have negotiated a consent decree with the federal government. The document means the City of Ferguson agreed to 133 pages of new policies in hopes of reforming the Ferguson Police Department. More recently, (outgoing mayor James) Knowles tamped down rumors about the possible dissolution of the city. Knowles instead said the city is in the best financial shape it's been in since the unrest following Brown's death. Ferguson's mayor has less power than the city manager, but the mayor has the power to shape public perceptions as the "face" of the city.
Not surprisingly, Jones’ election last night is currently trending on Twitter.
I’m in complete agreement with attorney and journalist Midwin Charles.
We can make change by voting. So vote as if your life depends on it—because it does, as does mine. Congrats again to Mayor-elect Jones. May your election portend many more.
Black lives matter.