Listening

This week, I met with representatives from Young Activists United STL and Millennial Activists United to discuss how we can continue to change St. Louis together.

We listened to each other; we did not agree on everything.

We have all been witness to diversity in action as thousands of people have joined together calling for systemic changes to the way government works across our region. Voices from all across the country have joined in support of St. Louisans who have taken to the streets of municipalities across our region and in some city neighborhoods over the past two months. Young, old, and middle-aged, white, black, Latino, Arab, and Asian have all convened here in the hope of sparking change in every city in America.

In general, they found the City of St. Louis receptive, changing, and prepared to go further. Over the past few weeks, we have done much of the legwork for the future.

We declared the region's first hard amnesty to forgive outstanding non-violent municipal warrants to give people a chance to re-set their relationship with their city.

We "banned the box" on job applications to remove one of the barriers that stops people who want employment from seeking it.

We resolved to seek voter approval to fund body cameras for our police officers.

We continued toward a resolution that will establish a civilian review board for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department to complement the independent review process already in place by the Circuit Attorney's Office.

We joined the chorus of voices asking state government to step up to fund the sort of economic redevelopment in north St. Louis - county and City -- as it undertook in Joplin.

And we met - with community leaders, neighborhood groups, federal and state officials, legislators, business leaders, religious leaders, and the media - to listen.

The viewpoints have been varied. And they all deserve a hearing.

What comes from these discussions will have to reflect what's right and just - and what can realistically be accomplished in a society that is governed by a popular ballot.