As long-time St. Louis activist Percy Green took questions Friday at the World Community Center on his decades of activist experiences, he grinned politely at the prospect of answering one audience member’s question, in particular: his thoughts on the efforts to recall St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay.

“I thought you would never ask,” he laughed.

The occasion of Green’s lecture was a discussion on protesting and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, of which he was a leading voice here in St. Louis. The event was hosted by the Peace Economy Project. After speaking for more than an hour-and-a-half, the final question he took was about the recall effort.

Green used the question as a platform to jump from addressing the legwork for signature-gathering for the recall effort to giving his opinion on the fight between Slay and his African-American constituency.

“Most of us don’t see Chief (Sherman) George and the recall Slay effort as a fight against blacks and City Hall,” Green said. “Others feel like Slay has been a poor manager of the city. Lots of the resources the current administration has used — like the new stadium — we needed a new stadium like a hole in the head. It wasn’t a new stadium. It was a replacement stadium.”

Green said Slay has misused city funds to reward business interest that have not benefited the city as a whole. He cited as the debate over the new Busch Stadium as an example where he believed the taxpayers were manipulated by the “false crisis” of Cardinal management threatening to move the team. Green saw it as a bluff.

“All of that was a game. They weren’t going any place,” Green said. “You don’t want administrators who are going to be gouging taxpayers whether they’re black or not.”

Green also gave his perspective on the firing of embattled Fire Chief Sherman George. While much has been reported of the fight being over hiring practices and race issues, Green, who was also fired by Francis Slay in 2001 from his post as head of the city’s minority business-certification program, said George’s dismissal had everything to do with money.

Green said that as Fire Chief George oversaw the fire code enforcement of downtown buildings, his refusal to approve building which he felt were unsafe rubbed Slay and the mayor’s developer contributors the wrong way. Green charged that Slay wanted George out to ease the path for these business people.

Green called the new chief a “patsy” there to “rubber stamp everything” for Slay and the downtown developers.

“Many people haven’t thought about it,” Green said. “They haven’t seen the connection.”

From the group seeking the recall of St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay:

On Sunday, the Citizens to Recall Francis G. Slay held a dinner ceremony at the Gateway Classic Foundation to celebrate reaching their first milestone - obtaining over 10,000 signatures – in the campaign to have 43,000 signatures by the September deadline for placing the recall initiative on the ballot.

At the ceremony, over 100 certificates were passed out to the various volunteers, who have been going door-to-door canvassing wards for signatures every Saturday for the past four months, and who, despite the inclement weather, worked the polls gathering signatures during the Feb. 5th primary.

At Sunday’s ceremony, Zaki Baruti, the Chairman of the Recall Committee, stated to the packed room: “We are right now the largest all-volunteer army in St. Louis politics. In just the past four months we have gathered more signatures than were gathered over a year’s time for the audit of the city, and more than have ever been gathered for a recall in the city. We are truly making history.”

After receiving a special award for his efforts in organizing the recall campaign, Mr. Baruti set forth the groups’ next milestone: 20,000 signatures by April 4, 2008 – the forty-year anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

For more information, please contact Zaki Baruti at (314) 726-3442 or Rev. Douglas Parham at 852-2336.

Tomorrow night, February 1, opponents of the Mayor Francis Slay’s decisions to demoted Fire Chief Sherman George, support the State takeover of the public schools, and veto a police Civilian Review Board will picket outside the Mayor’s Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball from 6 to 7:30 PM on the east side of City Hall.

At approximately 7:00 picketers dressed as the ghosts of the City Fire Department, the Elected School Board, and the vetoed police Civilian Review Board will lead a procession to the front door of the City Hall and seek to join the Ball in a dance of discontent.

Citing this video from last week’s tumultuous events at the Old Courthouse, the group opposing Mayor Francis Slay is asking jazz artist Wynton Marsalis to forgo his plans to perform in St. Louis next week in honor of the call for an economic boycott of the city resulting from Slay’s rift with the black community.

To: Mr. Wynton Marsalis

Dear Mr. Marsalis:

We are forwarding to you a video which captures the recent incident of the Mayor of St. Louis, Francis Slay, being literally shouted down at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration at the Old Courthouse last week. This video demonstrates how the racial tension in this city is escalating to a fever pitch, receiving front-page coverage last week in both the white and black press and being widely broadcast on every TV and radio station.

We bring this to your attention because I have not heard back from Ms. Stewart, who I understand is your agent, since my January 7, 2008 e-mail to her, which was in follow-up to previous correspondence and e-mails concerning a Boycott Alert that we have issued because of this racial strife.

It is now critical that you communicate with us immediately - prior to your scheduled concert - so that we can make you aware of our position with respect to your appearing here in St. Louis.

We would ask that you show the black community here during this crisis the same kind of courtesy and respect being demonstrated by the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), which is threatening to cancel its 2011 convention that is expected to generate $30 million in business for the city. (This information was sent to Ms. Stewart as well).

We hope and trust that you will follow NSBE’s example of hearing first hand the concerns of our community, and then let that weigh on your consciousness and conscience. This video amply illustrates how disruptive this situation potentially is because of the deeply felt racial injustice, and we think that you, like NSBE, can and should play an important role in curing this.

Thank you, and because of the urgency, we will expect to hear from you within the next 24 hours.

Eric E. Vickers
Chairman Boycott Committee
Citizens to Support Fire Chief George

Marsalis is scheduled to perform February 1 and 9 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Congressman Lacy Clay is scheduled to speak this morning at the Community Church of God on behalf of Presidential candidate Barack Obama.

The north St. Louis County church is led by Rev. Douglas Parham, a leader of the effort to remove Mayor Francis Slay from office.

Check back at 11:00 AM for text of his speech.

UPDATED: Here’s the text of Clay’s speech.

BROTHERS AND SISTERS GOOD MORNING, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT WARM WELCOME.

FIRST, LET ME GIVE ALL GLORY AND HONOR TO GOD, WHO IS ALWAYS AT THE CENTER OF MY LIFE.

WHAT A WONDERFUL AND GLORIOUS DAY HE HAS MADE.

I AM SO THANKFUL FOR THIS CHANCE TO WORSHIP WITH YOU, AND TO SHARE SOME OF MY THOUGHTS AS WE FACE A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY.

BEFORE I BRING YOU A MESSAGE ON BEHALF OF A FRIEND OF MINE,

I WANT TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT YOUR GOOD SHEPPARD,

MY GOOD AND COURAGEOUS FRIEND:

REVEREND DOUGLAS PARHAM.

REVEREND,

OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, YOU HAVE DISPLAYED A SENSE OF COURAGE, DIGNITY AND RESOLVE THAT IS TRULY INSPIRING.

THE TROUBLES THAT DIVIDE OUR COMMUNITY CAN ONLY BE HEALED BY SPEAKING THE TRUTH,

OPPOSING INJUSTICE,

AND HAVING THE COURAGE TO PUT OUR FAITH INTO ACTION.

YOU HAVE TAKEN ON THAT BURDEN WITH GREAT ENERGY AND TOTAL INTEGRITY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN OUR COMMUNITY.

CAN WE HAVE A HAND FOR REVEREND PARHAM? (LEAD APPLAUSE)

BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
WE ARE LIVING IN HISTORIC TIMES.

YESTERDAY, A BRIGHT, YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICAN LEADER WON A RESOUNDING VICTORY IN THE HEART OF THE OLD CONFEDERACY..SOUTH CAROLINA.

IN THE VERY PLACE WHERE THE CIVIL WAR BEGAN TO WIN OUR HUMAN FREEDOM,

MY FRIEND BARACK OBAMA SENT A POWERFUL MESSAGE THAT WILL RESOUND ACROSS THIS COUNTRY,

AND ACROSS THE GENERATIONS…

THE DREAM IS NOW,
AND OUR TIME HAS COME!

OF COURSE, TODAY, WE’RE IN GOD’S HOUSE,

SO I WON’T TELL YOU WHO TO VOTE FOR.

BUT I WILL ASK YOU TO THINK ABOUT WHAT KIND OF LEADER WE NEED IN OUR COUNTRY.

AND WHEN YOU ASK YOURSELF THAT QUESTION,

ASK YOURSELF,
ARE WE READY TO EMBRACE REAL CHANGE, OR ARE WE JUST CONTENT TO TINKER AROUND THE EDGES OF OUR COUNTRY’S PROBLEMS?

ARE WE FINALLY READY TO STAND UP AS A PEOPLE?

ARE WE READY TO REJECT FEAR AND EMBRACE FAITH?

ARE WE FINALLY READY TO THROW OFF THE LAST REMAINING SHACKLES OF OUR FORMER BONDAGE AND FOCUS THE AWESOME POWER OF OUR CITIZENSHIP?

THE ANSWERS ARE OBVIOUS TO ALL WHO CHOOSE TO SEE THE TRUTH.
===
BY ANY HONEST MEASURE, WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE GRAVITY OF THE ISSUES THAT WE FACE AS A COMMUNITY,

AS A STATE,

AND AS A NATION,

MY FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE BARACK OBAMA HAS THE MORAL CLARITY,

THE POSITIVE VISION,

AND THE BOLD AUDACITY OF HOPE TO HEAL OUR COUNTRY AND ELEVATE THE UNITED STATES TO A NEW PATH.
===
THE PROBLEMS THAT AMERICA FACES,

AND THE DIVISIONS THAT PLAGUE US,

ARE MUCH TOO DEEP TO BE SOLVED BY THE OLD POLITICS AND THE TIRED REMNANTS WHO ADHERE TO THAT SCHOOL OF THOUGHT.

===

JUST LAST SUNDAY,
BARACK OBAMA STOOD IN THE PULPIT OF EBENEZER BAPTIST CHURCH IN ATLANTA,
TO HONOR THE MEMORY OF THAT CONGREGATION’S LATE REVERED PASTOR,
AND OUR BLESSED TEACHER: DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

===

BARACK LIKENED HIS HISTORIC MISSION TO THE STORY OF JOSHUA AND THE BATTLE OF JERICHO.

HE REMINDED THE CONGREGATION THAT THE SCRIPTURE SAYS,
THAT WHEN JOSHUA AND THE ISRAELITES ARRIVED AT THE GATES OF JERICHO,
THEY COULD NOT ENTER BECAUSE THE WALLS WERE TOO TALL TO CLIMB.
BUT GOD HAD A PLAN FOR HIS PEOPLE.

HE TOLD THEM TO STAND FAST, HAVE FAITH, AND WHEN THE TRUMPET SOUNDED,
SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE.

THEY DID JUST AS THE LORD COMMANDED,
AND AS WE ALL KNOW, THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN.
SUCH IS THE POWER OF UNITY.
SUCH IS THE POWER OF FAITH.
AND BROTHERS AND SISTERS,
WE HAVE A CHANCE TO BRING DOWN ANOTHER WALL,
RIGHT HERE IN MISSOURI,
WHEN THE TRUMPET SOUNDS FOR US ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH.

===

AS SENATOR OBAMA SAID,
“UNITY IS THE GREAT NEED OF THE HOUR ,
AND THE GREAT NEED OF THIS HOUR.
NOT BECAUSE IT SOUNDS PLEASANT OR BECAUSE IT MAKES US FEEL GOOD,
BUT BECAUSE IT IS THE ONLY WAY WE CAN OVERCOME THE ESSENTIAL DEFICIT THAT EXISTS IN THIS COUNTRY.”
BARACK WASN’T TALKING ABOUT A BUDGET DEFICIT, OR A TRADE DEFICIT, OR A RECESSION.
HE WAS TALKING ABOUT A MORAL DEFICIT THAT HAS AFFLICTED THIS NATION WITH A KIND OF BLINDNESS THAT PREVENTS US FROM CONFRONTING THE RACISM, INEQUITIES AND INJUSTICES THAT REMAIN RAMPANT.
IT IS NO ACCIDENT THAT BARACK DELIVERED THAT MESSAGE FROM DR. KING’S FORMER PULPIT,
BECAUSE HE IS THE NATURAL DESCENDENT OF HIS LEGACY.

AND I AM CERTAIN THAT BARACK’S CAMPAIGN IS ADVANCING THE MOVEMENT THAT DR. KING LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR.
BARACK IS STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF DR. KING,
MALCOLM X,
MEDGAR EVERS,
BOBBY KENNEDY,
AND THE MANY THOUSANDS OF BRAVE SOULS WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR OUR FREEDOM AND FULL CITIZENSHIP.
SO ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH, THE TRUMPET WILL SOUND FOR US.

I CAN’T TELL YOU WHO TO VOTE FOR,

BUT I CAN ASK YOU TO LISTEN TO YOUR HEART.

AND IF ENOUGH OF US STAND TOGETHER,

PRAY TOGETHER,

WORK TOGETHER,

BELIEVE IN OUR OWN POTENTIAL,

AND VOTE TOGETHER,

WE CAN MAKE THE GREATEST CHANGE THIS COUNTRY HAS SEEN SINCE EMANCIPATION.

===

BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

IF YOU BELIEVE IN THE STRUGGLE FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE,
PLEASE VOTE!

IF YOU BELIEVE IN THE STRUGGLE FOR OPPORTUNITY AND EQUALITY,

PLEASE VOTE!

IF YOU BELIEVE IN THE STRUGGLE TO HEAL THIS NATION AND REPAIR THIS WORLD,

TAKE SOMEONE WITH YOU TO VOTE!

PLEASE JOIN ME AS WE MARCH TO THE POLLS ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH TO CHANGE THE WORLD,

TRANSFORM OUR COUNTRY,

CHANGE HOW AMERICA SEES US,

AND ULTIMATELY,

CHANGE HOW WE SEE OURSELVES.

===

BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

THIS IS NOT A TIME TO BE TIMID,

THIS IS NOT A TIME TO STAY ON THE SIDELINES,

THIS IS A TIME TO STAND UP FOR CHANGE,

AND TO RECALL JUST AS DR. KING TAUGHT US:

“THE FIERCE URGENCY OF NOW COMPELS US TO ACT, NOT LATER…BUT TODAY.”

WE CAN’T WAIT ANYMORE!

THE WAVE OF CHANGE IS UPON US,

THE TIDE OF HISTORY IS ROLLING ACROSS THIS COUNTRY,

THE TIME IS NOW,

HELP US MAKE HISTORY!

THANK YOU.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU. AND MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS THE UNITED STATES.

Mayor Francis Slay’s words were drowned out yesterday by the boos and protests of his opponents.

Slay was trying to deliver a speech at the Old Courthouse during a ceremony honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As soon as the mayor was introduced, protesters began to shout and wave signs. Former fire chief Sherman George, whose demotion by Slay helped spark this fiery political backlash, tried to calm down the crowd down, but to no avail.

These videos are from people in the audience. The video quality is pretty low, but you can clearly hear what happened.

Last week members of the effort to recall Slay warned organizers of the MLK event that there would be problems if Slay was allowed to speak.

After Slay was booed off stage, he stormed out of the Old Courthouse and did not participate in the traditional march or ceremonies afterwards.

Slay to Black St. Louis: I Don’t Need You.

For many, the humiliating demotion of the city’s first black fire chief was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. But the “Wutcha gonna do about it?” posturing of Mayor Francis Slay and his chief of staff Jeff Rainford brought together people from all walks of life to call for an end to the politics of division that have defined the Slay Administration.

Citing the City of St. Louis’ current racial problems, the chairman and the executive director of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) said today they will give Mayor Francis Slay six months to make peace with the city’s black community or they will relocate their 2011 national convention and take its millions of dollars of economic impact elsewhere.

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PubDef, along with crews from Channel 4 and 5, waited for Mayor Slay or a spokesman to discuss his meeting with NSBE, but no one came out by 5:00 and we all left.

THIS STORY WAS NOT REPORTED LAST NIGHT ON KMOV CHANNEL 4 or KSDK CHANNEL 5 10:00 NEWS SHOWS EVEN THOUGH BOTH HAD REPORTERS AND CAMERAS AT THE SCENE.

In response to the recent call to boycott the City of St. Louis, the Chairman of the Board and the Executive Director of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) will arrive in St. Louis tomorrow to meet separately with community leaders and Mayor Francis Slay to determine whether NSBE will cancel its national convention scheduled for 2011 in St. Louis. That’s according to the group which called for the boycott and are seeking to remove Slay from office.

By some estimates, the NSBE convention is expected to draw 15,000 visitors and generate as much as $25 million in business for the city.

According to a press release from Slay’s opponents, the head of the NSBE will meet with their group before his meeting with the Slay, and will follow that meeting with a joint press conference with the group at 1:30 PM at the Gateway Classic Foundation building.

Check back tomorrow for video.

From KSDK.com: “Slay Says More Needs To Be Done To Address Racial Divide“

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay told Channel 5 reporter Cordell Whitlock yesterday that he thinks Firefighters Union Local 73, which is white-dominated, and F.I.R.E., the African-American firefighters organization, need to come together.

But as Slay was quick to publicly remind ex-fire chief Sherman George, the mayor’s office controls the fire department. He can, as he did with George, order both sides to the table.

Instead, he has clearly sided with Local 73.

To now say “something” needs to be done by “someone” “someday” is just skirting his responsibilities once again.

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Click here to watch KSDK’s softball interview with Slay.