Ep 3.23 The Turbulent Twenties Begin: Prohibition, Gangs, and the Great Migration

In this powerful opening to Chapter 5, Monsignor and Teresa step into the turbulent 1920s—a decade marked by upheaval, conflict, and rapid social change in St. Louis. The episode opens with two vivid scenes: a chaotic Prohibition‑era raid at the Chase Hotel and a deadly gang shooting that claimed an innocent life, illustrating how bootlegging and organized crime reshaped the city’s streets. Monsignor then traces the deeper forces transforming St. Louis, including the Great Migration, the collapse of Southern agriculture, and the rise of the reconstituted Ku Klux Klan. He explores how overcrowding, job scarcity, and racial tension fueled the tragic 1917 East St. Louis riot, while also highlighting the courageous work of Black Catholics, the NAACP, the Urban League, and priests like Fr. William Markoe and Fr. Timothy Dempsey, who fought for dignity, education, and shelter amid the turmoil. It’s a gripping, wide‑angle look at a decade when St. Louis—and the nation—wrestled with its conscience.