Under The Arch

Part 3 of our special candidate series wraps up with an exclusive interview with Mayor Tishaura Jones.Blake and Kayla dive deep with the mayor, asking pointed questions about key policy decisions and the challenges that lie ahead.In this candid conversation, Mayor Jones defends her first term, addresses critiques, highlights her differences from opponents, and shares her vision for the city's future over the next four years.

Part 2 of our special candidate series features mayoral candidate and Alderwoman Cara Spencer. Blake and Kayla ask a series of questions that drive at the heart of the issues facing St. Louis. From SLMPD transparency and the fate of the Workhouse to education policy and trash pickup, their conversation digs deep into the challenges and opportunities ahead for the next mayor.

We kick off season 6 with a very special candidate series ahead of the #STL mayoral race.In this episode, candidate Mike Butler sits down with Blake and Kayla for an in-depth interview to introduce himself to voters, answer substantive policy questions, and outline his vision for the future of St. Louis.

St. Louis’s political landscape has transformed dramatically over the past decade. The city is home to a vibrant, radical organizing network that is hard to find anywhere else in the country. Jails have closed, reparations commissions have been established, and progressive leaders have been elected. Much of this change traces back to the pivotal event of Mike Brown's killing. In this season finale episode, hosts Blake and Kayla reflect on the 10-year anniversary of Mike Brown’s killing and the Ferguson Uprising, how the region has honored his legacy, and the need for further structural change. We also hear reflections from friends and former guests of the podcast—Congresswoman Cori Bush, Damon Davis, Jae Shepherd, Mike Milton, Fran Griffin, Brittany Ferrell Young, and Cathy (Mama Cat) Daniels—on what Mike Brown means to them and their hopes for the future of the movement. Mike Brown forever!

In this episode of "Under the Arch," we speak with law professor and activist Justin Hansford about the challenges college students face in today's political climate. Hansford unpacks the evolving role of universities in fostering activism and social change among students. Reflecting on his own experiences as an educator and activist, he highlights the importance of empowering young voices in the fight for racial equity and systemic reform. Drawing parallels to the legacy of Michael Brown and the transformative impact of his tragic death, Hansford explores how today's youth engage with issues of racial justice, activism, and community empowerment. From pop culture to affirmative action, join us as we examine the pressure and expectations that young folks face.  This week’s music minute is "Buy You the World" by Doug (@dougmorestl) 

How does our creativity ignite the soul of social movements and turn our visions into reality? This week, come along for a dive into the intersection of social change and creative expression with two St. Louis natives using art to fight for access and equity in our community. Damon Davis is an Emmy-award winning Post-Disciplinary Artist, Founder of @wearefarfetched, & Co-Director of @whosestreets. His work extends across many different mediums and his storytelling explores how identity is shaped by power and mythology. Tracy Stanton is an internationally acclaimed poet, Director of Movement Building & StoryTelling at Freedom Community Center, & Founder of @some.thingsmustbeheard. In addition to being a motivational speaker and wellbeing coach, she inspires growth across many change-based organizations.  Through a uniquely artistic lense, this episode goes outside of the box and back to the roots of what inspires us. Listen as Damon and Tracy break free from conventional legal & social frameworks and call us all to live more creatively. This week’s Music Minute features the song “Go Flex” by Daemon. Follow him @songsbydae on social media and listen to his music on your favorite platform.

After emptying the notoriously hellish Workhouse jail in June of 2022, the City of St. Louis promised the community would decide what happens to the site and the land around it. It established a committee of people impacted by the jail to survey the community and put forward a proposal to re-envision the site, which has since been released. But this spring, the Jones administration ignored the community’s recommendations and announced plans to continue St. Louis’ history of disappearing vulnerable people onto the Workhouse site. “Building tiny homes at the Workhouse is unconscionable. I am disgusted at the idea of it, and everyone involved in putting this plan together ought to be ashamed,” says Inez Bordeaux, Deputy Director of Community Collaborations at ArchCity Defenders and a lead organizer with the Close the Workhouse campaign. “It is incredibly clear that while we were engaging in this process that the mayor had no intentions of following the recommendations put forward.” This week, we talk to Inez about her journey from nurse to organizer extraordinaire, the findings of the Re-Envisioning the Workhouse committee’s report, and the environmental and moral concerns of Jones’ plan to move St. Louis unhoused to the Workhouse site. Read the Re-Envisioning the Workhouse report here. This week's Music Minute features the song "Can Tell Me Nun" by MC Tres. Follow him @mctres on social media and listen to his music on your favorite platform. 

Picket lines are in the headlines. Recently, there’s been a surge of energy and attention on the labor movement, particularly union strikes. But at the same time, worker unionization is at an all-time low. This week, we ask: what’s the current state of the labor movement and what role does labor play in achieving equity for all?  To answer our questions, we're joined this episode by Jeremy Al-Haj, founder and Executive Director of the Missouri Workers Center, who speaks about how to unionize and go on strike, the intersection of race and labor, Missouri’s current labor landscape, and valuable lessons from the historic Fight for $15 Movement. This week's Music Minute features the song "Meant to Be" by Tech Supreme. Follow him @TechSupreme on social media and listen to his music on your favorite platform. 

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them. In this episode, Nick Speed, Founder & Executive Director of Ujima, joins us to talk about food apartheid, community engagement with environmental and food justice issues, and how local Black residents are reclaiming food and land. Ujima combats the racialized history of food access in a couple of ways, one of them is urban farming. In recent years, their local community gardeners have grown an increasing amount of fruit and vegetable produce, herbs, and flowers at various sites. Through this, Ujima sparks a connection between people and the food we eat, a connection that racism and scarcity has jeopardized. “Our communities look like this for certain reasons,” Nick says. Hear more about what Nick, Ujima, and St. Louisans are doing to transform the places they call home and the food on our plates in this episode.  Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. This week's Music Minute features the song "Purple Cotton Haze" by Whitworth. Stream on your favorite streaming platform.

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them. In this episode, our hosts speak with Invest STL CEO Dara Eskridge about the good, the bad, and the ugly of community development in St. Louis. Some efforts prioritize residents’ histories, resources, and vision while others bulldoze memorable places because someone in power said to. Hear how Invest STL is working with residents to reflect the changes and improvements they want to see on their block and in their neighborhood. As an urban planner, architect, and philanthropic leader, Dara Eskridge works to advance opportunities to build wealth and power in Black and other racially and economically marginalized neighborhoods through equitable development and investment practices.Since 2019, Dara has been proud to serve her incredible team and board as the first CEO ofInvest STL. Prior to Invest STL, Dara served in various design, planning, policy, and senior leadership roles in places including Urban Strategies, St. Louis County and St. Louis City governments, and the Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport, CT. Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. This week's Music Minute features the song "Freedom" by Monkh. Follow them @_monkh_ and stream on your favorite streaming platform.

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis return with Season 5 of the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch,” where your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.To kick off our fifth season, we talk about an issue permeating our political landscape and personal lives: abortion. Blake and Kayla talk to Mallory Schwarz, Executive Director of Abortion Action Missouri, about the current state of abortion access, the lasting impacts of the fall of Roe, and Abortion Access Missouri’s campaign to end the total abortion ban in the Show Me state.This week's Music Minute features the song "Make Love in the Middle of War" by Katarra Parson & Ryan Marquez. Follow them @katarramusic and @consciouskeys, and stream their music on your favorite platform.

For the final episode of Under the Arch season four, we wanted to end with a bang by bringing back one of our favorite guests: Congresswoman Cori Bush.  Our hosts speak with Congresswoman Bush about her latest efforts to fight white supremacy on the federal level, including two bills introduced this summer: the Reparations Now Resolution and the End Solitary Confinement Act. We hear from Congresswoman Bush firsthand what each of these bills seeks to accomplish, why they’re imperative now, and how her work in Congress is strengthened by local fights for racial justice in St. Louis and around the country.  Learn more about the Reparations Now Resolution here. Learn more about the End Solitary Confinement Act here. Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. This week's Music Minute features the song "Beach Journey" by the Kaleb Kirby Quintet. You can find more of their music on your favorite streaming platform. 

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, “Under The Arch.” Hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Executive Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them. In this episode, our hosts speak with Kristian Blackmon, coalition coordinator for Homes for All St. Louis, about the movement’s efforts to achieve housing justice and her personal experience with organizing efforts, including teachers’ unions, Occupy Wall Street, and most recently, Right to Counsel. Join the conversation around this week’s episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. This week’s Music Minute features the song "Shoveling Rocks" by the band Furthest. Stream more of their music on Bandcamp. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with the subject “Music Minute.” 

“Happy” 4th of July to America, where 36 states have adopted laws that restrict teaching about race and racism. Instead of promoting the unquestioning jingoism that often characterizes this holiday, we want to share this conversation on the role of Black Studies as a critically important lens in the academy and broader society.Our hosts speak with Dr. Christopher Tinson, Associate Professor of African American Studies and History at Saint Louis University, about the obsessive demonization of Critical Race Theory over the past few years and the fear associated with discussing real history.Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. This week's Music Minute features the song "Posture" by Shinra Knives. You can find more of their music on your favorite streaming platform.

One of the most salient political issues of this moment is the sustained attack on queer and trans rights. Across the nation, conservative legislatures have coordinated and implemented dangerous policies such as bans on gender-affirming healthcare, youth sports participation, and more. Our hosts speak with Shira Berkowitz, PROMO’s Senior Director of Public Policy and Advocacy. Shira leads statewide strategy for LGBTQ+ public policy, organizing, and advocacy, and is a founder of Camp Indigo Point — the first local residential summer camp for trans, gender expansive, and LGBTQ+ youth. Shira speaks to the cultural shifts that allowed trans-hate to become popularized, how anti-trans legislation became a priority for conservative politicians, and the devastating impact on trans youth and their families. As always, our guest leaves us with steps we can take to support the fight for trans rights and dignity.Learn more about PROMO: www.promoonline.orgLearn more about Camp Indigo Point: www.campindigopoint.orgJoin the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. This week's Music Minute features the song "Wretched" by 18 and Counting. You can find more of their music on your favorite streaming platform. 

2023 has been full of political backlash, social and economic challenges, and attempts to reverse progress. In moments like these, it’s important to remember the vanguard role that Black-led movement has held in our historic development. As such, today’s episode returns to evergreen lessons from Season 3 Episode 10: St. Louis is Resistance.  This episode features a live recording from the national conference "Lawyering for Liberation: Defending Black Lives, Building Black Power" held in St. Louis in July 2022. Our hosts speak with Michael Jones, senior policy advisor and member of the Missouri State Board of Education, Jamala Rodgers, co-founder of the Organization for Black Struggle, and Tef Poe, St. Louis rapper and Build Director for Black Men Build. They discuss St. Louis's role in Black resistance history, insights from their careers in movement politics, and the lessons they would share with today's youth.  Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with the subject "Music Minute.” 

For four seasons and counting, you’ve listened to us talk about the major issues facing our community and the people working to transform them. In this episode, we take a refreshing detour to talk about what it actually takes to perform this work, and one transformative tool that can help us navigate it all: negotiation.   Our hosts speak with Conflict Workers and Harvard Educators Whitney Benns and Sam Straus, who bring their expertise to shed light on fugitive negotiation and generative conflict, and the transformative power they hold for movements, organizations, and everyday life. They shatter stereotypical notions of negotiation, uncover the untapped potential of honest communication, and demonstrate how effectively navigating conflict can help us pave the way for a brighter future. Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. This week's Music Minute features the song "No Tears" by Kijani Eshe. You can find more of her music on your favorite streaming platform. 

After years of uprisings and demands to improve St. Louis City’s jail conditions, Mayor Jones created the Detention Facilities Oversight Board (DFOB) to investigate misconduct, ensure safe and sanitary conditions, and advise shifts in jail policies and procedures. In practice, however, board members say the work “is going poorly” due to obstruction from jail staff and the very administration that authorized their existence.Our hosts speak with Janis Mensah, Chair of the DFOB, about the experiences that led them to the work, the challenges the board faces, and what the DFOB can achieve if allowed to do its job. Their words are a reminder to stay vigilant, as the work is ongoing.Here are a few ways you can stay engaged around the issue of jail conditions in St. Louis:Keep an eye out and amplify news related to the jail.Attend DFOB meetings at 5pm on the 4th Monday of the month.Be ready to hit the streets and protest.Learn more about the Detention Facilities Oversight Board:https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/boards/public-board-detail.cfm?groupID=2136751013Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. This week's Music Minute features the song "Perfection" by K!NG QUE. You can find more of his music on your favorite streaming platform.

In this episode, Dr. William Ross joins our co-hosts in a timely conversation about reparations in St. Louis. In March 2023, the City of St. Louis announced the formation of a nine-member Reparations Commission, naming Dr. Ross as Vice Chair and Kayla Reed as Chair. This announcement stemmed from 50 local organizations unified grassroots advocacy that began in December 2021.  Dr. Ross, the Associate Dean for Diversity of Washington University School of Medicine, and a social justice trailblazer in the field of public health, views the group’s charge through a lens of history, justice, and action. Kayla Reed emphasizes the role of truth-telling and the role of repairing the violence, harm, and neglect against Black St. Louisans. This week's Music Minute features the song "Matter of Time" by @Mvstermind. You can find more of his music on your favorite streaming platform.Learn more about the things mentioned in this episode by visiting:St. Louis City Reparations Commission Heather McGhee’s book The Sum of USThe Ferguson CommissionPillars of the Valley, Monument to Mill Creek Valley by Damon DavisMayors Organized for Reparations and EquityN’COBRA: National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America KSDK: City of St. Louis addresses systemic injustice with new Reparations CommissionYou can find us on social media @UndertheArchPod and using #UndertheArch. We invite you to share, subscribe, and drop us a rating. 

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.  In this episode, our hosts speak with Political Director of Missouri Jobs with Justice, Richard von Glahn, and Deputy Director Ashli Bolden. We talk about the initiative petition process, direct democracy, electoral justice, and the Missouri Legislature’s attempts to take all of these things away.  Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. This week's Music Minute features the song "Midwest Cosa Nostra" by Imani B. Stream more of his music on your favorite streaming platform. 

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them. In this episode, our hosts speak with professor and attorney at Saint Louis University School of Law, Brendan Roediger, about state takeover of SLMPD. We break down the debate around local control, what it is and how we got here, St. Louis’ complicated relationship with #MoLeg, and what history can teach us about white supremacist retaliation and the power of electoral organizing. Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. This week's Music Minute features the song "No Fans" by Tef Poe. Stream more of his music on your favorite streaming platform. 

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them. In this episode, our hosts speak with the President of the St. Louis Board of Alderman, Megan Green about what her position is responsible for, how she became interested in politics, the values that guide her work, and her priorities for the future of St. Louis.Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. This week's Music Minute features the song "Right Fist" by Prince the Prophet. Stream more of his music on your favorite streaming platform. 

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.The 2022 midterms are quickly approaching and the stakes have never been higher. Join us for a special “election edition” of Under The Arch, where we discuss the ballot in Missouri. We are joined by actress and activist Kerry Washington to discuss the stakes of this upcoming election and why she is working to ensure that we all vote.Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. This week's Music Minute features the song "Good For Us" by The Knuckles. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with the subject "Music Minute”.

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.This week’s episode is a special live recording from the national conference Lawyering for Liberation: Defending Black Lives, Building Black Power, hosted in St. Louis. Our hosts speak with Michael Jones, senior policy advisor and member of the Missouri State Board of Education, Jamala Rodgers, revolutionary writer and co-founder of the Organization for Black Struggle, and Tef Poe, St. Louis rapper and Build Director for Black Men Build. Our guests talk about St. Louis’s unique position in the history of Black resistance and why it has been a recurring frontier in the battle for Black liberation in America, as well as what they’ve learned from their time in movement politics and the lessons they would pass on to the current youth. Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with the subject "Music Minute”.

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.This week, our hosts speak with former journalist and founder of Unhoused STL, Ramona Curtis, about the worsening condition of houselessness in St. Louis and how developing a community-based structure of social support can help keep our friends and neighbors off the streets. Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. This week's Music Minute features the song "Broken Body” by Nathaniel Carrol & The Party Line. Stream more of their music on your favorite streaming platform and visit ncpartyline.com or follow @nc_partyline on Instagram for live concerts. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with the subject "Music Minute”.

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.This week, our hosts speak with activist, organizer, and newly elected member of the St. Louis Board of Education Alisha Sonnier about the structure of St. Louis's education system and how education shapes the landscape of simultaneous political conversations around institutions such as voting and public safety. Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. This week's Music Minute features the song "New Tradition" by YOUPEOPL. Stream more of their music on your favorite streaming platform. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute".

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.In this episode, our hosts speak with ArchCity Defenders Staff Attorney and Skadden Fellow Emanuel Powell about his personal experience being affected by fatal state violence through the loss of a family member, and how this experience inspired his work leading the Fatal State Violence Project, an initiative that builds on ACD’s holistic legal advocacy by working with individuals and families who have lost loved ones to state violence. Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. This week's Music Minute features the song "R!GHT NOW" by K!NG QUE. Stream more of his music on your favorite streaming platform. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute".

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.This week, our hosts speak with returning guest Mike Milton, Founder and Executive Director of Freedom Community Center to talk about the origins of his organization, how he defines restorative and transformative justice, and the ways the FCC works to achieve such outcomes for community members that have faced interpersonal violence. Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. This week's Music Minute features the song "Something Bout the Way" by Jay Marie Is Holy ft. Seaux Chill. Stream more of their music on your favorite streaming platform. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute".

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.This week, our hosts speak with Rev. Michelle Higgins, co-founder of Action St. Louis, Executive Director at Faith For Justice, and pastor at St. John’s Church - The Beloved Community in North St. Louis. In this conversation on faith in action, Michelle shares her insight on the intersection of theology and movement work in advocating for a movement centered around justice. We begin and close the episode with a tribute to our beloved friend Cora Faith Walker, whose legacy lives on through our commitment to our work.Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. This week's Music Minute features the song "Black Joy" by Seaux Chill & Summer Dregs ft. Michelle Higgins. Stream more of their music on your favorite streaming platform. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute".

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.In this week's episode, our hosts speak with Dr. Donald Suggs, long-time publisher of the St. Louis American, a well-known news publication in the St. Louis region. As its leader for the past several decades, Dr. Suggs has had so much impact on our public dialogue and on our understanding on a range of public issues. Tune in as he shares a range of life reflections and recounts his numerous contributions to the St. Louis community made in love and solidarity.Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. This week's Music Minute features the song "Go For Life" by KaRon Demarko, featured on his latest project, "Hard Feelings." Find his project and more of his music on your favorite streaming platform. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute."

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.Our next episode features a special conversation with author and professor Walter Johnson discussing his book "The Broken Heart of America: St. Louis and the Violent History of the United States," which was published in 2020. In this highly acclaimed book, Johnson challenges readers to think analytically about racial capitalism by joining the history of the US Empire to the history of anti-Black racism, suggesting that St. Louis's own anti-Black racial history is influenced by the extermination and removal of Native American populations.Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. This week's Music Minute features the song "Today" by Scott Hewitt. Stream the full song at unitedmasters.com/m/Scott-Hewitt-Today and find more of Scott Hewitt's music on your favorite streaming platform. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute".

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.Our 2nd episode of the season features an audio recording of the 2021 Racial Equity Summit keynote discussion featuring Dr. Angela Y. Davis moderated by our podcast hosts. The conversation follows the summit's general scope of questioning our understanding of  and implementation of racial equity capacity building. Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute".

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.Season 3 is here and we're kicking things off with an hour-long episode about our Top 10 Moments of 2021.Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute".

Under The Arch is back! Join us next Tuesday, January 25th for the first episode of Season 3 featuring a countdown style of our top 10 major events of 2021. Catch up with us by tuning in next Tuesday wherever you get your podcasts.

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.We close out the season with a moment of introspection, recalling what the past year has meant for our community through a moving conversation with returning guest Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson. Our hosts discuss his transition as outgoing President & CEO of Deaconess Foundation, a faith-based and grant-making organization devoted to making child well-being a civic priority in the St. Louis region, to incoming President & CEO of National Children’s Defense Fund, a national child advocacy organization that works to uplift all children, especially poor children and children of color. Tune in to their insightful reflections on their relationship with Wilson as a mentor and his experience and impact as pastor, activist, philanthropist, community leader, and champion for children’s rights in St. Louis. Follow Rev. Dr. Starsky on Twitter @RevDrStarskyJoin the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute". This week's Music Minute features "Zone" by Akeda Keyz. Find where to stream or purchase his latest project, A Lone Wolf Was Howling, by visiting akedakeyz.com

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.In this episode, our hosts speak with Congresswoman-elect Cori Bush on a range of topics including her reaction to the election, her plans to represent her district in Congress, building Black political power, and how her identity informs her politics and approach.Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute". This week's Music Minute features "No Seat Belts" by Sirgio Husband.

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.In this episode, our hosts join Director of Advocacy at ArchCity Defenders , Jacki Langum, and Lead Organizer at Action St. Louis, Kennard Williams, to discuss the relevant conversation around housing and housing justice during the time of COVID-19.  Apply to volunteer for ArchCity Defenders at https://www.archcitydefenders.org/get-involved/volunteer/Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute".

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.In this episode, our hosts discuss the movement to defund the police with guests David Dwight IV, Executive Director & Lead Strategy Catalyst at Forward Through Ferguson, and Montague Simmons, Campaign Lead for the Close The Workhouse movement and Local Justice Director at Movement Voter Project.  Follow David Dwight on Twitter @David_Dee4 and follow Montague Simmons @MontagueSimmonsJoin the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute".

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.This episode features Missouri State Auditor and gubernatorial candidate, Nicole Galloway, in a discussion about her current role as Auditor, recent St. Louis audits, and her platform for the upcoming election. Our lovely co-hosts Blake Strode and Kayla Reed have a great conversation with Galloway, and catch us up on important updates like the latest with the Close the Workhouse campaign. Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute". This week's Music Minute is from "Panic Pandemic" by Nathaniel Carroll and the Party Line from their upcoming project, American Covidiot.  Sign up to be notified when the project releases by visiting ncpartyline.com

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.In this episode, we share an audio translation of the St. Louis County Executive Debate, hosted by our podcast co-hosts. The County Executive is elected by its citizens to lead St. Louis County similar to a Mayor. The County Executive works with the St. Louis County Council similarly to a Mayor and Board of Alders. Incumbent County Executive Sam Page and his opponents Mark Montovani, Jamie Tolliver, and Jake Zimmerman are participating in this virtual debate focused on the vital issues that matter most to the people of St. Louis.Watch the livestream on our Facebook page at facebook.com/UnderTheArchPodJoin the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute".

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform themIn this episode, we present an audio replay of the St. Louis Circuit Attorney virtual debate hosted by our podcast hosts. Incumbent Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner and her opponent Mary Pat Carl talk about the vital issues that matter most to the people of St. Louis.Watch the livestream on our Facebook page at facebook.com/UnderTheArchPodJoin the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute".

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.In this episode, our hosts return with critical updates in the growing movement to Close The Workhouse, specifically giving insight to the progress of gaining aldermen support to permanently defund the jail.Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute".

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.This special Facebook livestream episode features returning guest Missouri State Representative Rasheen Aldridge in a conversation around heavy, timely topics - from police killings, to the uprisings, and the demands from the 5 Point Plan backed by ArchCity Defenders, Action St. Louis, and many other local organizations.Check out the suggested reading, Alex S. Vitale's book "The End of Policing." Check your local bookstore, or order yours at VersoBooks.com. Download the FREE e-book version from Verso Books here: https://www.versobooks.com/books/2426-the-end-of-policingJoin the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute".

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.This special episode features returning guest Dr. Jason Purnell, Director of Health Equity Works (formerly For The Sake of All) and associate professor in the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis in a discussion about the COVID-19 pandemic as it's happening in St. Louis, racial health disparities, and regional response efforts. Follow Dr. Jason Purnell on Twitter @jqjp1.Check out the St. Louis Covid-19 Advocacy Hub online at stlcovidhub.org and the WePower Resource Hub at wepowerstl.org/covid19-resourcesJoin the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute".

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.Tune in during the month of March for episodes featuring local female leaders in honor of Women's History Month. This week's episode features St. Louis City Treasurer Tishaura Jones in a conversation on women in politics and her own experience running for mayor. Follow Tishaura on Twitter @TishauraThis week's Music Minute is from "Forever" by Theresa Payne. Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute".

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.We're launching Season Two with a focus on Black History Month, celebrating Black Now, Black History, and Black Art. This week's episode features Ron Himes, the Founder and Producing Director of The Black Rep, and Tef Poe, STL native, rapper, musician and activist, in a conversation on St. Louis art and activism, including the Black Rep's play “Spell Number 7” and the Harvard Commonwealth scholarship.Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute".

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.We're launching Season Two with a focus on Black History Month, celebrating Black Now, Black History, and Black Art. This week's episode features Gwen Moore, Curator of Urban Landscape and Community Identity at the Missouri History Museum. She has been associated with the Missouri Historical Society since 1998 as a researcher, community programmer, and oral historian. She focuses on social movements and civil rights activism, including a collecting initiative and oral history documenting the Ferguson protest movement. She has curated collections such as “St. Louis Freedom Struggle 1921-1968” and “#1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis.” She has a BA in sociology and history from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, an MSW from Washington University, and MA and degree in history from Indiana University where she worked at the Organization of American Historians as a book editor for the OAH Magazine of History. Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute".Interested in Ms. Moore's reading recommendations? Here are a few ideas:Gordon, Colin. Mapping Decline. Penn Press, 2008.Irvin, Keona. Gateway to Equality:  Black Women and the Struggle for Economic Justice in St. Louis. University Press of Kentucky, 2017.Jolly, Kenneth. Black Liberation in the Midwest:  The Struggle in St. Louis, Missouri, 1964-1970.  New York and London:  RoutledgeJolly, Kenneth. “It Happened Here Too: The Black Liberation Movement in St. Louis, Missouri, 1964-1970” PhD. Diss. University of Mo. Colombia 2003.Jolly, Kenneth. “The Fairgrounds Park incident and the Jefferson Bank Campaign: A comparative Study of Violence in St. Louis Missouri, 1949-1964” Thesis. University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999.Lang, Clarence. Grassroots at the Gateway: Class Politics and Black Freedom Struggle in St. Louis, 1936-75. 

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.We're launching Season Two with a focus on Black History Month, celebrating Black Now, Black History, and Black Art. This week's episode features Inez Bordeaux, Manager of Community Collaborations at ArchCity Defenders, and Rasheen Aldridge in a conversation with Black leaders in St. Louis today.Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected]. Know a local artist who'd like to feature their song in our Music Minute segment? Email us with subject "Music Minute".

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.On November 8-9, 2019, ArchCity Defenders commemorated 10 years of service and action with the St. Louis community during a weekend-long celebration. Our first event was a Friday night "birthday party" at Stifel Theatre, which featured a live podcast taping with celebrity guest actor, film director, and activist Danny Glover. In the live interview, Mr. Glover shared stories about how his family and history shaped his values and convictions, leading to a life of activism committed to several humanitarian causes. Our co-hosts and Mr. Glover round out the conversation talking about the ongoing struggle for justice in the present and future.Join the conversation around Under The Arch season one with #UnderTheArch, and send us your feedback at [email protected].

ArchCity Defenders and Action St. Louis present the premiere collaborative podcast, "Under The Arch." Your hosts Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders, and Kayla Reed, Director of Action St. Louis, explore the issues facing our community and the people working to transform them.This week's episode features Mike Jones, St. Louis American Editorial Board and Columnist, who discusses the art and science of political power. As we close out our first season, this conversation unifies the range of topics our hosts have explored in previous episodes to acknowledge the role that harnessing political power plays in approaching the problems facing our community.Follow Mike Jones on Twitter @ MikeJon10308405Join the conversation around this week's episode using #UnderTheArch and send us your feedback at [email protected].