East St. Louis in America
Post the Civil War, East St. Louis saw rapid industrial growth in meat packing, stockyards, and railroads, transforming into a bustling suburb. The city's demographics were shaped by the labor supply, emphasizing the importance of a strong workforce.
racial and socio-economic shifts
When white workers went on strike, Northern industries openly sought Black workers through Southern newspaper advertisements. Motivated by the belief that the North offered better economic and political opportunities, millions of African Americans migrated from rural Southern areas to the urban Northern areas between 1910 and 1930. With companies like the Aluminum Ore Company actively recruiting Black workers from the South, racial tensions were exacerbated, where the arrival of new workers created resentment and fears for job security at a time.
Riots of 1917
On the night of July 1, 1917, white men in cars randomly shot at houses in Black neighborhoods. In response to a similar car passing through again, Black residents in the targeted homes retaliated by returning fire. In consequence, a mob of white people mobbed the black sections of the city, indiscriminately beating, shooting, and killing men, women, and children. In the end, property damage amounted to $373,605 with 244 to 312 structures burned and 44 railroad cars destroyed. The NAACP also estimated that Black fatalities ranged between 100 and 200. This is only one example of the extremely brutal and overt anti-Black racism found in East St. Louis’ history.
White Exodus
Beginning in the 1960s, the United States experienced deindustrialization, the structural processes of industrial decline through disinvestment, relocation, or both. In addition to deindustrialization, East St. Louis faced a social phenomenon known as White Exodus, a large-scale migration of white people from areas becoming more racially/ethnoculturally diverse, which were usually urban areas. Meanwhile, millions of Black Americans from the rural South relocated to the urban North.
Current State
Since 2000, the city has completed several redevelopment projects, including a new library and city hall, retail developments, housing initiatives, and a MetroLink light rail connection. However, with depopulation, the city has many abandoned/damaged buildings that are overgrown with vegetation. In 2010, community associations, nonprofits, and universities collaborated to develop plots for "urban farming," initiating green development in East St. Louis.
Final Thoughts
Although this is an extremely oversimplified version of East St. Louis history, we believe its a good starting point to understand the true history of East St. Louis. For many, the city is understood to be a dangerous place filled with an enormous amount of crime and poverty. Worst case scenario, people are told never to visit East St. Louis. It's our goal to resist these narratives and fight against the stigmatization of the region by providing assistance and a voice to the marginalized people of East St. Louis.
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SOurces
East St. Louis. East Side Heart Home Family Center. (n.d.). https://familycenterestl.org/eaststlouis/
James Borchert, “Deindustrialization,” Encyclopedia of Homelessness, Edited by David Levinson, (Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2004).
Jennifer Hamer, Abandoned in the Heartland: Work, Family, and Living in East St. Louis, (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2011).
Charles Kubrin, Tim Wadsworth, and Stephanie DiPietro, “Deindustrialization, Disadvantage and Suicide Among Young Black Males,” Social Forces, 84.3 (2006): 1559-1579.
Elliot Rudwick, Race Riot at East St. Louis: July 2, 1917, (Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1982).
Meghan A. Rich, “White Flight,” Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Society, (Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Inc., 2008): 1396-1398.
Andrew Theising, Made in USA: East St. Louis, (St. Louis, MO: Virginia Publishing, 2003)