Recently I was asked why the travel advisory we issued in conjunction with the National NAACP in 2017 is still in effect. More to the point, I was asked what we as an organization would need to see before we would withdraw the advisory. It’s a fair question. The real answer is a change in the culture of death that surrounds Missouri. I know that is a goal that we won’t reach tomorrow, but here are some of the specifics of why I think the travel advisory is still important.

Ralph Yarl was shot for innocently knocking on the wrong door while picking up his siblings. The prosecutor and judge have allowed the shooter to return to his home and, while charges have been filed, have refused to include a count calling it at hate crime. Marcellus Williams is sitting on death row with a credible claim of innocence. In 2017, then Governor Grietens put a stay on the execution and began a board of inquiry. The board moved slowly, or not at all, between 2017 and 2023. In 2023 Governor Parson removed the stay and dissolved the board of inquiry. 

The CROWN Act would prevent discrimination in education and the workplace for wearing protective hairstyles that are historically associated with black and brown people. This legislation is consistently blocked by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and other business and education groups who claim it would result in lawsuits against them. What they are really saying is they don’t want to be held accountable for requiring black and brown folks to assimilate to white culture.

The “Shoot First” bill would prohibit the arrest of any person who has killed someone until law enforcement can prove it was not self defense. This flips the law on its head. Not only that, but recent events in Missouri prove that this benefit of the doubt will only be given to white shooters while a black person who may be trying to protect themselves will still be subjected to immediate arrest without bail.

What we need to see in order to withdraw the travel advisory is prosecutors who investigate and prosecute the deaths of young black men with the same fervor as they do the deaths of young white women. Communities that don’t see a black man washing his car at a public car wash as a threat. Police forces that listen to black women when they report abductions and abuse. These are things that would make it safe for black folks to travel throughout our State safely and make their homes here with confidence. 

What we are doing to try to reach that goal is meeting with legislators, registering people to vote, and educating voters on the importance of voting in local elections. Elected prosecutors should be held accountable by those of us who elect them. We will be creating a prosecutor voters guide and score card for our local units to use in the upcoming elections. Meetings with elected leaders on all levels happen regularly. Unfortunately, many of those leaders say the right thing then do nothing to make a change. 

We need to keep the pressure and visibility up on the daily atrocities across Missouri. You can help us do that by emailing us at mostatepresident@gmail.com when something happens in your area. You are on the front lines of the fight for human dignity.