John–

Gun violence is personal to me. Last summer, I lost a cousin to gun violence. And in my own neighborhood, my son has almost been a victim of gun violence twice.

St. Louis has been known as one of the most violent cities in America. I've experienced firsthand some of the same pain and hardship the communities I represent have experienced. And I know we don't have to live like this.

This Black History Month, I'm honored to share with you the work that I and Black advocates, volunteers, and survivors in my community are doing to address this crisis. Watch and share this new video from Everytown to see how we're stopping gun violence in the city of St. Louis.

When I ran for mayor, I often said that it's going to take everybody at the table and all hands on deck. That could not have been more true when it comes to our city's fight to end gun violence.

As a co-chair of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, and with the support of Everytown and community violence intervention programs like Cure Violence, we've been able to divide and conquer. The Missouri legislature often ties our hands on what we can do locally to combat gun violence.

But we haven't let that stop us. We've come up with creative solutions to connect people with resources and tackle the root causes of this crisis.

Because of our work, we saw gun violence in St. Louis decrease significantly between 2020 and 2021. And with the funding we received from the American Rescue Plan Act, we put more than $5 million towards violence interruption programs across the city.

We're already making a difference—and I know we're just getting started.

As we close out Black History Month, join me in uplifting the Black activists and survivors working to end gun violence. Watch Everytown's new video today.

Thank you for being a member of this movement. With the help of people like you, I know we can work toward a better future.

Tishaura Jones
Co-chair of Mayors Against Illegal Guns
Mayor of the City of St. Louis