Race, Identity & Faith

Michael Brown Jr.'s father and stepmother are still hopeful that the former Ferguson police officer who shot their son will be held accountable as conversations surrounding police violence and justice continue. Yet the family also is focused on healing.

St. Louis County’s acting health director wants an investigation after saying he was the subject of racial slurs and physical assault at a county council meeting.

As the new president and CEO of the Deaconess Foundation, Bethany Johnson-Javois plans to advocate for public policy changes to eliminate racism against children in education, public health and the justice system.

The Archdiocese of St. Louis recently revealed some of its early bishops and clergy held enslaved people. That includes Bishop William DuBourg and Bishop Joseph Rosati. Now two schools named for the men are reckoning with that history.

Metro Trans Umbrella Group tried for a year to buy a remaining plot of land at the garden in Forest Park Southeast but made the decision to relocate when the deal fell apart.

Faith groups in St. Louis are welcoming worshippers back in person as the region opens up. The Archdiocese of St. Louis lifted its dispensation of obligation for all parishes as of July 1.

Jonathan Smith, the vice president for diversity and community engagement at St. Louis University, has died. Smith, 61, served as an assistant professor of American Studies and African American Studies, and would later become the university’s first chief diversity officer.

In March, the Jesuits and a group of Georgetown University descendants announced a new foundation with a plan for racial healing, but some St. Louis descendants say they had no input in a plan to allocate $100 million.

St. Louis, St. Louis County and Illinois have designated Juneteenth as an official holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. President Joe Biden signed a law on Thursday making June 19 a national holiday.

This fall, about 20 Black faith leaders will take an environmental bus tour to examine St. Louis locations that have irrigation and air quality systems, sustainable buildings and repurposed sites to better understand how to protect the environment and keep their congregations healthy.