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&apos...

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...

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...

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 @whosest...

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 com...

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 A...

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 abo...

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,...

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 politica...

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 Congress...

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...

“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 Af...

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 statewi...

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 nationa...

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...

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...

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 Associ...

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, Ric...

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 Schoo...

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, Mega...

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...

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 Li...

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,...