Q&A By Sheila Banks
Ella Jones: New Mayor of Ferguson JONES: People are constantly telling me how much pressure I’m going to be under as Mayor, how incredibly challenging it’s going to be to change attitudes in and about Ferguson. I’m up for any challenge. And I’m used to being the first. There was the City Council in 2015. When I was Pastor of Bethel A.M.E. Church in Paynesville, Missouri, I was the first woman pastor to renovate a church. I was the first woman pastor at Union A.M.E. in St. Louis. I’m a trailblazer.
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n June 17, 2020, Ella Jones was officially sworn in as the first African American and the first woman mayor of Ferguson, Mo. Ferguson sits outside of St. Louis and became the city that infamously propelled the Black Lives Matter movement to international attention after a white police officer shot and killed unarmed Black teenager, Michael Brown, in 2014. A native of New Orleans, Jones, 65, earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She pastored several A.M.E. churches in St. Louis and Ferguson for 22 years and was a high-ranking Mary Kay sales director for 30 years. In 2015, Jones became the first Black member of the Ferguson City Council. The Crisis: You were bombarded by local and national media on June 3, the same morning you learned your sister died, in the midst of protests over the police murder of George Floyd and a global pandemic. Yet you were consistently gracious and enthusiastic about your victory. How’d you do that? JONES: It’s just how my brothers, sisters and I were raised. My mother and grandmother instilled in us “If something bad happens, you don’t have to let the world know. You have to keep going.” That’s what I did. I kept going. I needed to be who I am.
the sweat of your own brow. And to treat people the way you want to be treated. If everyone did that, there’d be no problem. As kids, we’d come home from school and ask what was for dinner. My mom usually answered, “fish.” That meant at least one of my brothers and I would grab our buckets and head for the Mississippi [River]. We’d return with those buckets filled with fish. After cleaning it on the back porch, Mom would say, “Now take some to soand-so up the street, down the street and around the corner.” She made sure no one went without. Then, she’d fry up so much fish, we’d still invite neighbors to come eat with us. Also, I was a pretty bossy little girl in grade school, making everyone stand up straight in line. But that’s leadership. Now when I meet bossy little girls, I tell them, “You’re going to be a great leader when you grow up.” The Crisis: How does all of that translate into leading a still-troubled and pretty violent city? How do you heal all the wounds? JONES: We must begin with teaching people to value their own lives and the lives of others. That’s when we’ll turn the corner. Everyone has to listen to each other and be a part of the conversation. Everyone has to have access to the same information, not just a few. I have an open-door policy for whoever wants to talk to me during business hours. We’ll be having regular town hall meetings. With inclusion, I believe that everyone would do better. That’s how we build a better Ferguson. n
Ella Jones
People tell me how challenging it’s going to be to change attitudes in Ferguson. I’m up for any challenge. I’m used to being the first. I’m a trailblazer.
The Crisis: You are the first woman and the first African American Mayor of Ferguson, a city that’s only on the map because of Michael Brown’s death and the national outcry that followed. Do you feel any pressure?
The Crisis: Where did that ambition come from? JONES: I think I’ve always been a leader. I’ve always stood up for other people. My parents are responsible for my values and work ethic. Growing up in New Orleans, my mom and dad always told my seven siblings and me that you earn your keep by
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