(The following is excerpted from correspondence sent by Ambassador George H. (Bert) Walker to the Ferguson Commission members. Walker is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Better Together).
Over the course of the past year, the Ferguson Commission has worked tirelessly in response to the call for a “thorough, wide-ranging and unflinching study of the social and economic conditions that impede progress, equality, and safety in the St. Louis region.” The resulting report reveals hard truths. Fortunately, it also contains 189 calls to action that as a whole reveal a transformational path forward to a more just and equitable region for all.
Better Together fully supports the Ferguson Commission’s work and would like to thank Co-Chairs Starsky Wilson and Rich McClure, their fellow commissioners, and the thousands of community members who took part in Commission’s work.
The road towards equity and prosperity for all will undoubtedly be arduous. However, as the Commission’s report emphasizes, “the burdens and the costs of a divided St. Louis fall on all of us, not just some of us.” In this spirit, Better Together looks forward to undertaking the role of an accountable body for the study of the region’s educational landscape as called for in the Commission’s report. We also look forward to continuing to provide the research and data that will can serve as a backbone for continued reform in policing and municipal courts. Through the Commission’s work, we have a blueprint for meaningful change that can transform our region and offer other communities a model for how to heal. Now is the time to turn the tough conversations and hard truths of the past year into action!