Terry Kennedy (politician)
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Terry M. Kennedy | |
|---|---|
| Clerk of the Board of Aldermen, City of St. Louis | |
| In office 1989–2019 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel M. Kennedy |
| Succeeded by | Jesse Todd |
| Personal details | |
| Born | St. Louis, MO |
| Party | Democratic |
| Relatives | Shirley Horn (cousin) |
| Education | Magna Cum Laude graduate, Howard University, School of Communications |
| Known for | Progressive advocacy |
Terry M. Kennedy is a Democratic Party politician, journalist, historian, human rights activist and former teacher assistant in St. Louis, Missouri. Kennedy was a long-term elected official of the Board of Aldermen representing D-18th ward of the city's central corridor.
As the chair of the powerful Public Safety Committee (PSC), Ald. Terry Kennedy was a champion of public safety, criminal justice reforms, civil rights, and human rights. His staunch ideals of reform and equity led to his spearheading the passing of a Civilian Oversight Board (COB) for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. The measure marked the culmination of 10 years of Kennedy’s work.
During a 31-year span, Kennedy served as the Chair of the African American Aldermanic Caucus, Chair of the Public Safety Committee of the Board of Aldermen; Vice Chair of the Engrossment, Rules Resolution & Credentials Committee; a member of the Housing Committee, Legislation Committee, and Personnel Committee. Because of his seniority, Kennedy was also the Floor Majority Leader of the Board.
Terry preceded his father Alderman Samuel M. Kennedy into politics, rivaling his father's record of 21 years. After thirty-one years, Terry resigned as alderman of the 18th Ward and was appointed as the Board's first African American Clerk of the Board of Aldermen in 2019.[1]
Kennedy's father, Samuel M. Kennedy was born in East St. Louis, Illinois and escaped the 1917 race riots with his family. The family house was fired upon, and mobs attempted to torch it. The Kennedy family was forced to escape out a window. Recorded records indicate his grandmother built a raft to cross the Mississippi River because the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) was initially blocking African Americans transit on Eads bridges to prevent victims from escaping to St. Louis. Kennedy worked with his twin Gary “Dhati” Kennedy on the St. Louis Ad-Hoc Committee for Historical Truth to collaborate with others to sponsor the first public commemorative activity of the East St. Louis Race Riot in 1997. In 2017 as descendants of the East St. Louis Race Riots, they spearheaded the 100th Year Commemoration of the East St. Louis Race Riots on Eads Bridge and across the metro area. The family's descendants of Johnson's and Horn's, have been in the St. Louis metro region since 1720. They were transported to the area when Philip François Renault settled with 500 Africans from Saint-Domingue. His grandparents spoke Creole and his mother spoke French and English.[1]
Kennedy graduated from Vashon High School in north St. Louis, where he was chair of the Black Students Union. He studied architecture at St. Louis Community College–Forest Park and the University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL) but changed paths during the course of these studies. He moved to Washington, D.C. and earned his B.A. degree, Magna Cum Laude, in Communications studying journalism from Howard University in 1978. He wrote for St. Louis Argus and the Negro Association (now the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA)) newspapers.[1] As an adult he worked on campaigns of racial justice and desegregation, the Anti-Apartheid Movement, to free Angela Davis, on community development, and conducted employment placement/job readiness training for youth and young adults.