Spineless in St. Louis

Local 'leaders' caved on civil rights, twice. With the worst timing possible.

Talk about a sign of the times.

On the very day St. Louis learned about the passing of the most consequential civil-rights leader in its history, came word that two important local institutions displayed the one trait that was truly foreign to him.

Cowardice in the face of power.

That leader was former Congressman William L. Clay, Sr., who passed away Wednesday at the age of 94. First as a fiery activist — and ultimately as a formidable political power broker — Clay stood by his principles fearlessly. Full stop.

In contrast, the two institutions — Washington University and the St. Louis Development Corp. (SLDC) — capitulated shamelessly rather than resist Donald Trump’s intrusion on what they purport to stand for related to civil rights. And it all got reported in the same news cycle as Clay’s death.

Among Bill Clay’s most memorable words were these:

“I represent those who are in need of representation,” he would say. “I have no intention of representing those powerful interests who walk over the powerless people.”

Sadly, that’s the opposite of how business is done in St. Louis these days.