Sharpton lends support effort for more minority contracts

ST. LOUIS -- A small but loud group of protesters on Thursday crashed the party celebrating the 10th anniversary of the MetroLink light rail system, voicing unhappiness over the lack of minority-owned firms involved in expanding the system.

Activist and Democratic presidential candidate Al Sharpton was among 20 or so protesters who walked through the event outside Union Station, where a few hundred people gathered for cake and to hear speeches from civic leaders. Meanwhile, protesters chanted and carried signs reading, "Economic Racism" and "No Justice, No Peace."

Sharpton stood silent while other protesters chanted loudly as they stood near the stage where speakers lauded MetroLink. Larry Salci, president of Metro, the company that operates MetroLink as well as the region's public bus service, did not acknowledge the protesters in his speech, despite their chants of, "Hey, hey, ho, ho, Larry Salci's got to go."

But after the protesters left, Mayor Francis Slay, in his speech, said, "Everyone in this region must recognize that diversity is an asset."

Metro is spending $550 million to expand MetroLink from downtown west to Clayton and Shrewsbury. The company's goal is 20 percent participation among women- and minority-owned contractors.

But black leaders in the city are upset because only about 5 percent of the work is going to minority-owned firms.

Sharpton, who helped lead a 1999 sit-down strike on Interstate 70 in St. Louis over a lack of minority-owned businesses in highway construction projects, said he'll be back Aug. 10 unless progress is made. And he said some form of civil disobedience was being considered, though he didn't elaborate.

"I'll be back in 10 days and I won't have on a pinstripe suit," Sharpton said.

At a meeting with activists prior to the rally, Sharpton was critical of Metro's celebration at a time when minority involvement is so low.

"To celebrate 10 years and not be able to celebrate diversity is an insult to the people of this city," Sharpton said. "You can't cut the cake of celebration and not cut us in at the contract table."

Eric Vickers, who heads the Concerned Citizens Coalition, said the group may organize a boycott unless Metro makes a stronger effort to hire minority contractors.

"If it means we stop riding the buses and trains until we shut this thing down, that's what we're going to do," Vickers said.

About 44,000 passengers ride MetroLink daily; about 108,000 ride the buses. A ridership survey conducted on behalf of Metro showed that in 2001, about 43 percent of MetroLink passengers and 70 percent of bus passengers were black.

Metro spokeswoman Linda Hancock-Ross said the company shares the protesters' concerns. She said Metro is working with its prime contractors to ensure they seek out more minority-owned firms for subcontracting.

But Metro officials have said that in some cases, it is difficult to find minority-owned firms to bid on projects.

"It's not going to be a quick fix," Hancock-Ross said. "We've got some work to do."

Sharpton was arrested after leading the I-70 protest four years ago, but he noted that since then, the share of highway work going to minority-owned firms has increased sharply.

"Many of us went to jail because of it, but we're glad for what we did," Sharpton said.

Other cities have been able to distribute projects more evenly, Sharpton said, pointing to Atlanta, where former Mayor Maynard Jackson mandated minority involvement for an airport expansion project.

In early July, about two dozen protesters gathered at a MetroLink station near Forest Park. Two people were arrested for trying to block the tracks, but train traffic was halted only briefly.

MetroLink opened in 1993 and currently operates trains running from Lambert Airport through downtown and into Illinois.

Salci said the system has been an overwhelming success.

"We've continued to beat all projections for ridership," he said.