Photo by Wiley Price/ St. Louis American
Commission Work
Rasheen Aldridge, Jr.
Aldridge is a community organizer and activist. Born and raised in St. Louis, Aldridge is currently enrolled at Forest Park Community College. He serves as director of an organization called Young Activist United St. Louis and sits as student co-chair on the Missouri Jobs with Justice.
He has a passion for justice and is a leader in the Show Me 15 workers’ rights movement advocating living wages for fast food workers. He was recently recognized by the Youth Council for Positive Development with the ‘2013 Jamala Rogers Young Visionary Award.’ The award serves to recognize and support young adults who have made efforts to promote social justice, equality, diversity and human rights.
Why I'm Serving:
“I want to be part of the Ferguson Commission so I can provide concerns and issues of the young people who feel like their voices and lives don’t matter in this world, which all lives matters. I want to get to the root of the issues in Ferguson, Shaw and the whole city on why individuals feel like they are targets to the police and the whole system. I feel like I can be a great asset to this Commission because I have been in Ferguson and Shaw on a daily basis and have talked and peaceful protested with young folks and have an understanding on why we are angry. I work with all different ages, races and religions and understand the importance of how all people work and play together. I hope with the Commission we will be able to solve and come up with real solutions of the problems that are affecting people of all colors and how to make St. Louis a place that people love and feel like they belong in their own city.”