Iam deeply troubled by Lynn Schmidt's column " The tornado devastated Black neighborhoods. Where was the BLM organization? " (Aug. 17). She either is being purposely obtuse or failed to check the facts.

Her claim about the Black Lives Matter non-profit organization, which is based in California and has no real involvement in St. Louis, is a red herring. Rather, that claim seems an attempt to tarnish anyone who believes that Black lives should matter.

Further, Schmidt ignores the well-documented and sustained efforts of groups like Action St. Louis and For the Culture STL in organizing tornado relief for residents of North City. The leaders of these groups were active in Ferguson, advocating for reform, and now they are active in north St. Louis, providing food and support to reside

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