PLEASE JOIN US FRIDAY, DEC. 1st at 1:00pm to HONOR MICHAEL

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All are welcome to attend Michael’s memorial service this Friday. Instead of flowers, please consider making a donation to the advocacy or service organization of your choice. Michael believed in the work of

potbangerz.org

splc.org (Southern Poverty

Law Center)

loveofkdhx.org 

Our hearts are broken - and our world became a little less kind ---Come to honor the very loved, talented, brilliant, professor, author, DJ, and most importantly, husband, Father, and dear friend 

 
As a professional organizer and long-time social justice advocate, I believe that KDHX's actions to crush healthy dissent fly in the face of real anti-racism work. In recent years, KDHX has moved to silence the voices of those most impacted by its decisions through threats and firings, creating a culture of fear. The community has completely been shut out of decision-making, and so have the programmers: the ones who provide their labor to the station for free.I was once a loyal volunteer, programmer, and financial supporter of KDHX. I loved the station; it made me feel proud to live in St. Louis. My love waned over the years as the station gave songs from local musicians to an oil company, fired and mistreated staffers of color, and began requiring loyalty oaths for remaining volunteers. And now, in 2023, the mass firings of programmers shredded the last ounces of credibility and goodwill KDHX had left.   There is still hope. With actions like this pledge strike, programmer organizing, the Save Our Station festival, and other true community-led efforts, we can bring the station back to the people. It belongs to us, and we should not allow them to take it away.    In the words of the Ramones, "We Want the Airwaves!"   "Kelly does not take well to any criticism, and her totalitarian leadership style will sink the station. For reference to her many many other missteps, refer to the RFT. I have personal experience: i criticized her after the whole taking-music-from-local-musicians-and-selling-it-to-an-evil-corporation thing, and was blacklisted from filling in as a dj. Before i was officially blacklisted, she sent an underling to ask me not to say anything negative about the station publicly. I personally believe you can hold the people and institutions you love accountable while helping them to do better, but that’s not how KDHX operates." 

"I had an experience right when Kelly started that I’ve never shared publicly but in light of what’s going on I wanted to post it somewhere. This seems like maybe the best space.

A few considerations:

- I was a weekly volunteer with KDHX for 7 years, from the Magnolia days through their transition to Grand Center and until I left STL for grad school.

- I led a community performing arts fest in the district that partnered with The Stage at KDHX from its first year. It was a mixed experience.

- I no longer live in St Louis and am not a current donor so this is just a story for locals and current supporters to consider.

- I am extremely cautious of criticizing women in leadership. Constant misogyny is real and forces us to develop survival and coping mechanisms that take all kinds of shapes. 

- I’ve never met Papa Ray and don’t have skin in that game (but I did love his show as well as Blursday).

When she became the interim director I’d heard good things about Kelly from a friend and looked forward to working with her. I’d already been working in Grand Center for several years and was thrilled that KDHX was coming. We had what I thought was a good meeting about partnering. Kelly wrote up a contract, emailed it and asked for it back by X date.

My workspace was in the same building so I printed the contract the same day and messaged her to see if I could drop it off with her and say hi. I didn’t get a response before I had to leave for the day so I popped in (I had a key to the station from being a longtime volunteer) and put it directly in her mailbox.

Some time later I got a very terse message from Kelly threatening that we wouldn’t be moving forward with the agreement and getting really personal with me, accusing me of unprofessionalism etc etc. What?!? This would have been disastrous for our fest and screwed over dozens of artists and volunteers. I was freaked out and called right away to see what was wrong and if I could fix it. She said something to the effect of I never returned the contract. I said I’d tried to reach out to her directly a few times, did it fall out of her box?? Did I dream it?!! Did she see my messages?? I’m pretty sure I emailed too. But I could print it again right away and have it to her within the hour.

She hadn’t looked at her mailbox. (Perhaps in the entire time she'd been in the director position.)

She never acknowledged her mistake or apologized for her tone with me - which was excessively harsh even if I had been a flake. From then on she was like ice to me and many of the ideas we’d discussed, including ones she brought up, were clearly dust. So much for the community partnership and peer relationship I’d hoped for. I don’t know if it’s because she didn’t see the relationship as significantly profitable (though I’m sure our collaboration could have yielded sponsorships, grants, donations and drink and ticket revenue if well coordinated). It was a big letdown as a longtime volunteer and lover of the station, fellow community org leader, partner, etc.*

Suffice it to say I was disappointed but not surprised when Darian, Syrhea and others came out about toxicity in the station, and am not surprised at the outcry now. I don’t envy the challenges of her job, but there is no need to be so cold and leap to harshness, especially when the biggest part of your job is to cultivate community.

KDHX is part of the magic of St Louis. The strong opinions just show how much people value KDHX and want better for it and all of us.

I could go on about the politics of being an arts org in STL. To everyone who is upset, THIS IS KEY. If Kelly (*and* board members who share her approach) leave, STEP IN WITH CARE. Help the org get strong new leadership and back that leadership, which is a great way to build trusting accountability especially after such a long tenure of mismanagement and harm. Spread the love. Bring 2 new people to the next thing they do that you’re excited about. Tell sponsors and grantors to give generously to your vision of a thriving community. The only way to avoid corporate sterilization of a community asset, is for the community to provide a viable alternative that lasts.

*After I shared this, I learned that Kelly had been speaking loudly and negatively about me in the KDHX offices. It’s unfortunate to learn that Kelly was behaving this way about an active volunteer, donor, and partner in their new neighborhood striving to welcome and support them through a difficult transition. I hosted meetings every week in their cafe to help promote it, worked out of the space when possible to patronize it myself, I shared about their events, and generally did what I could to uplift the station. I have absolutely no idea why I was antagonized."

When KDHX started broadcasting in 1987, there was a commitment to supporting and promoting our city's musical heritage, especially its history as one of the World's Foundation Blues Music Cities.    In 2017, The Radio Hall of Fame recognized 'The KDHX Blues Boys' -  ART DWYER, RON EDWARDS, DENNY CLANCY, JOHN McHENRY, & TOM 'PAPA' RAY for championing not only St. Louis' rich history and legacy in The Blues, but its continuing existence in our town.

From the historical perspective given by Ron Edwards, to showcasing contemporary St. Louis artists - KDHX BECAME THE FOREMOST STATION IN THE MIDWEST FOR BLUES PROGRAMMING.

Along with Denny Clancy, John's popular Thursday Drive-Time Show Blursday was enjoyed by thousands of listeners, and was one of the top 5 shows in raising donations for KDHX.

After nearly a month of no acknowledgement by management of his passing, Tom Ray in an email, took Kelly Wells to task for making no effort to honor his legacy.  Her reply did not in any way admit failure on her part.   In an example of "Corporate Bait & Switch," she demanded Tom to submit to a zoom meeting with a neutral facilitator for what Wells described as "CONFLICT RESOLUTION PROCESS".  Tom's reply was, "Kelly, there is no need for a 3rd Party to be involved---DO YOUR JOB".

At the same time, Tom 'Papa' Ray also brought up failures by Wells of having NO volunteer presence at music events promoted by KDHX - as had been standard procedure in the past to enhance station outreach to potential new listeners.