Under the leadership of African People’s Socialist Party (APSP) Deputy Chair Ona Zené Yeshitela, the Northside Independent Neighborhood Association (NINA) was formed in December 2024 to carry out a mandate from APSP Chairman Omali Yeshitela to take all the political space and to deeply influence and lead the African community to take power over all aspects of our communities and lives.
The need for NINA was evident in the fierce struggle that the African People’s Education & Defense Fund (APEDF) had to make with the City of St. Louis. The APEDF fought to get a permit to renovate a building that had been a restaurant for over 20 years to house the Uhuru Bakery & Cafe, a program of the Black Power Blueprint in the African community of Northside St. Louis.
This fight was ignited when a small “neighborhood association” contested APEDF’s right to get the permit for renovation so that Uhuru Foods could bring healthy food to a food desert—an area where access to buy affordable or quality foods is limited or non-existent. Based solely on lies and slander, their opposition delayed getting the permit for over nine months, costing APEDF tens of thousands of dollars in expenses and lack of revenue.
Clearly, we needed our own neighborhood association to fight for the interests of the community!
NINA’s goal is to “improve the current quality of life in North St. Louis, fostering a sense of community and advocating for the neighborhood’s interests to become self-determining, self-reliant and self-sustaining.”
NINA broke down the false divisions created by the city, where every section of the Northside is divided into different wards, vying with each other for resources. NINA represents all neighborhoods on the Northside, bringing everyone together “to contend with the status quo that keeps our neighborhoods impoverished, hungry, unemployed, derelict and with no growth to serve our people.”
Under the dynamic leadership of NINA’s President Comrade Sealli Moyenda, NINA has been fighting fiercely and winning tremendous public support since its inception. It has built a strong membership, holding monthly public membership meetings since January 2025, bringing together many community organizations and individuals.
Since an EF3 tornado hit St. Louis on May 16, devastating the Northside and damaging over 5,000 buildings, NINA joined APEDF in organizing community relief, collecting and giving out free food, water and supplies to the people.
NINA went to all the city’s town hall meetings to demand that the city bring massive resources to the Northside. President Sealli boldly spoke out about the fact that the city government was doing nothing for the people, weeks and months after the tornado destroyed people’s homes. He was constantly in the news, and residents aired their demands and disgust for the lying politicians at the meetings, encouraged by NINA’s stance.
Block Party collage PHOTO: THE BURNING SPEAR
Megan Green, the President of the Board of Aldermen, quoted Sealli in the St. Louis Business Journal and on her social media, as well as at the August 26 NINA meeting, stating that she agreed with NINA’s position: “Crossing the Delmar Divide has never been starker… From the tornado we have the ability to do things differently; to not fall into the same patterns that created the disinvestment of the Northside to begin with… Everybody has to care about what is happening on the Northside.”
NINA brought the community together for a powerful salute to the people’s courage and tenacity in the face of the tornado damage with a celebratory Northside Community Block Party on August 2, supported by a grant from the Small Dollar Action Fund. Community organizations and vendors set up booths; Uhuru Foods and Pies gave away hot dogs and sweet potato pies, and children had their faces painted and played on the bouncy castle.
Information was given out to the community on how to get funding for tornado damage, and there was a dynamic program from the stage with music, drumming, singers and rappers, giveaways and speakers.
APEDF presented a large donation to Prop-Man Erion Johnson, who is building tiny houses for people who lost their housing. He brought his students, enthusiastic young Africans who expressed their appreciation for their training in Youth Builders.
NINA is building a united fight for genuine economic development and political power to transform the lives of African people in St. Louis!
JOIN NINA!
Visit: ninastl.org
Email: info@ninastl.org
Call: 314-246-0311
