Opinion: Whatever comes nationally, St. Louis will protect its people

Tuesday's election results were a shock to our city, and a shock to my system. You may be feeling the same way.

As mayor, I am proud to represent a city that voted overwhelmingly for joy, for choice, and for love — even though the same cannot be said for the majority of our country.

I recognize the importance of accepting the results of the presidential election. But I also recognize that part of that acceptance means a full understanding of the work that is now in front of us. This work will be painful and it will come with challenges and outright threats to many of those I hold dear.

I am going to dig in.

St. Louis — both the city and our entire region — must remain a welcoming place for all. It must remain a place that you can call home, no matter who you are, where you come from, or who you love. I refuse to accept a reality in which we stop fighting for a brighter, more welcoming future for St. Louis.

Since Tuesday, I keep hearing the same questions: What can I do? How can we move forward?

There isn't one answer for everyone. Some people will face no consequences for the outcome of this election while others stand to lose so much.

For my part, the first thing I am going to do is make sure that St. Louis is the safest place it can be for as many people as possible. I am going to talk to leaders across our government about how we can use the resources of the city to support our residents, no matter the federal landscape.

I am going to fight to make sure abortion stays legal, to keep our police force under the control of the residents of the city of St. Louis, and to make sure that our immigrant community understands that they are welcome here. We value the ability each of us has to make a difference. This is a strong city and a resilient one. We can get through this together.

I am going to look for the good that I see every day in our city and build on that. We will continue to make St. Louis safer, stronger, and healthier, while holding our nation together. We have built too much together to turn back.

I remember looking out on election day and seeing rainbows across our city, arching over our courts building and butting up to City Hall. Storms are not forever. We will always look for the light.

Jones is the 47th mayor of St. Louis and the first Black female mayor in the city's history. .