February 27, 2026
ST. LOUIS, MO — Action St. Louis and ArchCity Defenders welcomed community members, partners, and supporters for the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Northside Movement Center, a newly renovated 36,000-square-foot building located in the North Pointe neighborhood.
Held during Black History/Futures Month, the celebration honored generations of Black-led organizing in St. Louis while marking a major investment in the future of Black-led movements. The Northside Movement Center now serves as the shared home of Action St. Louis and ArchCity Defenders and offers rental and co-working space for community groups, creating a centralized hub for advocacy, organizing, direct services, and community events.
The program began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and welcoming remarks, followed by an open house featuring guided tours, light refreshments, family-friendly activities, and opportunities for attendees to connect with local partners and community resources.
Speakers included Executive Directors Blake Strode and Kayla Reed, board chairs Rev. Michelle Higgins and Stephanie Grise, honorary campaign chairs Jamala Rogers and Percy Green, and Rev. Rodrick K. Burton, Senior Pastor of New Northside Missionary Baptist Church. Remarks reflected on the legacy of Black-led movements in St. Louis and the expanded possibilities this shared space creates for organizing, advocacy, and community care.
“This space is about seeding what happens next. It’s about the organizers who will walk through these doors for the first time and discover their power. It’s about the families who will find support here. It’s about the strategies, the campaigns, and the victories that will be born here. This is a home for movement,” said Kayla Reed, Executive Director of Action St. Louis.
“The space you are about to enter is a love letter to St. Louis. It’s a love letter to the North Side. It’s a love letter to the people and communities in this region that have been neglected, that have been overlooked, or that have been counted out,” said Blake Strode, Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders.
Previously home to a family center operated by New Northside Missionary Baptist Church for more than two decades, the building carries forward a longstanding tradition of service on the Northside. The search for a permanent, centralized location began in 2021 and was rooted in a shared commitment by Action St. Louis and ArchCity Defenders to remain deeply invested in the communities they serve and organize alongside.
The grand opening celebration continues the following day with a fundraising luncheon hosted by Friends of Northside, the organization leading the capital campaign for the Northside Movement Center. Tickets and tables were made available to support the ongoing work and sustainability of the space.
Additional programming and community events at the Northside Movement Center will be announced in the coming months.
Follow ArchCity Defenders, Action St. Louis, and Northside Movement Center on Instagram and Facebook for regular updates.
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Action St. Louis is a grassroots organization working to build power for Black communities in the St. Louis area through organizing, advocacy, and direct action to fight for racial justice.
ArchCity Defenders is a holistic legal advocacy organization that fights against the criminalization of poverty and state violence, especially in communities of color.
Northside Movement Center is a nonprofit organization and joint venture of Action St. Louis and ArchCity Defenders that provides north St. Louis with convening space for community organizations and St. Louis residents to move together towards a brighter future.
Friends of Northside is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit which is classified under 509(a)(3) as a charitable foundation and Type I supporting organization of Action St. Louis and ArchCity Defenders. Friends of Northside supports joint ventures of these organizations by coordinating capital campaigns, receiving charitable donations, managing endowments, and lending or donating to affiliated nonprofits, all with oversight of a governing board.
Northside Center for Power and Transformation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and charitable foundation under 509(a)(1) that exists to acquire and improve real estate property in under-served and under-invested neighborhoods. We lease our developed property to justice-oriented nonprofits who will operate these spaces for the benefit of the surrounding community.