St. Louis Representative Bruce Franks officially resigns at the end of this month. The black activist leader who emerged out of Ferguson protests says his mental health is at stake.
“Battling anxiety, depression, mental health issues, especially in the black community, that’s something that’s been a stigma and it’s been frowned upon in our communities to seek help,” Franks told Missourinet and fellow lawmakers.
Not only is Franks leaving the legislature, but he says he is leaving Missouri.
He spoke with Missourinet when he announced his resignation. Read, listen to his interview here.
“I knew what I was signing up for when I came, it’s just everything stacked on top of each other is really what aided to my mental health deteriorating the way that it did.
He said he will continue to work between different communities.
“To kind of bridge a gap between urban and rural areas, Republican and Democrat, because I think it’s important. I think it’s important to build those bridges even if nobody walks across them, somebody eventually will,” Franks said.
Franks said on Facebook, “I love my city but I can’t heal from trauma and survive in the epicenter any longer,” “I’m not running away from it I’m choosing to change my environment to be the best version of me. ”
Franks, who was first elected in 2016, is in his second House term. He was the only Democrat to chair a Missouri House committee this session.
State Rep. Bruce Franks, D-St. Louis, briefs Capitol reporters about criminal justice reform efforts on February 11, 2019, as House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, (right) listens (photo courtesy of Benjamin Peters at House Communications)
