Meet Monté Streeter- El- Pain to peace in North St. Louis

Growing up in the heart of North St. Louis, Monté was all too familiar with the daily struggles of navigating violence and poverty in his community. Later in life, Monté’s family moved to North County in hopes of finding more security. Being a resident of both St. Louis City and the County allowed him to witness violence and hatred in both communities, which he felt was important to change. 

After serving time in federal prison, Monté returned home in 2008, a single father of five, dedicated to raising and mentoring his children. In 2015, his oldest son was murdered, a loss that altered the course of his life once more. This tragedy further ignited a desire to help others caught in the same cycle of violence.  

Now, Monté works as a Site Supervisor in The Ville neighborhood with SHOW ME PEACE, mentoring the youth and guiding them away from violence. For proper mediation, Monté explains that it is important to make connections and relationships based on trust and understanding. In many ways, his work goes beyond violence mediation. It also can connect youth to opportunities once they are off the streets. Community centers and local businesses that SHOW ME PEACE has connected with will often hire participants that have reoriented their life toward making better choices. 

Monté hopes to reduce the amount of crime that occurs in North St. Louis, using his life story to inspire change. As a mentor, he wants to drive home the point that you can be different and do not have to engage in criminal behavior daily to survive.