ST. LOUIS • The St. Louis Public Library's massive downtown restoration project is hiring far too few black workers, says Makal Ali.

Ali, president of the African-American Business and Contractors Association, stood at the gate to the job site this morning and counted 80 to 90 workers entering.

Three or four, he said, were black.

St. Louis Public Library Executive Director Waller McGuire said the two-year, $70 million construction project began involving minorities early-on, including, he said, hiring the http://www.designdelhi.com/slmbc/Default.aspx" target= "_blank">Minority Business Council to observe and measure minority participation.

So far, 21 percent of the project contractors are minority-owned businesses, and a little over 5 percent are woman-owned, McGuire said.

And while the library has never done a census of minority workers on the job site, recent "spot checks" found about 10 percent minority laborers.

In addition, McGuire pointed out, the library itself employs a very diverse workforce.

"So I think that is a success story," McGuire said.

Makal does not. Ownership is just one part of the equation, he said. "They have a sign up that says this project is done with tax dollars," he said. "We pay taxes as African-Americans, and we're not getting work from that project."

Makal has been vocal on the issue recently, bringing picketers to the job site, and sitting for several radio interviews.

He said his guys will be at the site again Wednesday, and, this time, with more people.

"We'll be there with a disenchanted spirit, an unhappy spirit," he said.

"They talk about the Arab Spring? We're going to revolt in the black community. We're going to fill the jails."