July 28, 2021
Boss woman
Around Town
A St. Louis business woman’s story of success in the construction industry is featured in a new children’s book
Wyman and Covenant House Missouri partner up. Pg.3 COMMUNITY VOICES By Dr. Miranda Ming and Dr. Rhonda M. Key. Pg. 3
School
By Charlotte Beard A St. Louis woman in the construction industry has recently sparked national attention. In March 2021 J. C. Sykes, co-owner of 90 Degree Construction, was one of 59 women in the United States featured as a “Tradeswoman Leaders” in the ConstructionDive publication for the construction and building industry. Most recently, she is featured in Houston, Texas author Gwen Richardson’s children book – “Boss Women: Seven African-American Women Who Built Their Businesses From the Ground Up.” Sykes shared that Richardson had thousands of women of various industries from which to choose to spotlight in her book. Richardson became aware of Sykes through the publicizing of Sykes’ own books—“Bugging a Bug” (children’s book) and “My A.R.R.A.: Growing into Me.” According to Sykes, she was among one of the most influential interviews for Richardson’s platform and the only woman in construction. “To make the top seven is pretty cool,” states Sykes. Growing up, Sykes did not have a goal to become a business owner or be part of the construction industry. “When I was in high school, I took a woodshop class,” stated Sykes. “I loved it; it was the best class that I had taken.” Sykes explained that after that interest in high school she never pursued it further. “I didn’t know that what I was doing was called carpentry because the class – they
Missouri Regional Teacher of the Year named. Pg.7
Features
Recipe, Movie & Sudoku. Pg. F-1 Submitted photo J. C. Sykes, co-owner of 90 Degree Construction, is featured in the new children book “Boss Women: Seven African-American Women Who Built Their Businesses From the Ground Up.”
called it woodshop,” she stated. “I never knew the term ‘carpentry.’ Fast forward 20 years later, I was a single mom on Section 8.” At this time her future husband whom she had not yet met was a contractor for the property where she lived. “He came over to replace some doors,” stated Sykes. “We exchanged information and we started to date. (One day) I pulled up on one of his job sites where he was working, and he was framing a roof. (Astonished) I said, ‘What did you say you do again?’ And he
said, ‘I am a carpenter.’ And I said, ‘Well why are you on the roof?’ He (asked), ‘What do you think carpenters do?’ I said, ‘You make carpets, don’t you? It is in the title.’ That is really what I thought. He laughed. He said, ‘No, look it up.’ Sykes further explained that she Googled ‘carpentry’ and was “blown away” by all the functions of a carpenter. She didn’t realize that her initial introduction to carpentry See ‘BOSS’ page 2
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CLASSIFIEDS AND HOME & GARDEN. Pg. F-2 /F-3 Moore On Life, Yeggs & Crossword Puzzle. Pg. F-4
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