1 - U.S. Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver delivers the keynote address during the 161st Annual Emancipation Proclamation Celebration at Greater Mt. Carmel Baptist Church.
2 – Harvard University president Claudine Gay announces her resignation following a contentious house hearing on antisemitism and allegations of plagiarism in her earlier academic career.
4 - Kevin M. Jones, St. Louis American COO, passes at age 57. A 31-year employee of the St. Louis American and for many years its chief operating officer, was an honors graduate of St. Louis University High School and also graduated with honors from the University of Missouri –Columbia School of Journalism.
6 - The 38th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Statewide Kickoff held at Harris-Stowe State University the 2024 theme was “Keeping the Dream Alive: It Starts With Me.”
13 - The March on Washington for Gaza takes place on the 100th day since the start of the Israel–Hamas war, attracting over 100,000 protestors.
15 - The St. Louis community honored Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. over an event-packed MLK Weekend, culminating with the 55th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at City Hall. The Civic Interfaith Service theme was “Keeping the Dream Alive for the Next Generation.”
16 - Lincoln University President John B. Mosely is placed on administrative leave amid accusations of bullying from the late former vice president for student affairs, who took her life on Jan. 8.
18 - Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of civil and social rights icon Malcolm X shared a glimpse into her family’s lives as activists during the 12th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Tribute, hosted by SLU and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.
21 -A dual SLSO premiere of the Aaron Diehl Trio and of Mary Lou Williams’ Zodiac Suite, her 1945 blending of jazz and classical music that Diehl revived
2024: A Year in Review • 2
FEBRUARY 11 - Led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers 25–22 in overtime at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
with a new recording last year at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.
25 - “Literacy for the Lou,” St. Louis Public Schools’ citywide effort to increase and improve literacy among St. Louis’ children is announced at Mullanphy Elementary School.
26 – A jury awards E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million after finding Donald Trump guilty of defamation.
28 - An Iranian backed militant group launches a drone attack on a US base in Jordan, killing three and wounding forty-seven. The US launches several missiles at Iraq and Syria in retaliation.
30 - Congresswoman Cori Bush confirms
that the Department of Justice is investigating her campaign spending on security. She calls allegations “baseless.”
FEBRUARY
7 - St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore filed a motion with the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court seeking to vacate the murder conviction of Christopher Dunn, 54, for the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Ricco Rogers on May 18, 1990, in the Wells-Goodfellow neighborhood.
8 – Descendants of St. Louis University Enslaved DSLUE announces that the estimated value of wealth acquired from slave labor by the university is worth $361
million to $70 billion and that it will seek reparative and restorative justice.
10 - MSNBC host and bestselling author Joy-Ann Reid speaks at Shalom Church City of Peace in a conversation with Carol Daniel of Nine PBS,
11 - Led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers 25–22 in overtime at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
14 - One person is killed and at least nine are injured after a mass shooting during the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII championship parade at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri.
20 - Legendary actor and artist Billy Dee Williams shared his talent, wisdom, wit, and smooth voice with a jam-packed audience at the Skip Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade.
23 - The IN UNISON Chorus and St. Louis Symphony perform the annual “Lift Every Voice” Black History Month concert. A merging of sounds as homage to the diversity and genius within Black music was a theme of sorts for the performance – which featured Grammy winning gospel artist BeBe Winans.
26 - Nearly 100 Missouri Bus drivers called off sick after diesel mechanic Amin Mitchell found a noose near his work station a day after having an argument with his manager.
While delivering the keynote address for the ninth Webster University DEI Conference on Feb. 26, 2024, Children’s Defense Fund President and CEO Starsky Wilson said “10 years ago I was radicalized by young people in Ferguson.”
28 - St. Louis community leaders who were honored during the St. Louis African American Heritage Celebration in the City Hall Rotunda were presented with facsimiles of the 1928 Articles of Incorporation of The St. Louis American newspaper.
MARCH
1 – Iowa’s Caitlin Clark scores point number 3,685, surpassing Pete Maravich.
7 – President Biden delivers his third State of the Union Address.
9/14 - 314 Day festivities celebrate all things St. Louis. Local businesses and organizations join together to present a variety of events, celebrations, and special
2024: A Year in Review • 3
deals highlighting local makers, musicians, artists, businesses, organizations, and neighborhoods that are #STLMade.
13 – The United States deploys a Marine Corps Security Force Regiment platoon to secure the U.S. embassy complex in Port-
au-Prince, Haiti amid the ongoing gang war crisis in the country.
18 - Congresswoman Cori Bush is endorsed by the Congressional Black Caucus PAC (CBCPAC) in her bid to remain Missouri’s First Congressional District
representative against St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell
19 - Former Mississippi sheriff’s deputy Hunter Edward is sentenced to 20 years for his role in torturing two African-American men in January 2023.
March 7 – President Biden delivers his third State of the Union Address.
2024: A Year in Review • 4
June 17/19 – Juneteenth celebrations are held throughout the St. Louis region, including a recognition at the Freedom Suits Monument Plaza at the Civil Courts Building downtown.
21
- Viola “Mother” Fletcher, the oldest living survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre, said “Don’t let them bury my story,” during an appearance at Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville.
26 - The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore partially collapses after a Singaporean cargo ship strikes it. Six people are reported missing and presumed dead.
27 – The James S. McDonnell Foundation, a leader in global research support and philanthropy, announced it will focus all resources and expertise on St. Louis.
31 – Millions of AT&T customers are affected by a data breach that leaked onto the dark web.
6 - The Saint Louis University women’s basketball team won the WNIT Championship with a 69-50 win over Minnesota at the First Community Arena on the campus of SIU-Edwardsville.
7 - Led by coach Dawn Staley, South Carolina wins the national championship to complete its 38–0 season. It is the 10th perfect season in NCAA women’s basketball history.
8 - A total solar eclipse is viewable in the central and northeastern US, including Missouri and Illinois.
9 - James and Jennifer Crumbley, parents of convicted Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley, are each sentenced to 10–15 years in prison after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
2 –In the Francis Howell School District and throughout the area, conservative school board candidates were trounced, and right-wing agendas were rebuked.
10 - An appreciation of Black doulas and calls to find solutions for the disparity in Black maternal deaths kicked off the St. Louis City Department of Health’s weeklong celebration of Black Maternal Health Week.
11 – In a wide-ranging interview with the American’s Sylester Brown, Congresswoman Cori Bush discussed her condemnation of the Isarel-Hamas war, the slaughter of Palestinian innocents, and her race against Wesley Bell
15 - St. Louis Circuit Judge Joseph Whyte awarded nearly $23.5 million to former police officer Luther Hall, who was beaten by colleagues while working undercover during a protest in 2017.
After succeeding the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rainbow Push president and CEO, Pastor Frederick Haynes III abruptly resigned. He cited personal reflection and ongoing challenges.
17 - Students at Columbia University begin a pro-Palestinian occupation protest on campus. Hundreds are arrested, and the protesters are accused of antisemitism.
23 – During a press conference at Better
Family Life, Inc., Mayor Tishaura Jones laid out specific investments in neighborhood stabilization; housing, construction, and rehabilitation; economic development; enhanced public services; early childhood education, small business development.
25 – Michael McMillan, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis president and CEO, announces that the Centene Corporation is donating its Ferguson call center to the Urban League. Valued at $25 million, McMillan said it is the single largest item donated to any particular Urban League [affiliate] in its 114-year history.
The NFL Draft is held in Detroit with the Chicago Bears taking former USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick.
27 – Members of the Homer G. Phillips Nurses Alumni announce during a bi-weekly protest outside an urgent care center at Jefferson and Cass that August 8, 2024, court date had been set in St. Louis County in regard to a copyright infringement lawsuit filed against developer Payl
McKee.
29 - A Powerball jackpot of $1.3 billion is won by a Laotian immigrant battling cancer.
30 - Donald Trump is fined $9,000 for contempt of court in New York, and a judge threatens him with jail if he continues to violate his gag order.
MAY
1 - The United Methodist Church votes 692–51 to repeal a longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy. The vote also forbids superintendents from forbidding a samesex wedding.
8 - A statue of the late African American civil rights leader Daisy Bates is unveiled at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., representing the state of Arkansas.
The White House announces that President Joe Biden will award a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, to the late civil rights icon Medgar Wiley Evers. A white supremacist assassinated Evers on June 12, 1963, outside his home.
10 – The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis celebrated the opening of its greenhouse and hydroponic units - The George Washington Carver Urban Farming project
2024: A Year in Review • 5
June 30 – Christopher Dunn leaves the Mel Carnahan Courthouse as a free man after serving 34 years on a discredited murder conviction. “If I hold on to the past, I will never be able to move forward,” he said, with his wife Kira by his side.
Because of a powerful solar storm, the Northern Lights are visible in the St. Louis area and farther south.
13 - Flint W. Fowler, who guided Boys & Girls Club of Greater St. Louis from one city location in 1996 to 11 sites throughout the region serving 14,000 youths, announced that he will retire at the close
of 2024.
14 - Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in a tight race with U.S. Rep. Dennis Trone. She will defeat Larry Hogan, Maryland’s former governor, on Nov. 5 to become the first Black Senator from Maryland.
21 - St. Louis Circuit Judge Jason Sengheiser began taking testimony Tuesday May 21, 2024, in a hearing on a motion to vacate Christopher Dunn’s conviction in the May 1990 murder of Ricco Rogers.
24 - Two Americans, including the daughter of Missouri state Sen. Ben Baker, are killed by gangs while doing missionary work in Haiti.
30 – Donald Trump is found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in his New York hush money trial, making him the first president to be ever convicted of a felony
31 – Cori Bush announced a $750,000 federal outlay for renovations of capital improvements of the Urban League Plaza, just east of the Urban League headquarters.
JUNE
3 - Established by Black women, the Fearless Fund absorbed a legal setback when a federal appeals court in Georgia ruled against its grant program for Black female entrepreneurs, calling it discriminatory.
8 - St. Louis’ own David Steward, a philanthropist, investor, and owner of World Wide Technology, and his son, David Steward, II, a film producer, and Academy Award winner, received 2024 Youth Empowerment Awards during the Eta Boulé Foundation benefit concert at the historic Sheldon Concert Hall
2024: A Year in Review • 6
10
- President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris hosted a Juneteenth celebration at the White House which included a concert to commemorate the upcoming federal holiday on June 17, 2024.
11 - Hunter Biden is convicted of three felony counts of possession of a firearm while under the influence of narcotics.
12 - The Oklahoma Supreme Court dismisses a lawsuit by the last survivors of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre who were seeking reparations.
17 – Led by St. Louisan Jayson Tatum, the Boston Celtics defeat the Dallas Mavericks in five games, winning their 18th overall NBA championship.
17/19 – Juneteenth celebrations are held throughout the St. Louis region, including a recognition at the Freedom Suits Monument Plaza at the Civil Courts Building downtown.
18 – Maryland Gov. Wes Moore pardons over 175,000 people with low-level marijuana convictions.
19 – Kathy’s Kitchen opens a second location, the newest in the R&R Marketplace in Dellwood.
20 – The St. Louis American was honored with the John Brown Russwurm Award for the 15th time since 1995 during the National Newspaper Publishers ‘Messenger Awards’ ceremony at the annual convention in Baltimore, one of 12 awards. The American also won first place in the Newspaper Excellence – John H. Sengstacke Award competition; Layout & Design (Broadsheet) and Entertainment (Living It sections).
Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, a St. Louis area native, delivered the keynote address during the St. Louis County Annual Freedom Fund Dinner.
22 - Frankie Beverly and Maze perform in concert at the Enterprise Center. It would be Beverly’s final performance in
4 – At least 24 people were shot in 16 different locations in the St. Louis area during the Fourth of July weekend.
13 – Donald Trump is shot in an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, receiving minor injuries. The suspect was killed, and a member of the audience was killed.
Jenifer Lewis is honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
The Nichola J. Booker Basketball Courts are dedicated in Forest Park.
15 – The Urban League opens its Entrepreneurship and Women’s Business Center.
Federal judge Aileen Cannon dismisses Donald Trump’s classified documents case.
The 2024 Republican National Convention begins in Milwaukee. Trump selects Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running-mate. Trump accepts Republican nomination two days later.
17 - President Biden tests positive for COVID-19 and goes into self-isolation.
St. Louis.
27 - The first 2024 presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump is held in Atlanta. Questions arise about Biden’s age and health.
JULY
1 - The Supreme Court rules in a 6–3 decision that former presidents are entitled to absolute immunity from prosecution for official acts that rely on core constitutional powers, taken while in office.
Four former Missouri correctional officers face murder charges and a fifth is charged with involuntary manslaughter for Othel Moore’s death in December 2023 at the Jefferson City Correctional Center.
2 – Mayor Tishaura Jones endorses Cori Bush in her re-election bid against Wesley Bell.
20 – The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and Saint Louis Public Schools host the Urban Expo Back to School & Community Empowerment Festival at America’s Center downtown.
21 - President Biden announces he will withdraw from the 2024 presidential election.
Vice President Kamala Harris launches her campaign for president, receiving Biden’s support and becoming the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party.
22 – St. Louis Circuit Judge Jason Sengheiser ruled that the testimony that would lead to Christopher Dunn’s conviction for the murder of Ricco Rogers had been recanted, and that a motion to vacate Dunn’s was ruled in order.
23 - Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle resigns following criticism of actions during the attempted assassination
July 13 - Jenifer Lewis is honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
of Donald Trump.
26 - The SLPS Board of Education announced Superintendent Keisha Scarlett had taken “a leave of absence.” Deputy Superintendent Dr. Millicent Borishade is named acting superintendent.
The University of Missouri announced it will eliminate its division focused on diversity, social equity and inclusion on the Columbia campus, completing the dismantling of administrative structures put in place after protests in 2015 brought national attention to issues of racial equality.
29 – SLPS Board President Toni Cousins said board members had multiple concerns about Keisha then Superintendent Keisha Scarlett, including a questionable hiring of friends, spouses and unqualified individuals.
30 – Christopher Dunn leaves the Mel Carnahan Courthouse as a free man after serving 34 years on a discredited murder conviction. “If I hold on to the past, I will never be able to move forward,” he said, with is wife Kira by his side.
The Urban League celebrates the ribbon cutting of the Centene Connected Community Center at 2900 Pershall Road in Ferguson.
31 – The National Association of Black Journalists, over the protest of most of its members, allows Donald Trump to appear at its national convention in Chicago. During an interview session, Trump insulted a Black female ABC reporter and made inflammatory remarks about Vice President Kamala Harris’ biracial background.
AUGUST
6 - St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell won the Democratic nomination for the 1st Congressional District in a race against incumbent Congresswoman Cori Bush that became the second-most expensive House battle in history.
Vice President Kamala Harris announces she has selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.
2024: A Year in Review • 7
August 29 - The St. Louis American Foundation’s Salute to Young Leaders Networking Awards Reception is held at The Four Seasons. Twenty individuals under the age of 40 were recognized for their contributions in an array of fields and concentrations.
8 - A hearing to determine whether the Homer G. Phillips Nursing Association trademark infringement lawsuit against developer Paul McKee and other defendants will move forward was held before St. Louis County Judge Heather R. Cunningham.
9 – A march from Normandy High School to the Canfield Apartments, a groundbreaking for a new Urban League Plaza in Dellwood and other memorial services were held in St. Louis and St. Louis County on the 10th anniversary of the killing of Michael Brown by a former Ferguson police officer. “Unity is the most import-
Mike Brown Jr. ‘s death. Wilson spoke at the “Michael Brown Jr. Youth Affirmation Worship Service,” hosted by Michael Brown Sr.’s Chosen for Change organization (CFC), Metropolitan Congregations United (MCU) and St. John’s Church.
19 - The 2024 Democratic National Convention begins at the United Center in Chicago. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are officially nominated as the party’s choice for President and Vice President, respectively.
20 - Federal judge Charles Ralph Simpson III dismisses felony charges against the two police officers who were involved in the killing of Breonna Taylor, determining that her boyfriend was responsible for her death by firing at the two law enforcement officials.
24 – The Festival of Nations, recognized as the largest multicultural event in the region, returned to Tower Grove Park on the steamy weekend of Aug. 24-25, with a full slate of performers, food, and retail vendors representing more than 80 countries.
27 - Special Counsel Jack Smith issues revised charges against former President Donald Trump for his alleged attempts to interfere in the 2020 election.
29 - The St. Louis American Foundation’s Salute to Young Leaders Networking Awards Reception is held at The Four Seasons. Twenty individuals under the age of 40 were recognized for their contributions in an array of fields and concentrations.
SEPTEMBER
ant thing, especially here in St. Louis,” said Brown’s stepmother Cal Brown.
10 – Travis Brown, a Black Ferguson police officer was hospitalized in grave condition after being tackled by a Black assailant outside the Ferguson Police station and hitting his head on the pavement. Brown has since been transferred to an Atlanta facility for physical rehab. 28-year-old Elijah Gantt of East St. Louis arrested.
11 – Starsky Wilson delivered a sermon at St. John’s (The Beloved) church in recognition of the 10th anniversary of
7 – John Legend performs “A Night of Songs and Stories with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra at the Muny Opera in Forest Park. His performance with SLSO marked the first live concert on the Muny stage in more than 30 years.
10 – Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris debate in Philadelphia. Harris scores a clear victory, and Trump refuses to debate with her again.
14/15 – Chaka Kahn, Stanley Clarke, Big Boi and the Black Pumas were
among the performers who graced the stage during the Music at the Intersection festival in Grand Center.
15 – A second assassination attempt against Donald Trump takes place at his West Palm Beach Golf Club. A suspect is caught before firing a shot.
16 - Sean “P. Diddy” Combs is arrested in Manhattan and charged with racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
18 - Mayor Tishaura O. Jones announced that the demolition of most buildings at the former Medium Security Institution known as “The Workhouse” would begin by December 16, 2024. The demolition of the empty facility was delayed by environmental concerns.
21 – The St. Louis American won seven first-place recognitions and several other awards during the 2024 Missouri Press Association Best Newspaper Contest awards luncheon in Springfield, Mo. The American’s secured first place in the Best Editorials (Staff) Best Front Page (Mike Terhaar,) Best News Photograph (Wiley Price - Austin Layne Funeral), Best Serious Columnist (Mike Jones), Best Story About Religion (Sylvester Brown), Best Headline Writing (Staff) and Best Multi-Media (Salute to Excellence in Education) competitions for weekly newspapers in the Class 3 Division.
23 - Following an independent audit which examined operations of the St. Louis Public Schools, the SLPS Board of Education voted unanimously on Monday to terminate the contract of then Superintendent Dr. Keisha Scarlett “for cause.”
24 - Marcellus Williams was executed in Missouri for the 1998 murder of Felicia Gayle, despite calls from the victim’s family and the prosecutor to spare his life. His final words were “All Praise to Allah in every situation.” His attorneys filed a flurry of appeals based on what they described as new evidence, including alleged bias in jury selection and contamination of the murder weapon prior to trial. Gov. Mike Parson ignored the evidence.
25 - New York City Mayor Eric Adams is indicted following federal corruption investigations.
2024: A Year in Review • 8
October 12 – Jackie Joyner-Kersee, founder and CEO of the JJK Foundation, was honored with the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award during The St. Louis American Foundation’s 37th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala at the America’s Center.
selor of the year.
The 2024 Excellence in Education Awardees were Asquith ‘Sean’ Armstrong, Washington University; Dr. Latricia Singleton-Clark, Hazelwood West high School; Dr. Mary Hairston, Urban League Head Start; and Lt. Col., Nina McLean, James Avant Elementary School, East St. Louis.
David and Thelma Steward, Steward Family Foundation founders, served as general chairs.
14 - St. Louis Public Schools fired former Superintendent Keisha Scarlett. Antionette Cousins, board chair, and members Matt Davis, Donna Jones, Tracy Hykes, Emily Hubbard and Sadie Weiss voted to terminate Scarlett “for cause.” Board member Natalie Vowell abstained.
20 - Five new civil lawsuits are filed against Sean “Diddy” Combs in a federal court in New York, accusing the rapper of sexual assault and rape.
21 - The Central Park Five file a lawsuit against Donald Trump over claims that he made in the second presidential debate on September 10.
26 – St. Louis Metropolitan Police Officer David Lee is struck by a vehicle while assisting a motorist in a stalled car on I-70 and later dies. Ramon Chavez-Rodriguez, who is in the country illegally, is charged with with DWI death of a law enforcement officer, a felony, exceeding the posted speed limit and operating a vehicle on a highway without a valid license.
Donald Suggs, publisher and executive editor of The St. Louis American, was honored as a recipient of a 2024 University of Missouri Honor Medal and shared his thoughts on journalism and his ownership of the American for 40 years to students at the Missouri School of Journalism.
30 – State-of-art Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, begins serving its first patients.
OCTOBER
1 – St. Louis officials announce that crime
levels are down in the city. Homicides continued to decline from a near-record high in 2020 to 116 as of Sept. 30. There had also been large decreases in theft, especially stolen cars, compared to the same time last year.
3 – Harris-Stowe celebrated the opening of its Center of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) on Thursday, formally unveiling a state-of-the-art space “designed to inspire creativity, foster collaboration, and support groundbreaking ideas,” according to HSSU President LaTonia Collins Smith.
12 – Jackie Joyner-Kersee, founder and CEO of the JJK Foundation, was honored with the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award during The St. Louis American Foundation’s 37th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala at the America’s Center.
Ellicia Lanier, Urban Sprouts founder and executive director, was honored as Stellar Performer in Education, and Kimberly Merrill of University City High School was recognized as SEMO Coun-
27 – Donald Trump hosts a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City which includes racist and misogynistic language.
30 - The Los Angeles Dodgers win their eighth World Series title, defeating the New York Yankees four games to one.
NOVEMBER
5 - Donald Trump defeats Kamala Harris in the 2024 United States presidential election. Trump becomes the second president elected to non-consecutive terms after Grover Cleveland, and the first convicted felon, and the oldest man elected president.
Wesley Bell easily wins the race for the 1st Congressional District against Republican Andrew Jones.
Amendment 3, which would restore reproductive rights in Missouri, passes with
about 52% of the vote; Amendment 2, which would allow sports book gambling in Missouri, narrowly passes; Proposition A, which would increase the state minimum wage starting in 2025 and provide employees in the state with paid sick and safe leave, passes overwhelmingly.
10 - One person is killed and 16 others are injured in a school shooting during a homecoming weekend party at Tuskegee University.
11 - Maryland Gov. Wes Moore posthumously commemorates abolitionist Harriet Tubman as a one-star general in the Maryland National Guard.
15 - Three daughters of civil rights activist Malcolm X file a $100 million wrongful death lawsuit against the CIA, the FBI, and the NYPD for alleged roles in the assassination of Malcolm X.
18 - St. Louis Circuit Court judges voted unanimously in passage of a resolution to rename the Civil Courts Building and christen it the Honorable Clyde S. Cahill Courthouse. The late Cahill served as a circuit judge on the 22nd Judicial Circuit before he was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri on May 23, 1980.
21 - The Supreme Court of Illinois vacates the conviction and sentence of Jussie Smollett for his staging of a hate crime against himself due to a violation of his due process rights.
Brandon Williams, 40, a St. Louis native, former NFL player and XFL executive is named the Boys and Girls Clubs of St. Louis incoming president and CEO, succeeding the retiring Flint Fowler on Jan. 1, 2025.
25 – Special Counsel Jack Smith dismisses his 2020 election interference case against Trump.
DECEMBER
1 - President Biden issues a pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, despite previously pledging against doing so.
est contract in sports history.
9 - Police arrest 26-year-old Luigi Mangione in connection with the fatal shooting of healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York on December 4.
A jury acquits Daniel Penny of criminally negligent homicide and deadlocks on manslaughter over his killing of Jordan Neely in May 2023.
12 – Entrepreneur and philanthropist Jimmy Williams opens his 26th McDonald’s at 2321 Upper Bottom Road in St. Charles.
13 - The U.S. military evacuates American citizen Travis Timmerman of Missouri out of Syria after he had previously been reported missing there.
15 - St. Louis rap star Nelly hosts his Black & White Ball 2024 at The Four Seasons to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Harris-Stowe State University.
3 - Valerie Patton celebrates retirement from her position as chief DEI officer of Greater St. Louis Inc., and a stellar 20year career in corporate management with friends, colleagues and family members at the St. Louis Marriott downtown.
8 - The New York Mets sign Juan Soto to a $765 million, 15-year contract, the larg-
17 – The troubled urgent care center developed by Paul McKee furloughs employees, after not paying them for weeks, citing a shortage of blood supplies. Homer G. Phillips Nurses Alumni decry the situation and say it is an embarrassment to the history of Homer G. Phillips Hospital.
St. Louis and America said goodbye to community, entertainment icons
Obituaries of persons who served the St. Louis community are italicized
JANUARY
19 - Marlena Shaw, 81. The jazz and R&B vocalist whose “California Soul” was one of the defining soul songs of the late 1960s.
22 - Dexter Scott King, 62. He dedicated much of his life to shepherding the civil rights legacy of his parents, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.
30 -Jean Carnahan, 90. She became the first female senator to represent Missouri when she was appointed to replace her husband following his death.
30 - Joe Madison, who excelled as a student and football player at Washington University before launching his iconic civil rights and radio careers, died on Jan. 31, 2024 at 74 in Washington, D.C. Madison graduated from WashU in 1971 with a degree in sociology.
FEBRUARY
1 - Carl Weathers, 76. A former NFL linebacker who became a Hollywood action movie and comedy star, playing nemesis-turned-ally Apollo Creed in the
“Rocky” movies, starring with Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Predator” and teaching golf in “Happy Gilmore.”
2 - James Washington, the president and general manager of The Atlanta Voice, and the 2019 National Association of Black Journalist Legacy Award winner passed away. He was 73.
3 - Hage Geingob, 82. Namibia’s president and founding prime minister, passes away.
MARCH
8 - David E. Harris, who flew bombers for the U.S. military and broke barriers in 1964 when he became the first Black pilot hired at a major U.S. airline, dies at 89.
28 - Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries “Roots,” dies at 87.
APRIL
5 - The Rev. Cecil L. “Chip” Murray, an influential pastor and civil rights leader who used his tenure at one of Los Angeles’ oldest churches to uplift the predominantly Black neighborhoods following one of the country’s worst race riots, dies at 94.
10 – William Strickland, a longtime civil rights activist and supporter of the Black
Power movement who worked with Malcolm X and other prominent leaders in the 1960s, dies at 87.
O.J. Simpson, the Hall of Fame football star and Hollywood actor who was acquitted of charges of killing his former wife and her friend but later found liable in a separate civil trial, died at 76.
12 - Faith Ringgold, 93. An award-winning author and artist who broke down barriers for Black female artists and became famous for her richly colored and detailed quilts combining painting, textiles and storytelling.
14 – Sterling Moody, who opened the first Black-owned grocery store in the St. Louis area, passes away at 67. Flanked by a who’s-who of investors and celebrity supporters including Cedric the Entertainer, Ozzie Smith, Guy and Joe Torry, Shaquille O’Neal, rapper Nelly and more, Moody epitomized that “never-give-up” entrepreneurial spirit.
MAY
8 - Ralph Kennedy Frasier, the last surviving member of a trio of African American youths who were the first to desegregate the undergraduate student body at North Carolina’s flagship public university in the 1950s.
13 - Gail Milissa Grant, who proved what
is possible if one refuses to accept limits that are often imposed on them - for Black women in particular - died peacefully in Rome, Italy, on May 13th after a long battle with cancer at the age of 75. Grant was an author, public speaker, and former U.S. Foreign Service officer.
JUNE
9 - The Rev. James Lawson Jr., an apostle of nonviolent protest who schooled activists to withstand brutal reactions from white authorities as the Civil Rights Movement gained traction, dies at age 95.
18 - Willie Mays, the electrifying “Say Hey Kid” whose singular combination of talent, drive and exuberance made him one of baseball’s greatest and most beloved players, dies at age 83.
JULY
8 - Charles E. Fleming, AIA, UC ’61, celebrated architect who was dedicated to creating opportunities in the Black community, died at age 86. Fleming graduated from Douglass High School in Webster Groves in 1955 and began his career as a draftsman for a local construction business. He graduated with a certificate in architecture from WashU’s University College, now the School of Continuing & Professional Studies, in 1961. He was the
Dexter Scott King
Jean Carnahan
Lou Gossett Jr. Gail Melissa Grant
university’s first Black graduate in architecture. He further established a successful career in architecture as the president of the eponymous Fleming Corporation, the first Black person to own a full-service architecture firm in Missouri.
14 - Jacoby Jones, 40. A former NFL receiver whose 108-yard kickoff return in 2013 remains the longest touchdown in Super Bowl history.
19 - Sheila Jackson Lee, 74. The longtime congresswoman from Texas helped lead federal efforts to protect women from domestic violence and recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday.
20 - Tammie Holland, the Longtime media personality who shared her valiant three-year battle with cancer, passed away at 53. Heartfelt social media tributes flooded social media. “If the Arch looks a little rusty today, it’s because tears are a steady flow in St. Louis today,” Jill “Taylor J” Testerman posted on Facebook. Born on May 20, 1971 and a graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas-Mercy High School, Holland pursued a career as a flight attendant before finding her life’s work by way of the Broadcast Center of Clayton. It was there she connected with instructor Marc Clarke, who happened to be the co-host of the top-rated Breakfast Crew morning show for Majic 108 FM. Holland rose through the ranks from Clarke’s intern to Breakfast Crew co-host with Tony Scott. Listeners bonded with Tammie and Tony for years. Holland’s work in radio and television made her a household name in the St. Louis region. But it was her engagement with viewers and listeners that made her a beloved community treasure.
22 - Abdul “Duke” Fakir, 88. The last surviving original member of the beloved Motown group the Four Tops, which was known for such hits as “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” and “Standing in the Shadows of Love.”
2024: A Year in Review •
AUGUST
12 - Sharon Harvey Davis, a champion of diversity in St. Louis, passed away at age 68. Davis was hired by Adam’s Mark Hotels (HBE Corporation) as assistant personnel director, and shortly after she began the corporation was hit with a discrimination lawsuit by the NAACP and the U.S. Department of Justice. She became the director of diversity and later was promoted to vice president of corporate affairs, responsible for the minority supplier program, community affairs, diversity hiring and outreach and acted as corporate spokesperson. The discrimination lawsuit was settled with the U.S. Department of Justice, and Davis would then design, implement, and oversee the consent decree
13 - Wallace “Wally” Amos, creator of the Famous Amos cookie empire went on to become a children’s literacy advocate, dies at 88.
20 - Al Attles, a Hall of Famer who coached the 1975 NBA champion Warriors and spent more than six decades with the organization as a player, general manager and most recently team ambassador, dies at 84.
21 - John Amos, who starred as the family patriarch on the hit 1970s sitcom “Good Times” and earned an Emmy nomination for his role in the seminal 1977 miniseries “Roots,” dies at 84.
SEPTEMBER
9 - James Earl Jones, often referred to as “the man with the golden voice,” died at the age of 93. Jones was a spellbinding actor. He used every inch of his body – and all of his instincts – to embody portrayals of Black men from all walks of life with dignity, strength and authenticity in an era when they were as dehumanized on the stage and screen as in real life.
11 - Frankie Beverly, who with his band Maze inspired generations of fans with his smooth, soulful voice and lasting anthems including “Love, Pain,” and Before I Let Go,” passes away at age 77.
15 - Tito Jackson, 70. One of the brothers who made up the beloved pop group the Jackson 5.
30 – Ken Page, who originated classic roles on Broadway including Ken in the classic Black musical “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and the first-ever Old Deuteronomy in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s cultural phenomenon “Cats” when the show premiered in 1982, died at his home in St. Louis at 70. Page, who performed countless times on The Muny stage, also voiced the character of Oogie Boogie in Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
Dikembe Mutombo, basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the best defensive players in NBA history and a longtime global ambassador for the game dies after a battle with brain cancer.
OCTOBER
7 - Cissy Houston, 91. A two-time Grammy-winning soul and gospel artist who sang with Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley and other stars and knew triumph and heartbreak as the mother of singer Whitney Houston.
19 - Thelma Mothershed Wair, 83. One of nine Black students who integrated a high school in Arkansas’ capital city of Little Rock in 1957 while a mob of white segregationists yelled threats and insults.
NOVEMBER
3 - Quincy Jones, the multi-talented music titan whose vast legacy ranged from producing Michael Jackson’s historic “Thriller” album to writing prize-winning
film and television scores and collaborating with Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and hundreds of other recording artists, dies at 91. Jones’ honors and distinctions include 28 Grammy Awards (including a Grammy Legend Award), 80 Grammy nominations, a 2001 Kennedy Center Honoree, a 2011 National Medal of the Arts recipient and enshrinement in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
16 - The Honorable Esther Haywood of St. Louis, a fierce civil rights and social justice advocate, bold community leader and political pioneer, passes at age 84. She served for nearly a decade in the Missouri House of Representatives fighting for working families, and appropriating additional funding for public education and lowering costs for seniors. Haywood most notably also was a leader with the St. Louis County NAACP for nearly 25 years.
DECEMBER
15 - William “Bill” Greenblatt, who had scores of photos published in the St. Louis American, and was official photographer for the St. Louis Fire Department passes away at 70 after a battle with cancer.
16 - Mary Allen, a renowned educator and community servant, passes away at age 99. After moving to St. Louis with her husband, also an educator, Allen taught at Barbara C. Jordan Elementary School and at Flynn Park Elementary School where she also would serve as acting principal. She also was a district-wide reading specialist in the public and parochial schools. She was was selected as the University City Schools Teacher of the Year, was one of 10 finalists for the State of Missouri Teacher of the Year, and was nominated Economic Educator of the Year by the Center of Economic Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Tammie Holland John Amos
Frankie Beverly Cissy Houston
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