April 11th, 2013 edition

Q&A with TD El-Amin

By Chris King Of The St.Louis American

In January 2010, Talibdin “TD” El-Amin was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to federal bribery charges and ordered to pay $2,100 in restitution. This was exactly the paltry sum that ElAmin, then a state representative, had accepted from a constituent to help him handle a problem with city government. He was released in April 2011 after serving most of his sentence, and now he has self-published a novel, Mia Farone: Lost and Turned Out, that he started writing while incarcerated. He reads from his novel in a free event at Missouri History Museum 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 19. The American asked him about his emergence as a writer. State rep busted for

Talibdin “TD” El-Amin with his wife, Yaphett El-Amin of MOKAN,and children: Brooklynn, 20,Ruqaiyah, 8,Hasan,12, and Myles, 15.

Homegirl opener

Daria Ford,9,enjoys a cupcake during festivities for the St.Louis Cardinals’2013 home

Working with the community

Chancellor Dorsey pushes workforce training at community college

By Rebecca S.Rivas Of The St.Louis American

People need jobs. And to get jobs, they need training.

“If there is a new work opportunity coming in the area, it is the responsibility of the community college to train them.” – Chancellor Myrtle Dorsey

Myrtle Dorsey, chancellor of St. Louis Community College, has made it a point to go after grants that will expand opportunities for those looking to get in the workforce. “If there is a new work opportunity coming in the area, it is the responsibility of the community college to train them,” Dorsey said. “That is a critical piece of what we do.” Last year, the college received $4 million in federal funding to start a training program in modern manufacturing. In 2012, the college trained 271 people. St. Louis Community College is leading a consortium of public community and technical colleges that received a collective $15 million for the Missouri Manufacturing Workforce Innovation Networks (MoManufacturing WINS) initiative through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance

By Bridjes O’Neil Of The St.Louis American

Lady and Minister

Photo by Wiley Price

opener in Kiener Plaza on Monday.

Photo by Wiley Price

Johnetta Craig,M.D., M.B.A.

First

Kathy D. Horry and Pastor Raymond Horry

Pilar to publish tell-all

HipHollywood.com is reporting that Pilar Sanders is planning to release a tell-all book about her life. The literary piece, tentatively titled, Saving Sanders: The Pilar Sanders Untold Story, is being co-written by Sanders’ longtime friend and publicist, Kali Bowyer

The book will detail what Pilar has described as her abusive marriage to NFL legend, Deion Sanders. While Deion has maintained that he never physically abused Pilar during their time together, the reality TV beauty is sticking by her story.

“I want to be a mentor to other

as long as I walk this earth, and with Jesus at my side all will prevail,” she proclaimed during our chat. Bowyer tells HH that the book will be the “true, uncut story about the abuse Pilar endured, how she built an empire with him, and how he cheated on her.”

Kenya keeps booty workout beef brewing with Phaedra

Phae, your smear campaign was an epic failure.” In the blog Moore uses a screen capture from Amazon.com that shows the best-selling rankings for their respective videos. According to the image Kenya Moore ranked 833 while Phaedra Parks ranked 14,065.

Duncan’s family accusing Omarosa of beyond the grave gold digging

With her latest Bravo blog, RHOA co-star Kenya Moore comes for her show nemesis and workout DVD competitor Phaedra Parks – and claims that her Stallion Booty Workout has trampled Phaedra’s Donkey Booty workout in the sales department. “I hate liars. We all saw Phaedra lie last season about the timing of her pregnancy, lie to Cynthia, etc. She

Judy Duncan, Michael Clarke Duncan’s sister, told TMZ she’s hired a lawyer to investigate the circumstances surrounding the change to the actor’s will in April 2012, making Omarosa Manigault the main beneficiary.

Judy believes he was not of sound mind when he made the changes ... because she said as early as December

etc.) and says Manigault sold the items without the family’s knowledge.

“I don’t control the estate or the finances and Judy knows it,” Manigault told TMZ. If you saw all of her emails and texts to me you would see that she is just trying to get money from me, and threatened going to press if I did not give it to her and that is a crime!”

K. Michelle stands up for Kim K. “Love and Hip Hop Atlanta’s” K. Michelle let’s Ray J have it for his latest single, “I Hit It First.”

The reality TV star took to her twitter account to unleash on the singer for releasing the song –rumored to be about his former flame Kim Kardashian.

“It really bothers me that men have turned into emotional little girls,” K. Michelle tweeted. “We know you ‘hit it first’ that’s your ex-girlfriend. [expletive] get hurt and get emotional, they write songs, get on twitter, send

Make voting easier, not harder

Democratic House Elections Committee

members push Republicans to sponsor early voting

By Democratic House Elections Committee members

As voter suppression runs rampant in our state Legislature and throughout the country, there are many public servants who would like to actually make voting more accessible to eligible voters. What a novel idea!

As Democrat members on the Missouri House Elections Committee, we hear testimony on everything related to elections in the state, except how to encourage and allow voters to use their most fundamental right. For the eighth consecutive year, the majority party rushed through voter ID bills which will do nothing but prevent thousands of eligible voters from exercising their constitutional right to vote. In addition to Missouri, 29 other states have introduced bills to restrict voting by limiting registration drives, election day registration and cutting back on early voting days. Our solution is much different: make voting easier, not harder. The American people and the media have taken notice of the assault on voting rights and want democracy preserved by making it easier for voters to cast their vote. If anything, we have made voting less convenient due to federal mandates and reduced funding that has required the consolidation of over 25 percent of our voting locations. This has created longer lines and greater distance to reach the voter’s

assigned voting precinct.

We believe it’s our duty and responsibility as legislators to address voter accessibility and ease. Recently, state Rep. Pat Conway (D-St. Joseph) presented his no-excuse absentee voting bill, HB188, in committee which would allow voters to cast their absentee ballots in advance of an election without having an excuse to do so. The feedback was eye-opening. Majority party members on the committee asked, “Why should we make voting convenient?” We say: Why should it be hard?

Advanced voting is an answer. Thirty-two states and the District of Columbia have some form of advanced voting in-person. Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia offer “no-excuse” absentee voting and two states, Oregon and Washington, even provide voters a mail ballot to send in or drop off.

We solidly support HB682 as co-sponsors which would

bring early voting to Missouri.

We know that many are unable to vote on Tuesday election days, particularly those who work long shifts in law enforcement, medicine or transportation. Add child care limitations, those working several jobs or those caring for elderly, and you’ll find numerous everyday obstacles for many voters on election day. Extending voting to a brief period before election day to everyone encourages and stimulates voter turnout.

We are also wary of any efforts to politicize early voting. Members of our party have consistently filed legislation that increased access to elections, which is similar to other states current early voting measures. We are intrigued by GOP-sponsored early voting legislation which has no chance of consideration either in committee or on the House Floor. Voters rights deserve respectful consideration, and should not be toyed with for purely political reasons.

Restoring pride in Dr. King

We know the reality of a Democrat-sponsored early voting bill in our veto-overrideproof Legislature, and know an eventual early voter initiative is the most likely scenario for success.

Instead of stifling the vote of low-income, elderly, youth, college students and minority citizens, we must do all we can to increase access to voting while preserving the credibility of the voting process. Serious early voting proposals will increase their participation and must be on the table. The time has passed for Missouri to consider engaging all voters. The nationwide momentum is now here in our state. Now is the time to act.

Democratic House Elections Committee members: state Rep. Stacey Newman, ranking member, 87th District, St. Louis; state Rep. Michael Butler, 79th District, St. Louis; state Rep. Randy Dunn, 23rd District, Kansas City; state Rep. Pat Conway, 10th District, St. Joseph.

As I look down Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in St. Louis, I can’t help but notice the despair, poverty and neglect on almost every block of a very long street. I often ask myself, “Why it is like that?” Where can I go in my community to find out the legacies of St. Louisans from the past to the present? The legacies and contributions of famous African Americans that have helped to create America’s culture are almost lost to today’s public. Names like Redd Foxx, Maya Angelou, Cool Papa Bell and Dick Gregory are almost lost. One tragedy on our MLK Drive is that there is nothing that gives young AfricanAmerican children any symbols of their history, the accomplishments of their people or even a sense of pride. This could possibly be a contributing factor in developing a sense of low self-esteem, which many sociologists link to juvenile violence, early teen pregnancy and adult incarceration. Beloved Streets of

America is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to revitalize and conserve the nation’s MLK streets. Our goal is to renew the dignity of the street named in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and in the process create positive change. Its first project is the creation of The Legacy Park, a multi-functional outdoor facility whose main purpose will be to honor local individuals, corporations and organizations. Their significance to our community will be honored and displayed at 5916 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr. A brick engraved with the name of a loved one can contribute towards restoring dignity and respect towards Dr. King. Beloved Streets of America is encouraging all St. Louis residents, churches, organizations and corporations to start restoring pride in the street that bears the name of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Visit Belovedstreets.org or Legacybricks.org for more information, call 314-3892442 or email mwhite@ belovedstreets.org.

Democratic House Elections Committee members state Rep. Pat Conway, state Rep. Stacey Newman, state Rep. Randy Dunn and state Rep. Michael Butler.

By Melvin White For The St. Louis American

Editorial /CommEntary

Time to deal with McKee

On Tuesday the Missouri Supreme Court struck down a ruling by a Libertarian judge who went against procedure to block $390 million in tax increment financing (TIF) that the City of St. Louis awarded to a developer with plans to transform 1,500 acres of North St. Louis. The redevelopment agreement and the TIF funding were just restored after almost three years of paralysis. So there was jubilation in the city, and especially on the North Side, right?

Not so much. The developer, Paul McKee Jr., was understandably pleased, as were his deal partners in the Mayor’s Office. But McKee’s many enemies – many of whom care deeply about the very neighborhoods that stand to benefit from the new investment – went back to grinding their axes against him, claiming he is a fraud and a privateer.

Their fear is understandable, given who McKee has had to deal with. Few who care about North St. Louis credit Mayor Francis G. Slay as acting in the best interests of the North Side, but McKee has had to deal with the mayor to get his deal done. Many are skeptical about the intentions of Rodney Hubbard, but when McKee was developing his project Hubbard was both a state legislator with close ties to Republicans who steered legislation in Jefferson City and the son of the most powerful political family in McKee’s redevelopment area. In many ways it would have been stupid for McKee not to have worked with Hubbard.

In short, McKee has done business with the people he had to do business with to get his project done here, now. You don’t enter into a redevelopment agreement with the partners you wish you had, but with the partners you need

to have to get the deal done. The community might say the same about McKee at this point. We might wish it were an African American from the city who had the vision, bought the land, obtained the tax incentives from the state and city, bought some more land and set about to transform the near North Side. But it wasn’t. It was a white man based in St. Charles whose development projects have been exurban (Winghaven) and suburban (North Park). For many, this is the wrong mayor, the wrong North Side power broker and the wrong developer. But they are the ones we have.

As the young 24th Ward Alderman Scott Ogilvie has said, “Paul McKee’s problems are our problems,” because North St. Louis’ problems are St. Louis’ problems, and McKee has invested so substantially in this problematic terrain that he is going to be a part of the solution – or a part of the problem. We think the energy that has been devoted to defeating McKee should now be devoted to working with him – with the caveat that he must include the community in his decision-making process, include African Americans on his executive team and make sure workforce and contracting in his redevelopment area are inclusive and representative of the neighborhoods where the work is being done. If anyone is waiting for Superman, he is not expected anytime soon. In the meantime, Paul McKee Jr. owns the better part of 1,500 acres on the near North Side and hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent to improve its infrastructure. Now is not the time to file useless lawsuits or post hateful screeds. Now is the time to get involved.

The test score racket

according to the indictment.

It is time to acknowledge that the fashionable theory of school reform – requiring that pay and job security for teachers, principals and administrators depend on their students’ standardized test scores – is at best a wellintentioned mistake, and at worst nothing but a racket.

I mean that literally. Beverly Hall, the former superintendent of the Atlanta public schools, was indicted on racketeering charges recently for an alleged cheating scheme that won her more than $500,000 in performance bonuses. Hall, who retired two years ago, is also accused of theft, conspiracy and making false statements. She has denied any wrongdoing. Also facing criminal charges are 34 teachers and principals who allegedly participated in the cheating, which involved simply erasing students’ wrong answers on test papers and filling in the correct answers.

In 2009, the American Association of School Administrators named Hall “National Superintendent of the Year” for improvement in student achievement that seemed, in retrospect, much too good to be true. On Georgia’s standardized competency test, students in some of Atlanta’s troubled neighborhoods appeared to vault past their counterparts in the wealthy suburbs.

For educators who worked for Hall, bonuses and promotions were based on test scores. “Principals and teachers were frequently told by Beverly Hall and her subordinates that excuses for not meeting targets would not be tolerated,”

After a day of testing, teachers would allegedly be told to gather the students’ test sheets and change the answers. Suddenly a failing school would become a model of education reform. The principal and teachers would get bonuses. Hall would get accolades, plus a much bigger bonus. And students – duped into thinking they had mastered material that they hadn’t even begun to grasp – would get the shaft.

State education officials became suspicious. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote probing stories. There seemed to be no way to legitimately explain the dramatic improvement in test scores at some schools in such a short time, or the statistically improbable number of wrongto-right erasures on answer sheets. But there was no proof.

Sonny Perdue was governor at the time, and in August 2010 he ordered a blue-ribbon investigation. Hall resigned shortly before the release of the investigators’ report, which alleged that 178 teachers and principals cheated over nearly a decade – and that Hall either knew or should have known.

My Washington Post colleague Valerie Strauss, a veteran education reporter and columnist, wrote that there have been “dozens” of alleged cheating episodes around the country, but only Atlanta’s has been aggressively and thoroughly investigated. “We don’t really know” how extensive the problem is, Strauss wrote, but “what we do know is that these cheating scandals have been a result of test-obsessed school reform.”

In the District of Columbia, for example, there are unanswered questions about an anomalous pattern of wrong-toright erasures on answer sheets during the reign of famed

Gun violence in white and black

Violence has always been America’s favorite pastime, and the gun her preferred toy. It is no secret America was established by use of the gun in threatening, provoking and murdering vulnerable populations, and since her birth as a nation, her image in the world has been colored by these deeds. The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution speaks to America’s unrivaled fetish for steel and gun powder. Americans and their guns are not easily separated, and any reasonable effort to stem the proliferation of violence due to guns appears futile.

Politicians understand that limiting access to any gun is un-American and indeed it is. To be armed is to be American, which is why it is nonsensical to the average citizen to relinquish their personal desires to imitate their favorite episode of Bonanza or Gunsmoke or video games such as Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto

But now, in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, President Obama wants those who have historically been one of the most victimized by gunfire, Black Americans, to believe he’s prepared to do something

about it. However, Obama won’t move to boldly challenge the issue of gun control because to do so would require a level of moral courage never displayed in American politics: the courage to tell the whole truth.

Moreover, the republic has never appeared particularly interested in the protection of all of its citizens – only some. If this were not so, perhaps the mental health services and police protections bandied about recently would have actually worked to significantly address the areas of the nation where they are most needed, among the poor in inner cities; where the faces are mostly black and brown and where all forms of violence suffocate the hopes of the dispossessed and disenfranchised.

It is not surprising that many blacks look on with mock scorn as the media attempts turning humanity inside out to fathom white shooters murdering innocent middle-class whites. Rather than focus on the larger problem of gun violence across socio-economic and racial divisions, pundits and politicians strain to unearth any morsel of justification to explain the growing list of white mass killers.

Mental illness is thoroughly explored. But if mental illness is truly what causes white males to murder school children, then why is this same diagnosis not afforded to violent black youths who riddle entire city blocks with bullets? Why haven’t, for example,

Letters to the editor

Holistic healer

After 45 years of surgical practice, Dr. Leslie F. Bond carved out a reputation as an outstanding clinician and a respected civic leader. As with most top physicians, Dr. Bond could not divorce his work as a surgeon from the urgent need of healing his community. Compassion and community service were an integral part of his upbringing.

school reformer Michelle Rhee, who starred in the documentary Waiting for ‘Superman’ and graced the cover of Time magazine.

Our schools desperately need to be fixed. But creating a situation in which teachers are more likely to cheat than students cannot be the right path.

Standardized achievement tests are a vital tool, but treating test scores the way a corporation might treat sales targets is wrong. Students are not widgets. I totally reject the idea that students from underprivileged neighborhoods cannot learn. Of course they can. But how does it help these students to have their performance on a one-size-fitsall standardized test determine their teachers’ compensation and job security? The clear incentive is for the teacher to focus on test scores rather than actual teaching.

Not every school system will become so mired in an alleged pattern of wrongdoing that officials can be charged under a racketeering statute of the kind usually used to prosecute mobsters. But even absent cheating, the blind obsession with test scores implies that teachers are interchangeable implements of information transfer, rather than caring professionals who know their students as individuals.

School reform cannot be something that ostensibly smart, ostentatiously tough “superstar” superintendents do to a school system and the people who depend on it. Reform has to be something that is done with a community of teachers, students and parents – with honesty and a bit of old-fashioned humility. Eugene Robinson’s email address is eugenerobinson@ washpost.com.

Dr. Bond won the respect of countless patients, surgical trainees, and colleagues across the nation. Yet he remained humble and rooted in the St. Louis community. As a proponent of patient-centered care before the term was popularized, African-American physicians would be wise to accept his counsel to remain available to their patients and deliver patient care in the neighborhoods, which he considered central to holistic healing.

Dr. Will Ross, Washington University School of Medicine

Local control and moral courage

Iraq war veteran Lt. Col Paul Yingling was a notable critic of the political/military leadership fiasco in Iraq. Yingling vehemently argues that the military’s leadership system needs to be fixed, adding, “But it is too much to expect the generals to suddenly wake up and start thinking differently… because they were products of a system.” Yingling says that the system “does little to reward creativity and moral courage.” History is being made in St. Louis. The police department will soon be under local control and will be moving to a new headquarters. It’s a time for introspection and contemplation as to the future of the department. Will the “new broom” mentality prevail and sweep clean the department, or will the department’s soiled carpet and the dirt beneath it be installed in the department’s new HQ?

We are presented with an opportunity to effect political oversight of the police department and to establish a system of police management in which leadership, creativity and moral courage are

black and Hispanic gang members been psychologically analyzed so we may prevent the next spilling of blood in the ghetto? Crimes committed by black people against other black people have always been dismissed by lawmakers as merely the begrimed activity of a subhuman population. But when all the talk is finished, none of the solutions will solve the crisis faced by those occupying these war zones. I suppose not even mild regard extends to the poor – especially those black and brown. If American concern with respect to gun violence is indeed genuine, then any solutions to the problem must address the violence all Americans face. Both victims and victimizers must be treated justly by law makers, law enforcement, and the criminal justice system if we aspire to heal the country from the deep wounds which afflict us. America in 2013 remains stuck in neutral, undecided on the fundamental ethos which undergirds its very existence, and until that most important self-evident truth espoused in the founding documents of this country – that all people are created equal – is finally realized, the entire country inches closer to the complete crumbling of this would-be American democracy. Timothy Dwight Smith is a nationally published journalist. He may be reached at timothy. smith@washburn.edu.

rewarded. But it’s too much to ask current police commanders to think differently because they are products of St. Louis’ “police system,” which is an integral part of the city’s morally bankrupt political system. Needed change in the department will have to come from the outside: from the citizenry.

Michael K. Broughton Green Park

Backwards system

One of the primary charges of a state legislator is to support the Constitution and, thus, the First Amendment rights of his or her citizens. That is why the legislature’s interest in protecting the paychecks of public employees is heartening.

Currently many of Missouri’s unionized public employees have to “opt-out” of having dues removed from their paychecks that would be used for union political activities – activities with which many employees may disagree. Yet, these free speech dollars should presumptively be the employee’s, not the union’s. The present system has this backwards.

A modest reform that would allow employees to instead opt into directly paying for union political activities would be a wise one. Let employees donate to political causes as they see fit, and let unions compete for those dollars like everyone else.

Patrick Ishmael, St. Louis

Grateful film fest

I wanted to thank you for your support of the African Film Festival this year. This year, we had the youngest batch of filmmakers who presented their work.

I want to thank our sponsors from Washington University: African & African-American Studies, Film & Media Studies (especially our projectionist Brett Smith), African Students Association, African Students in the School of Social Work, and the Women’s Society. We are grateful for funding from the Missouri Arts Council. We also thank the Saint Louis Art Museum for co-presenting our Youth Matinee and providing

craft activities and to Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. –Saint Louis Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter for their co-presentation on Saturday. I depend on you to spread the word about the festival. We are all deeply grateful.

Wilmetta Toliver-Diallo Washington University

Guest Columnist Timothy Smith

Public School Video Contest

TheMissouri Public School Advocates, a statewidenonprofit organization whose mission is to ensure the stability and strength of Missouri Public Schools, Colleges and Universities, has launched a video contest called, “I Am Missouri Public Schools.”

The organization is encouraging supporters of Missouri’s public schools to submit short videos about what they love about their public school.

The winner of the contest will receive an iPad mini and $1,000 for the Missouri public school of his or her choice. Contest is open to anyone and everyone who is a supporter of Missouri public schools. The videos must be no longer than two minutes, and contestants must say the line “I Am Missouri Public Schools” at some point in the video.

Apromotional video about the contest, can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=mzrHUGIleig Deadline to submit videos is April 22. Videos can be submitted on the Missouri Public School AdvocatesFacebook page. Finalists will be selected through voting on Facebook, after the end of the entry period. The grand prize winner will be selected through voting on the Missouri Public School Advocates website.

For more information about the contest, email dunn830@gmail.com or call 816-510-9763.

Funds for Meds & Food for Kids

The “RaRa”Music of Haitian “Kanaval”echoed through the Saint Louis Science Center Saturday night recently at the second annual Experience Kanaval Gala and Auction for Meds & Food for Kids,the St.Louis-based organization that makes and distributes “Medika Mamba,”a supercharged peanut butter in Haiti for treatment of malnutrition.This year's "Experience Kanaval and The Spirit of RaRa" Gala event raised $190,000.For more information about Meds & Food For Kids,call 314-420-1634 or visit www.mfkhaiti.org.

Howard leads HBCUs in Peace Corps volunteers

Howard University in Washington, D.C. , holds the top rank for Peace Corps volunteer-producing Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with 21 undergraduate alumni serving as Peace Corps volunteers and 204 alumni having served overseas since 1961. Morehouse College is second with eight and Spelman College is third with five.

Peace Corps volunteers spend 27 months abroad working in education, health community economic development, environment, youth in development or agriculture. Peace Corps volunteers return from service with advantages in federal employment, readjustment allowances, and loan deferment and cancellation opportunities.

Ninety percent of volunteer positions require a bachelor’s degree. Americans with backgrounds in agriculture, environment, teaching English as a second language, and other technical or language skills related to Peace Corps assignment areas are encouraged to apply for service one year in advance of their target departure date.

See www.peacecorps.gov.

Poorbaby syndrome

By Esther J.Cepeda Washington Post

Judging by news coverage of the nation’s fastest growing ethnic minority, you’d think that “the Hispanic condition” was a pathology. With the exception of growing power in the voting booth, the news makes it seem as though we’re all poor, sick and generally unable to cope with life as well as others.

There are simply too many examples of the negativity that seems to drive reporting on – and perceptions of – the health and economic wellbeing of Hispanics to list here. But let me illustrate my point with some recent coverage surrounding Latino learners.

“Mexican-American children lag in pre-literacy skills, but not social strengths, study reveals” was a popular headline based on research from the University of California.

Consider this eye-popping statement in the university’s press release: “The researchers caution teachers, pediatricians and other health care providers to ‘not assume social-emotional delays, even when language or cognitive skills lag somewhat behind.’”

The research found that Mexican-American toddlers ages 2 and 3 displayed language and cognitive skills about eight months behind those of their white peers, whether assessed in English or Spanish. The gap persisted through ages 4 and 5.

This study finally made the environmental connection: While most Mexican-American parents nurture socially agile children, factors such as lower incomes, more children in the home and few family reading traditions usually mean these students will arrive at kindergarten behind their non-Hispanic classmates.

So Mexican-American youngsters aren’t less cognitively able than their peers. They are just a little behind because the “read to your children” culture hasn’t yet taken hold in their homes. I hope every educator in America gets that memo.

Hispanics have been singled out as the only children in our school systems who can’t deal with English-language immersion lest it ruin their psyches, dishonor their ethnic roots, and needlessly challenge them.

In Illinois, children who would learn English as a second language are first taught to read and write – or taught exclusively – in their native tongue. This continues until they can be transitioned, over many years in most cases, into English-speaking classrooms.

By their native language I mean Spanish, because other immigrant students who show up to school speaking, say, Russian, Polish or Chinese are mainstreamed with only minimal English-as-a-second-language supports. There simply aren’t enough of them per grade level to offer special native-language classrooms. It’s not often acknowledged that such students, because of that immersion, are usually extremely successful in quickly learning to speak English.

When I taught “bilingual ed” at a high school, I saw non-Spanishspeaking immigrant students go from zero to near-fluency in English in mere months. Yet I also taught 16-year-old students who had been born in the U.S. but trapped in “bilingual” classrooms their whole lives and still couldn’t speak English.

Too frequently, educators get caught up in the “pobrecito syndrome,” as in “poor baby, of course he’s going to underachieve, he’s disadvantaged!”

The steady diet of bad news about segments of the Hispanic population drive a myth that all Latinos are downtrodden, at-risk or simply not as able as others. The next time you see a headline about Latinos’sorry state, flip the script by remembering: There’s always, always more to the story. Esther Cepeda’s email address is estherjcepeda@washpost.com.

Esther J. Cepeda

Continued from A1

Louis American Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awards Luncheon at the Frontenac Hilton.

The reception will begin at 11 a.m. and the program will start at noon. She will be honored alongside longtime family friend and mentor Art Perry, the foundation’s 2013 Lifetime Achiever.

Craig’s extensive background in both medicine and business has been an invaluable asset at Family Care Health Centers, says CEO Robert Massie.

“What’s so rare is having a practicing physician who sees patients and is also a very strong administrator and business leader,” Massie said. “She encourages the organization to not only grow by adding more physicians and medical providers, but to grow the other services that we have.”

Thanks in part to Craig’s efforts, Massie said, the center now houses medical, dental, vision, behavioral health, nutrition, WIC, laboratory, and HIV/AIDS counseling and testing services under one roof for maximum accessibility and collaboration of care.

“My commitment and mission have always been to the medically indigent,” Craig

EL-AMIN

Continued from A1

The American: It’s not unusual for someone to write a book while in prison. But I was surprised to learn you had written a novel with an involved plot that didn’t seem to have much to do with your own life. Why this story?

TD El-Amin: It became a diversion from the reality of my incarceration. I was able to experience and express things through my writing that I was not physically privy to on the inside, i.e. intimacy, love. There was a genuineness in the

said. By this she means people who come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and are often uninsured or rely on public insurance plans like Medicaid and Medicare. At Family Care Health Centers, uninsured patients are served on a sliding fee based on income and family size. Medication discounts are available for all eligible patients. “No one is denied access because of their financial or

writing. It did come from real travels, experiences and a mix of imagination, the degree of which I leave to the imagination of the reader. I knew that there were some who expected me to write a story detailing my experiences with the case, but I was not prepared to relive the emotions – or have my family relive the emotions – through print of those experiences, especially in the early stages of my release when I was trying to get my footing and family back solid.

The American: In terms of genre, would you say it is a romance?

social circumstance,” Craig said. “We are here when no one else is.”

Educational outreach is also a top priority at Family Care Health Centers.

“We do our best to try and make sure our patients understand their medical conditions,” Craig said. “And if they don’t have chronic medical problems, that they understand the benefits and reasons for preventative medicine, like immunizations and screening

TD El-Amin: I would say it’s romance and suspense. Some by the nature of me being African-American would attempt to place it an urban category, and although that’s a niche market that I definitely seek to appeal to, the book has international themes and appeal, and I hope that young, old, white, black, women and men can find interest. Heck, I’m looking to have it translated into Italian in the fall. It is first set in Italy.

The American: Is there any calculated professional intent there? Like you are going after popular genres that sell?

tests – things that will increase their chances of living a long and healthy life.”

Family Care Health Centers partners with a number of educational organizations in St. Louis County and city that have an investment in the community like the Maternal and Child Health Foundation, food banks and the YMCA.

Her favorite TVshow inspired her to specialize in family medicine. Marcus Welby, M.D. was a medical

TD El-Amin: I first wrote for the love of it. Secondly, that I would find it interesting enough to purchase. I guess to do something you love and get paid for it is definitely ideal, so you look at it, but never solely allow your writing to be dictated by trend. You stay true to that which naturally flows from within. That’s what I want to stay true to, and if the Creator sees fit to reward me financially for that gift, then I’ll humbly accept it. I’m really looking to chart a new path that bridges languages, countries and various cultures, in hope of exploring the possibilities of love beyond the common barriers that you even find in the literary world.

Johnetta Craig, M.D.,M.B.A.,is the St.Louis American Foundation’s 2013 Health Care Administrator of the Year.

drama that aired during the late 1960s to mid-‘70s about a middle-aged general practitioner. She admired his unselfish investment in his patients and the community.

“My vision was to create a Marcus Welby-type situation for poor people because I felt that they were just as deserving of a physician who was invested in them and would advocate for them when they couldn’t.”

She had another model of

Sort of a multiculturalist romance writer, examining the dilemmas in love between cultures.

The American: So what do you love about writing?

TD El-Amin: I love that you can make a world as you see fit. That you can be authentic and yet secretly hide yourself, your hopes, fears, imagination, desires, frustrations in characters. That you can give justice to whom you desire, and that you can touch and connect with someone in any way you desire. Writing is very therapeutic for me. There’s a tremendous internal power and peace that comes to me.

The American: You told me you always have wanted to be a writer. But it seems like this period of incarceration got you to actually finish a book for the first time.

TD El-Amin: Writing was cultivated early on. I remember writing President Jimmy Carter in 1979 and Ted Kennedy leading up to the Democratic primary. Writing poetry, short stories, and other stuff. (Of course, stuff like that put me into the “too nice” category, “eternal friend” zone with the girls.)

My first book I began writing was when I was 18 and in the U.S. Navy. It was biographical fiction focused on my family called “The Frog and the Lily Pad.” My father’s nickname was Frog and the lily pad represented the adventures of my home. But yes, it’s safe to say that my incarceration gave me the motivation and time to write. I felt it was a way to extract a blessing from an unfortunate circumstance.

The American: You selfpublished, which is becoming more and more common and can lead to major success. Did you form a publishing company, and has your family agreed to a budget?

TD El-Amin: With so many self-publishing tools, it has become easier for the individual to maintain control. I’m in the process of forming a publishing company. What I’ve done is network with other authors who’ve had success in publishing their works, and I’m studying them and the industry and trends. Things are no doubt tight, so my family (all praise to God for my beautiful wife) has been a tremendous support system, both financially and mentally.

The American: As a writer I know it’s sometimes hard for spouses to understand when you disappear into writing. How is that going?

TD El-Amin: Yaphett has been very supportive of my endeavors. She has long

medical service right in her neighborhood, pharmacist Art Perry, the 2013 Lifetime Achiever. Craig grew up in the Central West End on the same block as Perry and his family. As a self-proclaimed bookworm, she spent many weekends at home and often babysat Perry’s children. Craig went to undergrad at University of Missouri-Kansas City and earned her M.D. at the University of Iowa Medical School. She completed her residency at St. Peters Medical Center in New Jersey. She obtained her M.B.A. from the prestigious Wharton School of Business at the University Pennsylvania. She previously worked at free community health clinics and centers in Dayton, Ohio and Wilmington, Del.

“We treat our patients as part of our family,” Craig said of Family Care Health Centers. “We are family medicinebased. You take care of your patient from the womb to the grave.”

Tickets for the 13th Annual Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awards Luncheon on Friday, April 26 at the Frontenac Hilton are $75 each/$750 table for VIP/Corporate seating and $50 each/$500 table for Individual seating. To order tickets, call 314-533-8000 or visit www.stlamerican.com.

known my passion and encouraged me for years to pursue what she knew I loved as art and profession, even when my interest waned. We’ve always, I believe, tried to be supportive of each other’s endeavors, be it personal or political. After 14 years, you kind of get the playbook together and take the field with complete confidence that you’re in it to win it. I really have to reiterate the importance of the family’s support throughout the last few years in giving me the ability and room to write. It has been a team effort that really has been spearheaded by my wife, who had to bear the brunt of raising the children in my absence and holding down the household, and of course that of the extended family that played integral roles in supporting me while I was away.

The American: Incarceration is an enormous burden. You must have a lot of insight into the domino effect of one man’s mistakes and how many families in this country are crippled in this way.

TD El-Amin: It’s heartbreaking. There’s a cost-benefit analysis that needs to be assessed for the perpetrator of crimes and the institution that incarcerates them. What are the social costs to the system and families? There’s a reason why many states are having budget deficits, and a large part is the cost of incarceration, both social and economic.

That’s why many states, including Republican legislators, have looked into engaging alternatives in their policy, because they know it makes more sense to keep a person on the tax rolls instead of making them a tax liability. That’s not to say you throw away the rule of law, but really look at the cost and benefit, and possibly alternative sentencing solutions that can address the wrongdoing in such a way that the social costs don’t have a negative generational impact. I had decent health care inside, had dental checkups, physicals. Who paid for that? When you calculate the cost of my incarceration and compare that to the crime, you gotta ask yourself, who won? The state who paid upward to $40-50 grand for prosecution and housing and health care? But, bottom line: It’s best to try to be on the right side of the law, then I wouldn’t be doing this calculation anyway.

T.D. El-Amin reads from and signs copies of Mia Farone: Lost and Turned Out 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 19 at Missouri History Museum, along with Virvus Jones and Chris King reading from their unpublished

Photo by Wiley Price

DORSEY

Continued from A1

Community College and Career Training initiative. The grant’s goal is that some 3,300 trade-impacted and long-term unemployed workers throughout Missouri will receive training for careers in production, industrial maintenance, welding, machining, and transportation and logistics.

State Rep. Clem Smith of North St. Louis County is living proof that grants such as MoManufacturingWINS get people back to work, he said. Athird-generation autoworker, Smith lost his job at the Chrysler Assembly Plant after 13 years when the recession forced its closure in 2009. Through a partnership program between Boeing and St. Louis Community College, Smith had a job with Boeing within three months. He currently is an aircraft assembly mechanic after completing short-term training at what is now known as STLCC’s St. Louis Aerospace Institute.

“Ultimately, the goal is to make this region more attractive to employers, and I believe they will come because what drives that is a skilled workforce,” Smith said.

“These programs will help that because they work. These programs not only help individuals like me, but they also help the economy and they help the employer.”

HORRY

Continued from A1 wore T-shirts with the pastor’s face printed on them. Skits were performed. There was laughing, dancing and singing, all celebrating the pastor to show him how much he’s loved.

Atribute video was screened, which included examples of Pastor Horry’s dramatic preaching style. This includes the use of an aerosol spray can to flame a match at the pulpit to illustrate the burning fire of Christ as he feels it.

On Sunday of the celebration weekend, St. Charles Mayor Sally Faith attended services and presented Pastor Horry with a Proclamation and Key to the City of St. Charles. Bishop John A. Cherry, Pastor Horry’s faith leader in Washington, D.C., came to town as a surprise to join the celebration.

The Ark of Safety Christian Church, affectionately called the “Ark,” is a non-denominational faith-based church with

STLCC Chancellor Myrtle Dorsey,left,and U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis look at a nameplate produced by students in an engineering course at St.Louis Community College that was presented to Solis during her visit to the college’s Emerson Center for Engineering and Manufacturing last fall.

partnerships.

The idea is to get the river communities to talk and coordinate on disaster response, economic stabilization “and everything unique to the Mississippi River,” Dorsey said.

In October, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis visited the Florissant Valley campus of SLCC to explain why the federal government feels the manufacturing training initiative is needed.

“It’s important that those who have lost jobs through no fault of their own get back into the work place and into just as competitive fields, if not more so, and be able to do so by obtaining credentials that mean something,” Solis said.

The health-care field is also a focus for the college’s workforce efforts. Through the MoHealthWINS federal grant, the college trained 785 people in healthcare in last year and will train an anticipated 849 this year. Apart of the population that is sometimes overlooked is the over-50 residents. This is the college’s first year for the Plus 50 Completion Strategy Grant, which offers a wide range of training – from entrepreneur and technology to nursing and caregiving.

a family-oriented ministry. The Ark has over 700 members who worship and serve at its $4.2 million facility in St. Charles where Pastor Horry leads a spirit-filled worship service, weekly Bible study and weekly spiritual growth classes.

The Ark’s more than 20 ministries – all under the motto

“You’re going to have to follow me as I follow Christ in every aspect of my life.”

– Pastor Raymond Horry

“One God, One Love, One Church” – include an Adolescent Ministry, Baptismal Ministry, Beautification Ministry, Bereavement Ministry, Culinary Ministry, Fellowship Ministry, Health Awareness Ministry, Intercessory Ministry and Media Sales Ministry.

Pastor Horry founded the Ark of Safety Christian Church

Although the college’s programs for older workers have been around for years, this

in June 2006. Although he imagined a small congregation, the church grew to 550 members in less than seven months.

On October 7, 2007, the first Sunday service was held in the newly purchased building, with praise and worship going forth under the leadership of Minister Kathy D. Horry.

The Horrys met while working together in the Music Ministry of the Heart Church Ministry in Washington, D.C., under the leadership of Bishop Cherry. They married after extensive pre-marital classes and were encouraged to take their ministry to St. Louis, where he served as Youth Director and she served as Music Director of the St. Louis Christian Center.

Within a year the couple was ordained, as Youth Pastor and Music Minister, respectively, and Pastor Horry was promoted to the position of Assistant Pastor of St. Louis Christian Center. The Horrys said they were then moved to found the Ark “out of sheer obedience to the Lord.”

Pastor Horry was born in 1963 in Charleston, S.C. He

grant is a new push in trying to get older people in different careers, Dorsey said.

“For some people it’s new, and for others it’s reopening their eyes to possibilities and options,” she said.

The college is also part of the Mississippi River Consortium, comprised of community college-led work-

grew up in the church, and was told on occasion by the mothers of his church that he had a gift from God that made others feel good about Christ.

He graduated from North Carolina A&TState University, with a degree in accounting. He traveled extensively for his career, until finally settling down in the Washington, D.C. area, where

force and economic development teams in different communities along the Mississippi River that meet regularly to help low-income adults access higher education and sustainable wage employment. The consortium, sponsored by W.K. Kellogg Foundation, establishes long-term coordinated employment and training

he began the faith journey that led him to the Ark.

Pastor Horry also has written and published a book, The Marriage Cup and the Covenant. He says, “Marriage is a natural institution governed by spiritual principals, because it is derived from and by God.”

Solis noted that in Missouri, manufacturing contributed $60 billion in direct and indirect benefits to the state economy as 23 percent of Missouri’s workers are employed in advanced manufacturing-related occupations. The average wage in advanced manufacturing is approximately $49,000.

“We are supporting schools that will work directly with companies and corporations that respond to the real needs of employers,” Solis said.

“Manufacturing is growing here and it is very important to the state and our economy overall.”

The Horrys are the proud parents of two sons, Raymond Jr. and Raynard, and one daughter, Witney LaTrice.

“You’re going to have to follow me as I follow Christ in every aspect of my life,” Pastor Horry preaches. Highlights from the tribute video from Pastor Horry’s birthday celebration are posted at http://vimeo.com/ 9749778. For more information, visit www.arkofsafety.cc.

The public must save public schools

Here I am again – pleading the case for support of public education. There is a continued assault on the institution of education from within and without and from sea to shining sea. The public school experiment over the last couple of generations has not been without consequence to the individual student, our communities and ultimately the nation. If these were other than poor white and children of color, we would not be having this conversation; the problem would be solved.

Mostly what we hear about public education is decidedly negative, making it difficult to see the redeeming value of public schools. Headlines blast state takeovers, sex crimes,

financial embezzlements. In between the chaos, many teachers are teaching. Some are resisting the media and institutional assaults; others are even organizing against it, such as Washington state teachers rebelling against standardized tests.

The cheating scandal in the Atlanta School District has been likened to a criminal conspiracy. Former school superintendent Beverly Hall has been indicted on racketeering with bail set at $7.5 million. Thirty four others have been indicted for systematic cheating on standardized tests, and up to 200 others may have been involved.

No Wall Street execs have been indicted or sent to jail for illegal acts that took the

country into an economic recession that rivaled the Great Depression. I’m certainly not justifying the Atlanta folks, just putting it in perspective.

This is not the first case of cheating on standardized tests and surely won’t be the last. The pressure from former President Bush’s No Child Left Behind and from President Obama’s Race to the Top is almost inescapable.

But it is the children who always suffer, the same children who already face formidable obstacles when it comes to achieving academic success and making it in an unforgiving world.

and implement effective school reform are quick to take the negative and roll it into more punitive measures. We see this over and over again, as policies and laws are inflicted upon the system with no measurable positive impact.

Jamala Rogers

Those who know little about how to build a viable institution

Tennessee lawmakers have introduced a bill that would reduce welfare payments to parents whose children don’t fare well on standardized tests. This hardly addresses the problems either.

St. Louis schools were taken over by the state Board of Education in 2007, and a Special Administrative Board (SAB) of three was put in place over the democratically

elected board. Last year, the district met enough of the academic and performance standards needed to go from unaccredited to provisional accreditation.

However, Missouri Education Commissioner Chris Nicastro says the decision was made as an incentive to keep the district moving forward in the right direction as it has a long ways to go. The elected school board has struggled for cohesion and focus since the SAB came on the scene. The hope is that the three members just elected will add fresh insights and energy to the board. The board is answerable to voters; the SAB is answerable to those who appointed them (the governor, mayor and aldermanic

president). The majority of our kids still go to public school – nearly 50 million, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Only a fraction of students attend charter, private and parochial schools. That’s a lot of potential we’re allowing to be squandered.

What’s still missing is the “public” in public schools: the kind of public engagement that could press for meaningful changes in how schools operate. In spite of the scandals and sordid headlines, the institutions that we rely on to help socialize and educate children must be saved. I rest my case.

Obituaries

Alberta Alease Stewart Thomas

Alberta Alease Stewart Thomas was born May 1, 1914 to the union of Noah Stewart and Ella Cobb in Oxford, Ohio. After the death of her parents, her uncle, William Cobb, brought her to St. Louis, Missouri to live with his family and her beloved grandma, Mandy. Tookie, as she was lovingly called, came from a good Baptist Christian home. She was educated in the Indianola Public Schools. She attended Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi, one of the oldest historically black colleges in the United States, and Tucker’s Business College in St. Louis, Missouri, were she studied Bookkeeping. Alberta worked for the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, as a cashier and bookkeeper in the St. Louis office; Cardinal Ritter Institute, as a Senior Aide; and the Urban League, as a receptionist. Alberta was united in Holy Matrimony to Joseph Thomas, a Linotypist for the St. Louis Argus Newspaper, on July 29, 1939. They were blessed with three sons: Llewellyn (Lou), Reginald (Joe Reg), and Ewell. Her husband, Joe and oldest son, Llewellyn preceded her in death. Alberta believed in prayer and faith in God. It helped her “tough it out” when tragedy and sorrow had struck. She was a dedicated person giving all she had to help others. In 1961, Alberta was baptized by the most Reverend Charles R. Koester and became a Parishioner at St. Ann’s Church. Being a faithful Catholic, Alberta served as Lector, Proclaimer, and Commentator at both St. Ann’s Shrine Parish and Visitation-St. Ann’s Shrine Parish. At St. Ann’s Shrine parish she worked in leadership positions with the annual Novena, the Parish Council, President of Ladies Sodality, Pro Life Program, Legion of Mary organization, Chairman of World Affairs Mission, Chairman of renew Program, and Parish Representative to the North Deanery. She was regular in attendance at Mass and other church activities as long as her health allowed. In January 1999, Alberta was one of a few selected to meet and

shake hands with Pope John Paul, II at Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. Organization affiliations: the National Congress of Parents and teachers; President, Riddick Elementary School PTA; helped organize Marshall School’ s PTA; President Sumner High School PTA; Missouri PTA; St. Louis Council of PTA participated until 1995); Sally Stewart Study Club; Tuckers’ Business College Alumni; March of Dimes Telethon; worked on political campaigns for both Congressman William (Bill) Clay, William (Lacy) Clay and Comptroller Darlene Green; The St. Louis Sentinel Newspaper Annual Fashion Show; and the National Council of Senior Citizens. Awards and Honors: Certificates of Merit-National Congress of Parents and Teachers, St. Louis Public Schools Sumner-Beaumont District, Top Ladies of Distinction; Sigma Gamma Rho, Zeta Sigma Chapter Humanities Award; Cardinal Ritter Institutes Service Award; Phi Delta Kappa, Alpha NU Parent of Distinction Award; Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Xi Zeta Chapter, Service Award, St. Charles Lwanga Center, Community Award; The Metro East Chapter of Women of Achievement, Inc., Profile of Prominence Award; the Sentinel Charities, Inc. Distinguished Service Award; and the Most Reverend Justin Rigali (Archbishop of St. Louis), 38 Years of service to the agency of Catholic Charities. Alberta departed this life Saturday, March 30, 2013. Alberta leaves to cherish her loving memory: two sons, Joseph Reginald (Adrienne) Thomas, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Ewell Thomas; eleven grandchildren; twelve great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; daughters-in-law, Georgia Thomas, Lillie (Mickey) Sloan, LaVerne Pollard, and Karla hays; special extended family, Alice McHugh, Loretta Jones, Gwendolyn Pennington and Verdelia Ridley; and a host of other relatives and close friends.

Darry Cornell Trice

Darry Cornell Trice was born on December 18, 1956 at Homer G. Phillips to the union of Raymond and Crissinnia Trice at City Hospital #1 in St. Louis, Missouri. He was the second of six children. At an early age, he was christened at Holy Guardian

Angels Catholic Church and came to know and love Jesus Christ. He graduated from Beaumont High School in 1976. He also competed and was selected to participate in Project 7001, Inc., an education enrichment program sponsored by the Department of Education. He worshiped at Covenant for Life Christian Center under Pastor Trice.

Darry met the love of his life, Roxy, and they were married on May 16, 2007. He has one daughter, Danyel Smith and one stepson, Ryan St. Hill.

“Butch” or “Slim”, as he as affectionately known, was employed for over four decades, primarily in the hospitality industry. He worked at the Crowne Plaza for 23 years, then moved to Davenport, IA where he excelled at the Hotel Blackhawk and was one of only three employees selected by the Secret Service to serve as the point of contact for President Barack Obama’s security detail during his stay at the hotel. Upon his return to St. Louis, he continued to work for the same owners at the new location, Holiday Inn Route 66.

Darry was an avid tennis player and participated in numerous competitions over the years and belonged to

several organizations. He was devoted to his game and played as much as he could. He loved his tennis family and they loved him back.

Darry was preceded in death by his mother, Crissinnia Buchanan; stepfather, Rev. Charles Buchanan; and his stepson, Russell Deon Anderson.

He leaves to cherish his memory: devoted wife Roxy Trice; father, Raymond Trice; father-in-law, Harvey Anderson; beloved daughter, Danyel Smith; stepson, Ryan St. Hill: sisters, Charlita, Veronica, Waletta (Lavandris); brothers, Wardell, Ramon (Ruby), Joey; uncle, Albert (Josephine); five grandchildren, Traybeon, Reaco, Lorerco, Lorenzo, D’nya; and a host of loving nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

In Loving

Memory of the late Dianne M. Pittman

Sunrise: April 5, 1941

Sunset: July 22, 2000

I love you, I miss you, and, I thank God for your life and all that you did for me as well as others! I miss you, Mama!

Until we meet again,

Attention

St. Louis American Readers

As a service to the community, we list obituaries in the St. Louis American Newspaper, on a space-available basis and online at stlamerican.com. AT NO CHARGE. Please send all obituary notices to kdaniel @stlamerican.com.

Chuck Caldwell

Saturday, April 13, 2013 4 pm

Washington A.M.E. Zion (613 N. Garrison Ave.)

Dr. R. Jerome Williams, Sr.

Saturday, April 13, 2013 11 am

Pilgrim Congregational Church (826 Union Blvd.)

Alberta Thomas

Darry Trice

Dianne Pittman

We’ll see.

Supreme Court smacks down

Dierker

Nearly three years after Judge Robert H. Dierker Jr. “detected an issue” that was not outlined in pleadings against Paul McKee Jr. and his Northside Regeneration project – and then used the issue he detected as the basis for his ruling against McKee and voiding his redevelopment agreement with the City of St. Louis – the Missouri Supreme Court has told Dierker, in no uncertain terms, that a trial court can’t do that.

In his July 2010 ruling, Dierker introduced his own objection to McKee’s redevelopment agreement with the city – namely, that the agreement allegedly did not specify any single “shovelready” project. Based on his own objection, Dierker sided with the plaintiffs and froze the $390 million in TIF incentives McKee was planning to use to get started on the infrastructure improvements that his redevelopment area sorely needs.

“The trial court held that the general allegations in the pleadings … adequately raised the issue of whether there was a sufficiently specific redevelopment project,” Chief Justice Richard B. Teitelman writes in the Missouri Supreme Court opinion issued on Tuesday. “Northside asserts that the trial court erred in ruling that the ordinances lacked a redevelopment agreement project because

plaintiffs and intevenors did not properly raise the issue. Northside is correct.” Dierker was wrong.

The Supremes offer a quote from a 2009 Missouri Court of Appeals ruling that hammers the point home via case law: “To the extent that [a] judgment goes beyond the pleadings, it is void.” Dierker’s judgment went beyond the pleadings, so it is void. Dierker’s ruling is overturned. Nearly three years later, McKee has a redevelopment agreement again. There was no doubt in the court’s mind in this matter.

Five judges concurred with Teitelman’s opinion – Judges Patricia Breckenridge, George W. Draper III, Zel M. Fischer, Mary R. Russell and Laura Denvir Stith – with Judge Paul C. Wilson not participating. Score that 6-0 against Dierker. (The Court of Appeals previously passed on the hot potato, in essence saying the case would end up at the Supreme Court eventually so we might as well get on with it.)

In his 2010 ruling, Dierker produced three reasons why his “detecting” an issue that was not raised in court pleadings was not judicial activism. Without going into tedious detail, he cited three ways the issue was raised in court that were not included in pleadings filed by plaintiffs and intervenors. The Supreme

Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard B. Teitelman (left) wrote a unanimous 6-0 opinion overturning Judge Robert H. Dierker Jr.’s 2010 ruling on a suit filed against Northside developer Paul McKee Jr. (right).

Court shredded all three reasons, resulting in the one flash of sarcastic wit in what is otherwise a bone-dry opinion: “The sum of three insufficient bases for raising the issue is still an insufficient basis for raising an issue.” Dierker surely cursed aloud when he read that barb from Teitelman, one of the kindest and least sarcastic human beings on the planet.

Point of procedure

The EYE might add a note for people who have not thought much about our system of jurisprudence and may not understand why a judge can’t come up with his own reason for rejecting or accepting something. Unlike legal thrillers in fiction and film, which so often turn on a surprise witness or suddenly discovered evidence, there are few surprises in a properly adjudicated courtroom. Your opponent must file with the court what they plan to argue and on what evidence and with which witnesses. This procedure was devised to give each side fair and equal opportunity to refute the arguments and undermine the evidence and witnesses gathered by the opposition. Obviously, this is not possible when the evidence that crushes your case is introduced, not by your opponent in court filings,

but by the judge in his opinion after you have rested your case

The EYE saw all this coming. As we wrote last November about Dierker’s screwy ruling: “Dierker does not hide his judicial activism, but rather he narrates it as he goes along, taking full credit for it, admitting he is ruling based on ‘an issue detected by the Court’ rather than one introduced in the pleadings he was adjudicating. The judge in essence became another intervenor trying to help out the plaintiffs with what he considers to be better pleadings, and then ruling on the basis of his own newly introduced ‘issue.’”

The procedural law is so clear in this matter that the redevelopment of 1,500 acres of the city of St. Louis has been stalled for nearly three years by what amounts to a judicial prank.

Pay your own bills

The Missouri Supreme Court did agree with Dierker on one point: McKee should not have to pay the legal fees incurred by the plaintiffs and intervenors, which the court may order in “special circumstances.” According to Teitelman and his colleagues, there is nothing “special” about losing in court. “As in all litigation, the parties simply advocated inconsistent

legal and factual positions,” the Supreme Court ruled. “Advocating inconsistent positions is not a special circumstance; it is the very nature of litigation.” Again, for a guy like Rick Teitelman, that’s the equivalent of flipping someone the bird.

The Rex factor

So who isn’t getting paid?

The lead attorney for the plaintiffs, Dorian Amon tragically is no longer with us. The intervenors were represented by the unlikely three-headed legal team of former blacktivist Eric E. Vickers, Show-Me Institute type W. Bevis Schock and James W. Schottel Jr. Vickers now works for state Senator Jamilah Nasheed, who has hopped into political bed with Mayor Francis G. Slay, who signed the redevelopment agreement with McKee and wants his project to go forward. So Vickers is out of the picture. Dierker sealed the record on the funding angel who was paying some legal fees for the intervenors; the EYE considers Show-Me Institute founder Rex Sinquefield to be a likely suspect. If this guess is accurate, then Rex is the only antagonist to McKee left standing, at least in this legal matter. Does Rex hate TIF more than he loves Francis?

Reed reprisal

On Friday the Democratic Caucus for the Board of Aldermen will meet in private to agree on rules. Aldermanic President Lewis Reed, his supporters and the black aldermen who count on Reed to cover their back all expect reprisal against Reed for running hard against Slay in the mayoral primary. Slay stooges Alderman Steve Conway and Fred Wessels are expected to lead an effort to undermine Reed’s power in leading the board, which includes his power to make committee assignments.

The number of blacks serving on the board is down to 11 – a low point not seen since the 1970s – and of those 11, even fewer are accountable and committed to anything that might be called “a black agenda.” So it has occurred to everyone at the board that limiting the number of committees on which any alderman can serve would seriously limit the number of responsible black aldermen with committee positions. What happens in that private meeting will have serious repercussions for what happens in the next legislative session that opens next week. There are two other crucial issues facing the depleted ranks of responsible black aldermen. The board has several young white aldermen – Shane Cohn, Scott Ogilvie, Christine Ingrassia – who emerged from a new base, different from the racially isolated South Side culture that spawned the likes of Wessels and Conway. Will they remain independent and available to the black caucus on crucial issues? And then there is Alderman Sharon Tyus, who returns to the board after beating Charles Quincy Troupe. Who is coming on board at the black caucus? The competent and shrewd battler Sharon Tyus, or the divisive and destructive Sharon Tyus? We shall see.

Ms. RichLane’s Class Shenandoah Elementary

Students Loamon Dean, Rosalind Robinson, Timmy Nguyen, and Tammy Johnson work on their bios of famous inventors with the help of 5th & 6th grade teacher Tiffany Rich-Lane.

SCIENCE CORNER

5 Ways Play Can Change Your Day!

on Aug. 29, 1910, Vivien Theodore Thomas was born in Louisiana, the grandson of a slave. Thomas attended Pearl High School in Nashville, Tenn., and dreamed of becoming a doctor. When he graduated, he was not able to attend college because his family could not afford it due to the Great Depression.

In February of 1930, Thomas’ friend was able to get him a job as a surgical technician with Dr. Alfred Blalock at Vanderbilt University. He was the African American surgical technician that developed a method to treat blue baby syndrome. This was a disease that affected the heart and circulation in infants, giving them a blue coloring due to lack of oxygen circulation.

According to the American Heart Association, participating in healthy exercise for 60 minutes a day is recommended. Why is play important? It gets you up and it gets you active. There are many benefits to getting active.

q Regular physical activity will help you sleep better. When your body is tired, it sends a message to your mind and you will sleep soundly at night. Eight to 10 hours of sleep are recommended per night. Keeping active will help your body and your mind communicate so you can rest up.

w Physical activity increases your energy. When your heart rate increases, your body receives more oxygen, you breathe more easily, and you have a sense of renewed energy.

e Being active can help your concentration. If you participate in 20-30 minutes of activity before you

SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

Video game designers have made a lot of effort to incorporate activity and exercise in their games. With your classmates, brainstorm a list of video games that promote exercise, health, and fitness. Can these games replace traditional exercise programs and help you meet your heart health goals? In this experiment, you will participate in these games and record your results.

Materials Needed: • Video Game that Promotes Activity and Exercise • Journal to Record Results • Calculator (optional) • Watch or Stopwatch

Procedure:

q Before you begin this experiment, calculate your resting heart rate. Feel your pulse for 10 seconds, count the heartbeats, and multiply by 6. ___________

MATH CONNECTION

To calculate your maximum heart rate, you should subtract your age from 220. For example, a 15 year old would have a maximum heart rate of 205 beats per minute. For heart healthy cardiovascular benefits, you should strive to reach 6080 percent of your maximum heart rate when exercising. In this example, the 15 year old would have a range of 123-164 beats per minute.

What heart rate should you strive to achieve while exercising?

DID YOU KNOW?

complete homework, it will improve your concentration. This activity helps release the stress of your day and promotes increased oxygen and energy levels. Taking frequent study breaks to get active, or pacing while you read can also help your concentration.

r Getting active can help you make friends. Whether you choose to play team sports, or just gather your friends for some fun at recess, playing with others is a time of bonding. You learn to cooperate, take turns, and communicate.

t Exercise can increase your flexibility. Stretching after you warm up and after you complete your exercise helps prevent injury. This process of stretching makes you more flexible and helps you have better balance.

Learning Standards: I can read a nonfiction article for background information. I can locate main idea and supporting details.

Can Video Games Promote Heart Health?

w Next, participate in 15-20 minutes of the video game.

e Calculate your heart rate after activity.

r Rest for at least 5 minutes. Discuss and compare results with your classmates.

t Next, participate in 15 minutes of traditional exercise, such as jumping jacks, jump rope, etc.

y Record your heart rate after the activity. ____________

Analyze: Which activity had the biggest effect on your heart rate? What changes did you notice in your breathing as your activity increased? Was it easy or difficult to speak? Would you consider certain video games to be a good source of exercise? Why?

Learning Standards: I can follow step-by-step instructions to complete an experiment. I can analyze the results.

Calculate Your Maximum Heartrate

220 - your age _______ =__________ Target heart rate range __________ - ______________

Complete this information for each member of your family. Make it a goal to exercise a minimum of 30 minutes together a day. When your activity is complete, calculate your heart rate by feeling your pulse for 10 seconds and multiplying that number by 10. Did you meet your target heart range? Modify your activity accordingly to keep your heart rate in that level.

Learning Standard: I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to calculate heart rate.

When Thomas retired in 1979, he wrote his autobiography “Partners of the Heart: Vivien Thomas and his Work with Alfred Blalock.” He died on Nov. 26, 1985 of pancreatic cancer, just days before his autobiography was published. In 1989, an article honoring his life was published titled, “Like Something the Lord Made.”

Andrea Kalin created a PBS documentary “Partners of the Heart,” and cable network HBo created a film “Something the Lord Made,” which won Emmy and Peabody awards in 2004.

To Learn More About Vivien T. Thomas, Visit: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/partners/legacy/l_colleagues_ thomas.html or check out his autobiography.

Learning Standards: I can read a biography to learn about an African American who made contributions in the field of mathematics.

MAP CORNER

Use the newspaper to complete the following activities:

Sport of a Lifetime

Determine which sports mentioned in the newspaper would be the most beneficial to you as a lifetime sport. Explain why.

Design a Newspaper Ad

The ad will be for a health care agency to run in your local newspaper, such as the Community Blood Center, Heart Association, March of Dimes, American Cancer Society or the American Red Cross.

Create an Editorial Cartoon Research the area of drugs, tobacco or alcohol. Write a newspaper article that informs the local readers of the dangers of one of the substances. Create an editorial cartoon that gives your opinion about how these substances can affect your life.

Find Healthcare Related Job Listings

Look in the classified ads of your newspaper and find job listings for medical/ health professions. What is the median pay range? What are the job requirements? Education requirements? Benefits?

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can write for a specific purpose and audience.

CLASSIFIEDS

The heart beats about 100,000 per day, 35 million times a year and over two and a half billion times in a lifetime.

The cycle of one heartbeat happens, on average, 75 times

AFRICAN AMERICAN CARDIAC PIoNEER: Vivien T. Thomas

Photo by Wiley Price

The American’s Lawrence Bryant hosts ‘Arty Party’

Spencer, Ron Isley, LB, Ira DeWitt, Kandy Isley and Eric Flenoid

By Robert Joiner Of The St. Louis Beacon

Nearly 80 percent of African American women and 70 percent of black men tend to be overweight or obese in relation to other groups in the St. Louis area. Is this an irreversible condition? Far from it, according to those behind a new program to improve the health and vitality of black individuals and families in the St. Louis area.

Called Fit City, the free program is a partnership by the St. Louis Beacon, Central Baptist Church and New Sunny Mount MB Church, among other groups, along with support from The Missouri Foundation for Health and Schnucks Markets.

The kickoff session is Sunday, April 14, at 1:15 p.m., at Central Baptist Church’s Claiborne Education Center, 2043 Washington Blvd.

A second session will take place Sunday, April 21, at 12:45 p.m., at New Sunny Mount MB Church’s Fellowship Hall, 4638 West Florissant Ave.

A light lunch will be provided at these two events.

Future events in the year-long program are expected to involve a range of influential community organizations, including a local branch of the YWCA and 100 Black Men of St. Louis.

Sponsors say participants in the Fit City program will learn practical, effective and enjoyable ways to improve individual and family health through cooking, eating and exercising.

“The program is designed not just to teach, but to listen to your concerns and views about how to lower health risks associated with being overweight and inactive,” the sponsors said in a statement. “The advice and the stories that you share will help others know that they are not alone.”

Rev. Alice C. Price, executive minister at Central Baptist, says people must embrace both their spiritual and their physical sides when tackling obesity and other health issues.

She notes that Central Baptist’s mission statement “talks about serving the community holistically. So we are concerned about the

physical health, the mental health and the economic health of the people of our congregation and the surrounding community.”

She adds that “we serve (God) not only with our hearts and souls; we serve with our bodies.” A body that is “unhealthy due to things over which we have control is not of service to God,” she says, adding that “the word of God says the body is a temple, and we are to be stewards of the body which God has entrusted us.”

Rev. Clyde Crumpton, pastoral assistant at New Sunny Mount, also says answers to health problems, such as obesity, begin with the spiritual, which he says is a reflection of the church’s concerns about the health and welfare of people and the community.

“Everything begins with the mind, and the mind dictates to the body. The mind is our spiritual part. The mind is a very good place to start in addressing the health and lifestyle of individuals.”

He also hopes the program delves into economic issues and the roles that business, government and politics play in building healthy communities.

“We are on the right track,” he says of the program. “Educating the community is very important in addressing health concerns and health care.”

Rev. Alice C. Price

Lawrence Bryant of LB Photography and The St. Louis American recently held his ‘Arty Party’ photo exhibit at the Four Seasons hotel in downtown St. Louis. The theme of Bryant’s exhibit was “Where Fashion, Concert and Concept Photography Collide,” and featured dozens of Bryant’s celebrity portraits including Jay Z, Kanye West, Ron Isley, Cardinals Manager Mike Matheny and many more. Bryant has been shooting concerts for more

six years, including three years with the American, where he also shoots more than 100 Partyline photos every week.

Photos by Wiley Price

Stephanie Mannis, Tonya

Former NBA start and St. Louis native Larry Hughes, Four Seasons St. Louis’ Alper Aztok, and Regional VP/GM of Denver Four Seasons, Thierry Kennel with Lawrence Bryant

VP of Lumiere Jeff Babinski, Police Chief Sam Dotson and Plaza Motors’ Jerry Patterson were among the VIP’s that were featured in LB’s Arty Party at Four Seasons Hotel.

BUSINESS

Like father, like son – sort of

David Steward II

applies his father’s tech savvy to comic book business

By Chris King Of The St.Louis American

Children of powerful parents often react to their parents’success by running away from it. That’s not the case with David Steward II, son of David Steward, founder and chairman of World Wide Technology, Inc., a $5 billion technology systems firm.

“My dad definitely gave me the drive to want go out there and create something new and innovative, which he’s done with WWT.”

– David Steward II

“I grew up in the household with my dad, who has been an entrepreneur since the mid‘80s, and I have followed third-hand his journey through it,” David Steward II said. “He definitely gave me the drive to want go out there and create something new and innovative, which he’s done with WWT.” The son’s newest venture is modeled after his father’s success by embracing technology. Steward is managing director of Lion Forge Comics, which brings savvy with new media

$1B

Predatory loans hurt economy as well as consumers, says report

By Charlene Crowell Center for Responsible Lending

Anew report finds that payday loans not only strip

PEOPLEON THE MOVE

Alexis Moore received the Keys to the Classroom Award from the Special School District. This award honors teachers for their creative approaches to student learning, innovative programming and commitment to student success. Moore, countywide teacher of the visually impaired, was one of 10 teachers recognized for the award out of more than 2,600 teachers throughout St. Louis County.

Dr. Annessa Blackmun, DPM, hosted the grand opening of her new podiatry office at 2608 N. 14th Street in Old North St. Louis on April 6. Blackmun talked about the foot care services that the office will provide, including care of painful bunions, hammertoes, heels and ankles, diabetic foot care and orthotics. Blackmun earned her DPM at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine.

Charles Brown has been appointed as board member of St. Vincent Greenway Inc., a community development partner with the Great Rivers Greenway District that serves communities adjacent to St. Vincent Greenway in North St. Louis City and County. Brown is an architect, managing partner of Atelier3 Design, LLC and VO of the St. Louis Chapter of the National Organization of Minority.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

U.S. Bank is leading SBA lenderin St. Louis area

and new ways of developing and distributing media to the age-old experience of thumbing through a comic book.

“With the iPad, Android and all the tablet devices, people are consuming and reading content in new ways, and I thought this would be a natural fit with comic books because they have a strong visual component,” Steward said.

“Hey, this industry is changing, and the big boys, like Marvel and DC, are slow to change. For our company, there was ease of market entry. We didn’t have to worry about

See STEWARD, B2

Ameren awards diverse supplierCEOs

Supplier Diversity Symposium connects 450 local diverse business owners

By Rebecca S.Rivas Of the St.Louis American

Ashanti Mitchell and her two brothers founded Bumpy’sSteel, a minority woman-owned business, in 2009. And since then opportunities keep coming their way.

On March 27, Ashanti Mitchell, president of the company, earned a scholarship from the Ameren Corporation to attend a minority business executive program at the Tuck School at Dartmouth College.

crete.

Candice Fowler, president of Donco Electrical Construction, LLC, a womanowned business of Edwardsville, was also awarded the scholarship as part of Ameren’s two-day Supplier Diversity Symposium in St. Louis.

“I am looking forward to gaining insight and knowledge from the Minority Business Executive Program.”

The recipients were selected based on the volume of business and strategic relationship with the company, and the supplier’s success in providing service to a range of companies in Ameren’s 64,000-square-mile service territory.

U.S. Bank was the leading Small Business Administration (SBA) lender to small businesses in the St. Louis area between March 1, 2012 and February 28, 2013, according to the SBA.U.S. Bank used SBA-guaranteed loans to originate 69 loans totaling $14.6 million across seven Missouri counties and five Illinois counties in that span. Festus-based Midwest Regional Bank ranked second, using SBA’s guaranteed loan programs to originate 14 loans totaling $13.7 million over the same period.Bank of Washington ranked third with 10 loans totaling $8.6 million.In this span the SBA locally guaranteed 446 loans totaling $195.5 million over that 12 month period in the St. Louis area. For more information about lending and other SBAservices, contact the St. Louis District Office at 314-539-6600 or visit http://www.sba.gov/mo/stlouis.The Illinois District Office can be reached at 312-353-4528 or by visiting http://www.sba.gov/il.

Clay cosponsorsConsumer Mortgage Choice Act

U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay, a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Domestic & International Monetary Policy and Technology, is cosponsoring H.R. 1077, theConsumer Mortgage Choice Act.The bipartisan bill would amend the historic Dodd-Frank Act to amend the definition of a Qualified Mortgage. Currently, under Dodd-Frank, a qualified mortgage cannot have “points & fees” in excess of three percent of the total amount of the loan.H.R. 1077 makes certain clarifications as to how that threshold is calculated by excluding fees paid to affiliated title companies, salaries paid to loan originators, insurance and taxes held in escrow, loan level pricing adjustments and lender-paid compensation to mortgage brokers

COCAbiz to host business creativity conference

See LENDING, B2

“I know it will help me grow personally and help my company grow,” said Mitchell, who has over 15 years experience in the construction industry. Her brothers, Curry Mitchell, vice president, and Dannell Wise, treasurer, have a combined 35 years of experience in erecting steel and reinforcing con-

– Ashanti Mitchell, president of Bumpy’s Steel See AMEREN, B2

“Our commitment to supplier diversity reflects our belief that diverse supplier partnerships are vital to the economic success of our region and to the success of Ameren,” said Dennis Weisenborn, vice president of Supply

COCAbiz, COCA’s business training division, will host its third annual business creativity conference, SPARK 2013: Putting Creativity to Work, May 16 and 17 at COCA, 524 Trinity Ave. The conference will feature keynotes by Simon Sinek, author of Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, and Scott Belsky, author of Making Ideas Happen, as well as other sessions and Creativity Labs led by teaching artists paired with business strategists.

Registration available at www.cocabiz.com

Contact Tori Gale at 314-561-4908 or tgale@cocastl.org for more information.

Alexis Moore

Photo by Wesley Law

Lion Forge Comics Managing Director David Steward II and his father David Steward Sr.(right) visited at Comic Con in St. Louis with actor Flex Alexander,Shanice,Thelma Steward and Mary Steward.Lion Forge is rolling out its first four series of direct-to-digital comics.

Dr.Annessa Blackmun

Charles Brown

Are yourparents spending yourinheritance?

By Jason Alderman

Most people who grew up during the Great Depression and World War II learned to scrimp and save as a matter of necessity. Many also gained financial security during subsequent decades when pension plans were more common, homeownership became the norm and government programs like Social Security and Medicare expanded. For a time, it seemed their Baby Boomer children stood to inherit amounts unheard of for previous generations. However, many economic factors have taken their toll on seniors’nest eggs in recent years. Thus, if you were counting on a sizeable inheritance to help finance your own retirement, you may want to rethink

that strategy. Here are several reasons why many seniors are revising their estate distribution plans:

PERSONAL FINANCE STEWARD

printing costs for all of our products with the ability to get comics out on tablet devices.”

Steward has been touring comics conventions to promote Lion Forge’s first set of titles, which have names like Bulletproof Knights, Catalyst Prime, ROBOY and The Joshua Run and follow the adventures of private security contractors, superhumans, robots and a computer hacker for hire.

Steward has enlisted the talent of industry veterans such as Brandon M. Easton and Joelle Sellner and is experimenting with a celebrity tie-in.

Actor Flex Alexander (Snakes on a Plane, Poor Boy’s Game) helped to develop the story line for The Joshua Run and is making promotional appearances for Lion Forge, including one recently here at home at St. Louis Comic Con.

Though their initial publishing efforts are all direct to digital, Lion Forge will consider

LENDING

Continued from B1

borrowers paid to non-bank payday lenders in 2011. The study found that if consumers collectively had an additional $3.3 billion in discretionary spending, it would have result-

Most people who invested heavily in the stock market during the Great Recession watched helplessly as their accounts lost significant value. Although the market has mostly recovered, many people –especially those in or approaching retirement –stashed their remaining balances in safer investments earning very low interest, worried the market might plunge further. Many likely will have to draw on their account principal to make ends meet, thereby depleting their savings (and estates) much more rapidly than planned.

Many seniors expected their home’s equity would help fund

later packaging all of the episodes of any of its series as print-and-bound graphic novels

“We will get a complete story over the season’s run, then at the end of the year do an evaluation as to what is doing well, what people are responding to, then look at print options with a full graphic novel to satisfy comic book fans,” Steward said. Steward has tried his hand at previous business ventures in graphic design. brand merchandising and film production. But he got the idea of founding Lion Forge Comics during a stint when he was working for the company his father founded.

“I was having dinner with my dad, talking about life and direction,” Steward said. “And he told me, ‘Follow your passion. If you are doing something you love, you will never work another day in your life. That piqued my interest to start something on my own.”

Steward, who is 35 and lives in St. Louis, also enjoys the support of his wife Mary Steward, who is helping to promote Lion Forge Comics.

ed in $6.34 billion in economic activity and created 79,000 jobs. In comparison, payday lending activity added $5.56 billion to the national economy and created 65,000 jobs. Combining these figures shows a net loss from payday lending of $774 million in economic growth and over 14,000

retirement. But after the housing market crashed, they instead found its value drastically reduced. Fortunately, the housing market has begun to recover. But many tapped-out seniors have turned to reverse mortgages and home equity loans to draw on their home’s equity to cover living expenses, thereby lessening their estate’s future value. As average life spans increase, so does the period we’ll need to survive on our retirement savings. A65-yearold man today will live until 83 on average; for women it jumps to 85. Many people never imagined their savings would have to last that long

and didn’t plan accordingly.

Even if they buy Medicare prescription drug and Medigap coverage, seniors, like everyone else, spend an ever-increasing percentage of their income on medical care. Such costs usually far outpace benefit cost-of-living increases and interest earned on investments.

Baby Boomers have begun tapping Social Security and Medicare benefits; and far fewer younger workers now fund those programs, so it’s possible that benefits will decrease, premiums will rise or taxes will increase – or a combination of all three; all options would

strain fixed incomes. When the market was booming, many people retired early, assuming they could afford to bridge the gap before receiving Social Security and Medicare. But plummeting home equity and reduced 401(k) balances have forced many retirees to aggressively withdraw from savings, trim expenses or even return to work.

Many seniors help their children and grandchildren pay for high-ticket expenses like home down payments and college. Although such gifts reduce the eventual value of their estate, there are certain tax advantages (lower estate taxes, state tax deductions for 529 Plan contributions, etc.). If you’re the recipient, don’t take such assistance as license to

“Next to my wife, my father is my No. 1 supporter,” Steward said. “He has been

jobs – in addition to $169 million lost through Chapter 13 bankruptcies.

“This nearly $1 billion loss in economic activity should serve as a strong signal that, in addition to the well-documented harm to the families directly receiving payday loans, payday lending harms local community economies and the overall economy,” the report states.

“Payday lending drains over

helpful in a number of ways, making connections and providing business mentorship.

$2.5 million from the economy each day,” continued the report. “In addition, we estimate that more than 38 people lose their jobs each day due to the economic drain of payday lending.”

Payday lending has been a centerpiece of the Center for Responsible Lending’s research and policy efforts over the past decade. CRLalso supported the new report’s development.

take on additional debt. Unless they’ve purchased comprehensive long-term care insurance, your parents will likely burn through most of their savings should they ever require assisted living. And keep in mind that Medicaid will only pay for a nursing home once they’ve exhausted most of their assets. Bottom line: With seniors facing increasing financial challenges, don’t depend on an inheritance to provide your financial security.

Jason Alderman directs Visa’s financial education programs. To participate in a free, online Financial Literacy and Education Summit on April 17, 2013, go to www.practicalmoneyskills.com/summit2013.

David Steward II is managing director of Lion Forge Comics,which brings savvy with new media and new ways of developing and distributing media to the age-old experience of thumbing through a comic book.

This is far left field of his core industry, but he is excited I am working on something I am very passionate about.” For more information, visit www.lionforge.com.

Earlier CRLresearch determined that each year 12 million Americans become entrapped in payday loans, taking out an average of nine loans per year. With more than 22,000 locations, there are more than two payday stores for every Starbucks coffee store.

CRLhas also documented how storefront payday lenders tend to concentrate locations in low-income and communities of color. The Southern states of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and South Carolina had the highest number of payday stores per 10,000 residents. Outside of the Deep South, Missouri and Nevada were the only states with comparable density of payday storefronts.

Similarly, the Insight Center found that five states were charged the greatest amount of payday loan interest were California, Texas, Florida, Mississippi and Illinois. In

AMEREN

Continued from B1

Services for Ameren.

Ameren began offering scholarships to local suppliers in 2007 as part of its Supplier Diversity Symposium. Mitchell and Fowler are the 10th and 11th recipients, respectively, of scholarships from Ameren. This year’s symposium drew more than 450 local diverse business owners.

“This experience will strengthen Donco’s ability to give our customers a totally coordinated team approach for design, construction, and maintenance of electrical and communications infrastructure,” said Fowler.

Ameren started hosting its Supplier Diversity Symposium in 2007. Ameren’s total nonfuel spend with diverse suppliers from that initial event has grown from $73 million to $127 million or 8.1 percent of total non-fuel spend in 2012. Ameren’s projected supplier

these locales, financial payday losses ranged from $135 million in California to $55 million in Illinois. Remarking on the Insight Center’s new findings, Keith Corbett, CRLexecutive vicepresident said, “Payday lending is really financial assault on communities of color. By preying on consumers with few resources, this predatory product takes what little they have and winds up leaving borrowers worse off than before these loans.” Corbett’s comments are underscored by the Insight report: “Far from creating opportunity, payday lending creates impoverished households and endangers local economies.

Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at: Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.

diversity spend for 2013 is 9.3 percent of its total non-fuel spend.

“Ameren invests more than $1.5 billion annually in materials and services in our infrastructure,” said Thomas R. Voss, chairman, president and CEO of Ameren. “We recognize the value of doing business with a diverse community. I think it is important for companies, especially utilities, to be inclusive in procurement and hiring from the communities they serve.”

With assets of approximately $22 billion, Ameren serves 2.4 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000-squaremile area of Missouri and Illinois.

“I am looking forward to gaining insight and knowledge from the Minority Business Executive Program,” Mitchell said. “I want to thank Ameren’s Supplier Diversity team for giving me a surprising opportunity to attend the Tuck School of Business.”

Illustration by Lorenzo Lizana and Carl Reed

“If everybody was OK with it, I would not mind pushing the evelope.”

– Former Baylor women’s basketball star Brittney Griner,on the prospect of trying out for the NBA The

INSIDE SPORTS

With Earl Austin Jr.

Track stars to be

19 to watch in 2013

CharlesJones (Cardinal Ritter) –One of the top young middle distance performers in the

AaronMallet (McCluer North) –The defending Class 4 state champion in the 110-meter high hurdles

EzekielElliott (John Burroughs) – Returns for his senior year as one of the top hurdlers in the Midwest region

JoshMcDonald (Timberland) – The defending Class 4 state champion in the discus

MichaelWells (NJROTC) – Talented sprinter returns after leading Commanders to the Class 2 state championship

JamalRobinson (CBC) – All-State performer who returns as one of the top sprinters in the area

AmosBartlesmeyer (MICDS) –Senior standout who won the Class 3 state title in the 1,600-meter run

Ja’MariWard (Cahokia) –Talented young jumper who will be an impact performer as a freshman

MalikRay (McCluer) – Excellent leaper who will be one of the state’s best in the high jump Girls

EmmonnieHenderson (Edwardsville) – All-American performer in the throws who led Tigers

Cardinal Ritter junior Charles Jones returns as one of the top middle-distance performers in the nation.He is the defending Class 3 state champion and state record holder in the 800-meter run.

Six NBAstreakers

Teams that could win their way to a title in a hurry

Winning streaks in the NBA are like the Harlem Shake videos, everybody’s doing them – or so it seems. In the 201213 season there have been six teams who have crossed the double-digit mark when it comes to consecutive victories. Long winning streaks don’t always translate into titles; just ask last season’s Spurs who won 20 straight in the regular season and were bounced in the Western Conference Finals by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Still, with the playoffs fastapproaching, the odds are strong that the eventual championship club will emerge from this super six.

Miami Heat - LeBron James and Co. caught the imagination of the sports world by challenging the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers’alltime mark of 33 consecutive victories. The Heat didn’t quite make it to glory after the Chicago Bulls roughed them up en route to ending the streak at 27 games. Still, the defending champion Heat remains the odds-on favorite to win it all this season as King James has gotten more comfortable in his role as the leader of the team and the best player in the game. The streak’s end may have been a blessing in disguise, as coach Eric

Spoelestra has taken advantage of the team’s pole position in the standings to gain some extended rest for his stars.

If Kobe Bryant wants another ring in L.A.before he hangs ‘em up, he might have to switch jerseys.

Los Angeles Clippers - L.A.’s other team cemented its amazing franchise turnaround with an impressive 17-game winning streak in Nov. and Dec. In his first full season with the Clippers, Chris Paul has elevated Lob City to heights beyond the reach of even Blake Griffin. The squad has already earned its first Pacific Division title and first 50-win season. More impressively, the Clippers earned its first ever season sweep of the Lakers with a 109-95 win Sunday night. Out of the four victories

over the Lakers, only one win was by less than 10 points. If Kobe Bryant wants another ring in L.A. before he hangs ‘em up, he might have to switch jerseys.

Denver Nuggets - The Nuggets surprised just about everyone when they rattled off 15 wins in a row in Feb. and March. The feat was nearly swept under the rug as it occurred during as the Heat were chasing the all-time record. The Mile High hoopers are the consummate team. While they lack a bonafide superstar, the team has been able to get solid production out of rotation. Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried have particularly stepped up this season for the young team which has also won 20 straight home games. Sadly, the Nuggets just lost

Girls Fab Five

The five members of the 2013 St. Louis American Fab Five Girls AllStar First Team represent a nice blend of size, talent and great leadership. Napheesa Collier of Incarnate Word and Emmonnie Henderson of Edwardsville are among the top players nationally in their respective classes as they kept their teams among the national rankings. Amber Alexander helped restore Parkway North’s program among the area’s elite, while Nakiah Bell and Alexis Chappelle were two of the best guards that the area has to offer. Here is a capsule look at the members of the St. Louis American Fab Five Girls All-Star Team.

Amber Alexander (Parkway North) - The 5’10” senior forward was the Suburban South Conference Player of the Year. Aversatile performer, Alexander led the Vikings to a 25-2 record. As a senior, she averaged 12.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 3.1 assists a game. Alexander was a four-year starter.

Nakiah Bell (Incarnate Word)The top point guard in the metro area, the 5’4” Bell was the floor general of the dominating Red Knights team that finished 31-0 and won the Class 4 state championship. As a junior, Bell averaged 10.7 points and nearly eight assists per game. She also averaged two steals a game in her third year as a varsity starter.

Alexis Chappelle (Hazelwood Central) - The Player of the Year in the Suburban North Conference, Chappelle led the Hawks to the Class 4 state quarterfinals. The 5’6” senior

See FAB FIVE, B5

The defending champion Heat remains the odds-on favorite to win it all this season as King James has gotten more comfortable in his role as the leader of the team and the best player in the game.

By Earl Austin Jr. Of The St.Louis American

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Earl Austin,Jr.

Photo by Wiley Price

CLAIB’S CALL

With Mike Claiborne

Straightjacket coaches and the Rutgers scandal

The Rutgers basketball coaching scandal raised some questions that seldom get raised and even less often answered. While there seems to be ample finger-pointing toward coaches and the administration that is warranted, there are some others that need to be quizzed.

In this era of players who want to show off, chest-bump and challenge authority and coaches, how is it that not one of the players who were clearly abused got fed up, hauled off and knocked then Rutgers head coach Mike Rice into the next calendar year? Too often this generation likes to talk the talk, and yet when their own manhood was challenged, in this case, you never heard one peep. It appeared that the whole team endured the wrath. They were supposed to be a TEAM. Teams stick together. They win and lose as one. They fight together. They stand up for each other. Obviously, this was not a team, just a collection of leaderless basketball players.

accuser should have a chance to respond.

For parents who will now run and have a talk with their kid as if it were having the one about the birds and the bees, this is a little different. Coaches and players get emotional during the course of the season, and things will be said. Most players get that. When it comes to a player having balls hurled at them or being shoved or verbally abused, then we have a problem and it should be addressed with players, coaches, athletic directors and principals, not to mention legal representation. Not one kid should have to endure such antics in order to play a game.

Coming out party?

The other people obviously asleep at the wheel were the parents. Surely some parents knew what was going on here. Is this a group of parents who never told their kids not to let anyone put their hands on them? Did we not all get that speech at some point? Can parents and players be that scared of the repercussions of a maniac with a coach’s whistle?

While coaches tend to raise their voices to get a young person’s attention, there is a line that should not be crossed. If players and parents allow this to happen, then it is hard to defend them. If a coach were to be as physical with my kid as the Rutgers’coach was with his players, there would be a procedure before a response.

Number one: call your lawyer and have him and the bail bondsman on stand by. Number two: give the a coach a chance to respond, as these are serious allegations and the

The sports media have a new obsession that is starting to make me wonder. In the era of the gay marriage debate, there is now the notion that perhaps there may be an athlete or two in one of our major team sports who may be gay. Hmm. Some in talk radio and national print are overcome by this notion. They want to know: Is sports ready for a gay athlete?

Here is a news flash: gay athletes have always been part of the sports community. The reason it has not been publicly disclosed is because it is no one’s business. Another reason is that some gay athletes may not be able to handle hostile media and fan reaction.

When someone does decide to come out, how are we supposed to act? Are we supposed to have a party? Have our local and national news stations use the “BREAKING NEWS” moniker and have experts come sit in and tell us about gay people and their impact on the world? How about letting school out for the day so parents can have a talk with their youngsters?

I have always wondered why this is a big deal, as het-

Mike Rice,above,was fired as Rutgers head basketball coach for verbally and physically abusing his players

erosexual athletes do not come out and tell the media who they sleep with. It has nothing to do with their performance on the field, court or ice. After all, would you really care

CLUTCH

Continued from C5

its second-leading scorer, Danilo Gallinari, for the season. His absence will likely keep the Nuggets for pulling off a Wichita State-esque deep playoff run.

New York Knicks - The Knicks’winning streak sits at 12 games and counting (as of

about the sex lives of any of these guys if they did not play a sport you follow? Who cares?

I am trying to figure out what a person’s sexual orienta-

Monday). Barring an unbelievable return to action by Derrick Rose, Team Spike is the only legit threat to knock the Heat off in the Eastern Conference. Carmelo Anthony brings star power and is nearly unstoppable on the offensive end.

Health and consistency remains the Knicks Achilles heels. If they want an extended run in the playoffs, they’ll need all hands on deck, especially Tyson Chandler, who was the key behind the Dallas Mavericks’surprise win over the Heat in 2011.

Oklahoma City Thunder -

Despite being fifth on the list of streaks, with a dozen wins in Nov. and Dec., the Thunder remains the team to beat out West. Despite shipping James Harden to Houston and

tion has to do with athletic performance. It won’t be long now before someone will come out and we can move on to some other issue. Before we do move on, take a look at

watching him blossom into an All-Star, OKC is still firing on all cylinders. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook remain a powerful yin and yang. They undoubtedly remember the stinging, bitter taste of defeat to Miami last season. They’ve bounced back with another strong season and with championship dreams. While many fans have a love/hate relationship with Westbrook, his attacking-style is just what the team will need to be successful in the playoffs. They have the star-power to upend the Heat. Will they be confident and tough enough to make it happen?

San Antonio Spurs - It’s unsurprising that Greg Popovich’s Spurs team sits at the end of this list. Pop’s M.O.

those who make a big deal in the coverage element of the story and ask why are they so interested?

is to maintain excellence but somehow manage to fly under the radar. With its meager 11game streak, the Spurs may not stand out much in the crowd, but that’s when they’re the most dangerous. Once again San Antonio finds itself atop the Western Conference standings, yet the high-flying Thunder and Clippers get all the love. What the Spurs lack in flash, they make up for in efficiency. Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan know how to win games. The superstars are getting up there in age but their championship experience is immense and their poise is tremendous.

Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @IshmaelSistrunk and on Google+

Mike Claiborne

to their first state championship last season

WhitneyAdams (Francis Howell) – Excellent sprinter who led the Vikings to the Class 4 state championship

NataliyahFriar (Holt) –Tremendous combination sprinter/jumper who is back for her senior year. Won state title in the triple jump

AshleyHenderson (Hazelwood Central) – One of the state’s top sprinters returns for her junior year

KimberlinSimon (McCluer North) – The defending Class 4 state champion in the 300meter intermediate hurdles

AlexandriaIsom (Nerinx Hall) – One of the area’s top sprinters returns after earning All-State honors in the 100, 200 and 400

AieshaIrvin-Muhammad (St. Elizabeth) – Returns as one of the top sprinters in the Class 3 ranks

MarkitaRush (East St. Louis) – Former state champion hurdler is back for her senior year

JordanMcClendon (John Burroughs) – Won the Class 3 state title in the shot put as a freshman last season

DeShawn Munson of East St.Louis is one of the top boys’players expected to play on Saturday in the Jay Albert All-Star Basketball Game.

Alysiah Whittaker a senior at Northwest High School wins the girls shot put with a toss of 40-09 during Saturday's Charkie Beck Invitational at University City.

Hannah Long (Eureka) –Class 4 cross country champion returns as one of the area’s top distance performers

Hazelwood Central sweeps

The Charlie Beck Invitational at University City featured many of the area’s top performers. Hazelwood Central swept both the boys and girls team championships.

Hazelwood Central swept both the boys and girls team championships.

Junior sprinter Ashley Henderson led the Hawks to victory with victories in the 100 and 200-meter dashes. Henderson also ran a leg on the Hawks’ first-place 4x200meter relay. Junior AlliahMcClendon also swept the 100-meter high hurdles and 300-meter low hurdles.

Senior Whitney Adams of Francis Howell won the 400meter dash and anchored the Vikings’victorious 4x400meter relay team. Valeska Halamicek won the 1,600meter run and anchored the Vikings’first-place 4x800meter relay team. On the boys side, senior AaronMallett of McCluer North won the 110-meter high hurdles and 300-meter intermediate hurdles and set

All-Star extravaganza

Jay Albert basketball game this Saturday

By Earl Austin Jr. Of The St.Louis American

Many of the area’s top high school basketball players will be on display at this weekend’s Jay Albert All-Star Basketball Game.

The three-game All-Star extravaganza will be held on Saturday on the campus of Harris-Stowe State University. It is being presented by JDA Sports.

The day will kick off with a slam dunk competition at 1 p.m. The first game will be a boys’game between Public School All-Stars against Private School All-Stars at 2:30 p.m. The following game will be the Public vs. Private School girls All-Stars at 4 p.m. The finale will be a battle between Large School AllStars against Small School All Stars.

new meet records in both events. JamalRobinson of CBC won the 200 and helped the Cadets’4x100-meter relay team to a first-place finish.

Hazelwood Central’s boys scored 115 points and won six events to take home the team title. The quartet of Matt Quarells KendallPreston MarcusDavis and Brandon Chunn won the 4x200-meter relay in a meet record time of 1 minute 28.34 seconds.

Cahokia in fine form

The Cahokia boys were in fine form in winning the Norm Armstrong Invitational at Belleville West. The Comanches are coming off a IHSAClass 2Astate championship. The duo of ChrisMoore and Ja’MariWard dominate the jumps as they finished first and second in both and long

201 for ESL

Burks.Missing players:Deandre Campbell,Isiah Bowers. The team is coached by Terrell Ramey,who is assisted by Brent Segree and Charlie Bean.

Some of the top boys’ players expected to play on Saturday are Martavian Payne of Madison Prep, Nolan Berry of DeSmet, DeShawn Munson of East St. Louis and Jordan Martin of Hazelwood Central and many more. Among the top girls’players expected to participate are Emmonnie Henderson of Edwardsville, Amber Alexander of Parkway North, Sydney Stipanovich and Erin Nelson of St. Joseph’s and Sadie Stipanovich of Westminster Christian.

Nataliyah Friar

Holt – Girls Track

The talented senior won four events at last weekend’s Timberland Wolfpack Classic.

Friar finished first in the 100 and 200meter dashes as well as the long jump and triple jump. She posted a winning time of 12.3 seconds in the 100 and 25.4 seconds in the 200. In winning the jumps, Friar won the long jump with a leap of 18 feet 10 inches and the triple jump with a winning effort of 39-3 1/2 inches.

Friar continued her stellar career by winning the Class 4 state title in the triple jump as a junior. She was also the state runner-up in the long jump.

Aaron Mallett

McCluer North – Boys Track

The senior hurdler was one of the top individual standouts at the Charlie Beck Invitational at University City. Mallett won the 110-meter high hurdles and the 300-meter intermediate hurdles and set new school records and meet records in the process.

Mallett’s winning time in the 110-meter high hurdles was 14.05 seconds. She came back to win the 300-meter hurdles in 37.72 seconds, which was a new personal best. As a junior, Mallett was the Class 4 state champion in the 110-meter high hurdles and the state runner-up in the 300meter intermediate hurdles. He is headed to the University of Iowa.

signed with Louisville to compete in both track and basketball.

Continued from B3

averaged 15.2 points, 2.8 assists and 2.6 steals in leading the Hawks to a 20-8 record. She has already signed with SIU-Edwardsville.

Napheesa Collier (Incarnate Word) - The St. Louis American Player of the Year, the 6’1” Collier did everything in leading the Red Knights to a state title and a national Top 10 ranking. Collier averaged 24.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.0 steals and 2.4 blocks in leading IWAto a 31-0 record. Only a sophomore, Collier is already being recruited by most of the major collegiate programs around the country.

Emmonnie Henderson (Edwardsville) - The 6’2” Henderson took an already powerful Edwardsville program to its highest level during her career. She finished her career with 1,806 points, which is tops in school history.

As a senior, Henderson averaged 15 points and eight rebounds a game in leading the Tigers to a 30-1 record. Atwosport star, Henderson has

First Team

Amber Alexander 5’10” (Sr.) Parkway North Nakiah Bell 5’4” (Jr.) Incarnate Word

Napheesa Collier 6’1” (Soph) Incarnate Word

Alexis Chappelle 5’6” (Sr.) Hazelwood Central

Emmonnie Henderson 6’2” (Sr.) Edwardsville

Second Team

Stephanie Anderson 5’10” (Sr.) Whitfield Braennan Farrar 5’6” (Jr.) Miller Career Academy

Taylor Miller 5’10” (Jr.) Metro Alesia Sutton 5’7”

The East St. Louis Flyerettes put on an excellent show in winning the championship at the Jackie JoynerKersee Relays at Jordan Stadium. East Side won the meet with a whopping 201 points. Senior Markita Rush won the 100-meter hurdles while senior Micayla Collins won the long jump to lead the Flyers.

Photo by Wiley Price

Businessweek blames victims

Racially offensive mischaracterization of the housing bubble

Dedrick Muhammad Sr.

Of The NAACP

Bloomberg Businessweek magazine recently released an issue to much-deserved uproar and outrage. On its cover, the magazine featured Jim Crowesque caricatures that portrayed people of color as money-hungry and implicitly suggested that they will cause a future housing bubble. Unfortunately, this offensive image is only the second worst thing about this cover. Since the housing bubble burst in 2008, a myth has been perpetuated that minorities, not predatory lenders, are responsible for and profiteers of housing bubbles.

The implications of this false narrative are particularly problematic as they can inform the very economic and housing policies that will determine the availability of homeownership for most Americans today.

Discriminatory lending has existed in the housing market since the Great Depression, when government incentivized homeownership chiefly for white Americans.

Homeownership – the primary source of wealth – catapulted many white Americans to the middle class, leaving African Americans behind. The result: an economic chasm between whites and blacks now commonly referred to as the racial wealth divide.

During the 1960s and 1970s, the civil rights community helped convince the government to enact policies to break down many barriers for African-American homeownership. But, many of these gains were eroded with the onset of deregulation. During the 2000s housing bubble, minority borrowers

were near 30 percent more likely to be sold a subprime high-cost loan than a home-

Financial Focus

By Courtney Bond

essentially taking a spending decision “out of your hands.” And as you see your accounts grow over time, your investment discipline will be selfreinforcing.

ï Long-term focus — There’s never any shortage of events — political crises, economic downturns, natural disasters — that cause investors to take a “timeout” from investing. Yet if you head to the investment sidelines, even for a short while, you might miss out on some good opportunities. By investing automatically each month, you’ll maintain a long-term focus.

investing through up and down markets.)

When you invest automatically, you’re essentially taking a spending decision “out of your hands.”

ï Potential for reduced investment costs — If you invest the same amount of money each month into the same investments, you’ll automatically be a “smart shopper.” When prices drop, your monthly investment will buy more shares, and when prices rise, you’ll buy fewer shares — just as you’d probably buy less of anything when prices are high. Over time, this type of systematic investment typically results in lower costs per share. Furthermore, when you invest systematically, you’re less likely to constantly buy and sell investments in an effort to boost your returns. This type of frequent trading is often ineffective — and it can raise your overall investment costs with potential fees, commissions and taxes. (Keep in mind, though, that systematic investing does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss. Also, you’ll need the financial resources available to keep

Clearly, automatic investing offers some major advantages to you as you seek to build wealth. Of course, if you’re contributing to a 401(k) or other employersponsored retirement plan, you’re already automatically investing because money is taken out of your paycheck at regular intervals to go toward the investments you’ve chosen in your plan. But by employing automatic investing techniques to other vehicles, such as an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), you can continue your progress toward your long-term goals, including retirement. So, do what it takes to become an automatic investor. It’s easy, it’s smart — and it can help you work toward the type of future you’ve envisioned.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Forfurtherinformation contact Courtney Bond at (314) 734-8188 or1-800EDJONES

“Bloomberg Businessweek” magazine recently released an issue (at left) to muchdeserved uproar and outrage.On its cover, the magazine featured Jim Crowesque caricatures that portrayed people of color as moneyhungry and implicitly suggested that they will cause a future housing bubble. Since the housing bubble burst in 2008, a myth has been perpetuated that minorities,not predatory lenders, are responsible for and profiteers of housing bubbles.

During the housing bubble, minority borrowers were near 30 percent more likely to be sold a subprime high-cost loan than a homeowner in a white suburb.

owner in a white suburb. And African-Americans with similar credit profiles and downpayment ratios to white borrowers were more likely to be given subprime loans as well. Mortgage lenders and brokers were even incentivized to exploit minority borrowers as lenders were paid more to push them towards riskier products and not underwrite their loans.

By 2008, the housing bubble burst due to reckless banking and the mortgage market was in freefall. While foreclosure rates skyrocketed all over the country, communities of color experienced disproportionate rate of foreclosures and lost a disproportionate amount of wealth. White families in

America lost 16 percent of their net worth on average while black, and Hispanic families lost 53 percent and 66 percent, respectively.

In fact, the erosion of wealth in minority communities was so severe that a recent study finds the ratio of wealth between black and white families has tripled over the past 25 years.

However, with all this documented history, many Americans still believe that racial inequality is related to individual behavior, choices, character, marriage and child bearing.As Thomas Shapiro of the Institute on Assets at Brandeis University notes, “homeownership has been the biggest cause of racial wealth disparity.”

Though Bloomberg Businessweek’s actual article, “The Great American Housing Rebound,” notes how homeowners have yet to recover from the financial crisis, the corresponding cover only included Blacks and Latinos in a home surrounded by mounds of dollars.Apparently, and to our profound disappointment, the editorial team decided it was an “easier sell” to have a cover scapegoating minorities for a possible second housing bubble than a cover that honored the facts in their very own article. Faced with a vocal response, BusinessWeek issued a classic “non-apology” expressing regret for the strong reactions their cover may have generated. They then, ironically, attempted to scapegoat their Latino illustrator for the offensive and misleading cover art.We cannot let Businessweek off the hook for this grave offense.

Bloomberg Businessweek needs to respond to the demands put forth by organizations like the NAACP, the National Council of La Raza, The National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development and the Center For Responsible Lending. We are asking Businessweek to take full responsibility and appropriate action for their outrageous cover and to print a story on the importance of homeownership particularly for communities of color.

Such a well-regarded magazine such as Bloomberg Businessweek should welcome the opportunity to set the record straight on this important economic issue. And organizations like the NAACP look forward to the day they do.

Dedrick Muhammad Sr. is director of the NAACP Economic Department.

Dedrick Muhammad Sr.

Crime, passion and punishment

Friday, April 19.

TD El-Amin takes on urban fiction with ‘Lost and Turned Out’

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

A forbidden love between a soldier in a foreign land and a beautiful Italian villager sparks a cycle of love and consequences that spins for two generations in Mia Farone: Lost and Turned Out, the first attempt at fiction by former state legislator TD El-Amin.

In his self-published novel, El-Amin carries the reader on an emotional roller coaster that starts long before the title character is even a twinkle in her parents’ eye in a small Tuscan village and eventually lands her on the hard streets of St. Louis. While El-Amin fails to truly breathe life into each of his ensemble of characters, he deserves points for audacity, ambition and imagination. The moral of his story is a unique spin on the age-old adage “those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it,” applied here to life and love lessons that go ignored. The book’s title character falls victim to a revolving door of pain and heartache

POTPOURRI WITH DANA G. RANDOLPH

Jazzing with black history

Smart Setters celebrated black history and showcased local youth’s jazz quartet at Trattoria Branica located in Frontenac. Members enjoyed a scrumptious brunch buffet, black history trivia games and smooth jazz by Crossroads Seniors Will Dula and his Youth Jazz Quartet. Jonathan and Bettye Reed and Damion and Indrid Trasada were among the trivia winners. Other jazz lovers participating in the fun and games included; Victor and Delores

Roberts, Black History Trivia game chairs Alison and Clarence Dula Luther Rollins, Esq. Mary Olivia Polk Sugar Smith, Barry Smith, Georgia Rusan Albernice Fagen, Mary A. Polk, Paul Randolph, Esq., Gail and Wendell Allmon Jeralyn James, Janet Williams, Lisl

Chadwick Boseman plays the civil rights icon in Brian Helgland’s 42

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

April 15 will mark the 66th anniversary of Jackie Robinson taking the field as a Brooklyn Dodger – and the first African-American player in Major League Baseball – on April 15, 1947.

that forever changed America’s pastime with the theatrical release of his film 42 The film is more about the moment than the man who rises to meet it. The story opens with Brooklyn Dodgers president and general manager Branch Rickey searching for the right player to break the color barrier. While baseball ability was important, it was trumped by temperament and social experience. Robinson fit the bill as a college-educated former U.S. Army officer who had interacted with white players as an athlete at UCLA.

more of a

change

than a true connection with one of the

In fact, much of the story’s complexity is missing in action from 42. Resentment from Robinson’s fellow Negro League players, for example, would have added interesting layers to the film.

Tomorrow, just a few days before this anniversary, film audiences will have the opportunity to experience writer/director Brian Helgland’s dramatization of the breakthrough

and

Rickey’s decision to integrate baseball came down to dollars and cents, and Robinson’s selection over Negro League greats such as Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson was a political decision.

The film explores the journey – which took place years before the beginning of the Civil

Djembe soul and Guinea dance

Youssouf Koumbassa joins Kreative Pandemonium for workshops, concert

By Malena Amusa

For The St. Louis American Kreative Pandemonium, an African and world music and dance company in St. Louis, will present Youssouf

However, much like the man he portrays, Chadwick Boseman rose to the occasion of stepping into the shoes of the civil rights icon in his first major feature film role. Boseman showcased the inner battle of containing quietly

Koumbassa, one of the world’s most dynamic dancers, this Friday and Saturday.

“All I can say about Youssouf Koumbassa is OH MAN-DING-GO!” says Mama Lisa, a pioneer of African dance in St. Louis and founder of Fundisha Enterprises.

“Youssouf is a dynamic, precise and graceful powerhouse. His charming personality and ambassadorship made me fall in love with Guinea (Youssouf’s

TD El-Amin will read from his novel Mia Farone: Lost and Turned Out at the Missouri History Museum 7:30 p.m.

C4

Drummer Weedie Braimah and dancer Youssof Koumbassa will lead workshops at Connect Care gymnasium

a performance at the 14th Street Artist Community this weekend.

Horse) and Chris King (Big, Black and Good). The reading is free and open to the

Will Dula’s Jazz Quartet, aka Crossroads Dream Jazz Combo (featuring Stanford Cooper, Jonathan Pulphus and Darian Randle) played Smart Setters’ black history trivia event.

Photo by Gail Allmon

Rights Movement – that would

the face of baseball and ultimately the hearts of its fans. Harrison Ford, the only marquee actor in the cast, goes over-the-top with his portrayal of Rickey. Ford offers

flattering imitation

film’s central characters.

Brian Helgland’s film 42 starring Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson opens in theatres nationwide tomorrow (Friday, April 12).

See FILM, C4

How to place a calendar listing

1.Email your listing to calendar@stlamerican.com OR

2.Visit the calendar section on stlamerican.com and place your listing

Calendar listings are free of charge, are edited for space and run on a space-available basis.

concerts

Through Apr. 13, Jazz at the Bistro welcomes and Jazz St. Louis presents Marlena Shaw. 3536 Washington Blvd., 63101. For more information, call (314) 531-1012 or visit www.metrotix.com

Wed., Apr. 17, 7 p.m. Kendrick Lamarand Steve Aoki, Chaifetz Arena. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com or call (314) 534-1111.

Thur., Apr. 18, 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., Jazz St. Louis presents Anat Cohen and Matt Wilson. Jazz at the Bistro, 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, call314-289-4030 or visit www.jazzstl.org

Fri., Apr. 19, 7 p.m., Jazz St. Louis presents GreaterSt. Louis Jazz Festival. The Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour 55th Anniversary Celebration features critically acclaimed, Grammy-winning jazz artists, this all-star band consists of bassist and musical director Christian McBride, vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, saxophonist Chris Potter, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, pianist Benny Green, and drummer Lewis Nash. Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, UMSL, 8001 Natural Bridge Rd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 5164949.

Tue., Apr. 23, 7:30 p.m., Notes from Home presents The Joe Mancuso Group Vocal and Instrumental Jazz with Jeanne Trevor, Wendy Gordon, Jim Manley and Larry Johnson. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 533-9900 or visit www.metrotix.com.

Apr. 24 – 27, Jazz St. Louis presents The Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio. Jazz at the Bistro, 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, call314-

289-4030 or visit www.jazzstl.org

Wed., Apr. 24, 9 p.m., Blueberry Hills presents Chuck Berry. 6504 Delmar Blvd., 63101. For more information, call (314) 727-4444.

Thurs. Apr. 25, 8:15 p.m., Sheldon Gala featuring Grammy Award Winner Bobby McFerrin, 3648 Washington. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.

Sat., Apr. 27, 8:00 p.m., The Sheldon presents Dianne Reeves. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 533-9900 or visit www.metrotix.com.

May 12, 6:30 p.m., Life, Love and LaughterTourstarring Keith Sweat, Johnny Gill, LaVell Crawford, Don “DC” Curry and Angela Winbush, Scottrade Center. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com or call 1-800-7453000.

local gigs

Saturdays, 3 p.m., The Kendrick Smith Quartet, Premier Lounge, 5969 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. For more information, call (314)385-5281 or e-mail crusadersforjazz@hotmail.com

Sundays, 6:30 p.m. (6 p.m. doors) Jazz @ Eventide, featuring Black and White Trio Sip N Savor, 286 DeBaliviere, 1/2 block north of the Forest park Metro link. For more information, call (314)3612116.

Jazz on Broadway presents Tim Cunningham. Fridays only in March and April at 8 p.m. 554 E. Broadway, Alton, IL, 62002. For more information, call (618) 465-5299.

Wednesdays, 6 p.m. Lexus Len’s Happy Hour, Live Band featuring: Cheryl

CALENDAR

Brown, Jeremiah Allen, Jeff Taylor& Gerald Warren, 2 for 1 Drinks, Free Food, No Cover Charge, Mature Atmosphere, The Loft, 3112 Olive.

special events

Thur., Apr. 11, 6:30 p.m., The InSpot presents My Pink Purse PamperParty. Arelaxing atmosphere to completely indulge yourself with massages, facial relaxation, wine, and more. Proceeds donated to St. Louis Cancer Survivors. 5854 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 601-3646 or visit www.survivoressentials.org.

Thur., Apr. 11, 6 p.m., Memory Care Home Solutions presents Heard it Through the Grapevine. This second annual spring event raises funds to support those caring for a loved one with memory loss, dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. EdgeWild Restaurant & Winery, 550 Chesterfield Center, 63017. For more information, call (314) 645-6247 or visit www.memorycarehs.org.

Fri., Apr. 12, 5 p.m., Annie Malone Community Night. Eat at McDonalds and a portion of the proceeds will go directly to Annie Malone. 8938 Jennings Station Rd., 63136. For more information, call (314) 531-0120.

Fri., Apr. 12, VLProduction Who’s Who in Entertainment Talent Showcase featuring rappers, models, singers & dancers, Tandy Community Center, 4206 W. Kennerly. Proceeds to benefit breast cancer recipient. For more information, call (314) 537-0239.

Fri., Apr. 12, 7 p.m., Fox

Performing Arts Charitable Foundation presents 2013 St. Louis Teen Talent Competition. Judged competition showcasing the splendidly talented teens of the STL Metro area. Students will compete for college scholarships, prizes & public appearance opportunities. Fabulous Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 534-1111 or visit www.metrotix.com.

Sat., Apr. 13, 8 a.m., Annie’s Hope presents ARun for Hope 5K and 1M Family Fun Walk. Awards for overall female & male finishers and top female and male finishers by age group will be given. Annie’s Hope is a bereavement

center for kids whose mission is to provide comprehensive support services to children, teens, and their families who are grieving the death of someone significant. Queeny Park, 550 Weidman Rd., 63011. For more information, call (314) 965-5015 or visit www.annieshope.org.

Sat., Apr. 13, 8 a.m., MakeA-Wish Foundation presents St. Louis Run & Walk for Wishes. Competitive 5K Race, followed by family fun walk and free Wish Carnival - to include bounce houses, games, face painting and more! All proceeds benefit Make-A-Wish Missouri to fund wishes of local children battling lifethreatening illnesses. Forest Park Upper Muny Parking Lot, Macklind Dr. and Union Dr., 63110. For more information, call (314) 205-9474 ext. 224 or visit www.walkforwishesSTL.com.

St. Matthew’s the Apostle Church, 2705 N. Sarah50/50 raffle to benefit Church repairs. Drawing: April 15, 2013. To acquire a $10 raffle ticket call the rectory 314-5316443 or stop by and ask for Peg.

Thur., Apr. 18, 8 p.m., Hope Happens presents 9th Annual Evening of Hope feat. Kenji Williams and Bella Gaia. Proceeds will be used to fasttrack collaborative, translational research at the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 533-9900 or visit www.metrotix.com.

Thur., Apr. 18, 11 a.m., Recruit St. Louis Alumni Only CareerExpo. MyWorkster pre-selects all the employers to only include the best companies and opportunities in theSt. Louisarea. Alumni are welcome from SLU,Webster,SIUE, SEMO, Maryville,Lindenwood, SIUC, Fontbonne,and Columbia College Missouri. Potential employers include Edward Jones, Equifax, Express Scripts, and more. For more information, contact Kelly@myworkster.com.

Thur., Apr. 18, 6 p.m., Centene Charitable Foundation presents Be The Difference – ABenefit for Voices forChildren. 2013 Community Superhero Honorees: Judge Michael D. Burton and Judge Jimmie M. Edwards, with MC Robin Smith of KMOVChannel 4 News. Proceeds benefit Voices for Children’s advocacy for abused and neglected St. Louis children in foster care. Windows on Washington, 1601

Costas Benefit. Proceeds will benefit the Bob Costas Cancer Center at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center, featuring John Mellencamp and comedian Joe Bolster. Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 5341678 or visit www.metrotix.com.

Sun., Apr. 21, 1 p.m., Something New Bridal Fair. With not more than 50 local, small businesses in attendance, you’ll get that one-on-one time with amazing vendors that will help make your big day spectacular and unforgettable. And we’re giving away an all-inclusive free honeymoon to one lucky couple. Moulin Events and Meetings, 2017 Chouteau Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 241-4949. Sun.Sun., Apr. 21, 7 p.m., Fox Concerts and Mills Entertainment present Theresa Caputo, star of TLC’s Long Island Medium Theresa will give interactive readings to audience members throughout the show and will also share personal stories about her life and her unique gifts. Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 5341678 or visit www.metrotix.com.

Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 522-5052.

Sat., Apr. 20, AmeriCorps St. Louis and United Way of GreaterSt. Louis presents 10th Annual St. Louis Serves Day. Citywide day of service comprised of ten “done-in-aday” projects at local non-profit agencies. Available opportunities include gardening, painting, meal preparation for the homeless, and more. Project sites include: KidSmart, Kingdom House, Lydia’s House, and more. Individuals and groups interested in volunteering Projects are also available for sponsorship by schools or corporate groups. For more information or to register, call (314) 772-9002 or visit www.americorps-stl.org.

Sat., Apr. 20, 1 p.m., St. Louis Combat Institute presents Women’s Urban Survival: Defeat the Blade. Knife attacks in a real fight are the most fierce, high-speed and terrifying. These assaults mostly blast unexpectedly and are horrific to the victim. Learn how to develop blade awareness, how to overcome the shock of unexpected stabs and how to disarm a blade cutting and stabbing at any distance and position. 5017 Northrup Ave., 63110. For more information, call (314) 773-4530.

Sat., Apr. 20, 1 p.m. & 4 p.m., Family Arena presents Scooby Doo Live Musical Mysteries. 2002 Arena Pkwy., 63303. For more information, call 9636) 896-4205.

Sat., Apr. 20, 6 p.m., An Evening at the Zoo for Mound Ridge Retreat Center. Our special guest speaker will be Natalie Bailey with the Africa Biodiversity Collaborative Group. There will also be live and silent auctions, and prize drawings. Meramec Room at River Camp, St. Louis Zoo, One Government Dr., 63110. For more information, call (573) 265-3098.

Sat., Apr. 20, 6 p.m., Family Resource Center presents It Takes a Village Gala Event. All proceeds benefit the Family Resource Center which works to give kids a chance at a better life by preventing and treating all forms of child abuse and neglect and by strengthening families through family-centered therapeutic, educational, and support services. Renaissance Grand Hotel, 800 Washington Ave., 63101. For more information, call (314) 534-9350.

Sat., Apr. 20, 8 p.m., Centene presents 25th Annual Bob

Thur., Apr. 25, 6:30 p.m., Metropolitan Congregations United presents Jammin’for Justice. Music by local band Mystic Voyage, playing popular favorites from Motown, 70’s, 80’s, R&B, and Funk. The evening includes a cash bar, appetizers, door prizes, raffles and a silent auction. All proceeds benefit the work of MCU. Plush Saint Louis, 3224 Locust St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 3573484.

literary

Fri., Apr. 12, 7 p.m., Maryville Talks Books presents author Elizabeth Strout author of The Burgess Boys Haunted by the freak accident that killed their father when they were children, Jim and Bob Burgess escaped to New York City as soon as they possibly could. Jim, a successful corporate lawyer, has belittled his brother their whole lives, and Bob, a Legal Aid attorney, has always taken it in stride. Maryville University, 650 Maryville University Dr., 63141.

comedy

Apr. 23 – 27, Funny Bone Comedy Club presents Guy Torry. 614 Westport Plaza, 63146. For more information, call (314) 469-6692.

Sat., May 11, 8 p.m., Queen of Comedy Sommore, alongside veteran comedians Bruce Bruce, D.L. Hughley, Tony Rock and Arnez J. star in “The Royal Comedy Tour,” Chaifetz Arena. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com or call (314) 534-1111.

theatre

Apr. 4 – 20, TowerGrove Abbey presents Gypsy: A Musical Fable.. 2336 Tennessee Ave., 63104. For more information, call (314) 865-1995.

Through April 13, The St. Louis Black Repertory Company presents The Whipping Man. Virginia, just after The Civil War. During Passover, a wounded Confederate Officer returns to a ruined plantation to find only two former slaves to care for him, in a test of humanity and their Jewish faith. Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square, 63108. For more information, call (314) 534-3807.

Fri., Apr. 12, 12 p.m., UMSL Dance Spring 2013 presents The Kinetic Chamber Project. Students will perform dance pieces choreographed by faculty, guest artist and aspiring student choreographers. All will enjoy this eclectic dance concert. Blanch M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, UMSL, 8001 Natural Bridge

The Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour 55th Anniversary Celebration featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater.See CONCERTS for details.

Rd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 516-4949.

Wed., Apr. 17, 7 p.m., The Big Talks – Talking about Talking About Sex. Adramatic, comedic, educational oneman show about parents talking to their teens about sex. Written and performed by award-winning solo theater performer Tim Collins, this exciting theatrical conversation depicts the difficulties & dilemmas that parents might face when talking to their children about sex & healthy sexuality. Ethical Society of St. Louis, 9001 Clayton Rd., 63117.

Apr. 19 – 28, Fri. – Sun., Washington University Performing Arts Department presents In the Next Room (orthe VibratorPlay). The play concerns the early history of the vibrator, when doctors used it as a clinical device to bring women to orgasm as treatment for “hysteria.” Edison Theater, WUSTL, 6445 Forsyth Blvd., 63130. For more information, call (314) 935-6543 or visit www.metrotix.com.

Apr. 23 – May 5, Fox Theatre presents Million DollarQuartet. Inspired by the electrifying true story of the famed recording session that brought together rock ‘n’ roll icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins for the first and only time. On December 4, 1956, these four young musicians were gathered together by Sam Phillips, the “Father of Rock ‘n’Roll” at Sun Records in Memphis for what would be one of the greatest jam sessions of all time. ]Fabulous Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 534-1111 or visit www.metrotix.com.

arts

Fri., Apr. 12, 11:30 a.m., ISConnects presents The RiverBetween Us. The day begins with a free panel dis-

cussion with the artists and curators after which you can spend the afternoon exploring Laumeier Sculpture Park on your own with a self-guided audio tour or join the curators and artists for an insider tour at 2:30. On April 13th at 5 p.m. you are invited to attend the public opening of The River Between Us and an artist’s talk and performance at Laumeier. University Center, Webster University, 175 Edgar Rd., 63119. For more information, call (609) 689-1051 or visit http://www.sculpture.org/iscon nects

Apr. 26 – 27, St. Louis OutsiderArt Fair2013 Outsider art can loosely be defined as a raw expression from an individual who has had no formal art training, and is less concerned with following mainstream societal norms. The fair will include a broad array of relevant outsider art. Koken Art Factory’s Pingle Building, 2655 Victor 63104. For more information, call (314) 255-4038 or visit http://stloutsiderartfair.com.

Apr. 25 – 26, St. Louis Art Museum presents Gallery Talk: ANew Look at the Galleries of African Art. Join us in the galleries for a lively and informative discussion with Olubukola (Bukky) Gbádégesin, Assistant Professor of Art History, Saint Louis University. One Fine Arts Dr., 63110. For more information, call (314) 7210072.

lectures

Thur., Apr. 11, 6 p.m., Lab1500 presents Workshop: Nail YourInterview, Don’t Blow It. 1500 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 329-8755.

Apr. 12 – 13, Fontbonne University presents Bosnia Memory Project Symposium. Come for two days of presentations and discussions as we collectively address the complex questions of Bosnian identities as they pertain to

Bosnia-Herzegovina and to the Bosnia diaspora. Books will be available for purchase from Left Bank Books. 6800 Wydown Blvd., 63105. For more information, visit www.fontbonne.edu.

Thur., Apr. 18, 6 p.m.,

National Sales Network presents Sales Boot Camp: Finding YourFormula for Success. Are your numbers where you want them to be for the year? Why not get some additional training to increase your ROI pitch and show your clients why buying from you will change the face of their business! For more information or to register, visit http://www.nsnstlouis.org.

Sat., Apr. 20, 10 a.m., AKick Start to Being Money Smart Fair, St. Vincent Community Center, 7335 St. Charles Rock Rd, St. Louis, MO 63121. For more information, visit www.MoneySmartStLouis.org or www.facebook.com/MoneySm artSTL

Sat., Apr. 20, 7:15 a.m., National Black MBA Association, St. Louis

Funny Bone Comedy Club presents Guy Torry.See COMEDY f or more information.

Chapter presents EntrepreneurThink Tank

The event has four tracks: Business Start-Up, Growing the Business, Starting a NonProfit and Franchising: A Business Model that Works. Each track has a minimum of five workshops that will help entrepreneurs understand the fundamentals of starting and running a business, attracting new business, managing business relationships, and the essential tools needed to acquire capital and grants. Workshops will be facilitated by industry and university experts as well as successful entrepreneurs within the St. Louis community. John Cook School of Business, SLU, 3674 Lindell Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (636) 230-2404 or visit www.stlblackmba.org.

health

Sat., Apr. 13, 10:30 a.m., Parkinson Education Program. Dr. Kevin Black, a neuropsychiatrist at the Washington University School of Medicine, will give a presentation entitled “Who are You

and What Have you Done to My Spouse/Caregiver?” Families may feel robbed of a formerly vital and vibrant, entertaining loved one. Participants will learn how and why this happens and how to cope with this “new” person in their life.

DoubleTree Hotel & Conference Center, 16625 Swingley Ridge Rd., 63006. For more information, call (314) 362-3299.

Apr. 12, 4:30 p.m. (concert 7 p.m.), The American Heart Association presents The Most Powerful Voices Concert and Health Fair starring national recording artist PastorMarvin Sapp, Greater Grace Church located at 3690 Pershall Road in St. Louis. To learn more about the Power to End Stroke program, visit www.strokeassociation.org/p ower or call 1-8884STROKE.

Wed., Apr. 17, 9 a.m., Mercy Free Breast Screening Event. Free Breast Screening event for women ages 40-64 who are uninsured or underinsured and meet financial criteria. Each participant will receive a breast exam and mammogram. Mercy Breast Center, 12348 Old Tesson Rd., 63128. For more information, call (314) 251-6300.

Apr. 19 – Apr. 21, Christian Embassy Church Presents ‘Getting Fit Forthe Kingdom.’ For more information, (314)741-4463 or marketing@christianembassychurch. com

Tue., Apr. 23, 6 p.m., SSM St. Mary’s Health Center presents Treatments for Relieving Back Pain. Lower back pain is not a specific disease, rather it is a symptom that may occur from a variety of different causes. Lower back pain is frequently associated with overuse or injury to the muscles or ligaments that support the spine. Anyone suffering from chronic lower back pain is invited to a special presenta-

tion by Dr. Tad Berry. 6420 Clayton Rd., 63117. For more information, call (866) 7763627.

Wed., Apr. 24, 6 p.m., SSM St. Joseph Health Center presents Lung Cancer Screening Seminar. If Caught Early, Lung Cancer can be cured. Dr. Dan Luedke, a medical oncologist, will be talk about lung cancer screening, lung cancer risk factors and symptoms of the disease.300 1st Capitol Dr., 63302. For more information, call (866) 776-3627.

Thur., Apr. 25, 6:30 p.m., SSM St. Mary’s Health Center presents ANight with the Girls. Women of all ages are invited to a fun night out where they can ask personal health questions and gain insight about women’s health while being pampered in a relaxed environment. 6420 Clayton Rd., 63117. For more information, call (866) 7763627.

Thur., Apr. 25, 7 p.m., West County Family YMCA presents Preventing & Treating Diabetes. 16464 Burkhardt Pl., 63017. For more information, call (314) 542-9378.

Sun., Apr. 14, 4 p.m., Most Holy Trinity Church presents Community Gospel Choir The choir consists of more than 50 voices singing African American spirituals and gospel music.Through their spirited interpretation of the rich tradition of African-American Gospel music the choir works to break down racial, cultural and economic barriers in the St. Louis community through the gift of music. 3519 N. 14th St., 63107. For more information, call (314) 965-6157.

Sun., April 14, 4 p.m. The Ambassadors forLife presents a Benefit forProfessor Anita Watkins-Stevens, New Sunny Mount Baptist Church, 4700 West Florissant Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63115.

Continued from C1

public. The afterparty will be held at The Royale - 3132 S. Kingshighway – 63139. This reading promises to be an interesting evening! See you there.

The St. Louis Paupers celebrated their first 2013 social at Norwood Country Club in North County.

Situated in the scenic Ladie’s Card Room overlooking their beautiful golf course, members enjoyed a delicious luncheon, catching up and reminiscing about old times. Pauper members were grateful to member Lisa Gates for organizing the activity. Off the links enjoying the bar-b-qued farm-raised salmon were Susan Turner Buford Susan “Gigi” Cunningham Rita McMillan, Jocelyn Reed, Wanda Ware Charlotte Otley, Karen Moore, Angela Brown, Carol Haynes, Christina Bennett Nancy Thompson, Johnni Ola Spencer, Mary A. Polk, Delores Roberts Albernice Fagen, Mary Olivia Polk, Tracy Shepard Paula Knight and Sheila Word

In order: a Happy Birthday toast to Marion Miller. Marion was happy to have daughter Audrey Miller, MD in town a couple of weeks ago for her

FILM

Continued from C1

boiling rage and keeping a lid on his ego as players and fans challenged him relentlessly. Robinson’s unspoken pain and frustration are portrayed with precision.

Even when the film’s formulaic, fairytale script fails to provide dialogue equal to the emotions that must have come with being Jackie Robinson,

mother’s celebration. Marion’s birthday dinner at Mad Tomato in Clayton turned out to be an entertaining evening. On board to wish her all the best and many happy returns: Soda Lo, Vivi Costello Wolff, Joan Miller, Esq., Gregory Smith (in absentia). Many happy returns, MGM. The Auxiliary to the Mound City Medical Forum celebrated its 31st year of providing scholarships to students pursuing careers in nursing. The group with a purpose hosted a swanky dinner, dance and auction in the Hilton Frontenac Ballroom. Four of the 2013 scholarship recipients joined the group.

Scholarship Chair Geraldine Scott was proud to introduce them: Eboni Harris Dorthea

Boseman picks up the slack with subtle nuances that project the illusion of inner turmoil.

All of the African-American cast members sense the seriousness of 42 and act accordingly. Nicole Beharie lends grace and a subtle power to her role as Robinson’s wife Rachel, while Andre Holland (as black press sportswriter Wendell Smith) brings a humble, but sharp intelligence to his screen presence. Both characters provide a much-needed support system to Robinson as he attempts to

Dodson, Monica Townsend and Tremesha Robinson Eboni, Monica and Dorthea are students at the Chamberlain School of Nursing. Tremesha is a student at University of Missouri – St. Louis.

Among the supporters were Mary and Jean Thomas, MD, Amanda Murphy, MD Drs Esther and Earl Beeks, Velma and Aldophus Favors, Karen and Gary Watkins MD Geraldine and Hillard Scott MD, Marva and Jerome Williams Jr., MD and Sandra and Nathaniel Murdock, MD. Congratulations to these bright young students.

Have a great week! Dana Grace: dgrandolph@live.com and Twitter @dgrandolph.

go where no black man had gone before him. There seems to be a sense of responsibility and solidarity among them that lends a special dignity to their portrayals.

In all, 42 has the feel of an inspirational made-fortelevision movie, but the film proves effective despite its flaws. ‘42’ opens in theatres nationwide tomorrow (Friday, April 12). The film is rated PG-13 with a running time of 120 minutes.

BOOK

Continued from C1

mostly because of her own blissful ignorance. The half-black, half-Italian beauty is forced to leave the comfort of a stable and ideal upbringing because of her father’s indiscretions. He pays the ultimate price for his actions. She must quickly adapt to St. Louis after being uprooted from her home country, learning to codeswitch and power-play within certain criminal elements.

El-Amin could have used a keen editorial eye to help him trim the fat of excessive back stories devoted to supporting characters that don’t contribute to his central

DANCE

Continued from C1

homeland). St. Louis will truly enjoy an indescribable treat by experiencing the works of this master artist.” Koumbassa will partner with Kreative Pandemonium’s musical director Weedie Braimah, who grew up in an Afrocentric musical family in East St. Louis, to facilitate two days of dance and drum workshops at the Connect Care gymnasium, 5535 Delmar Blvd. A live performance Saturday night at the 14th Street Artist Community (2701 N.14th St.) will feature Youssouf and Kreative Pandemonium’s band.

“We are so excited to have Youssouf here in St. Louis for the very first time ever, along with our very own Weedie,” says Andrea Peoples, co-founder and artistic director of Kreative Pandemonium. “Between Youssouf’s dancing and

narrative. He also could have used a woman’s insight to aid in the process of expressing the heart and minds of his female characters – Farone, in particular. He seems to borrow the formula of predictable themes and plot twists from popular urban literature to aid him in the process of personalizing women on the page. But he nails the drive, street savvy and machismo of the male subjects of his story – especially Farone’s main love interest and antagonist, Bri. Even though they, too, fit a certain format, he gives the reader a birds-eye view into their emotional intentions and vulnerabilities in dramatizing the fury of a man scorned. As you turn the final pages

Weedie’s drumming, the classes and the performance are sure to be awe-inspiring.”

Youssouf Koumbassa was born in Guinea, West Africa but is currently living in New York when he is not traveling to teach across the world. He began dancing at the age of six, and his talents lead him to dance with Ballet Djoliba, of Guinea, and the legendary Les Ballets Africains.

“Youssouf Koumbassa is a phenomenal dancer as well as a master teacher skilled in the technique of breaking down steps, so even the non-dancer can understand and execute the movements,” Weedie Braimah says.

Braimah, 30, was born in Ghana, West Africa and raised in East St. Louis.

Braimah was born into a lineage of extraordinary musicians such as his father, Oscar Sulley Braimah, who is an accomplished Afrobeat musician and composer, and his mother Ann Morris, who is a skilled jazz drummer who performed with James Brown. Braimah travels nationally and internationally, performing, lecturing and

of Lost and Turned Out, it is obvious that Mia Farone’s world being turned upside down is far from over. The question becomes: Will she finally learn the lessons she was denied due to painful family secrets? We’ll have to wait for the sequel, as this is only the first part of a planned trilogy. TD El-Amin will read from his novel Mia Farone: Lost and Turned Out along with Virvus Jones and Chris King – who will read from their own unpublished novels – at the Missouri History Museum on Friday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m. for more information on this free reading, visit www. mohistory.org. Order his book at http://www.tdelamin. com/.

teaching djembe technique. Currently, Braimah is co-founder and musical director of Kreative Pandemonium, an Afrofusion band focused on blending the traditional instrumentations of Africa with funk, rock, blues and jazz. The 12-piece band is equipped with a five-piece horn section, bass and guitar, and utilizes a traditional fourpiece djembe orchestra rather than a drum set. They are the innovators of a unique sound they refer to as “djembe soul.”

Kreative Pandemonium will match their unique blend of Afrofusion music with the dancing stylizations of Koumbassa and KP’s choreographer Andrea Peoples. Everyone can experience djembe soul first hand Saturday night at a Dununba Party which will feature performances by KP, Youssouf Koumbassa and special guest belly dance ensemble, Tribe Azuka. For event schedule and details, visit www. kreativepandemonium.com or call 314-276-7157.

Mound City Auxiliary 2013 Scholarship recipients Eboni Harris, Dorthea Dodson, Monica Townsend and Tremesha Robinson were recognized at the Hilton Frontenac Ballroom. Photo by Mary Thomas

Photos by Henry Gray

A century of life

100th

Donald M.

She resides with her daughter Loretta, and son-in-law John, in Harvey, Illinois and is a devoted mem ber of Faith Temple Church of God in Christ.

Golden anniversary

Mildred and Darnell Lee will celebrate 50 years of marriage April 15, 2013. They have been blessed with two children and one grandchild.

Reunions

Beaumont Class of 1968, 45Year Reunion, June 14-16, 2013 at the Sheraton Plaza Hotel in Westport. Please pass the word on to others who are out of town. Contact: Vanetta at 314-869-5665.

Hazelwood East Class of 1993 is having its 20 year reunion June 21-23, 2013.

~ CELEBRATIONS ~

Please contact Paramount Event Producers by going to www.paramounteventproducers.com and selecting “Reunion Corner” to pay your registration fee. You may also call (877) 287-0857. The fee is $87.50 per person for the entire weekend. Don’t wait to register.

Join Northwest High Alumni class of 1971, August 2-5, 2013 on the largest Caribbean Parade in North America. Single Room, $614; Double Room, $465; Triple Room, $402. Departure: 12:30 am Friday 8/2/13, Return: Monday.8/5/13. Trip includes 4 days/3 nights hotel accommodations, round trip motor coach travel, Caribana Parade, shopping, night life, festivities, day tour of Niagara Falls

Happy 1st birthday to Cameron Michael Jean Stewart on April 9. It doesn’t get any better than having you as my grandson! Love you! Grandma Ronda

(Canadian side). Balance due in full byJune 20, 2013. For more information contact: Diane at 314-498-6886, Vernida at 314-369-8489or woodsvernida@yahho.com, or Jeanette 314-398-0383.

O'Fallon Class of 1983 is sponsoring an Alumni Basketball game, Saturday, April 20, 2013. The game will be held at Mattew Dickey Boys Club from 2:005:00pm. If any male classmates are interested in playing, please contact Charles Woods at (314)568-6331 or Merv Hayes at (314)713-4700 by Friday, March 15th.

SumnerClasses of January & June 1953: Let’s celebrate 60 years by having lunch together, Dutch treat, on June

Pastoral Jubilee Celebration

The Rev. Dr. Haymond Fortenberry (pictured with First Lady Mrs. Christell Fortenberry) will be honored at Greater Fairfax Missionary Baptist Church on April 14, 2013 at 3 pm. He has been the Pastor of Greater Fairfax for 45 years and Pastoring for 50 years. The Rev. Ronald L. Bobo (his Pastor) of the West Side Missionary Baptist Church will bring the Anniversary Message. Rev. Mark Peterson of Memorial Tabernacle Christian Life Center will bring the 11 am Morning Message.

5, 2013. Send an e-mail with your intentions by April 30 to: bjpn@sbcglobal.net (Barbara Pleasant Nashville) or rlspotts@aol.com (Roslyn Townson Spotts). You will receive an e-mail informing you of time and place in midMay. Please pass the word on to classmates.

SumnerHigh School’s 1958 graduates are scheduling their 55th reunion the weekend of June 28-30, 2013.For additional information please phone 314 355-4675 or e-mail hauckrw@sbcglobal.net or call 314 921-3742 or forward an email to cjjazze2@att.net

University City High School Class of 2003 is celebrating its 10 year class reunion on July 26-27, 2013. For more information please email the reunion committee at Ucityclassof2003@gmail.com

Vashon 1943 classes will celebrate their 70th reunion on June 21-22, 2013, at the Hilton St. Louis Airport, 10330 Natural Bridge Road. For more information, please contact Beatrice (Anderson) Bell: jaybee47@swbell.net; (314) 9185973; P.O. Box 31830, St. Louis, MO 63138; or Alonzo Bouie, (314) 385-1937.

Do you have a celebration you’re proud of? If so we would like to share your good news with our readers. Whether it’s a birth, graduation, wedding, engagement announcement, anniversary, retirement or birthday, send your photos and a brief announcement (50 words or less) to us and we may include it in our paper and website – AT NO COST – as space is available Photos will not be returned. Send your announcements to: kdaniel@stlamerican. com or mail to: St. Louis American Celebrations c/o Kate Daniel 4242 Lindell Ave St.

Vashon Class of 1973: 40th Reunion Celebration Family Picnic August 3, 2013; Reunion Weekend August 911, 2013, Renaissance Airport Hotel; Contact Lelia Hortonat 314-502-3982 or Christine Duncan314-521-5226.

Northwest High School Class of 1973, planning is underway for the 40th reunion of the Class of 1973! The reunion is planned for July 19-21, 2013. Send your contact information including email address, phone and mailing address to northwesths1973@gmail.comto ensure you receive all reunion updates. Information has also been posted on Classmates.com and Facebook Group: Northwest High School 1973.If you have questions feel free to call Cornelia Clark Stephens at 314-580-1114.

Northwest High School Class of 1978 will celebrate its 35th Class Reunion Weekend on June 21-23, 2013.For additional information please call 314-269-7868 or 314-5910532.

O’Fallon Tech Class of 1968, 45-year reunion planned for June 7-8, 2013. 1969 grads are invited too! If interested send contact info via email to ofallontech68@gmail.com.

Reunion notices are free of charge and based on space availability. We prefer that notices be emailed to us! However, notices may also be sent by mail to: Kate Daniel, 4242 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108. Deadline is 10 a.m. on Friday.

If you’d like your class to be featured in a reunion profile, email or mail photos to us. Our email address is: reunions@ stlamerican.com

O’Fallon Class of 1983 Cheerleaders, please contact Vickie Brown Sims at (314)791-3191 or Zina Turner Morgan at (314)304-5058. St. Nicholas Grade School Reunion May 3-5, 2013. Alumni/Associates Contact 314-353-2027 or vwharp@yahoo.com.

Happy

Birthday to Elnora Suggs on April 16! Mrs. Suggs is the mother of St. Louis American Publisher & Executive Editor

Suggs.

1st birthday

Clay calls for gun control at St. Paul AME

Elders look on at Good Friday service as Congressman calls for action

American staff

U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay (D-Missouri) joined St. Louis City Police Chief Sam Dodson and Better Family Life Vice President James Clark at a special Good Friday call for action against gun violence hosted by St. Paul AME Church.

Surrounded by a large crowd of worshipers and AME Church elders, Clay made an impassioned plea to the community to stand up against gun violence and he also received petitions demanding swift congressional action to finally enact common sense gun violence legislation.

“I will be proud to receive your petitions to urge the rest of my colleagues to join me in taking strong action against gun violence,” Clay said in his remarks to worshippers.

“I am a proud member of the congressional taskforce on gun violence. This is not a new issue for me and, sadly, this is not a new issue for our community. We here in St. Louis have long been subjected to the twin evils of gun violence and a popular culture that tolerates it.”

Clay said President Obama is showing leadership on the issue.

“I applaud President Obama’s legislative proposals and strong executive orders to directly respond to the epidemic of gun violence in this country,” Clay said. “Like most responsible gun owners, I support the

2nd Amendment, and I also support common sense measures to make our nation safer.”

Clay said the U.S. needs to reenact an assault weapons ban.

“For many years, I have supported a renewal of the assault weapons ban, a ban on high-capacity magazine clips, universal background checks for all gun purchases, and ending on-line sales of firearms and ammunition,” Clay said. But more is needed than limitations on weapons.

“We also need to provide communities with more help to increase mental health services and to improve school security. But even if we did all of that, it wouldn’t be enough,” Clay said.

The community also needs to step up, he said.

“You have to take a stand at the grass roots level. You have got to be willing to pick up that phone and call that anonymous tip line, and help get these guns

off the streets,” Clay said.

“You have to fight with your voices, your feet, your faith and even your votes to win back the peace for this community. I get outraged when some of my more timid colleagues tell me that the opposition is too strong, the path is too difficult and they are too fearful to act.”

No excuses, Clay said.

“My friends, the time for empty excuses has long since passed … and the time for action is now. And you must be willing to hold accountable those elected officials who fear the gun lobby more than they respect the voters who hired them,” Clay said.

“It’s true that no law will end all gun violence, and no law will prevent every future tragedy.

But just because we can’t do everything, we should still do something, and that’s what I am calling for.”

Clay quoted a former colleague who was famously a

Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven. KJV

It’s good to know that no matter who you are or where you are in life, you are called to a divine purpose and plan that only you can fulfill. This divine plan of God is preordained and timed exactly for you to bring it to fruition. Thus, be it noted… You are called.

victim of gun violence.

“In the words of my very courageous friend and former U.S. House colleague, Gabby Gifford, ‘Doing something about gun violence will be hard. But we must be bold. The time is now!’” Clay said.

“Gabby Gifford’s is right. I will take these petitions back to Washington with me and let my colleagues know that in St. Louis… the good people have woken up, and you have had enough of this. The time for Congress to act is now!”

Church launch

New Destiny, a Faith Community was launched under the leadership of Pastor Ulysses Ross III on March 24 at 1745 Craig Road in Maryland Heights (at Have Bible Will Travel Church). The mission is “to teach practical Bible application, a clear word in a complicated world.”

As we go through life, with all of its challenges and twists and turns, it’s easy to think that God has forgotten about us. It may seem that our dreams and our hopes for the future are not going to come to pass and that God has no recognition of them at all. Oh yes, He does!

While we are busy fretting and worrying God has already designed His divine plan for us, and it is preordained and already set in motion even if we can’t see it yet. And the good news is that we can’t alter it. It does not matter how many mistakes, missteps, or mishaps we make, God is still going to bring His purpose about in our lives. The funny thing about

purpose and destiny is that we sort of stumble into it and somewhere along the way, usually when we are not looking; we begin to realize that we are here. We have arrived at the place where we were purposed to be. We begin to realize that the thing that we do is more about the love of doing it, than the profit in it. In fact if we were never paid to do what it is we love doing, we would probably still do it. When we reach that place, we are in the midst of passion. The point of passion is the place where talent and destiny meet and where contentment is found. So whatever your gifting’s and talents may be, God will use them for His glory and they will ultimately play a part in your unique life plan. Whether your talents are in ministry, art, teaching, policy or advocacy they are all callings and links to the golden chain of God’s mission for you. Watch for the clues that beckon you to your fate and remember no fork in the road or slight detour can keep you from what God has called you to. So live on purpose. God bless.

The American is accepting Inspirational Messages from the community. Send your column (no more than 500 words) as a Word document and pasted text to cking@stlamerican.com and attach a photo of yourself as a jpeg ile. Please be patient; we will run columns in the order received.

Surrounded by a large crowd of worshipers and AME Church elders on Good Friday, U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy made an impassioned plea to the community to stand up against gun violence.

Celebrity Swagger Snap of the Week

Even before Brandy was finished putting it down on stage, she showed love to St. Louis’ own Curtis Finch Jr. The ‘American Idol’ top ten finalist was given a chance to bless the mic during Grammy-Award winning R&B songstress’s 9:30 p.m. performance. And both singers obviously shared a mutual admiration that continued after the concert ended.

Apping it up. That’s right…for those who don’t know, The St. Louis American is taking our technology game to a whole new level with our brand spankin’ NEW web app. Don’t believe me, see for yourselves…and we’ve made it easy for you to do so. All you have to do is visit our home page on your mobile device, iPad or tablet and it will ask you if you if you want to add the app to your homepage. Click the return button and “add to home screen” and there you have it – one touch, instant, access to all things

The St. Louis American online experience has to offer. I’m talking hundreds of photos each week, updates several times per day and all of the things you love about our paper and website. And the app makes it all look so pretty on the screen, if I do say so myself. And best of all…it’s FREE, for right now anyway. So, you’re welcome….but seriously, thank you for the continued support and we hope that this app makes it easy for all of you to what you enjoy most among the mix of what we provide daily online– and weekly in print. But I must forewarn by recommending that y’all better get on the site and download the app while the getting is good, because I can’t promise that it will be on the house forever.

LB doing it big. Since I’m already self- promoting, I must give a shout out to The St. Louis American’s own (and LB Photography founder) Lawrence Bryant for putting it down Thursday at the Four Seasons with his Arty Party. He had some KILLER shots and portraits and had the most diverse mix of movers and shakers that I’ve EVER seen at a non-fundraising festivity. I mean think about it, where else would you have the police chief, politicians, radio personalities and professional athletes in the same place? Chief Dotson, Larry Hughes, Steven Jackson, Ron Isley and Lumiere VP Jeff Babinski were just A FEW of the name brand folks who came through to peep the pics and party. It was a good look and I want to say good luck with the next one – because last week’s certainly won’t be the last. Tyson’s theatrical tell-all. I must admit I was preparing for the worst when I got wind that like Mike Tyson was going to tell his story – in his own words – at the Peabody. But I must say that I was quietly impressed with the show. He cussed like a sailor, but he had me hollering as he put a funny spin on what should have been a tragic story. And when he made it clap (as in dropped it like it was hot) I was ready to follow him to the casting couch. Don’t judge me. And he gave some fearlessly candid insights on things I had NO idea about – like him still…let’s just say having relations with Robin Givens during their divorce proceedings. He needed a translator when he got too excited, but other than that I have no complaints – except for the super fans who felt the need to co-sign and hype him up from their seats…at the top of their lungs! And whose daddy was that attempting to walk on stage and had to be escorted back to his seat?

Blown away by Brandy. Let me tell you, I got the surprise of my life –well, at least my week – when I traipsed over to the Lumiere to see Brandy do her thing for the first time live. To be honest I was expecting an endless stream of echo whisper runs, a few repeats of the “I Wanna Be Down” hand choreography – a little show that would make me say “that was cute enough” and that’s pretty much it. But baby, Moesha was not to be messed with on that stage Friday night! Those structured shoulder shimmies that popped and locked coupled with an eye of the tiger twerk face were saying “girls (and boys), get into this mug…and these moves,” from the start! Those hips didn’t lie – but how could they with those high cut hot pants she was rockin’? I’m just saying. She sang, she bounced, she poured her heart out – and even invited American Idol finalist Curtis Finch Jr. on stage to give the audience a sip of what he was working with vocally. Was I the only one to completely catch life at how she refused to let him hold the mic? My only issue was with the obvious urban legend that the show was sold out. I mean honestly, I know at least a dozen folks who begged me for the hookup that would have been more than willing to shell out a few coins to see Ms. Norwood in action. But regardless of how many showed up she put her ankle into that doggone show for those two or three that came through to touch and agree. And the icing on the cake was Brandy retweeting the American’s online review of the show to her TWO MILLION followers. Girl, you forever have a fan in me!

Curlfriends’ Coliseum takeover. Now I wasn’t the least bit pleased with how the volunteers were serving me angry church usher tease at the door, but once I finally got in it was all good as I soaked in the positive vibe that the naturalistas had flowing through the Coliseum Saturday evening for the “curlfriends” natural hair meet up. Those twists, coils, curls, kinks, and locks were in there deep to show love to St. Louis’ own Curly Nikki –who came to town to unite her “curlfriends” and promote her new book “Better Than Good Hair”…which is great, btw. She had the swag of a super celebrity with her chain-linked tapered leather jacket, mini glove, anti-paparazzi shades and vicious up-do! But she was the most humble main attraction I’ve seen in a minute. Nikki went from booth to booth to mingle and oblige photo ops as the folks fellowshipped. I was worn out just from watching her work the room. Some of my favorite “curlfriends” were in the house too – like super volunteer Linda Robinson, Vanita Applebum, Misha Marshall, DT (aka Scar LaDon) and a gang of others that I know I’ll hear back from because I forgot them. I also saw Marie Simone from Shi – who is rightfully featured in Nikki’s book. It feels so good to see another St. Louisan grow into a national phenomenon! And Nikki is worthy – and apparently not letting things go to her head.

Melanie and Asia were among the pretty faces at the April installment of 1st Fridays @ Bar Italia

DJ AJ and DJ Arty J keep the party jumping for LA Nights Saturday night @ The Coliseum

Kayla Bryant and Yasimira Jackson came to visit their friend natural hair maven Nikki “Curly Nikki” Walton @ her ‘curlfriends meet up and book signing Saturday @ The Coliseum

Rising rap star Kirko Bangz was in town to break bread with fans like Jessica, who came to Wing Stop for a free lunch meet and greet Thursday

Rickey Whittington of Plaza Motors and NFL star Steven Jackson came out to support Lawrence Bryant for his Arty Party Photo Gallery Thursday night @ Four Seasons St. Louis

Daryel Oliver and Chris Little were among the movers and shakers @ LA Nights Saturday @ The Coliseum

Amber and Brie brought the weekend in with 1st Fridays @ Bar Italia

Diehard fans Theresa and Tequila were eager to see R&B starlet Brandy take the stage as they sat through both sets in front row seats Friday @ Lumiere Theater

Raphel of the Umbrella group with Keita kicked their weekend off with Free Fridays @ Lola

Orlando of Rock House and Dano the Mano of Hella Fly Ent were thrilled with the turnout of their weekly LA Nights set Saturday @ The Coliseum

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

American staff

City Academy alumni honored forservice ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

Mark Haymon of Chaminade and Missy Williamson of Whitfield

Two graduates of City Academy were presented with the City Academy/Wells Fargo Alumni Service Award during an annual luncheon held at the school on Friday, February 22.

Mark Haymon, a senior at Chaminade College Preparatory School, and Missy (Shawn) Williamson, a senior at Whitfield School, were chosen for the award, which was established in 2012 through a partnership between City Academy and Wells Fargo Advisors. Both students graduated as sixth graders from City Academy in 2007.

“We are thrilled to honor Mark and Missy with this award,” said Michael Zuccarello, Managing Director, Wells Fargo Advisors. “Through scholarship and commitment to service, both demonstrate the qualities of leadership that their schools and Wells Fargo Advisors have identified as the building blocks for success: hard work, integrity and a focus on others in the community. It is such a pleasure to recognize them as outstanding examples.”

City Academy is located at 4175 North Kingshighway.

Founded in 1999, the school is the only private, independent elementary school in St. Louis providing scholarship support to 100 percent of its students. The school currently serves 165 students from ages four through the sixth grade. City Academy’s mission is to provide an exceptional and affordable education for promising children whose opportunities are limited due to economic and geographic factors. Tours are available daily.

Bowling for Scholars April 12

Registration now is under way for St. Louis Community College’s ninth annual

Bowling for Scholars event slated for 3 p.m. Friday, April 12, at Tropicana Lanes, 7960 Clayton Road in Richmond Heights. The event is sponsored by STLCC’s auxiliary services department. Proceeds from the event help students purchase or rent textbooks and instructional materials for their classes. Online team registration is

available through the STLCC Foundation website or go directly to Bowling for Scholars Online Registration and Payment (https://secure.touchnet.com /C22523_ustores/web/store_ma in.jsp?STOREID=3&SINGLESTORE=true).The fee is $100 per team of five bowlers and includes ball and shoe rental and a commemorative T-shirt.

Corporate sponsorships also are available. The event also includes a silent auction and raffle, as well as an online auction at Bidding for Good (www.biddingforgood.com/stlccbowlingauction) that runs March 25April 8. The list of online auction items includes memorabilia, electronics, hot air balloon rides, travel and unique experi-

ences.

Previous Bowling for Scholars events have raised more than $203,500 and have helped 1,700-plus students. For more information, contact Ellen Gough at 636-4222030 or egough@stlcc.edu.

Pathways to Prosperity

Preparing students in Missouri for the jobs of the future is the focus of a new partnership that is bringing together educators, policymakers and employers.

State leaders participating in the Pathways to Prosperity Network met February 7 in St. Louis to continue their work on developing a system of “career pathways” designed to help high-school students succeed in college, other types of training and the workplace.

The program is a collaboration between the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, and business and community leaders.

“Pathways to Prosperity will provide an innovative way to prepare students for postsec-

ondary education or training and a career,” said Commissioner of Education Chris L. Nicastro. “The program focuses on defining and developing students’abilities through rigorous academic and technical education and guiding the students toward successfully entering the work force.”

The initiative began last year when Missouri was one of six states selected for the program. Participating states create education and career opportunities for students based on regional economic and work force needs.

Missouri’s pilot project is currently under way in the St. Louis area where the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is working with the Department of Economic Development to establish three Innovation High Schools in the St. Louis, Pattonville and FergusonFlorissant school districts. The Innovation High Schools will offer specialized training, internships, apprenticeships, and dual credit classes that will give students the opportunity to earn college credit. Nicastro said the program will eventually be expanded to other parts of the state.

The Pathways to Prosperity initiative links high school and higher education curriculum with the needs of the labor market and provides information to students and their families so they can make informed decisions about education, training and career options. The project also involves employers providing students with learning opportunities and hands-on experience in a workplace setting and working with those students as they transition into the work force.

Preparing students for college, other postsecondary training and a career is one of the primary goals of the Department’s Top 10 by 20 initiative, which aims for education in Missouri to be ranked among the top 10 states by 2020.

Missouri’s Pathways to Prosperity steering committee is being chaired by Dr. Kelvin Adams, superintendent of St. Louis Public Schools and June Fowler, vice president of corporate and public communications at BJC HealthCare.

In addition to Missouri, other states participating in the Pathways to Prosperity initiative include: Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Tennessee. California and Georgia are in the process of joining the initiative.

More information about the Pathways to Prosperity initiative can be found at <http://dese.mo.gov/news/201 3/prosperity.htm>.

Parent Cynthia Williamson,Missy Williamson and Whitfield Head of School John Delautre.