April 13th, 2023 edition

The St. LouiS AmericAn

‘I want them to remember the truth.”

Former Mill Creek resident James Gallagher is living history

By Sylvester Brown Jr.

The St. Louis American

Although Barbara Bracken Martin, chair of the Mill Creek Valley Commemoration Committee, reached out to the American for a story, she was hesitant to be interviewed.

“There’s a better person you really should be interviewing,” Bracken Martin insisted.

“He’s in his early 80s but he knows places and boundaries and can name people who lived there.”

The person she was referencing was James N.Gallagher, who was born in the late 1930s at 3433 Pine Street in Mill Creek Valley.

See GALLAGHER, A6

Former Mill Creek resident James Gallagher at St. Louis City SC Soccer Stadium at the Pillars of the Valley by artist Damon Davis. The sculpture represents the neighborhood that was demolished to make room for what is now known as Downtown West.

Tennessee lawmakers back on their job

Both Blacks reappointed after GOP ouster

St. Louis American staff

To the delight of a cheering crowd in Memphis, Tennessee state Rep. Justin J. Pearson shouted “You can’t expel hope.”

Earlier on Wednesday, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners appointed him to represent the district in the Tennessee House after he and fellow Black Democrat Justin Jones were expelled last week.

“Nashville thought they could

silence democracy, but they didn’t know that the Shelby County Commission was filled with some courageous leaders,” said Pearson, who will serve on an interim basis in the legislature. The vote to return Pearson to his seat — vacated last Thursday when the GOP-dominated chamber expelled the state representative after he and two other Democrats called for gun reform on the chamber floor — came after the board voted to

suspend a rule that would have required a waiting period between his nomination and confirmation.

Rep. Gloria Johnson, who is white, participated in the protest but was not expelled.

Johnson and Jones marched with Pearson and supporters to the Shelby County Board of Commissioners, where, as expected, he was reappointed.

Fellow lawmakers Rep. Justin Jones

By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American

While she was appointed Harris-Stowe State University’s 21st president on March 1, 2022, LaTonia Collins Smith’s investiture and inauguration will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, April 14, 2023, in the Henry Givens, Jr. Administration Building, Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack Auditorium on the campus. She is the university’s first African-American woman to serve as president, following Ruth Harris, the first Black woman to serve as Stowe Teachers College president in 1940.

Collins Smith’s path to the presidency began unexpectedly when then HSSU President Corey Bradford left the post abruptly in June 2021. She began her career in higher education at HSSU in 2010 and has served the

Nicole Robinson:

She won trustee seat April 4

By Sylvester Brown, Jr. St. Louis American

Nicole Robinson, ED.D, won a seat on the St. Louis Community College Board of Trustees on April 4 and she already has a “to do” list.

Robinson, who has more than 13 years’ experience in leadership and management in both the public and private sectors, defeated incumbent Pam Ross. “It still feels unbelievable,” Robinson told the St. Louis American. It was a tight race. According to the uncertified results from the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners, Robinson won by a mere 141 votes.

St. Louis Community College is governed by six board members who represent the four sub districts of the See ROBINSON, A7

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones raises hers arms in victory after winning a bingo game at the Oak Street Health North City Primary Care Clinic for seniors after losing 6 games in a row Tues. April 11, 2023. Applauding her is her table mate Larry Hodge.

LaTonia Collins Smith, Ed.D

Keshia Knight Pulliam

welcomes first child with husband, Brad James

Keshia Knight Pulliam recently welcomed her second child to the world, her first with husband Brad James

She gave birth to her new baby on Sunday, April 9, the same day she celebrated her 44th birthday. In the post she shared a video of she and James in her hospital room they anticipated their baby’s arrival.

“With this little one we are complete… Happy Birthday to me!!! What an eventful birthday week,” she captioned the post.

In the video captured by James, Pulliam is seen sitting in a hospital bed while James is wearing a hospital gown, mask, and hair net. He teased her about her diet and symptoms, while joking, “This is how grown people play doctor.”

The video concluded with a still image of the family posing together for a selfie.

The couple shared news about Pulliam’s pregnancy in December.

The couple opened up about their growing family in an interview with ET back in December, with Pulliam admitting that she felt “very pregnant” but “happy.”

“[I’m] enjoying every moment,” Pulliam told ET in an interview. “You

know, when it’s the last [one] you’re like, ‘Oh I know I have heartburn but it’s OK.’”

This is the couple’s first child together. They tied the knot in September. Pulliam’s first child is with her ex-husband Ed Hartwell

Marques Houston, 41, criticized for 19-year age difference with his 22-year-old wife, Miya Dickey

The 19-year age difference between Marques Houston and his wife, Miya Dickey doesn’t seem to phase him.

Their relationship was in the headlines a few years ago after it was revealed Houston, now 41, met Dickey, 22, when she was 17. They got engaged in March 2019 after five months of dating and married in August 2020.

In an upcoming preview in an episode of TV One’s Uncensored, Houston talks about how he and Dickey connected.

“Me and my wife’s situation is a little differ ent, how we met through mutual friends and every thing like that,” Houston said. “When I met my wife, she was 17. We had no, really, con versation and no, really, connection until she was of age.”

Houston went on to defend the backlash he’s received for his

relationship with someone half his age.

“People don’t understand it. And of course, I got a lot of backlash for marrying someone that was 19,” he said. “And, you know, when we did finally start to talk, I was like, ‘This woman is like me’… For one, we had a spiritual connection, and I feel like that’s the most important thing… and being able to start being around her… we connected through music and her spirit, her kindness, her heart, reminds me a lot of my mom and we connected on so many different levels.”

Houston told the story of how the two met on an Instagram post in June 2020. He said they met in 2018 through a mutual friend. Dickey befriended Chris Stokes’ (former manager who discovered Houston’s group Immature) daughter Chrissy Morales after the group attended a Jehovah’s Witness convention.

Back in June 2020, Houston first responded to the backlash, taking to Instagram to explain to his followers how he and “I met Miya in 2018 through a mutual friend,” he said at the time. “Never before then, did I even know she existed… Miya is like a daughter to Chris Stokes because we are all like family. Being a Jehovah’s Witness, we all showcase true love like family. That’s it. Chris’ real daughter, Chrissy Morales became friends with Miya in 2018, where we all

first met Miya at a Jehovah’s Witness convention. It was then that Chrissy and Miya became friends. Miya and I didn’t start dating until she was an adult. We fell in love and got engaged in March of 2019.”

Hulu documentary chronicling Freaknik in progress

Hulu plans to release Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told, an original documentary detailing its rise to prominence and its untimely demise. The doc’s synopsis, “recounts the rise and fall of a small Atlanta HBCU picnic that exploded into an influential street party and spotlighted ATL as a major cultural stage,” raising the question: “Can the magic of Freaknik be brought back 40 years later?”

Jermaine Dupri and Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell are some of the executive producers of the project. Freaknik was founded in the mid’80s in Atlanta as a small gathering during spring break for students of local Historically Black Colleges and Universities. By the 1990s, the picnic grew and transformed into job fairs, concerts, parties, and more.

In 1998, Associated Press reported that the Atlanta Committee for Black College Spring Break should eliminate Freaknik due to safety concerns from sexual assaults and violence against women. While there’s controversy surrounding Freaknik, the event still shows up in today’s culture with Freaknikthemed birthday parties, festivals, and more.

Sources: Vibe, Complex, ET

Keshia Knight Pulliam

“I

- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

Vashon Center in tune with Jazz Institute, Black Radio HOF

By Ashley Winters

The St. Louis American

This ribbon cutting was music to the St. Louis community’s ears.

The Vashon Center on the campus of Harris-Stowe State University was officially opened on Tuesday April 11, 2023, and was celebrated by former and current HSSU students, local elected officials, and community members who gathered at the remodeled center.

The newly renovated center is home to the Wolff Jazz Institute and the National Black Radio Hall of Fame on the upper level. The lower level is designated for HSSU classrooms and support spaces.

It is also a new repository for historical documents from former Congressman William Lacy Clay Jr., the late attorney Frankie Muse Freeman, and the late Dr. Henry Givens Jr. President Emeritus of Harris-Stowe State University.

back to 1937 when the center opened its doors to the St. Louis community. Then, there were a few public recreational centers available for Blacks in St. Louis and the Vashon Community Center was one of them. The center served residents in the Mill Creek Valley neighborhood and surrounding communities. The idea behind facilities like the Vashon Community Center was to create a place for Black families and youth for cultural events, sports, and education.

n “This is such a historic area and it holds so much hope and promise for our community.”

“It is truly a great day to be a hornet,” said Dr. Latonia Collins Smith, President of Harris State University. “We have been waiting for this for such a long time, what a humbling moment to stand before each of you today to mark this very special occasion.”

- Alderwoman Laura Keys

“The important part of building a city’s character is and sense of community is its history, and acknowledging its history is by preserving historic buildings such as the Vashon Recreation Center,” said Bernie Hayes, curator at the Wolff Jazz Institute and longtime St. Louis American columnist.

The historic building dates

The president of the university said this is a very important step in preserving St. Louis’ history.

Audrey Ellermann says her daughter was part of a youth national program that was held at the Vashon Center that taught students leadership skills. “It was great to see how excited the children were to be a part of the program that helped them become responsible adults,” said Ellerman.

Ellermann said her daughter participated in the gymnastics program as well. She expressed gratitude for the community cen-

ter because back then those types of sports weren’t always available for young Black kids.

Neil Westbrooks, a former Mill Creek Valley community member, lived in the historical neighborhood in 1942. He tells the St. Louis American he spent a great deal of his time at the Vashon Recreation Center and the Tandy Recreation Center. His father managed both centers, and he was a boxing and basketball coach. Westbrooks says when it was time for him to learn how to swim his father sent him to the Vashon Center.

“It’s like being with family here, you saw kids you went to grade school with, high school, or church,” said Westbrooks.

He said the theater and Homer

G. Phillips Hospital were within walking distance of the rec center.

An alum of HSSU, Flossie Henderson class of 1975 said that she didn’t think this day would ever come. “The building stayed closed for so many years and nearby institutions wanted to buy the property, but Dr. Givens would not let this property go,” said Henderson.

“He would not let this property go, he had a vision for it long before the Wolff family gave their collection to the college. He knew the land and the school had value.”

She said when the Wolff family decided to give the university the jazz collection Dr. Givens had the vision to house the col-

lection at the Vashon Center.

The center was designed by Alfred Osburg who also designed the historic Soulard Market, the nearly 16,000 square foot building renovations cost close to 3 million dollars, and state funding, donations from the National Park Service, and institutional dollars all helped bring this historical site back to life.

“This is such a historic area and it holds so much hope and promise for our community,” said Alderwoman Laura Keys.

She says a great tribute to the former community of Mill Creek Valley.

Ashley Winters is a Report for America reporter for the St. Louis American.

Photo by Wiley Price I St. Louis American

Harris-Stowe State University board member Dr. Terence Finley and HSSU staffer Bennie Gilliam-Williams cut small peices of ribbon to give to participants in the ceremony of the opening of the new Don and Heide Wolff Jazz Institute & Art Gallery Tues. April 11, 2023 on the new on the campus of Harris Stowe State University.

Editorial/Commentary

Guest Editorial

This is made-for-TV drama, in a country that prides itself as a melting pot, although most of us know that the pot was never quite hot enough.

If Angel Reese wasn’t a Black woman, people wouldn’t

By John Celestand

Having been raised in New Orleans until I was 11-years-old, it was quite easy for me to root for the Louisiana State University Tigers on Sunday as they cruised to a 102-85 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Women’s NCAA Championship Game.

It would be disingenuous if I acted as if LSU’s proximity to my hometown was the sole reason I jumped up and down in my living room like my own daughter was wearing purple and gold.

It was more than just LSU’s geography within “The Boot,” as we call it in Louisiana. It was the Black Girl Magic on display. It was the girls with puffy afros, dangling twists, long oversized eyelashes, and lime green sneakers — coupled with the style and swagger to match — that won me over.

There has always been a style to this game that intrigues the folks that look like us. As a member of the 2000 Los Angeles Lakers NBA Championship team, I know firsthand that being great at the game is one thing, but to do it with a style and flair that the Black community is accustomed to is what makes it memorable for us.

be so mad

ply the repercussion for losing in sports. Sometimes, after someone beats you, they let you know about it. But to some, Reese’s behavior was “embarrassing,” a “disgrace to the sport,” “too ghetto,” and showed a “lack of class.”

Yet, I didn’t know who to attack first.

Some of the folks throwing jabs were men, some even Black men. Yet, we all, whatever culture, embraced Portland Trailblazer guard Damon Lillard when he waved goodbye to Russell Westbrook after nailing the game-winning jumper against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the 2019 playoffs.

We still talk about when Allen Iverson stepped over Tyron Lue in the 2001 NBA Finals, and we replay the former New York Jet Bart Scott’s rant — when he yelled into the camera on national TV after a playoff win that the New England Patriots defense “couldn’t stop a nosebleed.”

It’s the same reason why everyone remembers The Fab Five — when Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Ray Jackson, and Jimmy King shocked the nation by leading Michigan to the championship game in 1992 while donning hip-hop signature long baggy shorts and black socks

It’s the reason we all loved UNLV, when Larry Johnson (sporting a part in the middle of his haircut), Anderson Hunt rocking the high-top fade, and point guard Greg Anthony led their squad to the finals in 1990. You can’t just play the game. For us, you got to walk that walk and talk that talk.

So, it was shocking to wake up Monday morning to people not celebrating the Black Girl Magic on display in the highest-scoring women’s championship game of all time. Instead, I found myself defending a Black girl’s character and how she “conducted” herself on the biggest stage in college basketball. The conversation was a trainwreck of misogyny and covert racism, with the smoke of ignorance billowing in its aftermath.

When Angel Reese did John Cena’s “You can’t see me” hand gesture toward Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, college basketball’s most majestic and dominant player, in the waning moments of yesterday’s championship game, I looked at it as pure expression and the raw emotion of competition.

For Clark, who erupted for a gamehigh 30 points, hitting eight threes, and setting the record for the most points scored by a player in the tournament in men’s or women’s history, it was sim-

Let’s simply admit that we just aren’t ready for women to show that type of emotion. We love seeing our men compete while physically and verbally challenging each other. But for our women athletes? Let’s keep it classy. Let’s keep it meek. Since when does classy and meek drive people to tune in to sports?

And then there’s the elephant in the room: This was a mostly Black team from LSU, competing in the national championship game against a mostly white team from Iowa.

This is made-for-TV drama, in a country that prides itself as a melting pot, although most of us know that the pot was never quite hot enough.

If it was, then folks would understand that Caitlin Clark didn’t become the best player in college basketball by being a “good sport.” She’s feisty, she’s aggressive, and she knows how to do the “You can’t see me” gesture too. Yet, there was no uproar, no story, not even a social media conversation when she performed the gesture. Maybe it was just a coincidence that nobody paid attention. Or maybe not.

What I do know is we all can’t move the same. We all can’t have the same swag. We all can’t win the game. That’s why we keep score. That’s why some exalt in victory, while others cry in defeat.

Just another day on the block, at the time of year we’ve labeled March Madness. So tell me, why you really mad?

John Celestand is program director of the Knight x LMA BloomLab, a $3.2 million initiative that supports the advancement and sustainability of local Black owned news publications. He was a member of the 2000 Los Angeles Lakers NBA Championship Team playing alongside the late great Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.

What is and isn’t the truth for Black America

Barbershop (Young Brother): What’s up everybody! Hey Socrates, if you and the brothers wouldn’t mind, I wanna know if I can impose on you to get some feedback on something I’m trying to process?

Socrates: Sure, young brother, that’s why the barbershop is here, gettin’ a haircut is just the second reason!

The Barbershop (Younger Brother): On Wednesday you know what happened in Nashville, those two Black state reps getting expelled and everything over school violence that happened the week before. On Thursday, Mike Jones’ column in the St. Louis American, “Where Are We In This” hits, and says we owe it to ourselves to reevaluate this relationship with America. Then Friday the federal judge in Texas with that abortion drug ruling. It got me to thinking about how to think about America and white Americans at this moment. That’s what I wanna run by you.

Socrates: You got our attention, so explain what you mean

The Barbershop (Young Brother): Suppose what we believe about America isn’t true for us, and more to the point, what if what white people believe about themselves isn’t true either. Just because people believe something and act on the belief doesn’t make that belief true, but the consequences of their action are just as real as if the belief had been true.

Socrates: That’s correct, an interesting predicate as well, I’m really intrigued about where you’re headed. Please proceed!

tion of Israel, which is at least half of the population, say they’re not having it and shut the place down, Bebe had to hit the pause button.

Socrates: So where do white Americans come into play?

Barbershop (Younger Brother): I’ve been thinking about 2 issues that overwhelmingly impact white people. Mass shootings in schools and women’s reproductive rights. There are about 73 million children in America under the age of 18, 52% of those are white.

Columnist Mike Jones

The Barbershop (Younger Brother): When you read the national papers of record, you know the New York Times and Washington Post, and read about what’s happening in, let’s say, Israel or France, and you see how the people there are responding, their public response, to what the government is that they may object to. Then I look at what’s happening in America, and how white Americans respond, I think damn, what’s up with that? Oh, and I picked France and Israel because both are Western democracies.

Socrates: We got you!

The Barbershop (Young Brother): Israel has been going through a kind of similar political turmoil as the United States, fueled by the same thing, major changes in the demographic makeup of the Jewish population. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a radical conservative theocratic coalition wanna structurally change the status of the Israeli judiciary, but for distinct reasons. Netanyahu, like Trump, just wants to stay in power and outta jail. The radical theocratic conservatives wanna reshape Israeli society in their image and likeness sorta speak. The Israeli Supreme Court stands in their way. The secular Jewish popula-

A white child in 2023 America is more likely to die in a school shooting than any other cause of death. I said white children, their children. Yet there are no mass demonstrations or marches about ending school violence or outlawing AR-15s that make the carnage possible. White mothers and fathers are not in the streets demonstrating and demanding that their children’s lives not be at risk because they attended school today. White people haven’t shut down state legislatures until they pass legislation that will make attending school safer. It’s like people in France care more about retirement, than white people in America care about the lives of white children! Now the abortion issue, women’s reproductive rights, whatever you choose to call it, disproportionately impacts poor women and Black and Brown women. However, there are 64.5 million women in the United States of childbearing age, 15-44, and the majority, 54%, are white. Not only has the Supreme Court allowed states to eliminate a woman’s right to an abortion, but Republican, and mostly white male, state legislatures have further restricted access, potentially putting the life of any pregnant woman who experiences unforeseen complications at risk.

Socrates: So, what conclusions have you drawn?

The Barbershop (Young Brother): If these are the facts, Mike is right, we need a new theory of the case. Our arguments and strategies have assumed white America operates in a rational moral universe but excludes us. We have endlessly petitioned to be admitted and attribute our failure to the fact that we just haven’t made the right argument, or there’s some character flaw we need to correct. The reality is we aren’t admitted because that rational moral universe doesn’t exist, there is only MAGA America. My takeaway is white people in America don’t even care about the well-being of white people in America, so there’s no way in hell Black lives are ever gonna matter in a country whose cultural orientation does not matter!

Socrates: What y’all thinking?

GOP power grab showcases racism

By Stacy M. Brown

The reinstatement of Tennessee Democratic State Rep. Justin Jones his colleague Justin Pearson proved a victory for democracy after Republicans callously used their supermajority power to expel the members.

But the win doesn’t overshadow the GOP’s unscrupulous and continued power grab in a state where the Ku Klux Klan first formed in 1866.

The Nashville Metropolitan Council, which unanimously voted to re-seat Jones, continues to face an assault from state Republicans.

This week, a panel of judges ruled that Republican lawmakers cannot cut in half the 40 seats on the primarily Democrat body.

The GOP’s attempt appears to be a retaliation for the Council’s refusal to allow Nashville to host the 2024 Republican National Convention.

Administration has halted a Republican plan to have the GOP takeover Metro Nashville Airport Authority board appointments. Currently, Nashville’s Democratic mayor appoints board members to the airport, but the GOP wants to take that power from him.

The expulsion of the two Democrats, who vociferously called on their colleagues to act on gun control after the latest school shooting in Nashville claimed the lives of three elementary school students and three adults, came amid the continued GOP power grab.

Guest Columnist Stacy M. Brown

Despite the combined city-county government system of 40 council members being in effect for roughly 60 years, the GOP wants Nashville to create new council districts, which many say would usurp the power of Black leaders.

“The Court finds the implementation of the Act and its reduction provisions at this late date results in an upheaval of the election process, risks voter confusion, and potentially comprises the integrity of Davidson County’s August 3, 2023, general election,” the judges continued. Separately, the Federal Aviation

The reinstatement of Jones came on the same day a gunman in Kentucky, believed to be a disgruntled ex-employee, killed five people at a bank in Louisville.

It’s the latest in a string of mass shootings that have rocked the nation in recent years, with gun violence continuing to be a divisive and contentious issue.

Some politicians and interest groups have pushed back against calls for stricter gun control. They say that doing so would violate their rights under the Second Amendment. As the nation mourns the victims of the Louisville shooting and grapples with the ongoing issue of gun violence, many are left wondering when, if ever, lawmakers will take meaningful action to address the issue.

Stacy M. Brown is a senior writer for The Washington Informer

Guest Columnist John Celestand

An annual Scholarship Workshop is among the programs offered by the Ferguson Youth Initiative. Wesley Bell, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney and former Ferguson City Council member, will be the keynote speaker during the 2023 Fundraiser Brunch.

Wesley Bell to keynote Ferguson Youth Initiative Brunch

St. Louis American staff

St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell has been instrumental in the continuing improvement of Ferguson and he is stepping up to assist The Ferguson Youth Initiative [FYI.]

Bell will keynote the FYI 13th Annual Fundraiser Brunch at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 29, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at the Ferguson Community Center on 1050 Smith Avenue, Ferguson, MO 63135.

Bell has served as an Emeritus Board Member of the Ferguson Youth Initiative, is a former Ferguson City Council Member, and a municipal prosecutor in St. Louis County.

The 2023 theme is “Helping Youth Create Pathways to a Brighter, Healthier Future”.

en our impact in the community.”

The STEAM Middle School will provide entertainment for the event, which local community stakeholders will attend.

n FYI empowers teens from Ferguson and surrounding communities to become productive, positive, and contributing members of the community.

“We are very excited to be celebrating 13 years of empowering teens from Ferguson and surrounding communities,” said Aaron M. Harris, Ferguson Youth Initiative executive director.

“Our programs address social issues by empowering youth, and through this network, we will be able to extend our range and broad-

FYI empowers teens from Ferguson and surrounding communities to become productive, positive, and contributing members of the community. Its initiatives include the DropIn afterschool program that provides teens in Ferguson and neighboring communities safe places for supportive social activities and mentoring.

FYI Next Steps prepares teens to enter the workforce through job training and placement with local employers. SPOT 394 and SLAM, respectively, offer teens a monthly opportunity to play pick-up sports and showcase creative talents through artistic expression, including spoken word, karaoke, singing, rapping, dancing, comedic talents, painting and sketching.

Tickets for the FYI Fundraiser Brunch may be purchased online at https://www.Eventbrite. com/e/532242249897

A Black woman’s unequal cost of protesting

By Julianne Malveaux

Former President Donald Trump has been indicted in New York and is facing election tampering charges in Georgia.

Trump’s attorneys have attempted to slow the process in Georgia by lobbing accusations against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who happens to be a Black woman. She is biased, they say, incapable of prosecuting.

The former president attempted to rally his troops, just as he did on Jan. 6, 2021. Fewer were inclined to take it to the streets, given that about a thousand insurrectionists have been charged for disorderly and disruptive conduct and more. The average sentence for these miscreants was 16 months, but so far, at least five have been sentenced to more than seven years. Some were found not guilty, and many received minor sentences.

Contrast the treatment of traitorous criminals with the treatment of Brittany Martin, a South Carolina woman who participated in a May 2020 protest against police brutality and the murder of George Floyd. She was vocal with a police officer, shouting “no justice, no peace,” and, allegedly, “I’m willing to die for the Black, are you willing to die for the Blue? This is just a job for you; this is my life.”

Ms. Martin’s comments were perceived as “threats” (she had no weapon), and she was charged with aggravated breach of peace, instigating a riot, and five counts of threatening police officers.

She was grossly overcharged for her verbal reaction to police violence and was sentenced, in May 2022, to four years in jail. Appeals to shorten her sentence were unsuccessful, and there is evidence that she was brutally treated in jail. She was disciplined because she refused to cut her dreadlocks for religious reasons.

Ms. Martin got a sentence of four years for yelling at a police officer. Most insurrectionists on Jan. 6, 2021, got less than a year and a half. If everyone who shouted “no justice, no peace” at a rally were sent to jail, the jails would overflow. Why was she electively prosecuted?

Ms. Martin was harshly treated and given an unfairly lengthy sentence because she was a Black woman who chose to stand up for her rights, including her right to protest. Perhaps the judge in the case decided to make an example of her. But as the former president attempts to get the misguided morons who support him out to protest, I am reminded of the unequal ways “justice” (or should we call it justus) is meted out. Rabid white men assaulted Capitol police officers. Many escaped judgments. Others received a slap on the wrist. A Black woman fighting for Black people gets an unreasonably long sentence, and her pregnancy is imperiled. She gave birth in November 2022 while incarcerated, receiving neither justice nor mercy.

South Carolina incarcerated a mother for four long years for yelling at a police officer. Federal courts are sentencing insurrectionists to much less time. In some ways, comparing federal courts to state ones is like comparing apples to oranges. Still, the contrast between Ms. Martin’s sentence and those who have done far worse is instructive.

Donald Trump may or may not get convicted. But those of us who watch the so-called justice system are almost certain that he’ll get a break, just like his supporters, the Jan. 6 insurrectionists are getting.

Yelling is not the same as breaking into a federal building, assaulting Capitol police officers, breaking windows, and busting into Speaker Pelosi’s office. The insurrectionists excuse their lawlessness by leaning on “free speech” rights. Where are the rights of Brittany Martin and the other fearless freedom fighters treated shabbily by the courts?

Julianne Malveaux is an economist and dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at Cal State LA.

Photo courtesy of FYI

Julianne Malveaux

According to the National Archives, approximately six million Black people moved from the South to Northern, Midwestern and Western states from the 1910s until the 1970s alone. Mill Creek Valley was the section of town in segregated St. Louis where Blacks could live and do business. There were around 20,000 Blacks and 40 churches in Mill Creek before it was demolished in the late 1950s. Additionally, there were more than 800 businesses including lawyers, doctors, the NAACP’s office, the People’s Finance Corporation, The St. Louis American’s office and other enterprises. Today, parts of St. Louis University and its Chaifetz Arena, Harris Stowe State University, Wells Fargo Advisors, the new soccer stadium and Pear Tree Inn all sit in areas that used to be Mill Creek Valley. When Braken Martin explained how the Mill Creek Valley Commemoration Committee came together to assist Great River Greenway and the Brickline Greenway project with its “Pillars of the Valley ‘’ exhibit located at CITYPARK’s southwest plaza on Market Street. The exhibit is the work of renowned East St. Louis native and artist Damon Davis. The one-mile stretch of hour-glass-like pillars and plaques recognizes former residents, businesses, schools, churches and landmarks displaced from the oncethriving neighborhood in the name of “urban renewal.” Braken Martin was correct in her assessment of Gallagher, who insisted he could rebuild Mill Creek from memory if asked. His parents migrated to the area from Louisiana and Alabama. They had eleven children. Gallagher is the third oldest. His mother was a seamstress and his father worked for

Lawmakers

Continued from A1 and Rep. Gloria Johnson joined Pearson and a large crowd.

the city’s refuse department. Gallagher recalls working as a child with his father on his side gig, delivering wood and coal to Millcreek residents in his “’41 Ford pickup.” His family attended Washington Missionary Tabernacle which is still on the corners of Washington and Compton Street.

Some of Gallagher’s memories were replete with names such as “Dr. White and Dr. Bryan C. Payne” who he said had private offices in Mill Creek. Gallagher recalled at least two black-owned pharmacies; “Doulas Brothers and Owl Drug Store” on Shannon & Laclede. He said Black cops like “Officers Millbrook, Clarence Lee and Ben Massey” walked the beat and kept the peace at eclectic taverns known as the “Salad Bar,” the “Footlong” and the Glass Bar,” where he said, “Miles Davis and all

Jones was reinstated to his position Monday following their demonstration on the floor of the legislature after the deadly Nashville school shooting.

“You can’t expel justice. You can’t expel our

the big jazz cats came to play.”

Gallagher said he joined the Mill Creek Valley committee out of obligation. He’s long been concerned about how the area has been depicted in the media and in history books as a “slum” area with no toilet systems in mostly impoverished homes that were destined for demolition. “I hate to hear that word ‘slum’ come out of people’s mouths,” Gallagher said. “It’s not true. We had a toilet in our house and our neighborhood wasn’t deteriorated. It’s just not true.”

The Mill Creek Gallagher remembers is akin to a Black Mayberry, the fictional town from the 1960s Andy Griffith sitcom, Neighbors didn’t lock their doors because they knew and looked out for one another, he said. He recalls no major gang activity or gun violence because parents and police

voice. And you sure can’t expel our fight. We look forward to continuing to fight,” said Pearson.

“Continuing to advocate. Until justice rolls down like water. And righteousness like an

maintained the streets. There were quality elementary and high schools (Gallagher attended Waring Elementary and Vashon High School).

He could even recall the streetcars he rode; the Forest Park line he caught on Laclede Ave., near his house and the Hodiamont line he rode to Wellston at the St. Louis city line.

Gallagher isn’t critical of Great River Greenway or Brickline Greenway’s efforts to honor Mill Creek or Davis’ exhibit. He likes the recreation of street maps, bronze markers and testimonials of former residents inscribed in stone along the mile-long pathway so far.

What is missing from the exhibit is what Gallagher calls “the truth.”

“It was a 20-to-30-year systematic removal plan,” he insisted.

Not to be dismissed as paranoia, some of his claims are backed by history.

ever-flowing stream. Let’s get back to work.”

The vote to remove the two lawmakers, who are Black, caused an uproar in the state with demonstrators coming out to support the young politicians.

projects would help the city through increased revenues, new parks, playgrounds and shopping space. Further research leans toward the idea that Darst and city leaders wanted to clear the Mill Creek area for more downtown development.

According to a GlobeDemocrat article from the 1950s, 60% of Mill Creek’s residents were eligible for public housing. The Pruitt–Igoe public housing complex consisting of 33 eleven-story brick high rises was considered the perfect place to relocate Mill Creek Valley and other downtown residents. A bond issue was passed in 1954 to redevelop downtown areas where 95% of the residents were Black. The NAACP at the time called the city’s plan a “Negro removal project.”

In a 2023 local CBS News interview Gwen Moore, a former Mill Creek Valley resident and historian at the Missouri Historical Society shared some of her research on the doomed city.

“Leaders wanted to move forward and progress the city,” Moore said, adding: “They would later put Mill Creek Valley, a neighborhood in the heart of the city, on the chopping block.”

Moore noted how in the late 1940s newspapers started defining Mill Creek as a “slum area” with “multiple Post-Dispatch and Globe-Democrat articles” intentionally garnering public support for “the destruction of the St. Louis Black neighborhood.”

In 1950, St. Louis received federal funds under the Housing Act of 1949 to finance 5,800 public housing units. A year later, Democratic Mayor Joseph Darst declared that new public housing

“We need to welcome these young voices and not keep them down,” Johnson said at a rally before the march.”

Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Nashville and met with the three Tennessee legislators at Fisk University, an HBCU.

Let’s understand the underlying issue is about fighting for the safety of our children,” Harris said.

“It’s been years now where they are taught to read and write and hide in a closet and be quiet if there’s a mass shooter at their school, where our children, who have God’s capacity to learn and lead, who go to school in fear.” Harris called for background checks, red flag laws and restrictions on assault rifles.

Pruitt–Igoe officially opened in 1954. Gallagher said his mother was among the first Mill Creek residents to move into the high rise on Cass near Jefferson. Four years later, in 1959, the demolition of Mill Creek began. In its wake, Laclede Town, Grand Towers, the Ozark Expressway (US 40), and a 22-acre extension of St. Louis University were all constructed.

“It was kind of a slow death,” Gallagher said recalling the years, months and days leading up to Mill Creek’s demise. “It was a systematic removal, and we (residents) were unaware of the neighborhood development going on. It was all undercover.” Gallagher isn’t sure if “the truth” about Millcreek’s death will be explored through the exhibit. However, in a video titled, “Pillars of the Valley: A Tribute to Mill Creek Valley,” artist Damon Davis said he hopes the exhibit will lead to further exploration.

“They (the pillars) are an abstraction on the idea of an hourglass, a stop in time to take reverence around those histories that were covered up.”

disregard of our nation’s democratic values,” President Biden said in a Twitter release.

on Wednesday.

“Let’s not fall for the false choice — either you’re in favor of the Second Amendment or you want reasonable gun safety laws,” Harris said.

“We can and should do both.”

“Earlier, I spoke to Reps Jones, Pearson, and Johnson to thank them for their leadership and courage in the face of a blatant

“Our country needs to take action on gun violence — to do that we need more voices like theirs speaking out.” On March 27, three children and three adults were killed in a school shooting at Covenant School, a private christian elementary school in a Nashville suburb. On Sunday, U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry Black defended a prayer he delivered on the chamber floor in which he addressed the school shooting in Nashville, a rare occasion in which the chaplain addressed his personal views on a political issue.

Black, who has been the Senate chaplain for 20 years, offered a plea for lawmakers to take action against gun violence in an opening prayer last month just a day after the Nashville shootings.

Black said it was “time for us to move beyond thoughts and prayers” alluding to common remarks made by lawmakers in the wake of such tragedies.

A triumphant Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson celebrates his reappointment to the state legislature

Photo courtesy of NNPA

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Former Mill Creek resident James Gallagher points out the street he lived on at St. Louis City SC Soccer Stadium at the Pillars of the Valley by artist Damon Davis. The piece represents the neighborhood that was demolished to make room for what is now known as Downtown West.

Collins Smith

Continued from A1 eral leadership roles.

She was tabbed as interim president, and immediately found herself “in a time of discovery,” she said.

“We had three different presidents in a short period of time, and there was a global pandemic. It was truly a time of learning during a very difficult time for all institutions of higher learning.”

Harris-Stowe learned that it had fallen out of compliance with key requirements. In its review, the Higher Learning Commission informed the university that it was “on notice” because of a delayed financial audit, unclear metrics for student academic performance outcomes and graduation rates and concerns over the university’s academic program review system.

Collins Smith wants to be perfectly clear about one thing:

HSSU is not on probation and has not been on probation. The school has its accreditation review in 10-year increments. It was set for review in 2021, regardless of the administrative turnover and COVID-19.

“From the standpoint of compliance, COVID-19 exposed a lot of challenges,” she said.

“The university was put “on notice,” but was never on probation or at risk of losing accreditation.”

In fact, the school was already addressing some of the challenges that were found during the review.

“We have reorganized priorities, and we are now in a good place. HarrisStowe has moved positively forward in a brief period of time. We are very confident that when [HLC] returns in 2024, we will be fully accredited.” In fact, the school has made an impressive series of hires, and its STEM programs continue to grow.

Last fall, the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) www. acbsp.org Baccalaureate/ Graduate Degree Board

Robinson

Continued from A1

college service areas, and one appointed board member. Robinson will represent Subdistrict 2 which includes all of St. Louis City North of I-64, extending east from the intersection of I-64 and South Kingshighway to include parts of Southwest Garden, Princeton Heights, Bevo Mill, Holly Hills and Carondelet Neighborhoods.

Robinson prefaced her answer to the question

“What are your goals as a new trustee?” with a story from election day.

“While out polling, a voter asked me, ‘why should I vote for you?’ I answered with a question: ‘when was the last time you’ve heard anything about St. Louis community colleges?’ He said, ‘Point taken; you got my vote,’” Robinson recalled with a laugh.

of Commissioners reaffirmed accreditation of the business programs at HSSU.

The business programs at Harris-Stowe State University were first accredited by ACBSP in 2012. The institution is required to go through the reaffirmation process every 10 years to maintain ACBSP accreditation.

“Harris-Stowe State University has shown its commitment to teaching excellence and the process of quality improvement by participating in the accreditation process,” ACBSP Chief Accreditation Officer Dr. Steve Parscale said.

“This reaffirmation of accreditation is evidence that they are committed to maintaining the highest quality business education for their students for the next ten years, just as they have done since 2012.”

The school recently announced the creation

she used the St. Louis Community College system as a bridge before enrolling at National Louis University then Fontbonne and lastly Pepperdine University where she graduated with an EdD in Education & Psychology in Organizational Leadership.

“I took classes at Forest Park and Florissant Valley community colleges before going to four-year universities,” Robinson said. “For me, I was able to tailor my own experience through community colleges. I was able to choose classes I thought would benefit me at that time. For instance, I needed a CPR class, so I took it at the community college.”

Robinson is a “thriver,” a term coined by women who haven’t beaten breast cancer but are “still in the fight.” She was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer in 2014 and re-diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer in 2018.

The story emphasizes her desire to help increase the presence of community colleges, especially in African American communities, in St. Louis.

“We know the community colleges are out there, but the presence today is just absent,” Robinson explained. “I want to reintroduce community colleges so that black folk, in particular, know we’re here.”

Describing herself as an “untraditional student,” Robinson recalled how

Her prognosis looks good, Robinson said. It’s part of the reason she plans to be so visible in the community.

“Growing up in the city, being part of the community, I want my presence to say: ‘If I can go back to school, if I can do it despite the odds… you can, too.”

Dr. Robinson will be sworn in at the next board of trustees meeting on April 20th

of a new academic college focused on science, technology, engineering, and math [STEM]. The new College of STEM essentially institutionalizes the St. Louis-based university’s efforts over the last decade to develop a diverse pool of talent in Missouri’s STEM workforce.

Leading the effort is Harvey R. Fields, Jr., Ph.D. who most recently served as the Associate Dean for Student Success at Washington University in St. Louis. Fields’ academic career is steeped in STEM education. Fields has dedicated his career to advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice while focusing on maximizing student academic success, particularly in STEM areas.

Dr. Marrix Seymore was appointed the dean of the University’s College of Education. Dr. Seymore joined HSSU in early

January. Seymore will lead all functions of planning, directing, and executing programs provided by the College. He will also assist the Office of Academic Affairs recruiting faculty and staff. He oversees and evaluates the academic proficiency of students pursuing education degrees. Seymore most recently served as the Dean of the Division of Education at Rust College in Mississippi. He also previously served as Dean of the School of Education at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri.

After officially retiring on Dec. 31, 2022, as St. Louis Public Schools superintendent, Kelvin Adams was named HSSU Associate Dean and Regents’ Distinguished Professor for the College of Education at HarrisStowe State University (HSSU). In his tenure at SLPS, Adams was instrumental in guiding the dis-

trict from one of the state’s most underachieving to full state accreditation.

“We have been very transparent with our faculty, staff, and students. We were willing to roll up our sleeves and do whatever it takes to remain a viable institution in this community.

Michael McMillan, chair of the HSSU Board of Trustees and Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis president and CEO, said Collins Smith “exemplifies Harris-Stowe’s core values of personal growth, respect, innovation, diversity, and excellence.”

“She has demonstrated her extraordinary ability to connect with all of our stakeholders and to catapult Harris-Stowe forward in these critical times.”

Collins Smith serves as chair of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Statewide Celebration Commission of Missouri, and holds memberships with the

Downtown Advisory Board for Greater St. Louis, Inc., and American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Smith attended St. Louis Public Schools and is a graduate of the University of Central Missouri, where she majored in social work. She earned a Master of Social Work degree and a Master of Public Health degree from Saint Louis University and an educational doctorate in higher education leadership from Maryville University in St. Louis. “We are an institution of second chances, and we are here to serve a very diverse population. We will continue to have high expectations, and we are continuing to produce stellar graduates,” Collins Smith said.

Nicole Robinson

Photo courtesy of Harris-Stowe State University

LaTonia Collins Smith is the Harris-Stowe State University’s first African-American woman president, following Ruth Harris, the first Black woman to serve as Stowe Teachers College president in 1940.

What COVID-19 taught us

March marked the third anniversary of the nation shutting down schools and issuing stay-at-home orders because of COVID-19 and its variants.

Despite the anniversary, COVID-19 has all but faded from the headlines, buried beneath news of military invasions, Hollywood’s latest scandal, and inflation at the grocery store. However, the emotional, social, economic and political toll of the pandemic is still being experienced, which makes it a challenge to calculate its comprehensive impact.

Think back to how, in March 2020, the full force of the coronavirus revealed itself, along with all of our social and healthcare shortcomings. It did not help the nation’s response to the pandemic that we had a sitting president with no belief in science. We had no comprehension of what was coming. None.

Official reports set COVID-19 deaths at over one million in the U.S., and nearly 104 million known cases. With such catastrophic results, what did we learn about ourselves and this country?

We knew there were unaddressed racial disparities in health care prior to the pandemic. Black, Brown, and poor communities were predisposed to the ravages of the virus. We saw the cracks in the

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healthcare system become gulfs as we witnessed inaccessibility to treatment and resources. We witnessed the virus showing up in institutions where residents could not escape — like prisons and nursing homes — taking the lives of easy prey. We learned that when we don’t get what we want when we want it, we become cranky, impatient ingrates. We saw that companies readily put profits over the safety of their workers, often forcing them to work without adequate protections from the virus. We saw shoppers fighting over the last package of toilet paper. We burned through first responders, hospital workers, teachers, and others

because we refused to wear masks and get vaccinated, which helped the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths skyrocket. We also learned that we can be kind, disciplined, and creative. We heard and saw countless incidents of humans bringing food, medicine, and joy to others — masked up and socially distanced. We found ways to use Zoom beyond the dreaded meetings for the job, like setting up musical concerts with people around the world. In times of isolation and silence, we tapped into unexplored realms of our

being and discovered new hobbies and new careers. We learned how essential family, friends and nature are to our overall well-being. We understood our interconnectedness in deep and practical ways. There are still plenty of unknowns. Nearly 35% of small businesses didn’t survive the pandemic and another hefty percentage are still struggling for viability. We don’t know what the implications of Long COVID will be on individual families or the economy, particularly the labor market and the healthcare system. For our psychological and emotional support, it seems like the thinking is more cannabis dispensaries for self-medication. I would love to believe that there are some think tanks convening to look at what happened, how we can come out of this whole, and how we’ll be better prepared for the next pandemic. I’m not putting much faith in the corporations and governmental bureaucracies to tackle this in the name of humanity. Families figured out ways to stay in touch with one another during the crisis. Some are making financial provisions for future catastrophes, realizing they could’ve been better prepared to deal with some of the different and additional expenses incurred. Families — they represent the hope for being ready to take on the next big thing with more insight, more tools and more determination. Their unconditional love for family will be our salvation. And that’s where my faith lies. Jamala Rogers is a columnist for The St. Louis American and one of the founding members of the Organization for Black Struggle based in St. Louis.

Columnist Jamala Rogers

Be a Tourist in Your Own Town

St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission

April programs at the Missouri History Museum

Missouri Historical Society Collections

Unidentified girl on a swing at the Pruitt-Igoe Day Nursery, 2328 Biddle Street, August 1964.

By the Missouri Historical Society

When designing a city, it’s important to make sure there are plenty of parks, playgrounds, and green spaces for people to enjoy. On Friday and Saturday, April 14 and 15, from 10:00am to 2:00pm, families with students in grades PreK–12 can learn about the many parks and playgrounds around St. Louis and the work that made them possible at the Missouri History Museum’s History Exploration Days. On both Friday and Saturday, families can enjoy storytelling and songs about the great outdoors, make nature-inspired crafts, design miniature parks using recycled materials, learn about local plants at a touch table and inquiry station, and work together to find important moments in St. Louis’s parks and green spaces during a scavenger hunt throughout the Museum’s galleries.

A 45-minute walking tour on Friday will explore Forest Park’s exciting history, including how the ways we use the park have changed over time. This tour, which departs from the Museum’s south entrance at 10:30am and 11:15am, is geared toward ages 8 and up and will cover approximately 1 mile with multiple stops along the way.

In addition, on Saturday morning, Shine Bright Dance Project will provide entertainment for all ages while sharing the history of dance throughout the St. Louis region. This performance will take place on the Museum’s north lawn at 10:30am.

History Exploration Days are sponsored by the Lori and Robert Duesenberg Educational Endowment. For the complete schedule of events, visit mohistory. org/events. Please note that registration is no longer required for History Exploration Days, but please check in at the Welcome Desk upon arrival.

On Thursday, April 20, at 6:30pm, the Museum will present Functional: The Thelonious Monk Story in collaboration with A Call to Conscience and Jazz St. Louis. This full-length play honors the musical genius of pianist and jazz composer Thelonious Sphere Monk and tackles the issues of mental illness relating to disparities in healthcare, police interaction, education, and social acceptance. Functional: The Thelonious Monk Story explores Monk’s misdiagnosis, the

discriminatory practices he faced, and the societal stigma that plagued his career and how these issues persist today; recognizes the importance of creative self-expres sion through the arts; and celebrates how Monk stood firm to pursue his music without compromise. Written by Mariah L. Richardson and directed by Fannie Belle Lebby, the play stars Phillip “Dr. Philgood” Graves.

The performance is free with seating on a first-come, first-served basis begin ning 30 minutes prior to start time. The play lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes with a brief intermission. Arrive at 5:30pm to enjoy happy hour with food and drinks available for purchase from Salt & Smoke; explore the Museum’s exhibits, including the #1 in Civil Rights: The African American Freedom Struggle in St. Louis banner display in the Grand Hall; and check out a music history touch table.

Functional: The Thelonious Monk Story will be repeated on Friday, April 21, at 7:00pm, followed by a facilitated discussion with the National Alliance for Mental Illness in St. Louis (NAMI–St. Louis) on living with and overcoming the challenges posed by mental illness; and again on Saturday, April 22, at 2:30pm.

The Museum recently opened its newest exhibit, Soccer City, presented by Bank of America. Soccer City explores the St. Louis region’s reputation as America’s first soccer capital. Through graphics, media interactives, films, artifacts, and even a game room, the exhibit tells the story of a major metropolis, a dynamic sport, and the many personalities who propelled St. Louis to the competitive forefront.

On Thursday, April 25, at 11:00am, author and soccer historian Dave Lange will discuss the past, present, and future of the sport in St. Louis. This in-person program will begin with stories from local soccer history, starting with some of the first games played on this side of the Atlantic in the early 1880s. Stories about the Stars, the Steamers, and the Storm—plus local World Cup athletes and St. Louis CITY SC—will be kicked around the Lee Auditorium. After audience questions and a discussion, Lange will sign copies of his book, Soccer Made in St. Louis: A History of the Game in America’s First Soccer Capital, in the Missouri History Museum’s Grand Hall.

Budding Artists (ages 6 - 9)

Monday - Friday | 10am - 2pm

Young Artists (ages 10 - 13)

Monday - Friday | 10am - 2pm

Teen Intensives (ages 14 - 18)

Monday - Friday | 3pm - 5:30pm

‘Taking Care of You’

Finding health justice for African American moms

Black Maternal Health Week April 11-17

Dr. Matifadza Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, MPH, the Director of Health for the City of St. Louis, speaks with Okunsola M. Amadou, a Fulani-American Midwife, and the Founder and CEO of Jamaa Birth Village. St. Louis and cities throughout the nation are marking April 11-17, 2023, as Black Maternal Health Week and a proclamation honoring the week was issued by President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

By Alvin A. Reid

The St. Louis American

Screenings of the movie “Birthing Justice” are part of the continuing Black Maternal Health Week, which is celebrated April 11-17. The film, which aired this week on PBS, examines the structures and systems that determine the mortality of Black women and their babies. It features the landmark work in St. Louis by Okunsola M. Amadou,

founder of Jamaa Birth Village, and its resolute midwives. Also profiled is Missouri’s Parents as Teachers, its doulas, and the experiences of advocates and women from throughout the nation.

The movie illuminates the causes of Black maternal health risks, including racial bias and structural barriers to healthcare. It also examines the 1910 Flexner Report, which codified medical standards and led to closure of many medical schools at Historic Black Colleges and Universities. The impact of the repudiated report still exists.

A screening of “Birthing Justice”

and discussion hosted by Jamaa will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday April 15 at Washington University, Hillman Hall on the Danforth Campus, 1 Brookings Drive, St Louis, MO 63105, Room 70. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

To learn more, go to www. birthingjustice.com or www. jamaabirthvillage.org

An evening screening and panel discussion will begin at 6 p.m. Friday April 14 at St. Mary’s Hospital Kohler Auditorium, 6420 Clayton Road.

Panelists include:

Addressing a hidden healthcare crisis for Black women

By Constance Gully

There is a healthcare crisis hiding in plain sight: The maternal mortality rate in America is higher than in any other country with an advanced economy. Even worse, Black women in the U.S. are three times as likely as White women to die during pregnancy or after childbirth. The problem is more prominent for pregnant Black women over 30. They die at four times the rate of white women.

The Missouri State Legislature is considering a bill that would extend Medicaid benefits for new moms so they will get care for the first year after giving birth. That would be a big step in the right direction, but it isn’t a panacea. Missouri can reduce maternal mortality through comprehensive prenatal care, attentive healthcare during labor, and thorough postpartum care and support.

n Missouri can reduce maternal mortality through comprehensive prenatal care, attentive healthcare during labor, and thorough postpartum care and support.

The solution doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. There are common sense solutions that prepare expectant and new mothers to make good decisions, monitor their health, and advocate for themselves. These low-cost interventions can significantly impact the health and well-being of new mothers and their babies.

To reduce maternal morbidity and deaths, our community must listen to

Lisa Hampton’s life-changing kidney transplant

More Black donors needed in the region

By JoAnn Weaver

The St. Louis American

African Americans are almost four times more likely to need a transplant due to kidney failure, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Lisa Hampton, 53, has lupus, which caused her kidneys to shut down. The Wardell, Missouri native has been on dialysis since 2018. “I got on the waiting list for a kidney transplant and then I was taken off it because I had triple bypass surgery,” she said. “I was put back on the list after everything had settled, and I think it was not even a month and they called for my transplant.”

n “I’ve been great, my kidneys work perfectly, and they’re doing what they’re supposed to do.”

– Lisa Hampton talking about her life-changing kidney transplant

Hampton received her new kidney at SSM SLU Hospital on January 29, and recovered at Mid-America Transplant’s Family House in St. Louis.

“I had a heart attack after maybe about a week or so after the transplant, and then my blood pressure was fluctuating up and down,” she said, recounting the recovery process she experienced. “In the last couple weeks or so, I’ve been great, my kidneys work perfectly, and they’re doing

what they’re supposed to do.”

Hampton spoke highly of her support system, her husband of 30 years, staying by her side and taking care of her through this process.

Dr. Henry Randall is a liver, kidney & pancreas transplant & HPB surgeon at SSM Health/ St. Louis University. He’s a Professor of Surgery & Executive Director of the SSM Health Center for Abdominal Transplantation, Division Chief and

Surgical Director of Liver and Kidney Transplantation.

“It’s pretty common, it’s like the rest of the U.S. where a number of African Americans or Blacks are on the transplant waiting list, and all of that depends on the population within the city, but here in St. Louis, roughly about 40% African Americans occupy the list for waiting for an organ for transplant,” he said.

According to Dr. Randall, there is a nationwide organ shortage for transplants, which includes kidneys.

“It’s a problem in all populations, not just African Americans, and the way it works is like not all African Americans are matched with African Americans; it’s blood,” he said. “You may not receive an organ donor from the same ethnic group that you belong to, but it’s blood type group.”

Since receiving a kidney transplant is dependent upon blood type, there are different wait times for individuals who

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

See MATERNAL, A13

See GULLY, A13

Constance Gully

Transplant

Continued from A12

need a new organ.

“Since individuals with O positive have the most common blood type, they tend to wait the longest; those in this group tend to wait between four and five years, while those in blood group A wait somewhere between three and five years,” the surgeon said.

Dr. Randall talked about how Lisa Hampton was a part of the kidney paired exchange program, which allowed her to receive a kidney transplant sooner.

“In a kidney paired exchange, it’s like an organ swap,” he said.

“Let’s say you and I are a pair where we are somehow related, either brother or sister, or father and son, or something like that, but I’m not blood type compatible with you, then what I would do is I would swap with another recipient who I could donate to from a blood type compatibility and then that person’s donor may not be compatible with them, so we would do a swap where I would donate to that recipient and then that person’s donor would donate to you.”

For more information about kidney paired donation or kidney exchange programs, talk to your transplant caregiver.

According to Dr. Randall, the most common causes of kidney failure are diabetes and hypertension, and then the combination of diabetes and hypertension. However, a doctor’s commitment to their patient can also affect

Maternal

Continued from A12

Terry Plain, M.A., Senior Strategist, Missouri Foundation for Health, has over 20 years of knowledge in philanthropic grantmaking, public health, and community collaboration. Plain leads multi-year initiatives focused on maternal and child health.

Dr. Jade JamesHalbert, MD, MPH, a Board-Certified Obstetrician/gynecologist, and the chair of the SSM Health DePaul Hospital Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

AJ Bostic, a licensed therapist specializing in Women’s Reproductive and Perinatal Mental Health in private practice. She is a Certified Postpartum& Infant Care Doula.

Gully

Continued from A12 and support women during their pregnancy, their delivery experience, and the post-partum period. A healthy pregnancy starts as soon as a woman learns she’s expecting. Many expectant moms have a network of mothers, aunts, grandmothers, and friends who support them through the process. But pregnant women also benefit from professionals monitoring their physical and emotional health during pregnancy. This support goes beyond regular checkups with obstetricians.

‘Taking

their health outcomes.

“There are what I call the usual or standard reasons for kidney failure, like being referred to dialysis. Some of that has to do with the kidney doctor’s commitment to patients and their kidney disease. For instance, if I’m a kidney specialist and my income is predicated on how many people I dialyze, then I actually lose money by referring people to transplant, so that had been an impediment in the past, and it’s also a racist practice,” he said.

Dr. Ayooluwa Kerrigan, a Nigerian born American OB/ GYN Resident at St. Louis University. She grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and attended the University of MissouriColumbia, where she studied as a premedical student and competed as a Track and Field athlete.

Dr. Randall talked about his top two concerns when it comes to Black patients who suffer from kidney disease. One being catching it in time to treat it effectively.

“To even out the disparity, now you have to refer patients once they reach what’s called ‘chronic kidney disease,’ kidney stage three, which means that they’re referred earlier in the process,” he said. “If they do progress to actual kidney disease, they’re kind of plugged in early, so that’s one concern.”

Ta’Mare Banks, MSN, RN, who serves as women’s services program manager at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital told KSDK’s Kay Quinn, “It scares me that I’m at risk for passing away just because I’m an AfricanAmerican woman.”

“There is a lot of racism in medical care towards Black women,

The doctor’s other concern is how most Black patients are categorized as having hypertension as the cause of their kidney failure, and that may not necessarily be the case.

“We have a lot of genetic studies in place right now to look at the actual causes of kidney failure because hypertension may actually be a secondary diagnosis as opposed to primary diagnosis,” Dr. Randall said. “We want to identify what those primary diagnoses are and then discern

and I feel that a lot of Black women are not heard by their physicians,” she said.

“And then, when they have the baby, they are saying, ‘this is wrong, this is wrong, this is wrong,’ and they are being overlooked and not listened to. Then something happens and they pass. And it could have all been prevented if

Through a comprehensive home visiting program, trained professionals can teach pregnant women how their body is creating a new life and how they must nurture themselves. They introduce new mothers to the importance of a healthy diet for them and their developing children. While weight gain is a healthy part of pregnancy, excessive weight gain through a poor diet can lead to gestational diabetes and obesity – factors that can lead to maternal morbidity and mortality. They also can have adverse outcomes for the baby. They also can screen the women to detect their mental health and safety, such as identifying signs of

past trauma, domestic violence, or substance abuse. These home visitors also can refer women to housing and food assistance programs as necessary.

A healthy pregnancy is essential for a healthy birth. But for too many women, the birthing process goes wrong. In the wake of Black Maternal Health week (April 11 –17)Black women continue to struggle to navigate complicated healthcare systems, and their requests for help are too often overlooked, ignored, or dismissed by medical professionals. Research has documented that black women are more likely to have unnecessary C-sections and have difficulty receiv-

ing pain treatment.

With the help of a doula during the birthing process, a Black mother has an advocate who coordinates with doctors and nurses to address the mother’s needs during the birthing process. Research has found that Black mothers with doulas have better health outcomes for themselves and their babies.

The support should not stop at birth. Doulas or other home-visiting professionals help mothers learn to care for themselves and their babies.

With regular home visits, they screen the children to ensure they are developing as expected physically, emotionally, and cognitively. If they

Transplant specialist Dr. Henry Randall, executive director and professor of Surgery at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital, said in St. Louis, roughly 40% African Americans occupy the list of possible recipients waiting for an organ for transplant.

what’s hypertension and the hypertension being either primary or secondary cause of kidney.”

Lastly, one solution to the organ shortage is building the awareness of how people become organ donors.

“We want people to identify themselves as wanting to donate to the transplant list or recipient list,” Dr. Randall said. “A lot of people are afraid of that because let’s say if I’m involved in an automobile accident, people assume that there’s some sort of

there was more time taken to really listen and advocate for that patient.”

Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women. Multiple factors contribute to these disparities, such as variation in quality healthcare, underlying chronic conditions, structural racism, and implicit bias.

Social determinants of health prevent many people from racial and ethnic minority groups from having fair opportunities for economic, physical, and emotional health.

Biden administration backs effort

Vice President Kamala Harris convened a meeting this week with Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and other Cabinet leaders to discuss the administration’s approach to reducing maternal mortality and morbidity.

On Monday, April 10,

identify any developmental delays, they can refer the family to professionals who can help.

The solutions sound simple but require all participants to change entrenched behaviors. Doctors, nurses, social workers, and pregnant women must learn new practices that treat black mothers respectfully and prepare them for their grand adventure of creating a new life.

This week has been declared Black Maternal Health Week. The goal is to raise awareness of the problem of Blacks dying during pregnancy and identify the solutions that result in better outcomes for women and their chil-

conspiracy where trauma doctors are in cahoots with transplant teams to let people die and then take their organs.” It is a popular myth that physicians will not treat you if you are dying and list yourself as an organ donor, which is constantly being dispelled by medical professionals. “No one’s going to allow you to die to donate your organs,” Dr. Randall said. “It’s a safe process, and there’s a tremendous need for organ donors.”

President Biden issued a proclamation to begin Black Maternal Health Week, saying it is “urgent that all act.”

“Black women in America are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women,” said Biden. “This is on top of the fact that women in America are dying at a higher rate from pregnancy-related causes than in any other developed nation.” Ending the crisis begins with understanding how institutional racism drives these high maternal mortality rates.

“When mothers do not have access to safe and stable housing before and after childbirth, they are at greater risk of falling ill,” Biden said.

“As we continue our work to make pregnancy and childbirth safe, dignified, and joyful for all, let us remember that health care should be a right and not a privilege.”

dren. The good news is that we know how to get better outcomes. We have home-visiting programs and doulas improving the odds for Black women here in St. Louis. But too many Black mothers are doing it alone and risking bad outcomes for themselves and their children.

Let’s celebrate Black Maternal Health Week with a promise to deliver better services for Black women and their children.

Constance Gully is president and chief executive officer of Parents as Teachers National Center, headquartered in St. Louis.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

The St. Louis American’s award winning NIE program provides newspapers and resources to more than 8,000 teachers and students each week throughout the school year, at no charge.

Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 618-910-9551

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

Fourth-grade students

Rashad Williams, Brandon Chambers, Makhi Curtis, and Journie Cox, in Ms. Rhonda Stovall’s class at Gateway Elementary School, are classifying volcanoes by the bubbles found inside of lava.

Photo by Rhonda Stovall

SCIENCE CORNER

Stem cells are cells that have the ability to selfrenew and change into mature cells. There are two main types: adult cells which generate replacement bone and muscle cells that are lost through injury or normal wear, and embryonic cells that are starter cells that can change and become other types of cells.

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

In this experiment, you will get to witness your very own DNA.

Materials Needed:

• 20 oz. Bottled water

3 Clear Plastic Cups or Glasses

• Clear Liquid Dish Soap

1 Tbsp Table Salt

100 Ml Isopropyl Alcohol Blue Food Coloring

Procedure:

q Mix some bottled water with the salt in one of the cups. Stir until salt is dissolved.

w Transfer 3 Tbsp of the salt water into a separate cup.

e Gargle the salt water for 1 minute without swallowing it.

r Spit the water back into the cup.

Researchers grow stem cells in labs and alter them to be specific types of cells, such as heart cells. Stem cell transplants, also known as bone marrow transplants, replace cells damaged by chemotherapy or cancer. Stem cell research has helped scientists make advances to treat Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer’s disease, strokes, arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease. For more information, visit: http:// science.howstuffworks.com/life/cellularmicroscopic/stem-cell.htm.

Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text for main idea and supporting details. I can make text-to-text connections.

t Add one drop of dish liquid to the salt water. Stir gently. Try not to create any bubbles.

y In a separate cup, mix the alcohol and 3 drops food coloring.

u Gently pour the alcohol and food coloring mixture into the salt water cup. Tilt the salt water cup as you pour, so the alcohol mixture forms a layer on top of the salt water.

i Wait for 2.5 minutes. You should see white clumps and strings forming. The white clumps and strings are your DNA. Reflect: When you gargle and spit in a cup, some of your cheek cells entered the cup. The dish liquid breaks down the cheek membranes, allowing the DNA to enter the water. Because DNA is not soluble in alcohol, it will form a solid where the salt water layers meet.

Learning Standards: I can follow sequential directions to complete an experiment. I can observe and analyze results.

Math Games for Fun

Math games are a great way to spend time with your friends and family while sharpening your skills. Try these games and see what you think.

HOW MANY NUMBERS CAN BE MADE:

Materials Needed: A Deck of Cards • Paper and Pencils

Give each player a piece of paper and a pencil. Using the cards from 1 to 9, deal four cards out with the numbers showing. Using all four cards and a choice of any combination of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, have each player see how many different numbers a person can get in 5 minutes. Players get one point for each answer. For example, suppose the cards drawn are 4, 8, 9, and 2. What numbers can be made? Which player came up with the most combinations? Which player had the highest number? Which player had the lowest number?

DID YOU KNOW?

MAKE THE MOST OF IT:

Materials Needed: A Deck of Cards

You will use cards 1 to 9. Each player alternates drawing one card at a time, trying to create the largest 5-digit number possible. As the cards are drawn, each player puts the cards down in their “place” (ten thousands, thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones) with the numbers showing. Once placed, a card cannot be moved. The player with the largest 5-digit number wins. For example, if a 2 was drawn first, the player might place it in the ones’ place, but if the number had been an 8, it might have been put in the ten thousands’ place. For an added challenge, practice rounding your number to the nearest ten thousands’ place, to the nearest thousand, etc.

Learning Standards: I can add, subtract,

In 1997, scientists cloned

was Dolly.

SCIENCE STARS

African-American Biomedical Engineer Treena Livingston Arinzeh

Treena Livingston Arinzeh inherited a love of math and science from her father, who was a biochemist. When she was in high school, she witnessed her father have a stroke and become paralyzed. That was her inspiration to use her skills in math and science to find a way to help cure people in need. She had a high school teacher who encouraged her to pursue a career in engineering. Arinzeh couldn’t picture that because she had never seen an African-American engineer.

Arinzeh earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Rutgers University, in 1992. Two years later, she earned a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University. In 1999, she earned a PhD in bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

After graduation, she worked as a project leader at Osiris Therapeutics, a biotechnology company that specializes in stem cell medicine. In 2001, she became a founding member of the Biomedical Engineering department at New Jersey Institute of Technology. She was an assistant professor for five years, was promoted to associate professor, and then became a full professor in 2011. Her research has focused on stem cell therapy and has led to two significant discoveries. The first discovery is that stem cells, mixed with scaffolds, can help regenerate bone growth and damaged tissue. The second discovery is that stem cells from one person can be successfully implanted into another. This technique is being replicated in bone marrow transplants.

Arinzeh was awarded the Board of Overseers Excellence in Research Prize and Medal from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. She was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from President Bush. In 2003, the National Science Foundation also gave Arinzeh a Faculty Early Career Development Award with a $400,000 research grant. She also earned the Outstanding Scientist Award from the New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research, “People to Watch in 2005” in the Star-Ledger, and the Coulter Foundation Translational Award. In 2013, Arinzeh was elected a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

Arinzeh encourages parents and teachers to help AfricanAmerican students find mentors in the STEM fields. She said, “I think they don’t see enough of us that look like them so they can identify with that career as something they can actually do.”

Learning Standards: a person who has made contributions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

MAP CORNER

Enjoy these activities that help you get to know your St. Louis American newspaper. Activities — Rules and Consequences: Find an in the newspaper of someone who did not follow a school or government rule. Write out what happened because the person did not follow the rule and who was affected most.

Analyzing logos: Look through the newspaper and find three logos that interest you. What appeals to you—the shape, the color, or something else? What does the logo say about the product or company?

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can write for a specific purpose and audience. I can make text-to-world connections.

Aldermanic conflicts of interest & a circuit atty challenger

The outgoing, 28-member Board of Aldermen will hold its final session on Monday, and the new 14-person Board of Aldermen will be sworn into office the next day. In this moment, our city will witness a shift in the balance of power between the establishment’s so-called “Old Guard,” and a newly-minted people caucus.

Tuesday’s inauguration will mark the beginning of a new era in St. Louis, one where Mayor Tishaura Jones, Board President Megan Green, the Board of Aldermen, and Comptroller Darlene Green the members of the chief fiscal body of the city, are all politically aligned.

St. Louis City voters have spoken. This is their will.

While we await the new Board, here are a few EYE-Drops that you may have missed during last week’s campaign chaos:

We learned last week that the well-seasoned cast of Nine PBS’ Donnybrook apparently lives in a parallel universe, where winning 9 out of 14 aldermanic seats doesn’t translate to the same “progressive wave” that the rest of us saw. Perhaps the episode served more as a reminder of how much some of the long-serving members have been outof-touch with the political realities in the city. Casein-point: in the last nine months, Ray Hartmann has backed unpopular candidates, including police lobbyist Jane Dueker and outgoing Alderwoman overwhelmingly and by the same margin (63-36). Wendy Wiese and Bill McClellan are candid enough to acknowledge their conservative leanings, but even they know their political opinions are more reflective of deep South County than the St. Louis City residents who actually voted for the new Board.

the lie. For the record, you were 100% correct, Alvin! Freshman KSDK political editor Mark Maxwell wasted no time after last week’s election interviewing some of the new alderpersons-elect in what turned out to be a series of uncomfortable, deflated “gotchas” in his weekly segment, “The Record.”

Donnybrook lost us last week when the cast suggested that Election Day was everything else but a win for the younger generation of alderpersons. Rather, the EYE sees a group of eight community advocates (nine, including the Board President) who were elected on similarly-aligned campaign platforms and who are poised to pass monumental legislation on tenants’ rights, economic development, policy and public safety. Even the Board’s longest-serving member, cranky, difficult Alderwoman Sharon Tyus (Ward 12), is going to have to reconsider her relationships on the Board if she wants to pass any meaningful bills that benefit her constituents in the next two years. We will see if she’ll start to return anyone’s phone calls.

We also want to give a special thumbs up to our colleague, Alvin Reid who held the Ethical Society of Police president Donnell Walters accountable for his false claims that ESOP “never” supported the return of local control of police to the city. Walters tried to gaslight Reid, but Reid

Maxwell started his misreading of the situation on new alderperson Alisha Sonnier (Ward 7), who flawlessly handled the interviewer’s awkward queries. His very first question demanded to know what Sonnier had “exchanged” for the support of Mayor Tishaura Jones and Board President Megan Green, followed by a naive follow-up on whether the police department should get a raise alongside city employees. Of course, SLMPD employees just received a record-high raise through the negotiations of a new collective bargaining agreement, so the question came across as uninformed. The whole interview was one loaded question after another, but Sonnier responded in a calm, confident factual tone.

Maxwell received pushback for the sexist energy of his interview, but predictably doubled down on social media and claimed that words were put into his mouth and twisted. In a textbook demonstration of the metaphor, “throwing

hand,” Maxwell feigned ignorance and suggested that he had held outgoing Alderman Jack Coatar “accountable” for his relationship with former board president Lewis Reed. We must have missed that one. Maxwell’s interviews, especially of women political officials, seem to follow an unfortunate pattern that holds them to a different standard than their male counterparts. Unless there’s an attached federal investigation, some of the aldermen of the Board have gotten away with being affiliated with organized crime and mob bosses without any mention in the press. For more than a decade, Reed was closely tied to controversial developer Paul McKee and Rex Sinquefield, but local media barely made a peep. One of Reed’s biggest supporters, the Carpenters Union, has been embattled with its own federal criminal investigation involving significant mishandling of funds. Yet we don’t recall seeing Reed asked about his ties to former union president Al Bond or other Carpenters leadership members as they lined Reed’s campaign coffers. It appears that mostly women in elected office are criticized for suspect relationships. •

In practicing what we

incumbent Alderpersons

Cara Spencer (Ward 8) and Tom Oldenburg (Ward 2), who will both return to the Board with looming conflicts of interest that likely won’t be ignored this upcoming legislative session.

Both Spencer and Oldenburg currently hold fulltime jobs as vice presidents for community development at two local banks: St. Louis Bank and U.S. Bank, respectively. Both banks are heavily involved with local development projects and they make a lot of money through these transactions. There is no way that Spencer and Oldenburg can avoid a glaring conflict of interest between their bank employers and their elected positions as they navigate expected new rules and, likely, a new ethical code of conduct. As we all know, there are a thousand ways banks gain favored treatment.

So long as Spencer and Oldenburg hold their banking jobs, they will have to walk a tightrope that their voters did not elect them to have. Voters across the city overwhelmingly support alderpersons dedicating themselves full-time to their elected position, and Spencer and Oldenburg as employees of banks that do business with the city are out of alignment with voters’ expectations of them.

Gov. Mike Parson will make a selection, and city residents will be stuck with the lifetime appointment of a judge that most other Missouri counties otherwise get to elect. Several seats on the judicial selection commission will expire this year and will be up for reappointment. And when the person, who ultimately decides who in St. Louis City gets incredible amounts of power, again is Mike Parson, every commission seat, every board seat, and every elected office matters.

•

•

•

Finally, we can’t leave you without an update on Post-Dispatch editorial page editor Todd Robberson. Where we last left things, we had demanded an answer for Robberson’s personal involvement in the racist targeting and harassment of the first Black superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia. Robberson, who doesn’t live in either St. Louis nor Lexington, directs a “student newspaper” that is alumni-funded and unaffiliated with VMI. Under Robberson’s leadership, the newspaper has spread misinformation, purportedly on behalf of the student body, about diversity programs on campus that support Black and Brown students and women students. Nothing seems to have changed since our January column.

We would love to see the new Board pass a rule requiring full-time service of the alderpersons. Part-time jobs and owning a business are okay, but working for banks that receive massive development deals influenced by the Board of Aldermen should be an uncrossable line.

• • •

Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner must be feeling the pressure as her next court appearance gets closer and she’s seeing some competition start to step forward into the race for circuit attorney. Last month, part-time Attorney General and full-time attention-chaser Andrew Bailey filed a lawsuit in St. Louis City seeking to remove Gardner from office.

Criminal defense attorney David Mueller announced via the Riverfront Times on Monday that he is throwing his metaphorical hat into the ring to challenge Gardner.

The St. Louis native leaned into some of the rightwing, inaccurate talking points that we’ve heard from some of the Donnybrook cast. Yet we can’t ignore his position on the death penalty: abolish it. Contrasted to Gardner’s reckless approach to capital punishment, including pushing off some of those cases to the feds, Mueller seems to present a platform that is left of some of Gardner’s. Mueller told the Post-Dispatch that he also supports ending cash bail a practice that we’ve seen Gardner’s office abuse over and over.

On the subject of circuit attorney candidates, Gardner’s most recent opponent, Mary Pat Carl, is now a candidate for a judgeship in the Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit. Alongside several sitting associate circuit judges and former state legislator Mike Colona, Carl is seeking a lifetime appointment that will be decided by a panel that includes Dr. Eva Fraser (mother of State Senator Steve Roberts, Jr.) and Husch Blackwell attorney J. Brent Dulle (formerly of the City Counselor’s Office). Pursuant to the Missouri Plan - which disenfranchises city voters - the judicial selection committee interviews candidates wanting to become judges and this committee then undemocratically recommends three candidates to the Governor’s office. Ultimately, Republican

A few Sundays ago, the Robberson-led Post editorial board published an editorial in the Post-Dispatch, that sniffed around “culture war” issues and “cancel culture” on college campuses. The entire column reeked of MAGA dog whistles and further underscored how disconnected from St. Louis Robberson actually is. The survey that Robberson cites in his opinion piece sampled only 1,500 college students (out of about 7.6 million, or about 0.002%), and the overwhelming majority were white, private school enrollees. The column suggested that nearly 60% of students on college campuses feel “reluctant to offer their own perspectives on issues such as sexual orientation, race and gender identity.” Context missing from the editorials lamentations: more than 50% of college students have reported feeling unsafe or uncomfortable due to a person exercising their “free speech” to comment on their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. Tangentially, 51% of Black college students felt like the First Amendment actually protected them. The majority of Black students favor campus policies that prohibit racial slurs on campus.

See – we can cite statistics, too, Todd.

For years, right-wingers like Robberson would demean folks that they called “liberal snowflakes,” or social justice advocates who simply demanded equal treatment of persons of all backgrounds, demographics, and life experiences. Now, this same faction without irony bemoans what they see as “oppression” of their college-aged children, who they claim cannot comfortably share their hate-filled viewpoints on race, gender, or sexual orientation without being mocked. In a world where everyone has a camera and a social media account, conservative and Republican students are afraid to publicly eschew their unpopular political platforms and stand on their values. Freedom of speech doesn’t mean freedom from the harmful consequences of that free speech.

APRIL 13 – 19, 2023

How to ‘Rebelle’ with style

Porsha Key pairs engineering with fashion

By Ashley Winters

The St. Louis American

her passion for fashion from her downtown loft.

Some might consider Porsha Key a unicorn.

A civil engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation, she is also owner of a fashion boutique downtown called La Femme Rebelle

Clothing

“I’ve always liked fashion, my dad was a real big thrifter and would encourage us to have our own individual style,” said Key.

Key attended Tennessee State University, an HBCU, and noted that the students and professors “cared

about what they wore to class.” The idea of wearing pajama bottoms or rugged athletic gear was frowned upon and that level of expectation encouraged and facilitated her love for fashion.

“I took electives that are fashion based, even though they were outside my major. It was fun to have that experience that allowed me to be creative,” Key said.

The Ann Arbor, Michigan native was a young, curious learner, and a teacher suggested to her family that she should take an aptitude test. The results showed how skillful Key is in math and science. Her teach-

er helped direct her toward the field of engineering, specifically architecture, “I didn’t know what engineering was, I was just drafting things,” Key said.

The future engineer went to TSU where she received two degrees, one in architecture engineering and the other in civil engineering. She graduated in 2008 and was recruited by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The civil engineer works in the phase one department analyzing the needs of the communities in the metro East. For example, if an area is experiencing high traffic congestion her department engages with

See KEY, B2

Housing project will shelter hopes of revitalized Jeff-Vander-Lou

Ground broken for Herbert Homes

By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American

If home is where the heart is, it will soon have a stronger beat through a new Herbert Homes project on the city’s northside.

On April 6, 2023, Mayor Tishaura Jones joined business and faith-based leaders for the groundbreaking of an affordable housing project that is part of her pledge to help strengthen economic development opportunities in areas that have been ignored for decades.

Pastor Andre Alexander’s Tabernacle Community Development Corporation and Habitat for Humanity will construct duplexes and homes in the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhoods, which Alexander says, “will transform the community for the better.”

Neal Richardson, St. Louis Development Corporation president and CEO, Pastor Andre Alexander of the Tabernacle Community Development Corporation, and St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones (center) were flanked by several other dignitaries for the groundbreaking of the Herbert Homes affordable housing project in the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood.

“When families can buy and stay in their homes, we build community,” said Jones. “And housing instability is a root cause of crime that holds our city back from its fullest potential. So, projects like this will directly help to See

reduce crime in the city of St. Louis.”

Neal Richardson, St. Louis Development Corporation president and CEO, was at the groundbreaking and hailed the positive impact the new

PeoPle on the Move

Miller named executive director at VetBiz

VetBiz, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting veteran and military family small businesses in the MO, KS, IA, NE regions, announced the appointment of Seth Miller as its new executive director. Miller brings over 20 years of leadership and entrepreneurial experience to the position. He has worked tirelessly to establish and nurture relationships with national, state, local, and military leaders who have vested interests in improving the quality of life for service members and their families.

Greene named director at Community Foundation

The St. Louis Community Foundation named Josina Greene director of Giving Strategies, foundation officials announced. Previously, she served as a giving strategist. In her new capacity, Greene will assist foundation donors and their professional advisors as they prepare their charitable giving plans and align them with community needs. Greene joined the St. Louis Community Foundation as a donor relations and service manager in 2019 after working at the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley in Columbus, Georgia. She earned her M.B.A. in business administration and management from Troy University.

Abe Adewale to be honored by Georgia Tech

Abe Adewale

Abe Adewale, PE, principal of ABNA Engineering, will be recognized at the Georgia Tech Black Alumni Organization’s annual Leaders & Legends Gala on April 21st. Alongside other phenomenal and prominent black Georgia Tech alumni, Adewale will be celebrated for his commitment to economic empowerment through entrepreneurship. The Georgia Tech Black Alumni Association aims to promote an inclusive experience for Georgia Tech students, alumni, and supporters by providing leadership, networking opportunities, and shared values.

April Elson named CEO at Epworth

April Elson

April Elston has been named president and CEO of Epworth Children’s & Family Services. Epworth Children’s & Family Services is a multiservice agency that seeks to empower youth who have experienced trauma to realize their unique potential by meeting essential needs, cultivating resiliency, and building community. Before joining Epworth, Elston worked in homeless services at St. Patrick Center as senior director of program operations and also the Director of Compliance. She earned her master’s degree in counseling from Webster University.

Promotion, board appointment, new hire, award... please submit your People on the Move item (including photo) to kjones@stlamerican.com

Porsha Key engineers

Seth Miller

Josina Greene

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Photo courtesy of Cordell Whitlock

Key

Continued from B1

community members and business owners through surveys or community meetings to determine solutions to the problems they are facing.

Based on those surveys her department creates a plan to help solve those issues. Her department also finds money either through federal or state to help fund the projects.

But Key wants to help the St. Louis region in other ways besides transportation woes. Her goal is to be a part of changing the ‘fashion narrative’ of the little big city. Everything involving La Femme Rebelle Clothing is strategically thought out. The location of her fashion showroom is located on Washington Avenue and was once the Missouri Pearl Button Company, the first button company in Missouri. Having her fashion showroom downtown is the engineer’s way of paying homage to the once-booming garment district. Washington Avenue was lined with shoe and garment manufacturers, and a prestige hat store called Levine’s Hats.

“St. Louis is doing a good job at establishing itself as a fashion hub,” Key said.

“I’m just happy to be

a part of it and what I can add to it.” Throughout the years Key has noticed how Black Fashion Week has grown in popularity, designers, and fashion shows. She says the success comes from local bloggers and designers giving their all to making sure St. Louis is not left out of the conversation when it comes to designers, fashion trends, or boutiques.

Before Key had the confidence in owning La Femme Rebelle Clothing, she was very intimidated by her own goal. She didn’t believe it was achievable, however, she started small and took a leap of faith, and created her online store. She used a background in programming and started her website. Through the success of her website, she opened her brick-and-mortar store.

Being in such a techie space at work the engineer says it’s important for her to take up space through how she expresses herself with the pieces that she wears. Even some of the messages that are on her hoodies or graphic t-shirts or the designs are thought out because she is making a statement.

“Over the years, fashion has become more political,” Key said. She says many consumers now aren’t buying into the random ‘slogan’ anymore. They want their clothes to mean something, and show

folks where they stand, displaying which side of history they are on.

“Fashion is my politics,” the owner said. Key is a Black queer woman, and many of the pieces that she wears are either Black-owned or in support of the LGBTQ+A community.

“Fashion can really empower women.” When Key curates clothes for her showroom she looks for pieces that look good on all body types. She likes to help her customers build up their wardrobes with quality classic affordable pieces. The fashion showroom owner doesn’t jump on the bandwagon with trendy clothes.

La Femme Rebelle Clothing offers vegan leather, denim, and pieces with fringe to name a few. Customers will get a luxurious private shopping experience by appointment only. Complimentary champagne and charcuterie and one-on-one personal shopping time with Key.

“That’s my passion, helping people find confidence and longevity through fashion,” said Key.

For more information or to book an appointment visit https://lafemmerebelleclothing.com/

Ashley Winters is a Report for America reporter for the St. Louis American.

Housing

Continued from B1

that live within this community and also creating the opportunity for minority-owned businesses to be able to grow and scale and have a track record of them building quality housing in our community,” he said.

Richardson noted that the project is not an island within the city limits. Habitat for Humanity St. Louis is constructing comparable homes in parts of Gravois Park, Dutchtown, Hyde Park and Old North St. Louis.

The Jeff-Vander-Lou development plan calls for 26 homes, and most buyers will be families earning less than 80% of the area median income.

This will include 15 newly constructed homes and 11 rehabs mostly concentrated on the 3600 block of Hebert Street.

“This is the culmination of six years of hard work of building and planning,” Alexander said.

“Really, it’s just the beginning, you celebrate getting to this point, but now we’ve got to go build the stuff, right?”

Alexander estimates that more than 100 people will reside in the homes once they are completed.

“Every family size is

different,” he said.

“But the homes that are being built are three bedroom, two-and-a-half bath. The homes we are rehabbing, about half of them are three-bedroom, another half are four-bedroom.”

He said buyers do not have to be members of his church or development with the Tabernacle organization.

“I want to emphasize that you don’t have to be a member of our church or be a family that we currently serve in our nonprofit,” he said.

“If you have interest in a home, we’re willing and ready to work with you.”

Jones said the project, and others like it, can help break “a horrible cycle.”

“Developers couldn’t build homes because banks would lend money for mortgages and home improvements due to lack of comparable appraisals,” she said.

“Without an appraisal you can’t get a loan and if you can’t get a loan, you can’t build wealth that begins to end today.”

The homes are expected to be completed by the summer of 2024.

Marcia Fudge, U.S. Housing and Urban Development secretary, said last week it is essential for her agency to work with local governments, community organizations, and other stakeholders to

ensure that these initiatives address the specific needs of Black communities.

HUD is addressing the crisis in minority home ownership with initiatives including expanding access to down payment assistance programs, increasing affordable housing options, and combating discriminatory lending practices.

What we are saying at HUD and the Biden-Harris administration is that we can assist you with down payment assistance, we can assist you staying in your homes, like giving you longer mortgages, we can make sure that we treat you fairly throughout that lending process,” Fudge said.

“We also have resources that we have put out tons of money. We send out community development block grant money, which many of them use. We send home money to communities to help them build housing, as well as we look at a broader picture and understand the significance of the problems.

“We know that when we invest in housing, we invest in people. When we invest in people, we make people feel good. When we make people feel good, we inspire them to do good, and I believe good things happen to good people.”

Pastor Andre Alexander stands in front of heavy machinery at the site of Tabernacle Community Development Corporation’s Hebert Homes development on Thursday. The housing development will bring 26 new homes to the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood mainly for families making less than 80% of the area median income.

Photo by Eric Schmid / St. Louis Public Radio

n You can’t ask for a better situation.”

- LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers entering the playoffs healthy

Sports

InSIdE SportS

By Earl Austin Jr.

Gaining speed

Track and field season in the starting block

Education Week recently compiled school sports data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Center for Health Statistics, and the National Federation of State High School Associations to determine how often girls and boys are playing sports and which sports they are playing.

Track and field is attracting more boys and girls than any sport, and is the most popular among girls. With boys, track and field is second only to football in popularity.

The region’s track and field season is now underway, so let’s take a look at some of the top boys and girls athletes to watch this spring.

Girls

Aniyah Brown (Cardinal Ritter): The talented junior is the dominant sprinter in the state of Missouri. She is the two-time state champion in the 100 and 200-meter dashes and she anchored the Lions’ record-setting relays. She is one of the best in the region.

Genesis Dixon (Kirkwood): A senior standout who won the Class 5 100-meter high hurdles and set a state record in the process last season. She is also an AllState performer in the 300meter low hurdles and the long jump.

Camryn Hubbard (Pattonville): A senior middle distance standout who was the Class 5 state champion in the 800-meter run.

the University of Kentucky. Anderson, one of the state’s top hurdlers and jumpers, won the 2022 Class 5 state championship

Skyee Lee (Parkway Central): A talented sophomore hurdler who doubled as the state champion in the Class 4 100-meter high hurdles and 300-meter low hurdles. She helped lead the Colts to their first state championship last season.

Maya Anderson (MICDS): A senior University of Kentucky signee who was a two-time state champion in the 300meter low hurdles and the triple jump at the Class 5 state meet a year ago. She also finished second in the 100-meter high hurdles.

A’Laji Bradley (Pattonville): A talented junior sprinter who was the Class 5 state champion in the 400-meter dash and an All-State performer in the 100 and 200-meter dashes last season.

Chavi Flowers (Incarnate Word): The

senior sprinter was the Class 3 state champion in the 100-meter dash and state runner-up in the 200meter dash last season.

Mason Meiershagen (Oakville): The senior standout finished second in the Class 5 pole vault last season while also earning All-State honors in the high jump and hurdles.

Ailiyah Elliott (John Burroughs): A junior standout who finished second in the state in the long jump with a leap of 19 feet 2 inches. She is also an All-State performer in the 100-meter dash and 110meter high hurdles.

Charlye Moody (Cardinal Ritter): A junior sprinter who helped Ritter to the Class 5 state title by finishing second in the 400-meter dash and running legs on the Lions’ dominant sprint relay teams.

Grace Tyson (Lafayette): A senior distance standout who was the Class 5 runner up in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs last season.

Charnay Davis (Hazelwood West): A senior standout in the throwing events, Davis finished in third place in the Class 5 shot put a year ago.

Kydnall Spain (Cardinal Ritter): The sophomore standout earned All-State honors in the hurdles and ran legs on the Lions’ state championship sprint relay teams as a freshman.

Alaina Lester (Althoff): The senior sprinter earned Illinois Class 2A All-State honors in the 100, 200 and the long jump last season.

Boys

Joseph Anderson (Westminster Christian): The talented senior helped led WCA to its first state championship a year ago as he won the state title in the triple jump and earned All-State honors in the long jump and 110-meter high hurdles.

Demarlynn Taylor (East St. Louis): The senior standout is one of the top hurdlers in the state of Illinois. He was the Illinois Class 3A runner-up in both the 110-meter high hurdles and 300-meter intermediate hurdles.

Ryan Wingo (SLUH): The junior standout returns as one of the top sprinters in the state of Missouri. He finished third in the Class 5 100 and 200-meter dashes last year as a sophomore.

Nicholas Deloach (Cahokia): The senior standout is one of the top combination jumpers in the state of Illinois. He was the Class 2A state champion in the triple jump and state runner-up in the long jump.

Amel Abdul-Memin (Hazelwood West): A senior field event standout who earned All-State honors in the Class 5 long jump and triple jump last season

Arhmad Branch (Festus): A Purdue football recruit who is also a standout on the track this spring. He has already put up some of the area’s top marks in the long jump and triple jump.

Donovan McIntosh (St. Mary’s): A senior standout on the Dragons’ state championship football team who also excels as a sprinter on the track. He was an All-State performer in the 200 and 400.

Winston Moore (MICDS): A Colgate football recruit who earned All-State honors in the Class 4 100-meter dash last season as a junior.

Caleb Cody-Jackson (Marquette): A senior sprinter who earned AllState honors in the 400meter dash with his fourth place finish at the Class 5 state meet.

Keshawn Lyons (Cahokia): A senior hurdler who earned All-State honors in the Illinois Class 2A 100-meter high hurdles and 300-meter intermediate hurdles.

Rontay Abraham (Belleville West): A senior sprinter who earned AllState honors in the Illinois Class 3A 400-meter dash last season.

‘NFL

There remains a fine line between “expansion” and “colonialism.” As a result, news that the National Football League’s “NFL Africa” program is expanding to Kenya and other African nations earns a skeptical eye from me.

The NFL will conclude a week-long Talent Identification Camp and Flag Football Showcase on April 15 in Nairobi which, according to the league “[is] underlining a longterm, multi-market commitment to developing more ways to serve a growing fan base in Africa.”

in our sport for everyone.”

A concern of mine is that the NFL does not call a single play where the goal does not include making money. How is the NFL going to cash in on this initiative?

“We are excited to expand NFL Africa into Kenya and look forward to creating opportunities for the next generation of African players and fans there to engage with our sport,” said Brett Gosper, head of NFL Europe & Africa. “There is a place

With fewer American youths, especially white youths, playing football because of concussion and chronic injury concerns, is the NFL searching for new, less-expensive cannon fodder? I did not realize that that there are more than 125 players of African descent [born in Africa or first generation born in the U.S.] from 15 nations that are currently on NFL rosters. Several are participating in the Kenya effort that includes 29 prospects, ranging from 16 to 21, from African nations including Cameroon, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, and Senegal.

Two-time New York Giants Super Bowl champion Osi Umenyiora, who was born in the United Kingdom to parents who are Nigerian, is directing the week’s activities. Joining him are Brian Asamoah, Minnesota Vikings (Ghana); Arnold Ebiketie, Atlanta Falcons (Cameroon); Paulson Adebo, New Orleans Saints (Benin); Ikem Ekwonu, Carolina Panthers (Nigeria); and Emmanuel

Ogbah, Miami Dolphins (Nigeria).

The NFL Flag Football Showcase includes youths from 10 schools across Nairobi. There will also be training and coaching clinics for local teachers and members of the Kenyan Federation of American Football. The goal is to spread flag football throughout the nation.

Dr. Doreen Odhiambo, chief executive officer of Kenya Academy of Sports,

said in a release the effort “[is] part of a mandate to develop sports talent across the county.” That sounds more ominous than inspirational.

A similar football development effort began in Ghana about two years ago, and a team from the nation participated in the NFL International Flag Football Championships at the 2023 Pro Bowl Games in Las Vegas. It was successful, reaching the semi-finals of the 10-team competition. There is much athletic talent in Africa, which is on display in international soccer leagues and during the Olympics. I have no doubt that the NFL programs could help mold future players for American colleges and maybe then the NFL. At what cost, though, and why does the NFL really care?

The Reid Roundup Bryant Gumbel will

become the first Black journalist to receive a Sports Emmy lifetime achievement award. After launching his career in Chicago and becoming a star broadcaster with NBC, Gumbel has hosted HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel,” since 1996. The monthly series has won 36 Sports Emmys…Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri football coach is highest-paid state employee at $6 million a year. Alabama football coach Nick Saben is the highest-paid state employee in America... More than 45,000 people are expected to attend Colorado’s spring football game on April 22. Are they there to see the team or Coach Deion Sanders?...Watching Tiger Woods in the Master’s was painful. He was forced to withdraw during the third round “after reaggravating my plantar fasciitis.” Woods looks in constant woe. I’m not talking about his golf game.

Earl Austin Jr.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Maya Anderson of MICDS (5) will be a Wildcat after choosing to run track at

in the triple jump and the 300-meter low hurdles.

Photo courtesy of NFL

Alvin A. Reid

Tiger Woods, LeBron James make Forbes billionaire list for first time as Jay-Z rolls

Athletes Tiger Woods and LeBron James recently made Forbes’ 37th annual World’s Billionaires list. It was a first for both of them. James’ worth tallied $1 billion while Woods’ was $1.1 billion.

At the same time, rapper and entrepreneur Jay-

Z’s wealth continued to grow, as his worth is estimated to be $2.5 billion, which ties him with several individuals including Oprah Winfrey for number 1,217 on the worldwide list. Since becom-

ing hip hop’s first billionaire in 2019, Jay-Z has more than doubled his fortune thanks to lucrative liquor businesses,

according to Forbes “Even in a year without a tour or album release, Jay-Z mints millions from his Armand de

Brignac and D’Usse cognac,” Forbes says. Forbes had Jay-Z at $1.4 billion in 2022. For reference, NBA legend Michael Jordan made the list at number 1,516 with $2 billion. According to Forbes, there are 2,640 billionaires in the world, which is down from 2,668 in 2022. Locally, St. Louis’ own David Steward, co-founder and chairman of World Wide Technology, is tied for the 425th spot with an estimated worth of $6 billion.

St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative Fellows Experience accepting applications for cohorts

As part of its efforts to drive inclusive economic growth in the St. Louis metro area, Greater St. Louis, Inc. is now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 cohort of its St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative (SLBDI) Fellows Experience. The year-long experience addresses the interests and challenges professionals of color may encounter as they work to advance their careers.

The St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative Fellows Experience offers an opportunity for participants to know their value, rediscover their passion, create their own roadmap, and awaken to new possibilities both personally and professionally. Program participation helps Fellows embrace an empowered and transformed version of themselves as business and community leaders.

The Fellows Experience participants reflect on their goals, performance, operating styles, and how they adapt to varied workplace cultures. Access to forums, social events, and conferences fosters a supportive professional and personal network essential to long-term growth and development. And through volunteer and civic activi-

ties, participants hone their skills, expand their relationships, and deepen their connection with the broader St. Louis community.

The program runs from August 2023 through

September 2024, and includes monthly full-day sessions throughout, as well as a one-time, threeday retreat and optional after-hours events.

“The knowledge

and confidence I’ve gained from the Fellows Experience helped inspire me to take the next step in my career, level up, and pursue C-Suite opportunities, ultimately landing

the consumer and business banking market executive role for US Bank, leading all the company’s consumer and business banking and philanthropic activities for the St. Louis

and Illinois market,” said Chris Carroll, a 2016-2017 program participant.

The Fellows program was founded in 2006. Since then, over 1,000 Fellows have completed the program, with 90% remaining in the metro area. Seventy percent of Fellows are promoted within two years of the program and 26% of Fellows are elected to boards or appointed committees. Fellows contribute 1,600 hours of community service annually.

Greater St. Louis, Inc. is currently accepting applications through May 19, 2023. To qualify, applicants should be (but not exclusively) ethnically, racially, or gender diverse mid- to senior-level professionals who have been employed a minimum of seven years, offer demonstrated community leadership, have a college degree or the equivalent skill and abilities, and looking to develop their leadership and professional capabilities and capacity. For more information on The Fellows Experience, contact Rosalind Reese at 314231-5555 or Fellows@ GreaterStLouisInc.com

LeBron James

Tiger Woods

David Steward

Greater St. Louis, Inc. is now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 cohort of its St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative (SLBDI) Fellows Experience through May 19, 2023.

It’s “Tina” time

Fox Theatre’s 2023-2024 includes MJ, The Tina Turner Musical

By Danielle Brown St. Louis American

The Fabulous Fox Theatre is bringing the heat with its 2023-2024 spectacular Broadway season showcasing a mix of Broadway’s biggest shows and St. Louis classics.

The season includes Beetlejuice, Tina-The Tina Turner Musical, Mrs. Doubtfire, Funny Girl, Company, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, and MJ. An eight show package is available to subscribers with the addition of ‘Twas The Night Before…by Cirque du Soleil. Off-Series specials include Come From

Saltwater

New hoops film drops the ball

By Dwight Brown NNPA News Wire

This b-ball, biofilm dribbles but can’t shoot. The direction, acting, script and tech team are all in play, but nothing scores. Part of the problem is its subject. OG b-baller Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton was a pioneer. His achievements are worth retelling, but a bit murky. Technically, he was the first African American to sign an NBA contract, and on November 4th, 1950, he played his inaugural game with the New York Knicks. However, Earl Lloyd of the Washington Capitols was the first Black man to play in an NBA game, which happened on October 31st 1950. And, Chuck Cooper, of the Boston Celtics, was the first Black player to be drafted, and his first game was on November 1st, 1950. So, Sweetwater’s place in history is a bit crowded.

In the 1940s, 26- year-old Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton (Everett Osborne)

Away, Disney’s Aladdin, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical, Mamma Mia!, The Book of Mormon, and Jagged Little Pill. Bettlejuice, the story of Lydia Deetz, an odd and peculiar teenager’s life gets turned upside down after meeting a deceased couple and a demon with an affinity for stripes. Beetlejuice opens the season and runs Oct. 10-22, 2023.

Tina - The Tina Turner Musical follows the biography of St. Louis legend and international icon, Tina Turner’s spectacular rise to stardom and timeless success. Tina runs Nov. 14-26, 2023.

Mrs. Doubtfire chronicles the hilari-

ous and heartwarming story of an unemployed actor willing to do whatever it takes to raise his kids. The production operates Dec. 26, 2023-Jan. 7, 2024.

Funny Girl is about a girl from the Lower East Side with aspirations of becoming a big star. Naysayers don’t believe in her vision, but she beats the odds and becomes one of the most cherished performers in history. The show runs Jan. 23- Feb. 4, 2024.

In Company, Bobbie’s friends question why she’s still single at her

Music at the Intersection returns for third year

Angela Winbush, Smino, and more to headline in September

By Danielle Brown St. Louis American

The 2023 edition of Music at the Intersection will have a distinct St. Louis sound by featuring Smino and Angela Winbush as some of its headliners. Joining them will be Herbie Hancock, Cameo, Grandmaster Flash, and dozens of other artists. Grand Center Arts District will house the two-day festival Sept. 9-10 with performances on four stages and more than 50 artists in the outdoor festival which stretches across Washington Avenue, east of Grand Blvd.

“We’re back for year three with a lineup featuring hometown heroes, new trending sounds, a celebration of hip-hop, and absolute legends across R&B, jazz and blues,” said Chris Hansen, executive director of Kranzberg Arts Foundation.

n A ticket to Music at the Intersection delivers block-party vibes with toptier talent in an environment primed for musical and artistic exploration.”

- Chris Hansen, executive director of Kranzberg Arts Foundation

plays forward for the iconic Harlem Globetrotters, an exhibition basketball team whose roots date back to 1926. In the late ‘40s, manager Abe Saperstein (Kevin Pollak, A Few Good Men) guides the Globetrotters as they compete against famous all-white b-ball teams— and beat ‘em. Sweetwater, a trickster on the court,

gets scouted by New York Knickerbockers coach Joe Lapchick (Jeremy Piven, Entourage), who talks the Knicks’ president (Cary Elwes) into buying out Sweetwater’s contract. Saperstein is paid $12,500, and pockets $10K. Sweetwater

See

“We received incredible feedback last year about the diversity of our festival, both regarding the performers as well as the attendees, who were a real representation of St. Louis, spanning all ages and races.

“Our aim continues to be the creation of a truly accessible, multi-dimensional and dynamic urban music experience. A ticket to Music at the Intersection delivers block-party vibes with top-tier talent in an environment primed for musical and artistic exploration.”

Music at the Intersection is a signature musical and creative showcase honoring St. Louis’ impact on American history and the sounds the region has birthed both locally in Missouri and across the Mississippi River in its sister cities. Saturday headliner, Smino, hails from a musical family in Florissant and graduated from Hazelwood Central High School before moving to Chicago. He established the musical collective Zero See Fox, C6

See Intersection, C6

Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade, 2022

Photo courtesy of Music at the Intersection

Photo courtesy of Sunset Pictures

Everett Osborne as “Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton and Cary Elwes as Ned Irish in the film Sweetwater.

Naomi Rodgers as 'Tina Turner' in the North American touring production of TINA - THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL.

It was a Good Friday for gospel star Chloe Bailey

This” streaming on Peacock

St. Louis American staff

Five-time Grammy nominee

Chloe Bailey says her love of God and music merged while filming the Peacock original movie, “Praise This,” which debuted on Good Friday, April 7, 2023.

“I grew up singing in my [grandmother’s] church in South Carolina, with my sister, Halle. We loved doing that all the time,” Bailey told the Christian Post

“All the Sundays that we would be down there, we’d be singing. My late cousin, Sherry, was a choir teacher, and my aunt Sandy plays the piano in church

every Sunday, and she was the music director as well. So, it’s sprinkled throughout [my family]. And I’m happy that I could merge my love of God and my love of music for this.”

Bailey said the movie exposed her to “the gospel competitive world.” The only time she can recall was in her choir at school.

“I’ve never been on this side of the competitive world when it came to gospel music. So, it was really fun exploring that,” Bailey said.

Bailey plays a character named Sam in the film, whose father [Philip Fornah] sends her to Atlanta to live with relatives. He is concerned about her

“Perfect is boring. Be imperfectly you.”

When I saw this phrase on a t-shirt over the Christmas holiday a few years ago, I could not resist it. I had to buy it and not just because it was on sale. The underlying message of the shirt that imperfections were what made us more interesting (and unique) seemed to make a lot of sense to me at the time. It wasn’t until recently that I realized that the shirt was also an interesting reminder about graciously handling the imperfections of ourselves and others. One of the areas of personal spiritual growth that God continues to challenge me is

regarding how to respond to my imperfections as well as what I perceive in others. For example, how do you take a more gracious approach when looking at imperfections? As a college English professor, I deal with this question often when grading papers. Over the years, I’ve worked very hard at finding ways to offer constructive criticism without completely crushing the esteem of students. It is not easy because sometimes I struggle to find a few good things in a paper where there may be 15 other things done ineffectively. Sometimes it

friends and lifestyle.

In Atlanta, she meets cousin, Jess, played by Anjelika Washington, who gets her to join their church’s gospel choir ahead of a national competition.

Along with the business aspects of Gospel music, “Praise

works and sometimes I totally fail at it…. but I keep trying to figure out a way to make students see those things that others may label as “wrong” as valuable opportunities for growth.

2 Timothy 2:2021, (MSG) says “In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets –some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing.” This scripture could be seen as a reminder that people who we perceive as having

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Events

Sam (Chloe Bailey) and Jess (Anjelika Washington) are cousins in the Peacock movie “Praise This” who unite to win a national choir competition.

This” focuses on the healing power that can come through singing worship, according to Bailey.

“Singing is one of my favorite ways to praise God, as well as just the good old praying,” she said.

less value may actually have the most value. For example, after a fine meal, which is more valuable: the goblet that was used to drink out of or the trash can that was used to take out the trash? At the end of the meal, some would say that it is the trashcan that has more value because it helps keep the kitchen clean.

Maybe we should try to think of deficiencies in others like imperfections in gemstones. According to the website, www. gemselect.com, the value of certain gemstones increases because of internal imperfections or inclusions in the gemstone. For example, rubies and sapphires that have certain internal inclusions are

“Whenever I feel sorrowful and heavy, I put on my favorite gospel song playlist, and I just sing my heart away, and instantly my spirits are lifted. … Music is what heals us, as well as God. So, when you have these two forces that bring such love to the forefront, it’s an incredibly powerful thing.”

Almost ready to release her debut album, “In Pieces,” Bailey hopes that “Praise This encourages viewers to accept themselves for who they are and never doubt God’s grace.

“I hope what viewers take away from this is that we all have our own journeys and our own paths,” she said.

“And no matter which way or form that we come, God will accept us no matter what, and that family is everything. You don’t have to go down a dark path to make your dreams come true.”

seen as more unique and considered much more valuable than those that are man-made and seemingly perfect. So, instead of judging someone for what they may have done, good, bad, criminal or otherwise, we should choose to see those life experiences as what makes them graciously unique. By doing this, it may be easier for us to see that through God’s grace the value of others is actually increased by what they experienced (which may look like an imperfection) but is actually an example of how valuable they are because of what they survived.

Shewanda Riley is a Fort Worth, Texas based author of “Love Hangover: Moving from Pain to Purpose After a Relationship Ends” and “Writing to the Beat of God’s Heart: A Book of Prayers for Writers.”

Event Planner | Your Day Of Coordinator

Shewanda Riley

Photo courtesy of Jessica Miglio / Universal Pictures

RF ENGINEER I

RF Engineer I - St. Louis, MO. Multiple Openings. Must have knowl of dsgng & optimizing VoLTE/LTE/ GSM & CDMA wireless n/ works, incl overlay projects, traffic planning, BSS planning for cell site integration, & KPI analysis. Prep/revise RF affidavits & documents to support site dvlpmt & zoning reqmts. Must have ability to create & validate frequency plans for large area clusters. Req: Bachelor’s (or foreign equiv) in Electrical/Electronic or Communications Eng., Network Eng., or closely rltd deg. Must have working knowl of standard concepts, practices & procedures w/in wireless communications/data industry. **Roving Employee(s) - will req travel &/or relocation to client locs throughout U.S. **Submit resume via email to Telecom Technology Services, Inc., Attn: HR-RF Engineer I, tiffanyz@amdocs.com

RF ENGINEER II

RF Engineer II - St. Louis, MO. Multiple Openings. Must have knowl of dsgng & optimizing VoLTE/LTE/ GSM & CDMA wireless n/ works, incl overlay projects, traffic planning, BSS planning for cell site integration, & KPI analysis. Prep/revise RF affidavits & documents to support site dvlpmt & zoning reqmts. Must have ability to create & validate frequency plans for large area clusters.

Req: Bachelor’s (or foreign equiv) in Electrical/Electronic or Communications Eng., Network Eng., or closely rltd deg + 24 mos. of progressive exp. in job offrd. Must have working knowl of standard concepts, practices & procedures w/in wireless communications/data industry. **Roving Employee(s) - will req travel &/or relocation to client locs throughout U.S. **Submit resume via email to Telecom Technology Services, Inc., Attn: HR-RF Engineer II, tiffanyz@amdocs.com

LIABILITY CLAIMS ACCOUNT MANAGER

ARTS LEAD (AA LEAD)

The ARPA for the Arts Lead (AA Lead) is a newly created position that is responsible for the central coordination and project management of all American Rescue Plan ACT (ARPA) grant funding that is received by the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis (RAC) to support the recovery of the St. Louis arts and culture sector. This is a full-time position that includes a comprehensive benefits package and is funded through March 31, 2027, using ARPA dollars allocated by the City of St. Louis to RAC. For more information, please visit the job posting on the website, https://racstl. org/career-opportunities/ Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter online by April 9, 2023.

Responsible for new, renewal and ongoing Large Casualty and Public Entity Liability account management services and the analysis, implementation and oversight of associated administrative issues.

To apply, please visit: https://www.safetynational.com/careers-page/

in St. Louis offers rewarding opportunities in various fields at all levels, with positions in engineering, nursing and health care, research, administration, technology, security and more.

JR73214 Assistant Business ManagerDivision of Comparative Medicine (DCM) JR73537 Director, Graduate Medical Education - Office of Medical Education

The Director for Graduate Medical Education is responsible for overseeing and administering the Sponsoring Institution’s ACGME-accredited programs, as outlined by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and other non-ACGME program oversight entities and accrediting bodies. This role is responsible for assuring compliance with ACGME Institutional Requirements and ensuring a quality work environment for trainees in our training programs. The scope of responsibility extends to the educational, fiscal, and administrative health of the institution’s GME activities, its compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, the support and development of its program directors and coordinators, and the well-being of its trainees. In conjunction with the Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education (GME) and other Office of Education Leaders, this position coordinates operational planning, systems assessment and analysis, program development, and information management on behalf of the sponsoring institution and its programs.

JR73473 Manager Administrative Services - Radiology

Position is responsible for the administration of payroll, human resources and reporting activities. Plans, develops and directs the daily activities of the payroll office ensuring submission, processing and delivery of payroll documents/checks. Approves on-line payroll documents and bi-weekly payroll entries in the FIS/Perspay system. Approves payroll cost transfers. Coordinates new and existing faculty, staff, house staff and courtesy appointments and reviews appointment letters. Advises employees on visa issues and acts as a liaison between department and International Office. Coordinates budget preparation and submission for salaries, fringe benefits and appointments. May manage payroll office staff including training, employee relations, evaluations, job descriptions and record maintenance.

Insurance Billing/Collection Assistant II - Physicians Billing Service

This role performs comprehensive financial assistance review and processing for post service applications. You will provide follow up and assistance to the financial counseling team as needed and will review and apply discounts, adjustments and patient registration updates in the EPIC system. You will establish appropriate budget plans for patients upon request and collect payments for both pre service and services rendered when appropriate. You will interact routinely with clinical/technical staff and department personnel and assist with incoming calls with the Financial Counselor and Patient Services area. Also, you will work with special projects as assigned by management as needed.

Medical Assistant Apprentice- JR72269

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SYSTEM OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

In the role of Systems Operations Coordinator, you will be part of a team that supports the critical software applications leveraged by our Business Development department. You will work closely with business development personnel, analysts, and teams within our information services department.

To apply, please visit: https://www.safetynational. com/careers-page/

INFRASTRUCTURE ARCHITECT

In the role of Infrastructure Architect you will be part of the Infrastructure team. The Architect will utilize advanced analytic skills and experience in principals of design to define standards, solutions, and tools for systems and architecture. Completes design, specifications and hands-on implementation, as well as guidance for other IS teams to deliver applications and content to people. To apply, please visit: https://www. safetynational.com/ careers-page/

EDI ASSISTANT

You will work closely with EDI Intake Team and Claims Department. You will be responsible for various support tasks related to manual loss run review and posting totals to the aggregate claims tracking system, in addition to addressing errors and exceptions in the automated posting of EDI data into the aggregate tracking system.

To apply, please visit: https://www.safetynational. com/careers-page/

SENIOR RF ENGINEER

Sr. RF Engineers - St. Louis, MO. Multiple Openings. Sr. level position; must have ability to immediately manage client deliverables; reqs prior exp w/ dsgng & optimizing VoLTE/LTE/ GSM & CDMA wireless n/ works for Tier 1 carriers, or smaller discreet operators, incl exp w/ overlay n/works (i.e. LTE / UMTS / CDMA / GSM), &/or dsgn recommendations for integrated/ converted n/works and DAS installations. Must have prior exp working w/ major OEM providers - i.e. Ericsson, Nokia, and Samsung. Prior exp analyzing n/work parameters for optimization of KPIs. Must demonstrate ability to create & validate frequency plans for large area/clusters, & for improving n/work performance analysis & mgmt. Must have prior work exp using RF planning & dsgn tools commonly used in the wireless telecom industry. Req: Bachelor’s (or foreign equiv) in Electrical/Electronic or Communications Eng, Network Eng., or closely rltd deg, + 60 mos of progressive exp in job offrd. Alternate req: Master’s (or foreign equiv) in Electrical/Electronic or Communications Eng, or closely rltd deg, + 24 mos of progressive exp in job offrd. **Roving Employee(s) - will req travel &/or relocation to client locs throughout U.S. **Send resume via email to Telecom Technology Services, Inc., Attn: HR-Sr. RF Engineer, tiffanyz@amdocs.com

ELEMENTARY ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Kirkwood School District is hiring an Elementary Assistant Principal for the 23/24 School Year! We are looking for a dynamic leader to join the team at Westchester Elementary. Please apply by visiting our website: www. kirkwoodschools.org/jobs

FAMILY COURT OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY CONTRACT JUVENILE DEFENSE ATTORNEY

The Family Court of St. Louis County is seeking an attorney to perform full time legal work as a juvenile defense counsel in delinquency cases. This is a contractual position with a monthly retainer of $5,000 per month. The position is subject to annual renewal and continued availability of funding.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Graduation from an accredited law school, possession of a current license to practice law in the State of Missouri, at least two (2) years of trial experience preferably in juvenile, family or criminal law with additional years of trial experience or any equivalent experience being preferable. Applicants are not prohibited from engaging in the practice of law outside the terms of the contract where no conflict of interest exists. However, juvenile defense cases must take priority over all other cases including but not limited to dockets and case settings. Any office space and/or other accommodations provided by the Family Court shall not be used for any purpose other than to perform services under the terms of the contract entered into by the parties.

To apply, candidates should send a cover letter and resume to SLCCourtJobs@courts.mo.gov, or mail to Human Resources, Saint Louis County Circuit Court, 105 South Central Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105. Applications must be received by 5 PM, Friday, April 21, 2023

Note: Any selected individual will be required to submit to a drug screen and background check prior to hire. EOE. Please contact the Human Resources Department at 314 615-4471 (voice) or RelayMO711 or 800 735-2966 if you need any accommodations in the application process, or if you would like this posting in an alternative form.

St. LouiS american Bids &

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Qualifications for Construction Manager At Risk Services

LU23016 Health & Science Crisis Center

Lincoln University-Missouri is seeking Constructions Manager At-Risk Services for a $40 million Health Sciences and Crisis Center Project located on our campus in Jefferson City Missouri.

Phase I request for qualifications are due by 4 p.m. April 28, 2023. No late submissions will be accepted. To learn more about the RFQ requirements, visit our website at: https://www.lincolnu.edu/ about-lincoln/vice-president-ofadministration-and-finance/ facilities-and-planning.html

You can also email us at: lufacilitiesplanning@lincolnu.edu Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) and ServiceDisabled Veteran Business Enterprise (SDVE) are encouraged to participate as contractors or subcontractors.

SOLICITING BID

Reinhardt Construction LLC is Soliciting Bids from MBE/WBE/DBE/ Veteran/SDVE for the following:

CP221943PhysiciansUniversity Medical Building – 3rd RenovationFloor

Contact: Mike Murray ; mikem@ reinhardtconstructionllc. com

Phone: 573-682-5505

LIFE SUPPORT FILTER VESSEL REHAB/REPAIR SERVICES RFP 2023

The Saint Louis Zoo seeks bids from qualified firms to submit proposals for Life Support Filter Vessel Rehab/Repair Services RFP 2023. Bid documents are available as of 4/12/23 on the Saint Louis Zoo website: stlzoo.org/vendor.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Requests for Quotes, Bids and Proposals are posted online for public download. Please navigate to www.msdprojectclear.org > Doing Business With Us > View Bid Opportunities

Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Alberici Constructors, Kwame Building Group and the Saint Louis Zoo seek bids from qualified firms to submit proposals for a project at the Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park.

The project consists of mass excavation, grading , site utilities and replacement of the HVAC systems in the HQ Building. To request bid documents, please send an E-mail to stlzoobids@alberici.com.

ONE, TWO AND THREE BEDROOM WAIT LIST OPENING

Notice is hereby given that Kendelwood Place Apartments located in Black Jack, Missouri, in accordance with regulations outlined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and in accordance with the Tenant Selection Plan for the above project will reopen the ONE, TWO and THREE BEDROOM waiting list for all individuals from April 17, 2023 through April 21. 2023. Applications will be available to the public and accepted each business day during this open period from 10:00AM to 3:00PM at Kendelwood Place Leasing Office, 12404 Centerbrook Drive, Black Jack, Missouri 63033. Persons may call 314-355-2465 or email (dennis@proequity.com) to request an application be emailed to them in lieu of coming to the office to apply in person. In addition to the approved Tenant Selection Plan Criteria, eligibility is based on annual income limits which vary by household size and location. Federal fiscal year 2023-2024 income limits may be found at www.hud.gov or posted at Kendelwood Place Apartments. The Tenant Selection Plan may also be viewed at Kendelwood Place Apartments during regular business hours. Kendelwood Place Apartments does not discriminate because of race, color, sex, religion, familial status, disability, handicap, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity in the leasing, rental or other disposition of housing. There is no application fee. Picture ID and social security card is required to complete your application. Applications will not be accepted after April 21, 2023 at 3:00PM

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Tower Grove Park, 4257 Northeast Drive, St. Louis, MO 63110 is requesting proposals for general construction for new basketball courts. RFP responses are due 4/25/23 by 2:00 p.m. Project information, registration, and questions through Katie Aholt (katie@navigatebuildingsolutions.com or 636-359-8538).

Tower Grove Park hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant of this advertisement, businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, ancestry or national origin in consideration for an award. Federal Land and Water Conservation Funds are being used in this project, and all relevant federal, state and local requirements apply.

CORRECTED NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS ST. LOUIS COUNTY

AGENCIES: St. Louis County is the “Lead Agency” for the St. Louis County HOME Consortium. The St. Louis County HOME Consortium is a group of contiguous units of local government that have joined together for the purpose of receiving HOME funds and administering a HOME Program as a single grantee. The members of the St. Louis County HOME Consortium include St. Louis County, the City of Florissant, Jefferson County, St. Charles County, and the City of O’Fallon.

ACTION: Notice is hereby given that the 2022 Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER) and the 2023 Annual Action Plan have been drafted by the St. Louis County HOME Consortium. The drafts may receive several updates prior to submission to the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

SUMMARY: The 2022 CAPER and the 2023 Annual Action Plan summarize the 2022 accomplishments and the 2023 proposed actions, respectively, of the St. Louis County HOME Consortium. Both documents include the following programs funded by HUD: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) programs. These documents provide information on how funding received through the CDBG and ESG programs have been/will be spent in St. Louis County as well as information on how HOME funds have been/will be spent in St. Louis County and in the jurisdictions of the members of the St. Louis County HOME Consortium.

AVAILABILITY OF REVIEW MATERIALS: A copy of the 2022 CAPER and 2023 Annual Action Plan will continue to be available for public review and comment from March 24—April 24, 2023. Copies may be obtained by contacting Sonya Venerable at svenerable@stlouiscountymo.gov. The document will also be available on the St. Louis County website at: https://stlouiscountymo.gov/ st-louis-county-departments/human-services/community-development/

PUBLIC HEARING: A public hearing for the 2022 CAPER and 2023 Annual Action Plan will be held on April 24, 2023 from 5:00 – 6:00 pm at the St. Louis County Library—Mid-County Branch, 7821 Maryland Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63105. Persons with disabilities or who otherwise need assistance, including those with limited English proficiency, should contact Sonya Venerable at svenerable@ stlouiscountymo.gov at least 48 hours in advance of the hearing.

COMMENT PERIOD: Comments concerning the 2022 CAPER or 2023 Annual Action Plan should be made during the public comment period; the comment period is March 24— April 24, 2023. Written comments will be accepted until 6:00pm on April 24, 2023 and may be submitted via email to aellis@stlouiscountymo.gov or mailed to Amy Ellis, Director, St. Louis County Office of Community Development, 500 Northwest Plaza Drive, Suite 801, St. Ann, MO 63074.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Paric Corporation is seeking proposals for the following project: BADEN SCHOOL APARTMENTS located at 8724 Halls Ferry Rd. St. Louis, MO

PARIC Corporation is soliciting bids ONLY for the DEMOLITION, ELEVATORS, FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS, PLUMBING, HVAC and ELECTRICAL for THE BADEN SCHOOL APARTMENTS located on 8724 Halls Ferry Rd. St Louis, MO. The project consists of the renovation of the historic building into 50 Apartments. Access to documents is available from our Smartbid link. If you do not received a bid invitation please send your company information to tlalexaner@paric.com

A PREBID meeting will be held on 4/12/23 at 11:00am at the project site

BIDS WILL BE DUE ON MAY 4, 2023 @ 2:00pm

Send all questions to Andrew Kalicak (AKalicak@paric.com) or Michael Skalski (MSkalski@paric.com)

Job will have prevailing wage requirements Goals for Construction Business Enterprise

• 21% African American

• 11% Women

• .5% Asian American • .5% Native American • 2% Hispanic American Goals for Workforce (field) participation

20% Apprentice

23% City of St Louis Resident

All bids should be delivered to Paric via e-mail (bids@paric.com) or fax (636-561-9501).

PARIC CORPORATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

UMSL – TOUHILL PERFORMING ARTS CENTER – INTERIOR LED LIGHTING & CEILING REPAIR – PHASE I

Color Art Construction, a general contractor is seeking competitive bids for an interior LED lighting & ceiling repair project at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The project scope includes but is not limited to demolition, drywall, painting, electrical and gypsum board accessories. A bid walk is scheduled for Monday, April 17th at 10:00am. Bids should be emailed to Color Art Construction Wednesday April 26th by noon. Please email your bid or any questions to bidrequestsCAC@color-art.com

ADVERTISEMENT FOR PROPOSALS

The City of St. Peters is seeking qualifications for the 23-145Jungs Station Road Resurfacing (STP 7305(623))” until 2:00 p.m. local time, April 27, 2023. This will be a Non-Public opening. The purpose of this project is to provide construction phase services and prepare all required plans and specifications required to acquire needed property rights and bid the reconstruction of Jungs Station Road and signal replacement at the Jungs Station Road and Plum Tree Drive signalized intersection.

The RFQ will be available on April 13, 2023 and may be obtained from the City of St. Peters website https://mo-stpeters.civicplus.com/Bids.aspx

If your firm would like to be considered for providing these consulting services, please prepare a Technical Proposal. This proposal should include any information which might help us in the selection process, such as the persons or team you would assign to each project, the backgrounds of those individuals, and other projects your company has recently completed or are now active. The proposal shall be submitted in quadruplicate, in a sealed package, and clearly marked with the Consultant’s name and City of St. Peters – 23-145 – Jungs Station Road Resurfacing (STP 7305(623)). The proposal must be received by the City of St. Peters Purchasing Department by 2:00 p.m., local time, April 27, 2023.

All questions regarding the project and proposal submittal are to be submitted via e-mail to Bids@stpetersmo.net and specify in the subject line “23-145Jungs Station Road Resurfacing (STP 7305(623) before noon local time, April 20, 2023.

The City of St. Peters will evaluate firms based on a) experience and competence, b) the capacity of the firm to perform the work in the timeframe needed, c) past performance.

Once a proposal is selected, a contract will be negotiated, with the firm, based on a mutually agreed upon scope of services. This project has received federal reimbursement funding through the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STP) administered by the East-West Gateway Coordinating Council of Governments. A DBE goal of 12% has been determined by Missouri Department of Transportation for the Preliminary Engineering portion of the project.

DBE firms must be listed in the MRCC DBE Directory located on MoDOT’s website at www.modot.gov, in order to be counted as participation towards an established DBE Goal. We encourage DBE firms to submit proposals as prime consultants for any project they feel can be managed by their firm.

It is required that your firm’s Statement of Qualification (RSMo 8.285 through 8.291) and an Affidavit of Compliance with the federal work authorization program along with a copy of your firm’s E-Verify Memorandum of Understanding (15 CSR 60-15.020) be submitted with your firm’s technical proposal and with your firm’s Letter of Interest. It is also required that your firm be prequalified with MoDOT and listed in MoDOT’s Approved Consultant Prequalification List

The City reserves the right to waive any informality and to accept the proposal most advantageous to the City.

St. LouiS american Bids & Public Notices

ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

St. Louis Community College will receive separate sealed bids for CONTRACT NO. F 23 503, FV Humanities Phase 2 - Asbestos Abatement at Florissant Valley Campus, until 2:00 p.m. local time Tuesday, April 25, 2023. Bids will be officially opened and read aloud at the office of the Manager of Engineering and Design, 5464 Highland Park, St. Louis, MO 63110-1314. Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from the Manager’s office, at the above address or by calling (314) 644-9770.

Drawings, Specifications, bid forms and other related contract information may be obtained at ePlan. The documents will also be at The Builders Association and at the Mid-States Minority Supplier Development Council. Electronic bid sets are available and may be printed by the plan holders and in https://stlcc.bonfirehub.com/.

Questions regarding the scope of work should be directed to Greg Chambliss at greg.chambliss@ intertek.com

MANDATORY PREBID MEETING: Monday, April 17, 2023 10:00 am, Humanities Building Florissant Valley Main Entrance will be the meeting point. A walk-through of the project will follow the meeting. Any inquiries about the prebid meeting can be sent to Nate Gluesenkamp at ngluesenkamp@stlcc.edu

The College has the proposed minority goals MBE 15% and WBE 12% Individuals with special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act may contact 314-644-9039

An Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer

Request for Qualifications for Environmental Engineering Services

St. Louis City, Missouri

Issued April 13, 2023

Responses due May 10, 2023

St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) is seeking Statements of Qualifications from environmental engineering firms for the purpose of establishing a “short list” of firms from which SLDC and its affiliated agencies and authorities may secure environmental engineering services. The services could include, but are not limited to, Environmental Site Assessments, remediation oversight, bid specification, and regulatory reporting.

Responses will be received at 1520 Market Street Suite 2000 St. Louis, Missouri 63103 (Attention Peter Phillips), until 5:00 PM on Wednesday May 10, 2023.

The Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) allocated to SLDC, passed through the St. Louis City Community Development Administration, may provide funding for certain projects. SLDC is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity.

The full invitation and all other documents may be downloaded at: https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/ procurement.cfm

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for the Baxter Road (South) ARS Resurfacing project, St. Louis County Project No. AR-1555, Federal Project No. STP-5548(606), will be received electronically thru the County’s Vendor Self Service portal at https://stlouiscountymovendors. munisselfservice.com/Vendors/ default.aspx, until 2:00 PM on May 24, 2023

Plans and specifications will be available on April 10, 2023 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouiscountymo.gov) or by contacting Cross Rhodes Print & Technologies, 2731 South Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63118 (314) 678-0087.

DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ST. LOUIS, COUNTY

SEALED BIDS

Bids for High Voltage Electrical Services – Missouri State Fairgrounds / Statewide, Project No. IDIQMCA-3007, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 5/2/2023 via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered to bid. Project information available at: oa.mo.gov/ facilities

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Construct Six New Cabins at Echo Bluff State Park, Project No. X2208-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, May 11, 2023, via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered to bid. Project information available at: oa.mo.gov/ facilities

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Replace Fluid Cooler, Wheeler Hall & Administration Building, Project No. E2304-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, May 11, 2023. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

WILDCARE PARK TREE MAINTENANCE RFP 2023

The Saint Louis Zoo seeks bids from qualified firms to submit proposals for WildCare Park Tree Maintenance RFP 2023. Bid documents are available as of 4/5/23 on the Saint Louis Zoo website: stlzoo.org/vendor.

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE:

Advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, imitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial\ status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.

“We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.” Call Angelita Houston at 314-289-5430 or email ahouston@stlamerican.com to place your ads today!

Date of Publication: 4/13/2023

City of St. Louis: Community Development Administration (CDA) 1520 Market Street St. Louis, Missouri 63103 314-657-3700 / 314-589-6000 (TDD)

These notices shall satisfy two separate but related procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by the City of St. Louis (“The City.”)

REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS

On or after 5/2/2023, the City will submit a request to the U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) for the release of the following Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, under the City’s Federal CDBG Program funds under Title II of the National Affordable Housing Act of 1990, as amended, to undertake the following project:

Project Title: Tabernacle-Hebert (a.k.a. The Village)

Purpose: New construction of five (5) detached, single-family homes on vacant lots in the JeffVanderLou neighborhood, four (4) of which will be 1,486 sq. ft., three (3) bedroom and three (3) bathroom residences, and one unit will be ADA-complaint and contain 1,898 sq. ft., four (4) bedrooms, and three (3) bathrooms.

Location: 3724 Hebert St., 3728 Hebert, 3730 Hebert, 3734 Hebert, and 3736 Hebert, St. Louis, Missouri 63107

Estimated Cost: Total development cost of this project is approximately $1,548,712 with $995,000.00 of funding coming from St. Louis City’s Year 2021 Federal CDBG Program Funds, Grant # B-21-MC-29-0006, awarded in the Spring 2021 NOFA.

FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT

The City has determined that the project will have no significant impact on the human environment. Certain conditions will apply to this project. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not required. Additional information for each project is contained in the Environmental Review Record (ERR) on file at the City CDA, at the above address, where the ERR is available for review and may be examined or copied weekdays, 8 A.M. to 4 P.M.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to Trey McCarter, Community Development Planner II, CDA, at the address listed above. All comments received by 5/1/2023 will be considered by the City prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds. Comments should specify which notice they are addressing.

RELEASE OF FUNDS

The City certifies to HUD that, Nahuel Fefer, in his capacity as Executive Director, consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the City to use the City’s above-referenced HUD program funds.

OBJECTION TO RELEASE OF FUNDS

HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the City’s certification for a period of 15 days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the City; b) the City has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR Part 58; c) the grant recipient has committed funds or incurred costs not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of the release of funds by HUD; or d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58.76) and shall be addressed to HUD-CPD Attention Dominique Waters, Program Manager, HUD, 1222 Spruce Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, (314) 418-5405, cpd_generalcorr-stl@hud.gov. Potential objectors should contact HUD to verify the actual last day of the objection period.

Nahuel Fefer Certifying Officer

Great Rivers Greenway is seeking bids for Light Lantern Panels installation. Go to www.greatriversgreenway.org/jobs-bids to apply by May 2, 2023.

Intersection

Continued from C1

Fatigue with fellow festival act Ravyn Lenae. Winbush, one of the most recognized hitmakers in the 1980s grew up singing in her St. Louis church and graduated from Northwest High School. Trumpeter Keyon Harrold is from Ferguson.

Other artists from sister cities on the other side of the river share similar music and cultural influences including New Orleans band Tank and the Bangas.

Additional national acts with St. Louis connections include Herbie Hancock, who was part of the Miles Davis Quintet, which helped redefine jazz music.

The festival will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with performances from Grandmaster Flash, Cameo, and Arrested Development.

Modern-day artists including Masego, Phony Ppl, and Thundercat will also grace the festival stages.

The festival’s DJ

Village has grown featuring national and St. Louis connected DJs and MCs

The Washington Avenue Stage and Field Stage will feature internationally notable DJs, spinning jazz, blues, soul and funk tracks.

Tickets go on sale at MetroTix on Friday, April 14, at 10 a.m., and limited quantity prices start at $149 for all-weekend access or $79 for a day pass. GA+ and VIP options are also available.

The full artist lineup is as follows, with times and stages to be announced.

Saturday, September 9 will feature Smino, Masego, Snarky Puppy, Cameo, Angela Winbush, Arrested Development, Ravyn Lenae, Peter Martin ft. Dianne Reeves, Nate Smith ft. Jason Lindner and Tim Lefebvre, Keyon Harrold with Pharoahe Monch and Stout, Phony Ppl, The Suffers, Denise Thimes, Earthworms, Mai Lee, Sir Eddie C, Jazz St. Louis Celebrates Willie Akins, St. Louis Blues & Soul Showcase ft. Boo Boo Davis, Renee Smith and Big Mike Aguirre, DJ Alexis Tucci and the House of Tucci, Sage ft. Agile One, DJ Nico Marie

and Makeda Kravitz, Umami, Mark Lewis, Lusid, Eric Donte and the Maxi Glamour Experience, and Mo Egeston All-Stars.

Sunday, September 10 will feature Herbie Hancock, Thundercat, The Fearless Flyers, Taj Mahal, Tank and the Bangas, Grandmaster Flash, The Teskey Brothers, Andy Frasco & The U.N., Samantha Fish, The Bad Plus, Say She She, Marquise Knox Band ft. Funky Butt Horns, The Mighty Pines, The Shedrick Mitchell Collective ft. Christie Dashiell, Blvck Spvde & The Cosmos, Kendrick Smith Quartet, Root Mod, DJ P, DJ Nune is Lamar Harris, Biko, Paige Alyssa, and St. Louis Music Box with Janet Evra, Anita Jackson, Will Buchanan, Andrew Stephen, Dusty Carlson, Duane “Jingo” Williams and Tim Moore.

Starting on Friday, April 14, at 10 a.m., all tickets can be purchased at www.musicattheintersection.org/tickets or directly at www.MetroTix. com (or by phone at 314534-1111). For more information visit www. MusicattheIntersection. org.

Bach’s St. Matthew Passion

Saturday, April 29, 2023 | 2 pm at Pillsbury Chapel, Missouri Baptist University

As the final performance of the season, The Bach Society Chorus and Orchestra invite you to experience the power and intimacy of this masterpiece through Bach’s engaging account of the gospel story.

TICKETS START AT $25

Film

Continued from C1

only gets $2.5K. Behind the scenes at the National Basketball Association, owners debate Black players integrating the NBA.

The Association’s president, Maurice Podoloff (Richard Dreyfuss, Jaws), is skeptical until he isn’t: “Change is happening, but I don’t know if my city can take it.” A lot is riding on Sweetwater’s NBA debut. The rest is history.

Beginning scenes depict the film’s only imaginative moments. A sportswriter (Jim Caviezal) rides in a cab in Chicago and engages in conversation with the elderly driver, who recounts his glory days in the NBA. It’s Sweetwater. That’s what happened to the champ who led the Knicks to the NBA finals and was on the 1957 NBA All-Star Team. No pension. No plush retirement. Driving a taxi to make a living. The former pro baller’s poignant recollections anchor the film. It’s a nice touch.

The script by writer/ director Martin Guigui truncates Sweetwater’s life. Very little of his preor post- basketball career is depicted. The dehumanizing experiences an all-Black basketball team faces touring America in the height of segregation are on view, but seem generic. Turned away from hotels, harassed in white restaurants. It’s all there, but surface deep. The Globetrotters aren’t written as three-dimensional characters. Their banter seems stilted. Not like the conversations and language one would expect from urban Black athletes who work and live together like family. The script does a slightly better job depicting the back-room

behavior and talking points of the NBA board and its prejudices.

Guigui’s direction is proficient, nothing more. Not artful, innovative or capable of creating that exhilarating spirit sport movies require. The footage lacks umph. Scenes seem staged, not organic and the camerawork (Massimo Zeri), particularly during the basketball games, is never immersive. If Michael B. Jordan could reimagine the way boxing matches are shot in Creed III, this film could have done the same for basketball.

Hallways leading from NBA courts look like they were shot in office building basements (production design Jack G. Taylor Jr., Mystic River). Clothes look appropriate, but not impressive (Tiffany Hasbourne, Hustle). The standard-issue musical score (Jeff Cardoni and Guigui) and the film’s low budget contribute to an old-fashion, lackluster made-for-TV-movie feel

that seems dated. In real life, Sweetwater was 6’8”. Everett Osborne, a former pro ball player in Australia, is 6’4”—almost that tall and he knows the game. His acting skills are decent, but not on par with that of Boseman in 42 or Jordan in Creed—they powered their movies to success. A different type of directing might have pulled a more galvanizing performance out of Osborne. Piven, Dreyfuss, Pollak and Elwes, all acting pros, are more convincing, but even they seem out of sorts. Like they’re performing without a net.

The Michael Jordan-based movie Air has very little footage of live basketball games yet found a way to get its audiences pumped up. This movie had far more potential for exciting movie fans but doesn’t.

Sweetwater can’t find the net. Like Shaq’s foul shots. Sorry Shaq. Sweetwater is in select theaters now.

Continued from C1

35th birthday party. She discovers not long after how intense being single, married, and alive in the 21st-century can be. The production runs Feb. 27March 10, 2024.

Moulin Rouge! is a story of glitz and glamor with everything grand and over-the-top, it’s a musical extravaganza. The production runs April 30-May 12, 2024.

MJ, the biography of the late Michael Jackson,undoubtedly the greatest entertainer of all time premieres May 28-June 9, 2024.

‘Twas The Night Before, Cirque du Soleil’s first Christmas show is based on the poem “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore. The show runs Nov. 29Dec. 10, 2023.

Come From Away takes the stage Nov. 3-5, 2023;

Aladdin takes the stage Dec. 12-17, 2023; Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer flies into St. Louis Dec. 23, 2023 for three performances only.

Jagged Little Pill, based on Alanis Morissette’s music, takes the stage Jan. 18-21, 2024; Mamma Mia! takes a trip down memory lane Feb. 13-18, 2024, and The Book of Mormon plays at The Fox April 9-14, 2024.

The Fox vice president of programming, John O’Brien, said he is excited about the mix of seasons this season, which “brings a little bit of everything with elements of each production.”

The upcoming season’s productions were selected after O’Brien viewed shows in New York and decided what they “feel will work best for St. Louis.”

“It is a highly collaborative process, working internally to create the season while working with agents and producers in New York to find dates

that work and bring the shows to St. Louis,” he said.

O’Brien elaborated and said the theater’s hope is “always to bring the best of Broadway and to give St. Louis a great mix of titles.”

“We want to make sure we have a variety of shows so there is something for everyone,” he said. “We are so excited about this season because it really is a mix of everything: family titles, blockbusters, beloved music catalogs, classic musicals, St. Louis favorites, and more.”

He hopes the audience feels joy, connection, excitement, amazement, inspiration, and so much more this season.

“We love sharing Broadway and the Fabulous Fox itself with St. Louis, so we always want our guests to walk away with fabulous memories,” he said.

For more information, visit FabulousFox.com.

Photo courtesy of Sunset Pictures Everett Osborne as “Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton in the film Sweetwater.