April 21st, 2016 Edition

Kander hopes to unseat

WUSTL recognizes ‘Trailblazers’

Salute to Health

Seven stellar awardees

American staff

The St. Louis American Foundation is honoring seven outstanding professionals in the health care field as Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awardees on Friday, April 29 at the Frontenac Hilton.

Anthony Bass

For the past seven years, Anthony Bass has served as a medical social worker at SSM DePaul Health Center in Bridgeton. He also maintains a private practice counseling individuals and families, with more than 20 years of experience working in social work and mental health.

Bass volunteers with a number of community organizations, including the St. Louis Minority Health Coalition, the Self-Help Center, the 27th Ward Infant Mortality Group, as well as St. Louis County Probation and Parole. For the past six years, Bass has served on the boards of the state and local chapters of the Missouri Association of Social Welfare.

Misty Collier Farr

Pharmacist Dr. Misty Collier Farr is a

See SALUTE, A6

Vice provost reports on inclusion progress at inaugural recognition event

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

n “Washington University empowered me in ways I didn’t know I needed.”

– Brittany N. Packnett

Adrienne D. Davis, vice provost and endowed professor of law at Washington University, seized its inaugural Trailblazers Recognition Ceremony on Friday, April 15 as an opportunity to report on the university’s progress on matters of diversity and inclusion. Over the last three years, the university’s senior leadership team – administrators with a chancellor or provost title – went up from four to 11 African Americans. The University Council, which is the senior administration, went from 23 women to a slight majority of women. With newly recruited hires, its percentage of black faculty

See WUSTL, A7

Students

Ferguson consent decree approved by judge

Ferguson

By Mariah Stewart and Ryan J. Reilly Of Huffington Post

Students who reported racist SLU incident feel ignored

‘I’m just tired of seeing people get away with racism’

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

n “It’s largely a university problem, and it speaks to this idea that we admit a certain type of student that feels comfortable speaking like this.”

– Stefan Bradley, SLU professor

The two Saint Louis University students who brought to light some SLU baseball players’ racial slurs met with university president Fred Pestello on Tuesday, April 19.

“It’s wasn’t the meeting we were hoping for,” said Dominique Morgan, the African-American SLU freshman who filed the bias incident report against the players. “We were hoping to talk about the investigation. They were set on talking about restorative justice, which sounds more like a negotiation. We are not too optimistic.”

On April 4, Morgan filed the complaint after seeing a screenshot of a private messaging group conversation among SLU baseball pitchers, where one player called President Obama a “f—ing watermelon eatin baboon” during the team’s trip to Washington D.C. in May 2015. Her boyfriend, SLU senior Brenden Twomey, was the baseball team’s manager from spring 2014 to early 2015. In March this year, Twomey, who is African-American, showed her the screenshot of the conversation while they were flipping through old pictures on his phone. Since filing the report, the two students have faced retaliation at Twomey’s home and now

Photo by Kevin Lowder/WUSTL

Inaugural Washington University Trailblazers Cynthia L. Cosby and Brittany N. Packnett connected at the inaugural recognition ceremony held on the Danforth Campus on Friday, April 15.

Washington University students Leora Spipper, Danielle Blocker and Christian Ralph, a member of the Student Worker Alliance, celebrated with about 200 students, faculty and staff on Thursday, April 14 after a bargaining unit of adjunct faculty reached a tentative agreement with the university.

Photo by Wiley Price

Nicki Minaj’s brother indicted on sexual assault charges

Last year Nicki Minaj’s older brother, Jelani Maraj, was accused of repeated sexual assault against a minor.

According to Bossip.com, Maraj was indicted this week after the grand jury deliberated over evidence for nearly a month.

Maraj is charged with felony predatory sexual assault against a child, felony sexual conduct against a child under age 13, sexual conduct against a child and endangering the welfare of a child. If convicted Jelani is facing 15 years to life.

Leon speaks on Peter and Cynthia’s marriage problems

Housewives of Atlanta” star Cynthia Bailey. Cynthia’s ex, actor Leon, opens up about the ordeal in an interview with Rolling Out Magazine

“When people get married, I think they are taking vows to at the very least try their hardest because things are not going to be easy. There will be times when you are unhappy and you are going to have to work through it.There comes a point when it just doesn’t work out or people drift apart. It appears some of that is going on with [Cynthia] and Peter right now. I can’t imagine on Peter’s end that it is pleasant or he is going through a good time. And I know for sure Cynthia is not.”

Over the past few weeks there have rumors that business man Peter Thomas was desperately trying to save his marriage to “Real

is because, “They just wanted to get away and do it small and simple without making a fuss.”

Meanwhile, the couple confirmed the wedding reports on Instagram.

“We’re married! God is so good.

To all who have extended congrats and well wishes, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Love, Mr. & Mrs. Byers,” Gealey said.

Chris Brown contemplated suicide after Rihanna assault

‘Empire’ co-stars Trai Byers and Grace Gealey tie the knot

Over the weekend, there were reports that Empire co-stars Grace Gealey and Trai Byers had quietly tied the knot without any of their Empire cast mates nor Empire co-creator Lee Daniels in attendance.

Though there were rumors of discord between Byers and Daniels on the set earlier this year, insiders claim that has nothing to do with why everyone connected to “Empire” was left off the guest list. Sources told US Weekly that the reason why no one from Empire was invited to the wedding

It’s been years since he assaulted Rihanna, but Chris Brown is speaking out on it. The singer tweeted the trailer to the forthcoming documentary “Welcome to my Life: The Official Chris Brown Documentary” late Sunday. In it, he speaks about assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009 and the aftermath.

“I went from being on top of the world, No. 1 songs, being kind of like America’s sweetheart to being Public Enemy No. 1,” Brown says in the trailer.

else,” he said. “I wasn’t sleeping, I barely ate. I just was getting high.”

A release date for the documentary has not yet been announced.

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend welcome baby Luna

Singer John Legend and his wife, model Chrissy Teigen, announced over the weekend that their daughter had arrived. Teigen posted a picture of the baby’s weight (6 lbs. 11 ounces) on Instagram, along with the caption: “She’s here! Luna Simone Stephens, we are so in love with you! And sleepy. Very sleepy.”

Chrissy Tiegen

The award-winning R&B singer pleaded guilty in 2009 to assaulting Rihanna on the night of the Grammys. The resulting fallout left Brown devastated, he says in the trailer.

“I was thinking about suicide and everything

Proud papa Legend tweeted that Luna was born on April 14 and Teigen tweeted jokingly that “to everyone asking, John is healing perfectly.”

The couple, who married in 2013, had been open about their fertility struggles. In 2015, Teigen discussed it on her now defunct talk show with Tyra Banks, “FABLife.”

“I would say, honestly, John and I were having trouble,” she said on the show. “We would have had kids five, six years ago if it had happened, but my gosh, it’s been a process.”

Sources: CNN.com, Bossip.com, RollingOut. com, USWeekly.com, Instagram.com

From college student to college adviser

College Advising Corps puts Washington University grads into St. Louis schools

By Diane Toroian Keaggy Of Washington University

Vashon High School in St. Louis sends only 38 percent of its graduates to college. But, on this day, College Advising Corps adviser and Washington University in St. Louis graduate Erin Waddles is making sure every senior submits federal financial aid forms.

“So many of these students have been told, ‘You can’t go to college –it’s too expensive,’ ” Waddles said. “That is just not true.”

As Waddles makes her way from computer to computer, one student raises his hand and tells Waddles he doesn’t want go to college.

“Do I still have to fill this out?” he asked. “I’m sick of school.”

“Yes, you do,” she answered.

“You may change your mind.”

The student shakes his head but does as asked.

“The truth is that he’s really smart,” Waddles whispered. “I’m still working on him.”

This is the first year Washington University has hired its graduates to serve College Advising Corps, a national organization that puts advisers in high schools that serve low-income students. In addition to Vashon, advisers also work in Clyde C. Miller Career Academy and Sumner High School in St. Louis Public Schools; Hazelwood East High School; and University City High School. The advisers work full time on-site, helping students find the right school, navigate the application process and prep for the ACT.

Leah Merrifield, vice chancellor for community engagement and St. Louis college readiness initiatives, said many high schools lack the resources to provide comprehensive college counseling. The national

student-to-counselor ratio is 500-to-1.

“There is a real need out there,”

Merrifield said. “So we went to schools and said, ‘Is there a way we can help you? Would having a fulltime adviser, someone who has been trained and can work one-on-one with your students, make a difference in your school?’ And what we are hearing today is that these advisers are making a positive impact. They’re getting students to apply, to make college visits, to fill out that FAFSA.”

Waddles is paid by Washington University, but considers herself part of the Vashon team. She attends staff meetings and professional development workshops and works closely with the school’s three guidance counselors. Vashon counselor Norma Burnett calls her an “invaluable addition.”

“Students will say, ‘I want to go to this college.’ And I can say, ‘Miss Waddles can help,’ ” Burnett said. “That means I can focus on a child who may be having more serious, pressing problems. We really work as a team.”

Waddles has gained the respect of students as well. Before lunch, senior Davion Stockard drops by Waddles’

office to say hello. The previous Sunday, Stockard and his mother met Waddles at the school to complete his FAFSA.

“I grew up knowing that I would go to college, but I didn’t know where

n “There are a lot of students here who persevere no matter what they face. We have some students who are homeless. We have students who work two jobs.”

– Erin Waddles

to start,” said Stockard, captain of the football team and an aspiring computer scientist.

First, Waddles analyzed Stockard’s GPA and ACT score and found schools that stacked up academically. Then, Waddles and Stockton discussed

Erin Waddles (left), a member of the Washington University College Advising Corps, works with students at Vashon High School in St. Louis.

Apply to CAC

Washington University’s College Advising Corps is accepting applications now for college advisers from the Class of 2016, or from graduates of 2014 or 2015. Ideal candidates will have experience working with young people and diverse populations, and have a desire to serve the community. Training is provided. For more information, contact Angela Brooks at brooksa@ wustl.edu.

what sort of school matched his personality and priorities. Did he want to attend a small college or a large university? Did he want to be close to home or explore a new part of the country? What about the school’s demographics, co-curriculars and support programs?

After considering the options, Stockard chose Washburn University, a small university in Topeka, Kansas.

“I had never thought about a lot of this until Miss Waddles worked with me,” Stockard said. “Going to college is a nervous step for many of us. We want to go but we don’t know what to expect.”

As a “near-peer,” Waddles can tell students what college is really like. Still, she acknowledges her journey to college was vastly different than that of her students.

Waddles’ parents, both collegeeducated, encouraged her to apply to the best schools and Waddles kept an Excel spreadsheet ranking schools such as Harvard, Yale and Washington University.

In contrast, Marniece Doss has been told to not bother applying to selective colleges. She is a straight-A student.

“They say, ‘Kids who live here

don’t go to schools like that,’” said Doss, who has applied to 15 schools, including Washington University. “Miss Waddles isn’t one of those people. She has supported me.”

Waddles said she is inspired by students like Doss.

“There are a lot of students here who persevere no matter what they face,” Waddles said. “We have some students who are homeless. We have students who can’t stay after school for ACT test prep because they work two jobs.”

Angela Brooks, director of the College Advising Corps at Washington University, said the corps can’t solve all the complex problems facing many of the students. Still, it is a powerful tool. Next year, the program will expand to eight schools in the St. Louis area.

“I have observed our advisers in action, and it is wonderful to see how they have helped guide high school students onto the path to college,” Brooks said. “The college application process can intimidate anyone, but these advisers are providing expertise and, more importantly, offering support to students who need it most.”

Photo by James Byard / Washington University

Editorial /CommEntary

Nixon must help clean up Pruitt-Igoe

Everyone in St. Louis with any serious interest in the region knows by now that the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has chosen a site in North St. Louis for its new Western Headquarters. Every official in the region, and many in the state, have celebrated a major economic development victory that promises to change the narrative of the North Side from blight and disinvestment to revitalized infrastructure, high-tech jobs and collateral benefits for the entire city.

What not enough people appreciate is that this victory is not final. The NGA is hosting a public comment period through May 2, and anyone reading the Belleville News-Democrat’s frequently hysterical coverage of NGA West knows that the North St. Louis site has a major issue that still needs to be addressed. The NewsDemocrat is advocating, understandably enough, for the NGA West site in its coverage area in St. Clair County. And its editorial board knows that the NGA selected instead a site adjacent to the now-razed Pruitt-Igoe public housing complex, which has some major environmental issues: asbestos and – reportedly – radiation from covert U.S. Army experiments in tracking a radioactive plume.

The Pruitt-Igoe footprint was included in the original proposal to the NGA submitted by developers Paul McKee Jr. of NorthSide Regeneration, who controls the site, and Bob Clark of ClayCo. In the end, the NGA drew the Pruitt-Igoe ground out of the site where it proposes to build its new Western Headquarters.

The News-Democrat surmises that the NGA excluded this ground because of its toxic pollution, but that misses a crucial point that regional and state leaders need to keep in mind: NGA’s commitment to North St. Louis is contingent upon a cleared and clean site. To our mind, this would require that the Pruitt-Igoe site across the street from NGA West first be cleared and remediated. To accomplish that, an estimated $17 million in Brownfield Remediation Tax Credits are needed from the State of Missouri.

We can imagine the public outcry at the thought of McKee receiving more public subsidy for his investments in North St. Louis. But anyone who controlled this land would seek to secure these credits, which are intended, according to the Missouri Department of Economic Development, to provide “financial incentives for the redevelopment of commercial/ industrial sites that are contaminated with hazardous substances and have been abandoned or underutilized for at least three years.” This contaminated site has been abandoned and underutilized for 40 years. This type of project is precisely why this state program exists.

The authority to issue Brownfield Remediation Tax Credits ultimately rests in Gov. Jay Nixon. Nixon has some personal reasons to avoid helping McKee, who has invested in

Republican candidates who opposed Nixon for governor. Also, Nixon would hear from the noisy contingent that opposes every move McKee makes and, in particular, every dime of public subsidy he receives. But let’s be clear: as U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay has been nearly alone in saying, the City of St. Louis would not have had a candidate site for NGA West had McKee not assembled hundreds of tiny parcels in North St. Louis. McKee recouped much of his investment in North City via the land assembly tax credit that the Republican-dominated state Legislature passed and that was signed by a Republican governor, Matt Blunt. The NGA West in North St. Louis will be a bi-partisan success story, if the deal is closed, and McKee’s role will have been essential, whatever one makes of his motives or methods.

Gov. Nixon is still smarting from his job performance in Ferguson. He has been making a number of moves at the end of his term-limited tenure as governor that suggests he is trying to burnish his tarnished legacy in the black community. Here is the greatest opportunity he will ever have. He can be the governor who green-lights the tax credits that enable the cleanup of Pruitt-Igoe and the final closing on the deal that will make a new day for North St. Louis. Gov. Nixon should direct the Department of Economic Development to approve Brownfield Remediation Tax Credits for the former Pruitt-Igoe site - immediately. We would love to be there to celebrate with him on that troubled ground the day he makes this historic announcement.

Don’t expect less of low-income students and their families

By Esther J. Cepeda Guest columnist

We’ve heard for years that when it comes to African Americans, Hispanics and lowincome minority communities in general, expectations for academic achievement are low. Indeed, the Center for American Progress found in 2014 that 10th-grade teachers thought that African-American students were 47 percent, and Hispanic students were 42 percent, less likely to graduate college than white students. But parents and families of these students disagree. They want public schools to be rigorous and to set high expectations for their children. According to a new nationwide survey conducted by the Leadership Conference Education Fund on the attitudes and aspirations of AfricanAmerican and Hispanic parents – who were interviewed in person and via landline and cellphone, in both English and Spanish – one-third of African Americans and a quarter of Latinos do not believe that the nation’s schools are really trying to educate low-income students in their communities. This belief goes hand in hand with these parents’ certainty that their students should be challenged more in school than they currently are to help ensure they are successful later in life. This could be a potentially groundbreaking insight if we can get it into the heads of teachers. You see, educators insist

they have a particularly difficult time teaching lowincome and minority students because these kids tend to show up in classrooms lacking the fundamentals of a stable home – reliable schedules, quiet places to study, nutritious meals, enough sleep, the ability to control impulses – that set them up for success in the classroom

According to Wade Henderson, the Education Fund’s president, not only are minority parents highly interested in their children’s education, they are “a sophisticated group of respondents who are savvy consumers of public education, want more funding for schools and more rigor for their kids.” Interestingly, though one might have expected such a survey to confirm that AfricanAmerican and Hispanic parents prioritize racial issues at school, the parents who responded actually listed good teachers as the No. 1 important quality, by far, of a great school. Good core curricula and parental involvement rounded out the top three. Not to say that diversity is completely unimportant to these families – it is in the eighth spot on a list of nine factors for ensuring great schools –but it certainly takes a back

The fight against voter suppression

By Marc H. Morial Guest columnist

“No right is more precious in a free country than that of having a voice in the election of those who make the laws under which, as good citizens, we must live. Other rights, even the most basic, are illusory if the right to vote is undermined.” – The Supreme Court of the United States, Wesberry v. Sanders, 1964

In 2013, the Supreme Court stripped the Voting Rights Act of its power to stop states from creating and enforcing laws that would prevent eligible voters from exercising their constitutional right to vote. Under the dark shadow of the newly crippled law, our nation celebrated the 50th year anniversary of the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 2015.

In 2016, our nation will observe its first presidential election since the court effectively paved the way for states to usher in new, legal obstacles to the polls that would largely affect lowincome people, the elderly, people with disabilities, students and communities of color.

Preclearance-which laid at the very heart of the VRArequired states with a history of discriminatory, race-based voter suppression to have any amendments in their voting

laws “precleared” by the Justice Department. The Supreme Court, in all its wisdom, decided the preclearance provision was the stuff of a bygone era of racial injustice in American history. The court could not have been more flawed in its thinking. Since then, states have been hard at work introducing and passing countless laws that do what the VRA was created to stop: the calculated denial of the vote to targeted classes of Americans.

It is true that the days of poll taxes, literacy tests and grandfather clauses exist in the pages of our history books. The old strategy of voter suppression is not sitting somewhere collecting dust on a shelf.

Voter suppression is alive and well and dressed in a new suit of modern tactics, with states passing laws strict voter ID laws, cutting back on early voting, denying ex-felons the right to vote and even closing polling places in communities of color.

In all, 22 states have new restrictive voting requirements in effect since the 2010 midterm election, according to the Brennan Center

Letters to the editor

Rev. Rice and the city

Contributors to the New Life Evangelistic Center (NLEC) recently received a fundraising letter from NLEC’s founder, Reverend Larry Rice. Reverend Rice advised therein that the NLEC was in dire need of revenue in the amount of $555,400 dollars in order to do repairs and updates to his ministry’s aging building at 1411 Locust St. in St. Louis City. The money is needed to meet a “long list of requirements” imposed on the center by St. Louis city building inspectors. Failure to raise the needed money will ultimately result in the closure of the Midwest’s premier 24/7 service center for the homeless and hurting, military veterans included.

seat to the same qualities that white parents expect from their schools: adequate funding, low class size and high standards.

A full 90 percent of both African-American and Latino parents said that they believe expectations for low-income students should be either the same or higher than those of other students.

And both minority groups take personal responsibility quite seriously, saying that when low-income students succeed, it is mostly because of the support they receive at home. Their student’s own hard work is seen as the next biggest reason, while few parents cited schools as the driving factor in a low-income student’s success.

This is, potentially, a revelation for school systems, administrators and teachers who have for years equated poor educational outcomes for students with a lax attitude at home about academic potential.

If the results of this survey truly reflect the mindset of minority parents, then it bodes well for schools to partner with them. After all, education leaders are always talking about how crucial parents are to the task of catalyzing changes necessary to ensure low-income community schools meet their academic potential.

At a bare minimum, these findings should provide education policymakers a new lens through which to view low-income and minority students: Don’t underestimate them – and don’t expect less of their parents and families, either.

Reverend Rice is unfortunately not the megawealthy owner of a professional sports team, nor is he among the ranks of St. Louis’ financial power brokers or the socially elite. He and his NLEC staff just help people who need help. No fanfare, no financial reward. Without donations from caring people, Rev. Rice will be forced to close the doors of his downtown ministry, but the need for NLEC services will remain.

Michael K. Broughton Green Park

Congress must pass pay equity

It is imperative that Congress takes action on pay equity. In 1960, women made just 59 cents per every dollar that men made. This number has since risen to 79 cents, but the disparity is even higher for African American women who make only 60 cents for every dollar earned by white, nonHispanic men. If we continue at this rate, women would not see pay equity until 2058. We have made progress, but it is time that we make solutions.

The gender-based wage gap stubbornly remains despite the passage of the Equal Pay Act in 1963 and a variety of legislation prohibiting employment discrimination. That is why members of the Congressional Black Caucus have joined House Democrats in cosponsoring the Paycheck Fairness Act to

for Justice. That sobering number represents nearly half our nation’s states. It also represents hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions, of eligible voters being denied their protected right to a vote. We cannot allow political parties to hijack elections for short-term political gain while they undermine a basic pillar of our democracy in the longterm. We need action, and we need action from our elected officials.

When the Supreme Court stripped the preclearance provision from the VRA, it challenged Congress to create new legislation-an updated set of protections that would help guarantee our right to vote and repair much of the damage caused by the Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling. The National Urban League will continue to work in coalition with the civil rights community and press members of Congress to restore the VRA. If we don’t stand for everyone’s right to vote-we stand to lose it and lose what makes living in this country special, and in many cases, unique. Millions of Americans should never have to fear barriers at the ballot box. Let’s #RestoretheVRA.

Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, is president and CEO of the National Urban League.

protect pay equality and fair labor standards. Republicans have blocked this bill nine times from being voted on by the entire House, thereby denying women the tools they need to fight back against pay discrimination.

As members of Congress, it is our responsibility to ensure we raise awareness of the need for equal pay, because when women succeed, America succeeds.

U.S. Rep. G. K. Butterfield, chairman Congressional Black Caucus

We can prevent rape

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). This year’s campaign focuses on ways that individuals, communities, and the private sector can help prevent sexual violence. 1 in 5 women and 1 in 33 men are victims of sexual assault, but all of us are impacted by sexual violence.

Everyone understands that sexual violence impacts victims and their families, but the effects of this violent crime on communities and society are less obvious. Sexual violence creates a climate of fear, anger, and/or disbelief in the workplaces, campuses and communities that it occurs in. Additionally, sexual violence generates criminal justice, medical, and crisis and mental health service expenses. Perhaps most damaging are the lost contributions of survivors. Preventing such a far-reaching and prevalent social issue as sexual violence may seem overwhelming or even impossible. The mentality that implies there isn’t a solution –or if there is, we can’t achieve it. But we can and we are. There are many practical steps that are currently being taken in our homes, neighborhoods, schools, faith communities and workplaces. But there are many more things we can do to promote safety, respect, and accountability. Prevention starts with challenging victim-blaming and believing survivors when they disclose. Individuals can model supportive relationships and behaviors, call out harmful attitudes and challenge the societal acceptance of rape. Communities and businesses can take action to implement policies that promote safety,

respect, and equality. You can learn more at www.nsvrc.org/ saam.

Natalie Halverson St. Louis

Guest Columnist Esther J. Cepeda

Guest Columnist Marc Morial

Pruitt-Igoe, before it was razed in 1976.

Ameren equips Vashon

Ameren donated eight computers, in addition to many other school items, to Vashon High School to outfit its self-contained special education class with access to technology. Front, Dozie Spearman assists Darrell Quinn and Ryan Robinson. Back: Terrell Mobley assists Jaylin Quinn and Devontay Hughes.

‘Say Their Name’ balloon release and BBQ

The community group Safely Transforming Our People will host a “Say Their Name” white balloon release for families who have lost a loved one at Fairground Park, near Natural Bridge and Vandeventer, on Saturday, April 30. The event will last 1-4 p.m. and include free barbecue and drinks. “Please join us by wearing all white and bring or wear a picture of your loves ones,” organizers request. “We will release white balloons into white clouds in remembrance of our dear loved ones.”

Scholarships for communications students

The Press Club of Metropolitan St. Louis and the Journalism Foundation are accepting applications for scholarships and internships through May 13. Scholarships range in value from $1,000 to $5,000. Students pursuing degrees in English, journalism or any media communicationrelated field are eligible. Recipients are chosen on the basis of aptitude and interest in pursuing a career in some aspect of communication. Academic achievement and financial need are also important factors in the final selection process. For more information, email info@stlpressclub.org, call 314-449-8029 or go to the Internship/Scholarship link at www.stlpressclub.org

Immigrant agencies merge

Center for Survivors of Torture and War Trauma and Bilingual International Assistant Services have merged. Since the early 2000s, these non-profit agencies have worked closely to help and heal immigrants and refugees in the St. Louis area and to offer them assistance. Bilingual International Assistant Services will continue operations and management of the agency’s wellness, mental health and social service programs for foreign-born consumers, plus professional interpretation and translation services. The Center for Survivors of Torture and War Trauma programs will continue to be run under the name “The Center for Survivors.” Facilities will continue to operate largely as they have. For more information, call Jason Baker at 314-6457800 or visit www.bilingualstl.org

Breaking down racial hierarchy

By Gail C. Christopher Guest columnist

Fifty years ago, the Civil Rights Movement led to a series of laws banning public discrimination. African Americans were no longer barred from certain restaurants, some schools were integrated, and fair housing laws created more living options. But today, it’s clear that court rulings and legislation didn’t change the root cause of conscious and unconscious bias – the widespread belief in racial hierarchy still exists.

This bias manifests in many ways. Unarmed men and women are killed by police and civilians, the justice system seems tilted toward whites, and there remains unequal treatment for children and adults when it comes to health, education, housing and employment. David R. Williams, a sociology professor at Harvard University, cites studies showing that when whites, blacks and Hispanics visited hospital emergency rooms with the same ailment, white patients received pain medication more frequently than people of color.

whites, up from just 39 percent a year earlier.

Those findings underscore that now is the time for the Truth Racial Healing & Transformation process, which the Kellogg Foundation launched on January 28. More than 70 diverse organizations and individuals ranging from the National Civic League to the YWCA USA to the NAACP are partners in the process. This broad coalition seeks to move the nation beyond dialogues about race and ethnicity to unearthing historic and contemporary patterns that are barriers to success, healing those wounds and creating opportunities for all children.

Gail C. Christopher

Specifically, the process will prioritize inclusive, communitybased healing activities and policy design that seek to change collective community narratives and broaden the understanding that Americans have for their diverse experiences. We will assemble national and local commissions that will hold public forums on the consequences of racial inequity and work toward mobilizing systems and structures to create more equitable opportunities. In the forums, we will also discuss racial hierarchy and how best to dismantle it.

With advancements in neuroscience, we now know much more about the power of the mind. We understand that unconscious beliefs are deeply held, that centuries of this belief system have unconsciously shaped how some of us respond. But now, 21st century technology – YouTube, cell phones, dashboard cameras, body cameras – are leveraged to shape new beliefs about our humanity. They are capturing and exposing vivid samples of people of color abused and dehumanized. We must move beyond the absurd notion that some people have more value than others.

n A majority of Americans believe more needs to be done to eliminate racism.

Clearly, there must be broader knowledge of the harm that comes from the devaluation and from the structures of inequality. They create physical harm, they create mental and emotional harm, and when there’s harm, healing is needed.

It’s significant that a polling analysis conducted by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in conjunction the Northeastern University School of Journalism has found that a majority of whites now acknowledge that racism still exists, and that it creates bias in structures such as the criminal justice system. Furthermore, a majority of Americans believe more needs to be done to eliminate racism. In a poll last year, 53 percent of whites said more changes needed to be made to give blacks equal rights with

When an unarmed black person is killed, I have a bodily reaction to that tragedy. I relive losses of my own, such as when I was a teenager in Cleveland. My first cousin was shot and killed by a white thrill-seeker in our segregated neighborhood. I recall that we buried her that week, while her killer enlisted in the U.S. Navy and left the city.

All of us must become more cognizant of the cost of violence and the harm. We must be willing to invest in the processes that help to bring about healing.

Gail C. Christopher is vice president for Truth Racial Healing & Transformation and a senior advisor at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Photo courtesy of Gordon Bowers

Koach Frazier

SALUTE

pharmacy manager at Walmart in Florissant. Previously she managed the pharmacy at its Chesterfield location and was a regional immunization champion, training pharmacists in implementing immunizations at Missouri Walmart locations.

Farr is a member of the Missouri Pharmacy Association, where she serves on both the Legislative and Professional Affairs committees, and a member of the Minority Women Pharmacist Association. She is on the Strategic Planning Committee of St. Louis College of Pharmacy.

Farr volunteers at the Missionaries of Charity and community health fairs. She is active in the Red Shoe Movement, a grassroots movement of women supporting women for career success.

FERGUSON

Continued from A1

Continued from A1 recognize the legitimacy of the complaints of residents in the majority-black city that were documented in the DOJ report.

One white Ferguson resident claimed the federal government had “empowered the criminal element” in the city.

Christy Lopez of the Justice Department said the department’s year-and-ahalf-long investigation of the Ferguson Police Department and municipal court system found the narrative that law-

Dr. Koach Baruch Frazier is the chief audiologist at the Center for Health and Speech, where he manages the audiology and school screening programs. Previously, Frazier worked in Cape Girardeau, where he helped develop the sedated auditory brainstem response program for the region. For the past several years, Frazier has managed the Give Kids a Smile audiology clinic in St. Louis, where young people get their hearing screened and earwax removed. He serves on the boards of the Missouri GSA Network and Central Reform Congregation, is currently a cohort leader of the Amir Cultivating Justice STL Project, and is part of the 14th cohort of the Selah Leadership Program.

Kena Gray

Kena Gray is operations director at Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation (SIHF),

where she oversees healthcare centers in the River Bend area and serves as health center manager at Bethalto Health Center. Previously, she managed Fairmont City Health Center and Washington Park Health Center.

Gray spearheaded the SIHF Manager Leadership Roundtable to direct training and educational opportunities for site managers at its 30 centers. Additionally, Gray helped lead the organization’s Cultural Competency Initiative to embrace diversity among staff and patients.

Gray is on the board of the Illinois Center for Autism, and is a member of the St. Louis University School of Public Health Networking Council, the University of Illinois Black Alumni Council and the Illini Union Alumni Society.

Kendra Holmes

Kendra Holmes is vice president and chief operating officer for Affinia Healthcare. Affinia (formerly Grace Hill

abiding citizens didn’t have to worry about the police to be “false,” and spoke about the patterns of unconstitutional conduct that federal investigators had identified. The report, based in part on emails and documents provided by the city, found that Ferguson officials had worked together to increase the city’s revenues through increased fines and fees that had no connection to public safety. Federal investigators also uncovered racist emails sent and received by high-ranking officials in Ferguson and regular violations of the civil rights of the city’s residents, particularly African Americans.

Health Centers) consists of four federally qualified health centers that provide primary and preventive care to St. Louis residents.

Holmes oversees radiology, laboratory, nursing services, security, WIC, and Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) initiatives.

She serves as director of pharmacy services and directs managed care incentive programs. She spearheaded the implementation of Affinia’s moderate complexity lab in late 2014. The lab processes over 15,000 samples monthly.

She began her career at then Grace Hill as a staff pharmacist before a series of promotions to her current position. Holmes serves on the St. Louis College of Pharmacy Board of Trustees.

Jane Ann McWilliamsSykes

Jane Ann McWilliamsSykes is a nurse at Dewey International Studies School, a small an Saint Louis Public

n “Give this a chance to work, and I hope it will work. It’s a good first step.”

– U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry

School with a diverse student population that speaks more than 40 languages. For some of the students, McWilliamsSykes is the only health professional they have seen and as such, she does everything she can to keep students healthy and in class. To promote student health and wellness, Sykes partners with community organizations to provide onsite dental care, flu shot clinics and vision screenings. McWilliams-Sykes is the president of both the NEASt. Louis and the St. Louis Nurses Association and a board member of the Missouri School Nurses Association.

Michelle O’Kain

Michelle O’Kain serves as a clinical nurse manager at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in two areas: for Centralized Telemetry Monitoring (CTM) and the Cardiac Rapid Evaluation Unit (CREU), which is a step down in emergency care from the

heavily upon fines and fees to keep their governments afloat. Lopez said the DOJ can’t “blanket all of St. Louis County,” but said it was better to address the problem than say nothing at all.

Intensive Care Unit. CTM monitors patients at its BarnesJewish North, BarnesJewish South and BarnesJewish West County locations, where she manages registered nurses, monitor technicians and other staff. At CREU, O’Kain manages staff who are specially trained in EKG interpretation, IV medication management, and personnel certified in Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support. O’Kain is also responsible for the budget, patient outcomes, and Patient Satisfaction Scores. She began her career in nursing in 1983.

Tickets for the 16th Annual Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awards Luncheon on Friday, April 29 at the Frontenac Hilton are $750 per table for VIP/Corporate seating and $50 each/$500 table for Individual seating. To order tickets, call 314-533-8000 or visit www.stlamerican.com.

wasn’t transparent, Lopez said the Justice Department would be able to proactively provide more information moving forward. Judge Perry said it was helpful to hear from the public and that the agreement would be an effective path forward.

Many speakers pointed out that the problems identified in the Ferguson report were not unique to the city and were present in many municipalities in St. Louis County that rely

“We want Ferguson to be known for how it responded to this crisis,” said Lopez, saying the Justice Department was interested in helping “bring about systemic change” in the city. The consent decree was first announced in January and was the product of several months of negotiations between the city and federal authorities, who over a year ago delivered their report on widespread policing abuses.

Vanita Gupta, the head of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, said in a statement that the Justice Department “is looking forward to working with the city of Ferguson as it implements the decree and continues the essential work to create a police department that the Constitution requires and that residents deserve.”

While some residents complained that the process

“Give this a chance to work, and I hope it will work,” Perry said. “It’s a good first step.”

Mariah Stewart reported from St. Louis. Ryan J. Reilly reported from Washington, D.C.

This story is published as part of a partnership between The American and The Huffington Post.

WUSTL

has increased by 60 percent since 2011.

In the study body, its percentage of AfricanAmerican freshmen went up to 9 percent last year from a longtime plateau of 6 percent, while the percentage of Hispanic freshmen went up to 8 percent.

She cited “significant progress in supporting the LGBT members of our community.” Addressing a room of mostly black alumni and staff, she added, “This is important not only because we support their rights and full inclusion in our communities, but because many people of color also identify as gay or transgender or gendernonconforming.”

The university created a Bias Response & Support System for students, she said, and is “piloting a freshmen required course on identity literacy, or on how to appreciate, respect and engage each other across our manifold differences.”

And, at the very top, she said, its Board of Trustees “has enumerated diversity and inclusion as its top priority in its five-pronged Plan for Excellence.”

The Board of Trustees itself has little black representation. Only five of 60 trustees, or 8 percent of the body, are

STUDENTS

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Continued from A1 have filed the equivalent of campus restraining orders against all team members.

“Our senior leadership is completely appalled by the hate speech,” Jonathan Smith, the special assistant to the president for diversity and community engagement and an assistant professor, told The American. “We are going to do whatever is necessary to make this into a better institution.”

Morgan and Twomey told Pestello on Tuesday that they wanted the baseball players who wrote the remarks to be suspended, for all the players to enroll in black studies classes, for the coaching staff to undergo diversity training, and for the team to undergo a selfimposed ban on post-season play.

Smith said the restorative justice process is “studentdriven” and both sides would have to agree to those repercussions.

It has already been a “hard year” for black students, said Stefan Bradley, director of African-American Studies and associate history professor.

“This culture has either been created or cultivated or maybe even neglected – not just in the baseball team,” Bradley said. “It’s largely a university problem, and it speaks to this idea that we admit a certain type of student that feels comfortable speaking like this.” Morgan already knew she was transferring out of SLU when she filed a bias incident report, she said.

“This isn’t my first go around with racial incidents on campus,” she told The American Last semester, her white roommate hastily moved out of their dorm room because “she wasn’t ready to live with women of color,” according to what the residential staff told her.

So she wasn’t surprised when her boyfriend showed her a screenshot of racially-charged texts from the SLU baseball team’s pitcher-only group chat.

The texts were sent through the messaging application GroupMe in May 2015, while chatting about where to eat in Washington, D.C.

In the chat, one of the players wrote: “I heard they got a colored running the country.. This Tru?”

“Unfortunately, it is,” said another player.

“F…ing watermelon eatin baboon.” Twomey declined to provide the American with the names of the players on the chat.

One of the baseball players sent Twomey the screenshot soon afterwards. Twomey was angered by it, but he didn’t know how to address it

African-American. None of those trustees – Arnold W. Donald, Priscilla L. HillArdoin, Louis G. Hutt Jr., Lawrence E. Thomas and Ronald L. Thompson – is an officer of the board.

Davis quoted Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton on the subject of diversity: “Great universities solve great problems. Diversity is a challenge everywhere and we can help solve it. In addition, diverse teams solve problems more creatively and better than ones that are not diverse.” Wrighton did not attend the

through the university, he said.

When Morgan saw the chat last month, he said she knew about the bias reporting process and was glad that she filed a complaint.

“It’s never too late,” Morgan said, “and honestly I’m just tired of seeing people get away with racism and people who have no respect for others put on a pedestal at this school.”

A day after she filed it, the two students met with Tyler De Shon, assistant director of the office of student responsibility and community standards, who said he would relay their concerns.

Smith said the report went straight to his desk.

“After it was reported, I began the process of talking with students, staff and students on both sides,” Smith said.

However, after a week, Morgan and Twomey said they hadn’t heard anything from Smith or any other administrator. In fact, the first time Smith met with the students was Tuesday with Pestello – more than two weeks after they filed the report.

On April 11, the students contacted several people, including Bradley, the Black Student Alliance and student activist Jonathan Pulphus. That day, Pulphus posted the screenshot of the pitchers’ chat on Facebook and wrote about the incident.

That night, Twomey said Darin Hendrickson, the baseball coach, called him and said he was just made aware about the incident from the Facebook post – not from an administrator.

“It was disheartening,” Twomey said. He thought it was obvious that no investigation had taken place if

university’s first recognitions ceremony for AfricanAmerican alumni, faculty and staff, but he did record a brief video for the occasion. In it, he credited Davis herself with the uptick in recruitment of black talent.

As officials always do, Davis noted there is much progress yet to be made: “We continue to have challenges translating these values into the daily lived experiences of everyone on the campus.”

As if to prove the point, Wrighton’s video was followed by a poetry performance by

the coach was learning about the incident on social media.

“He told me he was aware of [the team’s] cultural problem of immaturity, entitlement and privilege,” Twomey said. “He also said he wished he could recruit more players that had tougher backgrounds.”

‘Empowered and safe’?

On April 12 at 4 a.m., Mona Hicks, associate vice president and dean of students, emailed Morgan, saying that she received the report and wanted them to feel “empowered and safe.”

But that day, Morgan and Twomey felt the tension rising on campus.

They were walking to class and passed a group of baseball players and their friends. They said the group stopped talking and glared at the couple as they passed. The next morning, Twomey said he woke up to tobacco spit on his door inside his apartment and in the kitchen. He said a cloth that he used to clean his glasses had nails in it.

Twomey’s roommate is on the baseball team, and he said there was no sign of forced entry.

Hicks provided them a safe space for a couple days, and Twomey’s roommate has voluntarily moved out. Although they were grateful for Hicks’ assistance, they were angry when they saw on April 14 that Hicks was quoted in the student newspaper as saying that she did not believe that the racial slurs they reported “met the criteria for adjudication.”

“Essentially, these baseball players have, unsurprisingly, proven that Saint Louis

of 2006) – comes from this generation. A St. Louis native, Packnett was serving as executive director of Teach For America St. Louis when Ferguson blew up. She joined protestors from the earliest days and emerged as a national leader. President Obama appointed her to his Task Force on 21st Century Policing, and Gov. Jay Nixon appointed her to the Ferguson Commission.

Packnett gave a ringing endorsement of her alma mater: “Washington University empowered me in ways I didn’t know I needed.”

She wept briefly while remembering the critical support she received from the late Jim McLeod, a trailblazing black dean at the university.

“He was a father to me when my own dad passed,” she said. “I don’t know if I would have made it through Washington University without him.”

Camille Borders, an AfricanAmerican sophomore majoring in Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies and in History. Her poem included the hissing line: “white students say some shit out of the sides of their neck.”

Borders’ inclusion in a program catering mostly to more mature black alumni showed the university’s conscious embrace of the brash, young, black leaders who came to national prominence through Ferguson.

One of the two inaugural Trailblazer awardees – alumna Brittany N. Packnett (Class

University is not committed to being an institution that ‘inspires and prepares students, faculty, and staff to create communities unburdened by discrimination and oppression,’” Morgan said, quoting from the university’s statement on diversity.

And that mission is the very reason Morgan and Twomey chose to come to SLU, despite its relative lack of diversity, they said.

On April 14, the four co-captains of the team – Michael Bozarth, Josh Bunselmeyer, Matt Eckelman and Braxton Martinez – sent a letter of apology to the SLU community. It was not sent directly to Twomey or Morgan. They said one of the captains was among the group that glared at Morgan and Twomey just two days before.

Packnett said she balked at the idea of being hailed as a “Trailblazer,” but that it was “absolutely clear” the other inaugural awardee, Cynthia L. Cosby, deserved the honor.

In nearly 45 years of working at the university, Cosby (also a St. Louis native) developed and managed program activities for the Black Alumni Council. She founded the St. Louis African Arts Festival in Forest Park in 1991, with the university as the festival’s producer until she founded the African Heritage Association. She completed her degree at the university in

“In light of the incident, the SLU baseball program and athletic department are working to actively address and thwart any action that threatens our inclusive community,” the letter stated.

This racial incident is hardly the first Twomey has witnessed on the baseball team, he said.

He remembers walking into a party when a former captain was telling a story about “n— gers.” When he saw Twomey, he apologized. And the player who wrote the racist remarks has been seen rolling down his car window and yelling “n—ger” to African-American drivers, Twomey said.

Bradley said that students have had problems with the bias incident reporting process since it began. And students have also questioned SLU’s process of restorative justice,

1993, though she started taking courses at night as an employee in the early 1970s. Cosby – a consummate inside player, in contrast to Packnett’s more confrontational approach –remembered earlier eras of pushing for inclusion and respect at the university. She remembered when Chancellor Emeritus William H. Danforth was still chancellor and would attend black alumni reunions to personally “work through bitterness issues.”

This inaugural recognition event also served as a farewell to LaTanya Buck, the founding director of the university’s Center for Diversity & Inclusion. She has been hired away by Princeton University to found a similar center at the Ivy League school. Davis put Buck’s loss in the best possible light: “Princeton can hire the very best person in the world to lead their diversity efforts, and they found her at Washington University.”

Meanwhile, the work continues. The chancellor and provost have appointed a Commission on Diversity & Inclusion to oversee the 12 recommendations made by last year’s Diversity & Inclusion Steering Committee. Davis chairs the 19-member committee.

“We are almost one year into our work,” Davis told The American, “and will soon have our first set of recommendations to make.”

he said.

“When I look at the communication about ‘restorative justice,’ I can’t help to think that it’s still about the baseball players and not about the young man and woman who brought it to light and making sure those young people are feeling safe and welcome,” Bradley said.

“The people who have stood up for what’s right have been put upon the most, and they are the ones feeling most uncomfortable. The administration is feeling uncomfortable. But it seems to me with the baseball players suiting up and playing, they are not feeling uncomfortable about any of this.”

Follow this reporter on Twitter @rebeccarivas.

Members of the Planning Committee for the inaugural Washington University Trailblazers awards along with the inaugural awardees: Janary Stanton, Michelle Wagner, La Tanya N. Buck, Cynthia L. Cosby, Brittany N. Packnett, Purvi Patel, Sonya Rooney and Rudolph Clay.

Photo by Kevin Lowder/WUSTL

‘Black Community for Kander’ is launched

The “Black Community for Kander” campaign was launched in support of Jason Kander’s candidacy for U.S. Senate the morning of Monday, April 18 in a press conference held at Exodus Art Gallery, 5075 Delmar Blvd. in St. Louis. St. Louis License Collector Mavis Thompson, state Rep. Karla May and St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones, all Democrats from St. Louis, expressed their support for Kander, a Democrat from Kansas City, who hopes to unseat Republican incumbent U.S. Senator Roy Blunt Thompson credited Kander for his work as Missouri secretary of state, his current elected position, where he has opposed “unnecessarily restrictive voter photo ID laws,” which have a disparate impact on low-income, elderly and African-American voters. She also praised him for his presence “on the ground in Ferguson” – Kander later said he has visited Ferguson more than any other community in the state since the police killing of Michael Brown Jr. – and his support for increasing the minimum wage in Missouri. May, who served with Kander in the Missouri House of Representatives, spoke of his character as a U.S. Army veteran (he served in Afghanistan) and a public servant. “He will help usher in a new generation of leadership,” May said. “He has stood with us countless times.” Jones, who also served with Kander in the Missouri House, said he is an action agent. “A lot of people run for office to be somebody,” Jones said. “Few run to do something. Jason ran to do something.” She echoed the sentiment that Kander is a white Democrat whom black Democrats have been able to reply upon for solidarity. “We all know Jason,” Jones said, “and his commitment to our community.” Jones made the most personal remarks, discussing Kander’s commitment to his son True and his willingness to sit through a lengthy worship service with her at Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church. “This was a Jewish guy at a Baptist church,” Jones said. “He enjoyed it.” In Kander’s own brief remarks, he emphasized his commitment to finding solutions to the many problems brought to light by the Ferguson unrest, saying the magic words, “Black lives matter.”

“There needs to be action on the local, state and federal levels,” Kander said. “We have the opportunity to unify and solve these problems.”

He touched lightly on policy points, saying he supports body-worn cameras for police officers – to protect both the community and the cops, he said – the correction of

“biases in the criminal justice system,” and the provision of opportunities for ex-offenders.

He praised Gov. Jay Nixon for ordering the removal of the criminal-records check box from applications for employment in the state’s executive branch and said he also had “banned the box” in applications to work for the secretary of state. He also restated his “vocal” opposition to the voter photo ID laws being promoted by Republicans in Missouri and nationwide. “I don’t understand why people want to go backwards on voting rights,” Kander said. “I will defend accessibility to the polls for all eligible Americans.”

He also invited the public to look at the record of Senator Blunt, whose voting record received an “F” from the NAACP on its most recent legislative report card. “Senator Blunt has an abysmal record,” Kander said. “He has been in Congress for 20 years, and when has he shown leadership on any of these issues?”

The NAACP found that Blunt cast only one vote on 26 bills of interest that was consistent with its civil rights mission, giving him a score of 4 percent, the lowest for Missouri’s congressional delegation in the 113th Congress (2013-14).

Kander then took a few questions from the small group of supporters and media gathered at the gallery.

Asked about the split between blacks and organized labor, two key Democratic constituencies, he dodged the question and instead spoke in general terms about advocating for “all working Missourians.”

Asked about policy for the public release of police body camera footage, he deferred the question, saying that local leadership needs “to work through these issues” considering privacy rights versus the public’s right to know. Kander cited his own father’s experience as a police officer reporting to the scene of domestic disturbances to suggest that some police camera evidence should not be public documents.

He also was asked about Missouri’s failure to elect an African American to statewide office in its history, and asked particularly about the candidacy of two black people currently running for statewide office –Tommie Pierson for lieutenant governor and Robin Smith for secretary of state, Kander’s own current office.

Kander said they are both friends and supporters but declined to endorse because “voters should have their say in a Democratic primary.”

Pierson’s most formidable primary opponent is Russ Carnahan, the former congressman. Smith faces Bill Clinton Young and MD Rabbi Alam, both from Kansas City,

in her primary.

However, Kander was not asked about another African American currently running for statewide office: Cori Bush, one of Kander’s three opponents in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senator. Missouri’s primary election is August 2 and the general election is November 8.

Also attending in support of Kander: state Rep. Sharon Pace, state Rep. Michael Butler, state Rep. Joe Adams, Alderman Jeffery Boyd Mound City Bar President Jared Boyd, Virvus Jones, Gail Brown, Marvin Steele, Rev. E.G. Shields, Rev. Earl Nance, Bree Bower, Cora Walker, Eric Banks and gallery owner Carlton Mitchell

The other Darren Wilson indicted

The former president of the Ethical Society of Police, an association of black St. Louis city police officers, was indicted on multiple fraud charges involving his misappropriation of more than $80,000 of the society’s funds.

Darren Randal Wilson, who was the society’s president in 2013 and 2014, was indicted on April 14 by a federal grand jury on nine felony counts of wire fraud, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney

for the Eastern District of Missouri. Upon conviction, each count of the indictment carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or a fine up to $250,000.

Wilson, 41, is not the officer involved in the shooting death of Michael Brown Jr. in Ferguson.

“He let us down by his actions,” said Heather Taylor, current president of the society. “He has to abide by the rules of the law, and we believe he did not.”

The indictment alleges that between July 2013 and December 2014, Wilson engaged in a fraud scheme to misappropriate money from the Ethical Society’s bank account and to use the money for his own purposes. As president, Wilson had signature authority over the bank account and accessed the funds in the account with checks and an ATM/debit card. The funds in the account consisted primarily of the members’ monthly dues.

To further the fraud scheme, Wilson transmitted some of the misappropriated money by Fed Wire, PayPal, and Western Union wire transfers, the indictment stated. To conceal his fraudulent activity, Wilson presented false information to society officers and members.

Taylor said that in January 2015, the members of Ethical Society noticed financial irregularities in the bank

statements. After holding an emergency meeting, Taylor and other members went to the police department’s internal affairs division and voiced their concern that Wilson was possible doing “something illegal.”

Taylor believes the amount Wilson allegedly took from the society was closer to $200,000.

Wilson’s alleged actions went unnoticed because two board members who normally reviewed the financial records resigned following conflicts with Wilson. Rather than notify the members about the resignations and post the open positions, Wilson left them empty for about six months, Taylor said. That largely left Wilson without checks and balances during that time, she said.

“He did a lot of things that were in total violation of the law and lack of concern for our organization,” she said.

“He isolated everyone. Our membership and board have been strong for years and under him, things fell apart.”

Rather than losing membership, Taylor said that their member numbers have increased since Wilson left his post. A new board was elected in February of 2015.

“We have numerous checks and balances in place that have allowed us to recoup some financial losses,” Taylor said.

“Our organization is in great

The “Black Community for Kander” campaign was launched in support of Jason Kander’s candidacy for U.S. Senate on Monday, April 18 in a press conference held at

financial standing because of these new checks and balances.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Cristian M. Stevens is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “The ESOP would like to thank Detective Matthew Eaton, from the Intelligence Section with SLMPD for the hours he put in to complete this investigation,” she said. “His investigation was extensive, thorough, and fair. We would also like to thank the Federal Bureau of Investigation for assisting with the investigation.”

Stenger top aide steps down Mike Chapman, St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger’s director of Operations, resigned on April 13 – the second top aide to leave Stenger this year. Stenger declined to comment beyond saying, “We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.” All County department heads reported to Chapman. Glenn Powers, the County’s director of Planning, will serve as the interim operations director.

Exodus Art Gallery, 5075 Delmar Blvd. in St. Louis.

Photo by Wiley Price

MSD offers minority scholarships

The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville have teamed up to create scholarships for the Environmental Resource Training Center (ERTC) of SIUE. MSD is offering a limited number of academic scholarships to minority candidates within the its service area.

The scholarship will provide $3,500 toward tuition and fees to attend the ERTC Water Quality Control Operations Program for the school year of 2016-2017. The ERTC program emphasizes practical training in drinking water and wastewater treatment. During the 11-month program students will get hands-on experience in labs and treatment shops as well as a work-study internship at a treatment plant and water facility.

MSD and SIUE will have an informational session from 1-2:30 p.m. on Thursday April 21at MSD’s administrative office located at 2350 Market St. in downtown St. Louis. For more information, email at tcoleman@stlmsd.com or phone (314) 768-6217.

Summer Hiring Blitz in St. Charles County

The Missouri Job Center of St. Charles County has scheduled two special events for its Summer Hiring Blitz 2016.

First, a Curb-Side Event will be held from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 26, at the Missouri Job Center, 212 Turner Blvd. in St. Peters. Job-seekers can simply drive by as staff hand out bags filled with help-wanted information from approximately 30 local employers.

Then, a “Summer Hiring Job Fair” will be held from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 28, with 30 or more employers at the new Courtyard Marriott Hotel overlooking I-70 at 4341 Veterans Memorial Parkway in St. Peters.

“Retail stores, restaurants, manufacturers, healthcare providers, IT companies, local governments and more are all hiring throughout St. Charles County right now,” said Scott Drachnik, executive director of the Missouri Job Center of St. Charles County. Businesses interested in participating in the upcoming Hiring Blitz are encouraged to contact Lori Myers at 636255-6060, ext. 5260, or lmyers@sccmo.org<mailto:lmyers@ sccmo.org>.

Ball-Bey police killing turned over to prosecutor

Police conclude investigation, withhold report for now

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

On April 18 the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department concluded its investigation into the fatal police shooting of Mansur Ball-Bey, who was shot and killed by city police on August 19, 2015 in Fountain Park.

Ball-Bey’s death incited protests, where heavily armed police deployed tear gas into the residential West End neighborhood that evening.

The police’s investigative findings were not released publicly, only released to Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce for review.

“Once the Circuit Attorney’s Office has reviewed the findings and a decision rendered, all findings permissible under the Sunshine Law will be released to the public,” Police Commissioner Sam Dotson said.

Joyce launched an independent investigation into the case soon after the incident.

Attorneys representing BallBey’s family argue that BallBey, 18, was not inside the house when police executed a search warrant at 1211 Walton Ave. on August 19 – nor was he carrying a gun.

The story contradicts what police have said transpired when members of the police Special Operations Unit and Tactical Team searched for weapons and drugs at the home near Page Boulevard

and Walton Avenue that Wednesday morning. The raid ended in Ball-Bey’s death on the front lawn of 1233 Walton Ave.

Police said that Ball-Bey and a 14-year-old, both black males, fled out the back of the house that they were raiding and ran into the alley.

However, the family’s attorney Jermaine Wooten said only two individuals were inside the house at the time of the police raid. One of them did not give a police statement, Wooten said, and the other told police and him that Ball-Bey was not in the house at the time of the raid.

Ball-Bey had just gotten

n Attorneys representing MansurBallBey’s family argue that Ball-Bey, 18, was not inside the house when police executed a search warrant at 1211 Walton Ave. on August 19.

told him that the police didn’t say to stop or put their hands in the air, Wooten said, and they ran because they were afraid.

Police have said that BallBey pointed a gun at them and then ran. However, the attorneys said the two did not have weapons.

“Mansur had just come from his job at Fed-Ex,” Christmas said. “Why would he have a gun? None of the witnesses we’ve talked with said he had a gun.”

On August 21, the police department’s preliminary autopsy results showed that Ball-Bey died from a gunshot wound in the back. Many felt this confirmed that he was running when he was killed and not preparing to fire at the officers, as police claimed.

However, Dotson told The St. Louis American, “There were two officers, and they weren’t standing in the same spot.”

off of work at Fed-Ex, where he worked the morning shift starting at 4 a.m., said attorney Jerryl Christmas. Ball-Bey and a 14-year-old friend were sitting on the back porch at 1233 Walton Ave., Christmas said, and Ball-Bey was waiting for a ride from his brother to go back to his home in Spanish Lake – where he lived with his family. They heard the police forcing entry into the building two doors down at around 11:30 a.m.

They were watching from the alley when two police officers in plain clothes walked up and pointed guns at them, according to what the 14-yearold told Wooten. The boy also

Wooten pointed to inconsistencies in the police’s story. He said that in a house raid, there would have been a “tactical team” stationed at the back door to ensure the security of the officers inside. Ball-Bey would have never gotten past the back porch – especially armed – if he was inside the house, he said.

Also, the gunshot wound went straight to an artery that leads to the heart, he said, and it would have been “impossible” for Ball-Bey to run two houses away, as police have claimed, after they shot him. He died almost instantly, he said.

The two officers involved in the shooting are described as white males, ages 33 and 29, both with about seven years on the police force.

Follow this reporter on Twitter @rebeccarivas.

Grand opening of Centene’s $25M Ferguson Service Center

Centene Corporation celebrated the grand opening of its new $25-million Ferguson Service Center on Friday, April 15. The center, located at 2900 Pershall Road, will bring more than 250 jobs to the north St. Louis County area.

Photos by Wiley Price

Michael Neidorff, chairman, president and CEO at Centene Corp talks with Gov. Jay Nixon and Urban League president Michael McMlillan before the start of the program.

Michael Neidorff with staff members after a commemorative plaque was unveiled during program.

Michael Neidorff chats with U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill (D) and Roy Blunt (R).

Michael Neidorff and his wife Noemi pose for a photo with the plaque.

Urban League President and CEO Michael McMillan and St. Louis County council woman Hazel Erby and talk with Worldwide Technology chairman and co-founder David Steward

Minority contractors that worked on the project pose for a picture with Clayco president and CEO Bob Clark.

Ferguson City Council members Ella Jones, Wesley Bell, and Laverne Mitchell

Mo. Sen. Jamilah Nasheed with Joe Reagan, president and CEO of the St. Louis Regional Chamber

Garden for kids

Children with disabilities thrive at St. Louis Arc’s Childgarden

By Sandra Jordan

Of The St. Louis American

When Amy Parker-Stayton delivered twins, she and her husband, Corey, both police officers, did not anticipate the struggles ahead in finding the best childcare fit for her sons, Christian and Christopher. Taking care of two infants was just too

To assist with mobility, Christopher Stayton tries out his custom-made, adaptive bicycle from Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis.

much for a well-intended relative. Later, the twins were bumped out of part-time day care in favor of a family who wanted full-time. Christian has physical and developmental needs due to cerebral palsy, requiring assistance with daily living. Parker-Stayton said a St. Louis daycare advertised that it cared for children of all disabilities, but she soon discovered that was not the case.

“One of the teachers told me, ‘Well, he has cerebral palsy. What does that mean?’” ParkerStayton said. “That was the deal-breaker for me. You advertise on your website that you take kids with disabilities but you don’t know what cerebral palsy is, which is a common disability?”

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of neurological disorders that appear during infancy or early childhood, which permanently affect body movement, muscle coordination and motor skills. The brain damage usually occurs before or during a baby’s birth. Parker-Stayton said it is thought that Christian was deprived of oxygen at some point during her pregnancy, causing CP.

n “We support the individual with a disability, along with their family, for a lifetime.”

– Mark A. Keeley, president and CEO, St. Louis Arc

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke states other neurological symptoms that commonly occur with CP include seizures, hearing loss, impaired vision, bladder and bowel control issues, pain and abnormal sensations.

“If you are going to advertise that you can accommodate kids with disabilities, get the training, talk to an inclusion (specialist), talk to some of these organizations like St. Louis Arc,” Parker-Stayton said. “They can come in and show you how to accommodate these kids.”

Through a recommendation, Parker-Stayton found St. Louis Arc’s Childgarden, where her 3-year-old twins are doing well. Christian is thriving in an early childhood education center where he can learn, develop and receive physical, occupational and speech therapy onsite, and whenever possible, in the classroom. She also appreciates that teachers work well with the therapists that come to Childgarden to work with Christian.

“The teachers would listen to the therapist, they would take and do what the therapist wanted them to do,” she said. “Even when the therapists weren’t there for that hour, the teachers were still doing the therapy – the positions, the techniques that the therapist had

Top tips for wellness

By Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D.

For The St. Louis American

Get some sleep

Per the National Sleep Foundation, most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. Yet, on average, adults routinely get less than six hours. I’m sure you have heard co-workers brag about how they can survive on four to five hours of sleep per night. However, research has shown the opposite to be true. With minimal sleep, memory recall is poor and response time is generally slower. So tip #1, go to bed!

Turn off television

Believe it, or not, eating while watching television will cause you to eat more! Mindless TV makes you unaware of how many potato chips you have eaten and commercials are filled with unhealthy foods, which trigger your cravings. Let’s return to the good, old-fashioned days where everyone ate at the dinner table together and discussed their day. So tip # 2, ditch the TV while eating!

Try meditation before bed

I get it: society is fast-paced and wired for 24-hour activity. Just because we have the capability to work 24 hours doesn’t mean that we should. Daily stressors from work, family and finances can take a huge toll on your body. Daily decompression is vital. Try sitting on the floor before bed and take some deep cleansing breaths. With each exhalation, rid yourself of that stress. Try it! It works! So tip #3, instead of checking Facebook and Instagram before bed, meditate!

Fill the fridge with the good stuff

To reduce the temptation of high calorie, low nutritional value food, keep healthy

See DOCTOR, A13

A12

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

2016

Physical Therapist Rebekah Stokes from Bell Children’s Services works with Christian Stayton at Childgarden Early Childhood Center. Christian, who has cerebral palsy, receives physical and occupational therapy onsite.

Photo by Wiley Price

Denise HooksAnderson, MD

GARDEN

taught them to do,” ParkerStayton said, adding, “I know that has to be extremely hard,” with having other children to work with in the room as well.

Childgarden, located in St. Louis’ Central West End, includes children with and without disabilities, offering early education, intervention and consultation to other community resources.

“Childgarden is leading the way among child care facilities because of its emphasis on inclusion,” said Mark A. Keeley, president and CEO of the St. Louis Arc. “From the moment you walk through the doors, you’ll recognize that this is an environment where children of all abilities learn and play together. No one is left out.”

St. Louis Arc provides support and programs to more than 4,000 children, teens, and adults with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“One of the things I always tell families is that they are not alone on this journey,” Keeley added. “We support the individual with a disability, along with their family, for a lifetime.”

The other big issue for her as a parent of a child with disabilities was finding out about resources. While there are organizations offering tremendous support, services and

supplies for the children, there seemed to be no one-stop shop. With limited suggestions from health personnel, she searched online to find what was available.

“The Arc and Miss Julia from Capable Kids and Family started coming to the house and she reached out to some parents,” Parker-Stayton said.

“I think once he started First Steps, they may have told me, hey, have you ever tried Variety Club?” His doctor’s office told her about Missouri First Steps, an early intervention program for children with disabilities or developmental delays.

He also gets support for equipment needs (not covered by insurance) from Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis, which paid for special chairs, a custom-made adaptive bicycle made for his particular disability and weekly equine therapy at from TREE House in Wentzville, Mo.

“Horse therapy – this is one of the therapies he has benefitted from the most … because kids with cerebral palsy, their muscles are either too loose or too tight. Christian has the really tight muscles. When they put his legs on the horse, it loosens him because you have to strad-

Declines in prostate cancer deaths linked to drop in cigarette smoking

Reduced cigarette smoking is credited with a decline in prostate cancer deaths from 1999 to 2010. Researchers at Johns-Hopkins examined state-level data on smoking behaviors and mortality outcomes from California, Kentucky, Maryland and Utah, taking a look at prostate cancer rates in relation to changes in cigarette smoking among men ages 35 years and older.

The study reveals greater declines in prostate cancer death rates in Kentucky and Maryland during the 11-year period, with those states having a higher prevalence of smoking in 1999 compared with California and Utah.

When segmented by race, researchers observed greater declines in both cigarette smoking and prostate cancer death rates among black men compared with white men in Maryland, which was the only state in the study to observe a significant change in the prevalence of cigarette smoking among black men during the assessed period.

Previous research shows that compared with white men, black men have a higher incidence of prostate cancer, are more commonly diagnosed with late-stage and high-grade tumors, and have

a higher risk for fatal prostate cancer.

Decreases in the number of prostate cancer deaths observed at the population level may be due to decreases in cigarette smoking over time, the researchers suggest.

“These findings support the need for targeted smoking cessation efforts, which could reduce prostate cancer mortality rates in this population burdened by both higher rates of prostate cancer and an elevated prevalence of cigarette smoking,” they conclude.

Thanks to Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis, Christian Stayton loves equineassisted therapy at TREE House in Wentzville, Missouri. Christopher has tight muscles due to cerebral palsy, and straddling the horse helps loosen his muscles, improve flexibility, balance and muscle strength.

DOCTOR

Continued from A12

alternatives on hand. Load the refrigerator with all varieties of fruits and vegetables. Utilize the local markets to reduce costs. If you are worried about fresh produce spoiling, freeze some of it to eat later. Frozen grapes and strawberries make a great snack! So tip #4, limit the amount of processed foods in your home!

Eat more often

Skipping meals is not the answer to weight loss. In fact, eating only one meal a day may cause a delayed insulin response, which in turn increases your risk of diabetes. Eating smaller, more frequent meals will actually increase your metabolism and aid in weight loss. So tip #5, eat three meals per day with healthy snacks in between.

Snack before shopping or dining out

Buying groceries when hungry is the biggest mistake you can make. When hungry, most people tend to impulse shop. Being full however, reduces the urge to buy junk food. Tip #6, never dine out or shop for groceries on an empty stomach.

Discard Rx drugs properly

The DEA prescription drug take-back day takes place on Saturday April 30th. The Florissant Police Department will collect any expired or unused prescription drugs in the Police Department lobby from 10 am-2 pm. Unused prescription drugs will be disposed of properly and not thrown away or flushed into the sewer systems.

dle a horse,” she said. On a note of social correctness for persons who have limited or no knowledge on what to say, how to say or how to ask about a child or individual with disabilities, ParkerStayton suggested, “Don’t be so judgmental or don’t be quick to think something is wrong with a child because they have a disability. They are just like you and me – and they may be even smarter than you and me.” For more information, visit http://www.childgarden.org or www.slarc.org.

Increase fiber

Every adult needs 25 grams of fiber daily. Fruits, vegetables, and legumes are all high in fiber and should be the bulk of a daily diet. Fiber helps regulate the GI tract and reduces the likelihood of colon cancer. Tip #7, eat the recommended allowances of fiber daily.

The path to wellness is not easy, but can be accomplished with dedication and perseverance. Each of us is fearfully and wonderfully made, but we cannot take our wellness for granted. Each day, month and year in our lives brings about a new set of circumstances, but we are all overcomers. We must now carry this torch of knowledge to the next generation.

Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D. is an assistant professor for SLUCare Family Medicine. Contact her at yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com

Town hall on opioid, heroin abuse epidemic

The prescription painkiller abuse and heroin epidemic is prompting the Florissant Police Department and the National NCADA to host a town hall discussion on the topic.

The event takes place Monday, April 25 at 7 p.m. at the James J. Eagan Civic Center Theatre, #1 James J. Eagan Drive in Florissant, Mo. (63033).

Presentations include law enforcement, treatment professionals and individuals who have been directly affected by drug misuse. There will be resources available at the discussion concerning education, prevention, and treatment.

Chief Timothy Lowery said, “The drug epidemic has affected every community in this region. The City of Florissant is taking a proactive step to try and prevent unnecessary deaths caused by drug addiction.”

For more information, call 314-962-3456 or visit ncada-stl.org.

By Melanie Adams

Swap O Rama returns April 23

Twilight Tuesday starts April 26 with Infrared Rockers.

Three weeks ago the museum opened the exhibition, Little Black Dress: From Mourning to Night, and over 4,000 visitors experienced the wonderful dresses in our textile collection. From dresses designed to signify mourning to more contemporary styles, the little black dress is a fashion icon that is available at every woman’s price point and size.

To help you find the perfect little black dress (and other great clothing items), the Missouri History Museum is happy to bring back Swap O Rama, the fun filled clothing swap. This clothing swap started with the George Washington Carver exhibition as a focus on the importance of recycling and quickly became a very popular event. With so many programs and exhibitions happening each year, the Museum decided to take a break from Swap O Rama last year. It is back this year on Saturday, April 23 in conjunction with the “Little Black Dress” exhibition.

Swap O Rama is an opportunity for you to do some spring cleaning in your closets and bring your gently used men, women, and children’s clothes to museum to participate in a fun filled swap. In addition to finding great clothing buys, you will have the opportunity to do some alternations on your “new to you” clothes in the sewing room staffed with knowledgeable volunteers from St. Louis Craft Mafia and free sewing notions. This year we will have a space specifically for the swapping of little black dresses and an opportunity to win a new or gentle worn one donated by clothing retailers such as JC Penny, Macy’s, Banana Republic, The Scholar Shop, and the Gap (please check out the MHM website for the complete list). These dresses will be raffled off during the day and anyone who brings in clothes to swap will be eligible to participate. There are many great programs taking place during the run of the Little Black Dress exhibition. Please check out the museum’s calendar at moshistory.org for more details.

And don’t forget Twilight Tuesday starts on Tuesday, April 26 at 6 p.m. with the reggae sounds of Infrared Rockers. Arrive early to participate in our African American Highlights Gallery Tour (5pm), Children’s activities (starting at 4:30pm), and delish food from area food trucks.

Swap O Rama

Saturday, April 23 from noon to 4pm • FREE

Swap-O-Rama-Rama, everyone’s favorite community clothing swap and DIY upcycling event, is back. Bring at least one bag of your unwanted (but clean!) clothes to contribute, then dive in and find some new-to-you treasures. Take them home as is, or head to our sewing room where volunteers will help you alter or completely transform your new duds (sewing notions provided). Also, in honor of our Little Black Dress exhibit, this year will feature a special LBD rack.

What you can bring: Clean clothing (women’s, men’s, kids’, and infants’ clothing welcome)

Swap O Rama returns to the Missouri History Museum on Saturday, April 23 in conjunction with the “Little Black Dress” exhibition.

- Shoes - Jewelry

- Other accessories (belts, hats, etc.)

- Purses and bags

Please do not bring:

- Smoky-smelling or pet-hair-covered clothing

- Underwear

- Books, toys, or other items not intended for wearing

Leftover clothing will be sent to Remains Clothing Recycling (3340 Morganford). Remains accepts clothing, linen, paired shoes, purses, and belts. For more information, contact Remains Clothing Recycling at rmnstex@ sbcglobal.net.

Swap-O-Rama-Rama is an international network of events created by Wendy Tremayne and protected under a creative commons license. Sewing room sponsored by the St. Louis Craft Mafia.

Twilight Tuesday

Youth and Family Programs, North Lawn 5:30pm Children’s Activities 5:00pm African American Highlights Gallery Tour (20 minutes) 6:00pm Music

Tuesday, April 26 Infrared Rockers (reggae)

Tuesday, May 3 Marquise Knox (blues)

Tuesday, May 10 Dr. Zhivegas (rock and party)

Tuesday, May 17 Anita Jackson (jazz)

Tuesday, May 24 A Tribute to Babyface by the Gerald Warren Unit featuring Will Robinson (rhythm and blues)

Tuesday, May 31 Dirty Muggs (funk)

July 7, 1938 – March 19, 2016

Gloria Mae Lathon was born July 7, 1938 in Shelby, Mississippi. At the age of three her parents relocated to Saint Louis. Her parents Dan and Harriet Blackmon and four siblings (John Blackmon, Charles Blackmon, Jerry Blackmon and Lenora McDonald) preceded her in death.

She received her formal education in the St. Louis Public School System. She later enrolled in Gladys Griffin School of Cosmetology and became a licensed cosmetologist.

Gloria accepted Christ at an early age and was baptized by the late Reverend Dan C. Davis at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, where she met and married the late Arhtur Lee Tate. She later moved her membership to The New Bethlehem Baptist Church under the late Reverend P. W. Jones and current Pastorate of Minister Hosea E. Gales. This is where she married the late Demetris Williams Lathon.

leadership when he started Cephus Christian Church.

Gloria was employed by Killark Electric for forty-three years and she retired in 2007. It was prior to retirement that her health began to be a challenge, however, she endured to the end.

Gloria transitioned from labor to reward on Saturday, March 19, 2016 at home with her children and other family members.

She enjoyed singing in the choir at both churches and she served faithfully as the choir’s secretary while attending New Bethlehem. She united with Progressive Baptist Church under Reverend C. V. Smith and remained under his

Cherishing her memories are: her three children, Donna Blackmon, Eric Tate, Sr. (Cheryl) and Delphine Lathon Woods (Lionel “Peanut”); step-children, Demetris Williams II, Roderick Williams, Larry Williams and David Williams; sisters, Mary Jean Blackmon, Geraldine Blackmon and Rhonda Savage; brothers, Ernest Blackmon, Rufus Blackmon and Larry Blackmon; grandchildren, Eric Tate II, Terrance Tate and Christopher Tate; greatgrandchildren, Kriston Tate and Kennedy Tate; one aunt, Lucille Foster; special and longtime friends, Juanita Mason, Laurena M. Anthony (RIP 7/29/15), Acie Davis and Minister Reginald “Bill” Anthony; nieces, nephews, cousins and other family and friends.

May 19, 1954 – April 12, 2016

Former state Rep. Juanita Head Walton

Juanita Alberta Head Walton was born at St. Louis County Hospital in Clayton to John W. and Delores Head. Her father John preceded her in death. She was the fifth child of their eight children. She was a graduate of Kinloch High School, Lincoln University (BSBA), and Lindenwood University (MA with an emphasis in corporate communications). She also attended Washington University.

Her children are Elbert III Walton and Johnathan Walton. She was a Missouri state representative for the 81st district (chaired the business and finance committee for the National Black Caucus of State Legislators), and the Democratic committeewoman of Ferguson Township. She served as president of the National Order of Women Legislators.

She was the former director of the Grace Hill Women’s Business Center. She also served as a trainer for St. Louis Community College, an instructor at Alabama State University and an administrator for Maritz Performance. She was a licensed realtor and employed as a flight attendant for TWA.

In Portland, Oregon she was a lobbyist, president of the Sisters Network (an AfricanAmerican breast cancer organization), and she was employed at Project Clean Slate. She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha

Sorority, Inc., Gamma Omega Chapter and the Archway Chapter of The Links, Inc. She was a member of Coleman-Wright C.M.E. Church before moving and joining Highland Christian Church in Portland. Her survivors include Roy Jay; mother Delores Head; sons Elbert Walton III of St. Louis; Captain Johnathan Walton, Army National Guard; grandchildren: Airee, Elaine, and Xavier; special family Alicia Cavier of California; and Erica Jackson of California. Her siblings are Evelyn; Patricia (Nathaniel) in Texas; Joyce (Terry); John (Thelma); Willie (Diane) in Oregon; Charles (Deborah); and Sharon (Jesse). Stepdaughters: Rochelle Gray (Alan), Angela Mosley (Jay), and Rhonda Colbert (Anthony) in Michigan. And a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and other relatives. Some of her special friends are Glenda Myles, Amber Boykins-Sims, Vanessa Wead, Iris Preston, and Alexis Brice all from St. Louis, and Rhonda Nunn of Jefferson City. Some of her Portland family and friends include Margaret L. Carter, a legislator when they met in 2000, Deitrich Williams-Mott, Noell Webb, Raina Casey, Loretta Smith and Adrianne Nelson. In lieu of flowers, a memorial contribution to the Coleman-Wright C.M.E. Church scholarship fund in her father’s name would be appreciated.

WEEK 33

ONE SMALL CHANGE is an ongoing series that challenges us to take very small steps toward being more environmentally-friendly. If we all participate then ONE SMALL CHANGE can make a big difference! participate, then ONE SMALL CHANGE can make a big difference!

REDUCE! REDUCE! REDUCE!

We’ve all heard the phrase “Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.” The most effective of this environmental trio is to reduce the amount of potential trash you create. Afterall, the less stuff you own then the less need for reusing and recycling. There are a few areas we can focus on to help us reduce our waste.

For starters, a lot of the advice given in One Small Change will already help with this. For example, shopping with reusable bags reduces plastic bag waste. Additionally we can upgrade other products so that they are refillable and reusable. Instead of buying a new soap dispenser for your bathroom every time you run out of soap, pick up one that is refillable and buy soap in bulk to refill it! You’ll save money too.

Also avoid buying a bunch of individually wrapped items. If you know you like pudding, and you’re going to eat a lot, then buy a big tub of it instead of the pollutant-heavy six pack of chocolate pudding. This one small change will shift the way you look at product packaging.

NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION

Planting the Seeds for Success! PRESENT:

Healthy Kids Kids

Healthcare Careers

Fire Up The Grill!

Nutrition Challenge:

Many people enjoy the warmer weather by bringing out the BBQ grill. Grilled foods are a great way to eat healthier. Just remember these few tips.

> Watch the “extras” such as marinades, sugary sauces and butter.

> Try grilled veggies,

Activities:

Friday, April 22, is Earth Day. Celebrate by spending as much time as you can outside and enjoying our planet.

Why not recruit some of your friends to clean up a

instead of fried.

>Include fresh fruits for dessert and limit the amount of ice cream and other frozen treats.

> Remember to drink a lot of water while you’re out in the heat.

Staying active outside and eating healthier will help you feel better all summer long.

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 5

neighborhood park? Kick off a new recycling program at your school. Or spend an afternoon planting flowers outside your home.

What are some other “active” ways that you can make a difference at home, at your school and in your community?

Learning Standards: HPE 1, HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 5

LaTisha Pettiford, Patient Access Rep

Where do you work? I work at Touchette Regional Hospital. Where did you go to school? I graduated from O’Fallon Township High School, O’Fallon, Illinois. I earned a CNA certificate from Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville, and I’m currently pursuing a Bachelor of Business from Lindenwood University in Belleville, Illinois.

What does a patient access representative do?

Celebrate Earth Month!

April is Earth Month! As a class, decide on a project that you could do for your school or community that would be a great way to celebrate. Here are a few ideas to inspire you… but your class can probably come up with even better projects!

> Plant flowers near the school entrance, or in your own front yard.

> Create a recycle program for home or school.

> What other great project ideas did your classmates suggest?

> Have a trash pick-up day on your playground. Use gloves to protect your hands from dirt and germs.

Learning Standards: HPE 2, SC 4, NH 1, NH 7

Apple & Pear with PB Dip

1 Med Apple or Pear

Directions: Whip the peanut butter and milk, until smooth. Fold in the whipped topping. Core and slice the apple and pear… and dip!

As a liaison between the doctors and nurses, it is my responsibility to input referrals from the physician into a database for our nurses before they visit a patient in their home. It is also my responsibility to send the orders to the physician for their signature for the services rendered, to ensure our company gets paid by the insurance company.

Why did you choose this career? My personality is one of a “helper” and I am a great communicator. Being able to communicate efficiently, multitask and stay organized are a few of my strongest attributes that allow me to excel in this field.

What is your favorite part of the job you have?

I enjoy most being able to problem solve and complete tasks upon request. If there are any issues that our department is having, I like the challenge of being able to brainstorm with the team to solve the problem.

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

The St. Louis American’s award winning NIE program provides newspapers and resources to more than 7,000 teachers and students each week throughout the school year, at no charge.

Lucas Crossing Elementary School

4th grade teacher

Michael Frueh, shows students Deborah Rollen, Addison Williams, Jeremiona Penny, and Dana Sanchez-Salvador how to use the newspaper to find biographical information as a STEM lesson. Lucas Crossing Elementary is in the Normandy Schools Collaborative.

Wiley Price/St. Louis American

SCIENCE CORNER

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT SCIENCE STARS

African-American Pediatric Neurosurgeon Ben Carson

Your brain is surrounded by fluid, such as spinal fluid, and is protected by your skull. Sometimes, when you experience a head injury, your brain can shift and bump against the bony surface of your skull. That type of injury is called a concussion. Picture it this way: a glass jar, filled partially with water and cubes of Jell-O. The Jell-O represents your brain and the jar represents your skull. If you were to shake the jar and see the Jell-O bounce against the sides, that is similar to the experience of a concussion.

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

Concussions

If you get a concussion, you will have symptoms such as headache, dizziness, confusion, trouble walking, slurred speech, and nausea. If you have a head injury at sports practice,

Are you ready to be an inventor? Your goal is to create a device that will lift a tennis ball in the air without using your hands.

Materials Needed:

• Water Balloons • Soft and Protective

Materials

• Tape Procedure:

q Goal: Protect your balloon like you do your brain. Make a skull for your balloon with soft and protective materials, such as styrofoam, cotton, cloth, tissue, felt, egg cartons, bubble wrap, newspaper and tape. You can use anything you like, just make sure that part of your balloon is left uncovered.

MATH CONNECTION

it’s important to tell your coach right away. If you experience a head injury at home or school, tell your parent or teacher immediately. You will need to see a doctor. Concussions take a long time to heal. If it is severe, there could be long-term effects. Remember to protect your brain. Always wear a helmet and make safe choices.

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

Balloon Brain

w Now test out your Balloon Brain skulls by throwing them against a wall. You’ll need to do your testing outside or somewhere that can get wet in case your balloons break.

e Compare results with your classmates. Which designs were the most effective? Which materials were most effective?

Make Connections: Why is it important to protect your brain? What steps can you take to keep yourself safe?

Learning Standards: I can use critical thinking to solve a problem. I can analyze results and draw conclusions. I can make connections.

Sports and Math

Practice your math skills using these sports-themed word problems.

z Allen bought 4 packs of white T-shirts and 2 packs of blue T-shirts for her basketball team. The white T-shirts come in packs of 3, and the blue T-shirts come in packs of 5. How many T-shirts did Allen buy in all? __________

x Manny owns 83 sets of basketball cards. Each set has exactly 504 cards. What is the total number of basketball cards Manny owns? ______

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC):

c 30 people watched the soccer game last night. Tickets cost $2.75 each. Half of these fans bought a program at $1.50 each. How much money was collected altogether? __________

v Of the 95 children in 6th grade, 3/5 went to the track meet. How many students went to the track meet in all?

b Carrie made buttons to support the football team. If the cost to make each button was $.35, and she sells them for $1.00, how much profit will she make if she sells 125 buttons? __________

Learning Standards: I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a problem.

Concussions in children aged 8 to 16 — there were 3,800,000 concussions reported in 2012, 33% happened at practice. 1 in 5 high school athletes will sustain a sports concussion during the season. Female high school soccer athletes suffer almost 40% more concussions than males.

For more information about preventing injury, visit Heads Up: http://www.cdc. gov/headsup/.

Ben Carson was born on September 19, 1951, in Detroit, Michigan. His parents divorced at an early age, and Carson’s mother raised him and his older brother. Because they had little money, they learned to be resourceful. The family picked crops at local farms in exchange for part of the produce. Carson’s mother took discarded clothes from Goodwill and patched them up for the children. When the boys began to fall behind in school, his mother required them to read two library books a week and give reports on them. Carson soon learned that with hard work, you could overcome obstacles. Carson finished the eighth grade at the top of his class. His teachers criticized his white classmates for allowing an African-American student to make better grades than them. When he got to high school, he developed a love for science and he had teachers that encouraged that passion. He was also involved in the school’s ROTC program. He graduated high school with honors and received a full scholarship to Yale. He graduated from Yale with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 1973. Next, Carson enrolled in the School of Medicine at the University of Michigan. He studied to become a neurosurgeon. He earned his medical degree, then became an intern at Johns Hopkins University in 1977. Five years later, he was the chief resident of neurosurgery. Carson was invited to be a neurosurgeon in Perth, Australia. He went, and was able to get several years of experience before returning to Johns Hopkins University. At the age of 33, he was the youngest U.S. physician to be involved in pediatric neurosurgery.

On September 4, 1987, Carson traveled with a medical team to Germany to separate twins that were joined at the spine. This was the first of several surgeries he completed throughout the world to separate conjoined twins. He and his wife traveled to schools to tell their stories and they formed the Carson Scholars Fund in 1994, to promote reading with young students. In 2003, he attempted the first surgery to separate adult twins.

Carson was selected as one of the Living Legends of the Library of Congress in 2000. CNN and Time magazine named Carson as one of the nation’s 20 foremost physicians and scientists. He received the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP in 2006. In February 2008, President George W. Bush awarded Carson the Ford’s Theatre Lincoln Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Cuba Gooding Jr. portrayed Carson in the television movie Gifted Hands. In 2012, he published the book America the Beautiful: Rediscovering What Made This Nation Great.

Learning Standards: made contributions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.

MAP CORNER

Enjoy these activities that help you get to know your St. Louis American newspaper.

Activity One —

Anagrams: Anagrams are created by rearranging letters in a word to create a new word. For example, you can rearrange the letters in the word “Mary” to create the word “army.” Choose a headline from today’s newspaper and create anagrams using the letters. How many words can you create in 10 minutes?

Activity Two —

Salaries: Locate the help wanted section in today’s newspaper. Choose 5 job listings. What salaries are being offered? Arrange them from least to greatest. Find the mean, median, and mode. (If no salaries are shown, research online for the average salary for such a career.)

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can practice word fluency. I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve problems.

Photo by

Teachers, if you are using the St. Louis American’s

Centene opens $25M Ferguson Service Center

DeRamus-Palmer watch on Friday, April 15.

Provides 250 jobs in North County with new facility for processing claims

By Rebecca Rivas

Of The St. Louis American

Just 20 months after Ferguson erupted and residents expressed their frustration at the lack of jobs, Centene Corporation celebrated the grand opening of its new $25-million Ferguson Service Center on Friday, April 15. The center, located at 2900 Pershall Road, will bring more than 250 jobs to the north St. Louis County area.

“The business sector must be a role model in creating stronger and healthier communities across the nation,” said Michael F. Neidorff, chairman, president and CEO of Centene. Centene, a Fortune 500 company, provides services to government-sponsored healthcare programs and operates local health plans. It reported 22.8 billion in revenues in 2015. Employees mainly process insurance claims at this new 45,000-square-foot facility.

n “The business sector must be a role model in creating stronger and healthier communities.”

– Michael F. Neidorff, chairman, president and CEO of Centene

Sonya Woods, a team leader and a Ferguson resident, said it was disheartening to see small businesses choose to leave or fail to recover after the Ferguson unrest of August 2014. Before joining Centene, she said upward mobility was difficult at her previous jobs.

“I was putting in the work, but no one was really noticing me,” she said.

The new service center has on-site early childhood development center, where Woods leaves her daughter in the morning. And throughout the day, she can pass by and see her daughter playing in the sandbox. She said the company offers many things that make staff feel appreciated, including a state-of-the-art bistro, fitness center and a community center available to the Ferguson community.

The celebration included food from local Ferguson restaurants and entertainment from the Riverview Gardens Student Jazz Ensemble.

Watching the protests following Michael Brown Jr.’s shooting death, Neidorff thought about ways he could help move the community forward, said Michael McMillan, president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.

See CENTENE, B6

Professional Development Day for journalists

The Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists, in collaboration with Society of Professional Journalists, will host a Professional Development Day 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 30 in the Student Center on the campus of St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley, 3400 Pershall Rd. This event, which is open to the public, provides working and aspiring journalists with an opportunity to network with and learn from professional journalists, communicators and entrepreneurs. The theme is “Sharpening Our

Art Holliday, KSDK

Skills, Advancing Our Future.”

Some of the panelists and session leaders include Joseph Bustos, Belleville NewsDemocrat; Debra Bass, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Christina Coleman, KSDK; John Henry, KSDK; Art Holliday, KSDK; Linda Lockhart, St. Louis Public Radio; Bradley Rayford, Bradley J. Photography; Shantana Stewart, Shantana

Stewart Communications; and Aja J. Williams, Nine Network.

The day will also include resume, portfolio and newsreel critiques, speed networking, and a boxed lunch catered by Panera Bread. The cost is $20 for GSLABJ or SPJ members, $40 for nonmembers and $10 for college students.

Advance registration is required at gslabj-spjpd.eventbrite.com by 4 p.m. Friday, April 22. For more information, contact Shantana Stewart at 314-486-1636 or GSLABJ@gmail.com.

Adjunct faculty reach agreement with WUSTL

American staff

On Thursday, April 14 a bargaining unit of non-tenured faculty at Washington University celebrated after reaching a tentative contract agreement with the school, and non-tenured faculty at Saint Louis University filed to hold a union election. Adjuncts at Washington University reached a four-year agreement on April 13 after months of pressure on the university, including media attention, petitions, hundreds of calls to the university, along with support from political leaders, other unions and students, faculty and staff. More than 800 members of the Washington

Michael O’Bryan

n “The St. Louis community now has awareness of the plight of adjunct faculty and knows that universities need to do better.”

– Michael O’Bryan, adjunct English instructor

University community, including students, faculty members and staff, along with members of the wider St. Louis community, have signed and delivered petitions in support of the adjuncts.

“This agreement is a step forward for

educators at Washington University in St. Louis, and it sets the bar for the region,” said Michael O’Bryan, English instructor.

“The St. Louis community now has awareness of the plight of adjunct faculty and

See WUSTL, B8

Leisha Elmore, MD, has been selected to represent the Society of University Surgeons at the Society of Academic & Research Surgery’s annual meeting in January 2017 at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. She is a general surgery resident at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.

Dennis Williams received a Senior Technology Fellow award at the Black Engineer of the Year Awards for his work on military combat aircraft survivability engineering. He is a technical fellow with Boeing Defense, Space & Security. He said he’s proud that he has contributed to potentially saving the lives of women and men aboard those aircraft.

Courtney Bryant was named evening co-anchor at KMOV News 4. She will also have news reporting duties. She first joined KMOV in September 2015 as a general assignment reporter for News 4 at 10 p.m. and Sunday night anchor. She previously worked as an evening anchor and reporter at KBAK in Bakersfield.

Sylvester Lee won the 2016 Ford Freedom Unsung award. He directs the Sunshine Cultural Arts Center in East St. Louis, where he promotes teaching and inspires youth in the community through arts, cultural and educational programs. Ford Motor Company and Tom Joyner Foundation present the award.

Judy Draper will write the foreword for the 2016 Who’s Who Diversity in Color, which will be released on June 9. She is an associate circuit judge in St. Louis County. Karlos Ramirez, executive director of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis, will write the introduction.

Jerry Kelly was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the St. Louis County Police Department. He is currently assigned to the St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy where his previous rank was sergeant. He received his Master Degree in management from Webster University.

com

Leisha Elmore, MD

Courtney Bryant

Sylvester Lee

Judy Draper

Dennis Williams

Jerry Kelly

Michael F. Neidorff, chairman, president and CEO of Centene Corporation, and Maurice Burns, uncover the dedication of Centene’s new $25-million Ferguson Service Center as Sonia Woods and Brenda

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Five ways to save on an overseas trip

By Nathaniel Sillin

My neighbors and I talked for weeks about their upcoming European vacation with their teenaged kids. We discussed every single place they planned to visit. But when I asked if they knew how much their European train and ground transportation, smartphone data plans and meals out were going to cost, they shrugged and said, “We’re not worried. That’s the cheapest part of the trip!” They might have been right – if they had planned ahead. Sometimes it’s not the airfare and hotel bill that get you, it’s the failure to monitor small expenses that can turn into big ones in a hurry. No matter where you go, there are hidden money pits. That’s why smart money management before you travel is so important. Whether you meet or exceed your budget depends on how you plan and execute your spending.

Consider these five tips to help you conserve funds in all major areas of vacation spending:

1. Start by sweating the small stuff. Take some time to do a bit of research on basic expenses at the various locations where you’re planning to go. Talking to friends can help and so can travel magazines and sites.

2. Keep the costs of ground transportation in mind. The convenience of cabs or rental cars will likely cost more – and depending where you go, some options might be safer than others – so study options like reloadable city smart cards or continental rail passes. Paying individual ticket prices for short hops or long journeys can drain your budget. Also, consider traveling at off-peak times of the day to get cheaper rates on train travel.

3. Know what it costs to use your electronics. You’ve probably heard about people getting socked with huge cell phone bills. To avoid this, call your carrier before you leave to make sure your phone will work wherever you’re going. If so, check if they offer an affordable international talk and data plan. If not, consider options like an international

SIM card – a small chip card that fits inside your phone for specific use within that country – or a prepaid phone. If you’re downloading any apps to supply maps, translation or reading material on your phone or computer, do it while you are home to avoid chewing up international data at your destination. Also, be careful with Wi-Fi. Many recognizable global restaurants and fast-food chains offer the service for free, so check before you pay

for it. Once you’re home, be sure to cancel any international services you’ve ordered.

4. Eat like the locals. The Internet and the myriad travel sites it offers make it easy to find good places to eat at all price levels practically anywhere in the world. But eating food out can add up. Focus on the cheapest and safest ways the locals eat.

5. Travel insurance can be smart money management. Lost luggage,

missed connections or a medical emergency won’t just ruin your trip – they can potentially wreck your finances. Check your personal home and health insurance to see what they might cover on a trip and back your protection with a leading travel insurance policy. Visit websites that will allow you to compare coverage you need to select the best option for you. Make sure to check any travel insurance policy closely for any exclusions or pre-

existing conditions that could void your coverage.

Bottom line: It’s surprisingly easy to overspend when traveling overseas if you don’t do your research. Take the time to analyze all possible expenses large and small before you leave. Your travel budget will thank you.

Nathaniel Sillin directs Visa’s financial education programs. To follow Practical Money Skills on Twitter: www. twitter.com/PracticalMoney.

Free training in diesel engine maintenance

The St. Louis County Division of Workforce Development is partnering with the United Auto Workers Labor Employment Training Corporation on a free program to train county residents for careers as diesel mechanics.

Program participants will get training in diesel engine maintenance. The program is designed to lead to full time careers with wages between $22-$35 and hour.

“The skills these men and

WUSTL

continued from page B1

knows that universities need to do better. Adjuncts at Wash U have achieved substantial wage increases, access to professional development funds, and increased job security. We look forward to continuing this momentum into higher education at neighboring institutions.”

More than 300 Washington

n The courses are valued at $6,800 per participant but will be offered at no cost.

women learn will lay the foundation for careers,” said County Executive Stenger.

The program, taught at Ranken Technical College, 4431 Finney Ave. in St. Louis, is ongoing and each

course runs for eight-weeks. Orientations run through May 12. The courses are valued at $6,800 per participant but will be offered at no cost.

The program is funded by a grant from the State of Missouri. Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED and should have experience in mechanical work. For more information, call 314-679-3341.

University adjunct professors voted to join Service Employees International Union Local 1 on January 5, 2015. Not all of the WUSTL adjuncts are in the bargaining unit, which consists of adjunct faculty in the Sam Fox school, Arts and Sciences day and evening programs, and engineering day and evening programs. They were joined in October 2015 by more than 500 adjunct professors at St. Louis Community College, and in March 2016 by more than 300 adjunct professors at St. Charles Community College, who voted overwhelmingly to join SEIU Local 1. Meanwhile, approximately 230 Saint Louis University adjuncts have begun the process of joining them. The SLU administration reported that 62 percent of SLU’s employees with faculty status are non-tenured or not on the tenure track in 2014. For more information, visit http://www.seiu1.org/.

n “It kind of feels like a scrimmage in practice, you know what I mean.”

– Golden State’s Andre Iguodala, after the Warriors’ Game 2 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday night

TraCk & FIeld noTebook

First in throw

Sophie Rivera, A.J. Epenesa still lead the field

The St. Louis metro area is the home to two of the best throwing specialist in the country and both performers put out tremendous performances in the past few days.

Brentwood High senior Sophie Rivera added to her legacy as one of the greats in area history with a spectacular performance at the Brentwood Invitational. Competing in the javelin, Rivera unleashed a throw of 180 feet 4 inches. Not only was it the best mark in the country so far, but it also earned Rivera a spot in the U.S. Olympic Trials.

A Wisconsin signee, Rivera is the three-time Class 2 state champion in the shot put and discus.

In the same meet at Brentwood, she put out efforts of 51-5 in the shot put and 151-5 in the discus.

On the Illinois side, Edwardsville High junior

A.J. Epenesa continued his terrific work in the throws at last weekend’s Granite City Invitational. Epenesa unleashed a throw of 193 feet 9 inches in the discus, which is among the best in the nation. A University of Iowa football commit, Epenesa broke the meet record by more than 25 feet.

Cahokia girls shine

Cahokia High junior Mariya Hudson put on a show at the Corey Siebert Invitational at Rockwood Summit. Hudson won four individual events, including a sweep of all of the sprints. She won the 100-meter dash in 12.67 seconds, the 200 in 25.64 and the 400 in 56.16 seconds. Hudson also won the long jump with an impressive effort of 19 feet 5 inches.

In the 300-meter low hurdles, the Comanches earned the top three spots with Takyra Buford winning the race, followed by Laqwasia Stepney and Jayla Crosby. Stepney also finished second in the triple jump and third in the long jump.

John Burroughs girls take title

The John Burroughs girls took home the team championship at the Henle Holmes Invitational at Parkway Central. Junior Lailah Elliott enjoyed a fine individual

No competition

H. Sistrunk

For years, the NBA’s Western Conference playoffs were like a battle royal. The league put together eight talented teams, that could mop up nearly anyone in the East, and let them duke it out for supremacy. It often seemed that the West boasted five or six legitimate title contenders. Now, with the emergence of the Golden State Warriors, it appears though that Stephen Curry Klay Thompson Draymond Green and Co. have deflated and defeated many of its West-side rivals. These days the conference’s true title contenders look like a terrible spades hand – two and a soft possible. In the previous five playoff series, the following teams have all made at least one trip to the Western Conference Finals: Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks. Furthermore, the Los Angeles Clippers seemed to accrue enough talent to become a viable contender, but it hasn’t come to fruition. Now it seems the Spurs are the only team with a real chance of stopping the Warriors. The Spurs are the only team that has been able to acquire players and improve the team without changing its scheme or style in hopes of defeating the Warriors. Credit Gregg Popovich for understanding that he can’t try to beat the Warriors at their own game. He simply wants the Spurs to do what the Spurs do. Acquiring LaMarcus Aldridge (and David West on the low) obviously didn’t hurt. Kawhi

’s development into a MVP candidate and one of the top two-way players

Ishmael

With Ishmael H. Sistrunk

With Earl Austin Jr.

Earl Austin Jr.

Barring a major catastrophe (or injury), Kawhi Leonard’s Spurs and Stephen Curry’s Warriors are a lock to meet in the Western Conference Finals.

Brentwood High senior Sophie Rivera added to her legacy as one of the greats in area history with

Brentwood Invitational.

SportS EyE

With Alvin Reid

SLU baseball pitchers hurl racial insults at Obama

In February 2012, Richard Cebull, a U.S. District judge in Montana, sent an email on his official address to a group of people that racially insulted President Barack Obama

It included a joke that implies Obama’s mother Ann Dunham was impregnated at a party at which she was drunk. Of course a white woman would have to be drunk to have sex with a black man, right? Ha ha, really funny.

What was really whacky was Judge Cebull’s apology and explanation. He said he knew the joke was racist, but don’t dare call him racist.

“The only reason I can explain it to you is I am not a fan of our president, but this goes beyond not being a fan. I didn’t send it as racist, although that’s what it is. I sent it out because it’s anti-Obama,” he said. That nonsense came from the mouth of a federal judge, folks. He apologized to the president, and resigned in May 2013.

Which brings us to a text conversation between two unnamed (as of Tuesday) members of the SLU baseball team during a road trip to Washington, D.C. in May 2015.

A conversation about dinner took an odd twist.

anybody,” Twomey told the SLU campus newspaper.

“You become close (to the players) because you do spend so much time with them, so you overlook (that),” Twomey said. “At the same time, I felt extremely disrespected. I knew there should be some sort of punishment, but I didn’t know how to go about that.”

Dozens of comments appear after the Post-Dispatch story about this sordid episode. The majority either find a way to say the culprits should not be punished through some type of twisted interpretation of First Amendment, that it is just “boys being boys” or further insult the president.

It has been verbal open-season on Obama and his wife, Michelle, since he was elected. It’s disgusting and it’s racially driven. What is most troubling, though, are the many intelligent people that look me in the eye and say, just as Judge Cebull said, “It’s not racist.”

n “I heard they got a colored running the country.. This Tru?”

“Unfortunately, it is,” responds another player.

“I heard they got a colored running the country.. This Tru?”

“Unfortunately, it is,” responds another player.

“(Expletive) watermelon eatin baboon,” reads the following text.

Brenden Twomey, a team manager who is black, was made aware of the texts, but took no action. He still had a captured image of the conversation on his phone and a friend saw it. Twomey was convinced to finally report the incident.

What took so long?

“When I received that screen shot, obviously I knew it was wrong, but I was in a tough situation because I didn’t want to necessarily hurt

Continued from B3 the primary focus on offense. Harden is such a ball-dominant

Adam Serwer, BuzzFeed national editor and a former MSNBC reporter, wrote in Mother Jones in 2012 that “Cebull doesn’t seem to understand there’s no way to deploy racism exclusively against President Obama. Racist animus cannot be focused on a single person. It is, by definition, a collective judgment on an entire people.”

He added that this is “why some conservatives don’t seem to understand why so many black people react to such language as though they’re being personally targeted. They are, even if those doing the targeting don’t seem to realize it.”

Mona Hicks, dean of students, said the players would not be disciplined because it was a private conversation.

It doesn’t matter. The players showed their true color, pun intended.

Since the story came to light, Twomey said tobacco spit was splattered outside his door and nail clippings left on

guard and thus it is impossible for Howard to be happy. He sulks, he whines and he lacks the same effort that made him one of the premier big men in the game several years ago. Firing Kevin McHale after a

the cloth he uses to clean his glasses.

Heyward stays classy

Jason Heyward returned to St. Louis for the first time since signing a big-bucks freeagent contract with the Chicago Cubs last winter. The All-Star right fielder was a Cardinal for a season before turning down a reportedly larger offer to be a Cub.

Carrie Muskat, a MLB. com reporter, wrote that Jayson Heyward “was greeted with a mix of boos and cheers when he stepped to the plate in the first inning.” I must have seen another game. Cubs starting pitcher John Lackey, who also chose

4-7 start wasn’t the answer. Houston must part ways with its big man if the team wants to bounce back into contention.

Memphis Grizzlies: For years the Grizzlies were

the Cubs over the Cards in freeagency, got a mixed reaction from the crowd. Heyward was booed vociferously, a fact that was illuminated by video on ESPN SportsCenter and MLB Network.

Heyward took it all in stride and certainly appreciated the Cubs’ 5-0 win and Lackey’s masterful pitching.

“People just don’t boo anybody. If they boo you it means you must be doing something,” he said following the game.

Before the game, he told Muskat “St. Louis was a special experience. It allowed me to go step out and be myself again. Free agency is free agency. I had to make a decision.”

the antithesis of the current Warriors. They’re a half-court, defensive-minded team that likes to bully teams down low with Zack Randolph and Marc Gasol. Gasol’s injury signaled the doom of the Grizzlies from contention. However, even with Gasol in the lineup, they lack the offensive firepower to rise back to the top of the West. The Grizzlies desperately need a quality two-way wingman.

O.J. Mayo couldn’t get it done. Jeff Green wasn’t consistent enough. Lance Stephenson isn’t the answer. The search continues.

Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki is still the heart and soul of the Mavs franchise, but at 37-years-old, he can no longer carry the team on his shoulders. To their credit, the Mavericks surprised everyone by bouncing back to finish as the sixth seed in the West after a tumultuous offseason due to DeAndre Jordan’s free-agent flake-out. Deron Williams resuscitated his career, Chandler Parsons and Wesley

Philly says “sorry” to Jackie Robinson When Jackie Robinson took the field against the Philadelphia Phillies in 1947, Phillies manager Ben Chapman told him “go back to the cotton fields.” He was refused service at a hotel and taunted by players with racial slurs when he came to bat. Some Phillies acted as wouldbe snipers, pointing their bats at Robinson as if they were rifles.

On April 15 the Philadelphia’s city council did what St. Louis and other cities should do – apologize.

‘’He faced tremendous racism in our city,’’ Councilwoman Helen Gym said. ‘’It was something he never forgot, but neither should we.’’ Members of the Cardinals, including segregationist Enos Slaughter, reportedly were going to boycott games against the Brooklyn Dodgers, and it was reported in many newspapers. The late Joe Garagiola was among those that said it was not true. Something was up, though. National League president Ford Frick announced that any player who refused to play against Robinson would receive a lifetime ban – and that’s a fact. Alvin A. Reid is a panelist on the Nine Network program, Donnybrook and appears on ABC’s The Allman Report and several sports radio shows. His Twitter handle is @aareid1.

Matthews played well. Zaza Pachulia turned out to be a steal. Still, none of players are elite. The Mavs are in the playoffs due to great coaching and teamwork. They pose no threat to the throne. Mark Cuban will have to fight hard to bring a superstar to Dallas to take the torch from Nowitzki.

Los Angeles Clippers: Just like the Rockets will never win with Dwight Howard anchoring the middle, the same holds true for the Clippers with DeAndre Jordan. Yes, Jordan is a beast on the boards and a solid defender but he doesn’t have the mental fortitude to anchor a team deep into the playoffs. Player-for-player, the Clippers have the most-talented team in the league. Blake Griffin is one of the most underrated players in the league, but is coming off injury and suspension in what has been a tumultuous year. Chris Paul is still an elite point guard but has an interesting dilemma on the Clips. He has too many mouths to feed and still need to eat in order for the Clippers to win.

Luckily for the Clippers, they were the second fiddle so long in Los Angeles that being the best team in L.A. should be enough for the fans. It better be, because being the best in the West just isn’t happening.

Let’s Go Blues!

I’m always hesitant to get excited about the St. Louis Blues in the playoffs. Let’s keep it real, regardless of the regular-season record, the Blues always seem to go to bed early in the postseason. Furthermore, the Blackhawks leave the Blues with black eyes at almost every encounter. Now Ken Hitchcock has his team in prime position to exorcise its demons with a commanding 3-1 series lead. We’ve seen this not work out so well in the past, but hopefully this is the season the Blues can finally put it together and make a deep run. Let’s all put our hands together in preparation for claps and not just another collapse.

Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ IshmaelSistrunk

Alvin Reid

By Umar Lee

For The St. Louis American

Jim Howell’s dad got him boxing at a very young age. As a child he trained with coach Barney McCarthy at a gym in North St. Louis on top of an auto mechanics shop. At the age of seven in 1944 Howell had his first fight and he’s been involved in boxing ever since as a fighter, a referee and now a long time coach. The North County Athletic Association gym where Howell coaches has been open since 1972. Before that it was located at St. Louis Community College –Florissant Valley.

n “You’re not seeing knockouts. Everyone is coming here in shape.”

– Jim Howell

This past week Howell co-promoted the St. Louis Golden Gloves opendivision finals at the Heart of St. Charles Banquet Center. Howell admits they a hard time getting advertisers and sponsors, but was pleased with the level of competition and fighters this year.

“You’re not seeing knockouts. Everyone is coming here in shape,” Howell said. The only woman who’ll be representing St. Louis at the Golden Gloves nationals in Salt Lake City May 21 is Munae Ward of Pagedale. She got there by defeating Jermesh Polk of North County in a spirited bout.

On the men’s side Jermiah Smotherman of Wellston at 108 pounds and Timothy Jarman of Wohl at 114 pounds advanced due to walkovers. At 123 pounds Donte

TRACK

Continued from B3

day as she won the long jump and 100-meter high hurdles. She also finished second in the triple jump and third in the high jump. Freshman Madison Fuller won the 200 and ran legs on the Bombers’ first-place 4x200-meter relay and second-place 4x400. The Bombers won the Class 3 state championship last season in Jefferson City.

Kirkwood girls contend

The Kirkwood girls will be a prime contender in Class 5 this season after finishing second in the team standings last season. The Pioneers finished second at last weekend’s Dale Collier Invitational at Kirkwood and enjoyed many sparkling performances. Junior Hava Turner won both the 100- and 200-meter dashes. Kara Steele was first in the 400-meter dash and triple jump while Andi Kuehnlein was first in the 300-meter low hurdles. The Pioneers also finished first in the 4x200 and 4x400.

What’s on tap

Some of the top meets happening this weekend are the Phil Brusca/Connie Strobach Invitational, which will be held at Ladue on Saturday. the Fort Zumwalt North Invitational will be held on Saturday. Several area athletes will head to Lawrence, Kansas to compete in the Jayhawk Relays this weekend as well.

STL sends fighters to Golden Gloves nationals

Randall of All City Boxing advanced by defeating a game but outgunned Hieu Huynh of the South Broadway Athletic Club in a tough bout. Lamontez Hughes of North County advanced at 132 pounds by defeating Javon Tollivar of Cherokee. Dalton Hitchcock of Skywalker Boxing Club in Beardstown, Illinois advanced by defeating Doente Fisher of Pagedale in a razor-thin decision at 141 pounds. At 152 pounds Jeremiah Millett of Pagedale , son of

former world champion Terron Millett, defeated Darius Green of Wellston in a tough bout. Ray Ship of Pagedale at 165 pounds defeated Darion Green of Wellston in back to back wins for Pagedale over its North County neighbor.

Jeramiah Nguyen of Rescue Boxing Club in Belleville, Illinois won the Outstanding Boxer of the Night trophy based on his defeat of Henry Dorsey of Flash Boxing Club in East St. Louis in an all east side affair at 175 pounds.

Leroy Jones of Cherokee

advanced by defeating Brandon Martin of North County at 201 pounds and in the final bout of the night Brandon Johnson of 12th and Park advanced by defeating Lamont Williams of the Beardstown Boxing Club in the heavyweight division.

The spirited crowd in St. Charles featured a number of local notables including former boxing standout brothers Lavell and Terrell Fingers and the father of undefeated boxing prospect Keandre Gibson. A confident Howell is upbeat on the prospects for

The ST. LouiS AmericAn PreP AThLeTeS of The Week

Hava Turner

Kirkwood – Girls Track and Field

The junior sprinter earned four first-place medals at last weekend’s Dale Collier Invitational at Kirkwood.

Turner won the 100- and 200-meter dashes and ran legs on the Pioneers’ 4x100- and 4x200-meter relays teams that took home first place. Turner posted a winning time of 12.14 seconds in the 100 and 25.18 in the 200.

As a sophomore, Turner earned four All-State medals at the Class 5 state meet to help the Pioneers to a second-place finish in the team standings. She finished fourth in the 100, eighth in the 200 and ran a leg on the Pioneers 4x200 team that won a state title and the 4x400 team that finished second.

Jermaine Holt

Parkway North – Boys Track and Field

The senior sprinter enjoyed a big day at last week’s Henle Holmes Invitational at Parkway Central. Holt took home three first-place medals and a third place finish from Henle Holmes. Holt won the 400-meter dash in an impressive time of 48.73 seconds. He also finished third in the 200-meter dash. Holt was also part of the Vikings’ first-place 4x200 and 4x400-meter relay teams. He anchored the Vikings to a first-place finish in the 4x400 with a blistering finishing leg. As a junior, Holt was a Class 5 state qualifier in the 400.

St. Louis region fighters in Salt Lake City. “We’re always competitive,” Howell said. “We’ve been ranked tenth out

At 123 pounds Donte Randall of All City Boxing advanced to the Golden Gloves nationals by defeating a game but outgunned Hieu Huynh of the South Broadway Athletic Club in a tough bout in the St. Louis Golden Gloves open-division finals.

City brokers bond program for M/WBEs

The City of St. Louis has brokered a new Gateway Surety Bond Program designed to help minority- and women-owned construction companies obtain surety bonds that normally do not qualify based on standard underwriting guidelines.

Howard Hayes, director of Minority Business Development & Compliance for the St. Louis Development Corporation, developed the program with Community Insurance Center, a division of Inner-City Underwriting Agency.

“Surety bonds are required for all public financed projects. Most minority and women owned construction firms can’t bid on these projects because they don’t qualify for surety bonding,” Hayes said.

Howard Hayes, St. Louis Development Corporation

“This inability to access financing and bonding is consistently identified by minority and women owned construction firms as the major barriers preventing growth and development. St. Louis intends to change this.”

CENTENE

continued from page B1

“While many other companies met to decide how to consolidate operations, lock down and to add more security,” McMillan said, “Michael Neidorff added more jobs and increased economic stability and security.”

The new bond program will work closely with the new Contractor Loan Fund created by St. Louis Development Corporation along with its regional partners last year. Together, the programs expect to increase the number of minorityand women-owned construction companies that can qualify for both bank financing and surety bonds.

Community Insurance Center has implemented similar programs in Illinois for the City of Chicago, Illinois Tollway and several other public and private organizations. It has opened an office in St. Louis and moved the firm’s Surety Practice leader, Gina Eanes-Banks, to manage the new office and implement the new bond program.

More information about the program will be released shortly. In the meantime, contractors interested in applying to the program should email Matthew Cooper at SuretyBonds@ CommunityInsCenter.net or call 314-551-9080.

Neidorff is national board chair for the National Urban League. On the streets of Ferguson, many protesters held up signs saying that the community needed more jobs. In early September 2014, Centene announced plans to build the service center, and now “it’s a reality,” McMillan said. Neidorff also said that the company will soon add 1,500 to 2,000 jobs in the next three years at its Clayton location. Gov. Jay Nixon attended the opening, along with U.S.

Senators Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt, and said that these kinds of job investments are “what Missouri is all about.”

Neidorff said he hopes that the center will bring some sense of security to other businesses in the area.

He said, “This is progress we want and need in our region.”

For job opportunities at Centene, visit http://www. centene.com/.

Financial Focus

By Courtney Bond

Black

& Single

My boo, or not my boo?

question

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

“I really like him, I really do. But whenever I try to bring up the nature of our relationship he is as vague as all get out.” He doesn’t even use the standard “I like spending time with you, but I’m keeping my options open” glossary of terms.

This man is so ambiguous that he doesn’t even introduce her as his friend out of fear that someone might take the annunciation out of context and it be mistaken for that drawn out “friieeennnnnnnnddddd” that implies one is referring to a significant other. They’ve been seeing each other for just over 11 months. They are not anything close to common law, but they’ve been doing couple stuff long enough for her to have the right to hem him up for a clear definition of their relationship status. I was like, “Girl, if you have to ask the answer is ‘there is no relationship.’” But that was until I hung out with them a few times.

He’s a perfect gentleman; they are fantastic together as far as conversation compatibility. It’s just feels like such a natural fit. He even gets along marvelously with her teenage son. And I hate to say it, but he has been running some serious interference lately.

They are one of those couples where when you’re with them you can’t help but think, “I hope I can find somebody that I gel with like that.”

The only thing is that they are not technically a couple, because he refuses to make it plain.

Miles, interrupted

Don Cheadle embodies flaws but fails to illustrate Davis’ genius in new film

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

Don Cheadle was clearly a man obsessed when it came to bringing Miles Davis to the big screen. It was a project that took nearly a decade to come to fruition, but he was committed to seeing it through. When it was all said and done, he starred, co-wrote, directed and produced “Miles Ahead” – which hits theatres nationwide on Friday , April 22. He even wrote the liner notes for

Festival of Funny

QFest captures the black experience

Annual LGBT film series highlights trials and triumphs among people of color

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

St. Louis film community will have an opportunity to see the perspectives and experiences of the LGBTQ community on screen thanks to Cinema St. Louis’ presentation of QFest this weekend at the Hi-Pointe back lot.

Four of the 16 films highlighted speak specifically to what it means to be black and LGBTQ over the course of the fourday festival. They run the gamut on subject matter – from a dance prodigy who walked away from the successful studio she founded in her middle ages to live as a feminist lesbian activist to a transwoman who committed her life and career to create

a safe space for the girls who followed in her footsteps.

Of the films, “Major!” a film that celebrates Miss Major for living authentically despite the social norms and prejudices, is the most compelling.

“As far as ‘walk a mile in my shoes,’ [expletive] my shoes!” Miss Major exclaimed in the documentary about her life and times as a transwoman activist.

“Honey, wear my dress, my wig, my perfume and then go out there. And after you get beat up a couple of times, come back home and catch your breath – and you might not even be safe in your own home.”

Through “Major!” audiences will get a

See QFEST, C4

the film’s soundtrack – which he also produced.

Unfortunately, “Miles Ahead” focuses on Davis as the worst version of himself and gives marginal attention to his game-changing musical contributions.

For trumpeters, there could almost be a B.M (before Miles) and A.D. (after Davis) as far as how he revolutionized the use of the instrument. As a composer he spearheaded an entirely

See MILES, C4

Awards return to Sun Theatre on Monday

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

As a past recipient of a Saint Louis Visionary Award, Sara Burke knew firsthand of the encouragement and intrinsic value that came with honor.

Being one of the handful of women annually recognized for an array of contributions within the creative community, she felt more motivated and compelled to inspire others through the arts than ever.

The experience of being honored by the Visionary Awards touched her so deeply that when Grand Center discontinued the award after 11 years, Burke led a movement to restore the brand – and the awards returned last year. And thanks to her and the team, the Visionary Awards will be back at The Sun Theatre for a second year on Monday, April 25. Six women in varying walks of art are scheduled to

See VISIONARY, C4

Design by Querido Galdo for the film “Major!”

“Miles Ahead,” directed by and starring Don Cheadle, opens in theatres nationwide on Friday, April 22.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

How to place a calendar listing

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

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

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

concerts

Thur., Apr. 21, 6 p.m., Whitaker Jazz Speaks Series: BAG – A Celebration of the Black Artists Group with Oliver Lake. The series explores the connection between jazz, race, and politics. For this event, Saint Louis University professor Dr. Ben Looker and founding BAG members Oliver Lake, Shirley LeFlore, and Charles “Bobo” Shaw (drums) discuss the influential group, followed by a performance featuring these incredible artists joined by bassist Darryl Mixon and trumpeter George Sams. Jazz at the Bistro, 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 5716000 or visit www.jazzstl.org.

Fri., Apr. 22, 6:30 p.m., North County Community Development Corp presents a Gospel Fest Celebration Featuring Dr. Dello Thedford and the Gospel Symphonics, the Jennings Senior High Choir and the Jennings Senior High Dancers. 8850 Cozens, 63136. For additional information, call (314) 833-3514 or visit www. northcountycdc.org.

Apr. 22 – 23, 8 p.m., Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival feat. John Pizzarelli. Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, One University Blvd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 516-4949 or visit www.touhill.org.

Sun., Apr. 24, 8 p.m., Fubar presents Lil STL. 3108 Locust St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 2899050 or visit www.fubarstl. com.

Sun., Apr. 24, 8 p.m., Old School 95.5 FM presents Spring Jam starring Anthony Hamilton with special guests Angie Stone and Lyfe Jennings. The Fox Theatre. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.

Fri., Apr. 29, 7 p.m., The Ready Room presents B.o.B.

4195 Manchester Ave., 63110. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www. ticketfly.com.

Sun., May 8, 3 p.m., Meramec Community Orchestra presents Chaco Symphony with renowned renowned Native American Flutist R. Carlos Nakai Chaco Symphony is an original ten movement piece composed and conducted by Gary Gackstatter, professor at Meramec. Free and open to the public. Meramec Community College, 11333 Big Bend Blvd., 63122. For more information, call (314) 984-7639 or visit www. merameccommunitycollege. com.

Sun., May 8, Laugh All Night St. Louis Presents Donnell Jones with special guests Arvin Mitchell and Rhoda G. Ritz Carlton Grand Ballroom, 100 Carondelet Plaza. For tickets, visit www.metrotix. com.

Fri., May 13, 8 p.m., Ozark Theatre presents Songs Of The Ladies. Carol Beth True Trio with vocalist Kim Fuller will present a tribute to the music of Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Nancy Wilson and more. 103 E. Lockwood Ave., 63119. For more information, call (314) 962-7000 or visit www. ozarktheatre.com.

special events

Thur., Apr. 21, 6 p.m., 2016 Voice for Children Foster the Future Gala with keynote speaker Lucas Boyce, author of Living Proof: From Foster Care to the White House and the NBA. Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel, 800 Washington Ave., 63101. For more information, visit www.voicesstl.org.

Sat., Apr. 23, 6 p.m., Ladies Night Out Entertainment

Calendar

The Ready Room presents B.o.B. For more information, see CONCERTS.

Featured Event

Sat., Apr. 23, 2 p.m., Rwandan Genocide Survivor Alex Nsengimana: Focus on Love, Neighbors and Forgiveness. Nsengimana shares his powerful testimony of his escape from the genocide in Rwanda. The event is free and all are welcome to attend. First Baptist Church of Ferguson, 333 N. Florissant Rd., 63135. For more information, call (314) 602-1027 or visit www. samaritanspurse.org.

presents Queen and Her Prince Mother & Son Soiree. Mothers & Sons, Grandmothers/Grandsons, Aunts/Nephews of ALL ages are invited to join us for an evening of fun with our sons. Refreshments, Music, Dancing, Shopping, Entertainment. Brentwood Community Center, 2505 S. Brentwood Blvd., 63144. For more information or for tickets, call (314) 480-0311 or visit www. LadiesNightOutEntertainment. com.

Thur., Apr. 28, 6:30 p.m., Aim High 2016 Luminosity Gala. Join friends and community leaders for a fun-filled evening with a wide selection of cocktails, appetizers and live music while we help celebrate Aim High’s 25 Years of Inspiration, Determination and Achievement. This event is particularly special because some well-known St. Louis natives will be joining in the celebration. Entertainment will be provided by Brian Owens and the Deacons of Soul. Aim High is a personal

and academic enrichment program for fifth through eighth grade students who have demonstrated potential. Barnett On Washington, 3207 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 432-9500 or visit www. aimhighluminosity2016. eventbrite.com.

Fri., Apr. 29, 6:30 p.m., North Side Community School presents 2016 Friends Helping Friends. Join us for a night of friends, fun and motorcycles. The evening will feature cocktails and dinner with entertainment, a live auction. A special tribute to Martin Mathews of Mathews-Dickey’s Boys’ & Girls’ Club for his longstanding commitment to the children of north St. Louis. The Moto Museum, 3441 Olive St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 385-9502 or visit www. northsidecommunityschool.org.

Apr. 29 – May 1, HarrisStowe State University presents the Inaugural Male Empowerment Summit, hosted by Dr. Dwaun J.

Warmack and featuring Pastor Jamal Bryant and Dr. Steve Perry.

Sat., Apr. 30, 7 p.m., Dignity Period’s 2nd Annual Spring Gala. Menstruation is a taboo subject in Ethiopia, which can lead to fear and shame, and most girls must make do with inadequate – and sometimes unsanitary – substitutes for menstrual hygiene products. Girls often stay home from school to avoid embarrassing accidents, causing them to fall behind and even drop out. Our mission is to keep adolescent Ethiopian girls in school by ensuring that they have access to quality menstrual hygiene products. Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd., 63110. For more information, call (314) 704-1501 or visit www.dignityperiod.org.

Sat., Apr. 30, 9 p.m., Supernatural: Spring Edition. A Celebration of fros, locs, curls, cuts and the pursuit of nappiness. Setting the mood with afro-funk, soul bombs, house grooves, that ol’ ill hip-hop ish and more will be Nappy DJ Needles of The Soulition. Blank Space, 2847 Cherokee St., 63118. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.

Sat., May 7, 6 p.m., STL Fashion Movement presents Mother May I Mother’s Day Fashion Show. Several local designers will showcase their Spring/Summer collections, ready for purchase straight off the runway. Hosted by Anthony Freeman of FACE Modeling Development Agency, with music by Ric Louis. Some of the featured designers are: Upgrade My Diva, Alisha’s Pieces, Sewphisticated DIVA, Erika’s Creations, and more. Machinist’s Hall, 12365 St. Charles Rock Rd., 63044. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Sun., May 8, 1 p.m., Ladies Night Out Entertainment presents Sip & Sashay with Hattitude. Ladies slip on your prettiest hat and join us Mother’s Day for brunch, music, and more. The Christy, 5856 Christy Blvd., 63116. For more information, call (314) 480-0311 or visit www. LadiesNightOutEntertainment. com.

Sun., May 8, 7 p.m., Ladies Night Out Entertainment presents Mothers Day All White Gala. Enjoy a dinner buffet, open bar, and live entertainment with

a performance from The Coleman Hughes Project feat. Adrianne. The Christy, 5856 Christy Blvd., 63116. For more information, call (314) 480-0311 or visit www. LadiesNightOutEntertainment. com.

Thur., May 12, 5 p.m., FOCUS St. Louis presents 19th Annual What’s Right with the Region! Awards This regional celebration will highlight outstanding success stories from our community and honor the efforts of 20 individuals, organizations and/ or initiatives that promote improvements in the area. Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 622-1250 or visit www.focusstl.org.

Sat., May 14, 7 a.m., American Heart Association presents Metro St. Louis Heart Walk. The walk promotes physical activity and heart-healthy living in a fun, family environment. It is a time of celebration for those who have made lifestyle changes and encourages many more to take the pledge to live healthier lifestyles while raising the monies needed to fund life-saving research and education, advocate for health and save lives. Busch Stadium, 700 Clark Ave., 63102. For more information, call 855229-4424 or visit www. metrostlouisheartwalk.org.

comedy

Thur., Apr. 28, 7 p.m., Secure Entertainment presents the Out Hrrr Laughing Comedy Show Featuring Jason Jenkins, Willie C, Innergy, Joie Krack, and Tree Sanchez. Blank Space, 2847 Cherokee St., 63118. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

literary

Sun., Apr. 24, 1 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Kwame Alexander, author of Booked. In this follow-up to the Newbery-winning novel The Crossover, soccer, family, love, and friendship, take center stage as twelve-year-old Nick learns the power of words as he wrestles with problems at home, stands up to a bully, and tries to impress the girl of his dreams. Helping him along are his best friend and sometimes teammate Coby, and The Mac, a rapping librarian who gives

Nick inspiring books to read. 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-6731 or visit www. left-bank.com.

Mon., Apr. 25, 7 p.m., Natural Bridge Debut Writer Series presents Poet Roger Reeves. Reeves investigates violence and the politics of poverty, gender, race and self… Reflecting traditions and aesthetics from Audre Lorde to the Black Arts movement, from Whitman to Lil Wayne, King me is poignantly lyrical… Even as the poet exposes the most appalling acts of humanity, here there is great tenderness and generosity. UMSL at Grand Center, 3652 Olive St., 63108. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.

Sat., May 7, 10 a.m., St. Louis Indie Book Fair. There will be over 100 titles to choose from in fiction and nonfiction, ranging from children’s to adult. 32 authors will be present to sell, sign, and read from their work on stage. St. Louis Public Library Central Branch, 1301 Olive St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 258-6251 or visit www. markpannebecker.com.

theatre

Apr. 23 – 24, KMW Productions presents The Wake Up Call. J.C. Penney Auditorium, UMSL, 1 University Dr., 63121. For more information, call (314) 549-8994 or visit www. kmwproductions.org.

Apr. 26 – May 8, The Fox Theatre presents The Sound of Music. The spirited, romantic and beloved musical story of Maria and the Von Trapp Family will once again thrill audiences with its award winning songs, including “My Favorite Things,” “Do-ReMi,” and the title song. 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 534-1111 or visit www. fabulousfox.com.

Apr. 29-Apr. 30, 7 p.m. (additional 3 p.m. performance on April 30) “The Me that I am and the Me that I used to Be,” Emerson Performance Center (Bank of America Theater) on the campus of HarrisStowe State University, 3101 Laclede Ave, St. Louis, MO 63106. For more information please call 314-922-7652 or e-mail your inquiries to just1voiceproductions@gmail. com.

Through May 1, The Black Rep presents Twisted Melodies starring Kelvin Roston Jr. The Edison Theatre, 6445 Forsyth on the Campus of Washington University. For more information, visit www. theblackrep.org or call (314) 534-3810.

arts

Apr. 29 – May 31, 1900 Park Gallery presents John Blair’s Dream Interpretation. This show is an artistic exploration of the subjective meaning of unconscious experience. There will be an opening reception on May 6 at 6 p.m. 1900 Park Ave., 63104. For more information, call (314) 5201211 or visit www.1900park. com.

May 6 – 7, Black Speculative Arts Movement 2016. BSAM is an annual comics and art convention. Events include spoken word performances, a black thought poetry workshop, networking events, several lectures in the areas of art, politics, music, and much more. Harris Stowe State University, 3026 Laclede Ave., 63103. For more information and a complete schedule, visit www.facebook.com.

May 6 – 8, Emerson presents the 29th Annual Art Fair. Come out for local food and beverage vendors, hands-on

activities for kids, special wine and beer tasting events, live music and 150 juried artists from across the country. Event proceeds support our presentation of temporary exhibitions, education programs and public events. Laumeier Sculpture Park, 12580 Rott Rd., 63127. For more information, call (314) 615-4278 or visit www. laumeier.org.

lectures/ workshops

Sat., Apr. 23, 8:30 a.m., NCCJ St. Louis presents the Interrupting Racism Workshop. Through short presentations, experiential activities, reflection and dialogue, participants will cultivate a stronger awareness of their racial socialization, how it plays out in their interactions, and ways they can interrupt racism whenever it arises. Adams Park Boys & Girls Club, 4317 Vista Ave., 63110. For more information, call (314) 432-2525 or visit www.nccjstl.org.

Apr. 23 – 30, Third Annual St. Louis Money Smart Week. For a complete list of classes and locations, call (314) 539-4156 or visit www.moneysmartweek.org/ findevents.

Wed., Apr. 27, 6:30 p.m., The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis presents The Decision-Making: Assessing Award Letters for Affordability Workshop. This last free workshop will offer help with reviewing award letters, comparing financial aid packages, and determining next steps. 8215 Clayton Rd., 63117. For more information, call (314) 725-7990 or visit www.sfstl.org.

health

Tues., Apr. 26, 8 p.m., Seniors Home Care University: Free Family Caregiver Training This workshop is free and seating is limited. For more information or to RSVP, call (314) 962-2666 or visit www. seniorshomecare.com.

Fri., Apr. 29, 11 a.m., The St. Louis American Foundation’s 16th Annual Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awards Luncheon. Hilton St. Louis Frontenac, 1335 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, call (314) 5338000.

Fri., Apr. 29, 5:30 p.m., American Heart Association and Edward Jones present Girls Night Goes Red. Join us as we celebrate the power of women in the fight against heart disease and stroke. Edward Jones Headquarters, 12555 Manchester Rd., 63131. For more information, call (314) 692-5673 or visit www.heart.org/ GirlsNightGoesRedSTL

Apr. 21 – 24, Kossuth Church Of God In Christ 80th Church Anniversary: God’s Sovereign Intent Proclaimed By The Church. Guest Speakers: Friday 7pm & Sunday 11:15 am - Bishop Joseph Shannon; Sunday 4:00 pm - Bishop Brandon Porter. Saturday 7 pm - Musical. 3801 Eld. Robert Strong, Sr. Way, 63115. For more information, call (314) 580-4922 or visit www.kossuthcogic.org.

Sun., Apr. 24, 8 & 11 a.m., Leonard M. B. Church 155th Anniversary. 100 N. Compton, 63106. For more information, call (314) 477-7954 or visit www. leonardbaptist.org.

Sun., Apr. 24, 4 p.m., The Annual Wilberforce Alumni Musical Feast featuring The 60 Plus Voices Community Gospel Choir Of St. Louis Missouri Under the Direction of Susanne Palmer, St. Paul AME Church, 1260 Hamilton Ave. For more information, call (314) 385-8900. Sat., Apr. 30, Lane Tabernacle C.M.E. Church Hats, Hankie and Pearls Brunch, New Northside Conference Center, 5939 Goodfellow. For more information, call (314) 5330534.

May 20, Healing & Mending Ministry presents their 7th Annual Fresh Anointing Women’s Retreat. Guest Speakers: Pastor Jackie Allen, Minister Jeanne Vogt & Dr. Laurette Pickett. Deposit is due of $50.00 ASAP. Contact: Pastor McCoy-Email: healingm2@gmail.com http:// www.healmending.org

Sat., Apr. 30, 10 a.m., Saint Louis University presents 2nd Annual Ferguson/ Dellwood Community Health & Wellness Fair. Greater St. Mark Family Church, 9950 Glen Owen Dr., 63135. For more information, call (314) 977-4084 or visit www.slu. edu/ccpro.

St. Louis Presents Donnell Jones with special guests Arvin Mitchell and Rhoda G.. For more information, see CONCERTS.

Continued from C1

new style within jazz that rippled into not only other styles of music, but other forms of creativity – poetry and visual arts in particular. Referred to as an “antibiopic,” “Miles Ahead” pays little homage to Davis’ cemented status as a musical giant whose influence can be felt across a broad spectrum of musical genres.

The only constant is the image of Miles Davis as an unruly junkie with a propensity for violence, and the suggestion that he suffered from a borderline personality disorder. Yes, he’s a musical genius too – but that’s almost beside the point in this film.

It is the late 1970s when Davis is introduced in “Miles Ahead.” He is a semi-recluse on a self-imposed hiatus from his beloved horn. Preferring drugs over people, he is holed up in his disheveled New York

City luxury townhome. The film moves forward when journalist-turnedaccidental sidekick Dave Brill inserts himself into Davis’ world for what might be for the sake of the story, but viewers can never be quite sure. The two carry on over the course of a mission that starts out with Davis’ attempt to score money from his label so that he can finance his next hit – drugs, not music.

It’s apparent that Cheadle became so enthralled by what he believed to be Davis’ process that he made a film in the same improvisational manner in which Davis and other artists within the genre of jazz made music.

“Miles Ahead” blurs the lines between fact and fiction in a way that has the audience questioning everything they are experiencing – which can, and often does, change direction from one scene to the next.

The difference between Davis’ process for making music and Cheadle’s filmmaking is that Davis clearly knew the rules, which enhanced

his ability to break them. And he was so gifted in his craft that there was an instinctive method to his madness that led him to innovation. Cheadle’s cinematic interpretation misses the mark in that respect. He offers a manic piece of filmmaking that never lives up to its potential.

“Miles Ahead” has a laundry list of shortcomings, but Cheadle’s performance as Davis is certainly not one of them. He utterly nails his portrayal of Davis, from his raspy voice to the most subtle of nuances.

McGregor is convincing in his role as Brill, but his presence feels so contrived that viewers might have a difficult time connecting with him.

If only Cheadle had captured the essence of Davis beyond his demons, “Miles Ahead” could have been yet another masterpiece attributed to his influence.

“Miles Ahead” opens in theatres nationwide on Friday, April 22. The film is rated R with a running time of 100 minutes.

VISIONARY

Continued from C1

be recognized for using their talents and skills to be a driving force in a host of arenas in the arts world – from music, visual arts and dance to drama and arts administration.

“The great joy of this is lifting up women with these amazing stories, who are making change in our communities through the arts – and to share this gift,” Burke said. “It feels empowering and it’s the right way we need to support each other.”

The 2016 class includes Denise Thimes, a staple of the St. Louis music scene and De Andrea Nichols, a social entrepreneur who uses visual art as a method of community engagement.

Thimes is over the moon about receiving the “Outstanding Working Artist” award at Monday’s ceremony.

Through music and theatre, Thimes is among the most recognizable and revered members of the performing arts community.

She’s performed all over the world, including for Queen of England and more than one

President of The United States. But it becomes apparent when speaking to her that the biggest reward is the feeling that comes with knowing her hometown has had her back during her 20-plus years as a professional singer and actress.

“I have been so blessed to have had such support over the years and to still be able to do what I love,” said Denise Thimes “I’m telling you it’s a wonderful feeling to know that I’ve been able have St. Louis behind me.”

It was Nichols “artivism” on the frontlines of the Ferguson unrest that earned her the Visionary’s “Community Impact Artist” honors. She was the mind behind the mirrored casket that made its way through countless protests and direct actions over the course of the unrest in Ferguson. It debuted during Ferguson October with a silent march from near the burned out QuikTrip that was referred to as “Ground Zero” and was delivered to the front of the Ferguson Police Department.

It was an artistic centerpiece to the movement from then on. The casket was purchased by the Smithsonian last year for an undisclosed amount.

“The object speaks a message that words don’t

2016 St. Louis Visionary Awards honorees Stacy West, De Nichols, Phoebe Dent Weil, Priscilla Block, Sabina England and Denise Thimes

fully articulate,” Nichols told The American in an earlier interview about the Smithsonian acquisition. “You could be in this casket. This could be your family. And then you look at yourself and you see that you are part of a system that is causing this.”

In addition to Thimes and Nichols, the 2016 Visionary Awards include: Phoebe Dent Weil, Major Contributor to the Arts; Priscilla Block, Outstanding Arts Professional; Stacy West, Outstanding Teaching Artist and Sabina England, Emerging Artist Burke says that with the award comes the joy of the women knowing that others see value in their contributions.

“You feel like you are not in the shadows and that people appreciate you,” Burke said. “It’s about recognizing women who are really doing healing work through the arts – and working to make our community a better place.”

The 2016 St. Louis Visionary Awards will be held on Monday, April 25, 2016. The Ceremony will begin at 6 p.m., followed by a reception at 7 p.m. at the Sun Theater in Grand Center. For tickets or more information, visit http:// www.vizawards.org/ or call (314) 289-4131.

A soulful reunion

British soul duo Floetry were at their absolute best when they made their way back to St. Louis for the second time in as many years Sunday night at The Pageant. After being on hiatus for nearly a decade, Marsha Ambrosius and Natalie Stewart returned to the road in 2015 and have been selling out shows in select cities across the country. Visit stlamerican.com for additional images and a full review.

SINGLE

Continued from C1

Like her, I have bought into the idea of their cuteness and compatibility, I decide that I’m going to run an assist (some might call interference) on quietly getting him to claim her – or at least get to the root of why he won’t.

Is it any of my business?

Of course not, but they are so cute together. And I also know him separate from her, so it’s not like I’m just hemming up a stranger danger and saying, “Look, you and my friend go together … whether you like it or not!”

The opportunity presented itself at a networking event. She was making her rounds and he called me over to say hello. I couldn’t waste it on casual small talk.

“So y’all are still hanging out, I see,” I say. “You guys are so cute together. Are you officially a couple? Is it serious, or what? No pressure … inquiring minds want to know.”

QFEST

Continued from C1

chance to do exactly that.

Some of the things the general population often takes for granted – like walking down the street – can be a matter of life or death for members of the Trans community.

A veteran of the Stonewall uprising, a survivor of Attica State Prison, a former sex worker, a community leader, and a human rights activist, but she’s simply “Mama” to many in her community. Miss Major’s personal story and activism for transgender civil rights intersects LGBTQ struggles for justice and equality from the 1960s to today.

When I tell you he flipped the script so cold that it quietly made me understand how she’s been able to hang on in this boo-thang purgatory for almost a year.

“Why don’t you ask her and then tell me so I can know,” he said with a big grin. “Go on over there and ask her.” I couldn’t tell him the truth –which is that I was trying to do her a solid. But honestly, I’m sure he already knew.

I attempted a reverse Jedi mind trick.

“I’ve been friends with you as long as I have with her –actually longer,” I respond.

“This is a part of our life update.”

As much as I thought I was ready, I had no idea. He dodged that question and shifted the conversation like a Fortune 500 public relations professional in the throes of a media crisis.

“Are you seeing anybody? How come nobody has snatched you up yet? I have a homeboy who I can hook you up with if you’re down for blind dates.”

I knew what he was doing, but he was so smooth and

charming with it that I couldn’t be the least bit mad. I just had to ease out of it.

“So you see what I mean,” she said when I offered a recap a day or so later. I did. Even though he provided no clarity, he gave the assumption that if she said they were a couple he would roll with it – which even gave me hope that there’s something serious there even if he won’t explicitly state it.

“I don’t understand why he won’t just be her boyfriend and be done with it,” she said.

“Or at least say why he won’t. Instead I get those lousy ‘go with the flow’ answers.”

I told her that regardless of how good they are together, she doesn’t need to be bothered with the why.

The “not” is the operative element.

And as long as he is not being clear, they are not in the type of relationship she is looking for.

And if she’s not willing to take it for what it is – and he’s not willing to talk about the why – she needs to hit it.

Part of her decades-long journey as an activist and advocate includes fighting for legislative protection within the criminal justice system.

Through “Major!” the subjects give alarming insight as to what it’s like to be Trans and incarcerated.

Many are automatically housed in solitary confinement – allegedly for their own protection. They are also subject to abuse and terrorism from both the inmates and the guards.

The film also sheds light on how the cycle of discrimination and lack of acceptance leads transwomen to resort to desperate measures to survive.

“You can’t get honest work being who you are, so you have to hustle,” one of the transwomen said. And when transwomen are arrested and imprisoned, they face double punishment – for their crimes and their decision to live openly.

“We need to make the girls feel safe – wherever they are,” Miss Major said. Other films that showcase the black experience within the LGBTQ community include “The Passionate Pursuits of Angela Bowen,” “The Same Difference” and “The Watermelon Woman.” For a full schedule and film descriptions, visit http://www. cinemastlouis.org/qfest. Cinema St. Louis’ Qfest takes place from April 24-28 at the Hi-Pointe Backlot, 1002 Hi Pointe Place, St. Louis, MO 63117. For more information and/or a full schedule of this year’s selections, visit http:// www.cinemastlouis.org/qfest or call (314) 289-4150.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Celebrations

Birthdays

Reunions

Beaumont High Class of 1968 48-year reunion will be June 10--12, 2016. Friday: Bowling Kick-Off, Saturday: Black n’ White Speak Easy Party and Sunday: Family n’ Friends Picnic. Meetings will be at Florissant Valley Library Branch, 195 New Florissant Rd., Florissant, MO 63031 on

Saturday March 26, April 23 and May 28 from 1-4 p.m. For more information call (314) 869-8312.

Beaumont High Class of 1971 is planning its 45th year reunion for July 22-24, 2016. Please send your contact information (address and phone number) to Gladys Smith at beaumont1971alumni@aol. com.

Beaumont High Class of 1984 can stay updated via our Facebook page “Beaumont Class of 1984”. We meet the last Friday of every month. Contact Rochelle Williams at rochellewilliams001@yahoo. com.

Glyndorah Hubbard celebrated her 100th birthday on April 20 with family, friends, neighbors and the staff of Dunn Road Manor. She is a member of Rose Phillippine Duchesne Catholic Church and a graduate of Sumner High School Class of 1932. Happy Birthday, Glyndorah Hubbard!

Golden Anniversary

Happy 1st Birthday to Mekhi DeCarlos Pope on April 25, from your mom (Sakinah), your dad (Michael) and the entire village of people that love and cherish you. You are a blessing from God. Happy Birthday!

Cole School Alumni & Neighborhood Friends age 50 and older reunion weekend will be held May 12-15, 2016. For more info call Andrea at 314-369-3052 or check our Facebook page at coleschoolstlouis.

Harrison School All-Class Reunion, Saturday September 10, 2016, 6:30-10:30 pm at Ambruster Great Hall, 6633 Clayton Rd, St. Louis, MO 63117. Tickets are $60 per person. For more info Contact: Judy Darris 314-443-6741, Yolanda beck 314-346-8103 or Làshell Tolliver 314-420-3566.

Soldan High Class of 1965 presents: “On the Road Again” to Washington, DC. Cost: $479

Do you have a celebration you’re proud of? If so we would like to share your good news with our readers. Whether it’s a birth, graduation, wedding, engagement announcement, anniversary, retirement or birthday, send your photos and a brief announcement (50 words or less) to us and we may include it in our paper and website – AT NO COST – as space is available Photos will not be returned. Send your announcements to: kdaniel@stlamerican. com or mail to: St. Louis American Celebrations c/o Kate Daniel 2315 Pine St. St. Louis, MO 63103 FREE OF CHARGE

per-person, double occupancy, 6-Days and 5-Nights, Thurs. June2- Tues. June 7, 2016. First payment due now $75 each person. For more information and reservations contact: Corinne Stuckes (636)-294-4373, Brenda Yancey (314)-830-1334 or Isaiah Hair, Jr. (314)-387-7592 email: cstukes@charter.net.

Soldan High Class of 1966 has planned its 50-year reunion for September 9-10, 2016 at Christian Hospital Atrium, 1111 Dunn Road St. Louis, Mo 63136. For more information, please contact: Meredith Wayne Farrow, 314.521-8540, Robert Collins, 908.313-5002 or Marilyn Edwards Simpson, 341.837-7746. Facebook, soldan class of 1966 or email: stlsoldan1966@yahoo.com.

Soldan Class of 1971 is planning its 45th year reunion for: June 17-19, 2016 at the Ameristar Casino Resort & Spa, One Ameristar Boulevard, St. Charles, Mo 63301.

Soldan Class of 1976 reunion will be held June 10-12, 2016. For more information, email soldanclassof1976@yahoo. com or Facebook: Soldan High School Class of 1976.

Sumner High Class of 1964 70th Birthday Gala will be held Sat. Aug 13. 2016 at the Norwood Hills Country Club at 6:30 pm. Please contact Joyce Camp for additional information 314-423-8821 or Yvette Allen 314-997-2214 or Fannie Clark Rogers 314-3554337 your Gala Committee.

Sumner High School Class of 1966 is planning their 50th Class Reunion. Please contact Ella Scott at 314-436-1696, Els2188@sbcglobal.net with your name, address and email or join the Sumner Class of 1966 Facebook Group page.

Sumner High Class of 1971 is planning its 45th year reunion for August 12-14, 2016 at the Holiday Inn Earth City. Contact: Rita Shields at 314-868-7989 or email ritashields@att.net, Al Wilhite 314-302-3448 or email 27alhouse@sbcglobal. net for more information.

Sumner Class of 1976 will celebrate its 40th Reunion July 15 - 17, 2016 at the Holiday Inn Earth City and Shalom Church City of Peace. Contact B. Louis at 314.385.9843 or email: sumnerclassof76@ yahoo.com for info and/or with your complete mailing address and telephone number(s) or join our Facebook page Sumner Class of 76.

Vashon January and June Classes of 1966 will celebrate our 50 year reunion October 7-9, 2016 at the Hollywood Casino, 777 Casino Center Drive, Maryland Heights, MO 63043. Contact Marilyn Stuckey, Chairperson, 314-438-8338, email: masystucup@att.net or Janice Holland, Co-Chairperson, 314-727-1695, email: jholland1695@att.net for more information.

Vashon Class of 1986 will be celebrating its fabulous 30th Class Reunion in beautiful Las Vegas Nevada, July 21-23, 2016. For more information contact, Claudette at 314 3681502 or cctreze@att.net.

University City High School

Class of 1976 is planning its Fabulous 40th year class reunion for June 24-25, 2016. We need your contact information. Please email your information to: weareuc76@ gmail.com or call the UCHS Class of 76 voicemail at 314301-9597.

University City Class of

Reunion notices are free of charge and based on space availability. We prefer that notices be emailed to us!

However, notices may also be sent by mail to:

Kate Daniel, 2315 Pine St., St. Louis, MO 63103

Deadline is 10 a.m. on Friday. If you’d like your class to be featured in a reunion profile, email or mail photos to us.

Our email address is: reunions@ stlamerican.com

1981 35th reunion will be August 5-7, 2016. Please send your contact information to Denise Weatherford -Bell at msdenise38@yahoo.com.

Mizzou Black Theatre/ World Theatre Workshop Reunion classes are celebrating 34 years of the founding of the theatre program and our founding director. As we plan this event for 2016, we are asking former cast members to forward your names and contact information to Glenn Ellis at btwreunion@outlook. com. The goal is to meet up in April. More info will follow. St. Louis Community College needs your help identifying STLCC alumni. Alumni are encouraged to visit the website: www. stlcc.edu/foundation/, to become members or update information. For more information, contact Ashley Budde, coordinator of alumni relations, at abudde6@stlcc. edu, or 314-539-5145. Happy 50th

Elnora Suggs (center), mother of St. Louis American publisher Donald M. Suggs (left), celebrated her 103rd birthday on April 16! She lives in South Holland, IL, near her daughter and son-in-law, Loretta (right) and John Johnson, where she is a longstanding member of Faith Temple Church of God in Christ.

Golden

Anniversary to Lionel and Sylvia Harris on April 23!

glitters is gold.

Swag Snap of the week

A sucker for Silent Noise. Friday night I scooted over to the Ready Room for Teddy BFree’s #SilentNoiseSTL party. For those of you who don’t know, a silent party features guests wearing high performance noise canceling headphones and choosing to two or three options of live DJs to groove to. When I tell you I got my life from Charlie Chan Soprano’s station on the headphones…he was jammin’. I started grooving at my desk right now just thinking about how he got down. Can somebody tell me who the women in the liquid cat suits and Beyoncé “On The Run” fishnet ski masks were? I’m assuming they were promotional models, but one can never be too sure these days. But back to #SilentNoiseSTL…it wasn’t as packed as it should’ve been, but the folks in there had a fantastic time – including me. I ran into some of my absolute favorite people in the whole world there including Randall Eddie and Aliah Holman and blacktresses Jaqueline Thompson and Andrea Purnell. From the sound of things Teddy is making #SilentNoiseSTL a regular thing. You know I will keep you posted – and most definitely be a regular.

A triumphantly funny festival. Don’t tell anyone, but I was dragging myself to the Festival of Laughs at Chaifetz Saturday night thinking that it was going to be the same folks, telling the same jokes as every other single urban comedy revue. I was dead wrong. It was hee-larious – and one of the most memorable to date. I still wish Rickey Smiley would’ve done a whole set, but I get that it was not possible unless they wanted to do a comedy show sleepover to make sure everyone had time to perform. He was the best man for the hosting job. G-Thang’s set was cute, but a bit too familiar for my taste. But that Cocoa Brown had us rolling on the floor. I’m surprised I had never seen her before all the black comedy circuit shows I’ve been to. But I will most certainly be checking for her from now on. I don’t know who was in charge of it, but it seemed like the comedians got a lecture – or threatened to get their pay docked if they got caught using all the same tattered jokes they typically bring to the Chaifetz. My favorite was Tony Rock – he had me when he was praising black women’s danger instinct and ability to win EVERY argument. But even Earthquake had new material. Mike Epps had the weakest show in my opinion. But he didn’t’ seem like himself at all. He clowned Katt Williams, but I couldn’t help but think “wait a minute, you are going through something your own doggone self because this is not the Mike Epps I know and love.” Even with Mike Epps coming up short, it was the best comedy revue show I’ve seen in a minute.

Funny fashion. Second only to caskets, the comedy shows bring out the clothes, do you hear me? The Festival of Laughs was pretty mild in the scheme of things, but I have to give a special shout out to the woman in the leather short shorts with the thigh meat that could be described as somewhere between ruched and cascading. I guess you could technically still wear leather in April if that’s what you’re into, but fur, girl? Yes, someone else was rocking a fur vest. But the Fashion Extra MVP goes to the solid gold non-dancer. She was top to bottom all gold everything – and every single variation. Let’s call her Auntie Goldmember. She had a gold bedazzled hat, a gold lemme jumpsuit, an iridescent gold blouse with her fingers, and toes painted gold. Now it could have been the reflection between her outfit and her mani/pedi, but I’m almost certain Auntie Goldmember had on lotion with gold glitter sprinkled in too.

Moody Mike Epps. The night cap for “What is Mike Epps going through?” continued at HG. But before I get into that, let me say this: if there is an event that caters to a crowd that mostly falls in the 40-plus age group, don’t bother shelling out for a celebrity to stop through for an afterparty. That crowd has an aerobic afterset as the chuckle and chat walking to their cars and then head home for the night. Mike Epps at HG just proves my point. The light crowd was probably for the best because Mike was trippin’. I know he’s going through a divorce, but he is going through something else too. He looked haggard and had an attitude. His feelings could’ve been hurt because the club was quietly empty, but that’s no reason to act stank. This poor girl tried to get a picture with him and he looked like he wanted to spit in her face as he told her to get out of his. I was so put off that I got engaged in a side conversation for a hot minute only to notice Epps had secretly hit it.

Fantastic Floetry. I don’t know if they were locked in a room together until they worked out the tension that ruined their last visit to St. Louis, but Floetry’s performance was the ultimate redemption song at the Pageant on Sunday night. That opening reggae girl was a mess, but I only had to suffer through about eight minutes of the ratchet Dollar Tree Patra before Floetry hit the stage. I’m so glad they executed that with precision so I didn’t have to hear that poor thing singing about a gun and a knife in her purse a second longer. They started that show at 8:01 p.m. and I’m not the least bit mad. It was the best show they have ever, ever, ever put on. They were so good that I forgave Natalie’s Afrocentric potato sack and totally gave Marsha a pass for being in her seductive lounging pajamas and tennis shoe pairing. Marsha’s hair was absolutely everything though.

Catching life from Lupe. For the past couple of years, folks have been essentially treating Lupe Fiasco like the Katt Williams of rap since he shaded President Obama. But he was free of any real antics – other than having a conversation with some girl in the crowd and using her to transition from song to song – when he came to the Pageant Tuesday night. Too bad most of his on the fence fans were at the Justin Bieber show. For the first hour I thought we were going to have to move the concert to Suite 100. The crowd picked up a bit, and he gave a great show – though he could’ve kept most of his opening acts. He also announced that he was getting out of the rap game, but I’ll have to see it to believe it.

Talented actresses Jackie and Andrea celebrated Jackie’s birthday with a taste of #SilentNoiseSTL Friday @ the Ready Room

Miiyaya, Briana and Danielle danced all night at #SilentNoiseSTL Friday @ The Ready Room

Mariah, Ariel, and Erin enjoyed themselves on the rooftop Sunday @ the Olive Bar

Triky, Keith, and Rob had the rooftop of the Olive Bar going up on a Sunday for The Day Party STL

Jessica, DJ Kimmy Nu and Alexis kept the party going Friday @ Mood

Chavelle and Adrianne stayed classy and sophisticated @ the Urban Hang Suite Friday @ Mood

Jessica and Tanjii C took advantage of the great weather by stopping through the Day Party @ The Oliver Bar on Sunday

Jasmine and Nene were among the folks who came to party with Mike Epps Saturday @ HG

Sue and Steph stunned in their white Sunday @ The Olive Bar

Rebecca and Michelle made their way to Urban Hang Suite Friday @ Mood

Festival of Laughs headliner Mike Epps stopped by HG to unwind with his longtime partner in comedy, St. Louis’ own G-Thang Saturday night

Photos by Lawrence Bryant & John Scott

The Message

Pastors call payday lending immoral Your spiritual obituary

Attacking Black America’s unholy trinity: predatory lending, poverty and poor health

By Charlene Crowell For The St. Louis American

For more than a decade, state and local consumer advocates have challenged tripledigit interest rates on small-dollar loans like payday and car-title. To their combined credit, 14 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws to limit interest and fees to about 36 percent.

Despite these successful efforts however, the vast majority of the nation still lacks state regulation to protect consumers from predatory lending’s debt trap. Consumers of color and those of modest means who need just a few hundred dollars are often the financial prey that payday lenders love.

Now a diverse coalition of Christian leaders are proclaiming that payday lending is not just a legal problem, but a moral one as well. The group also has new data that broadly and consistently support payday and car-title reform across 30 states where no current regulation exists.

Faith for Just Lending’, the official title of the faith-based coalition, released new poll results last week from interviews of 1,000 Christians. The survey found that blacks are the most likely to know someone who has borrowed a payday loan (58 percent) or have borrowed one themselves (49 percent). Nearly one-third of clergy and service providers (35 percent) who know consumers with payday or car title loans had provided money to help pay off or refinance payday or car title debt.

“Communities already suffering due to economic inequities are falling prey to these financial predators,” noted Rev. Cassandra Gould, a coalition member with Missouri Faith Voices and also the PICO National Network. “As a pastor, I have become aware of the cycle of shame. The real culprits are these unregulated profiteers who are extracting wealth from families. They are contributing to the poor health of

communities and individuals.”

Further findings reveal:

* Nearly 90 percent of respondents felt payday loans “mostly hurt” borrowers; * 84 percent witnessed an increased need for emergency assistance after a payday loan was

n “Exploiting the poor while pretending to serve them is a greedy and sinful business.”

– Rev. George Mason, Wilshire Baptist Church

used; and

* The most common descriptions of payday loans were “expensive,” “harmful” and “predatory.”

“Exploiting the poor while pretending to serve them is a greedy and sinful business,” said Rev. George Mason, Senior Pastor of Dallas’ Wilshire Baptist Church

“The real culprits are these unregulated profiteers who are extracting wealth from families,” said Rev. Cassandra Gould, a coalition member with Missouri Faith Voices. “They are contributing to the poor health of communities and individuals.”

and a member of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

The coalition also stressed the need for consumers to have access to fair and responsible small dollars loans.

“Ethical lending is an honorable business,” noted Galen Cary, vice-president for Governmental Relations with the National Association of Evangelicals, “but ensnaring vulnerable people in debt traps is not. We need just laws and regulations that meet legitimate needs while preventing the egregious abuses that are now committed by too many payday lenders.”

The Center for Public Justice, National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., National Latino Evangelical Center for Public Justice, PICO National Network, the Ecumenical Poverty Initiative and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission are also members of Faith for Just Lending.

Four lending principles guide the coalition’s agenda and call for specific accountability standards for all stakeholders: 1. Lenders should extend loans at reasonable interest rates based on ability to repay within the original loan period, taking into account the borrower’s income and expenses 2. Government should prohibit usury and predatory or deceptive lending practices; 3. Individuals should manage their resources responsibly and conduct their affairs ethnically, saving for emergencies and being willing to provide support to others in need; and 4. Churches should teach and model responsible stewardship, offering help to neighbors in times of crisis.

“Predation, poverty and poor health is the unholy trinity residing in impoverished communities,” concluded Dr. Gould. Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene. crowell@responsiblelending.org.

Have you ever thought about your own obituary? It seems that the inventor of dynamite through some fluke of reporting got to see his in a newspaper and didn’t like what it said about him. This made me contemplate what God might say about mine, but it also gave me pause to think about it myself.

If you could write your own epitaph, wouldn’t you want it to somehow reflect a life devoted to the Lord? If you could craft the truth about your life today to make sure that when people spoke at your funeral they would speak of your level of service for the Lord, what would you immediately begin to do differently?

In the case of the inventor of dynamite, we now have the Nobel Prize because he didn’t want to be remembered as the inventor of wholesale slaughter. Because he read his own obituary before he actually died, Nobel was able to do something to positively affect how others might think of him upon his actual death.

If they wrote yours today, would it please you? Would it please God? If not, why not?

In this instance, the thought of death made me consider life, mine. What had I done for the lord, lately, like today, now? Am I doing anything consciously out of love for Him, rather than the fear of consequence by Him? Do I follow rules because I believe in them or because I am afraid of what will happen if I don’t? Is my obedience to God based solely on fear? Or, looking at it from a different perspective, is my obedience based on love?

The thing that made me think about this a little longer than I wanted to was the truth that new life begins at death. The quality of that life might actually be influenced by one’s spiritual obituary. That obituary might best be viewed as a new birth certificate.

If you can conceptualize that now, then what might you be able to do that would favorably impact your new life? I thought it would be a beneficial exercise to commit from today forward to wordsmithing your obituary by living a life according to principles you would be proudest of to show God.

You pick yours. I’ll pick mine. We both know we’ll be held accountable at that death new life moment. I believe it would be a beautiful thing to be able to influence the dash between your birth dates, your physical one and your spiritual one. We have no control over those three points of life and death and life again. But that dash will serve us well for eternity. It will be what comprises your obituary here on earth.

Columnist James Washington