August 6th, 2020 Edition

St. LouiS AmericAn

Jones, Gardner easily defend seats

‘People are looking at the capacity of Black women to lead’

By Chris King and Rebecca Rivas

Of The St. Louis American

“Overall, we are in a moment in our entire country, not only in St. Louis, where people are looking at the capacity of Black women to lead in offices like circuit attorney, mayor, Congress,” St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones said on Tuesday, August 4, when unofficial election results showed she had defended her citywide office of treasurer and Kimberly Gardner had been reelected as circuit attorney.

“People are taking note of our capacity to lead and showing greater confidence in our ability.” St. Louis voters showed their confidence in Jones by a margin of 58.5% to 41.5% for her opponent, Jeffrey Boyd, who keeps his seat as alderman – a margin of almost 12,000 votes. Gardner, the first Black person to serve as the city’s chief prosecutor, soundly defeated her challenger Mary Pat Carl, 60.8 percent to 39.2 percent – a margin of more than 15,000 votes.

See JONES, A6

Wesley Bell won’t charge Darren Wilson

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell met with the family of the late Michael Brown on Thursday, July 30 to tell them that he will not charge Darren Wilson in connection with the killing of their son.

“By Missouri’s legal standards, not only would I have to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, but I also would have to disprove a self-defense argument beyond a reasonable doubt,” Bell told The American. “I can’t ethically charge him. It would violate the ethical standards of my profession.” At a press conference after speaking with the families, Bell said they agreed that the conversations would remain private.

Bell said he did not want to “re-litigate” the evidence that led to this conclusion, because the evidence is all in the public domain. His investigation, which he conducted over the course of five months with his newly formed Conviction and Incident Review Unit, relied upon the same evidence reviewed by the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and Bell’s predecessor as county prosecutor, Bob McCulloch. They both also declined to bring charges against Wilson.

The DOJ’s 2015 report on the shooting, which is better organized than the trove of evidence previously released by McCulloch, is 86 pages long and includes the testimony of 148 witnesses.

“Witness accounts suggesting that Brown was standing still with his hands raised in an unambiguous signal

See WILSON, A6

Bush upsets Clay

‘We are about to change the world,’ says Democratic nominee for Congress

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

Bush

Cori

Progressive candidate and pastor Cori Bush, who is a single mother and registered nurse, will become Missouri’s first African-American U.S. congresswoman. She defeated 10-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay, whose family has represented the District 1 House seat since the late 1960s in the August 4 Democratic primary. Bill Clay, a civil rights activist, was elected in 1968 and sworn in the following January. His son Wm. Lacy Clay was elected as his successor in 2001. Bush received 72,812 votes, and Clay received 68,201, based on unofficial election results. The Republican and Libertarian primaries did not generate 12,000 votes between them, so the Democratic nominee is a sure winner in November.

“Almost six years ago to this day, Mike Brown was murdered,” Bush said in her acceptance speech on Tuesday night – “murdered by the police in the streets of Ferguson, Missouri. I was

See BUSH, A8

‘The fight is not over’

Lezley McSpadden says Wesley Bell did not do a ‘proper investigation’

By Chris King and Sophie Hurwitz

Lezley McSpadden has not closed the case on the killing of her son Michael Brown. When St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell told her on Thursday, July 30 that he would not file criminal charges against former Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson for killing her son, she said she is still seeking “due process” for him.

She was quoting one of the systemic changes Bell had introduced, he said, as part of the criminal justice reform movement sparked by her son. Bell said he would now record all grand jury hearings the way his predecessor, Bob McCulloch, recorded Wilson’s grand jury pro-

See McSPADDEN, A8

Of The St. Louis American

Wesley Bell

St. Louis City

Treasurer

Tishaura O. Jones addressed supporters at the Black Women’s March in downtown St. Louis on Saturday, August 1

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner addressed supporters at the Black Women’s March in downtown St. Louis on Saturday, August 1.

Photo by Wiley Price

Photo by Wiley Price

Benzino arrested after altercation with baby mama’s new man

According to TMZ.com, rapper, producer and reality television personality Benzino jailed over the weekend in the latest drama involving him and his former partner and “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” co-star Althea Eaton. The law reportedly had to become involved following a shout ing match that allegedly escalated into property damage. Benzino was accused of using his fists to damage a truck belonging to Eaton’s new man in Braselton, Georgia. He denied damaging the truck and claimed that he was in the area watching his son play tennis when “a male came up to him and told him he was going to shoot him.” However, witnesses supported the other man’s claims. Benzino was arrested and booked on 1 count of criminal damage 2nd degree and 1 count of

disorderly conduct. He was taken to Gwinnett County Jail, where his bail was set at $8,450.

Emmitt Smith and his wife call it quits after 20 years

NFL Hall of Famer and “Dancing with the Stars” winner Emmitt Smith and his wife Pat Smith jointly announced their plans to “uncouple.” The news comes less than four months after their 20th wedding anniversary. “We are publicly sharing that after much contemplation and prayer, we have decided to separate,” the pair said in a joint statement on his wife’s Instagram page on August 1. Pat Smith, a former beauty queen was named Miss Virginia 1993 and competed for the Miss America crown. “We will continue to move forward with love and compassion for one another, as co-parents and friends,” the statement continued. “We will work together in the best interests of our children, our family, community and businesses.” No word on what caused the breakup. They have three children together in addition to one each from previous marriage and a prior relationship.

‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ star Peter Thomas contracts COVID-19

“Real Housewives of Atlanta”

co-star Peter Thomas took to his Instagram account to announce that he has been battling COVID-19. The Jamaican club owner and former entertainment executive told his followers he had been bedridden for over a week as a result of the virus.

“COVID-19 got me,” Thomas posted. He also said he tested negative five times before having a positive test, and his symptoms have included abdominal cramps, vomiting and diarrhea. According to The Griot, Thomas stressed the importance of wearing masks and gloves and urged his followers to adhere to social distancing.

WE tv and Tamar Braxton cut ties after suicide attempt

fans for their prayers, love and support.

Tiffany Haddish talks love and baldness

Haddish

In Tamar Braxton’s first statement following her highly publicized suicide attempt, the singer and personality accused WE tv Network of “excessive and unfair” work demands. Days later WE announced that Braxton and the network have parted ways. WE released a statement to Variety.com that it will work with Braxton’s representatives “to honor her request to end all future work for the network.” Braxton is on two series at for WE, “Braxton Family Values” and an upcoming episodes of, “Get Ya Life!” which is scheduled to air Sept. 10. On Braxton said, “Mental illness is real,” when she posted on Instagram about her recent hospitalization. “We have to normalize acknowledging it and stop associating it with shame and humiliation.” Braxton also thanked

While appearing as a guest on the podcast of media personality and reality television star Steve-O, “Girl’s Trip” star Tiffany Haddish said that her relationship with actor and Grammy winning rapper Common is the best she’s ever been in “This is hands down the best relationship I’ve ever been in. Knock on wood! I’ve lost 20 pounds since I’ve been in this relationship,” Haddish said on the “Wild Ride” podcast. “I feel more confident in me and it’s not him that’s doing it. I’m just way happier and it’s like knowing I got somebody that cares about me, that really has my back. It seems like he does anyways. And I love it. I love him.” Haddish recently shaved her head bald and says her man loves it. “I’ve been talking about cutting my hair for years … he said it was beautiful. He’s like, ‘Wow, you did it, man. You’ve got a lot of courage. You look so beautiful. I love it.’” The pair have also been promoting virtual dating during the coronavirus pandemic in the dating app Bumble.

Sources:

Tiffany

‘Good Trouble’ march in St. Charles ends in mass arrests

By Ramona Curtis

Of The St. Louis American

Organizers of a July 24

“Good Trouble” march in St. Charles said protestors were detained by police using the kettling tactic. The action resulted in 17 arrests during the march to honor the late John Lewis.

Video evidence shows police in riot gear lining up to corral the protestors into a parking lot in the Streets of St. Charles restaurant district before chasing and detaining at least two people. An officer can be heard saying, “Find your car or you’re going to jail.” One protestor replied, “My car isn’t parked in this lot.” At least two people are seen being detained by police in the video.

An emailed statement from St. Charles Police Department public information officer Tom Wilkerson stated the department “does not employ kettling as a tactic during operations.”

Kettling is defined as: “A police tactic for controlling

large crowds during demonstrations or protests. It involves the formation of large cordons of police officers who then move to contain a crowd within a limited area. Protesters either leave through an exit controlled by the police or are contained, prevented from leaving, and arrested.”

Darryl Gray, an organizer with Expect Us, said he has been in dozens of protests and has experienced kettling in 2017 during the Jason Stockley verdict protests.

“Oh, they were definitely kettling,” Gray told The American. “When you are literally herding people –they were literally forcing us to where they wanted us to go and they were pushing us to go into the parking lot.”

Wilkerson said that the arrests were made when protestors did not follow police orders to disperse. The statement does not indicate that protestors were doing anything other than walking and standing when they were arrested.

“Officers announced several

orders to disperse to protestors while on Interstate 70 and directed them to leave the roadway,” police stated. “As the protestors walked from Interstate 70 back to the Streets of St. Charles, officers followed behind them. The protestors walked back to the location then began their protest within the Streets of St. Charles where they stopped in the roadway. Officers gave additional orders to disperse. After failing to disperse, 13 protestors were arrested.”

Gray said that the protestors were stopped in the street because they were planning to

end the march and go to their cars. He said the police escalated the situation.

“This was particularly surprising and shocking. We really did not expect this from St. Charles Police,” Gray said. “I do believe our rights were violated. I do believe that the police put protestors safety in jeopardy unnecessarily. There was no need for arrests when people were going to their cars.”

Both the ACLU of Missouri and ArchCity Defenders have brought lawsuits against the City of St. Louis for allegedly using the kettling arrest tactic

to arrest people during protests in 2017. Protests occurred when former St. Louis Police Officer Jason Stockley was acquitted of murder after he fatally shot Anthony Lamar Smith.

Tony Rothert, legal director of ACLU of Missouri, said that kettling allows the police to arrest people who have not committed a crime. He said the ACLU is looking into what happened in St. Charles.

“By gathering up a large group, police officers know they are catching folks who have committed no crime and treating them as if they had. That is repugnant to the

Constitution,” he told The American

“It is no mistake that this unconstitutional tactic is deployed only during protests and, more precisely, protests of police activity. Too many local departments think that police officers can ignore the Constitution because protesters hurt their feelings by being critical of police officers’ propensity for killing Black people.”

Four people were arrested at or near I-70, which was shut down for an hour. Protestors reported that law enforcement broke the car window of a protestor to remove and arrest her. They also reported seeing law enforcement officers in unmarked uniforms.

Wilkerson said that the St. Charles Police Department was assisted by police departments in St. Charles county, St. Peters, O’Fallon, Lake St. Louis and Wentzville, as well as the St. Charles Sheriff’s Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Gray said that many in the community wonder if the heightened police action is part of President Trump’s call for federal police to deploy to major cities.

“We understand that the president intends to send in additional police to cities, and we understand St. Louis is on that list,” he said.

“When you have a governor that talks about pardoning people who point weapons at nonviolent protestors, when you have all of these things going on, people are mindful of that. I suspect with all the fires of hatred and bigotry and intolerance from our president, and seemingly with our governor following suit, we shouldn’t be surprised.”

Photo by Richard Reilly

Police arrested 17 people after a march to honor the late John Lewis in St. Charles on July 24 using what appeared to be the kettling tactic, though police the use of kettling.

Editorial /CommEntary

Sisters, we are here to help you change the world

The August 4 primary election showed the ability of Black-led protest and political mobilization to transform St. Louis and Missouri — particularly, when Black women are at the center. As a Black woman protest leader who upset a 53-year political dynasty, future Congresswoman Cori Bush, said, “We’ve been called ‘radicals,’ ‘terrorists.’ We’ve been dismissed as an impossible fringe movement. But now we are multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-generational mass movement — united and demanding change.”

Though Bush made national headlines and Missouri history with her stunning upset of 10-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay, this Black-led, diverse coalition also came together to re-elect two Black women incumbents, who have been attacked almost as viciously as the protestors described by Bush. St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones and Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner easily defended their seats despite powerful opposition. Their powerful opposition did not come from their opponents on the ballot, but rather was led by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which endorsed against both incumbents after years of relentless negative coverage and editorializing about them. Gardner also survived attacks from (it’s hard to believe this is true) the president of the United States, the governor, a U.S. senator and the state attorney general — all white Republican men sensing a political opportunity in Gardner charging the notorious McCloskeys for turning guns on peaceful protestors.

It’s still to be determined if we are experiencing a political earthquake, but there’s no doubt the earth has shifted. We have turned the page, though we can’t yet say what’s written on the other side. We are witnessing the beginning of a generational leadership change and with it a reevaluation of what Black politics and public policy should be about. It’s clear that we are witnessing a rejection of Black establishment political leadership (embodied, here, by Lacy Clay) and the status quo public policy it represents. The last rites are being performed on the Bill Clinton post-Reagan Democratic Party (if we leave Joe Biden out of the conversation for a moment).

As

COVID-19

This is also a rejection of middle-class Black professional leadership by working-class (or, to be honest, socially neglected) Black masses. This moment is analogous to the 1960s in that the pivot from the Civil Rights Movement to the Black Power Movement was both generational and a class schism (even though much of the emerging Black Power generation was the college-educated children of the Black middle class). With another generational leadership change underway, we may also see a Black reevaluation of the American Project, such that it is after almost four years of President Trump. And just as Malcolm X’s ghost haunted America’s attempt to freeze MLK’s persona in August 1963, so Kwame Ture’s ghost will haunt and undermine the attempt to enshrine John Lewis getting his head bloodied in Selma as what Black political aspiration ought to be. Clinton insulting the memory of Ture while memorializing Lewis was yet another timely reminder that his Democratic Party is dead and another one is being reborn — starting from the streets of Ferguson.

While much remains uncertain, this much is clear. Black women — the group of voters who most strongly rejected the curse and cancer that is Donald Trump — must again lead the way. “Overall, we are in a moment in our entire country, not only in St. Louis, where people are looking at the capacity of Black women to lead in offices like circuit attorney, mayor, Congress,” St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones told us. “People are taking note of our capacity to lead and showing greater confidence in our ability.” Or let’s listen to Cori Bush again: “It is historic that this year of all years we are sending a Black working-class single mother who’s been fighting for Black lives from Ferguson all the way to the halls of Congress. I will never take for granted the movement that got me here. We are about to change the world.”

Sisters, we are here to offer our support. Let us never forget the historic movement that led us to this moment. So now, let us seize this moment to change St. Louis, Missouri, America and the world.

is widening the achievement gap

By Michal Grinstein-Weiss and Jason Jabbari

For The St. Louis American

With COVID-19 cases surging and medical evidence showing children may be susceptible to the virus, some parents are facing a tough decision about whether to physically send their children back to school or to opt for distance learning. While this is a difficult decision for every parent, it may be especially difficult for those with lower incomes.

For those already on a tight budget, the cost of technology—such as computers and internet service—can be unaffordable, not to mention that many parents in low-income households are classified as essential workers and lack the ability to work from home. Though essential jobs have been vital to keeping our communities operating during COVID-19, employees in these jobs are often paid at or near the minimum wage, and they rarely have the freedom to work from home or take paid time off. Alternatively, higher income parents—many of whom do have the freedom to work from home—are often given the opportunity to monitor their children’s progress at school.

Ensuring the academic success of all students, regardless of income, is important now more than ever. Over the past few decades, schools and educators have sought to close the achievement gap that has emerged between low- and high-income students by ensuring each student has the tools, resources, and support to strive towards academic success. However, in the wake of COVID-19, schools and educators are now looking for ways to ensure that students from low-income households have the ability to survive. Indeed, one of the first large-scale government responses in schools—Pandemic-EBT—was aimed at making sure low-income students didn’t go hungry during the pandemic, as the majority of these students’ meals are eaten at school for free.

Given the inequities in tools, resources, and support, as well as the inequities in parents’ working conditions, it is unsurprising that COVID-19 threatens to widen the already large achievement gap between low- and high-income students. As the achievement gap tends to grow over students’ life course, COVID-19 may significantly alter the educational trajectories of students from low-income households.

A recent survey conducted by the Social Policy Institute (SPI) at Washington University in St. Louis between April 27 and May 12 revealed a variety of inequities that have the potential to negatively impact a child’s ability to strive towards academic success and by doing so, further widen the achievement gap.

In comparing the responses of 1,110 parents, SPI found the following inequities:

• 49% of low- and moderate-income households reported that their children spent 10 hours or less on school-sponsored activities compared to only 37% of middle- and

high-income households.

• Twice the amount of low- and moderateincome households (8%) reported having inadequate space for learning at home when compared to middle and high income households (4%).

• Over twice the number of parents without bachelor’s degrees thought their children would not be prepared for the following school year (13%) when compared to parents with bachelor’s degrees (6%).

• 15% of Black parents reported that their children attended a school without a distance learning plan, compared to only 10% of white parents.

• For schools that did offer distance learning, only 72% of Black parents reported that their child’s school offered the necessary distance learning tools— compared to 80% of white parents.

Guest Columnist

Michal GrinsteinWeiss

Guest Columnist

Jason Jabbari

Moreover, schools in lowincome neighborhoods are often under-resourced and may experience additional shortfalls in funding due to COVID-19related revenue declines. When considering the additional costs associated with school safety measures, this shortfall could put students and teachers at lowerresourced schools at greater risk for contracting and spreading COVID-19.

The federal government should make additional investments in lower-resourced schools to ensure that they are able to meet all safety guidelines. Additional investments should also be made to provide parents with the resources for their children to learn from home. These resources include online learning tools, subsidies for high-speed internet, and one-on-one support with school instructional and support staff. If we do not act now, the achievement gap will continue to grow to the point that students from less advantaged backgrounds will be unable to regain the ground they lost during the pandemic.

Parents shouldn’t have to choose between their children’s’ health and their academic success—between surviving and thriving. While the choice to attend school in-person or virtually may ultimately be up to parents in some cases, we should ensure that both options allow for academic success—especially for the most vulnerable learners.

Michal Grinstein-Weiss is director and Jason Jabbari is data analyst III at the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis.

As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

Our investigation does not exonerate Darren Wilson

By Wesley Bell For The St. Louis American

Michael Brown’s death exposed to the nation the deepseated and longstanding pain felt by the greater St. Louis community and the entire country. For decades leading up to the 2014 shooting, law enforcement in Ferguson and around the country overpoliced communities of color, used disproportionate and unnecessary force, and violated many citizens’ constitutional rights far too often. When we look around today, we still see it occurring.

When Michael Brown died, this community’s grief and anger exploded, and people took to the streets to protest. Shortly thereafter, the Department of Justice came into our community and documented the terrible abuse in a lengthy report that did not mince words or spare feelings. That report recounted how the police used dogs to unjustly attack our residents, how hefty fines and fees were levied on the poor, and how people of color were often arrested without probable cause or at times even any cause at all. If people across the country had questions about why people filled the streets nightly following the shooting, this report laid them bare.

I believed it was necessary to conduct a reexamination of the evidence in the case and come to our own conclusion as to whether Darren Wilson committed a crime under Missouri law when he shot Michael Brown. Our newly formed Conviction and Incident Review Unit conducted a fivemonth review of the evidence, examining thousands of pages of witness statements, forensic reports, and other evidence.

The question for this office was a simple one: could we prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that when Darren Wilson shot Michael Brown, he committed murder or manslaughter under Missouri law? After

an independent and in-depth review of the evidence, we cannot prove that he did.

Out of respect for Michael Brown and for his family, I do not intend to relitigate the evidence in this case. These facts have been aired in public time and again, and this is a time for us to reflect on Michael’s life, to support Michael’s family, and to honor a transformative movement that will be forever linked to his memory. Our investigation does not exonerate Darren Wilson. The question of whether we can prove a case at trial is different than clearing him of any and all wrongdoing. There are so many points at which Darren Wilson could have handled the situation differently, and if he had, Michael Brown might still be alive. But that is not the question before us; the only question is whether we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime occurred.

The answer to that question is no, and I would violate my ethical duties if I nonetheless brought charges.

There are things, however, that we must do to honor both Michael Brown’s memory and the demands that arose from this community in the wake of his death.

We have already started investigating police-involved shootings differently than under previous administrations, and we will continue to improve the way we both investigate these cases and support victims every day. We now have an independent unit tasked exclusively with investigating cases involving police use of force, along with exonerating the innocent. That office is walled off from the rest of our office and is run by an experienced prosecutor. We hope this increases the

Letters to the editor

Want to destroy Social Security and Medicare?

Donald Trump is pretending to give us something, but is actually trying to steal our retirement. His TV ads and comments say he wants to give us a payroll tax cut. Those employed do not need the financial help, and the unemployed cannot benefit because they have no income to tax. Many are unaware that the payroll tax is the sole funding source for Social Security and Medicare. If we delete income to the programs, there will be no future benefits. And what do most retirees do with little income and no health insurance?

Congress is currently debating the renewal of the relief package. Trump has insisted he will reject without the payroll tax cut. Why is he so insistent? He wants to destroy Social Security and Medicare. Do you? If not, contact your member of Congress now.

Martin Walsh Glendale

John Lewis reminds us

Congressman John Lewis gave us a charge to stay in the fight and to demand justice and equality. He would often say, “There are forces out there who are trying to roll back time on us; they are trying to roll back the clock,” meaning deny us our right to vote. Recognizing this, he fought vigorously to ensure that it did not happen. When he marched for the Voter Rights Act of 1965 and fought for voter protections, he opened doors for Black politicians to be elected into office.

community’s trust that we take these cases seriously, do everything we can to protect against bias, and understand the gravity and seriousness with which they must be treated.

We are also changing the way we support victims of police violence. The Brown family experienced unspeakable loss in August of 2014, and yet they received no support from the prosecuting attorney’s office as they tried to heal. There will be times, like this one, where we cannot ethically prosecute a case given the law or the facts, but that does not mean we cannot provide support for each family. For every victim of police violence going forward, including their families, we will offer support services.

Also, as soon as COVID allows for it, all grand jury proceedings in homicide cases will be recorded, so that all potential defendants get the same protections that Darren Wilson received. Due process shouldn’t just be for police officers and the politically connected; it should be for all citizens.

Finally, our office has also worked to reduce the jail population for low-level and nonviolent offenders in St. Louis County by dismissing cases where there is no public safety benefit to arrest or prosecution, encouraging the use of summonses instead of arrests and warrants, and dramatically expanding diversion opportunities. Thus far, we have reduced the jail population for low-level and nonviolent offenders by close to 30%. We will continue to grow these programs. These steps, I am sure, bring no comfort to Michael Brown and Lezley McSpadden, whose loss I cannot begin to imagine. This case is a tragic one, and I stand before you with a heavy heart, but more resolved to bring positive and meaningful change to this region Wesley Bell is the St. Louis County prosecuting attorney.

John Lewis was a very peaceful, calm, and positive man, truly one of the most unique leaders of our time. His passing is hard to grasp. We may never see his type of leadership again. Reaching the extremely high bar that John Lewis put before us may seem impossible, but as a people, we should be inspired and invigorated by his work.

Congressman John Lewis was the moral compass of this country.

I remember him saying to me, “Don’t give up, don’t give in and keep the faith.” It was such

vided to all of us. It is a

I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

Guest Columnist Wesley Bell

Street art for the police

Caroline Davis, 5, a student in the Kirkwood School District, left street art for St. Louis Police officers to look at after a peace march held by Metropolitan Congregations United started at police headquarters and ended in front of the offices of the St. Louis Public Schools on July 11. The march was in support of removing police from schools because the group feels their presence in schools is harmful.

Consumers Council urges continued moratoriums on utility disconnections

Despite a state of emergency still in effect in Missouri, which Governor Parson has extended until December 30, and while more families are struggling with the economic impact of the pandemic, this state’s major utilities are planning to end disconnection moratoriums.

Unless action is taken to stop it, a flood of utility disconnections is imminent, along with the cascading economic impacts that would likely follow. Social service agencies are expecting to be overrun next month, as many unemployed individuals find themselves for the first time in a situation requiring public assistance to pay their bills. It is uncertain whether such assistance will be available.

Utilities such as Ameren Missouri, Spire and the MissouriAmerican Water Company are heavily regulated because their services are essential, and for many having these services can

mean the difference between life and death. The current pandemic is an emergency that seriously threatens health and safety. In summer, electricity for air conditioning is essential for physically vulnerable seniors. Water service is essential for good hygiene. Gas service will be essential for health and safety this winter.

As long as an official state of emergency is in place due to a pandemic, and while restrictions are increasing on employers, the Consumers Council of Missouri is calling for disconnection moratoriums to remain in place for all providers of essential utility services.

If the utilities themselves are unwilling to extend their voluntary moratoriums, it will be up to Governor Parson or the Missouri Public Service Commission to impose emergency orders that freeze disconnection and collections practices.

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez issues a call to action to respect all women

By Adrian E. Bracy For The St. Louis American

On behalf of YWCA Metro St. Louis, I want to express my outrage at the behavior of Florida Congressman Ted Yoho toward New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

To be clear about what I am addressing, Rep. OcasioCortez and a reporter overheard Rep. Yoho call Rep. OcasioCortez “a f***ing b***h” on the steps of the Capitol. He was apparently incensed that she (like most academics) linked crime rates to economic marginalization. I am not shocked by the language. Many women, and particularly women of color, have been the target of misogynistic slurs. And we are inured to shrugging off these remarks. It is that common.

But Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, after hearing Rep. Yoho’s fake apology and false denial on the floor of the U. S. Congress, decided not to shrug it off. She called him out in a speech that resonated with millions of women and hopefully with many men. Rep. Yoho said that he has a wife and daughters, so of course, he could not have used that language. Our courts are full of men charged with far worse crimes who also have “wives and daughters.” Are they likewise innocent?

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez noted that she is two years younger than Rep. Yoho’s daughter and exposed his defense for what it was, a shield and an excuse. Her determination to ensure Rep. Yoho’s behavior was not condoned in the Halls of Congress, nor entered into the Congressional Record unchallenged, is important. Rep. Yoho’s remarks came on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and his “apology” went into the official record. Now, so have Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks.

n Our courts are full of men charged with far worse crimes who also have “wives and daughters.” Are they likewise innocent?

Hopefully, this will not become simply another political divide instead of what it should be: a call to action to all who identify as women, and those of all political beliefs, to no longer shrug it off and to support each other on this call for respect. Debate our politics, discuss our views, criticize our actions, but please disabuse yourself of the notion that behavior such as this incident will be tolerated in silence.

The mission of YWCA Metro St. Louis is eliminating racism and empowering women. Today, we stand with Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and every other woman who has been called names for doing her job, standing her ground, or holding to her beliefs.

Adrian E. Bracy is CEO of YWCA Metro St. Louis.

Photo by Wiley Price

Adrian E. Bracy

Wilson

Continued from A1

of surrender when Wilson shot Brown are inconsistent with the physical evidence, are otherwise not credible because of internal inconsistencies, or are not credible because of inconsistencies with other credible evidence,” the DOJ concluded.

“In contrast, Wilson’s account of Brown’s actions, if true, would establish that the shootings were not objectively unreasonable under the relevant Constitutional standards governing an officer’s use of deadly force. Multiple credible witnesses corroborate virtually every material aspect of Wilson’s account and are consistent with the physical evidence.”

The DOJ was strongly influenced by the evidence of a struggle between Brown and Wilson that preceded the fatal shooting.

“Under the law, Wilson has a strong argument that he was justified in firing his weapon at Brown as he continued to advance toward him and refuse commands to stop,” the DOJ concluded, “and the law does not require Wilson to wait until Brown was close enough to physically assault Wilson.”

The protest movement sparked by Brown’s killing has heightened public awareness that the law provides special protections for police officers, but prosecutors are compelled to base charging decisions on the law as it exists.

“This case exposes the limits of the law,” Bell said. “But I raised my right hand when I took this job. I swore to uphold

Jones

Continued from A1

In unofficial results, 76,555 people voted in the city, an almost 40% turnout.

the law.”

The most pertinent U.S. Supreme Court opinions for this case are in Tennessee v. Garner (1985) and Graham v. Connor (1989), where police use of deadly force was ruled to be a seizure governed under the Fourth Amendment. The court ruled that police only violate the Fourth Amendment when they act unreasonably — and insist this be judged from the officer’s point of view.

“The ‘reasonableness’ of a particular use of force must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, and its calculus must embody an allowance for the fact that police officers are often forced to make split-second decisions about the amount of force necessary in a particular situation,” Justice Rehnquist wrote in the majority opinion on Graham It seems difficult to believe,

since the young man’s body was left lying in the street for four and a half hours and his killing sparked a protest movement that is still going strong six years later, but the entire incident between Wilson and Brown — from Wilson telling Brown to stop walking in Canfield Drive to the fatal shooting — lasted only about two minutes.

“There were many points in this tragedy where things

could have gone differently,” Bell said. “This does not exonerate Darren Wilson of all wrong-doing. But I can’t prove that Darren Wilson committed murder or manslaughter.”

Though Bell came to the same conclusion about Darren Wilson as Bob McCulloch — whose handling of the case contributed greatly to his losing to Bell in the 2018 Democratic primary — the two men came to very different conclusions

Incident Review Unit as well.

about Michael Brown.

“I do believe when my predecessor stood at that podium and announced the results of his investigation that he did a hit job on Michael Brown and tarnished his memory,” Bell said.

“In no way do I dishonor Michael Brown’s memory. He did start a transformative movement. He even changed the way I investigate the police and assist victims of police violence. I honor his legacy.”

At the press conference, Bell announced that once in-person grand jury proceedings resume in St. Louis County, they will all be recorded — another legacy of Michael Brown. Bell said McCulloch was “adamantly against” recording grand jury proceedings but made an exception for Wilson.

“I believe due process is for everyone,” Bell said. The outcome of the due process Bell accorded to Wilson was not received well by Tory Russell, a frontline Ferguson protestor who attended the press conference in the St. Louis County Courts Building in Clayton. Systemic change resulting from Michael Brown’s death did not satisfy Russell. He had expected the county’s first Black chief prosecutor to take Darren Wilson to trial.

“This is your first and last term!” Russell fumed. “I knocked doors for you! This is your last term! You are gone!” St. Louis County Police officers came scurrying to the disturbance as the protestor’s voice boomed in the courthouse and the prosecutor left the court room.

Powerful Republicans – the president, the governor, a U.S. senator and the state attorney general – attacked her and defended the accused. And a Black congressman, two state representatives, and Missouri’s own wall of moms have risen in her defense.

Gardner’s campaign received more scrutiny and enthusiasm after she recently garnered national attention for charging two wealthy white attorneys for flourishing weapons at non-violent protestors.

Before the McCloskeys debacle, Gardner faced repeated pushback for being a reform prosecutor. She has worked with advocacy groups and even the public defender’s office to lower the jail population, which eventually will lead to the closing of the controversial Medium Security Institution, the Workhouse, by the end of the year. She created a Conviction Integrity Unit to review wrongful conviction cases, and the Missouri Supreme Court is currently deliberating on whether or not the circuit attorney has the authority to ask for a new trial if she believes someone is innocent. The decision would impact the work of St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell’s new Conviction and

“Over the last four years we’ve experienced some consistent attacks, but in the last two months, they’ve reached unprecedented levels, especially as those who are not from St. Louis turned their eyes on me,” Gardner said on election night. “Your consistent support inspired me to stay the course and stand up for what I believe in. Please know that for the next four years, I will keep fighting for you.”

Gardner said her resounding victory shows that St. Louis wants “to continue on the path of reform we started together four years ago,” and even her challenger realized that in her campaign. Carl also lost to Garden in the 2016 primary (along with two other opponents), when she ran as Jennifer Joyce’s handpicked successor on more of a law and order platform. This year, she presented herself as a reformist – just a more efficient reformist with more trial experience than Gardner. Jones, on the other hand, overcame a negative and deceitful campaign by Boyd. He claimed a number of endorsements that were denied – U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay being the most prominent – and was hit with a cease-and-desist letter for using in a negative mailer a copyrighted photograph from a positive feature on Jones. That cease-and-desist letter also was sent to Boyd’s campaign manager, the Kelley Group, which also managed campaigns for St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson and Steve Stenger, a federal felon and former St. Louis County executive.

“I felt the race was about them trying to stop me from having any future aspiration to higher office,” Jones said of Boyd and the Kelley Group.

“They threw everything that they had at me to see if it would stick. At the end of day, voters had the final say, and they said they still trust me to run this office with integrity, transparency and accountability.” Her “integrity, transparency and accountability” have now been called into question by some 25 Post-Dispatch editorials, which clearly did not sway voters. (The Post also endorsed against Gardner.)

“I hope this will finally be the final nail in that coffin and that they can stop now,” Jones said of the Post. “But I know it won’t be.”

A venerable columnist at that same paper has called Jones the “shadow mayor.” What does the shadow mayor have to say to lead our city?

“We’re still not paying attention to the root causes of crime,” she said. “We’re dealing with double-digit poverty in the Black community. We need access to mental health and substance abuse services.” Both Jones and Gardner will face opponents in the November election, but the opposition for neither won as much as 3,000 votes in the primary.

Tory Russell, a frontline Ferguson protestor, responded in anger when St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell announced that he will not charge Darren Wilson in connection with the killing of Michael Brown in the St. Louis County Courts Building in Clayton on Thursday, July 30.

Photo by Wiley Price

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maced and beaten by those same officers in those same streets. Six months from now as the first Black congresswoman in the entire history of Missouri, I will be holding every single one of them accountable.”

In fact, Darren Wilson, the police officer who killed Brown, has not been charged with murder. Bush was endorsed by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and backed by the Justice Democrats that helped elect U.S. Rep. Alexandria OcasioCortez (D-NY). Alongside these progressive Democrats, Bush has vowed to fight for the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, free college, ending mass incarceration and deportation and rejecting all corporate PAC money. Her grassroots campaign raised almost $800,000 from “regular people” and made about 475,000 phone calls, she said. “We’ve been called ‘radicals,’ ‘terrorists,’” Bush said. “We’ve been dismissed as an impossible fringe movement. But now we are multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-generational mass movement — united and demanding change.”

Missouri’s first congressional district includes all of St. Louis city and much of North St. Louis County — including Ferguson. In the city, 51.6% of voters cast their ballots for Bush and 41.8% for Clay. Of county voters, it was about 46% for Bush and 49% for Clay. A third Democratic candidate, Katherine Bruckner, earned a nominal percentage of the votes. In 2018, Bush ran against Clay with a small team and minimal resources and lost by a wide margin. This time, she started campaigning early, raised four times the amount she did previously and built a national network of supporters that propelled her campaign forward, she said. She was also a 2016 Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate and was defeated by Jason Kander in the primary.

McSpadden

Continued from A1

ceedings as an exception.

“I believe due process is for

everyone,” Bell said, announcing the new policy. “Then where is the due process for my son?” McSpadden said to The St. Louis American McSpadden was disappointed that Bell did no new

A St. Louis native, Bush was raised in the Northwoods area and received her education from Cardinal Ritter College Prep, Harris-Stowe State University, and Lutheran School of Nursing.

“I have servant leader in my DNA,” Bush said. “My father has had a long career in local politics as a former mayor and current councilman. I am a clear and present

investigation but relied solely on the forensics and interviews collected in 2014 in a process handled by McCulloch and the St. Louis County Police Department that few in the community trusted at the time.

Progressive candidate and pastor Cori Bush, who is a single mother and registered nurse, began to celebrate after she defeated 10-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay. Bush became Missouri’s first African-American U.S. congresswoman.

“We simply need to evaluate our priorities,” Bush said. “We must dramatically reduce the amount of money we spend on the military and harmful industries like fossil fuels — these investments won’t carry us into the future. This year, Congress approved a $700 billion defense budget, and last year alone we spent approximately $650 billion on fossil fuel subsidies. That’s 10 times as much as we spent on education.”

She also said it’s time for the wealthy to contribute their fair share.

“Closing corporate tax loopholes also ensures fairness and accountability, and it will allow us to build the future we desperately need,” she said. She said the country’s “broken” healthcare system would cost $52 trillion to maintain, while Medicare for All would prevent 70,000 deaths a year and save $450 billion.

As congresswoman, she said she will be focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, an economic crisis that has left millions unemployed and at risk of eviction, and a police violence epidemic that is devastating Black and Brown communities. This summer after George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others died at the hands of police, Bush said millions of people took to the streets to join St. Louisans in saying that Black Lives Matter.

leader. I’m a registered nurse and pastor.” Bush is a longtime advocate for mental health services and childcare, along with ensuring that all families have access to healthcare and higher education.

“I have battled with homelessness and have lived paycheck to paycheck,” Bush said. “I understand the hardships that come with not being paid a

“He didn’t do a proper investigation,” McSpadden said.

Her attorney Jerryl Christmas said the reliance on existing evidence limited Bell. “You know that when you direct the investigation you control the narrative,” Christmas said.

Bell did no new investigation, but McCulloch and the county police were not his only sources of evidence. The Civil Rights Division of President Obama’s Department of Justice (DOJ) did its own investigation and published its own report. Like McCulloch and ultimately Bell, the DOJ did not charge Wilson.

“We relied heavily on the evidence uncovered by the Department of Justice, an investigation that was extraordinarily comprehensive and included interviews of every significant witness and its own forensic examinations,” Bell told The American “Because that investigation was run under the leadership of Eric Holder and the Civil Rights Division, we did not have the same concerns about bias or a rush to judgment. We also considered any other publicly available evidence that had emerged since the initial investigation was completed. And we hired an independent

living wage. That is why I will stand with St. Louis, a community where homelessness continues to increase, and I will fight for a federal $15 minimum wage increase. A fulltime worker should not have to live in poverty.” When asked where the money will come from for these progressive policies, Bush said that the funds for these programs already exist.

prosecutor to assess all of that evidence and conduct a considered, objective analysis.”

Christmas said he sees justifiable criminal charges in the facts and the law in this case and Bell should take it to trial.

“Let the people decide,” Christmas said. “Let this mother have closure. Give people a reason to have faith in the system. That’s the whole reason he was elected.”

n “Where is the due process for my son?”

– Lezley McSpadden

Bell crushed McCulloch in the 2018 Democratic primary after McCulloch’s mishandling of the Darren Wilson grand jury proceedings.

“It saddens me deeply that we could not do more for the Brown family under the law,” Bell said. “We will keep pushing for more reforms and meaningful change.”

Not surprisingly, a protest action was planned against Bell — on Sunday, August 2 at the Justice Center in Clayton. Protesters marched through Clayton for over an hour, stopping traffic at the intersection of Forsyth Boulevard and I-170

“It is historic that this year of all years we are sending a Black working-class single mother who’s been fighting for Black lives from Ferguson all the way to the halls of Congress,” Bush said. “I will never take for granted the movement that got me here. We are about to change the world.”

for four and a half minutes of silence to commemorate the four and a half hours Michael Brown’s body lay in Canfield Drive on August 9, 2014. Protesters chanted, “Justice for Mike Brown is justice for all!” A leader started a chant with, “Say his name!” to which some automatically answered “George Floyd!” before correcting themselves to “Mike Brown!”

McSpadden and Christmas repeated to the crowd of about 50 activists the same critiques of Bell they had shared with The American “It’s not too long ago that the person we’re out here delivering a message to today would have been a part of this same type of protest,” McSpadden said of Bell. “So, we know he hasn’t forgot what it’s like to be a Black man in St. Louis. He woke up a prosecutor, but he still woke up a Black man.”

“Wesley Bell wouldn’t have been elected St. Louis County prosecutor without Michael Brown,” said Christmas. “And for him to say that there is no probable cause to charge Darren Wilson is an insult to our intelligence.”

As McSpadden said to The American, “I do appreciate the support. Continue to pray for us, and continue to support us. The fight is not over.”

Urban League, SLPS, Assistance League provide books and supplies

On August 1, the Assistance League distributed more than 2,000 books during the Back to School emergency relief effort cohosted by the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and St. Louis Public Schools. Volunteers were on hand to help identify families with school-aged children and loaded books into vehicles along with emergency relief supplies.

Dr. Kelvin Adams, superintendent of St. Louis Public Schools, was on hand to provide an update about the district’s efforts to prepare for a virtual learning environment and support for students needing a more traditional classroom experience. The St. Louis Public Schools has been a proud sponsor of the Back to School Expo for 15 years.

Dr. Sam Page wins Democratic bloodbath for St. Louis County

Dr. Sam Page, who was appointed interim St. Louis County executive by his colleagues on the County Council last April, was approved by county voters in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, August 4. Page won confidently with 38.1% of the vote (70,500 votes). Mark Mantovani, in his second failed bid for the office, came in second with 29.6% (54,858 votes). Jake Zimmerman, who keeps his seat as county assessor, came in third with 24.5% (45,326 votes). A first-time candidate, Jamie Tolliver, won 14,418 votes (7.8%).

In unofficial results, 252,567 people voted in the county, a turnout of 39.26%.

Page was elected to serve the rest of Steve Stenger’s term, which expires at the end of 2022. Stenger, who pleaded guilty on corruption charges, spent election night at the Federal Prison Camp in Yankton, South Dakota. It was a brutal primary campaign. Mantovani, whose campaign was managed by Patrick Lynn – who helped to elect Stenger working with the Kelley Group – tried to capitalize on accusations of racial discrimination leveled against Page by St. Louis Police Lt. Col. Troy Doyle. Doyle claimed that Page influenced the police board to pass him over for police chief because Doyle is Black due to pressure from Page’s campaign donors. Page said he preferred Doyle for chief but the police board, whose members he appoints, is independent.

County Counselor Beth Ordwick countered by saying that Doyle’s attorney Jerome Dobson tried to extort a $3.5 million settlement for Doyle by offering to withhold the discrimination claim if Page settled before the primary. Dobson did make that offer in a voice mail to Page’s chief of staff.

Councilman Ernie Trakas who worked closely with Page when Stenger was county executive, released documents he claimed were damaging to Mantovani the same day that Doyle’s news broke, on July 24. The documents showed that two Stenger consultants also working to elect Mantovani were present at a 2018 meeting where documents allegedly were falsified concerning a lucrative lease between the county and Stenger’s largest campaign contributors.

Both the extortion claim and the new evidence about the

Stenger-era lease have been referred to federal prosecutors – the same ones who put in prison Stenger, whose term Page will complete. Page put all of that behind him in his election night remarks.

“For my part, I can say that the campaign battles are all finished and the punches thrown, forgotten,” he said.

“All differences are put aside so that we can work together through a pandemic and an economic recovery, leaving no one behind.” He did mention, however, that Zimmerman, in essence, kicked Page’s dog in one of his attack ads.

Other than the pandemic and economic recover, Page focused on the need to address issues of race and equity.

“St. Louis cannot be healthy, cannot grow, cannot be safe, until we address race,” Page said, “until there are enough good schools, good housing, good jobs, good healthcare, good transportation, good childcare, good retirements, for everyone, regardless of in what part of the county you live.”

over it and recovery from it –will be the defining issue of our time,” Galloway said.

“The most important thing the next governor will have to do is contain the spread of the virus and rebuild Missouri’s economy. The question is: will we take the steps needed to defeat the virus and rebuild in a way that helps working people get back on their feet? Or will we continue to ignore the science, distract, and rebuild only for well-connected special interests?”

Page will have competition in the November general election. However, he got more votes in the Democratic primary than the winner of the Republican primary (Paul Berry III) while getting less than 40% of the Democratic votes cast.

Galloway, Canady, Faleti, Englund win easy primaries

The top of the ticket for Missouri Democrats was uneventful in the primary election.

Democrat nominees won by huge double-digit margins for governor (Nicole Galloway) and lieutenant governor (Alissia Canady). Yinka Faleti had no opponent for secretary of state, and Vicki Lorenz Englund had no opponent for treasurer. Rich Finneran, whose race for attorney general was most competitive, still beat Elad Gross by 11%.

Galloway delivered a more than 2,000-word acceptance speech that focused on Governor Mike Parson’s bungling of the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout.

“This virus – our victory

She slammed Parson for bungling the pandemic by focusing on its economic consequences at the expense of public health.

tion for lieutenant governor and Faleti’s nomination for secretary of state sets them up to make history. Missouri has never elected an African American to statewide office.

“It’s time for change: to bring an end to gun violence, tackle health disparities headon and invest in education for all,” Canady said. “It’s time we bring smart solutions to protect and rebuild our communities stronger than before the pandemic, and ensure nobody is left behind. And it’s time to reject corruption and restore justice at the highest levels of government.”

“What Governor Parson doesn’t seem to understand is that this economic crisis is caused by the public health emergency,” she said. “The economic crisis cannot be solved – schools cannot fully reopen for in-person learning –until the spread of the virus is contained.”

Both Parson and Galloway had nominally contested primaries. Parson had only 75% of the Republican vote – low for an incumbent in a primary. Galloway had 85% of the Democratic vote, but more than 50,000 votes fewer than Parson.

Both Canady’s nomina-

“We know that change at the ballot box begins with being able to vote for our leaders with voter inclusion, not voter suppression,” Faleti said. “I enthusiastically accept the nomination to represent Democrats in November to help move our state forward to expand access to voting to ensure that every eligible Missourian can vote.”

Coming out of the primary, Canady has the best chance to make history. She got both more votes and a higher percentage of the primary vote than Mike Kehoe, the scandalplagued Republican incumbent. Faleti would have to defeat Republican incumbent John Ashcroft, who was unopposed in his primary and got more than 100,000 more votes than Faleti.

Rich Finneran wins primary for attorney general

In a contest between two highly qualified first-time candidates, Rich Finneran won the Democratic primary for Missouri attorney general over Elad Gross. Finneran won 55.4% to 44.6%, a margin of almost 60,000 votes.

“I just spoke to Elad, and he could not have been more gracious,” Finneran said after Gross conceded. “He honored the commitment we made at the beginning of the race to work together no matter who wins the nomination to secure a Democratic victory in the fall. I look forward to working with Elad and his supporters.”

his victory in the 2018 U.S. Senate race. Schmitt, a former state senator from St. Louis County, was elected statewide as treasurer in 2016.

“The strength of our message was we stayed laserfocused on the failings of the current attorney general, notably his crusade against the Affordable Care Act, against Obamacare, and his attempt to strip families with preexisting conditions of their health care,” Finneran said.

Gross did best in the City of St. Louis, where he garnered 3,096 more votes than Finneran in final unofficial results.

Finneran is a former federal prosecutor and partner at Bryan Cave. He said he won the primary by focusing on the failings of his future opponent in November, Eric Schmitt, the incumbent who was appointed by Gov. Parson after Josh Hawley vacated the seat upon

“Most voters did not know about that before this campaign. Tonight shows that our message broke through, and we are going to continue to pound that message in the general election.” Schmitt joined a law suit of state attorneys general trying to undo the Affordable Care Act. Finneran credited his endorsement by The American as an asset to his campaign. “I truly believe the endorsement of The American was critical in validating our campaign as being committed to the Democratic values that Democrats in St. Louis and across the state share, and I am excited to work alongside everyone in the party to make a winning campaign in November.”

Photo courtesy of Page campaign

Dr. Sam Page cast his vote in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, August 4. He won the Democratic nomination for St. Louis County executive.

Nicole Galloway

Yinka Faleti

Rich Finneran

City circuit court, sheriff suspend evictions

Temporary move until federal housing assistance arrives

By Rebecca Rivas

Of The St. Louis American

Presiding Judge Rex Burlison for the City of St. Louis’ 22nd Judicial Circuit Court and the sheriff made “an agreement” on August 1 to temporarily stop evicting families. They will resume evictions after the federal CARES Act housing assistance can reach people struggling to pay their rent or mortgages because of the pandemic, Burlison said.

The arrangement came one day after the St. Louis American’s July 31 investigation revealed that a huge eviction crisis is heading straight for the city.

“And a lot of folks are closing their eyes,” said Glenn Burleigh, community engagement specialist for the Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council.

Despite the agreement, Sheriff Vernon Betts’ Office evicted five families on Monday, August 3. Burlison said Betts didn’t

Judge Rex Burlison

get a hold of his deputies until 9 a.m., and the evictions began at 6 a.m.

In March, Burlison issued a court order halting evictions, which he lifted on July 6.

On July 7, 22nd Circuit Court started taking up eviction proceedings again. However, the city government didn’t open up applications for the $5.4 million in federal CARES Act rental and mortgage assistance until July 15.

Now families are rapidly falling through the cracks, and sheriff deputies were forced to remove families from their homes just as the COVID-19 is rising throughout the region and state. In fact, a sixth sheriff deputy tested positive for COVID-19 just last week.

From July 7 through August 7, 75 evictions have been scheduled. Of those, 22 have already “surrendered possession” of their homes, and only seven have been able to be mediated or can-

See EVICTIONS, A12

Essential workers who support essential workers

‘We do have parents that depend on us – they can’t take off’

By Ramona Curtis Of The St. Louis American

The teachers and staff at the 13 YMCA child care centers throughout St. Louis are essential workers who support essential workers.

n “We’re also helping our parents to practice social distancing and how they can help the little ones social distance before they come in the school.”

“They are glad that we are open because we do have parents that depend on us,” said YMCA Head Start teacher Marilyn HolmesCollins. “They can’t take off. They don’t have PPO time or anything like that for things like this. My heart goes out to parents who are not fortunate to stay home to care for their children.” Before the coronavirus health crisis, the YWCA Early Education Program had about 1,000 students up to age 5. Today, health guidelines enforcing social distancing have forced the centers to reduce its student body by half. But chief program officer Stacy Johnson said she has not had to reduce any of her staff, which includes 198 teachers.

“When we restructured, we worked everybody in,” Johnson said. “Our intention wasn’t to lay anyone off.”

New contentsharing partnership with NBC affiliate in St. Louis

By Darryl Gray

For The St. Louis American For most of us the word “home” conjures images of safety and security. But for thousands in St. Louis who find themselves out of work because of COVID-19,

“My heart goes out to parents who are not fortunate to stay home to care for their children,” said Marilyn Holmes-Collins.

Darryl Gray

– Marilyn Holmes-Collins See GRAY, A12

See WORKERS, A12

Photo by Wiley Price

A homeowner was evicted from his home of 20 years on Penrose Street in North City by sheriff’s deputies and police in this file photo from October 2012. The family fell behind on mortgage payments as a result of the 2007-2008 economy crisis.

Gray

Continued from A11

of homelessness. Missouri could show the nation by being a model of a holistic approach, bringing the resources to restore blocks of neglected, boarded-up buildings and making them livable again. Turning renters into homeowners – with no down payments and long repayment terms at 0% interest

Evictions

Continued from A11

celed.

Since July 15, the city has received 2,700 applications for rental or mortgage assistance, according to the mayor’s office, and almost 150 of them said they were in eviction proceedings. Led by the United Way of Greater St. Louis, 17 local organizations are trying to quickly process through these applications so the number of applicants with eviction cases could be higher.

In contrast, St. Louis County’s 21st Circuit Court has not evicted any families since the pandemic began. According to St. Louis County Sheriff Scott Kiefer, his department has not served any evictions since Presiding Judge Michael Burton’s March 20 administrative order went into effect. However, there is a backlog of more than 160 eviction notices waiting to be served.

“Landlords are impatient and tenants are fearful, especially those who may have lost

Workers

Continued from A11

Johnson said she collaborated with teachers and, using

and at less than what they are paying in rent – makes more sense long-term than subsidizing landlords. It would also put people to work getting these city-owned properties back on the tax rolls. The threat of homelessness doesn’t only extend to those renting a home or apartment. Part of the American Dream was that if you worked hard your whole life you could look forward to some security in retirement. Instead, too many

their jobs,” said Christine A. Bertelson, spokeswoman for the 21st Judicial Circuit. “But, as the order states, it is not in the interest of public health to force people to face the hardship of losing their homes during a pandemic.”

In the city, there appears to be a gap in the timing that will have a horrific impact on the city’s Black families, as almost 70 percent of the city’s renters are African American. The court reopened evictions proceedings after the federal aid for rental assistance applications became available.

“We are not even giving the money a chance to do its job,” Burleigh said. “That just seems cruel to me.”

Steve Conway, chief of staff for Mayor Lyda Krewson, said they need more time to process the thousands of applications for the CARES Act funding but have no power over the circuit court. Krewson does have say over the St. Louis Housing Authority, which recently extended its eviction moratorium until September 30 in order to give the city

CDC safety recommendations, came up with strategies to ensure the safety of both the students and staff. On June 1, the centers reopened with new ways of doing things. Johnson said that the pro-

seniors find this a time of great insecurity. They are faced with serious issues regarding how to make ends meet.

n One step government can take is to freeze property tax assessments for those over age 65.

The only option for them was to keep on working, earning just enough to get by even with Social Security. These seniors keep working as long as they can, but eventually – through ill-

more time to process the CARES Act dollars.

On July 7, landlords rushed to the courts to get their eviction cases heard. The sheriff’s deputies served nine people eviction notices in that first week following.

Burlison could issue another order to suspend evictions, he said, because Missouri Supreme Court’s order “gave the presiding judge a great deal of authority” on how to lead their courts during the pandemic.

The St. Louis region is still on the path to hit a second peak in COVID-19 hospitalizations in September if the region takes no action to prevent it, according to the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force. If Dr. Fred Echols, the city’s public health director, heightened public health restrictions, Burlison would align with them.

ness, injury, disability, or this pandemic – find they can no longer provide for themselves.

In a disturbing report by HUD, “The Annual Homeless Assessment Report,” the percentage of seniors in sheltered homeless situations doubled between 2007 to 2017 to 8%. This number is also expected to

“If he expresses a medical concern, then I’m going to give that long thought,” Burlison said. “I would give great deference to the medical director’s opinion.”

n Since July 15, the city has received 2,700 applications for rental or mortgage assistance, according to the mayor’s office, and almost 150 of them said they were in eviction proceedings.

Burlison was critical of the fact that the city received the federal funds in April and the Board of Aldermen didn’t approve an allocation until July — which was why the application didn’t open until July 15. “I assume that that money was meant to be received as fast as possible,” Burlison said.

‘Objection!’

On Thursday, July 30, activists with the STL Housing Defense Collective disrupted the WebEx court proceedings for the two 22nd Circuit judges who are assigned to eviction cases, Judge Nicole ColbertBotchway and Judge Lynne Perkins. Starting at 9:30 a.m.,

gram has purchased sanitization equipment for the cleaning staff to use at least twice a day and gloves and disinfectant for the teachers to use in the classroom. Depending upon class-

triple over the next decade. We need to do more to help seniors remain in their own homes. One step government can take is to freeze property tax assessments for those over age 65. For those trying to live on a fixed income or struggling to make ends meet even if still working, higher property tax bills are literally taxing people out of house and home. To provide relief, if elected I will introduce a Senior

activists called in and yelled, “Objection!” They told the judges that they were “complicit with every eviction case you hear.”

Perkins yelled back, “Take it up with the legislators. This is not the place for that!”

During hearings for eviction cases, Colbert-Botchway was giving out the number for the St. Louis Conflict Resolution Center, which received a contract from the city through CARES Act funding to mediate evictions. Mediation is currently not mandatory, and the center has only mediated 14 cases. However, it has had a 86 percent success rate in the cases that have come to it, according to Wolf Smith, executive director of the center.

Advocates want a moratorium for 120 days on evictions, pointing to the continued increases in COVID19 cases and unemployment numbers. The American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Missouri filed an emergency brief last week urging a Missouri court to halt eviction proceedings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

room size, a typical classroom now has ten students and two teachers. Students and teachers remain in the one classroom all day and lunch and snacks are served inside of each contained classroom. No visitors are allowed and every teacher and staff member is required to wear a mask at all times.

“This is our new normal,” Johnson said. “It’s our test drive before the new school year opens.”

The summer program, focusing on the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) curriculum, will end in August, giving Johnson and her staff a chance to reset before the school year begins Sept. 8.

While Johnson said, “Some staff had reservations,” but the majority of teachers showed up in May after the centers were shut down in March at the onset of the pandemic.

Holmes-Collins, who has been a teacher with the YWCA Head Start for five years of her 21-year teaching career, was one of those teachers. She is a lead head start teacher at the Betty J. Robinson Head

American

Continued from A11

Elsner. “With heightened awareness about issues impacting Black communities, it is a privilege to amplify the positive news that is created by our new partners at The St. Louis American. We are also thrilled to provide the WeatheRate-

Start on the city’s north side, which has a 90 percent African American student enrollment.

“I feel confident. It’s different, and I’m always preparing for changes at all times,” she said. “So, to be involved in an

n “As a parent and teacher, I have to be safe at all times as far as hand sanitizing, washing my hands thoroughly and keeping my mask on.”

– Marilyn Holmes-Collins

experiment like this, I can have it under my belt and get all the information I need to prepare.”

Holmes-Collins said being prepared is key and that it’s important for teachers, students and their families to work together to contain the spread of the virus.

Home Security Act to freeze property tax assessments for this vulnerable segment of our society. This is legislation that would benefit both urban and rural Missourians. The best time to address homelessness is before someone loses their home.

Darryl Gray is a Democratic candidate for state representative in the 77th District on the August 4 ballot.

Missouri is one of only nine states that has not issued a moratorium on eviction proceedings.

The fact that the city has started evicting people before federal aid became available has somewhat overshadowed some important work that the city has been doing in this area. A team of people from the circuit court, city service agencies, nonprofits, Washington University, the Sheriff’s Office, and others “are going above and beyond their regular duties,” Gross said. For example, truancy officers and other officers of the court’s juvenile division, whose duties have been curtailed during the pandemic, volunteered to lead the door-knocking effort to ensure the resident knew about the coming eviction hearing. They also are helping connect people to resources. Gross described this as a “public-private collaboration to head off a tsunami of homelessness during the still-active pandemic.”

Holmes-Collins said she stays vigilant about keeping her own family safe. She hangs a robe by her front door so that she can leave her clothes “right at the door.”

“It’s always a concern, especially leaving your family and coming out here,” she said. “So as a parent and teacher, I have to be safe at all times as far as hand sanitizing, washing my hands thoroughly and keeping my mask on.” Johnson said the teachers have been responsive to the demands of the virus, the needs of the Head Start program and the needs of the families they support.

“I asked my staff, what do they think about us reopening? Everybody got an opportunity to chime in about what they thought,” she said. “And they said, ‘Five days a week – that’s what parents need,’ and it allows us to do what we need to do for the kids.”

“Of course, we’re keeping on our toes with hand sanitizing and face masks and preparing ourselves as teachers for social distancing,’ she said. “We’re also helping our parents to practice social distancing and how they can help the little ones social distance before they come in the school.”

n “With heightened awareness about issues impacting Black communities, it is a privilege to amplify the positive news that is created by our new partners at The St. Louis American.”

– Alicia Elsner, 5 On Your Side

certified most accurate weather and news content to a broader audience through the newspaper’s loyal audience.” The partnership is flexible, leaving room for more opportunities in the future.

“Our team is pleased to be invited by 5 On Your Side to enter into a content partnership,” said Donald M. Suggs, publisher and executive editor of The St. Louis American “This partnership is aligned with our long-time mission to inform and empower the Black community in the St. Louis region. Our digital team welcomes this new collaboration that will provide our audience with an enhanced stream of fresh, up-to-the-minute local content from KSDK. We also welcome the opportunity to do team investigations with their newsroom.”

5 On Your Side is owned by TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA), an innovative media company that owns and operates 62 television stations in 51 markets. To learn more about 5 On Your Side, visit

Missouri votes to expand Medicaid

By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American

Amendment 2, a statewide vote to expand Medicaid health coverage to nearly a quarter-million individuals in Missouri, passed 53.25% to 46.75% in the August 4 primary election. By increasing the income cutoff for Medicaid, called MO HealthNet in Missouri, an estimated 230,000 individuals who struggle to make ends meet will now have health coverage.

“Today’s historic victory for Amendment 2 highlights that when it comes to the care of our neighbors and the health of our ailing economy, Medicaid expansion uniquely unites Missourians,” said A.J. Bockelman, campaign manager for Yes on 2: Healthcare for Missouri.

Bockelman thanked supporters who made over a million calls, sent over 200,00 texts and traveled 13,000 miles across Missouri to advocate for Medicaid expansion.

“Our coalition of business and labor, seniors and civil rights organizations, faith leaders and frontline healthcare workers, shows that when Missourians work for a common goal, we can make real and lasting change that improves the lives of every Missourian,” Bockelman said.

Dr. Denise Hooks-Anderson – board president of the American Heart Association (AHA) St. Louis, assistant professor of medicine at Saint Louis University and The American’s medical accuracy editor – said AHA supports Medicaid expansion because people living with low incomes are disproportionately affected by heart disease, hypertension, and stroke and Medicaid serves as the coverage backbone for the healthcare services these individuals need.

Galloway reminds voters that Gov. Parson opposes

“I see at least one patient every day who is forced to make tough choices regarding their health due to a lack of insurance coverage,” HooksAnderson said. “Expanding access to health care provides a lifeline for Missouri families who are slipping through the cracks in our system, and it halts the agonizing choice that too many families face when deciding if they can afford critical medical care – including heart disease treatments and medications.”

She said Missouri has one of the worst rates for heart disease in the nation.

“Missourians with risk factors for heart disease and stroke who lack health insurance or are underinsured are more likely to die early and have poorer blood pressure control than their insured counterparts,” Hooks-Anderson said.

“Furthermore, uninsured stroke patients suffer from greater neurological impairments, longer hospital stays, and a higher risk of death than similar patients covered by health insurance. Our state has one of the worst rates of heart disease in the nation, but we have taken a key step to change the course by expanding

Medicaid, delivering treatments and medicine to more than 230,000 Missourians.”

Rick Stevens, president of Christian Hospital, who worked on Medicaid expansion efforts for BJC HealthCare, said, “The citizens of Missouri have spoken to become the 38th state to expand Medicaid. Urban and rural areas of the state voted to say yes to provide health insurance to our most vulnerable populations.” Stevens added that Medicaid expansion provides health equity to the citizens of Missouri in urban and rural areas of the state. Several rural hospitals have

it

closed because the state did not expand Medicaid. It also brings federal dollars back to Missouri to pay for it.

“This will bring over a billion of our tax dollars home from Washington to benefit our local economies and keep rural hospitals open – making sure Missourians have access to healthcare no matter where they live,” Hooks-Anderson said.

Dwayne Butler, CEO of Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers, said the passage of Medicaid expansion “will dramatically improve access to quality health care for our most vulnerable citizens and will go a long way to address the health disparities that have plagued our community for far too long.”

Republican Governor Mike Parson opposes it.

“We can expand healthcare without raising taxes or cutting other programs. As governor, that’s exactly what I’ll do. Governor Parson won’t,” Galloway said.

n “Expanding access to health care provides a lifeline for Missouri families who are slipping through the cracks in our system.”

– Dr. Denise Hooks-Anderson

Now that the win is in, new work begins to make Medicaid expansion a reality.

Nicole Galloway, the Democratic nominee for governor, frequently points out that she supports Medicaid expansion while the incumbent

“Governor Parson will undermine our vote in favor of Medicaid Expansion. History can be our guide. On Clean Missouri, on right-to-work, Governor Parson thinks he knows better than the voters. He campaigned against Medicaid Expansion and moved it to the August ballot to try to defeat it. Governor Parson said he’d raise taxes and cut other programs if we voted for it – and I take him at his word.

Galloway added, “The future of Medicaid expansion in Missouri depends on who is in the governor’s office next year when it comes time to implement it. Governor Parson cannot be trusted with the healthcare needs of Missouri’s working families.”

“The future of Medicaid expansion in Missouri depends on who is in the governor’s office next year when it comes time to implement it,” said Nicole Galloway, Democratic nominee for governor.

Photo courtesy Galloway campaign

“TakingCareofYou”

Noncompliant sports bars shut down for 14 days

Krewson: ‘We hope that

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

other businesses will get the message and come in line’

Several downtown St. Louis bars have been shut down for 14 days after videos on social media showed them disobeying COVID-19 restrictions.

“Last Monday, we issued letters to six businesses that were pretty seriously not following the guidelines,” said Mayor Lyda Krewson,

during her Monday, July 27 briefing. “If you are on social media, we saw that some of those businesses are continuing not to follow the guidelines.” Wheelhouse, which is a few blocks from Busch Stadium at 1000 Spruce St., posted a video on Instagram of a packed dance party and no one wearing masks. On July 28, Sheriff Vernon Betts’ Office issued cease-and-desist letters to the Wheelhouse and its next-door neighbor Start Bar, as well as to Big Daddy’s on the Landing.

Betts’ spokesman said they have a list of several other downtown entertainment venues to issue letters. The mayor’s spokesman said there are about five more businesses who will receive letters, but he couldn’t confirm names See

Blacks in STL four times more likely

Dr. Garza: ‘Now is the time to be kind to each other – we’re depending upon each other’

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

If you’re Black in the St. Louis region, you’re four times more likely to test positive than a non-Black hospital patient, according to the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic

n “It can’t just be 50% of the population that wears a mask. It has to be up in the 90th percentile to gain the benefit of decreasing transmission.”

By Serena Muhammad For The St. Louis American

When we think of achieving health, we often equate it with exercising, eating healthy, and getting adequate rest. But just as important is our mental health, which often gets ignored in comparison because we can’t see mental health like we do physical fitness.

In recent days and weeks, most St. Louisans have felt their mental health take an impact. They may be feeling more hopeless, frustrated, sad, outraged, scared, or any combination of these feelings than ever before. Between the underlying effects of social distancing and sheltering in place from COVID-19, and the civil unrest being felt across the country, the toll on our mental health has been heavy.

Recognizing that everyone is undergoing added levels of stress right now, the Saint Louis Mental Health Board partnered with Behavioral Health Response and United Way to make sure every St. Louisan had the resources necessary to make it through the most trying times of this pandemic.

– Dr. Alex Garza n

an area that includes surrounding counties in

and

If you take the number of AfricanAmerican COVID-19 deaths and divide

or simply feeling lonely, we want you to call.

Available immediately, you can dial 2-1-1 and press 1 to get access to free, confidential, and professional support any time of day and any day of the week. By pressing “1” after dialing “2-1-1,” you will be directed to a professional mental health expert at Behavioral Health Response who is ready to talk with you about any worry you have. The United Way hosts the 2-1-1 number, which you can dial to get information on essential community services from foreign language support to healthcare information.

If you are feeling stressed about COVID19 news, feeling worried about providing for your family, or simply feeling lonely, we want you to call so that we can help you. I have had the privilege of working with people who have recovered from traumatic experiences and witnessing their desire to heal. I’ve seen people pinpoint a past

Serena Muhammad

Bars

Continued from A14 until the sheriff’s office has notified the businesses.

“This is a very serious step that we never wanted to have to take,” Krewson said. “But we are seeing increases in cases significantly and high hospitalization numbers. We have tried to bring people into compliance. We hope that other businesses will get the message and come in line.”

The city will continue to monitor compliance among all businesses, explore additional enforcement measures, and issue cease and desist letters when necessary, according to the mayor’s press release. Non-compliant establishments run the risk of also being shut down.

According to the City of St. Louis Department of Health, positive COVID-19 cases have continued to increase over the last month, especially among younger individuals in their 20’s and 30’s. In fact, people

“TakingCareofYou”

n “Physically distancing ourselves from one another and wearing a face covering are proven means of preventing the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.”

– Dr. Fredrick Echols

under the age of 40 accounted for 64% of the city’s overall positive case count in just the last 30 days. “Physically distancing our-

selves from one another and wearing a face covering are proven means of preventing the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses,”

said Dr. Fredrick Echols, acting director of health for the City of St. Louis. “There has to be changes in our behavior if we are going to slow the rise of infections that we are seeing in the metropolitan area. The data is telling us that enough individuals are not changing their behavior. We will take the necessary actions to protect the health of residents and visitors.”

Additionally, members of the public are strongly encouraged to choose outdoor spaces for dining whenever possible.

COVID-19 prevention for people with diabetes

Echols also recommends keeping your personal social gatherings at home, in parks, and at church to very small, limited groups with social distancing and masks and/or face coverings. The City of St. Louis still invites members of the public to continue reporting violations of the City’s COVID-19 public health orders by calling (314) 622-4800 or visiting https:// tinyurl.com/STL-COVIDreport.

American Diabetes Association, Harvard Medical School issue guidelines

American staff

Two of the world’s leading diabetes organizations released guidance on high-impact COVID-19 prevention recommendations for people with diabetes. Members of the diabetes community are among the most vulnerable to severe complications and death caused by the coronavirus. The recommendations explain how to establish and maintain strict personal hygiene, minimize physical interaction with others, minimize risk when out in public, make work as safe as possible, set yourself up for success with diabetes management, maximize your baseline physical and mental health, and if you get sick to get treated quickly.

Establish and maintain strict personal hygiene. Wash hands every time you come into contact with an out-of-home item or place. Regularly disinfect high-touch surfaces in your home. Avoid touching your face. Cough or sneeze into your elbow or a handkerchief. Act as though you have COVID and could pass it on.

Minimize physical interaction with others. Minimize contact with individuals outside your household. Secure a sufficient amount of food, supplies, and medication to minimize trip frequency as your budget allows. Get them delivered if you can. Seek routine medical care from home: utilize telehealth and mail-order pharmacy options.

Minimize risk when out in public. Maintain a distance of at least 2 meters / 6 feet from others. Wear a cloth mask or face covering. Adjust schedule to avoid busy times in public places. Take advantage of dedicated shopping times for vulnerable individuals if available.

COVID-19

Continued from A14

by the task force’s area population, it clearly shows disparities within the region, said Dr. Alex Garza, incident commander for the task force, during his July 24 briefing In the entire region, 18.8% of the population is African American. However, 55 out of every 100,000 black people die of COVID-19, compared to 15 for every 100,000 of non-black people.

Continued from A14 moment when something bad happened to them, and then shift their thinking from

Make work as safe as possible. Work from home as much as you can. Look into modifications in work procedures to keep 2 meters / 6 feet distance

“When you do the population statistics, this is where it really shows the magnitude for the Black community,” Garza said. Aside from race, the task force also looks at risk indicators for age and gender.

“What puts a person most at risk for mortality for COVID19?” Garza said. “With every increasing year, you increase your risk for death from COVID, along with testing positive and for being admitted to the hospital.”

The male population is 1.71 times more likely to die than

blaming themselves for the experience to recognizing that it doesn’t have to define who they are forever.

I’m passionate about helping these and all people thrive and reach their full potential, no matter who they are and

from others. Adjust your schedule to avoid high-traffic times. As physical distance rules are lifted, advocate for flexible work options for high-

a female patient, and you are 1.14 times more likely to die if you have a chronic condition.

“If you’re an older male with chronic conditions, you’re at the highest risk for mortality from COVID-19,” Garza said.

For the past week, Garza has expressed concern that the region’s hospitalizations are increasing at a rapid rate. Many of the Zip codes that are seeing the most rapid growth in terms of new COVID-19 cases are in St. Charles County and West St.

what they’ve been through. That realization that a person can get past something difficult or begin to think about themselves differently fosters exactly the type of selfcare and healing that people need in order to recover.

risk individuals.

Maximize baseline physical and mental health. If you smoke or vape, stop now.

Louis County, he said. If nothing changes, the region is set to see a second peak — similar to April — in the middle of August.

“It can’t just be 50% of the population that wears a mask,” Garza said. “It has to be up in the 90th percentile to gain the benefit of decreasing transmission. Facing a pandemic like this is taxing to our whole community. Everything has changed, and it’s hard and I understand that.”

On Tuesday, July 28, the task force reported 40 new hospital admissions, up from

There’s no shame in reaching out and asking for help— we have this service set up and resources available to you for this specific reason.

BHR’s experts are trained to answer your calls compassionately and without

Prioritize rest, hydration, nutrition, physical activity, and virtually socializing with others. Exercise inside or in isolated areas. If you are strug-

25. (All numbers lag by two days.) The task force noted that there was a delay in reporting of test results, leading to the increase in reported hospital admissions. This, in turn, affected the seven-day moving average of admissions. The task force uses this average to look at new hospital admissions because it shows the overall trend and irons out daily fluctuations. On July 28, the task force reported the moving average of new hospital admissions to be 39, which is the highest

judgement, and everything you talk about is completely confidential. 2-1-1 takes calls all over the St. Louis region, so no matter where you are, these resources are available to you. Talk to us. We can help you on your road to healing.

gling with mental health, seek online help.

Set yourself up for success with diabetes management Test blood sugar levels more often; your body may be reacting differently under these new circumstances. Familiarize yourself with how to check for ketones. Check for ketones regularly, regardless of blood sugar levels. Secure a sufficient amount of supplies, including ketone strips and severe hypoglycemia treatment (glucagon). Maintain a routine of physical movement and blood sugar friendly eating. Contact your doctor or health professionals by phone / telehealth if possible for diabetes management questions and concerns.

If you get sick, get treated quickly. Measure temperature daily with a thermometer and take heart rate with a watch. Track any changes. Never stop taking insulin or other medications, even when you become sick. Discuss insulin dosage changes with a doctor. Know the warning signs of DKA and seek immediate medical attention for symptoms including fruity smelling breath, vomiting, weight loss, dehydration, confusion, and hyperventilation. These guidelines are endorsed by the American Diabetes Association, Harvard Medical School and The International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) and can be found at coronavirusdiabetes. org.

If you have diabetes and contract the novel coronavirus, contact your healthcare professional immediately. For more information, visit https://www.diabetesdisasterresponse.org/.

that it’s been since May. On July 8, it was 21 — and on July 25 and 26, it was 40. The milestone of 40 new hospital admissions indicates that both Mayor Lyda Krewson and St. Louis County Executive Sam Page need to heighten public health restrictions, they both said on July 27.

“Now is really the time to be kind to each other,” Garza said. “We’re depending upon each other for guidance and not for criticism and judgement. Show compassion for our loved ones, and do whatever it takes to show it down.”

For more information, you can visit stlmhb.com/get-help. Serena Muhammad is the director of Strategic Initiatives at the Saint Louis Mental Health Board.

St. Louis Teen Talent Competition turns ten

Five years after taking the top prize, Taylor has earned her BFA in Dance from Lindenwood University and currently teaches at five dance studios within the region. The

Finals to air on Nine Network August 10, no live show due to COVID-19

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

Attending the finals of the St. Louis Teen Talent Competition should be on the bucket list for area residents who enjoy seeing stars in the making. The energy of families, teachers, supporters and fellow performers as the best and brightest of the bunch share their gifts on one of the city’s most famous stage is indescribable. Singers, dancers (both soloists and troupes), musicians (individuals and bands) musical theater performers, circus artists and other talented young people offer a broad mix of entertainment over the course of the evening as celebrity judges with a St. Louis connection select the best in show.

Annually, more than 120,000 viewers watch the Nine PBS program featuring the final Teen Talent competition.

Thanks to the direction of Tony Parise, wrapped around the talent is a show with the same production value and scale of the Broadway shows that bring national tours to the

Fox – particularly the dance sequences.

The production, presented by the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation, was gearing up for a milestone year as they marked a decade of offering the platform for area youth to showcase their gifts. But the pandemic meant that other plans had to be put in place.

“As the saying goes ‘the show must go on!’” exclaimed Mary Strauss, FoxPACF co-founder and board president. “While I am disappointed the contestants can’t perform in front of a live audience at the Fox, we’re pleased they were able to perform on stage and we are thrilled and grateful Nine PBS has stepped up to provide a

See Talent, B2

Back-to-back wins at Brave New Voices

Blues at the Arch goes virtual

5th Anniversary of popular outdoor concert series kicks off online August 7

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St.

Louis American

COVID-19 can’t stop the blues. In fact, the unprecedented impact of the pandemic has probably inspired more than a few new tunes.

Next week, The Gateway Arch Park Foundation’s Blues at the Arch concert series will return for its fifth anniversary year. Because of restrictions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Blues at the Arch 2020 will exist as a series of online events, with new performances every Friday in August.

By American Staff

The UrbArts organization’s youth poetry slam team won their second championship when they competed during the 23rd Annual Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival last week. Like many festivals, Brave New Voices was scheduled to take place in Washington D.C. until the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted their plans. This year’s virtual festival was held July 20-25. It is the second time St. Louis has taken first place in the international poetry competition. In celebration of their win, UrbArts held a weeklong virtual celebration for the winning poets beginning Monday, July 27 through July 31 by posting a recorded poem from each member on the organization’s YouTube channel. Additionally, a Facebook recording of the youth team reading poems will be made available on its page. The team was led by two members of the 2019 championship team Sarah Abbas, 2020 St. Louis Youth Poet Laureate and Marquette High School senior, and recent Parkway North gradu-

n The concert series is presented by Emerson and produced by the Gateway Arch Park Foundation in partnership with the National Blues Museum and the National Park Service.

“Blues at the Arch has become a beloved event for us each year, where we invite folks to relax and picnic in Gateway Arch National Park,” said Ryan McClure, executive director of Gateway Arch Park Foundation. “While we wish we could gather in the same way this year, we look forward to sharing the love and experience of blues music with our community in a new way.” The concert series is presented by Emerson and produced by the Gateway Arch Park Foundation in partnership with the National Blues Museum and the National Park Service. Blues at the Arch will stream free of charge on the Gateway Arch Park Foundation website, archpark. org, and @gatewayarchpark Facebook page.

“Emerson is proud to call St. Louis home and to continue to support Blues at the Arch in celebration of the music that makes this city so special,” said Dave Rabe, vice president of corporate social responsibility at Emerson. “Although this year’s event will take a different form, we at Emerson, along with the Gateway Arch Park Foundation and the National Blues Museum, are dedicated to bringing the community together virtually to enjoy the best of St. Louis blues music.” This popular end-of-summer celebration pays tribute to St. Louis’ storied blues history and showcases the talents of hometown artists. “Blues music is the heart of our city,” said Erin Mahony,

Photo by Lawrence Bryant Veteran singer Uvee Hayes performing at The National Blues Museum. She will kick off the 5th Anniversary of Blues at The Arch, which is taking place as a series of virtual performances each Friday in August.

Tiala Taylor was named winner of the Fox Performing Arts Foundation’s 5th Annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition in 2015.

10th Annual finals will air on Nine Network on Monday, August 10.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

The UrbArts Organization’s youth poetry slam team won their second consecutive championship at the Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival. Because of COVID-19, this year’s teams competed virtually, but the team also took top prize last year in Las Vegas, Nevada. See Poets, B2

ate Kaylyn McKoy.

“So much of writing is about the process and this win affirms our process of finding the youth poets who are ready to grow and share their truth,” UrbArts Founder and Executive Director and poetry slam team coach M.K. Stallings said when they captured their first title last year.

The 23rd Annual Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival, powered by Youth Speaks, is the only festival of its kind. In normal years, over 500 young poets, their mentors, and the nation’s leading artists and cultural workers convene in a different U.S. city for four to five days of arts education, artistic expression, and civic engagement. The festival has taken place for 23 years. Commonly referred to as BNV, Brave New Voices hosted 12 teams from throughout the country in its first virtual version of its festival.

This year, teams from Chicago, Nashville,

Washington D.C., Seattle, Dallas, Indianapolis, Tampa, and Abuja in Nigeria were among the cities who competed in the virtual festival.

“Hamilton” star and notable Youth Speaks alumnus Daveed Diggs was a special guest during BNV final. BNV received national attention in 2008 when HBO produced a series that aired on the cable network. During the Grand Slam Finals, the St. Louis team faced off against teams from Los Angeles, Miami Gardens and Fayetteville. In a change from last year’s close finish, St. Louis won by 2.7 points, which is considered a difficult lead to surmount due to the Olympicstyle scoring.

The 2020 champion St. Louis team is comprised of teen poets: Sarah Abbas of Marquette High School; a recent graduate from Parkway North High School Kaylyn McKoy; Hazelwood West students Grace Ruo and Jacoby Collins; Parkway North senior Chris Lau; and home school student Antigone ChambersReed.

To make the St. Louis team, all youth had to compete and participate in the St. Louis Youth Poetry Movement, an

UrbArts program that include the St. Louis Youth Poet Laureate and VerbQuake Youth Poetry Festival. Funding support for the program came from the Regional Arts Commission, Missouri Arts Council and Enterprise Holdings. In addition to Stallings’ service as lead coach, and Bisa Adero and Zack Lesmeister, former St. Louis Youth Poets Laureates were assistant coaches with Sahara Sista S.O.L.S. as associate lead-coach. Sarah Abbas was the team captain.

Founded in August 2001 as Urban Artists Alliance for Child Development, UrbArts is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create platforms for youth and community development. UrbArts operates annual, local poetry slams for adults and teen spoken word artists entitled UrbSlam Saint Louis and VerbQuake Youth Poetry Slam, respectively.

Since 2012, VerbQuake has partnered with high schools throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area. In 2015, UrbArts sponsored its first team of VerbQuake champions to represent St. Louis at the Brave New Voices International Festival.

Odili Donald Odita: From Periphery to Center

August 8 - December 20, 2020

Designed to explore similarities and differences, bonds and divisions, this newly-commissioned exhibition of colorful, abstract flags is on view at Laumeier Sculpture Park in Sunset Hills and Jeske Sculpture Park in Ferguson.

“We can’t wait for this opportunity to honor and share the history and future of blues in St. Louis!” Local veteran performer Uvee Hayes will kick off the 5th anniversary programming that will continue August 14 with Little Dylan, August 21 with Kingdom Brothers and conclude on August 28 with Carolyn Mason.

The blues is something Hayes knows all too well as a native of Mississippi.

“My mom had a little country store and they would have Friday and Saturday night gatherings, and people would come from everywhere,” Hayes told the American last summer as she prepared to embark on a national tour. “You could hear nothing but the blues and the stomping on the floor – you’ve heard about how people can dance the dust up off the floor? That’s what would happen.”

She saw the power of the blues as a small girl and his

been contributing to the genre’s rich legacy both in her home state and her adopted city of St. Louis. Both regions have a deep and world-renowned connection with the blues.

“You can hear somebody’s whole life in a blues song,” Hayes said. “The stories and the music are unlike anything else – which is what keeps the blues alive.” Blues at the Arch begins Friday, August 7 and continues through August 28. For more information about Blues at the Arch, visit archpark.org/bluesatthearch

platform for the St. Louis Teen Talent Competition.”

Annually, more than 120,000 viewers watch the Nine PBS program featuring the final Teen Talent competition – which is usually taped before a live audience of family, friends, arts educators and others who usually fill The Fox at or near capacity. The 16 acts that made up the 2020 finalists performed in front of a small group of their closest family and friends with a minimal film and stage crew working behind the scenes to adhere to the guidelines implemented to reduce the spread of coronavirus. The finals will be aired on the Nine Network at 8 p.m. on Monday, August 10. The online celebration taking place as the awards airs will feature a special performance by last year’s winner and NBC’s “The Voice” competitor Joann Serenko. Additional prizes and scholarships will be announced, including voting for the $1,000 cash prize for the Audience Choice Award. The Finalists are judged by St. Louis area arts professionals with careers spanning music, dance, and Broadway. This year’s judges are: Audrey Kwong (operations manager at the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra), Antonio Douthit-Boyd (co-artistic director of dance at COCA), Carl Nappa (Grammy nominated executive music producer), Taylor Louderman (Broadway actress and 2018 Tony nominee); Ken Page (award-winning actor, director and singer); and Denise Thimes (award-winning jazz vocalist and recording artist). Students will be judged on technical ability, stage presence, interpretation, and originality.

Dancer Tiala Taylor was crowned winner during the 5th anniversary competition back in 2015 while a student at Ft. Zumwalt South High School.

“I hope the audience walks away seeing that people as young as we are can accomplish big things, like performing on the Fox stage,” Tiala said as she prepared for her competition winning performance. “I hope that the whole inspires them to work towards achieving their own goals.”

Watching his daughter win the competition was something James Taylor said he would never forget as he watched the show unfold.

“Sometimes you don’t have words for certain events in your life, and this is certainly one of those times,” he said. “I can’t express what a blessing it is.”

Five years later, Taylor has received her BFA in Dance from Lindenwood University –and along with being a dancer and choreographer, she is an instructor at five area dance studios.

“I wanted people to know from seeing us that you can achieve what you’ve always hoped for, no matter how big the obstacle.”

Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation’s presentation of The 10th Annual Teen Talent Competition Finals will air at 8 p.m.

Digital designs for From Periphery to Center, 2020. Commissioned by Laumeier.

© Odili Donald Odita. Images courtesy of artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, NY.

Tiala Taylor was named winner of the Fox Performing Arts Foundation’s 5th Annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition in 2015.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Sports

sports eye

With Alvin A. Reid

Casino Royale Cardinals lose Yadier Molina, six other players to pandemic

I’ve viewed Field of Dreams just once in my life. That was, and is, enough. I never liked it. Plagued by an overabundance of sappiness, the 1989 film starring Kevin Costner, Ray Liotta and James Earl Jones glosses over Major League Baseball’s abject racism. All the players who come to life from the friggin’ cornfield are white because black men couldn’t play.

I guess all the great Negro League players were busy the day they had the casting call in heaven.

Liotta plays “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. Jackson, banned from the Hall of Fame for his alleged role in the fixing of the 1919 World Series, is portrayed batting righthanded. He was lefthanded.

Jones, whose lengthy oration on baseball during the movie makes me gag, was better in Bingo Long’s Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings.

So, I could care less that the 2020 version of the “Field of Dreams” game in Iowa featuring the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox has been cancelled. I do care why it was scratched from the calendar.

An outbreak of COVID-19 among St. Louis Cardinals players and coaches led to the cancellation of last weekend’s series at Milwaukee and then a restructured four-game series in Detroit. The Cardinals would have been the home team in two of those games. On Tuesday, we learned that future Cardinal Hall of Famer and fan icon Yadier Molina tested positive.

“Good morning, I am saddened to have tested positive for COVID-19, even after following the prevention recommendations,” Molina, a ninetime All-Star, wrote.

“I’ll do everything in my power to get back ASAP for Cardinals fans, St. Louis City and my teammates. As I recover, I request that you respect my and my family’s privacy during my absence from the team. Blessings!!”

That’s a sock in the gut.

Paul DeJong, Edmundo Sosa, Rangel Ravelo, Junior Fernandez and Kodi

Whitley also tested positive. The Cardinals could not release their names without permission. The seventh positive player must not have waived that right. The day after the Cardinals Friday game was cancelled, Commissioner Robert Manfred said players were at fault for the Redbirds debacle and also last week’s outbreak with the Miami Marlins. He obviously knew something we didn’t. Then, rumors of a Cardinal casino visit in Minneapolis and a golf outing began popping up. Former Major Leaguer Jerry Hairston had the information posted on his Twitter account. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman relayed the same. John Mozeliak, Cardinals president of baseball operations, said there is no confirmation the stories are true. But he did temper his disbelief.

“I have no factual reason to believe that is true, and I have not seen any proof of that,” Mozeliak told Jeff Passan of ESPN. “If they were at a casino, though, that would be disappointing.”

With two teams missing a week’s worth of games, and the outlook of completing the season looking cloudier each day, “disappointing” is what the 2020 season has become.

We will likely learn who the seventh player is when lineups are posted on Friday afternoon for an evening home game against the Chicago Cubs. Meanwhile, the players and others that tested positive returned to St. Louis via automobile. The others have been quarantined in a Milwaukee hotel.

“The Cardinal Way,” couldn’t stave off the Corona virus. The alleged casino visit could prove, like the pandemic, that we are all human after all – even the sometimes holierthan-thou Cardinals.

Weird week for Porter Jr.

What a week it was for Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. It started last Wednesday when Porter announced to the

world during an interview that the international pandemic was a sinister plot to reduce the world’s population.

Seriously, I’m not kidding.

“Personally I think the coronavirus is being used obviously for a bigger agenda,” the second-year forward said.

“It’s being used for population control in terms of being able to control the masses of people. The whole world is being controlled.

“You’re required to wear masks. And who knows what will happen when this vaccine comes out. You might have to have the vaccine in order to travel. Like that would be crazy.”

If that weren’t enough, Porter doubled down on his delirious rant.

“I’ve never had any shots or anything like that,” he said.

“It could get crazy. But it’s definitely behind everything that’s going on right now and all you could do is sit back and watch what’s going on. Don’t get too emotionally involved. But yeah, it is a serious thing. It is a real thing. But yes, it is being overblown.”

Huh?

Well, we learned Porter should stick to basketball and leave science, logic and a myriad of other things to more clear-thinking people.

Alas, things weren’t going so hot for Porter Jr., basketball wise, either.

His effort in practices and in a 125-105 loss to Miami found him a place in head coach Michael Malone’s doghouse.

InsIde sports

After that lackluster 11-point, five foul effort, which earned him a pathetic statistical minus-15, Malone told reporters his rookie was benched in the third quarter because his effort was “definitely testing my patience.”

Porter texted his coach several times over the next few days, pleading with Malone to not give up on him.

“I said, ‘Michael, I’m not going anywhere,’” Malone texted back. “I’m gonna stay with you.”

Porter, who missed all of last season recovering from back surgery and ailments that limited his single season at Missouri to three appearances, said he told his coach, “I knew I could bring a lot more.”

“I didn’t bring the energy and I didn’t bring the effort and enthusiasm the last game. And that can never be the case.”

On Monday, Porter Jr. responded with a careerhigh 37 points and 12 rebounds in a 121-113 overtime victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Starters Jamal Murray, Gary Harris and Will Barton missed the game because of respective injuries. When they return, Porter Jr.’s playing time will likely go down. But he gave Malone something positive to think about after a very trying week on and off the basketball court.

Rock on!

I guess it is good news that Duane “The Rock” Johnson and his business partners Dany Garcia and Gerry Cardinale, founder and managing partner of RedBird Capital Partners, have purchased the bankrupt XFL for $14 million.

I consider myself lucky when I have $1,400 in the bank, but the sale amount is quite low. They are equal partners and, according to court documents, submitted the lone qualified bid.

A bankruptcy judge was set to review the situation on Thursday and by the time you read this, Garcia could be the first woman to own an equal or majority ownership stake in a major professional sports league in the United States.

The St. Louis Battlehawks were the talk of the XFL when

it was forced to shut down because of the pandemic. A crowd of more than 30,000 was expected for the next home game. It never happened. Then came the jolt that Vince McMahon, the XFL”s owner, declared the league bankrupt. Estimated assets around $10 million. Estimated liabilities up to $50 million.

Battlehawks coach Jonathan Hayes is owed more than $700,000. I’m sure he wants his money more than another shot at coaching in the XFL. Other creditors will speak against the sale, reportedly, because the purchase price doesn’t add up to their getting what is owed them

After two failures with McMahon, maybe three times will be a charm for Johnson.

“With pride and gratitude for all that I’ve built with my own two hands, I plan to apply these callouses to the XFL, and look forward to creating something special for the players, fans, and everyone involved for the love of football,” he said in a release.

He added that he “will always take care of the fans.” Johnson played linebacker for the Miami Hurricanes during the 1990-93 seasons before joining the World Wrestling Federation and becoming its biggest star. He has now become one of Hollywood’s biggest box office attractions and he is among the industry’s highest-paid actors.

He’s got the star attraction and he owns part of the XFL. The how, when and where of the new deal are questions Johnson has not answered. St. Louis will most likely have a team. But until we hear that from Johnson and other important details, I can’t get too excited.

Alvin A. Reid was honored as the 2017 “Best Sports Columnist – Weeklies” in the Missouri Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest and is a New York Times contributor. He is a panelist on the Nine Network program, Donnybrook, a weekly contributor to “The Charlie Tuna Show” on KFNS and appears monthly on “The Dave Glover Show” on 97.1 Talk.” His Twitter handle is @aareid1.

NBA games in ‘bubble’ are fun watch

Since the re-start of the National Basketball Association in the Orlando “Bubble,” I’ve been able really able to concentrate on watching the games during the past week.

During the winter time, my attention is usually occupied with the high school games and my Saint Louis University Billikens radio duties, so my NBA watching time is somewhat limited. That’s why the last couple of weeks of watching the NBA games have been fantastic. The games have started in the middle of the day and continuously roll into the late evening. It’s like heaven. It reminds me of sitting in a gym and watching grassroots summer basketball games all day or sitting at home at watching the NCAA Tournament from sun up to sundown. The games have been fun to watch

and I cannot get enough of them. I find myself looking at the schedule days in advance so I can plan my day at home around the NBA games. And just think, I’m only talking about the seeding games, which will go on for the next couple of the weeks as teams try to get back in rhythm while getting ready for the upcoming playoffs. Judging by the excitement and competitiveness of the early games, we have a lot to look forward to when the playoffs come around.

The one aspect that I have been locking in on are the talented players from the state of Missouri who have become factors in the league. We have some very talented players from the Show-Me State who will be a big part of what happens down the stretch for their respective teams.

Former Chaminade College Prep All-American Jayson

Tatum has really emerged as one of the young stars of the game with the Boston Celtics. After a rough opening performance in the bubble, L’il Jay responded with a 34-point masterpiece against Portland in his second game. In the weeks leading up the shutdown in March, Tatum was averaging 30 points a game and taking his game to an even higher level. He’s put himself right at the top of the list of the NBA’s top stars under the age of 25.

bit since being a first-round pick of Sacramento in 2014, but his perimeter shooting has been a perfect fit for the Rockets, who live and die with the 3-point shot. They are also a legitimate contender in the Western Conference.

Former Wellston star Ben McLemore has found a home with the Houston Rockets with his consistent 3-point shooting off the bench. Ben has bounced around a little

OG Anunoby (Jefferson City) is one of the reasons why the Toronto Raptors are in a strong position to defend their world championship. OG was an up and coming standout player for Toronto, but injuries forced him to miss much of the Raptors’ championship season in 2019. Now, the 6’7” guard is healthy and once again showing his form at both ends of the floor.

Michael Porter Jr. (Father Tolton) of the Denver Nuggets

had his coming out party in the bubble with a 37-point performance in a victory over Oklahoma City on Monday.

The 6’11” Porter is a brilliant offensive talent who is coming back from serious back injuries that have plagued him for the past few years. With the Nuggets missing three starters in the lineup, Porter has taken advantage of the opportunity to shine with the added minutes.

Former CBC standout Patrick McCaw has the rare distinction of being the only player in the league who has been on the past three world championship teams. McCaw was with Golden State’s championship teams in 2018 and 2019 and he was a member of the Raptors championship team last season. He is still currently with the Raptors as a valuable player off the bench.

Landry Shamet, a former

standout at Park Hill in the Kansas City area, has found a niche with the Los Angeles Clippers with his excellent 3-point shooting. In his second year in the league, Shamet has already hit some big shots for the Clippers early in his career. The one local player who is not in the bubble but cannot be forgotten is former Chaminade star Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards. Beal opted out of the league’s re-start, but not before enjoying the best year of his career to date. Beal was averaging 30 points a game, which was second in the league in scoring behind James Harden of the Houston Rockets. He was also averaging five rebounds and six assists a game. He also had back-to-back 50-point performances during the regular season.

With Earl Austin Jr.

Earl Austin Jr.

Alvin A. Reid

On Tuesday, we learned that future Cardinal Hall of Famer and fan icon Yadier Molina tested positive.

Declare ‘Cease and Desist’ on the decline of Black homeownership

By Donnell Williams

For The St. Louis American

I serve as the president of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), the country’s oldest and largest Black real estate trade association. Founded in 1947, our mission, “Democracy in Housing,” has guided our efforts to ensure fair housing practices in neighborhoods across the country, especially in communities of color. I am also the owner of Destiny Realty, a Brokerage firm headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey. It is well documented the COVID-19 pandemic has had a crushing and devastating effect on Black homeowners and caused mass unemployment, putting a deep economic strain on many Black borrowers who have worked hard to achieve the American Dream of homeownership. As of midJune, roughly 24% more Black homeowners reported some difficulty making their mortgage payments compared to white homeowners. There is a 13% gap between Black homeowners and white homeowners receiving forbearance under Section 4022 of the CARES Act, which allows borrowers to apply for a forbearance period of up to 360 days. In order to address the challenges facing Black homeowners as a result of the pandemic it is imperative that Congress take action to ensure that the congressional and governmental efforts to maintain homeownership are equitable and include Black homeowners. We urge Congress to take the following five actions: Allocate specific funds targeted to the preservation of Black homeownership.

Provide assistance for mortgage borrowers not covered by the CARES ACT, private mortgage lenders must be required to offer government supported

As of mid-June, roughly 24% more Black homeowners reported some difficulty making their mortgage payments compared to white homeowners.

forbearance to their borrowers, comparable to the treatment of government-supported mortgage loans.

Require FHA and all servicers to notify all borrowers in all communications, including mail, electronic communication and phone calls, of their rights to apply for forbearance. Require all servicers to have dedicated toll-free lines staffed with representatives knowledgeable about their forbearance procedures. Create a large-scale Public Awareness Initiative. The Federal Government is allocating resources toward building public awareness around the health risks associated with COVID-19. Similar efforts should be made to inform borrowers of their rights. Ensure that FHA borrowers and GSE borrowers continue to

have the same access to mortgage forbearance protections, financial relief, and assistance. The National Association of Real Estate Brokers, whose members are known as “realtists,” since its inception has stood for Democracy in Housing, and we are the guardians of the communities we serve. We will continue to advocate for the preservation and sustainability of homeownership for Black Americans and all Americans. As trusted advisors, we are the conscience of the real estate industry and want any efforts of Congress to align with NAREB’s declaration of a “Cease and Desist” on the decline of Black homeownership. Visit www.nareb.com for more information. This was testified before the House Financial Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations in a hearing on “Protecting Homeowners During the Pandemic: Oversight of Servicers’ Implementation of the CARES Act,” on July 1.

Ebbie Tolbert and the right to vote

By Adam Kloppe Missouri Historical Society

St. Louis changed forever in mid-September 1920 as thousands of women lined up at polling places all around the city to ensure they could finally make their voices heard on Election Day. Congress had formally ratified the 19th Amendment about a month prior, officially giving women the voting rights they had pushed for since 1848. Over the span of five days, more than 125,000 women registered, far exceeding local election officials’ predictions. One of those women was Ebbie Tolbert, an elderly African American woman who registered to vote in the city’s 7th Ward on September 14, 1920. Who was Ebbie Tolbert? We have no pictures of her, so we don’t know what she looked like. She was also a woman of, seemingly, a thousand names: She’s listed as Phoebe Talbot in the 1900 census, Eva Talbot in the 1910 census, Ibbe Talbot in the 1920 census, Ibbie Talbert on her December 1928 death certificate, and Hattie Talbert in her January 1929 burial notice in the St. Louis Argus. She’s noted in every census as being illiterate, which explains why her name is so inconsistent. For simplicity’s sake, I’m going to keep calling her Ebbie Tolbert. Tolbert was also, seemingly, a woman of a thousand birth dates. The 1900 census lists her as 90, the 1910 census lists her as 104, and the 1920 census somehow has her at only 102. Two newspaper stories written about Tolbert in 1920 and 1922 put her age at 113 and 114, respectively. Her 1928 death certificate lists her as 120 years old.

Despite all the discrepancies in the historical record, there’s one thing that every source seems to agree on: Ebbie Tolbert was born into slavery in North Carolina sometime between 1807 and 1818. Reports written about Tolbert in local papers during the 1920s are consistent in

their claims that she was enslaved for more than 50 years and that she had at least five different enslavers across the South. By the 1860s she was in Vicksburg, Mississippi. She ran away from her enslaver before Union troops took that city in 1863 and found her way to St. Louis, where she lived thereafter.

When Congress ratified the 19th Amendment in 1920, Tolbert was living at 313 Gratiot Street, supported by the kindness and charity of neighbors. It’s safe to say that Tolbert had lived a hard life, but she wasn’t about to waste the opportunity to make her voice heard. On September 14 she walked herself down to her polling place and entered her name into the lists as a registered voter. Many newspapers were running stories about women registering to vote for the first time, and the St. Louis Star and Times ran a piece on Tolbert on September 15. The story makes clear that she cherished the right to vote and believed that women had the political power to make things right. She told the reporter, “The world isn’t like it used to be, and it may take the women to make things better.”

Even though we don’t know all the details of Tolbert’s life, her story is a powerful one. It reminds us of the many years of struggle that women, particularly Black women, went through to gain the right to vote.

In the Missouri History Museum’s new exhibit, “Beyond the Ballot: St. Louis and Suffrage,” which opened on August 1, visitors can learn more about the fight for women’s suffrage in St. Louis and discover the stories of women who have made an impact in St. Louis before and after gaining the right to vote in 1920. Admission is free, but advance reservations are required. To learn more about the exhibit and to make reservations, visit mohistory.org/beyond-the-ballot. Adam Kloppe is public historian at the Missouri Historical Society.

A headline about Ebbie Tolbert from the St. Louis Star and Times on September 15, 1920.

Columnist Donnell Williams

American staff

The Most Reverend Bishop Alphonso Scott, the presiding prelate of the Lively Stone Church of God Fellowship Churches Incorporated, transitioned from this life on July 19 at his home in Ferguson. He was born on July 10, 1937 in Saint Louis. He is survived by his two sons, Dwight Scott and Lee Scott; two daughters-in-law, Taya and Sonja; and six grandchildren, Alphonso Demetrius, Lee Alexander II (Sariah), Lawrence Robert, Devon Tyrese, Julia Grace, Joelle Alexis; and one great granddaughter, Avery Jael. He was preceded in death by his wife of sixty-two years, Phyllis Ann Scott.

Elder Alphonso Scott was installed as pastor of Lively Stone Church in Nortonville, Kentucky. During his pastorate there, he served as district elder and chairman of the First Apostolic Council of Kentucky and Tennessee. In 1987, after the death of his father, he relocated to St. Louis to pastor Lively Stone Church of God, St. Louis. In 1989, Elder Scott was

appointed to the episcopacy and was consecrated bishop in the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. From 1989-1995 he served as the diocesan of the 38th Episcopal District, which encompasses the country of Haiti. From 1995-2000, he served as the diocesan of the 11th Episcopal District, which is the First Apostolic Council of Kentucky and Tennessee.

Bishop Scott also served two terms as auxiliary bishop of the International Young People’s Union. From 2000 – 2011, he served as the diocesan of the 12th Episcopal District - The Midwestern District Council. While serving as the diocesan of all councils, churches were added and many pastors sought his guidance and advice. After many years of service, with much prayer and counsel, Bishop Scott resigned the position of diocesan, becoming bishop emeritus as conferred by the Board of Bishops of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Incorporated in August of 2010. As bishop, Scott persisted in the involvement of community development and the expansion of the church, his responsibilities as mentor, teacher, and

of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:27).

The remedy for worry has clearly been given to all of us. Rather than worry about anything, we should rely on the truth of Jesus Christ. All of my and your issues have already been dealt with through His sacrifice on the cross. As such, we should trust and not fret.

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all things will be given you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

Please pay attention to the next line:

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

I am learning to focus on the solution. Then I can understand the process by which to conquer the worry moment. I have created my own cheat sheet, and it goes something like this: “Do not be anxious about anything, but by everything, by prayer, by petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).

administrator also continued to grow. The demands on his time and expertise were formidable. Recognizing the scope of the assignment upon him, the church called for the evaluation of Bishop Scott for elevation and apostolic succession. Bishop was elevated to presiding prelate of Lively Stone Church of God on June 22, 2012. The expansion of the

Lively Stone Fellowship rapidly grew to over 80 churches.

The homegoing celebration for Bishop Alphonso Scott is scheduled for 10 a.m.

Saturday, August 8 at Lively Stone Church of God, 4015 Saint Louis Ave., Saint Louis, Missouri, MO 63107. To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the Scott family, please send to Lively Stone Church.

I try to remember to do this and then let it go. I find if I do it enough times, it becomes habit forming, and this is a habit to relish. I’m a hands-on kind of student. Don’t tell me. Show me. By virtue of this biblical demonstration reinforced by repetition, I think I’m finally getting it. Stop trying to figure my way out of things on my own. That is a recipe for failure and frustration. The real truth is to allow God to figure into all of my decision making and follow what is revealed. I have a friend who calls this “guided decision making.” Stop, think, pray. Hand it over, and let it go.

Columnist James Washington

St. LouiS american Career Center

INFANT/TODDLER TEACHER

FT position responsible for planning and managing classroom programs and activities to further children’s growth and development. A minimum of a CDA Certification – Infant/ Toddler focus. Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood or related field preferred. Salary: CDA I/T: $13/hr, Associate’s: $15/hr, Bachelor’s: $17/hr. Cover letter/resume to: GASA, 1127 N. Vandeventer Ave., St. Louis, MO 63113, Fax (314) 231-8126, hr@gasastl.org. EOE.

COMMERCIAL AUTO PRODUCT MANAGER

This position is responsible for guiding the profitable growth and effective management of the Commercial Auto line of business across all business units on a countrywide basis.

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

CASE WORKERPANTRY

FT position responsible for operations of the Food Pantry. BA/BS plus 2 years of related experience required. $14-17/hr. Cover letter/resume to: GASA, 1127 N. Vandeventer Ave., St. Louis, MO 63113, Fax (314) 231-8126, hr@gasastl.org. EOE.

ASSISTANT –INFORMATION SERVICES –EDI PROCESSING

Responsible for various technical support tasks related to processing data into the scorecards.

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

STAFF COUNSEL

Under the direction of the senior attorney(s), responsible for assisting senior attorney(s)’ management of business transactional support, the vendor management program, information security related issues, and other legal affairs of the Company.

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

PRESCHOOL TEACHER

FT position responsible for planning and managing classroom programs and activities to further children’s growth and development. A minimum of an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education or related field. Salary: Associate’s: $15/hr, Bachelor’s: $17/hr. Cover letter/resume to: GASA, 1127 N. Vandeventer Ave., St. Louis, MO 63113, Fax (314) 231-8126, hr@gasastl.org. EOE.

CASE WORKER

FT position responsible for services including intake, assessment, case management, information, referral and support. BA/BS plus 2 years of related experience required. $14-17/ hr. Cover letter/resume to: GASA, 1127 N. Vandeventer Ave., St. Louis, MO 63113, Fax (314) 231-8126, hr@gasastl.org. EOE.

CHILD CARE ASSISTANT

Position available in Ferguson Please email darion700@aol.com for more information

VICE PRESIDENT

The

18- 20 hours a week

Experience required

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

INVITATION TO BID

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. requests bids from qualified and certified MBE and WBE subcontractors and suppliers for the following project:

Washington University School of Medicine

4370 Duncan - Research Building and Garage Bid Package 7

Structural and Miscellaneous Steel

For the following scopes of work:

Structural Steel Fabrication

Structural Steel Erection

Misc Metals Fabrication

Bids Due August 20, 2020 by 2:00 PM CST

Contact: Mike Bax at mbax@mccarthy.com or 314-919-2215

Prequalification is required and can also be accessed through the McCarthy website above. McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

SEALED BIDS

BidsforOld BevierPhase IIIMaintenance Project,Macon County,MO ProjectNo.Y200301willbereceived byFMDC,State ofMO,UNTIL 1:30PM, August27,2020 via MissouriBUYS. Biddersmustbe registeredtobid. Forspecific project informationand orderingplans,go to:http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

SEALED BIDS

BidstoReplace RooftopHVAC &R

o

, MissouriLottery Headquarters, JeffersonCity, MO,ProjectNo. N2001-01, willbe receivedby FMDC, StateofMO, UNTIL1:30PM, August27,2020, via MissouriBUYS. Biddersmustbe registeredtobid. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http:// oa.mo.gov/ facilities

The successful candidate will have 10 years of progressive experience with SBA 504 loan programs and banking. This candidate must possess a desire to make a difference in the St. Louis region. To apply, please visit our careers page at: https://stlpartnership.com/careers/ PART-TIME CUSTODIAN POSITION

The Missouri Coalition for the Environment is seeking an Executive Director to manage the organization, maintain a secure funding base, and increase its capacity to serve the environmental protection needs of all Missourians. For fifty years, it has worked to implement sound and fair environmental policies through education, citizen action, and legal defense. Go to moenvironment.org/careers for full job description and application instructions.

directing and supervising the lending department, achieving lending objectives, public relations, program presentation, strategic planning, program management, loan and risk management, budgeting and develops solutions for economic development and financial lending challenges.

TO INVITATION BID

NOTICE OF CANDIDACY FILING

The Castle Point Street Light District of St. Louis County, MO 63136 will hold an election for one (1) Board of Director. On Tuesday, November 3, 2020, vote for one Board Director for a six-year seat. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic , candidates wishing to file for the seat must e-mail : shay_jack@att.net (Sharon Jackson) or call 314 - 226 - 0900 to request a candidate form, fill it out and return it by e-mail or mail to: 10083 Prince Dr. St. Louis, MO 63136. All candidates’ filing will close on August 18, 2020 at 11.59 p.m.

You are invited to submit a bid proposal for design/ build HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, and Fire Protection for the Washington University School of Medicine New Research Building Parking Garage located at 310 S. Newstead Avenue. Remaining bid packages will be issued for bid in December, 2020.

Subbids are due at 1 p.m. on August 20, 2020. These may be submitted through WUSM’s Scout Bid Solicit System. Instruction for bid submission will be issued via addendum. Any questions, please contact Kevin Oakley at KROakley@tarltoncorp.com or 314.633.3351 or Brooke Pruitt at BRPruett@tarltoncorp.com or 314.633.3488.

It is our desire to provide meaningful opportunities for minority-owned (MBE) and women-owned (WBE) businesses to participate in the construction projects we complete for our clients. Firms that do not have MBE/WBE status are strongly encouraged to include MBE/WBE firms in their contracting and purchasing plans.

To view this invitation: https://app.buildingconnected.com/projects/ 5f172a7a532a64004e08b195/info

Tarlton is an equal opportunity employer.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Paric Corporation is seeking proposals for the following project: Old Coke Warehouse – Specialty Pharmacy for the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO.

This is an approximately 16,000 sf existing warehouse being renovated to include a Shipping/ Receiving Room, Processing Room and Offices.

The project includes but is not limited to selective demolition, concrete, misc. steel, carpentry, casework, insulation, doors/frames/hardware, aluminum storefront, drywall, acoustical ceilings, painting, flooring, fire protection, plumbing, HVAC and electrical work.

This project has a diversity participation goals of 10% MBE, 10% combined WBE, DBE, Veteran Owned Business and 3% SDVE.

Bids for this project are due on August 20th, at 12:00 p.m. For any questions or would like to find out more detailed information on this opportunity, please contact Evan Chiles at 816-878-6003 or emchiles@paric. com.

All bids should be delivered to Paric via e-mail (bids@paric.com) or fax (816-878-6249).

PARIC CORPORATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Request For Proposals (RFP) for

, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., or by calling (314) 890-1802. This RFP may also be obtained by visiting our website at www.flystl.com/business/contractopportunites. Robert Salarano Airport Properties Division Manager

Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

BIDS

The City of Crestwood is seeking bids for the Whitecliff Park Quarry Enhancement project. This project is being assisted by the use of federal funds administered by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MODNR). This is an equal opportunity bidding event and MBE/WBE firms are encouraged to respond. All applicable MODNR and federal regulations shall be in full force and effect. Please call (314)729-4861 or (314)729-4722 for more information. Qualified contractors may obtain a project manual at www. cityofcrestwood.org. The bids are due by August 27, 2020 at 3:00 pm. The bids will to be received by the Office of the City Clerk of the City of Crestwood at the Crestwood Government Center One Detjen Drive, Crestwood, MO 63126. Bids may also be emailed to Jim Gillam at jgillam@cityofcrestwood.org. www.cityofcrestwood.org.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The Dome at Americas Center is seeking bids from qualified companies to prep and re-epoxy the terrace level. The scope of work includes but not limited to thoroughly clean floors of all grease, dirt etc., mechanically abrade floor, apply epoxy coating system. Interested bidders must attend a pre-bid meeting and walk through which will be held at the Americas Center on Wednesday, August 12th, 2020 at 10am. Only facility entrance point is Employee Entrance at 9th and Cole St. The facility reserves the right to reject any or all bids. EOE.

PUBLIC NOTICE REQUEST FOR BIDS

IMPACT Strategies, as the selected General Contractor, is requesting Subcontractor bids for the Cornerstone - Lafayette Square Development - Bid Package #2 - Structural Concrete, Geopiers and Lime Stabilization project in St. Louis, MO. This is a taxable project.

This project consists of complete ground-up construction of a new, 5-story multifamily apartment development, including parking garage.

This Bid Package #2 requires subcontractor proposals for Structural Concrete, Geopiers and Lime Stabilization of the building pad only.

IMPACT is offering (2) Pre-Bid Meeting Opportunities for Subcontractors:

IMPACT Strategies will host a VIRTUAL pre-bid meeting for this project on August 5, 2020 at 10:00 AM. All interested contractors are encouraged to attend. Please contact Emily Yost for Zoom Meeting log-in/call-in instructions. eyost@buildwithimpact.com, (618)394-8400.

IMPACT will host a jobsite pre-bid meeting on August 13, 2020 at 10:00 AM at the project location, 2200 LaSalle St., St. Louis, MO 63103. Interested contractors are encouraged to attend.

The Cornerstone Lafayette Square Multi-Family project will comply with the Diversity Goals as governed by Ordinance 70767 of the City of St. Louis. Ordinance 70767 outlines Enterprise (contract spend) requirements and also Workforce Participation goals as follows:

Enterprise (Contract Spend)

African American - 21%

Women - 11%

Hispanic - 2%

Asian/American Indian - .5%

Workforce Participation Goals

Minorities - 25%

City Residents - 23% Apprentices - 20% Women - 7%

Successful contractors will be required to participate in the St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) program for documenting compliance with the Workforce and Prevailing wage Ordinances.

All proposals submitted on this project should include materials and equipment that are “bought in America” wherever feasible. Please note on your proposal if you are not able to comply with this request.

Project bid documents, as well as samples of IMPACT Strategies’ Subcontract documents and insurance requirements can be viewed at IMPACT Strategies, Southern Illinois Builders Association, The Asian American Chamber of Commerce, The Congress of Racial EqualityNorth Central Region, Cross Rhodes Print & Technologies, Employment Connection, The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, MO-KAN Plan Room and Mcgraw Hill Dodge. For a direct download link for the bid documents, please contact Emily Yost, eyost@buildwithimpact.com, (618)394-8400.

Proposals are due to IMPACT Strategies, Inc. by 10:00 AM on August 28, 2020. Proposals should be emailed to Emily Yost. eyost@buildwithimpact.com.

A whole COVID violation mess at Mystic. Y’all just couldn’t let the Wheelhouse be by itself as a major violator of social distancing on the nightlife scene, could you? I’m glad that this little Mystic mishap was kept mostly between us – unlike that Ozarks party and the Wheelhouse, which made international news for their mass gathering judgment lapses that could easily spiral into super spreader shenanigans. However, I must call a thing a thing and say how disappointed I am that the North County spot had folks squeezed from the windows to the walls up in there. And don’t get me started on the “parkin’ lot pimpin’” that occupied the entire surrounding retail strip once the club reached capacity – and yes, I do mean “pre-Rona” capacity. My heart sank when I saw clips from the concert making rounds on social media. I wouldn’t risk my health for anybody, but folks were up in there lowkey putting their lives on the line for a rapper who didn’t even know the words to his own songs when he rapped to those tracks. Listen, I know it’s hard. I know we want to get back to normal when it comes to kicking it. My whole livelihood is quietly contingent upon St. Louis nightlife getting its groove back, and I care enough about y’all to say stay home as long as it takes to keep Rona from wreaking havoc on your households. You might think I’m stretching things if I say that by not following orders, you can go from living it up to laid out in a matter of weeks, but why risk that becoming your story? And if not for your own sake, stay out these streets for your granny, aunties, and mama ‘nem. The next time you are suffering from withdrawals because you can’t be on a whole personal space invading wave, consider that you doing so right now might give somebody you love and who has supported you when you needed it most, something they might not be able to recover from. I didn’t want to clog Partyline up with gloom and doom, but I feel like these things had to be said. Now that it has, shall we get on with things?

TBeats’ newest protégé. Those folks who have been living under a rock are about the only ones unaware that Kwame Building Group founder Tony Thompson puts his pockets where his passion is as far as giving rising local artists a jumpstart in the music business by way of his TBeats brand. Singers, rappers and musicians have had the chance to record in his state-of-the-art studio with top-notch production tams. He’s presented TBeats artists on stages across the region – including The Pageant and The Sheldon, to name a few. Well last Wednesday, team TBeats presented his newest artist, a soul singer named Nic, and celebrated the upcoming release of his EP with an intimate gathering at The House of Soul. Social distancing restrictions were in full effect as folks seemed to catch a vibe from the event that was a listening party and concert blend. The crowd was small because of the COVID-19 restrictions, but there were some heavy hitters in the building to see what Nic had to offer. They ranged from politicians to promoters and fellow artists. It was a cute time catching up with folks I haven’t seen since The Rona popped off. Nic has some edges to be smoothed out – which I feel will come naturally as he gets exposure and experience within the industry – but I can see why Tony has decided to get behind him.

The best of the Bs. For the first time ever, I was actually thrilled that I accidently forgot to cancel a free trial membership before the charges kicked in. I set a reminder and everything to make sure Disney+ didn’t get any coins out of me when I signed up for the channel just to see if “Hamilton” was worth the fuss of seeing on film and stage. It absolutely was, except for the salivation issues from the man who played the King, but let me stay on topic. I still managed to forget and give them $6.99, but after watching “Black Is King” from Beyoncé, I almost felt compelled to write in with a love offering on top of my membership as a token of my appreciation. Now I’m not going to say that the album part was my favorite of Bey’s – though she deserves a nod for diversity of sound and incorporation of Africa into this musical and visual remix of “The Lion King.” However, the visuals were downright stunning. If y’all see me walking around after things open up with some braided and beaded bangs, blame Beyoncé for the inspiration. And while I’m on the topic of braided bangs and Queen Bs, let me whip these faux locs to Brandy for giving life in the form of her latest album “B7.” Brandy did not come to play with us on this record, honey. I haven’t been so enamored by Brandy and her soft-spoken vocal runs since “Almost Doesn’t Count.” Can somebody pass a note to Moesha asking her to dust off those leather Daisy Dukes she rocked on stage at Lumiere Live some years back and take “B7” on the road AS SOON AS IT IS SAFE to do so?

Music in the streets. There was an impromptu socially distant music festival happening in the Lafayette Square neighborhood Tuesday evening, thanks to the minds behind The Black Rep. Around this time they would be in rehearsal for their fall musical, but The Rona has made that an impossibility. But those walking past got a taste of the talent that usually graces their stage – and backed with live musicians to boot – Amber Rose (not to be confused with the hiphop vixen), TreG, Herman Gordan and Denise Thimes, to name a few. And speaking of the grand diva Ms. Thimes, why in all my years of seeing her – on stage and out in these street – I had never seen her in a pair of jeans before Tuesday? Now she had a blouse on that was doing so much that the outfit couldn’t be consider casual, but she did indeed have on denim from the waist down. Oh, and I’m loving that magenta bob on her! The Red and Black Brass Band also rolled up to make it as close to a version of an ESSENCE Festival type experience (but with social distance, of course) as I’m going to get in 2020.

Danielle and Daffney came though the House of Soul for a mid-week wind down on Wednesday

KVTheWriter and Moe as they check out new music from Nic Wednesday night @ House of Soul

Christina and Larry caught Love Jones The Band during their weekly set Sunday night @ BBs

Harmony and Brittany kicked back and listened to the smooth sounds of new soul singer Nic Wednesday night @ House of Soul

Carmelita and Marvin enjoying the smooth sounds of Love Jones The Band last Sunday night @ BBs

Gary “Mr. Them Yo People” Boyd was in the place to be for the Nic listening party Wednesday night @ House of Soul

Stacy and Jami @ the EP listening party for rising local soul artist Nic Wednesday night @ The House of Soul

Corey Black in his Sunday best for the brunch edition of his Poetic Justice open mic series last week on the patio of The Grandel Photo by Cornelius Dotson

Edju lounges and listens soul artist Nic, the latest musical offering presented by TBeats Studios, Wednesday evening @ House of Soul

Shameem and Tammika showing support for up-and-coming soul artist Nic Wednesday night @ House of Soul

TBeats Studios founder Tony Thompson with up and coming soul artist Nic. Thompson presented Nic and his new music to an intimate crowd of influencers Wednesday night at The House of Soul.