December 12th, 2019 Edition

Schmitt blocking new trial for Lamar Johnson

Lamar Johnson’s sister Candace Chrisp and his mother Mae Johnson braved the cold to bring attention to Johnson’s case on Tuesday, December 10 in front of the Old Post Office downtown. A group of about 25 community leaders and residents, organized by Color Of Change and Organization for Black Struggle, demonstrated outside of Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office to demand that he stop trying to block a new trial for Lamar Johnson.

Man accused of stalking allegedly threatened to kill Wesley Bell

Gerald Clinton Golden held in county jail on $50,000 cash-only bond

By

Rivas

“He’s never abandoned me,” Johnson said. “After so many years growing up without your father, and then you have all these people who are standing up behind him, it just seems like everything is coming to the light. And there’s no turning back.” Brittany Johnson gathered with about 25

community leaders and residents outside of Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office on Tuesday, December 10 to demand that he stop trying to block a new trial for her father, Lamar Johnson.

Twenty-four years ago, Lamar Johnson was convicted of murdering Marcus Boyd on October 30, 1994, though evidence shows that Johnson was at a friend’s house and would

‘We must be willing to be moral and militant’

Rev. Earle J. Fisher calls black faith community to political action

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

The Deaconess Foundation brought a national leader on faith reform in Rev. Jim Wallis to St. Louis on Monday, December 9, as part of its Just 4 Kids Community Conversation series, which has emerged as a touch point for the regional social justice community. Wallis, president and editor-in-chief of Sojourners, brought a powerful message drawn from his book “Christ in Crisis: Why We Need to Reclaim Jesus.” But the response to his talk by Rev. Earle J. Fisher, senior pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church in

win,” he wrote.

The graphic nature and repeated use of the N-word has prevented the American from posting the text messages themselves. The woman reported the text messages to Bell’s office. The St. Louis American is withholding the victim’s name for her safety.

According to the St. Louis County Police

ACLU asks Supreme Court to protect protest rights

Appellate ruling in favor of police ignores 1st Amendment precedent

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

Mckesson threatens to dismantle U.S. Supreme Court precedent from the civil rights era that safeguards the right to protest, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. On Friday, December 6, the ACLU asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case and overturn the Court of Appeals’ ruling against Mckesson and in favor of a Baton

Rebecca Rivas

Photo by Wiley Price

Photo by Wiley Price

Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI Wesley Bell

Rev. Earle J. Fisher, senior pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church in Memphis and founder of #UPTheVote901 (center), responded to Rev. Jim Wallis, president and editor-in-chief of Sojourners, at the Deaconess Foundation’s Just 4 Kids Community Conversation on Monday, December 9. To the left is Rev. Michelle Higgins of Faith for Justice.

Speculation surrounds passing of rapper Juice WRLD

Rumors have been swirling around the death of rap star Juice WRLD, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 21. After it was speculated that his death was drug related, the Cook County (IL) Medical Examiner’s Office issued a statement saying that the cause of Juice WRLD’s death is reportedly still unknown following his autopsy on Monday. The statement said, according to The Chicago Tribune, that “additional studies are required to establish the cause and manner of death. Cardiac pathology, neuropathology, toxicology, and histology could be conducted to determine the cause of death.”

The Chicago Tribune also reported that authorities were at the airport waiting for Juice and his entourage to arrive from Los Angeles, as it was suspected the private jet was transporting contraband.

“FBI agents and police officers were at the scene, and the rapper ‘began convulsing [and] going into a seizure’ as the luggage was searched,” The Tribune said. “He was briefly revived but sources say when he awoke, he was ‘incoherent’ after he was administered an

anti-overdose medication.”

Other sources are claiming that authorities asked Juice’s girlfriend at the scene if he had any pre-existing medical conditions, to which she replied that he ‘takes Percocet and has a drug problem’.”

R. Kelly indicted for alleged bribe to get fake ID for marriage to Aaliyah

Federal prosecutors are accusing singer R. Kelly of scheming with others to pay for a fake ID for an unnamed female a day before he married late R&B singer Aaliyah, when she was 15 years old, in a secret ceremony in 1994.

The revised indictment, filed Thursday in New York, accuses Kelly of paying a bribe in exchange for a “fraudulent identification document” for someone identified only as “Jane Doe” on Aug. 30, 1994.

A day later, Kelly, then 27, married Aaliyah in a secret ceremony he arranged at a hotel in Chicago. The marriage was annulled months later because of her age. Aaliyah died in a plane crash in 2001 at age 22.

Mathew claims Beyoncé, Kelly were harassed by Jagged Edge while on tour

As his newly released book “Destiny’s Child: The Untold Story” hits shelves, Mathew Knowles claims that his daughter Beyoncé Knowles and Kelly Rowland were sexually harassed by members of Jagged Edge back in the day.

Mathew Knowles – who once managed his daughter’s group Destiny’s Child – claimed the incident took place when the two groups toured together in the early 2000s.

“Now, remember the girls are minors. They’re 16 years old. The guys are 21 and 22 years old,” Matthew told Vlad TV without naming the names of the alleged perpetrators. “I have a fiduciary duty with minors, by the law, there’s a certain way I have to manage that. He said he received a call from Kelly and Beyoncé saying that they were constantly being harassed by two of the members in Jagged Edge.

3 DAY BAKING SALE

THURSDAY, DECMEBER 12 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13 SATURDAY. DECEMBER 14

handled the alleged harassment.

“We won’t talk about that on camera,” he replied.

Several new accusers come forward against Cuba Gooding Jr.

Cuba Gooding Jr.

“I couldn’t have that,” Mathew said. “I literally had to put the guys off the bus in Baton Rouge, LA. That began all of this drama.” Knowles was then asked how he

According to New York Post’s Page Six, seven new accusers claim to have been subjected to inappropriate sexual behavior from award-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr. The celebrity news and gossip section says that court papers were filed on Monday, where prosecutors allege Gooding once groped and forcibly kissed a woman while they were attending the Sundance Film Festival, ripping her tights and only stopping when she bit him to escape, Manhattan prosecutors alleged in court papers on Monday. She is one of seven new women who have come forward alleging sexual misconduct by the 51-year-old movie star, bringing the number of his accusers to 22.

He has only been charged in three of the accusers’ alleged incidents, although prosecutors hope to introduce the other claims in court to prove a pattern of sexual abuse. Gooding’s camp continues to deny the allegations.

Sources: Page Six, The

Chicago Tribune, Vlad TV

Juice WORLD

Missouri AFL-CIO endorses Nicole Galloway for Missouri governor

‘She represents the best hope for Missouri’s working families’

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

The Missouri AFL-CIO formally endorsed Nicole Galloway for Missouri governor on Wednesday, December 4. She is seeing the Democratic nomination.

The Executive Board of the Missouri AFL-CIO making the endorsement includes representatives from the United Food and Commercial Workers, American Federation of Teachers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, International Association of Machinists, United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, United Steelworkers, Bricklayers and Allied Craft Workers, SEIU, American Federation of Government Employees, Communication Workers of America, Laborers International Union of North America, Iron Workers, International Union of Operating Engineers, UNITE Here, Kansas City Building Trades Council, Alliance for Retired Americans, Seafarers Entertainment and Allied Trades Union and Greater Kansas City Labor Council.

“In 2018, Missouri voters resoundingly rejected so-called Right to Work at the ballot box,” Mike Louis, Missouri AFL-CIO president, said in a statement.

“In spite of our historic victory, anti-labor forces remain determined to weaken the collective power of organized labor in Missouri.

Nicole Galloway comes from a union family and has always had the backs of workers. She represents the best hope for Missouri’s working families to ensure that instead of going backwards, we move forward into a prosperous future that uplifts workers and families. That’s why our organization is fully committed to her victory in 2020.”

In the 2018 General Election, when Missouri voters rejected Right to Work and passed a number of other progressive ballot initiatives, Galloway was the only Democratic candidate to win statewide. She beat a Republican challenger, Saundra McDowell, for Missouri auditor, by nearly 200,000 votes. She was appointed to the position in 2015 by thenGov. Jay Nixon following the suicide of Thomas Schweich, a Republican.

“I’m running to put Jefferson City back on the side of working families,” Galloway said in a statement.

“As governor, I’ll end the attacks on organized labor and worker freedom. I am encouraged that the Missouri

AFL-CIO will have my back in this campaign. They know how to win, and proved it with their sizable victory in the No on Prop A campaign in 2018, which was built by organizing

new way for Missouri.”

The Missouri AFL-CIO represents Missouri Central Labor Councils, local unions, trade union associations, committees, councils, districts

n “As governor, I’ll end the attacks on organized labor and worker freedom.”

– Nicole Galloway

person-to-person. That’s exactly what we’re going to do together in this campaign for a

St. Louis Children’s Hospital: Head to Toe

BUILDING A HEALTHIER COMMUNITY TOGETHER

St. Louis Children’s Hospital’s Child Health Advocacy and Outreach programs are services offered outside the hospital setting to ensure we do what’s right for children and their families every day. We want healthy kids to stay healthy. Kids who are overweight are at risk of serious health issues, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Our Head to Toe program gives families the tools they need to make healthier choices so that kids feel great and increase their self-esteem.

“The Head to Toe Program is a great resource for the St. Louis community. As a pediatrician, I often recommend these classes to my patients who are struggling with healthy lifestyle choices,” says Maggie McCormick, MD.

Her recommendation has a personal aspect as well, “My daughter and I attended classes together, and we had a wonderful experience. With the knowledge she gained at Head to Toe, my daughter is more equipped to make better choices on her own.”

and regional groups whose parent organizations are affiliated with the national

AFL-CIO. According to Galloway, it “represents tens of thousands of working Missouri families.”

In her most recent column in The American last month, Galloway called on the Missouri legislature “to strengthen the Sunshine Law by banning the use of self-deleting apps for public business,” saying “this should be one of their priorities” when legislators return to Jefferson City in January.

“A bill prohibiting the use of self-destructing messaging technology passed the House in the last legislative session, but the measure died in the Senate. Transparency in government

is a non-partisan issue. The Sunshine Law needs to keep up with changing technology, so that public officials can’t hide the public’s business,” Galloway wrote.

“Missourians expect – and deserve – government to be honest when conducting public business. Banning self-destructing messaging by public officials is another step to ensuring transparency and is the best antidote to any perceived or actual government impropriety. It is not only a best practice, it is just good common sense.”

Choose an Orientation Date That Work’s Best for You!

• Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019

• Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019

• Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020

• Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020

Each orientation is held from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

BJC @ The Commons, 4249 Clayton Rd, St. Louis, Mo 63110.

The Head to Toe spring class will meet weekly for 17 weeks, Jan. 22–May 13, 2020. For information about the upcoming class or to register for an orientation date, call 314.454.KIDS (5437) or 800.678.KIDS (5437). Class scholarships are available.

Child Health Advocacy and Outreach programs are made possible by generous donations to St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation.

CS_440127_11/19

Services for James H. Buford, Sr.

Missouri state auditor

Nicole Galloway presented an audit’s findings on the city of St. Louis’ local taxing districts on November 21.

Photo by Andrea Smith / St. Louis Public Radio

Editorial /CommEntary

‘God is calling us to face this crisis head-on’

Rev. Earle J. Fisher, senior pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church, has provided a template for black clergy who want to lead their congregation into political power as well as spiritual power – and provided an argument for why these two forms of power are connected rather than opposed.

Frustrated by the lower voter turnout in black districts with black churches in November 2016 that saw the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president, Fisher was called to action. He organized #UPTheVote901 (“901” is the area code in the City of Memphis), a nonpartisan collaborative that is committed to giving more political power, information and representation to more people and increasing voter turnout in Memphis and Shelby County.

“And we’ve ushered in a more (potentially) progressive slate of candidates with a group of people more engaged and empowered to hold them accountable.”

At this charged event at the Deaconess Center for Child Well-Being (headlined by Rev. Jim Wallis, president and editor-inchief of Sojourners), Fisher was preaching to the choir – that is, a choir of activist preachers.

“I wondered how we had disconnected the shouting, singing, dancing and preaching that happened at these hubs of black dignity on Sundays from the need to organize for political power on Super Tuesdays,” Fisher told a crowded room of community organizers, elected officials and activist clergy at the Deaconess Foundation’s Just 4 Kids Community Conversation on Monday, December 9.

Rev. Starsky Wilson at the Deaconess Foundation’s Just 4 Kids Community Conversation on Monday, December 9.

“And I vowed to put my faith into political action because the lives of disempowered people (made in the image of God) depends on it.”

His bold leadership in the political space has shown results.

“And despite establishment subversion, being demonized by the mayor, ostracized by white and black clergy and scrutinized by some of the same people we aim to help, we trained pastors to canvas their congregations for increased voter engagement and we helped increase turnout in three of the four elections we’ve had since 2016,” Fisher said.

The moderator was Rev. Starsky Wilson, president and CEO of the Deaconess Foundation, who left the pulpit to protest in Ferguson and then to co-chair the Ferguson Commission.

Listening intently was Pastor Traci Blackmon, another clergy leader in Ferguson and now a national leader with the United Church of Christ. Responding to Wallis and Fisher were Rev. Michelle Higgins of Faith for Justice and Deborah Krause, yet another spiritual first responder in Ferguson who would be announced as president of Eden Theological Seminary the following day.

However, his message must be heard and resonate beyond this group of activist clergy and community organizers. We encourage every clergy of conscience to heed his call and call your congregation to consciousness and action as the crucial election year of 2020 looms.

“Maybe we need more tension and dissonance. Maybe the answer is not shying away from the crisis, but instead of reacting to the crisis, embracing and revolutionizing the crisis,” Fisher said. “God is calling us to face this crisis head-on and understand that some of us have never had the luxury of doing anything other than that. It will take all of us. It will take our time, our talent and our treasure.”

For a slightly edited version of Rev. Fisher’s complete remarks, see the Religion page or The St. Louis American website

As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

The ghost

of the

great white hope in 2020

By Mike Jones

Of The St. Louis American

“These are times that try men’s souls.”

When Thomas Paine wrote these words in December of 1776, he was writing about an America on the cusp of a war for independence from Great Britain and the beginning of a journey into an unchartered future. His words are very applicable to the America of 2019, on the cusp of a presidential election that will have historical ramifications no matter who wins and will be the beginning, not the end, of an extended struggle to define America.

Looking retrospectively, we tend to think of historical outcomes as inevitable because we can explain why we believe things turned out the way they did. The reality is that human history is the result of random decisions influenced by structural forces rarely understood by the people making the decisions and almost never understood by the people affected by those decisions.

However, there are times in the course of human events when we act on history rather than history acting on us. I should restate that. The collective we never consciously act on history. Conscious (woke) individuals act on history, and what they do changes history. We become aware of their historical impact when we examine civilizations, societies or historical eras undergoing paradigm shifts. Woke folks can emerge at other times, but they really only matter when there are tectonic changes, and their failure to appear is as important to history as their appearance.

In its brief, 240-year history, the United States has undergone four paradigm-changing moments and was fortunate enough to have presidential leadership that was up to those moments. They were the founding of the republic, the Civil War, the beginning of the 20th century, and the Great

Depression into World War II. Those leaders were Washington, Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt. Washington and the Roosevelts were scions of America’s ruling elites. Lincoln was evidence that America’s elites were democratic and dynamic and not a function of birth. Washington you could have seen coming; the other three are a function of their moments.

The case for Washington and Lincoln is self-evident; without them there is no United States to discuss. My case for the Roosevelts is that they managed the two great paradigm shifts of the 20th century.

Guest Columnist Mike Jones

Theodore Roosevelt’s entire public career, including two terms as president, was contiguous with the Progressive Era, a period of widespread social activism and political reform across the United States that spanned the 1890s to the 1920s. The main objectives of the movement were addressing problems caused by industrialization, urbanization, immigration, and political corruption. The Progressive Era established the idea of modern public policy as a permanent fixture of American political life.

Franklin Roosevelt’s four terms as president made him the political manger of the two most cataclysmic and defining events of the 20th century, the Great Depression and World War II. Both changed the course of world history. What the Roosevelts shared, besides a family relationship, was a belief that American frontier cowboy capitalism needed to be saved from itself in spite of itself.

The four of them could also lay claim to extraordinary political skills, along with the right character and temperament for their times.

As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

Lamar Johnson deserves his day in court

By Rich Finneran

For The St. Louis American

As a federal prosecutor, I was always taught that my job was not merely to obtain convictions, but to seek justice. It was just as much my duty to ensure that the innocent go free as that the guilty were brought to justice. That is why it is so troubling that Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt is fighting St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner’s efforts to obtain a new trial for Lamar Johnson. Johnson was convicted of murder in 1995. Since that conviction, two other men have confessed to the crime and denied Johnson’s involvement, and the Circuit Attorney Office’s Conviction Integrity Unit has uncovered additional information that was not known at the time of trial — including direct payments made to an eyewitness and the relevant criminal history of a jailhouse

informant. That is the sort of evidence that prosecutors are constitutionally and ethically required to reveal before taking a defendant to trial. In light of this new evidence, the circuit attorney moved for a new trial for Johnson. That is what any ethical prosecutor would do. But then Attorney General Eric Schmitt stepped in and

n It is appalling to think that the chief law enforcement officer of our state would be more concerned with enforcing a procedural rule than pursuing justice in a murder case.

argued that a new trial was inappropriate because the motion had not been filed within 15 days of the verdict. It is appalling to think that the chief law enforcement officer of our state would be more concerned with enforcing

Letters to the editor

Taking food from hungry children

As we enter the holiday season, President Trump appears to be following in the footsteps of the Grinch; he is stealing Christmas from millions of hungry families.

However, there’s something else they shared that is extremely relevant to the 2020 presidential campaign.

They were four white men trying to create and preserve a white country that was run for the benefit of white men.

You could say all four were historical political equivalents of the great white hope. But when America was 90 percent white, black people were enslaved or oppressed, indigenous people were victims of genocide and white women were disenfranchised, a hegemony of white male privilege seemed the natural and rational order. It’s this ghost of the great white hope that haunts the 2020 presidential campaign. Whether they’re neoliberal theocratic Republicans or neoliberal Democratic moderates and liberals, all are searching for the white man who can restore America as they knew it. You could characterize much commentary on the Democratic Presidential Primary as a search for the good white guy who can beat the evil white guy and restore peace and harmony to the kingdom. November 2020 can produce a couple of outcomes that are all troubling if you’re a black American or from any marginalized community. First, Trump could win and the excesses and venality of his first term would pale in comparison to the carnage of a second Trump term. It would not be hyperbolic to compare America of the 2020s to Germany of the 1930s. And for those who think that’s an unfair comparison, I would suggest a cursory review of American history will reveal a level of cruelty, greed and mendacity that’s comparable. The second bad outcome would be the Democratic Establishment gets its establishment candidate, and that candidate wins the presidency. How would that be problematic?

To be continued.

The Trump Administration has recently proposed three new rules for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) under which, according to a study by the Urban Institute, 3.7 million fewer people would receive SNAP in an average month, 2.2 million households would see their average monthly benefit drop by $127, more than 3 million would see an average drop of $37 per month, and 982,000 students would lose access to free or reduced lunches.

What kind of president takes food from hungry children? We must demand that our members of Congress condemn this outrage.

Greg Campbell Creve Coeur

Corruption of singleparty rule

Missourians should be outraged by the news that Governor Parson’s administration encouraged state officials to work with donors to his political campaign seeking forgiveness of a state loan. Even if the deal made economic sense for Sedalia, if those seeking it weren’t political donors they wouldn’t have received the time of day from this administration. This is a perfect illustration of how access has a price tag where the well-connected get exactly what they want from this governor. That his hand-picked Attorney General Eric Schmitt is missing in action is further illustration of the corruption of Jefferson City under singleparty rule.

Jean Peters Baker chairwoman Missouri Democratic Party Kansas City

Iowa and New Hampshire has their turns

Every four years since 1972, Iowa and New Hampshire in tandem have repeatedly been

a procedural rule than pursuing justice in a murder case. Courts and prosecutors often set aside procedural time limits where necessary to avoid a miscarriage of justice. No experienced prosecutor would advocate against doing so in a case like Johnson’s. If Eric Schmitt had spent any time in his career as a prosecutor, he would know that. That’s why the Circuit Attorney’s Office affirmatively waived the time limit to allow the court to hear the motion. Eric Schmitt should do the same. When a prosecutor sees injustice being done, he should move heaven and earth to stop it. In this case, it is not too late. Eric Schmitt should withdraw his opposition to the circuit attorney’s motion and let Lamar Johnson have his day in court. No innocent person should have to sit in prison for 24 years because of a technicality. And no real prosecutor would stand for it.

Rich Finneran is a former assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri and a Democratic candidate for Missouri attorney general.

the first two states to vote in the American presidential primary process. Isn’t it time for the other 48 states to take their turns at being one of the first two states to vote?

We should reform the presidential primary process in time for 2024 by instituting a rotational centurial schedule whereby every state will finally have the opportunity to be one of the first two states to vote.

Rotating the states would bring a much needed, overdue element of fairness to our primary system by giving each state (no matter how sparsely populated) a period of political relevance.

Also, moving Iowa and New Hampshire out of their unwarranted privileged political positions at the front of the line would help make the process more demographically representative of the nation at large.

Jake Pickering Arcata, CA

It isn’t video games

There have been a lot of violent tragedies around the nation these past few years. Many different people blame many different things. One

such thing being video games. I am what one might call a gamer, and so I know a lot about these video games. I am writing this to dispel the blame that video games receive, not redirect it to another scapegoat. In my time playing video games, I’ve found that none of them preach violence, nor do they glorify violence with their storylines. “Mass Effect” and “Witcher 3” are inherently violent games. Yet they all display the horrible effects that war has on people, good people. When I play these games I don’t feel as if I am being told to be violent. Rather, I am being told I am lucky that I do not need to be violent. If video games were a cause of violence, then surely we would see that correlation in other countries, but we don’t see that correlation. Korea has no issues with mass shootings, nor does Japan or China. In fact video games are almost just as prevalent in Japan and Korea as they are here in the U.S. This problem of violence is only present in the U.S. and it clearly isn’t video games that are causing it. I cannot say what it is, I can only say that it isn’t video games.

Jakob Thomann Maplewood

Guest Columnist Rich Finneran

Teacher gets grant for student Chromebooks

Combs Intermediate School fourth-grade teacher Renita Perry (left) was presented with a $1,000 Education Impact grant from Vantage Credit Union reps and Combs Principal Leslie ThomasWashington (right) to purchase Chromebooks for her students. “Four more Chromebooks will allow my students to become more technology efficient by participating in podcast, webinars or making instructional videos to become stronger global citizens who are able to compete with their peers,” said Perry. Perry was one of five area educators receiving the Impact Education grant. Recipients were selected by popular vote based on a brief video submitted to Vantage Credit Union explaining their need for funds to impact education for their students.

Audition registration open for The Muny

Audition registration is now open for The Muny’s 2020 Season. The Muny and Telsey + Company, its official casting partner, are searching for both union and non-union performers who are strong dancers who sing and strong singers who move well. The Muny strives to seek a balance between local St. Louis talent, degree-seeking students from performing arts programs nationwide, emerging artists and Broadway performers. The audition dates are: Jan. 9-10 (Equity Principal

The deadline to enroll for health insurance next year is quickly approaching.

Auditions – Chicago), Jan. 27 (St. Louis Resident NonEquity Open Call), Jan. 29 (St. Louis Resident Equity Call), Feb. 1-2 (Equity Chorus Call Singers and Dancer Open Call – St. Louis), Feb. 8-9 (Muny Kids) and Feb. 18-20 (Muny Teens). Times and callbacks vary depending on the audition.

These dates also include Muny Kid and Teen auditions. To register and for more information, visit muny.org/auditions.

Open Enrollment for health insurance ends December 15 residence to a different zip code or county, losing employment, getting divorced or legally separated and losing your health insurance coverage, or if someone on your health plan died.

If you don’t act by December 15, you can’t get 2020 health insurance coverage unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period due to a life-changing event. Such events include getting married, having a baby, adopting a child, having a child in foster care, changing

Plans sold during Open Enrollment start January 1, 2020. Find out more and enroll at HealthCare.gov.

Life coaches save lives

By Jamala Rogers For The St. Louis American

The fate of Coach Trey Porter has finally been determined. Some would say the determination had little to do with his violation of the social media policy. Others would say the decision had nothing to do with enriching the lives of the students at Roosevelt High School. I side with the latter viewpoint.

Just because I’m not an investigative reporter doesn’t mean that I don’t get information from trusted sources. My sources were close to the situation and close to the firing squad. Among other things, they told me that other staff have contacted students through social media, both at Roosevelt and across the school district. They told me that this appeared to be a power play, not uncommon when institutions want to make an example of a person who stands up for righteousness.

other people can’t understand. Youth will confide in a caring adult before they confide in their own parents. That’s how special the bond is.

This category of adults can tell you stories of how they snatched a youth from the brink of disaster. How they patched up a relationship between a kid and their parent. How they bought food for a hungry student. Or how they helped a student fill out a job application. They are truly life coaches saving lives.

I believe coaches form a special relationship with their athletic family. They often see the players more than the parents do. They are there during the highs and lows of young people both on and off the field. They get up close and personal offering up tough love when needed.

Sadly, the voices of the young people and parents who supported the football coach were ignored. Their feelings were unmistakably clear. Students protested with a walkout, joined by supportive Roosevelt staff, parents and community members.

The main reason there’s a need for a social media policy for those working with children and youth is to prevent adult predators from taking advantage of their positions of power. A coach using all means of communications to stay in touch with his players who live in high-risk environments doesn’t fit into those parameters. Porter was transparent in his actions: he was concerned for the safety and security of his football team.

People who have ongoing relationships with young people are often that caring adult who is making a real difference in their lives. Teachers, coaches and program staffers know a lot about these kids’ lives and the trauma they face. They are trusted by the youth in ways that

When I think about coaches, I think about Coach Frank Walker who brought a scrawny, homeless kid into his family who he thought had potential. That nine-yearold was LeBron James. LeBron’s life was forever changed.

I think about coaches like Coach Keanon Lowe at Parkrose High School in Portland, Oregon. The video of Lowe’s lifesaving incident went viral after he disarmed a troubled student who had bought a gun to school to do harm. Lowe then embraced the student and gave him words of assurance.

I’m saddened by the fact that Saint Louis Public Schools couldn’t find a way to keep a coach who had demonstrated his unwavering commitment to the lives of the young men entrusted to him. The message the young people heard is: “This is what happens to people who care about you. You aren’t worth the effort.”

The district claims its policy on social media is consistent with state law. That’s a poor excuse for compliance with an outdated policy. Maybe it’s time for a history lesson. Missouri once had a law that made it illegal to educate black folks.

Jamala Rogers

not have been able to commit the crime. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

In July, Gardner’s prosecutors asked a circuit court judge to set aside the 1995 murder conviction of Lamar Johnson. Gardner’s team alleges that former prosecutors and police fabricated evidence to get the conviction of an innocent man.

Prosecutors filed a 67-page motion that attempts to prove Johnson’s innocence and grant him a new trial. It also provides evidence that the homicide detective allegedly made up witness testimonies, which the witnesses only learned about years later. It also provides documentation that an assistant circuit attorney paid off the only eyewitness and cleared some of his outstanding tickets. This is the first exoneration case Gardner’s new Conviction Integrity Unit has brought forth — and the first that any prosecutor in the City of St. Louis or St. Louis County has presented to the court.

In response, the circuit judge asked Schmitt to get involved, and Schmitt said in an Aug. 16 motion that Gardner doesn’t have the authority to ask the 22nd Circuit Court for a new trial.

officers refused to allow the press to enter the building at the direction of the property manager, the DESCO Group.

Later Schmitt’s press secretary said in an email to the American that his communication team was in Jefferson City and that “we were not comfortable having members of the press present in our office without a member of our communications team present.”

According to the Old Post Office’s website, the Missouri Development Finance Board leases the building to DESCO, and its tenants include several government agencies.

At the press conference, two exonerees who met Lamar Johnson in prison spoke about the impact of spending more than two decades in jail for a crime they didn’t commit.

“And now, while Kim Gardner is actively working to restore accountability in the justice system,” said Marybeth Onyenkwu, senior campaign manager at Color Of Change, “the attorney general is defending and supporting a status quo that would rather see an innocent man behind bars than a fair new trial.”

Continued from A1

On December 10, Brittany Johnson and a coalition of supporting organizations brought Schmitt a petition of 25,000 signatures supporting Lamar Johnson’s release.

Jamala Rogers, executive director of the Organization for Black Struggle, said that this is an example of tax dollars being

Department’s probable cause statement, Golden “stated in text messages that victim is the enemy and that makes her a target. I believe that the defendant poses a danger to the community or to any other person because defendant has threatened to kill numerous people.”

Bell’s office is forwarding the case to another prosecutor’s office due to potential conflicts,

n I will never forget the promise Lamar Johnson and I made to each other: whoever makes it out first, that person will come back for the other,” said Ricky Kidd.

used to house and convict people wrongfully.

“We are not standing here saying that everybody

said Tim Swope, Bell’s operations director.

“Because of that, we will not be able to comment right now,” he said.

The felony charge is only an allegation, and Golden remains innocent until proven guilty.

On Jan. 1, Bell was sworn

is innocent, but there are far too many people who have been convicted because of overzealous prosecutors who

in as St. Louis County’s first African-American prosecutor, after crushing the incumbent Robert P. McCulloch in the August primary election. McCulloch had served as prosecutor –and made enemies of blacks and progressives – for 27 years.

McCulloch’s notoriety went national due to his handling of the Darren Wilson grand jury and Ferguson, giving Bell’s primary campaign national attention, as well as furious local organizing.

Bell’s supporters were not surprised to learn about the death threats against him.

“There are a lot of folks in the region who did not want a black prosecutor, period,” said Rev. Darryl Gray, a longtime civil rights

have no regard for truth or facts,” Rogers said. “That has to stop.” When the coalition members tried to bring the signatures into the Old Post Office building, a group of about 10 St. Louis city police officers were standing inside blocking the door. They allowed a few coalition members to drop off the petition, but the

activist. “His blackness will become more of an element of scapegoating than anything else he does. The prosecutors in his office going over to the [police

n “It is not surprising that hatred and those seeking to maintain the status quo would see a Wesley Bell as a tremendous threat.”

– Rev. Darryl Gray

union]. Police not wanting to work with him because they think he will be too black and anti-law and order. You also have citizens who also felt that the election of a Wesley Bell would be a setback. Some

“I will never forget the promise Lamar Johnson and I made to each other: whoever makes it out first, that person will come back for the other,” said Ricky Kidd, who was exonerated this August after spending 23 years in prison. “I know what it is like to languish within the confines of a place that was built for the guilty despite being innocent. I know what it’s like to have cold meals in cold cells, watching the state attorney general relentlessly fight to keep you locked up.”

The coalition spoke repeatedly about the need to support Gardner and her conviction integrity unit.

“We have to rally behind Kim Gardner, a prosecutor who understands the JUST in justice,” Kidd said. “We can’t fail such a critical test at a time where history will record how we respond.”

people will always look at us less-than.”

Following the Ferguson unrest, the region showed its “rallying cry” for criminal justice reform through Bell’s election, Gray said, and they have watched others attack Bell for trying to address inequities in the system.

“It is not surprising that hatred and those seeking to maintain the status quo would see a Wesley Bell and Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner as a tremendous threat,” Gray said. The vileness of the messages and death threats will have the opposite effect of what Golden intended, Gray said.

“It adds more legitimacy to the cry of advocates,” Gray said. “It doesn’t diminish that voice, it raises that voice.”

Brittany Johnson gathered with about 25 community leaders and residents outside of Missouri Attorney General

Eric Schmitt’s office on Tuesday, December 10 to demand that he stop trying to block a new trial for her father, Lamar Johnson.

Photo by Wiley Price

come to give advice and help spread awareness through his social media network, he said.

“I got arrested very quickly that night,” Mckesson said in an ACLU video about the case.

“I stayed in police custody for about 17 hours, and one of the things that I realized when I got out was that I had been sued by a Baton Rouge police officer.”

Mckesson found out that a police officer had allegedly been struck by a rock during the protest and was suing him for “inciting violence,” in the lawsuit, Doe v. Mckesson.

“I have no clue when this rock was apparently thrown at an officer,” Mckesson said, “but I did not throw a rock and I certainly didn’t remember any moment where an officer said that he got hurt.”

The officer did not allege that Mckesson threw the rock but that Mckesson is responsible for the injuries simply because he encouraged the protest.

Even though the case was originally dismissed, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the police officer, claiming Mckesson’s

Fisher

Continued from A1

from A1 Memphis and founder of #UPTheVote901, was even more resonant for the black community.

From a black perspective, Fisher said, crisis is nothing new.

“Since Jesus arrived in America he has been associated and mostly aligned with the oppression of black bodies and the exploitation of black labor,” Fisher said. “For black folks, Jesus and America has always been a site of crisis.”

For that reason, from a black perspective there is nothing to be reclaimed, just as America can’t be made “great again” when it has never been great for all Americans.

“To that end, I’m somewhat inclined to reject the idea that the Christianity we need to produce, embrace, promote or practice can be ‘reclaimed,” Fisher said.

Instead, he argued, we need to take the latest version of a centuries-old crisis of being black in America – the President Trump version of the crisis – and make Christianity anew.

This is not to say that Fisher

“negligent actions were the cause of Officer Doe’s injuries.”

The Court of Appeals ruled, “Mckesson is liable in negligence for organizing and leading the Baton Rouge demonstration.”

The question at the heart of this case is whether or not Mckesson can be held personally liable for the alleged violent actions of someone

does not recognize the election of Trump as an intensification of crisis for black Americans.

Indeed, Trump’s election – and the real possibility that Trump could be reelected in 2020 –galvanized Fisher into action.

Poring over the November 2016 election results, he said, he found that there were powerful black churches saving souls (and passing the collection plate) in the very precincts with the lowest voter turnout.

“I wondered how we had disconnected the shouting, singing, dancing and preaching that happened at these hubs of black dignity on Sundays from the need to organize for political power on Super Tuesdays,” Fisher said. “And I vowed to put my faith into political action because the lives of disempowered people (made in the image of God) depends on it.”

So in November 2017 he organized #UPTheVote901; “901” is the area code in the City of Memphis. This is a nonpartisan collaborative that is committed to giving more political power, information and representation to more people and increasing voter turnout in Memphis and Shelby County.

“And despite establishment

else, said Ben Wizner, director of the ACLU Speech, Privacy and Technology Project.

“This is an incredibly important First Amendment case,” Wizner said. “When I go to a protest that has hundreds and thousands of people, I can’t possibly know what someone else in that protest might decide to do. I can’t even know if that person shares my beliefs –perhaps he was sent undercover

subversion, being demonized by the mayor, ostracized by white and black clergy and scrutinized by some of the same people we aim to help, we trained pastors to canvas their congregations for increased voter engagement and we helped increase turnout in three of the four elections we’ve had since 2016,” Fisher said.

“And we’ve ushered in a more (potentially) progressive slate of candidates with a group of people more engaged and empowered to hold them accountable.”

Fisher was addressing a crowded room of community organizers (Kayla Reed and Sarah Watkins of Action St. Louis), elected officials (St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones, state Senator Karla

by a government agent or a movement that opposes what we’re doing.”

The Court of Appeals ruling essentially said that organizers could be held liable because they ignored a “foreseeable risk of violence” occurring between protestors and police by holding the demonstration.

“By that standard, I really think that every moment for social change in this country is

May) and activist clergy (Rev. Traci Blackmon, Rev. Starsky Wilson, who also is president and CEO of the Deaconess Foundation). So he hardly needed to justify his political activism as faith-based to this audience, but he did so.

“This is a ministerial calling for me. My theology is political and intentional. Because we do not have the luxury of presuming we can just pray these problems away,” Fisher said.

“We need to put our pocketbooks in synchronicity with our prayers. We must be willing to be moral and militant. We must be willing to disturb, disrupt and deliver. We’re going to have to write, fight, march, mentor, preach, teach, organize, mobilize, and whatever else this moment calls

DeRay Mckesson under arrest in Baton Rouge on July 9, 2016.

jeopardized,” Wizner said.

Historically, peaceful civil rights demonstrations ended up in violent interactions with police officers, Wizner said, and some of those were a result of the FBI and J. Edgar Hoover sending in agent provocateurs to discredit the movement.

“And if the law had allowed anybody to sue the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement for damages that were not caused

for to make justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

The last call to action was drawn from prophetic scripture (Amos 5:24), as remixed by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (in “Letter from the Birmingham Jail”). But the ultimate model for his activism is none other than Jesus Christ.

This is not the Jesus Christ of the slaveholder or of the prosperity gospel pimp – the debased Jesus of America that Fisher declined to reclaim.

This is the Jesus of the Gospels, whom Fisher described as “a northeastern Afro-asiatic black man who was born to a single parent mother who got pregnant before she got married and people were not certain who the baby’s father was” (adding

by them personally, those movements would have been bankrupt before they could have achieved any kind of social change. And that’s what is at stake here.”

In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that protestors were not liable in damages for the consequences of their nonviolent activity and were protected under the “highest rung of the hierarchy of First Amendment values.” The case, NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware Co., dated back to a 1968 boycott in Mississippi. It has been cited repeatedly, including to dismiss a lawsuit against then-candidate Donald Trump for violent acts committed at a campaign rally and to challenge efforts to stifle Keystone XL pipeline protests.

“The goal of lawsuits like these is to prevent people from showing up at a protest out of the fear that they might be held responsible if anything happens,” said Mckesson.

“If this precedent lasts, it could make organizers all across the country responsible for all types of things they have no control over, such as random people coming into a protest and causing problems. We can’t let that happen.”

as a quip: “That sounds much more like Tupac Shakur than Donald Trump”).

This is Jesus the radical revolutionary organizer of the poor and oppressed.

“We need to organize our people for political power –like Jesus did. This is what got him killed,” Fisher said. “Jesus was killed (executed by the state) because he had the audacity to inspire and organize oppressed people and convinced them that they possessed a divine power within them that the seal of the Roman government could not conquer.”

For a slightly edited version of Rev. Fisher’s complete remarks, see the Religion page or The St. Louis American website.

Suit seeks to nullify airport decisions made in closed meetings

St. Louis officials allegedly violated the law when they closed public records and public meetings regarding the airport privatization deal, according to a lawsuit filed on Friday, December 6 by transparency advocates.

“Whether you favor, oppose or are uncertain about the propriety of St. Louis Lambert International Airport privatization, that doesn’t matter,” stated attorney Mark Pedroli, founder of the Sunshine and Government Accountability Project.

“Democrats, Republicans, Independents, people of all political persuasions, and nearly everyone in the St. Louis region agrees on one thing: The Lambert Airport Privatization process should be transparent and should conform with the state’s Sunshine, Open Records and Transparency Laws.”

“We cannot make critical determinations about our future without all the information,” Pedroli said in a press release. “And we certainly cannot make these critical determinations while people or governments hide that information.”

In a statement from the mayor’s spokesman Jacob Long, he said the state legislature allows governments to keep documents and discussions related to negotiating contracts confidential.

The advocates are asking the court to order that all actions taken by the Airport Working Group during improperly closed meetings or in violation of the Sunshine Act be null and void. It asks for the court to “permanently restrain” the Working Group from illegally closing Working Group meetings, and to release the minutes and all transcripts of all meetings that were improperly closed.

Since July 2018, the Airport Working Group has held about 47 meetings to evaluate the possibility of privatizing St. Louis Lambert International Airport, according to the suit. During these meetings, the Working Group members have allegedly closed meetings to discuss information that should have been open to the public, it states. At the November 21 meeting, LaTaunia Kenner, who is Comptroller Darlene Green’s representative for the group, objected on the record to the wrongful closing of their meetings and records, the lawsuit states. Green said she hasn’t read the lawsuit yet, but she “believes that any matters inappropriately discussed in closed session should be a concern.”

The Working Group’s voting

On January 26, a five-member selection committee voted 3-0 to move forward with a joint proposal to explore privatizing St. Louis Lambert International Airport that includes Grow Missouri; Washington D.C.-based consulting firm McKenna & Associates LLC; and global investment bank Moelis & Company LLC. The committee members who voted in favor included City Counselor Julian Bush, Deputy City Counselor Michael Garvin, and Linda Martinez, the mayor’s deputy of development. Deputy Comptroller Jim Garavaglia voted to abstain, and Tom Shepard, chief of staff for aldermanic President Lewis Reed, did not attend the meeting.

members are Budget Director Paul Payne and representatives for Mayor Lyda Krewson, President of the Board of Aldermen Lewis Reed and Green. All are named in the lawsuit.

Also named is Deputy City Counselor Michael Garvin, who “has purported to act as counsel for the Working Group,” and Deirdre Weaver,

the city’s custodian of records. The Working Group recently received 18 responses to its Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for companies interested in privatizing the airport. The

lawsuit alleges that the group has wrongfully withheld information about this process.

The group also withheld information about conflicts of interest, it states.

At a recent town hall meeting, community members expressed their concern about the potential conflicts of interest involved in the privatization process. The team that is acting as the city’s consultant is led by Grow Missouri, Inc., an organization funded by retired conservative financier Rex Sinquefield Grow Missouri paid for the application into the FAA’s Airport Privatization Program. If the city privatizes airport operations, then the consultants will be paid “success fees.”

“Any fruit that could come from the process being used would be fruit from a poisoned tree,” said Ray Mundy, former director of the University of Missouri-St. Louis’ Center for Transportation Studies.

“The process has been very well poisoned. I’ve never seen a process where we signed a blank check for the people to do the work and say, ‘We’ll do accounting after it’s all done and you’re successful.’”

The consulting team, including Grow Missouri Moelis & Company, LLC, and McKenna & Associates, LLC, are also named in the lawsuit.

Community College Board of Trustees filing opens December 17

Filing for the Subdistrict 1 and 4 seats on the St. Louis Community College Board of Trustees opens Tuesday, December 17, at 8 a.m. Subdistrict 1 includes the Hazelwood, Ferguson/ Florissant, Riverview Gardens, Jennings, Pattonville, Ritenour, University City, Normandy, Clayton and Ladue school districts.

Subdistrict 4 includes the school districts of Parkway, Lindbergh, Mehlville, Rockwood, Valley Park, Meramec Valley, Hancock Place and small portions of Jefferson and Franklin counties. Individuals seeking the trustee seats must be at least 21 years of age and must be

a resident voter of Subdistrict 1 or 4 for at least one year before the April 7 election. Each declaration of candidacy must be notarized before it is returned to the office of the associate for board relations at STLCC Corporate College, 3221 McKelvey Road, St. Louis, MO, 63044. Declarations of candidacy

and a description of each subdistrict are available in the associate for board relations office at Corporate College. The office is open MondayFriday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; however, it will be closed December 24 through January 2, 2020, in observance of winter break.

The Subdistrict 1 seat is currently held by Kevin M.

Martin, who was elected to the board in 2017. The Subdistrict 4 seat is currently held by Eleftheria “Libby” Fitzgerald, who has served two terms on the board.

Filing for the seats closes Tuesday, January 21, at 4 p.m.

An election will take place April 7, 2020, to fill the seats. The winners will serve six-year terms. St. Louis Community College is governed by six board members who represent the four subdistricts of the college service area and one appointed board member. For more information, contact Jessica Grove, associate for board relations, at 314-5395154 or jessicagrove@stlcc.edu

Photo by Rebecca Rivas

Winter Celebrations fun for the whole family at Art Museum

Celebrate the season at the Saint Louis Art Museum on December 14-15 at Winter Celebrations, a festival of free performances and art activities. Get the most out of this familyfriendly weekend of music, dance, art activities, cookie decorating, and more inspired by traditions from around the world.

Enjoy performances by talented groups that include Dances of India, Dance Center of Kirkwood, Normandy High School Jazz Band, and many others! Join community groups from all across St. Louis as they display their expertise and talents at this not-to-be-missed event. All performances are free and do not require advance tickets or registration. Make a seasonal card to lift someone’s spirits in the Give Lab. Each year, cards are donated to different community organizations in St. Louis. This

year, cards will be donated to BJC Hospice and the Women’s Safe House. BJC Hospice gives terminally ill patients the opportunity to live their life among those they love. They care for patients of all ages in

WINTER CELEBRATIONS

Saturday, December 14 and Sunday December 15 10 am-4 pm Saint Louis Art Museum FREE

homes, extended care facilities, hospitals, and at an outpatient hospice facility, Evelyn’s House. The Women’s Safe House provides safe shelter and transitional living services to women who are experiencing domestic violence. They serve

as a haven for women and and their dependent children who are in immediate danger and are fleeing violent situations. Capture memories in the TapSnap photo booth on both Saturday and Sunday from noon to 2 pm. Visitors can receive a printed photo and digitally share their image to social media platforms. You won’t want to forget this special family occasion! Decorate a tasty work of art on a holiday cookie on Sunday only from 1 to 4 pm while supplies last. Children can use their artistic skills with icing and sprinkles to make a work of art that is both festive to look at and delicious to eat. In addition, stop by the Create Lab all weekend from 10 to 4 pm to make your own seasonal work of art.

For more information about Winter Celebrations and to see the full schedule of events, visit slam.org.

Segregated housing and housing inequality

Segregation in the City Symposium Dec. 14-15

By Ellen Kunkelmann For The St. Louis American

The second annual Segregation in the City symposium will be held at the Missouri History Museum on Saturday and Sunday, December 14 and 15. This year’s theme is segregated housing and housing inequality. Nneka N’namdi, Fight Blight Bmore; Molly Metzger, Washington University in St. Louis; and Tyrone Turner, Better Family Life; along with representatives from other coalitions and agencies in St. Louis and Kansas City, will lead the discussion.

The goal of this two-day event is to engage St. Louisans in thinking about how they can empower themselves and their neighbors to break down the lasting legacy of housing inequality.

Fight Blight Bmore, an environmental justice campaign, was founded by Baltimore resident N’namdi in 2016. After seeing children riding bikes near dangerous demolition sites, she began researching, reporting, and tracking blight and environmental and safety hazards throughout the city. Fight Blight Bmore is currently testing a mobile app that will allow residents to report these hazards in real time.

N’namdi, who also participated in last year’s symposium, spoke to the Missouri Historical Society about the effects of blight.

“People living in

Nneka N’namdib of Flight Blight Bmore, an environmental justice campaign

neighborhoods with eroding housing stock are not only losing their community history and legacy, they are also being exposed to communitybased trauma resulting in long-term toxic stress from fear and unsafe housing, neighborhood conditions, and infrastructure. According to the Vacant Properties Research Network, blight is associated with dangers to public safety, including increased risk of fire, increased exposure to airborne allergens, and increased chance of being victim to assault or burglary,” N’namdi said.

“Baltimore was called out in this report as illustrating another health risk correlated with blight: higher rates of mosquito-borne illnesses resulted from water retained in trash mounds that accumulated inside vacant properties. It was also noted by the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing that rats and other vermin infestations common to blighted properties are vectors for infectious diseases, which threaten public health. Lead, mold, and overgrowth of grass

and weeds are among other common environmental hazards in blighted neighborhoods. Also, heat islands—excess heat that is caused by the lack of tree canopy and other factors—is a problem that is becoming better understood as an environmental hazard.”

“Blight is in large part the result of segregation as a political and economic outcome of racism,” she continued. “In my work I identify institutional racism as a root cause of segregation and illustrate how the law, regulation, and policy have continued to serve the aims of racism in spite of the civil rights movement. I also work to highlight solutions to blight that are centered in the cultural practices of the affected communities; that are firmly anti-gentrification; and that include the work of renters, small business owners, artists, and nonresidential property owners in the movement toward reparative community development.”

“Municipalities’ refusal to create public policy that repairs the damage done by policies like redlining, restrictive covenants, racebased zoning ordinances, and so on, is a major obstacle to fixing these hazards now,” N’namdi adds. “Instead of TIFs (tax-increment financing) and PILOTS (payment in lieu of taxes), municipalities should be canceling tax debt and offering municipal services such as water, sewage, and others at no cost to those who live in blighted communities for as long as it takes for the property value disparities to be resolved. The idea that gentrification is a good method for resolving these hazards is also an obstacle. It wrongly centers fixing blighted communities for the future use and enjoyment primarily of wealthier and whiter populations. The focus should be on fixing the hazards today and

The Women of Color and Male Partners Subcommittee is collecting winter items...

AG Schmitt fights to keep Lamar Johnson imprisoned

By Scott Roberts

For The St. Louis American

This week, we gathered on the steps of Attorney General Schmitt’s Office for Lamar Johnson, who has been held in prison for 25 years for a crime he did not commit. We joined lawyers who demand the state allow Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner address this injustice or risk the integrity of the Missouri criminal justice system. We stood beside community organizations appalled by Attorney General Schmitt’s attempt to hold an innocent man captive rather than relinquish his power. And we watched as members of Johnson’s family mourned his absence from their lives for 25 years, a family that live in fear that the criminal justice system will fail them yet again. Together, we delivered a petition with over 25,000 signatures to Attorney General Schmitt pleading for justice for Lamar.

No one has contested Lamar Johnson’s innocence, even Attorney General Schmitt.

Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner’s Conviction Integrity Unit unearthed layers of lies and deception that led to his arrest and subsequent conviction: payoffs to the sole eyewitness, fabricated evidence, unconstitutional police interrogation tactics, and the withholding of crucial evidence that would have cleared his name. Nevertheless, Attorney General Schmitt

continues to fight to keep Johnson imprisoned. Schmitt hasn’t contested Johnson’s case on the merits –rather, he’s leaned on a minor technicality to make his case. In a patently laughable argument, Schmitt claims that Johnson can’t contest his sentence because he missed the window for doing so: no more than 15 days after sentencing. Never mind that the evidence that clears Johnson of the crime has only been recently discovered. Never mind that the Missouri Supreme Court explicitly allows the court to waive time limits in extraordinary cases precisely like this one. It’s hard to fathom how an office that is supposed to stand for justice would attempt to

n It’s hard to fathom how an office that is supposed to stand for justice would attempt to keep an innocent person in prison based on a technicality.

keep an innocent person in prison based on a technicality. Lamar Johnson is not a chess piece in the petty politics of state prosecutors- he’s a person. He is a mild-mannered son and father and now a grandfather; a student who takes every educational opportunity he can to keep his mind fit; a devoted grandson who had to grieve his grandmother’s passing in a cell; a man who still feels hope that he will be free after 25 years. Whatever political games Schmitt is playing, his motion to deny Johnson a chance at freedom displays a callous indifference to the humanity of

individuals in a flawed justice system -- which explains how our justice system got to where it is. It was politicians and prosecutors like Schmitt who fought each other to be the most aggressive, the most merciless, the most punitive when devising the architecture of mass incarceration. They have created the largest prison population in the world, with 2.3 million people in cages across the country. A system devised to incarcerate so many is not only flawed in principle but in execution, and there are few pieces of proof more damning than the number of individuals wrongfully in prison.

There have been over 2,522 exonerations of innocent people since 1989, and more are likely to be released as prosecutors like Gardner work to unravel the injustices of mass incarceration. Nor do these injustices affect everyone equally. Black people make up the majority of those wrongfully convicted — approximately 49%. Collectively, those who have been exonerated have lost 22,315 years of their lives.

That’s why we gathered in front of AG Schmitt’s Office on Tuesday. We will not sit by while the politics and power games of unscrupulous actors condemn one more person. We went to Schmitt’s office to demand that he immediately end his efforts to block Gardner’s motion for a new trial and join community advocates, legal experts, and the thousands following his story in securing Johnson’s freedom.

Scott Roberts is senior Criminal Justice Campaign director at Color of Change.

Pathways to Success

Health Care Professions

By The St. Louis American Staff

The health care industry is growing rapidly, with no signs of slowing down. Because of this, the demand for health care professionals is greater than ever.As a booming health care hub, St. Louis is overflowing with opportunities in the field. If you’re looking for a stable and rewarding career, look no further. Whether you’re interested in research or like caring for patients at the bedside, want to make an impact in a small community or prefer the hustle and bustle of a metropolitan area, the possibilities for a rewarding and exciting career in health care are almost endless. Here are just a few to consider:

Physicians

When we think of health care professionals, doctors often come to mind. From specialists in fields like neurology and gastroenterology to primary care and family practice physicians, doctors cover all spectrums of health care. Many work in hospitals or other outpatient facilities, but they can also have their own practices with their own offices and support staff.

Technicians

To support patient care, medical technicians handle the collecting, testing and reviewing of samples. Some roles interact directly with patients, while others spend most of their time in a clinical laboratory.

Technicians also work in the operating room, cleaning surgical instruments or assisting physicians and other staff before and during procedures.

Non-Medical Staff

Not all careers in health care require a medical background.Administrative staff keep hospitals and doctor’s offices operating seamlessly. Food service workers ensure the dietary and nutritional needs of patients are met, while environmental service workers create a clean and safe environment for optimal healing.

Nurses

The largest profession in health care, nursing offers a wide array of career opportunities. Registered nurses care for patients of all ages, from pediatrics to geriatrics, across all service lines. For those interested in advanced nursing, pursuing a career as a nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife or nurse practitioner might be the right fit. Nurses can even be researchers, making scientific discoveries that improve the lives of people from all walks of life.

To prepare nurses of all disciplines, Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College offers a diverse range of degree programs in nursing for undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students.

Sponsored By:

Guest Columnist Scott Roberts

We are all surrounded by the killers and the wounded

By Umar Lee For The St. Louis American

A year ago this week my mother was asleep in her apartment in the Meacham Park neighborhood of Kirkwood when someone broke into her unit and executed her in a brutal gun slaying. This happened a little more than a year after my teenage nephew was shot and killed on the West Side of St. Louis, and that occurred just a year after his father was gunned down after leaving a bar on the South Side. Within that same time period I had another nephew shot in St. Louis, two former coworkers at Laclede Cab robbed and murdered, and a Muslim brother bludgeoned to death in an abandoned building on the North Side. When I was younger I would check the newspapers daily, as dozens of friends and acquaintances were killed in St. Louis. They were young men who never got to see their thirtieth birthday. Some of them didn’t make it to 20. They had names like Larry Banks, Demetrius Banks, Corrian Hardy, and Bobby Coates and will forever be remembered as young men.

the South Side, settling in the Shaw neighborhood where she became a neighborhood mom of sorts. As a white woman she felt the city would be a better environment to raise biracial children. Ironically, the area in North County she came from has schools that are now nearly 100 percent African-American, and Shaw is being gentrified.

The move to Kirkwood was about getting my nephew onto the highly ranked high school football team. While Kirkwood is overwhelmingly white, Meacham Park is a historic black community and a disproportionate amount of football players come from that neighborhood (my nephew was African-American).

was in Kirkwood that her luck ran out. There is no one in jail for the murders of my mother, nephew, or brother-in-law. Yet, this shouldn’t come as a surprise, as the majority of murders in the St. Louis area are unsolved, and people are taking matters into their own hands. With hundreds killed and thousands more injured every year, we are all surrounded by both the killers and the wounded every day. Learning to navigate and survive St. Louis is an art, and even the best of artists can’t always paint a masterpiece.

Meanwhile, much of the region sends their kids to cashstrapped and often dangerous schools, has limited or no access to routine healthcare, and survives on noodles, half orders of fried rice with Vess sodas, and the Rally’s discount menu.

Group A is eager to check out new bars, while Group B sleeps behind bars in their own homes in fear for their own

This is the reality of life in St. Louis. St. Louis is a quintessential Dickensian city. The middle and upper classes send their kids to private schools and well-funded public schools, have secure healthcare and housing, have steak dinners in West County and goat milk kale smoothies on Cherokee or in The Grove, and share photos of fabulous vacations on Instagram.

safety. If I lived in a normal and healthy country it would be shocking to tell someone of all of the tragedy in my family. However, we don’t live in a normal country and I happen to be from St. Louis, which is one of the most violent and dysfunctional cities in a nation full of death and inequality.

In St. Louis it’s common to meet families in which multiple members have been murdered. Every year hundreds are killed in the St. Louis metro area. This is happening in the shrinking urban core and in the stagnant metro area. Meanwhile there are many, intoxicated by the idea of selling more condos and rehabs to potential MLS fans, who look at the suffering

and their biggest concern is image and how they count the homicide numbers.

The violence and inequality in America highlight the fact that America is not the best place to live unless you’re wealthy. The current circus in Washington, D.C. lets us know we’re on a sinking ship and people in St. Louis are like the poor folks on the Titanic who couldn’t get to the lifeboats. Yet, we try.

My mother had seen a lot of St. Louis. She knew the streets, seemed to know almost everyone, and would pick up the Evening Whirl and tell you the family history of both the shooter and victim.

Decades ago my mother left North County to live on

Call for Nominations

Salute to Young Leaders Awards

Do you know a young leader who is going above and beyond in their professional performance and community involvement?

Honoring 20

Outstanding AfricanAmerican Professionals under Age 40

The St. Louis American is accepting nominations for its Salute to Young Leaders Awards. Winners will be featured in The St. Louis American and will be honored at the 10th Annual Salute to Young Leaders Networking Awards Reception in February 2020.

Young Leaders are committed, compassionate and generous individuals who are excelling in their professional careers and making a positive impact in our community.

To nominate a Young Leader, fill out the form below and email to kdaniel@stlamerican.com. Nominees must be under 40 years of age as of February 1, 2020. Nominations must be received by 5 p.m., Friday, December 27, 2019. For questions, contact Kate Daniel at 314-533-8000 or kdaniel@stlamerican.com

Nominee’s Name:

Nominee’s Company:

Nominee’s Title:

Company’s Address: City, State, Zip:

Nominee’s Email:

Nominee’s Phone:

Please attach a brief overview of nominee’s career history or resume with significant achievements. (300 words max.)

Also include the following: How has the nominee contributed outside the company (specific community involvement)? (300 words max.)

Your Name: Your Company: Your Title:

Your Phone: Your Email:

The other aspect of the Kirkwood move is that it promised to provide a safer environment for the kids and adults. It didn’t turn out that way for my mother or nephew. In St. Louis, where you can zip across the metro area and a 20-minute drive is considered long, there is no escape from anyone or anything.

My mother had escaped violence before. Years ago an ex of my mother was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting as she was by his side. Over the years she went on to befriend everyone from teenage moms, to lawyers, to gang members. It

At my mother’s funeral we saw the beauty of St. Louis. Christians, Jews, a row of Muslims, and a packed crowd that was over 90 percent African-American mourned a white woman of the Baby Boomer generation. All exchanged stories and memories of her unique personality which served as a reminder that, more than anything else, St. Louis is a city full of characters and she was one of the most unique of them. Umar Lee is a writer and activist from St. Louis. If you have any information on the murders of Karen Arnold in Kirkwood, Shelbyon Polk AKA/ Lil’ Chubb, or Shelby Polk AKA/ Chubb, please contact Crimestoppers.

Guest Columnist

Umar Lee

The majority of murders in the St. Louis area are unsolved, and people are taking matters into their own hands.

“TakingCareofYou”

Drug deals, bad food plague corner stores

Chalie’s Convenient Market in Washington Park, Ill., is known as the “Orange Store” among neighbors. The corner store just outside St. Louis is an authorized SNAP retailer.

By Cara Anthony Of Kaiser Health News

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — The parking lot was dark when Marie Franklin and her husband, Sam, last stopped at a corner store near their home. The couple didn’t want much from the market that night. But they still strategized before Sam, 49, went inside.

“My husband wouldn’t let me go in,” Marie Franklin, 57, recalled. “About four or five guys were hanging around the door.”

For her, the scene felt all too familiar in a city where it’s getting harder to find a safe place to buy milk. In some neighborhoods across the country, such corner stores often stock more alcohol than food — and poor-

quality groceries at that — amid a minefield of violence just outside their doors. Yet especially for many of the country’s poorest residents, the shops are among the few options for buying groceries using the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefit.

Nationwide, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, convenience stores make up about 45 percent of all authorized retailers accepting SNAP benefits, the modern name for food stamps.

This city of fewer than 27,000 people, just across the Mississippi River from downtown St. Louis, has about three dozen authorized SNAP shops, mostly corner

Black women make demands regarding Mercy Birthing Center Midwifery Care

The undersigned black women make the following claims and demands of Mercy Health.

As black women and Missourians who organize to dismantle reproductive oppression, we write to express our outrage and demand accountability for the disrespect and unethical treatment of Missouri’s first black Certified Professional Midwife by Mercy Birthing Center Midwifery Care. Brittany “Tru” Kellman, founder and executive director of Jamaa Birth Village in Ferguson, has been providing care and building a community to improve pregnancy outcomes in the St. Louis area since 2015. Tru centers black women and women of color in her practice, thus providing a path to healthy birth from within our community. She provides training and support, critical care and advice,

health.

n Mercy had worked closely with Jamaa to gain insight and knowledge about their Midwifery care model only to announce that they plan to move forward with their own Midwifery clinic just a few blocks away.

and the cultural understanding that comes from her being a black woman and mother. Jamaa Birth Village is a success story, and that has prompted many established groups and organizations to reach out

See JAMAA, A13

stores, within 89 blocks. But fewer and fewer residents see the shops as a safe place to buy food.

Drug dealers allegedly working in cahoots with corner store owners have become East St. Louis’ worst-kept secret, while the smell of stale food greets SNAP shoppers at some front doors. It’s so bad that, in some neighborhoods, residents avoid the corner stores at all costs.

“So much goes on in these corner stores now, you just have to be careful,” said Nona Owens, 68. “You never know when somebody else has made somebody mad. … And they want to come and shoot.”

By U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay For The St. Louis American

Yesterday’s announcement by the Trump Administration is step one of a three-part attack on the poorest and most vulnerable that ultimately aims to deprive 3 million of our fellow Americans of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP), including half a million low-income children who would no longer have access to free or reduced school lunches. In St. Louis, over 32,000 children participate in free or reduced lunch benefits, and over 900,000 children in Missouri also participate.

The cruelty and hypocrisy of Donald Trump and his administration is despicable.

He intends to punish the poorest Americans for being poor while he gives away $16 billion to millionaire farmers to compensate them for the ruinous trade war with China that he started.

n I will fight this cruel, depraved plan with all that I have. I will continue to fight for SNAP benefits and access to free and reduced lunches for our children.

And that is on top of the $2 trillion Trump Tax Scam that gave 83 percent of the benefits to the richest 1 percent of Americans, while exploding the budget deficit by putting the bill on the national credit card with no way to pay for it. This new SNAP rule by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will do real human damage to military families and the poorest Americans in both urban and rural communities.

I will fight this cruel, depraved plan with all that I have. I will continue to fight for SNAP benefits and access to free and reduced lunches for our children.

The new USDA SNAP rule will also weaken states’ ability to provide food assistance in high-unemployment areas and will fall most heavily on the most vulnerable population groups.

Photo by Wiley Price

Brittany “Tru” Kellman listened to the heartbeat of Jazmine McDonald’s daughter when working with her as a student midwife in Ferguson in 2016. Kellman is the founder and executive director of Jamaa Birth Village.

Wm. Lacy Clay

Photo by Michael B. Thomas for Kaiser Health News

“TakingCareofYou”

East St. Louis

Continued from A12

To be sure, not all SNAPauthorized stores nationwide face this problem, and not everyone in East St. Louis uses SNAP benefits. But many residents of this and other low-income communities of Southern Illinois are fed up with the violence around their neighborhood stores, even as officials in Washington turn a blind eye to the storefront gun battles. Instead, the program keeps getting caught in politics. While the Obama administration modestly upped the range of items authorized SNAP retailers were required to stock as an effort to help end what are known as food deserts, the Trump administration wants to weaken those requirements so canned spray cheese, pimiento-stuffed olives, maraschino cherries and beef jerky can count as staple foods. Trump administration officials have also proposed budget cuts for the program that could lead to more than 3 million people losing their food assistance.

Amid the federal whipsawing over SNAP, local residents are taking care of the problems themselves, trying to clean up the corner stores in their neighborhoods so they have safe and healthy options.

Those residents and local food access advocates regard a new trespassing law passed in East St. Louis as a start. They also are taking notes from activists who pushed for stricter corner and liquor store rules in Baltimore, Philadelphia and Omaha, Neb.

Those communities attempted to solve their corner store problems by first addressing the number of alcohol outlets in residential areas. Studies show that alcohol plays a role in 40 percent of violent crimes.

In the nearby village of Washington Park, Shantez Rias and his business partners are trying to revive the SNAP-authorized store they

Continued from A12

with offers of support or opportunities to collaborate. Such was the case with Elizabeth Cook, CNM, and director of Mercy Birthing Center Midwifery Care. Over several months, Jamaa and Mercy arrived at an agreement on how they would partner going forward. They have a memo of understanding. So, we were shocked to learn from Tru that Ms. Cook informed her that Mercy was not honoring the agreement. Specifically, Mercy had worked closely with Jamaa to gain insight and knowledge about their Midwifery care model only to announce that they plan to move forward with their own Midwifery clinic just a few blocks away from Jamaa Birth Village in Ferguson.

The history of medicine in America, particularly obstetrics and midwifery, is littered with the appropriation of black women’s work and science gained through experimentation on our bodies. We know all too well that black women in Missouri are 3 to 4 times more likely to die as a result of childbirth than the general population, and we also know that Mercy could have chosen from many other communities lacking

took over earlier this year. They don’t sell alcohol at Chalie’s Convenient Market. But they still do business behind seemingly bulletproof windows in the small market known among neighbors as the “Orange Store.”

These corner store owners — Rias, Rocky Miller and Martin Cooper Jr., themselves former corner boys — know the violence is not an easy problem to solve. They set up shop with a clear understanding of how quickly a fight can escalate when outsiders cross “enemy lines.”

“I don’t care what store you’re at,” Miller said after residents complained about crime at local corner stores.

“That’s one thing we can’t prevent.”

Two teenage boys were shot inside the Orange Store before the trio took ownership. A few weeks earlier, nearly 18 shots were fired outside the store, leaving one man wounded.

And the so-called bulletproof windows the owners stand behind? They have bullet holes in them. Customers use one of the holes to slide in change under a handwritten sign, “Tip the Cook.”

A hidden stream of income

East St. Louis residents Lakeesha Thomas, 42, and her niece, Jordan Thomas, 22, were shopping in one of those convenience stores around 8 p.m. on a recent September night when shots were fired outside.

“I actually wanted to crawl in a cooler,” Lakeesha Thomas said. “Even the guys who worked in the store took cover because the building was getting hit with bullets.”

The sound of gunfire that night came as no surprise to Jordan Thomas, a SNAP recipient with an infant son. She has grown accustomed to it and the unwelcoming men who stand outside corner stores where she still regularly shops.

Such young men who huddle outside corner stores in

midwifery care to expand its services.

Mercy Birthing Center’s direct action and decision to advance partnership with Jamaa Birth Village with the core intent to gain insight and information about programs and services, in leveraging their plan of starting a Midwifery clinic in Ferguson, in competition with Jamaa Birth Village unbeknownst to them, is sinister and steeped in racism, oppression and white saviorism at its least. By refusing to honor their agreement and instead planning to compete with Jamaa Birth Village in Ferguson, Mercy Birthing Center Midwifery Care perpetuates the ugly and shameful history of dismissing and undermining black women’s midwifery work. More importantly, through their disrespectful and unethical actions, Mercy Birthing Center Midwifery Care has demonstrated a lack of respect for black women, Midwifery, and our community.

Jamaa Birth Village’s Board of Directors and executive director met with the Mercy Birthing Center leadership team on September 16, 2019 to address this issue respectably. Mercy has not responded to Jamaa Birth Village in their request to address this issue. The concerns of Jamaa Birth

Clay

Continued from A12

Donald Trump and USDA are not only assaulting the urban poor, this new rule will cause widespread suffering in

East St. Louis were identified as a problem long before the city passed an ordinance in June that could potentially end the drug trade happening in plain sight.

“These people are out here selling drugs in front of the place,” said Ontourio Eiland, the city’s assistant police chief. “And that’s why the citizens are scared sometimes to get their milk, eggs and their cereal for their kids.”

Just about everyone in this city has heard whispers about the hidden stream of income some corner store owners have allegedly received from drug dealers.

“If they gave the owner protection or money or something, he, kind of, turned his head to it,” Police Chief Kendall Perry told Kaiser Health News.

Rias, who said he has been both a drug dealer outside a store and now a store owner, defended other local corner store owners, explaining that most “don’t mess with drugs.”

In some other parts of the country, the efforts have been more aggressive. As of June 4, liquor stores in residential areas of Baltimore were ordered to stop selling alcohol, leaving them to find other products to sell instead or shut down.

In 2017, Philadelphia city leaders cracked down on corner store establishments known there as “stop-and-gos.”

And in 2012, city officials in Omaha, Nebraska, passed what’s known as a “good neighbor ordinance,” which allows the city to pull the occupancy permits of liquor establishments.

East St. Louis food access advocates now want elected officials to put a cap on the number of liquor licenses issued. They also want code enforcement officials to speak up when corner store owners break the rules.

n Convenience stores make up about 45 percent of all authorized retailers accepting SNAP benefits, the modern name for food stamps.

“That’s not how they move,” Rias said. “This is their hustle, these little stores.”

And the mayor, Robert Eastern III, is bewildered by the men standing outside corner stores and contributing to the city’s food and crime problem.

“Business owners may be intimidated or they condone it, I don’t know,” Eastern said. “We’re going to figure out a way to get our corners back. And make East St. Louis safe.”

The loitering prompted Perry to back the new criminal trespassing ordinance this year. A previously approved antiloitering rule wasn’t effective, Eiland said.

Yet few residents know about the rule change.

And, even with it in place, an up-and-coming rapper was shot and killed outside an East St. Louis gas station and convenience mart in September.

Village and the community with Mercy’s latest move has been utterly ignored and this is unacceptable.

The last thing we need in St. Louis is an expansion of a disrespectful corporation dressed up to look like a community provider attempting to destroy something a black woman built so they can profit off of healthcare Black women need.

We know that by taking action and speaking out against egregious behavior of Mercy, we are putting a lot at risk, including our relationships and our safety. However, we have a duty and obligation to fight for the community who has entrusted us to save the lives of birthing black people. The stakes are much too high to cower under intimidation of a large non-profit that is leveraging its privilege and power to undermine the work of black women.

We call on Mercy Birthing Center Midwifery Care to issue a public apology to Brittany “Tru” Kellman, Jamaa Birth Village, and the communities they serve. We demand that Mercy honor the agreement with Jamaa Birth Village and stop all proceedings to start a Midwifery clinic in Ferguson where Jamaa Birth Village is currently serving their community in a culturally congruent manner. We

rural America as well.

offer SNAP food benefits rarely face much federal oversight outside of fraud investigations. The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) occasionally checks the food inside, not the crime outside.

Officials from SNAP, the largest nutrition assistance program administered by the USDA, may visit stores for the reauthorization that occurs every five years. The Government Accountability Office noted in a 2018 report that FNS officials planned to visit some stores annually for reauthorization but “said they did not follow through with those plans.”

Contractors working for FNS conduct occasional spot inspections. According to the USDA, they note when food is out of date and assess inventory that does not appear to be moving.

Calling for help

It’s not just the shootings and crime in front of corner stores that residents of low-income neighborhoods are complaining about.

Documents obtained by KHN through a public records request show that, in 2018, the East Side Public Health District that covers East St. Louis and several neighboring communities received more than a dozen complaints about poorly maintained corner stores and spoiled food in the markets.

“Some of these stores, they’ve got buckets in the middle of the floor catching water, then you get your meat order standing next to it,” Lakeesha Thomas said. “It’s disgusting.”

Local health department officials can give troubled markets what’s known as a risk control plan, according to the documents, which requires health inspectors to visit stores more frequently.

But the stores licensed to

proudly stand in sisterhood with Tru and Jamaa Birth Village as we demand accountability and justice.

Sincerely,

State Senator Jamilah Nasheed (D-St. Louis)

State Representative Raychel Proudie (D-Ferguson)

Tishaura O. Jones, treasurer of the City of St. Louis

Cora Faith Walker, Esq., MPH

Ashli Bolden, vice president of the A. Philip Randolph Institute

Kayla Reed, director of Action St. Louis

Pamela Merritt, co-founder and co-director at Reproaction

Brittany Jones, organizing fellow with Reproaction

Inpower Institute

HeartCrew

Rebeccah Bennett

Leah Clyburn

Kristian Blackmon

Brittíni Gray

Lorren Buck

Emily Scates

Jessiree Jenkins

Amanda Tello

Adande Lane

Jamari White

Cheeraz Gormon

April Warren-Grice

Lewa Farabale

Tara Tee

Hakima Tafunzi Payne, BSN, CNE, IBCLC

Brittany Ferrell, BSN, RN

Benetta Ward, MPH, CD

SNAP is a critical lifeline for over 36 million low-income Americans.

It is shocking and shameful that during this holiday season, the president and his administration have chosen to continue along their morally bankrupt path that is lacking in both compassion and human kindness.

Based Crime Reduction survey.

Searching for a solution

North 20th Street in East St. Louis — a thoroughfare marked by a worn “Welcome to Healthy Street” sign — has become a safe zone for food access advocates who gather every other month to discuss wellness programs, safety and the condition of corner stores in the area.

Most corner stores on their list are less than a half-mile away from public housing, churches and schools. The nearest full-fledged grocery stores are about 3 miles from most of the neighborhoods in East St. Louis, making them difficult to access for those without cars.

“While FNS does not have direct oversight over food quality and safety, the agency recognizes shoppers’ concerns over the quality and safety of food at SNAP retailers,” according to a USDA statement provided by agency spokesman Tony Craddock Jr. “SNAP-authorized retailers are expected to follow all state and local laws, including health requirements.”

But Myla Oliver-Blandford, assistant administrator of Environmental Health Programs at East Side Health District, said her department doesn’t receive reports about the stores from FNS and doesn’t share her department’s local findings with federal officials.

Neither agency addresses the violence that springs up at the stores. Minimal communication among government agencies, little oversight of corner stores and limited policing leave residents feeling as if they are fending for themselves.

Corner stores topped the list of public places residents of one Southern Illinois neighborhood said they avoided because of safety concerns, according to a 2018 federally funded Community-

“We really want those corner stores to become responsible,” Greg Witherspoon, a community leader, told city councilors a few months ago. “We believe that those corner stores can help to serve fresh fruit and fresh vegetables.”

But these days, Amy Funk, a SNAP educator and community organizer, spends less time talking about carrots and apples and more time talking about crime and the density of liquor establishments in the community. She has spent countless hours poring over heat maps of the region that show high volumes of crime in front of East St Louis corner stores.

“I started off trying to put broccoli in corner stores,” Funk said. “Now I’m in this world.” Today Rias, one of the Orange Store owners, wants to give his neighbors a better place to shop. While he and his partners hope to obtain an alcohol license eventually, they cleaned up their market by replacing liquor bottles with baby bottles, rice, cereal, meat, cheese and other grocery items.

“It’s our time to get our own neighborhood back,” Rias said. “We spend enough money around here. If we all come together, we can do it. It’s simple: Help each other.” Cara Anthony: canthony@ kff.org, @CaraRAnthony.

Mercy responds to Jamaa Birth Village

In response to “Mercy must honor its agreement with Jamaa Birth Village,” we would like to begin by addressing our goal for establishing a Mercy location in Ferguson: to meet the community’s need for culturally competent care and improve access to locallybased health care as outlined in our Mercy Hospital St. Louis community health improvement plan for 2019. In every community we serve, Mercy begins by seeking input on what’s needed and looking for gaps in health care services. With the feedback we received in the Ferguson community, our location – targeted to open in the summer of 2020 – will be a comprehensive clinic offering primary care and women’s services, as well as behavioral health and other needed social services. As we move toward the opening, we will continue to listen to feedback from the community.

Mercy has long collaborated with organizations to better meet the needs of our patients. We worked closely with Jamaa Birth Village and Brittany “Tru” Kellman long before the announcement of the new clinic location and hope that relationship will continue. The new Mercy Clinic will offer prenatal care and other women’s services, but plans do not include a birthing center. The Mercy Birthing Center – Midwifery Care on the campus of Mercy Hospital St. Louis has received referrals from Jamaa when its home birth patients wanted or needed a midwifery birthing option in a hospital setting. We have the same goal of providing the best care to women and infants with a commitment to eliminate disparities in care. The services in Ferguson are not meant as a replacement for the services provided by Jamaa, but a complement to them. Our greatest hope is to build an ongoing relationship with Jamaa, with each organization contributing their unique strengths, to offer the Ferguson community a wide range of services for all levels of care needed, close to home. We welcome the opportunity to continue our dialogue with the community and with Jamaa Birth Village.

I urge all my colleagues to join me in opposition to this hurtful, heartless and dangerous rule, as we redouble our efforts to stand up for SNAP.

U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay (D-Missouri) represents Missouri’s 1st Congressional District.

Jamaa

Healthy Kids Kids

Careers

Healthy Holiday Food Prep!

Indoor Snowball Games

Thinkof Others

Nutrition Challenge:

Get involved! Why not ask your parents if you can get involved in the meal planning and preparation? A few tips to creating a healthier holiday menu include:

> Put out a festive veggie tray for snacking (like the one featured below).

> Include a lean, baked main dish such as ham or turkey.

> Avoid butter, brown sugar or other sugary or high-fat toppings for all parts of the holiday meal.

> Prepare steamed or grilled vegetables to go along with the meal.

With your parents’ permission, and a few rules, create indoor “snowball” games. You can use balled-up (clean!) socks as your snowballs. Work as a team or individuals and try a few of these simple games.

1) Arrange a row of bowls or buckets in a straight line; see who can toss their snowballs in the most buckets.

While you may be thoroughly enjoying your holiday season, remember that there are some people who might be down or sad this time of year. Do you have a lonely, older neighbor or maybe know of a family that has been struggling recently?

Perhaps there is a classmate that you know has had a rough year.

What are some ways you

2) Set up a row of stuffed animals or other non-breakable items across the top of the couch. How many can you knock off with your snowballs?

3) Play catch with your partner, and see how far apart you can go and still catch your snowball.

> Use low-fat milk, cheese or dressings whenever possible.

> Include at least one low-sugar dessert option.

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

Make your games fast-paced and challenging in order to burn those extra holiday calories and keep that heart rate up! And of course, if it snows for real… take the games outside!

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

could bring cheer to someone that could use a smile? You could make a homemade holiday card, bake a holiday treat, invite them to a gathering, or just spend some time listening to them during the holiday season. A few minutes with a caring new friend can make a world of difference!

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 4

Tray

Kimberly Brown, Dermatology Physician Assistant

Thomas L. Williams II, EMT-B

Where did you go to school? I graduated from McCluer High School.

Where do you work? I am a dermatology physician assistant at Saint Louis University. Where did you go to school? I graduated from Burke High School in Omaha, Nebraska. I then earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Nebraska and a Master of Medical Science from Saint Louis University.

Where do you work? I am an emergency medical technician (EMT) for Children’s Hospital and a fire fighter and paramedic for Maplewood Fire Department.

What do an EMT, firefighter and paramedic do? As an EMT with Children’s Hospital, I transport my team and our patients in a timely and safe manner to and from St. Louis Children’s Hospital. As a firefighter/paramedic for the Maplewood Fire Department, I provide life safety, incident stabilization and patient care.

What does a dermatology physician assistant do? I treat skin conditions like acne, eczema and skin cancers. I speak to patients every day about their skin and hair care. I like to do procedures like removing skin cancer.

Why did you choose this career? I chose this career because I’ve always been a person who likes to fix problems and educating people so they can improve their lives. I chose Dermatology because the skin is the largest organ in the body but it is also the most overlooked in terms of care.

What is your favorite part of the job you have?

Why did you choose this career? I chose both careers because I love to help others and serve my community in any way that I can. I also love to see the smiles on people’s faces after my services make their situations better.

The best part of my job is getting to talk to people every day. I learn something new from my patients every single day. It makes my day when a patient with severe skin disease comes back and their skin is completely healed. Skin disease can have such a negative impact on mental health because others can easily see that something is wrong. I love that in dermatology, improvements can be measured visibly in most cases.

What is your favorite part of the job you have? My favorite part of my job is knowing that I was able to help someone feel better, or get them to someone who will safely treat them.

Learning Standards: HPE 6, NH 3

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

“Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 314-289-5422

The

Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 314-289-5422

Katie Wright Elementary School

4th grade teacher

Mrs. A. Johnson shows students Vivian Stringer, Arthur Williams, Kacien Fields and Za’Niyah Blue how to use the newspaper’s education page to find STEM lessons.

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT SCIENCE STARS

Christina Willis Boeing Engineering Manager

Did you know math is a very important skill that is used every day? Think about it. When you wake up, you look at the clock. How much time do you have left to get ready for school? Maybe you listen to music as you get ready for school. Did you know music requires math? How many beats are in a measure? Most songs have patterns (verses, chorus, bridge, etc.). Patterns are math! When your parents drive you to school, they need math. How much gas will they need for the car? If they can travel 55 miles per hour (a mathematical formula), what time will they need to leave the house to arrive on schedule?

At school, the cooks need to determine serving sizes. If 165 students will be eating ¾ cup serving of pasta, how much pasta do they need to cook? Cooking requires math—you need

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

Background Information:

This experiment involves problem solving and critical thinking skills. If you need three toothpicks to create a triangle, would you need 9 toothpicks to create three triangles of the same size? In this experiment, your task is to create three triangles of the same size with only seven toothpicks.

Materials Needed:

• 7 Toothpicks Per Student

Procedure:

q Make three triangles of the same size using only seven toothpicks.

w Put the toothpicks together in different ways. As you use trial and error, make observations about what

to follow the recipe. Maybe you only want to make ½ the recipe, or you want to double it. You’ll need to do some calculations. After school, you probably like to unwind and relax. Do you play sports? You will track your speed in track. You may need to determine how far to throw the football (or what specific angle). How many yards is it to a first down? How would you keep score without using math? Video games require logic and critical thinking — math. Card games require statistics and probability — math. Make the most of your mathematical mind. Keep your math skills sharp and practice them every day.

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

works and what doesn’t work. Even if your method doesn’t work, it can give you ideas of what to try next.

Extension: Try using ten toothpicks to make six triangles of different sizes. Or, try using ten toothpicks to make twelve triangles. What other patterns can you make?

Analyze: Mathematicians and scientists use trial and error to develop theories all the time. In fact, sometimes they are wrong more often than they are right, and that’s how they learn. Don’t be afraid to try different ways to solve a problem.

Learning Standards: I can follow directions to complete an experiment. I can use trial and error to develop a plan to solve a problem. I can analyze and draw conclusions.

Use the order of operations PEMDAS (parenthesis, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, subtraction) to complete the following problems.

(43 - 2) + 6 = _______ x (75 - 5) + (8 - 2) x 6 = ______ c [20

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

Christina Willis was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As a young student she excelled in math, but wasn’t sure what she wanted to be when she grew up. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana, and a Master of Science in Industrial Mathematics from Michigan University.

This past summer she spoke to a group of students attending the Boeing-sponsored St. Louis American’s Summer Science Academy. Her presentation was titled

“A Day in the Life of the Accidental Engineer,” describing her path to this career. Through school counselors and mentors, she found her way to engineering. Those mentors introduced her to many engineering disciplines unknown to her. She knew after her first year in college that she wanted to be a scientist, but she just didn’t know what kind. After meeting Boeing engineers, she knew that is where she wanted to start her science career. Willis received the Women of Color in Technology All-Star Award, Dillard University Top 40 Under 40 Alumni and the Boeing Phantom Works Outstanding Achievement Award.

At Boeing, as an engineering manager, she hosts a number of people (including VIPs) to fly in their F-15 Simulator. The simulator is housed in a 40-foot dome, giving each person the look and feel of flying an F-15 with the safety of being on the ground. Over the years, she participated in some amazing projects, including traveling to London for the Farnborough Airshow, meeting the Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar, and more.

Having near daily interactions with military pilots that fly Boeing products is the most impactful experience for her. These pilots remind her team of the importance of the work they do daily.

Learning Standards: I can read a biography about a person who has made contributions in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. I can make text-to-text, text-to-world, and text-to-self connections.

MAP CORNER

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

Activity One —

Cause and Effect: three examples of cause and effect in the newspaper. For example, snow caused school to be cancelled. Snowfall is the cause, school cancellation is the effect. You can find examples in articles or pictures.

Activity Two —

Designing Your Room: Use the newspaper to find advertisements for items you would like to use to redesign your classroom. Consider ads for flooring, paint, wallpaper, furniture, electronics, etc. Create a design for your ideal classroom. Draw a sketch and calculate the cost of the advertised items that you would use.

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper text features to locate information. I can write for a specified purpose and audience. I can determine cause and effect. I can make text-to-world connections.

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

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Better Family Life’s 33rd Annual Unity Ball

Better Family Life’s 33rd Annual Unity Ball, St. Louis’ premier winter holiday affair, was an evening reflective of African Royalty and gratitude, chaired by Marla Dunbar along with co-chair, Felicia Harris. Over 1,000 guests attended. Better Family Life celebrated seven distinguished Awardees, Cynthia Williams, Dr. Sean Joe, Dale and Hildred London, Kathy Osborn, Michael Holmes and Evelyn Rice and Volunteers of the Year, Linda Robinson, Sheryl Rogers and Claire Hay. Songstress Denise Thimes serenaded the guests with her smooth melodic song stylings as she ushered in the spirit of Unity. Pastor Maurice Nutt regaled guests with a riveting keynote address that had the crowd elevated to their feet.

The highlight of the evening was BFL’s staff tribute to the Founder and CEO, Malik Ahmed who is retiring this year. He received a Congressional Resolution announcing the strip of Page Blvd. from Arlington to Belt, as Malik and DeBorah Ahmed Way.” Ahmed was presented with the distinguished Native American Eagle Feather which symbolizes trust, honor, strength, wisdom, power; what is highest, bravest, strongest and holiest. Muralist Gonz Jove presented an oil painting of Malik and his new book “From the Projects to the Pyramids”. See more at https:// www.betterfamilylife.org/.

Photography by Gerald Quincy Jones, Awards by Sherri Robins, Dior Designs

Business

“We have constructed an economy and communities to allow separation from all that you view as negative,” said

Krehmeyer, president and CEO of Beyond Housing. “If my life is OK, why should I care about

Pagedale?”

‘Getting people to care is a really hard challenge’

Chis Krehmeyer of Beyond Housing on empowering North County, before and after Ferguson

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

In May 2014, Chis Krehmeyer, president and CEO of Beyond Housing, was among the panelists invited to respond to the release of “For the Sake of All,” the landmark report on health disparities in the St. Louis region led by Jason Q. Purnell of the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University. Though fierce in his pursuit of relevant data to improve his home region, Purnell is by temperament calm and diplomatic. Indeed, despite the distressing evidence of inequity and human suffering embedded in the report, the event discussing the report was calm and diplomatic overall. Krehmeyer showed the most emotion among the panelists. At one point, he slammed the report against the table and said it made him angry – and it should make everyone angry – to see all of this evidence that black people earn less, suffer more, and die younger than white

n “The stabilizing of the population is the first sign that enough work has been done to show resident that things are changing and that they can stay in their community.”

– Chis Krehmeyer, Beyond Housing

people in the St. Louis region.

“For the Sake of All” became the canary in the coal mine of the Ferguson uprising that erupted less than three months after the release of the report. As mostly poor, mostly young, mostly black people took to the streets of Ferguson and stayed there for more than a year, Krehmeyer’s anger at the evidence in the report seemed prophetic. In fact, many more people became aware of and angered by inequity in the

St. Louis region.

“We need to do this all together intentionally,” Krehmeyer said at the May 2014 event. “The reality is that is really hard to do. To do this work is really hard, and it will make us uncomfortable at times.”

More than five years later, Beyond Housing is still doing this work of improving and empowering distressed communities in North County. The St. Louis American spoke to Krehmeyer about the work.

The St. Louis American: Beyond Housing has been working on community development in some of the least nourished areas of the community for decades. What signs do you have that you are having a positive impact?

Chris Krehmeyer: After 10 years of significant investment in the families and structures in the 24:1 footprint (the boundaries

See KREHMEYER, B2

‘I want hair combing to be fun’

10-year-old entrepreneur sells Skylarlicious Naturals, her secret for manageable natural hair

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

Skylar Wilson sat in a stylist chair in Diversity Gallery, her mother Leslie Christian-Wilson’s shop, with the biggest grin on her face. Her mother had just finished generously massaging products from Skylar’s Skylarlicious Naturals product line from her scalp to her ends. The fourth grader at Meramec Elementary in the Clayton School District has tight curls that fall halfway to her waist. They are so dense that the hair seems to bend over as opposed to simply hanging down.

“She embraces her hair, her curl pattern and her texture, and I’m proud of her for that,” Christian-Wilson said. “She doesn’t try to assimilate in that way, and that’s a good thing.” Skylar ran her hands down each side of her hair, still smiling, as she talked about why she loves the product she created with her mother.

People On The Move

Rochelle Smith will join the Yale School of Medicine as associate chief diversity officer and associate dean. She has worked at Washington University since 1998 on both campuses. Most recently she led STEM pipeline diversity efforts and other key initiatives as assistant provost. Previously she directed diversity and inclusion for the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences.

Jennifer Fowler will be the Master of Ceremonies at the Missouri School of Journalism’s commencement ceremony on Friday, December 13. A McCluer North High School graduate, she studied strategic communication with an emphasis in public relations and a minor in Leadership and Public Service from the Office of Service-Learning.

Percy Green II was honored as a lifelong social justice champion by Bread and Roses Missouri at the opening of its “Art is Labor” exhibit presented in partnership with Webster University’s Arcade Contemporary Projects Gallery. Bread and Roses Missouri uses an arts lens to examine social and economic justice issues in all our programming.

Sifu Herb Parran was recently inducted into the International Chinese Martial Arts Championship Hall of Fame. The award was given to Parran, 64, in recognition of his lengthy contribution to Chinese Martial Arts. Parran has been teaching the Chinese Martial Arts form known as Tai Chi, which is a series of connected body movements done in coordination with breathing, slow movement, balance and fitness, for 19 years and performing for nearly 30 years.

Christine Davis will serve as vice chancellor of student affairs for St. Louis Community College. She will be responsible for student engagement and success, as well as leadership of enrollment management, advising, assessment, campus life, career development and financial aid. Currently, Davis is vice provost for student affairs at Florida SouthWestern State College. She has more than 18 years of experience in higher education at both two-year and four-year colleges and universities.

Skylar Wilson of Skylarlicious Naturals posing with one of her bath bombs at the All Girls Resource Fair and Expo on September 7 at the Center of Clayton.

Husain Lateef joined the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis as an assistant professor in the tenure track. His work focuses on the role Africancentered approaches may have in improving outcomes of youth prevention programs for African-American youth. He is currently examining the relationship between African-centered constructs and indicators of positive youth development among AfricanAmerican youth. He served as the social work supervisor for the Arizona Justice Project’s Re-Entry Team, assisting juveniles who had been serving life-without-parole sentences in prison.

On the move? Congratulations! Send your professional news and a color headshot to cking@stlamerican.com

Rocjelle Smith

Husain Lateef

Percy Green II

Christine Davis

Chis

Wellston, Pine Lawn and

Photo by Wiley Price

Jennifer Fowler

Sifu Herb Parran

Krehmeyer

continued from page B1

of the Normandy Schools Collaborative) to the tune of $200 million, we are starting to see some long-term signs of success in the population of our community. In particular, the cities of Pagedale and Pine Lawn that had experienced consistent population loss since 1970 have seen their populations stabilize at the 2010 totals, according to the most recent census data from 2017. Both communities have average incomes significantly below St. Louis County averages but have seen a tremendous amount of investment from Beyond Housing since 2010.

The stabilizing of the population, we believe, is the first sign that enough work has been done to show residents that things are changing and that they can stay in their community or move into these two places. We fully understand much more needs to be done, but are cautiously optimistic about this important data point. Our efforts to build deep and trusting relationships to serve families more effectively will continue, as will our construction and rehabilitation of residential and commercial structures.

The St. Louis American: What’s interesting is that right in the middle of this spread of years (2000-2017) is 2014, the year Ferguson popped. How has the Ferguson unrest impacted your work – good and bad, ugly and sublime?

Chris Krehmeyer: Michael Brown was a real person to our community. He graduated from Normandy and had many friends and family here. The good that transpired for us was the acceleration of police and court reform. Both were beginning in the 24:1 footprint prior to Michael’s death and subsequent unrest but the political movement that followed allowed reforms to happen quicker, and that is an absolute positive for our community. In particular, the creation of the North County Cooperative Police Department and the creation of two court hubs has professionalized both areas and stopped the prior transgressions that were occurring in a few parts of our community.

One downside was the fixation on Ferguson the geography as opposed to

Ferguson the metaphor that was much more than police killing an innocent young man. The issues that were prevalent in the pocket of multi-family housing in that part of Ferguson are even more apparent in many other parts of the region, including parts of 24:1. The funds spent in Ferguson the geography early on seemed to assuage any

regional guilt and prevented some larger conversations about all the issues the Ferguson Commission laid out. Our proximity to Ferguson, our neighbor to the north, certainly hurt UMSL, as they lost significant student enrollment that they are just now bouncing back from. Lastly, there have been new funding opportunities opened up to us as we tackle Ferguson the metaphor and all the complex problems that poverty brings to a place.

The St. Louis American: Before Ferguson the metaphor, Beyond Housing and 24:1 was doing the work, and The

Skylerlicious

continued from page B1

She loves the texture and length of her hair, but the process of detangling was frustrating, painful and caused breakage. When she turned six, she started working with her mother to develop products that would make maintaining her hair less daunting.

Both Skylar and her mother are pleased with the results of Skylarlcious Naturals.

“At first, I used to feel like, ‘my hair is a mess,’” Skylar said. “Now I really like my hair because I have my products and it feels really manageable. Getting my hair done used to hurt. I would be like, ‘I do not want to get my hair done today.’ I want hair combing to be fun time – and not just for me, but for everybody.”

This mother-daughter moment had a bit different outcome than what was the reality for Christian-Wilson when she was Skylar’s age.

“We grew up with pressing combs and creamy crack” (slang for chemical hair relaxers), Leslie said. “But for her I wanted something that made her hair more manageable as it is – we didn’t want to manipulate through heat and chemicals.”

The bond that comes during beauty shop conversations and the connection between a mother or grandmother and a young girl as she is getting her hair styled is real. But so is the trauma (sometimes including actual physical pain) of being forced to beat kinks, coils and curls into submission socially acceptable for Eurocentric beauty standards through hot combs, curlers and chemicals.

Until the natural hair movement in the past decade or so, black folks lacked products and processes to manage the hair that grows from our heads

n “The funds spent in Ferguson the geography early on seemed to assuage any regional guilt and prevented some larger conversations about all the issues the Ferguson Commission laid out.”

– Chis Krehmeyer, Beyond Housing

good story. Comprehensive community building requires to first care about places that you probably don’t know or where you have never been. Then you need to have an attention span a little longer than a 15-second commercial to understand what it will take to “fix” decades of systemic, institutional racism and how that will benefit everyone in the region. Getting people to care is a really hard challenge. We have constructed an economy and communities to allow separation from all that you view as negative. If my life is OK. why should I care about Wellston, Pine Lawn and Pagedale?

Lastly, to have people understand there is no magic pill for the communities we serve is also an uphill battle. There is no one thing to do. It has to be all the component parts that make up successful communities that need to be in place. We can make neighborhoods better, make schools better and strengthen families if we have the regional courage to commit the resources to get it done.

St. Louis American was doing the story (which, for us, we like to think, is helping do the work). We were somewhat bitterly amused as Ferguson was popping off to see black community leaders we have covered for many years make their first appearances in other local media. What has it been like seeing much of the region feel like it’s discovering problems and proposing solutions for the first time when your organization has been right there in near North County all along?

Chris Krehmeyer: It is hard getting attention to work that is not viewed as a crisis or some one-off feel-

naturally.

As a natural hair stylist and owner of a boutique that has sold natural hair products for the past 20 years, ChristianWilson gave Skylar the gift of loving her hair. Skylar was inspired by her mother to find a solution to her hair woes and meet the needs of others as well.

“My hair is really thick, so we decided to come up with a formula to do my hair, but then I thought, ‘Let me put it out into the world for other people,’” Skylar said. “I was looking for my hair to be less tangled and I wanted the ingredients to be all natural, which it is. It’s not going to do any damage to your hair or your body or anything like that.”

Shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil and avocado are some of the main ingredients for Skylarlicious Naturals.

“Everybody’s hair is different, but our product goes the extra mile by being something that can be used by all hair types,” Skylar said. “There are a bunch of different hair types in the world, and we wanted something that can maintain everybody’s hair.”

In addition to the hair products, her line includes soap, bath bombs and lip balm. They have spent the past four years developing the line, and this year have become more aggressive about marketing Skylarlicious Naturals.

“She’s embracing it, she wants to do this,” Leslie said.

“She wants to get out there and show people about their natural hair and embracing it. I’m proud, and it makes it worth it. And it motivates me.” They have managed booths at events like the 2nd Annual All Girls Expo and Resource Fair this summer and GirlPreneur event last month.

“Sometimes, it’s really hard

– having to go to these events set up and take everything

The St. Louis American: You and I have had an ongoing discussion for years, so I know that you have been calling for collaboration for years. If someone reads this and wants to invest, either time or money, in what you are doing, what do you need and where might it come from?

Chris Krehmeyer: We need charitable contributions and long-term, patient capital. We don’t need debt. Opportunity Zones don’t work for our work. For more information, call 314-533-0600, email info@ beyondhousing.org or visit https://www.beyondhousing. org/.

back to the car when it’s over,” Skylar said. “Sometimes, I have to miss fun activities for it. But most of the time I enjoy doing it. I mean, missing those activities, I will be a little disappointed, but I know I’m doing it for a good cause.” Skylar wanted to be clear that while her mother helped her create the formula and is her right-hand woman as far as logistics, she is not sitting back and leaving Mom to handle the business.

“If my name is on it, it’s not my mom’s job to work with my product,” Skylar said. “It’s my job to do my product.” Christian-Wilson is thrilled that Skylar found something that she loves and is so passionate about that she was ready to become an entrepreneur before she became a teenager.

“This is a great product that she can use herself and be a platform for her to help other girls,” Christian-Wilson said. “I want to show girl empowerment and that her voice matters – and that you have a choice in your life, and the choice to dream big.” Skylarlicious Naturals falls in line with the legacy Christian-Wilson hoped to provide through Diversity Gallery, but builds up the foundation of her business.

“You know how some families might have a cleaner’s business, but the child might not want to be a cleaner?” Leslie said. “I want her to be the greatest she can be, just like my mom did for me. It’s like another generation that’s trying to pass down that energy, that self-esteem, that motivation, that dedication.”

Skylarlicious Natural is available at Diversity Gallery, 1010 N. Sarah St. St. Louis, MO 63113. For store hours, call (314) 721-3361 or www. diversitygallerystl.com. For more information, visit www. Skylarlicious.com.

Photo by Wiley Price

Pine Lawn resident Charles Grady talks with Chis Krehmeyer, president and CEO of Beyond Housing, at its North County headquarters in Pine Lawn on November 15.

n “I’m definitely a Laker. I feel it and I’m happy as hell to be one.”

– LeBron James

Sports

Players to watch on the hardwood this season

The high school basketball season is off to an exciting start in 2019. Here are some top players to watch for the 2019-20 season.

Devon Barshow, 6’6” McCluer: An athletic wing player who transferred from Marquette and will be one of the top players in North County.

Davion Bradford, 7’0” Mehlville: A dominant force in the middle who averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds in leading the Panthers to the Class 5 quarterfinals. He signed with Kansas State.

Dylan Branson, 6’5” Mehlville: A physical wing player who averaged 18 points in leading the Panthers to the Class 5 state quarterfinals.

Gary Clark, 6’7” Cardinal Ritter: A versatile forward who averaged 13 points and 10 rebounds as a junior.

Kobe Clark, 6’7” Vashon: A versatile performer who is capable of playing all five positions. He played a big role in the Wolverines winning the Class 3 state championship.

Mario Fleming, 6’3” Cardinal Ritter: A powerful wing player who is the top returning scorer for a team that played for a district championship last season.

Cam’Ron Fletcher, 6’7” Vashon: A high flying forward who averaged 17 points in leading Vashon to a state championship last season. He has signed with Kentucky.

One of my favorite songs from the late, great Nipsey Hussle is “Dedication.” The track, featuring Kendrick Lamar, is woke, energetic, intelligent, lyrical and dynamic – oh and the beat knocks. Still, with all the amazing choices made in regards to lyrics, cadence, production, etc., there is a part of Nipsey’s hook that stands out for me every time I listen. Dedication, hard work plus patience / The sum of all my sacrifice, I’m done waitin’ It’s a line that could easily get lost in the excellence of the dynamic duo, but for me it is such an eye opening line. Everybody associates hard work with dedication, but patience? Having the patience to allow the hard work to blossom into success is an idea that many people overlook. What does any of this have to do with the bout between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua? Well – everything.

Approaching the rematch, many believed (this columnist included) that Ruiz’s aggression and hand speed would once again give Joshua problems in the ring. Joshua’s shaky chin and consistent stamina issues made him vulnerable to Ruiz. Joshua was still the betting favorite, despite a shocking KO loss to Ruiz in June. If Ruiz stopped Joshua after taking the fight on short notice, what would he do to him with the benefits of a full training camp under his belt? Unfortunately for Ruiz, training camp wasn’t the only thing he had under his belt when it came time to fight. A day before the bout, Ruiz weighed in at a whopping 283.7 pounds. That is nearly 16 pounds over his weight when he defeated Joshua in June. Even back then, he looked more like the Michelin Man than a professional prizefighter. As I noted in last week’s article, Ruiz initially claimed

Earl Austin Jr.

H. Sistrunk

The No. 1 team in the Class 2 Missouri Media poll, Lutheran North (14-0), won its sixth state championship and its first since 1999. It was the first time in school history that the Lutheran North Crusaders finished undefeated.

Photo by Wiley Price

Anthony Joshua lands a stiff right hand to the face of Andy Ruiz. Joshua used a jab and lateral movement to easily box his way to a unanimous decision. He reclaimed the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles with the victory.

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

Drinkwitz leaves safe orbit of Sun Belt for Missouri program spinning out of control

Eliah Drinkwitz said Tuesday during his introductory press conference in Columbia, “Our purpose is to win, make no mistake about it, but to win the right way.”

His whirlwind romance with Mizzou and sudden betrothal left him a bit confused, though.

“Our stated goal — is to win the Sun Belt,” he boldly stated.

Great thought, but he’s now an SEC coach after abandoning Appalachian State.

He starts his first day on the job knowing several key recruits are headed elsewhere or might back out of commitments because of Barry Odom’s firing.

It starts after Missouri’s board of trustees publicly shamed Athletic Director Jim Sterk into dismissing his inaugural slate of coaching candidates and pursuing a higher profile and higher price tag.

taking another job and leaving his squad with an interim coach for its New Orleans Bowl battle against Louisiana.

“I hate to make this comparison, but the president of the United States always says ‘fake news’ and you don’t believe about it until you start seeing it about yourself,” Drinkwitz said.

“There’s a lot of fake news and rumors and stuff going on out there. Our focus this week was being 1-0. My family and I love it here. We’re very excited about what we’re doing here at App State.”

USA TODAY reported on Sunday, less than 24 hours after his team’s win, that members of the Missouri board of curators were finalizing his contract as Missouri coach.

It turns out the news was far from fake.

Missouri’s new coach lied about his new job and had the president’s back all in a few sentences.

Yet, his tenure begins with many fans unhappy with his hiring and some fans predict yet another coach will be taking over in four years.

It starts with an upcoming season in which recruiting opportunities and scholarships are restricted thanks to NCAA sanctions. They include a 7-week ban on communications with recruits, a 12.5 percent reduction in official visits and a 5 percent reduction in scholarships.

Let’s start, though, with his departure from Appalachian State.

Following his team’s 45-38 victory over LouisianaLafayette in the Sen Belt Conference championship game last Saturday, Drinkwitz was asked about reports of his

I wonder how that will play in the St, Louis and Kansas City metropolitan areas when it comes to recruiting.

Starting from behind

Regardless of what you thought of his coaching, Odom was finally busting through a wall of resistance and attracting St. Louis area talent to Missouri. The trust is broken.

Jalen St. Johns, a four-star offensive lineman from Trinity High School, has decommitted from Missouri. There is a possibility that another stellar recruit from St. Louis could soon join him.

Jay Maclin, the cousin for former Missouri great Jeremy Maclin, isn’t commenting on his situation. However, he

retweeted a comment from his older cousin and former standout NFL player that reads “[I] don’t agree with this at all,” in response to Odom’s ouster.

The younger Maclin later followed up sternly, saying “Not answering any questions.”

It took just a few hours for three-star defensive end Robert Wooten of Stafford, Texas to let the world now how he feels.

“Due to coaching changes, I’ll be decommitting from Mizzou,” Wooten said on Twitter.

“I loved coach Odom and everything he was about.”

Three-star running back Elijah Young of Knoxville, Tenn., decommitted, but also said he remains open to playing for Missouri. Four-star receiver Javian “JJ” Hester and threestar guard Kevon Billingsly have announced they are entertaining offers from other schools.

The new coach’s hiring has cost Mizzou at least two very talented players. Now let’s talk about the financial cost.

Hey big spenders

The Missouri Budget Project, which says its mission it to “provide independent, objective research and analysis of state budget and tax issues, recently cited information from Grapevine Data at Illinois

State University in regard to Missouri’s higher education spending.

According to the Grapevine data, Missouri ranked 45th in state funding for higher education per capita in 2018, 2017 and 2016. New data on 2019 concludes that Missouri has dropped a spot to No. 46.

Yet, its flagship campus in Columbia has the resources to pay its new coach a salary reportedly near $4 million annually. This coach made $750,000 at his previous university. That’s quite a raise and $1 million more that Odom’s salary.

Mizzou owes $2.85 million to the departed Odom and also must cover Drinkwitz’ $1.7 million buyout at Appalachian. Drinkwitz will hire his own coaching staff, meaning Missouri is on the hook for the balance of all the contracts of assistant coaches that aren’t retained.

Sterk said revenue generated by the football program – or lack thereof – was a motivation when he announced Odom’s firing. His answer is to spend more money without any guarantee his investment will pay off in more wins and sustained success.

By the way, Drinkwitz’ introductory press conference will be held in the $98 million south end zone renovation at Memorial Stadium, which opened this year.

Celebrate a rematch

SWAC champion Alcorn

State has a chance to avenge last year’s 24-22 Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl loss to MEAC champion North Carolina A&T when the teams meet for a rematch at 11 a.m.

Saturday, Dec. 21 a MercedesBenz Stadium in Atlanta. The game will be televised on ABC (Channel 30).

It will be Alcorn’s third trip to the Celebration Bowl, which is known as the HBCU football championship. Two-time Celebration Bowl defending champion N.C. A&T is making its fourth appearance.

After winning its second consecutive SWAC title and fourth in six years with a 39-24 win over Southern University, Alcorn coach Fred McNair praised his players.

“The things that they do over the course of the week, they play hard, they work hard and it pays off,” McNair said.

“I told them, ‘The biggest thing is when you become champions, you become a target’ and what it takes to become champions is hard work and dedication. I think these guys are full of all that, they dedicate themselves to this team, they dedicate themselves to the classroom and they dedicate themselves to doing things the right way.”

N.C A&T coach Sam Washington said “it’s special” winning a third consecutive MEAC title and trip to the Celebration Bowl.

“I know very little champions that three-peat, and I’ve been in this business for a very long time. It’s just something that just doesn’t happen, so it’s special. We look forward to the opportunity of defending our title.”

The Reid Roundup

HBCU Gameday reported earlier this season that North Carolina A&T Chancellor Harold L. Martin told staff that he planned to move the

Eliah Drinkwitz has agreed to become the new head coach of the Missouri Tigers.

football team up to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) from FCS (Football Championship Subdivision). Appalachian State made the jump in 2014) and other schools making the move include Charlotte (2015), Coastal Carolina (2017), Georgia Southern (2014), Georgia State (2013), Liberty (2017) and Old Dominion (2014) … Drew Lock has been a sensation in his first two games as Denver Broncos starting quarterback. He’s completed 40-of-55 passes for 443 yards and five touchdowns. He’s also tossed a couple on interceptions. On Sunday, he and the Broncos visit Kansas City to take on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs … Former Cardinals catcher Ted Simmons and former MLBPA President Marvin Miller were voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by its Veteran’s Committee. Again, the committee snubbed Dave Parker, one of the greatest black players to wear a Major League uniform … The NFL has an additional black head coach for a few weeks with Perry Fewell guiding the Carolina Panthers as interim head coach. His team responded to the firing of Ron Rivera, the NFL’s only Latino head coach, by getting trounced by 40-20 by Atlanta.

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.

Alvin A. Reid

Champion crusade

By Earl Austin Jr Of the St. Louis American

The Lutheran North Crusaders picked the perfect way to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of their last state championship in football in 1999.

The Crusaders went out and won another state title; and they did it in dominant fashion with a 49-0 victory over Ava in the Class 2 state championship game last Saturday in Columbia.

By winning the school’s sixth state championship in football, head coach Carl Reed’s current Lutheran North team made history by becoming the first team to win a championship with an undefeated record. The Crusaders finished the season with a perfect 14-0 record.

Lutheran North took control of the game from the outset as running back Jalen Head scores on touchdown runs of 28 and 42 yards to stake his team to a 14-0 lead.

Sophomore quarterback Brian Brown kept things rolling in the second quarter as he scored on a one-yard touchdown run and threw scoring passes to Jerrell Carter and Cameron Griffin. Brown finished the game with 171 yards passing and two touchdowns.

As good as the Lutheran North offense was – it was the defense that was overwhelming against Ava, which was also undefeated entering the Show-Me Bowl. The Crusaders held Ava to just 66 total yards and three first downs – in a state championship game.

Senior linebacker Antonio Doyle had seven tackles and two sacks while fellow defensive standouts Travion Ford and Itavyion Brown also had six tackles each.

Clutch

Continued from B3 than he weighed six months ago. His weight loss confirmed that, unlike Ruiz, he had been working his tail off. While Ruiz snacking on Snickers and gulping down Coronas on his world celebration tour, Joshua was in the lab grinding like the Clipse.

When the two fighters stepped into the ring, Joshua not only showed off his superior fitness, he also showed off a remarkable amount of patience. Joshua normally overpowers his opponents. Of his 22 victories going into the fight, 21 had ended via KO.

It was clear though that Joshua’s game plan was to outbox Ruiz rather than get into a firefight. The 6-foot-6 fighter utilized an exceptional jab and superior ring movement to keep his distance from his 6-foot-2 opponent.

With the extra weight, Ruiz was completely neutral-

Continued from B3

Nate Garret,t 6’6” Hazelwood Central: A smooth shooting guard who returns after averaging nearly 10 points a game.

Chris Hill, 6’2” Brentwood: A high scoring guard who averaged 27 points a game, which was among the leaders in St. Louis.

LaShawn Johnson, 6’5” East St Louis: An athletic wing player who will emerge as one of the top players in the metro east as a senior.

Ryan Kalkbrenner, 7’0”

Trinity: The standout center is one of the best shot blockers in the country. He led the Titans to the Class 3 state quarterfinals. Kalkbrenner signed with Creighton.

Luke Kasubke, 6’5”

Chaminade: Excellent shooting guard who averaged more than 20 points a game. He has signed with Kansas State.

ized. He didn’t appear to have enough energy to jab his way inside. The few times Ruiz did manage to get up close and personal with Joshua, the UK fighter quickly tied him up and prevented any type of inside fighting.

Even as Joshua racked up round by round on the scorecards, he never got too eager. He stayed patient. He stuck to the plan.

It didn’t necessarily make for the most-excited fight. It is impossible to argue that it was the most effective strategy to guarantee a victory for Joshua. It will be interesting to see whether this new style is a oneoff for Joshua or whether he will stick to this more-cautious approach. He reminded me of Wladimir Kltischko after he installed Emanuel Steward as his trainer.

Klitschko, the man who Joshua defeated to become the unified heavyweight champion the first time, was an offensively-talented fighter who was also known to possess an iron-deficient chin. Following his loss to an unheralded

Yaya Keita, 6’9” DeSmet: An athletic post player who is one of the area’s top rebounders and shot blockers.

KJ Lee, 6’6” Fort Zumwalt North: An excellent 3-point shooter who returns as a junior after averaging 11 points a game last season.

Caleb Love, 6’3” CBC: A five-star point guard who is one of the top players in the country. Love led the Cadets to a berth in the Class 5 state championship game. He signed with North Carolina.

Rashad Weekly-McDaniels, 6’0” Trinity: A talented combo guard who averaged 10 points a game in helping the Titans to the Class 3 state quarterfinals. He signed with Central Michigan.

Jordan Nesbitt, 6’6” St. Louis Christian: A talented wing player who has emerged as a national level prospect with his scoring ability.

Sam Richardson, 6’5” Hancock: A four-year starter who led the Tigers to a Class 3

Lamon Brewster, Steward convinced Klitschko to adopt a more defensive “jab and grab” style. Klitschko went on to rattle off 22 straight victories over the next 11 years. If Joshua does incorporate the more cautious style in future fights, it remains to be seen how effective it will be. He’s not as fluid as lineal heavyweight champion “The Gypsy King” Tyson Fury. It’s highly unlikely that he would be able to effectively avoid power shots from the athletic 6-foot-7 Deontay Wilder in the same way he did the shorter, slower Ruiz.

Joshua has proven that he has the ability to make adjustments and to overcome adversity. Some have accused Joshua of quitting during the first fight with Ruiz. I disagree. He was beaten, battered and likely concussed. He didn’t quit. He was whipped.

In the rematch, he was focused and disciplined. We can also look back at his fight with Klitschko, when he pulled himself off the canvas before knocking out the longtime

district championship. He is on course to be the school’s career scoring leader.

Tarris Reed Jr., 6’8” Chaminade: One of the top sophomore prospects in the state, Reed has already received several scholarship offers from Division I schools.

Shaun Riley, 6’7” O’Fallon: An excellent junior post player who is poised for a big season in 2019-20.

Phillip Russell 6’0 Vashon: The sharpshooting point guard played a big part in the Wolverines run to the state championship. He signed with SEMO.

Matt Schark, 6’4” Francis Howell: A standout power forward who returns after leading the Vikings to a Final Four appearance in the Class 5 state tournament.

Ray’Sean Taylor, 6’1” Collinsville: A talented point guard who averaged 21 points a game in leading the Kahoks to 27 victories last season. He signed with SIUE.

champion. Even though Joshua will still have several questions to answer in the ring, people should no longer question his heart.

With the titles back around his waist, Joshua will likely go back to selling out arenas in England and making gargantuan paydays. The future for Ruiz is murkier.

He still possesses the talent to be a major player in the heavyweight division. If holding three major world titles is not enough to motivate him though, will he truly ever realize his full potential?

Ruiz’s former trainer, Abel Sanchez, called him a “lazy fighter.”

In an interview with TMZ

Ruiz stated, “I think I ate everything….everything!

That’s why I gained so much weight.”

It’s a glaring omission that he did not take his training seriously. It would be understandable for people who purchased tickets, and possibly flights, for the fight in Saudi Arabia to feel cheated.

Ruiz has stated that he will seek a rubber match. Right now, it is unlikely that a third fight will be made anytime soon. The WBO is set to enforce a mandatory fight for Joshua versus Oleksandr Usyk

From a monetary sense, Joshua’s promoters would likely demand that Ruiz defeat another championship-caliber fighter to prove that it wouldn’t be just another one-sided fight against an underprepared fighter. A few weeks ago, people were suggesting that Ruiz could be one of the top heavyweight fighters in the world. Now, his waistline has become a punchline. If he could’ve shown more patience on his partying – if he’d taken a siesta on the smorgasbord, maybe he would still be the champ. Instead, it looks like he was a one-hit wonder after all. Be sure to check In the Clutch online and also follow Ishmael on Twitter @ishcreates.

Collinsville – Boys Basketball

The 6’1” senior guard is off to a tremendous start in leading the Kahoks to a 5-0 record. Taylor led the Kahoks to the championship of the Carterville Tournament. Through five games, Taylor is averaging 25 points, 3.6

rebounds and 6.2 assists while shooting 56 percent from the field. As a junior, Taylor averaged 21.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists in leading the Kahoks to a 27-6 record. Taylor has signed at SIUE.

Lutheran North’s Cameron Griffin (21) and Kevon Jacobs (10) battle for a loose ball with Ava’s Spencer Skyles (44) and Zachary Mendel (45) during second-quarter action of the Missouri Class 2 State Football Championship at Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo. on Saturday, Dec. 7.

Lutheran North went on to win the state title 49-0 over Ava.

Photo by Wiley Price

By Nick Ragone

For The St. Louis American

St. Louis is known for being a great sports town and one of the most charitable cities in the nation. Now a new charitable endeavor launching in 2020 will provide a platform to highlight the best of our region with the Ascension Charity Classic.

A part of the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champions combines world class professional golf with charitable giving. For St. Louis this means some of the area’s most impactful charitable organizations will be in the spotlight. It also means a national audience will have the opportunity to see all of the good things that are happening in our region, specifically North County.

With at least a four-year partnership, the Ascension

PGA Tour Champions event coming to North County

Charity Classic will debut next fall at Norwood Hills Country Club, in the heart of North County, providing opportunities for greater economic and charitable investment in neighboring communities

n With at least a fouryear partnership, the Ascension Charity Classic will debut next fall at Norwood Hills Country Club, in the heart of North County.

including Ferguson, Florissant and Jennings. This marks the first major sporting event in recent times to be hosted in North County. This is the time of year many consider how best they can help those who are less

fortunate through charitable acts and donations. We chose to partner with the PGA Tour because the organization strives to have a significant charitable and economic impact in tournament communities.

In its history, the PGA TOUR has raised nearly $3 billion in charitable donations for thousands of worthy causes. Our hope is the Ascension Charity Classic becomes the premier event for PGA Tour Champions when it comes to giving back to the community, an event the pros, fans, business community and charitable organizations mark on their calendar every year. Proceeds from the Ascension Charity Classic will benefit charitable organizations

Nick Ragone

serving North County, including Marygrove, a residential facility for children and teens; the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis; and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis, among others. Each of these organizations helps area teens and young adults by providing access to resources to help them have brighter futures and more enriched lives.

Marygrove has a long history of providing a warm and safe environment for children with mental health issues and those facing violence at home. The organization’s caregivers work with the children to show them the love and nurturing environment they have been denied helping thousands of children overcome

difficulties and set them on the path to lead more enriching lives. The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis works with young African Americans in the bi-state area. The beneficiaries of their initiatives come away with a new sense of empowerment to help improve their communities.

Boys and Girls Club of Greater St. Louis provides a fun and safe place for young people to interact with their peers. The afterschool, sports and summer programs can make a positive difference in helping young people reach their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.

Big sporting events like those produced by the PGA Tour Champions, working in concert with local organizations, can have a meaningful and long-lasting

impact on underserved communities. Our hope is this charitable endeavor will make a lasting impact in North St. Louis County and the region as a whole. Communities across North County are making efforts to revitalize the area, and we believe this tournament and its charitable impact will be a catalyst supporting efforts to provide more assistance to at-risk young people and send a message about the need to invest in this area. The real winners of the Ascension Charity Classic will be the residents of North County and the region’s charitable organizations.

Nick Ragone is executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer of St. Louis-based Ascension, a leading non-profit and Catholic health system.

Steward Family Plaza now open at The Sheldon

American staff

Steward Family Plaza is now open at The Sheldon in Grand Center. Designed by Benjamin Gilmartin with Cobalt Office. The plaza, walkway and vertical garden connects The Sheldon with the Jack Galmiche Public Media Commons to the south and Washington Boulevard to the north. The centerpiece of the plaza is a three-story, 208-foot long vertical garden along the west wall of The Sheldon’s Emerson Center building, designed by Gilmartin, Andrew Colopy of Colbalt

Office, and collaborating engineers Algis Lencus and Michael Ludvik from M. Ludvik Engineering. The project’s landscape architect, DLANDstudio, Inc. – in collaboration with Scott Woodbury, director of Shaw Nature Reserve (part of Missouri Botanical Garden) – designed the garden to flourish year-round, with native Missouri vines. The plants will grow up and onto the steel panels, creating an architectural sculpture and urban green space. LED lights are placed in over 200 connecting nodes to create a firefly effect at night.

Vertical gardens (or green walls) have been shown to filter air pollutants and absorb CO2, improving air quality. The use of native plants increases these benefits, with the additional outcomes of eliminating the use of pesticides and fertilizers, and providing efficient water usage — the garden in Steward Family Plaza is expected to divert almost half a million gallons of storm water per year. Green walls also act as natural insulators, leading to decreased energy use. The plaza includes two named gathering areas

— the Engelhardt Family Terrace made possible by the Engelhardt Family Foundation, and the Centene Gallery, made possible by a grant from the Centene Charitable Foundation. A sculpture, “Steve Wondering if He Could Actually Walk,” created in 2015 by Portuguese sculptors João Maria Gusmão and Pedro Paiva, on permanent loan from the Gateway Foundation, is also featured. Steward Family Plaza is made possible by support from The Steward Family Foundation, World Wide Technology, Inc. and many other donors.

Donors Mary Steward, David Steward Jr., Thelma Steward and David Steward; Sheldon board chair Anne Bannister; retired Sheldon executive director Paul Reuter; and Sheldon executive director Peter Palermo at the ribbon-cutting for Steward Family Plaza at the Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries on October 18.

Photo by Ray Marklin

The gospel of Christmas according to Kennedy

Kennedy Holmes, a finalist on season 15 of NBC’s hit vocal talent competition ‘The Voice’ is the featured soloist for the IN UNISON Chorus and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s ‘A Gospel Christmas’ annual holiday concert.

‘The Voice’ finalist to headline IN UNISON, SLSO holiday concert

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

It’s been a year since Kennedy Holmes captured the hearts of America as an eighth grader from John Burroughs School with her fourth-place finish on NBC’s hit singing competition series “The Voice.”

Even though the show was watched by millions and landed her a record deal, she is still shocked by how in-demand she continues to be after her run on the show. She returned to high school at Burroughs, where she is on the volleyball team. But her new normal now includes making time in her schedule for performances at major events and concerts in the region and abroad.

“I’ve been blessed to be performing all around St. Louis because of the opportunity that I had on ‘The Voice,’” said Holmes, who celebrated her 15th birthday last week. “That’s been the really cool part of all of this.”

Next week she will headline A Gospel Christmas, the annual show holiday concert presented by IN UNISON Chorus and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Kevin McBeth. Some of the biggest names in gospel and secular music have been the evening’s featured guest performers. Last year’s headliner was the Grammy winning vocal group Take 6.

“I was surprised at first. Like, ‘Me? really?’” Holmes said. “But I’m really excited and grateful for the opportunity – and I’m going to put on the best show that I possibly can.”

Unlike years past, the show will take place over two nights at Powell Hall on December 18 and December 19.

“I’m excited about singing, but more than anything I want people to get pumped about Christmas,” Holmes said. “[I want] to inspire them to spread positive vibes throughout Christmas time – it’s a time to be happy, be jolly and have fun with your friends and family.”

With “A Gospel Christmas” Holmes will get the audience into the holiday spirit the same way she always does – with music. “I love all of the classics, ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,’ ‘Santa Baby,’ all of them,” Holmes said.

Some of the selections for A Gospel Christmas include “Silent Night, Holy Night,” “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and Mariah Carey’s pop culture holiday classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” The show will be a new experience for Holmes.

“Having a choir and an orchestra behind you is like a big deal for me because I haven’t done it before,” Holmes said. “I’m really looking forward to it because I love choirs and I love orchestras. I See Kennedy, C4

It

Black dance matters

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

In one the promotional images for COCA Dance Ensembles Winter concert entitled

“Winter Rep: A Movement in Color,” there is a young woman on pointe with ballet shoes in a satin hue to match her brown skin. Her body extends far beyond the reach of her petite frame as a robe gracefully hangs from her left side.

The shoes are particularly striking, because normally girls of color wear ballerina shoes that are anything but a reflection of their melanin.

The image is the perfect illustration of what audiences can expect from the concert taking place this weekend (December 14-15) at Washington University’s Edison Theatre that celebrates the past and present contributions the African American experience within the art form of dance.

“We thought it would be fascinating to put together a program highlighting artists of color,” said Kirven Douthit-Boyd.

“Representation is key, and the only way we

Smino’s sold-out Kribmas concert an outpouring of STL love at The Pageant

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

As The Pageant filled up for its latest sold out show Sunday night, the vibe was different – and special – from some of the other highly anticipated shows that recently had the venue at capacity. Yes, there were lines on both sides like Lizzo. Fans mouthed along to every word, just as when Janelle Monae’s “Dirty Computer” paid the city a visit. But Smino’s 4th Annual Kribmas concert took the energy that comes with a buzzed about show and raised it to infinity. Why? Because he’s the homie. When they screamed and called his name from the other side of the stage like they knew him, it’s because many of them probably did. After brief but well received performances by openers Schenay Mosley and Jay2, Smino kicked off his headlining portion of Kribmas show by scooting on stage in a sleigh modeled after a pair of Nike Air Force Ones. It was the first tribute to Nelly and the city that shaped

can knock down stereotypes is if we put the black and brown girls out there in the space –not just because of their color, but because they can actually dance. It does something for another young lady who comes to the theater and sees someone that looks like them doing ballet, and it is so important to see.”

A renowned choreographer and former

principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Kirven Douthit-Boyd co-directs COCA’s dance program along with his husband Antonio Douthit-Boyd, a St. Louis native, COCA and fellow Ailey alum.

“We come from a company like Ailey where we had dancers from all walks of life and all nationalities because he cared about people,” Antonio said. “We would be doing ourselves a disservice if we didn’t include every color on that stage.”

The performance, which takes place this weekend and features all three of the COCA Dance Ensembles – COCAdance, Ballet Eclectica and the COCA Hip-Hop Crew and will feature the artistry of Marcus Jarrell Willis, formerly with Alvin Ailey; Claudia Schreier, the award-winning artistic director of Claudia Schreier & Company; and Jeremy Green, St. Louis native commercial hip-hop dancer and choreographer and Kara Wilkes, a famed dancer known for her work with Alonzo King Lines Ballet.

Smino’s sound, but by no means the last.

“I’m from this city right here – the West Side to be exact,” Smino said early on during the hometown show he’s presented for the past

years during the holiday season. His career as a rapper/singer kicked off

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Grammy nominated rapper/singer Smino felt the love from his hometown as his 4th Annual Kribmas Concert played a capacity crowd at The Pageant Sunday night.

Photo Courtesy of COCA by Judd Demaline

holiday haps

Dec. 13 – 15, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra presents Mercy Holiday Celebration. Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www. slso.org.

Fri., Dec. 13, 6:30 p.m., Cookies and Cards. Ferguson Parks & Recreation, 1050 Smith Ave., 63135. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.

Fri., Dec. 13, 7 p.m., Central Baptist Church Christmas with Israel Houghton. 2845 Washington Ave.,63103. For more information, visit www. cbcstl.org.

Fri., Dec. 13, 7 p.m., St. Louis Historically Black Colleges and Universities Alumni Association invites you to the Alumni Holiday Party. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 746-4599 or visit www.mohistory.org.

Sat., Dec. 14, 10 a.m., Saint Louis Art Museum presents Winter Celebrations. A family-friendly extravaganza of performances, art activities, and festivities. One Fine Arts Dr., 63110. For more information, visit www.slam. org.

Dec. 14 – 15, Better Family LifeKwanzaa Holiday Expo

2019. Enjoy purchasing hand crafted goods, performances lectures and discussion panels, and a children’s village. 5415 Page Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Sun., Dec. 15, 2:30 p.m., Saint Louis Ballet presents The Nutcracker, proceeds to benefit Foundry Art Centre, Sheidegger Center For Performing Arts, Lindenwood University. For more information, visit www. foundreyartcentre.oerg/saintlouis-ballet

Through Dec. 15, Metro Theater Company presents It’s a Wonderful Life. The Grandel Sq., 63108. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com or www. metroplays.org.

Tues., Dec. 17, 6 p.m., Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club Annual Kwanzaa Expo featuring an arts festival and poetry focusing on the “’1619’ Slavery Project.” Cafeteria of Building B, at the SIUE-East St. Louis Higher EducationCenter, 601 J. R. Thompson Drive, EStL, IL 62201. For more information about the EBR Writers Club, contact SIUE English Dept.: (618) 650-3991, email eredmon@siue.edu, or write EBRWC, P.O. Box 6165, EStL, IL 62201.

Wed., Dec. 18, 12:30 p.m., Santa’s Little Workshop. Children ages 1 – 5, can help

Kenya Vaughn recommends

with letters to Santa, ginger bread houses, Christmas cards, and more. Ferguson Parks & Recreation, 1050 Smith Ave., 63135. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.

Wed., Dec. 18, 7 p.m., Shalom Church City of Peace invites you to their Shalom Music & Fine Arts Christmas Concert. 5941 N. Highway 67, 63034. For more information, visit www. shalomccop.org.

Thur., Dec. 19, 7 p.m., The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Musical. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, visit www.stifeltheatre.com.

Gospel Christmas starring Kennedy Holmes, Powell Hall. For more information, visit www.slso.org.

Fri., Dec. 20 – Sat., Dec. 21, 8 p.m., 11th Annual Holiday Bass-Trava-Ganza, Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar. For more information, visit www. thepageant.com.

Sat., Dec. 21, 3 p.m., The Show Me Kids Concert Series – Christmas Edition Feat. Fresh the Clowns and KidGoalss. Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

more information, visit www. stpaulame.net

Fri., Dec. 27, 8 p.m., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Gamma Omega Chapter invites you to their End of the Year Jam. 12365 St. Charles Rock Rd., 63044. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Tues., Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m., BMO Wealth Management New Year’s Eve Celebration. 718 N. Grand Blvd., 63013. For more information, visit www.slso.org.

Sat., Dec. 21, 5 p.m., The Cathedral at St. Paul presents A Gospel Christmas: The Best of St. Paul, 1260 Hamilton Ave. For

Tues., Dec. 31, 8 p.m., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., St. Louis Alumni Chapter invites you to their New Year’s Eve 2020 Celebration with celebrity DJ Mannie Fresh. Union Station Hotel, 1820 Market St., 63103. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Tues., Dec. 31, 8 p.m., Dread Out 2019. Join us for the annual Jamaican Style New Year’s Eve Bash featuring Infrared Rockers Roots & Culture Record Spin. Rowan Community Center, 1401 Rowan Ave., 63112. For more information, call (314) 2297018.

Wed., Jan. 1,

Thurs., Dec. 19, 7:30 p.m., St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus presents A more information, visit www. stlomeganye2019.eventbrite. com.

Tues., Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Upsilon Phi Omega Chapter invites you to their 2019 New Year’s Eve Gala. Omega Center, 3900 Goodfellow Blvd., 63120. For

Bistro presents Nate Smith + Kinfolk. Jazz St. Louis, 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. jazzstl.org.

Sun., Dec. 22, 7 p.m.

Ginuwine Live at Ballpark Village, Midwest Live Stage. For more information or tickets, visit https:// www.facebook.com/ events/2374869879289539/

Fri., Dec. 27, 8 p.m., G-Rated Entertainment presents Nle Choppa feat. Plot Da BigHomie, Buddy Luv, and Derr Derr. The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.

Tues., Dec. 31, 7 p.m., New Year’s Eve St. Louis Mega Blues Festival. Feat. Sir Charles Jones, Willie Clayton, Pokey Bear, and Wendell B. Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sat., Jan. 11, 9 p.m., Rock House Ent. & Black Luxury Ent. present Rick Ross. 6161 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. thepageant.com.

local gigs

Sun., Dec. 15, 6 p.m., Ntegrity Presentz: Ty Brasel, 1kPhew, Torey D’Shaun & Ntegrity Music. .Zack, 3224 Locust St., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Wed., Dec. 18, 7 p.m., Renaissance Hotel presents Sean Coray. 9801 Natural Bridge Rd., 63134. For more information, visit www. bandsintown.com.

Sun., Dec. 22, 7:30 p.m., An Intimate Christmas with Malena Smith + The Adam Maness Trio. Sophie’s Artist Lounge & Cocktail Club, 3224 Locust St., 63103. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Thur., Dec. 26, 8 p.m., Alvin Youngblood Hart’s Muscle Theory. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., 63118. For more information, visit www. offbroadwaystl.com.

Thur., Jan. 2, 8 p.m., Joe’s Café Concerts presents Little Dylan. 6008 Kingsbury Ave., 63112. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.

Sat., Jan. 4, 8 p.m., Tre G: As I Am. With Katarra Parson, MAXA, Eric Donte, and sounds by DJ HoodBunny. The

Grandel, 3610 Grandel Sq., 63108. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.

special events

Fri., Dec. 13, 5 p.m., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Phi Nu Zeta Graduate Chapter invites you to Happy Hour with Phi Nu Zeta. 12948 New Halls Ferry Rd., 63033. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.

Dec. 14, 6 p.m., 100 Black Men of Metropolitan St. Louis Inc. presents Winter Royale Fundraiser and Black Tie Gala, Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel, 800 Washington Ave. For more information, call (314) 367-7778 or visit www.100blackmenstl.com.

Sat., Dec. 14, 7 p.m., The Outsiders presents Masquerade & Sneaker Ball. The Marquee, 1911 Locust St., 63103. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Dec. 14 – 15, COCA presents Winter Rep: A Movement of Color. Featuring all COCA Dance Ensembles— COCAdance, Ballet Eclectica and the COCA Hip-Hop Crew— celebrating the work of artists of color. 524 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, visit www. cocastl.org.

Sun., Dec. 22, 7 p.m., Zenith Flair presents Beauty Meets Fashion Lupus Awareness Edition. Hosted by Funny Lady Re. Third Degree Glass Factory, 5200 Delmar Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Sun., Jan. 5, 12 p.m., The Wedding Connection Bridal Show. Featuring the top wedding vendors in the area. Chase Park Plaza, 212 Kingshighway Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www.bridestl.com.

Sat., Jan. 11, 11 a.m., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., St. Louis Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter invites you to their Founders Day Celebration: The Vision of the 22...Their Legacy Continues. Orlando Gardens, 2050 Dorsett Village, 63043. For more information, visit www. dstslmac.com.

Sat., Jan. 11, 11 a.m., The Pink Bride St. Louis Wedding Show. America’s Center, 701 Convention Plaza, 63101. For more information, visit www.bridescan.com.

Kenya Vaughn recommends

Sat., Jan. 11, 6 p.m., 8th Annual An Evening with the Cardinals. Join Cardinals Hall of Famers Ted Simmons and Ozzie Smith, with emcee Dan McLaughlin, to raise money for families battling childhood cancer. Emcee Dan McLaughlin. Silent auction. Union Station Hotel, 1820 Market St., 63103. For more information, visit www.thenccs.org/cardinals.

Saturdays, 8 a.m., The Ferguson Farmers Market. Plaza at 501, 501 S. Florissant Rd., 63135. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.

art

Sat., Dec. 14, 10 a.m., Saint Louis Art Museum presents Winter Celebrations. A family-friendly extravaganza of performances, art activities, and festivities. One Fine Arts Dr., 63110. For more information, visit www.slam.org.

Through Dec. 29, Art St. Louis presents Art St. Louis XXXV, The Exhibition. Featuring 52 artworks in all media, themes, subjects, techniques, and styles by 52 artists from Missouri, Illinois & Indiana. 1223 Pine St., 63013. For more information, visit www. artstlouis.org.

more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com.

Jan. 3 – 4, Helium Comedy Club presents Sheryl Underwood. 1151 St. Louis Galleria St., 63117.

theatre

Through December 15, Metro Theater Company presents It’s A Wonderful Life, The Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square, St. Louis, MO 63108. Tickets are available now at 314-534-1111 or www.metrotix.com. For more information, visit www. metroplays.org.

Through Dec. 29, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice, LorettoHilton, 130 Edgar Rd. Tickets are available at www.repstl. org or by calling The Rep Box Office at 314-968-4925.

Jan. 2 – 5, Disney on Ice presents Celebrate Memories Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. enterprisecenter.com.

comedy

Sat., Dec. 14, 8 p.m., Class Klowns. Hosted by Jovan Bibbs. Feat. Willie Lynch, Jr., Turae, and Max Pryce 3224 Locust St., 63103. For more information, visi twww. metrotix.com.

Sun., Dec. 15, 7 p.m., Kleon the Comedian. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Dec. 20 – 22, Helium Comedy Club presents Bruce Bruce. 1151 St. Louis Galleria St., 63117.

Sat., Dec. 28, 8 p.m., New Year’s Weekend Comedy Festival feat. Gary Owen, Mike Epps, Tommy Davidson, Mark Curry, HaHa Davis, and Desi Banks. Chaifetz Arena, 1 S. Compton Ave., 63103. For

Sat., Jan. 11, 10 a.m., Nick Jr. Live! Move to the Music Join the Paw Patrol pups, Dora the Explorer, Bubble Guppies, Blue, and more. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com.

lectures and workshops

Sat., Dec. 14, 1 p.m., Community Conversation: The History of Reproductive Oppression in Black and Brown Communities Uplifting voices to expose the truths and explore solutions. Deaconess Center for Child Well-Being, 1000 N. Vandeventer Ave., 63113. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.

Dec. 14 – 15, 1 p.m.,

Segregation in the City: Fighting a Lasting Legacy

This symposium explores the steps that three cities— St. Louis, Baltimore, and Kansas City—are taking to confront issues of segregated housing and policy solutions. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. mohistory.org.

Sat., Jan. 11, 1 p.m., The Field House Museum presents Perspectives of Freedom Suits and the Dred Scott Case. Panelists include Lynne Jackson, great-greatgranddaughter of Dred Scott; Dr. David Konig, Washington University and Michael Everman, Missouri State Archives. 634 S. Broadway, 63102. For more information, visit www.fieldhousemuseum. org.

Thur., Dec. 19, 7 p.m., Medicare for All to the Rescue. Dr. Ed Weisbart will define the healthcare crisis, discuss costs, the disruption to business and the economy, how the US compares to other countries, possible solutions, and how to support effective change. Venture Café, 4240 Duncan Ave., 63110. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.

Wednesdays, Weekly Free Health Fair. St. Gabriel Clinic, 6113 Ridge Ave., 63133. Free health screenings include blood pressure, weight, height, BMI, hearing and vision screening and counselling. For more information, visit www. stgabrielstl.com.

spiritual

Sun., Dec. 15, 11, Kennerly Temple of Church of God in Christ 1st Pastoral Anniversary. The theme is “A Shepard Who Cares.” 4307 Kennerly Ave., 63113. For more information, call (314) 535-6708 or (314) 566-3304.

Tre G: As I Am. With Katarra Parson, MAXA, Eric Donte, and sounds by DJ HoodBunny. For more information, see LOCAL GIGS.

A work will be performed with a St. Louis native poet named Jacqui Germain as well as pieces choreographed to the music of Scott Joplin, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and others.

“We just had our first technical rehearsal last night,” Kirven said. “I saw all of the technical elements come together and I just felt that that the experience is going to be so rich, so powerful and I would dare to say transformative. The audience might just forget that they are watching students.” Antonio agrees.

“Sometimes watching these children, we get blinded to the fact that they are children because they are rising to the occasion they are working with choreographers of the highest caliber and they are delivering performances on a professional level,” Antonio said. “They are definitely stepping up to the plate of professionalism. I can guarantee that these kids are rivaling any professional company in St. Louis.”

But the quality of these young dancers goes beyond mere mastery of movement.

“We’ve been bold in our work and I think that our students have risen to the occasion,” Kirven said. “They’ve been getting better and better every single year –and not just technically but also artistically in their ability to showcase and share and carry a narrative and a storyline. It’s been really exciting for us.”

As the couple marks five years of leading the program, they reflected on their tenure at

COCA.

“It’s a testament to the power of the art of dance,” Kirven said. “For us, we feel like we have grown and developed as artists, educators and as human beings. Yes, the Ailey legacy is a huge part of our identity, but we have put so many layers on that by how much we’ve learned and developed since leaving Ailey. It’s amazing to watch that part of our legacy come to fruition through these young artists, but also we’ve learned so much that we are taking to it to the next level and we are really excited to see how it continues to develop and grow.

The experience of reaching back by way of the organization that gave him the skills and discipline to ascend to the pinnacle of his field has been dually rewarding for Antonio.

“I’m excited for people to see these kids and to see me personally come back to St. Louis and give back to the community,” Antonio said. “There is talent in this city that is homegrown that can come back to the city and produce in the same way we are doing at COCA. It shows what happens when we invest in ourselves and our people. Our community is that much richer and I’m just happy to be a part of that – and I’m happy to show people that I went away and came back [to give back].”

“Winter Rep: A Movement in Color” will take place on December 14 – December 15 at Washington University’s Edison Theatre, 6445 Forsyth Blvd. For a full schedule of performances and ticket information, visit https://www. cocastl.org or call (314) 5614877.

Continued from C1

while he was attending college in Chicago and connected him to rising stars Noname and Rayven Lanae and certified rap star J. Cole. As his own star continues to rise, he seems intentional about making it clear that he’s “from the Lou and proud” as one of Smino’s rap idols, Nelly proclaimed while putting St. Louis hip-hop on a global scale.

Smino appears to be on a similar path. When he stood before St. Louis audiences Sunday, he was two weeks out from being nominated for a Grammy as part of collective of artists who appeared on Revenge of the Dreamers 3, a product of J. Cole’s Dreamville Records. The album is in the running for “Best Rap Album.”

“If I win, I’m bringing it right back here,” Smino told the crowd as he dove into a concert curated for day-one Smino fans that stretched from his mixtapes to his critically acclaimed debut studio album “blkswn” to his follow up NOIR last year.

Backed by a live band, Smino gave fans a show that would have the most casual fan proclaiming him as the now and the next of the genre – in St. Louis and beyond.

The title and the date of the show reflected the holiday season, as did the set –Christmas trees on each side of the stage and the so St. Louis sled. The music itself didn’t reference the holidays, but the experience reflected what they represent – people coming together to celebrate and create memories.

Through songs like “Anita,”

“blkswan” and others, Smino created a vibe that has become an annual tradition for young local hip-hop heads. As he has with every show he’s done in the region – and claims to do everywhere else – Smino took a moment to pay tribute to the St. Louis music footsteps he follows with medley of hits from Nelly and The St. Lunatics. This year fans were given a special treat. As “Air Force Ones” played, the crowd erupted. Nelly emerged on stage to sing along with Smino and the crowd. Smino stepped aside and watched as a fan while Nelly performed “E.I.” They then gave St. Louis a sneak preview of a new song they created together. They didn’t seem to announce the name of the track – or it could have been muffled by the rousing applause with the delightful shock of Nelly sharing the stage with Smino

– but the hook was “on my mama’s mama.”

“We just recorded this song like two days ago y’all,” Smino said with joy and excitement as he prepared to give the audience a taste of the track. Nelly left the stage and Smino gave the audience another 40 minutes of music before he closed out Kribmas 4. He returned to help Smino and the rest of the Kribmas crew toss out free t-shirts and other merchandise. Smino took off the blues jersey he wore for the second half of the show and flung it out into the crowd. He then removed custom Air Force Ones that paid tribute to his city from his feet. He signed one and gave it to a young lady in the front of the crowd. He signed the second show and threw it up to fans in the balcony. As the lights came up, Smino was in his socks greeting fans who stood front and center for the entire show. He waved goodbye still full from the energy of the night that gave him insight on how much they have his back. Kribmas may not have sounded like Christmas show, but based on all the love – from St. Louis and for St. Louis – it sure felt like one.

know it’s going to be a good learning experience for me because I will be able to hear what that sounds like.”

It’s only been a year, but she feels that the experiences that have been afforded to her because of exposure from the show have allowed her to mature as a performer.

“My stage presence has definitely grown,” Holmes said. “I used to just close my eyes and you would never see them open for the whole song. Now that I’ve gotten used to connecting with the audience, that’s something that I’ve seen change.” She’s also expanded her vocal range and improved her falsetto through the experience of regular stage performances. Holmes has handled the whirlwind with poise and grace, which can be attributed to her family and support system.

“Just knowing that I’m getting to do these things at such a young age and have all of these experiences is exciting to me and just for people to remember me for good things and doing good things for my community makes me happy,” Holmes said. “I want to have a positive effect on people and show them to never stop believing – and that your age doesn’t matter as long as you put your mind to it and work hard for it.”

With her upcoming performance with IN UNISON and the Symphony, she wants people to remember the reason for the season.

“Making time with family is what’s most important about the holidays,” Holmes said. “Don’t take it for granted. Take advantage of the time you have with family and spread good vibes.”

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Photo Courtesy of COCA by Judd Demaline

Smino

Celebrations

Anniversaries

Reunions

Beaumont High Class of 1970 is planning its 50-year reunion! We want to reach as many classmates as possible, so please share this info with other class of ‘70 alumni. Please email your current contact info to: Beaumontclassof1970@gmail. com.

Central High School Class of 1970 is in the process of planning its 50-year reunion in 2020. We are trying to locate former classmates. If you would like to receive additional information as we plan this momentous occasion, please provide your contact information to either Lillian McKinney at mamajoyce314@ icloud.com or (314) 335-9760, Eric Armstrong at elarmstr@ yahoo.com or (918) 6503385, Sabra Morris-Pernod at Saboots@centurytel.net or (314) 703-0812. Sumner High School Class

of 1957 will sponsor a Holiday Social on Friday, December 27, 5-8 pm at the Creve Coeur American Legion Hall (behind Bristol) 934 E Rue Del La Banque Dr., 63141. DJ will play oldies and line dance music for dancing. Tables available for card players. Chicken and fish dinners available for $10, cash bar.

Sumner Class of 1976 Annual Christmas Party Friday, December 21, 2018, 7pm at DEJAVU II Cafe, 2805 Target Dr., St. Louis, MO 63136. 2 for 1 Drink Specials (5:30-7:30pm), free

parking, band performs from 7:30-9:30pm. No cover charge; classmates and guest each pays $5 for the catered food served during intermission, whether you partake of it or not. Limited reserved seating available until 10pm. Doors open 5pm/close 1am. For more info, call B. Louis at 314.385.9843.

Vashon High School Class of 1974 is planning for its 45th reunion. We are in the process of rounding up all classmates. To provide or update your contact information, please email ljbady@gmail.com or

Do you have a celebration you’re proud of? If so we would like to share your good news with our readers. Whether it’s a birth, wedding, engagement announcement, anniversary, retirement or birthday, send your photos and a brief announcement (50 words or less) to us and we may include it in our paper and website – AT NO COST

Joe Verrie Johnson 314-640-5842, Jordan Perry 314-724-4563, or LaVerne James-Bady 314-382-0890. Vashon High School Class of 1975 is planning for its 45 year class reunion. We are in process of getting all classmates to provide or update your contact information. Please email Millicent, centbyme1@aol.com or Elvis, elvishopson@att.net. You can also send information by mail: Vashon High Class of 1975, P.O. box 8735, St. Louis Mo. 63101. Keep this date open: August 7-9, 2020.

John and Portia Simpson

Victor and Gail Farwell

We need to organize for political power – like Jesus did

A response to Rev. Jim Wallis’ ‘Christ In Crisis’

By Rev. Earle J. Fisher

For The St. Louis American

The year 2019 marks 400 years since enslaved Africans were brought to North America via the transatlantic slave trade. Some researches and self-made scholars have sought to claim that those enslaved Africans were brought to the Americas on a slave slip named Jesus. They are only partly right. Jesus of Lübeck was an actual slave ship. It was commonly referred to as the Good Ship Jesus. However, that ship set sail several decades before the first enslaved Africans landed in Jamestown.

Since Jesus arrived in America he has been associated and mostly aligned with the oppression of black bodies and the exploitation of black labor. For black folks, Jesus and America has always been a site of crisis.

Cornel West once said, “September 11th was the first time many Americans felt unsafe, unprotected, subject to random violence and hated. But to be black in American for the past 400 years is to be (at all times) unsafe, unprotected, subjected to random violence and hated.”

Rev. Jim Wallis deals with this critical quagmire throughout his book “Christ in Crisis: Why We Need to Reclaim Jesus” by righteously redressing the relationship between race and religion. My inference here, is that the ideological and tangible influence of Christ (and Christianity) in this country has been in a state of crisis for black folks ever since we were

forced into hush harbors which gave birth to black churches, African American spirituality and the slave revolts that sustained us.

To that end, I’m somewhat inclined to reject the idea that the Christianity we need to produce, embrace, promote or practice can be “reclaimed.”

The Jesus of America has always been the conduit for slave theology and plantation prosperity. We see clearly in the foundations of the country through Ibram X Kendi’s seminal text “Stamped from the Beginning,” which details the theological conflictions of (among others) Thomas Jefferson.

The American Jesus that has become commonplace in our social-political-religious psychology is a whitewashed and blasphemous version of the radical and revolutionary liberator – a northeastern Afroasiatic black man who was born to single parent mother who got pregnant before she got married and people were not certain who the baby’s father was. That sounds much more like Tupac Shakur than Donald Trump. This is the historical reality of Jesus that has provided us with the inspired interpretive tension and prophetic potential laid out in works like Kameron Carter’s “Race” a Theological Account,” Edward Blum and Paul Harvey’s “The Color of Christ,” Kelly Brown Douglass’ “The Black Christ” and (one of my favorites) Albert Cleage Jr.’s “The Black Messiah.” Rev. Wallis’s book can be a companion to these types of works because of his courageous investigation of

Theology is how we see God. Anthropology is how we see our neighbor. And sociology is how we see our neighborhood. And if we have a slave-ish (or whitesupremacist-adjacent) view of God, we’ll make it legally justifiable to enslave our neighbor and absolutely fine to force folks to live in a 21st century plantation.

While Rev. Wallis was in Detroit, he might’ve heard about what happened on Easter Sunday in 1967 at the Central United Church of Christ. Rev. Albert Cleage unveiled a mural of the Black Madonna and Child in the sanctuary which revised the church to become the Shrine of the Black Madonna. Can we imagine what that image did to the social, spiritual and political psychology of the parishioners?

And in that same spirit, allow me offer the recommendation of Rev. Laura Mayo, senior minister of Covenant Church in Houston, who mused, “What if white Christians had a more realistic image of Jesus, a dark-skinned, religious minority refugee?”

how the historical and biblical Jesus has been defaced and defamed by a white evangelical theology that is so closely aligned to white supremacy that we can hardly tell them apart. What Rev. Wallis has sparked for me most provocatively is a more intentional engagement with religion, politics and power. He has challenged us to be more lucid in our interrogation of who Jesus is (not just who Jesus was) and how well we practice what Jesus preached. Rev. Wallis helps us clarify and lean into political theology – the innate relationship between theology and politics. This is critical and crucial because too many of us have been deceived by the mythical separation between “church and state,” despite President Bush’s claim that God told him to invade a country with no weapons of mass destruction. Rev. Wallis’s book (much like his work “God’s Politics”) reminds me that all theology is political because it is ultimately concerned with power. Therefore, any theology that does not take into account our social and political realities is an irrelevant and irreverent theology.

I believe Rev. Wallis hones in on this idea most readily in Chapter 3 of the book, “The Image Question.” Our ideological, philosophical and rhetorical construction of the Image of God (the imago dei) is foundational when understanding who our neighbors are, what the truth is, what makes us afraid, how we deal with corrupt political power and other themes Wallis renders throughout the books spiritual sojourn.

Our theology impacts our anthropology and influences our sociology.

When I shared Rev. Mayo’s article on Facebook, Rev. Christopher Michael Jones of New Jersey said, “Many would more likely leave the Christian faith altogether. At least, their version of what they ascribe to be the Christian faith.” My response to him was, “That’s exactly what we need…because their ‘version’ is white supremacist evangelical theology, which is blasphemous when compared to the Jesus of Nazareth Movement.” A sista scholar said, “It would cause the same kind of dialectical tensions and cognitive dissonance we see with men and the subject of religious headship and societal leadership based in an essentialist paradigm.”

Maybe we need more tension and dissonance. Maybe the answer is not shying away from the crisis, but instead of reacting to the crisis, embracing and revolutionizing the crisis. We need to move beyond the symbolic into the structural. We have to advance from mere conversation to moral and militant transformation. Stokely Carmichael said, “It is not my responsibility to transform the soul of a racist thug. I’ll simply settle for a change in his behavior.” This change can only happen when our image of God is revolutionized in a way that moves us to intentionally politically empower those who have been rendered powerless. This happened most critically for me in November of 2016. The bottom line that conflicted me was how voter turnout was so low. I looked at where it had been the lowest in Memphis – not just in 2016 but in the past several elections over the past 10-15 years where we’ve seen an increase in poverty and disinvestment in black neighborhoods in a city 65 percent black. I discovered the precincts that had the lowest turnout were black churches.

And we don’t have a voter registration problem. We have a voter education, engagement and turnout problem. I wondered how we had disconnected the shouting, singing, dancing and preaching that happened at these hubs of black dignity on Sundays from the need to organize for political power on Super Tuesdays. And I vowed to put my faith into political action because the lives of disempowered people (made in the image of God) depends on it. I realized we didn’t need another revival or prayer breakfast or Sunday School class or worship retreat. We need to organize our people for political power – like Jesus did. This is what got him killed. Jesus was killed (executed by the state) because he had the audacity to inspire and organize oppressed people and convinced them that they possessed a divine power within them that the seal of the Roman government could not conquer. So in November of 2017 I organized #UPTheVote901 – a nonpartisan collaborative that is committed to giving more political power, information and representation to more people and increasing voter turnout in Memphis and Shelby County. And despite establishment subversion, being demonized by the mayor, ostracized by white and black clergy and scrutinized by some of the same people we aim to help, we trained pastors to canvas their congregations for increased voter engagement and we helped increased turnout in three of the four elections we’ve had since 2016. And we’ve ushered in a more (potentially) progressive slate of candidates with a group of people more engaged and empowered to hold them accountable. This is a ministerial calling for me. My theology is political and intentional. Because we do not have the luxury of presuming we can just pray these problems away. We need to put our pocketbooks in synchronicity with our prayers. We must be willing to be moral and militant. We must be willing to disturb, disrupt and deliver. We’re going to have to write, fight, march, mentor, preach, teach, organize, mobilize and whatever else this moment calls for to make justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

God is calling us to face this crisis head on and understand that some of us have never had the luxury of doing anything other than that. It will take all of us. It will take our time, our talent and our treasure. And I’m grateful to Rev. Wallis, who reminded me there are at least some white brothers and sisters who are willing to fight this good fight with us. Rev. Earle J. Fisher is senior pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church in Memphis and founder of #UPTheVote901.

Photo by Wiley Price

Rev. Earle J. Fisher gave these remarks at the Deaconess Center for Child Well-Being on Monday, December 9.

CHIEF OF POLICE

The City of Berkeley is looking for an individual with a high level of professional ethics, integrity, and proven leadership skills to serve as its Chief of Police. Under general supervision of the City Manager, the Police Chief will manage the Department’s 48 employees, of whom 37 are sworn officers (including Police Chief). The City of Berkeley Department operates under the provisions of the State of Missouri “at will” policy. Annual salary is $85,000 and must reside in City of Berkeley. Our employment applications can be found at http://www.cityofberkeley.us/

POLICE CHIEF

The City of Richmond Heights is accepting applications for a Police Chief. To apply go to https:// richmondheights.applicantpro. com/jobs/1248423.html

Applications will be accepted from November 12, 2019 through December 6, 2019.

I.T. DIRECTOR, EDUCATOR, SECURITY

Saint Louis Art Museum is hiring for several positions, including: I.T. Director, Educator, Security, and more. Apply online at www.slam.org/careers.

SENIOR CONSTRUCTION SPECIALIST

Supervisory or Lead Responsibilities. Involves the preparation and/or review of sketches, drawings, designs, specifications, schedules, requests for proposals and other documents related to the design of building construction, renovation and maintenance. Works closely with St. Louis Housing Authority staff, HUD Officials, residents, construction contractors, consultants and others to assure that design and subsequent construction are appropriate and properly constructed. Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited university in Architecture, Mechanical or Civil Engineering and be familiar with general building construction. Five (5) years’ experience in the construction industry, preferably, as a craftsman and one (1) year or more trades applicable to general building construction may be substituted for a degree and at least three (3) years of this experience must be in construction inspection. Starting Salary $59,540 Annually. Apply or send resume to: St. Louis Housing Authority, HR Division, 3520 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63106 by 5:00 p.m., December 23, 2019 via website www.slha.org or email athomas@slha.org. A Drug Free Work Place/EOE.

FIRE CHIEF

The City of Richmond Heights is accepting applications for a Fire Chief. To apply go to https://richmondheights. applicantpro.com/ jobs/1248411.html

Applications will be accepted from November 12, 2019 through December 6, 2019.

Faculty Position in Mathematics

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Missouri-St. Louis invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Mathematics to begin Fall 2020. For more details and application information, please see http://www.umsl.edu/math/files/ pdfs/Math2020.pdf An Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer

SPECIALIST- CLAIMSCLAIMS ASSISTANT

Responsible for various technical support tasks related to claim assistant duties and the processing of primary claim data

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

HEALTHCARE COALITION AND READINESS & RESPONSE COORDINATOR

East-West Gateway Council of Governments has an opening for a Healthcare Coalition and Readiness & Response Coordinator. Starting salary is $59,316 annually. Please follow the link to view post at http://www.ewgateway.org/careers/.

LAW ENFORCEMENT POSITION

This is a responsible law enforcement position in the protection of life and property through the enforcement of laws and ordinances. Work involves responsibility for the protection of life and property, prevention of crime, apprehension of suspected criminals, and the enforcement of laws and ordinances. Work involves an element of personal danger in the pursuit of duties. Must have graduated from high school or GED, supplemented by the state-approved course of law enforcement training. Must have possession of a valid Missouri driver’s license and Certification as a Police Officer by the State of Missouri. Contact HR@Fergusoncity.com for full job description or to submit an application.

HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR

St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) has an immediate opening for a Human Resources and Operations Director.

COORDINATORBUSINESS DEVELOPMENTTECHNICAL OPERATIONS

Performs user approved testing, troubleshooting, data quality, and procedural documentation for the Business Development Department technical applications and functions as a gatekeeper for all broker data.

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

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

The City of Jennings is accepting applications for an Economic Development Coordinator. Duties include working closely with the Mayor, Director of Housing and Economic Development and the Economic Development Specialist to promote business and economic development interests within the City of Jennings. The position will assist with planning and coordinating community development projects, managing and administering tax increment financing programs, seek out and implement special programs, which include grants, to promote economic development, and act as a liaison with other City departments and partnering agencies. Starting annual salary $50,876 (GS21). Applications available at Jennings City Hall, 2120 Hord Ave. or at www.cityofjennings.org.

NO RESUMES ACCEPTED WITHOUT COMPLETION OF OUR APPLICATION! Completed applications may be mailed, emailed to jobs@ cityofjennings.org or faxed to 314388-3999. Applications accepted until December 26, 2019 at 5:00 pm.

DIRECTOR-GUIDEWIRE DEVELOPMENT

Responsible for the management and direction of system application development for the Guidewire suite of products. In particular, release planning, software coding, standards enforcement and supervisory duties. Ensures

ASSISTANT BRANCH MANAGER

The St. Louis County Library is seeking applicants for a full time Assistant Branch Manager at the Bridgeton Trails Branch. This position will assist the Branch Manager with the operation and maintenance of the branch to provide quality Library services to all Library customers. A Master’s degree in Library Science is required. Must possess excellent communication and organizational skills. Salary: $53,810 plus paid health insurance and vacation. Apply online at www.slcl.org. Equal Opportunity Employer.

FT WAKEFUL CHILD SPECIALIST

FT Wakeful Child Specialist in St. Louis City 11 p – 7 a, 5 nights/week.

Benefits and PTO. employment@ crisisnurserykids.org

Must be 21/ HS and 2 yrs. Child Care exp. E/O/E

com/MCC1007MBMI/ JobBoard/7d236a73-1cc6497b-be48-52f9d5521b7a/ OpportunityDetail?opportu nityId=c377d128-2acf-4dc5a61d-48332f7e3e50

negotiable. Please contact 314-361-3534

SLDC offers a full range of benefits including deferred compensation, pension, and medical insurance.

SLDC is an equal opportunity employer. Successful candidate must be a St. Louis city resident or must relocate to the City.

SLDC values a diverse workforce and is an equal opportunity employer. The application process and a full description can be found on-line at www.stlouis-mo.gov/sldc select “Careers at SLDC.”

TO ADVERTISE JOB OPPORTUNITIES, CAREER FAIRS AND MORE

Email Angelita Houston at ahouston@stlamerican.com or call 314-289-5430

St. Louis ArtWorks is seeking a part-time Program Manager (30hrs/week, August-May; 35hrs/ week, June-July) to oversee its year-round apprenticeship program for teens. Must have personal transportation for recruitment and community engagement. If interested contact susan@stlartworks.org with a cover letter, resume, and references.

administration, technology, security and more.

Job ID# 45944 - The Brown School seeks a Manager of Human Resources & Payroll to support the achievement of the vision, mission and strategic goals of the school by helping to attract, retain and manage our most valued assets—our employees. The Manager will play a vital role in the operations of the Brown School, providing guidance on human resources policies and processes to the School administration, managers, as well as to employees.

Job ID# 45383 - Washington University seeks an experienced, successful development professional for the position of Senior Associate Director of Development supporting Olin Business School. In partnership with Olin Alumni & Development leadership, the fundraiser will develop strategies to increase philanthropic support for Washington University. The individual will create and implement strategic plans for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors and prospects. Special focus on developing meaningful relationships with parents, international alumni, and Corporations. The Senior Associate Director of Development reports to the Director of Development.

Job ID# 46197 – Dr. Sean Joe seeks an Associate Director for Community Science managing the day-to-day community science activities of the Race & Opportunity Lab, HomeGrown STL and related studies (HGSTL). This will include supervision of project staff, coordination of evaluation activities, oversight of data collection and analyses, and development of reports and other products. The position will work closely with the HGSTL’s Associate Directors and a wide variety of community organizations and entities, to cultivate, develop, and manage opportunities for healing, transformative, strategic, sustainable and innovative community engagement.

For a full description of these positions and other career opportunities, please visit https://jobs.wustl.edu/ to apply. Click search jobs and enter the job ID number.

We seek people from diverse backgrounds to join us in a supportive environment that encourages boldness, inclusion and creativity. EO/AA/VET/Disability Employer

Washington University in St. Louis offers rewarding opportunities in various fields at all levels, with positions in engineering, nursing and health care, research,

CITY OF ST. LOUIS BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS for PROFESSIONAL

SERVICES FOR NETWORK

EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION, CONFIGURATION AND DESIGN SUPPORT, ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI. Statements of Qualifications due by 5:00 PM CT, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2019 at Board of Public Service, 1200 Market, Room 301 City Hall, St. Louis, MO 63103. RFQ may be obtained from BPS website www.stlbps.org, under On Line Plan RoomPlan Room, or call Board of Public Service at 314-622-3535. 25% MBE and 5% WBE participation goals.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

We are requesting proposal for the University of Missouri Teaching Hospital - Normal Power Upgrade at the University of Missouri Columbia. Plans are available at http:// operationswebapps.missouri.edu/pdc/ adsite/ad.html . Proposal must be submitted to our office by 12:00 p.m. CT on or before 12/12/19 by either Fax: (573) 556-8777 or by email to kimz@kaisercentralmo.com . If you have any questions, please contact us at (573) 556-6188.

ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Bids for St. Louis Community College on B0003913 for Meramec Awards Banquet will be received until 11:00 A.M. (local time) on Friday, December 19, 2019 at the Dept. of Purchasing, 3221 McKelvey Road; Bridgeton, MO 63044, and immediately thereafter opened and read. Bid documents can be accessed on our website at www.stlcc.edu/purchasing or by calling (314) 539-5226. EOE/AA Employer.

CITY OF ST. LOUIS BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS for PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT ENHANCEMENTS – PHASE 4, ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, PROJECT NO. CMAQ-9901(656). Statements of Qualifications due by 5:00 PM CT, JANUARY 10, 2020 at Board of Public Service, 1200 Market, Room 301 City Hall, St. Louis, MO 63103. RFQ may be obtained from BPS website www.stl-bps.org, under On Line Plan Room-Plan Room, or call Board of Public Service at 314-6223535. 16% DBE participation goals.

Public Notice of Single Source Procurement

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to procure an agreement for submersible pump repairs for KSB pumps. The District is proposing single source procurement for this service because Missouri Machinery & Engineering Company is the only authorized service center for pumps that are manufactured by KSB in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. Any inquiries should be sent to strenz@stlmsd.com. Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Bids for St. Louis Community College on B0003847 for Forest Park Awards Banquet will be received until 2:00 P.M. (local time) on Friday, December 20, 2019 at the Dept. of Purchasing, 3221 McKelvey Road; Bridgeton, MO 63044, and immediately thereafter opened and read. Bid documents can be accessed on our website at www.stlcc.edu/purchasing or by calling (314) 539-5226. EOE/AA Employer.

ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Bids for St. Louis Community College on B0003899 for Florissant Valley Awards Banquet will be received until 2:00 P.M. (local time) on Friday, December 23, 2019 at the Dept. of Purchasing, 3221 McKelvey Road; Bridgeton, MO 63044, and immediately thereafter opened and read. Bid documents can be accessed on our website at www.stlcc.edu/purchasing or by calling (314) 539-5226. EOE/AA Employer.

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District will receive RFQ’s in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 11:00 a.m. on February 4, 2020 to contract with a company for: HYDRO JETTING TRUCKS. A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for January 14, 2020, 9:00 a.m. at 1900 Sulphur Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63110. Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). The bid document will be identified as 10228 RFP. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314-768-6254 to request a copy of this bid.

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

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for Conway Village Sanitary Relief (Conway Rd to I-64) under Letting No. 12131-015.1, at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on Wednesday, January 15, 2020, at a place designated.

Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualified by the District’s Engineering Department for: DEEP SEWER CONSTRUCTION – St. Louis County drainlayer’s license required Plans and Specifications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Specifications are also available for viewing or purchase at Cross Rhodes Reprographics located at 1712 Macklind Avenue, St. Louis MO 63110. All bidders must obtain a set of plans and specifications in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid.

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

MBE/WBE/SDVE/ DBE/VBE

K&S Associates, Inc. is soliciting for the following projects during the month of January MU Gas Turbine Building -Chilled Water Plant Addition St. Charles County – Ambulance District-SCCAD Headquarters Plans and Specs can be viewed at www.ksgcstl.com Submit Bids to estimating@ ksgcstl.com or Fax 314-647-5302 Contact Dennis Dyes @ 314-647-3535 with questions

LETTING #8708

HALL STREET IMPROVEMENTS –PHASE I EAST GRAND TO ADELAIDE FEDERAL PROJECT NO. STP-5404(603)

Sealed proposals will be received by the Board of Public Service in Room 208 City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Mo. Until 1:45 PM, CT, on JANUARY 14, 2020, then publicly opened and read. Plans and Specifications may be examined on the Board of Public Service website http://www.stlbps.org (BPS On Line Plan Room) and may be purchased directly through the BPS website from INDOX Services at cost plus shipping. No refunds will be made.

A pre-bid conference for all contractors bidding on this project will be held DECEMBER 17, 2019 at 10:00 a.m., City Hall, 1200 Market Street, Room 305, St. Louis, Missouri 63103.

Bidders shall comply with all applicable City, State and Federal laws (including MBE/WBE policies).

All bidders must regard Federal Executive Order 11246, “Notice of Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Employment Opportunity”, the “Equal Opportunity Clause” and the “Standard Federal Equal Employment Specifications” set forth within and referenced at www.stl-bps.org (Announcements). (Announcements).

Public Notice of Single Source Procurement

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to procure temporary help services from E M A in an effort to support the IT Technology Plan. The District is proposing single source procurement for this service because it does not have the internal expertise to fulfill this Information Technology role. Any inquiries should be sent to strenz@stlmsd.com.

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

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for Glen Echo 8283 Sanitary Repair (IR) under Letting No. 13384-015.1, at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on Thursday, January 09, 2020, at a place designated. Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualified by the District’s Engineering Department for: SEWER CONSTRUCTION – St. Louis County drainlayer’s license required Plans and Specifications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Specifications are also available for viewing or purchase at Cross Rhodes Reprographics located at 1712 Macklind Avenue, St. Louis MO 63110. All bidders must obtain a set of plans and specifications in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid. The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Public Notice of Single Source Procurement

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to procure an agreement for submersible pump repairs for Sulzer/ ABS pumps. The District is proposing single source procurement for this service because State Motor & Control Solutions is the only authorized service center for pumps that are manufactured by Sulzer/ ABS in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. Any inquiries should be sent to strenz@stlmsd.com. Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Public Notice of Single Source Procurement

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to procure an agreement for submersible pump repairs for Flyght pumps. The District is proposing single source procurement for this service because Vandevanter Engineering is the only authorized service center for pumps that are manufactured by Xylem (Flyght) in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. Any inquiries should be sent to strenz@stlmsd.com. Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

BID

Great Rivers Greenway is seeking qualifications for a SEC and MSRB registered Municipal Advisory firm.

Check https://greatriversgreenway. org/jobs-bids/ and submit by January 19th, 2020.

NOTICE OF GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION

In accordance with the state law and ordinances of the City of Berkeley, notice is given that a General Municipal (non-partisan) Election shall be held in the City of Berkeley, Missouri on Tuesday, April 7, 2020 for the duly qualified electors of the City to select the following positions for four-year terms of office: Mayor, Ward II and Ward IV Councilperson.

Candidates for Mayor must have resided in city limits 2 years immediately prior to the election. Candidates for Ward II and Ward IV Councilperson must have resided in their respective wards 2 years immediately prior to the election.

• Proof of residency is required.

• A Photo Identification is required.

• No person may be a candidate for election to public office in this city unless her/she is at least eighteen years of age, a citizen of the United States, who at the time that he/she files his/her statement of candidacy, shall be delinquent in any tax, fee, fine, penalty, charge or any other financial obligation or liability of any kind or nature to the city.

• Candidates for any public office cannot have been found guilty or pled guilty to a felony under U.S. law, a felony under Missouri law, or an offense in another state that would be considered a felony in Missouri. RSMo 115.306.1

• Candidates for any public office cannot be delinquent in payment of taxes (No Exceptions). State income taxes, Personal property taxes, Municipal taxes, Real property taxes on the place of residence, Person is a past or present officer of a fee office that owes any taxes to the state. RSMo 115.306.2

• Filing for said offices shall open at 8am and close at 5pm on Tuesday, December 17, 2019, at which time the City Clerk shall receive Declarations of Candidacy, 8425 Airport Road, Berkeley MO 63134. Thereafter declarations will be received by the City Clerk during normal business hours (excluding observed holidays) until filing closes at 5pm Tuesday, January 21, 2020.

Deanna Jones, City Clerk City of Berkeley

SEALED BIDS

BidsforRoof Replacements–Various,Mount VernonTreatment Center,Mount Vernon,Missouri, ProjectNo. H1910-01 willbereceived byFMDC,Stateof MO,UNTIL1:30 PM,1/2/2020via MissouriBUYS. Biddersmustbe registeredtobid. Forspecificproject informationand orderingplans,go to:http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

SEALED BIDS

BidstoModernize Elevator,Hoctor Building, Southeast MissouriMental HealthCenter, Farmington, Missouri,Project No.M1814-01 willbereceived byFMDC,State ofMO,UNTIL 1:30PM, 12/19/2019via MissouriBUYS. Biddersmustbe registeredtobid. Forspecificproject informationand orderingplans,go to:http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

Ferguson-Florissant School District Declaration of Candidacy

The three-year terms of Ferguson-Florissant School Board members Rob Chabot, Dr. Donna Paulette-Thurman and Jessica Ponder expire in April 2020.

Declarations of Candidacy may be picked up in the Office of the Superintendent at 8855 Dunn Road, Hazelwood, Missouri from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on days the district is open. Under Missouri law, the first day to file as a candidate is Tuesday, December 17, 2019. Filing closes at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 21, 2020. School district offices will be closed Monday, December 23, 2019 through Friday, January 3, 2020. The annual election for the Board of Education is Tuesday, April 7, 2020.

A person who wishes to file for candidacy for the Board of Education must

BID

PARIC Corporation has been awarded as the General Contractor to perform the construction renovations for the Shell Building located in Downtown St. Louis. PARIC will be seeking to receive bid for Structural Steel, Roofing, Sheet Metal, Flooring, Painting, Acoustical Ceilings, Awnings and Canopies, Div 10 Items, Laundry Chutes.

In addition, PARIC’s self-perform division will be performing the Drywall and Carpentry Work required for this project. In an effort to meet our goals with MBE/ WBE participation and enhance the community by using local businesses, PARIC’s self-perform division is looking at receiving bids from other drywall and carpentry contractors to perform specific Scope of Work packages. Scope of Work packages will be drafted and available to submit bids on by 12/20/19. These scopes can include (but not limited to): blocking, casework, doors/frames/hardware, taping, drywall, framing and any other related scopes of work. If you are interested in submitting a bid for a Scope of Work package, please send an email to PARIC’s Matt Horton (mrhorton@paric.com) and copy the Vice-President of Diversity and Inclusion (Ty Perry – tperry@paric.com). PARIC does require all contractors to fill out a prequalification packet prior to performing work on our projects. You must have this prequalification packet filled out prior to 1/3/20. Drawings will become available the week of 12/16/19. There will be a mandatory pre-bid walk scheduled for 12/18/19 at the Shell Building located in 1221 Locust St. St Louis, MO at 9:00am. Bids will be due to PARIC 1/15/20. In order to be awarded any work on this project, all contractors must attend the pre-bid walk on and have all prequalification information complete by 1/3/20.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The St. Louis Economic Development Partnership (the “Partnership”) solicits proposals for a qualified firm to provide office-space consulting services to maximize the Partnership’s allocation of resources for office space.

To be considered, proposals must be received no later than 3:00 PM CST on Tuesday, January 21, 2020. Proposals should be sent by email to hbean@stlpartnership.com, or to St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, ATTN: Howl Bean II, 7733 Forsyth Blvd., Suite 2200, St. Louis, Missouri 63105. DBE, MBE, and WBE firms are encouraged to bid, and a five percent bid preference may be available to certified MBE firms.

The Request for Proposals may be obtained from the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership’s web site at www.stlpartnership.com. The Partnership reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive informalities therein. Any questions should be directed to Howl Bean II at (314) 615-7663 or hbean@stlpartnership.com.

St. Louis Economic Development Partnership Equal Opportunity Employer

LETTING #8709

CONCRETE & BRICK REMOVAL/ REPLACEMENT AND COMPLETE SIDEWALK INSTALLATION SP-111

Sealed proposals will be received by the Board of Public Service in Room 208 City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Mo. Until 1:45 PM, CT, on January 14, 2020, then publicly opened and read. Plans and Specifications may be examined on the Board of Public Service website http:// www.stl-bps.org(BPS On Line Plan Room) and may be purchased directly through the BPS website from INDOX Services at cost plus shipping. No refunds will be made.

A mandatory pre-bid conference for all contractors bidding on this project will be held on December 18, 2019 at 10:00 A.M. in Room 305, City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis MO 63103.

Bidders shall comply with all applicable City, State and Federal laws (including MBE/WBE policies).

All bidders must regard Federal Executive Order 11246, “Notice of Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Employment Opportunity”, the “Equal Opportunity Clause” and the “Standard Federal Equal Employment Specifications” set forth within and referenced at www.stl-bps.org (Announcements).

LETTING #8707

PLANTS

OF SAINT LOUISWATER DIVISION

Sealed proposals will be received by the Board of Public Service in Room 208 City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Mo. Until 1:45 PM, CT, on December 17, 2019, then publicly opened and read. Plans and Specifications may be examined on the Board of Public Service website http://www.stl-bps. org (BPS On Line Plan Room) and may be purchased directly through the BPS website from INDOX Services at cost plus shipping. No refunds will be made.

A pre-bid conference for all contractors bidding on this project will be held on December 6, 2019 at 10:00 A.M. in Water Division Service Building Lunch Room, 10450 Riverview Drive, Saint Louis, MO 63137.

Bidders shall comply with all applicable City, State and Federal laws (including MBE/WBE policies).

All bidders must regard Federal Executive Order 11246, “Notice of Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Employment Opportunity”, the “Equal Opportunity Clause” and the “Standard Federal Equal Employment Specifications” set forth within and referenced at www.stl-bps.org

BID

Great Rivers Greenway is seeking qualifications for Environmental Consulting Services. Check https://greatriversgreenway. org/jobs-bids/ and submit by January 10th, 2020.

MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The Missouri Historical Society is seeking RFP bids for a graphic designer to lay out and design the cover for a book on suffrage, tentatively titled Groundbreaking St. Louis Women.

Please visit https://mohistory.org/ about/requests-for-proposal/ for details.

Submission Deadline: December 16, 2019

An Equal Opportunity Employer

BIDS

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for 2020 ARS Crackseal Program, Area A, St. Louis County Project No. AR-1805, will be received at the Office of the Director of Procurement for the County of St. Louis, County Government Center Administration Building, 41 South Central Avenue, 8th Floor, Clayton, Missouri 63105, until 11:00 a.m. on January 22, 2020.

Plans and specifications will be available on December 9, 2019 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www. stlouisco.com), or by contacting County Blue Reprographics, Inc., 811 Hanley Industrial Court, Brentwood, MO 63144, (314) 961-3800.

ACCEPTING GRANT APPLICATIONS

The St. Louis County Port Authority Community Reinvestment Fund is now accepting grant applications through December 15, 2019 for economic development projects that benefit St. Louis County. The application and detailed funding information are available at https://stlpartnership.com/whowe-are/our-teams/real-estate-community-investment/port-authority/ reinvestment-fund-application/

Construction, Centralia, MO; 573-682-5505; fax 573-682-3322.

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS

DISTRICT

SEWER

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is accepting proposals in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 10:00 a.m. on January 3rd, 2020 to contract with a company for: Lawn Care Services for River Des Peres.

Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). The bid document will be identified as 10221 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.2735 to request a copy of this bid. Metropolitan

Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Smino put on for STL with Kribmas. I know some of you grownheads haven’t heard of him, even though he’s been all over the “hippity hop bebop shows, radios and computers.” And did I mention he’s nominated for a Grammy, thanks to J. Cole and his Dreamville crew? Well, once again he did it big for the STL with another sold out Kribmas show on Sunday at The Pageant. I knew it was going to be so St. Louis when he scooted out on that stage in an Air Force One sleigh. Great job on the design, Brock Seals. But back to the Smino and the show. He flexes for the new school of STL hip-hop and the other night was no different. He puts on a show that can stand alongside anybody out in these rap and R&B streets. I was singing “Anita” for three whole days after the show was over. I love how he always takes a moment to recognize those who paved the way for him with a quick mix of hits, usually from the St. Lunatics. Well Sunday, Smino fans got the surprise of their lives when the mix came on and Nelly popped on stage for a hot minute. They even debuted a new track they just recorded. It was a cute moment for St. Louis hip-hop. Along with Nelly, I was thrilled to see so much support for Smino from other artists. I ran into Mvstermind, who I think along with Smino are aligned to be the next big hits for St. Louis hip-hop. The whole night made me hopeful about what we have to offer musically. A delicious vegan vibe. Saturday night I stopped through to see my UCME fellas Murphy Lee, Kyjuan and the lovely Seviin Li for their ultra-exclusive, sold-out vegan soul food kickback that featured more cool kids and culture shapers than I have space to mention. Plus, if I get to naming all of those names, I won’t have space to tell y’all how delicious Seviin’s vegan culinary skills were. I know y’all know by now that I eat it all – and the best way to describe my dietary habits is a quote from Evangelist Shirley Caesar “beans, greens, potatoes, tomatoes, hams, yams, hog, dog, turkeys, chicken, you name it!” Well maybe not the dog, but you get my drift. That being said, I have a particular expectation of how food – specifically soul food – is supposed hit when it lands on these taste buds. However, if Seviin was my personal chef, I wouldn’t need meat, dairy, cat or dog. I know, I know. I had my doubts too, but whatever that faux Salisbury steak and cheese-free macaroni had in it left me satisfied. And don’t get me started on the greens and sweet potatoes, because I won’t be able to talk about what a great vibe it was. I wish I had time to stay and get my tarot cards read, because I’mma need a heads up if 2020 is anything like the tragic rainbow-colored quick weave that was 2019. I’m just sayin.’ And can you believe that after two plates I was ‘itis’ free enough to carry on with the rest of my night? Had that been the real deal, I would have had to hire somebody to roll me around like a barrel of bootleg corn liquor as I beat the streets. Girl, if you ever start getting into meal prep or the personal chef game, hit me up!

Nichol’s grown and sexy birthday groove. Over the weekend I made more than one stop at the House of Soul as my girl Nichol Stevenson celebrated her birthday over the course of two nights at her newly opened House of Soul. The first night was a vibe with Love Jones The Band serving up soul and R&B classics as I lit into that mostaccioli and the array of wings as comfortably as if I were in my big granny’s kitchen. Yo, I might need to commission whoever made those wings since Culpepper’s has become the latest of many of my spots to give up the ghost in the Central West End – at least for the next two weeks until my annual New Year’s detox. After that, I will hit Seviin up. But back to Nichol’s birthday. Saturday night, I didn’t launch the allout assault rematch on the buffet like I planned. I got so caught up in Terry Rogers’ set that I forgot about the food until I was all the way on Highway 40. People have “Tennessee Whiskey’ed” me to death, but his rendition may have been the best I’ve heard in a minute. And since I’m talking House of Soul, Nichol the Café Soul brand and some others are bringing Tamika Scott from Xscape there on Saturday (Dec. 14) as she shares her “Family Affair” solo EP with the world. And Terry Rogers will be performing on that night too.

Guilty pleasure gut busting laughter with Godfrey. It was the most hilarious bit of irony that, as I was weighing the options of going vegan after Seviin’s spread, my next stop was heading to Helium to catch comedy vet Godfrey read vegetarians, vegans and obsessively healthy eaters for filth – even though he looked like he been living and eating clean his whole five decades on this planet. When he talked about how miserable folks looked in Whole Foods spending $50 for a quart of hemp milk as the rest of us lousy eaters look like the front of a Happy Meal box when we order from the value menu of McDonald’s, my conversion ended just that quickly. He told no lies – especially when he said that people go to McDonald’s so much that if they took the menu down folks would still know what to order. He gave this as a valid excuse as to why the employees have such funky attitudes when people act like they are indecisive at the counter. Godfrey went a bit too hard with his anti-church bits, considering we are in the bible belt and all, and went too long with his set in general. He is a pro and I hollered more than once. Can somebody identify the woman sitting at the second booth from the door? She laughed so loud, hard and long that I thought she was just going to start physically rolling and knock everybody on the row down like bowling pins. I might need her presence if I ever decide to take a stab at standup in a random amateur night setting. Godfrey’s opener Akeem Woods was great – even if a bit graphic – as well. I just hate that the show went so long. It might still be going on. I left at almost midnight and by the time I made it to Saturday Night Vibes at Lowes Lounge, they were making last call and Pokey Bear’s infidelity anthem “Side Piece” was blasting as folks made their way out the door. Good thing it goes down every first Saturday. That means I’ll be back next month to kick it with DJ Kut and company.

Kyjuan and Murphy Lee were the hosts with the absolute most @ their soul food vegan kickback catered by Seviin Li Saturday night

Tres and his parents celebrated the release of his new book two weeks ago @ Forest Park Golf House

Trennell and Danielle joined the masses who came to Stifel to check out An Evening of Soul two Sundays ago @ Stifel Theatre

It was a birthday ladies’ night out as Dwanyetta and Dani showed support for fellow Sagittarius Nichol @ House of Soul Saturday night

LaRonn, Onnie and Darrell were among the tastemakers @ Lemon Pepper Kickback recently @ The Metropolitan Building

Lisa and Cash enjoyed some of the best R&B has to offer @ An Evening of Soul last Sunday @ Stifel Theatre

Bisop V-Luv and Linda Robinson were doing their part to make sure guests had a memorable experience at Better Family Life’s Annual Unity Ball

Sherri Robbins and Veta Jeffries were African goddesses in the flesh at Better Family Life’s annual Unity Ball at the Airport Renaissance

Lisa West and her boo had a music filled date night @ An Evening of Soul

Brothers in bass Enoch Raavi and Teddy took a moment to bond at Enoch’s Untrapped set two weeks ago @ Sophie’s Artist Lounge

Grammy nominated rapper Smino made time to give back a day ahead of his sold-out 4th Annual Kribmas Concert with a special coat drive on Saturday at Clarity Salon. Rapper and poet Corey Black was among the many cultural influencers who came through.

Photos by V. Lang

New Year, New Career

Teaching

A view inside BJC Children’s Specialty Care Center

BJC HealthCare, learning to lead the world’s best medicine

Joi

Explore careers that make your world better

Deandre Hayes looks forward to going to work each morning at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, knowing he can make a difference for a child or family.

“I’m a people person,” he said. “In my job, I often have opportunities to say, ‘Good morning’ to families and ask how they’re doing. One of the best things about my job is being able to brighten someone’s day.” Hayes, who has worked at Children’s Hospital for five years as a floor tech on the environmental

services team, said he’s grown in his work, people and leadership skills since joining BJC HealthCare.

“I feel supported by my managers, who often share career and personal development opportunities,” Hayes

believes in and supports every student

My brother and I grew up on the west side of Chicago. We are ten months apart; we are so close in age that we were often mistaken as twins. We were raised by the same mom, lived in the same house, and attended the same schools.

Despite being extremely bright and well-mannered, as early as second grade, Nicholas was deemed a “problem child” and that label stuck. After graduating high school, Nicholas bounced between jobs, joined the military and even spent months in jail. When I was in kindergarten, I was labeled “gifted” and spent the rest of my elementary, middle, and high school years in advanced classes. I went on to graduate top of the class in high school with a full ride to a private college. So why were the paths of two black boys from the inner city so different?

I deeply believe it was because I was surrounded by a community of adults that unconditionally believed in me, held me to high expectations, and invested in me. They gave me access to be my best self.

Now as an adult, that’s why I work as a leader at KIPP. KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) is a national network of free public open-enrollment schools with a commitment to helping all kids climb the mountain to and through college. Here in St. Louis, KIPP operates six schools with more than 2,000

Five essentials to build a home office

Organizational tools and the right lighting are just a few things you need

Want to maximize your productivity when working in your home office? Here are five essentials to build out the space:

• A Solid Chair: Don’t shortchange yourself with the wrong chair. It’s the basis of your comfort, which is critical for putting in the hours needed for success. Look for an ergonomic desk chair offering lowback support and the ability to adjust height, seatback and arms so you can customize it for your needs. Spacepermitting, you may even add a small couch or armchair to use for inspira-

Photo by Deagreez / iStock via Getty Images Plus

Himanshu Kumawat

Joi Richardson

Teaching that transforms

The William L. Clay Sr. Early Childhood Development/ Parenting Education Center celebrates 10 years; looking for more educators

The William L. Clay Sr. Early Childhood Development and Parenting Education Center at Harris-Stowe State University celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this year.

Sited at the entrance to the University’s campus, the Clay Center, which is its common nickname, first opened its doors in 2009. The Early Childhood Center at HarrisStowe State University (HSSU) is a comprehensive childcare center for children six weeks to five years old.

Since that time, the facility has helped hundreds of families around the St. Louis region. The center is a safe, healthy and comprehensive child development facility providing fullday learning experiences.

The Center’s mission is to provide quality social and academic care to children.

According to Clay Center Director Dr. Jodi Jordan, “For years, our child care center has provided quality developmentally appropriate learning experiences for children from diverse families.”

Jordan said the Clay Center has evolved into a place where they engage parents by providing volunteer opportunities and educational programs that assist them with their children’s growth and development.

“We pride ourselves on being a place of quality and best practices for our students,” Jordan said.

The Clay Center serves as a laboratory school that allows HSSU early childhood majors and those seeking certification to teach in the field to engage in practicum hands-on experience right on the Harris-Stowe campus.

At the core of their work is also their focus on parent engagement and training.

According to Jordan, Dr. Patricia Johnson, the former director of the ECDC “saw a need for an early childhood education center in the community, which the HSSU campus met with creating the William Clay Sr. Early Childhood Education and Parent Learning Center.”

“I saw Dr. Johnson’s vision to create a state-of-the-art early childhood facility that would provide services to students, faculty, and the surrounding community,” Jordan said. “10 years ago, she could see people walking through the building; she had an intentional plan for the then-future center.”

One of the main goals for the ECDC was to engage parents through clear communication on how to be active in

their child’s education and the resources they have available to them.

“Dr. Johnson wanted parents to be involved, which is where the name comes from,” Jordan said.

One of Jordan’s main goals has been to upgrade the facility, which includes their new library.

“Our library is filled with age appropriate books and materials that teachers, students and parent that can use to promotes literacy and early reading skills,” Jordan said. “Teachers and parents can check out books to reinforce literacy and comprehensive lesson planning.”

The facility has advanced over the years, providing families with a quality education in partnership with the College of Education.

Dr. Quincy Rose, dean

of the College of Education, said, “It is exciting to see the evolution, growth and impact of the William L. Clay Early Childhood Center.”

In addition to the childcare services provided, the Center has placed an emphasis on professionally developing the faculty and staff by working with the College of Education.

“Steeped in the rich history of being a first class institution for preparing educators, HarrisStowe State University College of Education has had the opportunity to collaborate with the Early Childhood Center by providing clinical experiences for our emerging educators while also providing professional development to the current educators at the center.”

HSSU students studying early childhood education can gain experience at the Clay Center to give them a com-

The William L. Clay Sr. Early Childhood Development and Parenting Education Center at HarrisStowe State University celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this year.

children begin the early reading stages or expand upon their pre-existing reading skills. Each child learns at his or her own pace.

“We set academic goals for each level of development, and communicate with parents during quarterly parent teacher conferences that help reinforce learning goals at home.” The state-of-the-art childcare center consists of 10 classrooms, a nursing room, a computer lab, a gross motor skills room, a playground and various office spaces for faculty and staff. The space is still growing the facility in addition to its faculty and staff members.

petitive edge upon graduation. However, the main priority is ensuring the children cared for at the Clay Center get the tools they need to learn and grow.

“The ultimate goal has and will remain to provide world class service and education to our families while also engaging our students and preparing them to be lifelong learners and critical thinkers,” Rose said.

According to Jordan, the academic component in the curriculum at the Clay Center has also evolved to evaluate if children are academically, socially and emotionally ready for kindergarten.

“We have an academic component that sets our children apart, which prepares them to be accepted into some of the top schools in our area,” Jordan said.

Over the course of their time at the ECDC, pre-school aged

According to Jordan, the ECDC is looking for qualified, experienced educators to work at the center. The opportunity to start a rewarding career with the Clay Center will come with benefits, like taking up to six free HSSU credit hours per semester. The facility also provides discounts and financial programs to assist faculty, staff and students with child-care. Additional services provided include financial assistance programs, such as the Missouri State subsidy Program and the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program (CCAMPIS). CCAMPIS is a grant child-care access program for parents in school, which is awarded to a limited amount of students each academic year. For more information about the William L. Clay Sr. Early Childhood Development/ Parenting Education Center or to apply for a rewarding career in early childhood education, please visit www.hssu.edu.

IT skill-building program launches in St. Louis Promise Zone

Professional services company Accenture and the St. Louis Promise Zone, a federal program that advances economic activity and career mobility in high-poverty areas, launched a new program to help Promise Zone residents develop the skills they need to pursue the rapidly growing number of information technology (IT) jobs in the St. Louis area.

The program, “My Path, My Future,” will help individuals who work in at-risk jobs, or are unemployed and have few resources to build new skills to transition to new careers. According to recent research by the Brookings Institute, 45 percent of the tasks that people in St. Louis perform in their jobs have the potential of being automated, putting some jobs at risk.

Accenture will also bring its national apprenticeship program to St. Louis, offering individuals IT training and a pathway to employment with the company.

“Professional apprenticeships can play an important role in creating opportunities for individuals who might not otherwise have access to digital economy jobs, while helping to close the skills gap for employers,” said Julie Sweet, Accenture’s CEO – North America. “People are this city’s greatest source of competitive advantage, and together with the St. Louis Promise Zone and our skilling partners, we are helping make St. Louis, its people and its economy stronger.”

Program partners CyberUp, Family and Workforce Centers of America, LaunchCode, NPower, St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment

(SLATE), St. Louis County Human Services, and the State of Missouri, will provide participants with opportunities to develop technical skills, complemented by work-based learning opportunities or professional apprenticeships with local-area businesses. Lyft has also signed on to provide transportation for individuals participating in the program.

“This public-private partnership is designed to put families on a path toward

achieving economic success,” said Erica Henderson, executive director and vice president of community investment and real estate at the St. Louis Promise Zone. “The intentionality around equitable workforce opportunities and expanding access to education, training and employment in the Promise Zone footprint is critical to transforming our region and having a substantive, generational and economic impact.”

The My Path, My Future program began recruiting its first cohort in March, with the intent of placing individuals into training programs during the summer and with prospective employers by the end of the year.

“The availability of technology roles in St. Louis will continue to grow, and it’s important for employers to make these jobs more accessible to wider pools of talent,” said Michael Gallagher, man-

aging director of Accenture’s St. Louis office. “We look forward to welcoming our first cohort of apprentices to Accenture and seeing the impact they make on our business.”

St. Louis joins Accenture’s growing national apprentice program, which is currently offered in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Detroit, San Antonio, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. The national program will

Helping those working in law

Booker Shaw, a partner at Thompson Coburn, shares thoughts with Deanna Davise of the Byran Cave Law Firm during the Summer Associates Luncheon at the Missouri Athletic Club on July 11. The Young Lawyers Division of the Bar Association of Metropolitian St. Louis sponsors the luncheon, helping those interested in or working in law to advance in social interaction, career advancement, public service, and leadership training.

have 450 apprentices trained by the end of 2019. The federal St. Louis Promise Zone encompasses portions of St. Louis City and St. Louis County, and partners with local leaders to give designated communities proven tools to rebuild, increase economic activity and job opportunities, improve health and wellness, educational outcomes and reduce serious crime.

Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

Program aims to help Missourians go back to college

By Marissanne LewisThompson St Louis Public Radio

Missouri is joining 20 other states in a nationwide initiative to attract students who’ve put a hold on their college education back in the classroom.

Degrees When Due, a program of the Institute for Higher Education Policy, offers colleges and universities tools to work with students who hit pause on their higher education.

In Missouri, more than 75,000 people have two years’ worth of college credits under their belts but don’t have a degree. Officials with the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development hope the initiative will change that.

Angelette Prichett is the director of academic affairs with the department. She said there are a multitude of reasons why some students don’t finish their education, including cost and timing. Prichett said the initiative allows those students to finish what they’ve started.

“They don’t realize how close they are to actually completing a degree or credential,”

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tion breaks or as an auxiliary workstation for when using a laptop.

she said. “And so this really allows the opportunity for them to say, ‘Hey, you know what? We saw that you were very close to finishing but only have a couple of courses left,’

or maybe you’re completely finished and they just aren’t aware.”

Colleges and universities will have access to an interactive online tool and live coach-

ing to train those working in the registrar’s office or any other student services offices on how to reach out to and identify students who are near the finish line get their degree.

The Institute for Higher Education Policy’s Degrees When Due program aims to work with the more than 75,000 Missourians who have college credits under their belt but not yet a degree.

“This would enable institutions to really have a means for kind of looking from the technical side; how can we reach out to those students?”

Prichett said. “How can we

find those students? And how can we get those students back in our doors, so that they’re able to complete their degrees in a timely manner?”

Many jobs require the completion of a degree or certain credentials to move up the ladder in their career fields.

“Be it a certificate, be it an associate degree, be it a bachelor’s degree — this is really a way of ensuring that students are able to complete and really be able to take advantage of all of the advantages a degree or credential can provide,” she said. In addition, Prichett said, having a more educated workforce will benefit the state as a whole.

Nineteen Missouri universities and colleges are participating, including the University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Charles Community College and Harris-Stowe State University.

Follow Marissanne on Twitter: @Marissanne2011

Send questions and comments about this story to feedback@stlpublicradio. org Published with permission

• Organizational Tools: Use tools and supplies needed to have all your ducks in a row when it comes time visit your

• A Convertible Desk: Standing desks are all the rage these days and with good reason. Studies show that it’s healthy to stand more and sit less. For a modest price, an add-on can be applied to your current desk that allows you to transition to standing as needed.

accountant. Small business owners and freelancers can especially benefit from a printing calculator, which is made to rest on a desk. This particular model has a big easy-to-read display and two-color printing. You’ll also want to have a stapler and filing cabinet handy so that after printing records, you can collate and file documents away in an organized fashion,

keeping your surfaces and workspaces clutter-free.

• The Right Lighting: Nothing beats natural light, so if it all possible, situate your desk near a window that offers ample sun. Harsh lighting can be de-motivating but task lighting is essential. Look for options that offer various brightness settings so you can

adjust throughout the day.

• Data Protection: While a paper shredder and locking filing cabinet will protect potentially sensitive physical records, you’ll also want to invest in some electronic data protection. Many services offer lower rates to small businesses that include comprehensive protection services. While this can seem like a dubious expense, it is well worth the cost. Just be sure to research your options and stick with a reputable company for your cybersecurity needs.

Whether you’re starting a business from scratch or simply want to update your existing home office, selecting the right tools will help you stay better organized.

Illustration by Rici Hoffarth/St Louis Public Radio

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employees looking to advance:

• The BJC Institute for Learning and Development (BILD) offers free courses to help develop functional, communication and leadership skills.

• The Career Services Center helps team members identify ways to grow in their current role or train for a new position at BJC. Assessments and one-on-one counseling help guide employees’ career plans.

• The BJC Tuition Assistance Program provides financial assistance for benefits-eligible employees pursuing continuing education or certifications.

Hayes is confident that his leaders will help him achieve his goals, and he has encouraged family members and friends to explore career opportunities at Children’s Hospital and across BJC.

“It’s a friendly place,” he said. “People care about each other — it’s a good environment.”

If you’re interested in growing your career and skills alongside BJC team members like Hayes, visit BJC.org/Careers.

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students in grades K-10.

At KIPP, we have high expectation for all kids. All students, starting in Kindergarten, are put on the

New Year, New Career

Early College Academy program receives grant

in grants to 21

that will help advance economic mobility for individuals and families to put them on a path toward success. The grants focus on needs related to workforce development and education that help individuals chart a path to better economic futures, as well as basic needs fundamental to building lifelong stability.

path to college. Each class is named after the year that they will graduate high school and go to college. Each child’s homeroom is named after their teacher’s alma mater.

If a student is struggling, academically or socialemotionally, we have a team of social workers and learning

support teachers that work to ensure that students aren’t detoured from their path to college.

At KIPP, we also want our students to be well-rounded leaders of their community and we know we must extend learning beyond the four walls of the school. That’s

why we invest in field lessons, college visits, extracurricular activities and community engagement.

At KIPP, our support doesn’t end the day of high school graduation. Our KIPP Through College program not only helps students secure scholarships, and apply for

college, they also support our students currently in college to ensure that they successfully complete attain their degree.

As a leader at KIPP, I know that my role as an educator is not only to teach content but also to use my experiences to mentor and

guide our students; to believe in them unwaveringly. It is my responsibility, and the responsibility of everyone who works at KIPP, to create schools where ALL students - even students like Nicholascould thrive.

The Early College Academy program, as part of the St. Louis Public Schools Foundation, was selected as a grant recipient by the Bank of America on July 9. On hand to accept the award (L-R):Michael Whitley, development director, St. Louis Public Schools Foundation, Al Hrabosky, former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher, Ryonnel Jackson, director, Volunteer & Mentoring Services, Saint Louis Public Schools and Thomas Taylor, vice president, the Private Bank at Bank of America. Bank of America announced $480,000

St. Louis nonprofits

Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

New Year, New Career

BJC HealthCare team members learn to lead the world’s best medicine

If you asked Joi Richardson for career advice, she’d say, “Begin with the end in mind.”

She explained: “Where do you see yourself down the road? Where do you see yourself in five, 10 or even 20 years from now? What do you want to do — and how will you get there?” Richardson speaks from experience. She holds a doctorate degree in physical therapy with more than 13 years of experience, primarily working with critically ill patients in the intensive care units (ICU) at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. She recently was promoted from a staff physical therapist to rehabilitation

n Richardson learned about BILD from her supervisor, as they talked about her career development.

supervisor at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. She said she’s received ongoing support, encouragement and career advancement opportunities throughout her four years with Barnes-Jewish Hospital and BJC HealthCare. She’s participated in several educational programs through the BJC Institute for Learning and Development (BILD), which offers free courses to help employees develop functional, communication and leadership skills. Richardson learned about BILD from her supervisor, as they talked about her career

development. She then met one-on-one with a career counselor from BILD’s Career Services Center to chart her path. The center helps BJC team members identify ways to grow in their current role or train for a new position at BJC. Career assessments also help guide employees’ career plans.

Joi Richardson Himanshu Kumawat

Most recently, Richardson participated in the Aspiring Leaders Program offered through BILD. The program prepares participants to lead others in a diverse organization of employees from different

backgrounds, experiences and beliefs to create a more innovative and inclusive environment.

Himanshu Kumawat, a BarnesJewish respiratory therapy employee for the past seven years, also participated in the aspiring leaders program. He recently was promoted from a clinical instructor in respiratory therapy to the department’s program lead for education.

He, too, said he’s received a great deal of support from his leaders in advancing his career. In fact, Kumawat said that support began even before he was hired by Barnes-Jewish. While

still in school, he completed his clinical requirements at the hospital and appreciates the way hospital leaders worked with his professors to ensure he had a positive experience.

He’s currently working on his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree through BILD, thanks to the BJC Tuition Assistance Program, which provides financial assistance for benefits-eligible employees pursuing continuing education or certifications. The benefit eases the financial burden that many students face in pursuing their education.

“My supervisors and leaders have always supported me and encouraged me to do more,” he said. “I plan to advance my career in management, so I’ll finish my MBA

and see where it goes.” Richardson, too, is excited about her future at BarnesJewish and BJC. “My immediate goal it to maximize this role, learn something new every day and offer good support to all of my team members,” she said. “I think leadership is the path for me.” Like Kumawat, she’s grateful for the help she’s received along her career path. “It takes a village,” she said. “My leaders are very supportive and provided valuable opportunities. I just ran with it.”

If you’re interested in growing your career and skills alongside BJC team members like Richardson and Kumawat, visit BJC.org/ Careers.

Businesses see opportunity in Missouri’s medical cannabis industry

By David Kovaluk and Eric Schmid St. Louis Public Radio

Local companies see business opportunities as medical cannabis sales begin in Missouri in 2020. They’re not the companies that have applied for one of the initial licenses from the state but those that may offer services to those eventual license holders.

“A lot of people focus too much on the dispensaries, cultivators and manufacturers, when there are so many other opportunities out there as well,” said Alexander Ivy, vice president and director of accounts for Peacemaker Defense Group.

Peacemaker is a St. Louisbased security company that offers transportation and event security and helps develop security strategy, Ivy said. Soon the company will offer services to clients who want to break into the new medical cannabis industry in Missouri. It’s a move the company was uncomfortable with at first because of its current state and federal contracts, Ivy said. But Peacemaker changed course after existing clients started to ask if the company would be involved in the cannabis industry.

“Their requests for us to help protect their facilities was a no-brainer for us,” Ivy said. Other companies also found

the shift easy to make.

“It was a smooth transition,” said Lewis Marty, Simploy business development liaison. “The solutions that we’re going to provide, they’re identical to the solutions we already provide, whether the client is a hotel, a restaurant or a law firm.”

Simploy handles human resources, payroll and government compliance for companies. Dispensaries and cultivators will have to address these issues, as every company does, Marty said. Simploy established Hemploy to provide services for just for those in the medical cannabis space.

“We’re playing the same

set list in a different town,” he said.

The allure is clear for many businesses. Missouri will approve 192 dispensary licenses, 60 cultivation center licenses, 84 marijuana infuser licenses and 10 testing licenses by the end of January. That’s hundreds of potential new clients.

Shifting into the medical cannabis space is not entirely about profits. Janette Hamilton, nursing director at Excelcare Home Health Services, saw medical cannabis as another option for clients. Her company has provided home health care in St. Louis and surrounding communities for two decades.

“A lot of the people that

we serve are a lot of seniors and people with chronic diseases and chronic pain,” she said. “Especially with all of the opioid epidemic that’s out there, [medical cannabis] just seemed like a way to have an alternative for pain management.”

Engaging with medical cannabis was not always something Hamilton thought she would do, she said. But after her sister-in-law was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, she got curious.

“We did not receive the optimum outcomes that we were looking for,” Hamilton said. “We started looking for alternatives.” She did research and found

anecdotal accounts of people having a better quality of life using medical cannabis. Now Hamilton wants to extend that opportunity to her clients.

“People want a choice, and finally there is an alternative to traditional pharmaceuticals,” she said.

Eric Schmid covers the Metro East for St. Louis Public Radio as part of the journalism grant program Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project. Follow Eric on Twitter: @ EricDSchmid Send questions and comments about this article to: feedback@stlpublicradio. org. Reprinted with permission.

For U.S. workers, living expenses continue to generally outpace pay increases, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, a recent study by Randstad US and Apartment Guide found that 44 percent of employed Americans say their annual residential expenses (rent, mortgage, utilities, household maintenance, etc.) increase more than their salary does each year — and 37 percent of house, room and apartment renters claim the cost of their home is too high when compared to their income. This has resulted in long commutes, as well as a need to supplement expenses by taking on side gigs and seeking out roommates.

“The general rule of thumb is to spend less than 30 percent of your gross income on rent. Depending on your income level, this might not be possible in some desirable urban neighborhoods without making other lifestyle sacrifices. Be realistic in your housing selection and your salary will go much further,” said Emily Williams, senior data analyst for Apartment Guide. On the other hand, if all this sounds familiar, it may be time to ask for a raise.

Based on the research, here are five clear signs that it could be time to ask for a raise:

1. You can’t afford a home with your current income. Twenty-six percent of workers currently rent, but plan to purchase a home when they get a raise at work.

Five signs it’s time to ask for a raise (if you deserve one)

2. You have a long commute to save on living costs. Twenty-four percent say they live far from their jobs because they can’t afford to live nearby. 3. You have more than one job. Twenty-eight percent say they have more than one job to supplement their living expenses.

4. You have multiple roommates. Twenty-one percent say they need more than one roommate to afford their current rent or mortgage.

5. You’re willing to relocate for a better opportunity. Fifty-six percent say they would move out of state for a better job opportunity.

Of course, needing a raise and deserving a raise are two very different things. In fact, the experts at Randstad US don’t actually recommend that you use any of these points to make the case for a raise with

Career training for Cahokia High juniors

Mi’Lan School of Cosmetology and Cahokia High School, District 187 in Illinois now offer a two-year, part-time cosmetology program for local juniors. The program began in September.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for high school students to learn a licensed skill prior to graduation,” said Sean Haire, president of Mi’Lan School of Cosmetology.

The comprehensive 1,500hour program covers the theory and practical experience that students will need to pass the Illinois licensing exams. It includes lecture, demonstration and hands-on application of skills/techniques. Styling, hair care, perms, cutting, coloring, waxing and facials as well as manicures and pedicures are covered in the course of study. District 187 covers the accepted students’ tuition, books, toolkits, supplies and the price to take the state exam. Classes are held at Mi’Lan

School of Cosmetology in Belleville, Illinois. Students applying for acceptance into the program must complete an application, with references; have a grade point average of 2.0 or higher; with attendance at 70 percent or higher. Additionally, applicants must write a one page essay. For more information, contact Cahokia High School at 618-332-3730.

your boss. Instead, focus on your achievements and the value you bring to your company. Here are a few tips to help you get a fair rate based on your level of experience:

• Quantify your value. Think of “value” not only in terms of tasks completed or sales made, but also things like effective management,

team building and timeliness.

• Know your worth. To learn more about your earning power, check out Randstad’s online salary center, available at randstadusa.com/salary.

• Build (and present) your case. Don’t forget to share your vision on how you’ll continue contributing to the company’s future success.

“When it comes to salary negotiation, you need a strategy. Prepare ahead, think through tough questions your boss may have for you, and, most importantly, come with a number that you’re happy to walk away with,” said Jodi Chavez, group president of Randstad Professionals, Life Sciences and Tatum.