December 22nd, 2022 edition

SThet. LouiS AmericAn

Johnson’s fate lies with Judge David Mason

Startling testimony throughout hearings

By Danny Wicentowski

Louis Public Radio

prosecutors argued that Lamar Johnson, who was convicted of murder in 1995, is actually innocent. The hearings have come to an end, and they were

Yule! Be happy

St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus members Michelle Byrd and Alexandar Johnson sing “What Child Is This?” during the annual A Gospel Christmas concert on Thursday, Dec.15, 2022, at Powell Symphony Hall.

Lamar Johnson (second from left),

Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner (in a mask), and Johnson’s lawyers prepare for testimony on Dec. 12 at the start of his wrongful conviction hearing in St. Louis.

Mizzou backs out as sponsor

By Alvin A. Reid

St. Louis American

The often-choppy waters dividing public schools and charter schools in St. Louis have temporarily been bridged at a confluence.

The St. Louis Public Schools Board of Education, with retiring Superintendent Kelvin Adams’ support, on Dec. 13, 2022, approved an agreement to serve as charter sponsor for Confluence Academies for four years, beginning July 1, 2023. The University of Missouri – Columbia slammed the school door on its support for all charters permanently, the educational fate

n “Our mission is to give the children of St. Louis, all children of St. Louis, the best education possible.”

– Matt Davis, SLPS board chair

of more than 2,400 Confluence students was unknown. While it is governed by an independent board, and not the elected SLPS board, it is required by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to have a sponsor. DESE must also approve the SLPS/

Confluence agreement.

“Over the years, SLPS has maintained dialogue with Confluence leaders in the interest of ensuring a quality education across for all school-aged children in the City of St. Louis,” Adams said.

“Confluence leaders have been at the table for discussions on a Citywide Plan for Education. When leaders of the University of Missouri – Columbia announced it would not be sponsoring any charter schools going forward, it gave Confluence and SLPS leaders an opportunity to strengthen our partnership with SLPS assuming the remaining four years of that five-year sponsorship agreement.”

Confluence’s board approved the SLPS sponsorship last week.

“After reviewing several sponsorship opportunities, we believe that the Saint Louis

FBI: Hate crimes soar in Missouri

Bell says state law part of problem

St. Louis American staff

Donald Trump’s presidency and the hate mongering his administration invited into mainstream America certainly has played a role in the number of hate crimes throughout the nation.

The FBI has released 2021 statistics about bias-motivated incidents throughout the nation, including information about the offenses, victims, offenders, and locations of hate crimes.

Law enforcement agencies submitted incident reports involving 7,262 criminal incidents and 8,673 related offenses as being motivated by bias toward race, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, and gender identity.

Hate crimes seem to have found a home in Missouri, with the FBI reporting a 70% increase in this state.

See FBI, A6

A New Hero

Kehinde Wiley

‘Rumors of War’ part of Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood

By Danielle Brown St. Louis American

Jeff-Vander-Lou residents have seen a representative of the Confederacy replaced with a new Black hero.

The “Rumors of War” sculpture is now located on North Jefferson Avenue near Martin Luther King Boulevard, and it replaces one of Confederate States Army General J.E.B. Stuart that stood at the north St. Louis location

Kehinde Wiley, an internationally-acclaimed African American visual artist, created the sculpture. It features a Black male fashioned in a hoodie, blue jeans, high-top sneakers, and dreadlocks. It is one of See WILEY, A6

St.

The

Doorways President and CEO Opal M. Jones stands in front of the sculpture created by Kehinde Wiley, an internationally-acclaimed African American visual artist.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Photo by David Carson / Pool photo

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Stephen “tWitch” Boss, professional dancer, choreographer, ‘Ellen DJ’ dies at 40

Stephen “tWitch” Boss, hip-hop dancer, choreographer, actor, television producer and personality, and DJ died on Dec. 13. tWitch, known for DJing “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and for winning runner up on “So You Think You Can Dance” died by suicide. He was 40. Ellen DeGeneres paid tribute to her late friend and former employee in an Instagram post.

“I’m heartbroken,” Ellen wrote. “tWitch was pure love and light. He was my family, and I loved him with all my heart. I will miss him. Please send your love and support to Allison and his beautiful children - Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia.”

tWitch’s wife Allison Holker told TMZ, her husband lit up every room he walked in and that he strongly valued his family, friends and community.“He was the backbone of our family, the best husband and father, and an inspiration to his fans. To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his posi tive impact will continue to be felt. I am certain there won’t be a day

that goes by that we won’t honor his memory.” she said. tWitch became a guest DJ on Ellen in 2014 and remained on the show until it ended in May 2022. He was promoted to executive producer in 2020. His big break in entertainment came in 2008 after winning second place on “SYTYCD.” He’s also had several acting gigs, featuring him dancing. He played Jason in the “Step Up” movie franchises and starred in “Magic Mike XXL.” He’s had his hand in hosting several reality shows including “The Real Dirty Dancing” and “Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings” with his wife. tWitch and Holker met on the set of “SYTYCD” all-star season, while both were competing. They married in 2013 and share three children. They just celebrated their 9-year anniversary on Dec. 10.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for more information.

GloRilla explains $550 weekly salary attached to personal assistant position

If you’re a GloRilla fan and aspire to work for the platinum-selling emcee she’s currently hiring a personal assistant. While the position sounds fun,

it does require a lot of responsibility. For $550 a week, the chosen applicant will assist the rapper in managing her calendar, arranging meals, travel accommodations, and other daily tasks fit for a mega superstar.

To say the least, many people are disgusted with the salary GloRilla will provide her assistant.

On a recent Instagram Live, GloRilla addressed the concerns and explained the job includes paid expenses, in addition to the weekly salary.

“First of all, your flights get paid for, your flights and your travel,” she explained. “If you want a higher pay, then pay for your own flights and your own travel and see how much them 500-dollar-ass flight tickets be. … I take flights every day.”

She continued and assures the role is the easiest job in the world.

“Half the [expletive] on that list you don’t gotta do for real,” she said. “It’s just, if it comes down to it you might have to do it. But it’s literally the easiest [expletive] in the world. You really don’t gotta do [expletive] but be with me every day.”

Gunna released from prison, enters guilty plea to gang-related RICO charges

Following his release from prison, Gunna has pleaded guilty to gang-related RICO charges.

Yet, despite his admission of guilt, Gunna’s lawyer says he maintains his innocence.

Gunna, born Sergio Kitchens, was one of 28 people connected to Atlanta-based record label YSL who were arrested in May.

YSL’s founder Young Thug is accused of criminal gang activity and set to have a trial next month.

Defense Attorney Steve Sadow released a statement on behalf of Gunna explaining why he agreed to an Alford plea.

Defendants are allowed to enter a guilty plea in avoidance of trial under US law, stating they will receive stricter sentencing- even if they don’t acknowledge the crime cited against them.

Gunna, who was in an Atlanta jail, says he hasn’t made an agreement with prosecutors or provided evidence against others involved in the case.

“[I] have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way,” he says.

Gunna joined YSL in 2016 and says he didn’t view it as a gang.

He says he thought it was a collective of people from metro Atlanta with similar interests and creative dreams.

Sadow said Gunna received a four-year suspended sentence and is forbidden from communication with co-defendants - unless it’s through his lawyers or record label. He also is directed to complete 500 hours of community service. Part of his community service includes talking to youth about the dangers of gangs.

Sources: TMZ, Instagram, BBC, Complex

“We’ve

- Rep. Bennie Thompson, Jan. 6 Committee chair, on why Donald Trump should be indicted ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • DECEMBER 22 - 29, 2022

In Unison Chorus founder Dr. Robert Ray passes at 76

St. Louis American staff

Dr. Robert Ray, founder of the Saint Louis Symphony’s IN UNISON Chorus and the director from its inception in 1994 to 2010, passed away on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022. He was 76. SLSO and the IN UNISON Chorus would perform “A Gospel Christmas” at Powell Symphony Hall the evening of Ray’s death.

Dr. Ray worked with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO), as both Saint Louis Symphony Chorus assistant, and later as In Unison director, for a total of 25 years.

St. Louis American classical music writer Chris King described Dr. Ray as “a legacy figure who defined and embodied the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s IN UNISON Chorus and its annual Gospel Christmas program” during his tenure.

been pioneering and inspirational.

After 15 years at its helm, Robert [left] a huge mark of accomplishment and reservoir of pride for a very unique aspect of this orchestra’s relationship with its community, one that could not have been imagined without Robert.”

Ray was already serving as an assistant to then-Director of the Saint Louis Symphony Chorus, the late Thomas Peck. Ray was asked to put together a chorus to sing Peterson’s work at Powell Hall.

n After 15 years at its helm, Robert [left] a huge mark of accomplishment and reservoir of pride for a very unique aspect of this orchestra’s relationship with its community, one that could not have been imagined without Robert.

- Former SLSO President and Executive Director Fred Bronstein

At the time of his retirement from the Saint Louis Symphony in 2010, SLSO President and Executive Director Fred Bronstein said, “The community engagement programs of the SLSO have for more than 20 years served as a model for others, and no one has represented the vibrancy and commitment of those programs with more efficacy than Robert Ray.

“Robert’s work with the SLSO has

“It was a combination of African-American members of the community and members of the Symphony Chorus. We nurtured and grew the chorus after the initial performance. It was so successful we were asked to form an official In Unison Chorus. And now it’s a model program for orchestras all over the world,” Ray said.

Upon Ray’s retirement from the orchestra in 2010, former SLSO Music Director David Robertson said, “One of my great experiences came this season when the Saint Louis Symphony Chorus and the In Unison Chorus were on the Powell Hall stage together for the first time ever, performing Tippett’s ‘A Child of Our Time.’”

“The two choruses together embodied what so much of that piece is

about—that if we focus on what unites us as human beings, rather than our differences, we may not only dream of, but attain a better world. Robert Ray’s leadership throughout the life of the In Unison Chorus has always been about that dream, strived for through artistry and impeccable musicianship. He’s been a great asset to the Orchestra and I treasure the work we’ve done together.”

Dr. Ray was a graduate of St. Louis Public Schools. He attended Northwestern University, where he received his Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance.

For 12 years, he served as accompanist-coach for the string department at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. While there, he also organized the Black Student Chorus and prepared them for performances

with such artists as Ossie Davis, Max Roach, James Cleveland, and Edwin Hawkins.

Ray has appeared as piano soloist with the Kirkwood Symphony, the Northwestern University Orchestra, the Champaign-Urbana Symphony, and the Seoul (Korea) Philharmonic. He was an Associate Professor of Music at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and directed their University Community Chorus.

Ray served as the Repertoire and Standards Chair for Ethnic Music and Multi-Cultural Prospectives for the American Choral Directors Association (Southwestern Division) and appeared as a lecturer and clinician at numerous universities and colleges, as well as MENC, ACDA, and IAJA conventions. He was composer of Gospel Mass and other works published by

Hal Leonard.

SLSO President and CEO of Marie-Hélène Bernard upon hearing of Dr. Ray’s passing stated, “His masterful music filled many spaces, from local churches all the way to Carnegie Hall. Many of his compositions blended elements of music from the African diaspora with traditional classical forms, resulting in pieces with a singular voice. The SLSO and IN UNISON Chorus have performed selections from Dr. Ray’s Gospel Mass many times since its SLSO premiere in December 1996.”

The St. Louis community will miss Dr. Robert Ray, but will continue to honor and remember his great musical contributions and inspiration to music lovers in the region and at large.

We’re working hard to help even more customers get connected to the energy assistance they need. That’s why we offer multiple programs and services, including several with expanded eligibility criteria.

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Photo by Wiley Price I St. Louis American

Dr. Robert Ray was founder of the Saint Louis Symphony’s IN UNISON Chorus and the director from its inception in 1994 to 2010.

Editorial/Commentary

Guest Editorial

Both of our communities today increasingly are the targets of violent hatred, ignorant stereotypes, and a demonic supremacist ideology. Racism and antisemitism are twin evils that cannot be ignored or trivialized.

Reaffirming solidarity of Blacks and Jews in America

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.

I will not be silent on the issues of racial hatred, violence, and prejudice. I am speaking out publicly in support of the recent call by billionaire African American business leader and philanthropist, Robert F. Smith, to stand up against the resurgence of racism and antisemitism in America.

Blacks and Jews in the United States have had a long history and tradition of working together and sacrificing together for freedom, justice, equality and equity. Lest we forget that we have marched together for over a century. We have shared blood together. And we have died together for the cause of freedom in the Civil Rights Movement.

Both of our communities today increasingly are the targets of violent hatred, ignorant stereotypes, and a demonic supremacist ideology. Racism and antisemitism are twin evils that cannot be ignored or trivialized.

In a recent full page paid advertisement in The New York Times, Smith affirmed, “At a time when racism and antisemitism are on the rise, I am determined to partner with leaders from all faiths to recognize ‘Fifteen Days of Light’. We are unifying to celebrate Chanukah and Kwanzaa together, and encourage communities nationwide to join us in our support for one another.”

Jewish leaders like Arnold Aronson of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights that supported Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the NAACP, and other civil rights organizations at the March on Washington.

That day I also remember hearing from a dynamic young freedom fighter named John Lewis who emphasized the urgency for racial equality. Then there was a young Jewish folk singer named Bob Dylan who performed at the March a haunting song he wrote about the tragic assassination of civil rights leader Medgar Evers in Mississippi.

On that sunny day in August of 1963 in Washington there were other freedom movement speakers that included a number of prominent Jewish voices from across the country, including the outspoken Rabbi Joachim Prinz, who spoke about “the shame and disgrace of inequality and injustice” facing the Black community.

“Fifteen Days of Light” is a timely national opportunity to do what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. prophetically defined as the development and establishment of a “Beloved Community.” Dr. King envisioned that this would be a nationwide multiracial community where there would be no racism, no antisemitism, and no hatred toward anyone. All people, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or faith would live together with mutual respect and unconditional love for all.

As we prepare to go into 2023, disunity between Blacks and Jews is ahistorical and counterproductive. We cannot afford to be nonchalant or indifferent. Smith’s statement to encourage participation in acts of remembrance across the nation celebrating both Chanukah and Kwanzaa together over a 15-day period this month reminded me of the need to reaffirm the solidarity between Blacks and Jews.

I attended the historic 1963 March on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his eloquent and transcendent “I Have a Dream” speech. I recall the strong advocacy from

There

By Kelvin Adams

Later that year in November 1963

Dr. King joined with theologian Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel at the United Synagogue of America’s Golden Jubilee Convention in New York City. King and Heschel pledged to work together to end racism and antisemitism. In 1965 when Dr. King, John Lewis, Hosea Williams and other civil rights leaders marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, the historic Selma to Montgomery March, for voting rights, Rabbi Heschel was there marching shoulder to shoulder in solidarity. According to recent national law enforcement data, today there has been an unprecedented increase in hate crimes targeted against Black and Jewish communities. According to the Anti-Defamation League, 2021 was the highest year on record for documented reports of harassment, vandalism and violence directed against Jews since the organization began tracking incidents in 1979.Thus far in 2022 the incidents of antisemitism have not declined but have steadily increased.

The call to action is: “Join us this holiday season at public events from Los Angeles to New York, or in your own home, to light the Eight Nights of the Chanukah Menorah followed immediately by the Seven Nights of Kwanzaa and the Kinara. Post your own photos of Black and Jewish friends, neighbors and colleagues coming together to #lightthecandles.”

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) president and CEO.

is still much work to do!

Yes, it is true that I will no longer be the Superintendent of the Saint Louis Public Schools (SLPS) at the end of December. No, I am not finished with my work for the young people of St. Louis. The opportunity to serve as superintendent of Saint Louis Public Schools has been a unique blessing for the past 14 years. The challenge for me to use my time and talents to improve the lives of thousands and thousands of children was the driving force for the work. With the tremendous help of parents, teachers, Saint Louis Public School employees, Board members, unions, and the community at large, we have made a difference. However, there is still much to be done.

Together, we placed a priority on early childhood education and more than doubled the number of seats for pre-kindergarten children in the city. We passed two bond issues and a tax levy that have and will provide facility upgrades, technology advancements and increased safety and security systems. However, there is still much to be done.

Thanks to the extremely hard work of dedicated teachers and

committed students and parents, we did what many thought could never be done: SLPS regaining Full Accreditation. However, there is still much to be done. Under the guidance of the Special Administrative Board and later the Board of Education of the City of St. Louis, we erased a $60 million deficit and now have an appropriate fund balance. Our teachers’ pay is more than competitive and our starting salaries are among the highest in the region. However, there is still much to be done. We built relationships between St. Louis’ business community and our schools that didn’t just provide support to buildings. They were not just volunteers. They became a part of the SLPS family that is now part of our foundation. However, there is still much work to be done.

While we celebrate the SLPS successes, we must also

Far-right school board candidates remain a threat

By Ben Jealous

In August, I wrote that getting “back-to-school” this year would also mean getting back to fighting far-right attacks on education. The threats included a rising number of efforts to ban books, and the Right’s efforts to take over local school boards.

So how did the Right do in this fall’s school board elections? Well, as in Congress, there was no conservative “Red Wave.” However, the Right did score just enough wins to keep coming back. And the groups behind those wins are promising to do just that.

In the Rockwood School District in suburban St. Louis, a trio of far-right school board members comprise the body’s majority dating back to last year. They support Missouri’s right-wing backed book bans and have recently used their power to eliminate several programs, including those designed to help Black students – many of which are voluntary transfer students from the city of St. Louis – or increase diversity in the district.

According to news reports, about half the candidates endorsed by one national group, Moms for Liberty, and a third of those endorsed by another, the conservative 1776 Project PAC, won in November.

Earlier this year Moms for Liberty racked up notable wins in their home state of Florida, where extremist Gov. Ron DeSantis gave them a boost; and in addition to tak-

ing over some school boards in their home state, they took over some boards in a few districts in South Carolina.

Their strategy was to try for a repeat performance of the Virginia election in 2021, where Republican Glenn Youngkin won the governor’s race on a similar cynical “parental rights” platform.

The platform is code for highlighting culture war battles over issues like COVID mask and vaccine policies, “critical race theory,” and anti-LGBTQ activism. Let’s be clear, despite the marketing behind this movement, it doesn’t represent the views of many parents. And if the Far Right doesn’t

n We want schools where history lessons are not whitewashed to hide harsh realities about our nation’s troubled past. As a parent, I don’t want my children lied to in school.

have innovative ideas, it has plenty of money. The 1776 Project spent almost $2.8 million on ads and other campaign material for candidates. In Texas, a right-wing cellphone company called Patriot Mobile spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to help right-wing candidates in several school districts and called it “just the beginning.”

In the end, this campaign strategy was not the universally successful formula the Right hoped it would be. For starters, the so-called “parental rights” groups don’t speak for all par-

Letter to the editor

We want to hear from you

As the region’s leading media source for the African-American community, at The St. Louis American we want to hear from you.

To send a Letter to the Editor, please send to: editor@stlamerican.com. To submit a free People on the Move listing in our Business section, please send photo and write up to: kjones@ stlamerican.com.

acknowledge the dark days and dedicate ourselves to doing better in the future.

Too many young people are experiencing trauma on an almost daily basis. What can the community commit to do to solve this crisis?

Too many schools have had to close, resulting in educational chaos for students and parents. We must get better at working together to prevent these closures. The City-Wide Plan is an opportunity for reducing the chaos.

As I pass the baton of leadership on to the next superintendent, I make this commitment to all of you. I will continue in some small way to work for young people, whether here in St. Louis or elsewhere. The work started together is not complete. There is still much to be done.

Words truly cannot express how thankful I am to St. Louis for welcoming me into this community just over 14 years ago and supporting SLPS throughout my tenure as superintendent. It has been by pleasure!

I will see you around.

Kelvin Adams is retiring on Dec. 31, 2022, after serving as St. Louis Public Schools superintendent for 14 years.

ents – especially Black and brown parents. In many places, parents and teachers worked together to push back against ultraconservative takeover attempts. Winning candidates endorsed by Moms for Liberty and the 1776 Project were in the few hundreds, far fewer than the thousands endorsed by the National Education Association – of which more than 70 percent won their races. This time.

I’m an optimist at heart, and it gives me hope to see that the dishonest and damaging drive to take over school boards did not sweep the nation. It is exceptionally good to know that enough parents, teachers – and students – spoke out to prevent that from happening. We want schools where all kids can flourish. We want schools where history lessons are not whitewashed to hide harsh realities about our nation’s troubled past. As a parent, I don’t want my children lied to in school. That won’t help them succeed in school or in life. As a lifelong student of history, I know that we can’t understand our present reality or begin to shape a more inclusive future without being grounded in the complexity of our past. So, we need to stay alert to the Right’s efforts to get control of school boards, because they’ll be back. We who care about honest teaching and inclusive public schools should go to school board meetings. We should pay attention to school board races and candidates. And if we can, we should run for the school board ourselves. Our kids’ educations, and their futures, depend on it.

Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way

All letters are edited for length and style

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Guest Columnist Kelvin Adams

Columnist Ben Jealous

Guest Columnist

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.

National Football Hall of Fame member Kurt

life through first-time home ownership.

Kurt Warner comes through for U. City single parent

St. Louis American staff

A St. Louis sports legend helped make a house a home for a single parent of two who just bought her first home.

Super Bowl champion and former St. Louis Rams Quarterback Kurt Warner’s First Things First Foundation teamed up with U-Haul, Habitat for Humanity and Aaron’s Inc. to reward a first-time homebuyer with a house filled with $10,000 worth of food, furniture, and appliances.

“I remember our first night in our first home,” said Warner, a member of the NFL Hall of Fame.

“We had no furniture, nothing to put in it. We put down blankets, my wife and two kids. We remembered this was the beginning, the beginning of something special. (I know) what it meant for our kids (to have furniture and appliances), our confidence and what we

can accomplish and how that catapulted us forward.

“They work to get into the home. Then we work to set them up where it’s like no more burdens. Now we can just move forward with your family.”

For the past 20 years First Things First Foundation has surprised 57 families, 24 here in the St. Louis area.

Tekeira Jones is a mother of two and a first-time homebuyer. She said this gesture during the holidays is moving and memorable.

“This means so much to me,” Jones said.

“All the dedication and everything we put towards buying this home, it has finally come to an end, and I am so grateful.

“I am so happy that my kids can have a comfortable home of their own. I can’t express how happy I am of [Habitat for Humanity] to where you put your best foot forward and do things like this.”

An executive order on reparations

By Julianne Malveaux

Congressman John Conyers (D-Mich.) introduced H.R. 40 in every congressional session from 1989 until he left Congress in 2017. Then, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) ably took the baton and ran with it, amassing more than 200 Congressional cosponsors for the legislation that would study and develop reparations proposals for African Americans.

Perhaps House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) should have scheduled a vote on H.R. 40, it would likely have passed, given its strong co-sponsorship. While as many as 40 senators have supported the companion legislation, S-40, introduced by Sen. Cory Booker, reparations legislation was not likely to pass the Senate. With Republicans poised to take the House of Representatives, H.R. 40 won’t get a House vote. But President Biden can move the reparations movement forward by signing Executive Order 40 (#EO40), which could establish the commission that H.R. 40 requires. The organizations that support H.R. 40, including the NAARC, National African American Reparations Commission (on which I serve), and N’COBRA, the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America, are urging President Biden to sign this executive order on Dr. King’s birthday in 2023.

Callie House was one of the first reparations advocates, advocating for the National Ex-Slave Mutual Relief, Bounty and Pension Act, seeking pensions for formerly enslaved people who fought in the Civil War. House was convicted of postal fraud (the same thing Marcus Garvey was convicted of). Her jury was all white males. She was incarcerated for a year, a blow to the reparations movement.

Callie House sowed the seeds that are now bearing fruit. In Evanston, Illinois, the first municipality to implement reparations, marijuana tax money is being used to compensate those affected by discriminatory housing policies. Connecting the source of payment to the harm people experienced is Callie House’s legacy. St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones has signed an executive director establishing a Reparations Commission in her city.

More than 100 local reparations advocates converged on Evanston from Dec. 1-3 for a gathering sponsored by NAARC and First Repair, the organization founded by Robin Rue Simmons, the former Evanston alderwoman who was the force behind local reparations.

The wealth gap is in the news these days. Black folks have one dollar in wealth for every $10 whites have. The reason for this gap is simple and deliberate. It isn’t that Black people don’t save enough. It’s that deliberate public policy has been used to accelerate the white accumulation of wealth (think: GI Bill) while decelerating Black accumulation.

The ugly history of the white economic envy that led to lynchings, violent community decimation (Tulsa; Wilmington, N.C.), government-sanctioned land appropriation (sundown towns), and government-sanctioned discriminatory benefits distribution (how many Black veterans were denied benefits) is directly responsible for the wealth gap. This history makes a strong case for reparations.

Some suggest that local remedy is not the same thing as reparations. They are wrong! If a local entity harmed Black people, that entity must fix it, as must the federal government. Every entity that has harmed must remedy that — federal, state, local, corporate, and university. The harm inflicted on Black people has contemporary outcomes and must be remedied.

People who care about national reparations should reach out to their Congress members, especially the White House, to encourage President Biden to sign an executive order. President Biden can move the struggle forward with a supportive executive order.

Julianne Malveaux is dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at California State University, Los Angeles.

Warner talks to Major Jones (9) after presenting his mother, Tekeira, a fully furnished new home, in University City, Missouri on December 6, 2022. Warner, through his First Things First Foundation and Habitat for Humanity, awarded the home to the mother of two who has worked to better her

Photo by Bill Greenblatt / St. Louis American

Julianne Malveaux

Continued from A1

Wesley Bell, St. Louis County prosecuting attorney, called the report “alarming if not entirely surprising to learn.”

Bell noted that the most common hate target in Missouri is a person’s race, ethnicity, or ancestry.

Many factors help explain this, including economic insecurity, which often leads to scapegoating, and social media, which give hate and bias an open platform,” Bell said.

“More importantly, in recent years we have seen an increasingly vocal and violent pushback against America’s hardwon advances in diversity and inclusion. We have seen and are seeing more open, unapologetic racism and xenophobia.

“Unfortunately, hate and bigotry have a home here, and we all have work to do if we want all people to feel welcome and safe here.”

According to the FBI:

• Slightly more than 7,000 (7,074) single-bias incidents involved 8,753 victims. A percent distribution of victims by bias type shows that 64.8% of victims were targeted because of the offenders’ race/ethnicity/ ancestry bias.

• 15.6% were targeted because of the offenders’ sexual-orientation bias, 13.3% were

Continued from A1

targeted because of the offenders’ religious bias, 3.6% were targeted because of the offenders’ gender identity bias, 1.7% were targeted because of the offenders’ disability bias, and 1.0% were targeted because of the offenders’ gender bias.

• There were 188 multiple-bias hate crime incidents that involved 271 victims.

This is the first year the annual hate crimes statistics are reported entirely through the National Incident-Based

nine smaller figures in Wiley’s original “Rumors of War” statue on the grounds of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia. Doorways, an interfaith non-profit committed to providing housing and resources to the HIV/AIDS population,

Reporting System (NIBRS)

Compared to the previous crime data collection system, NIBRS collects significantly more detailed data for each individual criminal incident.

According to an FBI statement as of Nov. 22, 2022, 12,090 of the nation’s 18,806 law enforcement agencies have reported crime data using NIBRS. As more agencies transition to the NIBRS data collection with continued support from the Justice Department,

experiencing homelessness installed the sculpture at the grand opening of its New Jefferson Avenue Campus in October.

“The sculpture takes back this narrative we all live in and

“hate crime statistics in coming years will provide a richer and more complete picture of hate crimes nationwide.”

“Since the FBI reported these numbers based on reports to law enforcement, the alarming jump in reports may be a mix of more hate crimes and more reporting of hate crimes. If this alarming increase partly reflects more people coming forward to report hate crimes, then that is one trend we want to encourage. No one should

grew up with about who we are, who we can be and how we see ourselves,” said Doorways President and CEO Opal M. Jones.

“It was important to me for our residents who come from

St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell says Missouri’s increase in hate crimes is in part due to “an increasingly vocal and violent pushback against America’s hardwon advances in diversity and inclusion.”

“We can’t stop hate, but [we] will prosecute hate crimes when we have the evidence.”

Locations of Hate Crimes

Law enforcement agencies may specify the location of an offense within a hate crime incident as 1 of 46 location designations. In 2021, most hate crime incidents (32.2%) occurred in or near residences/ homes. Nearly 17% (16.9) occurred on highways/roads/ alleys/streets/sidewalks, 8.1% occurred at schools/colleges, 7.0% happened at parking/ drop lots/garages, 2.8% took place in restaurants, and 2.7% occurred at parks/playgrounds. The location was reported as other/unknown for 4.2% of hate crime incidents. The remaining 26.1% of hate crime incidents took place in the remaining specified location categories or in multiple locations.

tolerate hate crimes,” Bell said. Missouri criminal law is also part of the problem, according to Bell, because it “provides limited scope for prosecutors to charge someone for targeting victims because of their “race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or disability.”

Bell wants anyone who has evidence of anyone being targeted for a crime because of those factors to contact his office or law enforcement.

this place of adversity and trauma to be able to imagine themselves in a different light through this piece. I hope when they see the sculpture on the street they can take a breather, relax, and know they are loved and supported.”

Doorways’ new $40 million headquarters features offices, 50 housing units, programming space, and a playground.

“Our desire to move on Jefferson Avenue in north St. Louis was very intentional,” Jones said. “We want it to be in a space that has public transportation, access to amenities for residents, and have them become part of what will be this vibrant community.”

Because Doorways is a non-profit, the organization is unable to pay for public art. It partnered with Gateway Foundation, which is paying a long-term loan for the sculp-

Since 2016, the Department of Justice has worked with law enforcement agencies to assist in their transition to reporting crime data through NIBRS, including allocating over $120 million in grants to support agencies’ transition. The FBI calls it “a significant shift and improvement in how reported crime is measured and estimated by the federal government and will greatly improve the nation’s understanding of crime and public safety.”

ture. Gateway Foundation is responsible for creating City Garden, and other area pieces of sculpted art.

“Gateway Foundation is always looking to expand the reach of art to parts of the city where it does not have enough of a presence,” said Paul Wagman, Gateway Foundation spokesperson. Gateway could not be more delighted about the piece and its placement, they are perfect for each other.”

Lisa Melandri, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis executive director, serves on the Gateway Foundation’s board and voted in favor of the Wiley statue’s installation.

“It’s exciting to bring work by an artist who is so internationally acclaimed to our community, so that we have a chance to see it, live with it and have firsthand chance experience,” Melandri said.

Photo courtesy of ksdk.com

Continued from A1

dramatic.

The star witness of the original murder trial nearly 30 years ago told the court that he was pressured by police to identify Johnson. On the first day of hearings, another man confessed on the witness stand to the murder.

For three years, the Circuit Attorney’s Office has maintained its former prosecutors wrongly convicted Johnson and suppressed evidence during his trial.

At the close of the hearings, Prosecuting Attorney Kim Gardner said in a release, “it is clear why this case is so disturbing.”

“The case is a reminder of the importance of ensuring that convictions are rooted in the law, justice, and fundamental fairness. This case shows what happens when the criminal justice system is blinded by the pursuit of a singular conviction, at the expense of the United States Constitution, the laws of the State of Missouri, and the justice it seeks to ensure.”

Johnson’s case is unusual is that the person trying to free him is St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner. Her office’s Conviction Integrity Unit found in 2019 that Johnson was wrongfully prosecuted by one of her predecessors. And as special assistant circuit attorney Charlie Weiss noted earlier this week, Gardner is breaking new ground by trying to free Johnson.

The hearings were also a historic rebuke to the “tremendous

SLPS

Continued from A1

Public School District is an ideal sponsor at this time,” said Leona Lucas, Confluence Academies chair. said.

“SLPS shares our deep commitment to the St. Louis community, and like us, they live that commitment every day to help students, and our city, succeed. In recent years, a talented and dedicated team of leaders, teachers and staff have enabled Confluence students to increase their academic scores, which are one measure of success, and we expect that positive trend to continue.

“Over the next six months, we will work closely with Mizzou and SLPS to ensure a seamless transition.”

Mizzou is in the first year of a five-year sponsorship agreement but will discontinue sponsorship of all charter schools at the end of the current school year. SLPS currently serves 19,500 students Pre-K through grade 12 with approximately 3,400 staff.

The two school systems would continue to operate independently, financially, academically, and operationally, with neither having responsibility for any actions taken by the other on behalf of its students and staff.

miscarriage of justice” that must occur to produce a wrongful conviction, David Roland, the litigation director at the Freedom Center of Missouri, told St. Louis Public radio during a roundtable discussion of the case.

“I’m thrilled that we have folks who are having their opportunity to have their claims heard like this,” Roland said. “I’m optimistic that Mr. Johnson is going to finally have justice in this case.”

Booker T. Shaw, a former prosecutor, and a former justice on the Missouri Court of Appeals eastern district, agreed.

“The fact that this hearing has been held is a huge step in the right direction,” he continued. “Someone else has claimed responsibility, and that claim is backed up by other evidence… so there are a number of factors at play for Judge Mason to consider.”

With the hearings concluded, a decision by Judge Mason could arrive in a matter of weeks, Shaw predicted.

Mason has not indicated when he’ll rule on the case. But he did say that at some point after attorneys provide him with briefs, he’ll likely make an announcement from the bench.

Johnson was convicted in 1995 of murdering Marcus Boyd in St. Louis. He’s steadfastly maintained he was not one of two people who killed Boyd on his porch in 1994. On Thursday, had an opportunity to make that case in court.

To this day, I don’t know why people suspect that I killed him,” said Johnson, who had been roommates with Boyd at one point. “I thought of him as an older brother.”

Booker T. Shaw, a former prosecutor, and a former justice on the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District, called Lamar Johnson’s wrongful conviction hearing “a huge step in the right direction.”

Johnson broke down in tears when his attorney asked him to read a portion of a letter he wrote to a judge following his conviction.

“I have never been arrested for this long,” he read from the letter. “It’s the most terrifying experience in my life. It is even more terrifying or even more threatening than the hardships of life outside of these walls.”

Before Thursday, the hearing featured a key eyewitness recanting his testimony that Johnson killed Boyd as well as James Howard’s claim on the witness stand that he was the person who was responsible along with Phillip Campbell.

There’s a reason it’s taken

nearly three years for Gardner to get this case before Mason. The Missouri Supreme Court ruled that she didn’t have the authority to seek a new trial. Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, D-Independence, drafted an amendment to give prosecutors authority to vacate sentences. It was then placed into legislation that Sen. Brian Williams helped handle that overhauled the criminal justice system — and ultimately became law.

Williams said he could have been put in a situation like Johnson’s.

“It could be one situation where someone says you may look like or fit the description

of someone and ultimately go to prison for the rest of your life,” said Williams, D-University City. “And to think how close to home that is for me and many other Black people in our state or country — we should be doing everything we can to right this wrong.”

Attorney general pushback

Under the new law, the state attorney general’s office has an ability to step in when a prosecutor is seeking to vacate someone’s sentence. So far, assistant attorney general Miranda Loesch has argued that the people vouching for Johnson’s innocence have credibility problems or have made contradictory statements.

“At the end of this hearing, they’re going to ask you to believe convicted murderers and gang members — and we’re convinced that their evidence is not clear and convincing and they’re not credible,” Loesch said earlier this week.

Legal experts say it makes sense that the attorney general should be a part of this type of process. There could be a situation, for instance, in which a prosecutor claims someone didn’t commit a crime when they actually did — and the attorney general’s office could be a check against that person being released.

But Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker has been critical of how Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office has handled these types of cases.

Baker was a key figure in getting Kevin Strickland

released from prison last year, thanks to the law that Williams championed. She said getting Strickland out was difficult because of fierce pushback from Schmitt’s office.

“It is good policy to have some check on the local prosecutor as you go through this system,” Baker said. “Now a check shouldn’t mean a mallet.” Washington University School of Law professor Peter Joy said the result of the Johnson case will “establish that the law on the books that allows this pathway for innocence actually is meaningful.”

“I know in the Kansas City area, one person’s already been set free under this law,” Joy said. “And I think that just gives hope to people who have actual innocence claims, especially when these claims are ones that are uncovered by the prosecutor.”

Former Missouri Supreme Court Judge Michael Wolff said cases like Johnson’s are important for the credibility of the criminal justice system.

“So, there are some people who are in prison who are innocent. We hope it’s very few. But we know that a system like this can make mistakes,” Wolff said.

“And evidence can come to light later that shows that somebody’s innocent. And when that happens, the prosecutor whose duty it is, under the ethical rules, is to do justice, not just to secure a conviction, has a duty, I think, to bring this forward.” Rebecca Rivas of the Missouri Independent and Alvin A. Reid of the St. Louis American contributed to this report.

As the sponsor, SLPS will receive between $125,000 and $200,000 annually to offset the expenses of establishing an office to provide oversight and reporting and to maintain communication with DESE on the partnership.

“Confluence and SLPS share a deep commitment to our children and our community, and in recent years we have served them all better through a culture of cooperation. So, our discussions on a sponsorship agreement make sense,” Dr. Candice Carter-Oliver, CEO of Confluence Academies, said.

“For the last several years, greater cooperation has helped bridge gaps in service to students and create better outcomes, but more is needed,” Dr. Carter-Oliver said.

Dr. Adams reflected on this progress and the work yet to do.

“As an example, we voted to close Clay Elementary because other schools were serving the neighborhood. A brief time later we learned of the impending closure of a charter and parochial school in that same neighborhood which created an educational desert. Children were displaced and families had to make new choices in education. Greater collaboration would have averted this issue,” he said.

“This was just one scenario, there are many other opportunities and synergies that arise when you have two institutions working together for a common goal, delivering quality

They will not share services “unless efficiencies are identified that would benefit all students. There would be no impact to the budgets, existing unions, overall operations, or academics of either school system,” according to an SLPS release.

education to all St. Louis City students.”

Over two decades, three educational institutions have sponsored Confluence schools.

As with previous changes in sponsorship, from the University of Missouri—Rolla to Mizzou in 2014, for example, the SLPS agreement will have no effect on day-to-day functions at Confluence.

There are many other oppor-

tunities and synergies that arise when you have two institutions working together for a common goal, delivering quality education to all St. Louis City students, Adams said.

Matt Davis, SLPS board chair, said the agreement “is what will be best for the students involved.”

“Our mission is to give the children of St. Louis, all children of St. Louis, the best

education possible. Working together with Confluence to provide a seamless transition in sponsorship is how we fulfill that mission for these kids.”

Byron Clemons, AFT St. Louis, Local 420 president said the alliance “will prevent chaos in our community.”

“We do have some experience with what happens when a charter school abruptly loses its sponsor. Each time a Charter

School sponsorship was lost and/or closure has occurred it has caused disruption in the community,” he said.

“Parents and kids are left scrambling for a new school. Other schools have to accommodate an influx of newly enrolled students. In this case 2,400 kids, hundreds of teachers/staff would be potentially displaced, and thousands of families would be affected.”

Photo courtesy of Thompson Coburn

Celebrate Kwanzaa with the Saint Louis Art Museum

The Saint Louis Art Museum offers its annual Kwanzaa Celebration on December 31 from 10 am to 2 pm. This year’s Kwanzaa celebration is themed Teseto Yalew–Young, Gifted, and Black and is presented in partnership with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., St. Louis Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter. The Art Museum’s Kwanzaa program will take you on a journey through the Nguzo Saba (Seven Principles) of Kwanzaa. The day’s activities will include a family art activity, photo booth, auditorium performance, and a self-guided scavenger hunt based on the Seven Principles Family activities take place in Grigg Gallery from 10 am to 2 pm. Visitors can celebrate their own creativity by making a beaded crown inspired by Yoruba adenla, beaded crowns found in the Museum’s collection, and then take photos in the photo booth with their crowns and decorate a frame with Adinkra symbols. Visitors are also invited to take a self-guided tour of the Museum’s art galleries with a Kwanzaa-themed scavenger hunt, then return the completed scavenger hunt to redeem a prize. The Kwanzaathemed scavenger hunt will be available from December 26 through January 1, 2023. Be sure to attend the Kwanzaa performance in the Art Museum’s Farrell Auditorium at 11 am. Performances include members of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., St. Louis Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter, and Spirit of Angela West African Dance and Drumming. The Kwanzaa principle of Kuumba (creativity) takes center stage with two vocal performances, a Young Gifted & Black multimedia performance, and presentations about each of the

2022 KWANZAA CELEBRATION: Teseto Yalew–Young, Gifted, and Black December 31, 2022 10 AM-2 PM PERFORMANCES

Felica Ezell-Gillespie, vocalist Valaur Dickerson, vocalist Spirit of Angela West African Dance and Drum

Kwanzaa principles. This year Spirit of Angela will close the performance with dance and drumming inspired by MADAM KATHERINE DUNHAM, & MOIR THIEM, and many others brought together in the

Metropolitan St. Louis area in the late 1960s. Spirit of Angela is a St. Louis-based traditional West African Dance and Drum Group under the direction of founder Artie Hamilton, Mama Fatou, and Tiffany Pool Kouassi as artistic director. Performance tickets are available at the Museum visitor information centers on-site only starting at 10 am on December 31. Tickets are limited and will be distributed while quantities last. There is a limit of six tickets per person. For more information about the Museum’s Kwanzaa Celebration, visit slam.org. This program is supported by the Dana Brown Endowed Fund for Education and Community Programs.

Tina Turner

By Andrew Wanko, Missouri Historical Society

Jump back 40 years to New Year’s Eve 1982. If you were watching the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson that evening, you would have seen Tina Turner dressed in a black suitcoat, belting out a soulful rendition of her song “Rock ’n’ Roll Widow.” As the song heats up and leaps into “Steel Claw,” she rips off her coat to reveal a stunning beaded green dress, shimmering in the stage lights. You can find the performance on YouTube, and the dress she wore is on display at the Missouri History Museum’s St. Louis Sound exhibit through January 23, 2023. Looking back, we now know that on the night of this performance, Tina Turner was a star about to reach unprecedented new heights. Just over a year later she would release Private Dancer, relaunching her career and reigning as queen of the “MTV Generation.” But decades earlier, she was the queen of rock ’n’ roll—a story that begins here in St. Louis.

Born in 1939, Anna Mae Bullock grew up in a sharecropping family in the small rural community of Nutbush, Tennessee. When Anna Mae was just 11, her mother, Zelma, fled from an abusive relationship, relocating to St. Louis. After five years living with her grandmother, Anna Mae followed.

Just as Anna Mae was arriving in St. Louis, Ike Turner and the Kings of Rhythm were staking their claim as the region’s hottest band. Drawn to East St. Louis’s thriving music scene in 1954 from Clarksdale, Mississippi, the Kings of Rhythm set up in spots like East St. Louis’s Club Manhattan at 1312 Broadway. On a particular night in 1957, that club would become the setting for a flashpoint of rock history.

that name—or stay in the background—for long. In the spring of 1960, the Kings of Rhythm were booked to record songs at Brentwood’s Technisonic Studios. The song “A Fool in Love” was meant for vocalist Art Lassiter, but he never showed up, and Anna Mae was put front and center. From the swelling opening “Whoa,” her powerhouse performance shattered expectations. She was rebranded “Tina Turner,” and the band became the Ike & Tina Turner Revue.

Anna Mae frequented the clubs of East St. Louis, following the Kings of Rhythm’s shows. In between sets one night at the Club Manhattan, Ike Turner was playing BB King’s “You Know I Love You” on the piano when Anna Mae grabbed the microphone and started wailing. Her powerhouse delivery impressed Ike, who hired her that night as a backing vocalist. In 1958 she made her first appearance on a record. Credited as “Little Ann,” she’s heard harmonizing on the song “Boxtop,” recorded in the basement of Ike’s home on Virginia Place in East St. Louis.

“Little Ann” wouldn’t go by

With Ike’s machine-precise rhythm and Tina’s unmistakable yell (Sue Records owner Juggy Murray likened her voice to “screaming dirt”), the Ike & Tina Turner Revue rocked America. Their explosive sound was matched by Tina Turner’s explosive stage presence—a sweaty, shouting, shimmying tornado of whipped hair and bedazzled miniskirt. “A Fool in Love” was the first of more than 60 singles, including “River Deep, Mountain High”; “Nutbush City Limits”; and the group’s biggest hit, a cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival song “Proud Mary.”

But while the duo soared on stage, their off-stage life was turbulent. Ike’s drug addiction was worsening, and he had

become increasingly emotionally and physically abusive to Tina. After a violent altercation just moments before an Independence Day show in Dallas in July 1976, she walked away from the abuse and her hardearned success and source of income. For the next few years, she struggled to move beyond being labeled a “nostalgia” act. In the early 1980s Tina reemerged into the spotlight, but now with studded leather jackets, electrified hair, and a synth-soul sound. Her 1984 album Private Dancer would reach more than $20 million in sales, with 7 of its 10 songs released as singles. She followed its success with Break Every Rule (1986) and Foreign Affair (1989), which sold 12 million and 6 million units, respectively. She toured the world; starred in films; wrote memoirs; had films, plays, and books made about her; and staged a massive 90-show farewell tour in 2008 before taking a well-earned retirement from music. After more than half a century of hits, 12 Grammys, and over 100 million albums sold, Tina Turner is one of the most influential musicians of all time.

Missouri Historical Society Collections

Tina Turner live on stage in 1971.

Seasons

Greetings from the Political EYE

‘Tis the season for holiday wishes at the EYE! Here’s what we asked for this year:

Forgiveness

Last week, we reported that the St. Louis Planning Commission was planning to hear rezoning plans for the development of a new QuikTrip gas station at the edge of the Tiffany Neighborhood. But as it turns out, the Planning Commission removed the topic from its agenda. Following the loud public outcry leading up to the meeting and 103 comments submitted (101 opposing the development) both QuikTrip the Planning Commission apparently to read the room and tabled the plans. QuikTrip later withdrew its application to rezone the tract for a gas station development late last Wednesday afternoon. We want to make sure this outcome is reported correctly because this victory demonstrated the power of the people when they rally around a common goal that serves the public’s interest. We are pleased to share this David over Goliath win.

Trust

Last week, the St. Louis Public Schools Board of Education voted 6-1 to take over the sponsorship of Confluence Academies, which currently counts just under 2,500 students throughout its six locations. The highly-controversial vote received a wide range of support, internally and externally. Advocacy organizations like Solidarity with SLPS vocalized their support of SLPS assuming the sponsorship role rather than, for instance, Saint Louis University or an Opportunity Trust-affiliated organization. AFT St. Louis, Local 420, which represents more than 2,000 SLPS teachers, lent its support, as well. However, not all SLPS teachers supported the move.

With SLPS assuming sponsorship of Confluence Academies, the Board of Education also assumes control of Confluence and its board of directors. Where Confluence previously has been able to evade Sunshine Requests, the charter school system no longer will have that excuse. This move, opposed by some, adds a layer of public accountability and transparency that did not exist previously for the charter school.

We’ve also heard rumblings that the Confluence board

may be dissolved - that would make sense for a final goal of converting the existing charter schools into public schools under the SLPS’ umbrella. The transition would undoubtedly be long and difficult. But if this Board of Education can achieve this change, they could create a model for other area districts - and districts across the country - that are seeking to regain public ownership of charter schools. Most St. Louis charter schools have been shown to have very short shelf lives, so if SLPS can navigate a fair and sustainable path forward to assume control while preserving stability for students - the Board of Education may be onto something significant. That said, SLPS is going to pick up the pieces as charter schools continue to collapse. Both the Boards of Education and Aldermen would serve St. Louis schoolchildren by best adhering to the October 2021 moratorium on opening new schools - public, private, and charter - in the city. Allowing charter schools to continue to open as others are forced to close, with SLPS picking up the slack, essentially turns our city’s public education system into a money laundering operation for charter schools. A band-aid on a knife wound. We hope that the Board of Education is able to follow through with this initiative, for the sake of St. Louis’ children and their future.

While Confluence implodes after nearly 20 years, southside Alderwoman Cara Spencer (Ward 20) has quietly made some moves to help another charter system, Kairos Academy, expand its campus in the Marine Villa neighborhood. Most impacted neighbors didn’t even know that a new school was planned, and only found out when the developer, Urban Improvement Conglomerate (UIC), approached them about purchasing their homes.

Our readers will, of course, recall Kairos Academy as the pet project of Jack Krewson, a Teach for America alum and son of former mayor Lyda Krewson. Kairos opened its first school in Dutchtown for the 2019-2020 school year. Disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, less than 20% of its teaching staff is accredited and much of the staff in inexperienced, as well as their suffering a large operating deficits.

Spencer has skipped a countless number of board meetings since her 2021 mayoral loss to Mayor Tishaura O. Jones She’s burned bridges and

scorned her once-close allies.

Residents have complained about her lack of responsiveness to trash pickup, slowness to approve development plans, and general inaccessibility. Yet she seems to have been responsive to Kairos’ overly aggressive plans.

Among many of Kairos’ problems that Spencer can’t help is the lack of neighborhood support. Last week, Spencer appeared in the Marine Villa neighborhood Facebook group to invite the neighborhood to a community town hall on Wednesday to discuss plans to demolish a number of historic buildings across six blocks. Demolition would include the Harmony Apartments complex, half a dozen or so 100+ year old buildings, and the historic No. 3 Fire Station, built in 1918 and intended to be a museum for St. Louis Fire Department.

All of those buildings would have to be leveled for the charter school system’s plans to be successful. Therefore this feels like a good place to point out that Kairos is in only its third academic year. Because of the pandemic, Kairos has never been required to conduct state testing. In its most recent report to the Missouri Charter Public School Commission Kairos failed to meet basic standards for compliance and reporting.

In other words, it’s entirely too soon to decide whether Kairos Academy should be expanded and furthermore the school should listen to the surrounding neighborhood residents, cultural preservationists, and educational professionals. In a city where six charter schools are facing closure if not for SLPS intervention, opening a new one shouldn’t even be a consideration.

Hope

Finally, we would like to celebrate the release of 22-year old Hala Salameh, a St. Louisan who is PalestinianAmerican, who was wrongfully detained by Israeli Defense Forces last week while Salameh was visiting with family in the West Bank. Her detention did not capture global attention, but we nevertheless recognize and denounce Salameh’s treatment.

We are happy to hear that Salameh is safely on her way back to St. Louis, and as far as our final holiday wish, we ask for hope for the release of all political prisoners.

“Taking Care of You”

STL County receives $4.8 million opioid settlement payment

By Alvin A. Reid

$458 million opioid settlement that the state of Missouri reached with the three biggest U.S. drug distribution companies and drugmaker Johnson & Johnson. The more than $4.8 million St. Louis

New year, new you

Four little steps to improve your health

My patients often ask me how they can improve their health and what would be my number one recommendation. Those questions are difficult for me because, it isn’t just one piece of advice. There are so many areas where we can focus our efforts and make valuable investments in our well-being. Starting early in life is ideal but it is most important to simply just begin the transformation. Every journey begins with the first step.

Step One

Just commit. Many of us say the same things over and over. “I need to eat better. I need to sleep more. I need to exercise.” Stop fantasizing about what you need. Make a pact within yourself that you will make these changes.

Step Two Set goals. Your goals need to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) SMART goals will help you stay on track and help prevent discouragement. For instance, if you have smoked 2 packs of cigarettes for 30 years, it is unreasonable to believe you will be able to stop smoking immediately and without some form of assistance. A more attainable goal could be that your cigarette consumption will be decreased by 1 cigarette every week.

n Patients are often shocked when I provide them with a list of alternative ways to exercise without having a gym membership or how to prepare meals within their budgets.

Step Three

County received Thursday was deposited into the Opioid Remediation Fund established to support the treatment of substance use or mental health conditions.

“With these settlement funds, we have the opportunity to amplify and support treatment and prevention programs and save more lives from overdoses,” County Executive Dr. Sam Page said.

“In Missouri, St. Louis County leads the fight against the opioid epidemic through its prescription drug monitoring (PDM) program. The program is a statewide resource and is the only county level PDM program in the country.”

Substance use continues to be a major public health crisis in St. Louis County There were 343 opioid related deaths in 2021,

Get organized. Revamping your lifestyle will require some intentional groundwork. Distractions are common within our daily lives and often contribute to the myriad of excuses given for not exercising, getting more sleep, or addressing our mental health needs. Therefore, step three is an important reminder to prepare for the process. This preparation could include clearing out your schedule from unnecessary interruptions such as social media scrolling. It is estimated that the worldwide average time spent on social media per day was over 2 hours. Those 2 hours could have been used for working out, meal prepping, or meditation.

Getting organized also includes doing a

Grants geared to help community overcome gun violence trauma

Five organizations receive $16,000

By Andrea Y. Henderson

St. Louis Public Radio

The St. Louis Regional Racial Healing + Justice Fund awarded $16,000 grants to five St. Louis-area organizations to help students and the community recover from the school shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School and Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience. The fund’s community governance board issued crisis response grants to the T/Bullet Related Injury Clinic, Black Healers Collective, UnGUN Institute Freedom Community Center and the St. Louis Community Health Worker Coalition. The money will cover existing programs and overhead costs and allow the organizations to help students and oth-

n “I think we are going to see at the very least, more youth in St. Louis, be positively impacted and have a

– Darian Wigfall

Anthony Taylor from Amp Connects speaks during the Black Healers Collective and the T/ BRIC healing circle event at Tower Grove Park on Oct. 29. Both organizations are recipients of the St. Louis Regional Racial Healing + Justice Fund crisis response grant, which awarded funding to five organizations to help the community heal from the recent shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School.

St. Louis American

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, in partnership with AmeriCorps and the Black Alcohol/Drug Service Information Center (B.A.S.I.C), launched a 30-day initiative last February that distributed Narcan in neighborhoods where open drug use is apparent. St. Louis County has received a $4.8 million installment from a $458 million state settlement and will provide free Narcan at its three public health centers as well as to inmates upon release from the Justice Center.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Photo by David Pole / St. Louis Public Radio Narcan

Denise HooksAnderson

Preparing for new year surge

By Jennifer Shutt Missouri Independent

The Biden administration is once again offering Americans the opportunity to order free at-home COVID-19 rapid tests from the federal government, a program that it had shuttered amid an ongoing stalemate with Congress over additional funding to address the virus.

The program will allow each household to order four free COVID-19 tests as part of the White House’s plans to try to tamp down the number of diagnoses this winter amid an increase in coronavirus, flu and RSV.

“While COVID-19 is not the disruptive force it once was, the virus continues to evolve, and cases are on the rise again as families are spending more time indoors and gathering for the holidays,” the White House wrote in a fact sheet about its efforts this winter.

The free COVID-19 test kits can be ordered through COVIDTests.gov or by calling 1-800-232-0233 between 8 a.m. and midnight Eastern.

Opioid

Continued from A12

equaling the total for 2020, which had been the highest on record.

Earlier this year when the settlement was announced, Page said the funds might be used to increase staff and space at the medical examiner’s office.

“Our community and our country have not prioritized mental health services and substance abuse treatment programs like it should have,” Page said.

“We have to make a decision as community whether to put resources into that programming in making this more readily available.”

The St. Louis County Department of Public Health in May released a new Substance Use Action Plan, a comprehensive, broad based strategy to combat substance use over the next two years and beyond.

The plan aims to raise awareness about substance use, overdoses, and how our community is affected by them; prevent opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders; increase the availability of Narcan to rescue people during an overdose; increase the number of people connected to treatment with a focus on highrisk populations; and enable

Gun violence

Continued from A12

“I think we are going to see at the very least, more youth in St. Louis, be positively impacted and have a positive outlook for their future,” Wigfall said. “But then that leads towards them being adults that have that

Anderson

Continued from A12

little research. Where will you work out? Where will you buy groceries? What healthy recipes will you try? Patients are often shocked when I provide them

“Taking Care of You”

White House resumes handing out free COVID-19 rapid test kits

Preparing for winter

The Biden administration’s winter preparedness plan focuses predominantly on vaccination, with proposals to hold pop-up clinics and work with governors to increase nursing home vaccination rates.

people in recovery to access recovery services and supports that increase quality of life.

“This plan came with input from nearly 40 partners, including the city Health Department. As we deepen the partnerships and work with the city and other counties in the bi-state region, we do so with the commitment to increased treatment and prevention and saving more lives from overdoses.

In St. Louis County, we have an opportunity to amplify these efforts by dedicating $48 million in opioid settlement funds to treatment and prevention programs,” Page said.

St. Louis County provides the drug naloxone, which is sold under the name Narcan, for free at all three public health centers as well as to inmate residents upon release from the Justice Center.

National Narcan campaign continues

While overdose totals have shown a slight decrease over recent years, the landscape of the drug market has taken a daunting turn with the outpour of fentanyl on city streets, encouraging national health officials to push for approval of over-the-counter overdose medications in hopes of saving more lives.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

same mentality.”

Health officials also are calling on hospitals to offer patients a shot before discharging unvaccinated patients, or those who aren’t up-to-date on their boosters.

More than 267 million people, or 80% of the U.S. population, have gotten at least

one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But those numbers decrease over time, with 229 million, or 69% completing the two-dose primary series. And just 42 million people have gotten the

More than 267 million people, or 80% of the U.S. population, have gotten at least one dose of the COVID19 vaccination, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccine that public health officials approved in September, according to CDC data.

The weekly death total from COVID-19 has remained relatively steady since mid-April, when about 3,000 Americans were dying of the virus weekly.

courtesy of the Department of Health and Human Services

Dr. Rahul Gupta, National Drug Control Policy director, said last week in Washington “we are losing an American every five minutes [to overdoses] around the clock. This is largely preventable.” There were 343 opioid related deaths in 2021, equaling the total for 2020, which had been the highest on record.

in conjunction with Whitman Walker medical center, held a recent press conference in honor of the agency’s “Overdose Prevention Strategy,” anniversary, celebrating national efforts to fight drug addiction and sharing goals for the future.

“The important piece that

we need to understand [is] we are the most dynamic drug supply environment this nation and the world has faced to the tune that we are losing an American every five minutes around the clock. This is largely preventable” said Dr. Rahul Gupta, National Drug Control Policy director.

He said HHS is working to increase access to naloxone, or its brand name Narcan, which serves as an antidote when people are overdosing on opioids and can be integral in combating fatalities.

“It’s critically important and I’m so glad that from President Biden on down, we

That number dipped a bit over the summer, but has stayed about the same throughout the fall and into winter. For the week of Dec. 7, another 2,981 people died of the virus, according to the CDC. The Biden administration said its plan for the winter will continue focusing on the highest risk people, including “residents of nursing homes and other congregate care facilities, where we know vaccination rates remain too low.”

“This also includes older Americans, individuals who are immunocompromised, disabled individuals, and others who face a higher risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19,” the White House wrote in its fact sheet. The Biden administration plans to send nursing home and long-term-care facility administrators a playbook for this winter. Public health officials also called on those facilities to take “concrete actions to ensure that every resident is educated on and offered an updated COVID-19 shot; that every resident who tests positive for COVID-19 is evaluated and offered treatment; and that every facility is taking steps to improve its indoor air quality.” Jennifer covers the nation’s capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom.

are all committed to ensuring this is a priority for the nation to save people’s lives first and to help them get into treatment,” said Gupta. Between March 2021 to March 2022, overdose rates reached roughly 100,000 lost lives across the country, as local opioid overdose rates have surpassed homicide rates for the year. Still today, barriers continue to exist in the height of the opioid epidemic as health agencies spot the desperate need of easy-reaching access to naloxone and Narcan treatments for daily overdoses, similar to the easy availability of defibrillators for smoke alarms.

The FDA has recently put in a federal register notice to produce naloxone for over-thecounter availability. This register makes clear the requested processes needed to take place, while opening applications for companies who can mass produce the overdose-reversing medication, and widely distribute it.

Research and evidence-informed tools are providing better solutions to the crisis.

“At the end of the day, each one of our loved ones deserves the chance to survive, and strive,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra concluded during the press conference.

Lindiwe Vilakazi of the Washington Informer contributed to this report

The Deaconess Foundation, Missouri Foundation for Health and Forward Through Ferguson established the fund in 2020 to invest in organizations that will help achieve racial equity for people of color with resources for healing and justice. The grants were awarded to organizations led by people of color. The board chose the five grant recipients because of their community involvement and the work the groups put into schools to help heal from traumatic experiences, Wigfall said.

with a list of alternative ways to exercise without having a gym membership or how to prepare meals within their budgets. YouTube and the public library are great free resources but there are many other digital platforms that could also be used.

Wigfall hopes the funding will allow people to become more familiar with the organizations. It takes time to heal from the trauma of gun violence,

Step Four Be like Nike, and “Just do it.” That first day will not be easy. You may have to wake up early to get in that 20-minute walk. You may have to wear your hair in a ponytail because you will use that extra time to prepare a healthy breakfast instead of

said Dr. LJ Punch, founder of the T/Bullet Related Injury Clinic.

“Unfortunately, in St. Louis, bullet-related injury is endemic,” Punch, a trauma surgeon, said. “Sometimes what happens is you have an event like this, everybody sees it, everybody knows that it happened on this date, it was horrible. But it brings up all the other traumas

stopping by McDonald’s for a sausage biscuit. You may even have to miss your favorite football team play so that you can spend time speaking with your therapist about the recent anxiety you have been experiencing.

We have all been making

that you didn’t get the chance to fully heal.” Punch’s organizations help people holistically and physically heal from the trauma of gun violence and gun injuries. The grant money will allow the organizations to help school leaders assist students who suffer from gun-related injuries and those who are traumatized by their experience that day return to school.

excuses for our situations for too long. So many of our health problems are preventable but as a society we have allowed our conveniences to be the spark that has fueled our health demise. Therefore, the next time you go to your doctor, don’t act “brand new” (as the teenagers would

CVPA students want to get back to some form of normalcy and learn ways to manage trauma from their experience, he said. “Our hope is for a healing that comes from the ground up, that transcends, and then maybe having a healed community,” Punch said.

say). You know what to do to improve your health. Just do it!

Denise Hooks-Anderson, MD, FAAFP can be reached at yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com

Photo

Photo by Laura Olson / States Newsroom

NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION

PRESENT:

PRESENT:

Dining Out.

What Is ASize?Serving

GRAINS Keep ‘em Whole!

The Smart Way!

Nutrition Challenge:

When we’re lucky enough to have a chance to go out for dinner, there are a few ways to stay healthy with our food

Staying Active

(Naturally)

Warm Up & Cool Down

DuringSummer!the Smart Summer Eating!

Do This. Not That!

Warm Up & Cool Down

Exercise Game

First Day of Spring!

Slip Sliding Away...

Smart Choices

Calculate BMI

Ice can be dangerous for several different reasons.

Tech-Neck

Ice can be dangerous for several different reasons. Slip Sliding Away...

Once you’re out of school, many of you may have a lot of extra time on your hands to be snacking. Resist the urge to eat sweet, salty, fried and high-calorie non-nutritious snacks this summer.

In our “Super-Size” world, we can easily lose track of what an actual serving size means. When reading labels on a food or

See if the restaurant will let you “share” a meal. Many meals are two, three or more times an actual serving size.

We each need at least 3 servings per day of whole grains. But what does that mean? How can we know what foods contain whole grains?

As soon as you’ve divided your plate into the right size servings, ask your server for a to-go box. Go ahead and box up what you don’t need to eat right away. You can enjoy

In our “Super-Size” world, we can easily lose track of what an actual serving size means. When reading labels on a food or drink product, you can determine the nutrients, sodium, fiber, sugar and calories of a serving size. But be careful; just because it looks like one small bottle

Look at the ingredients list of a package of food you are about to eat. If the word “whole” is used, then there is most likely a whole grain ingredient. A few items that don’t use the word whole

Cola

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

those leftovers for lunch the next day!

are popcorn, wheatberries, brown rice and wild rice.

> Ask the server how the different menu items are prepared. Fried, sautéed, and

Getting plenty of whole grains in your diet can improve your health and reduce your chance for some chronic illnesses such as stroke, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Visit wholegrainscouncil.com for more information.

Create a Smart Summer Eating plan with your parents. Ask their help in finding nutritious snacks and meals for the

lifestyle. You can do this by forming new habits. For example, if you decide to eliminate sugary drinks completely, it only takes a few weeks until this becomes what you’re used to.

Here are the steps to making a healthy permanent change. We‘ll use the sugary drink change as an example.

Let’s make a game out of exercise!

> Decide you’re going to switch from soda to water.

Cocoa Puffers Cereal

INGREDIENTS: Whole Grain

summer. Delicious juicy, ripe fruits are all around and are healthy for you too! Make it your goal to come back to school in the fall healthier and happier!

Healthcare Careers

> Start by substituting one drink per day to water.

As the weather gets warmer, there are many ways that we can enjoy ourselves outdoors and stay healthy over the summer. Some naturally active things you can do include:

First, locate either a deck of cards or two dice.

> Avoid gravies, cheese sauces and other kinds of toppings that often just add fat and calories.

Melissa Douglass, MSW

Weekly Newspaper in Education Program

Weekly Newspaper in Education Program

Review: What are some nutrition tips you learned by following The St. Louis American’s Healthy Kids page this school year? Send your answers to nie@stlamerican.com.

> After 3-4 weeks, this change will become a habit.

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

of soda — it may not be considered one serving size. For example, a 20-oz bottle contains 2.5 servings. So if the bottle states “110 calories per serving,” that means the entire bottle contains a total of 275 calories! Remember to watch those serving sizes and you’ll have better control over what you’re eating and drinking.

> Stick with water to drink. Not only will you save money, but you won’t be adding in extra calories from a sugarfilled drink.

Sugar, Corn Meal, Corn Syrup, Canola and/or Rice Bran Oil, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, Color Added, Salt, Fructose, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Trisodium Phosphate, BHT Added to Preserve Freshness. Vitamins and Minerals:

Latoya Woods, DNP, APRN, FNP-C

> Every few days increase the amount of water and decrease your soda intake.

may not be considered one serving size. For example, a 20-oz bottle contains 2.5 servings. So if the bottle states “110 calories per serving,” that means the entire bottle contains a total of 275 calories! Remember to watch those serving sizes and you’ll have better control over what you’re eating and drinking.

Learning Standards:

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 3, NH 5

When you automatically reach for water instead of soda, it has now become a lifestyle change!

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 4, 1, NH NH 5

> What are other ways to stay healthy while dining out?

Taylor Jefferson, PRN, Audiology Technician

Deborah Edwards, School Nurse

Yonniece Rose, Registered Nurse

Where do you work?

Where do you work? I am a family nurse practitioner for BJC Medical Group.

Where do you work? I am a school nurse with St. Louis Public Schools.

Where do you work? I am a school nurse at Monroe Elementary School.

I am an EMT – B at Abbott EMS in Belleville, Illinois.

even simmered can all mean, “cooked in oil.” Instead, choose baked or grilled options.

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

Staying active, getting your heart rate up and opening your lungs will you start off next school year happier and healthier!

As spring approaches, warmer weather allows us all to get more outdoor exercise. Here are some ways to become a more active person.

> Wash your parent’s car.

> Help with yard work: planting, weeding, etc.

> Walking to the store when possible.

March 20, 2021, is the first day of spring. With spring comes warmer weather and longer days (later sunset). Make it a habit to spend as much time playing outside as the weather allows.

It’s important that before you embark on any kind of exercise to remember two things: warm up and cool down. Start with some slow stretches and movement (like walking) to increase your heart rate a little. Warm up for a good five minutes before increasing your heart rate.

Secondly, when you are finished with any kind of strenuous (very active) exercise, take some time to cool down. You can slowly stretch your arms and

Secondly, when you are finished with any kind of strenuous (very active) exercise, take some time to cool down. You can slowly stretch your arms and legs again, and

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

Instead of watching TV — ride your bike with friends.

Instead of playing video games — play baseball, football, badminton, or some other active game.

It’s important that before you embark on any kind of exercise to remember two things: warm up and cool down. Start with some slow stretches and movement (like walking) to increase your heart rate a little. Warm up for a good five minutes before increasing your heart rate.

> Play, play, play outside as much as you can!

Instead of surfing the ‘Net — go for a brisk walk around the neighborhood.

Some fun outdoor games to play include tag, kickball, basketball, Frisbee, and bicycling. Choose activities that increase your heart rate

Next you’ll need to make a list of different types of exercise: jumping jacks, sit-ups, lunges, etc. Write each exercise item on a small piece of paper or index

Break into small groups and define what it means to be a bully. Share your ideas with the class. Did you have the same things listed (as the other groups) that you would consider as bullying behavior?

> NEVER walk on a “frozen” pond, lake, river or any other body of water. Just because it looks frozen does not mean it is safe.

> NEVER walk on a “frozen” pond, lake, river or any other body of water. Just because it looks frozen does not mean it is safe.

card and fold into a small square. Put these squares into a bowl. Take turns rolling the dice (or drawing a card) and selecting an exercise from the bowl. The total number on the dice or card tells you how many of the exercise you must do. Face cards (king,

Review: What are some exercise tips you learned by following The St. Louis American’s Healthy Kids page this school year? Send your answers to nie@ stlamerican.com.

and breathing. You want to have fun, but it’s also a great way to help keep your heart, lungs and body healthy.

continue with reduced speed movements until your heart rate begins to slow down. This warm-up and recovery period is important for your heart health. It also helps to reduce the amount of muscle pulls and strains.

legs again, and continue with reduced speed movements until your heart rate begins to slow down.

Make a list of your favorite 10 activities to do outdoors. Compare your list with your classmates and create a chart to see what are the most popular.

Where did you go to school? I graduated from Lindbergh High School. I then attended the University of Arkansas in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where I studied biology.

Can you think of other ways to be more active? Going outside and staying active not only increases your heart rate and burns calories, but it also helps you build friendships!

Where did you go to school? I graduated from McCluer High School. I then earned a Bachelor of Nursing and a Master of Nursing Practice from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. And finally, I earned a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Maryville University.

How much time do you spend each day looking down at a phone, laptop or video game?

This warm-up and recovery period is important for your heart health. It also helps to reduce the amount of muscle pulls and strains.

Learning Standards: HPE1, HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 5

Over the last 35 weeks we have discussed many smart choices that you can make to help you stay safe and healthy. Break into small groups and list as many Smart Choices that your group remembers. Now individually, choose one that you think is very important. Describe in your own words what that smart choice is, and how you can remember to make the right choice in the future. Name a new “smart choice“ that you will make this summer.

Now back in your groups, create a newspaper ad that includes at least two of the following:

> If you are with someone that falls through the ice, first run (or call) for help. Do not try to go out onto the ice to help your friend. You can fall through the ice too.

> What to do if you see someone else bullied.

queen or jack) should all count as the number 10. Aces are “wild” and you can do as many as you want! To really challenge yourself, have one person roll the dice and the second can select the exercise. See who can complete the exercise challenge first!

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1

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

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1

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

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 4, HPE 5, NH 1

Cracker-wiches

> What to do if YOU are the bully.

Where do you work? I am the founder and distance counselor for Goal Driven Counseling, LLC. Where did you go to school? I graduated from Whitney Young Magnet High School in Chicago, IL: same as former first lady Mrs. Michelle Obama. I then earned a Bachelor of Science in Social Work, and a Master of Social Work from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. I also completed two more years of supervision and exams to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Missouri.

Where do you work? I am an audiology technician at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, and I work as a PRN as time allows. Where did you go to school? I graduated from Belleville East High School in Belleville, Illinois. I then earned a Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville (SIUE). And I am currently a first-year graduate student in the Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences Program at SLU.

Where did you go to school? I graduated from McCluer North High School. I earned an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing from Meramec College in Kirkwood and completing my bachelor’s degree at Webster University in Webster Groves.

What does an EMT do? My day-to-day includes helping others when they aren’t feeling their best. I also assist getting them to the hospital when they can’t take themselves.

Where did you go to school? I graduated from Sumner High School. I then earned Associate Degree in Nursing from Forest Park College and a BS in Business Administration from Columbia College.

What does a Licensed Clinical Social Worker do?

What does a school nurse do? I love giving students medications, so they’re able to focus on learning. I clean and bandage wounds. I use medical equipment like a stethoscope, for example, to evaluate whether or not my asthmatics are breathing well. Moreover, I teach and promote healthy habits to my students.

What does a family nurse practitioner do? Each day I have office visits with patients to help treat new health conditions and/or manage established health conditions. I perform physical examinations on patients, order labs, read x-rays results, and more.

What does a first-year graduate student do? As a first-year graduate student, I am responsible for planning and collaborating with co-clinicians and my clinical supervisor for speech therapy sessions for people who have sought out our services at our on-campus Reinert Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic. I have people receiving therapy both in-person and over Zoom. I have already administered two assessments and will begin others soon.

I use technology to help teens and young adults explore their emotions, better understand their feelings, work through relationships, and address common challenges completely online through a computer, tablet, or smart phone. Similar to a Facetime call, I support and guide my clients from the comfort of their home or private location where they are comfortable

What does a school nurse do? I assess the concerns of students who are ill, injured or experiencing alterations in their normal health. Nurses screen daily staff, students and visitors for safety. Monroe School is a pilot school for Covid-19 test sites in partnership with the city.

A BMI (Body Mass Index) is a generic way to calculate where your weight falls into categories (thin, average, overweight, obese). However, it’s a good idea to remember that a BMI may not take into consideration many things such as athleticism (how athletic you are), your bone density and other factors. Discuss your BMI with your

Chiropractors around the country see young patients every day suffering from back, neck and head-aches resulting from the extra strain you put on your body when you look down for long periods of time.

doctor if you have any questions. The formula to calculate your BMI is 703 X weight (lbs) ÷ height (in inches/squared) or search

Learning Standards: HPE 1, HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH5, NH 7

> If you are with someone that falls through the ice, first run (or call) for help. Do not try to go out onto the ice to help your friend. You can fall through the ice too.

> How bullying hurts others.

> When walking on icecovered roadways or sidewalks, take baby steps. Walk carefully and slowly.

> What to do if you are bullied.

> Also — remember to look up! Icicles injure numerous people every year. If you see large icicles forming over your front steps, ask your parents to use a broom handle to knock them off to the side before they break loose from your gutters.

“BMI Calculator” to find an easy fill-in chart online. If your number is high, what are some ways to lower your BMI?

1. Most importantly — take breaks! Have a goal of a 3 minute break every 15-20 minutes. Move around, stretch your neck and relax, without looking down!

> Also — remember to look up! Icicles injure numerous people every year. If you see large icicles forming over your front steps, ask your parents to use a broom handle to knock them off to the side before they break loose from your gutters.

> What other ice hazards are there?

Cracker-wiches

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

8 Saltine crackers

8 Saltine crackers

Easy Hummus Dip

4 Tbsp Peanut butter

Why did you choose this career? I chose this career to help improve the health of my community.

Why did you choose this career? I am a St. Louis native, and was an asthmatic child who experienced frequent hospitalizations. Besides having the influence of nurses in my family, the local nurses who helped take care of me were my “angels” and always managed to nurse me back to health, thus sparking my interest.

Ingredients:

> What other ice hazards are there?

Learning Standards: HPE 1, HPE 2, NH 5

A couple of quick tips that will reduce that strain on your neck are:

> When walking on icecovered roadways or sidewalks, take baby steps. Walk carefully and slowly.

Look through the newspaper for examples of ad layouts and design. Discuss the words “compassion,” “empathy” and “sympathy.” How do they each play into your response to bullying at your school?

2. Set your tech device in a holder to keep it at eye level, reducing the need to look down.

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, HPE 7, NH 5, NH 7

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 4

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, HPE 7, NH 5, NH 7

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

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

Frozen Yogurt Blueberry Bites

4 Tbsp Peanut butter

2 Large Strawberries

1 15-Oz Can Garbanzo beans

Ingredients: 1/2 Cp Vanilla Greek yogurt, 3 Tbsp Natural peanut butter, 1 Ripe banana (sliced and frozen), Splash of vanilla (optional) 6 Ice cubes

2 Large Strawberries

1 Tbsp Honey (optional)

1 Garlic clove, crushed

1 Tbsp Honey (optional)

Ingredients: 1 cup blueberries 1 cup non-fat Greek Yogurt

2 Tsp Cumin, 1 Tsp Olive oil, ½ Tsp Salt Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Enjoy with baked tortilla chips or raw vegetables.

Directions: Spread peanut butter on four of the crackers and top with sliced strawberries. Drizzle with honey and top with the other crackers to make four cracker-wiches.

Directions: Blend all ingredients until Smooth. Makes 2 yummy smoothies!

Directions: Spread peanut butter on four of the crackers and top with sliced strawberries. Drizzle with honey and top with the other crackers to make four cracker-wiches.

Directions: Drop each blueberry into the yogurt. Using a spoon, swirl around to coat and place each blueberry on a cookie sheet topped with parchment paper. Freeze for at least an hour.

Why did you choose this career? I chose this career because I enjoy helping others problem solve. Also, I have twin stepsons, one who wants to be a police officer, and the other who wants to be a doctor. I thought that being an EMT helped me to meet them both in the middle. And, back in 2018, I had my own medical emergency and was transported by ambulance to a hospital. The paramedic that took care of me was so comforting and assuring that I realized that becoming an EMT is an honorable career. I now work with that same paramedic, at the same company.

Why did you choose this career? I love nursing because there are many opportunities in hospitals, schools, clinics and offices, insurance, legal and research. My passion is working in the schools with students, parents, staff and community partners.

Why did you choose this career? I chose this career because I enjoy being a support to teens and young adults in a very challenging phase of life that can be overwhelming. I enjoy teaching them how to best take care of themselves so they can live healthy and fulfilling lives.

What is your favorite part of the job you have? Many chronic health conditions (diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure) are preventable, and early detection is key. Thus my favorite part of the job is partnering with patients to establish and manage a plan to help them each live a long and healthy life.

Why did you choose this career? I knew from a young age that I wanted to help people and be a part of the healthcare field, I just didn’t know in what capacity. Then during my senior year of High School, and for the first couple of years of college, I had family members whose speech and hearing were affected because of the conditions of their health. They inspired me and I became intrigued by the speech pathology field and all of its many specialties.

What is your favorite part of the job you have?

What is your favorite part of the job you have? I enjoy meeting and learning about new people and cultures every day. I also like the adrenaline of driving fast with sirens going to get to an emergency quickly.

What is your favorite part of the job you have? I enjoy when a child tells you, “I want to be a nurse.” And best of all, I love the smiles, hugs and “thank-yous”.

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

What is your favorite part of the job you have? My most favorite part would be to see people improve. A lot of people come to us experiencing pain and they often leave our office pain free or at least feeling much better. This is the best part of my job.

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

What is your favorite part of the job you have? I love that my job makes talking about mental health not as scary and even makes it kind of cool. I love that I get to build valuable relationships with so many people that trust me to be there for them. I love that no matter where my clients are, we can simply connect with a video call and I can not only support them through hard times, but lots of good times as well.

My childhood health challenges have given me sensitivity to children suffering with illness. After being given a new lease on life, I consider it an honor to be in a position to promote health to the children of my community, in whatever capacity I serve – in turn, being their “angel.”

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

Learning Standards: HPE 6, NH 3

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

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

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

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

the Saint Louis Science Center ignite your imagination as you explore new ideas and make surprising discoveries about the world around you.

Banana PB Smoothie

Marnay Howard, EMT - B

The

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

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

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

Oceanography is the study of the ocean. This includes marine life, the geography of the ocean floor, and the water in the ocean. Scientists that study the ocean are oceanographers; they study underwater volcanoes, bacteria, and creatures that live in the ocean. Did you know that around 90% of volcanic activity occurs in the ocean? The study of oceans is important because oceans are an important source of food, oceans are used for trade and travel, and they also impact the weather and climate.

formations, temperature, and water pressure.

Oceanographers also use sound waves to echo off the ocean floor to create a map of elevations.

Oceanographers use other branches of science such as biology, geology, physics, and chemistry.

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

Oceanographers use tools such as satellites to allow them to look at any ocean on the planet.

Oceanographers also use buoys on the water to study the motion of ice

Background Information:

Did you know that less than 1% of the earth’s water is fresh water? In this experiment, you will use a buzzer to test saltwater. Saltwater has molecules that dissolve into ions that help carry electricity. Fresh water does not have these ions. Follow the directions carefully.

Materials Needed: • Masking

Tape • 9-Volt Battery • Buzzer • Popsicle Sticks • Aluminum Foil • Water • Saltwater

Procedure:

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

Salt Water Testing

e Next, tape one foil-covered Popsicle stick to the black wire of the buzzer. Tape the other one to the negative end of the battery (negative end has a minus sign).

r You can see if your tester is working by touching the metal together. If it doesn’t buzz, check your connections to make sure everything is taped together the right way.

t Put just the tips of the metal in saltwater, about an inch apart. Make sure the two metal parts don’t touch. The saltwater will act like a wire, connecting the metal sticks, completing the circuit, and making the buzzer buzz.

SCIENCE STARS

African-American Oceanographer Ashanti Johnson

Ashanti Johnson grew up watching Jacques Cousteau, the famous oceanographer, on TV. She was fascinated by the ocean and wanted to be just like him. In fifth grade, Johnson got to spend the day with a female marine biology graduate student, who encouraged her dreams of studying the ocean.

When Johnson attended Texas A&M University to study oceanography, there were only eight African Americans enrolled in the university. Johnson was the first AfricanAmerican student body president. She became the first African American to earn a doctorate in oceanography from Texas A&M, in 1999, as well as one of the first in the country. Johnson then became an assistant professor of chemical oceanography at the South Florida College of Marine Science. She has also worked at the Georgia Institute of Technology School of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, and the Savannah State University Marine Science Program. Her most recent job was at the University of Texas at Arlington Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

Johnson felt that students were often encouraged to become doctors or lawyers, but no one told them about the field of oceanography as a career. So she created the Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth System Science initiative (MS PHDS). This organization has helped approximately 200 minority students find careers in the earth science field. Once students are part of the MS PHDS organization, they continue to meet to network with other professionals and to support each other. For her efforts in the MS PHDS, President Obama awarded her the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. She also was invited to attend the White House Workshop on STEM Minority Inclusion, as well as the White House Forum on Minorities in Energy. Johnson’s research focuses on the coastal regions of Georgia, Florida and Puerto Rico. Her research has been published in many different scientific journals. She has also served on numerous boards and committees including the NSF Advisory Committee on Environmental Research and Education, American Geophysical Union Committee on Education and Human Resources and Subcommittee on Diversity, Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography Education Committee, International Safe Water Conference Steering Committee and many more.

q Cover two Popsicle sticks with aluminum foil.

w Then, get a buzzer and tape the red wire of the buzzer to the positive end of the battery (positive end has a plus sign).

z Rene and Derrick are swimming laps for a swim meet. They swim at the same constant rate, but Rene starts swimming before Derrick. When Derrick has finished 2 laps, Rene has completed 4. How many laps has Rene completed when Derrick has finished 8 laps? ________

x It takes 2 hours and 15 minutes for a gallon of water to evaporate from the bayou. Then, it takes 1 hour and 35 minutes for that gallon of water to form a cloud. Next, it takes 6 hours for the cloud to rain down on a stream. Finally, it takes 45 minutes for the water in the stream to get to the Mississippi River. How long did it take for the water to get from the bayou to the Mississippi River? ________

Extension: Try this experiment with other liquids, such as milk, vinegar, sugar water, etc. What are the results?

Learning Standards: I can follow a process to complete an experiment. I can analyze results and draw conclusions.

c You have a fish tank 100 feet long and 10 feet wide that holds a volume of 15,000 cubic feet of water. What is the depth of the tank? Remember, volume = length x width x depth. ________

v A water tank is 25 ft wide, 75 ft long and has a water depth of 10 ft. How many gallons of water are in the tank ________

b What is the perimeter of a water plant with the following dimensions: 100 ft, 250 ft, 300 ft, 500 ft, and 220 ft? ________

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

She was recognized by TheGrio.com as one of 100 History Makers in The Making, she appeared in the Black Enterprise Magazine March 2011 Issue’s “Women In STEM” Feature Story.

Learning Standards: I can read a biography about a person who has made a contribution in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.

MAP CORNER

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

Activity One — Author’s Writing Style: a chart showing examples of the vocabulary variations that appear in different sections of the newspaper. For instance, the jargon used in the sports section is quite different than the formal writing style in a news story. Classified sections use specific abbreviations. How does author word choice and writing style differ throughout the newspaper?

Activity Two —

Pollution: Find articles in your newspaper that discuss water and/or air pollution. Discuss the causes and possible remedies. Write a science fiction story telling how life could be in another 100 years if the pollution problem isn’t solved.

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can identify author’s writing style and audience. I can make text-to-world connections.

St. Louis American’s

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

Educator Ms. Binion looks on as Illinois State Police Forensics Lab scientist shows students how to test fingerprint evidence from a “crime” scene during The St. Louis American 2022 Summer Science Academy

A map of a seamount in the Arctic Ocean created by NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey by gathering data with a multibeam echo sounder. Image courtesy NOAA.

Chase opens branch in Covent Blu-Grand Center neighborhood

30% of Chase’s branches are in low-to-moderate-income areas

By K. Michael Jones

St. Louis American

The

Last week, Chase cut the ribbon on its newest branch in the St. Louis metro area, a 3,000- sq. foot location at MLK Plaza (3625 Page Blvd.) in the Covent Blu-Grand Center neighborhood. Chase also announced it is accelerating its expansion into the market and will bring its total branch count to more than 30 by 2025 – 24 percent more than originally committed. In addition to the branch in the Covenant Blu Grand Center neighborhood, Chase has opened branches this year in downtown St. Louis, Fenton, and Webster Groves.

“Our approach to our branch expansion is rooted in the belief that we need to have a meaningful presence in the communities we serve in order to make a lasting impact,” said Racquel

n “Brown and Black people need to be a part of the dialogue.”

– Raquel Oden, Managing Director, Head of Network Expansion, Chase

Oden, Head of Network Expansion, Chase.

“For us, our expansion isn’t just about building branches; it’s about working together with our local team to identify the best ways to help more people and more businesses build a secure financial future.”

Speaking about the crowded group at the grand opening, Oden said “it’s not a stadium, this is not a museum,” she said. “It’s a bank

branch. But I think you guys realize how important it is to ensure that we as a community understand the importance of financial health, financial literacy, but more importantly, wealth creation.”

Oden emphasized that part of Chase’s mission is to work with individuals that are underbanked and underserved, letting those individuals know that they “matter.” “Brown and Black people need to be a part of the dialogue,” Oden said. She said that branches need to be a part of the community, including hiring people from the local community. Oden says that 30 percent of Chase’s branches are in low-to-moderate-income areas.

Chase has now opened 20 branches in the St. Louis metro area since opening their first in Kirkwood in 2019. They are hiring local bankers, branch managers and financial advisors who are

See CHASE, B2

Getting Connected

Lincoln U lands grant to narrow campus digital divide

St. Louis American staff

Lincoln University students will soon have new Chromebooks, upgraded classroom technology, and additional mobile wi-fi hotspots through a $2.9 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program

The NTIA grant will be used through 2024 to help the HBCU expand its ability to offer remote instruction and will advance campus technology to enhance learning opportunities for current and future students.

“LU Connects: Connecting Lincoln University Students Through Enhanced Technology and Internet Access,” Lincoln University’s project chosen for the NTIA funding, will provide USB drives, mobile wi-fi hotspots, classroom technology upgrades, network switches and wireless access points, along with Chromebooks and backpacks to facilitate access to educational resources by LU students.

“By providing new technology and ensuring reliable, expanded internet access, this grant helps open doors for our students to learn to their full capability, reducing barriers they face,” said LU President John B. Moseley.

“At the heart of our Lincoln University misSee WILLIAMS, B2

PeoPle on the Move

Shamele Hill serving as chief program officer

Earlier this year, Shamele Hill was promoted to chief program officer for the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) of St. Louis organization where she oversees the dayto-day operations of the program and provides support and guidance to staff and volunteers as they deliver best interest advocacy to children in foster care. Hill has worked with CASA of St. Louis cumulatively for approximately 14 years. Most recently, Hill became a facilitator of the Darkness to Light Stewards of Children curriculum that focuses on educating adults on preventive measures of child sexual abuse.

Rep

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (The Rep) welcomes Reggie D. White as associate artistic director. White brings more than two decades of theatre experience, including over 10 years of expertise as an award-winning artist, educator and arts advocate. Most recently he has served as the artistic director and faculty member at the Atlantic Acting School in New York, NY. White is a resident artist at Vineyard Theatre, a founding member of the multi-generational theatre collective- The Commissaryand a founding company member with The Williams Project, a living-wage theatre company.

Andrea Lowe named counsel at Tucker Ellis

Andrea Lowe was recently promoted to counsel at Tucker Ellis. Lowe focuses her practice on complex civil litigation matters in the areas of mass tort and product liability, commercial business disputes, employment, and insurance. She is experienced in all aspects of the litigation process, ranging from pre-suit, initial pleadings, discovery, motion practice, and trial. Her education includes: Southern University Law Center (J.D.); President, Class of 2010 Webster University (Graduate Legal Study Abroad Program, Netherlands); and Southern Illinois University (B.A. in Criminal Justice, cum laude).

Hampton honored with Afterschool Award

Lincoln University students will have more digital access through the Connecting Minority Communities Program. It addresses a lack of broadband access and equity at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), and in their surrounding anchor communities.

Gloria Hampton

Gloria Hampton was recently honored by the Missouri Afterschool Network with the Outstanding Afterschool Professional Award for her work with Unleashing Potential’s programs that focus on socio-emotional success and Science, Technology, Engineering, Cultural Arts and Math (STEAM) in diverse neighborhoods in St. Louis. The Outstanding Afterschool Professional award is presented to an individual who serves as a model to other afterschool professionals around the state, exhibiting career proficiency and personal excellence.

Chase team members and members of the Cardinal Ritter cheer squad cut the ribbon on the grand opening of the Chase branch in the Covent Blu-Grand Center neighborhood.

Reggie D. White joins The

Reggie D. White

Shamele Hill

Andrea Lowe

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Photo courtesy of Lincoln University

Chase

Continued from B1

dedicated to expanding access to financial resources and boosting financial health.

Among the local organiza-

tions Chase works with are STL Jobs, Better Family Life, Cardinal Ritter, Wesley House and the Boys & Girls Club of Greater St. Louis.

Oden stressed that the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in the country right now are Black women.

To highlight that point, Chase hired Sweets to Remember, a Black owned bakery company owned by Abeela Jetton, to provide sweets for their ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening pf the branch at Page and Grand.

Williams

Continued from B1

sion is ensuring our students have access to educational opportunities, and we are proud to share — and ultimately achieve — that aim with NTIA’s Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program. Together, we are helping more students succeed.”

The program addresses a lack of broadband access, connectivity, adoption, and equity at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), and in their surrounding anchor communities.

The Chromebooks will support students’ use of digital textbooks and completion of coursework online, and more than 40 LU classrooms will be

upgraded to facilitate distance learning.

Students will be able to checkout hotspots for internet access while away from campus, and internet access on LU’s main and extended campuses will be bolstered through new network switches and wireless access points, which will improve connectivity and reliability.

Additionally, this grant will fund the hiring of a full-time student technology coordinator who will be responsible for managing the set-up and distribution of the Chromebooks and hotspots.

LUETA graduates seven recruits

Lincoln University graduated seven new law enforcement professionals at a commencement ceremony Dec. 14 in Pawley Theater on the LU campus. The newly minted

officers make up the fifth class to complete the program of LU’s Law Enforcement Training Academy (LULETA). Lincoln launched its training center last year, the first historically Black college and university to house its own police academy. The new graduates are Hannah K. Clark of Owensboro, Ky; David J. Franks II of St. James, Mo; Trenton D. Garber of Overland Park, Ks; Mercy M. Gonzalez of Hialeah, Fl; Caleb A. Rozar of Clarksville, Tn; Eric L. Snook of Holts Summit, Mo; and Zyan A. Thomas-King of New Orleans, La.

“We have a very great program, and our program is made great by the people who attend,” says Academy Director Chief Gary Hill. “It is also made great by our instructors.” Upon completion of the program, graduates can meet the diverse needs of the communities they will face.

“We are proud that you all have answered the call, and you will demonstrate great leadership in the communities for which you were prepared to go serve,” Dr. Moseley says. “You will serve as a beacon of light in your communities.”

In the program, cadets receive direct, practical training in a variety of situations including domestic violence calls, traffic stops, burglary scenarios, crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques.

“Our nation needs your commitment to serve with unwavering bravery to diffuse situations with peace, pride and a higher level of community care,” Moseley said.

“I look at each of you, and I see great purpose, sacrifice, commitment, passion and bravery.”

Racquel Oden, managing director and head of network expansion for JPMorgan Chase, addresses the crowd at the ribbon cutting and grand opening of Chase’s newest branch, located in the MLK Plaza on Page Blvd.

Seven new law enforcement professionals completed Lincoln University’s Law Enforcement Training Academy (LULETA) program and graduated on Dec. 14. 2022.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Photo courtesy of Lincoln University

n “When I was about to walk across the stage, there were nerves, there was an excitement, there was a feeling of completion.”

– Chris Paul on earning a mass communications degree from Winston-Salem State University

Sports

DECEMBER 22 – 28, 2022

InSIdE SportS

By Earl Austin Jr.

Game on!

Girls prep basketball stars already shining bright

Girls’ basketball season has tipped off, so let’s shine the spotlight on the area’s top girls’ basketball players.

Megan Aulbert (Lutheran-St. Charles): A 6’2” senior forward who is currently averaging 13 points and 12 rebounds a game. She has signed with Tennessee Tech.

JaNyla Bush (Vashon): A 5’5” junior transfer from Whitfield is one of the top point guards in the state. She has already committed to Missouri State University.

Taryn Blevins (Marquette): A talented 2023 point guard who is currently averaging 12 points, two rebounds and three assists a game.

Chantrel Clayton (Vashon): A 5’7” junior point guard who transferred from Cardinal Ritter. She is a talented offensive player who can score from anywhere on the court.

Brooke Coffey (Incarnate Word): A 6’1” senior forward who is a versatile offensive player. She has signed with Illinois State University.

Julia Coleman (Westminster): A 6’1” senior forward who is currently averaging 12 points and eight rebounds a game. She has signed with Texas State University.

Mariah Dallas (Fort Zumwalt South): A 5’11” 2023 forward who is currently averaging 20 points and 11 rebounds a game in leading the Bulldogs to a 5-1 record.

Annalise Dorr (Parkway South): A 5’8” guard who is a four-year starter for the Patriots. She is an excellent 3-point shooter who is currently averaging 12 points a game.

Shannon Dowell (O’Fallon): A 5’10” senior guard who is currently averaging 22 points a game for the 10-2 Panthers. The Illinois State recruit has scored more than 1,300 points in her career.

Binta Fall (MICDS): A 5’10” senior forward who is now a four-year starter for the Rams. She was an All-Metro League selection as a junior.

Camirah Foster (Hazelwood Central): A talented freshman guard who who is making an immediate impact by averaging 19 points a game.

Raychel Jones (Vashon): A 5’10” senior forward who is currently averaging 18 points a game. She has already signed with UMKC.

Alyssa Lewis (Alton): A talented 5’8” junior guard who is currently averaging 10 points a game for the 10-0 Redbirds.

Alivia McCulla (Parkway South): A 6’2’ senior forward who is a four-year starter for the Patriots. She recently scored her 1,000th career point.

Tkiyah Nelson (Whitfield): A 5’10” senior guard who helped the Warriors to a berth in the Class 5 state championship game. She has signed with Southern Illinois

HBCU

University.

Jaliah Pelly (O’Fallon): An athletic 5’9” senior guard who is averaging 10 points a game for the 10-2 Panthers. She has signed with Indiana State University.

Natalie Potts (Incarnate Word): A 6’2” senior forward who returns after helping to lead the Red Knights to back-to-back Class 6 state championships. She has signed with Nebraska.

Kiyoko Proctor (Alton): A 5’4” sophomore point guard who is currently averaging 13 points a game in leading the Redbirds to a 10-0 start this season.

Kyra Sullivan (Lutheran North): A 5’10” senior forward who is a four-year starter for the Crusaders. She is currently averaging 18

points a game. Allie Turner (John Burroughs): A 5’8” junior point guard who led the Bombers to their first ever state championship in girls’ basketball. She has already received several Division I scholarship offers.

Hannah Wallace (Cardinal Ritter): A 6’0’ junior wing player who is an elite defensive player who can also shoot the ball. She has received multiple Division I scholarship offers.

Ai’Niya Williams (Cardinal Ritter): A 6’2” junior forward who is one of the top young post players in the area. She is an excellent scorer and rebounder.

Monet Witherspoon (John Burroughs): A 5’7” junior guard who averaged 12 points a game as a sophomore to help the Bombers to the Class 4 state championship last season. Visitation Update The pairings are set for the quarterfinals of the Visitation Christmas Tournament, which will resume on Monday, December 26. It will be No. 4 seed Pattonville vs. No. 5 Civic Memorial at 4 p.m.; No. 1 Incarnate Word vs. No. 8 Cardinal Ritter at 5:30 p.m.; No. 2 John Burroughs vs. No. 10 Parkway South at 7 p.m. and No. 3 Eureka vs. No. 6 Visitation at 8:30 p.m. The semifinals will be on Tuesday, December 27 at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. The championship game will be held on Wednesday, December 28 at 8 p.m.

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

football is alive, well,

Deion Sanders’ crocodile tears before the 2022 Celebration Bowl in Atlanta weren’t enough to prevent North Carolina Central from putting the bite on Jackson State’s dream of an undefeated season. The Eagles topped Sanders’ Tigers 41-34 in overtime and sent him to his new job with a second consecutive loss in the Celebration Bowl. Last year, the much-ballyhooed Tigers lost to South Carolina State 31-10. Like this year’s game, JSU was heavy favorite. Sanders is destined for Colorado to take over as coach, and he’s taking his quarterback son, Shedeur Sanders, with him. Most likely, five-star receiver recruit Travis Hunter is headed west to the mountains, as well. Their final HBCU memory will be that of a fired up opposing NCCU team that had its

full of “Coach Prime” and the “JSU saved HBCU football” narrative.

Eagles coach Trei Oliver said after the game his players “had a chip on their shoulder.”

The leadup to the bowl had turned into non-stop praise of Sanders, the Southwest Athletic Conference, and the predicted coronation of the JSU Tigers as Black College Football’s best team in 2022.

“The disrespect was real since we’ve been down here,” Oliver said.

“Their (Jackson State) athletic director (Ashley Robinson) addressed us as North Carolina A&T State University. We pull up to dinner the other night, (Jackson State’s) buses won’t move. They got to drop our guys off in the middle of a street.

“Pregame, we’re supposed to come out at a certain time before the national anthem. For whatever reason, {JSU] wasn’t ready, so they stopped everything. My guys sat in the tunnel for 10 minutes waiting to come out. But it didn’t matter. … [We] put some respect on our

name and Black colleges.”

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference now holds 6-1 edge over SWAC teams in the Celebration Bowl.

With all eyes on Sanders and his team, Oliver and the Eagles’ outstanding season was being overlooked.

Oliver, who just completed his third season, was named the 2022 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Football Coach of the Year after leading his team

Coach Trei Oliver and North Carolina Central sent Deion Sanders and Jackson State packing in Celebration Bowl.

to its first conference championship in six years and an overall record of 10-2. He is the first coach to reach the 10-win plateau with NCCU. Only five previous teams reached nine wins. Among the NCAA Division I-FCS statistical leaders, NCCU topped the nation in third down conversions (57.3%) and red zone defense (64.7%) and ranked sixth in the country in scoring offense with a MEAC-

high average of 38.4 points per game. Good luck to Sanders in Colorado, but HBCU football is alive, well, and really won’t miss him that much.

The Reid Roundup

There is concerning NBA injury news on the West Coast. Golden State Warriors guard Stef Curry injured his shoulder last week and will out “a few weeks.” He will miss the Christmas Day showdown against the Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies …L.A. Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis had returned to superstar form during the six games he played in December, averaging 33.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 1.7 blocked shots. He again finds himself sidelined by injury, this time to his foot. He is expected to miss “at least a month” according to his team… With each loss, the idea of St. Louis native Bradley Beal remaining with the Washington Wizards past the trade deadline seems more unlikely. Beal returned after missing six

games because of a hamstring injury on Sunday night, but his team lost to the Lakers 119-117. Beal, who is in the first year of a $251 million contract, scored 29 points in his return. After the loss, the Wizards had dropped 10 games in a row and were 1-13 since Thanksgiving… Aaron Judge’s nine-year, $360 million contract makes him the highest paid position player in Major League Baseball. His $40 million annual salary ranks just behind pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander

Alvin A. Reid

Earl Austin Jr.

Pattonville guard Hannah Fenton (3) shoots over Westminster’s Mia Scheulen (24) during the Visitation Invitational Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022. Pattonville went on to defeat Westminster 47-35.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Photo courtesy of hbcugameday.com

Midwest BankCentre donates another branch to local non-profit

Midwest BankCentre has donated a branch at 3207 Meramec Street to the non-profit group the Neighborhood Innovation Center. This marks the third branch that Midwest has donated to a local non-profit.

From Dutchtown, in the City of St. Louis, the Neighborhood Innovation Center (NIC-STL) is a startup social impact 501c(3) non-profit for fostering innovation in place-based neighborhood businesses. The organization collaborates with local, regional, and national partners in governments, non-profits, and private sector organizations.

Midwest closed the location in 2019 as it was very near another one of their branches and there was an overlap in services.

In May Midwest BankCentre donated its building at 3529 N. Broadway to Dream Builders 4Equity

(DB4E), and will transform the site into its headquarters, a community resource hub, and collaboration space for the Hyde Park community.

Orvin T. Kimbrough, chair and CEO of Midwest BankCentre, said the transaction is part of “our mission.” “The donation strengthens our impact on helping local communities thrive through access to opportunity and capital. It also amplifies our dedication to shared prosperity in partnership with nonprofits doing great work in our region.”

DB4E was established in 2016, and offers workforce development courses and hands-on opportunities that teach trainees ages 16 to 24 about construction, personal finance, and real estate investing.

The bank also donated its Bevo branch to the Tower Grove Community Development Corp.

Harris-Stowe’s

Harris-Stowe State University’s (HSSU) AnheuserBusch School of Business (ABSB) announced that it has been accredited for the next ten years by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), until 2032.

KWAME Foundation partners with Lincoln U. golf

The Lincoln University Athletic Department and the KWAME Foundation announced recently an historic partnership to benefit the LU men’s and women’s golf programs.

The KWAME Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Kwame Building Group of St. Louis, Mo., has provided a gift to extensively renovate the Lincoln University Golf Center.

Anheuser-Busch School

ACBSP first accredited the ABSB at HSSU in 2001. ACBSP accreditation certifies that the teaching and learning processes within the business degrees and programs offered through Harris-Stowe State University meet the rigorous educational standards

This will include the installation of two fully interactive golf simulators, improved flooring, lockers for LU golfers and other equipment.

“We could not be more excited to commemorate the KWAME Foundation’s historic commitment to the only HBCU men’s and women’s golf programs in the state of Missouri,” said Dr. Kevin Wilson, Vice President for

Advancement, Athletics and Campus Recreation. “Similar to emerging groups of philanthropists across the country, the KWAME Foundation is passionate about providing our students with access to the game of golf and equipping them with the tools to compete with anyone.”

“On behalf of the Lincoln University Golf programs, I extend my deepest appreciation to the KWAME Foundation for their partnership. I am grateful for their desire to see progress and a culture of competitiveness in HBCU golf,” said Kortland Ware, Director of Golf. “Support from the KWAME Foundation will expedite our development into a program that will make our alumni, the Jefferson City community, and the Show Me state proud.”

of Business accredited for another 10 years

established by ACBSP. The University must undergo the reaffirmation process every ten years to maintain ACBSP accreditation.

“HSSU has proudly served the region with its commitment to excellent higher education for many years, and the ABSB

is honored to be exhibiting the University’s core values of personal growth, respect, innovation, diversity, and excellence,” said Dr. Stacy Gee Hollins, Dean of ABSB. “The faculty and staff are invested in the school’s success and value the meaning of accreditation.

We look forward to continuing to educate our diverse student population of highly motivated individuals.”

In October, reviewers from the ACBSP came to the university to review ABSB’s programs, policies, procedures, and areas of improvement. The visit included the reviewers meeting with ABSB deans, faculty, the advisory board, and other university offices including admissions, registrar, and financial aid. They also spoke to a panel of students to provide insight on how ABSB works with the University.

The Midwest BankCentre branch at 3207 Meramec St., has been donated to the nonprofit group, the Neighborhood Innovation Center.

Photo courtesy of Midwest BankCentre

Photo courtesy of KWAME Foundation

Living It

A decent dance ‘A New Holiday’ for everyone

Fans will connect with Kasi Lemmons’

Whitney Houston biopic

By Kenya Vaughn The St. Louis American

Whitney Houston was such a rare talent that many of those who experienced her career in real time can remember the exact moment they heard that angelic voice over radio airwaves – or in the then new medium of music video. Its true power– with an instantly identifiable tone, range for days and vocal runs that were often imitated but never duplicated – cannot be fully expressed. She rightfully entered the music industry at the very top with record-smashing success and was proclaimed to be the voice of her era. Her influence still echoes in pop, R&B, soul, and gospel among the singers who followed her. Sadly, the turmoil of her final years overshadowed Houston’s phenomenal talent and generational impact on the music industry. By the time she tragically passed away at the far too early age of 48 in 2012, her life was reduced to a cautionary tale that details the dangers of sub-

“The world needs a little bit more joy”

SLSO, IN UNISON

‘A Gospel Christmas’ honors late founder

By Danielle Brown St. Louis American

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and IN UNISON Chorus have presented their gift of “A Gospel Christmas” for more than 20-years, uniting holiday and music lovers for an evening of cheer.

While celebratory and filled with stirring vocal performances, this year’s event on Thursday, Dec. 15, carried a bit more somber tune. Dr. Robert Ray, IN UNISON Chorus founder and former director died earlier that day. Ray served as director from 1994-2010. He worked as both St. Louis Symphony Chorus assistant and IN UNISON director for 25 years. “The entire St. Louis community is saddened by this loss,” said Kevin McBeth, IN UNISON Chorus director since 2011. “[Robert]

stance abuse and lack of self-care.

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody – which opens in theaters nationwide on December 23 – makes a valiant attempt to give an honest depiction of the full spectrum of the life, legacy, and contributions of the singer/ actor. Though the film never quite reaches its full potential, director Kasi Lemmons (who has

n Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody is a story of love and dysfunction. The love catapulted her to unimaginable heights. The dysfunction put her on the path that led to a losing battle with her demons.

St. Louis roots) and star Naomi Ackie deserve a nod for making the most of Anthony McCarten’s screenplay. He opted for a life moment checklist approach of bringing Houston’s story as opposed

to crafting a story that compels emotional engagement.

Among the brief list of singer/actors who could effectively portray Houston, newcomer Ackie was nowhere near the radar. That coupled with the fact that she bears no physical resemblance to Houston whatsoever will give prospective audiences pause. But the British actor will quickly win viewers over as she embodies the essence of Houston. The bar she sets and holds for herself over the course of the film saves Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody from spiraling into Lifetime Movie biopic terrain. Most of the vocals in the film belong to Houston, but Ackie rises to the challenge when a scene requires her to lend her own voice.

Oddly bookended by one of Houston’s pinnacle live performance career highlights, the biopic film – takes the familiar biopic tumble in its attempt to capture an entire career in the span of a movie. And two-and-a-half hours is not enough time to take on the nearly 30 years that Houston

was a pioneer and innovator. I’m proud to stand on his shoulders and preserve his legacy.”

McBeth requested a moment of silence honoring the late Ray and asked chorus members who had the opportunity to sing with Ray to stand.

About half of the chorus stood.

In Ray’s memory, the concert was high-energy and a touching tribute to its founder.

Powell Symphony Hall’s holiday decor blended well with songs of tradition. Garland with red bows ran throughout the hall’s lobby and theater. Poinsettias dotted the stage with wreaths behind the chorus.

during the holidays.

Local authors pen inspirational book based on movie

By Ashley Winters St. Louis American

It’s that time of year for family and friends to come together to celebrate hope, joy, and most importantly, love.

But this time in 2020 and 2021 many families and friends marked the Christmas season in quarantine or mourning the loss of a loved one. Christmas was celebrated over the internet trying to keep some type of normalcy.

Local authors Sophia Stevens and Brian Owens are showing how to celebrate Christmas while hanging onto memories of those we lost. Their children’s book “A New Holiday” celebrates Christmas while acknowledging trauma of death during the holidays.

The children’s book discusses faith and showcases some St. Louis staples in the community. It is helpful to adults who must have a conversation concerning the death of a loved one with a young person.

“It’s a good book, and the response to “A New Holiday” has been good too,” said Owens.

Owens, a dad of 8, says his kids have experienced losing a loved one. “[Children] they can handle those concepts. We try to hide and shield them from what they already know is happening,” said Owens.

See Whitney, C8 n “‘A New Holiday’ as you can see is not your traditional children’s Christmas book, and its creation was not so traditional either.”

Stephens echoes Owens saying that the book reminds adults about “their inner child.”

IN UNISON conductor

Kevin McBeth directs the audience in a song with the St. Louis Symphony.

Featured vocalist Sheléa, a singer, songwriter, pianist, and actress, who starred as Dorinda Clark Cole in the 2020 Lifetime biopic “The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel,” was outstanding.

The California native wore a floor length gown with sequins and blonde tresses. While this was her SLSO debut, she had performed previously in St. Louis with Kirk Whalum at Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church.

- Brian Owens

“This is not just for kids, it also helps adults teach kids how to cope with loss in a language that kids can understand in a way that makes it easier for parents to explain it to them,” said Owens.

“A New Holiday” as you can see is not your traditional children’s Christmas book, and its creation was not so traditional either.

Owens had just finished a concert film called “Soul of Ferguson,” and he said Dave Steward Sr., founder and chair of World Wide Technology enjoyed it.

Owens said Steward annually plans a big birthday celebration for his wife, Thelma; however, in 2020 the pandemic puts everyone’s holiday season traditions on hold.

Owens says Steward was thinking of ways he could virtually celebrate his wife. During a meeting, Owens said they should make a film. Steward soaked up the idea and the film team had just three months to pull off a musical film for Thelma Steward.

Lion Forge, which is owned by David Steward II, produced the animation for the film and the project wrapped up in December of 2020. During the process, Owens thought of turning the movie into a children’s book.

“Initially, I decided it would be a book just for Thelma Steward for a birthday present for the next year,” said Owens.

Lion Forge produced the illustrations for the book and in 2021 the book was presented to Thelma Steward for her birthday in December.

“Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” directed by Kasi Lemmons, and starring Naomi Ackie opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, December 23.

Authors Sophia Stephens and Brian Owens are showing how to celebrate Christmas while hanging onto memories of those we lost. Their children’s book ‘A New Holiday’ celebrates Christmas while acknowledging trauma of death

Photo by Wiley Price I St. Louis American

Photo courtesy of Sony/Tristar Pictures

Harris-Stowe State University’s

Fall 2022 Commencement Recap

On Saturday, December 10, 2022, families, friends, faculty and staff gathered to celebrate Harris-Stowe State University’s (HSSU) graduating class of Summer and Fall 2022.

Approximately 113 scholars walked across the stage, commemorating the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.

HSSU President Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith delivered an invigorating speech to the students, congratulating them on their achievements and accomplishments. She talked about the commitment of the University enrolling a body of global leaders from across the nation and international waters.

“We help our students realize the power of their potential and possibilities and help them to build their determination and will to cross the finish line against all odds,” Dr. Collins Smith said. “They are a true testament to the perseverance and pursuit of academic excellence that embodies the HarrisStowe State University experience.”

Dr. Collins Smith also highlighted students who exemplified the “Power of Harris-Stowe.” Those students included Mary Crenshaw, A’liyah Fleeks, Crystal Johnson, Michael Patterson, and Darterrio West.

Crenshaw, who majored in Urban Affairs, is a non-traditional student and mother who decided to attend school after she was suddenly laid off from her home healthcare job. She worked part time to support her family while she was taking classes.

Fleeks, a participant in the Summer Bridge Program and honors student, will start a new full-time position at Lockheed Martin Space as a Systems Engineer, and plans to enter into graduate school in a planetary space program.

Johnson stopped out after starting as a traditional student in 2015, but returned, attending school full-time while also working full-time. She interned at Hickey School and will start a full-time position in January.

After stopping out at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Patterson completed 39 credit hours in ten months and graduated Summa Cum Lade. He will continue to grow his investor and landscaping businesses.

West, a Memphis native and graduate who majored in Educational Studies, is returning to his hometown to work at Southwind High School as an English Interventionalist. He plans to become a principal in the future.

Other students who epitomize the power of Harris-Stowe includes scholars who graduated within three years of starting at HSSU. They include the following: Shakira Bent, Chasidy Byrd, Jordyn Dabney, JaNise Duckworth, Makayla Golston, Natalia Harris, Iyana Oliviel, Jadyen Singleton, Natasha Taylor, Jamillah Tolliver, Jada Witherspoon, and the valedictorian, Zakiya Young.

Young delivered her heartfelt speech where she talked about how the University has changed her for the better. As the eldest of eight siblings, she wanted to show them that despite their circumstances, that they can achieve anything they set their minds to. She shared that same sentiment with her fellow graduates as well.

“You persevered despite the long, hard nights of studying,” Young said. “You lived and went to school during a global pandemic and kept going, even with the loss of loved ones, friends, and family. You didn’t let the storm defeat you. Instead, you pushed through and walked out on

Educational Studies

“I started going to Harris-Stowe State University in 2018. I started in the Summer Bridge when I came in. I was very unclear, scared, and nervous on whether I would make it to the end of this journey. Being consistent with myself and determined about my goals is what kept me going and pushing. Going towards the last months on finishing college I created a business/website that’s coming along called KySafePlace for peer-therapy. It’s to support others so they feel comfortable to express themselves without being judged or interrupted. Being at Harris-Stowe, it taught me how to be independent and mature on going after my dreams. I will always appreciate the time and my experiences and people I met and learn from.”

the other side.”

Keynote speaker Senator Brian Williams, the only Black male currently serving in the Missouri Senate, delivered a riveting speech to the graduates about the value of their education, competing in a global market and tapping into their limitless potential.

“Don’t be afraid of yourself,” Senator Williams said. “The steps you take across this stage today from this day on must be courageous, full of humility, and most importantly, forward. Some will be small steps, some will be long strides, some will be confident, and some will be hesitant. But regardless of what those steps look like, as long as your feet are facing forward, and moving forward, I assure you, every single one of you will be okay.”

During his time at Harris-Stowe, Darterrio became 1st Vice President of the Gamma Eta Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated, the President of the Black Male Initiative, a Lead Residential Assistant, joined the HSSU Choir, TRIO Student Student Support Services, SWARM (a Black Male Educator Organization), became an Orientation Leader, a Campus Mediator, joined the Hornet Keeper Peer Mentor Program, the NAACP, Sigma Alpha Pi (The National Society of Leadership and Success), and the Summer Bridge Program.

HSSU’s newest alumni will be taking their skills to companies like Missouri Social Services, Deloitte, and various school districts. Others will be continuing their education at graduate schools, including but not limited to the University of Colorado- Boulder, University of IllinoisChampaign, and Saint Louis University. Others are starting non-profits and either growing their already established businesses or getting them started.

Harris-Stowe State University, once again, wants to commend the graduates of Summer and Fall class of 2022 and wish you good luck and success in your future endeavors.

Congratulations, Hornets!

Graduate Spotlight: Kyra Stayton received her bachelor’s in Communications Studies

Graduate Spotlight: Darterrio West received his bachelor’s in

Pastors release book of Psalms for Black lives

this year, and it has received outstanding reviews. Psalms for Black Lives initially arose as devotionals for a churchwide fasting experience led by the Wilkes during the summer of

and

was ablaze with righteous indignation over the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others. They found that the ancient words of the Psalms spoke truth and inspiration not only to their immediate community, but also to the growing number of people called to the demanding work of pursuing justice, confronting structural racism, and building a society that equitably values Black lives. Psalms for Black Lives includes 30 devotions, each containing a psalm, a reflection,

and an invitation for the reader to develop a justice imagination through engagement with the text. The book also features discussion questions to support small-group study and a guide for congregational and community group interaction.

In her recommendation for the book, Risë Nelson, Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at Yale University Library writes, “Pastors Gabby and Andrew have made this offering from and of love as a reminder of who you are, and we are. It is

an invitation to renew your faith in God and in the power of our community

“It is a confirmation of God’s plan for each of us and God’s promise to be with us in our challenges and our victories.”

“Rev. Kimberly Orr, publisher of The Upper Room states, “For too long the Black experience and voice have been muted as interpretive conversation partners for the Psalms.

The Wilkes go a long way toward remedying this disparity. Psalms for Black Lives is an important work for beginning the healing process in our churches.”

The Reverends Wilkes are co-founders and co-lead pastors of The Double Love Experience Church in Brooklyn, New York.

Rev. Gabby is a public theologian, strategist, and innovation coach with over 15 years of experience working at the intersection of faith, culture, leadership & strategy.

Rev. Andrew is a political scientist and the author of Freedom Notes: Reflections on Faith, Justice, and the Possibil-

ity of Democracy. With over 15 years of experience working at the intersection of public policy and faith, he is a former Executive Director of the Drum Major Institute, a social change organization founded by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Between them, their work has been featured in Forbes, Faith & Leadership Magazine, The Washington Post, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and more. Rev. Gabby is a graduate of Hampton University, New York University, Yale Divinity School, and Duke Divinity School. Rev. Andrew is a graduate of Hampton University & Princeton Theological Seminary. The couple has been featured together in outlets such as The New York Times & Essence Magazine. To learn more, please visit UpperRoomBooks.com/ BlackLives The Upper Room is a global ministry and is a part of Discipleship Ministries.

By Bishop Jacques Gardner Bailey

I’ve needed forgiveness more than once in my life, and God obliged me. I’m now on a mission to offer everyone else the very thing I know I’ve needed. Like many people, my life has been a complex journey full of ups and downs. At an early age, I suffered several traumatic experiences. One of my earliest memories was when I was 5 years old, and I saw my biological mom hit in the eye by my stepfather. I was molested by non-family members.

As a result, I grew up confused emotionally, and my selfworth was very low. I remember being slapped in the face by an older cousin — I never forgot it. I remember being so poor that at times my sister and I played with our friends to steal food from their refrigerator. I remember poverty, living with people, being teased by kids because we didn’t have food or new clothes at times. I remember trusting people in the church and being let down repeatedly. I built a wall of resistance to people; unforgiveness became

my defense system. It became poison in my blood. I believed in Christ and believed I was forgiven. But in anger, I wouldn’t forgive others. When I was 18, my oldest son was born. For having a baby out of wedlock, many people that I regarded highly discarded me. There also were many untold truths about my family and past, and I held grudges against family members for not making things clear to me. You see, again, all that unforgiveness was like poison in my blood — even though my heart was good. I loved to help people and do ministry; but I couldn’t get free myself because I was carrying years of resentment and unforgiveness in my heart, making

me hard to love. I have labored in my community, looking to provide hope. And gone home battling depression and suicidal thoughts. I lived in fight or flight mode. Then God graced me with an amazing wife who made tough conversation easy. She encouraged me to get help. I did, and because of that help, I found a pattern in my life and family.

I had been angry with my mother, and many of the things I was angry about were the result of intergenerational trauma. I reflected on the distance in the relationship with my oldest son. I realized the same neglect I blamed my mother for, I had extended to my son. I was in his life but used the

business of ministry to mask my pain. As a result, I had abandoned my son. I provided for him but wasn’t there like I should have been. I realized the generational curse had been passed down. The Lord allowed me to see the damage the poison in my veins, called unforgiveness, was causing. I had bottled up pain and resentment from experiencing years of trauma; it made me a functional prisoner in my own mind. Unforgiveness locked me away in my mind to count offenses and I lost precious time. Recently, I had a conversation with my mother, and began to release my resentment and anger. We began the process of healing. I came to realize she did the best she could with what she knew. This realization helped me to release my longheld resentment and anger and

began the process of forgiving my mother. Forgiveness of my mother allowed me to realize how powerful, healing and freeing forgiveness can be. And it has impacted my other relationships. My mom and I forgave each other; and my children and I are rebuilding our relationships. Nothing is perfect but I’m grateful things are better As I share my story, I have experienced new challenges to see if my resolve is true. Yes, I’ve grown to know my real problem has been forgiveness; not receiving it from God but extending it to myself and others. And for this I am grateful.

Bishop Jacques Orlando Gardner Bailey Sr. is pastor of Marketplace Fellowship and Churches International in Baltimore

Photo courtesy

Room

PROJECT DIRECTOR, FREEDOM SCHOOLS

Deaconess Foundation will sponsor a network of Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools® programs this summer. The six-week program provides summer enrichment for children and families. The Project Director manages operations for the CDF Freedom Schools® program. The position’s primary responsibility is to recruit, supervise and manage adequate staff to operate multiple program sites and ensure overall quality as outlined by the standards of the CDF Freedom Schools® program. The Project Director will serve as liaison between Deaconess Foundation and the four program sites, maintain the safety of all staff and students, organize parent engagement meetings, ensure that the CDF Freedom Schools® Integrated Reading Curriculum is implemented with fidelity, and ensure that appropriate program staff inputs data in CDF’s reporting system. Starting salary range is $26.00 to $29.00 per hour. To apply for this position, submit cover letter, resume and references, all as one document, at: https://deaconess.org/joinus

ATTORNEY – FAMILY COURTJUVENILE DIVISION

The Juvenile Division of the Family Court of St. Louis County is seeking three (3) attorneys (one for each of the following Divisions - 39, 61 and 62) to serve as guardians ad litem and attorneys for parents in child protection cases. These are 3 newly created positions. An attorney who serves the Court must commit to serve on various Family Court (Juvenile) cases on an as needed basis for a monthly retainer to be paid by public funds. The current retainer is in the amount of $2,300.00 per month. Payments for time expended in adoption, guardianship of minor, and termination of parental rights matters may be made over and above the retainer fee by outside agencies including but not limited to Children’s Division.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Graduation from an accredited law school, possession of a current license to practice law in the State of Missouri, up to three (3) years of trial experience preferred; preferably in juvenile or family law (additional years of trial experience and guardian ad litem experience are highly preferred), and completion of necessary guardian ad litem training as required by the Supreme Court of Missouri. Note: This position is subject to continued availability of funding.

To apply, please send a current resume, along with a cover letter, to SLCCourtJobs@courts.mo.gov or to the following address: Family Court of St. Louis County, Attn: Human Resources Department, 105 S. Central Ave., Clayton, MO 63105. EOE. The deadline for submitting applications is January 15, 2023. Please contact the Human Resources Department at 615-4471 (voice) or RelayMo 711 or 800-735-2966 if you need any accommodations in the application process, or if you would like this posting in an alternative form.

DIRECTOR, CEDED REINSURANCE

POSITIONS AVAILABLE

The School District of Jennings encourages qualified persons interested in running for a position on the Board of Education to file to be a candidate in the April 4, 2023 election. Interested persons may file at the St. Louis County Board of Elections office located at 725 Northwest Plaza Drive, St. Ann, MO 63074.

Candidates can file between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday from December 6 through December 27, 2022. (On the last day of candidate filing only, candidate filing ends at 5:00 p.m.)

First day filers will select a number by random drawing to determine placement on the ballot. After the first day, candidates will be placed on the ballot in the order of their filing.

Board of Election offices will be closed on December 8, 23, and 26, 2022. The office may be closed due to inclement weather. The public must adhere to St. Louis County building entry requirements.

There are three positions available with three-year terms. These positions are currently held by Mrs. Tammy Dailey, Mrs. Miranda Jones, and a vacant seat that was held by Mr. John Schlereth.

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

The St. Louis Mental Health Board (MHB) is seeking qualified candidates for a full-time Executive Assistant with a starting salary of $51K and a highly competitive benefit package. For the full job posting visit www.stlmhb.com/ about-us/careers.

PLAN REVIEWER/ BUILDING INSPECTOR

The City of Richmond Heights is accepting applications for the position of Plan Reviewer/Building Inspector $64,193 - $71,337 To apply go to https://richmondheights.applicantpro.com/jobs/ .

Responsible for preparing and recording various monthly journal entries accurately and in a timely manner and preparing supporting account reconciliations. This role assists with the preparation of regulatory required quarterly/ annual statements, which includes various supporting workpapers, schedules, footnotes and disclosures.

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

Mid-level professional, responsible for assisting the reinsurance placement and analysis in concert with the Treaty Committee. All job duties and responsibilities must be carried out in compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

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

TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND TRAINING SPECIALIST

Full time position at the 22ND Judicial Circuit Court includes full benefit package, plus no cost retirement plan Please email resume to: stlca.resumes@courts.mo.gov detailed info at www.stlcitycircuitcourt.com, click employment opportunities.

EOE

BOOKMOBILE DRIVER

The St. Louis County Library is seeking qualified applicants to fill the position of full-time Bookmobile Driver. The position is responsible for driving the bookmobile to assigned location to provide quality Library service to customers and also performs clerical duties assigned with this position.

A High School diploma or GED required. Must be able drive a truck and trailer. Must have a valid driver’s license with a good driving record. Salary - $34,320 plus paid benefits. Apply online at https://www.slcl.org/ content/employment

Equal Opportunity Employer.

TREATY REINSURANCE – OPERATIONS ANALYST

Provide skilled and experienced technical support to Treaty Reinsurance (TRe) underwriters. Responsible for day-to-day operational needs, to include: booking premium-related transactions, maintaining systems data and business reports, handling contract wording approval processes, and adhering to daily and seasonal SOX compliance processes. To apply, please visit: https://www. safetynational.com/ careers-page/

SLDC IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) is eagerly seeking candidates to join our team as we endeavor to bring economic justice to St. Louis City residents and communities that were disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

There are multiple 2-4-year limited term positions available, term of employment will vary for each position.

These positions will assist in the administration and implementation of various Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) Programs targeted for households, small businesses and communities adversely impacted by the pandemic.

All positions will be funded in whole or in part through an allocation of Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) from the US Department of the Treasury and the City of St. Louis’ Community Development Administration.

To see the full job description of positions available and to apply online go to: http:// www.stlouis-mo.gov/sldc/ and click

ADVERTISEMENT FOR RFP PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT SERVICES

The City of St. Louis Department of Health seeks proposals from organizations that can demonstrate expertise and capacity to provide dental health care services, including outpatient diagnosis, prevention, and therapy to persons living with HIV (PLWH). These funds are available through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009, Part A. Request for Proposals may be obtained beginning Friday, December 09, 2022, by downloading from the City of St. Louis website at https://www. stlouis-mo.gov/government/ departments/health/documents/ fiscal-documents/ psychosocial-supportservices-part-a-rfp.cfm. Contact: Sylvia JacksonBell for questions @ DOHGA @stlouis-mo.gov, or (314) 657-1581 (email preferred). The deadline for submitting proposals is Monday, January 23, 2023, by 4:00 pm via email at DOHGA @stlouis-mo. gov. The Department of Health reserves the right to reject any and all responses with or without cause.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR RFP ORAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES

The City of St. Louis Department of Health seeks proposals from organizations that can demonstrate expertise and capacity to provide dental health care services, including outpatient diagnosis, prevention, and therapy to persons living with HIV (PLWH). These funds are available through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009, Part A. Request for Proposals may be obtained beginning Friday, December 09, 2022, by downloading from the City of St. Louis website at https://www. stlouis-mo.gov/government/ departments/health/documents/ fiscal-documents/oral-health-careservices-part-a-rfp.cfm. Contact: Sylvia JacksonBell for questions @ DOHGA @stlouis-mo.gov, or (314) 657-1581 (email preferred). The deadline for submitting proposals is Monday, January 23, 2023, by 4:00 pm via email at DOHGA @stlouis-mo. gov. The Department of Health reserves the right to reject any and all responses with or without cause.

INVITATION TO BID FERGUSONFLORISSANT SCHOOL DISTRICT DISTRICT GYM HVAC UPGRADES

Sealed bids for District gym HVAC Upgrades are being requested from the Ferguson Florissant School District and will be received and publicly opened on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 @ 1:00pm CST at the Operation and Maintenance dept. located at 8855 Dunn Rd. (REAR) Hazelwood, MO 63042. Bid specs must be obtained at http://new. fergflor.k12.mo.us/facilities-rfq. Contact Matt Furfaro at mfurfaro@fergflor.org for further information/questions.

ATTENTION DBE

SUBCONTRACTORS/ SUPPLIERS

Lunda Construction is bidding the MoDOT Chester Bridge Design Build Project, and we want your quote!

Quotes due: 01/13/2023

A Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) is required before we can share plans with you.

Please call 651-437-9666 to request the NDA.

1968. Minority Owned and Women Owned Businesses are encouraged to apply for the construction of Aurora Estates, a 46 unit, 52,203 Sq Ft. multifamily living complex, located at Lisa Lane and Indian Warpath Dr, Pacific, Missouri 63069. Any firm requiring certification assistance

NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS

December 22, 2022

Saint Louis County Department of Public Health (DPH) 6121 North Hanley Rd. Berkeley, MO 63134 314-615-8955

On or about December 30, 2022, St. Louis County will submit a request to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the release of the Healthy Homes Production Grant Program (HHP) is authorized under 501 and Section 502 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1970 (12 U.S.C. §§ 1701z-1 and 1701z-2), and funding is provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260, approved December 27, 2020) for the following multi-year program/ project: Show-Me Missouri Healthy Homes Program for the purpose of healthy homes remediation work on up to 60 units, a combination of owner-occupied and single-family rental units. The Community Action Agency of St. Louis County (CAASTLC) will be the local subcontractor doing the repairs/remediations. Work will be completed in the Promise Zone area of the County. All units must be occupied by households at or below 80% AMI. Funds will be used to address healthy homes priorities in units and provide community healthy homes education.

St. Louis County will monitor subcontractor compliance for the duration of the grant period, conduct healthy homes assessments, create scopes of work, approve home repair budgets, conduct community education, and provide overall grant management, compliance, and reporting to HUD.

The program will not include new construction, demolition or changes of use, or lead-based paint hazard control activities. The St. Louis County is requesting the release of $798,124.95

The proposed hazard control activities to be funded under this/these program(s) is/are categorically excluded from the National Environmental Policy Act requirements, but subject to compliance with some of the environmental laws and authorities listed at § 58.5 of 24 CFR Part 58. In accordance with §58.15, a tiered review process has been structured, whereby some environmental laws and authorities have been reviewed and studied for the intended target area(s) listed above. Other applicable environmental laws and authorities will be complied with when individual projects are ripe for review. Specifically, the target area(s) has/have been studied and compliance with the following laws and authorities has been achieved in this Tier 1 review: Airport Hazards, Coastal Barrier Resource Act, Clean Air Act, Coastal Zone Management Act, Endangered Species Act, Explosives and Flammable Hazards, Farmlands Protection, Sole Source Aquifers, Wetlands Protection, Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and Environmental Justice. Site-specific environmental reviews will include compliance with the following environmental laws and authorities for proposed projects funded under the program(s) listed above: Flood Disaster and Insurance, Floodplain Management, Historic Preservation, Noise Abatement and Control and Contamination and Toxic Substances. Should individual aggregate projects exceed the threshold for categorical exclusion detailed at §58.35(a), an Environmental Assessment will be completed and a separate Finding of No Significant Impact and Request for Release of Funds published. Copies of the compliance documentation worksheets are available at the address below.

An Environmental Review Record (ERR) that documents the environmental determinations for this project, and more fully describes the tiered review process cited above, can be requested as an electronic copy at lpyatt@stlouiscountymo.gov and is on file at the St. Louis County DPH – Healthy Homes Program at 6121 N. Hanley Rd. Berkeley, MO 63134 and can be examined or copied weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to the St. Louis County DPH, Healthy Homes Program. All comments received by December 30, 2022, will be considered by St. Louis County prior to authorizing submission of a Request for Release of Funds and Environmental Certification to HUD.

RELEASE OF FUNDS

The St. Louis County certifies to HUD that Sam Page in his official capacity as County Executive, consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows St. Louis County to utilize federal funds and implement the Program.

OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS

HUD will consider objections to its release of funds and St. Louis County certification for a period of fifteen days following either the anticipated submission date (cited above) or HUD’s actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if the objections are on one of the following bases: (a) that the Certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of St. Louis County; (b) St. Louis County has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR Part 58; (c) St. Louis County has committed funds or incurred costs not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD; (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58) and may be addressed to HUD and sent to the email address as follows: Karen M. Griego, Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes, Program Environmental Clearance Officer, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development LeadRegulations@HUD.GOV Potential objectors may contact HUD directly to verify the actual last day of the objection/comment period.

Saint Louis County Department of Public Health, Healthy Homes Program. Sam Page, County Executive.

St. LouiS american Bids & Public Notices St. LouiS american

INVITATION TO BID

DBES HEAVY CIVIL CONSTRUCTION

Massman-Traylor, Chester Joint Venture is soliciting proposals from MoDOT and IDOT approved Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) for the Chester Bridge, design-build project (MoDOT Project J9P3857, J9P3857B, J9P3857C) in Chester, IL (Perry County, MO and Randolph County, IL). The MassmanTraylor team is a joint venture of Massman Construction Co. and Traylor Brothers, Inc. with HNTB as design partner. All proposals must be submitted to Massman-Traylor by January 16, 2023

Project includes bridges, roadway, earthwork and utilities. For the scope of work and any other inquiries on this project, please contact: Donald Nunez, Massman Construction Co., 4400 W 109th St, 3rd Floor, Overland Park, KS 66211 (913)291-2618; dnunez@massman.net. The DBE requirements established for this project are 6% Construction and 12% Professional Services. We actively encourage MoDOT and IDOT certified DBEs to submit proposals for a wide range of opportunities and welcome their participation on the Chester Bridge project. Non-disclosure agreements are required prior to providing information to bidders.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR RFP MENSTRUAL

HYGIENE PRODUCTS

The City of St. Louis Department of Health seeks proposals from organizations to provide and/ or facilitate access to menstrual hygiene products and social support for persons living with HIV (PLWH). These funds are available through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009, Part A. Request for Proposals may be obtained beginning Friday, December 09, 2022, by downloading from the City of St. Louis website at https://www. stlouis-mo.gov/government/ departments/health/documents/ fiscal-documents/menstrualhygiene-products-part-a-rfp.cfm

Contact: Sylvia JacksonBell for questions @ DOHGA @stlouis-mo.gov, or (314) 657-1581 (email preferred).

The deadline for submitting proposals is Monday, January 23, 2023, by 4:00 pm via email at DOHGA @stlouis-mo. gov. The Department of Health reserves the right to reject any and all responses with or without cause.

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Gravel Mitigation at Ha Ha Tonka State Park, Project No. X2116-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 1/19/2023 via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered to bid. Project information available at http://oa.mo.gov/ facilities

ADVERTISEMENT FOR RFP EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCEPRESCRIPTION EYEGLASSES

The City of St. Louis Department of Health seeks proposals from organizations that can demonstrate expertise and capacity to provide and/ or facilitate access to prescription eyeglasses and eye examinations for persons living with HIV/AIDS. These funds are available through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009, Part A. Request for Proposals may be obtained beginning Friday, December 09, 2022, by downloading from the City of St. Louis website at https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/ government/departments/health/ documents/fiscal-documents/ emergency-financial-assistanceprescription-eyeglasses-part-a-rfp. cfm. Contact: Sylvia JacksonBell for questions @ DOHGA @stlouis-mo. gov, or (314) 657-1581 (email preferred). The deadline for submitting proposals is Monday, January 23, 2023, by 4:00 pm via email at DOHGA @stlouis-mo.gov. The Department of Health reserves the right to reject any and all responses with or without cause.

INVITATION TO BID

Fairway Construction is seeking bids from subs, Suppliers, and MBE/WBE businesses covered under the HUD Act of 1968. Minority Owned and Women Owned Businesses are encouraged to apply for the construction of the Spartan Pointe, a 48 unit, 50,000+ Sq Ft. Multifamily living complex, located at SE Corner of Battle Avenue and Spartan Drive, Columbia, MO 65202. Any firm requiring certification assistance should contact the FWC office at 404-935-0077. Proposals for all work divisions accepted. Bids are due by 01/12/2022 at 5pm EST. Requests to receive bid documents must be sent to Denny Crosby at dcrosby@fairwayconstruction.net

Fairway Construction, 3290 Northside Pkwy, Suite 310, Atlanta, GA 30327, (404) 935-0077.

FWC reserves all rights to waive any bid informalities and is an AA/EOE Employer.

RFP INVITATION DECEMBER 2022ATHLETIC FIELD MAINTENANCE

Scope of Work:

The Webster Groves School District is requesting proposals for maintenance of district athletic fields primarily at Webster Groves High School and Hixson Middle School.

With Us > View Non-Capital Bids (commodities and services) or >Visit Planroom (capital construction bids)

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

ADVERTISEMENT FOR RFP

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

The City of St. Louis Department of Health seeks proposals from organizations that can demonstrate expertise and capacity to provide psychological and/or psychiatric services to persons living with HIV (PLWH). These funds are available through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009, Part A. Request for Proposals may be obtained beginning Friday, December 09, 2022, by downloading from the City of St. Louis website at https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/ government/departments/health/ documents/fiscaldocuments/mental-health-careservices-part-a-rfp.cfm. Contact: Sylvia JacksonBell for questions @ DOHGA @stlouis-mo.gov, or (314) 657-1581 (email preferred).

The deadline for submitting proposals is Monday, January 23, 2023, by 4:00 pm via email at DOHGA @stlouis-mo. gov. The Department of Health reserves the right to reject any and all responses with or without cause.

https://www.webster.k12. mo.us/site/Default.aspx? PageID=3025

To request a RFP: AJ Rodgers, rodgers.aj@wgmail.org

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Elevator Replacement at Governor’s Mansion, Project No. O2036-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 1/10/2023 via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered to bid. Project information available at http://oa.mo.gov/ facilities

CONFLUENCE ACADEMY

SUMMARY STATEMENT

Confluence Academy LEA recently received an unmodified opinion on an audit of the district’s Financial Statements for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2022. The areas covered under the audits, were accounting of financial statements, compliance with state law and compliance with laws governing federal programs.

An unmodified opinion is the best opinion any organization can receive. CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP performed the audit.

The report states, in part “in our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the organization as of June 30, 2022, and the changes in its net assets and its cash flows for the year then ended, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.”

Confluence Academy LEA uses three major funds to account for its financial activity — the general fund, teachers’ fund, and capital projects fund.

Among all three funds, the report states that Confluence Academy LEA had total revenue of $49,851,300 for the 2022 fiscal year compared to $46,707,270 in fiscal year 2021. 2022 revenues by fund were $29,148,442 for the general fund, $20,701,013 for the teachers’ fund and $1,845 for the capital projects fund.

The report shows that general revenues accounted for $37,257,389 in revenue or 75% of all revenues. Program specific revenues in the form of operating grants and contributions accounted for $12,593,911 or 25% of total revenues.

The LEA had $45,456,814 of expenditures in fiscal 2022 compared with $43,201,178 in fiscal 2021.

The auditors report showed in total, net assets have increased by $4,394,486 for total net assets of $23,634,991 at fiscal year ended 2022.

The report shows balances for the general, teachers’ and capital projects funds totaled $16,898,409, $0, and $1,944,745 for a total governmental funds balance of $18,843,154 at fiscal year ended 2022.

The audit report can be viewed online by visiting www.confluenceacademy.org and clicking on the Information/ Financial Reports/Audit link.

REQUEST FOR SEALED PROPOSALS

The City of University City is seeking sealed proposals for a consultant to develop housing and revitalization strategies for the city’s third ward.

Proposals are due by January 17, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. For more information and to view a copy of the RFP, please visit our website at http://www. ucitymo.org/bids.aspx?

bidID=399

Continued from C1

But this year Stephens and Owens decided to showcase the book just in time for the Christmas season.

During a talk with the St. Louis American, Stephens says going the nontraditional route when writing a children’s book wasn’t that difficult at all. The blueprint was already in place.

“It was more simple than I thought it would be,” said Stephens.

The only part that didn’t come so easily to the first-time author was rhyming words, and making sure she used language that children can understand.

“That part made me nervous,” said Stephens, who describes her debut book as a family story for all.

Owens also said he struggled with the flow of the story without losing the substance of the book too.

But once the authors got a rhythm, they say it was gravy from that point on.

“What I didn’t want to do is take this book and make it something other than what it was intended to be, even if that means the story itself is a little heavy,” said Owens. The authors believe the illustrations are what make the book, though. The bright colors and smooth lines capture the eye of both kids and adults alike.

Stephens decided to test ‘A New Holiday’ out on her threeyear-old nephew and says he was engaged until the very end. She says that was the confirmation she needed. It was a great experience knowing her first children’s book had passed the test.

For Owens, both the movie and the book are a win. He and Stephens had the opportunity to collaborate with young creatives for both projects which created a pathway for them as well. It was Owens’ first time as a book author, too.

“I didn’t know anything about making a movie or publishing a book, but now I know I can do both,” said Owens. ‘A New Holiday’ is a nontraditional children’s book

that features people of color, a direction Stephens hopes will become normalized. She wants to see more books that focus on children of color dealing with grief. During filming Owens’s children lost their grandmother in 2020.

“I think it’s cool for my daughters and sons to see a book where they can see people that look like them going through the same thing they went through,” said Owens.

Stephens said, “That’s the beauty of it all because all kids need to see themselves so they can claim that part of the story.”

Both authors would like to see ‘A New Holiday’ used as a resource tool for children suffering from loss. They say the movie and the book have laid a foundation for them to create something bigger than both projects. They are unsure what the “bigger” is but they both believe it is going to be huge.

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

Continued from C1

“I’m so honored to share this space with you tonight,” she said. “I’m so glad to be here with The St. Louis Symphony [Orchestra],”

In past interviews she’s called the late Whitney Houston her “biggest inspiration.” She’s a Stevie Wonder mentee and protégée of Quincy Jones. From her “Don’t Wanna Wait ‘til Christmas” Ep released in 2019, Sheléa sang the title track, “Don’t Wanna Wait ‘til Christmas,”

“Christmas Time Is Here” “Ave Maria/O Holy Night” and “The First Noel.” IN UNISON Chorus members Reginald Davis, Tai Oney, Michelle Byrd, Alexandar Johnson, De-Rance Blaylock, and Kristin Jacobs each performed solos with Byrd and Johnson joining for a duet. They sang several traditional favorites and also Kirk Franklin’s “Silver and Gold.”

The SLSO partners with the Bayer Fund in support of IN UNISON Programs.This includes a $160,000 grant from Bayer Fund for the IN UNISON Church Program, IN UNISON Chorus and IN UNISON Academy.

“Thanks to our friends from

the Bayer Fund,” McBeth said. “They have been with us from the very beginning and continue to offer us incredible support that makes these kinds of programs happen.”

The last song of the night, “Joy To The World” was spot on as “A Gospel Christmas” is a joyous occasion and meant to spread lots of merry and joy.

Sheléa didn’t want the night to end. She expressed her hopes SLSO will bring her back in the future for another performance.

“I’m just so humbled to be able to share the stage with all of you,” she said. “We’re going to church again. The world needs a little bit more joy.”

spent in the public eye. The film addresses the controversies of Houston’s life early on. The pace the film maintains in order to leave no stone unturned leaves no room for the actors to establish emotional connections – or for the audience to fully celebrate the highs and wrench from the lows of Houston’s meteoric rise and tragic tumble. Creative liberties were taken to cram as much of the story as possible within the film.

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody is a story of love and dysfunction. The love catapulted her to unimaginable heights. The dysfunction put her on the path that led to a losing battle with her demons. The love – par-

ticularly that she shared with her mentor Clive Davis and her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown – is apparent. But the film is shallow in the sense that it does not provide context to the emotions Houston must have felt as she experienced the downswing in her career and personal life that oscillated from unfulfilled to shrouded in secrecy.

Except for the rift with her father John Houston, McCarten extends a measure of grace to those Houston held dear within his script. Even as she was tugged in different directions from opposing forces within her inner circle, most were portrayed as doing so for Houston’s best interest. The violence in her relationship and marriage to R&B singer Bobby Brown is downplayed. The rumored controlling nature of her mother Cissy Houston in her determination to see the star power her daughter possessed is

mances in “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” Veteran television actor Tamara Tunie gives a serviceable performance as Cissy Houston as does Clarke Peters in the role of John Houston and Nafessa Williams as Robyn Crawford. But a profound lack

minimized.

Outside of Ackie, Stanley Tucci’s striking portrayal of music mogul Clive Davis was the highlight of the perfor-

of chemistry between Ackie and Ashton Sanders detracts from his portrayal of Houston’s ex-husband Bobby Brown.

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody opens in theaters nationwide on December 23. The film is rated PG-13 with a running time of 146 minutes

Whitney

Photo by Marion Curtis for Sony/Tristar Pictures

Nafessa Williams, Stanley Tucci, Naomi Ackie, Clive Davis and Tamara Tunie attends the World Premiere of Tristar Pictures “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”