February 15th, 2024 edition

St. LouiS AmericAn

An evening with Joy-Ann Reid at Shalom Church

MSNBC

host

on book tour

By Ashley Winters

The St. Louis American

MSNBC host and bestselling author Joy-Ann Reid graced Shalom Church City of Peace stage for her book tour. On Saturday, February 10, Reid in a conversation with Carol Daniel, Senior Producer, and Host-Nine PBS, talked about her newest book ‘Medgar & Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America’ to a sold-out, enthusiastic audience.

The MSNBC host made history as the first Black woman to host a prime-time cable news program; she is the author of two previous national bestselling books. She is also the host of Reid This Reid That podcast. In 2022 Reid received

A chance to BELIEVE

New charter high school to open in St. Louis this fall

By Sylvester Brown Jr. St. Louis American

projected enrollment of almost 450 students.

The tuition-free, public early college and career preparatory high school that’s dedicated to “closing the income gap for the next generation” will offer advanced placement and honors courses, a program for the “gifted and talented,” regular field trips, financial literacy classes and free transportation. The charter high school is the vision of St. Louisan, Kimberly Neal-

Brannum, who started her teaching career at Vashon High School. The career educator said she considers opening a new school in St. Louis an honor that will enhance the city’s educational landscape.

“The opportunity to return home to serve the community that raised me is legacy work. I BELIEVE our school will have a positive impact on genera-

By Ashley Winters The

Louis American

St.

Descendants of St. Louis University

Enslaved (DSLUE) is seeking reparative and restorative justice.

Descendants of Henrietta Mills held a historic gathering at St. Louis University on Thursday, February 8, 2024. The press gathering included the announcement that the

Martin is the family’s legal counsel and represents 200 descendants of Henrietta Mills.

The event marked the first time that the value of slave labor that built a U.S. university was calculated and unveiled and included calls on the university to disgorge ill-gotten gains and make good on promises of justice and accountability. Robin Proudie a descendant of

By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American

are essential to building inclusive economic growth that is sustainable and brings benefits to more for the greater good throughout the St. Louis region and America. Yet, the words Diversity, Equity and Inclusion have become targets in recent years instead of goals of fairness that all businesses and organizations should strive to achieve. If economic growth does not include all sectors of a community, it will stall and end. This was true when the St. Louis American Charitable Foundation held its inaugural event honoring business, non-profit, and philanthropic leaders

See SALUTE, A7

Joy-Ann Reid, host of MSNBC’s ‘The Reid Out’ joined Carol Daniel, host of the Nine PBS podcast ‘Listen’ in a discussion of her latest book ‘Medgar & Myrlie Evers: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America.’ The event was held at Shalom Church (City of Peace) on Saturday, February 10, 2024.

Photo by Lucas Peterson / St. Louis County Library

Areva Martin, civil rights attorney

Olivia McClinton, Diva, Amora Peay, and Janeille Williams enjoy Mardi Gras celebrations in Soulard on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024.

Salute to Business

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Mardi party

Usher skates through the longest halftime show

Usher’s Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show featuring Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Lil Jon, Ludacris, Will.i.am, and Jermaine Dupri lit up Las Vegas.

Usher impressed with his range of talents, including skating and performing for the longest halftime show ever, extending from the typical 13 minutes to 15 minutes.

Usher delivered pure nos talgia with some of his greatest hits, includ ing “Yeah,” “Nice & Slow,” “Love in this Club,” “Confessions Part II,” Alicia Keys’ reveal was epic. She donned a large red cape and a sparkly, red full-body suit singing her sen-

timental classic record “If I Ain’t Got You” while playing the piano.

Several viewers mocked Keys’ vocal cracks at the start of her performance. Usher and Key’s sensual interactions also sparked conversations. The flamboyant Will.I.am, frontman of The Black Eyed Peas, came out to perform their smash hit “OMG.”

Ludacris joined hype man Lil Jon for arguably Usher’s most mainstream successful record, a 2000’s staple, “Yeah!”

Andra Day sang a powerful rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the Black National Anthem, as part of the opening ceremony for the 2024 Super Bowl.

Beyonce gets huge Instagram bounce on Super Saturday

Beyoncé experienced a surge in her Instagram following, gaining an impressive 254,844 new followers on Saturday in anticipation of her

Super Bowl ad which aired during the game. The ad, crafted by US telecommunications giant Verizon, showcased Beyoncé in a series of captivating scenarios, each designed to playfully challenge Verizon’s capacity and “break the internet.” From playing the saxophone to donning the per sona of “Bar-bey” (Barbie) and even going to space, Beyoncé’s Super Bowl ad has fans going wild.

Teased on Verizon’s social media platforms on Friday, the ad generated intense speculation among fans, driving a significant spike in Beyoncé’s social media following.

Father of 41, Bob Marley’s bassist Aston Barrett, dies

On top of this, Beyoncé gained a combined 275,313 new followers on Instagram over the Super Bowl weekend, largely attributed to the exciting announcement of her new album ‘Renaissance (Act II).’

A quarter of a million fans flocked to her Instagram account looking for clues as they awaited her highly anticipated Super Bowl appearance. With this increase, Beyoncé now has an impressive 319,945,466 Instagram followers.

The Jamaica native Aston Barrett died at the age of 77. He dedicated his life to working with the towering timeless figures of Reggae, Bob Marley and The Wailers first, then following Marley’s passing then The Wailers from 1974 to well into the 2010s. Barrett said he fathered 23 daughters and 18 sons. “I am the family man,” he said. “I’m gifted with 41 [children].”

His family said on Barrett’s passing that he had been through a “long medical battle” but provided no details. Playing on most of the Wailers albums, Barrett was seminal in the internationalization of reggae.

His artistry is featured in timeless classics such as Could You Be Loved, No Woman, No Cry, I Shot the Sheriff, Get Up Stand Up, and Jamming.

GOP again tries to pry SLMPD control from city

Even though crime is down

By Debra Chandler Landis Missouri Independent

Missourians voted in 2013 to return control of the St. Louis police department to local officials, ending more than 150 years of state oversight.

And almost immediately, state lawmakers began pushing to get control back.

That effort is back again this year, with proponents arguing the experiment with local control has failed, leaving the city a more dangerous place — a situation with statewide implications.

A Senate committee approved legislation last month sponsored by GOP state Sen. Nick Schroer of Defiance, that would transfer control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department to a Board of Police Commissioners.

Under the proposed legislation, the board would be comprised of the president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen and four members appointed by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson.

A similar board controls the Kansas City Police Department. It is currently the only major city in the United States without control of its police force.

The legislation, noting the board would “appoint and employ a permanent police force consisting of not less than 1,313 members,” says the city of St. Louis cannot pass ordinances “interfering with the powers of the state board.”

Attempts to interfere with the board’s authority by the mayor or any city official could result

in a $1,000 fine and a ban from holding office.

Schroer argued during last month’s hearing that control should return to the state in order to correct what he called “mismanagement,” including a serious shortage of police officers and inadequate pay for police. Returning to state control, Schroer said, would boost the city’s police department and help St. Louis “rebuild the city as the vibrant gateway to the West.”

At a House hearing on similar legislation Feb. 8, Republican state Rep. Brad Christ of St. Louis said his bill is “not a crime plan.” He said that after the change from state to local control, the city “has seen some of its bloodiest years in its history.”

The statement has been proven false.

Crime in the city is in fact at the lowest levels in a decade, and recruitment and retention of St. Louis police is improved, due to more training and significant pay raises for officers.

Jared Boyd, chief of staff for St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones, and St. Louis Pollice Commissioner Robert Tracy, testified last month in opposition to the bill, telling a Missouri Senate committee that crime prevention is up, crime is down and efforts to recruit and retain police are underway.

In an interview for The Independent, Boyd argued that the legislature’s rationale for returning control to the state are not based on fact.

“Things were not perfect

when the state controlled the police department,” Boyd said, adding that Kansas City, which remains under control of the state of Missouri, “is the only city in the country that is not under local control. It has experienced historic high homicide rates.”

Kansas City reported 180 homicides at the end of December 2023

St. Louis police reported 158 homicides in 2023, 200 in 2022, 200 in 2021, and 263 in 2020.

As of Feb. 7, the police reported

23 homicides. Tracy, who assumed the commissioner position in 2022, said last year’s data show a 22% reduction overall for murder, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, felony theft and auto theft.

Aiding the crime reduction, city officials have said, are work with other law enforcement agencies and prosecutors, the creation of an Office of Violence Prevention, and strategies such as assigning the same officers to the same areas each time they report for duty. The Missouri NAACP has publicly supported St. Louis retaining local control of its police department, according to Adolphus Pruitt, president of the St. Louis city branch of the NAACP.

Pruitt said the latest data “speak to crime prevention and a reduction in crime.” He added: “The state has enough departments to run. It needs to concentrate on them.”

Photo by Annelise Hanshaw/The Missouri Independent

Suppression

City. GOP mem-

Guest Editorial

Learn your history, tell your story

By Camike Jones

There is an African proverb that states, “Until the lion tells his side of the story, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” If we continue to allow individuals or entities that do not appreciate and understand our culture to tell our stories, they will always be told inaccurately. During Black History Month, we are reminded of the directive to continue sharing our history, our way. It cannot be overstated that the erasure of Black history is deliberate and effective. If you can make a group of people believe they are not worth anything and have never accomplished anything, you can successfully keep them from striving for anything. They will continuously accept crumbs and scraps from the table instead of the bountiful harvest they are due.

all, was a man who would seek out justice “by any means necessary,” but the exact aim of his actions was never clarified by mainstream teachings.

For every one person who had the honor of being mentioned in the usual Black history teachings, there are countless more esteemed Black Americans whose lives and work are all but forgotten.

As each Black History Month rolls around, some children are taught small anecdotes about Black historical figures. Other children are not taught any Black history at all. This lack of information is unfortunately a growing trend.

For those that are fortunate enough to receive small doses, they may learn about Martin Luther King, Jr. whose legacy was reduced to a man who had a dream. Though this phrase relays a sentiment of hope for a better future, he had much more to offer in the way of challenging the status quo and directly addressing the class disparities that are prevalent today.

The shrinking of the middle class is related to issues MLK brought to the forefront until the very end of his life.

Rosa Parks’ contributions were dwindled down to a story about a lady who was too tired to get up instead of a coordinated effort by civil rights leaders who had meticulously planned a revolution, utilizing the power of economics to support their cause.

Malcolm X, if he were mentioned at

We have the opportunity now to right that wrong. In the face of book-banning, curriculum rewriting and false narratives in the media, we must be intentional about telling our stories ourselves. So often the narrative becomes about what Black people can’t do, instead of what they had not been allowed to do for centuries. If reading were illegal and severely punished for centuries, it would only make sense that literacy rates may be lower. If owning a successful business could lead to the owner being lynched, then it would logically follow that people would be less inclined to start businesses. If establishing your own self-sufficient town could end in a bloody massacre, then you might just stop building towns.

In Willie Lynch’s infamous “The Making of a Slave,” he writes that one step toward making someone permanently subservient is to “shave off the brute’s mental history and create a multiplicity of phenomena of illusions that each illusion can twirl into its own orbit, something similar to floating balls in a vacuum.”

The call to action stands before us every day, not just during Black History Month, to keep telling our tale. Speak the names of those who have made an impact on our lives and in our communities. Share the stories of our ancestors. Write down the stories that have been passed from one generation to the next. Let us not release our stories to others who will misuse, misunderstand and misspeak about who we are.

Camike Jones is Indianapolis Recorder editor-in-chief

Commentary

We must pass George Floyd Policing Act

By Marc H. Morial

“The only way to get this number down significantly would be to make more significant changes to, you know, what policing means in this country.” — Justin Nix, criminal justice professor, University of Nebraska Omaha

The sheriff’s deputies who shot and killed Tony Cox in Michigan late last year said he had a gun. He didn’t.

The deputies said Cox pointed at them with “a two-handed posture.” But in the single still image police released — it’s not clear whether it’s from a body camera or dashboard — Cox is facing away from the camera. Police in Fayetteville, N.C., who shot and killed DeMarcus Brodie during a traffic stop on Thanksgiving Day haven’t explained why they stopped Brodie, or how the encounter escalated into violence.

1. Collaboration between law enforcement and communities

2. Accountability

3. Reform of divisive policies

4. Transparency, reporting, and data collection

5. Improved hiring standards and training.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which the National Urban League emphatically endorses, would accomplish most of the Pillars on the federal level.

About a quarter of those killed by police last year were in the throes of a mental health crisis. Addressing the needs of individuals experiencing mental health crisis is Pillar 4.

Cox and Brodie are two of the 1,329 people killed by police in the United States last year, the deadliest year for police killings since 2013. Black people are three times as likely to be killed by police as white people. Almost 90% of the victims died by gunfire.

It’s no mystery why police killings continue to escalate: the nation is awash in guns, too many police are poorly trained, and most face almost no accountability.

All these factors point to the urgent need for the nation to adopt the National Urban League’s Pillars for Redefining Public Safety and Restoring Community Trust.

A comprehensive framework for criminal justice advocacy, 21 Pillars takes a holistic approach to public safety, the restoration of trust between communities and law enforcement, and a path forward for meaningful change.

Each of the 21 Pillars centers on five key themes that are fundamental to the protection and preservation of life, dignity, and trust, while also building safer communities:

Campaign Zero, the criminal justice reform advocacy group that compiled the data, notes that at least 42% of the incidents were captured on body-worn cameras, which police often don’t release to the general public. The footage “commonly” contradicts officers’ initial accounts of a fatal encounter. Mandate the use of dashboard and body-worn cameras and provide public access to the footage is Pillar 15. Campaign Zero also noted that their research efforts are hampered by the fact that at least half of police killings are not reported in official government data. Collection of data on police misconduct and use of force is Pillar 14.

Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, told USA Today that de-escalation training is proven to work, but too few departments have implemented it.

Strengthening police hiring standards and improving training to build integrity and trust is Pillar 20.

“Until that training changes, and until the culture with it changes, that number is going to be way too high,” Wexler said.

“We can cut officer-involved shootings with the right training.”

Marc Morial is president/CEO of the National Urban League.

As I

Honoring, cherishing ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’

By Deron Snyder

I can’t believe I’m agreeing with MAGA crackpots, but let’s keep the Black national anthem out of sporting events. My reasons differ from theirs, of course.

My daughters will testify that I don’t play regarding “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” aka “The Black national anthem.”

They were schoolgirls when I began drilling them on the lyrics over and over — ad nauseam by their account — until they could sing the song from memory with nary a flub. Of course, they had to know all three verses. Whenever we’re somewhere where the audience sings the BNA, I’m that person who keeps going a while longer if we stop after the first verse.

Stony the road we trod! Bitter the chast’ning rod! Felt in the days when hope unborn had died!

We should ALWAYS sing the whole thing and do it without the need for handouts. You know every word of some songs and the BNA should be on that list.

struggle. They haven’t trod their path through the blood of our slaughtered or come over a way that our tears have watered.

Please don’t suggest that the NFL honors Black folks by having someone sing the BNA at the Super Bowl, while white folks stand around awkwardly, wondering what it all means or tune out like it’s the other anthem.

If you really want to honor us, stop discriminating against our candidates for head coach and offensive coordinator positions. Stop shirking responsibility for former players’ broken bodies and damaged brains. Stop putting “End Racism” in the end zone while employees yuk it up over racist jokes in long email chains.

I’m radical about James Weldon Johnson’s masterful summation of Black people catching hell in America and looking forward to better days. It’s not meant to be performative entertainment; it’s a solemn ode conveying our pain and hope; it’s not to be played with.

Which means it has no business being sung at the Super Bowl, the NBA All-Star Game or any other mass gathering where it doesn’t reflect most attendees’ history.

“Lift Every Voice and Sing” should be reserved for voices in Black spaces, where the heartfelt message matters.

The MAGA crowd lost is mind when Andra Day sang the BNA before Kansas City beat San Francisco, giving the song her own twist (and regretfully stopping after the first verse). Right-wingers including Megyn Kelly and Matt Gaetz carried on like crazy.

The song is wasted on folks who refuse to acknowledge that there are two Americas Johnson’s lyrics have no meaning when they’re sung by white people — allies or anti-Black — who can’t relate to the

While we’re here, let’s talk about “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

I don’t care if you stand, sit, kneel or spin on your head because this is America. But as far as playing the song before every single professional game, college game, high school game and youth league game: Oh, say can we stop?

Don’t tell me that Francis Scott Key’s most famous work signals love for the country. Few litmus tests reveal less than a person’s posture during the anthem, especially at sporting events.

People talk, eat, text, whatever, throughout the song. It isn’t routinely played before other public gatherings and nothing about athletic competition is special enough to warrant an exception. Expressing one’s love-hate relationship with America by sitting or kneeling during the national anthem is perfectly fine. Better to do that and work tirelessly to improve society, than to stand at attention and do nothing outside the stadium.

The BNA doesn’t stir any conflicting emotions. We don’t wrestle with contradictions like “the land of the free and the home of the brave,” fully understanding KRS-One’s translation, “the land of the thief, home of the slave.”

Deron Snyder is a columnist with The Grio and other publications.

Guest Columnist Camike Jones

Guest Columnist Deron Snyder

Columnist Marc H. Morial

Little Bit Foundation celebrates new ESL Schools partnership

St. Louis American

A little bit of support can do a lot for children, regardless of where they live in the St. Louis region.

The Little Bit Foundation and East St. Louis School District 189 celebrated a new partnership on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, at Annette Officer Elementary School, the foundation’s first in Illinois.

Miranda Walker Jones, Little Bit Foundation CEO, calls the partnership “intensely personal for me.”

“I am a product of East St. Louis, and I now can share my story with students and give back to the community that helped make me who I am,” she said.

“This is the beginning of something great for this challenged, yet resilient and strong, community.”

Little Bit programs and services, which include literacy programming, and health and nutrition, are available at Officer, with plans to expand within the district.

East St. Louis High now has access to STEM curriculum and Little Bit’s college and career readiness programming. Many of its students have participated in Little Bit’s “What’s Next? College and Career Fair.”

At Friday’s ceremony, Officer students received a new coat, books, backpacks and other supplies. Little Bit also opened a boutique on the school’s second floor which has coats, hygiene products, clothes, and a quiet corner.

“A lot of people have become successful that are from East St. Louis – but they never come back,” said Superintendent Arthur Culver.

“We must acknowledge Miranda for returning and giving back to the community from which she comes.”

Vote in memory of Black soldiers’ sacrifice

By E. Faye Williams

I’m a confirmed peace advocate, and I’ve been that all my adult life. Yet I respect all who give their lives for the benefit of all Americans. My heart aches for families of three American young people killed and 40 others injured, in a faraway war where many of them joined to fight for their country’s democracy.

Others may have joined because the military had been the only way they could pay for college expenses. When the three young Black people were killed in the Middle East earlier this month, my thoughts were to wonder how much of America they had been blessed to enjoy before they died. I wondered how many racial slurs they’d been called in their hometowns. Who worked against their DEI? We may never know; yet they died in the service of what often is an ungrateful nation that’s not always been kind to them or their families.

Sure, three were brought back home in dignity, but my thoughts immediately went to the kind of short lives they experienced before they voluntarily went off to fight for their country. I was also curious about the 40 who were injured in that same tragedy near the Syrian border. I’ve been there and I know the place. They were from Georgia, and they were in a faraway land to work for the defeat of an enemy who never personally harmed them or who they never knew. We need to at least know their names and honor them for whatever reason they went to the Middle East and despite whatever challenges they’d had before leaving and going away.

They were Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett of Savannah, Georgia, Sgt. William Jerome Rivers of Carrollton, Georgia, and Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders of Waycross, Georgia. I mentioned their names because the next time you’re in Georgia, I want you to take note of how you’re treated when you’re in their towns in the state of Richard Russell. That will give you some indication of how they were treated in those towns; yet they went off to war to save those haters in those towns, too. I would say to those of all races in those towns, if you could do just one thing to make you a better person in remembrance of them and their sacrifice for you, think about what that would be and JUST DO IT!

I would especially call on their members of Congress to take the lead in righting wrongs because, Lord knows, too many current so-called leaders of Georgia, have and still vote against the interests of families from which these young men and women have come to fight for the rights of all of their constituents to remain free in a democracy. I especially pray that people like Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene will read my message and take heed.

To the rest of the guilty parties in the state, don’t forget to vote right to make Georgia a better state for all of Georgia’s citizens. Stop the racism! Vote in remembrance of Breonna, William, Kennedy and the sacrifices of all who died or were injured.

E. Faye Williams is president of The Dick Gregory Society. Gregory was a St. Louis native.

Photo by Alvin A. Reid / St. Louis American

Miranda Walker Jones, Little Bit Foundation CEO, was joined by Annette Officer Elementary School students for a ceremonial ribbon cutting for a new partnership with East St. Louis Schools and the opening of a boutique at the school.

E. Faye Williams

Continued from A1

the NAACP Image Award for her TV show Reid Out and has received numerous honors from the Women’s Media Center and the National Association of Black Journalists.

The event was presented by the St. Louis County Library Black History Month program. This year’s theme is “African American Arts: Inspiring, Impacting, and Influencing Every Generation.” Reid is just that, her contagious spirit for research, truth, and journalism had the audience on the edge of their seat when talking about the untold love story of the Evers. It was like two ‘aunties’ catching up on a bit of history, the audience cheered and clapped, and some even snapped their fingers when Reid was hitting on some high points about America’s history during the Civil Rights era.

Reid’s book is about the love story of Medgar and Myrlie Evers, the self-proclaimed history nerd who wanted to bring the iconic figures of the Evers back

School

Continued from A1

tions to come,” said NealBrannum.

The new charter school will be the second founded by Neal-Brannum. In 2020, just as the COVID19 pandemic started to surge- she launched Believe Circle City High School in Indianapolis, IN. With a student-to-teacher ratio of 11-to-1, the public charter school hosts 120 students in grades 9-11 with a total minority enrollment of 98% with 87% of its students categorized as “economically disadvantaged.”

The Indianapolis charter school, according to BELIEVE officials, is ranked #2 in that region on the SAT reading and writing section and 85% of its eleventh and twelfth graders are participating in dual enrollment, taking

to human form. “ These were very young activists in their 20s and 30s that had lived, they were married and had kids,” said Reid. “I thought it would be much more interesting to tell a story of not just the man, but the support system that allowed the man to be the man. For a lot of the Civil Rights leaders back then their

both high school and college courses.

The St. Louis-based school will replicate the Indianapolis school’s successful model. Officials with BELIEVE St. Louis Academy say the school will be “a health science-centered early college and career high school focused on preparing students for future independence and success, particularly in the healthcare industry.”

It has already secured partnerships with BJC Healthcare and other higher education partners such as St. Louis Community College (STLCC) and Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU). Through these partnerships, school officials stress that students will have the opportunity to participate in one of six health science professional pathways including nursing, respiratory, and radiology. Additionally,

support system was their wife”

“They couldn’t have done what they did without their wives”. Naming historical civil rights leaders like King, Malcolm X, and Evers Reid touched on how these men couldn’t have accomplished what they did in American history without their wives’ support. Reid tells the

students who participate in dual enrollment will graduate with college credits, associate degrees, and/or industry-recognized certificates, “which will allow them to directly enter the workforce upon graduation or continue to pursue higher education in health science fields.”

Opponents of the new school-which include the American Federation of Teachers (Local 420), some community members and St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) Districtdon’t necessarily share Neal-Brannum’s optimism. Some criticize charter schools in general, claiming they receive public funds even though they’re exempt from certain laws that govern traditional public schools. Others define charter schools as “for-profit gambles” that undermine public education by utilizing taxpayer dollars which deprives already struggling public

audience that Myrlie Evers was Medgar’s secretary.

“They had a full life and I wanted to tell that story of their life and love that enabled him to be who he was,” said Reid.

During her interviews with Myrlie Evers, Reid informs the audience of how honest Myrlie was when talking about her marriage to Medgar. The

schools of needed resources.

As families continue to move out of the city, the number of students enrolled in SLPS has dropped by nearly half since the turn of the century. Last year, school board member Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge expressed worries about opening more charter schools as the city’s population decreases.

“My bigger, broader, most pressing concern is that the city of St. Louis is shrinking and at the same time we also need high-quality education options. So somehow, we need to balance the need for quality with the fact that our tax base is evaporating,” said WestbrooksHodge.

Neal-Brannum disagrees with those who feel BELIEVE will deduct already scarce resources allocated to public schools.

“We want to bring

but she is also very vulnerable during their conversations, Evers’ widow is candid about being lonely in her marriage and feeling like a single mom raising her and Medgar’s young children.

then-young wife and mom didn’t want her husband to go into activism, she faced depression and suicidal thoughts. “She wanted him to be alive, and she knew how dangerous it was for him to talk about civil rights for Black folks in rural Mississippi,” said Reid.

Reid describes Myrlie as a very strong woman

kids back to the city,” she countered, adding: “Some of the loss that we’re experiencing in the city has been because parents have not been able to find quality options. I think parents are looking for what’s best for their child and if they can’t currently find that, they’re going to figure it out.”

As far as robbing the city of economic resources, Neal-Brannum argues that BELIEVE has already raised significant operational funds.

“We’ve already raised over a million dollars, prelaunch that is not coming from the district,” she stated. “It came from writing grants, not only to foundations but to the federal government. We’re not coming to take resources away. We’re doing the opposite; starting our school with resources that we’ve worked really hard to get.”

Believe will be funded in part by local charter school funder, Opportunity Trust, which was recently gifted a $35 million U.S. Department of Education’s Charter School Program entity award grant-a first for the state of Missouri.

Last year, SLPS filed a lawsuit claiming the charter school did not provide them with a copy of their application within five days of filing as required by law. In a recent press release, BELIEVE officials maintain that they did properly notify the district but instead of “engaging in a long legal battle, they decided to resubmit their same application.”

“It was much more important to us to start educating students…using our innovative early college and career preparation curriculum than fight the district’s legal challenge,” Neal-Brannum said in a press release.

Despite the SLPS’ lawsuit and protests from the teacher’s union and some community members, the

Angela Mitchell, an avid supporter of St. Louis County Library and Reid, openly talked about how Reid’s book taught her about the Evers. Mitchell wasn’t taught about the Civil Rights activist in school. Reid’s book brought that part of history to life for Mitchell; she became interested in learning more about the couple’s story. “I want to dive into this book, especially because it is Black History Month, to get in touch with my culture,” said Mitchell. “I’ve always wondered about the emotional toll our ancestors went through during the Civil Rights era, to make those efforts to make change.”

Mitchell is inspired by Reid’s book and plans to be more of an activist for the Black community.

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

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education approved the application for Believe STL Charter in December.

As a St. Louis native, Neal-Brannum said she wasn’t prepared for the pushback and was most surprised by what she defined as “oppositional energy” around school choice and serving kids in the city.

“For me, I felt like ‘I’m coming home to serve my community.’ So, this was an unanticipated push that I was not necessarily expecting.”

Most of NealBrannum’s frustration about union and school district pushback, she said, is that it isn’t centered on positive outcomes for St. Louis students.

“The conflict has been between adults. At no point in any of the conversations that we’re having are we talking about life outcomes, proficiency, graduation rates…let’s talk data points that impact the kids we serve,” NealBrannum vented.

“Let’s talk back and forth about the kids that we serve and not slander about who’s cool with who or who’s funding who. It should be about what services we’re providing for our kids who are most underestimated and have been historically undersourced.

“That’s what I care about. Everything else is just noise to me.” An official physical location for the school has not yet been announced. Parents interested in enrolling their children in BELIEVE St. Louis Academy should go online and complete the school’s “enrollment Interest” form or email Principal Resident Jawn Manning at jmanning@believeschools.org.

Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.

A thrilled participant holds up her book in a packed Shalom Church during a conversation between Joy-Ann Reid and Carol Daniel on Reid’s newest book, ‘Medgar & Myrlie Evers: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America.’

Photo by Lucas Peterson / St. Louis County Library

Continued from A1

Henrietta Mills and the founder and executive director of DSLUE, formed the non-profit organization to honor and commemorate Jesuit and Saint Louis University Enslaved Ancestors, preserve heritage and legacy, repair historical harms, and educate the broader public about this history now, and in the future.

“The harm that was done to my ancestors is multi-dimensional so the repairs need to be multi-demional,” said Proudie.

Martin explains to supporters of the descendants that while SLU has taken steps to recognize and memorialize its history through the Slavery, History, Memory, and Reconciliation Project (SHMRP), the university has, thus far, failed to conduct a valuation of the theft and return the stolen wealth.

When speaking about SLU’s lack of luster to reconcile and atone Proudie said, “ We are doing the work they should be doing.”

Universities around the country are investigating their relationship with slavery. Universities such as Yale, Harvard, and Brown; however, none of these schools have calculated the value of slave labor used to build their institutions or the wealth accumulated as a result.

From 1823 to 1865 Proudie’s ancestors helped build St. Louis University, and St. Francis Xavier College Church. According to Proudie Chauvin was enslaved to a local St. Louis woman named Amanda Curtis. The founder and executive director says her ancestors also helped sustain the new university as well as the first mission of the

Salute

Continued from A1

in 1999 and it remains so as the 22nd Salute to Excellence in Business Networking and Awards Luncheon nears on February 22, 2024, at the Ritz-Carlton St. Louis.

Multiple partners that are helping present this year’s event are representatives of diversity in every sense of the word.

The World Wide Technology Foundation and Steward Family Foundation are serving as lead sponsors.

Platinum sponsors are co-presenters; the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Greater St. Louis Inc., as well as Centene.

KAI Enterprise is the silver sponsor, and bronze sponsors include Andy’s Seasoning, Eta Boule Foundation Inc., Girls Incorporated STL, PARIC and Rubin Brown.

Donald M. Suggs, St. Louis American Charitable Foundation president, said

DSLUE, Descendants of the St. Louis University Enslaved along with Areva Martin, Civil Rights attorney and legal counsel for the family speak to supporters about seeking reparative and restorative justice. Descendants of Henrietta Mills held a historic gathering at St. Louis University on Thursday, February 8th. The special press gathering called for the announcement of the unveiling of the value of wealth acquired from slave labor stolen by the university, estimated to be worth $361 million to $70+ billion.

Jesuit in St. Louis, including Jesuit-led schools, churches, and farms in our region.

Proudie also discovered the founder of SLU, Bishop Louis William V. DuBourg, and the first president, Peter Verhaegen, S.J., enslaved her ancestors, and the first eleven presidents owned at least seventy slaves. She also found out that the Jesuits throughout Missouri enslaved 70 of her ancestors beginning with the original six who came here from Maryland in 1823, by 1829 the Jesuits brought 15 more enslaved people to St. Louis; they were all relatives of Proudie. A ledger from 1831 shows the total number of enslaved people owned by the Jesuits in Missouri, 26 of that total are relatives of Proudie.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux President Emerita, Bennett

it will take relationships and partners to advance inclusive economic growth in the face of the withering assault on policies that sought to address some of the exclusionary practices that hobbled African American’s access to opportunity, including this summer’s Supreme Court decision banning race as a factor for college admission.

“Those that attack the inclusion of all people in business growth and opportunities will not stop at college admissions,” he said.

“This is why the genuine strategic partnerships between the St. Louis American Foundation and civic and entrepreneurial stalwarts supporting the mission of Salute to Business are essential. It will take everyone that knows our economic future will be brighter if there is economic fairness.”

“Inclusive economic growth is essential for any major economic hub in this country to suc-

College for Women, and the award-winning labor economist’s research team worked to help establish the value of stolen labor. The expert labor economist charges the esteemed university with negligence, “They did nothing with the documented information on their involvement with slavery,” said Malveaux. “I’m sure the president could have assigned an economist the task of doing these calculations”

The university president was not in attendance, however, this statement was released from Clayton Berry, assistant vice president for communications.

“We cannot yet offer a detailed response to the specific information shared at today’s event on SLU’s campus. At this point, we can affirm that we understand and share the sense of urgency expressed by several members of the

ceed,” said Urban League President and CEO Mike McMillan.

“Making sure that everyone has a seat at the table and is welcomed is not just the right thing to do, it is also the smart thing to do. Our diversity needs to be celebrated and supported. DEI is good for business and good for America.”

Missouri is among 20 states where Republican lawmakers have filed at least 50 bills that would restrict DEI initiatives or require their public disclosure, according to an Associated Press analysis using the bill-tracking software Plural. They want to get rid of DEI offices, dismantle anti-bias training and abolish diversity statements.

This first salvo of attacks came in 2023, and his year’s bills, as well as executive orders and internal agency directives, again focus heavily on higher education.

But proposed legislation also would limit DEI in K-12 schools, state

descendant community.

SLU’s participation in the institution of slavery was a grave sin. We acknowledge that progress on our efforts to reconcile with this shameful history has been slow, and we regret the hurt and frustration this has caused.

Continuing this work is a priority for SLU and the Society of Jesus. As we move forward, we hope to re-establish and build deeper relationships with all descendant families, to explore together how best to honor the memory of those who were enslaved by the Jesuits.”

The labor economist team’s calculations are 24 hours per day, 365 days per year for 70 enslaved people, from 1823 to 1865 using the lowest wage at that time of 5 cents an hour. This estimated value adds up

government, contracting and pension investments.

Some bills would bar financial institutions from discriminating against those who refuse to participate in DEI programs.

Last year in Jefferson City, the House passed 15 budget bills with approximately $48 billion in spending. Each had an amendment prohibiting the state to allocate funds or do business with entities embracing DEI. The bills did not pass in the Senate,

to $361 million to $70+ billion, “We’re not asking, we’re demanding,” said Malveaux.

State Sen. Karla May (D-04), an alumnus of the University and supporter of DSLUE efforts said, “ Today is the first step in righting this wrong. And it is a chance for SLU to begin reconciling with their own pasts, and with the descendants of the enslaved African Americans who laid the bricks we walk on today.”

Fighting back tears Proudie said, “I am a descendant and I want my ancestors to bear witness. We took the step to say we want you to be honored, we want to be acknowledged, and we’re not asking for a handout. We are asking for a debt to be paid. We have engaged with St. Louis University, and we

but far-right legislators have pending bills in 2024.

“I do believe if these things are allowed to happen, we’re going right back to the Jim Crow laws,” said Marlene Terry (D-St. Louis) of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus.

Rep. Peter Merideth (D-St. Louis) pointed out the folly of the bills saying, “We won’t even have Coke in our vending machines because I assure you Coca-Cola has

waited patiently, we came with a spirit of collaboration and a spirit of partnership.”

Martin pointed out that other religious and academic institutions around the country have begun good faith efforts to disgorge ill-gotten gains from forced slave labor. According to the civil rights attorney, Loyola University Maryland presented an extensive report detailing how the school benefitted from the slave trade – and laying out comprehensive recommendations for a path forward that includes restitution.

“Acknowledgement and an apology is not the same as atonement, assigning a number to the theft is a critical part of reconciliation,” said Martin.

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

diversity, equity, inclusion in their mission.”

“We wouldn’t be able to have our lights on because Ameren has diversity, equity, inclusion in their mission and staff associated with it. It’s absolutely bonkers.” But the challenges will persist, which makes recognition of successful business leaders, entrepreneurs and those who are not afraid to stand up for fairness and inclusion.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Urban farmers, Food City seek to drain ‘food swamps’

Blacks are nearly twice as likely as whites to live in areas with low access to healthy food

By Ashley Winters

The St. Louis American

Research shows Black residents are nearly twice as likely as white residents to live in census tracts with low access to healthy food.

An estimated 59% of St. Louis City residents are eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program SNAP benefits. Urban farmers like Dail Chambers have multiple

CDC

farms in north city, she started farming because she wanted her family to have a nutrient-rich diet.

Chambers is also a micro-grant recipient from Food City, the urban farmer has four plots in north city where she grows herbs, and seasonal fruits and vegetables. One of her farms is in the Greater Ville neighborhood where she resides.

“Growing natural food goes beyond WIC it is a more holistic

approach,” said Chambers. Not only is the farmer feeding her family fresh fruit and vegetables, but she is also serving and supporting neighborhoods that are impacted by food apartheid.

Sara Bannoura, Research and Storytelling Program Manager for Food City, helps create an inclusive sustainable food ecosystem in the St. Louis Metro Area.

See FOOD, A11

High risk of stroke in Black women

By Denise Hooks-Anderson

Per the Centers for Disease Control(CDC), in 2021, the number one cause of death in the United States was heart disease, at over 695,000 deaths. This was true for both men and women. Cardiovascular diseases account for over 17 million lives lost globally per the World Health Organization. Cardiovascular diseases include disorders of the heart and blood vessels, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease and other conditions.

n Hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and hyperlipidemia are all risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and hyperlipidemia are all risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Many of these conditions can be present without having any symptoms. I can’t begin to tell you how many people found out they had high blood pressure from just a routine visit. Lastly, one of the most important risk factors contributing to the large cardiovascular disease population is tobacco use. Cardiovascular disease has not only been present throughout my professional career but also in my personal life. Just recently I was made aware that one of my cousins had a stroke. The stroke was followed by hospital complications that resulted in my cousin being comatose for several weeks. She was eventually discharged to a skilled nursing facility but died a few days later. Our family’s health history is similar to other Black families. We have family members who are obese, who have high blood pressure and diabetes, and who have various forms of heart disease. Family history is a large part of cardiovascular risk.

What makes my cousin’s death so heartbreaking was that she “appeared”

See ANDERSON, A11

pledges $5M in scholarships for

‘Tuskegee Experiment’ descendants

Fund created nearly a century after the unethical study

By Anissa Durham Word In Black

Nearly a century after the launch of the Tuskegee Experiment, in which 623 Black men in Alabama were infected with syphilis and withheld treatment by federal officials — the United States government is taking steps toward repair by investing in the education of descendants of the study’s victims. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Foundation announced a scholarship program for descendants on Feb. 7. The foundation, a non-profit authorized

n The Tuskegee Experiment, formally known as the United States Public Health Service Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male, lasted four decades.

by Congress, is raising $5 million to support the Voices For Our Fathers Legacy Foundation scholarships, an initiative by and for relatives of those who were violated in the experiment.

“This scholarship is a step toward correcting an inexcusable violation of medical ethics,” CDC Director Mandy Cohen said in a statement. “It seeks to uplift the descendants of the Untreated Syphilis Study at Tuskegee and takes steps toward rectifying

See TUSKEGEE, A11

A Black man is tested during the “Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the

The CDC has announced it will launch a scholarship program for descendants of men unethically used in the experiment, in which 623 Black

were

with

by

Dail Chambers has multiple farms in north city and is a Food City micro-grant recipient. She grows herbs, fruits and vegetables, and one of her farms is in the Greater Ville neighborhood where she resides.

Photo by Brian Munoz / St. Louis Public Radio

Negro Male.”

men

infected

syphilis and withheld treatment

federal officials.

Denise HooksAnderson

Courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

‘Taking

Care of You’

Affinia to distribute Narcan opioid overdose treatment

St. Louis American

Affinia Healthcare has received an $11,500 grant from the City of St. Louis Department of Health (DOH) for Narcan distribution, a medication used for the emergency treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose.

The grant also covers the communication and education efforts of spreading the word about this medication. The grant will run through August

Continued from A10

Bannoura said, “food insecurity is financial insecurity.”

“When that is a factor, it influences everything else in your life.”

She paints the picture of low-income families choosing between paying the cost of healthy groceries or childcare. Her research explains how non-nutrient-rich diets impacts brain and body development. She explains that the human body becomes fatigued and has low energy.

“Food is energy and medicine, and the body needs to heal if consumed with large amounts of unhealthy foods,” the researcher said.

2024, with an opportunity for up to an additional one-year renewal.

While the goal is to continue increasing awareness of treatment for substance use disorder, this year the primary focus will be on ways to decrease accidental overdose deaths of children and youth.

For Affinia Healthcare, this means providing educational resources to youth and parents at outreach initiatives and through different media

platforms.

“Unfortunately, as the war against the opioid crisis continues, we’re seeing a significant increase of accidental overdoses with our youth,” said Dr. Kendra Holmes, Affinia Healthcare president & CEO.

“The opioid epidemic is a crisis in our community and in many ways, it has blindsided parents because they are not aware of how the drug may be presented. The more educated parents

and children are about the opioid crises and what to do if children are exposed, the better prepared we can be to help save lives.”

According to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, there was a 20% increase of drug overdose deaths among teens aged 14-18, between 2020 and 2021. In 2021, 77% of teen drug overdose deaths were due to fentanyl with many being fake or counterfeit pills made to look like

prescription opioids and were laced with illicitly manufactured fentanyl.

In addition to providing education to the community, the grant will go toward the distribution of Narcan. Each month approximately 30 families will receive Narcan for harm reduction as needed.

Narcan will also be distributed at Affinia Healthcare pharmacies and outreach events, by

According to Bannoura’s research, people with diets that are filled with high carbs and unhealthy fats will experience sugar rushes. She describes a sugar rush as a feeling of having a burst of energy and then suddenly crashing and becoming exhausted. Unfortunately, many St. Louisans who live in impoverished communities have experienced this because healthy affordable food options are not a part of their reality, they are living in survival mode. Eating foods that are readily available to them and their families. USDA data show that 33% of the population is greater than 1 mile from the nearest supermarket, supercenter, or large grocery store for an urban area or greater. And 10 miles for a rural area, this

Tuskegee

Continued from A10 a difficult part of our public health history.”

In 2023, Voices For Our Fathers awarded four scholarships to graduating high school seniors, totaling $11,000. The CDC Foundation aims to increase the awards to $100,000 annually. As a head start, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation contributed $1 million toward their $5 million goal.

The CDC Foundation’s contribution comes after a commitment by Milbank Memorial Fund in 2022. The board’s investment acknowledges its role in creating generational trauma for the men and their loved ones.

Anderson

Continued from A10

to be the picture of health. She was thin and she did not smoke. However, appearances can be deceiving. I have cared for many patients like my cousin who looked good on the outside but on the inside the blood pressure

“Our partnership with Voices For Our Father Legacy Foundation following our apology for the Milbank Memorial Fund’s role in the study has underscored the importance of publicly recognizing past harms and working toward healing—and ultimately building trust in our health system and improving health outcomes for everyone,” Christopher F.Koller, president of the Milbank Memorial Fund, said in a statement. The Tuskegee Experiment, formally known as the United States Public Health Service Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male, lasted four decades. From 1932 to 1972, the men were subjects of experimentation, lured into participating with

was out of control or the blood sugar was extremely high.

Black women have a higher risk of stroke compared to other groups. Higher rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and smoking within the Black community contribute to this increased risk. Furthermore, socioeconomic factors, stressors related to racism and dis-

measure shows that an estimated 18.8 million people, or 6.1 percent of the U.S. population, live in low-income and low-access tracts. And are more than 1 mile or 10 miles from a supermarket.

Areas that are primarily north of Delmar for decades have been stricken with economic

promises of hot meals, free medical exams, and burial insurance.

They were told they were being treated for “bad blood” by researchers. Even after penicillin became the treatment of choice in the mid-1940s, the experiment continued, and they were barred from accessing it.

In the end, 128 of the men died of syphilis or related complications, 40 wives were infected, and 19 children were born with congenital syphilis, according to the Equal Justice Initiative.

In 1974, men who were part of the study won a $10 million out-of-court settlement. Today, their families are focused on reclaiming the narrative of those connected to the experiment.

Lillie Head, president

crimination, and access to healthcare also play a role. It is so important for black women to prioritize their health and engage in preventive measures. This includes yearly physicals, managing diabetes and blood pressure, maintaining a healthy weight, staying active, and avoiding nicotine use. It is also crucial to be aware of warning signs of stroke,

disparities and usually are flooded with corner stores that serve packaged frozen foods, or fast-food restaurants. This can create a generational cycle of unhealthy eating habits according to the research and storytelling manager. She describes the neighborhoods as food swamps because food

of Voices For Our Fathers Legacy Foundation, said the purpose of the descendant-led nonprofit organization is to “transform the legacy of the longest-lasting, non-therapeutic study in U.S. medical history from shame and trauma to honor and triumph.”

She expressed “enormous gratitude for the support for the annual scholarships for future generations of descendants” in a statement.

“We believe this scholarship endowment fund and partnership demonstrate a new and lasting commitment to improving a health care system that provides everyone fair and equal medical care regardless of their racial and social status.”

such as sudden weakness or numbness, difficulty speaking or understanding, severe headache, and trouble with vision or balance. If these symptoms occur, it is essential to seek medical care immediately. Do not wait. Additionally, it is important to address the underlying social determinants of health that contribute to stroke risk

Sara Bannoura, a research manager for Food City, stands near the intersections of Natural Bridge and Grand Blvd. where access to fast food in challenged communities is harmful to our health.

pediatric staff, and through established community partnerships.

Affinia Healthcare provides substance misuse treatment through its Medication Assisted Treatment program. As part of a comprehensive care program, patients work with medical and behavioral health professionals to treat the addiction. To contact a member of the Affinia Healthcare MAT team, please call 314-658-4860.

There is some good news, the Urban Harvest 2022 Annual Report shows in 2021 the organization grew almost 3,000 pounds of organic produce across four farm sites, they also distributed over 90% of their produce to their non-profit partners. Overall, this translates to over 2900 healthy meals distributed to the community.

City farmers like Chambers help combat the packaged food cycle; she grows tomatoes, Swiss chard, okra, blackberries, and raspberries. Her farms also have cabbage, bell peppers, and onions to name a few. Chambers’ neighbors and those she serves are so grateful for her farms. “What I’m doing has a direct purpose,” said the farmer.

is available but it’s not healthy. Many of these communities receive food from local food pantries and other service-based organizations; however, Bannoura said, “Food pantries are great, but you’re just giving people packaged food, you’re not helping them get out of non-nutritious diets.”

Bannoura is dedicated to the work done at Food City, “When you look at the data and see people dying before they need to, compared to those in West County. That’s why we’re doing this,” said the research manager. Following those same sentiments Chambers adds, “It’s about how this food changes the community.”

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

disparities. This involves advocating for equitable access to healthcare, addressing systemic racism, and promoting policies that support the well-being of all individuals. Knowledge and proactive measures are key to reducing the risk of stroke. As Black women we must seek appropriate care, consider lifestyle

modifications, and “take back our time”. We spend too little energy on improving our own health. Consulting with healthcare professionals and making healthy choices can greatly contribute to overall well-being. Denise HooksAnderson, MD, FAAFP can be reached at yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Credit: U.S. National Archives

An image of the 1972 memo from the US assistant secretary of health, to the Center for Disease Control director, ordering the termination of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study.

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

Students Ashton Fisher and Amin Mitchellin, in Ms. Stovall’s secondgrade class at Gateway MST Elementary School, are using the engineering design process to construct an index card STEM tower.

Bacteria Are Everywhere!

Bacteria are everywhere! They are the smallest living organism on Earth and they are made of only one cell. That cell is surrounded by a cell wall to protect it. Some bacteria have hairs called pili, and some bacteria have long threads called flagella. Bacteria are divided into three groups, depending on their shape. Cocci bacteria are round, bacilli bacteria are straight, and spiral bacteria have a corkscrew shape. Bacteria live in colonies and can reproduce very quickly, about once every 20 minutes.

Some bacteria cause disease, like tuberculosis, tooth decay, salmonella, E. coli, cholera, and many more. However, bacteria can also be helpful. An example of helpful bacteria is the bacteria found in yogurt and cheese. This helps our stomach process food. Bacteria can also be used to create some types of medicine. To learn more interesting facts about bacteria, read the “Did You Know” section (below).

Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text for main idea and supporting details.

African -American Biologist Emmett Chappelle

Emmett W. Chappelle was born in Phoenix, Arizona, on October 24, 1925. He grew up on a small farm and helped his family raise cotton and take care of cows. In 1942, Chappelle graduated from Phoenix Union Colored High School. After graduation, he was drafted into the army. He was able to take some engineering courses when he was assigned to the Army Specialized Training Program. Later, he was sent to Italy with the All-Black 92nd Infantry Division. Upon his return to the US, Chappelle earned his associate’s degree from Phoenix College, then used his GI Bill of Rights to receive his bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of California, in 1950.

From 1950 to 1953, Chappelle worked as an instructor at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. He continued his research. The University of Washington offered him an opportunity to continue his research with them while he earned a master’s degree in biology.

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION Create a Light Box!

Background Information:

In this experiment, you will learn about attributes of light.

Materials Needed:

• 4 Plastic Clean Bottles (such as 16-20 ounce water/soda bottles) • Water • Tape

• Scissors • Large Cardboard Box • Food Coloring • Foil • Plastic Cups (to fit over bottles) • Note Book Process:

q Fill the bottles with water. Add food coloring to three of the bottles.

w Trace the bottom of the bottles on the top of the box and cut 4 holes.

e Put tin foil on the top of the box to help light reflect into the bottles.

r Cut a hole in the side of the box to look inside.

t Push the bottles into the 4 holes. The top of the bottle

In today’s biography, you learned about a method that helped make water safe to drink. Water is a liquid that is measured in ounces, cups, pints, etc. Use this chart to answer the following questions.

8 oz = 1 cup 2 cups = 1 pint

4 cups = 1 quart

8 cups = 1/2 gallon

16 cups = 1 gallon

will still be above the top of the box. Cover the tops of the bottles with a cup.

y Look through the side of the box and observe how the light looks as it moves through the different colors. Record your findings in the notebook. Reflect: Which colors tend to absorb light? How do the light rays bend and expand as the sun shines? For more information, read about light refraction.

For A Light Refraction Video, Visit: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/ x2rvd3j.

Learning Standards: I can follow sequential directions to complete an experiment. I can make deductions and draw conclusions.

Chappelle was an eager student and he continued taking graduate classes at Stanford University. From there, Chappelle went to Baltimore to join the Research Institute for Advanced Studies. He worked on creating a safe oxygen supply for astronauts. He also worked for Hazelton Laboratories and joined NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. His research focused on the study of luminescence (light without heat). He used chemicals from fireflies as part of his method of detecting life on Mars. This method of using light created by living organisms is called bioluminescence. Chappelle used this method to detect bacteria in water.

In 2001, Chappelle retired from NASA. He has fourteen patents, and has written more than 35 scientific publications. He has been honored as one of the top 100 African-American scientists and engineers, has received an Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal from NASA, and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, in 2007.

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

MAP CORNER

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

many quarts of milk does he have left?

v How many ounces of fluid are in one pint? ______

x Elizabeth bought a ½ gallon of lemonade for her birthday party. She has 5 guests. If each guest is given 1 cup of lemonade, how many cups of lemonade will be left?

z Water is essential for good health. You should drink 8-10 cups of water per day. If you drank 8 cups of water, how many ounces of water did you drink?______ How many pints of water did you drink? ______ How many quarts of water did you drink? ______ How many gallons of water did you drink? ______

DID YOU KNOW?

There is an average of 4 pounds of bacteria in a human body.

c Steven chose a gallon of milk at the store. If he uses 2 cups of milk for a recipe and drinks 2 cups of milk, how

A dollar bill has 3,000 types of bacteria.

Researchers have found 1,458 new types of bacteria in belly buttons.

b If you have a 16-ounce sports drink, how many pints do you have? ______

Learning Standards: I can use addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to solve a word problem. I can covert units of liquid measurement.

Activity One —

Numbers in the newspaper can be written a variety of ways.

Can you find an example of a numeral, a number written as a word, a decimal, a percentage, a fraction, a roman numeral? Can you find an example of a metric number? Explain how the numbers were used in the newspaper.

Activity Two — Circle 12 words in the newspaper that begin with a capital letter. Discuss why each word begins with a capital letter. Then, identify which of those words are proper nouns. Divide the proper nouns into categories of person, place, thing, or idea.

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can identify the purpose of capitalization and classify information.

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

Photo by Ms. Stovall

Biden unveils plan for equity, racial justice for federal agencies

Outlines strategies to address systemic barriers and promote inclusivity in policies and programs

A year ago, President Biden signed an executive order calling for federal agencies to support equity and racial justice.

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

The Biden-Harris Administration has unveiled its Equity Action Plans for federal agencies in a continued push for equity and racial justice.

This release marks the first anniversary of President Biden’s second Executive Order on Equity, outlining strategies to address systemic barriers and promote inclusivity in policies and programs.

Since taking office, officials tout how the administration has championed an equity and racial justice agenda, ensuring equal opportunities for all communities. However, they acknowl-

n Since taking office, officials tout how the administration has championed an equity and racial justice agenda.

edged that, despite progress, historical disparities persist in laws and public policies, hindering the advancement of underserved communities.

In a Fact Sheet released on Wednesday, Feb. 14, administration officials said the White House has actively implemented two his-

toric Executive Orders on equity, the President’s Investing in America Agenda, and key legislation to advance opportunity and fulfill Biden’s promise of America for everyone.

“Since day one of our administration, President Biden and I have been fully committed to ensuring that every person in America has equitable access to opportunity and the ability to thrive,” Vice President Kamala Harris remarked.

On the first anniversary of the second equity executive order, federal agencies, including all cabinet-level agencies, released their 2023 equity action plans. The White House said these plans include

See FOOD, B2

HUD program designed to increase Black home ownership

‘A crucial shift’ in empowerment

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

Marcia L. Fudge, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) secretary and former Congressional Black Caucus chair, calls The Road Home a path for Black American’s financial security.

The Biden administration backed initiative includes a suite of programs and services that helps families and individuals move into housing and focus on “short-term solutions that lead to long-term stability,” said Fudge, who recently joined host Greer Marshall on “Let it Be Known,” NNPA’s morning news show.

Even in today’s robust economy — or perhaps because of it — many African Americans struggle with finding and securing affordable housing, especially those who live in large cities. While still historically low, interest rates have combined with shrinking availability and heightened competition to make homeownership elusive for many who could have easily acquired

See HUD, B2

PeoPle on the Move

Porter named to Boys and Girls Club board

Dionne Porter, Bank of America senior vice president and consumer banking region executive for consumer and small Business has joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis board.

Porter will help the board accomplish the mission, doing whatever it takes to help kids, families, and communities close the opportunity gap, ensuring young people have access to experiences and opportunities that improve their lives.

“Dionne Porter brings the board her expertise at leading a team of professionals focused on building relationships and impactful partnerships,” said Flint Fowler, Boys and Girls Club president.

Kristol Simms honored by MEEA

Kristol Simms, Ameren Illinois Clean Energy Transition, Economic, Community, and Business Development vice president, was recently recognized by the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) with the Chair’s Award as part of its 20th Annual Inspiring Efficiency Awards

Kristol Simms

The Inspiring Efficiency Awards recognize individuals and businesses that have shown exemplary work toward advancing energy efficiency across the Midwest.

Tyra Duren selected as an ElevateHER cohort

Tyra Duren PHR, Lawrence Group director of talent development, has been accepted into the Zweig Group 2024 ElevateHER cohort, which focuses on developing and disseminating pragmatic solutions to the AEC industry’s recruitment and retention crisis.

ElevateHER was founded in 2019 and continues forging pathways to success for underrepresented groups by serving as a connector and central hub for resources and information. Since inception, it has brought together more than 120 alumni, 50 esteemed speakers and advisors, and 60 partnering AEC firms.

Thompson named digital transformation director

Mark Thompson

Mark Thompson has been named National Newspaper Publishers Association global digital transformation director. Thompson began his journalism career with the AFRO newspaper in Washington, D.C., and was among the first talk show hosts on XM Satellite Radio. Thompson has consistently championed the cause of African Americanowned media.

In his role, Thompson “is poised to drive a new era of innovation, guiding member publishers through the intricate landscape of digital transformation.

Photo courtesy of NNPA

Marcia L. Fudge, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) secretary, recently spoke in Akron, Ohio. Fudge says HUD’s ‘The Road Home’ program can help Black Americans on their path to home ownership.

Dionne Porter

Photo courtesy of WKYC

Tyra Duren

Food

Continued from B1 measures to increase access to federal contracting dollars, address discrimination in the housing market, promote environmental justice, tackle health disparities, bolster civil rights enforcement, and combat bias in technology.

HUD

Continued from B1

a new home and kept up with the related mortgage payments less than a decade ago.

“These initiatives aim to assist with housing opportunities and community development for Black residents, all while balancing environmental justice concerns with improving Black homeownership and housing conditions,” Fudge said.

The programs include housing navigation, veteran services, rapid re-housing, permanent supportive housing, investments in shortterm residences for the unhoused, and landlord programs.

“The Road Home Program and intentional changes in underwriting at HUD and FHA signify a crucial shift, empowering Black and brown individuals on their path to homeownership.”

The PAVE (Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity) taskforce is part of the administration’s plan to help overcome fair housing and homeownership challenges that disproportionately affect people of color.

The administration also released a White House Progress Report on Equity, showcasing over 650 actions taken by agencies since the release of their 2022 Equity Action Plans. The actions range from increasing access to federal funding for small, disadvantaged businesses to addressing health disparities and promoting fairness in the justice system. In her statement, Harris

“Through the PAVE task force, we are committed to addressing appraisal bias and taking decisive legal action against appraisers who undervalue properties,” emphasized Fudge.

Before her term as the nation’s top housing official, while she was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio, Fudge addressed challenges with fair and affordable housing and homeownership within Black communities.

As a key member of the Biden-Harris cabinet, Fudge continues to champion policies and solutions that will address the underlying cultural, economic, and societal behaviors that sustain those challenges.

“Our administration is resolute in combating appraisal bias and fostering generational wealth building,” said Fudge.

“These initiatives breathe new life into urban areas, offering housing opportunities and fostering community development for Black residents.” Additionally, Fudge underscored the administration’s delicate balance between addressing environmental justice concerns and enhancing Black homeownership and housing

celebrated the past year’s accomplishments and reiterated the commitment to addressing remaining barriers. “Together, we will continue to advance equity across the federal government, not only in hiring and appointments but in the historic investments we are making in communities that had been overlooked for far too long,” she stated.

The Equity Action

conditions.

A key challenge in the successful implementation of any program is getting the word out so that beneficiaries know what resources are available to them and how they can access them.

Fudge asserted that as the Black Press of America, media companies that comprise the NNPA are seen by the BidenHarris administration as critical in the discussion on policies addressing Black families’ home

Plans focus on critical areas, including improving the financial health of underserved businesses and communities, ending gender-based workforce discrimination, addressing discrimination in home appraisals, and expanding safe, accessible, and affordable transportation.

Efforts also target health disparities, making childbirth and the postpartum period safer

ownership and affordable housing. “The Black Press of America will play a crucial role in disseminating information about HUD programs and resources to their audience,” notes Fudge.

According to a recent statement from the White House, “Recent data show that inflation in rental markets is decelerating and more apartments are on track to be built this year than any year on record. The Administration’s actions

and combating child food insecurity. Officials said the administration remains dedicated to environmental and climate justice, tackling environmental injustice, and delivering on the Justice40 Initiative.

Recent accomplishments include:

• Supporting disadvantaged farmers.

• Ensuring contracting opportunities for small,

directly lead to the creation of tens of thousands of affordable housing units.” The administration’s Housing Supply Action Plan sites “an economy where everyone has access to a safe and affordable home.”

When asked to list some of the targeted urban revitalization programs this administration has implemented to enhance housing opportunities and community development for Black residents,

disadvantaged businesses.

• Expanding mental health support services for students.

• Fostering community development in rural and tribal communities.

To explore the Equity Action Plans in detail, visit www.performance. gov/equity

Fudge explained, “Our commitment to urban revitalization programs is about breathing new life into urban areas, providing housing opportunities, and fostering community development for Black residents.”

Fudge has said that her real goal in her current role is to give people hope and belief that she and her team at HUD, with the support of the BidenHarris administration, can make their lives better.

n “Anybody got a nail he can step on?”

– 49ers receiver Jauan Jennings when asked by a reporter how painful is it to lose a Super Bowl

InSIdE SportS

By Earl Austin Jr.

Seeing red

Chaminade tops Vashon, to face DeSmet

With the post season right around the corner, the Chaminade Red Devils are starting to hit their stride during the closing weeks of the regular season in high school basketball.

The Red Devils have won five of their last seven games with those victories coming against some high quality opponents. Those victories have come against Illinois opponents East St. Louis and Burbank St. Laurence along with Metro Catholic Conference (MCC) rivals CBC and Vianney.

Of the five wins, the biggest came on January 30 when the Red Devils went into the house of Missouri superpower Vashon and posted a 61-57 victory. Chaminade rallied from a double-digit deficit to come away with its biggest victory of the season.

Chaminade is a talented, but still young team with juniors and sophomores all through the lineup. The guard corps is paced by junior Colin Perry, who averages 11 points a game and sophomore Jonny Jordan, who averages eight points a game. Juniors Colin Keller and Jacob Robinson are talented guards who make big shots. It was Robinson’s 3-pointer at the buzzer that gave the Red Devils a 64-61 victory at Vianney last Friday night.

The Red Devils also have plenty of size up front with 6’7” sophomore

forwards Jamison White and Jahidi White Jr. They are the sons of former Cardinal Ritter standout and NBA player Jahidi White. They are joined by 6’10” junior forward Ben Winker and 6’3” senior forward My’Key Rachel. Chaminade faces

To say Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are popular is an understatement. Behind Mahomes’ fourth-quarter magic and a stalwart defensive effort, the Chiefs claimed a 25-22 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.

Mahomes passed for 333 yards and rushed for 66 more in helping craft another comefrom-behind Super Bowl victory. In his three Super Bowls, Mahomes and the Chiefs have faced deficits of at least 10 points. With three Super Bowl titles in five years, including a back-to-back performance, Mahomes is not bashful about a quest for a “three-peat.”

another big challenge on Friday night when it hosts DeSmet in another MCC.

East St. Louis/ SIU Charter Making its Mark

There is something very good brewing with

the new boys basketball program at East St. Louis/ SIUE Charter School.

In their third year of existence, they are closing in on 20 victories, which includes the championship of the Missouri Valley Christian School Tournament. They

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

also have a victory over Madison, which is annually one of the top small school programs in the metro east area. Under the direction of head coach Shawn Roundtree, East St. Louis/ SIUE Charter fields a team with good athletes

America was all in on epic Chiefs-49ers Super Bowl

hard work to pay off.”

“It (would be) legendary. No one’s ever done it,” Mahomes said Monday before celebrating with his family at Disneyworld as the game’s MVP, his third.

“I believe we’re the hardest working team in the NFL, and for all of that

Let’s look back at a historic Super Bowl in Reid Roundup fashion. Chris Jones was not the Super Bowl MVP, but he made the game’s Most Valuable Play. The defensive tackle’s pressure on 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy on a critical overtime third-down play forced an incompletion. The 49ers kicked a field goal, and KC won by driving 75 yards for a touchdown. After holding out and missing the Chiefs’ first game, Jones signed a one-year deal and will be a free agent. Will the Chiefs pay him big money to stay?...Mecole Hardman left the Chiefs for the New York Jets as a free agent following last season’s Super Bowl win. He caught just one pass over six games and was traded back to Kansas City in October. Hardman will be part of Super Bowl lore forever after catching the game-winning touchdown pass from Mahomes in overtime…The sky was

supposedly going to crash in on Mahomes when Tyreek Hill was traded to Miami before the 2022 season…The Chiefs used a draft pick from that deal to acquire cornerback Trent McDuffie, who has become on the NFL’s top defensive backs. Along with smothering receivers, he deflected a pass while blitzing Purdy late in the game, forcing the 49ers to

settle for a field goal … Steve Spagnuolo, Chiefs defensive coordinator, posted a 10-38 record as St. Louis Rams coach from 2009-11 before he was fired. He has now become the only coordinator, offensive or defensive, to win four Super Bowls. He won his first with the Giants before joining the Rams. Kansas City ranked first in the

NFL in both total defense and scoring defense during the regular season…Had the 49ers won the game, receiver Jauan Jennings should have been MVP. He caught four passes for 42 yards and a touchdown and had a 21-yard touchdown pass to running back Christian McCaffrey Speaking of McCaffrey, he should have had more

who play hard and play together as a team. The top player is 6’2” junior guard KeJuan Rives, who is averaging 19 points, six rebounds and four assists a game.

Junior Jayley Wiley is a 6’2” guard who averages 14 points and 10 rebounds a game while throwing down an impressive crowd-pleasing dunk every game. Senior guard Chross Mister averages eight points and six assists a game. Roundtree calls him the heart and soul of the team.

Rounding out the rotation are 6’2” senior Tra’Veon Dennis, 5’7” sophomore guard Breon Johnson-Cavitt, 6’1” junior Devonte Hyde and 6’4” senior Lathon Streator.

East St. Louis/SIUE Charter will begin postseason play next week at the IHSA Class A Madison regional. They are the No. 5 seed and will host No. 12 seed Lovejoy next Monday at 7 p.m.

IHSA Girls Regionals Begin Next Week

The IHSA girls basketball tournament is underway this week at various sites around the state of Illinois. The big metro east regional tournament is being held at O’Fallon and Collinsville. Alton is the No. 1 seed at Collinsville while O’Fallon heads up its own regional tournament. The winners will advance to the Sectional semifinals next Tuesday at 7 p.m.

carries in the second half. I’m not sure what 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was thinking, especially after Mahomes threw an interception at the beginning of the third quarter… Fred Sweets, a STL American contributing editor, and I have a $1 wager on whether Travis Kelce will be fined by the Chiefs for crashing into head coach Andy Reid while enraged during the first quarter. I say he will. Reporter Ashley Winters points out that the word “passion” is being used to describe Kelce’s action and she doesn’t like it. I think the word “aggression” would be used by many media folks if a Black player had done the same thing. Reid says it is not a big deal…According to Nielsen, Super Bowl LVIII averaged approximately 123.4 million viewers, making it the most watched US television broadcast since the first manned moon landing in July 1969. More than 150 million Americans watched that historic event.

Earl Austin Jr.

Alvin A. Reid

Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) chases San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) during the second half of Super Bowl 58 Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas.

Photo courtesy of the AP

East St. Louis Flyers’ Davis Bynum (1) crashes the boards in front of Chaminade’s Jonny Jordan Jr. (2) during second-period action at Chaminade Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Boeing again backs Maryville STEM program with grant

Maryville University has been awarded

$70,000 from Boeing to continue its partnership in providing STEM programming for underresourced schools.

Grant funding will enable Maryville’s Center for Access and Achievement (CA2) to support afterschool STEM clubs in six partner school districts throughout North St. Louis County: FergusonFlorissant, Ritenour, Jennings, Riverview Gardens, Normandy and Hazelwood. Through the FutureSTL program, teachers in the six partner districts attend Maryville’s STEM Education Certificate program, a 75-hour,

TW Constructors recently announced the acquisition of a new headquarters at 4500 Earth City Expressway in Earth City.

Gray Design Group will transform the 6.73-acre site into 38,000 square feet of office space along with 71,000 square feet desig-

tuition-based course designed to reinforce and build their STEM instructional skills. The course originated in 2016 through an initial grant from Boeing.

Teachers in the six designated districts complete the STEM Education Certificate with scholarship support provided by Boeing and additional partners. To receive scholarships, the teachers agree to become STEM Champions in their individual schools— offering after-school STEM Clubs to their students for at least 20 hours during the school year. More than 100 teachers from Maryville’s partner school districts have completed the program,

and more than 40 are currently STEM Champions—impacting approximately 600 K–12 students annually. The new grant from Boeing will help increase the number of STEM Champions and provide STEM Club involvement for up to 750 students annually.

STEM skills remain foundational to students’ success in school and throughout their lives. In addition to hosting after-school STEM Clubs, STEM Champion teachers use classroom time to provide engaging, real-world problemsolving activities, and help students prepare for post-secondary study and envision future careers in these high-demand fields.

Teachers from under-resourced schools in six North County school districts have access to the Maryville University FutureSTL program through a grant from Boeing. The teachers become STEM Champions in their respective schools and establish STEM clubs.

TW Constructors to open new HQ in Earth City

nated for a pipe and sheet metal shop, warehouse and laydown areas.

In addition to TW Constructors, the space will house Mechanical Solutions Inc., Fire Solutions Inc., and Glazing Solutions.

Construction is set to

begin in spring of 2024, with the goal of campus completion by early winter of 2025. Founded in 2012 by CEO Todd Weaver, TW Constructors is

the second largest Minority Business Enterprise in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The full-service general contractor specializes in design/ build, new construction, interior

finishes, renovations, and construction management.

In 2002, Weaver founded Legacy Building Group, a design-build general contracting firm that he says, “afforded him the opportunity to provide opportunities in the construction industry to individuals and

groups that might not have previously been afforded such chances.” Legacy grew into a successful company in the St. Louis metropolitan area and subsequently spawned several off-shoots in various trades in the construction industry.

Application portal open for Neighborhood Transformation Grants

The St. Louis Community Development Administration (CDA) has launched the 2024 Neighborhood Transformation Grants (NTG) funding cycle aimed at empowering communities to drive local development initiatives. The Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) and RFPs seek project proposals across the City of St. Louis, with a particular focus on projects serving communities in Qualified Census Tracts (QCTs) and Economic Justice Index

priority areas within the city. Now in its second year, Neighborhood Transformation Grants continue to empower St. Louis communities through grassroots development initiatives. Last year, CDA award-

ed $10,225,270 in NTG awards to neighborhood development, home repair programs, non-profit capacity building, and beautification projects and $18 million towards the production of 952 affordable housing units.

All grant information, including funding opportunities and priorities and a link to the application portal can be found at www. stlouis-mo.gov/cda/neighborhood-nofa.

Priorities in the 2024 Neighborhood Transformation Grants cycle were identified from needs found in the Economic Justice Action Plan, 2023 City of St. Louis Housing Report and the over 5000 responses to the City of St. Louis’ ARPA Community Needs Survey

Todd Weaver

Photo courtesy of Maryville University

Living It

Could have been loved

By Kenya Vaughn The St. Louis American

The life and musical legacy of Bob Marley played out like the most compelling unlikely hero film long before it was adapted into biopic form by way of “Bob Marley: One Love”– which opened in theaters nationwide on Valentine’s Day. At the peak of the disco era, one of music’s biggest stars was a Pan Africanist Rastafarian who unapologetically sang about the dismantling of racism systemic oppression on a global scale and represented a genre few had been acclimated with to outside of his native Jamaica. Among other songs topping the charts during this period was a parody that featured a disco duck moving his feet to the beat – and the Bee Gees’ declaration that “you should be dancing.” Meanwhile,

Although a high note for leading man Ben-Adir, ‘One Love’ goes flat

Marley was singing, “Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior Is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned… everywhere is war.” With his untimely death at the young age of 36 in 1981, Marley has now been gone longer than he lived. But his influence is as present as ever – and the messages in his music are a call to action against inequality and injustice.

Just as with the casting of Kingsley Ben-Adir, the minds behind “Bob Marley: One Love” – which include Marley’s widow Rita Marley, son Ziggy Marley and movie star Brad Pitt – were absolutely right to hone in on this particular moment in his history. Fans are taken on Marley’s journey in the 2–3-year period before and immediately following his album “Exodus,” which became an instant cultural phenomenon.

The album had such an impact on Marley’s career that it could be divided into BE (Before “Exodus”) and AE (After “Exodus”) and was created when Marley was in exile. A hostile political climate spilled into the streets and manifested as bloodshed and violence. The volatility

See Marley, C3

More to MATI

Chaka Kahn a highlight of 2024 Music at the Intersection

By Jeremy D. Goodwin St. Louis Public Radio

An expanded Music at the Intersection event in September will feature pre- and post-festival concerts and enhanced partnerships with local music organizations.

Headliners for the festival, which runs Sept. 14-15, include Big Boi of Outkast, Esperanza Spalding, Trombone Shorty, Black Pumas, Lettuce and Chaka Khan.

A Sept. 13 pre-festival show at the Big Top will be geared toward college-age concertgoers.

“We’ll give them a heavier dose of new, cutting-edge hip-hop, maybe some electronica, some rock ‘n’ roll,” Kranzberg Arts Foundation Executive Director Chris Hansen said of the Sept. 13 concert. “Definitely just music on the edge, what they’re excited about right now. It’ll also elevate some of the local music that

Headliners for the festival, which runs Sept. 14-15, include Big Boi of Outkast, Esperanza Spalding, Trombone Shorty, Black Pumas, Lettuce and Chaka Khan.

touches that demographic.”

Hansen declined to say how much money the Kranzberg Arts Foundation will invest in Music at the Intersection and associated events, but he said it is “a sustainable festival that we can produce generationally.”

Jazz trumpeter Keyon Harrold, Music at the Intersection’s first artist in residence, will perform music from his new album during the festival before leading an all-star jam at the Grandel. The concerts before and after the festival will have separate admission fees.

Influential producer and rapper Mvstermind will again lead MvsterCamp, a weeklong boot camp before the festival

See MATA, C8

“I’m feeling blessed and highly favored.”

Sterling K. Brown on his Academy Award Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role in ‘American Fiction’

CROWNING achievement

Dr. Adjoa Asamoah’s work on the creation of the CROWN ACT led to race-based hair discrimination being outlawed in 23 states and more than 50 cities. She says she ‘tackled a longstanding and problematic practice.”

Dr. Adjoa B. Asamoah to keynote NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner

By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American

Dr. Adjoa B. Asamoah, architect of the CROWN Act, will keynote the St. Louis City NAACP 112th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Freedom Fund Dinner at 6 p.m. Saturday February 17, 2024 – at the Marriott Grand Hotel. Asamoah conceptualized, developed the national legislative and coalition-building strategies for, and leads the unparalleled CROWN Act movement to outlaw race-based hair discrimination, resulting in laws changing in 23 states and more than 50 cities.

“In 2018, I came up with the idea that policy change was the best way to tackle this very long standing and problematic practice of race-based hair discrimination,” she said last week in a “Her Agenda” interview.

n “You don’t have to have a lot of money, or a fancy title, or be of a certain age, or a certain race, to be able to spark change.”

- Dr. Adjoa Asamoah

“Part of my strategy has been about coalition building, so I also co-created what’s called the CROWN Coalition, an alliance [of organizations] that is dedicated to outlawing race-based hair discrimination. That movement is important to me.” Asamoah said waiting to act often dooms well-intentioned initiatives.

“You don’t have to have a lot of money, or a fancy title, or be of a certain age, or a certain race, to be able to spark change,” she said.

“You, as an individual, can spark change. You have to determine your why, assess the problem and accept the challenge. Many people see a problem and they don’t accept the challenge. They know it’s a problem and they know something needs to be done but they don’t do anything, and they wait for the next person to do it. Don’t wait for somebody else to do it. We’re waiting for you

See Crown, C8

Courtesy photo

“Bob Marley: One Love” is a traditional music bio/film, with some flashbacks. Just enough to fill in Marley’s background and give audiences a way to understand his mental and emotional state.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

CONCERTS AND LIVE SHOWS

Drums & Dances of Africa

2/15/2024 10:30am 2/15/2024

Teacher Handbook

Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries

3648 Washington Blvd

St. Louis, MO Free

KevOnStage & That

Chick Angel: Here’s The Thing

2/17/2024 7:30pm

The Pageant

6161 Delmar Blvd

St. Louis, MO

$39.75 - $75.00

Denise Thimes

2/18/2024 6:00pm

Blue Strawberry STL

364 N Boyle Ave

St. Louis, MO $30.00

Runway at CityPark

2/18/2024 Doors open at 1pm / Show at 3pm

Featuring: Stuart Trevor | All Saint Paul Gibson | The Normal Brand

Rocket Supernova | Ying Ying Ying | Lukas Roe

Sporting Director, Coach and member of the STL CITY SC team on the

runway CityPark

St. Louis, MO

Tickets on sale: WWW.

BRAINCHILDNEXT.

COM/GENT

R&B Super Jam

Anthony Hamilton, Tyrese, Tamar Braxton, Brownstone and Silk

2/18/2024 7:00pm

Chaifetz Arena $62-128

The LCF Fashion Show

2/17/2024 5:00pm

The Franklin In Soulard St. Louis, MO

STL Sites & Sounds

$25-55, for more information, to evenbrite.com

Soul Siren Playhouse presents Amiri Baraka’s Dutchman

2/17/2024 4:00pm

2/17/2024 8:00pm

2/18/2024 2:30pm In an emotionally charged and highly symbolic version of the Adam and Eve story, an unsuspecting Black man is encountered by a mysterious and calculating white seductress alone on an underground train.

Greenfinch Theatre & Dive

2525 S. Jefferson St. Louis, MO Free

Carmina Burana

2/18/2024 3:00pm “O fortuna!” Right from its famous opening notes, Carmina Burana shakes the Stifel to its foundation. Stéphane’s trilogy of fate features evocative music by Arvo Pärt, Lera Auerbach, and Richard Wagner.

Stifel Theatre

1400 Market Street St. Louis, MO

$15.00 - $137.50

COMMUNITY

African American History Initiative Community Circle Event

2/13/2024 10:00am Members of the African American History Initiative (AAHI) are invited to our inaugural Community Circle member event.

Missouri History Museum 5700 Lindell Blvd St. Louis, MO

Ferguson City Council Meeting

2/13/2024 7:00pm Ferguson City Hall 110 Church Street

Ferguson, MO

ART

ACTIVITIES, EXHIBITS AND MUSEUMS

Author Talk: The Last Children of Mill Creek 2/16/2024 1:00pm

About the Program:

The Field House Museum hosts Vivian Gibson, author of the book The Last Children of Mill Creek. Her memoir chronicles the everyday lived experiences of her large family and the friends, shop owners, church ladies, teachers, and others who made Mill Creek into a warm, tight-knit AfricanAmerican community. Vivian Gibson grew up in Mill Creek Valley, a segregated working-class neighborhood of St. Louis that was razed in 1959 to build a highway, an act

of racism disguised under urban renewal as “progress.” The three rooms of her childhood home were heated by a wood-burning stove; her family had no hot water, but what Gibson lacked in material comforts she made up for in imagination.

Field House Museum 634 S Broadway St. Louis, MO Free

The Missouri Botanical Garden Celebrates Black History Month 2/21/2024 9:00am

Description Missouri Botanical Garden 4344 Shaw Blvd St. Louis, MO

Gary’s Fine Dining Presents: Najee 2/20/2024 10:00am

Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries 3648 Washington Blvd St. Louis, MO

Black History: Shaping St. Louis 2/22/2024 5:00pm Description Missouri History Museum 5700 Lindell Blvd St. Louis, MO

Black History Month Tour

2/16/2024 11:00am

A spotlight of different works by Black artists in SLAM’s permanent collection.

Genevieve Cortinovis, the Andrew W. Mellon Associate Curator of Decorative Arts and Design, will give the tour. Tours begin at the Sculpture Hall welcome desk.

Saint Louis Art Museum One Fine Arts Drive St. Louis, MO

Following Courage: William Wells Brown 2/21/2024 5:00pm

In celebration of Washington University Libraries’ recent acquisition of a first British edition of Narrative of William W. Brown, an American slave, written by himself, Gregory Carr, Assistant Professor of Theater at Harris-Stowe State University, will lecture on Brown’s literary works. In addition to the lecture, the first edition and related materials from the Julian Edison Department of Special Collections will be on display before and after the lecture. Attendees are also encouraged to visit the Slavery in St. Louis traveling exhibition on view in Olin Library. Schedule of Events: 5:00 pm – Exhibition viewing and items on display 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm: Lecture in Olin Library, Room 142 6:30 pm – 7:00 pm: Refreshments in the Ginkgo Reading Room and additional viewing time Free and open to all, registration requested. John M. Olin Library, Room 142 1 Brookings Dr St. Louis, MO

Wee Weekend: Love is in the Air 2/16/2024 10:00am Storytelling, Museum walks, and art making, Wee Wednesdays and Wee Weekends provide a fun and active way to explore the Museum together. Ages 3 to 5 and their caregivers. This month’s

Closing Weekend for Soccer City

By the Missouri Historical Society

For soccer fans who haven’t yet visited Soccer City at the Missouri History Museum, there are just a few days left to do so before the exhibit closes on Sunday, February 18.

Artist Damon Davis, whose monument Pillars of the Valley pays homage to Mill Creek Valley, the vibrant Black neighborhood that once stood where the CITYPARK stadium is, recently shared his thoughts with the Missouri Historical Society’s African American History Initiative.

Noting that he has worked on the project for over five years, Davis explained, “I was first inspired to create the memorial when I discovered the history of the Mill Creek Valley community, how the once thriving Black community was intentionally destroyed and had its residents displaced in the name of ‘progress.’ Upon hearing from former residents, I was compelled to create a monument to uplift their stories. The monument process is not yet complete, as the final monument will extend roughly one mile along the Brickline Greenway from the CITYPARK stadium to Harris–Stowe State University.”

“Working on Pillars of the Valley has been one of the most rewarding and vital projects of my career,” Davis said. “It has taught me so much about a subject that I thought I was already versed in. Learning about Mill Creek has been very humbling for me. I am Black and grew up in the St. Louis metro region, so to learn about this history that was intentionally forgotten and obscured from me made me realize that there are probably countless histories of my people that have been intentionally erased, all of which are important. While I have realized that I don’t know everything about the history of Black people here, it has made me eager to learn more and do what I can to make sure these stories aren’t forgotten again.”

“My intention with Pillars of the Valley is for Black people to feel a sense of love and pride for contributions we have made to St. Louis and the country more broadly,” he continued. “It is also for people who do not know what happened at this site to draw attention, educate, and create a moment of reverence

around histories that have been intentionally erased. Ultimately, I hope that this monument stands as a reminder that there was a neighborhood here—a community with thousands of stories—a community that helped shape St. Louis, and that community deserves to be recognized and remembered.”

He added, “I encourage everyone to go and visit the Pillars of the Valley monument when you can and take as many Black kids with you as possible.”

The Museum will kick off Soccer City’s closing weekend celebration with our Thursday Nights at the Museum event on February 15, Women in Soccer (5–8pm).

Jennifer Siess will moderate a conversation with women who will share their experiences as soccer professionals, both in the office and on the field. Siess is host of St. Louis Soccer Report on KMOX; sideline reporter and color commentator for St. Louis CITY SC broadcast through Y98; host of the Soccer Mom Sunday podcast; and founder of Mine to Define, which teaches youth athletes how to approach the mental side of sports. Panelists will include Lori Chalupny, retired professional player and women’s soccer head coach at Maryville University; Shelly Clark, St. Louis Ambush majority owner and CEO; Lindsay Kennedy-Eversmeyer, former indoor professional soccer player, women’s soccer assistant coach at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, and owner of the women’s semiprofessional Fire & Ice Club; Megan McCormick, St. Louis CITY SC Academy coach; and Katie Shields, Saint Louis University women’s soccer head coach.

On February 18, at 2pm, the Museum will present Soccer City: Past, Present, Future, a panel conversation with some St. Louis soccer legends. Mr. Soccer himself, Bill McDermott, will moderate a discussion with St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame president Jim Leeker, author Dave Lange, Johann Arnason of St. Louis Youth Soccer Association, and John Hackworth of St. Louis CITY SC. Afterward, there will be a meet-and-greet and chance to collect autographs.

Soccer City is presented by Bank of America. African American History Initiative programming is presented by Wells Fargo.

Marley

Continued from C1

in his homeland that put him and his family’s lives at risk and forced them to flee Jamaica. When it played out in real life, the story couldn’t have been better written for a feature film. The movie is more enjoyable than most critics are giving “One Love” credit for. However, there is valid frustration that the captivating moment gets lost in adaptation – and the end result is a cinematic experience that at points feels extremely contrived and flat. Director Reinaldo Marcus Green felt out of his depth with such an iconic and well-known figure.

The primary offense that keeps “One Love” from realizing its best intentions is that the film gets caught cheating on the “moment in time” format it has committed to by sneaking in some “cradle to the grave” characteristics that clunk it up and throw the film off balance. The selected life milestones, backstory, repetitive flashbacks and arbitrarily placed sidebars don’t add any substantial value – nor do they assist much with moving the story along. Some liberties were expected for those few viewers who come to the film completely unaware of Marley. But for the most part, the singular moment would have been more than enough for the film to easily stand on.

If Green and company thought there was more needed to the story, they should have drilled down more on what compelled and inspired Marley as a songwriter. “One Love” could have used insight on how he was able to successfully lobby for his artistry – and the activism it

reflected – at a time when liberation music was absolutely not on trend. In the title role, Kingsley Ben-Adir holds “One Love” on his shoulders with such charisma and magnetism that audiences will root for the film and suffer through its shortcomings. But as much as he captured the essence of Marley in everyday life, he missed the mark when portraying Marley on stage. More fine tuning – particularly with respect to choreography a performance rhythm – would have made a world of difference. Lashana Lynch gives a solid portrayal as Rita Marley, even though the character feels a bit

hollow in “One Love” when one considers her contributions to Marley’s life and career. Separately Ben-Adir and Lynch do justice to their respective roles. However, when the two are on screen together, their chemistry feels manufactured and forced. In a perfect world Ben-Adir and Lynch’s on-screen connection would have matched that of Nia Ashi and Quan-Dajai Henriques – who portrayed Bob and Rita in their youth. “Bob Marley: One Love” opened in theaters nationwide on February 14. The film is rated PG-13 with a running time of 107 minutes.

Photograph by Joe Martinez, courtesy of St. Louis CITY SC

Damon Davis (center) with Mary Virginia (Johnson) George (left) and Lois Conley of the Griot Museum of Black History (right), February 16, 2023.

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Director Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard) brings Marley back to life like a griot telling a story to his village. The peaks, valleys, family, friends and music industry associates are depicted in a professional manner.

COMMENTARY

Being a Black Greek can fit perfectly with being a Christian

By Keith Magee

Historically Black fraternities and sororities – often referred to as Black Greek-letter organizations, or BGLOs – have been making a difference in the lives of Black Americans for more than a hundred years.

Members of these organizations have historically been at the forefront of the struggle for racial equality and have been change-makers in every professional sphere.

Over recent years, some Christians have denounced their BGLOs, publicly attacking them for being “idolatrous” in their use of symbolic Greek letters and for causing members to put loyalty to their organization above loyalty to their faith.

I know the most fundamentally important aspect of my identity is my love for Jesus as Lord. I trust the Holy Spirit as my lead and guide into all truth, and I constantly seek to live the life that is required of me as a believer.

I am convinced that through the story of Jesus’ life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension and soon-to-come return, the message He is sending us, in His wisdom, is one of love. I try to embody that message in everything I do.

I am also a proud member of two Black fraternities, Kappa Alpha Psi (one of the Divine Nine collegiate BGLOs) and Sigma Pi Phi (for professionals). Nevertheless, at no point in my life have I ever entered an

unorthodox, uninformed, or ungodly alliance with a Greek deity. Nor have I ever sworn an oath that would in any way hinder, absolve, or negate my Christian beliefs.

It would be impossible to list here the names of all the illustrious leaders from our community who were or are affiliated to BGLOs – there are simply too many to mention. But notable examples include Rev. Samuel DeWitt Proctor (Kappa Alpha Psi); Rev. Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. (Alpha Phi Alpha); and Rev. Jesse Jackson (Omega Psi Phi).

Bishop Vashti McKenzie, the first female bishop of the A.M.E. Church, is a member of Delta Sigma Theta, the sorority of which her grandmother, Vashti Turley Murphy, was one of the founders. My own mother, Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds, is a Delta too.

To this day, when the initiates of BGLOs swear oaths of loyalty, they are pledging to participate in the ongoing quest to unlock the secrets of great knowledge for the good of humanity as well as committing to uphold the ideals of their fraternity or sorority for life. Why anyone would see that as being somehow in conflict with Christian values is utterly baffling to me.

I am in no way opposed to an individual deciding to renounce their affiliation to a BGLO because of their personal beliefs, any more than I would take issue with someone choosing to no

longer eat shellfish, wear wool, or straighten their hair.

However, when I hear a person denouncing BGLOs in general, insinuating that they are somehow “demonic,” and inciting all other members to follow their personal example, that causes me pause. Even if you experience what you believe to be a revelation that must guide your own choices, how can you then deem that to be the truth, rather than your truth?

I would ask that we all extend

a measure of grace to any group or institution – including Black BGLOs – whose members are exhorted to spend a lifetime making a positive impact on their communities and exemplifying the kindness Jesus teaches us. In the case of both my fraternities, I can unequivocally and wholeheartedly serve Jesus as Lord, while fulfilling our collective purposes and aims in the certain knowledge that Jesus gets the glory out of my being a

The Rev. Keith Magee says membership in a Black fraternity or sorority is not in conflict with Christianity and the organizations should not be labeled as ‘idolatrous’ for use of symbolic Greek letters.

member.

When I’m present with my brothers, the Holy Spirit is there abiding in me. I can, likewise, say that in every formal fraternity setting, overt reverence is always paid to what I believe.

Rev. Keith Magee is a senior fellow and visiting professor of practice in cultural justice at the University College London Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose.

Photo

PROGRAM MANAGER

Old North St. Louis Restoration Group is hiring a program manager for community asset development, fundraising support and reporting. For detailed job description and application information go to onslrg.org/jobs. Funded in part through SLFRF from the Dept of the Treas. and the City of St Louis’ CDA. Equal Opportunity Employer

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The St. Louis City Family Court is seeking proposals from service providers to address behaviors that have resulted in referrals to the Family Court. Proposals should be submitted no later than 4:00 p.m. on March 1, 2024. Interested service providers may obtain the Proposal Specifications by accessing www.stlcitycircuitcourt. com then check for Request For Proposal under General Information and follow the FSCS Proposal Specifications.

SOLICITING BIDS

Reinhardt Construction LLC is Soliciting Bids from MBE/WBE/DBE/ Veteran/SDVE for the following: CP231262 University of Missouri – Schweitzer Hall – Roof Replacement

Contact: Mike Murray ; mikem@ reinhardtconstructionllc. com Phone: 573-682-5505

Use your life experience to help others in their journey of substance use recovery. For more information and to apply, visit www.prevented.org/ about/employment

We Publish every Thursday in the Newspaper and Online

NON-PROFIT POSITIONS

The Gateway Arch Park Foundation is seeking to fill the following open, full-time positions. Development Coordinator, Membership & Coordinator, Communications and Marketing

Please view full job description and application process at www.archpark.org

PUBLIC NOTICES

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Great Rivers Greenway is partnering with MDOT and requesting qualifications for Construction Engineering for the Brickline Greenway. Go to www.greatriversgreenway.org/jobsbids and submit by February 29, 2024.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for the Weidman Road ARS Resurfacing project, St. Louis County Project No. AR-1743, Federal Project No. STP-5538(603), will be received electronically thru the County’s Vendor Self Service portal at https://stlouiscountymovendors. munisselfservice.com/Vendors/ default.aspx, until 2:00 PM on February 28, 2024

Plans and specifications will be available on January 22, 2024 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouiscountymo.gov) or by contacting Cross Rhodes Print & Technologies, 2731 South Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63118 (314) 678-0087.

DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ST. LOUIS, COUNTY

SOLICITING BIDS

Great Rivers Greenway is soliciting bids for Mississippi Greenway: Leonor K. Sullivan Access Improvements. Go to www. greatriversgreenway. org/jobs-bids and submit by March 14, 2024.

PUBLIC NOTICE

MBE/WBE/SDVE/ DBE/VBE

K&S Associates is soliciting MBE/WBE/ SDVE/DBE/VBE for the following project for the Month of February 2024 – UMSL DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC AND ART + DESIGN CONSOLIDATION. Plans and specs can be viewed by visiting WWW.KSGCSTL.COM or please call us at 314-647-3535 for more details. Please submit bids to estimating@ksgcstl.com

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE:

Advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, imitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial\status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.“We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.”

Call Angelita Houston at 314-289-5430 or email ahouston@stlamerican.com to place your ads today!

SLDC IS

TO

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 on “Careers at SLDC.” SLDC is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Kwame Building Group is requesting bids for some select demolition.

Project is located at 1408 N Kingshighway, St. Louis MO 63113 which is owned and operated by the Urban League of greater STL.

Requesting pricing to demo a 3-stop escalator and some interior walls.

Contact Ricky L Nance at 314-323-0174 or Mike McClain at 314-850-8294 for walk through. Bids are due 3 weeks from the placement of this ad to Ricky at rnance@kwamebuildinggroup.com

PUBLIC MEETING / OPEN HOUSE

East-West Gateway Council of Governments is seeking comment on its proposed Title VI Program. The public comment period runs from Wednesday, February 7, 2024 through Friday, March 8, 2024, during which time the document will be posted online at www.ewgateway.org/titlevi. The public is invited to view the document at one of two, virtual, open house style meetings that will take place on February 27 and March 4, 2024. Times and locations can be found online at www.ewgateway.org/titlevi. Questions and requests for an accommodation for an open house should be submitted to EWG at titlevi@ewgateway.org or (314) 421-4220 or (618) 274-2750. A request for an accommodation should be submitted to EWG at least 48 business hours prior to an open house. All comments on the document must be received or postmarked by midnight on March 8, 2024. Send comments to: titlevi@ewgateway.org or Attn.: Title VI Program Comments, East-West Gateway Council of Governments, 1 S. Memorial Dr., Suite 1600, St. Louis, MO 63102.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS FOR FUTURE BID OPPORTUNITY

PARIC Corporation will be seeking proposals for the following project: GATEWAY SOUTHCRUNDEN-MARTIN EAST & WEST – CORE & SHELL

PARIC Corporation will be soliciting bids for the GATEWAY SOUTH - CRUNDEN-MARTIN

EAST & WEST CORE & SHELL located on the 700 Block of South 2nd Street in St. Louis, MO. Project consists of the historic renovation of a 436,495 SF, 6-story multi-structure building and a 29,232 SF, 6-story building with a skywalk connecting the two buildings. The project site is approximately 3 acres. The use of the buildings is composed of commercial spaces and light-industrial spaces. Demolition/remediation work and sitework will start Late March/April of 2024. Invitations to bid will be sent out on 2/12/2024 for access to the bid documents. If you do not receive a bid invitation, please send your company information to tlalexander@paric.com. The last day for questions is 3/1/24.

A Pre-Bid Site Walk and Outreach meeting will be held on 2/27/2024 at 9:00am at the project site on 760 2nd Street, St. Louis, MO BIDS WILL BE DUE ON MARCH 14, 2024 @ 2:00pm Send all questions to Cory Hoke choke@paric. com. Goals for Construction Business Enterprise

• 21% for African American-owned business enterprises,

• 2% for Hispanic American-owned business enterprises,

• 0.5% for Asian American-owned business enterprises,

• 0.5% for Native American-owned business enterprises,

• 11% for Women-owned business enterprises. Goals for Construction Workforce

• 25% for Minority

• 20% for Apprentice

• 7% for Women

• 23% for City of St. Louis Residence PARIC CORPORATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERAdvertisement Date: January 30, 2024

INVITATION

TO BID

Five Oaks Associates, LLC is accepting bids for the following project: University of MissouriSchweitzer Hall-Roof Replacement, Project Number CP231262. It bids on Thursday, February 15, 2024. We need bids by 1:00 pm. You may fax your bid to 573-682-9514; email at admin@5oaksassociates.com. You may reach us at 573-682-1314 for any questions.

CITY OF ST. LOUIS BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR NEW WEST DEICING PAD AT ST. LOUIS LAMBERT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. Statements of Qualifications due by 5:00 PM CT, MARCH 6, 2024 through the Bid Express online portal at https://www.bidexpress. com/businesses/20618/ home?agency=true. RFQ may be obtained from the BPS website https://www.stlouis-mo. gov/government/departments/public-service/ bps-online-plan-room.cfm under Online Plan RoomPlan Room, or call the Board of Public Service at 314-589-6214. 25.00% DBE participation goals.

REQUEST FOR BID DEMOLITION S REFUSE SMOKESTACKS

4100 S 1ST STREET ST. LOUIS, MO 63111

The City of St. Louis Port Authority will receive Sealed Bids on 3/11/2024 For more info. Visit https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/ government/departments/sldc/ procurement/index.cfm

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for the Garesche Avenue Rehabilitation project will be received at the Office of the City Clerk for the City of Jennings, 2120 Hord Avenue, Jennings, MO 63136, until 2:00 p.m. on March 6th, 2024, and at that time will be publicly opened and read.

City of Jennings Project No. 21007765.00 consists of removal and replacement of deteriorated and/or damaged pavement, curbs and sidewalks; Asphalt Pavement, Full Depth Reclamation; Microsurfacing overlay; replacement and installation of new sidewalks and curb ramps, storm sewer, lighting, and sodding on Garesche Avenue within the City of Jennings and other incidental items necessary to complete the above in a workmanlike manner.

This activity is funded in whole or in part with Community Development Block Grant funds pursuant to Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended. All applicable federal regulations shall be in full force and effect.

Be advised that contracts over $200,000 trigger Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968. Section 3 requires that economic opportunities generated by the expenditure of HUD funds be directed, to the greatest extent feasible, to low and moderate income persons via contracting, employment and training. All contractors and subcontractors working on this project will need to demonstrate compliance with Section 3 numeric targets and other applicable provisions. In cases where Section 3 compliance is not achieved, contractors and subcontractors must document good-faith efforts to comply. The contractor must communicate with the Office of Community Development to schedule a pre-bid meeting before submitting a bid. Failure to do so will result in the bid being disqualified.

Be advised that contracts over $250,000 or containing iron or steel trigger Build America Buy America (BABA) provisions requiring that materials be sourced to manufacturers within in the United States. Documentation must show that the contractor was able to source materials to United States’ manufacturers or that materials and products subject to this preference are not produced within the United States or cannot be produced in sufficient quantity and quality. Bids that include United States’ sourced material will be preferred if the total price of the bid response is within 25% of the lowest bid. In cases where BABA compliance is not achieved, contractors and subcontractors must document good faith efforts to comply. The successful Bidder or Bidders shall be required to comply with the most current applicable Federal (Davis-Bacon Act) and State statutory provisions concerning the payment of prevailing wages on public works, Section 290.210 through 290.340 R.S. Mo. 1959, as amended.

Contractors and sub-contractors who sign a contract to work on a public works project shall provide a ten (10) hour OSHA construction safety program, or similar program approved by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, to be completed by their on-site employees within sixty (60) days of beginning work on the construction project.

The City of Jennings hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, ancestry, or national origin in consideration for an award.

Plans and specifications will be available on February 14, 2024 from the City of Jennings City Hall, 2120 Hord Avenue, Jennings, MO 63136. There will be no refunds on any documents purchased.

Bids must be accompanied by a certified check or bidder’s bond in an amount equal to 5% of the total bid. All checks shall be made payable to “City of Jennings, MO.”

The right is reserved by the City of Jennings to reject any or all bids.

The DBE Goal for this project is 24% MBE and 9.5% WBE. No 2nd tier subcontracting will be allowed on this project.

PUBLIC NOTICE

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

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

www.stlamerican.com

CITY OF ST. LOUIS BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS for PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR LOUGHBOROUGH AVENUE BRIDGE RECONSTRUCTION, PROJECT NO. STBG5602(627). Statements of Qualifications due by 5:00 PM CT, February 28, 2024 through the Bid Express online portal at https:// www.bidexpress.com/ businesses/20618/home?agency=true. RFQ may be obtained from BPS website https://www.stlouis-mo. gov/government/ departments/publicservice/, under BPS RFQ and RFP Announcement, or email Board of Public Service at bryanth@stlouis-mo.gov 12% DBE participation goals

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FY 2025 OLDER ADULT PROGRAMS

Aging Ahead invites proposals for transportation, home delivered meal services, prime vendor, and disease prevention within the counties of St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson, and Franklin.

Awards to be made are governed by Titles III of OAA regulations and specifications of U.S. Dept. of HHS, MO Div. of Senior and Disability Services and Aging Ahead. Agency reserves the right to award multiple contracts within each program.

The total cost for IIIB programs mentioned above is $1,300,00 for IIIB (transportation), $5,775,000 for IIIC (prime vendor & HD meals) and $45,000 for IIID (disease prevention) programs. 85% ($1,070,589) of IIIB, 85% ($4,755,883) of IIIC, and 85% ($37,059) of IIID is funded through Contract # ERS10521008 from MO Dept. of Health & Senior Services and U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, Administration on Community Living. The remaining 15% ($229,411) of IIIB, 15% ($1,019,117) of IIIC, and 15% ($7,941) of IIID is funded through non-Federal resources as a match requirement for the contractor.

Initial contract period is July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. Contracts may be extended for two additional fiscal years. Specifications and proposal packets may be obtained from Aging Ahead’s website at https://www.agingahead.org/who-weare/financials/ at noon on March 4, 2024. A public hearing is scheduled for March 11, 2024 at 2:00pm via Zoom. Agency reserves right to accept or reject any or all proposals. Closing date for receipt of electronic proposals is April 5, 2024 at 4:00pm.

St. LouiS american Bids & Public Notices St. LouiS

THE METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for Infrastructure Repairs (Rehabilitation) (2024) Contract B under Letting No. 13021-015.1, until 2:00 PM, local time, on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. All bids are to be submitted as noted in the bid documents, which can be found at www.stlmsdplanroom.com. Bids will be publicly opened and read immediately after the bid due date and time.

The Work to be performed consists of the rehabilitation of approximately 45,127 lineal feet of sanitary sewers varying in size from 6-inch to 57-inch in diameter, utilizing cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) methods. The project is within the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Boundaries, inside the city of St.Louis and various municipalities in St.Louis County and unincorporated St. Louis County in the State of Missouri. The work will be performed in various quantities at various sites.

All bidders must prequalify in the Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP) category prior to the Bid Opening. Prequalification forms may be obtained at https://msdprojectclear.org/

This project is being financed through the Missouri State Revolving Fund, by the Water and Wastewater Loan Revolving Fund and Federal Capitalization Grants to Missouri. Neither the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, its divisions, nor its employees will be party to the contract at any tier. Any Bidder whose firm or affiliate is listed on the GSA publication titled “List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement or Non-Procurement Programs” is prohibited from the bidding process; bids received from a listed party will be deemed non-responsive. Refer to Instructions to Bidders B-27 for more information regarding debarment and suspension.

Nondiscrimination in Employment: Bidders on this work will be required to comply with the President’s Executive Order 11246. Requirements for bidders and contractors under this order are explained in the specifications.

The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer and invites the submission of bids from Disadvantaged, Women and Minority Business Enterprises.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Department of Music and Art+Design Consolidation for the University of Missouri(UMSL)

The job bids on 2/23/2024 at 1:00 PM The Contractor shall have as a goal, subcontracting with Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) of fifteen percent (15%), with Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business (SDVE) of three percent (3%); and with Women Business Enterprise (WBE), Disadvantage Business Enterprise (DBE), and/or Veteran Owned Business of ten percent (10%) of awarded contract price for work to be performed. Please send all proposals to bids@hankinsmidwest.com. If you have any questions please feel free to contact our office at 314-426-7030.

2024 VISITOR MAP BROCHURE RFP

The Saint Louis Zoo seeks bids from qualified firms to submit proposals for 2024 Visitor Map Brochure RFP. Bid documents are available as of 2/14/24 on the Saint Louis Zoo website: stlzoo.org/vendor.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for Normandie Sanitary Relief (Page Ave to Saint Charles Rock Road) under Letting No. 12360-015.1, at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on Thursday, March 21, 2024.

Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualified by the District’s Engineering Department for:

Deep Sewer Construction Pagedale, Bel-Nor, and the Village of Hanley Hills Drain Layers License Required Plans and Specifications are available for free electronic download. Go to MSD’s website (msdprojectclear.org) and look for a link to “BID OPPORTUNITIES .”

All bidders must obtain a set of plans and specifications in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid. The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Nondiscrimination in Employment

“Bidders on this work will be required to comply with the President’s Executive Order

Number 11246. Requirements for bidders and contractors under this order are explained in the specifications.”

INVITATION TO BID

Castle Contracting requests bids from MBE & WBE subs/suppliers for the SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital Site Package. The scope of work includes SWPPP, hauling, site utilities and grading. Bids are due by 2:00 PM CST on Wednesday February 28th, 2024. Interested parties can contact Ryan.Neff@ digcastle.com or by calling (314) 421-0042. Castle Contracting is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

Sealed Bids for:

PROJECTOR AHU REPLACEMENT

ST. LOUIS ART MUSEUM

PROJECT NO. 089377.000

Will be received by the Administration of the St. Louis Art Museum, Owner, at 1 Fine Arts Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63110 at 2:00 p.m. on March 12, 2024. The bids will be privately opened and read.

Electronic copies of the drawings, specifications and other related contract information will be available beginning at noon on February 15, 2024 and may be downloaded at no cost from Dropbox (https://bit.ly/49xGjXq).

A mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 20, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. on the West Loading Dock, 1 Fine Arts Drive, St. Louis, Missouri.

Questions regarding the scope of work should be directed, in writing, to Jeff Scott, McClure Engineering, jscott@mcclureeng. com. Questions over the phone will not be accepted.

The Owner reserves the right to waive informalities in bids or to reject any and all bids.

Construction Estimate: $125,000

SHORT WAITING LIST

WOODLAND TOWERS APARTMENTS

306 PINE LAKE ROAD COLLINSVILLE, IL, 62234

Seniors 62 and older Apply now for an affordable 1-bedroom unit. Stop by the office or Call: (618) 345-7240 for an application Monday-Friday 8-5 Managed by Related

CITY OF ST. LOUIS BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS for PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT ENHANCEMENTS, PHASE 6, DR. MLK DRIVE (HODIAMONT TO GRAND, CMAQ9901(699). Statements of Qualifications due by 5:00 PM CT, February 28, 2024 through the Bid Express online portal at https:// www.bidexpress.com/ businesses/20618/home?agency=true. RFQ may be obtained from BPS website https://www.stlouis-mo. gov/government/departments/public-service/, under BPS RFQ and RFP Announcement, or email Board of Public Service at bryanth@stlouis-mo.gov 12% DBE participation goals.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR QUALIFICATIONS

The City of St. Peters is seeking qualifications for the “24-118Jungermann Road Resurfacing Phase 2 - McClay Road to MO 364 (STBG-7302(711))” until 2:00 p.m. local time, March 11, 2024. This will be a Non-Public opening. The purpose of this project is to provide construction phase services and prepare all required plans and specifications required to acquire needed property rights and bid the construction of the reconstruction of Jungermann Road from the north side of the signalized intersection at McClay Road to MoDOT right-of-way at MO 364.

The RFQ will be available on February 15, 2024 and may be obtained from the City of St. Peters website https://mo-stpeters. civicplus.com/Bids.aspx.

If your firm would like to be considered for providing these consulting services, please prepare a Technical Proposal. This qualification should include any information which might help us in the selection process, such as the persons or team you would assign to each project, the backgrounds of those individuals, and other projects your company has recently completed or are now active. The qualification shall be submitted in quadruplicate, in a sealed package, and clearly marked with the Consultant’s name and “City of St. Peters – 24-118 - Jungermann Road Resurfacing Phase 2McClay Road to MO 364 (STBG-7302(711))”. The qualification must be received by the City of St. Peters Purchasing Department by 2:00 p.m., local time, March 11, 2024.

All questions regarding the project and qualification submittal are to be submitted via e-mail to Bids@stpetersmo.net and specify in the subject line “RFQ No. 24-118 - Jungermann Road Resurfacing Phase 2 - McClay Road to MO 364 (STBG-7302(711))” before noon local time, March 4, 2024.

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

Once a qualification is selected, a contract will be negotiated, with the firm, based on a mutually agreed upon scope of services. This project has received federal reimbursement funding through the Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) administered by the East-West Gateway Coordinating Council of Governments. A DBE goal of 10% has been determined by Missouri Department of Transportation for the Preliminary Engineering portion of the project. DBE firms must be listed in the MRCC DBE Directory located on MoDOT’s website at www.modot.gov, in order to be counted as participation towards an established DBE Goal. We encourage DBE firms to submit qualifications as prime consultants for any project they feel can be managed by their firm.

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

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

Memorialize and celebrate your loved ones in The St. Louis American! For more info contact Angelita Houston, ahouston@stlamerican.com or call 314-533-8000

Continued from C1

for emerging artists to learn about the practicalities of life as a professional musician. While participants performed unannounced pop-up sets during the last two festivals, this year Mvstermind will program a two-hour program with selected graduates. They include DARKWOOD, Aide Ade and Alexia Simone.

“This is like a thankyou. This community has done so much for me, and now I’m in a spot to be able to do that for other artists as well,” Mvstermind said. “It’s a bigger platform for artists to be on the actual festival bill, alongside national artists. The artists in our city who are on the bill in small letters, they’re going to continue to graduate and jump up to the top.”

Another addition is a two-hour event programmed by werQfest

the festival founded by Tre’von Griffith to showcase Black, queer artists. The werQfest Ball at Music at the Intersection will feature Bronze Avery and Kristopher Lay.

“I feel like my music is queer-related, but I want it to be something for everybody to listen to. I just want people to feel

ment.

Continued from C1

to do it.”

Along with the CROWN Act, Asamoah was instrumental in codifying the first Office of African American Affairs and serves as the Biden-Harris Campaign’s National Advisor for Black Engagement.

In addition, she is the first senior advisor for racial equity to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia Fudge - the only Black woman to ever hold the title in the federal govern-

She provides subject matter expertise as an appointee to numerous commissions, committees, and advisory boards for notable entities including Temple University’s Board of Visitors, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Advisory Committee, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.’s National Social Action Commission, DC Commission on African American Affairs, DC Commission for Women, and The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc.’s National Public Policy Committee. She chaired the Democratic National Committee’s African

good when they hear my music,” Lay said.

The festival’s main program builds on past years with its combination of greats from the worlds of soul, blues and jazz — plus artists who’ve put that musical inheritance to innovative use.

“On Saturday you’ll hear how jazz, blues, soul,

American Leadership Council for several years, and she is faculty at the Congressional Black Caucus Institute.

Asamoah was named one of the 100 most influential Black Americans by The Root in 2023, one of the most powerful women in the world by Marie Claire Magazine in 2022, and one of the 100 most powerful people globally by EBONY in 2021 for her social justice.

She holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in both psychology and African American Studies. She earned a master’s degree in educational psychology, and a post-master’s certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis. She also com-

gospel and all our heritage music has informed modern music, from the ‘90s to currently. Then on Sunday we have a gospel brunch and give you a big, heavy day of jazz and blues. It’s that intersectionality of heritage music,” Hansen said.

Additional performers on the festival’s first day include Chingy, Lady Wray, Jordan Ward and Joe Russo’s Selcouth Quartet. On Sunday, Samara Joy, Stanley Clarke Band, Marquise Knox with the Funky Butt Brass Brand, Rhythm City featuring Ptah Williams and Robert Randolph Band will take the stage.

Jazz St. Louis will present a showcase for jazz from East St. Louis, and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame has programmed gospel artists for Sunday morning including Jeremy & LaToya and pop-up choir performances. The festival will be proceeded by a two-day conference for music industry professionals at .Zack.

pleted a specialized series of graduate courses in cognitive behavior therapy at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

“My why never changes, but my how continues to change,” she explains when speaking of her various roles.

“When people ask, ‘What are you going to do?’ – I don’t know yet. I will always work to create the society that I want to live in. It certainly has not been profitable to be this scholar-strategist-activist but there’s no divorcing me from my why. I won’t take on a role unless it’s in alignment with my ‘why.’”

Photo by Wiley Price/St. Louis American Jazz trumpeter Keyon Harrold, Music at the Intersection’s first artist in residence, will perform music from his new album during.

Celebrating Black History

D1 • FEBRUARY 15 - 21, 2024 • THE ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

25th Anniversary of the I-70 Shutdown

It led to construction employment opportunities for Black workers

By Sylvester Brown Jr.

St. Louis American

Twenty-five years ago, on July 12, 1999, roughly 300 protestors descended the western ramp off Goodfellow Blvd onto Interstate 70. They gathered in dissent to the Missouri Department of Transportation’s (MoDot) failure to award highway construction contracts to minority firms. This, on a six-mile section of the highway that sliced through some of the poorest and blackest neighborhoods of the city.

The historic event was perfectly planned. Volunteer drivers positioned themselves in front of morning rush hour traffic on the three-lane highway. On cue, they slowed their vehicles, then stopped, which forced cars in the rear to follow suit. That’s when the throng of protesters marched onto the highway, some squatting, some chanting, and some waving handmade signs reading: “No Justice, No Peace!”

U.S. Department of Justice officials estimated there were about 900 people on hand -- many of them onlookers -- but only 250 to 300 stepped onto the highway. Among the celebrity arrestees were activist preacher, Rev. Al Sharpton; the late James Buford; head of the St. Louis Urban League, the late activist attorney, Eric Vickers, the late state Sen. J.B. “Jet” Banks, D-St. Louis; and the late state Rep. Paula Carter (D-St. Louis). Demonstrators were arrested and booked on charges of impeding the flow of traffic and failure to obey a police officer. Most were released within a few hours.

The governor at the time, Mel Carnahan, expressed disappointment with the protest because he believed a deal had been reached that Sunday night, before the planned protest. Spokespersons for two of the major highway construc-

tion firms-KCI Construction Co. and Millstone Bangert Inc.-also expressed surprise, stating that they, too, believed a deal had been reached. Eddie Hasan, then president and CEO of MO-KAN (Construction Contractors Assistance Center), said the sticking point for an agreement was the contractor’s reluctance to agree to a demand that at least 25 percent of the work force be minority.

“This project going right through the middle of North St. Louis symbolizes just how left out we are,” Hasan told Take Five Magazine that month in 1999. “It’s

Lincoln University celebrates

St. Louis American

Lincoln University of Missouri (LU) celebrated 158 years of education during the 2024 Founders’ Day celebration in Mitchell Auditorium on Thursday, Feb. 8.

The annual event honors and recognizes the enlisted Black men and white officers of the 62nd and 65th Colored Infantries — who fought and sacrificed

to secure the right to education for freed Blacks following the Civil War. Dr. Ivory Toldson, national director of Education Innovation and Research for the NAACP and former executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, delivered the keynote

a stretch of intersection where Black men, women and children are living and languishing on both sides of the highway, yet White men are making all the money. It’s time for us to stand up as men and demand that our people also make $20 to $30 an hour.”

Speaking at a rally days after the protest, St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green echoed Hasan’s sentiments: “Anytime you drive through the city and see construction, but you don’t see African Americans working, you should be upset. It (certainly) upsets me.”

A protester sits in front of a car, during a sit down on Highway 70 in St. Louis, during the morning rush hour traffic, July 13, 1999. Minority contractors and supporters turned out to shut the highway down, saying that the way the state of Missouri grants minority contracts is not fair. More than 100 people were arrested while the highway was shut down for about an hour.

Federal law required at least 10 percent minority participation on the project. State highway officials, at the time, estimated that 14 percent of the construction budget was going to minority firms. Hasan said MO-KAN was demanding that 25 percent of the contract dollars go to minority firms and 35 percent of the construction jobs go to minorities.

The shutdown not only led to increased minority participation on the highway project, but it also served as the catalyst

See Shut Down, D5

University’s Founders’ Day 2024 celebration.

A man of many healthcare firsts

Dr. John H. Gladney crafted historic career at Homer G. Phillips Hospital

Marissanne Lewis-Thompson

St. Louis Public Radio

Dr. John H. Gladney opened his private practice in 1957, becoming the first Black ear, nose and throat specialist in St. Louis. He was later hired as the first Black doctor in the country to head a department of otolaryngology, holding the post at St.

Louis University School of Medicine. In his field, he’s known for his research efforts making the link between hearing loss and diabetes. That work led to his induction into the American Triological Society in 1962 as its first Black fellow. Gladney died in 2011 at age 89. His medical legacy and dedication to the St.

Dr. John H. Gladney

Louis region is now the center of a new Missouri Historical Society collection. St. Louis Public Radio’s Marissanne Lewis-Thompson spoke with Gwen Moore, the curator of urban landscape and community identity at the Missouri Historical Society, about the collection and how Gladney became a key figure in medical history.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Marissanne Lewis-Thompson: Who was Dr. John H. Gladney?

Gwen Moore: Dr. John H. Gladney was an ear, nose and throat specialist. He was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. Dr. Gladney said his mother died when he was [6] years old. That had a profound impact on him. He remembers visiting her in this segregated hospital where Black people were assigned to the basement, and it was obviously substandard. He

See Gladney, D4

Photo courtesy of News-Tribune

Dr. Ivory Toldson, national director of Education Innovation and Research

the NAACP

former executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, delivered the keynote address during Lincoln

Photo by William Greenblatt / St. Louis American

The Black history of the Pan-African flag

Inspired by Marcus Garvey

National Public Radio

The Pan-African flag, which is also called the Marcus Garvey, UNIA, Afro American or Black Liberation flag, is raised ceremoniously each year in St. Louis on Feb. 1 – the first day of Black History Month.

Mayor Tishaura Jones was joined by members of the St. Louis African American Aldermanic Conference and civic leaders as the flag was hoisted on the St. Louis City Hall grounds at Market Street adjacent to 13th Street in Washington Square Park.

The distinctive banner was originally designed to represent people of the African Diaspora, and, as one scholar put it, to symbolize “Black freedom, simple.”

The flag, with its horizontal red, black and green stripes, was adopted by the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) at a conference in New York City in 1920.

For several years leading up to that point, Garvey, the UNIA’s leader, talked about the need for a Black liberation flag according to Robert Hill,

a historian and Marcus Garvey scholar.

“The fact that the Black race did not have a flag was considered by Garvey, and he said this, a mark of the political impotence of the Black race,” Hill told National Public Radio.

“And so, acquiring a flag would be proof that the Black race had politically come of age.”

The goal of Garvey’s movement was to establish

a political home for Black people in Africa. Hill says that Garvey patterned his thinking on other nationalist movements at that time — the Jewish Zionist movement, the aftermath of the Russian Revolution and the fight against imperialism in China. It was the Irish struggle for independence that Hill says “unofficially gave Garvey a lot of the political vocabulary of his movement.”

The Pan-African flag’s colors each have symbolic meaning.

Red stood for blood — both the blood shed by Africans who died in their fight for liberation, and the shared blood of the African people. Black represented, well, Black people. And green was a symbol of growth and the natural fertility of Africa.

Garvey and the UNIA

framed the need for a flag in a political context, Hill explains.

“Everybody immediately seeing that flag would recognize that this is a manifestation of Black aspirations, Black resistance to oppression,” he said.

The creation of a flag was a step for Black people around the world to claim an identity. Michael Hanchard,

a professor of Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, says that flags are important because they symbolize the union of governance, people and territory.

For Black people, the flag means “that they have some way of identifying themselves in the world. And... to also project to those people who are not members of this particular national community that they too belong, that they have membership in a world of communities, a world of nations.”

Hill adds that the PanAfrican flag went on to become the template for flags all over Africa as they gained independence.

Ghana, Libya, Malawi, Kenya and many other African countries adopted the red, black and green — often with the addition of gold, which sometimes symbolizes mineral wealth.

In 2014, after unarmed Michael Brown was shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, many peaceful protesters wielded the Pan-African flag.

Hanchard says it makes sense that the flag would be used during a collective crisis:

“So obviously in a moment of clear tragedy and senseless violence ... the need for common cause, becomes a battle cry of sorts.”

Celebrating Black History

We all have a history. A story. We bring with us life experiences that shape who we are and make us better.

At Spire, we know our individual stories only make us stronger as a whole. That’s why we’re committed to an inclusive work environment where all that makes us unique is embraced, encouraged and valued.

Because it truly takes all of us — our backgrounds, our perspectives and our experiences — to move forward.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Mayor Tishaura Jones was joined by members of the St. Louis African American Aldermanic Conference and civic leaders in honoring the Pan-African flag on February 1, the first day of Black History month, before it was raised on a flagpole on the St. Louis City Hall grounds.

Celebrating East St. Louis Lincoln’s historic three-peat

By Earl Austin Jr. St. Louis American

During my nearly 40 years of covering high school basketball in the St. Louis area, I was usually covering the state basketball championships in Missouri during the month of March.

There was only one occasion where I had the opportunity to cover the Illinois State basketball championships in person. I was assigned to cover the 1989 IHSA Class AA state tournament in Champaign at the University of Illinois.

What I didn’t realize at the time was that I was about to embark on the most exciting and exhilarating weekend of high school basketball in my career as a sports media member. It’s a career that spans five decades, so I’ve seen a lot. I witnessed history as the Lincoln Tigers won the state championship and became the first three-peat state championship team in the state of Illinois.

It’s the 35th anniversary of that great championship run from that great Lincoln team. It was also an improbable run to many because the Tigers entered the season without their great All-American forward LaPhonso Ellis in the lineup.

The 6’9” Ellis had led the Tigers to back-to-back state championships in 1987 and 1988 en route to becoming a McDonald’s All-American and one of the top players in the country. He was starting his career at Notre Dame.

Despite the graduation of Ellis, the Tigers still fielded a formidable lineup and they were able to battle their way back to Champaign for a shot at a three-peat. The new leader was Cuonzo Martin, a 6’6” junior forward with a quiet disposition, yet became a dominant force when he stepped on the court. He averaged 20 points and 10

rebounds while playing the top of the Tigers’ feared full-court press.

The Tigers also had two very talented 6’3” shooting guards in senior Vincent Jackson and junior Chris McKinney. Both were explosive and skilled offensive players who can create a bucket at any time. The point guard was senior Rico Sylvester, a steady hand who distributed the basketball and played good defense. He can also make a big shot when needed. The fifth starter was 6’8” senior Ronald Willis, who was an All-State track athlete in the shot put. The sixth man was 6’4” forward Sharif Ford, who filled in a lot of different roles. Patrolling the sidelines was Hall of Fame coach Bennie Lewis, who was always the cool customer.

Although Lincoln arrived in Champaign for the Elite Eight as the two-time defending state championships, there was respect, but not a lot of hype around them. Especially without Ellis this time around.

Much of the hype was centered around Chicago King ,a powerhouse team from the powerful Chicago Public League. Most figured that they would

take the crown away from Lincoln. The Chicago media members had all but crowned King as the new state champions before a game was even played. Also in the field was Peoria Central, who came to Champaign with an undefeated record. The field was loaded. Lincoln’s task was tall.

Lincoln’s first opponent in the quarterfinals was a talented East Aurora team, who was led by star forward Thomas Wyatt. In the closing seconds, the score was tied 70-70 and East Aurora was holding the ball for one shot to win the game. As the seconds ran down, I thought to myself that Lincoln’s great run may end in the first game.

That was when Martin stole a pass on the baseline and threw the ball down court to a sprinting Sharif Ford, who caught the ball and in one motion flipped it into the basket at the buzzer to give the Tigers a stunning 72-70 victory. The Tigers sprinted off the floor and into the locker room in jubilation. Martin, Jackson and McKinney combined to score 60 of Lincoln’s 72 points.

Next on the docket was a Saturday afternoon showdown with King, who won the state

The

with two free throws with 29 seconds left in the third overtime, it looked like we were headed for a fourth extra session. The Tigers held the ball for the final shot and the ball ended up in the hands of Jackson.

Jackson dribbled the ball between his legs and let fly with a jumper from the top of the key that swished through the net to give Lincoln a 59-57 victory and its historic third state championship in a row.

File Photo

title in 1986 and was eager to take back its place at the top of Illinois hoops. The Jaguars were led by All-American guard Jamie Brandon, who scored 31 points. However, the Tigers held strong and pulled out a 60-57 victory, much to the disbelief of my friends from the Northern part of the state. Martin led the Tigers with 22 points.

The Tigers were one game away from history, but standing in their way was an incredible Peoria Central team that was undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the state. They were led by All-State guard Chris Reynolds, who was headed to Indiana the following season.

What unfolded over the next couple of hours was pure drama and excitement. I still call it the best high school game that I’ve seen in my career. The two teams traded big shots and big plays throughout the evening without backing down one bit. The score was tied at the end of regulation, the first overtime and the second overtime. I remember Rico Sylvester hitting a huge 3-point shot to give Lincoln a 57-55 lead with about a minute left in the third overtime.

When Reynolds countered

As a young 24-year old reporter that was still fairly new to the game, I was overcome with emotion when Jackson’s shot went through the net. I jumped up in my seat and started screaming. “OH MY GOD! THEY DID IT! THEY DID IT! THEY REALLY DID IT!!!

The first person I got to interview after the game was Martin and he had one simple message to everyone around the state that doubted the Tigers and thought that they couldn’t bring home another state title.

“How you like us now?”

Cuonzo pretty much summed up everything with those few words. What I witnessed during that weekend in Champaign was not only does the community of East St. Louis produce stellar athletes, but the competitive will and spirit of those kids is unmatched; and that has been true in all of their sports. On the state’s biggest stage, the Tigers won three high-pressure games by a total of seven points, including two walk off buzzer-beaters. It was amazing to watch.

The three-peat championship was the crowning achievement for Lewis, who had also led the Tigers to a state title in 1982. For his achievements, Lewis was voted the Coach of the 20th Century in the state of Illinois by the Chicago Tribune.

address.

Toldson recognized the day as bittersweet, as the university celebrates its founding with great pride at a time of grieving, following the recent passing of Dr. Antoinette “Bonnie” Candia-Bailey. Toldson acknowledged her dedication and influence as he began his remarks.

“Lincoln University isn’t just an institution,” Dr. Toldson says.

“It’s a living embodiment of a legacy. A space

where whispers of the past ignite fires of the present, propelling us towards a future brimming with possibility.”

Toldson drew upon ancestral stories as he reminded the students, faculty, staff and alumni to honor the sacrifices and struggles of those who came before.

“Lincoln University stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of Black excellence,” he says. “Ancestral sacrifices pave the way for our steps and our unwavering belief that education is the key to liberation, illuminating the pathway ahead.”

“(HBCUs) are sanctuaries of hope, incubators of

leaders and testaments to the transformative power of education. HBCUs serve as models for civil rights and compassion. Our campuses foster inclusivity, nurturing minds across diverse backgrounds, forging pathways forward for a more just and equitable society. Students who walk these halls not only hold intellectual prowess but also an innate understanding of the human condition. They graduate to become leaders in science, arts, humanities — armed not just with knowledge but with empathy, a cornerstone of true compassion.”

In addition to Toldson’s address, Lincoln hon-

ored its founders with performances from the Lincoln University Band and Lincoln University choir, the annual laying of the wreath ceremony and by recognizing LU’s Family of the Year, the Coachman family. Earl and Billie Coachman have been married for 57 years, and their story began at Lincoln when they met in 1967. They are part of a strong history of Blue Tiger graduates. Billie’s grandfather, Reginald Robinson, and mother, Frances Regina Robinson, received degrees from Lincoln, and Earl and Billie’s son, Royce, also attended Lincoln.

Dr. Stevie Lawrence

II, the acting president of Lincoln University, expressed gratitude for the dream of education that Lincoln’s founders believed in.

“They never met any of us, but they believed in us.” He says the education at Lincoln today is far greater than what any of the founders could have imagined.

“Our founders (the men of the 62nd and 65th Colored Infantries) entrusted us with this university at this point and time,” Dr. Lawrence says. “Even as we face some of the darkest days, we must continue to fight for the fundamental ideas of this university so that the mark

we leave behind makes it better for generations to come.” Lawrence is serving as acting president with John B. Moseley on voluntary paid administrative leave. Lincoln’s board of curators is conducting a review after Candia-Bailey accused him of “bullying” and being insensitive to her mental health concerns. Candia-Bailey’s family has confirmed that she took her own life days after being fired by the university.

When he graduated from Meharry, he came to Homer G. Phillips. Homer G. Phillips was this beacon where a lot of Black doctors and other medical professionals, nurses, got

said that›s when he really, at even age 6, got this interest in medicine just from seeing his mother waste away like that in those circumstances. So, he graduated from high school in Little Rock. [He] went on to an HBCU, Talladega [College] in Alabama. From there he went to Meharry [Medical College].

their training. He was not just a practicing physician. He was also a researcher. He did research that really saw a connection between diabetes and hearing loss. Because of that, he became the first Black fellow that was inducted into the American [Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological] Society. And that’s like the premiere society

Lift Every Voice featuring BeBe Winans

Join your SLSO and the inimitable IN UNISON Chorus for this one-of-akind celebration of Black History Month, featuring Grammy- and NAACP Image Award-winning vocalist BeBe Winans.

for ear, nose and throat specialists in the country. So, it was quite an honor.

Lewis-Thompson: Why is it important for more people to know about Dr. Gladney’s legacy?

Moore: He helps us to tell the story of Homer G. Phillips. It tells us multiple stories related to the city›s history and the larger history of Black medicine. You cannot tell a story about Black medicine nationally or internationally without mentioning Homer G. Phillips and these pioneering doctors that helped to bring attention to this city and to Black medicine.

Lewis-Thompson: What led to him becoming the first Black doctor to lead a department of otolaryngology in the U.S.? That’s a pretty big deal.

Moore: He was a practicing physician of course. But he was also a researcher. The fact that he

did this research and was looking into the causes, seeing that link between diabetes and hearing loss, he was unusual in that field. I think what’s really interesting about his story, when you think about somebody like Dr. Gladney, there were many doctors like that that were practicing at Homer G. Phillips Hospital. They came to St. Louis because of Homer G. Phillips Hospital. They started private practices because they were drawn here by Homer G. Phillips Hospital. And so, he was one of those really prominent physicians among many prominent physicians that came here to practice. So, I’m not surprised that he was the first African American to do that because we had so much Black talent.

Lewis-Thompson: Why was Dr. Gladney influential in the St. Louis region?

Moore: He was very engaged in his communi-

ty. The fact that he was interested in helping young Black students. We talk about how he influenced young Black doctors on a university level. But think about how he influenced young Black children in elementary schools where he went there and talked to them, and read to them and interacted with them. And he let them know about his success as a physician. That may sound a little trite, but it is true that he saw his calling as beyond medicine. And he used his skills and his talents as a doctor and his influence and his prominence to really try to elevate others.

Lewis-Thompson: How did this collection come to be? What’s in it?

Moore: His daughter Constance Gladney Agard was the initial contact. So, we got his medical tools. We got some of his yearbooks and photographs. ... We got papers and documents.

Shut Down

Continued from D1

for the opening of the Construction Prep Center (CPC) which was funded by MoDot and the Federal Highway Administration. The construction trade school, located in Wellston, offered 9-week courses in work readiness and orientation to construction – with an emphasis on heavy highway construction. The school closed in 2014 reportedly due to a lack of funding.

Long before the I-70 shutdown, St. Louis had already established a template for Black, bold and creative protests. In 1942, more than 400 people marched to Carter Carburetor Corp., on North Grand Boulevard, which made artillery-shell fuses and carburetors for military vehicles-demanding more jobs for blacks at defense plants. The protests predated President Harry Truman’s 1948 Executive Order mandating the desegregation of the U.S. military.

Twenty-one years later, in 1963, Blacks launched lengthy protests and sit-ins at Jefferson Bank & Trust Co.- which had many black customers but only two black employees. Led by CORE (Committee of Racial Equality) the weeks-long demonstrations and arrests ended with the once defiant bank agreeing to hire 20 black clerks. Other local white-owned companies soon followed suit.

One year later, in 1964, during the construction of the Gateway Arch, Percy Green, founder of the Action Committee to Improve Opportunities for Negroes (ACTION), scaled 125 feet up the north leg of the unfinished Arch to focus attention on the racially exclusive nature of the city’s building trades. Ensuing protests led to a U.S. Justice Department suit (under the newly implemented 1964 Civil Rights Act) against the St. Louis AFL-CIO Building & Construction Trades Council, and four of its member unions.

Other infamous St. Louis demonstrations targeted local utility companies and McDonnell Aircraft Corporation over noncompliance with the Civil Rights Act and major demonstrations (between 1976 and 1984) against powerful political efforts to consolidate, and eventually close, Homer G. Phillips Hospital.

Arguably though, it was the 1999 I-70 shutdown that helped launch the modern civil-rights mode of protests and public activism. The 2014 police shooting of 18-yearold Michael Brown by Ferguson policeman Darren Wilson, lit a fuse that ignited protests that eventually spread across the country and inspired the “Black Lives Matter” movement.

Three years later, in 2017, taking a page from the 1999 shutdown, protestors briefly closed the east-

bound lanes of Interstate 64 at Kingshighway. The demonstrations and arrests followed the acquittal of former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley who was acquitted for the 2011 shooting of 24-year-old Anthony Lamar Smith, a black man, after a car chase. Creative in their endeavors, demonstrations targeted the Central West End neighborhood of then Mayor Lyda Krewson; blocked a road to a shopping center in Des Peres; marched through the Saint Louis Galleria in Richmond Heights; showed up at a Busch Stadium baseball

game unfurling a banner that read: “Stop Killing Us” and converged on the AFL-CIO convention in downtown St. Louis.

Indeed, St. Louis can boast of a proud, powerful, trend-setting legacy of civil unrest in response to civil, economic and police abuses and injustices. However, it was the I-70 shutdown, 25 years ago, that added a modern-day, in-your-face, stop-thetraffic, twist to America’s Black Civil rights demonstrations.

Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.

Brendan Slocumb

Amplifying artists of every age.

Black History Month 2024

Free Movie Screening

Saturday, February 24 | 1 p.m.

Hi-Pointe Theatre (doors open at 12:15 p.m.)

Cinema St. Louis and AARP in St. Louis is proud to present a free screening of Bike Vessel Bike Vessel follows a father and son, 35 and 70, as they cycle from St. Louis to Chicago. Film director Eric D. Seals’ father almost died after three open-heart surgeries. However, 20 years later, he makes a miraculous health recovery after discovering his love for bicycling, bringing his son Eric along with him.

Following the screening, we will have a Q&A session with Donnie and Eric Seals moderated by Emmett Williams, Director, Festival Curation and Education.

Register at: aarp.org/stlouis

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Eric Vickers (right) along with Eddie Hasan and Jamilah Nasheed at a news conference about the lack of minority inclusion in construction projects in the region.

the Edward Chase Garvey Memorial Found ation