February 1st, 2018 Edition

Jamilah Nasheed to run for aldermanic president

Megan Green also seeks to topple incumbent Lewis Reed in March 2019

By Rebecca Rivas

Of The St. Louis American

State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed is running for president of the Board of Aldermen in the March 2019 election to unseat incumbent Lewis Reed, she announced on Thursday, January 25.

n “For years, St. Louis has lived a tale of two cities. Some communities have seen growth and development, but so many have just been left behind.” – Jamilah Nasheed

Alderwoman Megan Ellyia Green of the 15th Ward announced her campaign last month

“For over a decade, I’ve served St. Louis at the state capitol,” Nasheed stated in an email. “I’m proud of my work giving a voice to the voiceless on issues like civil rights, women’s health and a living wage, fighting to improve our schools and stop crime, all the while bringing millions of dollars back home to serve our communities.”

Nasheed, a Democrat representing Missouri’s 5th Senatorial District, said that she will work on bridging the Delmar Divide, reducing gun violence, and providing opportunities for residents.

“For years, St. Louis has lived a tale of two cities,” she stated. “Some communities have seen

‘Strange and sorta tense’

Paul Fehler apologizes for his canvassers’ interaction with Annie Rice voter at her home

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

An

candidate Annie Rice. Fehler and Rice are the ward’s Democratic committeemen. Fehler has not yet responded to The St. Louis American’s call or email.

On January 26, the woman posted on the Shaw Neighborhood page that something “bothersome” had happened to her. (She asked that we withhold her name because of the inflammatory comments made about her on Facebook following her post.)

“On Saturday afternoon, three men came to my house,” she wrote.

See FEHLER, A5

Painting as a team

State auditor will audit St. Louis

Galloway: ‘It’s my job to hold government accountable to taxpayers’

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway has accepted the St. Louis Board of Aldermen’s request to complete an audit of the city, she said Wednesday, January 31 at a press conference. Earlier this month, the Board of Aldermen passed a resolution requesting a state audit of city offices and departments. Prior to that, Audit STL, a grassroots citizen effort, had been gathering signatures to petition for a comprehensive city audit.

Nicole Galloway

“Something that I want people to understand is although the Board of Alderman has requested the audit, we are still going to gather input from residents and taxpayers,” Galloway told the St. Louis American She will take input from the aldermen as well, she said, but now that her office has accepted the request, the process is in her hands.

“We are tough,” she said. “We are thorough, and we are independent. We will take in a lot of information and will listen to people’s concerns, but ultimately it’s my job to hold government accountable to taxpayers.”

The last time the state completed an audit of St. Louis was in 2010. It consisted of 26 reports, which were released as they were completed. It

McCaskill hosts town hall at Harris-Stowe

Speaks to criminal justice reform, engaging black community in midterm elections

By Jessica Karins

U.S.

questions

Paul Fehler, the Democratic nominee in the 8th Ward aldermanic race.

Photo from Paul Fehler’s campaign site

Dmiyh Thurman, Quannetta Tate, Derriana Ward and Breonica Harmon, 2nd graders at Jefferson Elementary School in the Saint Louis Public School District, painted a mural in the school’s hallway on Tuesday, January 31.

Photo by Wiley Price

Anton Lumpkins with A.L.L. Construction asked U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) if there will any improvements in minority construction contracts during her town hall meeting Saturday, January 27 at Harris-Stowe State University.

Mo’Nique Netflix boycott drama continues, denies being offered $3M

Comedian Mo’Nique has been in the news after she asked black people to boycott Netflix last week because she was offered $500K as opposed to Amy Schumer’s $12M for a comedy special.

Over the weekend, celebrity news journalist Jawn Murray claimed that Mo’Nique was actually offered $3M, but the condition was that she showcase herself first – and Mo’Nique refused.

Mo’Nique’s husband Sidney Hicks denied Murray’s claims on The Tom Joyner Morning Show.

than we do…to answer your question, no.”

In a scathing video, Murray also revealed a list of people who refuse to work with Mo’Nique.

The list includes Lionsgate, Tyler Perry the OWN Network and Oprah Winfrey, Lee Daniels, Will Packer, Fox, TV Land, ABC, BET, CBS, The Talk, Netflix and Universal Pictures.

Over the course of the video, Murray also reads an e-mail he says came from film producer Will Packer that slams Mo’Nique and her husband where Packer allegedly details an exchange between Mo’Nique and Hicks during the production of “Almost Christmas” that compelled him to never desire to work with Mo’Nique again.

“No, no one would promise you what they’re going to give you, prior too, based upon the condition of what you’ve done,” Hicks said. “...I would be interested to know how Jawn Murray knows a deal better

Jennifer Williams wins restraining order against Tim Norman

According to TMZ, reality star Jennifer Williams was granted a restraining order against former boyfriend and “Welcome To Sweetie Pies” star Tim Norman on Monday.

The celebrity news and gossip site said Norman was ordered to

stay at least 100 yards away from Williams. TMZ also reported that cameras and fellow “Basketball Wives” co-star Evelyn Lozada were outside the court –which leads them to believe that the relationship drama between the former couple will play out on the show.

Nelly countersues accuser, Miss Jackson proclaims his innocence

and says she was asked to leave at that point.

According to TMZ, Nelly filed the suit in Seattle Friday. The documents from the suit reportedly allege that the accuser made her way into his VIP section of the nightclub where he was headlining and started enthusiastically flirting with him. He says he invited her to join him and others back on his tour bus. Nelly insists they had consensual sex, and the accuser got upset when one of his performers - a backup dancer - entered the room to use his bathroom. He describes the accuser as “aggressive and disruptive”

He’s also filed a motion to strike the accusers claim he sexually harassed at least two other women – and wants her defamation suit against him dismissed because he has every right to publicly deny what he says is a false claim of rape. Meanwhile, Nelly’s girlfriend, Shantel Jackson, used her Instagram to address the accusations for the first time – and says that he is only guilty of being unfaithful.

“Look…I know he [expletive] up and we’re dealing with that in our relationship to rebuild it and find trust,” Jackson said. “Having to go through all of this publicly is the worst feeling ever. But this should not open the door for false claims.”

Jackson then claims that she was on site for the “those dates these jane doe’s are claiming.”

“There are women dealing with real issues of sexual assault and for the first time, people are listening and there is a chance for real change,” Jackson added. “But all of this work is discredited and [it] makes things harder for the survivors when people lie.”

Sources: TMZ.com, New York Daily News, Instagram

Jennifer Williams

Shantel Jackson

MoNique

Trump restarts racist war on pot

By Jesselyn McCurdy For The St. Louis American

If polling is correct, pot no longer gives Americans fits. Recent Gallup polls indicate that 64 percent of Americans approve of legalizing marijuana – the highest level of public support in almost 50 years.

Nevertheless, we have an administration that is tone deaf to the will of the people and insists on reinstituting failed policies of decades past.But there are members of Congress who are listening.

U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) introduced the Marijuana Justice Act in the House of Representatives. Both agree that legalizing marijuana under federal law is an important step to confronting and eroding the harms that the failed war on drugs has had on people across the country, disproportionately black and brown communities.

documented that black people are almost four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white people, despite comparable usage rates.

In addition to legalization, the bill would cut federal funding for state law enforcement and prison construction if a state disproportionately arrests and incarcerates people of color for marijuana offenses. It also would retroactively apply to those currently serving sentences in federal prison for marijuana offenses to go to court and ask a judge to reduce their sentence.

When U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the bill in the Senate last summer, he acknowledged “our country’s drug laws are badly broken and need to be fixed. … [T]hey don’t make our communities any safer.” Booker, like Lee and Khanna, understands that laws that do not make communities safer must be questioned, and in this case, stricken.

Currently more than one in five Americans live in the eight states and the District of Columbia that have legalized small amounts of marijuana for recreational use, not to mention the 29 states that approve medicinal use. The federal government should follow the states, and the people, and legalize pot.

In a groundbreaking 2013 report, the ACLU

Even more disturbing, in the District of Columbia in 2013, where black people make up 49 percent of the population and whites and people of other backgrounds make up 51 percent, nearly 91 percent of the people arrested for marijuana offenses were black. These stunning statistics led D.C. residents to support marijuana legalization in 2016. As John Ehrlichman, former domestic policy chief for Richard Nixon, has confirmed, the war on drugs was never about the stated purpose of protecting the health and safety of the American people. Instead, it was really about undermining the black and anti-war communities.

“The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people,” Ehrlichman told journalist Dan Baum in 1994. “We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities.” He continued, “Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.”

Unfortunately in 2018, we have an attorney general who is stuck in the past and has embraced these divisive Nixonian policies and tactics. Earlier this month, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded several policies that recognized states’ rights to legalize marijuana for recreational and medicinal purposes.

Although this administration does not recognize or seem to care about the harm that antiquated drug policies have caused to communities of color, it is refreshing to see that some members of Congress –like Cory Booker, Barbara Lee, and Ro Khanna – do.

Jesselyn McCurdy works in the ACLU Washington Legislative Office.

‘Bonkers

for Birds’ winners

Fourth-graders Zamylah Alexander and Taliyah Williams from Bermuda Elementary in the Ferguson-Florissant School District were among the winners of the “Bonkers for Birds” writing contest. This year’s annual Masters of the Sky contest presented by the National Great Rivers Museum received over 2,102 student submissions. One winner was selected for each bird species found in the state of Missouri. Their winning submissions will be on display at the National Great Rivers Museum and also posted in a field journal created by students across Missouri and Illinois.

Normandy Schools to build early childhood center

The Normandy Schools Collaborative will build a new early childhood/kindergarten center facility as part of facility upgrades made possible by the voters’ approval of Proposition N earlier this year. It is scheduled to open for the 2019-2020 school year.

Prop N is a $23 million no-tax-rate increase bond issue which will provide funds for a new school and facility upgrades, including new STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) studios and library media centers at Washington and Jefferson Elementary schools. Also, Normandy will move seventh- and eighth-graders to elementary schools, similar to the configuration common in parochial, charter and private schools, eliminating the middle school. Prop N funds will be used to renovate and remodel current elementary schools to accommodate the return of the older students.

Updated black bear research webpage

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is updating its black bear research webpage with enhanced features and information on Missouri’s native black bear population. The new webpage will offer black bear research project summaries, project updates, new research photos, videos, and interactive story maps. MDC will also be updating the bear reports webpage with a map of bear reports throughout the state. To learn more about black bears in Missouri, visit http://bit.ly/2CUgZiE. To view the new map of bear reports in Missouri or to report a bear sighting, visit http://bit.ly/2CGFixc. For information about being bear aware while hiking or camping, visit http://bit.ly/2fwaWUA.

Jesselyn McCurdy

Editorial /CommEntary

Trump gets no credit for gains in black employment

When it comes to the trend of black employment gains in the United States, President Trump was born on first base and thinks he hit a single. True, the unemployment rate for African-American workers, at 6.8 percent, has never been lower. But a sharp decline in black unemployment began in 2011 at the end of another president’s first term – someone Trump might have heard of named Barack Obama. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the black unemployment rate peaked in 2010 at 16.8 percent, the highest since 1984. Rather than instituting policy changes that drove up black employment, Trump has been riding a trend, as the rate has been declining about 1 percentage point a year, long before he reached the White House.

We realize that the cliché for a privileged braggart brazenly taking credit for another’s accomplishments is to be “born on third base and think you hit a triple,” but a single base hit is a better metaphor than a triple for black employment. The rate of unemployment for African Americans may be at a record low, but it is still nearly double that of white Americans, at 6.8 percent compared to 3.7 percent. Northwestern University sociologist Lincoln Quillian conducted a metaanalysis of previous studies and found that unequal treatment of black and white applicants and workers has remained consistent for the past 25 years. “There was a period of black catching up that occurred in the 1950s and ‘60s after the Civil Rights Movement,” Quillian told CNN. “But after that, there’s been a lot more stability than change.”

percent of the average white woman. In 2016, the average black woman earned about 82 percent of what the average white woman earned.” Even higher education – the alleged equalizer we drive our children to pursue – does not help; in fact, in this respect, it hurts. “Among men, the blackwhite earnings gap is now slightly higher for those with a college degree or more than it is for high school graduates,” the Fed team concluded.

Moreover, even if black unemployment is at a record low, poverty levels are persistent. National Urban League President Marc Morial rightly commented, “The fact is that while we’re glad people are working, their paychecks don’t buy what they use to buy. And that has to be part of any conversation.”

If Trump were really interested in addressing the problem rather than boasting about a data point that he had nothing to do with, he would be trying to dismantle some of the roadblocks that prevent African Americans from gaining equitable employment at a living wage and pay equity to their white counterparts. He would pay attention to a number of factors, including lack of access to educational opportunities and an unwarranted high rate of incarceration. In addition to direct discrimination, there is the practice of companies using networks to find employees inside a pool of peers.

Trump is trying to Make America White Again Commentary

President Trump’s immigration proposal reveals what he has been after all along: an end to family-based immigration and the “lottery visa,” which would mean fewer Latino, African and Muslim newcomers. Yes, Trump is trying to Make America White Again.

The broad amnesty that the White House offers to 1.8 million people brought here illegally when they were children is just a diversion. The $25 billion Trump wants for his “border wall system” –really more of an intermittent fence – is mostly a sop to his base. Much more important in the long run is the fundamental shift Trump wants to make in the nation’s system of legal immigration.

The administration seeks to drastically curtail the ability of immigrants to sponsor family members for entry into the country. This can only be seen as an attempt to halt the “browning” of America.

that is so deeply anti-family.

But the party nominated and elected a thrice-married man who bragged about his habit of sexual harassment and allegedly paid hush money to a porn star for her silence about a tryst, so I guess that horse has long since left the barn.

Also, the wage disparity among blacks compared to whites is actually worsening, according to an analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. “In 1979, the average black man in America earned about 80 percent of the average white man,” writes the Fed’s research team led by economist Mary Daly. “By 2016, this gap had grown such that the average black male worker earned just 70 percent of the hourly wage of the average white male worker. The data for women show a similar pattern. In 1979, the average black woman earned about 95

Trump – the same man who claimed in his campaign that 58 percent of African-American youth were unemployed, when the actual rate was 19.2 percent – has defined his presidency, thus far, by lying and citing dubious facts and figures, and attacking American institutions such as openness to immigrants and refugees, a free press, and any and everything that Obama accomplished. Perhaps we should be relieved that he is not taking credit for having reversed the gains in black employment that the American economy witnessed during Obama’s remarkably steady tenure in office. Certainly, he has done nothing to stimulate a more equitable economy or to drive up black employment. Meanwhile, until there is no huge gap between white and black employment – and white and black income and wealth – there is nothing much to celebrate here.

Schumer, the shutdown and the midterm endgame

By Mike Jones

Of The St. Louis American

American politics and American sports at the national professional level are both active spectator events with relatively few players. Because both politics and sports have a huge fan base, both command a considerable amount of attention. Just because a lot of us talk a lot about politics and sports, however, doesn’t mean we always know what we’re talking about.

In sports, unless you’re at practice, in the locker room, or in the huddle, you don’t know why a play was called in a critical situation. In politics, unless you’re a player in the room where it happens, you don’t always know what you’re looking at. Given that, here’s this fan’s opinion about the recent federal government shutdown.

You learn growing up there are fights you won’t win, but in spite of that, there are fights you must fight. That lesson applies to politics as well; serious politicians understand there are moments when the point is the fight. We witnessed such a moment with the government shutdown over the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, not hamstrung protecting the political flank of a Democratic president or candidate, was free to play his cards. He took a weak hand and an indefensible position and over three days played them into a potentially game-changing position while providing political cover for red-state Democratic senators facing reelection in November, like our own U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill.

Schumer demonstrated to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the Democratic

base that he was willing to bring the house down on this issue. But he didn’t volunteer to commit political suicide or offer up red-state Democratic Senators as human sacrifice to prove his fidelity to the cause. He got accused of folding, but the reality is on 4th and long, snapping from your own 35-yard line with time on the clock, you punt, play defense, and get the ball back. By staying in the game, you give yourself a chance to win the game. Any coach who wants to keep working will ignore fans in the stands yelling, “Go for it!”

In the shutdown, McConnell lost control of the Republican Caucus on the immigration issue. The truce was not brokered by Schumer and McConnell, but by moderate Democratic and Republican senators. This increases exponentially the chances of a real solution for the Dreamers passing the Senate. This is where McConnell got played, because the fate of immigration in the Senate is no longer in his absolute control – and that wouldn’t have happened without the shutdown.

Getting a real solution to DACA out of the Senate puts the issue in the House, where the worst elements of the Republican Party will be on full display. There will be only two possibilities, and both work long-term for immigrants, progressives, and Democrats. If a bill passes the House, that breaks the Republican Caucus and demoralizes the Republican base. If it doesn’t pass the House, it shames white

moderates into action and mobilizes the rest of us for a November political massacre of Republicans.

You need to think about this issue the way history now views Alabama in the summer of 1965. DACA is the Edmond Pettus Bridge, and the House Freedom Caucus are Alabama State Troopers. The 1965 Voting Rights Act passed because Lyndon Johnson, in partnership with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., got racist Southern segregationists to overplay their hand, finally awakening the comatose conscience of moderate white America. Simply and cruelly put: No Bloody Sunday, no Voting Rights Act. As in 1965, the federal government is being held hostage by white supremacists. And as in 1965, America will make no progress on any social justice issue until we break the stranglehold of the Make America White Again Republican Party. Immigration in general, and DACA in particular, is the 21st century civil rights struggle. November is the end game, because nothing in America will change until the midterm elections. You can’t win the game until the fourth quarter. What McConnell and Schumer were both trying to do was maximize their party’s tactical advantage for that day in November, because November is the fourth quarter. This is the next defining moment in American politics.

Mike Jones is a former senior staffer in St. Louis city and county government and current member of the Missouri State Board of Education and The St. Louis American editorial board. In 2016, he was awarded Best Serious Columnist for all of the state’s large weekly by the Missouri Press Association.

Under current law, U.S. citizens – including immigrants who are naturalized – can petition to obtain entry for their spouses, parents, siblings and sons and daughters of any age. Immigrants who are not citizens but hold green cards – meaning they are permanent residents – can sponsor spouses and minor or adult children for entry. Trump proposes a sweeping change: Both citizens and green-card holders would only be able to sponsor spouses and minor children.

It is, of course, ironic that Republicans, who yammer so much about family values, would even entertain a proposal

The idea of limiting family-based sponsorship –championed by administration officials such as presidential adviser Stephen Miller and his former boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions – is broadly supported by GOP immigration hard-liners. Since it is difficult to argue against bringing close relatives together, proponents use the clinicalsounding term “chain migration,” as if we were talking about links of metal rather than human beings.

Trump also wants to eliminate the diversity visa program, which allocates 50,000 visas each year to countries that otherwise send few immigrants to the United States. Applicants are selected by lottery but then are carefully vetted. The diversity lottery has primarily benefited migrants from African nations, which Trump has called “shithole countries.”

The net result of Trump’s plan would be to welcome fewer people of color into the United States.

Letters to the editor

Trump scams black Americans

This particular president had absolutely no hand in the work required to keep the African-American unemployment rate on a steady decline over the past eight years. Under President Barack Obama, African-American unemployment dramatically decreased as the administration actively worked to improve the lives of African Americans, rather than just tweet about it. Donald Trump is more than happy to take credit for the Obama administration’s work to repair the damage of the Great Recession. His latest tweet only reinforces his willingness to scam black Americans in order to push his agenda.

Brian Gabriel, deputy press secretary, DNC

Target profiteers, not doctors

The federal government recently made the dangerous and unprecedented move to link doctors’ reimbursements for Part B drugs to their performance under Medicare’s new quality program. Part B drugs, which include complex infusion therapies used to treat diseases like arthritis and cancer, are typically administered by a specialist in an in-office setting.

Now doctors’ ability to provide these treatments is in jeopardy. According to analysts, specialists who administer Part B therapies could see payment cuts of up to 29 percent as a result of the new policy.

As a rheumatologist, my patients depend on these therapies and I am deeply worried the payment cuts will force some practices to stop administering Part B drugs altogether. Many practices already struggle with the overhead costs of obtaining and administering expensive infusion therapies. Very sick

It should also be noted that while Trump’s proposal would provide a 10- to 12-year path to citizenship for 1.8 million undocumented immigrants who came into the country as children, it says nothing at all about the other 9 million or so here without documents. Presumably they would remain in the shadows. There’s a simple question here: Do you believe in America or not?

Throughout its history, the country has accepted waves of mostly low-skilled immigrants – German, Irish, Italian, Eastern European, now Latino. There are highly skilled immigrants, too; African newcomers, for example, are better-educated than the U.S. population as a whole, and an estimated 63 percent of people holding “computer and mathematical” STEM jobs in Silicon Valley are foreign-born. But most immigrants over the years have arrived bearing not much more than grit, ambition and a dream. We should recognize that immigration gives the United States a tremendous competitive advantage. In other advanced countries, populations are aging rapidly. Immigration provides a steady stream of younger workers whose brain and brawn keep programs such as Medicare and Social Security viable. The only coherent – if despicable – arguments for Trump’s plan are racial and cultural. The way they used to put it in the Jim Crow days was succinct: White is right. Eugene Robinson’s email address is eugenerobinson@ washpost.com.

patients will then be forced to receive these treatments at the hospital or self-infuse at home – if these are even options for them.

We need to lower drug prices, but the government should be targeting the parties responsible for high drug costs – not the doctors who provide life-saving therapies, and certainly not the Medicare patients whose lives and wellbeing depend on them.

Benjamin Schwartz Creve Coeur

Reversing MLK’s legacy

The attorney general’s remarks on Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. are fully at odds with the action he has taken to obstruct and reverse civil rights enforcement over the course of the past year. Segregated

schools, voter suppression, and police departments that do not reflect the diversity of the communities they serve are all problems we are still wrestling with in parts of the country today. Yet, Sessions has done little to nothing to actively enforce the federal civil rights laws that Dr. King fought for. While Attorney General Sessions talks about Dr. King’s work, he is actively reversing and undermining the legacy of that work. Dr. King and victims of racial discrimination would have received more support and empathy from the Justice Department of his day than he would from a Sessions-led Department today.

Kristen Clarke, president Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Washington, D.C.

Columnist Eugene Robinson

Columnist Mike Jones

NASHEED

Continued from A1

growth and development, but so many have just been left behind.”

Nasheed has recently held town hall meetings to address the issue of abandoned buildings in North St. Louis.

At 19, Nasheed opened Sankofa Books and Gifts, an inner-city bookstore, with the mission of promoting reading and meaningful discussion, she said. After 10 years as a small business owner, she sold her bookstore and decided to run for office. In 2006, she was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives.

During her time in the Republican-dominated Missouri House, Nasheed was the only Democratic committee chairperson; she served as chairwoman of the House Urban Affairs Committee. Nasheed began serving in the state Senate in January 2013. She touts working to pass two landmark pieces of legislation. SB 532 allows a relative-caregiver the right to make medical and educational decisions for a minor in their custody. Senate Bill 731 helps preserve St. Louis neighborhoods by expanding the definition of “nuisance” to include absentee landlords who allow vacant properties to harm the value of neighboring properties.

FEHLER

Continued from A1

“I instantly recognized one of them as Paul Fehler and pointed to my Annie Rice sign. Instead of respecting my wishes and leaving, they surrounded me in a semicircle and made me feel uncomfortable.”

She told The American that she stepped out onto her porch because she was trying to keep her dog inside. In the post, she said the men took turns asking why she supported Rice. She believes Rice’s progressive views align more closely with her family’s priorities, she wrote later.

“I tried ending the conversation, but one at a time they subjected me to their mansplanations,” she wrote.

“One of the men forcefully shook my hand and would not let go. At first I thought I might have been overreacting because I was home alone. But this week, I spoke to a neighbor who had a similar experience.”

She told The American that she has also spoken with two other women who felt the same way but were reluctant to come forward.

“I can’t stop thinking about this,” she wrote in her post.

She also passed a bill in 2015 that gave Harris-Stowe State University the authority to offer graduate degrees for the first time in its 150-year history.

your forgiveness.”

“As the election approaches, I am getting nervous about more of these intimidation tactics. I just wanted to put this out there so others might not have to experience what I did.”

Several of Fehler’s supporters immediately replied that she should have gone inside or done things differently.

Fehler replied to her, “I will start by saying that I apologize for what was clearly a bad conversation. I apologize for it. Your takeaway from the interaction indicates to me that we didn’t do a good job.”

He stated that he didn’t say much during the entire conversation and wasn’t trying to “mansplain” anything.

“The only words out of my mouth were, ‘Hello my name is…’” Fehler wrote. “And in response to your assertion that we need more women in politics, ‘I agree with you hundred percent.’ Those are the only two sentences out of my mouth in what, I will agree with you totally, was a strange and sorta tense conversation.”

He apologized for “indirectly and unintentionally bringing unpleasantness” to her door.

“I will not mince words with that,” Fehler said. “That’s not who I am, and not what I’m about. I apologize and ask for

Later in the thread, he also stated that he has hated the way that men have treated women his entire life.

She thanked him for addressing and validating her feelings.

“My concern is that you claim to hate the way that men treat women yet you stood there while your supporters pressed on,” she wrote. “You even admit that the conversation was strange and sorta tense.”

Sarah Stout, a resident and an administrator on the page, said that she hopes next time Fehler will speak up. “Not saying anything isn’t really a good answer,” she wrote.

A St. Louis native, Nasheed was raised by her grandmother, Evelyn Williams. She has been married to her high school sweetheart, Fahim, for 17 years. She currently lives

Fehler still has a chance to do so, as one of the canvassers who was with him that day, Emmett Coleman III, has taken to slamming the woman on another post initiated by Coleman’s girlfriend. In several long replies to others asking questions about the situation, Coleman alleges that the woman was the aggressor and is prejudiced.

“She came to the door and was hostile and immediately asked, ‘You didn’t see my Annie sign? Why can’t you respect me?’” Coleman wrote. He went on to state, “She felt threatened by the only two males out of the three that were black. I deal with racism all the time and that

in the city’s Gaslight Square neighborhood with her 16-yearold cousin, Najawah, for whom she is a longtime caretaker. Reed was elected as board president in April 2007,

seemed prejudiced, especially since I asked her one question politely.”

A Shaw resident told The American that the woman is active in anti-racism and anti-bias conversations in the neighborhood. She also has a Black Lives Matter sign prominently displayed in her window.

Coleman said that she “looked with disgust” when the other man put his hand out to offer to shake.

“All she did was get to experience what many minorities feel,” he stated.

In fact, the woman in question is a woman of color.

The page’s administrators said they have taken her

becoming the first African American to hold the position. Reed said of Nasheed’s campaign, “Considering the fact that the soon-to-be-termed out state Senator Nasheed was a hard-core supporter of and contributed money to former Mayor Francis Slay when I ran against him in 2013, along with her voting record and the fact that she insulted North St. Louis residents when she told a group it was their own fault that Francis Slay didn’t invest in their community, I believe voters will easily see through her announcement statement as empty rhetoric and know that her true motives are not what’s good for the community, but only what’s good for her own personal benefit.”

Nasheed and Reed’s other announced challenger, Alderwoman Green, worked side-by-side during Tishaura O. Jones’ 2017 campaign for mayor, when Reed also was a candidate. Green said, “I welcome Senator Nasheed to the race. We will continue our campaign of returning the power to the people. We are the only grassroots-funded campaign in the race. Others may rely on big donors and lobbyists, but we have the only peoplecentered campaign.”

original post down because three people, including Coleman, had mentioned where she lives in their comments. Rice told The American that her only comment about the situation is that she is telling her canvassers to be respectful of Fehler’s supporters.

The woman said her motive for writing the post was to give other women who don’t feel comfortable arguing with canvassers a heads up that they might not want to answer their doors.

“And now people are assuming I’m something that I’m not,” she said, “and that’s hard to hear.”

State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed is running for president of the Board of Aldermen in the March 2019 election to unseat

incumbent Lewis Reed, she announced on Thursday, January 25.

Photo courtesy of Jamilah Nasheed

McCASKILL

she also spoke out against the “dark money” that will likely make up a large proportion of the dollars spent in the race. Political action committees, she said, will spend substantially both in favor of her and her potential Republican opponents, who include state Attorney General Josh Hawley and U.S. Representative Ann Wagner.

“If you see an ad that you can’t figure out who paid for it, don’t pay any attention to it,” McCaskill said.

Other topics included McCaskill’s opposition to Missouri Governor Eric Greitens’ proposed cuts to higher education, preserving Medicaid (she vowed not to support any cuts), and singlepayer health care (which she dismissed as impractical).

McCaskill also spoke to several concerns about criminal justice reform and racism in Missouri. One audience member asked about the problem of mass incarceration on low-level drug charges. McCaskill said she would support legalizing medical and possibly recreational marijuana, but also pointed to an approach she used as a prosecutor in Kansas City – special “drug courts” that help non-violent drug offenders get their lives back on track instead of punishing them.

“It’s an accomplishment I’m probably as proud of as anything in public life,” McCaskill said. “By the way, I got a lot of pushback. The

GALLOWAY

Continued from A1

police officers that did drug crimes, they said, ‘Claire, let me get this straight. We’re gonna go in a drug house and bust these guys, and then you’re gonna give them a bus pass and job training?’ I said, ‘That’s exactly right.’”

McCaskill said the program was successful, and the drug unit of the police department was eventually persuaded and even began attending drug court graduations.

According to a 10-year study by the National Institute of Justice, drug courts are more successful than conventional sentencing at keeping people off drugs, and also have lower costs.

On the broader topic of criminal justice reform and fighting police bias, McCaskill said she frequently rereads the Ferguson Commission report, a study of policies that could combat racism and improve conditions for black Missourians, to find proposals she could help implement.

“In terms of police bias and our police department, I think the most important ingredient is trust, and a lot of that has to do with community policing,”

McCaskill said. “Once there’s an officer that’s assigned to a neighborhood, you begin to build trust. Then you have more witnesses come forward. Then you have more people understanding that there are a lot of great police officers that want to do the right thing. And once you rebuild that trust, then the bad apples have a way of getting squeezed out of the system.”

McCaskill said she can help in that effort by bringing more federal funds to Missouri for community

Continued from A1 took two years to complete the entire audit, and Galloway said this is a good guideline for how long the process will take. The last review took somewhere around 32,000 hours to complete, she said.

The cost is expected to be between $1.2 and $1.75 million.

policing efforts. She also said she was encouraged by the appointments of new St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden and Public Safety Director Jimmie Edwards, whom she called “terrific choices.”

‘Back to the middle’

McCaskill also offered a strong argument for the bipartisan engagement she has become nationally known for. She was one of a group of senators from both parties who recently helped broker an agreement to end the federal government shutdown as the argument between Democrats and Republicans about immigration policy continues.

“For somebody like me, who likes to get things done, that means I’ve got to figure out ways to find Republicans that I can agree with on some of the values that we all share, and that is a challenge, obviously,” McCaskill said.

“When I first came to the Senate, there were a lot of senators of both parties who

n

n “If you see an ad that you can’t figure out who paid for it, don’t pay any attention to it.”

– U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO)

were willing to kind of hang out in the middle and find that compromise, so we could actually accomplish things. Now, those things were never perfect. They were never all left or all right in terms of an ideology. But they were actually getting things done.”

McCaskill said the climate in the Senate has changed as Republicans have become increasingly worried about pleasing the base of their party, but that despite that, she has been able to find colleagues who are willing to work together.

She cited examples of legislation that has been able to transcend the partisan divide, such as a bipartisan bill passed in August 2017 to make hearing aids available for lower prices over the counter.

“If we’re not fighting, it doesn’t get much coverage,” McCaskill said. “If it isn’t something nutty going on, it doesn’t get much coverage.”

The negotiation between parties that McCaskill has championed has led to criticism

“Although the Board of Alderman has requested the audit, we are still going to gather input from residents and taxpayers.”

– Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway

Galloway’s team will first determine what recommendations have been implemented since the 2010 audit, but she is unsure how long that review will take, she

from all sides of the political spectrum, with no clear solution in sight. The Donald Trump White House has released a proposal offering a path to citizenship for the group known as “Dreamers,” young undocumented immigrants who came to the country as children and have met stringent requirements, in exchange for more funding for immigration enforcement and restrictions on legal immigration.

Widespread displeasure with that deal among Democrats and some right-wing Republicans has led to uncertainty about what a deal might look like, or whether one is likely to come soon at all.

McCaskill, however, was optimistic, saying she was encouraged by Trump’s offer to consider citizenship for Dreamers.

“The notion that we could get citizenship for them with the support of the president is terrific,” McCaskill said.

McCaskill said she does not believe the hardline conservative policies being pushed forward by Missouri Republicans are reflective of what citizens of the state really want.

“I don’t think Missourians are for what they’ve done in terms of cutting medical benefits, I don’t think Missourians are for what they’ve done in terms of cutting higher education,” McCaskill said.

“When you look at Republican policies, it hurts, frankly, the rural areas, the base of their support, more than it does the urban areas. There really is a moment, I think, where people need to wake up

and realize that who we elect to the state legislature matters in their lives. And I’m hoping this year might be a turning point where we begin going back to the middle in Jefferson City, so that we’re not careening down a path where we’re focusing on who goes to what bathroom more than whether our kids can get a college education.”

‘Awesome power of God’

On January 28, McCaskill also spoke at the St. Louis Metropolitan Clergy Coalition’s installation of officers event, offering a more religious message for the audience at the Church of God in Christ’s Life Center.

“There is some awesome power of God in this room tonight,” McCaskill said.

McCaskill told the assembled congregants that while her job is to attempt to speak for vulnerable people in the political realm, the coalition’s religious leaders work to improve their lives on a day-to-day basis.

“The people in this room, especially the leaders who are surrounding me today, are really the people that do the heavy lifting in this community in so many ways,” McCaskill said.

“All of them come into their churches on Sunday and visit the house of worship, but when they leave their church on Sunday, they get busy. They get busy ministering to not only their church, but to the community at large, to the pain and suffering and the anxiety and angst, and they do all that through the word of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

said. She expects that they will start requesting documents in May or June.

She will be hosting a series of meetings over the next several months to engage residents. However, if citizens have immediate concerns, they don’t have to attend meetings, Galloway said. They can use the office’s whistleblower hotline and give their comments anonymously.

“We are really encouraging folks to contact my office,” Galloway said. One of Audit STL’s main concerns has been the city’s spending on public safety. “We’ve sent her lots of questions about police overtime, police settlements and police pensions, in terms of how they are devouring the budget right now,” said Matt Schmidt of Audit STL. Galloway told The American, “I’m aware that in the petition drive by the citizens, that this was one of their focuses and certainly we will be looking at that.” Audit STL believes the auditor is going about things “exactly the right way” by having citizen meetings before they get started.

“Today, the auditor has made it very clear that it’s going to be a citizen-driven audit,” Schmidt said, “and that just because the Board of Aldermen requested it, it doesn’t mean that they get to decide what she does.” He also encourages people to think about their interactions with city government – especially people who work for the city – and call the whistleblower hotline.

To submit information, residents can visit: https://auditor.mo.gov/ state-auditors-whistleblowerhotline They can also call 1-800-347-8597 or email moaudit@auditor.mo.gov.

Our fathers, our chemists

Science Center hosted celebration of Lincoln Diuguid by his son Lewis

By Jessica Karins For The St. Louis American

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year, the St. Louis Science Center (SLSC) celebrated a local legacy of black achievement. Lewis Diuguid, author and longtime Kansas City Star journalist, visited SLSC to share memories of his father, pioneering black chemist Lincoln Diuguid.

Lewis Diuguid’s new book, “Our Fathers: Making Black Men,” focuses on his own father and the culture of mentorship and prosperous black enterprise he inspired during many years at the head of his company, Du-Good Chemical.

Starting in 2008, Lewis Diuguid put the journalistic skills he had honed at the Kansas City Star to researching his own family history. After his father died in January of 2015, Lewis stepped down from the editorial board of the Star to spend more time on the book project.

Lincoln Diuguid’s scientific career began in the 1940s, when he was completing postdoctoral work in chemistry at Cornell University. There, he developed the chemical agent that “helps plastic be plastic,” Lewis said.

“If you want to blame plastic on someone, it would be Dad,” Lewis said. “But till the day he died, he was very upset over the fact, and he said it regularly, all he got for his work was a pat on the back and a handshake. This was something that was groundbreaking and that netted companies trillions of dollars, and he got

Two Confederate statues down in Memphis

Tami Sawyer helped galvanize city government to disown slaveholders

By Jeffery Robinson

I was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. When I returned home for my brother’s memorial service, the city looked different. The Memphis State University of my youth is now the University of Memphis. The mayor no longer owns a barbecue chain. The city, bordered by the Mississippi River on the west, still spreads out to the east, but what used to be the beginning of farms and wooded areas is now part of a developed extension of city and county. A park that used to be called Nathan Bedford Forrest Park is now called Health Sciences Park.

But Memphis is still Memphis. The economic and social divide of today looks like that of my childhood. The city’s history of racial division goes back to at least 1819, when the city was founded. Memphis was a hub for slave trading before the Civil War. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated here. My niece has white high school friends who refer to the city as “Memphrica” — an allusion to Africa that reflects the fact the Memphis is 64 percent black. So I was surprised when I heard about Confederate statues in Memphis coming down. I thought back to when I was 5 years old and first asked my parents about them. My parents, my older brother, and I were driving downtown. We had gotten barbecue and

nothing.”

The copyright for Lincoln’s invention was not owned by him, but by Cornell University and the companies it worked for. So Lincoln decided he wanted to own his own company, to ensure he could profit from his own achievements.

There was just one problem. It was 1947, and laws in St. Louis prevented black people from buying property. Lincoln had been able to succeed in academia, but he could not legally obtain a deed for the property he wanted, a former large animal hospital, even though the owner was willing to sell. The Diuguid family found a way around it – Lincoln’s relatives pooled their money, paid for the property in cash, and helped him renovate it into the lab he needed.

“It became a company that was really put together by the grit of the Diuguid family,” Lewis said.

CHEMISTS, A9

chitlins (“chitterlings” – if you don’t know, don’t ask) at a place by the river and were heading home. We passed what I now know was Nathan Bedford Forrest Park. I saw a statute of a man riding the biggest horse I had ever seen. I asked, “Who is that on that big horse?” My young parents, then in their 30s, got quiet.

May 22, 1922 –January 20, 2018

Beloved physician Dr. Bernard C. Randolph Sr. passes at 95

Bernard C. Randolph Sr., who sought and found myriad ways to blend medicine and activism, died of pneumonia on Saturday, January 20 at age 95.

Nephew of Dorothy I. Height mixed activism with health care

By Gloria Ross For St. Louis Public Radio

Dr. Bernard C. Randolph, a member of a small, tight-knit cadre of African-American doctors in St. Louis who began their practices during segregation, was as much civil rights leader as healer.

Growing up in New York during the Harlem Renaissance, Dr. Randolph loved African American history. His hero was an older, fellow Harlem resident, W.E.B. Du Bois, co-founder of the NAACP. Dr.

Memphis politicians seem uncomfortable admitting the critical role played by Tami Sawyer, a black woman who is a director of Teach for America, in bringing down public statues of Confederate heroes Jefferson Davis and Nathan Bedford Forrest.

Something was wrong. I now realize they probably had no idea what to say. How could they explain America’s legacy of slavery, racial hatred, and oppression to a 5-year-old boy? How much detail was enough for a young child? What facts could explain honoring the man on the horse if he sold people as property and killed American soldiers to keep doing it? The horse and the man were still there when I arrived in Memphis, but just days after I left monuments to Confederate heroes Jefferson Davis and Nathan Bedford Forrest were removed from places of honor in the city. I had new questions about the man and horse. How did the removal happen? And what does it mean? The City Council, which is made up of seven black and six white members, voted unanimously to sell the parks where the monuments stood to a nonprofit entity that quickly removed them. The Chamber of Commerce supported the

See STATUES, A9

Dr.

Of the ACLU

Courtesy of the Saint Louis Science Center

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Lewis Diuguid spoke at the St. Louis Science Center about his father, pioneering black chemist Lincoln Diuguid, and signed copies of his book, “Our Fathers: Making Black Men.”

Guest Columnist Jeffery Robinson

Randolph would later become one of the organization’s staunchest supporters. His budding activism was further bolstered as a teenager when an aunt came to live with the family in New York to attend college. That aunt was Dorothy I. Height, who became a revered leader of both the civil rights and women’s rights movements. Dr. Randolph did not choose to follow in his aunt’s professional footsteps, but civil rights became an enduring part of his life. He believed access to adequate health care was a civil right. In 1963, he was a member of the National Medical Association delegation that met with President John F.

Kennedy to promote legislation to create Medicare and help end racial discrimination in hospitals. African Americans had formed the NMA because the American Medical Association refused membership to black doctors until 1968.

By the time the AMA offered African Americans an apology for past treatment in 2008, thousands of St. Louisans had passed through the doors of the Tandy Medical Building at the corner of Natural Bridge and Kingshighway, where Dr. Randolph had his family practice for more than 35 years.

A lack of money was no barrier to visiting Dr. Randolph, but he knew that many who needed care would never make it to his office. So, for more than 20 years, under the auspices of the NAACP, Dr. Randolph organized free community health screenings,

often held at the Wohl Center, just a few miles south on Kingshighway.

“Dr. Randolph was very innovative in his work with the NAACP,” said his friend and former colleague, Dr. Nathaniel Murdock, “and one of the most reliable people I’ve ever known.”

Dr. Randolph, who sought and found myriad ways to blend medicine and activism, died of pneumonia on Saturday, January 20, 2018, at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis. He was 95. Funeral services are pending.

A broader view

Dr. Randolph viewed not just health, but public safety as a basic right.

In 1974, he founded the St. Louis Council on Environmental Health and Safety to derail the building of the Callaway Nuclear Generating Station, fearing that the power plant would cause ground water contamination, if not an outright catastrophe. Efforts to stop the building were unsuccessful, but it’s believed that his advocacy helped ensure the plant’s safety.

The council continued to be a force on environmental issues. One of its educational targets was students, annually providing savings bonds to high school students who wrote outstanding papers on environmental concerns.

Encouraging students in every area was one of his primary goals. He believed one way to effect change was by becoming a doctor. His recruitment efforts came with financial assistance for minority students. As president of the Mound City Medical Forum, he initiated the Student Emergency Loan Fund. The fund grew to include scholarships funded by Mound City’s members and other private donors, prompting support from Washington University and St. Louis University schools of medicine.

“Your father was one of

BLACK HISTORY

HOW THEIR LIFE CHANGED YOURS

Her Life

Dr. Mamie Phipps Clark was born April 18,1917, in Arkansas. She grew up attending segregated schools, eventually enrolling at Howard University in 1934. At Howard, she studied math and physics until meeting her future husband Kenneth Bancroft who encouraged her to study psychology like him.

Mamie graduated from Howard magnacumlaude in 1938 and went on to Columbia to earn her PhD in experimental psychology, in 1943. Shortly after graduating from Howard she worked in a law office and went on to see the work being done for the Brown v. Board of Education hearing of 1954. Because of this and her love of working with children, she developed her master’s thesis TheDevelopment ofConsciousnessofSelfof NegroPre-schoolChildren.

Mamie was so inspired by her psychological testing on young black girls at the Riverdale Home for Children in 1945, that she went on to found the Northside Testing and Consultation Center in 1946. Later called the Northside Center for Child Development, it was the first center to provide therapy for children in Harlem. The center, which Mamie actively ran until her retirement in 1979, also provided many other services such as housing and child training courses for parents.

How Her Life Changed Yours

Dr. Mamie Phipps Clark’s famous “Doll Study” was the the first hard evidence used in the Brown v. Board of Education hearing, playing a major role in winning the trial. The evidence she provided through her study demonstrated the negative impact of segregated schooling. Her research and dedication still impacts educational opportunities for students today.

the legends who supported and encouraged us as medical students,” wrote Monique M. Williams, M.D., president of the Mound City Medical Forum, in a condolence letter to Dr. Randolph’s son Paul. “His kindness was greatly appreciated.”

Two-way loyalty

“I knew him as a gentle man, a kind physician,” said a longtime friend, Dr. Olivia Polk.

Polk’s assessment was born out in how he retired: slowly, to ease the transition for his loyal patients. After leaving fulltime practice, he spent two years with SSM Clayton Specialists Group partners Dr. Darren Weathers and Dr. Rajiv Patel, seeing his patients part-time.

Dr. Randolph lived in University City, Olivette and lastly Creve Coeur. His family had long ago urged him to move his practice closer to home. “That was absolutely out of the question,” said his daughter, Dana Randolph. He was among the first tenants in the Tandy Building and there he stayed to remain close to the people he served.

Dr. Randolph’s kindness extended to numerous organizations. He was a lifetime member of the National Council of Negro Women, which his Aunt Dorothy led for four decades, and the NAACP, where he served on the board of the St. Louis chapter for 20 years.

He was a past president of the Missouri PanMedical Association and of the National Medical Association’s Component and Constituents Society. In 1961, he was a member of the NMA’s “Mission to West Africa” delegation to promote communication with emerging independent African nations.

His many tributes included the NAACP “Heroes and Heroines Award,” the 1988 National Medical Association’s “Practitioner

of the Year” award and the 2004 St. Louis American Foundation’s “Lifetime Achiever in Healthcare Award.” He received the “Salute to Black Men Award” from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and in 2006, he was awarded the “Lewis C. Green Environmental Service Award” by the Great Rivers Environmental Law Center.

Dr. Randolph was a longtime member of Pilgrim Congregational Church, Chi Delta Mu and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternities.

Touched by greatness

Bernard Clyde Randolph Sr. was born in New York City on May 22, 1922, the middle child of William Flanigan Randolph, a postal worker, and Jessie Briggs Randolph, a homemaker.

He grew up in the Sugar Hill neighborhood of Harlem during the Renaissance. It was also known as the “New Negro Movement,” an explosion of African-American arts and culture brought about by history-making artists and activists, including Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Duke Ellington, Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. Du Bois. For a time, it was also home to tap dance kings the Nicholas Brothers, who were Dr. Randolph’s neighbors.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from City College of New York and graduated from the Howard University School of Medicine in 1947. He did his residency in St. Louis at Peoples Hospital and Homer G. Phillips Hospital, the oncesegregated proving grounds for black doctors from throughout the nation.

After completing residency, Dr. Randolph entered the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He earned the rank of captain while serving stateside at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama.

After his discharge in 1956, he recognized Rosa Parks as

the seamstress who had tailored his uniforms. On December 1, 1955, she had refused to surrender her bus seat to a white passenger, sparking a prolonged Montgomery bus boycott that helped end segregated transportation throughout the nation.

“He was shocked and proud that she had taken the stand that she did,” said his son, Paul. When he returned to St. Louis in 1956, he met a family friend, Billie Jean Coleman. They were married three months later on Halloween said his daughter Dana, because, “it was his off day.”

Throughout his life, Dr. Randolph’s had too few off days. Sometimes he took his children on Sunday hospital rounds. But he made time for his family.

“He lived his life to ensure that his wife, his children, his grandchildren, were loved and nurtured,” said his son Paul Randolph.

His last vacation with his wife was to the White House in 2010 to witness President Barack Obama’s signing of an order to rename a post office for Dorothy Height. He had met the president earlier that year at his aunt’s funeral, where both men spoke.

Dr. Randolph was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Howard V. Randolph. His survivors include his wife of 61 years, Billie Jean Coleman Randolph, and their three children, Bernard (Kathleen) C. Randolph Jr., M.D., Dana Grace Randolph and Paul A. Randolph, Esq., all of St Louis; four grandchildren, Arielle, Camille, Naima and Dana Grace Randolph, and a sister, Jean Randolph Linzey of San Jose, Calif. If desired, please direct memorials payable to the Mound City Medical Forum Foundation and send to Mound City Medical Forum Foundation, P.O. Box 8021, St. Louis, MO 63156-1820. Reprinted with permission from news.stlpublicradio.org

Centene Corporation presents

removal. The New York Times quoted Mayor Jim Strickland, the city’s first white mayor in nearly a quarter-century, crediting a “unified effort” that “stands in stark contrast to what happened in 1968,” when Dr. King was fatally shot. It is not that simple.

Memphis politicians seem uncomfortable admitting the critical role played by Tami Sawyer, a black woman who is a director of Teach for America. Sawyer lead a movement that empowered community voices to tell city government that it was time for the monuments to go. The New York Times described Sawyer’s advocacy as “persistent and sometimes disruptive.”

Well, it takes persistence to disrupt a false racial narrative that has for decades blocked “unified efforts” for racial justice.

“I think there’s a lot of people that are trying in Memphis to bridge this racial divide,” Sawyer said. “But I think that we have to have honest conversations about why that divide exists. Too often people want to say, ‘Let’s get to the healing,’ but not call out the years of systemic oppression that continue to exist.”

America clings to a false narrative about slavery — that it wasn’t that bad or that extensive, that it ended conclusively more than a century ago, that the Civil War was about states’ rights or something else — because we are desperate to avoid confronting the truth about our history.

As a criminal defense lawyer, I learned people are rarely just one thing. They can be wonderful in one way, contemptible in another. A historical marker at the site of Forrest’s home in Memphis notes, “Following marriage in 1845 he came to Memphis,

where his business enterprises made him wealthy.”

“Business enterprises.” Forrest was a slave trader. He peddled human flesh for a price and he got filthy rich from it. His home in Memphis was right across the street from his slave market, so he could sell human beings into bondage and then stroll home to be a Southern gentleman. Any wonderful personal qualities were greatly outweighed by his defense of and contribution to white supremacy.

Slavery was the main cause of the Civil War. Secession statements from Confederate states make that clear.

Alexander Stephens, the vice president of the Confederacy, said, “Our new government is founded upon … the great truth that the Negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition.” Forrest is quoted in a foreword to his own biography as saying, “If we ain’t fightin’ to keep slavery, then what the hell are we fightin’ for?”

Some say Forrest changed his views at the end of his life, but it really doesn’t matter. There was no engraving on the foundation of his monument saying “he was a white supremacist who changed his views and tried to do penance for his sins against humanity.”

The monuments to Forrest and Davis honored them simply as warriors for the Confederacy.

The truth is that removal of these monuments will not educate, feed, or free from prison even one person of color. But the admission of the true nature of our racialized past is a necessary part of real structural change leading to racial justice.

They owe penance for their sins, but all that’s left of them are statues. The legacy of the sins remains, so it is just that the statues come down.

Jeffery Robinson is ACLU deputy legal director and director of the Trone Center for Justice and Equality.

CHEMISTS

Continued from A7

For years, Lincoln’s company was a staple in the South Jefferson neighborhood. The laboratory manufactured cosmetics and other chemicals, and Lincoln always hired young black people from the community for laboratory jobs, as well as helping them find pathways to college and careers. The many other black-owned businesses in the neighborhood began to follow suit.

“That value, I think, was immeasurable, and it was the role that those businesses played in mentoring kids on the street to be somebody, to have a future, and then to be able to reach their dreams,” Lewis said.

Lincoln was also a staunch supporter of the Urban League and the NAACP. He took time from his busy schedule running his own company and teaching at Harris-Stowe State University in the 1960s to help the Urban League root out employment discrimination. He would apply for jobs at other chemical companies with his real credentials, but when someone from the Urban League would ask, the companies would deny he had ever applied. Catching them in that lie, Lewis said, helped open the door to stop discriminatory hiring practices.

Lewis wrote his book to offer historical perspective to young Black Lives Matter activists. “There needs to be that input from adults,” Lewis said.

To follow in those footsteps, Lewis helps train young African-American journalists in Kansas City.

In his presentation at SLSC, Lewis tied that message to the vision of Martin Luther King Jr. He spoke in the Omnimax theater, signed copies of his books and met with teen participants in SLSC’s Youth Exploring Science (YES)

program.

When Du-Good Chemical closed, the family donated the laboratory’s glassware to SLSC, where it is used in presentations explaining scientific concepts to children.

Lewis said writing about his family’s history was an easy task compared to many of the stories he has written in the past, although the Diuguid family’s story was not the only focus of “Our Fathers”.

“My family was a big part of it, but it wasn’t the only part,” Lewis said. “What I was trying to capture was a community effort to help kids who were on the street be more than they ever dreamed possible.”

Lincoln Diuguid died in 2015 ten days short of his 98th birthday. For the last several

years of his life, he struggled with dementia after a brain injury in 2006. Lincoln was attempting to help someone new to the area, Lewis said, a Katrina evacuee who instead beat Lincoln severely. He

n “This was something that was groundbreaking and that netted companies trillions of dollars, and he got nothing.”

was able to recover enough to continue running DuGood Chemical until 2011.

“He lived an incredible life, but it was tragically cut short,” Lewis said.

Asking about Lincoln’s influence on him, Lewis said, is like asking a fish what it’s like to be surrounded by water.

“I never really knew anything other than striving for excellence,” he said, “because that’s what we’ve always grown up to do, my siblings

– Lewis Diuguid, on his father Lincoln Diuguid’s breakthrough work on plastic

Photo by Wiley Price

2018 Black History

February 1-28, Exploration Center: African American Inventors, drop in to the children’s room each week to learn about a different inventor who changed history with their ideas and complete hands on activities. St. Louis County Library –Indian Trails Branch. St. Louis Public Library 8400 Delport Dr. St. Louis, MO 63114.

Date: February 1-28, African American Author & Illustrator Scavenger Hunt, Celebrate Black History Month with a scavenger hunt for famous black authors and illustrators. St. Louis County Library – Daniel Boone Branch, 300 Clarkson Rd. Ellisville, MO 63011.

Thur., Feb. 1, 11 a.m., Black Masculinity and the Black Speculative Arts Movement. A day exploring the image of the black male within the context of the Black Speculative Arts Movement. 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www.mohistory. org.

Thurs., Feb. 1, 6 p.m., Black Music International, Explore Black music from all seven continents and learn about musical artists and traditions from across the globe. Presented by Freedom Arts and Education. St. Louis County Library –Oak Bend Branch St. Louis Public Library 842 S. Holmes Ave. St. Louis, MO 63122.

Thurs., Feb. 1, 7 p.m., American Girl Book Discussion: “Gabriela,” St. Louis County Library – Samuel C. Sachs Branch, 16400 Burkhardt Pl. Chesterfield, MO 63017 Registration required.

Thursdays in February, 10 a.m. Black History Month

Story Time. St. Louis County Library – Weber Road Branch, 4444 Weber Rd. St. Louis, MO 63123. Adult must accompany child.

February 2, 9, &23, 10 a.m. Lap Time, Stories, songs and play time to help develop early literacy skills. Ordinary objects created by extraordinary African American inventors will be featured each week. St. Louis County Library –Rock Road Branch, 10267 St. Charles Rock Rd. St. Ann, MO 63074.

Fri., Feb. 2, 12 noon, Jazz Age: Josephine Baker Story Time, St. Louis County Library –Bridgeton Trails Branch, 3455 McKelvey Rd. Bridgeton, MO 63044. For children ages 5-12.

Fri., Feb. 2, 2 p.m., Flashback Friday Movie: “Cooley High” (1975), St. Louis County Library – Lewis & Clark Branch, 9909 Lewis-Clark Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63136.

Fri., Feb. 2, 2 p.m., African American Inventors, St. Louis County Library – Samuel C. Sachs Branch, 16400 Burkhardt Pl. Chesterfield, MO 63017. Ages 3-6. Registration required.

Fri., Feb. 2, 4 p.m., Collaborative Art Project, children ages 5-12 are invited work on collaborative posters celebrating African-American heroes, St. Louis County Library – Cliff Cave Branch, 5430 Telegraph Rd. St. Louis, MO 63129.

Sat., Feb. 3, 10 a.m., Tracing Your African American Ancestors, learn basic techniques for researching African American ancestors. Dan Lilienkamp will demonstrate how to get started, solve com-

Cooking, Learn about healthy eating and healing through the art of food and culture. St. Louis County Library – Natural Bridge Branch, 7606 Natural Bridge Rd. St. Louis, MO 63121.

Mon., Feb. 5, 6:30 p.m., Tween Book Group: “Courage Has No Color” by Tanya Lee Stone, Ages 10-14. Registration required. Meeting Room 3. St. Louis County Library – Florissant Valley Branch, 195 New Florissant Rd., South Florissant, MO 63031.

Tues., Feb. 6, 7 p.m., Sci-Fi and Fantasy Book Club: “The Parable of the Sower” by Octavia Butler, Meeting Room 2, St. Louis County Library – Grant’s View Branch, 9700 Musick Rd. St. Louis, MO 63123 Adults.

mon road blocks, and use additional records to deepen research. St. Louis County Library – Natural Bridge Branch, 7606 Natural Bridge Rd. St. Louis, MO 63121.

Sat., Feb. 3, 12:30 p.m., 2018 St. Louis HBCU Alumni Association Scholarship Fair. The event will consist of 3 workshops: essay writing, FAFSA & Financial Aid, and ways to obtain free scholarships. Il Monestero, 3050 Olive St., 63103. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Sat., Feb. 3, 2 p.m., Donuts and a Movie: “Ruby Bridges,” St. Louis County Library – Daniel Boone Branch, 300 Clarkson Rd. Ellisville, MO 63011

Feb. 4 – 25, Metro Theater Company and Jazz St. Louis present Bud, Not Buddy Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Sq., 63108. For more information, visit www.metroplays.org.

Through Feb. 4, National Blues Museum presents The Blues in Black and White –The Blues Photography of Kirk West. 615 Washington Ave., 63101. For more information, visit www.nationalbluesmuseum.org.

Mon., Feb. 5, 6 p.m., Family Movie Night: “The Princess and the Frog” (2009), St. Louis County Library – Natural Bridge Branch, 7606 Natural Bridge Rd. St. Louis, MO 63121.

Mon., Feb. 5, 6:30 p.m., West African Drum and Dance, experience the authentic music, dance and culture of West Africa with a performance by Rainbow Repertory Company. St. Louis County Library – Samuel C. Sachs Branch, 16400 Burkhardt Pl. Chesterfield, MO 63017.

Mon., Feb. 5, 6:30 p.m., African Heritage Diversity

Thurs., Feb. 8, 11 a.m. & Fri., Feb. 9, 6 p.m., Saint Louis Art Museum Romare Bearden Graduate Fellow Jade Powers will discuss “Beautiful Utility: An Appreciation for Aesthetics.” One Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110. For more information, visit www.slam.org.

Sat., Feb. 10, 10 a.m., World of Reading: Multicultural Fair. Explore the world through crafts, music and dance for all ages. Kirkwood Public Library, 140 E. Jefferson Ave., 63122. For more information, visit www.kirkwoodpubliclibrary.org.

Sun., Feb. 11, 2 p.m., Race and the Blues in St. Louis: The Present. The Stage at KDHX, 3524 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.

Thurs., Feb. 15, 11 a.m. & Fri., Feb. 16, 6 p.m., Saint Louis Art Museum presents Nichole N. Bridges, associate curator of African art to discuss “Curator’s Choice: African Art on View,” Saint Louis Art Museum, One Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110. For more information, visit www. slam.org.

Sun., Feb. 18, 1:15 p.m. & 3:10 p.m., The St. Louis Public Library will celebrate Black History Month with featured speaker Rev. Jesse Jackson, Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust St. Each engagement is free and open to the public, but reservations are required at https:// www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/3201803. Tickets should be presented at the door in paper or electronic form.

Sun., Feb. 18, 6 p.m. (5 p.m. doors), Community Women Against Hardship’s Black History Month Celebration featuring legendary pianist Johnny O’Neal, Harold and Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz. All proceeds benefit their Health and Wellness Programming. All tickets available via the Jazz St. Louis Box Office, 3536 Washington or by calling (314) 571-6000. Sat., Feb. 24, 2 p.m., The Saint Louis

Sun.,

Thursdays

On Sunday, February 18, The St. Louis Public Library will celebrate Black History Month with featured speaker the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who will deliver two talks at Christ Church Cathedral.

Arts and Education Council celebrates diverse, vibrant creative community at record-breaking 2018 St. Louis Arts Awards

The Arts and Education Council (A&E) celebrated the region’s diverse and vibrant creative community at the 27th annual St. Louis Arts Awards on January 22 with a sold-out audience of more than 730 guests at the Chase Park Plaza.

The gala’s entertainment represented the region’s artistic diversity and excellence, including: renowned jazz violinist Regina Carter accompanied by pianist Peter Martin; pianist Dr. Stan Ford, a St. Louis native who studied under honoree Johnetta Haley at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and now teaches at Universitat

including his students from Grand Center Arts Academy; and The Buddy Boys, as featured at the Muny in 2015.

Broadway actor and emcee, Ken Page, returned for a second year, as did event Co-Chairs Susan Block and John H. Russell, wearing custom designs by Saint Louis Fashion Fund designer Reuben Reuel.

The 2018 St. Louis Arts Awards honorees were: Johnetta Haley, music educator, Lifetime Achievement in the Arts; Dennis M. Reagan, The Muny, Lifetime Achievement in the Arts; Gene Dobbs Bradford, Jazz St. Louis, Excellence in the Arts; Keith Tyrone Williams, Art Educator of the Year; Art on the Square,

Arts Collaboration; Saint Louis Fashion Fund, Arts Startup of the Year; and World Wide Technology, Corporate Support of the Arts. Proceeds from the event benefit A&E’s annual campaign, which supports nearly 100 arts organizations across the bi-state region. Presenting sponsor of the 2018 St. Louis Arts Awards was Centene Charitable Foundation. Stage and entertainment sponsors were Steward Family Foundation and World Wide Technology. Principal sponsors were Edward Jones and Emerson. For more information about the Arts and Education Council, visit KeepArtHappening.org.

U.S. Bank Senior Vice President Gordon Myers presents the Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award to Denny Reagan.

Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria; Art Educator of the Year Keith Tyrone Williams’ Innervision Dance Theatre,

All photos by Suzy Gorman

Innervision Dance Theatre, under the direction of Art Educator of the Year Keith Tyrone Williams, performed at the

2018 St. Louis Arts Awards, featuring both professional dancers and Williams’ students from Grand Center Arts Academy.

Al Mitchell, president of Monsanto Fund, presents the Art Educator of the Year award to Keith Tyrone Williams (left).

Dr. Stan Ford, pianist and professor at Universitat Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, performs in honor of his former teacher, Johnetta Haley.

A&E’s 2017 stARTup Competition winners Antionette Carroll, founder, president and CEO of Creative Reaction Lab, and Amanda Wells, founder and CEO of Flow.

Peggy Lewis LeCompte (second from right) and members of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority were among the guests at the 2018 St. Louis Arts Awards.

Gene Dobbs Bradford, president and CEO of Jazz St. Louis, accepts the award for Excellence in the Arts from A&E President and CEO Cynthia A. Prost and A&E Board Chair Brendan Johnson.

Renowned jazz violinist Regina Carter, accompanied by acclaimed pianist Peter Martin, performed in honor of Gene Dobbs Bradford and World Wide Technology.

2018 St. Louis Arts Awards event co-chairs, Susan Block and John Russell, wearing custom outfits designed by Saint Louis Fashion Fund designer Reuben Reuel.

Rural whites and urban people of color in Missouri have more in common than many would suspect, including being hard-hit by the recession in 2007-2008, which caused a spike in unemployment.

White mortality rates rise in Missouri

Experiencing and succumbing to stress long familiar to minority communities

By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American

Since 2000, 79 of 114 Missouri counties show a rise in white mortality rates among ages 25-59, according to a report recently released by the Missouri Foundation for Health and created in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University’s Center on Society and Health, and the University of Pittsburgh.

The report, “Why Are Death Rates Increasing Among Whites in Missouri? Communities Facing New Social & Economic Realities” states death rates have generally been decreasing in the United States and other industrialized countries due to advances in public health and medicine. Nevertheless,

n Since 2000, 79 of 114 Missouri counties show a rise in white mortality rates among ages 25-59, according to a report recently released by the Missouri Foundation for Health.

and for the first time, a reverse pattern was observed among young and middle-aged white Missourians. Ryan Barker, vice president of Health Policy for the Missouri Foundation for Health, said the report shows that rural whites and urban people of color in Missouri have

more in common than many would suspect, including being hard-hit by the recession in 2007-2008, which caused a spike in unemployment.

“Jobs haven’t come back and unemployment hasn’t dropped for certain populations and we see that both in the African-American urban community and in some of the rural communities in Missouri,” Barker said.

This trend among Missouri whites is mainly in rural areas, where researchers cite an increase in what they refer to as “deaths of despair” – fatal drug overdoses, alcohol poisonings and suicides – which point to a feeling of hopelessness and a lack

Missouri must protect abortion rights

By Alison Dreith For The St. Louis American

Forty-five years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that among the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by our nation’s Bill of Rights, women had the right to decide for themselves whether to have an abortion. This famous decision, Roe v. Wade, has been under attack ever since by interest groups and politicians who want to impose their personal religious beliefs about abortion on everyone else. That’s no exaggeration –their whole point it to enshrine their religious doctrine into our states’ and nation’s criminal law. President Donald Trump, who previously claimed to be “very prochoice,” is in the curious position of leading the fight to repeal Roe. And if one of the more moderate Justices dies or retires, Trump may very well succeed.

In Missouri, Governor Eric Greitens famously called a seven-week-long special session to further restrict abortion access over the past summer, which cost taxpayers $92,000. The bill that ultimately passed, Senate Bill 5, is now the most sweeping omnibus bill regulating abortion that the country has ever seen. But whatever the U.S. Supreme Court does in the coming years, states still control their own criminal laws. If Roe is overturned, individual states would decide whether women have access to legal abortion. That’s why it is essential for our state to pass its own legislation to protect women’s rights under Roe This year state Rep. Judy Morgan (D-Kansas City) has joined with lawmakers in 25 states to introduce and push House Bill 1772, the “Respect Women’s Abortion Decisions Act,” and similar proactive legislation, guaranteeing access to legal abortion care. In St. Louis, Alderwoman Sarah Wood Martin is working on a resolution to support Morgan’s efforts. Abortion policy is not a question of safety. In fact, it is one of the safest procedures a

Corrections Medicine employees demand raises

‘We are public safety officers for the department of health’

By Etefia Umana

For The St. Louis American

Employees who provide medical and dental attention to jail inmates spoke out at the St. Louis County Council’s January 23 meeting, decrying that they campaigned for Proposition P but ended up without pay raises.

Prop P was a half-cent sales tax increase for public safety that county voters passed in April 2017.

“It is egregious that we received no raises from Proposition P while secretaries, accountants, volunteer coordinators, and the prosecuting attorney’s offices received raises. Seriously? How are they contributing to public safety?” said Jane Steven. Steven was one of about 10 employees from the 65-person staff with county’s Corrections Medicine program who testified at the council meeting. The program provides

medical, mental health and dental services for those persons incarcerated at the Saint Louis County Justice Center, as well as medical services for the youth housed at the Saint Louis County Family Services Juvenile Detention Center and the Lakeside Adolescent Center. The staff has not received raises in nearly five years, employees said.

“We are public safety officers for the department of health,” said another employee, Marquita Fultz. “The Corrections Medicine staff are the only St. Louis County employees who did not receive a raise from the Prop P physicians fund.”

The prepared statements led to a back and forth between Council Vice Chair Hazel Erby and County Executive Steven Stenger. While Erby and Stenger agreed that the employees deserve a raise, Erby accused Stenger of

See RAISES, A13

Alison Dreith

St. Louis County Council Chairman Sam Page, Vice Chair Hazel Erby and Councilwoman Rochelle Walton Gray listened at a council meeting on January 3, 2017.

Photo by Wiley Price

RAISES

Continued from A12 turning his back on the corrections employees after they vigorously campaigned for the passage of Prop P.

Stenger argued that Erby “had the budget in her hands” and “didn’t speak up when [she] had the opportunity.” Erby asserted that was a false claim. The exchange ended with Stenger suggesting that Erby write a bill.

“If you advance a bill, I will support it,” said Stenger.

n “The Corrections Medicine staff are the only St. Louis County employees who did not receive a raise from the Prop P physicians fund.”

– Marquita Fultz

Stenger said that it may not be possible to promise the employees money from Prop P because of issues with legality, but Councilman Mark Harder suggested that the employees be reclassified from public health into public safety. Corrections Medicine is currently housed within the Health Services Division of the county’s Department of Public Health. This will be the second time in approximately 10 years that Corrections Medicine employees have been reclassified, according to Council Chairman Sam Page. The change was made because of a budget surplus in the health department at the time.

This may not have been the only oversight made in determining the distribution of Prop P funds. According to Erby, while some of the managers were reclassified to receive raises, other lower-level crime lab employees were not as fortunate.

The council agreed to hammer out a bill in the near future. Fletcher maintains cautious optimism about Stenger and the proposed bill.

Fletcher told The American, “I hope he keeps his word and does what he says he gonna do.”

Also on January 23, the council voted 7-0 to push back the start time for meetings from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., in an attempt to be more accommodating of residents’ work schedules. Council meetings are held every Tuesday.

MORTALITY

Continued from A12 of opportunity. The report describes it as a “crisis of confidence in the American dream.” From 1995-2014, the 79 affected counties saw a 585 percent increase in drug overdoses, 763 percent increase in alcohol poisoning, and a 30 percent increase in suicides.

The report found that rural areas in Missouri reflect a rise of more than 50 deaths per 100,000 people aged 25-59. Thirty-three counties in particular are facing the brunt of this crisis. While they are scattered across the state, the Bootheel and Ozark areas have seen the largest increases. The 33 hardest-hit counties suffer from long-term poverty, unemployment, a lack of health care access, and few opportunities for the future.

“People living in the 33 most impacted counties had less education; lower household incomes; higher rates of unemployment, poverty, and food insecurity; and a larger proportion of foreign-born residents,” the report states.

“Residents of these counties had less access to health insurance, health care providers (primary care and mental health), a vehicle, parks, or public transit. The 46 counties with more modest increases in mortality had more urban characteristics, including greater air pollution and violent crime.”

The MFH report also found dramatic increases in deaths from diseases, which account for a large proportion of excess deaths among middle-aged whites in Missouri.

“The medical disorders responsible for these deaths

DREITH

Continued from A12

Students serve dinner for hospital patients’ families

Members of the Hazelwood Central High School, National Honor Society for Musicians (Tri-M), recently volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House at Mercy Hospital. Tri-M members cooked and served dinner for parents and family members of hospital patients. The menu included, spaghetti with meatballs, linguine, garlic bread, salad, brownies, and cake. Ronald McDonald House is a temporary home away from home where the families of children being treated for serious illnesses or trauma reside.

“I am so proud of our students for the positive impact that they are making in our community,” said Hazelwood Central High School Principal Derrick Mitchell. “Not only are they excelling in the classroom, but they are taking time from their schedules to help others which demonstrates true leadership.”

included chronic lung disease, viral hepatitis, liver cancer, heart disease, and other organ diseases, many having potential links to substance abuse and trauma (e.g., accidents),among other risk factors,” the report states.

“Whites in the affected counties also experienced significant increases in death

rates from other causes, such as obesity, kidney failure, sepsis, neurologic disorders (including anoxic brain damage), and maternal deaths related to child birth. A variety of factors could be responsible for these trends, but common contributors could include increased smoking, overeating, drug and alcohol use, and catastrophic damage to vital organs.”

woman can undergo. Ninetynine percent of aspiration abortions are performed with no complications; 99.9 percent of medication abortions have no complications, making this medicine substantially safer than aspirin, Tylenol or Viagra. Abortion policy is not a question of popular will. Poll after poll finds that about 70 percent of Americans favor upholding Roe v. Wade, while substantial majorities also support state laws to protect staff and patients at abortion clinics from harassment, prevent anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers from lying to pregnant women, and ban employment discrimination that

The 46 Missouri counties with more modest increases in mortality had more urban characteristics, including greater air pollution and violent crime.

During 1995-2014, mortality rates among blacks, American Indians and Alaskan Natives, and Asians in Missouri

n Poll after poll finds that about 70 percent of Americans favor upholding Roe v. Wade

is based on women’s choices over contraception or abortion. No, the abortion policy in our state is a matter of power.

decreased by 23 percent, 24 percent, and 26 percent, respectively. Mortality rates among Hispanics in Missouri decreased by 53 percent.

“This generation within rural Missouri is really dealing with this economic downturn, combined with educational opportunity and the inequality of education is there – and it’s

Should politicians have the power to decide whether and when you, your friends and neighbors become parents? Or should this decision – as I suggest – be left to individual women and their families? I think we can all agree that abortion is a complex issue for those involved. Let us not interfere with their

the first time,” Barker said. “As the report points out, a lot of our minority communities have been experiencing that type of stress for generations.”

Barker said the hypothesis is that this stress may be behind the increased white mortality rates, although it remains higher than certain groups.

“I do want to make clear that while we are happy to see the mortality rate dropping for African Americans, for Hispanics – it is still much higher than whites,” Barker said.

The report states black Missourians live shorter and less healthy lives than whites, Asians, and Latinos. During the years 2010–2014, the death rate among blacks remained 1.2 times that of whites. As a state, lawmakers have an opportunity to create policy solutions that include health insurance coverage for all Missourians.

“We know there are still high rates of uninsured both in our urban racial and ethnic minority groups, but also in rural Missouri,” Barker said. “It’s one of those common threads of where can our state legislature come together – urban legislators, rural legislators – that really benefit the entire state of Missouri.” If Missouri really wants to address health issues, Barker said it will have adopt a comprehensive approach.

“We have to be open to addressing economic, housing issues, employment and education,” Barker said. “You really need everybody working together towards common solutions.”

Read the complete report at https://tinyurl.com/ WhiteMortalityMo.

fundamental freedom to weigh their own situations, apply their own religious beliefs, and make their own decisions about the most private and personal aspects of their lives.

Alison Dreith is the Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri

NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION

PRESENT:

Healthy Kids Healthy Kids

Healthcare Careers

Savvy Shopping!

Nutrition Challenge:

When shopping, it takes a pretty good “Food Detective” to know what is really good for you; don’t just read the front of food product packaging. Food

Stretching

GRANOLA Cereal

INGREDIENTS: Whole Grain Wheat, Sugar, Corn Bran, Wheat Bran, Inulin, Gylcerin, Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Crispy Rice-Oat Bits (Rice & Oat Flour, Sugar, Malt Extract, Salt, BHT), Corn Syrup, Brown Sugar, Barley Malt Extract, Salt, Toasted Oats (Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Sugar, Glucose-Fructose, Soybean Oil, Honey, Molasses), Golden Syrup, Wheat Bits (Whole Wheat Flour, Corn Starch, Corn Flour, Sugar, Salt, TrisodiumPhosphate, Baking Soda, Annatto and Caramel Color), Malt Syrup, Honey, Calcium

Stretching is an important part of any healthy exercise plan. Slowly extend your fingers, hands, and arms until you feel the muscles stretching. Do the same for your toes, feet and legs. Then slowly bend over to stretch the muscles in your back. Do each stretch for 10-30 seconds, and don’t stretch to the point of pain.

Stranger Danger

If an adult (or much older child) offers you a ride, or asks you to help him/ her locate a lost puppy (or kitten, or a lost child), do not get close to the

companies are quite clever when thinking of creative ways to make you believe that something is healthy. Just because a product says, “Healthy, Organic, Natural” or even “Good For You!” doesn’t mean

Stretching helps your muscles warm up and increases your flexibility, range of motion and blood flow to the muscles.

Stretching can prepare your body for exercise and prevent injuries to your muscles.

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1

stranger or his/her car. This is one of the most common ways that children are kidnapped every single day. And if an adult offers you a ride or asks for your help, immediately run to a trusted adult and tell him or her what just happened!

Learning Standards: HPE 5, NH 5

that it is a healthy choice. As we’ve discussed in previous weeks, always read the labels to see if the food product really is a smart food for you to eat. As a class, discuss some of the ways to read a label. What are some of the things to look for in an ingredient list? How can you know if a food really is healthy? Hint: Refer to previous Healthy Kids pages for ideas.

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

Flavor Pop

Ingredients:

3 Cps Low-fat Popcorn Seasonings (Ranch dressing mix, Taco seasoning, Cinnamon

Tsp

Directions: Use either air-popped or low-fat microwave popcorn. Drizzle the optional butter or oil over the popcorn and toss (this helps the flavor stick). Sprinkle with your choice of flavorings.

Mrs. Earlisha Jefferson, Medical Biller

Where do you work? I work at Chiro-Med in O’Fallon, Illinois. Where did you go to school? I graduated from Lincoln Senior High School in East St. Louis, Illinois, and I earned an associate’s degree in medical billing and coding from Ultimate Medical Academy.

What does a medical biller do? I am in charge of all of the outgoing billing for chiropractic care. I process incoming payments from the insurance companies, workmen’s comp payments and lawyers. Why did you choose this career? I have always had a love of working with math and numbers, as well as helping others. In my job I make sure that our patients’ insurance benefits are correct in the system so that they are receiving the most appropriate care based on their coverage and their health needs.

What is your favorite part of the job you have? We have an amazing chiropractic staff here. My favorite part is when I’m able to help someone receive the care they need by assuring that the correct insurance coverage information is in their file.

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

The Saint Louis Zoo is currently accepting applications for Zoo ALIVE, our teen volunteer program. High school students 15 and older may apply. As a Zoo ALIVE volunteer, you can share your love of animals with our diverse audiences by helping at classes, camps, overnights, birthday parties, and special events. Volunteers can also participate in group conservation activities, camping trips, and more. This is a year-round program for dedicated and responsible teens.

For more information, visit stlzoo.org/education.

What Are Stars?

Did you know that stars are actually large balls of gas that give off light? Stars vary in their size, color, and brightness. A star can be red, orange, yellow, white, or blue. The surface temperature, which is determined by age and mass, impacts the color of the star. Stars go through many stages in their lifetime. Some of the names for these stages are Nebula, Red Giant, Supernova, White Dwarf, Neutron Star and even Black Holes. A constellation is a group of stars that makes an imaginary shape in the sky, kind of like “connect

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

Did you know stars can shine for up to 10 billion years? In this experiment, you will find out why stars seem to “twinkle.”

Materials Needed:

Aluminum Foil • Medium-sized Box

• Glass Bowl • Flashlight • Scissors

Procedure:

q Fill the glass bowl 2/3 full with water and set it aside.

w Cut a piece of cardboard from the box. Make sure it is big enough to fit underneath the bowl.

e Cut small pieces of aluminum foil and shape them into little stars.

SCIENCE STARS

AFRICAN AMERICAN ASTROPHYSICIST: Gibor Basri

the dots.” They are usually named after mythological characters, people, animals and objects. The stars shine both day and night. However, during the day, the brightest star (the Sun) makes the sky so bright that the other stars appear dim. At night, when the sky is dark, the other stars can be seen. You can see about 3,000 stars with your naked eye, but you can see billions of stars with powerful telescopes.

Fun Fact:

The prefix “astro” means “star” in the Greek language.

For More Information, Visit: http://www.kidsastronomy.com/.

Learning Standard: I can read nonfiction text to find main idea and supporting details.

r Place the stars on top of the cardboard.

t Place the glass bowl on top of the cardboard and turn off the lights.

y Shine the flashlight on the bowl.

u Tap the bowl and see what happens to the stars when the water moves.

Analyze: When do the foil stars appear to twinkle? Why? When you shine light on aluminum while water is moving, the light travels through the air and makes the aluminum stars twinkle. When the star light moves through Earth’s atmosphere at night, the air it passes through makes the star light appear to twinkle.

MATH CONNECTION

Telescopes help people see a long distance away. Solve these words problems about distance.

q If we are running at a speed of 9 miles per hour and we run for 2.5 hours, how far did we run?

w I walk 3,000 meters on Saturday. On Sunday, I walk twice as far. How far did I walk this weekend? ____________

e The mountain is 700 meters. I walk halfway and twist my ankle. How far did I get? _________

Learning Standards: I can follow directions to complete a procedure. I can analyze and compare results.

r Sean runs 143.23 meters in 40 seconds. Robert runs 97.92 meters in the same time. How much further did Sean run than Robert?

t Tara runs 8 laps around the track. If she ran a total of 944 yards, what is the perimeter of the track? ____________

Learning Standards:

Gibor Basri was born on May 3, 1951, in New York City, New York. His mother, who was Jamaican, taught dance; his father was a physics professor. Although Basri grew up in Colorado with his younger brother, he also lived in Burma and Sri Lanka for a short time while his father was on Fulbright Fellowships. Basri loved to read science fiction books as a young child and discovered an interest in astronomy (the study of the sun, moon, stars, and planets). He even wrote a report in eighth grade about his interest in becoming an astronomer.

Basri attended Stanford University and earned a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1973. In 1979, he earned a degree in Astrophysics from the University of Colorado. He received a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of California at Berkeley and was named a full professor in 1994. His research focused on star formation, and he is considered an expert on brown dwarf stars. Basri is well known for confirming the existence of this type of star because of his work with the 10-meter Keck telescope.

Basri has written over 200 publications and his work has been cited over 8,000 times. He was awarded a Miller Research Professorship and was named a Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer. In 2001, he was a co-investigator on the NASA Discovery Mission, Kepler, designed to find extrasolar terrestrial planets. In 2006, Basri received the Chancellor’s Award for Advancing Institutional Excellence. He earned this award by helping the University of California, Berkeley, improve faculty diversity.

Discuss:

Dr. Basri drew his inspiration to study astronomy from reading science fiction novels. What books do you enjoy reading? Is there a way you could incorporate the topics of these books into a career in science? Have you ever used a telescope before? What does it do? How does it work? Dr. Basri and his team helped confirm that brown dwarf stars exist. What other types of stars are there?

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

Use the newspaper to complete these activities:

Activity One —

Create an Ad: Create a newspaper employment ad for jobs that existed during specific periods in America’s past (1800s, 1950s, etc.). Identify the skills needed, educational requirements, salary range, and benefits that reflect the appropriate time period.

Activity Two — Cooperation or Conflict? With your classmates, use the newspaper to find a story about cooperation or conflict between two countries. Draw conclusions about the regional differences or similarities (religion, resources, language, or political beliefs) that might lead to cooperation or conflict.

Learning Standards: I can write for a specific purpose and audience. I can identify cooperation and conflict and the causes of each.

Moline School 4th grade teacher Mr. Haldaman works with students Keyonna Norfleet, Genesis Griffith,

Zinaya Ward, Kaylee Hammonds, Caden Williams and Racquee Johnson on how to use the newspaper to look for new STEM projects on the NIE page. The school is in the Riverview School District. Photo: Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Photo courtesy historymakers.com

Sinquefield-funded nonprofit lands consulting firm contract

Grow Missouri, Inc., an organization funded by billionaire retired financer Rex Sinquefield, has been selected to be one of St. Louis city’s consultants in exploring privatizing St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

On January 26, a five-member selection committee voted 3-0 to move forward with a joint proposal that includes Grow Missouri; Washington D.C.-based consulting firm McKenna & Associates LLC; and global investment bank Moelis & Company LLC.

The committee members who voted in favor included City Counselor Julian Bush, Deputy City Counselor Michael Garvin, and Linda Martinez, the mayor’s deputy of development. Deputy Comptroller Jim Garavaglia voted to abstain, and Tom Shepard, chief of staff for aldermanic President Lewis Reed, did not attend the meeting.

Garvin will now negotiate a contract with the joint proposal team.

The approved proposal states that if the city completes an airport leasing deal, Grow Missouri, Inc. will be reimbursed for “out-of-pocket payments for the fees and expenses” of other joint proposers and any contractors Grow Missouri retain. The proposal also stated that no “other payments” will be made to Grow Missouri.

However, the Sinquefield-funded nonprofit paid for the application into the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Privatization Program early last year. Grow Missouri has also launched “Fly314,” its outreach project to gain support for privatizing Lambert. If the deal is successful, Grow Missouri will be reimbursed for the application fee and its promotion efforts.

Then-Mayor Francis G. Slay initiated the application process just weeks before he left the office. Slay’s former chief of staff Jeff Rainford

is a lobbyist for one of the potential bidders.

Martinez said that the team submitted a “very specific fee proposal.”

“It’s a sliding scale based on what is generated,” Martinez said. “If the amount generated is zero, they will be paid zero.”

She said she couldn’t give any dollar amounts until the contract is negotiated.

Garvin said at a meeting last week that the Request For Proposals (RFP) for a consulting team went out in October, and they have received 11 proposals.

However, he said there are only two full proposals. And only one of them truly meets the requirements, he said.

Going forward with leasing the airport would require a city ordinance, approved by the Board of Aldermen, or a City Charter amendment, which would require 60 percent voter approval.

Since January 5, former Republican state Senator Tom Dempsey – who also works at Sinquefield’s primary political shop, Pelopidas LLC – has been registered as a lobbyist for St. Louis city. The city’s main lobbyist Jeff Aboussie also represents Great St. Louis, a Sinquefield-backed political action committee.

A five-member selection committee voted 3-0 to move forward with a joint proposal to explore privatizing St. Louis Lambert International Airport that includes Grow Missouri. Selection members pictured are (starting left) Linda Martinez, deputy mayor for development, Deputy Comptroller Jim Garavaglia, and Deputy City Counselor Michael Garvin (middle). Standing in back behind the committee is prominent lobbyist Lou Hamilton.

She explained that St. Louis became the first municipally-owned airport in the United States in 1927. Because of that, St. Louis is among only 12 public airports out of 457 throughout the country that is “grandfathered” into a federal program that allows the owners to receive part of the airport’s revenue. The city receives about $6.5 million annually, but that would go away if the airport is privatized.

In short, taxpayers are paying a still unknown amount for two lobbyists with strong Sinquefield ties, and they could potentially pay Sinquefield’s nonprofit to help him achieve his goal of privatizing the airport.

Airport growth

On January 24, Airport Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge spoke to the aldermanic transportation committee about the airport’s operations.

“One thing I think it’s important to understand –the airlines don’t like us being a sponsored airport,” HammNiebruegge told the aldermen. “They are very vocal about it on a federal level because they feel like that money should stay at the airport so that their costs can continue to go down.”

She said that the fees for airlines are now competitive with others around the country.

“Theoretically, if you’re more costeffective, that’s a better opportunity for you to grow the traffic at your airport,” she said. “If you’re too highcost of an airport, it’s going to impact who wants to fly here.”

She explained that the bulk of the growth right now is not the local market but rather connecting flights,

up in state Sen. Jamilah Nasheed’s January 2018 campaign finance report. Nasheed replied to Ceselski: “What’s your point?? I can’t wait to get rid of your useless ass. #realtalk” The post also circulated on Facebook, stirring up conversation all weekend.

Then on Monday, January 29, Nasheed issued this statement:

“I am calling for the removal of Grow Missouri, Inc. as a member of the St. Louis Airport Privatization Advisory Team. The conflict of interest this group poses threatens to derail the process with the Federal Aviation Administration and it reduces the public’s trust in the process. This cannot go on. Additionally, the advisory team as a whole has been secretive and as a result, their actions have reduced the public’s trust in the process. I believe this process needs transparency, not backroom deals. Unfortunately, I cannot support the privatization process going forward because of the involvement of Grow Missouri and the lack of transparency.”

mainly through Southwest Airlines. Through connections, the airport traffic overall can increase, although the region itself might not be growing.

“Southwest has changed a lot of their flights that formerly connected through Midway to St. Louis,” HammNiebruegge said. “And they’ve done that because they’re happy with their cost in St. Louis, they’re happy with the projections in St. Louis.”

Last year, there were 14.3 million passengers, she said, putting them at being the 31st busiest airport in the country.

“For fiscal year ending 2017, the FAA came out with a report saying St. Louis was the 7th fastest-growing airport in the country, at 8.5 percent,” Hamm-Niebruegge told the aldermen.

If St. Louis privatized its airport, it would become the only privatized airport in the country - outside of the Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Enter Jamilah Nasheed

On Friday, January 26, Committeewoman Marie Ceselski of the 7th Ward tweeted that a $750 donation from Grow Missouri showed

Last week, Nasheed announced that she is running for president of the Board of Aldermen to unseat incumbent Lewis Reed in the March 2019 election. Following her announcement, Reed said in a statement that Nasheed’s “true motives are not what’s good for the community.”

In a tweet, Nasheed slammed Reed for the absence of his representative at the selection committee’s meeting.

“TFW you get attacked about your ‘true motives’ by a politician who takes a walk when it’s time to show his...”

Shepard replied to her tweet, “Didn’t take a walk. Told them I wasn’t available Fri. afternoon & they set mtg w/o me. Your motives r questionable because you’re known to be untrustworthy.”

On January 30, 18 aldermen sent a letter to the members of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment –Krewson, Reed and Comptroller Darlene Green – asking them to reject the selection committee’s choice of Grow Missouri because of conflicts of interests and concerns from their constituents. Signatures from two members of the aldermanic transportation committee – 19th Ward Alderwoman Marlene Davis and 4th Ward Alderman Sam Moore – were absent from the letter.

Photo by Rebecca Rivas

COCA in motion

‘Momentum’ illustrates strength of organization’s dance program

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

Watching the COCAdance production of “Momentum” this weekend gave a glimpse of what’s possible when creativity is met with structure – and talent is nurtured.

Under the leadership of co-artistic directors Antonio (one of COCAdance’s most famous alums) and Kirven Douthit-Boyd, along with entire the team that keeps the program moving, the winter 2018 production of the company of young dancers stood on par with a professional troupe.

Both engaging and entertaining, “Momentum” gave dozens of young dancers the

opportunity to display the rich variety that can be found within movement – even within the confines of contemporary and hip-hop dance.

The show opened with a video featuring Anthony “Redd” Williams as COCAdance com-

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St.

Louis American

I’ve decided that every so often, I would take some space to let everyone know some things on the entertainment scene that I truly believe are worth checking for – as well as deliver a shout out or two to people connected to our city that are doing big things. I really don’t think this column needs any additional introduction, so let’s get right to it.

Keyon Harrold at The Bistro – This time last year, Ferguson native Keyon Harrold was bringing home a Grammy for his work on Robert Glasper’s “Miles Ahead” soundtrack – which honestly was the best thing about Don Cheadle’s tragically made film of the same name. Keyon has worked with just about everybody who matters in the music business. We would be here all day if we named them all, so why don’t I just say Bey-Z and Maxwell and be done with it. You’ll get to see him live when Jazz St. Louis brings him home next week for a special

Members of COCAdance perform a selection from ‘Momentum’

by Monica Mileur

memorated the 10th anniversary of the program’s hip-hop element. “I’m proud of this legacy – and I’m proud to

See COCA, C4

Blanchard

By Kenya Vaughn Of the St. Louis American

“I wanted to be Miles Davis when I was a kid,” said Grammy Award-winning musician and composer Terence Blanchard. “Then I met Miles Davis, and I said ‘Well, that ain’t gonna happen.’ So, the next question is, ‘Who am I?’”

That same question is the driving force behind “Bud, Not Buddy,” the jazz drama scored by Blanchard that will be produced by Metro Theater Company at the Grandel from February 4 – 25.

The play tells the story of a young orphan growing up in the jazz era of the 1930s who is fueled by his love of music to find his roots and his family.

“Bud, Not Buddy” is based on Christopher Paul Curtis’ Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award-winning book.

“Black History has been a great month to help our youth connect to who they are,” Blanchard said. “Jazz is a huge link in the chain of the creative world in the U.S. that has changed music around the world. It’s important for our kids to make that connection.”

Metro Theater is the first company to present the play since it premiered at Kennedy Center last year. Metro Theater Artistic Director Julia Flood will direct the production.

“I started to have a relationship with St. Louis because of the opera and Opera Theatre St. Louis and Jazz St. Louis,” Blanchard said. “To have a work commissioned by another arts organization come to St. Louis, it means a lot to me.”

He will also be in town as part of a benefit concert on Saturday (February 3) that features Peter Martin and Brian Owens.

As far as what audiences can expect, Blanchard said, “I have no idea,” which is the proper jazz answer.

He was more excited to talk about the upcoming play, it’s significance and what he feels

‘The Honest Struggle’ is among the featured films for the Africa World Documentary Film Festival presented by UMSL that plays next week at the Missouri History Museum.

UMSL series Africa World Documentary Film Festival returns to History Museum

Special to The American The 11th annual Africa World Documentary Film Festival, sponsored by the E. Desmond Lee Professorship in African/African American Studies at the International Studies and Programs office, University of Missouri-St. Louis, will take place Friday, February 9 to Sunday, February 1 at the Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd. (63112).

n The international festival is committed to the promotion of knowledge, life and culture of the people of Africa worldwide, in a Pan-African context through cinema.

The international festival, which is committed to the promotion of knowledge, life and culture of the people of Africa worldwide, in a Pan-African context through cinema, will feature 24 films from 16 different countries, including South Africa, Norway, Nigeria, South United Kingdom, Brazil, Haiti and the U.S. during its official opening in St. Louis. Afterward, the festival travels to different venues in the U.S. and around the world, including Philadelphia, Ghana, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa and the United Kingdom. For its eleventh season, the festival selected 50 excellent documentaries out of the 185+ submitted by filmmakers from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Central Africa Republic, China, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Italy, Jordan, Liberia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sudan, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom, Uganda, and the U.S. Some of the major subjects covered in these selected documentary films are art, business, crime and violence, culture, education, gender, history, human trafficking, immigration, identity, music and dance, traditional religion, personal biographies, politics, poverty, race, society, sports and women’s issues.

The festival is free and open to the public and includes discussions with some of the filmmakers and experts in the subject areas following the screening of the films. Middle and high See

Photo

Keyon Harrold

How to place a calendar listing

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

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

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

concerts

Through Feb. 3, Jazz St. Louis presents Cyrus Chestnut. Jazz at the Bistro, 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.jazzstl.org.

Sat., Feb. 3, 8 p.m., Peter Martin and Brian Owens: Jazz Benefit Concert. With guest appearance by Terence Blanchard. Benefitting Metro Theater Company. Grandel. 3610 Grandel Sq., 63108. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sat., Feb. 3, 8 p.m., The Pageant presents Jacquees –Love & R&B Pre-Valentine’s Day Concert. 6161 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com.

Feb. 7 – Feb. 8, Jazz St. Louis presents Keyon Harrold. Jazz at the Bistro, 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.jazzstl.org.

Sat., Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m., Jazz St. Louis presents Jazz Memories of Michael Jackson. Jazz at the Bistro, 3536 Washington Ave., 63103.

Sun., Feb. 11, 3 p.m., The Saint Louis Chamber Chorus presents Love Dances, St. Louis Chamber Chorus, Concert 4. 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, visit www. chamberchorus.org.

Sun., Feb. 11, 5 p.m., PreValentine Blues Show feat. Skeet Rodgers & ICBB Band. 8911 Natural Bridge Rd., 63121. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Feb. 14 – 17, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m., Jazz St. Louis presents Alicia Olatuja. Jazz at the Bistro.

Fri., Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m.,

St. Louis Music Festival featuring 112, Guy with Teddy Riley, Next, Jagged Edge and Ginuwine, Chaifetz Arena. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com

local gigs

Sat., Feb. 3, 9 p.m., Blvck Writes Tour STL starring Blvck Spvde, Blank Space, 2847 Cherokee.

Sat., Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m., Jazz St. Louis presents Jazz Memories of Michael Jackson. Jazz at the Bistro, 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.jazzstl.org.

Sat., Feb. 10, 2 p.m., A PreValentine’s Day Celebration feat. Tim Cunningham and Courtney Loveless Moore Proceeds benefit the Sumner High Science Department Enrichment Program and other programs. Henry Givens Administrative Building, Harris Stowe, 3026 Laclede Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Sun., Feb. 11, 3 p.m., The Saint Louis Chamber Chorus presents Love Dances, St. Louis Chamber Chorus, Concert 4. 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, visit www. chamberchorus.org.

Feb. 13 – 14, The Sheldon Coffee Concert Series presents Brian Owens: Love Songs. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Feb. 14 – 17, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m., Jazz St. Louis presents Alicia Olatuja. Jazz at the Bistro.

Thur., Feb. 15, 7 p.m., St. Louis Public Library presents a Gene Jackson Concert. Central Branch, 1301 Olive St., 63103. For more

Kenya Vaughn recommends

information, visit www.slpl. org.

special events

Thur., Feb. 1, 5:30 p.m., KIPP St. Louis High School Open House. Take a tour, meet our teachers, and enter the raffle. 706 N. Jefferson Ave., 63103. For more information or to register, visit www.connect-stl.lpages.com.

Feb. 1 – 4, Disney on Ice presents Reach for the Stars. Disney stars including Elsa, Rapunzel, Ariel, and others for a dazzling skating spectacle. Scottrade Center, 1401 Clark Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com.

Fri., Feb. 2, 5:30 p.m., Kendra Scott Gives Back to the Center for Women in Transition. Join us for sips, sweets, and shopping for Kendra Scott jewelry. 20% of proceeds benefit the Center. 1701 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, visit www.cwitstl.org.

Fri., Feb. 2, 6 p.m., St. Louis Science Center presents First Friday: Marvel Universe, Featuring Black Panther Dress as a Marvel character, explore “Marvel-ous” questions, and watch Captain America: Civil War. 5050 Oakland Ave., 63110. For more information, visit www. slsc.org.

Sat., Feb. 3, 7 p.m., Doorways invites you to InspiRED 2018. The gala supports the programs, services, and mission of our organization. The Ritz Carlton St. Louis Ballroom, 100 Carondelet Plaza, 63105. For more information, visit www. doorwaysred.org.

Sat., Feb. 3, 8 p.m., Vashon High School Class of ‘83 invites you to Blue Valentine Dance. Food and setups will be sold, champagne and chocolate fountain. Carr Square Center, 1629 Biddle, 63118. For more information, call (314) 480-0311.

Wed., Feb. 7, 11 a.m., DJC, LLC presents the XXI Annual Diversity Job Fair Interview for positions in optical care, transportation,

healthcare, and more. North County Recreation Complex, 2577 Redman Rd., 63136. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Feb. 8 – 11, 2018

Progressive® Insurance St. Louis Boat & Sports show Featuring more than 400 of the latest model boats, the newest marine products, and outdoor gear. America’s Center, 701 Convention Plaza, 63101. For more information, visit www. stlouisboatshow.com.

Fri., Feb. 9, 9 a.m., St. Louis Zoo 2018 Job Fair. Information on 2018 spring, summer and fall seasonal employment, plus an opportunity for a screening interview. 1 Government Dr., 63110. For more information, visit www.stlzoo.org/ employment.

Sat., Feb. 10, 2 & 7:30 p.m., The St. Louis Cultural Flamenco Society presents Valentine’s Day a la Flamenca. New, creative music and flamenco dance styles from Spain. Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.

Tues., Feb. 13, 11 a.m., National Career Fairs presents St. Louis Career Fair Live Hiring Event. Double Tree Westport, 1973 Craigshire Rd., 63146. For more information, visit www. nationalcareerfairs.com.

Tues., Feb. 13, 4 p.m., Showcasing the “E” in STEM. Youth will be exposed to hands-on engineering activities facilitated by NSBE. Mathews-Dickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club, 4245 N. Kingshighway Blvd., 63115. For more information or to RSVP, visit www.dstslmac. com/stem.

Tues., Feb. 13, 6:30 p.m., Monsanto Family YMCA invites you to a Valentine’s Day Ball – Dinner & Dance Performance by the Dirty Muggs. River City Casino Ballroom, 777 River City Casino Blvd., 63125. For more information, call (314) 3674646.

Feb. 13 – 14, 7:30 p.m., The Price Is Right Live The host for the evening will be Todd Newton. Prizes may include appliances, vacations and possibly a new car. Fabulous Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Fri., Feb. 16, 4 p.m., The Engineering Center of St. Louis presents Engineers Career Fair & Happy Hour. 4359 Lindell Blvd., 63108. For more information or to register, visit www. engineeringcenter.org.

Sun., Feb. 18, 1:15 p.m. & 3:10 p.m., The St. Louis Public Library will celebrate Black History Month with featured speaker Rev. Jesse Jackson, Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust St. Each engagement is free and open to the public, but reservations are required at https://www. brownpapertickets.com/ event/3201803. Tickets should be presented at the door in paper or electronic form.

Sun., Feb. 18, 6 p.m. (5 p.m. doors), Community Women Against Hardship’s Black History Month Celebration featuring legendary pianist Johnny O’Neal at the Harold and Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz. All proceeds benefit their Health and Wellness Programming. All tickets available via the Jazz St. Louis Box Office, 3536 Washington or by calling (314) 571-6000.

Fri., Feb. 23, 3 p.m., The Engineering Center of St. Louis presents Student Discovery and College Fair High school students can explore the field of engineering with leading STEM companies and speak to college recruiters.

literary

Thur., Feb. 1, 4:30 p.m., Library Faculty Book Talk Series hosts author Brandon Wilson, author of The Half Beneath. Wilson explores the life of a slave through his great-great-grandfather. Olin Library, WashU, One Brookings Dr., 63105. For more information, visit www. library.wustl.edu.

Thur., Feb. 8, 7 p.m., St. Louis County Library hosts author Dr. Jonathan Quick, author of The End of Epidemics: The Looming Threat to Humanity and How to Stop It. Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, visit www. slcl.org.

Sat., Feb. 10, 10 a.m., World of Reading: Multicultural Fair. Explore the world through crafts, music and dance for all ages. Kirkwood

Jazz St. Louis presents Jazz Memories of Michael Jackson. See CONCERTS for details.

Public Library, 140 E. Jefferson Ave., 63122. For more information, visit www. kirkwoodpubliclibrary.org.

Mon., Feb. 12, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Morgan Jerkins, author of This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminist in (White) America. 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, visit www.leftbank.com.

comedy

Thur., Feb. 1, 6 p.m., Beards and Red Dresses Pre Valentine Happy Hour. Enjoy the comedy of Frank Lyles. The Gallery by Troy, 4519 Olive St., 63108. For more information, visit ww.eventbrite.com.

theatre

Feb. 2 – 3, Washington University presents Lunar New Year Festival. The show includes many colorful performances woven together by a play. Edison Theater, Washington University, 6465 Forsyth Blvd., 63105. For more information, visit www. lnyf.wustl.edu.

Feb. 2 – 4, The Fabulous Fox Theatre presents The Sound of Music. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Feb. 2 – 4, TLT Productions presents Beyond the River: Moving Forward. Maya is greeted in her dreams by a young man named D.C.together they venture into the future. Marcelle, 3310 Samuel Shepard Dr., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Feb. 4 – 25, Metro Theater Company and Jazz St. Louis present Bud, Not Buddy. Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Sq., 63108. For more information, visit www. metroplays.org.

Feb. 7 – 11, Fontbonne University Theatre presents Principal Principle. Kay Josephs quits her corporate job to teach English in an urban high school. Mustard Seed Theatre, 6800 Wydown Blvd., 63105. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.

Wed., Feb. 7, 6:30 p.m., Lila: The Life of a Missouri Slave Maplewood Public Library, 7550 Lohmeyer, 63143. For more information, visit www. maplewoodpubliclibrary.com.

Thur., Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m., Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live: King for a Day! A brand-new adventure in the Neighborhood of MakeBelieve where Daniel learns what it takes to be King. Peabody Opera House, 1400 Market St., 63101. For more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com.

Thur., Feb. 1, 11 a.m., Black Masculinity and the Black Speculative Arts Movement. A day exploring the image of the black male within the context of the Black Speculative Arts Movement. 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. mohistory.org.

Through Feb. 4, National Blues Museum presents The Blues in Black and White –The Blues Photography of Kirk West. 615 Washington Ave., 63101. For more information, visit www. nationalbluesmuseum.org.

Fri., Feb. 9, 6 p.m., In Living Color Opening Reception. The exhibit is a group art show featuring works from 10 artists. TechArtista, 4818 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 898-0933 or visit www. facebook.com.

Sat., Feb. 10, 6 p.m., St. Louis Reconciliation Network presents HeARTS for Racial Reconciliation St. Louis ArtWorks, 5959

Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Through February 28, Portfolio Gallery’s presentation of All Colors Visual Arts Invitational & Juried Exhibition, the exhibition features the work of invited African-American and juried artists from across the country. St. Louis Artists’ Guild, 12 North Jackson Ave., 63105. For more information, visit www.stlouisartistsguild. org.

lectures and workshops

Thur., Feb. 1, 6:30 p.m., Becoming a Part of the Community: How Do

Mon., Feb. 5, 5:30 p.m., Understanding the Homeownership Process. We will discuss budgeting and credit, financing, shopping for a home, and more. 1023 N. Grand Blvd., 63106. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Tues., Feb. 6, 6:30 p.m., The Foundation for Financial Education presents College Planning 101. Discussing the M.Y.T.H about financial aid, sources of money, and advice for the funding process. 140 E. Jefferson Ave., 63122. For more information, visit www. kirkwoodpubliclibrary.org.

Fri., Feb. 9, 2:30 p.m., Misguided and Misdiagnosed: Mental Health and the Criminal Justice System. Brown School, Washington University, 1 Brookings Dr., 63130. For more information, visit www. misguidedandmisdiagnosed. eventbrite.com

I Become Involved? Maplewood Public Library, 7550 Lohmeyer, 63143. For more information, visit www. maplewoodpubliclibrary.com.

Sat., Feb. 3, 12:30 p.m., 2018 St. Louis HBCU Alumni Association Scholarship Fair. The event will consist of 3 workshops: essay writing, FAFSA & Financial Aid, and ways to obtain free scholarships. Il Monestero, 3050 Olive St., 63103. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Mon., Feb. 5, 5:30 p.m., Regional Arts Commission Artist Support Grant Howto-Apply Workshop. Get tips on the process, budgeting, and presenting your work. 6128 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com

Sat., Feb. 10, 10 a.m., Hyde Park “Finest 15” Property Workshop. Make a Land Registration Authority vacant building in Hyde Park your Home or learn how to purchase, and rehab properties. Mission St. Louis Office, 3108 N. Grand, 63107. For more information, visit www. hydeparkneighbors.org.

Sun., Feb. 11, 2 p.m., Race and the Blues in St. Louis: The Present. The Stage at KDHX, 3524 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.

Mon., Feb. 12, 5:30 p.m., SCORE presents How to Start a Not-For-Profit Business. Anheuser-Busch Hall, Fontbonne, 6800 Wydown Blvd., 63105. For more information, visit www. stlouis.score.org.

Thursdays in February, Missouri Humanities

Council presents A View of African American History and Culture. Henry Givens Jr. Admin Building, Harris Stowe, 3026 Laclede Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. mohumanities.org/educationprograms.

Sat., Feb. 3, 8:30 a.m., 2018 Christian Hospital Heart Fair Stress and Your Heart Health, Christian Hospital Detrick Building – Atrium 8:30 a.m.12 p.m. Registration closes at 11 a.m. Space is limited and registration is requested, so call 314-747-WELL (9355) and register today!

Sat., Feb. 3, 6:30 p.m., Heart & Soul: A Hollywood Affair. Be whisked away to Old Hollywood and reminded of the mission of Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch, 315 Chestnut St., 63105. For more information, visit www.glennon.org/heartand-soul.

Tues., Feb. 6, 6 p.m., Infant CPR Class. 10030 Manchester Rd., 63122. For more information or to register, call (314) 504-7926 or visit www. stlsafetybasics.com.

Fri., Feb. 16, 4 p.m., Glennon Style. Children’s and adult fashion show to raise money for the Cardinal Glennon Therapy Department. The Ritz-Carlton St. Louis, 100 Carondelet Plaza, 63105. For more information, visit www. glennon.org/style.

spiritual

Through Feb. 4, 2018 Tabernacle of Life Christian Church Annual Leadership Conference. Our theme is “Building Sustainable Leadership for Kingdom Connection. 3649 Clay Ave., 63115. For more information, visit www.tolccvision.org.

The St. Louis Public Library will celebrate Black History Month with featured speaker Rev. Jesse Jackson. For more information, see SPECIAL EVENTS.

Kenya Vaughn recommends

school students from St. Louis area, including students from Pamoja Preparatory Academy (an African-centered St. Louis Public School) and Grand Center Arts Academy (a confluence Charter School that focuses on dance, orchestra, band, visual arts, choir, and theater), are expected to attend the opening day of the festival.

Popular St. Louis DJ, Dee Jay Wiz will provide live entertainment for the audience to commemorate legendary

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the audience will take away from experiencing “Bud, Not Buddy.”

“Sometimes in Black History Month we focus on the negatives – about our people being enslaved and all of that,” Blanchard said. “But we have a rich history. We had a rich history before that and we have one after that. Hopefully this will, in a small way, help our kids connect to the positive sides of where they come from.”

He’s done movies and he’s done an opera, but “Bud, Not Buddy” was the first time he had scored something for young people – which presented its own set of challenges, and opportunities.

“Doing a children’s play is different because you have to keep things moving,” Blanchard said. “You can’t have the music just settle in one spot and it has to be entertaining. Going through the workshop period with the folks at Kennedy Center was a great experience. With great actors and great musicians, they created the imagery that allowed these kids to have a very unique experience – it’s kind of like an analog experience.”

The set is minimal, but there is a full jazz ensemble to perform Blanchard’s music as the cast performs the play.

“For the most part, it allows the kids to create their own imagery in their minds,” Blanchard said. “To me, that’s fascinating. It empowers them. It allows them to discover their own personalities.

Chicago radio personality Herb ‘The Cool Gent’ Kent prior to viewing the documentary on Kent, titled “Froze in my Clothes” on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 6 p.m.

Documentaries screening on Saturday include “The Honest Struggle,” which is about a devout Muslim ex-offender from Chicago Southside and his journey re-entering society after being incarcerated three times. “Afia Attacks” is a story about the hardships faced by Biafran women during the Nigerian Civil war. “Covered in the Blood of Jesus,” explores the conditions of oil, poverty and Christianity in the Nigerian

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be a part of the COCA family,” Williams said as he discussed the growth of the program he founded a decade ago.

Audiences were able to see the power of the program for themselves as more than 60 dancers opened the show with “10,” a ten-minute, high-impact mix of movement set to the likes of Rihanna and Kendrick Lamar.

Tiny b-girls and b-boys to those approaching adulthood popped and locked across the stage to open “Momentum” with a bang.

Niger Delta. A variety of short films will screen as part of the daylong festival on Sunday, February 11.

For a complete list of the documentary films that are showing at the Missouri History Museum from February 9-11, check the festival website at www.africaworldfilmfestival. com or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ AfricaWorldDocumentary FilmFestival. For additional information, please contact the festival director, Dr. Niyi Coker at contact@africaworldfilmfestival.com or call 314 516 4852.

“For me is that I wish I could hear the conversations that the kids have amongst themselves after they see the play and how they would describe it to other children.”

Blanchard hopes that the young people see themselves in Bud enough to set out on their own path.

“This is a kid trying to find himself and he asks all sorts of questions: Who am I? Where did I come from? Who am I related to? Why do I have this thing for music,” said Blanchard. “And ultimately, what I love about this story is that it’s not that he had the questions and didn’t do anything about them. He had a burning desire that led him to go out and try to find his fam-

ily. “Hopefully that it will spark some creative ideas in some young kids’ minds and allow them to set out on their own path – whatever that is – and to see other avenues in the various forms of expression.”

Metro Theater Company’s presentation of “Bud, Not Buddy” will play at The Grandel Theatre from February 4-25. For more information, visit metrotheater.org.

A Jazz Concert Benefit featuring Peter Martin and Brian Owens and featuring Terence Blanchard will take place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3 at The Grandel Theatre. For more information, visit ww.metrotix. com.

The concert would pivot between modern and hip-hop –and proved a fitting last performance for COCA’s Founder’s Theatre.

“After the ‘Momentum’ cast takes their final bow, we will start the next chapter of COCA Presents as we begin construction of our facility renovation and expansion, which will include a new state-of-the-art theatre,” COCA Executive Director Kelly Pollock said in her notes for the show.

“Momentum” was a fitting farewell.

The young people were as poised as professionals while performing choreography so intricate and precise that a single missed step would be unforgivingly obvious.

But these young dancers were focused – and more importantly, appeared to be genuinely having fun and engaged with respect to interpreting the intended emotion with each piece.

Thanks to the connections of the program’s co-directors

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Continued from C1

two-night engagement. The show’s fall in the middle of the week, but it will be so worth it to be sleepy on the job for the sake of checking out our own Grammy winning trumpet master perform selections from his latest album “The Mugician”. The shows will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 7 – Thursday, Feb. 8 at the Ferring Jazz Bistro, 3536 Washington. Visit www.jazzstlouis.org for more details.

Blvck Spvde at Blank Space – It’s no secret I’ve been riding with Blvck Spvde for more than a decade. As a matter of I still have his album “To Serve With Love” in my CD shuffler. Don’t bother judging me for not converting it to digital. Instead, use that energy to turn up at “Blvck Writes” tour, which starts in Chicago and lands back at home at The Blank Space (2847 Cherokee St.) before he dips off to cities like New York, Dallas and Atlanta. The St. Louis show also features local rapper Arshad Goods. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/blackspadeofficial/

– who are both alumni of the famed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – dance legend and Ailey’s Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison was on hand at COCA to instruct the students for the ballet “Divining.” Jamison would have been proud of the young people incorporating her meticulous attention to detail when she visited last year as a guest teacher during the actual performance of “Divining.”

Kirven Douthit-Boyd’s unti-

tled piece echoed a response to Ailey’s signature ballet “Revelations.”

On the hip-hop side, a tribute to Janet Jackson’s 30-plus years as an influencer caused the crowd to erupt and groove from their seats.

“I felt like I was in middle school again,” one woman said after singing and dancing along to the Janet Jackson medley. “Seeing these kids perform like that – and at this level – makes me want to have a do-over.”

B. Jordan and more), black director (Ryan Coogler) and black writer (Roxanne Gay). According to several outlets, the movie is on pace to break pre-sale records set by 2016’s “Batman vs. Superman.” And don’t be surprised if folks were so inspired by the Afrocentric melanin magic on the purple carpet at the “Black Panther” premiere on Monday, that they come dressed like they are straight out of Zamunda.

Black Panther coming to a theater near you – If you don’t see many black folks out and about on the weekend of February 16, chances are they are in Wakanda. It’s not a real place, so don’t bother going to google maps. It’s the setting for the highly anticipated Marvel all-black action flick “Black Panther,” the first Marvel movie with an all-black cast (that includes Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett, Michael

STL in the building for The 2018 Grammy Awards – SZA and The Baylor Project deserve a standing ovation for their multiple nods for the 60th Grammy Awards. All is not well with my soul that neither of these immense talents didn’t bring home the gold – particularly SZA being passed over for “Best New Artist” considering how her debut album “CTRL” shut the music industry down. But I have a feeling we haven’t seen the last of either of them at the biggest night in music. Since I’m speaking on the Grammy Awards and St. Louis Let me also take a moment to give the Academy a round of applause for taking a moment to allow the gorgeous Gary Clark Jr. to pay tribute to St. Louis son and rock music pioneer Chuck Berry.

Terence Blanchard

Blvck Spvde

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

A small, volunteer based not-for-profit is seeking application for the position of Chief Operating Officer to open February 1, 2018.

The candidate must possess a comprehensive understanding of not-for-profit organizational functions and systems that include planning, administration, resource development and marketing. The position assist the CEO in the effective management of the agency. Candidates who have a least three years of demonstrated effectiveness in a nonprofit setting will be considered. An undergraduate degree is required, with an advanced degree such as MBA or Masters in Nonprofit Management highly desirable. Recent retirees can also apply.

Send resume and salary requirement to Community Women Against Hardship, Inc.

P.O. Box 23247, St. Louis, Mo. 63156

NO TELEPHONE CALLS

PERSONAL CARE

ATTENDANT

MedStar Home Health Services CDS a

Consumer Directed Services company seeking caring individuals that would like to earn up to $11.00 per hour taking care of their loved ones in their homes.

To learn more about this opportunity contact us at (314) 782-7311 or via email at info@medstarcds.com.

PROJECT MANAGER

Great Rivers Greenway is seeking a project manager. The right candidate will have five to seven years of progressively responsible experience with an understanding of public sector procurement, contracting, planning, design or construction Check https:// GreatRiversGreenway.org/jobs-bids/ and submit by February 12, 2018. EOE

RECREATION DEPARTMENTSITE MONITOR (PART TIME)

The City of Jennings is accepting applications for a Part Time Recreation Department Site Monitor. Duties include: overseeing the activity sites, installation and removal of program equipment, maintaining a safe and clean environment for participants and spectators. Rate of pay is $10 per hour. Applications available at Jennings City Hall, 2120 Hord Ave. or at www.cityofjennings.org. CODE ENFORCEMENT INSPECTOR

The City of Jennings is accepting applications for a code enforcement inspector. Duties include conducting interior and exterior inspections, writing reports, issuing citations and testifying in court. Must be familiar with ICC codes and have current valid drivers license. Three years of experience as an inspector and ICC certification preferred. Starting annual salary $31,590. Applications available at Jennings City Hall, 2120 Hord Ave. or at www.cityofjennings.org. NO RESUMES ACCEPTED WITHOUT

OF

applications

or

wkly /referral bonus & much more! Please call 314-822-8158 or go online to register www.algonquinnurses.com

PART-TIME FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY POSITION

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Inc. (LSEM), a non-profit law firm that provides free legal assistance to persons living with low income/low opportunity, seeks a part-time attorney (24 hours/week) to work in the LSEM St. Louis office’s family law/ domestic violence program known as the Lasting Solutions Program, in all substantive aspects of family law in Missouri. For more information and application instructions, please go to www.lsem.org.

ATTORNEY

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Inc. (LSEM), a non-profit law firm that provides free legal assistance to people living with low income/low opportunity, seeks an attorney to work in its Community and Economic Development Program. For more information, see the full posting at www.lsem.org. Interested candidates should submit their resume and cover letter by February 18, 2018 to John Early, Director of Human Resources & Operations at jgearly@lsem.org.

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Tower Grove Park is seeking a qualified Director of Development. Additional information about this position can be found at: www.towergrovepark.org. Deadline to apply is February 12, 2018. Tower Grove Park is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

MAJOR GIFTS OFFICERS

The Missouri Historical Society seeks Major Gifts Officers. Visit www.mohistory.org for position details and to apply. An Equal Opportunity Employer

COORDINATOR

The United Way of Greater St. Louis is seeking a Financial Stability Coordinator. Please visit our website at http://www. stl.unitedway.org under our careers section for a complete job description. No phone calls please.

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS

The Haven of Grace seeks a qualified Director of Development and Communications. Additional information about this position can be found at: www.havenofgracestl.org. Deadline to apply is January 31, 2018. The Haven of Grace is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

UNDERWRITER – TREATY REINSURANCE

Entry level underwriting/marketing account representative for small or medium client companies within established lines of business.

Relied upon by SN management to develop and provide solutions for client insurance company reinsurance purchases. Responsible for the underwriting, processing, retention, profitability and other analysis of assigned renewal deals within the Treaty Reinsurance (TRe) portfolio.

To apply, please visit: www.safetynational.com and click on the Careers tab.

EVALUATION AND RESEARCH SPECIALIST

ARCHS, a highly respected not-for-profit funding agency, is seeking a full-time Evaluation and Research Specialist with a dynamic data informed approach to grant management and measurement. This position is responsible for supporting an effective system that monitors the progress, impacts, and successes of ARCHS’ 30 funded initiatives. Candidates must demonstrate exemplary technical skills related to logic models, qualitative and quantitative research/analysis, data management/analysis, field observation, and grant/report writing. Requirements: Minimum of bachelor’s degree, master’s degree a plus; 5+ year experience; documented portfolio of evaluation/research/ grant writing work; highly organized; deadline focused; outgoing; inquisitive; a strong coach, writer, and editor. ARCHS’ offers a full benefit package including 401(k) match. Be prepared to provide portfolio of work upon request. EMAIL initial letter of application, resume, and salary history by February 23, 2018 to careers@stlarchs.org or FAX to ARCHS’ HR, 314-289-5670. No phone calls please.

Responsible for providing cleaning and event set up support to the Garden ensuring a clean and well-presented facility for public and staff. Provides for cost effective operations with respect to mail and shipping and receiving operations, as well as those for MBG Press.

How to Apply: Missouri Botanical Garden has a work environment that promotes diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants. Applying is now easier than ever! With our online employment application system, you can easily search available positions, receive alerts when new jobs become available, store your résumé and background information for quick access, and more.

Visit us at www.mobot.org/jobs

Missouri Botanical Garden is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Sealed bids for the Fee Fee Road ARS Infrastructure, St. Louis

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

The City of St. Louis, Department of Health (DOH), Bureau of Communicable Disease is requesting proposals from local organizations, community agencies, universities, local governmental entities and other interested parties to provide the following services: STI Testing and Treatment Services and STI Testing and Treatment Services for Youth 13-24

NOTICE- CHANGE OF NAME JUDGEMENT

From Erinn Christopher Brown/

To Erinn Christopher French

BID NOTICE

January 23, 2018

Solicitation for Bids (SFB) for:

Large tenant improvement 4 story building 100,000 + Sq. Ft within the city of St. Louis Bids Wanted

Bid documents can be obtained by emailing abright@dbsi-inc.com Any questions will be answered Monday through Friday between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Construction documents can also be obtained by the link below. The bid walk will be 2/6/2018 at 8:00 AM. Bids are due 2/16/2018 at 12:00 PM CT.

The anticipated start date of construction will be 2/26/18 and completion by 6/1/18. A majority of the work will be awarded to union preference, although all interested parties will be considered https://www.dropbox.com/sh/70awtps7axlqpc2/AACVEGWAzonYBjYKxnpSd7rpa?dl=0

DBSI Inc

Public Notice of Single Source Procurement

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to procure: Maintenance and Service of the Carbon Media equipment at MO River WWTP. The District is proposing single source procurement to Unison Solutions for this equipment because they are the installer and provider of this equipment. Any inquiries should be sent to ltreat@stlmsd.com.

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

Public Notice of Single Source Procurement

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to procure maintenance services with I B M Corporation for IBM Hardware Annual Maintenance. The District is proposing a single source procurement for this service because IBM manufactured and maintains the hardware. Any inquiries should be sent to strenz@stlmsd.com

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

Public Notice of Single Source Procurement

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to procure Microsoft Premier Support Services from Microsoft in an effort to support the District’s Desktop & Networking teams. The District is proposing a single source procurement for this service because Microsoft is the primary source of this service. Any inquiries should be sent to strenz@stlmsd.com. Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Request for Proposals (RFP) may be obtained beginning January 22, 2018 from Franda Thomas at the City of St. Louis Department of Health, 1520 Market Street, Suite 4027, St. Louis, MO 63103, or downloaded from the St. Louis City website at http://stlouis-mo. gov/, or by contacting Franda Thomas at thomasf@stlouis-mo. gov or (314) 657-1461.

SEALED BIDS

The City of Webster Groves recreation center is accepting sealed bids for concessions vendors. All bids are due to 4 E Lockwood Ave by 10:10 A.M. February 15, 2018. Bid packages can be found by going to www. webstergroves.org/bids. Questions can be directed to Miki McKee at 314-963-5656 or mckeem@webstergroves.org. All rights reserved.

SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY ACCEPTING SEALED BIDS

Notice to contractors, Special School District is accepting bids for Roof Replacement at two locations. For details, please visit the website at www.ssdmo.org/rfps.html

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS

SEWER DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District will receive RFP’s in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 10:00 a.m. on March 1, 2018 to contract with a company for: Actuary Study for Workers Compensation & Water Backups. Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). The bid document will be identified as 9289 RFP. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.6269 to request a copy of this bid. Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

BID NOTICE

The Saint Louis Zoo seeks contractors to provide the following: This project is to provide complete 24/7 video coverage of the Elephant Woods outdoor habitat. This site is located behind the Elephant Maintenance Facility and approximately 48,000 square feet. All cameras must be hard-wired and work with Milestone software. Bid should include costs of all hardware, conduits, boring, data, electrical and software licensing needed. This project must be completed by 3/30/18. See Saint Louis Zoo website for further instructions on specific requirements needed prior to walk through: https:// www.stlzoo.org/about/contact/vendoropportunities/

SEALED BIDS

The City of Webster Groves aquatic center is accepting sealed bids for concrete work. All bids are due to 4 E Lockwood Ave by 10 A.M. February 15, 2018. Bid packages can be found by going to www. webstergroves.org/bids. Questions can be directed to Dave Garth at 314-963-5690 or garthd@webstergroves.org. All rights reserved.

BID REQUEST

Great Rivers Greenway is soliciting the following work: Request for Bids: Mississippi Greenway; Leonor K. Sullivan Electrical Upgrades (799) due February 23, 2018. Request for Qualifications: 2018 Gateway Bike Plan Implementation Activities due February 15, 2018. Request for Proposals: Construction Management Services for five greenway projects due February 15, 2018. All full RFQs, RFPs and bids can be found at https://greatriversgreenway.org/jobs-bids/ Great Rivers Greenway reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. EOE

SCOTTRADE CENTER

BID NOTICE

KCI CONSTRUCTION requests proposals for the MSD ORS Pump Station Gate Project. Proposals are due by 10:00 a.m. on March 6, 2018. We will hold a pre-bid meeting for interested MBE firms on 2/15/18 at 10:00 a.m. at our office. Plans and specifications are available for viewing in our offices at 10315 Lake Bluff Drive, St. Louis, MO, 314-894-8888. KCI IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District will receive RFQ’s in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 10:00 a.m. on March 1, 2018 to contract with a company for: 2018 TANDAM AXLE SLUDGE HAULING TRACTOR. Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). The bid document will be identified as 9293 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.2735 to request a copy of this bid.

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

SEALED BIDS

for North Plaza Repairs and Erosion ControlCapitol Building, Jefferson City, MO, Project No. O1810-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 2/15/2018. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/ facilities

SEALED BIDS

for Utility Separation from Central MO, Correctional Center, Surplus Property, Jefferson City, MO, Project No. O171201 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 3/1/2018. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/ facilities

SEALED BIDS

for C o o p e r C r e e k , R e c l a

P

H e

y County, Missouri, Project No. Y1803-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 3/1/2018. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/ facilities

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The St. Louis Center for International Relations d/b/a World Trade Center-St. Louis (the “WTC”) is soliciting proposals from qualified service providers with banquet facilities to host an annual regional forum of approximately 700 international business leaders to occur in September 2018, with two successive options to renew for events to be hosted in 2019 and 2020.

To be considered, proposals must be received no later than 3:00 PM on Thursday, February 15, 2018. Proposals should be sent by email to hbean@stlpartnership.com. DBE, MBE, and WBE firms are encouraged to bid.

The Request for Proposals may be obtained from the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership’s web site at www.stlpartnership.com. The WTC reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive informalities therein. Questions should be directed to Howl Bean II at (314) 615-7663 or hbean@stlpartnership.com.

St. Louis Economic Development Partnership Equal Opportunity Employer

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The St. Louis County Port Authority (the “Authority”) is soliciting proposals from qualified developers to purchase and redevelop an approximately 140-acre property located at the former Jamestown Mall site in St. Louis County, Missouri. The property includes improvements with at least 1 million square feet “under roof” and 2 million square feet of asphalt parking. It is located adjacent to N. Lindbergh Boulevard (US Highway 67) and is easily accessible from Interstate 270. To be considered, proposals must be received no later than 3:00 PM on Friday, April 20*, 2018. The Authority reserves the right to accelerate this response deadline to consider any time-sensitive proposals, in accordance with the procedures set out in the Request for Proposals (“RFP”). Proposals may be sent to 7733 Forsyth Blvd., Suite 2200, St. Louis, MO 63105, Attn: Dustin Allison, or by e-mail to dallison@stlpartnership.com. DBE, MBE, and WBE firms are encouraged to bid. The RFP may be obtained from the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership’s web site at www.stlpartnership.com. The Authority reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive informalities therein. Questions should be directed to Dustin J. Allison, General Counsel, St. Louis Economic Development Partnership at (314) 615-7663 or dallison@stlpartnership. com. St. Louis Economic Development Partnership Equal Opportunity Employer

INVITATION TO BID

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. requests bids on Micropiles from qualified and certified MBE and WBE subcontractors and suppliers for the following project: St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station BIDS DUE: February 15, 2018 by 2:00 PM CST Contact: Mary Peterein at mpeterein@mccarthy.com or 314-919-2171

Project plans and specs can be obtained through our online Plan Room beginning January 25, 2018 at https://www.mccarthy.com/subcontractors

Prequalification is required and can also be accessed through the McCarthy website above.

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The St. Louis Economic Development Partnership (the “Partnership”) has issued an open request for qualifications from a wide variety of professional services/consulting firms for various projects initiated in 2018. This is an “Open RFQ” from which the Partnership may refer during the year, as projects become available.

The Partnership will accept qualifications throughout 2018. Qualifications should include the information indicated in the Request for Qualifications (“RFQ”), which may be obtained from the Partnership’s web site at www.stlpartnership.com. Qualifications may be sent by email to hbean@ stlpartnership.com. DBE, MBE, and WBE firms are encouraged to bid.

This RFQ shall not be construed as an offer. Submission of qualifications does not obligate the Partnership to consider a responding firm for any project or contract. Any questions should be directed to Howl Bean II at (314) 615-7663 or hbean@stlpartnership.com.

St. Louis Economic Development Partnership Equal Opportunity Employer

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Paric Corporation is seeking proposals for the following project: Scottrade Center Capital ImprovementsDemolition.

The improvement plan includes at this time the following project: - Space for future Administrative Offices

A walk thru will be held on Thursday, February 8, 2018 between 9am and 11am. We will meet at the 15th Street Entrance.

Bids will be due on February 22, 2018 at 2:00pm

This project must adhere to the City of St. Louis Mayor’s Executive Order #47 requiring the following enterprise participation: 25% MBE business and 5% WBE business participation.

This project must adhere to the City of St. Louis Ordinance 69427 requiring the following Workforce participation: 25% Minority, 5% Women workforce, 15% Apprentice workforce, and 20% City Resident workforce participation.

For any questions or if you would like to find out more detailed information on this opportunity, please contact Ruben Guzman at 636-561-9563 or rmguzman@paric.com. All bids should be delivered to Paric via e-mail (bids@ paric.com) or fax (636-561-9501).

Plans, Renderings, and RFP’s will be available to view at Paric’s Main office at 77 Westport

DIRECTOR

REQUEST FOR BIDS

The America’s Center is seeking seal bids for the remodeling East Washington Ave Lobby area. A pre-bid meeting will be held on Friday, February 9, 20018 @ 10:00am.

Contractor attendance is mandatory. The meeting location will be at the America’s Center, Washington Avenue main entrance, St. Louis, MO 63101. Project specifications will be available 9:00a.m. February 8, 2018 in the America’s Center 1st Floor Administration office or by email request to Gloria Martin gmartin@ explorestlouis.com. Please contact Chuck Bscherer at 314-342-5094 with questions. The America’s Center reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. EOE

Public Notice of Single Source Procurement

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to procure: Legal Support. The District is proposing single source procurement to Shands, Elbert, Gianoulakis & Giljum, LLP. Any inquiries should be sent to dlegrand@stlmsd.com.

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

BID NOTICE

The Saint Louis Zoo seeks contractors to construct a wood deck for the Zoo

The project scope includes the construction of a wood deck and shade structure over fifteen existing concrete piers. The site is the north lake, near the Wilds Train Station. Deliveries and construction equipment will access the site via Zoo gate on Washington Drive. The size of the deck is 17’- 4” x 45’- 8”. This project must be completed by 4/5/2018.

A mandatory pre bid meeting will be on 1/26/2018 at 9:00AM. Meet at the Living World lower Rotunda. Bids are due on 2/5/2018 at 2:00PM. Bid Documents will be available on 1/17/2018 at: https://www.stlzoo.org/about/contact/vendoropportunities/

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for Lucas Hunt Road, St. Louis County Project No. AR-1469 will be received at the Office of the Director of Procurement for the County of St. Louis, County Government Center Administration Building, 41 South Central Avenue, 8th Floor, Clayton, Missouri 63105, until 2:00 p.m. on February 21, 2018

Plans and specifications will be available on January 29, 2018 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouisco.com), or by contacting County Blue Reprographics, Inc., 1449 Strassner Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63144, (314) 961-3800.

DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

ST. LOUIS, COUNTY

BID NOTICE

Great Rivers Greenway is seeking qualifications from property appraisal companies, title and closing companies, and for digital strategy and support. Check https://greatriversgreenway.org/jobs-bids/ for details and deadlines.

Public Notice of Single Source Procurement Notice is hereby given that the

Maintenance & Auto Body Repair Bids Wanted

Bid documents may be obtained at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Airport Properties Division, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., or by calling (314) 426-8184. This SFB may also be obtained by visiting our website at www.flystl.com/ business/contact-opportunites. Robert Salarano Airport Properties Division Manager

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 at 314-289-5430 to place your rental/real estate ad today!

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Explore St. Louis is seeking a benefits brokerage/consulting firm to perform the full range of services related to the design, implementation, maintenance and improvement of Explore St. Louis’s employee benefits insurance programs. The RFP for the Benefit Consulting Services can be requested by email to ntuckson@explorestlouis.com

Proposals will be due by 3:00pm Friday, February 2, 2018. Explore St. Louis reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. EOE

BID REQUEST

Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM) requests proposals for general contractor for pavement and drainage improvements for sculpture placement in Fine Arts Drive. Bid documents through County Blue Reprographics and Dodge Plan Room. Proposals are due to SLAM by February 26, 2018, 3 P.M.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

MetroLink System-Wide Security Assessment

East-West Gateway is seeking proposals from consultants to conduct a security assessment of the MetroLink system. DBE information can be found in Section VII of the RFP.

Submittals are due no later than 1:00 p.m. on February 16, 2018. Submittal details and specifications can be obtained at www.ewgateway.org or by calling 314-421-4220 ext. 263.

ST. LOUIS BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS for DESIGN SERVICES FOR DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING DRIVE LIGHTING AND SIGNAL INTERCONNECT – PHASE III, FEDERAL PROJECT STP-9901(643), ST. LOUIS, MO. Statements of Qualifications due by 5:00 PM, CT, January 5, 2018 at Board of Public Service, 1200 Market, Room 301 City Hall, St. Louis, MO 63103. RFQ may be obtained from website www.stl-bps.

Great Rivers Greenway is soliciting sealed bids for Maline Greenway: Bridges in Bella Fontaine Park in St. Louis County, Missouri. Bids for Project #286 must be submitted electronically via

St. Louis American columnist James T. Ingram with “Girls Trip” star and comedienne Tiffany Haddish, who brought her multi-city #SheReady tour to St. Louis for two sold-out shows Friday at The Pageant.

Swag Snap of the Week

Introducing the Young Leaders. Y’all already know what time it is! Polish off your red bottom, pointed toe pumps and put your pinstripe power suit in the cleaners, because in two weeks, the young people making big moves to better our city will be celebrated at the St. Louis American Foundation’s annual Young Leaders Networking Reception and Awards Ceremony. I cannot wait! That’s right, it’s going down on February 15 at The Four Seasons and we will be honoring a lovely mix of folks making a difference in our region. Instead of giving you more reasons why you should stop through, I will go ahead and name-drop this year’s whole class. Ready, set, go! Christopher J. Carroll, Byron E. Caskey, Lauren C. Collins, Christopher C. Creath, Christina L. Dancy, Jonathan Hamilton, Tracey O. Hermanstyne, Kendrick D. Jones, Antione Lawrence, Lydia McGhee, Joshua McLeod, Monica K. Millien, Michelle C. Mitchell, Turan Mullins, Candice Nicole Nance, Channon D. Peoples, Shakaye Peters, Alona M. Sistrunk, Alandrea P. Stewart and Michael Woods. I would have needed whole other Partyline to list their respective positions and affiliations, but they will be listed in the special section that gives more insight on them the week of the event. In the meantime, you can just trust that they are the cream of the crop. Be sure to stop through and honor their contributions to the region on February 15. Things get started at 5:30 and you can visit www.stlamerican.com or call (314) 533-8000 for more details. It will sell out – as it does every year, so get your tickets TODAY! #Sheain’tready! Listen, that headline wrote itself after I had to suffer through that second show of the STL leg of Tiffany Haddish’s “#She Ready” Tour Friday night at The Pageant. Before you get in your feelings with me about it, ask any single soul who was there spectating whether or not it was an awful mess. They will cosign – and prepare for them to complain about how much money they wasted. I laughed harder from the pain of needing my wisdom teeth pulled than at any joke Tiffany served up. That doesn’t negate her “Girls Trip” performance. It doesn’t mean that she’s not an absolute hoot on talk show and interview couches. It doesn’t mean her book wasn’t enjoyable. All I’m saying is that I knew from her “Saturday Night Live” opening monologue that she was going to have to put in all types of work to prepare herself for a full stand up show that would keep my attention – and she did not do her homework. When she kept soliciting heckles early in the show, I was like, “I know she ain’t up in here trying to wing it.” She was. And I was ready to push that alleged Haddish down and say, “we came to see a comedy show, not a family reunion.” Now I would be lying if I didn’t let y’all know that I was moved by her inspirational moment in the show and in general with how she talked about the power of manifestation – which led to her overnight success. Sadly for her, we didn’t go to The Pageant to hear a motivational speech. Maybe she can manifest some material when she comes back through. If it weren’t for opening act Marlo I don’t think I would have cackled one good time. Relax Marlo, I won’t use your whole government name, so you won’t lose your Section 8 voucher (before you accuse me of being awful, it was a part of her routine). But something tells me that you’re smart enough to be using a stage name. When she fell during her old lady dance moves and that wig cocked to the side, I liked to have died. And when she said had the wig fallen off, she would have looked like somebody’s nephew, I officially died. Terry Crouppen’s son Samson was cool, but I was hoping for him to actually be on beat with his little rap bit. He wasn’t.

Shuttin’ it down with Shy Glizzy. I know he was a Grammy nominee and all, but my goodness. Could there have been any more people in the Marquee to catch rapper Shy Glizzy lip sync Friday night? The answer is absolutely not! I’m catching a hot flash just thinking about it. And I hate to be petty, but he was so regular that I could hardly pick him out on stage. And I know we listened to some things that had the elders shaking their heads and praying at the same time, but he has a song about how lit his funeral is going to be. I just can’t get with that – mainly because it doesn’t matter once you’re in that casket. Let’s rap about making choices to delay your funeral. I’m just sayin.’ Okay, enough about that, just know that the party was live to the point where they couldn’t let anybody else in.

Tickled by Talent. Now because I didn’t get ANY laughs at Tiffany Haddish, I stopped through the Laugh Lounge on Saturday night to get my funny bone tickled by Talent – remember him from the “Def Comedy Jam” heyday? Well, he was as hilarious as ever! I saw him last year when he came through the club formerly known as 54 – and he was funny then too. I think I’m going to head back to chuckle with Jessie Taylor and company this weekend, because he’s bringing Marcus Combs.

Poetic Justice of all colors. After being disappointed with how the Grammys turned out, I headed south to catch Corey Black and his monthly open mic set Poetic Justice Sunday night at 2720 Cherokee to lift my spirits. I was thrilled to see the ethnic diversity on the mic. I also caught life from Poetic Justice first-timer Seven, who had me “Love Jones” snapping after her two pieces. Girl, finish that second poem and stop back through so I can hear how it ends.

Happy birthday Angela Brown! I know she’ll hate me for this because she’s so laid back and behind the scenes, but I have to give a birthday shout out to Live Nation boss lady Angela Brown. I had a glorious time kicking it with her at her b-day happy hour Tuesday night at Boundary – and ran into some of my favorite folks while we reveled. I was especially glad to see Nichol Stevenson out and about after spending 2017 fighting to win against cancer. I’ve been praying for you girl!

Tah 3 Way, Fuz and DJ AP held it down for Lust Saturdays @ The Olive Bar

Tiffany, Snappa and Carter were able to grab a couch and chill Saturday @ ShiSha

Lonni and Ayanna walked into MOOD with a billion-dollar swag for Bowties and Stilettos Friday night

Alexandria, Taira, Alexandria and Lindsey dropped in ShiSha for a little girl’s night fun

Alkeska and Rob tore up the dance floor Friday night @ MOOD

Kellie, Ashley and Diamonece were just in the MOOD to chill and chat Saturday

The MOOD was full of Bowties and Stilettos as Raphael turnt up with Super Ego Mitch as he celebrated Super Smoove’s 7-year anniversary Friday

Ashley and Sierra took a break from the dance floor to grab some fresh air on OBar’s roof Saturday night

Quinn and Monica started their week with Corey Black and the Poetic Justice Open Mic crew Sunday @ 2720

Photos by V. Lang

Polo and featured poet King Q chopped it up as the Poetic Justice Open Mic closed shop Sunday @2720

Advanced Heart Care

is Your Best Medicine

At Christian Hospital, we have an established history of providing world-class heart care to the community.

In fact, in 1983, we were the first community hospital to offer heart surgery in the St. Louis area. Thirty-five years later, we’re performing some of the most advanced procedures, including minimally invasive options only available at a handful of hospitals in the country.

Whether you need preventive care, cardiac diagnostics or emergency surgery after a heart attack, we’re here for you. Our team includes Washington University cardiothoracic surgeons and BJC Medical Group cardiologists, as well as radiologists and specially trained cardiovascular nurses.

From experienced medical teams to free health resources, you’ll find everything you need to keep your heart healthy — right where you live.

From the President

Our talented cardiology team offers innovative heart treatments that do not exist in other community hospitals.

In fact, our new hybrid room allows our cardiothoracic surgeons and interventional cardiologists to complete more advanced heart procedures, meaning your loved ones have better outcomes. And, because we’re a full service heart program, we can help treat any ongoing heart issues or acute situation.

It’s expertise like this that enables us to provide you and your family with Your Best MedicineSM .

HEART CONDITIONS

We help patients with a variety of heart conditions that include:

Abnormal Heart Rhythms

Aortic Aneurysms

Aortic Valve Disease

Carotid Artery Disease

Chest Pain

Congenital Heart Defects

Coronary Artery Disease

Heart Attacks

Heart Failure

Heart Valve Disease

High Blood Pressure

Marfan Syndrome

Mitral Valve Disease

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)

Varicose Vein Disease

Rick L. Stevens, FACHE PRESIDENT, CHRISTIAN HOSPITAL

WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY PHYSICIANS

Nabil Munfakh, MD

Cardiothoracic Surgeon

Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery

BJC MEDICAL GROUP HEART CARE GROUP

Ann Davis, ACNP

Cardiovascular Disease

SPECIALISTS OF NORTH COUNTY – ST. LOUIS

Dr. Wande Pratt, MD

Vascular Surgeon

W. Aaron Dimmitt, MD, FACC

Cardiovascular Disease

Jareer Farah, MD, FACC

Interventional Cardiology

Michael Fleissner, MD, FACC

Interventional Cardiology

Matthew Fraley, MD, FACC

Cardiovascular Disease

Melissa Kershaw, DO, FACC

Cardiovascular Disease

Deepak Koul, MD, FACC

Interventional Cardiology

Rita Mukerji, MD, FACC

Interventional Cardiology

Christine Testa, ANP

Cardiovascular Disease

Erica Uppstrom, MD, FACC

Cardiovascular Disease

Heart Treatment You Can Count On

Christian Hospital’s heart experts are an integrated team of specialists with advanced training in a variety of heart conditions. With services that range from medical intervention, traditional surgery and minimally invasive procedures, it’s world-class heart care that’s close to home.

Beyond preventive and rehabilitative heart treatments, we’re also equipped for advanced procedures. Some of these include transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), which are performed in our hybrid room, a modern facility for advanced cardiac therapies.

What is TAVR?

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR, is a minimally invasive procedure to replace the aortic valve of the heart. TAVR is best for patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (narrowing of the aortic valve opening) who are not candidates for traditional open chest surgery or are high-risk.

The first TAVR at Christian Hospital was performed in April 2016. TAVR is performed by threading a new valve, via a catheter, through the groin. A balloon expands the replacement valve inside the damaged valve, allowing it to begin immediate, healthy functions.

In August 2017, Christian Hospital successfully completed its 50th TAVR case. Cardiothoracic surgeon Nabil Munfakh, MD, and interventional cardiologist Saad Bitar, MD, performed the complex procedure in the hybrid room, which combines capabilities of a cardiac cath lab with a surgical operating room.

CARDIAC WELLNESS

After a major heart event like a heart attack or heart surgery, it’s important for patients to rehabilitate safely, so they can return to their lives as healthy as possible.

Our Cardiac Wellness Center can offer this crucial next step in your ongoing treatment, providing personalized programs that include oversight of fitness, education and counseling.

Christian Hospital Emergency Medical Services (CHEMS) provides emergency response for heart attacks to north St. Louis County, serving more than 210 square miles.

Know the Signs

Heart attacks may occur suddenly and with intensity, but they often start slowly with mild pain or discomfort. Although they are called heart attacks, many people will experience symptoms that can affect other parts of the body.

It’s important to know the common warning signs for a heart attack and talk to your doctor about any symptoms that concern you.

For more information or to schedule an appointment with a BJC Medical Group cardiologist at Christian Hospital, call 314.747.WELL (9355) or visit ChristianHospital.org/HeartCare.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE INNOVATIVE HEART TREATMENTS AVAILABLE at ChristianHospital.org/HeartCare

Common warning signs of heart attacks:

Aching, burning, tightness, pressure or stabbing sensation in your chest

Neck/jaw or throat discomfort, pressure

Arm/shoulder discomfort, pressure

Dizziness

Shortness of breath*

Nausea, vomiting*

Unusual fatigue

Sweating

Heartburn

Abdominal/mid-back discomfort or pressure

Left side pain*

Sense of impending doom*

*These symptoms are more common in women than men.

Quick intervention that doesn’t miss a beat

Time is muscle in a heart attack. At Christian Hospital, our intervention time for these emergencies is significantly shorter than the national average, with an average 55-minute door-to-balloon time.

This rapid response gives patients a better chance at less heart damage and a quicker recovery. To expedite care, preparations are underway the moment we know a patient is en route. When a patient arrives at the hospital, our experienced team is equipped to perform an array of advanced cardiac treatments in the emergency room, cardiac catheterization lab or operating room, which are located close to one another to allow us to save critical time.

Heart Attack Care

If someone you know suffers a heart attack, getting treatment quickly is vitally important. Christian Hospital’s EMS team coordinates directly with our emergency departments to expedite potentially lifesaving care, provided by our world-class heart specialists.

Through our HeartWatch program, a multidisciplinary team of physicians, cardiologists, nurses and technicians are activated to prepare for immediate treatment when a heart attack patient is on the way. Our advanced ambulances are equipped to transmit diagnostic information to one of Christian Hospital’s two emergency departments before a patient arrives, allowing for faster care that can save lives.

Cardiac Catheterization Lab

If narrowed blood vessels are found or if other diagnostic tests are inconclusive, cardiac catheterization might be necessary to help physicians determine the best course of treatment. Our cardiac catheterization lab operates 24/7, performing diagnostic procedures to find the extent of disease.

IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE ARE EXPERIENCING ONE OR MORE OF THESE SYMPTOMS, IMMEDIATELY CALL 9-1-1.

Heart Healthy Recipes

Choosing a diet low in fat, cholesterol and sodium is a heart-smart choice. But it doesn’t mean your food can’t be flavorful and delicious. These recipes, recommended by BJC HealthCare dietitians, are as good for your heart as they are good to eat.

MELON CUCUMBER AGUA FRESCA

Recipe from BJC and Morrison Healthcare Chef Nicoletter James

NUTRITION INFORMATION

(6 OZ PORTION): 80 Calories,

0g Fat, 20g Carbohydrates, 1g Protein, 1g Fiber

INGREDIENTS:

3 1/2 cups watermelon, cubed

1 3/4 cup cucumbers, peeled and seeded

DIRECTIONS:

SERVINGS: 6

BLUEBERRY, WATERMELON, AND WALNUT SALAD WITH CHICKEN

Recipe from BJC and Morrison Healthcare Chef Nicoletter James

NUTRITION INFORMATION

(PER SERVING):

580 Calories, 38g Fat, 34g Carbohydrates, 2g Protein, 4g Fiber

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup honey

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups cubed watermelon

DIRECTIONS:

1/2 cup mint, fresh and chopped

2 1/3 cup water

1/2 cup simple syrup*

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Place all ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth. *To prepare simple syrup place 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a small pot over medium heat. Heat until sugar melts, then remove from heat and cool. Store in refrigerator.

KALE SPINACH APPLE SMOOTHIE

Recipe from www.slenderkitchen.com

NUTRITION INFORMATION

(PER SERVING): 153 Calories, 2.5g Fat, 28g Carbohydrates, 6g Fiber, 6g Protein

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup light vanilla soy milk

1 cup spinach

1 cup kale, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

SERVINGS: 2

SERVING SIZE: 1 cup

SERVINGS: 4

1 cup blueberries

1 cup chopped walnut pieces, toasted

1/2 cup yellow bell peppers, diced

6 cups lettuce, spring mix

4 chicken breast, grilled and sliced

Step 1 For the vinaigrette, in a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, oil, honey, salt and pepper until fully combined. Set aside.

Step 2 In a medium bowl, combine the watermelon, blueberries, walnuts and bell pepper. Add half of the vinaigrette; toss to coat.

Step 3 In a large bowl, toss the spring mix with the remaining vinaigrette. Divide onto 4 plates.

Step 4 Divide the fruit and walnut mixture evenly on each plate. Top each plate with a chicken breast.

1 banana, frozen

1/2 granny smith apple

1 teaspoon honey

Blend the soy milk, spinach and kale on high in the blender until smooth. Add the frozen banana, apple and honey and blend to your desired consistency.

Recipe from www.tablespoon.com

NUTRITION INFORMATION

(PER SERVING): 80 Calories, 0g Fat, 12g Carbohydrates

INGREDIENTS:

3 granny smith apples (julienne)

3 red delicious apples (julienne)

1 red bell pepper (small dice)

1 yellow bell pepper (small dice)

DIRECTIONS:

SERVINGS: 2

1 bunch of parsley (finely chopped)

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup honey mustard dressing

2 tablespoons sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. Let sit for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

APPLE HONEY MUSTARD SLAW

STRESS AND YOUR HEART HEALTH

2018 Christian Hospital Heart Fair

Saturday, Feb. 3

8:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

Christian Hospital Detrick Building Atrium

8:30–11 a.m. Registration

8:30 a.m.–Noon Screenings and informational booths

9 a.m.–1 p.m. Lectures

Have you ever wondered how stress can affect your heart health? Join us to learn ways you can reduce and manage stress, and hear about one of Christian Hospital’s most advanced procedures — transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

• FREE cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure screenings

• Informational displays

• Ask the experts

• Stress and heart disease information

• Refreshments and much more…

Space is limited and registration is requested, so call 314-747-WELL (9355) and register today!

Guest speakers

Deepak Koul, MD

Cardiovascular Interventionalist

Joanie Coleman

Physical Therapist

Dr. Brad Nieder

The “Healthy Humorist”