February 24th, 2022 edition

The St. LouiS AmericAn

Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928

Arbery murderers guilty of hate crimes

Slain man honored in Atlanta

By Isaiah Peters

Marcus Arbery was joined by relatives and friends in a procession through the Brunswick, Georgia subdivision where a trio of white vigilantes killed his son, Ahmaud Arbery, just over two years ago. Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, was in Atlanta on Tuesday as her late son was honored and state lawmakers passed a resolution declaring Feb. 23 Ahmaud Arbery Day in Georgia. Earlier on Tuesday, a predominantly white jury found Travis McMichael, 36; his father, former police officer

See ARBERY, A7

African drummer David Jackson plays a conch shell after homegoing services for well-known poet, writer and civic leader Alice Windom whose casket was draped in a Pan-African flag. Services were held at Leonard Missionary Baptist Church.

A tribute to Alice Windom

‘Embodiment

By Walle Amusa

For The St. Louis American

of Black love, African cultural heritage’

Alice Windom, a fierce advocate for Black liberation, passed on Thursday, February 10, 2022, in St. Louis. She was 85. With her passing, we lost one of our greatest leaders, the likes of whom Missouri had never seen.

Alice Windom attended Cote Brilliante Elementary School in St. Louis. She graduated from Sumner High School in 1953. She obtained her Bachelors’ degree from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, and her master’s in social work degree from the University of Chicago in 1959.

Alice Windom was a nationalist, a PanAfricanist, a historian, a sought-after lecturer, and social worker. The quintessential and ratio-

n Alice Windom was a nationalist, a Pan-Africanist, a historian, a sought-after lecturer, and social worker. She was the quintessential and rational voice of logic and sanity. She was fearless.

nal voice of logic and sanity. She was fearless. She believed and fought for Black people’s right to self-determination. She was a relentless “keeper of the flame” in the fight to unite and elevate Black people from the doldrums of colonialism, neo-colonialism, oppression, racial inequities, and humiliation.

She lived in Accra Ghana from 1962 to 1964 working as a secondary school teacher and a secretary to the Ethiopian Ambassador to Ghana. According to her biography, Alice Windom was part of the historic group of African American expatriates – W. E. B. DuBois, Maya Angelou, and John Henrik Clarke, who lived in Accra, Ghana. In 1964, she helped plan the itinerary for Malcolm X’s historic visit to Ghana. Alice Windom was the link that connected W. E. B. DuBois, the Pan African movement, and Malcolm X. She worked for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa from 1964 to 1968 organizing international conferences in seven countries. She served as an organizer

Reflection from a resigning educator

By Anthony J. Kiekow For The St. Louis American

Educator resignations are becoming as contagious as any coronavirus variant. On February 6, 2022, I joined the education exodus by submitting my resignation as the director of communications for a school district in suburban St. Louis. Retaining teachers has been a challenge for decades. Typically, teachers leaving the profession is attributed to low salaries. During the pandemic, superintendents, and administrators, who command six-figure salaries, have also joined the growing list of those departing education. To prevent irreparable damage to the public education system, we must identify and address why educators at all levels are walking away. I believe unrealistic expectations and a lack of empathy are to blame. As a school communicator, my role is all about storytelling. I love finding new ways to tell positive stories about students. Unfortunately, since March of 2020, I have spent most of my time entangled in nonsensical interactions about COVID-19 with competing factions. On one side, there are people who believe COVID-19 safety measures are intrusive. They have deep-seated anger toward school districts that stems from the closures at the onset of the pandemic. On

Tenants talk tactics

Advocacy group encourages action for beleaguered tenants

By Karen Robinson-Jacobs

They could have been describing a house of horrors: a leaky roof, black mold, neglected repairs, disrespect.

The picture painted of potentially dangerous living conditions came from St. Louisarea tenants, part of a crowd of about 40 gathered in a community room Tuesday for what organizers hope is the beginning of a movement.

Billed as a “Renters’ Town Hall,” the event gave tenants – most of them people of color – a chance to talk about current challenges and brainstorm possible solutions.

From those concerns, and the residents expressing them, Action St. Louis, a grassroots racial justice organization, aims to build a local “tenants’ movement,” complete with a tenants’ “bill of rights.”

“People shouldn’t have barriers based on their gender, their income, race, or anything else, in order to have access to safe, affordable housing,” said Kennard Williams, St.

See TENANTS, A7

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

See WINDOM, A6

The St. Louis American

See KIEKOW, A6

Anthony J. Kiekow

Photo courtesy of the AP

Keke Wyatt pregnant with 11th child, she and husband’s second together

Singer Keke Wyatt’s family continues to grow, with her and husband Zackariah Darring expecting their second child together.

Wyatt announced the news to social media on Sunday, Feb. 20 that her 11th child is on the way.

“My husband, Zackariah David Darring and I are proud to announce that our family will be adding a “plus 1” to the Wyatt Bunch!” she said in the caption.

Essence reports the couple tied the knot in 2018 after Wyatt divorced Michael Ford

They welcomed their first child together, a son, Ke’Riah Darring in 2020, Wyatt’s 10th child.

Wyatt has eight children from her marriage with Ford and one from her first marriage to Rahmat Morton

The original cast of Martin reunite in celebration of the series’ 30th anniversary

“What’s Up, What’s Up!”

30 years later, fans can hear Martin Law-

rence and the rest of the cast recite their popular taglines and catchphrases in a Martin reunion special premiering on BET+, hosted by Affion Crockett

The special was taped on Tuesday and will air later this year.

Tisha Campbell Tichina Arnold, and Carl Anthony Payne II will appear. Thomas Mikal Ford, who played Tommy in the series, died in 2016 at 52.

“To be able to sit here 30 years later with this amazing cast that has had such an impact on pop culture is truly a blessing,” Lawrence said. “I am always humbled that the fans still want more of the show and its characters. I am looking forward to the reunion special.”

Countless surprise guests are said to make cameos during the celebration. Interviews from the casts and directors, music performances, and behind-the-scenes segments will be featured.

“Martin is one of the most beloved sit coms in our community, both because it is hugely entertaining and because it played a pivotal role in chang ing the narrative of Black voices in entertainment and in culture through the portrayal of young, ambitious Black leads and healthy Black relationships,” said Scott Mills, CEO of BET.

“Decades later, that represen tation is still just as important, which is why we’re so excited to honor a series that put Black culture front and center on our platform that embraces Black culture every day.”

All five seasons of Martin can be streamed on BET+.

‘The Wendy Williams Show,’ concludes, ‘Sherri’ talk show replaces time slot

An era is coming to an end with, “The Wendy Williams Show,” concluding after 13 seasons.

A spokesman for Williams confirmed the news on Tuesday, Feb. 22 in a statement to CNN.

“It’s been a challenging time for Wendy as she deals with her health issues. She is incredibly grateful to Debmar-Mercury, to Sherri and everybody else who has supported the show through this time,” Williams’ rep Howard Bragman said.

“She, more than anyone, understands the reality of syndicated television -- you can’t go to the marketplace and sell a show that’s the ‘Maybe Wendy Show.’ She understands why this decision was made from a business point of view, and she has been assured by Debmar-Mercury that should her health get to a point where she can host again, and should her desire be that she hosts again, that she would be back on TV at that time.”

Sherri Shepherd, announced on Williams’ show on Tuesday that “Sherri” will air in Williams’ time slot. Williams hasn’t hosted her show for months. Reps from her show say she was

recovering from COVID-19 at the beginning of the season. Her return was supposed to be in October, but didn’t happen due to her health complications with Graves’ disease.

Yo! MTV Raps reemerges with co-hosts DJ Diamond Kuts and Conceited

Die-hard hip-hop fans and lovers of the culture who remember the iconic show, Yo! MTV Raps no longer have to rely on old clips and wish they had a time machine. The classic phenomenon is making a comeback with Philadelphia DJ Diamond Kuts and battle rapper and Wild ‘N Out cast member, Conceited as the hosts.

The reboot will be this spring on Paramount+. It will include live performances, cyphers, lifestyle content, and other segments. Bruce Gillmer, Paramount’s president of music, music talent, programming, and events, said in a press release that Conceited and Kuts are “the perfect pair to bring new life and energy” to the show’s reemergence.

Yo! MTV Raps first aired in August 1988. It was the network’s first show dedicated to rap music, and it became a pivotal platform for rappers at the height of hip-hop’s introduction. Fab 5 Freddy was the inaugural host.

A set premiere date hasn’t been announced; Paramount+ and MTV Entertainment Studios are producing the show.

Sources: bet.com, nypost.com, deadline.com, inquirer.com, cnn.com

Johnson family leaving legacy at Harris-Stowe

$50,000 in scholarships established

St. Louis American staff

A love of education and helping others have led Herbert and Ruth Johnson to create the Ruth Elizabeth Blanchard Johnson Endowed Scholarship and Live and Learn in the Lou Scholarship at Harris-Stowe State University.

Herbert A. Johnson established the scholarships to honor his wife, Harris-Stowe graduate Ruth Elizabeth Blanchard Johnson, who turned 90 this year.

“Ruth and I have been happily married for 68 years and I knew she would absolutely love this gift,” said Johnson.

Ruth Blanchard Johnson is a native of Aberdeen, Mississippi and moved to St. Louis at an early age with her parents William Scott Blanchard and Elizabeth Ward Blanchard.

A product of St. Louis Public Schools, she attended Cole Elementary School and Sumner High School. It was at Cole where Johnson discovered her passion for teaching.

“At the age of six, my parents moved to St. Louis, and I enrolled at Cole Elementary School in the 1st grade. This was a frightening experience being all alone, in a strange surrounding, but the teacher, Ms. G. James received me with open arms, taught me with patience, love and encouraged me,” said Mrs. Johnson.

“Her advice was to always believe in yourself and say,

‘I can do it if I try.’ It was because of this loving firstgrade teacher who inspired me, that I knew I wanted to become a teacher just like her.”

She earned her bachelor’s degree in education from Stowe Teachers College, a predecessor of Harris-Stowe State University, in 1953. She later received a master’s degree in Education from the University of Illinois and completed additional coursework at Webster University.

As a student at Stowe, Johnson was a part of the Royal Court, serving as First Lady of Stowe (1951) and was initiated into the Alpha Omega Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. After graduating from Stowe, she began her career as a SLPS teacher.

“My first teaching experience, believe it or not, was first grade at Attucks Elementary School, which brought back memories of my wonderful first-grade teacher,” she said.

Johnson served as a reading specialist, instructional coordinator, and assistant principal before retiring with honor after 37 years.

“It is because of the loving support of my husband of 68 years who encouraged me in my every endeavor that my teaching career was a success,” she said.

The Johnsons are parents of two children – a son, Michael Keith Johnson, and Deborah Marie Johnson. Since her

retirement, Mrs. Johnson has enjoyed spending time with family, traveling, and volunteering with numerous community organizations.

“Teaching was exciting, challenging, and a fulfillment of my lifelong dream,” she said. “However, it was always my desire to do community service. It’s not the length of time you have given, it’s how much you’ve given to others during that time.”

She is a member of St.

Philips Evangelical Lutheran Church, YWCA COA, SkinkerDeBaliviere Community Council, Annie Malone Children’s Home, and CAPS at Barnes -Jewish Hospital. Her motto is, “If I can help someone along the way, then my living will not be in vain.”

The $44,000 Ruth Elizabeth Blanchard Johnson Endowed Scholarship will benefit fulltime students majoring in education. In addition, the $6,000 Ruth Elizabeth Blanchard

Johnson Live and Learn in the Lou Scholarship will be awarded the year it is donated, allowing the Johnson’s the ability to immediately impact students.

“Through Mr. and Mrs. Johnson’s legacy gift, they are planting a seed that will continue to grow education professionals for the life of the University. Harris-Stowe is blessed to have donors like Mr. and Mrs. Johnson,” said Jeff Shaw, vice president of the HSSU Office of Institutional

Advancement.

To support the Ruth Elizabeth Blanchard Johnson Live and Learn in the Lou Scholarship or Ruth Elizabeth Blanchard Johnson Endowed Scholarship or learn more about supporting students at Harris-Stowe State University, visit www.hssu.edu/advancment, or contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at (314) 340-3386.

Photo courtesy of Harris-Stowe State University

(From left) Deborah Marie Johnson, Herbert Johnson, Harris-Stowe State University Interim President LaTonia

Collins Smith, Ruth Johnson, Michael Keith Johnson, and Harris-Stowe Vice President of Institutional Advancement Jeff Shaw celebrate the Johnson’s scholarship gift to the college.

“The truth is equality and equity are not the same, and in practice, they are not even that close.”

Equality or Equity: Which is better?

By Hiram Jackson

Black people, as well as whites, have struggled for years with dual concepts requiring vastly different approaches for social justice: equality and equity.

I recently heard a heralded, long-time activist admit that while we’ve fought fiercely for equality — believing it would right the wrongs of racism and discrimination in one fell swoop — the thinking was that equity would be a natural outcome of the battle. He went on to say that a two-pronged approach would have been more effective in achieving the goals of social justice and economic equity.

The truth is equality and equity are not the same, and in practice, they are not even that close.

Equality means each individual or group receives the same resources or opportunities. Equity recognizes that each person or group has different circumstances and allocates the resources and opportunities accordingly, so everyone reaches an equal outcome.

As Paula Dressel of the Race Matters Institute put it, “The route to achieving equity will not be accomplished through treating everyone equally. It will be achieved by treating everyone justly according to their circumstances.”

For example, in a country where all children of school age are eligible to attend schools of their choosing and Black workers can apply for the same jobs as whites, and get them, white families are more than eight times better off than Black families.

So economic equity is a tangible concept in which resources and assets are distributed to balance economies. When that happens, all of a society’s participants get a fair share of the wealth, and no one person or group is burdened any more than another. That is obviously not the case in America.

Black people, on average, had 22 cents for every dollar of white family wealth, according to the St. Louis Federal Reserve’s Institute for Economic Equity. These substantial gaps have remained unchanged since 1989, according to

the Institute.

People of color have traditionally been locked out of the economic process. Their efforts to participate in the economic process are still regularly thwarted, prohibiting them from getting a fair share of household and commercial wealth.

Families of color and minority-owned businesses, which have always been at the back of the finance and lending line, have suffered for many decades to survive. The pandemic not only helped to exacerbate their struggle for equity, but it also put a spotlight on the inconsistencies in the distribution of assistance to balance out these financial hardships and showed that Black people and Black businesses suffer disproportionately.

The disparities of homeownership within our community are still staggering. Closing the Black-white homeownership gap is an essential gauge of whether we are on course to be a fair, just society with equal access to everyone.

According to James Lowry, a prominent economic expert and 40-year advocate of minority business development, community development finance vehicles are few and far between. Many of those that are viable are not owned or controlled by Black people, so there are already inherent problems to access and financial accountability. Nothing new, right?

But the good news — and the shocker for some — is that Black-owned businesses have had the strongest rebound since the pandemic plunge. The pandemic created an impetus for people of color to start and reimagine business scenarios. Their objective was to offset shrinking employment opportunities through selfemployment and entrepreneurial endeavors.

The bottom line: fair treatment of everyone, every community, and every enterprise according to circumstances is the route to achieving equity.

Hiram Jackson is CEO and Publisher of Real Times Media, which includes The Michigan Chronicle, a partner in the Word In Black collaborative.

Commentary

NFL has chance to break racial bias in ownership

Robert F. Smith could be Denver owner

By Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.

Even before Coach Brian Flores filed a class-action discrimination lawsuit against the National Football League, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, and New York Giants, it was pretty clear that professional football has a race issue. Only two team owners are non-white: Jacksonville Jaguars’ owner Shahid Kahn is a Pakistani-American and Kim Pegula, a Korean American, is a co-owner of the Buffalo Bills. In a league where 71% of players are Black, there needs to be more representation in the front office of people who look like those athletes. Ironically, the Broncos franchise is expected to hit the market soon, creating the best chance in the 101-year history of the NFL for the league to have its first Black team owner. When considering potential buyers of the team, one name continually rises above the rest: Robert F. Smith. Smith, the 59-year-old founder of private equity firm Vista Equity Partners, whose net worth is estimated to be around $6.7 billion, may not have the star power that other potential buyers do, including former Broncos quarterbacks Peyton Manning and John Elway or Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. He does have a long track record of success in the largely white world of investment.

He sees value where others do not, successfully investing in emerging enterprises and

quickly making them profitable. Consider, for example, that Vista currently has $86 billion in assets under management. Putting aside Smith’s investing acumen and ability to grow emerging businesses, his upfrom-the-bootstraps story and expansive philanthropic work in the Black community would go a long way to changing the make-up of a NFL ownership from its traditional purview of stodgy, old white men. Smith is a Denver native whose curiosity, intelligence and drive led him to a job with Bell Laboratories when he was just in high school. From there, Smith went on to Cornell and Columbia universities and jobs with Goodyear, Kraft, and Goldman Sachs before founding Vista Equity in 2000. What his resume shows is that Smith is not afraid of breaking down walls and inserting himself into traditional bastions of whiteness like the Ivy League and private equity. If there is any Black man in America who could take on the structure of NFL ownership, it’s Robert Smith.

If the NFL is serious about changing not just its image, but its relationships with its players

and fan base, Smith would be an ideal partner for the league. He not only talks a big game about racial equity, but he backs it up by putting money where his mouth is.

In 2019, Smith spent $34 million of his own money to settle the loan debt for the nearly 400 students who graduated that spring from Morehouse College. He also donated $20 million to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the largest by an individual donor to the museum at the time, and he helped found and donated $50 million to the Student Freedom Initiative, which aims to relieve the financial burdens on minority college students.

In an argument about integrating professional football, Black activist and journalist Halley Harding wrote in the Los Angeles Tribune in 1941 that “most persons, corporations or businesses almost always forget the people or incidents that made them big.”

Harding added: “This story is about a great American sport [football] that took all the aid the colored American could give and then as soon as it became ‘big league,’ promptly put a bar up against the very backbone of its existence.”

The NFL probably has its best chance in years to right a glaring gap in its leadership. If there is anyone who can fill that gap, it’s Robert Smith.

is

Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.

president and CEO

of the

National Newspaper Publishers

Commentary

Black history is critical, factual, and not ‘theory’

By Congressman James E. Clyburn

Focus on the history-making contributions of Blacks in America began when Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History successfully lobbied for the creation of Negro History Week in 1926. They chose a week in February that could embrace the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.

Civil Rights activities on colleges campuses in the 1960s agitated for expanding the week to the entire month of February. President Gerald Ford formalized Black History Month in 1976, and every president since has followed suit.

Black history has taken on new meaning in this polarized political era. Education Week reports that since January 2021, 14 Republican-led states (Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Utah, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Montana, and Idaho) have imposed bans or restrictions on teaching about racial issues, and similar legislation is currently pending in another 23 states. These states claim to be protecting primary and secondary school students from being taught critical race theory or “things that make white children uncomfortable.”

Theory is part of the higher education experience; not the K-12 curriculum. While no one will deny the significant accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and Harriett Tubman to our nation’s history; telling their stories has nothing to do with “critical race theory.” Their contributions and those of many others, are some criti-

cal race facts that are missing from most of our textbooks and many of our discussions.

For example, I often tell the story of Thomas Edison and Lewis Latimer. Thomas Edison’s invention of the incandescent light bulb is found in all our history books, and we are all comfortable with his story. What is not found in all our history books is the critical fact that he could not keep his bulb from overheating and burning out. It was not until Edison collaborated with Lewis Latimer, the son of escaped slaves, that he got his bulb to work.

Guest Columnist James E. Clyburn

Latimer had invented a long-lasting, carbon filament. There are many other similar facts.

Thomas Savery, a white man, is known as the inventor of the steam engine; one of the most important inventions during the Industrial Revolution. However, the steam engine was very inefficient because it had to be constantly shut down for lubrication, an extremely dangerous and time-consuming task. A critical and not very well-known fact is that Elijah McCoy, also the son of escaped slaves, invented an automatic oil cup, which allowed engines to be lubricated mechanically while continuing to run. His invention saved the limbs of many “oilers” and created a more efficient and cost-effective means of keeping steam trains running. It is reported in many places that Elijah

Letters to the editor

Steeped in far more than historical significance, the confirmation of a Black woman to the highest court of the land would represent yet another significant step in America fulfilling its promise to African Americans who helped build this country. The appointment of a Black woman to the United States Supreme Court is a long time coming. In fact, it was 55 years ago in 1967 that Justice Thurgood Marshall — the first African American — was appointed to the nation’s high court and 40 years ago in 1981 when Justice Sandra Day O’Connor — the first woman - was appointed to the Supreme Court. Rather than a long time coming, for many, this appointment is a long time overdue. Either way, the women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated stand in support of the Biden-Harris Administration in fulfilling this promise.

We are encouraged by the fact that with so

McCoy’s genius as an inventor is what gave rise to the very well used question that everybody seems comfortable using; “Is that a real McCoy?” John Haldane, a Scottish inventor is often credited with having invented the gas mask during World War I, which began in 1914 and ended in 1918. The fact is Garrett Morgan, a Black man, invented the earliest gas mask after the 1911 New York Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire that killed 146 garment workers. Morgan patented his “breathing hood” in 1914, and he and his brother used the gas mask invention in 1916 to successfully rescue workers trapped by an explosion in sewer tunnels in Morgan’s hometown of Cleveland. However, due to their race, white men were credited with the rescue.

Morgan also met resistance when trying to sell the gas masks. He hired a white actor to pose as the inventor, while he disguised himself by wearing the hood during presentations. Despite these challenges, Morgan went on to invent the three-position traffic light and sold the patent to General Electric for $40,000. This Black History Month, we must raise our voices and fight against the false, politically motivated, narrative about schools teaching critical race theory. Our history is what it is, and no amount of whitewashing or book banning will change it. But with enlightened leadership, we can learn its lessons.

U.S. Congressman James E. Clyburn (D) represents the 6th District of South Carolina and is the House Majority Whip.

All letters are edited for length and style

many Black women serving as attorneys, state and federal judges, law clerks, public defenders, prosecutors, corporate counsel, law professors and non-profit lawyers - all fighting on the frontlines of the ongoing struggle for justice and equality in America - there has never been more qualified Black women ready to meet this moment. It has only been the glaring absence of opportunity that has stunted our progress and impeded the Supreme Court from reflecting the true diversity of these United States. We are now waiting with resigned anticipation that this glaring omission will be corrected with President Biden’s commitment to nominate the first Black woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court by the end of February.

Glenda Glover, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated president and CEO

Guest Columnist Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.

Mask rules loosened

With COVID-19 infection rates declining and the number of vaccinated St. Louis County residents climbing, County Executive Sam Page announced Wednesday mask rules will be loosened. 70.1% of county residents have received at least one vaccine dose, while 62% are fully vaccinated. Those rates are second in Missouri, trailing Joplin by 0.1%. North county resident Edward Carter received a COVID-19 vaccination at BKM Bootcamp in Ferguson on Feb. 19, 2022.

Direct Cash Assistance payments have reached many city applicants

St. Louis American Staff

More than 6,000 payments of $500 have been processed and distributed to residents through the Direct Cash Assistance program, according to the City of St. Louis and partners including the St. Louis Treasurer’s Office, United Way of Greater St. Louis, MoCaFi Bank, and Ignite Cities.

The distributions total more than $3 million on cards are represent nearly two-thirds of allocated program dollars. Analysis of card usage indicates as of mid-February the top spending categories include groceries, utilities, and other essentials.

“The City of St. Louis is trying new and innovative ways to support working families who have suffered throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mayor Tishaura O. Jones said in a release.

“These payments are helping thousands of families put food on the table and pay the bills, and we continue to work with our partners to move funds as quickly as possible within the guidelines set by the US Treasury, Board of Aldermen, and city processes.”

Michelle Tucker, United Way president and

CEO of United Way of Greater St. Louis, said,

“We understand the important impact the program’s direct assistance can have for thousands of City residents and families in helping with basic needs like rent, food, transportation and childcare.”

City Treasurer Adam L. Layne said, “This is just the first step.”

“We hope to see more residents take advantage of all the other free resources available to support their financial stability, including but not limited to our free 1-on-1 credit counseling and alternatives to high-interest loans.”

To adhere as closely as possible to the distribution timeline, the United Way paused the application portal to process, and review submitted applications on December 22 after 10,000 applications were received in a 4-day span. The program remains in effect until funding for the remaining 9,300 is exhausted.

Direct Cash Assistance is one facet of the $135 million direct relief package from the federal American Rescue Plan Act that Jones signed into law in 2021.

By Oseye Boyd

The brilliance of James Baldwin

I found myself in a James Baldwin rabbit hole the other day.

I’m not sure what caused me to watch a video of Baldwin, but I went there and couldn’t stop. His words are so relevant today.

I was introduced to Baldwin’s work in college. I bought my son a biography of Baldwin when he was young and made it required Black History Month reading for him and my daughter when she came of age. I wanted to introduce them to Baldwin’s genius much earlier than I was.

Genius. That’s the only way I can describe Baldwin. His critiques of America were bold, honest and eloquent. Baldwin was fearless. He didn’t mince words or try to cater to the feelings of white America. He gave it straight no chaser.

As he spoke during a debate with William F. Buckley on the question “Is the American Dream at the Expense of the American Negro?” at the University of Cambridge, the audience stared intently, clearly riveted by his speech. As was I.

One of the things I love about this speech is he didn’t argue Black people should be treated with humanity because we are perfect. He argued we should be treated as humans because we are human. We get into this habit of trying to prove how worthy we are of acceptance from white America. We play this game of respectability politics that we will never win. Baldwin knew this and didn’t seek approval from white America.Baldwin indicted the American South, calling it out for its riches that could never have been achieved without the free labor of slaves.

“The harbors and the ports and the railroads of the country, the economy, especially of the Southern states, could not conceivably be what it has become if they had not had and do not still have indeed and for so long, so many generations, cheap labor. I am stating very seriously, and this is not an over statement that I picked the cotton and I carried it to market. And I built the railroads. Under someone else’s whip for nothing. For nothing.

“The Southern oligarchy, which has until today, so much power in Washington, and therefore, some power in the world was created by my labor and my sweat and the violation of my women and the murder of my children. This in the land of the free and the home of the brave. And no one can challenge that statement. It is a matter of historical record.”

At the end of Baldwin’s speech, the audience stood and applauded. Baldwin looked surprised. Buckley’s arrogance was palpable as he used a lot of big words to demonstrate his “superior scholarly mind.” It didn’t work. He came off pretentious.

The year was 1965, and Baldwin’s words still ring true today.

I jumped a little over a decade and watched an interview on ABC from 1979. Again, I was struck by Baldwin’s honesty, fearlessness and relevancy.

“I was 7 years old 47 years ago and nothing has changed since then,” Baldwin said to the interviewer while surrounded by family at his mother’s apartment. By the way, Baldwin bought the whole apartment building so his family could live there.

“I don’t mean it to you personally, I don’t even know you. I’ve got nothing against you,” Baldwin continued. “I don’t know you personally. I know you historically. You can’t have it both ways. You can’t swear to the freedom of all mankind and put me in chains.”

The interviewer said to Baldwin: “It sounds as if you believe that slavery put a curse on us somehow.”

Baldwin replied matter of factly, “Well, it is a curse. You know, the American sense of reality is dictated by what Americans are trying to avoid. If you’re trying to avoid reality, how can you face it?”

Baldwin was preaching! It makes sense, though, since he was a preacher as a teenager.

I traveled back to 1969 when Baldwin appeared on The Dick Cavette Show. Yale professor and philosopher Paul Weiss came on the show after Baldwin, with the explicit purpose of refuting Baldwin’s comments. Weiss told Baldwin every man must take responsibility for himself (Black people included). Baldwin agreed. Indeed, he never argued otherwise. This tired argument is still heard today from white and Black scholars and common folk. Weiss ignored history, Baldwin pointed out.

As much as I enjoyed listening to Baldwin, I emerged exhausted from the rabbit hole, wondering when will these conversations be irrelevant.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Oseye Boyd

Continued from A1

for the Department of Social Welfare in Lusaka, Zambia for three years before returning to the United States in 1972.

Alice Windom not only worked in Africa, but she also travelled extensively in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Central America. Her favorite subject was Africa and the plight of Black people globally. She lectured extensively on the Pan African movement and the ancient Olmec civilizations in Mexico.

I met Alice Windom in 1973 at a meeting of the St. Louis Committee on Africa. Over several months, I was involved with Alice, Evelyn Chauvin, Safiyah Chauvin, Mubarak Ali, Joe Scoggin, and others in a fight to elect a Black president of the organization and support for the liberation struggles in Southern Africa. Alice was a leader in the international solidarity movement to free Winnie and Nelson Mandela, boycott the Krugerrand, and end the Apartheid regime in South Africa.

Alice Windom was unapologetic in her opposition to racism. She was an uncompromising defender of the lives, dignity, contributions, and rights of Black people in this country. On every local fight involving the rights, health, and lives of Black people, you could count on Alice Windom being there, as a soldier, supporter, and advisor.

As a member of the

Kiekow

Continued from A1

the other side, there are people who believe COVID-19 safety measures are lacking. They have an entrenched belief that schools should provide the same level of protection and services as top-tier hospitals.

Association of Black Social Workers, she helped bring national attention to the struggle to desegregate Barnes Hospital and end the practice of consigning Black patients to the basement of that hospital with asbestos-laden pipes hanging over their heads. She was there in the fight to save Homer G. Phillips Hospital. Just last month, she issued a memo opposing Paul McKee’s racist efforts to appropriate the name Homer G. Phillips Hospital for

People in both factions expect their individual opinions to become policy. Another thread that connects the fabric of these factions is that neither has accepted reality – our society, including our public education system, is not capable of functioning as it did before the pandemic.

Educators frequently use the word “stakeholders” as an umbrella term to cover stu-

a private 3-bed clinic in the City of St. Louis.

I worked with Alice Windom, Hershel Walker, and others in the campaigns to free Rev. Ben Chavis and the Wilmington 10 in North Carolina, J. B. Johnson in St. Louis, and JoAnn Little in Washington, North Carolina. Along with civil rights icon, Hershel Walker, Alice Windom, Frank Chapman, Pamela Talley, Lew Moye, Jay Ozier, and I were there

dents, parents, employees, and taxpayers. For this reflection, I am not referring to students. They are playing a very minor role, if any, in the culture that permeates education. Adults are the protagonists in this problematic production. Most stakeholders are supportive and do not belong to either of the factions. However, those who do, often express their positions through accusatory and abusive

Civil rights activist and co-chair of the National Campaign For Human Dignity Walle Amusa spoke at homegoing services for Alice Windom Monday, Feb. 21, 2022.

American women from Missouri – Senator Gwen Giles, Senator Paula J. Carter, Pearlie Evans, Ora Lee Malone, DeVerne Calloway, Frankie Freeman, Margaret Bush Wilson, Betty Thompson, and others – who dedicated their lives to the struggles for equality, justice, and freedom for the oppressed Black people in this state and nation. These women leaders were the backbone of the fight to successfully secure, protect and defend the first Congressional District while expanding political representation for Black people in Missouri. According to former Congressman William (Bill) Clay, “Alice Windom was a great leader. She lived a great life. And she made a difference in the lives of many other people.”

when the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Human Rights Award Program was initiated by the St. Louis Branch of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression in 1977. She was a recipient of the Phenomenal Women in Struggle Award from the Universal African Women’s Union, the women’s wing of the Universal African People’s Organization.

Alice Windom was a member of the Association for the

language.

After pouring your energy into serving stakeholders during a pandemic, there is something particularly hurtful about those same stakeholders denigrating you for sharing vaccine information or blaming you for someone contracting COVID-19. The inboxes and voicemails of educators across the country are filled with vitriol. In addition to attacks related to COVID-19, in some districts, educators are being targeted for simply teaching accurate history. I have lost track of how many times I have learned about a cruel message moving a colleague to tears.

To further increase educator stress levels, school districts are facing pressure from states to immediately eliminate learning loss created by nearly two years of chaos and death. Despite genuine calls for educators to practice self-care, the pressure makes allotting time for self-care next to impossible.

Before working in education, I was a news reporter

Study of Classical African Civilization and the African Heritage Studies Association. She was a steadfast supporter of Comptroller Darlene Green, Mayor Tishaura Jones, License Collector Mavis Thompson, former Mayor Freeman Bosley, Jr., Better Family Life, Frederick Douglas Institute, Campaign for Human Dignity, and numerous other organizations.

Alice Windom joins the pantheon of great African

in St. Louis. In that role, I covered unthinkable tragedies, so I am no stranger to trauma. However, the level of sustained trauma I have witnessed educators endure over the last two years is unlike anything I have ever seen.

For me, the trauma has come in waves. Typically, it begins with something diverting my focus away from celebrating students. The wave that may have hit me the hardest came on January 24, 2022. As I was writing a story about a student earning a college scholarship, I learned that dozens of Missouri school districts are being sued for mask policies. In an instant, the serenity stemming from a story about hope was replaced with the anxiety associated with possible litigation.

Like most educators, I entered the profession to inspire students. As someone who dropped out of high school at 15, I have used my personal story to prove to students that positive change is possible. With that in mind, I

Alice Windom was the perfect embodiment of Black love and African cultural heritage. Percy Green, our intrepid civil rights activist put it succinctly when he said “Alice Windom’s core values are what we need among our new and upcoming Black leadership. Alice was a wealth of knowledge and experiences.” When asked how she would like to be remembered, Alice Windom simply said: I would want to be remembered as an African Patriot…all I’ve ever really cared about are Black folks…the ones I see on the street. They are my family and then the whole Black world.” Walle Amusa is a civil rights activist and co-chair of the National Campaign for Human Dignity

believe the culture that plagues education can be changed. Adjusting expectations to meet our current reality and extending unwavering empathy to all educators are the keys to that change.

No one is immune to the discomfort or trauma of COVID-19.

Since 2018, I have had the honor of working alongside dedicated staff, teachers, principals, superintendents, and school board members. My reverence for those public servants made my decision to resign difficult. However, I find comfort in knowing my ability to serve students does not depend on my place of employment.

I hope sharing this reflection serves as fuel to drive the conversation about public education in the direction of positive change.

Anthony J. Kiekow is an Associated Press award-winning writer and has worked as a communications director for Hazelwood School District and Riverview Gardens School District.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Tenants

Continued from A1

Louis native and lead organizer for Action St. Louis, which sponsored the meeting along with Arch City Defenders.

“The tenant movement would lead to an inclusive model of housing for everyone.”

The federal Fair Housing Act already prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender, gender identity and sexual orientation), familial status, and disability.

But economic realities, including poverty, a too-low FICO score and a career-limiting education, can leave tenants with few attractive options.

One renter spoke of an apartment complex that was “raggedy as hell,” with “no property manager and no maintenance manager.”

“But they still want their rent money,” he added.

Missouri landlord / tenant law does not allow tenants in Missouri to withhold rent in response to habitability issues, according to iPropertyManagement.com. Under certain circumstances, the tenant can pay for the repair and deduct from rent if the landlord fails to make necessary repairs.

One person said, however, that any threat to withhold rent can result in threatened eviction.

Missouri “does not make it very simple or intuitive for tenants to hold their landlords accountable for repairs,” said Glenn Burleigh, community engagement specialist with the Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council.

An employee at the city’s Building Division said citizens are urged to contact the Citizens’ Service Bureau to report any apartment in disrepair. The CSB database listed 726 reports in 2021 requesting an inspection for “interior building code violations.” It was not immediately clear what became of those requests.

Arbery

Continued from A1

Gregory McMichael, 66; and a neighbor, William Bryan, 52, guilty of federal hate crimes in the U.S. District Court in Brunswick.

“Ahmaud will continue to rest in peace but he will now begin to rest in power,” Cooper-Jones said outside the courthouse with television cameras rolling after the verdict was read.

Marcus Arbery said Tuesday faith is what got him through his son’s murder, the first trial in which the three men were found guilty of murder and the federal hate crime trial.

“All I can say is that we just want justice, 100% justice. Justice for Ahmaud,” Arbery told reporters outside the courthouse.

Cooper-Jones did not hold back her disappointment with Department of Justice prosecutors, who had reached a plea deal with the defendants.

U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood rejected

Kennard Williams, St. Louis native and lead organizer for Action St. Louis, wants local tenants to join together in a “tenants’ movement,” that he hopes will lead to a “bill of rights.”

Landlords are supposed to have an occupancy inspection, prior to renting, but this “does not guarantee that things will be nice,” Burleigh said.

the plea deal after Ahmaud’s family implored her not to accept it.

“What we got today, we wouldn’t have gotten today if it wasn’t for the fight that the family put up,” Cooper-Jones said.

“What the DOJ did today, they was made to do today. It wasn’t because it’s what they wanted to do.”

Civil rights activists were alarmed about the lag time in arrests of the three men, which came months after Ahmaud’s death and only after a public outcry in response to the graphic video of his murder. Activists called it the latest example of law enforcement allowing white perpetrators to go unpunished in the unjustified killing of Black people.

This federal court jury verdict came after prosecutors in the state trial avoided characterizing the killing as racist. The federal ruling makes it clear the slaying was unequivocally racially motivated.

The McMichaels insisted they merely acted out of self-defense after Arbery attacked Travis McMichaels.

“A lot of times, the landlords do cosmetic improvements, prior to inspection,” he said. “These often hide issues that become apparent after

They testified they had pursued Arbery as a burglary suspect.

After they attacked him, and he defended himself, he was shot and killed.

Federal prosecutors pre-

a few months or years in an apartment.”

Also, landlords sometimes keep the utilities in their names, “which can help them evade inspections between tenancies.”

Officials with St. Louis and Missouri apartment associations could not immediately be reached for comment.

The list of challenges outlined at the meeting went beyond derelict repairs.

Hurdles mentioned ranged from difficulty getting Section 8 vouchers and rising rents to the lack of affordable housing and “being talked down to.”

Anthony Johnson, a renter in the West End, expressed concern about gentrification.

The nearby Central West End neighborhood is one of the hottest areas of the city for development: 481 building permits were issued last year and this for development worth $456.57 million.

Johnson suggested tenants find a way to “build a collective identity.”

Williams hopes to build solidarity through monthly “canvassing” of renters, literally going out and knocking on doors.

Through the burgeoning tenants’ movement Williams hopes to develop stronger pro-

sented incriminating evidence and testimony from several witnesses which verified the hate-crime allegations. The evidence presented to the jury illustrated that the men had

tections for tenants.

Housing advocates are “pretty unanimous in the opinion that the legal playing field is tilted towards the landlords,” said Burleigh. “There are numerous reforms that would need to be implemented to level said playing field. One that EHOC and other legal nonprofits have long championed is the tenant right to counsel.

“As is, the landlords are far more likely to be able to afford to retain legal counsel in these proceedings,” he added. “That’s a big advantage in any legal situation. Right to counsel would give tenants legal assistance and help correct that significant imbalance.”

The meeting came as the pace of eviction filings gains speed following a holiday lull

In January, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department “executed” 139 court-approved eviction orders. That includes 26 cases in which residents were physically removed from their residences, according to John Sullivan, communications director for the St. Louis County Courts.

That 139 tally is the highest monthly total for the county since 166 orders were executed in September, not long after a federal moratorium on evictions lapsed.

long histories of using racial slurs and making racist statements.

“All the evidence [has] been put out, the world sees what happened and the world sees

In January 2020, before the coronavirus pandemic swept across the nation, 213 eviction orders were executed in the county, county data show. Princeton University’s Eviction Lab database has tracked 14,184 eviction requests filed with the courts in St. Louis since March 15, 2020 including 8,499 filed in St. Louis County and 5,685 filed in the city of St. Louis. Using data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, Eviction Lab researchers determined that in each month between September 2021 and February 2022, residents of majority Black neighborhoods in St. Louis saw more eviction filings than residents in majority white neighborhoods.

In October 2021, the difference was almost two to one: with 292 cases filed to remove residents in white neighborhoods compared with 569 filings aimed at residents in majority Black neighborhoods, according to the data. Meanwhile, millions in funds allocated to help cashstrapped renters are going unspent across the country, in part due to bureaucracy. Locally, St. Louis and St. Louis County are looking for a group to jointly administer the disbursement of city and county rental assistance funds, said Nick Dunne, a spokesperson for the office of St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones. More than $12.44 million from the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP-2) remains earmarked for renters in the city of St. Louis. Those funds will start going out once the joint agreement and contract with the provider are completed, Dunne said. The city will determine whether more resources are needed, including whether to use funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, once the ERAP-2 funds have been allocated, Dunne said.

Karen Robinson-Jacobs is The St. Louis American / Type Investigations business reporter and a Report for America corps member.

why Ahmaud died. Because [of] his skin color,” said Arbery. The NNPA contributed to this report

Photo by Karen Robinson-Jacobs / St. Louis American

Freedom is a blessing, but it is not “free”

By Tishaura O. Jones

As we close another Black History month, I have been thinking about celebrations that center around those who fought to advance equal rights and freedom for Black and brown people. Without trailblazing leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Dred and Harriet Scott, and so many more who stood their ground in the face of racism and oppression, we would not be where we are today; I would not be the first Black woman mayor of St. Louis without them.

However, this month, I have also taken time to read Nikole Hannah-Jones’ The 1619 Project, which takes a heartbreaking dive into the origins of the African slave trade in the Americas over 400 years ago. With every essay in this book, I see more clearly how many modern policies are still rooted in the same philosophy as those developed centuries ago to uphold white supremacy and hold our communities back. One chapter introduces us

to former U.S. Vice President John C. Calhoun of South Carolina. He was known as “the intellectual forefather of the Confederacy.” Like many Republican controlled legislatures, Calhoun scoffed at federal supremacy over states, and believed any state could simply decide which federal laws it did not want to follow. Calhoun went even further, stating that liberty was only granted to property owners, slave owners, and was some-

thing to be earned. It was not a blessing for all. This was echoed in the same cry of “liberty” by insurrectionists, white supremacists, and those who spread fear and misinformation because they are threatened by the continued liberation of people of color.

n We are starting to break from the past and create a new normal where everyone is given a fighting chance.

I ran to be mayor because I believe that freedom actually is a blessing and not something earned based on merit or status. But freedom also requires the willpower to reverse decade upon decade of policies designed intentionally to hold our communities back, even as we face preemption laws at the state level to inhibit our ability to enact meaningful policies that keep us safe and financially secure. I remember growing up

and playing with my friends and cousins in the WellsGoodfellow, Hamilton Heights, and Walnut Park neighborhoods. I witnessed first-hand how white flight ravaged our communities. Those who feared desegregation fled. Good jobs, healthy food options, and safe streets disappeared with them, without any intervention from state or local leaders. I believe we can create our own blessings. In December, I signed a bill passed by the Board of Aldermen to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, a law that disproportionately targeted people of color. We have new community violence intervention programs that keep people of color from unnecessarily entering the revolving door

Tishaura O. Jones is the first Black woman mayor in city of St. Louis history.

Mayor Tishaura Jones

Operation Food Search receives $95,000 through Bank of America

St. Louis American staff

In Missouri, it is estimated that between 18 and 19% of individuals experience food insecurity due to job losses and economic setbacks.

Bank of America announced

a $95,000 donation worth 380,000 meals to Operation Food Search to address food insecurity in the region on Friday, Feb. 18. Feeding America states that 1 in 4 children in Missouri is now at risk of hunger.

Earlier this year, the company announced it would make a $100 donation to local hunger relief organizations and food banks for each employee in St. Louis who received a COVID19 booster shot or vaccine and notified the bank before the end of January.

As a result of an ongoing partnership spanning over a decade, Bank of America

St. Louis has provided over $500,000 in total funding to Operation Food Search in support of local hunger relief efforts.

“Operation Food Search has stepped up to care for our friends and neighbors in St. Louis as the need for our services increased dramatically during the pandemic,” says Kristen Wild, president and CEO, Operation Food Search. “Thanks to steadfast community support from partners like Bank of America, we are able to continue empowering families and increasing access to healthy and affordable food across our region.”

For every $1 donated, the organization provides four

these with Bank of America have created incentives and dynamic solutions which benefit multiple areas of need.” Bank of America committed to donating a minimum of $25,000 to each of the company’s 93 markets as part of its vaccine booster effort. Because vaccination boosters and reporting are voluntary and additional company contributions are reflected in the final amount, actual donation amounts differ from the number of boosters reported by bank employees.

meals to the community. With help from the bank’s donation, Operation Food Search is providing 380,000 meals to individuals and families through a network of 330 community

partners in 27 Missouri and Illinois counties.

“While there is still a great deal to accomplish in terms of pandemic recovery, initiatives like these, which highlight the

imperative need for increasing vaccination and booster rates across St. Louis, is certainly a step in the right direction,” says Dr. Alex Garza, co-leader of the St. Louis Metropolitan

Pandemic Task Force. “In St. Louis, we have much to be grateful for in terms of our region’s generosity, particularly among our business community, where partnerships like

“As our region continues to recover and navigate a changing landscape, organizations such as Operation Food Search are still experiencing significant demands to help meet critical increased need,” said Marilyn Bush, president, Bank of America St. Louis. “Operation Food Search is an essential resource helping to remove barriers in access to nutritious food, a necessary component to the success of St. Louis, and partnerships like these are an important part of Bank of America’s commitment to our community.” The company has encouraged staff to get COVID-19 vaccinations since summer 2021 and has offered incentives such as paid time-off and $500 credits toward health benefit premiums. In partnership with local nonprofits, Bank of America has also distributed more than 38 million masks, 41,000 cases of hand sanitizer and 11 million gloves in local communities as part of its ongoing efforts to address health-related disparities accelerated by the pandemic.

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From left, Katie Fischer, Bank of America market executive, Aaron Fields, private bank division credit executive, Marilyn Bush, market president, Dr. Alex Garza, co-leader of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force, Kristen Wild, Operation Food Search president and CEO and Sheldon Ofodile, consumer banking market leader.

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Anti-Blackness comes with Black History Month

I look forward to Black History Month every year. I mean, I celebration Black History 24/7 all year. But during February, there is a wave of rarely known facts that are shared —like seeing the photo of Lucy Higgs Nichols who fled the plantation and served the all-white 23rd Indiana Infantry Regiment as a nurse. Then there’s the contributions of independent filmmakers and all the tv/cable specials. Happily, intoxicated in Blackness for 28 days.

Sadly, over a dozen HBCUs met Black History Month with threats of violence that forced their temporary closures leaving many students fearful and angry. One Spelman College student wondered aloud why she was experiencing the same white supremacist terrorism her grandparents were subjected to--for simply trying to get a better education.

These are not isolated acts of terrorism. They are connected to the growing antiBlack surge throughout the U.S. Police murders, vigilante murders, food insecurity, health disparities, unhoused humans, hostile school environments and the list goes on.

The Ahmaud Aubery case in Georgia gained international attention for its blatant racist

vigilantism of three good ole boys but similar acts have not received the same publicity.

For example, here in Missouri there have been at least three known cases of young Black men killed at the hands of white men. All the lethal shootings were ruled justifiable before there was any mention of criminal prosecution.

Black bodies are targets

n This country will never fully celebrate Black History as American History. That’s because it can never fully embrace people of African descent and their multitude of contributions not just to the U.S. but to the world.

whether they are jogging or working for FedEx or sleeping on the couch at a family member’s home. Racial violence is turning up in different spaces and taking on new forms.

The anti-Black climate is growing and becoming more intense—and ugly. This current environment supports not just anti-Black ideologies but antigay and anti-woman ideologies. In short, anti-everything except

white, male dominance. The former president set a lot of negative attitudes and behaviors in motion while in office. Most of his tyrannical ideas and actions would not have seen the light of day if it weren’t for the complicity of the diverse majority. This complicity is not necessarily intentional. Some of us are in perpetual survival mode with scant energy or time to confront the sources of oppression. Others understand the systems of oppression but are confused or hesitant about how to tackle them.

Last year, African American actress Taraji P. Henson feared that the COVID-19’s impact on the Black community would be “trauma on top of trauma.” Anxiety is prevalent. Violent crime is up. Black suicide rates are off the charts. Henson was on point.

This country will never fully celebrate Black History as American History. That’s because it can never fully embrace people of African descent and their multitude of contributions not just to the U.S. but to the world. We have spent centuries trying to rediscover our suppressed and destroyed history, to reclaim our stolen history and make new histories. February is a good a time as any to talk about the importance of our history and culture in the context of our right to exist in this country if we want to stay here. No amount of book burning will erase that.

Columnist Jamala Rogers

Rita Days stalls bonds for convention center

Following a very public backstabbing by ally County Councilman Tim Fitch County Council Chairwoman Rita Heard Days is scrambling to find support on the St. Louis County Council, especially as that support may relate to her stonewalling progress on the County’s share of municipal bonds, already committed for much-needed upgrades and repairs to the America’s Center Convention Complex. As Days has claimed, the Convention & Visitors Commission (CVC) reneged on a 2019 deal made between disgraced former County Executive Steve Stenger and the late County Councilwoman Hazel Erby to construct a recreational facility in North County. The CVC has disputed Days’ interpretation of that agreement and has placed responsibility for the lack of progress squarely on Days and the County Council. The sponsor of a bill before the County Council has a great deal of power over when it comes to a vote, as does the chairwoman. But the most powerful person on the St. Louis County Council is the sponsor of a bill who is also the chairwoman. And because of that absolute power, Days’ Bill No. 201, 2021 – an ordinance that would fulfill the Council’s agreement to authorize bonds to provide the County’s $105 million contribution to the Convention Center project –has never been given a Council vote. Using her power as bill sponsor and chairwoman, Days has stalled the bill for months, convening conference calls and meetings to threaten both the project and the region’s future in tourism.

Privately, all but two of Days’ Council colleagues have committed to supporting the bill, making its veto-proof passage certain, but only if Days called up the bill for a vote. Thus far, Days has refused to do so at the suggestion of her advisers -- including an ambitious former state senator and the transactional leader of a local civil rights group -- who whisper to her that holding the bill back gives her vanitydriven leverage to leave her name on a new building to be constructed on UMSL’s campus. Eventually, suggest the advisers, County officials, her Council colleagues, and the region’s hospitality giants will cave to Days’ demands and be willing to trade a vote call-up in exchange for a new $80 million on-campus recreational facility - the funding of which is at the mercy of excess hotel taxes that have sharply decreased because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, what’s at stake by Days’ refusal to call up Bill No. 201, 2021 to a vote? St. Louis’ tourism industry – which includes landmark features like Forest Park and the Zoo Museum District, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Gateway Arch -- already has taken a big hit from the pandemic, causing the region to fall further behind without the promised upgrades and repairs to the America’s Center complex and resulting in millions in lost tourism revenue. Inaction by Days to advance this bill hurts the entire St. Louis region every day and comes during a time the City, County, and Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority

are still working out the terms to divide roughly $500 million from the NFL and Stan Kroenke settlement.

The Eye calls on Days and her team to stop the intentional disruption of St. Louis’ tourism efforts, an industry that employs tens of thousands of Black workers, and to honor the legacy of Hazel Erby, whose vote originally made the convention center bonds possible, by calling up Bill No. 201, 2021, for a vote before the Council. The Eye further notes that Days’ own political future relies on the outcome of this vote, as more voters and influential political people consider Days’ most serious primary challenger, Jennings Councilman Terry Wilson

Charter school lobbyists, public school advocates clash in state capitol

The debate around Missouri’s education system has spiraled into personal attacks, defensive responses to campaign donations, and a lot of lost focus on Missouri schoolchildren. Tensions increased after lobbying group Missouri Charter Public School Association paid charter school families a “stipend” to travel to and attend a protest in Jefferson City. In their virulent support of House Bill

Terry Wilson

1552 -- which would strip $18 million from St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) and other public schools across the state -- predominantly white charter school advocates have launched a barrage of bizarre, alienating attacks against public school teachers and elected officials who support public schools. SLPS Board of Education members Matt Davis and Alisha Sonnier appeared at the H.B. 1552 hearing in opposition, alongside St. Louis Democratic representatives LaKeySha Bosley, KimberlyAnn Collins, and Raychel Proudie, and former school board member Susan Jones. White St. Louis-area Democratic state representatives nevertheless supported the bill to “defund” SLPS, just months after each received a $1,000 campaign donation from the Quality Schools Alliance PAC, the lobbying arm of pro-charter school nonprofit Quality Schools Coalition Christine Kemper serves as a board member for Quality Schools Coalition.

Charter schools, which notoriously side-step laws that ensure equal access to free public education for all, rose in popularity for white families following the Brown v. Board of Education decision that desegregated public schools in the 1950s. Framed as “school choice,” the charter school

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movement has resulted in public funds being siphoned from public schools and reallocated to privately-owned and -managed charter schools. Charter schools boast that they follow a different set of laws, which have allowed them to racially discriminate against Black and brown students and to operate as businesses instead of a constitutionally-guaranteed public service. Until a few years ago, a local “desegregation tax” funneled money from City sales tax into charter schools, shorting SLPS by more than $42 million in much-needed revenue.

Not all charter schools are created equally, but some are certainly more up front about their intentions: for example, Kairos Academy’s 20212022 staff handbook suggests that “low-income student[s] will make it harder to get the high academic results my teacher is striving for... Disadvantaged students tend to come in below grade-level.” Being a “private” actor and therefore not subject to laws that protect students from discrimination, Kairos Academy’s own handbook seems to imply that financial factors – not the students’ best interests – dictate the school’s decisions. Despite calling themselves “public schools,” charters legally are “private” actors, subject to a separate set of laws and have shareholders and investors to appease. Jack Krewson, son of former mayor Lyda Krewson, co-founded Kairos Academy and serves as its chief strategy officer.

City court data tracking

On Feb. 16, the St. Louis City Circuit Court announced that it would begin releasing monthly data from its pre-trial criminal reports, including how many individuals were criminally charged in the City, the level of the charges, the average bond amount set, and how frequently a bond is allowed, among other things. Notably missing from the three reports published

thus far was any data on the race of persons charged or detained by the criminal legal system -- a fact noted by the Freedom Community Center’s CourtWatch program. Specifically citing the lack of demographic information that would illustrate how the criminal legal system enacts violence on Black and brown communities at higher rates than white communities, CourtWatch also noted the lack of prosecutor bond recommendation data and missing information on defendants’ mental health, presence of substance abuse, and other social factors that are considered into a judge’s decision.

“As CourtWatchers, we are encouraged by the display of transparency from a body that all too often obscures the violence it does behind complicated legal rhetoric and closed doors,” the organization said in a statement last Thursday. “We will continue to bear witness to these practices so that we might bring more light to the decisions made in our name.” CourtWatch has announced the upcoming release of its highly anticipated summary report following six months of observing the St. Louis City Circuit Court. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Bar Foundation has been fundraising to meet a $1 million goal for the Freedom Lawsuits memorial, which will be installed outside of the City Courthouse. The memorial was originally conceived by City Circuit Court Judge David Mason, who led the court’s investigation into and archiving efforts of the Freedom Lawsuits, the hand-written petitions filed by hundreds of enslaved persons to obtain their freedom prior to the Harriet and Dred Scott “legal” decisions. The filings were found in off-site storage by accident around 20 years ago. More than 300 individual petitions for freedom were discovered. The Bar Foundation continues to accept donations for the construction of the memorial, which is set to be unveiled this Juneteenth in front of the St. Louis City Circuit Court.

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“Taking Care of You”

The Pandemic:

If history is an indicator, it’s far from over

September. The flags represent the number of COVID deaths in this country: 1 in 500 Americans have died. While the COVID infection rate has recently dropped, physicians fear that it will haunt the nation for years to come.

By Sylvester Brown Jr.

The St. Louis American

Dr. Maureen Lyons, Medical Director of Washington University’s Care and Recovery After COVID Clinic, or (CARE), was the perfect candidate to speak about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Not only is she in the trenches and knowledgeable about most things COVID-related, but she also displayed a refreshing sense of optimism about her work.

Lyons is pleased to be the director of a clinic that treats “Long COVID” patients, those who have recovered from the virus but still have lingering symptoms. The clinic is in the unique position of being able to study

n “What’s hardest for me personally is seeing the amount of suffering the pandemic causes, knowing that this is preventable.”

– Dr. Maureen Lyons, Care and Recovery After COVID Clinic medical director

why patients seem to have increased risk of developing cardiovascular complications within the first month to a year after infection. By focusing on care for a specific group of COVID survivors, the clinic also can provide valuable research and much-needed data

Removing stigma to save Black lives

Suicide prevention advocates boost awareness in Black community

son.

By JoAnn Weaver

St. Louis American

The

In 2019, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and the 9th leading cause of death in Missouri, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Well known people who seem to have it all together have died by suicide. Cheslie Kryst, a former lawyer, Miss USA 2019, and entertainment reporter was a successful young Black woman in a country that often assumes suicide primarily affects white people. Her untimely death shook the nation when news broke that she took her own life. It has become clearer that suicide can affect those with fame and fortune and the everyday working per-

on how the virus impacts the heart, brain, and other vital organs.

Lyons was upbeat about her practice but when asked about her personal feelings about the pandemic and its long-term impact on the world, she took on a more somber tone.

“It’s been hard but hard now in a different way,” Lyons explained. “Early on, [COVID19] was new and scary, but we all rallied to do the best we could. But now we’re coming down from yet another surge and it’s a different landscape.”

Ironically, that “different landscape” spurred by pandemic surges was just as much a reality more than 100 years ago as it is today.

The 1918 Spanish flu lasted about two

Linda Robinson, a St. Louis native and resident, lost her brother Mark Robinson at the age of 47. His death was attributed to suicide in 2019.

“He has always suffered from mental health problems, like depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and things,” Robinson said. “He has attempted on several occasions but this time he succeeded.”

Robinson said she couldn’t really say what led up to it, if something in his life caused him to feel “completely hopeless” or ashamed.

“It’s something that we don’t know so I try not to linger on the ‘why’ to help with my healing and move forward,” she said. “I’m talking to others who have

See SUICIDE, A13

By Marcela Howell

This Black History Month, give Black women the gift of empowerment by investing in organizations dedicated to reproductive justice [RJ].

Black women have been at the forefront of every progressive social movement in America; it’s long past time for America to invest in the one movement that centers the needs and rights of women of color, especially Black women: the reproductive justice movement.

Reproductive justice is grounded in human rights and Black feminist theory that centers the intersectional impact of race, gender, and class on the ability to live free from oppression. RJ is all about individuals having both the right and the ability to create and nurture the family of their choosing and achieve optimum mental, physical, community and economic health.

Black women do not live siloed lives and RJ reflects that. RJ is about more than our bodies, it’s about economic justice, voting rights, housing justice, environmental justice, LGBTQ liberation, immigrants’ rights, and the decriminalization of Black people. It’s about all the issues that impact our ability to live free from oppression. As we move through our lives, all these issues intersect.

n RJ is about more than our bodies, it’s about economic justice, voting rights, housing justice, environmental justice, LGBTQ liberation, immigrants’ rights, and the decriminalization of Black people.

The RJ movement demands that governments and society be obligated to ensure conditions exist for everyone to exercise these rights freely. When we have policies and laws in place to make these values the lived experience of every Black woman, girl, femme, and gender-expansive person, then all people will be free from oppression.

At this critical juncture, when our rights are under extreme attack, there are three compelling reasons to support the Reproductive Justice movement:

A rainbow settles over 600,000 flags along the National Mall in Washington, D.C. in

See HOWELL, A13

Linda Robinson advocates for suicide prevention on behalf of her brother, Mark, who took his own life in 2019.

Photo courtesy of Linda Robinson

Photo by Lucian Perkins / St. Louis American

Marcela Howell

St. Louis American staff

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis on Tuesday launched a 30-day NARCAN distribution effort in partnership with Americorps and B.A.S.I.C. (Black Alcohol/ Drug Information Center).

Its goal is to distribute 200 vials of NARCAN per day for 30 days in areas where open drug use is prevalent. Narcan is the brand name for naloxone, an FDA-approved prescription medicine nasal spray that can block the effects of opioids, and that can reverse an overdose, according to drugfree.org.

AmeriCorps volunteers are assisting with canvassing and BASIC will provide education materials and treatment information.

The team will be out from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays in targeted neighborhoods.

“The recent spikes in opioid-related deaths are an indication that we cannot let up even in a pandemic,” said James Clark, Urban League Division of Public Safety and Community Response [PSCR] vice president.

“We are at war, and it will take more collaboration, more resources, and more focus on the ground to assist those who are suffering from addiction. This is a medical and community emergency.”

Urban League, partners attack opioid use in city

30-day campaign targets ‘hot spots’

The Urban League’s Serving Our Streets team set up at a convenience market at St. Louis Avenue and North Kingshighway and provided NARAN, COVID-19 supplies, educational materials, food, and resource information for support programs.

Pandemic

Continued from A12

years. The first wave in February of that year was relatively mild but in the second, more lethal wave in September 1918, more Americans died from the virus than did in the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War and the Vietnam War combined.

Some historians say there was another wave, a fourth, in the winter of 1920, but it was far less lethal than the prior three surges. Still, cities like St. Louis, Detroit, New York and Minneapolis experienced significant fourth wave deaths and “excess mortality,” according to a research paper on influ-

Suicide

Continued from A12 been through it and being involved in suicide awareness now.”

According to his sister, Mark Robinson had struggles in his life, but he was a caring person who wanted to help people focus on their health.

“Despite all his depression and anxiety, he was able to manage the [OR Smoothie & Cafe] in the Richmond Heights area for a short time,” she said. “He was able to run that because he was a health fanatic and a vegetarian; everything he did was to improve his health and his lifestyle.” When asked what she wants

Howell

Continued from A12

Voting rights

Black women are the most powerful voting bloc in this country. We’ve faced attacks by police dogs, fire hoses and bloody beatings to secure

enza mortality in metropolitan cities. All in all, an estimated 500 million people worldwide became infected with the Spanish Flu with at least 50 million dying from the virus. Roughly 675,000 of those deaths occurred in the United States. There have been more than 78 million U.S. coronavirus cases and nearly 933,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

So far, with COVID-19, there has been a consistent pattern of surges. There was a large spike around the winter holidays of 2020–’21. Infection levels started to drop after the arrival of vaccines in December. Then the highly contagious Delta variant

others to know about mental health problems, Robinson said it needs more attention from everyone in the community.

“I just want other people to know, especially those in the African American community, that mental illness is real, Black people do commit suicide and the term is ‘death by suicide,’ and that we need to take this issue seriously,” she said.

Robinson encourages people to reach out to suicide prevention organizations for resources and help.

NAMI St. Louis, part of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, specializes in suicide prevention. Angela Berra, director of programs at NAMI St. Louis,

voting rights for ourselves and our children. Support a Black RJ organization that does voter engagement and education work at the grassroots and grass tops levels. Help us continue to fight to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in Congress.

The direct neighborhood engagement effort is focused on the “open-air” drug markets in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. PSCR urban engagement specialists and canvassers will visit these areas where drugs

struck in July 2021 which was followed by the even more contagious Omicron variant in November.

Because the influenza virus and the coronavirus are not genetically the same, one-toone comparisons aren’t possible. However, researchers have noted the novel coronavirus appears to mutate far faster than the 1918 influenza virus.

It’s possible that the coronavirus may transition from pandemic levels to endemic levels. That’s when a disease is not affecting an alarmingly large number of people. But, as Dr. Anthony Fauci explained at the recent World Economic Forum, “that would only be the case if we don’t get another variant that eludes the immune response.”

talked about barriers that have historically barred African Americans from mental health services in this country.

“We know statistically that in the U.S. about 25% of Black or African American individuals compared to 40% of White or Caucasian Americans seek mental health care and a lot of that has to do with the stigma surrounding it,” she said. “The cost of mental health care is another issue we don’t often talk about enough I think in particular for our communities.”

Berra also talked about the stigma in the Black community that surrounds talking about suicide and other mental health issues.

“I think the stigma from those that I have talked with

Maternal health

are used in plain sight. The Division of Public Safety has focused on opioid hot spots in three St. Louis neighborhoods for over a year; every Tuesday and Thursday the team sets up a triage sta-

Experts say more infections can lead to more mutations that could generate new variants. They promote vaccinations as the best way to reach “herd immunity,” when large percentages of a population become immune to a disease and therefore are not infecting others. In America, only about 65% of Americans are fully vaccinated. As it was in the early 1900s, conspiracy theorists resisted vaccinations while politicians pushed for relaxed safety regulations to jumpstart the economy. These moves, chided as irresponsible and premature by the medical and scientific communities, added to the influenza surges in the early 1900s. As vaccine science advanced at the turn of the 20th century, so did the anti-vaccine movement.

in the Black community [is] surrounded by cultural norms, and faith seems to be another aspect that is often brought into the conversation,” she said.

Advocates from the Missouri Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), the largest suicide prevention organization in the United States, planned to meet this week with lawmakers to urge them to prioritize suicide prevention and mental health initiatives for Missouri residents.

This would include authorizing more funding for suicide and mental health crisis call centers and infrastructure to support a statewide crisis service system; passage of HB 2238 and HB 2136 to encour-

Black women are 3 to 5 times more likely to experience a pregnancy-related death than their White counterparts. Reproductive Justice can only be achieved when Black women, femmes, girls, and gender-expansive individuals can experience pregnancy and childbirth without endangering our lives. Help us continue to advance birthing justice.

Pay equity

Black women make 63 cents for every dollar a White man makes. This wage gap amounts to Black women making $1 million dollars less than White men during their careers. One way to close the wage gap is

tion offering food, clothing, hygiene items, health screenings, NARCAN, rehab transportation and referrals for other social services as requested by residents. This scaled up effort is in response to the recent

spike in fentanyl deaths from overdosing.

“We have to come together as a community to develop more on demand strategies that take into account the environment,” said Oval Miller, BASIC CEO.

“This initiative is a good way to build the trust needed but once we build the trust, we have to be ready to provide treatment on demand. The window closes quickly,” said Miller.

Overdose deaths and homicides within the boundaries of the City of St. Louis are the highest in the state according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

The rate of opioid overdose deaths among Black people in Missouri is third highest in the nation (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2020) with deaths in St. Louis City and County driving statewide rates. State data shows opioid-involved deaths among Black men increased 17%, and 47% in St. Louis County alone. * State data indicates 5,609 lives have been saved with NARCAN/Naloxone. There were 1,375 opioid overdose deaths in Missouri for 2020 and 4,207 non-fatal ER visits across the state due to opioid overdose in 2020. One in 54 deaths in Missouri in 2020 was due to opioid overdose.

Many doctors today have grown weary of dealing with patients – fueled by denial and misinformation – who still refuse to be vaccinated even as COVID-19 surges continue. Some doctors must reason with irate patients who insist they be prescribed drugs like Ivermectin, a veterinary parasite drug. Other practitioners, who are well versed on vaccine development find themselves debating conspiracy-mongers who sincerely believe that microchips are embedded in vaccines that will remake their DNA or make them magnetic. Scientists like Dr. Fauci believe the country is in the beginning of a fourth wave of the pandemic. They predict it will most likely be far less deadly than the previous three waves, while simultaneously worrying that the stubborn failure to contain the virus through vaccinations will only make it harder to get past COVID and back to some sense of normalcy. Despite the wishes of many, the pandemic is not over and there’s still a threat of emerging variants. For Lyons, it’s difficult to see a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. Especially, she said, when there’s still so much resistance to vaccinations.

age suicide prevention training for school personnel, and requiring schools and colleges to print suicide and crisis hotline phone numbers on student ID cards. In addition, HB 2019 would fund school nurse and mental health professional positions in public schools.

“As volunteers with AFSP, many of us have lived experience with mental health conditions, suicide attempts, or the loss of a loved one,” said Lauren Ross, Missouri Chapter Board Treasurer.

“As advocates, we have a unique and special opportunity to go to Jefferson City on Feb. 23 and speak with our legislators about the ways they can help us and bills they can support to help aid in the fight to have a world without

with a universal basic income (UBI) program. It would provide families the financial flexibility they need without adding to their personal debt.

“What’s hardest for me personally,” Lyons said, “is seeing the amount of suffering the pandemic causes, knowing that this is preventable.” Sylvester Brown Jr. is The St. Louis American’s inaugural Deaconess Fellow.

suicide,” Ross added. “We will share our stories, educate them on the bills that are currently going through the legislative process and encourage them to introduce new bills and support those they feel will be the most beneficial to our fight. Sharing our story is the most powerful tool we have, and one person truly can make a difference.”

The AFSP sees the Missouri State Capitol Day as an impactful day for all who have a connection with or a personal story on the topic of suicide. The overall goal of each event is to help lawmakers understand that investments in mental health and suicide prevention can save lives.

When we follow Black women’s leadership, everybody benefits because we are fighting to make all of society more equitable. So, this Black History Month, give the gift of empowerment to Black women by supporting Reproductive justice. Marcela Howell is president and CEO of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda. This commentary was originally published in The Afro-American.

with

Photo courtesy of the Urban League

Members of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis Save Our Streets team distributed free NARCAN, COVID19 supplies, food, and educational materials at St. Louis Ave. and Kingshighway on Tuesday, Feb. 22. The effort is part of a 30-day campaign to battle opioid death in the city.

PRESENT:

PRESENT:

Nutrition Challenge:

Nutrition Challenge:

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

Dining Out.

What Is ASize?Serving

GRAINS Keep ‘em Whole!

GRAINS

Keep ‘em Whole!

The Smart Way!

Warm Up & Cool Down

Do This. Not That!

Do This. Not That!

First Day of Spring!

Exercise Game

Tech-Neck

for several different reasons.

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

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

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

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

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

Cola

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

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

Let’s make a game out of exercise!

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

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

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

those leftovers for lunch the next day!

are popcorn, wheatberries, brown rice and wild rice.

are popcorn, wheatberries, brown rice and wild rice.

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

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

Cocoa Puffers Cereal

Cocoa Puffers Cereal

INGREDIENTS:

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

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

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

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

> Start by substituting one drink per day to water.

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

Melissa Douglass, MSW

Weekly Newspaper in Education Program

Latoya Woods, DNP, APRN, FNP-C

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

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

Learning Standards:

Learning Standards:

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

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

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

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

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

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

HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 3, NH 5

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

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

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

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

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

Instead of watching TV — ride your bike with friends.

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

Instead of watching TV — ride your bike with friends.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Break into small groups and define what it means to be a bully. Share your ideas with the class. Did you have the same things listed (as the other groups) that you would consider as bullying behavior? Now back in your groups, create a newspaper ad that includes at least two of the following:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Learning Standards:

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

Learning Standards:

HPE1, HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 5

> What to do if you see someone else bullied.

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

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

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

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

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

practitioner? I provide medical consulting for women at risk of maternal mortality and morbidity enrolled in the Bootheel Healthy Start Program. The program is called Healthy Mothers Healthy Futures. I conduct a screening which includes height, weight, pressure and pulse, BMI, diabetes-risk test and waist measurement. I educate them of the importance of knowing when to seek help if they have any maternal early warning signs (MEWS).

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

> What to do if you see someone else bullied.

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

> What to do if YOU are the bully.

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

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

> What to do if YOU are the bully.

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

> How bullying hurts others.

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

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

doctor if you have any questions. The formula to calculate your BMI is 703 X weight (lbs) ÷ height (in inches/squared) or search “BMI Calculator” to find an easy fill-in chart online. If your number is high, what are some ways to lower your BMI?

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

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

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

Cracker-wiches

Easy Hummus Dip

Ingredients: 8 Saltine crackers

Easy Hummus Dip

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

Ingredients:

> What to do if you are bullied.

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

> How bullying hurts others.

> What to do if you are bullied.

Frozen Yogurt Blueberry Bites

Ingredients:

> What other ice hazards are there?

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 4

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

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

1 15-Oz Can Garbanzo beans

1 cup blueberries

2 Large Strawberries

1 Garlic clove, crushed

1 cup non-fat Greek Yogurt

1 Tbsp Honey (optional)

chips or raw vegetables.

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 4

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

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

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

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

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

Why did you choose this career? I always wanted to be a nurse, but I never imagined what a nurse could do. I served as the Command Surgeon medical officer that advised the Commanding General, during war, of healthcare matters for his/her troops. I enjoyed seeing the world and caring for people.

What is your favorite part of the job you have?

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

What is your favorite part of the job you have? I am so joyful when I see the impact of empowering people about their health, because their health matters too. I am all smiles when a woman says she understands the importance of her health and the baby’s health, and hopeful for their future.

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

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

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

Learning Standards: HPE 6, NH 3

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

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

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

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

Yonniece Rose, Registered Nurse

Banana PB Smoothie

Deborah Edwards, School Nurse

Dianne Jackson, FNP

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

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

Gateway Elementary School kindergarten students Lyric Jones, Korey Davis, Dallace Anderson and Antonisha Berry are learning about animal and plant characteristics/traits. Gateway Elementary School is in the Saint Louis Public Schools District.

Have you heard of the scientific method? It starts with a question. For example, maybe you are curious about how fluorescent light affects plant growth.

Next, is background research. You’ll look up facts using books and the internet. You can also talk to people who have knowledge about your topic. After research, you’ll form a hypothesis. This is where you state what you believe will happen, (ex: Fluorescent lights will negatively impact plant growth).

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

Background Information:

In this activity, you will experiment with “mean” and “median,” which are two important math concepts.

Materials Needed: • Deck of Cards with Face Cards Removed (jacks, queens and kings)

• Paper • Marker • Partner Process:

q Divide the sheet of white paper into three sections using the marker. Write the word “mean” at the top of the far left column, “median” on top of the center column, and “Which is greater?” on the far right column..

w Shuffle the deck of cards. Hand the cards to your partner and ask them to deal you five cards.

MATH CONNECTION

Probability is the likelihood that an event will occur. For example, there may be a 60% probability for rain storms. For these questions, you will need a deck of cards to determine probability.

Directions: Determine the probability of each question.

z What is the probability of

DID YOU KNOW?

SCIENCE STARS

AFRICAN-AMERICAN STATISTICIAN AND EDUCATOR: Nancy Glenn

Nancy Glenn was born in Charleston, North Carolina. In 1987, she earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of South Carolina. Eight years later, she earned her statistics degree there. In 2002, Glenn became the first African American to earn a PhD in Statistics at Rice University in Houston, Texas. She completed her postdoctoral research with the National Security Agency.

Then, you’ll experiment to test your hypothesis—gathering data and making observations. When it is completed, you will draw conclusions on the results and share what you’ve learned.

View the Scientific Method Rap Here: https://www. youtube.com/ watch?v=wlb7tLJy5AI.

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

e Calculate the mean of the cards by adding all five cards together and dividing by five. (Aces=1). Write the answer in the “mean” column.

r Find the median of the four cards. Arrange them from smallest to largest and find the number in the middle of the sequence. Write the number in the “median” column.

t Finally, determine which number is greater—the mean or the median—and write that answer in the final column.

y Continue steps 2-5 until the deck is depleted.

Analyze: What did you learn about mean and median?

Learning Standards: I can follow sequential directions to complete a task. I can analyze results.

Glenn returned to the University of South Carolina as an assistant professor in the Department of Statistics while she completed research about cancer cells and DNA, publishing her findings in research journals. Her research in Nonparametric Statistics and Bioinformatics was funded by such organizations as the National Institute of Health and NASA. Glenn also was a reviewer for several statistical research journals. In 2007, she became an assistant professor at Texas Southern University, teaching for the Department of Mathematical Sciences. There, she developed a course for STEM students that prepared them for graduate school, to earn more advanced degrees. Glenn is also a representative for the American Statistical Association. Learning Standards: I can read about a person who has made contributions in the fields of science, technology, and mathematics.

Use the newspaper to complete the following activities.

Activity One

Theme: Choose one story from each section of the newspaper. Identify the theme of each story. As a class, compare the various themes found in each section of the paper, as well as specific details that develop the theme.

Activity Two — Sports Statistics: Locate sports statistics in the newspaper. How are they reported? Calculate statistics for your school’s sports teams. How do the numbers compare?

Learning Standards: I can determine probability.

Learning Standards: I can identify theme, calculate statistics, and compare numbers.

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

MAP CORNER

Webster U DE&I Conference delves into community inequities

‘What Can We Do’ sessions March 1-2

PeoPle on the Move

Tameka Herrion

By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American

The words diversity, equity and inclusion are commonplace in many American businesses and organizations, but the impact they bring, and importance to success could still be misunderstood.

The Webster University 2022 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Conference, “What Can We Do? March 1-2 will focus on inequities in communities and offer practical, and impactful strategies to promote inclusion as individuals and institutions, according to the university. Team USA gymnast and second-generation American Laurie Hernandez will offer the conference’s keynote address in a fireside chat format at 7 p.m. Tuesday March 1. The first U.S.born Latina to make the U.S. team since 1984, Hernandez won Gold and Silver medals at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

n The Webster University 2022 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Conference, “What Can We Do? March 1-2 will focus on inequities in communities and offer practical, and impactful strategies to promote inclusion as individuals and institutions.

CEdge Software Consultants CEO; Sonji Young, Armstrong Teasdale vice president of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; and Kristin Johnson, Edward Jones chief human resources officer and chief transformation officer.

The session moderator is Valerie E. Patton, Greater St. Louis Inc., Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer and Greater St. Louis Foundation president.

Here is the two-day schedule Tuesday, March 1

9-10 a.m. Diversity in Faith Traditions

Another highlight of the 12 sessions over two days is the “DEI in the Business Community: Right Here, Right Now” discussion at 5 p.m. March 1 which will examine what businesses must do to improve DE&I in regard to power, resources, and culture.

Panelists include Emma Lumpkins, Schnucks Markets Inc. senior director; Sekhar Prabhakar,

A bestselling author and mental health advocate Hernandez will discuss her triumphs and setbacks caused by injuries. She will share how she recovered from an eating disorder and overcame the trauma of verbal and emotional abuse by a former coach.

Dr. Paul Stroble will moderate a panel discussion of leaders across a spectrum of faith traditions to provide their perspectives on why diversity is an important aspect of their beliefs, discuss how they themselves understand diversity, discuss sources of biases and stereotypes in our perceptions of other faiths Panelists: Elvir Mandzukic, Maharat

CBC report details barriers to Black American economic growth

There is progress since 1972

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Senior Writer

While there has been progress, the economic blockades that keep Black Americans from truly reducing income and poverty rate gaps with white Americans remain prevalent in the U.S., according to a recent report by the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Joint Economic Committee.

Released in conjunction with Black History Month and the upcoming anniversary of the CBC’s 1972 founding, the “Economic Status of Black Americans” report analyzed state and national U.S. Census Bureau data spanning the last 50 years. According to the CBC the report “highlights significant areas of economic progress among Black Americans.” “However, the data also make clear the persistence of structural and economic barriers facing Black workers and families that result in disparities across broad socioeconomic indicators and outcomes,

According to the analysis:

Congressional Black Caucus Chair U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, calls the “Economic Status of Black Americans” report critical to improving African American economic status, adding “there are no quick fixes.”

Tameka Herrion will be joining The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis staff as senior director of programs. Most recently, she has served as director of college planning with Southeast Missouri State University. Her prior positions include scholarship manager with St. Louis Community Foundation, director of TRIO Student Support Services at Ranken Technical College, and positions in admissions and student support services at University of Missouri-St. Louis and Southeast Missouri State.

Ejimofor named chief nursing officer

Dr. Ekene Ejimofor

Dr. Ekene Ejimofor has been named chief nursing officer for Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital and Progress West Hospital in O’Fallon, MO. Ejimofor joins the BJC HealthCare hospitals from Salem, NJ, where he served as chief nursing officer for the Salem Medical Center. Prior to that, he spent six years at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ, first as nurse manager and then as nursing director. Ejimofor has a doctor of nursing practice degree from Thomas Edison State University and a master’s in health care management from Rutgers State University of New Jersey.

Pearlina Boyd, J.D. recently became a member of the National Small Business Association’s (NSBA) National Leadership Council based in Washington D.C. National Leadership Council members own small businesses across the United States. NSBA members also serve on policy committees, participate in meetings with the White House Administration and engage in legislative advocacy efforts regarding small business issues before Congress. Boyd is managing partner and mediator for Boyd Resolution Group LLC,

Cunningham receives arts fellowship

Zipporah Cunningham Herrion joins Scholarship Foundation

Zipporah Cunningham, a senior in the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts at Webster University, has been named one of the recipients of the Gyo Obata Fellowship through the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis. The 10-week paid summer internship is offered to undergraduate students pursuing careers in arts management, giving them hands-on experience in various nonprofit organizations within St. Louis City and County. The Gyo Obata Fellowship is awarded to students from backgrounds that have been traditionally underrepresented in the arts.

Laurie Hernandez, who won Gold and Silver medals as a gymnast in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, will offer the keynote address during the 7th Webster University Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Conference on March 1.

Photo courtesy of National Council of La Raza

Pearlina Boyd, J.D.

Conference

Continued from B1

Rori Picker, and Swami Nishpapananda.

10:30 a.m. – noon Decolonizing DEI

Rev. Traci Blackmon invites us to examine the many ways well-meaning efforts to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion remain vulnerable to the influence of white Eurocentric culture perceived as normative in our society. DEI efforts can be inconspicuously derailed by embedded dominant ideologies that manifest through words and language.

12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Gender Equality in the African Diaspora Muthoni Musangali, Ph.DGender equality is goal #5 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This presentation looks into the lives of African women living in the United States and examines the challenges of gender inequality, with a particular focus on Kenyan women living in Saint Louis. The presentation describes some initiatives that aim to improve the lives of African women in the diaspora.

2-3 p.m. Creating a Culture of Acceptance

This session will share three students’ stories, personalizing and humanizing experiences to help illustrate why a culture of acceptance is important. The panel will emphasize that a culture of acceptance requires active listening and focusing on other people’s perspectives – or possible perspectives – as opposed to one’s own perspective. Moderator: Katie Fields. Panelists: Katarina Ausley, Kayla Gaskill, and Gabby Gilby.

3:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Re-Envisioning Public Health Practice to End Institutional Racism

This presentation by St. Louis Health Commissioner Dr.

Report

Continued from B1

-Black child poverty rates have been cut by nearly half since the 1980s, and the share of Black Americans living below the poverty line reached the lowest level since federal data collection began in 1959.

-High school completion rates have risen significantly, and notably, the Black-white racial gap in high school graduation has nearly disappeared: In 2019, less than 6 percent of Black high school students dropped out of high school.

-The share of Black adults with college degrees has more than doubled since 1990.

However, despite this progress:

-White households have eight times the wealth of Black households, a result of historical disparities in asset ownership, unemployment, wages, and intergenerational wealth transfers.

-Black households earn just 62 cents for every dollar earned by white households.

-Black Americans have consistently experienced unemployment rates that are nearly twice that of white Americans. Investments to improve job quality and raise wages, lower household costs, and remove

Dr. Frederick Echols

Frederick Echols will focus on the history of health inequity and disparate health outcomes between whites and non-whites and highlights the steps the local public health system needs to take to narrow the gap and address intersectionality.

5-6 p.m. DEI in the Business Community: Right Here, Right Now

7-8 p.m. Keynote Guest: A Fireside Chat with Laurie Hernandez

Wednesday, March 2

9-10 a.m. Perspectives on Wrongful Incarceration and a Legal System Gone Wrong Anne Geraghty-Rathert is the founder of and attorney for the WILLOW Project. For the last nine years, she and Webster University student interns have represented the project’s incarcerated clients in their post-conviction clemency cases. Anne will discuss current and former clients of the project and challenges faced in their representation. She will also explore how the clients’ stories reveal significant gaps in access to justice, and what changes would need to happen to begin to bridge those gaps.

10:30 – 12:00 p.m. Balm

- The Emerging Field of Community Healing

Changing our current state requires an intentional focus on and concerted action around individual and community healing. Learn about an emerging framework for community healing that is arising from racial equity movement work, pandemic response initiatives and deep-seeded cultural practice. Rebeccah Bennett and her partners at In Power Institute and the Black Healers Collective will share insights

from their ongoing efforts to build a community healing field of practice.

12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Why Are You Sitting?

Ben Greene will share his story as an openly transgender man who came out at 15. After reviewing what it means to be transgender and all of the language that comes up in these conversations, he’ll discuss issues facing the transgender community in the workforce and the world at large, why it matters to be proactive about your support, and what individuals, schools, and organizations can do to create a safe, supportive environment for all people.

2-3 p.m. Challenging Racism in the Arts and Media

This panel discussion will focus on access and inclusion in the arts and media, as well as addressing racist and racially sensitive content in the arts and media. What is important in historical context? What should be considered harmful or triggering and filtered accordingly?

Moderator: Art Holliday. Panelists: Kwofe Coleman, Vanessa Cooksey, Paul Steger, and Michelle Li.

3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Voices That Need to be Included: Advocating for Linguistic Diversity

DJ Kaiser, Ph.D, will discuss the topic: As English has become a global language with non-native speakers outnumbering native speakers three to one, proficiency in English for all speakers must encompass the skills to understand a variety of diverse accents. Differences in language patterns can lead to miscomprehension, disrespect, and outright discrimination— also known as accent bias.

All sessions will be virtual and in person. Attendance is free and registration is required. To learn more and register, visit webster.edu/deiconference2022

barriers to wealth-building are key to addressing racial inequality and advancing shared prosperity.

“We recognize the contributions of Black Americans and work to confront structural barriers throughout the year, and Black History Month presents a specific opportunity to shine a light on both the progress to address racial disparities and the systemic racism that remains entrenched in our society and in our economy,” said JEC Chair U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Virginia. Beyer said the report “makes

clear the progress that has been made and the imperative that we in Congress do more to promote racial equality.” In addition to directly harming Black workers and families, the effects of discrimination and inequities in income, wealth, health, and education restrict the pathways to stronger and broad-based economic growth. We have before us a blueprint of the work we must do to build a more inclusive economy that values and honors the work of Black Americans.”

Joyce Beatty, CBC chair, called the report “critical” in the effort to improve Black economic progress in America.

“The gaps identified throughout this report do not lend themselves to quick fixes. Hundreds of years of structural exclusion and systemic oppression cannot be simply erased. However, the status quo is not tenable for Black Americans or for the US economy as a whole,” said Beatty, who also serves as House Financial Services Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion chair.

“This report aims to identify multiple entry points for action and underscore the urgency of getting started. As a nation we must embrace the transformational powers of diversity and inclusion, and by harnessing the unique skills, tools, and talents of all people, at all levels in the private and public sectors, we can create a stronger economy and brighter futures for everyone.”

n “Everything on this trophy means something in terms of his life and what he represented, accomplishments on the court.”

– Steph Curry on receiving the Kobe Bryant Trophy as MVP of the NBA All-Star Game

Sports

InSIdE SportS

By Earl Austin Jr.

Prep postseason basketball push is on throughout region

Postseason high school basketball has tipped off on both sides of the river. Small schools are participating in district playoff competition in Missouri, while girls’ teams have taken center stage in Illinois with regional and sectional competition. St. Louis area teams are competing in Class 3 district playoff action at respective sites Bishop DuBourg and Louisiana.

Host Bishop DuBourg is the No. 1 seed in the boys’ tournament while St. Pius is top seed on the girls’ side in District 4. The boys’ championship game is at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, with the girls’ game at 6 p.m. Friday. The championship games for the District 5 tournament will be held on Saturday with the girls’ game at 5 p.m., followed by the boys’ game at 7 p.m. On the Illinois side, the Edwardsville Tigers and O’Fallon Panthers came through with IHSA Class 4A regional championships last week. Host Edwardsville defeated Alton 63-57 to win its 18th regional championship. O’Fallon defeated Collinsville to win the Belleville West regional.

The winner of Tuesday night’s Edwardsville-O’Fallon sectional semifinal game advanced to tonight’s sectional championship game at Joliet Central.

To see full brackets, you can visit the respective state websites for Missouri and Illinois at www.mshsaa.org and www.ihsa. org We will have previews of the large school district playoffs next week.

Tatum’s All-Star Weekend

Congratulations once again to St. Louisan Jayson Tatum on his participation in last weekend’s National Basketball Association All-Star Game. It was the former Chaminade College Prep All-American’s third appearance and he played 20 minutes in his second start. He had eight points, four rebounds and five assists. Tatum’s Boston Celtics enter the season’s home stretch as one of the hottest teams in the NBA.

Phillip Russell shines at SEMO

Former Vashon High basketball standout Phillip Russell is having a tremendous fresh-

man season at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. The 5’10” guard is a top young player in the Ohio Valley Conference and was named the OVC’s Freshman of the Month on multiple occasions this season.

Russell currently averages 14.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists a game while shooting 36 percent from 3-point range. On February 7, he posted his season’s best performance in a victory at SIU-Edwardsville. He had 35 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and five steals in SEMO’s 76-47 victory. He became the second player in NCAA Division I ranks in the past 25 years to have a game of 35 points, 10 rebounds and five steals.

Pattonville girls go back-to-back

Congratulations to the Pattonville High girls’

basketball team on winning the championship of the Suburban Conference Red Division for the second consecutive season. The Pirates are a young and talented team led by head coach Donnie Boyce, a former standout player at Pattonville in the mid-1990’s.

The Pirates are currently 18-4 heading into the final week of the regular season, with 5’8” junior guard Jasmine Gray leading the way. Gray is averaging 16 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 4.1 steals a game. There have also been plenty of other contributors to the Pirates success this season.

Zoe Newland, a 5’7” junior is currently averaging 9.1 points and 4.5 rebounds a game.

Junior point guard Taylor Montgomery averages 8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and four assists a game. Jnylah Curtis, a 6’0” junior averages

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

Let’s talk about a pair of Black American sports stars who didn’t win major events last week but showed themselves to be true champions. When Team USA’s Elana Meyers Taylor thrust her fist into the air as her two-person bobsled crossed the finish line on Feb. 19 at the Beijing Winter Olympics it was in celebration of third place. But it meant she captured a historic bronze medal because Meyers Taylor became the first Black athlete in Olympics history to win five medals during an Olympics career.

Wildcats surprise Webster

four points and a team-high eight rebounds a game. Brooke Boyce is a 5’9” freshman who averages 5.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Guard Hannah Fenton is another talented freshman who averages five points a game while junior guard Cami Stacker averages seven points, four rebounds and two assists a game.

MoBap wins AMC Title Congratulations to the Missouri Baptist University men’s basketball team on winning the American Midwest Conference regular season championship. The Spartans are currently 15-1 in conference play and 23-5 overall, heading into this week’s AMC postseason tournament. The MBU program is led by Preston Ingram, who took over as head coach in 2019.

A toast to an outstanding Black bobsledder and Bubba Wallace

raced with 41 different teammates on 14 tracks in 11 countries, won her fifth medal with teammate Sylvia Hoffman.

“That is overwhelming,” Meyers Taylor said following the race.

Alvin A. Reid

Meyers Taylor is a threetime silver medal winner -Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018 in the two-woman bobsled event and Beijing 2022 in the monobob, a first-time Winter Olympics event in which a competitor races down a specially designed ice track in a bobsled. She is a twotime bronze medalist -- 2010 Vancouver and in this year’s two-person bobsled. Meyers Taylor, who has

“It’s so crazy to hear that [most decorated Black Winter Olympics athlete] stat and know that I’m part of a legacy that’s bigger than me.” In respect for her dedication and historic achievement, her Team USA teammates voted her as flag bearer during the closing ceremony. She had been slated to carry the flag during the opening ceremony but tested positive for COVID-19 on her arrival in China.

After quarantine with her son, Meyers Taylor passed a pair of COVID-19 tests in time to train and compete.

“It’s going to be really hard to top this Olympics. Two medals and now closing it out with flagbearer, it’s going to be really hard to top that,” she said.

She hinted her career will end with five medals, saying “There’s a good chance that it’s my last [Olympics.”]

Bubba oh so close Honestly, had Black NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace won the Daytona 500 instead of finishing as runner up by 0.036 of a second, his victory would be on the front page of this edition. In taking second place,

Wallace proved he is among NASCAR’s best, and he did it in the sports’ ‘Super Bowl’ showcase. He roared past those that doubt his driving ability and those that despise him because he dared to lead a successful battle to end the flying of Confederate flags at NASCAR events. What will make him a continued force is his reaction to

his second second-place finish at Daytona. He was second in 2018 but said “I really didn’t have a fighting chance [to win.]”

“Damn, I wanted to win that one,” he said immediately after the race.”

“This one, being that close, it’s just like a gut punch. So going from all the confidence in the world to literally having it ripped out from underneath you is a really [crappy] feeling.”

Wallace closed the 2021 NASCAR season with his first career Cup victory at Talladega Superspeedway in October. The race ended early because of rain with Wallace in first place.

“You know, we succeeded,” Wallace said of his near victory.

“We succeeded on all levels, but we failed at the same time. So, going through that, trying to ride that, is super tough.” Regardless, Bubba, you did a super job.

The Reid Roundup Bubba Wallace drives

. Jordan was at the Daytona 500, then his private jet got him to Cleveland for the NBA AllStar Game halftime and official recognition of the NBA 75 Team. Hamlin finished 37th… Steph Curry’s 50-point Most Valuable Play performance in the All-Star Game was the brightest moment

Earl Austin Jr.

Webster Groves’ Jayla Hawkins (3) plays close defense on Eureka senior forward Katie Stolz (20) during action Friday, Feb. 18, 2022. The Wildcats stunned the host Statesmen 63-60 on Senior Night.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Photo courtesy of the AP

Elana Meyers Taylor and Sylvia Hoffman, of the United States, celebrate winning the bronze medal in the women’s bobsleigh at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing.

Several African Americans, including three women, among recipients of St. Louis 2022 Titan 100

Titan CEO and headline sponsor Wipfli LLP recently announced the 2022 Titan 100. The Titan 100 program recognizes St. Louis’ Top 100 CEOs & C-level executives. They are the area’s most accomplished business leaders in their industry using criteria that includes demonstrating exceptional leadership, vision, and passion. Collectively the 2022 Titan 100 and their companies employ more than 38,000 individuals and generate over $15.7 billion dollars in annual revenues.

This year’s honorees will be honored at the annual awards

ceremony on April, 28th 2022 and will be given the opportunity to interact and connect multiple times throughout the year with their fellow Titans. Local African-American leaders who will be awarded include: Cenia Bosman, Community Action Agency of St. Louis County, Inc.; Michael McMillan, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis; Orvin T. Kimbrough, Midwest BankCentre; Pat Coleman, Behavioral Health Response; Robert Steward, End2End Solution; Tracey Clark Jeffries, Capital Consulting Services.

Patricia Coleman

“The

a distinguished reputation that is unrivaled and preeminent in their field. We proudly rec-

ognize the Titan 100 for their successes and contributions. We know that they will have a profound impact that makes an extraordinary difference for their customers and clients across the nation.” says Jaime Zawmon, president of Titan CEO. The Titan 100 embody the true diversity of St. Louis’ business landscape. Representing technology, manufacturing, education, healthcare, construction/real estate, staffing, professional services, hospitality, transportation, and non-profit organizations among many others.

Knight Foundation invests digital resources in Word In Black publishers

The annual Titan 100 awards celebration on April 28th will be held at “The Factory” located in Chesterfield, Missouri. The Factory is one of the anchors in the new entertainment complex – The District, the first built from-the-ground-up performance and event venue in the Midwest in more than twenty years. This unique cocktail-style awards event will gather 100 Titans of Industry for an evening unlike anything that exists in the St. Louis business community.

By Word In Black

Word In Black’s 10 partner publishers are about to get a digital boost. That’s because the Knight Foundation and Local Media Association announced on Monday that they’re joining forces for the Knight x LMA BloomLab a groundbreaking initiative that focuses on providing technology upgrades, business transformation consulting, and shared learning opportunities for local publishers of color. To achieve those goals, the Knight Foundation launched the Knight x LMA BloomLab at Local Media Association with initial funding of $3.2 million. Those funds will enable the lab to expand from supporting the digital growth of the 10 Word In

Black publishers to including 26 Black-owned media outlets over the next three years. Each news outlet will receive $50,000 technology grants to help them continue their digital transformations.

“Since establishing sustainability for publishers of color as one of our four core pillars in 2018, the LMA has helped nearly 100 BIPOC organizations with business transformation, monetization and audience-building strategies,” says Nancy Lane, Chief Executive Officer of Local Media Association which manages the Word In Black collaborative.

“The Knight x LMA BloomLab will take these efforts to a whole new level as we will be able to provide unprecedented resources,

specifically focused on technology, to a group of 26 Black-owned-and-operated media organizations,” Lane says. “We’re thrilled to partner with the Knight Foundation on this groundbreaking industry initiative.”

More funding is expected, which will increase each publisher’s allocation to $80,000 and allow LMA to add additional cohorts of Black-owned publishers.

allowed publishers to launch new products, like newsletters.

The Lab is an extension of LMA’s Digital Transformation Lab for Black publishers, which launched in 2019. It helped increase digital revenue and audience growth, and

“The LMA Digital Transformation Lab [20182020] introduced me to a whole new world of digital strategies, tactics, resources, and tools. The hands-on customized training recognized my limitations, yet challenged me to experiment and embrace new technology taking calculated risks,” says Sonny Messiah Jiles, CEO and publisher of Defender Media Group, one of Word In Black’s partner publishers.

“The result was the construction of a new Defender on multiple platforms,

providing better service to our readers, advertisers, and community. With the Knight x LMA BloomLab, we can invest in the infrastructure necessary to help train our staff, purchase new equipment, and fine-tune our strategies ensuring our sustainability.”

The Lab investment allowed Andrew Ramsammy, LMA Chief Content & Collaboration Officer, and Jay Small, LMA Chief Operating Officer, to hire three full-time employees to the team who will work with the publishers daily: Robert Walker-Smith, digital revenue director, and Apryl Pilolli, technology director. A program director/coach will be named soon. These new team members offer expert advice on smart tech and business strategies, along with directly

providing funds to help the cohort publications continue to transform.

“Thanks to the LMA Lab, we were able to significantly grow our digital revenue and audience, especially around newsletters and promotions,” says Elinor Tatum, publisher and owner of the New York Amsterdam News, one of Word In Black’s partner publishers.

“The Knight x LMA Bloom Lab will help take our transformation to a whole new level. We’re especially excited about the technology stipends and dedicated resources to help us execute.”

Applications for the second cohort, which will include eight publishers, will open in Spring 2022. The third cohort will be announced in early 2023.

Titan 100 are shaping the future of St. Louis’ business community by building

Tracey Clark Jefferies Cenia Bosman

Celebrating Black History

DeVerne Calloway’s legacy in MO politics celebrated

First Black woman elected to the Missouri Legislature continues to inspire young elected officials

By Rebecca Rivas Missouri Independent

In June 1961, DeVerne Calloway sat down at her typewriter to write a column about the uncertain future of the Freedom Rides organized by the activist group Congress of Racial Equity (CORE). For almost two months, the Freedom Riders had faced severe beatings and harsh arrests in their efforts to challenge segregated interstate buses.

Calloway, who joined CORE in 1946 while living in Chicago, was now the executive editor and co-publisher of a Black newspaper in St. Louis called The New Citizen

Some movement leaders suggested that the activists take a “cooling off period.” But to Calloway, letting up was not an option.

“There is only one answer – a continued agitation and pressure for the full dignity and equal recognition of every American citizen,” she wrote at the time.

While Calloway was passionate about her writing and leading the newspaper, she knew that sharing her views as a Black woman in a small publication wouldn’t necessarily give her community a seat at the table.

A year later in 1962, DeVerne Calloway became the first Black woman elected to the Missouri state legislature, where she served in the state House for 20 years.

As a human rights activist, she fought to increase aid to public education, as well as improve services for dependent children and impoverished families. She fought for prison reform, and she also introduced legislation in 1971 to legalize abortion in Missouri, two years before Roe v. Wade.

On January 23, 1993, DeVerne Calloway died at 76 in her sister’s home in Memphis. But her legacy continues to inspire young politicians and her life is celebrated during Black History Month.

Rep. Ashley Bland Manlove, a Kansas City Democrat and president of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus, said Calloway laid the foundation for what a Black woman politician in Missouri looks like.

“Well-behaved women rarely make history,”

Missouri

DeVerne Calloway was the first Black woman

Throughout her career, Calloway worked tirelessly to

tional, and social opportunities of African Americans

she said. “So that gives me the ability and the confidence to say what’s on my mind. And, it further encourages me to encourage other young, particularly Black women, to engage in the civic process.”

could

become the

seventh state to recognize Black History Month

By Rebecca Rivas Missouri Independent

Missouri law doesn’t officially recognize Black History Month — a fact that surprised several Black state lawmakers this past week.

“I had to double and triple check it because I thought I was seeing things incorrectly at first,” said Rep. Mark Sharp, D- Kansas City, during a Monday meeting of the House Special Committee on Urban Issues.

The state has designated days honoring several prominent Black figures, such as Rosa Parks and John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil, the

first African American who coached in Major League Baseball. But state law doesn’t designate February as Black History Month.

Sharp is sponsoring a bill to change that and make Missouri the seventh state to officially recognize February as Black History Month – joining Alaska, California, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, and South Carolina. Sharp said he wasn’t aware of how many other states had passed such measures, but he and others were disappointed that Missouri wasn’t among them.

“When you told me about it, it was a shocker that it wasn’t something we already recognized,” Rep. Rasheen Alridge, D-St. Louis, told Sharp

Born in Memphis, Tenn. on June 17, 1916, Calloway went on to graduate cum laude from LeMoyne-Owen College, a historically Black

“I think

The brave women behind St. Louis Freedom Suits

Missouri Historical Society Collections

Lucy Delaney, ca. 1888

Courtesy of the Missouri Historical Society

In the early 19th century, St. Louis was a booming economic center valued for its location on the Mississippi River and its successful business relationships with the local natives. After the Louisiana Purchase, settlers from the east flooded the city, hoping to share in its growing wealth. Many of these settlers and military personnel brought people who they had enslaved with them.

Missouri officially became a slave state in 1821, but an 1824 statute declared that any enslaved person brought into any free state or territory would be released from their enslavers. The statute gave a solid legal stance for many enslaved people to fight for their freedom in court.

Over the course of 60 years, more than 300 civil court cases were filed in St. Louis in pursuit of freedom. Since enslavement status was passed through maternal lineage, many of the court cases were filed by women to free not only themselves but also their children. Here are just a few of their stories.

in the state,” Sharp said. Sharp also believes state law should require Black History Month to be recognized in every public school. He’s filed a separate bill that would require every public school to devote at least one class period in February to curriculum or activities honoring “the struggles and triumphs of Black Americans throughout the history of the United States.”

However, Republican lawmakers in both the House and Senate have listed among their top legislative priorities bills that would ban “curriculum implementing critical race theory” in public schools, specifically citing The 1619 Project of the New York Times and several other projects focused on Black history.

Rep. Mark Sharp, D-Kansas City, speaks on the House floor.

Photo courtesy of State Historical Society of Missouri

elected to the Missouri Legislature.

improve the economic, educa-

during the hearing. Rep. Raychel Proudie, D-Ferguson, said legislators had just recognized Black History Month on the floor that day.

everyone in that chamber realizes that Black History Month should be recognized

Chucky Baby’s next chapter

Legendary local DJ is now a published poetry book author

By Angelo Shaw

For The St. Louis American

Charles “Chucky Baby”

Shaw was still a child when he connected with the iconic St. Louis voices he heard while listening to the radio.

“Some of my favorite DJs were Lou ‘Fatha’ Thimes, Dave Dixon, Wolfman Jack, Johnny Jones, and Leo Cheers,” Shaw said.

He had no idea that those men would inspire him to become a legend in his own right, spinning records throughout the region for nearly a quarter-century.

Shaw began to hone his craft while serving his country. Soon after graduating from Vashon High School in 1965, he joined the United States Army –where he specialized in radio communications and completed tours in Germany and Vietnam.

days a week, led to a rewarding 23-year-career.

His gig at Brooks led to bigger and better clubs – like The Player’s Lounge, where he earned $50 per night.

“It was quite the experience,” Shaw said of the club, which was frequented by employees of General Motors.

“They even had lights in the floor.”

He was soon the featured DJ for Casa Blanca, Silver Dollar and The Red Rooster to name a few – and took his talents across the water to the Illinois side, traveling to Madison and Brooklyn to play popular afterhours spots.

Upon his discharge from the army, Shaw returned to St. Louis and enrolled in Bryant to study broadcasting. He then transitioned to Torkio College to complete his Associates Degree in Communications, where his instructors were Patrick Murphy (known as the voice of KETC) and Otis “Boogie Man” Thomas.

He decided that he would DJ on weekends in addition to working a full-time job, landing his first gig at Brooks Lounge – then located at the corner of Newstead Avenue and St. Louis Avenue. What began as a $35 per night hobby two

Shaw’s contribution to the St. Louis entertainment and nightlife scene earned him a spot among the greats for his ability to curate music and move the crowd.

“Tell yo ma, tell yo pa, you checked out Chucky Baby Shaw,” he would say on the microphone as the crowd got down on the dancefloor.

“Better than a groovy movie on Channel 30,” “I’m so happy, I could run home and tell my Pappy” and the club classic “Tear the roof off this sucker” were also some of Shaw’s favorite lines. In addition to his work throughout the club scene of St. Louis and the Metro East, Shaw would often lend his talents to the events held by Percy Green and his Action organization. He also shared his gift with his former employee Monsanto by providing music for many

of the annual company picnics.

Shaw was a featured attraction for shows with other St. Louis legends – Oliver Sain, Albert King, Barbara Carr, famed hair and fashion designer Mr. Lamar and storyteller Bobby Norfolk.

Although racial tension was ever present in the region and the nation, music proved once again to be an equalizer and unifier.

“I really did not experience much racism as a DJ – maybe a couple of times,” Shaw said. “I recall, there was a big white guy that gave me a hard time when I started spinning records at an all-white event. He sent me a pitcher of beer by the middle of my set.”

A major career highlight included Shaw being named DJ of the Year in 1978. He competed with six other DJs on stage, but it was Shaw who took home the trophy engraved with “Number #1.”

“My family came out to watch me,” Shaw said as he reflected on the fond career memory.

He also pointed out a special full-circle moment during his DJ days. At an event entitled “Two for the Price of One,” Shaw was able to share the

and

n Shaw’s contribution to the St. Louis entertainment and nightlife scene earned him a spot among the greats for his ability to curate music and move the crowd.

stage with one of his childhood radio heroes.

“Fatha Thimes and I performed a tag-team session for the crowd,” Shaw said with excitement.

Retired from the DJ scene, Shaw is now an ordained minister who serves as Chaplain for his beloved Vashon Class of 1965. He also enjoys playing the xylophone in his spare time.

Since stepping away from the DJ booth, he uses poetry as his primary creative outlet. He was inspired to write while watching Rev. Larry Rice on

local television in 1985.

“I saw an announcement to send in a poem if you desire to have your writings published,” Shaw said. “I mailed one of my poems to the publisher and it was accepted.” He has written more than 2,000 poems of which 150 are published. He has also selfpublished a book titled, “The Color of Love in Words,” which features 48 love poems. The book features poems of inspiration, forgiveness, love and romance.

“In the book, the poems

At Edward Jones, we partner for positive impact — to improve the lives of our clients and colleagues, and together, better our communities and society. We are proud to join the St. Louis American in celebrating Black History Month and taking a moment to thank those in our lives who have helped us along the way.

focus

how to enjoy being

Shaw believes anyone –single or married – to Charles, anyone can benefit from the book.

“It’s my goal, the book of poems will bless the readers with understanding and enlightenment,” Shaw said.

The Color of Love In Words is available on Amazon. com and Vintage Vinyl (6611 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO, 63130).

Guest Columnist Angelo Shaw

Charles “Chucky Baby” was the featured DJ for Casa Blanca, Silver Dollar

The Red Rooster as well as other STL and ESL hotspots.

Photos courtesy Charles “Chucky Baby” Shaw

Calloway

Continued from C1

college.

She served as a teacher for three years in Mississippi and Georgia schools, and those experiences fueled her lifelong commitment to improve public education, she later said.

She joined the American Red Cross and traveled to China, Burma, and India during World War II. While in India she led a protest against the segregation of Black soldiers in Red Cross facilities.

In 1946, she married Ernest Calloway, who was a political activist and union organizer. He later became president of the St. Louis NAACP, where DeVerne Calloway volunteered, and a professor of urban affairs at Saint Louis University.

“They say behind every great man, there was a great woman,” said Terry Kennedy, a former longtime St. Louis alderman and currently the board’s clerk. “Well, in this instance, behind this great woman was

her husband, Ernest Calloway, who was a clear political theoretician. They were a power couple.”

In February 1961, the couple began publishing The Citizen Crusader (later named The New Citizen), a newspaper covering black politics and civil rights in St. Louis.

While there were a handful of Black newspapers at the time, the Crusader was among the most progressive, said Dr. Donald Suggs, who was an oral surgeon at the time and later became publisher of the Black weekly The St. Louis American “The Crusader was a must read for people like me who followed politics,” said Suggs, noting that he particularly appreciated DeVerne Calloway’s “outspoken” writing. Calloway’s mother, Sadie Lee, hated the idea of her being a writer because Lee longed for her to be a “lady of leisure,” according to archived letters between the two collected by The State Historical Society of Missouri.

“All you want is a pencil to worry yourself to death with

writing a lot of stuff that only gives you headaches and old age before your time,” her mother wrote.

But despite relentless pressure from her mother, Calloway wouldn’t back down.

“I am sympathetic because it is time Negroes stood up for their rights,” she told her mother in a letter. “When they get free from the white man in the South – maybe they will take on a new character + Right now the imprint of slavery is too strong upon them.”

Kennedy grew up down the street from the Calloways, and he would often run messages from both his father, an aldermen at the time, or his mother over to the couple.

“In those days, you didn’t always use the phone — you sent the children with a message,” he said.

When DeVerne Calloway won her election in 1962, it was tremendous “point of pride” for his neighborhood and a feeling that they were collectively moving forward.

“You knew she had the best interest of our community at

heart,” Kennedy said. “It was not unusual to see her out at the picket lines. She was not above getting out and getting her hands dirty, if you would, and being in the forefront.”

Kennedy remembers when his father took him to a packed meeting at the Black movie theater in 1965, where community leaders organized a bus boycott in part because then Bi-State Transit System (now Metro) wouldn’t hire Black drivers. DeVerne Calloway was also there, laying the “ground rules” for cooperation — meaning no in-fighting, he said.

“Her status and the positions that she took put her in a place to help galvanize that unity at the time,” he said, “because you knew that she was not about division.”

In 1965, while the federal government was dragging its feet on passing a fair housing law, 14 states had passed fair housing bills – and Calloway wanted Missouri to be the 15th.

On March 3, 1965, Calloway and St. Louis Democrat Rep. Raymond Howard introduced a fair-housing bill, which would

have made it a misdemeanor offense to discriminate against renters or homebuyers based on race, color, religion, or national origin. The “anti-ghetto” piece of the proposed legislation focused on providing quality affordable housing and promoting housing integration.

It was the first fair housing legislation proposed in Missouri – and she led the drafting of the next three. Each year, she gained more supporters.

“Open occupancy in housing is the unfinished business of the civil rights movement,” she told a St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter in 1967. “The clamor in the streets has died down, but the Negro’s desire for full citizenship is still deeply imbedded. The fight for freedom of choice of residence will continue until it is won.”

On April 11, 1968, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which also included the Fair Housing Act. Its passage came a week after the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Pressure from legislators, particularly Black legislators,

was instrumental in moving the national law forward. As a former teacher herself, Calloway fought to ensure the future of Harris-Stowe Teachers College (now Harris-Stowe State University), where many Black teachers were earn degrees. In 1978, Calloway served on the education committee that presided over the transfer of administrative control of the college from the St. Louis Board of Education to the state.

Aside from sponsoring legislation, Calloway worked heavily behind the scenes. In an interview with Kenn Thomas of University of Missouri – St. Louis, she said that if she found that legislators were perpetuating negative views about the Black community, she “went to work on them” and tried to get them to see another side of the issue.

“I called myself an ambassador and considered myself a bridge,” she said, “which the extreme Black race-conscious people and the extreme White race-conscious people could –somehow or other through me –could sort of get along with one

Marie, Celeste, Catiche

And Marguerite Scypion

In 1805, the brave women of the Scypion family were the very first to begin their legal freedom struggles, standing up against some of the most powerful white men in St. Louis.

Marie Scypion was a Black and Natchez woman who had been enslaved when St. Louis was under French control.

When St. Louis was transferred from French to Spanish control, the breaking up of

enslaved families and the enslavement of native people were outlawed. Upon these grounds, Marie was able to keep her family together when her enslaver, Joseph Tayon, tried to sell her daughters. However, after Marie’s death, the Missouri territory was purchased by the US, and Joseph Tayon tried once again to break up the Scypion family. This time, Marie’s daughters were prepared. Celeste and Catiche filed a joint freedom suit with the help of Joseph Tayon’s own daughters. Marguerite filed her own freedom suit soon after. All three sisters won their suits, but their legal struggles had only just begun. Over the course of 30 years, the sisters

battled court case after court case to maintain their status as free women. At long last, a jury voted unanimously in 1834 that the Scypion sisters were free women in the eyes of the law.

Harriet Robinson Scott

Harriet Robinson Scott fought to free herself and her children alongside her husband, Dred Scott, in the famous supreme court case Scott vs Sandford. Harriet and Dred fell in love and married in 1836 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. After being relocated to Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, Harriet made friends within the free black community and was soon introduced to her future lawyer,

BLACK HISTORY

Leonidas Harris Berry was born July 20, 1902, in Woodsdale, North Carolina. He was a descendant of a self-liberated African who fought for The North in the Civil War. His parents were an African Methodist

Episcopol Minister, and a school teacher.

In 1924, Berry graduated from Wilberforce University then moved to Chicago, Illinois, to earn his B.S. from the University of Chicago. Berry also graduated with an M.S from the University of Illinois Medical School.

In the 1930s, Berry began his career in gastroenterology. Berry became the first Black doctor to work at the Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. He was also the first African-American doctor to present to the American Medical Association, sharing his findings on alcohol’s effects on stomach lining.

Francis Murdoch.

The Scott’s legal battle began in 1846 after the death of their enslaver, Dr. John Emerson. Even though Dr. Emerson made no mention of Harriet or her husband in his will, their ownership was claimed by his widow, Irene Emerson. Harriet filed her freedom suit on the grounds that she had lived in the free state of Minnesota for nearly six years. The court case ended up in the hands of the US Supreme Court after Irene transferred the Scotts’ ownership to her brother, John F. A. Sanford. The court’s decision against the Scotts widely shocked the public and is often considered one of the catalysts for the Civil War.

Even though they lost their court battle, Harriet and her family were freed almost immediately after the case ended. Harriet lived out her days as a free woman in her own home with her loved ones around her.

Polly Wash

Polly Wash was a devoted mother whose life and fight for freedom was recorded by her daughter, Lucy Ann Delaney, in the memoir, From the Darkness Cometh the Light Even though Polly loved her daughters wholeheartedly, she wanted them to be free women and told them to run if they ever got a chance to escape.

When she got word that her daughter Nancy escaped to Canada, Polly danced and sang throughout the night. Polly attempted to make her own escape to Canada, making it as far as Chicago, but returned out of concern for the safety of her other daughter, Lucy. She resolved to win her freedom through court and filed a freedom suit in 1839. Polly filed her case on the grounds that she had lived in the free state of Illinois for several months, making her a free woman in the eyes of the law. Lucy filed her own freedom suit and by 1844, both mother and daughter won their lawful freedom. They lived together until Polly’s death.

Leonidas Berry dedicated his life to advancing the field of gastroenterology. He invented the Eder-Berry gastrobiopsy scope, the first vision suction instrument for removing tissue from the stomach for examination. By the 60s he was finally recognized as one of the world’s foremost gastroenterologists.

Berry was well known for his free medical care for underserved African-American families during the civil rights movement. Berry was also one of the first Black Doctors admitted to the American Medical Association.

Black history in continuum

HBCUs reflect a legacy of realized potential

By Kenya Vaughn The St. Louis American

When tracing the path for the past, present and future of Black excellence, it is imperative that Historically Black Colleges and Universities be used as a guiding light. For nearly 200 years, these institutions have poured into the viability of Black people in a manner that cannot be overstated – as cultural and educational cornerstones where Black History is simultaneously taught, learned and lived. HBCUs were declared as, “unapologetically Black spaces that are a testament to the power of education,” in Stanley Nelson and Marco Williams’ 2017 documentary “Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities.”

The earliest HBCUs were established before the institution of slavery was abolished. In 1837, Richard Humphreys founded the African Institute (now Cheyney University) in 1837 in Pennsylvania, making it the oldest HBCU in the United States. During the 1850s, three more HBCUs were founded: Miner Normal School (1851) in Washington, D.C.; Lincoln University (1854) in Pennsylvania; and Wilberforce (1856) in Ohio. The African Methodist Episcopal Church established Wilberforce University, the first HBCU operated by African Americans. Educating the enslaved was well documented as a crime in

the South, but it was accompanied by unrelenting opposition to the education of free Black people in the North.

Historian Edna Greene Medford points to a letter condemning the idea of building a higher learning institution for free Blacks New Haven Connecticut, a college town that is home to Yale University.

“The location of a college for Blacks here would be totally ruinous for the city- whose certain effect would be to lower the town’s public morals,” the letter read, according to Medford. “The founding of colleges for educating colored people is unwarrantable and dangerous interference with the internal concerns of the Southern states and ought to be discouraged.”

Meanwhile in the south, the withholding of education was one of the countless unspeakable terrors imposed on those in bondage.

“There was another brutality of slavery – and that was the brutality of ignorance,” said historian Marybeth Gasman.

“ [Of] Keeping intellectual thought, keeping learning, keeping reading and knowledge from the enslaved.”

Historian Andrea Williams pointed out that while every unspeakable offense could be imposed on the enslaved by their owners without consequence, education was the only exception.

“I can do whatever I want to my property, but I can’t teach my property,” Williams said.

Above: Harris-Stowe State University welcomes incoming students of the Class of 2023 during its annual Convocation and Rites of Passage ceremony in 2019. Harris-Stowe is the only HBCU in the St.

Right: Future Vice President Kamala Harris (center) during her probate step show for the Spring 1986 line of the Alpha Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C.

“Because an educated Black population could not be an enslaved Black population.”

Upon emancipation, education was apparently at the top of the agenda for newly freed Blacks as they considered their future as American citizens. A vast majority of HBCUS were founded in the first two years following the Civil War. Their actions were met with rage from their former owners and oppressors.

“Between 1866-1872 approximately 20,000 people – black and white – are killed

in the South,” said historian Shawn Leigh Alexander. “All because of this perceived threat that education will unlock something.”

And yet they persisted. Intimidation, violence and even death was unable to defeat their commitment to educating present and future generations. Neither was a profound lack of resources and teachers in comparison to their white higher learning institution counterparts. Black colleges survived and continued to thrive. Today there are more than 100

HBCUs in operation– with 90 percent of them located in the South. Their legacies would make those newly freed ancestors, with foresight to understand that education is the great equalizer, beam with joy.

“HBCUs contribute nearly $15 billion to our annual economy and have provided pathways of opportunity to millions of Americans, many of whom are first-generation college students,” said HBCU Caucus chair Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12) at last year’s annual HBCU STEAM Day of Action on Capitol Hill, according to a March 10, 2021 article by Starmanda Duker for Information Technology

Industry Council entitled, HBCUs are Key to Ensuring America’s STEM Pipeline is Strong

“Despite being historically underfunded and underresourced, these institutions continue to produce top talent. HBCUs produce 42 percent of Black engineers, 47 percent of Black women engineers, and 40 percent of the Congressional Black Caucus.”

With Vice President Kamala Harris, an HBCU (Howard University) also produced the first Black woman Vice President of the United States as well as countless other pioneers and contributions to society in every arena imaginable.

“Black colleges are spaces where Black people are affirmed,” said Michael Lomax, CEO of the United Negro College Fund CEO and former HBCU president (Dillard University) in “Tell Them We Are Rising.”

“You can be yourself and develop yourself in this rich soil.”

Louis region.

Photo by Joseph Richardson

Frankie Muse Freeman: A powerful voice in the fight for Civil Rights

Courtesy of the Missouri Historical Society

Frankie Muse Freeman broke barriers—both as an African American and as a woman—in her lifelong fight for justice and equality. Initially focused on racial issues, Freeman became a leading voice in the struggle against all forms of discrimination, including gender and age.

Born on November 24, 1916, in Danville, Virginia, Freeman was the oldest of eight children. Growing up in the segregated South, she was surrounded by discrimination and became passionate about fighting to end such inequality. While attending college at Hampton Institute, Freeman decided that the law would be her best tool in the fight against injustice. As she writes in her memoir, A Song of Faith and Hope, “I wanted to change things, to do something that would be effective.”

In 1944, Freeman enrolled at Howard University School of Law in Washington, DC, where she focused her coursework on issues relating to civil rights. She was determined to see her way through to becoming a lawyer, even after giving birth to her second child at the start of her final year.

Following graduation, Freeman and her husband, Shelby, moved to St. Louis to be closer to his family. She began looking for work but was consistently denied opportunities due to her race and her gender. Refusing to give up, she opened her own practice and joined the NAACP, becoming part of the St. Louis team for the Legal Defense Fund.

As part of her work with the NAACP, Freeman served

as lead counsel on a landmark civil rights case that effectively ended racial segregation in lowincome public housing in St. Louis. When the Cochran public housing project opened in 1953, it was the only new housing for low-income families during a time of severe housing shortages—but it was designated for white families only. Black families who applied were told to wait for the Pruitt

public housing project, which wasn’t scheduled to open until 1955. Freeman argued that this segregation was illegal and that it denied black applicants equality of opportunity. In 1954 the courts agreed and ruled that the St. Louis Housing Authority was forbidden from using race as a basis for denying applicants for public housing. From that point forward, Freeman’s dedication to civil

rights work with the NAACP and other organizations began to attract national attention, leading to her 1964 nomination to the US Commission on Civil Rights by President Lyndon B. Johnson. When Freeman took up her role as a commissioner, she was once again a pioneer: Not only was she the first woman to serve on the body but she was also the only African American on the commission at the time of her confirmation.

Over the course of Freeman’s nearly 16 years on the commission, the group looked into any case where citizens were deprived of their rights because of race, religion, gender, or national origin. This included investigating voting rights and law enforcement in Mississippi, the problem of racial isolation in public schools, economic conditions in Montgomery, civil rights issues affecting Mexican Americans in San Antonio, the denial of equal opportunity to Puerto Ricans in New York City, and racial implications of suburban development in St. Louis County.

Despite a growing presence on the national stage, Freeman remained committed to bettering her own community through involvement in a wide range of groups. Throughout her life, Freeman was involved in countless organizations, including the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club, the Urban League, the Girl Scouts, the National Council on Aging, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. She continued to serve as a leading voice in the fight for civil rights until her death on January 12, 2018, at the age of 101.

History

Continued from C1

Despite the concerns over critical race theory, Sharp

doesn’t foresee much pushback on either of his bills. “I think people realize that I’m doing this not to invite a CRT discussion,” he said, “but really to just lock in something that we’re already currently doing.”

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Photo courtesy of The Missouri Historical Society Collections Frankie Muse Freeman

By Julie Franck North Carolina State University, 2013

Abraham Galloway, former slave, Union spy and military recruiter, militant abolitionist, advocate for Black suffrage, North Carolina Republican Party organizer, delegate to the Convention of 1868, and State Senator, was born on February 8, 1837 in Smithville, North Carolina – a small coastal port town known today as Southport in Brunswick County. His mother, Hester Hankins, was a slave and his father, John Wesley Galloway, was a white boatman.

At age ten or eleven he apprenticed to a brick mason; and soon after he became a master brick mason he moved with his owner, Marsden Milton Hankins, to Wilmington –North Carolina’s largest city and busiest seaport at the time. In 1857 he found the opportunity for freedom: hiding in the cargo hold of a boat, he made his way out of Wilmington via Philadelphia, reaching Canada with the help of the Underground Railroad. Shortly after settling in Canada West (now known as the province of Ontario), Galloway

began working for the abolitionist movement, traveling throughout Canada and the United States. In 1860, he traveled to Haiti to work for the recruitment effort to organize a John Brown type military invasion in the American South. In April 1861, Galloway returned from Haiti and began working as a spy for the Union under Major General Benjamin F. Butler in North Carolina, Louisiana, and Mississippi, where he was ultimately captured at Vicksburg. As a spy working for Butler, he went on many missions such as one to Beaufort, NC where he scouted marine landings in advance of General Ambrose Burnside’s campaign against the North Carolina coast in the winters of 1861-62. In 1862 while stationed with Wisconsin’s 4th Infantry, Galloway took on a mission that led to his capture in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Growing up in North Carolina, Galloway had many ties and relationships with slaves in the area which were helpful for him as a spy there, but when Butler was ordered to lead an attack in New Orleans in February of 1862, he knew having spies along would be

helpful and brought Galloway who had never been to the

Deep South. After reaching New Orleans, Louisiana on May 1st, Galloway traveled immediately to Vicksburg, Mississippi which if the Union could take would split the south in two. The Union could not overcome Vicksburg, and eventually they were forced to abandon the effort and leave behind the slaves they had used in the effort as well as Galloway who had been captured. It is unclear whether he escaped or was released, but he ultimately made his way to New Bern where he appears to have taken on a final intelligence mission for Butler.

Galloway appears at this point to have left his role in military intelligence for the Union, moving toward a focus on recruitment of

Galloway

perspectives of life as a slave in various places and the horrors and atrocities slaves went through. These insights may have given him a deeper desire to help slaves achieve freedom, abolish slavery, and gain equal rights under the law. Among North Carolina’s freed people in the Union held New Bern area, he became a powerful grassroots organizer, a coalition builder, and an orator. In coastal North Carolina, Galloway appears to have had the most influence and authority.

African American soldiers for the Union and political aspects of the abolition movement. He also served as a guide for Robert Hamilton, a black journalist for the newspaper the AngloAfrican, leading him through freedmen settlements. In recruiting African Americans to enlist for the Union, his approval and influence in New Bern spread across the North with success: within several months 30 black regiments had joined the Union effort. During the summer of 1863, Galloway spoke for many events, raised funds, recruited black soldiers, and kept his ties to other abolitionists. During this period he married Martha Ann Dixon in Beaufort, and in 1863 he was able to remove his mother, Hester Hankins from enslavement in Wilmington to freedom in Union-held New Bern.

While he was a spy, especially when he was in the Deep South, Galloway experienced many different

On April 29th, 1864, Galloway led a group of black southern delegates to meet with President Abraham Lincoln to argue for African American citizenship with suffrage and political equality. He was then chosen by freedmen in New Bern to serve as a North Carolina delegate for the National Convention of Colored Men of the United States that took place in Syracuse, New York The convention founded the National Equal Rights League In the fall of 1865, Abraham and Martha Ann Galloway moved to Wilmington where their first child, John, was born on December 16th, 1865. Galloway began advocating strongly for the Republican Party and on October 17, 1867 he was elected as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1868 in Raleigh. Later,

Living It

My Flipping Family

Former BET ‘College Hill’ reality star and his real estate agent brother featured in HGTV pilot

By Danielle Brown

The St. Louis American

Minerva, an educator of more than 30 years, and Willie McMiller Sr., a former Southwestern Bell executive, set an example early on for their children about the importance of securing generational wealth from real estate investing and giving back to the community.

Their sons Willie Jr., an actor, and standup comedian based in Los Angeles, and Jon, a fulltime realtor and contractor based in St. Louis have been following their family’s tradition since 2013.

In total, they’ve renovated about 12 properties—many of them in north St. Louis county where they grew up.

Willie, who is a former cast member of BET’s “College Hill: Virgin Islands,” became involved in the housing market after one day Jon asked him what he was doing with all the money he was making in entertainment.

n This month, Willie and Jon appeared on the pilot episode for a new show on HGTV called “My Flipping Family,” where they rehab a home in Black Jack; the area their family lived in before moving to Florissant.

“I told him I had the money stacked up in the bank, and he was like, ‘you need to bring that money back home to St. Louis, let’s start investing in our community,” Willie said. “Some of the properties we buy in neighborhoods haven’t been touched in years. People often thank us and appreciate us for what we’re doing. It’s about beautifying St. Louis.”

Willie also said most of the homes they work on are tax lien sales, which occur when people don’t pay taxes on a property and it goes to auction.

“Jon and I were doing three-to-five-year tax liens,” Willie said. “After they’ve been on the bidding block for three years and no one’s bid on them, we go in and purchase. Sometimes we put in too much because we design as if we’re gonna be living there versus sometimes the actual investment opportunity.”

Jon said they typically work on three-bedroom homes because they want to attract families with children. However, he said they have done other variations.

“We’ve done everything from condos to ranch-style homes to two-story brick homes,” Jon said. “I think one of the important things we look at when we go into a home is can it have an open floor plan? Are there ways to maximize areas for the family to come together?”

Jon added that they approach much of the design process from the lens of their childhood,

An ‘instrumental’ leader

Gene Dobbs Bradford leaves a ‘remarkable’ legacy with Jazz St. Louis to direct the Savannah Music Festival

By Danielle Brown The St. Louis American

Gene Dobbs Bradford’s love of jazz music began at a young age, with an admiration of his parents’ top-notch record collection, while growing up in the Baltimore suburb of Columbia, Maryland.

He and his friends would hang out listening to the records, which sparked an interest in joining his high school band. After joining, he knew music was the career he was set out to pursue. His band director, knowing his aspirations, connected him with Owen Cummings, a teacher with the Baltimore Symphony, who helped prepare him for an audition with Eastman School of Music.

One day while he was in the halls of Eastman he saw an ad for the orchestral management fellowship program of the The League of American Orchestras (formerly American Symphony Orchestra League). He thought it would be a great opportunity.

“I love putting on events just as much as I love performing, so I thought this would be a great thing to do,” Bradford said.

remembering what appealed to them then and how it still impacts them today.

“We love homes with basements,” Jon said.

“My parents fixed up our basement to have hockey tables, pool tables, TVs where we can get together and hang out as brothers. We like backyard spaces, homes where families can get together and have barbecues. We grew up with a trampoline and a basketball court in our backyard.”

This month, Willie and Jon appeared on the pilot episode for a new show on HGTV called

“My Flipping Family,” where they rehab a home in Black Jack; the area their family lived in before moving to Florissant.

The transformation team for the ranch-style home also included their other brothers, who serve as the demolition crew, their mom who is the voice of reason, and their dad who shares a

SLSO’s annual Black History Month celebration takes centerstage this Friday at Powell Hall

By Danielle Brown

The St. Louis American

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s “Lift Every Voice: A Black History Month Celebration,” a more than 20 year tradition, returns to Powell Symphony Hall this Friday after pausing last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It was devastating not having the chance to perform last year,” said Kevin McBeth, SLSO conductor and director of IN UNISON Chorus. “Everybody is excited about the showcase returning. IN UNISON Chorus, an ensemble composed of community volunteers and local church members who perform works from African American composers, the orchestra, and guest artist Capathia Jenkins, an actress, and singer who has performed on Broadway, will deliver a soulstirring presentation uplifting the life and legacy

of Black music. McBeth said the orchestra always approaches the annual program with a lens focused on honoring musical styles and artists important to the culture. He said Jenkins, who has done live tributes to the late Aretha Franklin, will perform some of her songs during the program.

He added that the orchestra will premiere some pieces. One, in particular, is Fantasia ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the Black National Anthem. This rendition was arranged by Black composer, James V. Cockerham based in Atlanta.

“It’s a great piece with a wonderful lesson on Black history through music,” McBeth said. “Everything from the tribal ancestor being represented all the way into where we are now with life as we move forward, it’s gonna be a big hit with our

See SLSO, D8

wealth of knowledge and wisdom.

Their pilot is one of three to be approved for HGVT’s 2021-’22 season. The ratings from the premiere episode determine if it will be picked up or not.

Being the savvy social media whiz that he is, Willie said the opportunity came about from posting footage of him and Jon on-site. He posted the content to Instagram and YouTube, attracting attention from multiple production companies, including HGTV.

“They asked if we wanted to be reality stars, told us HGTV was looking for diverse content and they thought we would be perfect,” Willie said. “Discovery and HGTV took a chance on us and we were blessed enough to shoot a sizzle [which is a five-minute example episode] back

See Flipping, D8

He did the program for a year. Upon completion, he received his first job as production manager for the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra (formerly known as Honolulu Symphony Orchestra), where he worked for three years. Eventually, he became homesick and decided it was time to get back on the mainland. A friend who was a violinist with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra recommended him for a job and he remained there for five years.

Once his tenure there ended, he took on a pivotal position as Jazz St. Louis’ president and CEO, transforming it into a world-renowned jazz mainstay featuring local and international acts. It’s a connection that lasted 23 years, until this year. Bradford has been named executive director of the Savannah Music Festival, Inc. in Savannah,

See Bradford, D8

Photo Credit: The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s “Lift Every Voice: A Black History Month Celebration,” a tradition of more than 20 years, returns to Powell Symphony Hall this Friday after pausing last year in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Photo by Jon Gitchoff/Jazz St. Louis

Gene Dobbs Bradford

Photo courtesy of HGTV

Brothers Jon McMiller and Willie McMiller recently appeared in a pilot episode for HGTV’s “My Flipping Family.”

Religion

Bishop Hankerson to speak at

St. Louis American staff

Bishop Elijah H. Hankerson

III, founding pastor of Life Center International Church – Church of God in Christ in the city’s Baden neighborhood and Missouri Midwest Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction [MMEJ] board member, will deliver an address at 7 p.m. Friday, March 4 during the Ministers and Workers Conference in Kansas City.

The “Going Back to Bethel” gathering runs March 3-5,

and all meetings and services will be held at Calvary Chapel COGIC, 5101 Bristol Ave., with Pastor Harold Molden as host. Internationally, Bishop Hankerson is currently in his third term as president of the COGIC Department of Evangelism. He has served as a representative of the General Board to the General Assembly, coordinator of both the 40-day consecration preceding the International Holy Convocation, and the 50-day

Pilgrimage to Pentecost.

Sadly, and unexpectedly, Bishop Hankerson lost his wife Lady Rachel Hankerson, who he called his “best friend, number one supporter, partner in ministry and life,” on Father’s Day, June 20, 2021. Her memory was honored by Presiding Bishop and Chief Apostle Bishop J. Drew Sheard, who presented her eulogy while flanked by the General Board, General Supervisor, national officers, and thousands of mourners in a two-day celebration of her

of Faith City Church in Olathe, Kansas, and a Stellar Award winner, who will speak at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 3. Bishop Jack C. Vaughn, senior Pastor of Evangelistic Center International Ministries Church of God in Christ, Kansas City, Kansas. will be honored during that opening evening. Mother T. Marie Brown, MMEJ Department of Women jurisdictional supervisor, will speak at noon March 4. There is a $25 registration fee, and two meals will be provided. The MMEJ has booked a block of rooms under its name at the Stoney Creek Hotel, 18011 Bass Pro

in Independence

908-9600.

additional information on the Ministers and

Conference please contact Daryl Randolph, convention chair at (816) 289-8492.

By James Washington

How many of you have ever been too embarrassed to pray, too afraid or just too ashamed?

Maybe you were afraid, or perhaps just feeling a little guilty.

Because we claim to know Jesus, it is during very difficult times, that to kneel down before the Lord—especially after you’ve done exactly that thing which represents the absolute worst in you— seems impossible. I know this firsthand. Sin, you see, comes in many shapes, sizes, colors, and flavors. Only you and the Lord know how successful the world has been in tantalizing you to do exactly what you know you shouldn’t. Only Satan can tempt you in ways that leave you utterly defeated. He reigns in a world where one of his primary jobs is to get you to do what you’ve professed to God and man that you would never do. And you know better. It must be rough then, when, instead of you calling on God, He makes a house call on you. After Adam ate the apple, the Bible says God went look-

ing for him.

You see, Adam knew better, and He knew in his heart, I believe, that he couldn’t hide from his creator. And so, it is with us.

Real believers must pray and ask for forgiveness. In doing so, quite a few things should become crystal clear. One, you can’t procrastinate where God is concerned and, two, you can’t hide from the truth. And the truth is you’re a sinner. We all are. And to make matters worse, the closer you get to God, the more obvious it is to you and

Him how much of a sinner you really are. When sin succeeds in your life, it is appropriate to seek forgiveness.

I’m just acknowledging how hard it is to be forthright enough to say to God through Jesus, “I’m sorry.”

We know as Christians we are obligated to do our absolute best. It, at times, might seem like a cruel joke to aspire to something you’ll never be able to achieve. None of us will ever, never commit a sin against God. Living without sin is an impossibility. The obligation is to try. Our success lies in our effort and our intent. We are obligated to seek Him out and let Him know that we know better and are truly repentant when we screw up.

In fact, the closer we get to His light, the more likely we are to see the countless stains on our soul. Imperfection ingloriously stands out in the illumination of perfection. That’s just a fact. We need to understand that it’s okay to look for the Lord even when we know we have no right to ask for His mercy. Part of the mystery of faith, at least for me, is constantly coming to grips with just how much God loves me. Despite what little I have to offer; He receives me, and you as He would His own Son. I think it’s important to remember you can always go home. I used to say, “Home was wherever Mom was.” Now I know home is wherever God is.

If that is the case and I’m trying to be a vessel for the Holy Spirit, then I have to accept that God resides in me and wherever I am is home. Hopefully, that should make following His Word and doing His Will easier, particularly when it comes to choosing right from wrong and asking for mercy when I go wrong instead of right. The key is knowing that God is not interested in style. He’s only concerned about substance. Besides only a fool would screw things up so badly that he or she is not welcomed in their own home. Ashamed, embarrassed, afraid, guilty, it’s always better to go home and explain yourself. At least you know the people there really care about you. The alternative is just too frightening to contemplate.

Black Health & Wellness

life. The three-day conference will also feature Bishop J. Cortez Vaughn, senior pastor

Drive

Missouri, (816)

Workers

Bishop Elijah Hankerson

Columnist James Washington

Help us advance our mission: ARCHS is seeking an Executive Administrative Assistant reporting directly to the CEO, and secondarily providing administrative support to the senior leadership team and Board of Directors in a well-organized and timely manner. Responsibilities Include: Serving as the primary point of contact for internal and external constituencies on all matters pertaining to the CEO. Organizes and coordinates executive outreach and external relations efforts. Manages CEO’s calendar and makes company-wide travel arrangements. Maintains funding database, and provides minimal financial support to CFO. Take dictation and minutes and accurately enter data. Produce reports, presentations and briefs. Develop and carry out an efficient documentation and electronic filing system, and other strategic duties as assigned. Requirements: 5 yrs experience or executive level assistance (preferred). Full comprehension of office management systems and procedures. Excellent knowledge of MS Office. Exemplary planning and time management skills. Up-to-date with advancements in office equipment and applications. Ability to multitask and prioritize daily workload. High level verbal and written communications skills. Ability to be discrete and confidential. Submit application, resume and salary history at: https://bit.ly/3JApRZM or visit careers@stlarchs.org by March 15, 2022 . NO phone calls please.

To Apply Call: 314-201-3200

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Housing Partnership, Inc. is seeking an Executive Director who will be responsible for the management, development activities and strategic direction of the organization. For details go to www.TheHousingPartnershipSTL. org Please submit a resume and 3 references to The Housing Partnership, Inc., P.O. Box 16356 St. Louis, Missouri 63125 or via email to patricia@ thehousingpartnershipstl.org

Apply by March 7, 2022. An Equal Opportunity Employer

DEACONESS FOUNDATION IS SEEKING A RELATIONSHIP COORDINATOR

Position Summary

The primary responsibility of this full-time position is providing Deaconess Center relationship management support to the Director, Deaconess Center for Child Well-Being. The Relationship Coordinator will be responsible for greeting all building entrants in a joyful manner and assisting them with deliveries, meetings, and appointments in the Deaconess Center, including navigating people to their appointments and/or desired locations. Duties include communicating effectively with volunteers, visitors, co-locators, Deaconess Center and Deaconess Foundation team members, and all other persons who enter Deaconess Center, and notify all co-locators of visitors. The duties also include utilizing good telephone etiquette with all who call Deaconess Center, convening space scheduling, calendar management, prioritizing and managing multiple projects simultaneously, and exercising independent judgment.

For More information or to Apply: Please upload cover letter, and salary requirements as one document to the Deaconess career website: https://deaconess.isolvedhire. com/jobs/ and include references.

FIRE INSPECTOR/PLAN EXAMINER

The Cottleville Fire Protection District is seeking applicants for a Fire Inspector/Plan Examiner. Under general supervision from the Fire Marshal/Assistant Chief provides technical assistance in the prevention of fires through code enforcement and inspection, education, investigation, and testing of fire suppression systems. Reviews blueprints and plans for new or remodeled buildings in order to ensure the structure meets all applicable fire codes, laws, ordinances, regulations and standards. This position is a full time uniformed, salaried, non-suppression position within the bargaining union. Apply online at: https://www.cottlevillefpd.org/fire -inspector-plans-examiner-job-posting/

SR. OPERATIONS MANAGER NG-OM-0606

(NextGen Information Services, Inc. has an opening in St. Louis, MO) Sr. Operations Manager NG-OM-0606: Develop, implement, adjust, & review periodically operational & legal policies, regs, & procedures related to IT Solutions Delivery. Telecommuting permitted. Travel to national conferences twice per yr is required. Req. MBA or related & 2 yrs exp. Send resume to NextGen Information Services, Inc. 3660 S. Geyer Rd. Suite 340, St. Louis, MO 63127.

PART-TIME WORKERS NEEDED FOR PUBLIC WORKS

City of Pagedale is looking for qualified workers to fill PT positions for seasonal work from March through October 2021. This work includes mowing properties that the City owns, parks and City Hall properties. There will also be other duties as assigned.

You will be under the direct supervision of the Public Works Director.

If interested, please click on this link for the Employment application.

You may either print this application out or come in to City Hall to fill one out. If you choose to print this one and fill it out, you may email it in with a copy of your driver’s license to cityclerk@cityofpagedale.org

Full-time to Part-time positions available! Visit https://www.southside-ecc.org/ employment for more information!

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR

Trailnet is seeking a qualified candidate to join our team as the Membership Coordinator. The Membership Coordinator will lead by example promoting membership, providing excellent customer service, and stewarding members into longtime donors. If you find joy in meeting and working with people from diverse backgrounds with a shared vision of a safer region for walking, biking and using public transit, apply today! Click here for more information and to apply. https://trailnet.org/2022/02/04/joinour-team-membershipcoordinator/

DIRECTOR, FAMILY SUPPORT INITIATIVES

Help us advance our mission: Area Resources for Community and Human Services (ARCHS) is seeking a detailed, results-oriented, Director, Family Support Initiatives. Duties will include management, hands-on strategic technical assistance and monitoring of victims of crime related grants. This position requires a strong foundation in managing federal grants and operating knowledge of human service programs. Must possess a working knowledge of contract performance management, including setting targets for milestones, meeting outcome results, and adhering to deadlines. Proven ability in documentation/results reporting, managing invoices and assessment/evaluation is necessary, as are strong meeting facilitation, community relations, and project management skills. Candidates should possess a Bachelor’s in Business, Criminology, Education, Sociology, Social Work, or related fields (Masters a plus), excellent writing and presentation skills, and strong competence in database management, virtual meeting facilitation and Microsoft® Office. Submit application and resume at: https://bit.ly/3JxtEH1 or visit careers@stlarchs.org by March 25, 2022. NO phone calls please.

JOB OPENINGS

East-West Gateway has two job openings: one for a Corridor & Long-Range Planning Coordinator and one for a Long-Range/Corridor Transportation Planner. Applications are due by 3/23/2022. More information can be found at https://www. ewgateway.org/careers EOE

POLICE OFFICER

The City of Richmond Heights is accepting applications for the position of Police Officer, $60,667 DOQ. To apply go to https://richmondheights. applicantpro.com/jobs/ . Applications will be accepted from January 18 to February 25, 2022.

DEACONESS FOUNDATION IS SEEKING A PROGRAM MANAGER

Position Summary

The responsibility of this full-time position is coordinating routine processes for grant making within the foundation’s program portfolio and relationship management and constituency support services to the Foundation’s volunteers and prospective/funded partners. The position assures effectiveness of grant making program operations by enhancing communication with partners and devising and implementing efficiencies of workflow. The Program Manager will support the management of Deaconess resources while remaining partner oriented and allowing funded partners to hold true to their mission and organizational goals. The Program Manager is able to think outside the box of traditional grant making organizations and will help to drive day-to-day grant making functions, keeping close ties with Deaconess Foundation’s core values and principals of trust-based philanthropy.

For More information or to apply: Please upload cover letter, and salary requirements as one document to the Deaconess career website: https://deaconess.isolvedhire. com/jobs/ and include references.

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

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Requests for Quotes, Bids and Proposals are posted online for public download. Please navigate to www.msdprojectclear.org

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

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

AUCTION NOTICE

Royal Heights --Belleville: C04--Vernice Smith, D22– Kelvin Luster, E15-- Lakesha Laprade, G20--Elizabeth Davidson, G15–Marvika Ibarra, G25–Annie Thurman, G39--Twansley Lashley, G26-- Paula Watson, F02--Ayana Odeneal, G43--Jolie Neal, A22--Cory Lee, B02--Tammy Williams, G47-- Angela Martinez, G31--Tiara Baker, G27--Derrick Mitchell, D03--Earl Davis, K04--Franchessca Schauf, K37--Dontelisia Moore, A03--Lisa Jett, A06--Dezaray Watson, G42--Antoine Mosby, D06--Royzell Greenwood Auction at the Belleville- Mascoutah Avenue location will be held online with www.storageauctions.com on March 15th, 2022 at 10:00 AM. A cash deposit will be REQUIRED for all winning bids. 303--Claudia Windom, 306--Tony Cotton, 544--Kevin Hicks, 101--Kevin Hicks, 509--Anthony Williams, 311--Cheryl Gavin, 304--Gina Hassard, 536--Breana Cobin, 417--Breana Cobin Auction at the Belleville- Tower Plaza location will be held online with www.storageauctions. com on March 15th, 2022 at 10:00 AM. A cash deposit will be REQUIRED for all winning bids. 614--Gwen Lasenby, 615--Gwen Lasenby, 620--Cathy Maldonado, 638--Demetrius Thomas, RV66-- Matthias Arthur, RV07--Matthias Arthur For all rules, regulations and bidding process, please contact www.storageauctions.com . All other questions, please call 618-233-8995 or mail: 17 Royal Heights Center, Belleville, IL 62226.

PAY ON

FOOT-PAY

ON EXIT PARKING LOT PROGRAM

RFQ/RFP 2022

The Saint Louis Zoo seeks bids from qualified firms to submit proposals for Pay on Foot-Pay on Exit RFP 2022. Bid documents are available as of 2/23/2022 on the Saint Louis Zoo website: stlzoo.org/vendor

HIPPO HIDEAWAY HVAC RFP 2022

The Saint Louis Zoo seeks bids from qualified firms to submit proposals for Hippo Hideaway HVAC. Bid documents are available as of 2/23/2022 on the Saint Louis Zoo website: stlzoo.org/vendor

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

No. 5 Clinton Rail Expansion

5 Clinton St. (aka) 2226 N 1st St. St. Louis, MO 63102

The City of St. Louis Port Authority will receive Sealed Proposals on 3/18/2022. For more info. Visit https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/ government/departments/ sldc/procurement/index.cfm

EMAIL MARKETING SERVICE PROVIDER RFP 2022

The Saint Louis Zoo seeks bids from qualified firms to submit proposals for Email Marketing Service Provider RFP 2022. Bid documents are available as of 2/23/2022 on the Saint Louis Zoo website: stlzoo.org/vendor

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Eagle College Preparatory Schools St. Louis is looking to contract with a firm to provide Rebranding Services. All proposals due no later than March 11, 2022 @ 11am. Contact Antionette Bedessie, antionette.bedessie@ eagleprepstl.org

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Paric Corporation is seeking proposals for the following project: THE BRIDGE APARTMENTS

PARIC Corporation is soliciting bids for the CORE AND SHELL ONLY for THE BRIDGE APARTMENTS. This is a five story structure located on Delmar Ave scheduled for a 04/1/2021 tentative construction start. Access to documents is available from our Smartbid link, if you have not received a bid invitation send your company information to tlalexaner@paric.com

The Core and Shell consisting of Site & Civil Drawings, Structural Foundation Drawings and Structural Steel. The last day for questions is currently 2/26/22.

BIDS WILL BE DUE ON MARCH 03, 2022 Send all questions to Cory Paschen CPaschen@paric.com.

Goals for Construction Business Enterprise

• 21% African American • 11% Women • 3% Other – 2% Hispanic, .5% Asian American, .5% Native American

Goals for Workforce (field) participation

25% Minority

7% Women

20% Apprentice

23% City of St Louis Resident

All bids should be delivered to Paric via e-mail (bids@ paric.com) or fax (636-561-9501).

PARIC CORPORATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Paric Corporation is seeking proposals for the following project: MU Teaching Hospital Renovations to 2W Dialysis Unit for The University of Missouri.

The scope of work includes but is not limited to Demo, Casework, Drywall Finishes, Fire Protection, Plumbing, HVAC and Electrical.

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

Bids for this project are due on March 2, 2022, before 3:00 p.m. For any questions or would like to find out more detailed information on this opportunity, please contact John Davis at 314-704-6075 or jcdavis@paric.com.

All bids should be delivered to Paric via e-mail (bids@paric.com) or fax (636-561-9501).

PARIC CORPORATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Repair/ Replace Skylights at the Missouri State Capitol, Project No. O204001 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, March 17, 2022. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

WEBSTER

GROVES SCHOOL DISTRICT

Is soliciting “Request for Qualifications” for Professional Services. A single or multiple firms will be selected for Design and Consulting Services for multiple future projects: The Request for Qualifications will be available on the District Website on February 24th 2022 @ www.webster.k12.mo.us front page and can be accessed under “Quick Find” – RFP/RFQ Responses to the RFQ will be received by the WGSD Construction Project Manager on March 31st, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. at the WG Service Center 3232 South Brentwood Blvd, Webster Groves, MO, 63119. The owner reserves the right to reject all proposals

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Paric Corporation is seeking proposals for the following project: UMTH 2E-34 Fluoroscopy.

The scope of work includes but is not limited to demo, steel drywall, finishes, radiation protection, Fire Protection, Plumbing, HVAC and Electrical.

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

Bids for this project are due on February 28, at 3:00 p.m. For any questions or would like to find out more detailed information on this opportunity, please contact Evan Fox at 636-561-9844 or ecfox@paric.com.

All bids should be delivered to Paric via e-mail (bids@paric.com) or fax (636-561-9501).

PARIC CORPORATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

CITY OF CRESTWOOD ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MISSOURI NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Lincoln University of Missouri will be accepting RFQ’s (Request for Qualifications) for professional design services to renovate the universities largest residence facility, Dawson Hall. If interested, please submit a request for a copy of the RFQ documents to lufacilitiesplanning@lincolnu.edu Office of Facilities and Planning, 309 Young Hall, Lincoln University, Jefferson City, Missouri, (573)-681-5084. All submissions are due by noon on March 14, 2022

Sealed proposals marked “Whitecliff Park – Phase 2 Improvement” will be received at the Crestwood Community Center for the Crestwood Parks and Recreation Department. 9245 Whitecliff Park Lane, 63126, until 2:00pm March 16, 2022. An optional pre-bid meeting will take place at 10:00am, March 3, 2022 at the Crestwood Community Center. Bidding documents and specifications may be obtained at the City of Crestwood website: www.cityofcrestwood.org or at Custom Blueprint & Supply, Inc (314)231-4400. All bidders must register with Jessie Pauk at jpauk@cityofcrestwood. org. Failure to register may result in failure to receive addendums, etc.

St. LouiS american Bids &

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

America’s Center is seeking bids for new cisco network equipment. The project includes equipment only. Please send an email to ITBIDS@explorestlouis. com to request information on the specific hardware needed and to submit your quote via sealed envelope. We will be accepting proposals through March 14th, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. America’s Center reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. EOE

ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Responses for St. Louis Community College on RFP B0004149 for Food Products, Utensils & small kitchen equipment will be received until 3:00 PM (CST) on March 4, 2022. Go to https://stlcc.bonfirehub.com for bid document and submission.

SOLICITING BID

Helix Realty is seeking proposals for bids for 28,000 sf of loft conversions. Scope of work includes Demolition. Carpentry, Drywall, Painting, Fire Protection, Plumbing, HVAC and Electrical and has diversity participation goal. Contact Stephen Levin 314 496-9150 slhelix@gmail.com

SOLICITING BID

Reinhardt Construction LLC is Soliciting Bids from MBE/ WBE/DBE/Veteran/SDVE for the following: CP210042 Children’s Hospital Facility Bid Package #9 Fitout

Contact: Mike Murray ; mikem@ reinhardtconstructionllc.com

Phone: 573-682-5505

NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY & PUBLIC HEARING CITY OF ST. LOUIS - CDA

SOLICITING BID

Reinhardt Construction LLC is Soliciting Bids from MBE/ WBE/DBE/Veteran/SDVE for the following: CP210702 UMTH Renovate 2W Dialysis Unit Contact: Mike Murray ; mikem@ reinhardtconstructionllc.com Phone: 573-682-5505

The City of St. Louis Community Development Administration (CDA) seeks proposals through a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) from developers interested in facilitating the new construction or rehabilitation of affordable housing defined as housing sold or rented to households earning at or below 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI) as defined by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Market-rate projects will be allowed on a limited basis (see NOFA for details). The NOFA will be issued on Friday, February 25, 2022. A copy of the NOFA can be obtained from CDA’s website at https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/cda

A virtual public hearing will be held Monday, February 28, 2022 at 2:00 p.m to discuss the general purpose and process of the NOFA.

A workshop to explain the NOFA process and answer questions will be held by videoconference on March 9, 2022 starting at 9:00 a.m.

Deadline for proposal submission is April 29, 2022 at 4:00 p.m.

Details on how to join the videoconference and public hearing can be found at https:// www.stlouis-mo.gov/cda. Any questions concerning this NOFA may be directed only by e-mail to cdanofa@stlouis-mo.gov

CDA does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, disability, or national origin in the administration of the program. CDA is an equal opportunity Agency. Minority participation is encouraged.

BID NOTICE

Eagle College Preparatory Schools St. Louis is looking to contract with a firm to provide Finance and Contractor Management Consulting Services. All proposals due no later than March 7, 2022 @ 11am. Contact Antionette Bedessie, antionette. bedessie@eagleprepstl.org, for more information.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for the Dielman Road ARS Infrastructure project, St. Louis County Project No. AR-1554, will be received electronically thru the County’s Vendor Self Service portal at https:// stlouiscountymovendors.munisselfservice.com/Vendors/default.aspx, until 2:00 PM on March 9, 2022

Plans and specifications will be available on February 7, 2022 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouiscountymo.gov) or by contacting Cross Rhodes Print & Technologies, 2731 South Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63118 (314) 678-0087.

Advertised

or

to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.

“We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.” Call Angelita Houston at 314-289-5430 or

audience.”

McBeth is one of the many Black conductors around the country who works diligently to oversee a Black History Month program that is diverse and entertaining for all members of the audience. He said he sees the opportunity as a “tremendous honor.”

“I know I stand on the shoulders of many incredible people who’ve worked really hard behind the scenes to help me get to where I am today,” McBeth said. “It’s thrilling because the SLSO has such a passion for diversity and continues to move in that direction. This highlight concert we have every year has become a signature not only in St. Louis but it has become

one around the world for other orchestras to have concerts modeled after ours.”

He said he realizes the responsibility he has in overseeing a Black History Month showcase that properly teaches those unfamiliar with the Black tradition, while also honoring its importance.

“I take it seriously in bringing historical music [including] spirituals, gospel music we’ve known for a long time, and amplifying new voices to our audience,” McBeth said.

He said “A Brand New Day (Everybody Rejoice),” from “The Wiz,” a piece Jenkins will perform will be the release everyone needs with all we’ve endured and experienced over these last two years.

Highlighting a piece from “The Wiz,” “sung in the context of a concert, changes the scope of everything and allows an opportunity to rejoice since we

can be back in this wonderful hall we love,” McBeth said.

He also noted the scope of the musical selections.

“It’s gonna be a great night featuring music from the orchestra alone; IN UNISON pieces the audience will enjoy, a spiritual, “I Want Jesus To Walk With Me,” an arrangement commissioned in memory of my mother; celebrating Aretha Franklin’s music and introducing more people to Jenkins’ great talent,” he said.

SLSO’s annual “Lift Every Voice: A Black History Month Celebration,” is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m.

SLSO requires all guests ages five and up to be fully vaccinated or have a negative COVID-19 test to gain entry at all events in Powell Hall.

For more tickets and more information about SLSO’s COVID-19 policy, visit https://www. slso.org/.

BY LYDIA R.DIAMOND | DIRECTED BY CHANEL BRAGG

Flipping

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in 2020. In 2021 they went ahead and gave us the thumbs up to shoot the actual pilot. The episode premiered on Feb. 16th.”

Transitioning from BET to HGTV has been an interesting experience for Willie. One of the biggest differences Willie said he wanted this time around was positive representation.

BET College Hill was the Black version of Real World, there was a lot of fighting, a lot of drama,” Willie said. “Now to do a show with a positive spin on our community and see what we’re doing is exciting. It’s something my mom talked to me and Jon about before we even started shooting. She told us we weren’t going to be fighting or arguing. She wanted us to figure everything out because family comes first.”

Jon said he and Willie have other business ventures in store. They now have a commercial building based in University City. They also plan to release a children’s book in the coming months.

For more information and updates about the show, check out their Instagram page, My

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Georgia.

Walking into leadership at JSL, Bradford knew he had big shoes to fill following his predecessor Barbara Rose, who founded the organization in 1995 and died in 1998. However, he said he always approached the position with his own vision rather than Rose’s.

“I thought St. Louis needed and deserved an organization that was producing world-class jazz,” Bradford said. “I thought it would be a wonderful thing to build something up to a point where it was on the same level as SLSO, The Sheldon, Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Jazz is an important part of our shared cultural heritage in St. Louis. I had the vision to do something that was worthy of national and international attention.”

Club, Birdland Jazz Club, and Village Vanguard. Looking at them gave me the sense we were really making a difference,” he said.

Bradford also is honored to have been involved in the New York Metropolitan Opera’s premiere of “Fire Shut Up In My Bones,” a work by Terence Blanchard, the first Black composer to have work featured there. JSL co-commissioned the work.

“Through that partnership, we were able to bring the best talents to the table and leverage what we do best, which made history,” Bradford said.

Thanks to Bradford an abundance of stellar jazz musicians both critically acclaimed and local favorites have had the pleasure of gracing JSL’s stage. Some of them he said were a dream come true.

gic planning.

“I’m really grateful to the St. Louis community for being great to me and I hope I was able to give back a measure of what the city was able to give me,” Bradford said.

Earlier this month, Paige Alyssa, singer and former employee with JSL emceed a farewell celebration dedicated to Bradford including performances and kind remarks in-person and via video from many friends, colleagues, and collaborators.

The Gene Dobbs Bradford Endowment Fund was also announced, an effort centered on supporting the operations and staff.

Keyon Harrold, jazz trumpeter and JSL’s creative adviser, who has known Bradford since he was a teenager, said the imprint he’s leaving is remarkable.

Under his direction, JSL’s expansion built the Harold and Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz; a $10 million project that encompasses an education center, newly-constructed performance stage, and lounge.

His guidance has also placed education and community engagement at JSL’s forefront, something he said he is very proud of.

“I remember I was in New York one week and we had former students playing at Dizzy’s

“Working with some of the touring artists’ who were heroes of mine like Sonny Rollins, Ray Brown, and Ahmad Jamal inspired me to dig deeper into music and find out more about it,” Bradford said. “Meeting your heroes is a great feeling, working with them and hearing their stories was a beautiful thing.”

His more than twenty-year service being JSL’s glue holding everything for the company has come to a bittersweet end. In his new role as the Savannah Music Festival’s executive director, Bradford will manage its fundraising, marketing, community engagement, and strate-

“Mr. Gene Dobbs Bradford is very instrumental to what Jazz is in St. Louis right now,” Harrold said. “Where the organization has gone has been nothing short of amazing. The team that’s been created and assembled is special. Your vision has really birthed some incredible things. I’m very grateful and honored to have worked with you and looking forward to doing many more things in the future.”

Jazz St. Louis’ Board of Directors is on the hunt for Bradford’s successor.

Flipping Family HGTV.

Follow Willie on Instagram, Willie Macc.

Follow Jon on Instagram, JMacc Dewan.

Bradford

Photo by Louis Hamilton II

Brothers Jon and Willie McMiller