February 25th, 2021 edition

St. LouiS AmericAn

Mayoral candidates respond:

Ahead of the St. Louis Primary Election on Tuesday, March 2, The St. Louis American asked a series of questions to St. Louis mayoral candidates. Following are their responses to the last question: What do you consider the most pressing issue for the people of St. Louis, and what would you, as mayor, do to address that issue: COVID-19 relief; education challenges, including possible school closures; job creation; public safety; or other?

Tishaura Jones

The issue of gun violence, public safety, and crime will be the top priority of my administration. On day one, I will begin work to make the necessary improvements to the City Justice Center so that we can then close the workhouse. Addressing public safety in our city will require a holistic and regional perspective on the issue.

I’m running because we need a Mayor who understands that crime doesn’t start or end at Skinker Boulevard or the Mississippi River, and the solutions to the challenges that lay ahead of us are going to need to be much more broad in scope than a ten point

‘The most pressing issue for the people of St. Louis’ Alex Garcia is going home

We cannot accept this level of violence. I will provide the resources necessary to solve murders and send a clear message that violence won’t be tolerated.

Immediately, I will reinstate the gang task force units; pay outside investigators to work to solve some of our cold cases; expand the Cure Violence Program; maintain necessary funding for the Justice for St. Louis Families Reward Fund; focus direct attention on the individuals who are known violent perpetrators; and review the structure of the police department to make sure we have the right mix of management and street officers.

I will be tough on violent crime, but we must also raise the amount of options for positive growth available to our youth. This will help raise their self-expectations. To truly reduce crime long term, we must provide jobs, more mental health services and drug rehab.

Cara Spencer

My life changed forever when a gun was put to my head, but

positive results.

family after three-and-a-half years of Maplewood church sanctuary

By Sophie Hurwitz Of The St. Louis American

For three and a half years – 1,252 days to be exact – Alex Garcia spent every day and every night at Christ Church UCC in Maplewood. Garcia, who took sanctuary in the church under threat of deportation September 21, 2017, was able to go home for the first time on Wednesday, thanks to the Biden administration’s new immigration priorities list and following advocacy on his behalf by U.S. Rep. Cori Bush (D-Missouri).

n On Monday, Cong. Cori Bush announced a private bill – that is, a piece of legislation that if passed would only apply to Garcia –which would give him a path to legal permanent resident status.

Garcia first entered the southern border of the United States in 2000 in order to escape violence in his home country, Honduras, however, he was detained at the border and given an order of deportation. Then, in 2006, Garcia returned to the United States again, this time crossing the border undetected. He went to Poplar Bluff, Missouri, where he was deeply engaged in his community and he and his new wife, Carly Garcia, had five children. After spending 11 years in Missouri, though, he received a notice that he was to be deported under the new ‘zero-tolerance’ policies of Donald Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE). So he waited in the church, visited occasionally by his wife and five children. They commuted two-and-a-half hours one way each weekend to see him. His family eventually moved to Maplewood to be near him when they realized Garcia’s stay at Christ Church would be less temporary than any of them initially Returns to

Roland Martin visits STL in support of of Tishaura Jones’s mayoral

By Danielle Brown

Of the St. Louis American

The St. Louis primary mayoral election is less than two weeks away on March 2, and it will determine the two top candidates who will advance to the general election on April 6. The four potential nominees in the running are Andrew Jones, utility executive; Cara Spencer, 20th Ward alderman; Lewis Reed, St. Louis Board of Aldermen president; and Tishaura Jones, St. Louis Treasurer. In an effort to promote voter registration and participation, Treasurer Jones invited Roland Martin, veteran journalist, political analyst, and host of the #RolandMartinUnfiltered Daily Digital Show to moderate a virtual town hall for a live broadcast last Friday, Feb. 19. The following day, Feb. 20, the pair engaged in a Stroll to the Polls canvassing at Ivory Perry Park.

Ahead of the live taping, Martin joined The American for an exclusive in-person interview to discuss why local elections matter; the aftermath of the election; and how to choose the most desirable candidate. Martin’s show is no stranger to advocacy for voter participation in high profile races. He and his team spent the month of December in Georgia, covering the runoff U.S. senatorial elections involving Jon

campaign

By Dana Rieck

Alex Garcia spent every day and every night at Christ Church UCC in Maplewood. Garcia, who took sanctuary in the church under threat of deportation September 21, 2017, was able to go home for the first time on Wednesday.

Andrew Jones Jr.

Tishaura O. Jones Cara Spencer

Photo by Jennifer Sarti

Lewis Reed

analyst

talk show host Roland Martin interviews with The American on Feb. 19, ahead of a virtual town hall and a Stroll to the Polls canvassing event the following day in

See GARCIA, A7

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Stevie Wonder tells Oprah he is moving to Ghana

Music legend Grammy winner Stevie Wonder told media mogul Oprah Winfrey in an interview last November for “The Oprah Conversation,” that he is permanently moving to Ghana in West Africa, to protect his grandchildren from racial injustice in the U.S. The 70-year-old, 25-time Grammy winner is quoted in People as saying, “I don’t want to see my children’s children’s children have to say, ‘Oh please like me. Please respect me. Please know that I am important. Please value me.’ What kinda [life is that].”

move to Ghana because I’m going to do that.”

BE reports Wonder argued that the United States is at a pivotal moment, and the nation needed at least five years to atone for its wrongs.

The Orlando Sentinel reports Wonder has been in love with Ghana since 1994, when he announced that he was hightailing it out of Los Angeles for Ghana. After nu merous visits to the country, he fell in love with the people. “There’s more of a sense of community there.”

As Black Enterprise reported, Wonder said he wanted to live in a place that values him. “I promise you [America], if you do the right thing, I will give you this song. I will give it to you. You can have it,” he said in the interview. “Because I wanna see this nation smile again. And I want to see it before I leave to travel to

Malia Obama joins Donald Glover’s writ ing staff for Amazon

The Grio reports that actor and director Donald Glover recently signed a multi-year, eight-figure deal with Amazon, and Malia Obama joins his writing staff, report edly on “Hive” a new series reportedly already in develop ment that revolves around a “Beyoncé-like character. The Hollywood Reporter says Glover will create and executive produce projects on

Amazon Prime Video, which will become a main home for Glover’s curated content. The multi-talented entertainer has success in music as Childish Gambino, his acclaimed FX series, “Atlanta,” and voice work on Disney’s “The Lion King.” The oldest daughter of former President Barack Obama, Malia Obama is a student at Harvard University and has film experience, interning for the HBO series “Girls” in 2015.

Megan Thee Stallion

Kim Kardashian files for divorce from Kanye West

Reality star Kim Kardashian has officially called it quits to her sevenyear marriage to rapper Kanye West Kardashian recently filed for divorce in Los Angeles Superior Court, CNN

reported. That filing cites “irreconcilable differences” and Kardashian is seeking joint custody of the couple’s four children. CNN says the filing also cites a prenuptial agreement regarding their assets. TMZ’s sources report the divorce is amicable and they are both committed to co-parenting together.

Megan soon to be college graduate

Complex reports that rapper Megan Thee Stallion is still on track to graduate from college this fall and open an assisted living facility in her hometown of Houston. She recently responded to a tweet that took at jab at her about going into the health field, posting, “Mam Im abt to Graduate in the fall and still gone open my facility…hope you get them retweets doe,” adding, “They swore I wasn’t gone get that degree SIKE.”

Sources: Black Enterprise, CNN, Complex, Orlando Sentinel, People, Smart News, The Grio, Today, TMZ, Twitter

Stevie Wonder

Kardashian

With primary around the corner, mayoral candidate endorsements pile up News

By Dana Rieck

Of The St.

As

Spencer. Reed, who was the first Black person elected as aldermanic president and has held the seat since 2007, received considerable support from the Board of Aldermen: Alderwoman Lisa Middlebrook, Ward 2; Alderwoman Dwin Evans, Ward 4; Alderwoman

letter endorsing Tishaura Jones in her bid to become the city’s next mayor. Some notable names on the list are Blake Strode, a civil rights lawyer and executive director of ArchCity Defenders; Kayla Reed, an organizer and co-founder and executive director of Action STL; Missouri Rep. Raheen Aldridge; and the Rev. Cassandra Gould, executive director of Missouri Faith Voices. A full list can be found online at https://bit.ly/2P4y15r Jones’ first endorsement this election cycle came from NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri PAC on Nov. 21. Then, in late January, the Service Employees International Union Missouri State Council endorsed Jones formally endorsed the treasurer. Other union-affiliated groups who have publicly endorse Jones are the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists; United Auto

Workers Midwest States CAP; SEIU HealthCare MO PAC; Communication Workers of America 6355; and Unite Here Local 74. Local party organizations have also spoken up in the mayoral race, endorsing both Jones and Alderwoman Cara Spencer. Those who have endorsed Jones are St. Louis Young Dems; 25th Ward Dems; 6th Ward Dems; People for Bernie Sanders; 1st Ward Dems; 24th Ward progressive Democrats; 27th Ward Democratic Organization; 3rd Ward Democratic Organization; 20th Ward Democratic Organization; and 15th Ward Democrats.

In addition, several regional leaders have publicly endorsed Jones. They are St. Louis County Executive Sam Page; Committeeman Joe Palm; Missouri Rep. Rasheen Aldridge; St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell; Committeeman Sterling Miller; Missouri Sen. Karla May; Recorder of Deeds

Michael Butler; Missouri Rep. Kimberly Ann Collins; Committeewoman Lucinda Frazier Bosley; and Missouri Rep. Lakeysha Bosley.

Members of the Board of Aldermen have also publicly expressed support for Jones, including Alderwoman Sharon Tyus, Ward 1; Alderman Brandon Bosley, Ward 3; Alderwoman Christine Ingrassia, Ward 6; Alderwoman Annie Rice, Ward 8; Alderman Bret Narayan, Ward 24; and Alderman Shane Cohn, Ward 25.

Other endorsements from advocacy organizations and policy PACs include Advocates of Planned Parenthood Advocates of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri; Higher Heights for America PAC; Democracy for America; The Collective PAC; People for the American Way; Action St. Louis Power Project; Working Families Party; Organization for Black Struggle; Firefighters for Racial Equity (FIRE); and

Voterchoice PAC.

Jones has also attracted support from politicians around the country, including Mayor Quinton Lucas of Kansas City; Minnesota mayors Melvin Carter and Steven Reed; Alabama mayors Randall Woodfin and Marita Garrett; Mayor Michael Tubbs of Stockton, Pennsylvania; Mayor Lee Harris of Shelby County, California; Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. of Little Rock, Arkansas; Mayor Michael B. Hancock of Denver, Colorado; and Mayor Steve Benjamin of Columbia, South Carolina.

Alderwoman Cara Spencer

Most notably, Alderwoman Cara Spencer has been endorsed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial board alongside Aldermanic President Lewis Reed. Like Jones, Spencer is endorsed by Advocates of Planned

Parenthood of St. Louis and Southwest Missouri.

The alderwoman has received public support from her colleagues, including Alderwoman Megan Ellyia Green, Ward 15; Alderman Bret Narayan, Ward 24; Alderwoman Heather Navarro, Ward 28. Spencer also received support from 24th Ward Committeeman Matt Sisul.

In addition, she’s received backing from the 13th Ward Democrats, 15th Ward Democrats, 16th Ward Democrats and 24th Ward Democrats. Her latest endorsement came from sports radio host Charlie Tuna this weekend. He hosts “The Charlie ‘Tuna’ Show on 590 am radio.

Aldermanic President Lewis Reed

As noted above, Aldermanic President Lewis Reed was recently endorsed by The St. Louis Post Dispatch alongside

Safe and Effective Vaccines Are Now Available to Help Prevent COVID-19

As COVID-19 continues to spread across the country, many communities are still experiencing surging case numbers, overwhelmed hospitals and rising deaths. This is even more true in the African American community.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African Americans are:

• Almost 3 times more likely to be hospitalized

• Almost two times more likely to die from the disease Safe and effective vaccines are now available to prevent COVID-19. America’s leading group of African American doctors — the National Medical Association — has independently evaluated and strongly endorsed both the available vaccines.

Getting the vaccine is the best way to protect yourself, your family and your community. Consider taking this important step to protect your health.

As of mid-February, more than 55 million vaccine doses have already been administered across the country with exceptional safety and results. This is a message from

and prescription drug coverage together into one convenient plan.

Andrew Jones Jr.

Tishaura O. Jones Cara Spencer Lewis Reed

The St. Louis American endorses two women with records of standing up for the voiceless

Tishaura Jones for Mayor

For nearly three decades, the city of St. Louis has had mayoral administrations whose unremarkable, sometimes mediocre performances have been among the reasons that the city has not been able to respond more effectively to its precipitous and steady decline. These mayors were far too committed to — or were indifferent towards — the harmful influence the “established order” in St. Louis brought to the overall well-being of the city and its people. The city’s steep decline and persistent national shame have been bad for people and for business. This downward spiral we seem trapped in has prompted some of the region’s business and civic groups to come together as Greater St. Louis Inc., and present us with a bold plan to “create jobs, expand economic growth and expand St. Louis’ global competitiveness.”

million budget. She has increased efficiency in office operations by introducing upgraded technology. Jones has modernized and increased the department’s earnings, while St. Louis parking operations have seen the number of parking tickets issued annually decrease. Jones has also embraced innovation by starting the Office of Financial Empowerment, as well as the College Kids Savings Program, which provides every kindergartner in a St. Louis public district or charter school with a savings account. College Kids was the second municipal savings program in the country and has served as a model for programs launched by cities like St. Paul, Minnesota, New York City, and the State of Illinois.

In support of Tishaura Jones for St. Louis Mayor

Tishaura Jones, the current Treasurer for the City of St. Louis, is the strongest and clearest choice for its Mayor. Ms. Jones is an experienced and capable public official, having served at the state level in the Missouri House of Representatives for five years, and at the local level, having served as St. Louis City Treasurer for eight years. She has a bachelor’s degree in finance from Hampton University and a master’s degree in Health Administration from St. Louis University. In 2015, she completed the State and Local Government Program for government executives at the Harvard Kennedy School. At each juncture of her education and career, she has excelled.

These leaders accept one crucial, harsh reality: that the region’s future growth and prosperity are inextricably connected to the fortunes of its urban core, the city of St. Louis. They proclaim their support for a common vision and strategy that fosters “inclusive growth.” Moreover, they acknowledge the need for an alternative vision that includes more actual collaborations than we have seen in the past to address better the region’s challenges, as well as its opportunities.

n “St. Louis deserves a leader who consistently advocates for the concerns of the voiceless, even those who are poor and accused of crimes.”

Greater St. Louis Inc.’s plan, titled STL 2030, announced that the group’s purpose is “to achieve more prosperity alongside greater equity in opportunities and outcomes by substantially increasing the number of quality jobs while radically reducing racial and spatial disparities in income, health and wealth that have undermined metropolitan performance for decades.”

A St. Louis American editorial endorsement for the next mayor of the city of St. Louis is not a decision based on a candidate’s personality or campaign rhetoric. It is largely based on their fitness for the office and their alignment with our newspaper’s values and its vision for a better future for St. Louis and all of its people. Over the years, the St. Louis American editorial policy has promoted that vision, particularly emphasizing the uplift of Black lives through progressive policies. One may take issue with our vision, but our supporters and detractors always know where we stand. This vision has led us to our decision to endorse Treasurer Tishaura Jones for mayor. Jason Hall of Greater St. Louis Inc. has stated that this mayoral election is an inflection moment for the St. Louis region and that we need the highest caliber of leadership to meet the daunting challenges the region faces.

In 2016, she was one of the first elected officials to make a sound fiscal as well as humane argument for the closure of the St. Louis Medium Security Institution known as the Workhouse. Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed, meanwhile, was initially against closing the Workhouse. Next, he sponsored a bill to close the Workhouse, and most recently has reverted to keeping the Workhouse open. (Reportedly, the influential Carpenters union who oppose the jail’s closure has donated $100,000.00 to Reed’s mayoral campaign). Alderwoman Cara Spencer, Jones’ other opponent of note, initially opposed closing the Workhouse but has recently shown a change of heart.

St. Louis deserves a leader who consistently advocates for the concerns of the voiceless, even those who are poor and accused of crimes (most of whom are Black in the city of St. Louis). Jones’ platform wisely calls for examining the questionable fiscal practices of the St. Louis Police Department, and for altering the current Public Safety budget to shift funding towards more humane and effective approaches to mental health, substance abuse, and some of the other root causes of crime

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch chose to endorse two candidates, current Aldermanic President Lewis Reed and Alderwoman Cara Spencer, despite their vastly different records. Reed has championed public funding for sports stadiums while Spencer sued the City to prevent tax dollars from being used to renovate the Enterprise Center. Reed was a strong supporter of airport privatization. Spencer was part of a grassroots effort opposing airport privatization. Instead of endorsing two different candidates with unsatisfactory platforms and waffling policy visions, for us, the choice is clear: we strongly endorse Tishaura O. Jones for Mayor of St. Louis

Darlene Green for Comptroller

Treasurer Jones has demonstrated that she meets that measure. She has the intelligence, experience, and credibility across the city (she won 24 of the city’s 28 wards in her last re-election campaign). She has a great love of community, robust national network that extends to the White House, and the energy to become an exceptional mayor of St. Louis at this historic moment. Jones stands out from the mayoral field based upon a combination of her executive experience and her willingness to fight for issues she believes in regardless of their popularity. Since 2013, Jones has served as Treasurer for the City of St. Louis. Her job requires her to manage a staff of more than 100 employees and a $20

n “One may take issue with our vision, but our supporters and detractors always know where we stand.”

In 2017 we endorsed Comptroller Darlene Green, but also urged her to “use more of her credibility and political capital in the future to align with sound policies for positive change.” She has as the city’s conscience and watchdog on several issues, including calls to Close the Workhouse and halt duplicitous efforts to promote airport privatization. This cycle, we encourage Comptroller Green to not only continue pushing back against imprudent fiscal decisions, but also promote forward-thinking budgetary investments in human capital. Because she is an experienced, incorruptible, and highly competent chief financial officer, we heartily endorse Darlene Green for Comptroller.

Once elected Treasurer in 2012, Ms. Jones began fulfilling her campaign promises to bring expertise and integrity to the Office. She employed a professional, diverse, work force. She paid her staff a living wage. In 2014, she established the Office of Economic Empowerment, designed to help citizens make better financial decisions with free programs and classes on financial literacy. She started this program in part to respond to St. Louis’ challenge of having one of the largest rates of unbanked and underbanked people in the country. She started a College Kids Program, which provides all K-5 students in St. Louis public and charter schools with a savings account for post-secondary education. Research shows that children with savings for higher education are three times more likely to attend, and for those who attend, four times more likely to graduate. This program has helped over 18,000 St. Louis public and charter school students start educational savings accounts, with about $1.2

million saved to help more city children get a higher education. As Parking Supervisor for the City, she brought parking operations and the fee collection system into the 21st century generating greater revenue streams for the City. Additionally, her background in public health has led to her conviction that gun violence is a public health crisis and must generate the same intense focus on solutions as has been given to the COVID-19 pandemic. She pledges to address both as mayor. One of Ms. Jones’ hallmarks is her willingness and ability to work on difficult issues on a regional basis with other elected officials throughout the state, and with the business community to find solutions. This is what she did as a member of the

n On Day One, Tishaura Jones will be ready to address the challenges St. Louis faces.

On Day One, Tishaura Jones will be ready to address the challenges St. Louis faces. She will seize every opportunity to grow the City of St. Louis; she will work with the County; and she will work with all interested parties, including business interests, to contribute to the growth of our region. You already know that St. Louis County Executive Sam Page and St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell support Ms. Jones’ candidacy for mayor. We hope you will too. We need your vote on March 2 and April 6. Join us in taking St. Louis to the next level.

Submitted by Susan Block, attorney, Paule Camazine & Blumenthal; Doreen Dodson, retired attorney; Ralonda Jasper, strategic business consultant; Pamela Meanes, attorney, Thompson Coburn; Sandra Moore, managing director & chief impact officer, Advantage Capital; Kimberly Norwood, Washington University professor of law; and Johanna Wharton,

Missouri legislature and what she will continue to do as mayor. She is committed to developing neighborhoods in North and South St. Louis. She understands that the central corridor is a strength too and must also be maintained. Moreover, she has expressed the vision and the will to examine other tough issues challenging the city and the region, like the lending practices of banks, investing in youth throughout high school, and encouraging more trade schools and union apprenticeships opportunities for all youth. As a leader focused on moving St. Louis forward, she knows she must be a good partner with schools, helping to find needed resources and assuring that representatives have a seat on development boards where tax abatement and the effects on City schools is considered. As the next mayor of St. Louis, Ms. Jones will be a visionary realist, fully open to new ideas but also willing to adopt already researched and proven methods. She is committed to energizing St. Louis, to partnering with the St. Louis public schools to improve our children’s education access and quality; to public-private partnerships; to intentional neighborhood development; to workforce development, including the trades, and to entrepreneurship and to being a better regional partner.

Letters to the editor

Corrections

• An article in the Feb. 18 edition of The St. Louis American about Josiah Hickman receiving a Frontline Workers Scholarship contained incorrect information about future applications. There is no close date to apply. Scholarship recipients are able to use their scholarships up until 2022.

• An article in the Feb. 11 edition of The St. Louis American about efforts to put Harriet Tubman’s image on the $20 bill, contained incorrect information. Andrew Jackson, whose image is currently on the $20 bill, died in 1845 and did not serve in the Civil War.

Post-Dispatch is unfair to Black women

The voters of the city of St. Louis this past August delivered a triple entendre with their selections of Black women. Three black queens; Congresswoman Cori Bush, Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner, and Treasurer Tishaura Jones all crushed their opponents within city limits, their victories ranging from 10 to 30+ percentage points. So why is it that this city›s largest and oldest media publication seems so intent on tearing down the will of the voters? Whether it be its yearend hit job on the three Black women cited here, or the repeated targeting of Jones with what now stands to be more than20 editorial hit pieces. Like many St. Louis voters, the PostDispatch editorial board seems obsessed with black women. Black voters should be inclined to not only ignore

All letters are edited for

the Post-Dispatch’s Editorial Board’s useless and narrowsighted views, but to also simply stop reading the ash-heap of garbage produced by certain journalists who fail to fully understand our experiences. Lastly, I say directly to the St. Louis Post Dispatch; putting one Black male on your docket willing to stand by and allow you to demean and degrade Black women does not absolve you of your ignorance or bigotry towards Back women, who make up the backbone of the Black community. Black women are not your perpetual punching bag. Let’s for once try holding the white moderates accountable.

Marquis Govan Student, De Smet Jesuit High School

length and style.

Tishaura O. Jones

Darlene Green

Catching some rays

Energy Crisis Intervention Program to improve energy assistance to eligible Missourians

When a household’s energy source has been shut off or is at risk of disconnection, the winter Energy Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP) of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which runs November through May, pays the minimum amount needed on the fuel bill to get the household out of crisis.

Starting this winter, ECIP will pledge the maximum disconnect amount (up to $800) toward an eligible participant’s owed balance. Governor Mike Parson made the announcement on Feb. 16.

“Since many Missourians remain in crisis for subsequent months, paying only the minimum to keep a low-income household out of crisis tends to prolong the situation,” Parson said.

Now, we can make it faster and easier to resolve a household’s crisis situation.”

In addition to meeting the income requirements, to be eligible for LIHEAP’s winter heating assistance, residents must be responsible for paying home heating costs, have $3,000 or less in bank accounts, retirement accounts, or investments; and be a U.S. citizen or legally admitted for permanent residence.

“Winter can be especially harsh for low-income Missourians, and we must do all that we can to assure they can heat their homes to remain safe and healthy,” said Jennifer Tidball, acting director of the Missouri Department of Social Services.

For more information, visit https://mydss.mo.gov/energy-assistance

Rise up: to be seen, to be heard

When the weight of systemic oppression becomes too much to bear: People rise up.

When justice does not roll down like water or righteousness like a mighty stream: People rise up.

When a shared vision of transformative change is but a vote away: People rise up.

In November, voters rose to build a more inclusive democracy and transform municipal elections in the City of St. Louis by approving a ballot initiative to create nonpartisan primary elections and implement approval voting for the offices of Mayor, Comptroller, Aldermen/Alderwomen and President of the Board of Aldermen. Nonpartisan primary elections allow voters to cast votes for candidates irrespective of political party affiliation.

Nationwide, 80% of municipal elections have nonpartisan primary elections. Approval voting allows voters to vote for more than one candidate for any one office. Voters could cast a vote for each candidate they deem acceptable to hold the office. The two candidates with the most votes in the primary election advance to the general election.

The new two-part election system aims to mitigate circumstance that have often led to candidates being elected to serve within the city with less than 40% of votes in the primary election. In those instances three out of five voters often prefer a different candidate.

On March 2, 2021, voters in St. Louis city will participate in the first election in this two-part system to approve candidates for the following offices: mayor, comptroller and 16 aldermen/alderwomen.

Then on April 6, 2021, voters will cast their ballot for one of the top two candidates for each office.

This election season, residents in the City of St. Louis have the opportunity, that they created, to elect candidates who see the People, hear the People and serve the People.

Candidates who will respond to the People – respond to the People rising up at the City Justice Center by abolishing the arrest-and-incarcerate model and unjust pre-trial detention–respond to the People rising up so that the most vulnerable among us have access to healthcare – respond to the People rising up so that they are no longer oppressed by food apartheid.

Candidates who will undergird the community-led movement to transform St. Louis into an equitable and inclusive region for our children. In service to our children,

Cheryl D.S. Walker, Esq. Interim president and CEO Deaconess Foundation

For more information on the two-part election system visit www.stlapproves.org.

Cheryl D.S. Walker

Mark Gates sits on a bench in Forest Park near the History Museum enjoying the break in the weather on Tuesday, Feb. 23.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Continued from A1

Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.

Jones extended the invitation to Martin to come to St. Louis because of his long-time advocacy for voter turnout in local elections and his understanding of the impact of local elections on the health and well-being of a community.

“One of the things I constantly explain to our viewers and listeners is that local elections matter,” Martin said. “I told our folks about St. Louis’s mayoral race, Virginia’s Democratic primary, and the gubernatorial race in June. There are other races happening and we should be shining light on them so people can understand why local races matter.”

Martin strongly believes that competing in the mayoral election is not the end of the process; he emphasizes that winning and in return, implementing policy is the end goal.

“The emphasis is advocating for issues, connecting the dots, explaining public policy, elaborating on how all these variables are intertwined, and

Campaign

Continued from A1

Lastly, Andrew Jones raised an additional $7,368 since finance reports were filed in January. His campaign has raised $19,468 this election season — of that, $11,673 is from Andrew Jones himself.

Tishaura Jones comes in first when it comes to cash on-hand with approximately $177,000. Reed’s committees held around $60,000 and Spencer’s committees had $45,600 in cash on-hand.

Contributions to a mayoral candidate is limited to $2,600,

registering people to vote,” Martin said. “The next step after registration is mobilization, after mobilization is turnout. After turnout, the primary and the general election is over then it’s about governing. I want our people to know this is a multi-step deal.”

The average person may not be living and breathing political issues as much as Martin does, which can sometimes result in them being uninformed and not voting. To eliminate the belief that your vote doesn’t count, Martin states the first step in choosing the right candidate is recognizing what issues matter most to you.

“The first thing you should do is decide what three issues you care about and then compare them to the candidates to see their stances on them,” Martin continued.

“We have to get people to understand the elections. Stop looking at them based upon personality, who sounds the best, who looks the best, it’s really based on what you care about as a voter.”

For the first time in St. Louis history, the city conducts a nonpartisan election,

but PACs that make only independent expenditures may accept unlimited contributions.

Below is a breakdown of the fundraising reported by mayoral candidates and their PACs from Jan. 17 to Feb. 18.

Aldermanic President Lewis Reed

Reed’s campaign committee raised $104,435 in the last month — with approximately 66 contributions totaling $500 or less a piece, and 57 over $500 each. Of those 57 contributions, 24 were $2,000 or more each.

Several unions have backed Reed through contributions

meaning that the top two vote getters, regardless of political affiliation, move forward to the general election. Growing up in Houston, Martin says the aforementioned governmental landscape was common to see.

“You’re going to have a candidate that espouses certain views that might line up ideologically with liberal, progressive, conservative, tea-party, right-wing, etc.,” Martin said. “The nonpartisan race forces people not to be so locked into who’s a Democrat, who’s Republican. It comes down to the issues and what we think is important.”

Martin wants our audience to keep in mind that the greatest mistake African Americans can make is not using their voting power.

“It’s the job of campaigns to go out to find people to talk to and engage in conversations about their issues,” Martin said. “I would encourage every person reading this to say I’m going to personally make sure that three people get registered and that they vote. If you do that, we can drive up turnout in a significant way.”

to his campaign committee, including Laborers’ International Union of NA Local #42 whose PAC contributed $2,000, the United Food & Commercial Workers International Union AFL who contributed $2,600 and LIUNA Local 110 PAC who contributed $2,000.

LIUNA also contribute to Spencer’s campaign.

Of those who contribute the maximum $2,600 are Anna Tegethoff and Jeff Tegethoff. Jeff Tegethoff also contributed $10,000 to Reed’s PAC One St. Louis. He is a managing partner at CRG, the St. Louis real estate development and investment arm of construction

firm Clayco.

Clayco and its CEO, Robert Clark, donated $55,000 in total to One St. Louis, Reed’s PAC. Clayco is a construction engineering company, and Clark worked with private-equity firm Oaktree Capital in its effort to privatize St. Louis Lambert International Airport, according to the St. Louis Business Journal.

Reed’s PAC, One St. Louis, has raised $222,000 in this election to date.

A little less than half of that came from one funder — CHIPP (Carpenters Help in the Political Process) — which donated $100,000 on Feb. 11.

CHIPP is a main proponent of

privatizing St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

On Feb. 17 the PAC received $20,000 from Andrew Taylor, Enterprise Holdings executive chairman. Taylor also serves as Greater St. Louis, Inc.’s founding chair.

Reed’s second PAC, Leadership Counts, has raised $37,400 to date — $25,000 of that coming from Steve Stone, developer Paul McKee Jr.’s longtime attorney.

Attorney Michael E. Whittle’s SLC Holdings LLC contributed $7,400 and Louis Hamilton, a consultant, contributed $2,500.

St. Louis Treasurer

Tishaura Jones

Tishaura Jones’ campaign committee outraised all three of her opponents’ committees in the last month with $177,682. To date, her committee has raised a total of $333,658. As was the case before, she received the most individual contributions, with 876 contributions of $500 or less each and 60 contributions over $500 each. Of those 60 contributions, 16 were for either $2,500 or $2,600.

Among those top contributors are: Steve Cousins, with Casa LLC; Kathleen Dunne, founder of Red Bike; John Ferring, PLZ AeroScience CEO; Omar Karim, Banneker Ventures CEO; Scott Intagliata, Unico Director; David Steward II, owner of Lion Forge Comics; LeJuan Strickland, consultant. In addition, PACS for the United Auto Works unions, Service Employees International Union, and Service Employees International Union HealthCare all donate $2,600 each. Tishaura Jones’ PAC, 314 Forward, has raised $122,375 this election cycle, with $58,300 coming in through 16 contributions.

Eleven of those contributions were for $3,000 or less each.

Alderwoman Cara Spencer Spencer raised an additional $103,343 through her campaign committee in the last month reported. Of the contributions reported Monday, approximately 410 totaled $500 or less each, and 34 were over $500 each.

Contributors who donated the maximum amount allowed, $2,600, were: Thompson Coburn LLP, A.S. Love, Wilkins Schneller Law LLC, Rob Vitale Post Holdings Inc., Steven Katz, Bonnie Katz and Paul Larson, CEO of Larson Financial.

The Greater St. Louis Port Maritime Council PAC contributed $2,500, as did ARCAS LLC and Joseph Bartholomew. L.I.U.N.A. Local 110 PAC contributed $2,000 to Spencer’s campaign, and Patrick McNichols, with Innovative Construction & Roofing, contributed $2,000. In addition to her campaign committee, Spencer’s PAC, Gateway to Progress, has received $76,050 through 22 contributions since. Five of those contributions were for $5,000 each and are from

Political analyst and talk show host Roland Martin interviewed with The American last Friday, Feb. 19, at the Omega Center.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Garcia

Continued from A1

intended.

On Monday, Congresswoman Cori Bush announced a private bill – that is, a piece of legislation that if passed would only apply to Garcia – which would give him a path to legal permanent resident status. Then, on Wednesday, the Garcia family released a statement saying that Alex would be going home, as ICE had “stated unequivocally” that he was no longer a priority for deportation.

“It’s been three and a half years of his young children being asked, ‘Why does your dad live in a church?’ It’s a question they don’t have an answer to – they don’t know why their dad cannot come home,” Bush said in a Zoom press conference Monday, alongside Garcia’s lawyer Nicole Cortés and Pastor Becky Turner of Christ Church UCC. She noted that there have only been four such bills signed into law since 2017, so the odds that this bill will pass are slim. “But that will not discourage us, because what we see when we see those four bills … is hope. We see it as a possibility and as an opportunity,” Bush said. Her predecessor in the 1st District, William Lacy Clay, proposed a similar bill in 2019, stalled in committee.

In the early months of the previous administra-

Candidates

Continued from A1

I’m still here. The young man behind the gun, on the other hand, lost his life that night -to incarceration.

tion, according to Sarah John with the St. Louis Interfaith Committee on Latin America, local houses of worship started talking about bringing sanctuary churches back, which actually began in the 1980s. “For many congregations, that was a process of education…a process of building relationships with a community that many had not had the opportunity to reach yet,” John said. Around

As mayor, my highest priority will be to take immediate and decisive action to decrease violent crime in our communities. Trust is paramount. When witnesses and victims don’t trust the police, they don’t share vital information necessary to solve cases of violent crime. We must recognize the breakdown in trust that is causing serious damage to our communities and our police. I am committed to healing this divide, not furthering it.

this same time, she met Alex and Carly Garcia, and “Alex made the decision to move into sanctuary at Christchurch, in order to fight for that right to stay with his family permanently in Missouri.” If Garcia were to be deported to Honduras, John explained, he would have to remain outside the country for a decade before getting the chance to return to his family.

And finally, I will lead the city in investing in public safety beyond traditional policing. We have to understand the root causes of crime. We must invest in programs and strategies that will reduce crime long term. St. Louis can join the many cities nationally that have effectively reduced violent crime. Change must be rooted in transparen-

Nicole Cortés, Garcia’s immigration attorney and cofounder and director of the St. Louis Migrant and Immigrant Community Action (MICA) Project, explained that Garcia’s stay in the church was never meant to last as long as it has. This bill, she said, might provide him with a better option, “enabling him to stay with his family forever.”

Bush noted that the bill

cy, accountability and decisive leadership. That’s exactly what I will provide as mayor.

Andrew Jones

I consider public safety to be the most pressing issue facing St. Louis. Crime, alone, is enough to warrant needing the most attention, but it affects so many other aspects of the city. Commerce is affected by

Cong. Cori Bush announced a private bill which would give Alex Garcia a path to legal permanent resident status after three-anda-half years in sanctuary.

and end all family separation by immigration enforcement.

“Today, we are extending a hand of partnership to the Biden administration,” Bush stated. “[Garcia] deserves dignity and freedom, and just like we expect you to end all family separations, Mr. President, we also expect you to help us allow Alex to be with his.”

Meanwhile, the same day that Bush convened this press conference, Biden’s actions on the immigration front were decidedly mixed: reportedly reopening a facility to house teen migrants who crossed the border without adults; on the other, he introduced a bill creating a new eight-year path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

Alex and Carly Garcia also spoke at the press conference about the possible futures of their own family. While ICE’s promise that he is not a deportation priority grants him temporary relief, Bush has stated that she will continue to press forward with the private bill in order to ensure that he can stay in Missouri permanently.

only needs to pass the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship in order to allow Garcia some relief. “Even before it becomes law…Alex will be granted a stay of removal for the duration of the 117th Congress,” Bush said. She also noted that Garcia’s case is just one of many – and reiterated a desire for President Joe Biden to keep one of his campaign promises

the perception of St. Louis being a violent city. Outside businesses as well as citizens take their money and business elsewhere because they fear it may not be safe to do business in the city. Education is also affected because the criminals that make our city less safe are not born, they are made. If we have earlier and better educational intervention, then

“I miss spending time with my family outside of the church walls,” Alex Garcia stated over Zoom from Christ Church, his wife holding his arm. “It has been very hard for me, watching my babies grow up and learn without me being by their side.” Garcia hopes that the private bill in his name will show a path forward for other immigrants in sanctuary like himself. “Because we aren’t just fighting to be heard, we are fighting for freedom and family unity for all.”

these citizens will never have to turn to a life of crime. Working with our police force to focus on the elimination of violent crime and creating better communication between city hall and our hard-working police officers will drastically reduce crime and greatly improve public safety in St. Louis.

FEB. 25 – MAR. 3, 2021

Wash U. professor tackles issues of race and gender via comics

By Ruth E. Thaler-Carter

For The St. Louis American

The next time your kid says that a comic book or a graphic novel is not only art, but literature, believe them. Washington University professor Rebecca Wanzo has elevated comics to the heights of literary criticism with her recent book

The Content of Our Caricature: African American Comic Art and Political Belonging” (NYU Press, 2020), which won the 2021 Katherine Singer Kovacs Award. Not only that, she also found out about a museum dedicated to cartoons and comics, and other academics with similar interests.

Wanzo is chair and professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Wash U. and an affiliate professor of American Culture Studies. The native of Dayton,

Ohio, came to St. Louis in 2011 after earning her Ph.D. at Duke and her B.A. at Miami University, and working at Ohio State University.

“Like most academics, I’ve moved around,” she said.

Wanzo has both taught and published extensively in African American literature, theories of affect, popular culture, critical race theory, feminist theory and graphic storytelling, including a previous book, “The Suffering Will Not Be Televised: African American Women and Sentimental Political Storytelling” (SUNY Press, 2009). Her interest in the deeper meaning of comics evolved from reading them in graduate school “just to have something

to read quickly,” she recalled. At Ohio State, she discovered the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum, and learned that “there are a lot of comic and cartoon scholars in English literature, and they are doing a lot of work on the topic.”

Her first publication about comics was an essay entitled “Truth in Red, White, and Black” about the Black Captain America. She also has written for CNN about the infamous cartoon treatment of tennis superstar Serena Williams. At OSU, Wanzo found archival material that included work by Sam Milai, a Black cartoonist for the Pittsburgh Courier newspaper who “thought that assimilation was the best path (for Black people)

rather than radicalism,” she said.

“Caricature” looks at how Black cartoonists such as Milai and others from various political perspectives have “used racialized caricatures to criticize constructions of ideal citizenship, as well as the alienation of African Americans from such imaginaries,” according to a description of her book.

Fan culture and race “used to be seen as a tiny niche” and the current world of fandom and fan culture “sees itself as progressive when there is still a lot of racist content,” Wanzo said. “We have to ask what will make a substantive change for the better.” With her latest book now out in the world, Wanzo has three more “in my head.” She has been asked to write a short book about the

Collier Brothers Auto Body welds plan before time and succession collide

By Karen Robinson-Jacobs For The American

There may be a mangled car in Sydney Jackson’s future. Jackson, 23, is the daughter of Wayne Jackson, co-owner of Collier Brothers Auto Body Company Inc., one of the oldest African American-owned and operated businesses in St. Louis.

Co-founded in March 1946 by Wayne Jackson’s grandfather, Raymond Collier Sr. and Collier’s brother Elie “Bud” Collier, the eraser of dents and repairer of fenders is preparing to celebrate 75 years in business next month, while at the same time remaining mindful of the road ahead.

Profits are intermittent and the roster of competitors has swelled since the brothers chipped in $350 each – mustering-out pay from service in the Army and Navy – to help launch the business.

could open their business was Mill Creek Valley – an historic, largely Black neighborhood that faced the wrecking ball in the 1950s – according to the company’s website and historical reports at https://www.collierbrothersautobody.com

n Through the 1970s and ‘80s, business was booming, the two said, with Jackson estimating the current footprint is 13,000 square feet, about the size of a CVS location.

The father/daughter Jacksons say discussions recently began on who will steer the company forward. Both want to see it remain in the family past the next major milestone.

“It’s always been a family business,” Sydney Jackson, taking a break from braiding her sister’s hair, said in an interview with The American “We want to uphold that culture and the legacy that was set there by our forefathers...Ideally I would like it to stay with somebody related to the Collier Jackson lineage.”

In the segregated St. Louis of the 1940s, the only place the founders

Craig Collier, Elie Collier’s son and co-owner with Jackson, described the earliest incarnation of the shop as not much more than an “oversized-one car garage.” But demand and the need for more space quickly grew.

The business moved five times before landing in 1958 at 4561 Delmar Blvd. on what Wayne Jackson, 53, describes as the “Delmar Divide.” To the South, near the Central West End, home prices can eclipse $1 million and “North of us, it’s the opposite,” Jackson said.

Through the 1970s and ‘80s, business was booming, the two said, with Jackson estimating the current footprint is 13,000 square feet, about the size of a CVS location.

“I remember my dad coming down here, seeing it really full,” said Craig Collier, 56. “Back in the ‘70s, you know, you couldn’t even walk inside the shop, it was just back-to-back cars.”

Even before he slid into the driver’s seat, Craig Collier had a close-up view of the business.

“I was born into it. I’ve basically been coming down here since I was 3 years old,” Collier said, adding that at about age 11, he “started knowing

Thompson Coburn promotes Jackson, Wynes

efforts to promote and support a diverse team and create an inclusive work environment. Wynes will expand her recruiting efforts to all attorney hires at the firm, from lateral partners to associates and counsel and to the law students selected for a summer associate program.

Hines joins crisis nursery board

and neglect prevention agency.

Midland State Bank taps Tolliver

Leslie Tolliver has been named senior employee relations specialist at Midland States Bank. In her new role she will manage all employee relations matters, talent acquisitions for key bank roles and serve as chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Council and lead all of Midland’s

The Colliers- L to R Sydney Jackson, Wayne Jackson, Lois Collier-Jackson, Windell Jackson, Cardelia Collier-Robinson, Lorin Jackson, Zoe Collier Robinson, Craig Collier and Raymond Collier in the garage of the families buiness for 75 years.

Norma Jackson

Ron Hines

Leslie Tolliver

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Lesley Wynes

Rebecca Wanzo

Bruce

ACLU of Missouri unionizes, joining movement of nonprofit workers organizing

By Dana Rieck

Of The St. Louis American

Alicia Hernández, ACLU of Missouri community organizer, said as other ACLU offices and the national affiliate organized, she and her coworkers began discussing the idea.

The staff’s union representative, Shannon Duffy, sent a letter Wednesday to Luz María Henríquez, ACLU of Missouri executive director, announcing their unionization.

This announcement comes as the ACLU of Kansas staff organized in July and the national ACLU staff organized

in January.

“The American Civil Liberties Union has championed the rights of workers to organize and unionize since the beginning of the organization’s inception,” Hernández said.

“And so, with the ACLU being so strongly rooted in these values, we feel that this will be a good process – that there will be cooperation and we don’t expect any major push back or issues.”

Duffy said the staff signed authorization cards and will ask their management to voluntarily recognize the unit. If management does not, Duffy

n ACLU of Missouri employees on Wednesday joined a growing movement of nonprofit workers by announcing they have unionized.

said they’ll seek an election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board – a process that typically takes a few weeks.

“I expect the ACLU of Missouri to live its values –and they do stand for certain things in the community, which is fighting for things like inclusion, and equality and justice,

Wanzo

Continued from A9

right? I mean, these are bedrock principles of the ACLU,” Duffy said.

United Media Guild was established in January 1934 as the St. Louis Newspaper Guild. Duffy said the organization changed its name to United Media Guild as the breadth of employees’ professions and locations grew.

“Black Panthers” film and has begun work on a book about “civil rights temporalities – how we talk about progress – sometimes we think about justice, and feel that it should have arrived now,” she said. “There has been enough time to (resolve) issues such as abortion rights and (head off) events such as the January riot in the U.S. Capitol. The fictions about civil rights should have been understood by now.”

Also “near and dear to my heart,” Wanzo said, is producing a study guide for her book that can be used by public libraries, museums and other community outlets; in online research; and when she has speaking engagements.

Wanzo would like to see American readers and the community – even the nation as a whole – have a better understanding of the issues that she writes and teaches about because they “cover basically everything in the world.” To take insights like hers from the university to the community, she said, “the main thing to do is have an eye for reality in every context and commit ourselves to seeing what’s happening in churches, workplaces, schools.”

While Wanzo has lived in a lot of places for studies, fellowships and teaching, including California, New York, Ohio and more, “I could see myself staying in St. Louis,” she said. “I love the arts and culture, the live music, the museums that are free – you see more Black people at museums and galleries because of the accessibility than you might elsewhere – and that there is still some industry left here.”

To learn more about Rebecca Wanzo and her work, go to https://www.rebeccawanzo.com

Hernández said she thinks there’s often a misconception that only certain types of workers who need protection from unions – such as tradespeople and laborers

“But really, anyone who is a worker benefits from a union,” she said. “And that is why we also wanted to join the new movement of nonprofits unionizing.”

United Media Guild represents approximately 25,000 people throughout the midwest. They are part of the Communication Workers of America, which represents over 600,000 people nationally.

The ACLU of Missouri consists of 17 people, according to its website.

“We are doing this because we love our organization and because we do see it as a duty to live in our values, not just the values that we want to see in the state of Missouri,” Hernández said. “But we feel that it is important to replicate those values within our own organizations. And that includes equity, transparency, cooperation. We think that that’s the way we can have, like, a better organization in a better union.”

Continued from A9

that I like cars.

“It’s always been my passion...just working on cars and making them look good.”

Collier saw the business change in “probably like the late ‘90s, early 2000s. It really wasn’t as crowded as it used to be, I guess because of ... more competition.

Wayne Jackson took a more circuitous route to his destiny, including a 10-year stint with the St. Louis police department working with computers.

The two took over the shop officially in 1996, though the founders continued to keep an eye on things for years after that.

Even into his 70s, Raymond Collier, who died in 2014, worked “like a 50-year-old,” said Craig Collier, who took over more of his dad’s workload as Elie Collier, who died in 2015, devoted more time to ministry. Collier thinks he might emulate his uncle, adding, “I don’t know when to quit.”

Both quinquagenarians know that for them the road will end at some point and they’ve recently begun talking about who will take the wheel.

“That’s what we’re kind of in limbo about, you know,” said Wayne Jackson, father to three children, including middle-child Sydney. “They have a desire, but we haven’t mapped it all out yet. We haven’t decided what we’re doing. We’re trying to work on a succession plan.

Family business consultants said the current owners are wise to start crafting a plan before an immediate crisis forces a hasty decision.

Research from The Family Business Consulting Group

found that traditionally, roughly one-third of family businesses continue from the first generation to the next (https://www.thefbcg.com), according to Drew Mendoza, senior advisor at the Chicago based company. Only about 5% make it to the fourth generation, he said.

And data from the Ohiobased Conway Center for Family Business, which provides education and support to family-owned-businesses, found that the first transition has dipped to 19% in the last five years, potentially due to Millenials shying away from the traditional family business (https://www.familybusinesscenter.com/resources/family-business-facts).

Craig Collier has no children, but he has a niece who might be interested.

Sydney Jackson, a graduating senior at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, has increasingly warmed to the idea.

These days, because the coronavirus pandemic has shuttered classrooms, Jackson is back in St. Louis, answering the phones at the auto body shop to help free her dad from office duties.

“I am not a business person,” said Jackson, who will graduate with a degree in social work.

“But I don’t want to let the legacy go down ... And then I am also seeing the credibility that the shop holds in the community. So I’m willing to do whatever I have to do. That’s motivating me to learn how to do all this stuff I don’t like so eventually I can do it and we can keep the business going.” Is she sure she wants to become an owner someday?

“I’m pretty sure,” she said, pausing. “I’m like 99.7 percent sure.”

Collier

Washington University professor Rebecca Wanzo has elevated comics to the heights of literary criticism with her recent book, “The Content of Our Caricature: African American Comic Art and Political Belonging” (NYU Press, 2020), which won the 2021 Katherine Singer Kovacs Award.

Getting to the other side of the pandemic

close because of the virus.

It’s been about a year since the uninvited coronavirus first came into our lives. The U.S. is about to hit the grim milestone of 500, 000 million deaths. We lead the entire world in the number of COVID-19 cases--28 million and counting. The person masquerading as president at the advent of the pandemic told us everything was under control and soon, the virus would go away. The reckless assurance in the face of science--that is, knowing how a pandemic operates—wasted critical time to plan an appropriate response. The negligent approach opened the door to non-scientific conspiracy theories. It allowed COVID-19 to be politicized, right down to the wearing of a simple mask, that led to unnecessary deaths.

COVID-19 has dramatically showed us how interconnected our lives are in this country. It put floodlights on the vulnerability of particular populations like African Americans and the elderly. It also exposed the systemic inequities already known to us from healthcare to housing. Those disparities were intensified under the pandemic adding to the inability to contain the virus and deal a final blow.

It is estimated that nearly eight million businesses could

The National Restaurant Association has reported that 60 percent of restaurants will never re-open. Unemployment claims are at an all-time high. Three million women have been knocked out of the workforce to stay at home with young children mainly due to daycare and school closings. Nationwide, nearly 51 million public school students are being negatively impacted by virtual learning (aka virtually no learning) and are showing signs of stress and obesity. Although there has been temporary relief from rent and mortgage payments, evictions and foreclosures are now looming. The

n If we are going to be in deep debt on a personal and federal level for generations, let’s make sure our tax dollars count for addressing long-term solutions.

government relief packages, including the historic $2 trillion CARES Act, will triple the deficit for the next decade. This unprecedented burden has led to mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and even suicide.

What the U.S. is facing are conditions reminiscent of the Great Depression. The situation is sobering but we The People

must rise to the challenge if we are to get to the other side of the pandemic. Here are three areas to make that start.

One this that we must get our heads right. Sure, we all are suffering from COVID fatigue-longing for the good ole days where we could hug people, party hearty and worship together. We are up against a deadly enemy that requires that we be in tip-top mental and physical shape for the protracted battle ahead.

Our families and communities must show some extra love and patience with one another. Be there to listen, share what you can and advocate when you need to. We are being pitted against one another in many ways so that our time is wasted, and our fears and anger are compounded.

Lastly, we must be laser focused and strategic in pushing for what our families and communities need. If we are going to be in deep debt on a personal and federal level for generations, let’s make sure our tax dollars count for addressing long-term solutions. To do this, we must be organized in ways that we have never been before and with people we don’t know but who share both our plight and our vision.

The vaccine is a welcome sight, but it is not a panacea. We can’t depend on politicians whose self-interests are often in conflict with ours. Magical thinking will not get us past the pandemic and to a healthy economy for all. Look in the mirror to see where our recovery lies.

COVID-19 Vaccines Offer Relief in Hard-Hit Minority Communities

As COVID-19 continues to spread across the country, many communities are experiencing surging case numbers, overwhelmed hospitals and rising deaths. This is even more true in the African American community. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, compared to white Americans, African Americans are three times more likely to be hospitalized and almost twice as likely to die from the disease. Safe and effective vaccines are now available to prevent COVID-19 in part because thousands of African Americans took part in the testing phase, and prominent African American scientists, like Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, were actively involved in the development of these vaccines. Additionally, America’s leading group of African American doctors—the National Medical Association—has independently evaluated and strongly endorsed both the available vaccines. I urge you to sign up for vaccination now.

Research has shown that African Americans are more hesitant to get vaccinated than people of other races. It’s true that healthcare has a long, painful history of racism and discrimination—you or someone you know may have even been treated unfairly at some point when seeking care. Today, more than ever, it can be easy to lose faith in the institutions meant to protect us.

Personally, I have taken both of my doses of the vaccine. It was important to me to do all that I can to prevent the spread of

the coronavirus to my wife and my family. Also, by getting the vaccine, it has allowed me to continue doing what I am called to do—caring for my patients—which I could not do if I were sick at home or worse with the virus. If you feel uncertain or even fearful, I understand. But COVID-19 is a deadly threat, especially for African Americans. Getting the vaccine is the best way to protect yourself, your family and your community. We hope that you and your family will consider taking this important step to protect your health. Wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing are still necessary. If you still have questions or concerns, I encourage you to contact your doctor.

This is a message from Dr. Jerome Williams of Esse Health, written on behalf of Essence Healthcare. Dr. Williams has

Essence

Columnist Jamala Rogers

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee knows that there has never been another time in which she has garnered so much congressional support and public momentum for H.R. 40, the reparations legislation that focuses on truth, racial healing, and transformation.

The longtime Democratic representative from Texas chaired a hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 17, about the bill.

In an exclusive interview with the National Newspaper Publishers Association on Monday, Feb. 15, Congresswoman Jackson Lee reflected on the long-overdue redress to the descendants of enslaved Africans.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr, NNPA President and CEO, saluted Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. Chavis stated, “For her persistent leadership in support of H.R. 40 and for her granting this exclusive, timely, and in-depth interview with the Black Press of America, we are most grateful.”

The congresswoman praised the powerful resiliency of Black Americans who continue to excel and to transcend the systemic racism and oppression

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee leads U.S. Reparations Bill H.R. 40

of the past and present.

“I want to give credit to the giants that were and are Black Americans. They are giants,” Congresswoman Jackson Lee declared.

“I want to give credit to the everyday mom and dad who get up every day and get to work and provide for their family. I’m going to give those who came up on the farms or stayed on the farm and raised nine and ten and twelve children,” she reflected.

The Congresswoman continued, “I want to give them the honor that they deserve, and that is to recognize the insurmountable odds that some of them had and how they continue to plant seeds of respect and dignity in their children.

“Has anyone addressed the question of slavery and its comprehensive impact on Black Americans in this country? This is what H.R. 40 will do.”

While the bill doesn’t place a specific monetary value on reparations, it does focus on investigating and presenting the actual facts and truth about the unprecedented centuries of inhuman enslavement of African people, racial healing, and transformation.

The bill would fund a com-

mission to study and develop proposals for providing reparations to African Americans.

The commission’s mission includes identifying the role of federal and state governments in supporting the institution of slavery, forms of discrimination in public and private sectors against freed slaves and their descendants, and lingering adverse effects of slavery on living African Americans and society.

Congresswoman Jackson Lee, who sits on numerous House committees, including the Judiciary, Budget, and Homeland Security, has made

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who sits on numerous House committees, including the Judiciary, Budget, and Homeland Security, has made the reparations legislation her top priority during the 117th Congress.

the reparations legislation her top priority during the 117th Congress.

“I think if people begin to associate this legislation with what happened to the descendants of enslaved Africans as a human rights violation, the sordid past that violated the human rights of all of us who are descendants of enslaved Africans, I think that we can find common ground to pass this legislation,” Congresswoman Jackson Lee pronounced.

“Can anyone imagine that we’ve never gotten a simple, effective, deeply-embedded, and well-respected apology?”

The Congresswoman is further encouraged by the support of the most co-sponsors (166) in the bill’s history, which dates back decades to former Democratic Rep. John Conyers Jr., of Michigan, who first introduced the legislation in 1989.

In an earlier NNPA interview, White House Senior Advisor to President Biden and Director of the Office of Public Engagement Cedric Richmond sounded an urgent tone about the administration’s commitment to ensure racial justice, accessibility, and equity concerning Black America.

Richmond told the Black Press that the administration supports Congresswoman Jackson Lee’s H.R. 40.

“We do support a commission and H.R. 40; we know we can’t wait. We have to start acting now,” Richmond declared.

“We don’t need a study to tell us that systemic racism is out there. We don’t need a study to tell us that redlining in Black communities has been treated a lot differently.”

Richmond continued:

“We don’t think the Black community should have to wait on a study, we need to deal with systemic racism right now and, yes, we support the commission, but it’s not going to stop us from acting right now.”

Like several historians who spoke to the Black Press, Congresswoman Jackson Lee recognizes that the transatlantic slave trade dates beyond 1619, the popular understanding of the start of the horrific history of when Africans were stolen from their homeland.

In 2018, the NNPA produced a series on the transatlantic slave trade, tracking the history to about 1519 that will be the content of an upcoming NNPA published book on the transatlantic slave trade.

Felicia M. Davis, the HBCU Green Fund director, which invests in sustainable campus solutions for historically black colleges and universities, told the Black Press that she believes the enslavement of African people demands international reexamination.

“The fact that slavery was underway for a century in South America before introduction in North America is not widely taught nor commonly understood,” Davis remarked for the NNPA series.

“It is a powerful historical fact missing from our under-

standing of slavery, its magnitude, and global impact. The knowledge that slavery was underway for a century provides deep insight into how enslaved Africans adapted,” she stated.

This month, Dr. Julius Garvey, the son of the late Pan Africanism movement leader, Marcus Garvey, also declared his earlier transatlantic slave trade beliefs.

“You know, they say it was 400 years ago when the first African slaves landed in the United States, but people were brought to the Americas, meaning Central America, the Caribbean, and South America, before that,” Garvey exclaimed.

“So, 400 years is just a convenient date, and it shows how much we need to know our history.”

Congresswoman Jackson Lee surmised that passage of H.R. 40 would enhance America’s status in the eyes of African countries and those around the globe.

“I studied and went to school in Ghana as well as in Nigeria, and I believe that Africa should be one of the United States’ closest allies,” the Congresswoman stated.

“There is an eagerness in many of these countries, particularly with young Africans, to align themselves with America, with a democratic America,” she said.

“I think that the governments in Africa will respect the American government seeing that [America] has finally sought to remedy and repair a great loss for the continent, a continent where millions of Africans were taken from.”

To see more of the NNPA’s exclusive interview with Congresswoman Jackson Lee, visit Facebook.com/BlackPressUSA/ Videos, and YouTube/BlackPressUSATV.

Katrina

Criminal Justice Reform is too

By Rev. Darryl Gray

critical for all hands not to be ‘on deck’

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said that “unity, does not mean uniformity.” Ever since the mayor created a Corrections Task Force to respond to the circumstances that led to the three protests, organized in a matter of a few weeks apart, and culminating on February 6 by detainees at the Justice Center, I have heard nothing but negativity about the forming of the Task Force from certain quarters of our community.

The Task Force has been charged with a specific, shortterm role, limited, and expectantly with obstacles (motivated by self-preservation and survival instincts). The Mayor asked us to begin review of three urgent topics related to the City Justice Center: 1) Investigate the alleged concerns and complaints regarding food, water, temperature, and clothing;

2) The need to begin moving cases through the 22nd Judicial Circuit and any other measures possible to address the isolation and uncertainty resulting from the halting of court cases for nearly one year due to the COVID -19 pandemic; and 3) To become apprised of the urgent building and equipment needs of the facility, which is approximately 20 years old. Lets’ be candid, the public, particularly activist groups, would like the Task Force to look at other allegations during our tenue (so would we), but it has been made clear to us by the City’s legal department that the Task Force does not have that authority. We requested to interview every detainee and CJC staff involved in the three protests. We requested to review all documents pertaining to those

incidents. We requested to see any and all video from those incidents. We have requested information on the welfare and well-being of detainees involved in all three protests. We have been told that we have a specific mandate, and that we are not independent of City guidelines, or protocol.

The Task Force understands that there are legal restrictions in some of our asks, but the seemingly spirit of obstruction is nevertheless disappointing and disheartening, in spite of that, there is “something good” that I believe can come out of the Task Force efforts.

Guest Columnist Rev. Darryl Gray

Many of us on the Task Force has been involved in various aspects of prison and crimi-

our watch (that’s why some of us signed on to a task that we knew would be overly scrutinized), and there are things that will have to wait for the next administration. So far COVID-19 vaccines have been given to those that requested (high risk); the administration has allocated $1.6 million to repairing the locks, something that should be done with the next several weeks; and detainees and correction staff alike know that people are interested in the safety and human rights of all who enter the CJC for any reason.

I’ll help you, where I can, and you help me where you can. That’s how I grew up in the Movement. I am calling on individuals and organizations that have been in this fight to

n I know that it might be asking for too much, but why can’t we all get behind all initiatives that just might chip away at the injustice that we see in the injustice system, seemingly forever?

nal justice reform for years. We are not novice nor naive. We understand that the system has for too long been unjust to people of color, and people of poverty. We are asking the public to trust us, especially those of you who have marched the streets and stood on the Frontline with us. You should know that we are determined to do the best that we can with the limited mandate that we have. We are hopeful that there are things that will get done on

support the Task Force in meeting our mandate.

To all of the organizations and individuals that have been dealing with detainee issues, prison reform, police reform, unjust bail and bond system, and all things criminal justice reform, I stand with you now, as I have always stood, with you, side-by-side.

From the very first announcement of the Task Force negative comments started flying around. Statements made both in private

and in public. I was asked to step down because my being on the task force legitimized the mayor’s “short term,” “really just trying to kick the can down the road,” “last minute,” “diversionary efforts.” There were people who felt that it was “too little too late,” as others just questioned every decision of the mayor. Not to my surprise there were also those who questioned the motives of certain members on the task force.

Surprisingly enough, I’m good with the dissent, criticism, cynicism, and suspicion that came with the announcing of a Task Force to look into what has obviously been an un-amplified concern. That does not mean that no one was working to address the issues through legal channels (because we are aware of present and past efforts). Accusations coming out of the Justice Center (lack of bail and bonds, treatment within the facility, health and safety issues) has been public knowledge. But it was not the magnified public-media story as it is now, and that’s probably because it has become a huge media story that it has been moved to the front and center in the public arena.

Finally, I agree that the mayor’s term is soon up. But I’m glad that she has not abducted her role as mayor. We have a deadline for the middle of March. But does that mean that we should wait on the next administration to do something that all of the candidates could have championed without the title of mayor. If the naysayers of the Task Force really believe that there must been some sense of urgency in the matters and issues that have been illuminated by the detainee protests, then support us as we try to do our part, as you continue to do your

part. I believe that there will be an intersection of action, and in that intersection those who we are determined and dedicated to serve, will be served.

TTY 711

Reverend Darryl Gray is chairperson of the Corrections Task Force and a criminal justice reform advocate.

“Taking Care of You”

Identifying homeless eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations

Strict distancing mandates reduced capacity at some shelters

By Sylvester Brown

For The St. Louis American

The recent massive winter storm with up to 8 inches of snow accompanied by bone-jarring frigid winds inconvenienced many in the region. No matter how hard life became for most, those without permanent shelter probably suffered more.

In the age of COVID-19, the storm exposes other current and future layers of vulnerability among people experiencing homelessness.

In 2019, the Continuums of Care to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported that 6,179 people experience homelessness on any given day. According to new research from the Economic Roundtable, COVID-related recession is expected to cause chronic homelessness to increase some 49% nationwide. This drastic rise in homelessness comes at a time when local health officials have issued strict social distancing mandates, which have led to reduced capacity at some area homeless shelters. People living on the streets depend on these places, but gatherings in such tightknit settings provides the perfect scenario for the virus to spread.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has stressed the importance of vaccinating this population and not just because of the densely populated settings they occupy. Many homeless individuals are older adults

By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American

Pregnant patients may start getting screened for gestational diabetes at or after six months gestation, in ordered for it to be treated, if discovered, to reduce health risks for mothers and their babies. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force posted a draft recommendation on February 16 regarding screening for gestational diabetes, recommending providers screen their pregnant patients for gestational diabetes at or after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

This draft recommendation applies to pregnant people who have not been previously diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and who do not have signs or symptoms of gestational diabetes.

Endocrinologist Dr. Cynthia Herrick, of Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis and assistant professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine, said in a 2019 interview with St. Louis Public Radio’s Shahla Farzan, that gestational diabetes “can lead to babies that are large for gestational age, babies that are born early, and low blood sugar for babies at delivery.” For the mother, gestational diabetes increases her risk of high blood pressure, and preeclampsia, which is a serious complication that causes high blood pressure and can threaten the lives of both the mother and her baby.

See SCREENING, A17

Survey says Americans are abandoning dental health during pandemic

COVID-19 exacerbates oral health disparities for low-income children

By Sarafina Wright Washington Informer / NNPA

A new survey reveals the coronavirus pandemic is a major factor in the nation’s failing dental health. More than half of Americans say they have delayed or skipped regular dental maintenance altogether, which can lead to more serious oral health issues, according to the American Association of Endodontists. The survey commissioned by the association, also showed that the pandemic is takings its toll on those working or studying remotely when it comes to changes to their daily dental hygiene routine.

Significant findings of the survey

n Dental health is the most unmet health need among American children.

reveal that 31 percent were snacking more on sweets; 28 percent didn’t schedule or forgot to schedule a dental visit; 1 in 4 said they waited until later in the morning to brush their teeth, while 21 percent didn’t brush in the morning at all; and 24 percent said they’re flossing less frequently while 23 percent say they aren’t flossing at all.

A surveys reveals more than half of Americans say they have delayed or skipped regular dental maintenance altogether during the COVID19 pandemic.

Homeless men mingle outside the Biddle Housing Opportunities Center at Biddle and N. 13th St. on Monday, Feb. 22.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Homeless

Continued from A16

with underlying medical conditions which places them at an increased risk for severe illness Yet, with Missouri’s phased approach to vaccinating citizens, the state is currently vaccinating Phase 1A, Phase 1B –Tier 1 and Phase 1B – Tier 2. This population includes high-risk individuals and those age 65 and up. Most in the Phase 1B – Tier 2 category have a primary care physician affiliated with a health care system. It’s a luxury not enjoyed by the unhoused.

The category that serves the homeless (Phase 2) has not been initiated. And even when it is, getting word out to the unhoused community will be challenging. Experts fear it will be even more difficult getting them to come back for the required second dose vaccination.

To meet the challenges,

the CDC recommends strengthening partnerships across health departments with clinics, street outreach teams and organizations that have trusted relationships with the homeless population.

Dr. Kendra Holmes, senior vice president and COO for Affinia Healthcare, believes that Phase 2, which includes “disproportionately affected populations,” such as the homeless and incarcerated individuals, is far down the line. So, Affinia, she said, is working to get unhoused individuals into the current phase of vaccinations.

“First of all, we already have the homeless as our patients, so we have the data to look up their chronic illnesses,” Holmes said. “So, we can place them in Phase IB because they have cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV or cancers. That’s how we’re getting them ahead of Phase 2.”

When Phase 2 starts, Holmes said Affinia will already be set up to serve the need. Not only do they have the data from homeless

“Taking Care of You”

individuals that they have tested for the virus, they also have coordinators who will go out on the streets and contact those individuals for vaccinations and to ensure they come back for second does.

The CDC also encouraged vaccination implementation strategies in areas frequented by unsheltered or homelessness people, such as “encampments or other known locations where people experiencing unsheltered homelessness spend time.”

Affinia has already opened another vaccination site at the Midtown Salvation Army in St. Louis. The move was intentional, Holmes said, because they can vaccinate the staff that serves the unhoused population and have more access to unhoused people they aren’t currently serving, such as transient individuals who come to the midtown center for substance abuse treatment.

Angela Clabon, Chief Executive Officer of CareSTL Health, said her organization, unlike Affinia, doesn’t have a federal grant that allows to

directly address the homeless population:

“What we do is open up our doors for all populations,” Clabon said. “We’re following the CDC’s guidelines so if the homeless falls into those guidelines we treat them, but we don’t track whether or not they’re homeless.”

Clabon added that CareSTL doesn’t do remote vaccinations. People seeking the vaccine must come to one of their two main locations delivering vaccinations. One is at 5171 Dr. MLK King, the other site is at 2425 Whittier in the Greater Ville area. She said her agency also collaborates with the community so that seniors-be they homeless or not-can get vaccinated:

“If you qualify for Phase 1B – Tier 2, you’re welcome to come into the locations. So, if any shelter wants to bring a group to our site, we put them all on the list at the same time, we do not discriminate.”

Dental

Continued from A16

Dental disturbances aren’t just impacting vulnerable populations like the elderly, millennials have also reported experiencing dental disruptions.

Forty-three percent of those surveyed indicated that working from home or attending virtual classes from home led to disruptions to their usual dental hygiene habits during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

“Clearly, the pandemic is causing a major disruption in Americans’ dental habits, which is leading to more serious tooth problems,” the association said.

Screening

Continued from A16

The Mayo Clinic lists risk factors for gestational diabetes is being overweight or obese; low physical activity; previous gestational diabetes or prediabetes; polycystic ovary syndrome; diabetes in an immediate family member; and previously delivering a baby weighing more than 9 pounds. Additionally, it says women who are Black, Hispanic, American Indian and Asian American have a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes. What can happen during

“Fortunately, it appears much of the public understands the importance of facing serious dental issues head-on. Even with the pandemic, 60 percent say experiencing tooth pain that won’t go away would lead them to make a dental appointment.”

The survey also asked about tooth loss versus procedures to save a bad tooth, with four out of five people stating that it’s better to go the root canal route versus extraction.

“If you’re suffering with a toothache that wakes you up out of a sound sleep at night, or because you’re eating hot or cold food, you need an endodontist,” said Dr. Alan H. Gluskin, president, American Association of Endodontists.

pregnancy is that certain hormones can block insulin, which is the hormone that helps the body use sugar to become energy. This can lead to high blood sugar and, in some cases, the development of gestational diabetes. The way health care providers screen for gestational diabetes includes drinking a sugary solution and having blood draws to measure how well the body processes sugar. Screening can be done during a regular prenatal visit. “Gestational diabetes can cause serious health problems for pregnant people and their babies,” stated Task Force member Dr. Chien-Wen Tseng, who is the Hawaii Medical Service Association endowed

“You should not delay treatment.”

The association says the public should know that it’s extremely safe to visit the endodontist or dentist in the era of COVID-19, with facilities practicing the utmost caution and disinfection protocol.

They add that people experiencing dental emergencies should call their local endodontic practice and not 911 to keep emergency rooms clear during the pandemic.

With February being National Children’s Dental Month, the American Dental Association says children are also being affected by the falling off of healthy oral hygiene.

The association created “Give Kids a Smile” to

chair in health services and quality research, a professor, and the research director in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine. “Fortunately, screening for gestational diabetes at or after 24 weeks is simple, safe, and effective, and can help to keep pregnant people and their babies healthy.”

The USPSTF says screening is important so that those found to have gestational diabetes can be treated through lifestyle changes or medicine. Treatment can reduce the risk of babies born with a high birth weight, C-sections, birth injuries, and admission to the

provide dental health services to children whose families cannot afford it.

Almost one in four children under the age of five already have cavities and 10 million children under the age of 18 receive no dental care, says National Today. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cavities are the most prevalent infectious disease in children in the U.S.

“More than 40% of infants and preschoolers are affected by the time they’re in kindergarten and about half of all children from lower-income families. Dental health is the most unmet health need among American children.”

intensive care unit. However, more research is needed on the benefits and harms of screening and treatment before 24 weeks of pregnancy. “Gestational diabetes is increasing as obesity, older age during pregnancy, and other risk factors become more common among pregnant people,” Task Force member Michael Cabana M.D. stated. “More research is needed on the accuracy and effectiveness of screening for gestational diabetes before 24 weeks and whether earlier screening could be beneficial for some pregnant people with risk factors.” Cabana is a professor of pediatrics and the chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College

Black

people’s share of COVID-19 vaccinations, cases and deaths are not proportional

KFF analysis reveals is who is getting the vaccine in the U.S. and who is most affected by COVID-19

By St. Louis American staff

With much discussion in Missouri and other areas about whether there is equitable and proportional distribution of COVID19 vaccines, eye-opening data released by the Kaiser Family Foundation on Feb. 16 lays it out, by state, by race, and by the percentage cases and deaths caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus responsible for COVID-19. It also shows the percentage of each state’s population.

This snapshot republished with permission of KFF shows Black populations per state.

Visit the interactive image at https://tinyurl.com/ypp3cx5n to see data for other races and ethnic groups.

of Medicine. He is also physician-in-chief at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore.

The Task Force states providers should use their clinical judgment to determine what is appropriate for individual patients, given their health needs.

The Task Force’s draft rec-

ommendation statement and draft evidence review have been posted for public comment on the Task Force website at www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org. Comments can be submitted from February 16, 2021, to March 15, 2021, at www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/tfcomment.htm

With February being National Children’s Dental Month, the American Dental Association says children are also being affected by the falling off of healthy oral hygiene.

NEWSPAPER

NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION

PRESENT:

Nutrition Challenge:

Nutrition Challenge:

Nutrition Challenge:

What Is ASize?Serving

Holiday E ating!

Holiday E ating!

Yummy Yogurt!

As most holidays this year have had to change, so do the December celebrations. Let’s review some ways to eat smart during these fun but challenging times.

As most holidays this year have had to change, so do the December celebrations. Let’s review some ways to eat smart during these fun but challenging times.

Warm Up & Cool Down

Follow The Leader!

Follow The Leader!

Winter Activities

reasons.

Conflict Resolution

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

> Eat a healthy snack before the big meal — this way you won’t be tempted to overdo it.

> Eat a healthy snack before the big meal — this way you won’t be tempted to overdo it.

Yogurt is a healthy food powerhouse. It is a great source of calcium, vitamins A and D, potassium and protein. Greek yogurt is usually the highest in protein.

> Remember to fill ½ of your plate with fruits/vegetables.

> Remember to fill ½ of your plate with fruits/vegetables.

Yogurt is also a great way to regulate your

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.

Now that the temperature has dropped, how can we stay active and fit this winter? Ask your parents where you can set up a work-out corner in your house for exercising (jumping jacks, stretching, dancing, etc.) Here’s an idea — why not stay active while watching TV? It’s easy to do! Instead of sitting and

Choose one leader from your group of family members. Everyone should line up behind the leader and follow him or her throughout the house, yard or playground. The leader will do a variety of actions using their arms and legs:

Choose one leader from your group of family members. Everyone should line up behind the leader and follow him or her throughout the house, yard or playground. The leader will do a variety of actions using their arms and legs:

> 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.

When you find yourself in a conflict (fight/disagreement) with someone, practice these 5 steps for conflict resolution.

NEVER, ever play with any kind of gun. Even if you think the gun isn’t loaded, or maybe it looks like a toy — it isn’t worth taking a chance. Immediately

NEVER, ever play with any kind of gun. Even if you think the gun isn’t loaded, or maybe it looks like a toy — it isn’t worth taking a chance. Immediately

> 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.

1. Identify the conflict. (Why aren’t we getting along?)

2. Agree to disagree. (Nobody has to be “wrong.”)

3. Listen to each other.

(Really listen to the other person’s side.)

Healthy Kids

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

digestive system. It contains “good” bacteria called probiotics that can help your stomach and intestines work better. If you’ve ever been constipated or had diarrhea, you know how uncomfortable it can be when your digestion isn’t working properly.

Kids

Kids

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

Healthcare Careers

> If you want to try a special treat, just keep it to a taste.

> If you want to try a special treat, just keep it to a taste.

How to “sneak” yogurt into your diet:

Weekly Newspaper in Education Program

> Be sure to drink plenty of water!

> Be sure to drink plenty of water!

> Substitute your usual sour cream with plain Greek yogurt.

> What are other ways to eat healthy during the holidays?

> What are other ways to eat healthy during the holidays?

> Use plain yogurt as a dip for celery or carrots.

— BONUS —

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.

> Mix vanilla yogurt, fruit and granola into a tasty breakfast parfait.

Learning Standards: HPE

Healthy eating helps your body fight off winter colds and other sickness.

— BONUS — Healthy eating helps your body fight off winter colds and other sickness.

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

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

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

watching your favorite TV show, you can stand and walk briskly in place. Raise your knees and swing your arms as you walk. You can easily get in 20-30 minutes every night just by remembering this easy fitness trick!

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

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

creating more difficult, interesting and fun activities along the way.

creating more difficult, interesting and fun activities along the way.

Kory L. May (aka Daucteor Maydai), MSW, LCSW, LSOE, LSOTP, TF-CBT

Kory L. May (aka Daucteor Maydai), MSW, LCSW, LSOE, LSOTP, TF-CBT

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

Where do you work? I am owner and lead therapist at Mayday Trauma Focus Clinical Network and Center.

jumping, skipping, clapping, etc.

jumping, skipping, clapping, etc.

Do what the leader does until they change to a new action. Take turns being the leader and

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

Do what the leader does until they change to a new action. Take turns being the leader and

4. Negotiate. (Discuss possible options.)

tell an adult if you find a gun. And remember that many kids are killed each year by a gun that they thought was unloaded.

tell an adult if you find a gun. And remember that many kids are killed each year by a gun that they thought was unloaded.

5. Compromise on a solution. (Each person can give a little.)

Learning Standards: HPE 5, NH 5

Learning Standards: HPE 5, NH 5

> 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.

Following the leader is a great way to stay active, increase your heart rate and burn calories throughout the day. Have fun!

Following the leader is a great way to stay active, increase your heart rate and burn calories throughout the day. Have fun!

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1

Chocolate Yogurt Dip

Cracker-wiches

Salsa-Guac

Salsa-Guac

Ingredients: 8 Saltine crackers

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

½ Cp Salsa

4 Tbsp Peanut butter

½ Cp Salsa

1 Cp Vanilla Greek yogurt

> What other ice hazards are there?

Look through the newspaper for a story where two people (or groups of people) are in a conflict. Write out how each of these steps could help the situation.

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

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 4

2 Ripe Avocados

I graduated from East St. Louis Senior High School. I then earned a Bachelor of Criminal Justice from Grambling State University, Louisiana, Master of Social Work from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, and I’m currently pursuing a Certification in Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counseling and a Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT). I am also trained in Domestic Violence and Treating Family Trauma.

Where did you go to school? I graduated from East St. Louis Senior High School. I then earned a Bachelor of Criminal Justice from Grambling State University, Louisiana, Master of Social Work from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, and I’m currently pursuing a Certification in Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counseling and a Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT). I am also trained in Domestic Violence and Treating Family Trauma.

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

What does Daucteor Maydai do? As Daucteor Maydai, I perform what is called psychotherapy Psychotherapy provides insight to problematic areas in our lives, and encourages us to find the words to express those difficult experiences in a healthy way.

What does Daucteor Maydai do? As Daucteor Maydai, I perform what is called psychotherapy Psychotherapy provides insight to problematic areas in our lives, and encourages us to find the words to express those difficult experiences in a healthy way.

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. 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? As a child growing up in East St. Louis, Illinois, I found it very useful to have mentors and others to talk to that would help me learn better ways to express my feelings when I hurt inside. I also did not know of many male therapists of color, and sometimes seeing someone that looks like you will help you feel more at ease when talking about difficult experiences.

Why did you choose this career? As a child growing up in East St. Louis, Illinois, I found it very useful to have mentors and others to talk to that would help me learn better ways to express my feelings when I hurt inside. I also did not know of many male therapists of color, and sometimes seeing someone that looks like you will help you feel more at ease when talking about difficult experiences.

3 Tbsp Unsweet cocoa powder

1 Tbsp Honey

2 Large Strawberries

2 Ripe Avocados

Chopped Cilantro

Chopped Cilantro

1 Tbsp Lime juice

3 Tbsp Dark chocolate chips Fruit or graham crackers

1 Tbsp Honey (optional)

1 Tbsp Lime juice

Salt, to taste

Salt, to taste

Directions: Combine yogurt, cocoa and honey until smooth. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and use as a dip for graham crackers or fruit slices.

Directions: Smash the avocados and combine with the salsa, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Use as a dip for baked tortilla chips.

Directions: Smash the avocados and combine with the salsa, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Use as a dip for baked tortilla chips.

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.

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

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

What is your favorite part of the job you have? I enjoy helping people realize their full potential as a human being and discover their phenomenal gifts. I believe that everyone has a light that shines within them and some experiences can dull that light. Maydai is designed to help people discover their shine. Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

What is your favorite part of the job you have? I enjoy helping people realize their full potential as a human being and discover their phenomenal gifts. I believe that everyone has a light that shines within them and some experiences can dull that light. Maydai is designed to help people discover their shine. Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

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

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

Deborah Edwards, School Nurse

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.

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

Teacher Nikki helps Mahagani Binion and Joel Jones learn about the gravitational pull of objects.

The Science of Problem Solving: The Scientific Method

If you have ever tried to find a solution to a problem, you have used science. The first step is to identify the problem. In the experiment section on this page, the “problem” is that you are trying to keep an ice cube from melting. The second step is that you will form a theory. This is what you believe will fix the problem. It is also called a hypothesis. The third step is to test the hypothesis. Is your solution or design effective? What needs to be changed? The fourth step is to collect the data. This means you will write your observations or take measurements. Step five is to analyze

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

Background Information:

the data. How will the information help you tweak your design to make it more effective? Finally, step six is to draw conclusions. The conclusion will either be “yes” the hypothesis was correct, or “no” the hypothesis was incorrect. If the hypothesis was incorrect, you will use your data to change your original hypothesis and repeat the six steps. Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text for main idea and supporting details.

Build a Cube Keeper!

In this experiment, you will design a container to keep an ice cube from melting quickly.

Materials Needed:

• Cardboard (less that one cubic foot)

• Waxed Paper • Masking Tape

• Newspaper • Aluminum Foil

• Rubber Bands • Ice Cubes

Process:

q Using these materials, make a container to see how long you can keep an ice cube from melting. Find out what works best to keep the heat away from the ice cube. For example, should you wrap the box in aluminum foil? Should you use the aluminum foil to line the inside of the box?

Use your math skills to solve these school-themed word problems.

z The cafeteria sold 3 more turkey sandwiches than ham sandwiches. They sold 11 sandwiches in all. How many ham sandwiches did the cafeteria sell?

x Maria has 15 pens. All of the pens are either blue or black, and there are 5 more blue pens than black pens. How many black pens does Maria have?

DID YOU KNOW?

Work with a group to design your cube keeper. w Put an ice cube in the cube keeper. Take another ice cube and leave it out of the cube keeper. It will be your control. In 45 minutes, check both ice cubes. If at the end of 45 minutes, the control ice cube is the same size as the ice cube in your cube keeper, the container didn’t do much to keep the ice cube from melting. Analyze: Compare your results with other groups in your class. Which techniques were most effective? Why?

Learning Standards: I can follow sequential directions to complete an experiment. I can apply the scientific method of problem solving and analyze results and draw conclusions.

c In Kirk’s music class there are 2 more boys than girls. There are 8 students in all. How many girls are there in Kirk’s class? ______ v Jackie and Kendall are part of their school’s relay race team. Each member of the team has to run for a half mile of a 3-mile race. How many members are on the race team? ______

b David bought a 3-ring binder for $4.49, a package of pencils for $1.19, and two packages of paper. What information is needed to find the total amount David spent before tax?

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

SCIENCE STARS

African-American Inventions in the Classrooom

As you return to the classroom once again, many items around the room were invented by African-Americans. In this section, you will learn about a few of them.

Masking Tape and Clear Tape — Richard G. Drew received a patent for masking tape in 1923. Originally, this tape was used for painters and only had adhesives on the end, and not in the middle. Recognizing that tape could be used for many different purposes, Drew later made a clear tape with adhesive the entire length. It was called Scotch tape and was invented in 1930.

Pencil Sharpener — JL Love received a patent for a pencil sharpener on November 23, 1897. This design was a handheld sharpener that worked by placing the pencil into the opening of the sharpener and rotating by hand. The sharpener held the shavings. Many artists used this invention. This design is still being used today and can be found in many school desks.

Pen — W.B. Purvis invented the fountain pen which allowed people to write without having to carry a bottle of ink. He said, “The object of my invention is to provide a simple, durable and inexpensive construction of a fountain pen which may be carried in the pocket.” He received his patent in January of 1890.

Folding Chair — The folding chair was invented by Nathaniel Alexander to be used in large gathering places, like church and school. Folding chairs are often used to add extra seating for musical programs, assemblies, meetings, etc. When the chairs are folded closed, they can be stored without taking up a lot of space.

Discuss: What are your favorite inventions in your classroom? Why? If you could invent something for your classroom, what would it be? How would it improve school?

Extension: Did you iron your clothes for school? Did you know that African-American Sarah Boone invented a design for an ironing board? Maybe you placed your breakfast dishes in a dishwasher. You can thank Dennis Weahterby for inventing dishwasher detergent! How many mailboxes did you pass on the way to school? The mailbox was invented by Philip B. Downing so that people would not have to travel so far to the post office to send mail.

Learning Standards: text about African-American inventors.

MAP CORNER

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

Activity One — 20 minutes reading the St. Louis American silently. At the end of the time, each student must state a fact they learned, express an opinion about an advertisement, and state a price for an item he/she would like to buy.

Activity Two — Have a race through the newspaper to find as many geographical words as you can like hill, river, lake, plateau, etc. Find examples of as many of them as you can on a state map.

Learning Standards:

I can use a newspaper to locate information. I can identify the difference between fact and opinion. I can locate geographical terms in print and on a map.

Celebrating Black History

The history of servant leadership by Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity

Eta Boule is the local chapter

Special to the American

Founded on May 15, 1904, in Philadelphia, PA., Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, also known as the Boule, is the oldest Black Greek -lettered fraternity. Having always been non-collegiate, it was designed for professionals at mid-career or older. When Sigma Pi Phi was founded, Black professionals were not permitted in professional and cultural associations organized by the white community. The Founders, (Henry M. Minton, Ph.G.; Eugene T. Hinson, MD; Robert J. Abele, MD; Algemon B. Jackson, MD; Edwin C.J.T. Howard, MD and Richard J. Warrick, DDS) envisioned a Society to be organized for the purpose of “binding men of like qualities into a close sacred fraternal union that they may know the best of one another and that each in this life may to his full ability aid the other and by concerted action bring about those things that seem best for all, that cannot be accomplished by individual effort.”

In its early years, Sigma Pi Phi could be viewed as a secret organization that consciously avoided publicity. It was not until 1982, that the fraternity adopted a policy of limited and selected publicity. No longer a “secret”, today it can be described as a fraternity that exist with little fanfare and one that actively seeks to improve the lives of the African American community, with a focus on males, through its social and public policy programs.

The St Louis Member Boule (Eta) was founded December 1, 1912 by charter members: George Anderson, D.D.S., Lake Forest, Dentist; John M. Benson, M.D., Howard University, physician; William P. Curtis, M.D., Howard University, physician; Clifford H. Evans B.S., M.E, Purdue University, teacher; Marcus J. Gilliam, A.B., Cornell University, school principal; Edward De Paas, Hamilton’ A.B.; Johnson C. Smith; A.B., S.B., Harvard, A.M. Northwestern University, teacher; Willian

Members of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Eta Boule donated $100,000 to the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis for food and toiletries distribution in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

H. Huffman, A.B., Dennison, teacher; Arthur D. Langston, A.B. Oberlin, teacher; Harry L. Phillips, B.S., E.E., University of Pennsylvania, teacher; Samuel P. Stafford, M.D., University of Pennsylvania, physician; Charles H. Turner, B.S., M.S. University of Cincinnati, Ph.D., University of Chicago, teacher; James Usher, A.B., Howard University, school principal; and

Thomas A. Curtis, D.D.S., Meharry Medical College, who was so ill that his initiation was postponed and was performed later by Eta Boule. Initially, Eta brought together men in the fields of education and medicine. Since that time, it has inducted into the fraternity men from all professional fields.

Over the many decades and forward to the

Special to the American

In her early years, Alethia Browning Tanner sold vegetables in a produce stall near President’s Square – now known as Lafayette Square – in Northwest Washington, D.C.

According to the D.C. Genealogy Research, Resources, and Records, Tanner bought her freedom in 1810 and later purchased several relatives’ release.

She was the first woman on the Roll of Members of the Union Bethel AME Church (now Metropolitan AME Church on M Street), and Turner owned land and a store at 14th and H Streets, which she left to her nephews – one of whom later sold the property for $100,000.

Named in her honor, the Alethia Tanner Park is located at 227 Harry Thomas Way in Washington, D.C.

The park sits near the corner of Harry Thomas Way and Q Street and is accessible by foot or bike via the Metropolitan Branch Trail, just north of the Florida Avenue entrances.

“The first Council legislative meeting of Black History Month, the Council took a second and final vote on naming the new park for Alethia Tanner, an amazing woman who is more than worthy of this long-delayed recognition,” Ward 5 Councilman Kenyan McDuffie said in 2020 ahead

of the park’s naming ceremony.

“[Her upbringing] itself would be a remarkable legacy, but Ms. Tanner was also active in founding and supporting many educational,

Alethia Tanner sold vegetables and produce to purchase freedom for herself and more than 20 relatives and neighbors.

present, Eta Boule has followed national protocol in providing mentoring services to elementary and middle schools both public and charter, created a male’s scholar program at Harris-Stowe State University, provided grant funding for the Father and Families Support Center; and to the

religious, and civic institutions,” McDuffie remarked.

“She contributed funds to start the first school for free Black children in Washington, the Bell School. Feeling unwelcome at her predominately segregated church, she and other church members founded the Israel Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. When the church fell on hard times and was sold at auction by creditors, she and her family stepped in and repurchased the church.”

Born in 1781 on a plantation owned by Tobias and Mary Belt in Prince George’s County, Mary-

By Julius K. Hunter For

See Eta Boule, B2

Photos provided by Sigma Pi Phi, Eta Boule

Guest Columnist Julius K. Hunter

Hero

Continued from B1

1978 at age 102, remembered that her Grandpa Ned was a “light-skinned, spittin’ image of Colonel Sanders, never did a hard day’s work in his life, and had high class tastes.”

We can see that resemblance to KFC’s Col. Harland Sanders in a portrait we have of Ned’s son, Wes. My grandma remembered brushing Old Ned’s silky white, shoulder-length hair when she was a little girl. She’d brush till he dozed. He may have weighed 300 pounds, she remembered.

And he was infinitely more adept at putting folks to work than doing any work himself. After Emancipation in 1865, Ned and his family made their way to the Mississippi Delta. Ned and other enterprising Black freedmen founded an isolated all-Black town they called Honey Island. The “hamlet” was nestled between Yazoo City and Belzoni.

More specifically, Ned’s family built their homes between the Yazoo River and Tchula Lake – offshoots of the Mississippi River. In fact, the little church Old Ned co-founded was Baptism-friendly – right on the banks of Tchula Lake.

Records confirm that Ned Rounds was able to buy 340

land, Tanner had two sisters, Sophia Bell and Laurena Cook, historians noted.

“Upon the death of Mary Pratt (Tobias had predeceased his wife) in 1795, the plantation, known as Chelsea Plantation, was inherited by their daughter Rachel Belt Pratt,”

historians wrote.

“Mary Belt’s will stipulated that Laurena be sent to live with a sibling of Rachel Pratt’s while Sophia and Alethia were to stay at the Chelsea Plantation.” Tanner sold vegetables at the well-known market just north of the White House in Presidents Park. It is possible – and probable – she met Thomas Jefferson there as he was known to frequent the vegetable markets there along with other prominent early Washingtonians, ac-

cording to historians at attacksadams.com.

“There are also White House records suggesting she worked for Thomas Jefferson in some capacity, likely doing various housework tasks,” the researchers determined.

Reportedly, Tanner saved enough money to purchase her freedom in 1810. “The total amount, thought to have been paid in installments, was $1,400. In 1810, $1,400 was a significant amount; about

that gentleman farmer Ned Rounds always wore a suit and tie, and at every meal insisted on a cloth tablecloth and napkins, modestly impressive flatware, and real glassware. And Old Ned – like his sons –always carried a rolled up sheaf of paper to show at first glance that he was literate.

n To show his classiness, Grandma Hattie remembered that gentleman farmer Ned Rounds always wore a suit and tie, and at every meal insisted on a cloth tablecloth and napkins, modestly impressive flatware, and real glassware.

acres of rich Mississippi bottomland.

How did a Black man purchase such a handsome chunk of property in Mississippi nearly 150 years ago? Grandma Hattie told me he had the help of “a white friend.”

I’ve come to the conclusion the purchase was courtesy of either Ned’s “Daddy” … or a “brother from another mother.”

To show his classiness, Grandma Hattie remembered

the equivalent of three years’ earnings for an average skilled tradesperson,” attucksadams. com researchers surmised.

“Self-emancipation was not an option for all enslaved peoples, but both Alethia and her sister Sophia were able to accomplish this, almost entirely through selling vegetables at the market,” the researchers continued.

“Alethia Tanner moved to D.C. and became one of a significant and growing number

Honey Island eventually got its own cotton gin, and in 1907

my great-uncle, George Byrd Jr., became the town’s first U.S. Postmaster. (It probably helped that George married one of Ned’s granddaughters.)

Ned became the town’s first banker when he realized that newly-freed slaves did not know how to handle money. He’d securely keep their money for them – for a small fee. And depositors could get

of free Black people in the District. In 1800, 793 free Black people were living in D.C.

“By 1810, there were 2,549, and by 1860, 11,131 free Black people lived in D.C., more than the number of enslaved peoples.”

Historians wrote that beginning at about 15 years after securing her manumission, Alethia Tanner worked to purchase the freedom of more than 20 of her relatives and neighbors, mostly the family of her

their money back only if they had a goldarned good reason for a withdrawal.

And Ned hired workers on his farm at modest wages or in exchange for produce. By 1880, the U.S. Agriculture Survey showed that just to feed his large family, Ned’s self-sufficient farm featured, among other assets: eight milk cows that also produced 50 pounds of butter; six horses; six hogs; 20 chickens laid 50-dozen eggs; 300 bushels of corn were harvested, and his hand-picked workers picked 20 bales (9,600 pounds) of cotton. My great-great grandpappy was able to overcome some usually insurmountable odds. But he could not beat Old Man River after a dozen major, annual floods.

The two floods of nearly Biblical-proportions in 1927 and 1937 totally wiped out the Rounds farm and sent my family fleeing to higher ground in St. Louis, Memphis, Chicago and Detroit. For his true grit, exemplary ingenuity, and cool classiness, you can see why my list of African American heroes is topped by my very own ancestor – great-great granddaddy, Ned Rounds.

older sister Laurena, including Laurena herself, her children, and her grandchildren. All in all, Tanner would have paid the Pratt family well over $5,000. All accomplished with proceeds from her own vegetable market business, they concluded.

“Alethia Tanner, it’s an amazing story of resilience, hard work, and perseverance,” D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation Director Delano Hunter said at the park’s dedication.

“I just learned about this history through this, so it shows how when you name a park, you really educate people on the historical significance.”

Eta Boule

Continued from B1

Urban League COVID-19 relief Food Distribution; and administered thousands of dollars in educational scholarships. These initiatives have been spearheaded by current and former Sire Archons: Darryl Jones, Richard White, Johnny Furr, Eric Rhone, Harry Ratliff, and those who are no longer with us; James Buford, Wayman Smith, Charles Shaw, and Larry Deskins.

“As we move forward in these times of political and social uncertainty, Eta Boule will remain committed to improving the lives of enterprising black males and support to the African American community”, said Sire Archon (President) Darryl Jones of Eta Boule.

To meet the today’s challenges, Eta Boule established the Eta Boule Foundation in 2016 to serve and strengthen the African American community, particularly young black males. The decision was made to focus its efforts on inspiring and supporting young African American achievers. The Foundation support focuses on education, scholarship, mentoring and leadership development. The Board of Directors of the Foundation are committed to providing resources to build a generation of African American male citizens prepared to face the responsibilities and challenges of leadership in the twenty-first century. Through the various programs and organizations, Eta Boule support the Foundation’s goal in helping to prepare the young to lead and succeed.

The Eta Boule Foundation, Inc. is a 501© (3) nonprofit organization.

Continued from B1

Wes and Mary Rounds

Black history facts for February 22-28

February 22

1888 — Painter Horace Pippin was born. He was a self-taught artist who painted a range of themes, including scenes inspired by his service in World War I, landscapes, portraits, and biblical subjects.

1911 — Activist and social reformer Frances Ellis Watkins Harper died. She was the first African American woman to publish a short story, and also an influential abolitionist, suffragist and reformer who co-founded the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs.

1938 —Ishmael Reed was born. He is a poet, novelist, essayist, songwriter, playwright, editor and publisher known for his satirical works challenging American political culture.

1950 — Basketball player

Julius “Dr J” Erving was born. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential basketball players of all time.

1979 — Frank E. Peterson Jr. was named the first Black general in the U.S. Marine Corps.

1989 — DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince won the first rap Grammy for their single “Parents Just Don’t Understand.”

February 23

1925 — Louis Stokes, former mayor of Detroit, Michigan, and member of the US House of Representatives, was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Stokes was the first African American elected to the House from Ohio.

1929 — Baseball catcher Elston Gene Howard was born in St. Louis. In 1965, Howard signed a $70,000 contract with the N.Y. Yankees and became the highest paid player in the

history of baseball at the time.

1965 — Constance Baker Motley was velected Manhattan Borough president, the highest elective office held by a Black woman in a major American city.

February 24

1864 — Rebecca Lee Crumpler becomes the first black woman to receive an M.D. degree. She graduated from the New England Female Medical College.

2020 — Katherine G. Johnson, the NASA mathematician who played a key role in helping America win the space race and whose story was featured in the 2016 film Hidden Figures, died. She was 101 years old.

February 25

1870 — Hiram R. Revels of Mississippi was sworn in as first Black U.S. Senator and first Black Representative in Congress.

Elston Howard was a catcher, leftfielder and first baseman. He was born in St. Louis on Feb. 23, 1929.

1948 — Martin Luther King was ordained as a Baptist minister.

February 26

1926 — Carter G. Woodson started Negro History Week. This week would later become Black History Month.

February 27

1869 — John W. Menard spoke in Congress in defense of his claim to a contested seat in Louisiana’s Second Congressional District. Congress decided against both claimants. Congressman James A. Garfield (who went on to become the 20th President of the United States) of the examining committee said, “it was too early to admit a Negro to the U.S. Congress.” Menard was the first Black person to make a speech in Congress.

1988 — Figure skater Debi Thomas becomes the first African American to win a medal (bronze) at the winter Olympic Games.

February 28

1859 — The Arkansas legislature required free Black people to choose between exile and enslavement.

1932 — Richard Spikes invented/patented the automatic gear shift. His other inventions include beer tap, automobile directional signals and other motor vehicles and a safety braking system for trucks and buses.

Sources: Black Enterprise, Wikipedia

“The ultimate goal of KWAME is to exceed the expectations of the Owner/Client while embracing diversity every step of the way.”

Back row: Jeff Krus, Bill Smothers and Martel Hulsey. Front row: Katina Shannon-Crawford, Ashley Cooksey, Jasminn Jones and Vama Garrimella

The 1956 Sumner Bulldogs: PHL Trailblazers

By Earl Austin Jr.

Of the St. Louis American

In 1955, federal integration mandates enabled all-black schools such as Sumner, Vashon and Washington Tech to join the Public High League and participate in athletics. Before integration, the all-black schools played in the Ill-MO Conference, which was made up of all-black schools in St. Louis, metro east Illinois and Southern Illinois.

With the new additions to the PHL, everyone was anxious to see how these top black teams could match up with those traditional PHL powers such as Beaumont and Cleveland. The answer came pretty quickly as the 1956 Sumner Bulldogs won the PHL championship in their first year of competing in the league.

Led by legendary coach Jim Price, the Bulldogs won the league title and went undefeated in PHL competition. It was a huge statement made by Sumner, which signified a new era in PHL athletics. The Bulldogs finished with a 20-3 record, with two victories coming against Beaumont, which won the state championship that season. Sumner also won the PHL Christmas Tournament with a 55-51 victory over Beaumont.

guys for winning the PHL.”

The Bulldogs were sparked by the wonderful exploits of 6’3” senior guard Tommy “Bird” Weathersby, who was one of the top players in the state. Weathersby averaged 20 points a game and dazzled fans with his feats of athleticism.

Providing the inside muscle was 6’5” Al Abram, a powerful post player who would later become the first African-American athlete to receive a scholarship at the University of Missouri.

Rounding out the starting five were James Clark, Claude Blackmore and Joe Rycraw.

The leader of the program in the new era was Price, who started the process of building Summer High into a statewide power in Missouri. The Bulldogs featured many talented athletes, but they played with great control and poise.

“We didn’t have the fancy dribbling and the slam dunks,” said Price in a 1985 interview with Kevin Boone of the St. Louis American. “Our kids were just sound, fundamental players who played with a lot of intensity and pride.”

The 1956 Sumner Bulldogs also paved the way for those future Sumner players and teams that made the program a force in the PHL and in the state.

Centene Corporation presents

BLACK HISTORY

How Their Life Changed Yours

“At the time, people didn’t think the black teams could come into the PHL and compete with the Clevelands and Beaumonts,” said former Sumner High standout Marvin Neals. “Sumner came in right away and showed that they could compete at a high level and win.”

Said 1949 Sumner graduate Ron Burrell, “The ’56 team was one of Sumner’s all-time great teams. We never got a chance to play against the white schools, so we were very proud of those

“I idolized all of those guys,” Neals said. “I was in eighth grade when Sumner won the PHL. I could not wait until I got to Sumner because I wanted to be like all of them.”

“They were awesome,” said Bennie Moore, a starting point guard on Sumner’s 1966 team that won a share of the PHL title 10 years after the 1956 team won. “I was young, but I still remember them holding that PHL trophy. When you’re young and sitting in the stands, you were really excited. They were an inspiration to all of us.”

John

B. Johnson Jr.

His Life

John B. Johnson Jr. was born the eldest of three sons in Bessemer, Alabama, April 29, 1908. Johnson attended high school at Tuskegee Institute, Alabama. He earned his BA from Oberlin College in Ohio graduating

in 1931, and lettered in track while he was there. Immediately following graduation, John B. Johnson Jr. enrolled in medical school at Western Reserve University in Cleveland and earned his MD by 1935. He finished his internship at Cleveland City Hospital.

Johnson took a position as a laboratory assistant in the physiology department at Howard University in 1936. In 1937, John B. Johnson Jr. joined the Department of Medicine as an assistant, then became an instructor in 1938. He spent the rest of his career at Howard University.

How His Life Changed Yours

As an educator, Johnson taught multiple generations of future doctors. John B. Johnson Jr.’s work in cardiology had an impact that is still felt to this day. He advanced the study of hypertension (high blood pressure) and how it affects African Americans disproportionately. He was the pioneer of the cardiac catheterization technique where a small tube is inserted into the heart intravenously through a vein in the arm. This method enabled him, and future doctors, to see inside the heart and its arteries in order to diagnose and treat heart issues in their patients.

Earl Austin Jr.

MYSUMNERHIGHYEARBOOKS.ORG

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A Black history reflection: Photographer Gordon Parks at 90

By Lester Sloan Nieman Reports

Gordon Parks, who was photographer, musician, writer and film director, died on March 7, 2006. This article originally appeared on June 13, 2003 in the Nieman Reports. In the early afternoon of November 30th of last year, 90 African American photographers and editors gathered on the steps of a brownstone apartment near Adam Clayton Powell and 125th Street in Harlem. It was the 90th birthday of Gordon Parks, and they had come from across the country to be photographed with the man who had influenced their lives. Parks arrived in a limo with his daughter Toni and Adger Cowans, a man who was like a son to Parks. After several exposures, the session ended. Later that evening, several hundred people gathered at a Manhattan hotel for the birthday celebration.

n “He’s more than a hero; he’s a lamplighter, and everyone is illuminated by that. Gordon is our lamplighter, and I love him for that.”

— John White

Throughout the evening, Parks greeted and received the strangers and the familiar. There were speeches, toasts and the birthday cake. Throughout it all, Parks sat with a bemused expression on his face.

Gordon Parks was a prophecy long before he was a person. Prior to his conception,

it is said that a gypsy woman told his mother that her 15th and last child would be known throughout the world, bringing honor and acclaim to the family. All this from a boy born in Fort Scott, Kansas, where most people, Black or white, felt dwarfed by the prairies.

Such a prediction was surely not a safe bet for a Black man born shortly after Reconstruction, in a country where lynchings were as common as thunderstorms. That he was declared legally dead at birth tended to make the prediction all the more amazing.

The trauma of birth brought to the world a child that neither moved nor cried. Failing to respond, he was wrapped in a blanket and placed in a basket at the side of the bed while the midwife attended to the mother. A doctor asked that some ice be placed in a pan of water.

The child’s lifeless form was immersed in the pan.

“I started yelling, and I haven’t stopped,” Parks likes to say when retelling the story.

Gordon Parks’ mother died when he was 15, and he was sent to live with an older sister in St. Paul, Minnesota. Shortly after his arrival, a family dis-

pute set him adrift, homeless in a world where hunger, poverty and racism stalked him. Armed with the weapons given to him by his parents, who placed “love, hard work, and dignity over hatred,” he set out to live out the gypsy’s prophecy.

In Minnesota he worked at an assortment of jobs: janitor, musician, semi-professional basketball player, and railway porter. Working on the railroad, Parks came in contact with newspapers and magazines left behind by passengers. Thumbing through the magazines, he discovered the pictures of Depression-era photographers working for the Farm Security Administration, documenting the dust-bowl caravans traveling from Oklahoma to California.

“These stark images of these men, women and children, caught in their confusion and poverty, saddened me,” said Parks. “I took them home and kept looking at these photographs for months.”

It was on a trip to Seattle that he bought a Voightlander Brilliant camera from Abe Cohen’s pawnshop for $7.50.

“I liked the name,” he remembered.

“I hurriedly pulled the

money from my pocket – without bothering to inspect the camera.” It would be a serendipitous introduction to what he would later call his “choice of weapons.”

The first roll of film Parks had developed earned praise from the proprietor of a Kodak camera store in Minnesota, who offered to give him an exhibition if the promise he saw in his first roll of film continued. It would be his first of many. “I’m often asked why I didn’t allow anger and bigotry to maim me,” says Parks. “The answer lies in the goodness of people who, regardless of their color, have reached out to me when I needed help. Without them, the most inconsequential hills would have been impossible to climb.”

Gordon Parks inspired a generation of photographers, Black and white, by both his work and his example. And unlike so many great European photo-journalists who were adopted Americans and who saw this country through a European prism, Parks was from the soil that he tilled and, as a Black man, he lived both the American dream and the nightmare.

“I would say perhaps his greatest contribution to photojournalism was his recognition, in depth, of the underdog – Harlem gang leader, Flavio, Malcolm,” said former Life magazine editor, John G. Morris.

“Gordon is more than a photographer,” said Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer John White of the Chicago Sun-Times. “He’s more than a hero; he’s a lamplighter, and everyone is illuminated by that. Gordon is our lamplighter, and I love him for that.” Parks’ images mirror a truth that at times is painful, reflecting both the country’s promise and its failure. But he believes in the redemptive powers of truth and beauty. Both his life and work celebrate the capacity of human beings to rise above adversity and reach for the sublime.

Lester Sloan, a 1976 Nieman Fellow, has been a journalist for more than 30 years, working in print, television and radio. He has worked as a cameraman/reporter for the CBS affiliate in Detroit, a staff photographer for Newsweek in Los Angeles, an at large contributing editor for Emerge magazine, and a contributor to National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition.

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Gordon Parks

Dr. Ralph Bunche: A hero of U.S. diplomacy

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Dr. Ralph J. Bunche earned the moniker “a hero of U.S. Diplomacy,” in part for efforts that led to his becoming the first African American to win the Noble Peace Prize.

The scientist and diplomat earned the award for his role as United Nations Mediator in the 1949 peace settlement between Palestinians, Arabs, and Jews.

“The objective of any who sincerely believe in peace clearly must be to exhaust every honorable recourse in the effort to save the peace,” Dr. Bunche said after winning the prestigious honor on Dec. 10, 1950.

Born Aug. 7, 1904, in Detroit, Dr. Bunche’s father worked as a barber while his mother was a musician. Dr. Bunche spent parts of his childhood in New Mexico and in Los Angeles.

His Aunt, Lucy Taylor Johnson, raised him.

With parents of different races, Bunche credited his grandmother with teaching him how to respond and deal with racism.

“I recall most vividly high school graduation exercises. After the exercises were completed, the principal of the school came up to me, thinking to be kind,” Bunche remarked in a 1955 address to the NAACP.

“He congratulated me on my graduation. Then he said to me in a most friendly way: ‘We’re sorry to lose you, Ralph. You know we have never thought of you as a Negro here.’ This struck me immediately, but I, at that time, did not know just what to reply,” Bunche continued.

“I would today, but one of the reasons I would know what

to reply today was because I was reared by a grandmother who always knew what to reply in such situations. She happened to be standing beside me when Mr. Fulton, the principal, said this to me.

“She gave Mr. Fulton an education in racial pride and pride of origin, which I am sure he never forgot. She did it in the most polite but in a very firm and pointed way, and when it was over, we both got a very profound apology from him.”

A valedictorian at UCLA in 1927, Bunche earned a master’s in political science in 1928 and a Ph.D. in government and international relations in 1934 from Harvard University. He founded and taught

classes in the Political Science Department at Howard University in Northwest, Washington, D.C.

Bunche became the first African American Desk Officer at the State Department during World War II.

He helped form the United Nations in 1945 and, in 1948, he mediated the hostile ArabIsraeli conflict that led to his Nobel Prize. Later, Dr. Bunche served as Undersecretary-General for Special Political Affairs at the United Nations.

After winning the Nobel Prize, Bunche remained active stateside in the fight for civil rights.

He also reflected on the plight of Black people in

America.

“Like every Negro in America, I’ve suffered many disillusioning experiences. Inevitably, I’ve become allergic to prejudice,” Bunche said in 1950.

“On the other hand, from my earliest years, I was taught the virtue of tolerance; militancy in fighting for rights – but not bitterness. And as a social scientist, I’ve always cultivated a coolness of temper, an attitude of objectivity when dealing with human sensitivities and irrationalities…”

President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded Bunche the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963. Ralph Bunche died in 1971 at age 68.

Photo courtesy of ucla.edu

Dr. Ralph J. Bunche (far right) greets Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.

Be a Tourist in Your Own Town

A Walk Through History in St. Louis

By Jennifer Poindexter, Explore St. Louis

There are many historic sites to visit around St. Louis to help tell the stories of the past, both the struggles and achievements that got us here today. This month as you celebrate Black History Month, find ways to honor the rich culture and great achievements of African Americans in the Gateway City. Take a walk through history at these sites, events and attractions perfect for you and your family:

• The St. Louis Walk of Fame is located along The Delmar Loop and honors notable people from St. Louis who made contributions to the culture of the United States. Visit the stars of notable African American figures such as Maya Angelou, Tina Turner, Chuck Berry, and Cool Papa Bell. All of the inductees were either born in the Greater St. Louis area or spent their formative or creative years here. It was designated as “One of the 10 Great Streets in America” by the American Planning Association.

• Head to the National Blues Museum located on Washington Ave between 6th and 7th streets and celebrate the genre as the foundation of all modern American music. Walk around and discover an entertaining environment that includes high impact technology driven experiences, a state-of-the-art theater, and artifact-driven exhibits.

• Check out the St. Louis County Public Library’s website for the 2021 Black History Celebration Enriching

Culture with Hope and Healing, including a variety of online educational and inspirational events throughout February. All events will be held virtually via Zoom or on the Library’s Facebook page

• Scott Joplin was a famous pianist and

composer who achieved fame for his ragtime compositions. He is known widely as the “King of Ragtime.” You can visit the house Joplin and his wife, Belle, lived in for some time. The Scott Joplin House State Historic Site plays some of his famous melodies as you walk through the modest

flat on Delmar Boulevard. It is furnished and lit by gaslight as if it were 1902 when Joplin spent time there composing some of his famous songs.

• Take a stroll through the George Washington Carver Garden at the Missouri Botanical Garden. The

The Together Credit Union team honors those who paved the way for the African American community and impacted all of society with their achievements. We recognize the power of individuals as limitless, and the strength of a collective as formidable.

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inspirational garden honors the life and accomplishments of the famous scientist who greatly influenced 19th and 20th-century agriculture and education. The focal point of the garden is a lifesize bronze statue of Carver sculpted by Tina Allen. The garden is one and a half acres and features inspirational inscriptions from Carver’s writings and speeches, a reflecting pool and is landscaped with viburnums, hydrangeas, and holly trees to give it an intimate feel.

• Check out the Missouri History Museum for Black history programming throughout the month. Their newest addition of “See STL Walking Tours” includes a walking tour of “The Ville” which is home to several Grammy Award winners, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, Kennedy Center honorees, one of the first Black woman millionaires, three Grand Slam titleholders, the founder of the first Black collegiate sorority, and a chemist who worked on the atomic bomb.

• Take a walk through art at Black Nonpareil at the Angad Arts Hotel. The exhibit consists of a total of 29 pieces of artwork from 18 local Black artists. 10% of all sales from the Black Nonpareil exhibit will be donated to the All Black Creatives Foundation, which provides free classes, networking opportunities and job referrals to emerging Black leaders in creative and tech fields.

There is so much rich history in our great city. Take some time this month to explore these attractions, embrace the culture of the city, and honor the lives and accomplishments of St. Louis’s most notable African American figures. Before you go, be sure to check the websites of all attractions to ensure availability and safety protocols due to COVID-19.

Black History Around the Greenways

Visit important black history sites and places that honor African Americans who fought racist policies and worked to improve their communities

DEER CREEK GREENWAY: LORRAINE DAVIS PARK Honors North Webster Groves community leader & educator

GRAVOIS GREENWAY: FATHER DICKSON CEMETERY

One of the first cemeteries for African Americans in St. Louis

ST. VINCENT GREENWAY: RUTH PORTER MALL

The National Blues Museum

Jennifer Poindexter

Celebrating black history

You have a history. A story. You bring life experiences that shape who you are and make you better.

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

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

SpireEnergy.com

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Amber Pickens is celebrating Black History Month in a big way.

The dancer, actress, and singer has added author to her long list of titles with the release of “Blooming in Motion,” a coloring book that celebrates Black history in the performing arts through dance.

Pickens’ original illustrations honor nearly two dozen dance legends, including dancers and entertainers Alvin Ailey, Eartha Kitt, and Debbie Allen, whom she met as a fourth grader.

“When I met her, my eyes were opened to the world of dance and so much more,” Pickens told NNPA Newswire.

“She planted other seeds like choreographing and producing and making sure to build our communities,” Pickens added. Allen, the famed dancer,

Amber Pickens: Coloring success and Black history

choreographer, and actress, released a statement expressing her delight over being included in Pickens’ book.

“I am so proud to be included in Amber’s coloring book,” Allen wrote.

“It is very important that young black and brown girls see images of themselves that they can celebrate.”

Pickens said Allen often reminded her and other students to find ways to give back to their community.

She remarked that Allen opened a new world for her and others.

directing debut in January at the Sundance Film Festival.

Her film, “Passing,” is based on Harlem, New York, in the 1920s.

“She introduced us to teachers from all around the world,” Pickens recalled.

“It was life-changing, it was powerful.”

A Juilliard School graduate, Pickens made her choreography

Originally, the “Passing” role was intended for a friend who thought Pickens would be better suited.

“Someone approached one of my friends and asked him if he was interested in a small project. He didn’t have any idea what it was,” Pickens recalled. “They did describe the type of dancer they wanted, and he pointed them to me.”

Written by Nella Larsen, “Passing” takes a close look at racial identity, racism, and white privilege. Netflix has picked up the film, and it is

expected to air in the coming months.

Pickens grew up in Dallas, Texas, and began dancing at the age of 2.

She said her mother wanted her to participate in activities that matched her high-energy level.

She performed in church and at school and later earned a scholarship to Debbie Allen’s dance camp.

Pickens said she spent her summers in New York attending Broadway camps, the Alvin Ailey dance studios, and taking voice lessons. She also studied her mentor, Allen, closely and desired to emulate her success.

“She taught us how to focus, how to shut everything out, and how important all of that was,” Pickens stated. “I learned so much from her, and I want to do the same for others. Give back.”

In 2011, Pickens received an invite to study at The Juilliard School.

In 2015, she graduated from Juilliard with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and later made her Broadway debut in Cirque du Soleil’s “Paramour.”

Additionally, Pickens has performed in “The Wrong Man” and was also cast in the longrunning television hit, “Law & Order: SVU.”

In keeping a full calendar, Pickens hosts “Kickback & Chat with Amber Pickens,” a talk show broadcast on local cable television in Texas and state schools.

“I want people to realize that Black history is [American] history,” Pickens told NNPA Newswire. “[Black American heroes] helped to shape the world.”

She said her new coloring book shines a positive spotlight on African American dance and

Amber Pickens’ Coloring Book

Blooming in Motion. Pickens’ original illustrations honor nearly two dozen dance legends, including dancers and entertainers Alvin Ailey, Eartha Kitt, and Debbie Allen, whom she met as a fourth grader.

entertainment legends, adding, “Even as an adult, I do not hear about these individuals on a regular basis.”

“You have so many Black kids in the ballet world, and we’re forced to compare our bodies and our ways when

we should be celebrating our differences and learning from each other, not questioning our beings. Coloring is such a joy, and it takes you away from what’s going on in the world and increases positivity in your life.”

Photos courtesy of Amber Pickens

Cover:

Amber Pickens

It

Trumpet player Kasimu Taylor sounds off about how COVID-19 silenced his career

By Sylvester Brown Jr.

St. Louis American

Of The

The late, great jazz trumpeter, Miles Davis once said: “Silence is more important than sound.” Davis spoke to the artistry of music-making.

But for Kasimu (pronounced KAH-see-moo), Taylor, 47, a trumpet player since the age of 11, the “silence” Davis described has a more devastating meaning these days.

“My last paying gig was in late January. During the first month or two of the lock-down, I wasn’t doing anything. I had this lack of motivation because my whole livelihood was basically gone. I was trying to figure out how to keep income coming in. It was just a stressful time.”

COVID-19 was not the only stressor in Taylor’s life. He said he’s always been passionate about political, social and racial happenings. He recalled how his funk intensified in mid-May: “We had the whole thing with a crazy president and a totally stressful environment. I was not only struggling financially, I struggled with my purpose,” Taylor confessed. “What part does music play in this madness, what’s my purpose? And then the George Floyd stuff popped off.”

n “We had the whole thing with a crazy president and a totally stressful environment.

I was not only struggling financially, I struggled with my purpose.”

- Kasimu Taylor

In a way, Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis policeman, sparked Taylor’s rebound. “I felt I couldn’t do another show without addressing that (incident), Davis admitted.

He channeled his anger into an ensemble piece titled “George Floyd” that he wrote and performed at the Grandel Theatre’s open-air series in September. The piece was inspired by comedian Dave Chappelle’s “8:46” standup performance in June.

Taylor crafted somber and angry rifts to accompany Chappelle’s looped voice as he said things like: “I can’t tell you, as a man watching another man go through something like that, what it makes you feel like.” Taylor was comforted when the audience, who he feared might find the piece too militant, seemed to resonate with his work.

Writing and performing the song reminded Taylor of his “purpose” as a musician. The 2019 Showtime documentary, “Hitsville: The Making of Motown,” was another motivator.

“There was a part in the documentary where Dr. King met Berry Gordy (founder of Motown Records) in Detroit,” Taylor recalled. “King told Gordy that Motown’s music had helped his movement, it helped desegregate America. It reminded me that you should never discount the impact that music has had in social change.”

Racial awareness has been a part of Taylor’s reality since the tender age of 3. At the time, his mother and father (Gary and Mary Taylor) lived on Howard Street off Jefferson Ave. with their four children. Taylor, the middle child, remembers peeking out the back window of his home and seeing two policemen harass his father in the back alley.

“He had driven to the store to get something. He told me later that while driving home he noticed the cops staring at him. I guess because he dared to make eye contact with them, they followed him home, told him to get out the car

and harassed him.” There were other racial incidents in his life, like the time when he was 13 when he and his brother were kicked out of a downtown mall by a security guard who found them suspicious. Taylor found comfort and camaraderie with great trumpeters like Miles Davis and Lee Mor-

See Taylor, C2

Black St. Louis artists explore generations of racial trauma and how joy heals

By Andrea Y. Henderson

St. Louis Public Radio

St. Louis dancer Shontay Gavin has experienced an insurmountable amount of grief and trauma in the past two years.

In 2019, her sister was murdered in St. Louis. Gavin saw five members of her family and friends die in one month – three of COVID-19 and two of violence. Last September, she slipped and broke her right leg. She lost her job in January. And at the beginning of February, doctors found a blood clot on her daughter’s brain. After Gavin broke her leg, she did not have the confidence to continue dancing professionally. However, she went to physical rehabilitation and used her art to help her cope with the pain she was experiencing. Gavin said dancing helps her remain joyful.

“Black joy is freedom. That’s Black joy to me,” Gavin said. “[You] don’t have to worry about being shot up, free to live, love and have life in abundance as others do.”

African American artists have long used their talents to overcome the agony of American life. The struggle to survive has birthed great art forms – from the blues to hip-hop. Today, their work often delineates the nation’s racist past, seeing friends die by police violence, the

loss of loved ones and these days, the trauma of COVID-19.

Black artists in the St. Louis region showcased works that connect grief and joy in a

Staging social injustice

Gloria BrowneMarshall pens drama exploring police violence

By Kenya Vaughn

Of The St. Louis American

Civil rights attorney, constitutional law professor, legal correspondent, essayist and author Gloria J. Browne-Marshall is a familiar voice in conversations regarding police violence. She is a subject matter expert who has willing contributed to several outlets across the nation – including the St. Louis American But Browne-Marshall felt like she had more to say. And she felt she needed a new platform to allow the type of creativity that could provide a broader scope of how the tragic deaths at the hands of police impact the involved parties and the community at large. Her desire compelled her to write for the stage.

“Like so many around the world, I remained angered and appalled by the murders with impunity of Americans – especially African Americans – by police,” Browne-Marshall said. “I had written articles, given legal commentary on television and expert analysis. However, I felt that it was only as a playwright that I could capture my anger and heartache while raising important questions that could be asked best by the victim and answered truthfully only by law enforcement – the killers.

n Produced by Law and Policy Group In and The Pulitzer Center, ‘SHOT’ was filmed last month as a virtual production.

Poet Mozella Ward is posed on their yoga mat with books and crystals. Ward said yoga helps release the stress of racism and sexism that they experience as a Black person.

“SHOT: Caught a Soul,” is her offering. In the play, a white police office fatally shoots an unarmed Black teen, then is haunted, by the teen –and subsequently his own actions.

“In this play, I use a form or technique of writing that I call spiritual realism,” Browne-Marshall said as she introduced the virtual staged reading of the play she refers to as ‘SHOT.’ “It shows my influences by James Baldwin, Zora Neale Hurston and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Marquez, Baldwin and Hurston were all journalists. They wrote across genre and they infused their writing with activism.”

Produced by Law and Policy Group In and The Pulitzer Center, ‘SHOT’ was filmed last month as a virtual production. Directed by Jeffrey V. Thompson, ‘SHOT’ stars Khalil Addams-Pilgrim, Mike Timoney and Stephanie Berry.

Addams portrays Kareem, a 16-year-old unarmed teen shot down while waiting for a bus in the suburbs after being racially profiled by Officer O’Donald, played by Timoney. Each give their own perspectives about what happened in the moments leading up to and following the tragedy. Kareem was sent to live with his aunt to escape the negative influences in his neighborhood. O’Donald’s idea of “protect and serve” translates to serving his community by protecting it from the likes of Kareem – and anyone who looks like him.

While O’Donald sees Kareem as a threat, Kareem’s thoughts just before the shooting are that of

See Book, C8

Photo by Wiley Price Trumpet player Kasimu Taylor

Photo by Kai Smith/ St. Louis Public

RAC Leader wants to help arts groups get through pandemic, advance racial equity

By Jeremy Goodwin Of St. Louis Public Radio

The Regional Arts Commission recently went through a stretch of unfortunate timing. The largest public funder of arts organizations in the region saw its leader leave abruptly in November 2019, as the organization was in the final stages of composing a five-year strategic plan. Then it launched that strategic plan with a public event in March 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic began reshaping American life — and the subsequent economic downturn stripped the tax-funded organization of much of its revenue.

In November, Vanessa Cooksey took over as president and CEO of RAC. Her agenda includes steering the organization through the rest of the pandemic and leveraging resources to help struggling arts organizations. She’s also identified diversity, equity and inclusion within the arts sector as priorities.

Cooksey came to RAC from Washington University, where she was director of strategic

communications and student engagement. Before that, she specialized in communications and community relations at Wells Fargo, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Cartoon Network and other companies. She’s also served on the boards of the St. Louis Public Schools Foundation, Deaconess Foundation, Mercy Health and other nonprofits. St. Louis Public Radio’s Jeremy D. Goodwin spoke with Cooksey about RAC’s response to the pandemic and its role in promoting racial equity among arts organizations in the St. Louis region.

Jeremy D. Goodwin: Is the Regional Arts Commission in a position to advance the cause of racial equity in the arts sector?

Vanessa Cooksey: Absolutely. That is essential to our region’s well-being. And diversity, equity and inclusion is part of our go-forward strategy. We need a thriving arts sector that is diverse — that has leadership from women, the LatinX community, African Americans — in order to really meet the needs

of this region. And grant-making and capacity building are two tools we can use, in addition to our influence and our leadership role in the sector. And inviting and convening and collaborating with other arts funders and arts patrons to say: This is important, let’s set some goals and plans around achieving those goals.

Vanessa Cooksey took helm as president and CEO of The Regional Arts Commission in November of last year.

Goodwin: What are some first and second and third steps that, from your seat at RAC, your organization can take to nudge some progress along? How do you do that?

Cooksey: First, it’s

gan. He remembers when he first started playing the trumpet, listening to early recordings of the two artists such as Miles Davis’ “Young Man With A Horn, released in the early 1950s and Morgan’s “The Sidewinder” (1964).

“They made me want to

sound like them, especially Miles. He didn’t compromise his style or vision. He was always evolving and trying something different. Plus, he had that cool look.” Taylor stuck with the trumpet through his school years at Humboldt Middle School (now Humboldt Academy of Higher Learning), Central Visual and Performing Arts High School and later at Webster University’s jazz studies program. He fondly recalls his first paying

gig at the age of 12 when he was paid $60 to join an ensemble group for an Easter performance at Gethsemane Lutheran Church on Hampton Ave.

Other paying gigs came at the age of 19 starting with his “friend and mentor,” alto saxophonist, Chad Evans. He went on to play with a local salsa band, El Caribe before joining the Dr. Zhivegas band, at the age of 23, for about seven years. Taylor has gone on to establish his own ensembles; a

understanding the environment and meeting with organizations like the Black Rep and saying: What is it that you need? How can we be helpful? Also, bringing other funders to the table with specific plans on how to support organizations. And so, while I don’t have specifics, the intention will be to listen and respond.

Goodwin: I think we’ve seen a lot of organizations scramble to produce a statement on diversity, equity and inclusion in the past 10 months. We’ve also seen a lot of organizations that are still figuring out where to go from there.

jazz band called “Kasimu-tet” and “Howard Street,” a soul and R&B group. At the beginning of 2020, he had gigs and themed shows (like his 2019 Miles Davis tribute) lined up for the entire year. But, because of COVID-19, most were canceled.

Taylor has gotten by with financial assistance from family and friends, nonprofit grants, unemployment insurance and the government’s stimulus check. These days, he describes

Cooksey: Yes. And statements are important. Saying what you’re going to do and making the public declaration is important. But then it has to be followed up with action.

Goodwin: The coronavirus pandemic has slashed tax revenues, and RAC’s largest source of funding is the hotel/ motel occupancy tax. Last year, Mont Levy, the chairman of the RAC board, estimated that the funding you get from that source could decrease by 75%. Has the drop-off been that dramatic?

Cooksey: Yes. And since I’ve been on board, I’ve really taken the time to listen and to connect with leaders in the hospitality industry and Explore St. Louis to really understand what the impact of COVID on the hotel/motel industry is. And the recovery is going to be very slow.

So, while our arts sector may start to see some recovery over the next 12 to 18 months, the

himself as “optimistically pessimistic.” In reflection, he said he has found something positive in the “silence” brought on by the pandemic. “I feel like I needed the down time,” Taylor explained. “Artists are always on the go, always looking for that next thing. The virus allowed me to slow down. I’ve been vegging out, watching Netflix, listening to music, studying various method books and focusing on how to be better when stuff

projections in terms of hotel/ motel recovery say it could be two to four years.

Goodwin: So if you’re losing 75% of your tax funding, has RAC been continuing with its usual program of grants? Have you just shifted to an emergency footing, with the relief fund?

Cooksey: In 2020 we were able to fund organizations who received general operating support at 25% or 20% of our initial award. For organizations that received programming support, we were funding those at 40%. Our goal and hope is to maintain that, but we certainly haven’t received clarity around our revenue projections for 2021 yet. But our commitment is, no matter what, we will fund our organizations and our artists to the best of our ability.

Republished with permission from news.stlpublicradio.org as part of a content sharing partnership with St. Louis Public Radio.

finally opens back up.”

Other than being a better musician, Taylor has one more simple desire, “I just want to get back to the stage sharing the gift of music and making money on a regular basis again.”

Sylvester Brown Jr. is The St. Louis American’s inaugural Deaconess Fellow.

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Part-time driver positions start at $17.50 an hour. Health insurance offered following 90 days of employment.

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InSIdE SportS

District playoffs are on tap; Beal voted to start NBA All-Star Game

The road to the state basketball tournament for larger schools will get underway this weekend as district playoff competition begins for Missouri schools in Classes 4, 5 and 6. Here is a brief preview of some of the top district action around the area involving St. Louis teams. To see all of the district tournament brackets, check the state’s website and www.mshsaa.org

Class 6

The District 4 tournament features one of the most competitive fields in the entire state. Top-seeded Chaminade and No. 2 seed CBC are both ranked in the top five in the state rankings. Kirkwood and Webster Groves are also enjoying excellent seasons while No. 5 seed Ladue also has a winning record. The championship game is scheduled for March 5 at 8:15 p.m. Pattonville is the No. 1 seed in District 5 with SLUH coming in as the No. 2 seed. The Pirates have lost only one game this season, but SLUH poses a solid threat to the Pirates. In District 6, Fort Zumwalt North and Francis Howell are the top two-seeds. They have been the top two teams in the St. Charles area this season. Barring any upsets, that could be a tremendous championship game on Friday, March 5. On the girls’ side, perennial powerhouse Incarnate Word Academy makes the jump up to Class 6 after dominating Class 4 for many years. The Red Knights are the No. 1 seed in District 5. Webster Groves is the No. 1 seed in District 4, while Francis Howell Central is the top seed in a competitive District 6. Wentzville Holt and Troy lead the District 7 field.

Class 5

The bracket that most people are looking at is District 5, which features University City and Cardinal Ritter. Both teams are capable of making runs to the Final Four and beyond. Cardinal Ritter won the Class 3 state championship a year

ago. There are three more high-quality area teams in Class 5 that have received top seeds. Vianney got the No. 1 seed in District 3, DeSmet in District 7 and St. Dominic in District 8. On the girls’ side, Cardinal Ritter moves up to Class 5 and the Lions are the top seed in District 5. The Lions are load-

ed with talented underclassmen. Whitfield also moves up to Class 5 after making a Final Four run in Class 3 last season.

Class 4

Vashon enters the postseason as the No. 1 team in the latest state rankings. The

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

Wolverines have won three state championships and have made four Final Four appearances in the past five years. Confluence Prep Academy is the No. 1 seed in the District 3 field. The Titans are on a late-season surge after negotiating their way through a tough schedule.

One of the most competitive fields will be in District 5, where MICDS picked up the No. 1 seed. The district also features Westminster Christian, Priory, Normandy, Whitfield and John Burroughs, which are all solid teams. On the girls’ side, undefeated Vashon is the top seed in District 4 while

Westminster is the No. 1 seed in District 5. Both teams have Final Four potential.

Beal to start NBA All-Star Game

Congratulations go out to St. Louisan Bradley Beal on being voted as a starter to the upcoming National Basketball Association All-Star Game, which will be held on March 7 in Atlanta.

The former Chaminade College Prep All-American, who is in his seventh season with the Washington Wizards, will be making his third All-Star Game appearance. However, he will get the starting nod this season, thanks to the magnificent campaign he is currently having where he is the league’s leading scorer. Beal enters the week averaging a league-high 32.9 points a game, along with 5.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists a game. He had a career high of 60 points in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers on January 6. Beal’s stellar play has also sparked the Wizards on their current four-game winning streak. I would also like to congratulate the fans and everyone involved with the NBA for getting it right this time on Bradley Beal. Despite his remarkable season in 2019-20, Beal was shut out of all of the All-Star Game and postseason All-Star consideration. He has performed better each season and has proven himself to be one of the top shooting guards in the league. He is also a player that people want to see, regardless of his team’s wonloss record.

Beal named NBA All-Star Game starter

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal put the NBA on notice last year after he was left off the 2020 All-Star Game rosters. Beal came back with a vengeance this season. He was averaging a league-leading 32.9 points per game, with 5.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists, following Monday’s 127-124 overtime win against the defending champion Lakers. Those numbers landed the St. Louis area native a starting role in the 2021 All-Star Game in Atlanta on March 7.

forced me to get back in the gym and really just shifted my mind-set,” Beal said. The 2020 snub came after Beal had been selected as a reserve in 2018 and 2019, making this his third All-Star Game appearance.

“To go from being snubbed to starting this year, it’s a huge honor. I thank the fans,” Beal said during a video press conference. Saying last year’s rejection “brought me back down to Earth,” Beal had something to prove.

“I kind of thought I was hot…and it was like, ‘Okay, no, you’re not.’ So, it just

Joining Beal as starters are Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid.

Selected from the West Conference as AllStar Game starters are the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James, Denver’s Nikola Jokic, the L.A. Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard, Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Dallas’s Luka Doncic. Durant and James are team captains, and they will draft the remaining starters and reserves to determine the game rosters.

Two for St. Louis

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum learned Tuesday

that he will join Beal in Atlanta after being named an Eastern Conference All-Star Game reserve. A local product, Tatum made his first All-Star appearance in 2020 and now will return. He was having a dynam-

ic season before he missed five games after contracting COVID-19. He still is not 100 percent.

“Just running up and down the court a few times, it’s easier to get out of breath or tired a lot faster,” he said last week. While he admits to some-

times being winded, Tatum has posted career highs with 26 points per game, 7.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists. He also leads the Celtics with five double-doubles and eight 30-point games.

A win, a loss

I warned Deion Sanders in a 2020 column that dealing with HBCU administrations can be difficult.

During Jackson State’s 53-0 thrashing of NAIA member Edward Waters in Sanders’ debut game as head coach, someone stole some personal items from his office. They were later recovered.

Obviously, he was livid as he shared this embarrassing tale with the sports world.

Then, Jackson State released a statement that the incident was a “misunderstanding.” Sanders doubled down, saying an assistant witnessed the theft AND that this was the second time he got robbed.

JSU then finally acknowledged some things were taken.

Oh boy.

The Reid Roundup Major League Soccer has named Sola Winley as its first executive vice-president and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer. St. Louis’ expansion team will begin play in 2022... Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms wants partygoers to skip this year’s game because of COVID19. Many clubs, bars and restaurants are still planning events March 5-7... The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City launched its “Negro Leagues 101” course on Feb. 13 – the same date as the 101st anniversary for the Negro Leagues. The museum is working with scholars and a Negro Leagues researcher to have the course certified for college credit by the end of 2021.

Alvin A. Reid was honored as the 2017 “Best Sports Columnist – Weeklies” in the Missouri Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest.

Alvin A. Reid

Earl Austin Jr.

With Earl Austin Jr.

DuBourg Cavaliers’ Micah Holt (12), Jefferson’s Colby Ott (21) and Jadon Kimbel (2) chase after a loose ball during game-action Monday, Feb. 22. Holt finished the night with 15 points to help DuBourg defeat Jefferson 61-42.

Bradley Beal shook off last year’s snub and muscled his way to the 2021 NBA All-Star Game.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Photo courtesy of Talkbasket.net

Religion

Spiritually Speaking…

Walking is so much more than just exercise

By James A. Washington Jr.

If I haven’t before, let me ask you now. Can somebody explain a “faith walk” to me? I frequently refer to my own spiritual transformation that way and I’ve had others describe this “thing” that I’m on …’as you go down this road’….’as you complete this walk.’ I’ve even used the faith walk phrase when trying to explain a new and different view of the world as now seen by someone who believes being saved is more than just some trite saying. This, whatever it is, is serious and I have to admit, very tangible. I really can feel it. I was just curious about the walk reference. I suppose when you think about it, many in the bible had truth revealed to them on a walk, on a journey, while going from one place to another at God’s direction and even during the subconscious traveling in a dream. It’s a simple analogy and if you think about, what is more meaningful than a walk with someone you respect, admire, love and can learn from?

and talking with someone you were totally in sync with? That must be one of the reasons people refer to discovering God as faith walking.

One of the most memorable experiences I’ve ever had was to walk with my children when they were toddlers. There was something about them exploring and discovering the world around them without fear, because they knew Daddy was right there. Have you ever witnessed this? Have you ever been a part of the experience of walking

The effort to get closer to God requires movement. I believe the walk reference is probably an attempt (an excellent one), to describe the experience of following, or trying to follow, the path laid down by Jesus Christ.

The best example we have is Enoch. “Enoch walked with God: then he was no more, because God took him away.” Genesis 5:24. The bible talks about walking humbly, walking in the light, walking with the wise, walking together

and yes, walking on water. The point seems to be that life is a journey and if the truth be told, the journey is infinitely better if God goes along for the ride. We want and at times need to talk to God along the way. Maybe, if we’re truly blessed, He’ll talk back. Searching for Him here on earth is fundamentally a spiritual experience. To walk with the Lord can only be described as “stepping out on faith.” Once taken, life changes. You change. You have to. I know I did.

So, I guess I’ve kind of cleared up my own dilemma.

This faith walk is merely an acknowledgement that you are

letting God order your steps, lead you through, guide you in this world. When you do this, God will direct you straight to Him.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness; but will have the light of life.” John 8:12. So this walk thing suggests by doing so, you can directly connect with God. You can do what Enoch did. You can hope and pray like Enoch that God will take you to Him also. That’s the point isn’t it?

So, when you get up tomorrow, think about this and let God order your steps consciously for one day. Make a concerted effort to listen and hopefully hear what He is tell-

ing you on that day. The bible says faith comes by hearing. What better way to hear than by taking a deliberate stroll with the Lord? Try it. You might find God showing up in the strangest places and in the strangest faces. But you’ve got to look. I guarantee, if you go deliberately looking for God just one day, you won’t be alone for long. You see He has this marvelous way of showing up right on time when He knows somebody is indeed seeking Him out. Remember, however, the first step is up to you. May God bless and keep you always.

By James A. Washington

Jr. is co-publisher of the Dallas Weekly News, NNPA Newswire Contributor

Blackmon is the Pastor-in-Residence at Eden Theological Seminary

By American Staff

Rev. Traci D. Blackmon was recently named the Pastor-inResidence for 2021 spring and summer terms at Eden Theological Seminary. Blackmon, associate general minister, Justice and Local Church Ministries of the United Church of Christ, is an Eden alum. While continuing to serve in national UCC leadership, Eden says the beloved transformational leader will enhance all UCC-connections with Eden Seminary.

“I am so honored to give

n While continuing to serve in national UCC leadership, Eden says the beloved transformational leader will enhance all UCC-connections with Eden Seminary.

back to a community that has given so much to me,” Blackmon posted on social media. “Deeply honored. Deeply grateful. Deeply committed! Never doubt what an unqualified ‘yes’ will do!!!!”

In a news statement, Eden said Blackmon will offer expertise on the shape of Progressive Christian Leadership in consultation with Eden’s faculty and staff. Students will interact with Blackmon as she serves as a guest resource person, sharing her expertise with faculty and students as a denominational and pastoral leader. Alumni, activist communities, and congregations will connect with her through the upcoming Spring Convocation, Presidential Installation, and other public forums. As Eden’s classes and programming continue online at this time due to safety during the coronavirus pandemic, this residency will take place on online platforms.

Columnist James Washington

Rev. Tracy D. Blackmon

SAFE CONNECTIONS IS HIRING FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS:

• Full-Time Adult Therapist LPC/LCSW

• Clinical Manager – Support Services LCSW/LPC

• Clinical Manager -Adult Therapy -LPC/LCSW

Full Description and Apply at safeconnections.org

The Mission of Safe Connections is to reduce the impact and incidence of relationship violence and sexual assault through education, crisis intervention, counseling and support services.

ENGLISH TEACHER

Accounting Assistant 2315 Pine Street, St Louis, MO 63103 NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE

HEAD PASTOR

UCM The Church of Jesus Christ, a non denomination Christian church, is seeking a head Pastor. If God led, please submit your resume to info@ucmcojcstl.com with subject Pastor Search. For questions call 314-261-9960 and someone will return your call as soon as possible.

The person hired for this position will teach a full-time load of English classes in a literature-based curriculum. All four years of the curriculum focus on guiding students in the development of reading and writing skills, with college-model, semester content electives in the senior year. A Master’s degree and teaching experience is preferred, though we welcome any candidate who is passionate about reading, writing and teaching.

Candidates will be expected to make a vibrant contribution to the school’s co-curricular program in support of our mission of the educational and spiritual formation for young men.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please send a letter indicating your interest and briefly summarizing your qualifications and experience addressed to school Principal Fr. Ian Gibbons through the school’s Aaimtrack portal at Admin. aaimtrack.com. Please submit a digital cover letter and comprehensive resume. Digital submissions preferred. Priority will be given to submissions received before March 15, 2021.

CLIENT ANALYST

HS Diploma. Responsible for processing assigned caseload for the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8). Conducts interviews, orientation sessions for applicants seeking assistance through Section 8. Process changes in client status to vacate, evictions, inspection action notifications, voucher issuance, program terminations, contracts, lease agreements, inspection requests, income changes, interim reviews, housing assistance payment adjustments and/or withholdings. Good communication skills and ability to deal with the public. Must type 30 wpm. Starting Salary $36,855 Annually. Apply or send resume to: St. Louis Housing Authority, HR Division, 3520 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63106 by 5:00 p.m. March 3, 2021 via our website www.slha.org or email athomas@slha.org. A Drug Free Work Place/EOE.

CASE MANAGER

Covenant House Missouri (CHMO) is a non-for-profit organization that welcomes youth who are runaway, at-risk or experiencing homelessness. CHMO is looking for an experienced Case Manager responsible for providing goal oriented support and individualized care and supervision of program youth. Interested applicants can apply by visiting CHMO careers page https://www. covenanthousemo.org/ work-for-chmo

FINANCE DIRECTOR

The City of Jennings is accepting applications for the position of Finance Director. Please see the full Job description online at www.cityofjennings.org Application available at Jennings City Hall or online at www.cityofjennings.org. NO RESUMES ACCEPTED WITHOUT COMPLETION OF OUR APPLICATION! Completed applications may be delivered to City Hall, mailed, emailed to jobs@cityofjennings.org or faxed to 314-388-3999. Applications accepted Friday, March 12, 2021 at 5:00 p.m.

The City of Clayton is hiring for a full-time Principal Planner. Apply by 3/12/21: https://claytonmo.applicantpro. com/jobs/ EOE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Interpreter Services for the Deaf

The City of St. Louis Department of Human Services, Office on the Disabled, is seeking proposals from qualified Sign Language Interpreting Service providers to provide Interpreters for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals using City services and City employees. The deadline for submitting a proposal is March 10, 2021 by 5:00 p.m. Copies of the Request for Proposal can be obtained via mail, email or pick up by request to the Office on the Disabled at City Hall, 1200 Market St. Room 30, ph# 314-622-3686 or by download from the City of St. Louis website at: https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/ government/procurement.cfm

BIDS

Improvements, Environmental Control Center, P r o j e c t N o . O2114-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 3/25/2021 via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered to bid.For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

SEALED BIDS

B i d s f o r Masa Breach R e c a l m a t i o n Project, Barton County, Liberal, MO, Project No. Y2102-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, March 11, 2021 For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http:// oa.mo.gov/ facilities

3pm-5pm, 3/9/21: 10am-12pm. Proposals are due via email by close of business Thursday, 3/11/21. For details and more information, contact Jenny McKie at: jmckie@blacklinestl.com or (314) 391-8900.

NOTICE OF ELECTION

PRIMARY MUNICIPAL ELECTION

CITY OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 2021

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Primary Municipal Election will be held at the designated polling place for each precinct in the City of St. Louis, State of Missouri, on Tuesday, March 2, 2021. The polls will be open between the hours of 6:00 A.M. and 7:00 P.M. for the purpose of nominating candidates for Mayor, Comptroller, and Alderman/woman in Wards 4, 12 and the fourteen odd-numbered wards. As a result of the passage of Proposition D on November 3, 2020, all candidates for office on March 2, 2021, will run as non-partisan candidates, and voters may vote for as many candidates for each office as they wish. The two candidates who receive the most votes for each office on March 2 will have their names appear on the April 6, 2021, General Municipal Election ballot.

The last day the Board of Election Commissioners can accept an application to vote an absentee ballot by mail in the March 2, 2021 Primary Municipal Election is 5:00 P.M. on Wednesday, February 17, 2021. Absentee voting in person will conclude at 5:00 P.M. on Monday, March 1, 2021. The office of the Board of Election Commissioners will be open on Saturday, February 27, 2021, from 9:00 A.M. until 1:00 P.M.

THE OFFICIAL BALLOT WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE FOLLOWING FORM:

INSTRUCTIONS TO VOTERS: In today’s election, you have your choice of using either an electronic, touch screen voting machine or an optical scan voting machine to cast your ballot.

IF YOU USE THE OPTICAL SCAN VOTING MACHINE to cast your ballot, you must completely darken the oval to the left of the name of the candidate of your choice. Note that you may vote for as many candidates for a given office as you wish. Do not try to punch through the ballot. Use only the marking device provided to you. If you tear, deface or make a mistake and incorrectly mark the ballot, return it to the Election Judges and obtain a new ballot.

IF YOU USE THE ELECTRONIC, TOUCH SCREEN VOTING MACHINE, follow the directions on the screen to cast your ballot. For each candidate for whom you wish to vote, touch the box on the screen to the left of the name of the candidate of your choice. Note that you may vote for as many candidates for a given office as you wish. If you need help in using the machine, please ask the Election Judges for assistance.

PRIMARY MUNICIPAL ELECTION

CITY OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 2021

FOR ALDERMAN WARD 11

FOR MAYOR

(Vote for AS MANY names as you approve of)

LEWIS REED

CARA SPENCER

TISHAURA O. JONES

ANDREW JONES

FOR COMPTROLLER

(Vote for AS MANY names as you approve of)

DARLENE GREEN

FOR ALDERMAN WARD 1

(Vote for AS MANY names as you approve of)

YOLANDA BROWN

SHARON TYUS

LOREN WATT

FOR ALDERMAN WARD 3

(Vote for AS MANY names as you approve of)

HERDOSIA KALAMBAYI BENTUM

BRANDON BOSLEY

FOR ALDERMAN WARD 4

(Vote for AS MANY names as you approve of)

DWINDERLIN (DWIN) EVANS

LEROY CARTER

EDWARD MCFOWLAND

FOR ALDERMAN WARD 5

(Vote for AS MANY names as you approve of)

JAMES PAGE

TAMMIKA HUBBARD

FOR ALDERMAN WARD 7

(Vote for AS MANY names as you approve of)

JACK COATAR

SHEDRICK (NATO CALIPH) KELLEY

FOR ALDERMAN WARD 9

(Vote for AS MANY names as you approve of)

DAN GUENTHER

KEN A. ORTMANN

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR MARKET ANALYSIS, URBAN PLANNING & DESIGN SERVICES

Spanish Lake Community Development Corporation (SLCDC) seeks proposals from qualified firms to provide market analysis, urban planning and design services related to the Bellefontaine Corridor Study adopted by the St. Louis County Council. To be considered, proposals must be received no later than 5:00 PM CST on Friday, March 19, 2021. For the complete RFP and/or questions, please contact Angela Pinex at angela@spanishlakecdc.org

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Advantes Construction, LLC, is seeking qualified small, disadvantaged, minority, and women’s businesses for the Paincourt Lofts redevelopment project. Opportunities include, but are not limited to, demolition, concrete, masonry, carpentry, doors, windows, roofing, finishes, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, drywall, flooring, painting, signage. All negotiations must be complete by bid opening date

email company and contact name to bwright@advantesgrp.com.

BID NOTICE

(Vote for AS MANY names as you approve of)

SARAH WOOD MARTIN

FOR ALDERMAN WARD 12

(Vote for AS MANY names as you approve of)

VICKY GRASS

BILL STEPHENS

JOE RUSCH

FOR ALDERMAN WARD 13

(Vote for AS MANY names as you approve of)

BETH MURPHY

ANNE SCHWEITZER

FOR ALDERMAN WARD 15

(Vote for AS MANY names as you approve of)

MEGAN ELLYIA GREEN

ALEXANDER J. GREMP

JENNIFER FLORIDA

FOR ALDERMAN WARD 17

(Vote for AS MANY names as you approve of)

MICHELLE SHEROD

TINA (SWEET-T) PIHL

DON DE VIVO

FOR ALDERMAN WARD 19

(Vote for AS MANY names as you approve of)

MARLENE E. DAVIS

CLEO WILLIS, SR.

FOR ALDERMAN WARD 21

(Vote for AS MANY names as you approve of)

BARBARA LANE

TICHARWA MASIMBA

JOHN COLLINS-MUHAMMAD

MELINDA L. LONG

LAURA KEYS

TAVON BROOKS

Great Rivers Greenway is seeking Bids for repairs to the handrail and curbs on McKinley Bridge Bikeway. Go to www.greatriversgreenway. org/jobs-bids and submit by March, 15 2021.

ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

St. Louis Community College will receive separate sealed bids for CONTRACT NO. F 21 201, Replacement of Front Walk at St. Louis Community College at Corporate College, until 2:00 p.m. local time Tuesday March 9, 2021. Bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at the office of the Manager of Engineering and Design, 5464 Highland Park, St. Louis, MO 63110-1314. Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from the Manager’s office, at the above address or by calling (314) 644-9770.

An Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer

BID NOTICE

City of Crestwood, 1 Detjen Drive, Crestwood, MO 63126 is seeking bids for Whitecliff Park Community Center Phase 4 HVAC and Electrical Improvements Project. Bids due 3/25/2021 by 2:00 p.m. local time by email to jgillam@cityofcrestwood. org. A mandatory pre-bid site meeting will be held on 3/9/21 at 2:00 p.m. local time at 9245 Whitecliff Park Lane, Crestwood, MO 63126. Complete sets of procurement documents may be downloaded from the City of Crestwood website, cityofcrestwood. org. For project questions contact Margaret Bailey at mbailey@bricpartnership.com.

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE:

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

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

FOR ALDERMAN WARD 23

(Vote for AS MANY names as you approve of)

JOSEPH A. VACCARO, JR.

FOR ALDERMAN WARD 25

(Vote for AS MANY names as you approve of)

SHANE COHN

FOR ALDERMAN WARD 27

(Vote for AS MANY names as you approve of)

CHRIS CARTER

PAMELA BOYD

MARY ANN JACKSON

YOU HAVE NOW COMPLETED VOTING.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, The undersigned, comprising the Board of Election Commissioners for the City of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have caused this notice to be signed and the official seal of the office to be affixed at the office of the Board of Election Commissioners in St. Louis, Missouri, this 31st day of January, 2021.

BOARD OF ELECTION COMMISSIONERS FOR THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS

JERRY M. HUNTER

Chairman/Member

GERALDINE M. KRAEMER Member

GENE R. TODD Member

(Seal) Attest: JOSEPH A.

Secretary/Member

AUCTION NOTICE

The following people are in debt to Gateway Storage Mall of Columbia & Dupo. The contents of their storage unit(s) will be sold at auction to compensate all or part of that debt. Auction will be held online with www.storageauctions.com starting on March 10, 2021 at 10:30 AM. A cash deposit will be REQUIRED for all winning bids. We will require all units completely cleaned within 72 hours of auction closing. Col. A014 – Sarah Woodard, Dupo 403 – Roy/Amanda Venus, Dupo 418 – Jessica Nixon, Dupo 76 - Jessica Nixon, Dupo 202 – Jim White, Dupo 414 - Kim Anderson, Dupo 85 - Samantha Petry, Dupo 48 - Brandon Whelchel.

For all rules, regulations and bidding process, contact www.storageauctions.com. All other questions, please call 618-421-4022 or mail 17 Royal Heights Center, Belleville, IL 62226.

-West

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

and

in

To that end, Urban League is issuing this Request for Qualifications (the “RFQ”) for a qualified and experienced firm to assess and evaluate the current space needs with this area and greater North County to determine the need for minority and women-focused incubator to serve this community. The

of a facility, and operational feasibility (the “Services”).

Scope of Services

Under this RFQ, the Services shall include the following components, and the successful firm shall include:

1. Understanding the entrepreneurial market demand

a. Critical mass of entrepreneurs

b. Critical mass of support factors/resources

c.

2. Financial Proforma of the facility for at least 3 years

a. Demonstrate financial capacity to operate the facility and provide the resources needed by the ecosystem

b. Understand the sources of funds and reasonableness of those funds

c. Understand how and at what point will the facility reach positive cash flow

3. Development

a. Estimated development cost

b. Development variables

c. Potential sources

d. Market barriers to development

e. Existing similar facilities and how they function with this facility

4. Operational feasibility

a. How the commercial/retail part of the facility interacts with the incubator space

b. Tenant selection policy

c. Tenant lease agreement terms

d. Business assistance policy (partners and what/how are they connected to the operation)

e. Tenant records review policy (period assessment of tenant’s business recovery supports assessment of the health of the company and confirm compatibility with the policies and tenant mix)

f. Tenant graduation policy

g. Management oversight of incubator

h. How the design of the building supports the needs of the entrepreneurial ecosystem

i. Identify what shared services will be provided and why

j. Include recommendations for efficient design, in particular in light of current COVID-19 social distancing requirements

• As the work scope may require more than one professional firm to complete, the Urban League encourages interested firms to partner with other firms or sub-consultants in the real estate or architectural design fields. The Partnership would prefer all aspects of the scope to be represented in the response. To that end, a multi-firm response is valid and acceptable.

Proposal Content

Proposals must include, at a minimum, the following information:

1. Experience of Firm. Provide a detailed description of the firm’s experience in providing similar services. Include the type and number of clients served, as well as the size, scope, and nature of the projects involved. Identify any prior experience working with the Partnership. Specifically, identify any projects or conflicts that may impact the Services.

2. Experience/Qualifications of Assigned Professional(s). Provide the qualifications for each individual who may be assigned to provide the Services, and designate the individual who would have primary responsibility for the Services’ oversight. Provide the qualifications of all sub-consultants that would provide any portion of the Services.

3. Availability and Approach. Provide a statement of the firm’s availability to provide the Services. Provide a detailed description of the firm’s approach to provide the Services as identified herein.

4. Minority Participation. Describe the firm’s approach to minority participation in providing the Services.

5. Proposed Fees/Expenses. Proposals shall clearly state all fees and expenses to be charged for the performance of the Services:

a. It is anticipated that a maximum project dollar amount will not exceed agreed upon for the Services.

b. If based on an hourly rate, provide the hourly rates (with any applicable nonprofit discounted rate) to be charged for each individual assigned to this engagement and a general description of how billable hours will be allocated among key personnel.

c. Explain fees will be calculated on any other basis. Itemize the type of expenses (other than fees) for which your firm would seek reimbursement. Selection Criteria

Urban League staff will review proposals submitted for completeness and qualifications. A firm selection will be made based on the following criteria:

1. Qualifications, expertise, and experience of the firm;

2. Qualifications, expertise, and experience of the individuals assigned from the firm and of any sub-consultants;

3. Availability and approach to providing the Services;

4. Approach to minority participation;

5. Cost, after application of any applicable MBE discount, as described above; and

6. Responsiveness of the firm to the RFQ categories.

The Urban League actively encourages submission of proposals from disadvantaged business enterprises and companies owned by minorities, women, immigrants, and veterans.

Equal Opportunity Employer. The Urban League does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, national origin, disability, or veteran status in consideration of this award. Terms and Conditions

The following terms and conditions apply to all proposals:

1. The Urban League reserves the right to reject any and all proposals submitted; to select one or more responding parties; to void this RFQ and the review process and/or terminate negotiations at any time; to select separate responding parties for various components of the scope of services, and to select a final party/parties from among the proposals received in response to this RFQ. Additionally, any and all RFQ project elements, requirements, and schedules are subject to change and modification. The Urban League also reserves the unqualified right to modify, suspend, or terminate at its sole discretion any and all aspects of this RFQ process, to obtain further information from any and all responding parties, and to waive any defects as to form or content of the RFQ or any responses by any party.

2. This RFQ does not commit the Urban League to award a contract, defray any costs incurred in preparing a response to this RFQ, or contract for any services. All submitted responses to this RFQ become the property of the Urban League as a record.

3. By accepting this RFQ and/or submitting a proposal in response thereto, each responding party agrees for itself, its successors and assigns, to hold the Urban League and its affiliated entities, St. Louis County, and all of their various agents, officers, and employees harmless from and against any and all claims and damages of whatever nature or type, which any such responding company, its representatives, agents, contractors, successors or assigns may have against any of them as a result of issuing this RFQ, revising this RFQ, conducting the selection process and subsequent negotiations, making a final recommendation, selecting a responding party/parties or negotiating or executing an agreement incorporating the commitments of the selected responding party.

4. By submitting responses, each responding party acknowledges having read this RFQ in its entirety and agrees to all terms and conditions set out in

5.

media installation – “Listen, Look: A Reconciliatory Journey Through Black Grief and Joy.”

Gavin performed “Cool Water,” a solo performance that incorporates Egyptian movements. She uses intense arm and body gestures as a way to release stress and encourage happiness.

The exhibit aims to help Black people in the St. Louis region heal from decades of systemic racism, exhibit curator Precious Musa said.

The installation formed from a class project that challenged Musa, a Washington University in St. Louis graduate poetry student, to think of a creative way to disrupt the legacy of racism in St. Louis.

“Most of American history is that of people literally being three-fourths of a human and being shackled and being forced to do labor,” Musa said. “All this trauma, which becomes a generational trauma, so that’s how I’m thinking about Black grief, like how these histories and how this violence still very much show up in our every day.”

Musa said the world can point to the summer protests to save Black lives as a way to understand why Black people are always grieving.

According to the Journal of Death and Dying, Black Americans are more likely to suffer from prolonged grief. And

that’s compounded by the large number of African Americans dying during the coronavirus pandemic.

Chattel slavery and Jim Crow is over, but the pain of racism still exists for Black people, said Dr. Kira Banks, a St. Louis University associate professor of psychology.

Banks said African Americans have endured chronic racial trauma that does not allow them to grieve properly.

“When it comes to grief for Black folks, the reality is that you can potentially get lost in it,” Banks said. “It’s so deep and historic and profound that sometimes it’s scary to feel it because you feel like you could get swallowed up by it.”

Visual artist Jason Vasser-Elong is trying not to let his misery consume him. He is grieving the death of his best friend, who died by suicide in December. Vasser-Elong said his agony is deep, but he finds solace in painting and writing. For the exhibit, he created “Late Autumn,” a two-panel painting that expresses gloom and glee through nature.

Vasser-Elong said his compounded grief is connected to the pain he feels when he thinks about how Black Americans are still suffering from police violence and racism after centuries in the United States.

Mixed media artist De’Joneiro Jones understands that level of grief as a Black man. He said Black men wake up daily not knowing what experiences they will be faced with.

He releases that stress by collecting antiques and strategi-

Jason Vasser-Elong paints and writes to express the grief he has as a Black man. He said he hopes his works opens up a larger discussion in the Black community about how Black men handle stress and the stigma behind mental health.

cally crafting them into works of art. Jones will showcase “Untitled,” a colorful painting that incorporates four large, triangle-shaped panels that will evoke questions about today’s socio-political climate.

Jones recently lost his grandmother, who helped shape his life. He uses art to strengthen him.

Musa believes joy and grief is a combined experience.

“I don’t think of joy as just happiness,” Musa said. “I think it actually has many other emotions. And it has anger. It has sadness, so I think joy is the breakthrough emotion.”

Poet Mozella Ward writes and practices yoga as an outlet. They recited an original poem, “Ancestor,” and performed vinyasa and meditative yoga poses, which Ward said helps heal and connect with ancestors.

Poet Mozella Ward is posed on a yoga mat with books and crystals. Ward said yoga helps release the stress of racism and sexism that they experience as a Black person.

“Grieving, rest, sleep, loving is a revolutionary act that was not always granted to us and that we have to take it back – if for no one else – for yourself and for the people before you and the people after you,” Ward

said.

Visual artists Lillian Gardner and Shevaré Perry are both grieving the police violence that George Floyd endured and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the Black community. Perry’s work, “She is Her and I am She” is a digital media piece with text-based images in the shape of Black women. Gardner’s “Journey: the Element of Reflection and Growth” is a nine-piece self-portrait that showcases her experiences as a Black woman. Writer Maurice Tracy laid out the trauma of sexual abuse in the visual essay “Pluk, Puw, Tup, Vin” – a play on the sound the Ortolan bird makes.

The artists hope that their exhibits show that Black people are resilient and that moments of joy are always on the other side of pain.

“Joy is an act of resistance. Everything that a Black person does, particularly when it’s related to their happiness or to their self-preservation or to their joy becomes or can be read as politicized as an act of resistance,” Ward said. “And while I agree, if Black people feel that way about their joy, but I would love if my joy was just my joy. And it wasn’t always cast against anti-Blackness.”

Follow Andrea on Twitter: @ drebjournalist

Republished with permission of St. Louis Public Radio https://news.stlpublicradio.org/ arts/2021-02-18/black-st-louisartists-explore-generations-ofracial-trauma-and-how-joyheals

“We don’t know who the good Blacks are,” O’Donald said.

O’Donald doesn’t bother seeing Kareem for who he is until it’s too late – when the ghost of

any typical 16-year-old. He is satisfied with his average grades and he can’t wait to spend more time with his first girlfriend. He also joyfully anticipates things that he doesn’t realize that he will never get to experience because of an officer’s unwarranted fear that is rooted in bigotry and hatred.

Getting

Kareem confronts him, proving himself to be the innocent victim that he was.

“I have to live with what I’ve done,” O’Donald says as he begs Kareem to leave his head.

“But you get to live,” Kareem responds.

Over the course of the 30-minute production, O’Donald attempts to defend his

to Know OTSL’S INTERMEZZO SOCIETY CO-CHAIRS

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis will host A Toast to Opera with the Intermezzo Society on Zoom at 6 p.m. on March 4.

Led by Crystal Allen Dallas and Marcela Manjarrez Hawn, the Intermezzo Society is a group of professionals in and around St. Louis who are dedicated to supporting the arts while building their own communities. For more information: ExperienceOpera.org/Intermezzo

What led you both to become involved with OTSL?

CAD: My first involvement with Opera Theatre was at an event called Opera Tastings. The themed performances represented a cross-section of the St. Louis region and I loved that Opera Theatre ensured the diversity of performances, people, and locations.

MMH: Since I was a little girl, growing up in Mexico City, my mother and I would go to the opera as a special mother-daughter activity. As a Saint Louisan, I was delighted to learn of OTSL! I have taken my 19-year old twins to the opera since they were very young to instill love and appreciation for this wonderful art form.

You’re hosting an event on March 4. Tell us more!

MMH: The event is a great opportunity to gather virtually and meet new people, and perhaps see old friends as well. It will be a great and fun experience, both for anyone who is new to opera and is curious what OTSL is all about, and for anyone who is already passionate about opera.

What would you say to someone who has never attended an opera?

CAD: OTSL is a great entry point for someone who has never attended an opera. We do not take ourselves too seriously and neither should you. As a transplant to St. Louis, OTSL has been a great way for me to meet new people. Lastly, opera is for everyone!

MMH: Do not let never having attended an opera intimidate you. The typical opera format is in Italian, but OTSL has operas in English so that is not a barrier at all. We invite you to join us and give it a try!

Q: What is next for Opera Theatre?

CAD & MMH: The summer opera festival is always the best time of year! This year, it will all be happening safely outdoors and you can learn more at ExperienceOpera.org.

actions, primarily to the soul of the life he took.

“I saw a gun,” O’Donald said.

“You saw what you wanted to see,” Kareem said. By the end of the play, O’Donald appears to be on the verge of madness.

“Hate will make you lose your mind,” the spirit of Ka-

reem tells O’Donald. Supporting character Berry adds context to both sides of ‘SHOT’ as she plays O’Donald’s union representative and Kareem’s Aunt Janice.

“I hope it [‘SHOT’] will play a role in national criminal justice reform,” said Browne-Marshall, who is a professor of Constitutional Law at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY), and teaches about the role of law currently and historically. “I hope it will raise questions and conversations and help us all to better understand the human and spiritual cost of police involved civilian shootings.”

Marcela Manjarrez Hawn

Crystal Allen Dallas

Photo by Kai Smith/St. Louis Public Radio