February 2, 2017 Edition

St. LouiS AmericAn

Mayoral forum draws huge crowd

Candidates answer questions on key topics important to the race

By Rebecca Rivas

Of The St. Louis American

Judging by applause, St. Louis City Treasurer Tishaura Jones was the favored mayoral candidate at the “Questions from the People” mayoral forum on Sunday evening. But all five Democratic candidates present – Jones, Aldermanic President Lewis Reed and Aldermen Lyda Krewson, Antonio French and Jeffrey Boyd –had their high and low moments.

About 1,500 people packed into the Saint Louis University’s 600-seat Busch Student Center on Sunday for the forum, which had almost 20 grassroots organizations sponsoring the event.

Moderators Kayla Reed (no relation to Lewis Reed), a Ferguson activist, and Blake Strode, an attorney with ArchCity Defenders, asked questions that largely revolved around economic and racial disparities in the region.

“We broke through the polish and we got to what really matters to these candidates,” Kayla said.

The moderators asked pointed questions about gun violence, equal rights, a cash bail system, minimum wage, legalizing marijuana, criminalization of student misconduct and disparities in tax incentives, among many other topics. On most issues, the candidates expressed similar points of view. However, many of the crowd members noted differences in their styles.

“Some candidates more than others were ready with policy and others were ready with promises,” said recent Washington University graduate

See FORUM, A6

Three groups used the Ferguson Commission’s report and calls to action as a guidepost for their 10 months of work

By Rebecca Rivas

Of The St. Louis American

“My understanding of race was embarrassingly limited,” said Bayer, director of syndications & new business initiatives for U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation. “I grew up thinking Abraham Lincoln had basically made racism illegal after the Civil War. Sure there were still some bad people who were racist, but not many.” He thought that he lived in a mostly fair and unbiased country, where everyone was getting fair access to quality education and health care, he

FOCUS, A7

Jennifer Joyce calls for change candidate

Ex-circuit attorney rejects Lyda Krewson, favors of Tishaura Jones or Antonio French

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

Jennifer Joyce provided a municipal primary equivalent of the famous “October Surprise” that disrupts a presidential election last week when she rejected Alderwoman Lyda Krewson’s candidacy for mayor as too status quo in a city that, she said, needs to change. “I believe that we need new thinking to move forward

n “I believe that we need new thinking to move forward in St. Louis. That is my problem with Lyda Krewson.”

– Jennifer Joyce

in St. Louis. That is my

with Lyda Krewson,” Joyce posted on the Next Door social media site. “When you look at her supporters and advisors, it’s Groundhog Day. Sinquefield, Rainford, SLPOA (which, by the

Protesting travel ban

More than 50 immigrants denied passage to St. Louis this week after president’s executive order

Rev. Dr. David Mehl, co-executive director of the Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis and Anna Crosslin, president and CEO of the International Institute of St. Louis, talk about the effects of newly imposed immigration restrictions during a press conference at the Institute on January 30.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 27 that suspends all refugee admissions for 120 days and abruptly restricts immigration from seven majority-Muslim countries. The order also bans all Syrian refugees indefinitely. Trump’s executive order (#MuslimBan) drew a crowd of over 1,000 protesters to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and tens of thousands more to airports across the country. Anna Crosslin, president and CEO of the International Institute of St. Louis, and Mayor Francis G. Slay spoke at the International Institute on Monday, January 30 on the impact of the executive order on St. Louisans.

said the International Institute was

problem

St. Louis City Treasurer Tishaura Jones answers questions during the “Questions from the People” mayoral forum on Sunday.

Family, friends and community members held a Stop the Violence walk recently in honor of 15 year-old Toni Stevenson. The Northwest Academy of Law High School sophomore was shot and killed near her home on Thekla near Mimika Ave. on Tuesday, January 17.

Honoring another young life cut short

See JOYCE, A7

Photo by Wiley Price

By Clark Randall For The St. Louis American

Crosslin

Photo by Wiley Price

Beyoncé expecting Twins

Queen Bey is having twins. The superstar singer posted a photo with her baby bump on Instagram Wednesday to announce the joyful news.

“We would like to share our love and happiness. We have been blessed two times over. We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for your well wishes. The Carters,” she posted.

Beyoncé and her superstar husband Jay Z are parents to five-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy

The couple married in 2008.

T.I.’s

bodyguard shanked in Canada

According to TMZ.com, one of rapper T.I.’s bodyguards took a knife to the leg during one of his boss’ shows.

Law enforcement sources told TMZ that the bodyguard was stabbed at least three times in one of his calves during a show Monday night at a club in Moncton, New Brunswick. He had reportedly been stabbed during a ruckus that broke out while the guy was guarding a table selling T.I. merchandise. He was transported to a local hospital for minor injuries, and was released later that night.

Beyoncé has frequently been the subject of pregnancy rumors.

In 2011, she announced the impending birth of their first child by revealing her baby bump at the end of a performance at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Fans had been tipped off earlier in the evening when she was seen cradling her baby bump on the VMAs red carpet.

Russell Simmons’ $147M RushCard payday

According to several reports, Russell Simmons just unloaded the RushCard for a whopping $147 million dollars.

The RushCard, which debuted in 2003, famously went through a month long shutdown in 2015 –cutting users off from their cash after a systems upgrade failed.

The sale came just a day before the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has ordered UniRush and MasterCard to pay

$13 million in fines and restitution stemming from the card’s malfunction.

The CFPB has ordered MasterCard and UniRush to pay an estimated $10 million in restitution to tens of thousands of harmed customers. The CFPB also fined MasterCard and UniRush $3 million.

Green Dot is not liable for any of the fines or restitution, but will retain The RushCard name and its more than 750,000 cardholders.

50 Cent suing lawyers after sex-tape case cost him $7M

50 Cent claims he was done wrong by his ex-lawyers in the Lastonia sex-tape case , and now he’s suing for $32 million to make it right.

50 Cent, born Curtis Jackson III, filed his claim in U.S. bankruptcy court in Connecticut on Friday, alleging numerous misdeeds by law firm Reed Smith and attorney Peter Raymond, which put him at a disadvantage in Leviston’s lawsuit against him. In 2015, Jackson was

hit with a total of $7 million in damages for posting a sex tape of Leviston and her partner online, overdubbing the tape with his own commentary. Shortly thereafter, the rapper filed for bankruptcy. Jackson’s claim contends that he wouldn’t have had to file for bankruptcy if not for the “neglectful, negligent and unethical conduct of Raymond and Reed Smith” in the Leviston lawsuit. “Reed Smith and Raymond did not follow established legal standards in representing Jackson in the Leviston Case by failing to provide effective representation and conduct proper pre-trial and trial preparation prior to the Leviston trial,” the complaint reads.

Alleging breach of fiduciary duty and malpractice, Jackson is seeking $7 million in actual damages and $25 million in punitive damages.

Pharrell Williams welcomes triplets

Pharrell Williams and wife Helen Lasichanh are celebrating some happy news. The pair has welcomed three new bundles of joy, according to a representative for Williams. Williams and Lasichanh, who have been married since 2013, already have a son, Rocket. “Pharrell, Helen and Rocket Williams have welcomed triplets,” Williams’ rep told CNN. “The family is happy and healthy!” The babies’ names have not been announced.

Sources: CNN.com, TheWrap.com, TMZ.com

Beyoncé

Russell Simmons

Florissant native participates in New Zealand recovery efforts

By Petty Officer 2nd Class

Bryan Jackson U.S. Navy

(AUCKLAND, New Zealand)

– A 2015 Hazelwood Central High School graduate and Florissant native is a crewmember on the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson (DDG 102), which assisted in earthquake recovery efforts in Kaikoura, a town on New Zealand’s South Island.

The crew, originally scheduled to participate in New Zealand’s International Naval Review, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Royal New Zealand Navy, rendered assistance to those affected by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake

Seaman Brandon Parker is a yeoman serving aboard USS Sampson, responsible for the daily operations of the ship’s administrative office.

Seaman Brandon Parker serves aboard the USS Sampson

that shook the South Island in November 2016.

Sailors flew ashore in MH-60R helicopters to distribute water, aid in infrastructural repair, assess damage, and pass out informational packets that informed residents what services were available.

Seaman Brandon Parker is a yeoman serving aboard USS Sampson. As a yeoman, Parker is responsible for the daily operations of the ship’s administrative office.

“Being in customer service can be challenging at times, but at the end of every day I can leave with a smile on my face knowing I helped every sailor to the best of my ability to ensure all their needs were met,” said Parker.

USS Sampson is capable of helicopter operations and warfare areas, such as antisubmarine, surface, air, and strike in support of ensuring stability and prosperity throughout the Pacific.

“While viewing sobering images of widespread infrastructural damage in Kaikoura, I was also reminded and encouraged by the sight of my sailors going ashore with an unwavering can-do spirit that assures me we are doing our part in supporting the New Zealand forces,” said Cmdr.

Tim LaBenz, commanding officer of Sampson.

As one of approximately 350 crewmembers, Parker explained they are building a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes. As with the U.S. Navy, New

Zealand is an important leader in the Pacific, a key contributor to global security, and a valuable military partner on issues like humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and peacekeeping.

“Since day one of working aboard Sampson, I have been able to reach beyond my goals and achieve them by giving nothing but my all,” said Parker. “I also love working alongside people, or in my case, sailors who have the same superior work ethic and can be there for you as a family in times of need.”

Sampson is the fourth U.S. destroyer named after Rear Adm. William Thomas Sampson, who served from 1857 to 1902, and commanded of the North Atlantic Station during the Spanish-American War in 1898. The U.S. Navy second ship named USS Sampson supported combat operations while patrolling Pacific waters north of New Zealand during World War II.

Prisoners deserve fair and humane treatment

By Hedy (Edna) Harden Guest columnist

This open letter was addressed to Anne L. Precythe, incoming director of the Missouri Department of Corrections.

Considerable attention is now being given to the sexual harassment and retaliation scandal concerning employees, particularly females, within the Missouri Department of Corrections (DOC). Yet no mention has been made about the rampant mistreatment, neglect and other acts of misconduct being committed daily by prison staff against the 32,000 men and women confined in Missouri prisons.

I am dismayed to hear about women being routinely

harassed and then retaliated against for reporting sexual harassment by their male counterparts, but I am glad this has finally come to light. It should now be understood and recognized that – if the atmosphere of harassment, abuse and retaliation against the DOC’s own employees has gotten this far out of hand – then the mistreatment and neglect of prisoners, who are even more defenseless, must be far worse.

Mainstream media and government officials have remained silent about this problem. Is this unintentional ignorance or a deliberate refusal to acknowledge such abuses?

The acceptance of prisoner abuse (because prisoners are considered to be less

than human) is what has encouraged and ultimately given rise to the current atmosphere of mistreatment of the department’s own employees. Historically, it has always been a mistake for government and society to assume that widespread abuse of one group of people will be contained or limited to just that group, and that it will not eventually spread elsewhere. This attitude of tolerance of abuse by society is also a major contributing factor in fostering further criminal behavior by perpetrators who want revenge against society for having now been made victims themselves.

America has a long history of ignoring and even taking pride in the abuse and mistreatment of other human beings, such as in the decimation of Native peoples and the enslavement of Africans. In fact, some of the same women who brought these sexual harassment lawsuits may have themselves participated in abuse and mistreatment of prisoners. Without people being held accountable for such abuses, they will continue unchecked.

Missouri Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE) has been endeavoring

to call attention to these kinds of problems for the last 26 years. Understandably, we have encountered all kinds of unwarranted opposition by those who have much to fear by being exposed, even while they refuse to adopt a policy of reform.

Most prison officials and many politicians here have no real desire to see incarcerated men and woman released and returned as productive citizens to society. They are only interested in warehousing people to fraudulently inflate political district representation in the Missouri Legislature and to add substantial revenue to the economies in their own communities. Most of the people that prison officials fail to rehabilitate won’t even be

living in correctional-facility communities once they are returned to society. There will never be any real solutions to crime until these issues are meaningfully addressed. Missouri CURE advocates for the fair and humane treatment of incarcerated men and women and their return to their communities in a wholesome, non-vengeful state of mind towards society. We at Missouri CURE welcome you to Missouri, and we would welcome an opportunity to work with you towards achieving these endeavors.

Hedy (Edna) Harden is chairperson of Missouri CURE. This letter was cosigned by Keith Brown El, vice chairman, and Renese Drake, secretary.

‘We

need new thinking to move forward’

Jennifer Joyce is the type of well-informed voter who always votes in Democratic primaries that any serious Democratic primary campaign tries to reach and persuade. Given that she was herself a longtime citywide elected official as circuit attorney also makes her a potentially valuable political endorsement. Last week, she took to a social medium devoted to her South St. Louis neighborhood to weigh in on the Democratic mayoral primary that will be decided on March 7. She offered a remarkable assessment.

“I believe that we need new thinking to move forward in St. Louis. That is my problem with Lyda Krewson,” Joyce wrote.

“When you look at her supporters and advisors, it’s Groundhog Day. Sinquefield, Rainford, SLPOA (which, by the way, does not speak for most officers, IMHO). It’s all very, very establishment.”

“Groundhog Day” is a film where the same day keeps happening over and over again, so Joyce implies that electing Krewson – the only electable white candidate in the race – would amount to a replay of the administration of Mayor Francis G. Slay. Sinquefield is Rex Sinquefield, the billionaire political player who remains Slay’s single largest campaign funder. Rainford is Jeff Rainford, who ran many of Slay’s campaigns and served as his first chief of staff, who set the tone for the version of the Slay administration that rubbed so many of us the wrong way. Rainford was notorious for blunt manipulation of racially divisive politics and the skillful deployment of the Post-Dispatch and KSDK, among other local media, to hurt opponents and control the narrative of city politics. The SLPOA is the city police union, which endorsed Krewson, who in turn, pledged to put 300 new police officers on the streets (and put the city on the hook for 300 more pensions). Joyce posted this on a South St. Louis neighborhood site, then soon deleted it. She would not speak to us on the record about why she deleted the post, but it was not because she changed her mind. One can only imagine the firestorm unleashed on her from her former South Side political base and other political actors for her to so plainly identify so many sound reasons why the South Side’s candidate –despite Krewson’s adoption of the “racial equity” rhetoric popularized locally by the Ferguson Commission – is not a change candidate for a

city that desperately needs major policy change. Joyce did not offer an endorsement in her post, but she did narrow the candidate pool down to two. Her assessment here comes from up-close personal experience. “That’s why I’m favoring Tishaura Jones and Antonio French,” Joyce wrote. “I’ve worked with both, and I can tell you they are both very smart and dedicated to making an impact on crime – which is a huge issue for me. Both would be a breath of fresh air in City Hall.”

This analysis is nothing short of stunning. It’s not Krewson, the white candidate whom the police union endorsed, that she trusts to make a positive impact on crime from the mayor’s office, but two young black candidates who have both, at times, struggled against the police union and certainly always stood up to them. Improving public safety, the city’s longtime and most recent prosecutor argues, does not depend on simply putting more police on the street. It requires a real change of direction, Joyce argues – with a genuine focus on racial equity and creative problemsolving – and she thinks Tishaura Jones and Antonio French are the best change candidates. According to the latest campaign finance reports, Krewson has $576,199.41 in the bank. Reed has $254,529.68; Jones has $219,306; Boyd has $21,014 and French reported $209.88. French’s report shows that he already has amassed a debt of close to $40,000, and Reed reported a debt of $13,000. In the polls released to date, Krewson leads the field of candidates with 24 percent – everyone else who is electable, which is Jones, French and Lewis Reed, are black – but more voters polled were undecided than committed to Krewson, and more voters are committed to the black candidates collectively than to Krewson. That’s why this analysis from a white person with expertise and credibility is so potentially explosive. If white voters who want change actually vote for change, and a consensus black change candidate emerges, then what should have been (by the old racial math Jeff Rainford does in his sleep) an easy win for Krewson becomes a very competitive race. We owe Jennifer Joyce for this burst of candor and honesty. Now all we need is a consensus black change candidate.

Commentary

Don’t dismiss Trump’s rants as distractions

Where to begin? That’s the daily question for anyone trying to follow the words and deeds of the new administration, which is like drinking from two fire hoses – one gushing policy, the other spewing insanity. Neither stream can be ignored. I wish I could agree with those who say we should pay little attention to President Trump’s verbal eruptions and focus only on concrete actions, but I can’t. It matters that the most powerful man in the world insists on “facts” that are nothing but self-aggrandizing fantasy. It matters that the president of the United States seems incapable of publicly admitting any error. It matters that Trump’s need for adulation appears to be insatiable.

The president’s most acute obsession is with the false notion that he only lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton because of widespread election fraud committed by “millions” of people. There were, in fact, four documented cases of voter fraud in the election, not millions. Two of them involved individuals who said they were Trump supporters. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., is among the many officials who have acknowledged there is zero evidence of the kind of fraud Trump alleges. When pressed on the subject, Trump cites a 2012 report by the Pew Center on the states that found problems with inaccurate voter registration rolls – but no indication of fraud, according to the study’s author. When David Muir of ABC News pointed this out to Trump in an interview on January 25, the president claimed the author of the Pew study was now “groveling,”

whatever that means. At a meeting with congressional leaders on January 23, Trump cited a different piece of purported proof, according to The New York Times: He told a story about how professional golfer Bernhard Langer tried to vote in Florida on Election Day but was not allowed to do so, while suspicious-looking voters ahead of and behind him, possibly Latin-American immigrants, were permitted to cast provisional ballots. This simply did not happen. Langer indeed lives in Florida but is a German citizen. He has never voted in this country. Why is any of this important?

Because Trump, relying on a misinterpreted study and a garbled anecdote, has called for a “major investigation” of all this nonexistent voter fraud. He now has the vast resources of the Justice Department at his disposal, which means that if he wants a big investigation, he can have one. Press secretary Sean Spicer said that the focus would be on “urban” areas, and he mentioned California and New York – both of which voted heavily for Clinton – as states that may be looked at carefully.

What we have, then, is an instance in which Trump’s fixation on his own popularity, or lack thereof, dovetails with the Republican Party’s longstanding political interest in minimizing the electoral weight of Democratic “urban”

The right strategy

I’m going to do something that’s a little uncommon in politics. I’m going to spend much of this column talking favorably about one of my opponents.

Lewis Reed and I have known each other for over 15 years. I like Lewis and consider him a friend. I helped lead his historic election as President of the Board of Aldermen in 2007. Having an African-American in that position has been critical in the years since, especially as the number of AfricanAmerican aldermen has fallen to its lowest levels since in 30 years (only 11 of 28). The president appoints members of committees and it is only because of those appointments that African-Americans, totaling far less than the 15 votes needed to pass or stop legislation, have any influence at the Board of Aldermen today. And that is why it is critical to the future of the African-American community that Lewis Reed stay in his current position.

The rules of the Board of Aldermen state that if Lewis were to leave his position, Alderman Joe Roddy (D-17th Ward) as the most senior member of the board would then become President of the Board of Aldermen. The efforts of so many people who fought to get an African-American in that critical position would be thrown out the window.

Now, I supported Lewis in his last run for mayor. And it’s true that the same scenario would have occurred then. But the African-American community didn’t have much of a choice. We desperately needed a change from Francis Slay. But this upcoming mayoral election is different. Francis Slay will not be mayor again, and we have choices. But we must be strategic. I’m the only candidate for mayor who is giving up his seat to run. Believe me, if everyone was required to give up their current office to run for the next office, we’d have far less candidates for mayor. Many people feel like they have nothing to lose, so why not run. But now is the time to put personal ambition aside and do what’s best for our city and our community.

strongholds – meaning cities with large populations of minorities and liberals. We should prepare for a GOP attempt to channel Trump’s delusion into the rational, but nefarious, purpose of voter suppression.

Another example is Trump’s insistence on the value of torture in the fight against terrorism. Trump pledged during the campaign to bring back waterboarding and “much worse.” Doing so would violate U.S. and international law. Trump has said he will leave the decision up to Defense Secretary James Mattis and CIA Director Mike Pompeo, neither of whom has shown the slightest enthusiasm for getting the United States back into the torture business.

So can we relax? Not really, because Trump won’t admit he was wrong. He said in the interview with Muir that “we have to fight fire with fire” in the battle against the Islamic State and that torture “absolutely” works. Since Trump is the commander in chief, words such as these create political problems at home for our allies. How can they fully share intelligence with the United States if they believe captured suspects may be tortured?

Trump’s off-the-wall statements and Twitter rants cannot be dismissed as mere attempts to distract. We have a president who is obsessed with his public standing, given to outlandish statements, eager to believe in conspiracy theories and unwilling to admit when he is wrong. To our peril, his character and moods will shape his policies.

Stenger should not be trusted

County Executive Steve Stenger promised a top-tobottom, forensic audit of St. Louis County government when running for county executive in 2014. It was called the “centerpiece promise” of his campaign. The implication was that much waste and wrongdoing could be uncovered. Stenger also said it would be done in his first 100 days in office. But the promise has not been kept, nor will it ever be.

The county executive has now been in office more than two years and the audit still isn’t done. It is not a forensic audit, and it will not be a topto-bottom audit. What it has been is a mess. The cost of the audit was to be $140,000, but now it’s up to $214,000 and there is no telling when it will be done.

The county executive will not keep his audit promise but now is promising more police officers will be hired if county voters approve Proposition P – a big sales tax hike that will be on the April 4 ballot. It is one more empty promise as it comes with no safeguards. The new money comes in the front door and the old money goes out the back, and politicians gets tens of millions of dollars more from taxpayers to spend any way they want.

St. Louis City actually has a weak mayoral system. The real power is with the threeperson Board of Estimate & Apportionment, made up of the mayor, the president of the Board of Aldermen, and the comptroller. This body makes the all financial decisions for the city. Working together, as we have done for years, Lewis and I, along with Comptroller Darlene Green, could do great things for our city. That’s the power play. That’s the best move for our community. As a wise man once said, “This is chess, not checkers.” For the first time in St. Louis history, we have an opportunity to have an African-American mayor, president of the Board of Aldermen, comptroller, treasurer, license collector, sheriff, and circuit attorney. But only if we make the right moves and be smart.

Steve Stenger could not be trusted on his audit promise. He should likewise not be trusted when he says voting for a sales tax increase will provide more police protection.

Tom Sullivan University City

More motivated now than ever

This is real. Donald Trump is president. And it’s up to us to hold him accountable and fight back.

It’s not a lonely mission. We might be the opposition party, but we aren’t the minority.

Remember, 54 percent of voters chose someone else in November. The majority of Americans wanted a different president.

If we sit around and mope, the progress we made over the past eight years could all be erased. But if we don’t give up or give in, the Trump Administration will just be a four-year speed bump in our nation’s history.

That’s why I, along with thousands in Kansas City and millions across the world, marched on January 20 – to show President Trump that we’re going to stand up for each other and not let him send our country in the wrong direction. We made our voices heard on the first full day in

I’m asking you to share this letter with your friends and family. Inform them of this strategy. This is the best path for our community and our city. Let’s make history together on Tuesday, March 7th. As your mayor, I will work tirelessly with all our city’s elected officials to make our city a safer place, a place with more jobs and more opportunities, a place where neighborhoods on both sides of Delmar get the services and attention they deserve. I’m not in this for a title. I’m in this to get things done. And I think if we all work together, we can change this city for better.

Sincerely, Antonio French Candidate for Mayor

office, and we’ll do it every day during his presidency. I’m more motivated now than ever. I’m counting on you to be too.

Jason Kander, Kansas City

Protestor also depicted as animal

Regarding your article about David Pulphus’ painting and its removal: First, I want to thank Congressman Clay for defending the painting and returning it to the wall several times. Second, I want to point out that in addition to two of the police officers being depicted as boars, one of the demonstrators appears to be depicted as an animal as well. This has not been mentioned in any of the articles about the controversy which I have read in The American and elsewhere. I guess only privileged classes of people are offended by being symbolically depicted in animal form. The demonstrator in the red shirt appears to be represented as either a cat or a wolf. It’s hard to tell. I hope this painting continues to be studied and discussed, and I hope a deeper conversation with the artist follows.

Susan Turk St. Louis

RIP, Boom Boom

Marshell Hill stands in front of a memorial for her friend, Toni Stevenson, who was gunned down in front of her home on January 17. A Stop the Violence walk was held Saturday, January 21 in honor of the 15-year-old. The Northwest Academy of Law High School sophomore was shot and killed near her home on Thekla Avenue near Mimika Avenue in North St. Louis.

Free

tax preparation

Comptroller Darlene Green, in partnership with the National Association of Black Accountants, Inc. (NABA), Reliance Bank and 1st Financial Federal Credit Union, is sponsoring free tax preparations and banking consultations for low-to-moderate wage earners, senior citizens and individuals with disabilities. The free services will be offered from 4:30-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 8 and Wednesday, February 15 at the William J. Harrison Education Center, 3140 Cass Ave.

Taxpayers should bring required materials with them to the preparation, including all W-2 and 1099 forms, valid identification, social security cards or taxpayer identification numbers for all family members, and other materials. For a full list of items to bring, visit the NABA website at www.naba-stl.org/vita/. For more information, call 314-657-3422.

stARTup Competition deadline is March 1

A new stARTup Competition allows people wanting to start an arts organization to compete for mentorship from entrepreneurial and arts management experts, administrative facilities and infrastructure in the Centene Center for the Arts, professional development and networking opportunities, and seed funding. Organizations that have been in existence for two years or less are also welcome to apply. The Arts and Education Council and the PNC Foundation are the sponsors. Panelists for the competition include Sarah Rouland Bowman, PNC; Sheila Burkett, Spry Digital; Chris Dornfeld, Bonfyre; Jason Hall, Missouri Technology Corporation; Matt Homann, Filament; Debbie Marshall, PNC; Susan Stith, Express Scripts, Inc.; and Noah Vasquez, Competitive Range Solutions. The deadline to apply is March 1. For more information and to apply, visit KeepArtHappening.org/stARTup-Competition.

Racial bias puts patients at risk

By Brookshield Laurent Guest columnist

Do blacks have less sensitive nerve endings than whites?

It’s an outrageously racist question. Yet in a recent survey, 14 percent of white second-year medical students answered yes. In that same survey, about 40 percent of white first- and second-year medical students expressed the belief that black patients have thicker skin than their white counterparts.

These findings point to an awful reality: Racial biases and misconceptions remain rampant in our health care system – and medical schools aren’t doing enough to address the issue. The prejudice in our health care system is hazardous. Addressing this hazard needs to start with medical educators.

Implicit bias -- the unconscious negative evaluation of a particular group -can affect medical judgment. Consider a 2008 Journal of the American Medical Association study, which found that black and Latino patients admitted to an emergency room with bone fractures or kidney stones are less likely to receive the recommended levels of painkillers relative to the average white patient.

Research from Harvard Medical School professor Joseph Betancourt shows that blacks are less likely than whites to receive kidney transplants. And compared to the general male population, African American men with prostate cancer are less likely to receive chemotherapy and radiation.

America’s health care system provides a far different standard of care to minority patients, oftentimes for no discernible reason other than skin color. This form of prejudice isn’t just unfair; it’s potentially life-threatening.

Since many of these attitudes are established long before physicians begin their careers, medical schools have a significant role to play in addressing the problem. The first step is to help students recognize their biases early.

Several medical schools are already making progress.

First-year medical students at University of California, San Francisco, for instance, participate in a workshop that begins with an implicit bias test to gauge attitudes about various identity groups.

Students at my own institution, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, engage in a variety of simulated interactions with patients of different races, socio-economic backgrounds, and sexual orientations. Based on these scenarios, students investigate how their unconscious biases affect their behavior. Simulations and classwork can only do so much to change attitudes, of course. Medical schools need to provide students with frequent opportunities to engage with patients of different backgrounds.

NYIT’s medical students, for instance, participate in a free, monthly clinic in Central Islip, a low-income town on Long Island with a large minority population. Medical educators must also eliminate teaching materials that reinforce implicit biases. Such materials are remarkably common. In fact, a report published earlier this year in Academic Medicine found that, in many medical school lectures, race is routinely discussed as a straightforward medical risk factor for certain conditions, not as a complex social concept.

Such a biological view of race not only bolsters destructive prejudices; it obscures the many ways in which social forces and biases can dramatically affect the health of minority patients.

What’s most important is that medical schools aggressively pursue new strategies for combatting implicit bias, and share their lessons with the larger healthcare community. Without a substantial effort to produce culturally competent, impartial medical practitioners, the lives of minority Americans will remain at risk.

Brookshield Laurent, D.O., is vice chair of the Department of Clinical Specialties at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Brookshield Laurent

Photo by Wiley Price

expecting 6o people to arrive in St. Louis this week alone and 53 were denied entrance.

Slay said a 13-year-old boy in the Congo who will not be able to reach his father living in St. Louis despite having completed the vetting process. The boy was only days away from booking a flight.

“If the point of the legislation is to make Americans safer, it is bad legislation,” said Crosslin, who has served as president of the International Institute for nearly 40 years.

“Refugees are not part of the problem; in fact, they are part of the solution.”

Crosslin believes the problem with many Americans is that they are not well informed on the facts and have allowed fear to fester.

“These [people] are not all unaccompanied males,” Crosslin said. “Two-thirds are women and children.”

She added that 98 percent of refugees have existing familial ties. Crosslin said that one problem with the executive order is that security clearances for refugees expire quickly – so a 120-day ban will mean that people will have to restart the vetting process which can take

On Jan. 29, hundreds of protesters gathered at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport to express opposition to the president’s Executive Order on immigration. Thousands more protested the order throughout the country.

up to two years to complete.

“For someone with an existing medical condition like breast cancer, 120 days could mean a death sentence,” Crosslin said.

Saint Louis Public Schools

Superintendent Kelvin Adams sent out a message after the executive order. He said the district’s ESOL Program currently supports more than 2,600 English language learn-

ers (ELLs) who come from 53 countries and collectively speak 46 different languages.

Enrollment in the ESOL Program saw a dramatic increase in the current school year as a result of the crisis in Syria and continued political situations in Somalia, Congo, and other countries, Adams said. More than 500 new ELLs joined Saint Louis Public Schools this school year.

“It is our responsibility as the public school system of the City of St. Louis and our privi-

FORUM

Continued from A1

Jamal Sadrud-Din. “I feel there is a divide there.”

Probably the loudest applause came when Jones was asked why she chose not to vie for the endorsement of the St. Louis Police Officers Association.

“I did not seek the endorsement of the POA because anyone who stands with [Jeff] Roorda, I cannot support,” Jones said.

Roorda, who was the police union’s spokesperson during the Ferguson unrest, had made posts on social media that attacked protestors as wanting “dead cops.” When four officers were killed at a protest in Dallas, he tweeted that the blood was on President Obama’s hands. Roorda is the union’s business manager.

Kayla then asked Krewson about receiving the union’s endorsement.

“Jeff Roorda’s comments on social media were incendiary and abhorrent,” Krewson

lege as educators to help welcome these new Americans to the Saint Louis Public Schools family,” Adams said. “By inviting and encouraging children from all different backgrounds and nationalities to fully participate in our classrooms, all of our students will be better prepared to lead and succeed in the dynamic, diverse world that awaits them.”

At the press conference, Crosslin was asked if she had been contacted at the state

said. “I do not stand with Jeff Roorda and those comments, but I do stand with the 1,200 St. Louis city police officers. I can’t help who they hire.”

Kayla then asked if Krewson would call for him to resign.

“He’s not a public official. I can’t call for him to resign,” said Krewson, causing stirring and yelling in the crowd. “He doesn’t do a good service to the SLPOA.”

Another lively topic was the proposed soccer stadium.

Jones earned applause for saying, “St. Louis has 99 problems and soccer ain’t one of them.”

Kayla asked why Lewis was the deciding vote on a recent board bill to ask city residents to vote on whether or not the city should use public funds for a stadium. He said he believes in empowering voters. French voted against the bill.

“We have a lot more priorities than a soccer stadium, especially when we are asking people to raise their taxes to pay for it,” French said. “This isn’t a tax incentive, it’s an increase. And it comes from

level regarding the executive order. “This is a particularly difficult time to get guidance,” she responded, given the recent election of Eric Greitens as governor. Crosslin described the current situation as “absolute havoc” in Missouri’s state offices.

As to the current state of the city, Slay described St. Louis as a “welcoming community,” saying, “We stand ready to help.”

When the St. Louis American asked the mayor

funds that are normally spent to fully fund the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, to pay for demolition of vacant buildings in our neighborhood and for police.”

All the candidates received 20 pre-debate questions, and the forum hosts printed out the candidates’ answers for the audience. At the forum, the moderators asked the candidates to expand on certain answers, which allowed the audience to gain a more in-depth perspective about their stances.

After the debate, SadrudDin said he is prepared to vote for Jones because he believes her work in establishing bank accounts for city’s youth is extremely important. He also sides with her on opposing publicly funding the soccer stadium and denouncing Roorda. She was also the only candidate who talked about ensuring that giving tax incentives result in benefits to the entire community – not just some, he said.

Derek Laney, executive director of Missourians

to differentiate between a “welcoming community” from a “sanctuary city,” Slay responded, “Under Missouri law, St. Louis cannot be a sanctuary city.”

Sanctuary cities are defined by their instruction to law enforcement not to target people for immigration infractions. Slay was referencing House Bill 1549, enacted in 2008, which outlaws any “county, city, town, or village” from endorsing sanctuary policies. Furthermore, the bill outlaws all state-level grant funding to a municipality using sanctuary policy. Crosslin added, “We can give sanctuary without being a formally sanctuary [city].”

But with Slay on his way out, this could be a pivot point in the mayoral election. Of the top five candidates, Alderwoman Lyda Krewson, who represents Ward 28, was the only one to express pause at becoming a sanctuary city in the future, saying she would not want to jeopardize federal funds at this point.

On the question of worsening conditions for Muslims under the Trump regime, Crosslin addressed the future possibility of a Muslim registry.

“I’m not sure whether it can or cannot happen,” Crosslin said. “We don’t seem to learn from our history.”

Organizing for Reform and Empowerment, noted the brevity in some candidates’ responses, particularly Boyd’s.

“It showed that maybe he hasn’t thought about these issues,” Laney said. “Lyda Krewson, she didn’t answer the questions about her endorsement of the police association. When she was asked about calling for Roorda to be fired, she waffled on it.”

Kayla also noted a “gap” between the candidates.

“Lyda held her ground in a space that would be hard to be comfortable in,” Kayla said. “I think Tishaura and Antonio did a good job. Boyd showed he had some work to do, and Reed got frustrated a lot. It calls into question what’s going to happen when tense things happen up in that office. Will you be able to be centered in what’s best for the people and not take things so personally?”

State Rep. Bruce Franks said there wasn’t a clear winner.

“It’s hard to lean a specific way when you have so many black candidates,” Franks said. “I think we should be shrinking the black candidates because it is taking away from the vote. I would never deter anyone from running, but thinking logically about the race. It’s hard.” In fact, one question, which was initially addressed to Lewis, started a rebuttal war between Lewis and Boyd. Kayla said there have been several articles about how having five black candidates will split the black vote, ensuring a win for Krewson. With so many black candidates in the race, Kayla said that many believe this is a sign of poor leadership in the black community. Black residents are wondering since Lewis ran and lost in 2012, why should they vote for him in 2017?

“I ran against Mayor Slay when everyone else was scared to do it,” Lewis said. Then he started taking shots at the other black candidates, saying that Slay’s campaign manager now manages Jones’ campaign and Boyd passed out flyers supporting Slay at polls on election day in 2012. In her rebuttal Tishaura said, “Slay’s campaign team does not run my campaign. They are advisors.” That earned boos from the crowd.

“There is a man who you know and who ran my campaign in 2012 and he’s my father,” Jones said, which seems to appease some in the audience.

Boyd took a shot right back saying that he supported Slay over Lewis because Lewis never lived up to his promises to the black community in his 10 years as president.

“How dare you – a man with no integrity – tell me who I should support? [Reed] does not keep his word,” Boyd said. They each got one more rebuttal and both accused each other of doing little to help the black community.

Photo by Willis Ryder Arnold of St. Louis Public Radio

FOCUS

said.

“I feel like I don’t even know that person anymore,” Bayer said.

Bayer was among the first graduating class of FOCUS St. Louis’ Impact Fellow program, who celebrated their graduation on January 25 at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. As part of the ceremony, the graduates presented their group projects to address specific issues in the region. The three groups used the Ferguson Commission’s report and calls to action as a guidepost for their 10 months of work.

Bayer’s group presented the Catalyst Circle, which is basically an outline for a 12-session “book club” for people who want to learn more about racial equity. The sessions walk participants through the history of racism in St. Louis through suggested articles, videos and

JOYCE

Continued from A1

Continued from A1 way, does not speak for most officers, IMHO). It’s all very, very establishment.”

Sinquefield is Rex Sinquefield, the billionaire financier who remains Mayor Francis G. Slay’s single largest campaign funder. Rainford is Jeff Rainford, who ran many of Slay’s campaigns and served as his first chief of staff, most notoriously during the Slay administration’s attack on then Fire Chief Sherman George. The SLPOA is the city police union, which endorsed Krewson.

Joyce, who did not seek reelection for circuit attorney and is currently traveling the country with her spouse, posted this analysis to a Next Door forum devoted to her South St. Louis neighborhood. But she soon deleted it. She would not speak to The American on the

books for each meeting time. Bayer said his understanding radically changed three years ago when he attended an intense three-day anti-bias and anti-racism workshop, hosted by Crossroads Antiracism Organizing and Training and City Garden Montessori School. Being in his community developer role, his boss thought the training would be helpful. There he learned statistics that he never had heard before – including that a person born in Clayton lives 18 years longer than a person born in the Jeff VanderLou area.

Missy Kelley, president and CEO of Downtown STL Inc., said her story was identical to Bayer’s just “substitute St. Charles for Sunset Hills.”

While the Ferguson unrest concerned her, she didn’t know how to talk about the topic, she said.

“I didn’t even know if you should say African American or black,” she said. “How could I have a conversation if I couldn’t use the right words?”

record about why she deleted the post, but she said it was not because she had changed her mind.

Krewson, who is alderman for Ward 28 in the city’s diverse Central Corridor, is the only major white candidate in the race. She faces three major black candidates – Antonio French, Tishaura O. Jones and Lewis Reed – as well as three perennial candidates in the March 7 Democratic primary.

License Collector Gregg F.X. Daly, who filed a committee to run for mayor then withdrew, has endorsed Krewson. Joyce is the most prominent and influential current or past citywide elected official (other than Reed, who is president of the Board of Alderman, and Jones, who is city treasurer) to reject the South Side’s consensus candidate in Krewson and call for change.

Joyce stops short of making an endorsement, though she does narrow the candidate field

Kelley said the book club model is a safe introduction for people who want to educate themselves about racial inequities but don’t know where to start.

Turan Mullins, assistant dean for diversity and inclusion at Maryville University, said he hopes the resource helps to bring change in the region.

“Without the history of what it has been, you can’t envision what we can be,” Mullins said.

The next group of graduates tackled racial gaps in income.

been no racial gaps in income, according to their research. For their project, the group felt they needed to narrow their scope to truly be impactful, so they focused on the construction industry.

In 2014, the St. Louis Metro economy would have been $15.6 billion larger if there had

to two change candidates.

“That’s why I’m favoring Tishaura Jones and Antonio French,” Joyce wrote. “I’ve worked with both, and I can tell you they are both very smart and dedicated to making an impact on crime – which is a huge issue for me. Both would be a breath of fresh air in City Hall.

“I’ve also had great experiences with Lewis Reed and Jeffrey Boyd, but they may lack the level of creativity I’ve seen in Tishaura and Antonio. Just my two cents.”

The St. Louis Metro construction industry could account for $400 million more in GDP if there were no racial gaps in industry employment and wages.

“That’s real opportunity we are leaving on the table,” said Katie Carpenter, program manager for COCABiz.

The group outlined ways to encourage recruitment and retention of minority apprentices.

And the final group looked at how to break the school-to-

in her post. I am the one who brought NextDoor – the very platform the comments were made – to St. Louis City to modernize communication between neighbors to help drive down crime.”

The American asked both French and Jones for a response in the same email, and Jones responded first.

prison pipeline. At the graduation, they asked the audience how many of them had been suspended for writing on a desk, fighting or other minor offenses. Few raised their hands.

They explained that although black children make up only 17 percent of K-3 students in Missouri, they received almost 70 percent of all out of school suspensions in the 2013-14 school year.

“Young students who are expelled or suspended are 10 times more likely to drop out of high school, experience academic failure, hold negative school attitudes and face incarceration,” said Cassandra Ray Brown, director of finance at the St. Louis Zoo.

The gap between the suspension rates between black and white students in Missouri public schools is the widest in the nation.

“This was something that struck our group, and this was something that we knew we had to tackle,” she said.

The group created a multimedia campaign to address racial inequity in school discipline, and resources are available on the FOCUS Impact website. They also partnered with local organizations to bring superintendents, parents and community members together in a regional school assembly to talk about the issue.

FOCUS Impact Fellows Director Felicia Pulliam said she was proud of the work that the first graduating class had accomplished.

“After 11 months of walking through the struggle of centuries of oppression and systems of segregation, history hiding in plain sight, more blood in the streets, the swelling discontent both social and political, our call became even more apparent,” Pulliam said. “The Impact fellows dug deep. St. Louis is a traumatized community that needs to focus on its healing.”

Krewson did not respond to the American’s request for comment about Joyce’s post, but Reed did.

“I hope to win Ms. Joyce’s vote in the coming weeks,” Reed said. “I disagree with Ms. Joyce’s depiction of me

“Jennifer Joyce is right. Neither Krewson nor Reed represents change. Between them, Lyda and Lewis have been voting at the St. Louis Board of Aldermen for almost 40 years. And they aren’t really that different from each other. It is almost as difficult to think of a controversial issue either one of them has led the fight for as it is to find major issues on which they disagreed with each other,” Jones responded.

“They are charter members of the status quo club. They have cast hundreds of votes together, always in support of the subsidies and abatements for projects in the city’s affluent neighborhoods that have benefited their donors. Both of them supported the failed and expensive bid to build a new Rams stadium. There is nothing in their histories to suggest that would change if either was mayor. Neither is much trusted by the progressive aldermen and their supporters, black and white, who have begun demanding attention for distressed neighborhoods and for greater citizen participation in deciding how and where city resources are allocated.”

French responded next, getting in a dig at Jeff Roorda, business agent and spokesman for the city police union.

“It’s easy to see the vast majority of voters – not just Jennifer Joyce, but voters all over this city—are rejecting

Lyda Krewson and jumping on board with our campaign. People want change. Lyda represents the exact opposite. She represents the ‘haves’ in a city full of ‘have nots’. She represents the status quo: more tax money for millionaires, while poor people see their neighborhoods crumble,” French responded.

“More talk about lowering crime, when actually only focused on downtown and the central corridor. More talk about police ‘training’ while standing with Jeff Roorda and ignoring issues of police accountability. Lyda lives in a bubble where, as she says in her campaign commercial, the biggest fights are about smoking bans. She knows nothing about issues of poverty, racism, homelessness. These are the biggest challenges our city faces. We need a mayor who understands these issues and isn’t afraid to roll up his sleeves tackle the real issues.”

Jennifer Joyce

Photo by Rebecca Rivas

Turan Mullins, assistant dean for diversity & inclusion at Maryville University

Dr. Louise A. Rice to keynote Delta Founders Day

Dr. Louise A. Rice, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s 23rd National President, will give the keynote address at the St. Louis Alumnae Chapter’s 2017 Founders Day Luncheon on Saturday, February 18, 2017, 11:00 a.m., at the Marriott St. Louis Airport Hotel. The weekend celebration will conclude with an Ecumenical Service on Sunday, February 19, 2017, 10:00 a.m., at the New Sunny Mount Missionary Baptist Church. This year’s Theme: “St. Louis Alumnae: 90 Years of Empowerment, Service and Sisterhood”

The dynamic Dr. Rice’s commitment to Delta, over the past 30 years, has been constant. Prior to becoming National President she served as National First Vice President and Chair of the Scholarship and Standards Committee, Chair of the Leadership Academy, National Secretary and Director, Southern Region. Under her leadership, the Sorority established the Delta Hurricane Katrina Relief Task Force to facilitate the needs of Gulf Coast residents affected by the national disaster. Additionally, Delta

Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. made a major commitment to three historically black colleges and universities that were affected by Hurricane Katrina. Collectively, $700,000 was awarded over a four year period to the universities with a total of more than $1.2 million dollars awarded to agencies, organizations, members and other residents of the affected Gulf areas. Dr. Rice holds a Doctorate of Philosophy degree in Reading Education from the University of Georgia in Athens. Her

professional success is extraordinary, and at the same time, she has maintained a keen sense of the necessity to remain committed to public service and community involvement. This is evidenced by her continued commitment to and support of a number of non-profit boards and agencies.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is a non-profit public service organization based on Christian principles with a membership of more than 300,000 college educated women in the United States and abroad. The organization is dedicated to Social Welfare, Cultural Enrichment, and Academic Excellence.

The ticket cost for nonfinancial members and guests is $60.00, $40 for collegiate members. For ticket information, contact Kim Banks-Taylor at ekbdst@gmail.com or (314) 637-6869.

Kim Banks-Taylor is Luncheon Chairperson, Rita Logan, and JoAnna Schooler are Co-Chairpersons, and Phyllis Russell-Smith is Chapter President.

Saint Louis Art Museum Hosts Black History Month Film Series

In recognition of Black History Month, the Saint Louis Art Museum will screen a trio of films starring, produced, or directed by African Americans. The Black History Month film series begins Sunday, February 5 at 1 pm with the documentary Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, followed by A Ballerina’s Tale on Sunday, February 12, and Beasts of the Southern Wild on Sunday, February 19 While the films span subject matter, each highlights the creative output of African Americans and their contributions to the arts.

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child was shot more than 20 years ago and chronicles the rise and fall of African American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Born to a Haitian father and Puerto Rican mother, Basquiat first gained the art world’s attention in the late 1970s as a graffiti artist “tagging” walls around Manhattan. He painted his first canvas in 1981 and by 1983 was one of the most well-known young artists in New York City. Basquiat became an international celebrity and is recognized as one of the most accomplished artists of his generation. Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child includes a rare interview shot with the artist and offers a glimpse into Basquiat’s private and mysterious world.

A Ballerina’s Tale captures Misty Copeland’s journey from child prodigy to the first African American woman promoted to principal dancer at the American Ballet Theater. Copeland’s career underlines the challenges that go hand in hand with being an African American woman in the classical ballet world.

A Ballerina’s Tale shadows the dancer through her starring role in Firebird, a potentially career-ending leg

injury, and her triumphant return to ballet with the lead in Swan Lake. Copeland’s ascension to the highest level of the ballet world shows how great talent and determination can break through racial barriers and inspire generations of young African American girls who hope to someday be principal dancers as well. Beasts of the Southern Wild stars Quvenzhané Wallis as Hushpuppy, a young girl surviving in isolation in a desolate area of Louisiana’s bayou. The film follows brave Hushpuppy as she sets out on a journey to save her dying father and sinking home. Part drama and part fantasy, Beasts of

the Southern Wild received four Academy Award nominations and critical acclaim. At age nine, Wallis became the youngest person ever to receive a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. The movie is widely recognized as one of the best of 2012.

Tickets may be reserved in person at the Museum’s Information Centers or through MetroTix at metrotix.com or 314.534.1111. All tickets reserved through MetroTix incur a service charge; the service charge is waived for tickets purchased at the Museum. Same day tickets, if available, can be obtained on-site only.

Black History Month Film Series

The Farrell Auditorium $5 public, free for members

To celebrate Black History Month, the Saint Louis Art Museum will screen films starring, directed, or produced by African Americans. Advance tickets recommended. Sunday, February 5 – 1 pm: Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child Sunday, February 12 – 1 pm: A Ballerina›s Tale Sunday, February 19 – 1 pm: Beasts of the Southern Wild

Dr. Louise A. Rice

NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION

Savvy Shopping!

Nutrition Challenge:

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

Stretching

Stranger Danger

PRESENT:

Healthy Kids Healthy Kids

Healthcare Careers

GRANOLA Cereal

companies are quite clever when thinking of creative ways to make you believe that something is healthy.

INGREDIENTS: Whole Grain Wheat, Sugar,

Corn Bran, Wheat Bran, Inulin, Gylcerin, Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Crispy Rice-Oat

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

Stretching is an important part of any healthy exercise plan.

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

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

Just because a product says, “Healthy, Organic, Natural” or even “Good For You!” doesn’t mean

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

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

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1

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

Learning Standards: HPE 5, NH 5

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

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

Open - Face

Banana Sandwich

Ingredients: 1 Large Banana, 2 Tbsp Peanut butter, 1 Tbsp Honey

Toppings: Dried fruit, nuts, seeds, coconut, etc.

Directions: Stir peanut butter and honey until smooth. Slice banana lengthwise and spread both cut sides with peanut butter. Sprinkle toppings on the peanut butter.

Where do you work? I work for Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers.

Where did you go to school? I graduated from East St. Louis Senior High School, and then earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and a Medical Degree from Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio.

What does an OB/GYN do? I bring babies into this world and I help to care for mothers when they are having babies. I deal with women when they are sick and I perform surgery on women with various illnesses.

Why did you choose this career? I chose this career because when my stepmother was pregnant with my little sister, I became fascinated by it and wanted to learn more about it. Also, my grandmother had given life to 13 children which also contributed to my interest.

What is your favorite part of the job you have?

My favorite part about my job is the variety. I get to do so many different things on a day-to-day and hour-to-hour basis. I can go from delivering a baby to operating on women who are not pregnant. I also care for women with diabetes or high blood pressure and follow how it affects their health and the wellbeing of the child they may be carrying. What is near and dear to me is looking into a mother’s face and seeing her smile after I’ve helped her bring her child into the world.

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3 Dr. Eboni January,

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

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

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

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

Aspire Academy 6th grade math teacher, Leroy Notice, uses the STEM page in the newspaper to show students Demya Robinson, Makayla Clark, Asiana Bradford, Allreddell Dethrow, and Camryn Smith how to work the problems. Aspire Academy is part of the Confluence Charter Schools. Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

SCIENCE CORNER

What is a Computer Scientist?

Would you like to create apps for cell phones, animate movies, design video games, or work on websites? If so, computer science is the field for you.

What is a computer scientist? Computer scientists focus on the study of computer science. Computer science includes computer theory, such as coding, programming, information theory, and graphics. (Computer engineering focuses on computer hardware.)

Important subjects related to computer science: physics, algebra, calculus, and English.

Skills Needed: logic, analytical skills, problem solving, and good communication skills.

Education: Must have a bachelor’s, most jobs require a master’s degree or PhD

Type of work: creating software, teaching programming, research, and development.

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

Internet Privacy

You are able to quickly find a lot of information on the internet. That definitely has a lot of advantages. However, it also has a disadvantage when it comes to privacy. In this activity, you will learn about internet privacy.

Materials Needed:

• Computer with internet access • Paper • Pencil Procedure:

q Log on to the computer and Google your first and last name.

w If you found results, in what position was the first link with information about you?

e If you did not find results, try adding your nickname or school information.

r Are there photos of you? Can you find a webpage with your personal information and photos?

t Are you able to delete the photos and information or set it “private?”

Evaluate: In your opinion, is your information on the internet private? Why or why not?

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

q A school ordered 10 Chromebooks at $399 each. If shipping and handling was $15, what was the total cost? ______

w The computer has 6 hours of battery life when fully charged. If you have 75% of charge remaining, how much time do you have left? ______

e A company sells a box of 12 computer mice for $75. What is the cost per mouse?

r You have the option to buy a computer making monthly payments. If you pay $39/month for 16 months, what is the total you will pay? ______

t If you buy a laptop for $350, a case for $19, and a mouse for $7, and you pay 9% sales tax, how much do you spend in all? ______

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

Have you ever wondered why your eyes feel strained after using the computer? The average person blinks 20 times

African American Computer Science Educator

James Hill

James Hill grew up in Nashville. As a child, he enjoyed playing with K’NEX and LEGOs and creating new designs. He was very competitive and would later become a track star, earning a spot in the top 8 long jumpers in the United States. However, his father was a high school math teacher, and insisted that Hill focus on academics, as well. If Hill had a C in a class, his Dad made him take a break from athletics. After graduating from Hume Fogg Magnet High School, Hill attended Morehouse College in Atlanta. In 2004, he earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science. As he began to search for a university to earn his graduate degree, he felt uncomfortable at some of his college visits due to his race. When he arrived at Vanderbilt University, it was a natural fit. Hill earned his master’s degree there and then in 2009 he earned his doctorate degree in computer science, as well. Hill worked for eBay one summer and even turned down a job to work for Facebook because he wanted to be a professor and encourage others to seek graduate degrees in computer science. On August 25, 2015, he became one of the youngest African-American men to become a tenured computer science professor at a U.S. research university. He was 33 years old at the time. Hill is an associate professor of computer and information science at Indiana UniversityPurdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).

According to a January 2016 interview with The Indianapolis Recorder, Hill states, “There is a lot of security in the STEM area. Makers of technology are the people who are changing the world into what they want it to be.”

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

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

Activities —

Transition Words:

Transition words are important in writing to help your reader follow your thoughts more smoothly. Look through the newspaper for 10 minutes and circle all the transition words you can find. Challenge yourself to use some of these words in your writing.

Apartment for Rent: Find 3 apartment listings in the newspaper. What is the average monthly cost? What is the cost of rent for one year? Which apartment is the best choice and why?

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can write for a specific purpose and audience. I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a problem.

Doug Engelbart invented the first computer mouse in 1964. It was made of wood.

Letter on Lyda Krewson and homelessness

This letter was submitted by Clark Randall, St. Louis American editorial intern.

In 2008, meters that read REAL Change began popping up around the Central West End. The idea behind them was simple: the meters collected the change that would otherwise go to panhandlers and instead distribute it to social service programs. This way, residents who did not want to interact with panhandlers wouldn’t feel guilty. The author of the measure was 28th alderman and mayoral candidate, Lyda Krewson. In January of 2015, Krewson told the Post-Dispatch, “There was a marked decrease in panhandling. I think it is pretty effective.” But the meters did not cause the decrease. Attached to Krewson’s REAL Change initiative was an ordinance, Board Bill 5051. The bill called for the criminalization of panhandling. One warning would be given to offenders after which there could be ines up to $500 and/or 30 days behind bars.

In 2008, when the ordinance was passed, Krewson told the Post-Dispatch, “Most aren’t interested in regular employment. Often panhandling is more lucrative.” Historically, 2008 turned out to be one of the worst years for unemployment this country has ever seen, and the Great Recession hit black and brown communities the hardest. The unemployment rate among black people peaked at around 16 percent in 2010, and has consistently been double that of whites. Krewson’s bill has cut disproportionately into the livelihood of black people in St. Louis, and her commentary its into a longer history of politicians preying on the most vulnerable citizens in exchange for political clout and appeasing white business interests.

Backing her comments was Krewson’s partner, the president of the Central West End Association, Tricia RolandHamilton. In the same article, Hamilton told the Post-Dispatch, “They’re not homeless. They’re not hungry – this is their chosen career.” Krewson and Roland-Hamilton’s words express a lack of knowledge around the problems of poverty and homelessness. They also show a gaping absence of empathy. Homelessness is caused by

a lack of affordable housing options. As a city, St. Louis has underfunded its legally mandated commitment to affordable housing by around $2 million over the last four years and this coming year looks to be no different. And while the city underfunds affordable housing, Krewson has had no problem over-spending on TIF and tax abatements.

Her 28th Ward is a part of the Central Corridor, which has received around 85 percent of all of the city’s development incentives. In order to receive these incentives, Krewson has qualiied some of the wealthiest areas of St. Louis as “blighted.”

In 2007, a year before Krewson called for the criminalization of panhandling, an 11-story luxury condominium tower was constructed at 4545 Lindell.

The property, within Krewson’s ward, received a 10-year tax abatement, despite its location in the Central West End being anything but “blighted.” Just last summer, a unit at 4545 Lindell sold for over $1 million.

Krewson’s primary concern seems to be the gentriication and the economic future of the Central Corridor. This becomes more apparent in Krewson’s recent comments on the crisis around homeless shelter, New Life Evangelistic Center. NLEC has come under harsh criticism and media depictions recently. Krewson has campaigned hard for its closing, insisting the city “put a lock on the place.” NLEC and its owner, Rev. Larry Rice, have been there since 1976. The shelter ills a void in the city as a place of last resort when others ill up or have restricted admission based on gender and age. But now, NLEC is in the midst of a rapidly gentrifying Central Corridor. And Krewson, while calling for its closing, has yet to offer a plan to address the aftermath of doing so. The issue of affordable housing and homelessness will likely grow in the coming years with a Republican monopoly on state and national levels. Missouri’s new governor, Eric Greitens, has cut $146 million off the state’s budget within his irst week in ofice and has promised to cut $700 million in his irst 18 months. Generally, a tightening of nationwide and state budgets means an increase in poverty and homelessness.

That’s certainly what history tells us. St. Louis needs political leadership now more than ever that understands and empathizes with the root causes of poverty and homelessness.

Of the four candidates polling highest right now, only Tishaura O. Jones’ policy proposals adequately addressed homelessness. On the issue of homelessness, Jones supports a “Homeless Bill of Rights,” which would end the criminalization of homelessness and work to ensure St. Louis is aligned with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development regulations. Her platform calls for more privacy and protection while attempting to ensure people are not targeted due to their lack of housing.

Jones told the EYE she would not call for the closing of NLEC until the city has a plan to help the people who

depend on their services. Jones continued, “I would include the requirement to address homelessness in Community Beneit Agreements that would be part of any subsidy or abatement for projects like Union Station, the Jefferson Arms and the Scottrade Center.” Homelessness and poverty, like all other problems in this city, will not resolve themselves. The status quo thus far has allowed them to fester and grow. A new attitude towards the issues is needed. In St. Louis, there has been a vacuum of political leadership for over a decade. Leadership is inextricably tied to empathy and action. As we vet our ield of candidates, the stakes for the future of this city are high. Our mayor will be tasked with improving St. Louis in the midst of an incoming administration that is wasting no time clearing out

the safety nets our citizens rely on. The times are urgent, and so is the need for change in Room 200 of City Hall.

Black voter turnout is key

A reader responded to Eric E. Vickers’column “Fear of a black mayor” by asking: “I agree 100 percent, but my question is, how can the city’s black community get behind a single candidate? What needs to happen? I think three of the candidates are wagering that they can attract younger white allies, but honestly, I just don’t know. This was Vickers’ response. Actually, I don’t think this as dificult an obstacle as it appears, because I think the political sophistication of the black community is underestimated. I think the black electorate will take a look at all the black candidates, not just on where they stand now and are saying now in running for mayor, but the community also will look at their history.

Living in a racist society has created in black people the instinct to be able to tell who is really in their corner, who is trying to pull the wool over their eyes, and who are the politicians who will say one thing and do another. They know who will ight for them, who will give lip service, and who will kowtow. In other words, black people know those leaders who

aren’t afraid of white people, and know those who will and have carried the white man’s water. Black people are also sophisticated enough not to bet on candidates they don’t think can win, and they know that a black candidate needs some white support to become mayor in this city.

I think the black community will, when all is said and done, settle on one candidate as the consensus candidate, as I think the idea of the split black vote has shown itself to largely be a myth. When Freeman Bosley Jr. became mayor, for example, there was a lot of talk that the black vote would be split because Steve Roberts was also in the race. What concerns me more about having a number of black candidates is that it creates in the mindset of blacks the thought that a black cannot win because of this, and this cynicism then causes many to not vote. And that’s a bigger obstacle – low black voter turnout – to a black becoming mayor than several blacks in the race. So I don’t waste a lot of energy getting upset that we can’t seem to come together and dictate that only one black person enter the race – as seemingly the other side of town is able to do. My thinking is that if we focus on ramping up the black turnout, then the black community will gravitate towards the one black candidate it thinks can best serve the black community and also win the race.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Activists and homeless St. Louisans protested outside New Life Evangelistic Center on December 23. Its homeless shelter has been ordered to close by the City of St. Louis by April 1.

NSBE to continue SEEK summer program

Black engineers seek youth interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics

By Shantana T. Stewart For The St.

Louis American

Teach a lesson, lead students in a hands-on experiment and generously mix in fun.

The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), St. Louis Gateway Professionals Chapter, used this winning formula to educate area students about science, technology, engineering and math during its first-ever free Summer Engineering Experience for Kids (SEEK) program. Steven Dyson II, 8, started out not liking science, but by the end of his first summer camp

n “We must start science, technology, engineering and mathematics exposure in the irst grade.”

– SEEK Camp Director Ron Moore

experience through the SEEK program, NSBE had a convert.

“We did fun projects, and it wasn’t just sitting around learning,” he said. “Science was more fun, because you got to build things, and

we did cool experiments. Some of them we got to eat, some of them we just made or saw, like explosions.”

NSBE sponsored SEEK – a project based hands-on summer program for third- through sixth-graders – at three locations: Better Family Life, 5415 Page Blvd. in St. Louis, Blossom Wood Day School, 7200 Howdershell Road and Academy of E.P.P, 615 Dunn Road, both in Hazelwood.

In total, 110 St. Louis city and county students participated in the organization’s pilot

See SEEK, B6

Missourians face major hikes to utility bills

Missouri Public Service Commission still receiving public input

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St.

Denise Stephens was appointed vice provost and university librarian at Washington University in St. Louis, effective July 1. She is leaving a position as university librarian at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Stephens will manage University Libraries’ nine locations, the system’s vast archives and special collections, and 156 professional and support staff. She succeeds Jeffrey G. Trzeciak, who left the university last July.

Michael J. Larnell debuted his new film “Roxanne,” a biopic about female hiphop artist Roxanne Shante, which he wrote and directed, at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. It was produced by Pharrell Williams and Forest Whitaker and stars Nia Long alongside a new actress, Chante Adams. A St. Louis native, Larnell now lives in New York.

Tasha Pettis Bonds joined Ready By 21 St. Louis as manager of community voice and leadership. She will build and maintain relationships with youth leadership organizations and other community partners to prioritize and implement actions plans. Previously she served as a financial services professional with New York Life in Chicago.

George Sample III co-stars alongside Michael Cera and Abbi Jacobson in the film, “Person to Person,” that debuted at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. The actor and producer is from St. Louis, where he is based. Sample is best known for Cronies (2015), Person to Person (2017) and Hunter Gatherer (2016).

Laurna Godwin was appointed to Midland States Bancorp’s advisory board for the St. Louis region. She is the owner/ president of Vector Communications, an engagement and communications consulting firm. Midland States Bancorp is a communitybased financial holding company headquartered in Effingham, Illinois, and is the sole shareholder of Midland States Bank.

$206.4 million. According to the filing, residential customers would pay approximately $99 more per year if the rate request is approved. Ameren Missouri serves

n The rate increase would add a $4.89 fixed fee to each bill, which is part of a residential rate increase of almost 10 percent. Hundreds of customers have submitted comments online or at public hearings opposing the increase.

public hearings opposing the increase.

Randy Meyr of St. Peters said that within the last five or six years, Ameren had an “extraordinary” increase in revenue from $2 to 3 billion. Another 10 percent increase wouldn’t help people like himself, who are lucky to even get a 3 percent increase in salary, Meyr said.

“This is too much too fast,” Meyr said.

Warren Wood, vice president of external affairs and communications at Ameren Missouri, told The St. Louis American that its total retail electric rates are the lowest of the investorowned utilities in Missouri, 13 percent below the Midwest average.

“This regulatory rate review is about investments we made on behalf of our customers

Arthur Williams Jr. received the Cathy Behlmann 2017 Volunteer of The Year Award from the Greater North County Chamber of Commerce. He is director of Business Development at The Valley – Stone Bridge Senior

Denise Stephens

Tasha Pettis Bonds

George Sample III

Laurna Godwin

Michael J. Larnell

Arthur Williams Jr.

Brenden Wilkins uses an electronic hand soldering kit to build an FM radio – that worked when she finished it – during the Summer Engineering Experience for Kids program.

Take control of your electronic entertainment budget

By Nathaniel Sillin

It seems like every few weeks there’s a new “must-watch” movie or show. Competition between traditional and new production companies is driving the wave of high-quality content. I can’t complain, but it’s also hard to keep up. I have an evergrowing list of binge-able things to watch, read and listen to, and in the meantime, I’m paying bills for multiple bills month.

As long as my family’s necessary expenses are covered, spending money on entertainment can be worth it. However, I’ve also noticed that left unmonitored, expenses can slowly grow out of control. I’d rather look for ways to save money and make more meaningful purchases.

Periodically reviewing how much you spend on entertainment, especially electronic entertainment, could be a good place to start.

Take stock of where you currently stand. Find your starting point by making a list of expenses that fall into the category of electronic entertainment. If you don’t have a budget where you can easily look up this information, you can review previous bank statements or connect your

BILLS

continued from page B1

to deliver safe, clean and dependable energy,” Wood said. It has been almost two years since our last regulatory rate review and we have been working hard to continue to deliver a good value to our customers and keep costs low.”

The commission will continue to hold public and official hearings on the rate increase through March.

On January 23, a Missouri federal judge handed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a win, ruling that Ameren violated the Clean Air Act by making major upgrades to a coal-fired power plant without obtaining the required permits or limiting emissions. The EPA sued Ameren Missouri in January 2011, alleging the company skirted the regulatory process and carried out unauthorized

accounts to a budgeting app that can automatically pull in your spending history. This might also be a good time to try several budgeting apps and begin using the one you enjoy the most.

Give traditional cable or satellite TV expenses a second look. If you haven’t “cut the cord” – canceled your cable or satellite TV service – now might be time to give the idea some thought. Many alternative, and often cheaper, options have become mainstream, including free and a la carte sports programming. Even premium networks are sold on their own or as inexpensive add-ons to other services.

You may not want to cancel your entire service but after reviewing what you pay for and regularly watch, you might discover that you could be just as happy with a less expensive package.

In either case, regularly calling your service provider and negotiating your rate could save you money. This same tactic could also work with internet service providers.

Consider splitting the cost with someone else. Some subscription entertainment services can be shared with friends or family. A few even

multimillion-dollar expansions at two units of its Rush Island plant. As a result, Ameren released excessive sulfur dioxide emissions into the air, which doctors have decried is a serious health hazard.

To add even further costs to residential consumers, the Missouri Senate on January 25 heard SB 190, a law written by Missouri utilities to pay for infrastructure improvements.

Ameren Missouri and other utilities told a panel of state senators on January 25 that the bill to recover costs would enable modernization and could promote economic development, according to the Associated Press.

The Consumer Council of Missouri were among those who spoke in opposition of the increase.

“The first thing SB190 does is it allows the utilities to tack on transmission line costs in their fuel adjustment clause,” the council said in a statement. “This would add

offer several tiers of service, or family packages, that let you create profiles and stream from multiple devices at once. Although the price might be higher for a multi-user account, you’ll still save on a per-person basis. Choose the person or people you share your account with carefully. In some cases, sharing an account with a non-

fixed fees and volatility to a customer’s monthly bill. But perhaps most egregiously, SB190 carves out a large discount for one of our state’s largest utility consumers: Doe Run. With this, residential consumers are being asked to shoulder a larger share of any rate increase to subsidize Doe Run, the largest integrated lead producer in North America and the largest primary lead producer in the western world.”

If you are unable to attend a local public hearing and wish to make written comments or secure additional information on Ameren rate increases, contact the Office of the Public Counsel, P.O. Box 2230, Jefferson City, Missouri 65102, call 866-922-2959 or email opcservice@ded.mo.gov. Or contact the Missouri Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 360, Jefferson City, Missouri 65102, 1-800-392-4211, email pscinfo@psc.mo.gov.

family or household member could be a violation of the terms and conditions, and with some types of accounts, you could be giving the other person access to your debit or credit card number.

Make a list of free resources you can use.

Knowing where you can turn to (legally) watch shows and

movies, including recent releases, could put you at ease if you’re worried about canceling a service.

You could start by using ad-based websites that legally host movies and shows. While there are commercial breaks throughout the videos, the services are completely free, and some have mobile apps that you can use to start or

Business BrieFs

resume a video while you’re away from home. As I’m sure you’re aware, there are plenty of free books, CDs and magazines at many libraries. But the library systems are also keeping up with the times. Some let you “check out” audiobooks, movies and shows without having to visit a branch.

Bottom line: Having access to a wide variety of shows, movies and other types of electronic entertainment can be well worth the cost, but don’t let your monthly expenses go unchecked. Between monthly subscription services, Internet and cable you could be paying several thousand dollars a year. Find a happy medium by canceling services you don’t want anymore and finding ways to save on those you do. You could then use the savings for something more meaningful. Perhaps that means going to a sports game with friends or family rather than paying for a television service, or putting the money towards a non-entertainment goal, such as a college or retirement fund.

Nathaniel Sillin directs Visa’s financial education programs. To follow Practical Money Skills on Twitter: www. twitter.com/PracticalMoney.

Midwest BankCentre hosts Monica Sykes Fund

Midwest BankCentre is now the home of the Monica Sykes Fund. Sykes, 25, has been missing since October 27. She is 4’11” and weighs approximately 100 pounds with a thin build, brown eyes, and dark brown hair in long braids. She has an “M” tattooed on her upper

Monica Sykes

right arm and the name “Leonard” tattooed in cursive on her left shoulder blade. Anyone wants to support the family in their search to find her may

make a contribution to the fund at any of the bank’s 20 branches; see www. midwestbankcentre.com for locations. If anyone has any questions or concerns about the fund, they may call Jocelyn L. Fields at 314-6331302.

EPA offers environmental justice job-training grants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking grant applicants interested in advancing environmental justice by developing jobtraining programs that will provide residents living in areas affected by brownfields and other environmental contaminants with the skills needed to secure full-time, sustainable employment in the environmental field. Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training (EWDJT) grants are provided to eligible entities, including nonprofit organizations, to develop programs that train unemployed and

under-employed residents of communities impacted by a variety of waste facilities, blighted properties, contaminated sites, and other environmental issues for environmental jobs that contractors may otherwise fill from outside the affected community.

Trainees gain experience for jobs related to cleanup activities including the management, assessment, cleanup, and revitalization of solid and hazardous waste sites, as well as other environmental projects within their community, such as water quality improvement, chemical risk management,

and pesticide management efforts. For information regarding grant guidelines, eligibility, how to apply and additional resources that include checklists, frequently asked questions, and tip sheets, visit: https://www.epa.gov/ brownfields/brownfieldscurrent-news-and-events Funding for each grant recipient may include up to $200,000 over a 3-year period. Applicants must submit proposals electronically through www. grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, February 24.

North City community development agencies merge into one service area

The Community Renewal and Development, Inc. (CRD) and the North Newstead Association (NNA) merged on January 1. The two previous service areas are now under the North Newstead name. Sal Martinez, who previously served on NNA’s Board of Directors, the executive director of the merged community development corporation.

The separate organizations had been providing affordable housing and social services in North St. Louis City for years. Public funds for community development dwindled in the St. Louis region. In response, some CDCs explored mergers and formal partnerships to increase capacity, diversify programming, and boost resilience. The CRD and NNA had com-

plementary missions, skill sets, and place-based footprints, and they liked the idea of pursuing funding and resources as a stronger unified body. All stakeholders felt the merger was in the best interest of the organizations and their neighborhood residents, and both Boards of Directors supported the move unanimously.

NNA’s service area will now include the neighborhoods of Penrose, O’Fallon, Fairgrounds, the Greater Ville, Jeff-Vander-Lou, St. Louis Place, Columbus Square, and Carr Square, alongside part of Old North. NNA recently received re-certification as a Community Based Development Organization (CBDO) from St. Louis City’s Community Development Administration (CDA). Ongoing projects of the

two organizations transferred under the new NNA umbrella. That includes converting the O’Fallon neighborhood’s historic Harrison School into affordable senior housing, a CDA-funded, citizen-led training effort to reduce neighborhood crime, and a homebuyer and home repair assistance program.

As it moves forward with these projects, NNA is also seeking out new ways to spur ongoing revitalization in the communities it serves.

“What happens in JeffVander-Lou affects O’Fallon. What happens in Penrose affects Carr Square,” Martinez said. “We’re all in North City, trying to bring resources to the community. Let’s do it together.”

n “He’s a hater. What makes what he says credible? Because he’s on TV?

I’m not going to let him disrespect my legacy like that.”

– LeBron James, in response to criticism from Charles Barkley

Goodwin calls it a career

Shoulder injury forces Althoff star to shut it down

PreP BasketBall NoteBook

With Earl Austin Jr.

Austin Jr.

The glorious career of Belleville Althoff’s Jordan Goodwin came to a close last Tuesday night. The 6’4” Goodwin injured his shoulder in a loss to East St. Louis at the Highland Shootout on Jan. 7. Goodwin returned to the Crusaders’ lineup for a few games, but he and his family decided to shut things down when the shoulder wasn’t feeling right. He will have surgery to repair the shoulder to get ready for his freshman season at Saint Louis University in 2017-18. In his final swan song, Goodwin dropped a couple of gems to make sure the fans remember him. In the championship game of the Belleville East Tournament, Goodwin scored 42 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in a 97-94 loss to Chaminade in an instant classic. Goodwin closed out his career with 26 points and 10 rebounds in a victory over Mt. Vernon.

Goodwin walks away as Althoff’s career scoring leader with 2,324 points, passing former Crusader and Saint Louis U. great Kevin Lisch. In his final season, Goodwin averaged 29.7 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 52 percent from the field.

Goodwin led Althoff to two consecutive appearances in the Illinois Class 3A state championship game. Althoff finished second in 2015, but brought home the state championship to the city of Belleville last season. He will go down as one of the top players ever to compete in the Metro East area, with emphasis on the word compete. Outside of former East St. Louis Lincoln great Cuonzo Martin, I cannot think of a more ferocious competitor on the basketball court than Jordan Goodwin.

I very much look forward to seeing “J-Good” suit it up in Billiken Blue next season.

The Return of Carte’are Gordon

Five-star junior forward Carte’are Gordon of Webster Groves made his debut in the Statesmen lineup last week and became an immediate factor in two victories. In his first game, the 6’9” Gordon had 24 points and 11 rebounds in a 67-65 victory over Ritenour. He followed that up with 18 points, nine rebounds and an array of nice dunks in a 59-53 victory at SLUH in a big non-conference show-

Barkley’s right about Lebron

Charles Barkley is like that half-crazy, half-wise uncle in everybody’s family. You know, the one who ran the streets, traveled the globe and lived the fast-life in his younger years. As the uncle ages, he eventually returns home and back into the family fold. One moment, he’ll drop the most-insightful jewel. The next moment he’ll utter some wildly inaccurate statement or conspiracy theory that makes every shake their heads. Nobody ever knows what will come out of his mouth. However, we all know that Christmas and Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without him. Barkley, the NBA on TNT commentator everybody loves to hate, is that guy. Right or wrong, Barkley has never been one to bite his tongue. To call him ‘opinionated’ would be a gross understatement.

However, the 11-time NBA All-Star doesn’t concoct wild and crazy opinions just for publicity’s sake. He simply enjoys sharing his often-jaded point of view with the world.

Last week, Barkley’s sharp tongue caught the ire of LeBron James Over the years, Barkley has not been shy about criticizing James. ‘The Decision’ debacle, his NBA Finals record, his occasional passiveness, his frequent flopping and his refusal to play without at least two bona fide superstars have all come under fire by the man once known as the Round Mound of Rebound. Beyond criticizing James specifically, Barkley is also a frequent critic of this entire era. He is certain that the 80s and 90s were the golden age of the NBA and often shares his beliefs that today’s stars are soft, coddled and wouldn’t

stand a chance against the stars of his generation. He even refused

by Grandmaster Flash, Teddy Pendergrass or The

Temptations was real music.

Last week, James drew plenty of attention for going on an expletive-filled rant of how badly the Cleveland Cavaliers needed to acquire another “playmaker.” He explained that the Cavs were in desperate need of someone to back up Kyrie Irving at point guard. The timing of the rant was odd, considering the Cavs had just acquired former All-Star sharpshooter Kyle Korver from the Atlanta Hawks. No, Korver is not a point guard, but acquiring him for Mike Dunleavey Jr. was grand larceny. It’s clear though that James has an eye on the juggernaut Golden State Warriors, who added former MVP Kevin Durant to a 72-win team, and doesn’t believe his Cavaliers stack up.

Barkley couldn’t believe his ears. When asked about it on TNT, Barkley did what Barkley does.

“Inappropriate. Whiny. All of the above,” Barkley said.

“The Cleveland Cavaliers, they have given him everything he wanted. They have the highest payroll in NBA history. He wanted J.R. Smith last summer, they paid him. He wanted [Iman] Shumpert last summer. They brought in Kyle Korver. [LeBron’s] the best player in

the world. Does he want all of the good players? He don’t want to compete? He is an amazing player. They’re the defending champs.”

The remarks got under James’ skin and he fired back at Barkley earlier this week in a major way.

“He’s a hater,” James told ESPN. “I’m not going to let him disrespect my legacy like that. I’m not the one who threw somebody through a window. I never spit on a kid. I never had unpaid debt in Las Vegas. I never said, ‘I’m not a role model.’ I never showed up to All-Star Weekend on Sunday because I was in Vegas all weekend partying.

“All I’ve done for my entire career is represent the NBA the right way. Fourteen years, never got in trouble. Respected the game. Print that.” James is right about the fact that he has often received more criticism that he deserves. He has been scandal-free throughout his career. He’s one of the league’s hardest workers. He does things the right way. He will certainly go down as one of the all-time greats. However, when you look at Barkley’s comments in this situation, it’s hard to find out

Earl

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Photo by Wiley Price

Dijion Walls (4) of Hazelwood East drives past Maplewood’s Charles Henderson (14) during Monday nights game at East. The Spartans of Hazelwood went on to defeat the Blue Devils of Maplewood 58-46.

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

Soccer plan advances giving city its first loss of the campaign season

Unless someone came to their respective senses and made a great save for the city of St. Louis on Wednesday, the Board of Aldermen on Friday could clear the way for the proposal to spend $60 million of taxpayers’ money to help finance a new soccer stadium.

It would take a judge’s decision to allow the proposal on the April 4 city ballot because the entire preposterous effort is way passed its actual deadline for inclusion on election day.

But Circuit Judge Thomas Frawley or another member of the local bench is probably more than ready to step up and allow voters to have their say – even if it really isn’t in the best interest of St. Louis. Frawley, you recall, ruled that two structures can be “adjacent,” while being several city blocks – at least when one of the buildings is a proposed football stadium. Compared to that landmark ruling, this one would be a piece of cake.

President Lewis Reed, who is running for mayor, was mustered to cast the deciding vote and he dutifully sided with SC St. Louis. Never mind the 188 murders and the many other public safety needs of the city – he cast a vote to keep stadium hopes alive.

Never mind that David Peacock, Jim Kavanaugh and the other SC St. Louis partners could afford to do this project themselves, they simply choose not to because the deal isn’t as sweet without public money.

“It’s hard to justify raising taxes in this city and using the money to fund, of all things, a soccer stadium. Given all our urgent needs –money for new police, better pay for city employees, better city services, helping small businesses – this is not what we should be raising taxes for,” said Alderman Antonio French, who is also running for mayor.

On Monday, the city’s Board of Aldermen forwarded plan that saddles the city with $60 million in stadium financing, leaving the SC St. Louis private investors a bill of about $95 million to build a 22,000seat stadium west of Union Station. No stadium, no MLS expansion franchise.

A week ago, after a 6-2 setback in a BOA committee meeting, SC St. Louis decided to surrender half of the entertainment tax on tickets and a re-vote sat at 4-4. BOA

Color Simmonds

All Star MVP

Wayne Simmonds of the Philadelphia Flyers sits in his 2017 Honda Ridgeline truck he received for winning the NHL All Star Game MVP.

“And it shouldn’t be up to St. Louis City taxpayers alone to fund all these regional amenities. If the County and the state aren’t chipping in too, the deal shouldn’t happen.” There will be plenty of time to debate the plan between now and April 4. I’m hoping a serious “no” effort will be mounted to counter the expected “yes” movement that will be fortified with cash by those with a vested interest in its success. I want MLS soccer in St. Louis. The current plan is irresponsible in this time of economic crisis. If a “no” means no soccer, this region will have to get its kicks elsewhere.

Division All Star team to a win and being named MVP.

“It’s all pretty surreal,” said Simmonds, who was awarded a 2017 Honda Ridgeline truck for winning the MVP.

Wayne Simmonds of the Philadelphia Flyers began his career in Los Angeles and had one of the biggest highlights of his career last Sunday after leading his Metropolitan

Simmonds scored his team’s first two goals in a 10-6 Metropolitan victory in a semifinal against the Atlantic Division, then scored the game winner in a 4-3 win against the Pacific Division All Stars with 4:58 remaining in the contest.

“I don’t even know if I realize what’s going on right now, but it’s pretty cool,” said Simmonds, who has registered 21 goals and 17 assists in his team’s first 50 games.

The L.A. Kings drafted Simmonds in 2007 and he played 240 games with the franchise before a trade in June 2011 sent him to the Flyers. The many Kings fans in attendance at the Staples Center greeted Simmonds with enthusiasm.

“I’ve been in Philadelphia for the last six years and when you leave a place, you don’t expect to come back and get all the cheers I got today. I must have done something right when I was here. I know I had a lot of die-hard fans here and I really appreciate those people. I just appreciate everything. They made me feel good today.”

Simmonds wasn’t the only player of color to display his amazing talent to an interna-

tional television audience. Seth Jones of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and a teammate of Simmonds on the Metropolitan squad, tied the final game 1-1 with a first-period goal. He also scored a go-ahead goal in the Mets’ semifinal victory.

P.K. Subban of the Nashville Predators, Central Division captain, registered a goal in his team’s 10-3 loss to the Pacific Division in a semifinal game.

Race and sports in 2016

Richard Lapchick, chair of the DeVos Sport Business Management graduate program at the University of Central Florida and director of UCF’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, reported at ESPN.com that acts of racism at American sporting events jumped from 11 in 2015 to 35 last year.

“Many think of sports as being a sanctuary which racism cannot penetrate, but they often reflect what is going on in society. There seems to be a broad agreement that acts of racism in the United States are increasing at an alarming rate,” he wrote.

Lapchick commented on Colin Kaepernick’s decision to first sit, then kneel during the national anthem to protest oppression of black Americans and police brutality and Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne

Wade and LeBron James’ respective comments on gun violence and police shootings during the 2016 ESPYs. Among the racial incidents Lapchick included in is study were: New York Giants player Nikita Whitlock’s home was robbed and vandalized with a variety of racial epithets including a spray-painted swastika, the letters KKK, “Trump” and a message that read, “Go Back to Africa.”

Denver Broncos lineman Brandon Marshall, who had joined Kaepernick in his anthem protest, posted a letter he received calling him the N-word repeatedly, along with other racial slurs, and concluded by threatening his life. A man dressed in a gorilla suit stormed the field at a Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions game, while wearing a T-shirt that read, “All Lives Matter” and “Put The Guns Down.” The University of Wisconsin-Madison released a statement after a photo went viral of a fan wearing a racist costume representing President Barack Obama Alvin A. Reid is a panelist on the Nine Network program, Donnybrook and appears on ABC’s The Allman Report and several sports radio shows, including Frank Cusumano’s “The Press Box” on KFNS. His Twitter handle is #aareid1.

Alvin A. Reid

New England Patriots’ defensive lineman Vincent Valentine wanted to play football in high school. But the community where he was raised Madison, Illinois, didn’t offer football during his high school days. Valentine transferred to Edwardsville High School and earned varsity letters under head coach Matt Martin. His work in the classroom and on the field earned him a scholarship at the University of Nebraska, where he graduated with a degree in Journalism. In addition, Valentine was named to the Scholar – Athlete Honor Roll in the spring of 2013. Due in part to the success of Valentine at Edwardsville High, Valentine has formed a relationship back home as Madison High School who now offers football as a Co-op program with Metro-East Lutheran High School in Edwardsville, Illinois.

from The eAST Side

With Maurice Scott

The Pride of Madison, Illinois playing in Super Bowl LI

the 6’3” 320-pound Valentine had 19 tackles and one sack. That came in his NFL debut in Week No. 1 against the Arizona Cardinals and Carson Palmer.

And, in his first post-season experience against Pittsburgh, Valentine played a huge role playing 16 snaps spelling Malcolm Brown and Alan Branch.

n Defensive lineman

In a recent interview with Telegram.com, New England Head coach Bill Belichick complimented his rookie defensive lineman.

Vincent Valentine has been a pleasant surprise for the AFC champion New England Patriots.

The third-round pick and 96th overall selections in last spring’s National Football League draft has been a pleasant surprise for the AFC champion New England Patriots. During the regular season,

CLUTCH

Continued from B3

which part is not accurate.

Yes, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert promised James the world in order to bring him back to Cleveland. It appears though that the owner has lived up to his end of the bargain. As Barkley mentioned, the Cavaliers have the highest payroll in NBA history. No team has ever spent more on players than this year’s Cavs. Some of those big-money signings drew the ire of sportswriters and analysts, but they had James’ influence all over them.

It’s interesting that James

PREP

Continued from B3 down. Gordon is ranked among the top players in the country in the Class of 2018. He has already given a verbal commitment to Saint Louis University.

*Torrence on a tear Whitfield junior standout guard Torrence Watson went on an impressive offensive rampage in the Warriors’ two victories last week. The 6’4” Watson scored 42 points in the Warriors’ 65-62 victory at Pattonville. A couple of nights later, Watson dropped 40 points to lead Whitfield past Lutheran North 78-61. Watson is currently averaging 28.5 points a game. He has received scholarship offers from more than a dozen major Division I schools.

*Webster Girls Classic There is some definite star power at this week’s Webster Winter Challenge, which began on Monday at Webster Groves High. Several of the state’s top girls’ programs will be on hand. The field includes Incarnate Word, Kirkwood, Washington, St. Joseph’s, Rock Bridge, Francis Howell, Cor Jesu and Francis Howell. All of these schools are expected to contend for Final Four berths in their respective classes this season.

Some of the top players featured will be: Lauryn Miller (Kirkwood), Sonya Morris (Incarnate Word), Jayla Everett (Kirkwood), Reece Arnold (Washington), Jaidah Stewart (Webster Groves), K.K. Rodriguez (Webster Groves),

level headed and stayed resilient and tried to work through everything that I’ve had to do.”

Vincent Valentine’s character seems to be a strong point with the mammoth defensive rookie lineman as well. While at Nebraska, he participated in Uplifting Athletes, making hospital visits with Cornhusker teammates.

“Vincent has worked hard and has earned the trust and respect of his teammates,” said Belichick.

Vincent seems to think he has earned the respect of his coaching staff and teammates as well.

“I felt like I was playing pretty well early on, and I got hurt. So I had to bounce back and get use to the speed of the game and get my technique back,” said Valentine in a recent interview in the Telegram.com.

“It’s been a up and down year, but overall I’ve stayed

ended his rant against Barkley by stating, “I’m tired of biting my tongue. There’s a new sheriff in town.”

The fear of a new sheriff could be exactly what has James so shook lately. He hears the footsteps behind him. The past two seasons, all the talk had been about Stephen Curry until James led the Cavaliers to an incredible and improbably comeback from a 3-1 Finals deficit.

Instead of praising James for the entire summer though, the spotlight quickly reverted to the Warriors due to the Durant signing.

Now, Russell Westbrook and James Harden are setting the league on fire as they

Rickie Woltman (Incarnate Word), Kyra Hardesty (Washington), Tionne Taylor (Francis Howell).

The semifinals will be held on Friday night at 7 and 8:30 p.m. The championship game will be held on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

*Hazelwood Central dominates Ameritime Classic Hazelwood Central won the championship of the Ameritime Classic at Parkway West with three one-sided victories against an impressive field. In the first round, the Hawks defeated Wentzville Liberty 57-42 behind 20 points from senior Evan White and 18 points from junior Telly Wright. In the semifinals,

Edwardsville head football coach Matt Martin and his coaching staff, his former Tiger teammates, former Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ed Hightower, the faculty and staff at Edwardsville High School will certainly be rooting for the big lineman to win a Super Bowl.

But family and friends back home in Madison, Venice, Eagle Park, Newport and Brooklyn Illinois will be waiting for the big fellow to return back to his roots win or lose for another parade through Madison like the one that was held when he was drafted last year. However, this time he hopes to be experiencing a feat like no other from this area but one person that wore a New England Patriots uniform from the 618 area code, having just won a Super Bowl Championship. That would be former New

rack up triple doubles. Neither the Oklahoma City Thunder nor the Houston Rockets are expected to be true championship contenders, but they are receiving the praise and adoration that was once reserved only for James. There’s one other theory about James’ recent outburst. His comments about needing a playmaker weren’t well-received by some of his teammates.

Tristan Thompson wasn’t shy in his response, saying, “You can’t go out there hoping somebody is coming to walk through the door. Play with whoever the hell we got right now, and let’s win some (expletive) games.”

the Hawks defeated Parkway Central 60-35 as junior Shaun Williams scored 22 points. Williams scored a game-high 29 points to lead the Hawks past Lafayette 70-39 in the championship game.

*What’s on Tap this Weekend

Here are few top games scheduled for Friday night: Edwardsville at East St. Louis, 7:30 p.m.; Miller Career Academy at Soldan, 6 p.m.; Chaminade at CBC, 7 p.m.; Ladue at Parkway West, 7 p.m.; Priory at MICDS, 7 p.m.

On Saturday at the Bank of O’Fallon Shootout in Illinois, one of the featured games will be Webster Groves vs. Chicago Morgan Park at 7 p.m.

England Patriot linebacker and current Atlanta Falcons defensive line coach Bryan Cox.

Madison, Illinois and “The Bottom” will be waiting for you, Big Fellow! Scott’s Notes: It’s rivalry week and showdown week in two major conferences this week. The No. 3 ranked team in class 4A, the Edwardsville Tigers featuring the trio of Iowa football signee A.J. Epenesa , Mark Smith, and 1,000 point scorer Oliver Stephens, take on No. 11 ranked in class 4A East St. Louis Senior and All-American Jerimiah Tilman, Terrence Hargrove Jr. Minnesota football signee Reyoundus Estes, and Arthur Carter and the Flyers Friday night at East St. Louis with the Southwestern Conference title on the line.

Also, at Cahokia on Friday night: Belleville Althoff will travel to play the Cahokia Comanches with the winner taking control of the South Seven Conference.

Althoff will rely on C.J. Coldon, Edwyn Brown, and Marvin Bateman. While the Comanches will look to Thomas ‘Taco’ Bell, Richard Robinson, and Damond Harrison to beat the Crusaders. Tip-Off for both games is scheduled for 7:45 p.m.

Just like Barkley’s comments about James’ whining were true, so are James’ claims that Barkley is a hater. James could be attempting to take the spotlight off his comments about his team and redirect

them to the beef between him and Sir Charles. It remains to be seen whether it will work or if the damage is already done. James should be careful though. The crazy uncle always get a pass for saying things out

of pocket because he’s been doing it for so long. Advantage Barkley. Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ IshmaelSistrunk.

The ST. LouiS AmericAn PreP AThLeTeS of The Week

Aijha Blackwell

Whitfield – Girls Basketball

The 6’0” sophomore forward led the Warriors to the championship of the Queen of Hearts Tournament at Villa Duchesne last week.

Blackwell had 19 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in a 58-49 victory over Lutheran North in the championship game. She had 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocks in a 63-57 win over Cape Notre Dame in the semifinals. In the first round, Blackwell had 30 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and eight steals in a 56-22 victory over Rosati-Kain.

For the season, Blackwell is averaging 20.9 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.6 steals and 1.8 blocks in leading the Warriors to a 14-6 record.

K.K. Rodriguez

Webster Groves – Girls Basketball

The 5’6” junior guard led the Stateswomen to a pair of impressive victories last week. Rodriguez had 23 points, three assists and four steals in a 63-39 victory over Lafayette. She followed up with a career-high 32 points in a 73-60 victory over Republic at the Scoreboard Guy Shootout in Springfield. Rodriguez was 17 for 17 from the free throw line in the victory. For the season, Rodriguez is averaging 13.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.9 steals in helping the Stateswomen to an 11-5 record. As a sophomore, she averaged 15.5 points and 4.2 rebounds to help lead

Webster Groves to the Class 5 state quarterfinals.

Former Edwardsville High football standout and Madison, Illinois native Vincent Valentine of the New England Patriots will be playing in this Sunday’s Super Bowl against the Atlanta Falcons.

Maurice Scott

Students in the Summer Engineering Experience for Kids (SEEK) program work alongside National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) collegiate member Olivia Martin to build a truss bridge. This experiment teaches the principals of civil engineering as it relates to the strength of the materials and configuration.

SEEK

continued from page B1 program, which was funded by the Missouri Department of Economic Development and the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership. With appropriate funding, NSBE will host more children and expand to 10 sites next summer.

“NSBE is an excellent partner focused on exposing a diverse population of young students to the STEM fields and making it cool to love science and math,” said Rodney Crim, president of the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership. “We know that this intentional effort of inclusion and technical experience and exposure will provide our region’s businesses with a well-prepared workforce in the future.”

The program, led by professional engineers and STEM-focused college students, covered engineering principles like velocity, acceleration, force, mass, angles and magnetism. It also emphasized electricity, mechanical construction and building.

Instead of logging hours watching television and playing video games, SEEK students made bridges that could hold up to 30 pounds out of popsicle sticks, roller coasters out of marbles and wired circuit boards and light-emitting diode flashlights, among other activities.

The project Steven remembers most was when they made ice cream. In fact, he plans to make it again at home. “It was a little weird, but it was still good,” Steven said, explaining it was saltier than store-bought ice cream.

Eric Witherspoon, 21, SEEK program counselor, remembers leading the “rowdy but fun” experiment on the different phases of matter.

“To show how liquids turn into solids, we made ice cream

in plastic bags out of rock salt, ice, milk, sugar and vanilla flavor,” he said. “That was one of my favorite experiments, because the kids enjoyed eating the ice cream afterwards.”

He said he received as much as he gave in the role.

“It was just an amazing experience when kids would finally understand different concepts. They were excited, and they got me excited,” said Witherspoon, a Morehouse College senior who is majoring in biology. “I was trying to teach them something in simple terms and some of them kind of struggled, but when they got it and said, ‘It makes sense to me now.’ That was more rewarding than anything.”

SEEK Camp Director Ron Moore is pleased with

n “We must start science, technology, engineering and mathematics exposure in the first grade.”

– SEEK Camp Director Ron Moore

the result of the trial run and described the three-week experience as “magical.”

“We want children to be fearless when it comes to learning, and programs like SEEK minimize fear of the unknown, emphasize STEM team building exercises and provide youth with an environment to expand their learning potential,” the retired engineer said.

He stresses the need for early exposure to STEM in order to positively impact outcomes.

“We must start science, technology, engineering and mathematics exposure in the first grade. All students should receive 72-hours a year of STEM hands-on experiments,” Moore said.

Terrence Freeman,

Financial Focus

By Veronica Coleman

engineering science coordinator and professor of mechanical engineering at St. Louis Community CollegeFlorissant Valley, served as SEEK program evaluator. He said that SEEK offers a service to the community by exposing minority students to career paths they might not otherwise consider.

“The perception and sometimes reality is that students shy away from science, technology engineering and mathematics in the belief that it is too hard,” Freeman said. “These students left believing that STEM is challenging and exciting. They enjoyed talking about it and felt that solving engineering problems is fun.”

Once back at school, Steven, the third-grader at Jury Elementary School in the Hazelwood School District, said he no longer considers science “hard.” Not that it’s easy. “It’s in the middle,” he said. Steven said that SEEK was the game-changer. “I want to go back,” he said. Because of the success of the pilot program, NSBE Gateway Professionals chapter started NSBE JR. engineering chapters at Jennings, Normandy and Riverview school districts. The group is also starting an engineering club at Walbridge Elementary School in Walnut Park in the Saint Louis Public Schools. These schools will receive STEM kits, software, regular class room instructions from professional engineers, field trips to area colleges for classes and labs.

If you are interested in volunteering with or donating to the 2017 SEEK program, email Ronald Moore at pci@ nsbe-stl.org or Gwen Crimm at future100collegians@yahoo. com. Visit nsbe-stl.org for more information about the local chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers and nsbe.org to learn more about the organization’s national efforts, including SEEK.

•

Summer Engineering Experience for Kids (SEEK) students work alongside National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) collegiate member Terence Collins to build a catapult. This experiment teaches the principals of energy and matter forces that result in changes in motion.

Living It

A history lesson at the movies

Gateway students, families gifted with a trip to see ‘Hidden Figures’

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

“I’m at a loss for words, because this is a learning experience for me too,” said Dr. Rose Brown, principal of St. Louis Public Schools’ Gateway MST Elementary/Gateway Michael.

n “My favorite part of the movie was seeing Katherine standing up for herself. ”

- Sierra Bradley, SLPS Student

“It’s a story that we all should have known about a long time ago. I’m in tears for real.” On Saturday morning, her students and their families (nearly 100) were gifted with tickets to the 10:30 a.m. showing of “Hidden Figures” by The St. Louis American Foundation. They experienced something transformative. Watching them soak in the story of three AfricanAmerican female employees at NASA, doing their part to represent their race with grace, dignity and excellence when blacks were treated as second class citizens was an inspiration all its own. Despite the fact that it is a serious original dramatic movie, Hidden Figures has become a phenomenon at the box office. The film has crossed the $100 million mark. The movie’s appeal has been reflected here in St. Louis.

“I know that’s right,” more than one audience member shouted when NASA worker Mary Jackson (portrayed by Janelle Monae) clapped back at her foreign born white male supervisor’s suggestion that she wouldn’t be afraid to try out for their engineering program if she were a white man.

“If I were a white man, I’d already be one,” Jackson said.

Without any additional spoilers, that verbal exchange was one of many that moved the

CAM opens four strong new shows

It’s all colors, figures and connectedness, with two of four black artists

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

Four exciting new shows opened at Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis on Friday, January 27, bringing brilliant new colors and vivid, daring figures into its spacious, open Midtown galleries.

Deana Lawson, one of two African-American artists who opened at CAM on Friday, has a self-titled show of striking color photographs. She included two still lifes – a white car, a red beach towel with flies – but mostly she devotes her camera’s gaze to black faces and bodies. She tends to pose her subjects carefully, with them looking at the camera, so their intensity of gaze is a primary experience looking at these photographs. She also favors formal compositions with the human subject staged as part of a larger tableaux.

One photograph has two young black women comfortably holding one another, the silhouette of their bodies forming the shape of a heart, with

“Hidden Figures” is Theodore Melfi’s film based on the best-selling book by Margot Lee Shetterly about the true story of a cadre of brilliant African-American women who worked at NASA during the early 1960s.

audience to respond – a couple was on the verge of being full-fledged ovations.

“I know that everyone else got something out of it too, because the way they were cheering everything on,” Brown said. “I’m just so grateful and thankful to the St. Louis American for providing us with this opportunity. We knew nothing about these wonderful ladies and what

a giant Mickey Mouse painted behind them. A description of the painting makes it sound contrived, but it’s beautiful and powerful.

The nudity of the young women, and the gorgeous tones and textures of their skin – one darker-skinned, the other brighter-skinned – contribute to its beauty and power.

“That’s just my love for the black body,” Lawson said, during a museum tour for media and patrons on Friday morning.

See CAM, C4

geniuses they were. This morning we taught them about history – African-American history and American history.”

“Hidden Figures” is Theodore Melfi’s film based on the best-selling book by Margot Lee

See FIGURES, C4

The Baldwin prophecy

‘I Am Not Your Negro’ opens in theatres nationwide on Friday

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

With “I Am Not Your Negro,” Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck weaves the words of one of his heroes into a haunting documentary that illustrates the war for racial equality in America is anything but won – despite the bloody battles for which many have made the ultimate sacrifice.

The film hits theatres nationwide tomorrow (Friday, Feb. 3), fresh on the heels of its Academy Award Nomination for “Best Documentary Feature.”

The premise of the film comes from the skeletons of “Remember This House,” an unfinished book by James Baldwin that explores the literary giant’s relationship with fallen Civil Rights Movement icons Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peck transformed the mere 30 pages into a narrative that gives prophetic insights into America’s past, present and future with respect to the racism that has haunted our nation from its inception.

See BALDWIN, C4

Kimberly Steward up for Oscar gold with ‘Manchester’

Kimberly Steward

Joins Oprah as only AfricanAmerican women producers with ‘Best Picture’ nods

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

When Kimberly Steward was at home in St. Louis making media rounds for the film “Manchester by the Sea” just ahead of its nationwide theatrical release this past October, she didn’t want to entertain the Oscar buzz surrounding the film.

The idea of it seemed too farfetched – too much of a fairytale ending for the first-time feature film producer.

“If anything happens with any kind of awards, I will definitely be giving Oprah a shout out,” Steward said.

If “Manchester” were to be nominated for a “Best Picture” Academy Award, Steward would be only the second African American woman producer to have a film in the running for the most coveted award of the film season. Oprah Winfrey is the other.

“What she has done as a filmmaker and a producer has opened doors for me and so many others,” Steward said of Winfrey. “If that actually happens, I will actually bow and curtsey to her because she paved the way.”

It happened.

“Best Picture” was one of six Academy Award nominations for “Manchester” when the announcements were made last Tuesday (Jan. 24).

n “As an African American woman, it’s important to have that representation off screen too.”

- Kimberly Steward

“This is exciting and surreal,” Steward told The Huffington Post’s Zahara Hill. “I’m just beyond belief.” With a diverse mix of nominees both in front of and behind the scenes, Steward has the chance to strike Oscar gold with her debut as producer/ financier thanks to “Manchester.”

“As an African American woman, it’s important to have that representation off screen too,” Steward said of her role in bringing the film to mass audiences.

Steward and her K. Period Media (which she operates with producing partner Lauren Beck) put forth the necessary financing for the Kenneth Lonegran feature to see the light of day.

“We had nobody except K Period,” Matt Damon said during a “Produced By” panel. A fellow producer along with Steward, the concept of the film was Damon’s idea – and he was originally set to star in the drama. Scheduling conflicts meant that Casey Affleck would assume the role of Lee Chandler, a reclusive New England janitor forced to confront his painful past and mend broken familial ties.

The film – and Affleck’s performance in particular – was praised by critics from its premiere at Sundance last winter.

While at Sundance, Amazon paid $10 million for the film’s distribution rights. Manchester” was believed to be a shoe-in for several honors for the next

Angelou: And Still I Rise” also includes commentary from

friend and East St. Louis Poet Laureate Dr. Eugene B. Redmond among those who candidly discuss the imprint she left on the world.

I Am a Man, by artist Robert Hodge

For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com.

literary

Mon., Feb. 6, 7 p.m., St. Louis County Library hosts author Kaitlyn Greenidge author of We Love You, Charlie Freeman. The Freeman family participates in a research experiment, where they live in an apartment with a young chimp, Charlie, and teach him sign language. Isolated in their nearly allwhite community by their race and their strange living situation, the Freemans come undone. Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, call (314) 994-3300 or visit www.slcl.org.

Wed., Feb. 8, 7 p.m., Missouri History Museum hosts author Marie-Christine Williams, author of Triumph over Darkness. Williams was a 14-year-old girl living in Kigali, Rwanda, when the Rwandan genocide began. When the genocide was over, 80 percent of Rwanda’s Tutsi population had been slaughtered. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www.mohistory.org.

Thur., Feb. 9, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Steven LaChance, author of Confrontation with Evil: An In-Depth Review of the 1949 Possession that Inspired the Exorcist. 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-6731 or visit www.left-bank.com.

Through February 28, St. Louis County Library’s Winter Reading Club. All ages are invited to participate. For more information please call 314 994-3300 or visit www.slcl.org/winter-readingclub.

art

Sat., Feb. 4, 12 p.m., Thomas Dunn Learning Center presents A Change is Gonna Come Opening Reception This exhibit features works, which capture the spirit of past movements, or presents the ideologies of modern activism. The exhibit will run through Feb. 25. 3113 Gasconade St., 63118. For more information, call (314) 353-3050 or visit www.tdunn.org.

Sat., Feb. 11, 5 p.m., St. Louis Reconciliation Network presents HeARTS for Racial Reconciliation. St. Louis ArtWorks, 5959 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 4097123 or visit www.stlrn.org.

Fri., Feb. 17, 6 p.m., Artists First presents Arts in Unity: An Art Show and Music Event Celebrating the Beauty of Diversity. Performers include Dave Stone, Brian

Curran, Sole Loan, and many others. 7190 Manchester Rd., 63143. For more information, call (314) 781-4440 or visit www.artistsfirststl.org.

Through Mar. 31, National Blues Museum presents Women of the Blues: A Coast-to-Coast Collection 615 Washington Ave., 63101. For more information, call (314) 925-0016 or visit www. womenoftheblues.com.

theatre

Jan. 26 – Feb. 12, New Jewish Theatre presents Lynn Nottage’s Intimate Apparel, Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Drive. For more information, call (314) 442-3283.

Jan. 27 – Feb. 12, Upstream Theater presents the U.S. Premiere of The Year of the Bicycle, Kranzberg Arts Center. For more information, visit http://www. upstreamtheater.org.

Through Feb. 12, The Playhouse presents Menopause the Musical. The Playhouse at West Port Plaza, 635 West Port Plaza, 63146.

For more information, visit www.MenopauseTheMusical. com.

Feb. 17 – Mar. 14, Max & Louie Productions’ presents “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill,” The Kranzberg Arts Center. For more information, visit http:// maxandlouie.com/

lectures and workshops

Thur., Feb. 2, 4:30 p.m., American Board in St. Louis invites you to a Missouri Teacher Certification Information Workshop Patrick Henry Downtown Academy, 1220 N. 10th St., 63106. For more information, call (877) 669-2228 or visit www.abcte.org/abcte-event/ st-louis-missouri-21/.

Thur., Feb. 2, 6:30 p.m., Freedom Arts and Education Center presents From Duke to Dilla. How are Duke Ellington and J Dilla connected? Join us for the history of jazz and hip-hop and how they are related. Maplewood Public Library,

individualized legal assistance will have the opportunity to request pro bono assistance and other resources. 24:1 Community Excel Center, 6724 Page Ave., 63133. For more information, visit www. tiny.cc/workshopstl.

Thur., Feb. 9, 12:30 p.m., Ferguson’s Fault Lines: The Race Quake that Rocked a Nation. Kimberly Norwood, J.D., is the editor of Ferguson’s Fault Lines, and exactly two and a half years after the shooting death of Michael Brown, she will discuss the impact of that event and how “Ferguson” changed a community as well as a nation. Instructional Resource Building, STLCC- Florissant Valley, 3400 Pershall Rd., 63135. For more information, call (314) 513-4554.

Fri., Feb. 10, 10 a.m., STL Village and the Better Business Bureau of St. Louis present Protecting Yourself From Scams. St. Louis Public Library, Schlafly Branch, 225 N. Euclid Ave., 6310. For more information, call (314) 802-0275 or visit www. stlvillage.org.

Wed., Feb. 15, 6 p.m., Mound City Bar Association presents The Political Panel Discussion. Panel featuring some members of elected office speaking on a variety of topics. 100 Black Men Auditorium, 4631 Delmar Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 4546543.

Thur., Feb. 16, 6:30 p.m., Maplewood Public Library presents The Incredible Story of Reconciliation

7550 Lohmeyer, 63143. For more information, call (314) 781-2174 or visit www. maplewood.lib.mo.us.

Fri., Feb. 8, 8:30 a.m., SLU Law Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic presents a Free Small Business Workshop Training on business and legal topics. Participants in need of

The remarkable story of Harriet and Dred Scott clearly resonates on the eve of the 160th Anniversary of the Dred Scott Decision. Hear their story from their great-great granddaughter, Lynne Jackson, President and Founder of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation. 7550 Lohmeyer, 63143. For more information, call (314) 781-2174 or visit www.maplewood.lib.mo.us.

Sat., Feb. 4, 6 p.m., Heart and Soul. Guests will be reminded of a very special mission that touches the hearts of all who are introduced to the exceptional care of SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. The Palladium, 1400 Park Place, 63104. For more information, call (314) 577-5605 or visit www.glennon.org.

Wed., Feb. 22, 3 p.m., Project AWARE invites you to a Family Resource Fair. Connect with local organizations and agencies supporting families in North County. Ferguson Community Center, 1050 Smith Ave., 63135. For more information, call (314) 516-8445 or visit www.mhfamissouri.org/ resource-fair.

Mondays, 6:30 p.m., Yoga & Chill. A beginner-friendly, all levels (75 minute) class that spends time working through fundamental yoga postures and shapes while exploring alignment, breathing, relaxation techniques, and a good time. Modern Healer Studio, 1908 Cherokee St., 63118. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Thur., Feb. 2, 6 p.m., Mound City Bar Association invites you to watch Cooley High. The Lux, 2619 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 4546543.

Fri., Feb. 3, I Am Not Your Negro opens in theatres nationwide.

Thur., Feb. 9, 6:30 p.m., The Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing & Opportunity Council invites you to a special screening of America Divided - A House Divided. 24:1 Cinema, 6755 Page Ave., 63133. For more information, visit www.ehoc. eventbrite.com.

Valentine Love Affair featuring Will Downing and the Coleman Hughes Project. For more information, see CONCERTS.

from C1

Lawson said she chose her subjects, in part, for their varying skin tones, as one mixes specific colors when painting. As she said, it’s “skin as palette.”

In another photograph, she lucked into recruiting a subject whose skin had been inked with a tattoo that added a new dimension to the image she had in mind of this young black man sprawled on top of a white car.

“I have this thing for men and cars,” she said with a laugh.

It was a car much seen around the Alabama town where she often visited a friend. She said she recruited the subject, Cortez, from the group of guys congregated around the car to capture his physical beauty. She asked him to take his shirt off so she could focus on his body and skin.

“In God We Trust,” she found tattooed across his chest. Cortez is posed alone (with the God on his chest), but mostly Lawson groups together black people who love one another and hold one another with everyday comfort, affection and support.

“It’s affirming connectedness and people holding onto each other,” she said. “That’s important.”

Louis Cameron’s photographs could not be further from the black body or interpersonal connectedness. His show is called “Clouds,” and that about sums it up. It’s a group of cell phone photographs of the sky that Cameron layered and digitally manipulated. Anyone with an Instagram account might say they could do that and, indeed, plenty have plowed a cell phone photo of clouds through a filter app, but these images are highly wrought and intense.

Lisa Melandri, CAM’s executive director who led the tour, said the photographs are “extraordinarily poetic,” possessing “a true beauty.” Cameron said he likes to look skyward, looking for “abstraction in the sky.” The images he arrived at have suggestions of figures – a rib cage, a tornado, an aerial view of a landscape – but then, as with looking at clouds themselves, each viewer will see their own things in these collisions of shapes and colors. Cameron also brought his

Artist Deana Lawson discusses her newly opened, selftitled show at Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis on Friday morning. The show’s curator, Kelly Shindler, was among those who listened to Lawson as she added context and insight regarding her work.

Poster Project to CAM. He has two series of posters, one about being a black man dealing with police, the other about immigration. These are mostly commissioned pieces made by other artists. All are available, copyright-free, for public

n “That’s just my love for the black body,” Deana Lawson said. It’s “skin as palette.”

download at http://www.posterprojectpresents.net/. The largest space in CAM is devoted to a self-titled show of drawings and paintings by Nicola Tyson, a British artist who lives and works in upstate New York. Tyson has called her work “psychofiguration.” Melandri said they look “like the body turned inside-out,” and described one figure as being

in “stylistic pain.” Many of the figures Tyson paints and draws are grotesques or mutants, but her work is wonderfully energetic, enigmatic and somehow not ugly, despite all the deformation. The work is neither disturbed nor disturbing, but rather a confident, instinctive working-through of serious and dramatic problems.

CAM’s big, long wall is given over to a site-specific spray-painting by Katherine Bernhardt. It’s pretty cool. It would be possible to say something brainier about these big, bright animals, plants and objects – an emoji, a toucan, a watermelon, a leaf, a cigarette, a frond, a roll of toilet paper, a battery – all painted in the wrong colors (the cigarette is blue). But it’s pretty cool. Go check it out.

These shows hang through April 16 at Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington Ave. in Midtown St. Louis. Visit http://camstl.org/.

Saturday

FIGURES

Continued from C1

Shetterly about the true story of a cadre of brilliant AfricanAmerican women who worked at NASA during the early 1960s.

The film – which stars Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monae, Octavia Spencer, Kevin Costner and Mahershala Ali –focuses on Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson and Katherine G. Johnson. It gives particular attention to Johnson’s role in the launching of astronaut John Glenn, who became the first American to orbit Earth and the fifth person in space.

The ladies’ brilliance did not spare them from the harsh, demeaning reality of segregation and racism – even on the grounds of NASA.

The lesson of their

BALDWIN

Continued from C1

“I Am Not Your Negro” does much more than give insight on Baldwin’s unlikely experience of personal friendships with the aforementioned historical figures. The film forces the nation to confront its past – and recognize the continuum of dysfunction and apathy when it comes to race in America.

With written words narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, Peck crafts the film through compelling footage, that ranges from the height of Baldwin’s popularity as a social critic and author who called white America to task for its hypocrisy to present-day crises which prove that his words still ring true.

Audiences will see and hear about Evers, Malcolm X and King through Baldwin’s experiences with them and endearment for them – as well as a bit of contrast and comparison. However, at its core, “I Am Not Your Negro”

STEWARD

Continued from C1

tions. Casey Affleck took home

“Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama.” Steward was the first person Affleck reached out to embrace when his name was announced at last month’s ceremony.

He also made mention of Steward and K. Period Media in his acceptance speech – giving her and her company credit for helping make the film possible.

“It’s a blessing, but it’s

perseverance and commitment to excellence was not lost on the audience, especially Brown’s fifth-grade, genderbased, all-female class that focuses on science, math and technology.

“My favorite part of the movie was seeing Katherine standing up for herself,” said Sierra Bradley, a student in the class.

Bradley also wants other people to see the film, to make sure that these women are “no longer hidden.”

As girls from the class lined up to share their thoughts on the film, some parents stopped Brown and thanked her for the opportunity to see the film. Others yelled out, “Thank you Dr. Brown,” as they scurried out the door to continue with their Saturday.

One man proclaimed he would be bringing others back to see the film again.

is Baldwin’s take on Black America’s struggle for justice and equality with the three leaders framed around his own commitment to keeping their plight top of mind for those attempting to ignore or even deny the separate and unequal conditions.

“When any white man in the world picks up a gun and says, ‘give me liberty or give me death,’ the entire white world applauds,” Baldwin says in the film. “But if a black man says exactly the same thing, word for word, he is judged a criminal and treated like one –and everything possible is done to make an example of this bad [n-word expletive] so that there won’t be any more like him.”

Baldwin’s thoughts about police brutality are juxtaposed against footage of Ferguson during the height of the unrest. Tanks, tear gas, pepper spray and confrontation between protesters and police play out as Baldwin speaks of police terror imposed upon African Americans – nearly 40 years before the death of Michael Brown Jr. compelled youth to take to the streets for months of

also inspiring in some ways,” Steward said of working on “Manchester.”

“We are in it to tell hard and true stories that people can connect with. We really hope to make an impact – whether we are making a documentary or making a film. I think we will have an eclectic mix of genres of the type of films that we will do, but always elevated material… always elevated.”

She says she’s looking to work with people willing to shake things up in Hollywood, and doing so herself – not only by the type of content produced, but through her inten-

“I felt so lucky to see that an African American woman had a chance to do that and open up doors for so many others.” said Zoe Thompson, also one of Brown’s fifth-graders. “I hope that when people see this movie that they feel the same way that I do – that we as African American women can do anything.” Brown continued to fight back those tears while proudly looking on as her “girls” sang the praises of “Hidden Figures.”

“I really wanted them to see that it’s okay to be smart, because sometimes, our babies feel that it’s not okay to be smart, but it’s okay to be cool,” Brown said. “I want them to know that they can reach for the stars if they want to – and after watching this movie, they see that they can help put other people in the stars too.”

Hidden Figures is now open

nonstop protest. Audiences see these new-age revolutionaries putting their bodies on the line during clashes with police and suffering the consequences. Rodney King, the rise of Trump and the death of Trayvon Martin are all presented within the film, with a haunting epilogue posed as a question to the viewer – which nearly 40 years after Baldwin’s death, America has yet to answer.

“Baldwin said, ‘if you are not ready to take back the [n-word] – that you created –then there is no way things are going to change,” Peck said. “You fabricated a monster that you are afraid of – and I have no part in that fabrication. If you are not willing to change that, it is not my problem – you’ll have to deal with that.

That’s what Baldwin was saying to America.”

“I Am Not Your Negro” opens in theatres nationwide on Friday, February 3. The film is rated PG-13 with a running time of 95 minutes. The film will play at The Tivoli in St. Louis.

tion as she operates within the industry.

“It’s very much about the script and about the filmmaker and the creatives you’re working with,” Steward said. “But it’s also about the ‘I know God had me in it because I am supposed to do something for other people.’ That’s the biggest part of my purpose.

To treat people fair, be an honest person, be transparent, uplift people, encourage them, have patience – and operate from a place of patience, kindness and love.”

Photo by Wiley Price

On

morning, students from St. Louis Public Schools’ Gateway MST Elementary/Gateway Michael and their families (nearly 100) were gifted with tickets to the 10:30 a.m. showing of “Hidden Figures” by The St. Louis American Foundation.

Photo by Chris King

Celebrations

Six Living Generations

Mary “Playmama” Harden recently celebrated her 100th birthday. Now, with the family’s most recent addition, Baby Khi, the family celebrates six living generations. God bless us all! Pictured: Mary Hardin, Sandra Harrell, Jerri Bevly, Jerri Bevly Williams, Kenneth Gregory, Khi A. Gregory

Reunions

Beaumont Class of 1967, if you have not received a letter or e-mail, call 314-533-6087 or Beaumontclassof67@ sbcglobal.net with your contact information. Several activities are planned for the week of June 6-11, 2017. Meet & greet on 6-9-17, banquet on

6-10-17, church services 6-1117 at Greater Mt. Carmel and a brunch after services. Our scheduled meetings are 2-1817, 3-18-17, 4-15-17 and 5-2017 at the Normandy library at 1:30 p.m.

Beaumont Alumni Class 1968 meetings in preparation for their 50th Class Reunion will be held at STL County Library, 7606 Natural Bridge, St. Louis MO, 63121 on Saturdays, 1-4 p.m. on Feb. 25, March 25, April 22, May 20 and June 24. For more information email bhsco1968@ att.net or call 314 869-8312.

Beaumont High School, Class of 1978 will celebrate

Birthdays

its 40-year reunion in 2018. For further information, please contact: Marietta Shegog Shelby, 314-799-5296, madeshe@sbcglobal.net.

Sumner Class of 1965 is planning a “70th” Birthday Cruise for October 2017. If you’re interested and want to receive more information, please contact Luther Maufas (314) 541-4556, Brenda Smith Randall (314)382-1528, or Laura Young (314) 328-3512 with name, address so the info can be mailed to you.

Sumner Class of 1967 is planning its 50-year reunion. Please contact Carlotte Algee Stancil at algee1999@

Happy 51st Birthday to Amanda Muirhead on January 29. She is the best daughter, mother and sister anyone would dream of having in their family. She is beautiful and fun, and she is the best nana to Steven Burt III and Aubrielle Burt. We all love you so much! From, your family

Happy 72nd Birthday to Hyacinth Kerr, who will celebrate her blessings on February 6. From your children, grandchildren and the rest of the family—we love you!

yahoo.com; DonnaYoung Rycraw at donnarycraw@ aol.com or Stella Smith Hunt at stellalhunt58@sbcglobal. net, 314-381-5104 with email, address and phone number.

Sumner Alumni Association hosts its 14th Annual Membership Round-Up Sunday, February 26, 2017, 1-4 pm at Sumner High School. Events: Reception 12:45-1:45 pm (gym) with displays, souvenir items, vendors, and more; New, renewal, and upgrade alumni memberships (vestibule); Program 2 pm (auditorium) with a great line-up of entertainment. Canned goods accepted for Ville church food

pantry. Contact: J. House at 314.420.3442. Vendors contact B. Louis at 314.385.9843 (fee $50 in advance) or email: sumneralumniassn@yahoo. com.

Vashon Class of 1957 is having its 60-year reunion on May 20, 2017 at the Atrium at the rear of Christian N.E. Hospital on Dunn Road. Classes 1955-1959 are welcomed. For more information, please contact Lovely (Green) Deloch at 314867-1470, Marlene (Randall) Porter at 314-653-0107, Mae (Simmons) Mahone at 314653-0818 or Phyllis (Bolden) Washington at 314-531-9925.

Do you have a celebration you’re proud of? If so we would like to share your good news with our readers. Whether it’s a birth, wedding, engagement announcement, anniversary, retirement or birthday, send your photos and a brief announcement (50 words or less) to us and we may include it in our paper and website – AT NO COST – as space is available Photos will not be returned. Send your announcements to: kdaniel@stlamerican. com or mail to: St. Louis American Celebrations c/o

Louis, MO 63103 FREE OF CHARGE

Reunion notices are free of charge and based on space availability. We prefer that notices be emailed to us! However, notices may also be sent by mail to: Kate Daniel,

or mail photos to us. Our email address is: reunions@ stlamerican.com

Pastor calls for Two-State Solution in Israel

Participated in Interfaith Partners for Peace delegation to Middle East

By Rev. Rodrick Burton

For The St. Louis American

Senator Blunt, congratulations on your re-election victory as senator representing the great State of Missouri. President Elect Donald Trump’s victory and the taking of the U.S. Senate by the GOP obviously means that the president, and the party in the majority, will be pushing the agenda items that they have determined are a priority. With regards to foreign policy, we can expect a continuing focus on defeating the Islamic State, and pursuing the War on Terrorism. Naturally, we anticipate continued engagement of some form regarding the Syrian Civil War, and its resulting refugee catastrophe. One area of Middle East engagement that the United States must return to is providing leadership in bringing about the Two State Solution in Israel.

For eight days in the beginning of November, a contingent of Jewish Rabbis and Christian pastors, myself included, representing diverse denominations and organizations such as the Ecumenical Leadership Council of Missouri, and from different geographical areas of the United States, were part of an Interfaith Partners for Peace delegation that traveled throughout Israel and the Palestinian-controlled territory. We listened to the narratives from all sides and discussed

the complexities of the current situation. What we observed was a dangerous level of frustration from the Israeli citizenry, and a simmering powder keg of disappointment and disfranchisement amongst the Palestinians.

While the security threats and concerns are very real for the Israeli populace, the Palestinian people have seen little gains from the famed 1993 Oslo Accords. Their despair is heightened as they look out at new settlements on land designated for their state, while experiencing a nearly 50 percent unemployment rate. History tells us that those are the conditions that have historically stimulated uprisings and insurgencies. While the status quo may be controllable and favorable for the Netanyahu government’s current fortunes, the short-sighted gains are ensuring a future of pain, as the hopelessness of young

Palestinians make for ripe recruiting for the Islamic State, or greater support for the terrorist designated political organization known as HAMAS.

As Americans, we have a history of expending blood and treasure in the Middle East. American military involvement in Iraq, Syria and other Middle Eastern locations continue to this day. With the aforementioned in mind, we vigorously urge Senators Blunt and McCaskill to press President-elect Trump to continue the policy of President Obama in seeking to resolve the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. He can do this by advocating and working to make the Two State Solution a reality. Some forward movement on this issue will provide a more secure, safe, and prosperous future for both the Palestinian and the Israeli peoples.

Rev. Rodrick Burton is vice president of the Ecumenical

Satan masquerades as an angel

Satan specializes in deceit. You know the drill. Harden not your heart, when you hear the Word of God. More often than not, that small voice you hear at difficult times of faith challenges is that of Satan. Be careful when it happens to you because according to the Bible, you are indeed in dangerous waters.

One of my favorite passages of scripture is: “Some people are like seed along the path where the Word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the Word that was sown in them.” Mark 4:5.

Leadership Council of St. Louis, which is a coalition of African-American pastors in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Burton is also the pastor of New Northside Missionary Baptist Church.

Black History Program at True Light

True Light Missionary Baptist Church Progressive League, 2838 James “Cool Papa” Bell Ave., will host its annual Black History Program at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, February 25. Theme: “We Just Can’t Give Up Now.” They invite the public to enjoy the program and a fashion show followed by “A Taste of Blackness” in its attached Educational Building, Clopton Hall. The Dynamic Silver Wings will be their guest Male Chorus. Rev. Jerry Hodges is senior pastor. For more info, call 314-531-1801.

servants masquerade as servants of righteousness…”

2 Corinthians 11: 14-15.

If you could only recognize when you’re being fooled, used, manipulated or lied to by someone or something hellbent on destroying you, then possibly you might be able to handle it accordingly. In Satan’s case, he doesn’t always show his hand in a manner obvious to us. The devil is a liar and specializes in presenting situations and circumstances that never reveal his hand in your life as the reason that everything is going to hell in a hay basket.

“And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising then, if his

The Bible says watch out because it is at these times that so called supporters, advice givers and, yes, even friends and family show up to help us, comfort us, guide us in a way that on the surface, appears to be consistent with our efforts to hear and follow the Word of God. In truth, if we could see the devil at work, then it would be fairly easy to make the right decisions and the right choices. But the devil is so cunning that at that moment of truth, he sees to it that we blame others, rationalize our actions and defend sin.

Rarely, if ever, will we give him his due for all that we regret doing on the morning after. Rarely do we consider him or his agents the night before the morning after. If we did, then the Word of God would emerge out of our chaos and light our paths to peace as in peace of mind. The key to all this, I believe, is recognizing the difference between God’s Word and the devil’s whispers. It’s those whispers and who’s in your ear that’ll getcha every time.

Columnist

James Washington

Palestinians held a prayer service as a nonviolent witness against the Israeli separation barrier in the West Bank town of Beit Jala in February 2012.

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, VISITING ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, & ASSOCIATE DEAN

he School of Communications at Webster University invites applications for three positions: Assistant Professor, Games and Game Design, Visiting Assistant Professor, Audio Production, Associate Dean, School of Communications. Consult the full job descriptions and application instructions posted on the School’s website (http://www.webster.edu/ communications/about/job-opportunities. html). No phone calls please. Webster University provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, ethnicity, age, protected veteran or disabled status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

HIRING FAIR

Saturday, February 4, 2017

9:00 am – 12:00 pm

YWCA St. Louis Head Start Central Oice 1911 Beltway Dr. St. Louis, MO 63114

Looking for: Temporary Childcare help

Work from now through March 31st.

Must be able to pass background

check and have at least 1 college course

SEEKING TO HIRE

East St Louis Housing Authority is seeking to hire

(2) Assistant Property Managers

(3) Maintenance Mechanics

(1) Grounds/Janitor positions To apply and for a complete job description please visit us at: www.eslha.org click employment link Or apply within at: 700 North 20th Street East St Louis, IL 62205 AA/EOE

POLICE OFFICER

he Manchester Police Department is seeking motivated individuals for the position of police oicer. Additional information and the application are available online at www.manchestermo.gov or by calling 636-227-1410 ext. 102.

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE COORDINATOR

Explore St. Louis / America’s Center has an immediate opening for an Accounts Payable Coordinator. Duties include: assigning & processing purchase orders, invoices & checks, maintaining PO database and posting transactions to AP Ledger. Will prepare / maintain 1099’s & vendor iles and provide additional inancial support as necessary. Proiciency in MS Word and Excel, excellent organizational skills and attention to detail required. Written & oral communication is critical. Associates Degree from 2-year college or technical school, 2-4 year’s experience and/or training in accounts payable is required. Experience with Sage 300 / ACCPAC accounting sotware is beneicial. Applicants, please email resume with cover letter to jobs@explorestlouis.com. NO PHONE CALLS! EOE

THE MUNY ANNOUNCES

Auditions for Principal Trumpet

he Muny will hold auditions for the principal trumpet position on Feb. 16, 2017. If you are hired by he Muny you must be/ or become a member in good standing of M.A.S.L. Local 2-197.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

• Professional experience in Musical heater

• Excellent Musical training/studies

• Solid technical and artistic skills in the musical ield

• Excellent level of musical interpretation

• Versatility, ability to interpret a large variety of musical styles

• Ability to work as part of a team

Audition repertoire will be furnished via e-mail ater receipt of your audition request. Sight reading excerpts will be provided at the audition.

To schedule an audition time or other questions, please contact James Priti via e-mail by February. 10, 2017. jpriti@ muny.org

he Muny Orchestra is covered by a collective bargaining agreement with the Musicians’ Association of St. Louis Local 2-197, AFM.

he Muny is an equal opportunity employer.

HOUSING ATTORNEY POSITION

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Inc. (LSEM), a non-proit law irm that provides free legal assistance to people living with low income/low opportunity, in 21 eastern Missouri counties, seeks an attorney to work in its Housing Program and the Youth and Family Advocacy Project. he position is located in LSEM’s St. Louis oice. For more information and application instructions please visit our website at www.lsem.org. his posting closes February 12, 2017.

DEVELOPMENT

DIRECTOR

East St Louis Housing Authority is seeking to hire a Development Director To apply and for a complete job description please visit us at: www.eslha.org click employment link Or apply within at: 700 North 20th Street East St Louis, IL 62205 AA/EOE

MR.TCARWASH&DETAILING is looking for experienced car washers & detailers, Contact Mr. T’s Carwash @ 9845 Halls Ferry Road, Phone 314-868-7676 ask for Mr. T or Reggie for more info. (Heated Working Environment)

Looking for a Career?

Charter

63017 Time: 2:30pm-7:00pm Professional dress and resume required.

Charter is a growing, dynamic Fortune 100 company with 90,000 employees and we are looking for energetic people to join our group of highly exceptional employees in the Damage Claims department. We are looking for individuals with strong customer service telephone skills, the ability to handle multiple projects and knowledge of telephone, internet and cable television services. If you enjoy helping your fellow employees ind solutions to problems and being a part of a great team, this position is for you.

Interested applicants should apply online at jobs.spectrum.com as qualiied applicants with resumes will be interviewed on site!!

Damage Claims Rep I– Job ID# 186378BR

“We’re building something great at Charter. Talented people are working together to establish valuable relationships with our customers, providing the products and service that keep our customers connected with the world. We’re moving aggressively to shape an exciting future for all of us.” –Tom Rutledge, President & CEO

EOE Race/Sex/Vet/Disability

Charter is an equal opportunity employer that complies with the laws and regulations set forth in the following EEO Is the Law poster: http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/ pdf/eeopost.pdf Charter is committed to diversity, and values the ways in which we are diferent.

MAINTENANCE COORDINATOR

Saint Louis Art Museum. Maintenance Coordinator - Full Time- $20.03/hr. Weekday and Weekends. Apply at slam. org/careers

HAZELWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Are you looking for a career opportunity in a diverse learning environment ofering a competitive salary? If so, we have several positions available, some immediate, and others for the 2017-18 school year.

Current job openings: CFO, Director of Human Resources, Administrative Assistant (to the Superintendent/Secretary to the Board), Principals, Teachers, Head Football Coach, Bus Aides, and more!

Visit the school district’s website to view position descriptions and salary information: https://hazelwood.tedk12.com/hire/ index.aspx. Apply Today!

If you have questions, contact our Human Resources Department at 314.953.5000.

WANTED: Security Guard

West Side is currently seeking a part-time Security Guard to start February 28, 2017. $12.00 per hour. Applicants should be professional, hospitable, courteous and a person of integrity, with proven work experience, high school diploma, appropriate certiication, license, knowledge of public safety, security procedures and protocols. Apply in person, 4675 Page Blvd. 8:30am to 4:30pm Mon.-Fri. (314) 535-9002

REPRESENTATIVE

Webster University has an opening for a Representative in the Registrar’s Oice. Please apply online at http://webster.peopleadmin.com/postings/2196. No phone calls please. Webster University provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, ethnicity, age, protected veteran or disabled status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

DEPARTMENT ASSISTANT

Webster University has an opening for a Department Assistant in the Registrar’s Oice. Please apply online at http://webster.peopleadmin.com/postings/2191. No phone calls please. Webster University provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, ethnicity, age, protected veteran or disabled status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given that the Metropol-

itan St. Louis Sewer District will receive sealed bids in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 10:00am March 1, 2017 for Purchase of: 3 Mini Vans

Speciications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com - click on “MSD At Work”, then “Bidding on Proj- ects”. he bid document will be identiied as 8803 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call (314) 768-6314 to request a copy of this bid.

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

SINGLE FEASIBLE SOURCE PROCUREMENT

Reference Revised Statutes of Missouri, 34.044. Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) anticipates awarding a single feasible source contract in the amount of $33,250.00 to he Ascendant Group, to provide speakers for events scheduled at the University on February 22, 2017 and March 15, 2017. he Ascendant Group is the only irm able to supply the requested speakers. he contact for the University is Shelley Barsky, Buyer, Harris-Stowe State University, 3026 Laclede Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63103. Telephone #: (314) 340-3325, fax #: (314) 340-3322.

LETTING NO. 8635

BID

K&S Associates, Inc. is soliciting subcontractor bids from certiied MBE, WBE, Service Disabled Veterans and Veteran Owned businesses for Project #246900Schrenk Hall Phase II Renovation located at the University Missouri of Science & Technology, Rolla, MO. Bids are due to K&S by 1:00pm local time on August 11, 2016. Bid documents can be obtained from American Document Solutions athttp://adsmo.net or from the K&S planroom website www.ksgcstlplanroom. com/. Interested parties can contact Neal Trentman via phone at 314-647-3535 or email at estimating@ksgcstl.com. Bids can be submitted via fax at 314-647-5302 or email at estimating@ksgcstl.com.

HYDE PARK – ADA UPGRADES TO THE EXISTING COMFORT STATION & UPGRADE COMFORT STATION IN FAIRGROUND PARK TO ADA COMFORT STATION TYPE B, SITE NO. 2

Sealed proposals will be received by the Board of Public Service in Room 208 City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Mo. Until 1:45 PM, CT, on MARCH 7, 2017, then publicly opened and read. Plans and Speciications may be examined on the Board of Public Service website http://www.stl-bps.org/planroom.aspx (BPS On Line Plan Room) and may be purchased directly through the BPS website from INDOX Services at cost plus shipping. No refunds will be made.

A pre-bid conference for all contractors bidding on this project will be held on February 14, 2017 at 10:00 A.M. in Room 305, City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri.

Bidders shall comply with all applicable City, State and Federal laws (including MBE/WBE policies).

All bidders must regard Federal Executive Order 11246, “Notice of Requirement for Airmative Action to Ensure Equal Employment Opportunity”, the “Equal Opportunity Clause” and the “Standard Federal Equal Employment Speciications” set forth within and referenced at www.stl-bps.org (Announcements).

LETTING #8634

Concrete Replacement Due to City of St. Louis Water Division Maintenance and Construction - 2017

Sealed proposals will be received by the Board of Public Service in Room 208 City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Mo. Until 1:45 PM, CT, on March 7, 2017, then publicly opened and read. Plans and Speciications may be examined on the Board of Public Service website http://www.stl-bps.org/planroom.aspx (BPS On Line Plan Room) and may be purchased directly through the BPS website from INDOX Services at cost plus shipping. No refunds will be made.

Bidders shall comply with all applicable City, State and Federal laws (including MBE/WBE policies).

All bidders must regard Federal Executive Order 11246, “Notice of Requirement for Airmative Action to Ensure Equal Employment Opportunity”, the “Equal Opportunity Clause” and the “Standard Federal Equal Employment Speciications” set forth within and referenced at www.stl-bps.org (Announcements).

A pre-bid conference for all contractors bidding on this project will be held on FEBRUARY 21, 2017 at 10:00 A.M. at the Water Department Pipe Yard Oice at 4600 McRee, St. Louis, MO 63110. Attendance to this meeting is a requirement for bidding.

PROPOSAL

he City of St. Louis Port Authority is seeking proposals for a lease comps study. Proposals are due 2/24/17. For further info go to: https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/

BID NOTICE E-bid for St. Louis Community College on Bid No. B0003618 for a contract for HVAC Air Filters and

documents can be accessed on our website at www. stlcc.edu/purchasing or call (314) 539-5225. EOE/

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS

SEWER DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given that the Metropol- itan St. Louis Sewer District will receive RFQ’s in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 631032555 until 10:00 a.m. on February 28th, 2017 to contract with a company for: Lemay Treatment Plant – Final Clariier #9 Equipment Replacement

Speciications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). he bid document will be identiied as 8794 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.2735 to request a copy of this bid.

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

Public Notice of Single Source Procurement

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to procure: VOGELSANG GRINDER 10” FLANGE. INDUSTRIAL PROCESS

EQUIPMENT (IPEG) is the sole authorized manufacturer for the VOGELSANG GRINDER 10” FLANGE.

The District is proposing single source procurement for this equipment/service because FORD HALL INC is the only known available source. Any inquiries should be sent to gjamison@stlmsd.com.

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

BID PROPOSAL

he America’s Center is soliciting bids for the replacement of faulty utility loorbox 208/120 volt power cables at the Dome. A pre-bid & walkthrough meeting is scheduled for February 8, 2017 at 10:00am. Meeting Location: 901 Broadway Street, St. Louis, MO 63101. Contact David Savage at 314342-5357 with project inquiries. he Americas Center reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. EOE

PROPOSALS

KCI Construction requests subcontract proposals from MBE, WBE, and SDVBE businesses for the CBOC Renovations at St. James Missouri Veteran’s Home.

Plans and speciications are available

• To view electronically at no charge from: American Document Solutions

• To view at our Camdenton oice

• By request of a Dropbox link from jwalters@kciconstruction.com

Subcontractor bids are due by 12:30 p.m. hursday, February 16, 2076. You may email bids to jwalters@kciconstruction. com or send a fax to 573-346-9739. Please call if you have any questions: 314-2006496.

Sealed bids for Roof Replacement, Boonslick State School, St. Peters, Missouri, Project N o . E 1 6 11 - 0 1 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 3/2/2017. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

MWBE Pre-bid Meeting Notice

he SITE Improvement Association is hosting a Pre-bid meeting for Qualiied and Certiied MWBE contractors to discuss working on Caulks Creek Pump Station B Force Main Contract Letting No. 11788-015.1

A pre-bid meeting is being held on behalf of the following SITE contractor members:

J & J Boring 41 Cardinal Hill Road Winield, MO 63389 636/566-6766

he meeting will take place at 10:00 a.m. February 9, 2017 SITE Improvement Association 2071 Exchange Drive, St. Charles, MO 63303

For questions regarding this pre-bid meeting, contact the SITE Improvement Association oice at 314/966-2950.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Fab Tech Wastewaster Solutions request proposals for the #2 thickener at the Grand Glaze MSD plant, Proposals are due by February 10th at 10:00 am plans and speciications are available at the pre bid scheduled for february 3rd at 3:00 pm at our oices located at 865 Midpoint drive, O’Fallon Mo. 63366 Qualiied certiied MBE or WBE are encouraged.

SEALED BIDS

SEALED BIDS

REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS

MOVING SERVICES FOR RELOCATION OF RESIDENTS

RFQ NO. RD17-01

he St. Louis Housing Authority is soliciting bids from licensed, bonded and qualiied moving companies to provide moving services for the purpose of relocation of residents during Years 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Notice is hereby given that he Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District), the Owner, will receive sealed bids for DEER CREEK PUBLIC I/I REDUCTION (2017) CONTRACT B under Letting No. 12037-015.1, at its oice, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 2:00 PM, local time, on Wednesday, March 01, 2017. All bids are to be deposited in the bid box located on the irst loor of the District’s Headquarters prior to the 2:00 p.m. deadline. Bids may, however, be withdrawn prior to the opening of the irst bid. BIDS WILL BE PUBLICLY OPENED AND READ IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE BID DUE DATE/TIME AT 2350 MARKET STREET, AT A PLACE DESIGNATED.

he Work to be performed under these Contract Documents consists of: he work to be done under this contract consists of the rehabilitation of approximately 78,039 lineal feet of sewers, varying in size from 6-inch to 36-inch diameter, utilizing CIPP methods, the rehabilitation of approximately 4,334 vertical lineal feet of manholes, and the repair of 1,063 sanitary sewer service connections.. he project is within the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Boundaries, inside the city(ies) of cities of Ladue, Kirkwood, Frontenac, Huntleigh and Warson Woods in St. Louis County, Missouri in the State of Missouri. he work will be performed in various quantities at various sites.

All prospective bidders must prequalify in the Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP) category, and be certiied prior to the Bid Opening. Prequaliication forms for obtaining said certiication may be obtained from the Owner at the above mentioned address. All bidders must obtain drawings and speciications in the name of the entity submitting the bid.

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

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

Plans and Speciications are available from free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC

BID PROPOSAL

Mobilitie, LLC is proposing to construct a 125’ overall height utility pole near Endicott Avenue, Saint John , MO 63114 in ST. LOUIS County (approximate coordinates are 38.712204, -90.351742000000002). he proposed structure would not be lighted. Mobilitie invites any interested party to request further environmental review of the proposed action under the FCC’s National Environmental Policy Act rules, 47 CFR §1.1307, by notifying the FCC of the speciic reasons that the action may have a signiicant impact on the quality of the human environment. his request must only raise environmental concerns and can be iled online using the FCC pleadings system at www.fcc.gov or mailed to FCC Requests for Environmental Review, Attn: Ramon Williams, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554 within 30 days of the date that notice of this proposed action is published on the FCC’s website. Refer to File No. A1063763 when submitting the request and to view the speciic information about the proposed action. (T0584/9MOX000837)

BID PROPOSAL

Mobilitie, LLC is proposing to construct a 125’ overall height utility pole near Lynntown Drive , Breckenridge Hills , MO 63114 in ST. LOUIS County (approximate coordinates are 38.722807000000003, -90.368416999999994). he proposed structure would not be lighted. Mobilitie invites any interested party to request further environmental review of the proposed action under the FCC’s National Environmental Policy Act rules, 47 CFR §1.1307, by notifying the FCC of the speciic reasons that the action may have a signiicant impact on the quality of the human environment. his request must only raise environmental concerns and can be iled online using the FCC pleadings system at www.fcc.gov or mailed to FCC Requests for Environmental Review, Attn: Ramon Williams, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554 within 30 days of the date that notice of this proposed action is published on the FCC’s website. Refer to File No. A1064165 when submitting the request and to view the speciic information about the proposed action. (T0586/9MOX000862)

Sealed bids for Roof Replacement, S p r i n g f i e l d Regional Office B u i l d i n g , S p r i n g f i e l d , Missouri, Project No. M1608-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 3/2/2017. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

Sealed bids for the REBID OF: Replace Shingle Roofs with Metal Roofs, 10 Housing Units, Algoa Correctional Center, Jefferson City, Missouri, Project No. C160801 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 3/2/2017. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

Solicitation documents will be available for pick up at the Saint Louis Housing Authority, 3520 Page Blvd., 2nd loor, St. Louis, MO 63106; Attention: Tamara Servick or Tifany Redden – Facilities Management Department (Phone: 314-286-4360 or 314-286-4331, Fax: 314-289-7360 or 314-289-7331) ater 2 p.m. (local time) on Tuesday, January 31, 2017.

A pre-bid conference is scheduled for 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, February 14, 2017, at the St. Louis Housing Authority, 3520 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63106 in the 2nd Floor Conference Room. he St. Louis Housing Authority will receive sealed quotations for this service until 3:00 p.m. (local time), Tuesday, February 28, 2017, at the St. Louis Housing Authority, 1st Floor Conference Room A, 3520 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63106, at which time and place all qualiied quotations will be publicly opened and read aloud. All bidders must comply with Section 3 and MBE/WBE Requirements. Cheryl A. Lovell Executive Director AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER NOTICE

INVITATION FOR BIDS

PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC HOUSING WAIT LIST OPENING

Clinton-Peabody will accept pre-applications online at www.slha.org for 3, 4, & 5 bedroom units

Applicants with disabilities that need assistance in completing an online application or who do not have access to a computer can be accommodated at 1401 LaSalle, St. Louis, MO 63104 or SLHA Corporate Oice located at 3520 page from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. on February 6-9, 2017.

BID PROPOSAL

Mobilitie, LLC is proposing to construct a 125’ overall height utility pole near Evans Avenue West, St.Louis , MO 63121 in ST. LOUIS County (approximate coordinates are 38.723464, -90.317783000000006). he proposed structure would not be lighted. Mobilitie invites any interested party to request further environmental review of the proposed action under the FCC’s National Environmental Policy Act rules, 47 CFR §1.1307, by notifying the FCC of the speciic reasons that the action may have a signiicant impact on the quality of the human environment. his request must only raise environmental concerns and can be iled online using the FCC pleadings system at www.fcc.gov or mailed to FCC Requests for Environmental Review, Attn: Ramon Williams, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554 within 30 days of the date that notice of this proposed action is published on the FCC’s website. Refer to File No. A1064072 when submitting the request and to view the speciic information about the proposed action. (T0585/9MOX000849)

LaSalle Park Apartments Unit Upgrades and Site Repairs Phase II

SOLICITATION NO. RD16-02

he St. Louis Housing Authority is soliciting bids from qualiied contractors for the LaSalle Park Apartments Unit Upgrades and Site Repairs – Phase II.

he General Scope of Work for this project will consists of, but will not be limited to, the phased renovation of up to 52 residential units contained in six (6) buildings. his work will include electrical repairs and upgrades; substantial repairs and improvements to each unit’s plumbing and HVAC systems; new interior doors; new looring throughout, along with wall repairs and painting; additional miscellaneous carpentry repairs with kitchen and bathroom cabinet replacements, landscaping, site improvements and parking lot repaving are also included. he anticipated performance period for this project is twelve (12) months.

Solicitation documents will be available for pick up at the Saint Louis Housing Authority, 3520 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63106; Attention: Tamara Servick – Sr. Contract Specialist (Phone: 314286-4360, Fax: 314-289-7360) ater 2:00 p.m. (Local Time) on Tuesday, January 31, 2017. here will be a $100.00 non-refundable fee by cashier’s check or money order charged for each set of bid documents.

A pre-bid conference will be held at 10:00 a.m. (Local Time), hursday, February 16, 2017, at the LaSalle Park Apartments, 1001 Hickory Place, St. Louis, MO 63104. A site visit will be conducted immediately following the pre-bid conference. here will be two additional site visits held on Tuesday, February 21, 2017, and hursday, February 23, 2017; both inspections to start promptly at 10:00 a.m.

he Saint Louis Housing Authority will receive sealed bids for this Project at 3:00 p.m. (Local Time) on Friday, March 3, 2017, at the Saint Louis Housing Authority, Board Room A, 1st Floor, 3520 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63106. At which time and place, all qualiied bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. All bidders must comply with Section 3 requirements and MBE/WBE requirements.

Cheryl A. Lovell Executive Director AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Swag Snap of the week

A good time with the girl nation. I had the time of my life at the GRL NTN (shorthand for “Girl Nation”) Super Girl Party at Blank Space, spearheaded by my ace Aloha Mi’Sho and a wave of woman power. All three floors were packed to capacity. I thought it was a concert – so did some of the guests – but it was dance party central up in there, with a “ladies first” vibe. DJ Kimmy Nu killed it as usual. I got my life from Aloha’s Tutu and biker jacket that fell in line with the unofficial pink and black theme of the night. It was as much about feminism and liberation as it was fun. And if I had known then what I know now, perhaps I would have made my first braless trip to beat the streets…okay maybe not with this rare bosom. But plenty of the guests had me convinced to at least consider it with their “no pressure, no judgment and no bras” mantra. I hope to my heart of hearts that this happens again – and even though I know she just wants to have fun, can somebody convince Aloha to give us a little taste of a stage show? I’m just saying.

Anti-social savage. Tatted up rapper 21 Savage is reportedly all the rage as the next big thing in trap music. Well, he’s gonna have to rely strictly on his sound – because his personality or stage presence won’t earn him any new fans. Well, I’m just basing it on his visit to the Marquee Friday night … but he seemed pretty comfortable with underwhelming the folks. I know most of the non-millennials don’t know or care who he is, but I was eager to see what all of the fuss was about. And when I caught a little groove from his music, I thought “okay, let me see what you’re talking about” live and in the flesh. I assumed that it would be packed to the gills. He probably did too – and the so-so sized crowd may have been the root of his little unbothered attitude. Either way, I wish he had been a better sport about it. It was like he decided he was going to do his best impression of Wale when he came through the Marquee and had folks booing on social media for two days. Savage came on at about 1:45 and by 2 a.m., the “show” was over. He did four songs – actually three, he just performed one song twice. Then he left like somebody was chasing him. No pics, no perching in VIP or anything. Word on the curb is that he claimed somebody threw something at him, but I was back and forth and didn’t see a single fling. Folks felt robbed. The promoter should have too – even if he only paid for a walk through.

Backtrap Yoga life. Normally I don’t discuss exercise activities in Partyline Perhaps I should in the hopes of achieving these lofty #fitnessgoals of mine However, I would be a fool not to bestow some love on my girl Brittany Hill for her triumphant Backtrap Yoga session Sunday afternoon at 2720 Cherokee. Hopefully, there will be more sessions for y’all to get hip to it too. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect. I knew they were gonna have a DJ – so fire music was a given, but I thought it would just be me and a few other brave souls looking to get their downward dog pose on to some Dirty South classics. Wrong! It was to capacity up on that second level – like seriously, no more rooms for mats. Walking up that stairway to heaven is a workout all its own, but I got the stretch I needed and then some. And DJ Nico is either psychic – or she hacked into my Apple Music playlist – because I could hardly bend because I was resisting the urge to transition from a pose to a subtle twerk. Don’t judge me! If you had heard how Nico was slaying the tables, you would have felt the same way. There were folks of all ages, ethnicities and fitness levels up in there (I saw you Aloha) and I must say that I would be totally open to another one. When Erykah Badu’s “Orange Moon” was the cool down music, I was sold. If she does it again soon, I will be sure to keep you posted.

A b-day night of 90s soul-searching. I was a bit worn down from my weekend, but nothing could’ve kept me from my girl Angel Shields’ night of soulsearching that paid tribute to male influence of 90s R&B music. Out of full transparency, I stopped through because I knew she was showing some belated big 4-0 birthday love to our own Melvin Moore –who is as sick on the bass as he is with laying out pages as one of our talented graphic designers. I’m so glad I fought through the fatigue to make my way to BB’s on Monday. He and the whole band got it in … and I got my life from some of my favorite jams of the “bump and grind” era – including a few that I had forgotten. Let me just say that Jesse Prather’s down home re-imagination of Ideal’s “Get Gone” compelled me to look the song up on YouTube. BBD headed to HG. For those of you wishing you could do more to show your appreciation for BET’s solid New Edition made for TV miniseries horrific male and female wig game aside, you’ll have a chance to do so in the flesh on Friday (that’s tomorrow night), when a chunk of the core members stop through the STL to celebrate their upcoming album with a release party. I’m sure it will be absolutely everything. For those who have never met BBD in the flesh and are weary of celebrity club visits, let me tell you that they are the most gracious trio and go hard as far as staying in the good graces of their fans. They go old school meet and greet on you – at least that’s what they did for their after set at Hollywood Casino this past summer. I’m expecting it to be the same kind of party, minus that GAWD AWFUL heat. Anyway, my girl Staci Static of Old School 95.5 FM will be in the building as the hostess with the most, and I’m expecting to have the grandest of times.

Simone, Brittany and Kim kicked it Saturday night @ MOOD

Stacey and Michelle kept in classy in their pink Saturday @ The Lux

Maya, Spook, Raygo and Aloha made it all about the ladies Friday night for Girl Nation @ Blank Space

Q-Hall and A-Plus of Hot 104.1 FM came through to check out 21 Savage Friday night @ The Marquee

Rochelle and a group of her closest friends partied for her b-day Sunday night @ OBar

Tyler “TD” Davis, DJ Climate and Q chilled for Style Code Saturdays @ MOOD

Fat-Fat and Dj Tab kept the party going Friday @ the Marquee for 21 Savage

Kim, Donna and Bee took some time to unwind Saturday @ Rustic Goat

El and Patty got their party on Saturday @ Rustic Goat

Amy and Patrice Saturday night @ Rustic Goat

Two weeks ago, Imani Ray, JaLisa Ray, Monique Anderson and Adrienne Travis were in for a real treat after greeting “Fences” co-star Mykelti Williamson during breakfast at Walter’s Cafe in Beverly Hills, California. The St. Louis natives were surprised to learn that he was also born in the Lou – and Williamson added a final gentleman’s touch by covering their bill.

Photos by John Scott

‘We must guard against a weakening of the values that make us who we are’

In farewell address, Obama outlined internal threats to American democracy

During the 2016 Inauguration, protestors from around the world took to the streets of Washington D.C. to voice their displeasure with the policies of president elect Donald Trump.

By Barack Obama Guest columnist

I first came to Chicago when I was in my early 20s. And I was still trying to figure out who I was, still searching for a purpose in my life. And it was a neighborhood not far from here where I began working with church groups in the shadows of closed steel mills. It was on these streets where I witnessed the power of faith, and the quiet dignity of working people in the face of struggle and loss.

This is where I learned that change only happens when ordinary people get involved and they get engaged, and they come together to demand it.

After eight years as your president, I still

n If we don’t create opportunity for all people, the disaffection and division that has stalled our progress will only sharpen in years to come.

– Barack Obama

believe that. And it’s not just my belief. It’s the beating heart of our American idea — our bold experiment in self-government. It’s the conviction that we are all created equal, endowed

Humble beginnings of a professional entertainer

Roland Bob Harris’ memoir, part one

By Roland Bob Harris For The St. Louis American

I was born here in St. Louis on December 25, 1940. Due to my humble beginnings, no one would have believed that I would become a successful movie actor and singer. There are so many youngsters today whose life mirrors my childhood, young people who don’t believe tomorrow holds any hope for them. Most of the successful black entertainers I’ve known had humble beginnings.

My father died before I had any memory of him. From what I heard about him, he spent most of his life drinking and gambling. He died

when I was about two years of age. As for my mother, she was a beautiful woman. She was a very warm and friendly person. Unfortunately, like my father, she suffered from the disease of alcoholism. As a child, I suffered greatly due to my

See HARRIS, D4

This is Roland Bob Harris in St. Louis at age 3. He went on to act in 38 motion pictures, 18 national commercials, perform at the Muny for 20 years, and become a successful singer.

by our creator with certain unalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It’s the insistence that these rights, while self-evident, have never been selfexecuting; that we, the people, through the instrument of our democracy, can form a more perfect union.

What a radical idea. A great gift that our founders gave to us: The freedom to chase our individual dreams through our sweat and toil and imagination, and the imperative to strive together, as well, to achieve a common good, a greater good.

For 240 years, our nation’s call to citizenship has given work and purpose to each new

See FAREWELL, D2

January 22, 1926 –December 18, 2016

Preston Lee Bouie, pioneer in the St. Louis fire service

American staff

n When he retired in 1987 after 35 years of service, his legacy continued through a new, incoming class, named on his behalf, the Preston L. Bouie Class of 2002.

Preston Lee Bouie was born on January 22, 1926 to Vennie Bouie and Emma Reed. He attended Wyman Crow Elementary School and a graduate of Vashon High School, class of June, 1944. He served two years in the United States Navy with an honorable discharge. His career with the St. Louis Fire Department motivated and assured his co-workers that they too could be promoted to higher positions. Preston joined the Fire Department in 1952 and was assigned to Engine House 28 on Enright Avenue and later transferred to Engine 10 on Kennerly Avenue. The Fire Department became integrated in 1961, where he was the first black to be promoted to captain in 1963. This assignment marked the first time a black officer ever worked in South St. Louis Fire Station in a command position. In 1976, he was promoted and became the first black battalion chief in the 119year history of the Fire Department.

In August 1978, Preston was promoted to the rank of deputy fire chief, the first time a black man had ever become a deputy chief in the St Louis Fire Department. His platoons composed of 30 engine houses 54 fire companies, 284 men and citywide duties and responsibilities.

In 1983, Preston was promoted to the rank of assistant fire chief, marking the first time a black man had ever become an assistant fire chief in the history of the City of St. Louis. Being second in command with citywide responsibilities over all three platoons, Bouie acted as chief during the fire chief’s absence. As assistant fire chief, Preston travelled over 10 years and shared his knowledge with other cities and countries in the consulting firm of Carl Holmes of Oklahoma City and Dr. Larry O’Leary of St. Louis, as an assessor

See BOUIE, D3

Preston Lee Bouie was the first black to be promoted to captain, battalion chief, deputy chief and assistant fire chief in the St Louis Fire Department.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

generation. It’s what led patriots to choose republic over tyranny, pioneers to trek west, slaves to brave that makeshift railroad to freedom. It’s what pulled immigrants and refugees across oceans and the Rio Grande. It’s what pushed women to reach for the ballot. It’s what powered workers to organize. It’s why GIs gave their lives at Omaha Beach and Iwo Jima, Iraq and Afghanistan. And why men and women from Selma to Stonewall were prepared to give theirs, as well. So that’s what we mean when we say America is exceptional — not that our nation has been flawless from the start, but that we have shown the capacity to change and make life better for those who follow. Yes, our progress has been uneven. The work of democracy has always been hard. It’s always been contentious. Sometimes it’s been bloody. For every two steps forward, it often feels we take one step back. But the long sweep of America has been defined by forward motion, a constant widening of our founding creed to embrace all and not just some.

If I had told you eight years ago that America would reverse a great recession, reboot our auto industry, and unleash the longest stretch of job creation in our history — if I had told you that we would open up a new chapter with the Cuban people, shut down Iran’s nuclear weapons program without firing a shot, take out the mastermind of 9/11 — if I had told you that we would win marriage equality, and secure the right to health insurance for another 20 million of our fellow citizens —if I had told you all that, you might have said our sights were set a little too high. But that’s what we did. That’s what you did. You were the change. You answered people’s hopes, and

because of you, by almost every measure, America is a better, stronger place than it was when we started.

(Applause.)

In 10 days, the world will witness a hallmark of our democracy, the peaceful transfer of power from one freely elected President to the next. I committed to President-elect Trump that my administration would ensure the smoothest possible transition, just as President Bush did for me. Because it’s up to all of us to make sure our government can help us meet the many challenges we still face. We have what we need to do so. We have everything we need to meet those challenges. After all, we remain the wealthiest, most powerful, and most respected nation on Earth. Our youth, our drive, our diversity and openness, our boundless capacity for risk and reinvention means that the future should be ours. But that potential will only be realized if our democracy works. Only if our politics better reflects the decency of our people.

Only if all of us, regardless of party affiliation or particular interests, help restore the sense of common purpose that we so badly need right now.

That’s what I want to focus on tonight: The state of our democracy. Understand, democracy does not require uniformity. Our founders argued. They quarreled. Eventually they compromised. They expected us to do the same. But they knew that democracy does require a basic sense of solidarity — the idea that for all our outward differences, we’re all in this together; that we rise or fall as one.

There have been moments throughout our history that threatens that solidarity. And the beginning of this century has been one of those times.

A shrinking world, growing inequality; demographic change and the specter of terrorism — these forces haven’t just tested our security and our prosperity, but are testing our democracy, as well. And how we meet these challenges to our democracy will determine our

that we’ve made, we know it’s not enough. Our economy doesn’t work as well or grow as fast when a few prosper at the expense of a growing middle class and ladders for folks who want to get into the middle class. That’s the economic argument. But stark inequality is also corrosive to our democratic ideal.

While the top one percent has amassed a bigger share of wealth and income, too many families, in inner cities and in rural counties, have been left behind — the laid-off factory worker; the waitress or health care worker who’s just barely getting by and struggling to pay the bills — convinced that the game is fixed against them, that their government only serves the interests of the powerful — that’s a recipe for more cynicism and polarization in our politics.

ability to educate our kids, and create good jobs, and protect our homeland. In other words, it will determine our future.

To begin with, our democracy won’t work without a sense that everyone has economic opportunity. And the good news is that today the economy is growing again. Wages, incomes, home values, and retirement accounts are all rising again. Poverty is falling again. The wealthy are paying a fairer share of taxes even as the stock market shatters records. The unemployment rate is near a 10-year low. The uninsured rate has never, ever been lower. Health care costs are rising at the slowest rate in 50 years. And I’ve said and I mean it — if anyone can put together a plan that is demonstrably better than the improvements we’ve made to our health care system and that covers as many people at less cost, I will publicly support it.

Because that, after all, is why we serve. Not to score points or take credit, but to make people’s lives better.

But for all the real progress

But there are no quick fixes to this long-term trend. I agree, our trade should be fair and not just free. But the next wave of economic dislocations won’t come from overseas. It will come from the relentless pace of automation that makes a lot of good, middle-class jobs obsolete.

And so we’re going to have to forge a new social compact to guarantee all our kids the education they need; to give workers the power to unionize for better wages; to update the social safety net to reflect the way we live now, and make more reforms to the tax code so corporations and individuals who reap the most from this new economy don’t avoid their obligations to the country that’s made their very success possible.

We can argue about how to best achieve these goals. But we can’t be complacent about the goals themselves. For if we don’t create opportunity for all people, the disaffection and division that has stalled our progress will only sharpen in years to come.

There’s a second threat to our democracy — and this one is as old as our nation itself. After my election, there was talk of a post-racial America.

And such a vision, however well-intended, was never realistic. Race remains a potent and often divisive force in our society. Now, I’ve lived long enough to know that race relations are better than they were 10, or 20, or 30 years ago, no matter what some folks say. You can see it not just in statistics, you see it in the attitudes of young Americans across the political spectrum. But we’re not where we need to be. And all of us have more work to do. If every economic issue is framed as a struggle between a hardworking white middle class and an undeserving minority, then workers of all shades are going to be left fighting for scraps while the wealthy withdraw further into their private enclaves. If we’re unwilling to invest in the children of immigrants, just because they don’t look like us, we will diminish the prospects of our own children — because those brown kids will represent a larger and larger share of America’s workforce. And we have shown that our economy doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game. Last year, incomes rose for all races, all age groups, for men and for women. So if we’re going to be serious about race going forward, we need to uphold laws against discrimination — in hiring, and in housing, and in education, and in the criminal justice system. That is what our Constitution and our highest ideals require. But laws alone won’t be enough. Hearts must change. It won’t change overnight. Social attitudes oftentimes take generations to change. But if our democracy is to work in this increasingly diverse nation, then each one of us need to try to heed the advice of a great character in American fiction — Atticus Finch — who said “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” To be continued in next week’s Black History Month section.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

and panelist.

He retired on January 2, 1987 after 35 years of service. His legacy continued through a new, incoming class, named on his behalf, the Preston L. Bouie Class of 2002. The retired assistant fire chief lived a spiritually rich life and religious membership with Washington Metropolitan A. M. E. Zion Church. Preston served on the Trustee Board and Finance Committee. Community affiliations and recognitions include: St. Louis Cancer Society, Monsanto YMCA Golden Triangle Club, Toastmasters International, United Negro College Fund, Vashon High School Hall of Fame, St. Louis Argus Distinguished Citizen Award. He served in mayoral administrations under Poelker, Conway, Schoemehl and Bosley; Missouri Division of Fire Inspection - Columbia Missouri; Proclamations : Board of Aldermen, Missouri House of Representatives, Missouri Senate and United States Congress; Cambridge, England Fire Department; and Mombasa Fire Brigade, Kenya,

Africa. Preston leaves to mourn: his high school sweet heart and wife of 70 years, the former Stella M. Mosby; brother Alonzo Bouie (Pauline); daughters, Claudina Anita Bouie (deceased), Dr. Sylvia N. Bouie-Saddler (Robert, deceased) and Rev. Sheila N. Bouie-Sledge (Clifford). A niece, Deborah Bouie; grandsons Terrence Robert Saddler (Ashlee), Donald Sheldon Sledge and Christopher Green (Cinnamon); and a granddaughter, Tara Evans Herron (Stephen); and many grandchildren, great grandchildren and greatgreat grandchildren. Special cousins: Georgia Anderson and Louise Williamson and a hosts of nieces and nephews, friends and members of the congregation. In lieu of cards and flowers, please consider a donation to Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center. Please make checks payable to: Washington University Knight ADRC and mail to: Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University, 4488 Forest Park Avenue, Suite 130, St. Louis, Missouri 631082293. Attention: Dr. Virginia Buckles.

Black History MontH activities

Feb. 1- Feb.28, African American Inventors Exhibit, St. Louis County Library, St. Louis County Library – Thornhill Branch, 12863 Willowyck Drive. For more information, visit www.slcl.org.

Thurs., Feb. 2, 4 p.m., Best Bites Cookbook Club: African American Chefs, St. Louis County Library – Thornhill Branch, 12863 Willowyck Drive. For more information, visit www.slcl.org.

Thurs., Feb. 2, 6:30 p.m., Henry “Box” Brown and the Underground Railroad, St. Louis County Library –Grand Glaize Branc, 1010 Meramec Station Rd. For more information, visit www.slcl.org

Thurs., Feb. 2, 7 p.m., Saint Louis University Black Student Alliance presents the 2017 Black History Month keynote “An Evening with Nikki Giovanni, Busch Student Center’s St. Louis Room, Saint Louis University.

Sat., Feb. 4, 10 a.m.,

Discovering Your African American Ancestors, MidCounty Branch Library, 7821 Maryland. For more information, visit www.slcl.org

Mon., Feb. 6, 3:30 p.m., Film Screening: Ruby Bridges, St. Louis Public LibraryKingshighway Branch, 2260 S. Vandeventer.

Mon., Feb. 6, 4 p.m., African American Read In, St. Louis County Library – Lewis and Clark Branch, 9909 Lewis and Clark. For more information, visit www.slcl.org

Thur., Feb. 16, 7 p.m., National Blues Museum and HEC-TV host A Conversation with Reena Evers-Everette and David Dennis, Sr.: Inside the Civil Rights Movement. 615 Washington Ave., 63101. For more information or to RSVP, call

(314) 925-0016 or visit www. nationalbluesmuseum.org.

Fri., Feb. 17, 7:30 p.m., St. Louis Symphony presents Lift Every Voice: Black History Month Celebration. Join the STL Symphony, guest Byron Stripling and the IN UNISON Chorus to commemorate culture and community. 718 N. Grand blvd., 63103. For more information call 314-534-1700 or visit www.stlsymphony.org.

Sun., Feb. 19, 6 p.m. (5 p.m. doors), Community Women Against Hardship Black History Month Benefit Concert with special guest

Russell Gunn, Harold and Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz, 3536 Washington. For more information, call (314) 571-6000.

Thur., Feb. 23, 5:30 p.m., The Lawyers’ Association Black History Month Dinner. Westin Hotel, 811 Spruce St., 63102. For more information, call (314) 454-6543.

Tues., Feb. 21, 7:30 p.m., The Loyola Cemetery in French Guiana: Memory of Slavery at a Sugar Plantation Réginald Auger discusses the 500 slaves labored on a sugar plantation to produce a number

of cash crops under the close supervision of a handful of missionaries. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 746-4599 or visit www.mohistory.org.

Wed., Feb. 22, 6:30 p.m., Mound City Bar Association’s Historical Tribute to Celia Celia was a Missouri slave that was tried and executed for killing the master who raped her. 10th Street Gallery, 419 N. Tenth St., 63101.

Thur., Feb. 23, 6:30 p.m., Maplewood Public Library presents St. Louis Freedom Struggle, 1821-1968. We will focus on St. Louis’ role during the periods before Brown v. Board of Education and the modern Civil Rights Movement. 7550 Lohmeyer, 63143. For more information, call (314) 781-2174 or visit www.maplewood.lib.mo.us.

Thur., Feb. 23, 6:30 p.m., St. Louis County Library presents The Black Experience: Specializing in the Art of the Impossible Dr. Stefan Bradley and De Nichols discuss unlikely victories and impossible odds that face African Americans. Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, call (314) 994-3300 or visit www.slcl.org. Sat.,

St. Louis Symphony presents Lift Every Voice: Black History Month Celebration with Byron Stripling and the IN UNISON Chorus.

UMSL celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

By Roderick Wilbon

For The St. Louis American

It was the birthday of a man who was honored for his greatness and perseverance in the Civil Rights Movement.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would have been 88 years old this year. The University of Missouri-St. Louis hosted its annual, “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Observance” on January 16 at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center.

As guests were ushered in through the doors, they were welcomed by sweet soft jazz music from Thomas George, the chancellor on piano. James Widner, the director of Jazz Studies, accompanied him on bass. Deborah Burris, the director and chief diversity officer of the Diversity and Inclusion office, greeted everyone. Justin Andrews, KMOV reporter, carried the rest of the event as master of ceremonies.

An Invocation was given by the Reverend Susan Andrews,

HARRIS

Continued from D1

mother’s alcoholism. I was teased by other children and was hungry most times. Sometimes I would not see my poor mother for days. Due to hunger, I would follow the neighbor kids when their mother would call them home for dinner. Sometimes I got lucky and got a meal, but too often, I was sent home hungry.

This loneliness led me to create friendships with the wrong individuals.

I attended Dunbar Elementary School and lived on the corner of Garrison and Cass avenues. At present, Vashon High School is located in that same spot. I was not a great student. I was always

interim pastor, Second Presbyterian Church. She made sure to give emphasis in the prayer for this week and for our country. The Spreading the Love Singers sang three songs, including “The Star Spangled Banner,” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The entire audience stood and sang along all in one accord.

“Excerpt of Freedom,” an interpretive dance presentation, was performed by The Modern American Dance Company. It was choreographed by Cecil Slaughter and it chronicled the timeline of slavery to the present time of the AfricanAmerican plight.

Charles Piller of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Epsilon Lambda Chapter and past president of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Committee came to the podium. He presented scholarships to two UMSL recipients: Katherine Bluemel and William Holt.

Bluemel is pursuing her bachelor’s in education. In

too hungry to concentrate on learning.

Fortunately, our school cafeteria was operated by a lady named Ms. Whitney. She actually prepared all of her meals fresh and by herself.

Some students assisted by serving the food, washing dishes and cleaning up after the lunch was over. I begged and begged until Ms. Whitney permitted me to work in the kitchen. Thank God. At least now I am going to have one meal five times a week.

Something happened while I was in attendance at Dunbar.

A teacher named Ms. Crawford came to my classroom one day and asked if I could assist her. My teacher consented. I was taken to our gym, which also served as lunchroom and auditorium. There were a few other students present. She

addition to high academic standards, the second part of the scholarship requires student community service.

The third part is an essay that centers around a MLK quote or thought. In her speech, the highlight was about success. “If you’re a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo paint-

handed me a printed script and asked me to be in a play she was putting together. It changed my whole life.

Who would have thought I’d do 38 motion pictures, 18 national commercials, perform at the Muny for 20 years and become a successful singer?

While still in the sixth grade, I met a young kid named Robert. I think he was a year or two older than me. He and I use pal around every day. Robert had a serious character flaw. He would steal any and everything he could get his hands on. I got so I would do the same thing –petty theft, but stealing non-the less.

One day while prowling around, we passed in front of an old antique store. In the window was displayed an old 22 caliber rifle. Out of the clear blue, Robert told me he

ed paintings,” said Bluemel.

“Be the best at what you do.”

Holt, who is pursuing a doctorate in nursing, spoke on his passion to help people and the fact that money is a product of success and not the sign of it.

“The mere smile of my chemotherapy patient as she rode her bike down the hall is the suc-

was going to steal that gun. I thought he was kidding. Wrong.

Late one extremely cold night, with no cars or pedestrians anywhere, Robert and I were out roaming around looking for something to get into. We ended up in front of the store that had the rifle. Robert darted into the doorway and told me to be the lookout. I didn’t have clue as to what he was talking about until he took out a big hammer and started fearlessly striking the padlock on the door. In addition to being half frozen, now I was scared out of my wits. I had no idea that he was going to do this. But I could not punk out and run away. Instead I stood in the doorway shaking. He finally broke the lock and ran inside and grabbed the gun. We took off running down the

For ninth annual MLK Day of Service on January 16, University of Missouri-St. Louis students cleaned up and painted the Ferguson Youth Initiative and St. Ann Catholic School.

Photo by August Jennewein/ courtesy of UMSL

cess I seek,” said Holt.

Brian Owens and the Deacons of Soul performed two selections, including, “A Change is Gonna Come.”

The guest speaker was, award-winning author, Harvard graduate, journalist, professor and lecturer, Farai Chideya.

“We as humans are all related in some way. Depending on your beliefs we’re all from Lucy the evolution story, the big bang theory, or the God creation story,” said Chideya.

“So why do we need to register differences in skin color, when all of our blood has a

street. I knew at any minute the police would catch us and throw us in jail. Thank God, that didn’t happen. We took the gun over to a shed in back of where he lived. Thank God, the gun had no bullets. But we sat in this freezing shed playing with it. Still shaking from fear and the cold, I decided to go home. I left Robert in the shed gleefully playing with the gun. That was the last time I saw Robert.

A few years later, my cousin Margaret, who lived in the same building as Robert and his mother, was telling my mother about a killing. Cousin Margaret said to my mother, “Did you hear about Robert being killed a couple of weeks ago? You know, the boy that Bobby (my nickname) use to run around with. He got killed

heterogeneous mixture? We need to sit down with people that hate us, and sometimes try to understand the hate. In doing so, we break down the barriers and fear between people.”

Near the end of the event, there was another musically selection from Brian Owens and the Deacons of Soul. Deborah Burris would come back to acknowledge the committee and thank everyone.

“This event is a time of reflection, a celebration, and it’s supposed to inspire and challenge individuals to continue striving for excellence,” said Burris, “especially, striving for excellence in our community and world.”

To close out the evening, everyone in the auditorium stood, held hands and sing, “We Shall Overcome.”

“We will defeat division, we will defeat hatred, we will defeat racism, and we will defeat sexism,” said Burris. “These are things we have to continue to push and push forward on.”

trying to rob a liquor store.” I almost fell through the floor. If not for the grace of God, there go I. I desperately needed a change in my life. One evening, I saw two of my neighbor boys, in uniform, at Courtland and Maurice, on their way to attend a Boy Scout’s meeting, and I asked to go along. The meetings were held every Friday at the Leonard Baptist Church located on Page Avenue and Grand Boulevard. My salvation came in the form of my Scoutmaster Dan O’Kelly. Mr. O’Kelly became everything I wanted to grow to be. He had no children of his own, but he treated us as if we were his own kids. For once, I was a part of something wonderful. To be continued in next week’s Black History Month section.