February 3rd, 2011 Edition

Applying reality to black struggle

Chokwe Lumumba was the keynote speaker at the 31st Anniversary Celebration of the Organization for Black Struggle held Saturday at the Gateway Classic.

Riding the local control train

Don’t get distracted by the characters on the caboose

There’s a saying that goes something like “you can accomplish anything if you don’t care who gets the credit.”I like that quote. I believe that quote. I quote that quote. Not this time.

There has been outrage at some of the characters who weren’t even on the caboose of the train now trying to get into the conductor’s booth. The train is local control of the St. Louis police and the destination is St. Louis. Characters like Mayor Francis G. Slay and city-wrecking billionaire Rex Sinquefield. The demand for local control and accountability of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department goes back to 1960s. During the civil rights era, organizations like the Congress of Racial Equality and ACTION sounded the call. The demand was part of the founding platform for the Organization for Black Struggle in 1980. In 1983, the Coalition Against Police Crimes & Repression came together around the reckless and lethal actions of police officer Joseph Ferrario. Ferrario ran through a North Side neighborhood shooting at a 15year-old girl like he was in the Wild West. As a result of Ferrario’s deadly negligence, an innocent, young mother by the name of Marilyn Banks was hit with one of his bullets while sitting on her porch.

Chokwe Lumumba, who freed the Scott sisters, keynotes OBS event

By Rebecca S.Rivas Of The St.Louis American

About 20 days ago, the Scott sisters captivated national headlines.

Gladys and Jamie Scott of Jackson, Mississippi are two African-American sisters who were incarcerated for 16 years –sentenced with two double-life sentences – for allegedly robbing two men of a few hundred dollars. (Some argue it was only $11.) But on Jan. 7, Chokwe Lumumba, a councilman and attorney from Jackson who led the legal battle for their release, watched them walk out of

“I won my office because I was in a ward that was 25,000 people, and all of them were black except for 700.” – Chokwe Lumumba

John Thomas,a student at St.Mary’s High School,and his brother Robert Edward,a student at Loyola Academy,shoveled snow and sleet from the sidewalks in front of their home in the 3900 block of Cleveland in the city’sShaw neighborhood on Tuesday,when a winter storm shut down most of the St.Louis metropolitan area.

CHIEFCALLSFOREARLYEDUCATION

‘I don’t see any other long-term way out of this’

By Chris King Of The St.Louis American

St. Louis Police Chief Daniel Isom wants what all police chiefs everywhere want – more funding for more officers on the street. “We need to get more people out on the streets – that’s logical – that gives you a better chance of reducing crime,” Isom told The American However, he made this elementary point after going through a long list of other initiatives that he thinks would reduce violent crime in St. Louis and drive down the city’s homicide rate (144 murders in 2010), which is highest by far among AfricanAmerican males. The most important

suggestion on the chief’s list might come as a surprise to hardened crimewatchers: early childhood education.

“I keep pointing out that we can’t arrest our way out of the situation. We have to change the hearts and minds of young African Americans,” Isom told The American “Certainly we can arrest our way down to a level lower than 144 homicides a year, but what is more important is the education of individuals in a

Young Leader awardees chosen

By K.Michael Jones Of The

The recognition event will be held from 5:307:30pm, Thursday, February 24 and will include complimentary beer and wine, hors d’oeuvres, and a cash bar for premium drinks.

The group of Young Leader awardees includes a corporate attorney for one of St. Louis’ top 10 largest privately held companies. Also, a CFO for the YWCA, a physician at Washington University School of Medicine, the Director of Government Relations for the world’s largest private-sector coal company that has annual revenue of nearly $7 billion. Also a pastor, a molecular biologist for Monsanto, and an engineer at Boeing. What do they all have in common? They are high-performing, young African-American professionals who are also giving back to their community. This diverse group of twenty outstanding African-American professionals, age 40 or under, has been selected as the inaugural class of Young Leader recipients. The awardees will be honored at the St. Louis American Foundation’s Salute to Young Leaders Networking Awards Reception, February 24, in the Starlight Room at the Chase

Photo by Wiley Price

Photo by Rosalind Guy

See LUMUMBA, A6

Ms. (a little too) Right; Can being the total package ruin your chances?

Police Chief Daniel Isom

Jamala Rogers

Branson promoter accuses Nelly of being an outlaw

After STL rap star being given the run around leading up to his headlining performance in Branson – the first hip-hop performance in the country music town.

Now promoter to be making slander attempts by accusing his crew of shady business activity

Dunn says Nelly agreed to perform for $40,000.00 but after the some people in his camp demanded another $35,000.00 in cash.

“They basically kidnaps one of my security guards,” Dunn said. “ I thought I was going to get shot. I thought to be honest with you; I thought I was fixing to get shot.”

According to Dunn

the situation was diffused only after he handed over a check, which he later canceled. No police report was filed.

Halle Berry baby battle heats up

The custody issues between Halle Berry and her baby daddy Gabriel Aubry is said to be turning nasty.

Aubry has reportedly hired lawyers in both California and his native country Canada in a bid to win custody of their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Berry, 44, released a statement Monday claiming that she has “serious concerns for her daughter’s well-being while in the care of her father for any extended period of time and is prepared to take all necessary steps to protect her.”

A source close to the situation told celebrity gossip site RadarOnline.com Aubry is preparing to fight back.

“Halle has gone too far this time,” the source said. “Attacking Gabriel and accusing him of being an unfit father is totally below the belt and completely without merit. There’s no way he is going to allow Halle to take his daughter away from him.”

Some of the weapons Gabriel is said to be prepared to use in

the battle include voicemails and emails from Berry – that reportedly reveal a mean and controlling side of the actress. Aubry felt forced to take legal action back in December to establish his custody rights following a series of explosive outbursts by Berry.

His intention at the time was said to gain the right to joint custody –believing that despite his personal problems with Halle that she was, overall, a good mother.

But, according to the source, Berry’s latest actions have changed his mind. He is even said to believe that she hired a private investigator with the intention of digging up dirt against him for the sake of the custody battle.

Breezy wants RiRi’s restraining order lifted

On Friday Chris Brown was in court for a probation progress hearing and asked the judge to lift the order he stay 50 yards away from Rihanna because, “It makes it difficult at award shows”.

Rihanna’s attorney was in court but did not want to agree to the modification without speaking to Rihanna – who was not present at the time. They tried calling the singer, but because they were unable to reach her, the decision

must be made at a later date. Brown was nominated for 3 Grammy awards this year, but says he will not be at the ceremony.

Game blown away by RZA’s legal action

The RZA of The Wu Tang Clan hit rapper Game with a cease and desist over a song with the looming threat of a lawsuit. The conflict arose after The Rza produced a song, “Heartbreaker” for Game’s anticipated R.E.D. Album, but when the sample was un-clearable, it was used for the recently released “Purp & Patron” double mixtape.

“I think RZA [is] tryin’ to sue about [‘Heartbreaker’] or somethin’,” The Game told Hiphopdx.com “That’s crazy. Like, I don’t even know how RZA sues The Game. He came to the studio and brought the [‘Heartbreaker’] track to me. He’s like, ‘Yo Game, this is for you. You can have that.’ Those are his words.” Game said that the cease and desist declaration confused him after they connected on the creation of the piece.

“So I threw it out [on a mixtape]. The next thing I know RZA is suing The Game. I didn’t even know Wu-Tang sued [expletive].”

The Game says there is no beef between the two rappers. Whether or not the case will actually go to court remains unclear.

Sources: Allhiphop.com, Rhymes with Snitch, RadarOnline.com, Hiphopdx.com

Replaces Gillespie, who becomes chairman emeritus

American staff

Last week the Rev. Earl Nance Jr. was appointed the new chairman of the MathewsDickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club Board of Directors. Nance is pastor of ther Greater Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church, most recently vice chair of the board, long-time board member and a Mathews-Dickey alumnus.

The retiring board board chair is the Rev. William Gillespie. Gillespie, the club’s chairman since 1975, is becoming chairman emeritus and was honored during the organization’s 50th Anniversary President’s Day Parade with the naming of the board room in his honor.

“Like Rev. Gillespie, Rev. Nance perfectly exemplifies the values of credibility, accountability and integrity,” said Martin Luther Mathews, MathewsDickey president, CEO and co-founder.

“As a product of our program, he is an excellent role model for our children of what can be achieved with hard work and dedication.”

As vice chairman of the MathewsDickey board, Nance played a key role in the organization’s growth and success. He is succeeded in this role by Centric Group Director of Recruiting Odell Hendricks, with Dr. Mary Ellen Burford serving as secretary and Delores Mars as treasurer.

Nance carries on a family tradition of board service at Mathews-Dickey, started by his father, the late Rev. Earl Nance Sr.

“What an honor and a privilege it is to chair the organization in which I grew up and to continue the mission of helping children,” said Nance. “Both Mr. Mathews and Rev. Gillespie are great father figures and mentors to me.” Gillespie said, “It is a pleasure to work with Rev. Nance on the board of Mathews-Dickey and in the clerical community. We are proud of him and are confident that he will be an impeccable leader.” Nance is former St. Louis Clergy Coalition president and has served on the boards of Fair St. Louis, Friends of Julia Davis Library, Heat-up St. Louis, Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Historical Society, NAACP, St. Louis Sports Commission, St. Louis Regional Sports Authority, St. Louis Science Center, United

EDITORIAL /COMMENTARY

Cardinals should learn from stadium project

While we still think there is a higher value and more impactful use for the 10 acres of vital downtown real estate that had been set aside for Ballpark Village, a scaled-back version of that mixed-use development is moving forward. The St. Louis Cardinals and its partner developer the Cordish Co. have received approval from the city’s Downtown Economic Stimulus Authority and are working on a new development agreement for the project.

The $550 million plan is slated to begin with a $155 million first phase that will include 225,000 square feet of office space, 100,000 square feet of retail, 500 surface parking spaces, a public events plaza and $10 million in infrastructure improvements. While St. Louis misses out on the opportunity for a visionary development – like the updated plans for the Arch grounds – that enhances the market for existing downtown office and retail space as well as new residents, rather than simply adding more downtown office and retail space, the Cardinals and Cordish still have an opportunity to make an important contribution to the region with this project. To borrow a baseball metaphor, the Cardinals have an opportunity to win their second World Series ring for minority inclusion.

The $300 million Cardinals Busch Stadium project, completed in 2006, was a model of successful inclusion of minority businesses. In all, 80 minority- and women-owned firms received 130 contracts totaling $65 million. As importantly, the project implemented a mentor-protégé program modeled after a pilot program developed on the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport Expansion, the largest public works project in St. Louis history. Each prime contractor on the stadium project – which was managed by Hunt Construction Group, in association with Kwame Building Group – was required to mentor at least one citycertified minority- or women-owned firm. The

prime contractors provided training, integrated business services, lent equipment, purchased software, helped firms develop management and accounting skills, and introduced them to potential clients.

The stadium project was undertaken in a different economic climate, with a different development partner and directed by an older generation of the DeWitt family than will undertake the Ballpark Village project. Initial contacts between minority-owned firms, the Cardinals and Cordish regarding the new project, we are told, have not been immediately encouraging. This is a public/private project, because of the involvement of public subsidy. Specific arrangements will be worked out during the negotiation of the deal, which should be governed by the Mayor’s Executive Order mandating 25 percent participation of minorityowned firms and 5 percent participation of women-owned firms. Given the successful example set by the Cardinals in the stadium project, the team management and Cordish should seize this opportunity to make or beat those numbers by adopting the same mentorprotégé program implemented successfully in the stadium project. City and state officials with whom the Cardinals and Cordish must negotiate to get their deal done should insist on this.

St. Louis has a long way to go toward capitalizing on its diversity and including African Americans in a fair share of the region’s resources and opportunities. Now is not the time to slip backwards even an inch. The Cardinals have helped to provide the region with one model that works. Anyone who has a say on this deal must encourage them to implement that model again and, if anything, improve it. The acknowledged and tangible benefits to St. Louis in a strengthened minority business community are significant for the future, ongoing success of the entire region.

Time for city to re-enter county

Seven years ago, I was asked to testify before the Advance St. Louis charter reform taskforce.

That well-meaning, but short-sighted effort produced four amendments to the City of St. Louis’ charter, each of which was then soundly rejected by the voters.

I am convinced that the defeat of that reform effort lies in its failure to address the larger, more critical and still unresolved issues which continue to waste millions of tax dollars each year, while depriving citizens of accountability and local control of key government functions.

In 2004, I suggested three transformative ideas that would have streamlined government services, saved millions of tax dollars, restored local control over police and election boards, and promoted a more unified community.

It was clear then, and it is even more obvious today, that the City of St. Louis should re-enter St. Louis County as the largest independent municipality.

Let me be clear: I am not suggesting a city-county merger.

What I am advocating is finally addressing the entrenched, duplicated power structures, inefficient government practices, inadequate public services in many areas and a long, sad

history of racial disparities.

I am a homeowner, a taxpayer and the father of two young children who are growing up here. So the stakes for me are very personal.

And as a federal elected official who represents large portions of both the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County in Congress, I have a unique perspective on how to move our community forward.

The City of St. Louis continues to be the vital heart of the St. Louis region, and no patient can be truly healthy without a strong, stable heart. But as I pointed out in 2004, the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County share a common destiny. We face many of the same challenges and could potentially share many of the same solutions – to our mutual benefit.

For instance: Both government entities have separate economic development operations, separate courts and corrections systems, separate parks and street repair and separate health departments. Why?

Jobs, potholes, criminals and uninsured sick people flow back and forth without stopping at Skinker Boulevard. This is a community reality that we can no longer afford to ignore.

As a region, we are failing to create enough new jobs, while our revenue base continues to erode. Even worse, we are falling behind in the competition to attract talented young people who want to build a future in a vibrant community.

In the City of St. Louis, one-third of the budget goes to

The Way I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

Barack Obama and Abraham Lincoln

The biggest blow struck for justice and equality since the Civil, Voting and Open Housing Acts of the 1960s has been the election of the first African-American president. We are at another historic moment in AfricanAmerican history. There is a historical parallel.

Abraham Lincoln was elected on November 7, 1860. He was sworn in as president in March 1861. In the four months before Lincoln was sworn in, seven Southern states voted to secede from the Union. On April 12, 1861, the Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina. On April 15, 1861, Abraham Lincoln issued the call for mobilization of troops to save the Union. Shortly thereafter, four more Southern States declared their secession from the Union. These states were in full rebellion against a president who, initially, was not even opposed to slavery as an institution. The resulting Civil War claimed the largest number of casualties in American history. Over 600,000 people lost their lives; another million or more were injured and displaced; and President

Lincoln was assassinated. President Barack Obama was elected on November 4, 2008 and sworn in on January 19, 2009. He inherited an economy that was bleeding 850,000 jobs a month, two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan fought with borrowed money, a global financial market in tatters, and the largest deficit in the nation’s history. Within three months of being sworn in, President Obama received more threats on his life than any other president in American history. Islamophobic, gun-toting Tea Party extremists and militias sprung up all over the country, aided and abetted by the Republican Party and Blue Dog Democrats. By April 15, 2009, Republican Governor Rick Perry of Texas and others were openly threatening to secede from the Union. Under bizarre and phony banners of “taxation without representation” and the false claim that President Obama is not a citizen, these extremists began a relentless campaign to delegitimize and destroy the Obama administration and his proworking family agenda.

Tavis Smiley and Cornell West have some lessons to learn. To avoid going so far to the fringe that they end up in the same bed as the Tea Party extremists, they must be like Frederick Douglas. Douglas supported Abraham Lincoln, but never lost sight of the need

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The IRS’ dirty little secret

public safety, and yet control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department is in Jefferson City. That bizarre arrangement is a relic of the Civil War. It is time to bury it by establishing local control and real accountability.

Another glaring example of state-city reform that is long overdue is establishing local control over the St. Louis City and St. Louis County Election Boards.

You might recall the fiasco of the November 2000 general election when a huge number of eligible voters were turned away from city polling places by an election board that was incompetent, unaccountable to the voters and beyond any local scrutiny.

In 2008, large numbers of voters in North St. Louis County waited in line for hours to cast their ballots because the election board failed to provide enough voting machines and election judges.

Today, we are still unable to ensure the voting rights of every citizen in both the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County. We need to establish local control over the composition and operation of both election boards without delay. This is not a time for timid leaders or weak ideas. It is a time for courage.

People always resist change, because they fear it. But the ultimate challenge for both the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County is to have the courage and vision to help our community overcome that fear and act boldly to shape the better future that we all want, and our children deserve.

Alma M Scarborough shined a very bright light on a dirty little secret in her column “IRS targets Hispanics and blacks.” It is not lost on me and will be obvious to others that she undertook to bring this horrible state of affairs to the public’s attention at some considerable professional risk. As a savvy business owner, she had to know that her former colleagues and their bosses at the IRS would learn of the article and might attempt some measure of retribution. We can only hope that they will decline and rather resolve to undertake meaningful and sustained reforms of the rules, regulations and practices that permit, support and sustain this cruel injustice. Her courage and willingness to fight for what is right is the perfect model for our kids, our community and our country. I cannot believe that the results of this startling study by Shaun Tully, based on the research of Tom Evans, has not yet caught the attention of the mass media. As this country was built on the backs of our ancestors, it seems that it is, even now, being maintained in the same manner.

Nicholas L. Gerren Jr.

Via email

Behind Obama all the way

The problems of African Americans are unique and require direct, immediate solutions. But the perception has always been that if you help African Americans, you’re giving us special treatment and special programs that benefit us at the detriment of everyone else. As long as that perception exists, and President Obama and his team know that it does, he cannot and will not be seen providing things directly for “his” people.

The reality is that while, yes, African-American voters will support him no matter what, we don’t even come close to making up a voting bloc that really matters. The reality is that he does need the votes of mainstream whites nationwide – and liberal Latinos – to win reelection. If Obama loses them, he’s done and then we’ll

to unite all forces to abolish slavery in order to save the Union. Relentlessly Douglas agitated and organized amongst free blacks and those held in bondage. Rather than engage in destructive criticism of Lincoln, Douglas directed his energies on organizing and convincing Lincoln that he couldn’t save the Union without freeing those held in bondage. As W.E.B. Du Bois would later write, it was the largest general strike in American history – millions of blacks held in bondage, downing their tools, walking off the plantations and joining the Union army – that eventually broke the back of the slave economy and saved the Union. As Frantz Fanon wrote, “Every generation must, out of historical necessity, discover its mission, fulfill it or betray it!” Tavis Smiley and Cornell West are, I would like to believe, inadvertently betraying the fundamental interests of African Americans. Today, we need unity in action. We need to continue our prayers for the safety of President Obama and the first family. But we must do more. We must exhale. We must organize and re-engage in the urgent tasks of our time. We must re-direct our energies and

in defense of gains made and against those who want to go back to the original intent of the founding fathers.

really never get anything for the black community. The most important thing Martin Luther King Jr. and the movement did was build a broad, American, liberal consensus to push Congress and the White House to pass significant, lasting legislation to end segregation and restore voting rights. That broad consensus was needed to change the perception of Americans that civil rights wasn’t a black issue, that it wasn’t blacks seeking something special – that it was an American issue, with blacks fighting for rights they already had in the U.S. Constitution. Just Obama being in office has stirred up a hornet’s nest of racism. Will it be worth it if he winds up being a oneand-done president? It isn’t to me – no way. We need this man in the presidency for two full terms for so many reasons. I’m not willing to risk losing the chance to see him really turn this country around and truly change the perceptions of Americans about the capabilities and possibilities of black leadership. So Tavis and Cornel can criticize him all they want to – I’m behind him all the way.

Vikki J. Vickers Ogden, UT

English: not broken I’m writing to you because of the “Putting down the pistol” article. I’m extremely offended that we were made to be these immigrants who speak “broken English” and were “confused,” as if we’re against an initiative to end violence in the community. As a matter of fact, NOBODY employed at this establishment speaks broken English. We have been in this neighborhood for 26 years and know everybody in the neighborhood. Everybody employed in this store is college-educated and was born and raised in this country (minus my father, who has been in this country for over 35 years), so it is impossible for anybody here to speak “broken English.”

S. Abdelaziz St. Louis

Editor’s note: The reporter thought she heard broken

English spoken by the person working the counter at your store and reported that. As for the confusion she reported, the story states the clerk appeared confused because a neighborhood thug was trying to promote non-violence.

Guest Columnist Walle Amusa

Guest Columnist Cong. Wm. Lacy Clay

Screenplay competition accepting submissions

Cinema St. Louis is accepting submissions for the 2011 CinemaSpoke Screenwriting Competition and Workshop. Deadline for submissions is Feb. 28.

Acommittee of selection judges will read the first 30 pages of each submitted screenplay. Based on these30 pages, the judges will then select five scripts for the competition. The five 2011 CinemaSpoke finalists will be announced on March 31. The first 30 pages of each selected script will be given a public reading. The winning screenplay will then receive a full reading during the 20th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival, Nov. 10-20. For more information, contact Cinema St. Louis at 314-2894150 or visit www.cinemastlouis.org.

New tuition-free charterschool in the city

The Missouri State Board of Education recently voted to approve South City Preparatory Academy’s charter application.South City Prep is a tuition-free, academically rigorous, college preparatory charter school that will open with 5th and 6th grade in the fall of 2011. Adding a grade level every year, South City Prep will eventuallyserve grades 5-12. The school is still finalizing a location, but will most likely be located in either the 63116 or 63118 zip code. For more information, visitwww.southcityprep.org or contact Mike Malone at (314) 800-3097 or mmalone@southcityprep.org.

United Way Classroom Volunteer

Cheryl Polk,executive vice president of the United Way of Greater St.Louis, serves as a Classroom Volunteer for the Day in the Music Room at Northwest Academy of Law.The St.Louis Public School District offered incentives this past year for participating in the 2010 United Way Campaign,including Classrrom Volunteer for the Day,which was won by Tina Poynter of Northwest Academy and four others.The other incentives were Lunch with Superintendent Dr.Kelvin R.Adams (won by Bruce Green),Lunch for Top Five Donors from the School who Raised the Most Money and Pizza Party for Staff from the School who Raised the Most Money (both won by Mel Carnahan High School of the Future).The district raised $36,515 for the United Way.

Nominate an Extraordinary/Ordinary Person

Gitana Productions is seeking nominations of volunteers who reach across racial, cultural and religious lines to support victims of domestic violence for its 2011 Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year Award. Nominations will be accepted through April 15.

Gitana will present the ninth annual Extraordinary/Ordinary Person of the Year Award at the opening night of “Faultlines,” an original play by Lee Patton Chiles, at Cardinal Regali Center. In the U.S., one of every four women experiences domestic violence in her lifetime, and the numbers are much higher for South Asian women. This year, several Gitana events will focus on domestic violence in St. Louis’South Asian community (immigrants from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Maldives). Nominations should include a one-page essay describing how the candidate voluntarily reaches across ethnic and religious lines, and why he or she should receive the award. Include contact information for the nominee and the person making the nomination. Nomination essays may be emailed to gitana@stlouis.missouri.org or mailed to Gitana Productions, PO Box 300322, St. Louis, MO, 63130. Deadline for entry is April 15.

to ourtroops

By Michelle Obama First Lady

I want to thank everyone who wears our country’s uniform and the families who serve right alongside them each and every day. Your stories affect me not just as First Lady, but as a mother, as a wife and as an American.

Stories like that of the military wife, who has balanced raising a daughter, volunteering for her unit’s family readiness groups, and a career as a community developer, all while living in seven different states over 17 years.

Stories like the woman who had just gotten her nursing degree and quit her new job only after two months, so that she could take care of her Navy SEALbrother who was wounded by an IED.And today, he’s doing better, even running last fall’s Army 10-miler on a pair of prosthetic legs.

Stories like the young woman, just 15 years old, who took on the role of a third parent – helping her brothers and sisters with homework, assisting with meals – as her mother cared for her wounded father. She summed it all up by simply saying, “They needed me and I was there for them.”

For me and for Jill Biden, they are a reminder of our obligation to our troops, our veterans and their families – an obligation to work harder; an obligation to channel the strength and courage of our military families and veterans into our work on their behalf. We’ve seen you giving back to your communities, no matter how strapped you are for time or resources or sleep.We’ve heard how difficult it is when the only way you can connect with your spouse is by sporadic cell phone calls or emails.We’ve seen the strength you’ve shown when a loved one comes home with a wounded body or painful memories, and the journey back to normal takes longer than expected.

And so, for me and for Jill, this isn’t about just understanding your concerns.It’s about addressing your concerns.It’s about giving you a voice with decision-makers.But most of all, it’s about making real, lasting changes that make a real difference in your lives.

Back in May, I announced that my husband had directed his Cabinet to identify new priorities and new partnerships to support our military families.They have come back with 50 specific commitments that aim to keep improving your quality of life.

For instance, the Department of Education is simplifying its financial aid application process just for you.The Departments of Labor, Commerce, Defense, and the Small Business Administration are partnering with the business community to expand your career options.The Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, Agriculture and Defense are working together to expand your childcare options.

The list of commitments goes on and on, addressing everything from homelessness to mental health to employment opportunities for young adults.So this effort gives you all a seat at the table not just at the White House or at the Pentagon or at the VA.It gives you a seat at the table all across the federal government.

Edited from remarks madeJanuary 24

Michelle Obama

LEADERS

Continued from A1

Park Plaza. They will also be profiled in the February 24 edition of The St. Louis American and stlamerican.com.

More than 130 Young Leader nominations, representing varied professionals in the private, public and non-profit sectors throughout the region, were received for the inaugural event. Acommittee of their peers (seven local AfricanAmerican professionals, age 40 or under) selected the 20

awardees.

According to St. Louis American Foundation president Donald M. Suggs, these young leaders have already demonstrated a deep commitment to making a positive impact in our community by helping to serve others.

“These highly-motivated young people are indispensable to building a more prosperous, sustainable future for this region,” Suggs said. “We are celebrating both their professional achievement and community involvement.

Tickets for the St. Louis

American Foundation’s Salute to Young Leaders Networking Awards Reception, presented by Emerson, are $25 each and can be ordered through stlamerican.com or by calling 314-533-8000, or emailing kdaniel@stlamerican.com.

Partner sponsors for the Salute to Young Leaders Networking Awards Reception are Ameren Missouri, Centene, Edward Jones, MasterCard, and St. Louis Community College.

LUMUMBA

Continued from A1

prison.

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour suspended the women’s sentences on Dec. 29 with the condition that Gladys, 36, donate a kidney to Jamie, 38, within one year of their release.

Lumumba told listeners at the Organization for Black Struggle’s 31st anniversary celebration in St. Louis on Saturday that their coalition was able to free the sisters because they understood politics.

“We didn’t go around saying that ‘Haley Barbour was a good guy. He’ll let them out,’” Lumumba said in his speech. “People knew he wasn’t a good guy. Haley Barbour knew he wasn’t a good guy.”

But when the Republican Party started putting Barbour up as a potential presidential candidate, then the coalition knew they had some political leverage.

“We knew he was a redneck governor from the hills of Mississippi,” Lumumba said. “We knew he couldn’t stand that baggage he had in Mississippi – one was the Scott sisters – if he was talking about having a presidential run.”

The Scott sisters’alleged crime occurred on Christmas Eve of 1993. Court documents state that Gladys and Jamie –then 19 and 21— took a ride with two men after meeting them at a MiniMart. Acar of three male acquaintances followed them.

At one point, Jamie complained of nausea and asked the driver to pull over. Then the men who were following behind came up to the car with a shotgun and robbed the two men. According to court documents, Jamie held the shotgun at one point. No one was injured, and the gun was never found. The sisters deny being involved in the crime.

“These women were lingering in prison for over 16 years while Barbour had pardoned five murderers, five men,”

Lumumba said. “Four of them killed their wives or girlfriends, and the other one killed a 90-year-old person. All the men were white except for one.”

The Scott case is an example of applying reality to the black struggle, Lumumba said.

To have an impact, those in the black struggle have to look at their situation realistically and decide how to apply reality to it, he said.

“When we are talking about taking power, we are talking about economically, politically and within the social system,” he said.

“So when we have local areas that we can control, we need to control them at the election box. But we also need to control them by getting our people to put together funds so we can build businesses. That is important.”

Throughout his life, Lumumba has worked to defend the rights of embattled African Americans. He has defended Assata Shakur, the Pontiac Brothers, Tupac Shakur, Geronimo Pratt and Lance Parker, who was accused of assaulting Reginald Denny during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

In May of 2009, Lumumba won the seat of city councilman in Jackson.

“Elections mean that we have to move intelligence,” he said.

“People ask me why I won my office in Mississippi. I won my office because I was in a ward that was 25,000 people, and all of them were black except for 700. I wasn’t going to run in a place that was 90 percent white and say that I was sending a message.”

Besides being a leader in the city of Jackson, Lumumba is the national chairperson and co-founder of the New Afrikan People’s Organization and cofounder of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement.

“As we move along in this struggle against white supremacy, it is necessary to understand that black power properly manifested will not only change our situation but it will change the world,” he said.

“Everywhere we look in the world, the same people that are oppressing people of the world are oppressing our people right here.”

Currently Lumumba is working to get a full pardon for the Scott sisters, and the NAACPand medical ethicists say that the condition to donate a kidney is unenforceable.The family cannot afford the procedure, and the sisters had not been tested to see if their blood type and immune systems are sufficiently close for a transplant operation when Barbour made the stipulation.

Percy Green II,OBS Chairman Montague Simmons and Norman Seay visited with keynote speaker Chokwe Lumumba on Saturday at the 31st Anniversary Celebration of the Organization for Black Struggle held at the Gateway Classic.

Photo by Rosalind Guy

CHIEF

Continued from A1

way that makes them able to make good, rational choices and become successful members of society. I don’t see any other long-term way out of this.”

Asked, specifically, if he was calling for a greater emphasis on early childhood education, Isom said, “No doubt in my mind, that is the solution. It just is.”

The chief elaborated.

“We need to have young people start at an early age –five, four, I don’t think we can start early enough – and provide mandatory education for young people,” Isom said.

“So much focus is placed on adults and their problems. But all adults start as children. If we are not preparing our children, how can we expect adults to be able to compete?”

‘Who to incarcerate’

Isom is not simply passing the buck to educators and the legislators who approve funding for them. He has a Ph.D. in criminology from the nationally ranked program at the University of Missouri –St. Louis and is working on many crime-fighting strategies of the sort typically associated with police chiefs.

Adata wonk, Isom closely studies crime patterns by district and neighborhood and targets high-crime areas with rapid-response teams.

“One thing that we are going to continue to do is look at trends in neighborhoods and identify quickly and move resources to that area,” Isom said.

“We gather information from police reports and confidential informants and try to make sure we are attacking issues in the particularly violent neighborhoods strategically. One avenue is rapid response and attempting to prevent crimes, and also dealing with retaliatory shootings.”

Isom repeatedly has called attention to the problem of repeat offenders – “the same people who commit the majority of the crimes” – and is working with prosecutors, judges and parole officers to make sure they are concentrating their limited resources on the most dangerous criminals.

“Often the information about who causes the most problems in the neighborhood gets conveyed to the prosecutor, but what often doesn’t happen is the officer doesn’t get wrapped into the sentencing portion,” Isom said.

“We are not looking for low-level persons who commit minor crimes to go to jail. We do want input in the sentencing phase so the people we know are very dangerous should be removed from the streets. Often people in the neighborhood are too afraid, so we have to be the one to do that.”

In 2011, he intends to tighten the department’s working relationship with the judges who weigh these cases.

“I have had an initial meeting already with an administrative judge on how to make sure we get information that judges need at sentencing to make sure we are putting the right people in jail,” Isom said.

“We have a very strong relationship with the probation and parole portion, but at sentencing I don’t think information gets to judges to make the right decision about who to incarcerate.”

Isom has one specific suggestion for sentencing.

“We are pushing for restricting suspended imposition of sentences for people with gun charges,” Isom said.

“We find because Missouri legislation is so lax on carrying weapons, virtually anyone who is law-abiding can carry a weapon, so most people carrying a weapon illegally are involved in criminal activity. People caught with a gun illegally, 66 percent of the time they are engaged in violent activity.”

‘Grass-roots approach’

Isom also emphasized that the community has an important role to play in reducing crime by giving direction to local youth. This leads back to his keynote: educate them when they are young.

“I think what Better Family Life and James Clark are doing, going door to door with a hands-on, grass-roots approach, is doing a tremendous job in reaching out on a personal level. That points in the right direction,” Isom said.

“What we’ve got to do is start much earlier than that. There has to be much more resources put into efforts starting at a very early age, in North St. Louis and throughout the community, to give young people the ability to compete in the long-term.”

And that is why this police chief, while fighting for his own budget, also lobbies for spending on early childhood education.

“We should put more money and legislation into compulsory education for preschoolers. We’ve got to invest more in the lives young people and in wrap-around services for schools to provide help,” Isom said.

“I can’t think anything but so much wasted potential in those individuals who have died. And not just those who have died, but so many young African Americans connected to the criminal justice system. It really inhibits the opportunity they have for success. It saddens and maddens me to see these numbers.”

JAMALA

Continued from A1

Since getting St. Louis cop Eddie Sanchez fired in 1996 for the unjustifiable shooting of young Garland Carter, the coalition has been consistently and relentlessly on the case of bringing civilian review and local control to fruition.

When naysayers said it couldn’t be done, the coalition embarked upon a city-wide campaign to educate citizens about the need for community control and better governance. Over the years, not only were we able to persuade citizens but a majority of alderpeople. It was this kind of grassroots work that laid the foundation for the vote last November where 70-80 percent of the electorate (depending on the ward) favored local control.

In 2006, the Board of Aldermen passed the civilian oversight bill, only to have the bill vetoed by the Mayor Slay. That would be the same mayor trying to climb in the conductor’s chair and unseat passengers who paid their dues to be on the train with those who have other agendas.

I don’t mind riding in the same train with the likes of Slay and Rex. Well, I do mind, but you can’t always control

who supports your issues. What I really mind is when they try to step on our backs to get to the front of the struggle to derail or to sidetrack the local control train. Their kind of support has serious implications for the coalition’s organizing. There is a horde of people in this town who despise and distrust their involvement at this stage of the game. Some fervent supporters are now becoming lukewarm. Now is not the time to get cool; it’s time to heat this struggle up.

The Coalition Against Police Crimes & Repression, the Black Aldermanic Caucus and other allies have pushed this boulder three-quarters of

the way up the mountain. We need the support of justice-loving citizens to help push the rest of the way, with the understanding that we want local control – not mayoral control –regardless of who the mayor is.

I am not working to give the mayor more power to abuse. I am not working to further Rex’s demented plan to bring a city to its knees. I am not working to maintain the status quo.

I am working to advance a decades-old demand by people who keep getting stepped on. I am working for those whose voices get muted by those with bigger mouths, more power and endless bucks. I am work-

Jackie is back

Jackie Joyner-Kersee was joined by East St.Louis School District officials and community leaders recently for the re-opening of her youth center in East St. Louis.The district is leasing the $6 million facility to the former Olympian for $1.A district official said the district will pay the utility bills and staff the facility.

ing for neighborhoods who long for public servants to serve and protect them. I am working to make sure that we can celebrate the victory of a 50-year-old demand by the community.

Local control has a good chance of passing in the state Legislature this session. If it does, we urge citizens to stay engaged until the final implementation on the local level. Now is not the time to stand on the sidelines and hurl doomsday chants. Now is the time to get on the train and make sure it arrives at its planned destination with all passengers in their appropriate seats.

In Memoriam

OBITUARIES

Gone But Not Forgotten

Happy Birthday Rapheal

“Turtle” Kelly

February 7, 1986-April 10, 2009

Although you’re gone, you live in our hearts. We miss you. Love, your family, Kelly and Woods

Robert Fleetwood Coates

Robert Fleetwood Coates was born December 9, 1914 in Gadsden, Alabama as the fourth child to the union of James (Jim) Coates and Pearl Thornton. In 1929, the family moved to St. Louis, MO and lived in the Mill Creek area. Robert wed Era Hurt Coates, and out of this union came five children; Raymond Coates, Jerome Coates, Geraldine Ferrell, Marzett Sally Coates and Beverly Brownlee. Robert has another loving son, Bishop Robert Young.

Robert confessed a love for Christ and joined Washington Metropolitan AME Church in 1944 under the leadership of the late Reverend Dr. Cooper. He attended Sunday school and Sunday service regularly and enjoyed the fellowship with the Christian band. He was a Boy Scout Master at Lincoln Elementary. In 2007 Robert was appointed the Father of the church by Reverend Anthony

Witherspoon. Robert left home at the age of 14 and became his own man from that day forward. He enlisted in the Army at the age of 29 and was honorably discharged on 12-30-1944. He held several positions during his work force career. Norfolk Railroad, in which he enjoyed meeting with the retiree board every last Wednesday of the month while able. He also retired from McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) in 1978. Robert leaves to cherish precious memories: two loving children, one son, Bishop Robert Young of Michigan and one daughter, Beverly Brownlee of N. Las Vegas, Nevada; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, grandchildren, great-grand children, a host of friends, and many associates. Robert was preceded in death by his parents, James and Pearl Coates; children, Raymond Coates, Jerome Coates, Marzett Coates and Geraldine Ferrell.

Pearlie Mae Thomas

Pearlie Mae Thomas, 79, January 21, 2011. Dedicated and loving mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, greatgrandmother, and friend. Known as Granny and Miss Pearl to many. Forever in our hearts. She is survived by her children, Willie (Irene) Duncan, Joseph (Detra) Thomas, and John (Denise) Thomas; sisters, Roberta Cotton and Lucille Tate; and a host of grandchildren, great-

grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Funeral services: Azariah M.B. Church 2424 N. Spring Ave, Saturday, February 5 at 11am. Interment immediately following: Lake Charles Park Cemetery 7775 St. Charles Rock Rd. Visitation: William C. Harris Funeral Home 9825 Halls Ferry Rd., Friday, February 4 from 3-9pm.

Brenda Williams

Brenda Williams was born on November 4, 1948 in St. Louis, Missouri. She was the fourth oldest of six children born to the union of Delores and Earl Williams, Sr. Her father, brother, Earl Williams, Jr., and twin sister, Linda preceded her in death.

Brenda was educated in the Saint Louis Public Schools. She confessed a hope in Christ at an early age and was baptized.

Brenda was a hardworking woman. She was employed as a Social Worker for the Division of Family Services, where she retired after 35 years.

On Tuesday, January 4, 2011 at 7:00 she departed this life in St. Louis, Missouri at Christian Northeast Hospital.

To cherish Brenda’s memories: she leaves two sons, Timothy (Roxann) Williams, Sr. and Russell (Shanell) Walker; one daughter/niece, Carmen (Steve) Douglas; two sisters, Doris James and Harriet (Tony) Washington; one brother, Harold Williams (Vicki) of Virginia beach, VA; 3 grandsons, Timothy and Tyrin Williams, and LaQuan Hunter; 1 granddaughter, granddaughters and four stepgreat-grandchildren; and a host family and friends.

Thelma Cook named HSSU chair

Charles Hoessle new vice chair of Board of Regents

American staff

Last week the Harris-Stowe State University Board of Regents announced a new chairperson, Thelma V. Cook, a community volunteer and business leader.

“Since her appointment to the Board of Regents in April 2009, Thelma Cook has provided exemplary leadership and guidance to the University,” said Dr. Henry Givens Jr., president of Harris-Stowe.

“Her strong leadership background, as a highly successful business executive and esteemed community volunteer, will be invaluable to both the University and the board as we continue to move forward and expand to meet the higher educational needs of the St. Louis community and the state.”

Cook is a former director of corporate affairs for Anheuser-Busch, Inc. where she also served as the executive assistant to the vice president of corporate affairs. She has served in marketing and community relations roles at The SevenUp Company, Lincoln University, Oklahoma State University, and Barber-Scotia College.

She holds a master’s degree in education from Lincoln

University and received her bachelor of arts from North Carolina Central University. Currently she serves as a community volunteer, helping to strengthen, enhance and promote nonprofit organizations.

The board also has a new vice chairman, Charles H.

Rapheal Kelly

Robert Coates

Brenda Williams

Pearlie Thomas

Hoessle, retired, former director of the Saint Louis Zoological Park and a Harris-Stowe alumnus. Cook replaces Chairman Wayman F. Smith, III, who will remain on the board and assumes the title of chairman emeritus. Regent Rev. Dr. William G.

Thelma Cook

Photo by Wiley Price

BUSINESS

First steps forNorthSide Regeneration

First corporate tenant on downtown fringe, project agreement introduced

By Chris King Of The St.Louis American

The controversial Northside Regeneration project moved, slightly, from vision to reality last week with the announcement of the first corporate tenant within the redevelopment area and the introduction of a new project agreement at the Board of Aldermen.

The new tenant is National Sales Company, a regional distributor that supplies the mechanical, plumbing, HVAC and industrial markets. It will relocate its new headquarters to an existing 56,000-square-foot building located between the intersections of Delmar Boulevard, 16th Street and

See NORTHSIDE, A14

PEOPLEON THE MOVE

National Sales Company President Lenny Knese, Alderwoman April Ford-Griffin, and Bill Laskowsky, chief development officer for McEagle Properties.

Activists call for moratorium on foreclosures

Request bank officials, attorney general to attend town hall meeting

By Rebecca S.Rivas

Of The St.Louis American

On Friday at noon, about 25 people stood outside the Bank of America Plaza building, at the corner of 8th and Market streets in downtown St. Louis, “summoning” bank officials to a town hall meeting on March 5. Chanting, “Bank of America, bad for America!” the protesters said the people of St. Louis are tired of the bailed-out banks foreclosing their homes –especially while they are receiving federal funds to provide people with mortgage relief.

The grassroots organization, Missourians

By American staff

Predatory lending will come under scrutiny

Thursday, Feb. 10 at a free public event organized by Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice.

“APath To Poverty: The Shame of Predatory Lending In Missouri” will be held at the Ethical Society, 9001 Clayton Rd., beginning at 7 p.m. Speakers will include Rob Swearingen, staff attorney with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, who works on issues of consumer fraud, unfair and deceptive business practices and debt collection law; Fenny Dorsey, an organizer and activist from outstate Missouri who will share her experiences as a victim of payday lenders; and Robin Acree, executive director of Grassroots Organizing in Mexico, Mo.

“We are coming together to let the banks know that we will not sit idly by while they destroy our communities.”

– William Taylor of MORE

Organizing for Reform and Empowerment, organized the rally to get the community’s support in requesting the bank’s presence at the “People’s Hearing” meeting to be held 1 p.m. Saturday,

Missouri has less restriction on the interest rates and fees that can be charged by payday lenders than any other bordering state.

The program also will feature an explanation of HB 132, filed in the Missouri House earlier this month by state Rep. Mary Still (D-Columbia). The bill proposes a 36

March 5 at St. Francis Xavier College Church, 3628 Lindell Blvd.

The ideal outcome would be a moratorium on foreclosures until a more just process is put in place, said William Taylor of MORE.

“We are coming together to let the banks know that we will not sit idly by while they destroy our communities,” Taylor said.

In a statement, Bank of America said foreclosure is “the option of last resort” after the mortgage holder is given “a fair opportu-

See ACTIVISTS, A10

Jimmie M. Edwards

Nicole ColbertBotchway

Judge Jimmie M. Edwards recently was selected to give a TEDx talk at the TEDx St. Louis Conference. Edwards presides over the Family Court – Juvenile Division in the 22nd Judicial Circuit of Missouri and is founder of Innovative Concept Academy in the St. Louis Public Schools. TEDx –which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design – is a nonprofit conference series that has featured Bill Gates, Al Gore and Jane Goodall.

Nicole Colbert-Botchway of St. Louis has been appointed to the Missouri Women’s Council by Governor Jay Nixon. Colbert-Botchway is an assistant attorney general with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office and is the leader of the modification unit of the office’s financial services division. The council promotes and increases women’s economic opportunities through education, training and promoting women in small business and managerial jobs.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Macy’s announces MBE development program

Macy’s is accepting applications for The Workshop at Macy’s, a business development curriculum aimed at minority- and women-owned retail businesses. The deadline is Feb. 11. The four and one half-day course, to be held in May in New York, will be taught by Macy’s executives and industry experts. With this program, Macy’s hopes to create a pipeline of viable vendors.

“Of the many initiatives Macy’s, Inc. has pursued on behalf of our expanding diversity strategy, supplier diversity is an area of special importance,” said Terry J. Lundgren, chairman, president and CEO of Macy’s, Inc.

To be eligible, an applicant must be the majority (51 percent or more of equity) owner, co-owner or otherwise have operational control (per applicable status rules) of a business that has been in operation for a least two consecutive years and be its primary decision maker. Eligible applications will include a 250word biographical statement, look book/line sheets or images of product including costs, resumes on all owners, audited financial statements for the business for two years, fall within the minority- and women-owned definition of the program and provide verification of the business as a legal entity, among other requirements.

All eligible applications will be reviewed, and selected applicants will be asked to attend an in-person interview. The program will aim to invite at minimum 20 candidates to attend the course which begins on May 9. Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11, online or by mail. All information is available at www.macysinc.com/workshop.

U.S. DOTsets new rule forDBE inclusion, oversight

The U.S. Department of Transportation set new rules last week that require greater accountability from state and local transportation agencies for including disadvantaged businesses (DBE) in their spending plans. Those that fail to meet established goals for DBE participation will be required to evaluate why the goals were not met and offer a plan to meet the goal in the future. The rule requires state and local agencies to create a plan for improving the use of small businesses, including DBEs. It adds provisions to ensure that prime contractors fulfill commitments to use DBE subcontractors. State and local agencies will be required to monitor each contract to make sure prime contractors are fulfilling their obligations and do not dismiss DBE subcontractors without good cause. It reduces burdens on small businesses seeking DBE certification in more than one state. All states will be required to accept DBE certifications obtained in other states, unless the state finds good cause not to accept it. The text of the rule is posted at http://ofr.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/201101531_PI.pdf

William Taylor of Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment and Valerie Reed,a retired homeowner,protest unfair foreclosure practices on Jan.28 outside of the Bank of America building on Market Street.

Closed-end funds have been around since 1893, more than 30 years before the first mutual fund (also known as an openend fund) was created in the United States. However, closed-end funds are much less common than open-end funds. There are fewer than 1,000 closed-end funds on the market, whereas there are around 8,000 mutual funds available.1

Closed-end funds are similar to open-ended mutual funds in that investors pool their money together to purchase a professionally managed portfolio of stocks and/or bonds. They also have dividends and capital gains that are distributed annually. In other ways, they are very different. Closed-

ACTIVISTS

Continued from A9 nity to be evaluated for a modification to an affordable payment or, if that cannot be done, a short sale or deed in lieu solution.”

The same afternoon, the group rallied in front of Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster’s office and requested that Koster attend the meeting. The head of the consumer division, Doug Ommen, plans to attend, a spokeswoman said.

Organizers asked Koster to hold the banks accountable to their bail-out agreements. One of the bail-out conditions was to give Americans mortgage

FORUM

Continued from A9

Human Environmental Sciences and a predatory lending expert, says that these pay-

What is a closed-end fund?

end funds actually have more in common with stocks or exchange-traded funds (ETFs), but they are actively managed. Closed-end funds have an initial public offering (IPO) with a fixed number of shares to sell to investors. After that point, the investment company usually does not deal with the public directly, and any investors who want to purchase shares must do so on a secondary market, such as the New York Stock Exchange. A closed-end fund’s investment portfolio is generally managed by a separate entity, known as an “investment adviser,” that is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Shares are bought and sold

relief through loan modification programs required by federal law.

Aloan modificationis when a person’s existing lender modifies the current mortgage to make the mortgage more affordable. This year, Koster’s office has received more than 1,000 complaints about mortgages and foreclosures – many relating to loan-modification attempts. The impact on homeowners, workers and taxpayers has been tragic, said Nanci Gonder, press secretary for the attorney general’s office. “The attorney general must continue to push for accountability for those contributing to this situation and for honesty in the processes designed to resolve the crisis,” Gonder

day loans can be very damaging to a persons’financial situation.

“National research shows that if a person takes out an initial payday loan, they are likely to take out eight more loans that year, on average; the

By Charles Ross PERSONAL FINANCE

on the open market, creating a situation in which investor activity does not significantly impact decisions on handling the funds. The market price of closed-end fund shares trading on a secondary market is determined by supply and demand, not by the shares’net asset value (NAV). Although closed-end funds start with a NAV, the trading price may be higher or lower

Charles Ross

than that value. If the price is higher, shares are selling at a “premium.” If the price is lower, they are selling at a “discount.”

If you are considering investing in a closed-end fund, there are some things to be aware of. Closed-end funds have broker trading fees and are considered riskier than open-ended mutual funds. They can invest in a greater amount of illiquid securities

said.

Alonso Adams, a father of four, entered into Chase’s loan modification program when his real estate business started “tanking” in 2007, he said. Adams built a home in Florissant when he got out of the military. Yet when the real estate market crashed, Adams started using his savings of $50,000 to pay for his mortgage. It wasn’t enough, he said.

“There is no accountability on the banks, but the banks are holding the people accountable.”

– Alonso Adams

In January 2008, Adams applied to Chase, who told him his application would take 90 days to process. Yet over the

last eight loans are an attempt to climb out of the hole the first loan created,” Procter said.

The Missouri Division of Finance report compares the payday lending industry in Missouri to its bordering

course of two years, Chase made Adams resend his paperwork six times before it finally sold his mortgage to another bank and threw his home into foreclosure in the process. The new bank then foreclosed his home and evicted him and his family on Oct. 24, 2010. Adams is one of many who had detrimental experiences with the banks’faulty and deceiving loan modification programs, MORE organizers said.

Adams said that President Obama’s “making homes affordable” program is federally funded, but the federal gov-

states. This comparison shows that Missouri has more payday lenders than every surrounding state except Tennessee. It also shows Missouri has less restriction on the interest rates and fees that can be charged than any other bordering state.

and can use leveraging methods usually avoided by mutual funds. Because they are harder to sell, they are less liquid than mutual funds. Closed-end funds are generally not redeemable. The investment company does not have to buy back shares to fulfill investor demand. And closed-end funds often charge between 1% and 2% annually for management fees.

Some people consider investing in closed-end funds because they are designed to provide a stream of income, often on a monthly or quarterly basis. Closed-end funds can also provide an important diversification element to their portfolios.

ernment is not holding these banks accountable.

“There is no accountability on the banks, but the banks are holding the people accountable – even though we’ve done everything that we’ve been asked to do,” Adams said.

“The problem is that there are so many people going through the same thing.”

U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay Jr. filed a congressional inquiry on behalf of Adams, but Chase said that because they no longer hold Adams’ mortgage, they will not provide a statement.

“We are tired of standing by and watching as banks foreclose on people in mass,” said Mary Boehm, a white homeowner facing foreclosure.

When Boehm’s husband

“In this current economy, we must do a better job of protecting consumers who do not know what they are getting into when they take out one of these loans,” Procter said.

“People fall into a cycle and they must let basic needs go in

lost his job in 2009, the couple applied to Bank of America’s loan modification program.

Although they made all their payments, in December the bank representative told the Boehms that they were starting foreclosure procedures on their home.

On Dec. 20, the Boehms and about 30 others protested the Bank of America building in downtown Clayton, and six protesters were arrested.

“As more and more people lose their homes, our entire community suffers,” Mary said. “We have enough vacant houses in St. Louis; we don’t need any more.”

For more information about the March 5 meeting, call the MORE office at 314-8622249.

order to pay off these loans.” Procter and the MU Extension offer several programs on predatory lending, such as “When Creditors are Predators.”

“I

I couldn’t see.”

– Devon Alexander

INSIDE SPORTS

Devon loses belt to head butts

Bradley wins by decision after series of cheap shots

It was a tough evening of boxing for St. Louisan Devon Alexander, who suffered his first professional defeat at the hands of Tim Bradley last Saturday night in Detroit. In the process, Alexander lost his undefeated record and his WBC light welterweight championship belt to Bradley. The fight was stopped in the 10th round after the last of many “accidental” head butts from Bradley sent Alexander reeling into his corner. Bradley was ahead on all three of the judges’scorecards and was awarded the decision.

Earl Austin Jr.

Although Bradley tried to force the issue by putting the pressure on Devon from the opening bell, the bout never achieved the sizzle of the pre-fight hype of two undefeated American champions. I think everyone was left wanting a little more.

For those who say Devon quit the fight (and I know there are many of you): Stop it. Right now. Getting hit in the head repeatedly by Bradley’s head, who is a notorious head-butt artist, could not have been much fun.

However.

To me, the novice boxing fan, the key with Devon in these big championship fights against more experienced fighters lies in the first round. When he lands a big punch in the first round, I know he’s going to win. In his last victory against Juan Urango last February, Devon landed a big uppercut in the first round. It set the early tone and got the attention of the rugged Urango, who loves to come forward. He had to think twice about rushing in on Devon, who ended up stopping Urango in the ninth round.

In Devon’s last two title fights against Andres Kotelnik (here in St. Louis) and Bradley, Devon has not been able to land that big tone-setting

Former Whitfield High golf standout embarks on professional career

By Earl Austin Jr.

standout Kortland Ware is getting the opportunity to live out a dream as embarks on his professional career. Ware, 23, will begin his professional career on the Hooters Tour, where he will participate in tour’s rankings school. Ware will play in his first pro tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C. next week. He plans to play in about 16 tournaments during the season.

“I’m pretty well prepared and I’m extremely excited for this opportunity,” Ware said. “Not a lot of AfricanAmerican kids get a chance to fulfill the dream of playing professional golf.”

Ware is getting a big boost from local businessman Tony Thompson of the Kwame Building Group, who is sponsoring Ware as he begins his pro career.

“He has given me the opportunity to fulfill my dream,” said. Ware of Thompson. “He’s the one making this dream come true for me.”

Lea Johnson

Miami’s LeBron James will lead the East All-Stars

L.A.’s Kobe Bryant will lead the West All-Stars

Timothy Bradley,rear,delivers a punch to Devon Alexander during the WBC/ WBO World Championship Unification boxing match at the Silverdome in Pontiac,Michigan on Saturday night.Bradley won the match by decision.

Photo by Full Spectrum

Former Whitfield High golf

CLAIB’S CALL

By Mike Claiborne

Blacks, the Pack and the Steelers

Another Super Bowl is upon us. While Green Bay and Pittsburgh have won a few championships in their day, the impact they have had on African Americans and their place in the NFLshould not go unnoticed.

For the Green Bay Packers it started obviously with the man who put success of the organization on the map, Vince Lombardi. While the Packers were not the first team to integrate roommates, Lombardi literally insisted that knowing just the plays was not enough. Knowing the player is also important, hence the notion of players learning about backgrounds and cultures as well.

tory. This was Green Bay, Wisconsin, where those things just didn’t go on very often. Not because of an overabundance of racial hatred, but because of a lack of black people.

As for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Art Rooney, the onetime owner, took care of his own ... Steelers, that is.

Mike

Claiborne

Lombardi was a staunch Kennedy Democrat and well aware of the Civil Rights Movement and its impact, as well as his players and their feelings. When one of his black players was reportedly considering marrying a white woman, the player asked Lombardi about the marriage before his future wife.

Lombardi wholeheartedly supported it, and the rest was his-

Race was never a problem on the surface. As a matter of fact, the Steelers went as far as to start a black quarterback in “Jefferson Street” Joe Gilliam of Tennessee State University when Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw was struggling in his first couple of seasons. Then-head coach Chuck Knoll had no problem running the best player at the time on the field, color withstanding. Unfortunately for Gilliam, drugs and alcohol sacked him more than opposing linemen, giving Bradshaw the chance to win his job back.

Tomlin and the Rooney Rule

The real item with this

game is Steeler Head Coach Mike Tomlin. Yes, even in 2011 it comes up, and that is the discussion of black head coaches in the NFL. Tomlin may not have ever been afforded the opportunity to lead his

team to its second Super Bowl in four years had it not been for current Steeler owner Dan Rooney, son of Art. Rooney fought with other owners to find a way to give minorities a chance to coach in

the league. The thought was: how could they coach if no one ever interviewed them? Bring on what is now called the Rooney Rule, designed to give minorities a chance to go through the interview process. In the past, the “good old boy” network did not afford that chance.

Tomlin was a 36-year-old assistant coach, the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. He had never played in the NFLand knew very few mover and shakers with the TVnetworks. Some wondered if Rooney would follow to the letter the rule he brought to the forefront . Some like Matt Millen and the Detroit Lions just bypassed the rule and hired their guy without interviewing a single minority and paid the fine.

Tomlin had his stuff together and was promptly hired. If you look at the resumes of Bill Cowher and Chuck Knoll, the two coaches who preceded Tomlin, they are strikingly similar with the exception that Tomlin is black and not part of the network. Along with Tony Dungy, he has proved that color does not win games, talent does. Thanks, Mr. Rooney.

Faulk to the Hall

On Saturday morning a group of football writers will convene to discuss this year’s nominees for induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. While I could certainly wage a good case for Deion Sanders or Charles Haley, the sure lock has to be Marshall Faulk. While the numbers certainly speak for themselves, the intangibles of having the football IQ of Albert Einstein and being one of the toughest teammates one could ever have put Faulk in a class of his own.

Back on KMOX

The Cardinals have returned to the airwaves of 1120 KMOX radio, and so have I. Yes, after a 10-year stint with the mighty KMOX, I ventured into the uncharted waters of sports talk radio of KASP, KFNS and KTRS with the Cardinals. I am happy to be back where it all started for me. I will have a schedule that will be posted here on a weekly basis. One thing I can promise: I will show up looking to have a good time, and so should you.

punch that gets the attention of his opponent early on.

In turn, the veterans have been allowed to dictate the style of the fight, which is usually rugged. Kotelnik hit Devon with a lot of elbows and forearms (Mike Tysonstyle). Bradley kept coming

forward while leading with that big melon head of his. In my opinion, a big shot in the first round would have curtailed that. It doesn’t have to knock him out, but it would make him re-think his strategy.

Do I really want to keep doing this?

Without that big early shot to back them off and gain their respect, those guys can continue to come forward and frustrate young Devon. That is what veterans do to young stars.

At 23, Devon still has a bright future with a lot of championship fights ahead of him. I think he has learned a lot in these last two fights. I think gaining early respect will be a big factor in his future title bouts.

Annual Spurs alert

As we approach the All-Star break, let me give you my annual National Basketball Association advisory on that one elite team that everyone forgets to talk about: the San Antonio Spurs.

For the past decade or so, I have to write this particular column just to remind everyone out there that the Spurs are still a championship-level team that just seems to keep operating like a machine. They are not sexy. They do not have the big names or the commercials or the tremendous hype. All they do is win, even when folks are not paying attention. Even with the presence of

WARE

Continued from A11

the world champion Los Angeles Lakers, the aging, but still great Boston Celtics and the newly-revamped Miami Heat, the team with the best record in the league entering this week at 40-7 is, you guessed it, your San Antonio Spurs.

The fight was stopped in the 10th round after the last of many “accidental” head butts from Bradley sent Alexander reeling into his corner.

The Spurs have won four NBAworld championships behind their great defense and the greatness of Hall of Fame power forward Tim Duncan. As the Spurs get a little older and Duncan approaches the twilight of his career, the team now has turned into an offensive juggernaut that can shoot the 3-pointer as well as any team in the league. The Spurs are currently averaging 104 points a game and shooting 39 percent from 3-point range. The offense now belongs to veteran guards Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. Ginobili

Ware is enterting the professional world after a very successful run during his high school and collegiate career. A 2005 graduate of Whitfield, Ware was a two-time Class 2 district champion during his prep career. As a senior at Whitfield, Ware earned AllState honors by finishing seventh at the Class 2 state championships.

averages 19 points a game while Parker averages 17.5 points. My man Tim Duncan plays a more supportive in the offense, but he still averages 13.6 points, 9.4 rebounds while still leading the team in blocked shots. Richard Jefferson has been much better in his second year in San Antonio as he averages 12.3 points. Apair of young guards from little-known schools have stepped up to make big contributions in George Hill (IUPUI) and Gary Neal (Towson), who combined for nearly 20 points a game. Former Pittsburgh man-child DeJuan Blair brings youth and great strength off the bench while veteran Antonio McDyess and shooter Matt Bonner add more depth to the front line. At this stage of the game, who would have thought that the Spurs would have this kind of record. Not even their four championship teams had 40 victories at this point of the season. Does this mean the Spurs will win another NBAtitle? I’m not saying that. But, what I am saying is that you all have been given your annual reminder about the San Antonio Spurs. It never gets old.

Ware went on play his first year of college at Jackson State University. He was an immediate standout at JSU where he emerged as the team’s No. 1 player as a freshman. In 2006, Ware won the individual championship at the Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC) Tournament to earn a berth at the NCAA Championships.

After his freshman year at Jackson State, Ware transferred to Lincoln University in Jefferson City to be closer to home. He was a standout at Lincoln U. for three consecutive years with several top five and top 10 finishes to his credit. He graduated from Lincoln with a degree in Business Administration. His brother Keith attended Lincoln U. while his brother Kendall is a baseball player at Lincoln.

The sport of golf has been a big part of the Ware family for generations. Keith was introduced to the sport by his grandfather, who is still an avid golfer. His parents, Keith and Regina, also play as well. The youngest brother, Kaleb Ware, is a 10-year old up and coming player who loves the sport.

“Our whole family loves the sport of golf,” Ware said.

The Pittsburgh Steelers went as far as to start a black quarterback in Joe Gilliam of Tennessee State University when Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw was struggling in his first couple of seasons.

Love St. Louis? Show us!

So far, there have been few surprises from the 2010 Census for the political contingent in St. Louis. Going into the Census, it was expected that Missouri would lose one of its nine congressional districts after the numbers were in – that is, in fact, the case – and that all eyes would be on U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan and his 3rd Congressional District when it came time to make the cut.

The political chatter is well ahead of reality – the Republican-dominated Legislature still has to redraw the districts and their decision would need to survive a possible veto by Gov. Jay Nixon, as well as a possible challenge in the courts – but most speculation still puts Carnahan’s district on the chopping block.

However, the rumors about the certainty of his political death – of the death of his district, that is – are premature and may be exaggerated.

Of course, the Republican super-majority in Jefferson City will want to redraw a political map that currently is 6-3 Republican/Democrat in congressional districts to one that is 6-2 in favor of their party. If the districts are redrawn to edge out one Democrat, it would be less contentious and less subject to battle in the courts if the integrity of the two majority African-American districts – the 1st and 5th districts, currently held by U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay and U.S. Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver II – were preserved, and the 3rd Congressional District melted into the 8th and 9th districts, currently held by Republicans U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson and U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer

There are, however, glaring problems with this new 6-2 map. At 6-3, Missouri Republicans already have a 2:1 advantage in Congress that is far greater than the numerical majority of Republican over Democrat voters in the state –even after the blood-red 2010 midterm elections. Even the historic thrashing Roy Blunt gave to Robin Carnahan in

the 2010 U.S. Senate race – 54 to 41 percent – is nowhere near a margin of victory of 2:1. For this reason, it will be difficult for the Republicans to draw a congressional map of the state with six safe Republican districts, even if they try. But if they try and succeed, Nixon should not accept a 6-2 Republican/ Democrat congressional map of Missouri, his party’s caucus in the state Legislature should support his veto of such a map (and not defect to Republicans when they try to over-ride it), and the courts should not uphold such a map should it end up in the courts.

One big problem. At this point, we are only talking about what is fair. In politics, of course, fairness is beside the point. You get what you can take, and you keep what you can hold onto. The Republicans in Jefferson City, drunk on their own Kool-Aid from those blood-red 2010 midterm elections, may well come up with a 6-2 Republican/ Democrat congressional map that draws Carnahan and his district out of the picture; Nixon could accept a deal in exchange for his veto; or Nixon could veto it only to see the Republicans pick off enough weak Democrats in the Legislature to override it, leaving justice in the hands of the courts – which, ironically and unfortunately, can not always be depended on to deliver justice.

Republicans who love the Lou

There is another way out for people interested in fairness in representation (or in preserving another Missouri Democrat in Congress or in protecting Russ Carnahan). That is a bi-partisan regional approach that wants what is best for St. Louis, and what is best for St. Louis clearly is congressional representation proportionate to our region’s population.

If you do the math on the 2010 Census keeping this in

mind, then St. Louis should keep three congressional seats. Carnahan, Clay and Republican U.S. Rep. Todd Akin (in Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District) should keep their jobs, if they can win them from the new mix of voters in their newly expanded districts. Based on the new Census count, each of the eight new congressional districts in Missouri will need to have almost 750,000 people. The Missouri population of the St. Louis metropolitan area is roughly 2.1 million. Do the math, and the region clearly merits three congressional districts, however you slice and dice them. That slicing and dicing could become partisan and

contentious, and certainly Clay and Carnahan would instantly find themselves in districts where it would be more difficult for them to win their elections. But we should be looking at three different congressional districts on the eastern edge of the state – the 1st, 2nd and 3rd districts –representing various portions of the greater St. Louis metropolitan area, as they do today. There is only one way to make that happen, and that is to make it happen. The mostly Democrat politicians and the mostly Republican business leaders in St. Louis love to talk about the imperative of bipartisan regional cooperation, and we saw a successful

example of it last year in the passage of the transit tax. Now is the time for some serious bipartisan regional cooperation. The St. Louis area has some significant Republican firepower. To name two very different men who have been much in the news of late, Rex Sinquefield and Paul McKee Jr. both have invested heavily in St. Louis and claim to want what is best for the entire region. Both are Republicans with close ties to Republicans in the state Legislature. And then we have Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, who spends a lot of time in St. Louis, is friendly with Mayor Francis G. Slay and often takes credit for making good things happen for St. Louis (and for keeping bad

things from happening to it) in the state Legislature. If Sinquefield, McKee and Kinder each went to everyone in the state Legislature who trusts or needs them, put the math in front of their face and made this case (with a little friendly leverage), then St. Louis could retain three congressional seats in the Missouri congressional delegation. This, certainly, would be good for St. Louis and – given the importance of the region to the economy of the state –arguably, it would be good for Missouri. Now is the time for the Republicans who love St. Louis, or who claim to love it, to show us.

St. Louis Aldermen Charles Quincy Troupe and Jeffrey Boyd visited with Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder when Kinder came to St. Louis to deliver a prayer (and some donuts) at the opening 2011 session of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen in City Hall. Kinder, who touted his support for St. Louis, now has the opportunity to show genuine bipartisan support for the region by convincing his Republican colleagues that the 2.1 million St. Louis-area residents in Missouri still merit three congressional seats. The GOP-controlled state Legislature currently is redrawing the state’s nine congressional districts into eight following the results of the 2010 Census.

Photo by Gentry Trotter

NORTHSIDE

Continued from A9

Martin Luther King Boulevard. Paul McKee Jr.’s McEagle Properties acquired the property in 2010, late in McKee’s land-acquisition phase. It falls within the 5th Ward, where April Ford-Griffin is alderman.

Ford-Griffin said it was not a stretch to describe the addition of a corporate tenant to a building on the fringes of downtown as a step toward the redevelopment of North St. Louis.

“It’s north of Delmar,” Ford-Griffin said. “If something is north of Delmar, people say it is in North St. Louis. Carr Square units start just one block north of this building, and anybody would say that is North St. Louis.”

This is not new business for the City of St. Louis, as National Sales Company has been based in the city for over 65 years.

“Our new headquarters in the NorthSide Regeneration development gives us the opportunity to continue to support our customers and our city with an expanded and conveniently located facility NSC’s

President Lenny Knese said in a statement. “Investing in this project serves as a great platform for NSC’s future growth.”

The existing office/warehouse building recently underwent a major renovation to the 6,000-square-foot office section as well as seeing many improvements to the existing 50,000-square-foot warehouse and the exterior of the building.

The NSC headquarters will house all office functions, willcall, counter sales and warehouse. The company will begin moving its 42 employees to the new location in February.

NSC has future plans for a $1.5 million expansion of the building that will increase the existing warehouse by 26,000 square feet. The company anticipates construction of the expansion to begin within the next two years and anticipates adding 15 more employees upon final completion.

New board bill

Ford-Griffin also introduced the board bill on Friday that outlines new project proposals for McKee’s Northside redevelopment plan.

The Board of Aldermen adopted a bill to authorize a redevelopment agreement on October 30, 2009. However, the court struck it down. On July 2, 2010, Judge Robert H. Dierker Jr. of the St. Louis City Circuit Court sided with the redevelopment’s opposition that the plan lacked reference to a specific project.

The new bill will attempt to address Dierker’s concerns. The plan proposes a recycling center for building materials and building aggregates, called the “SMARTCenter,” infrastructure work for the project area near the Mississippi River Bridge.

Ford-Griffin said she intends to see that minorities and 5th Ward residents to benefit from this construction work.

“As each pieces moves, we need to see minority inclusion and people from these neighborhoods getting jobs,” she said.

Ford-Griffin said she intends for these projects to be the beginning of the massive redevelopment outlined in McKee’s now-voided redevelopment agreement.

“But it is going to take time, so now is the time for people to be preparing for the jobs when they do come,” she said.

“I am always telling my constituents there are many organizations that will help you with everything from how to dress, how to speak properly, up to more advanced job skills.”

She said her constituents tend to calm their fears when presented with documents that describe what McKee has proposed to do.

“The people want development. I know, because I hear that all the time, especially around election time,” she said.

As for McKee, she said their working relationship is itself a work in progress. “We are not long-time buddies, so there is a getting-to-know process and a gaining of trust,” she said. “Everybody wants to get everything in writing, and that’s how it should be.”

Financial Focus

By Roger Macon, AAMS, financial advisor

or she is making a wise move, because an IRAis one of the best tax-advantaged ways to save for retirement. Consequently, you’ll be doing your valentine a great service by helping him or her fund an IRA. (While you can’t direct-

Slave rebels as American heroes

Daniel Rasmussen uncovers the largest slave revolt in U.S. history

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

In American Uprising: The Untold Story of America’s Largest Slave Revolt (Harper), the young historian Daniel Rasmussen has performed an important service for American history. At the unimaginable age of 23, he has unearthed from the archives and told an amazing tale that has been buried for more than 100 years. American Uprising challenges much of what we think we know about American slavery, and offers as new freedom fighters – new American heroes – a group of Louisiana slaves who took up arms against slaveholders and nearly turned the city

of New Orleans into a 19th century black republic in the American South.

The St. Louis American spoke to Rasmussen about his book, why this story remained untold for so long, and whether or not it would be a good idea to stage an historical reenactment of a slave revolt.

The American: Let’s imagine you are pitching your book for a film treatment. Give me your pitch. What happens in this book? What do we see on screen?

Daniel Rasmussen: This was the largest slave revolt in American history. It’s been covered up for 100 years, and mine is the only definitive

Passing of an iconic entrepreneur

Jimmy Owens, owner of Sarah Lou Restaurant and the Golden Slipper Lounge

By Rebecca Rivas

Of The St. Louis American

James “Jimmy” Owens Jr., the owner of the historical St. Louis landmarks Sarah Lou Restaurant and the Golden Slipper Lounge, departed this life on January 17, 2011.

Sarah Lou sat at the northeast corner of St. Louis and Sarah avenues and was a mainstay in St. Louis city for more than 30 years. Most remembered the establishment, which closed in 2002, for its one-of-a-kind “Sarah Lou Shrimp” and tartar sauce. Many have attempted to replicate the recipe and some have come close, family members said, but there will only be one Sarah Lou.

“The restaurant was renowned,” said Joe Lewis, a friend and regular customer who attended the wake on Jan. 25 at the Ozella Foster Funeral Service. “There was nothing like it. And I have not had anything like it since.”

Jimmy Owens is survived by his children: Janet Horton of St. Louis, Joyce Ferguson and her husband, John, of Los Angeles; Jerard Owens and his wife, Adria, of Arlington, Va.; and Byron Owens of St. Louis. His son James Owens III has passed away, but his wife Doris Owens attended the services. Owens had 18 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren and three great, great grandchildren.

In 1972, Jimmy bought the already-existing Sarah Lou restaurant with his late wife Erma Jean Owens. However in the late 1950s, Jimmy had opened the Golden Slipper Lounge with his first wife, Earline Carrin, who also has passed. At that time, Jimmy was working for the Advance Vending company, fixing jukeboxes and vending machines. He would drive around town repairing the machines and stocking the jukeboxes with all the

account of the event and hopefully the first of many, so the leaders of this revolt enter history texts and popular consciousness along with John Brown and Nat Turner. The story features 11 separate slave leaders, of whom I focus on three. One is Charles Deslondes, the son of a white planter and a black slave who rose to the top of the slave hierarchy. He was a driver. In the eyes of many slaves, someone in the position of Charles Deslondes was the ultimate betrayer of their race. They had relative privileges of food and travel rights, and in exchange they sold out the other slaves, working closely with

latest records. His good friends and children remember riding around with him to the various businesses.

“We were able to go into places where blacks weren’t allowed because it was during the time of segregation,” said Janet Horton, his daughter.

The owners then of Advance Vending were Italian, Horton said, and they helped Jimmy get past much of the red tape that black business owners faced during that time. Through regularly frequenting bars and restaurants with the vending business, Jimmy befriended many people in the industry. These relationships, along with his jovial, “big talker” manner, helped his businesses flourish, Horton said. He continued working for Advance Vending for more than 20 years.

The name “Golden Slipper” came from one of the first regular customers who always wore gold stilettos. Later the woman gave the shoes to Jimmy, and he mounted them in the bar.

In 1972, Jimmy and Erma Jean moved the Golden Slipper right next door to Sarah Lou. Debbie Thomas, who worked at the lounge for 15 years, said that she could always tell when Jimmy was coming because the many keys he carried jingled when he walked. He always made sure that everyone was doing okay and taken care of, she said.

The bar and restaurant were gathering places for the neighborhood, many said.

“People cared about each other,” Thomas said. “It was like a family.”

The lounge – with the ‘70s-style raised booths and a U-shaped bar – had about 75 people come through every night and about 150 on the weekends. The restaurant potentially sold more shrimp than any other non-chain restaurant in the Midwest, said his son

Diverse religious thinkers contributed to social change

By Gregg Reese For The NNPA

Mahatma

Former workers and regular customers at the Sarah Lou Restaurant gather for a photo: (standing left to right) Ike Cook, unidentified customer, Jerry Cook, Rose Robinson, Joe Robinson, Jimmy Owens, Jean Bland, Dela Lee, Alice Johnson, James Johnson, Debra Williams, Debbie Thomas; and (sitting left to right) Iceberg Slim, Nancy Walton, Janet Horton, Erma Jean Owens, Chauncey Birt, and Martha Lampert.

See REBELS, B4

See OWENS, B3

This religion would provide an outlet for slave frustrations and, especially through the medium of gospel music, a method for covertly articulating aspirations of which the slave master might take a dim view.

The above lyrics were adapted in the 1960s to the traditional spiritual, “Swing low, Sweet Chariot.” This hymn was initially composed to include a coded reference to the flight from slavery, but was amended to reflect this new quest for deliverance.

The spiritual idiom borrowed heavily from such African musical traditions as “call and response” and found its way into the only pastime allowed the slaves: labor. “Work Songs” proved to be useful in coordinating the physical exertion needed to accomplish strenuous tasks, and over the years were incorporated into another dubious tradition where African Americans were indoctrinated into prison “chain gang” songs that became a staple of the South.

Like its musical counterpart, black preaching was nurtured by the roots of tribal belief systems and especially African oral traditions. In Alex Haley’s landmark novel Roots and its television adaptation, the saga hinges upon the memories of a griot, or West African oral historian, who could recite a community’s whole history at a moment’s notice with the group’s participation.

These communal events included the “call and response,” a form of equal participation between speaker and listener. This practice has been passed down in various forms through musical idioms and spoken word, including the regular verbal interactions between pastor and congregation during black church services.

Contemporary AfricanAmerican parishioners still expect a good sermon to incorporate a healthy dose of drama, variations in pitch

and rhythm and, above all, an emotional connection between audience and speaker to fulfill the requirement of a satisfying religious experience. Successful ministers typically benefit from the ability to verbally ad-lib without the crutch of the printed word (a tradition that arguably continues in the form of “free-style” rapping among practitioners of contemporary hip-hop).

Proponents of slavery, in turn, used passages in the Old Testament (“Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves.” — Leviticus 25:44-45) to condone this practice. They also used the teachings of Augustine of Hippo, a bishop of what is now present-day Algeria in the fourth and fifth centuries (“the apostle admonishes slaves to be subject to their masters, and

to serve them heartily and with good-will”), and St. Thomas Aquinas, a 13th century paragon of Roman Catholic theology, who wrote, “Slavery among men is natural, for some are naturally slaves according to the Philosopher” (Summa Theologica, ca. 1274).

Alternately, most of the 18th century’s ardent abolitionists belonged to evangelical groups that deemed slavery unchristian, most prominently the controversial radical John Brown, whose slave insurrection and unsuccessful raid upon Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, in 1859, was instrumental in the start of the Civil War. This far-reaching interpretation of religious doctrine is not dissimilar to contemporary religious justifications for Jihad.

After slavery, the Christian church continued as the

cornerstone of black society. It differed significantly from its white counterpart, in that the European tradition stressed a strict separation of the sacred and the secular, while slaves and their descendants welcomed the influence of the church beyond the confines of the chapel. Preachers were a motivating engine in the push for the economic, educational and all-around advancement of the community. In black theology, the recognition of the essential duality of man was a prerequisite in bettering the status of humanity.

In a race-dominated environment like the South, the black church was one of the few places where people of color could congregate and whites would not be the dominant focus. In essence, the church served as a counterpoint to the social and moral

isolation African Americans experienced, and became the natural epicenter to launch the momentous transformation that was about to come.

Ministry for the real world

Building upon the established convention that their church be a foundation from which to advance the race, Black clergymen, including the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were in a prime position to pursue the goals of the Civil Rights Movement. Long considered the de facto head of the community, they were essential in currying the support of whites even before the government moved to defend

protesters in the cauldron of the Deep South. Compared to the militancy of the more extreme among their colleagues, they provided an attractive alternative in keeping with the religious and moral values of the nation.

When King entered Morehouse College at age 15, it was pre-ordained that he follow the legacy of his father and grandfather into the ministry and use this academic foundation to build upon as a newly established preacher in the 1950s. He also needed to apply his ministry not just to the spiritual needs of his congregation, but to address the social oppression that impacted every facet of life for an African American living in the South.

At Morehouse in Atlanta, Crozer Theological Seminary near Chester, Penn., and at Boston University, he examined the teachings of theologians and their application to the institution of segregation. Among these was the German evangelical minister Reinhold Niebuhr, arguably the most influential religious thinker of the later half of the 20th century.

Niebuhr remains a galvanizing figure today, some 40 years after his death. His “Prayer of Serenity” has been adopted by advocates of Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step groups, and has been cited as an influence by such personages as Jimmy Carter, Hillary Clinton, as well as current President Obama. King was drawn to Niebuhr’s pragmatism about man’s nature and the state of the world. Ironically, Niebuhr was extremely conservative on certain issues, and never actively supported integration and the Civil Rights Movement, especially after witnessing the violence that swept northern American cities in the late 1960s. King adopted certain components of Niebuhr’s philosophy while rejecting others. But, while Niebuhr’s view is dominated by a pessimistic view of human character, King held out hope

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

for the ultimate triumph of what Abraham Lincoln called “the better angels of our nature.”

Essentially King embraced Niebuhr’s admonition of man’s potential for evil, which King incorporated into what he called “realistic pacifism.”

Alternate influences

“It is ironic, yet inescapably true that the greatest Christian of the modern world was a man who never embraced Christianity.” – Martin Luther King Jr., on Mahatma Gandhi

Given his family’s prominence and his choice of vocation, King’s appropriation of the mantel of leadership was a logical progression, after he was ordained and accepted his call to pastor a church. Aside from his father and grandfather, he had various colleagues with robust speaking styles to emulate. Among them were Benjamin Mays who was at the helm of King’s alma mater, Morehouse College, and William Borders, whose sermons King regularly went out of his way to hear.

Especially influential was the Reverend C. L. Franklin, probably best known today as the father of R&B legend Aretha Franklin. One of the first ministers to commit his sermons to record and generate huge sales, Franklin’s oratory earned him the appellation as the “Million Dollar Voice” and he was imitated by of loads of preachers. Aside from his fine singing and speaking voice, Franklin was a pioneering civil rights activist and proved instrumental in improving conditions for auto workers in his native Detroit.

Having grown up in the church, King was steeped in the rich oral traditions of black preaching, for which his vibrant God-given baritone was a natural vessel. He augmented preaching with his academic background and willingness to incorporate components not normally associated with the repertoire of a southern Baptist

preacher. The sway of German philosophers Friedrich Hegel and Immanuel Kant have touched the consciousness of scores of scholars beside King, but the precepts of Gandhi, the organizer of Indian independence, were a curious concept in 1950s America. Nether Gandhi’s notion of the practice of Satyagraha nor his Hindu beliefs were part of the vocabulary of most Americans, black or white.

A Sanskrit-derived word alternately defined as soul force or truth force, Satyagraha is a practice Gandhi adapted from the doctrine of civil disobedience found in the writings of American author Henry David Thoreau, another inspiration for King. In any event, after careful deliberation, he determined that it would be the mainstay of his siege on the bastion of legalized segregation.

The events of the mid-century included societal and political upheavals for all creeds and cultures. It also marked the evolution of a theology that specifically addressed the needs, societal and spiritual, of the Black community.

Considered an offshoot of Social Christianity, it has been labeled in some circles as Black Liberation Theology (and in turn is part of the larger concept of liberation theology, which seeks deliverance from economic, political, or social injustice).

It has among its advocates the Union Seminary Professor James Hal Cone. Central to its tenets is the idea that the church should contend with the plight and struggle of the oppressed and disenfranchised of society. Cone, like King before him, looks outside Christianity for inspiration, including sources such as Malcolm X – whose famous proclamation that Christianity was “a white man’s religion” –helped spur on the debate. These views have in turn spawned criticism reminiscent of those directed at King during his lifetime. As his

stature rose and the movement gained thrust, accusations of Communist ties hounded him in step with the accolades for his leadership and devotion to service. Liberation Theology has likewise been criticized for appropriating elements of Marxism (specifically class struggle) in its implementation, especially throughout Latin America.

Spiritual passage

The odyssey of black Liberation Theology in America has been one of transition in tandem with the evolution of society. As slaves toiled the land, their masters debated the merits of spreading the gospel among their minions, on one hand encouraging a ministry that would placate a contented work force for economic consistency. On the other hand, granting the status of Christianity to those in servitude meant acknowledging their humanity and, in turn, their right to liberty.

Post-Emancipation saw the church expand its role as a stabilizing force in the community and as an inspiring agent for the betterment of the race. The dawn of the 20th century and America’s increased prominence on the world stage brought AfricanAmerican participation in two world wars, exposure to ideas outside the confines of segregation, and the desire to transcend the limits imposed upon them in their native land. Utilizing the house of worship as the epicenter for African-American equality meant the elevation of the cleric as a shepherd to guide his flock toward the sweet grass of social justice. While scores of elite preachers answered the call to contribute to the great undertaking, King’s unique combination of charisma, intellectualism, and vision allowed him to transcend the physical confines of the local pulpit to secure outside assistance for this grand endeavor.

Obama honored Dorothy Height

On Wednesday, December 15, 2010, President Barack Obama signed into law H.R. 6118, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE in Washington, D.C., as the “Dorothy I. Height Post Office.” Height was a celebrated civil rights leader and Chair Emerita of the National Council of Negro Women. She was a recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994. She passed away on April 20, 2010, in Washington, D.C.

OWENS

Continued from B1

Jerard Owens. Many said Jimmy was like a “godfather” in the community because he was an avid advocate for children’s causes, such as Kiwanis, and he employed generations of neighborhood residents. Many people from police to politicians frequented the restaurant and bar.

“At the time, politicians would come into the bar and use the bar owners to talk with the people,” Jerard said. Although not many white people would eat at the restaurant in the early years, they would order food to go, particularly during the lunch rush. In 30 years of business, Sarah Lou only raised its prices on shrimp by 75 cents, Jerard said.

“No matter how much the

market fluctuated, he always wanted it affordable for people to come and enjoy a delicacy,” he said.

Jerard remembers taking trips to Brownsville, Texas to meet with people in the shrimp industry, as well as to Chicago for the National Restaurant Association shows. Many suppliers would bid for the restaurant’s business because they knew of its highvolume shrimp needs.

Horton, who worked at the restaurant for a time, said the high traffic made for laborious work. After a few years, she returned to working as a hospice nurse. As a young man, Jimmy also intended to study medicine after high school, but he got a goodpaying job at Krey Packing Company and decided to forego college. Horton said her father always encouraged his children to get a college education. And without fail, Jimmy

would close down the restaurant for a month and take his family on vacation – mostly hunting and fishing trips. He was a member of the National Rifle Association for 20 years.

The family decided to close the business because Jimmy could no longer handle the business’ many facets. The 100-year-old historical building also needed repair but the abiding by the historical-building regulations was overwhelming, Jerard said.

The restaurant had many well-known regulars, including Dennis Edwards of the Temptations, the Bosley family and many other elected officials over the years. Many will remember Jimmy’s joyful presence and his favorite sayings, such as, “I don’t know everything, but I know a little about all things.”

the master. But Charles Deslondes used his relative freedom and privilege, not to push the slave system but to undermine it. He was the ultimate sleeper cell. As he traveled up and down the plantation, he would meet other slave leaders, ostensibly to talk about the sugar crop, but he was not talking about the sugar crop. He was meeting with two other leaders of the revolt, Kook and Quamana, two native Ashanti warriors who had been brought to this country in 1806, just five years earlier. And there were other cells, up and down the coast.

The revolt took place in January of 1811 – when the bulk of the American military was out fighting the Spanish and the city of New Orleans was basically defenseless, protected by only 68 regular troops – and while the planters were celebrating carnival. I spend some time in the book describing the decadence of these planters. Then there was a huge rainstorm that prevented the American military from moving artillery into the cane fields.

They launched the revolt the morning of January 8, 1811. The slaves were dressed in military uniforms and marched in formation. They had horses and carried muskets. Others had cane knives and axes. They were shouting, “Freedom or death!” as they marched to New Orleans and nearly established a black republic. In the book I have much to say about this march.

Eventually, they were defeated in a dramatic battle in a cane field by a planter militia. They beheaded hundreds of rebel slaves, stuck their heads on poles and put the poles on the levee. They found Charles Deslondes, chopped off his limbs, shot him in both sides and burnt him alive. The others went to trial – Kook and Quamana preferred silence over betrayal – and were beheaded.

The revolt had the effect of

bringing together the French population, which had been resistant to American authority, which represented AngloAmerica. After the revolt, the French planters proclaimed the American government the ark of safety. The revolt solidified American power in New Orleans and helped to solidify slave-based agriculture in the South in events that ultimately ended up leading to the Civil War.

The American: This story wasn’t told until now. Why?

Daniel Rasmussen: The revolt was covered up by Governor Claiborne, who was essentially the channel to the rest of the country. His letter was short and said it was a trivial event. He called the slave rebels “brigands” and treated them as mere criminals. Claiborne played a crucial part in putting forward the bigger part of the lie, which is that it was insignificant, which it was not. The revolt involved over 500 slaves. It was the largest such act in American history. They marched in military uniform to New Orleans, which was defenseless. It was one of the seminal moments, not only in African-American history but really in the history of the South and the country. But New Orleans was on the fringes, and after Claiborne’s letter it was basically ignored.

I was really the first to go and dig deep enough into the records and take the time to figure out what really happened. A 24-page essay was the largest account before mine. Some of the previous accounts were by Louisiana historians, most from an extreme white supremacist point of view. One says things like, “This is an example of why we need to keep the chains tight around the blacks.” Essentially it has gone unnoticed due to a lack of documents and lack of research, and that stems from Claiborne’s original cover-up of the event.

The American: Have you gone before any conservative media to talk about your book?

Daniel Rasmussen: I’d talk to anybody who was interested. I don’t know that that’s a conscious part of our strategy, but we have sent press releases to anybody and everybody.

The American: You haven’t been on a Fox News show?

Daniel Rasmussen: I’d love to. Unfortunately, I have not done any television. I have done a lot of radio and a lot OFprint. This revolt is relatively unknown, and it’s been a fight to get the story told. I realize what happened – hundreds of head on pikes – doesn’t sit well with a lot of people.

It’s a complicated history. We need to address a central moment in the past, and we need to change the way we think about the past. Slaves were not just victims of slavery. We should not just feel guilty and ashamed. They really were heroes who fought for freedom and were met with a level of resistance that was extreme. The way they were kept in their place was through extreme violence and military effort. Slaves’ resistance is a contribution that needs to be celebrated and emphasized much more broadly and distributed.

The American: There are Holocaust deniers, and slavery apologists. Have you met anyone who says, “This couldn’t be true?”

Daniel Rasmussen: I haven’t met anybody who said this couldn’t be true. People have said the slaves were criminals and Claiborne was right, they were brutal savages who don’t deserve a place in history except as a terrorist. And I have heard from residents of New Orleans: “Why are you dredging up slavery? It happened and it’s over and we have moved on; can’t we move on?”

The American: Here in St. Louis, the National Black Tourism Network recently staged a reenactment of a slave auction on the steps of the Old Courthouse, where slaves were once sold. Should we stage a reenactment of a slave revolt?

Daniel Rasmussen: The Civil War is reenacted all over the county by people who dress up as Confederate and Union soldiers and go out to celebrate the Civil War. I see no reason why we shouldn’t want to celebrate slave rebels. They had uniforms, they beat the drums and chanted, they were equally aggressive as the U.S. Army. I’d love to see it commemorated. It’s been done in New Orleans, to some extent. I’d love to see more attention paid to it and see it reenacted.

Black History Essay Contest

Comptroller Darlene Green invites all St. Louis Public Schools high school students to win $100, $75 and $50 savings bonds by entering her annual Black History Essay Contest. At this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, Green told the crowd to “put down your guns and pick up the Bible.” Students are invited to write a one- to twopage essay describing what they think she meant and why she said it. Essays should be typed and

double-spaced using 12-point font. Students should out their name, phone number and school name at the top. Completed essays should be sent to Judy Armstrong, 1520 Market St., Room 3005, St. Louis, MO 63103 or emailed to armstrongju@ stlouiscity.com. The deadline for submissions is Friday, Feb. 25 and the winners will be announced in March. For complete information, visit stlouis-mo.gov and search: “Black History.”

Special to The American

The College of Nursing at the University of Missouri–St. Louis will hold its fourth annual AfricanAmerican Nursing History Conference from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11 at the Sheraton Westport in Maryland Heights. The event will focus on health disparities involved with diseases such as: cancer (breast, colon and prostate), HIV and AIDS, lupus, sickle cell, Crohn’s disease, substance abuse, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and their impact on the AfricanAmerican community.

This conference is targeted for the community, especially nurses and other professionals in the health

care field who are interested in the unique contributions that African-American nurses have made and continue to make in addressing health care disparities, health equity and health promotion through organizational community involvement. Future nurses as well as high school students are also encouraged to attend the conference. The keynote speaker is Loretta Sweet Jemmott, the van Ameringen Professor in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing and director of the Center for Health Disparities Research at University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in Philadelphia. To register by Feb. 10, go to ce.umsl.edu/aanhc or call 314-516-6590. The conference fee is $40.

Darlene Green

The history of black hair

African people have had very different ideas about ‘dos

Melvin Van Peebles 1971 film Classified X was an eye opener to most who viewed it, but for me I was merely reliving experiences I had been living with my entire life. Van Peebles describes the shame he felt after leaving his neighborhood theater on Chicago’s South Side. Melvin’s movie house was the NRA, called “The National Rat Alley” by locals. I felt the identical way when my friends and I left our neighborhood theaters. We were ashamed of the people on screen that looked like us. We laughed but felt ashamed. I did not know why until years later.

Reviewing Classified X for The Sundance Film Festival, Laurence Kardish said, “With one startling film, Melvin Van Peebles, writer, director, producer, and musician, forever changed the face of American film. Movie images sustain racism. Over and over again, Hollywood made blacks the objects of derision or fear: AfricanAmericans were illiterate primitives, rustic fools, fumbling servants, or simply outside society. Young blacks began to surrender to these selfimages, while whites accepted them comfortably. Using images from classic American films as chilling reference,

Van Peebles explains with wit and anger why popular culture is still a matter of black and white.”

That was written forty years ago, and after nearly a half century very little has changed.

One of the most disappointing films I have seen in recent years is the Chris Rock so-called documentary Good Hair. I am astonished at the amount of money AfricanAmerican women spend on their hair. I should not be, but I am. The film features some black women who make low wages often spending thousands of dollars on weaves and other methods to emulate and imitate Europeanlooking hair. It leads me to ask: is black hair bad hair? Should we be ashamed of the hair we were born with?

Bernie Hayes

A few years ago, I wrote, “Some African Americans even now refer to certain textures of black hair as ‘good hair’ or ‘bad hair,’ and I become somewhat frustrated. Some of us still hold on to negative attitudes about our hair. Some believe that straight hair is naturally better than kinky, curly or wavy hair. In other words, straight hair is ‘good’ and other textures are ‘bad.’

If you believe this, you do not know the history of black hair.

“When the Europeans slave traders snatched our people

from the west coast of Africa, they saw people wearing elaborate hairstyles including locks, plaits and twists, not knowing each style was a symbol, trait or quality of the persons they were capturing. Hairstyles have always played an important part in African artistic expression. In the early 15th century, hair served as a carrier of messages in most West African societies.”

I noted over 3,000 ethnic groups, cultures, and languages emanate from Africa. Due to the many tribal customs, African hairstyles were many and varied and usually signified status. Masai warriors tied the front hair into sections of tiny braids, similar to the styles worn by African-American men and women today. The back hair was allowed to grow to waist length. Non-warriors and women, however, shaved their heads.

In the Mende, Wolof, Yoruba and Mandingo tribes, hair often conveyed age,

marital status, ethnic identity, religion, wealth and rank in the community. Hairstyles could also be used to identify a geographic region. For example, in the Wolof culture of Senegal, young girls partially shaved their hair as an outward symbol that they were not courting. The Karamo people of Nigeria were recognized for a shaved head with a single tuft of hair left on top, much like the Mohican Indians and Mister T.

According to Sylvia Ardyn Boone, an anthropologist who specializes in the Mende culture of Sierra Leone, “West African communities admire a fine head of long, thick hair on a woman. A woman with long, thick hair demonstrates the life force, the multiplying power of profusion, prosperity, a ‘green thumb’ for bountiful farms and many healthy children.”

In Egypt, noblemen and women clipped their hair close to the head. Zulu hairstyles frequently declare their owner’s

age, gender and status, and are often embellished by accoutrements of a magicoreligious nature, therefore their hairstyles needed protecting.

Many Africans believed hair is a way to communicate with the Divine Being. Mohamed Mbodj, an associate professor of history at Columbia University and a native of Dakar, Senegal, said, “The hair is the most elevated point of your body, which means it is the closest to the divine.”

Consequently, many thought communication passed through the hair. Many believed a single strand of hair could be used to cast spells or inflict harm.

African-American scholar and activist Molefi Asante wrote, “We know little about our own classical heritage and

nothing about our contributions to world knowledge. To say that we are decentered means essentially that we have lost our own cultural footing and become other than our cultural and political origins, dislocated and disoriented.” He noted, “As a pan-African idea, Afrocentricity becomes the key to the proper education of children and the essence of an African cultural revival and, indeed, survival.”

Please listen the Bernie Hayes radio program Monday through Friday at 7 a.m. on WGNU-920 AM, and watch the Bernie Hayes TV program Saturday night at 10 p.m. and Friday Morning at 9 a.m. on KNLC-TV Ch. 24.I can be reached by e-mail at: berhay@ swbell.net

U. City school district turns 100

Centennial celebration kicks off Feb. 21

Special to The American

The School District of University City will kick off its centennial celebration 7 p.m. Monday, February 21 in the McNair Board Room at 8136 Groby Road. The event will include a re-enactment of the meeting held February 21, 1911 that officially organized the school district, followed by birthday cake and refreshments as the district embarks on its centennial year. All residents of University City, including parents, students, staff, alumni and others are invited to attend this free event.

“This year presents a great opportunity to celebrate the past, present and future of the School District of University City,” said Joylynn Wilson Pruitt, superintendent of

schools. “We hope that many people will join us for the centennial kickoff event.”

The centennial kickoff event is the first in a calendar of centennial events happening through September 2011, with the culmination of centennial activities at homecoming weekend.

Other spring centennial events include a gallery display of past play and musical posters, with bios of notable alumni at the University City High School musical on February 25-27; the ribbon-cutting dedication for the Barbara C. Jordan Elementary School building; art and architecture tours of district buildings; and the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Pershing Elementary School building.

Black History Month Activities

Fri., Feb. 4, 1 p.m., Black Solders in the American War Series – Session One St. Louis Public Library –Carpenter Branch, 3309 S. Grand. For more information, call (314) 772-6586.

Fri., Feb. 4, 7 p.m., Continuing the Legacy: African American History Depicted through Dance written and directed by Chris Page, Coca, 524 Trinity Ave. For more information, visit www.cocastl. org.

Sat., Feb. 5 – Sun., Feb. 6, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., St. Louis Metropolitan Chapters Founders’ Day Celebration Weekend, Founders’ Day Luncheon (Sat., Feb. 5, 10 a.m.) International President Carolyn House Stewart will serve as keynote speaker, Chase Park Plaza. Founders’ Day Worship Service (9 a.m. Sun., Feb. 6), St. Paul AME Church, 1260 Hamilton Ave. For more information, call (314) 435-6009.

Sat., Feb. 5, 10 a.m., Black History Month Celebration: Collages inspired by Bearden, St. Louis County Library – Indian Trails Branch, 8400 Delport Drive. Call (314) 994-3300.

Sat., Feb. 5, 1 p.m., Speak up, Speak out…Shout if you have to! featuring the poetry of Rennell Parker Sr., St. Louis County Library – Florissant Branch, 195 N. Florissant Rd. For more information, call (314) 994-3300.

Sat., Feb. 5, 2 p.m., Book Talk and Panel Discussion: African Americans and the Civil War, St. Louis Public Library – Julius Davis Branch, 4415 Natural Bridge. For more information, call (314) 7720206.

Sat., Feb. 5 – Sat., Feb. 26, 2 p.m., Afternoon Cinema presents Roots: The Next Generation, St. Louis Public Library –Barr Branch, 1701 S. Jefferson Ave. For more information, call (314) 772-0206.

Mon., Feb. 7, African American Read-In Chain, St. Louis Public Library, all locations. For more information, visit www.slpl.org

Mon., Feb. 7, 10 a.m., Chat ‘n’ Brew featuring the Academy Award Winning film Glory, St. Louis Public Library – Baden Branch, 8448 Church

Rd. For more information, call (314) 772-0206.

Mon., Feb. 7, 11 a.m., St. Louis Community College Forest Park Black History Lecture, “From the Pulpit to the People: The Church and African American Freedom Movements” presented by Dr. Jeffrey O.G. Ogbar, associate dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Professor of History, University of Connecticut, Highlander Lounge, 5600 Oakland Ave. For more information, call (314) 644-9256.

Tues., Feb. 8, 10 a.m., Bobby Norfolk presents In the Shadow of Lincoln: A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand, St. Louis Public Library –Cabanne Branch, 1106 Union.

Wed., Feb. 9, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books and St. Louis Public Library presents Author Isabel Wilkerson, who will sign and discuss her book The Warmth of Other Suns, Schlafly Branch Library, 225 N. Euclid. For more information, call (314) 206-6779.

Fri., Feb. 11, 6 p.m., Set the Night to Music featuring Nigel Thomas & Solid Ground, St. Louis County Library – Florissant Valley Branch, 195 New Florissant Rd. For more information, call (314) 994-3300 or visit www. slcl.org.

Fri., Feb. 11, The College of Nursing at the University of Missouri–St. Louis is proud to present the 4th Annual African-American Nursing History Conference. The theme for this year’s conference is Mind Your Health. Keynote address will be provided by Loretta Sweet Jemmott, PhD, FAAN, RN, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Sheraton Westport Hotel Lakeside Chalet, 191 Westport Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63146. For registration information, call 314-5166590 or register online at http:// tinyurl.com/blacknurses.

Feb. 12, 2 p.m., Music with Charles and Nicki Glenn, St. Louis Public Library – Schlafly Branch, 225 N. Euclid.

Feb. 12, 3 p.m. Afro World presents a Mini Jazz Concert, Afro World, 7276 Natural Bridge Rd. For more information, call (314) 389-5194.

Feb. 14 and Feb. 28, 7 p.m., Harris Stowe State University presents Black Movie Mondays, Gillespie Residence Hall, 3026 Laclede. Fore more information, call (314) 340-5030.

St. Louis Public Library will welcome Pulitzer Prizewinning columnist Eugene Robinson to deliver their annual Black History Month Keynote Address at Christ Church Cathedral (1210 Locust) on February 27 at 2 p.m.

Tues., Feb. 15, 6 p.m., The Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club will kick off it’s 25th birthday celebration with legendary Chicago poet and publisher Haki R. Madhubuti, East St. Louis Higher Education Center, 601 J.R. Thompson Drive. For more information, call (618) 650-3991.

Fri.,

Fri., Feb. 25, 7 p.m., Filling the Gap Oratorical Competition, St. Louis County Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh. For more information, call (314) 994-3300 or visit www.slcl.org.

Sat., Feb. 26, 1 p.m., Gift of Gospel Celebration, St. Louis County Library –Lewis & Clark Branch, 9909 Lewis-Clark Blvd. For more information, call (314) 9943300 or visit www.slcl.org.

Feb. 27, 2 p.m., St. Louis Public Library Black History Month Keynote Address featuring Pulitzer-Prize Winning columnist Eugene Robinson, Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust Street. For more information, call (314) 206-6779.

Tues. March 1, 6:30 p.m.“Henrietta’s Ghost: Race, Ethics and Medicine in the Saga of American History at the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis, a panel discussion sponsored by the St. Louis Research Advocacy Committee of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. 50 free books are available on a first-come, first-serve basis for the general public interested in reading about Henrietta Lacks prior to the event. If interested, email henriettasghost@gmail.com or call the Komen St. Louis Affiliate at 315-569-3900.

Young adult military dependents to get TRICARE Standard health insurance coverage to age 26

Young adult military dependents will soon enjoy health insurance benefits similar to what civilian dependents received in health reform last September. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of fiscal year 2011 enables TRICARE to extend coverage to eligible adult children up to age 26.Apremiumbased TRICARE Young Adult program is expected to be in place later this spring.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 required civilian health plans to offer coverage to adult children until age 26. TRICARE previously met or exceeded key tenets of national health reform, including restrictions on annual limits, lifetime maximums, “high user” cancellations, or denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions – but did not include this expanded coverage for adult children.Dependent eligibility for TRICARE previously ended at age 21 or age 23 for full-time college students.

The authorization signed by the

President on Jan. 7, gives the Defense Department authority to offer the similar benefits, but full details of the TRICARE Young Adult (TYA) program will not be in place until later this spring, according to TRICARE officials.

“We’ve been working hard to make sure we could put TRICARE Young Adult on a fast track,” said TRICARE Deputy Director Rear. Adm. Christine Hunter. “Fortunately for our beneficiaries concerned about health care coverage for their adult children, the law signed by the President includes opportunities for military families to elect this new premium-based plan retroactive to Jan. 1.”

Beginning later this spring, qualified, unmarried dependents up to age 26 will be able to purchase TRICARE coverage on a month-to-month basis – as long as they are not eligible for their own employer-sponsored health coverage.

Premium costs are not yet finalized, but the act specifies that rates must cover the full cost of the program. “This program has the potential to extend TRICARE coverage to several hundred thousand additional beneficiaries,” said Hunter. “The premium allows us to provide this excellent benefit to our military families while responsibly addressing the impact of health care costs on the DoD budget.”

Initially, the benefit offered will be a premium-based TRICARE Standard benefit.Eligible family members who receive health care between now and the date the program is fully implemented may want to purchase TYAretroactively and should save their receipts. Premiums will have to be paid back to Jan. 1, 2011 in order to obtain reimbursement.

As details are being finalized to offer the TRICARE Young Adult Standard option, the TRICARE Management Activity will also begin work on the

required policy and contract changes to offer a TRICARE Prime option later in 2011.While it is too soon to provide specifics, eligible family members using the TRICARE Young Adult Standard program may be able to change to TRICARE Prime later in the year if it meets their needs more fully.The TRICARE Young Adult Prime option will also carry a separate premium.

Find out more about the TRICARE Young Adult program at www.tricare.mil.

Adults from military families who are no longer eligible for TRICARE, but need health insurance coverage, may wish to explore the Continued Health Care Benefit Program (CHCBP).

CHCBPis a premium-based program that offers temporary transitional health coverage for 18-36 months.Coverage must be purchased within 60 days of loss of TRICARE eligibility.For more on CHCBP, go to www.tricare.mil/CHCBP.

Wed., Feb. 2, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., St. John’s Mercy Medical Center mobile mammography van at Shalom House, 1040 S. Taylor Ave.Free mammograms and breast exams for uninsured and underinsured women age 40 and up. Appointments required. Please bring insurance card; for those with no insurance, please bring proof of income. Appointments required by calling 314584-6447.

Sat. Feb. 5, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Heart of the Family Event at Missouri Baptist Medical Center. Learn techniques for creating heart-healthy recipes that even the children will enjoy; Tasta-a-rama; free health screening stations for glucose, cholesterol (total cholesterol and HDL–no fasting required) and blood pressure, followed by a one-on-one conversation with a dietician to discuss their plan for improvement; body composition analysis and two cardiology presentations – at 9:30 and 10:30. To register or for more information, call 314-996-LIFE (5433) or 1-800-392-or visit www.missouribaptist.org

Fri. Feb. 11, 2011 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. The College of Nursing at the University of

CALENDAR

Missouri–St. Louis presents the 4th Annual African-American Nursing History Conference at Sheraton Westport Hotel Lakeside Chalet, 191 Westport Plaza. The theme for the conference is Mind Your Health and will focus on health disparities including cancer (breast, colon and prostate), HIV/AIDS, lupus, sickle cell, Crohns disease, substance abuse, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and their impact on the African-American community. Registration Fee: $40. For information contact Diana Rehagen at (314) 5166590.

Sat. Feb. 12, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Christian Hospital MEGAHeart Fair, Detrick Building Atrium, 11133 Dunn Road at I-270 & Hwy. 367. Screenings and booths are 8:30 until Noon and workshops and MEGAHeart tours are 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The MEGAHeart is a 12-foot tall, 21-foot-long, 15-food-wide replica of the human heart that provides visitors with a close-up view of healthy and diseased tissue, artificial valves and a stent – as well as the damage caused by a heart attack. Register by calling 314747-WELL(9355).

Sat. Feb. 12, 9 a.m. – NOON, Go Red forWomen St. Louis Go Red Casting Call by the American Heart Association to become one of their national spokeswomen in the fight against heart disease, Christian Hospital Detrick Building Atrium. Register by calling 314-692-5673.

Wed. Feb. 16, 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. Hearthealthy eating tips and free cholesterol screening, Jamestown Mall Food Court, Hwy 67/Old Jamestown Rd. Speaker is Shu Jane Yu, RD, LD, CDE from Christian Hospital.

Mon. Feb. 21, 10 a.m.–Noon, Free makeovers forpatients aftercancer treatment – Christian Hospital Cancer Resource Center, Building 2. The makeovers are conducted by certified cosmetologists; includes demonstrations on using wigs, turbans and scarves, nail care and cosmetics. Complimentary cosmetics and skin care products provided. The event is sponsored by the American Cancer Society.

Tues. March 1, 6:30 p.m.“Henrietta’s Ghost: Race, Ethics and Medicine in the Saga of American

History at the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis, a panel discussion sponsored by the St. Louis Research Advocacy Committee of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. 50 free books are available on a first-come, first-serve basis for the general public interested in reading about Henrietta Lacks prior to the event. If interested, email henriettasghost@gmail.com or call the Komen St. Louis Affiliate at 315-569-3900.

Wed., Mar. 16, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., St. John’s Mercy Medical Center mobile mammography van at St. Anthony of Padua, 3133 Meramec, St. Louis. Free mammograms and breast exams for uninsured and underinsured women age 40 and up. Appointments required. Please bring insurance card; for those with no insurance, please bring proof of income. Appointments required by calling. 314-655-0554.

Sundays, 10 a.m., Alcoholics Anonymous Group 109 meets in the 11th floor conference room at Christian Hospital, 11133 Dunn Road at I270/Hwy. 367. This is an open meeting for alcoholics, drug addicts and their family and friends.

IHN offers online tool to find a health center

For persons interested in finding affordable health care resources in primary, urgent, preventative and specialty care, go online to the St. Louis Integrated Health Network website at StLouisihn.org.

It’s provider membership includes locations for Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers, Crider Health Center, Family Care Health Centers, Grace Hill Neighborhood Health Centers, Myrtle Hilliard Davis Comprehensive Health Centers, Saint Louis ConnectCare and the Saint Louis County Department of Health.

“It makes locating the health centers easier and informs patients on basic navigation procedures like what to bring for a first time visit.”

– Rosetta Keeton

“It makes locating the health centers easier and informs patients on basic navigation procedures like what to bring for a first time visit” says long-time community advocate and Manager of Community and Volunteer Services for Saint Louis ConnectCare, Rosetta Keeton.

The “Find a Health Center” search tool allows visitors to locate health centers by zip code or available services to find a prospective health center home.This web tool is integrated with Google Map, the primary search engine for Metro Transit St. Louis – empowering patients to immediately chart out public transportation routes to appointments or walk-ins.

Other features include a “Let’s Get Started” button that highlights information on health centers and describes the significance of primary care.“The redesign of the website in purpose and content is a small, but bold step for our community health center partners,” says Bethany Johnson-Javois, M.S.W, CEO of the IHN.Johnson-Javois continued, “It points to the health centers’willingness to collaborate and the potential for collective resource-building to empower the communities we serve to make the best health care decisions possible.”

Website revisions were a response, in part, to the increasing demand among the newly uninsured, particularly recently unemployed residents, interested in accessing community health center resources.

For more information, visit StLouisihn.org

Breast Cancer

Gateway to Hope offers no-charge medical and reconstructive treatment for uninsured breast cancer patients in Missouri. Contact 314-569-1113.

Behavorial

Christian Hospital offers free and confidential psychiatric and chemical dependency evaluations at the Christian Hospital Center for Mental Health. The hospital has a geriatric psychiatric unit dedicated to serving the mental health needs of geriatric patients. For more information, call 314-839-3171.

Diabetes

Free, diabetes education program held at various locations by the Diabetes Network of St. Louis. Participants will be offered testing and support for diabetes control. Six sessions will cover monitoring your blood sugar, controlling complications of diabetes, taking care of your feet, living a healthy life through diet and exercise, and personal goal setting. Call Coco Bopp 314-7479533 for more information.

Dental

HEALTH RESOURCES

Free Dental Hygiene Clinic - No charge dental exams, x-rays, cleanings and other dental services for children and adults provided by dental students at Missouri College. Patients needing more extensive dental work (like fillings, crowns, etc.) will be referred to local dentists. For an appointment, call 314-768-7899.

Fitness

Jazzercise every Monday and Thursday, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. – $1 per class at Ferguson Heights Church of Christ, 1239 N. Elizabeth Ave. Ferguson, Mo., 63135. For information, call 314-521-8005.

Information

Missouri 2-1-1 offers referral and information on a wide range of social service and helpful resources. Call 2-1-1.

Medical

Salam Free Saturday Clinic, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Isom Community Center at Lane Tabernacle CME Church, 916 N. Newstead. for those who are uninsured. For information, call 314-533-0534.

St. Louis ConnectCare offers urgent care services to City of St. Louis employees without an appointment, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and most holidays. For more information, call 314-879-6300.

Nutrition

Food Outreachprovides food, meals and nutritional education/ counseling to eligible persons living with HIV/AIDS or cancer in St. Louis. For more information, call 314-652-3663 or visit www.foodoutreach.org.

Angel Food Ministries operates in hundreds of churches nationwide and offers heat and serve meals, canned and fresh food boxes at a reduced cost. Find the nearest locations by zip code at www.angelfoodministries.com.

Prescription Cost Help

Schnucks Pharmacies – now offers certain prescription prenatal vitamins for free and offers no-cost generic prescription antibiotics at select locations.

Wal-Mart Pharmacies – offer select prescriptions for $4 or less for a 30-day supply or $10 for a 90-day supply. View the complete list at www.walmart.com/pharmacy.

Respiratory Health

Free lung function screening - Christian Hospital Breathing Center at Northwest HealthCare, 1225 Graham Rd. For more information, call 314-953-6040.

Sexual Health

St. Louis County Health Department offers free, confidential testing, counseling and treatment at the North Central Community Health Center, 4000 Jennings Station Road, St. Louis, MO 63121. For more information, call 314679-7800.

St. Louis Metropolitan HIV/AIDS Program offers confidential or anonymous testing for HIV/AIDS. The office is located within ConnectCare’s main building in Suite 203 at 5535 Delmar, St. Louis, MO 63112. For more information, call (314) 879-6468.

St. Mary’s Health Center receives open MRI

Moving a 17,000-pound open MRI unit into its new space at St.Mary’s Health Center in St.Louis is a massive endeavor. After several months of preparations,a state-of-the-art open MRI made it to its new space on Jan.24.To get the MRI inside, part of the exterior wall of an SSM St.Mary’s medical office building was removed to install the machine.It is part of a $2.4 million project that expands SSM St.Mary’s Health Center’s on-site imaging capabilities.The high-field open MRI will produce highly detailed images of soft tissues and provide a more comfortable experience for patients. SSM says it will take about a month to finish the assembly processes once installed.The open MRI will be available for patient procedures by early March.

Ms. (a little too) Right

Can being the total package ruin your chances?

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

Okay, so remember my friend who had her friend sneak and marry somebody behind her back?

Well, there is an update to that. I made her do some Black & Single investigative reporting on my behalf to find out why he did what he did.

What? He was already harassing her to meet him for lunch so that he can finally explain himself. I merely recommended she consider it and hold him accountable for an explanation from his perspective about this phenomenon – which seems to be a recurring theme in her life.

She agreed … and here’s how it went down.

They meet, and he immediately lays it on with how beautiful she looks and what a kind and wonderful person she is for agreeing to meet him.

n I made her do some Black & Single investigative reporting on my behalf to find out why he did what he did.

He reminds her that everything is not as cut-anddried as most people make it out to be with relationships, then proceeds to grovel with apologies and empty compliments.

“I always felt at peace when we got together,” he tells her. “It was like you and me were the size of the world.”

She lets him finish … I was happy, because this is not one of her strong points.

“I’m sorry and I value you as a person and us as friends, and I really hope that we don’t have to lose us because of my situation,” he says. There is an awkward silence. She says it’s because of the body language she puts forth when he describes his MARRIAGE as a SITUATION.

When he hangs his head, she raises hers and in the most non-judgmental way she had left in her, she takes control of the conversation.

At first she sat there trying to understand how he can be sitting there talking about how important she is to him, yet he probably had to lie to his wife to steal the moment they are currently sharing. But she moved beyond that particular moment with her eyes on the prize.

“Can I ask you something?” she said. “I’m not judging, and I’m not inquiring with any type of expectation.”

“Go ‘head,” he replied.

New to the zoo

Leopard and rhino babies born in St. Louis

of the threats to their survival in the wild.

A critically endangered Amur leopard cub, born at the Saint Louis Zoo on October 8, 2010, ventured outdoors last week for her public debut.

The little female, Anastasia, has been with her mother in a maternity den at the Zoo’s Big Cat Country for the past three months. Now she can explore trees, rocks and even snow with her mother in her outdoor habitat.

The Amur leopard is considered one of the most endangered cats in the world. It is believed fewer than 40 Amur leopards remain in the forests of Primorye Province in far eastern Russia. Loss of habitat due to logging activities, human encroachment and poaching are some

The Saint Louis Zoo’s Amur leopards are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Amur Leopard Species Survival Plan, a program responsible for maintaining a genetically healthy population of Amur leopards in North American zoos. The population of Amur leopards in zoos all around the world numbers just about 300 individuals.

The Amur leopard mainly preys on wild deer and pigs in its natural habitat.

Also, a black rhinoceros calf was born to first-time parents at the Saint Louis Zoo on January 14.

Weighing 120-1/2 pounds, the little male is nursing well and being cared for by his mother. Mother and calf are bonding in their off-display

At 7 p.m.

Feb. 9, Isabel Wilkerson will sign and discuss her book The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration at the St. Louis Public Library Schlafly Branch, 225 N. Euclid.

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St.

herself to answer the call, for the sake of her parents – who had come to Washington, D.C. from Virginia and Georgia – and the millions like them. Wilkerson will be in St. Louis next Wednesday, Feb. 9, to share how embarking on this quest to changed her life. As a feeder city for both Mississippi and Arkansas, St. Louisan will most certainly have a

An Amur leopard cub (above) and a black rhinoceros calf are among the newest residents of the St. Louis Zoo.

Photos

Rappers Jia Davis and Ruka Puff

D Boy of Dynasty Hip Hop Inc.

Aloha Mi ´Sho

Teen Swagg Artists

concerts

Through Feb. 5, Jazz St. Louis will present Stanley Clarke and Hiromi, Jazz at the Bistro, 3536 Call 314-2894030 or visitwww.jazzstl.org

Fri., Feb. 11, 8 p.m., Jazz St. Louis is pleased to present Al Jarreau, Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis. For more information, call (314) 5164949 or visit www.touhill.org.

Sat., Feb. 12, 7 p.m., 6th Annual St. Louis Blues Festival featuring Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bobby “Blue” Bland and St. Louisnative Shirley Brown as headliners. SirCharles Jones, Mel Waiters, Floyd Taylor, Willie Clayton and Latimore are also scheduled to perform. The Chaifetz Arena, SLUcampus. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com or call (314) 534-1111.

Sat., Feb. 12, 7 p.m. & 9

p.m., Brian McKnight, Lumiere Theatre, Lumiere Hotel and Casinos. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com

Sun., Feb. 13, 8 p.m. (7 p.m. doors), Jaheim with special guest Syleena Johnson, The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com

Mon., Feb. 14, 8 p.m., Valentine’s Day Concert with Lakeside, The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com

Sat., Mar. 5, Kem with Ledisi and El DeBarge, Chaifetz Arena. For more information, call (314) 534-1111 or visit www.metrotix.com

Sat., Mar. 12, 8 p.m., Salt-NPepa’s Legends of Hip Hop, Dust off your boom box and find that old jean jacket as the

best from the 1980’s hip hop scene including Salt-n-Pepa, Biz Markie Kurtis Blow, Doug E. Fresh, MC Lyte and Kool Moe Dee. Chaifetz Arena at Saint Louis University. For more information, call (314)534-1111 or visit www.metrotix.com

Sat., Apr. 3, 7:30 p.m., Fox Concerts presents BeBe & CeCe Winans and Mary Mary, The Fox Theatre. For more information, call (314)534-1111 or visit www.metrotix.com.

local gigs

Fri., Feb. 11, 8 p.m., Laid Back Friday presents a special Valentine’s Day edition of Smooth Jazz with a Taste of Blues, R&B, and Poetry, THE HEIGHTS, 8001 Dale Ave. – Richmond Heights MO. For more information, call (314)368-9436.

Wednesday evenings, 7 p.m., Saxophonist Fred Walker will perform his Saxy Jazz Music Show featuring the best in live and recorded music, Van Goghz Martini Bar & Bistro, 3200 Shenandoah Ave. (at Compton). Van Goghz features a great $6.99 steak dinner (Wednesdays only). For more information, call (314)8653345.

Funkin Right, Every 2nd Saturday, Nappy DJ Needles invites you downtown for a monthly dose of good vibes delivered in the form of raw soul, afro beat, house, hip hop and deep funk. Lola, 500 N. 14th St.

Karaoke with Ric Louis THURSDAYS, 8pm at St. Louis’Happy Hour Bar & Grill, 12948 New Halls Ferry at Parker Road (Next to Save-A-Lot Supermarket). Wednesday s, 9pm at Ace`s Lounge, in the Comfort Inn Airport Hotel, 9600 Natural Bridge Rd. at Brown Rd. (Across from Church’s Chicken). Come and enjoy

CALENDAR

Jazz

Drink Specials, Food Specials, Super Music Videos, Free Prizes and Great Fun!! (314) 608-2424.

special events

Fri., Feb. 4, 7 p.m., Continuing the Legacy: African American History Depicted through Dance written and directed by Chris Page, Coca, 524 Trinity Ave. For more information, visit www.cocastl.org.

Sat., Feb. 5 – Sun., Feb. 6, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., St. Louis Metropolitan Chapters Founders’Day Celebration Weekend, Founders’Day Luncheon (Sat., Feb. 5, 10 a.m.) International President Carolyn House Stewart will serve as keynote speaker, Chase Park Plaza. Founders’Day Worship Service (9 a.m. Sun., Feb. 6), St. Paul AME Church, 1260 Hamilton Ave. For more information, call (314) 435-6009.

Sat., Feb. 5, 5:30 p.m., The Edward Jones YMCApresents a Daddy/ Daughter Dance, Edward Jones YMCA, 12521 Marine Ave. Maryland

Heights, MO 63146. For more information or to register, call 314-439-9622.

Sun., Feb. 6, 1 p.m., Harlem Globetrotters live, Scottrade Center.For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Thurs., Feb. 10 – Fri., Feb. 11, Disney Live presents Mickey’s Magic Show, The Chaifetz Arena. For more information, call (314) 5341111.

Fri., Feb. 12, 6 p.m., Calvary Community Development Corporation presents “On the Wings of Love” 2nd Annual Fundraising Gala, Central Reform Congregation, 5020 Waterman BLVD. Call (314) 533-9880 or visit www.calvarycdc.org.

Sun., Feb. 13, Missouri Botanical Garden’s Annual Celebrate the Gospel concert featuring favorites performed by New Sunny Mount Missionary Baptist Church Chancel Choir, Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd. for more information, visit www.mobot.org or call(314) 577-5100.

Sun., Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m. (6 p.m. doors), J.R.L.W. Productions presents A

Special pre-Valentine’s Day edition of Body Blast, Club Illusion, 526 E. Broadway in East St. Louis.

Wed., Feb. 16, 7 p.m., Life Is What You Make It: A Concert and Conversation with PeterBuffett, St. Charles Convention Center, One Convention Center Plaza, St. Charles, MO. www.peterbuffett.com

Feb. 19, 9 a.m., Hidden Treasures Ministries will be offering free new and like new children and adult clothing and small household items will be available for those in need in St. John and surrounding areas. St. John Municipal Center Cafeteria, 8944 St. Charles Rock Rd. For more information, call (314) 603-3219 or (314) 83-6494.

Thurs., Feb. 24, 5:30 p.m., Emerson Presents The St. Louis American Foundation’s inaugural Salute To Young Leaders Networking Awards Reception, The Chase Park Plaza, The Starlight Room. For more information, call (314) 533-8000.

Mar. 6, 2 p.m. Show Me Sound presents 2011 SHOWDOWN: Historically Black College & University Drum Line Show and Recruitment Fair. Five HBCU drum lines dazzled a crowd of over 4,000 in 2010. The 2011 event features TEN HBCU ensembles. Chaifetz Arena.

Mar. 11 – Mar12, Dance St. Louis welcomes The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The Fox Theatre. For more information, call (314) 534-6622 or visit www.dancestlouis.org

March, 30 Professional Organization of Women, Inc. (POW), deadline for nominations for their 8th Annual African-American Women of Distinction Awards, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis on March 30, 2011. For more information, call (314) 646-9803, email duncanshante1@gmail.com. or visit www.powinc.org.

Through May 15, Bob the Builder– Project: Build It will be on site at The Magic House, 516 S. Kirkwood Road, one mile north of Highway 44 in historic downtown Kirkwood. For more information, please call (314) 822-8900 or visit The Magic House online at www.magichouse.org.

comedy

Fri., Feb. 25, 8 p.m., Royal Comedy tour starring

Sommore, D.L. Hughley, Bruce Bruce and more, Chaifetz Arena. Call (314) 534-1111 or visit www.metrotix.com

Fri., Apr. 1, Mike Epps with special guest Sheryl Underwood, Chaifetz Arena. Call (314) 534-1111 or visit www.metrotix.com

Fri., Feb. 4, 12 noon, University City Public Library will host a “lunch and learn” discussion of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream 6701 Delmar, 63130. Call (314) 727-3150 or e-mail: lballard@ucpl.lib.mo.us

Mon., Feb. 7, 12 noon, University of Missouri–St. Louis and its Centerforthe Humanities presents the Monday Noon Series Mary Troy, director of UMSL’s Creative Writing MFA Program, editor of Natural Bridge, and associate professor of English, reads from her first novel, Beauties. Set in South St. Louis at the turn of the millennium, Beauties is told in alternating points of view by two cousins who operate a Meramec Street cafe. They are in their mid-thirties; one gorgeous, twice divorced, and looking for praise through success; the other one-legged and unattractive, a failed high school English teacher, cynical and needy, who forms a deep connection to a foster child harmed by neglect. Beauties won the USABook award for best book of literary fiction. Troy, author of three short story collections, also has won a Nelson Algren Award and the Devil’s Kitchen Reading Award. J.C. Penney Conference Center, UMSL. For more information, visit http://umslce.org/index.php/mo nday-noon-series

Tues., Feb. 8, 5:30 p.m., Regional Arts Commission hosts St. Louis finals of Poetry Out Loud, a national competition that encourages high school students to learn about poetry through memorization and recitation. Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar, 63112. For more information, call 314-8635811.

Wed., Feb. 9, 7 p.m. Reading, Talk and Signing for The Warmth of Other Suns with author Isabel Wilkerson, St. Louis Public Library –Schlafly Branch, 225 N. Euclid.

Feb. 9, 7 p.m. (6:30 p.m. doors) The St. Louis Publishers Association February Meeting-Getting YOUR business into

St.Louis welcomes Al Jarreau to the Blanche M.Touhill Performing Arts Center.See CONCERTS for details.

action...NOW!! Brentwood Community Center, 2505 S. Brentwood Boulevard, Brentwood, MO 63144.

Tues., Feb. 15, 6 p.m., The Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club will kick off it’s 25th birthday celebration with legendary Chicago poet and publisherHaki R. Madhubuti, East St. Louis Higher Education Center, 601 J.R. Thompson Drive. For more information, call (618) 650-3991.

Sat., Feb. 19, 3 p.m., Nu-Art Series presents SoundArt a performance by Quincy Troupe and Kelvyn Bell with guest artist Hamiet Bluiett, 2936 Locust. For more information, call (314) 535-6500.

theatre

Feb. 3 – Feb. 13, Avalon Theatre Company presents ArthurMiller’s The Price 119 Crestwood Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63126.

Through February 12, Gitana Productions is looking for St. Louis stories of Irish and African American shared heritage. Select stories will be displayed at Gitana’s “Faces Of Love From Ireland” concert featuring McPEAKE, one of Ireland’s most famous musical families. The concert will take place on March 11, 2011 at Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union Blvd. Stories will also tour various sites in St. Louis including local libraries and schools. To submit your story, email Gitana Productions at gitana@stlouis.missouri.org or call 314-721-6556 by February 12, 2011.

Through Feb. 15 – The CenterforSurvivors of Torture and WarTrauma, a local nonprofit, is accepting applications for paid music interns for the group’s performing arts program called International Playground. Applicants should be refugee youth, ages 13 to 18, who are interested in music and performance. For more information, email mark.pagano@gmail.com or call 314-488-7135.

arts

Fri., Feb. 5, 7 p.m., C’Babi Bayoc presents Birds of Wisdom, SweetArt Bakeshop.Cafe.Gallery, 2303 S. 39th St. For more information, call (314) 771-4278.

Sat., Feb. 12, 1 p.m., The

Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis is offering a Valentine’s Free Family Day, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington Boulevard. For more information, call (314) 535 0770.

Sat., Feb. 12, 4 p.m. Opening reception for Laumeier Sculpture Park presentation of Jessica Stockholder: Grab grassy this moment your I’s Spring Exhibition (Exhibit runs through May 29), 12580 Rott Road in St. Louis County, near Interstate 44 and Lindbergh Boulevard. For more information, call 314615-5278 or visit us at www.laumeier.org.

JACOBYARTS CENTER’S CALLFOR ENTRYfor Fact and Fiction:The State of Contemporary Photography Ajuried exhibition exploring the relationship of the objective and subjective characteristics of the photographic medium. This exhibition is interested in photographic work that explores meaning through manipulation, either analogical or digital. All photographic formats and media are acceptable. Please visit www.jacobyartscenter.org for exhibition guidelines or call 618.462.5222.

lectures

Fri., Feb. 4, 6 p.m., Strategic Planning forLove & War: Conquer& Compromise with YourMate with Author Jo Lena Johnson& Chief Steven Martin, Yacovelli’s, 407 Dunn Rd. For more information, visit www.jolenajohnson.com/calendar.

Fri., Feb. 11, 8 a.m. (9 a.m. public forum), Beacon & Eggs Invades Normandy! Meet & Greet with Beacon editors, reporters and staff along with panelists and other guests and hear how the near north county municipality is making it work, Panel Includes: Dr. Thomas George - Chancellor, University of Missouri at St. Louis; Patrick Green - Mayor, City of Normandy; Dr. Stanton Lawrence - Normandy Schools Superintendent; Victor Little - Artistic Director, LittleVictories, a division of AfroWorld; Chris KrehmeyerExecutive Director, Beyond Housing AfroWorld - 7276 Natural Bridge Road.

Sat., Feb. 12, 10 a.m., Black Data Processing AssociatesSt. Louis Chapter will be offering High School Computer Competition Training, Computer Village, 701AO’Fallon St., St. Louis, MO 63103. For more informa-

tion, call (314)374-0516 or (314) 515-0545.

Feb. 12, 3 p.m., Absorb Ghana: Acultural journey Back to Africa. For more information, email cwcolest@aol.com or call (314) 772 3650.

Feb. 14, APeek at the Pyrenees World of Pierre Laclede: New Insights on his Life before Founding St. Louis Fred Fausz, UMSLhistory professor, provides never before published information on the French homeland that shaped the first 25 years of Laclede’s life. Illustrated with rare engravings and landscape photographs of Bearn. Fausz’s new book, Founding St. Louis: First City of the New West, will be available for signing.

Through Feb., 16. 5:30 p.m., Smart Singles (5-part Series), St. Louis Healthy Families, 4557 Laclede Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108. For Registration Info: Call 314.367.HOPE or visit http://www.stlhealthyfamilies.org

The Gateway EITC Community Coalition needs volunteers to help greet, interview and prepare taxes for low income and elderly residents from late January through April 18, 2011 at various locations in the region (including Illinois). Trainings take place during January 2011 at various times and locations throughout St. Louis City, St. Louis County and Illinois. Greeter, intake and tax preparer volunteers must attend one or more certification trainings in order to help. Volunteers do not need to be accountants to help. You must register for the trainings in advance. To find out more, contact GECC partner United Way at 314-539-4062 or email info@gecc.us

Jaheim returns to St.Louis for a special Valentine’s concert with special guest Syleena Johnson. For more information, see CONCERTS.

health

Sat. Feb. 5, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Heart of the Family Event at Missouri Baptist Medical Center. Two-time St. Louis Iron Chef winner Andy White, executive chef, Schlafly, will share his techniques for creating heart-healthy recipes that even the children will enjoy. To register or for more information, call 314-996-LIFE (5433) or 1-800-392-or visit www.missouribaptist.org

Through Feb. 9, 6 p.m, Bringing Baby Home, Concordia Seminary, Sieck Hall 201, 801 Seminary Pl, St. Louis, MO. For registration Info: Call 314.745.2758 or visit http://www.lfcsmo.org

Fri. Feb. 11, 7 a.m. – 1 p.m. –“HerHeart: Every Beat Counts” 5th Annual Free Heart Program, by SSM Heart Institute at The Columns Banquet Center, 711 Veterans Memorial Parkway, St. Charles, Mo. . Free and public event – Blood pressure, body fat, cholesterol and glucose screenings, physician speakers, drawings, gifts, breakfast and lunch included. Register by calling 1-66-DOCS (3627) or visit ssmhealth.com/heart.

Fri., Feb. 11, The College of Nursing at the University of

Missouri–St. Louis is proud to present the 4th Annual African-American Nursing History Conference. Keynote address will be provided by Loretta Sweet Jemmott, PhD, FAAN, RN, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Sheraton Westport Hotel Lakeside Chalet, 191 Westport Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63146. For registration information, call 314-516-6590 or register online at http://tinyurl.com/blacknurses

Feb. 12, 8:30 a.m., Christian Hospital MEGAHeart Fair, Christian Hospital Detrick Building Atrium, 11133 Dunn Road at I-270 & Hwy. 367. Space is limited, please call 314-747-WELLand register today!

Sat. Feb. 12, 9 a.m. – NOON, Go Red forWomen St. Louis Go Red Casting Call by the American Heart Association to become one of their national spokeswomen in the fight against heart disease, Christian Hospital Detrick Building Atrium. Register by calling 314-692-5673.

Tues. March 1, 6:30 p.m.“Henrietta’s Ghost: Race, Ethics and Medicine in the Saga of American History at the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis, a panel discussion sponsored by the St. Louis Research Advocacy Committee of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. 50 free books are available on a firstcome, first-serve basis for the general public interested in reading about Henrietta Lacks prior to the event. If interested, email henriettasghost@gmail.com or call the Komen St. Louis Affiliate at 315-569-3900.

Through March 4, The Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) is accepting applications from individuals wishing to be considered for its Community Advisory Council (CAC). CAC members must reside in MFH’s service area, which includes 84 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis. Applications

must be postmarked by Friday, March 4, 2011. To request a CAC application packet or review eligibility guidelines, visit the MFH website at http://www.mffh.org/ content/445/cacsolicitation.aspx; contact Kathryn Zetzer at 314.345.5565, toll-free at 800.655.5560, or kzetzer@mffh.org.

spiritual

Sat., Feb. 5, 11 a.m., Hadassah Ministries presents their “Signature Woman Conference” hosted by MinisterJoyce Nash Hazelwood Civic Center, located at 8969 Dunn Rd. For more information on this conference please call (314) 4091014 for email JANash@ssdmo.org

Sun., Feb. 6, 3:30 p.m., Praise Him with a Dance (Sponsored by the Excellent Living Ministry) Greater Grace Church 3960 Pershall Road, Ferguson, MO 63135. For more information, call 867-1233.

Tues., Feb. 8, Orientation for Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University (Classes begin Feb. 22), Greater Grace Church 3960 Pershall Road, Ferguson, MO 63135. For more information, call 8671233.

Fri., Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m., GreaterGrace Church presents ATaste of Africa, Greater Grace Church 3960 Pershall Road, Ferguson, MO 63135. For more information, call 867-1233.

Fri., Feb. 11 - Sun. Feb. 13, The Love Ball & Weekend Extravaganza at the St. Louis Airport Marriott Hote.l Afamily oriented event during Valentines weekend. For Information on ticket prices & hotel reservations please contact us at 314-653-6588 or via E-mail havenhousecor@prodigy.net<mailto:havenhousecor@prodigy.net>.

You would think that after all of the hoopla and negative press surrounding indictments and convictions of East St. Louis officials that no one would be dumb enough to risk their career by engaging in criminal activity.

But, if I’ve learned anything in covering East Boogie “politricks,” it’s that corrupt officials don’t just die, they multiply! The other thing that I’ve learned is that prison is, obviously, not a deterrent when a public official has a made-up mind to break the law.

Partners in crime?

and experience, providing bogus tax returns and financial statements in applying for loans and, purportedly, attempting to pass off cheaper pre-fab housing, as opposed to providing on-site construction as promised.

James Ingram

I was reminded of that fact, last week, when Arthur “Greasy” Johnson, 61, head of ESL’s Community Development Block Grant program, and Harold N. Rosen, 79, a Clayton businessman and owner of Kully Construction Company, were indicted in federal court for allegedly engaging in a fraudulent scheme to build a low-income affordable housing project in ESL. Rosen, indicted on nine counts of wire fraud, is accused of lying about his background

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“Why do you feel the need to be here telling me this, but you married somebody else?” she asked.

His response was shocking, and it went against all of the natural expectations for love relationships and – the ultimate destination for the aforementioned two – marriage.

“I just felt like if it didn’t work out between me and her, it would be cool,” he said. “And I didn’t want to get my hopes all up for things to go one way with you, because if it didn’t end well I would be heartbroken.”

I was unabashedly thrown in

Johnson was indicted on three counts, with allegations including the accepting of bribes and benefits (from a representative of Rosen), as well as aiding and abetting Rosen’s wire fraud scheme.

In addition, Johnson was, allegedly, promised future employment (with Rosen) in exchange for steering the housing development in Rosen’s favor.

The only bright note, in this sordid tale, is that the state-appointed Financial Advisory Authority had previously blocked public funding to Rosen from 2008 to 2009 because of Rosen’s questionable documentation regarding his financing.

That begs the question: when will the criminality ever end in ESL politics? U.S. District Judge Michael J. Reagan was very eloquent in stating, “If

the game by what he confessed about his decision to pass her over.

Now please know, I understand that running game comes with the territory for married men who set up lunches to profess their love to someone other than their wives. But what if we were to consider that he was – for once – actually being honest about his feelings? Does this happen? Are guys so committed to the fantasy of a perfect woman that they don’t want to kill it with reality?

And how is it that you can be faithful to the idea, but can take or leave the actuality? Surprisingly, she took the answer and ran with it. She actually seemed even to feel better about the situation based

ever there was a community that needed a semblance of hope, it’s East St. Louis.” It also illustrates the necessity for the continuation of the FAA to oversee the financial steps and missteps of those who purport to be in charge of ESL city government.

If Arthur “Greasy” Johnson was as concerned, as a public official, for the best interests of the citizens of ESL as he is in maintaining his notoriously greasy mane of overly processed hair, then the taxpayers of East Boogie wouldn’t have to read about another embarrassing story of alleged greed and corruption at City Hall.

Mayor Alvin Parks Jr.’ deputy liquor commissioner’s conviction and incarceration is still fresh on the minds and lips of ESL residents. Now this.

Hopefully, ESL voters will take the latest developments into account during the upcoming city elections.

This may be the opportune time for citizens to send a strong message to ESL officials by returning the leadership to life as private citizens.

Email: jtingram_1960@ yahoo.com.

on his response.

Me … not so much. I was quietly dismayed by the whole thing. I would have been crushed by the prospect of being passed over because I’m “too good to be true.”

So, should we work towards the goal of presenting a package that doesn’t break the curve to be on the safe side?

Do we hold back on all that is good about us to keep men from putting us in an unattainable category?

Who am I kidding? He was probably lying anyway.

Winning at Love

This weekend, author and life coach Jo Lena Johnson along with Chief Steven Martin are hosting an event for those in relationships to work it out just in time for Valentine’s Day. On Friday, Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. the two are planning to present “Strategic Planning for Love & War: Conquer & Compromise with Your Mate” at Yacovelli’s, 407 Dunn Rd. For more information, visit www. jolenajohnson.com/calendar.

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special connection to her work. Her goal was to offer true life character studies of individuals from different stations within the Deep South and encapsulate a movement that spanned nearly seven decades and reached across a nation. Certainly no small matter, but Wilkerson had a vision.

She wanted to illustrate how each had gone in different directions as they chased their piece of the American dream –a dream that had been null and void in their native land.

“It’s humbling when you think about how much they had to endure. They had no options other than to leave,” Wilkerson said. “The experience of my parents and countless others who made the journey was not that different from people coming from another country –except for the fact that they had to leave their homes to become citizens of a country they were born in.”

The routes seemed predestined. Mississippi to Chicago, Florida to New York and Louisiana to California were among the most wellworn paths. The title of Wilkerson’s book is borrowed from Richard Wright’s autobiography Black Boy which captured his migration from Mississippi to Chicago in the 1920s.

Wilkerson wanted to present a representative from each of “the three main streams of the Migration.” She also wanted readers to have a comprehensive experience for the people who took a leap of faith towards freedom and equality.

“If I had known going in what it was going to encompass, I don’t think

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have been born at the Zoo.

The black rhino has experienced the most drastic decline of any rhino species.

In 1970, it was thought there were about 65,000 black rhinos in Africa. By 1993, there were only 2,300 survivors in the wild. Black rhinos are heavily poached, because it is thought in many Asian countries that the rhino horn has medicinal uses.

The Saint Louis Zoo’s

I would have taken it on,” Wilkerson confessed. “But once I got in it and committed myself to telling these stories, there was no turning back.”

Her efforts spanned 15 years and included more than 2,000 subjects sharing their participation in the movement that changed the landscape of urban America.

She carried on with a sense of urgency, as she knew that the opportunity to speak with the brave souls who left the

n “They had to leave their homes to become citizens of a country they were born in.”

– Isabel Wilkerson

life they knew for the unseen promises of “Up North” was fleeting. The prime movers of the Great Migration were passing away.

“I had to get to them before it was too late,” Wilkerson said.

‘A misunderstood people’

Over the course of 18 months, Wilkerson whittled the thousands she originally started with down to three: a young wife and mother from Mississippi, a bright man with a thirst for knowledge but limited resources in South Florida, and a young doctor from Monroe, Louisiana who wasn’t permitted to practice medicine because of his skin color.

The end result would be an epic collection of experiences that manage to inspire and enrage through narratives from birth through final season in life.

The book is as captivating as it is unpredictable, offering

black rhinos are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Black Rhino Species Survival Plan, a program to manage a genetically healthy population of black rhinos in North American zoos. Currently there are 60 black rhinos in 38 institutions.

The Saint Louis Zoo is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the Zoo is free. The Zoo has been named America’s #1 Zoo by Zagat Survey and Parenting Magazine. For more information, visit www.stlzoo. org and www.facebook.com/ stlzoo.

stories filled with hope that demand an extension of gratitude to those who took steps towards the struggle for equal rights for themselves and on behalf of future generations.

“I felt that this was a misunderstood people,” she said.

“There are plenty of assumptions that these were people who had left to get on welfare and that they had brought crime and poverty. People who migrated had to have this ambition inside of them.”

Brilliantly woven into the individual histories are horrendous facts about the common injustices imposed on African Americans in the South.

“These were people who had been through the worst that your country can hurl at you and came out on the other side,” Wilkerson said. “They were wounded but not beaten – and they didn’t let what they had been through get them down. They carried themselves with a sense of dignity and perseverance.”

They also carried undeniable influence and sprinkled their flavor – from music, arts, literature, food – on all aspects of American life.

“The people of the Great Migration ultimately left us with a legacy of inspiration and the power of the one,” Wilkerson said.

“That one decision changed so much in this country, yet there was no leader and nobody sounded the alarm. The impact stemmed from individual decisions. And the message from their action is that people don’t have to wait for someone to tell them the right thing to do. The answer is within us. And by pressing forward beyond their circumstances and reaching for something better, they have given us the answer.”

On Wednesday, Feb. 9, author Isabel Wilkerson will sign and discuss The Warmth of Other Suns at 7 p.m. at the St. Louis Public Library Schlafly Branch, 225 N. Euclid.

Black Rhinos

Vernon Sander Law, a retired Major League Baseball pitcher, once said, “Experience is a hard teacher, because she gives the test first, and the lesson afterwards.” In a way I have viewed my experience in the YES program as that. Coming into the program I was a scared freshman who had no idea what trials awaited him, but as I continued my time I’ve encountered great lessons and even greater people. One of my most favorite experiences in the program occurred in my component over the summer called Summer Time Science. In Summer Time Science different teens in each component teach lessons to different community partners throughout St. Louis. When it was my first time teaching a

SCIENTIFICALLY SPEAKING

My YES Experience

lesson, I was very intimidated. This was abnormal to me, because even though I’ve performed many presentations I’ve never done one in front of a room of about 20 - 30, 5 year-olds. Although I was very apprehensive it was to my surprise that everything went perfectly. The children were very polite and, for the most part, were happy to be there. I value this moment so much, because it taught me that with hard work and effort I can truly accomplish any feat. This is one of the many things I’ve learned in the program. Through hard work and effort I have gained skills such as connecting to my audience. In the past I’ve executed many successful presentations involving school subjects, but when you’re doing a presentation connecting to your audience isn’t essential. This is different when one is speaking to children, because when doing this there is a need for mnemonic devices in order to capture your audience. Even though it may be something as simple as the phrase “green

equals growing” this has taught me how to secure my audience in any setting.

Although securing an audience is difficult all by its self one thing that maybe more difficult than that is taking advantage of an opportunity. Because one only gets so many opportunities in life, it is very crucial to know how to do this. The networking event, hosted by the YES program, was a significant opportunity, because I finally got to meet people who have achieved a very successful career, and in some way could possibly influence my life. I gained a lot from my experience that day, and I hope I have more similar to it.

My time so far in the YES program has been both exciting and constructive. I’ve learned that there is such a thing as an enjoyable, productive environment. And the YES program is an unquestionable example of this. Even though it is my first year I am already overwhelmed with all the things I have gained from this program, and I can only imagine the joys that await me.

By Melanie Adams

Bartering time

Cowry Collective founder speaks at History Museum

One of the best things about my job as Managing Director of Community Education and Events at the Missouri History Museum is learning about all of the wonderful organizations throughout the St. Louis region. As we began putting together our new series on issues of class, we felt it was important to include grass-roots organizations that are working on those issues at the community level. The Cowry Collective has been in St. Louis for almost a year helping African Americans learn how to get and give necessary services without using the traditional currency model of cash. Below is a short interview with the president of the Cowry Collective, Ms. Chinyere Oteh. Ms Oteh is a mother, educator, artist and organizer. She brings years of experience in tutoring, directing development programs for children, and teaching photography and creative writing. She serves as the programs and events coordinator for Gya, a community gallery and fine arts craft shop in the city.

What is the Cowry Collective?

The Cowry Collective is a local timebank, which is an organized bartering network where members exchange their skills, services and products with each other and earn time dollars, or “cowries” as we refer to them, that they can then use to receive services they are seeking.

idea of being able to exchange services with each other without using money. We said it would be great if we started a timebank in St. Louis. A couple of years later in ‘09 I decided I would like to start a timebank specifically geared toward the African and African-American community and began telling friends about my idea. By mid 2010 I was holding regular orientations to explain the concept to prospective members and expand the group.

How has the Cowry Collective been received by the community?

The Cowry Collective has been received very positively in the black community and in St. Louis in general. Many people I have talked with say that the idea has been floating around for years within the black community but has not been formally organized. People often have great suggestions that I incorporate into the practices of the collective.

Chinyere Oteh, president of the Cowry Collective, an organized bartering network in St. Louis.

What is the background/history of a Cowry Collective?

Timebanking has been around since the 1980s when time dollars, the unit of exchange and currency in organized timebanks, were invented by Edgar Cahn in Maine to address needs in the community when the government was cutting back drastically on social services. Timebanking gained momentum in the ‘90s in major cities in the U.S., such as Chicago and Los Angeles, and in England too. I think timebanking is becoming popular again because of the economic strain that many of us feel in these times and the interest to try something new that complements cash, our dominant currency.

What gave you the idea to start one here in St. Louis?

I first heard of timebanking in 2007 when another fellow in my Community Arts Training (CAT) class brought an article on the subject to share with the group. Our CAT class was impressed with the community in Maine that we read about and loved the

Do you have any special or new plans for the upcoming year for the Collective?

In 2011 I plan to launch an official Cowry Collective website. My number one goal is to develop our membership and increase our visibility as well as to have regular meet-ups where we can decide as a group on goals to set and projects to embark on. I would like to start a newsletter that showcases the achievements of independent black-owned businesses, professionals, and artists in and around St. Louis. I also plan to register the Collective as an official Timebanks USA organization and raise the remainder of the funds necessary to purchase the official Timebanks USA service exchange tracking software.

What are the requirements to join the Collective?

Joining the Collective is very easy:

1. Attend a new member orientation or schedule an appointment with me to learn more about how the collective functions. Meetings are held at Gya and InPower Institute.

2. Sign up for our Yahoo group, http:// groups.yahoo.com/group/thecowrycollective/, where we post all of our exchanges and where messages from the group are posted.

3. Pay an annual member fee of $40. Interested individuals can contact me at: thecowrycollective@gmail.com and follow our updates on Facebook: http://www.facebook. com/CowryCollective.

The Cowry Collective with Chinyere E. Oteh Saturday, February 12 The Museum History Museum’s Lee Auditorium at 1 p.m. FREE

Jared Witherspoon

Raymond Bernard Williams, Sr. andPauline Euband Williams

~ CELEBRATIONS ~ Birthdays

Latimore — February 3

Sr. — February 4

Agrand, golden celebration... DaMiyah Faith-Marie Wise (2) — February 5

shared in the renewing of their golden wedding vows on Sun., Dec. 26, 2010 at Samaritan United Methodist Church, followed by a reception for over 200 family members and friends at the Frontenac Hilton Hotel. The couple was celebrated with a slide show, musical tributes, speeches and a special first dance to the tune of “At Last.”

Cardinal RitterCollege Prep High School is seeking members of the classes of 1981 1996, 2001 and 2006 for upcoming reunions. Please contact Alumi Affairs Director, Tonya Farr at 314-446-5506 or tfarr@cardinalritterprep.org for more information.

(Peter) ParkerJr. — February 5 Rev. Edward and Rev. Leandra Hubbard Henderson celebrated 10 blessed years of marriage on January 21, 2011. Anniversary

Cardinal RitterPrep. High School Class of 1986 is preparing for its 25 year class reunion. We are looking for all classmates to call/email to update information and participate in monthly meetings. Please contact Mike Reynolds at (314) 578-9621mreynolds@cardinalritterprep.org or Sylvester Williams at (314) 629-4429-sylwilliams@cardinalritterprep. org.

Douglass School Amumni and Friends are planning to honor Dr. Henry Givens, Jr. in Aug., 2011. Anyone interested in planning or contributing in some way is encouraged to attend a meeting on Thursday, February 17 at 6 pm at HarrisStowe in the AT&TLibrary &

Technology Resource Center. Please RSVPto: Diane Massey Perry at 314-7277514, JoAnn Scott Green at 314-495-5150 or Darrel Dix at 314-961-4705.

Soldan International Studies High School Class of 2002 is preparing for its 10-year reunion in 2012. We are looking for all classmates of 2002. We need your contact information to complete our class directory. Please email your information including mailing and email address to soldanclassof2002@yahoo.com. For more information please contact Denise Cobbs at 314323-1228 or email: denisecobbs83@yahoo.com. Please join our Soldan Class of 2002

group on Facebook.

SumnerHigh School Class of 1981 will celebrate its 30-year reunion Aug. 26-28, 2011. Cost is $81 per person. Send contact info to: Robin Childress-Wiherspoon at Robinspoon927@aol.com or 314-341-6729 or 395-5526.

Soldan is having its 2nd AllClass Alumni Skate Party Sat., Feb. 26, 2011 at Skate King, 2700 Kienlen Ave., Pine Lawn, MO,11 pm – 2 am, $6 in advance, $7 at the door. Open to all skaters 18 & over. For more information call: (314) 413-9088 or (314) 6405948.

SumnerAlumni Association presents its 8th Annual

Davis (10) — February 6

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, graduation, 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

Round-Up Sun., Feb. 27, 2011, 1-4 pm at Sumner High School (St. Ferdinand). Reception catered by Michael’s Caterers from 1-1:45 pm in the gymnasium along with souvenir items, displays, photos taken by Xquisite Expressions and more. New and Renewal Memberships in the foyer.The program begins promptly at 2 pm in the auditorium. Round-Up focus is on Family Legacies, Entertainment, and Hall of Famers. For more info or ads, contactJ. Vanderford at (314) 454-0029 or email:sumnersince1875@yahoo.com. Vendors are also welcome ($50 in advance), please contact B. Louis at (314) 3859843.

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, 4242 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108. Deadline is 10 a.m. on Friday. If you’d like your class to be featured in a reunion profile, email or mail photos to us.

Our email address is: reunions@ stlamerican.com

RELIGION

The pain made you strong

Min. Joyce Nash hosts Signature Woman Conference

“You Went Through The Storm And Had to Endure The Pain, But ... It Made You Strong” is the theme of this year’s “Signature Woman Conference,” presented by Hadassah Ministries.

The Signature Woman Conference will be held at the Hazelwood Civic Center Saturday, February 5 starting at 11 a.m. Hosted by Minister Joyce Nash, this will be an afternoon filled with helping women of God continue to walk through whatever circumstance. There will be giveaways and fellowship.

“God wants his daughters to be whole, wellbalanced and prosperous in five areas. He wants them to be blessed physically, spiritually, naturally, emotionally and financially,” said Nash.

“The mission of Hadassah Ministries is to minister to sisters, daughters, mothers, aunts who need the yokes of lies to be destroyed in their hearts and minds. We want to help women to become free of the bondages of broken souls and minds. To be loosed and stop living in the past.”

Nash hopes to be able to give insight at this conference to women who need to see “yes” in their lives and not to give up because of a failed

relationship and financial issues. Nash hopes that women are able to pull out pearls of wisdom from what she has gone through in her life and how she has seen others pull through. Nash has done several Signature Women seminars through out the St. Louis area. Her ministry started in 1999. She now has a newsletter that compliments her work.

The Signature Woman Conference presented by Hadassah Ministries will present “It Made You Strong” Saturday, February 5 at 11 a.m. in the Hazelwood Civic Center, 8969 Dunn Rd. For more information, call (314) 409-1014 or email JANash@ ssdmo.org.

Free choral concert

The Collegium Vocale of St. Louis performs a concert on Sunday, February 20 at 4 p.m. at Second Presbyterian Church, 4501 Westminster Place. The

concert features the music of Marc-Antoine Charpentier. For further information, call 314367-0366. The concert is free and open to the public.

Baptists celebrate ‘Black Patriots’

The American Heritage Ministry of First Baptist Church Wentzville will present the video presentation “Honoring Black Patriots” 7 p.m. Saturday, February 5. You may know Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but do you know Wentworth Cheswell? He rode one direction warning the British were coming, while Paul Revere went the other.

Do you know that James Armistead, a slave, served as a double spy during the revolution? He is credited with providing information to the Americans that helped cut years off of the revolution.

Did you know in 1884 John

John Roy Lynch and other pioneers in Black History will be featured during The American Heritage Ministry of First Baptist Church Wentzville video presentation of “Honoring Black Patriots” 7 p.m. Saturday, February 5.

Roy Lynch became the first black American to preside over a national political convention?

There is no charge for this event. Come learn the forgotten history of America. RSVP to heritage@fbcwentzville.com or 636-327-8696. First Baptist Church Wentzville is located at 653 Luetkenhaus, formerly Business Highway 61.

7th Church Anniversary

Life Changing Christian Fellowship Church Family, where Bishop Donald Hawkins Jr. and Co- Pastor Laura Hawkins are pastors, will celebrate its 7th Church Anniversary 7 p.m. Friday, February 18, concluding its anniversary service on Sunday, February 20 at 11 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. The church is located at 1430 Silverton Place in Richmond Heights.

“As a church family, we are very blessed and delighted to be a part of this Kingdombuilding ministry and this wonderful community in a time and season such as this,” said Minister Brandy Costello.

“We are so grateful and excited about our beautiful facility and educational center that accommodates our ministry for where the Lord is taking us.”

For more information, contact Costello at (678 ) 3324573 or Min. Corliss Finger at (314) 437-8508.

You must stay with God

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou salt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. – Joshua 1:8

Have you ever wondered what it would take to make it in these troubled times? Times when the economy is going south and people are losing their jobs and homes all around you?

How many of you know that no matter what goes down God loves you unconditionally with a steadfast love? If you make a covenant with God He will be sure to make a covenant with you. He promises that if you will obey His word and do all that He asks that He will make your way prosperous and have goodly success. How many of you know that if God be for you who can stand against you? That if you obey His will there is nothing that you need that you can’t have? What God has for you is for you. By seeking God’s face, His heart and His ways there is nothing good that you can’t have. But you have to be steadfast in the matter. You have to wait on God even when it don’t seem like things will ever change. You can’t give up on God and start sinning because then you will never see the blessing that He intended for you to have. In Jeremiah 29:13 God says that He knows the plans that He have for you plans of good and not evil to give you a future a hope and an expected

end. If you believe these words then you must stay with God. Stay with him even when you feel like all hope is gone. Stay with him when it seems like evil people are prospering in their ways. You have to make up in your mind that no matter what happens to you and what is going on in your life you are going to stay with God.

Psalms 46 says that we are to be still and know that He is God even though the mountains may flatten and fall into the sea. You have to make a choice to stay with Jesus. No falling down and getting back up about it. You have to stand and hold on to see the blessings of God come. Nothing is achieved with a half-baked effort. You must give it your all to see the full potential of God’s blessing in your life. The Word says that eyes have not seen nor ears have heard the blessings that the Lord God have for those who are righteous. Not those who half step, but those who are righteous. If you are serious about pleasing God, 2011 will become your year of reaping the harvest of blessings he has in store for you.

Evangelist Bills serves as First Lady of New Life Christian Center, 4200 Blaine Ave. For more information, contact newlifeministriescc@ gmail.com. The St. Louis American is accepting inspirational messages to run in this space. Please send a message of approximately 500 words (as a Word document, with text pasted into the message) and a photograph of your face saved as a jpeg file to cking@ stlamerican.com.

Evang. Angelia D. Bills

Min. Joyce Nash

Nixon proposes expanding state scholarship program ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

Calls for legislation that would increase eligibility tostudents in undesignated schools

Special to The American

Gov. Jay Nixon today called on the General Assembly to pass legislation expanding access to state A+ scholarships for low-income students who meet the program’s eligibility criteria, but who have been ineligible in the past because they attend public high schools that do not hold the state A+ designation, including public high schools in the St. Louis area.

“Every good student in Missouri deserves the opportunity to go to college –whether they live in St. Louis or Kansas City, or in a rural county,” Nixon said.

“For too long, too many excellent Missouri high school students have been unable to get A+ scholarships – through no fault of their own –simply because their schools weren’t designated as A+ schools.”

– Gov.Jay Nixon

“For too long, too many excellent Missouri high school students have been unable to get A+ scholarships – through no fault of their own – simply because their schools weren’t designated as A+ schools. That’s just not fair.And it

needs to change.” For eligible students, Missouri A+ scholarships cover the cost of tuition and fees for two years at public community colleges or technical schools.To be eligible for an A+ scholarship, students must earn a 2.5 GPA, have a 95 percent attendance rate, perform 50 hours of tutoring or mentoring, and maintain a record of good conduct. Since 1997, more than 50,000 Missouri students have received an A+ scholarship. Under current law, students also must graduate from a designated A+ high school to be eligible for an A+ scholarship. More than 300 public Missouri high schools have earned the A+ designation, but many schools have not yet done so, especially in the St. Louis and Kansas City areas.Gov. Nixon’s proposal would provide A+ scholarships to lowincome students who meet all

however, either have not begun the multi-year application process, or will not complete that process for several more years.

“It’s simply not fair to penalize good students because their school hasn’t earned the A+ designation,” Gov. Nixon said.“Missouri students deserve equal opportunity, no matter what public high school they attend.This proposal would do just that.”

The governor’s proposal would expand the scholarships to students whose families have an adjusted annual gross income of up to approximately $55,000.The governor’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2012 includes $1 million to fund the expansion, which would provide scholarships for more than 700 additional students.Funding for the expansion would come from the Department of Higher Education’s Guaranty Agency Operating Fund.

State Rep. Mike Thompson (R-Maryville) has filed legislation to authorize this expansion.

Nixon detailed this proposal during a recent visit to the St. Louis Community College William J. Harrison Center.

Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

Open bar ain’t for everybody. Let me be the first to congratulate Mo Spoon and the whole MPAC crew for their staying power in the STL nightlife game. Y’all know five years for a monthly event in our neck of the woods is equivalent to all the bloodlines in both installments of the Roots television series. And everybody in the building at the Loft Friday night let the powers that be know that they are appreciated by having it on classic Eye Candy swole with respect to the capacity. And they were partying like it was 1999 too, which brings me to the only bad news I had for the night. A whole slew of ladies and gentlemen bit off more than they could chew – or should I say sipped more than they should have swallowed – when they decided to take advantage of the all you can drink anniversary special. Freakum dresses had rolled up under midsections as the once partially classy lady stiletto struts turned into wheelchair-worthy wobbles. Fellas were flippin’ and fallin’ over rails like they were doing gymnastic dismounts. It was indeed all bad for the group of folks that got caught up in the rapture of the alcohol. I was close to callin’ Hosea Gales to see if there were some standby professional pallbearers to help carry the folks outdoors.

But once you got beyond that it was a great time! I saw some of the more seasoned Eye Candy models living it up with the fresh new faces, and I saw a brand new body part or two as they made their way back on the scene to pay homage to the movement that gave them insta-fame up in the club.

Last Fridays at Lola. I’ll tell you what, some kind of way Lola has crept on the scene and apparently become a crucial element of the kickin’ it experience for the progressives and group formerly known as young, black and fabulous. For the THIRD FRIDAY IN A ROW Lola was on lock. People got it in with good food and draink (yes, I said draink) coupled with a happy feeling vibe the place seems to pull out of people. And the fact that this Friday had the one and only DJ Needles on the ones and twos made the evening even sweeter than their trademark waffles…not that I’ve had any since I’ve been in training for the Heart and Soul 5K.

But back to the club element…the last Friday of every month is supposed a part of their regular routine – to tide the folks over until 1st Fridays…and from what I can see, so far and so good.

Kem and ‘nem. The show is more than a month off, but I am so thrilled for this show I thought I would bring it up fresh off the announcement block. Not so much for the headliner –even though he’s great. But he does come to the STL so much that I’m beginning to think he has an..um…let’s just say companion in town. What has me on cloud nine is the fact that Ledisi, one of the baddest vocalists in the game (even though she doesn’t get ANY props like she should) is coming along for his ninth visit in the past 18 months. Was I the only who had the hair on their arms stand up when she put her kneecap into the anchor performance of Nina Simone’s “Four Women” for the “Black Girls Rock?” Anyway, this show will be worth the ticket on the strength of her skills alone…anybody remotely familiar with her knows that I’m right about it. And the fact that El DeBarge – who I’m falsely claiming as my biological father – will make the show one for the record books…I’m already saving a space for it in my best of edition for December 2011. The show goest down March 5th at the Fox. Visit metrotix.com for details.

Sweet (heart) winnings. Y’all can sleep on this contest if you want to…but I’m willing to bet if anybody’s boo found out you knew about our “Seasons of Love” pre-Valentine’s Day contest and didn’t enter, they would put you back on the market. All you need to do is like us on Facebook for a package that includes a night at the FOUR SEASONS and night of romantic music by none other than Brian McKnight on the Saturday before Valentine’s Day. You know it’s so worth it – and there’s no smaller price to pay than FREE. Don’t tell anyone, but it’s a daily battle for me to resist the urge of setting up a secret identity so that I can enter my doggone self!!!!! The contest ends on Tuesday, so don’t snooze on it or you’ll be wakin’ up at the Super 8 (not that there’s anything wrong with that) instead.

Celebrate at the City. Some of my favorite chicas will be in full takeover mode for their birthday celebrations over the next two weeks at the City Ultra Lounge. First up is my girl Maranda Witherspoon She will be doing it big this Saturday night. Best believe I will be in the building to show her and the rest of the MPAC crew some love. Then, the Derrty ladies (y’all know I mean that in the best way imaginable) Mousie, Seviin Li and Chocolate Tai will continue the classy kickin’ it on next Friday with their Platinum, Pink and Purple Party.

The City staff came out to support MPAC’s Five Year Anniversary of Eye Candy Friday night @ The Loft

Ashley and Damion show love for Rockhouse Ent. Sunday night @ The Label

MCs Rockwell Knuckles, J Biggs, Space, Hakeem the Dream and Family Affair ripped the mic @ the Gramophone Friday night

This stylish set of friends fit right in with the So Sexy Sunday Theme last week @ The Label

British and the Ms. Red Bottom contest winners were all smiles Sunday night @ The Label

Eddie of SYGU and Anthony get an earful of some great STL hip-hop Friday night @ The Gramophone

Celebrity Swagger Snap of the Week Former NBA star and hometown hero Darius Miles was shooting

Asia and her girls were super stylish in sequins Friday night @ Lola Dana Christian and Shayla helped celebrate

Jocelyn and Michelle out kickin’ it Saturday night @ EXO

Ashley and Lauren rightfully repped for Eye Candy at the Five Year Anniversary Celebration Friday @ The Loft

Will you outlive yourchildren?

By Consuelo H.Wilkins,M.D.

‘No one wants to outlive their children.’At least, that was the opinion that a ‘friend of a friend’gave to me and some of my colleagues. We were considering writing a book to help people thrive in their older years and we were trying to come up with catchy titles.

One of the titles that we considered was ‘How to Stay Healthy, Become Wealthy, and Outlive Your Children’. The friend (who is in publishing) said that the last thing anyone wants to do is live longer than their child. While I can certainly understand her opinion (and I absolutely agree that no one wants to lose a child, especially at a young age), we were hoping that people would focus on the longevity. We wanted to suggest that a person might live to be 89 years old and their child would live to be 84; not that the parent would actually still be alive when the child died.

Although we were somewhat disappointed that she didn’t like our book title, it looks like people may not need our book to live longer than their children.

Several recent reports suggest that the next generation of people will have a shorter life expectancy than their parents and possibly grandparents. This is very surprising because the average life expectancy in the U.S. has consistently increased since the late 1800’s.

The recent data suggests that the generation of children today will live up to 5 fewer years than their parents.

How could this be possible with all of today’s medical advances, technology and treatments? One word- obesity.

Consuelo H. Wilkins,M.D., Health Care Editor

In a 2005 report in The New England Journal of Medicine, authors found that the prevalence and severity of obesity in children was so great that the consequences of obesity such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, and cancer would likely occur at a much earlier age. The authors also reported that obesity is already shortening the average life spans by a greater rate than accidents, homicides and suicides combined.

Since then, multiple other studies have confirmed the impact of obesity on life expectancy and even more studies report an alarmingly high rate of obesity in children. These rates are worse for African American children. Per the National Office of Minority Health, African American children are 30% more likely to be obese than whites.

Obesity is a very complex condition because there are multiple risk factors and contributors to the development of obesity. The types and amounts of food consumed, physical activity, environmental factors and family history are all contributors. Because of the complex nature of obesity, treating it can be very challenging.

One of the biggest challenges that we have with addressing obesity in children is – admitting that they are obese. Many parents and some health professionals are reluctant to accept that children are overweight or obese even when standard procedures are used to calculate body mass index (BMI). People may assume that the child will ‘grow out of it’. While it is true that a small percentage of children who are overweight will lose weight, most do not.

According to data from the Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention, 80 percent of children who are obese between the ages of 10-15 will continue to be obese at age 25. Additionally, the younger children are when they develop obesity, the more severe it tends to be as an adult.

Chronic illnesses and reduced life expectancy are not the only concern regarding childhood obesity. Obesity can have significant effects on function and quality of life including limited mobility and access to activities. Psychosocial effects such as social isolation, reduced self-esteem and worse performance in school and at work are all associated with childhood obesity.

So what can parents do to ensure that their children have a chance to live longer? First- parents must take charge. Focus on having a ‘healthy family’, not losing weight. Teach everyone in the family healthy habits, even those children who are not overweight. Most importantly, be a good example.

For more information about addressing childhood obesity, visit http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/ obesity/

Consuelo Hopkins Wilkins, MD is associate professor of medicine and psychiatry, Division of Geriatrics and Nutritional Science, at Washington University – St. Louis

YourHealth Matters

Abi-monthly special supplement of the St. Louis American February 3, 2011

YourHealth Matters provides up-to-date information, from an African-American perspective, about one of the most important subjects in evryone’s life – their personal health.

Donald M. Suggs, President and Publisher

Kevin Jones, Senior Vice President, COO

Dina M. Suggs, Senior Vice President

Chris King, Editorial Director

Consuelo Wilkins, MD, Health Editor

Sandra Jordan, Health Reporter

Debbie Chase, Director of Health Strategy & Outreach

Sonia Dulaney, Onye Ijei, Barb Sills, Sales

Michael Terhaar, Art/Production Manager

Angelita Jackson, Cover Design

Wiley Price, Photojournalist

TLC fora misfiring heart

Redditt Hudson recommends a balanced physical and mental regimen

By Sandra Jordan Of The St.Louis American

If you’ve ever experienced the sensation of your heart beating really fast for a second or two after which the feeling goes away? it is usually no big deal, because normally, a person’s heart beat goes unnoticed. However, if your heart is fluttering or racing for an extended period of time and you begin to feel dizzy, as if you are going to pass out—that is a very big deal. Your heart could be out of its natural rhythm and, depending on the problem, if it is not discovered and corrected in time – could be life-threatening.

At a softball game last spring in a Webster Groves, Missouri park, Redditt Hudson was talking to a friend as he walked toward his family to watch his daughter’s softball game. At the end of the conversation, his heart started to race, as it had done off and on over the years. But this time it was no passing matter.

“I felt like – the sensation was one of leaving.It just felt like I was going away.I felt weaker and weaker and I still couldn’t get my next breath.”

“I had just kind of gotten used to it and it would pass. And what I would do if it started to race on me like that, I would cough—and it would just kind of re-regulate itself,” Hudson said. “This time when it started racing on me, I coughed and it just felt like it stopped altogether — I just felt it shut down.”

He hadn’t experienced that feeling before and Hudson couldn’t catch his breath either. His instinct sent him running uphill to his family.

My daughter had a water bottle and I had on a T-shirt and I ripped it off and I dumped the whole bottle of water over my head, thinking that maybe I could shock my system,” Hudson said. Nothing happened.

“And I felt like – the sensation was one of leaving. It just felt like I was going away. I felt weaker and weaker and I still couldn’t get my next breath –struggling to breathe – struggling to speak,” he said. “I just remember having that thought. ‘Damn. There is still a lot of stuff that I wanted to do. I’ve still got a lot of work I want to do in the community – things that I had hoped to achieve personally for my family and for my community. Damn man, why are you cutting me off now?’”

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Hudson thought he may have been having a heart attack and if he was going to die, he didn’t want to do it in front of his wife and daughters.

“So I started trying to go up these steps that I thought might get me out of their view, but I couldn’t. I didn’t make it. I collapsed on the steps and I heard

someone say ‘Call 9-1-1’,” Hudson said.

The ambulance responded.

“I still had some awareness but I still couldn’t speak or explain. People were asking me what was going on and I could see the alarm in the faces of them looking at me,” he called.

He was observed and stabilized at an

area hospital and was put on a heart monitor to wear 24-hours a day except when showering. The monitor sends readings to a central information center for his doctor to determine what was causing the frightening episodes.

Photo

Wiley Price

Redditt Hudson,program associate for the American Civil Liberties Union in St.Louis,is back to a regular exercise routine following a procedure last summer on his heart.

HEALTH BRIEFS

High sugarconsumption may increase heart disease risk

Eating and drinking high amounts of added sugars in soft drinks and foods during adolescence is associated with poor cholesterol profiles and poor diet quality, possibly leading to heart disease in adulthood.

Teens who ate the highest levels of added sugars had lower good cholesterol levels and higher bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels than those with the lowest intake.

Overweight or obese teens with the highest levels of sugars intake had increased signs of insulin resistance.

The first-of-its-kind research is reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

“Added sugars” are any caloric sweeteners added to foods or beverages by the manufacturer during processing or the consumer.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) of 2,157 teenagers (ages 12 to 18) found the average daily consumption of added sugars was 119 grams (28.3 tsp or 476 calo-

ries), accounting for 21.4 percent of their total energy.

The American Heart Association recently recommended a specific upper limit for added sugars intake, based on the number of calories an individual needs throughout the day, according to their energy expenditure, sex and age. For example, an appropriate amount for an individual with an energy requirement of 1,800 calories per day (an average teenage girl aged 14-18 might be in this calorie range) would be no more than 100 calories from added sugars. An individual with a requirement of 2200 calories per day should eat or drink no more than 150 calories from added sugars.

Teens consuming the highest levels

Culprit found forincreased stroke injury with diabetes

Strokes are a leading cause of death and adult disability. Strokes that involve intracerebral hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain) are especially deadly, and there are no effective treatments to control such bleeding. Moreover, diabetes and hyperglycemia (high blood glucose levels) are associated with increases in bleeding during hemorrhagic stroke and worse clinical outcomes.

Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center have identified one key player that contributes to this increased bleeding, a discovery that may pave the way toward treatments that minimize adverse stroke outcomes both for people with pre-existing diabetes and those with hyperglycemia identified at the time of stroke.

In an animal study, Joslin researchers pinpointed a new mechanism involving a protein called plasma kallikrein that interferes with the normal clotting process in the brain following blood vessel injury with diabetes. Their work is reported online in the journal Nature Medicine.

Further studies by the Joslin researchers showed that normalizing blood glucose levels in diabetic animals could block the effect from plasma kallikrein, and that rapidly inducing hyperglycemia in control animals mimicked the effects of diabetes on brain hemorrhage. This suggests that high blood sugar at the time of brain hemorrhage, rather than diabetes per se, is responsible for the

increased bleeding.

of added sugars had lower levels of high density lipoprotein levels (HDL), the good cholesterol, and higher levels of triglycerides and low density lipoproteins (LDL), the bad cholesterol.

“This is the first study to assess the association of added sugars and the indicators of heart disease risk in adolescents,” said Jean Welsh, M.P.H., Ph.D., R.N., study author and post-doctoral fellow at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. “The higher consumers of added sugar have more unfavorable cholesterol levels. The concern is longterm exposure would place them at risk for heart disease later in adulthood.”

Previous studies indicate that the largest contributors of added sugars to the diet are sugary beverages such as

“Given the prevalence of strokes and the damage they inflict, these findings are exciting because they suggest the possibility that rapid control of blood sugar levels may provide an opportunity to reduce intracerebral hemorrhage, which is a clinical situation that has very limited treatment options,” said Investigator Edward Feener, Ph.D., associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “This work could have broad implications since about half of patients with acute hemorrhagic stroke have hyperglycemia, whether or not they have preexisting diabetes.”

The work also raises the possibility of developing drugs that target plasma kallikrein and may provide protective measures in people with diabetes or others at high risk for stroke. Such drugs might also prove useful for patients suffering from the more common ischemic strokes, which usually begin as blocked vessels in the brain but can transform into hemorrhages.

Surprisingly, while plasma kallikrein has been studied for decades, the Joslin scientists found that the protein boosts brain bleeding through a previously unknown mechanism – by blocking platelet activation near damaged blood vessels.

Lead funding for the research came from the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association.

sodas, fruit drinks, coffees and teas, Welsh said.

“Adolescents are eating 20 percent of their daily calories in sugars that provide few if any other nutrients,” she said. “Sweet things have lost their status as treats.”

“While Americans appear to be working hard to lower their intake of saturated fats, there is not the same awareness when it comes to added sugars,” Welsh said. “The intake of added sugars is positively associated with known cardiovascular risk factors. Added sugars play a significant role in the U.S. diet, contributing substantially to energy intake without contributing important nutrients to the diet.”

Adolescents and adults should “use the labels of the drinks and food they consume to become familiar with the amount of sugar in them,” Welsh said. “Replacing sugar laden drinks with water is one way to substantially reduce sugar and calorie intake.”

Kidney gene implicated in heart failure risk

Scientists have identified the first DNAsequence variant in a kidney gene that is common in the population that is associated with an increased risk of heart failure.

The variant, a change in a single letter of the DNAsequence, impairs channels that control kidney function.

“This protein is not even expressed in the heart. Nobody has previously considered that kidney-specific gene defects might predispose you to heart failure,” said Gerald W. Dorn II, MD, the Philip and Sima K. Needleman Professor of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and a lead investigator on the study.

Heart failure is diagnosed when the heart can no longer provide sufficient blood to the body. It can have a number of causes, including high blood pressure, cancer therapy, viral infections of the heart or heart attack.

“It’s a syndrome,” Dorn says. “You’ve had sufficient damage to your heart that it doesn’t work very well. You collect fluid in your lungs, you swell up, and you have trouble breathing.”

The unexpected results highlight the advantage of performing genome-wide studies to find DNAsequence variants associated with disease.

“I was surprised by the finding,” says Thomas P. Cappola, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, also a lead investigator on the study. “This is a good example of how taking unbiased approaches to study human disease can lead you to unexpected targets.”

The study, a collaboration between Washington University School of Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania and other institutions, appeared Jan. 17 in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

HUDSON

Continued from page 3

But in order for the heart monitor to do its work – you have to wear it as instructed. One week later, Hudson was driving his family to a 100th birthday celebration for an aunt at a North St. Louis church. And where was Hudson’s monitor?

At home.

And by the time he got to the church, he had his vague sense of weakness — not feeling too good.

“I remember joking before we left the house that I didn’t have the monitor on and this would be the day that something happens,” he said. “And true enough, I should have kept my silly mouth shut, because what did happen it really shook me up because it gave me the sense that, okay, something is wrong with me.”

Family members noticed he didn’t look so good either. Hudson said he and his wife drove back home and he put on the monitor. It was another month before his doctor received a reading that would explain what was wrong. He was sitting at work on his computer.

“I wasn’t excited or stressed, but my heart started to race,” he said. “This time I was able to send a signal and it went in,” Hudson said. “The cardiologist said, ‘We took a reading on you Thursday, and you were at 170.”

The figure refers to beats per minute.

“You’ve got a condition – it’s called a ‘supraventricular tachycardia,’” Hudson was informed by his cardiologist.

“I was at 170 sitting down, just doing nothing. I told him, ‘Well, Doc, you’ve got that reading, but I’m telling you that based on my experiences with these episodes, on a scale of one to 10 for me, that was about a six..”

Supra – means over, ventricular refers to the larger chambers of the heart, and tachycardia- refers to being too fast. The electrical signals regulating his heart as a pump were firing prematurely over his

ventricles—not allowing his heart to effectively pump blood and oxygen throughout his body. Fortunately, his doctor had a remedy – a surgical procedure called a cardiac ablation. Under anesthesia, tubes called catheters with electrodes attached to the tip were run up arteries in his legs to his heart to the area where the misfiring occurred. Using the electrodes, doctors can prompt the heart to produce the irregular heartbeats. Hudson said his doctor found something unexpected.

“And she said when they went in on me and did it, they produced four or five different kinds of irregular heartbeats, which meant that I was subject to all of those just in my daily life and living. One of which is called an R-on-T, which is potentially fatal,” Hudson said.

Irregularities are corrected through ablation by using mild radiofrequency energy surrounding the site to kill the heart muscle cells in a very small area around the misfiring pathway. This stops the premature or faulty electrical impulses that cause the rapid heartbeats.

Other than having a couple of days of feeling like his chest had been stomped on, in about a week, Hudson said he was back at work fighting for the justice for 'the little guy.'

But he doesn't drink caffeine, stopped drinking alcohol years ago, and he exercises regularly for physical health and stress relief.

“Even though my condition was diagnosed as something physical and not stress-related or emotional - those things can impact - your anger and whatever else you are carrying with you can literally have a damaging effect on your health - short term and long term,” Hudson said. “So, it's very important that you find a physical and mental regimen that gives you some balance and allows you to remain healthy in both of those areas because both of them are equally important and you can't ignore either one of them.”

For more information, go to www.heart.org.

Surgeon General calls foraction to support breastfeeding

Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin issued a “Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding,” outlining steps that all sectors of a community can take to remove obstacles faced by women who want to breastfeed their babies.

In the U.S., while 75 percent of mothers start out breastfeeding, only 13 percent of babies are exclusively breastfed at the end of six months. Given the importance of breastfeeding for the health and well-being of mothers and children, it is critical that action be taken across the country to support breastfeeding.

Benjamin says the success rate among mothers who want to breastfeed can be greatly improved through active support from their families, friends, communities, clinicians, health care leaders, employers and policymakers.

Everyone can help make breastfeeding easier.

In her “Call to Action” the Surgeon General identified 20 key actions to improve support for breastfeeding, including those highlighted below for families, communities, health care providers and employers

Mothers & TheirFamilies:

Give mothers the support they need to breastfeed their babies.

Encouraging women to discuss their desire and plans to breastfeed with their clinicians, family and friends, employers, and child care providers is key.When a woman has decided she wants to breastfeed, discussing her plans with her clinician during prenatal care and again when she is in the hospital or birth center will enable her clinician to give her the type of information and assistance she needs to be successful.

Communities:

Strengthen programs that provide mother-to-mother support and peer counseling.

Amother’s ability to begin and to continue breastfeeding can be influenced by a host of community factors. Mothers can learn about breastfeeding in prenatal classes and by discussing their interest in breastfeeding with a variety of people. In addition, women can turn to other mothers in their community, whether they are family, friends, or women they have met through mother-to-mother support groups, as well as women who are knowledgeable and have previous experience with breastfeeding.Communitybased support groups such as La Leche League and programs such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s WIC programcan expand the support that women ideally have received in the hospital and help extend the duration of breastfeeding.

Health Care:

Ensure that maternity care practices around the United States are fully supportive of breastfeeding. Nearly all births

Surgeon General Regina M.Benjamin issued a “Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding,” outlining steps that all sectors of a community can take to remove obstacles faced by women who want to breastfeed their babies.

in the United States occur in hospital settings, but hospital practices and policies in maternity settings can create barriers to supporting a mother’s decision to breastfeed. National data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) ongoing survey of Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC), indicates that hospitals have opportunities to implement practices in labor, delivery, and postpartum care, as well as in hospital discharge planning that support mothers who want to breastfeed.

Employment:

Ensure that employers establish and maintain comprehensive, high-quality lactation support programs for their employees. Employment is now the norm for U.S. women of childbearing age (20–44 years). In 2009, half of all mothers with children younger than 12 months were employed, and more than two-thirds of those employed worked full-time (35 or more hours per week).

Employed women have been less likely to initiate breastfeeding, and they tend to breastfeed for a shorter length of time than women who are not employed. Most employed mothers who are lactating have to pump milk at work for their children and need to be provided with accommodations to do so.

Make a commitment to ensure that breastfeeding support is consistently available for every mom and baby.You can lead the way to improve the health of millions of mothers and babies nationwide.

For more information, go online to surgeongeneral.gov.