February 7th, 2013 edition

Black History Month

Where did the Prop E money go?

Longtime Slay operative

By Rebecca S.Rivas

Of The St.Louis American

Remember when Mayor Francis G. Slay aggressively fundraised in the Proposition E campaign to keep the city’s earnings tax?

The money went into the Citizens for a Stronger St. Louis campaign committee. After its success in the April 5, 2011 election, the committee had $151,574.77 left over to

transfer to its nonprofit corporation counterpart (with the same name) on April 30, 2011. Now the nonprofit has a balance of about $35,000, said Brad Ketcher, Slay’s legal counsel and manager for the nonprofit.

“I don’t remember those transactions.I trust the political finance reports are accurate.”

– Bradley Ketcher

Mayoral candidate Lewis Reed, also president of the Board of Aldermen, is demanding that Slay’s staff provide bank account transaction histories to show how these

Newcomer challenges Hubbard

‘I want to hold developers accountable,’says Michelle Hutchings-Medina

By Chris King Of The St.Louis American

“There are a lot of cool things happening everywhere in this city. We just need the right leadership.” – Michelle HutchingsMedina

On the March 5 primary ballot, city voters in odd-numbered wards will elect their new aldermen, given that Democratic candidates routinely win the general election. Of the contested seats, perhaps the most controversial is the 5th Ward, where incumbent Alderman Tameka Hubbard faces Michelle HutchingsMedina, 45, a first-time candidate.

“There are a lot of development issues on the North Side,” Hutchings-Medina said, explaining the controversy.

Most of Paul McKee Jr.’s controversial $8 billion Northside Redevelopment involves the 5th Ward. Alderman April Ford-Griffin, who represented the 5th Ward, played a major role in negotiating McKee’s redevelopment agreement, which is stalled in the courts, before resigning to take a position in Mayor Francis G. Slay’s administration.

Hubbard – sister of former state Rep. Rodney Hubbard – was elected as FordGriffin’s successor. Rodney Hubbard, now a lobbyist representing McKee, played a critical role in the state Legislature’s 2007 passage of the Distressed Land Assemblage Tax Credit when he was a state representative. McKee

See MEDINA, A7

By Bridjes O’Neil

“To

Gospel midshipmen

Dotson on Mokwa, mayor, diversity

By Rebecca S.Rivas Of

American

See MONEY, A6

Police Chief Sam Dotson

Photo by Wiley Price

DOTSON, A7

Photo by Wiley Price

Keyshia shades Michelle’s Super Bowl showing

Singer Keyshia Cole managed to hail Beyoncé and hate on Michelle Williams at the same time when she responded to the highly buzzed about Super Bowl halftime show.

“I was frightened to blink for a sec. Then Michell (sic) sang and woke my [expletive] up from my daze,” Cole tweeted. “She always [expletive] the groove up.”

Fans responded – even a tweet by someone impersonating Williams on twitter that said “I’m Destiny’s Child and you are Frankie’s Child... You do the math” – but Cole refused to back down.

“By the way the [expletive] Michell said some foul [expletive] while I was performing once,” Cole tweeted.

“But no one recalls that. I say what I want. No Likey. Run up.”

Once Williams caught wind of the fake tweet, she responded, writing, “I never tweeted that! Be wise and check the ORIGINAL

timeline before you spread more mess!

Once again...God bless!”

King and Shabazz families

livid with Lifetime’s ‘Betty and Coretta’

The Lifetime original movie ‘Betty and Coretta’, that starred Angela Bassett and Mary J. Blige as Corretta Scott-King and Dr. Betty Shabazz did not go over well with the surviving children.

just people at a social gathering telling dirty jokes accompanied with a note that Dr. King was about to be exposed and should commit suicide to save face.

Chris Brown cheating on community service?

According to TMZ and audit of R&B star Chris Brown’s community service has been complete and he is being accused of submitting fraudulent reports.

Ilyasah Shabazz and Rev. Bernice King are extremely upset that the children were not consulted and that the film contained many inaccuracies

“My mother was not a weak, timid, insecure woman as portrayed,” Shabazz told the Washington Post. “She was regal, compassionate, strong, loving, beautiful, resilient and highly educated”

Among the King family gripes was that it was implied that Mrs. King believed her husband had been unfaithful based on tapes sent to their home from the FBI that allegedly captured Dr. King with a lover.

The King family has long insisted the actual tape sent by the FBI contained no sex sounds as was reported by the media,

TMZ says the Chief of Police in Richmond, VA wrote a letter for Chris Brown claiming he had completed 202 days of community service, but an investigation revealed the Chief had only actually observed 9 or 10 days

The celebrity news and gossip site reports that most of Brown’s community service hours had been logged at the Tappahannock Children’s Center - where Brown’s mother once worked - with times, location and duties also provided by her.

The problem is some of the days Chris was listed as working at the Center he was actually in Cancun and other times he was on tour.

The investigation also uncovered orders from the Police Chief in Virginia to the detective assigned to monitor Chris’ community service that she no longer had to monitor Chris’ service at the Children’s Center.

The DA called the logs submitted “at best

sloppy ... and at worst fraudulent reporting” and wants the judge to reject all of Brown’s Virginia community service hours and have them redone in L.A.

Eddie Long accuser Centino Kemp ready to release tell-all

Centino Kemp, one of five young men to come forward with accusations of sexual misconduct against Bishop Eddie Long just announced that he is finished with his book about the ordeal.

The memoir is entitled “First Lady” and an excerpt from the description of the book reads as follows:

“In this story of love, lust, power, extravagant living, travel, betrayal, deceit, rape, down-low homosexual lifestyle, molestation, church corruption, secret societies, suicide attempts and religion, Centino Kemp gives you an in depth look into the pain, sorrow, trials, and triumphs of his first twenty-two years on earth, and how he ultimately came to be known as his lovers “ First Lady”.”

Sources: Washington Post, TMZ.com, Twitter.com, New York Daily News

Chris Brown

Eddie Long

Editorial /CommEntary

Chief Dotson off to an impressive start

We are encouraged by the early performance of new Police Chief Sam Dotson in his first month leading the department that performs the toughest job in this city. Though Dotson rightly insists his first priority is to reduce crime, he has taken command of a problematic department at a challenging and opportune time. The public rightly expects an accounting of how he perceives his position and his strategy and plans for the police department. Dotson has been eloquent in speaking to public concerns as he sets about leading the department.

“We’ve had one chance in the last 150 years to reinvent the place,” Dotson said about the city assuming local control of the police department, “and that’s how we are approaching it now. I told all of our commanders that everything is on the table.” We often have said that St. Louis needs more forward-looking leadership to meet our challenges, and his words reflect a leader who is looking forward. This is highly encouraging.

We expect for Dotson to protect the interests of his staff. However, his comments address two major concerns of the community. He surprised many by granting up front that local control should include civilian review, and under close questioning by our reporter Rebecca S. Rivas he also committed to following through with a cutting-edge mediation process initiated by the ACLU. These can be characterized as major concessions to the community’s concerns, and we commend Dotson for making them.

However, Dotson clearly does not intend to accept a civilian review board that includes subpoena power, as the Coalition Against Police Crimes and Repression has urged. “The officers are most concerned about being compelled to testify in the court of public opinion in front of a civilian review board, which would be subject to open record laws,” Dotson told us, and he clearly intends to heed those concerns.

In recent years, as we have reported, the St. Louis police board has turned a very blind eye on charges of misdeeds by police officers. Any form of civilian review would be more effective than our recent governor-appointed citizen colonels, along with Mayor Francis G. Slay, a member of this largely worthless police board for 11 years. But the actions of Slay appointee Gloria Wessels on the Zoo-Museum District board should remind us that civilian review of any public institution can be damaging as well as constructive. Certainly a loose cannon like Wessels with subpoena power could become a nightmare for any public institution, be it a museum or a police force.

As Dotson looks forward, we would like

to remind him of the recent past. The U.S. Attorney in St. Louis closed the investigation of the police department towing scam, effectively declaring that Police Chief Joe Mokwa had been exonerated. However, anyone who followed the Post-Dispatch’s excellent initial investigation of the towing scam could see that many more people had to be involved in this prolonged criminal activity than the few who were brought to justice. Dotson admitted to us that he accompanied Mokwa on some of his regular visits to towing vendor Greg Shepard, who went to prison for his fraudulent activities. For Dotson’s officers to do their job properly, they need the public’s trust. Though he is off to an impressive start, Dotson has a long way to go in gaining and sustaining that trust for him and his department.

Commentary

Self-deportation and its discontents

It was always clear that the 11 million people in this country without papers were not going to be rounded up and deported. The question was when our leaders would officially recognize this fact – which could only happen if Republicans decided that demonizing illegal immigrants was bad politics. The November election answered that question. Mitt Romney said the magic word “selfdeportation” and lost among Latino and Asian-American voters by nearly 3-to-1. Suddenly, the darkness lifted and Republicans began to see the light.

Some Republicans, but not all. Given the extensive overlap between the “principles” laid out by a bipartisan group of senators and those offered by President Obama, I believe there is a strong possibility that immigration reform can be accomplished within the next few months. But it still won’t be easy.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., the key member of the Senate’s pro-reform “Gang of Eight,” is being pilloried from the right for having the temerity to face economic, sociological and political reality.

Sen. David Vitter, R-La., called Rubio “amazingly naive on this issue” and also “nuts.” National Review editor Rich Lowry called the Senate plan a “scam.” My colleague Charles Krauthammer called the proposal “highly misleading”

and complained that it would lead to “instant legalization” for those here without papers. Rush Limbaugh has vowed to fight the measure with all he’s got – but predicted that his side would ultimately lose.

Many establishment figures in the party accept that the GOP cannot thrive, and perhaps cannot even survive, if the nation’s biggest minority group becomes a permanent part of the Democratic Party coalition. They understand Rubio’s analysis that if Republicans are seen as uncompromising and even hostile on this issue, many Latinos will not even give the party a hearing. They recognize that undocumented workers are integral participants in the nation’s economic life. The central task of immigration reform is the most controversial: designing some sort of legal status for the 11 million.

Critics on the right complain that this is unfair to would-be immigrants who are “waiting in line” to come into the country by following the rules. Some would have to wait years; many, probably most would never make it in. Truly comprehensive reform would include designing a viable legal pathway for those who want to come here and contribute their ambition, determination and skills. No such pathway exists now – and none existed for the millions who decided to enter the country without papers or overstay their visas. There is little meaningful difference between the Gang of Eight’s plan and Obama’s plan. You will hear lots of noise about border security and enforcement. Pro- and anti-reform Republicans will

As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

Progressives, Slay and Clay

By Percy Green II Guest Columnist

As a follow-up to my research on Mayor Francis G. Slay’s deficient cabinet appointments on minority inclusion, I am making a request to all St. Louis progressive organizations and individuals who delivered the big voter turnout last August 7. That enthusiastic voter turnout is what secured the new 1st Congressional District for the greater progressive of the two candidates, Wm. Lacy Clay. I think aldermanic President Lewis Reed deserves that same kind of passionate voter turnout on March 5. If the upcoming voter turnout is as good or better than last August, it will prove that the progressive ground game was no fluke and Reed will become the new mayor of St. Louis.

Reed’s opponent, Slay, has decided to play politics from former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s playbook – that is, to report outright lies and to misrepresent the facts about his inadequate performances to the public in television ads.

I am one among many progressive voices that believe Congressman Clay should not be supporting Slay. We did not work like hell to get Clay reelected for him to turn around and support a Republicanlike mayor who has an exceptionally poor performance

record for 11 years. It was reported that Slay did not deliver one South Side ward for Clay last August. So, what does he owe Slay? Nothing!

Slay’s early endorsement of Clay in the congressional race was merely intended to enslave him. Clay was expected to pay a price for his freedom. Delivering one single vote for Slay is too large a price to pay.

I hope Clay has not made a deal with the devil (Slay) with the expectation that the St. Louis progressive community will bail him out. That is not likely to happen. Slay has committed too many questionable decisions, including that of unjustifiably

n Since Slay has been mayor, it has been well documented that St. Louis has gone from bad to worse.

ousting former Fire Chief Sherman George. I believe Slay also influenced the termination of columnist Sylvester Brown at the Post-Dispatch Since Slay has been mayor, it has been well documented that St. Louis has gone from bad to worse. In 2012 St. Louis was the 2nd most dangerous city in the U. S., according to CQ Press. Last year Huffington Post reported that St. Louis was among the 10 most racially segregated cities in the country, according to the 2010 Census. St. Louis is among the 10

Letters to the editor

I applaud Governor Nixon

fronts – environmental, labor, corruption and human rights.

worst-run cities in the nation, as reported by the 24/Wall Street News. In addition, nearly 30,000 citizens have left St. Louis. City recreation centers for our youth and teens are underfunded. Public education has been practically destroyed and made un-democratic. The Public Safety Department’s efficiency via police and firefighters has been undermined and politically mismanaged. Poor and minority residential areas are allowed to become experimental laboratories for an inexperienced developer. Nearly 20 percent of housing in the city is vacant.

Supporting Slay is not only a liability to the City of St. Louis, but it could be a real liability to Clay’s own upcoming reelection in 2014. Progressive organizations and voters did not rally around Clay last August for him to Tom-out for Slay like the Samuel L. Jackson character in Django Unchained Progressive voters do not like for politicians to take their vote for granted. Sooner or later, Clay will be reminded of this fact. After all, the 1st Congressional District of Missouri was not created for Lacy Clay. It was created to allow for a minority to be elected to a U.S. Congressional seat from Missouri. In time, that congressional seat will be filled by someone other than Lacy Clay. How soon that will happen depends on how well he performs as a progressive congressman. Supporting Slay is not being progressive. Therefore, the progressive community must act in a crisis mode to save St. Louis from another four-year disaster.

patients really need.

both agree that the Obama administration is somehow weak on enforcement. Not true; border security is much tougher under Obama than under his predecessors, and deportations have soared. But perhaps a loud fight over enforcement will satisfy the Republican base and make agreement on real issues possible.

Republicans are eager to talk about some kind of temporary-worker program to accommodate those who come here – mostly from Mexico and Central America – with the intention of working for a time and then return to their home countries. Obama’s framework for reform does not include a guest-worker provision, but the White House has indicated a willingness to look at the possibility.

Obama could have taken a different tack. He could have written detailed proposed legislation rather than lay out broad principles, and in that bill he could have specified a short, direct path to full citizenship for the undocumented –something Republicans could not conceivably accept.

This would have further damaged the GOP, since Democrats would be able to tell Latino voters, “See? Once again the Republicans killed immigration reform. We’re the ones who are on your side.”

Instead, Obama and a group of influential senators of both parties will try to work together to bring 11 million people out of the shadows. Our government is tackling a big problem and may actually solve it. Imagine that.

Eugene Robinson’s email address is eugenerobinson@ washpost.com.

I applaud Governor Nixon’s emphasis on Medicaid expansion in his State of the State address. Extending health coverage to hundreds of thousands of working Missourians that currently don’t meet our state’s eligibility guidelines among the most restrictive in the country should be a priority of the General Assembly as well. As Governor Nixon pointed out, expanding Medicaid coverage to these under-served populations is the right thing to do, but there’s much, much more at stake. Expanding Medicaid is also the smart thing to do for all Missourians.

Andrea Routh, Executive Director Missouri Health Advocacy Alliance

‘Welfare of the people’

Since our state motto is “the welfare of the people shall be the supreme law,” shouldn’t we care about the living conditions of our neighbors? For Christians, I believe the answer is a resounding yes. In Matthew 22, Jesus teaches us that the greatest commandments are to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves. In the Episcopal Baptismal Covenant, we promise, with God’s help, to love our neighbors as ourselves, to respect the dignity of every human being, and to strive for justice and peace.

Rev. Theresa Danieley St. Louis

Infrastructure of discrimination

I am glad to see The St. Louis American covering the proposed water contract between the City of St. Louis and Veolia. Veolia has a bad track record on many

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Veolia operates a bus line for Jewish settlers on a segregated road. It also operates a waste dump on behalf of Jewish settlers on stolen Palestinian land. Veolia makes money by working with the state of Israel to create and maintain the its infrastructure of ethnic discrimination in the occupied West Bank. St. Louis should not contract with such a company.

Michael Berg

St. Louis

24,000 new jobs

Medicaid expansion will bring 24,000 new jobs to Missouri. In a recovering job market, this job creation is key to employing young people who have excelled in their studies to be therapists, nurses, doctors, and lab technicians.

Alice Floros, student University of Missouri–St. Louis

Medicaid will be the key

In 2011 the average age of UMSL students, both undergraduate and graduate, was 27.5. For students who will be off their parents’ insurance at 26, Medicaid will be the key for the next generation of healthy Missourians.

Lindsay Robinson

St. Louis

One important step closer

As a direct care nurse in St. Louis, I see the effects on patients everyday. Patients are sicker these days, often having putting off treatment because they’re worried that they can’t afford to pay for care. Expanding Medicaid in Missouri is one important step closer to providing the treatment and care that my

Jocelyn Wyms, registered nurse St. Louis University Hospital

Columnist

Eugene Robinson

St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson Photo by Wiley Price

Guest Columnist Percy Green

Nominate Women of Distinction

The Professional Organization of Women (P.O.W.) is accepting nominations for its 9th Annual African-American Women of Distinction Awards. Eligible nominees are African-American women who have demonstrated a strong commitment to civic causes, been recognized as a leader in her respective field and supported the growth of people of color. Individuals selected will be honored on March 28.

Past awardees have included Valerie Patton of the St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative, Malaika Horne, Director of the Executive Leadership Institute at The University of Missouri-St. Louis-College of Business Administration, and Yvette Butler, Managing Director and the Head of Wells Fargo Advisor Solutions.

To submit your nominee, please visit www.powincstl.org to review the criteria requirements. Nomination packets can be emailed to empower@powinc.org, or mailed to P.O. Box 16784, St. Louis, MO 63105. All letters must be received no later than February 15. If you have questions, please contact Rebecca Wilson at (636)5779982 or by email at empower@powinc.org.

Foundation funds Early Childhood Program

City Academy has received a $1 million gift from the Crawford Taylor Foundation for endowment. The gift supports the school’s efforts to broaden impact with an expanded Early Childhood Program.

The private independent elementary school located in north St. Louis expanded enrollment in the early childhood program for the 2012-2013 school year, adding 25 students. Plans to expand further to a total of 175 students by 2014 are in place.

“Research indicates that children between the ages of three and seven experience rapid brain growth and are especially receptive to learning new concepts,” says Don Danforth III, City Academy’s President and Co-Founder. “We hope to impact more students by reaching them during this critical window of cognitive growth.”

City Academy is the only private independent elementary school in St. Louis offering scholarship support to 100 percent of its students. For more information, visit www.cityacademyschool.org.

Good listener

Addicted to violence

By Gloria J.Browne-Marshall Columnist

America is addicted to violence. It is a centuries-old addiction. The addict is in denial. Like any true addict, this country makes empty promises about getting clean obsessing only on the next fix. Resistance to gun control marks the depth of America’s addiction to violence. Without intervention, there will be no recovery.

America was a child of violence-addicted parents. She rose out of the ashes of Revolutionary War, having committed patricide. There has been relatively little peace since then. War of 1812. Civil War. World War I. World War II. Korean War. Vietnam War. Grenada. Iraq I, II. Afghanistan. And, there has been genocide practiced against Native Americans. Lynching of African-Americans. Threat of Atomic War. Cuban Missile Crisis. 100 years of race riots. Mob killings. Pearl Harbor. Iran hostages. Then, 9/11.

This long history of violence leads to its normalization. Addiction has become a way of life. Just like a functioning alcoholic, America functions well, most of the time, despite her violence addiction. However, the addiction is no longer manageable. It is interfering with business, family, and pleasure. Movie theaters, schools, parks, restaurants, offices, and malls are no longer safe.

Americans fear violence and buy guns fueled by that fear. Guns, like drugs, provide a false sense of well-being. As heroin addicts receive methadone or another drug to wean them from addiction, America needs to focus on life instead of death.

AAStep Two calls on an outside power. Federal gun control legislation is the outside power. Although the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of more guns, Congress can create a safer America where the option is not a bigger gun with more rounds of ammunition. Legislation must include penalties for gun trafficking, a definitive ban on assault weapons, and limited the number of rounds.

In AAStep Four, the addict must take a fearless moral inventory. This country must assess its relationship with violence. A fearless moral inventory would mean more than a political sound-bite or hypercritical preaching.

AAStep Eight requires a list of persons harmed and a willingness to make amends to them. If paranoia concerning an upcoming race war is based in America’s history of violence then reconciling that history is the answer, not more guns, and more violence.

Step ten may be the most difficult. It requires an addict to admit wrong-doing. This means admitting violence begat violence. Under Step Twelve, having had a spiritual awakening as the result of this program, addicts must carry this message to other addicts.

Congress is waiting.

Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, an Associate Professor of Constitutional Law at John Jay College in New York City, is author of “Race, Law, and American Society: 1607 to Present” and a legal correspondent covering the U.S. Supreme Court.

Gloria J. BrowneMarshall

Jahkem Webber a member of the Mathews-Dickey Urban Music Program,listens as Alderwoman Marlene Davis talks to parents and students about the importance of a good education at the Walgreens Expression program that encourages students to write in positive ways.

Photo by Wiley Price

of the St. Louis City NAACP,

stated that further advancement of the organization’s mission will require greater financial support from the St. Louis community.

Pruitt then announced that Thomas Voss, president, chairman & CEO of Ameren, and his wife Carol have agreed to serve as Centennial Campaign co-chairs.

The St. Louis City NAACP is “critical to the continued elimination of discrimination and injustice,” Thomas Voss said.

Voss announced that presenting sponsors Ameren, Centene, Edward Jones and Express Scripts collectively pledged $120,000 toward the goal.

The campaign kickoff reception was held for major donors and supporters and included state Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, Judge George W. Draper – only the second African-American judge to serve on the Missouri Supreme Court – and Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis President James H. Buford.

The St. Louis City NAACP says that all monetary contributions will aid efforts to grow its membership and increase the effectiveness of its programs and level of annual support.

Pruitt emphasized that current NAACPmembers have an obligation to those who came before them.

“We represent the dreams of the past, of our forebrothers and sisters and their desires,” Pruitt said. “I think for the next 100 years, we as members of the NAACPhave an obliga-

MONEY

Continued from A1

Continued from A1 reimbursements were made, so that the public could have tracked the funds. On May 5, 2011, soon after the election, Ketcher and the campaign committee’s treasurer, Josh Bowlin (husband of the mayor’s press secretary Kara Bowlin), terminated the committee, after transferring the $151,000 to the nonprofit. Committee finance reports are detailed and require the treasurer to state who received the money, Shepard said, but IRS reports do not require this.

The nonprofit also failed to submit legal documents to the state, raising even more questions about the group’s man-

tion to make the dreams of our children come true.” Thomas is hopeful that campaign will reach its goal by June 7 when the St. Louis City NAACPhosts its Centennial Gala at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel.

New CBC chairkeynoted U.S. Rep. Marcia L. Fudge, D-Ohio, the new chair of the Congressional Black Caucus,

agement, Shepard said. The Secretary of State’s Office “administratively dissolved” the nonprofit on Dec. 29, 2011 because the group failed to submit an annual report. The business was not allowed to conduct business after this point.

The failure to submit an annual report was an oversight, Ketcher said, and the report does not require a financial report. He said the organization spent about $40,000 on a sustainability conference held in December 2011 and about $3,000 to $4,000 on neighborhood banners.

Ketcher said none of the money has been used in politics after the earnings tax campaign.

“If money were used in politics, that would trigger imme-

was guest speaker at the request of the St. Louis City NAACPand Frankie Muse Freeman, iconic civil rights attorney and member of the NAACPexecutive committee.

Fudge has represented the 11th District of Ohio for three consecutive terms. Previously, she was the first AfricanAmerican female mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio.

According to Fudge, the deaths of Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis are examples of

diate reporting to the Missouri Ethics Commission within 48 hours,” Ketcher said. He said the city also just passed a dark money ban (which Ketcher helped to draft) in December, “so you have several layers of protection.”

Richard Callow, Slay’s campaign manager, said the Slay campaign has received no campaign funds from the committee or from any successor group.

Citizens for a Stronger St. Louis is a 501c4 (not to be confused with a 501c3).

As a 501c4, its primary focus is to promote the social welfare, but the tax code is pretty loosely defined on what social welfare is. In fact, around the country 501c4 organizations spent more money on TVads in the presi-

why the NAACPis just as relevant now as it was during its founding.

For those unaware of this new case that also involved the shooting death of an unarmed teen, Jordan, 17, was killed by a white man in Jacksonville, Fla. after a confrontation over loud car music in November 2012.

“These are the reasons organizations like the NAACP must stay alive,” Fudge said. “Because if they don’t, who

dential race than did any other type of independent group, according to a Kantar Media study. Even Super PACs were trailing these organizations by tens of millions of dollars.

Paying forblack support

Bradley Ketcher has been the treasurer for various Slayconnected campaign committees, including Citizens for a Better St. Louis and Proponent Group Committee, which was formed to oppose the recall effort against Mayor Slay in 2007. During 2008 when the local black community was fervently opposing Slay after Fire Chief Sherman George was demoted in October 2007, Ketcher authorized payments

NAACP campaign co-chairs Thomas Voss and Carol Voss,keynote speaker

U.S.Rep. Marcia L.Fudge and attorney Frankie Muse Freeman listen to Adolphus M.Pruitt II,president of the St.Louis City NAACP.

will shine a light and bring attention to what is happening on our streets far away from the stately halls of Washington, D.C.?”

She said the civil rights challenges of today are different from those of yesterday. In the past, these challenges involved race riots in East St. Louis and peaceful sit-ins to desegregate lunch counters at Woolworth’s.

Now, these challenges are the fight against the dilution of

to two media outlets owned by African Americans and marketed to the local black community. Citizens for a Better St. Louis was paying about $2,000 monthly to Gentry Trotter’s MultiMedia PR Group and the St. Louis Argus, according to the campaign committee’s reports. After these payments were made, Slay-positive articles were featured in the Argus The committee seemed to have paid for positive editorial treatment in the black press after several protests opposing the mayor. However, Ketcher said, “I don’t remember those transactions. I trust the political finance reports are accurate. That was a political committee, and it was a committee that was supportive of the mayor in those years.”

Phone call at night

Using money for politics doesn’t always have to come in the form of advertising or

the Affordable Care Act; deficit reduction at the expense of seniors, children and education; and the U.S. Supreme Court’s review of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

For additional information and/or to receive the official Gala invitation, contact the St. Louis City NAACPat 314-3618600 or contact Shirley Brown, sbrown601@aol.com, 314367-8739.

campaign donations.

“It’s a commonplace occurrence where politicians offer resources during political races,” said Ward 4 Alderman Samuel Moore, who is a vocal supporter for Reed as mayor. Afew months ago, Moore said he received a phone call from someone, whom he will not identify, offering him $10,000 for his ward in exchange for staying out of supporting anyone in the race for mayor.

“My statement was, ‘I am not for sale,’” said Moore. Callow said no one from the Slay campaign or from Slay’s staff has offered Moore resources for his ward or asked him to cease involvement in the race for mayor.

Moore said the U.S. Attorney’s office called him this week regarding the incident. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith, lead prosecutor in political corruption cases for the eastern half of the state, said he could not comment on whether or not he is investigating the case.

Photo by Wiley Price

DOTSON

Continued from A1

actions, it’s a good thing.

Mediation puts those two at the same table for a conversation and a dialogue. It actually goes towards my whole approach for discipline. I see discipline in many cases as an opportunity for teachable moments. If an officer makes an honest mistake, we have the responsibility to ask, “Was our training appropriate?” If you violate the law, the full weight of the department is going to come down on you.

Mediation absolutely has a piece in our discipline process and in our training process.

The American: The agreement has been described as cutting-edge, and only a handful of cities are implementing this type of mediation. Is this an agreement that you are going to go forward with?

Chief Dotson: We actually do some mediation now. I’d like to see it expanded.

The American: But as far as this agreement?

Chief Dotson: Yes, yes.

The American: Do you know when you are going to reach an agreement and announce it?

Chief Dotson: I don’t. We are in the process of working with a new commander of Internal Affairs. We need to,

MEDINA

Continued from A1 has since claimed a reported $28 million in these credits.

Carr Square Tenant Management is partners with Northside Redevelopment and sold those tax credits for Northside. The executive director of Carr Square Tenant Management is Rodney Hubbard Sr., father of Rodney Jr. and Tameka. Rodney’s wife Shameem Hubbard is committeewoman of the 26th Ward and the Hubbards’mother Penny Hubbard is 58th District

for a second, focus on our primary function. I know all of that is important, but our primary mission is to reduce crime. We were successful in 2012. We saw a 12.4 percent reduction in crime. I think that’s important. You have to look at the totality and not just take out the hot-button issues.

The American: You are entering at an interesting time where there could be a switch in administration with the mayoral election. How would things change for you if there were a different mayor?

Chief Dotson: It wouldn’t. For the last 12 years that Mayor Slay has been in office, policing and law enforcement in this city has been a priority. Right now, the city invests a quarter of a billion dollars between the police department, the courts, corrections, public safety. As long as that investment continues, we will be able to prioritize law enforcement in the right way. Being police chief, you want to stay out of politics. Our job is to reduce crime.

The American: You have been described as Chief Joe Mokwa’s “aide.” What was your relationship with Chief Mokwa like?

Chief Dotson: We promote from within. The candidates for police chief all came from within. So we all worked with Chief Mokwa, we all worked with Ron Henderson, we all worked with Dan Isom. For Chief Mokwa, I was his aide. I

state representative. “It’s a family business,” Hutchings-Medina said of the Hubbards and politics. “There is a large constituency in the 5th Ward that wants to see change because they are concerned about this family business.”

Hutchings-Medina said the incumbent’s family connections to the Northside project make it difficult for her to represent the ward independently of the developer.

“When I look at some of the bills she has presented about redevelopment, I wonder how impartial she is,” Hutchings-Medina said of

worked in his office.

The American: What were some of your roles as an aide? How would you describe that role?

Chief Dotson: Oh, ah, clerical. I helped with the paper flow. I would help with issues in the community. I would help interact with the board. Administrative.

The American: In Scott Tillis’police board trial, Mokwa testified that – on a monthly basis – he and members of his staff would go have coffee with Greg Shepard (the towing manager for St. Louis Metropolitan Towing who was indicted for fraud). Did you ever go with him?

Chief Dotson: Yes, Greg Shepard was a retired police officer from here, so I was familiar with him.

The American: Shepard went to prison for fraudulent activity, flipping titles. Did you see any of this happen? Did you know about any of this?

Chief Dotson: No. S&H

Towing had a long-term contract with the police department. At one point I asked for an audit to be done towards the end of the contract, towards the end of when the issue started to be exposed. We began an audit because I asked for an audit to be done. So as soon as we became aware of any questionable behavior, we started an audit here and we’ve supplied information to the

Tameka Hubbard.

Hutchings-Medina is not, however, running as an opponent of McKee and his project.

“I’m not a fan of how McKee has maintained some of his properties or a fan of what he has not done with his properties, but he’s here and he’s not going anywhere and the ward needs development,” she said.

“But I want to hold developers accountable. Accountability is what we’re not seeing from the current alderman.”

Hutchings-Medina does not come from an established North St. Louis family that

U.S. Attorney’s Office, to the F.B.I. and everyone who was investigating it.

The American: From the extensive reporting on the towing scam, it seemed that many more police officers were involved than were prosecuted. Do you think you still have active police officers that participated in the scandal?

Chief Dotson: By “scandal,” you have to help me a little bit and tell me what you are accusing people of.

The American: Greg Shepard was prosecuted for fraudulent activity. Do you think there are police officers who participated in this fraud-

makes politics its business. She moved to St. Louis almost 10 years ago from Baltimore. She was born and raised in Philadelphia and attended Howard University where she met her husband, Angel Medina.

She works as sales manager of Radialogica, a health care ITcompany. Her husband is executive director of radiation

ulent activity and are still police officers now?

Chief Dotson: Again, the U. S. Attorney looked at it.

The F.B.I. looked at it. The Circuit Attorney’s office looked at it. And so if they didn’t find any wrongdoing, I don’t know what you would expect to… If they would have had any questions, they would have raised them. Certainly I don’t believe there’s any ongoing activity going on now, and I’m hopeful that if any of those agencies found any fraudulent activity, they would have followed through and prosecuted them.

The American: As faras diversity in the police force,

oncology at the Siteman Cancer Center. They live downtown in the Loft District.

Though new to politics, Hutchings-Medina has assembled a campaign staff with North City experience. She is encouraged by how few votes the incumbent won in her previous election – Hubbard won with only 488 votes in a ward with 6,500 registered voters.

do you

and

“Call me an optimist, but I think there are a lot of cool things happening everywhere in this city,” HutchingsMedina. “We just need the right leadership.”

The municipal primary will be held March 5. Contact the Election Board at 314-6224336 or www.stlelections.com.

how

view that as a goal

priority?

Chief Dotson: It’s important that the police force reflect the community that it serves. And that’s why Al Akins, who is assistant chief, is an African American. We promoted five majors, including an AfricanAmerican female, Rochelle Jones, and an AfricanAmerican male, Ronnie Robinson. It sets the tone inside the police department that competent leaders can be white, they can be black, they can be male, they can be female. It sends a message to the community that we are sensitive to all parts of the city.

President Barack Obama greets former Rep. Gabrielle “Gabby” Giffords and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly,in the Oval Office after they testified at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on gun violence, Jan.30.

(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Journalism: My Dream

Tyler Gilyard 11th grade

Soldan International Studies High School Dreams. Do I have them?

Yes, I always have dreams.

I’m not speaking about my mind drifting while I’m asleep. I’m speaking of my aspirations and what I hope to get out of life. Of course I have small dreams of getting a fancy car, an Audi R8 Roadster to be exact, or to be

able to graduate at the top of my class. The biggest dream I’ve had since I was little is being a big time entertainment journalist.

I didn’t get into writing until I was in the second grade. The class had to write a short story. We didn’t have a particular topic set; the only direction given to us was that it had to be fiction. The story I wrote was about my cousin saving the world. As I think back on it, I laugh.

My teacher, Mrs. Bacon, was impressed with my work and told me I had a very creative imagination. I even let my cousin read it. He got a kick out of it but he agreed that I should consider writing for my profession.

When I decided that I would consider writing, the only career I knew of was to become an author. As I began to look more into it and received more guidance on it, I considered becoming

a journalist. To this day, I’m still not sure of where exactly I would like to take it, but I’m sure I want to major in journalism in college.

Part of my path in reaching my goal is to be a YES teen. YES (Youth Exploring Science) is a program linked to the Saint Louis Science Center, made to introduce teens the importance of science. As a YES teen, I journal a lot to show how I have progressed

as a young employee and to write my thoughts about my day. I also blog to share my daily experiences with others. Adding writing for the St.Louis American to my skills will be beneficial for me to fulfill my dreams. YES has given me a lot of opportunities to improve my writing skills and eventually reach my dream of becoming an entertainment journalist.

Deirra Powell, 4,Dominique Powell,6,and Devon Hamilton,2, learned how to make Silly Putty at the Sigma-Aldrich Corporation table during the 23rd annual Minority Scientists Showcase held the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend at the St.Louis Science Center.

BUSINESS

– 13, 2013

‘If they can see me, they can be me’

By Bridjes O’Neil

Of

The

Minority Scientists Showcase

models careers in STEM fields

St.Louis American

According to Siinya Williams, senior director of educational outreach at the Saint Louis Science Center, the 23rd annual Minority Scientists Showcase was all about exposure. The showcase offered an informal platform where professionals met one-on-one with youth and their families to discuss the benefits of pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

“When you see the [City of St. Louis]

“Even if I see 100 kids, if I get one of them to say, ‘I can be a scientist, too.There’s a black woman.’”

– Jeanne Harrell,Sigma-Aldrich Corp.

Water Division, those guys out on the street with those broken water hydrants, that’s science,” Williams said. “There’s a lot of science

Credit

“The newest Kingdom House branch speaks to our unwavering commitment of providing access and financial empowerment to individuals who need our services,” said Patrick Adams, President/CEO,

PEOPLEON THE MOVE

Brandon Sterling has been hired as Development Director for Guardian Angel Settlement House. He is responsible for developing, implementing, managing and evaluating the agency’s more than $2.5 million fundraising, grant writing, and marketing activities, including major gifts, corporate/foundation grants, government grants, planned giving, special events and leadership gifts.

Mary Williams has been promoted from project assistant to public relations specialist at BarnesJewish Hospital. She will provide writing and communication support for the internal communications and media relations teams in addition to copywriting assistance. Barnes-Jewish Hospital was the only St. Louis hospital named one of the 100 Best Places to Work in Health Care by Becker’s Hospital Review.

every single day.” Brandon Sterling

Marvin R.Talley guided ACE Technical Charter High School in

In 2011, the organization opened a satellite branch in Wellston at the Metropolitan Education and Training (MET) Center and at Grace Hill in the Water Tower area. The new location is financially supported, in part, by Carrollton

that they have to do in order to fix that system. Now, here’s your chance to understand the actual work that they do.”

Without industry role models, youth develop misconceptions that science-related careers are unattainable for them, which is one reason why these showcases are so crucial, she said.

It’s why Jeanne Harrell, a technical service scientist with the Sigma-Aldrich Corp., has volunteered for 20 years.

“If they can see me, they can be me,”

See STEM, A10

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Black jobless rate for January was 13.8 percent

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for African Americans in January was lower than it was in December but higher when compared to the same month a year ago.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday that the jobless rate last month for blacks was 13.8 percentcompared to 14 percent in December and 13.6 percent in January 2012. The unemployment rate in January for black men 20 years old and older was 13.4 percent compared to 14.0 percent in December and 12.8 percent in January 2012.January’s jobless rate for black women 20 years old and older was 12.3 percent compared to 12.2 percent in December and 12.5 percent in January 2012.

Kwame completes $3M credit union branch in Bridgeton

Kwame Building Group has completed work on the new $3 million Vantage Credit Union branch at 11915 St. Charles Rock Rd. in Bridgeton. Arcturis was the architect and REiCON Constructors was the general contractor. The 5,600-square-foot branch also has a home/mortgage center, personal finance internet kiosks and a teen cyber café with computer and electronic games.

Majority of area entrepreneurs expect to hire in next 6 months

Results from a recent survey conducted by The Entrepreneurs’Organization indicate that 60 percent of St. Louis-area entrepreneurs expect to hire more full-time workers, and 58 percent expect to hire more part-time workers in the coming six months. The survey included 121 St. Louis-area companies with at least $1 million in annual revenue and sizable impacts on the local economy. For more information, visit www.entrepreneurindicator.com.

Missouri and Kansas waste billions in jobs ‘borderwars’ Missouri and Kansas are among the states that waste billions of dollars each year on economic development subsidies given to companies for moving existing jobs from one state to another, according to a study released by Good Jobs First, a non-profit, non-partisan research center based in Washington, D.C.

Kansas and Missouri are singled out in the report for their use of programs such as Promoting Employment Across Kansas and the Missouri Quality Jobs Tax Credit in luring companies such as AMC Entertainment and Applebee’s from one side of the Kansas City metro area to the other. The report, entitled The Job-Creation Shell Game, is available at www.goodjobsfirst.org/shellgame.

Mary Williams

Marvin R. Talley

Photo by Wiley Price

By Jason Alderman

Many people file their income tax returns as early in the year as possible. Some are eager to claim their tax refund right away, while others are simply following their New Year’s resolution not to procrastinate until midnight, April 15.

Let me add another good reason to file your taxes right away: tax refund identity fraud.

That’s where someone uses your Social Security number (SSN), birth date and other private information to file a fraudulent income tax return in your name and then pockets the resulting tax refund. Often, a victim’s first clue is a letter from the IRS contesting their

STEM

Continued from A9

Harrell said. “Even if I see 100 kids, if I get one of them to say, ‘I can be a scientist, too. There’s a black woman.’”

Sigma-Aldrich was one of more than 20 exhibitors that participated in this year’s showcase, including two new exhibitors, Hosco Farms and Wade Funeral Home.

Science demonstrations engaged inquisitive minds of

Avoiding tax refund identity fraud

legitimate tax return, saying one has already been processed under that name. It can take months – and mounds of paperwork – to unravel the mess.

This scam has proliferated in recent years thanks to a confluence of events:

ï There’s a thriving black market in personal information stolen from healthcare facilities, nursing homes, schools, insurance companies and other institutions that require an SSN as identification.

ï The IRS is pressured to begin issuing refunds shortly after taxpayers start filing returns in mid-January, even though employers and financial institutions aren’t required to submit withholding and income documentation until

all ages, like Sigma-Aldrich’s homemade silly putty and chemiluminescence experiments. Chemiluminescence is the emission of light as the result of a chemical reaction replicated by adding hydrogen peroxide to a luminal reaction solution, Harrell explained.

People marveled at the innovative Aeroponic, a device used to grow fruits and veggies in the air sans soil, developed by Hosco Farms CEO Gibran Burchett.

Patrons were equally intrigued by the embalming

the end of March. Thus, disparities often aren’t caught until months later.

ï The growing popularity of electronic filing, where hardcopy documentation (like W-2 and 1099 forms) isn’t required.

ï Many people receive refunds via direct deposit and prepaid debit cards. Criminals open and close accounts using bogus addresses long before the theft has been detected. Thanks to severe budget cuts and chronic understaffing – not to mention constantly playing whack-a-mole with thieves who dream up new schemes – the IRS is hardpressed to keep up. In one

extreme example, the agency issued more than $3.3 million in refunds for 2,137 tax returns filed to a single address. But all is not lost. The IRS has significantly beefed up its fraud-prevention efforts. In 2011, they intercepted nearly 262,000 fraudulent tax returns seeking almost $1.5 billion in refunds related to identity theft. And they now issue special personal identification numbers (PINs) to impacted taxpayers to protect their future tax filings. So what should you do if you’ve been victimized? Typically, the IRS will send you a notice that:

Science demonstrations engaged inquisitive minds of all ages, like Sigma-Aldrich’s homemade silly putty and chemiluminescence experiments.

process and mortuary science in general, especially the tools of the trade. Aaron Grimes, licensed funeral director and embalmer at Wade Funeral Home, said he never knew so many people were interested in mortuary science.

Students with the Saint Louis Science Center’s Youth

ï More than one tax return for you was filed; ï You have a balance due, refund offset or have had collection actions taken against you for a year in which you didn’t file a return; or ï IRS records indicate you received wages from an employer you don’t recognize. This could indicate that someone has used your personal information to get a job. If you receive such a notice, don’t ignore it. Complete an Identity Theft Affidavit (IRS Form 14039 at www.irs.gov) and return it with a copy of the notice to the address provided on the notice. If you did not receive a notice but believe you may be at risk, the form contains separate submission instructions.

The IRS’s Identity Theft Protection website (www.irs.gov/uac/IdentityProtection) includes tons of helpful information, including ways to tell whether your identity may have been stolen, how to report a breach and tips to avoid identity theft. And finally, file your tax return as early as possible to beat potential scammers to the punch. If you owe money, you can always file your return now and mail the payment by the April 15 deadline.

Jason Alderman directs Visa’s financial education programs. To Follow Jason Alderman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Practical Money.

Exploring Science (YES) pro-

gram represented their respective subgroups – biofuels, neuroscience, atmospheric science, matter and engineering – at the showcase.

Jared Witherspoon, 16 of Clayton High School, showed off past group projects and remote-operated vehicle sketches that he and fellow YES: Design It! Engineering teammates hope to build in the near future.

Wade Funeral Home, like

CREDIT

Continued from A9 Bank.

“We are very excited about the partnership with St. Louis Community Credit Union and the ways it will help our clients, on top of our programming, to create financial stability and independence,” said Scott Walker, Executive Director, Kingdom House. The satellite branch occupies around 310-square-feet of space. It is equipped with two

other exhibitors, has partnered with the YES program, a community educational outreach program for underprivileged high school students. The college preparation aspect of the YES program was a huge component at the showcase evident in extended invitations to college representatives from St. Louis College of Health Careers, Lindenwood University, and University of Missouri-St. Louis. They were available to answer questions about which classes, as college-bound high school students, they should be taking now to academically prepare for STEM-related careers.

The Kingdom House branch is the 11th location for St.Louis Community Credit Union and the third branch housed in a social service agency.

teller stations and a member services representative. Financial counseling is also available.

“We are teaching the skills that they are going to need to be successful from college and beyond, but we use STEM activities to teach those skills,” said Williams of Saint Louis Science Center. She doesn’t expect every student to become a scientist. However, she said, “Having the opportunity to be exposed to these scientific fields, we’re creating our future.”

The three-day event, held over the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, concluded on the Monday holiday with prize giveaways, African dance performances and jazz music.

St. Louis Community Credit Union offers second-chance checking products, reloadable debit cards, credit building services and a payday loan alternative in an effort to help break the predatory lending cycle for consumers. St. Louis Community Credit Union is certified by the U.S. Treasury Department as a CDFI, a specialized financial institution that works in market niches that are underserved by traditional financial institutions.

Financial Focus

By Veronica Coleman

For more information on St. Louis Community Credit Union, visit www.stlouiscommunity.com.

a

– not a sprint Investors sometimes may get frustrated with their investments because those investments don’t seem to produce quick results. And perhaps that’s understandable in our fastpaced society, in which we’ve grown accustomed to instant gratification. But investing is, by nature, a long-term activity. If you look at it in terms of an athletic event, it’s not a sprint, in which you must pull out all the stops to quickly get where you’re going. Instead, it’s more like the 26.2-mile race known as a marathon

And as an investor, you can learn a few things from marathoners, such as:

ï Preparation – No one gets up one day and is ready to run a marathon. Marathon runners train for months, and even years. As an investor, you, too, need to prepare yourself for the “long run.” How? By learning as much as you can about different asset classes, types of risk and all the other factors associated with investing.

ï Patience – Marathoners know they have a long haul in front of them, so they typically create a “game plan” –one that takes into account

such factors as their physical condition, the weather on race day, and the characteristics of the course, such as whether it’s hilly or flat. Investors should also create a strategy – one that encompasses their goals and ways of working toward them – and stick to this strategy.

Investors should create a strategy – one that encompasses their goals and ways of working toward them.

ï Perseverance –Marathoners may deal with injuries, dehydration and other setbacks, either while training or during the actual race. But as long as they’re able to keep going, they do so. As an investor, you, too, will face obstacles, such as market downturns. But as long as you continue investing and don’t head to the “sidelines,” you have a good chance of making progress toward your goals.

ï Vision Marathoners study the course they’re on, so they know what’s ahead – and where they’re going. As an investor, you also need a vision of what lies in front of you –the number of years until your retirement, the type of retirement lifestyle you anticipate, what sort of legacy you plan to leave, and so on. Your vision will help drive your investment decisions.

ï Proper coaching – Not all marathoners have individual coaches, but many have at least gone to clinics or joined running clubs so they could learn more about the various aspects of this grueling event. And an investor, you can certainly benefit from guidance or “coaching” in the form of a financial professional –someone who knows your individual needs, goals and risk tolerance and who has the experience to make recommendations that are appropriate for your situation. Every marathoner is familiar with the difficulties of the challenge and the satisfaction of finishing the race. As an investor, you also will be tested many times. Furthermore, you’ll never really cross the “finish line” because you’ll always have goals toward which you’ll be working. Yet, by emulating the traits of successful marathoners, you can continue working toward your objectives – and perhaps youíll avoid the blisters, too.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Forfurtherinformation contact Veronica Coleman at (618) 931-2397 or1-800EDJONES

Consortium forLeadership Development continues

The Consortium for Leadership Development (CLD) is a 10-month leadership training program facilitated by some of the nation’s foremost corporate executives and entrepreneurs.

CLD was created to address the business imperative of developing high-potential individuals with diverse backgrounds to draw on a larger talent pool in this age of globalization.

Recently, David Steward, Chairman of Worldwide Technology, shared the secrets of his success during the Integrity module. Michael Holmes, President of Rx Outreach provided in-depth instruction on Vision, and Arnold Donald, Principal of AWDPLC, hosted the 34 participants at Laclede Gas and presented the Charisma module.

“The progressive learning of the CLD just continues to get better,” said Rachel Burse, CLD participant and Save-A-Lot Manager.

CLD is an initiative created in collaboration with the Anheuser-Busch school of Business at HarrisStowe State University and the African American Business Leadership Council. For more information, call 314-877-0067 or email at franklins@hssu.edu.

Bank closes on $21.9M financing forNorth Sarah

McCormack Baron Salazar uses public-private partnership in development

American staff

U.S. Bankand McCormack Baron Salazar have closed financing for the second phase of the North Sarah development in St. Louis, adding 10 additional mixed-use and residential buildings to the first phase of the project.

U.S. Bank provided a financing package of more than $25 million to support phase one development and has now closed on nearly $22 million in additional funding, including a $11.5 million construction loan, a $1.6 million first mortgage, more than $7 million of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity

investment through its St. Louis-based subsidiary, U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation (USBCDC )and a $1.8 million Affordable Housing Assistance Program donation for the benefit of the project.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Saint Louis Housing Authority provided $18.27 million through a $7.86 million HOPE VI grant and other programs.

“In this very difficult economic environment, public-private partnerships are critical to finance affordable and long lasting housing for families and children as part of compre-

“In this very difficult economic environment, public-private partnerships are critical to finance affordable and long-lasting housing for families.”

– Vince Bennett,McCormack Baron Salazar

hensive neighborhood transformations, like North Sarah,” said Vince Bennett, chief operating officer of McCormack Baron Salazar.

“We are thankful that we could combine U.S. Bank’s funding with public support from the City of St. Louis, the St. Louis Housing Authority, Missouri Housing Development Commission, and HUD to help realize this neighborhood’s vision.” North Sarah is a new mixed-use, mixed-income development located just north of Gaslight Square and east of the Central West End neighborhoods. Opening in 2014, North Sarah Apartments Phase II will consist of 103 mixedincome rental housing units geared towards families.

Amenities include a playground, computer center, fitness room and community clubhouse.

The $30 million first phase of development, which opened this fall, includes 120 housing units and nearly 12,000 square feet of commercial, management and community space, which will ultimately contain a small, locally-owned, fresh food grocery store.

On October 22, representatives from USBCDC and McCormack Baron Salazar joined local and state partners and community residents to celebrate the grand opening of the first phase of the North Sarah community. Already more than 90 percent leased, the development is helping revitalize an underserved area and bring new retail to the neighborhood.

“The addition of new commercial space, added goods and services, and high-quality housing, as prioritized by residents, is helping form a holistic community,” said Beth Stohr, director of Affordable Housing Tax Credit Investments with USBCDC. To date, USBCDC has invested more than $318 million of equity in support of $892 million of revitalization efforts spearheaded by McCormack Baron Salazar.

Attention St. Louis American Readers

As a service to the community, we list obituaries in the St. Louis American Newspaper, on a space-available basis and online at stlamerican.com. AT NO CHARGE. Please send all obituary notices to kdaniel @stlamerican.com.

Obituaries

President/CEO of Myrtle Hilliard Davis Comprehensive Health Centers Passes

Archie Grifin, the President and CEO of Myrtle Hilliard Davis Comprehensive Health Centers, Inc. (MHDCHC) died on January 31 at age 65 following a long illness.

Grifin joined MHDCHC in 1989. During his 24 year tenure at the agency, he served in various management positions that included comptroller, vice president of business affairs and chief inancial oficer. He is credited with leading expansion efforts which resulted in the agency increasing operations from its original location at 5471 Martin Luther King Dr. to opening two additional satellite locations at Homer G. Phillips, 2425 Whittier and at Florence Hill, 5541 Riverview. He also led the agency to improve its core services which includes pediatrics, family medicine, adult medicine, dentistry and pharmacy.

A graduate of O’Fallon Technical High School, Grifin received a bachelors degree in accounting from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and a masters in health administration from Webster University.

Grifin served as past president of the board of directors for the Missouri Primary Care Association and the St. Louis Integrated Health Network. He was also a member of the St. Louis County Branch of the NAACP, the Black Leadership Roundtable, National Association of Black Accountants and the Midwest Clinician Network.

Griffin was preceded in death by one daughter. He is survived by his wife Demetria, three daughters, one son, one son-in-law and four grandchildren. Visitation will be held on Thursday, February 7 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Austin A. Layne Mortuary Normandy Chapel located at 7733 Natural Bridge Rd. The funeral will be held on Friday, February 8 at 10 a.m. at Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church located at 5544 Martin Luther King Dr.

Eula V. Stallworth

The full and blessed life that was bestowed upon Eula V. Martin Stallworth ended

Eula Stallworth

peacefully while sleeping on January 19, 2013 in the home of her daughter in Normal, IL at the age of 99.7 years old. Mrs. Stallworth was born on May 25, 1913 in Madison County, Tennessee the only child of Willie Martin and Lunna Collins. At the age of thirteen she moved to St. Louis, entering Simmons School and then went on to graduate from Charles Sumner High School, January 26, 1934. On October 30, 1938 she married Albert J. Stallworth, Sr. Two children were born to their union, a son Albert Jr. and a daughter, Corsandra. Her husband and son preceded her in death.

Mrs. Stallworth was a devout Christian, and a 79 year, lifetime member, of Kennerly Temple Church of God in Christ. She was active in many organizations. She served as an Adult Sunday School teacher, church wedding coordinator, member and treasurer of the Mission Department, composed church condolences, Women’s Department officer, and the Sunshine Band Jurisdictional Leader.

After a fall in 2003 outside of her home, an admirable decision was reached by her doctor and daughter to relocate her to Normal, IL to

live with and be cared for by her daughter. The move did not interfere with her keeping ties with her home church with occasional visits. Aging contributed to her failing health; but a fall in 2011, in which she fractured her hip, intensified the process. After a year of bed confinement, Mrs. Stallworth answered the call to enter into eternal rest. Her love and concern for people still lingers in the hearts of all those she touched. She will be greatly missed by her family, especially Corsandra (her daughter), and Martin (grandson), a host of cousins, nieces, and close family friends.

A Memorial Celebration Service is scheduled at Kennerly Temple Church of God in Christ for February 16, 2013 at 11:00 am.

In Loving Memory of Antonio D. Duff

Feb. 14, 1988— April 9, 2012

Gone from our lives, but not our hearts. Missing you the most. Love, Mama and DJ, family & friends

Archie Griffin

Antonio Duff

The St. Louis American is proud to partner with Normandy School District, the St. Louis Public School District and the Saint Louis Science Center to provide this classroom tool for STEM education for students in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades, with content based on Missouri Learning Standards.

Ms. Claypool’s 3rd Grade Class Pamoja Elementary Students work on a STEM project testing whether humans need calcium in their bones.

SCIENCE CORNER

Have you ever wondered how a cell phone works? A cell phone works by taking a person’s voice and turning it into a radio wave. The antennae of the cell phones, (which aren’t visible in many cell phones), allow you to send and receive radio waves. When someone makes a cell phone call, the phone changes the voice into a radio wave, and the antenna then sends the radio wave to the

SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

Sound occurs when an object vibrates. As the vibrations travel through the air, we hear sound. Telephones also make use of sound, allowing us to hear others who may be far away. In this experiment, you will observe how sound travels. You will create a simple telephone.

Materials Needed:

2 Empty Plastic Cups • Scissors • String

A Partner • Notebook & Pencil • 2 Paper Clips Procedure:

q Use the pencil to poke a hole in the center of each of the plastic cups.

w Use the scissors to cut a piece of string 10-15 feet long.

e Thread the end of the string through the hole in each cup and tie it in a knot.

r Attach a paper clip to the knot to prevent it from slipping back through the cup.

MATH CONNECTION

How Do Cell Phones Work?

nearest cell tower. The cell tower then passes the radio waves to the cell phone of the person to whom the first person called. The cell tower is very important because it must receive the radio waves and send them on to the caller.

To Learn More About Sound: visit: http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sound.html

Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text to learn background information about telephones and sound.

Build Your Own Telephone!

t Your partner will walk away until the string is pulled tightly.

y Your partner will place their cup to their ear while you place your cup to your mouth.

u Whisper loudly. Can your partner hear what you are saying?

i Listen while your partner whispers. Can you hear what he is saying? What happens if you pinch the string between the two cups? Can you still hear your voices as well? What happens if the string between the cups isn’t pulled tight? Will the telephone work as well?

record your observations in your notebook. Compare your results with the class.

Want More Experiments to Study Sound?

Check out: http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/scienceprojects-for-kids-producing-sounds.htm

Learning Standards: I can follow directions to complete an experiment. I can make observations and draw conclusions.

Cell Phone Statistics

q How many students in your class have a cell phone?__________ How many students are in your class? __________ Find the percentage of students who have a cell phone.

w Your cell phone has a plan that includes 250 texts per month. How many texts can you send per day (on average)?

Cell phones are used for much more than calling, texting, or taking pictures. other uses include: word processing, calendars, mobile banking, web surfing, alarms, memos, video streaming, games and much more.

An estimated 250 to 300 million cell phones are being used in the U.S.

You have sent 103 texts, how many do you have left?

Learning Target: I can add, subtract, multiply and divide. I can find the percentage of a number.

INVENTORS & INVENTIONS

AND ELECTrICAL PIoNEEr Lewis Howard Latimer

Lewis Howard Latimer was an inventor born on Sept. 4, 1848, in Chelsea, Massachusetts. He was an excellent student who especially loved to read and draw. Latimer also spent a lot of time working with his father, who was a former slave. When Latimer was 16, his father left because he feared for his safety.

Latimer “changed” his age so he could join the U.S. Navy in 1864, when he was just 16 years old. When the Civil War was over, he returned to Boston to look for a job. In 1868, he went to work at Crosby and Gould patent law firm. This company helped inventors patent their ideas so no one else could take credit (or money) for their work. Latimer’s artistic talents allowed him to create detailed draft designs on inventions.

Latimer would soon become a patent holder for his own inventions. In 1873, he and Charles W. Brown invented a “water closet” (toilet) for railroad cars. Latimer met Alexander Graham Bell, who hired him to draw the plans for his new invention: the telephone. on Feb. 14, 1876, the patent for the telephone was submitted.

In 1880, he started working as a draftsman at the U.S. Electric Lighting Company in New York, a company owned by Bell’s rival, inventor Hiram Maxim. Latimer received a patent in 1882 for an improved process for producing carbon filaments for light bulbs. Latimer joined the Edison Electric Light Company in 1884 and began research on electrical lighting. In 1918, Latimer became the only African American member of the Edison Pioneers, all of whom played a significant part in the development of the electrical industry.

Your Turn: Summarize the article with the main idea and three supporting details. Why is Lewis Howard Latimer an important inventor?

Learning Standards: I can read a biography to learn about important inventors in history.

MAP CORNER

Cell phones have many positive uses in the classroom. Students can use them to take pictures of lecture notes so they can study them at home. Cell phones can also be used to video tape lessons. However, sometimes cell phones can be used to cheat or can distract students.

q Make a T-chart that lists the pros and cons of cell phones in the classroom. Share your T-chart with the class and listen to everyone’s perspective.

w What is your opinion? Should cell phones be used in the classroom? Write a paragraph stating your opinion. It should include a topic sentence, three supporting details, and a concluding sentence.

e Newspaper Connection: Does the newspaper contain letters to the editor or editorial writing? This style of writing is based on a person’s opinion. Find an example of editorial writing. Underline the facts and circle the opinions.

Learning Target: I can identify pros and cons and write for a specific purpose and audience.

INvENTor

Patent drawing for Latimer’s 1873 “water closet” for railroad cars.

Latimer lamps with the Latimer switch and socket that he also invented.

Billionaire political

investor Rex Sinquefield and Travis Brown, who runs Sinquefield’s primary political shop Pelopidas, are always teaching the rest of us about “how money walks,” as Brown titled his new book. Brown writes about corporate money walking across state lines to dodge onerous taxes, but the rest of us with a view of the field where these guys are playing see money walking out of Sinquefield’s pocket and into Brown’s.

Together these guys gave us the impression that they were bringing a brazen new transparency to the flooding of political campaign and ballot initiatives with venture/ vulture capital. In the Twittersphere, Brown got the Pelopidas Twitter handle noticed by posting all political contributions of scale as soon as they went public via the Missouri Ethics Commission, and then Brown got Rex to show off by often donating $1 over the threshold amount that mandated instant reporting.

In its own way, this was amazing. The operative was making a name for making a show over how much his client threw away into frequently losing campaigns and initiatives. If you’ve got it and are throwing it away, seemed to be the logic, then flaunt it. This was interesting political theatre when Sinquefield was investing, or gambling, on Shane Schoeller’s campaign for Missouri Secretary of State. This office governs the state’s ballot initiative process, which has become a Sinquefield/

Pelopidas political implement of choice. So when Sinquefield invested (and Pelopidas reported) $400,000 in campaign contributions to Schoeller, it looked to the rest of us like the fox was very brazenly buying the guardian of the henhouse. But it turns out Rex and his boy Pelopidas were even foxier than that. Now that all the reporting is in, we see that Sinquefield also gave $475,000 to the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) on October 23, in the heat of the November 2012 general election race. RSLC gave $550,000 to Schoeller in five contributions from October 24 to November 5 (whether mistakenly or not, Schoeller’s people called the committee “RSCL” instead of “RSLC” on three of the contributions, further obscuring the donation). Had Sinquefield given this cash to Schoeller straight up, like he did for the initial contribution of $400K, Schoeller (and Pelopidas, on Twitter) would have had to report it within 48 hours. This scheme allowed Sinquefield and Schoeller to evade scrutiny until after the election. It’s hypocritical of Sinquefield to say we don’t need campaign contribution limits because we have good disclosure laws, then move to find a way around the disclosure laws so he doesn’t have to disclose his huge contributions until after the election. Particularly when your political shop is making a flashy, false show of transparency on your behalf. So doing the math: If we include that $475K that

Sinquefield gave to RSLC, he ended up giving $875K to Schoeller, not the $400K we all thought. And if you are keeping score, those 875,000 dollars Sinquefield 0 guardians of the henhouse, as Schoeller was defeated by 31-year-old Jason Kander

Archie Bunker slams

Sinquefield

The EYE takes a special delight when the same dubious operator gets whacked in the same news cycle by The American and The Post, so it was a pleasure on Sunday –knowing Rex’s playing funny money with the Schoeller campaign would occupy this space – to see Sinquefield get part of his head taken off by a Post editorial. The Post calls out Sinquefield for investing in corporate tax-busting initiatives in Kansas and Oklahoma just to put economic pressure on Missouri to follow suit.

“Think of it: To goose Missouri, where he has nothing much to show for the $12 million in political contributions he’s made since retiring from his investment firm in 2006, Mr. Sinquefield is willing to buy influence in Kansas and Oklahoma, too,”

The Post smirked at him.

The EYE checked with P-D editorial page editor Tony Messenger to see who wrote this screed, and he said it was Kevin Horrigan. It is good to be reminded from time to time that all those good old boy grouchy Archie Bunker Democrats down at the Post (Horrigan being the poster grouch) are after all Archie Bunker Democrats. Keep Horrigan away from sharing his beliefs about a black man acting in a leadership role, and this Archie can speak some righteous truth.

Can a white mayor say ‘thug’?

Alderman Antonio French, a strong supporter of the Lewis Reed for Mayor campaign, thinks he cracked a code in the Slay camp. French distributed an email with links to five mainstream news reports or Slay press releases where Slay was quoted on crime in the city. In each case, Slay refers to “thugs.” One example, with a caped crusader vibe: “St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay vowed to ‘find the thugs that are victimizing the city,’” KTRS reported last August.

The EYE knows where

French is headed with this, and whether Slay knows this or not many black people will hear him speaking in racial code here. But many people of many backgrounds speak of “thugs” in this city; our East Side columnist James Ingram seldom files copy without that term of insult. We can agree that when a white man says the N-word it means something different then when a black man says it, but does the same apply to “thug?” Can a white man or a white mayor call a criminal a “thug”?

OBS rejects Slay

This one won’t shock anyone, but the Organization for Black Struggle has endorsed Lewis Reed for Mayor. Actually, in the statement OBS does not endorse Reed in any detail – but it sure does berate and reject incumbent Mayor Francis G. Slay

“For the last 11 years, the Slay administration has continually worked to limit our ability to participate in our government by opposing civilian review of the police, encouraging state control of our public schools while expanding charter and private schools,” OBS states.

“Under this administration we’ve watched them wage an undeclared war on public sector workers (including teachers and firefighters) and refuse to enforce the minimal minority inclusion standards. The mayor has proven to be one of the most racially divisive leaders in a generation and repeatedly has shown contempt for working with AfricanAmerican community leaders and activists around issues of fairness and justice.”

Flashback: When Reed first ran for citywide office against incumbent aldermanic president Jim Shrewsbury the EYE got into trouble with OBS by reporting that the activist group was considering an endorsement of Shrewsbury, who is white, over Reed, who is black. Shrewsbury had garnered black support by standing up for Fire Chief Sherman George and black firefighters against Slay, among other things. No one was sure if Reed would stand up for Chief George if elected – and in fact, he did not. But OBS denied angrily it ever contemplated a Shrewsbury endorsement and did endorse Reed then and now.

Tea poisoner for Slay

The EYE is pleased that Slay’s staff Archie Bunker, Jeff Rainford, is not officially running the mayor’s current re-election campaign as he did four years ago. Longtime Slay operative Richard Callow, who is running the campaign, is more responsive and easier to put up with.

“While there is actually a ‘Ladies for Lewis’ organization,” Callow wrote to The American about Lewis Reed, “‘Sisters for Slay’ was the title of an event. A column that ran in your newspaper [by Lizz Brown] was incorrectly premised.” Rainford comes at you with a crowbar, trying to puncture a hole in your face while you are looking at him. Callow sidles up next to you and quietly poisons your tea. The EYE prefers to deal with tea poisoners.

First Lady Georganne Nixon, state Rep. Karla May, Annie Billups, Archie Wayne of Wayne Realty Company and Gov. Jay Nixon in Jefferson City during the recent Inauguration weekend. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

‘Respect and reclaim’

Reclamation exhibit opens Saturday at Portfolio

American staff

The exhibit Reclamation, featuring work by Basil Kincaid and Damon Davis, opens 7-9 p.m. Saturday, February 9 at Portfolio Gallery, 3514 Delmar Blvd. It is a multimedia, conceptual art exploration of the social and historical legacy of St. Louis.

“Catalyzed by a desire to breathe new life into the nearly, or seemingly forgotten alcoves of our great city, we stretch the bounds of creative recycling. We collect media and materials from all aspects of life in St. Louis, combining images, sounds and debris from our environment in new ways in an effort to elicit a paradigm shift in the collective

reception and understanding of St. Louis,” the artists say in a statement.

“We have honed our creative lenses on the expansive facets of beauty that rest beneath the layers of disremembered history and architectural decay. We reclaim all of our materials directly from our environment, revealing and renewing their true inner beauty that was once nearly forgotten. From abandoned wood, broken bricks, stray books, bikes, clothes and forgotten furniture, we re-spect (look again) & reclaim.”

Portfolio Gallery is a 501c3, notfor-profit arts organization that has proudly exhibited African-American fine art in many venues throughout the region since its founding in 1989 by Robert A. Powell.

“Help” 26”x32” by Damon Davis (2013)

From home to Hollywood

“Please take a moment to visit this exhibition,” Powell urges, “which I am sure you will enjoy and this wonderful organization in the heart of St. Louis and the mind of most people.” St. Louis Reclamation Arts LLC: www.stlreclamationarts.com.

By Kenya Vaughn

Of The St. Louis American

“To be away for so long and to come back to those fans that grew up with us – I mean, what can you say?” said Leanne Lyons, one-third the R&B group SWV. Her words will be the general consensus for the fans and lineup alike for the New Jack Swing Valentine’s Day Jam featuring Guy, Tony Toni Tone, SWV, Al B. Sure, Dru Hill next Friday (Feb. 15) at the Chaifetz Arena.

By Kenya Vaughn

“St. Louis is one of the cities that is going to experience it,” Lyons said. “I call it an experience because these artists are phenomenal. That’s like an artist’s dream. When you have timeless music – even beyond that, when you have a profession and people love it – it’s a really good feeling.”

The show is part of a select minitour around the country and will be a groove down memory lane thanks to the R&B subgenre known as New Jack Swing – a hip-hop infused signature sound of the late 1980s and

n “When he screamed, we screamed. And when we screamed, we screamed like black people from St. Louis.”

– Robbie Montgomery

owner Robbie Montgomery said. “When he screamed, we screamed. And when we screamed, we screamed like black people from St. Louis.” Montgomery, also known as “Miss Robbie,” was in rare form as she waited for her car to drop her off at LAX so she could head home and get back to business at her three restaurants – which have been the backdrop for the OWN Network’s hit television show Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s And on Friday the fairytale continued for Montgomery, her son and co-owner Tim Norman as well as the rest of the family. Four days had passed since the whole Sweetie Pie’s crew stood before thousands of the entertainment industry’s brightest stars in Los Angeles to accept their award for Outstanding Reality Television Program at the 44th Annual NAACP Image Awards. But she spoke of the honor as if she had just left the stage.

“I can hardly believe it,” Montgomery said. “To be recognized by the NAACP, it just makes you so .. .ooh … words can’t express it. When they validate the work that you put in, you are doing something right.”

It was a moment she almost missed. They were on the red carpet

American staff

Sunday, February 10, Deltas

host a Gala

Janet Bonner, Centennial Chair and Past President of the St. Louis Alumnae Chapter; Shirley A. Brown, Torch Committee Co-Chair; Ida Goodwin Woolfolk, Torch Committee Chair; Kim Banks, President SLA Chapter (top center); and Torch Committee members prepare for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s Centennial Celebrations.

Miss Robbie and Tim Montgomery of “Welcome to Sweetie Pies” at the NAACP Image Awards.

See SWEETIE, C4

How to place a calendar listing

1.Email your listing to calendar@stlamerican.com OR 2.Visit the calendar section on stlamerican.com and place your listing

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

black history activities

Thur., Feb. 7, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books Downtown hosts author Vida “Sister” Goldman Prince, author of That’s the Way it Was. These thirteen oral histories describe the daily struggle that pervasive racism in twentieth century demanded, but also share the tradition of self-respect that the African American community of St. Louis sought to build on its own terms. 321 N. Tenth St., 63101. For more information, call (314) 4363049.

Sun., Feb. 10, 1 p.m., 45th

Annual African American Arts Festival, “At the Crossroads: AStudy of Freedom and Equality”, Sun, Feb, 10, 2013, 1-6PM, St. Louis Community College Forest Park, 5600 Oakland, St. Louis, MO 63110. Call Angela Archibald at 314.265.1500 for more info.

Sun., Feb. 17, 7 p.m., Dance Plus presents Experience the African American Soundtrack of a Revolution Join us foran evening of African American History set to the soundtrack of our story. Dance, Song, Drama and Tribute. James J. Eagan Center, 1 Civic Center Dr., 63033. For more information, call (636) 578-4788.

Feb. 17 – 18, Missouri History Museum presents “Blind” Boone. Presentation on the accomplishments of itinerant musician John William “Blind” Boone, who was born in Missouri in 1864 to a former slave and lost his sight as a baby. 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 746-4599 or visit www.mohistory.org.

Sat., Feb. 23, 2:30 p.m., Julia Davis Library Branch hosts author Robert Moore, author of The President’s Men: Black

United States Marshall in America. 4415 Natural Bridge Ave., 63115. For more information, call (314) 383-3021.

Fri., Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m., St. Louis Symphony presents Lift Every Voice: Black History Month Celebration. The STL Symphony and vocalist Wintley Phipps come together for this soulful celebration full of spirit and song commemorating the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic speech, “I Have a Dream.” 718 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 534-1700.

Fri., Feb. 22, 7 p.m., The Singles Ministry of Central Baptist Church is sponsoring theirSecond Annual Black History Trivia Night William Claiborne Educational Center, 2843 Washington Blvd. Bonita Cornute, of KTVI News, will serve as host for the event.

concerts

Fri., Feb. 8, 7 & 10 p.m., AsacrGroup presents PreValentine’s Day Exclusive feat. Eddie Levert. Special guests Ray, Goodman & Brown. Starlight Room, 8350 N. Broadway, 63147. For more information, call (314) 4564826 or visit www.metrotix.com.

Sat., Feb. 9, 11 a.m., The Sheldon Concert Hall presents Kim Massie. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 533-9900.

Wed. Feb. 13, 6:30 p.m. & 9:15 p.m., Jokes and Jazz Productions Presents a PreValenties Special Evening with national recording artist Chrisette Michele, Comedian Special K of the Rickey Smiley Show and other special guests. Lumiere Hotel, 999 N. 2nd Street. For more info: 314289-8180.

CALENDAR

Fri., Feb. 15, 8 p.m., New Jack Swing Valentine Jam featuring Dru Hill, Tony! Toni! Tone!, Guy, SWV, and Al B Sure, Chaifetz Arena. Tickets available at MetroTix.com, by phone at 314-534-1111 and at the Chaifetz Arena Box Office.

Sat., Feb. 23, 6 p.m., Chaifetz Arena presents St. Louis Blues Festival. Performers include Mel Waiters, TK Soul, Bobby Womack, Denise LaSalle, Shirley Brown, Bobby Bland and Charles Wilson. One S. Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 977-5000.

Sun., Feb. 24, 7 p.m., The St. Louis Black Repertory presents Whitney Houston Tribute Concert. Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square, 63108. For more information, call (314) 534-3807.

local gigs

Fri., Feb. 15, 7 p.m., St. Louis Count Library presents House of Jazz. The sounds of jazz will ring through the air as local jazz band Soul Café Jazz Group performs a diverse and rich collection of music. Florissant Valley Branch, 195 New Florissant Rd., 63031. For more information, call (314) 994-3300.

Sun., Feb. 17, 5 p.m., Tish Haynes Keys presents “Love UnderNew Management” a Valentine Day concert Quintessential Dining and NightLife, 149 North Main Street, 63301. For more information, call (314) 308-8020 or visit www.metrotix.com.

special events

Fri., Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m., MidCounty Family YMCA hosts Daddy DaughterDance. Dads bring your daughters, ages 2-12, out for the date of the year. 1900 Urban Dr., 63144. For more information, call (314) 963-8689.

Feb. 8 – 10, Dramatic License Productions presents AValentine Cabaret, Chesterfield Mall, 63017. For more information, call (636) 220-7012.

Feb. 9 – 10, Chaifetz Arena presents Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: The Best Live Tour Ever. 1 S. Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, call 9314) 977-5000 or visit www.metrotix.com.

Sat., Feb. 9, 9 a.m., Kingdom House presents a Pancake Breakfast, proceeds benefit “Cotillion With a Twist,” Kingdom House, 1321 S. 11th

Sat., Feb. 9, 6 p.m., Missouri Botanical Garden presents Valentine’s Evening. Celebrate romance with great food, live music, and dancing at the lovely Garden. 4344 Shaw Ave., 63110. For more information, call (314) 5775100.

Sat., Feb. 9, 2 p.m., St. Louis Chapterof the Montford Point Marine Association, Inc. will be hosting its annual Chosen Few Banquet & Awards Ceremony with guest speaker The Honorable William Lacy Clay Jr., AirportMarriott Hotel.

Sat., Feb. 9, 8 p.m., Champagne and Stilettos Ladies Night Out, K.I.S.S. Fitness Studio Café and Spa, 2318 N. US HWY67, 63033. For more information, call (314) 837-8136.

St., 63104. For more information, call (314) 241-8319.

Sat., Feb. 9, 6 p.m., H. McGee AlexanderLodge #3 Presents : Love Land, Polish Heritage Center, 1413 20th Street St. Louis MO 63103. Light Hor’D’oeuvres, Live Performance by the Melvin Turnage Band. For Information Contact Andrew 314-4950088

Sat., Feb. 9, 6 p.m., Mercy Health Foundation St. Louis presents 9th Annual Monte Carlo Mardi Gras Masquerade. Proceeds from the event will benefit Mercy’s JFK Clinic and Mercy Neighborhood Ministry. Chase Park Plaza, 232 N. Kingshighway Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 251-1800.

Sat., Feb. 9, 11 a.m., YWCA presents 43rd Annual Alberta E. Gantt Valentine Fashion Show and Luncheon Proceeds benefit the YWCA Phyllis Wheatley Transitional Housing Program which helps homeless women get back on their feet. Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel, 800 Washington Ave., 63101. For more information, call (314) 531-1115 or visit www.ywcastlouis.org.

Sat., Feb. 9, 10:30 p.m., Ivy League Entertainment presents Masq and Beads II Mardi Gras Bash. The Rustic Goat, 2617 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 403-2208.

Sat., Feb. 9, 8 p.m., Soldan Class of 1973 presents PreValentine Dance. James J. Eagan Center, 1 Civic Center Dr., 63033. For more information, call (314) 520-9916 or visit www.soldanclassof73.com.

Wed., Feb. 13, 11 a.m., NCF CareerFair. This event will showcase companies hiring in the following industries: accounting/auditing, consumer products, hospitality/tourism, sales, and more. Doubletree Hotel St. Louis at Westport, 1973 Craigshire Rd., 63146. For more information, call (314) 434-0100.

Thurs., Feb. 14, 6 p.m., The Pulitzerand the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis present Sound Waves + Poetry: Valentine’s Day Event. The Pulitzer will feature Sound Waves, a collaboration with 88.1 KDHX, which creates a soundtrack of both live and recorded music in which to discover new ways of experiencing the Pulitzer’s current exhibition, The Progress of Love.The program will bring together visual art, music, poetry, and food. CAM will present activities that complement their exhibition, Jeremy Deller: Joy in People. The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, 3716 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 754-1589.

Fri., Feb. 15, 3 p.m., The VA St. Louis Health Care System presents The 2013 Valentines forVeterans Concert. This concert is a great way for veterans and their families to share time together and allows the St. Louis community to express appreciation and sup-

The Peabody Opera House welcomes Katt Williams.See COMEDY for more information.

port for the sacrifices of America’s veterans. Tickets are complimentary for veterans and their families. Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, UMSL, 8001 Natural Bridge Rd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 5164949.

Sat., Feb. 16, 8:30 a.m., The “New” Church hosts Job Readiness Fair. The event will feature presentations from professionals at Ameren, Monsanto and Purina-Nestle, along with free resume reviews and on-site mock interviews. The event is free, but space is limited. Individuals must register no later than Feb. 8. 2817 Utah, 63118. For more information and to register, visit www.thenewchurchstsl.org.

Sun., Feb. 17, 4 p.m., TNMIMAGES, TNM Media Corp & Prevail Institute for Flourishing Communities presents, Chocolate & Roses Fashion Extravaganza. To benefit the Priscilla Baltimore Community Center in Brooklyn, IL. Location: MahlerBallroom, 4915 Washington Blvd, St. Louis, MO, 63108. Tickets are available on line at: http://tnmimages.eventbrite.com/#, or for more information go to http://tnmimages.eventbrite.co m/#

Sat., Feb. 16, Lincoln University Founders’ Scholarship Luncheon, Renaissance Airport Hotel. For more information, contact Barbara Thomas at 314-229303.

Mar. 16 – Mar. 17, “Fantasy in Fabric,” Thimble & Thread Quilt Guild of GreaterSt. Louis’Quilt Expo 2013, Over 300 quilts by guild members will be on display, including quilts by internationally-known Ricky Tims, Greensfelder Recreation Center in Queeny Park at 550Weidman Road between Manchester and Clayton roads, in Ballwin, Mo. 63011. For more information: email hmttstl@gmail.com, visit thimbleandthreadstl.org or like us on Facebook at ThimbleThreadQuiltExpo.

comedy

Feb. 14 – Feb. 15, 7 p.m., The Peabody Opera House welcomes Katt Williams, Tickets may be purchased at the Ford Box Office at Scottrade Center, all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, by phone at 800-7453000 or online at ticketmaster.com

Mar. 9, 9 p.m., Mike Epps

Live with special guest Doug E. Fresh, Chaifetz Arena. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com or call (314) 534-1111.

literary

Fri., Feb. 8, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books and St. Louis Community CollegeMeramec presents Alan S. Blinder, author of After the Music Stopped. With bracing clarity, Blinder shows how the U.S. financial system, which had grown far too complex for its own good, experienced a perfect storm beginning in 2007. St. Louis Community College-Meramec, 11333 Big Bend Rd., 63122. For more information, call (314) 9847500

arts

Fri., Feb. 8, 5 p.m., The St. Louis University Museum of Art presents Roxanne Phillips: In Print, Opening Reception. Phillips applies multiple printing techniques to a single piece of art. The exhibition will run through March 31. 3663 Lindell Blvd., 63156. For more information, call 9314) 977-2666 or (314) 9773399.

Fri., Feb. 8, 6 p.m. 10th Street Gallery presents Opening Reception for“Past and Present” Group Exhibition of African American History; Featuring regional and global African American Artists, 10th Street Gallery.

theatre

Fri., Feb. 8, 8 p.m., COCA presents Continuing the Legacy. This show uses dance as a vehicle to take audience members through black history – from slavery to the jazz era, through the civil rights movement, to modern times. Performers include members of COCAdance. 524 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 725-6555.

Feb. 8 – 10, St. Louis Ballet presents Romeo & Juliet There will also be a pre-performance opening night gala at 6:00pm on February 8th in the Touhill lobby. Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, UMSL, 8001 Natural Bridge Rd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 5164949 or email becky@stlouisballet.org

Fri., Feb. 8, 7 p.m., The Black Rep presents Who Did

It? The Three Little Pigs. This lively and entertaining show offers a contemporary twist on a classic tale, and also features original music by Tre’von. Afterwards enjoy an inspiring puppet ministry by the Antioch Baptist Church as well as a variety of refreshments provided by a local African American restaurant. St. Louis County Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, call (314) 994-3300.

Feb., 8 – 9, LunarNew Year Festival 2013: Across the Water. An annual student-run production at Washington University featuring more than 150 performers in 13 acts. Edison Theatre, 6445 Forsyth Blvd., 63105. For more information, call (314) 621-3182.

Feb. 8 – 10, St. Louis Ballet presents Romeo & Juliet There will also be a pre-performance opening night gala at 6:00pm on February 8th in the Touhill lobby. Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, UMSL, 8001 Natural Bridge Rd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 5164949 or email becky@stlouisballet.org.

Through Feb. 10, Missouri History Museum presents Dolly’s Girls: Rivers of Women. Produced and directed by NAACPImage Award winner Lyah Beth LeFlore, this

21st Century: What and Why? This panel discussion is your chance to learn about new and old journals, to understand how to be published, and to meet and mingle with editors and writers. JC Penny Building, UMSL, One University Blvd., 63121.

Sat., Feb. 9, 7 p.m., St. Louis County Library Headquarters presents An Evening with Al Gore. A sober, learned and ultimately hopeful assessment about the emerging forces reshaping our world. The proceeds from this event will benefit the Library Foundation’s early literacy programs. 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, call (314) 994-3300 or visit www.brownpapertickets.com.

Sat., Feb. 9, 9 a.m., New Life Center presents Roadmap to Financial Freedom. Topics include the 7 key steps to eliminate debt and achieve financial freedom, how to recuperate from bad financial decisions and repair credit, and more. 11570 Mark Twain Ln., 63044. For more information, call (314) 291-4181.

poignant, humorous, and powerful play explores family, love, woman-to-woman experiences, race, and religion, driven by soul-stirring gospel, jazz, and blues, based on the works of poet and performing artist Shirley Bradley LeFlore. 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 361-9017 or visit www.mohistory.org

Feb. 13 – Mar. 9, The Black Repertory Company presents The Mountaintop. August 3, 1968, Memphis, The Lorraine Motel, Room 306. Where Martin Luther King Jr. spends his last day on earth. Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square, 63108. For more information, call (314) 534-3807.

lectures

Fri., Feb. 8, 7 p.m., Literary Journal Publishing in the

Tues., Feb. 12, 10:45 a.m., Ethical Society of St. Louis presents International Relations Lecture Series. Dr. Ed Weisbart will discuss “World Health Care: Where’s the Gold.” 9001 Clayton Rd., 63117. For more information, call (636) 587-2182.

health

Sun., Feb. 10, 9 a.m., Run for the Chocolate 5K. Get your heart healthy for Valentine’s Day and Run for the Chocolate. There will also be a 1-mile Walk for the Chocolate. Lumiere Place Casino & Hotels, 999 N. Second St., 63160. For more information, call (314) 862-1188.

Sat., Feb. 9, 10 a.m., Living Well with Diabetes: Where do I begin?, Mercy Winding Woods – O’Fallon, 300

Winding Woods Dr., 63366. For more information, call (314) 251-4906.

Mon., Feb. 11, 6:30 p.m., Updates in Breast Cancer Genomics: the Breast Cancer Landscape, St. Luke’s Hospital Emerson Auditorium, 224 S. Woods Mill Rd., 63017. For more information or to register, call (314) 238-2000 or visit www.cancersupportstl.org.

Mon., Feb. 11, 7 p.m., The Latest Insights on Preventing and Treating Heart Disease with Dr. Mark Friedman, Maplewood Public Library, 7550 Lohmeyer Ave., 63143. For more information, call (314) 781-2174..

spiritual

Sat., Feb. 9, 5 p.m., Empowerment Christian Church Married Couples Ministry presents ANight of Intimacy, Hazelwood Civic Center East, 8969 Dunn Rd. For more information, call (314) 769-1330.

Sun., Feb. 10, 3 p.m., Missouri Botanical Garden presents Celebrate the Gospel. In honor of Black History Month, enjoy soul-stirring renditions of traditional gospel favorites. Shoenberg Theater, Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Ave., 63110. For more information, call (314) 577-5100.

Sun. Feb. 10, 10 a.m. , St. Paul AME Church 172nd Church Anniversary, 1260 Hamilton Ave., St. Louis, Mo 63112.For more information, please call (314) 385-8900. Fri., Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m., The Worship CenterChristian Church hosts 2nd Annual Sweetheart Dinner. An elegant evening with dinner and entertainment. Featuring comedian DeAndre Whitner. RSVP only. 11339 St. Charles Rock Rd., 63044. For more information, call (314) 261-8700 or visit www.worshipcenterstl.com.

Asacr Group presents Pre-Valentine’s Day

Exclusive featuring Eddie Levert.See CONCERTS for details.

SWEETIE

line when a PR rep for the show told them to head inside.

“We had been there for hours because there were so many stars and things were moving slow,” Montgomery said. “When they called our name we were standing up in the auditorium – in the aisle trying to find our seats.” Montgomery and her Sweetie Pie’s family stood alongside the likes of Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Gladys Knight, Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte and the who’s who of Black Hollywood as the iconic civil rights organization honored African Americans in film, music, television, movies, literature and community service.

“I started sweating and my heart started pounding,” she said. “I was like, ‘Oh Lord, don’t let me have a heart attack.’” The whole cast came with her. She said they didn’t know if they were going to win, but they prayed the whole way there.

And when the dust settled,

early 1990s.

And when New Jack Swing ruled the R&B scene, Lyons and her group mates Cheryl

“Coko” Clemons and Tamara

“Taj” Johnson-George were among the first ladies. They exploded on the scene in 1992 with their hit “I’m So Into You.”

“SWV, we represented the ‘hood chicks – and we celebrated that,” Lyons said.

“Not meaning that we are not classy – but sometimes people just get so far away from their foundation, and that’s never us. We just wanted to be an inspiration for those girls and let them know, ‘Hey, we are from where we’re from but we

Sweetie Pie’s beat out ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, Fox’s The X Factor and The Style Network’s Tia & Tamera

Mayor Francis G. Slay issued a statement when he received word of the win.

“I am thrilled for Robbie Montgomery and honored for St. Louis. She represents the best we have to offer,” Slay said.

“She is a smart, talented businesswoman who is willing to work, hard and take risks to succeed in the very difficult restaurant business. The fact that she and her family have opened their lives to the cameras makes for good reality TV. The fact that she lives her life with integrity, ingenuity and determination makes for a good image of her, her restaurants and St. Louis.”

She also received a text from Oprah Winfrey herself congratulating them on their award that night.

“We are honored just to be with her and to win an award is even better,” Montgomery said of Winfrey. “I am hoping she is as proud of us as we are of her.”

In two seasons, Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s has become

still have talent and the love of music so we can make it.’”

Their music was indeed the soundtrack for the around the way girls. They sang about schoolgirl crushes, “fast girl” activities and illustrated that indescribable feeling of young love in a way that any urban girl could relate with.

“We’re from the Bronx and Brooklyn … it doesn’t get any more ‘hood than that,” Lyons said. “And we wanted our music to reflect who we were, and we wanted to make sure we made music that our people could listen to – music that was authentic, music that we felt. It was all about being funky. If you hear ‘I’m So Into You’ and you hear the baseline, it’s funky.”

They would go on to have a decade-long string of hits that included songs like “You’re Always on My Mind,”

a cultural phenomenon – and was the first breakout hit for Winfrey’s cable network.

“It’s amazing how I was a singer all these years and I had to quit because of my health,” Montgomery said, speaking of her days as an Ikette with Ike and Tina Turner.

“God restored that with something else greater. That’s a firm testimony right there that if you’ll be patient and believe in God, He will make a way –hey, He’s an on-time God.”

And in her golden years she has also become the most unlikely of reality television stars.

“For years, the industry wouldn’t let [older] people in,” Montgomery said. “Years ago, after a certain age we just kind of went home and retired.”

And she has her son, Tim Norman, to thank for it all.

“Tim was ecstatic. He was like, ‘I told you, Mama, I told you,’” Montgomery said.

“We were so excited. He was proud, and we are proud of him for having the idea. And we are proud of Cool Fire who shot the pilot and believed in us.”

She said it would impossible to list all of the people who had a hand in the show’s success.

“There are so many people we want to thank because this

“Anything,” “Rain,” “Can We” and their signature slow jam classic “Weak.”

Twenty years later, they’ve returned to music with a new album and have hit the road to a welcoming audience.

“This album right here is really going to make you feel good about aging,” Lyons said. “It’s going take 40 and 50 year olds back to the dance floor. You know how you put one hand in the air and start boppin’ it? That’s what it feels like.”

And when they take the stage next Friday, the group –along with all of the artists on the bill – wants fans to have a best of both worlds experience as they serve up a taste of the old and new.

“We want them to get to know us again and feel as though we never left,” Lyons said. “We want them to feel

would not be possible without all extra help we’ve had –especially the support from St. Louis,” Montgomery said. “My mom said, ‘You can go home when you can’t go no place else.’ That’s what I did, and the entire city has lifted me up –and it is such an honor. I am so thankful and highly favored. “

They start filming for season three in two weeks. Montgomery offered a sneak peak at what can fans can expect to see.

“One of the things that we are battling is if we are going to be able to hold onto the restaurant because of the veteran’s hospital,” Montgomery said. “If they prepare for me to go someplace else, I’m prepared to be a good citizen and move on and make room if that happens.”

But in the meantime, it’s back to work.

“We won an award but we didn’t become millionaires,” Montgomery said. “We will still be trying to do our thing – working to make Sweetie Pie’s one of the best restaurants in the world. We are going to continue, and we hope everyone will continue to support us.”

like they are teenagers again,”

Our hope and intention for the show is that people start loving each other again. If you’ve been having problems with your husband or your wife, when we sing ‘Weak’ we want y’all to fall in love all over again.”

It’s also an imperative for them that the audience gets into the groove.

“Don’t come to an SWV concert with your classy self,” Lyons said. “We want everybody to have a great time, enjoy the songs and sing along because we are going to give you everything that we have.”

The New Jack Swing Valentine’s Day Jam starring SWV, Guy, Tony Toni Tone, Al B. Sure and Dru Hill will take place at 8 p.m. Friday Feb. 15 at the Chaifetz Arena. For more info, visit www.metrotix. com or call (314) 534-1111.

DELTAS

Continued from C1

Frankie Muse Freeman, civil rights activist and Delta’s 14th National President, who will serve as Grand Torchbearer.

The St. Louis Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., with support from the St. Louis Metropolitan and Alpha Omega City-Wide Chapters, is serving as lead Chapter

to plan and coordinate local Delta Torch activities. Centennial Leadership is being provided by Centennial Chair Janet Bonner, Torch Chair Ida Goodwin Woolfolk and Torch Co-Chair Shirley A. Brown, Kim Banks and Louise Wilkerson are presidents of the St. Louis and Metropolitan Alumnae Chapters, respectively. The public is invited to attend this ticketed event. For ticket information, contact any Delta member or Shirley Brown at 314-367-8739.

Martin Luther King Jr.

The cast of “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” accepting their NAACP Image Award.

“This is the way you do it.No other way to go out and end a career.”

– Ray Lewis,on ending his career as a Super Bowl champion

IN THE CLUTCH

With Ishmael H.Sistrunk

Rise of the black quarterback

Maurice Scott,Jr.

East St. Louis Senior High School head basketball coach Tony Young’s team is not getting any respect in the metro east.

Winners of 11 in a row, the Flyers take there high-powered program into hostle territory tomorrow night against the Belleville West Maroons in a key Southwestern battle at West. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30p.m. Led by the leasttalked about tandem in 6’6” Johnny McCray, and 6’5” All-Stater DeShawn Munson, East St. Louis took on the then No. 1 ranked

Kaepernick almost follows in Doug Williams’footsteps

Sunday night, San Francisco

49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was a forgotten flag away from from becoming the first black signal caller to win the Super Bowl since Doug Williams back in 1988.

Now before you go and start questioning Kaepernick’s ethnic cred, yes he’s technically biracial –just like Barack Obama, Tiger Woods and Halle Berry. If there’s still any lingering doubt, he’s a Kappa for goodness sake. Black card activated. Now let’s get back on topic.

Kaepernick’s meteoric rise from

Alex Smith’s backup to Super Bowl runner-up in just his 10th game as a starter highlights the lightning fast rise of African-American QBs in the NFL. While guys like Warren Moon and Randall Cunningham excited fans and posted big numbers in the 80s and 90s, neither could lead their team to a title. The next generation included dynamic dual threats such as Donovan McNabb, the late Steve McNair, Kordell Stewart, Daunte Culpepper and Michael Vick. Each

of them reached a high level of popularity in their careers and all experienced a high level of success, but they too fell short of Super Bowl glory.

Now the next great wave of black quarterbacks and arrived, as athletic and accurate as ever. Last season, Cam Newton made the leap from Heisman Trophy winner and collegiate National Champion at Auburn to NFLRookie of the Year in his first season for the Carolina Panthers. Newton silenced

If there’s still any lingering doubt, he’s a Kappa for goodness sake. Black card activated.

critics who thought he wouldn’t succeed on Sundays by amassing over 4,000 yards as a rookie. In addition to Kaepernick, this season saw Washington’s Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson lead their teams

get my meaning?

None of these greats produced what this unheralded senior at East St. Louis is doing in terms of producing triple doubles on a consistent basis.

Sandy Hook steals SuperBowl show

By Eugene Robinson Washington Post

Robinson

The moment that most deserves to be remembered from Sunday’s thrilling Super Bowl came before the game, when Jennifer Hudson joined students from the Sandy Hook Elementary School in singing “America the Beautiful.” It was a heart-rending elegy for the fallen – and a stirring call to action. The brave students, in khakis and white polo shirts, survived the unspeakable massacre in Newtown, Conn., that left 20 of their schoolmates dead, riddled with bullets from an assault rifle fired by a madman. Hudson, the acclaimed recording artist and Oscar-winning actress, lost her mother, brother and

The performance of Sandy Hook Elementary School students singing “America the Beautiful” brought tears to the eyes of some of the players.

Pregame song gives NFLfans much to think about nephew to Chicago’s endemic gun violence in 2008 when a troubled relative went on a murderous rampage; she had to identify all three bodies at the morgue. The performance brought tears to the eyes of some of the players –and, surely, many television viewers. It was a reminder that life goes on, but also that we must not lose sight of unfinished business: reducing the awful toll that barely regulated, insufficiently monitored commerce in powerful weapons takes on inno-

Students from Sandy Hook Elementary School joined Jennifer Hudson in singing “America the Beautiful”at the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Maurice Scott,Jr.

Eugene

DeShawn Munson

With Mike Claiborne

Claib’s bits – short, but pointed

Be it this is the shortest month of the year, it is only fitting to respond in kind with some short but yet pointed observations.

Yes, Beyonce is worth the price of admission. Even her most staunch detractors, haters and what have you had to give her credit on her Super Bowl performance. Stunning, creative and the Destiny’s Child reunion is that subtle reminder of her past and that the past can get along with the present day. What the whole JayZ thing is all about is still a head-scratcher, but live and let live, I guess. On the subject of the Super Bowl, Shannon Sharpe. Enough already. Dan Marino, stop it. CBS, congrats on selling out all of your Super Bowl Advertising as CBS seemed to be the biggest purchaser of time promoting many washed up shows and reminding everyone that they are number one in something. You just have to look long and hard. Jack Lord is turning over in his grave, I am sure.

Some big wins against some good teams at home, a chance to win the conference for the first time since the early 1970’s and a coach who has no idea of will he return next season. This Billiken bunch is worthy of more support from the locals. My only concerns is that the administration and zealot fans don’t go haywire and have the “big time” swagger and spoil a possible good run well into the tournament.

The NFLis broken. Poor leadership at the top, a tumultuous season that saw job action by officials, suicides, concussion issues, poor play, hiring exclusions and the season’s biggest game being partially decided on poor officiating. With all this said, Commissioner Roger Goodell will tell you all is good with the NFL. Even worse, many believe him because they just want football. Is anyone paying attention to St. Louis University basketball these days? They should.

Speaking of tournament, I hate to say it but Mizzou could be more than a handful. I only hate saying it because they have had some tough luck when it comes to the tournament, as you may well know. Pick a team or coach and the Tigers have always had a spot of trouble in March. Maybe this is the year when you least expect it. Ditto to those who follow the same trait of big timing it as Billiken fans. While no one covers the high school scene like Earl Austin Jr., I would not be out of step in saying the best high school stories in the area are what is happening at Madison Prep and Incarnate Word Academy. Madison Prep Coach Tony Irons just gets the job done no matter where he is and what he has to work with. As for Incarnate Word they have a good chance in going undefeated this year with the most complete roster in the area including Naphessia Collier, considered by many to be the best player in the state and maybe in the country in her class. Better things are ahead for coach Dan Rolfes. Hopefully after Collier gradu-

Alex Rodriguez,it was reported,continued to use performance-enhancing drugs long after he admitted he stopped.

ates. How about this St. Louis Blues hockey team? They have picked up where they left off last season. The best thing they have going is that this year they have local ownership that gets it. The Blues have a talented team that has the tools to get to the Stanley Cup Finals. Yes, I feel good about their chances and suggest you give them a try. Nothing could be more fun this spring than for

the Cardinals to get off to a good start, the Rams have a believable draft and the Blues play well into June. All are real possibilities. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, the Lakers’season is over. Do not be fooled by the ESPN hype. The Dwight Howard acquisition has not worked out. It is similar to the mess he left in Orlando. At the time I thought it was more management and coaching in

Orlando that was the reason for the anarchy. They fired coach and GM in Orlando because of it and now the Lakers are in their third coach this season. It seems like wherever Howard ends up these days, a rain cloud is sure to follow. He is a free agent at the end of the year. In my opinion he will do the Lakers a big favor if he is elsewhere next year. Remember, the Lakers did not lose much as Andrew

Bynum has yet to play for the Philadelphia 76ers. Just think, $19 million off the salary cap if Howard goes someplace else. I’m in.

I am also in if Alex Rodriguez never earns another red cent playing baseball. This documented liar apparently continues to do more of the same as it was reported that he continued to use performanceenhancing drugs long after he admitted he stopped. Why am I not surprised that his body just recently broke down and he is no longer the man at any level? He has denied the accusations, but then again he has denied them before only to find out that he lied.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its newest inductees last Saturday and once again they messed it up. I have no problem with many of the selections, but can someone explain to me why the player who has been on more Super Bowl-winning teams with a purpose is still on the outside looking in? Charles Haley was on five Super Bowl-winning teams. If that is not enough, try these numbers on for size: fivePro Bowl selections (1988,1990, 1991,1994,1995), twoAllProselections (1990,1994) and the 100 Sacks Club. Haley has had off-field issues that have not helped his cause, but if that is a deterrent then the Hall of Fame as we know it would be half full. Haley should be viewed for what he did on the field. That alone is why he should have gone in this year and years before that. On a brighter note, it does look good for Aneas Williams and Orlando Pace, who will be up for the Hall next year.

Scoreboard-busting in STL

In four games winning team scores 90-plus points

The St. Louis area was the place to be last week if you wanted to see some high-scoring games. Usually, scores in the 40’s and 50’s are the norm around town, but we had a few scoreboard-busting games that surely entertained the folks who attended them last week.

The one I witnessed last Friday night was the Southwestern Conference showdown between Belleville East and East St. Louis. The host Flyers defeated Belleville East 90-85 in a real thriller.

Senior guard Deshawn Munson was incredible for East Side with 30 points, 16 rebounds, 11 assists and eight steals. Muscular power forward Johnny McCray added 28 points for the Flyers. Standout guard Malcolm Hill led Belleville East with 37 points while junior Darreon Reddick added 21 points.

Last Thursday night, Riverview Gardens edged McCluer North 95-91 in an overtime show-stopper at “The View.” Senior guard Tyrin Williams led all scorers with 41 points for Riverview. McCluer North was led by juniors Dorian Holland and Rashad Lindsey, who scored

35 and 31 points, respectively. In a Suburban East game on Friday night, Jennings defeated Clayton 92-84 as Courtney Stockard led the winners with 32 points and Brandon Hollins added 22 points. In another Suburban East game, McCluer SouthBerkeley defeated Affton 9375 in another shootout.

Senior guard

Deshawn Munson was incredible for East Side with 30 points, 16 rebounds, 11 assists and eight steals.

Viking watcher

One of the more interesting teams to watch as the season continues to unfold are the Normandy Vikings. Normandy has quietly emerged as one of the teams to watch in Class 4.

The Vikings have scored victories over Maplewood, Duchesne and Ladue, who are all contenders in their respective classes. Normandy also led Illinois small-school power Cahokia in the fourth quarter before losing a close game. The Vikings are good size and athleticism up front and some solid guards as well. Do not sleep on Normandy.

Big Games this Week

Hazelwood Central has a couple of big games this week. The Hawks will visit Maplewood in a big nonconference game tonight. On Saturday, Central will visit Riverview Gardens in a game that could decide the Suburban North Conference championship. East St. Louis will visit Belleville West in a Southwestern Conference game on Friday night. The Flyers entered the week on an 11-game winning streak. On Saturday, Cardinal Ritter will take on Duchesne in the Archdiocesan Athletic Association Showcase at St. Francis Borgia at 2 p.m. It will be the feature game of several contests involving AAA schools.

Arch Angels Tryouts

On the women’s semi-pro basketball front, the Arch Angels of St. Louis will be holding tryouts on Saturday, February 9 at the Rec O Plex (2038 Chambers Road) in St. Louis. The tryouts will be held from 5-7 p.m. Prospective players must be at least 20 years of age and have had collegiate playing experience. Players must submit contact information to the team’s Facebook page @ Arch Angels Basketball. Also, list college, height and weight.

Mike Claiborne

Earl Austin,Jr.

CLUTCH

Continued from C5

to the postseason as rookies. Griffin helped the Redskins double their wins to earn a playoff berth and followed in Newton’s honors in being named the top rookie. His impact on the team was so great that Coach Mike Shanahan gambled on the kid’s future when he played his star player, despite a bum knee, in the playoff because he felt Griffin could lead his team to a Super Bowl. Of course the move backfired and Griffin suffered a severe knee injury, but his uncanny accuracy as a passer should allow him to return to success on the field once his injury is healed. Wilson finished third in the ROYvoting, but his impact was just as significant on the field. After beating out a highpriced free-agent acquisition (Matt Flynn) for the starting role, Wilson took command of the Seahawks and racked up clutch plays all season long to lead his team to an 11-5 record and just missed a shot at the 49ers in the NFC Championship game when the Falcons pulled off a lastminute comeback from the Seahawks comeback. With the success and rising popularity of these new age quarterbacks of color, the old adage of “you can’t win with a running quarterback” (aka black quarterbacks can’t get it done) is being thrown out the window. More teams are now running versions of the option, wildcat and pistol offenses to keep defenses guessing. While Griffin ultimately paid for his heart and happy feet, Kaepernick was only hit six times during the season. Even though he averaged 6.6 yards per carry, he was smart enough to slide or get out of bounds before defenders could catch up to him. His size and scrambling smarts should help him stay as injury-free as you can expect in tackle football. Newton is another big boy who can dish a hit as well as take one. What does this mean for the

EAST SIDE

Continued from C5

In last Friday’s game against the so-called No. 1 team in the area, Munson had 18 points at halftime. The Flyers led by as many as 23 points before holding off a late Belleville East rally. Munson finished with a line of 29 points, 16 rebounds, 11assists and eight steals while playing point guard.

With Munson leading the way, the Flyers are a serious threat to capture a possible Southwestern Conference championdhip, and an Illinois Class 3AState Championship next month.

DeShawn Munson’s game has matured so much under the guidance of Young, who was quite a headache most nights in his own right while playing for the Salukis of Southern Illinois.

“Deshawn is such a good kid, and has really bought in to our team philosophy, and the goals we have set for our team this year.,” Young said. “Both he and senior Johnny McCray are two of the best in the state.

Continued from C5

cent victims, day after day after day. Despite the best efforts of the National Rifle Association to make sure this business remains unfinished, reducing gun violence remains stubbornly high on the nation’s agenda. This is partly due to the ravings of Wayne LaPierre, the NRA’s executive vice president and spokesman, who almost single-handedly is making the pro-gun argument sound even crazier and more irresponsible than it is.

On Sunday, LaPierre treated viewers of “Fox News Sunday” to some of his lunacy. Anchor Chris Wallace gave him the opportunity to disavow the NRA’s shameful ad accusing President Obama of hypocrisy for supporting gun control while his own family is protected by armed Secret Service agents. The president’s daughters “face a threat that most children do not face,” Wallace pointed out.

“Tell that to people in Newtown,” LaPierre replied. He was about to continue in this vein before Wallace interrupted.

“Do you really think the president’s children are the same kind of target as every school child in America?

That’s ridiculous.”

When Obama unveiled his far-reaching proposals on gun violence, it appeared initially that the NRAwas willing to

They both are playing well as seniors for us right now, getting us ready for the stretch run.”

I have witness with my own eyes the maturity of Munson, who has had his share of being accused for his lack of maturity in the past. Some of it was warranted, but mostly not. He is a young man, a child still. I ask some of you who like to be critical of most teenagers. What were you doing when you were teenagers? Making mistakes like some of the ones we are critical of. Yes, some are off the chain! But, be mindful in some instances that they are just kids.....

So in DeShawn’s case, I’m so proud that this young man has matured and playing great under his new head coach.

Sometimes, a change is better for all. And for Munson and his teammates, they are on a roll as the hottest team in the area. After tomorrow night’s game at West, there is an upcoming showdown with Edwardsville.

The Flyers, who will separate after the league schedule is complete later this month, is

compromise. NRAPresident David Keene seemed to indicate the organization would accept universal background checks for gun purchases while strongly opposing proposed bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. But LaPierre declared Sunday that that the NRAwill resist any new legislation.

Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords testified at last week’s Senate hearings; she spoke only briefly, because it is still difficult for her to form words after being shot in the head two years ago. The gunman was wielding a semiautomatic

on a collision course with cross-town rival Cahokia in the sectional playoffs. Cahokia is led by the duo of Keenan Minor and Darius Austin. It will be a great game, but there quite abit if basketball left. And a conference championship is the first priority. After handing East its first league loss, the Flyers must continue to win and get some help from other teams in order to gain a share of the conference title.

As for Deshawn, he desrves more recognition by the local press for his achievments this season. Especially after being snubbed by other conference coaches for reasons those who voted against him never answered. I posed the question to all of them?

How could DeShawn Munson make Second Team All- State, and not even make honorable mention All Conference?

I never got a response from any of them......

So, keep doing a great job young man. Listen to your coach, and move on with your career.

More important, good

pistol with a 33-round magazine. No one can convince her that if we lived in the world the NRAwould like to see we would be safer. Nor can anyone convince the children of Newtown. Or Jennifer Hudson’s family.

The NRAis powerful but not omnipotent. Polls show that Americans favor sensible gun control; if Obama and other proponents of sanity keep the issue alive, we can achieve it. From sea to shining sea. Eugene Robinson’s email address is eugenerobinson @washpost.com.

future of minority QBs in the NFL? Alot. Even after Vick and McNabb shot to superstardom owners, coaches and GMs were still wary of handing the reigns to “dual threat” QBs. Guys like Brad Smith, Joshua Cribbs and Antwaan Randle El were forced to switch positions to continue cashing professional paychecks. But the NFLis a copycat league, so with each success will come another opportunity for the next black quarterback. In addition to Vick, Kaepernick, Newton, Griffin and Wilson, Josh Freeman has been the starter in Tampa Bay for several seasons. Also Thaddeus Lewis and Aaron Pryor will get long looks during the off-season after filling in for injured starters to finish out the season. Eventually those increased opportunities will trickle up and we’ll see more African-American coordinators, coaches and executives since successful quarterbacks are often seen intelligent leaders and are shown plenty of love by their organizations after they hang up the cleats. The future is bright for black quarterbacks in the NFL. As teams begin to build around them, one thing is certain. Doug Williams won’t be the sole signal-calling brotha with championship bling for too much longer.

Follow In The Clutch on Twitter @intheclutchstl and Ishmael Sistrunk on Google+.

luck this season, and with all the blessings and awards you get this season. You have earned them young man.

Napheesa Collier

Incarnate Word Academy – Girls Basketball

The 6’2” sophomore was voted the Most Valuable Player of the Webster Winter Challenge after leading the Red Knights to the championship.

Collier set a new tournament record with 68 points in the Red Knights’three games. She had 33 points, six rebounds, five steals and three blocks in a 68-31 victory over Belleville East in the first round. In the semifinals against Webster Groves, Collier had 25 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks in IWA’s 67-28 victory. In the championship game against Rock Bridge, Collier had 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in a 56-39 victory. For the season, Collier is averging 24.6 points, 12 rebounds and 2.6 blocks while shooting 69 percent from the field. She is already being recruited by many of the nation’s top collegiate programs.

San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick

Nuptials

Cedric Montgomery and Samantha Anderson are happy to announce their forthcoming marriage.Samantha is employed with the St.Louis Office for Developmental Disability Resources as a Service Advocate. Cedric is an Internet Sales Manager at Glendale Chrysler,Jeep,and Dodge.The wedding will be held St.Stanislaus Kostka Church in St.Louis MO,on February 16, 2013.The couple plans to continue to reside in St.Louis MO where they were both born, raised,and fell in love.

Reunions

All reunion announcements can be viewed online!

Join the Northwest High Alumni class of 1971, August 2-5, 2013 on the largest Caribbean Parade in North America. Single Room, $614; Double Room, $465; Triple

Room, $402. Departure: 12:30 am Friday 8/2/13, Return: Monday.8/5/13. Trip includes 4 days/3 nights hotel accommodations, round trip motor coach travel, Caribana Parade, shopping, night life, festivities, day tour of Niagara Falls (Canadian side). Balance due in full byJune 20, 2013. For more information contact: Diane at 314-498-6886, Vernida at 314-369-8489or woodsvernida@yahho.com, or Jeanette 314-398-0383.

Northwest High School Class of 1973, planning is underway for the 40th reunion of the Class of 1973! The reunion is

~ CELEBRATIONS ~

Birthdays

On Feb. 3, Trina Simmons celebrated her 37th birthday. We wish her a Happy Birthdayand many more!

Happy 16th Birthday to Bryce Gales-Smith on February 4!

Love, Mom

Happy 64th Birthday to Jewell Graham (Gillespie) on Feb 3!

With love from your family and friends

Happy Birthday to longtime St. Louis American staff member Loistine McGheeSutton on Feb. 6!

Naila B. Taylor is a true blessing who was born on February 3, 2002. Naila means “she who shall succeed” in Swahili. She recently graduated from prophet school and currently praise dances with Rhema International Dance Ministry. We love you!

planned for July 19-21, 2013. Send your contact information including email address, phone and mailing address to northwesths1973@gmail.comto ensure you receive all reunion updates. Information has also been posted on Classmates.com and Facebook Group: Northwest High School 1973.If you have questions feel free to call Cornelia Clark Stephens at 314-580-1114.

O’Fallon Tech Class of 1968 45-year reunion planned for June 7-8, 2013. 1969 grads are invited too! If interested send contact info via email to ofallontech68@gmail.com

Bryce Gales-Smith

Riverview Gardens High School Class of 1993 20-year class reunion, Saturday, July 27, 2013 at Joe Buck’s downtown. Please go to http://rghs93.classquest.com to add your contact info. St. Nicholas Grade School Reunion May 3-5, 2013. Alumni/Associates Contact 314-353-2027 or vwharp@yahoo.com.

SumnerAlumni Association celebrates African American History with emphasis on some “First” in distinctive positions atits 10th Annual Round-Up Sunday, February 24, 2013, 1-4 p.m. at Sumner

High School.Also, we will honor alumni that have served as Civil Servants of all levels of government, as well as first responders.AReception will be held in the gym from 1-1:45 p.m. with displays, souvenir items, photographer, and more. New and renewal of alumni memberships acceptedin the foyer.Program starts at2 p.m. in the auditorium.For more info, contactP. Mason at 314.556.3944, J. Vanderford at 314.454.0029 or email:sumnersince1875@yahoo.com. Vendors are welcome($50 in advance); contact B. Louis at 314.385.9843.

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 Kate Daniel 4242 Lindell Ave St. Louis, MO 63108 FREE OF CHARGE

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

Jewell Graham (Gillespie)

Trina Simmons

Naila B. Taylor

Loistine McGhee-Sutton

Religion

Botanical Garden celebrates the Gospel

Plus, New Life Center hosts free financial workshop

American staff

The Missouri Botanical Garden will host its 24th Annual Celebrate the Gospel concert 3 p.m. Sunday, February 10 at the garden, located at 4344 Shaw Blvd.

The First Baptist Church of Chesterfield choir will perform traditional and modern renditions of inspirational gospel music. “Bring the entire family to enjoy this lively performance by the esteemed and talented choral group,” organizers urge.

The concert will be held inside the Garden’s Shoenberg Theater. Seating is limited and available first-come, firstserved.

Celebrate the Gospel is included with Missouri Botanical Garden admission of $8 for adults and free for children ages 12 and under.

St. Louis City and County residents enjoy discounted admission of $4. Missouri Botanical Garden members are free. Free parking is available on site. For more information, visit www.mobot.org or call 314577-5100 or 1-800-642-8842.

New Life Center hosts financial workshop

A free community workshop

on “Financial Freedom” will be held 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, February 9 at New Life Center, 11570 Mark Twain Lane in Bridgeton.

In the current economic state, and following a high-spending holiday season, financial consultant Marvin Mitchell is one of many who realize that times are difficult. “Families are struggling financially,” said Mitchell, “so we are doing what we can to assist.”

The “we” to which Mitchell is referring, is a collaborative effort between New Life Center (NLC) Stewardship Ministry and Money Smarts School of Finance for Children.

“This program will bring families closer together, because in life they are working together as a team and not as individuals,” said Mitchell.

“They will be gaining peace of mind, learning to work as a unit when it comes to being smart with money management, and being aware of the effect that even the smallest financial decisions have on the family.”

While adults are in the main session being instructed on key principles that bring financial freedom, there will be ageappropriate interactive sessions for K-12 learners.

“We have something for everyone, so bring your kids, too. They will learn fun and creative ways to handle money and to use financial planning

A scene from the 2012 Celebrate the Gospel concert at the Missouri Botanical Garden. The 2013 concert will be held 3 p.m. Sunday, February 10 at the

strategies to the entire family’s benefit,” said Mitchell.

“Imagine your child saying to you, ‘Hey, for Christmas, I don’t want this toy, let’s get this one instead, because it’s half-off.’ Or, ‘Is it okay if I take part of my allowance and put it in the bank?’”

Darlene Martin is president and founder of the nonprofit organization, Money Smarts School of Finance for Children.

“The far-reaching effect of exposing children to an in-depth education of personal financial literacy and financial education at the earliest age possible allows the molding of behaviors and skill levels that foster the financial well being of individuals and families.” Martin said.

Christina Blash, Financial Freedom Director of Community Relations, agrees with Mitchell and Martin about the workshop’s content and goals.

“I believe it is imperative to develop healthy financial

Many of us have begun this brand new year of 2013 with a resolve to live healthier lifestyles by exercising more, eating healthy, and losing those extra, unwanted pounds.

Others are in the process of implementing a plan that will promote the cleansing of our bodies of all the poisons and toxins that have accumulated over time.

habits as early as possible,” Blash said. “If individuals, families, and communities can successfully apply solid financial principles now, our lives and futures will surely be more financially secure and blessed.”

For more information on the workshop, e-mail NLCstewardship@gmail. com or call New Life Center at 314-291-4181. To preregister, visit iamfree. eventbrite.com.

Prayer Breakfast for Inspired Overflow

A Prayer Breakfast for the Inspired Overflow Radio Ministry will be held 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, February 9 at CCI Events Center, 8310 Olive. Inspired Overflow Radio Ministry is led by Kacie Starr Triplett. Tickets can be purchased at www. InspiredOverflow.com.

We are refraining from eating unhealthy foods and replacing them with healthy nutrients. We are learning that when our bodies become toxic, our systems become extremely compromised. Impurities that are not properly eliminated, adversely affect every cell in our bodies.

So how can we apply this same principle to our spirit?

residual effects. Frequently, we have not released the disappointment, the hurt, or the frustration; nor have we released the person who has caused the disappointment, the hurt or the frustration. Pain, resentment and bitterness of the past can erode our present as well as our future.

Is it possible that our inner self can become toxic? If that is true, then it is time for Spiritual Detoxification or a Spiritual Detox. It is just as important that we empty our souls of spiritual toxins that have accumulated over time. Just as natural toxins prevent us from eliminating impurities, spiritual toxins can hinder the flow of the spirit. Even though we may emerge from negative situations with some level of success, quite often there are some

Failure to forgive is one of the weapons that the enemy uses to keep our spiritual, inner self toxic. The Bible conceptualizes forgiveness as “passing on to those who have sinned against us the same mercy that we ourselves received from God.” In other words, we must extend to others the same grace that we received from God.

Forgiveness begins with a decision. It does not require that we remain in toxic relationships or that we leave the door open for further infractions. We can establish and maintain healthy boundaries even after forgiveness. We must not allow ourselves to carry resentment, hurt, anger or bitterness into new situations. Release it, and move on! Joyce A. Graham is founder of Back to the Basics Ministries, www. bttb-ministries.org. You may contact her at joyceagraham@bttbministries.org

The American is accepting Inspirational Messages from the community. Send your column (no more than 400 words) as a Word document and pasted text to cking@stlamerican. com and attach a photo of yourself as a jpeg ile. Please be patient; we will run columns in the order received.

Joyce A. Graham

garden.

Photo by Christina Kelley

American staff

careercenter

2012 Secondary Mathematics Teacherof the YearAward

The St. Louis Public School District has awarded the 2012 Secondary Mathematics Teacher of the Year Award to Ms. Ashley Rench, a Mathematics teacher from Cleveland Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) High School.

An educator with the district since 2007, Ms. Rench has taught all levels of high school Mathematics, from remedial mathematics to AP Calculus, and has served as the Mathematics Department Chair at Cleveland for the past three years.

“No assignment is too difficult for Ashley. For example, she has a split class where she teaches two subjects, Math Theories and Advanced Algebra, in one period,” said Ms. Victoria Shearing, Academic Instructional Coach.

“Any other teacher would be intimidated by such an impossible task, but not Ms. Rench, who not only teaches both subjects concurrently with success, she also makes it look easy.” To become the 2012 Secondary Mathematics

Teacher of the Year, applicants were asked to explain their philosophy and approach to teaching; be recommended by a principal and a professional colleague; and pass a classroom evaluation conducted by a team of professionals.

“Ms. Rench is one of the pillars of our Cleveland community. She serves as a mentor for our new and prospective teachers, coaches girls’athletics, sponsors the senior class, and works as the APCalculus group leader for the District.

She is exactly the sort of teacher that every principal dreams of having,” said Dr. Susan Viviano, principal at Cleveland NJROTC High School, who recommended Rench for the award. As the 2012 Secondary

Kathleen Taggart, Curriculum SpecialistMathematics; Ashley Rench, award recipient; and David Shanks, Curriculum SpecialistMathematics.

Mathematics Teacher of the Year, Ms. Ashley Rench was honored with an awards reception and presented with a $1,000 award from the St. Louis Public Schools Foundation.In addition, she was presented with a trophy, a plaque, and a $500 award for classroom supplies and/or professional development through the Parsons Blewett Memorial Fund.

Harrison Center to host FAFSA Frenzy

Need assistance filling out college financial aid forms? Free help is on the way. And you could win a scholarship just by attending the FAFSA Frenzy event at St. Louis Community College’s William J. Harrison Education Center 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16.

FAFSAis the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which is the first step in applying for federal financial aid and many state programs. Families will be able to complete the 2012-13 FAFSAon site and obtain valuable information.

The center, located at 3140 Cass Ave. in St. Louis, will have financial aid professionals on hand to assist students

and parents with the FAFSA process.

Next school year, the U.S. Department of Education will make more than $150 billion in postsecondary financial aid available to students throughout the nation. As part of a College Goal Sunday (CGS) program, FAFSAFrenzy makes applying for financial aid easier by providing students with free help. Participants are asked to bring:

2012 W-2 forms. Copies of their 2012 tax forms, if they are ready. If students or their parents have not yet filed 2012 returns before they attend a FAFSAFrenzy event, they should be sure to bring any statements of interest earned in 2012, any 1099 forms, and any other forms required to complete taxes. This will allow students and their parents to submit FAFSA online during the event. The student will then need to go back to the FAFSAand submit corrections once tax returns are filed. The IRS Data Retrieval Tool should be available to help submit corrections accurately within a few weeks after the tax file date.

Student PIN and parent PIN.

Students and parents may apply for PINs at www.pin.ed.gov before attending a FAFSAFrenzy event.

Students who attend a FAFSAFrenzy event will be entered into a statewide drawing to win a scholarship.

Winners will receive their scholarships upon receipt of enrollment verification for the 2012 fall semester at a Missouri postsecondary institution. Scholarship funds are being provided by the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority and by the Missouri Association of Student Financial Aid Personnel.

All students will receive gift bags with helpful information for planning and paying for college. This is the 10th year Missouri is participating in the CGS program. During the past nine years, CGS/FAFSAFrenzy has helped more than 7,300 Missouri students.

1st Friday at The Office. My weekend festivities popped off with 1st Fridays. For the latest edition they occupied the all-new Office (formerly Binion’s). The usual fleet of fly folks flocked in so thick that they should have sold booths at the Family Dollar that sits next door. Hey, I would have had no problems being perched up in the home décor section if it meant I had some elbow room! But I had to square my shoulders back and forward to get from front to back up in there. But the folks didn’t seem to mind… they were poppin’ and carrying on as usual – and it was a good look with the young, black and fabulous deep in the building. I hear that the Office offers a kickin’ it opportunity every Friday night. If you decide to stop through, be sure to tell them I sent you!

Alright then Avant. I can’t say that I thought I would ever hear the world’s “sold out” and Avant in the same sentence (what…you were thinking it!). But he indeed is heading to town without an empty seat in the house for both of his sets at Lumiere Theatre Saturday night. Before anyone gets started, I have to say that I’m not pointing it out to shade him at all. He just hasn’t been a mainstay on the scene in a minute. Actually my whole point is to shout out the promotions team (and their supporters) over at Delux Magazine that pumped him up! He hasn’t been to town since Loni’s Love Lounge brought him to the Loft a few years back. I will be sure to let y’all know how he does.

Super Swag. Usually I make my rounds to three, or five…or seven parties for the “big game” every year, but the Coliseum and the Hot Foxy folks (a.k.a. Hot 104.1 FM and Old School 95.5) had it so cracking that I didn’t feel the need to go anywhere else! Actually I went two other places that were an utter bust, so I’m pretending that they didn’t happen. I knew when I heard Red The Barbeque man’s raspy laugh (from the kitchen) all the way at the door that I was in for a delight. By the time I showed up there, Beyoncé had already caused her electrical frenzy that rivaled our great power outage of 2006. The NFL folks said it wasn’t her, but those LED lights fashioned as a replica of her lacefront could not have been a coincidence. But it made for a great second half – because it went from the Ravens looking like they were playing the pee wee league over at Wohl’s community center to the 49ers actually looking like they belonged in the championship. It looked like they ran out and picked folks from other teams who were there enjoying the festivities and paid them to suit up for San Francisco during the emergency delay, but I’m not a football expert by any means, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt.

But y’all came here to get the scoop on the party – not the game – so I’ll get on with it. It was a good look! The people, the energy and the excitement as the game became worth watching was fantastic. I also loved the splendid mix of folks that came through. Borderline ratchet, apparently near religious, refined and ordinary people were all in the building. And I got a chance to spend a minute or two with some of my favorite Radio One St. Louis personalities, including DJ Kut, KiKi The 1st Lady and Zoe Luv. It just might be a contender for my best of 2013 edition.

Frank McComb Karaoke. I didn’t find out about it until the 11th hour, but I had the chance to partake in a delightful do-over when soul singer and musician Frank McComb returned to town to showcase his skills (and uncanny musical resemblance to St. Louis’ own Donny Hathaway) Saturday night at The Rustic G.O.A.T. I wasn’t sure how it was going to work, but I was quietly thrilled with the concert/cabaret/musical dinner ambience they served up. Soul lovers and several church singers (relax, I won’t shame your pastors by calling you out individually) were deep in the building. So much so, that halfway through the set he invited a woman who asked him to sing the song she hemmed him up and requested, as he walked in it was like Donny and Roberta 2.0. Well, not exactly Roberta… but she was still good. And then this teddy bear of a brother who was giving the side show of life, as he sang from his seat, volunteered himself up to the stage and sang too. I don’t think he was aware of how we get down – but he learned that day! Aside from the sound system that McComb called “a work in progress,” the show was fantastic! On top of his silky vocals, Frank tore the keys up and bass man Alvin Quinn had me declaring him my musical soul mate by the way he brought that rhythm sound together! The only downside of the evening was the FACT that those bar seats are not big-sexy friendly! I’m telling you, I needed an Aleve because of the strategic squat I had to force myself into to keep from falling off or getting…um…let’s just say impaled. I can’t wait until the Rustic G.O.A.T. does it again…and next time I’ll come early enough to get a seat on one of the couches!

Music Therapy in the mix. Actually, I won’t have to wait long at all, because my girl Selena J will step out of Majic 100.3 FM studios and on to the stage at the Rustic Goat. Y’all didn’t know she was a poet?...And you know it! Anyway it’s going to be yet another night of good grown folks getting together and a great vibe. She will be kicking off the monthly concert series MUSIC THERAPY with an 8-piece band, Unifyah, and comedian Terrell this Sunday (Feb. 10). The show will be hosted by Bell, music by DJ Epic and house band Music Unlimited. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Oh and for those of you who don’t know, The Rustic G.O.A.T is located at 2617 Washington Ave.

Catina ,Tiffany, Kathi, and Matha eager to enjoy the smooth sounds of soul/jazz singer Frank McComb Saturday night @ The Rustic Goat

Thanks to Stephen Reed St. Louis fans were able to vibe with gifted soul/jazz singer Frank McComb Saturday night @ The Rustic Goat

Broadway dancer/ actress Hettie Barnhill-Gertler returned to St. Louis with her new husband Robert Rob Royalty Gertler for a hometown wedding reception

Photo

Asia, Tierra, Shadress and Tiffany made their way to the Office for 1st Fridays

Anthony and Candace came out to see Case and celebrate Super Smooth Promotions going two years strong Saturday night @ The Coliseum

1st Fridays own Harry and his lovely wife Dawanna were among the hot couples on hand for 1st Fridays @ The Office

Brittani Williams and Adrianne Martin came through to support the Precious Portraits art Show Saturday evening @ Soho

DJ Kut and Red (The Barbeque Man) on deck for one of the best Super Bowl parties in St. Louis Sunday night @ The Coliseum

Poet 16 Bars and Anastasia on standby for some good soul music as Case prepares to take the stage Saturday night @ The Coliseum

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

Flu vs. cold: Which is it?

By Denise Hooks Anderson,M.D. Medical Accuracy Editor

Afew weeks ago at church, I witnessed a cultural shift within the congregation. During our morning meet-andgreet portion of the service, the pastor encouraged parishioners to do fist bumps instead of our traditional hand shake, hug or kiss. He cautioned us about spreading germs during this cold and flu season. We even had hand sanitizer strategically placed throughout the building. And I must admit that it was pretty adorable to see the elders of the church bumping fists!

So far this year my office schedule is full of adults and children with this horrible virus that is going around. Patients are coming in with high fevers, coughs, chills and sore muscles. Not all of these are influenza infections. However, some are indeed the dreaded “flu.”

I wanted to spend a little time clarifying the difference between “a cold” versus “the flu.” I hear a lot of people claiming they had “the flu” but in actuality they probably had any number of other viruses. In a study of preschool aged children in Australia, picornovirus made up 50 percent of the viruses seen with the next highest prevalence seen by

adenovirus. The most common virus in adults is rhinovirus.

Rhinovirus is transmitted via small and large particle aerosol and hand contamination. Your colleague coughs but forgets to cover his mouth. The infected droplets from his respiratory tract get on the phone that you share as well as travel through the air. You then touch the phone and later self-inoculate yourself by touching your mouth. It is also important to know that viruses can last two hours to seven days on inanimate objects. In a 2002 study of 1,100 airplane passengers, 20 percent reported a cold five to seven days after their flight.

Denise Hooks Anderson,M.D.

The common cold or upper respiratory infection causes symptoms such as runny nose, cough, nasal congestion, and sometimes mild fever. Symptoms typically peak at day three or four and begin to resolve around day seven. However, symptoms can last 10 days to rarely three weeks.

Now in my experience, it is usually at day four when patients start demanding antibiotics. It is very difficult for patients

to accept that there are no medicines that I can prescribe that will eradicate the virus. Antibiotics treat bacterial infections, not viruses. Nevertheless, there are medications such as nasal sprays and decongestants to treat some of the symptoms. In addition, rest, fluids, and fever-reducing medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen are also beneficial. In contrast, influenza has a much more dramatic constellation of symptoms and presentations. Influenza is contracted in similar ways as the other less virulent viruses. However, patients are far sicker: higher fevers, greater fatigue, and severe muscle pain. Patients often report feeling like “they have been hit by a Mack truck.” I can usually just walk in the exam room and make this diagnosis by just looking at the patient. These patients look ill. These patients are sprawled out over the table and barely have enough strength to sit upright. Each year there are approximately 30,000 deaths related to influenza. Young children and the elderly are the most vulnerable. It is not uncommon for persons infected with influenza to also have a superimposed pneumonia as well. The pneumonia is a result of fluid secretions accumulating in the lungs and that fluid becoming infected with bacteria. This viral/bacterial duo increases morbidity and mortality and often many of these patients need hospitalization which may include an intensive care unit admission.

Treatment for influenza and other viruses is essentially the same. However, if influenza is confirmed within the first 48 hours of symptoms, a medication called Tamiflu can be prescribed. Tamiflu does not “cure” the flu. Tamiflu simply lessons the duration of the illness and symptoms may or may not be as severe. It is also important for the household contacts of the person infected with influenza to also receive a prophylactic dose of Tamiflu to prevent acquiring the virus. But this must also be given within 72 hours.

So during this cold and flu season, please adhere to these guidelines to stay healthy:

ï Cover your mouth when you sneeze/cough; use the crook of your arm

ï Wash hands often; use hand sanitizer liberally

ï After washing hands, use a clean paper towel to turn off faucet and to open doors

ï Keep your immune system healthy by eating 5 to 9 servings of fruits/veggies daily

ï If you have a fever or flu-like symptoms, please stay home from work or school

ï Get your flu vaccine; It does not give you “the flu”

Take home point this week: Not every runny nose and body ache is “the flu.”

Yours in Service, Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D. Assistant Professor SLUCare Family Medicine yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com

YourHealth Matters

Abi-monthly special supplement of the St. Louis American February 7, 2013

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

Denise Hooks Anderson, M.D., Medical Accuracy Editor

Sandra Jordan, Health Reporter

Debbie Chase, Director of Health Strategy & Outreach

Onye Ijei, Barb Sills, Pamela Simmons, Sales

Michael Terhaar, Art/Production Manager

Angelita Jackson, Cover Design

Wiley Price, Photojournalist

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

Kim Edmonds,a Zumba instructor,teaches a class at the O’Fallon (Missouri) Family YMCA as a fundraiser for the American Heart Association.During last year’s class,Edmonds suffered sudden cardiac arrest and was revived by people who knew cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and paramedics with an Automated Defibrillation Device (AED).

by Wiley Price

When dropping isn’t ‘hot’

By Sandra Jordan

Of The St.Louis American

CPR still saves lives in sudden cardiac arrest

It was immediately after a Zumba class warm-up that instructor Kim Edmonds came off stage and fell to the floor. She was in cardiac arrest. That was a year ago, come February 18.

“I was talking to two of my fellow Zumba instructors and basically, they said in mid-sentence, I stuck my hands out and I said, ‘Whoa,’and basically collapsed to the ground,” Edmonds said.

She started having a seizure when she landed. Although she doesn’t remember anything about the incident, a nurse who was nearby was called into action.

“From what she said, she kind of stabilized me while I was having my seizure and once my seizure was over,

she realized I didn’t have a pulse,” she said. “So they started CPR on me right away ... my heart stopped beating somewhere between five and 10 minutes; they aren’t exactly sure for how long.”

The facility being used at the time did not have an Automated Defibrillation Device, or AED, she said. AEDs are lightweight, battery-operated portable devices used on a person whose heart stops beating.

“Katy and another girl were doing CPR on me the whole time until the ambulance got there and then they took over,” she said.

Paramedics brought in an AED, and used sticky pads with attached sensors to send information about Edmond’s heart rhythm to find out if an electric shock is warranted.

“They did the shocks on me with the AED machine twice before they even got a pulse or a heartbeat,” Edmonds said.

CPR and the AED were vital to restoring her heart rhythm when every minute counts. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute states each minute of sudden cardiac arrest leads to a 10 percent reduction in survival.

Edmonds spent three days in a coma at nearby St. Joseph’s Hospital.

“They induced the coma; they cooled my body temperature down to preserve any brain activity,” Edmonds explained. After she woke up, it was seven days of intensive care.

“And then I found out I had to get a defibrillator just in case my heart went into an irregular beat pattern, which had happened before I had my cardiac

arrest,” she said. Edmonds said she was transferred to Missouri Baptist Hospital for the surgery to implant the defibrillator.

The Zumba class Edmonds was planning to teach that fateful day was a fundraiser for the American Heart Association, an organization she had become involved with because of her personal heart history.

Afew months prior, Edmonds underwent surgery to replace a heart valve due to aortic stenosis. The aorta is the trunk of the main blood vessel that carries blood from the heart all through the body except for the lungs. In aortic stenosis, the aortic valve is unable to open fully, decreasing blood and oxygen flow from

Photo

Emergency Dept. expansion at Saint Louis University Hospital

Saint Louis University Hospital will begin a $1.5 million emergency department expansion this month, adding additional rooms to the region’s busiest trauma center. The expansion is a 16-18 week project, adding five additional rooms, a new nurses’station and workspace.

“This space gives our patients more privacy and is something we’ve been waiting for anxiously,” said Laurie Byrne, MD, director of emergency medicine at Saint Louis University. “Volume continues to grow yearly and we need the space.”

Volume has climbed by more than 10,000 patients over the past decade to just over 39,000 patients in 2012, according to Helen Sandkuhl, RN, administrative director of nursing, emergency, trauma and disaster services.

“With fewer emergency rooms in the city of St. Louis, we have seen added volume and this expansion is necessary to address that,” said Sandkuhl.

St. Louis-based BSALifeStructures is the architect and McGrath and Associates, Inc. is the contractor.

HEALTH BRIEFS

Many black hypertension patients not prescribed beneficial medicine

Newswise — Aresearch study of more than 600 black patients receiving home care with uncontrolled hypertension found that less than half were prescribed a diuretic drug with proven benefit that costs just pennies a day, report researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College and the Visiting Nurse Service of New York’s (VNSNY) Center for Home Care Policy and Research. The researchers say these new findings should be taken as a serious wake-up call for physicians who treat black patients with hypertension.

Their study, reported in the American Journal of Hypertension, found that the patients in the study who used the common diuretic drugs had, on average, lower blood pressure (both systolic and diastolic) than the patients who did not receive them.

“We were surprised to find that this beneficial and low-cost drug was not being prescribed for more patients who would benefit from it,” said the study’s lead investigator, Dr. Linda Gerber, a professor of public health and director of the Biostatistics and Research Methodology Core at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Many previous studies have shown that diuretics are particularly helpful in black patients with hypertension and should be used as first or second-

line treatment; findings that have been written into treatment guidelines. Also, several recent clinical trials have reported that newer classes of agents are not superior to the older diuretic agents, especially in blacks. Newer drugs for hypertension include angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEs), angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) and calcium-channel blockers (CCBs).

“Yet, we find that physicians are not using the drugs as they should in a population that is especially hard hit by high blood pressure, and who suffer greater prevalence, severity, organ damage and mortality from the disease compared to other groups,” said Gerber, who is also a professor of epidemiology in medicine at Weill Cornell.

While Gerber did not speculate on why this phenomenon is occurring since doctors were not interviewed as part of this research, study co-author, Dr. Samuel Mann, a professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell and a hypertension specialist at the Hypertension Center of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, has some theories.

“Guidelines are not rules and they are not enforceable, and some physicians may worry about potential side effects of diuretics which, although not uncommon, are not a major problem. And in patients with uncontrolled hypertension, the ben-

Migraine with aura may lead to heart problems

Newswise —Women who have migraines with aura, which are often visual disturbances such as flashing lights, may be more likely to have problems with their heart and blood vessels, and those on newer contraceptives may be at higher risk for blood clots, according to two recently released studies.

The first study showed that migraine with aura is a strong contributor to the development of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke.

The Women’s Health Study involved 27,860 women, 1,435 of whom had migraine with aura. During the 15-year study, there were 1,030 cases of heart attack, stroke or death from a cardiovascular cause. The study examined the relative contribution of various vascular risk factors to these major cardiovascular events.

efit of treating with a diuretic far outweighs the risk of side effects that are generally very manageable,” Mann said. “Also, newer drugs are promoted much more aggressively than diuretics. However, many studies show that diuretics work very well, particularly in black patients, so between their effectiveness and low cost, their use should be a no-brainer.”

“Communicating effectively with patients’physicians and persuading them to review the medications of patients with uncontrolled hypertension is an ongoing challenge for home care nurses,” said study co-author Dr. Penny Feldman, director of the VNSNYCenter for Home Care Policy and Research and senior vice president for Research and Evaluation at VNSNY. “Our study shows that close monitoring of patient medications can help identify inconsistencies and divergence from current approved medical guidelines and make inroads to help improve the health and quality of life of black patients with hypertension.”

Study investigators found that 5.5 percent of participants were not prescribed any antihypertensive drugs, and that only 46 percent were prescribed a diuretic.

“After high blood pressure, migraine with aura was the second strongest single contributor to risk of heart attacks and strokes,” said study author Tobias Kurth, MD, ScD, of INSERM, the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Bordeaux and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Kurth is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. “It came ahead of diabetes, current smoking, obesity, and family history of early heart disease.”

Kurth cautioned that while people with migraine with aura have an increased risk, it does not mean that everyone with migraine with aura will have a heart attack or stroke. He said people with migraine with aura can reduce their risk by not smoking, keeping blood pressure low and weight down and exercising.

The second study looked at women with migraine who take hormonal contraceptives and the occurrence of blood clots. The study involved women with migraine with and without aura who were taking both newer contraceptives such as the contraceptive patch and ring and older contraceptives. Of the 145,304 women who used the contraceptives, 2,691 had migraine with aura and 3,437 had migraine without aura.

Women with migraine with aura were more likely to have experienced blood clot complications such as deep vein thrombosis with all types of contraceptives than women with migraine without aura. The occurrence of blood clot complications was also higher in women with migraine who took contraceptives than women taking the contraceptives who did not have migraine.

Why learn CPR?

ï Cardiac arrests are more common than you think, and they can happen to anyone at any time.

ï Nearly 383,000 out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrests occur annually

ï 88 percent of cardiac arrests occur at home.

ï Many victims appear healthy with no known heart disease or other risk factors.

ï Sudden cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack.

ï Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when electrical impulses in the heart become rapid or chaotic, which causes the heart to suddenly stop beating.

ï Aheart attack occurs when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle is blocked. Aheart attack may cause cardiac arrest.

Source:American Heart Association

ZUMBA

Continued from page 3

the heart.

Edmonds said she visited her cardiologist regularly; once or twice a year. Asteady increase in her normally low blood pressure and the fact that she was getting fatigued much sooner while teaching exercise classes were signals that it was time to have her heart valve replaced.

Heart surgery was followed by three weeks of cardiac rehab. Edmonds said she felt great and her doctors said she wouldn’t need future surgeries for the valve issue. She was eager to start teaching the high-energy cardio-aerobic classes again.

As it turns out, Zumba didn’t cause the cardiac arrest, Edmonds said.

“They said that my surgery and my valve had nothing to do with my cardiac arrest, but that was the first thing that everyone was presuming,” Edmonds said, after EKGs and tests on the installed valve. “From what they said … probably by me having the surgery when I did could have been one of the reasons I made it out of the code situation when I had the cardiac arrest. Because I had fixed my valve already, if I would have had the cardiac arrest and not the surgery, I may not have made it through – plus the fact that they started CPR right away.”

Jump ahead to February 1, 2013 and Edmonds is again teaching Zumba to raise awareness about heart disease for the American Heart Association. The event was held at the O’Fallon Family YMCA, which does have an AED device on site. Although the location of last year’s event and life-changing incident did not have an AED at the time, it has since invested in one.

“As far as exercising and how I feel right now, I feel amazing,” Edmonds said. “I can’t complain.”

Although Edmonds life was saved by someone she didn’t know, data indicates the life you save by learning CPR will more than likely be a loved one. The AHAstates four out of five cardiac arrests occur at home. Additionally, African-Americans are almost twice as likely to experience cardiac arrest at home, work or in another public location than Caucasians, and their survival rates are twice as poor.

The AHAsays bystanders who witness the sudden collapse of an adult should dial 911 and provide high-quality chest compressions by pushing hard and fast in the middle of the victim’s chest. HandsOnly CPR is CPR without mouth-to-mouth breaths The AHArecommends its use by people who see a teen or an adult suddenly collapse in an “out-of-hospital” setting (such as at home, at work or in a park).

For demonstrations on how to perform hands-only CPR, visit http://tinyurl.com/CPRwithHands.

Nursing student wants to work with children

By Sandra Jordan Of The St.Louis American

Nursing school freshman Kayla Stallworth of North St. Louis County wants to take care of people when they are sick. Although she is in her first year at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Mo., the Deaconess scholar has plan to become a registered nurse; then earn the advanced education and skills.

“After graduation, my plan is to start working toward becoming a nurse practitioner,” Stallworth said.

The Normandy High School graduate said her particular interests would be working with children.

“I love kids and I love helping them even when they are sick and can’t take care of themselves,” she said.

Stallworth said the Deaconess scholarship helped her with classes and with her first nursing class at the beginning of the semester.

The Deaconess Scholarship collaboration between The Deaconess Foundation, The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis and The St. Louis American Foundation provides financial support to selected students in nursing school with the overall goal of increasing the nursing pool in the St. Louis area. And back to the St. Louis is where Stallworth would like to build her nursing career.

“I would love to work at BarnesJewish Hospital,” Stallworth added.

For others considering nursing, Stallworth advices students to stay focused and maintain a high grade point average.

The Deaconess Foundation Nursing Scholarship will be awarded to 10-15 students annually (avg. award $6,000). Students must be permanent residents of the St. Louis metropolitan area and pur-

suing nursing (RN, BSN) at an accredited, nonprofit school. Awards are based on financial need, strength of character, and academic potential.

All correspondence will be communicated by email, so it is important to have a valid email address when you start the application.

To apply, students must complete the two applications by April 15: the

Deaconess Foundation Nursing Scholarship and The Scholarship Foundation Interest-Free Loan in Scholarship Central at www.sfstl.org.

Students selected to receive the Deaconess scholarship may also be given an opportunity to accept or decline an interest-free loan or other grants through SFSTL.

Additional information may be

Nursing school freshman Kayla Stallworth of North St.Louis County wants to take care of people when they are sick.Although she is in her first year at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg,Mo.,the Deaconess scholar has plan to become a registered nurse; then earn the advanced education and skills.

obtained by calling The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis at 314-725-7990 or via email atinfo@sfstl.org.

For applications, select the link “Deaconess Foundation Nursing Scholarship” at https://stlouisgraduates.academicworks.c om/.

Can blood pressure drugs reduce dementia risk?

Newswise —People taking the blood pressure drugs called beta blockers may be less likely to have changes in the brain that can be signs of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia, according to a recent study of 774 elderly Japanese-American men who took part in the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study.

Autopsies were performed on the men after their death. Of the 774 men, 610 had high blood pressure or were being treated with medication for high blood pressure. Among those who had been treated (about 350), 15 percent received

only a beta blocker medication, 18 percent received a beta blocker plus one or more other medications, and the rest of the participants received other blood pressure drugs.

The study found that all types of blood pressure treatments were clearly better than no treatment. However, men who had received beta blockers as their only blood pressure medication had fewer abnormalities in their brains compared to those who had not been treated for their hypertension, or who had received other blood pressure medica-

tions. The brains of participants who had received beta blockers plus other medications showed an intermediate reduction in numbers of brain abnormalities.

These included two distinct types of brain lesion: those indicating Alzheimer’s disease, and lesions called microinfarcts, usually attributed to tiny, multiple, unrecognized strokes. Study participants who had taken beta blockers alone or in combination with another blood pressure medication had significantly less shrinkage in their brains.

“With the number of people with

Alzheimer’s disease expected to grow significantly as our population ages, it is increasingly important to identify factors that could delay or prevent the disease,” said study author Lon White, MD, of the Pacific Health Research and Education Institute in Honolulu. “These results are exciting, especially since beta blockers are a common treatment for high blood pressure.”

Earlier research has shown that high blood pressure in midlife is a strong risk factor for dementia.d pressure drugs reduce dementia risk?

Fewerminorities get screened forcolorectal cancer

Newswise — Anew study conducted in the Center for Health Policy at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health has determined that racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to be screened for colorectal cancerin the United States.

The study, which analyzed data from across the country between 2000 and 2005, was conducted by Jim Stimpson, Ph.D., director of the Center for Health Policy at UNMC. Results were published in a recent issue of the public health journal,Health Affairs.

The data revealed that 42 percent of Caucasians were screened for colorectal cancer, compared to 36 percent of

African Americans, 31 percent of Asian and Native Americans and 28 percent of Hispanics.

“This is evident of a significant health disparity of a preventable yet fatal disease affecting thousands of people in the United States,” Stimpson said.

Another interesting aspect of the study showed that characteristics of a community could impact screenings rates, such as those areas with a low supply of gastroenterologists or counties withouthealth insurance, Stimpson said.

There is an assumption that only lack of access and money are the primary barriers of getting screenings, but this study found that for people of ethnicity –

African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans – other factors come into play, he said.

Those factors include transportation barriers, paid time off from work and health literacy.

In particular, among Hispanics high levels of fatalism and low levels of health literacy amonglow incomeearners may play a role in whether the person seeks out screening, Stimpson said.

“Racial and ethnic minorities have unique challenges navigating the health care system, in some cases because they are immigrants and there are language issues, or they live in areas with high levels of uninsurance, or are in areas

with few gastroenterologists,” he said. Stimpson’s suggested solutions include identifying incentives forhealth care providersto perform colonoscopies in underserved areas; facilitate screenings by transporting patients to clinics; reimbursing physicians for procedures in underserved areas; and training other health care providers to conduct colonoscopies under the supervision of a gastroenterologist via telemedicine.

“Colorectal cancer screening saves lives,” Dr. Stimpson stressed. “We need to increase the number of people who get this screening, and especially focus on solutions that reduce the disparity in screening for racial or ethnic minorities.”

Fact vs. fiction: The truth about quitting

What are some myths about smoking?

The 2010 Surgeon General’s Report revealed new information about smoking. Below are three myths (fiction) about smoking that may surprise you.

Myth #1: Smoking is just a choice.

The first time? Yes. After just a few cigarettes? No. Addiction to nicotine in tobacco products can happen quickly. It changes the chemical balance in your brain. Most people who use tobacco are addicted. Breaking nicotine addiction is harder for some people than others. Quitting can take sev-

eral tries. But don’t give up.

Myth #2: Filters make cigarettes safer

No. Filters do not protect you. They are designed to make smoke particles smaller. That makes nicotine easier to absorb. This increases addiction. Filters also speed nicotine’s path to your brain. No cigarette is safe. Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals. At least 250 are toxic.

Myth #3: An occasional cigarette is no big deal.

No. Smoking doesn’t just cause diseases for heavy smokers or longtime smokers. Each cigarette you smoke hurts

your lungs, your blood vessels, and cells throughout your body. Smoking a few cigarettes a week can cause a heart attack. Cutting back is not enough to protect you. You have to quit entirely.

Where can I go forhelp? Free resources

Within MO & IL: 1-800-QUITNOW(1-800-784-8669)

Connect to counseling and information about quitting or chewing.

Anywhere in the U.S.: 1-877-44UQUIT(1-877-448-7848)

Counselors from the National Cancer Institute are available to answer questions in English or Spanish, MondayFriday, 8:00 am-8:00 pm.

Read about St. Louis resident area

resident, Joella Vordtriede’s lung cancer story in the newspaper in February.

The Program forthe Elimination of Cancer Disparities (PECaD) at the Siteman CancerCenteris working to eliminate local and regional disparities in cancer education, prevention and treatment through community outreach, research and training. To learn more about cancerorto get involved with PECaD, call 314-747-4611, email PECaD@wudosis.wustl.edu or write to us at SCC-PECaD, Campus Box 8100, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110. Look forfuture articles in HealthMatters.

Loneliness, like chronic stress, taxes the immune system

Newswise —New research links loneliness to a number of dysfunctional immune responses, suggesting that being lonely has the potential to harm overall health.

Researchers found that people who were more lonely showed signs of elevated latentherpes virusreactivation and produced more inflammation-related proteins in response to acute stress than did people who felt more socially connected.

These proteins signal the presence of inflammation, and chronic inflammation is linked to numerous conditions, including coronary heart disease, Type 2diabetes, arthritis and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as the frailty and functional decline that can accompany aging.

Reactivation of a latent herpes virus is known to be associated with stress, suggesting that loneliness functions as a chronic stressor that triggers a poorly controlled immune response.

“It is clear from previous research that poor-quality relationships are linked to a number of health problems, including premature mortality and all sorts of other very serious health conditions. And people who are lonely clearly feel like they are in poorquality relationships,” said Lisa Jaremka, a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research at Ohio State University and lead author of the research.

“One reason this type of research is important is to understand how loneliness and relationships broadly affect health. The more we understand about the process, the more potential there is to counter those negative effects – to perhaps intervene. If we don’t know the physiological processes, what are we going to do to change them?”

The results are based on a series of studies conducted with two populations: a healthy group of overweight middle-aged adults and a group of breast cancer survivors. The researchers measured loneliness in all studies using the UCLALoneliness Scale, a questionnairethat assesses perceptions of social isolation and loneliness.

The researchers first sought to obtain a snapshot of immune system behavior related to loneliness by gauging levels of antibodies in the blood that are produced when herpes viruses are reactivated.

Participants were 200 breast cancer survivors who were between two months and three years past completion of cancer treatmentwith an average age of 51 years. Their blood was analyzed for the presence of antibodies against Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus.

Both are herpes viruses that infect a majority of Americans. About half of infections do not produce illness, but once a person is infected, the viruses remain dormant in the body and can be reactivated, resulting in elevated antibody levels, or titers – again, often producing no symptoms but hinting at regulatory problems in the cellular immune system.

Lonelier participants had higher levels of antibodies against cytomegalovirus than did less lonely participants, and those higher antibody levels were related to more pain,depressionand fatigue symptoms. No difference was seen in Epstein-Barr virus antibody levels, possibly because this reactivation is linked to age and many of these participants were somewhat older, meaning reactivation related to loneliness would be difficult to detect, Jaremka said.

Previous research has suggested that stress can promote reactivation of these viruses, also resulting in elevated antibody titers.

“The same processes involved in stress and reactivation of these viruses is probably also relevant to the loneliness findings,” Jaremka said. “Loneliness has been thought of in many ways as a chronic stressor – a socially painful situation that can last for quite a long time.”

In an additional set of studies, the scientists sought to determine how loneliness affected the production of proinflammatory proteins, or cytokines, in response to stress. These studies were conducted with 144 women from the same group of breast cancer survivors and a group of 134 overweight middle-aged and older adults with no major health problems.

Baseline blood samples were taken from all participants, who were then subjected to stress – they were asked to deliver an impromptu five-minute speech and perform a mental arithmetic task in front of a video camera and three panelists. Researchers followed by stimulating the participants’immune systems with lipopolysaccharide, a compound found on bacterial cell walls that is known to trigger an immune response.

In both populations, those who were lonelier produced significantly higher levels of a cytokine called interleukin-6, or IL-6, in response to acute stress than did participants who were more socially connected. Levels of another cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, also rose more dramatically in lonelier participants than in less lonely participants, but the findings were significant by statistical standards in only one study group, the healthy adults.

With breast cancer survivors, researchers also tested for levels of the cytokine interleukin 1-beta, which was produced at higher levels in lonelier participants.

When the scientists controlled for a number of factors, including sleep quality, age and general health measures, the results were the same.

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 at St. Louis ConnectCare, Suite 203 at 5535 Delmar, St. Louis, Mo. 63112. For more information, call (314) 879-6468.

Respiratory Health

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

Prescription Cost Help

St. Louis ConnectCare Retail Pharmacy – Offers a $4 generic prescription program. Hours are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mon. – Fri., no weekends or holidays. Located at 5535 Delmar Blvd. in St. Louis, Call 314-879-6208.

Schnucks Pharmacies – now offers cer-

HEALTH RESOURCES

tain 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.

Prostate Cancer

The CancerCenterof The Empowerment Network at 6000 W. Florissant in St. Louis provides information on prostate and other types of cancer, and services and support. For more information, call 314-385-0998.

Nutrition

Food Outreach provides 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.

Medical

St. Louis ConnectCare offers walk-in services 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.

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

Information

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

Health Partnerships

The CenterforCommunity Health and Partnerships: Building Bridges for Healthy Communities works to develop and support beneficial community-academic partnerships to address the health needs of the St. Louis. For more information, email publichealth@wustl.edu; phone 314-747-9212 or visit publichealth.wustl.edu.

Dental

Free Dental Hygiene Clinic - No charge

dental exams, x-rays, cleanings and other dental services for children and adults. Patients needing more extensive dental work (fillings, crowns, etc.) will be referred to local dentists. For information, call 314-768-7899.

Diabetes

SSM St. Mary’s Health Center provides free, Diabetes Support Group sessions the second Tuesday of every month from 6 – 7 p.m. Located in Room 1 on the second floor, 6420 Clayton Rd. in St. Louis. To register, call toll free 866-SSM-DOCS (866776-3627).

Behavioral

Christian Hospital offers free and confidential psychiatric and chemical dependency evaluations at the Christian Hospital Center for Mental Health. For more information, call 314-839-3171.

Christian Hospital Key Program offers support and education to patients with chronic mental illness to prevent increased severity of symptoms and to reduce the need for inpatient re-hospitalization. Call confidentially to 314839-3171 or 1-800-447-4301.

Sat. Feb. 9, 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., “A Healthy Heart is a Happy Heart,” Christian Hospital Heart Fair, Detrick Bldg Atrium, 11133 Dunn Road at I270 & Hwy 367; Cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure screenings; ask the experts; refreshments and more. Screenings and info booths until 12 NOON; lecture at 1 p.m. Call to register at 314-747-WELL(9355).

Sat. Feb. 9, 10 a.m., Urologist Dr. Arnold Bullock receives Black History Month Hero Award by The Empowerment Network at Metropolitan Village Apartments, 3114 Franklin Ave., St. Louis, 63108. For more information, call 314-385-0998 or visit TheEmpowermentNetwork.net.

Mon. Feb. 11, 10 a.m. – Noon, Look Good, Feel BetterAmerican Cancer Society free makeover for anyone currently undergoing or just finishing cancer treatment; Christian Hospital Cancer Resource Center, POB 2, 11125 Dunn Rd., 63136. Certified cosmetologists demonstrate the use of wigs, turbans and scarves, nail care and cosmetics use. Complimentary cosmetics and skin care products provided. Register by calling 314-747-WELL(9355) or 1-877-747WELL(9355).

Fri. Feb. 15, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sixth Annual African American Nursing History Conference at the UMSLJC Penney Conference Center. The Theme, “Health Disparities: ACall to Action.” Event includes free health screenings to the community, including weight, blood pressure, HIV/AIDS, glucose, kidney, cholesterol, prostate, asthma, sickle cell, mental health, vision and EKG. No registration or fee is required. Register by February 10 by calling (314) 516-5655 or go online to pcs.umsl.edu/aanhc.

Fri. Feb. 15, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., HerHear: Every Beat Counts, SSM Heart Institute education and screening event, The Heart of St. Charles Banquet Center, 1410 So. 5th St., St. Charles, Mo. Blood pressure, body fat, cholesterol and glucose screenings will be offered from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. There

YOURHEALTH MATTERS

CALENDAR

is a $10 fee for the fasting cholesterol and glucose screening and appointments are required. For more information or to register and schedule a screening time, call 1-866-SSM-DOCS (1-866-7763627) or visit www.ssmhealth.com/heart.

Sat. Feb. 16, 10:30 a.m. – Noon, Barnes-Jewish health screenings at Kamikaze Kutz, 4221 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, St. Louis, 63113

Sat. Feb. 16, Noon – 1:30 p.m., BarnesJewish health screenings at Harry’s BarberService, 4619 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, St. Louis, 63113.

Tues. Feb. 19, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., American Red Cross Blood Drive, Christian Hospital Detrick Building Atrium, 11133 Dunn Rd. 63136. Register at www.redcrossblood.org and use the sponsor code: christianhospital; or email slm9123@bjc.org.

Wed. Feb. 20, 9 – 10 a.m., Cholesterol and a Healthy Heart Diet, by the BJC Heart Care Group, Jamestown Mall Food Court. Learn how food choices made today can affect health and wellbeing for life; free cholesterol and glucose screenings. To register, call 314747-WELL(9355).

Thurs. Feb. 21 – Mar. 28, 1:00 – 3:30 p.m., Living AHealthy Life, Northwest HealthCare, 1225 Graham Rd. Community Room. Six-session self-management course is for those with such chronic conditions as heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema or others to increase confidence in managing your own health. $10 fee includes book and relaxation CD. To register, call 314-747-WELL(9355).

Sat. Feb. 23, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., SSM Heart Institute HerHeart Every Beat Counts education and screening day at Orlando Gardens Banquet Center, 8352 Watson Rd., Webster Groves, Mo. Blood pressure, body fat, cholesterol and glucose screenings will be offered from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. There is a $10 fee for the fasting cholesterol and glucose screening and appointments are required. To regis-

ter and schedule call 1-866-SSM-DOCS (1-866-776-3627) or visit ssmhealth.com/heart.

March 2, 6 p.m., 23rd annual Orchid AAFAirby the Asthma and Allergy Foundation at the Four Seasons Hotel. For more information, call 314-645-2422 or email jdunsmore@aafastl.org.

Sat. Mar. 9, 6 p.m., Lupus Foundation of America Purple Ball, Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel Crystal Ballroom, 800 Washington Ave. For more inforation, call 314-644-2222 or visit lfaheartland.org.

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.

Mondays, 7 p.m. – “Tobacco Free for Life” support group – free weekly meetings at St. Peters Mo. City Hall. Supported by SSM Cancer Care; RSVP

initial participation to 636-947-5304.

Tuesdays, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. – Alcohol and Drug Information Meeting, Christian Hospital Professional Office Building 2, suite 401.For information, call 314-839-3171.

Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. –STEPS Schizophrenia Support Group This nationally recognized program provides education and support for those with schizophrenia. Group is facilitated by an experienced STEPS nurse. For more information, call 314-839-3171.

First Thursdays, 10 a.m. – Family Support Group by NAMI St. Louis, The Alliance on Mental Illness at the Grace Hill Murphy-O’Fallon Health Center, 1717 Biddle St. No registration needed; no cost. For more information, call 314-962-4670.

Free psychiatric and chemical dependency evaluations are confidential at the Christian Hospital Center for Mental Health. Call 314-839-3171.

HEALTH Q & A

LSM wants to know:

The answer comes from area health care providers.

Appointments are not needed at St. Louis ConnectCare, which offers $15 flu shots in its urgent care center. The hours are Monday –Friday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at 5535 Delmar Blvd. in St. Louis.

At Grace Hill Neighborhood Health Centers, schedule flu shot appointments by calling 314814-8700 to schedule an appointment.Walk-in service is available for patients who have visited their clinics within the past six months.The cost is $20.00 and it accepts insurance plans. Co-pays may apply, depending on health coverage.

Area Mercy pharmacies and urgent care centers offer flu shots for adults and FluMist nasal spray for persons ages 2 – 49 and the cost ranges between $40-$50. Check the individual locations for times and current availability.

Email your health-related question to yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com. Ahealth professional will provide an answer that will be printed in a future issue of Your Health Matters.

Where can I get a flu shot?

By Melanie Adams

‘Fundamental freedom’ to love

The Missouri History Museum will screen the documentary A Loving Story on Wednesday, February 13 at 7 p.m. The ACLU led the Lovings’ fight to marry legally to the U.S. Supreme Court, leading to a 1967 ruling that struck down the Virginia Racial Integrity Act of 1924.

History Museum screens film about fight to legalize interracial marriage

As Black History Month gets underway, the Missouri History Museum provides programs that invite the community to look at how far we have come and the road we still have to travel. One such program is the documentary, A Loving Story on Wednesday, February 13 at 7 p.m. Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving were an interracial couple in the 1950s who made the mistake of falling in love. Knowing it was against to the law to get married in their home state of Virginia, they traveled to Washington DC to legally wed before the birth of their first child. When they returned home, they were arrested and given a one-year prison term which was suspended when the couple agreed to leave the state. The couple moved to Washington, D.C. but continued to fight to have their marriage recognized in Virginia so they could return home to visit their families without the fear of getting arrested. Using the 14th Amendment to argue the case, the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) represented the Lovings, and before long the case came before the Virginia Supreme Court which ultimately upheld the lower court’s decision. Still determined that their marriage should legally recognized, the Lovings appealed to the United States Supreme Court. It was this court, in June 1967, that struck down the Virginia Racial Integrity Act of 1924 that forbade interracial marriage.

n In June 1967 the United States Supreme Court struck down the Virginia Racial Integrity Act of 1924 that forbade interracial marriage.

Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote the majority’s opinion and said:

Marriage is one of the “basic civil rights of man,” fundamental to our very existence and survival.... To deny this fundamental freedom on so unsupportable a basis as the racial classifications embodied in these statutes, classifications so directly subversive of the principle of equality at the heart of the Fourteenth Amendment, is surely to deprive all the State’s citizens of liberty without due process of law. The Fourteenth Amendment requires that the freedom of choice to marry not be restricted by invidious racial discrimination. Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the State.

To those of us who were born after 1967, it is hard to believe a time when it was illegal for people of different races to get married. The last state to remove such a law from its books (though they were all unenforceable after the Loving decision) was Alabama in 2000 and that with only 60% voting for it in a ballot initiative. That means 40% of the people of Alabama in 2000 believed that people of different races should not get married.

St. Louis is not immune to the controversy around the issue. A few years ago, a cover story about the best places to kiss in St. Louis sparked a firestorm of negative internet comments when it showed an African American man and a white woman kissing. As with most anonymous internet comments, they were ugly, unnecessary, and downright unreadable. The Museum was so interested in exploring why people felt this way, that we incorporated the image and comments into one of our Teens Make History plays. We also invited the young

Congressional medal sought to commemorate church bombing

Honoring Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley

By Gloria J. Browne-Marshall

For The St. Louis American

On January 20, while President Barack Obama was in prayer following his inauguration a delegation from Alabama announced they would seek a Congressional Gold Medal, posthumously, in honor of the four girls killed in the 1963 Birmingham Church bombing.

U.S. Senator Richard Shelby, U.S. Representatives Terri Sewell

a sign of bi-partisan political

On September 15, 1963, a bomb exploded at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing Addie

Annie Malone turns 125

Former ‘Colored Orphans Home’ looks toward May anniversary

By Virginia Gilbert and Barry Gilbert For The Beacon

Many St. Louisans may connect the name Annie Malone with a springtime parade that bears her name but not know about the children’s home named after her and the neighborhood that has contributed to the rich history of the city.

From the 1880s through the 1940s, given the city’s financial support of its segregated schools and hospitals, one could say that St. Louis came as close as it could to creating “separate but equal” institutions.

Sumner High School was the first African-American high school established west of the Mississippi. A Normal School for teacher education soon followed at Sumner, renamed Stowe College and one of the precursors of Harris Stowe State University.

Homer G. Phillips Hospital, also called City Hospital #2, was built not only to care for African-American patients, but to train African-American doctors and nurses. It was one of the few institutions in America doing so at the time. These separate-but-equal institutions, including the St. Louis Colored Orphans Home, were clustered in the

Ville, a segregated, middle-class St. Louis neighborhood. A city ordinance and, later, private restrictive covenant agreements among property owners barred African-Americans from owning property in many neighborhoods. The Ville was one of the few exceptions, and many successful African-American businesses and residents were concentrated there. One of the Ville’s most famous residents was Annie Malone, an orphan who funded the St. Louis Colored Orphans Home and whose cosmetics company made her at one time the richest African-American woman in the

‘Everything in our history is connected’

By U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay For The St. Louis American

Our nation recently came together to celebrate the inauguration of my great friend, the re-elected President of the United States Barack Obama. And this August, our nation will mark the 50th anniversary of the march on Washington, a true turning point in American history. And right here in St. Louis, we will also commemorate the 50th anniversary of the historic Jefferson Bank protests. That struggle, which was led by my father, former Congressman Bill

Clay, and his brave colleagues, broke the back of segregation in St. Louis and opened the doors of opportunity for so many of us.

When you think about it, these historical moments are all linked. Without Dr. King’s march on Washington, there would have been no Civil Rights Act in 1964 and no Voting Rights Act in 1965. Without the Voting Rights Act, my father would have never been elected in 1968 as Missouri’s first African-American Member of Congress. Without that victory,

I would not have had the opportunity to build on the foundation of public service that he established. And without the hard work of the Congressional Black Caucus, which was co-founded by my Dad, our former member, Barack Obama, would have never been elected President of the United States. So everything in our history is connected to everything else. As we celebrate Dr. King’s legacy, I hope you will join with me to confront the menace of gun violence and blind hatred that is still prevalent in this country.

The four girls who died in the Birmingham, Ala., church bombing: Denise McNair, 11; Carole Robertson, 14; Addie Mae Collins, 14; and Cynthia Wesley, 14.

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Mae Collins, 14; Denise McNair, 11; Carole Robertson, 14; and Cynthia Wesley, 14. The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian honor awarded by Congress. It has been used to recognize world leaders, military

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A portrait of its namesake graces the reception area of the Annie Malone Children & Family Service Center at 2612 Annie Malone Drive. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Photo by Virginia Gilbert

and Spencer Bachus stood next to Birmingham Mayor William A. Bell, Sr. in

unity.

Guest Columnist Rep. William Lacy Clay

African American Heroines!

February is African American History Month, so let’s re-examine the reasons.

As a Harvard-trained historian, Carter G. Woodson believed that truth could not be denied and that reason would prevail over prejudice.

His hopes to raise awareness of African Americans’ contributions to civilization was realized when he and the organization he founded, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), conceived and announced Negro History Week in 1925. The event was first celebrated during a week in February 1926 that encompassed the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The response was overwhelming: Black history clubs sprang up; teachers demanded materials to instruct their pupils; and progressive whites, not simply white scholars and philanthropists, stepped forward to endorse the effort.

By the time of Woodson’s death in 1950, Negro History Week had become a central part of African American life and substantial progress had been made in bringing more Americans to appreciate the celebration.

The celebration was expanded to a month in 1976, the nation’s bicentennial.

President Gerald R. Ford urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor

the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

We hear about the accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and others, but there are so many we never hear or read about. Last year’s national theme was “Black Women in American Culture and History” honoring African-American women and the roles they played in the shaping of our nation, but two were omitted.

One of them is Modjeska Monteith Simkins, born in Columbia, South Carolina on December 5, 1899. By the time she died in 1992, Simkins had achieved national recognition as a civil rights leader and political activist who stood up for what she believed and who did not hesitate to challenge the establishment.

In 1935, learning that the Works Progress Administration (WPA) officials planned to offer blacks only low-skilled manual labor positions, Modjeska and Dr. Robert Mance, demanded better jobs for AfricanAmericans. The result was that the WPA hired black teachers for the schools and black professionals for a state history project and an anti-tuberculosis project in Columbia. These reforms were unique.

Mrs. Simkins understood the importance of participating in the electoral process. She knew that it would take more than just registering and voting to bring

Modjeska Monteith Simkins achieved national recognition as a civil rights leader and political activist

about change. She was active in both the Republican and Democratic parties, but then became disillusioned about each. However, she never tied herself down to one party.

As a civil rights activist who grew up when there were few opportunities for African Americans. In a 1986 interview, she commented: “Today you hear a lot about busing. Well, there never was a whimper when white children were being bused and black children were walking, but when they start busing black children, then comes this bellyaching about busing.”

Although she spent her life fighting for civil rights for African Americans, Modjeska Simkins’ concerns and compassion extended to all of societies downtrodden. She should be remembered and honored.

Another is Ella Baker, who was born in 1903 in Norfolk, Virginia. She became involved in political activism in the 1930s. She organized the Young Negroes Cooperative League in New York City, and later became a national director for the NAACP.

Around 1940, Baker became a field secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In 1946, Baker became the NAACP’s national director of branches.

Ella Baker organized the Young Negroes Cooperative League in NYC, and later became a national director for the NAACP.

In 1957, Baker joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, whose first president was Martin Luther King, Jr. She also worked with Stokely Carmichael and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee to support civil rights activism on college campuses.

While she left the SCLC in 1960, Baker remained active in the SNCC for many years. She helped Fannie Lou Hamer form the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party in 1964 as an alternative to the state’s Democratic Party, which held segregationist views. The MFDP even tried to get their delegates to serve as replacements for the Mississippi delegates at the National Democratic Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey that same year. Baker died in New York City in 1986.

Nearly everyone agrees that it takes more than the month of February to discuss a true historical view of our people, the nation, and our cultural growth, from the beginning, through the Civil Rights Movement, and to the present.

Please watch the Bernie Hayes TV program Saturday Night at 10pm and Friday Morning at 9 am and Sunday Evenings at 5:30 pm on KNLC-TV Ch. 24. I can be reached by e-mail at: berhay@swbell.net.

USPS stamps Rosa Parks ‘Forever’

On what would have been the 100th birthday of Rosa Parks, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is honoring this extraordinary woman and civil rights icon with a Forever stamp. The stamp was officially unveiled on Monday February 4 as part of the National Day of Courage ceremonies at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Dearborn, MI.

The stamp honoring Rosa Parks is being issued as a Forever Stamp, which are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce price. Art director Derry Noyes and stamp artist Thomas Blackshear II, who created his portrait in gouache on illustration board, emphasize Parks’ quiet determination and her pleasant persona in the stamp art.

The USPS is celebrating the Best of America with several limited-edition stamps in 2013, including the Civil Rights Series which recognizes the courage of Rosa Parks; freedom embodied in the Emancipation Proclamation; and equality marked by the March on Washington. This iconic series encourages consumers and stamp collectors to celebrate these guiding principles of the Civil Rights movement.

According to USPS Deputy Postmaster General Ronald A. Stroman, this is the first time Rosa Parks’ image will appear on a commemorative stamp.

On Dec. 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery, AL, for refusing to give up her seat

on a municipal bus to a white man. Her arrest not only sparked a boycott of the Montgomery bus system that lasted longer than a year, it served to ignite a movement that was ultimately successful in inspiring others to similar courageous acts to challenge racial segregation. Many honors were awarded to Parks in her lifetime, including the Spingarn Medal, the highest award of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1979 and dozens of honorary degrees. She was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1999. Find more information about the new stamp at www.usps.com/stamps, www.facebook.com/ uspsstamps or http:// beyondtheperf.com/.

The Rosa Parks Forever stamp

Bernie Hayes

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heroes, scientists, actors, artists, institutions and events.

“This tragedy galvanized the Civil Rights Movement and sparked a surge of momentum that helped secure the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and later the Voting Rights Act of 1965,” U.S. Rep. Sewell said a in letter to colleagues seeking their support.

U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus said in a statement, “It is important to reflect, especially for each new generation, how an act of evil that killed four innocent young girls at the 16th Street Baptist Church jarred the conscience of the American people and led to permanent change in our society.”

The March on Washington took place in August of 1963, at which Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the now famous “I Have a Dream.” However, racial tensions culminated in an early morning bombing of the Birmingham church. The bodies of four girls removed from the dust and rubble shocked the nation. The 16th Street Baptist Church was the site of African-American civil rights activism in 1963.

Reputed Klansman Robert Chambliss was convicted of the crime in 1997. Thomas Blanton Jr. and Bobby Frank Cherry were convicted for their role in the bombing in 2001 and 2002, respectively. A third suspect, Herman Cash, died before he could be brought to justice.

The proposed Congressional Medal legislation to honor the girls is part of a year-long commemoration of the role of Birmingham’s freedom fighters in the Civil Rights Movement. For more information: http:// birminghamal.org/events/50thanniversary-of-the-civil-rightsmovement-in-birmingham/

Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, an Associate Professor of Constitutional Law at John Jay College in New York City, is author of “Race, Law, and American Society: 1607 to Present” and a journalist covering the U.S. Supreme Court. Twitter: @ gbrownemarshall.

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couple in the picture (yes, they are a real couple, not models) to come and talk about the experience and how they felt about the comments.

The topic of interracial dating divides people along generations, race, and even gender. Regardless of your personal feelings about the topic, it is hard to argue the fact that people should legally be allowed to “jump the broom” with the person of their choice regardless of race.

The Loving Story Screening

Wednesday, February 13th

7pm • FREE

This documentary tells the dramatic story of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple living in Virginia in the 1950s, and their landmark Supreme Court case, Loving v. Virginia, that changed history.

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United States.

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down restrictive property covenants in 1948 and school segregation followed in 1954, although nearly 30 years would pass before federal courts began overseeing St. Louis’ school desegregation.

Middle-class AfricanAmericans joined the flight to suburbs from the city, and the Ville declined.

Even Malone moved – to Chicago, in 1946, the same year the orphans home was renamed the Annie Malone Children’s Home in her honor.

With the dismantling of segregation, pride in African-American institutions remained – settling on churches, Sumner, Vashon and the Annie Malone Children’s Home. An enduring symbol of

this pride is the Annie Malone Parade, which kicks off a series of fundraising events for the children’s organization each May.

“The parade means a lot to people,” says Darryl Wise, Chief Executive Officer of Annie Malone organization.

“We found that out when we moved it downtown in 2005. There was such an uproar. People were outraged we were moving out of the neighborhood. People took that personally.”

Delsie Boyd, a former chairman of the Annie Malone board, remembers marching in the parade as an elementary and high school student.

He said the board changed the parade route because it “wanted to be more inclusive.

All the major parades go through downtown.” It was a logical extension of the expansion of the center’s mission to all children as well as an expansion of the center’s fundraising to all potential donors.

In May, Annie Malone will celebrate its 125th anniversary with several events, leading off May 1 with the performance of a stage play, “The May Day Parade.” On May 19, the actual May Day Parade will step off in downtown St. Louis, and a community homecoming fair will be offered June 15. The anniversary celebration will wrap up Aug. 23 with the Soiree 125th Dinner Celebration. Reprinted with permission from stlbeacon.org.

BLACK MONTH HISTORY

Hired in 1948 by LIFE magazine as their first African-American staff photographer, Gordon Parks was a modern day Renaissance man who also found success as a film director, author and composer.

Join us at select Macy’s locations as we pay tribute to Gordon Parks with exciting and inspiring events that showcase his influence on photography, film and literature

Plus, from February 1st through February 28th, visit macys.com/celebrate to enter for a chance to win a trip for two to The American Black Film Festival in Miami, courtesy of American Airlines, a $1OOO Macy’s shopping spree and Gordon Parks: Collected Works, a five-volume set of his photography.*

The Gordon Parks Foundation permanently preserves the work of Gordon Parks, makes it available to the public and supports artistic and educational activities. The Foundation is a division of the Meserve-Kunhardt Foundation. For more information visit gordonparksfoundation.org

Diversity. It’s not what you think.

At Macy’s, it’s part of everything we do.

Shown left: Kirk Buddy, Macy’s Advertising

Photo of Gordon Parks courtesy of Adger Cowans.

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That violence is a symptom of a culture of intolerance and ignorance, which is really just an ugly echo from another time. In 1962, Dr. King said:“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” That was true then, and it is still true today.

Edited from remarks delivered January 12 at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. State Holiday Commission Kickoff at Harris-Stowe State University.

Roots & Migration:

From the Mississippi Delta to St. Louis

The Saint Louis Art Museum is excited to participate in a two-day celebration of the history and culture of the Mississippi Delta. Local art galleries, artists, and scholars will come togther to reminiscence about family histories and to honor a legacy that has shaped not only St. Louis but our nation.

The collaboration will kick off on Friday, February 15 at 7:00 pm at 14th Street Community Gallery located at 2701 N. 14th St. The exhibition, A Song from the Fields features St. Louis artists inspired by life in the Mississippi Delta. Artists included in the exhibition are William Burton, Robert Ketchens, and John Rozelle among many others. Join us for this opening reception of visual art, southern cuisine, and Delta Blues performed by John Cooper & The All Stars.

The Art Museum will then host a half day public lecture and discussion on Saturday, February 16, from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm. The panel will be moderated by Freida L. Wheaton, Wheaton, J.D., museum commission, and private gallery owner. Join Wheaton for a lively discussion with three visionaries: Sadé Turnipseed, Tullia Brown Hamilton Ph.D., and John Rozelle. Sadé Turnipseed, founder of Khafre, Inc, and cultural arts advocate is leading a national effort to erect a monument in honor of cotton pickers of America. “We want to show respect for the legacy, by developing interpretive material and that will contribute to the construction of a historical site, at the epicenter of our collective pain

and the place where America’s root music, the Blues, was born! The Monument and Interpretive Center will serve as a symbol of dignity for the Cotton Pickers place where America’s root music the Blues was born, in the Mississippi Delta,” commented Turnipseed. A native of St. Louis, John Rozelle, is a prolific painter and collagist. Rozelle is represented in the Saint Louis Art Museum collection among many other museums and private collections. He will present his body of work inspired by America’s South. Dr. Tullia Brown Hamilton will discuss her highly successful book, Up from Canaan: The African American Journey from Mound Bayou to St. Louis. Dr. Hamiltion gives an upclose personal account of the many African Americans who voyaged from Mound Bayou to St. Louis. Roots & Migration: Celebrating Art and History of the Mississippi Delta, will conclude Saturday evening with a reception at Salon 53, a private residential gallery. On view will be the photography of Katrina Shannon and Freida L. Wheaton who chronicled their recent travel to the Mississippi Delta in an exhibition titled, Delta Experience Enlightenment Tour: A Photographic Journey. We hope that you will join for this historic journey down memory lane. The programs are free but reservations are required. Please email bearden@slam.org or calling 314-655-5444. For more information and a full listing of community programs and collaborations at the Saint Louis Art Museum, please email renee.franklin@ slam.org; call 314-655-5437 or visit www.slam. org.

blues scene and features Delta bluesmen who have made their mark on the international festival circuit.

Following the film, one of the film’s featured musicians,Terry “Harmonica” Bean, performs a short set, and the film’s

MLK and ‘postracial’ America

By Roosevelt Mitchell

For The St. Louis American

America wrestles with race like the country can only be viewed through a prism of the color wheel.

Many right wingers and conservatives takes Dr. King’s statement “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” to imply that he insisted on America being color-blind.

Being color blind suggests that we do not take into consideration the distinctive elements of each individual’s identity, yet we are supposed to view them as colorless and magically everyone will get along, thus making the nation post-racial.

they are, embrace their culture and embrace their history and heritage. The notion of being lovestruck as opposed to color-blind is relatively important when it comes to folks with disabilities. Being color-blind only suggests that people don’t see color and everyone should get along based on the notion that we are all the same color. What about the difference of physical appearance?

Roosevelt Mitchell

The social definition of what is normal has been etched into society’s psyche so deep that it doesn’t have to be said because it is already understood. If someone’s body differs or deviates from that unwritten definition, then they are not normal but classified as different.

This notion dismisses an entire group of people thus parochializing Dr. Kings dream and vision for love and justice for everyone. He fought for working people, poor people in Appalachia, poor people deep down in the Delta, red, brown, white, black and people with disabilities. So he didn’t only fight for color but fought class also, and his dream included “the least of thee.”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wanted America to be love-struck, not color-blind. Love-struck embraces all the elements of your identity and along with their traits and characteristics that make you who you are. You can’t love someone if you don’t know their gender, if you don’t know their race or what their bodies look like. To be love-struck is too love and embrace who

People with disabilities undeniably lament an enigmatic mind state for mainstream society. For people with disabilities, being color-blind only solves part of their social problem and doesn’t even address the fundamental concept of what’s normal and socially accepted in terms of able-bodiness. People with disabilities are sifted in this American Diaspora and are not challenged by society to a level of excellence or mediocrity, but failure is expected and accepted.

Any person or race that is not challenged to excellence is done a disservice by mainstream society. Dr. King’s notion of being love-struck embodies this great country’s motto “E pluribus unum,” and was intended to prevent any race or group from social inertia.

NAACP tribute to Rosa Parks

On Sunday Feb 24, 2013 at 3 pm the St. Louis County NAACP will host it’s annual Rosa Parks State Observance Day celebration at Murchison Tabernacle CME Church, 7629 Natural Bridge Rd. in Normandy. The event is free and open to the public. St. Louis County executive Charlie A. Dooley and former Missouri Governor Bob Holden are scheduled to serve as guest speakers. In 2004 then state Representative and NAACP Branch President Esther Hill Haywood sponsored H.B.

1256 establishing Feb. 4 as Rosa Parks Day in Missouri annually.

Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery Alabama in 1955 sparked the beginning of the American Civil Rights Movement. Parks was the secretary and youth advisor for the Montgomery Branch of the NAACP. The celebration is being sponsored by Ameren Missouri. For information, call the NAACP office at 314-3891552.

Dancing black history

COCA stages

‘Continuing the Legacy’ February 8.

American staff

COCA will present

“Continuing the Legacy: In Celebration of Black History Month” at 7 p.m. Friday, February 8 in Founders’ Theatre at COCA, 524 Trinity Ave.

“Continuing the Legacy” –written and directed by COCA alumnus Chris Page – is a 40-minute performance that uses dance as a vehicle to take audience members through

black history, from slavery to the jazz era, through the Civil Rights Movement, to modern times.

Large photographs are projected behind the dancers and create a vivid accompaniment to the modern dance choreography. Performers are members of COCAdance, COCA’s student company.

Christopher E. Page received his education and dance training from COCA and the Conservatory of Music & Dance at the University of MissouriKansas City. An alumnus of COCAdance, Page is a member of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble in Denver, CO. In his third season with the company, Page is the rehearsal director for the Youth Ensemble.

The Artistic Director of Nu-World Contemporary Danse Theatre, Page has also been a soloist for the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey, a member of the Wylliams\ Henry Contemporary Dance Company and the Owen\Cox Dance Group. Other theatrical credits include the St. Louis Black Rep, Stages St. Louis and The Muny. Page is resident choreographer for COCA’s Summer Musical and has also choreographed for the Cleo Parker Robinson Youth Ensemble, East Central College, That Uppity Theatre Co., UMKC Musical Theatre & Opera Department (choreographing both musical theatre and opera productions), COCAdance, The Slaughter Project Dance Company, The Madison-

Cannon Project and high schools, churches and community theatres.

He has served on faculty as a dance instructor for Metro Theatre Company, COCA, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, City Arts Camp at Third Baptist Church, Best Talent Center and the Kansas City Metropolitan Dance Theatre. He has assisted and restaged works by DeAnna Hiett, Rodni Williams and Sabrina Madison-Cannon. “Continuing the Legacy” is supported by Wells Fargo Advisors. The performance is recommended for children ages 10+ and their parents. Tickets ($6-$8) are available at www.cocastl.org or by calling (314) 725-6555, ext. 130.

COCA will present “Continuing the Legacy: In Celebration of Black History Month,” written and directed by

COCA alumnus Chris Page (right), at 7 p.m. Friday, February 8.

Celebrate BlaCk History MontH at st. louis Community College

TUESDAY, FEB. 5

 Black History Month

Kick-Off Forest Park Campus

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Cafeteria

Contact: Gary Forde at 314-644-9284

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 6

 African-American Heritage Kick-Off Celebration

Keynote Speaker: Genesis Steele, Interim Director, African-American Male Initiative Florissant Valley Campus

11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Student Center, Multipurpose Room

African dance troupe, the Spirit of Angela Kumasi Nankama; re-enactment by Barnes Bradshaw, Missouri History Museum; musical performances; free soul food.

Contact: Campus Life at 314-513-4294

THURSDAY, FEB. 7

 Drums and Music of Africa—Bobby Norfolk Florissant Valley Campus

11-11:45 a.m.

Student Center, Multipurpose Room

Emmy Award-winning storyteller Norfolk takes listeners on a journey to Africa through folktales and music.

Contact: Darlene Neil at 314-513-4891

 From Proclamation to Reclamation: AfricanAmericans and the Continuing Quest for Freedom Forest Park Campus

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Cafeteria

Dr. Charles Robinson, professor of history and viceprovost of diversity affairs at the University of Arkansas, delivers this keynote address.

Contact: Gary Forde at 314-644-9284

 Interactive Story Telling Meramec Campus

Noon-1 p.m.

Student Center Cafeteria

Inneman Productions involves the audience in one hour of interactive storytelling, African drumming, poetry, and group African dance.

Contact: Rita Reinhardt at 314-984-7593

SUNDAY, FEB. 10

 Sigma Gamma Rho 44th Annual Afro-Arts

Festival Forest Park Campus

11 a.m.-6 p.m. Cafeteria

Dancers, singers and exhibitions highlight this all-day event.

Contact: Angela Archibald at 314-265-1500

MONDAY, FEB. 11

 Black Facts Trivia

William J. Harrison

Education Center Noon-1 p.m.

Multipurpose Room 100

Test your knowledge of black history with this challenging trivia game.

Contact: Mavis Stone at 314-763-6017

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 13

 Mother Africa Kitchen Forest Park Campus 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Cafeteria

Showing of the movie, “Soul Food,” with student-centered presentation and healthy soul food.

Contact: Gary Forde at 314-644-9284

 7 Steps for Leaving a Positive Legacy with Keynote Speaker Alicia Patterson Meramec Campus Noon-12:50 p.m. Student Center, Room125

This workshop will guide participants step by step on how to make a lasting impact and how to create and implement change on his or her college campus.

Contact: Rita Reinhardt at 314-984-7593

THURSDAY, FEB. 14

 America’s Awakening: 1963 and the March on Washington Forest Park Campus

12:30-2 p.m.

Cafeteria

Dr. Stefan Bradley, associate professor of history at Saint Louis University, delivers the day’s keynote address.

Contact: Gary Forde at 314-644-9284

SATURDAY, FEB. 16

 Mother Africa Kitchen Forest Park Campus

11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Cafeteria

Showing of the movie, “Soul Food,” with student-centered presentation and healthy soul food.

Contact: Gary Forde at 314-644-9284

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 20

 Lunch and Learn—At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington Florissant Valley Campus Noon-1 p.m. Student Center, Multipurpose Room

Presentation by Dr. Linda Collins, assistant professor of history at STLCC.

Contact: History department at 314-513-4117

 The March on Washington: A St. Louisan’s Perspective Forest Park Campus 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Cafeteria

Former state representative Betty Thompson delivers this keynote address.

Contact: Gary Forde at 314-644-9284

THURSDAY, FEB. 21

 Black in the Day: STL’s Place in History Florissant Valley Campus 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Student Center, Multipurpose Room

Various displays highlight African American history form the early 1700s to the present. Contact: Dobbie Herrion at 314-513-4639

 Film Discussion: Race—The Power of an Illusion Forest Park Campus

10 a.m.-Noon Cafeteria

Part one of a three-part film series examining the concept of race through biological and cultural foundations. Contact: Gary Forde at 314-644-9284



Examining Health and Nutrition Preparedness with Quantarrius Wilson Meramec Campus

12:30-1:45 p.m. Student Center, Room 201 International Fitness and Physique Association pro bodybuilder, fitness model and personal trainer Quantarrius QuanShun Wilson provides information about healthy living and preparation for participants and audience members. Contact: Rita Reinhardt at 314-984-7593

FRIDAY, FEB. 22

 God’s Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse—2013 Forest Park Campus

6-8 p.m.

Mildred E. Bastian Center for the Performing Arts

This production includes traditional spirituals and liturgical dancing.

Contact: Gary Forde at 314-644-9284

TUESDAY, FEB. 26

 Slavery in America: An Interdisciplinary Journey Florissant Valley Campus 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Student Center, Multipurpose Room Various information “stations”—including business (the economics of slavery), history (facts and key players), English (literature), law (key legislation), library services (texts/artifacts available through the STLCC system) and reading (the importance of literacy)—provide information about specific aspects of the “Peculiar Institution.”

Contact: Lonetta OliverChilds at 314-513-4132

 Captivity Narratives Wildwood Campus 11:30 a.m. Multipurpose Room Presentation by STLCC professor Trevin Jones. Contact: Trish Aumann at 636-422-2244

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 27

 Winter Open Mic Florissant Valley Campus Noon-3 p.m. Student Center, Multipurpose Room

The Poetry Club’s annual event offers students, staff and the community a chance to share their original poetry (spoken word or traditional) as well as brief political or social-issue speech in honor of African-American History Month. Brief original song and music is also welcomed as musical interludes.

Contact: Regina Popper at 314-513-4763

 The St. Louis Black Repertory Company presents: “The Day the Waters Came” Meramec Campus Noon Meramec Theatre

“The Day the Waters Came” is a one-act play that takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana, from about Aug. 26, 2005, to about Sept. 3, 2005. Maya narrates her experience and the experience of the residents of New Orleans from life before the storm to having their world turned upside down after Hurricane Katrina.

Contact: Rita Reinhardt at 314-984-7593

THURSDAY, FEB. 28

 A Tribute to Whitney Houston by Cheryl Brown and Friends Florissant Valley Campus

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Terry M. Fischer Theatre Gospel songstress Cheryl Brown offers a tribute to the legendary queen of pop and soul.

Contact: Campus Life at 314-513-4294

 Bro2Bro Forest Park Campus

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Cafeteria East African-American males attending STLCC will discuss current issues affecting today’s AfricanAmerican males.

Contact: Gary Forde at 314-644-9284

 Kreative Pandemonium

William J. Harrison Education Center 9:45-10:45 a.m.

Multipurpose Room 100

Enjoy a morning of African music and dance.

Contact: Mavis Stone at 314-763-6017

 King Omowale and the Majestic Lions Presented by Mahkeedah Arts Meramec Campus Noon Student Center Cafeteria Cultural vibes and pure Reggae sounds that will bring the audience to its feet. Contact: Rita Reinhardt at 314-984-7593

MARCH 4-29

 Road to Freedom: Dred Scott Exhibit Florissant Valley Campus Instructional Resources Building, 2nd Floor Monday to Thursday: 8 a.m.-9 p.m.