February 9th, 2023 edition

By Kenya Vaughn

LouiS AmericAn

‘We reflect St. Louis’

our entire mission – which is to transform lives,” said University of Missouri-St. Louis Chancellor Kristin D. Sobolik.

University of Missouri - St. Louis Chancellor Kristin Sobolik (center) speaks with students at the University Welcome Center. She calls the school “an anchor institution” with “a very diverse and inclusive perspective.”

Updated Civilian Oversight Board bill advances

aldermen remain opposed

By Rachel Lippmann St. Louis Public Radio

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen on Tuesday advanced a bill that attempts to resolve a lawsuit over the city’s Civilian Oversight Board for the St. Louis Police Department. Lawmakers last year gave the oversight board the authority to investigate all internal police investigations that deal with misconduct or use of force.

Long time community organizer Ollie Stewart had a street named in her honor at Park Ave in the Gate District of the southside. Stewart is founder and executive director of Southside Wellness Center, which has served seniors across the St. Louis area for about 45 years.

The three police unions sued including the Ethical Society of Police which represents Black officers and staff, saying the changes conflicted with state laws governing police discipline and civilian oversight boards.

A judge agreed and blocked the city from moving forward with those changes, although he allowed the portion setting up civilian oversight of the city’s jail to take effect.

See BILL, A7

Dr. La’Ron Haymore, assistant principal at Metro High School, works at his desk Wednesday, Feb. 8.

Putting more Black male educators in classrooms

By Sylvester Brown Jr.

The St. Louis American / Word In

Black

By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American

President Biden was not bashful in his support of issues of importance to Black Americans during his second State of the Union Address in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday night. He will need Black voters’ support to first be renominated by the Democratic Party as its presidential candidate in 2024, and then to

defeat a Republican challenger. Biden honored the life of Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old Black man who died after being severely beaten by Memphis police officers. RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, Nichols’ mother and stepfather attended at the invitation of Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Steven Horsford of Nevada. Noting that Wells told him she “wants something good to come from his death, Biden called for police reform.

“When police officers or departments violate the public trust, they must be held accountable,” he said. During his first two years in office, Biden signed an executive order that bans federal officers from using chokeholds, restricted no-knock warrants, and implemented “other key elements of the George Floyd Act.” The president wants more police training

Teach For America (TFA), a national organization dedicated to confronting educational inequities in the nation, was founded in 1990. To acknowledge the St. Louis chapter’s 20th anniversary, Lyndsey Ellis, Teach For America St. Louis’ Manager of Development and Communications reached out to The St. Louis American to suggest a story on how the organization continues to work to have greater impact in urban schools.

Supporting data shows the importance of Black male teachers in classrooms with African American students.

“What we’ve learned over the years is when See EDUCATORS, A7

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Photo by August Jennewein

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Shameem Clark Hubbard

Get your coins together, Beyoncé is coming St. Louis!

The mega superstar returns to the global stage with her Renaissance World Tour this summer, following the release of her seventh studio album, “Renaissance.” Her first solo tour in six years stops in St. Louis at the Dome at America’s Center on August 21, 2023.

tory in Chesterfield on April 26.

The five-time Grammy Award winning multi-platinum superstar popular for several solo hits and features including “A Milli”

21

The North American leg of the tour is using Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan technology to guarantee more tickets to all fans. Guests can register now here. Presale tickets are on sale now for BeyHive members. Visit https://beyonce. livenation.com/ for more information.

Lil Wayne coming to The Factory in Chesterfield April 26

Rapper and music mogul Lil Wayne brings his Welcome To Tha Carter Tour to The Fac-

“How to Love” “Lollipop, and more, is embarking on a 28-city tour beginning in Minneapolis and concluding with three California stops. The concert is presented by Young Money, Rolling Loud and Live Nation on April 26. Tickets are available on his website, https:// www.lilwayneofficial.com/.

SWV & XSCAPE to unleash reality show on Bravo

Calling all SWV & Xscape fans, this is not a drill! Bravo is launching a new reality show next month called “SWV & XSCAPE: The Queens of R&B,” featuring the iconic girl groups.

The members join forces in a limited series.

In the trailer, Kandi Burruss-Tucker says “here

we go” as the two chart-topping “powerhouse female R&B groups” work through ups and downs as they come together for a “special one-night concert event.”

As seen in the trailer, hurdles will confront the ladies.

“SWV & XSCAPE: The Queens of R&B” premieres Sunday, March 5, at 9:30/8:30c on Bravo. The group includes members Cheryl “Coko” Gamble, Tamara “Taj” Johnson, and Leanne “Lelee” Lyons. The group has sold more than 30 million records worldwide and been nominated for three Grammy Awards.

when he was alive.”

Prince said he had love for Quavo, but accused Offset of throwing rocks and hiding his hand.

J. Prince’s accusations concerning Takeoff set the record straight recently appeared Million Dollaz Worth of Game and accused the Migos member of “not being around Takeoff

“And the truth of the matter is, one can dance and do different things in front of different cameras and all that kind of [expletive],” Prince said. “In reality, the truth of the matter is you wasn’t really right there with Takeoff when he was alive, you know what I mean? So for you to be taking these positions that you’ve taken—and I’ve got people everywhere so I hear all kinds of things—I’mma just say this to you. Don’t ever put me in no position where I have to defend myself. That wouldn’t be healthy for you. I have to say that.”

Offset caught wind of Prince’s remarks and shut his claims down.

“How dare one of y’all n****s even speak on me and Take’s relationship?” he said. “ I don’t know you n****s from a can of paint, n***a. Y’all n****s don’t know how me and my brother rocked.”

Sources: LiveNation, YouTube, Complex, Bravo TV

Offset

Beyoncé

J. Prince

Food desert oasis

Sylvester Brown Jr.

The St. Louis American

The closing of the Save A Lot grocery store in Pagedale in late 2021 meant that residents who came to depend on the store since its opening 11 years ago were once again without a neighborhood grocer.

Transforming what was traditionally known as a “food desert,” Save A Lot was the first grocery store to open in the area in more than 40 years. Its closing also meant that local residents including those residing in a nearby senior citizen home would have to travel miles for groceries or fresh food.

“Pretty much everyone here goes there,” Willie Alexander, one of the seniors at the home, sadly told the St. Louis PostDispatch in 2011.

More than a year after Save A Lot closed, Chris Krehmeyer, CEO of the nonprofit Beyond Housing, the discount grocery store’s landlord, made a major public announcement. A new store, Fields Food, will open this month on the southwest corner of Page Boulevard and Ferguson.

“The community was resilient,” Krehmeyer said, explain-

ing their action plan after Save A Lot closed. “We stayed after it. We knew folk would buy groceries, at a good product with good prices, and good customer service. So, we kept scouring the landscape to see how we could bring another good grocery store back and we were lucky enough to find Chris Goodson and the folks at Fields.”

Fields Foods was founded in 2014 by local entrepreneur, real estate developer, and former president of the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners Chris Goodson. The company has steadily grown stores in the region that include one downtown on Washington Blvd., another in the Central West End on Euclid and its first location in Lafayette Square on 14th Street.

Save A Lot owners didn’t cite specific reasons for closing the store but when it closed Krehmeyer cited lagging sales brought on by limited store hours and a decline in in-person shopping during the pandemic. Still, he added, those weren’t sufficient reasons to close the store.

“We know that for the first 7 or 8 years they were open, they had consistently higher sales year-over-year,” Krehmeyer

explained, adding: “We also know that this community will support a good product with good customer service at a good price. That appeared to have changed at Save A Lot over the years and unfortunately they believed the sales weren’t good enough. We don’t know if that’s true or not.”

He believes Fields Foods will be a much better fit for the community and Beyond Housing’s overall mission for surrounding neighborhoods.

“It’s going to be a fantastic upgrade in stores because, quite frankly, Fields is a much better operator than Save A Lot and will provide a much better opportunity for folk in Pasadena Hills, Bel-Nor, Greendale, Vanita Park and other places close by who historically did not shop at that Save A Lot. Fields will provide all the things they could get wherever they went shopping.”

The goal, Krehmeyer said, is to replicate Fields’ Lafayette Square model. “There’s a balance of customers; the folks in Lafayette Square shop there but so do the people in public housing,” Krehmeyer said.

Pagedale Mayor Ernest “G.” Shields said he’s quite excited about the new grocery store. He said he’s been fielding calls from concerned constituents ever since Save A Lot closed. “People have been calling wanting to know what will happen with the building,” Shields said, adding: “Now that they’ve seen the Fields Food sign, they’re excited and ready to go shopping and I’m looking forward to cutting the ribbon soon.”

Pagedale resident, Mel Lovings, who’s been frequenting the Save A Lot on St. Charles Rock Rd., lately welcomes the news of a grocer near his home but he’s also

skeptical.

“I don’t know if it’s going to work,” Lovings said. “I think the prices at Fields are a bit higher than your regular grocers.” Krehmeyer was prepared for that response.

“The reality is that our community is not monolithically poor. There are pockets of poverty where we need to have affordable food; obviously,we need a store that has access to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits but we also need to have items for folks who have options,” Krehmeyer stressed. “I know they have discount brands and house brands. It won’t be perfect for some folk in our community, but it will be great for others.”

Beyond Housing describes itself as “a nationally recognized community development organization dedicated

to strengthening families and transforming under-resourced communities to create a stronger, more equitable, and prosperous St. Louis, once and for all.”

The opening of Save A Lot in 2010 was a great addition to the agency’s extensive economic development work which includes a movie theater, retirement center, Midwest BankCentre, Affinia Healthcare and BJC HealthCare facilities, a senior living center, and most recently, several other Blackowned businesses and the $6.5 million, 20,0000-sq-foot development, Carter Commons with a food hall and retail space.

Krehmeyer said Beyond Housing’s work through the “24:1 Municipal Partnership Initiative” seems to have paid off. In the past 10 years, he said the average sales price for homes in Pagedale has risen 338% per square foot. Additionally, according to recent data the agency received from the Pagedale Police Department, crime has gone down 42% within the last 10 years.

Beyond Housing works under the premise that “Thriving communities need an adequate supply of housing that people can afford, economic development to provide jobs and access to essential goods and services.” Fields Food, Krehmeyer insist, is a part of that ever-expanding mission:

“At the end of the day, if we can’t make the entire community healthier and stronger, it doesn’t matter if you live on an island in Pasadena Hills or someplace else, your neighborhood is going to struggle if everything around you doesn’t get stronger. We can’t just attract one segment of our community; we have to attract everybody in order for this to be successful.”

Photo by Wiley Price

I St. Louis American

Guest Editorial

The swamp of white supremacy

“Ron DeSantis has clearly demonstrated that he wants to dictate whose story does and doesn’t belong. He wants to control what our kids can learn based on politics and not sound policy He wants to say that I don’t belong. He wants to say that you don’t belong. Whose story does and doesn’t get to count. But we are here to tell him, we are America. Governor, Black history is American history, and you are on the wrong side of history.” – Florida State Rep. Fentrice Driskell

Bayard Rustin, as most students of American history now know, was one of the key organizers of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It was Rustin who introduced Martin Luther King, Jr., to the Gandhian tactics of nonviolent resistance that guided the Civil Rights Movement through the 1950s and 1960s. Because Rustin was a gay man at a time when same-sex relationships were criminalized, he often was forced to work from behind the scenes, allowing others to take the credit for his achievements. For decades, his transformational influence was downplayed and devalued. A warped history of the movement was allowed to take shape, one that historians only recently have begun to correct.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis wants to shove the legacy of Rustin and others like him back into the shadows, perpetuating a warped history of the nation.

abolition including Reconstruction and the Negro Renaissance, and Movements and Debates, which examines the Civil Rights Movement, Black feminism and intersectionality, and the diversity within Black communities.

DeSantis’ feeble efforts to rationalize the ban are so vague they are essentially meaningless. “Intersectionality is foundational to CRT,” his Department of Education howled, without even attempting to explain why either concept represents a threat. His “concerns” reflect a profound ignorance – or deliberate misrepresentation – of both the curriculum and the legal theory he claims to oppose, but the ignorance is the point. The ban, like the ludicrous Stop WOKE Act that the course allegedly violates, is less about the details of a specific curriculum and almost entirely about weaponizing white grievance and resistance to a multicultural democracy.

DeSantis’ reactionary move to ban an AP course on African American studies is loosely based on his opposition to what he calls Critical Race Theory, a legal concept taught in law schools and little understood by the general public. Rightwing activists and politicians like DeSantis have co-opted and corrupted the term to undermine any effort to confront or even to acknowledge systemic racism.

As CNN political writer Brandon Tensley noted, “Because so many Americans don’t know what CRT is, it’s the perfect tool for scaring white conservative voters with made-up problems – for mobilizing them against the racial awakening of the past year.”

The course itself is organized into four major units: Origins of the African Diaspora, including topics such as “The Strength and Reach of West African Empires” and “Intercultural Forces in African Kingdoms and City States;” Freedom, Slavery, and Resistance, which covers the period from the origins of the transatlantic slave trade to abolition; The Practice of Freedom, focused on African-American experiences since

DeSantis has charted a course to the White House that cuts straight through the swamp of white supremacy. After all, if white people experience “guilt, anguish or other forms of psychological distress” as a result of acknowledging systemic racism, they might be inspired to alleviate that distress by dismantling systemic racism. That’s a terrifying prospect for people who are so accustomed to the status quo that even the slightest effort to level the playing field feels like an earth-shattering cataclysm.

It’s impossible to know whether DeSantis genuinely shares that fear. But it’s undeniable he’s eager to exploit it for political advantage. His opponent in his first gubernatorial campaign famously remarked, “I’m not calling Mr. DeSantis a racist. I’m simply saying the racists believe he’s a racist.”

Three Florida students are poised to sue DeSantis if he does not lift the ban and allow the AP African American studies to be taught in schools. But because the College Board has agreed to revise the course, it’s likely that future students will be taught a watered-down curriculum that avoids the harsh realities that cause “distress.”

This injustice gives DeSantis and his allies the power not only to distort the past, but to shape a future where structural inequalities persist and racism is allowed to flourish.

Marc Morial is president and CEO of the National Urban League

Become a criminal justice reform voter

As I’m writing this, 29-year-old Tyre Nichols has just been laid to rest. The pain and heartbreak we feel over the needless killing of this beloved and loving young man, son and father are overwhelming.

But while many of the details of his death in police custody are tragically familiar, there is one significant difference. This time, the five officers initially identified as involved with the killing were promptly charged with murder. That action was taken by the progressive Shelby County District Attorney, Steve Mulroy, elected by citizens who firmly rejected the agenda of the right-wing prosecutors who preceded him. And I believe the decision of the voters to elect a person with Mulroy’s values made most, if not all, the difference.

Mulroy was among a cohort of progressive prosecutors who ran -- and won -- on reform platforms in the last election. These are people who are outspoken against racial bias in the criminal justice system, the school-to-prison pipeline and the egregious institution of cash bail. They are making people’s .lives better in measurable ways.

third term, by voters who deeply appreciate her values and commitment.

This appreciation is not always reflected in media. For example, the recall of District Attorney Chesa Boudin in San Francisco was covered heavily in the last election season, while at the same time Mulroy and fellow progressive DAs were succeeding with openly progressive platforms.

And now more than ever, it’s critically important for all of us to be criminal justice reform voters.

One of the best known is in Philadelphia, where Larry Krasner is described as one of the first to run as a “progressive prosecutor.” Krasner has been elected twice on a platform of ending mass incarceration. While in office, he has turned away from prosecuting low-level offenses and from cash bail. His office claims that he has imposed over 29,000 fewer years of incarceration than his predecessor. Meanwhile in the small city of Portsmouth, Virginia, an outstanding Black progressive prosecutor, Stephanie Morales, is one of very few to win a conviction of a police officer for killing an unarmed Black man. She is also the only prosecutor nationwide to have successfully indicted more than one police officer in an onduty shooting. She was recently elected to her

It’s important because what is happening with the response to police brutality in Memphis is the latest powerful affirmation that democracy really can fix things for people. It’s a powerful affirmation that yes, voting is a useful way to address violence against Black people. And it’s a slap in the face to the cynicism that makes people throw up their hands and say nothing can be done and that voting doesn’t matter. As a Black man myself, it hurts me deeply that most of the officers as well as the victim, Tyre Nichols, are Black. But I still believe that the response was unquestionably shaped by the progressive values of the prosecutor that Shelby County voters were wise to choose. And the lesson here isn’t limited to District Attorney races in particular or down-ballot races in general. Becoming a criminal justice reform voter is important at every level. If we want change, we need to know the records of candidates and elected officials on this issue. We need to stop saying “voting won’t fix that.” We need to believe in our hearts that all the marches mattered, because they did; and that the pain mattered, because it did; and that elections matter too. And then go vote, for the change that we now know is possible. Svante Myrick is People For the American Way, previously, serving as executive director

On Further Review

Ron DeSantis and the Mis-Education of America

After constant pressure from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and other right-wing conservatives, the College Board kicked off Black History Month by stripping down its African American Studies Advanced Placement course.

DeSantis and the MAGA crowd objected to the original draft because it was an American history from the perspective of the Black experience, which meant it didn’t provide a rationalization and justification for the historical oppression of Black people by white America.

Put another way, what’s Black history without white heroes?

What Carter G. Woodson knew in 1926 when he created Negro History Week (which became Black History Month in 1976) and what DeSantis knows now — and you need to understand — is that history is not objective, and education isn’t neutral.

For starters, the College Board’s African American Advanced Placement course is not really a history course. It’s an interdisciplinary academic study that includes history, literature, politics, religion, and a range of other humanities — essentially a comprehensive survey of American life through the lens of the Black experience.

In our day-to-day lives, we regularly discuss and argue about concepts and ideas we really don’t understand, like history, for instance. Scholars define events that occurred before the existence of written records in a given culture or society as prehistory.

America from the myth of America. And when facts of history contradict the myth, Americans tend to believe the myth.

To counter the myths about Black Americans, in 1915, Woodson founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). ASALH’s official mission is “to promote, research, preserve, interpret, and disseminate information about Black life, history and culture to the global community.”

In 1933 Woodson also published “The MisEducation of the Negro,” which is required reading for anyone who wants to consider themselves a literate and informed Black American. The book focuses on the period from the end of the American Civil War to the early 1930s, and in it, Woodson explains that the U.S. school system doesn’t just fail to educate its Black students. It also actively oppresses them in order to preserve and justify white people’s disproportionate power, wealth, and privilege.

They define history as the time period after the invention of written records in a given culture or society. A simple lay definition would say history is really nothing more than assembling the written record of the past, a retelling of that past by way of the extemporaneous documentation of what happened back in that day.

But that’s not how we teach or understand history. History is not just the objective retelling of random past events, but the explanation of what those chosen events meant then, and mean now.

History is all about context. Context is defined as the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed. Despite their protestations, historians are storytellers and narrators of the past.

When discussing history, there’s another concept that’s always in play: the myth.

Myths are symbolic narratives that ostensibly relate to actual events. It’s obvious myths satisfy some primordial human need because there have been myths as long as there have been people. How we teach and understand history is dominated by mythical interpretations of historical facts.

For the average American, of all ethnic persuasions, it’s impossible to separate the history of

Letter to the editor

Make a difference, learn CPR

This February during American Heart Month, the American Heart Association is shedding light on the importance of knowing Hands-Only CPR. This year, we’re encouraging people to be the beat it takes to save a life by learning the two simple steps it takes to save a life. CPR, especially if performed immediately, could double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival. Women, especially Black and Hispanic/Latina women, are less likely to receive CPR partly because people fear accusations of inappropriate touching, sexual assault, or injuring the person.

As chair of the St. Louis Go Red for Women campaign, I encourage you to Be the Beat by

Woodson argues that the education system is a tool of social control based on convincing Black people of their inherent inferiority and the inherent superiority of white people.

Just like the American education system of 2023.

Ron DeSantis is not objecting to Black history. He’s terrified by the spirit of Carter G. Woodson — but why? I’ll invoke another revered ancestor, Fredrick Douglass, to explain “the why.” Douglass wrote: “I have found to make a contented slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one.” This is the reason it was illegal to teach enslaved Black people to read.

The goal of our modern manic suppression effort is to maintain dominion over the intellectual construct and narrative of reality as defined by the American myth. The laws of physics say that two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Ron DeSantis and his fellow white MAGA Americans seek to define history and what it means to be white in America — definitions that are antithetical to what it means to be Black and fully human. Woodson put it this way, “If you can control a man’s thinking, you don’t have to worry about his actions. If you can determine what a man thinks you do not have to worry about what he will do. If you can make a man believe that he is inferior, you don’t have to compel him to seek an inferior status, he will do so without being told…”

What’s happening in Florida and other parts of the country has nothing to do with education as you’ve been taught to think of it, and everything to do with power and control. Only the hopelessly naive or the most venal among us either can’t or won’t accept that.

All letters are edited for length and style

learning CPR to be the difference and save a life.

Learning a simple technique builds a comfort level that will help with overcoming concerns that cause hesitation to act in an emergency. Challenge your family to take a few minutes out of your day to learn the two simple steps of Hands-Only CPR: to call 911 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest. Use a familiar song to help you keep up the pace of 100-120 beats per minute. The American Heart Association offers more resources online at heart.org/handsonlycpr. You can be the difference by learning CPR to Be the Beat for a woman you love.

Chonda Nwamu, 2023 Go Red for Women Chair Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary

Columnist Marc H. Morial

Columnist Mike Jones

Lynne Jackson, President and Founder of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation makes her remarks during groundbreaking ceremonies at the Old Courthouse in St. Louis on Tuesday, January 31, 2023. The Old Courthouse, built in 1839, will undergo only its second renovation since it was constructed. The $380 million renovation will increase accessibility for all visitors, includes structural improvements and expand on the legacy of Dred and Harriet Scott who unsuccessfully sued for freedom for themselves and their two daughters in the Dred Scott v. Sandford case of 1857 in the Old Courthouse.

Old Courthouse will honor Scott family in new exhibits

St. Louis American staff

The Old Courthouse interior is getting a new look.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held last week, and among the historic building’s improvements, will be new exhibit galleries that focus on Drew and Harriett Scott’s legal fight for freedom.

Exhibits will examine how their cases, both state and federal, still impact America today. Other topics will include the post-Civil War era of civil rights, the exploration of African American life in St. Louis, and the importance of courts in our society.

“I am so pleased to share that and to be able to tell people ‘This is what St. Louis is doing,’” said Lynne Jackson, President & Founder of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation and great, great granddaughter of Harriet and Dred Scott.

“These moves our city has made will bring all of that to light, and we will be a banner, and a place to come to say, ‘This is how it should be done.’”

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones said “Redefining our reality instead of confronting our past gets us nowhere, especially as our past continues to shape our very real problems in the present.”

As we break ground on this important project, let us remember both what this building represents, and how these renovations will make sure the Old Courthouse remains a destination for education and learning for generations to come.”

Jeremy Sweat, Gateway Arch National Park superintendent, said most of the nation’s National Park units “are historic sites, many of which tell some of our nation’s most important and complicated histories.”

“That is why we are here today, at the Old Courthouse, to celebrate a major step forward for this building, which is a tangible reminder of the mistakes of our past, and of the progress that has been made in the fight for equality, freedom and justice for all Americans.”

Inspiring news on a new leader

Harvard University recently announced exciting news: Dr. Claudine Gay, who is currently the dean of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, was introduced as the University’s 30th president-elect.

Dr. Gay earned an undergraduate degree in economics from Stanford University, where she was awarded the prize for best undergraduate thesis, and a Ph.D. in Government from Harvard, where she won the prize for the best dissertation in political science.

She then served as a tenured faculty member at Stanford before returning to Harvard and becoming dean of Social Sciences and then of the full Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Now Dr. Gay, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, will be the first African American and first person of color to be Harvard University’s president.

Dr. Gay joins an ever-growing list of illustrious Black women at the top of American colleges and universities. Some of the early trailblazers include the incomparable Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, who founded and led Daytona Normal and Industrial Institute for Negro Girls and later merged her school into what is now Bethune-Cookman University, and pioneering scholar, writer, and activist Dr. Anna Julia Cooper, who served as president of Frelinghuysen University.

Decades later historian and legal scholar Dr. Mary Frances Berry became the first Black woman to head a major research university as chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Dr. Gay’s current peers include Dr. Ruth Simmons, outgoing president of Prairie View A&M University, who also served as president of Smith College before becoming the first Black president of an Ivy League institution at Brown University. My own alma mater, Spelman College, has had five Black women leaders in a row since 1987, beginning with Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole and extending through Dr. Helene D. Gayle, a pediatrician and public health physician who became president of Spelman last year after serving as president and CEO of the Chicago Community Trust and the international humanitarian organization CARE and spending 20 years with the Centers for Disease Control and leading the Gates Foundation’s programs on HIV/AIDS and other global health issues.

Dr. Gay will also have peers in Dr. Nemat “Minouche” Shafik, who has just been named as the first woman president-elect of Columbia University, and Dr. Sian Leah Beilock, the first woman president-elect of Dartmouth College, when all three begin their administrations later this year, joining women presidents already serving at Brown University, Cornell University, and the University of Pennsylvania within the Ivy League. Each of these leaders sets an important example for the students at her own school and beyond.

When Dr. Gay spoke after being introduced as Harvard’s next president, she paid tribute to the example set for her by her parents: “They came to the U.S. with very little and put themselves through college while raising our family. My mom became a registered nurse and my dad a civil engineer, and it was the City College of New York that made those careers possible. … My parents believed that education opens every door.” Now she is committed to opening those doors for others.

Dr. Gay will take over at a time when Harvard and other peer universities are grappling with their responsibilities for their institutions’ histories, including the ways in which they profited from the slave trade and enslaved people’s labor, and with the path forward for continuing to welcome diverse student bodies and scholarship as academia moves into the increasingly diverse future with affirmative action and certain modes of critical thinking under attack.

It is a pivotal moment in higher education, and I join many others who will be cheering her on. You can’t be what you can’t see – and I know many young people will now see themselves in President Gay and be inspired to set new goals of their own.

Marian Wright Edelman is Children’s Defense Fund founder and president emerita.

Photo by Bill Greenblatt / St. Louis American

Marian Wright Edelman

Continued from A1

“We are an anchor institu-

tion here in St. Louis. So being recognized for everything that all of us are working hard and doing from a very diverse and inclusive perspective out in the broader St. Louis community – that is what I am excited about.” UMSL has been active on all fronts in making sure that education and opportunity are within reach for all. “We reflect St. Louis,” Sobolik said. “We are St. Louis and the broader region’s public research university – the largest in eastern Missouri. Our mission and our founding were to make sure that we serve this region and the diverse people and corporations and needs of the region.”

The positive impact of UMSL creates a ripple effect that starts with service to its students and stretches to every corner of industry within the St. Louis region. There is the acclaimed UMSL Bridge

Biden

Continued from A1 and increased resources to reduce violent crime. He also addressed root causes of crime, calling for more investments in housing, education, and training.

“Something good must come from this,” Biden said of Nichols’ death.

Biden also pointed to an executive order he signed affecting federal officers that banned chokeholds, restricted no-knock warrants, and implemented “other key elements of the George Floyd Act.”

Congresswoman Cori Bush invited Michael Brown Sr, the father of Michael Brown, the unarmed Black teen who was killed in a police shooting in Ferguson in 2014, to attend the speech with her.

The shooting set off racial justice protests in the St. Louis

Program, which plants the seed of possibility for a college education in high school students in underserved zip codes through taking courses and earning college credits that can be applied towards their future college degree.

“Bridge Program participants are able to take part in that transformative education and it is literally producing the most diverse workforce in the state of Missouri,” Sobolik said.

“Which is what we do at UMSL.” Since 2003, the UMSL Bridge program has had an astonishing 100 percent matriculation rate. Many of the Bridge Program graduates are first-generation college students, and many of them matriculate to UMSL.

“The students that come here are St. Louis. They graduate and they tend to stay in St. Louis. In fact, we have the largest alumni base of any higher learning institution in the St. Louis region. Our diverse students and alumni are driving the workforce development of the region.”

Shawntelle L. Fisher,

area and nation and contributed to the founding of the Black Lives Matter movement.

“The police killing of Michael Brown in 2014 is what propelled me and many others into lives dedicated to building a world where Mike would still be here with us,” Bush said in a statement.

In touting a rebounding economy which continues to gather strength, Biden spoke passionately about his economic plan, which includes “investing in forgotten places and people” and “building an economy where no one is left behind.”

“Two years ago, our economy was reeling. As I stand here tonight, we have created a record 12 million new jobs –more jobs created in two years than any president has ever created in four years,” he said.

“The unemployment rate is 3.4%, the lowest rate in more than 50 years, and the rate for Black and Hispanic unemployment is near a record low.”

founder of The SoulFisher Ministries – an organization that works directly with women who have been incarcerated and aids them in the process of reentering society – and Steven Harris, who was recently promoted to managing partner at RubinBrown LLP are just two of countless UMSL alumni success stories. According to Sobolik, UMSL alumni have an annual economic impact of $15.4 billion dollars for the state of Missouri. That number is one that Sobolik sees rising to coincide with the astonishing leaps of

by Burk Krohe

Missouri Sen. Brian Williams detailed funding aimed at revitalizing St. Louis County, including a $40 million investment toward the redevelopment of UMSL’s campus in July 2022.

UMSL’s national rankings. In the U.S. News and World report ranking of colleges and universities, UMSL has risen 69 slots in the past three years to their current standing as 107th in the nation for public universities. UMSL also ranks within the top 100 for social mobility – which is a source of pride for Sobolik and her team at UMSL.

“This particular metric reflects the institution’s effectiveness in taking a student where they are and making sure that they graduate and have a positive impact in the

Biden said he plans to end the nation’s COVID emergency status in May.

“Two years ago, COVID had shut down our businesses, closed our schools, and robbed

workforce and in society,” Sobolik said. “We are the only University in Missouri to be there. That is a game changer for their lives, the lives of their family and ultimately the St. Louis region.”

UMSL is also doing its part to aid new, diverse entrepreneurs through its UMSL Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Accelerator program. Now in its third year, the program gives $50,000 non-dilutive capital injection awards to diverse new business owners.

“It is an opportunity for underrepresented people to expand and grow their business,” said Michael Butler, director of operations for the UMSL DEI Accelerator.”

This year, six companies were selected as recipients. UMSL students operate as fellows to help the businesses thrive and they receive invaluable mentorship from the university’s connections.

But what Sobolik proclaims will provide UMSL’s biggest economic impact to the region is their leadership role in the St. Louis Anchor Action Network.

remains unbowed and unbroken,” Biden said.

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones, who spent Wednesday stumping for her city’s economic interests with legislators in Jefferson City, is a member of the African American Mayors Association [AAMA.] The organization said in a statement, “President Biden’s got our back and we’ve got his.”

“President Biden spoke directly to the American people. From tackling unprecedented crises, rebuilding the economy, and delivering results for working families, the President’s leadership has helped steer our nation in the right direction,” said AAMA President and Little Rock Mayor, Frank Scott, Jr.

us of so much. Today, COVID no longer controls our lives. And two years ago, our democracy faced its greatest threat since the Civil War. Today, though bruised, our democracy

“We are grateful for the strong support his administration has shown to mayors across the country and look forward to a continued partnership where we can focus on the core values of getting people back to

Led by Stefani Weeden-Smith, it is a network they are co-leading with Edward Jones. The initiative brings together top educational institutions, healthcare institutions and corporations in the region to focus on hiring and contracting in the 21 most underserved zip codes in the St. Louis region. The Anchor Action Network has signed a pledge to increase their individual and collective hiring and contracting in those underserved zip codes by 10 percent annually.

“If each one of those institutions does that, the economic impact in our region – in the areas where we need it the most – is going to be huge,” Sobolik said.

The St. Louis American Foundation’s 21st Annual Salute to Excellence in Business Awards Luncheon will take place at 12 noon (11 a.m. reception) on Thursday, February 16 at Ritz-Carlton St. Louis, 100 Carondelet Plaza in Clayton. For tickets or additional information, visit www.stlamerican.com or call (314) 533-8000.

work, ensuring our communities are safe, and improving the standard of living in people’s everyday lives.”

Scott Jr. added “there is still much work to be done, particularly as it impacts our Black and Brown communities.”

“We join the administration in re-issuing the call for Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, make federal policing the gold standard of effectiveness and accountability, and push the Justice Department to act to ensure accountability and reform,” Scott Jr. said.

“We stand with the administration as it seeks to restore America’s soul by reforming the police without defunding them, banning assault weapons, seeing to it that women have a right to make their own decisions, securing voting rights for all, and uniting us in democracy. The NNPA Newswire contributed to this report

With Vice President Kamala Harris and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy seated behind him, President Biden set the stage for his second two years in office during his State of the Union Address on Tuesday night in Washington, D.C.

White House photo

Photo

Continued from A1

there’s representation in the classroom, our children —especially students of color–excel in their studies and advance on a path that solidifies economic sustainability,” Ellis wrote.

According to a recent Stanford Graduate School of Education study, an overwhelming majority of K-12 public school teachers in the United States are white, even as students of color make up 56 percent of the nation’s student population.

Renaldo Jackson, 39, Principal at Mason Clark Middle School in East St. Louis, is familiar with that study and others pertaining to the impact of black male teachers.

“According to the Stanford study, only 2% of America’s teachers are black men,” Jackson said to emphasize his desire to teach. “Research shows that having back teachers, teachers that look like our students, increases academic performance, achievement levels and reduces behavioral issues. That’s a big one for me because it shows that not having a black male teacher can affect black boys.” Jackson, an East St. Louis native and graduate from School District 159, walked away from careers as a retail banker and owner of his own real estate firm to pursue education. The path became evident after years of volunteering and mentoring at East St. Louis schools. He became a TFA core member (full-time, salaried employee) in 2015 and found the organization’s mission appealing.

Bill

Continued from A1

The new measure attempts to address the specific concerns raised in the lawsuit, said Alderwoman Shameem Clark Hubbard of the 26th Ward.

“This is not against the police department,” she said.

“Our communities and our citizens have fought for civilian oversight for over 20 years. This is about moving it forward the best way that we can do it and coming to a happy medium.”

16th Ward Alderman Tom Oldenburg remained opposed.

“These are the stumbling blocks that happen often when we don’t come to the table with the police department and the union members to fully work

“What really attracted me was their mission that all students deserve a quality education,” Jackson recalled. “They were going into more urban districts as opposed to more affluent school districts. With me being a product of East St. Louis/Washington Park schools, where I grew up, their mission was dear to my heart.”

Another earlier motivation in Jackson’s life was a black male East St. Louis teacher.

When I was a student, there was black male math teacher, T. Herbert Jeffrey, who was always professionally dressed, talked to us about his life; his marriage and how he was working on his master’s degree. I remember him because he took the time to build rapport with me. One of the reasons I do what I do is because of him.”

Another TFA alum, Clifton Kinnie, 25, had a similar experience with a teacher of Hispanic descent.

“Michael Vargas was a major reason I went into education,” Kinnie, a former Spanish Lake resident and Lutheran High School graduate recalled.

“I was 17 and, at the time, my mother was battling stage four breast cancer. It was also the year that Mike Brown was killed. I was dealing with a lot.

“Mr. Vargas was the first teacher who demonstrated a unique desire to teach me about my history. He never overlooked me. He tried to address the issues I brought into the classroom. He made sure that I was seen and heard, and I knew he was the kind of leader I wanted to be.”

Kinnie also became a TFA “core member” after graduating from Howard University. His specialty is “Cross Categorical Special Education.” He works with grades K-12 students with

together,” he said.

Following the video release of five Memphis police officers fatally beating Tyre Nichols and subsequent murder charges, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones said she continues working to seat the board.

“When we say that Black Lives Matter, it affirms our shared humanity that police mercilessly denied Tyre Nichols. Community trust is necessary to make our neighborhoods safer, and the incident in Memphis tragically reminds us that we still have a lot of work to do,” she said in a statement.

“Last year, I worked with the Board of Aldermen to pass a new ordinance to strengthen civilian oversight of our public safety departments. While it currently faces a challenge in court, this will not stop me

a variety of disabilities, including emotional, behavioral, intellectual and other disabilities.

Kinnie has taught at Northwest Academy Law Magnet High School in North St. Louis and now teaches at Gateway STEM High School.

Kinnie remembers how students came to school with anxiety, depression and questions after the murder of George Floyd in 2020. He said Teach for America helped prepare him for those challenges.

“They provided a lot of layers and resources; coaching, mentorship, professional development and opportunities to grow as a young leader,” Kinnie said. “I was able to bring all that into the classroom. So, as a black male teacher, I understand my

from continuing to advocate for police accountability in St. Louis.”

St. Louis Public Radio reported in July 2022 that Hubbard had been crafting the bill since May 2021, The approved legislation created the Detention Facilities Oversight Board It moved that board, and the Civilian Oversight Board, which helps investigate police misconduct, under the supervision of a commissioner of civilian oversight, and gives them more responsibilities and powers.

They would remain in the Department of Public Safety, which also includes the police department and corrections.

The measure would also give Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner authority to set up a public integrity unit, which would

Clifton Kinnie, a St. Louis native and graduate of Lutheran High School North Class of 2015, proudly displayed his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Afro American Studies Howard University in Washington D.C. in May 2019.

responsibility to be there for my students.”

As his career advances the lesson he learned from Vargas stays with him.

“I keep having these ‘Ah, ha’ moments where I realize I’m advocating for students impacted by violence and political and social issues,” Kinnie explained. “I want to really listen and provide the quality education they deserve that will better inform them of the world. I want them to be able to go out and make great choices and impact the world the same way others have.”

La’Ron Haymore, 37, another TFA core member and Assistant Principal at Metro Academic and Classical High School recalled when he understood the importance of his role.

investigate police misconduct, including officer-involved shootings.

Gardner first sought that authority in 2017, her first year in office. She was re-elected in 2021.

“Our constituents deserve this trust-building document, this trust-building policy, to continue to move,” Hubbard said in July.

Ward capital changes

“It became apparent to me when Black students at predominantly Black schools told me ‘You’re the first Black male teacher I’ve ever had,’’ Haymore said. “The relationships you’re able to cultivate as a Black male teacher are some that last in your and the student’s mind and hearts indefinitely.”

Haymore was raised in the Jeff-Vander-Lou (JVL) neighborhood. He graduated from Cardinal Ritter College Prep. He said his great grandmother told him as a child that he should become a teacher, but he didn’t think it would be an affluent career move.

Haymore instead went into personal banking before a friend suggested he give TFA

The board on Tuesday defeated an effort to distribute funds for ward projects based on need, rather than equally among the wards.

Current legislation allocating sales taxes for capital needs distributes the money among 28 wards. With ward reduction taking effect in April, that language had to be adjusted.

a try. He liked the competitiveness of the program and its mission. His first assignment was at Hazelwood East Middle School where he taught middle school math. After a brief stint in Los Angeles, he went to work for the St. Louis Public school district, first as an assistant principal at Soldan International Studies High School then Metro. Haymore describes a unique level of rapport with students of color.

“There’s an old saying: ‘You have to reach a kid before you can teach a kid.’ I think that Black male teachers have the ability to hold a student accountable while letting them know they care about them. We can demand more because, as Black teachers, we know they can do more.” The other Teach for America teachers, Kinnie and Jackson, also spoke about their unique roles as Black male teachers. Jackson elaborated, pointing out how he works to get Black males into his school even if they aren’t teachers.

“We have “Real Men Read” where we invite community members, fraternities, parents and especially men to come into school and read to our students,” Jackson said, adding: “My goal is to bring as many men into the school as I can.” With only 2% of the nation’s teaching staff being black men, Jackson, Kinnie and Haymore realize the challenges inherent in recruiting more like them into the profession.

“It’s an overwhelming challenge,” Haymore said, “but all things worth fighting for, worth working for…well, if you don’t do anything to make change, it’s only going to get worse.”

A proposal backed by Green would have divided 70% of the money collected per year by 14. But the remaining 30% would have been distributed based on a variety of factors such as household income, the poverty rate and the size of the ward. But by an 18-6 vote with two voting present, the board adopted an amendment from Oldenburg that eliminated the language related to needs.

Renaldo Jackson, 39, is principal at Mason Clark Middle School in East St. Louis.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Photo courtesy of Clifton Kinnie

Urban League announces 2023 Excellence in Communications awardees

St. Louis American staff

St. Louis American Sports Editor Earl Austin, Jr., and St. Louis Radio Hall of Fame member Bernie Hayes are among the area journalists to be honored on Feb. 24, 2023 during The Urban League of Metropolitan Saint Louis Salute to Excellence in Communications and Media recognition program on February 24, 2023.

The awards program will be held at the Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel in the Crystal Ballroom with a reception beginning at 11:30 a.m. followed by the luncheon program at noon.

“Representation matters,” said Michael P. McMillan Urban League President and CEO.

“These outstanding professionals have not only demonstrated a mastery of their craft but they also hold a strong commitment to inclusivity and consistently advocate for balance and perspective in the stories that are shared about black and brown communities. We are honored to celebrate their work.”

The 2023 communications professionals being honored are: Jess Anderson, Media Influencer

Earl Austin, Jr., The St. Louis American Sports Editor, Saint Louis University Billikens Announcer

Bernie Hayes Pioneering Radio Personality, Host of The Bernie Hayes Show

Joseph Brown, STL TV Videographer/Engineer

Michael Claiborne

KMOX Radio, St. Louis Cardinals MLB Broadcaster

Jade Harrell, 9 Network Director on Demand and Content Partnerships

Tammie Holland, Host, This Week with Tammie Holland

Kelly Jackson, KSDK Five on Your Side News Anchor

Samantha Jones, Anchor, KMOV News 4

Blair Ledet, Anchor/Reporter KTVI Fox 2 News

Lorenzo Savage, Publisher, I Am ESL Magazine

Lou Thimes, Jr., Radio Personality

Hank Thompson, KDHX Talk Show Host Tanganzo, Veteran Radio Personality

Kimberly Young, KTVI Fox 2 News Supervising Producer

Earl Austin, Jr.

Blair Ledet Kelly Jackson Lou Thimes, Jr.

A rough week to be Brandon Bosley

For several reasons, last week was not a good week for 3rd Ward Alderman Brandon Bosley Let’s start with another conundrum that Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner finds herself facing again. Last week, KSDK obtained a copy of the police report from a December incident involving Bosley and a woman who Bosley originally identified as an alleged carjacker. However, gas station security footage obtained by the SLMPD showed Bosley’s carwith Bosley driving it - striking the woman and driving away. Additional footage from the gas station confirmed that Bosley was the driver of the vehicle as it left. The infamous Facebook Live video that he recorded was actually evidence of Bosley’s crime against the woman, made only minutes after Bosley hit her with his vehicle, and showing the woman dazed and barely responsive to the elected official’s abusive, misogynistic insults toward her. Until last week, the public knew only Bosley’s side and that the initial criminal charges were suddenly dismissed by Gardner’s office on January 3, after forcing the woman to (wrongfully) spend the holidays in jail and miss time with her family. Gardner’s office claims that it obtained the footage on January 2. But herein lies Gardner’s problem: the security footage existed at the time her office egregiously criminally charged the woman now recognized to be the victim. There’s a likelihood that the SLMPD had a copy, or at least knew, of the security footage on the day the victim was charged. Nevertheless, Gardner’s office seemingly failed to confirm with the SLMPD any of the details before proceeding to file a set of felonies against

the woman (attempted robbery and armed criminal action). We would call it “prosecutorial misconduct” if this entire situation didn’t scream incompetency.

In other words, Gardner’s office filed charges against a victim who was assaulted by an alderman, who lied about the entire incident, based only on Bosley’s statements. This also means that, while Gardner’s office relied on the security footage to dismiss the charges against the woman, they could have used the same footage to pursue the person who hit her with his car. Despite having no evidence, Gardner’s office criminally charged the victim. But even with video footage and license plate readers confirming what really happened, Bosley will apparently face no consequences.

EYE-colytes will recall our January 5 column, only a month ago, where we first reported that the SLMPD had referred criminal charges against Bosley to Circuit Attorney Gardner. We had hoped then that Gardner’s office would have taken a step toward gaining justice for this victim. Alderwoman Sharon Tyus, armed with all the wrong facts, even threatened our publication - but only the EYE saw the truth. While our sources had not shared what was referred, we learned last week that the SLMPD recommended that Gardner’s office criminally charge Bosley with filing a false police report, assault, and unlawful use of a weapon. We will wait patiently for Alderwoman Tyus’ - and everyone else’s - apology to the woman who was assaulted by Alderman Bosley. We also hope that Circuit Attorney Gardner will charge the right person this time, and that the woman finds justice. In the

meantime, Gardner’s misaction and inaction unfortunately feed right into Missouri House Republican’s otherwise meritless arguments to remove some of her authority as prosecutor.

• • •

Bosley’s woes last week didn’t stop there. The PostDispatch finally named “Public Official 1” from the now-unsealed federal indictments of former aldermen Lewis Reed, Jeffrey Boyd, and John Collins Muhammad. We’ve heard the rumors identifying Clay since the indictments were released to the public last summer, but several sources confirmed to reporters that “Public Official 1” is former congressman, Lacy Clay

According to federal documents, Clay was offered the largest single bribe that was made throughout the case. Clay met with the FBI’s informant and Collins Muhammad in June 2020 - in the middle of the Democratic primary against now-Congresswoman Cori Bush - and Clay accepted an envelope with $10,000 in cash inside. Clay left the gas station with the money, but came back later to return the money to the informant. “I usually take checks,” Clay was recorded saying to the informant. As reported in the Post Dispatch, the checks, never cashed, seemed to have been given to Darryl Piggee, a Clay ex-chief of staff who was also treasurer of Clay’s PAC.

Bosley was also identified in the federal indictments as another alderman who accepted a cash bribe through an associate. He also met with Collins Muhammad and the federal informant, and Bosley directed the informant to make a $2,000 payment to another person in

exchange for a letter of support on a 15-year tax abatement. Less than a week later, Bosley wrote a letter of support for the tax abatement of the informant’s property.

Both Clay and Bosley seem oblivious to the fact that the informant likely was wearing a wire during these interactions, similar to his interactions with Reed, Boyd, and Collins Muhammad. Clay was even recorded noting the video cameras in the informant’s office. Nevertheless, Clay denied meeting with the informant at all; Bosley admits that he met with the informant but “rejected offers of cash bribes.”

Neither Clay nor Bosley have been charged at the time of this reporting.

The St. Louis Business Journal reported that University City officials are defending their hiring of Clay as a federal lobbyist and that the former congressman has indicated that was not him.

Tyus, on the other hand, has been spending possibly her last few days in office blocking critical funding for North St. Louis. Despite running to represent residents of the new 12th Ward, Tyus managed to whip every Black alderperson - with the exception of Alderpersons James Page, Norma Walker, Jesse Todd, and Tina Pihlinto voting against increased ward capital funds. This vote undoubtedly would have helped both voters and incumbents, especially Tyus, who faces a serious challenger, small business owner and Revitalization of Baden Association leader Tashara Earl

Why Tyus opposed the ward capital increase legislation is puzzling, especially considering

that the new 12th Ward would receive the second-highest distribution of funds to all of the wards. Specifically, her ward would have received 15.9%, more than double of what an “equal” share would have been (around 7.1%). Ward capital funds are allocated to each ward every year, from a general tax pool, for the individual alderperson to determine how to spend. This is how potholes are fixed, how burnt-out street lamps get new bulbs, and how residential neighborhoods thrive without forming a special taxing district.

Historically, ward capital funds have been distributed equally to each ward, instead of equitably. This is where the Northside neighborhoods have been left behind. Aldermanic President Megan Green introduced Board Bill 183, which would have allocated more than 60% of ward capital funds to North St. Louis wards as a way to address historic city policies that caused divestment in those neighborhoods.

Nevertheless, the alderwoman’s intentional efforts to derail this more equitable ward capital funding reallocation also resulted in Tyus forfeiting around $2 million of “unencumbered” ward capital funds - public dollars that she should have been spending for residents of her current ward - reverting back to the general pool to be redistributed to other wards.

“Unencumbered” means that the alderperson has not designated how those funds would be spent within their ward.

We’re sure residents of the 12th Ward can think of a few sidewalks or alleys in need of repair.

Tyus’ actions this week may have cost her constituents more than $3 million in public dollars to which they would have been entitled. Despite gener-

ations of divestment in North St. Louis, Sharon Tyus has led the way to deepen that divestment without giving her voters a reason why. Maybe she can let us know between now and Election Day.

• • •

Finally, last week we reported that control of the Rockwood School District had been usurped by two extremist school board members who have been more focused on waging culture wars rather than providing quality public education to St. Louis County children.

This week, we have learned that the District itself is the subject of at least two pending discrimination suits: one in state court for refusing to accommodate an employee with a disability, filed only a few weeks ago, and at least one pending in federal court - also related to a failure-to-accomodate claim and filed in November. If the allegation of these two cases are any indication, the Rockwood School District may have serious issues supporting staff members with marginalized backgrounds.

Considering the concerning number of district employees who have resigned in a relatively short period of time - the majority citing ongoing harassment and threats of harm stemming from a specific group of parents, the MAGAinfluenced “Concerned Parents of Rockwood” - we wouldn’t be surprised if more discrimination-based lawsuits emerge in the coming weeks.

If Black and disabled staff members are not welcome or safe at Rockwood, we aren’t sure how the district can serve and protect its Black and disabled students.

Our healthcare professionals in the St. Louis community are here to help seniors like you get the most out of

We provide transportation assistance to and from appointments (if needed), same-day appointments, telehealth visits and more. We’re truly a one-stop shop for all your primary care needs.

“Taking Care of You”

Keeping kidney disease at bay quest of SLU team

APOLLO study seeks minority volunteers

St. Louis American staff

Deryl Cunningham was fighting a winning battle against kidney disease, reporting a 10% improvement in kidney function through “lifestyle changes.”

Unfortunately, his health began deteriorating leaving him confused and in search of an answer. He was first diagnosed with stage 2 kidney

disease by a doctor in Terre Haute, Indiana.

After relocating to Edwardsville, Illinois, a physician there set him on a path of discovery. He shared with Cunningham rare cases where kidney disease had been reversed.

He would eventually need a kidney transplant, but his quest for answers led him to Saint Louis University Hospital.

“I got to the bottom of what was really going on,” he said in a SLU release.

He underwent gene typing and learned he inherited a high-risk gene from each of his parents.

African Americans have an increased risk of kidney failure, and research shows some of the higher levels are related to variations in a gene called apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1).

“I wish I would’ve known that information

sooner in life,” he said.

Krista Lentine, M.D., a SLUCare nephrologist and SLU School of Medicine professor, said “this high risk genotype is present in approximately 15% of African Americans.”

Cunningham’s condition and medical director of living kidney donation at SLU Hospital.

Cunningham knows first-hand the impact of kidney disease on African Americans but added, “we tend to be quiet about things in our community.” His cousin is also a kidney transplant recipient, and he has several acquaintances who also have been impacted by the disease.

Cunningham now partners in research with

Addressing environmental racism in air

By Harry Johnson II

Visually

diminishes the opportunities my generation might have to build health and wealth. An immediate effort to rectify the risks starts with more substantial soot pollution standards to protect the breath and health of our present and future generations.

n An immediate effort to rectify the risks starts with more substantial soot pollution standards to protect the breath and health of our present and future generations.

Earlier this month, the EPA took steps to tighten soot standards. Unfortunately, they were not enough. We need much stronger standards to protect our health, prevent premature deaths and advance environmental justice. Every day the administration delays taking strong actions only means more air and climate pollution in our communities and our lungs.

On average, healthy adults breathe 12 to 20 breaths per minute or over 20,000 breaths daily. Soot is a danger to breathing. It’s a pollutant that can be inhaled, flowing from your lungs directly to your bloodstream, and poses heightened risks for children, seniors, and people with chronic illnesses.

Soot pollution can come from power plant smokestacks, exhaust fumes from cars, buses and trucks, and industrial sources that burn fossil fuels. Therefore, exposure to soot is linked to many health risks and chronic conditions, including asthma heart dis-

200,000 Missourians estimated to lose Medicaid benefits

Eligibility checks can begin April 1

By Clara Bates Missouri Independent

The director of Missouri’s Medicaid program said he expects “about 200,000” Medicaid enrollees to lose coverage over the course of a year because of the state resuming annual eligibility renewals after a three-year pause.

The state’s Department of Social Services has not previously provided a public estimate of those projected to lose coverage. DSS said last week it expects Medicaid enrollment numbers to “level off” approaching this July, and then “slowly ramp down” by around 200,000 people over the course of the next fiscal year, which lasts from July 2023 to July 2024.

Since the federal public health emergency was declared in March 2020, states have been barred from removing enrollees from Medicaid, in exchange for enhanced federal funds. With the rate of uninsured Americans at an all-time low, 8%, “the course reversal will be painful,” according to a Kaiser Health Foundation article by Phil Galewitz

n With the rate of uninsured Americans at an all-time low, 8%, “the course reversal will be painful,” according to a Kaiser Health Foundation article by Phil Galewitz

The Biden administration has predicted that 15 million people — 17% of enrollees — will lose coverage through Medicaid or CHIP, the closely related Children’s Health Insurance Program, as the programs return to normal operations.

While many of the 15 million will fall off because they no longer qualify, nearly half will be dropped for procedural reasons, such as failing to respond to requests for updated personal information, a federal report said.

See MEDICAID, A13

An estimated 200,000 Missouri Medicaid recipients, including thousands of seniors and minorities, could lose benefits through no fault of their own after a pause on eligibility determinations ends on April 1. While some states have launched ambitious campaigns to reach recipients to update information, Missouri has not.

Deryl Cunningham credits SLUCare’s kidney transplant team for diagnosing that he inherited a high risk gene from his parents. He is now a part of the APOLLO research study, which addresses racial disparities in kidney transplant outcomes. From left are, SLUCare nephrologist Krista Lentine, M.D., Marilyn Maxwell, M.D.; Cunningham; Cynthia Nowden; and Kathryn Lindsay, MED.

Photo courtesy of SLUCare

See KIDNEY DISEASE, A13

See JOHNSON, A13 A12

Photo courtesy of Michigan Chronicle

Harry Johnson II

“Taking Care of You”

Kidney dialysis study has stunning news

St. Louis American staff

Adults on dialysis treatment for end-stage kidney disease were 100 times more likely to have a Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bloodstream infection than adults not on dialysis during 2017–2020, according to a new Vital Signs report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Chronic kidney disease is a major health disparity in the African American community. Though Blacks make up 14% of the US population, they make up 35% of the population with end stage kidney disease. Additionally, this burden is complicated by recent findings from the CDC showing an increased risk of staph infections in Blacks receiving dialysis. This study further highlights the need for primary care providers to be more aggressive in trying to

Medicaid

Blacks at higher risk for staph infections

prevent chronic kidney disease by helping patients achieve normal blood pressure.

More than half of people in the U.S. receiving dialysis belong to a racial or ethnic minority group—about 1 in every 3 people receiving dialysis is Black and 1 in every 5 is Hispanic. CDC data found patients on dialysis in these groups have higher rates of staph bloodstream infections than White patients on dialysis.

Dialysis treatment, although necessary and lifesaving, comes with risks. Healthcare providers use needles or catheters to connect a patient to a dialysis machine, and germs, like staph, can get into a patient’s bloodstream. Staph bloodstream infections can be serious and even deadly. Some infections are resistant to some of the most common antibiotics used to treat them, making the drugs ineffective.

CDC data confirmed one of the ways healthcare

providers can reduce the risk of infection is by using lower-risk alternatives, such as fistulas and grafts, to replace central venous catheters to connect patients’ blood circulation to dialysis machines for treatment.

Key findings include:

- Among patients on dialysis, staph bloodstream infection rates were highest in Black and Hispanic patients.

- Adjusting for state of residence, age, sex, and vascular access type, the staph bloodstream infection risk was highest in Hispanic patients and patients 18–49 years old.

- People in areas with higher poverty, household crowding, and lower education had more staph bloodstream infections.

“Preventing staph bloodstream infections begins by detecting chronic kidney disease in its early stages to prevent or delay the need for dialysis,” said CDC Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry, M.D., M.P.H.

“Healthcare providers can

promote preventative practices, including methods to manage diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as providing education on treatment options among all patients and particularly those at greatest risk, to slow the progression of chronic kidney disease.”

Bloodstream infections in patients on dialysis have decreased since 2014 with the widespread use of proven practices to prevent and control infections. Preventing infections among patients receiving dialysis requires a broad and equitable approach to the prevention and care of kidney disease for people from all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups.

“Dialysis-associated bloodstream infections are preventable—not inevitable,” said Shannon Novosad, M.D., M.P.H., Dialysis Safety Team Lead in CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion.

“Our data show that use of a central venous catheter

as a vascular access type had six times higher risk for staph bloodstream infections when compared to the lowest-risk access, a fistula.

Prevention efforts that equitably promote lower-risk vascular access types and continued use of infection prevention and control best practices can save lives.”

Healthcare providers and public health professionals should continue to:

• Encourage practices shown to prevent and slow the progression of chronic kidney disease.

• Counsel patients on the potential treatment options before they develop end-stage kidney disease.

• Coordinate efforts between patients, nephrologists, vascular access surgeons, radiologists, nurses, nurse practitioners, and social workers to reduce the use of central venous catheters for dialysis treatment.

• Increase the use of low-

er-risk vascular access types, such as fistulas and grafts, for people starting and currently on dialysis.

• Use proven practices to prevent and control infections in all U.S. dialysis facilities.

• Reduce barriers for patients receiving medical care by offering transportation assistance, insurance coverage expertise, social work services, and education resources in multiple languages.

CDC researchers used data from the 2020 National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) and the 2017–2020 Emerging Infections Program (EIP) to describe bloodstream infections among dialysis patients. To examine associations with race, ethnicity, and social determinants of health, these data were linked to population-based data sources (CDC/ATSDR’s Social Vulnerability Index, United States Renal Data System, U.S. Census).

That pause on conducting eligibility redeterminations will end April 1. States will resume conducting eligibility checks and can again remove participants from their rolls who are deemed ineligible.

Some Missourians could lose coverage because they are no longer eligible. For example, if they now make too much money to qualify, they could be disenrolled.

Others who continue to be eligible could lose coverage because of procedural errors, such as failing to return proper paperwork. States are working under federal guidelines to limit those types of procedural disenrollments.

When the public health emergency began, in March 2020, there were just over 900,000 Missourians enrolled in Medicaid. Now, there are over 1.4 million enrolled — a result of the federal continuous coverage rules during the pandemic, as well as Missouri’s expansion of Medicaid to lowincome adults in late 2021. “I don’t think there’s any doubt that Missouri, like every other state in the country, expects to see enrollment come down once a full set of the redeterminations are done,” Todd Richardson, the director of Missouri’s Medicaid program, MO HealthNet, said at a Feb. 1 hearing of a

Kidney disease

Continued from A12

the SLUCare kidney transplant team to raise awareness about the APOL1 gene. He has stepped up to help because “we tend to be quiet about things in our community,” he said.

Continued from A12 Johnson

Missouri House subcommittee on appropriations. Richardson told Republican lawmakers — who raised concerns about the increasing state Medicaid budget — that those enrollment declines will reduce overall state Medicaid spending.

“As we come out of the [public health emergency], we expect to see that enrollment decline, we expect to see our budget return to more of a definable range, that’s not so much driven by that single component,” Richardson said.

The proposed Medicaid budget for next fiscal year is $15 billion, the majority of which — $9 billion — would be from federal funds. A proposed $2 billion would be from state general revenue.

Richardson told lawmakers rising costs in the overall Medicaid budget have largely been a result of the increased number of enrollees during the public health emergency.

The “overwhelming majority of the increase you’ve seen in the budget over the last three and a half years has been driven by enrollment,” Richardson said.

Since Missouri implemented voter-approved Medicaid eligibility to low-income adults, nearly 300,000 have enrolled from that population, as of last month.

The federal government funds 90% of the costs of expansion, and a Kaiser Family Foundation review of the literature found expansion often offsets state costs in

Lentine’s team is part of a clinical study, “APOL1 Longterm Kidney Transplantation Outcomes Network (APOLLO),” which is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

“The purpose of APOLLO is to improve the lives of those who donate and receive kidneys by learning more about genetic variations that are found in some people

Continued from A12

ease, COPD, Parkinson’s disease, dementia low birth weight, greater risk of preterm birth, and higher infant mortality rates.

If you live and work in areas where the air is clean and pristine, the chances of polluted air exposure from soot may be minimal. But if you are a Black or Hispanic

person, if you live in a lowwealth community or other communities traditionally overburdened by pollution, every breath you take probably has an impact on your health and well-being due to soot particles.

Communities of color, especially Black communities, are disproportionately exposed to soot, an unfortunate consequence of decades of racially biased policy-making that continues unabated in many communi-

other areas, and can save money longer-term by reducing mortality.

The other source of increased enrollment — the continuous eligibility rules which barred states from removing participants during COVID — also has been largely federally-funded, another KFF study found.

The law that allows states to begin disenrolling ineligible Medicaid recipients on April 1 bars states from disenrolling anyone because mail was returned as undeliverable until the state has made a “good faith effort” to contact the person at least one other way, such as by phone or email.

To further reduce disruption, the law requires states to cover children in Medicaid and CHIP

of African descent,” said Lentine, who also serves as medical director of living kidney donation at SLU Hospital.

Eligible participants include living kidney donors, recipients of a kidney transplant from an eligible living or deceased donor with recent African ancestry, and recipients of multiple organs transplanted simultaneously.

ties today. As a result, Blacks are overrepresented among those who either die prematurely or suffer health problems due to soot pollution. The lag in creating much stronger soot standards prolongs pollution’s risky health impact on our country and communities. The Biden administration can save nearly 20,000 lives each year with stronger limits on soot pollution. By tightening soot protections, other dangerous pollution from these sources

for 12 months regardless of changes in circumstances, but that provision doesn’t take effect for almost a year.

States will give Medicaid recipients at least 60 days to respond to requests for information before dropping them, said Jack Rollins, director of federal policy at the National Association of Medicaid Directors. States will use government databases such as those from the IRS and Social Security Administration to check enrollees’ income eligibility so they can renew some people’s coverage automatically without having to contact them. But some states aren’t taking full advantage of the databases. Regarding the projected participation decline, Richardson

Researchers seek to enroll at least 2,614 donor-recipient pairs.

APOLLO seeks to quantify how much of the higher risk of transplant failure currently assigned to African American donor race is due to kidney risk variants in the donor.

Lentine’s, “Apolipoprotein L1: Role in the Evaluation of Kidney Transplant Donors,”

will also be reduced. For Black communities, which are often overburdened with exposure to toxic pollutants, stronger soot standards would also help narrow racial disparities in health outcomes.

Few people may be capable of taking our breath away like Simone Biles or Steph Curry can. But the Biden administration has both an opportunity and a responsibility to deliver a breathtaking policy moment by making stronger soot standards a reality.

added “we do expect that decline to be meaningful… and as a result, a meaningful reduction overall in where our budget is.”

A major concern among health care advocates is that the renewal process will erroneously kick people off Medicaid who are still eligible. National studies have warned that many of those who lose Medicaid coverage during the unwinding of the continuous coverage rules could remain eligible but will be dropped off the rolls due to administrative issues.

Participants’ renewal date will, in most cases, be the anniversary month of when they originally enrolled in Medicaid, the department has said, and it has urged participants to update their contact information to receive the necessary mailed communication.

Kim Evans, director of the state’s Family Support Division, laid out for lawmakers last week initial details of the state’s plan for resuming Medicaid redeterminations and avoiding procedural disenrollment. Family Support Division handles Medicaid applications and eligibility, while MO HealthNet is responsible for services.

“We want to make every effort we can to not make this a burdensome process and create what we call churn,” Evans said last week.

“Churn” refers to the number of people who fall on and off Medicaid due to procedural

recently published in Current Opinion in Nephrology and Hypertension, discusses how APOL1 genotyping may improve transplant donor evaluation.

Researchers also are reassessing how APOL1 genotyping might help patients with chronic kidney disease understand and manage their kidney risk.

Every delay in setting better standards for providing cleaner air, protecting our health, and advancing environmental justice is a deadly blow to our generation’s health. It leaves young people in America facing the deadly consequences for generations. We don’t want the climate and pollution crisis robbing our generation or the next of health and wealth opportunities. We have the power of our voices to remind the President and EPA to make it a top pri-

issues — often because they do not return the forms, or the information is lost, which in turn increases the number of applications that staff need to process. Missouri has been singled-out for its bureaucratic hurdles to renewal before, which Evans said her agency has made efforts to remedy.

“We’re talking about children here, we’re talking about families and, you know, adults who are disabled or elderly who need that coverage,” Evans said. States are required to attempt to renew participants’ eligibility using existing data, called ex-parte renewals, before contacting enrollees to complete forms or documentation themselves. But Missouri has historically used this streamlined renewal process at a low rate. In January 2020, Missouri was one of seven states that processed fewer than 25% of renewals automatically Missouri will first use the United States Post Office’s national change of address database to update participants’ addresses automatically, and will then go on to attempt to electronically verify their eligibility information, such as income levels. The earliest renewal will be for a participant with a June renewal, who will receive a letter from the state in May and, if the state requests more information, will need to respond by the end of June.

The SLU team and Mid-America Transplant Foundation recently launched a pilot study in their St. Louis kidney care clinics offering APOL1 genotyping to African American patients and assessing attitudes about genetic testing and kidney care. Lentine said 130 patients are enrolled in the ongoing local project.

ority to set federal pollution protections with the urgency science demands and our health and well-being commands to thrive into the future. We also have the power to continue electing climate and environmental justice champions. Our health and our climate can’t wait. We need action now. Harry Johnson II is vice president of strategic partnerships at NextGen America, a national public and political affairs organization.

PRESENT:

PRESENT:

Dining Out.

in Education Program NEWSPAPER

Nutrition Challenge:

GRAINS Keep ‘em Whole!

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

What Is ASize?Serving

The Smart Way!

Counting Steps

Warm Up & Cool Down

Do This. Not That!

Staying Active (Naturally) DuringSummer!the Smart Summer Eating!

Exercise Game

First Day of Spring!

Animal Safety

Smart Choices

Tech-Neck

Once you’re out of school, many of you may have a lot of extra time on your hands to be snacking. Resist the urge to eat sweet, salty, fried and high-calorie non-nutritious snacks this summer.

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

The month of February brings all things heart and love related. Here are some ways you can “love” your

Drink skim milk instead of

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

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

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

Cook with lean meats: chicken, turkey or lean beef.

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

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

those leftovers for lunch the next day!

are popcorn, wheatberries, brown rice and wild rice.

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

Careers

Cocoa Puffers Cereal

Heart Healthy Eating

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

Create a Smart Summer Eating plan with your parents. Ask their help in finding nutritious snacks and meals for the

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

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

Walking is one of the best ways to stay active.

Let’s make a game out of exercise!

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

As the weather gets warmer, there are many ways that we can enjoy ourselves outdoors and stay healthy over the summer. Some naturally active things you can do include:

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

summer. Delicious juicy, ripe fruits are all around and are healthy for you too! Make it your goal to come back to school in the fall healthier and happier!

Healthcare Careers

> Start by substituting one drink per day to water.

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

Melissa Douglass, MSW

Weekly Newspaper in Education Program

Eat fish at least once a week. Drink water instead of juice. Eat more fruits and vegetables.

Latoya Woods, DNP, APRN, FNP-C

Deborah Edwards, School Nurse

Where do you work?

Review: What are some nutrition tips you learned by following The St. Louis American’s Healthy Kids page this school year? Send your answers to nie@stlamerican.com.

• Increase your fiber intake with whole grain foods.

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

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

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

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

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

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

What are some other ways that you can love your heart?

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

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

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

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

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

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

CONTAIN WHEAT INGREDIENTS.

Where do you work? I am the founder and distance counselor for Goal Driven Counseling, LLC.

Where do you work? I am the E. Desmond Lee Professor of Racial and Ethnic Studies, Siteman Cancer Center Associate Director for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, and Co-Director, Institute for Public Health Center for Community Health Partnership and Research at Washington University in St. Louis, Brown School.

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

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

I am an EMT – B at Abbott EMS in Belleville, Illinois.

Staying active, getting your heart rate up and opening your lungs will help you start off next school year happier and healthier!

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

> Wash your parent’s car.

of an elevator, or maybe you can walk to a nearby store instead of riding in a car.

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

Where did you go to school? I graduated from Lindbergh High School. I then attended the University of Arkansas in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where I studied biology.

> Help with yard work: planting, weeding, etc.

> Walking to the store when possible.

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

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

Throughout the day you can look for ways to increase the amount of steps you take. You can walk around the living room while watching TV. You can take the stairs instead

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

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

Some studies show that kids that take about 12,000 steps per day are healthier. Consider purchasing a pedometer. This small,

> Play, play, play outside as much as you can!

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

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

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

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

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

Instead of watching TV — ride your bike with friends.

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

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

inexpensive device clips onto your waistband and measures how many steps you take a day. Challenge yourself to increase the amount of walking you do. Try adding in more and more walking each and every day.

Review: What are some exercise tips you learned by following The St. Louis American’s Healthy Kids page this school year? Send your answers to nie@ stlamerican.com.

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

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

Over the last 35 weeks we have discussed many smart choices that you can make to help you stay safe and healthy. Break into small groups and list as many Smart Choices that your group remembers. Now individually, choose one that you think is very important. Describe in your own words what that smart choice is, and how you can remember to make the right choice in the future. Name a new “smart choice“ that you will make this summer.

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

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

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

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

Where did you go to school? I graduated from Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, Alabama. I then earned a BA from Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and an MA and PhD from Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.

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

What does an EMT do? My day-to-day includes helping others when they aren’t feeling their best. I also assist getting them to the hospital when they can’t take themselves.

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

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

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

Learning Standards: HPE 1, HPE 4, NH 1

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

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

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1

What are some things you do on the job? I am a psychologist and social science researcher. I interview people individually and in groups, and I administer surveys to understand how social interactions and experiences influence and interact with how other factors affect behavior and well-being.

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

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

> What to do if you see someone else bullied.

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

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

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

Cracker-wiches

Beet Chips

> What to do if YOU are the bully.

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

PRESENT: Banana PB Smoothie

Learning Standards: HPE 1, HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH5, NH 7

> How bullying hurts others.

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

While animals can be cute and furry, we should all be careful anytime we are around any kind of animal (especially if it isn’t your own pet). A dog you see while walking down the street might seem friendly, but if it doesn’t know you it could be afraid and jump up on you, or bite. When you see someone walking a dog,

> What to do if you are bullied.

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

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

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

it’s always a good idea to ask the dog’s owner if it’s ok to pet the dog. And finally, if you see an unleashed dog (or any kind of wild animal) wandering around, do not approach the animal or attempt to pick it up. Wild animals are scared of you and may lash out at you in fear.

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

Ingredients:

3 Med Beets

Dip

Ingredients: 8 Saltine crackers 4

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

Frozen Yogurt Blueberry Bites

Learning Standards: HPE 5, NH 5

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

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, HPE 7, NH 5, NH 7 Ice can be dangerous for several different reasons.

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

Chiropractors around the country see young patients every day suffering from back, neck and head-aches resulting from the extra strain you put on your body when you look down for long periods of time. A couple of quick tips that will reduce that strain on your neck are:

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

> What other ice hazards are there?

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 4

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

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

1 Tbsp Olive Oil Salt and Pepper to taste

2

Ingredients: 1 15-Oz Can Garbanzo beans 1 Garlic clove, crushed

Ingredients: 1 cup blueberries 1 cup non-fat Greek Yogurt

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

Strawberries 1 Tbsp Honey (optional)

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice beets very thin, drizzle with oil and put in a single layer on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt/pepper. Bake 15-20 minutes, until crisp.

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

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

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

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

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

What does a school nurse do? I assess the concerns of students who are ill, injured or experiencing alterations in their normal health. Nurses screen daily staff, students and visitors for safety. Monroe School is a pilot school for Covid-19 test sites in partnership with the city. Why did you choose this career? I love nursing because there are many opportunities in hospitals, schools, clinics and offices, insurance, legal and research. My passion is working in the schools with students, parents, staff and community partners.

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

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

Why did you choose this career? I chose this career because I enjoy helping others problem solve. Also, I have twin stepsons, one who wants to be a police officer, and the other who wants to be a doctor. I thought that being an EMT helped me to meet them both in the middle. And, back in 2018, I had my own medical emergency and was transported by ambulance to a hospital. The paramedic that took care of me was so comforting and assuring that I realized that becoming an EMT is an honorable career. I now work with that same paramedic, at the same company.

Why did you choose this career? I became a psychologist because I care about people and their well-being. I am a clinical psychologist and I am licensed to provide care when people are in distress. I chose to engage in research because I am also curious about people and the experiences that produce happy and productive lives, as well as those that lead to distress. I try to understand what factors produce these outcomes and how these differ from person to person.

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

What is your favorite part of the job you have? I enjoy meeting and learning about new people and cultures every day. I also like the adrenaline of driving fast with sirens going to get to an emergency quickly.

What is your favorite part of the job you have? My favorite part of my job is sharing what I learn. I like giving talks to help people understand mental health and well-being. I also enjoy teaching people about the importance of respect for everyone, as well as diversity and inclusion in our society. Finally, helping people understand the value of research, and how to use it, is important to me.

What is your favorite part of the job you have?

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

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

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

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

Learning Standards: HPE 6, NH 3

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

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

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

the Saint Louis Science Center ignite your imagination as you

Vetta L. Sanders Thompson, PhD

Yonniece Rose, Registered Nurse

Marnay Howard, EMT - B

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

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

Fourth-grade students Alivia Hogan, Dallas Harris, Tavon Knighten, and Arion Hall, in Ms. Rhonda Stovall’s class at Gateway Elementary School are investigating

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT SCIENCE STARS

African-American Neurosurgeon Alexa Canady

SCIENCE CORNER

Parts of the Brain

Your brain is pretty small and it weighs approximately 3 pounds. Scientists compare the texture of the brain to the texture of tofu. Your brain has 5 main parts: cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem, pituitary gland, and the hypothalamus. The cerebrum makes up 85% of the brain. It controls thinking, and the moving muscles. It is divided into two halves. The left of the brain controls the movements on the right side of your body and vice versa. The cerebellum makes up 1/8 of your brain. It controls balance, movement, and coordination. The brain stem is beneath the cerebrum and in front of the cerebellum. It connects to the spinal cord and controls all major life functions, such as breathing air, circulating blood,

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

and digesting food. The pituitary gland is about the size of a pea. It controls growth, regulates metabolism, and releases hormones. The hypothalamus controls temperature. It tells your body to shiver when you are cold to generate heat; it tells your body to sweat when you are hot to release heat.

For information on creating models of the brain, visit: http://faculty. washington.edu/chudler/chmodel.html.

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

Are You Left or Right Sided?

Are you left handed or right handed? Did you know that your brain has a right or left side dominance, too? In this experiment, you will observe the brain dominance in your volunteers.

Materials Needed:

• 10 Volunteers • Paper • Pencil • Scissors

• Ball • Stairs • Coin • Tube • Shell

Process:

q In your science notebook, create the following chart:

w Ask each volunteer to complete the tasks on the chart and record the results on the paper—did they use their right hand or left hand, their right foot or left foot, their right eye or left eye, their right ear or left ear?

e Analyze the results — Did your right hand participants use their right side for all the tasks? Did your left hand participants use their left side for all the tasks?

MATH CONNECTION

Keep your skills sharp and test your brain power with these math problems.

z Ariel’s father gave her $125. Ariel bought 5 books, each of which cost $12.50. How much money does Ariel have left? ______

Alexa Canady was born on November 7, 1950, in Michigan. Her father was a dentist and her mother was a teacher. They encouraged her to work hard and to take risks. She graduated from high school with honors and went to the University of Michigan to earn her bachelor’s degree in zoology. However, while attending a summer program for minority students, Canady became interested in studying medicine. So, after she earned her zoology degree, she enrolled in the University of Michigan’s medical school. She specialized in neurosurgery, which is brain surgery. She was an intern at Yale-New Haven Hospital. In 1975, she graduated cum laude from medical school.

One year later, she transferred to the University of Minnesota, where she was the first female African American in the U.S. to become a neurosurgery resident. In 1981, she became the first female African American to become a neurosurgeon. She completed surgeries to treat both brain injuries and brain diseases. Canady completed training for pediatric neurosurgery at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Next, she worked in pediatric neurosurgery at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. She ended her career at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan.

In 1984, she became the first female African American certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery. Three years later, she became the director of neurosurgery at Children’s Hospital. Canady continued to conduct research and she was a professor of neurosurgery at Wayne State University. Canady retired in 2001 and moved to Florida. When she learned there was not a local pediatric neurosurgeon, she began working part time at the Pensacola Sacred Heart Hospital. Canady was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame in 1989 and she also received the American Medical Women’s Association President’s Award in 1993.

Learning Standards: I can read a biography about a person who has contributed to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.

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

Brain Power!

x For breakfast, Eli bought a bagel for $2.60 and a glass of orange juice for $1.25. At lunch, Eli spent $6.15 on a sandwich with chips and $1.50 on a carton of milk. How much more money did Eli spend on lunch than on breakfast? ______ How much money did he spend in all? ______

DID YOU KNOW?

c A group of 9 children and 5 adults are going to a movie. Child tickets cost $6 each, and adult tickets cost $9 each. How much will the movie tickets cost in all? ______ If each person spends $5 at the concession stand, how much money did they spend on food and drinks? ______

v Layla has 19 red beads, and she has 2 fewer yellow beads than red beads. Lyla also has 7 more green beads than red beads. How many beads does Layla have in all?

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

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

Activities —

Perspective: Imagine that you are the main character in a news story. After reading the published story, give your version.

Creating an Advertisement: Look through the classified ads to identify the types of things that are sold. Read a few ads and list important facts included in an ad (item description, condition, price, etc.). Draw a picture of a toy that you have. Next, pretend you are going to sell it and write a classified ad below the picture.

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can write for a specific purpose and audience. I can make text-to-self connections.

electrical energy using a series circuit.

Photo by Rhonda Stovall

Dr. Canady prepping for surgery.

A stitch in time

7K Kollections Boutique brings a different look to STL

an eye out for “trendy pieces that are hot off the runway, items

PeoPle on the Move

Emily Pitts, chief diversity officer for Lindenwood University, was recently named to the board of the United Way of Greater St. Louis. She became the first African American woman General Partner at Edward Jones, a Fortune 500 financial services firm. During her 25-year career with Edward Jones, she served as a financial advisor for nine years helping clients reach their personal financial goals and objectives. Before Lindenwood, her most recent role at Edward Jones was general partner over Inclusion and Diversity. In her role, Emily created and oversaw the firm’s Inclusion & Diversity strategy. Emily Pitts named to United Way board

Busby VP of marketing and communications

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis welcomed Deneen Busby to the team as vice-president, marketing and communications. Busby is no stranger to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis. As a member of the Tony Scott & the Breakfast Crew Morning Show and as host of a popular talk show, Sunday Morning Live, on iHeart Media, she was a loyal supporter of the clubs. Busby previously served as the director of marketing and communications for CareSTL Health and as the public information officer with St. Louis Lambert Airport.

By Ashley Winters

The St. Louis American

7K Kollections Boutique owner Kiaysa Isabell is making a difference in the retail fashion industry by taking a “laid-back” approach.

The 24-year-old entrepreneur says the days of “naked dressing” have passed and “it’s time to wear something different.”

Located in Pine Lawn, 7K Kollections opened in October 2022.

“It’s a one-of-a-kind for this area, offering both men’s and women’s apparel,” said Isabell, adding that her relaxing green walls give the boutique “a vibe without it being too foo-foo.”

“I want it to feel welcoming for everyone without it being too girly. My men’s section is smaller compared to the ladies section, but I still want them to feel welcome.”

When buying clothes for the store, Isabell said she keeps an eye out for “trendy pieces that are hot off the runway, items that are selling now.”

n “I like to go outside the box sometimes just to see if people here in St. Louis will take a risk when it comes to shopping,” said the boutique owner.

She does take an occasional risk, and purchases clothing items that haven’t “made big waves in the fashion industry yet.”.

“I like to go outside the box sometimes just to see if people here in St. Louis will take a risk when it comes to shopping,” she said.

She said she likes styles “that catch the eye in a crowded room,” but her go-to look is basic black.

“Shoppers can’t go wrong with the color black. Rather it’s trendy or classic black, it is always in style,” she said.

As she held up a denim jacket with beads,

Isabell said women’s jackets are the number one statement piece this season.

“All you need are plain clothes to go with this because you don’t want to take away attention from the jacket,” she said.

“I want people to ask where did you get that when they wear clothes from my store.”

Much of her women’s apparel is inspired by designer Teyana Taylor.

“I love the way Taylor dresses. It’s not always overly sexualized, and she puts on real clothes,” she said.

While a student at the University of Missouri - Columbia studying to become a dentist, she attended parties, homecoming events and other social gatherings.

“What you were wearing was at the top of the list of priorities. Having the trendiest outfit or trend-setting outfit was the talk of campus for weeks,” she explained.

She called Mizzou’s shopping scene “pretty

See 7K, B2

Housing costs hammering many Black consumers’ dreams

‘Renters Bill of Rights’ enacted

By Charlene Crowell

For the first time in more than two decades of research, every state now has renters who are nearing a financial breaking point in housing affordability. The crunch is crushing hopes of many aspiring Black homeowners and those who are renters. New research released by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS), and Moody’s Analytics independently reach the same conclusion: consumers are struggling with a growing percentage of their incomes going towards keeping a roof over their heads. On January 19, Moody’s released its update on rental affordability, and concluded that “Rising mortgage rates caused many households to be priced out from home buying and would-be buyers to remain renters.”

“Apartment demand surged as a result and drove rates sky high. As the disparity between rent growth and income growth widens, Americans’ wallets feel financial distress as wage growth trails rent growth.” On January 25, Harvard’s JCHS went a step further by factoring race and poverty into its analysis.

“Renters living in communities of color, and in high-poverty, lower-income, and lower-rent neighborhoods were more likely to experiSee HOUSING, B2

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] Secretary Marcia L. Fudge said the Biden-Harris administration Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights will increase fairness in the rental market. “Everyone deserves to live in safe, well-maintained housing that is affordable.”

K.

Charles K. Poole recently returned to St. Louis in a new role as vice president, digital communications with Equifax Workforce Solutions. Prior to this role, Poole served as chief communications officer/VP marketing and public relations at Prospect Medical Holdings, as well as a variety of positions at Ascension Technologies. Poole spent more than 14 years with Anheuser Busch including Washington, DC, Los Angeles and St. Louis, where his last role was senior group director, corporate communications and corporate affairs.

Isom new VP of corporate safety at Ameren

Daniel Isom, recently the interim director of public safety for the City of St. Louis, joins Ameren Feb. 13 as vice president of corporate safety, security and crisis management. In his new role, Isom will lead a team of professionals focused on comprehensive safety and security programs and emergency preparedness across Ameren facilities in Missouri and Illinois. He will function as a leader on behalf of Ameren through local, state and national organizations focused on crisis, safety and security.

Kiaysa Isabell, owner of 7K Kollections Boutique, says she keeps

that are selling now.”

Emily Pitts

Daniel Isom

Deneen Busby

Charles Poole named VP at Equifax

Charles

Poole

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Photo courtesy of Panhellenic Council

7K

Continued from B1

terrible,” and returned to St. Louis to purchase clothing.

Her attire was noticed by fellow students, and she was often asked where she got her clothes.

During her senior year in 2020, Isabell began 7K as an online boutique. Her thought was it would be easier for students to order from her website rather than drive to St. Louis or Kansas City to do their shopping. She was supplied by vendors in cities including Chicago, Atlanta, and Los Angeles.

While working as an overnight receptionist at a Columbia

Housing

Continued from B1

ence financial distress… More than three-fifths of renters behind on their housing payments lived in communities of color, while about two-fifths lived in high-poverty or lower-income neighborhoods,” concluded JCHS.

The White House Domestic Policy Council and National Economic Council recently issued the White House Blueprint for a Renter’s Bill of Rights to promote fairness for Americans living in rental housing. The document calls for: -Safe, quality, accessible and affordable housing; -Clear and fair leases; -Education, enforcement, and enhancement of renter rights; -The right to organize; and -Eviction prevention, diversion, and relief.

“Over 44 million households, or roughly 35% of the U.S. population, live in rental housing,” states the plan

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Secretary Marcia L. Fudge said the White House actions will increase fairness in the rental market.

“Everyone deserves to live in safe, well-maintained housing that is affordable. Through the Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights, the Biden-Harris Administration reaffirmed its commitment to renter rights and outlined a set of historic standards for protections to cover the 44 million households that live in rental housing,” she said in a release.

“At HUD, we are especially dedicated to ensuring renters living in HUD assisted housing stay informed of their rights and can access quality, affordable housing. Tenants of HUD assisted housing should know that our department works closely with states, localities, and nonprofit organizations to ensure tenants receive the protections to which they are enti-

n “I like helping my customers, especially helping them create that signature look,” said Isabell.

hospital, she would complete her homework and then surf the web looking at a variety of vendors’ merchandise.

Isabell took advantage of free marketing, using the “Black Enterprise” Group Chat app to market her business, She said many Black students promoted things they were selling or services - including haircuts, eyelash extensions, and nail care.

“It was like our own little

hook-up, I received so much business just from posting my website in that group chat,” said Isabell.

The boutique owner graduated from Mizzou during the pandemic in 2020. Upon returning home, “people were still looking for the latest fashions from 7K Kollections.”

Along with operating her boutique, she became a personal stylist and meets clients at their homes. Isabell described it as her own ‘mobile boutique’.

“I like helping my customers, especially helping them create that signature look,” said Isabell.

Ashley Winters is a Report for America reporter for the St. Louis American

tled. Landlords have a responsibility to inform their tenants of their rights, as well.”

Recent reports conclude that a single, full-time income can no longer financially provide for families. Most families are working harder than ever and still need at least two incomes to make financial ends meet.

According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, in 2022, there was no county, metro area, or state where a person earning the federal or prevailing state or local minimum wage for a 40-hour work week can afford a modest two-bedroom rental home.

Although the Census Bureau finds that the nation’s median income in 2021 was $70,784, that same figure for Black America was only $48,297. This $30K income difference is further examined by a Federal Reserve Bank wealth inequality update

On average, according to the St. Louis Fed, Black and Hispanic families owned about 25 cents and 23 cents, respectively, per $1 of white family wealth. These substantial gaps remain largely unchanged despite fluctuations from 1989 to 2022.

However well-intentioned, the newly released principles lack authority to require implementation. HUD has embraced the effort by allocating $20 million for its Eviction Protection Grant Program, which will fund nonprofits and government agencies to provide legal assis-

tance to low-income tenants at risk of eviction.

The agency also will move toward requiring certain rental property owners to provide at least 30 days’ notice if they plan to terminate the lease of a tenant due to nonpayment of rent.

After more than 50 years since enactment of federal laws to ensure fair housing, equal employment, equal credit, and more, a lack of consistent enforcement of these laws have allowed back-tracking on hard-fought victories.

A litany of bad behaviors by unscrupulous landlords will continue to ignore laws unless aggressive and consistent enforcement makes it clear that proportionate prices will be paid.

Only weeks before Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination in Memphis, his prophetic voice remains as timely as it is timeless:

“Do you know that most of the poor people in our country are working every day? They are making wages so low that they cannot begin to function in the mainstream of the economic life of our nation. These are facts which must be seen. And it is criminal to have people working on a full-time basis and a full-time job getting part-time income.”

Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending.

7K Kollections Boutique owner, Kiaysa Isabell, displays some of her store’s clothing.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

n “This [is] supposed to be flag meanwhile I’m getting de-cleated.”

– Tyreek Hill on hit from Jalen Ramsey in Pro Bowl flag football game

Sports

InSIdE SportS

By Earl Austin Jr.

Mane attraction

Lions restore their roar after rocky start

The Cardinal Ritter College Prep Lions have been one of the hottest high school basketball teams in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

The Lions started the season with a 1-3 record but have since won 17 consecutive games to enter the week at 18-3. The latest victory came last Friday night when the Lions defeated Father Tolton 71-66 in a double-overtime thriller to win the Archdiocesan Athletic Association championship.

Coach Ryan Johnson has done a tremendous job this season after guiding the Lions to three consecutive trips to the Final Four, which included state championships in 2020 and 2021. After the graduation of Division I players Braxton Stacker (Murray State) and Robert Lewis (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), Johnson has built his team around a group of talented juniors that have come together as a fine unit.

In addition to the AAA championship, the Lions also won the championship of the Centralia Holiday Tournament in late December. They also had a big road win at St. Francis Borgia and victories of New Madrid Central and Kansas City Center in showcase events. The Lions have been led this season by 6›2» junior guard Clayton Jackson, who is averaging more than 20 points a game. The son of former University City and Southern Illinois women›s star Petra Jackson, Clayton has emerged as a prime scoring threat this season after being primarily a facilitator on last year›s Class 5 third-place team. Junior Naswhan Davis is a 6›4» forward who has also become a dependable scorer and rebounder. The rest of the talented stable of juniors include Derrick Rivers, Ryan Atkins, Mekhi Barringer, Quentin Parker, and James Porter.

IWA continues streak

In a battle of girls› state championship contenders, Incarnate Word Academy defeated Vashon 72-61 last Saturday in the championship game of the Webster Winter Challenge. Incarnate Word improved its record to 20-0, but more important, the Red Knights ran their current winning streak to 88 games. Senior forward Natalie Potts scored a game-high 36 points to lead the Red Knights, who staved off a late second-half rally from Vashon. Incarnate Word has won the last two Class 6 state championships and are favorites to win a third in March. Vashon is currently ranked No. 1 in Class 4.

Local guards shine in OVC

A pair of St. Louis metro area products in Phillip Russell and Ray’Sean Taylor are having excellent seasons and are among the top players in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Jan 23, 2023. The Lions of Cardinal Ritter went on to defeat the Red Devils of Chaminade 79-65.

Russell is a former Vashon High standout who is the leading scorer at Southeast Missouri State while Taylor is a former Collinsville standout who is the leading scorer at SIU-Edwardsville.

Russell is a 5›10» guard who is currently leading the OVC in scoring at 19.2 points a game. He is also averaging 5.3 assists while shooting 36 percent from 3-point range and 83 percent from the free throw line. In the last six games, Russell is averaging 27.5 points a game, which includes a pair of 37-point performances in victories over Arkansas-Little Rock and Morehead State.

Taylor is a 6›1» guard who has done a

tremendous job despite coming off two major injuries since graduating from Collinsville in 2020. Taylor is currently averaging 15.8 points and 4.5 rebounds a game while shooting 36 percent from 3-point range and 79 percent from the free throw line. Last Saturday, he provided one of college basketball’s biggest highlights when he swished home a 70-footer as time expired to give the Cougars an 84-81 victory at UALR.

Vashon’s late-season surge

The Vashon Wolverines continued its

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

late season run by defeating nationally ranked Chicago Simeon 56-46 in the feature game at last Saturday’s Bank of O’Fallon Shootout in O’Fallon, IL. Simeon came into the game ranked No. 14 in the nation. It was the fifth consecutive victory for Vashon, who have also defeated nationally-ranked Huntington Prep and Missouri power Staley during that stretch. Senior forward Kennard Davis Jr. had 17 points and eight rebounds to lead Vashon. Sophomore guard Dierre Hill had 15 points while senior forward Cameron Stovall added 13 points.

Ja Morant must face stiff punishment by NBA

LeBron James’ pursuit of Kareen Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA scoring record, Jayson Tatum’s MVP worthy season, and nightly compelling games took a back seat to ugliness during and after the Indiana Pacers at Memphis Grizzlies game on Jan. 29. Ja Morant should be suspended immediately for his role in the alleged antics of a close friend Devonte Pack, AKA DTap, and members of he and Morant’s entourage. During the game, Morant and Pacers Andrew Nembhard and James Johnson began jawing at each other. There was some pushing and shoving. Somebody apparently told Morant’s father, who was close to the Grizzlies’ bench, to “shut up.” I guess in this day-in-age “them’s fightin’ words.” How ridiculous.

court and directed expletives at multiple Pacers players. A game referee interceded, called arena security, and Pack was removed from the floor.”

The situation allegedly became dangerous following the game, according to a report in The Athletic.

Alvin A. Reid

According to NBA spokesperson Mike Bass, “In the third quarter, Pack walked onto the

“Acquaintances of Grizzlies star Ja Morant aggressively confronted members of the Pacers traveling party near the team’s bus in the loading area of FedExForum, and later someone in a slow-moving SUV — which Morant was riding in — trained a red laser on them. A Pacers security guard in the loading area at the time remarked: ‘That’s 100% a gun.’” Bass spoke of the allegation, saying, “While we substantiated that a postgame situation arose that was confrontational, based on interviews and other evidence gathered, we could not corroborate that any indi-

vidual threatened others with a weapon.”

“Certain individuals involved in the postgame situation and a related matter during the game that night have been subsequently banned from attending games in the arena,” Bass continued.

Morant is a spectacular basketball player. Memphis should be proud of him and its NBA franchise. But Morant must become a better man and citizen before he implodes.

police officers are facing murder charges for the beating death of Tyre Nichols. A sixth officer has also been fired.

An off-duty Memphis Police officer and another person were killed in a two-car accident on Jan. 20. The officer, 32-yearold Corille Jones, leaves behind two daughters.

The community where he displays his immense talent is reeling. Morant seems oblivious.

Five Black Memphis

On Feb. 2, Memphis officer Geoffrey Redd responded to a call at a Memphis public library branch. A man shot Redd, and police returned fire, killing the suspect. As of Monday, Redd remained in “extremely critical condition.”

With the violence and trauma in Memphis, Morant and his

crew’s actions are even more despicable. The NBA cannot let this pass with a simple fine and warning. Morant must sit.

“There’s a little situation going on now,” Morant said on social media as the disturbing allegations were being made public. He also wrote his team “is the most hated in the NBA.”

He seems more disturbed by DTap being banned from games and the Grizzlies’ tattered image than the violent nature of the off-court altercation.

TMZ has reported that Morant has been sued for allegedly attacking a minor during a pickup basketball game. No charges were filed after a police report indicated Morant was acting in self defense. Guess who is also named in the lawsuit – DTap. Somebody must get across to Morant how hideous he looks. He obviously does not have a clue.

The Reid Roundup

Former Mizzou and NFL

star Jeremy Maclin has a unique view of the Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. Andy Reid drafted Maclin in 2008 while he was head coach of the Eagles. He would later sign free-agent Maclin when he was Chiefs head coach… Trivia: Maclin is the last Eagles receiver to top 100 years in a playoff game. He had 149 yards in a 2009 loss to the Dallas Cowboys…Doug Williams, who became the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl in 1987 with Washington, said he is “very high on the future of Black quarterbacks,” including Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts He said of Mahomes, “He isn’t about Patrick, he’s about the Chiefs.”…NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace led much of the Clash at the Coliseum on Sunday before Austin Dillon spun him out. “[It] was fun, till it wasn’t. Hell of an effort. Gonna be a great year,” Wallace said on Twitter.

Earl Austin Jr.

Cardinal Ritter’s Clayton Jackson (12) is closely guarded by Chaminade’s BJ Ward (2) during game action Monday,

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant

National African American Insurance Group to honor local pioneers

The National African American Insurance Association – St. Louis Chapter will host its first “And Still I Rise: A Salute to Black Pioneers in Insurance and Investment” celebration on February 24, 2023, from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at the Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63112. “We are proud to be able to honor so many dynamic trailblazers and elevate their often-unknown stories of pro-

found success and excellence,” said Tina Anderson, President of NAAIA-St. Louis Chapter. Honorees for this year’s celebration include Raina Thomas-Walton, R.T. Thomas Agency, Michael P. McMillan, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Chris Hudlin, Hudlin Insurance Co., and Kathy Conley-Jones, The Conley Financial Group. Other pioneers to be honored to include Ron Browning, Smith-Blaylock Capital, Cathey Williamson,

Williamson Financial Management Group, Harry Ratliff, Merrill Lynch, Larry D. Richardson, Benjamin Edwards and Company, Lorraine Buck, New York Life, David Boykin, One America, James Tatum, Melvin Jones, Elvetta Macon, State Farm – Agency owner, Rick Gary, Diversified Insurance Group, Sr. Managing Partner, John Reed, JRJ Services, LLC, Russell Gunn and John Hendrix, New York Life.

Raina

Thomas Walton

Urban League ‘Round Up at the Register’ returns to Schnucks

For the third consecutive year, as part of Black History Month in February, Schnuck Markets, Inc. will offer customers the opportunity to “Round Up at the Register” to support the Urban League. Continuing through Tuesday, Feb. 14, 100% of donations in the St. Louis area will

Black History Month campaign runs through February 14

support the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis (ULSTL) - specifically the non-profit organization’s Save Our Sons program. Round ups in Schnucks stores in other markets will support the Urban League chapter in each respective area. In 2022, Schnucks and its customers donated

$150,000 to the Urban League as part of the Round Up campaign.

Those customers who use self-checkouts and wish to donate may choose a $1, $3 or $5 “Scan and Give” option. Schnucks Rewards members also have the opportunity to donate their rewards points to the Urban League as part of the Donate Your Rewards program. The ULSTL’s Save Our Sons program seeks to help economically disadvantaged African American men living in the St. Louis region find jobs and have the opportunity to earn livable wages. This program completes these objec-

tives by assisting the participants in obtaining post-secondary education and job training and teaching the imperative career life skills and work ethic necessary to become successful employees in today’s workforce. In 2020, Schnucks launched a comprehensive diversity, equity and inclusion plan, Unity Is Power, which describes efforts to increase focused, community support for organizations that promote racial equity, like the Urban League, and this past month, ULSTL honored Schnucks with the Civic Leadership Award for these efforts.

The Scholarship Foundation announces The Edward Jones Scholarship

The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis today announced the launch of the Edward Jones Scholarship, a multi-million-dollar, multi-year commitment to provide 75 students annually with scholarship grants up to $12,000 per student, per year.

The program is designed to award critical “last dollar” funding to fill the gap between total cost of education and the financial resources available to students from family, school, state, and federal sources. The Edward Jones Scholarship will foster educational attainment

and financial strength for members of the community often priced out of post-secondary opportunities. These scholarships will serve low-income students who are active participants in each of their high school years with any of the following specially

selected youth development agencies:

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri

• Boys and Girls Club of Greater St. Louis

• Boys Hope Girls Hope of St. Louis

• Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School

• College Bound-St. Louis

• Girls, Inc, St. Louis • LifeWise Awards are renewable for up to 10 semesters per student. In addition to receiving major financial support, Edward Jones Scholars will work with Scholarship Foundation student advisors to complete applications and learn about important resources and opportunities throughout their educational journey.

Kathy Conley Jones

Michael McMillan Chris Hudlin

Black films take center stage at Sundance Film Festival

By Dwight Brown NNPA film critic

Black life was on full view at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Legendary figures were given their due. Family dramas were showcased. Movies from the motherland added a unique perspective. Black directors, screenwriters, tech crews and actors showcased their talents at America’s biggest indie

film festival in films that mattered.

A Thousand and One (****) In the 1990s, six-year-old Terry (Aaron Kingsley Adetola) thinks his mom lnes (Teyana Taylor) left him on a Harlem street corner when he was a baby. Now that she has done her time at Rikers Island jail, she’s trying to make amends and steals him from foster care. That thoroughly inventive premise spotlights the

Acclaimed writer and director Milisuthando Bongela shares her story of growing up in the Xhosa community in South Africa, going to white schools, and her unique experience with apartheid in “Milisuthando.”

Beyoncé sets record, but album of year scratched

creative genius of first-time feature film writer/director A.V. Rockwell. From the jump, she weaves a captivating urban tale eschewing the stereotypes, cliches and tropes too prevalent in the genre and presenting a compassionate mother/child relationship that endures the Giuliani years, stop and frisk, gentrification.

C8

Childhood besties team for “TIMELESS’ exhibition

Debuts at The Luminary on Feb. 11

By Danielle Brown St. Louis American

Childhood best friends Kristen Harris and Sydney Ojeikere have a “TIMELESS” relationship.

Harris, a poet, and Ojeikere, an artist, chose the name TIMELESS for an exhibition that opens Feb. 11, 2023 “because we’ve been friends for years and we believe friendship is a core value that’s timeless,” Harris said.

“Also her art is timeless and my poetry is timeless.” The women are passionate about showcasing other artists and providing them with an opportunity to shine, especially if it’s their first show.

“I’ve always wanted to curate a show. There’s so many artists in St. Louis that aren’t featured and have never been in a show,” Ojeikere said.

“I loved the selection process because I discovered so many new artists from searching through Instagram. My main takeaway for the show is that it will be a great experience for everyone. People will come to the show and find a new favorite artist or poet.”

Stephanie Koch, former interim executive director of The Luminary, pitched for Harris

Kristen Harris aka KMoney the Poet and Sydney Ojeikere will host “TIMELESS” on Saturday, February 11 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at The Luminary. The event aims to celebrate the timelessness of poetry, art and friendship.

to curate a poetry exhibition at the venue. Harris accepted and included Ojeikere.

“I thought the idea was awesome,” Harris said. “[Sydney] is crazy talented with her art and with us being longtime friends, I thought it would be fun to bridge the art and poetry

worlds together.”

Ojeikere says she has been drawing since she learned how to use a pencil. When she

High and lows for Black music at 65th annual awards ceremony

By Danielle Brown The St. Louis American

Pop culture’s hottest and brightest superstars received their flowers at The Recording Academy’s 65th Annual Grammy Awards show hosted by Trevor Noah. Crypto.com Arena in the heart of Los Angeles, California, captured this year’s biggest night in music, which aired Sunday, Feb. 5 on CBS.

n Song of the Year was a slight snub for Beyoncé. Her biggest snub of the night was losing “Album of the Year” to Harry Styles. This was her fourth time being nominated for the category, and once again losing to a white artist.

Leading up to her highly anticipated global world tour kicking off this May, Beyoncé broke records for winning her 32nd Grammy, becoming the most awarded artist in The Academy’s longstanding history. She took home four awards related to her Renaissance album including Best Dance/Electronic Recording, Best Traditional R&B Performance and Best R&B song. She wasn’t in the building yet to receive her first award of the evening, Best R&B song for “Cuff It.” The Dream and Niles Rodgers accepted the award on her behalf for their contributions to the hit.

Fans criticized The Dream for his remarks about Beyoncé running late.

“Y’all know n****s be on CP time,” The-Dream said. “Beyoncé thanks y’all.”

A lot of fans argued there’s a time and a place to say certain things, and it shouldn’t be saying the N-word, in a room full of white people, on national television.

Rodgers said he knew he wanted to play on the song the moment he heard it.

Beyoncé also took home the award for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album. ”I’d like to thank my Uncle Johnny, who’s not here, but he’s here in spirit … I’d like to thank the queer community for your love and for inventing this genre,” she said in her acceptance speech.

TIMELESS, C2 See Grammys, C3

Photo by Wiley Price I St. Louis American

Photo courtesy of The Sundance Film Festival

See Sundance,

Continued from C1

was around five or six, her mom enrolled her in arts classes. She took many art classes in high school and continued in college.

It wasn’t smooth sailing, as she admittedly “got lost along the way listening to the opinions of others” that warned her art is not lucrative.

Taking pride in her Nigerian heritage, she goes by her middle name Oréoluwa [gift from God.]

“This is my gift regardless of what people say about the creative realm and making money... This is who I am and this is my gift,” she said.

Ojeikere is a project manager for SGS & Co., where she

handles the creative packaging and graphic design for Sprouts Farmers Market interiors. She also freelances in addition to her corporate job.

Harris, who goes by the name KMoney the Poet in poetic settings, recently started sharing her talent with audiences. She was too shy at first, but over the last year she’s come out of her shell.

Harris works as the interim director of communications & marketing at Harris-Stowe State University. She is also a 2022 recipient of a St. Louis American Foundation Salute to Young Leaders award.

Harris and Ojeikere attended Arrowpoint Elementary, lived close to each other, were both National Honor Society and Student Council members, and played on the same soccer team. They attended Hazelwood

Southeast Middle School and graduated from Hazelwood East High School. They attended different colleges but remained close throughout and after-

wards. “Our art community is growing and thriving a lot, even within the last five years or so I’ve noticed a lot of change

Sydney Ojeikere and Kristen Harris aka KMoney the Poet and will host “TIMELESS” on Saturday, February 11 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the event will cultivate a setting where people can view art, network and experience an hour of powerful spoken word.

Photo by Wiley Price I St. Louis American

and we wanna be part of that change,” Harris said.

“TIMELESS” is on Saturday, February 11, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at The Luminary. The Luminary is located at 2701 Cherokee Street, St. Louis, MO The featured poets are KMoney the Poet, Just Aaron,

Leethal the Poet, Glo.tastic, Meta4, Quiet Storm, Kaylyn McCoy, Who is Ardimus, ShyThePoet, Phree, Just Rich, TSpirit, and Renisha Lashay. Featured artists include Sydney Oréoluwa [Ojeikere], Grand Martell, Jessica Page, Ryan Jaquess, Malik Fabian-Mahmud, alexisc., Chanel Thomas, Nyara Williams, Ebony J. Wright, Justin Mikhail Solomon, Noel Spiva, Miriah Sharee, D’Marco Turner, Tyler Small, Gabrielle Hoyle, Kyla H., Destini Clark, Brilynn Asia, Allena Marie Brazier, Inspirayshine, Roach, Ronnie The Painter and Khyraa Mitchell. Tickets are on sale now for $10 at https://www. eventbrite.com/e/timeless-tickets-518126198407 and are $15 at the door. For more information, visit https://www.instagram.com/

Viola Davis, who presented the Best R&B song award, also made history in a pre-telecast ceremony. She reached EGOT status, crowned the 18th person to win all four of the most coveted awards in the commercial entertainment world (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony). She is also the third Black woman to have the honor. (Jennifer Hudson and Whoopi Goldberg are also EGOT recipients).

Davis took home a Grammy for audiobook narration and storytelling of her best-selling autobiography, “Finding Me.” “I wrote this book to honor the six-year-old Viola,” she said during the ceremony. “To honor her life, her joy, her trauma, everything. And, it has just been such a journey — I just EGOT!” Motown legends and long-

time friends Smokey Robinson and Berry Gordy, were crowned the 2023 MusiCares Persons of the Year for their timeless contributions and philanthropic efforts to the industry.

Fellow Motown icon Stevie Wonder joined Robinson, WanMor (sons of Boyz II Men’s Wanya Morris), and country singer Chris Stapleton in a medley of classics including “The Way You Do the Things You Do”, “Tears of A Clown”, and “Higher Ground.” Lizzo, who won “Record of the Year” for her single “About Damn Time,” is the first Black woman to win the honor since Whitney Houston won in 1994 for “I Will Always Love You.”

“I want to dedicate this award to Prince,” Lizzo said in her acceptance speech. “When we lost Prince I decided to dedicate my life to making positive music. I stayed true to myself because I wanted to make the world a better place, so I had to be that change to make the world a better place.

In addition to taking home ROTY, Lizzo, and an all-Blackwomen choir, performed an uplifting production of “About Damn Time” and “Special” dressed in black and gold.

Cardi B presented Best Rap Album to Kendrick Lamar for “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” “First and foremost, I wanna

thank my family for giving me the courage and vulnerability to share these stories, and share my truth with this album,” Lamar said in his speech. “I would like to thank the culture for allowing me to evolve in order to make a song like [“Mother I Sober”], that’s special to me. All we ever really wanted was to be the biggest underground artists of all time. I finally found imperfection with this album. I appreciate y’all love y’all.”

Lamar also won Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for “The Heart Part 5.” Fallen stars we lost last year and early this year who were memorialized in a musical and film tribute, included Barrett Strong, Fred E. White, and Thom Bell. Quavo did an emotional performance of his latest single “Without You,” dedicated to his nephew and late group member Takeoff, who was murdered last year in Houston, during a dice game argument. Gospel group, Maverick City Music, backed vocals for Quavo, in a stirring performance. Noticeably, Offset, who is also part of Migos, didn’t perform alongside Quavo.

Many were not pleased with Three 6 Mafia’s Gangsta Boo’s name and picture being omitted from the tribute.

A new award in coordination with Black Music Collective was introduced. The Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, which recognizes contributors, cre-

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Lizzo, who won “Record of the Year” for her single “About Damn Time,” is the first Black woman to win the honor since Whitney Houston won in 1994 for “I Will Always Love You.”

ators, and professionals with a proven track record of uplifting Black music.

West Coast legend Dr. Dre accepted the new award named in his honor, and thanked hip hop culture for his monumental career.

“Hip Hop became a lifeline for me as a teenager growing up in Compton,” he said. “It started with a song called “[The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel].”

Scratching and mixing on the turntables had me hooked, and became the entry point for a 40year career of doing something that I really love. Much of what I love is involved with collaboration. What I love about this award is, it uses my name to inspire the next generation of producers, artists and entrepreneurs, to reach for their greatness and demand that everyone around you never compromise your vision, pursue quality over quantity, and remember everything is important.”

A 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop tribute took off following Dre’s acceptance speech. It was a multi-generational celebration of the genre, featuring several pioneers and newcomers from Run-DMC to St. Louis’ own Nelly, who sported his signature face bandaid, popular from the early 2000s, to hip hop’s newest sensation, GloRilla. There was a mix of different eras spotlit. However, there were several groundbreaking emcees who disappointedly weren’t featured. How can a 50th hip hop anniversary happen without A Tribe Called Quest, Lil Kim, Foxy Brown, Bad Boy, So So Def, Three 6 Mafia, Cash Money, Young Money, and many others?

While the tribute was incredible, it missed the mark by not including some of Hip Hop cul-

ture’s most influential stars and most memorable movements like the crunk/snap era, etc.

Country singer Bonnie Raitt was shocked when she was awarded “Song of the Year.” Her win took everyone by surprise, beating out Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul,” which most were confident would be the chosen winner.

Song of the Year was a slight snub for Beyoncé. Her biggest snub of the night was losing “Album of the Year” to Harry Styles. This was her fourth time being nominated for the category, and once again losing to a white artist.

Rising jazz artist and Gen Z’s first jazz star, Samara Joy won Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album. The budding icon was lost for words at the beginning of her speech, but aptly described the sublime feeling she and many experience when given what many musicians believe to be the penultimate honor in the music industry.

“Thank you so much for this honor. Thank you to everyone who has listened to me or supported me,” Joy said. “All of you are so inspiring to me, and so to be here, because of who I am, because of who you are... to be here, just being who I was born to be, by being myself, I’m so thankful.”

Steve Lacy and Thundercat were among the notable performances of the night with their production of “Bad Habit” and DJ Khaled’s “God Did” featuring Jay Z, Rick Ross, John Legend, and Lil Wayne, as well as their hip hop rendition of “The Last Supper.”. Prior to the televised awards ceremony, Chris Brown threw a temper tantrum for losing to Robert Glasper in the Best R&B album category. He questioned who Glasper was and why he deserved the award.

Read the full list of GRAMMY winners and nominees on cbs.com.

CBS, Yahoo, BET, ET Online, Huffington Post, USA Today, The Jasmine Brand contributed to this story.

and services.

Super Bowl Soulful Celebration a Gospel touchdown

St. Louis American staff

The annual Super Bowl Gospel Celebration changed names but still featured amazing Gospel artists and inspirational tributes. The 24th annual Super Bowl Week highlight is now named the “Super Bowl Soulful Celebration: An Evening of Inspiration and Culture.” The concert returned during Super Bowl LVII week with a live taping on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at the Mesa Arts Center in Mesa, Arizona.

Patti LaBelle joined a lineup of gospel entertainers for the NFL’s official concert, including Israel Houghton, Kierra Sheard, Tye Tribbett, and the Players Choir. Gospel radio personality Willie Moore Jr. hosted the event. “I’m so happy and grateful to have built a 24-year legacy of inspirational programming with the NFL and Super Bowl,” Melanie Few, founder of the Super Bowl Soulful Celebration, told Ebony.

“As we [now] approach our milestone 25th anniversary, I’m excited to continue bringing faith, hope, and joyful inspiration to the biggest game on earth. It’s an honor and a privilege.” In addition to uplifting and inspiring audiences with musical tributes, Super

Bowl Soulful Celebration highlights NFL players, their faith, and philanthropy. The Super Bowl Soulful Celebration conferred its 2023 “Faith In Action” Award, to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. Hurts will lead

Feb. 8 in Mesa, Arizona.

the Eagles against quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. This is the first Super Bowl to feature two Black starting quarterbacks. The

Fifteen

Bible has heroes who are part of

Black history

Moses went from “Prince of Egypt” to “Deliverer of Israel.” The only man who ever saw the face of God married a woman named Zipporah from the ancient land of Kush. After being raised in the lap of luxury as Pharaoh’s adopted child, he fled from Egypt because he could no longer adhere to the enslavement of Hebrews.

Then, Moses killed an Egyptian guard when he saw the guard beating a Hebrew slave. Next, Moses ran to the land of Midian, which is south of Judah, to escape the death penalty, which

was sure to be his sentence for killing the Egyptian.

While wandering around in the land of Midian, Moses meets Jethro and ends up marrying his daughter, Zipporah. After meeting God in all his glory in a burning bush and after being commissioned by God as the deliverer of the Hebrews; after pronouncing the ten plagues upon Pharoah; after the parting of the Red Sea, while leading God’s people through the desert to the land God promised them, he faces a family crisis. Aaron, Moses’ brother,

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and Miriam, his sister, begin criticizing him because of his choice in a Cushite woman for a wife (Numbers 12:1-2).

The family breakdown affected the leadership of the new nation. It could have been derailed because of racism. Aaron and Miriam, jealous of the influence of Moses, were about to ruin a movement that had far reaching ramifications. But God will not allow this to go uncorrected nor unpunished.

Zipporah’s legacy, a woman of color, isn’t in the harsh words of Moses’ siblings, but in the action, she took to protect her family.

Guest Columnist

Victor Lewis

In Exodus chapter 4, as Moses is preparing to return to Egypt and rescue God’s people, he’s traveling with his family through the desert. In

a passage that’s hard to completely understand, it seems Moses neglected to circumcise his young son (circumcision is an ancient sign of covenant with God). This was the purported issue, especially for the man who would be leader to God’s people. Image and integrity came into question. So big a deal, that God sought to kill Moses over it. But not on Zipporah’s watch. In Exodus 4:25, it reads, “So, Zipporah took a flint, cut off her son’s foreskin, and threw it at Moses’ feet.”

Zipporah’s taking ownership for her family when her husband would not rescued Moses, who would become the deliverer of Israel, from death at the hands of God before any miracle in Egypt ever could have taken place.

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Zipporah teaches us that justice begins at home. If you are a parent, especially a blended one of much different background principles, consider her example of humility, selflessness, and heroism. She teaches us to be pro-active in our conversations around race and justice with our children. Zipporah, a woman of color, illuminates critical thinking under critical circumstances, even if only right under her own roof. Zipporah compels us to seek forgiveness, first from God, and then from those who have been wronged.

She is today’s, Black Unsung Hero, captured on the pages of the Holy Scriptures.

Victor Lewis is a Los Angeles Sentinel contributing writer

Photo courtesy of NFLPA

ACCOUNTING ASSOCIATE

for the upcoming week; M-F 8 Hour shifts; Salary Range$42,000 - $45,000 Website to view job description: https://justinepetersen.org/ get-involved/jobopportunities/ Email Resume and Cover Letter to: cstuhl@justinepetersen.org

OPERATIONS RESEARCH ANALYST

SITE COORDINATOR, FREEDOM SCHOOLS

Deaconess Foundation will sponsor a network of Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools® programs this summer. The six-week program provides summer enrichment for children and families.

The Site Coordinator manages the day-to-day operations and serves as the supervisor for one CDF Freedom Schools program site. The Site Coordinator should be capable of leading an intergenerational staff. The Site Coordinator should be committed to the goals of the program, able to work collaboratively with all program constituents and be familiar with the culture and dynamics of the community.

Starting salary range is $23.00 to $26.00 per hour.

To apply for this position, upload resume and references, all as one document, at: https://deaconess.org/joinus

ACCOUNTING MANAGER

for the upcoming week ; M-F 8 hour shifts; Salary Range: $60,000 - $65,000 CPA preferred Website to view job description: https://justinepetersen.org/ get-involved/jobopportunities/ Email Resume and Cover Letter to: cstuhl@justinepetersen.org

SERVANT LEADER INTERN FREEDOM SCHOOLS

Deaconess Foundation will sponsor a network of Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools® programs this summer. The six-week program provides summer enrichment for children and families.

Servant Leader Interns (SLI) are responsible for the front-line care and nurturing of the children. Using the Integrated Reading Curriculum, they serve as facilitators in the classroom. Deaconess will hire 12-20 Servant Leader Interns.

Starting salary range is $17.00 to $20.00 per hour.

View a full job description at: https://deaconess.org/joinus. To apply for this position, upload resume and references, all as one document.

ACCOUNTANT

Responsible for reconciliations of TPA bank account to general ledger escrow account and claims center. Funding escrow accounts related to primary workers’ compensation, commercial auto and general liability program accounts. Responsible for applying cash deposits for all companies. To apply, please visit: https://safetynational. com/careers-page/

(NextGen Information Services, Inc. has an opening in St. Louis, MO) Operations Research Analyst: Formulate & apply mathematical modeling & optimizing methods to develop & interpret info. that assists with decision making, policy formulation, & other managerial functions. Req. Master’s in Bus. Admin., Comp. Sci., Engr., or related & 5 yrs exp. Send resume to NextGen Information Services, Inc. 680 Craig Rd., Suite 305, St. Louis, MO 63141 or email to hr_applicant@nextgen-is.com ASSOCIATE NETWORK ENGINEER, PARK MAINTENANCE WORKER, PRINCIPAL CIVIL ENGINEER, SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, AND MORE

The City of Clayton is hiring for: Associate Network Engineer, Park Maintenance Worker, Principal Civil Engineer, Senior Accountant, and more PT and FT positions. Apply at www.claytonmo.gov. EOE

To Advertise your Job Opportunity in the newspapeer ad online please email Angelita Houston at ahouston@stlamerican.com

PRODUCTION SPECIALIST

Great Rivers Greenway is hiring a Production Specialist. Go to www.greatriversgreenway.org/ jobs-bids to apply.

The state of Missouri is accepting applications for a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor in our St Charles office. Application deadline is February 20, 2023. Starting salary is $43,848-$46,008. View job description and application instructions at https://mocareers.mo.gov/ hiretrue/ce3/job-board/ 5effe9b2-4b89-494b-ac76c45e25190768/dca0687bb29b-4a66-af96-28fc39b54f0c?jb=true or visit mocareers. mo.gov and use keyword “counselor”.

JUNIOR ACCOUNTANT

Great Rivers Greenway is hiring a Junior Accountant. Go to www.greatriversgreenway.org/ jobs-bids to apply.

various fields at all levels, with positions in engineering, nursing and health care, research, administration, technology, security and more.

Medical Assistant Apprentice- JR72269

How would you like to be a Medical Assistant, but don’t have time or the funds to go to school? We have a solution! Once you pass our entrance requirements and are hired through Washington University, you can complete our Apprenticeship program in just 12 weeks. Upon completing, and passing the credentialing exam, along with being a continued employee for 1 year, you will receive recognition as a Certified Medical Assistant. Class times will be during working hours (4 hours a week), and there will be no tuition costs to you.

JR72256 Senior Content Strategist for User Support - Medical Public Affairs - Hybrid location

The Senior Content Strategist is dedicated to content strategy within the user support realm of the university’s WordPress-based WashU Web Theme (https:// sites.wustl.edu). A major function of this position is to respond to campus partner queries and requests regarding use of the Theme, to troubleshoot and document bugs and other issues that arise, to train users on the Theme, and to serve as content strategist on the Theme documentation website. The content strategist also will work directly with campus partners to assess communications needs on their websites and develop web content to meet those needs. The ideal candidate will have extensive expertise in CMS-based web publishing, experience in a user support role, strong web technical experience and skills, strong interpersonal communication skills, a desire to work with people who have varying levels of web experience, and experience in organization, development and refinement of written content for websites.

JR71809 Senior Research Program Manager - Emergency Medicine:

This position provides direct oversight and management of large-scale research grants including, but not limited to, the ongoing MOST clinical trial, federal/non-federal agencies and other granting agencies as determined by the Department Chair and the Research Director. This entails all aspects of the granting process from submission to award, interaction with IRB, study sponsors and investigators. Responsible for ensuring that high quality research activities are maintained and all granting agency and University policies and procedures are adhered to. Further, this position provides direction to all external agencies that interact with the University ensuring compliance and with the authority to recommend changes in research protocol.

JR70353 Clinic Administrator – Pediatrics:

Position is responsible for coordination of daily operations of the pediatric service including physician support, patient services, staff supervision, and organizational management. Provides management direction and assistance in resolving issues and complaints by physicians, patients and referring physician offices. Coordinates patient services, including scheduling and pre-cert services, ensuring quality care is provided in a convenient, efficient and cost effective manner. Works with the Division Chief, Medical Director(s) and departmental senior leadership on developing the strategic plan to grow the division. Implements and monitors the developmental action plan. Scheduling responsibility for all support staff, nursing staff and providers.

JR70746 Director of Clinical Operations – Surgery:

Position will manage the implementation of the clinical operations plans by coordinating the delivery of clinical services. Facilitates the implementation of new physician practice models for clinical operations. Coordinates the development of operational and space plans to support the physician practice models. Assists in the implementation of the staffing model and the coordination of the clinical staff. For

St. LouiS american Bids & Public Notices St.

PUBLIC NOTICE

The City of Vinita Park is accepting proposals for Police Department Towing Services

RFP’s can be obtained at City Hall

8374 Midland Boulevard

Vinita Park, MO 63114

M-F, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. or email at cityclerk@vinitapark.org

Proposals will be accepted until 4:00 p.m., Monday, February 20, 2023. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids and or combination thereof, and to waive any minor irregularities.

Brent Bury, City Clerk

PUBLIC NOTICE

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

> Doing Business With Us

> View Bid Opportunities

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

SOLICITING BIDS

Curtiss-Manes-Schulte, Inc. is soliciting bids from MBE/WBE/ SDVE/DBE subcontractors and suppliers for work on the Pershing Hall Student Health Center Renovation, University of MissouriColumbia. Bids are due Wednesday, February 15, 2023 by 9:30 am and can be faxed to (573) 392-4527 or emailed to bbrown@cms-gc.com For more information, call Bob @ (573) 392-6553. CurtissManes-Schulte, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

RESIDENT ADVISORY PUBLIC NOTICE

PHA 5-YEAR ACTION PLAN

A draft copy of the 2023- 2027 5-Year Action Plan for The Housing Authority of St. Louis County, the Housing Authority of the City of Hillsdale, the Housing Authority of the City of Pagedale, and the Housing Authority of the City of Olivette. Will be available for review by interested parties at the following locations Monday through Friday from 8:30 - 4:30 pm.

• 8865 Natural Bridge, St. Louis, Missouri, 63121

• 133 Plum, Maryland Heights, Missouri, 63043

• 2876 West Pasture, St. Louis, Missouri, 63114

• 6203 Cote Brilliante Avenue, Wellston, Missouri 63133

• Housing Authority of St. Louis County website (www.haslc.com)

The Housing Authority of St. Louis County will hold a Resident Advisory Board public hearing on March 07, 2023, from 10:30 –11:00 am on ring Central to review the plans and receive comments. Ring Central Meeting

Please join using this link: https://v.ringcentral.com/join/225373903?pw=9ecc3d2fac2e4932c19dd8ed7af0ad22

Meeting ID: 225373903

Password: eqzGWYHXH5

One tap to join audio only from a smartphone: +16504191505,,225373903,,,3794994945, United States (San Mateo, CA)

Or dial: +1 (650) 4191505 United States (San Mateo, CA)

Access Code / Meeting ID: 225373903 Dial-in password: 3794994945

ADVERTISEMENT FOR PROPOSALS

The City of St. Peters is seeking qualifications for the 23-119 – Mexico Road at Dardenne Creek Bridge Rehabilitation & Widening (STP 4950(605)) until 2:00 p.m. local time, February 23, 2023. This will be a Non-Public opening. The purpose of this project is to provide construction phase services and prepare all required plans and specifications required to acquire needed property rights and bid the rehabilitation and widening of the Mexico Road at Dardenne Creek Bridge.

The RFQ can be received by sending a request to Bids@stpetersmo.net and specifying in the subject line 23-119 – Mexico Road at Dardenne Creek Bridge Rehabilitation & Widening (STP 4950(605))”, or by obtaining at City of St. Peters, One St. Peters Centre Boulevard, St. Peters, Missouri 63376 beginning February 9, 2023.

If your firm would like to be considered for providing these consulting services, please prepare a Technical Proposal. This proposal should include any information which might help us in the selection process, such as the persons or team you would assign to each project, the backgrounds of those individuals, and other projects your company has recently completed or are now active. The proposal shall be submitted in quadruplicate, in a sealed package, and clearly marked with the Consultant’s name and City of St. Peters – 23-119 – Mexico Road at Dardenne Creek Bridge Rehabilitation & Widening (STP 4950(605)). The proposal must be received by the City of St. Peters Purchasing Department by 2:00 p.m., local time, February 23, 2023.

All questions regarding the project and proposal submittal are to be submitted via e-mail to Bids@stpetersmo.net and specify in the subject line 23-119 – Mexico Road at Dardenne Creek Bridge Rehabilitation & Widening (STP 4950(605)), or by mail to City of St. Peters, One St. Peters Centre Boulevard, St. Peters, Missouri 63376 before noon local time, February 16, 2023.

The City of St. Peters will evaluate firms based on a) experience and competence, b) the capacity of the firm to perform the work in the timeframe needed, c) past performance.

Once a proposal is selected, a contract will be negotiated, with the firm, based on a mutually agreed upon scope of services. This project has received federal reimbursement funding through the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STPS) administered by the East-West Gateway Coordinating Council of Governments. A DBE goal of 10% has been determined by Missouri Department of Transportation for the Preliminary Engineering portion of the project. DBE firms must be listed in the MRCC DBE Directory located on MoDOT’s website at www.modot.gov, in order to be counted as participation towards an established DBE Goal. We encourage DBE firms to submit proposals as prime consultants for any project they feel can be managed by their firm.

It is required that your firm’s Statement of Qualification (RSMo 8.285 through 8.291) and an Affidavit of Compliance with the federal work authorization program along with a copy of your firm’s E-Verify Memorandum of Understanding (15 CSR 60-15.020) be submitted with your firm’s technical proposal and with your firm’s Letter of Interest. It is also required that your firm be prequalified with MoDOT and listed in MoDOT’s Approved Consultant Prequalification List

The City reserves the right to waive any informality and to accept the proposal most advantageous to the City.

GREENHOUSEGENERAL CONSTRUCTION & GREENHOUSEPRE-ENGINEERED BUILDING RFPS 2023

The Saint Louis Zoo seeks bids from qualified firms to submit proposals for Greenhouse- General Construction RFP 2023 & GreenhousePre-Engineered Building RFP 2023. Bid documents are available as of 2/8/23 on the Saint Louis Zoo website: stlzoo.org/vendor

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Campground Loop 5 Montauk State Park Salem, MO Project No. X2204-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, March 9, 2023. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo.gov/ facilities

INVITATION TO BID FERGUSON-FLORISSANT SCHOOL DISTRICT KITCHEN HVAC INSTALLATION 13 LOCATIONS (LABOR ONLY)

Sealed bids for 13 locations in our District, Kitchen HVAC installation (labor only) are being requested from the Ferguson Florissant School District and will be received and publicly opened on Tuesday, February 28th, 2023 @ 1:00pm CST at the Operation and Maintenance dept. located at 8855 Dunn Rd. (REAR) Hazelwood, MO 63042. Pre bid meeting Tuesday, February 14th, 2023 @ 8:00am @ 8855 Dunn Rd. Hazelwood, MO 63042. Bid specs must be obtained at http://new.fergflor.k12.mo.us/ facilities-rfq. Contact Matt Furfaro @ mfurfaro@fergflor.org for further information/questions.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR PROPOSALS

The City of St. Peters is seeking qualifications for the 23-116 - Jungs Station Road Resurfacing (STP 7305(623))” until 2:00 p.m. local time, February 23, 2023. This will be a Non-Public opening. The purpose of this project is to provide construction phase services and prepare all required plans and specifications required to acquire needed property rights and bid the reconstruction of Jungs Station Road and signal replacement at the Jungs Station Road and Plum Tree Drive signalized intersection.

The RFQ can be received by sending a request to Bids@stpetersmo.net and specifying in the subject line “23-116 - Jungs Station Rd Resurfacing (STP 7305(623))”, or by obtaining at City of St. Peters, One St. Peters Centre Boulevard, St. Peters, Missouri 63376 beginning February 9, 2023.

If your firm would like to be considered for providing these consulting services, please prepare a Technical Proposal. This proposal should include any information which might help us in the selection process, such as the persons or team you would assign to each project, the backgrounds of those individuals, and other projects your company has recently completed or are now active. The proposal shall be submitted in quadruplicate, in a sealed package, and clearly marked with the Consultant’s name and City of St. Peters – 23-116 – Jungs Station Road Resurfacing (STP 7305(623)). The proposal must be received by the City of St. Peters Purchasing Department by 2:00 p.m., local time, February 23, 2023.

All questions regarding the project and proposal submittal are to be submitted via e-mail to Bids@stpetersmo.net and specify in the subject line “23-116 - Jungs Station Road Resurfacing (STP 7305(623))”, or by mail to City of St. Peters, One St. Peters Centre Boulevard, St. Peters, Missouri 63376 before noon local time, February 16, 2023.

The City of St. Peters will evaluate firms based on a) experience and competence, b) the capacity of the firm to perform the work in the timeframe needed, c) past performance.

Once a proposal is selected, a contract will be negotiated, with the firm, based on a mutually agreed upon scope of services. This project has received federal reimbursement funding through the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STP) administered by the East-West Gateway Coordinating Council of Governments. A DBE goal of 12% has been determined by Missouri Department of Transportation for the Preliminary Engineering portion of the project.

DBE firms must be listed in the MRCC DBE Directory located on MoDOT’s website at www.modot.gov, in order to be counted as participation towards an established DBE Goal. We encourage DBE firms to submit proposals as prime consultants for any project they feel can be managed by their firm.

It is required that your firm’s Statement of Qualification (RSMo 8.285 through 8.291) and an Affidavit of Compliance with the federal work authorization program along with a copy of your firm’s E-Verify Memorandum of Understanding (15 CSR 60-15.020) be submitted with your firm’s technical proposal and with your firm’s Letter of Interest. It is also required that your firm be prequalified with MoDOT and listed in MoDOT’s Approved Consultant Prequalification List

The City reserves the right to waive any informality and to accept the proposal most advantageous to the City.

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

INVITATION TO BID

PARIC Corporation is requesting bids for the: MU NEXTGEN PRECISION HEALTH BUILDING –LEVEL 4 SHELL SPACE FITOUT

The project consists of:

Project consists of the 4th Level Fitout of the Lab Bar and Innovation Tower in the existing Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health Building (NGPH).

Documents: https://securecc.smartinsight.co/#/ PublicBidProject/685931

Bids are being requested for the following: Proposals are due on March 1st at 10:00AM by email to Mskalski@paric.com or bids@paric.com. We as that Subcontractor’s S.O.W due prior on February 28th. PARIC’s proposal is due to the Owner by March 3rd.

A pre-bid meeting will be held at 2:30 p.m., C.T., February 16, 2023 in the General Services Bldg., Room 194A, followed by a site walk-through. A Diversity Participation Goal of 10% MBE, 10% Combined WBE, DBE, Veteran Owned Business and 3% SDVE has been established for this contract.

This Project is Prevailing Wage

This Project is Tax Exempt

All requests and questions will be received until February 20th. After that time, no requests for clarifications or questions will be accepted. No questions or requests are to be made directly to the Architect, Engineer or the Owner.

All questions regarding this Invitation to Bid shall be directed to: Michael Skalski (Mskalski@paric.com)

Bids shall be delivered to (Bids@paric.com) or (Mskalski@paric.com)

PARIC CORPORATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

PUBLIC NOTICE

Donald Maggi Inc. is accepting bids from Disadvantaged Business Enterprises for subcontracting opportunities on the Arrival Court – Phase 2 Sitework MO University of Science & Technology Rolla MO 65401 PROJECT NO. RC000210

Bid Date and Time: 2:00 pm on Wednesday February 22, 2023 Pre-Bid February 10, 2023 @ 10:00 am Plans/Specification is available via drop box or www.adsplanroom.net

Contact Donald Maggi Inc. at 573-364-7733 or email maggiconst@gmail.com

Donald Maggi Inc.

PUBLIC NOTICE

PHA 5-YEAR ACTION PLAN

A draft copy of the 2023- 2027 5-Year Action Plan for The Housing Authority of St. Louis County, the Housing Authority of the City of Hillsdale, the Housing Authority of the City of Pagedale, and the Housing Authority of the City of Olivette. Will be available for review by interested parties at the following locations Monday through Friday from 8:30 - 4:30 pm.

• 8865 Natural Bridge, St. Louis, Missouri, 63121

• 133 Plum, Maryland Heights, Missouri, 63043

• 2876 West Pasture, St. Louis, Missouri, 63114

• 6203 Cote Brilliante Avenue, Wellston, Missouri

63133

• Housing Authority of St. Louis County website (www.haslc.com)

The Housing Authority of St. Louis County will hold a public hearing on March 07, 2023, from 11:00 – 11:30 am. on ring Central to review the plans and receive comments. Ring Central Meeting

https://v.ringcentral.com/join/586837819? pw=466d27d0b6496a06447e0aa684fc0328

Meeting ID: 586837819

Password: 8LPseiY8Re

One tap to join audio only from a smartphone: +16504191505, 586837819,,,8577349873, United States (San Mateo, CA)

Or dial: +1 (650) 4191505 United States (San Mateo, CA)

Access Code / Meeting ID: 586837819 Dial-in password: 8577349873

LU23024 OUTDOOR BASKETBALL COURT PROJECT

Lincoln University of Missouri will be accepting RFP’s (Request for Proposal) for the construction of 2 (two) outdoor basketball courts located at the LINC on the campus of Lincoln University. If interested, request a copy of the RFP documents to lufacilitiesplanning@lincolnu.edu. A walkthrough will be held at the LINC located 1299 Lafayette St. Jefferson City, MO 65109, on February 13th at 9:00 a.m., all parties wishing to submit a bid must be present at the walkthrough to be eligible. All bids will be due by 2:00 p.m. on February 20 2023, (there will not be a public opening) and must be delivered to The Office of Facilities & Planning, Lincoln University, 820 Chestnut Street, 309 Young Hall, Jefferson City, Missouri 65109.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR PROPOSALS

The City of St. Peters is seeking qualifications for the 23-118 - Barkwood Trails Drive Reconstruction (STP 7305(622)) until 2:00 p.m. local time, February 23, 2023. This will be a Non-Public opening. The purpose of this project is to provide construction phase services and prepare all required plans and specifications required to acquire needed property rights and bid the safety improvements and reconstruction of Barkwood Trails Drive, from Jungermann Road to Maple Tree Drive.

The RFQ can be received by sending a request to Bids@stpetersmo.net and specifying in the subject line 23-118 - Barkwood Trails Drive Reconstruction (STP 7305(622)), or by obtaining at City of St. Peters, One St. Peters Centre Boulevard, St. Peters, Missouri 63376 beginning February 9, 2023.

If your firm would like to be considered for providing these consulting services, please prepare a Technical Proposal. This proposal should include any information which might help us in the selection process, such as the persons or team you would assign to each project, the backgrounds of those individuals, and other projects your company has recently completed or are now active. The proposal shall be submitted in quadruplicate, in a sealed package, and clearly marked with the Consultant’s name and City of St. Peters – 23-118 – Barkwood Trails Drive Reconstruction (STP 7305(622)). The proposal must be received by the City of St. Peters Purchasing Department by 2:00 p.m., local time, February 23, 2023.

All questions regarding the project and proposal submittal are to be submitted via e-mail to Bids@stpetersmo.net and specify in the subject line 23-118 –Barkwood Trails Drive Reconstruction (STP 7305(622)), or by mail to City of St. Peters, One St. Peters Centre Boulevard, St. Peters, Missouri 63376 before noon local time, February 16, 2023.

The City of St. Peters will evaluate firms based on a) experience and competence, b) the capacity of the firm to perform the work in the timeframe needed, c) past performance.

Once a proposal is selected, a contract will be negotiated, with the firm, based on a mutually agreed upon scope of services. This project has received federal reimbursement funding through the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STP) administered by the East-West Gateway Coordinating Council of Governments. A DBE goal of 12% has been determined by Missouri Department of Transportation for the Preliminary Engineering portion of the project. DBE firms must be listed in the MRCC DBE Directory located on MoDOT’s website at www.modot.gov, in order to be counted as participation towards an established DBE Goal. We encourage DBE firms to submit proposals as prime consultants for any project they feel can be managed by their firm.

It is required that your firm’s Statement of Qualification (RSMo 8.285 through 8.291) and an Affidavit of Compliance with the federal work authorization program along with a copy of your firm’s E-Verify Memorandum of Understanding (15 CSR 60-15.020) be submitted with your firm’s technical proposal and with your firm’s Letter of Interest. It is also required that your firm be prequalified with MoDOT and listed in MoDOT’s Approved Consultant Prequalification List

The City reserves the right to waive any informality and to accept the proposal most advantageous to the City.

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Replace HVAC MSHP Troop E HQ Building Poplar Bluff, MO, Project No. R2142-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, March 14, 2023 For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo.gov/ facilities

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

PARIC Corporation is soliciting bids

CROUPPEN located on 4914 Daggett Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110. The project consists of 46,600 SF tenant build out of an existing building. Access to documents is available from our SmartBid link. If you do not receive a bid invitation, please send your company information to tlalexaner@paric.com

BIDS WILL BE DUE ON MARCH 1st, 2023 at 2:00 PM. Send all questions to Kory Kostecki (kKostecki@paric. com).

Goals for Construction Business Enterprise:

American

21%

11%

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

PARIC CORPORATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Replace Roofs - 4 Buildings, Moberly Correctional Center, Moberly MO, Project No. C1913-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, March 9, 2023 For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo.gov/ facilities

INVITATION TO BID

The 22nd Judicial Circuit Court is currently soliciting proposals for Cleaning and Custodian Services for the Civil Courts Building, Carnahan Courthouse, and Family Court Juvenile Division and Juvenile Annex Court buildings.

The Request for Proposal is available on the Court’s website http://www.stlcitycircuitcourt.com, click on General Information, then Request for Proposals.

There is an immediate need for these services. Proposals must be received no later than 10 a.m., Friday, March 10, 2023.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:

Property Management and/or Brokerage City of St. Louis Treasurer’s Office www.stltreasurer.org/ request-for-proposals

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Constructions Services, Project Nos. IDIQMCA-3001 and IDIQMCA-3002, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 3/2/2023 via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered to bid. For specific project information, go to: https://oa.mo. gov/facilities/

zine cover model.

All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (**1/2) Relying on subtext and artistry to carry a film for 92 minutes is a gamble. It’s a chance that filmmaker Raven Jackson takes as she spins a southern yarn about a girl becoming a woman in rural Mississippi. The visuals are splendid: Watching a butterfly on a car dashboard. The sounds are true: Crickets at night. The music is wonderful: Gladys Knight and Robert Flack. The emotions are there: Admiring a boy named Wood, all the way through life. But without a sound detailed rom/dra plotline that fills in the empty spaces, all viewers get is an inkling. Just enough of an essence for a short film. Not nearly enough for a feature. It’s never enough.

Girl (**1/2) For 24-year-old, Grace (Déborah Lukumuena), an African immigrant living in Glasgow, Scotland, the only person that matters is her daughter Ama (Le'shantey Bonsu). Grace: “I was lonely until she came along.” But her overbearing protectiveness isolates and stresses Ama. Beautifully framed scenes look like photos in an art gallery. The sets, production design, lighting, composition and colors are mesmerizing(Cinematographer Tasha Back). The costumes too. But none of it makes sense considering the two are supposed to be living in a condemned building on the poor side of town.

The overly sullen and trauma-rattled lead character is too tough to access emotionally. And what’s on view is way too sad for way too long as this small drama is overshadowed by its fancy production elements. Yet, the directing technique exhibited by filmmaker Adura Onashile, in her first film, is promising.

Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (***) “A lot

of things I don’t remember, I choose not to remember. I make up the rest. That’s what storytelling is all about,” says poet/ writer/activist/educator Nikki Giovanni. In this very enlightening homage, by documentarians Joe Brewster and Michéle Stephenson, the icon gets the respect she deserves for speaking truths, reflecting on her life and discussing racism, sexism, classism and other social issues with the intelligence of a scholar and the wit of a genius. Clips and images of her famous conversation with James Baldwin are on view. Stories of her abusive father, estranged son and babysitting an activist’s child with a gun for protection adds to her allure. The spotlight shines magnificently on Giovanni as she speaks in the most poetic ways revealing precious and profound thoughts: “I believe the most beautiful poem ever heard is your heart racing.”

Little Richard: I Am Everything (***1/2) Shut up!!! Richard Penniman, a pioneer rock ‘n roller, was the third of 12 children in 1930s Macon, GA. His brash personality got him the attention he desired. Banging piano keys like a percussive instrument, wearing flamboyant attire and singing provocative songs (“Tutti

Frutti’) arguably made him the music industry’s first true glam rock star. Director Lisa Cortes astutely assembles an impressive group of legends who attests to his showmanship and musical prowess: Tom Jones, Nona Hendryx, Mick Jagger, John Waters, Billy Porter… If legends are defined by how they changed the world, blending gospel, blues andBoogie-woogie music, getting Black and white kids to dance together and letting fledgling bands (Beatles, Rolling Stones) share his tours make Penniman’s breakthrough achievements worthy of acclaim. This perceptive doc also tackles his up and down career and ambivalent feelings regarding his sexuality—proud, ashamed, proud.

Magazine Dreams (**) Images of Jonathan Majors (Creed III) in a skimpy swimsuit, sporting a lean, muscular body that would shame Michelangelo’s David don’t portend what’s to come. So, film fans anticipating the joy of Magic Mike or enthusiasm of Pumping Iron, think twice.

Killian Maddox (Majors) is a mentally disturbed young man shooting steroids to fulfill his dream of winning a bodybuilder competition and being a maga-

His volcanic emotions, demonic delusions and hostile threats stymy his efforts: “I’m gonna come down there, split your skull open and drink your brains like soup.”

As a director, Elijah Bynum makes perfectly crafted footage, and his visual and musical tastes are impeccable. As a screenwriter, he stumbles as he spews an ugliness for 100+ minutes that won’t attract an audience or good word of mouth. Majors, the tech crew and Bynum’s direction are destined for great things.

Milisuthando (***) Poignant conversations about race in this illuminating doc make it much more than just an evocative memoir by writer/director/ cultural director/artist Milisuthando Bongela. Growing up in the Xhosa community in the Transkei in South Africa and going to white schools made her experience with apartheid unique. The prejudice she felt is revisited in interviews with her elderly aunties, faded photographs, home videos and news clips of historic events. The vestiges of bigotry still haunt her.

Says one friend: “Friendship is giving of yourself generously with no expectations in return.”

That’s what Milisuthando is manifesting with her poignant documentary.

Illuminating, thoughtful and reflective in ways that are continuously surprising.

Rye Lane (****) If Love Actually and Love Jones had a child, this would be it.

Dom (David Jonsson), a twentysomething, is ugly crying in a toilet stall in the unisex bathroom of a bar in South London. Yas (Vivian Oparah) overhears the wailing. Fate pulls them together as they discuss their exes. His left him for another man, hence the tears of a cuckhold. Hers has moved on too. Their mutual happiness may be the best revenge, but for now they’re oblivious.

First-time director Raine Allen-Miller has created the wittiest, coolest, and most

contemporary rom/com in ages. Her breezy, moment-to-moment directing never loses its energy as she follows the two lovebirds across colorful sets, wearing the hippest clothes and exploring their very budding relationship. Clever dialogue pours out of Yas and angst fuels Dom because screenwriters Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia have captured the feel of young Black

British life. Music by Lou Rawls, Terence Trent-Darby and British singer/writer Sampha make for a toe-tappingplaylist.

For more information about the annual Sundance Film Festival go to:https://www. sundance.org/festivals/sundance-film-festival/about.

A scene from “Little Richard: I Am Everything.”

Flying high

U.S. Mint honors

pilot Bessie Coleman on new quarters

By Nadira Jamerson Word In Black

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.”

Unfortunately, white supremacists have been working hard to ensure that only parts of our nation’s history are uplifted and remembered. With AP African American Studies courses and Black literature being banned from classrooms across the country, it is crucial to seize every opportunity to amplify the Black experience.

To that end, the United States Mint certainly seems to be doing its part. In January, as part of the 2023 American Women Quarters Program, it released a quarter honoring Bessie Coleman, the first Black and Native American woman licensed pilot in the United States.

Designed by Artistic Infusion Program artist Chris Costello and sculpted by U.S. Mint Medallic Artist Eric David Custer, the coin depicts Coleman as she suits up for flight.

“Having a coin depicting the first African American and Native American female pilot honoring the life and legacy of someone who fought against racial inequality is monumental,” says Ventris C. Gibson, the current and first Black director of the U.S. Mint. Gibson has been instrumental in advancing the American Women Quarters Program.

“The Mint is showcasing women from all backgrounds and walks of life who were trailblazers during their lifetimes. Those actions speak volumes that show we honor our past by memorializing these women for generations to come.” After being denied aviation training in the United States, Coleman traveled to France in 1920, where she became the first Black woman to earn an international pilot’s license.

When she returned to the U.S. in 1921, Coleman became known for breaking barriers and advancing principles of racial justice and equity. She refused to perform at air shows where Black performers were not allowed the same rights as white performers, and she proved that Black women could be great pilots and capable leaders.

Today, systemic racism and sexism continue to keep Black women out of aviation. With less than 1% of licensed U.S. pilots identifying as Black women, Gibson says featuring Coleman on the quarter and spotlighting her story provides a unique opportunity to inspire the next generation.

“The American Women Quarters Program celebrates each honoree’s triumphs, resilience, and legacy,” Gibson explains. “I think these quarters particularly speak to girls and women. By placing iconic women like Bessie Coleman on coins, we create an opportuni-

As part of the 2023 American Women Quarters Program, the U.S. Mint has released a coin honoring Bessie Coleman, the first Black and Native American woman licensed pilot in the United States.

St. Louis County Library is “Celebrating Black Resistance to Injustice”

St. Louis American staff

St. Louis County Library is hosting events throughout Black History Month as part of its “Celebrating Black Resistance to Injustice” programming in February. Virtual and in-person events are scheduled. A highlight of the Black History Month series is the Frankie Freeman Inspirational Lecture. Carlotta Walls LaNier will deliver the keynote address at 7 p.m. Friday February 17 at the Ethical Society of St. Louis, 9001 Clayton Rd., St. Louis, MO 63117.

She will discuss her memoir “A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School.” When 14-year-old Carlotta Walls walked up the stairs of Little Rock Central High School on September 25, 1957, she and eight other black students only wanted to make it to class. But the journey of the “Little Rock Nine,” as they came to be known, would lead the nation on an even longer and much

Continued from D1

more turbulent path, one that would challenge prevailing attitudes, break down barriers, and forever change the landscape of America.

Dr. Will Ross, Associate Dean of Diversity at Washington University, Alumni Endowed Professor of Medicine, Nephrology and Principal Officer for Community Partnerships, will receive the Frankie Freeman Inspirational Award during the program.

Ross, 2022 St. Louis American Person of the Year, is also founder of the Saturday Neighborhood Health Clinic, a free

Continued from D1

Photo courtesy of St. Louis Public Radio

Let Us Not Forget: 19th-Century Black Sculptor Celebrated at Art Museum

By Charlie Farrell, 20222024 Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellow

The Saint Louis Art

Museum’s global collection celebrates people’s creativity around the world every day. With more than 35,000 works of art from virtually every culture and time period, new, engaging, and educational experiences always await visitors at the Art Museum.

In recognition of Black History Month, the Art Museum’s February programming is an opportunity to bring ever greater attention to the hundreds of works in the museum’s collection created by and about people of the African Diaspora. We are kicking off the month’s programming on Feb. 9 at noon with a virtual presentation by Charlie Farrell, the Museum’s 2022-2024

Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellow. Join Farrell for a celebration of Edmonia Lewis (1844-1907), a 19th-century sculptor whose work is on view at the Art Museum

The virtual program, Art Speaks: Edmonia Lewis, Sculpting Her Path Forward, is a close look at Lewis, the first American of color to reach international acclaim as a sculptor. Faced with numerous personal difficulties and societal barriers on her path to success, she persisted and created a name for herself. First based in Boston, she later relo-

cated to Rome for more artistic freedom. Farrell will discuss Lewis’ work and hopes to illuminate the life and career of an artist who fell out of public memory after her death. Lewis gained fame for busts of her patrons and celebrities in addition to larger works featuring African American and Native American subjects. She sculpted a variety of subjects,

Edmonia Lewis, American, 1844–1907; Portrait of a Woman, 1873; marbleSaint Louis Art Museum, Museum

such as African Americans in her sculpture Forever Free, on view in the Howard University Gallery, and abolitionists such as Robert Gould Shaw, now at the Museum of African American History, Boston and Nantucket. SLAM’s sculpture, Portrait of a Woman (1873), is a skillfully executed bust by Lewis that reveals her training in the neoclassical style. The

subject’s rounded features, delicate lace bodice, flowers, and curly hair communicate both the taste and beauty of the sitter, a woman whose identity scholars are working to identify. Devoting research to artists like Edmonia Lewis, who have been historically excluded from the art historical canon is imperative to a more complete picture of history. As Lewis, was popular during her lifetime, it only makes sense to dive deep into her and her work. Exploring early African American artists gives art historians a richer picture of early American art general attitudes, interests, and themes. Other early African American contemporaries of Lewis on view at SLAM are Edward Bannister, Robert Duncannon, and Henry Ossawa Tanner. You can see Portrait of a Woman (1873) along with work by these painters in galleries 335 and 336. Through studying their work, viewers can better understand that African Americans have long contributed to the wider American cultural landscape. Black art matters! Happy Black History Month!

Join us on February 9! Registration details can be found at slam.org/events. If you are unable to attend the virtual talk, the program will be available at a later date through our YouTube channel or slam.org.

Black history demands that we remain WOKE

By Ron Walker Word In Black

As February continues, the designated month for the appreciation of Black History, a critical question may arise from those who are not Black. That question might be: “Why does Black History matter?”

This looms large, given Florida’s recent rejection of a proposed College Board Advanced Placement course on African-American Studies. Some of the reasons provided were that the course included topics such as the movement for Black lives, Black feminism, and reparations, as well as the inclusion of certain Black authors whose writings touch on critical race theory.

my power. If it were not for Lincoln University and its professors dedicated to teaching a comprehensive history, I would not have fully appreciated the contributions, inventions, and acts of courage performed by Black Americans.

I respond as someone who has been fortunate enough to have received the benefit of a deep immersion into Black/ African American History as a student at Lincoln University in Philadelphia, the first degree-granting Historically Black College and University.

For example, my deep appreciation for the life and times of Frederick Douglass was fueled by a white professor by the name of Phillip Foner. It was Professor James Farmer, director of the Congress of Racial Equality, who introduced me to the history of the civil rights movement.

Surrounded by a wealth of information about the immense and significant contributions made by Black Americans, I gained a true appreciation of them. As I began to know my history, I began to know

Following graduation, I began teaching history, transferring what my professors had given me to my students. I continued my study of Black/ African American history and carried that study into the teaching of my classes. There were so many figures, not typically known or taught about in school, such as Madame C.J Walker, the first Black self-made millionaire; John Taylor, the first African American athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in 1908; Phillip B. Downing, who invented the first protective mailbox; Garrett Morgan, inventor of the gas mask as well as the three-light traffic signal; Mary Van Brittan Brown, inventor of the first home security system.. These names are just the tip of the enormous iceberg of inventors, creators, and game-changers who happen to be Black and have helped this nation achieve recognition and success worldwide.

When we share and teach Black History to every student regardless of race, color, or creed, then we are WOKE — Working On Knowledge Equally.

Ron Walker is founding executive director of the Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color (COSEBOC).

Guest Columnist Ron Walker