January 17th, 2013 edition

Obama picks Bibles for swearing in

Straight talk to youth

Put Down the Pistol leader calls for ‘hot-spot resourcing’

By Rebecca S.Rivas Of The St.Louis American

In a school library filled with 30 African-American boys at YeatmanLiddell Preparatory Middle School, not a single pair of eyes strayed from James Clark, a VPat Better Family Life Inc. and veteran crime-prevention advocate. Every boy listened silently to Clark on Tuesday afternoon.

story video at www.stlamerican.com

“Under no circumstances do you drop out of high school,” said Clark, who was dressed in a pinstripe suit and blue silk tie. “Under no circumstances do you not go have that one more graduation. Because you’re

going to need to earn money. And the best way to earn your money

through education.”

Every week, Clark meets with this group, as well as one at Stevens Middle School, as part of Better Family Life’s Perspectives program, which launched in the fall.

Clark and a loyal group of volunteers have been hitting the pavement for three years with the Put Down the Pistol Campaign. Just this year, Better Family Life received phone calls from more than 50 individuals on the brink of committing an armed robbery or a

“When Mr.Clark came, we started doing our work.We started keeping money in our pockets by doing the right thing.”

“He taught us there are only two options in life if you’re on the streets – the penitentiary and the graveyard.”

Bill Danforth accepts St. Louis Award

ByRichard Weiss Of The Beacon

“We started before others had realized the opportunities (in plant science) and were ready to make investments.”

Dr. William Henry Danforth II was recognized recently with the St. Louis Award. The award goes to the resident of metropolitan St. Louis who has “contributed the most outstanding service for its development” or “performed such service as bringing greatest honor to the community,” according to the late David

Reed says positive buzz is on the streets

Challenger claims media misrepresents mayoral campaign

By Chris King Of The St.Louis American

Lewis Reed

Lewis Reed thinks the political chattering class in St. Louis is missing the point in his challenge to Mayor Francis G. Slay in the March 5 Democratic primary. News reports and commentaries have focused on Slay’s trading of endorsements with high-profile African Americans and his recent co-opting of the minority inclusion issue by issuing an executive order that extends workforce inclusion goals to cover TIF projects of scale.

But, Reed says, these mediagenic gestures have done nothing to bolster Slay’s support on the ground.

“If voters turn out in March like they turned out in August, then Lewis Reed is your next mayor.”

– Glenn Burleigh, campaign manager

“We never hear about those things when we knock on the door,” said Reed, who presently serves as president of the Board of Aldermen –like mayor, a citywide elected position. “What we hear is, ‘Can we have a yard sign?’” Reed acknowledges two campaign stumbles – hiring a campaign manager, Matt Teter, who did not work out and failing to manage media perceptions of the campaign. Reed’s successful 2007 campaign for

– Bill Danforth Washington University Chancellor Emeritus William Danforth (left) and Mrs.Jane Ervin, widow of WUSTL professor Dr.John B.Ervin,join others during the procession following the “Dedication of James E. McLeod’s Way”at Graham Chapel during the John B. Ervin Scholars Program 25th Anniversary Celebration at Washington University Sept.15,2012.

See DANFORTH, A7

By Bridjes O’Neil Of The St.Louis American

Presidential inauguration tickets are hard to come by. But not for some students and staff at University City High School, who leave tomorrow for Washington, D.C. with plans to attend the inauguration on Monday, January 21.

Principal Michael Maclin said the idea to embark on this trip stems from his vision to engage students in real-world applications. “We don’t ask the question, ‘Why?’” he said. “We ask, ‘What

See REED, A7

Kenneth McClain,LeDon Meriweather and Robert Moten wait to be introduced by James Clark of the Put Down the Pistol program to speak to youth at Yeatman-Liddell Preparatory Middle School.

Photo by Wiley Price

THE

THAT HAS PEOPLE TALKING

Keyshia Cole chops Neffe for book jab

In the excerpt from Keyshia Cole’s sister Neffe’s new book, ‘Price I Paid’ Neffe complains that Keyshia couldn’t even be bothered to read her manuscript.

So before I went to Big Henry, My sister’s manager, I was like “Hey girl, check this out! I have almost completed my book. Do you like?

I thought she would have been like, “Great job! Let’s get it out there.” Yeah, well that didn’t work out she simply and unenthusiastically said “Oh yeah that’s cool,” and kept walking She didn’t even stop to check it out. Can you believe she told me she had a nail appointment to go to?”

Well, Keyshia read the excerpt and was far from amused. The R&B singer took to her Twitter account to let Neffe have it.

“I see I gotta take it back to the days when I used to slap a [b-word expletive] tho,” Keyshia tweets. “If it wasn’t for me and my name, people making money off that alone. They would have the courage to say they just don’t like me. [b-word expletive] talk about me in ya book and you wearing the shoes I gave you on

the cover? [expletive] bogus.”

Blue Ivy’s six figure first birthday

According to the UK Sun, Beyonce and Jay-Z spared no expense for their daughter Blue Ivy’s first birthday. She reportedly received an $80,000 diamond encrusted Barbie doll as a gift from her parents – who also threw baby Blue a lavish princess-themed party for close family and friends.

The party took place in New York City and The Sun says Jay and Bey spent nearly $100,000 in white and pink roses and a $2,400 cake. They also report that $32,000 was spent on accessories and toys for Blue Ivy’s guests and included jewelry sets, princess costumes and playhouses. Adults were also said to have been given elaborate goodie bags.

Janet’s billionaire boo offers big bucks in prenup

Earlier in the week news leaked that Janet Jackson’s fiancé, billionaire Wissam Al Manna torn up their original pre-nuptial agreement and drafted another one more favorable to Janet.

According to reports by the UK Express, favorable is an understatement.

The publication says, “should

the fairytale turn sour then the agreement still being worked on is reported to guarantee Janet, 46, a ‘kiss-off’ of half-a-billion dollars (around £312.14million) if they divorce after a minimum of five years.”

Dick Gregory digs in on Spike for ‘Django’ hate

In an interview posted on YouTube, the activist and comedian showed that he is “Team Tarantino” and ripped Spike Lee for his criticism of the slave “I’ve seen ‘Django Unchained’ 12 times. Never in the history of Hollywood, have they ever made anything that freed the inside of me. The inside of me,” he declared. “I’m 80 years old, I saw cowboy movies, wasn’t no black folks in cowboy movies. I’m looking at a western, plus a love story. To those of you all that see it, you’ll never see a love story about a black man and a black woman where it wasn’t some foul sex and foul language, huh. And Spike Lee can’t appreciate that. The little thug ain’t even seen the movie; he’s acting like he white.”

He concluded that Spike’s spite for the film he claims he’ll never see, is something personal.

Dick Gregory

“And all them black entertainers that know Spike Lee, how you gone attack this man and don’t be attacking them … and then say everyone’s a fool but me. [Talking about] ‘it offended my ancestors,’ but when you did ‘She’s Got To Have It’ and some of those other thug movies you did … you took Malcolm X and put a Zoot suit on him … did that offend your ancestors, punk?”

Vanessa and Kobe reunited (and it feels so good)

Last year, after 10 years of marriage, Vanessa Bryant filed for divorce from Kobe Bryant after a private investigator provided Vanessa with proof that Kobe had been cheating throughout their entire marriage. Lucky for Kobe, who didn’t have a pre-nup, Vanessa has agreed to call off the divorce. Vanessa took to her Instagram account to announce that the couple was indeed back together.

“We are pleased to announce that we have reconciled. Our divorce action has been dismissed,” the note said. “We are looking forward to our future together.”

The note was signed “Kobe and Vanessa.”

Sources: Instagram, YouTube, UK Sun, UK Express, Twitter.com

STUFF

Janet Jackson

Slavery dolls? Really?

I haven’t seen the Oscar-nominated Django Unchained yet, although I plan to do so very soon. Reggie Hudlin, an East St. Louis native and Harvard-educated producer of the film, is my primary motivation for doing so.

I’ve always supported homeboy in his other endeavors, from House Party to Boomerang, The Great White Hype and The Ladies Man, as well as his collaborations with Aaron McGruder of The Boondocks fame.

I even plan to discuss Django at some point on my radio show, but not before I’ve had the benefit of viewing and critiquing it for myself.

St. Louis American writer Kenya Vaughn, in her review, was critical of the films’ use of the N-word, something that Django director Quentin Tarantino seems fixated upon in many of his films. I’ll reserve judgment until I’ve seen the film.

However, even without seeing the film, I am acutely offended by a story recently released by abcnews.go.com announcing that a collection of Django Unchained action figure dolls are being sold through Amazon.

The collection includes figures of Jamie Foxx’s Django, a freed slave-turned bountyhunter and his on-screen wife Broomhilda, played by Kerry Washington, and figures for the Mississippi plantation owner, played by Leonard DiCaprio, and house Negro Stephen played by Samuel L. Jackson.

Let’s start with the audacity of whoever decided that the trivialization of slavery with “action figures” was appropriate. That is absurd. In fact, Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network has already called for a boycott of the dolls, and rightfully so.

Action figures, back in the day, like GI Joe, Captain Action, Johnny West, etc., were designed for children, through their play, to imagine themselves as soldiers, superheroes or cowboys.

What, then, will children envision as they play with the Django action figures? Who will be “Da Massa” and who will be the slave? And why is playing Massa versus slave fun? The questions are just as ridiculous as the concept of Django action figures.

Can you imagine, for one minute, the Jewish community embracing, tolerating or purchasing Holocaust action figures which trivialize their oppression by the Nazi’s? It will never happen, because the Jewish community is sophisticated

The plan to market action figures for a film that depicts slavery has DjangoUnchained producers, including ESL native Reggie Hudlin, in a new controversy.

enough to understand the impact of negative imagery upon the perception of their community by others.

And the African-American community must get to a point where there is zero tolerance for the proliferation of negative imagery, whether it’s Django action figures, comedic buffoonery, “reality TV” lunacy or whatever debases the African-American image in an age of America’s first African-American President.

I’m happy for brother Reggie Hudlin, but I’m saddened that Hollywood’s definition of Oscar success for blacks continues to be Driving Miss Daisy, The Help and now Django

Fathers’Support Center celebrates

Openings available in center’s family and youth programs

By Scott M. Sardo For The St. Louis American

The Fathers’ Support Center recently hosted its 3rd Annual Holiday Luncheon for the youth involved in its programming Family Unity. The event was sponsored by ARCHS, Daughters of Charity Foundation, and the Saint Louis Mental Health Board.

The event featured a panel discussion moderated by Kevin Anderson (Fathers’

Support Center staff) and featured St. Louis Police Detective Kevin Bentley, state Rep.-elect Courtney Curtis and Armond Prater, a teacher from Fox High School. The discussion centered on teen issues, such as handling abusive relationships, how to deal with “friends” who put others in high-risk situations, and music’s affect on youth behavior. The youth and their families were active in the discussion, especially on the subject of rap music.

One parent, Ms. Antionette Faulkner, said, “My son is an aspiring rapper and he and I have discussed the possibility of him focusing on gospel rap as a positive release.”

Following the panel discussion, the youth and their families were treated to a catered lunch that featured many delicious and

Gregory Tillman and his children celebrated at the Fathers’ Support Center’s 3rd Annual Holiday Luncheon.

healthy eating options. To close out the event, Fathers’ Support Center distributed donated toys from Helping Incarcerated Parents and Children to all the children in attendance.

The Fathers’ Support Center is a non-proit agency that aims to foster healthy relationships by strengthening families and communities by working directly with fathers to become more responsible for and involved with their children. The center offers classes for fathers of all ages. For more information on Family Formation, call (314) 333-4170. The Youth Leadership and Development program has space in its mentoring program for youth ages 16-18. If interested, contact Director of Youth Services Haley A-bel at (314) 333-4170, ext 120.

James Ingram

Editorial /CommEntary

Challenge important to city’s future

We would like to commend Lewis Reed for affording St. Louis voters the opportunity to raise issues about our city and its future governance so that our increasingly more diverse and younger population can make an informed choice as to who should lead the city as Mayor for the next four years. We are optimistic that these will be four years of steady and even transformative positive change, as the economy improves, more people commit to the urban center and there is continued growth in the entrepreneurial class of transplants in St. Louis.

Whether Lewis Reed or Francis Slay is elected Mayor, we think this city is headed for brighter days and the people who live here should care deeply about who serves this city as its chief executive.

As we told Mr. Reed personally, he faces an incumbent of 12 years with all but infinite resources, given the consistent support Slay has received from the likes of billionaire political ideologue Rex Sinquefield. Moreover, Slay’s campaign operation is pitiless and savvy and Reed has not shown anywhere near the political or media skill he will need to sustain the attacks likely to come. Reed retorts that Slay is subtly

All right, now can we talk about climate change? After a year when the lower 48 states suffered the warmest temperatures, and the secondcraziest weather, since record-keeping began? Apparently not. The climate change denialists have been silent, as one might expect. Sensible people accept the fact of warming, but many doubt that our dysfunctional political system can respond in any meaningful way. Climate change has already put itself on the agenda – not the cause, but the effects. We’re dealing with humaninduced warming of the atmosphere. It’s just that we’re doing so in a manner that is reactive, expensive and ultimately ineffectual.

Congress is being asked to approve $60 billion in emergency aid for the states that were ravaged by Hurricane Sandy. Strictly speaking, it is not possible to say this freakish storm was caused by climate change. But Sandy was the second hurricane to strike the northeastern United States in two years – which, to say the least, exceeds the normal frequency of such events. And Sandy was part of a pattern. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2012 was “the second most extreme year on record,” with 11 weather-related disasters

issuing threats of harboring damaging opposition research against Reed because he is scared, and Reed maintains Slay is scared because the August 2012 election returns show that a credible crossover black candidate can win citywide against a very well known white candidate in a Democratic primary. This is some of the political back story to this campaign, and after the March 5 municipal primary election we will know if Reed is correct and prevails. Much professional political opinion would agree with the Slay campaign’s assumption that this will be a municipal primary like the others, where Slay turns out his conservative southwestern base, does more than hold his own in the Central Corridor and still wins handily without coming close to winning a single North City ward. Yet the incumbent and his supporters are taking Reed’s challenge very seriously and pulling out all stops to stay in power.

Putting aside the horse race for a moment, we are pleased that Mr. Reed is making this challenge to the entrenched incumbent. The city needs someone like him – who previously has built a coalition and won citywide against an entrenched

Commentary

including Hurricanes Sandy and Isaac as well as swarms of killer tornados.

The year was also exceptionally dry; by July, about 61 percent of the country was experiencing conditions that qualify as “drought.” The lack of rainfall in 2012 exacerbated wildfire activity.

“The Waldo Canyon fire near Colorado Springs, Colo., destroyed nearly 350 homes and was the most destructive fire on record for the state,”

NOAA reported.

Hurricanes striking where they don’t usually strike, fires burning where they don’t usually burn, drought everywhere – these anomalies begin to add up. Scientists have long been telling us that one impact of climate change will be increased volatility, and unpredictability, in weather events. This appears to be what we’re getting. We’re also getting heat. Lots of it.

The average temperature in the contiguous United States for 2012 was 55.3 degrees. That’s 3.2 degrees above the average for the 20th century, according to NOAA, and 1 degree higher than 1998, the previous warmest year. These are impressively scary numbers. To put it in context, breaking the record for hottest year by a full degree is like breaking the world’s record for the long jump not by an inch or two, but by nearly two feet, as Bob Beamon did at the 1968 Olympics. If all the years were sprinters, 2012 would be Usain Bolt.

mainstream incumbent – to raise a challenge that Slay is compelled to respect. We need someone to raise questions about Slay, his executive staff leadership (which lacks for meaningful diversity) and the sizable potential in this city that has not been realized during his lengthy tenure. Though Slay has some prominent black surrogates in this campaign –and he surprised us, as much as anyone, by investing in an advertising campaign in this newspaper that has found so much fault with his leadership – there certainly are legitimate questions to raise about his tenure as Mayor.

It is important that our community prepare to vote on March 5, and the best way to prepare ourselves is to learn more about the candidates and the issues. Slay’s black surrogates tell us that Slay is anxious to debate Reed at Harris-Stowe State University. In the past, Slay largely dodged debates with black candidates in what might be construed as black home venues.

We think Reed and Slay do have much to talk about, and all of our city should be willing to listen to them and then make informed decisions on who should lead the city for the next four years.

Eugene Robinson’s email address is eugenerobinson@ washpost.com. Hot enough for you?

In some parts of the world – Alaska, for example – it was a bit cooler than usual. But

As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

Let’s buy back the guns

The British are not coming back, nor are the Russians and Iranians coming. America needs to reconsider the 2nd Amendment of the United States Constitution that allows citizens the right to bear arms. In light of the tragic school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut and the wider culture of violence gripping America today, the whole country is wondering what actions we can take right now to address this state of affairs. While the pain of 20 children and six adults being brutally killed is fresh on everybody’s mind, I suggest that every city and state participate in a national “gun buy-back program.”

Consider the fact that over 30,000 Americans die every year from gun violence, according to The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence an advocacy group. In order to bring down that number, we must reduce the amount of guns that are in the homes of Americans. With a national gun buyback initiative, corporations and big business can make gift cards available for every gun that is turned in. Then there should be a public destruction of the weapons, as other countries do, by using steam rollers to crush the

weapons or burning them.

Statistics show more than 300 million weapons are in the homes of Americans. With such a high number of arms, more tragedies similar to Newtown are likely. While the American people and the families affected are in pain, grieving over the loss of their children, the debate is raging with a focus on the problem of mental health. There have been mental problems and violence since the eons of time, as in the story of Cain killing his brother Able in the Bible, and in America since it was founded with the killing of the indigenous Indian population.

Many Americans are trying to dodge the bullet of giving up these weapons under the pretext that to reconsider the 2nd amendment will deprive sporting and hunting enthusiasts their rights. But in 2008 when President Barrack Obama was elected and again with his re-election in 2012, there was a rush on gun shops across America to obtain weapons. People were not arming themselves to go hunting or target practice; they were arming themselves for protection from a changing social and political equation. This has backfired on America.

The world must be laughing at us, as we seriously debate the idea of making our schools armed camps where teachers will be armed and our babies trained on how to use weapons.

One person ridiculously commented, “If we had weapons in the school this

would have never happened.” He must have left his brain home before engaging his mouth. Imagine if a shooting happens at a school that is armed; the result would be a shootout.

We must eliminate guns out of Americans homes and make it difficult for anyone to obtain assault weapons that fire multiple rounds of ammunition. These are weapons designed for professional and qualified soldiers in theaters of war.

I am a follower of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and thank God for him; may God forever bless him for teaching us away from the gun culture by instructing his followers not to carry or have weapons in our homes. Those who obeyed him never had the problem that America is facing today.

I am sure that every American family who has these weapons in their homes is nervous about the possible outcome of what could happen such as a child handling the weapon and harming themselves, the family or others. The solution is to remove these weapons from the homes.

Wake up America; we need to rescind the 2nd Amendment so that our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren will have a future in America. A. Akbar Muhammad can be reached for questions and comments at aakbar314@ yahoo.com.

preliminary indications are that in terms of global temperatures, 2012 fits the overall pattern of a warming world. Of the 10 hottest years on record, all have come since 1998.

The consensus among climate scientists is that this is happening because the concentration of heattrapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is nearly 40 percent greater than at the time of the Industrial Revolution, when humankind began burning fossil fuels on a grand scale. Most scientists also agree that their predictions were conservative about how fast temperatures would climb, glaciers would melt and sea levels would rise.

So we’re going to deal with climate change whether we like it or not. We’re going to spend many billions of dollars over the coming years providing disaster relief in the wake of hurricanes and other destructive weather events. If we’re a bit smarter, we’ll spend even more to protect our coastal cities from storm surges of the kind that devastated parts of New York. Investment in barriers and floodwalls will ultimately save both money and lives.

But if we were really smart, we’d be talking about how to mitigate the ultimate damage by weaning ourselves from coal, oil and other energy sources that produce carbon emissions. We see what looks like disaster looming but don’t even talk about it, because the politics of climate change are inconvenient. Future generations will curse our silence.

Move Missouri forward

Our elected leaders have an opportunity to pursue legislation that will move Missouri forward and create an economy that works for all. At a time when the economy continues struggling to recover and many families are still waiting for employment to pick up, Missourians need more economic security, not less. Divisive issues like so-called “right to work” and attacks on middle class wages won’t rebuild our state’s economy. Instead of another year of tired attacks on middle-class Missourians, elected oficials of both parties should take this opportunity to support job creation and an economy that works for working people, including investing in our airports to encourage trade for Missouri, Medicaid expansion and investing in our energy infrastructure.

Extreme legislation like “paycheck deception” and so-called “right to work,” and attempts to undermine wages for Missouri workers are not the way to build our state’s economy. Instead, it is time to focus on high-quality public education for our children, good jobs and wages that can support our families, expanded access to healthcare, and investments to rebuild our infrastructure.

Mike Louis Missouri AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer

Open letter to Gov. Deval Patrick

In 2012, the largest delegation of women was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives of all races, creeds and colors. Approximately 20 white women were elected to the U.S. Senate. Unfortunately, none were of African-American decent. You and you alone currently have the power to change that scenario.

You have the chance to put a black women in the U. S. Senate. You have the authority invested in you to appoint a temporary U.S. Senator for Massachusetts upon the confirmation of John Kerry as Secretary of State. You can

make history.

I have the ideal candidate for that appointment: Professor Anita Hill, currently on faculty at Brandeis University in your beloved Massachusetts.

Professor Hill made history during the turbulent confirmation hearings of Justice Clarence Thomas. She stood courageously before the world during that historic period. She spoke on behalf of all women, not just black women, but for women around the world who seek to preserve their dignity and respect.

Dexter A. Martin Hazelwood

Exercise your democracy

St. Louis city voters, the time has come to move your city in a new direction. On March 5 St. Louis will have the opportunity to change the way things are done at City Hall by bringing in new leadership to Room 200.

The current person who occupies Room 200 has failed in terms of making St. Louis a progressive city were those who look like me can call home. The time has come to relieve this current mayor of his duties, do exercise your democracy on March 5.

Grady Brown Via email

EPA: finish the job

On January 8, scientists confirmed what many Missourians already assumed: 2012 was the hottest year on record in the U.S. Combined with devastating events like Superstorm Sandy and the record drought that engulfed our state and much of the rest of the country, the past 12 months offered an alarming picture of what we can expect even more of with global warming.

We know what we need to do to tackle global warming: clean up the largest sources of the carbon pollution fueling the problem. Right now, President Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency are working to do exactly that, by developing the first-ever carbon pollution limits for new power

plants. A record number of Americans have already spoken out in support of the proposed standards, and I urge the EPA to finish the job.

Stuart Keating St. Louis

Guest Columnist Akbar Muhammad

Columnist Eugene Robinson

Kappas mark

102nd anniversary

January 5, 2013 marked the 102nd anniversary of the founding of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity on the campus of Indiana University.To mark that historic event, the St. Louis Alumni, East St. Louis Alumni and Belleville-O’Fallon Alumni Chapters hosted the 8th annual National Founders’Day celebration on January 4 and 5 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel at the Arch.Over 521 Kappas convened in St. Louis for this historic event.

Clifford Franklin and Mike Franklin of St. Louis welcomed Kappa brothers to the city, as well as Marvin Echols, Polemarch of the Beta Nu undergraduate chapter.

Kappa brothers in attendance included Victor Roberts and his sons Michael and Steven, Dr. Kelvin Adams, Frederick Bond, Program speaker Marcellus Taylor, Brandon Bradford of the North Central Province, Eddie Scott of the East Central Province, Thomas Battles Jr. and Jeremy Williams. Other Kappas in attendance included Roosevelt Ferguson, Reuben Shelton, Mychal Bridges, Frank Logan Sr., Melvin Sanders, John McCain, Joe Allen, William Amos, Clem Billingsly, Adell Blackmon, Preston Bosley, Amos and Christian Cofield, John Eaves, Glen Ellis, Clayton Evans, Rolland Garrison, Andrew Hardge, Dr. William Hines, Dr. John Ingram, Art Jackson, Dr. Ivory Johnson, Victor Julien, Virgil Lucas, Jr., Leo Ming, Horace Pete, EricRhone, Robert Rogers, Richard Webster, Sam Sealey, Robert Smith and Joe Ware.

Carl Officer and Alvin Parks of East St. Louis, Illinois were also in attendance, as well as Huron A. Dukes Jr., of Chicago.

Kappa brothers were really energized at this historic National Founders’Day event and look forward to their next Grand Conclave to be held in Houston, Texas in August 2013.

Young pros support Crisis Nursery

Bernard Whittington,Danielle Smith and Cedric Cobb visited at the annual Napoli Night for the Crisis Nursery to raise funds in support of child abuse prevention.This event,presented by Byrne & Jones Construction and hosted by Crisis Nursery’s Young Professionals Board, was held at Bar Napoli.More than 300 guests,including Vera Culley of Fox 2 News,Sean Hadley of Comptroller Darlene Green’s Office,Attorney Danielle Smith, Sherry Farmer and Arika Parr of Clear Channel Media,and former NFL player Bernard Whittington,raised over $24,000.

Zoo needs frog watchers

St. Louis-area “citizen scientists” are needed to monitor frogs and toads from their backyards, parks, fields, creeks or just about anywhere. The information gathered can ultimately lead to practical and workable ways to stop amphibian decline.

You’ll be asked to make a commitment to monitor a site of your choosing for at least three minutes twice a week throughout the breeding season, which ranges from about February to August.

The Saint Louis Zoo will host trainings on Saturdays, Jan. 26, Feb. 23 and March 9 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Zoo. Registration is requested. Register online at www.stlzoo.org/frogwatch, or call (314) 646-4551. The sessions are offered for students entering grade nine and up to adults.

CBTU hosts MLK awards

The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) is sponsoring the 35th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Awards Banquet on Monday, January 21 at CWA Local 6300 Union Hall, 2258 Grissom Dr. Doors open 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m.

Awards will be presented to Ethel Sims, president UAWLocal 110 Retiree Chapter; Bradley Harmon, coordinator for St Louis Labor 2012, president CWALocal 6355; and Cap the Rate! Raise the Wage Coalition for their contribution to the struggle for social justice, labor and human rights in the tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Donation for the banquet is $30/person, $300/table of 10. Please make checks payable to: CBTU, P.O. Box 5034, St. Louis MO, 63115.

Sauce for the gander

By Ruth-Miriam Garnett For The St.Louis American

The late Gil Scott-Heron termed African Americans “thelatest survivors of the constantly strong.”Our recent triumph over the labyrinth of American racism in the reelection of President Barack Obama, a replay of unity first seen in 2008, eclipsed the civil rights struggles of the ‘50s and ‘60s, impressive slave rebellions, 18th Century establishment of churches with global missions, schools and colleges, newspapers and anti-lynching campaigns.

Globally, people adopt our power salute and watch closely our navigation of waters inside the belly of the beast. Campaign voter suppression, déjà vu for our elders, was critical exposure for our youth.

This is a new beginning, a groundbreaking.We should now impress upon children, whose historical knowledge is remiss, the many things we have done right.If not in dysfunctional parents, they can identify positive role models in their ancestry, helping them achieve resilience and self-actualization.

Mr. Obama believes unequivocally in America’s present and future.I support his vision, but with the understanding that the destiny of African Americans cannot be left up to America.Aright-wing candidate voicing approval of slavery is not an isolated phenomenon. Slavery is palatable to those benefitting from an alarming prison pipeline, those waging war on unions and those who inhumanely exploit foreign workers.

Many U.S. citizens devalue African-American life, as well as dispute the actual existence of our culture, while simultaneously usurping our language idioms, music, dance and other artifacts and discrediting other achievements; think Susan Rice, Rhodes Scholar.

Igrieve for America’s continual insult to Hispanics, understanding that, aligned with much of humanity, many Mexicans and Dominicans abhor their African origins.When asked what Africans contributed to civilization, we might reply with Dubois, Garvey, Woodson, Frazier, Clark, Van Sertima and Science Magazine:Africans contributed civilization.

At present, my concerns for Africa stem from Chinese incursion and control of oil resources, ethnic cleansing by Muslim militants and persistence of South Africa’s economic disparities, which should all figure in projections for Diasporan futures.France continues economic persecution of Haiti, the United States sells (likely) genetically modified bananas to Jamaica, even though bananas are an indigenous crop.

The umbrage taken at these countries’wresting their independence is akin to the unilateral slaughter of East St. Louisans’in 1917 who dared resist attack by rampaging whites.

Slaveholder Thomas Jefferson may be inimitably quotable, but one might have his number with regard to forcible rape of a 14-year-old. Lincoln’s white supremacy is a matter of historical record.During my Methodist upbringing in Webster Groves, we sang, “Faith of Our Fathers.” I have no idea who we were referencing. I remain, amid exhilarating forward movement, Orthodox Black, that Old Time Religion.

Ruth-Miriam Garnett is author of a novel,Laelia(Simon & Schuster 2004).Her most recent book isConcerning Violence, New & Selected Poems(Onegin 2010). Anovel,Chloe’s Grief,will be published in 2013.ContactLataleWestley@aol.com.

Ruth-Miriam Garnett

D.C.

Continued from A1

how can we do it?’”

The journey also sprang from an outreach visit from a staffer for U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill. McCaskill was invited to the the University City School District’s Fall Legislative Breakfast held October 12 at Pershing Elementary School. Mattie Moore attended as the senator’s representative.

“The purpose of the breakfast was to open up a dialogue with area legislators about how we could establish a relationship that benefits students,” said Shantana T. Stewart, interim director of communications for the district.

Maclin and Moore exchanged business cards, and in November Moore reached out to the principal regarding the opportunity for students to attend the inauguration.

McCaskill said in a statement that she is proud to help provide these deserving students with this historic opportunity and hopes it will be a memory that students will

CRIME

Continued from A1 violent act with a gun, Clark said. They prevented the crimes by offering the individuals resources and a community to fall back on.

However, Clark knew that the program needed to start catching at-risk youth before they get involved in crime. So when staff at Yeatman and Stevens middle schools asked him to be a guest speaker to their at-risk boys one time, Clark said, “No.” He told them he wanted to work with these young men year-round. The schools’leaders were ecstatic.

treasure for many years. The cost of the trip, approximately $30,000, is being funded through community donations. Donors include state Rep. Rory Ellinger, alumnus Herf Jones, Dynamic Vending, Pi Pizzeria, and Leo and Kay Drey. “Not one dime is being spent by the school district,” Maclin said. There were 188 students eligible to make the trip who met criteria based upon grades, a 93 percent attendance rate and no out-of-school suspensions. To narrow down the selection pool, students were asked to write a 750-1,500 word essay describing the most memorable moment from the 2012 presidential election and which issues impacted their lives. Over 80 essays were submitted to a panel of teachers and administrators, who conducted a blind read of each essay and chose 26 juniors and seniors.

Jeffrey Standifer, a senior at University City High School, focused his essay on the value of PBS for urban children and remarks GOPpresidential nominee Gov. Mitt Romney made about Sesame Street’s Big Bird. During the first of

Students from University City High School will be going to the second inauguration of President Barack Obama.Pictured:Principal Michael Maclin,Ethan Farber,Daniel Politte,Jeffrey Standifer,Abigail Mutrux,Aun’Yeai Watson,Eliana Hudson and Matti Moore (from U.S.Senator Claire McCaskill’s office).

three presidential debates Gov. Romney said, “I’m gonna stop the subsidy to PBS. I like PBS. I like Big Bird. But I’m not gonna keep spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for.”

Standifer disagreed, saying of PBS, “It reaches out to children who don’t necessarily live around libraries.” Other political issues students discussed in their essays ranged from the Democratic Party’s endorse-

ment of same-sex marriage, public campaign financing and women’s rights, like the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. During their stay in Washington, D.C., students and staff members will tour the

White House, U.S. Supreme Court, Library of Congress, Arlington National Cemetery, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. memorial and other monuments. Two college tours are also in the works at Howard University and Georgetown University. There is a servicelearning component to the trip, as students will be asked to write an essay about what they learned from their trip and how they will apply that knowledge to their school and community. News of the students attending the inauguration has gained national recognition. Students and staff members were excited to learn that a CNN correspondent will meet the group upon their arrival.

“I’m very proud of all of the students who are going because we challenged them to be great and not good,” Maclin said. “We always say, ‘Great and good are adversaries. They don’t get along. They don’t hang out. They’re not friends.’”

CNN producer Julian Cumming confirmed that the segment on the students’visit will air on CNN either January 19 or 20.

“We plan to take them to Washington University’s campus and other higher-education opportunities,” Clark said. “But we also will take them to the St. Louis City Workhouse. We also will invite blue-collar and whitecollar workers.”

Several of the Yeatman students said that the program has already made them adjust their step. One sixth-grader we’ll call Chris (St. Louis Public Schools asked that students not be identified by name) said before Clark came to the school, he and his cousin were acting up in class.

“When Mr. Clark came, we started doing our work,” Chris said. “We started keeping money in our pockets by doing the right thing and our chores, not being put out of class, not talking back to the teacher.”

His 18-year-old brother is in jail. Several other boys said their older brothers were also in jail.

“He taught us that if we keep acting up and get put out of school, then we could end up in the penitentiary,” Chris said of Clark, “because there are only two options in life if you’re on the streets – the penitentiary and the graveyard.”

McClain had no shirt on, a pistol on his belt and drugs in his pockets.

“For every police hot spot, we have to go in those areas and help people find jobs.”

– James Clark,Put Down the Pistol

At the Tuesday weekly session at Yeatman, Clark brought in three young men who confirmed that lesson. When Clark first met Kenneth McClain, 23,

“He grew up in a neighborhood where that’s what went on,” Clark said. “We got him in school, and now Ken is a college graduate from Forest Park Community College – and he’s on the Dean’s List.”

McClain said his family members were gang bangers growing up. With the help of Better Family Life, he started getting on the right path. Now he dedicates his Saturday mornings to working the streets for the Put Down the Pistol campaign.

“When I met them, I met new role models – people I could really look up to, not people to throw me a gun,” McClain said. “I found out I really did love my community, versus when I was shooting at people, versus when I was selling dope.” Robert Moten, 23, showed the students the ankle bracelet that ties him to house arrest.

“As you get older, you’ll start to see that there isn’t anything out on the streets, so you might as well stay in school,” Moten said. “All the (gang) colors don’t mean nothing. You can have on blue, but if your pockets are empty then what’s the point of you having on blue or red?”

Clark said he also works closely with the group’s parents and families to provide them with resources. The Put Down the Pistol program operates under a neighborhood alliance of 64 organizations that make up the St. Louis Mobilization Initiative, a resource network for citizens of targeted neighborhoods. Recently, St. Louis police started practicing “hot-spot policing” to target crime. “We support the hot-spot philosophy,” Clark said, “but we also have to do hot-spot resources. For every police hot spot, we have to go in those areas and help people find jobs.”

For more information about the Put Down the Pistol program, call 314-381-8200 or come to the weekly Saturday meetings at 10 a.m. at the Community Outreach Center at 6017 Natural Bridge Ave.

Photo by Wiley Price

REED

Continued from A1

aldermanic president, when he beat Jim Shrewsbury – like Slay in 2013, a white incumbent – was managed by Antonio French. Now 21st Ward alderman, French is a former journalist and blogger with considerable media experience and skill. French, who is African-American, has not assumed a formal position with Reed’s current campaign, acting instead in roles of ally on the board and campaign surrogate.

Reed replaced Teter with Glenn Burleigh, a white pro-

DANFORTH

Continued from A1

Wohl, who established the award in 1931.

The awardees are selected by a committee of prominent St. Louisans. David Kemper, who heads Commerce Bank, is the current committee chairman.

“There’s something about him that is remarkably understanding,” retired sales and marketing executive Newell “Jimmy” Knight said of Danforth, his longtime friend. “He accomplishes things and ask others to do things they might not have otherwise thought of doing. And if you are going to do something for Bill Danforth, you just want to do the best you can.” Danforth is now 86. His six decades of service to St. Louis takes us back to when he was returning to St. Louis after serving in the Navy as a physician during the Korean War. Before that hitch, Danforth had gotten his B.A. at Princeton University, his M.D. from Harvard and had completed his internship in medicine at Barnes Hospital. This is not a rags-to-riches story. William Henry Danforth was named for his grandfather,

gressive with extensive campaign field experience.

Burleigh has won some – most recently, he worked Michael Butler’s successful 2012 campaign against Martin Casas for the open 79th District seat in the state House – and he has lost some, most notably incumbent state Rep. James T. Morris’2010 challenge by Penny Hubbard for the 58th District state House seat.

Burleigh thinks Reed’s challenge to Slay has more in common with campaigns Burleigh has won than those he has lost.

“Martin Casas had all these endorsements” – including Slay’s – “but they didn’t translate into votes,” Burleigh said.

who did have such a story. The first William H. (18701955) was described in a Nestle Purina biography as a sickly farm boy who grew up “in the southeast Missouri swamp country.” He grew to found the Ralston Purina Co. in 1894, which he built into a giant in cereals for humans and feed for farm animals and pets. He created the Danforth Foundation in 1927.

But William II, while adopting wholeheartedly his grandfather’s philosophy, decided to chart a course in the healing arts. He joined the Washington University School of Medicine as a cardiologist. His became vice chancellor for medical affairs in 1965, serving under then-chancellor Thomas Eliot. 1965: Think Vietnam. Think of roiling campuses nationwide, among which Washington University was especially prominent.

After Eliot left, a measure of calm returned to the campus. That had something to do with what was going on in the world, but a whole lot to do with the appointment in 1971 of Danforth, who would become known among students affectionately as “Chan Dan.”

Chan Dan may have been the nation’s most accessible college leader. He showed up at football games and the annual Thurtene carnival. He

“I think we will see the same from Slay surrogates in Lewis’race.”

Slay endorsed U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay and Jamilah Nasheed in their contested August 2012 primaries; both won races against a prominent white opponent, Russ Carnahan and Jeanette Mott Oxford, respectively.

(Nasheed also had a prominent black opponent in incumbent state Senator Robin Wright-Jones.) Clay has been quiet thus far in the mayoral primary, but Nasheed – now a state senator – has been very active in her support of Slay, acting as a shill on his behalf in fullpage advertisements and

accepted an invitation to be Santa Claus at a dorm party. More than that, he listened to student concerns and responded to them.

At the same time, he was building the university’s endowment and its reputation.

“He was afantasticmoney raiser,” said longtime friend Katherine Drescher, who worked for Danforth as an assistant for special projects. “He had tremendous perseverance.”

In 1983, 16 years into his tenure, Danforth announced the $300 million Alliance for Washington University campaign. It concluded in 1987 with a record $630.5 million raised. “He turned Washington University from a street car college into a major world-class institution,” Drescher said. By the end of his tenure Danforth had established 70 new faculty chairs, built a $1.72 billion endowment, oversaw funding and construction of dozens of new buildings and tripled the number of scholarships offered to stu-

guiding the mayor to North City neighborhood meetings.

Burleigh brushes aside Nasheed as a minor nuisance.

“When you knock on doors for Lewis in North St. Louis and talk to actual people who don’t get paid to work in politics, what you find is people asking for yard signs,” Burleigh said. “The only lack of buzz we have is in the media.”

Slay’s campaign is managed by Richard Callow of Public Eye, whose skill at managing political campaigns – with a specialty in manipulating PostDispatch editors, editorial writers and reporters – is legendary. Callow also works diligently to maintain a positive

dents.

Dr. William Peck, who served under Danforth as dean of the medical school, said Danforth had “just the right touch with people. He gave you the responsibility and he assumed you would tell him if there were any problems. And when there were, he was so wise in working with you in developing solutions. He would impart that vision to you in a low-key way so that you felt that you had ownership and authorship of it.”

“He accomplishes things and ask others to do things they might not have otherwise thought of doing.”

– Newell “Jimmy” Knight,on Bill Danforth

Danforth’s reputation as a builder and problem solver grew, and he was called upon to deal with many crises, including those with the St. Louis Public Schools. In the 1980s he helped Max Starkloff start his nascent disability rights movement. Starkloff would become an international figure in his own right before his death two years ago.

Danforth’s tenure as chancellor ran until 1995. His nearly quarter century heading the campus was highly unusual. The shelf life of a university president is often little more than a half dozen years.

working relationship with The St. Louis American as well as other media and social media venues.

Slay also has the funds to pay for his message to go out on television. His December 2012 campaign finance report shows nearly $1.5 million cash on hand. Reed’s December 2012 report showed $130,000 cash on hand, less than 10 percent of Slay’s war chest.

“Obviously, we won’t be able to match him on TV time,” Reed said of Slay, “but we are working to get our message out to our targeted population.”

That targeted population is not only in the majority-black

For the great-grandkids

No doubt that helped Danforth on his next big project, the Danforth Plant Science Center.

At 72 years of age in 1998, Danforth was thinking about his grandchildren and other people’s grandchildren – along with Peter Raven, the head of the Missouri Botanical Garden, and Virginia Weldon, who had just retired as senior vice president of public policy for Monsanto Co. They met with officials at the University of Missouri and the University of Illinois to discuss how they might spawn the next great Green Revolution.

The first, as Danforth noted, in his St. Louis Award address, was started in the 1940s when Norman Borlaug, an agronomist and future Nobel laureate, and his colleagues discovered how to double and triple crop yield. Those discoveries helped end famines in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, saving an estimated 1 billion people.

But it did not end starvation. World population increased. Today, Danforth said in his remarks, “a billion people are undernourished and, on average, a child dies of malnutrition every six seconds.”

Danforth said that Weldon,

North City wards. The Reed campaign has studied the voter patterns that spelled victory for Clay over Russ Carnahan in August 2012, the most recent head-to-head citywide race against a black and a white candidate where the black candidate won.

“You can win in this city for pennies on the dollar if you have a targeted field campaign,” Burleigh said. “Clay’s vote totals in the south in August of last year mirror Lewis’past vote totals in the south. If voters turn out in March like they turned out in August, then Lewis Reed is your next mayor.”

Raven and increasingly others saw an opportunity to make St. Louis the place where the solutions to hunger could be developed. “We started at the right time before others had realized the opportunities (in plant science) and were ready to make investments,” Danforth said.

Over the last 14 years, the Danforth Center has grown to be the world’s largest independent nonprofit plant science research organization, with 175 scientists working on a variety of projects aimed at crop development and environmental sustainability.

“We St. Louisans are helping use bioscience to write a new chapter in human history and in the story of our community,” Danford said in his remarks.

“There are no guarantees, but we see science – that is, organized human creativity and innovation – as the best hope of handing on a productive, healthy and livable world to our great grandkids.”

Robert Duffy, associate editor of The Beacon, contributed information for this story.William Danforth is a donor to the St. Louis Beacon. Edited for length and reprinted with permission from stlbeacon.org.

Sorority recognizes Ferguson-Florissant schools

The Ferguson-Florissant School District continued its more than 20-year partnership with the Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc.’s Alpha Zeta Chapter in accepting two “Apple for the Teacher” awards and three National Essay Contest awards at the sorority’s 31st annual luncheon honoring educators and students.

Superintendent Art J. McCoy II accepted his “Apple for the Teacher” award along with seventh- and eighthgrade science teacher Terese Marshall.

The three students winners in the National Essay Contest were Ferguson Middle School student Eonie Johnson (first place in the middle school category), Ferguson Middle School student Jayla Haynes (third place in the middle school category) and McCluer North High School student Camaren Belton (second place in the high school category).

Community servants look to expand impact

By Nikki L. Smith For the American

Why do we African Americans do the wacky selfdestructive things that we do? Why do we harm one another? Are we doing all that we can do to empower ourselves? Howard Denson, co-publisher of the St. Louis Black Pages, constantly asks these questions. He and his wife, Vickie Denson, have grappled with the questions and their answers for years as the publishers of the St. Louis Black Pages Business Directory and ‘flipside’ magazine which will soon be re-branded as The Transformational Agenda Magazine

What is more, Howard has spent at least 50,000 unpaid hours over the past 40 years struggling to determine what constrains us as a people and how we can heal our community without the aid or assistance of others.

Inspired by his short story “Listen to the Ancestors,” he realized that his decades of research now reflected a holistic and viable blueprint that is the catalyst for the healing of the African American community. For the past four years, he taught these truths to over 300 people via The Transformational Agenda Retreat, a life-altering and transformative experience.

Confident that The Transformational Agenda will be the catalyst for community healing, Howard and Vickie now seek to expand its impact. This colossal task will take place through a series of key initiatives.

They are calling for the African-American community to observe Abstinence Week, February 15 until February 22.

Yes, they want the community to abstain from sex. They describe it “as a tribute to the

ancestors who chose life in the days when hope unborn had died and when death would have been a sweet release.” They also describe it as an opportunity for us to rethink everything and to focus on what we must be and do to recreate our culture. Howard and Vickie have also planned a three day Empowerment Conference, which will be held at Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory High School on March 1-3. This conference will feature The Gathering for Strategic Determination on March 1, over 20 powerful workshops and the opportunity to discuss voluntary service options with 20 social service agencies on May 2, and The Love Black Festival, a celebration of black love, creativity and ingenuity, on May 3. While this is a huge undertaking, the employees and volunteers of St. Louis Black Pages and The Transformational Agenda intend to challenge the minds, hearts, and intentions of the African American community and to become the catalyst of community healing. “We do this,” Howard says, “because African Americans can heal our community, and healing is exactly what we need.” To learn more about the key initiatives, visit www. TheTransformationalAgenda. com or call the St. Louis Black Pages at 314-5317300. Additionally, The St. Louis American will provide updates through the end of The Empowerment Conference. Nikki Smith is a Cum Laude graduate from the University of North Texas and a candidate for the degree of Masters of Arts in Advertising and Marketing Communication from Webster University. She is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.

MO scores C on ‘Quality Counts’

American staff

A national report card examining state education policy and performance has given Missouri an overall grade of C, up slightly from last year’s grade of C-.

The “Quality Counts 2013” report, released last Thursday, shows Missouri’s score sitting slightly below the national average score of C+. For the second consecutive year, the state ranks 41st nationwide.

This year’s report focuses on three areas, or indicators, that impact education:

• Chance for success, which includes a number of factors related to educational achievement such as family income, parent education level and employment status, kindergarten enrollment, elementary reading scores, middle school math scores, high school graduation rates, college completion rates, and employment rates.

• Transitions and alignment, which looks at policies connecting K-12 education with early learning, higher education and the workforce.

• School finance analysis, which examines funding issues, including per-student education spending, percent of taxable state resources spent on education and spending disparities among school districts.

To determine each state’s overall grade, the report combined the scores from this year’s indicators with the scores from indicators analyzed in 2012: K-12 achievement; standards, assessments, and accountability; and the teaching profession.

In addition to the stateby-state analysis, this year’s “Quality Counts” report examined safety, discipline and other school climate issues that impact academic success. The analysis includes highlights from a survey of more than 1,300 educators across the country. The “Quality Counts” report is published annually by the

Howard Denson and Vickie Denson, publishers of the St. Louis Black Pages

Reed and Slay play game of race cards

Mayor Francis G. Slay and his most formidable challenger since his election in 2001, aldermanic President Lewis Reed, both announced their respective campaigns for Mayor by saying they hoped their opponent would not play the race card. That, of course, was itself a way of playing the race card. Both of these men are playing a race card game. This weekend some good hands were played. On Saturday morning Slay was escorted to the O’Fallon Park neighborhood meeting by state Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, his most visible and active black surrogate in this campaign.

Alderman Antonio D. French pointed out that Slay has been a citywide elected official for 15 years yet this is the first time he has ever attended one of this North City neighborhood’s regular meetings.

French, who is close to Reed and his campaign, rightly implies that fact says something about how consistently this mayor has shown a lack of interest in the concerns of this North City neighborhood. Slay’s presence there this Saturday, guided and shielded by Nasheed, shows he intends to compete with Reed for North City votes to an extent we have not seen in prior campaigns. Reed, of course, is a citywide African-American elected official from the near South Side who has received many votes from non-black people and so is much more of a threat to Slay than recent mayoral challengers like Irene Smith and even former state Sen. Maida Coleman Slay didn’t get much back from this particular visit, as some of the old Slay Boo Birds led by Percy Green II attempted to chant him down. The protestors were peaceably escorted out of the meeting, but video of the event shows Slay losing what little steam he started with as new protestors picked up where the ones escorted out left off.

Rainford plays race tweet

Slay’s chief of staff Jeff Rainford, who has not left City Hall to run the Slay campaign as he did four years ago, played another race card for the mayor this weekend as well. It was an electronic race card, a race tweet. He posted to his Twitter page a photograph of a Slay campaign field crew, almost entirely African-American. They were all bundled up on this cold day in warm coveralls provided by the Slay campaign with campaign branding. The photo says something in addition to the obvious fact that Slay is investing in an attempt to generate black support in this primary. It also is a vivid reminder that volunteers do not work campaigns on very hot or very cold days. If Reed wants campaign crews – black or white – on the streets between now and March 5, he is going to need to raise some money to pay them.

More Catholic than the Pope

If Slay can attempt to compete with Reed for black

votes, then surely Reed will attempt to compete with the very Catholic Slay for Catholic votes. When St. Elizabeth Academy, a Catholic, all-girl college-prep high school in the city, announced it was closing its doors last week, Reed issued an attack release against Slay. Reed was not claiming to be more Catholic than the Pope, so to speak, but he was blaming Slay for the city’s steady loss of population, which Reed implies is why the school failed. “Over the last 12 years our city has lost close to 10 percent of our population,” Reed notes. Of course, Slay is a school choice advocate funded by the godfather of school choice, Rex Sinquefield, who has worked closely with private schools at the expense of St. Louis Public Schools, so this is a clever campaign move by Reed – attacking the mayor at a point of strength in an effort to confuse the issue. It’s something Slay’s message machine does constantly and effectively.

White male Republican Missouri Senate

Last week state Senate Leader Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles, announced the Senate’s 18 Senate committees in the First Regular Session of the 97th General Assembly and their chairmen. Dempsey’s announcement reads “chairmen” and he did mean men, as 17 of the 18 chairs are men. The only woman chair also is the only Democrat chair: state Senator Jolie Justus, D-Kansas City, who chairs the Progress and Development Committee. This is far from proportionate representation. More than half of the residents of Missouri are women, and most of the statewide elected officials are Democrats. For 17 of the 18 committees in the state Senate to be led by male Republicans is an outrage, though a persistent outrage in the GOP-dominated Legislature. But women and Democrats are doing better as a demographic group than African Americans, as none of

these chairmen are black.

Lizz Brown is back

The Lizz Brown Show is now on WGNU starting at 6 a.m. and headlining the 920 AM morning drive line up.

“With the upcoming mayoral election and Lizz’s commitment to provide passionate, informed and relevant worldwide news that moves our region forward, I am thrilled to announce that Lizz Brown is back on St. Louis morning drive radio,” Executive Producer Keith Antone Willis Sr. announced. The mention of the mayoral race is important, since Reed can anticipate some advocacy media from Brown, who has been a longtime, fierce critic of Slay.

Nasheed for MO HealthNet

St. Louis’ new AfricanAmerican woman Democrat state Senator Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, filed a bill in the first week of session that would offer some assistance to citizens not currently eligible for MO HealthNet services.

Senate Bill 131 would extend MO HealthNet benefits to people over the age of 19 and under the age of 65 if their income falls at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level plus 5 percent variation for applicable family size, if they qualify for service under the Affordable Care Act of 2010. Under this bill, the expansion program will sunset every year for a three-year period.

Nasheed said in a statement, “According to the Affordable Care Act, federal funds will subsidize 100 percent of this expansion for three years, 2014-2016. Utilizing this will allow approximately 300,000 uninsured Missourians to

receive medical assistance, assistance that would normally affect others through higher insurance deductibles and premiums.”

Good looking out by Nasheed, who may be followed in the Senate at www.senate. mo.gov/nasheed.

How money walks

Pelopidas CEO Travis H. Brown has written a book called How Money Walks: How $2 Trillion Moved Between the States. The funny thing is how author Brown’s title compares to what people say behind his and Rex Sinquefield’s backs. People like to talk about how much money walks from billionaire Rex to Brown’s political shop Pelopidas and how little return Rex has gotten on many of his political investments. Though Rex has not spent a trillion or even a billion dollars on Pelopidas, surely his expenditures have crested $1 million by now. The title of that book would be How Money Walks: How Millions Moved Between a Free-Thinking and FreeSwinging Republican Ideologue and Free-Thinking and FreeSwinging Political Opportunists with a Thing for Greco-Roman History

Audit death penalty expenses

A returning white male Democrat state senator who represents part of the city, state Senator Joe Keaveny, also filed a good bill that would require the state auditor to make a one-time report on the costs of administering the death penalty in Missouri. “Missouri has never conducted an official study on the cost of the death penalty,” Keaveny said in a statement. “Considering our limited state operating budget and the fact that important resources, such as those for education, are in jeopardy, we need to know how much the death penalty costs taxpayers.” No doubt. Way to go, Joe.

Chase dem politicians

Reading the Political EYE and having conversations around town remind me that we are in another election cycle. Coming out of the last election cycle and looking at the local, state and national political landscape, the whole scene brings to mind a Stephen Marley song entitled “Chase Dem.” Marley is referring to politicians, a grouping that seems to rank lower than cockroaches, no matter the country.

Marley’s lyrics are direct and vivid:

Chase dem! Run dem politicians! When I see dem I get cold.

The song title is an updated version of a popular song penned by his famous father, Bob Marley. Chasing those “Crazy Baldheads” out of town referred to both the British who colonized Jamaica in 1655 and their lackeys. (Jamaica gained its independence in 1962 and remained a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.) Bob Marley used the term “baldheads” regularly for anyone who participated directly or indirectly in the oppression and exploitation of the Jamaican people. Americans get “cold” when they see Congress. The legislative body started the new year with a 14 percent approval rating. Public Policy Polling recently found that Congress was less liked than cockroaches, genocidal warlord Genghis Khan, and the rock band Nickelback. It seems no matter the race, gender, religion or political party, our elected officials on Capitol Hill are collectively disliked and mistrusted by most of the country. It doesn’t get much better on the state or local

levels. Of course, this widely held view should be disturbing to any civil society. These are people who represent us! Technically, that means elected officials also reflect us. In the black community, some folks are dropping terms like “sell-out.” This should not be casually bantered about just because someone disagrees with your candidate choice. People have legitimate reasons why they support a candidate and, at times, we must agree to disagree in a principled manner. Further, there are times when one has to admit later that the wrong candidate was elected.

The term “sellout” is significantly different from just having philosophical or political disagreements because it implies there’s money changing hands. It means a person willingly supports someone (usually an elected official or candidate) who is known to have wronged our community and, in exchange for that support, s/he receives compensation of some sort such as money, a job, etc.

This idiom lesson is being brought to you now so that we don’t waste precious energy throwing words at one another during this election season. We have some serious work to do; our state of affairs is getting no better. We must be about the business of electing candidates who reflect our values and interests and keep them accountable. Remember, there are elections coming up in St. Louis. Time to chase some baldheads out of office!

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State Senator Jamilah Nasheed (far right) took her Oath of Office at the Swearing in Ceremony for the 97th General Assembly alongside state Sen. Shalonn (Kiki) Curls of Kansas City at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City.

Photo by Rosalind Guy

Lizz Brown

Jamala Rogers

Obituaries

Ross “Satchel” Davis

Ross “Satchel” Davis, member of the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame, passed away on Tuesday, January 1, 2013 in Houston, Texas. Mr. Davis was born on July 28, 1918 in Greenville, Mississippi but spent most his life in St. Louis, Missouri. He played professional baseball in the Negro League from 1939 to 1947. The teams that he played for include Scullin Steel, Mexico, the Baltimore Elite Giants, the New York Black Yankees, the Cleveland Buckeyes, and the Boston Blues He was nicknamed “Satchel” by the late great Satchel Paige, because of his extraordinary pitching skills. He was selected to play for

Jackie Robinson’s All Stars. He served in the United States Army during World War II as a Medical Technician and earned the U.S. Army Bronze Star. Mr. Davis worked several jobs after his baseball career and in 1995 he retired for good. He has lived in cities from coast to coast. He moved to Garwood, Texas in June 2006. He enjoyed singing, watching and talking about baseball to everyone and spending time with his family and friends. He never met a stranger. He was a lifelong devout Catholic and had a special relationship with Christ.

He is preceded in death by his parents, David Lee Davis, Sr. and Josie Golden Davis, siblings, Henrienne Bolden, Mildred Davis, Mary Jane Phillips and David L. Davis, Jr., daughter Paula J. Carter and grandson, Gregory J. Carter, Sr. He is survived is by daughters, Gladys Washington, and Joella (Bob) Vordtriede, son, Ross D. Davis, a host of grandchildren, greatgrandchildren and great-great grandchildren, other relatives and friends, and special caregivers Melinda and Mike Ramsey and family of Garwood, Texas.

Roosevelt Williams

Roosevelt Williams was born the second eldest child of John Lee Williams Sr. and Lou Emma (Brown) Williams in St. Louis, MO on May 19, 1929. He was preceded in death by his parents, John Lee Sr and Lou Emma Williams; sisters, Bertha Williams and Opal Williams; and brother, John Lee Williams Jr. Roosevelt was reared and attended school in Kinloch, MO. He ran track in the Missouri State Track Meet before graduating from Kinloch High School.

In 1951, Roosevelt entered the United States Army where he served as a radio operator with an Artillery Battery during the Korean Conflict. He served until 1953 being honorably discharged.

On august 4, 1954, Roosevelt and Myra Louise Staten were joined in Holy Matrimony. To this union three children were adopted ad wonderfully reared.. 3:43 PMhey were brought up in the Kinloch Church of GOD in Christ under Bishop M.H. Norman and then fellowshipped at Holy Center Church of God in Christ under Elder Joel Hartley where continued as deacon and Sunday School Superintendent. In his declining years, he fellowshipped when he could, always seeking prayer for his family and himself.

Roosevelt departed this life on December 11, 2012 at Depaul Hospital after enduring much pain and suffering. He leaves to cherish: his wife Myra Louise Williams; daughters, Minetta (Cecil) Shears-Johnson; aka “Binky” of Los Angeles California and Kimbelry Morris of St, Louis; son, Elder Michael A. (Tonya) Williams Sr.; thirteen grandchildren, three great grandchildren and a host of other relatives and friends.

Mayetta Epps Miller

Sunrise for Mayetta Epps Miller occurred on Monday, April 15, 1901. The sunset occurred on Monday, December 31, 2012. Mayetta gladly answered the Master’s call. Now, she is in His care. Mrs. Miller was a supercentenarian, a person living more than 100 years. On April 15, 2001, Mayetta turned 100 years old. And on April 15, 2012, she celebrated her 111th birthday. Throughout her years, she celebrated this fantastic achievement with the following recognitions: The first female to get a

100th Birthday Celebration Dinner, sponsored by Mt. Zion Baptist Church. This celebration dinner was established by the late Pastor John H. Rouse. April 15, 2011 designated “MAYETTA EPPS MILLER DAY” in East St. Louis, Illinois on her 110th Birthday by Mayor Alvin Parks. Recognized on NBC’s Today Show by Willard Scott/Smucker’s On Air Birthday Acknowledgement on Friday, April 13, 2012 for her 111th Birthday. Recognized as “Oldest Living Resident In State Of Illinois” in January 2012. Listed on the Internet as a Living Supercentenarian in the United States on Wikipedia as the “14th Oldest Living American” as of January 2012. Featured in numerous articles as printed in the Alton Telegraph, Belleville NewsDemocrat, East St. Louis Monitor, and St. Louis PostDispatch newspapers.

Mayetta leaves to honor and cherish her memory: a loving and devoted son, James Levoid Epps, Sr., five grandchildren, Clabon Epps, Jr., Michelle West, Clarette, James Jr., and Maurice Epps; thirteen greatgrandchildren, twenty-three great-great-grandchildren, two great-great-great-grandchildren and many other relatives and friends.

Mayetta Miller Elkin Moore

In remembrance of my loving husband Elkin Moore January 15, 2000 We still miss you! Your loving wife Dorothy and Family

Ross Davis

Roosevelt Williams

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

Ms. Raya’s 5th Grade Class

Cote Brilliante Elementary

Students Destiny Boyd, Martinez Thomas, Sanchez Thomas, and Shaniyah Tull use STEM practices with their teacher, Gwen

to learn basic structural configurations.

SCIENCE CORNER

Who Wants To Be A Physicist?

FirST AFriCAN AMEriCAN woMAN To EArN A Ph.D. iN NuCLEAr PhySiCS AT MiT

Shirley Ann Jackson

Shirley Ann Jackson was a physicist. She was the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. at Massachusetts institute of Technology, (MiT). Jackson was born on Aug. 5, 1946, in washington, D.C. her parents encouraged her to do well in school and her father often helped her with projects for science class. in high school, Jackson took advanced math and science classes and graduated as valedictorian, meaning she had the highest grades of all her classmates.

Magnets have fascinated people for centuries.

The Greeks and romans used magnets to find iron, the ancient Chinese made magnetic compasses. Even the youngest of children can experiment with this tool and observe how magnets pull towards each other and snap together or seem to push apart.

here are five basic facts about magnetism:

q A magnet has two ends called poles. one is called a north pole (or north seeking pole); the other is called a south pole (or south seeking pole).

w Like poles repel, unlike poles attract. This means that the north pole of one magnet attracts the south pole of a second magnet, while the north pole of one magnet repels the other magnet’s north pole.

SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

in this experiment, you will see how temperature affects magnetism. when two objects have different magnetic polarity, they attract each other. when the objects have the same magnetic polarity, they repel each other. heat and cold will affect the magnetic force.

Materials Needed: Magnets • Blow Dryer • Freezer • Paper Clips Process: heat a magnet using a blow dryer and cool it by placing the magnet in the freezer for 20 minutes.

MATH CONNECTION

have you noticed that our famous scientists and inventors have all attended college? The cost of attending college is called tuition. This is the money the college charges for the classes. it’s no secret that college is expensive. But did you know there are scholarships? A scholarship is money rewarded to students who attend college. Students can earn scholarships for a variety of reasons— including athletic or artistic ability, good grades and citizenship in school, good test scores, etc.

Questions:

e A magnet creates an invisible area of magnetism all around it called a magnetic field.

r if you cut a bar magnet in half, you get two brand new, smaller magnets, each with its own north and south pole.

t if you run a magnet a few times over an unmagnetized piece of a magnetic material (such as an iron nail), you can change it into a magnet as well. This is called magnetization.

Check Out the Following Website to Learn More: Go to http://www.first4magnets.com/fun-magnetfacts-for-kids-243-c.asp

Learning Standard: i can read nonfiction text to gain background information for an experiment.

Magnetism meets Temperature!

Questions:

q how many paper clips does a magnet attract when heated?

w how many paper clips does it attract when cooled?

e how many paper clips does it attract at room temperature?

r Based on these observations, how does temperature affect magnetism?

Learning Standards: i can follow step-by-step directions to complete an experiment. i can make observations from the results.

College Tuition Calculations

pay? ________________ what percent of tuition was covered by scholarships in this scenario? __________%.

w if a college charges $7,000 tuition and you earn a scholarship to cover 50% of your tuition, how much will you pay?

$_______________.

e if the cost of attending college is $20,000 and you finish your degree in eight semesters, how much tuition do you pay per semester? $_______________.

After high school, Jackson went to MiT where there were fewer than 20 African American students. She was the only African American studying physics. while at MiT, Jackson spent time volunteering at Boston City hospital and tutoring students at roxbury yMCA. in 1968, she earned her bachelor’s degree.

Jackson had offers to attend many prestigious schools, such as Brown, harvard, and the university of Chicago. however, she chose to stay at MiT to earn her doctorate because she wanted to encourage more African Americans to attend the school. Jackson studied the particles found within atoms, the tiny units of which all matter is made.

After graduating with her doctorate degree, Jackson went to work at AT&T Bell Laboratories and taught physics at rutgers university. in 1995, President Bill Clinton appointed her chairwoman of the Nuclear regulatory Committee. while serving in this position, she was able to find and fix many of the nuclear power industry’s violations. (A violation is breaking a rule.)

Jackson has received many scholarships and awards. in 1985, Gov. Thomas Kean gave her the award for the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology. in the 1990s, Gov. James Florio awarded her the Thomas Alva Edison Science Award. Jackson promotes science careers for African American women through the National Science Foundation.

Want to Know More? read “Strong Force: The Story of Physicist Shirley Ann Jackson,” by Diane o’Connell. Learning Standards: i can read a biography to understand the achievements of African Americans in science.

MAP CORNER

Shirley Jackson, like many famous scientists, spent a great deal of time completing research. when you complete research, you use a lot of language arts skills: reading, summarizing, paraphrasing, and writing. you can practice research skills with your newspaper. here’s your task:

q Select a story from the newspaper to read.

Neutrinos’behavior mightexplainwhy universehasso muchstuffinit.

Idea a. supporting detail b. supporting detail c. supporting detail

q if a college charges $16,000 tuition, and a student earns a scholarship for $5,000 and another scholarship for $8,500, how much tuition will the student need to

Learning Standards: : i can add, subtract, multiply and divide to solve a problem. i can calculate percentages.

Technology sure has come a long way! Check out these facts.

w read the story.

e identify the main idea and at least three supporting details to summarize the story.

the story in your own words Share the summarized version of the story with your classmates.

r Paraphrase the story. This means to put the story in your own words.

t Share your summarized version with your classmates. Congratulations! you have just completed research.

Learning Standards: i can read nonfiction text, locate main idea and supporting details, and paraphrase the information.

Dr. Martin Cooper made the first public cell phone on April 3, 1973. That was 39 years ago. Most calls today are made using a cell phone.

Jackson at the World Economic Forum in Tianjin, China in 2010.

Raya,

Photo by Wiley Price

BUSINESS

$600 million impact on MBEs

Minority Supplier Development Council more than halfway to $1B goal

By Bridjes O’Neil For The St.Louis American

The St. Louis Minority Supplier Diversity Council’s Billion Dollar Impact program is on track to exceed its initial goal to generate more than $1 billion in new contracting with minority business enterprises by July 2014.

“Only a year and a half into the program, and we are already exceeding our goals,” said James Webb, president and CEO of the St. Louis Minority Supplier Diversity Council. “We are on the right track to achieve and even exceed our initial goal by 2014.”

Last week, the diversity council announced that minority business enterprises (MBEs) have generated $600 million in new revenue only a year and a half through the program. This number shows an increase from $275 million last reported in May 2012 by the council. To participate in the program, MBEs are asked to submit quarterly reports of any new or renewed contracts in excess of $10,000.

“Minority business inclusion is an important initiative for our community that we need to put as a top priority.”

– James Webb, St.Louis Minority Supplier Diversity Council

“Minority business inclusion is an important initiative for our community that, I think, we need to put as a top priority because that’s how we’re going to grow and develop our entire community,” said Webb.

The Billion Dollar Impact is designed to create jobs, expand local businesses, grow the tax base and position the city of St. Louis, the region and the state of Missouri as leaders in economic growth. The program is designed to bridge the gap between corporate and minority businesses in St. Louis, creating advantageous partnerships.

Ameren Corporation continues to lead corporations who have taken the pledge to increase their MBE spending. Other participating corporations include The Boeing Company, Monsanto Company, Peabody Energy, Proctor & Gamble, St. Louis Public Schools, Enterprise Holdings, Express Scripts and Washington University.

“The Billion Dollar Impact program has provided local MBEs a way to really showcase what we can do,” said Sue Bhatia, CEO of Rose International Inc.

“Corporations are able to tap local resources and find cost savings, while improving our city’s economy as a whole.” World Wide Technology, Inc. also participates in the program as an MBE, not a corporation, and has been involved since the program’s inception in June 2011. Through the program, the diversity council hopes to create 2,000 jobs by its deadline; Webb estimates that 500 jobs have been created thus far. Last year, World

“We are on the right track to achieve and even exceed our

Development Council. See MBEs, B6

Urban League launches $70M jobs initiative

By Marc Morial National Urban League

“We urge that a comprehensive jobs program be developed and executed by way of a partnership that includes government, the private sector and the nation’s nonprofit community.” – November 7 National Urban League letter to President Obama, John Boehner and Nancy Pelosi The December jobs report has confirmed what urban America has known for a very long time: The “fierce urgency of now” is overtaking the slow pace of the economic recovery and continuing partisan gridlock in Washington.

Proposes public/private/non-profit partnership

The jobs crisis in urban America has reached emergency proportions and is tearing at the economic and social fabric of many communities.

The jobs report released last week reveals that 155,000 jobs were created last month and overall unemployment remained at a steady and still too high rate of 7.8 percent.But the unemployment picture in urban America tells a decidedly different story.

African-American unemployment, which has hovered at twice the national average for decades, has now climbed to 14 percent and the Hispanic jobless rate of 9.6 percent also continues to exceed the national average. Despite the efforts of the Congressional Black

PEOPLEON THE MOVE

U.S. Rep. Marcia L. Fudge was sworn in as the 23rd chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. Fudge, an Ohio Democrat, took the oath of office on January 3, the first day of the two-year 113th Congress. She reaffirmed the CBC’s commitment to advocating for policies that are in the best interests of African Americans and other nonwhites. Fudge succeeded U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, II, (D., Mo.) who was the CBC chair during the 112th Congress, which ended January 2.

Adam Long has been appointed Fire Chief of University City. He has spent 30 years with the City of St. Louis Fire Department. He currently serves as Chief of Fire Operations for the City of St. Louis at Lambert International Airport. His first day on the job will be January 28. “His experience and his determination make him a great fit,” said City Manager Lehman Walker. Long will replace Chief Don Minor who recently retired after 32 years of service.

Caucus and other progressive voices in Congress, the jobs crisis in urban America has reached emergency proportions and is tearing at the economic and social fabric of many communities. That is why this week, the National Urban League announced a new $70 million “Jobs Rebuild America” initiative designed to employ, educate and empower communities that have been hardest hit by the Great Recession. Our campaign is a twopronged effort.First, through a

See JOBS, B6

Athalia Harrell of Florissant has been hired by Kwame Building Group as project administrator. Kwame Building Group, an employeeowned company, is a pure program and construction management firm providing estimating, scheduling, project planning, value engineering and other project management services as

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Wells Fargo invests $3M in UNCF

Wells Fargo, a financial services company with $1.3 trillion in assets, announced it will invest $1 million annually in UNCF (United Negro College Fund) during the next three years to help students earn college degrees and get an education before college that prepares them for college coursework and college success.

Arch Grants extends deadline to February 1

The deadline for Arch Grants submissions has been extended to Friday, February 1 at midnight.

Arch Grants is a startup competition that awards $50,000 grants to startups that are in St. Louis or that are willing to relocate to St. Louis.

Twenty winners will each receive $50,000 in cash, plus pro bono services from top-tier companies in the St. Louis region: accounting, marketing, legal, ITand mentoring. Apply online at ARCHGRANTS.ORG/2013.

Wash U names directorof undergraduate business program

Steven J. Malter, PhD, has been named associate dean and director of the undergraduate program at Washington University in St. Louis’ Olin Business School. Malter has been a member of the Olin undergraduate administration since 2004.

Small Business Lending Fund nets $121M new loans in MO

The U.S. Department of the Treasury released a new report last week showing that Missouri institutions receiving capital through the Small Business Lending Fund (SBLF) continue to increase their small business lending, in total by over $121.9 million over their baselines.

The SBLF, established as part of the Small Business Jobs Act that President Obama signed into law in 2010, encourages community banks to increase their lending to small businesses, helping those companies expand their operations and create new jobs.Treasury invested more than $4.0 billion in 332 institutions through the SBLF. For more information on SBLF, visit www.treasury.gov/sblf.

Adam Long

Marcia

Fudge

Athalia Harrell

initial goal by 2014,”says James Webb,President and CEO of the St.Louis Minority Supplier

Photo by Wiley Price

Marc Morial

By April Ford Griffin

Minority inclusion and MayorSlay

projects that get Tax Increment Financing.

For The St.Louis American

As an alderman, community leader and as his director of the Civil Rights Enforcement Agency, I have watched Mayor Francis G. Slay govern our City. He has done so honestly, with integrity and fairness. By both words and deeds, he has been the mayor for the whole city.

Mayor Slay signed Executive Order #46 because he believes that as our city is rebuilt, as it progresses and as our economy expands, everyone from all parts of the city should benefit.

The worforce goals are 25 percent minority, 5 percent women, and 20 percent city residents.

Executive Order #46 will set workforce goals on all large

The goals are 25 percent minority, 5 percent women, and 20 percent city residents. The mayor’s order is a continuation of the record of a leader committed to increasing opportunities for African Americans and for women. He hired the city’s first African-American airport director, its first AfricanAmerican development director and first AfricanAmerican female president of the Board of Public Service. He hired the city’s first female city counselor and first female airport director. The best-paid city employee is a woman. The second-best-paid

city employee is AfricanAmerican. Both, by the way, earn more than the mayor himself.

The Slay administration has one of the most diverse cabinets of any elected official anywhere in the state of Missouri. I am proud to be part of a cabinet that is 32 percent African-American and 36 percent women. Fifty-five percent of his cabinet is either African-American or female. This clearly paints a picture of an administration committed to minority inclusion. The mayor has aggressively

April Ford Griffin, Director of the St.Louis Civil Rights Enforcement Agency

enforced his other well-known executive order, Executive Order #28. Under the order, 25 percent of city contracts are to go to minority firms and 5 percent to female owned firms.

The mayor is just as committed to helping disadvantaged businesses at Lambert Airport. As a result, more than $118 million in city contracts have gone to minority, women, and disadvantaged businesses while he has been in office.

The mayor has worked to improve all parts of the city, including North St. Louis. His

administration has invested tens of millions of dollars in federal block grants in North St. Louis. It has torn down thousands of vacant buildings, picked up thousands of tons of trash and debris from our streets and alleys, helped opened new schools, and built a state- of-the art recreation center in the heart of North St. Louis. His administration has focused on eliminating lead poisoning in our children, on helping more of our high school graduates go to college, and expanded after school programs to help our youth develop into good citizens. As the director of the City’s Civil Rights Enforcement agency, I can reassure the St. Louis American readership that the bold and significant Executive Order #46 is not a political ploy. It is best characterized as an on-going escalat-

Avoid these home-sellermistakes

ing moral commitment by Mayor Slay and our administration to ensure that we bring along minorities – African Americans and women – as part of that ongoing equalizing force which shores up our tax base, neighborhoods and individual economic growth. Finally, I can vouch myself for the mayor’s commitment to fairness for all. When he asked me to take this job, he only directed me to do one thing: aggressively protect the civil rights of all city residents. I am proud to do so in his administration and on his behalf.

The residents of our city continue to benefit from Mayor Slay’s ever-expanding commitment to diversity. Our city residents and business community deserve no less. Ford Griffin is Director of the St. Louis Civil Rights Enforcement Agency.

By Jason Alderman

Now that the housing market has finally begun to stabilize and interest rates remain at historically low levels, more and more homebuyers and sellers are dipping their toes back in the water.

If you’re planning to sell your home, you need to understand the tax implications of selling a home as well as be aware of structural and cosmetic flaws in your home and neighborhood that could undermine your asking price or keep the property languishing on the market for months.

First, the tax tips:

ï In general, if you make money on the sale, you can exclude the gain from your

taxable income (as outlined below) if you’ve owned and used the home as your residence for two out of the past five years.

ï You may be able to exclude up to $250,000 of the gain from your income ($500,000 on most joint returns).

ï If you can exclude all of the gain, you don’t need to report the sale on your tax return.

ï Gains that cannot be excluded are taxable. You must report them on Form 1040, Schedule D.

ï You cannot deduct a loss from the sale of your main home.

ï For more information, see IRS Publication 523, Selling Your Home (at www.irs.gov).

PERSONAL FINANCE

Many factors can negatively impact your being able to attract buyers and ultimately get the price you want. Sometimes there’s not much you can do:

ï If you’re located on a busy street or the local school district is subpar, you probably won’t fetch as much as for the same house in a better neighborhood.

ï If your house is the only contemporary model in a sea of colonials or if your remodeled McMansion is surrounded by two bedroom/one bathroom cottages, many buyers might be turned off. Not everyone wants to stand out from the

crowd.

ï If you started remodeling and didn’t complete the job, many people won’t want to take that on, even with a significant reduction in price. However, there are many relatively minor changes that may boost your home’s marketability. For example:

ï If your interior or exterior walls are painted with bold colors or textures, it might be worth toning it down with a more neutral palette.

ï If you can afford it, have your home professionally staged, since they know how to maximize space and show off a home’s strong points

(while hiding its defects.) But if you’re using your own furnishings, thin them out.

ï Mismatched appliances, cabinetry and plumbing fixtures stand out like sore thumbs. The same goes for worn floors or carpeting. Discuss with your realtor which improvements might be worth the investment.

ï Make sure your yard is well-tended and has at least basic landscaping. Overgrown weeds and abandoned junk don’t help your curb appeal. The same principle applies for common areas if you live in a condominium. If there are foreclosed homes in the neighborhood, chances are they aren’t being well-maintained. Make contacts with the lenders taking over these properties so you can report problems such as vandalism, trash or overgrown yards. If they’re unresponsive, ask your city’s building department whether they can charge fines or penalties. Also, work with your neighbors to keep an eye on empty homes. Take turns mowing the lawn, picking up trash and removing graffiti. Anything you can do to bring up the quality of the neighborhood will improve your chance of selling.

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

“It will probably be one of the greatest victories in Ravens’ history.”

– Ray Lewis,after Baltimore’s dramatic victory at Denver in the AFC Playoffs

IN THE CLUTCH

Ishmael H.Sistrunk

With

Three studs to be

Meet James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Damian Lillard

Every decade or so, the NBAgoes through the process of pruning its roster of bona fide superstars as Father Time and his pet, the injury bug, wreak havoc on established NBAveterans.

For the past decade, we’ve seen stars such as Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett and others headline championship teams and serve as the face of the star-laden league. While James is still a fairly youthful 28, with plenty of basketball miles remaining, many of the others have traveled over the hump and are finally on the downsides of their careers.

Sure, one of the old fogeys could muster up enough juice to snatch another title or two, but they each hold batons of greatness in their hands, just waiting to pass it off to deserving youngsters.

With the league’s recent formula of success being to construct a Big Three (see Miami, Boston and Miami), let’s examine three young studs-in-the-making who will carry the torch of greatness throughout the next decade. (Young, but certified superstars like Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and Russell Westbrook have been omitted.)

1. James Harden, Houston Rockets - 23 years old

Of course, Harden got a taste of the bright lights and the big stage as the third wheel during his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite his sixth-man role, Harden got buckets by the pound during the Thunder’s recent deep playoff runs. While his beard makes him one of the league’s most recognizable players, his dynamic game makes him one of the toughest players to guard. After falling just short of the title

With Maurice Scott

With the league’s recent formula of success being to construct a Big Three, let’s examine three young studs-inthe-making.

last year, the Thunder opted to trade Harden to the Houston Rockets rather than meet his desire for a max contract for the third-best player on the team. Out of the shadows of Durant and Westbrook, Harden is living up to expectations as a starter in H-

As the annual event of firing coaches in the NFLhas come and gone, one thing is starting to stand out in a concerning manner. The discussion of African-American candidates is now an afterthought. The Rooney Rule, where teams have to interview a minority before hiring a head coach, has become comical. As the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills have hired their head coaches, can you name the African American let alone minority coaches that were interviewed? For the record Andy Reid, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles, and Doug Marrone, who had a 25-25 record while coaching at Syracuse, were hired.

As for the other teams, the only name that has been mentioned, beyond the local boundaries, as far as an interview is concerned is Ray Horton, a defensive coach for the Arizona Cardinals. It has been rumored that Horton will be the defensive coordinator no matter who they hire as a head coach, even if it’s Vince Lombardi. The system has turned out to be the latest in NFLmockery. It’s the old “wink, wink” system now. Let’s find the black guy by the water cooler, ask him if he ever thought about being a head coach, and when he says, “Yes,” thank him and move on to take care of the good old boy. Yep, that’s the ticket. Let’s just fake it long enough to appease the bleeding hearts and then go on about business as usual.

FormerESLstaron NFLNetwork

He hasn’t changed one bit since his high school days when I covered him. He still says, “Yes, sir;no, ma’am;thank you.”

Maurice Scott

ceeds

help

of

around

country, including Shriners Hospitals for children. Terry Hawthorne, who just completed a stellar career at the University of Illinois, is more than a great football player. His thoughtful heart is far bigger than any play he made during his exciting career for Illinois or East St. Louis Senior High. Known as “BlackCat” by friends and teammates, Hawthorne was just leaving a local Shriners Hospital in Boca Raton, Florida when reached by

Terry Hawthorne to play in East-West Shrine Game on Saturday phone this week.

“I had an opportunity to visit the local Shriners Hospital here between practices, and it was one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever participated in,” he said. “I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to visit the kids and look forward to doing it again someday soon. I know we have one in St. Louis also, and hopefully I will get a chance to visit that one as well someday.”

The character and determination of Terry Hawthorne have made his mother, father, family and a host of

Former East St.Louis Flyer

All-American Terry Hawthorne, who just completed a stellar career at the University of Illinois,will compete in the 88th annual East-West Shrine All Star Game this Saturday on the NFL Network.

See CLUTCH, B5

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

James Harden,Houston Rockets Kyrie Irving,Cleveland Cavaliers Damian Lillard,Portland Trailblazers

Mike Claiborne

Ray Horton

N

With Earl Austin Jr.

MLK Girls Basketball Showcase

15-game event to be held at North County Tech High

There will be two big high school basketball showcase events taking place during the Martin Luther King holiday.

The St. Louis MLK Girls Basketball Showcase will be held this weekend with games on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The 15-game event will be held at North County Tech High in Florissant (1700 Derhake Road).

This MLK event has become one of the top girls showcase events in the Midwest region with teams from six states coming to town, including national powers such as Incarnate Word Academy, Chicago Whitney Young, and Potters House (FL). Also in the event is defending Missouri Class 5 state champion Columbia Rock Bridge.

Here is the schedule for the St. Louis MLK Girls Basketball Showcase:

Saturday, January 19

North Tech vs. Kennett (MO), 1 p.m.

Butlersville (OH) vs. Lindbergh, 2:30 p.m.

Potters House (FL) vs. Westbury Christian (TX), 4

p.m.

Chicago Whitney Young vs. East Central (OK), 5:30 p.m.

Sunday, January 20

Cahokia vs. St. Charles, noon

North Tech vs. Soldan, 1:30 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

Joliet Catholic vs. Incarnate Word, 4 p.m.

Francis Howell Central vs. Nerinx Hall, 5:30 p.m.

Ramey does MLK

Terrell Ramey of Rameybasketball.com will presenting his annual MLK event next Monday as well. The St. Louis vs. Chicago Black History Shootout will be held at Maplewood High in Richmond Heights.

This MLK event has become one of the top girls showcase events in the Midwest region with teams from six states coming to town.

Potters House (FL) vs. East Central (OK), 3 p.m.

Miller Career Academy vs. DuSable (Ill), 4 p.m.

Metro vs. Butlersville (OH), 5:30 p.m.

Monday, January 21

East St. Louis vs. DuSable (Ill), 10 a.m. Career Academy vs. Westbury Christian, 11:30 a.m.

Potters House vs. Butlersville, 1 p.m. East Central vs. Columbia Rock Bridge,

Three of the four games in the event will feature schools from St. Louis against schools from Chicago. Undefeated Madison Prep and Maplewood will play in featured games against formidable Chicago teams from Hyde Park and Foreman. Tickets for the game will be on sale for $10 for an all-day pass. Children under five will get in for free. Here is the schedule of games:

Carnahan vs. Jennings, noon

Soldan vs. Chicago Von Stuebon, 1:30 p.m.

Madison Prep vs. Chicago Hyde Park, 3 p.m.

Maplewood vs. Chicago Phillips, 4:30 p.m.

Psyched at Sikeston

Maplewood enjoyed one of its biggest victories of the season with its 70-66 victory at Sikeston last Friday night. Sikeston is one of the top contenders for the Class 4 state title this season. Maplewood became only the second team to win on Sikeston’s home court in six years, a period that spans 68 games.

CLAIBS

Continued from B3

The Rooney Rule was designed to give minorities the opportunity to get some interviewing experience as well as finding the next Mike Tomlin or Tony Dungy. Instead it has become an inside joke, with lip service from the commissioner to the point of stupidity. And you wonder why the NFLis a joke on the field. Also at fault is the media. A well-placed word about a socalled up-and-coming defensive or offensive coordinator never hurts when broadcaster do games. Yes, owners watch the games and will inquire about the prospect only because a talking head has a relationship or perhaps an agent in common with the aspiring head coach. Strange, but true. Ever taken notice of how many coordinators of color are in the NFL? In many cases it is the only way they get jobs to be head coaches (see Leslie Frazier, Lovie Smith, Mike Tomlin or Romeo Crennel). No, they did not have one of these media slobs championing their cause on a talk show or during a broadcast. Good minority coaches are being overlooked in favor of

guys who have either turned down jobs, used the process to get a raise (see Chip Kelly of Oregon and Brian Kelly of Notre Dame) or do not have the credentials.

So the next time you see one of these coaches at the press conference when they get hired, ask who were the minority interviews and how long did those interviews last?

It’s the old “wink, wink”system now.Let’s find the black guy by the water cooler and ask him if he ever thought about being a head coach.

Oprah open for confessions

One used to seek the refuge of a church for confession and cleansing. In this day and age of forgiveness and contrition, such is no longer the case. Now, when you have a big problem, just go to Oprah.

Earlier this week, noted cyclist and cheater Lance Armstrong threw himself on the mercy of Oprah and finally fessed up to the crimes of doping that we already knew about. Pardon me if I do not

shed a tear, as Armstrong has carried the lies for years. His work for cancer awareness is noble, to say the least, which is why some have tried to help him move on with the sins he committed. The general thinking is that Armstrong is going through the motions with the Oprah confession so he can some day compete. There are a couple of issues that need to be considered here.

First off, no one will trust him. After all, he never failed a drug test, yet he admitted to cheating as his doctors were ahead of the posse.

Second, no one really cares. I must remind you this is the sport of cycling that Armstrong embarrassed. Asport that has more cheaters than the tea party has would-be Klansman. So why would anyone care what Lance Armstrong does with his life?

When an athlete cheats and looks for forgiveness, is all now forgotten when he goes on Oprah and sheds a tear? Nothing against Oprah, as she is the queen of the great comeclean interview.

At some point, the so-called act of contrition has to have more punishment than a pat on the back for being brave and coming forth. I can only say, “Sorry, Lance,” no sale here.

Senior guard Kevin Baker (#12) of Madison Prep will be one of the featured players at next Monday's St.Louis vs. Chicago Black History Shootout at Mapelwood High.Madison Prep will take on Chicago Hyde Park at 3 p.m. The event is presented by Rameybasketball .com.

Crystal Dunn wins Hermann Trophy

University of North Carolina soccer star Crystal Dunn was the recipient of the 2012 Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Award, which is given to the top female player in NCAA Division I soccer. Dunn received her award as last weekend’s Hermann Awards Banquet at the Missouri Athletic Club in St.Louis.A junior midfielder from Rockville, NY,Dunn led North Carolina to the NCAA national championship.

A three-year starter,Dunn was the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year.She was also a First-Team All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

Before joining her North Carolina team for the 2012 season, Dunn was a key member of the U.S.National Team that captured the U20 World Cup in Japan.

CLUTCH

Continued from B3

town. He’s posting eye-popping stats of 26.5 points per game, 5.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1.9 steals and is a cinch to make his first All-Star game this season. If Houston continues to build up talent around him, he’ll be back on the big stage in June in no time.

2. Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers - 20 years old

When LeBron James up and left Cleveland for the sunny beaches of Miami, the Cavaliers were instantly trans-

EAST SIDE

Continued from B3

others so proud of him. He hasn’t changed one bit since his high school days when I covered him. He still says, “Yes, sir; no, ma’am; thank you.”

In addition, the young man will finish his internship in Recreation Sports/Tourism with a concentration in Sports Management. He will walk in May with his class and receive a degree from the University of Illinois. Now, that’s what I’m talking about! An athlete from the “618” with honors and a degree!

“I’m so excited about my future utilizing my degree. I have had the opportunity to see how events are planned from the beginning to end. Through my educational experience at the University of Illinois, I helped implement, set timelines, and all the things behind the scenes of events like I have participated in,” said

formed from a title contender to perennial lottery participants. Though the decline was swift and sharp, the Cavs caught a break by landing Irving with the 1st overall pick of the 2011 NBADraft. Like James, Irving was selected the Rookie of the Year during his first NBAseason after averaging 18.5 points and 5.4 assists. Now in his sophomore campaign he’s upped his production and is putting up 23 points and 5.6 assists. Along the way he’s racked up an impressive array of SportsCenter highlights and even has an impressive “Uncle Drew” ad campaign for Pepsi Max. Irvin’s biggest issue is that the rest of his team is pretty awful. Despite his production,

Hawthorne.

“I understand from the beginning to end how bowl games, concerts, game day operations are put together. I’m so excited about getting my degree. Not just for me, but my family and friends who have supported me at school, but in East St. Louis as well. I’ve had so much support at Illinois, and met countless people along the way. I’m also thankful of the opportunity to play in and against some of the greatest games and competition during my run in the Big 10.”

After this Saturday’s game, it’s back to work with the internship he will finish in March. In addition, he will be working out and preparing for the NFLscouting combine, and for the NFLdraft this spring.

When asked about his NFL prospects, Hawthorne simply stated, “I’m not going to focus on what the media is saying about if and when I’m going to be drafted. I’m going to continue to grind and work hard

the Cavs record is still garbage. But another trip to the lottery should secure him a solid sidekick and Cleveland could be making a return to the playoffs in a year or two.

3. Damian Lillard, Portland Trailblazers - 22 years old

After starring in the Big Sky Conference in college, not many people outside of college basketball junkies and draftnicks knew about Damian Lillard. Sure, he was drafted sixth overall by the Blazers, but Lillard went to Weber State. Even guys who recognized his talent were forced to question whether his skills would translate to The League after coming from such a small

each and every day to get stronger and faster, not take any short cuts, to reach my goal to play on Sundays.”

In my opinion, Terry Hawthorne has already reached some goals by helping others.

Back in February on 2011, Wyvetter Young Middle school was playing for the boys class 3AState Basketball Championship. Former Hannibal LaGrange standout Don Spencer and I were the coaches.

I telephoned Terry that morning asking if he could come to Monticello, the site of the state finals that night, to speak to the boys. One of the members on that team was Natereance Strong, who is currently a super sophomore running back with the Flyers.

Like the young man he is, Terry appeared at the end of the team bench and inspired those boys to their thrilling victory over Tetopolis and the first state basketball championship at the school. So, whether he knows it or not, Terry Hawthorne has already

Tyrin Williams

college.

Well, those questions were immediately answered in the preseason when Lillard was Co-MVPof the Summer League. He’s continued with his strong summer performance by posting an impressive stat line of 18.3 points and 6.5 assists per game as a rookie.

Even more impressive is that the young point guard has taken the reins of his team and has led them to a 20-17 record, meaning his team would be the 8th seed out West if the playoffs started today. This is after the team posted a lackluster 28-38 showing last season.

Lillard is handling his success with poise and is showing no signs of slowing down. He’ll be the runaway choice of Rookie of the Year.

touched his community and others visiting hospitals and reaching out to youth.

It’s only fitting that your blessings are yet to come with first getting your degree that you so badly want. And having off days on Tuesdays, and getting your butt up and going to work on Sundays!

Good luck, Terry Hawthorne, you have made all of us proud of you for how you represented the University of Illinois.

More important ant, you stayed connected to the youth of where you came from ... East St. Louis!

Cornell Johnston

$70 million public-private expansion of existing Urban League job training, education and business development programs, we intend to directly assist thousands of jobseekers and entrepreneurs in dozens of cities over the next five years. The second component of the Jobs Rebuild America initiative is a public engagement campaigntoincrease pressure on Washington to invest in the education and skills enhancement of at-risk youth and disadvantaged young adults.We also call for passage of targeted jobs legislation and a responsible fiscal plan and deficit reduction initiatives that do not exacerbate the unemployment crisis. This effort is an outgrowth of the National Urban

MBEs

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Wide Technology, Inc. alone hired over 300 people according to Shay Gillespie, Supplier Diversity manager for World Wide Technology, Inc.

“It’s just crazy, the growth because of contracts we’ve been awarded,” Gillespie said.

Webb acknowledges World Wide Technology, Inc. as a private-sector MBE that strives to be inclusive in its procurement

League’s historic mission of economic empowerment for African Americans and other hard-pressed urban citizens. It also builds upon the work that our network of nearly 100 affiliates has been engaged in since the start of the Great Recession. Our affiliates have served as economic first responders for communities devastated by job loss.They have also been successful in creating economic opportunity and preparing thousands of people toavail themselves of those opportunities.We’ve worked closely with our partners in the private sector and the federal government to maximize resources and mobilize the strength of our collaborative efforts.

For this expanded effort, we have put together a powerful coalition of public and private partners who have pledged their expertise and

of local MBE and Womenowned Business Enterprises (WBEs).

“We were a small MBE, and now we’re a large company,” Gillespie said. “We know where we came from and the struggles, so whenever we can we try to find as many opportunities for our pool of suppliers.” For example, she mentioned an ongoing expansion project at World Wide Technology’s, Inc. home campus where 40 percent of subcontracts went to M/WBEs.

The St. Louis Minority

other resources.hey include, the U.S. Department of Labor, Nationwide Insurance, Everest College, Pitney Bowes, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Stonehenge, UPS, State Farm, Target, Best Buy, the U.S. Department of Justice, AT&T, Time Warner, Chevron, BPand the New York Stock Exchange.

Our collective message is this:While we believe it is important to tackle deficit reduction, job creation remains the nation’s number one priority.We urge the President and the Congress to adopt a balanced approach that marries compassion for the most vulnerable Americans with protections for the nation’s jobs and sacrifice from all.

For a full description of the Jobs Rebuild America Initiative visit www.nul.org

Marc Morial is President and CEO of the National Urban League.

Supplier Diversity Council is one of 37 regional councils affiliated with the National Minority Supplier Development Council.

Formerly named the St. Louis Minority Business Council, it has been in operation for 39 years.

Businesses can still sign a pledge to participate in the Billion Dollar Impact, a bipartisan initiative. Forms are available at www.stlouismsdc.org or by calling the St. Louis MSDC at (314) 241-1143.

Financial Focus

By Roger Macon, AAMS

Make

(financial) resolutions

and negative news events — and many people do use these ominous-sounding headlines

Free recital of student divas

Opera Theatre’s Artists-in-Training perform at Graham Chapel

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

My final infidel was unlike any I’ve ever seen, heard or read about.

I mean, I am seriously considering creating an epic dysfunctional love story that would hopefully star Michael Ealy and chronicle this anti-romance that covers two decades and features his one true love –which he keeps on the side.

That’s right, according to Man #3 his, well … I don’t even know what to call her ... is the love of his life. And his marrying two other women that ARE NOT HER is beside the point.

Here’s how it goes. Are you ready?

Boy meets girl. Boy dates girl. Boy meets other girl. Boy creeps with other girl. Boy is torn between two girls. Boy commits to first girl, but keeps second girl on the side.

Boy becomes man. Man marries first girl. First girl upgrades to wife. Second girl downgrades to mistress. Man dumps wife. Man keeps mistress. Man gets new wife. Man keeps same mistress.

“I love her more than anything in the world. She is my best friend, and I feel like I can completely be myself around her,” Man says.

“She is so supportive and forgiving. I can talk to her about anything and I feel like she has my back through thick and thin. We’ve known each since we were teenagers, and there has never been a time where she hasn’t been there for me – even when I didn’t deserve her to be.” Aw, that’s so sweet – too bad he couldn’t be talking about his wife!

He was torn between his two college sweethearts, and the one he decided to marry flipped the script on him once they walked down the aisle.

“The truth is, I wasn’t ready to be married,” he confessed. “I had graduated from college, got a good job and thought it was the natural next step. I wanted a wife and a family. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I can’t even blame my ex-wife a little bit for us not working out.”

He kept seeing his side sweetheart over the course of their courtship and marriage. “I could have chosen either one, but I felt like my ex would make a better wife,” he said.

At the time, better wife material meant that she fit the mold for the Ken and Barbie life he had imagined. In his early twenties, he admits, some of it was superficial. After six years, the marriage was over.

Who did he run to? You guessed it! She was right there helping him heal, but he never stopped seeing other people – and what do you know, he

American staff

Twenty-three students from 19 high schools in Opera Theatre’s Monsanto Artists-in-Training program will perform opera arias in a unique annual recital 2 p.m., Sunday, January 20 in Graham Chapel on the campus of Washington University. The recital, which is free and open to the public, is the first

public performance of this year’s students. They will perform together again in April in a recital and scholarship competition which will lead to awards of $12,000 in scholarship money including a $4,000 Monsanto Fund grant for the top prize winner. The winter recital culminates a 10-day residency by renowned tenor Everett McCorvey, director of the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre.

“With young singers, what we have to work on a lot is helping them to understand their bodies, learning how to breathe,” McCorvey said on a recent National Endowment for the Arts podcast.

“I call them singing athletes. They are professional athletes. Their area

once you leave shower.

“Ooh, girl, improper undergarments are my pet peeve,” Danie Rae said.

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

“A lot of people get so overwhelmed and think, ‘Oh, I need a makeover,’ but there are a lot of simple things you can do,” said Danie Rae. “It can be as simple as getting a haircut. It doesn’t have to be to the point where it brings you to anxiety.” They won’t say so out loud, but plenty of ladies have decided that this will be the year that their look comes together. So we – I mean, they – pick up the latest fashion and hair magazines, go to the internet and repeatedly watch YouTube tutorials for makeup tips.

Before you know it, we – I mean, they – are a big colorful sloppy mess after getting caught up in trying to follow trends.

But The American’s own style maven Danie Rae, a.k.a. The Style Broker, has some simple steps to ease into a personal style routine that works for you.

The Howard University grad with a degree in Fashion Merchandising had to develop her personal style early on.

“Growing up, I was forced to be fashionable within my own means,” Danie Rae said. “My mom was a single mom and she wasn’t about to go out and buy me $200 tennis shoes, so I was forced to go out and create my own swagger and be as fly as the cool kids.”

She developed a passion for all things aesthetics – from clothing, to interior, to hair, makeup, all of the above.

The first order of business is the first items that go on your body

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

“I won’t say this is another side of me, but it is another part of me that hasn’t been seen here,” said Ken Page.

His hometown of St. Louis knows him best for being a larger-than-life presence thanks to original roles in Broadway classics like Ain’t Misbehavin’ and Cats, but local theatre audiences have an opportunity to see his gifts from the other side of the stage in Café Chanson Page conceived, wrote and directed the

“Too little bras or too tight underwear or not wearing a shaper when you know you need one. That’s what I tell people when they say, ‘Oh, I need a new look,’ I say, ‘Let’s start with your foundation first.’”

We make style much harder than it has to be.

“You should be able to dress for the day and be done – unless you have a formal event,” Danie Rae said. “Friday is dress-down day at work, so I can wear jeans. I’m going out for drinks with my girls, so I’ll grab a funky blazer and put a pair of heels in the car. Mix or match, take off a jacket or put on a necklace, but the majority of your look should be done for the day before you leave the house.”

On the tips tip:

• Color – “A lot of people are afraid

play and is presenting the production in collaboration with the Upstream Theater Company at the Kranzberg Arts Center. Café Chanson pays homage to Ada “Bricktop” Smith, a woman of color who drew many celebrated figures – including Cole Porter, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Mabel Mercer and Josephine Baker – to her Parisian nightclub Chez Bricktop. She owned and operated cabarets from the 1920s until the ‘60s. “Her club was that place where See KEN, C4

n “Ooh, girl, improper undergarments are my pet peeve. When they say, ‘Oh, I need a new look,’ I say, ‘Let’s start with your foundation first.’”

to add color and it can be your best friend – or your worst enemy if you don’t use it right.”

• Slacks or trousers – “I feel like these leggings have just taken over and people have just gotten lazy.”

• Little black dress – “You can’t forget a little black dress that you can dress up or dress down that can be transitional from day to night.”

• Good pair of jeans – “Those light washed need to be thrown out. You need something dark and with structure and without all of that bedazzled and stitching.”

• Make it fit – Avoid oversized clothes or clothes that are too tight and too much “matchy matchy.”

“You need to be authentic and true to yourself,” Danie Rae said.

“Café Chanson” – conceived, written and directed by Ken Page – will run through January 27 at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand Ave.

Photo by Peter Wochniak.

Danie Rae

Photos by Wiley Price

How to place a

1.Email

Calendar

mlk day activities

Thur., Jan. 17, 7 p.m., Commemorating Dr. Martin LutherKing, Jr.: Continuing the Search forCivil Rights & Social Justice. Featuring Rabbi Ben Kamin, author of Room 306 and Nothing Like Sunshine in discussion with Ron Himes, Founding & Producing Director of the Saint Louis Black Repertory Company. Featuring a Special Presentation recognizing the accomplishments and forthcoming retirement of James Buford, President and CEO, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, for his role in the building and promoting of African-American/Jewish relations. Staenberg Family Complex Gymnasium, 2 Millstone Campus Dr., 63146. For more information, call (314) 442-3299.

Sat., Jan. 19, 7:30 a.m., The St. Louis Art Museum hosts Sunrise Rev. Dr. Martin LutherKing Jr. Freedom Celebration: We Got What We Wanted But Lost What We Had. This year’s program will celebrate Dr. King’s dream for educational, economic, and social equality while remembering his vision for communities filled with peace and harmony. One Fine Arts Dr., 63110. For more information, call (314) 7210072 or visit www.slam.org.

Sat., Jan. 19, 8 a.m., Express Scripts Foundation presents Dr. Martin LutherKing Jr. Health Fair& Luncheon with special guest Vickie Winans. Sheraton St. Louis County Center Hotel & Suites, 400 S. 14th St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 692-5642.

Fri., Jan. 19 – Mon., Jan. 21, The Saint Louis Science Centerpresents the Minority Scientists Showcase, The Saint Louis Science Center

brings together scientists, engineers and other science-related professionals to share their stories and interact with young people and their families at the 23rd annual Saint Louis Science Center’s Minority Scientists Showcase. This free, three day event is a unique opportunity to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).No registration is required. More than 30 organizations, including Sigma Aldrich and Boeing, will participate over the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend. In addition, on Monday, there will be drawings for prizes, plus special science demonstrations, African dance performances, and jazz music at CenterStage on the lower level of the main building. Saint Louis Science Center, 5050 Oakland Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, contact Mia Harsley, Saint Louis Science Center, 314.289.1414.

Jan. 20, 3 p.m. & 7 p.m., Missouri History Museum presents “I May Not Get There With You” AMultimedia MLK Commemoration, With a concentration on speeches given during the final year of his life, homage is paid to King through poetry, music, images, and more. Missouri History Museum, Lindell and DeBaliviere in Forest Park. For more information, visit www.mohistory.org

Sat., Jan. 19, 3 p.m., The Griot Museum of Black History will launch its new yearwith the unveiling of a permanent exhibit on The Honorable SenatorJ. B. “Jet” Banks, former Senator of Missouri’s 5th District. The event will be held on Saturday, January 19, 3-6 p.m. at The Griot, 2505 St. Louis Ave. Admission is $25 per person. Pre-paid reservations are required, and may be made via Pay Pal on the The Griot’s website, thegriotmuseum.com.

Sun., Jan. 20, 1:30 p.m.

CALENDAR

Beloved Community Church presents AMoment with Martin, 3115 Park, St. Louis, MO 63104. For more information, call (314) 771-7703.

Sun., Jan. 20, 4 p.m., 18th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration. Amarch, a dinner reception, and a community-wide celebration and worship. Steger Sixth Grade Center, 701 N. Rock Hill Rd., 63119.

Jan. 21, 7:30 am, The YMCA of GreaterSt. Louis will hold the 28th Annual Dr. Martin LutherKing, Jr. Commemorative Breakfast at the Monsanto Family YMCA (5555 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63112). For more information please contact the Monsanto Family YMCAat 314.367.4646

Mon., Jan. 21, 9 a.m., Dr. Martin LutherKing, Jr. Holiday Celebration and Civic Ceremony, Celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. with a public civic ceremony featuring music and speeches by community and civic leaders. Aparade in downtown St. Louis will follow this event. Old Courthouse, 11 North 4th Street, St. Louis, MO, 63102.

Mon., Jan. 21, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. St. Louis Metropolitan Area Chapters and Veterans forPeace present MLK, JR. Day of Service Program. Foundations of

Money Management at 12:30 p.m., register at www.mlkjrmoneymgmt.eventbrite.com. MLK, Jr. Day of Service Program with keynote speaker Minister Terrance G. Clark of Shalom Church City of Peace, register at www.akamlkjr.eventbrite.com. Centenary Church, 1610 Olive St., 63103. For more information, email event@aka-omicroneatomega.org.

Jan. 21, 9 a.m., “Let Freedom Ring,” Christ Church Cathedral hosts a day long reading of King’s speeches in a round-robin style. Volunteers can sign up to manage sessions of 30 minutes at a time. 1210 Locust Street. Sign up at: letfreedomring2013.wikispaces.com/

Mon., Jan. 21, 10 a.m., Fifty Years of Fulfilling the Dream. Guest speaker Dr. Julianne Malveaux, and MC Rev. Martin Rafanan. Video will highlight UMSL’s historical civil rights events and figures over the past 50 years. Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, UMSL, 8001 Natural Bridge Rd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 516-5695.

Mon., Jan. 21, 10 a.m., Southern Mission Baptist Church presents Rev. Dr. Martin LutherKing, Jr. Celebration. Guest speaker will be Dr. Gwendolyn Diggs, Asst. Superintendent of Ferguson-Florissant School District. There will also be

533-0304.

Tues., Jan. 22, 7:30 p.m.,The Sheldon Concert Hall presents 5th Annual Low Brass SpectacularGala Concert

The area’s top trombone, euphonium and tuba performers will gather to present the best in low brass classical and jazz music. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 533-9900 or visit www.stlbc.org.

Jan. 26, 8 p.m. doors, Café Soul presents Fusion starring Kurtis Blow, TheParagon, 1911 Locust. For more information, call (314) 504-7405. Fri., Feb. 8, 7 & 10 p.m., AsacrGroup presents PreValentines Day Exclusive feat. Eddie Levert. Special guests Ray, Goodman & Brown. Starlight Room, 8350 N. Broadway, 63147. For more information, call (314) 4564826 or visit www.metrotix.com.

Wed. Feb. 13, 2013. Jokes and Jazz Productions Presents a Pre-Valenties

muical guests. 8171 Wesley Ave., 63140. For more information, call (314) 521-3951.

Mon., Jan. 21, 10 a.m. Southern Mission Baptist Church (SMBC) Rev. Dr. Martin LutherKing, Jr. Service with guest speaker Dr. Gwendolyn Diggs, Asst. Superintendent, FergusonFlorissant School District, 8171 Wesley Ave., Kinloch, MO. For more information, call (314) 522-9756.

Mon., Jan. 21, 10:30 a.m., Free MLK Day Basketball Clinic. For youth on the autism spectrum. Staffed by high school and college basketball player volunteers that are eager to instruct and offer one on one individualized instruction to your child. Parents encouraged to stay and watch on bleachers. The Center of Clayton, 50 Gay Ave., 63195.

concerts

Sat., Jan. 19, 8 p.m., MAJIC 100.3’s inauguration celebration starring Charlie Wilson with special guest Mint Condition, The Fox Theatre. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com or call (314) 534-1111.

Sun., Jan. 20, 3:30 p.m., St. Alphonsus Liguori “Rock” Church presents US Naval Academy Gospel Choir. 1118 N. Grand Blvd., 63106. For more information, call (314)

Café Soul presents Fusion starring Kurtis Blow.See CONCERTS for more information.

Plaza, 63303. For more information, call (636) 669-3000 or (425) 412-7070.

Sat., Jan. 19, 10:30 a.m., Missouri Botanical Garden presents Great Green Adventures: WinterColor Walk. There may not be many plants blooming, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find color around us. Join us as we search for common, and some not so common colors in the Garden. For children ages 6 to 12 with an adult. 4344 Shaw Ave., 63110. For more information, call 9314) 577-5100.

Sat., Jan. 19, 6 p.m., Maryland Heights Community Center hosts Discovering Options 8th Annual Trivia Night. To benefit the centers after school program for children in poverty. 2344 McKelvey Rd., 63045. For more information, call (314) 721-8116.

Sat., Jan. 19, 8 p.m., Alpha Kappa Alpha Omicron Eta Omega presents a 105th Birthday Party, Omega Center, 3900 Goodfellow

Sat., Jan. 19, 8 p.m., The 2013 Slumfest Hip Hop Awards. This award show recognize the many hip hop artists in the Metro St. Louis/Metro East area who excelled in the respective art throughout this past year. Artists nominated this year represents the four elements of hip hop: Emceeing, DJing, B-boy (Breakdancing) and graffiti arts. Atomic Cowboy, 4140 Manchester Ave., 63110. For more information, email slufestinfo@gmail.com.

Jan. 19 – 20 and 26 – 27, Circus Harmony presents Capriccio: ALively Vaudevilliam Performance. Catch the flying children! This vaudeville based show features thirty fantastic flying children accompanied by the sensational Circus Harmony Band in a lively show with all new acts that will amaze and amuse the entire family. City Museum, 701 N. 15th St., 63103. For more information, call (314)

436-7676.

Mon., Jan. 21, 5:30 p.m., The New Millennium Group and the St. Louis Inaugural Ball invite you to 2013 Presidential Inaugural Ball of President Barack Obama. Ambassador Ballroom, 9800 Halls Ferry, 63136. For more information, call (314) 3617793.

Tues., Jan. 22, 11:30 a.m., Washington University College of Arts & Sciences presents PowerHour Networking Luncheon. Featured speaker Dan Mehan, President/CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce will discuss the issues facing the legislators this legislative session and the stand the Missouri Chamber of Commerce is taking on these issues. He will also listen to your concerns that need to be taken to our State Legislators. Crowne Plaza Hotel St. Louis –Clayton, 7750 Carondelet Ave., 63105. For more information, call (314) 726-3033. Jan. 25 – 26, University of Missouri St. Louis presents Moulin Rouge The Ballet. Starring Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet. With highkicking choreography, French period music, vibrant costumes and an outrageous set design, this lavish production tells a captivating love story entirely through dance. Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, UMSL, 8001 Natural Bridge Rd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 5346622.

comedy

Sat., Jan. 19, 6 p.m., Humor forHire presents The Clean Comedy Series. DeAndre Whitner will be hosting his very own clean comedy show with national comedians Matt Collins and Princeton Dew performing, as well as special guest Donna Murray and JayMo.Plush, 3224 Locust St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 699-0228 or visit www.plushstl.com/shows.

Jan. 24 – 26, 7 p.m., No

Name Comix presents Tyrone Robinson. Robinson was voted best new Comedy Forums Pro/ Amateur Comic of the year in 2006 and has been killing crowds with laughter ever since. 2637 Cherokee St., 63118. For more information, call (314) 6994662.

literary

Thur., Jan. 17, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books CWE hosts discussion and book signing with author JenniferChiaverini, author of Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker. 399 Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-6731.

Fri., Jan. 18, 7 p.m., Maryville Talks Books presents author David Von Drehle, author of Rise to Greatness. A deeply human portrait of

Express Scripts Foundation presents Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.Health Fair & Luncheon with special guest Vickie Winans.See MLK DAY ACTIVITIES for details.

America’s greatest president and a rich, dramatic narrative about our most fateful year. As 1862 dawned, the American republic was at death’s door. Buder Commons, Maryville University, Maryville University Dr., 63017.

Wed., Jan. 30, 7 p.m.,

Friends of the University City Public Library hosts an evening with authorTerry BakerMulligan who will read from herbook, Sugar Hill: Where the sun rose over Harlem: Amemoir. For further information: Patrick Wall, 7273150, pjwall@ucpl.lib.mo.us.

arts

Sun., Jan. 20, 1:30 p.m., Opening Reception for Jordan Eagles: Blood/Spirit. Jordan Eagles has garnered critical attention for his signature use of animal blood in his

works. He combines blood with Plexiglas, UVresin, copper, gauze, and other media to produce arresting works that both fascinate and challenge audiences. His massive 32foot-wide installation, BAR 1–9, will be on display. Museum of Contemporary Religious Art, 3700 W. Pine Mall Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 9777170.

Fri., Jan. 25, 6 p.m., Memories of the Future Gallery Opening. This exhibition highlights the powerful artwork of a mother and daughter pair and explores the symbiotic relationship between artistic creation and the healing process. Free and open to the public through March 3, 2013. 524 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 725-6555 or visit www.cocastl.org.

Fri., Jan. 25, 5 p.m., WebsterUniversity Annual Photography Faculty Exhibition Opening Reception. Featuring the work of twenty-three Webster University faculty members, from the campuses in Cha’Am (Thailand), Geneva, Leiden, London, St. Louis and Vienna. The exhibit will go to February 22. The May Gallery, Webster University, 8300 Big Bend Blvd., 63119. For more information, call (314) 246-7673.

Fri., Jan. 25, 6 p.m., Gateway Gallery presents Room with a View. Exhibit will feature paintings and images of views from the home of resident artist Deborah A. Williams, who lives among the fields and farms of Millstadt, IL. 21 N. Bemiston Ave., 63105. For more information, call (314) 402-1959.

Thur., Jan. 31, 7 p.m., The PulitzerFoundation forthe Arts presents An Artist Talk with Zina Saro-Wiwa The artist will discuss her work on view at the Pulitzer along with other projects and video works. Aconversation with the artist and local African Studies scholars will follow. 3716 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 7541589.

theatre

Jan. 18 – 19, COCA Theatre Company presents James and the Giant Peach. 524 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 725-6555 or visit www.cocastl.org

Through Jan 27, Metro TheaterCompany presents Jackie and Me. An exciting play that illuminates Jackie Robinson’s courage and dignity in the face of cruel racial prejudice, Edison Theatre, 6445 Forsyth Blvd., 63105. For more information, call (314) 935-6543.

Scientifically Speaking

Life in the Yes Program

Stephon Redus YES Alumnus

I started at the Saint Louis Science Center as a YES (Youth Exploring Science) teen way back when the Taylor Community Science Resource building first opened, and man was it a new experience for me. At that point in my life, I had been going through family issues, which resulted in me being placed in a children’s home with a very uneasy mindset.

The opportunity to work with the YES Program started off as a mere way of getting out of the place I had to call home for awhile and earn a few extra dollars. When I first started there, I was a little shy and quiet because of the new people I was meeting. It was also hard hearing about the things they were able to do, knowing that I was not able to do them myself given the situation I was in at that time.

into play. Being a part of YES 2 Tech team gave me a chance to build a geodesic dome green house. That project led to building a few more houses for food pantries to grow their fresh foods to give away. The lesson I took from this is not only the Science and the Engineering part, but it was the fact that I was able to design and build something that would help other people live and eat. In doing this project our team won an award from the National Society of Black Engineers, showing me the power behind the things I was doing that might have seemed so small and obsolete at the time.

The Yes Program gave me an outlet and a chance to learn science in a way I would have never learned at school. There were many times that I didn’t want to come in at all because of the stress of life, or school itself. There were people in the program who helped me better understand that I was not just working and learning some cool science tricks; I was growing as a person. I learned the opportunities at the Saint Louis Science Center as a YES teen were far beyond just science; I was given roles like creating lesson plans for younger kids that varied from math to science to reading. There were also times when the focus was not on science at all, but on developing skills that you can take with you outside of the science center by going to professional development programs.

Stephon Redus

I was led by some very smart and talented people who not only helped me grow as an employee at the Science Center, but they helped me with school work and understanding the importance of getting a good education as well. On top of all the new people I got to meet as a YES teen, there was a moment I will never forget. One of the long-time supervisors had seen me during my lunch break holding a conversation with a group of people that I worked with and said, “Every time I run into you I see you talking to someone.” I had then realized the growth that had taken place while being there. I started off as a quite young man looking for a way out of a bad situation and found a home as a YES teen.

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“That’s the instrument that I recommend the most. Also help the student to get into piano. Piano is the mother instrument. And every performing artist has a relationship of some sort with the piano. And so we get them started there so that then when they come to college they have some of the tools that they’ll need to be able to grow as a singer and as a musician.”

He also thinks great singers should be great citizens.

“Something that I do that is very important to me is I talk about training the complete singer, the complete artist,” he said.

“And what does that mean? That means in addition to being a good singer, and a good musician, you must be a good colleague. And you have to be a giving colleague. Not a taker but a giver.”

Chosen through a highly competitive audition process,

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stepped right over her and married someone else.

each Artists-in-Training student has engaged in weekly college-level vocal coaching since September from faculty at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Washington University, Webster University, and University of Missouri–St. Louis. Currently in its 23rd year, Opera Theatre’s Monsanto

n“In addition to being a good singer, and a good musician, you must be a good colleague. And you have to be a giving colleague.”

– Everett McCorvey U. of Kentucky Opera Theatre

Artists-in-Training has a proven track record for identifying, coaching, and encouraging talented singers in St. Louis

urban and suburban high schools. Students receive individual weekly coaching and voice lessons by Opera Theatre’s professional staff; two artist residencies conducted by visiting guest artists; numerous chances to attend performing arts events; and a three-day college retreat where they learn about college life and academics. Each spring, the students perform in a free public recital at the Sheldon Concert Hall. To date, more than 180 students have completed the program and Opera Theatre has awarded these graduates more than $364,000 in scholarships to support their college educations. Many graduates have continued to pursue academic degrees and professional careers in music.

Artists-in-Training is supported by the Monsanto Fund which has been the principal underwriter since the program’s inception. For more information, visit ExperienceOpera.org.

As a YES teen, you learned a great deal about team work and the importance of having a solid team you could count on. One of my all-time favorite job roles as a YES teen was working with the YES 2 Tech team. That is where my passion for Engineering came

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“If you are true to yourself, that means that you are comfortable. If you are secure within yourself, then other people are secure with that as well.”

Danie Rae’s Five Minute Face

• Moisturize – It’s winter time and your skin is dry.

Now that I am out in the world interviewing for jobs, people look at my resume and see my age plus all the cool things I have done up to now. I get the type of looks for which I can only give thanks to the YES program, for the great opportunities that helped mold me into a better man, student and mentor to people. I can go on and on talking about the great things that you are able to learn and gather from while being a YES Teen at the Saint Louis Science Center. All in all, I am proud to say I was a YES teen for four years and will always be grateful for the life and educational skills it has taught me.

You need a good moisturizer that’s not pore-clogging.

• Accentuate the brow Not cutting your eyebrows off and drawing them back on, but finding a flattering pencil to add a natural shape.

• Conceal – Something subtle but effective.

• Appropriate foundation –That can be cream or powder. She prefers powder because she has oily skin.

• Liner – It’s optional, but

essential if transitioning from day to night.

• Cheek color – She likes to be a little more bronzed out, but a cheek color can be anything from a deep rouge to a soft pink to a gold bronze.

• Mascara – It’s about enhancing your NATURAL lash. Lip moisturizer –Cold weather is harsh.

• Lip color – She prefers lipstick for the added moisture

“She was devastated,” he said. “We didn’t talk for two years.”

But he kept reaching out to her, and she ultimately caved in. He says she is far from happy about it, but has conceded.

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everybody was welcome,” Page said. “Rich people were with people who didn’t have any money. It was racially mixed, because she was a woman of color in Paris at the time and all the black musicians and people traveling through Paris all knew that they could come to Bricktops and be comfortable.”

In Café Chanson, lessons unfold about being in the moment as opposed to being crippled by regret through the eyes of a decrepit veteran reliving his most fond life experience as a young soldier

“This may sound crazy, but I just feel like if we got married our relationship wouldn’t have lasted as long as it has,” he said. “We don’t have to deal with the everyday stuff that makes people grow apart. When we talk, hang out and spend time together, we are always in that moment where it just feels good. We don’t have to argue over bills, kids or get worn out enough for us to stop communicating – or just get sick of seeing each other.”

in Paris at the height of World War II.

“I used that as template as the place, but the story part of it, to be honest, it just sort of flowed out of me,” Page said. “I had to let it breathe and I had to let it inform me as to what it wanted to be.”

Café Chanson was determined to be a love story from every angle. A soldier is the centerpiece of a fourway love affair in 1940s. The choices and decisions the soldier made haunted him like battlefield nightmares never could. He returns with the hopes of making peace with the past.

Though he can relate to the Parisian life after living there for a year in the early 1980s, Café Chanson is by no

He loves his girlfriend so much that he doesn’t want to ruin it by committing to her full time. He has really made this freelance relationship make sense in his head. He likens it to making a career out of a pastime: “You start out doing what you love, but then it becomes a job and it doesn’t mean as much.” Or he could take that leap and find that he has a better, richer life because he is living his passion – but he obviously doesn’t want to take the risk.

means Page’s story – unless he lived his former life as a white Army corporal from southern Louisiana.

“I think I relate to Café Chanson in the same way that I hope the audience relates to it,” Page said. “I’ve lived long enough to know what regret feels like. And I’ve lived long enough to know what a waste of time having regret is.”

The play also stars J. Samuel Davis, John Flack, Justin Ivan Brown, Antonio Rodriguez, Willena Vaughn, Elizabeth Berkenmeier and Gia Grazia Valenti as a host of colorful characters who must reconcile a piece of their personal history in their own way. But at the end of the day they see the purpose in it all.

“There’s a point in the show where the soldier said, ‘Even with the war and the hurt, this was the best time of my life,’” Page said. “What I hope people take away from the show is this: live your life so one day you can look back on it and feel like you’ve lived a good life. Live now so you can look back and say, ‘I did what I wanted to do, I became what I wanted to be, I loved who I wanted to love.’”

He said it best in the last original production he staged here in St. Louis, the autobiographical Page by Page: “To live your life like a book that you would want to take down and read one day – page by page.”

Café Chanson will run through January 27 at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand Ave. For more information, show times and ticket prices, visit http://www. upstreamtheater.org.

SLPS Communication Arts Teacher of the Year

Anna Moffatt

Gardner-Andrews of Vashon is honored

American staff

The St. Louis Public School District has presented the 2012 Washington University’s Center for the Humanities Communication Arts Teacher of the Year Award to Anna Moffatt GardnerAndrews at Vashon Community Education Full Service High School for understanding the unique and individual needs of the whole student.

“Ms. Gardner-Andrews is a natural leader and an excellent teacher, but more importantly she is highly supportive of her students. It is not uncommon to see her cheering on her students at their games, recitals, and performances,” said Derrick Mitchell, Principal at Vashon Community Education Full Service High School. In 2005, Anna Moffatt Gardner-Andrews began teaching English and AVID at Vashon, and was promoted a year later to English Department Chair. Her teaching philosophy centers on Rhonda Maxwell and Mary Jordan Meiser’s book Teaching English in Middle and Secondary Schools, which simply states “learning ultimately belongs to the student.” As a result, she implements a variety of strategies to ensure the success of each learner within her classroom.

“The ultimate goal is that the student learns, not that a carefully crafted plan goes exactly as expected. As an English teacher I must be particularly flexible. For instance, even though I may want my students to

understand personification after simply looking through the lens of a Frost poem, this may not always be a realistic expectation,” said GardnerAndrews.

“However, they very well might be able to grasp onto this literary technique after also reading through a few of TuPac Shakur’s poems. Shakur is known as a master of words and rhythmic rap within the hip-hop culture. His language is not only interesting, it is blaringly real to them.”

As the 2012 Washington University’s Center for the Humanities Communication Arts Teacher of the Year, Anna Moffatt GardnerAndrews has received a $1,000 check through the St. Louis Public Schools Foundation. In addition, she was presented a trophy, a plaque and a $500 award for professional development and/or related education materials through the Parsons Blewett Memorial Fund.

By Melanie Adams

MLK: more than a day

History Museum brings black history year-round

The Missouri History Museum is proud to present the Martin Luther King weekend January 19 and 20. To honor the legacies of the African-American men and women who not only survived but thrived against unimaginable odds, the History Museum is beginning Black History observation with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. Though this commemoration is not quite in February, it always seemed to make sense to me to kick-off special events in Black History with the celebration of this amazing civil rights leader.

On Saturday, January 19 the Museum presents, The Doll Project: Public Displays of Healing, a traveling multimedia exhibit that features makeshift monuments from around the country. These monuments, which usually include dolls, stuffed animals, and other toys, commemorate the lives of those fallen victim to a crime or untimely death. Although these victims came from every race and class, we know that African Americans are especially vulnerable.

With the recent incidents of violence in diverse communities throughout country, this exhibit provides a timely look at how a community starts to heal. Exhibit creator Lois Ingrum explains, “Overall I didn’t want the series to say, ‘Oh, look how tragic this is.’ Instead I worked to capture through photographic images, interviews of families, loved ones and others the value and love that individual loss has in the community healing process. I traveled across the country in the 2012 to document the beauty in how communities heal.”

Ms. Ingrum is 2012 Visionary Award artists and recent graduate of the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission’s CAT Institute’s TIGER program. The exhibit opens at 10 a.m. in the Museum’s atrium in the lower level. After visiting the exhibit, visitors will have an opportunity to make peace flags to show their solidarity in seeking a world without violence by creating peaceful images.

Also on Saturday at 1 p.m., there will be a screening of the documentary Slavery by Another Name. Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning book by journalist Douglas Blackmon, the documentary tells the story of African Americans who were trapped in the brutal system of forced free labor even after slavery came to an end in 1865. I recently finished reading the book and am still trying to process how this could have happened. This documentary tells a part of this country’s history that is not readily accessible in today’s textbook.

After slavery ended, those in power used the judicial system to get African Americans to continue to work for free, essentially re-enslaving them. Many were placed in coal mines and lumber yards forced to endure grueling manual labor and inhuman working conditions. They may not have been in the fields, but they were still working under the threat of the lash and with no hope for freedom. This system, which persisted until World War II, created the generational wealth for many of today’s family dynasties.

The final program for the weekend is “I May Not Get There With You,” A Multimedia MLK Commemoration, which will take place at 3 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. This program focuses

The Doll Project: Public Displays of Healing isatravelingmultimediaexhibit that features makeshift monuments from around the country that usually include dolls, stuffed animals and other toys to commemorate the lives of those fallen victim to a crime or untimely death.

on speeches delivered in Dr. King’s last years. It explores key moments in the life of the civil rights leader through poetry, imagery, and sound. Appropriate for all audiences, this program brings Dr. King’s message to life in a way that allows audiences to recognize and appreciate the struggle. Through Dr. King’s own words, music and poetry, this program is not only a commemoration, but also a call to action. Over the next six weeks, the Museum will continue to have programs that celebrate the richness of Black History. However, we want you to remember that the other 11 months of the year also feature African American stories and subjects. Last year alone the Museum sponsored over 200 programs focused on African-American history and community issues. If you enjoy the programs during Black History Month, I encourage you to come back during the rest of the year and see what the Missouri History Museum has to offer. You will see we consider Black History more than a month.

The Doll Project: Public Displays of Healing Exhibit Opening, Saturday, January 19th at 10am Bank of America Atrium • Free Slavery by Another Name Saturday, January 19th at 1pm AT&T Foundation Multipurpose Room FREE “I May Not Get There With You”: A Multimedia MLK Commemoration Sunday, January 20th at 3pm and 7pm (same program offered each time) Lee Auditorium • FREE For more information, please go to www.mohistory.org.

Barrett Taylor, Curriculum Specialist-Communication Arts; Anna Moffatt GardnerAndrews, 2012 Washington University’s Center for the Humanities Communication Arts Teacher of the Year; and Cathy Cassy, Curriculum Specialist-Communication Arts.

Graduates

Congratulations to Jazmine O. & Kal-El Q.

Waters-Jones who recently graduated from the University of South Alabama. Jazmine received a BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship from the Mitchell College of Business. Kal-El received a BS in Geography with a certification in Geographical Information Systems from the Department of Earth Sciences. Both graduated from Sumner High School and are members of the alumni association.Many know them from Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club, Blues Track and scouting.

Reunions

All reunion announcements can be viewed online!

Jennings High School Class of 1973, Planning is in progress for the 40th reunion to be held next summer. For more information see the Facebook Group: Jennings

High School Class of 72 73 and 74, and the Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group /jenningsclassof73/. Email: jenningsclassof1973@yahoo.c om to update your contact information to ensure you will receive all reunion updates.

Jennings Class of 1983 alumni, we are in the process of planning our 30th class reunion. We are looking for the Warriors ‘83. Facebook: Jennings High School Class of 1983, 30th Reunion. For more information contact Yolonda FountainHenderson (La La) at 314-868-2761 or Carmen Ford Keaton at 314-363-5172.

~ CELEBRATIONS ~

Birthdays

Rodnii Diute Griffin celebrates her 1st birthday on Jan. 20.After 5 boys, including a set of twins, we were finally blessed with a lovely daughter. Rodnii is a little character, trying to keep up with the boys,andloves the camera.HappyFirst Birthday, Nii Nii!

We love you, Mom, Dad, brothers, and Tee Tee Vett

Happy 23rd Birthday to Ashley& Britney Taylor, born Jan. 19, 1990, weighing just 2 lb. 12 oz. and 2 lb. 9 oz. Your Granny loves you!

Happy 44th Birthday to my son, Reginald L. Taylor on Jan. 18. May this year bring you joy, peace and many blessings! With love from your Mom.

Happy 60th Birthday blessings on Jan. 19 to a wonderful and loved sister, Janet Taylor. May you be blessed with many more. Love, Valerie

Willie Parker — January 18 Jessie Parker — January 20

SumnerHigh School Class of 1963 is seeking all classmates for its 50th Class Reunion June 14 - 16, 2013 at Sheraton Westport Chalet, 900 Westport Plaza. You may contact any of the following classmates: Jacqueline Vanderford @ 314.265.9541 email: jvanderford63@att.net, John Abram @ 314.276.0741 email: AbramJD50@aol.com, Camillia Banks email: camibanks@gmail.com, or Terri Cobb @ 314.868.0233.

Vashon High School, Class of 1978 will be celebrating its 35th year reunion July 19-21, 2013. Please contact Zaro

McPherson (314) 285-3350, or Vareda Madison at (314) 3815250 or geddyupgang@yahoo.com. Please leave name and number.

West Side M. B. Church youth during the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s, a special reunion is being planned “just for you”. The reunion will be heldApril 26- April 28, 2013. We are currently in the process of updating our contact information. Please call Jacqueline (Perry) Williams at 314-368-3128: email jw611@sbcglobal.net or e-mail Barbara (Wiley) Spears at bjwspears@yahoo.comwith your current name, address,

phone contact, and e-mail address. Also indicate if you are interested in participating in this great event! If you have the contact information for others that may have moved away from West Side or out of the St. Louis area, please provide us with that as well.

Normandy High School Class of 1983 alumni, we would like to start planning our 30th class reunion. For more information, contact Normandy83vikings@ gmail.com or Facebook: Normandy Vikings Class of 1983.

FREE OF CHARGE

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

Send your announcements to: kdaniel@stlamerican. com or mail to: St. Louis American Celebrations c/o Kate Daniel 4242 Lindell Ave St. Louis, MO 63108

Reunion notices are free of charge and based on space availability. We prefer that notices be emailed to us! However, notices may also be sent by mail to: Kate Daniel, 4242 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108. Deadline is 10 a.m. on Friday. If you’d like your class to be featured in a reunion profile, email or mail photos to us. Our email address is: reunions@ stlamerican.com

Rodnii Diute Griffin

Janet Taylor

Reginald L.Taylor

Ashley & Britney Taylor

Religion

Obama picks Bibles for swearing in

Will use Lincoln, MLK and Robinson Family Bibles

American staff

Last week the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) announced the Bibles that President Obama and Vice President Biden will use at their swearing-in ceremonies on Sunday, January 20, and Monday, January 21.

On Sunday, January 20, President Obama will take the oath of office using the Robinson Family Bible. On Monday, January 21, the President will take the oath of office using two Bibles: the Bible used by President Lincoln at his first Inauguration, which the President used in 2009, and a Bible used by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“President Obama is honored to use these Bibles at the swearing-in ceremonies,” said Steve Kerrigan, president and CEO of the PIC. “On the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, this historic moment is a reflection of the extraordinary progress we’ve made as a nation.”

Though there is no constitutional requirement for the use of a Bible during the swearing-in, Presidents have traditionally used Bibles for the ceremony, choosing a volume with personal or historical significance. In 2009, President Obama became the first President sworn in using the Lincoln Bible since its initial use in 1861. The Robinson Family Bible was selected specifically for the occasion. The Bible was a gift from the First Lady’s father, Fraser Robinson III, to his mother, LaVaughn Delores Robinson on Mother’s Day in 1958. Mrs. Robinson was the first African-

American woman manager of a Moody Bible Institute’s bookstore and she used the Bible regularly.

The Lincoln Bible is part of the collections of the Library of Congress and was originally purchased by William Thomas Carroll, Clerk of the Supreme Court, for use during Lincoln’s swearingin ceremony on March 4, 1861. The Bible itself is bound in burgundy velvet with a gold-washed white metal rim around the three outside edges of both covers, and all of its edges are heavily gilded.

The King Bible was Dr. King’s “traveling bible.” An avid reader who was constantly on the road, Dr. King typically traveled with a selection of books that included this Bible. It was used for inspiration and preparing sermons and speeches, including during Dr. King’s time as pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

“We know our father would be deeply moved to see President Obama take the Oath of Office using his bible,” Dr. King’s children said.

“His ‘traveling bible’ inspired him as he fought for freedom, justice and equality, and we hope it can be a source of strength for the President as he begins his second term. With the Inauguration less than two weeks away, we join Americans across the country in embracing this opportunity to celebrate how far we have come, honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. through service, and rededicate ourselves to the

work ahead.”

Members of the King family will also join Americans across the country to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King by participating in National Day of Service events on Saturday, January 19. Additionally, a float in the Inaugural parade will commemorate Dr. King’s enduring legacy.

Jazz & Blues Vespers

Second Baptist Church will host St. Louis Jazz & Blues Vespers 6-8 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 20 at 9030 Clayton Road at McKnight featuring Ptah Williams Trio. Freewill offering accepted. Other upcoming church concerts: Marquise Knox (Feb. 17), Rick Haydon and Jason Swagler and the SIUE Jazz Faculty (March 17) and Anita Rosamond (April 21). See www. stlouisjazzandbluesvespers.com.

‘Footwashing’ Service

A worship “Footwashing” Service will be held noon until 3 p.m. Saturday, January 26 at The Garden of Life Spiritual Center, 9525 Eddie and Park Road, Sappington, Mo. This footwashing ceremony, led by Dr. Dorothy Haire of Bread of Life Church, is designed to help individuals release the challenges of the old and embrace the new in 2013.

There is an old Native American folklore about a grandfather who was teaching his young grandson about the struggles of life. He said to his grandson, “There is a terrible fight going on inside me. It is between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other wolf represents joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.”

Cynthia Bennett

The grandfather continued, “This same fight is going on inside of you, and inside every other person in the world.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

The old grandfather simply replied, “The one you feed.”

We can apply this same analogy to our Christian experience. Paul very passionately describes this internal struggle in Romans 7:21-24.

Paul alluded to the fact that the Christian walk is not an event; it is an ongoing process involving deliberate and informed decision making. We must first realize and accept, as Paul did, that we are engaged in an internal battle; a power struggle of good vs. evil. We must diligently seek the counsel of God which is tantamount to our choosing wisely. Then continue in the quest of embracing doctrinal truths and releasing erroneous concepts; of adopting behavior that will result in the reaping of eternal rewards and avoiding behavior that will result in negative consequences; of attaining spiritual gains and rejecting short-lived emotional highs.

The old grandfather was simply telling his grandson that whichever wolf is fed, he is the one who receives strength, and eventually emerges as the dominant one. If we nurture and sustain the good and starve and deprive the evil, in the end, we will experience triumphant victory. Which wolf will you feed?

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

In 2009, President Obama became the first President sworn in using the Lincoln Bible since its initial use in 1861.

Zoo to host job fairJan. 19

The Saint Louis Zoo will host a job fair on Saturday, Jan. 19 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon in The Living World at the North Entrance for those interested in part-time spring, summer and fall employment at the Zoo.

Energetic, responsible and service-oriented people are needed for seasonal positions including engineers and conductors for the Zooline Railroad, catering and food service personnel, groundskeepers, gardeners, gift shop attendants, parking lot attendants and more. Flexible weekday and weekend positions are available for students age 15 (work permit required at time of hire) and above, retirees, moms, dads and anyone seeking a seasonal job.

The job fair will include information on employment, plus an opportunity for a screening interview. The Zoo offers competitive hourly wages, free employee parking and an ideal working environment.

Background screenings and drug testing will be required for all new hires.

For more information, call (314) 781-0900, ext. 4816 or visit www.stlzoo.org/jobs.

Current version of GED test to expire Individuals seeking to obtain their Missouri High School Equivalency Certificate by taking the General

Educational Development (GED) test have until the end of 2013 to pass the current test series, known as the 2002 Series GED Test. The current test will be replaced with a new assessment beginning

January 2, 2014. The new test will continue determining high school equivalency, but will also measure the knowledge and skills necessary for college- and careerreadiness.

The Saint Louis Zoo will host a job fair on Saturday,Jan. 19 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon in The Living World at the North Entrance.

“The GED test opens doors to college, better jobs, the respect adults deserve and the satisfaction of earning a high school credential.”

– Tom Robbins

The 2014 GED assessment will cover four content areasliteracy, mathematics, science and social studies - and will be entirely computer-based. While the new test will be administered via computer, test-takers will still be required to visit an official testing center to take the test. The cost is $28 per section or $140 for the entire test. Those who have taken the 2002 Series GED Test, but not scored well enough to receive their certificate, have until the end of 2013 to pass or their test section scores will expire and they will be required to start over with the new assessment in 2014.

In 2011, 61.8 percent of Missouri test-takers indicated postsecondary education as a reason for taking the GED test. College- and career-readiness is a primary goal for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Top 10 by 20 initiative, which calls for education in the state to rank in the top 10 nationwide by 2020.

“The GED test opens doors to college, better jobs, the respect adults deserve and the satisfaction of earning a high school credential,” said Tom Robbins, director of adult education and high school equivalency testing at the department.

“We want to be sure GED test-takers are aware of the current test expiration deadline,” said Robbins. “The department can help adult learners prepare to take the parts of the GED test they still need to pass. Support is available right here in Missouri.” Over 350,000 Missourians have earned their high school equivalency certificate since the GED test’s inception in 1942.

More information about the GED test can be found at http://www.ged.mo.gov or http://www.finishtheged.com.

Celebrity Swagger Snap of the Week

Everybody knows that hip-hop and style go hand and hand. So Thursday night was just plain perfect as SoSo Def’s newest star Fresco Kane decided hold a mix-tape release party/meet and greet at DNA – one of the hottest urban fashion spots in the STL. DNA co-owner Nate was on deck as one of the hosts with the most.

Doing it big with the Deltas. Not even a winter weather advisory false alarm could keep the devastating divas of Delta Sigma Theta from tearing the club up for their centennial (that’s 100th anniversary) Saturday night at EXO! I knew the party was going to be crackin’ when I had to park at the Sunshine Chop Suey…yes, the one next to the Bistro. But when I could hear the ooo-ooop (sp?) echoes from inside my car, with the windows rolled up and my iPod blasting and saw how the area between Locust and Washington had transformed into what could only be described as “the million red blazer march,” I was clued in as to how turned up the DST ladies were. You only turn 100 once, and the Deltas did not take it lightly! It was so packed up in the EXO that I couldn’t even see all of the folks who came through to kick it with the Deltas. But I did manage to exchange greetings with three of my favorite Deltas – Angela Brown (of Live Nation), Lawanda Hall and Trina Claggett But everyone else will have to just forgive me for not shouting you out personally and accept this universal love! The scene was like an HBCU/Greek reunion party with folks of all ages representing their respective organizations. But don’t get it twisted it was all about the Deltas! They were stomping so hard as they strutted through the upstairs that I was scared for dear life they would mash clean through the EXO’s hardwood floors. And when the clock struck twelve for the official Founder’s Day, let me just say that the folks who partied like it was 1999 ringing in the Y2K wish they could have welcomed the new millennium. The whistles, the chants, the hugs, the love…it was great to see! AKAs up next. Now y’all know I can’t show love to the Deltas without also giving a birthday shout out to the lovely ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha for turning the big 105 on Tuesday. And I suspect it will be all Pink and Green everything when they celebrate their Founder’s Day on Saturday at the Omega Center (3900 Goodfellow). I went to the party they had a couple of years back and it was a serious matter (the AKAs will get that one)! Anyway, the party pops off at 8 p.m. and I suspect to see hair whipped and mirrors held high – and plenty of love from all of the other Greek organizations.

True Flavors and Flyness. Friday night was all about the most tasteful within the STL nightlife scene as the True Flavors took over Soho on Friday night thanks to Grey Goose. And to make matters even better, all the pretty girls came through to show my girl Haley some b-day love. Fellas, if you did not stop through, you really missed out on some potential boo bombshells. Several of the who’s who of the Lou were in the house as well, including my boy Chingy, Topher Jones, Mocha Latte and Mo Spoon to name a few.

MC at EXO. I rolled through Relax and Breathe Friday night to show love to my boy M.C and Tony Vega as the two partners in crime celebrated the release of M.C.’s music video. I was sticking and moving, so I actually missed the video, but hopefully it was about that life. But I did stay long enough to see some of the STL hip-hop community come through and show their support.

The Clique at The Goat. That sleet/ice alert on Saturday night apparently gave everybody but the Deltas pause, because even the most anticipated spots seemed kind of light on the crowd side. I almost got sideswiped by a salt truck and called it a night myself. But anyway, I stopped by the Rustic Goat for the kick-off of Clique nightlife installments Saturday night. There weren’t as many folks in there as I expected to be, but FreeTime, BFree and Shift58 all had representatives in the house to show love to the venture. And I was absolutely thrilled to run into my girl Janae from “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” along with a few other of my favorites like Darryl and Roy Rob from FreeTime, Cornell Boone, Teddy “Mr. BFree” Blackett and Tim Slater And I’m going to go ahead and say had the elements not been threatening to show out that this party would have been one of the places to be and I’m eager to see how the Clique stacks up on the scene.

Uncle Charlie’s Inauguration jam. I have been practicing my “sha-dadum-dwee-dees” since before Christmas and I figure by the time Charlie last name Wilson takes the stage I will be ready to annoy my seat neighbors to death with a sickening two-part harmony! If it weren’t for the Fox’s no nonsense security I might also consider stomping right behind him and his backup dancers as he makes his “Funk Train” grand entrance when he makes his annual stop in the STL on Saturday. I don’t care if he comes twice in a month, I’m willing to bet my tax refund that if I go see Uncle Charlie I will not be disappointed. I haven’t been yet, and I’ve followed him from the Fox, to the Ambassador, to the Chaifetz and back to the Fox again with ABSOLUTELY NO hesitation. And I’m already claiming two doses of life when Mint Condition allows Stokely to be great and ham it up by playing five instruments and singing every part from soprano to tenor! This Saturday is going to be a glorious night for soul music and I will be front and center.

Kicking it with the 100. Since I’m already talking about Inauguration celebrations, I might as well mention that the 100 Black Men of Metropolitan St. Louis are inviting everyone to a special happy hour this Saturday (Jan. 19) at the Paragon Theater (1911 Locust St.). Hey ladies, I don’t know if anyone has told you 100 Black Men equal 100 black men with jobs…I’m just saying! If your New Year’s Resolution was to find love you might as well kick your search off with fellas who have confirmed 401Ks. The party starts at 5 p.m. and will feature live music, refreshments and FREE ADMISSION. Call the 100 Black Men of Metropolitan St. Louis at (314) 367-7778 for more information.

Cheryl and Loreana enjoyed the laid back vibe and DJ Kut’s old school jam session Friday night @ Lola

Lawanda Hall, Jason and Trina helped the Deltas celebrate a century of service Saturday night @ EXO

Miata will be dearly missed from the scene, but her good friend Shanika helped her bid farewell to the STL with the Clique Saturday night @ The Rustic Goat

Kendall and Terri were keen on taking in all that The Coliseum had to offer Saturday night

Chris, Ramona, Ce-Ce and DA were representing their Clique Saturday night @ The Rustic Goat

Birthday girl Haley and her girl Tamar were just some of the pretty faces who came through for a taste of True Flavors Friday night @ Soho

Topher, Yolanda and Will were just a few of the tastemakers in the house for True Flavors Friday night @ Soho

Jamila and Cornell were a few of the beautiful people who came through to support the Clique Saturday night @ The Rustic Goat

Lovely ladies Louie and Lynette came through to ‘Relax and Breathe’ with HellaFly Friday night @ EXO

Stephanie Lewis, Dr. Monica Stewart, Portia Moore and Angela Rhode were just some of the Deltas who came through to celebrate 100 years Saturday night @ EXO

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

MLK Memorial text to be revised

‘Drum Major’ paraphrase will be removed

By Frederick H. Lowe Of The NorthStar News

Ken Salazar, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, recently announced that alterations will be made to a controversial paraphrase carved into the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

The plan, which must be submitted to the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission, calls for the removal of paraphrase, “I was a drum major for peace and righteousness.” Striations will be carved over the lettering to match the existing scratch marks on the sculpture that represent the tearing of the “Stone of Hope” from the “Mountain of Despair.”

The memorial to Dr. King opened in 2011, and the paraphrase “I was a drum major for peace and righteousness” immediately became a source of controversy because it was taken out of context, complained Maya Angelou, the poet and writer. The wording made it sound as though Dr. King was boasting, Angelou said.

The full quotation, taken from a 1968 sermon Dr. King delivered two months before his assassination by James Earl Ray, reads: “I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter.”

Work on the paraphrase removal will begin in February, and it is scheduled to be completed by the

spring of 2013. The memorial, however, will remain open during the work, but scaffolding will limit visitors’ visibility, said Department of Interior oficials.

Analysis. The plan to remove the phrase, not replace it, was recommended by Master Lei Yixin, the memorial’s original sculptor. Other stakehold-

n Work on the paraphrase removal will begin in February, and it is scheduled to be completed by the spring of 2013.

About 1.5 million people visited the King Memorial in 2011, Carol Bradley Johnson, a spokesperson for the National Park Service, wrote in an email to The NorthStar News &

ers also agreed to the removal of the paraphrase.

“While our family would have, of course, preferred to have the entire ‘Drum Major’ quote used, we fully

Proclamation on the Emancipation Proclamation

Obama

officially commemorates 150th Anniversary

By Barack Obama

U.S. President

On December 31, 1862, our Nation marked the end of another year of civil war. At Shiloh and Seven Pines, Harpers Ferry and Antietam, brother had fought against brother. Sister had fought against sister. Blood and bitterness had deepened the divide that separated North from South, eroding the bonds of affection that once united 34 States under a single flag. Slavery still suspended the possibility of an America where life and liberty were the birthright of all, not the province of some. Yet, even in those dark days, light persisted. Hope endured. As the weariness of an old year gave way to the promise of a new one, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation –courageously declaring that on January 1, 1863, “all persons held as slaves” in rebellious areas “shall be then,

thenceforward, and forever free.”

He opened the Union Army and Navy to African Americans, giving new strength to liberty’s cause. And with that document, President Lincoln lent new moral

of

force to the war by making it a fight not just to preserve, but also to empower. He sought to reunite our people not only in government,

endorse and support the secretary’s proposal,” said Dr. Christine King Farris, Dr. King’s sister. Harry Johnson, president and CEO of the Memorial Foundation (and a St. Louis native), said they have been working for more than a year with Master Lei and the National Park Service to reach a design solution for Dr. King’s Memorial. The Memorial Foundation was formerly known as the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Foundation. The organization raised funds and found a site for the memorial on the National Mall.

Reprinted with permission from www.thenorthstarnews.com.

By Barbara R. Arnwine Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights

Barbara R. Arnwine

As we celebrate the arrival of 2013, it is imperative that we reflect upon the 50 years of civil rights victories and struggles since the historic year of 1963, which, in many ways, launched the modern Civil Rights Movement. It was during this time of transformative change for our nation that the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law was established. The summer of 1963 saw murders, bombs, beatings, jailing and threats to those who sought an equal society. It also witnessed the collective public rise up through open demonstrations and other joint public actions that sought to expose and end racial discrimination and segregation. On June 11, Alabama Governor George Wallace made his infamous vow to prevent court-ordered desegregation of the University of Alabama. On June 12, Medgar Evers, field secretary for the NAACP, was tragically assassinated by a member of the White Citizens Council in Jackson, Mississippi. On August 28, at the

The NAACP applauds President Obama for choosing civil rights icon and NAACP Chairman Emeritus Myrlie Evers-Williams to deliver his invocation during his inauguration on January 21.

“Myrlie Evers-Williams embodies the essence of the Civil Rights Movement and the struggle toward the more perfect union our Constitution envisions,” stated Roslyn M. Brock, the current chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors. “We are thrilled she has received this honor and applaud President Obama for his inspirational selection.”

“Myrlie EversWilliams is a heroine,” stated NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “She represents the best qualities of the American people and the transformative possibilities of American democracy. Her selection for this sacred task will serve as a reminder to our nation that civil rights must remain at the forefront of our society.”

Evers-Williams is a highly respected civil rights icon who served as chairman of the NAACP from 1995-1998. Evers-Williams is also the widow of Medgar Evers, who was murdered by a white supremacist in 1963 while serving as the NAACP’s first field secretary in Mississippi. She went on to become the founder of the Medgar Evers Institute in Jackson, Miss and currently serves as a Distinguished Scholar-inResidence at Alcorn State University.

“I am humbled to have been asked to deliver the invocation for the 57th inauguration of the President of the United States – especially in light of this historical time in America when we will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement,” Myrlie Evers-Williams said today. “It is indeed an exhilarating experience to have the distinct honor of representing that era.”

President Barack Obama views the Emancipation Proclamation withasmallgroupofAfricanAmericanseniors,theirgrandchildren and some children from the Washington, D.C. area in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza).

Myrlie EversWilliams

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired the world with his “I Have a Dream” speech.

Facing this unprecedented time of strife and hope, President John F. Kennedy took to national television to call for a new positive civil rights legal framework, stating, “It is better to settle these matters in the courts than on the streets.”

On June 21, 1963, he convened a historic meeting of some 244 lawyers from throughout the United States and called for the formation of the Lawyers’ Committee to mobilize the considerable “pro bono” resources of the private bar in the leadership of the fight for racial justice. I have been privileged to lead this organization for the last 24 years. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary this year with the national “Toward Justice” Campaign, we will be engaging an army of lawyers, grassroots activists and ordinary Americans for racial and social justice and inspiring a new generation of leaders. Our Campaign is chaired by the great civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis. Along with his wife Lillian Miles Lewis, who sadly passed away on December 31, 2012, Congressman Lewis has fought for decades to utilize the political sphere to advance civil rights.

In the 50 years since 1963, we have seen major legislative civil rights victories, including the passage of landmark legislation such as the Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act and Fair Housing Act. Additionally, we have fought in the courts on behalf of millions of clients to give true meaning to the promise of racial justice, emboldened in the states by the enforcement of these laws by private attorney generals.

Yet our nation still faces tremendous challenges. During the 2012 elections, we successfully battled against new voter suppression laws in 46 states designed to disenfranchise specific categories of voters including racial minorities, the young, the elderly, low-income and the disabled. Those proposed laws represented a symptom of the many inequities that still exist in our beloved nation. Voting is but one of a myriad of civil rights inequities that continue to persist: African Americans are incarcerated at nearly six times the rate of whites; eight times more AfricanAmerican children attend high poverty schools than do White children; poverty rates for African-American and Hispanic families triple that of white families; and the unemployment rates for minorities remain in or bordering on double digits (African Americans at 14.0 percent and Hispanics at 9.6 percent), while the unemployment rate for whites is 6.9 percent. The Lawyers’ Committee’s broad and innovative programmatic agenda in the courts, legislatures, transactional services and public policy and public education arenas will be critical in combating these

barriers and opening up our society for true racial equality and social justice. In 2013, we must remain vigilant and engaged and demand that the government is proactively leading the entire nation toward justice and equality for all. The Lawyers’ Committee and our many allies will continue to win battles, as we did fighting against voter suppression tactics that could have impeded as many as five million Americans from casting their ballots in the presidential election. Through the courts and good old-fashioned voter education and mobilization, we demonstrated to the enemies of Democracy that they would never have a free hand to oppose justice. We have also demonstrated that whenever evil tactics abound, “we the people” will rise up with a standard of justice to oppose it. Moving into 2013 and beyond we must keep our eyes on the prize that remains elusive even 50 years later, remaining unified and ever vigilant against the ignorance and intolerance that impedes racial progress in America.

Barbara R. Arnwine is president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (www. lawyerscommittee.org)

Rabbi Talve keynotes MLK event

Jan. 20 at SLCCFlo Valley

St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley will host its annual celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at 3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 20, in the Terry M. Fischer Theater on campus, 3400 Pershall Road. The theme is Advancing the Dream: Healing our Divisions.

Rabbi Susan Talve, founding rabbi of Central Reform Congregation, the only Jewish congregation in the City of St. Louis, will serve as keynote speaker. She performs life cycle events, leads worship services for the 750-plus households that comprise the congregation, and is actively involved in the teaching of young and adult members. She also teaches courses on Jewish life and

OBAMA

Continued from D1

but also in freedom that knew no bounds of color or creed. Every battle became a battle for liberty itself. Every struggle became a struggle for equality.

Our 16th President also understood that while each of us is entitled to our individual rights and responsibilities, there are certain things we cannot accomplish on our own. Only a Union could serve the hopes of every citizen, knocking down the barriers to opportunity and giving each of us the chance to pursue our highest aspirations. He knew that in these United States, no dream could ever be beyond our reach when we affirm that

Rabbi Susan Talve

thought in both the Jewish and non-Jewish community.

Rabbi Talve has led her congregation in promoting inclusivity by developing ongoing relationships with

individual liberty is served, not negated, by seeking the common good. It is that spirit that made emancipation possible and codified it in our Constitution. It is that belief in what we can do together that moved millions to march for justice

n “Let us begin this new year by renewing our bonds to one another and reinvesting in the work that lies ahead.”

– President Obama

African-American and Muslim congregations, and by fostering civil liberties for the LGBT community. She served as the vice chair of Missourians for Freedom and Justice, an organization that supported the LGBT community and is an active member of the St. Louis Interfaith Dialogue Group. The event will feature the winners of the annual North County Churches Uniting for Racial Harmony and Justice (NCCU) oratorical contest, and musical performances from Christ Our Redeemer AME Choir and 3 Central. The event is sponsored by the college and NCCU. Admission is free and seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, contact Kedra Tolson at 314-513-4221. Special accommodations are available for persons with disabilities by calling 314513-4551.

in the years that followed. And today, it is a legacy we choose not only to remember, but also to make our own. Let us begin this new year by renewing our bonds to one another and reinvesting in the work that lies ahead, confident that we can keep driving freedom’s progress in our time.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 1, 2013, as the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities that celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation and reaffirm the timeless principles it upheld. Proclamation signed by the President Barack Obama December 31, 2012 regarding the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Dream

“At SSM Health Care, Dr. King’s dream comes alive in our attitudes and our actions.”

- Bill Thomspon, President/CEO

“I Was A Drum Major” paraphrase that will be removed from the monument.

Black lawmakers get leadership posts

CBC members have major roles in 113th Congress

By Zenitha Prince For Trice Edney News Wire

Several members of the Congressional Black Caucus are serving in key leadership positions in the 113th Congress, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced. The 113th Congress is scheduled to meet from Jan. 3, 2013 to Jan. 3, 2015, except for breaks.

The news about black lawmakers serving in the 113th Congress is in stark contrast to the announced Republican leadership appointments in which neither women nor minorities play substantial roles.

“About half of our [ranking members] are women or minorities,” said Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. “And that diversity is a reflection of America and a recognition of the extraordinary talent that they bring to the Congress.”

U.S. Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) retained his role as assistant Democratic leader, the third most powerful position among Capitol Hill Democrats. Also in the House, Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), remains ranking member on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform; John Conyers (D-Mich.) remains the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee; Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) will be ranking member of Homeland Security and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) is the ranking member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

“I am proud that CBC Members will continue to advocate for the interests of their constituents, African Americans and vulnerable communities as they serve in congressional leadership positions during the 113th Congress,” said CBC Chairman Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.).

Cleaver offered special congratulations to U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), the newly elected ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, which oversees the nation’s economy through its oversight of the Federal Reserve Board and individual reserve banks, the Treasury, the production and distribution of currency, and the Nation’s capital markets.

“For more than two decades, Congresswoman Waters has been committed to policies that protect working families while keeping us on the path to economic recovery, and she will diligently work to ensure the integrity of our financial system through financial reform,” Cleaver said.

Waters said she was humbled to be chosen for the position by her colleagues.

“I am grateful for the opportunity over the next Congress to work on the key issues facing our financial system,” she said.

“Housing finance reform, in particular, will be crucial to ensuring the long-term success and stability of our economy. I believe we need a financial system that facilitates economic opportunity and wealth creation for all, and I stand ready to work with my colleagues towards that goal.”

Other CBC members holding

leadership roles in the House Democratic Caucus include:

U.S. Reps. John Lewis, (DGa.), senior chief deputy whip; G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), chief deputy whip and Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Organization, Study and Review chair.

The others serve in various capacities on the Steering and Policy Committee, includ-

ing U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Region 2 representative; Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), Region 4 representative; Cedric Richmond (D-La.), Region 7 representative; Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) , Region 11 representative; and Reps. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) and Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), who will serve as appointed members.

- Dr. martin luther king, jr.

macy’s is proud to salute the legacy of dr. martin luther king, jr. we honor the man who taught the world that faith in each other is our greatest strength.

U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters

Economist speaks at UMSL MLK event

Julianne

Malveaux at the Touhill

American staff

Julianne Malveaux, the noted labor economist, author and political commentator, believes that most everything comes down to economics.

And at this time of year, she reminds people of Martin Luther King’s other message in his “I Have a Dream” speech.

In a recent C-SPAN interview, she said that people always talk about the famous speech and how King looks forward to the day when we will all be treated equally.

Malveaux most recently served as president of Bennett College, a historically black college for women in Greensboro, N.C. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Boston College and a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. She is the author of three books.

Julianne Malveaux

“But they never talk about the part where he says, ‘We have come to the nation’s capital to cash a check and that check is marked insufficient funds.’ That’s an economic statement,” she said.

Malveaux will share her insight as guest speaker at the annual observance of the Martin Luther King Holiday at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. The event begins at 10 a.m. Jan. 21 in the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center on UMSL’s North Campus. It is free and open to the public.

Her popular writing has appeared in USA Today, Black Issues in Higher Education Ms. Magazine Essence magazine, The Progressive and The St. Louis American The theme of this year’s MLK Observance, “50 Years of Fulfilling the Dream,” is the first of many events planned this year to celebrate UMSL’s 50th Anniversary Jubilee. The program will feature a video presentation highlighting 50 years of civil rights programs, events and the people who made them happen at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

Musical guests include UMSL’s music student phenoms, The Dickson String Quartet; Trinity Mt. Carmel Missionary Church Mass Choir and the Normandy (mo.) High School Jazz Band. Martin Rafanan, most recently executive director of Gateway 180 :: Homelessness Reversed, will be the master of ceremonies.

Hazelwood tribute to MLK

January 20 at Civic Center East

American staff

In keeping with the 2013 theme of the Martin Luther King State Celebration, which is “Women Who Dare to Dream,” the Hazelwood Community Enrichment Commission is featuring prominent African-American women who have made significant contributions in the fields of medicine and music for its 11th Annual Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The event is scheduled for Sunday, January 20, at Civic Center East, 8969 Dunn Road, starting at 7 p.m.

The keynote speaker is Brenda Battle, a native of St. Louis who is a registered nurse and an MBA recipient. She grew up as the daughter of a pastor with 11 other brothers and sisters. In 2008, Battle was named “Most Influential Minority Leader” by the St. Louis Business Journal. In addition to serving on the board of the Missouri Foundation for Health, she once directed the Center for Diversity and Cultural Competence at BarnesJewish Hospital St. Louis. Battle currently lives in Chicago, Ill., where she serves as the Vice President for Care Delivery Innovation, and Assistant Dean for Diversity

at the University of Chicago School of Medicine.

Another African-American woman, Jeanne Trevor, will be providing the entertainment. Although she was born in New

in numerous musical theater productions at The Muny, Stages, the Black Repertory Theater, and Westport Theater.

In 1998, she produced her first CD and received a Grammy

n The keynote speaker is Brenda Battle, a native of St. Louis and VP for Care Delivery Innovation, and Assistant Dean for Diversity at the University of Chicago School of Medicine.

many as the “First Lady of Jazz,” she has performed

Award from the National Academy of TV Arts and Sciences for Outstanding Achievement in a commercial spot announcement.

Other guest speakers include Charles Gooden, a representative of the Missouri State Dr. Martin Luther King

Celebration Commission, and Christopher Cross, an 8th grade student at Hazelwood Central Middle School. In addition to being a member of the Hazelwood School District’s SAIL program, which is the gifted education program for middle school students, Cross performed as Billy Ray, Jr., in the 2012 Black Repertory production of On Golden Pond He will be presenting excerpts from Dr. King’s last public speech.

The Liturgical Dancers from Antioch Baptist Church will be returning this year for another uplifting performance under the direction of Alba BradyFlorence. Also, Reverend F. Delano R. Benson, Jr., Ph.D., of Antioch Baptist Church will be leading the candlelight ceremony held in memory of Dr. King’s legacy. Refreshments will be served in the foyer after the service.

York, Trevor has been a longtime St. Louis resident. Known to

The Liturgical Dancers from Antioch Baptist Church will be returning to the Hazelwood MLK celebration this year for another uplifting performance under the direction of Alba Brady-Florence.

Edward Jones honors the memory and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr.

‘Everyday Discrimination’ expert to give MLK lecture

Dr. David Williams to speak at Wash U School of Medicine

Jan. 21

American staff

“We have arranged another riveting speaker for our annual MLK Lecture,” says Will Ross, M.D., M.P.H., Associate Dean for Diversity and Associate Professor of Medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine.

Dr. David Williams, professor of African American Studies, Sociology and Public Health at Harvard University, will speak on “Health in the Social Context – Asserting a Paradigm for True Health Care Reform” at 4 p.m. Monday, January 21 at the School of Medicine’s Eric P. Newman Education Center, 320 S. Euclid Ave.

“David was a key collaborator on the awardwinning PBS series; Unnatural Causes: Is inequality Making Us Sick?” Dr. Ross said.

“He and I are members of the Centers for Disease Control Health Disparities Committee. He is an internationally renowned social scientist.”

Dr. Williams’ research has enhanced our understanding of the complex ways in which

Dr. David Williams, professor of African American Studies, Sociology and Public Health at Harvard University

race, racial discrimination, socioeconomic status and religious involvement can affect physical and mental health. The Everyday Discrimination scale that he developed is currently one of the most widely used measures to assess perceived discrimination in health studies.

The Journal of Black Issues in Higher Education ranked him as the Most Cited Black Scholar in the Social Sciences in 2008. In 2001, he was elected to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences and in 2007, he was elected to membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Williams has been involved in the development of health policy at the national level in the U.S.

He has served on the Department of Health and Human Services’ National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics and on seven committees for the Institute of Medicine including the Committee that prepared the Unequal Treatment report. He served as a member of the MacArthur Foundation’s Research Network on Socioeconomic Status and Health.

Dr. Williams has also played a visible, national leadership role in raising awareness levels of the problem of health disparities and identifying interventions to address them. From 2007 through December 2009, he served as the staff director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Commission to Build a Healthier America. This national, independent and nonpartisan health commission was focused on identifying evidence-based non-medical strategies that can improve the health of all Americans and reduce racial and socioeconomic gaps in health.

Dr. Williams holds an MPH degree from Loma Linda University and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Michigan.

“We are extremely fortunate to have him speak this year,” Dr. Ross said, “especially after the inspiring lecture by last year’s MLK speaker Melissa HarrisPerry.”

To RSVP please call (314)362-6854 or email mpatterson@wustl. ed Parking will be validated for the North Euclid Garage.

Art Museum Honors Dr. King This Saturday

Sunrise Freedom Celebration

Saint Louis Art Museum Gallery 236 Saturday, January 19, 2013 8:30 am -10:00 am

Free. No tickets required. Space is limited. First come, first served.

Door Open at 7:30 am. Join us for free coffee and danish before the program. Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase

The Saint Louis Art Museum invites you to join us for our annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther Freedom Celebration on Saturday, January 19 from 8:30 to 10am in Gallery 236.

This year’s Sunrise program will celebrate Dr. King’s dream for educational, economic, and social equality while remembering his vision for beloved communities filled with peace and harmony.

The federal holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be observed on Monday, January 21, the same day as the inauguration of the second term of President Barack Obama as our 45th president. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Our nation has been and continues to be inspired by the words, actions, and leadership of these two great men whose faith and courage led them to take first steps in working to achieve equality and justice for all Americans.

The Young Artists for Justice and Peace will present an excerpt from “Hope In The ‘Hood” - a 40 Corners production under the direction of Marsha Cann. Student participants and the audience are encouraged to acknowledge the challenges of neighborhoods, draw on the wisdom of elders, and to embrace the hope that exists within neighborhoods.

Dr. Wright will provide the keynote address, “We Got What We Wanted, but Lost What We Had.” A native St. Louisian Dr. Wright wrote his dissertation, “The Desegregation of the All-Black Schools that Existed in St. Louis County Prior to 1954” has dedicated his professional career to education.

A celebration of Dr. King would not be complete with the song and music of the church. The Saint Peter Inspirational Choir of The Saint Peter African Methodist Episcopal

Church will provide music and song under the direction of Shamar Jordan, minister of music and Reverend Joseph C. Nixon, pastor and spiritual leader. Join the Saint Louis Art Museum on Saturday, January 19 from 8:30 am to 10 am in Gallery 236 for the Museum’s Reverend Dr. Martin Luther Freedom Celebration Doors will open at 7:30 am with free coffee and danish. Space is limited for this free program –first come, first served. For more information or questions, please email renee.franklin@ slam.org or call 314-655-5437. Image: King and Obama

Upcoming Programs at Saint Louis Art Museum

Friday, Feb 1, 7 pm – Lecture Slaves, Moors, and Kings: Images of Blackness in European Art Dr. Ruth Iyob, Associate Professor and Research Fellow in the Center for International Studies, University of Missouri – St. Louis Saturday, Feb 16, 9 am Panel Discussion with Cultural Activist, Author, and Artist Root & Migration: Celebrating Art and History of the Mississippi Delta

For more information and a complete listing of programs at the Saint Louis Art Museum, please visit www.slam.org.

Minority Scientists Showcase

Jan. 19-21 at Science Center

American staff

The Saint Louis Science Center brings together scientists, engineers and other science-related professionals to share their stories and interact with young people and their families at the 23rd annual Saint Louis Science Center’s Minority Scientists Showcase. This free, three day event (January 19-21) is a unique opportunity to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). No registration is required. More than 30 organizations, including Sigma Aldrich and Boeing, will participate over the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend. In addition, on Monday, there will be drawings for

MLK march honors Obama

Meet 10 a.m. MLK Day at Old Courthouse

American staff

This year marks the 27th Anniversary of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday. However, for the past 44 years, the St. Louis Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Committee has sponsored an annual downtown march and interfaith service on the slain leader’s birthday to honor his work in the civil rights arena. This year’s march will

celebrate the second term inauguration of President Barack Obama which is also taking place on Monday, January 21. The event starts at 10 a.m. with a Civic Ceremony at the Old Court House Rotunda, 4th and Market Streets. At 11 a.m. there will be a Celebration Inaugural March to Powell Hall, followed at 12:30 p.m. by an Interfaith Celebration. As in years past, the 2013 event in St. Louis will feature comments from Mayor Francis G. Slay as well as other local and state elected oficials and civic leaders. This year’s keynote speaker during the interfaith celebration service will be

the Rev. Earl Nance Jr., pastor of Greater Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church. Also during the interfaith service, several community leaders will receive special Martin Luther King Jr. awards.

The St. Louis event is one of the oldest and second largest King Day celebrations in the country. Organizers consider it to be a day on-not a day off. The local committee was responsible for getting Easton Avenue in the city of St. Louis changed to Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. Special Commemorative Celebration buttons are available by calling 314-5830532, 314-769-1211 or 314458-6906

Montgomery bus boycott launched

Civil Rights Movement

Propelled MLK to national prominence

City leaders hope to turn an event that once divided blacks and whites in the early stages of the civil rights movement into a celebration of equality for the 50th anniversary of the Montgomery bus boycott.

Observance events are scheduled to take place throughout the New Year - the boycott began four days after the arrest of Rosa Parks on Dec. 1, 1955with many designed to educate the community on the significance of the boycott.

Some who participated in the historic events of a half-century ago, such as Johnnie Carr, are involved in the anniversary activities.

“After 50 years of struggling, the accomplishments should be known to the people, to let them know where we were and where we’re going,” said Carr, president of the Montgomery Improvement Association, the group formed in 1955 to organize the protest.

One activity planned is a commemoration of the legal case, styled Browder v. Gayle, that led to the federal court ruling that declared bus segregation unconstitutional. Also planned is an observance highlighting the contributions of E.D. Nixon of Montgomery, who moved quickly after the Parks arrest to launch the boycott, which propelled the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. into the national spotlight.

Rep. Alvin Holmes, D-Montgomery, a veteran black politician, said it is important for blacks and whites to take

part in the observance.

“It’s the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement and people should join in and send a very good signal to the nation that we have made much progress in Alabama,” Holmes said. “We still have a way to go –we’re not completely free and equal - but we’re a long way from what we used to be during the civil rights movement.”

There were other blacks who were arrested for protesting the law that banished them to the back of the bus 50 years ago, but it was the arrest of Parks that sparked the boycott.

Thousands of blacks refused to ride the city’s buses as long as they remained segregated during the 381-day protest.

It ended a year later when the U.S. Supreme Court banned segregation in public transportation.

At first, after a series of false starts that included a standoff between black elected officials and Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright, plans for the 50th anniversary appeared to be creating more division than bringing people together. Problems arose after the city announced a contract with an Atlanta-based consulting firm, Eventions, Inc., to plan observance events. Some black leaders opposed the contract because they believed the city made plans without input from the black community, a claim the white mayor disputed.

The conflict led to Bright postponing the Sept. 13 unveiling of a 1950s-era bus that was restored to pay tribute to the boycott. The unveiling was rescheduled for Dec. 5, the 49th anniversary, and the $197,000 bus is expected to be used during the 50th anniversary observance. The backlash also led to black elected officials decid-

ing not to attend city events and opting to host “official” activities with the Montgomery Improvement Association. Since then, both parties appear to have resolved differences and agreed to work together on the project, with the MIA leading the way.

Robert White, chair of the 50th anniversary committee, said the boycott is one of the most historically significant events in American history.

“The bus boycott is typically a domestic movement that was started by average, ordinary people and it was the people that were responsible for making it a success,” White said. “It’s an awesome prototype for social change and it impacted social change around the world.”

Jim Carrier, who wrote “A Traveler’s Guide to the Civil Rights Movement,” said the bus boycott is probably what Montgomery is most known for worldwide.

“It really brought to a closure the dream of the creed embodied in the founding fathers that all men were created equal,” Carrier said.

Actor Nick LaTour, son of E.D. Nixon, said the boycott was one of most important events to happen in the country.

“People couldn’t take it anymore and they were at the point that they thought, ‘This is enough. We got to do something about this,’ ” he said.

“It’s definitely something that should be remembered because of the victory that was won over segregation and discrimination laws.”

LaTour is also the founder of the E.D. Nixon Foundation in Montgomery and said the organization plans to help organize observance events.

Dr. Martin Luther King during the bus boycott of 1955.

Martin Luther King Day activities

Thur., Jan. 17, 7 p.m., Commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Continuing the Search for Civil Rights & Social Justice. Featuring Rabbi Ben Kamin, author of Room 306 and Nothing Like Sunshine in discussion with Ron Himes, Founding & Producing Director of the Saint Louis Black Repertory Company. Featuring a Special Presentation recognizing the accomplishments and forthcoming retirement of James Buford, President and CEO, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, for his role in the building and promoting of African-American/ Jewish relations. Staenberg Family Complex Gymnasium, 2 Millstone Campus Dr., 63146. For more information, call (314) 442-3299.

Sat., Jan. 19, 7:30 a.m., The St. Louis Art Museum hosts Sunrise Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Celebration: We Got What We Wanted But Lost What We Had. This year’s program will celebrate Dr. King’s dream for educational, economic, and social equality while remembering his vision for communities filled with peace and harmony. One Fine Arts Dr., 63110. For more information, call (314) 721-0072 or visit www.slam.org.

Sat., Jan. 19, 8 a.m., Express Scripts Foundation presents Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Health Fair & Luncheon with special guest Vickie Winans. Sheraton St. Louis County Center Hotel & Suites, 400 S. 14th St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 692-5642.

Sat., Jan. 19 – Mon., Jan. 21, The Saint Louis Science

Center presents the Minority Scientists Showcase, The Saint Louis Science Center brings together scientists, engineers and other sciencerelated professionals to share their stories and interact with young people and their families at the 23rd annual Saint Louis Science Center’s Minority Scientists Showcase. This free, three day event is a unique opportunity to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). No registration is required. More than 30 organizations, including Sigma Aldrich and Boeing, will participate over the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend. In addition, on Monday, there will be drawings for prizes, plus special science demonstrations, African dance performances, and jazz music at CenterStage on the lower level of the main building. Saint Louis Science Center, 5050 Oakland Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, contact Mia Harsley, Saint Louis Science Center, 314.289.1414.

Jan. 20, 3 p.m. & 7 p.m., Missouri History Museum presents “I May Not Get There With You” A Multi-media MLK Commemoration, With a concentration on speeches given during the final year of his life, homage is paid to King through poetry, music, images, and more. Missouri History Museum, Lindell and DeBaliviere in Forest Park. For more information, visit www. mohistory.org

Sat., Jan. 19, 3 p.m., The Griot Museum of Black History will launch its new year with the unveiling of a permanent exhibit on The

Ring,” Christ Church Cathedral hosts a day long reading of King’s speeches in a roundrobin style. Volunteers can sign up to manage sessions of 30 minutes at a time. 1210 Locust Street. Sign up at: letfreedomring2013.wikispaces. com/

Mon., Jan. 21, 10 a.m., Fifty Years of Fulfilling the Dream. Guest speaker Dr. Julianne Malveaux, and MC Rev. Martin Rafanan. Video will highlight UMSL’s historical civil rights events and figures over the past 50 years. Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, UMSL, 8001 Natural Bridge Rd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 5165695.

Honorable Senator J. B.

“Jet” Banks, former Senator of Missouri’s 5th District. The event will be held on Saturday, January 19, 3-6 p.m. at The Griot, 2505 St. Louis Ave. Admission is $25 per person. Pre-paid reservations are required, and may be made via Pay Pal on the The Griot’s website, thegriotmuseum.com.

Sun., Jan. 20, 1:30 p.m. Beloved Community Church presents A Moment with Martin, 3115 Park, St. Louis, MO 63104. For more information, call (314) 7717703.

Sun., Jan. 20, 4 p.m., 18th

Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration. A march, a dinner reception, and a community-

wide celebration and worship. Steger Sixth Grade Center, 701 N. Rock Hill Rd., 63119.

Jan. 21, 7:30 am, The YMCA of Greater St. Louis will hold the 28th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Breakfast at the Monsanto Family YMCA (5555 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63112). For more information please contact the Monsanto Family YMCA at 314.367.4646

Mon., Jan. 21, 9 a.m., Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Celebration and Civic Ceremony, Celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. with a public civic ceremony featuring music and speeches by community and civic leaders. A parade in downtown

St. Louis will follow this event. Old Courthouse, 11 North 4th Street, St. Louis, MO, 63102.

Mon., Jan. 21, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. St. Louis Metropolitan Area Chapters and Veterans for Peace present MLK, JR. Day of Service Program. Foundations of Money Management at 12:30 p.m., register at www. mlkjrmoneymgmt.eventbrite. com. MLK, Jr. Day of Service Program with keynote speaker Minister Terrance G. Clark of Shalom Church City of Peace, register at www.akamlkjr. eventbrite.com. Centenary Church, 1610 Olive St., 63103. For more information, email event@aka-omicroneatomega. org.

Jan. 21, 9 a.m., “Let Freedom

Mon., Jan. 21, 10 a.m., Southern Mission Baptist Church presents Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration. Guest speaker will be Dr. Gwendolyn Diggs, Asst. Superintendent of Ferguson-Florissant School District. There will also be muical guests. 8171 Wesley Ave., 63140. For more information, call (314) 521-3951.

Mon., Jan. 21, 10 a.m. Southern Mission Baptist Church (SMBC) Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Service with guest speaker Dr. Gwendolyn Diggs, Asst. Superintendent, FergusonFlorissant School District, 8171 Wesley Ave., Kinloch, MO. For more information, call (314) 522-9756.

Mon., Jan. 21, 10:30 a.m., Free MLK Day Basketball

Highlights

Saturday, February 2, 1:00–5:00 p.m.

African American Authors & Artists Expo Florissant Valley Branch 195 New Florissant Rd, South

Friday, February 8, 7:00–9:00 p.m.

Saturday, February 23, 1:00–3:00 p.m. Gift of Gospel Celebration Lewis and Clark Branch 9909 Lewis-Clark Blvd.

Wednesday, March 27, 7:00–9:00 p.m. “1968: When Reggae Hit the Town” Thornhill Branch 12863 Willowwyck Dr.

Saturday, April 6, 1:00–4:00 p.m. Let’s Talk Florissant Valley Branch 195 New Florissant Rd, South

A speech that changed the nation, touched the world

Dr. Martin Luther, King, Jr., delivered his most famous speech on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity. But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free.

One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land.

So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition. In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.

So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury

of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God’s children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality.

Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights.

The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges. But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. we must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone. And as we

walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” we can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to

Alabama, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor’s lips are

presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.” And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado! Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring. When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

Clinic. For youth on the autism spectrum. Staffed by high school and college basketball player volunteers that are eager to instruct and offer one on one individualized instruction to your child. Parents encouraged to stay and watch on bleachers. The Center of Clayton, 50 Gay Ave., 63195.

Mon., Jan. 21, 4 p.m., Washington University School of Medicine Annual MLK Lecture featuring Dr. David Williams, Professor of African American Studies, Sociology, and Public Health at Harvard University, Washington University School of Medicine, Eric P. Newman Education Center, 320 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110. To RSVP please call (314)362-6854 or email mpatterson@wustl.ed

Jan. 22, 7 p.m., “I’ve Been To The Mountaintop: Readers Theater In Four Voices”Theater group A Call2Conscience performs a

dramatic reading of King’s speech “I’ve Been To The Mountaintop,” including songs and audience participation. St. Louis Public LibraryCarpenter Branch, 3309 South Grand Boulevard

Through Jan. 24, The Judicial Learning Center presents Freedom Riders Exhibit. A look at six months in 1961 when more than 400 courageous Americans - old and young, black and white, men and women, Northern and Southern - risked their lives to challenge segregated facilities in the South. The exhibit tells the harrowing and inspirational civil rights story that changed American forever. The exhibition combines powerful photography, news coverage, and first-hand audio accounts to create a moving and empowering experience for viewers. Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse, 111 S. Tenth St., 63102. For more information, visit www. judiciallearningcenter.org.

Fri., Jan. 25, 7 p.m., St. Louis

County Library presents Black History Month KickOff. Miss Robbie Montgomery owns three soul food restaurants in St. Louis and is the star of the top rated television program, “Welcome to Sweetie Pies.” Miss Montgomery will share her fascinating life journey that led her to become a successful businesswoman. Join us afterwards for a sample of desserts from Sweetie Pies. St. Louis County Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh, 63131. For more information, call (314) 9943300.

Sat., Jan. 26, 11 a.m., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Zeta Sigma Chapter presents Dr. George Washington Carver’s Vision for the future: S.T.E.M. This year’s program will feature successful members of the community who are currently in S.T.E.M. related positions. This is an opportunity for all age groups in the community, to learn more about careers relating to science, technology, engineering, and math from persons in these positions. Herbert Hoover Boys & Girls Club, 2901 N. Grand Blvd., 63107. For more information, call (314) 560-2530.

Sun., Jan. 27, 3 p.m., St. Alphonsus “Rock” Church presents Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration/Essay Contest. Reading of winning essays and award presentations, with special guest Bonita Cornute of Channel 2 News. 1118 North Grand Blvd., 63106. For more information, call (314) 382-9545.

Mon., Jan. 28, 6 p.m., “King, Montgomery To Memphis,” St. Louis Public Library presents a documentary screening that traces the life of Dr. King with newsreel and television footage. Julia Davis Branch Library, 4415 Natural Bridge Avenue.

Postal Service honors Emancipation

Proclamation anniversary

The U.S. Postal Service has commemorated the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, which President Abraham Lincoln signed on Jan. 1, 1863. To commemorate this milestone, the Postal Service introduced a limitededition Forever Stamp at The National Archives in Washington, D.C., which houses the historic document.

The Emancipation Proclamation Forever Stamp is on sale at Post Offices nationwide, and can be purchased online at www. usps.com/stamps or by phone at 800-782-6724.

The Emancipation Proclamation Forever Stamp represents freedom and is the first in a series of three Civil Rights stamps to be released in 2013. The remaining stamps in the series, to be issued later this year, mark enduring moments of courage and equality in the civil rights movement by featuring Rosa Parks and the March on Washington.

“Stamps often tap into our culture and help us remember the events and people who have had an impact on American history,” said Deputy Postmaster General Ronald A. Stroman. “The Emancipation Proclamation was a powerful symbol of President Lincoln’s determination to end the war, to end slavery, and to reconstruct the economy of the country without slave labor.”

Renowned graphic designer Gail Anderson partnered with art director Antonio Alcalá to

In 1963 the Postal Service issued a stamp for the 100th anniversary of the Proclamation designed by George Olden, the irst African American to design a U.S. postage stamp.

design the new 2013 stamp. It prominently features the phrase, “Henceforward Shall Be Free,” which is taken from the historic document. It also notes Abraham Lincoln’s name and the year the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Anderson, known for her term as senior art director at Rolling Stone magazine and design of Broadway play posters, revels in making typography from old forms. To evoke the look of posters from the Civil War era, she tapped Hatch Show Print of Nashville, TN, to produce the Emancipation

Proclamation stamp. Established in 1879, Hatch is one of the oldest working letterpress print shops in America and employs the motto, “preservation through production.”

The Emancipation Proclamation stamp is the latest stamp to be issued by the Postal Service in tribute to civil rights events or leaders. In 2009, the organization released stamps featuring 12 civil rights pioneers including Mary Church Terrell and Mary White Ovington, and every year it commemorates notable leaders and cultural milestones through other stamp collections such as the Black Heritage series and the American Treasures series. On August 16, 1963, the Postal Service issued a stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. The stamp was designed by George Olden, who was the first African American to design a U.S. postage stamp. The Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic Catalog, online at usps. com/shop, or by calling 800782-6724. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-782-6724 or writing to: U.S. Postal Service, Catalog Request, PO Box 219014, Kansas City, MO 64121-9014.

Mon., Jan. 21, 10 a.m., “Fifty Years of Fulfilling the Dream” with guest speaker Dr. Julianne Malveaux, and MC Rev. Martin Rafanan at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, UMSL

Umoja to keynote OBS anniversary

Saturday, January 26 at Gateway Classic

American staff

Akinyele Umoja will be the featured speaker at the 33rd Anniversary Celebration of the Organization for Black Struggle and its youth component, the Youth Council for Positive Development.

The dinner program is Saturday, January 26 at 4 pm and will be held at the Gateway Classic Foundation, 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. As a scholar-activist, Umoja has been active over 40 years in the Black liberation struggle and New Afrikan Independence Movement. Umoja is a founding member of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (MXGM) and the New Afrikan Peoples Organization (NAPO). He is currently chair of the Department of AfricanAmerican Studies at Georgia State University where he teaches courses on the history of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements and other Black political

and social movements. His book, We Will Shoot Back: Armed Resistance and the Mississippi Freedom Movement, will be published this spring.

Umoja will speak to the theme “Black Empowerment and Participation: No to Repression and Plantation Politics!” The theme centers on the obstacles facing African Americans as we fight for inclusion and equity in a hostile period in history. African-Americans are facing all types of repression from police violence to mass incarceration. St. Louis’ unique brand of racism in politics is one of the critical barriers to economic justice and political parity. The anniversary celebration is open to the public. For tickets or souvenir ad information, call 314.367.5959. Tickets and ads can be purchased via the OBS website at www.obsonthemove.org

BJC honors MLK

Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals will jointly host “Overcoming Inequity… Embracing Diversity,” a celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The first of two services will be at noon, Jan. 18, in the third floor auditorium at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, 1 Children’s Place, 63110.

A second service will be held at noon, Jan. 21, at the Eric P. Newman Education Center, 320 S. Euclid, 63110.

Both services include an 11:30 a.m. musical prelude.

The Jan. 18 service will feature Reverend Michele Sue,

the first African-American woman to be ordained an Elder in Missouri United Methodism.

The Jan. 21 service will feature Sister Mary Antona Ebo, FSM, founding member and past president of the National Black Sisters Conference. Sister Antona Ebo, a Franciscan Sister of Mary, was part of a St. Louis delegation of Catholic sisters who were pioneers in the struggle for civil rights in Selma, Alabama. For more information, contact Elisha Donaldson, at EDD8358@bjc.org

Boarding the Dream with the King

By Eugene B. Redmond

I From Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston’s elite commons (O ritual ground of Crispus Attacks), Montgomery’s Parks of Roses & the steps of Monument Hill, God’s dreamer stunned us with stainless, sermonic love, A Morehouse drumvoice exorcising ghosts in crucibles of color— in Selma & Cicero, Motown & Memphis, Vietnam & Oslo— his march, his prayer, his orature aiming an afro-biblio-nommo-flo-show at the intersection of tobacco row & smug white/powerites/domes nestled in hammocks of gold & snow

Bold & irresistible as Benin bronzes & electric as a Fannie Lou Hamer freedom sweep,

Our Honorable Reverend Doctor Dreamer Soular Riveter Noble Nobelist imbibed the goodbook & the goodfoot,

wrestled like Job with racial tsunamis & brought balms of equity to urban garbage wielders,

Sharpshooting man of Sod, who trod sands like a 33rd degree, when we celebrated & commiserated in Kennedy’s D. C.— circa nineteen sixty-three, then paved poverty with self-reliant power from atop the mountain at that 12th hour, but even those who struck Memphis-straight in sixty-eight could not the king of dreamers sequester or sedate: & yo, his civil-spiritual legions slumber in namesake edifices waiting to be awakened from the nightmare of Reality TV and abide a new morning of dreambrilliant clarity, in wide-eyed Real Fiction where they shall have overcome

Sister Mary Antona Ebo

Akinyele Umoja

Naval Academy Gospel Choir does MLK tour

To perform in St. Louis Jan. 19-20

American staff

The internationallyacclaimed U.S. Naval Academy Gospel Choir will take their Martin Luther King Jr. weekend tour to the St. Louis area on Saturday, Jan. 19, and Sunday, Jan. 20.

The Saturday concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Bonhomme Presbyterian Church, located at 14820 Conway Road, Chesterfield, Mo. The concert is free and no tickets are required. Doors open at 7 p.m.

On Sunday, the Gospel Choir will provide music for the 11 a.m. Mass at St. Alphonsus “The Rock” Church, located at 1118 N. Grand Blvd, St. Louis, Mo. They will also perform a public concert at St. Alphonsus Church on Sunday, Jan. 20 at 4 p.m. The concert is free and no tickets required. Doors open at 3:30 p.m.

The U.S. Naval Academy Gospel Choir, under the direction of Karla Scott, is an upbeat inspirational musical ensemble comprised of midshipmen from of various races and creeds and reflects the diverse interests and ethnicities within the Brigade of Midshipmen. The choir regularly travels throughout the U.S. and abroad to represent the naval service through their unique musical talents and passion to praise through song. Their ten-day trip to Korea in March 2011 garnered international acclaim from ambassadors and state

department officials.

“We are looking forward to bringing this premiere ensemble to St. Louis to give the gift of music to the St. Louis community,” said Karla Scott, Gospel Choir Director. “When we sing, we honor, through our music those who have served our nation. All of

East High School and St. John Vianney High School, to provide special assembly programs for their student bodies. Student assembly concerts are not open to the public.

Founded in 1845, the U.S. Naval Academy today is a prestigious four-year

n “We are looking forward to bringing this premiere ensemble to St. Louis.”

– Karla Scott,

U.S. Naval Academy Gospel Choir Director

our midshipmen will be serving our country as officers in the Navy and Marine Corps upon graduation and commissioning from the Naval Academy.”

In addition to the above public events, the Gospel Choir will visit two St. Louis area high schools, Hazelwood

service academy that prepares midshipmen morally, mentally and physically to be professional officers in the naval service. More than 4,400 men and women representing every state in the U.S. and several foreign countries make up the student body, known as

the Brigade of Midshipmen.

U.S. News and World Reports has recognized the Naval Academy as a top five undergraduate engineering school and a top 20 best liberal arts college. Midshipmen learn from military and civilian instructors and participate in intercollegiate varsity sports and extracurricular activities. They also study subjects like small arms, drill, seamanship and navigation, tactics, naval engineering and weapons, leadership, ethics and military law.

Upon graduation, midshipmen earn a federally funded Bachelor of Science degree in a choice of 23 different subject majors and go on to serve at least five years of service as commissioned officers in the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps.

For more information on the USNA Gospel Choir, please visit www.usna.edu/music. For more information about the Naval Academy, visit www. usna.edu.

Wash U celebrates MLK Day

With the theme “Hope in Action,” the 26th annual Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration launches with a number of events at Washington University in St. Louis, all free and open to the public.

The commemoration is set for 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 21, in Graham Chapel on the Danforth Campus. KTVI Fox 2 news anchorreporter Kim Hudson is the program emcee. Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton will give the opening remarks and Adrienne D. Davis, JD, vice provost and the William M. Van Cleve Professor in the School of Law, will be the faculty keynote speaker. The Rosa L. Parks Award for Meritorious Service to the Community will be presented during the ceremony. The program will feature the Visions Gospel Choir, the Orchestrating Diversity urban youth orchestra and other student presentations. A reception in Danforth University Center will follow. For more information, contact Committee Chair Harvey R. Fields Jr., PhD, at (314) 935-5965 or visit diversity.wustl.edu/ mlk.

Also in remembrance of the slain civil rights leader, the Society of Black Student Social Workers and the Office of Student Affairs at the Brown School will host its annual Financial Freedom Seminar Saturday, Jan. 19. “Building the Foundation to Your Financial Legacy,” takes place from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Goldfarb Hall. To register and view a complete list of presenters, visit brownschool.wustl.

Adrienne D. Davis, JD, vice provost and the William M. Van Cleve Professor in the School ofLaw,willbethefaculty keynote speaker.

edu or email sbssw@ brownschool.wustl.edu or call (314) 935-3466. The School of Medicine’s Office of Diversity Programs will present its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Lecture at 4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 21, in the Eric P. Newman Education Center. Guest speaker is David R. Williams, PhD, is the Florence Sprague Norman and Laura Smart Norman Professor of Public Health at the Harvard School of Public Health and professor of African and African-American studies and sociology at Harvard University. He is internationally recognized as a leading social scientist with a focus on social influences on health and was a key scientific adviser to the award-winning PBS film series, Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick? For more information, call (314) 362-6854.

The U.S. Naval Academy Gospel Choir is an upbeat inspirational musical ensemble comprised of midshipmen of various races and creeds.