St. LouiS AmericAn
Beaten officer Luther Hall’s case again has all-white jury
Lone Black final panelist dismissed
By Christine Byers/KSDK
An all-white jury has been seated for a second time to decide the fate of white St. Louis police officers accused of assaulting Black colleague Luther Hall, who was working undercover as a protester in 2017.
n
for striking the juror, saying this trial involves a racial component because the accused officers are white, and the victim is Black. She also argued the potential juror’s cousin was convicted in 1996, so enough time has passed for the juror to remain impartial. Judge E. Richard Webber denied the challenge. The accused officers, Christopher Myers and
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Costantin invoked what is known as a Batson challenge — forcing the defense to provide a race-neutral reason
Defense attorney Scott Rosenblum successfully argued the lone Black man who made it to the final panel should be dismissed because he has a cousin who is incarcerated and is still in touch with his cousin’s mother. He added the government routinely uses incarcerated loved ones as a reason to strike jurors from panels involving Black defendants. Rosenblum also argued he was striking a white woman from the alternate juror pool for the same reason.
Bradford makes puzzling break from HSSU
LaTonia Collins Smith named interim president
By Alvin A. Reid
American
Of the St. Louis
Then-Harris-Stowe State University president Corey Bradford was beaming during the school’s 2021 commencement ceremony on May 8. Less than a month later, and just more than a year after leaving Prairie View A&M University to accept the position in St. Louis, Bradford has left for an undisclosed job at an undisclosed research university – and no one knows why or will not divulge what is going on.
In a June 4 press release, the school said Bradford, the school’s 20th president, was “leaving Harris-Stowe State University to pursue an opportunity at a research university. The HSSU Board of Regents thanks Dr. Bradford for his leadership.”
By Dana Rieck of The St. Louis American
The American contacted HSSU for details on Bradford’s sudden departure. Alandrea Stewart, executive director of communications and marketing, said via email, “The only thing we know at this time is that Dr. Bradford left to pursue an opportunity at a research university, and we wish him the very best.”
“We are confident that Harris-Stowe State University will continue to build upon its strong reputation, ensuring its importance to the St. Louis region,” said Stewart, who was honored during the 2018 St. Louis American Foundation Salute to Young Leaders. Stewart referred further questions to Lents & Associates, who she described as the university’s communication consultants. Peggy Lents then provided the American with the same press release it received June 4 and included no additional information.
The 2021 Shakespeare in the Park production of King Lear starring Andre De Shields and directed by Carl Cofield continues its run in Forest Park through June 27. For more on the play and Black Rep actress Christina Francis Yancy see Living It, C1.
Photo by Lia Chang
LaTonia Collins Smith
Neal Richardson has been named executive director of the St. Louis Development
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Maxim
names Teyana Taylor ‘Sexiest Woman Alive’
For the first time, a Black woman has been named Maxim’s ‘Sexiest Woman Alive.’ The publication crowned singer and actress Teyana Taylor with the honor. On Monday, she posted the news with photos from the July/August cover shoot to her Instagram account with the caption, “Somebody pinch me!!!!”
The mother to daughters and Rue, and wife of NBA player Iman Shumpert being back in front of a camera again has been a self-reflection and self-confidence journey for her, explaining that she was a bit unnerved by the experi ence.
“As an entrepreneur, wife, a busy mother of two & working behind the lens in my director bag I tend to hide behind my sweats & vintage tees, My “Spike Tey” glasses, and whatever hairstyle I’ve mustered up
that day,” she said. “So as you can see I don’t have much time to be and feel sexy. This particular day was dope because it made me see another side of myself.”
Naomi Osaka leaves German Open citing mental health issues
Champion tennis phenom Naomi Osaka has been in the headlines after dropping out of the German Open grass court tournament. The move came after her withdrawal from the French Open due to mental health reasons. Berlin WTA organizers told they received notice that Osaka would not start in Berlin and after speaking with her management they agreed that she needed a
The world’s second-ranked woman tennis player announced her removal from the French Open on Instagram a day after Grand Slam officials said they would fine her $15,000 for not attending press conferences and shunning interviews.
“I never wanted to be a distraction and I accept that my timing was not ideal and my message could have been clearer,” Osaka wrote. “More importantly I would never trivialize mental health or use the term lightly.”
The German Open begins June 14 and is a warm up event for the presti-
gious Wimbledon Open in England.
Fans and athletes showed their support for Osaka’s decision to prioritize her mental health over her workload. Nike, whom Osaka has a sponsorship deal with, issued a statement of support.
“Our thoughts are with Naomi,” Nike said in the statement. “We support her and recognize her courage in sharing her own mental health experience.”
No statement has been made yet on when Osaka will resume tournament play.
Offset claims Migos made trap music popular amid ‘Culture 3’ release
In an interview with Billboard ahead of his group’s ‘Culture 3’ album release, Offset shared that he feels Migos hasn’t fully received their flowers for allegedly making trap music mainstream.
last project. He said ‘Culture 3’ is filled with a lot of creativity this time around.
“We not just doing one verse and one verse — we’re switching it up,” he said. “We doing things other people can’t do because we the only group. We got creative with our flows, so we could stamp another [movement]. We feel like we gonna lead the pack with this album.”
Mariah Carey addresses rumors of explosive Roc Nation meeting with Jay-Z
“We made this trap go pop,” he said. “They don’t talk about that. We made trap go pop talking about selling pounds and bricks, and we hit Billboard No. 1. Hip-hop artists weren’t going No. 1 like that, but now it just be ‘bang, bang, bang.’”
While it’s been three years since Offset, Quavo, and Takeoff have dropped an album, Offset believes the group has grown since their
British tabloid newspaper The Sun reported on June 4, that Jay-Z and Mariah Carey had an “explosive meeting” that caused her to exit his management company, Roc Nation. She signed with the firm in November 2017 following the firing of former manager Stella Bulochnikov, an R&B album and world tour. Carey cleared the air on June 7 reminding people of her and one of Jay-Z’s biggest songs, “Heartbreaker,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1999. She tweeted, “The only ‘explosive’ situation I’d ever ‘get into’ with Hov is a creative tangent, such as our #1 song ‘Heartbreaker’!!” with a 45-second snippet of their music video. “To the people who make up these lies I say ‘Poof! --Vamoose, sonofa*****’!’”
Teyana Taylor
Naomi Osaka
Mariah Carey
Mound City Bar thrilled by Judge Ransom’s appointment
President says it’s not a political move
By Dana Rieck
Of The St. Louis American
Last month, Judge Robin Ransom became the first Black woman to be appointed to the Missouri Supreme Court and was only the fifth woman to serve on the state’s highest court since its founding in 1820 and is Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s first Supreme Court appointment.
Steven Harmon said members of the Mound City Bar are thrilled that Ransom, who is a member of the association, was appointed.
Harmon is president of the Mound City Bar, which is the oldest African American bar association west of the Mississippi River. It was organized as the St. Louis Negro Bar Association in 1922 when Black lawyers were not allowed to join the all-white St. Louis Bar Association.
“It’s a great honor for her and for our association, but back to the perspective regarding the governor’s appointment, I mean, I, myself, as well as our members, we’re pleased that he made the appointment,” Harmon said.
\“He has appointed other African American judges to
the circuit bench, but this is his first appointment to the supreme court, so we’re just thrilled with that.”
Harmon said that while local media outlets characterized the governor’s appointment as a political move to garner support from the state’s Black voters, he doesn’t see it that way.
“I don’t look at it as that so much as that Judge Ransom was qualified for the appointment and it’s well deserved,” he said. “So, I don’t want to, I guess, diminish her appointment and reduce it down to a statement of she was appointed by a Republican governor — who in these times is trying to either mend fences or build bridges or to reach out to the African American Community to arner support. I don’t think it’s about that, at least from my perspective.”
He doesn’t believe her appointment will alter the political landscape within the state or the judicial landscape at large.
“If we were talking about the Supreme Court of the United States, we’d probably be having a different discussion,” Harmon said, “So yeah, I don’t think it’ll really alter
Judge Robin Ransom’s appointment to the state Supreme Court was barely official when the “she got the job because she is a Black woman” criticism began. this is a notion the Mound City Bar Association and others strongly refute.
things dramatically politically or judicially.”
Kimberly Norwood, a Washington University School of Law professor, bristles at
the thought that Ransom is not qualified and chides critics who say her race got her the job.
“Amazingly, even though judicial appointments state-
wide have been overwhelmingly White and overwhelmingly male, there is almost never any challenge to the Governor’s appointments based on race when that selection is made of a white nominee,” she wrote in response to a letter in the St. Louis PostDispatch.
“White nominees are assumed to be qualified.
Yet, the minute a person of color, a Black person in this case, is nominated, the person is presumed to be unqualified.
Missouri Supreme Court in October 2011 and is still serving as a justice. He’s been chief justice since July 2019, with his term set to expire at the end of the month.
Harmon said Ransom’s appointment is another impressive gain for Black women across the country.
n “This is another shining example of Black girl magic.”
-Steven Harmon, Mound City Bar Association president
“Are we really about to accept another big lie; that every white person appointed to the court has been selected and appointed based on merit and not based on race? Why do some only seem to be concerned with merit and qualifications when the person involved is Black?”
The Missouri Supreme Court has had two other Black judges — Ronnie White and George Draper III — both of whom are also members of the Mound City Bar. White served on the court from October 1995 through July 2007 and served a twoyear term as chief justice through June 2005. He was the first Black person appointed to the court. Draper was appointed to the
“This is another shining example of Black girl magic, so to speak, if you notice a lot going on, not just locally here in Missouri ... [but] as well as other cities and states around the country, a lot of African American women are making gains and achieving offices and appointments that have never been held by African American women.”
The four women — all white — who served on the Missouri Supreme Court before Judge Ransom are Judge Ann K. Covington, who was the first woman appointed to the court in 1989 and served until 2001; Judge Patricia A. Breckenridge, who was appointed in 2007 and is still serving; Judge Mary Rhodes Russell, who was appointed in 2004 and is still serving; and Judge Stith, who was appointed in 2001 and retired in March.
Photo by Wiley Price/St. Louis American
Manchin’s fantasy a Black voter nightmare
Sen. Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., has the right to live in a make-believe wonderland if he so chooses. But his party and his nation will pay a terrible price for his hallucinations about the nature of today’s Republican Party. And even this sacrifice might not guarantee that Manchin can hold onto support back home. Manchin’s declaration Sunday that he will vote against sweeping legislation to guarantee voting rights nationwide and that he “will not vote to weaken or eliminate” the Senate filibuster is a huge blow to President Joe Biden’s hopes of enacting his ambitious agenda. There’s no way to spin this as anything other than awful. Manchin’s decision is a catastrophe not just for this particular bill, though he has almost certainly doomed the legislation. A senior administration official told me Monday that “none of this is a surprise to those who have heard Manchin’s views” and that the White House will continue working to “make progress notwithstanding the difficult challenges in front of us, including a 50-vote Senate.” But thanks to Manchin’s decision, Biden doesn’t even have a 50-vote Senate for what many Democrats see as an existential fight against the GOP’s attempt to gain and keep power through voter suppression. The 49 Senate votes left after Manchin’s defection will take Biden and the Democrats precisely nowhere.
— the one Manchin ostensibly belongs to — believes in guaranteeing access to the polls for all eligible voters, making political donations more transparent, tightening ethics rules for members of Congress and ensuring that congressional districts are drawn fairly. The other party doesn’t want to do any of those things, because Republicans see these reforms as threatening the GOP’s ability to win national elections with the support of a minority of voters.
Trump’s incoherent policies so robbed the GOP of any consistent philosophy that last year’s national convention did not even attempt to produce a party platform. Republicans have replaced ideological litmus tests with pledges of loyalty to the former president. Opposing efforts to expand and guarantee voting rights appears to be the one policy idea they can all agree on. Look, I understand the reality of Manchin’s situation. He is himself a political unicorn — a Democrat sent to the Senate by one of the most Republican states in the country. But insisting on bipartisanship in all things might not be a magical talisman against defeat.
As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues
Power and pride to the people!
By Ben Jealous
Happy Pride month to Black LGBTQ readers and to all of us who love LGBTQ people!
June has become the traditional month for Pride celebrations in honor of gay and transgender people, including Black and brown gay liberation and transgender rights activists including Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. They fought against harassment and abusive policing in June 1969. These protests became known as the Stonewall riots. They energized the LGBTQ rights movement and gave momentum to the demand of full equality for LGBTQ Americans.
progress toward the full equality and inclusion of LGBTQ people in our communities and country. That progress can be seen in public attitudes. Most Americans, including threequarters of Black Americans, support laws that protect LGBTQ people against discrimination.
Worse, Manchin is asking Democrats to respond to ruthlessness with delusion. In an op-ed in the West Virginia paper the Charleston Gazette-Mail, Manchin said he will oppose the For the People Act, passed by the House in March, because it has no Republican support. “I believe that partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy,” he wrote.
Manchin did say he supports another proposed House bill, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would essentially restore provisions of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act forbidding some states to change election laws without obtaining preclearance from the Justice Department. The original preclearance rules were struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013. But Manchin wants this, too, to win bipartisan support. Unless Manchin changes his position on the filibuster, 10 Republican senators would have to cross the aisle and join with Democrats. So far, there is one — Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. The other nine must be in some parallel dimension, visible only to Manchin, where all the leprechauns, tooth fairies and unicorns are hiding.
Inconveniently for Manchin’s fantasies of unity, the fact is that one of our major parties
A new survey of 600 likely 2022 general election voters from West Virginia commissioned by End Citizens United, a Democratic group advocating for passage of the For the People Act, and conducted by the polling firm ALG Research shows that Manchin is viewed favorably by 43% of voters and unfavorably by 50%. (The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.)
One poll question suggests a contradiction that implies the limits of Manchin’s dedication to defying political gravity, both at home and in Washington. The self-identified non-conservative Democrats who provide Manchin’s strongest base of support, with 59% viewing him favorably, are also the most skeptical of the filibuster Manchin has pledged himself to protect. Twenty percent of them say the filibuster should be eliminated, and another 45% say it should be reformed. Fortythree percent of West Virginians overall say the filibuster should remain unchanged. That is just one poll, and Manchin’s history of winning suggests he knows his state. But even Manchin has to hold on to his strongest supporters. Blocking Biden’s agenda and allowing GOP voter suppression are not stances that will help him win his next election or change Washington’s increasingly twisted laws of politics. In this fairy tale, Manchin is setting himself up to be the villain.
Eugene Robinson is a Washington Post columnist and MSNBC contributor.
Jimmy Crow flies high –just as granddad did
By Marc Morial
“The lie of massive, rampant voter fraud is serving the same function today as it did during the rise of Jim Crow. It stokes fear in a segment of the population that democracy is in peril, and thus provides cover for laws that target Black voters with raceneutral language in the 21st century.” -- Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel, NAACP Legal Defense Fund Meet Jimmy Crow. You may remember Jimmy’s grandfather, Jim Crow. Jim sometimes wore a hood and a robe, and sometimes a sheriff’s badge. He administered incomprehensible “literacy tests” to Black citizens trying to register to vote. He clubbed John Lewis nearly to death on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The n-word flowed freely from Jim’s lips. You may remember Jimmy’s father, James Crow, Esquire. James wore a suit and a tie instead of a robe and hood. He drew gerrymandered congressional and legislative districts to dilute the power of the Black vote. James would never utter the n-word – at least not in public. Instead, he would winkingly refer to “states’ rights” and “welfare queens.” Jimmy Crow wears a golf shirt and khaki pants. He carries a tiki torch in place of a burning cross. Jimmy’s not content with suppressing and diluting the Black vote; he wants the power to ignore election results altogether if
he doesn’t like the outcome. He fiercely guards the symbols of white supremacy his grandfather erected on town squares and courthouse grounds to intimidate Black Americans. He rants about “replacement theory” and “the purity of the ballot box.” Like his grandfather, Jimmy Crow is not just willing but eager to use violence to enforce his white supremacist ideology. After neo-Nazi sympathizer James Alex Fields, Jr., killed counterprotestor Heather Heyer by driving his car into a crowd at the 2017 “Unite the Right Rally” at least six states proposed laws to protect drivers who emulate Fields. In a single month last year, at least 72 drivers rammed their cars into protesters in 52 different cities. Insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6 assaulted about 140 police officers, bashing their heads, shoving them down stairwells, stabbing them with metal poles and blasting them with pepper spray. Jimmy Crow is unrepentant for this revolting brutality, or for the racist lies that provoked it. Just hours after their colleagues’ lives were
threatened and rioters openly called for Vice President Pence to be hanged, 147 members of Congress voted to overturn the results of a free and fair Presidential election.
In 1964 and 1965, the nation triumphed over Jim Crow by enacting the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. We dealt a blow to James Crow, Esq., in the 2008 presidential election, when the Black voting rate exceeded the white rate for the first time in U.S. history –and repeated the feat in 2012.
To fight their descendant Jimmy Crow, Congress must pass, and President Biden must sign the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and The For the People Act. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would restore Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, struck down in 2013 by the U.S. Supreme Court in Shelby v. Holder, that required federal approval for any changes to voting laws in jurisdictions with a history of voter suppression. Among the For The People Act’s sweeping provisions, it eliminates racially motivated voter suppression tactics like cumbersome voter registration requirements, strict I.D. requirements, limited voting hours and restrictions on voting by mail. It bans deceptive practices and voter intimidation. And it bans the partisan gerrymandering that dilutes the political influence of communities of color.
Marc H. Morial is president and CEO of the National Urban League.
Over the years, voices of clarity and conscience moved the civil and human rights movements to fully embrace the cause of LGBTQ equality. My mentor, the late civil rights champion Julian Bond, was clear that fighting for equality means fighting for equality for everyone. He knew that Bayard Rustin, an organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, was a gay Black man who changed history.
Another history-making leader, President Barack Obama, signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009. That law was named for two people killed in attacks fueled by bigotry—Shepard, a young gay man beaten and left to die, and Byrd, Jr., a Black man dragged from a truck in a brutal lynching in 1998.
Passing hate crimes legislation was a major victory, but fighting hate is unfinished business. Violence against Black LGBTQ people still takes far too many lives every year.
We mourn our losses and reaffirm our commitment to fight bigotry. But Pride is also about celebration. We celebrate
One of my proudest moments as president of the NAACP was announcing the organization’s support for marriage equality in 2012. The press conference announcing that policy was emotional for me because marriage equality is personal. My parents—my Black mother and white father—were confronted by laws that made it illegal for them to get married in some states. That was before the U.S. Supreme Court did away with state laws that banned interracial marriage in 1967.
It took almost 50 years, and a lot of hard work by equality activists, before the Supreme Court overturned state laws that kept same-sex couples from getting married. That 2015 ruling was another milestone on the road to full legal and lived equality for LGBTQ people in this country.
As we all know, progress often brings backlash. We see it everywhere.
Black voters turned out in key states last year to defeat Donald Trump and elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. This year, Republican legislators are passing new voter suppression laws. They want to
Letters to the editor
Case against Kim Gardner based on racism, sexism
I find it very disturbing that the charges filed against St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner to have her law license taken have not summarily been dismissed by the “powers to be.” But such a righteous decision flies in the face of today’s reality, because of the current atmosphere of racism and sexism that is pervasive in this brazen attempt to both discredit and disbar Ms. Gardner. Why do I say racism and sexism? It is obvious to all to see that here you have a Black female, who had the audacity to file charges against the Republican Governor/Golden Boy of that time, Eric Greitens. He was alleged to have violated the rights of a white female. Eventually, Greitens had to resign. However, this bold move by Ms. Gardner was too much for the good old boys in Greitens’ camp. So similar to the past history of this country, a legal lynch mob of powerful white men and women was established to put this Black woman in her place. So here we have an uppity Black female who must be taught a lesson. In the process of attack-
punish Black voters by making it harder to register and vote in the future. That is why Democrats in Congress need to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. We are also seeing a backlash against equality for all. Right-wing legislators are passing laws to restrict LGBTQ rights. Right-wing legal groups are pushing Trump-appointed judges to roll back legal equality. That is why Democrats in Congress need to pass the Equality Act. You might hear some politicians raising false alarms about the Equality Act. Do not listen to them. They told the same kind of lies when they were fighting the hate crimes law. And none of them came to pass.
What has come to pass, thanks to Black voters and everyone who helped put the Biden-Harris administration in power, is a return to equality as U.S. government policy. The administration wasted no time reversing some of the Trump team’s attacks on equality. And last month a Black gay woman made history. Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre became the first openly gay Black woman to lead a press briefing at the White House. “Being behind this podium, being in this room, being in this building, is not about one person, it’s about what we do on behalf of the American people,” she said. It is about what we do on behalf of the American people. That is a good principle for all of us to embrace as we celebrate Pride and work to build a country in which we the people means all the people. Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way and People For the American Way Foundation.
edited for length and style.
ing her, the democratic rights of St. Louis voters are being assailed because she was overwhelmingly re-elected with over 70% of the votes. In addition, nearly $800,000 of the taxpayer’s monies have been spent in this vendetta against Ms. Gardner.
Finally, in response to their efforts to destroy Ms. Gardner by basing their case on the Brady Rule, which requires prosecutors to disclose any evidence to a defendant with regards to innocence or guilt, witness or sentencing, I must quote Bennett Gershman, a leading national expert on prosecutorial ethics issues and a former Manhattan District Attorney.
In an interview with a local media outlet regarding Ms. Gardner’s case, Mr. Gershman stated “the matters they are talking about are peripheral, marginal, attenuated, trivial. There’s nothing central to the case. I haven’t seen anything she did that violated the Brady Rule or any other rules.”
Accordingly, I repeat “the case against Kim Gardner has the stench of racism and sexism!!!” Ziah Reddick St. Louis
Columnist Eugene Robinson
Columnist Ben Jealous
Columnist Marc H. Morial
ULI is REDI to develop more diversity among real estate professionals
Special to the American
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) St. Louis is accepting applications for its education initiative aimed at increasing the diversity of local real estate development professionals. In its third year, the Real Estate Diversity Initiative (REDI) works to help people of color and women advance their careers as real estate developers.
In response to the benchmark Ferguson Commission report, ULI seeks to energize greater engagement in equitable development.
“After listening to students and our volunteer teaching corps, we’ve made some refinements to the REDI program,” said Kacey Cordes, chair of ULI St. Louis and vice president of affordable housing at US Bancorp CDC.
“They include more detailed information on certain aspects of the curriculum, such as construction and community engagement, as well as broader plans for follow-on engagement with other professionals and potential mentors in the real estate industry.”
The month-long application window began June 1. It is posted online at www. stlouis.uli.org, where additional information about the program and ULI can be found. REDI classes will run from 6-8 p.m. Mondays, Aug. 30 to Dec. 13. The 15-session curriculum will be taught by ULI volunteer professionals in the fields of finance, design, urban planning and real estate development. It covers feasibility studies, financing, market research and real estate planning and engages students in work on an active development site. To date, 56 students have been taught in the REDI program. Nineteen volunteer instructors and 16 mentors will guide students through the REDI program, and they represent real estate industry companies including LJC, Development Strategies, SWT Design, Green Street St. Louis and more.
Mentors are drawn from companies including NorthPoint Development, CASCO+R5, Enterprise Bank, Cortex, US Bank and others.
As if marching could make a difference
By Rev. Dorothy Boulware
A year ago vehement protests were continuing in the light of the murder of George Floyd, 46, by former police officer Derrick Chauvin; while onlookers begged him to stop and fellow police officers stood by, as if giving silent assent.
It certainly wasn’t the first time police in this country have been accused of “allegedly” murdering young Black men and women while detaining them for things as innocuous as selling loose cigarettes, in the case of Earl Garner; or a traffic stop, in the case of Sandra Bland.
Or what in the case of Brianna Taylor, 20, as she slept in her house in Louisville, Kentucky.
It wasn’t the first time.
But this time, feet started to march in Minneapolis, the city of Floyd’s murder. And with the same energy of a domino effect, feet started marching in neighboring cities and in neighboring states.
Although law enforcers tried to discourage the protests, feet began to march with determination. They marched in most of the 50 states of this country. In inner cities and in counties. In rural areas and in town centers. As if marching could make a difference.
Signs went up in the hands of the marchers. Signs went up in front yards of homeowners. Signs went up even on cars and vehicles.
Feet marched with determined cadence. All over the world. They marched in solidarity with Black people who have been crying for justice in the face of police brutality. Forever. Black people who have watched their young and old people slaughtered by those sworn to protect and serve. Forever. Children and grandchildren. Aunts and uncles. Screaming for justice, screams that fell on seemingly deaf ears.
Feet began to march once they saw the video of the vicious murder Derrick Chauvin perpetrated on George Floyd without regret, and with a seemingly defiant look that refused to recognize the humanity of the man he was killing over the span of 9 minutes and 29 seconds…the humanity of a man who repeatedly declared his inability to breathe…the humanity of a man who ultimately resolved that only his mother would hear him and relieve him of the pain and terror of dying he was experiencing in those moments.
The humanity of a man that 17-year-old Darnella Frazier had the courage to record with her iPhone, a video that could not save his life, but ultimately motivated the feet to march.
As if marching could make a difference.
New feet were needed because the feet of historic marchers were exhausted. New feet. Newly motivated feet. Newly convinced feet. Feet that finally believed what their eyes had seen without equivocation.
New feet that could take a shift or two and relieve the feet that have been marching since 1920 when the NAACP posted the banner in New York City to proclaim, “A Black man was lynched today.”
Been marching past picnics that killed them and polling places that denied them.
Been marching past schools that denied them and
Been marching past hotels that wouldn’t accommodate them; past hospitals that wouldn’t treat them
Past churches that wouldn’t worship with them
Past businesses that wouldn’t employ them
Past communities that wouldn’t welcome them
Even past water fountains that refused to quench their thirst
As if marching could make a difference.
In the land of the free and the home of the brave.
And these new feet couldn’t stomach the hypocrisy of it all.
So, these feet marched throughout the rest of May and throughout June and the entirety of July. And August and September. October. November. December. Marched right into the new year and every day leading up to the of Derrick Chauvin’s trial. And stood outside the trial every day, demanding justice or else.
New feet that were willing to march, having unwittingly joined the society of mothers who wail at the murder of children who didn’t journey to earth through their wombs. The society of mothers whose hearts continue to be broken each time a child is tied to their souls through the shedding of his blood and leaching of his life.
A Black man was lynched today. A year ago. Yesterday. And tomorrow.
The Rev. Dorothy Boulware is managing editor of Baltimore-based Afro-American Newspapers
Precious and Jaelyn Silver work on an art project during Hancock Place summer school. St. Louis Public Radio reports that middle school enrollment is down but summer enrollment is returning to prepandemic levels in some districts in the area.
Summer sailing sisters
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Rev. Dorothy Boulware
Continued from A1
Dustin Boone, are on trial this week for the second time on charges related to the assault of Officer Luther Hall.
The jury includes nine women and three men. There are two women and one man among the alternates.
An all-white jury was seated for their first trial in March, and prosecutors invoked a Batson challenge in that case. That resulted in one Black woman being included among the alternate jurors, and she ultimately was part of the final panel after one of the jurors was dismissed for a personal reason.
In all, five officers were federally indicted on charges
related to the assault. Hall was working undercover as a protester in 2017 following the acquittal of a white St. Louis police officer who had been charged with the murder of a Black man following a pursuit.
Two of the officers accused of assaulting Hall have already pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Three went on trial in
March, which resulted in an acquittal for one of them and a partial verdict for Myers and a hung jury for Boone. Myers is still facing a destruction of evidence charge, for allegedly destroying Hall’s cellphone. Hall captured some of the assault on his cellphone, and prosecutors are alleging Myers destroyed it to conceal evidence of the attack.
Boone is again facing a
deprivation of civil rights charge, which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
On Monday, the jury selection process began with 90 potential jurors divided in to three groups.
The Eastern District of Missouri draws from 13 rural and mostly white counties as well as the City of St. Louis. Those include Crawford, Dent, Franklin, Gasconade, Jefferson, Lincoln, Maries, Phelps, St. Charles, St. Francois, Warren, Washington and St. Louis counties.
On Tuesday, Rosenblum said prosecutors moved to strike most of the out-state jurors because the further outside of the city you get, the more “conservative” and “law and order” it is.
He also argued prosecutors moved to strike mostly men from the jury because he believed the mostly male jury favored his client during the first trial.
Opening arguments began June 8, sounding mostly like arguments made during the first trial with some exceptions.
Costantin read a series of text messages Boone sent to friends, family and his then girlfriend that included racist, vulgar language. She also said Boone FaceTimed with his girlfriend for about an hour while he was working on the night of the assault — including the time Hall was attacked.
She chuckled with disbelief saying, “Yes, defendant was
showing a video stream of all these events as they were occurring.”
She then texted Boone four rolling on the floor laughing emojis at about the same time Hall got assaulted.
Costantin said after Boone learned Hall was assaulted, and he was not a protester, he texts his girlfriend: “Nothing about that story to anyone please, not something I’m proud of and not entertaining at all at this point.” She responded: “I would never say anything.”
Boone’s attorney Patrick Kilgore said the text messages lacked context, and he planned to show the jury how his client’s statements about what he did that night have been consistent all along.
He said he planned to prove his client was not anywhere near Hall when Hall was assaulted by using photographs a newspaper photographer took before and after the assault.
Prosecutors also focused on Myers’ text messages, in which he said to friends: “Let’s whoop some (expletive)” and “I’m (expletive) fighting protesters.”
Rosenblum told the jurors both messages were missing context, “C’mon, that’s all they got?” The trial is expected to last about two weeks, which is the same amount of time the first trial took.
Christine Byers is a reporter for 5 On Your Side, a news partner of St. Louis Public Radio and The St. Louis American
Until a new president is hire, Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith, who was serving as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, will serve as interim president. She had only been in that role since August 2020.
The Board of Regents remains mum on Bradford’s exit, but its chair supports the administrator thrust into the presidential role under challenging circumstances.
“Dr. Collins Smith has a proven record of outstanding leadership and will serve the University well,” Ron Norwood, Regents chair, said in the release.
She first served Harris-Stowe State University in 2010 as an Office of Counseling Services project coordinator. She has also served the institution as associate provost, assistant provost and as executive director of the Center for Career Engagement.
Collins Smith received an educational doctorate in higher education leadership from Maryville University in St. Louis, respective master’s degrees of social work and public health from Saint Louis University and an undergraduate degree in social work from the University of Central Missouri.
According to HSSU, Collins Smith was instrumental in securing a $5 million National Science Foundation grant, the largest in the university’s history, to broaden STEM education.
She currently serves as a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the nation’s largest regional accreditation body. She also served as the campus team lead for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Re-Imagine First Year Project, the Strada Foundation Measuring College Value project, the Complete College America MSI Initiative, the Ascendium Project Success Initiative and the Gallup Alumni Survey Project.
She is a recipient of the Equal Education Opportunity Group Pioneer Award, the NAACP Ben Hooks Community Leader award and is a 2019 Millennium Leadership Initiative Protégé, a St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative Fellow and a Higher Education Leadership Foundation Fellow. And for now, she is in charge of Harris-Stowe State University.
Road to immortality
professional experience — as well as his passion for St. Louis, where he was born and raised.
of a white employee and homes in predominantly Black ZIP codes are worth less than one fourth of those in predominantly white ZIP codes.”
He said these inequities were created systematically through racial covenants, redlining and other policies.
“And so, in order for us to be able to close these gaps and create opportunities for the full St. Louis to thrive, we need to have interventions in our policies and procedures — the way that we allocate tax incentives, the way that we invest in workforce development and providing the ecosystem for support for women and minority owned businesses entities to be able to compete at the same level, we have to invest intentionally in those things,” Richardson said. Richardson said he believes he’ll find success in this position because of his 14 years of
He’s worked in a slew of capacities at U.S. Bank since 2011 — most recently as director of the Business Impact Group, in addition to being president and co-founder of Dream Builders 4 Equity — which hires minority contractors and students to refurbish dilapidated North City homes who then get a share of the profit once it’s sold.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones announced Riachardson’s appointment June 3. “Neal Richardson understands that equitable development is more than just brick and mortar,” Jones wrote in a statement. “From his time leading the Business Impact Group at US Bank to his work as president of Dream Builders 4 Equity, I know Neal will encourage forward-thinking, holistic development that opens up opportunities for families across our city.”
Richardson is replacing Otis Williams, who took over as head of the agency in 2013 and retired at the end of April.
Williams served under two mayors — Francis Slay and Lyda Krewson — and worked behind the scenes on projects such the new Busch Stadium, Ballpark Village, the Cortex Innovation Community and redevelopment of the old Arena site and City Hospital. He also played a key role in the city retaining the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s western headquarters and construction of the $1.75 billion facility.
Richardson said he believes Williams did a great job at being intentional in attracting businesses and employers to St. Louis while working strategically with the business community to drive the region forward on the development front.
“And I look forward to being able to leverage and partner with those same developers and groups to be able to say, ‘Hey, I definitely want to
partner with you, I think this is great, it’s needed for us to have a stronger economy,’” he said. “But in order to ensure that our region is stronger, all of our neighborhoods are stronger, that we address the crime and talent pipeline that’s preventing us from growing.”
At the end of the day,
Richardson says he hopes to elevate all residents’ voices in this position.
“That’s really what economic justice is about as well, is elevating the voices of all of our residents and making sure they have an equal seat at the table and not just a seat — that they have a voice that needs to be heard and respected. And so that’s what I’m hoping to bring forward in this role, is to ensure that everyone has a strong voice and a shared and collective ownership and accountability in our future.”
Richardson earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Webster University.
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
A street renaming in honor of Dorothy Jackson Johnson took place on June 5 at the intersection with 4500 Alice Ave. A pivotal figure in the community, Jackson owned The Magic Dragon Palace and was active in her church. From left are Board of Alderman President Lewis Reed, event host state Rep Kimberly-Ann Collins, St. Louis 21st Ward Alderman John Collins-Muhammad and Jackson’s son Bobbie Jackson.
Celebrating Juneteenth with the Missouri Historical Society
By Nya Hardaway
Juneteenth is an important celebration and holiday that spans generations in many African American communities. It can take many forms, such as cookouts, parades, or festivals, and vary from a day to a week to even the entire month. As a child, I looked forward to Juneteenth celebrations for the fun, food, and music, but it wasn’t until my teenage years that I understood the significance of the celebration.
Black people celebrate Juneteenth (a combination of the words “June” and “nineteenth”) as a marker of freedom. While much of the country hails July 4 as Independence Day, brutal slavery was still a reality for African Americans in 1776. Many Black communities don’t celebrate the Fourth of July because it marks a freedom for white America from Britain that was not true for Black people, who were still considered chattel. Instead, multiple dates of emancipation or independence from colonization are embraced and uplifted across the African diaspora. On Juneteenth, Black Americans have the opportunity to come together and celebrate community, freedom, rest, and joy just as white Americans do on the Fourth of July, but on a date that has historical significance and truly applies to their ancestors’ lived experience.
Juneteenth celebrates the date that the last of our enslaved ancestors were freed from bondage on June 19, 1865. The Emancipation Proclamation had been administered by President Abraham Lincoln more than two years earlier on January 1, 1863, freeing enslaved people in rebel states—but not border states like Missouri. As Union troops advanced and occupied Confederate states, the order was enforced. However, where a Union presence was scarce or nonexistent, many Black people remained enslaved until mid-1865. On June 19, enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were actually freed by a Union general.
There are many theories as to why it took two years for the Union army to enforce the law prohibiting slavery in Galveston. Some people believe the messenger who was originally sent to deliver the order was killed or that local hostility among Confederate sympathizers made the Union reluctant to enforce emancipation. Whatever the reason, the most important takeaway is that the Emancipation Proclamation didn’t free all enslaved people immediately.
As enslaved people in Galveston learned of their newfound freedom, they took to the streets in celebration and collective joy. In the years that followed, June 19 became an annual celebration for Black Texans. African Americans who left Texas during the Great Migration and the Great Depression took the holiday with them. Though Juneteenth began in Texas, it wasn’t until 1980 that Texas officially recognized Juneteenth as a state holiday. Missouri followed more than two decades later in 2003. White supremacy is embedded into the recognition of historical moments of freedom. Whereas July 4 is officially recognized as a federal holiday across the country and people are given a day of rest from work, society has hardly batted an eye for Juneteenth. This year, both the City of
St. Louis and St. Louis County are recognizing Juneteenth as an official holiday in the manner of July 4, granting their employees time off work. Although celebrating Juneteenth is a reflection on freedom, Black people across the globe understand that the fight for liberation is ongoing. Through Juneteenth celebrations, we appreciate our ancestors for what they overcame and sacrificed for us and continue to build power within our communities to continue the fight for generations to come, who will reflect the same on our efforts. As Black people rest, recharge, and plan to move forward, non-Black people can use Juneteenth to learn more about Black history and antiracism work.
This year the Missouri Historical Society has a month-long Juneteenth celebration. On Wednesday evenings throughout June, join us at the Missouri History Museum for Just Breathe STL, an intergenerational wellness series presented by The Collective STL. To maintain social distancing, registration is required for this event. On Tuesday, June 15, MHS and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis are presenting a sold-out concert, “I Dream a World: A Celebration of Juneteenth.” On Saturday, June 19, there will be an 11-mile Juneteenth Bike Tour focused on Black musicians in St. Louis, presented by MHS, 4theVille, Trailnet, and St. Louis Shakespeare Festival ($15/person, free for Trailnet members). Check out all of our summer events at mohistory. org/events.
Be a Tourist in Your Own Town
Juneteenth is going to be big this year, let’s start planning
By Barry Draper, Explore St. Louis
Summer is here and so is the anticipation to highlight the importance of Juneteenth and all the history that goes along with that date. With many events to celebrate popping up, here are a few highlights at local favorites in the St. Louis region.
The Field House Museum will host Julius B. Anthony, President of St. Louis Black Authors of Children’s Literature, and Linda M. Nance, Founding President of The Annie Malone Historical Society, for a special event jointly celebrating their partnerships and Juneteenth. While at the museum, enjoy a wonderful lunch, listen to festive music, and hear a brief presentation starting at 2:00 pm featuring a guest speaker talking on the importance of Juneteenth. There will be performances by the St. Louis Gospel Choral Union Alumni and words of inspiration from their partnering organizations.
Along with these activities at the Field House Museum, they will also showcase two different exhibits that focus on Black Children’s literature and the legacy of Annie Malone. More details on each exhibit are below.
The Power of Words: The Ongoing Tale of Black Children’s Literature
The Power of Words the continued efforts towards equitable representation in children’s and young adult literature. Learn about the trailblazers of Black storytelling like Langston Hughes and discover the impressive work of modern African American authors like Patricia McKissack, whose books continue to inspire new generations.
Moving Forward: Exploring the Legacy of Annie Malone
Celebrate Annie Malone, a pioneer African American entrepreneur, charitable organizer, and civil rights activist. Produced by the Annie
Malone Historical Society, this exhibit uses eyecatching displays of photos and artifacts to tell the story of this magnificent woman’s contributions to African American history. Society hopes Moving Forward will bolster its mission to open its museum.
Another way to celebrate Juneteenth is by participating in the African American Heritage Challenge, which encourages individuals to visit and take photos at 10 sites in at least 5 different counties. This challenge is a part of The Missouri 2021 Bicentennial Missouri Explorers program celebrating the two hundredth anniversary of Missouri becoming the 24th state to enter the United States. It encourages people to travel across the state and participate in “challenges” to receive Missouri Explorers’ merit badge buttons. A few favorites of the African American Heritage Challenge include taking photographs at Harris-Stowe State University, Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing, The Old Courthouse, National Blues Museum, and the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site. For the bike lovers, check in with the Missouri History Museum as they are partnering up with Trailnet, 4theVille, and St. Louis Shakespeare Festival for a 10-12 mile long bike tour honoring Juneteenth. This bike trip will be broken up into 6 different stops, focusing on the historical legacy of Black Musicians in St. Louis. Not only will the docent-led ride visit sites of historic significance, but it will also feature pop-up musical performances along the route!
There are so many ways to honor and celebrate Juneteenth in the Gateway City. Take some time this month to visit these exhibits and plan a few weekends exploring the different challenges. Before you go, be sure to check the websites of all attractions to ensure availability and safety protocols due to COVID-19. Visit explorestlouis. com for more Juneteenth activities.
Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress
E. B. Bensell, The Day of Jubelo, ca. 1865.
Reaching across the river
Mayor Tishaura Jones embraces East Boogie
By James T. Ingram for the St. Louis American
Oh, what a difference a Black mayor makes.
Those were my thoughts as I listened to the poignant inaugural address by Tishaura Jones, the first black female mayor in the history of St. Louis.
Her audacity to reference her family’s relatives in East St. Louis, Ill., and her temerity in including East St. Louis Mayor Robert Eastern III as a speaker were both nods to a new day and new era of respect for STL’s neighbor to the east. It never happened during the inaugurations or administrations of her white predecessors, and it begs the rhetorical question, why?
I vividly recall an incident during the administration of Mayor Vince Schoemehl. During that time, I was press secretary for ESL Mayor Carl E. Officer. Mayor Officer’s administration had intelligence re-
garding gang activity relocating from East Boogie to St. Louis. I attempted to convey that information to Schoemehl’s staff and was promptly informed that STL ‘had no gang problem.’
A larger elephant in the room is race. I occasionally saw STL’s first black mayor, Freeman Bosley, Jr. partaking in the nightclub scene of ESL, as I am confident Mayor Jones probably did at some point in her life. The issue is about comfort levels and a capacity to see ESL as a neighbor, a partner, an asset, an ally and not as a threat. In the past, white mayors glanced across the Mississippi River derisively and viewed ESL as an eyesore, a problem an “other.” It was anything but positive. Mayor Jones said it best when she pointed out, in addressing STL’s crime prevention challenges, that “crime doesn’t stop at our borders.” Neither does opportunity. Instead of the dismissive at-
titude that STL’s white mayors had towards including ESL in talks of regional development, Mayor Jones wisely realizes the potential in partnering with East Boogie to derail crime at our borders. She is also promoting regional cooperation, vitality and collaboration in enhancing the mutual development of both sides of the river, with the potential for jumpstarting tourism in the bi-state region.
Think about it. When those Goodyear blimps project aerial images of the St. Louis riverfront, Busch Stadium and the Gateway Arch, they are usually photographed from the East St. Louis riverfront.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful, profitable and optically magnificent if both sides of our Mississippi River mirrored each other in development, tourism, safety and beauty?
It just makes good economic sense.
Like it or not, the success of St. Louis and East St. Louis are mutually bound by a single thread of destiny and, perhaps, Mayor Tishaura Jones has the wisdom and vision to seek to transform what others have derided as a problem into a source of unlimited possibilities.
City looking to fill 100 vacant job openings
St. Louis American staff
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones’ administration is looking to fill more than 100 vacant city positions after lifting the hiring freeze instituted last year due to the pandemic. Jones’ office said these jobs offer competitive pay and benefits.
“St. Louis is on the path to recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, and this is an opportunity for residents to play an impor-
tant role in our city’s comeback,” Jones wrote in a media release. “These are quality jobs that offer competitive pay by skill level, starting at $15 an hour, and a great benefits package. If we can fill these critical vacancies, we can not only improve public services, but also support St. Louis residents and their families with good-paying jobs.”
These vacancies include positions such as emergency dispatchers, lifeguards and
recreation assistants.
Jones’ administration said they are also convening a committee to address worker shortages with key city departments to streamline processes for application and remove barriers that currently exist for job applicants.
For more information on working for the city visit www. stlouis-mo.gov/jobs/index.cfm.
To see a list of open positions online visit www.stlouismo.gov/jobs/index.cfm.
A lesson in budgets and democracy
By Jamala Rogers for the St. Louis American
Mayor Tishaura Jones has asked citizens to help decide how best to use $500 million in federal stimulus funds. This is a variation of “participatory budgeting.” St. Louis could very well be placing a huge amount of money into the hands of city residents – and they will make some the most important financial decisions in its history.
Participatory budgeting is not new to St. Louis. The concept was introduced in the 2013 campaign of Michelle Witthaus, when she ran for alderwoman of the Sixth Ward. Witthaus lost to Christine Ingrassia, but the victor had the good political sense to understand that ward residents were intrigued by the idea. Witthaus and Ingrassia teamed to create a democratic process that engaged the ward in determining the best way to spend $100,000.
PB has its roots in Porte Alegre, Brazil in 1989. There are thousands of projects around the world now. The basic idea is to take people through a process and give
them the power to decide how to spend public money based on the needs of their neighborhood or city.
Boston has one of my favorite PB programs, Youth Lead the Change. In 2013, Boston became the first city in the nation to empower its young people by inviting them to spend $1 million of the city’s capital budget. The kids have been rocking ever since.
PB is rich in civic lessons. You learn about budgets, which city departments do what, how to make assessments, how to appreciate other points of view and how to reach consensus. Those who are engaged get a glimpse of what it means to govern; they usually become committed stakeholders in the city’s future. It is democracy in action.
St. Louis’ needs are great. We are not only recovering
from a pandemic, but we are also recovering from decades of neglect and poor public policy steeped in institutional racism. A half-billion dollars sounds like a lot of money, but it is a drop in the bottomless bucket of needs. Let’s first look at the harm COVID-19 has done since this is the focus of the funds. Mayor Jones knows the American Rescue Act is a lifeline, but its scope is limited. This cannot be about spreading the funds around evenly. We must put some serious dollars down in a way that will make significant changes and impact lives in a real-world way. The mayor has set up a stimulus advisory committee to give oversight on the process of getting and synthesizing our input. This a new thing for us, as previous mayors did not ask for our opinions and did not appreciate it when we gave them unsolicited. I encourage us to step out of the shadows of complainin’ and doubtin’. Let’s start acting like bold, full-fledged citizens who have the right and responsibility to determine our city’s future.
EARLY DETECTION SAVES LIVES.
Valeda Keys, two-time breast cancer survivor and PECaD community research fellow, believes that your life – every woman’s life – is worth talking about. As a breast cancer survivor and founder of Valeda’s Hope, she talks about her journey to empower others and highlight the life-saving power of regular mammograms. A mammogram is a screening test that can catch breast cancer early when it’s most treatable. Valeda’s mother is also a two-time breast cancer survivor, which changed the age when Valeda and her twin sister started getting mammograms. Ask your health care provider for details on when you should start getting regular mammograms as well.
For more research-proven ways to lower your cancer risk, visit 8ways.wustl.edu
Valeda | Breast Cancer Survivor
Columnist Jamala Rogers
Columnist James T. Ingram
“Taking Care of You”
Webster University professors Vincent C. Flewellen and Marshaun Warren have launched an eight-week online course for K-12 educators to give teachers the opportunities and tools to meaningfully “address systemic, personal and societal influences that impact culturally proficient instruction.”
Webster U. course helps educators cope with COVID
Making teachers more culturally proficient in classrooms
By Sylvester Brown Jr. of The St. Louis American
Sometimes, out of chaos comes creativity.
Such is the case for two Webster University professors, Vincent C. Flewellen and Marshaun Warren. The professors have launched an eight-week online course for K-12 educators, called “Social Justice and Inclusive Learning.”
Its goal, according to Webster University, is to give teachers the opportunities and tools to meaningfully “address systemic, personal and societal influences that impact culturally
proficient instruction.”
The idea for the course, according to co-designers and co-instructors, Flewellen and Warren, came to them after the spread of the Coronavirus and the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis policemen last year.
“We were thinking in terms of how Webster can show up once again and lead critical conversations that are needed at a time when we’re faced with some serious racial reckoning,” Flewellen explained. “We wanted to figure out what we can do, not
only for the internal community at Webster but the entire St. Louis region as well.”
Combined, Warren and Flewellen, have worked in the arena of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) for more than 30 years. Among their various roles in the field, Flewellen serves as chief diversity officer at Webster University and Warren is an adjunct professor and director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Belleville Township High School District 201.
Both knew that long-term damage to Black
See COURSE, A13
If we look at the positive side of things as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will have to agree that much of the world has learned how to sanitize and prevent infection.
Did you notice the drastic reduction in upper respiratory infections from the “common cold” this past winter season?
Denise HooksAnderson, MD
n Wash your hands as much as possible and never leave home without hand sanitizer.
Wearing masks, cleaning surfaces and washing hands have always been the mainstay of infectious disease prevention. Now, people have seen how effective these measures can be.
With that in mind, many people are anxious to begin traveling again. I experienced this vacation excitement Memorial Day weekend. My family and I recently returned from beautiful Charleston, South Carolina. We saw a “gazillion” people on the road and apparently, the airports were no different. Most people we saw were not wearing masks. I assume they were fully vaccinated as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation suggests. (Please note that I am not naive enough to believe that those people were all vaccinated.)
Therefore, knowing that summer travel will begin to ramp up more and more, how do you stay well during this pandemic season?
Step 1
Never travel when you are sick - if you can help it! Fellow passengers will appreciate you for not sharing whatever potentially infectious vector you may be harboring. In addition, cabin pressure in planes, unhealthy dining options and lack of rest could cause your illness to worsen, delaying recovery.
Step 2
Do your research! If you are traveling out
See ANDERSON, A13
Dr. Fauci backs ‘Shots at the Shop’ vaccine drive
Biden declares June a month of action
NNPA News Service
Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday he wholeheartedly supports President Joe Biden’s initiative with Black-owned barbershops and beauty salons to get more African Americans vaccinated. Fauci, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director, called the president’s tactic solid.
In a discussion with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), Fauci added that medical and administration officials have a “laser-like focus” on meeting the president’s goal of having 70 percent of all adults vaccinated by Independence Day. “That’s the reason why you see what [President Biden] is doing, and all of us are doing to get people vaccinated,” Fauci asserted.
“We want to make it very easy for people to get the vaccine.”
President Biden declared June as a month of action and announced a “Shots at the Shop” initiative that unites 1,000 African Americanowned barbershops and beauty salons in the country to serve as vaccination hubs. The initiative comes with incentives like free child-care for parents and other perks.
“We want to give incentives and do whatever we can to get people to get vaccinated,” Dr. Fauci stated. He noted that the NNPA, a trade association for Black-owned newspaper and media companies, is a trusted voice in the nation’s African American communities.
“That’s why I am speaking with you today,” Fauci insisted. “The Black Press is vital, it is trusted, and we need to get the word out and get everyone vaccinated.”
Anthony
said Tuesday he wholeheartedly supports President Joe Biden’s initiative with Black-owned barbershops and beauty salons to get more African Americans vaccinated.
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Dr.
Fauci
“Taking Care of You”
More GOP-fueled Medicaid drama could cause budget slash
Cuts to education, services might loom
Gov. Mike Parson warned on Monday that if the legislature does not reauthorize the medical provider tax, he could be forced to take a knife to the 2021-22 budget to fund the state’s Medicaid program.
This comes with a June 18 court hearing approaching and two additional plaintiffs seeking to join a lawsuit attempting to force the state of Missouri to fund voter-approved Medicaid expansion.
“The clock’s ticking on us,” Parson told reporters Monday afternoon.
“If there’s not some sort of agreement where we have a solution, and it doesn’t happen before July 1, there’s not going to be choices. We’re going to have to start withholding [from the budget] July 1.
The Medicaid provider tax in question is collected from
Course
Continued from A12
youth whose communities were hit especially hard by COVID19 and police violence needed to be addressed. Also, educators should be better prepared to recognize, understand and tackle the racial trauma that disproportionately impacts students of color.
When designing the program, no one could definitively predict when the COVID19 pandemic would end. Therefore, their priority was to craft an online course that enabled educators to be safe, while learning the tools and responses needed to address issues of diversity and inclusion in the classroom.
The three-credit-hour, eightweek course, is designed for educators seeking their undergraduate or graduate degrees.
“We ask the students (teachers) to tap into themselves first,” Warren explained.
“They need to understand their own cultural biography before they aim to understand the cultural situations or makeup of their classes. We ask them to do their own cultural reflections first.
“It’s an inside/out approach; If you don’t do this work first then you can’t be effective in facilitating a welcoming respectful environment for students.”
Activities are designed to “push reflection and guide teachers to be better prepared to facilitate conversations,” Flewellen added.
“We didn’t necessarily set out to have a toolkit of what to say or what to do. We want teachers to have an open heart and open mind when they’re approaching students to help them see diversity as an asset and not a deficit.”
The professors note that “diversity, inclusion and equity” have been industry buzzwords in recent years.
Several organizations, businesses, schools and universities
hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies and generates $1.6 billion annually. Missouri then can receive an additional $3 billion in federal funds.
Brian Colby, Missouri Budget Project vice president of public policy, said there are not many areas to cut in the Medicaid program.
“Even if you were to eliminate the non-mandatory programs it still doesn’t free up enough general revenue to get you to $1.6 billion,” he explained.
“So really you are looking at cutting many, many other parts of the budget. Potentially K-12 education, higher education, those other areas because the way Medicaid is structured is most of the funds in Medicaid are federal dollars, so if you cut … a dollar out of the Mo HealthNet division, you
have hired “diversity officers” to help navigate the complex world of equity and inclusion. It’s a positive step, Flewellen stressed, but not enough to meet the damaging and fluctuating racial challenges teachers face in today’s classrooms:
“Some organizations hire people of color simply because they’re people of color,” Flewellen said.
“I’ve been doing this work for 20 years and it’s not just because I’m a Black, gay man that I’m able to check the ‘I’m able to do this’ box. My partner is responsible for human resources and DEI training for school districts. Professor Warren and I are educators. We’ve been in this lane for years working within educational settings not in corporate spaces; two entirely different lanes.”
The professors emphasize that the course was not just designed for white educators who teach students of color.
“Black educators have to deal with the trauma of race, too,” Warren explained. “So, to have to teach it can be burdensome to some.”
“We all have ‘stuff,’ even Black folk,” Flewellen added.
“Internalized racism is so deep and so systemic that it even impacts the way black folk view black and other people of color. We are part of a larger society that’s fed the same messages that our white peers are fed and sometimes it may seep into our inner, deepest thoughts and we are unaware of how or when they may play out.”
Ironically, the online course has been introduced in a chaotic political and social environment. There’s widespread pushback against the idea that racism is a social construct embedded in legal, business and educational systems and policies. This hotly debated hypothesis has been loosely defined as “critical race theory” and legislatures, mostly conservative, are drafting bills seeking to ban its use in classrooms.
n “This is continuing to be about targeting (Planned Parenthood) that provides health care to a lot of low income and a lot of Black and brown women especially.”
– Richard von Glahn, Missouri Jobs with Justice policy director
really only save about 17 cents because the federal dollars make up the majority of the program.”
The holdup stems from failure to renew the tax during the past legislative session. Several GOP stalwarts want language included in a bill that bans Medicaid coverage of certain birth control methods.
“The only thing that’s going on is the same Republican story over and over again, that’s it, the narrative doesn’t change. You follow me? All they want to do is get attention for stupidity,” said State Sen. Karla May, D-St. Louis.
“You have elections coming
up and they want to placate, and all of this goes toward those small few who believe in the radicalism of this type of legislation service. That’s all this is, placating to foolishness.”
Richard von Glahn, policy director at Missouri Jobs with Justice, said the provider tax has “always been non-controversial and something that people understood is necessary and I think it’s dangerous for legislators to use such a critical issue to push an ideological position like they’re doing.”
“This is continuing to be about targeting (Planned Parenthood) that provides
health care to a lot of low income and a lot of Black and brown women especially. You’re talking about denying access to health care related services, family planning and other pieces, and that’s really what this is. This is an attempt to deny access to services to families.”
Meanwhile in Cole County, prospective additional plaintiffs
Luke Barber and Christine Chaney of St. Louis are seeking to join an original lawsuit filed last month against the state’s social services director, Jennifer Tidball, and acting director of the state’s Medicaid program, Kirk Mathews.
Attorney Paul Martin said Barber and Chaney should added as plaintiffs because a ruling against the original plaintiffs “will impair and impede the ability of (the intervenors) to protect their federal and state interests.”
Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office said Monday that the legislature is within its rights to not fund Medicaid –
“This only further underscores the need for these conversations,” Flewellen countered. “This type of thinking emphasizes the need for roles like mine across the board of institutions, particularly academic institutions.”
Although the course was
Continued from A12
of the country, this step is crucial. The CDC has a fantastic website for researching recommendations for particular countries. Information regarding immunization suggestions and advice around which medication is appropriate for preventing certain diseases Anderson
are located on the website. Please note that few countries are allowing Americans to enter currently and there are restrictions and requirements for entry, such as a negative COVID test. Therefore, please do your homework prior to travel. Also, keep in mind that just because our new COVID rates might be coming down, that might not be true for other countries.
Step 3
Be wise as a serpent. (Not sure if serpents are wise but that is what people say.)
It is probably not the best idea to eat at little places off the side of the road! I recall seeing people sell roasted bat and rat meat many other kinds of meat and vegetables while in Africa. Eating such cuisine is a wonderful opportunity to get infected with E. coli, a very nasty little bacteria that will
designed to be implemented in a world impacted by the coronavirus, Warren and Flewellen believe it will be relevant and useful in a postCOVID world as well.
“Even when this global pandemic ends, one thing we know for sure is that
have you hunched over with abdominal cramps, vomiting and bloody diarrhea. When traveling to an impoverished destination, I would advise you to ask your healthcare provider for antibiotics just in case you develop an infectious gastroenteritis. Better to have the medication and not need it than to be sick and not have it. Several of my patients and husband can attest to this.
the other pandemic is not going away anytime soon,” Flewellen said.
“The need for this course is obviously more important than ever. It’s being offered at a time when everybody wants to figure out what they can do.
Step 4 This is the most important one. Wash your hands as much as possible and never leave home without hand sanitizer. When traveling, whether by car, train or plane, you will have to touch various surfaces, many of which are just teaming with microbes. Washing your hands is your best weapon! As a final reminder,
regardless of the public vote approving expansion.
Attorney John Sauer wrote for the state that the lawsuit gives “impermissible credence to an intent the legislature categorically rejected.”
“The legislative branch has exclusive authority over appropriations under the Missouri Constitution,” Sauer wrote. A ruling for the parties suing “would violate the separation of powers between the judicial and legislative branches,” Sauer wrote. Barber, 26, reported an annual salary of $16,000 in the court filing and said he has autism spectrum disorder. Chaney, 43, makes $15,000 a year and suffers from depression. An expansion would allow single adults earning up to $17,664 a year to enroll in Medicaid.
“Both the existing and the expanded Medicaid plan are mandated by law,” their attorneys wrote. “All qualifying individuals are entitled to Medicaid coverage.”
University
have worked in the arena of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) for more than 30 years. Among their various roles in the field, Flewellen serves as chief diversity officer at Webster University and Warren is an adjunct professor and director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Belleville Township High School District 201.
“We’re simply telling educators you can become more culturally proficient in your delivery of instructions by enrolling in this course.”
Sylvester Brown Jr. is The St. Louis American’s inaugural Deaconess Fellow.
the pandemic is NOT over and there are still millions of people who have not been vaccinated. If you are going to travel, at least do your part and get vaccinated.
Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D., FAAFP is interim assistant dean of diversity, equity and inclusion at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine.
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Webster
professors Vincent C. Flewellen and Marshaun Warren
Like People? Like Driving?
Part-time driver positions start at $17.50 an hour. Health insurance offered following 90 days of employment.
Applicants must be positive, reliable individuals with solid work experience and a clean driving record. Applicants must also pass USDOT physical and drug test, and with ACT assistance, obtain IL CDL B license with air brakes and passenger endorsements.
ACT is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.
Democratic state Auditor Nicole Galloway saying goodbye to politics
By Jason Hancock St. Louis Public Radio
Nicole Galloway, the only Democrat who currently holds a statewide office in Missouri, announced on June 4 she will not seek re-election in 2022.
In an announcement posted on Twitter, Galloway called serving as auditor “the honor of my life.” She pointed to her husband and three sons, noting that in her decade in public office she has “missed countless family events, little league games and school activities.
“I am ready for the next chapter of service and life with my family.”
Galloway is a Columbia CPA who was appointed auditor by Gov. Jay Nixon
in 2015 after the death of Republican Tom Schweich. She won a full term in office in 2018, even as Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill lost to Republican Josh Hawley.
As the states most prominent Democrat, she was widely considered the party’s strongest candidate for governor in 2020.
And she ultimately decided to throw her hat in the ring, running against Gov. Mike Parson last year in a bruising race that saw her lose by 17 percentage points.
Her decision to bow out of the 2022 race leaves Democrats without a clear candidate for the office in a state where Republicans have increasingly dominated elections for the last two decades.
Several Democrats are
Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway announced she is putting her family first and will not seek re-election or run for any office in 2022.
running or considering a run for the U.S. Senate next year, and another open statewide office could shake things up in that primary as well. But the party’s bench has been thoroughly depleted by years of electoral defeats. Galloway said in her announcement Friday that not only will she not be running for re-election, but she will not be a candidate for any office in 2022. No Republicans have formally entered the campaign for auditor, but state Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick, who was appointed to his job in 2018 and elected to a four-year term last year, is rumored to be seriously eyeing the race.
Photo courtesy of the Missouri Auditor’s Office
Labor shortage could boost number of youth summer jobs
Dominique Shields is one of about 500 young people gaining real on-the-job skills and compensation through the STL Youth Jobs Summer Work Experience program. It offers in-person and virtual job opportunities for workers ages 15 to 24 in the metro area.
Program head earlier estimated
By Karen Robinson-Jacobs of The St. Louis American
The STL Youth Jobs program hopes the scramble by area employers to find workers translates into more entry-level posts for its program.
The program last year and earlier this year saw a drop in the number of summer jobs available because of COVID-19 business cutbacks.
n “We
tions
– Executive Director Hillary Frey
“We are facing very unique conditions this summer with the massive staffing shortages that are happening at local businesses along with the recent announcements related to federal stimulus funding,” Youth Jobs Executive Director Hillary Frey told The American.
“This will have a positive impact on the overall number of youth we place in summer jobs. We are doing our best to be responsive by connecting youth to businesses that are desperately seeking help. This is a prime solution to our region’s need for transformative economic relief.”
Nationwide, employers have complained about a lack of job applicants,
prompting Missouri and more than 20 other states — all with Republican governors — to cut back on enhanced unemployment benefits early.
Workers in Missouri, Alaska, Iowa and Mississippi will be among the first to lose their benefits, starting on Saturday, [June 12] according to CBS News.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/unemployment-benefits-republican-states/
As governors try to push more workers back into the labor force, Frey hopes some of those empty jobs can be filled by young people. Frey last month said that the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic would -for the second consecutive year -- put a dent in the number of youth who could expect to find summer jobs through the STL Youth Jobs program. Initially, the Summer Work Experience program hoped to offer in-person and virtual job opportunities this summer to about 500 young people
Bush resolution would democratize nation’s energy companies
By Dana Rieck of The St. Louis American
Nonpayment disconnections would be banned
U.S. Rep Cori Bush, D-St. Louis, introduced legislation June 3 that would establish a framework to democratize utilities, reduce the country’s reliance on fossil fuels and ban disconnections for nonpayment.
n “We need transparency in
Bush introduced the Public Power Resolution with U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-New York. She told The St. Louis American it seeks to do several things — one being putting the public back in charge of utilities including electricity.
—
“Why is it that we get to pick and choose who has the right to electricity? You know, electricity is a basic right for everyone,” she said.
“We need transparency in our energy system, we need a system that is racially just, you shouldn’t be able to just point to a ZIP code and say this ZIP code has [access] and this ZIP code does not.” The representatives cited the utility crisis that occurred in Texas as part of the catalyst for this resolution, arguing that while investor-owned utilities are problematic they currently dominate See BUSH, B2
PeoPle on the Move
Missouri Governor Mike Parsons recently appointed former senator Jamilah Nasheed to the state Board of Probation and Parole. Nasheed was twice elected to represent the people of the fifth senate district in the Missouri State Senate from 2013 to 2021. Prior to being elected to the state senate, she served as the State Representative for Missouri’s 60th house district. During her time in the Missouri General Assembly, Ms. Nasheed received several awards and recognitions, including Senator of the Year from the Missouri Workforce Housing Association and the Champion Award from the St. Louis Regional Chamber.
Collins joins automobile club litigation department
C. Collins recently joined the Automobile Club of Missouri’s in-house litigation department, which now goes by the name of Kraft, Bischoff, Buckley & Collins. Previously, she defended physicians and other medical professionals in medical malpractice actions at the law firm Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard. Prior to that, Collins served as an assistant circuit attorney at the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s office where she had numerous jury trials involving felonies and misdemeanors. Nasheed named to Board of Probation and Parole
Washington named youth and development director Brittney Washington
Brittney Washington was named youth development director for Midtown Community Services. Prior to that role, Washington was in charge of children’s programming for the
McKay, Jr. named Arts Educator of the Year
The Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis honored James McKay, Jr. a strings teacher and Director of Orchestras for Jennings School District, as their 2021 Arts Educator of the Year. McKay is the director of music and a co-founder of Gateway Music Outreach, a non-profit school and community-based music education program which provides quality music instruction. The program is multifaceted targeting schools, educators, school-aged youth grades K-12, parents, and the community. McKay is a member of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra’s Task Force and is an education advisory board member for Jazz St. Louis.
Lauren
Jamilah Nasheed
Lauren C. Collins
James McKay, Jr.
Photo courtesy of STL Youth Jobs
U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis, has introduced a resolution that will shock major energy companies. It calls for “putting the public back in charge of utilities including electricity,” she announced.
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Jobs
Continued from B1
ages 15 to 24 in the metro area.
That number is on par with the 2020 figure, according to Frey, but is nearly 40% lower than the pre-pandemic tall of nearly 800 jobs offered in 2019.
In 2018, the program had 739 youth participants and 230 employer partners, according to its website.
The program has not issued a revised number for jobs this summer but noted that the application period has been extended beyond the original late May cutoff, due to demand. The new cutoff date was not announced.
In addition, an advisory board convened to help recommend spending priorities for $500 million in federal stimulus funds has recommended that $1.5 million in “direct relief” be allocated quickly to summer youth jobs. A report on the recommendation noted that 42% of the city’s children live in households with income levels below the poverty line.
Since 2013, STL Youth Jobs has provided paid work experience, job readiness training, financial literacy education, and career and mentoring services to more than 4,500 youth, through a network of more than 200 employer partners, according to a news release.
Bush
Continued from B1
the industry.
In February, Texas suffered a major power crisis, resulting from three severe winter storms sweeping across the United States. A massive electricity generation failure in the state created shortages of water, food and heat.
The resolution calls for funding a “just energy transition for public and coop providers”; make federal energy renewable by requiring federal power providers to become accountable to the public, renewable power utilities; transition from investor-owned power to renewable public power; promote energy
The program “prioritizes communities with high levels of poverty, crime, and youth unemployment,” said Frey. “Nearly 12,000 youth live in these targeted areas of St. Louis, with an average 18% youth unemployment rate, and where 38% of all violent crimes were committed preCOVID-19.”
Since the program’s inception, on average, 95% of the participants have been Black, and 20% have been classified as “disconnected,” meaning not working and not in school.
In addition, 75% of applicants said they relied on public subsidies like free and reduced lunch.
Median household incomes for target neighborhoods and zip codes range from $11,997 to $54,075.
Nearly 90% of participants were unemployed when they applied to the program and 95% felt better prepared to look for work after the program due to improved confidence and skills, according to the program website.
The youth will earn $10.50 an hour and work up to 160 hours from June through September in a variety of industries including tech, healthcare, city government positions, the restaurant industry, engineering, and other positions in STEM fields.
Each participant receives job readiness training and financial literacy training,
democracy and a transparent processes by establishing federal guidelines; and ensure grid resilience and universal access to affordable power by enacting a universal ban on electricity disconnections for nonpayment and enforcing progressive residential electricity rates.
“We need an energy system that is of, by, and for the people — not corporations seeking the largest possible profit,” Bowman said in a media release. “As long as energy is treated as a commodity, not a right, poor people, workers and communities of color will suffer.”
For Bush, this issue is personal. The representative has been open about the struggles in her life — which included living in her car for some
access to a youth-friendly bank account, a job coach, goal setting and mentorship, and support services needed to remove job access barriers such as a bus pass or clothing stipend.
MERS Goodwill will provide job coaching and skills training. Other program partners include St. Louis Internship Program (SLIP), St. Louis Agency on Training & Employment (SLATE), Mission: St. Louis, and Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.
“Our community’s young people are the catalyst that is needed to increase the quality and inclusivity of the St. Louis workplace,” Frey said in a news release. “The solution to creating inclusive economic growth is through the creation of access, opportunity and experience. By increasing local investment, partnerships and opportunities, we strive to create a network of stakeholders who are collectively focused on the future of St. Louis. By supporting STL Youth Jobs, you are making an investment in ensuring our young people succeed and our community thrives.” Youth can check their eligibility and apply online http://stlyouthjobs.org/ apply/ Karen Robinson-Jacobs is a 2021-’22 Report for America Corps member.
time with two small children. Shortly after she moved into a home, she had to make decisions on how to allocate the funds from her $500 weekly paycheck.
“But I had more bills than I had money and I had some other things going on that had to be taken care of,” she said. “So, I wasn’t able to pay the gas bill, we put the money for something else and we ended up getting ... our gas [disconnected].” She went on to say she stationed space heaters throughout her home, until she came home to find an outlet fire had ignited behind her daughter’s bed after her friend warned her of a dream in which Bush’s house was on fire.
“Had I not checked that — it was seven o’clock in the evening — I would have given her a bath, put her in her bed and then that fire could have spread, and she would have been stuck in her bedroom,” Bush said.
Bush said the resolution seeks to reinstate basic utilities as a right to every person and set the stage to make private electricity public — bringing longtime frontline demands to the federal government.
“I know what it’s like to be cold and there’s not enough blankets that you could put on yourself to make yourself warm, especially on certain days during the winter.” The resolution is co-sponsored by seven other representatives from across the country and is supported by more than 40 organizations.
text
Peyton Brown is learning the fast-paced world of restaurateurs working at Bailey’s through the STL Youth Jobs Summer Work Experience program.
Photo courtesy of STL Youth Jobs
Sports
ISIdE SportS
With Earl Austin Jr.
Former Chaminade Prep
All-Americans thriving in NBA
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum’s respective seasons ended after the first round of the National Basketball Association playoffs. While dismissed early, their seasons ended with bangs, not whimpers.
As former Chaminade College Prep All-Americans, they enjoyed the best seasons of their careers in leading their respective teams to the postseason.
Beal completed his ninth season with the Wizards while Tatum finished his fourth season with the Boston Celtics.
Beal averaged a career-high 31.3 points a game, which was second in the league behind Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors. It was the second consecutive season that Beal averaged more than 30 points a game. He has clearly established himself as one of the top shooting guards in the NBA.
Beal also averaged 4.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists, while shooting 48 percent from the field and 35 percent from the free throw line. He was selected as a starter to the NBA All-Star Game for the first time in his career. He had a high game of 60 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 6.
The 6’10” Tatum enjoyed a brilliant fourth season in leading the Celtics to the playoffs. He was dominant, averaging 26.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and
4.3 assists while shooting 46 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range. Tatum also put together several of the top individual performances of the regular season and playoffs. He scored a career-high 60 points in a come-from-behind victory over the San Antonio Spurs on April 30. In the Eastern Conference play-in game against Beal’s Wizards, Tatum scored 50 points to lead the Celtics to
a victory and the No. 7 seed in the conference. He had another 50-point masterpiece in a victory over the Brooklyn Nets in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs. Like Beal, Tatum was also a starter in the NBA All-Star Game for the first time.
Illinois girls track athletes headed to state The IHSA Girls State Track and Field Championships will
be held this weekend (June 11-12) at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. The metro east will be represented by Belleville West and East St. Louis, both taking a strong contingent of athletes. Belleville West emerged as champions of the Class 3A sectional meet at O’Fallon last week. The Maroons had three sectional champions and qualified athletes in seven events and three relays for the state meet. The Class 3A meet
SportS EyE
With Alvin A. Reid
Former Chaminade College Prep All-Americans, the Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal and the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum enjoyed the best seasons of their careers in leading their respective teams to the postseason.
first in 1:48.86. Maliah Sparks also finished second in the 400-meter dash, Rivers was second in the 100-meter dash and Haley Wangein was second in the high jump. The top sprinter at the meet was senior Renee Raglin of Alton, who finished first in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. She posted a winning time of 12.07 seconds in the 100.
The East St. Louis Flyers will be competing in the Class 2 state meet, which will be held Friday. The Flyerettes qualified athletes in eight events and two relays, including five sectional champions. East Side’s top individual state qualifier was Janiyah Brown, who won sectional titles in the long jump and triple jump. Brionna Graham finished first in the 300-meter low hurdles and Marika Murphy was first in the 200. The team of Graham, Lampley, Sydney Jones and Jaysha Bell finished first in the 4x100meter relay. The Flyerettes also took home first place in the 4x200.
will be held on Saturday. The Maroons’ pair of Macee Rivers and Janaysia Byrd finished first and second in the 100-meter high hurdles. Byrd also finished first in the long jump while the 4x100and 4x200-meter relay teams won sectional titles. The 4x100 team of Mikayla Williams, Byrd, Rivers and Maliah Sparks won in 48.8 seconds. The 4x200 crew of Graham, Lampley, Sydney Jones and Ambrosia Lampley finished
Other state qualifiers for East St. Louis include Jaysha Bell, who finished third in the 400, and Desire Poole, who was fourth in the shot put and third in the discus.
Illinois Boys sectionals this week
Metro east boys track and field teams will be competing in the IHSA Class 3A sectional meet in Bloomington at 4 p.m. today (June 10.) The Class 2A sectional meet was held at Mascoutah on Wednesday.
It has been the ‘norm’ for the NFL to question Black players’ intelligence
I have shared this thought here, on radio and television. It is not breaking news.
I contend that a major obstacle between white America and racial understanding with Black Americans is that too many think Black people cannot be as intelligent as whites. Pretty Simple.
Why focus on reducing the learning gap between white and Black students when Black students still will not do as well as white students in school?
out a way to pay them less or turn away claims.
Scopes Monkey Trial stuff, in 2021.
Why reform police departments when, regardless of a better education and improved odds of finding success, Black people will still commit most of the crimes?
Why have diverse staffs and inclusion in our free enterprise system when most Black people are not smart enough to do a professional/skilled job?
You think I am exaggerating? Ask the NFL. The NFL has admitted use of “race norming” as a factor in determining which players deserved a settlement because of concussions. Cognitive test scores were averaged for Black players.
The NFL decided that Black players have less brains to scramble, so the NFL figured
Christopher Seeger, an attorney for former players in the $1 billion concussion settlement said that the compensation program discriminated against Black players because of “race-norming.” A lawsuit was filed against the practice in August 2020. On June 2, Seeger made his announcement and the NFL followed.
“Everyone agrees race-based norms should be replaced, but no offthe-shelf alternative exists and that’s why these experts are working to solve this decadesold issue,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a written statement.
“The replacement norms will be applied prospectively and retrospectively for those players who otherwise would have qualified for an award but for the application of racebased norms.”
One of those players is former New Orleans Saint and San Francisco 49ers Toi Cooke – who had a claimed denied.
“So now the NFL and attorney Christopher [Seeger] come out and promise they’re
going to eliminate race-based norms, that they’re sorry for the pain this has caused Black former players and their families,” he wrote in a commentary published in the L.A. Times.
“The first thing that comes to mind for me is, somehow Christopher [Seeger] got paid and we didn’t. He didn’t play one down in the NFL, not one practice. He set up a system where he cut out a lot of us, and it’s a terrible system — except for the system for him.
Seeger apologized on ABC’s Nightline, saying “I was wrong. I didn’t have a full appreciation of the scope of the problem.”
“I’m really sorry that anybody, any client of mine in this program has been made to feel that way. That is a big mistake. It was a failure of the system. I’m a part of that. But I’m also a part of getting it fixed.”
Cook says he has a way to get it fixed, saying the NFL should “offer a different
Najeh Davenport eludes a St. Louis Rams tackler during a Dec. 20, 2007 game at the Edward Jones Dome. Davenport and former Steelers teammate Kevin Henry’s lawsuit filed in August 2020 helped expose the NFL’s use of “race norming” as a factor in concussion settlements.
settlement to the players, call it an offer and a compromise.”
“I think it should be $100,000 for each year that you played in the NFL. It’s a one-time offer and if you agree to that deal, you agree not to sue the NFL for any future dementia or whatever you might suffer.”
The negotiations will continue. But this is a victory for all Black Americans in that the NFL admitted it too does not value or acknowledge Black intelligence – just like
Reid Roundup Lewis Hamilton’s blunder
hit the “magic button,” which keeps tires and brakes warm during delays. He thought he turned it off. He believes he accidentally pressed it again to turn it back on before the race resumed. He may have also forgotten to turn off the “brake magic.” He ran off the course and ended up 15th…Floyd Mayweather failed to knockout Logan Paul in their so-called boxing match on June 6. He battered Paul throughout the eight rounds – and embarrassed himself, boxing, sports, payper-view and on-and-on… Simone Biles path to St. Louis in two weeks has seen her win yet another title. The 24-yearold Biles won her seventh national women’s all-around title at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth, earning her the most wins by any American woman in history.
Alvin A. Reid
Earl Austin Jr.
Photo by Associated Press
Photo courtesy of insidesports.com
SLCC program inspires Black men coping with college for first time
Recruiting for Black Male Achievers Academy
By The St. Louis American staff
Overcoming the academic achievement gap for many Black men begins with building a bridge to confidence in the classroom.
Learning to say, “I can,” before declaring “I can’t,” is a key according to Franklyn Taylor, vice president for student affairs at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park.
SLCC is recruiting 100 African American men for its Black Male Achievers Academy, a free, six-week program serving Black men attending college for the first time in the fall.
The program engages students preparing for their first semester of college. STLCC created the program to help reverse a decline in recruitment and retention of African American students.
“(BMAA) students get the support they need to persist and graduate. They have a sense of belonging and someone to turn to when they need it. The extra support creates an opportunity for students to succeed,” Taylor said.
“When students know staff and faculty are 100% committed to their success and believe in them, they will often persist, despite insurmountable obstacles. Which is why it is necessary to build a trusting relationship from the very beginning. Relationships are everything.”
The curriculum includes a course in social science and
reading, and students receive academic support in preparation for future English and math courses. There are also discussions on career options, financial fitness and social justice.
The BMAA will run June 21-July 30 and take place in-person on both the St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley and STLCCForest Park campuses.
To participate, Black male high school graduates with a 1.5-3.0 grade point average who have not yet attended college can email a recommendation letter from their high school counselor or a teacher to Taylor at ftaylor65@ stlcc.edu. He also can be contacted at (314) 644-9212.
There were 23 participants confirmed for the SLCC at Florissant Valley campus and 30 for its Forest Park location.
In addition to the instruction and support, students will receive three credit hours and an academic scholarship to STLCC for up to $3,000 for two-academic years.
Chester Henderson, an SLCC continuing education program information and enrollment assistant, participated in a previous SLCC program like the BMAA called African American Male initiative. It
was in session from 2009-2017. Henderson left Parkway West High School before graduation to work and support his child. He later completed GED course work and received a diploma.
“I grew up in North St. Louis surrounded by the complexities of an urban environment. Survival was always a challenge. I lost so many childhood friends at a young age to gun violence, and it was a hard pill to swallow. It’s hard to look to the future when you are seeing things like this daily in your community,” he said.
“I always wanted to do better for myself and my family and that’s when I made the decision to go back and further my education. I’m so happy I did, because so many doors have opened because of that.”
The AAMI guide Henderson through the educational process and helped him graduate with an associate degree in human services from STLCC in 2017.
“As a first-time student, I needed help understanding and navigating the process of being a student. I wanted to know how to be successful,” Henderson said.
Following his SLCC graduation, Henderson was hired to work full-time for the College and has held several positions before being promoted to his current role.
“With the Black Male Achievers Academy in place, the College’s efforts to recruit and support Black male students will be strengthened,” he said.
Chester Henderson
Back on stage, back to life
Black Rep actress Christina F. Yancy is back after COVID-19
By Sylvester Brown Jr. of The St. Louis American
Christina Francis Yancy admits she’s been blessed even during a worldwide pandemic. The 24-year-old has a personality as brilliant as her wide, slightly gap-toothed smile (a gift from her mother and father, she insists).
Yancy came to St. Louis in 2019, right after graduating from the University of Montevallo (UM), a liberal arts college in Alabama. She arrived via a paid internship with the Black Repertory Theatre Company of St. Louis.
The global pandemic crippled theatre companies around the world, but Yancy said her blessings continued throughout personal and collective challenges.
n The global pandemic crippled theatre companies around the world, but Yancy said her blessings continued throughout personal and collective challenges.
“Even though the Black Rep went virtual, we were lucky enough to have a 2020 season and had patrons who still wanted to see us do things. Being able to do theater during the pandemic, I realize that I was extremely lucky to have a job and have a creative outlet for myself.”
Yancy was bitten by the acting bug as a little girl. She fondly remembers how she and her only sister, Vivian, devoured her parents’ collection of Andrew Loyd Webber musicals, such as “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Evita” and “Cats” on VHS tapes.
She also recalled the times her mother, Tracey, who loved live theatre, took her to theaters in Mobile, Alabama starting at the tender age of three. One of the most memorable productions the family watched was the 1999 made-for-TV version of “Annie.” The musical version featured Tony-award-winning, internationally known African American actress, Audra McDonald.
“For me, at that age, seeing this gorgeous black woman singing and performing and being successful doing it, enchanted me,” Yancy recalled, adding: “Even to this day, I still enjoy watching Annie.”
Acting has served as a panacea for Yancy who has grappled with a medical condition
Actress Christina F. Yancy starred as the disciple’s mother,
the 2019 University of Montevallo stage production of “The
Iscariot.” She moved to St. Louis shortly after and is now a
performer with The Black Rep.
since her teens. Her father, Milan, who suffered from acute myeloid leukemia, passed away in 2011. It was then that 14-year-old Yancy was diagnosed with extreme Hypochondria, an abnormal anxiety about one’s health and unwarranted fears of a serious disease. She remembers countless trips to emergency rooms and dozens of tests. Doctors and her mother repeatedly told her she was fine, but the pain was real in
Yancy’s young mind.
“It was like a finger pressing against my heart,” she said.
Nothing gave her comfort until an aunt provided a diagnosis that made sense to her.
“You have a broken heart because you lost your dad and it’s manifesting itself through
See Yancy, C6
Sisters in STEM
Hawthorn’s graduating seniors are history in the making
By Danielle Brown of the St. Louis American
Striving to be the first to complete something historic could be a pressure-packed experience.
But it can also be an honor.
The Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls 2021 senior class accomplished that mission as the first group of young ladies to graduate from the institution.
Eight graduates walked across the stage during a small in-person ceremony May 25 that was socially distanced and live streamed from The Big Top in the Grand Center Arts District.
“My favorite thing about the school is the girls and the friendships I’ve built with them,” said graduating senior Terre Burks. “It’s definitely one of those things where you’ll still be friends after graduation.” Burks will attend Clark Atlanta University in the fall with criminal justice and business administration majors.
“I’ve had people in my family that have been to jail, seeing their experience with the criminal justice system made me want to enter that line of
Groundbreaking actor Clarence Williams III passes at
“Mod Squad”
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA
Actor Clarence Williams III, who starred as Lincoln Hayes on the countercultural ABC drama, “The Mod Squad” and as superstar Prince’s father in “Purple Rain,” has died. He was 81. Williams’ management team said the celebrated actor died of colon cancer. “RIP Clarence Williams III. He was AMAZING IN EVERYTHING! Please watch him in Sugar Hill, Half Baked, and Purple Rain!” tweeted actor Reggie Watkins Jr. RIP Clarence Williams…” tweeted the Prince Museum with a photo of the actor appearing in the film “Purple Rain.” Williams career started on the Broadway stage where he earned a Tony nomination for his acting
See Williams, C6
“We’ve
Actor Clarence Williams III, who starred in “The Mod Squad,” “Sugar Hill,” “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” and as superstar Prince’s father in “Purple Rain,” has died. He was 81.
Photo provided by Christina F. Yancy
Henrietta Iscariot, in
Last Days of Judas
stellar
Photo courtesy of Pinxit Photo and Cinema
School for Girls graduated its first senior class at The Big Top,
African American mosque numbers dropping at accelerated rate
Religious News Service
African American mosques are closing at an increasing rate, while the number of mosques in the United States continues to grow, according to a report released June 2.
“The American Mosque 2020: Growing and Evolving,” was jointly published by the Islamic Society of North America, the Center on Muslim Philanthropy and the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. It is authored by Ihsan Bagby, who produced similar survey reports in 2001 and 2010.
“In 2020, the U.S. Mosque Survey counted 2,769 mosques, which is a 31 percent increase from the 2010 count of 2,106 mosques,” Bagby explained.
“Undoubtedly, the primary driving force for the increase of mosques is the steady expansion of the population of Muslims in America due to immigration and birth rate.”
Several factors are leading to the closure of African American mosques, including the death of former Nation of Islam leader Warith Deen Mohammed, who was one of the founders of the African American Sunni Muslim movement.
American conversions occurred in the early 1990s, spurred by the influence of the film “Malcolm X,” globalization and the prominence of some Muslims in hip-hop culture. As members of the first wave get older, many African American mosques have struggled to remain open.
“Following the death of Warith Deen Mohammed in 2008, the community has never reconstituted itself and that has been a barrier for growth for the African American Muslim community,” said Bagby.
“African American conversion, while it is ongoing, has plateaued, especially in African American mosques,” he added.
The 2010 survey found that 17 percent of America’s mosques were in urban centers. That number decreased to 6 percent in the 2020 survey due to the growth of new mosques in suburban and rural areas, and the closure of many African American mosques in larger cities.
By Shewanda Riley
Several years ago, I was blessed to take a cruise that made a stop in the Cayman Islands. When our cruise ship first arrived, I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the blue water. Since this was my first time there, I decided to soak up as much sun and fun while on the beach as possible. After spending an hour picking up seashells, I wanted to do something a little more adventurous.
I saw a couple looking like they were having a great time on a paddle boat that looked like an oversized big tire. The 14-year-old daughter of a fellow vacationer from the cruise ship agreed that it looked like fun. Her mother agreed that she could ride the paddle boat with me. At first, it was fun. We marveled at how the boat seemed to “ride the waves” and waved at our friends at the shore while they took pictures of us. After about 20 minutes, we decided to
There was an initial wave of conversions in the 1960s and 1970s, and mosques were created
head back to the shore. We paddled and steered right but the boat kept moving to the left. After we went in circles about 3 times, we started to get a little frustrated because our legs were getting tired. We then thought that maybe the reason why we were going left was because I weighed more than her and we needed to switch sides on the boat to balance things out. We started to get worried when, even after we did this, the boat still veered left. Not only were we going in circles, but we were also being pushed further away from the shore by each wave. It was strange but it seemed like the harder we tried to go right, the more the boat went left. At this point, I was panicked but tried not to let the young
by new African American Muslim communities. A secondary wave of African
lady see. I just kept paddling harder to get us back to the shore.
“Mom…get help!” was what the 14-year-old yelled after 5 more minutes of going around in circles. I also wished I could yell for my mom but tried to remain calm as our friends on the shore finally realized that we were not just waving for fun…we really needed help. Silently, I prayed for God to do something! It took the equipment rental associate the longest 5 minutes to rescue us. When he reached us and looked at the boat, he said that one of the paddle boat wheels was filling up with water because a plug came out. He also said that our paddling was making it worse.
Most of America’s new purposebuilt mosques are found in suburban areas. The shift reflects the demographic footprint of Muslims in America.
When I thought about it later, I saw how this mirrored the words found in Romans 9: 16: “It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” I then began to see how this nervewracking experience reemphasized how sometimes the smallest things can change your course. However, instead of trying to fix things, it is best to respond with peaceful trust in God and not panicky control. Oh…I also learned to stick to finding seashells while at the beach.
Shewanda Riley is a Dallas-based author of “Writing to the Beat of God’s Heart: A Book of Prayers for Writers.”
Guest Columnist Shewanda Riley
Photo courtesy of Facebook.com
CONSTRUCTION LABORER
citizenship
5. Must be able to pass pre-employment drug test and will be subjected to random drug tests during employment
6. Must be willing to join the Construction Laborers Union and attend classes at the training school when required
7. Must have transportation to get to jobsites
Pay and benefits:
1. Entry salary for first year apprentice: $17.42/hour
2. After completing apprenticeship: $36.00/hour
Free training
Bi-State Utilities Co. 12894 Pennridge Dr. Bridgeton, MO 63044 (314) 209-0202
RECRUITING NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Northside Youth And Senior Service Center (NSYSSC) is recruiting new board members from the St. Louis area to support our mission to meet the basic needs of vulnerable residents in the City of St. Louis.
Membership of the Board of Directors will provide you with an opportunity to impact the lives of vulnerable children and seniors by providing meals, senior transportation, academic enrichment, after school programs, housing support services and access to technology.
The Ideal Candidate must be a passionate leader, desires to make a positive impact in an underserved community of color and has the ability to serve with like-minded leaders supporting the community.
Requirements:
• Must be a Resident of St. Louis Metropolitan Area
• Serve on and participate in board committee work.
• Engage and secure fundraising for the organization to advance our mission.
• Leverage professional relationships and connections to secure partnerships.
• Help the Development Committee and staff identify and solicit potential funders.
• Directly invest in the work of Northside by making a personal contribution each year
• Attend one board meeting per month (every 4th Friday) from 7:45 am-8:45 am, CST.
Bi-State Utilities Co. is an equal opportunity employer
United Services for Children
Hiring PART TIME
Please
To apply, please send a copy of your most current resume to careers@nsyssc.com and a link to your Linkedln profile, if you have one. YOUTH LEADER SPECIALIST
Full time position at the St. Louis City Family Court Juvenile Division includes full benefit package, plus no cost retirement plan detailed info at www.stlcitycircuitcourt.com, click employment opportunities. EOE
The Grants Manager will secure operating funds from public and private entities through a proactive grant-seeking strategy. The Grants Manager will oversee the financials and record-keeping of grants/sponsorships/contracts received. Part-Time, 30 hours/ week, Monday through Friday. Email info@stlartworks.org for full description. An Equal Opportunity Employer.
JANITORIAL -
The Muny will hold auditions for a principal viola/violin position on July 10, 2021 starting 11am. If you are hired by The Muny, you must be/or become a member in good standing of M.A.S.L. Local 2-197.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS
• Professional experience in Musical Theater • Excellent Musical training/studies
• Solid technical and artistic skills in the musical field
• Excellent level of musical interpretation
• Versatility, ability to interpret a large variety of musical styles
• Ability to work as part of a team
Audition repertoire will be furnished via e-mail after receipt of your audition request. Applicants will need to bring both viola and violin. Sight reading excerpts will be provided at the audition.
To schedule an audition time or other questions, please contact James Heart via e-mail by June 25, 2021. jheart@muny.org
The Muny Orchestra is covered by a collective bargaining agreement with the Musicians’ Association of St. Louis Local 2-197, AFM.
The Muny is an Equal Opportunity Employer
MUNY ANNOUNCES
St. LouiS american Bids & Public Notices
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS # 57821165
Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) is requesting proposals for an Executive Search Firm to assist with selection of University executives.
Interested parties may obtain a copy of the RFP by emailing: morrowb@hssu.edu or calling (314) 340-5763. The RFP is scheduled for release on Monday, June 14, 2021.
Proposals must be received no later than 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 30, 2021 and should be emailed to morrowb@hssu.edu no later than 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 30, 2021. Proposals will be opened and the names read at 10:15 a.m. by University staff. The link to the virtual bid opening will be emailed out to all interested parties at a later date.
This request does not commit the University to award a contract or to procure or contract for the services. The University reserves the right to accept or reject any, all or any part of proposals received, or to cancel in part or in its entirety this request if it is in the best interest of the University to do so.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL # 57821167
OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE
Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) is requesting sealed proposals for Operation and Management of the University bookstore. A pre-bid conference will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 16, 2021 in the ATT Library Telecommunity Room 108. A tour of the current bookstores will take place at that time.
Interested parties may obtain a copy of the RFP by emailing: morrowb@hssu.edu or calling (314) 340-5763. The RFP is scheduled for release on Wednesday, June 16, 2021.
Proposals will be received until 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 8, 2021 and should be emailed to: morrowb@hssu.edu no later than 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 8, 2021. Proposals will be opened and the names read at 10:15 a.m. by University staff. The link to the virtual bid opening will be emailed out to all interested parties at a later date.
This request does not commit the University to award a contract or to procure or contract for the services. The University reserves the right to accept or reject any, all or any part of proposals received, or to cancel in part or in its entirety this request if it is in the best interest of the University to do so.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Cahills Construction, Inc. seeks subcontract proposals from Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Women Business Enterprise (WBE) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and/or Veteran Supplier Diversity, with Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business (SDVE) for:
Project #RC000453
Towne & Campus Apartment Complex
PARKING LOT, Missouri University of Science & Technology, Rolla, MO 65401
• To view plans and specifications electronically at no charge from: http://www.adsplanroom.net
• To view at our Rolla, MO office: 1704 E 10th St. Ste. D Rolla, MO 65401
• To request an invite for a Link to the plans and specifications please email or call:
• bids@cahillconstruction.com or call 573-426-5305
Subcontractor bids are due by 3:30 p.m. on June 21, 2021.
Bids can be emailed to bids@cahillsconstruction. com or faxed to 573-362-3562
If you have any questions: 573-426-5305
SOLICITING BID
PJ Hoerr, Inc is Soliciting Bids
MBE/WBE/DBE/Veteran/SDVE for the following:
University of Missouri Missouri Psychiatric Center –Pediatric Assessment Unit
Bid Date: 6/29/2021 @ 1:30pm
Contact: Mike Murray, mikem@reinhardtconstructionllc. com Phone: 573-682-5505
SOLICITING BID
Reinhardt Construction LLC. is Soliciting Bids MBE/WBE/DBE/ Veteran/SDVE for the following:
Pershing Hall North Renovation Truman State University
Bid Date: 6/22/2021 @ 2:00PM
Contact: Mike Murray, mikem@reinhardtconstructionllc. com Phone: 573-682-5505
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for Geyer Sanitary Relief and Windsor Springs P-521 Storage (Big Bend Blvd to Windsor Springs Dr) under Letting No. 12175-015.1, at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on Tuesday, July 13, 2021.
There is a Non-mandatory pre-bid meeting on Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at 9:00 AM. Registration is required to participate through a computer or tablet. To register, visit msdprojectclear.org/12175PB. Once you register, you will be sent the meeting link and further instructions on how to attend. If you register with your email, you will also get a reminder sent to you the day before the meeting.
If dialing in by phone, call this number: 301-715-8592 and when prompted, enter the webinar ID: 968 5027 4361 and password: 284645. Participants using the dial in option will not be able to submit questions during the meeting, however, we invite you to send questions to Steve Roberts, sroberts@stlmsd.com
Following the pre-bid conference, site visits will be held at the Windsor Spring P-521 Pump Station located at 11297 Cragwold Rd. in Sunset Hills, MO. Due to limited parking, Contractors will be required to sign-up for the following time slots:
a. 6/30/2021 - 11:00 AM
b. 6/30/2021 - 1:00 PM
c. 7/01/2021 - 8:00 AM
To request a time, please contact Steve Roberts at sroberts@stlmsd.com (preferred) or (314) 768-6310. Reservations can also be requested during the pre-bid conference. Limit one vehicle per reservation. Slots will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualified by the District’s Engineering Department for:
Building Construction or Tunneling/Trenchless Cities of Kirkwood and Sunset Hills Plans and Specifications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Specifications are also available for viewing or purchase at Cross Rhodes Reprographics located at 2731 S. Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63118 or at www.stlmsdplanroom.com. All bidders must obtain a set of plans and specifications in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid. The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
INVITATION TO BID
FERGUSON-FLORISSANT SCHOOL DISTRICT
Ferguson-Florissant School District is requesting bid proposals to furnish, ship and install all materials and equipment for a dish machine until Tuesday June 29, 2021 1:30pm CST. Bid specs must be obtained online at http://new.fergflor.k12.mo.us/ facilities-rfq
Contact/Attention: Matt Furfaro 314.824.2418
ST. LOUIS POLICE PRECINCT #1 & #3
Scope of work: Site work and New Construction of a fire/ police facility in St. Louis County
Subcontractor goal of 24% MBE and 9.5% WBE for this project. It is Tax Exempt and Prevailing Wage.
Project bids June 17th, 2021 @ 11:00AM
Please send all bids to office@hankinsmidwest.com
SEALED BIDS
Normandy Schools Collaborative will be accepting sealed General Contractor Bids for the construction of the Secured Connector Addition at the Normandy High School. The entire bidders package will be available electronically on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 through TR,i Architects, james.russell@ triarchitects.com . A Mandatory Pre-Bid walk through will be held at 2:00pm (CDT) Wednesday, June 23, 2021 with Bids being due on Tuesday July 13, 2021 at 2:00 PM (CDT). To download the entire Advertisement for Bidders please go to the following website: www.normandysc.org or for an emailed copy contact James Russell, with TR,i Architects, at james.russell@triarchitects.com
INVITATION TO BID
Interface Construction Corp. is bidding on: St. Louis County Police Precinct #1 Located at 11030 Dunn Road, St. Louis, MO 63136 Bids are due in our office on June 16th at 11:00 AM. We are inviting certified MBE and WBE contractors to submit their quote to:
Don Markus, Interface Construction Corp. 8401 Wabash Ave. St. Louis, MO 63134-1837 (314) 522-1011, O (314) 225-7219, C email: donm@interfacestl.com
METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT ST. LOUIS MISSOURI
CAULKS CREEK PUMP STATION B (P-751) GENERATOR INSTALLATION (IR) CONTRACT LETTING NO. 13399-015.1
ADVERTISEMENT
Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for Caulks Creek Pump Station B (P-751) Generator Installation (IR) under Letting No. 13399-015.1, at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on July 29, 2021. All bids are to be deposited in the bid box located on the First Floor of the District’s Headquarters located at 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103, prior to the 2:00 p.m. bid deadline. Bids may also be submitted electronically at stlmsdplanroom.com. Refer to the Contractor’s notice page within the Bid Form for additional information on electronic submission of bids.
A general description of the work to be done under these contract documents can be found in Section 01 01 00 SUMMARY OF WORK, of Part 5 – Specifications of the Bidding Documents.
The work to be done under these contract documents consists of:
• Furnish generator, trailer mounted, enclosed with accessories per technical specification with field startup, testing and commissioning report. Furnish feeders, wireway, grounding, generator power cam-lock style termination panel, control termination enclosure, material and labor for connection to existing transfer switch. Miscellaneous electric and site grading, fencing and paving will also be included. Additional electrical work associated with connecting the generator to the existing pump station.
Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualified by the District’s Engineering Department for: Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing Contractors.
The Engineers Opinion of Probable Cost is $ 174,000.
Plans and Specifications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Specifications are also available for viewing or purchase at Cross Rhodes Reprographics located at 1712 Macklind Avenue, St. Louis MO 63110. All bidders must obtain a set of plans and specifications in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid. The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
A non-mandatory, virtual Pre-Bid conference will take place via MS Teams on June 29, 2021, at 9:00 a.m., local time. The meeting link and call-in information is provided below.
Meeting Link: Click here: Caulks Creek Pump Station B Generator Pre-Bid CLICK HERE Call-In Number: +1 636-206-6466, Conference ID: 518 163 831#
A subsequent site visit will be held on June 29, 2021, at 10:00 a.m., local time, at the site location at 16607 Old Chesterfield Road. Access will be through the Breckenridge Material site. Representatives of OWNER and ENGINEER will be present to discuss the Project. Bidders are encouraged to attend and participate in both the Pre-Bid conference at 9:00 a.m. followed by the site visit at 10:00 a.m. No more than two representatives from each plan holder will be allowed to attend. Temperature checks will be performed at the site and face coverings will be required. OWNER will transmit to all prospective Bidders of Record such Addenda as ENGINEER considers necessary in response to questions arising at the Pre-Bid conference and site visit, including conference meeting minutes and attendance sign in sheet. Oral statements made during the conference or following site visit may not be relied upon and will not be binding or legally effective.
LETTING NO. 8732
STRUCTURE REHABILITATION –LAMBERT INTERNATIONAL BLVD. BRIDGE OVER COLD WATER CREEK
At St. Louis Lambert International Airport
Sealed proposals will be received by the Board of Public Service in Room 301 City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Mo. Until 1:45 PM, CT, on Tuesday, July 13, 2021, then publicly opened and read in room 325. Plans and Specifications may be examined on the Board of Public Service website http://www.stl-bps. org(BPS On Line Plan Room) and may be purchased directly through the BPS website from INDOX Services at cost plus shipping. No refunds will be made. Bidders shall comply with all applicable City, State and Federal laws (including MBE/WBE policies). Mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, at 1:30 PM via Zoom: To access ZOOM log in information go to: https://www.flystl.com/business/zoom-bid-information
All bidders must regard Federal Executive Order 11246, "Notice of Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Employment Opportunity”, the “Equal Opportunity Clause” and the “Standard Federal Equal Employment Specifications” set forth within and referenced at www.stl-bps.org (Virtual Plan Room).
NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS
Paric Corporation is seeking proposals for the following project: Missouri Psychiatric CenterPediatric Assessment Unit the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO.
This is the renovation of the Pediatric Assessment Unit with support space. The project consists of approximately 5,762 SF of space and includes but is not limited to demolition, carpentry, architectural woodwork, firestopping, doors/frames/hardware, drywall, tile, acoustical ceilings, flooring, painting, fire sprinklers, plumbing, HVAC and electrical work.
This project has a diversity participation goals of 10% MBE, 10% combined WBE, DBE, Veteran Owned Business and 3% SDVE.
Bids for this project are due on June 28th, at 3:00 p.m. For any questions or would like to find out more detailed information on this opportunity, please contact Evan Chiles at 816-878-6003 or emchiles@paric.com.
All bids should be delivered to Paric via e-mail (bids@paric.com) or fax (816-878-6249).
PARIC CORPORATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
BID NOTICE
Lift for Life Academy invites prime/trade contractors to submit bids for renovation of 2322 S. 7th St., 63104. Matt Ule, designated contact, for BC Construction as manager. Interested bidders should contact Mattu@bococonst.com who will send plans & bid forms via email. Bid forms to be completed, signed, scanned, and emailed to Matt by June 24th at 3:00 pm.
There will be a non-mandatory walk though scheduled for 17th of June @ 10:00 A.M at 2322 S. 7th Street. All bidders are encouraged to attend.
Funding for this project requires all labor wages be paid not less than those established for the local area by the Secretary of Labor. See links below for wage rates that apply. https://www.wdol.gov/ or https://labor.mo.gov/DLS/PrevailingWage
All bidders must comply with the Equal Employment Opportunity Act and shall not unlawfully discriminate against or harass any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, national origin, sex gender, age or disability or any other protected status or activity.
CITY OF ST. LOUIS
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Solicitation For Bid (Luggage Carts Concession)
The Solicitation For Bids (SFB) for an AIRPORT LUGGAGE CART CONCESSION has been released. A Pre Bid Conference will be held June 22, 2021; bids are due August 24, 2021.
The City of St. Louis supports the inclusion of Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise companies. More information is available at the website noted below.
Bid documents may be obtained at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Airport Properties Division, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., or by visiting our website at https://www.flystl.com/business/contractopportunities.
Robert C. Salarano Airport Properties Division Manager
INVITATION TO BID
Lift for Life Academy invites mechanical contractors to submit bids for replacement of RTU’s for 1731, 1709 S. Broadway. Interested bidders should contact mcohen@liftforlifeacademy.org. Bids to be completed, signed, scanned, and emailed to Marshall by June 24th at 3:00 pm.
There will be a non-mandatory walk though scheduled for 18th of June @ 10:00 A.M at 1731 S. Broadway, 63104. All bidders are encouraged to attend.
Funding for this project requires all labor wages be paid not less than those established for the local area by the Secretary of Labor. See links below for wage rates that apply. https://www.wdol.gov/ or https://labor.mo.gov/DLS/PrevailingWage
All bidders must comply with the Equal Employment Opportunity Act and shall not unlawfully discriminate against or harass any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, national origin, sex gender, age or disability or any other protected status or activity.
ADVERTISEMENT FOR PROPOSALS
Sealed PROPOSALS for RFP 21-149 - Design-Build Platform for Pump Disconnects – 370 SW PS 2 will be received by the City of St. Peters, Purchasing Department, City Hall, One St. Peters Centre Boulevard, P.O. Box 9, St. Peters, Missouri 63376 until 2:00 PM local time, Friday, June 18, 2021. This will be a Non-Public opening
Contract Documents will be available on Thursday, June 3, 2021 and may be obtained from the City of St. Peters, One St. Peters Centre Boulevard, St. Peters, MO 63376 or requested in writing to Bids@stpetersmo.net under the subject line “RFP 21-149 - Design-Build Platform for Pump Disconnects –370 SW PS 2.”
All questions regarding this project shall be submitted to the City of St. Peters Purchasing Department in writing to Bids@stpetersmo.net under the subject line “RFP 21-149Design-Build Platform for Pump Disconnects – 370 SW PS 2” or by mail to City of St. Peters Purchasing Department, One St. Peters Centre Boulevard, P.O. Box 9, St. Peters, MO 63376 before noon local time, Friday, June 11, 2021.
The City reserves the right to waive any informality, and to accept the proposal most advantageous to the City.
ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Responses for St. Louis Community College on IFB B0004079 for Industrial Work Uniforms will be received until 3:00 PM (CST) on June 24, 2021. Go to https://stlcc.bonfirehub.com for bid document and submission.
AUCTION NOTICE
The following people are in debt to Gateway Storage Mall of Belleville & Dupo. The contents of their storage unit(s) will be sold at auction to compensate all or part of that debt.
Auction at the Belleville Royal Heights location will be held online with www. storageauctions.com on June 23rd, 2021 at 10:00 AM. A cash deposit will be REQUIRED for all winning bids.
Royal Heights --Belleville: G33 – Derrick Johnson, G14 – Trina Wilson, G23 -- James Davis, G28 -- Tia Jay, G48 – Juanita Frazier
Auction at the Belleville Mascoutah Avenue location will be held online with www.storageauctions.com on June 24th, 2021, at 10:00 AM. A cash deposit will be REQUIRED for all winning bids.
217 -- Chris Ciszczon, 417 -- Brianna Taylor Auction at the Dupo Fallings Springs Road location will be held online with www.storageauctions.com on July 6th, 2021, at
the Belleville auctions, please call 618-233-8995 or mail: 17 Royal Heights Center, Belleville, IL 62226.
For questions regarding the Dupo auctions, please call 618-724-5108 or mail: 300 Rueck Road, Columbia, IL 62236.
PUBLIC NOTICE
St. Cecilia accepting Food Service bids for 21-22. Breakfast, lunch, snack. Cost + fee contract. Submit by 6/15/21. 353-2455 or eroth@stc-stl.org for info.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: SSD 118-21: OFFICE RENOVATIONS AND BUS CANOPY RENOVATION AT SOUTH TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL
Project Manual and drawings will be available through County Blue on June 10, 2021. A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held at 2:00 PM on June 16, 2021 at South Technical High School, 12721 West Watson Road, St. Louis, MO 63127. Bids are due at 2:00 pm on July 8, 2021 at Special School District Purchasing Department, 12110 Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO 63131.
BID NOTICE
Great Rivers Greenway is seeking bids from qualified firms to provide labor and materials necessary to rekey and master 450 Medeco Cylinders located throughout the Gateway Arch National Park and Old Courthouse (the “Park”) in St. Louis, MO. Go to www. greatriversgreenway.org/jobs-bids and submit by June 18, 2021.
8920 Natural Bridge Road, Missouri 63121. The deadline for submission of bids is 11:00 a.m. on July 1, 2021.
NOTICE TO MINORITY & DISADVANTAGED BUSINESSES
Poettker Construction Company is seeking bids from minority and disadvantaged businesses for the MUHC – Missouri Psychiatric Center – Pediatric Assessment Unit at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. A Diversity Participation goal of 10% MBE / 10% Combined WBE, DBE, Veteran Owned Business and 3% SDVE has been established for this contract. All interested and certified businesses should contact Zach Lindberg at 618-526-3339 or zlindberg@ poettkerconstruction.com to discuss opportunities. All bids must be received by EOB on Monday, June 28th. Bid documents are available for download through the following link: https://securecc. smartinsight.co/#/PublicBidProject/585583
400 South Germantown Road Breese, IL 62230 Phone: 618-526-7213 Fax: 618-526-7654
student-teacher ratio allows for more close-knit interaction.
“Hawthorn is a good school, it’s a small school, which is what makes it so great,” Burks said. “I’ve never had a problem with the relationship with my teachers. I’ve always had a good relationship with them. They’re nice, very open and always willing to talk.”
Being a small school also allows students and staff to “feel like family,” where everyone can be open and honest with each other about almost anything, according to Robinson.
“Hawthorn is a family,” said Tashia Rush, an English teacher with ninth- and 10th-grade students.
“I love the fact that my (head of school) knows how to approach her staff and she gives us a voice.” Robinson and Rush agree that Hawthorn’s all-girl student population creates a sisterhood in which students learn from one another.
“Our girls have relationships with staff and we hold the girls up to high expectations, but we do it with love and care,” Robinson said.
“We’re a sisterhood, there’s just something about being in an environment with other young ladies.”
Like most schools, last year’s classes became virtual or hybrid, the three days students and
Williams
Continued from C1
in the three-person drama, “Slow Dance.”
Comedian Bill Cosby recommended Williams to producer big-wig Aaron Spelling, who immediately took to the actor.
Williams returned to Broadway in 1979’s “Night and Day.”
His co-starring role as Linc on “The Mod Squad” in the 1970s, catapulted Williams into the mainstream.
However, some of his best work came on the big screen, particularly as Prince’s father in the 1984 hit, “Purple Rain,” and nine years later, in the Wesley
Snipes-led, “Sugar Hill.”
In 1998, Williams portrayed jazz legend Jelly Roll Morton on the big screen, and he also worked in hits like “Reindeer Games” and “Against the Wall.”
Not afraid to take on a lighter role, Williams made a cameo appearance in “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” and he was a favorite of comedian Dave Chappelle who worked with him on several features.
According to the Hollywood Reporter Williams was born on Aug. 21, 1939.
The son of professional musician Clay Williams, he was raised by his grandparents, composer-pianist Clarence Williams, a frequent collaborator of blues legend Bessie Smith,
whose songs were used years later in “Ain’t Misbehavin,’” and Eva Taylor, a singer and actress. Williams became exposed to acting as a teenager when he stumbled upon a rehearsal for “Dark of the Moon” at the Harlem YMCA — Cicely Tyson was starring in it — and the director gave him a couple of lines in the play. His work included “The Cool World” (1963), “Deep Cover” (1992), “Hoodlum” (1997), “Imposter” (2001), and “The Butler” (2013). Williams also appeared on television’s “Hill Street Blues,” “Miami Vice,” “Law & Order,” “Everybody Hates Chris,” and “Empire.”
staff met in person while two were remote.
Robinson said she and her staff were proactive in meeting the needs of students’ technology based education.
“We moved very quickly into making sure that we access the needs of our families in making sure that they have access to the hotspots or the computers that they need,” Robinson said.
Robinson added the staff became more dedicated to building community with students during the pandemic by having weekly checkups, standby counseling sessions and an allschool assembly on Fridays.
“We want to keep some traditions and cultural expectations in terms of celebration moving forward even during the pandemic,” Robinson said. Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls has taught girls in the city of St. Louis since 2015 and now serves grades six through 12.
Students and parents interested in enrolling at Hawthorn can contact Estitia Stone, director of recruitment and engagement at estone@hawthornschool.org.
Learn more about Hawthorn, here: https://www.hawthornschool.org/.
Yancy
Continued from C1
these pains,” the aunt said. The pandemic then increased her hypochondria, she explained.
“Being stuck in a one room efficiency apartment for months on end, got to me. There was lots of crying and wondering when the situation would end? Whenever I had a runny nose, headache or a cough, I’d call my mom saying, ‘I think I have it, I think I have it!’
“Migraines run in my family,” Yancy recalled. “But in my mind, it was like, ‘Oh my God, I have glioblastoma (an aggressive brain tumor), I’m going to die in like three months.’ No one could convince me that it was just migraines.”
Acting helps but it also sometimes fuels her malady.
“I have a really bad habit of internalizing bits and pieces of
my characters so I can relate to them more. If I’m playing a character who’s going through a death or is at their lowest point mentally, it takes me a minute for me to get out of it.”
As an example, she cited the 2019 stage production of “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” at UM. Yancy played Henrietta Iscariot, Judas’ mother. In preparing for the role, the director asked her to think of all the mothers who have lost children and try to embody those emotions. She hadn’t lost any children, but she had lost her dad, so she tapped into those feelings.
“This was also after Michael Brown’s death and Black Lives Matter and the resurrection of civil rights issues,” Yancy explained. “Going to that emotional place was hard but I learned from it. Acting was a welcome distraction. It allowed me to focus on one thing and not all the anxieties that were plaguing me at the time.”
Yancy was among the group
of actors that Ron Himes, founder and producing director at the Black Rep, asked to audition for an ensemble role in Shakespeare in the Park’s return performance of King Lear. The play, directed by Carl Cofield, runs through June 27th. To be back on stage in front of a live audience has not only given Yancy the balance she’s missed within the past year, but has also reinforced her life choice:
“In these times, artists are trying to provide a beautiful escape, so audiences can hold up a mirror to themselves in a more aggressive but gentle way to receive a message. So, as an actor if you can entertain, get the laughs, the tears and hear people say, ‘Oh my God, I’ve learned so much from you as an actor or from the show in general’… well, that’s when I know, as an actor, I’ve done my job.”
Sylvester Brown Jr. is The St. Louis American’s inaugural Deaconess Fellow.
Photo courtesy of Pinxit Photo and Cinema
Terre Burks is one of eight students who are part of the Hawthorn Leadership for Girls first graduating senior class. Graduation took place on Tuesday, May 25 at The Big Top located in the Grand Arts Center District.