Parkland survivors co-host STL town hall
Meet with Michael Brown’s father on Father’s Day
By Sophie Hurwitz
with Marjorie Stoneman Douglas student gun control advocates, who visited St. Louis on the second stop of a national tour about gun violence on Sunday, June 17.
NAACP, religious leaders call for independent investigation of police shootings
Circuit
By Jessica Karins For The St. Louis American
The St. Louis City NAACP is joining with activists and
Bill to require public vote for airport privatization
Krewson, Reed voted to continue privatization process, Green opposed
By Rebecca Rivas Of The St Louis American
A St. Louis city alderwoman plans to introduce a bill next week that would require a public vote for privatizing the city’s assets, including its largest asset – St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Alderwoman Cara Spencer (D-Ward
n “We do not have any examples for any city that has been successful with this process. I don’t believe we should be the first to do this.”
– Comptroller Darlene Green
aldermanic President Lewis Reed and Comptroller Darlene Green – voted 2-1 to approve a consulting contract with a 16-member advisor team. That team is led by Grow Missouri, Inc., an organization funded by retired financer Rex Sinquefield, a billionaire who has invested heavily in
Pruitt
“We
For The St. Louis American
Photo by Eleanor DesPrez
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
Taryan Doss, Bryan Doss, Savannah Oliver and Kaleze Doss tries to stay cool in the water at City Garden in downtown St. Louis on June 12.
Cooling off in the city
NeNe Leakes reveals husband Gregg has cancer
“Real Housewives of Atlanta” co-star NeNe Leakes took to her Instagram to announce that her husband, Gregg Leakes, was recently diagnosed with cancer.
NeNe posted a photo that featured Gregg sitting at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. The photo has a computer screen in the background of the photo that features the word “cancer” with a red line through it. NeNe captioned the photo, “Our new normal and the fight begins.”
In the post, NeNe also included the hashtags #[expletive]cancer, #yougotthis and #Iloveyou.
Blac Chyna and YBN Almighty break up
Reality star Blac Chyna and YBN Almighty, her 18-year-old rapper fiancé, have parted ways according to the former couple’s social media accounts.
In an Instagram post – which has since been deleted – he wrote: “@blacchyna and I are no
longer together (sic).”
He also shared a YouTube video clip of the Juice WRLD song “Lucid Dreams (Forget Me),” and posted a broken heart emoji over his InstaStory.
Chyna – who has 19-month-old daughter Dream with ex Rob Kardashian, and fiveyear-old son King Cairo with ex Tyga –posted a broken heart emoji on her Instagram account.
The split comes less than week after Chyna appeared to have been inked with a “Jay” tattoo on her arm. The pair hooked up in February. By April, he popped the question to her via social media.
The Carters were finishing album up until 11th hour
A source told Rolling Stone Magazine that Beyonce and Jay-Z’s team were still putting the finishing touches to their joint album during their London concert, hours before the record “Everything Is Love” was released.
Andre Lyon – one half of production duo Cool & Dre – worked on several
tracks on the release and has revealed there was one big dash to get the LP out at the end of the London Stadium show.
“People were still recording parts an hour and a half before the last show in London,”
Lyon told Rolling Stone Magazine. ““They were still putting last-second touches on.
‘[Beyonce and Jay-Z] don’t have rules,” Andre said. “No one can get away with the things they do - and when I say get away with, I mean pull off.”
The nine-track record was first exclusively released on Jay’s TIDAL but is now available on all major streaming sites under their marital name The Carters.
Rapper XXXTentacion fatally shot
Rapper XXXTentacion was fatally shot while shopping for Motorcycles in South Florida on Monday.
According to several outlets, a masked gunman ran up to his vehicle and shot him. Witnesses reportedly told police that a Louis Vuitton bag was taken from the vehicle after the shooting. In the wake of his death, fans have been sharing an
eerie, undated Instagram Live video in which XXXTentacion talked about what he wanted his legacy to be after he died.
“If worse thing comes to worst, and I [expletive] die or some [expletive] and I’m not able to see out my dreams, I at least want to know that the kids perceived my message and were able to make something of themselves and able to take my message and use it and turn it into something positive and to at least have a good life.
If I’m going to die or ever be a sacrifice, I want to make sure that my life made at least five million kids happy or they found some sort of answers or resolve in my life regardless of the negative around my name, regardless of the bad things people say to me.”
Bill Cosby axes legal team
Bill Cosby reportedly fired his entire legal team after being found guilty of three counts of felony sexual assault stemming from his 2004 drugging and sexual molestation of Andrea Constand.
The team of seven has been replaced by attorney Joseph P. Green Jr. Pennsylvania law prohibits Cosby from filing an appeal until after his sentencing in September.
Sources: CNN.com, Instagram.com, Rollingstone.com, Bravo.com
Jay-Z & Beyoncé
Die-in ‘for our lives’ at Blunt’s office in St. Louis
NRA endorsed Republican senator in 2016,
By Ashley Jones For The St. Louis American
On June 12, over 20 March for Our Lives protestors’ still bodies lay limp on the concrete located directly in front of NRA supporter U.S. Senator Roy Blunt’s office in St. Louis to commemorate the 49 lives lost at Pulse Night Club and other victims of gun violence.
“It’s important that we do this in front of people that support the NRA because, without those guns, they couldn’t have did what they did and they couldn’t have took as many lives,” said Morgan Lowe, a March for Our Lives protestor.
Protestors all across the country held die-ins to honor the two-year anniversary of the Pulse Night Club mass shooting on Orlando. The organizers of March for Our Lives St. Louis hosted their Die-In at Blunt’s office to protest his voting record regarding guns and gun violence. The NRA endorsed Blunt in 2016 and awarded him an A rating.
“He is one of the top four highest-paid officials by the NRA,” Lowe said. “He continues to put money above our lives. We’ve been organized since February, we’ve had events, and we’ve invited him to every single one. He’s failed to show up. So now we are bringing the fight to him. He’s not here, but people are there, and they see us, and
they know what we’re doing, and the message will get back to him.”
Gun violence is a prominent issue throughout the county, especially in St. Louis, where more than 102 people had been murdered by gun violence this year as of June 2. On the anniversary of the mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub, the protestors were participating in this die-in to honor multiple lives affected by the tragedy.
“I’m a part of the LGBTQ+ community,” Lowe said. “So it’s taking power back for me personally, because we’re such a small, tight-knit community that that mass shooting really scarred everybody, even if
n We’ve been organized since February, we’ve had events, and we’ve invited him to every single one. He’s failed to show up. So now we are bringing the fight to him.”
On June 12, over 20 March for
you didn’t know somebody personally or you weren’t there. It has a lot to do with showing respect for the people that we lost that we shouldn’t have.”
The march organizers read the 49 names of the Pulse mass shooting victims, spoke about
gun violence in St. Louis, and conducted a 12-minute diein to protest Blunt stance on guns and to stand in solidarity with gun violence victims. Cars passed by and honked their horns in acknowledgment of the March for Our Lives
protest.
“There have been six days in 2018 in which three or more deaths occurred in one day by a gun,” said Hannah Brown, March for Our Lives protestor. “Missouri has the most lax gun laws in the country, and St. Louis has the most gun violence in the country.”
After the successful March for Our Lives in Saint Louis attended by 12,000 people, the march’s organizers have been hosting many events to raise awareness of gun violence and bring about change, both in St. Louis and around the country.
“The reason that I’m involved in this movement is because the people who lost their lives at Pulse, at Parkland,
Sandy Hook, Columbine, and everyone in St. Louis and all around the country, they don’t have the luxury of doing this,” Brown said. “They don’t have the luxury of protesting, and I think the best way to honor them is to get work done to make sure no one else has the same ending that they did.”
To keep up with the March for Our Lives movement and their future events you can follow them on Facebook at
Our Lives protestors staged a die-in in front of NRA supporter U.S. Senator Roy Blunt’s office in St. Louis to commemorate the 49 lives lost at Pulse Night Club and other victims of gun violence. The NRA endorsed Blunt in 2016 and awarded him an A rating.
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
– Morgan Lowe, March for Our Lives protestor.
Editorial /CommEntary
Trump’s immigration power play shows Hawley’s cold blood
African Americans have a unique perspective – to say the least – on two issues currently dominating the news: immigration to the United States and the forcible separation of children from their families. Nearly all black Americans are descended from slaves, the most cruelly victimized caste of people stolen and brought to this country involuntarily. Africans captured in slavers’ wars were brought here as chattel, and never benefitted from any reparations for their suffering and exclusion, first, from the category of humanity, and then, for another 100 years of racial terror, from equal social and economic opportunity. If anyone has earned the right to be ambivalent about the fortunes of latter-day immigrants to this country, as polls on immigration reform reveal blacks to be, it is the large majority of black Americans who are descended from slaves. At the same time, that same majority also shares the bone-chilling horror that their ancestors were forcibly separated from their loved ones, both on the African continent at the time of capture and on this continent. The autobiographies of former African-American slaves invariably include a scene of children being separated from their mothers (the slaveholding system typically had already kept fathers and mothers apart) and sent to another plantation. It was a primary tactic of slaveholders, who were faced with the daunting task of convincing human beings that they were not human beings. That the black family survived – as large black family reunions going on all around the country this summer attest – is the ultimate testament to what powerful and loving human beings survived American slavery. So while we understand – yet disagree with – AfricanAmerican ambivalence about the plight of undocumented immigrants in general, we believe all black Americans should be appalled and angered in the names of their unknown ancestors that the United States president enacted an immigration policy that included the forcible separation of children from their families. President Trump has changed his story several times and outright lied about the matter, as usual, but we believe him when he said the
policy had two goals: to deter undocumented immigration from Latin America and to give him leverage over Democrats in Congress who continue to balk at his ridiculous intention to build a wall (i.e., for much of the border, a fence) along the U.S. Mexican border. It might have been the lowest point in Trump’s humanity (or, rather, inhumanity) to date, and the image of children separated from their parents by U.S. government policy produced such a powerful visceral reaction that Trump was forced to backtrack and reverse the policy.
Black voters in Missouri –and any voter with a shred of conscience in Missouri – must take home one lesson from this brutal lesson in the savagery and stupidity of power. Josh Hawley must never be elected to the U.S. Congress and should be voted out of his statewide position of attorney general at the next opportunity.
With U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) showing moral and strategic leadership on this issue and even the proTrump U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) partly awakening from his moral coma to support a bad bill that at least would have kept families together while an increased number of federal judges heard felony cases against them, Hawley’s response in support of Trump
was so inhuman and tone-deaf it’s difficult to believe a human being said it.
“The whole immigration system is a disaster, and Claire McCaskill should answer for that: she’s been in D.C. for over a decade and she has shown zero leadership to secure the border, stop sanctuary cities, or protect American workers,” Hawley said in a statement.
“Nobody wants to see children and parents separated, just like no one should want to see illegal drugs and gangs pouring across our border. But none of that will change until McCaskill and the D.C. crowd take some responsibility and build the wall and secure the border.”
In other words, Hawley backed and defended Trump’s political play of using the forcible separation of children from their families to force Democrats to support the construction of his absurd border wall and pursuit of more punitive immigration policies. Hawley should return to whatever rock he crawled out from under and leave it to actual human beings with blood in their veins to enact public policy. Hawley is a representation of a new generation of Republicans willing to accede the party and its values to the disaster of the Trump administration.
‘The
strength of the wolf is the pack’ Commentary
By Mike Jones Of The St. Louis American
Over the last six weeks, I have written four columns focused on the historical arch of the political development of the black community in order to provide a context for considering our contemporary political condition. I want to summarize and conclude the exercise.
Donald Trump and his evil minions are not an anomaly or an apparition, they are emblematic of the reoccurring phenomenon of the evil of white supremacy that’s endemic to American culture. We have experienced this vitriol at least twice in the last hundredplus years.
The first time was the white supremacist response to Reconstruction. The nascent attempt to establish citizenship for newly emancipated blacks was violently rejected. Blacks in the South were forced to live under Jim Crow, America’s apartheid system. Except from blacks not being chattel property, this was arguably no different than slavery. It’s worth noting that while black Americans were being newly re-enslaved under Jim Crow, America was actively implementing genocide on Native Americans.
The second time we’ve experienced this kind of virulent and violent white reaction was the period during and after WWI. More than 350,000 black Americans fought in WWI to make the world safe for democracy. The greatest fear among white supremacists was they would return home demanding, and maybe prepared to fight for, full citizenship.
So what was this reaction?
An epidemic of race riots
– crazed armed white men attacking defenseless black men, women and children, burning and destroying their communities. Think East St. Louis, Omaha, Chicago, Tulsa. Then there’s the white community’s other favorite community event of the day, lynching black men, women and even boys, followed by the burning and desiccation of their bodies for the amusement and pleasure of the assembled white mob, which often included children. Lynchings were such a scourge that black Americans even petitioned the federal government for relief, to no avail.
Lastly, the explosion of Confederate Civil War monuments happened during this period as a reminder to black Americans of the power of white people and the proper place of black people. It was during this period that America instituted a race-based quota system for immigration.
But we not only survived these white supremacist
n Despite the horrific origins of the black community in America, we created a community that was intelligent, strategic and resilient. We beat America’s worst because we were smarter and tougher.
assaults, but actually prevailed in this political, cultural death match. Despite the horrific origins of the black community in America, we created a community that was intelligent, strategic and resilient. We beat America’s worst because we were smarter and tougher. It was a community that, no matter how adverse the conditions, had the structural integrity to protect its children
Letters to the editor
Residency should not be a requirement
By state Senator Jamilah Nasheed
For The St. Louis American
Twenty years ago, St. Louis taxpayers help foot the bill for the most expensive public works project in our city’s history – the construction of 9,000-foot runway at Lambert Airport with a billion dollar price tag. It was a costly but important investment in an airport that sees more than 14 million travelers each year, bringing business, revenue and jobs to our community.
Two decades later, things are going well at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, and the public is a seeing a positive return on its investment with a rise in passengers and an improved credit rating. But now there is talk that the fruits of these investments might be handed over to someone else.
Mayor Lyda Krewson and aldermanic President Lewis Reed recently approved a plan that could lead to the St. Louis airport being leased to a private operator. The Krewson/Reed plan appointed a group of consultants and advisers to look at the issue and make recommendations on the fate of the airport. Far from being an objective group, these consultants and advisers would be paid millions of dollars if the airport is privatized. More concerning is the revelation that President Reed worked to get a big campaign donor a lucrative slice of the consultant pie. Simply put, if the airport is turned over, his donor gets rich. Meanwhile, this plan does not guarantee the one group that should be consulted will even have a say in the matter –the St. Louis voters. Only Comptroller Darlene
Green stood up for the public and voted against this plan, and she should be commended for pumping the brakes on any effort that doesn’t give the residents of our city a seat at the table.
I am sure there are pros and cons to transforming how the airport is operated, but these are things that need to be evaluated and judged by the public, not a small and select group of politically connected consultants.
We all know someone who works at the airport, uses it for business or benefits from the revenue it brings to our community. That’s why voters should have the final say in any decision that might turn over this public asset to a private group. In the meantime, leaders need to understand that any plan that doesn’t put the decision to a public vote just won’t fly.
State Senator Jamilah Nasheed (D-St. Louis) represents the 5th Senatorial District in the Missouri Senate.
I’d like to take issue with Christi Griffin’s article, “City jobs should go to city residents.” Griffin makes many points in support of her argument for city residents having city jobs. I agree with that premise, but with the caveat that a particular city resident be qualified for the job in question. The concept of city employees having to be city residents is a historical employment restriction of St. Louis city government. Looking back to the period prior to mid-20th
Century, maintaining a residency requirement made sense. Transportation and communication were such that living some distance from the city made it difficult and time-consuming to access the city and landline telephones were the essence of communication. The issues of communication and travel time were a particular issue with cops and firefighters. As population spread to contiguous suburban areas, improvements in transportation and communications made the arguments for required residency moot. Thus, the residency requirement became a hindrance to recruitment. Also, America was
and prepare them to prevail in America, despite America. We were unified in the face of the enemy. It was this indivisibility on the issue of race that was the key to survival and victory. We are no longer that community, and what does that mean when we again engage this existential enemy? In the rush to integrate into white America, millions of us abandoned the black community. I’m not just speaking about physically, but emotionally and psychologically as well. Because of this, we are considerably weaker going into this next political death match against America’s most deplorable. But, as always, we’re not a people without hope.
Our destiny now rests with this emerging generation that I’ll call the Black Lives Matter generation. As a group, they are intelligent, fearless and committed. They also appear to lack a critique of America that speaks to our historical reality. But this is our fault, because they are the progeny of the black community we abandoned. They had to find their own way politically; they never got to learn the lessons from the history of our struggle because we never told them. There’s one thing I want you to remember, and I didn’t write it. It’s from “The Jungle Book,” a 19th century book of fables by Rudyard Kipling: “Now this is the law of the jungle, as old and as true as the sky, And the wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the wolf that shall break it must die... For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.” Mike Jones is a former senior staffer in St. Louis city and county government and current member of the Missouri State Board of Education and The St. Louis American editorial board. In 2016, he was awarded Best Serious Columnist for all of the state’s large weeklies by the Missouri Press Association.
experiencing a sea change in employment and community norms which led to the waning of the economic engine of Downtown St. Louis. Sensible recruitment should give preference to city residents who are qualified for a particular job. But residency should not be a requirement because it shrinks the pool of qualified applicants. And solving the other issues raised by Griffin is more complex than simply implementing a mandatory residency requirement.
Michael K. Broughton Green Park
Columnist Mike Jones
Columnist Jamilah Nasheed
Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
Josh Hawley spoke with President Trump in St. Louis on March 14.
Fossils for summer fun
Free help with college financial aid
The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis will provide drop-in advising hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.mm every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday through July 26 for recent high school graduates who have plans to attend college in the fall, with the exception of July 4. The foundation is located at 6825 Clayton Ave., Suite 100, St. Louis, Missouri 63139.
Students can walk in or schedule an appointment to meet with a student advisor to discuss financial aid and/ or college affordability, including help filing or correcting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 314-725-7990 or email info@sfstl.org.
Host families needed for Asian exchange students
World Heritage Student Exchange Programs is now looking for American families to host high school students from Japan, China, Thailand, Taiwan and South Korea. These students speak English, are bright, curious, and eager to learn about this country through living as part of a family for an academic year and attending high school. Your support of these students reinforces the United States’ commitment to education and opportunity throughout the world.
The exchange students arrive from their home country shortly before school begins and return at the
end of the school year. Each World Heritage student is fully insured, brings his or her own personal spending money, and expects to bear his or her share of household responsibilities, as well as being included in normal family activities and lifestyles. At the same time the student will be teaching their newly adopted host family about their own culture and language.
To become a host family or find out more about World Heritage, contact Tiffany Wilson, at (816)-807-2765 or via email at Tiffany@world-heritage.org or visit www. whhosts.com.
Towards a humane budget process
By Jamala Rogers
For the last several years, the Coalition Against Police Crimes and Repression has been facilitating a community engagement campaign on “Re-envisioning Public Safety.” In the town halls across the city, citizens were asked to think about what they would do with the portion of the city revenue we spend on an ineffective and racist arrest-and-incarceration model the city currently operates. I’m positive that if some of them had known about the recent public hearing on the city budget, they would’ve been there to give the Ways and Means Committee some solid suggestions about how to spend their hard-earned tax dollars.
Depending on how you cut it, the city spends 53-60 percent of its general revenue on police, courts, jails and other related agencies and programs. The goals of the campaign were to take our public consciousness past crime-fighting (reactive) to addressing the root causes of crime (proactive and preventive). Re-envisioning public safety has now morphed into reinvesting in public safety.
The knee-jerk response to crime in our city is to shout, “More police!” That is not the only answer to our crime problems, and our current situation is a testament to this fact. According to the Missouri attorney general’s latest racial profiling data, black folks are paying to be pulled over and searched in record numbers with very little return—meaning the amount of contraband doesn’t even come close to the number of police stops. And violent crimes continue.
A new city budget goes into effect on July 1. At a time when we keep hearing that money is tight, we have made few changes in the way that we approach the budget. The Board of Aldermen and the Board of Estimate and Apportionment need to embark upon a new and creative budget process that takes into consideration the well-being of all citizens, not just the few. We should not be pretending all is well in St. Louis for everyone. It is not. There are neighborhoods which look like one of North Korea’s nukes hit them. Neighborhoods where they are food deserts, minimal health services and sub-standard housing. Then there are neighborhoods that have more than what they need. The inequality is mind-blowing.
Some of us believe the city should take a serious look at how and where to move money. These are places where revenues like hidden or untapped like the police forfeiture funds, like TIFs and other giveaways to corporations and developers, uncollected business taxes, etc. That asset forfeiture fund needs to be more than the police department’s slush fund. Across the nation, citizens are demanding more input and control over their city’s budget. The concept of participatory budgeting is taking root and spreading. It’s more than just putting the budget on a website. It’s rethinking our priorities and making sure the money follows.
St. Louis needs to have a collective, comprehensive budget process that is humane, inclusive and futuristic. Let’s have a thoughtful but bodacious process that brings out the best in our city. A process that leads to funding basic human needs like jobs with livable wages, mental health services, adequate housing and community recreation.
The city budget is a starting place to make meaningful changes in our lives and the futures of our children. The knee-jerk response to problems is ineffectual. Working people keep getting saddled for the expensive failures of city decision-makers. The budget message is short and sweet: We have the means, let’s find the ways.
Jamala Rogers
Shelby Kane, Savannah McCullum, Mary Jordan and Sydney Akers looked at fossils provided by the St. Louis Zoo during the St. Louis American Science Camp on Tuesday, June 19 at the Little Creek Nature Area.
Photo by Wiley Price
with Michael Brown Sr., father of 18-year-old Michael Brown whose 2014 killing by a police officer sparked a national movement. The primarily white Parkland teens used this opportunity to learn about how the gun violence is systemic and constant in many black and brown communities, rather than a mass spectacle like a school shooting.
After their meeting with Michael Brown Sr., the teen leaders took over the auditorium of Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory School to host a town hall, alongside St. Louis community activists Cathy “Mama Cat” Daniels, Cori Bush, and Ethical Society of Police leader Sgt. Heather Taylor of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. With them were a half-dozen teenage leaders from Chicago, who are working to end gun violence in their own communities.
Parkland survivor David Hogg, 18, who rose to national prominence as an activist and part of the March for our Lives movement, sat wordlessly on the stage during introductions, holding a portrait of the late Michael Brown in front of him. Several times throughout the town hall, when he wasn’t exhorting the audience to vote, he referenced the slain teen.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas
BILL
Continued from A1
consulting firm McKenna & Associates LLC and global investment bank Moelis & Company LLC.
Grow Missouri is paying for all the consulting costs upfront, but would get all that money back if a deal is signed. According to a press document, the advisor team would also be paid a percentage, depending on
student Alfonso Calderon, 16, recognized the importance of storytelling in affecting change.
“A lot of people ask why we got so much press coverage when there’s all these communities experiencing violence, which I cannot even imagine, that don’t get this coverage. And it’s all in the media,” Calderon said.
“You know, 17 people died at my high school, and they were treated with respect. Their names were shown, their faces were shown, people – when
the amount of the lease. For instance, if a private entity were to pay the city $1 billion, the advisor team would be paid a 2.75 percent cut (or about $27.5 million), the document states. If the value of a deal were $1.5 billion, the advisor team would be paid a 2.67 percent fee.
Leasing the airport would require a city ordinance, approved by the Board of Aldermen, or a City Charter amendment, which would require 60 percent voter approval.
they’re told somebody’s story, they care. When they heard Michael Brown’s story, they cared.”
But he also said that not all the stories that deserve to be told are getting their due.
“In Chicago, in the last 12 months, 147 people have been murdered,” Calderon said, “147. I bet right now not one person can name one of them – one person murdered in Chicago last year.”
Calderon asked the audience to learn the names of those
At the meeting, Spencer said she requested to speak before the vote was taken but was denied. Her bill, if passed by the board and signed by the mayor, would require a public vote for the sale or long-term lease of any city-owned asset of significance, she said.
“Certainly, the process in which we have undertaken this endeavor has been alarming, to say the least,” Spencer said. “The general public should have the opportunity to weigh in on this matter.”
The comptroller was the
Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg held a portrait of the late Michael Brown in front of him during introductions for a town hall about gun violence in St. Louis on June 17, their second stop on a national tour.
She said that changing the system that puts people in poverty is the way to stop gun violence, by stopping people from “doing whatever they need to do” to get money. Though some of the Parkland students freely admitted that they would not have been as aware of the violence affecting black and brown communities if they hadn’t had their eyes opened by the violence they themselves witnessed, they expressed their commitment to building bridges –from Parkland, to Chicago, and now to St. Louis – to use their privileges to change that.
Activist and nurse Cori Bush said that collaboration across different groups was what caught the world’s attention in Ferguson, and it is exactly what the Parkland students and their March for Our Lives movement need to be doing now.
who have been killed and share their stories – especially those stories that due to bias and the normalization of violence aren’t treated as special.
“Every single time you hear about a murder, even if it just says ’12-year-old boy shot,’ do your research,” Calderon said.
“Find out who was murdered. Make sure everybody you know knows their name, knows their face, knows their story.”
Taylor of the Ethical Society of Police agreed.
“Some of the things that
lone “no” vote on the Board of E&A.
“We do not have any examples for any city that has been successful with this process,” Green stated at the meeting. “I don’t believe we should be the first to do this.”
Green pointed out that St. Louis became the first municipally owned airport in the United States in 1927. Because of that, St. Louis is among only 12 public airports out of 457 throughout the country that is “grandfathered” into a federal program that allows the owners to receive part of the airport’s revenue. The city receives about $6.5 million annually – but that would go away if the airport is privatized.
“That would be something that the city could never get back,” Green said, “while this particular contract has no guarantees of any financial payments to the city. None whatsoever.”
Green argued that the “deliverables” in the contract were things that the city already receives, and some parts of the contract regarding paying subcontractors was “open-ended.”
The only financial guarantee in the contract are the fees that the city would pay to the contractor, she said, “which is spelled out very well.”
“Oftentimes, when the city receives and approves a contract like this, we get exactly what’s in here,” Green said. “And for the city right now, it’s nothing.”
Although St. Louis voters approved a $2 million bond issue to buy the airport property in 1928, Green said that voters and the St. Louis Airport Commission were left
we collectively can do is to recognize all victims, all victims of violence,” Taylor said. “It’s important for us to identify them as victims.”
Local activist and Potbangerz nonprofit founder Cathy Daniels advocated for broader, systemic change.
“We have always put a Band-Aid on the symptoms of what’s wrong here in America, but we’re going to have to attack the illness,” Daniels said.
“And I believe that the illness is poverty.”
out of the Board of E&A’s decision on June 13.
“A public vote must be part of the process to decide the fate of the airport,” Green said.
In response to Green’s concerns, Krewson said at the meeting, “Before we know whether we are even interested in this or not, we have to first get started. And this is just the start of that process.”
It’s been 16 months since the Slay administration initiated the process, Krewson said, “so this isn’t something we rushed into.”
Last year, Sinquefieldfunded nonprofit Grow Missouri paid for the application into the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Privatization Program.
Grow Missouri has also launched “Fly314,” its outreach project to gain support for privatizing Lambert. If the deal is successful, Grow Missouri will be reimbursed for the application fee and its promotion efforts.
Then-Mayor Francis G. Slay initiated the application process just weeks before he left the office. Slay’s former chief of staff and campaign manager Jeff Rainford is a lobbyist for one of the potential bidders.
Since January, former state Senator Tom Dempsey (R-St. Charles) – who also works at Sinquefield’s primary political shop, Pelopidas LLC – has been registered as a lobbyist for the City of St. Louis. The city’s main lobbyist, Jeff Aboussie, also represents Great St. Louis, a Sinquefield-backed political action committee.
In short, taxpayers are paying a still unknown amount for two lobbyists with strong Sinquefield ties to represent city residents’ interests, and
“The work that we did in Ferguson, it wasn’t just the black people out there on the ground. That’s how we were able to make change,” Bush said.
“We didn’t know who we needed. We didn’t know we needed the Palestinians, we didn’t know we needed our Asian family, we didn’t know we needed our LGBT family. We didn’t know that. They showed up. And then we changed the world. That’s how it happens.”
taxpayers could potentially pay Sinquefield’s nonprofit to privatize the city’s single most lucrative asset.
Green and Spencer are not alone in their call for a public vote. State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed (D-St. Louis) commended Green’s push to include voters in this process.
“We all know someone who works at the airport, uses it for business or benefits from the revenue it brings to our community,” Nasheed said. “That’s why voters should have the final say in any decision that might turn over this public asset to a private group.”
Alderwoman Megan Ellyia Green (D-Ward 15) said there are several different paths a public-vote effort could take –from a vote ordinance specific to the airport to a charter change requiring such a vote on any efforts to lease any public asset valued over a certain amount.
“Many of us are seeking the input we need to make an informed decision before proposing to take it to a public vote,” Green said. “Any efforts to privatize a city asset need to be transparent and include ample public participation.” A citizen watch group, TeamTIF, also said they are working on an effort to trigger a public vote.
The American requested a comment from Reed and Krewson about a public vote, but did not receive a response on the afternoon of June 19. Reed said before he voted to approve the contract, “What I’m supporting today is to give the City of St. Louis and the residents the opportunity to see if there is any reason to move forward.”
Photo by Eleanor DesPrez
CHANGE
Continued from A1
districts,” Arnold said.
“It’s very easy to say that our neighborhoods are segregated by race. They are also segregated by lack of knowledge of what each does. Learning what other tools neighborhoods have used, because they have been using them for years, are invaluable in the redevelopment scope.”
Neighborhoods United for Change pairs residents from a North City neighborhood with other from a South City neighborhood for a half-day of touring neighborhoods on a bus and engaging in structured conversation involving impressions from the tour; ideas for bridging racial, economic and geographic divides; and brainstorming how to develop ongoing conversation and joint projects.
“If we really want to get the most out of this experience, people have to be prepared to have some tough conversations,” Harlan Hodge of SLACO said.
“We come to this conversation with a simple agreement that we’re going to have an assumption of good
SHOOTINGS
Continued from A1 and understanding between St. Louis’ black community and police department.
“The history on this issue is one that is clear in the St. Louis region and in some cases across the nation,” Pruitt said. “When there is an officerinvolved shooting, especially that is resulting in a loss of life, it leads to mistrust between the department and the community, it interrupts commerce, it gives the region and the city a black eye, it leads to all sorts of negative impact on the community.”
Pruitt said the only way that issue could be addressed was through the creation of
will. That assumption of good will says that we are all here to learn from each other, and that we can all benefit from each other’s wisdom.”
The group’s route began at the SLACO office in the West End and then went into the Ville Neighborhood in North St. Louis, where the group saw the former Annie Malone Children’s Home, the former Homer G. Phillips Hospital, the Poro Site, Turner Middle School, Sumner High School, and Tandy Park.
“I had heard of the hospital, Homer G. Phillips, I heard various things, Sumner High School, but I had not realized the great history behind it and how people can have great pride in these buildings, as well as the memories,” said South Side participant Bill Byrd.
All of the people participating in the program were leaders inside of their communities, such as neighborhood association presidents and community activists. Byrd has been a member of Benton Park West Neighborhood Association since 2004 and served various offices on the board. One of its board members, Linda Haney, represents the neighborhood at SLACO and the association is always represented at SLACO
an independent investigative unit that would examine police shootings, one that could have the trust of both the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) and the public.
“Without that, each and every time there’s an officerinvolved shooting in the city of St. Louis and in most cases the region, each and every time it results in a loss of life, we can find ourselves right back in the throes of what happened after the shooting of Michael Brown, the throes of what happened after the Stockley trial, what happened with all of these shootings,” Pruitt said.
In the 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown, St. Louis County prosecutor Robert McCulloch presented evidence to the grand jury that chose
conferences.
On the second half of their trip, they went through Benton Park West neighborhood in South St. Louis where they saw two community gardens, a dog park, and Cherokee Street.
“Even though our communities look different, we still all have a lot of the same problems,” said North Side participant Julia Allen. “I used to think that our problems were different than everybody else’s problems, but they’re not.”
Julia is with an organization called 4theVille, organized out of the Regional Art Commission’s Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute.
Hodge of SLACO asked participants to give some solutions to the problems they saw in each other’s neighborhoods and highlighted the good in each other’s neighborhoods
“Benton Park West has a strong business association,” Allen said. “We don’t have that in the Ville, and if we organize that business association we might be able to get some different types of tax breaks to come into the neighborhood to support things like lighting the street
not to indict then-Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson. In 2017, then-SLMPD Police officer Jason Stockley was found not guilty in the fatal shooting of Anthony Lamar Smith; the case was prosecuted by St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s office. In both cases, the findings that white officers were not criminally responsible for the deaths of black men drew outrage and months of protests.
The Justice 2020 St. Louis coalition believes creating an investigative unit for these cases separate from prosecutors and circuit attorneys, who work frequently with police departments, could avoid unjust prosecutions or the appearance that prosecutors are biased. Pruitt said he wanted to begin work now with the Ways
and different things like that.”
The Neighborhoods United for Change program came about in 2016 as a result of the contention and turmoil that surfaced in the wake of Michael Brown’s police killing and subsequent unrest. After a year hiatus, the program has been back since March.
“This is a formal arrangement for people to get together,” Hodge said. “We don’t have to wait to do this formally. We can informally say, ‘Hey, can I show you around my neighborhood and then you show me around yours?’ That’s the work that we can do on an individual level to transform our city into what we want it to be.”
SLACO plans more tours for this summer and wants neighborhood organizations to ask for its assistance in putting such a tour together.
For more information, visit http://www.slaco-mo.org/, call 314-361-9406 or visit SLACO at 5888 Plymouth Ave., St. Louis MO 63112, in Etzel Place Apartments building.
Ashley Jones is an Emma Bowen Foundation editorial intern at The St. Louis American, supported by a grant from the Democracy Fund.
and Means Committee to begin discussing how to structure and fund that investigative unit.
In a letter to Alderman Frank Williamson, the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Pruitt, Bowis and pastor Rodrick Burton of the New Northside Missionary Baptist Church said the initiative hopes to build on the work of the circuit attorney’s office (CAO).
“2020 St. Louis will build on the CAO’s efforts to expand diversion programs, to improve technology infrastructure and data collection, provide employment assistance to first-time, low-level offenders, the offering of mental health services delivered through a partnership with BJC; and
the COA’s work with the nationally recognized leader in bail reform, the Vera Institute,” the letter said.
Gardner said in a letter to Pruitt that she looks forward to working with the initiative.
At the Ways and Means Committee meeting, the aldermen in attendance seemed receptive to the idea. Williamson said he would be willing to work with the circuit attorney and NAACP to set aside money for the project.
“I think what you’re doing is excellent, and you need to be commended for it,” Williamson said.
In a press release, the NAACP said it hopes to have a plan ready this fall, “with the hope that the resulting plan will serve as a blueprint and community communication vehicle for St. Louis’ criminal justice reform strategy – with objectives and metrics.” Bowis said the initiative could not cite a definite amount of money an investigative unit would cost or how to structure it, but there are models across the country that St. Louis could adapt.
“We are here,” Bowis told the committee, “and we’re going to being asking to deal with you guys for the next year or so that we can begin to, hopefully, put in place the things that will make this possible.”
The St. Louis Association of Community Organizations (SLACO) organized for residents of the Ville and Benton Park to visit each other’s neighborhoods and network as part of its Neighborhoods United for Change program on Saturday, June 16.
Photo courtesy of SLACO
Gardner makes progressive move on marijuana
Now let’s close the Workhouse
By Blake Strode For The St. Louis American
St. Louis got some good news last week.
In May, I wrote a piece of commentary published by The American that criticized three of the highest-profile public officials in our region and encouraged them to be bolder and more innovative in addressing the systemic inequities in St. Louis. One was Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, whose inaction on serious bail reform and prosecution of nonviolent drug crimes have been deeply disappointing for the poor communities of color that drive the work of ArchCity Defenders.
I believe it is crucial to be clear and honest about what we should expect from public officials, particularly in terms of their attentiveness to marginalized communities. I also believe it is important to encourage our public servants when they get it right. Last week, Gardner did the right thing, and it deserves acknowledgement. On June 12, Gardner communicated to her staff a new policy that the circuit attorney’s office will not pursue cases for possession of marijuana under 100 grams. This is an eminently sensible policy, particularly in a region where
black residents make up 85 percent of arrests solely for marijuana possession, despite ample evidence that marijuana use is roughly equivalent across race.
We should support this step toward decarceration and recognize that this is precisely the kind of policymaking by Gardner that was hoped for by the progressive coalition that voted her into office. We should also implore her to disregard the narrowminded chatter of those committed to maintaining the status quo of criminalization and systemic racial disparity.
And we should encourage her, and others, to do more. Much more.
If you are wondering how, look no further than the campaign to Close the Workhouse. By now, most St. Louisans have heard one horror story after another about this deplorable jail, whether about the triple-digit temperatures inside that made headlines last summer; the unspeakable conditions ranging from insects and rodents to mold and sewage overflow; or the gladiatorstyle fights allowed and encouraged by Workhouse guards. What fewer realize is that almost none of the detainees exposed to these horrendous conditions have been found guilty of any crime. The Workhouse is where the City of St. Louis warehouses people – 89 percent of whom are black
n Can we not instead prioritize safe and affordable housing, well-resourced schools for all of St. Louis’s children, or decent public transportation?
– who are being detained pretrial because they cannot afford to bail out.
The long-term trauma inflicted upon those who have experienced the horrific reality of the Workhouse is incalculable. Inez Bordeaux, a former Workhouse detainee and leader in the campaign to close the jail, says this about her time in the Workhouse:
“Being locked in a place that’s not fit for animals, let alone humans; being treated and talked to like you’re less than nothing changes you in a way that leaves a stain on you. It’s irreversible.”
As any decarceration advocate can attest, the one question that is nearly inevitable in response to calls for a jail closure is: “Where will the people go?” In the context of a jail in which 95-99 percent of its detainees on any given day are being held pretrial on a cash bail they cannot afford, the
answer – as my friend and Urban League advocacy director Redditt Hudson recently put it – is: home.
The City of St. Louis currently spends more than $16 million per year on the Workhouse. In August, voters will decide on a bond issue that will allocate $3.2 million more annually to the facility, ostensibly to address some of the many inhumane conditions plaguing the jail’s inhabitants. Can we think of no better way to spend this money? Can we not instead prioritize safe and affordable housing, well-resourced schools for all of St. Louis’s children, or decent public transportation, instead of keeping a steady supply of hundreds of human beings locked in cages because they don’t have the same resources as a governor or presidential aide?
The Workhouse should be closed and closed now. Gardner should continue to build on her recent efforts by combatting the scourge of cash bail and supporting a true presumption of pretrial release, as required by law. Public Safety Director Jimmie Edwards should use his broad authority to advocate
that resources be directed away from the Workhouse and toward community-informed development of the very neighborhoods that have been devastated by the City’s embrace of mass incarceration. Mayor Lyda Krewson should direct the immediate closure of the Workhouse. The Board of Aldermen – and especially those alderpersons representing North City wards most overrepresented among Workhouse detainees – should set a budget that reflects an investment in people and community, not incarceration.
This is not a pipe dream. This change is as doable as it is moral and logical. It merely requires that our public officials summon the political will.
So, a good thing happened last week. Let’s keep doing better. If you’re interested in supporting or becoming part of the campaign to Close the Workhouse, contact us at closetheworkhouse@gmail.com or join us for a campaign launch on the 4th of July. For more information, visit www. closetheworkhouse.org.
Guest Columnist Blake Strode
Olive/I-170 redevelopment has potential to benefit University City
By Yvette Joy Liebesman
For The St. Louis American
There used to be merely a few of those “We Buy Ugly Houses” posted in University City’s Third Ward; lately I see more and more of them on my drives through many parts of town.
Home prices in our Third Ward have not only failed to recover from the 2008 housing slump, but in many cases are now worth less than they were at the recession’s lowest point.
This has resulted in the area being ripe as prey to land speculators, who purchase properties when their value is depressed, and then either keep the homes vacant or rent them for low rents, and perform little to no maintenance. This cascades to affect entire neighborhoods, and then creeps into adjacent areas.
Tangential to this situation is Washington University’s land purchases, which have decimated the tax rolls, negatively affected our schools and city services, and has thus contributed to the problems in the most vulnerable portion of our city. The school seems to be taking the name
of University City a bit too literally. Unless our city creates a new revenue source, it won’t be long before we have an entire city at risk.
University City has reached out for help to remediate this problem, and we received it in the form of an offer to redevelop our underutilized highway interchange at Olive Boulevard and I-170. The plan is supported by those homeowners in the buy-out area. Sixty-two of the 67 homes in the buy-out area are already under contract, and the Jeffrey Plaza strip mall has been purchased outright. There is strong support for the redevelopment plan from
partially reimbursed from those new sales taxes generated – a certain percentage each year until he has been reimbursed $70 million or for 23 years, whichever comes first.
Most Tax Increment Financing (TIF) spending plans run along the lines of “hey, we got more money, let’s figure out how we can spend it!”
Ours is different – the moneys generated by U-City’s TIF has a specific goal: helping homeowners in the depressed portion of our city fix up their homes, perform maintenance, and generally step in where banks have refused to do so, because of the depressed home values, as well as historic
n Unless our city creates a new revenue source, it won’t be long before we have an entire city at risk.
residents of the Third Ward, as well as the First and Second Wards.
Our city hired outside auditors to examine the financial plan provided by the developer. Redevelopment of this interchange will generate over 200 times the sales tax revenues that the businesses there currently generate, plus raise the value of the property exponentially. But to make this a viable project for the developer (confirmed by the auditors), he needs to be
issues that plague many communities in the Saint Louis region. It is also earmarked to help businesses on the Olive Boulevard corridor, home of St. Louis’ largest Asian-American business community. There are land speculators who would prefer to keep the housing prices in the Third Ward depressed, as well as those who have political motives, and—while in the minority—seem to be shouting the loudest to the press. Yet anyone who has attended the
Commission meetings knows that these people do not speak for most residents. Approval of TIF is the first step in the process—getting this financing is similar to getting pre-approval from a bank before going home shopping. Those of us who actually live in University City are cognizant that this approval is the beginning of the process, that community meetings, approvals by traffic, parks, and other commissions are still needed, and there has been a lot of outreach by our council members, oftentimes to dispel fear-mongers and nefarious characters who are trying to scare those in the areas that are earmarked to benefit from the increased tax revenue. Help with the relocation of existing businesses and the assurance of community benefits in the city’s developer agreement are
Columnist
Yvette Joy Liebsman
Corine Kirkwood
Keeping safe when swimming
A good time in the water can lead to illness and death if you don’t take precautions
By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American
Spending time in a cold swimming pool
is a quick way to counter hot temperatures in the St. Louis summer heat, and health officials remind there are steps to take to make pool time less risky and a more safe and enjoyable part of summer fun for yourself and others. Before taking that splash, checking the quality of the pool is the first step to take towards protecting individual and public health. The St. Louis County Department of Public Health says evaluate the safety of the pool by checking its latest inspection report, make sure the drain at the bottom of the deep
n “Don’t go into the water, and don’t let your kids go into the water, if sick with diarrhea.”
– Michele Hlavsa, chief of CDC’s Healthy Swimming Program
end is visible, and check to see that the drain covers at the bottom appear to be secured and in good repair.
A lifeguard is a potential lifesaver. If a lifeguard is on duty, he or she should be focused on swimmers and not distracted by
other things or other people. If there is no lifeguard on duty, a “No Lifeguard on Duty” sign should be posted. If you decide to swim where there is no lifeguard, check to see where safety equipment, such as a rescue ring or pole, is located in case of a water emergency. Also, make sure no chemicals are out in the open.
Avoiding recreational water-related diseases
According to a recent report of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
See SWIMMING, A11
Discussion of Criminal Justice System and Healthcare Providers
The National Association of Health Services Executives will present “Public Safety: A Growing Spotlight on the Criminal Justice System and Healthcare Providers” at 7:30 a.m. Friday, June 29 at Forest Park Visitor’s Center in the Trolley Room. The keynote speaker will be St. Louis Public Safety Director Jimmie Edwards. Panelists include Sean Hogan, president, SSM Health DePaul Hospital; Erica Henderson, executive director, St. Louis Promise Zone; and Captain Perri Johnson, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department The discussion prompt: Approximately 70 million or one in three U.S. adults have
some sort of criminal record. Evidence illustrates community members involved in the criminal justice system have extensive health care needs. Specifically, there are roughly 11 million people who enter jails yearly, in which about 65 percent are in need of interventions for substance use disorders; more than 50 percent have an addiction mental health disorder, or both; and approximately 43 percent have at least one chronic health condition like diabetes or hypertension. Moreover, individuals in jail are twice as likely to display serious psychological distress that causes moderate to serious
social impairment. Consequently, there is a strong association between decreased life expectancy and serious psychological distress, even when socioeconomic risk factors are adjusted. Adults with multimorbidity and SPD are more likely to use emergency departments for health services. There is a strong need for coordinated strategizing between health providers and criminal justice agencies.
For more about the association and how you can become a member, contact the NAHSE St. Louis chapter at admin@ nahseSTL.com or visit www.nahseSTL.com.
By Malena Amusa For The St. Louis American
Ten years after investigating America’s maternal health crisis for Women’s eNews in New York City, I’m shocked to find that our country still lags in saving women’s lives during the most vulnerable time in her life –pregnancy and delivery.
I’m even more despairing now that I am a pregnant mom and resident of Missouri, which ranks 42nd in the nation for deaths during or shortly after pregnancy. My state’s maternal mortality rate is on the rise, with 32.6 pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 live births in 2017 compared to 28.5 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2016, data released this March by the UnitedHealth Foundation reveals. For context, the national average is 20.7 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.
Black women in Missouri face an even more staggering maternal mortality rate of 65 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to 28 deaths per 100,000 births for white women.
As a black mom, I’m deeply unsettled by this crisis. Despite Missouri’s state-of-the-art hospitals, my beloved Show Me State has shown zero progress in reducing pregnancyrelated deaths and the medical race gap.
Black women in Missouri face a staggering maternal mortality rate of 65 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to 28 deaths per 100,000 births for white women.
When I first started reporting on maternal mortality, I learned how black women are more likely to face poverty, obesity, hypertension and diabetes, which are all risk factors that put their pregnancies in jeopardy. However, many are not aware that despite a black woman’s income and education level, she is still at a much greater risk of maternal mortality than white women. Studies started to indicate in 2008 that regardless of a black woman’s status and position in society, she was still more likely to go under in the hospital. This fact pointed to a glaring medical mystery that left no other culprit than the downright mediocre care many black women face inside the maternity ward.
Having to navigate hospital care myself, I finally understand that hospitals are a leading cause of complications during pregnancy. In just the last eight months, I’ve bounced around hospitals trying to find stress-free, high-level care. To my surprise, the most lauded maternity hospital in St. Louis delivered the most rude and discriminatory service.
Mercy Hospital is the best-rated hospital for maternity care in Missouri. And at first, its staff was very friendly and caring. But once Mercy realized my partner and I were seeking a natural-birth plan, rather than an aggressive protocol of vaccinations and ultrasounds, Mercy’s respect flew out the window. Instead of applying sensitivity to my case, they used the fear of death to try and coax me into getting this shot or another –making every prenatal visit a sheer stress.
A young man takes a swim in the pool at Bellefontaine Neighbors during the summer of 2017.
Malena Amusa
Photo By Cardell Jordan
Annie Malone now treating victims of human trafficking
Partnership with DOJ, Washington University, St. Louis police and juvenile court
By Ashley Jones For The St. Louis American
Annie Malone Children and Family Service Center
just opened a 12-bed intensive therapeutic emergency placement program for females between the ages of 12 and 17 as part of a collaborative effort to impact human trafficking in the metropolitan area. Human trafficking is the illegal practice of procuring or trading in human beings for the purpose of prostitution, forced labor, or other forms of exploitation.
The Girls at Risk program serves girls who have experienced severe trauma, placing them in vulnerable situations as a result.
“These girls have gone through a significant amount of trauma and bondage,” said Sara Lahman, chief executive officer of Annie Malone Children & Family Services.
Annie Malone officials can’t disclose where the facility is located due to safety concerns, but they said the process of housing girls began the night of June 14. The girls can stay in the space for up to 30 days.
The facility is licensed by the State of Missouri, and the girls will be placed into the program through law enforcement, the state or the courts. Each female will have an assigned police mentor, medical care, mental health services, and guidance to help support creating change in their lives.
“There will be a therapist on staff, there will also be staff
SWIMMING
Continued from A10
(CDC), from 2000 through 2014 one in three swimmingrelated disease outbreaks occur at hotel pools or hot tubs, with the Cryptosporidium or Crypto parasite, Pseudomonas and Legionella causing most of the outbreaks in swimming venues in the U.S. during that time period.
Crypto caused 58 percent of outbreaks and 89 percent of the illnesses where a germ was identified as linked to pools, hot tubs, and water playgrounds. Crypto spreads in pools when someone sick with the parasite has diarrhea in the water and other swimmers swallow that contaminated water. Swimmers and parents of young swimmers play an essential role in preventing Crypto outbreaks.
for every three to four children brought to us, and we will have a guard outside our facility for extra security,” Lahman said. “We are taking an evidencebased approach. Dialectical behavioral therapy is the model that we are going to utilize in the treatment. Since we’re the first stop, they are not at a place to deal with their trauma. That’s where they will step down to a facility that can go a lot longer term with that.”
The program is a partnership between Annie Malone, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis Juvenile Court and Washington University. The agencies began collaborating in 2016 to
address the growing concern of minor females being trafficked in St. Louis. Washington University will be collecting data on the children to meet the expectations of performance measures defined by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
The program is funded by the DOJ, St. Louis Juvenile Courts, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and Washington University. Daughters of Charity provided a donation to support renovations at the new facility.
“Our primary purpose is stabilization,” said Dr. Rumi Price, professor of Psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine. “So they would
have a needs assessment. The medical and mental health can be assessed and treated if possible. They have the security of free clothes and other basic necessities that you don’t think about. We provide those while the service begins to help them to start the healing process, but the process is a long process.”
A report published in 2013 indicated that the FBI estimated 100,000 children were being sold for sex each year in the United States. Roughly 300,000 children were at risk of being human trafficked.
“These girls’ average age is 15, and they start as young as
9, 10, 11,” Lahman said. “So their basic need is being met through force and they blur that line of what love really is, which takes a lot of time to work with that victim and that survivor to overcome.”
There are a disproportionate number of African-American females being trafficked in the United States. While African Americans only make up roughly 13 percent of the population, they make up approximately 40 percent of the human trafficking victims, according to Lahman.
“Our image of sex trafficking and what goes on in the streets is not more frequently a prevalent form,”
Tips for staying healthy while swimming
As awful as waterspread intruders are, there remains a number of common-sense hygienic approaches to avoid getting sick from swimming, playing or relaxing in contaminated water or spreading germs and illness to others.
People are encouraged to protect themselves and others from recreational water illnesses such as
diarrhea, ear infections, rashes, and respiratory infections by taking the following measures:
• Shower before entering the pool.
• Stay out of the pool if you have an open wound that is not sealed with a waterproof bandage.
• Do not t swim or let your children swim if anyone is sick with diarrhea. Even microscopic amounts of fecal matter can infect an entire
pool and make others sick. If Crypto is the cause of the diarrhea, wait until two weeks after diarrhea has stopped to go swimming.
• Check the pools, hot tubs and water playground inspection scores.
• Before getting in the water, use a test strip from your local retailer or pool supply store to check if the water’s pH and bromine or free chlorine level are correct.
• Do not swallow the water.
• Take kids on bathroom breaks hourly, and change diapers in a diaperchanging area and away from the water.
• Swimmers are encouraged to protect themselves against sunburn by regularly applying sunscreen that is SPF 15 or higher.
Price said. “We are finding more and more cases where traffickers are boyfriends, family members, uncles. So those forms of sex trafficking and human trafficking have not been studied well.”
St. Louis has become a hot spot for human trafficking, due to its network of interstate highways. St. Louis has two populations that are most vulnerable to being trafficked: runaways and homeless youth. St. Louis ranks in the top 20 places where human trafficking occurs in the United States, Lahman said.
“I think it’s important that the community educates themselves on human trafficking, and if they see something, say something,” said Sergeant Jatonya Clayborn-Muldrow, a detective in the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
“Once you’re educated, and you recognize the signs of human trafficking notify your law enforcement” Clayborn-Muldrow. “Calling 911 is always the best line of defense.”
For more information on Annie Malone Children and Family Service Center, visit https://www.anniemalone.com/, email info@anniemalone.com or call 314-531-0120.
Ashley Jones is an Emma Bowen Foundation editorial intern at The St. Louis American, supported by a grant from the Democracy Fund.
“Each branch locally raises money every year specifically for scholarships for folks that may not otherwise be able to participate in programs and or membership,” Meinhold said. Programs include sports, aquatics and membership. The money raised at each branch is meant for local families, children and individuals. “If you are not a member of the Y or even if you are a member of the Y and you want to take swim lessons, you must demonstrate the financial need to the membership director,” Meinhold said, “and based on where you fall in an income level, they go ahead and issue you a voucher scholarship for your swim lessons.”
“Swallowing just a mouthful of water with Crypto in it can make otherwise healthy kids and adults sick for weeks with watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, and vomiting,” said Michele Hlavsa, R.N., M.P.H., chief of CDC’s Healthy Swimming Program. “Chlorine cannot kill Crypto quickly. We need to keep it out of the water in the first place. Don’t go into the water, and don’t let your kids go into the water, if sick with diarrhea.”
AMUSA
Continued from A10
Pseudomonas and Legionella are bacteria that can survive disinfectants in slimy areas of hot tubs, pools and water playgrounds; 16 percent of outbreaks were caused by Legionella and 13 percent by Pseudomonas during that 14-year period. Legionella can cause severe pneumonia and symptoms similar to the flu. Pseudomonas can cause hot tub rash and swimmer’s ear. The CDC said if a pool, hot tub, or water playground is not cleaned properly,
When we mentioned we’d refuse the routine hepatitis B vaccine for newborns, Dr. Diane E. Rosen swiftly threatened that Mercy would report us to child protective services. When we put a stop to other interventions, she made it clear it would be a great inconvenience. Finally, Dr. Rosen kicked me out her practice just three weeks before my due date because I told her I’d refuse antibiotic treatment during my delivery unless an emergency popped up. Since then, the stress of finding the right care so close to my due date has been real. And it’s this kind of stress
bacteria could grow and form a slime called biofilm on wet surfaces. Legionella and Pseudomonas can live in this biofilm, and it is harder for disinfectants to kill these bacteria when they are protected by biofilm. Pool operators need to maintain proper cleaning practices and disinfectant levels to prevent bacteria from growing and causing illnesses in swimmers.
Dr. Fredrick Echols, director of Communicable Disease Control Services at the St. Louis County Department of Public Health,
that is hurting moms across Missouri and the country. Although Missouri’s mothers are dying at an alarming rate, its Legislature recently voted against establishing a special committee to study the state’s increasing maternal mortalities. State Rep. Sarah Unsicker sponsoring the bill admittedly left out the issue of racial disparity to
said people should be aware of the risks associated with swimming. “It is important that residents take proper pool safety and health measures to protect themselves and others,” he said.
Learning to swim
From 2005 -2014, the CDC reports there was an average of 3,536 unintentional drownings each year – about 10 fatalities per day – and 20 percent of the victims were children age 14 or younger. Learning to swim is an important life skill that can help reduce those incidents,
avoid alienating her white colleagues, she told the Kansas City Star this June.
But it’s exactly this kind of fear and a lack of professional courage that strips Missouri of its ability to change.
As the days inch closer to my delivery, only prayer and a deep sense of knowing everything is going to be okay is getting me through. My hope now is that all
and swimming is excellent for exercise and leisure for all ages.
The Gateway Region YMCA offers swim lessons from ages six months through adulthood, taught to thousands of participants each year. If you cannot afford swim lessons, the YMCA will not turn you away for your inability to pay, Tricia Meinhold, vice president of Operations of the Gateway Region Y, told The American that vouchers are available at its branches for “a very lowcost” swim class for families and individuals who meet income requirements.
mothers demand better.
During the school year on the Illinois side, Meinhold said third-grade students are transported to a Metro East YMCA for free swim lessons, thanks to a legacy fund.
“We actually work with three school districts and give third-graders free lessons throughout the year,” Meinhold said. “There are other Ys that do that as well. Missouri Ys do it too. Check with your local school district during the school year, if that is an opportunity for your thirdgrader.”
For more information about swimming lessons and other programs at the YMCA, visit https://www.gwrymca.org/.
Rather than waiting for doctors and lawmakers to wake up, we must be fearless and counter this reckless maternal care with gracious yet firm refusal. We must be open to alternative care such as home birth and midwifery, and develop the expertise and healthy lifestyle to have safe pregnancies. That way, one day, we’ll have much more than a hope and prayer to run on. We’ll soon have a real health system that is truly capable of empowering and saving our lives.
Malena Amusa is a writer, communications strategist and mom living in St. Louis. You can reach her at Malenanow@gmail.com.
Photo by Ashley Jones
Officials from Annie Malone Children and Family Service Center, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Washington University and St. Louis Juvenile Court discussed a new collaboration to care for and rehabilitate victims of human trafficking at press conference on June 14.
Mantovani builds support for County Exec bid against Stenger
Democratic candidate for St. Louis County executive Mark Mantovani is raking in endorsements from Democratic area township organizations. Two days ago, Mantovani’s campaign reported endorsements from the Ferguson Township Democratic Club and the University Township Democratic Club.
Last week, the Unified Democratic Township Organization (formerly known as Unity PAC), under the leadership of St. Louis County Councilwoman Rochelle Walton Gray (D-4th District), announced its endorsement of Mantovani in the August 7 Democratic primary election against incumbent Steve Stenger. Joining Gray in making the endorsement were Democratic Committeemen Tony Weaver Sr., Spanish Lake Township; James Cotter University Township; Tony Weaver Jr., St. Ferdinand Township; and Mike Person, Ferguson Township. Also endorsing Mantovani were Chavon Weaver, St Ferdinand Township, and state Representatives Alan Gray (D-75) and Jay Mosley (D-68).
The announcement took place at the Mantovani for STL North County campaign office located at 4103 Seven Hills Dr. in Florissant.
The endorsement cited Mantovani’s commitment to establishing a working partnership with the members of the St. Louis County Council – where Stenger faces a disapproving majority and often skips council meetings – and North County leaders.
Members expressed concerns over incumbent Stenger’s confrontational leadership style, as well as his handling of the Northwest Plaza lease and the current request for a U.S. Attorney investigation into the matter.
“We are confident that he will work well with Council members and that he will put the citizens of St. Louis
County ahead of his own personal agenda,” said Gray said of Mantovani. “The current administration has shown a lack of interest in the welfare of the 4th District. The county executive has to work with people to get things done and that requires a real partnership, not a dictator.”
The latest endorsements indicate Democratic townships across the region are abandoning Stenger and joining Mantovani, who has been endorsed by the Fannie Lou Hamer Democratic Coalition of St. Louis County, the Hadley Township Democrats, the Midland Township Democratic Club, the Normandy Township Democratic Club and the University Township Democratic Club.
“People are tired of the status quo and tired of the divisiveness, neglect and corruption taking place under the current county executive,” Mantovani said.
Mantovani told The American that communities in the area are lagging behind, relative to other communities across the nation, and priority should be given to communities with the most need for resources.
“Regional growth, both from a population and economic standpoint, is a major factor that must be addressed,” Mantovani said.
“Other key issues include the fiscal health of the county, along with increased crime, MetroLink safety, economic disparity, uniting our county and healing our racial divide. The only way St. Louis County can be better is for us to work as a team with all of the council members and communities.”
McCulloch chickens out
Last week the EYE asked whether St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch
would play nicely with the Players Coalition – a national organization of current and former NFL players focusing on police-community relations, criminal justice reform, and economic advancement – and Wesley Bell, a Ferguson councilman and former Velda City municipal judge running against McCulloch in the August 7 Democratic primary. The answer is no. He did not accept the Players Coalition’ invitation to debate Bell on June 20, moderated by Chris Long, former Rams and current Philadelphia Eagles star. A coalition of activist groups - including ACLU and Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty - is sponsoring another forum for the county prosecutor
candidates at SLU Law School on Tuesday, June 26. Organizer Staci Pratt told the EYE that McCulloch has ignored all of their requests to participate to date. That balking chicken sound you hear is Bob McCulloch afraid to face his challenger in front of the voters.
Finally ‘progressive’ on pot
We extolled Kim Gardner’s virtues as a “progressive” when aggressively endorsing her for St. Louis circuit attorney and have been wondering ever since when she was going to manage her office as promised. Sent for you yesterday, and here you come today. On Tuesday, June 10, select media outlets (that did not, mysteriously, include the only newspaper that endorsed her, this one) were informed that Gardner had directed her staff to dismiss marijuana cases involving less than 100 grams and with no other aggravating circumstances. Alderwoman Megan Ellyia Green has been pushing to enact this sort of measure, and attorney Blake Strode, executive director of ArchCity Defenders, called out Gardner for continuing to prosecute low-level pot cases in this newspaper. Green, Strode and Gardner’s many recent public embarrassments while bungling two prosecutions of then-Gov. Eric Greitens all get an assist in changing the policy. By the way, 100 grams is like three and a half ounces. That’s a lot of pot to be caught with and skate without prosecution.
Chicken Hawk Hawley
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley is selectively hawkish on public transparency. He became the laughingstock of investigators statewide for his handling of Greitens’ use while in the governor’s office of the Confide app that deletes text messages automatically.
Hawley took Greitens’ word that he had the executive privilege to withheld testimony – and took everyone else on Greitens’ staff at their words, no matter how ridiculous, including one staffer who said he only used Confide to sends texts to … himself. In his greatest leap of investigative prowess, Hawley said that he was unable to examine any of the messages sent by Greitens and staff using Confide because they had been … deleted.
Greitens was governor of the entire state, responsible to more than 6.1 million people, paid a salary by the people of more than $133,000, not to mention who knows how much dark money by who knows whom.
Now Hawley is playing chicken hawk against the City of Bel Ridge, population 2,686, because its public officials are not transparent to the public. Hawley has filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County against Bel Ridge alleging Sunshine Law violations. It’s over a matter where the mayor of Bel Ridge allegedly had her salary raisedfrom $50 a week to about $850 a week - in a closed meeting. Greitens’ public salary was more than $2,500 a week.
“Governmental transparency is a key tenet of democracy,” Hawley said. “My office has made fighting for transparency a priority.” Sit down and shut up, Chicken Hawk Hawley.
Hypocrisy over LG
Mike Parson inherited the gubernatorial mantle from the disgraced Greitens and appointed former Republican state senator Mike Kehoe to succeed him as lieutenant governor. The Missouri Constitution has no provisions for replacing an LG, so Parson’s move is up to dispute and it is under dispute. The Missouri Democratic Party has filed suit in Cole County circuit court to give Missouri citizens the opportunity to elect Parson’s replacement instead. The suit was filed with lead
plaintiff Darrell Cope, a World War
and longtime voter from Hartville.
“As a state senator, Mike Parson voted to hold an election in this exact situation,” said Missouri Democratic Party Chair Stephen Webber. “It’s disappointing that Parson is willing to abandon his beliefs to grab more power for his political buddies.” Ironically, as the Dems noted, Kehoe also voted against the new governor being empowered to appoint his successor as LG after taking power from a governor who leaves office mid-term. Hypocrisy is so cool.
Draining the Missouri swamp
Now that the sinister mystery of Greitens is gone from Missouri government, it’s time to drain the Show-Me State’s political swamp – or so hope a Democratic auditor and Republican senator. State Auditor Nicole Galloway and state Senator Bob Dixon (R-Springfield) are calling on Dixon’s colleagues in the General Assembly to pass a bill that would enact greater penalties in public corruption cases and allow increased partnerships between the state auditor and prosecutors and law enforcement. Greitens vetoed a larger bill that included the provision allowing for increased partnerships to fight public corruption in 2017. This year, a version of the measure was approved in both the House and Senate, but ultimately was blocked by the lobbying efforts of county officials and died in the House in the final days of session.
“Twice we have seen this public corruption legislation stopped in its tracks - first by a veto and then by the efforts of county officials to protect their own self interests,” Galloway said. “Next year, the legislature needs to step up and provide law enforcement with the tools they need to combat fraud and seek justice for taxpayers.”
II veteran,
The Unified Democratic Township Organization is endorsing Mark Mantovani as the Democratic candidate for St. Louis County executive in the August 7 primary election. Left to right: Democratic Committeemen Tony Weaver Jr., St. Ferdinand Township; Tony Weaver Sr., Spanish Lake Township; Mike Person, Ferguson Township; Unified Democratic Township member Theda Wilson; Committeeman James Cotter, University Township; Mantovani; St. Louis County Councilwoman Rochelle Walton Gray, also Ferguson Township Committeewoman; and state Rep. Alan Gray.
Business
the
Three years of Eyeseeme
Black bookstore works to build community, celebrating anniversary June 23
Eyeseeme African American Children’s Bookstore in University City became an internet sensation by association thanks to a visit to the store by Sidney Keys III and his mother, Winnie Caldwell. About a year and a half ago, she posted a video of him reading a book in the store that went viral. He was inspired by his visit to start Books N Bros book club, which caught the attention of CNN (which recognized him as a “Young Wonder” as part of the 11th annual
CNN Heroes), Steve Harvey, Oprah Winfrey and many others.
They were thrilled and excited for young Sidney. But the frenzy about it let Eyeseeme owners Pamela and Jeffrey Blair know that the work they do is important, necessary – and that there is so much more that needs to be done.
“Why would a black boy reading a book go viral?” Jeffrey asked. “Why would a black boy starting a book club be such a novel thing? It’s exciting, but it’s also so rare. We want to change that. We want to duplicate that to the point where it’s a common thing.”
As Eyeseemee celebrates its three-year anniversary, the Blairs are up for the challenge. They officially opened their doors on Juneteenth in 2015 and will celebrate with special programming from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 23.
The sense of pride was contagious as the couple walked through the small space in a retail strip and displayed their inventory. They primarily focus on children’s books, but due to demand, high-school and adult books
See BOOKSTORE, B2
Jennings grads speak on Jobs for America’s Graduates
Two recent graduates of the Jennings School District, Devon Townsend and Zion Smith, spoke to an audience at the Missouri School Boards’ Association Leadership Summit on June 2 about the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) program at Jennings Senior High School. JAG is a statebased, national, non-profit organization dedicated to preventing students who face serious barriers to graduation and/or employment from dropping out of school. In more than three decades of operation nationwide, JAG has helped over 1.2 million students stay in school through graduation, pursuit of postsecondary education and securing quality, entry-level jobs leading to career advancement opportunities. Jennings has had the JAG program in place for two years.
Krista S. Peyton was selected to serve as general counsel for the St. Louis Housing Authority. She will be responsible for ensuring that the authority complies with applicable laws and regulations, assisting in the formulation of policy for public housing and Housing Choice Voucher programs, and furnishing legal advice on a wide range of issues. Most recently she represented the St. Louis County Juvenile Office in all phases of juvenile delinquency and child protection matters.
Trevor Stevens participated in a rite of passage at the St. Louis Kappa League (KL) Beautillion and Awards Ceremony. The event was the culmination of his affiliation with the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, St. Louis Alumni Chapter’s Guide Right/Kappa League Program. KL is a mentoring group for young males in grades 6-12. He is a graduate of Duchesne High School who will attend Missouri University Science and Technology University.
Crystal Morris joined Midland States Bank as a Regional Sales manager. She is responsible for managing the business development and production of a Retail Mortgage team, specifically Community Development Mortgage consultants, to achieve production goals, service excellence, loan growth, and profitability.
Freeman Hrabowski received an honorary doctoral degree in humane letters from the University of Missouri–St. Louis. He is president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, which is noted nationally for producing a high percentage of minority graduates in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math. His methods have been replicated at other universities and have become national policy.
Alyncia J. Slaughter graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San AntonioLackland, San Antonio, Texas as a U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class. She completed an intensive, eightweek program that included training in military discipline and studies, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. She is a 2017 graduate of Hazelwood Central High School.
Oren N. Nimni is a new Civil Rights Fellow with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice. He will actively develop civil rights litigation in areas such as police misconduct, criminal justice, and voting rights. He will also respond to an unprecedented surge in hate crimes. He will work in close partnership with grassroots groups, community organizations, and pro bono attorneys. On the move? Congratulations! Send your good professional news
Krista S. Peyton
By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American
Crystal Morris
Oren N. Nimni
Alyncia J. Slaughter
Trevor Stevens Freeman Hrabowski
Jeffrey Blair co-owns Eyeseeme African American Children’s Bookstore, located at 7827 Olive Blvd., along with his wife Pamela Blair. They will celebrate
3rd anniversary of their establishment with special programming from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on June 23.
Photo by Wiley Price
BOOKSTORE
continued from page B1 are extended into the space reserved for programming that includes storytelling, tutoring, history and writing classes. They also have inventory available online at www. eyeseeme.com. In three years they have already outgrown their space and are looking to relocate.
The bookstore is still a new business, but the motivation for the store goes back nearly two decades.
“We like to say it was inspiration out of desperation,” said Jeffrey. “We were looking for baby books, and it was very hard to find books with black characters in them. We felt that it was very important that the information they consumed reflected them as well. Otherwise, there might be some negative consequences about their self-worth and self-value.”
As the couple’s four children entered school, it was more of the same. Jeffrey said that they learned about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and slavery – and that was it as far as black history was concerned.
“There are so many more dimensions to us as a people than just slavery and the Civil Rights Movement,” Jeffrey said. “My wife and I went to great lengths to show them our contributions to civilization. This was not about a business, it was about filling a gap that our children needed so that they could understand who they are and where they are from.”
That self-awareness led their children to excel. They were doing so well in school that teachers and other parents began to take notice. They were constantly asked if their children were getting extra tutoring.
“All education really starts with self,” Jeffrey said. “As long we can invest in children so that they can see something that they can become excited about, then they will become self-motivated about learning.”
Their oldest son starts medical school in Idaho in the
fall. The other three ( a set of twins and a younger sibling who skipped a grade) are rising sophomores at Washington University with full academic scholarships.
“A big part of their academic success is based on the work we put in to help them understand who they are,” Jeffrey said. “It was a catalyst to help them stay focused and excited about learning.” It also became the foundation for their business.
Building a black bookstore
As the Blair children continued to flourish, their parents began thinking of ways to share the tools they used for their success on a larger scale because of the constant questions and solicitation for advice from other parents and teachers.
“We would talk to parents, they would blame the schools,” Jeffrey said. “We would talk to teachers, they would blame the parents. So, there was this
As Eyeseemee celebrates its three-year anniversary, the Blairs are up for the challenge. They officially opened their doors on Juneteenth in 2015 and will celebrate with special programming on Saturday, June 23 of this year.
whole cycle. My wife and I thought, ‘Is there something that we can share with the community and be a resource to parents, grandparents, schools and teachers to assist on that fundamental level?”
The couple, who transplanted to St. Louis from their native New Jersey 10 years ago, began sharing what they taught their children. They created games and flash cards and passed them along to other parents, family and friends. The feedback was phenomenal.
The Blairs wanted to do more. As they saw one son off to college and prepared to send three more, they took a leap with Eyeseeme.
“This did not start out as a business, this started out as what we felt was a need for the black community,” Jeffrey said. “Research tells us that the number one predictor of academic success is the number of books in the home. We knew this was valuable to us raising our children, and we felt it would be valuable to the black community and society in general. Literacy is the basic building block to education. If we don’t get excitement going around that, then we will have problems going downstream.”
The response has been overwhelming.
“To see children delight in this space is something that you don’t know you are missing until you get here,” Pamela said. “We had two children come in yesterday. They were so excited. They didn’t know which books to pick up first. Just to know that there’s a child that can see themselves in every book they put their hands on – for me that’s why I wake up every morning.”
It goes beyond the children. Jeffrey recalled an incident last month where a black man, whom Jeffrey assumed to be in his mid-30s, came into the store early for a meeting the two had scheduled. Jeffrey was wrapping up another meeting and invited the man to browse the store.
“As he sat down, he started to cry,” Jeffrey said. “He said, almost talking to himself, ‘Every place I’ve ever been, I’ve always felt like a minority. But here, it’s all about me.’ He said, ‘I wonder if my life would have been different if I had this when I was a child.”
Jeffrey said that type of reaction is typical for people who enter the space for the first time.
“We get that all the time,” Jeffrey said. “It’s like, ‘Wow, what we are doing has purpose and value.’ We are really happy about that.”
They have reading camp, writing camp, public speaking camp and a black history camp as part of their summer programming. They also have book signings for local and national authors. They’ve also started the Eyeseeme Foundation to raise funds so that children from families who may not be able to afford to buy the books can have access to them. Both Blairs said that they knew Eyeseeme would make a difference. However, they had no idea of the huge impact their store and vision behind it would have on the community at large. They attend book fairs and resources fairs. They also participate in professional development programs with area school districts to help promote diversity in literacy and education.
“The thing that was most surprising was how much the white community was our customer and sees the value in what we are doing,” Jeffrey said. Jeffrey said that the core base of professional development efforts in schools is white women educators.
“They’ve expressed the need not just learn to teach black kids in their classrooms, but expose white kids to diverse literature,” Jeffrey said. But their work is for and about uplifting black youth by having literature and programs to encourage that same spark that was ignited in Sidney Keys III when he became glued to a copy of “Danny Dollar Millionaire Extraordinaire.”
“To have a child see themselves in a book – and to know that princesses have curly hair and dark skin too –that is so satisfying for me that I can live my entire life doing this,” Pamela said.
Eyeseeme African American Children’s Bookstore will celebrate its third anniversary from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 23. The store is located at 7827 Olive Blvd. in University City, Mo. 63130. For more information, call (314) 349-1122 or visit www. eyeseeme.com.
Dismantling the DiviDe
St. Louis needs to undo damage done by redlining
By Jackie Hutchinson and Clayton Evans For The St. Louis American
The historical impact of the early 20th century federal redlining policy continues to hold back many communities of color. For decades, the federal government used a system of color-coded maps to grade neighborhoods for mortgage risk. Red areas were marked the highest risk for loans, which were primarily African-American neighborhoods, meaning residents could not secure financing for homes and were unable to build equity and accumulate wealth from which many white families and neighborhoods benefited.
The impact of redlining continues today. Neighborhoods in North St. Louis continue to show little or no mortgage lending activity. While many neighborhoods in St. Louis have recovered from the financial crisis in 2008 and now have an active mortgage market, neighborhoods north of Delmar have almost zero loans.
One of the contributing factors is depressed housing values creating an almost all-cash market, and making it nearly impossible for potential home buyers to finance a home. Depressed home values of surrounding homes guarantees that more buildings will face demolition and ensures homeownership remains out of reach for many families. This is felt when a family tries to purchase and rehab a home but cannot get a loan because the home’s after rehab value is still too low.
In the Greater Ville community for example, you may purchase a home for $35,000 and provide an additional $50,000 for rehabilitation. After completing the rehabilitation, the home only appraises for $70,000, far
less than the $85,000 needed to purchase and renovate the home. Because of this common appraisal gap, the loan is denied. Consequently, homes in the impacted communities stay vacant and fall further into disrepair, while families lose out on becoming homeowners in their neighborhoods.
To overcome the longlasting effects of redlining and to break this vicious cycle, a coordinated approach to reinvesting in neighborhoods of color is needed. We need to do the opposite of redlining – we need to “greenline” neighborhoods, opening up access to credit for residents to buy homes. Lenders, community organizations, foundations and local governments must work together to create a loan program that fills this need.
We’re calling this approach a Greenlining Fund. This fund, modeled after the Detroit Home Mortgage Initiative, would provide loans for qualified community residents to purchase and rehab homes above their appraised value.
In Detroit, the program works with partner banks, foundations, local governments, and a community development financial institution (CDFI) to offer loans up to $75,000 over the appraised value to purchase and rehab a home or repair their current home. Participating banks offer the same loan product, which provides homebuyers with consistent terms and rates on quality, affordable mortgages. Since the program’s beginning in 2015, Detroit has seen the number of mortgages increase by more than 25 percent each year. This program has opened up homeownership opportunities to families who have been denied the ability to invest in their neighborhoods. We believe this program will work in our market.
The Greenlining Fund would foster homeownership opportunities for residents and help stabilize neighborhoods. Becoming homeowners would help build household wealth for African-American families historically cut out of homebuying opportunities. Homes that have fallen into disrepair will become habitable, reducing the number of vacant homes and bringing life and vitality to neighborhoods. An influx in home rehab projects will create jobs and bring more investment to North City neighborhoods. New mortgages made through this fund will contribute to restarting the real estate market and increasing housing values, helping to improve our local tax base and contributing to the economic viability of the city. We are already working as a group with the Metropolitan St. Louis CRA (MSLCRA) Association and nonprofit advocates like the St. Louis Equal Housing and Community Reinvestment Alliance (SLEHCRA) to put the pieces for this fund together in St. Louis. In particular, the report “Segregation in St. Louis: Dismantling the Divide,” recently released by the For the Sake of All project team and partners, included the Greenlining Fund as one of its policy recommendations. We call on our partner lenders, nonprofits, and CDFIs to join us. More support is needed from foundations, our government leaders, and from neighbors and community members that want to undo the effects of redlining in their neighborhoods and instead, invest in opportunities for neighborhoods to thrive. Jackie Hutchinson, is co-chair of SLEHCRA. Clayton Evans is senior vice president, Community Banking and CRA officer, at Reliance Bank and board member of MSLCRA Association.
Photo by Wiley Price
n “It isn’t so much about the gesture anymore. We don’t have to take a knee. We just have to work in our communities.”
— Philadelphia Eagles Michael Bennett
Sports
Robinson competes with college athletes
It has been quite a weekend for young Hazelwood West track and field standout Justin Robinson.
Robinson was one of the many athletes from the St. Louis area to compete in the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships in Bloomington, Indiana. After completing his sophomore year in high school, what Robinson accomplished at this meet was nothing short of phenomenal.
Competing against a field of primarily college athletes, Robinson finished fourth in the 400-meter dash and posted a sizzling time of 46.2 seconds. It was the fastest time in the open 400 ever recorded by a high school athlete in the state of Missouri. In the prelims the previous day, Robinson turned in a time of 46.53 seconds.
With his fourth place finish, Robinson qualified for next month’s IAAF World U20 Championships in Finland.
Robinson earned a spot on the USA’s 4x400-meter relay team.
Robinson completed a tremendous sophomore season at Hazelwood West by winning the Class 5 state championship in the 200- and 400-meter dashes. He also finished third in the 100.
Liddell Shines at NBPA Camp
Belleville West boys’ basketball standout E.J. Liddell enjoyed a tremendous weekend at last week’s National Basketball Players Association Top 100
Sports and the “shoe game” have been intertwined ever since Charles “Chuck” Taylor and Converse rolled out the All-Stars aka “Chucks” way back in the early 1920s. It took approximately 50 years for the first NBA athlete to land a signature shoe deal when Kareem Abdul Jabbar received his own specialized version of the Adidas Superstar in 1971. Since then, we’ve seen sneakerheads rush to the stores to cop the latest kicks from endorsed by their favorite NBA stars. Iconic players are known to endearing fans by their shoes as much as their skills. Players such as Julius Irving, Charles Barkley Allen Iverson “Penny” Hardaway, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and, of course, Michael Jordan all have signature sneakers attached to their legacies.
I’ll never forget the first pair of Jordan’s I owed. After much begging, pleading and praying, I somehow convinced
my mom to shell out 125 hard earned dollars for the Jordan 11 Concords. It was the unofficial shoe of my high school basketball squad. The classic white and black color combination with the black patent leather around the base and clear outsole was, in my very biased opinion, the greatest basketball show ever made. During my junior year of high school, our team’s fans made signs with drawings of our swaged out shoes. Though they were extremely expensive for the time, sold out quickly and were hard to find in stock (Sound familiar?). Yet I owned a pair. Now, whenever I see a pair of retro 11s, it takes me back to the fond memory of my OG Concords. Throughout the years, different brands have had runs of being in style. Nike and Adidas have remained relevant for decades. Other companies such as Converse, Reebok, Fila, Puma, Pony, Ewing Athletics and others have come and gone
Earl Austin Jr.
See INSIDE, B5
With Ishmael H. Sistrunk
Ishmael H. Sistrunk
Justin Robinson (left) from Hazelwood West took third in the Men’s
Sat. May 26, 2018. Republic’s Dustin Owens was fifth at 10.83 and
Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier and Deandre Ayton have joined forces with Puma to relaunch the company’s basketball footwear
The ‘Big Cat’ is back as Puma Basketball joins the sneaker wars
Photo by Wiley Price
SportS EyE
With Alvin A. Reid
NBA’s day of decision on mysterious Michael Porter Jr., is finally here
Michael Porter Jr. is now the official mystery man of the 2018 NBA Draft.
Last week, he either couldn’t get out of bed because of hip pain, or a bit of soreness got blown out of proportion by the media. Real news vs. fake news.
NBA executives must decide the reality before Thursday night’s NBA draft, and it could mean Porter is a lottery pick or that he falls to eighth or below.
The world knows that Porter missed most of his freshman year with the Missouri Tigers after microdiscectomy back surgery in November. Remember, the first we heard on that injury was that it involved his hip, not his back. He returned for two games, wasn’t himself and declared for the draft.
Things seemed to be going along smooth enough until he abruptly postponed a workout and medical evaluation in Chicago last week. It was reported he could barely walk and had to be helped from the bed because of hip pain.
Porter was then suddenly available again for workouts and a video was posted of him in which he looked quite athletic.
He told Will Cain on ESPN radio he is “feeling great,” and, as of Tuesday morning, there was a chance that Porter might still workout for several teams.
“I feel good. … I got evaluated. I let the doctors come in and do all their tests on me. I’m feeling good. I think the teams are comfortable, but I might get a couple workouts in,” he told Cain.
“(My hip) was just a little sore, so I told (my agent) my hip was kind of sore and he just wanted to shut it down for a couple of days.
“And then people took that and kind of ran with it, saying, you know, my hip was injured, I couldn’t get out of bed. … None of that was really true. I was just sore, and I wanted to take a couple of days off. So that’s all that was.”
If I’m a GM the top five of the draft order, this episode would be enough to bypass Porter.
Kurt Helin of NBC Sports wrote on Monday, “There are also concerns about Porter’s grit and toughness.”
“He has the reputation of having been insulated and having been a bit of a diva, what happens when he gets to an NBA team where he is not the first (and, at first at least, maybe not the second) option?
“What happens when he has to play more of a role and have it not be about him and
his touches? Teams are asking about that.”
Marc Stein of the SteinLine said Porter could still go as high as No. 2 to the Sacramento Kings, and that other teams believe it could happen.
Sam Amick of USA TODAY said the Kings could be taking the biggest risk in the draft if they make that move.
“…As the NBA draft looms on Thursday, and as the Kings continue to see right through all those red flags that surround Missouri’s mystery man, Michael Porter Jr., while pondering the fate of their No. 2 pick, it might be time to send a shipment of oxygen masks to the California capital. The hyperventilating about what happens next has long since begun,” he wrote on Tuesday.
“Porter Jr. is two things that aren’t so easily reconciled – a
talent so tantalizing that you could see him giving a Hall of Fame speech someday, and a 19-year-old whose back problems might wind up short-circuiting his budding career.”
He added, “Atlanta is not believed to be considering Porter Jr. with its No. 3 pick, but Memphis still has him on its short list at No. 4 as does Dallas at No. 5.”
Joe Vardon, NBA reporter for Cleveland.com, said the Cavaliers would gleefully take Porter Jr., if he tumbled to No. 8 – regardless of LeBron James’ plans. It is reported that the Cavaliers will not know if James is leaving or staying with that franchise before the draft.
The mystery will be solved on Thursday night. My guess is that Porter Jr.’s past year and past week will put him in a position to be drafted by
owner Mark Cuban and the Mavericks at No. 5. He’s a risk taker and Porter is a risk that could pay off big time.
Donovan is darn right
One of America’s greatest soccer players, Landon Donovan, is in hot water because he is featured in a Wells Fargo advertisement in which he proudly wears a scarf that says, “Mexico is my other team.”
He says other Americans should join him in supporting our North America neighbor.
The USA didn’t make the field, nor did Canada to our North.
Taylor Twellman, a former USA team member and ESPN analyst, said “I’d rather cut off my own toe” than support Mexico. Twellman is a SLUH graduate, by the way.
Donovan defended himself saying, “To begin, my heart bleeds red, white and blue and no one should ever question my allegiance to and support of US Soccer and its national teams.”
“That being said, having
grown up east of Los Angeles playing with Mexican teammates whose passion for futbol inspired me at a very young age, as well as recently with Club Leon in Liga MX, I always have had a strong connection and respect for our neighbor.
“Since the (United States) sadly is not participating in the 2018 World Cup, I am supportive of our CONCACAF rivals and would like to see them do well. If others disagree that is their prerogative; but similar to how the US Soccer Federation, the Canadian Soccer Association and the Federacion Mexicana de Futbol joined together in the United Bid to bring the 2026 World Cup to North America, I believe in supporting each other and building bridges, not barriers.”
Take that Taylor Twellman.
Africa getting its kicks
“It takes time, we have realities that are not there in other continents. But we have a lot of quality and I’m sure that one day, African teams will be able to win tournaments like Brazil and Germany.
“We have no inferiority complex with European countries; you see lots of Africa players at major clubs.”
If black Americans want to root for a team other than America or Mexico, five nations from the continent of Africa are represented at the World Cup in Russia. Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia are in the tournament that captures the world’s attention and – it bears repeating - a tournament in which mighty America failed to qualify. No Africa team has won the title in the 88-year run of the World Cup, which is played every four years. Ghana 2010, Senegal 2002 and Cameroon 1990 have reached the quarterfinals. Senegal coach Aliou Cisse said, “I have the certainty that one day an African country will win the World Cup.”
The Nigerian Super Eagles are zoned in Group D against Argentina, Iceland and Croatia. Tunisia is in Group G with Belgium, Panama and England. Morocco is in Group B with Iran, Portugal and Spain. Egypt is with host Russia, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group A. Senegal is in Group H with Poland, Colombia and Japan.
Alvin A. Reid was honored as the 2017 “Best Sports Columnist – Weeklies” in the Missouri Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest and is a New York Times contributor. He is a panelist on the Nine Network program, Donnybrook, a weekly contributor to “The Charlie Tuna Show” on KFNS and appears monthly on “The Dave Glover Show” on 97.1 Talk.” His Twitter handle is @aareid1.
Alvin A. Reid
NBA executives must decide the reality before Thursday night’s NBA draft, and it could mean Michael Porter Jr. is a lottery pick or that he falls to eighth or below.
By Earl Austin Jr.
Of
the St. Louis American
Sports prep year in review
It was another tremendous season of high school sports in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Before we put the wraps on another great year, let’s take a look back at what was a successful 2017-18 season.
CBC dominates the gridiron: Despite losing several key players to injuries, the talented Cadets kept on trucking all the way to the Class 6 state championship, defeating Blue Springs 31-14 in the title game. Junior quarterback Brett Gabbert kept things moving while running back Bryan Bradford had a big championship game. CBC’s defense also came to the forefront as they won their second state title in four years.
Lutheran North-Trinity stage epic game: One of the best events of the high school season took place in November when the Crusaders and Titans met for a district championship in Class 2 football. The anticipation for the game was building for a year and it more than lived up to the hype with more than 5,000 fans. Lutheran North edged Trinity 48-46 in a game full of big plays, backand-forth action and a dramatic stop of a two-point conversion the Lutheran North on the game’s final play.
Webster Groves goes back-to-back: The Statesmen took home the Class 5 state championship in boys’ basketball for the second consecutive year. The year started off shaky with star guard Courtney Ramey missing the first part of the season with a broken wrist. With Ramey’s return, he and star forward Carte’are Gordon led Webster Groves on another state title run, which culminated in a 100-91 victory over Chaminade in the state cham-
CLUTCH
Continued from C5
ketball courts almost exclusively featured a Swoosh (Nike) or Jumpman (Jordan Brand) over the past decade. Now, it’s not uncommon to see Currys (UA), Hardens and Dames (Adidas) or other logos squeaking across the local hardwoods and playgrounds.
Puma has seen the writing
Continued from C5
Camp in Charlottesville, Virginia. The 6’7” Liddell was selected to the All Top 100 Camp team after averaging 14.4 points and five rebounds during the camp. Liddell was named Mr. Basketball in the state of Illinois after leading the Maroons to the Class 4A state championship, the first in the school’s history.
M.I.C.D.S Sr. Cara Johnson, (left) won the Women’s 100 meters with a time of at 12.03
M.I.C.D.S. Sr. Cara Pearson (center) took third at 12.35, and Webster Groves Sr. Britney Clark was fifth at 12.46.
pionship game in Springfield.
Kirkwood girls do it again: The Kirkwood girls’ basketball repeated as Class 5 state champions and they did it in dominating fashion. They defeated Kickapoo 67-50 in the state championship game. The Pioneers were led by their talented trio of Division I guards Jayla Everett, Jayla Stewart and Makayla Wallace.
Belleville West makes
on the wall. The big cat backed out of the basketball market in 1999 after a deal with Vince Carter went south. Since then, Puma mainly focused on soccer, running and lifestyle shoes. Now the company is making a major comeback into the basketball shoe market. Over the past week, Puma announced that it signed probable #1 pick Deandre Ayton to a lucrative endorsement contract, as well as likely lottery picks Marvin Bagley III and
history: The Maroons made history by winning the school’s first ever state championship in boys’ basketball. West defeated defending state champion Chicago Whitney Young in the Illinois Class 4A state championship game. The Maroons rode the talents of All-State forward E.J. Liddell, who was named Mr. Basketball in the state of Illinois.
Incarnate Word dynasty continues: It was another year
Zhaire Smith. The multi-million dollar deals signed by Ayton and Bagley are reportedly the largest sneaker deals for rookies since Kevin Durant’s 7-year, $60 million Nike deal in 2007. If that wasn’t enough of a splash, Puma also announced that it signed former endorser Walt “Clyde” Frazier to a lifetime contract and that Jay-Z would serve as creative director of Puma Basketball.
Bringing in “Hov” to help
and another state championship for the Red Knights, who won their fifth Class 4 state championship in six years. After surviving an overtime game against Kearney in the state semifinals, IWA cruised past Carl Junction to repeat as state champions. Senior guard Sonya Morris led the way en route to Ms. Show-Me Basketball honors.
Malik Johnson leads CBC to title: The senior wrestler
resurrect the basketball division makes sense. Jay-Z has his own line of Puma signature shoes. Smith is signed with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation’s sports agency. Rihanna, a Puma lifestyle shoe endorser, is a Roc Nation artist on the music side.
Other musical artists such as Big Sean, Meek Mill and The Weeknd and given Puma “street cred” in hip-hop culture, which is in many ways identical to hoops culture.
capped off a spectacular career by winning his fourth consecutive individual state championship and finishing 30-0 in the process. As a bonus, Johnson’s individual brilliance helped lead the Cadets to their first team state championship in the school’s history.
ROTC track brings home the ‘ship: The Cleveland Naval Jr. ROTC Commanders continued its mastery over the state in Class 2 boys’ track as
Puma’s recent emergence on the lifestyle side of things, combined with the big name signings in the new basketball division almost guarantees that Puma’s basketball division will make major noise in its comeback.
Also, regardless of what people think about Big Baller Brand, it’s reasonably successful launch means that more player-owned brands like Ewing Athletics and BBB will likely pop up in the near future.
they took home another state championship. ROTC rode the talents of their gifted trio of seniors Kelsey Cole, Antonio Norman and James Allen to a repeat state championship.
MICDS girls dominate the track: After missing a repeat state championship by one point last season, a motivated Rams team came back to dominate the Class 4 competition to win this year’s state title with 88 points. MICDS featured tremendous talent with seniors Zionn Pearson, Cara Johnson and junior Jhordin Galmore, who were all individual state champions.
JBS girls take home track title: The Bombers defeated a talented field of teams to take home the Class 3 state championship, edging local rivals Cardinal Ritter and Trinity. The Bombers rode the talents of jumper Bria Ward, who won the long jump and triple jump; and freshman standout Kylie Goldfarb, who was the champion in the 800 and 1,600.
Cardinal Ritter boys’ track takes the gold: The Lions took home the Class 3 state championship in impressive fashion by scoring 72 points. Despite losing star sprinter Hasani Barr to an injury, the Lions rallied around the talents of top football prospect Jameson Williams, who had a big state meet to lead Ritter to the top spot.
Brandon Miller takes down record: The sophomore track sensation broke a 30-year state record when he posted a time of 1 minute 49.55 seconds in the 800-meter run at the Class 3 State Championships in Jefferson City. The former record holder, Billy Rainey, of Springfield Parkview was also in the house to see the young star break his long-standing record.
Considering that basketball shoes rake in billions of dollars each year, there are boatloads of cash out there for shoe companies and athletes alike. More relevant brands mean more competition, innovation and consumer choices. Though I’ve been on an Under Armour kick lately when it comes to shoes, I can’t wait to see what Puma has to offer.
Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ishcreates.
Brad Beal Elite qualifies for Peach Jam
Congratulations go out to the Brad Beal Elite 17U boys’ basketball team for qualifying for the prestigious Nike Peach Jam, which is the top summer grassroots basketball tournament in the country. The Peach Jam will be held from July 11-15 in North Augusta, South Carolina. Brad Beal Elite qualified by finishing with an 11-5 record in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL). The team consists of many of the top players from the
Liddell was also named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Illinois and the St. Louis American Co-Player of the Year. He is ranked among the top 50 players in the country in the Class of 2019.
St. Louis metro area, including E.J. Liddell (Belleville West), T.J. Hargrove (East St. Louis), Mario McKinney (Vashon), Keyyaun Batchman (Chaminade), Yuri Collins (St. Mary’s) and Josh Wallace (CBC). Also on the team from outside the STL are Myles Moody (N. Little Rock, Arkansas), Francis Okoro (Bloomington, Illinois) and Zion Harmon (Adair County, Kentucky).
Brad Beal Elite’s 17U team is led by head coach Corey Frazier, who is also the coach at John Burroughs School. Frazier led BBE to a Final Four appearance at the Peach Jam last year.
Pat McCaw gets another ring
uisan Patrick McCaw on getting another NBA championship ring as a member of the Golden State Warriors. Last season, McCaw played a strong role in the Warriors’ champi-
onship clinching Game 5 with a strong performance off the bench.
This season, his role in the playoffs was limited, but the fact that he was present for the Finals was a true blessing. On March 31, McCaw suffered a scary back injury when he was undercut by veteran Vince Carter of the Sacramento Kings. Luckily, there was no neurological damage and McCaw was able to recover in time to be re-activated to the roster for the last stage of the playoffs.
Photo by Wiley Price
North City Food Hub grand opening is June 28
The North City Food Hub
will host its grand opening, along with its partner organizations, from 4-7 p.m.
Thursday, June 28. It’s located at 1034 North Sarah St.
With initial funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the food hub was established with a mission of making a local food system where North St. Louis residents can access resources aimed at increasing their income potential and turning food business ideas into fruitful economic realities.
“We’re looking at ways to address food insecurity while simultaneously improving personal incomes through the growing of fresh food and food production,” said Mildred Mattfeldt- Beman, project coordinator.
n “North St. Louis residents now have a one-stop shop that will help them gain education in accessing land, growing food, getting legal advice and small business assistance.”
– Sylvester Brown Jr.
At the event, the food hub will outline its classes in legal assistance, land-ownership, good agricultural practices, culinary education, food safety, business plan development, and food production. It will unveil its 3,000-squarefeet food preparation and storage space that includes a shared-use kitchen where residents will receive technical assistance, training, oversight and guidance through the food
Privatization
production business.
The food hub has partnered with St. Louis University and local nonprofits such as the Ville Collaborative, Hosco Foods, Good Life Growing, LLC., Annie Malone Children & Family Service Center and the Sweet Potato Project.
“Our students and other North St. Louis residents now have a one-stop shop that will help them gain education in accessing land, growing food, getting legal advice and small business assistance, making food products and professionally bring all this to market in and outside their own neighborhoods,” “said Sylvester Brown Jr., director of the Sweet Potato Project, “
For more information, contact Alayna Sibert (operations manager) at 314954-7090 or Mildred MattfeldtBeman at 314-258-2571.
of St. Louis airport must be put to public vote
Would disrupt 31 straight months of growth, two credit-rating upgrades
By Comptroller Darlene Green
For The St. Louis American
On June 13, at the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, I voted against approving an advisory consulting agreement for the privatization of St. Louis Lambert International Airport. The Comptroller’s Office does not support this effort to trade Lambert’s successful fiscal management and positive growth for the risks of privatization. Lambert Airport has been a
public entity since 1928 when St. Louis voters approved a $2 million bond issue to buy the airport property. Over 90 years Lambert has served the people of our region through good and bad economic times. Currently, the airport is in a strong financial position showing 31 straight months of passenger growth, two creditrating upgrades, and added international flights. Privatization would disrupt this growth. Our airport is an asset for the city, and a private entity beholden to shareowners,
not consumers, would put bottom-line profit over public service.
To abandon the long and successful history of Lambert as a municipal airport through this politically expedient process is wrong. As today’s E&A vote to advance the privatization process passed 2-to-1 and the Airport Commission was left out of this decision, a public vote must be part of the process to decide the fate of the airport.
Financial Focus
By Ana Stringfellow
Here’s your retirement countdown
Black dolls help map our history
The Field House Museum has “From Caricature to Celebration: A Brief History of African-American Dolls” on display through July 15.
Field House Museum’s black doll exhibit closes July 15
By Ashley Jones
For the St. Louis American
Through July 15, the Field House Museum has opened its third floor to the exhibition, “From Caricature to Celebration: A Brief History of African-American Dolls.”
The exhibition is connected to the Field House and its namesake family. Roswell Field and his wife Francis Field moved into the house in 1850. Roswell worked as an attorney on the Dred Scott case, helping propel it to the U.S. Supreme Court. Their son Eugene Field was born there. Eugene became a famous writer in the late 1800s, but the house became a nationally historic landmark based on the work his father did on the Dred Scott case.
“We have a mission of telling the story of Eugene, who was a children’s poet,” said Stephanie Bliss, assistant director with the Field House Museum. “We also tell the story of Roswell Field and his work as an attorney, most specifically on the Dred Scott Case, and then we have a large toy collection based off of Eugene’s love of toys.”
n “Most of the time when people find out that Eugene was a toy collector, they like to give us their toys because it’s something they’ve cherished throughout the years.”
– Stephanie Bliss
The oldest doll they have dates way back to the early 1900s, and the newest doll was acquired as recently as 2016. They have Mammy dolls, TopsyTurvy dolls, Little Black Sambo figures and books, Uncle Remus, and even traditional African dolls on display.
“One of the things we like to do is explore our collection to see what we can put on display and show the different aspects of our mission,” Bliss said. “What better way to do that than highlight some of the dolls in our collection, and this time we wanted to focus on African American dolls.”
The exhibit starts off with traditional African dolls and then gets into dolls based on caricatures and stereotypes. Then it progresses through the years to show the diversity of dolls, how they
See DOLLS, C4
‘The Wiz’ wows Muny fans
The Muny’s take on “The
By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American
For the first time in nearly 40 years, “The Wiz” returned to the Muny stage as part of the 100th Anniversary Season Tuesday night. The cast, staff and crew are to be commended for powering through the hell of a surprise thunderstorm – and the high waters it produced. The Muny refused to let the weather stop them from delivering a solid musical theater offering on the opening night for the second production of their historic centennial season. Their audience also deserves praise for toughing out a 90-min-
Beloved black musical fares well as part of historic 100th Anniversary season
ute rain delay. While still soggy from being blindsided by more than two hours of rain prior to the show as they delivered a standing ova-
tion, there was a genuine sense of delight in the Muny’s take on the beloved African-American spin on “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Still a singing, dancing good time, the show wasn’t quite the electric expression of soul typically associated with the production. It was fun, but witnessing a new generation get immersed in “The Wiz” was the cherry on top. The Muny was aided by a refreshed script by Amber Ruffin, and new orchestrations by Darryl Archibald. Both seemed mindful to stay respect-
Urban League’s Salute to Women In Leadership a smash success
Grammy Awardwinning gospel legend Rev. Shirley Caesar pretended to faint while fawning over Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis President and CEO Michael P. McMillan at the 2018 Salute to Women in Leadership Awards, Friday night at The Marriott St. Louis Grand.
by
By Kenya Vaughn Of The
St. Louis American
Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis CEO Michael McMillan just might have to start searching for a larger venue to hold the Salute to Women In Leadership Awards Gala based on the record 1300-plus crowd that came to the Marriott St. Louis Grand to support the event Friday night. The event was about five
chairs away from standing room only as they honored women from the St. Louis region and around the country for their respective roles in various capacities. Among the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Awardees were gospel legend Rev. Shirley Caesar, Motown great Martha Reeves, Media mogul Cathy Hughes, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated International
President Dorothy B. Wilson, Delta Sigma Theta National President and CEO Beverly E. Smith and Zeta Phi Beta International
President Mary B. Wright. Local awardees included longtime KTVI-Fox
received personalized gift packages that were displayed in the lobby for guests to behold. As she accepted her award, Caesar said
See 314, C4 TCG convenes in STL, Last chance to check out SFSTL’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’
Photos by Wiley Price
Photo
Wiley Price
Photo by Wiley Price
Wiz” blended elements from the Broadway version and Berry Gordy’s film adaptation.
How to place a calendar listing
1. Email your listing to calendar@stlamerican. com OR
2. Visit the calendar section on stlamerican.com and place your listing
Calendar listings are free of charge, are edited for space and run on a space-available basis.
concerts
Sat., June 23, 3 p.m., Great Moments in Black Music IV, African American Musicals The Legend Singers celebrate 78 years. Prince of Peace Missionary Church, 9350 Natural Bridge Rd., 63134. For more information, call (314) 524-9086.
Sat., June 23, 8 p.m., Rockhouse Ent. & Clark Wilson Ent. present Ashanti The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com.
Tues., June 26, 8 p.m., The Delmar Hall welcomes Tory Lanez. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar. For more information, call (314) 726-6161 or visit http://www.delmarhall.com/
Wed., June 27, 8 p.m., International Takeover presents Cocoa Tea Live. Clib Viva, 408 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.
Sat., June 30, 4 p.m., Saturday Night Live Jazz Concert. Washington Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, 3200 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 5338763.
Sat., June 30, 9 p.m., Black Market Media Group presents Rich Homie Quan. Pop’s Concert Venue, 401 Monsanto Ave., Sauget, IL. 62201. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com.
Tues., July 3, 9 p.m., The Pageant presents K Michelle Performing Live Independence Day Kickoff 6161 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com.
Thur., July 5, 8 p.m., The Ready Room presents Mobley. 4195 Manchester Ave., 63110. For more
information, visit www. eventbrite.com.
July 6 – 7, 7:30 p.m., Jazz at the Bistro presents Erika Johnson Sings the Rolling Stones. Jazz St. Louis, 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. tickets.jazzstl.org.
Fri., July 6, 8:30 p.m., Black Market Media Group presents HoodRich Pablo Juan. Pop’s Concert Venue, 401 Monsanto Ave., Sauget, IL. 62201. For more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com.
local gigs
Fri., June 29, 8 p.m., Music for A Cure. Feat. the Chris Black Experience. Proceeds help raise funds for the research and cure of MS. Vöce, 212 S. Tucker Blvd., 63102. For more information, visit www.thechrisblack.com.
Sat., June 30, 4 p.m., Saturday Night Live Jazz Concert. Washington Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, 3200 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 5338763.
Sat., June 30, 4 p.m., Hitsville USA: A Tribute to Motown Records. Feat. Roland Johnson, Eugen Johnson, Miss Molly Simms, and more. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., 63118. For more information, visit www. offbroadwaystl.com.
special events
Sat., June 23, 11 a.m., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Omicron Theta Omega Chapter presents Pink Pizzazz Jazz Scholarship Brunch. Renaissance Airport Hotel, 9801 natural
Bridge Rd., 63134. For more information, visit www. pinkpizzazz.eventbrite.com.
Sat., June 23, 12 p.m., Tower Grove Pride. Over 100 local artists, performances, activities, food trucks and much more. Tower Grove Park, Arsenal and S. Grand, 63110. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.
Sat., June 23, 3 p.m., Great Moments in Black Music IV, African American Musicals The Legend Singers celebrate 78 years. Prince of Peace Missionary Church, 9350 Natural Bridge Rd., 63134. For more information, call (314) 524-9086.
June 23 – 24, Hispanic Festival, Inc. of Greater St. Louis presents Fiesta in Florissant. Knights of Columbus Park, 50 St. Francois St., 63031. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.
Sun., June 24, 7:30 a.m., Old Chain of Rocks Bridge 2018 Bride Birthday Ride Riverview Dr., 63137. For more information, visit www. trailnet.org/calendar/2018bridge-birthday-ride.
House Quake “A Tribute to Prince”. Voce, 212 South Tucker Blvd., 63102. For more information, visit www. regaltix.com.
Sat., June 30, 12 p.m., My Change is Worth Keeping! Amazing women will share their personal stories of change that will inspire us all to create and embrace change. Moonrise Hotel, 6177 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www.daddysheiress.com.
Sat., June 30, 4 p.m., The 5th Annual Summer Gras. A Celebration of the music & food of New Orleans. 1200 S. 7th St., 63104. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.
Wed., July 4, 10 a.m., The Central West End Association hosts the Fourth of July Central West End Family Parade. McPherson Ave. and N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.
fairsaintlouis.org.
Wed., July 4, 7 p.m., Fireworks Cruise. The Riverboats at the Gateway Arch, 50 S. Leonor K. Sullivan Blvd., 63102. For more information, visit www. gatewayarch.com.
Sat., July 7, 11 a.m., Black Girls Party Harder Summer Block Party/Expo. Over 20 vendors, live performances, face painters, kid’s activities, food trucks, and more. 1400 St. Louis Ave., 63106. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.
Sat., July 7, 7 p.m., R-S Theatrics presents the 2018 FUNraiser. Silent auction, dinner, entertainment, and more. Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.
comedy
June 21- June 24, Helium Comedy Club presents Tony Rock, Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St. Louis Galleria Street, St. Louis, MO 63117. For more information, call (314) 727-1260 or visit http:// st-louis.heliumcomedy.com
Sun., July 8, 7 p.m., The Mad Bus Driver Comedy Show. Featuring comedian Anthony Session. Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St Louis Galleria St., 63117. For more information, visit www.themadbusdriver. com/tickets.
Wednesdays through June 27, Weekly Writers Workshop. Students in the 6th - 9th grade will work on improving their grammar and essay writing. Eyeseeme, 7827 Olive Blvd., 63130. For more information, visit www. eyeseeme.com.
Thur., June 28, 7 p.m., A. E. Hotchner 101st Birthday Celebration and Book Launch. Henry Schvey will interview Hotchner via streaming video about his new novel. Olin Library, Washington University, One Brookings Dr., 63130. For more information, visit www. library.wustl.edu/event.
Thur., July 12, 10:30 a.m., United 4 Children 6th Annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser. 4-person scramble, contest and prize opportunities. Norman K. Probstein Golf Course - Forest Park, 6141 Lagoon Dr., 63112. For more information, visit www.united4children.org.
Sun., June 24, 7 p.m., Food Search’s Summer Meals Program. The mobile meal vans will serve 33 locations via three routes. A daily dose of nutrition, along with a variety of games, arts, crafts, and STEM projects. For more information, visit www. operationfoodsearch.org.
July 4 – 7, Fair Saint Louis. Parade, fireworks, performances by Jason Derulo and Martina McBride, a salute to the troops, and more. Gateway Arch National Park, 11 N. 4th St., 63102. For more information, visit www.
Through Aug. 10, Operation
Thur., June 28, 7 p.m., St. Louis County Library hosts Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, author of What the Eyes Don’t See. Dr. Mona proved Flint’s kids were exposed to lead. Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. Sat., July 7, 7 p.m., An Evening With author Allisha Jones, author of There’s A Leak In This Old Building Metropolitan Artist Lofts, 500 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (636) 219-0045.
Tues., July 10, 7 p.m., St. Louis Public Library hosts author Dr. Lisa Corrigan author of Prison Power: How Prison Influenced the Movement for Black
Kenya Vaughn recommends
Delmar Hall welcomes Tory Lanez. For more information, see CONCERTS.
Liberation. 1301 Olive St., 63103. For more information, visit www.left-bank.com.
Sun., July 15, 2 p.m., Bobby Norfolk presents Scott Joplin. A combination of storytelling, music, and a demonstration of the popular time period dance, the cakewalk. Kirkwood Public Library, 140 E. Jefferson Ave., 63122. For more information, visit www. kirkwoodpubliclibrary.org.
Mon., July 16, Maryville Talks Books hosts author Rachel Devlin, author of A Girl Stands at the Door: The Generation of Young Women Who Desegregated America’s Schools. Left Bank Books, 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, visit www. left-bank.com.
theatre
Through June 24, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents “Romeo and Juliet,” Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park. For more information, visit www.sfstl. org
Through June 25, The Muny presents The Wiz 1 Theatre Dr., 63112. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.
June 29 – 30, 6 p.m., Grand Center Theatre Crawl 2018
A free tasting of the best of St. Louis theater, featuring over 30 professional companies. Venues in the Grand Center Arts District, 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. stlpublicradio.org/theatrecrawl.
Fri., June 22, 10 a.m., Art
Auction. Paintings, prints, photographs, lithographs, and more. Preview June 21 at 3 p.m. 1325 N. Warson Rd., 63132. For more information, visit www.auctionzip. com/3dauctions.
Fri., June 22, 5 p.m., Maïmouna Guerresi’s Aisha in WOnderland Opening Reception. projects+gallery, 4733 McPherson Ave., 63108. For more information, visit www.projects-gallery.com.
Sat., June 23, 7 p.m., Stray Rescue’s Urban Wanderers Art Show & Auction. Four Seasons Hotel, 999 N. 2nd St., 63102. For more information, visit www.strayrescue.org.
Through July 12, postdisciplinary artist Damon Davis presents the exhibit Darker Gods in the Garden of the Low-Hanging Heavens, The Luminary, 2701 Cherokee Street. For more information, visit http://theluminaryarts.com
Through July 15, From Caricature to Celebration: A Brief History of AfricanAmerican Dolls. Field House Museum, 634 S. Broadway, 63102. For more information, visit www.fieldhousemuseum. org.
Through August 19, Contemporary Art Museum 2018 Great Rivers Biennial Featuring artists Addoley Dzegede, Sarah Paulsen, and Jacob Stanley, Amy Sherald, and Claudia Comte. On view through August 19. 3750 Washington Blvd., 63108.
lectures and workshops
Thur., June 21, 8:30 a.m., Citizens for Modern Transit and St. Louis Regional Chamber host Talking Transit. One Metropolitan Square, Ste. 1300, 63102. For more information, visit www. cmt-stl.org.
Thur., June 21, 5:30 p.m., Let’s Talk About It: The Ambassador Community Meet-Up. Find out how to get involved to build a movement of healing and change in our community. Harris Stowe State University, 10 N
Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.
June 22 – 24, New Economy Coalition presents CommonBound 2018: Owning Our Power. Harris Stowe State University, 10 N Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.
Sat., June 23, 11 a.m., Candidate Forum for 79th District State Representative. Mission St. Louis, 3108 North Grand, 63107. For more information, visit www. hydeparkstlouis.org.
June 26 – 28, Psychological Associates’ Leadership Development Workshop. Charles F. Knight Center,
Wellston Coalition will sponsor a free public screening of Jason Pollock’s Michael Brown documentary Stranger Fruit. See FILM for details.
1 Theatre Dr., 63112. For more information, visit web.alsa.org/ stlouis.
Sat., June 23, 11 a.m., Meet and greet with Dr. Valerie Walker, author of “131 Ways to Live 131 Years,” Normandy United Methodist Church, 8000 Natural Bridge Rd. For more information, call (314) 3853000.
Tues., June 26, 2 p.m., Seniors Home Care hosts Family Caregiver Training 504 Marshall Ave., 63119. For more information, visit www. seniorshomecare.com/how-wecan-help.
Tues., July 10, 8 a.m., On-Site Mammograms. The Siteman Cancer Center mammography van is scheduling breast cancer screenings. Mid County YMCA, 1900 Urban Dr., 63144. For more information or to register, visit www.bit. ly/2BAIWsQ.
Sat., July 21, 11 a.m., African Community Health Fair 2018. Progressive Emporium & Education Center, 1108 N. Sarah St., 63113. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.
Washington University, One Brookings Dr., 63130. For more information, visit www. q4solutions.com.
Fri., June 29, 7:30 a.m., NAHSE St. Louis Chapter presents Public Safety: A Growing Spotlight on the Criminal Justice System and Healthcare Providers Forest Park Visitor’s Center, 5595 Grand Dr., 63112. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.
Sat., June 30, 12 p.m., Legal Services of Eastern Missouri presents Free Beneficiary Deed Clinic. Please RSVP and sign up for appointment. Thomas Dunn Learning Center, 3113 Gasconade St., 63118. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.
Tues., July 3, 1 p.m., Declaration of Independence Talk with Professor David Konig. Olin Library, Washington University, One Brookings Dr., 63130. For more information, visit www. library.wustl.edu/event.
health
Sat., June 23, 7:30 a.m., The Epilepsy Foundation of Missouri and Kansas presents the Seize the Day 5K Run/Walk. Kirkwood Park, 111 S Geyer Rd., 63122. For more information, visit www.crowdrise. com/2018SeizetheDayStLouis.
Sat., June 23, 8:30 a.m., Walk to Defeat ALS. Forest Park, Upper Muny parking lot,
Sat., July 21, 11a.m. Health Fair 2018, Ferguson Community Empowerment Center, 9420 West Florissant. Pre-register by calling (314) 747-9355. For more information, call (314) 4398306.
spiritual
Through June 22, 23rd Annual Jurisdictional AIM Convention: Breaking the Chains that Bind. Kennerly Temple Extension COGIC, 8810 Midland Blvd., 63114. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.
Through June 22, Power Conference & Holy Convocation. Hilton St. Louis Airport, 10330 Natural Bridge Rd., 63134. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.
Kenya Vaughn recommends
ful of the original vision of William F. Brown and Charlie Smalls’ urban spin on the L. Frank Baum classic.
Director Denis Jones gave the show a feverish pace. The audience never sat in one scene long enough to be bored with it. But, there was barely room for vocal improvisations and liberties for the sake of “owning the song,” an element that has come to be expected with just about any production of “The Wiz.” A genuine chemistry between the cast – and the energy that is produced on stage because of it – along with the overall production value were the consolation prizes.
Danyel Fulton led the cast in her Muny debut as Dorothy. Though they have different vocal charisma, Fulton’s performance bore a striking resemblance to Stephanie Mills, who originated the role on Broadway. Meanwhile, Jared Grimes is reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s portrayal of the Scarecrow in the film version – which starred Diana Ross. James T. Lane’s Tinman leaned towards the stage version of “The Wiz” while Darius De Haas pulled from both the film and the stage version for his portrayal of the Lion. All were effective and enjoyable, though a bit more power on the vocal side would have taken the supporting players from good to great. They meshed really well as an ensemble – and Lane deserves a nod for expanding his robot-like precision the during the dance sequences into his general movement over the course of the show.
Demetria McKinney and E. Faye Butler had the task of portraying two characters within the production. Butler transitioned with ease between the delightfully flighty Addaperle and the hilariously wicked Evilene. McKinney’s portrayal of Aunt Em and Glinda have less of a variation between the two roles. She charmed as the loving aunt and
Photo by Wiley Price
Continued from C1
became more realistic in recent years and the celebration of that diversity.
“We wanted to just show and highlight that there are so many different types of dolls out there, even within the African-American race, that you don’t see a lot,” Bliss said. “Just get to know the different dolls that are out there, and see that there are different types and different styles.”
Debbie Behan Garrett collected African-American dolls. One doll pictured in her book “Black Dolls: A Comprehensive Guide to Celebrating, Collecting, and Experiencing the Passion” is on display.
“Most of the time when people find out that Eugene was a toy collector, they like to
give us their toys because it’s something they’ve cherished throughout the years, and they want to make sure that it stayed safe for future generations,” Bliss said.
There is also a small section in the corner for kids to color and make their own doll or dress real African American dolls in miniature doll clothing.
“These dolls help tell the story of what was going on at the time, and what was being learned from them,” Bliss said. “We would love you to come out and see the wonderful dolls that we have on display.”
The Field House Museum is located at 634 S. Broadway in St. Louis. Its visiting hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, as well as Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Tickets range from $5 to $10. Visit fieldhousemuseum.org for more information.
the good witch, but truly shined as Glinda.
Grammy award-winning St. Louis native Nathan Lee Graham was a force to be reckoned with when he exploded on stage in the title character. He was as extra as he pleased and raised the energy level of the production from the moment he made his grand introduction on stage – and made the role all his own.
The Muny’s take on “The Wiz” blended elements from the Broadway version and Berry Gordy’s film adaptation. The audience had the added bonus of seeing the Scarecrow perform “You Can’t Win” from Berry Gordy’s film adaptation, which was not a part of the original Broadway production. There were moments when the vocal arrangements felt a bit too tailored to the taste of the typical Muny audience at the expense of the R&B flavor the show is known for – particularly Dorothy’s “Home” finale and the opening musical number, Aunt Em’s “The Feeling We Once Had.” Though good by any other company’s standards, the set design for “The Wiz” was a tad bit underwhelming for a Muny
production. This is especially apparent during the emergence and exit of Glinda – which is typically equal parts glamour and magic – and the departure of the Wiz. Leon Dobkowski’s costuming was stunning –though “The Wiz” purists might be unable to reconcile his choice for a mostly purple yellow brick road.
John Shivers and David Patridge’s sound design was so effective that the audience became fearful that the weather was back to do its worst during the opening storm sequence.
Longtime fans of the film and the musical may leave longing for a bit more. However, the Muny serves up an introduction that will leave those unfamiliar with the musical will be beyond pleased –and have them eager to “ease on down the road” at any given opportunity.
The Muny’s presentation of “The Wiz” as part of its 100th anniversary season continues through June 25. The centennial season continues through August 12. For tickets or additional information, visit https:// muny.org/ or call (314) 3611900.
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that aside from receiving her first Grammy Award, the experience of being showered with gifts and praised by the Urban League and the guests was the most incredible experience of her nearly 60-year career. Rev. Caesar quietly stole the show with her continual fawning over McMillan – which culminated with her pretending to faint upon learning he was single. Caesar, Reeves and R&B legend Eddie LeVert gave performances as the capacity audience fellowshipped and congratulated the honorees on a job well done.
TCG convenes in STL. St. Louis played host for Theatre Communications Group’s 28th annual TCG National Conference from June 14 –June 16. The nation’s not-forprofit theatre trade organization brought hundreds of performing artists, directors, technical and production professionals
and administrative staff from around the country. St. Louis natives and transplants made up a huge representation of TCG’s Rising Leaders of Color 2018 Class – five of the 10 honorees. Among them were Rosalind Early, Bryce Goodloe, Carl Overly Jr. Jacqueline Thompson and Anna Skidis Vargas. Also at this year’s conference, Ron Himes, founder and producing director of the St. Louis Black Repertory Company, was presented with the Theatre Practitioner Award along with Steven Woolf, artistic director for the Repertory Theater of St. Louis.
Last chance to check out Romeo and Juliet. If you miss the Shakespeare Festival St. Louis production of “Romeo and Juliet,” you will regret not seeing Reynaldo Piniella’s game-changing performance as a swagged-out Romeo. The production and cast is great overall, but Piniella’s portrayal of Romeo is a sight to behold. He gives the millennials a hero to root for as he adds the sauce of today’s youth to the
400-year-old tragic love story. Anyone who knows a young black boy who has expressed interest or talent in the arts should be taken to see this production to show how they have a place on stage – even in the classical arena. The show continues nightly at 8 p.m. through June 24 at Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park. Don’t miss it. Visit https://www.sfstl.com/ for more details.
A nod to the Delux Emerging 30 Delux Magazine did some honoring of its own over the weekend with its 3rd Annual Emerging 30 Saturday afternoon at The House of Soul. Future leaders and current movers and shakers under the age of 30 were recognized by the local urban lifestyle magazine – which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Among those recognized were 100.3 FM The Beat’s midday personality Jessica “Jess Live” Anderson, Evan Fowler, Ono Ikanone, Ashley Harris and Jasmine Osby.
Celebrations
Student Artist
Nyla Molder, an eighth grader at Ferguson Middle School, is the winning artist in the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America Midwest Fine Arts Contest and will compete in the BGCA National Arts Contest.
Nyla’s work was selected from among submissions by students in 13 states. Her artwork will be professionally framed by BCGA and displayed at the national headquarters’ art gallery in Atlanta, GA for one year.
Reunions
All reunion announcements can be viewed online!
Beaumont High School Class of 1968 will celebrate its 50-year reunion June 22-24, 2018 at the Sheraton Westport Chalet, 191 Westport Plaza. For more information, please contact Vanetta Cobbs, 314-869-5665 or email vanetta.cobbs@ sbcglobal.net.
Beaumont High Class of 1973 will celebrate its 45-year reunion, Aug. 10-12, 2018! To register contact: Dr. Liz Franklin at, mychoice2succeed@yahoo. com or (636)293-9553. Also, check out the BHS Facebook page.
Beaumont High Class of 1978 40th Reunion Extravaganza. Save the date: October 5-7, 2018. Call or text Marietta Shegog Shelby
at 314-799-5296 for further details.
Northwest Class of 1979 is planning on cruising for our 40-year reunion and would love for you to join us! Date to sail is set for July 20, 2019 and you can feel free to contact: Duane Daniels at 314-568-2057 or Howard Day at 414-698-4261 for further information. Please don’t miss the boat!
Productive Futures (19842006) is planning an allgraduate reunion in July 2018. Please send your name, address and telephone number to: Productive Futures Graduates, PO Box 300322, St. Louis, MO 63130 or call 314-440-3855.
Roosevelt High Class of 1968 50-year reunion is Saturday, July 7, 2018 at Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust Street, 6 pm-10 pm, dinner buffet and open bar. Contact Jan Simpson for details at jsimpson@ sedeyharper.com.
St. Rose of Lima (Goodfellow & Etzel, closed 1977) will host an all-class reunion on Saturday, Sept.
Happy Birthday to Rosalyn McKissick, who will turn 70 years young on June 25! Happy 95th Birthday to my dad, Bro. James Stowers born June 23, 1923 in Macon, Mississippi. To God be the glory! Love you, Janet
8th, Jewel Center, 407 Dunn Rd. See www.strosereunion. com for details.
Sumner High School Class of 1973 will have its 45-year reunion the weekend of June 22-24, 2018. More info to follow outlining the details. If you did not receive a newsletter in January, please contact Marsha Joseph-Williams (314-6068701) or Dorris SimmonsMcGhaw(314-541-2462). You can also inbox Sid S. Shurn or Dorris on Facebook.
Sumner High Class of 1979 will hold its “Bulldogs Rock the Boat” BIG 4-0 Reunion Cruise, June 22-27, 2019. For further information, email your contact information to sumner1979@ymail.com or call 314-406-4309. Join our Facebook group at Sumner High Class of ‘79.
Vashon High Class of 1973 will celebrate its 45-year reunion on Saturday, August 11, 2018 in St. Louis. We’re still in the process of rounding up all of our graduates and would love for you all to contact us. Please email us at tpjgramells@ aol.com for additional
Stanley and Nita Brooks will celebrate nine years of marriage on June 28. Looking forward to many more blessed years together!
information. You may also RSVP and pay by going to VashonHigh1973.myevent. com. For those not on the internet, please call Terri (Bell) Johnson 314-313-2113.
Homer G. Phillips and St. Louis Municipal School of Nursing all class reunion will be held June 22-24, 2018. All major activities will be held at the St. Louis Airport Hilton, 10330 Natural Bridge Rd, St. Louis, MO 63134. Awarding of nursing scholarships will be Saturday, June 23, at the banquet. For information please e-mail asims4@charter.net or call (314)261-2800 or (314)8680288.
McKinley High School Class of 1978 40th Class Reunion will take place July 27-29, 2018 at the Embassy Suites-
Airport Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. Classmates from all McKinley H.S. classes are invited. Registration is required. To register, contact Barbara Lindsey, Barbara_ Lindsey@icloud.com or Marvin Woods, mwoods@ projectcontrolsgroup.com or (314) 647-0707.
Vashon High School will celebrate its 90th anniversary October 5-7, 2018 for alumni, students and community activities to celebrate educational commitment and tradition. For additional information, go to Vashonhigh.org or contact Elvis Hopson, elvishopson@ att.net, (314) 535-0243, Pearl Lake, lakep6@aol.com, (314) 388-0743 or Cozy W. Marks, Jr., jr3810@sbcglobal.net, (314) 383-5682.
FREE OF CHARGE
Do you have a celebration you’re proud of? If so we would like to share your good news with our readers. Whether it’s a birth, wedding, engagement announcement, anniversary, retirement or birthday, send your photos and a brief announcement (50 words or less) to us and we may include it in our paper and website – AT NO COST – as space is available Photos will not be returned. Send your announcements to: kdaniel@stlamerican. com or mail to:
St. Louis American Celebrations c/o Kate Daniel 2315 Pine St. St. Louis, MO 63103
Reunion notices are free of charge and based on space availability. We prefer that notices be emailed to us! However, notices may also be sent by mail to:
Kate Daniel, 2315 Pine St., St. Louis, MO 63103
Deadline is 10 a.m. on Friday. If you’d like your class to be featured in a reunion profile, email or mail photos to us. Our email address is: reunions@ stlamerican.com
To fight the HIV epidemic, we need the black church
By Marjorie Innocent Of The NAACP
Black churches are more than places of worship. They are the vibrant hearts of the African-American community that bring the Gospel into our lives, inspire faith, grace, love and mercy and foster a deep commitment to service. For centuries, black churches and faith leaders have been at the forefront of the struggle for civil rights, including voting rights and the right to a quality education. And we need the black church’s leadership for another adversary: HIV.
Our nation is facing an epidemic that is ravaging our community from coast to coast. Today, HIV affects African Americans more than any other racial or ethnic group in the country. While we represent just 12 percent of the population, we account for 41 percent of people living with HIV in the United States. This is truly unacceptable.
As part of “The Black Church & HIV: The Social Justice Imperative” initiative, the NAACP is asking pastors to preach from the pulpit about HIV as a social justice issue. African Americans must fully acknowledge the scope of this epidemic and recognize the hundreds of thousands of brothers and sisters it has taken from us. In fact, we account for more than half of deaths attributed to HIV/ AIDS according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Like many who grew up in the black church, I look to my pastor for guidance in my faith and all paths of life. It is vital that faith leaders take the lead in this fight, committing to educate, engage and motivate their congregations to take positive action to end the HIV epidemic, especially in our communities.
Overall, about one in 20 AfricanAmerican men and one in 48 AfricanAmerican women will be diagnosed with HIV during their lifetimes, and 44 percent of all new HIV infections are among African Americans. This crisis is not just about
public and community health: It’s about social justice and institutionalized racism. The numbers are deeply disturbing but not surprising. Such is the scale of the epidemic that nearly all African Americans have a friend, family member, colleague or acquaintance that is impacted by HIV. I am no exception.
That’s why in 2011 the NAACP partnered with Gilead Sciences to create “The Black Church & HIV initiative” to develop a national network of African-American faith leaders who will address the disproportionate impact of HIV on black Americans. The NAACP is committed to helping enlist faith leaders from around the country to break the stigma surrounding this disease, engage in meaningful conversation and education with their congregants, provide compassionate support and spiritual guidance to those living with HIV, and encourage black churches to take action through a social justice lens.
In 2013, we took an additional step to further the impact and reach of our efforts by making a Clinton Global Initiative “Commitment to Action.” Our goal is to conduct 45 faith leader trainings in the 30
cities most highly-impacted by HIV, obtain proactive resolutions from historically black mainline denominations, and integrate HIV as a social justice issue into required curricula in predominantly African-American theological seminaries.
As someone whose faith is central to her life, I ask our shepherds-our faith leaders-in the African-American community to grasp this unique opportunity to have a significant, positive impact in the fight against HIV. We must break the silence about the dangers of HIV and the scope of the epidemic, educate our communities about prevention and advocacy and stop the growth of this disease once and for all. With the commitment of our faith leaders, I believe this is a fight we can win.
Marjorie Innocent serves as the senior director of Health Programs at the NAACP and is responsible for the management of the NAACP’s policy and programmatic agenda to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes for African Americans and other communities of color.
The Message
Because He won, we won
Circumstances in my life and maybe yours have me drifting from time to time. I don’t believe any Christian should indulge in wishy-washy thinking about their own salvation. Whatever you’re going through, however insurmountable the odds appear to be, if the deck is stacked against you in your eyes, remember, this fight is fixed.
All the evil that comes at you in this world is intended to confuse you into defeatist thinking. Then in a state of confusion, you act negatively, as if somehow you’re in charge. If only you were more in control, had more money, or more will power, then maybe you could change things, change jobs, change mates, change the past, alter the future or erase your addictions.
We want to take way too much credit for our lives or, out of a state of confusion, take little to no responsibility for them. Blame becomes a way of thinking or even a lifestyle for many of us who claim Jesus. Just like so-called professional wrestling, the outcome for whatever you’re going through, has been predetermined. The fight is fixed.
Jesus took the heavy blows, endured the emergency trip to the ER and survived the intensive care unit on Calvary. What we tend to forget is His fight was the fight and His victory was and continues to be our victory. Whatever you’re going through, your fight is fixed. You’ve already won.
“Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms of Jesus Christ in order that in the coming ages, He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ.” Ephesians 2:6-8.
Does that not mean you win?
Take another look at your situation with the fundamental truth that you’ve already won and then go forward. From there, faith will never allow you to ever again enter the ring and your opponent not know who your Daddy is. Mess with me at your own risk. Our challenge is not to try and win this fight alone. We cannot. We will surely fail. My witness is to always let my opponent know exactly what I’m fighting with. It ain’t gonna be fair. I have not met the man or woman yet who can beat Satan at his own game. I tried and, without Jesus, I failed miserably. That should not surprise any of you and especially those trying to go it alone right now.
Satan has a big advantage in this world, but I don’t worry about that anymore. My knowledge of the outcome lets me handle the tricks of the enemy. I know the fight is fixed. I win. And guess what? You do, too.
Columnist James Washington
Guest Columnist
Marjorie Innocent
While African Americans represent just 12 percent of the U.S. population, they account for 41 percent of people living with HIV in the United States.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT ENGINEER II
Responsible for tier 2 technical support and the end user computing environment. The position works under immediate supervision and demonstrates clear and working knowledge and concepts of Information Technology. This role will perform independent analyses involving application software and operating systems to diagnose and resolve issues. In addition, the position will provide training and mentoring to other team members as well as participate in the support and training of Safety National personnel on various computer-related technologies which will require excellent communication and people skills.
To apply, please visit: www.safetynational.com and click on the Careers tab.
ENTERPRISE PROGRAM MANAGER
Senior level professional position which contributes to the accomplishment of project/ program management practices and objectives that will achieve business goals and objectives. Works without immediate supervision and direction. Leads and mentors others within Program Management. Demonstrates advanced working knowledge and concepts of Information Technology.
To apply, please visit: www.safetynational.com and click on the Careers tab.
The Gatesworth is HIRING
Overnight Security Officer
Evening/Weekend Receptionist Door Attendant & Concierge Car Wash Attendant Day & Evening Housekeeping Days, Evenings, and Overnights Please send your resume to recruiting@thegatesworth.com.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Job Openings
Do you have a passion for working hard to make a difference in your community?
BBBSEMO has several FULL-TIME and PART-TIME CASE MANAGEMENT positions open that work with adult volunteers, caregivers and youth. Bachelor’s Degree required.
BBBSEMO is an innovative and empowering work environment. Benefits include immediate and 100% coverage on health and dental insurance for full-time employees, flexible work schedule, and opportunities for advancement.
To Apply: Please visit www.bbbsemo.org to view full job descriptions. Then send cover letter, resume, and at least three professional references to HR@bbbsemo.org
COLLEGE SUCCESS OFFICER
Loyola Academy of St. Louis, a Jesuit-sponsored middle school for boys, seeks a dynamic person to serve as its part-time College Success Officer for the 2018-2019 school year. The College Success Officer will work approx. 20hrs/week with the Director of Graduate Support, providing guidance to Loyola Academy alumni and their families throughout the college admissions and financial aid process and offer ongoing support to alumni throughout their college careers. The successful candidate will possess great organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills. Having experience in college access and familiarity with local Catholic high schools is a plus. A bachelor’s degree is required, preferably in education or communication.
Interested and qualified applicants should submit a letter of interest and resume to Mr. Elbert Williams III, Director of Graduate Support, at ewilliams@loyolaacademy.org by July 6, 2018. No phone inquiries, please. For additional information about the school and job description, please visit our website www.loyolaacademy.org.
De Smet Jesuit High School invites applications for the position of Part-time Biology Teacher beginning with the 2018-2019 academic year. For more information and to apply, visit https://www.desmet.org/about/ careers . EOE M/F/H/V, Committed to Diversity and Inclusion
M/WBE COMPLIANCE SPECIALIST
St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) has opening for a M/WBE Compliance Specialist. SLDC is looking for candidates with progressive experience in contract compliance monitoring, or construction project management. To apply online and see a full job description go to: http://www.stlouis-mo.gov/ sldc/ and click on “Careers at SLDC.” SLDC is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OFADMISSIONS DE SMET JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL
De Smet Jesuit High School invites applications for the position of Assistant Director ofAdmissions. For more information and to apply, visit https://www.desmet.org/about/ careers . EOE M/F/H/V, Committed to Diversity and Inclusion
Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition has several employment opportunities. For more information, go to www.foster-adopt.org/employment.
The Missouri Historical Society has a position opening for a Director of Marketing and Communications. Visit www.mohistory.org for position details and to apply.
Visit www.mohistory.org for position details and to apply. An Equal Opportunity Employer
State of MissouriDepartment of Mental Health Direct Care Openings Great Benefits! South County and St. Charles Starting at $10.83/hr. Please contact: Elaine Tomlin 636-926-1315
Elaine.tomlin@dmh.mo.gov
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice of Initiation of the Section
106 Process – Public Participation in accordance with the FCC’s Nationwide Programmatic Agreement. Cellective Solutions proposes to construct an approximately 120-ft monopole telecommunications tower at the following addresses: 318 School Street, O’Fallon / 5035 State Hwy N, Cottleville / 2705 St. Peters Howell Road, St. Peters / 1001 Boardwalk Springs Place, O’Fallon / 3250 Elm Point Industrial Drive, St. Charles / 6308 State Hwy N, St. Charles / 301 Feise Commercial Drive, Lake St. Louis / 1146 Charlemagne Drive, Lake St. Louis, St. Charles County, MO. Parties interested in providing comment on the proposed undertaking relative to potential effects on historic properties should contact GSS, Inc., 1904 Industrial Blvd. #107, Colleyville, TX 76034 (682) 651-0034 (GSS D18088-89-91-9296-97-101-102-MO).
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice of Initiation of the Section 106 Process – Public Participation in accordance with the FCC’s Nationwide Programmatic Agreement. Cellective Solutions proposes to construct an approximately 120-ft monopole telecommunications tower at the following addresses: 8300 Morganford Road, St. Louis / 3855 Adie Road, St. Ann / 8800 Hazelwood Tech Court, Hazelwood / 10350 Baltimore Avenue, St. Ann / 2500 Schuetz Road, Maryland Heights / 3022 Oregon Avenue, St. Louis, City of St. Louis. Missouri. Parties interested in providing comment on the proposed undertaking relative to potential effects on historic properties should contact GSS, Inc., 1904 Industrial Blvd. #107, Colleyville, TX 76034 (682) 651-0034 (GSS D18085-86-87-95-103-104-MO).
NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS
Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for Gas Light Square Demolition 345 Whittier & 4205
CITY OF ST. LOUIS BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS for PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING AND FIELD SURVEY SERVICES, GPS SURVEY TO LOCATE WATER METERS, CITY OF ST. LOUIS – WATER DIVISION. Statements of Qualifications due by 5:00 PM CT, June 29, 2018 at Board of Public Service, 1200 Market, Room 301 City Hall, St. Louis, MO 63103. RFQ may be obtained from BPS website www.stl-bps.org, under On Line Plan Room-Plan Room, or call Board of Public Service at 314-622-3535. 25% MBE and 5% WBE participation goals.
Public Notice of Single Source Procurement
Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to procure: FUJI VFD’S FOR NEW WEMCO PUMPS. The District is proposing single source procurement for this equipment because GEXPRO is the only known available source for the equipment. Any inquiries should be sent to gjamison@ stlmsd.com.
Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Public Notice of Single Source Procurement
Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is extending MSD’S CONTRACT/ AGREEMENT with SLATE FOR FIRST SOURCE HIRING PROGRAM. ST LOUIS AGENCY ON TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT (SLATE) was used for this service. Any inquiries should be sent to gjamison@stlmsd.com.
Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Public Notice of Single Source Procurement
Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is extending MSD’S CONTRACT/ AGREEMENT with SLATE FOR THE BUD TRAINING PROGRAM. ST LOUIS AGENCY ON TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT (SLATE) was used for this service. Any inquiries should be sent to gjamison@stlmsd.com.
Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC HOUSING WAITING LIST OPENING
West Pine Apartments – 1 bedroom, 4490 West Pine Blvd, 63108 (314)534-0327
Euclid Plaza Apartments – 2 bedroom, 5310 N. Euclid Ave, 63115 (314)382-9211
Parkview Apartments – 0/1 bedroom, 4451 Forest Park Ave, 63108 (314) 533-3350
Accepting pre-applications online at www.slha.org
beginning Wednesday, June 27, 2018 at 8:00 a.m. and closing Friday, June 29, 2018 at 11:59p.m.
Applicants with disabilities that need assistance in completing an online application or who do not have access to a computer can be accommodated at one of the above offices or SLHA Corporate Office located at 3520 Page from 8:00a.m to 5:00p.m.
METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS
SEWER DISTRICT Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District will receive RFQ’s in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 10:00 a.m. on July 24, 2018 to contract with a company for: ROOF REPLACEMENT FOR LEMAY PUMP STATIONS – SHOP AND OFFICE.
Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). The bid document will be identified as 9419 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.6269 to request a copy of this bid. Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on Wednesday, July 25, 2018,
designated. Bids will be received only from companies that
Engineering
SEALED BIDS
for CRoof Replacement, Kirksville Regional Office, Kirksville, Missouri, Project
N o . M 1 7 0 6 - 0 1 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, July 12, 2018. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/ facilities
by the
for:
CONSTRUCTION – St. Louis
license required 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.
CITY OF JENNINGS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The City of Jennings is seeking proposals from qualified engineering firms to provide Engineering Design Services for the following project in the City of Jennings. Public street improvements for Garesche Avenue from Wilborn to Janet Avenue and the cross sections Hamilton, Hodiamont and Helen Avenue. The Request for Proposal may be obtained from Jennings City Hall, 2120 Hord Avenue, MO 63136 between 10:00 am and 4:30 pm starting Friday, June 22, 2018. All proposals must be submitted to Jennings City Hall no later than Monday, July 16, 2018 by 3:30 PM. Proposals received after this date will not be considered. Jennings will hold a public opening of the proposals, Tuesday, July 17, 2018, 3:30 PM at Jennings City Hall. Proof of business license, bonding and insurance are required in the proposals. The City of Jennings reserves the right to reject any all proposals. If you have questions, please contact hjohnson@cityofjennings.org (Henry Johnson). Please indicate on the proposal “Garesche Street Improvements Project 2018”. This activity is funded in whole or in part with Community Development Block Grant funds pursuant to Title 1 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended. All applicable federal regulations shall be in full force and effect.
Public Notice of Single Source Procurement
Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to procure: NEW WEMCO PUMPS. The District is proposing single source procurement for this equipment because PROGRESS ENVIRONMENTAL is the only known available source for the equipment. Any inquiries should be sent to gjamison@stlmsd.com.
Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
NOTICE OF FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS
Date of Publication: 6/21/2018
Comment Period Expires: 7/6/2018
City of St. Louis: Community Development Administration (CDA) Planning & Urban Design Agency (PDA) 1520 Market Street St. Louis, Missouri 63103 314-657-3700 / 314-589-6000 (TTY)
These notices shall satisfy two separate but related procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by the City of St. Louis (“The City.”)
REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS
On or after 7/7/2018, the City will submit a request to the U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) for the release of the City’s Federal HOME Program funds under Title II of the National Affordable Housing Act of 1990, as amended, to undertake the following project:
Project Title: Finney Place
Purpose: Construction of thirty-nine (39) single-family homes and one (1) community home housing a one-bedroom apartment on the second floor, comprising a total of 40 new units of housing on residentially-zoned lots.
Location: 4200 blocks of W. Finney,W. Cook and C.D. Banks Avenues, St. Louis, Missouri 63113
Estimated Cost: Total development cost of this project is approximately $8,501,895.00, with $115,000.00 of funding coming from St. Louis City’s Federal HOME Program funds.
FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT
The City has determined that these projects will have no significant impact on the human environment. Certain conditions will apply to these projects. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not required. Additional information for each project is contained in the Environmental Review Record (ERR) on file at the City PDA, at the above address, where the ERR is available for review and may be examined or copied weekdays, 8 A.M. to 4 P.M.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to Mark G. Jefferies, Environmental Review Officer, PDA, at the address listed above. All comments received by 7/6/2018 will be considered by the City prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds. Comments should specify which notice they are addressing.
RELEASE OF FUNDS
SEALED BIDS
for Replace Shingle
R o o f S y s t e m s , P o p l a r B l u f f Regional Office, Poplar Bluff, MO, Project No. M180901 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 7/26/2018. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/ facilities
The City certifies to HUD that, Lyda Krewson, in her capacity as Mayor, consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the City to use the City’s above-referenced HUD program funds.
OBJECTION TO RELEASE OF FUNDS
HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the City’s certification for a period of 15 days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the City; b) the City has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR Part 58; c) the grant recipient has committed funds or incurred costs not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of the release of funds by HUD; or d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58.76) and shall be addressed to Ms. Dee Ann Ducote, Community Planning & Development Director, HUD, 1222 Spruce Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103 (314) 418-5257. Potential objectors should contact HUD to verify the actual last day of the objection period.
Lyda Krewson, Mayor Certifying Officer
Due
801 Edwin Street St. Louis, MO. 63103
NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS
Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for N Clark Ave 49 Sanitary Sewer Replacement under Letting No. 12444015.1, at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on Wednesday, June 20, 2018, at a place designated. Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualified by the District’s Engineering Department for: DEEP SEWER CONSTRUCTION – St. Louis County drainlayer’s license required Or TUNNELING / TRENCHLESS 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
NOTICE OF AUCTION
The following people are in debt to Gateway Storage Mall of Belleville, Columbia, & Dupo. The contents of their storage unit(s) will be sold at auction to compensate all or part of that debt. Auction will be held on site with Jersey County Auctions on June 21, 2018 at 10:00 am. A cash deposit will be REQUIRED for all winning bids. Units Bel. D03 – Changa Jones, Bel. F02/23 – David Stahl, Bel. A14 – Allen Klingelhoefer, Bel. F22 - Leeah Meeks, Bel. B05 –JaNerra Carson-Slaughter, Bel. B11 – Drew Elbe, Bel. 101 – Cecelie Holmes, Bel. 636 – Daryl Jones (Jules Johansen), Bel. 406 Rachael Hettenhausen, Bel. 638 – Michael Yakich, Bel. 510 – Reginal Rowery, Bel. 614 and 615 – Gwen Lasenby, Bel. 319 – Tameka Lilton, Col. 11 – Jamie Hurst, Col. 30 – Brian Killingsworth, Dupo 85 – Dee Jerashen, Dupo 57 and 92 – Steven Dengler, Dupo 28 –Mark Howard, Dupo 205 - Will Leroy, Dupo 117 & 118 – Kevin Mitchell, Dupo 139 – Aubrey Murden Dupo 65 – Jennifer Goforth, Dupo 70 – Mark Ratterman. For all rules, regulations and bidding process, contact Jersey County Auctions. All other questions, please call 618-421-4022 or mail PO Box 81, Dupo, IL 62239.
CITY OF ST. LOUIS BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS for PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR EVALUATION OF THE LAMBERT INTERNATIONAL BOULEVARD BRIDGE OVER COLD WATER CREEK AT ST. LOUIS LAMBERT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. Statements of Qualifications due by 5:00 PM CT, June 29, 2018 at Board of Public Service, 1200 Market, Room 301 City Hall, St. Louis, MO 63103. RFQ may be obtained from BPS website www.stl-bps.org, under On Line Plan Room-Plan Room, or call Board of Public Service at 314-622-3535. 25% MBE and 5% WBEparticipation goals.
chris@pinnaclecontracting.com
The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is seeking lunchtime food trucks for July 20 and August 17 at our Market Street location. If interested, please email tclinton@stlmsd.com for
TO BID FERGUSON FLORISSANT SCHOOL DISTRICT NEW FACILITIES BUILDING PARKING LOT RENOVATION
Sealed bids for the above project are being requested from the FFSD and will be received and publically opened and read aloud on June 28, 2018 11 AM CST at Facilities Department, 7469 Mintert Industrial Drive, Ferguson, MO 63135. Bid documents available on District Website at http://new.fergflor.k12.mo.us/facilities-rfq
Stokley the show-stopper. I was sad that Mint Condition front man Stokley Williams didn’t have the sold-out show he deserved when he played St. Louis at the Touhill on Father’s Day. It happens I suppose. It didn’t matter, because those of us who stopped through had the time of our lives, do you hear me. I was so glad Ben Broadnax told the folks in the balcony they could come down to the floor to enjoy up close and personal.
Stephanie “Songbird” Ivy did a solid job as an opening act. I like how you turned that Ed Sheeran hit into a straight up soul medley. And anybody that works Milira’s “Go Outside In The Rain” into their set list – and can actually pull off the performance – is alright with me. Because I was leaving from TLT’s #BlackBoyJoy (which I’ll get to in a minute) I missed the comedian, but I heard good things about her from everybody else. And you know there is no lying in STL folks when it comes to reading a tattered comedy set for dear life. But the general consensus was she did her thing. I already knew there would be no games played by Stokley, but I had no idea. He did it all. He hit on Mint Condition, his solo stuff and even paid tribute to the Minnesota sound with nods to Prince and Morris Day and The Time. Life more abundantly! Okay, so you already know he does the most with Mint Condition behind him. Imagine that times ten, because he doesn’t have to worry about getting drove (yes, I said drove) with accusations that he’s hamming it up and stealing the spotlight. No shade to DC3, but it reminded me of what happened when Beyonce first came out all extra and “Crazy In Love.” Yes, it was like that. Stokley had a whole routine that included lyrical/contemporary/modern and even a bit of praise dancing. And I have never seen two background dancers work as hard as those young ladies did keeping up with Stokely. I really wish there was a live stream of the show, so I could show y’all what you missed. A major shout out to AJ Mack Entertainment and VBBM Entertainment, I hope y’all can recoup the loss that came with the light crowd. Before y’all jump down my throat, Ben said that they took an “L” because the crowd was light, not me.
Bruh Man putting the folks on blast. Because there is only so much time in a day and so many events I can attend on any given weekend and Stokley took his sweet time getting to the meet-and-greet I missed Comedian Reginald “Bruh Man” Ballard’s weekend engagement at The Laugh Lounge. I really hate I did. I was really looking forward to hearing what I’m sure was piping hot tea based on the interview Bruh Man and Laugh Lounge owner Jessie Taylor did with DJ Kut of 95.5 FM ahead of the show. He really put a pair of STL comedians on front street with claims that they owe him money. The gag is they both do church shows – and one of them is exclusively faith-based. He said that one tricked him into buying his own plane ticket and then pulled a Houdini style disappearing act at the ticket desk, and the other stiffed him on a religious comedy show. Help. I’m not disclosing the names, but all it takes is a quick follow on Radio One St. Louis’ social media channels to find out.
Black Boy Joy on Dad’s day. I couldn’t stay long because I had to punch it over to the Touhill for Stokley, but I poked my head into TLT Productions’ 2nd Annual Black Boy Joy event. This year it was at .Zack and they gave special props to Kevin C. Johnson of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and a gentleman I only know as Chris for their contributions to the culture. I got a tiny taste of their musical tribute to Stevie Wonder and I’ve decided that Golliday has my heart for life, even though he’s gonna sing whatever lyric he feels like.
Painting with Larenz Tate. Am I too quick to presume that paint-and-sip parties will be to 2018 what the Sunday day party was to 2012? It sure looks that way. Less than a week after Café Soul’s Trap.Soul.Paint, my boy Cash had the Mandarin Banquet Hall filled with canvasses and had the ladies fit to be tied knowing that their favorite on screen boo from the mid-1990s a.k.a. Larenz Tate was coming through. What is it about painting along to twerk music that gets y’all turning up in ways I never imagined? Well for this go ‘round, I’ll blame the BYOB. Either way, it wasn’t packed to the gills, but the lit level was at capacity. Larenz learned the hard way that you don’t sneak up on a woman from St. Louis – which he should have already known being that he’s from Chicago. He came up behind one woman focused on her little piece of art and acted like he was about to start painting. What should have been a cute celebrity crush surprise had her turning around like “who is this all up in my personal space that wants to find out the hard way that they got the wrong one?” They both laughed about it right after. Larenz Tate has not aged since he was “O Dog.” Yes, he looks the same as he did as Darius on “Love Jones” – and that was twenty something years ago. And he has the nerve to be funny and charming too. When he clowned the folks for having an old picture of him on the projector, I started to jump to their defense and say, “well you look the same then as you do right now.” It was a good time and I loved the fact that Larenz had jokes on top of being fine. When he said that the model painting that everybody was following looked like a cemetery instead of a skyline, I was close to tapping out. If you looking to get your Larenz fix on a new project, you’ll be thrilled to know he’s in the upcoming season of “Power” on Starz. I don’t know if I will be able to handle him and Omari Hardwick on the same screen at the same time. I feel like my flat screen may crash due to fineness
overload.
Poet Lightning and poet/artist Shay Brown were amongst those who celebrated the life of Tupac @ a special art show Saturday @ 2720
Mike and Charli checked out the encore of Shakespeare Festival STL’s ‘Blow Winds’ Saturday outside the St. Louis Public Library’s Central Branch
Asha and Xavier celebrated the women leaders in the STL region and beyond @ The Urban League Salute to Women in Leadership Gala
night
AJ Mack Ent. and VBBM Ent. were thrilled with Mint Condition front man Stokley Williams’ Father’s
Shonta and Chelsy came through to kick it and showcase their creative side @ Cash Cohnes’ Party and Paint set Saturday night @ Mandarin Banquet Hall
Angela congratulated KMOV’s Courtney Bryant, a 2018 honoree of The Urban League’s Salute to Women in Leadership Gala Friday @ The Marriott Grand
Frankie and Maya showed love to the late great Tupac Shakur by stopping through the art exhibit in honor of the rapper’s birthday Saturday night @ 2720 Cherokee
Myeisha and Shay Monet were among the young influencers to attend DELUX Magazine’s Emerging 30 event Saturday afternoon @ The House of Soul
DELUX Magazine Publisher Keith Griffin and Editor In Chief Shadress Denise Burks @ their Emerging 30 reception Saturday @ House of Soul
Larenz Tate, film star and new cast member of the hit Starz Network show “Power” stopped through to mix and mingle thanks to the Party and Paint event presented by Cash Cohnes (center) at the Mandarin Banquet Hall Saturday night. Gwen and Willie C served as the evening’s hosts.
Congratulations
MORE THAN $47.7M IN SCHOLARSHIPS earning 1400 GRADUATES more than having enlisted in Air Force • Army • Marines • Navy • National Guard
28 STATES in
Morehouse • Fisk • Princeton
Washington University St. Louis University of Missouri - Columbia University of Southern California
Florida A&M • Emory University
Tennessee State • Iowa State
5 BRANCHES OF THE MILITARY Preparing students for a bright future since 1838
Vanderbilt • Brandeis • Tuskegee Villanova • Saint Louis University
Congratulations to the Class of 2018 Graduates!
Graduate / Post Graduate
Dr. Adrienne Brown
St. Louis College of Pharmacy
Doctorate of Pharmacy
Aunya L. McElroy
University of Missouri - St. Louis
Degree: Master of Education in School Counseling
Brandi Pikes
Washington University School of Law
Degree: Juris Doctor
Next step: In September, Brandi will begin working as an associate attorney at a large law firm in Columbus, Ohio.
Parents: Tabatha Pikes and Richard Robinson
Congratulations to the Class of 2018 Graduates!
College Graduates
Alexis Tiffany Hubbard
University of Arkansas - Fayetteville
Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Communication, minor in Business Management
Next step: Alexis will continue her education at the University of Arkansas –Fayetteville to obtain her Master’s Degree in Communication.
Parents: Karen A. Johnson, David Hubbard
Devonte J. Jackson
Missouri State University
Degree: Bachelor’s in Psychology
Parent: Mari Jackson, Jean and Marvin Jackson (grandparents)
North Carolina A&T University and Xavier University of Louisiana
Degree: Biomedical Engineering and Biology
Parent: Angela Bean Lane
Hassan Owens
Doniece O’Neal
St. Louis Community College at Forest Park
Degree: Associate’s in Nursing
Next step: Pursue bachelor’s and master’s degree in nursing, become a nurse practitioner
Parents: Franchot O’Neal and Lajuanna Brown
Xavier University, New Orleans
Degree: Bachelor’s in Biology, minor in Chemistry
Next Step: Attending UCLA medical school on a full scholarship to study reproductive endocrinology.
Alana Rankins
Erika Paige
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Degree: Bachelor of Science in Public Health
Next Step: Currently interning at Covenant House Missouri and anticipates pursuing a Master’s of Public Health in fall 2019.
Florissant Valley Community College
Degree: Associate arts in Applied Science
Next Step: Harris-Stowe State University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in social work
Parents: Jeanette Rankins, Paul and Frances Perry (grandparents)
Krysten Nichole Lane
Congratulations to the Class of 2018 Graduates!
Nichol Sistrunk
Kentucky State University
Degree: B.A. in Mass Communications and Journalism (Cum Laude)
Next step: Attending graduate school at Arkansas State University, seeking M.S. in Digital Media Management
Kalifa K. Stringfield
Mississippi State University
Degree: Biomedical Engineering
Next step: Attending Texas A&M University to pursue a master’s degree in Biotechnology
Parents: Morris and Vivian (Anderson) Stringfield
Edward Thirdkill II
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Degree: B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, BA in Economics
Next step: Entering the workforce, possibly pursuing a master’s degree
Parents: Edward and BarbaraThirdkill
Tyler White
Southeast Missouri State University
Degree: B.A. Fashion Merchandising
Parents: Alecia and Robert White Jr.
Aliya A. Williams
Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn.
Degree: Bachelors of Science in Business Administration (Summa Cum Laude, department honors)
Next step: Secure a position in event planning or management trainee program, eventually returning to graduate school to earn an MBA
Parents: Clifford and Sharifah Williams
High School Grads
Zari Anderson
Metro Academic and Classical High School, with honors
Next step: Zari will be attending Jackson State University in Jackson, MS where she will study Public Health on a Pre-Med track.
Hazelwood
Next step: Fontbonne University to major in Accounting
Parent: Kimberly Brooks
Desiree Brooks
West High School
Congratulations to the Class of 2018 Graduates!
Censere M. Brown
Maplewood Richmond Heights High School
Next step: Webster University
Parents: Corlene and Ezra
Preston Avery Buchanan
MICDS High
School
Parents: Russell Jr. and Ornetta Buchanan
Alexia R. Dukes
McCluer Senior High School
Next step: Attend Harris-Stowe State University in the fall to study Psychology
Parents: Allen and Deborah Dukes
Genesis Dancer
Fort Zumwalt North High School
Parent: Wendy Dancer
Jacob Dorsey
Central Visual Performing Arts High School
Next step: Point Park University to major in Dance
Parent: Pamela Dorsey
Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory High School
Next step: Attending MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas to major in Sports Medicine and minor in Business
Parents: Kenyatta and Willie Griffin
Bria O. Hathorn
North County Christian School
Next step: Studying nursing at the University of Missouri-St. Louis
Westminster Christian Academy
Next step: Butler University
Parents: Marion Hayes and Rhona Hayes
Imante’ Griffin
Kayla Hayes
Congratulations to the Class of 2018 Graduates!
Kamryn Jordain Haynes
Webster Groves High School
Next Step: Washington University in St. Louis to major in Neuropsychology
Parents: Robin R. Britt and James A. Haynes
Chandler W. Herron
Alton Senior High School
Next step: Attending Lewis and Clark College to pursue a nursing degree
Parent: Staci Westfall Herron
Trinity L. Major
Central Visual Performing Arts High School
Next step: Southeast Missouri State University to major in Athletics Training and minor in Dance
Parents: Leotis and Valencia Major
Cardinal Ritter College Prep
Next step: University of Missouri St. Louis to major in Pre-Med Exercise Science, minor in Criminology
Parents: Shannon and Tonya
Grand Center Arts Academy
Next Step: Washington University in St. Louis to major in Mathematics
Parents: Walter and Angel Holman
Maplewood Richmond Heights High School
Next Step: In the fall, she will attend St. Louis Community College Forest Park.
Jasmine Mosby
Confluence Preparatory Academy
Next Step: Plans to study to become a Veterinarian
Parents: Daniel Mosby, Eva Beal
Trinity Rene’ Baker-Simmons
Webster Groves High School
Next Step: Will be attending Iowa Wesleyan University, where she’ll be majoring in Biology with a focus in Chemistry and continuing in orchestra playing the cello.
Parents; Donna Baker and Kenneth Johnson.
Ariana Danielle Houston
Ella Holman
Riana McDonald
Congratulations to the Class of 2018 Graduates!
Damerial E. Whitaker
Gateway STEM High School
Next step: Obtain a degree in computer engineering
Layla A. Williams
Hazelwood Central High School
Next Step: Attend UMSL or SIUE to study Psychology
Parents: Clifford and Sharifah Williams
Junior High School
Belle Valley School
Next steps: Belleville Township High School East
Parents: Marion Jr. and Cheri Houston
Che’Marion Houston
