St. LouiS AmericAn
Juneteenth toasted throughout St. Louis
James Tucker addresses attendees Saturday morning at the inaugural Caribbean Heritage Juneteenth celebration in Forest Park as his wife, Beverly PeguesTucker, looks on. Tucker is president of Africans Rising Together 2063 and emphasized the work that the late Rev. Dr. Ronald Myers put in during his lifetime to make Juneteenth a national day of observance.
Federal holiday ‘can unite all Americans’
By Dana Rieck
The St. Louis American
n “Most importantly, though, if Biden is sincere, this holiday can unite all Americans — people will interact and learn.”
James Tucker made sure attendees of the inaugural Juneteenth Caribbean Heritage Walkathon last Saturday knew of the work and leadership that the late Rev. Dr. Ronald Myers put in during his lifetime to make Juneteenth a national day of observance. Juneteenth, which commemorates the day that over 10,000 African American slaves heard news of their freedom, was made a federal holiday after the House voted overwhelmingly in favor of the move on Wednesday June 16 and President Joe Biden signed the bill into law Thursday afternoon.
– James Tucker, president of Africans Rising Together 2063
“Today it’s important that we tell the story about Dr. Ronald Myers,” he told the attendees. “… [He] laid the foundation for Juneteenth, he actually created a plan for Juneteenth to become a national holiday. And before he got sick, 47 states recognized Juneteenth as a national holiday.” Tucker said the three states that did not recognize the day are Hawaii, South Dakota and North Dakota. But Tucker, who is the president of Africans Rising Together 2063, also noted that, in his opinion, President Joe
See JUNETEENTH, A7
Missouri judge deals blow to Medicaid expansion proponents
n “This decision means that an estimated 275,000 Missourians who qualify under expansion will still have to wait to get the care they need.”
By Dana Rieck The St. Louis American
– Dr. Dwayne Proctor
budget to pay for the expansion costs.
The trial began Monday in an effort to issue a ruling before July 1, in anticipation that the ruling will be appealed by one of the parties. Beetem declined to order the state to implement Missouri Medicaid expansion, going against the voter’s will.
“The state constitution provides that state revenues may not be expended without an appropriation,” Beetem opined. “Accordingly, this Court declines to order the implementation of Medicaid Expansion as requested in Count 1.”
“Notwithstanding a majority vote of the
SLU, STL region saddened by Jonathan Smith’s death
Absence leaves ‘a gaping hole’
By Marissanne Lewis-Thompson St. Louis Public Radio
Jonathan Smith was a “girl dad” and proud of it. He took his three daughters to school every day. He volunteered at their schools, was their debate coach, and made sure their hair was together.
“It wasn’t a thrown-together dad ponytail, like ‘Oh, your dad did your hair today,’” said Lauren Smith, his eldest daughter. “He did our hair for real, for real. He did the edges, the twists, the braids.” Smith died on Juneteenth at the age of 61 following a stroke 11 days earlier. He had served as vice president for diversity and community engagement at St. Louis University since 2017. Smith earned his bachelor’s degree at Princeton University and went on to get his master’s and Ph.D. at Washington University in St. Louis. He got his start at St. Louis University in 2002 as an assistant professor of American Studies. He would go on to teach African American Studies and later become the university’s first chief diversity officer. In 2014, the killings of Michael Brown Jr. and VonDerrit Meyers led to student protests on campus. He stood in solidarity with the student activists and protesters. Smith served as a bridge of communication, which eventually led to the Clock Tower Accords — a list of 13 commitments the university made to diversity, equity and
By Dana Rieck
Photo by Wiley Price / The St. Louis American
Visual Movement, from East St. Louis, Illinois, led a march to the riverfront from the Old Court House during the Second Annual Juneteenth Commemoration on Saturday, June 19.
Photo by Wiley Price / The St. Louis American
DaBaby, Megan Thee Stallion quarrel over Tory Lanez retweet DaBaby is stirring the pot, just days after the release of his new collaboration with Tory Lanez on the song “Skat.” He retweeted a fan’s joke about Lanez shooting Megan Thee Stallion last summer.
“I guess @DaBabyDaBaby and @torylanez cool now bc the[y] shot somebody and don’t have to do no jail time,” the fan’s tweet reads. Shortly after, DaBaby assured the tweet was a mistake. He tweeted, “Idk what type of Illuminati shit Twitter got goin on. I ain’t retweet nothing but ‘Ball If I Want To’ promo.”
Then Megan came to grips addressing the situation, but didn’t directly mention DaBaby.
“Support me in private and publicly do something different … these industry men are very strange,” she wrote. “This situation ain’t no damn ‘beef’ and I really wish people would stop down playing it like it’s some internet (stuff) for likes and retweets.”
Instead of apologizing, he told Megan to stop letting other people get the best of her and he added that she should stand on what she feels without thinking he’s against her.
She replied, “My stance hasn’t changed at all
YOURS has. We already spoke abt this in private and you specifically said ‘that ain’t even no good business move why would I promote that shit’ but now this ain’t your ‘beef’?”
Jazmine Sullivan accuses Macy’s of racism after Juneteenth shopping experience
Jazmine Sullivan shared to her Instagram story an unpleasant shopping experience at a Macy’s department store in Willowgrove, Pennsylvania. On Juneteenth, the Grammy-nominated singer allegedly was the victim of a racist encounter that involved her boyfriend’s mother being mistreated. The following is an account of the situation.
“Wow to look racism in the eye, and especially on Juneteenth was a wake up call that no matter the day..a racist gone racist,” Sullivan said. “Mary King at willowgrove @Macy’s look of disgust while ringing up my boyfriend’s mother will forever be etched in my mind.”
“An honest mistake (the store’s mistakes btw) should’ve been met w under standing and kindness. But if ur prejudice and prejudge people as soon as they walk up to the register then that’s obvi ously too much to ask. New flash Mary..black people got money, good jobs and ain’t
tryna get over on ur boy cut frumpy looking racist ass. Thank God for the Black employee who tried to rectify the situation (that u didn’t listen too. I wonder why u didn’t take her advice Mary?) This coulda went a whole different way. U need to be grateful we know Jesus [expletive] [praying hands emoji]”
Nipsey Hussle to get star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Late rapper Nipsey Hussle is among the entertainers who will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame later this year. Hussle, born Ermias Asgheodm, is one of 38 honorees to be inducted into this year’s Walk of Fame. Hussle is part of the recording category and joins George Clinton, Ashanti, The Black Eyed Peas, DJ Martha Reeves as honorees.
He and late actress Carrie Fisher will receive their Walk of Fame honor posthumously. , chair of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Walk of Fame selection committee, said in a statement, “The panel did an amazing job choosing these very talented people.”
“We can’t wait to see each honoree’s reaction as they realize that they are becoming a part of Hollywood’s history with the unveiling of their star on the world’s most famous walkway.”
Tracee Ellis Ross, Kenan Thompson, Tessa Thompson, Holly Robinson Peete, Byron Allen, Regina King, Michael
Strahan, and Michael B. Jordan, are other notable names who will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Woman claims Carmelo Anthony newborn twins’ father Since news broke about La La Anthony filing for a divorce from Carmelo Anthony, more information has surfaced. An unknown 38-year-old woman tells Hollywood Unlocked that Carmelo is the father of her newborn twins. She allegedly met him in New York last year. She turned his advances down when they first met, but they remained in contact. He obliged and eventually they hooked up.
She assures HU that she knew Carmelo was married but admits his actions were like he was single.
She claims they FaceTimed each other while he was still in the same residence as La La. According to a report, the woman found out she was pregnant last September. The woman and Carmelo had agreed that she would get an abortion. But it was revealed her case was much more severe and needed a medical abortion. Since she needed someone to take her to an appointment, she alleged Carmelo agreed to, but he never showed up. As a result, the procedure never happened. Both twins were born prematurely in April and are currently still hospitalized in England.
Sources: Vibe.com, Vulture.com, TheJasmineBrand.com, TheShadeRoom.com
Jazmine Sullivan
Councilwoman Webb opposes Jamestown Mall plans
and Sears as its anchor stores.
By Dana Rieck
The St. Louis American
Councilwoman Shalonda
Webb this week publicly opposed the development plans for the shuttered Jamestown Mall — effectively halting the project in its tracks.
Webb released a statement noting that the St. Louis County Port Authority in mid-May announced they had entered a contract with NorthPoint Development to redevelop the site.
“Since that time, I have listened to this community and its overwhelming sentiment is that they are not in favor of this project,” Webb
wrote. “Therefore, I will not support the current proposal. This is in no way a reflection of NorthPoint or its efforts to make the project a reality. NorthPoint has been honest and transparent.”
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the development firm was going to complete a $75.8 million commercial and industrial development on the mall’s 145 acres. Port Authority
Chairman John Maupin told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that NorthPoint’s proposal was now “dead in the water.”
The St. Louis American reached out to the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership for comment but
n “Jamestown Mall will be redeveloped, and it will be something this community can be proud of.”
— Councilwoman Shalonda Webb Says she ‘listened to this community’
did not immediately receive a response.
Webb said she would have supported NorthPoint’s efforts had her community also backed the development plan.
The Councilwoman represents District 4, which encompasses Florissant up north to Pelican Island and east to
Columbia Bottom Conservation Area.
North County’s Jamestown Mall was an enclosed shopping mall located at Lindbergh Boulevard and Old Jamestown Road. The million-plus square feet of property was opened in 1973 and formerly included Dillard’s, JCPenney, Macy’s
St. Louisan honored as Carnegie hero
St. Louis American staff
Antonio Morgan is among 18 Americans who will receive a Carnegie Medal for heroism. The Carnegie Medal is given throughout the U.S. and Canada to those who enter extreme
danger while saving or attempting to save the lives of others.
On June 28, 2020, Morgan, 34, risked his life to save an injured motorist. A highway accident left 23-year-old Keilen Robinson, unresponsive inside his vehicle
It’s not too late to receive the COVID-19 Vaccine in your neighborhood
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Saturday, June 26, 2021
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Walk-ins are welcomed or schedule your appointment at stlcounty covidvaccine.as.me
Centene Ferguson Service Center 2900 Pershall Road, St. Louis, MO 63136
Offering Pfizer (2 doses), Johnson & Johnson (1 dose)
Everyone 12 years and older are eligible for the vaccine.
Do
Special guest appearances include:
St. Louis native and contestant on NBC’s The Voice Season 15, Kennedy Holmes.
Former St. Louis Rams player and Pro-Football Hall of Fame Gold Jacket, Aeneas Williams. There will be special door prizes and drawings.
and
with the driver’s side against the highway’s center median in St. Louis County. Morgan was attempting to extract Robinson from the car when fire broke out under the hood and flames seared the car’s windshield. Morgan then
The mall began declining in 2000 and was finally shuttered in 2014.
“Now that all parties understand the pulse of this community, I look forward to working collaboratively with the St. Louis County Port Authority and the St. Louis County Economic Development Partnership,” Webb wrote.
“When making a decision concerning the residents of this district, I will always take their concerns into account. I will also ensure that others do so as well. Jamestown Mall will be redeveloped, and it will be something this community can be proud of.”
Webb was not available for additional comment.
A month after St. Louis County took responsibility for the property in October 2017, the St. Louis County Port Authority, St. Louis Economic
entered the vehicle through the front, passenger door, and kneeling on that seat, attempted to pull Robinson toward him. Smoke filled the car’s interior and, as flames intensified, a bystander pleaded with Morgan to abandon his rescue attempt.
After retreating for air, Morgan entered the vehicle again, released Robinson’s seat belt, and tugged. A burst of flames forced Morgan out of the car, but Robinson’s upper body fell outside the passenger door and Morgan was able to drag him to safety.
Development Partnership and St. Louis County held an open house at the Detrick Building at Christian Hospital to hear how residents hoped the property would be developed. Many residents said they were looking for some type of mixed-use development – higher-end retail, senior housing, a decent hotel, entertainment and recreational activities. Some wanted manufacturing to bring in jobs to take the strain off the existing tax base. Others just wanted to see something, almost anything other than letting the site continue to deteriorate.
St. Louis Public Radio’s Maria Altman reported in 2017 that developers had anticipated construction of another 8,000 homes nearby, but they were never built because geologists found sinkholes north of the property.
Antonio Morgan
Editorial
Opinion: Missouri inhibits ability of local prosecutors to correct wrongful convictions
The Washington Post Editorial Board
Lamar Johnson has been imprisoned for nearly 26 years for a murder in Missouri he did not commit. The office that prosecuted him reinvestigated the case two years ago, and concluded that he indeed was wrongly convicted — the result of prosecutorial misconduct and police fabrications. It moved to get him a new trial. But Mr. Johnson, now 47, remains behind bars, and may remain there for years.
The story of Kevin Strickland, 62, is tragically similar. He has been in prison in Missouri for 43 years for a triple murder that prosecutors now say he didn’t commit, and for which they think he should be exonerated. A key witness recanted her testimony against Mr. Strickland, who was then 18, and two men who pleaded guilty in the murders named someone else as their accomplice.
Missouri law inhibits the ability of local prosecutors to correct wrongful convictions, while giving an outsize role to the state’s attorney general’s office — and that office for decades has fought nearly every wrongful conviction case, no matter how compelling the evidence. Injustice Watch, a news nonprofit, has detailed the longtime pattern of both Democratic and Republican attorneys general of stymieing exonerations. The office operates as though its job is to keep convictions intact, “even if you might have convicted an innocent person,” former Missouri Supreme Court chief justice Michael Wolff told the group. That is the case with Mr. Johnson and Mr. Strickland. For years both men professed their innocence, but only after the Midwest Innocence Project took up their causes were they able to get any kind of traction with prosecutors. Newly established Conviction Integrity Units in the two jurisdictions, St. Louis and Jackson County, launched their own investigations.
In Mr. Johnson’s case, investigators found a wealth of evidence that cast serious doubt on his guilt: undisclosed payments to a key eyewitness who has since recanted his identification of Mr. Johnson; credible confessions from two other men who said they committed the murder; and undisclosed information about the criminal history of a jailhouse informant.
The findings of the Jackson County prosecutor, submitted for independent review to federal prosecutors, concluded that “Reliable, corroborated evidence now proves that Mr. Strickland is factually innocent of the charges for which he was convicted in 1979. In the interests of justice, Mr. Strickland’s conviction should be set aside, he should be promptly released, and he deserves public exoneration.”
Yet the Missouri Supreme Court ruled against a motion by St. Louis prosecutors — opposed by the state’s attorney general as part of its apparent blanket policy to deny relief — to grant a new trial to Mr. Johnson, and it declined to hear an appeal to release Mr. Strickland. The decisions turned on technical issues and not the innocence or guilt of these men. New habeas petitions have been filed, and legislation that aims to give local prosecutors the means to correct wrongful convictions was passed by the state legislature and, if signed into law, would go into effect on Aug. 28.
Mr. Johnson and Mr. Strickland should not have to wait one more day for their freedom. “If truth matters, if justice is what really is important, why can’t we just get to that?” Mr. Johnson asked in a recent “PBS NewsHour” report that spotlighted his case. Gov. Mike Parson (R) should end the injustice and pardon these two innocent men.
This Washington Post editorial was published June 20.
Socrates, CRT and barbershop philosophy
The Barbershop: What’s up Socrates, how you doing?
I knew you were due for a cut and was hoping you’d come through today ‘cause we been talking about some things all day and some of these Brothas asked, “When is Socrates coming thru,?” ‘cause they wanted to hear from you on a couple of things.
Socrates: I’m still a day ahead of the posse on a good horse, so it’s all good! What y’all got going today?
Barbershop: There are two things we been kicking around, Critical Race Theory (CRT), 1619 and why crazy white folks so riled up about it.
Socrates: See that’s why I love coming here, because you can never predict what the conversation is gonna be about.
I thought I was gonna get a haircut and argue about the NBA playoffs and y’all down hear trying to make sense outta white America. Where you wanna start?
Barbershop: Let’s start with CRT, ‘cause I think that’s at the heart of a lot of this but we’re not sure what it is.
Socrates: That’s a good place to start and don’t sweat not being sure what it is because crazy white Republicans talking all that smack ain’t got a clue either. In fact, they wouldn’t recognize CRT if it walked up and slapped them.
But I’ll give the short stroke on CRT, and even roll 1619 up in it, so it makes walking around sense, and not get y’all all tangled up with some academic BS.
Barbershop: Come on with it!
Socrates: Some of y’all have probably heard this before, “Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” All that means is how you understand history is a function of who is writing or telling it. The lion and the hunter would both agree about the fact that there
was a hunt, but they got completely different versions about who the hunt benefitted or glorified. CRT and the 1619 Project is just us understanding and telling the history of America from our prospective. We are just the lions taking exception to the hunter’s version of history. See white America believes this myth (or lie really, you decide), about who it is and how it came to be, and they want everybody to co-sign the story. The way white Americans tell it, the country was founded on freedom and economic opportunity, which may even be true if you’re white and European. In their story, genocide of the Indigenous People and our enslavement was just an accident or unfortunate by product. But when they look at the overall result, as it turned out for them, slavery and genocide were just a necessary price for this white greatness they call America.
It’s this last point where CRT catches these crazy white fascist Republicans tripping. CRT explains why the history of race in America is relevant today. Rather than look at the behavior of individual white people, it looks at the structure of American society, the legal system, government policy, education system, healthcare and the whole social system of American society. You see the United States is really built on the assumption that the natural order of things is white male supremacy. So, from the very beginning, starting with the Constitution, every law, every social institution is designed to support and maintain white male privilege, and those
As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues
Three needed steps to preserve democracy
The far-right attack on voting rights is fierce. And the unwillingness of some Senate Democrats to challenge rules that allow a Republican minority to block voting rights bills is making some question whether we can turn back the tide of voter suppression. As the Black Voters Matter Freedom Ride Bus Tour makes its way through Southern cities including Nashville, Atlanta, Columbia, Raleigh, and Richmond with the final stop in Washington, DC, we must redouble our efforts on three fronts on what we know will be a long road ahead to defend democracy from the cynics and the skeptics.
Yes, a long road. Democracy in the U.S. has always been a work in progress. It is always under attack. It must always be defended and strengthened.
When the Constitution was written and ratified, “We, the people” did not apply to most of the people. After a bloody civil war, the Constitution was amended so dramatically that historian Eric Foner has called it “the second founding.” But without the political will to enforce those amendments, Reconstruction gave way to the brutality of Jim Crow, voter suppression, and legally enforced segregation. It took decades of struggle to defeat Jim Crow through Supreme Court rulings and passage of civil rights and voting rights laws.
Like the post-Civil War amendments, the victories of the civil rights movement changed history. But they did not change human nature. They did not bring an end to the struggle for justice and equality. Racism and discrimination took new forms and were institutionalized in new ways.
The flood of voter suppression laws being passed this year builds on an earlier wave of voter suppression that came
systems are still operating. It’s how this place works.
As W.E.B. DuBois pointed out way back in the day, “A system cannot fail those who it was never meant to protect.”
Barbershop: So CRT, and even the 1619 Project then, are a paradigm change you’re always telling us about?
Socrates: You got it! When how you understand reality changes, then the physical reality actually changes because you begin operating based on your new understanding which as the effect of actually changing reality. It’s a case where the perception of the new reality becomes the new reality.
Barbershop: It’s like rich white folks been running a con on us, and CRT has peeped their hole card and pulls the cover off, calling them out, threatening their money and power. I get it!
Socrates: Facts!
Barbershop: But what I don’t get, is why is ordinary white folks, who really ain’t got nothing coming either, support this kinda stupid?
Socrates: DuBois got something to say about that too! But it’s Lyndon Johnson who really breaks it down, “If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t know you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him someone to look down on and he’ll empty his pockets for you.”
Which is why average white people are the real target of all this Republican madness, because if they ever get a true understanding of America, they’ll realize how rich white people been pimping them out, the last 250 years.
Barbershop: Damn, all that’s pretty messed up and looks kinda hopeless. One thing for sure, it’s probably gonna get a lot worse before it gets better, if it ever gets better.
Socrates: If we’re done with crazy white folks, who y’all like in the playoffs?
after the Supreme Court’s conservatives did away with key provisions of the Voting Rights Act. And all those laws are part of an even broader attack on genuine democracy that includes extreme racial and partisan redistricting and laws and court rulings that have allowed a flood of big money to overwhelm our election system.
This corruption of our democracy harms us in concrete ways. It keeps power in the hands of those who resist efforts to address the systemic inequities in our society and economy.
I understand why some people look at this corruption and the power devoted to upholding it and think there is just no way to defeat it. But our country’s history, and specifically the history of Black people in America, is a history of struggle against impossible odds, a history of overcoming resistance and backlash. We have proven that we can win when we fight strategically and make progress whenever we have the opportunity. Right now, with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in the White House, and Democrats holding majority power in the House and Senate, we have an opportunity we cannot afford to waste.
There are three urgently important steps Congress must take this year to defend voting rights and strengthen democracy. The late Rep. John Lewis, for decades the conscience of the Congress, had his heart and hands in all three of them.
The first is to pass the For
Letters to the editor
Making Juneteenth a national holiday is a big leap
People who rail against a national celebration of Juneteenth fail to understand the historical gravity of American slavery. There was no CNN or MSNBC in 1831 to report on Nat Turner’s rebellion against slave owners who cared nothing about the physical or mental repercussions of their chattel. Nor were the slavers caring about the future generations of African Americans who suffered social, psychological and economic injury. They didn’t care about the whites who would go on to disown the history of a terrible chapter. Of course, it’s no secret that all of us today could be better. Better citizens. Better poli-
the People Act. It would overturn new state voter suppression laws and eliminate the worst abuses of redistricting and big money in our elections. Lewis authored its voting rights provisions. It is urgently important to pass the For the People Act now to prevent massive voter suppression in the 2022 and 2024 elections.
The second is to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would protect against future voting rights abuses by restoring its enforcement mechanisms.
The third is to grant statehood to the District of Columbia and give its 700,000 residents full voting rights and voting representation in Congress. The District of Columbia has a higher percentage of Black residents than any other state, which makes their disenfranchisement a fundamental civil rights violation and a betrayal of basic democratic principles. John Lewis was a champion of D.C. statehood. He saw the disenfranchisement of D.C. citizens as a moral wrong. The For the People Act, John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and D.C. statehood are a pro-democracy trinity. To keep faith with the voters who put them in power, especially Black voters, President Biden and congressional Democrats must seize the moment to turn back attacks on voting and democracy. And to honor the voting rights legacy of John Lewis, we must all continue to make our voices heard and make “good trouble” on behalf of voting rights and democracy.
Ben Jealous is president of People For the American Way in Washington, D.C. and is the former national president & CEO of the NAACP.
and
ticians. Better neighbors. In St. Louis we took a major step in that direction recently by electing our first female African-American mayor, the honorable Tishaura O. Jones. But by federally recognizing the last of our Black ancestry being set free from the peculiar institution of American slavery and giving “Juneteenth” a rightful place in history with a national holiday, it’s akin to the immortal words of astronaut Neil Armstrong when he became the first man to set foot on the moon: ...it’s one giant leap for mankind.
Kevin Boone St. Louis
Columnist Mike Jones Commentary
Columnist Ben Jealous
A new American Who is actually ‘free’ in America
Khady Diane, an accounting major at St. Louis Community College, moved to the U.S. seven years ago from Côte d’Ivoire, also known as the Ivory Coast. Diane took the oath to become an American citizen in the visitor’s center of the Gateway Arch on Monday, June 14.
O’Fallon, Ill. church grants more than $300K in scholarships
The St. Louis American staff
With college costs rising and students facing future debt through loans, more churches throughout the nation have begun offering scholarships.
The New Life in Christ Interdenominational Church (NLIC) in O’Fallon, Illinois, recently awarded $19,000 in scholarships to nine Metro East high school graduates and one college seminary student.
Bishop Geoffrey V. Dudley, Sr., New Life’s senior pastor, said educational challenges and uncertainties faced by graduates and students during the pandemic, “has also prepared them to overcome life’s challenges they may face in the future.”
“You’ve been shaped by this moment and shaped by the pandemic,” said Dudley during the church’s Celebration of Education ceremony, which recognizes New Life in Christ members who are graduating from high school, college and graduate school.
Dudley said a core value of his church is “continued commitment to promote educational success.” Since it was established in 2003, the church has provided $305,000 in financial
assistance.
The 2021 New Life in Christ Scholarship recipients are:
• Mariah May, Belleville Township High School East, Bishop Geoffrey V. Dudley, Sr. Pastoral Scholarship of Excellence, $4,500
• Kelly Miller II, O’Fallon Township High School, John H. McCants Hope Scholarship, $3,500
• Kennedi Machlin, Belleville Township High School West, Bishop Leamon & Ida Dorothy Dudley Memorial Scholarship, $2,500
• Kayla Conklin, O’Fallon Township High School, Minister Sheila Renee Swygert Memorial Scholarship, $2,500
• Seth Hunter, Belleville Township High School East, NLICIC Life Changer Scholarship, $2,000
• Olivia Mitchell, Belleville Township High School East, NLICIC Life Changer Scholarship, $2,000
• Kaylee Jackson, O’Fallon Township High School, Chyriell Drain Hill Memorial Scholarship, $1,000
• Jalil Roundtree, Edwardsville High School, Allen Dorsey Jr. Memorial Scholarship, $1,000
• Naomi Williams, Grand Canyon
University Theological Seminary, Rev. John B. Nurse Memorial Scholarship, $1,000
• Stevee Eskridge, East St. Louis Sr. High School, Anne M. Robinson Nurse Memorial Scholarship, $1,000
By Ashton Lattimore Prism
For two and a half years, enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, were both free and not free. According to the soaring words of the Emancipation Proclamation, as of January 1, 1863, they were “thenceforward, and forever free” with the full endorsement of the U.S. government.
But until official word arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865, along with Union soldiers, the lofty rhetoric handed down from on high proved no match for the local, lived experience of enslaved people. Instead, with no one yet enforcing the executive order, enslavers in Galveston maintained their grip on power and enslaved people toiled, lived, fought, hoped, despaired, and died because that years-long gap between freedom in name and freedom in reality was allowed to exist.
In many ways, what enslaved Black people in Galveston were left to endure despite the stated policy change is emblematic of Black life in America—the yawning chasm between the highest ideals of what is officially professed in law or political promises, and our earthbound day-to-day with all its injustices.
While Juneteenth celebrates the closing of the gap between the Emancipation Proclamation and when all enslaved Black people in America were actually freed, entire generations of Black people have lived and died in similar gulfs across different eras. There was the nadir of race relations after Reconstruction to the early 20th century when nominally, federally “free” Black people were left at the mercy of segregationist state governments, lynching and worse.
Overlapping that was the lag between the 15th and 19th Amendments’ extension of voting rights to Black people on paper and the Voting Rights Act making it possible to exercise those rights. Critically, these gaps have never been passive social and political periods—there has always been a current of active resistance, movement, and awareness-building about what injustices exist, why they continue, and how to confront them head on.
By calling our attention to one of the most dramatic and concentrated “gap” moments in Black history, Juneteenth invites us not only to celebrate our liberation, but also to ask ourselves: What gaps might we be living in right now? Which communities and people are loudly proclaimed to be free and equal, or safe, or given a fair chance in life, but are still fighting material conditions, biased systems, or bigoted beliefs others claim have been defeated? There are countless examples, from the widespread legalization of marijuana even as 40,000 people languish in prisons for weed offenses, to the lauding of kinder, gentler immigration policy while the Biden administration has continued to detain and deport Black migrants. And of course, we’re once again in a moment when the Constitution asserts everyone has voting rights even as multiplying barriers make it impossible for many BIPOC to actually do so.
The work to close those gaps is already well underway: Activists are fighting for legislation to expunge the criminal records and allow for resentencing of people convicted of marijuana offenses; Black immigrants’ rights advocates are speaking out against continued family separation and deportation; and Black women—as always—are leading the seemingly never ending struggle against voter suppression. There’s always more work yet to do, with more contradictions yet to be resolved.
And it remains to be seen how long we’ll continue to shoulder those burdens while modern-day government officials and Union soldiers make their maddeningly slow march to deliver and enforce the good word they’re responsible for upholding. That means policy that materially improves Black lives and is equitably, enforced by the government, not just more words—which is essentially what the passage and presidential signing of a bill declaring Juneteenth a federal holiday amount to. Symbolism won’t free any of us.
Instead, as Juneteenth and its significance become more widely acknowledged, let it serve as a reminder to take stock of where we are now, and what fights remain to close the gap between the nation’s highest stated ideals and actual “freedom for all.”
Ashton Lattimore is the editor-in-chief at Prism, a non-profit news outlet covering people, places and issues underreported by national media.
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Ashton Lattimore
Bishop
Geoffrey V. Dudley, Sr
County in this effort to protect our region and stop this law.”
Page and Jones pointed out that Missouri has some of the weakest gun regulations in the country and one of the highest rates of gun violence deaths per capita. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that in 2019 there were 1,252 people who died from gunshot wounds in the state, making for a mortality rate of 20.6 deaths per 100,000 people.
“This new law is like the state holding out a sign that says ‘Come Commit Gun Violence Here,’” Page wrote in the media release.
that restrict gun ownership as invalid within the state. It also states that any entity or person who knowingly acts under any federal or state law to deprive a Missouri resident of their right to bear arms will be held legally liable.
This bill has created concern among the state’s police.
n “This harmful and unconstitutional law takes away tools our communities need to prevent gun violence.”
— St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones
“We can’t expect people to stay in St. Louis or to move their businesses here if we don’t do everything we can to reduce gun violence in the region, but this new law sends the opposite message to our residents and business community.”
They argued that House Bill 85 has already disrupted law enforcement at the federal, state, and local levels.
The bill establishes the “Second Amendment Preservation Act,” which creates additional protections to the right to bear arms, essentially declaring federal laws
Smith
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inclusion.
SLU President Fred Pestello said Smith’s death leaves a gaping hole at the university and the community.
“He dealt with some of the most sensitive, complex, difficult and emotional issues that individuals and society are now facing,” Pestello said, “and he did so in a warm and generous way.”
Smith was known as “Black
Most notable, a week after Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed the bill into law June 12 the O’Fallon, Missouri, police chief, Philip Dupuis, announced his resignation because he said the bill is poorly worded and he worries that it “removes sovereign immunity and appears to allow law enforcement agencies and individual police officers to be sued for even good-faith, justified seizures of firearms in emergency circumstances.”
The lawsuit quoted Parson at the signing of the bill ceremony as saying this bill stops people like Vice President Kamala Harris from taking Missourians’ guns, “The purpose of the bill is to stand up to the federal government,” Parson said.
In addition, the United States Department of Justice declared the new law unconstitutionally interferes with federal law enforcement and threatens the ability of local police departments to access federal grants.
Google” to his daughters. He could see something and point out the cultural reference on the spot. He could talk to anyone about anything from physics and poetry to romance languages and TV shows. His daughter said he was a humble genius.
“Whenever he was sharing information or teaching, it was never coming from a place of like, ‘I know more than you, and definitely I’m going to flex on you,’” Lauren Smith said. “It was about, ‘Hey, how can we share information so that we can both come to a clearer
The State of Missouri also withdrew its prosecutors from assisting in federal drug, carjacking and gun cases in St. Louis.
“[House Bill 85] is a radical, dangerous and obviously unconstitutional attempt to declare that Missouri will refuse to follow federal gun laws,” Missouri House
understanding about this concept?’”
Pestello echoed those sentiments, calling Smith a people person, generous and big-hearted.
“Jonathan never said no,” Pestello said. “Whether it was asking him to get involved in something on campus or in the community, or a single individual in need or somebody who wanted mentoring or advice, Jonathan was there.”
His roots Smith was also committed to racial justice work and deepening people’s
Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, said June 11, according to the lawsuit.
“When people are looking for real solutions on crime, policing and public safety, Gov. Parson and the Republican legislature have instead chosen to preserve Missouri’s growing reputation for extremist and dangerous laws.”
understanding surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion. Much of that stems from his parents. Both were part of the Montgomery bus boycott. His mother refused to ride the bus. His dad used his car to drive Black people to where they needed to go and was later arrested with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Lauren Smith said her dad’s work was influenced by his parents and his grandparents, who were sharecroppers in Alabama.
“I think about my dad’s poetry and what he writes
The St. Louis Symphony “On the Go” community concert celebrated Juneteenth on Saturday, June 19. It featured ensembles of the symphony’s brass quintet and string quartet performing pieces of remembrance and celebration. Members of the SLSO’s IN UNISON Chorus also performed on the program.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction and for the law to be overturned on constitutional grounds. Attorneys will argue that the bill violates the U.S. Constitution Supremacy Clause, which provides that federal law preempts state law.
State Rep. Jered Taylor, a Republican representing the area just south of Springfield,
about,” she said. “It would be all about exploring Blackness and where we came from and where we are and where we’re going, and I think that was deeply driven by his pride and commitment to continuing the legacy that his parents and his parents’ parents set out.”
Aside from his role in academia, Smith was a poet. A collection of his poetry is being showcased now at the St. Louis Black Rep through the end of June. Smith also served as the president of the Black Rep’s board of directors.
During his time at SLU he co-directed the Slavery, History, Memory and Reconcilation Project — a joint initiative of the university and the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States to examine the role the university played in enslaving African Americans.
is the bill’s primary sponsor. The legislation had almost 80 co-sponsors.
The House passed the bill May 14 — with 103 representatives voting in favor (all Republicans), 43 in opposition (all Democrats) and 16 absent votes (11 Republicans and five Democrats).
Danielle Harrison was a co-director of the project that helped connect the descendants of the enslaved to their roots.
“He was clearly committed to empowering the descendants — the living descendants of those who had been enslaved,” Harrison said, “and just let those voices lead us in how we responded in all of the work that we did and reminded us constantly that at the end of the day it’s the descendants that tell us which way we need to go and how we need to move.”
Lauren Smith said that’s just who her dad was. She said he was also a father figure to many, including her friends from high school who would stop by her house to talk to him instead of her.
Smith leaves behind his wife, Rochelle, and three daughters: Lauren, Rachel and Mariah.
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Biden’s decision to declare Juneteenth a federal holiday is a step backward for the Black community.
“My position is that it’s a step backward for African Americans because the only people who will benefit from this legislation will be the descendants of slave owners,” he told The St. Louis American, noting that the revenue this holiday generates from things like hotel rooms and travel will go to white-owned companies that do not invest back into communities.
Even so, Tucker has been involved in the effort to nationalize Juneteenth for 30 years and moved to the area a few years ago. In his observations, the struggle to get Juneteenth nationally recognized was a gradual progression of broader awareness.
“Most importantly, though, if Biden is sincere, this holiday can unite all Americans — people will interact and learn,” he said.
Which was exactly the goal of the first Juneteenth Caribbean Heritage Walkathon, put on by Africans Rising Together 2063. It included a family-friendly one-mile and
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Continued from A1 people, an initiative which does not comply with the limits of constitution cannot stand,” the judge added. Missouri residents passed Amendment 2, a statewide vote to expand Medicaid health coverage, with 53.25 percent of voters in the August 4 primary casting their ballot in favor of the amendment. By lowering requirement thresholds for Medicaid beginning July 1, an additional 275,000 Missourians who struggle to make ends
three-mile walkathon path that featured biographical information about influential Black figures and information about the history and significance of Juneteenth.
Anita Santiago is a doctoral student at Ponce Health Sciences University - St. Louis and adjunct professor at Harris-Stowe State University. She was at the event Saturday morning representing the Association of Black Psychologists, a group
meet were supposed to have access to health coverage.
“Judge Beetem’s ruling on Medicaid Expansion today is frustrating but we have always known that this case would be decided by the Supreme Court,” Jessica Pace, executive director of Progress MO, wrote in a statement.
Dr. Dwayne Proctor, Missouri Foundation for Health president and CEO, also released a statement shortly after the ruling.
“This decision means that an estimated 275,000 Missourians who qualify under expansion will still have to wait to get the care they need,” Proctor said.
founded in California in 1968 to address the problems facing Black psychologists and the Black community at large.
“So now this is a chance to really talk about what African Americans experience with the broader community … to understand because in a lot of the dialogue that’s happening, there’s no understanding,” Santiago said. “People don’t understand why we still talk about slavery or understand why racial issues are of such
“We are deeply disappointed with today’s ruling and we look forward to the case heading to the Missouri Court of Appeals.”
This ruling is the latest in the state’s Medicaid saga, which began when House Republicans resisted the will of the voters by removing $1.9 billion allocated for the program’s July expansion when crafting the 2022 state budget.
The Senate then also voted against funding the program expansion.
Six days after the General Assembly presented Parson with the 2022 budget without the expansion funding, the gov-
concern, but if we can share our experience with the broader community and help the broader community understand, then we really become a community.”
In her colleague Dr. Keisha Ross’ remarks during the event, the concept of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome was mentioned. Santiago said Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome is a theory posited by Dr. Joy DeGruy to assist in explaining the etiology or origins of the
ernor withdrew the state from its plan to expand Medicaid coverage altogether. Protests across the state were held following the announcement.
“Expanding Medicaid drives economic growth and job creation, creates a more equitable community, and improves the health of Missouri’s workforce,” Jason Hall, CEO of Greater St. Louis, Inc., wrote.
“For these reasons, the St. Louis business community has been a longtime supporter of Medicaid expansion.”
In addition to the ruling, a special session began Wednesday to address the existing Medicaid funding
The Richardson family, Mariah 13, Marc, Marlon 14, Gina, and Marisa 9, prepare to toss flowers into the Mississippi River during Juneteenth festivities on the steps of the Gateway Arch on Saturday, June 19.
adaptive behaviors displayed by Blacks/African Americans due to to impact of chattel slavery.
Santiago said it’s a phenomenon with quite a bit of research behind it.
“And what we’re starting to realize is there is a connection between what African Americans experience every day and some of the expressions of what we experience,” she said. “So, it sounds very similar to Post Traumatic Stress
revenue source because the legislature did not reauthorize the medical provider tax, as several GOP members wanted to include language in the bill that bans Medicaid coverage of certain birth control methods.
The Medicaid provider tax in question is collected from hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies and generates $1.6 billion annually. Missouri then receives an additional $3 billion in federal funds.
If the tax is not renewed, Parson will be forced to make drastic cuts in other areas of the budget to fund the existing program.
Parson met recently with the
Disorder, but it’s a very different [experience].”
Also in attendance was St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones, the honorary chair of the inaugural event. In her remarks, Jones said she was happy that Juneteenth was given the honor it deserves.
“This is a time for all of us to reflect and learn the full history of this country,” she said. “All of the good, the bad and the ugly. Because we have to be honest with ourselves, if we don’t understand and know our history, we are doomed to repeat it.”
She also said it’s important to know the history of St. Louis within the broader context of the country.
“And it hasn’t always been pretty either,” she said. “So, we are still fighting against systemic policies that have ruled this city for generations and please know that as mayor it is my number one focus to make sure that we look at every policy, every dollar spent through a racial equity lens.”
Africans Rising Together 2063 is a nonprofit organization with a mission to educate people of African descent concerning the true historical significance of their experience, culture and contributions to the world.
state Senate Republican caucus.
According to The Missouri Independent, the caucus discussed the language that would bar the state from paying for some contraceptive medications and devices and extend the taxes set to expire on Sept. 30 for up to five years. Some Republican senators are still calling for language that would prevent Planned Parenthood from being a Medicaid provider because of the contraception and reproductive services they offer, however it was not included in the language discussed by the caucus.
Wiley Price/The St. Louis American
Jones joins mayors’ group in push for reparations
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones has joined 10 others in “Mayors Organized for Reparations and Equity,” which wants a federal commission to study and develop reparation proposals for African-Americans. Jones spoke during the Juneteenth Caribbean Heritage Walkathon on June 19 in Forest Park and pledged to help make reparations happen for Black residents here and in other cities.
Some scholars worry local efforts will fall short
By Karen Robinson-Jacobs
The St. Louis American
In the face of scant federal action, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones has joined a group of U.S. mayors trying to spur Congress to act on a topic that has languished for decades if not centuries: reparations for descendants of U.S. slaves.
n “Black reparations must refer to a project that eliminates the nation’s staggering racial wealth gap.”
– Authors William Darity Jr. and A. Kirsten Mullen
Jones is one of 12 mayors or former mayors to make up “Mayors Organized for Reparations and Equity,” which is backing creation of a federal commission to study and “develop reparation proposals for African-Americans.”
While one expert on reparations said he fears local efforts will give Congress an excuse to not act, the mayors’ group website said the panel is trying to move the needle “with action and advocacy that points toward justice.”
Founded and co-chaired by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti – who leads a city of nearly 4 million people that is nearly 9% Black – the group was announced last week, just as President. Joe Biden signed legislation
making Juneteenth the nation’s newest federal holiday.
The mayors’ group, which includes Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, is expected to develop individual pilot programs that can “serve as high-profile demonstrations for how the country can more quickly move from conversation to action on reparations for Black Americans,” according to the group’s website.
Garcetti reached out to Jones in mid-May,
according to mayoral spokesman Nick Dunne, weeks after she became the first Black woman to serve as mayor of the Gateway city.
“Black Americans don’t need another study that sits on a shelf,” Jones said in a statement. “We need decisive action to address the racial wealth gap holding communities back across our country.”
The mayors’ group pledges support for H.R. 40, a measure initially introduced as H.R. 3745 in 1989 by the late Michigan Rep. John Conyers, now championed by Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX). It would
Min Jung Kim named St. Louis Art Museum director
By Jeremy D. Goodwin
St. Louis Public Radio
Leaders of St. Louis Art Museum announced Tuesday that Min Jung Kim, a seasoned museum professional, will be the organization’s next director.
Kim, 51, had been director and CEO of the New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut until last week. She will be the first woman and the first person of color to serve as SLAM’s permanent leader.
n During her career, Kim also has served as deputy director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University and spent 12 years at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, where she managed collaborations with museums in Russia and Vienna.
The South Korean native also is the first immigrant to the U.S. to lead the museum in Forest Park. During her career, Kim also has served as deputy director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University and spent 12 years at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, where she managed collaborations with museums in Russia and Vienna. SLAM leaders announced their selection Tuesday at the museum. Kim will begin working in September. She will be paid $515,000 annually.
See KIM, A10
PeoPle on the Move
Donald promoted to senior VP at Wyman
Christina Donald now serves as the senior vice president, advocacy for Wyman. Donald has been with Wyman for 21 years, most recently as senior director, National Network where she led the growth of Wyman’s National Network to 71 partners across the United States. These partners contract with Wyman for staff training and then replicate Wyman’s evidence-based programs to tens of thousands of teens. In her new role of senior vice president, advocacy, Donald will lead the establishment of Wyman’s advocacy platform and strategic areas of focus.
Adams named principal at Jordan Elementary
The School District of University City announced that Dorlita Adams has been hired as the new principal of Barbara C. Jordan Elementary School. With 27 years of education experience, Adams has served in numerous educational roles that include teaching and school leadership. She comes to the district after 17 years in the Ritenour School District where she served as a reading specialist and assistant principal at Hoech Middle School, principal of Kratz Elementary School, and, most recently, director of alternative education for Ritenour High School’s Husky Academy.
Wilson now in charge of programs at Wyman
DeVonne Wilson (previously Bernard) is now senior vice president, programs at Wyman. Wilson has been with Wyman for 23 years, most recently serving as senior director, school and community based programs, where she led the effective implementation of Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program and Teen Connection Project in the region and supported teens through strategic community partnerships. Wilson also collaborated with Wyman’s Research and Learning department to build a robust continuous quality improvement model. In her new role of senior vice presid
St. Louis Area Diaper Bank hires Franks
St. Louis Area Diaper Bank recently hired Jerrica Franks as outreach and community engagement manager. Franks brings a wide range of strategic capabilities to the nonprofit’s advocacy efforts. She will identify new and emerging policy trends, as well as engage partners and allies in the Diaper Bank’s advocacy initiatives. Prior to joining the nonprofit, Franks worked with numerous nonprofits including De La Salle, The Little Bit Foundation, and Beyond Housing.
board appointment, new hire, award... please submit your People on the Move item (including photo) to kjones@stlamerican.com
Christina Donald
Dorlita Adams
Jerrica Franks
DeVonne Wilson
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Min Jung Kim, next St. Louis Art Museum director, was all smiles on Tuesday following her introductory press conference as Keith Williamson, Centene Charitable Foundation president and search committee chair, looks on. Kim becomes the first woman, person of color and U.S. immigrant to serve as the museum’s director.
Photo by Dawn Suggs / St. Louis American
community.
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She replaces Brent Benjamin, who will retire at the end of the month after leading the Forest Park museum since 1999.
Kim plans to focus on strengthening relationships with other organizations in the St. Louis region and finding new opportunities for collaboration.
“My first priority is getting to know the community of St. Louis, meeting as many people as I can, and getting a better understanding of how the museum can be an even more integral part of this community,” Kim said in an interview following the announcement.
She will join the organization at a time when it is reviewing its ability to hire and retain employees of color and serve the entire
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create a reparations commission to study the matter.
The mayors’ group also plans to form an advisory committee or commission made up of members of local, Black-led organizations to formally advise each mayor on an approach to reparations — including options to seek public and or private funds to back pilot programs. Eventually, the mayors hope to “lead development and implementation of a pilot reparations program targeted at a cohort of Black residents.”
No timetable was given and Dunne said Jones’s involvement is still in the early stages.
It’s not yet clear if Jones plans to tap members of her stimulus advisory board –which offered suggestions on how best to spend federal stimulus dollars – to also serve on the reparations committee’s advisory panel. It’s also not clear where the money will come from for the reparations committee’s work.
The commitment from the mayor, Dunne said, is to start the process.
“[Kim is] a leader who will serve as an architect for change, with a particular focus on building diversity, equity and inclusion into the fabric of our institution,” Charles Lowenhaupt, president of the museum’s board, said at the announcement.
The museum reported to the Zoo Museum District’s board of directors last summer that 78.3% of its total paid staff members are white, and 85.7% of its 56 supervisory jobs are filled by white employees.
Benjamin acknowledged in an October interview that the museum has “a clustering of minority staff members at lower levels in the organization, and there is a relative thinness at the upper levels of the organization that is typical of many kinds of organizations, and certainly art museums.”
The museum’s board of commissioners endorsed a report on diversity, equity
Unlike stimulus payments that have put cash in the hands of Americans battered over the past 15-months by the global Coronavirus pandemic, scholars and other equity advocates see reparations in terms of redressing wrongs that are centuries old.
In their book From Here to Equality, co-authors William Darity Jr. and A. Kirsten Mullen argue that “the cumulative, intergenerational effects of American racial injustice is the gap in wealth between blacks and whites,” a yawning chasm the two see as being at least $11 trillion wide.
Darity told The St. Louis American he fears “that the state or municipal initiatives will lead to precedents that will result in no federal policy at all—since opponents will say it’s already happened in scores of cities across America—or [in] a federal policy that will fall far short of eliminating black-white wealth disparity in the United States.”
Local initiatives to improve racial equity such as those launched in the Chicago suburb of Evanston and in Asheville, North Carolina, “definitely are a good idea, but they should not be called nor confused with reparations,” he said.
and inclusion last year that included 140 suggestions, including reviewing the cultural sensitivity of wall labels, doing more to attract job candidates of color and regularly collecting feedback from employees at all levels of the organization.
The museum promoted longtime staff member Renée Brummel Franklin, a Black woman, to the newly created position of chief diversity officer in December.
Kim said she was impressed by the report and the fact that the organization had begun implementing some of the suggested changes.
“The diversity report reflected a deep and thorough commitment to diversity and really taking a holistic approach,” Kim said. “It’s looking at how diversity is represented across the organization — in terms of how investments are made, what the education programs are, how the libraries are set up.”
“We insist that the term reparations be reserved for a comprehensive policy of redress for black American descendants of persons enslaved in the United States,” Darity and Mullen said in an opinion piece in BlackStarNews.com. “Specifically, black reparations must refer to a project that eliminates the nation’s staggering racial wealth gap.” https://www.blackstarnews. com/us-politics/justice/how-tohijack-true-reparations-giveyour-blessing-to-local-state In 2019, the median white household owned $188,200 in wealth – nearly 8 times that of the median Black household at $24,100, according to the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances. The wealth gap, experts say, comes from years of unequal access at almost every level of society – from unequal access to quality healthcare, a fact laid bare by the pandemic, to unequal access to education and housing.
Christopher Tinson, chair of the African American studies department at Saint Louis University, said he applauds the local efforts but feels that addressing a bill-due in the trillions of dollars, and crafting a plan that can result in an increased ability for wealth creation for African Americans, will take federal action. And that’s been slow in coming.
He noted that the House measure calling for reparations study has languished for decades. The bill passed out of the House Judiciary Committee in April for the first time since Conyers, who died in 2019, introduced it.
“Hopefully, hopefully, these can be promising [mayoral] efforts that lead to something larger, that the federal government actually can actually embrace and get behind and fund,” he said.
“I’m not that hopeful on that front, but I love these local efforts,” he added. “Because these local officials have begun to take this issue seriously.”
Karen Robinson-Jacobs is The St. Louis American / Type Investigations business reporter and a Report for America corps member.
Next St. Louis Art Museum Director Min Jung Kim, center, was joined on Tuesday at her introductory press conference by Keith Williamson, Centene Charitable Foundation president and search committee chair and Charles Lowenhaupt, president of the museum’s board.
Photo by Dawn Suggs / St. Louis American
St. Louis celebrates joyous Juneteenth
Monique, BSN, RN, comforts a patient at Northwest HealthCare.
Photos by Dawn Suggs and Wiley Price/St. Louis American
“Taking Care of You”
died on June 15, as a result of contracting COVID-19.
Soft-spoken Rodney Heard
By Alvin A. Reid The St. Louis American
Beloved firefighter falls to COVID
Firefighters know they could face death on any dangerous call. It is part of their fabric, part of the job. Rodney L. Heard joined the St. Louis Fire Department in 1999 and quickly earned respect, even reverence, from his fellow firefighters. He spent many years working with Gregg Favre on Truck 14-A in midtown St. Louis.
“In 2009 we were second due at an especially bad fire,” Favre wrote on Twitter.
Rodney L. Heard
“Middle of the night, heavy fire, multiple people trapped. Rodney was how he always was – calm, focused, ready. The dude was always in position.
“You could always count on him. That he’s going ‘on the wall’ is hard to accept.”
“The wall” Favre referred to is one that carries the name of fallen firefighters. After a lengthy battle with COVID, firefighter Heard died on
Mortality rate has soared
By Maya Pottiger/Word in Black
More than 73,000 Black lives were lost during the pandemic, making up 15% of all COVID-related deaths, the highest of any race, according to The Atlantic’s COVID Tracking Project This disparity was seen further in a CDC study looking at how COVID-19 impacts pregnant women. Black women made up 14.1% (57,572) of those included in the study and represented 36.6% (176) of the overall 447 deaths. Among the 34 deaths of pregnant women, 26.5% (nine) were Black women.
highlights racial and ethnic disparities in both risk for infection and disease severity among pregnant women, indicating a need to address potential drivers of risk in these populations.”
“Regardless of pregnancy status, Black women experienced a disproportionate number of deaths relative to their distribution among reported cases,” the study says. “This analysis
This is not a new trend. The CDC’s Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System, up-to-date through 2017, found 41.7 deaths per 100,000 live births for Black women. This is the highest number of deaths per live births. The closest number is seen in American Indian or Alaska Native women at 28.3 deaths per 100,000 live births. Black women are three times as likely during childbirth than white women. Among Black women, chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension are more
Tuesday, June 15. Gregg Favre, who now serves as executive director of the St. Louis Regional Response System, called Heard a “rock solid partner” and “hell of a fireman.”
“A quieter man (especially by city firefighter standards), he was a deeply religious and family-oriented man. He was also a rock solid partner.
“Big, strong and brave. Hell of a fireman. Go in peace Rodney. I’ll miss you big man,” Favre wrote.
By James B. Ewers, Jr.
I was hesitant at first to take the vaccine. Black people like me had built in reasons not to take it.
n Unfortunately, the phrase “vaccine hesitancy” is firmly entrenched in our everyday language. This term is overwhelming us. It makes us slow to act and even slower to react.
During the early stages, I saw the vaccine as a bit of an experiment. I had some questions and concerns about it. What were the side effects? Was it safe? We took the Johnson & Johnson vaccine some months ago and it had no side effects. I am now a vaccine ambassador and a strong advocate for African Americans to get the vaccine. If it is the single shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine like my wife and I had, get it. If it is the Pfizer and Moderna two shot vaccine, then get it. What is most important is that you get the vaccine. This health remedy is giving us a pathway to better and brighter days ahead. Unfortunately, the phrase “vaccine hesitancy” is firmly entrenched in our everyday language. This term is overwhelming us. It makes us slow to act and even slower to react. We have a million excuses as to why we will not get the vaccine. This is despite the many television and radio advertisements. We see them and hear them, yet we are unmoved by them. This must change. Our attitudes must go from hopeless to hopeful, and from less encouraged to being encouraged. As we have known from the beginning, Black people have suffered mightily from this illness. This is the reason we, as Black people, must get vaccinated. We have one less plate to serve and one seat
See VACCINE, A15
rest from various complications. She shared her story in Vogue in 2018, and it compelled many other Black women to share similar stories.
Ronald Poe, director of operations for Grandbury Mortuary, wheels the flag covered body of St. Louis Firefighter Rodney Heard to a hearse, as firefighters salute at St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond Heights, Missouri, on Thursday, June 17. Heard, 56,
Photo by Bill Greenblatt / The St. Louis American
Serena Williams dealt with medical complications after giving birth to her daughter, Alexis, and she also was subjected to skepticism from her doctors. She ended up with six weeks of bed
James B. Ewers, Jr.
Photo courtesy of Serena Williams/Instagram
“Taking Care of You”
What it means when celebrities stay coy about their vaccination status
By Eric Berger Kaiser Health News
When two St. Louis Blues hockey players were sidelined because of covid-19 just days before this year’s NHL playoffs, the team said young defenseman Jake Walman had been vaccinated against the deadly illness. But it was mum about the vaccination status of a more well-known player: star forward David Perron.
It wasn’t until 10 days later — and after the Colorado Avalanche buried the team, without Perron touching the ice in any of the series’ four games — that he begrudgingly acknowledged he had been vaccinated.
“I don’t want to talk about that anymore,” Perron, the team’s leading scorer, said at a press conference.
While fans often know intricate details about athletes’ knee joints and concussions, covid vaccinations are another story. Reticence is common among professional athletes. Vaccination status is also a point of secrecy among some
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widespread and less controlled, which puts them at higher risk of pregnancy-related complications. However, the racial disparities in maternal health care are caused by “racism, not race,” an NPR report said. Discriminatory policies like redlining create structural barriers to health care, like a lack of transportation, childcare issues and inadequate housing.
In the Birth Without Bias Mini-Report by Irth, Black and brown parents gave reviews of their care at hospitals. The report found about 20% of women of color felt their requests for help were refused or ignored, compared with 11% of white women.
“It became clear to me that people are not being treated the same way, even at the same place,” Irth founder Kimberly Seals Allers said to Forbes “We needed to be able to see reviews from people actually like us. Reading the review of a middle-class white woman from the Upper East Side is not going to help a lower-income Black woman.”
Even Serena Williams was not an exception. In her February 2018 Vogue cover story, Williams opened up about the serious complications she faced after giving birth to her daughter and the skepticism
Heard
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Heard’s son had become a firefighter last year. The pandemic saw his graduation ceremony cancelled, and it will be held later this year.
“I know Rodney was
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is always empty.
Dr. Fola May, a UCLA physician and health equity researcher said, “My concern is if we don’t vaccinate the population that’s highest risk, we’re going to see even more disproportional deaths in the Black and brown communities. It breaks my heart.” Vaccine
As
Republican lawmakers, other public figures and even many regular people.
Public health leaders say that people in the limelight do not have an obligation to announce or answer media questions about their vaccination status, but many add that they hoped more wellknown names would become role models for getting the vaccines.
Instead, they say, the politicization of the shots, misinformation and flawed public messaging from the federal government have made the vaccines controversial and something some public figures are reluctant to endorse, which then ripples across society.
President Joe Biden is trying to get at least 70% of the nation’s adults vaccinated by July 4. So far, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 65% of American adults have received at least one dose.
“I continue to be hopeful that celebrities will share their vaccination status and use their platform to encourage people
to get vaccinated,” said Thomas LaVeist, a sociologist and the dean of the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University. “But I haven’t seen a lot of celebrities really embrace that role.”
LaVeist and others in public health hoped someone would step up as Elvis Presley did in
LeBron James and other celebrity athletes have kept their vaccination status to themselves. Many public health officials say it would help increase rates, especially among African Americans, if James and others would confirm they are vaccinated.
1956 to help increase the low rate of polio vaccinations. He received his shot on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
Sports stars, who are often asked about their health, could change public perceptions of the vaccines, said Nancy Berlinger, a bioethicist at the Hastings Center, a research
institute in Garrison, New York.
“In the worst days of HIVAIDS, the fact that Magic Johnson was willing to talk about being HIV-positive changed public conversation in this country,” Berlinger said. “Not everyone is able to step into that role.”
Basketball king LeBron James, when asked if he planned to get a covid vaccine, told reporters in March, “That’s a conversation that my family and I will have. Pretty much keep that to a private thing.”
Jennifer Reich, a sociologist at the University of ColoradoDenver who has studied vaccine hesitancy, thinks that James and other NBA stars could be reluctant to promote the vaccines because of the way athletes have been castigated in recent years for taking stands on hot-button issues.
But James has expressed support for the Black Lives Matter movement and called for the prosecution of police officers who shot and killed
from her doctors. Williams ultimately ended up with six weeks of bed rest from various complications, including blood clots and intense coughing fits that popped open her C-section wound. This public account of a
looking forward to pinning the badge on his son,” Fire Department Chief Dennis Jenkerson told KSDK. Heard was working in Support Services, and Jenkerson said, “How things are handled, how things run, what needs to be replaced, what happens if they didn’t work, he was a go-to guy.”
There is some good news on the horizon. It appears that more African Americans want to get vaccinated. The Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a survey, and the results were significant. In December, only 20% of African Americans said they wanted the shot as soon as possible. However, in March of 2021, 55% of African Americans said they wanted the shot or had already received the vaccine.
harrowing medical story prompted many Black women to speak out on Twitter, sharing their own stories.
“This is how you know that racism in medicine can impact anyone at any income level. The staff should have been
“Rodney never pushed his faith, but it was ever constant,” Favre explained.
“He’d bow his head to pray to himself before supper club and the usually boisterous, joke-making kitchen would calm itself out of respect for a guy who lived his faith.”
Jeff Dill of the Firefighters
The signs look good for us. We need to continue to press forward with this life saving initiative. We cannot rest or drop our guard until more of us receive the vaccine. In a strange but comparable analogy, this is much like voting. We take our friends and neighbors to the voting polls. Now, we must take them to get vaccinated. If we cannot, maybe Uber can. Uber, the transportation
ready for a clotting issue based on her history,” one user wrote In a 2017 study by NPR and ProPublica, the results showed that United States has the worst rate of maternal deaths in the developed world, and that number is rising.
Behavioral Health Alliance recently told firehouse.com that COVID has damaged firefighters physical and mental health.
“The unknowns of the virus and potential for on-duty exposures—especially early on in the pandemic—also were factors that plagued many firefighters,” he said.
service, is offering 10 million free and discounted rides to communities across the country.
Lyft is also offering a similar service so that we the people can get shots in the arms. Both companies depend upon us to make money. Consequently, they want us to be safe and healthy when riding with them.
Vaccines are pretty much available from Wal-Mart to
Breonna Taylor, a Black medical worker, in her Kentucky apartment.
“It’s not like he is someone who has been a shrinking violet and has not stepped into the public arena to make very strong statements about inequities and problems in our society,” Zimet said. “So, it’s a little hypocritical that he would now say, ‘This is a private issue.’”
Timothy Caulfield, a law professor at the University of Alberta and the author of a book on vaccine myths, believes celebrities can make a big difference, pointing to actor Jenny McCarthy’s role in the anti-vaccine movement.
“The role that pop culture can play in normalization is a constructive role,” Caulfield said.
We are getting close to that hesitancy hurdle in jurisdictions where you are getting 60-65% of people vaccinated, so this messaging may seem trivial, but it matters when you are talking about trying to get another 2% or 3% of the population vaccinated.”
The Momnibus is made up of 12 titles, which were each introduced as standalone bills American Medical Association President Susan R. Bailey, MD, recently wrote about supporting the Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness Act, or the MOMMA Act. The legislation would extend coverage for postpartum care to 12 months, up from just 60 days. This is critical because roughly 33% of pregnancyrelated deaths happen between one week to one year after childbirth.
Bailey cited the crisis being driven by multiple factors, like reduced access to comprehensive reproductive health care, closures of rural and urban maternity units, and inadequate insurance coverage before, during and after pregnancy.
“Other contributing factors include longstanding public policies, laws and racism that produce inequities in the social determinants of health such as education, employment, housing and transportation,” Bailey said.
U.S. Reps. Lauren Underwood and Alma Adams, Sen. Cory Booker and members of the Black Maternal Health Caucus have introduced the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021. The Momnibus “builds on existing legislation to comprehensively address every dimension of the maternal health crisis in America.” Existing efforts include fighting for 12-month postpartum Medicaid coverage, which is the largest provider for maternity care for Black women.
“How can I be infected by a patient? What PPE is effective against COVID? What happens if I get the virus?”
“They were scared that they would get it and bring it home, so a lot of them were quarantining away from their family members,” said Marie Guma, a psychologist who was on the clinical response team following the Parkland, FL, school shooting in 2018.
Walgreens. For example, Walgreens has over 9,000 locations across the nation where we can get vaccinated.
We do not have any excuses, or at least we should not have any.
My Brothers and Sisters, go and get vaccinated today. There are some things that you can put off. Postponing getting the vaccine is not one of them. Life is much too precious to be stubborn and stern when it
“They were afraid because their spouse had an underlying health issue or that they would give it to their children.” Funeral arrangements for Heard were still pending on Wednesday, June 23.
comes to our health. Getting vaccinated must be a priority in your life. We just celebrated Father’s Day. There will be other occasions and holidays coming up throughout the year. Let us be able to enjoy them with our family and friends because we got vaccinated.
Retired educator Dr. James B. Ewers Jr. held leadership positions at Savannah (Georgia) State and Miami University Middletown, Ohio.
Chart: By Maya Pottiger • Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention • Created with Datawrapper
All Black Lives Matter
June is Pride Month. The 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York was a flashpoint when gay folks in this country got sick and tired of being harassed, humiliated and assaulted because of their sexual orientation and gender identities. The successful resistance was celebrated the following year and has since spread to many parts of the world.
The uprising became a pivotal kick off of a movement that evolved to include different identities - lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgendered, questioning, intersexual and asexual (LGBTQIA). It was a big boost to the struggle for equal rights and dignity of a historically marginalized population.
One may think that given the discrimination and hatred directed at gay people that the movement claiming to represent them would be acutely aware of how isms hurt and divide. But our movements are microcosms of our society and therefore susceptible to the divisions of race, gender and class, if we are not paying attention.
Around the country, many Pride organizations are run like corporations. The leadership is almost always white, upper mobility men. The result is separate Black and brown Pride groups planning activities that best reflect their realities.
Recently, further divisions occurred inside the movement over the question of (gay) police participating in the parades. There’s also the issue of police being used as parade security. The two issues don’t go over well with Black gays who are also part of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Violence against transgendered people has surged, particularly the targeting of Black and Latina trans women. Yet the very movement which should be lifting up this tragic trend often refuses to acknowledge the deaths and demand accountability or justice.
Columnist
Jamala Rogers
One such situation came to a head in Los Angeles when a BLM solidarity march was planned ahead of the annual Pride march.
One thing led to another. Gerald Garth, one of the few Blacks on the official Pride planning broke ranks and formed a new group of Black LGBTQ leaders. The group announced a new march, separate from the official one, and called it “All Black Lives Matter.” Indeed, they do.
White-led Pride organizations are part of a bigger, more diverse LGBTQ movement.
They do have influence and their power is being contested. Being Black and gay is rough enough. Not being able to find refuge and support within your own movement is totally unacceptable.
This moment in the country brings hope and many possibilities. To actualize a new vision means that we have to clean up our organizations from places of faith to unions to businesses to community groups. When these units are working to achieve the highest democratic and equitable goals, you’ll see a ripple effect.
The moment calls for an overhaul on many different levels if we are to be united around common values and a vision for our collective future. When we work for transformation at these levels, the change inevitably manifests in our social movements. These sectors are all a part of our movement. These movements should be working for transformative change in the broader society.
“Within each one of us there is some piece of humanness that knows we are not being served by the machine which orchestrates crisis after crisis and is grinding all our futures into dust.” These are words of wisdom from Audre Lorde that we should remember beyond Pride month.
Spring into action
Dance St. Louis presents various styles at Emerson Spring to Dance Festival
Danielle Brown
St. Louis American
The
Dance St. Louis, known for bringing grand, show-stopping performances to the stage, will showcase the Emerson Spring to Dance Festival 2021, June 25-27 under The Big Top in the Grand Center Arts District.
What makes the festival unique is that each day has a distinct lineup with performances by different companies. Each will feature different dance styles for the entire family, including ballet, modern, hip-hop and contemporary.
Fourteen dance companies from across the country will present including St. Louis, Kansas City, Chicago, Detroit, Miami, San Francisco and New York City. Four world premieres will also be performed at the festival. Five companies are making their Spring to Dance debut.
St. Louis native Antonio Douthit-Boyd, former Alvin Ailey Dance Theater principal artist and co-artistic director of dance at the Center of Creative Arts (COCA) will perform the duet, “Fix Me Jesus” from Ailey’s masterpiece Revelations with Jacqueline Green, AADT principal artist.
“It’s a staple and I learned the dance in the middle of my career at Ailey,” Douthit-Boyd said. “Every partner that you do this piece with is different and every time is different that you do it. There’s just something about her, it’s so emotional and spiritual dancing with her.”
This isn’t the first time Douthit-Boyd and Green have danced together, they’ve danced together before on numerous occasions. However, this will be Green’s first live performance and she expressed that she’s more than excited to share this experience with DouthitBoyd.
“To be able to reconnect with him is super special,” Green said. “It’s just a physical communication and it’s magical on stage.
Revelations is a ballet that incorporates African American spirituals, gospel songs, holy blues, and song-sermons while exploring places of intense grief and sacred joy in the soul.
Since premiering in 1960, it’s been recognized
WerQ It!
Second annual music festival celebrating Black queer, non-binary, trans community debuts at the City Foundry this Saturday
By Danielle Brown
The St. Louis American
Closing out Pride Month, this weekend on Saturday, Black millennial married couple
Tre’von “Tre G,” Griffith and Shelton BoydGriffith will host their second annual WerQfest Music and Arts Festival at the City Foundry.
The pair launched the festival to provide St. Louis’ Black queer, non-binary, and trans community with a platform to unapologetically to be themselves and showcase some of the best local artists and talent that fit under that umbrella.
“We came up with the idea because with me being an artist I’ve always had a dream of creating a safe space to be myself and I wanted the same for queer artists,” Griffith said. “I wanted us to be able to express ourselves and literally just be.” With last year’s coronavirus pandemic, the couple was forced to hold their first event virtually on Twitch. To their surprise, the inaugural event showcase was met with great success despite not being able to meet in person.
“We put it together in a matter of two weeks and this took place while the pandemic was going on, different things were happening in the Black queer community, and there were a lot of Black trans women getting killed,” BoydGriffith said. We were like let’s do something.
n Fourteen dance companies from across the country will present including St. Louis, Kansas City, Chicago, Detroit, Miami, San Francisco and New York City.
as more than just a favorable performance, it’s cherished by fans ranging in age from young to old and often referred to as a cultural treasure.
Ailey once said that African-American cultural heritage was one of America’s richest prizes—
“sometimes sorrowful, sometimes jubilant, but always hopeful.” This timeless piece comes from Ailey’s childhood memories of growing up in rural Texas and attending the Baptist Church.
It left a major impact and a lot of people gravitated toward it. With much less COVID-19 restrictions and more people becoming vaccinated, Boyd-
n “We came up with the idea because with me being an artist I’ve always had a dream of creating a safe space to be myself and I wanted the same for queer artists.”
- Tre’von “Tre G” Griffith
Griffith and Griffith are able to host their first WerQ Fest in person. For the evening, Maxi Glamour, a non-binary community activist and national drag star will host the night’s festivity with Tre G, Eric Dontè and Be.Be. headlining the festival on the
Alvin Ailey Dance Theater principal artist Jacqueline Green will perform at Dance St. Louis’ presentation of the Emerson Spring into Dance Festival this weekend, Friday, June 25-Sunday, June 27 at the
Jay-Marie is Holy, Golliday, Tre’von “Tre G” Griffith, Paige Alyssa, and Be.Be. are among some of the performers who will be showcased at this year’s WerQfest 7 p.m.- 10 p.m. this Saturday, June 26 at the City Foundry.
Main Stage. Other performances include JayMarie is Holy, Bynk Bravado, Paige Alyssa, Blanca the Bawdy, and Golliday.
In addition to the live performances on the Main Stage, Leethal The Poet, 6MR J.J. and Ciera Danyel will perform on behalf of Profield Reserve’s activated virtual stage.
DJ Kimmy Nu will curate the evening’s soundtrack. Profield Reserve, located at 2309 Cherokee Street will also host merchandise pop-up in conjunction with WerQfest.
This year’s performers were chosen through open submissions and on behalf of the WerQ Fest’s committee’s selection. Griffith said through this process he and the WerQ Fest team received a lot of great submissions and even received some from artists he had never heard of before.
“We hope in the future there can be hundreds of artists to choose from,” Griffith said. “I’m really excited to see everybody return to the stage. For some of these artists, this may be
See WerQ, B8
Green will also perform the 16-minute solo Cry, Ailey first choreographed the ballet as a birthday present for his mother in 1971. Judith Jamison was the first person to perform it and it is an homage for all Black women especially mothers.
The solo consists of three parts, the first is set to Alice Coltrane’s “Something about John Coltrane,” the second to Laura Nyro’s “Been on a Train” and the last has the Voices of East Harlem singing “Right On, Be Free.” Green said she feels honored to not only perform Cry during its 50th Anniversary, but also as
See Dance, B8
Fiesta Fiesta
Tyrell “Alcam” Walker recently released his hit-single “Get Big.” It’s the perfect song for the summer, with a message just as clear for haters to notice elevation.
Tyrell “Alcam” Walker’s single “Get Big” brings salsa and Taco Tuesday vibes
Danielle Brown
The St. Louis American
Think Taco Tuesday, fiesta vibes and Cinco de Mayo when you listen to Tyrell “Alcam” Walker’s latest feel-good single “Get Big,” which channels all the right energy for summertime vibes.
Big Top located in the Grand Center Arts District.
Photo courtesy of Camo
Photo by Brandon De’Shaun
Photo by Paul Kolnik
In 1818, Missouri wanted to join the Union as a Slave State. A compromise was struck, and the horror of Slavery was once again expanded. There was no compromise for Slaves.
Our 2021 virtual event highlights the stories of Black St. Louisans whose lives were intertwined with Missouri’s journey to statehood and the legalization of slavery in the state.
Visit MaryMeachum.org to watch this year’s program, complete with re-enactments, local teens learning about the Missouri Compromise and more.
While the event is virtual, you can still visit the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing site on the Mississippi Greenway in person. Learn more about Mary Meachum and the site at MaryMeachum.org
LGBTQIA+ rights are also civil rights
By Nya Hardaway
Today when St. Louisans draw a mental map of the intersection of Grand Boulevard and Olive Street, they might think of Saint Louis University, the Fox Theatre, or the Best Steak House. When I moved here from Cleveland, Ohio, at the beginning of the pandemic, I wondered if the area attracted nightlife similar to what’s found in the Delmar Loop. Using the digital interactive tool Mapping LGBTQ St. Louis—which looks at how race, class, and gender contributed to the segregation of local LGBTQIA+ communities I saw that the 3500 block of Olive was a vibrant location for LGBTQIA+ nightlife from the 1950s to the 1970s. That block was also situated near Black neighborhoods.
One might expect that in the 1950s, as Jim Crow was in full effect, white and Black nightlife would likewise be segregated, but when we look at the 3500 block of Olive, we see that this was not always the case.
In the essay “In This Part of the City All the Fellows Are Gay,” MHS curatorial assistant Ian Darnell explains that “despite their proximity to Black residential neighborhoods, the bars on the 3500 block of Olive could be unwelcoming to non-white customers in the 1950s.” One of the bars on this block was the Onyx Room, a gay men’s bar that only served whites in the 1950s. White gay men were comfortable visiting this Black area; here they could hide from their heterosexual bosses, family members, and friends.
The history and evolution
of the Onyx Room reveals the complexities of racial tensions in the LGBTQIA+ communities and shows that even among people who identify as LGBTQIA+, white supremacy and discrimination encouraged the ostracism of Black queer people. It is widely assumed that because Black and LGBTQIA+ people both struggled for equal rights, discrimination between these two groups didn’t exist. But white gay communities still reflected larger systems of domination and oppression prevalent in American society, even while fighting against heterosexual hegemony.
Although white queer people were part of an underrepresented identity at the time, they still failed to see Black people as their equals or as people to be pursued sexually, romantically—or even just as their peers.
Queer white patrons felt entitled to appropriate this space near Black people for their own benefit. It’s much like gentrification: In the 1950s the Onyx Room was merely replicating a harmful system of power and domination. Mirroring systems of marginalization, the Onyx Room and white queer clubs across St. Louis tolerated racial injustices even as they fought for queer liberation and equality.
The Onyx Room was predominantly white in the 1950s. Even though St. Louis passed legislation in 1961 that made it illegal to discriminate on the basis of race in public spaces, Black patrons were nonetheless made to feel unwelcome: Bouncers intimidated them, and managers and bartenders would ask to see multiple forms of
identification. By 1970, however, St. Louis’s Black population grew by 90,000 people. It was then that the Onyx Room and other LGBTQIA+ nightlife spots began to serve mainly Black patrons. White people were fleeing the city, and it seemed that the Onyx Room had no other choice but to accept Black patrons. Yet, the bar found another option. The Onyx Room left the 3500 block of Olive in 1977 and moved to a different part of St. Louis. The management was white and participated in the white flight of the era. In an almost cultural reclaiming of the space, Black bars and nightclubs began to spring up. For example, Art & Ernie’s Disco opened in 1977, and Black people—especially those who identified as queer—moved to create their own safe spaces for entertainment and nightlife. By looking at the patron population development and the eventual relocation of the Onyx Room, readers can see that even though the queer movement is depicted as a unified voice, Black people were still frequently left out of this narrative, and racial injustice was still rampant. Black queer people were consistently mistreated throughout the queer liberation movement, even after civil rights legislation was passed. By looking at LGBTQIA+ history in this light, we see that we must be intentional about combating anti-Black racism in all our struggles for equality and freedom.
Explore the virtual exhibit at mohistory.org/gateway-topride.
We are now at the Final Four stage of the National Basketball Association playoffs, absent of several bigname superstars.
A-Listers including LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving and James Harden failed to reach their respective conference final series. Yet, the playoffs continue, and they have been remarkable. Yes, I said it. They have been remarkable. Casual fans will probably tune out the remainder of the playoffs. But as a lifelong fan of The Association, I’m still loving every minute of the playoffs. We still have very compelling games and storylines with new heroes coming to the forefront. We are also seeing some of the league’s young stars emerge right before our eyes.
So, before you reach for the remote to turn off the rest of the NBA playoffs, here are a few reasons to keep watching.
• Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks and Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns have been sensational in playoff debuts and leading their respective teams to the conference finals. These early 20-something guards are special talents. They are part of the NBA’s new generation, joining the likes of St. Louis native Jayson
St. Cardinals ace Jack Flaherty and his mother, Eileen, have a close bond that began when he was three weeks old. She was a single mom, and she adopted Flaherty during the first month of his life.
To the chagrin of many Cardinals fans, Flaherty is an unabashed in his vocal support of Black Lives Matter and stands firm on his statements that people of color in America remain in a quest for equality.
His mom worries that her son could face the same fate of NFL quarterback Coin Kaepernick.
ISIdE SportS
By Earl Austin Jr.
NBA Playoffs still pack plenty of punch
The Atlanta Hawks franchise last won an NBA championship when the team was in St. Louis. It has not advanced to the NBA Finals since, but young superstar Trae Young has the Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Tatum, Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell, Ja Morant and others. The future of the NBA is in good hands. The shot making from these kiddos is really something to see.
• The Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers have never won an NBA championship. The Milwaukee Bucks won their only title in 1971. The Atlanta Hawks franchise won in 1958 when they were the St.
Louis Hawks. A new city will be celebrating a championship this summer. That is always exciting and refreshing.
• The oldest star still standing is 36-year-old Chris Paul and the NBA world is watching to see if this sage leader and future Hall of Famer can get his elusive first championship ring. Paul’s personal quest is on hold for now as he is in the health and
Jack
Bruce Maxwell also knelt during the national anthem.
He then spent parts of two seasons out of professional baseball.
“There’s been the conversations that we’ve all had, backing Bruce and backing each other through all of this and making sure everything’s more unified,” Flaherty told Scruggs.
Alvin A. Reid
“My mom was scared,” Flaherty told former Cardinal Xavier Scruggs on the debut of his podcast The Bigs.
“She was like, ‘It’s a scary place to be in because I don’t want’ – you know, she saw what happened to [Colin] Kaepernick. She’s like, ‘There ain’t a lot of people in baseball like [that],’ and just she’s like, ‘I don’t want that. I don’t want you to be hung out to dry and be like the only one.’” “(Kaepernick) was pretty much blackballed,” Flaherty said.
His mom had the same thought, and she is aware that former Oakland A’s catcher
“So, it’s been an interesting road to take. But whatever you do, everybody is a human being first.”
Interestingly, Scruggs was hired earlier this year by the Cardinals to serve as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion consultant.
A Sun sits
It is one thing to roll your ankle or pull a muscle during an NBA Playoff series and miss multiple games. It is another to find yourself in the NBA COVID protocol. You either returned a confirmed positive test or have been in close contact to an infected person. Forget practicing or playing, you are in isolation or quarantined until cleared by the NBA and the Players Association in accor-
safety protocol, thus missing the early part of the Suns’ conference finals series against the Clippers.
• The Kevin Durant-Giannis Antetokounmpo battle on Saturday night was one of the top Game 7 individual duels in the history of the NBA playoffs. Giannis had 40 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to an overtime victory over
SportS EyE
With Alvin A. Reid
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty posted this photo on Twitter with his mother,
and younger brother, Grady. Flaherty said on a recent podcast that his mom feared his being outspoken on social issues could lead to him being the next Colin Kaepernick.
dance with CDC guidance. Importantly, this most likely means that you have not been vaccinated. In fact, the odds are astronomically high that you are not vaccinated.
the Brooklyn Nets. Durant was heroic in defeat with 48 points while playing all 53 minutes of the game. He hit an improbable shot to send the game into overtime. At the end of the game, both players were clearly exhausted as they looked like Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier at the end of the Thrilla’ in Manila. Giannis is trying to lead the Bucks to their first title in 50 years, when a young superstar named Lew
Alcindor (now Kareem AbdulJabbar) led them to their only championship.
• We always see unsung heroes come out of nowhere to have that one shining moment. This year is no different as we saw Terence Mann and Kevin Huebert come up big when their teams needed them.
Mann erupted for 39 points to lead the Clippers to a dramatic come-frombehind victory over the topseeded Utah Jazz to clinch the Clippers’ first ever conference finals berth.
With star Kawhi Leonard sidelined with a knee injury and the Clippers trailing by 25 points, Mann had a dominating second half.
Huerter scored 27 points in the Hawks’ victory at Philadelphia in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. With Trae Young struggling from the field, the redhead stepped up in a big way with a huge performance.
• Another big storyline is that there are three African American coaches in the conference finals in Nate McMillan of Atlanta, Monty Williams of Phoenix and Ty Lue of Los Angeles. There are only seven Black coaches out of the 30 franchises in the NBA. These coaches have been grinding at their craft for many years and had been fired at one time but have proven to be quality leaders of men. And with several head coaching positions open right now, hopefully the decision makers will see this and act accordingly.
June 9, “one new player has returned a confirmed positive test,” according to the Players Association.
I guess we know who it is. By the way, it has been reported that Paul says he had been vaccinated. Ten days after missing the St. Louis Blues playoff series sweep at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche, David Perron announced he contracted COVID after being vaccinated. I do not believe either of them.
The Suns swept the Denver Nuggets in a Western Conference semifinal series.
Paul then missed the first game of the Western Conference Finals; a Suns win over the Clippers.
Paul has been invaluable in the postseason, averaging 15.7 points, 8.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 10 playoff games.
I wonder what his teammates think. If I were one, he would know.
Paul is featured in State Farm commercials. “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.
For Paul, and all that do not have common sense or are finding some other weak excuse for being vaccinated, remember this: Like a bad neighbor, COVID is there.
Nice job, Chris Paul. The Phoenix Suns guard officially went on the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols on Wednesday. Of the 164 players tested since
Earl Austin Jr.
Eileen,
Photo courtesy of NBA
NAACP, Mormon church pledge to work together
Leaders decry racism in America
St. Louis American Staff
Leaders of the national NAACP and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints used the week of Juneteenth to announce strengthening of a relationship established in 2018.
Derrick Johnson, NAACP president, and church Russell M. Nelson worshipped together on Sunday, June 13 and joined in a press conference Monday in Salt Lake City to “demonstrate greater civility, racial and ethnic harmony, and mutual respect” while eliminating “prejudice of all kinds,” Nelson said.
Johnson used the African greeting, “I see the Christ in you,” in his remarks.
“Our uniqueness is actually our genius,” Johnson said.
“And I believe the Lord truly wants us to bring all of our geniuses together behind a wall of love, so that we can truly experience his blessing. Thank you for this opportunity to worship with you today.
“As we stand next to our neighbors, we need to see the goodness in each other,” he said.
In the wake of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of a former Minneapolis police officer, Johnson and Nelson wrote an op-ed for the publication
“Medium” condemning racism.
“Unitedly we declare that the answers to racism, prejudice, discrimination and hate will not come from government or law enforcement alone,” they wrote.
“Solutions will come as we open our hearts to those whose lives are
different than our own, as we work to build bonds of genuine friendship, and as we see each other as the brothers and sisters we are — for we are all children of a loving God.”
Until 1978, the Mormon church banned Black members from its allmale priesthood and from its temples. The practice lasted more than 150 years.
The church will donate $3 million to fund scholarships for three years for Black students through the United Negro College Fund. It also will give $250,000 to create a fellowship for students from the United States to travel to Ghana to learn about slavery, according to Nelson.
In addition, the church will give $6 million to fund three years of humani-
NAACP President Derrick Johnson spoke Sunday, June 13, to the Salt Lake City Utah 14th Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Johnson and church President Russell M. Nelson spoke against the sin of racism and announced the church’s financial support for several projects.
By Shewanda Riley
What began as an attempt to watch “In the Heights” on my smart television ended with me marveling at hidden treasures.
Like so many, I was excited about the movie but disappointed that I did not have the HBOMax app on my smart TV. A technical incompat-
ibility does not allow it to download HBOMax. But I have the app on my laptop. I did not want to watch it on my laptop, I wanted to watch on my TV.
I thought for a few minutes: How do I connect my laptop to my television? I have watched videos on my DVD player, so I knew I could do it. I just could not remember how I did it. When
I saw a suggestion from an internet search, I realized I could use an HDMI cable to connect the laptop. That sounded simple enough. It took me a few minutes to find the HDMI cable input on the back on the TV and connect it. My next question was: Where is the input/ source button on the remote control? I could not remember so I just pressed the one in the top right corner. It was red and looked like it was important. And then the most amazing thing happened: an entire menu of channels popped up.
“What are these and how long have they been on my television?” was
my first thought. I quickly forgot about watching “In the Heights” because I was now fascinated by what seemed like hundreds of streaming channels.
There were channels for news, sports, music and TV shows (there is a “The Love Boat channel”). It took me about 15 minutes to scroll through every channel listed.
I was amazed at how many there are and the fact that I had no idea they were there. I discovered one I wanted to stream but had not made the time to download it…and there it was already on my television.
After I watched the movie, I scrolled back through the channels
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tarian aid aimed at helping underprivileged people in six metro areas of the United States.
“I know that (Jesus Christ) looks over the world and rejoices when people speak like Brother Johnson speaks of unity and putting down contention and trying our very best, as President Nelson and President Oaks have taught, to root out racism and prejudice,” Nelson said during the Sunday service at the downtown convention center.
“These are truly our initiatives and our goals and accepted teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
in awe of all the content. The more I thought, the more I felt that this is how we treat God and his blessings/promises for our lives. We do not realize all we can access. It may take going down an unexpected path to realize all that God has for us. 2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
I thought my pressing a remote-control button was going to show me one thing, then it showed something even more amazing.
Shewanda Riley is a Fort Worthbased author of “Writing to the Beat of God’s Heart: A Book of Prayers for Writers.”
Photo by Leslie Nilsson/The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The City of Clayton is hiring for a full-time Community Recreation Supervisor. Apply by 07/09/21: https://claytonmo. applicantpro.com/jobs/ EOE
ATTORNEY II
St. Louis County Juvenile Office is seeking a full-time attorney to perform legal work that involves conducting legal research, litigation and legal representation of the Juvenile Officer in juvenile matters brought before the court. Work is supervised by the Manager of the Legal Department. The position is a non-merit position as an employee of Saint Louis County.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduation from an accredited law school, possession of a current license to practice law in the State of Missouri, at least two (2) years of trial experience preferably in juvenile, family or criminal law with additional years of trial experience or any equivalent experience being preferable. SALARY: Entry salary typically starts at $62,649.60 and this position is eligible for 10% addition to pay. TO APPLY: Candidates wishing to apply should visit the following address at St. Louis County Government’s website and complete an online application and submit a resume and cover letter by the end of the day on July 7, 2021: http://agency. governmentjobs.com/stlouis/default.
cfm EOE. Please contact the Human Resources Department at 314 615-4471 (voice) or RelayMO711 or 800 735-2966 if you need any accommodations in the application process, or if you would like this posting in an alternative form.
FULL-TIME PUBLIC WORKS ASSISTANT
of juveniles assigned to residential Detention units or to work the control desk. DDJO positions are established with a Bona Fide Occupational Qualification requiring that the candidate be of the same gender as the residential unit. DDJO positions are responsible for maintaining security and control, as well as providing direct supervision to the residents assigned to the unit. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or a related social/behavioral science; or four years of responsible, paraprofessional social service experience working with juvenile delinquents and/ or their families may be substituted in lieu of college; or any equivalent combination of training and experience. Starting salary is $15.68-$16.68 per hour contingent upon incumbent’s level of education. DDJO positions are eligible for 10% addition to pay. TO APPLY complete an online application at http://agency.governmentjobs.com/ stlouis/default.cfm Posting will remain open until vacancies are filled. EOE. Please contact the Human Resources Department at (314)615-4471 (voice) or (314) 615-5889 (TTY) if you need any accommodations in the application process, or if you would like this posting in an alternative format.
JOIN OUR TEAM AS AN OPERATOR TRAINEE
Phillips 66 is committed to improving lives and our company is built on values of safety, honor, and commitment. We have upcoming opportunities at our Wood River Refinery in Roxana, IL for Operator Trainees.
To qualify for this position, applicants must possess the following:
• Legally authorized to work in the job posting country • At least 18 years of age
High school diploma or
application and submit a resume and cover letter by 5 P.M., July 10, 2021: http://agency.governmentjobs.com/ stlouis/default.cfm EOE. Please contact the Human Resources Department at 615-2901 (voice) or RelayMO711 or 1-800-735-2966 if you need special accommodations in the application process or would like this posting in an alternative format.
City of Moline Acres is seeking Full-Time Public Works Assistant ($15.00 - $17.00 per hour). Job duties are a variety of professional administrative and managerial duties in assisting the Public Works Director and Code Enforcer. Must have HS Diploma or GED. Contact Mrs. ReAngela Roddy-Dixon at 314-868-2433 ext. 713 or apply at www.cityofmolineacres.org
the eligible MBE firm shall include with its proposal a copy of a current MBE certification approval letter issued by a federal, state, or local governmental entity Selection Criteria
Proposals submitted will be reviewed by staff for completeness and qualifications. Selection of a firm will be made on the basis of the following criteria:
1. History and experience of the contractor in providing similar renovations in the past;
2. Availability and approach to provide the Services;
3. Approach to minority participation;
4. Cost, after application of any applicable MBE discount, as described above; and 5. Responsiveness to the RFP categories.
Feed My People actively encourages submission of proposals from disadvantaged business enterprises and companies owned by minorities, women, immigrants, and veterans. The Port does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, national origin, disability, or veteran status in consideration of this award. Equal Opportunity Employer. Terms and Conditions
The following terms and conditions apply to all proposals:
1. Feed My People reserves the right to reject any and all proposals submitted; to select one or more responding parties; to void this RFP and the review process and/or terminate negotiations at any time; to select separate responding parties for various components of the scope of the project; to select a final party/parties from among the proposals received in response to this RFP. Additionally, any and all RFP project elements, requirements and schedules are subject to change and modification. Feed My People also reserves the unqualified right to modify, suspend, or terminate at its sole discretion any and all aspects of this RFP process, to obtain further information from any and all responding parties, and to waive any defects as to form or content of the RFP or any responses by any party.
2. This RFP does not commit Feed My People to award a contract, defray any costs incurred in the preparation of a response to this RFP, or contract for any services. All submitted responses to this RFP become the property of Feed My People. All proposals may be subject to public review, on request, unless exempted as discussed elsewhere in this RFP.
3. By accepting this RFP and/or submitting a proposal in response thereto, each responding party agrees for itself, its successors and assigns, to hold the Feed My People, along with its directors, consultants, attorneys, officers and employees harmless from and against any and all claims and demands of whatever nature or type, which any such responding company, its representatives, agents, contractors, successors or assigns may have against any of them as a result of issuing this RFP, revising this RFP, conducting the selection process and subsequent negotiations, making a final recommendation, selecting a responding party/parties or negotiating or executing an agreement incorporating the commitments of the selected responding party.
4. By submitting responses, each responding party acknowledges having read this RFP in its entirety and agrees to all terms and conditions set out in this RFP.
5. Responses shall be open and valid for a period of ninety (90) days from the due date of this RFP Submission of Proposals
To be considered, proposals must be received no later than Friday, July 9, 2021, at 3:00 PM CST. Proposals received after the deadline identified above will not be considered.
Schedule RFP Published Friday, June 18, 2021
Questions Submitted by Friday, June 25, 2021
Questions Answered Wednesday, June 30, 2021
Submission of Proposals by Friday, July 9, 2021
Questions about this RFP should be sent by email to karenl@fmpstl.org. Any answers to questions will be provided to all interested parties and will be released as an addendum to this RFP on Feed My People’s website, https://feed-my-people. org/, on the date indicated above.
proposals
be sent by email to karenl@fmpstl.org
INVESTMENT BANKER/ UNDERWRITING SERVICES RFP 2021
The Saint Louis Zoo seeks bids from qualified firms to submit proposals for Investment Banker/ Underwriting Services RFP 2021. Bid documents are available as of June 23, 2021 on the Saint Louis Zoo website: stlzoo.org/vendor.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The World Trade Center-St. Louis requests proposals for an event production company to assist in presenting its 2021 Growing Global event, scheduled for September 24, 2021, in a virtual format. A five percent bid preference may be available to certified MBE firms. A copy of the entire scope of work is available at https://stlpartnership.com/ rfp-rfq/. Proposals must be received no later than 3:00 PM CST on Thursday, July 15, 2021. St. Louis Economic Development Partnership Equal Opportunity Employer
INVITATION FOR BIDS
Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) is requesting bids for the construction services required for the installation of a new underground 4” conduit between the William L. Clay, Sr., Early Childhood Development Center and the Vashon Center Building for the future installation of a fiber optic line. Bids must be emailed no later than 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday July 6, 2021 to morrowb@hssu.edu
Responses to the IFB will be opened and read at a virtual bid opening on Tuesday, July 6th, 2021 at 2:15 a.m
A pre-bid conference and walk-through will be held on June 28th, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. on the parking lot of the William L. Clay Early Childhood Development building located at 10 N. Compton Ave., St. Louis, MO 63103. Masks will be required for entry into University facilities and at the pre-bid conference and walk-through. Social Distancing will also be required in facilities.
A copy of the Invitation for Bids can be obtained by contacting Barbara A. Morrow at email address: morrowb@hssu.edu or calling (314) 340-5763.
The University reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive all informalities in bids.
PUBLIC NOTICE REQUEST FOR BIDS
Poettker-IMPACT Strategies JV, LLC, as the selected Design-Build General Contractor, is requesting Subcontractor bids for the SoGro Apartments project in St. Louis, MO. This is a taxable project.
This project consists of complete ground-up construction of a (3) separate, 4-story apartment buildings with a total of 179 units. Construction includes a new Clubhouse, Management and Leasing Offices, Sky Lounges/Decks, Police Station, and a Fitness Center.
Building Trade Work required for this job includes, but is not limited to Building & Site Concrete, Concrete Topping, Masonry, Structural Steel and Erection, Rough Carpentry, Structural Wood Materials, Damproofing and Waterproofing, Thermal Insulation, Weather Barriers, Siding, TPO Membrane Roofing, Fiber Cement Siding, Flashing and Sheet Metal, Gutters and Downspouts, Fireproofing, Penetration Firestopping, Joint Sealants, Metal Doors, Frames and Hardware, Flush Wood Doors, Overhead Doors, Entrances and Storefronts, Vinyl Windows, Drywall, Flooring, Painting, Toilet Compartments, Toilet, Bath and Laundry Accessories, Fire Safety Specialties, Postal Specialties, Wire Storage Shelving, Awnings, Parking Control Equipment, Residential Appliances, Stone Countertops, Elevators, Fire Protection, Plumbing, HVAC, Electrical, Electronic Safety and Security, Earthwork, Soil Treatment, Asphalt Paving and Pavement markings, Fences and Gates, Landscaping and Irrigation, and Site Water, Sanitary and Storm Utilities.
The SoGro Apartments project will comply with the Diversity Goals as governed by Ordinance 71094 of the City of St. Louis. Ordinance 71094 outlines Enterprise (Contract Spend) requirements.
Workforce Participation Goals are also included below.
Enterprise (Contract Spend)
African American - 21%
Hispanic - 2%
Asian American - .5%
Native American - .5%
Women - 11%
Workforce Participation (Boots on the Ground)
Apprentice - 20%
Minority - 25%
Women- 7%
City Resident - 23%
Successful Contractors will be required to participate in the St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) program (GPTS) for documenting compliance with the Workforce and Prevailing Wage Ordinances.
All proposals submitted on this project should include materials and equipment that are “bought in America” wherever feasible. Please note on your proposal if you are unable to comply with this request.
Poettker-IMPACT Strategies JV, LLC will be offering one VIRTUAL Pre-Bid
Opportunity and one in-person Pre-Bid Meeting for this project. All interested subcontractors are encouraged to attend.
The Virtual Pre-Bid Meeting will be held at 3:30 PM on Tuesday, June 29, 2021 via Microsoft Teams. You do not need to have a Microsoft Teams account to participate. Please email EYost@buildwithimpact.com for the link to join the Pre-Bid Meeting.
The In-Person Pre-Bid Meeting will be held at 3:30 PM, on Thursday, July 1, 2021, at Employment Connection, located at 2838 Market St., St. Louis, MO 63103.
Project bid documents, as well as samples of Subcontract documents and insurance requirements can be viewed at IMPACT Strategies, Southern Illinois Builders Association, The Asian American Chamber of Commerce, The Congress of Racial Equality - North Central region, Cross Rhodes Print & Technologies, Employment Connection, The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, MO-KAN plan Room and Mcgraw Hill Dodge. Documents are also available for view/download from GradeBeam.com and the following direct link: https://buildwithimpact.exavault.com/share/view/2fgdl-4urrwq0p
Subcontractor bids are due to IMPACT Strategies, Inc. by 2:00 PM on July 22, 2021. Bids should be emailed to Emily Yost. eyost@buildwithimpact.com
St. LouiS american Bids & Public Notices St. LouiS
NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS
Paric Corporation is seeking proposals for the following project: Missouri Psychiatric CenterPediatric Assessment Unit the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO.
This is the renovation of the Pediatric Assessment Unit with support space. The project consists of approximately 5,762 SF of space and includes but is not limited to demolition, carpentry, architectural woodwork, firestopping, doors/frames/hardware, drywall, tile, acoustical ceilings, flooring, painting, fire sprinklers, plumbing, HVAC and electrical work.
This project has a diversity participation goals of 10% MBE, 10% combined WBE, DBE, Veteran Owned Business and 3% SDVE.
Bids for this project are due on June 28th, at 3:00 p.m. For any questions or would like to find out more detailed information on this opportunity, please contact Evan Chiles at 816-878-6003 or emchiles@paric.com.
All bids should be delivered to Paric via e-mail (bids@paric.com) or fax (816-878-6249).
PARIC CORPORATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
INTEGRATED
HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT (HCM) TECHNOLOGY RFP 2021
The Saint Louis Zoo seeks bids from qualified firms to submit proposals for Integrated Human Capital Management (HCM) Technology RFP 2021. Bid documents are available as of 6/23/2021 on the Saint Louis Zoo website: stlzoo.org/vendor
SOLICITING BID
PJ Hoerr, Inc is Soliciting Bids
MBE/WBE/DBE/Veteran/SDVE for the following:
University of Missouri Teaching Hospital- Upgrade Room 2E-15
Contact: Mike Murray, mikem@reinhardt constructionllc.com
Phone: 573-682-5505
METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
BISSELL POINT WWTF FOAM SUPPRESSION AND BIOFILTER REHABILITATION (IR)
CONTRACT LETTING NO. 13570-015.1
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS
Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for Bissell Point WWTF Foam Suppression and Biofilter Rehabilitation (IR) under Letting No. 13570-015.1, at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. All bids are to be deposited in the bid box located on the First Floor of the District’s Headquarters located at 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103, prior to the 2:00 p.m. bid deadline. Bids may also be submitted electronically at stlmsdplanroom.com. Refer to the Contractor’s notice page within the Bid Form for additional information on electronic submission of bids.
A general description of the work to be done under these contract documents is described as follows.
• Demolition and removal of the existing Biofilter system, which includes the blower, humidification chamber, FRP piping, FRP diffusers, and media.
• Replacement of new Biofilter system, including blower, humidification chamber, FRP piping, FRP diffusers, and media.
• Demolition and removal of existing 1” service water piping that is used as sprinkler system for the biofilter system.
• Replacement of new 1” service water piping and sprinklers to be used as sprinkler system for the biofilter system.
• Removal and replacement of the existing 6” drain piping that connects the drainage from the biofilter system to the existing ash lagoon pump station.
• Installation of approximately 450 feet of 4-inch water main as shown on the drawings.
• Installation of a foam suppression system that is comprised of spray nozzles suspended above the flow channel of the final outfall structure. The system will include a backflow preventor and water service line to a City of St. Louis water main.
The Engineer’s Opinion of Probable Cost for this project is $1,141,000.
Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualified by the OWNER’S Engineering Department for: Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing or Building Construction.
SEALED BIDS
Bids for HVAC
R e n o v a t i o n , Albany Regional Office, Project No. M1905-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL
1 : 3 0 P M , 7/15/2021 via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered t o b i d . F o r specific project information, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities
SEALED BIDS
B i d s f o r Abatement & Demolition of Front Portion of Biggs Building, Fulton State Hospital Project No. M2018-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, July 22, 2021 For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http:// oa.mo.gov/
SEALED BIDS
Bids for Replace E m e r g e n c y Generator, Power
l Center, Mineral Point, MO Project No. C1923-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, July 22, 2021 For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities
SOLICITING BID
PJ Hoerr, Inc is Soliciting Bids MBE/WBE/DBE/Veteran/SDVE for the
University of Missouri Teaching Hospital- Fitout Space 2W
Contact: Mike Murray, mikem@reinhardt constructionllc.com Phone: 573-682-5505
INVITATION TO BID FERGUSON-FLORISSANT SCHOOL DISTRICT
Ferguson-Florissant School District is requesting bid proposals for Uniforms Purchase until Wednesday, July 14, 2021, 11:00am CST. Bid specs must be obtained online at http://new.fergflor.k12.mo.us/ facilities-rfq
Contact/Attention: Matt Furfaro 314-824-2418
NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS
Notice is hereby given that The
BID NOTICE
Great Rivers Greenway is soliciting bids for demolition of improvements at 1108 Stephen Jones Ave. in Wellston, Missouri. Go to www.greatriversgreenway.org/ jobs-bids and submit by July 21, 2021.
may
Cilingir, Operations Manager, at 314-546-0074 or by emailing request t o hcilingir@gsastl.org
BID NOTICE
Curtiss-Manes-Schulte, Inc. is soliciting bids from MBE/WBE/SDVE/ DBE subcontractors and suppliers for work on the Lincoln University Farm Structures Phase 2, Lincoln University, Jefferson City, MO. Bids are due Thursday, June 30, 2021 by 1:00 pm and can be faxed to (573) 392-4527 or emailed to bbrown@ cms-gc.com. For more information, call Bob @ (573) 392-6553.
Curtiss-Manes-Schulte, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
BID NOTICE
Great Rivers Greenway is soliciting bids for Gateway Arch National Park site improvements in St. Louis, Missouri. Go to www.greatriversgreenway.org/ jobs-bids to apply by July 7, 2021.
PUBLISHER’S NOTICE:
Advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, imitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial\ status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.“We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.”
Continued from B1
their biggest performance.”
Griffith said it was very much intentional for WerQ Fest to be held during Pride Month. He added that he thinks the night is going to be special for that reason and for the 40th Anniversary of the first case of HIV and AIDS in America, which was on June 5.
“I think it’s gonna be a really powerful and impactful night especially to be able to close out the end of pride month this year which actually marks the 40th anniversary for the first case of HIV and AIDs in America,” Griffith said. There’s so many things to talk about and we’ve come so far, but we literally have 1,000 miles to go. I hope that this is just a conversation starter really to better the community and bridge that gap.”
WerQ Fest is more than just a music showcase, BoydGriffith said he and Griffith plan to eventually expand the brand into various such as a web series and public exhibitions.
“The highlight of WerQ Fest now is the festival, but we do have plans to expand into media and by that we mean by making an original webseries that is written, produced and directed by young Black queer creatives in St. Louis,” Boyd-Griffith said. “We also have plans of expanding into curation creating specific public exhibitions of spotlighting Black queer artists in the city. Our goal is to create a holistic component that represents all facades of young Black queer creatives in St. Louis within music, art, and film. WerQfest will be from 7-10:00 p.m. at the City
Tre’von “Tre G” Griffith and his husband Shelton BoydGriffith are the founders of WerQ, a musical festival created to provide Black queer, non-binary, trans artists and people the platform to freely be themselves.
Foundry, doors open at 6 p.m. p.m. The event is 21+ and up unless accompanied by an adult or guardian. For more information about WerQfest and to purchase tickets, visit: werqfest.com.
Continued from B1
“When I heard the beat I instantly gravitated to it, I knew it was a dope song and it was just for the culture,” Walker said. “In the hip-hop world, we love the Mexican culture. Taco Tuesday is a big thing, Cinco de Mayo, just a lot of different things about the culture that we embrace in hip-hop. “
Immediately when Walker heard the production for the song he became inspired to incorporate his flow of authentic lyricism and storytelling into it.
“The song is about overcoming adversity, not allowing circumstances that you can’t control to hold you back,” Walker said.
Like most kids, Walker grew up liking listening to music, but he didn’t want to become a rapper. He grew up instead loving the game of basketball, which was his passion at one point. However, once he started hanging out with his neighborhood friends and after his older brother persuaded them to start freestyling, he saw that rap could be the avenue for him.
“It was fun to do, but I didn’t start taking it seriously until I got older,” Walker said. “When I would drop a song or a mixtape every time people heard it they would tell me I should take it more seriously. It took me two years to become serious about it and the rest is history.”
Walker first started taking music more seriously in 2010 when he released his first mixtape “Raising the Bar,” then he released his 2012 EP “Here I Am 2 Worship.” He took some time away from
Dance
part of her first live performance debut.
“I’m very excited to continue to share it and be one of the women to pass on the legacy, message, and experience of Cry,” Green said. “I always do it for my mom.”
The woman soloist in the dance represents all Black
music for a couple of years and came back with 2019’s “Tina Turner,” then followed up with “Autopilot,” and now Get Big.
His inspiration for Tina Turner came from her time having lived in St. Louis and being one of the city’s most beloved icons.
“She’s the queen of the city and probably one of the most successful female artists to come out of the city,” Walker said. “You take away the abuse
n “The song is about overcoming adversity, not allowing circumstances that you can’t control to hold you back.”
- Tyrell “Alcam” Walker
and the mistreatment she suffered from Ike, she really helped him level up his career. She took the songs he created and turned them into worldwide hits.”
He added that to him that’s what women do, they help men to become better people.
“A woman is going to elevate what you bring to the table,” Walker said. “I’m emotionally mature enough to handle a woman the right way. I’m looking for a woman to amplify that, I’m looking for my Tina Turner.”
His single Autopilot is inspired by an eight-week freestyle Friday series he did last year where he dropped eight freestyles everyday for
women tracing all the way back to their African origins, the trials and tribulations they’ve conquered, and happiness shown despite obstacles.
“I think it’s really important in this day and age to also celebrate us,” Green said. “With all things that are going on and the sadness we see on the news, happening in our communities and workplaces we still need that balance for our mental health to have our own celebrations.” The Emerson Spring to
eight weeks. With the series he recorded and mixed the freestyles and dropped artwork for all of the freestyles. To him Autopilot means when once he refocuses his concentration and really gets into grind mode there’s no stopping him.
“Autopilot is a reflection of that, me as an artist when I tap in when I zone in like Auto Pilot,” Walker said “I think that goes for anybody that’s really passionate about what they’re doing. Once you find that groove and that wave you ain’t gotta think about it, you just gotta lock in and it’s going to happen.”
With St. Louis’ music scene being so diverse, Walker feels his music definitely sets him apart from the rest. He believes his approach to a track and his own personal life experiences make him one-of-a-kind from his peers.
“Everybody can’t talk about the stories that I can talk about cause everybody hasn’t been through what I’ve been through, that’s what makes me unique,” Walker said. “My cadence, when you listen to the way I approach a track, is not like some of the other artists here. There are only a few artists here that really take lyricism seriously.”
He strongly encourages everyone to check out the “Get Big” video and all of his music on other platforms.
“I want people to check out the “Get Big,” video and all of my other videos,” Walker said. “Stay tuned, new music is coming, and you can always hit me up with feedback to let me know what you think of my music.”
Walker’s music is available on all digital streaming platforms.
Dance Festival performances will be 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 25; 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 26; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at The Big Top. Learn more about the festival here: https://www.dancestlouis. org/emerson-spring-to-dancefestival-2021.
Tickets for the festival can be purchased on https://www. metrotix.com/events/detail/ dance-st-louis-emerson-springto-dance-festival-2021 or by calling the Metro Tix box office at 314-534-1111.
Photo by Brandon De’Shaun