June 26th, 2014 Edition

Councilwoman Erby: ‘You are on the wrong side of

Teach for St. Louis

Brittany Packnett on directing the Teach For America corps in her hometown

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

As executive director of Teach For America – St. Louis, Brittany Packnett oversees an administrative staff of 24 and 150 teachers – known as “corps members” – teaching 11,000 of the region’s neediest students. The organization’s mission

n “Our 2014 corps members are the most diverse corps ever in St. Louis. Over one-third are people of color.”

– Brittany Packnett SpeAking of fAith

COGIC celebrates regional convocation

troubled all over the world,’ says host Bishop Wooten

By Marissa Price Of The St.

American

n “It has been really like revival, night after night. People have been saved. People have had their lives changed.”

– Bishop Lawrence Wooten

“We Are Called to Minister and Witness to a Deeply Distressed and Troubled World.” Among the EMWI officials present were

Normandy transfer students left in limbo

By Tim Lloyd Of St. Louis Public radio

Anxiety crept through SheRon Chaney when she heard that the Francis Howell School District would no longer accept about 350 transfer students from Normandy who were signed up to continue in the program.

“Last year we were hopeful, this year we’re fearful,” she said.

n “I don’t think that anyone really knows the answer, so we keep experimenting.”

– SheRon Chaney

Chaney transferred her middle schoolaged daughter BrenNae to Maplewood Richmond Heights last year. And even though Francis Howell’s decision — made during a closed session of its school board — doesn’t affect her directly, it has Chaney and hundreds of other parents holding their breath. Normandy spent $900,000 to send students on long bus rides to Francis Howell in St. Charles County, but most transfer students went to schools where transportation was not provided. As of April, 538 of the 928 Normandy transfer students were enrolled in districts other than Francis Howell. What happens next for Chaney’s daughter — and other transfer students who went to districts other than Francis Howell — hinges on whether receiving districts will accept the lower tuition rate the staterun Normandy Schools Collaborative will offer next school year.

“We’re praying,” Chaney said.

When the Missouri State Board of Education voted to approve a string

Parents wait to see if districts will follow Francis Howell’s lead See NORMANDY, A7

Brittany Packnett, executive director of Teach For America – St. Louis, talks with corps member Natasha Dupee at Carr Lane VPA Middle School in the St. Louis Public School District during a site visit on Monday.

Photo by Wiley Price

Photo by Wiley Price

income community.

Packnett is a St. Louis native with well-known parents. She is the daughter of the late Rev. Ronald B. Packnett, former pastor of Central Baptist Church, and Gwendolyn D. Packnett, assistant vice chancellor of Academic Affairs at the

Big Boi back with his wife

Last October Antwan ‘Big Boi’ Patton’s wife Sherlita filed for divorce calling their marriage “irretrievably broken,” but they’ve reportedly decided to work it out. Back in February the estranged couple was fighting tooth and nail over child support, but now they’ve decided to give it another go.

According to TMZ.com Big Boi and Sherlita both agreed to pulled the plug on their divorce proceedings earlier this month.

Bey-Z to try couples therapy because of b-list mistresses?

Paltrow to coach her through it.

Sources tell OK Magazine that Jay Z and Beyoncé, on the advice of Gwyneth Paltrow, have sought out couples therapy in a last ditch effort to make things work.

“[Jay Z] vowed to change his ways. In front of Bey, he called rumored mistress Rachel Roy to end their relationship: “No more cozy dinners, no more late-night phone calls,” says the source. “He’s even deleted her number from his phone.

Meanwhile the popular blind item site

“Crazy Days and Nights” claims that Jay-Z has had a long-term sideline relationship with someone else within the music industry.

claims that Mya is Jay Z’s main side chick.

R. Kelly relationship in Aaliyah Lifetime biopic, family staging protest

According to The New York Post’s Page Six, an upcoming Lifetime movie on the late R&B singer Aaliyah will include details of her controversial relationship with crooner , sources tell

Aaliyah’s cousin and Blackground music exec Jomo Hankerson blasts the Lifetime Network and encourages Aaliyah fans to mount a protest.

Insiders claim Jay Z and Beyoncé have turned to couples therapy to save their marriage.

According to CelebrityDirtyLaundry.com, a source has claimed that Beyoncé is very close to calling it quits on her marriage, and she’s asking the recently separated Gwyneth

“When people talk about Jay-Z and his mistresses, they often forget about a mainstay who has been there forever,” The site said. “She is the person he calls when he needs to be discreet and thinking about old times. She is that very short named R&B singer who hasn’t had a hit in a while and doesn’t really even act or record any longer. She basically lives off the generosity of Jay-Z and a couple of other guys. She peaked at A-.”

Twice a year the site picks select items to reveal and for this one the site

She was tragically killed in a 2001 plane crash when she was just 22 — and was alleged to have secretly, illegally married her mentor Kelly in 1994 when she was 15 and he was 27.

Though the couple denied the union, a marriage certificate was eventually revealed that falsely listed Aaliyah’s age as 18. The marriage was reportedly annulled by her parents. In a statement obtained by The Jasmine Brand,

“Aaliyah was more than a singer, she was -and is still – an American music icon whose legacy continues to live on and influence today’s music culture, just as Ray Charles, Notorious B.I.G., Selena and Johnny Cash,” The statement read. “Considering the magnitude of her fans’ affection alone, she deserves to have a tribute much more grand than a television network debut that won’t even consider the perspectives of those who were closest to Aaliyah.

They are disregarding the families and dishonoring the legacies of celebrated figures who have passed on; big networks want to exploit their stories for a buck. Lifetime Television is trying to dictate the status of our heroes, our heroines and – in this case – our beloved Aaliyah. We implore everyone to call Lifetime Television, send emails and bombard social media so they know we demand respect for our cultural icons. We will not sit idly by while they misrepresent and reap profits from our luminaries. There is more at stake than the public could imagine.”

Sources: Crazy Days and Nights, TMZ. com, The Jasmine Brand, Celebrity Dirty Laundry.com, OK Magazine, The Los Angeles Times

Roberts headed to M.I.T. with PhD

Parkway West grad was mentored by NSBE’s Pre College Initiative

By Penny Smith

For The St. Louis American

On May 16, Shannon C. Roberts received a doctor of philosophy degree in industrial engineering with a minor in psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Roberts graduated from Parkway West High School in Chesterfield. She obtained her mechanical engineering degree from MIT in June 2009.

“People don’t go to graduate school to have fun; they go to enhance their career,” Roberts said. “Though graduate school is not easy, it is well worth it.

Having an advanced degree places you among the best of the best. Moreover, at the end of the day, people will call me

‘Dr. Roberts.’ This title, as well as my education, is something that no one can ever take from me.”

She offered encouragement to younger students faced with conflicting social messages.

“Don’t be afraid to go against the norm to be good at math and science. Despite what people have told you, you can do it!” she said.

“It may seem hard at first, but no satisfaction comes from tasks that are easy. The math

The fight for the South

With the Republican takeover of the Virginia State Senate, Republicans now control the state legislatures in all 11 former confederate states.

Now the reconstruction of the New South that was launched by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Lyndon B. Johnson is under assault.

King’s movement and Johnson’s presidential power transformed the South after the Supreme Court ruled segregation unconstitutional in Brown v. Board of Education The Voting Rights Act gave blacks the right to vote. Civil rights legislation opened up public facilities and launched an era of affirmative actions to overcome segregation. The War on Poverty extended Medicare, food stamps, housing aid and jobs programs to the impoverished. The transformation generated its own reaction. Johnson predicted that Democrats would lose the South for a generation. Under Nixon, the Republican Party adopted a Southern strategy, making itself the party of white sanctuary, displacing conservative Democrats. Slowly, Republicans

and science skills you develop in high school determine the caliber of your undergraduate education which, in turn, determines your career path. Make wise decisions early on, because they will definitely impact your future.”

began picking up seats and consolidating their position, even as the country grew more diverse. Barack Obama’s election shocked many white Southerners, accelerating the process.

Now Republican governors and legislatures across the South are chipping away at the progress that has been made. Emboldened when the Supreme Court overturned key parts of the Voting Rights Act, they are passing legislation that makes voting harder for working and poor people, disproportionately minorities.

Shannon C. Roberts received a doctor of philosophy degree in industrial engineering from the University of WisconsinMadison and will be starting as a Technical Staff member in the Cyber Systems and Technology Group at the M.I.T. Lincoln Lab.

Roberts will be starting her post-doc career as a Technical Staff member in the Cyber Systems and Technology Group at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) Lincoln Lab.

“I will continue to work on

And when the Supreme Court affirmed state rights over the expansion of Medicaid in health care reform, Republican governors and legislatures

cutting-edge research that has implications for society,” she said. “I will continue to interact with young black scholars, whether that be as a mentor, a teacher, a professor.”

As an undergraduate, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) helped her to hone her engineering skills and interact with other black engineers from all over the country. As a graduate student, NSBE provided a means for her to recruit black engineers to attend graduate school.

“My attendance at NSBE conferences helped in deciding which graduate school to attend and led to many summer internships, as well as my future position at MIT Lincoln Lab,” she said. “If it weren’t for NSBE, I’m sure I would not have taken the same career path.”

“Dr. Roberts is an example of what young people in our community can do if they are focused and put in the hard

across the South blocked the expansion, depriving millions of poor working families of decent health protection. Where governors once sought to stand in the schoolhouse door, now they stand at the hospital door. These states are not opposed to federal money. Of the top 10 states with budgets containing the highest percentage of revenue from the federal government, five are in the South – Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia and South Carolina. South Carolina, for example, suffers the third-highest poverty rate in the U.S., with nearly 20 percent of all residents and more than one-fourth of all children in poverty. Yet, Gov. Nikki Haley has turned

her back on $11 billion in federal resources for Medicaid expansion and hundreds of millions for education. The state lobbies for more money for military bases, ports and highways, but turns its back on the poor. Will the progress of the last decades be turned back? Will the Old South block the growth of a New South?

The political threat is clear. Republicans consolidate their position as a party of white sanctuary and dominate elections across the South.

National Democrats decide it is not worth investing in those states, with the exception possibly of outliers, like Texas and Florida. The Deep South descends once more into a region of racial reaction.

work,” said Ronald Moore, Pre College director for NSBE in St. Louis.

“NSBE is a family-based organization. One core value is we help each other achieve their goals. We are proud of Shannon’s accomplishments; she will inspire many others to go to higher levels of achievement.”

What advice does Roberts have for those reading this article?

“Don’t ever underestimate the power of networking,” she said. “While it is true that performance is a strong predictor of success, having the right people in your corner will make your life a lot easier.” Roberts will be recognized Saturday, July 12 at of the NSBE St. Louis Gateway Chapter’s 2014 Annual Scholars & Award Program at Washington University. Richard Marks, Ameren Illinois president and CEO, will be the guest speaker.

One problem with this is that a reactionary South can have an inordinate influence in our national politics. We’ve seen how a Republican minority in the Senate, constructed significantly of senators from the Southern states, can obstruct sensible reforms, from raising the minimum wage to paycheck fairness to allowing refinancing of student loans at a lower rate. This Republican Party could block steps to strengthen civil rights laws, enforce labor laws, or provide a helping hand to the poor. If the New South is to be revived, the battle must be fought at the state and local level. As Dr. King taught us, only the victims of oppression can stop their own victimization. A new movement of poor working people — joining across lines of race or gender — must rise to challenge the new reaction.

Columnist Rev. Jesse Jaskson Sr.

Editorial /CommEntary

Vote no Amendment 7

On the August 5 Missouri primary ballot you will be asked to vote on Amendment 7, the largest tax increase in the history of the state. We urge you to vote NO. Amendment 7 would authorize a ¾ cent increase in both sales and use taxes to pay for improvements to the state’s transportation system. Unlike the gas tax, which has traditionally been used to fund the highway system, the heaviest burden for paying this sales tax will fall on Missouri families, particularly those with low incomes.

Those who profit from Amendment 7, like the trucking industry, construction contractors and consulting engineers, will pay virtually nothing. Not surprisingly, these are the special interests that tirelessly lobbied our legislature to put this proposal on the ballot and are now pouring millions of dollars into the election campaign.

This huge tax increase is being proposed at the same time that the General Assembly is doing everything possible to cut taxes and reduce spending on essential public services like education, healthcare, public safety and the social safety net. This is the same state that refused to expand Medicaid, alleging fear that it might lead to additional costs several years into the future. This is the same state that leads the nation in kicking people off of food stamps. The hypocrisy of Amendment 7 is stunning.

The Missouri Department of Transportation and the proponents of Amendment 7 are making vague promises that this new tax will create jobs and improve safety. In fact, Missouri has been on an unprecedented spree of highway construction over the last 10 years, and the result is that we have more pavement per capita in St. Louis and Kansas City than any other large metropolitan area in the nation. Yet, our state and local economies are some of the slowest-growing. The promise that this tax will create jobs sounds good, but other than short-term construction jobs, history and common sense

tell us it won’t happen. And MoDOT is certainly capable of ixing deicient bridges and making other safety improvements to roadways with its current budget or with a very small tax increase. County Executive Charlie Dooley has correctly pointed out that this is a case of misplaced priorities. So why is Mayor Francis Slay supporting this huge tax increase on his constituents? He argues that the city is going to get some great projects from this program. Perhaps we might, but at what price? We will send more money to Jefferson City than we get back.

The proposal will increase the combined sales tax rate in the city to over 11 percent in some places, making it hard on consumers and local businesses. It will make it more dificult for the city and the state to pay for truly essential services in the future. And it will lead to a further expansion of the highway network in suburban and rural areas that has encouraged and enabled the drain of population and jobs from the core of our region.

This is a bad proposal for the city, and the mayor should be ashamed for supporting it. If he really cares about jobs and safety, he should be asking the legislature to provide more funding for education and public safety, two services that we know will produce jobs, instead of emptying our pockets for projects that might be nice, but for which we will pay dearly. MoDOT’s strategy is to buy votes with a wish list of projects. We shouldn’t fall for that.

The economy of our state and the well-being of our citizens should not be left to the devices of a narrow group of special interests whose principal purpose is to proit from our tax dollars while they avoid paying their fair share. A NO vote on Amendment 7 will send a clear message that there needs to be an honest conversation about the best way to create jobs in our state and improve the lives of our citizens.

As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

Needed: massive voter registration

We have the antidote to voter suppression: massive voter registration. We proved it 50 years ago during Freedom Summer. We proved it again in Florida in 2012, when NAACP activists registered 115,000 people in a year when the legislature had effectively made traditional voter registration strategies illegal. We need to prove it again this summer. As we prepare for November’s midterm elections – and look forward to 2016 – our focus should be on the stretch of heavily black states and counties below the MasonDixon Line that make up the “Black Belt.”

Our new report from the Southern Elections Foundation and the Center for American Progress shows that a massive wave of voter registration could upset the balance of power in many Black Belt states. For instance, registering 30 percent of unregistered black voters would create enough “new black voters” – even after accounting for turnout rates – to swing a governor’s race in Virginia or North Carolina. Meanwhile, registering 60 percent of unregistered black, Hispanic, and Asian voters could upset the balance of power in Florida, Georgia,

Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

The conventional wisdom would say that this is impossible – that candidates who represent the views of communities of color and progressive whites simply do not have a chance of winning statewide office in these Southern states. This conventional wisdom is wrong for two reasons.

First, it ignores the changing demographic and political trends in the Black Belt. Black re-migration and Latino and Asian immigration are reshaping the demographics of the region. Meanwhile, the extremism of the ruling farright wing is pushing away white women and young voters of all races.

Second, it takes a pessimistic view of progress. Many people look at the Black Belt and say that nothing has changed for years, and ask why we should invest in the region. This has it exactly backwards. If we invest, then things will change.

The summer of 2014 can be a season of revival. In the coming months, as black political conventions convene across the country to discuss their political strategy for the coming year, we should remember the mistakes of 2010, when low turnout rates led to a wave of extreme rightwing candidates winning office across the country.

We have the power to make sure that does not happen again.

Overdosing on tea

The Republican Party’s reliance on tea party support is like an addict’s dependence on a dangerous drug: It may feel good at first, but eventually it eats you alive.

No House majority leader had ever been ousted in a primary before Eric Cantor’s shocking defeat. Republicans who tell themselves it was Cantor’s own fault – he lost touch with his Virginia district, he tried to have it both ways on immigration, he came to be seen as part of the Washington establishment – are whistling past the graveyard. Cantor didn’t just lose, he got clobbered. His opponent, college professor Dave Brat, spent just $200,000 on the race – not much more than Cantor’s $5 million campaign spent on meals at steakhouses. Yet a powerful incumbent, running in a district whose boundaries were custom-designed for his benefit, lost by an incredible 11 percentage points.

There can be no doubt that the tail is now wagging the dog. The tea party should no longer be thought of as just a faction of the GOP. It’s calling the shots.

Certainly, other Republican incumbents have managed to survive this primary season, with the possible exception of Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi, who is thought likely to lose a runoff against tea party-backed challenger Chris McDaniel. But many establishment Republicans hung on by claiming the tea party’s

radical vision as their own. And what is that vision? An unimaginable reduction in the size and role of government that would reshape the nation in ways most Americans would never accept.

Look at Brat, for example. He has views that are appropriate for academia – he teaches economics at RandolphMacon College – but would be disastrous if put into practice. He is reportedly a devotee of the writings of novelist Ayn Rand, whose worship of unfettered capitalism was matched only by her loathing of government, taxation and anything resembling a social compact.

Some have described him as an economic populist stance, but I wonder if the description fits. When NBC’s Chuck Todd asked about the minimum wage, Brat responded that “you cannot artificially make up wage rates.” So is this a debate most Americans are ready to have? Not whether the minimum wage should be raised, but whether it should exist?

Brat believes in fiscal restraint, which is a standard Republican position – until it veers into nihilistic territory such as refusing to raise the debt ceiling, as most tea party Republicans in the House have consistently voted. He questions the federal role in setting education policy – at a time when U.S. schools, by almost any measure, are falling behind.

Brat also opposes comprehensive immigration reform that could provide a path to citizenship for the more than 11 million men, women and children who are here

Letters to the editor

Mourning Ruby Dee

We mourn the passing of my dear friend of many years, Ruby Dee, whom I truly admired. She was a gifted and talented woman who joined with her late husband, Ossie Davis, to produce and present some of the most enjoyable and inspirational stage productions and movies that I have ever experienced.

In some states it may ultimately be too late to marshal funds for the 2014 election, but there is no reason we cannot start focusing on 2016.

We have the power in Georgia, where the New Georgia Project is working methodically to register 120,000 black, Hispanic and Asian American voters in the state – the biggest voter registration drive in 20 years.

We have the power in Mississippi, where the Mississippi Freedom Summer 50th Anniversary Conference is meeting in late June to reflect on the past five decades of political organizing and put a plan into action for the next five decades.

We have the power through all of the black civic organizations, which can collectively reach hundreds of thousands of people of color below the Mason Dixon Line, and through the growing number of unions and other progressive organizations that are sprouting in the South.

During Freedom Summer and the turbulent 1960’s, civil rights activists used to ask new recruits, “Are you willing to die for Freedom?” Today we need to ask each other, “Are you willing to live for Freedom?”

Jealous is the former president and CEO of the NAACP. He is currently a partner at Kapor Capital and a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Ruby and Ossie were well-connected with both the artistic and African-American communities. They were pioneers who opened doors previously shut tight to AfricanAmerican artists, and planted the seeds for the success that actresses and actors of color enjoy today.

Ruby and Ossie were also community activists committed to social justice and improving the lives of African Americans. They were remembered by the Congressional Black Caucus for their efforts in establishing the Black Agenda during the 1972 National Black Political Convention.

Ruby lived a productive life, and her work will be cherished for years to come. As a legendary actress, playwright and screenwriter, Ruby’s career spanned more than half a century, and her enormous body of work included “A Raisin in the Sun,” the first Broadway play written by a black woman, and the memorable “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” I will miss her dearly.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Washington, D.C.

Stop the educational experiments

The State Board of Education’s action regarding the student transfer situation in the Normandy School District continues the comedy of errors that has played out with the department on this issue. The decision, based on recommendations by Commissioner Chris Nicastro, is the most recent in a long line of irresponsible decisions

without papers. This is the issue that brought conservative radio talk show hosts Laura Ingraham and Mark Levin to endorse and campaign for him.

Cantor told voters that he, too, opposed “amnesty” for undocumented immigrants. But he was seen as “soft” on the issue, which should be translated as “in touch with reality.” Republican intransigence on reform threatens to make Latinos –the biggest minority group in the nation – a longtime loyal constituency of the Democratic Party. If this happens, simple arithmetic makes it hard to imagine how Republicans will be able to compete in national elections.

The tea party is pushing the GOP toward ideological purity and electoral marginalization. Smart Republicans don’t want to walk off the cliff. But deviating from the tea party path, as Cantor did, can mean being sent home.

Brat’s victory came without much support from national tea party leaders, who declined to invest in him because they believed he couldn’t win. This was a grass-roots defenestration, performed without adult supervision. The standard way of dealing with an insurgent movement – find a way to co-opt its leaders –won’t work if there are no effective leaders.

The GOP has to decide whether it intends to participate responsibly in the enterprise of government or stand on the sidelines, shouting invective and throwing stones. One of which just hit the majority leader of the House of Representatives in the head.

made by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. If this is what the commissioner and department had intended to do, it should have done it a year ago to avoid putting Normandy students and parents through a year of turmoil and plunging the district into bankruptcy.

I have consistently questioned Nicastro’s abuse of power and irresponsible decisions at the expense of students in struggling communities. It is time, for the sake of Missouri’s children, to put a stop to these experiments.

State Rep. Genise Montecillo Via email

I remember Ruby

Ruby Dee was never content merely to advance her own remarkable career, lending her voice and her considerable fame to causes from the American Civil Rights Movement to the global campaign against Apartheid. She stood with Dr. King and other leaders at the 1963 March on Washington, and later spoke at his funeral. She won extensive recognition for her achievements on stage, on the radio, in film, and on television. And she never slowed down or let up, delivering powerful performances and speaking out against injustice – often alongside her late husband, the great Ossie Davis – over the course of a career spanning more than six decades.

I will always remember Ruby Dee was a wonderful entertainer, a truly great actress, a fierce activist, and an indispensable leader in the fight for civil rights. She left an indelible impression on me when, as a young man, I saw her unforgettable performance in “A Raisin in the Sun.” I join millions of Americans in expressing my heartfelt condolences, and deepest sympathies, to her family and friends. Her work, her example, and her memory will endure. But she will be dearly missed.

Columnist Eugene Robinson

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder Washington, D.C.

City sponsors summer meal sites

The city’s Department of Human Services is again sponsoring “School’s Out Café,” a summer meal program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The city is able to serve nearly 400,000 breakfast and lunch meals to students this summer.

The city has recruited, trained and is sponsoring 81 volunteer sites that will serve meals at School’s Out Cafes now through August 8. Anyone 18 years or younger is eligible to eat. In addition, people who have been determined by a state or local educational agency to have a mental or physical disability are also eligible.

To find a meal site near you, call the United Way at 211 or (800) 427-4626.

To learn more about the city’s program or to get information about opening a site in your area, contact the Department of Human Services – Youth Nutrition Office at 314-657-1695 or visit www. stlouis-mo.gov.

Metro fare increase effective July 1

A Metro transit fare increase approved last month by the Bi-State Development Agency Board of Commissioners will go into effect on July 1, which is the beginning of the agency’s new fiscal year. The cost of the one-ride MetroLink fare will increase from $2.25 to $2.50, making it $5 for a round trip. Weekly passes will increase from $25 to $27; monthly passes from $72 to $78; and the semester transit pass will go from $150 to $175. The fare increase will not impact the $2 base MetroBus fare or the 2-Hour Pass/ Transfer which will remain at $3. Also, there will no change in the price of a $7.50 Day Pass or the $4 Metro Call-ARide fare.

Rose for a survivor

Melanie Auberry stood at the finish line at the Komen Race for the Cure on June 14, smelling the rose that Rams player Jarred Cook gave her after crossing the finish line as she enjoyed the sweet smell of victory of being a one-year cancer survivor.

Teens tutor seniors on technology

Teen volunteers in St. Louis help seniors dive in and learn how to surf the internet, use smartphones, digital cameras, grasp social media, and access Skype. With the lack of summer employment opportunities for youth, volunTEENnation.org recruited several teens to tutor senior citizens and offer one-on-one training at local retirement centers, community centers, and nursing homes. The teens learn to problem-solve and develop an understanding of the benefits of intergenerational relationships, while the seniors learn new skills and values. High school students can sign up to tutor local senior citizens one-on-one or in groups. Apply for a Teens Teach Tech grant: http://www.bit.ly/TeenTechGrant or a Sports Grant: http://www.bit.ly/Sports_Grant

Players sought for soccer team

Soccer players are needed for the St. Louis Community College women’s squad for the upcoming 2014 season. The exhibition season begins Aug. 16, and the first regular-season game is slated for Aug. 26. For more information, contact Erin Hesselbach at 314-9847780 or ehesselbach@stlcc.edu.

From excellence to incarceration

By Christi Griffin For The St. Louis American

His tiny hands manipulated the blocks with skill. At two years old, his dexterity was exceeded only by his speech. As he placed the last block in place, he proudly announced that “he did it.” His exceptional enunciation was well beyond his years. He not only understood the toy, but the significance of completion and accomplishment. He was clearly accustomed to well-deserved praise.

Somewhere between the brilliance so many AfricanAmerican children exhibit as toddlers and the failure they experience by third grade, something is going wrong. So many begin life exceeding all measurements of intelligence: crawling and walking months in advance, speaking in full sentences and displaying exceptional intellectual skills. Yet, somewhere along the line something goes askew.

Somewhere between the stress of growing up black in America, the trauma of abuse and neglect, the hyperactivity that results from sugar-infused diets and psychotropic drugs, too many AfricanAmerican children fall behind.

Test scores, measured by indicators that often fail to reflect the African-American experience, begin to show disparities in educational attainment. No longer are they excelling in dexterity, speech and mental acuity. Suddenly they lag far behind their contemporaries.

For the last several decades the drop-out rate of AfricanAmerican students has grown to staggering proportions. Those who struggle to stay in school often fail to achieve any degree of educational success. Inner-city schools robbed of both students and resources through laws that now measure student populations by the “free lunches” handed out, struggle to educate students challenged by trauma, poverty and ongoing oppression.

In the meantime, those who perpetrated these very social conditions grow wealthy through bus systems that transport the failing students, corporate farms that feed them and publishing companies that miseducate them.

Thousands of African-American children circumvent the pitfalls of being black and poor in America. Like the twoyear-old boy who has begun life with exceptional ability, they manage to continue an upwardly mobile climb.

But too many others fall prey to mass incarceration. They are the ultimate victims of a system that feeds off the economic deprivation of minority communities and robs children of parental figures and the stability needed to succeed in life. They become the victims of a system that has achieved little more in the last 30 years than to make other communities wealthy while leaving millions of African-American children failing in school and life.

Christi Griffin will discuss and sign her book “Incarcerations in Black and White: The Subjugation of Black America” at the Central Library, 1301 Olive St., 2-4 p.m. Saturday, June 28. The event is free and open to the public.

Christi Griffin

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

PACKNETT

Continued from A1

University of Missouri-St. Louis.

An alum of the John B. Ervin Scholars program at Washington University with a master’s in elementary education from American University, she joined Teach For America as a 2007 corps member in Washington, D.C., where she taught third grade at MLK Elementary.

After a stint as legislative assistant for U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay, she served as a director on Teach For America’s Federal Government Affairs team, supporting efforts to raise $50 million for the organization’s national projects and fostering partnerships. She also co-founded The Collective-DC, the first chapter of Teach For America’s National Alumni of Color Association.

She talked to The St. Louis American about her leadership role and the myth that St. Louis is a challenging place to be a professional young AfricanAmerican woman.

St. Louis American: What is new with Teach For America St. Louis?

Brittany Packnett: So much! We have grown an alumni base of 450 folks who have completed two years with Teach For America and continue to work, live and thrive in St. Louis. Nearly 200 are directly working in schools, over 70 have been classroom teachers for six years or beyond, and 10 folks are starting next year as school leaders, opening new schools or serving as district or charter leaders.

A number of our alumni have started nonprofits, are working in education policy or influencing education through the corporate sector. I am really proud of our alums and the things they are doing to influence educational equity from every direction to make this a systemic effort. So we have a growing group, both in

size and scope of work. I’m also excited to have an innovative new training model. With the University of Missouri – St. Louis and St. Louis Public Schools, we launched the first-ever Teach For America – St. Louis summer training institute called the Summer Experience. That means our 75 brand-new corps members, instead of going someplace else like Chicago to receive intensive initial training, are actually doing it here in St. Louis for the first time ever teaching SLPS summer school.

So they are learning to teach in the context of what it means to teach in St. Louis. They’re getting to know some of their kids and families. They are starting to see St. Louis as home and to get support from the local community here in St. Louis: UMSL faculty, Teach For America full-time staff, St. Louis Public Schools master teachers, and a number of our alumni educators are giving one-on-one coaching and feedback.

They will get 50 hours of lead teaching time in the classroom. The rest of the time they’ll be in workshops, doing collaborative learning, working in content teams to plan lessons. I’m excited we have increased our level of local investment by launching this institute.

Another big thing: Our 2014 corps members are the most diverse corps ever in St. Louis. Over one-third are people of color. One-third have some tie to St. Louis (they are from here or went to college here).

We have the highest number of corps members starting a second career: 45 percent come from some other professional background, graduate school or other careers. I am excited for that mix of strong college leaders who just graduated, as well as second-career professionals looking to make an impact.

Last and most important, we have the highest student achievement numbers ever. On average, our students progressed 1.5 years in both reading and math – on average

across every classroom. Since some come into class behind a grade level, to advance more than one year is of critical importance.

St. Louis American: You yourself are a Teach for America staffer with ties to St. Louis. What was your adjustment moving back here from D.C.?

Brittany Packnett: Coming here from D.C. for me was just coming home. Thankfully, there’s not much adjustment when you come home. It always feels great. It’s a special privilege to do this work in the city that nourished me, developed me, in a city full of people who deeply influenced my life. I walk into our schools and central offices and see people who mentored me, kids whose grandparents I went to church with. I have friends who have students in our classrooms.

It’s humbling, exciting and a privilege – and it helps me to remember my responsibility. I have one of the best educations St. Louis could possibly

offer, so my duty is that every child, regardless of race or zip code, has access to excellent education. To do that work at home, the responsibility is great but the privilege is even greater.

St. Louis American: How long had you been gone, and what had changed here while you were away?

Brittany Packnett: I left to move to Washington in the summer of 2007, so I was gone for about six years. In Washington, one of the roles I held was Congressman Clay’s legislative assistant in education, so though I was far from home I felt very tied to what was happening here in the 1st Congressional District. Since I returned, a couple of things have changed for the better. One is there’s a robust community of people interested in education. On my 90-day listening tour when I started in the executive director role, everyone – pastors, community leaders, business owners, the media – was hungry to dig in and talk about how we can

continue to increase the quality of education across St. Louis. There was a level of interest and a hunger to do what’s best for kids that was exciting to walk into.

When I came home, I also walked into a thirst for strong talent. I saw greater stability, as teachers were staying in classrooms longer, and district and school leaders were remaining at their posts longer to really dig into the community to make long-term, systemic change. So many people here are committed to working for the long haul with the right vision for the future.

St. Louis American: It’s often said that St. Louis is a challenging place for a young professional African American, especially a female. Are you finding that to be true?

Brittany Packnett: I am finding that challenge to be a myth. Since I have come back to St. Louis, it has helped to be led by people like Adrian Bracy of YWCA, Leslie Gill of College Summit, Charli Cooksey of

inspireSTL. There is a network of African-American women who are mentors of mine. It is deeply inspiring that there is this core group I can go to for professional advice and leadership advice, who just get what this work is all about, especially in the non-profit sector. I appreciate that St. Louis is not so big that you can’t reach out and touch one another. It has a special mix of people who are not out for self-glorification but for the betterment of the community. That network cuts across multiple backgrounds, sectors and fields. They are people ready to take ownership of St. Louis. So I don’t think that rap is fair. I think it’s easier here to be a young African-American female leader with such a robust, thoughtful network of similar people. It’s not without its challenges, but this is work I am excited to do with colleagues who teach me so much about leadership.

The Rev. Donald Hunter delivered the eulogy for St. Louis radio legend Lou “Fatha” Times Sr. at New Sunny Mount Baptist Church on Tuesday. Thimes passed away Wednesday, June 11 at the age of 85. There will be a special musical celebration in Thimes’ honor 9 p.m. Saturday, June 28 at The Ambassador.

Farewell to ‘Fatha’

Photo by Wiley Price

COGIC

Continued from A1

member Bishop Lawrence Wooten, Administrative Assistant Elmer Goodlow, Superintendent Henry Clark, Superintendent Gary McClain, Pastor John Woodard, Superintendent Darnell Sanders, Pastor Lloyd Gardner, Administrative Assistant Marvin Sanders and Auxiliary Bishop Designee Nathaniel Ellis.

“Over 40 churches in our jurisdiction, and also visiting

NORMANDY

Continued from A1 of recommendations for the Normandy Schools Collaborative — which will begin operations next month — it gave the reconstituted district no accreditation status.

By wiping the district’s status clean, the state removed a receiving district’s obligation under Missouri’s school transfer law to accept students from an unaccredited district in the same or adjoining county.

As long as a transfer student went to Normandy for at least one semester during the 201213 school year, he or she could continue to go to the same receiving district they went to last school year. Three parents of students who can no longer transfer under this part of the guidelines have filed a lawsuit against the state of Missouri.

No new students can apply for the transfer program. And for a student to continue in the program, the receiving district would have to accept a tuition rate of a little more than $7,200, less than what any of the receiving districts charged last school year.

The guidelines do not allow students who transferred last year to pick another district, nor will the state choose another transportation option for students. That seems to leave students who transferred to Francis Howell out in the

churches and officials from all over the country, came together to celebrate,” said Bishop Wooten, who is also pastor of Williams Temple.

Visiting officials and churchgoers alike watched with pride as the Jurisdictional Mass Choir and praise dance team, Praise in Motion, showcased their talents.

Bishop Wooten brought the official message to a temple filled with excitement during the highpoint of the service. He said his goal for the evening was “to reach out and witness. I prayed and asked God to come forth to heal and

cold. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has also issued new guidelines for transfers out of unaccredited districts. The recommendations suggest that receiving districts charge an unaccredited district like Riverview Gardens or Kansas City Public $7,200, as well. However, the state has no authority to impose these terms on a receiving district.

Because Riverview Gardens remains unaccredited, it must pay what a receiving district charges. Likewise, receiving districts must continue to accept transfers students from Riverview Gardens. Any student applying to transfer for the first time must have attended school in the district during the 2013-14 school year.

As for Chaney, she’s thought about moving to ensure BrenNae could continue in Maplewood Richmond Heights, but it’s not a simple decision. While BrenNae is making strides transferring to a new school, Chaney’s youngest daughter, Anandra, is thriving at Jefferson Elementary in Normandy.

“That’s a dilemma,” Chaney said. “If we do move, that may not be the best fit for my baby girl.”

State officials have requested that districts let the department know by June 30 if they’ll accept the lower tuition rate.

Kit Crancer,

director

deliver in a great and mighty way. I feel that the people are His sheep, and I’m just His under-shepherd. I have to mind how I tend God’s sheep.”

The service concluded with the ordination of Gregory McKinze, Dwight Lucas and Antonio Edwards.

For the entire week, Williams Temple hosted various convocation events, including daily workshops and evening services led by visiting bishops. As First Lady Shirley Wooten explained, the week consisted of “day classes and sessions and also evening preaching and teaching.”

of Students First — which advocates for school choice — said Francis Howell’s decision could lead to a domino effect among receiving districts.

“I think a precedent has been set,” Crancer said. “We have about 400 families whose lives have been thrown into chaos.”

After a school year of early mornings, long drives and hope to find a better education for her daughter, Chaney said the uncertainty is exhausting.

“It’s like the flip side of last year,” Chaney said. “You opened up that opportunity, and so many of us we took it. We thought it was great opportunity. But it was preliminary, it was temporary. I don’t think that anyone really knows the answer, so we keep experimenting”

Visiting bishops included Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake and Ocie Booker, Prelate of First Jurisdiction-Illinois. Bishop Blake delivered the Word of the Lord on Friday, following a youth high praise service and banner march led by Pastor Lloyd Gardner of Victory Temple COGIC. Saturday’s agenda included Sunday School classes under the leadership of State Sunday School President Mother Jean Gardner and an outdoor service. There was also a free community clothing giveaway to help those in need. Members dedicated their

and her daughter Jayla went to Mary Emily Bryan Middle School.

Cannady said the news was a blow to Demitrius.

“What do you tell a child?”

Cannady said. “He was getting ready to take senior pictures.”

Cannady works at a hospital and lives with her mother. She’s considering moving into Francis Howell, but that might not be in the cards.

n “I do want him to get the best education possible. But I can’t do the impossible.”

– Paul Davis

‘Can I afford it?’

While some parents wait for answers, others are struggling to come to terms with the decision by Francis Howell not to accept their children.

“I’m in shock,” Deborah Cannady said. “My first thought was, ‘what now?’”

Cannady has two children who transferred to Francis Howell. Her oldest child, Demitrius, attended Francis Howell North High School

“Can I afford it?” Cannady said. “I’ll do my best, that’s all I can say. I want my son to finish out there. I’m going to do my best to keep him in that district.” She’s also worried about Jayla taking a step backward. Cannady said she was told by administrators in Normandy that her daughter was reading above grade level, but when she arrived at Francis Howell Jayla tested as reading at least one grade level below.

Cannady said teachers in Francis Howell gave her daughter extra reading help, and 10 months later, Jayla was back on track.

“I want to do what I have to do to get her reading up to where it should be,” Cannady said.

Paul Davis, a former taxi driver now on disability, transferred his son Robert to Francis Howell High School.

Saturday to giving away “clothes and shoes that we had been collecting for a while,” said First Lady Wooten. “It’s troubled all over the world. Our job is help in whatever way we can –spiritually, physically and emotionally,” said Bishop Wooten.

The convocation did help the worshippers, he said.

“It has been really like revival, night after night,” said Bishop Wooten. “People have been saved. People have had their lives changed; they’ve given their hearts to Jesus. Bodies have been healed, and

Like Cannady, he’d think about moving, if he could.

“I do want him to get the best education possible,” Davis said. “But I can’t do the impossible. That would mean moving to St. Charles County and being in that district. Why think about it? We couldn’t afford it.”

His son did well in Francis Howell and played in the band. While the news wasn’t completely unexpected, Davis said, he waited for hours to tell his son. Robert has mild to moderate autism, and Davis said change can be hard on his son.

“I want to be on the level with him,” Davis said. “I want him to know what we’re up against. But we knew that there was a possibility that he wouldn’t be going back in the fall, we knew that all year long.”

Francis Howell Superintendent Pam Sloan has said that money was not a factor in the district’s decision, even though the $7,239 the state was willing to pay was less than the $11,034 the district charged last school year. The district’s general policy is that it does not accept nonresident, tuition-paying students.

A district statement said the tuition money is best spent on the new Normandy Schools Collaborative.

“FHSD has consistently held the beliefs that transferring students from

people have recommitted to their work and to God.”

“This has been the greatest,” added Administrative Assistant Elmer Goodlow, Pastor of Roseview COGIC. The main mission of the Convocation was “to proclaim the good news of the Gospel to a dying world,” said Bishop Wooten. He said those who participated had the chance to “pray for us and be a part of what God is doing.”

Marissa Price is a St. Louis American intern from Saint Louis University. Follow her on Twitter @missmprice12.

an unaccredited school district is not the solution to improving struggling schools, and that the funds spent on tuition and transportation for transfer students can be more effectively spent on educating the whole Normandy student population. Children have a right and a need to have quality schools in their neighborhood.” At the same time, district records indicate Francis Howell took in more tuition money from Normandy than it increased spending to accommodate those students. The district’s revised budget projected $3.4 million in added revenue from Normandy transfers. It also projected expenditures to go up by $2,547,814, due in large part because of transfer students. The budget’s summary specifically lists $1,465,813 in added costs related to the transfer program.

“The increase is primarily driven by expenditures related to the transfer program, including $848,142 for salaries, $127,421 for benefits and $490,250 for supplies,” according to the budget. According to the soon-tobe reconstituted Normandy district, it sent Francis Howell $4,040,154 out of a total of around $10.4 million in tuition it paid for transfer students.

Edited for length and reprinted with permission from news.stlpublicradio.org.

Stenger picks fight with Dooley over Normandy

You can count on a spirited Democratic primary to dredge up some issues of importance to the AfricanAmerican community, and County Executive Charlie Dooley’s defense of his office against County Councilman

Steve Stenger is generating some heat, and possibly some light, on the limbo status of Normandy transfer students.

Jason Rosenbaum of St. Louis Public Radio did a great job of calling balls and strikes on the political gaming of the transfer student crisis.

Rosenbaum reported that Stenger, D-Affton, put out a news release Monday morning calling for the state board to “reverse its decision preventing Normandy students from returning to schools they attended last year under Missouri’s transfer law.” Stenger was referring to the state board’s creation of a new Normandy Schools Collaborative with no accreditation status.

After the state board’s decision, the Francis Howell School District announced that it would not accept Normandy transfer students in the coming school year.

“The children of Normandy and their families have been traumatized by the turmoil

in the Normandy School District,” Rosenbaum quoted Stenger’s statement. “We need to do everything possible to assure our kids have access to any services that might be available.”

Stenger called for the council to work with the Children’s Services Fund to allocate money “for the Normandy School District children,” Rosenbaum quoted Stenger. Without question, this was a bold move for Stenger – challenging the motive of Dooley’s advocacy for what should be his natural constituent base as an African American from North County. But Stenger then went from bold to asking for a beating by trying to get some of Mike Jones’ blood on his knife. Jones is senior policy advisor to Dooley and an appointed member of the Missouri State Board of Education. Stenger’s release criticized Jones for stating at the state board meeting “there are going to be causalities with what we are going to do today.”

“Even though the county cannot enact statewide education policy, it is our obligation to fight for the children in St. Louis County and devote what county resources we have to deal with

the unfortunate aftermath,” Rosenbaum quoted Stenger.

“The Dooley administration has sat idly by and through Mike Jones … supporting the whipsawing of the children of Normandy. The Dooley administration has opposed using the Children’s Services Fund for Normandy and other unaccredited school districts. I will not.”

Dooley’s campaign sent out a blistering response to Stenger’s release not long after Stenger’s release landed. First, Dooley spoke to the issue, rather than the political gamesmanship.

“The focus now should be on putting the right people and policies in place in the Normandy district to ensure a quality education for the students,” Rosenbaum quoted Dooley. “St. Louis County will continue to support

Normandy and Superintendent (Ty McNichols) any way we can. We have a number of programs in the district already and where it makes sense to invest additional funding or support we will do that.”

The Dooley campaign release then accused Stenger of “once again showing that he will say anything and do anything to get attention and try and boost his name recognition during this election.”

Rosenbaum gave us more of Dooley in this vein, even sharing a closing insult.

“Mr. Stenger has said nothing and done nothing to support Normandy or Riverview Gardens school districts the entire time he has been on the council. When he was chairman of the council, he said and did nothing,” Rosenbaum quoted the release.

“The challenges facing

anywhere else. Because of his lack of standing, I’m not going to waste time refuting baseless charges that demonstrate his ignorance of the Normandy situation, including the Missouri statues that govern what the SBE can or cannot do. Not much of a public official, not much of a lawyer, either.

“However, I will comment on the arrogance of a white South County Democrat whose entire public record is absent of any concern on issues of racial justice, be it racial profiling by county police in his district, minority inclusion on county projects or business, AfricanAmerican health disparities or predatory lending practices, just to name a few. In fact, the St Louis region has enough racial justice issues it takes active ignorance for a public official not to be aware of them.

“Given his shameful silence, for him to presume he has the moral authority to speak on behalf of black children is mind-blowing!

“For any black folks out there who think Stenger’s ice is colder and his water wetter because he’s white, think about this:

Normandy have existed during Stenger’s entire tenure on the council and he hasn’t lifted a finger nor uttered a word. Now that he’s trying to get votes he wants to use Normandy and the families caught in this difficult situation to curry political favor. It’s loathsome.”

Rosenbaum gave Dooley even more play, noting that Dooley’s release went on to say that Stenger “has no understanding” of the Children’s Service Fund “or of the issues in the Normandy School District.” The fund “has a separate board with clear guidelines for the allocation of revenue” and already is supporting agencies helping the Normandy School District, including Big Brothers, Big Sister, Crider Health Center and Epworth Center.

Then Charlie’s campaign even gets in the claim that Stenger is just playing (as James T. Ingram would say) politricks.

“County Executive Dooley has held meetings with superintendents to educate himself on issues and provides resources where appropriate,” Rosenbaum quoted the release.

“He has met with Jennings, Normandy, FergusonFlorissant, Hazelwood and others – he has been hands-on and it has not been part of a campaign trick.”

Mike Jones attacks back

When Mike Jones got wind of this, he dished to the EYE. This is Mike Jones on a rampage:

“I was struck by the imprudence in Steve Stenger’s comments concerning the situation with the NSD and my role as a member of the SBE. If I had any respect for his ability as a public official I would have been offended, but since I don’t, I’m not.

“Let me be clear, Steve Stenger has no standing in any discussion about the educational destiny of black children in Normandy or

* For the six years Stenger has been on the County Council, he’s never uttered a word about the quality of education the children of NSD were receiving

* When the NSD lost its accreditation, again Stenger was silent

* When children in Normandy and Riverview Gardens began transferring last fall, he had nothing to say

* During this past legislative session with a raging debate about fixing the transfer statue, he’s MIA

* In my three years on the SBE of education he has never asked me to brief him or the council about education issues in St Louis County. So much for caring about “all our children.”

This email to the EYE seemed to be warm-up for Jones, who took the mic Tuesday evening at the County Council meeting and hit some notes for this screed, calling Stenger a “political zero” who “was using black children to benefit their personal political agenda,” as Rosenbaum reported

“In your worthless political life, you have never spoken to any issue that affects black children, black adults in any shape, form or fashion,” Rosenbaum quoted Jones. After the council meeting, Rosenbaum reported, Stenger called Jones’ remarks “unprofessional.” Even Dooley told Rosenbaum that he would have challenged Stenger “in a different way,” though he agreed with Jones’ criticism of Stenger.

Jay’s in too

Like any intelligent political animal picking up the scent of a public forum, Gov. Jay Nixon picked just this moment, weeks after the end of legislative session, to veto the education bill that included the failed attempt to fix the tuition burden in the transfer student legislation. You can see Jay waving from the political sidelines, “Me, too!”

At the council meeting Tuesday night, St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley had a heated exchange with Councilman Greg Quinn, accusing him of siding with Councilman Steve Stenger, right, Dooley’s rival in the August 5 Democratic primary.

Photo by Wiley Price

Young teen travels for leadership’s sake

By Bridjes O’Neil

Of The St. Louis American

“I’ve always wanted to go to Washington, D.C. so this is a great opportunity for me,” said Takara Johnson, 13, a student at Hazelwood North Middle School.

Takara, along with students in grades ifth through eight from around the world, will travel to Washington, D.C. June 23 to participate in People to People’s 2014 World Leadership Forum: Learning to Lead. For 50 years, People to People Ambassador Programs has provided educational travel for students across the globe. Students will spend several days in our nation’s capital where they will discuss world events with an exclusive panel of current or former members of Congress and staff on Capitol Hill. Other program highlights include a visit to the new U.S. Institute of Peace, examining the leadership styles of prominent historical igures, and participating in a servicelearning project. On the third day, students will travel north to Pennsylvania where they will visit Gettysburg National Military Park. Students will also have an opportunity to visit signiicant memorials, museums, and monuments and learn how iconic leaders, like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., handled world events throughout history. Takara says she is most excited to stand in the very spot where the civil rights leader delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech

Takara, along with students in grades ifth through eight from around the world, will travel to Washington, D.C. June 23 to participate in People to People’s 2014 World Leadership Forum: Learning to Lead.

more than 50 years ago.

“I believe that speech made a huge impact on America and I can only envision what that moment felt like being there,” Takara said.

Angela Waters, a communication skills teacher at Hazelwood North Middle School, noticed Takara’s leadership potential and felt she would be a great candidate for

the program.

“It seems that a number of students were nominated by this particular teacher throughout the school,” said Takara’s mom, Tammy Johnson.

As early as two years old, Tammy observed that her daughter was born with a “fearless” and “kind-hearted” disposition. Tammy and her husband, Kevin, are extremely proud of their daughter and her accomplishments.

“She is quick to point out what she sees as an injustice,” Tammy said of her daughter. “With her being so young and passionate about various things, I see that as her strongest leadership ability.”

Tammy is grateful for the publicity because she says many people are unaware about this particular program.

“They’re going to Canada, Mexico, and traveling to the Grand Canyon,” Tammy said. “It’s various experiences to broaden their horizons.”

For more information, visit peopletopeople.com

Follow this reporter on Twitter: @BridjesONeil

Inclusion legislation sidetracked

Councilwoman

Erby: ‘You are on the wrong side of history!’

By Yaphett El-Amin For The St. Louis American

On Tuesday, June 24, St. Louis County Councilwoman Hazel Erby continued her efforts to bring St. Louis County into the 21st century by presenting meaningful and effective legislation that would assure that minorities and women have access to contracting, bidding and jobs opportunities in county government.

Erby’s legislation sets utilization goals of 20 percent for minority-owned businesses (MBE) and 5 percent for women-owned businesses (WBE) for all purchasing areas.

Erby, the only AfricanAmerican female to ever serve on the County Council, was rebuffed by her fellow council members. Councilman Mike O’Mara, who aggressively opposed Erby’s legislation, introduced and passed a substitute bill that gutted the Diversity director’s power to investigate and report on inclusion or compliance matters. It also requires that minority companies that secure contracts over $25,000 have a Department of Labor-approved apprentice program.

Erby sternly admonished those members by warning them, “You are on the wrong side of history!” Although the audience in the council chambers was moved by that comment, the other members of the council were unmoved and stuck to their plan.

St. Louis County is home to the largest population of African Americans of any county in the state of Missouri. However, unlike St. Louis city, Kansas City, Jackson County and the State of Missouri, St. Louis County has no programs for the utilization of M/WBEs or for jobs for county residents.

Thirty-two percent of St. Louis County population is made up of minorities (with 24 percent being AfricanAmerican), and most of the region’s MBEs are based in the

county.

Erby said, “Minorities and women are full-fledged, lawabiding taxpayers and citizens, yet, as the records will show, are practically excluded from doing business here.”

Erby’ represents the county’s 1st District, whose population is 80 percent AfricanAmerican. O’Mara, who aggressively opposed Erby’s legislation, represents the 4th District, whose population is 55 percent African-American.

Several speakers took direct aim at Stenger for his opposition to Erby’s legislation and his support for O’Mara’s weakened legislation. Mike Jones, senior policy consultant to County Executive Charlie Dooley and an appointed member of the State Board of Education, accused Stenger

St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley and County Councilwoman Hazel Erby spoke in favor of minority inclusion legislation being pushed by Erby at the council meeting Tuesday night.

of politicizing the Normandy School District issue. Those comments were mirrored by Erby and Moline Acres Councilwoman Shonte Harmon-Young. Stenger is challenging Dooley for county executive in the August 5 Democratic primary.

Erby’s effort to pass meaningful inclusionary legislation started about six weeks ago. Countless speakers, black and white, male and female, appeared before the council in support of the legislation with strong accountability measures. Although Stenger said that he spoke with the St. Louis County NAACP and they support O’Mara legislation, no one from the NAACP spoke in favor of that legislation.

In

Memory of James A. Moore Jr.

Sept 05, 1991- July 04, 2012

The pain will never go away; Yet it softens some, with time. Even though another year has come and gone; I hold your memories in my heart, From that I know I’ll never part. Missing and loving you always, Mom We love and miss you terribly. Dad, Granny Shirley and Evie, Grandpa Rev. Fraction; Uncle Terry, Robert, and Edward; Aunt Lesa and Denise Daddy, I miss you so much. Jacorion D. Moore

In Loving Memory of my Beloved Husband

Thomas Bryant, Sr.

Sept 13, 1927 - June 30, 2013

Our 57 years of marriage was a joy! Remembering you is easy. We do it every day. Missing you is the hardest part, as it never goes away. To hear

your voice, see your smile, to sit and talk with you will be our greatest wish. We shall always love and remember you!

Love, Your wife Bernice; your children Thomas, Jr., Evelyn and Melvin and all of your grand, great-grand and great-great grandchildren

L.R. “Skip” Nunn

L.R. “Skip” Nunn passed away on June 15, 2014 at the age of 82. President of Nunn’s Hauling Company. He is survived by his five sons, Lee Nunn, Jr., Steven

Kyle Nunn,

daughter,

Armstrong;

and

and

Nunn,

Dameyan Gurley, Avian Nunn;

Vangie

two brothers, Ossie Nunn Jr. of Southfield, MI, Freddie Lee Nunn of Little Rock, AR; four sisters, Lura Williams of Flint, MI, Mary Simmons of Canton, MI, Norma Gloston of Lonoke, AR, Iola Philson of Gastonia, NC

numerous grandchildren

great-grandchildren.

Thomes Bryant, Sr.

James A. Moore, Jr.

L.R. Nunn

Photo by Wiley Price

Keeping students focused on college

High School to College Center addresses threat of ‘summer melt’

By Bridjes O’Neil

Of The St. Louis American

Daisha Tankins returned to the St. Louis Graduates High School to College Center, at 618 N. Skinker Blvd. in the Delmar Loop. More than a year has passed since Tankins crossed the threshold of the pop-up retail space to receive free college counseling and financial aid assistance offered at the center. The space was provided by Washington University in St. Louis – one of several partners that include College Bound, Deaconess Foundation, the Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis and the United Way of Greater St. Louis.

Then, Tankins had just graduated from McCluer High School and that fall the firstgeneration college student was headed to Spelman College in Atlanta to study psychology. On Thursday, she said she never made it to Spelman.

“I was sure that I was ready to go out of town to be hours away from my parents,” she said. “Sometimes you have to have a setback to gain something.”

She realized that her financial aid package would not

cover the full cost of her outof-state tuition. Her financial situation is the main reason that first brought her to the center, she said.

After Spelman did not pan out, she thought about taking a year-long break from her studies – until her parents intervened and encouraged her to enroll at Harris-Stowe State University. She gained security in knowing that she could always rely on her family and close friends when facing “complications” in life. Now, a year older and wiser, she wants to help other students make easier transitions to college by sharing her story.

“I just want to be a part of the support system that helped me,” she said. “I know that a lot of people are actually going to show up in the fall for college because of this.”

She now works at the center as an intern. The center served 214 students last year, according to St. Louis Graduates Project Manager Laura Winter. It is a number Winter hopes will increase over the summer.

“Last year was a pilot effort,” Winter said. “We wanted to address ‘Summer Melt’ with a good team in place

Commentary

Foster youth need advocates

By Cheryl Latham

For The St. Louis American

Sonya had been in foster care since just before her second birthday. On her eighteenth birthday – 16 years and more than 27 foster placements later – she stood in front of the family court judge

college choice. He had recently met with Heather Sadi, a Webster University representative, to discuss on-campus housing at the center. Posted behind him on a partition was a handwritten list of upcoming college representative visits.

Durant Conley sat with his son, David, who also recently graduated from Clyde C. Miller Career Academy and will attend St. Louis Community College at Meramec.

“I wanted to go to a community college first just to knock off my core classes for cheap,” David said. “Money doesn’t grow on trees.” His father was pleased with the center and he is surprised that more people are not aware of the community resource.

“They were very efficient,” he said. “The process was very streamlined. It really helped us and resolved a lot of our concerns about my son’s future career.”

expecting to be released. Tired of social workers and others telling her what to do, Sonya was eager to begin living life on her own terms. Admittedly, though, if the judge released her that day she would have nowhere to go nor any way to provide for her basic needs. She wasn’t

to create a community response to a community problem.”

“Summer melt,” Winter says, refers to the estimated 10 to 40 percent of students nationwide who do not follow through with their plans to attend the college of their choice in the fall. She said the reasons vary from incomplete financial aid packages to students missing important deadlines.

St. Louis Graduates is a collaborative network of youthserving college access provider organizations, K-12 education,

attending school regularly and didn’t have enough credits to graduate with her class at the end of the year.

The judge told her that he wanted her to stay in foster care a while longer so that she could get additional help completing her education, securing employment and getting her life in order. She left the courtroom in a huff saying that no one could help her – that she’d already been in every type of placement Missouri could offer.

philanthropic funders and businesses focused on increasing degree completion among low-income and firstgeneration students. The center opened in June 2013 and is the first of its kind in the St. Louis region.

The Missouri College Advising Corps has taken notice and is opening a similar center, called College Connections Center, to serve students in the metropolitan Kansas City area. Student success is key to the state’s

hopped on the first one she could. No one heard from her for the next six months.

Rather than ride back to her foster home with her case manager, Sonya made a mad dash for the Metro bus and

As parents, we must meet our children’s basic needs –safety, food, shelter and clothing – while nurturing them and providing guidance and encouragement to develop the life skills they need to reach their full potential and become productive, responsible adults.

Each of us can recall our own teenage years, which were likely marked with overconfidence, defiance and rash, irresponsible decisions. This is normal for adolescence.

For youth in foster care, this

Better Family Life will help you! Bounce

Receive up to Want to purchase your first home? Have you owned a home and for some reason you are no longer a home owner?

goal of having 60 percent of working-age Missourians with a postsecondary credential by the year 2025, said David Russell, commissioner of higher education for Missouri. Michael Walker is well on his way to earning an undergraduate degree. He graduated from Soldan International Studies High School in the St. Louis Public School System. He strolled into the center wearing a blue shortsleeved Webster University T-shirt that advertised his

tumultuous time is exacerbated by instability and the lack of a family and permanent home.

Without the unconditional love and support of a family and the guidance of a caring and consistent adult, these behaviors can have more severe consequences and may impact youth for the rest of their lives.

National research reveals youth who grow up in foster care are less likely to graduate from high school. They also have increased rates of substance use, teen births, homelessness, unemployment, and contact with the criminal justice system. The detrimental effects impact not only the child, but our community as well.

In May 2013, the Jim Casey

After Meramec, David plans to attend the Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology at Saint Louis University to study aerospace engineering.

St. Louis Graduates High School to College Center is open now until August 1. Hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s closed Sundays and July 4 and 5, Learn more at stlouisgraduates. org or call 314-932-6956.

Follow this reporter on Twitter: @BridjesONeil.

Youth Opportunities Initiative issued a study showing there is a significant financial impact on communities – more than $300,000 in social costs like incarceration, welfare, and lost wages. Older youth like Sonya need and deserve someone focused on helping them, motivating them and believing in them. Each of us can help improve the foster care experience for our older youth to set them on the path to a successful future after foster care. Lift your voice on behalf of older youth in foster care – contact Voices at 314-6154594. Cheryl Latham is CASA program director with Voices for Children.

Cheryl Latham

Brianna Branch a financial aid adviser for St. Louis Graduates High School to College Center, helps Durant Conley and his son David, 18, apply for financial aid

online. David plans to attend St. Louis Community College at Meramec in the fall.

Photo by Wiley Price

Planting seeds for a healthier community

Centene Corporation, Home State Health Plan, Gateway Greening partner on education

By Sandra Jordan

Of The St. Louis American

The Bell Demonstration and Community Garden in midtown St. Louis became an outdoor learning lab for about 100 elementary and preschool horticulturists in-training, who learned about the benefits of gardening through storytelling and hands-on planting.

Author Michelle Bain, conducted a call-and response reading of her latest book, “Chrys and the Mums.” The main character, Darby the wallaby, learns how to take care of his ailing plant he purchased at the farmer’s market with plant TLC – soil, light and water.

Centene Corporation, Home State Health Plan and Gateway Greening hosted the Thursday, June 19 event. Centene

provided the health input and Gateway Greening provided the gardening education that went into the book.

“We thought, what a great way to talk about gardening, as far as not only growing healthy foods, but the science behind it and the exercise they get in the garden,” said Dr. Mary Mason, senior vice president and chief medical officer for Centene. Mason said they started the children’s book series five years ago, and it is used throughout their service areas to instill healthier behaviors in children at an early age.

“When we think about our membership, right now, over 50 percent or 1.5 million of our members are under the age of 12, and we were trying to come up with a creative way to engage kids in their health,” Mason said, “not only

Commentary

Prosecutor responds to reversal of conviction

By Hope Whitehead For The St. Louis American

If you are like me and do not read the St. Louis PostDispatch, you may have missed that a murder case I tried as a prosecutor 20 years ago was overturned by a judge. The Post headline read, “Judge reverses 1995 murder conviction, says St. Louis prosecutor withheld evidence.” The judge said, “The government suppressed evidence either willfully or inadvertently.” I was the prosecutor of that case, and this is what I said: “I was a prosecutor for seven years and a lawyer for 20 years. I have tried hundreds of cases. My integrity as a prosecutor or

prevention but for kids with diabetes, asthma, foster care children.”

Centene enlists children’s author Michelle Bain to write the books.

“We also have a parent and guardian’s guide that goes with the book, and we think that’s really important because it

defense attorney has NEVER been questioned,” I stated.

“I remember this case well, because I was deeply concerned about the victim’s mother whose son was shot. He was a twin and she expressed that she relives the shooting every time she looks into the eyes of her surviving son. The victim was 14, and the shooter was 14,” I continued.

helps enforce the message at home,” Mason said. “We also have pre-and post-tests that we do in the book, so when we go in schools we can measure increase in point of knowledge, and we do this with all of our books.”

In addition to their partnership with Centene and

Hope Whitehead

“All of my witnesses were talented children in the drum and bugle corp. They all took the jury stand and were subject to cross examination,” I continued.

“I do not know why the

judge reached the conclusion that he did. Did witnesses change their statements? Did new witness come forward? I am certain a thorough investigation will be conducted, and I look forward to the results,” I concluded. The Post reporter printed one line from the above quote, so I am relying on The St. Louis American to tell the real deal. I unequivocally deny withholding any evidence, “willfully or inadvertently.” As a black female, mother of two sons, living in the city of St. Louis, I gain nothing from withholding

its subsidiary, Home State Health Plan, on the book, Gateway Greening works with 90 youth partners around St. Louis, including schools, clubs and daycares to promote the benefits of gardening to children.

“We have partnered with them to put gardens at their

evidence. I don’t want a jury to convict the wrong shooter and leave the real shooter walking in my community. As I said above, I remember this case very well. It was a hard case to try. Not because of the evidence, but because of the children. The victim was 14, and the shooter was 14. The witnesses were around the same age. My oldest son was 14. There was no joy in this case. There were mothers crying throughout the courtroom, including in the jury box. It was a sad case for everyone.

After numerous appeals over a 20-year period, I do not know why this judge made the ruling he did. I was never summoned to testify. No one asked me

De’Andre Stewart, Bre’Aja Gleghorn and Xy’lah Reed from the Urban League Head Start program learn the benefits of gardening from the Gateway Greening program at the Bell Demonstration and Community Garden Thursday morning. The event was sponsored by Centene Corporation and Home State Health Plan.

locations and have education staff that works with those youth partners to activate and use those gardens,” Michael Sorth, executive director of Gateway Greening, said. “This book fits in perfectly; it’s a teaching tool to use in the gardens.”

Each child planted seeds in tiny starter pots of soil to take home, along with a copy of the book read to them and a fannypack, provided by Centene. For more information, visit www.gatewaygreening.org

about any evidentiary issues during these appeals. As a lawyer, I will respect the judge’s decision, and the circuit attorney will determine Anthony William’s fate from here. As for me, I will continue to practice law with the same philosophy that has always guided my career: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere” (Martin Luther King Jr.).

Hope Whitehead is a former prosecutor and state representative and frequent contributor to The St. Louis American. She is currently practicing law at Whitehead & Associates, LLC.

Credits that transfer, faculty with real-world experience, 1/3 the cost of most public universities.

Photo by Wiley Price

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The

cost of a hole in the head

I consider myself a pretty tough cookie. Whateva – bring it on. But by the last months of Vertus Hardiman’s life projected on the big screen, I was covering my face, unable to look at the screen. I could not bear the fact that a human being was enduring this depth of suffering. I didn’t want to have the horrific images of the growing, necrotic hole in his head emblazoned on my memory screen forever.

Last week, A Call to Conscience sponsored a screening of Hole in the Head at the Missouri History Museum. The documentary chronicles the life and death of Hardiman who, along with nine other black children, were victims of radiation experimentation in the 1920s. Vertus’ irradiation was the worst of the lot, perhaps because he was the youngest. At five years old, the so-called medical treatment for ringworm actually burned a hole through his little skull. The parents of the children had been deceived into participation by the white county hospital. I know the documentary was supposed to lift up the dignity and resilience of Hardiman, who suffered incessant pain and disfigurement without complaint. His was a guarded life of 85 years, his secret covered by wigs or hats. I couldn’t get past Hardiman’s remarkable story for thinking about payback.

Just a few weeks ago, Ta-Nehisi Coates made “The Case for Reparations” in The Atlantic. The article blew up the internet; it set a single-day traffic record for the magazine’s website. The print edition shattered The Atlantic’s previous best sales figures at Barnes and Noble. All of a sudden Coates was talking to SRO venues, on a bunch of talk shows and the topic of numerous blogs and websites.

This is not the first article on reparations, so I’m baffled about why it resonated so deeply now (apparently, so is Coates). There have been numerous articles written on the subject. Randall Robinson wrote a book about it entitled “The Debt.”

So, here we are having a national discussion about reparations because an unlikely advocate decided to give it some thought. I say “unlikely,” because Coates was not always a reparations proponent. I suppose as he nears 40 years of age as a black man, he’s taking a more serious look at his own life and the lives of black folks in this country.

Coates takes us past the 250 years of free

labor during slavery, past the nearly 100 years of government-sanctioned discrimination and terrorism, and past 60 years of separate but equal. He had to get these out of the way because the first point opponents of reparations argue is that slavery is over.

White supremacy and all its manifestations didn’t end with slavery. It took the form of medical experimentation and other racial disparities in health care, stolen land and property, profits from unequal pay, redlining and other unfair banking policies, mass incarceration, lack of access to opportunities – and the list goes on and on. Racial discrimination has negatively impacted the health, education and quality of life of African Americans.

Equally as devastating has been the impact of racial oppression on the psyche and souls of black folks – the self-hatred and resulting selfdestruction are powerful by-products of white supremacy.

Coates has us talking about reparations again, and that’s a good thing. Congressman John Conyers has introduced H.R. 40 every year for the last 25 years to no avail, and it only deals with conducting a mere study on the topic. The article can help pump up groups like the National Coalition for Black Reparations in America (N’COBRA), who’ve carried the torch for 30 years. This country stubbornly refuses to acknowledge its past and present racial crimes. I agree with Coates: Until we reckon with our compounding moral debts, America will never be whole.

Jamala Rogers

Ta-Nehisi Coates

Business

in Your Business

Divine Dzion turns ten

Faith-based hosiery company celebrates a decade of entrepreneurial success

By Marissa Price

For The St. Louis American

Ten years ago, Al and Marcia Parks launched their hosiery company “out of necessity,” Al said.

“For years I had complained to Al about not being able to find pantyhose to fit my height, curves and skin tone,” Marcia said, “so we created our own line of pantyhose and the rest is history.” Al backed up her story from his perspective.

“My wife went to one of the major department stores one day and came back complaining that they didn’t have her color. She had

Starsky Wilson received the 2014 Advocacy Award from St. Louis Children’s Hospital for his role as a catalyst in community partnerships. He is the president and CEO of Deaconess Foundation as well as a pastor and youth leader. The award recognizes local and state leaders who leverage their positions and resources to advance St. Louis Children’s Hospital’s mission.

Leslie Broadnax was selected for the Computer Forensics Court Course at the National Computer Forensics Institute in Hoover, Alabama. She is the municipal judge for the Village of Uplands Park and a lawyer in private practice. The program helps to better equip judges and prosecutors in forensic science techniques.

Bill Fronczak has been promoted to interim vice president of public relations & special events of the Mathews-Dickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club. Fronczak graduated magna cum laude from St. Louis University with a bachelor of arts in communications and is a member of St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative’s Cohort 8.

to settle for a color that she didn’t want and that didn’t match her outfit,” Al said. “I said, ‘Marcia, if you’re having this problem, then other women are having the same problem. So why don’t we do something about it?’ We started our own business so that [women of color] won’t have that problem.”

n “They’re all looking for a comfortable product that will match their skin tone, and we have that product.”

– Al Parks

Touting their business as the only “black-owned hosiery company in the United States,” Divine Dzion caters to women of all proportions, who

find it difficult to find pantyhose that compliment their figures.

“One of the qualities of our product that we are most proud of is that our pantyhose don’t roll down at the waistline,” Al said. Besides the fact that they come in 11 colors and six sizes, the pantyhose also come attached to a “100 percent satisfaction guarantee.”

“There is certainly a need in the marketplace, especially for women of color,” Al said. “They’re all looking for a comfortable product

that will match their skin tone, and we have that product. I think the fact that we eliminated a lot of the problems women were having when they were looking for hosiery is what has made us successful.”

With business relationships throughout the U.S. and Bahamas, the Parks willingly offered up their tips for aspiring small business owners:

Target market. “You should understand your target market. You need a very detailed marketing plan because your marketing plan is like your GPS system—if you don’t have that, then you can’t go anywhere.”

Dooley issues executive order on minority participation

County Council approved alternative inclusion bills Tuesday night

By Jason Rosenbaum Of St. Louis Public Radio

St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley signed an executive order on Wednesday, June 18 establishing minority participation goals for county contracts. His move comes a day after the St. Louis County Council rejected bills on the issue. The situation showcases the escalating hostility between Dooley and a county council increasingly aligned with Councilman Steve Stenger, the Affton Democrat who is challenging the incumbent this August. At issue are Councilwoman Hazel Erby’s bills establishing workforce goals for women,

ordinance form earlier this month.

• Establishing minority, female and St. Louis County resident goals for contracts over $1 million.

• Requiring apprenticeship training for all construction projects over $2 million.

“This executive order sets a standard for who we are and how we conduct business in St. Louis County,” Dooley said. “This reflects our value system. I fully expect those on the council in opposition to our efforts to take steps to weaken or even [repeal] this order completely. But they will have to explain why they want to continue to disenfranchise minorities and women. We are moving forward in St. Louis County.”

Erby, D-University City, said that she “can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t support this diversity and fairness.”

minorities and county residents for county contracts. Dooley strongly backed the legislation, contending it would make county work more available to people who were traditionally shut out.

But when Erby’s bills came up for a vote on Tuesday, they failed because

another council member wouldn’t provide a second. On Wednesday, Dooley announced he was signing an executive order implementing Erby’s legislation. Those provisions include:

• Creating an Office of Diversity Programs, a measure rejected in

“It’s about fairness, equality. There’s no reason why women and minorities can’t get their fair share,” Erby said.

The key sticking point was how much a county contract should be before a contractor must undergo apprenticeship training. Some – such

See DOOLEY, B6

Lauren Nash Ming was appointed the Board of Directors for The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis. She is a finance and IT specialist. The foundation provides access to postsecondary education for those who otherwise would not have the financial means to fulfill their educational goals. Some 600 students receive approximately $4 million in direct financial support in interest-free loans and grants from the foundation.

Ronald A. Norwood was appointed to the Harris-Stowe State University Board of Regents. He is an arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association and serves as an adjunct professor at Washington University in St. Louis. The appointment, which was recently confirmed by the Senate, carries a term that expires July 28, 2018.

Mallory E. Whitfield graduated from Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina as Private First Class. She is the daughter of Melvin Perry and Vivianne Frye-Perry and a 2012 graduate of Carnahan High School. After completion of an eight-week Advanced Individualized Training, she will return to Jackson State University as a junior. On the move? Congratulations! Send your good professional news and a color headshot to cking@stlamerican. com.

Leslie Broadnax

Bill Fronczak

Lauren Nash Ming

Ronald A. Norwood

Mallory E. Whitfield

St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley signs an executive order to broaden minority and female participation for county contracts. It establishes goals of 20 percent minority and 5 percent female workforce participation for contracts over $1 million.

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of Divine Dzion, Al and Marcia Parks will host a gospel concert featuring Dottie Peoples 6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 28 at Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church, 5515 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr.

Photo by Jason Rosenbaum / St. Louis Public Radio

Make sure your family has a disaster plan

By Jason Alderman

June 1 marked the beginning of hurricane season. Meanwhile, across much of the Western U.S., major droughts have greatly increased the danger for summer wildfires. And don’t forget last winter’s record-breaking winter storms – or the ongoing potential for earthquakes, tornados, floods and other natural disasters.

Such catastrophic events are inevitable, largely unpreventable and often strike without warning. Even though we can’t always predict natural disasters, we can anticipate their likely aftermaths, including property loss, power or water service disruption and scarcity of food and supplies.

Sit down with your family and develop a disaster plan. By planning ahead and knowing what you might need under dire circumstances, you can save yourselves a lot of time, money and grief.

FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (www.fema.gov), offers great suggestions for developing a family emergency plan, building an emergency supply kit, and learning what to do before, during and after emergencies (everything from home fires to terrorist attacks). They even provide an emergency plan for family pets. Here are some emergencyplanning ideas you may not have considered:

• Pick meeting spots both in and outside your neighborhood where your family can gather after an emergency.

• Choose one person (possibly out-of-town) everyone can contact for updates.

• Make sure your kids know how to escape the house in case of fire.

• Identify and stock essential items you’ll need to survive for at least three days in case help is unavailable. Include ample water (at least a gallon per person, per day), non-perishable food, and medications. Don’t forget water, food and supplies for pets.

• Stock an emergency kit with batteries, flashlight,

a battery-powered or hand-cranked radio, waterpurification tablets, clothes, blankets, can opener, tools, toilet paper, moist towelettes, garbage bags, solar cellphone charger, etc.

• If a family member receives life-sustaining treatments (e.g., dialysis), identify alternate treatment locations in case yours becomes incapacitated.

• Take a picture of yourself with your pets in case you should become separated.

• Safely store emergency cash in case ATMs aren’t working.

Should disaster strike, you’ll need access to financial and legal records. Take these steps now to ensure easier access when the time comes:

• Create a log of all account numbers, emergency numbers, contact information and passwords for your bank and credit card accounts, loans, insurance policies, utilities and other important accounts.

• Update it regularly and save hardcopies in secure, offsite locations such as a safety deposit box or with a trusted friend living in another area.

• You can also email the list to yourself in an encrypted, password-protected file, save it on a CD or USB drive, or use a cloud-based storage service that will let you access it from any Internet connection.

• Make PDF copies of tax returns, insurance policies and legal documents and save offsite, as above, in case your files or computer are damaged. Also make digital copies of invaluable family photos, documents and memorabilia that money can’t replace.

If you ever need to file an insurance claim or claim a tax deduction for lost, stolen or damaged property, it’ll be much easier if you have an inventory of everything you own – photos or videos are even better. Try the Insurance Information Institute’s free, secure home inventory software application (www.iii.org).

Also, investigate what is and isn’t covered by your insurance policies for natural disasters. You may need additional coverage for damage associated with hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes and other weather conditions.

Bottom line: Having a family emergency plan in place could lessen the blow should disaster strike.

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

DZION

Continued from B1

Marketing budget. “It is very important that you factor in a marketing budget. Most people have a great idea and may even have a great product, but if you can’t promote it, you can’t sell it.”

Business Briefs

Local supermarkets sign union agreement

Members of United Food & Commercial Workers Local 655 recently approved a new three-year agreement with Dierbergs, Schnucks and Shop ‘n Save. The highlights of the agreement are: raises will gradually rise; employees will not be forced to switch to government-funded insurance plans; and the “40 and out” pension benefit will be maintained. The new contract covers more than 9,000 Local 655 members working at 104 supermarkets and pharmacies throughout the St. Louis area. Covered are checkers, baggers, stockers, and department managers as well as workers in various departments including bakery, produce, pharmacy, dairy and frozen foods. Local 655 represents more than 10,500 members throughout Missouri.

Supreme Court of Missouri seeks applicants

The Supreme Court of Missouri is accepting applications from well-qualified persons for the position of state courts administrator due to the resignation of Gregory J. Linhares. The court, which is conducting a nationwide search for its new state court administrator, will accept applications until the position is filled, applications received by June 30 will be given first consideration. For more information visit, http://www.courts.mo.gov/file. jsp?id=8502.

Unemployment in Missouri holds steady at 6.6 percent

Missouri’s nonfarm payroll employment grew by 3,700 jobs in May while the state’s unemployment rate was unchanged, according to seasonally adjusted data released by the Missouri Department of Economic Development. The state’s unemployment rate for May held at April’s rate of 6.6 percent. Numerous industries experienced job growth during the month of May, led by administrative, support and waste management services which gained 3,300 jobs. Employment in the leisure and hospitality sectors also increased by a combined 2,500 over the month. Additionally, durable goods manufacturing added 2,100 jobs in May.

Over the past year, employment gains occurred in most sectors as Missouri’s nonfarm payroll employment grew by 42,000 jobs. Companies interested in learning more about Missouri’s resources for new and expanding businesses should visit www.ded.mo.gov.

Fifth Third Bank launches ‘Reemployment’ campaign

Fifth Third Bank and Leo Burnett are starting a new campaign, Reemployment. It features job seekers participating in a program with NextJob, a national reemployment solutions company. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest. They piloted the first-of-its-kind reemployment program in 2012. The bank identified customers who were behind in their payments due to job loss and offered to help them land a new job with NextJob’s program. The assistance included the Job Seeker’s Toolkit, which was an online one-on-one job coach. For additional information, visit 53.com/reemploy.

n “We eliminated a lot of the problems women were having when they were looking for hosiery. That’s what has made us successful.”

– Al Parks

The Parks pride themselves in mentoring other entrepreneurs. They also are heavily involved in their community, offering fundraising opportunities for churches and non-profit organizations through Divine Dzion.

In celebration of their 10th anniversary, the Parks will host a gospel concert featuring Dottie Peoples 6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 28 at Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church, 5515 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr. Divine Dzion hosiery be available for purchase, with a percentage of proceeds going to Community Women Against Hardship. To buy hosiery or tickets to Divine Dzion’s 10-year anniversary celebration, visit www.divinedzion.com.

n “For all my supporters, I just want to tell them sorry. Sorry they couldn’t see me play in the NBA. But it’s not the end. It’s only the beginning.”

– Former Baylor standout Isaiah Austin, after being diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome, which ends his basketball career

Former Alton High standout

Jaleesa Butler is one of the top returning players for the St. Louis Surge of the Women’s Blue Chip Basketball League. The Surge opened their home season last Saturday with a 97-68 victory over the Minnesota Black Ice. They will host the Kansas Lady Nuggets on Saturday evening at the University of Missouri-St. Louis at 7:05 p.m.

‘Surge’ of excitement

Semi-pro hoops team at home Saturday

If you want to see some exciting basketball played during the summer for the right price, may I suggest taking in a St. Louis Surge game. The Surge play in the Women’s Blue Chip Basketball League (WBCBL), a semi-pro league with teams from all over the country. Under the direction of owner Khalia Collier, the Surge has been one of the WBCBL’s model franchises in recent years.

high esteem. Not only are they a perennial contender for the league title, but they also attract the biggest crowds. I took in the action and was thoroughly entertained by the product on the court and the atmosphere in the building.

lower bowl of the Mark Twain Building on the campus of UMSL was virtually full last Saturday. That is pretty impressive for a women’s semi-pro team that is playing in the middle of June. It is a great testament to the job that Collier and her staff have done to market the team and make UMSL a popular place to spend a Saturday evening with your family. It was not just a crowd that came at sat on its collective hands, either. It was a very Earl Austin Jr.

By Maurice Scott, Jr.

ESL summer session drawing attention

Some Flyers athletes drifting from basketball to football

When you talk football with East St. Louis head coach Darren Sunkett these days, you can tell he has a sour taste left in his mouth after last season’s IHSA Class 6A semifinals.

Maurice Scott

On that November blustery day, Oak Lawn Richards knocked the Flyers out of another state championship bid in a 7-6 heartbreaker. All of us in Flyers Nation were disappointed, as football is king here in East St. Louis. Coach Sunkett and his boys have worked hard during the off-season, and other student -athletes are starting to take notice. Determination and focus by his coaches and players have attracted other talent at the high school to participate.

Several Flyers were highlighted in a recent on-line article on the football website edgytim.rivals.com.

n Sophomore Jeff Thomas is already one of the most skilled players in the history of the Flyers’ program.

Of course leading the way was Terry Beckner Jr. The All-American lineman has offers from Pac-12 powers USC and Oregon; Big Ten powers Ohio State, Nebraska and Michigan; SEC schools Auburn, LSU and Florida; plus Florida State and Syracuse.

University of Missouri verbal commit Natereance Strong, along with lineman Kenny Knight and Trevor Simms, are also getting plenty of attention from major universities.

A huge crowd turned out for opening night, as the Surge rolled to a 97-68 victory to run their record to 6-1. The

Sophomore Jeff Thomas is already one of the most skilled players in the history of the Flyers’ program. Thomas is considered

Time for Snyder to change Redskins’ name

Some rule changes in sports are so obvious that after they’re made, we often wonder why it took so long in the first place. Many sports were slow to integrate AfricanAmericans but golf was especially tardy, with many courses waiting until hurricane Tiger Woods destroyed the competition to allow people of color on the golf course. It seemed like pulling teeth to get MLB to implement any real performance enhancing drug testing or penalties on the books, but it finally happened. Pro and college basketball games could be snoozefests before the shot clock was invented. Even the NCAA is finally allowing that college football national championship to be decided in a

If you attended the Surge’s home opener against the Minnesota Ice last Saturday night, you can see why the franchise is held in such tournament. Meanwhile the NFL still has a team called the Washington Redskins. Let’s not rush to judge the District of Columbia for this fiasco. The residents fussed when former owner Abe Pollin decided that it didn’t make much sense to call his basketball team the ‘Bullets’ when black folks were killing each other by the minute in the nation’s capital. My gut feeling is that the ruckus was mainly over the crappy five finalists (Dragons , Express, Stallions, Sea Dogs, or Wizards) and not because the Bullets name was so endeared. Yet they got over it pretty quickly and the Wizards have been embraced the few times they’ve fielded halfway

Despite the objection of many Native American groups and a general understanding that the term ‘Redskins’ is offensive, Daniel Snyder is refusing to change the team name for the sake of tradition.

competent teams. However, despite the objection of many Native American groups and the general understanding amongst people with common sense that the term ‘Redskins’ can be offensive, Daniel Snyder is digging in for a battle. He’s refusing to change the team name for the sake of tradition Ah, good ol’ tradition. It was once tradition for black people to work for whites for nothing more than a meal, a bed and a back full of welts. It was once tradition for women to skip school and stay at home until momma and daddy bartered them off to the first old coot with a couple of

n Daniel Snyder is digging in for a battle. He’s refusing to change the team name for the sake of tradition.

cows looking for a 12 year old bride. It was once tradition to hurl stones at criminals until they died a slow and painful death. It was once a tradition to hang a black man for even looking at a white woman ‘the wrong way.’ I don’t mean to be overdramatic, but sometimes traditions suck. No, the name Redskins isn’t as crippling as the aforementioned examples, but it highlights the fact using the excuse “well, it’s what we’ve always done” is the worst reason ever to decide whether to continue doing something.

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Photo by Wiley Price

All-Stars Elite are champs

The All-Stars Elite 10 and 11U boys basketball team has enjoyed a very successful season with a record of 45-5. They have also won several tournaments, including the league’s championships at Mathews-Dickey and Herbert Hoover. The also won a gold medal at the Show-Me Games in Columbia. They are sponsored by ATU Local 788. Back row, left to right: Assistant coach Marco Shanklin, Charles Duke, Jr., Mario Fleming, Martez Poynter, Tommy Williams, Head coach Eric Jones. Middle row, left to right: Demarion Shanklin, Justin Smith, Brandon Roberts, Rico Barfield. Bottom row, left to right: Jaylen Collins, Delano Simms, Devyn Jones.

EAST SIDE

Continued from B3

the No. 1 wide-out in the class of 2017 by some publications. Thomas may be compared to former Flyers’ greats Homer Bush, Eugene Bryd or Terry Hawthorne before he’s done. Also drawing a lot of Division 1 interest are talented athletes such as Raekwon Griffin, Markeith McGary and Karon Randolph. All three are multi-talented athletes who are above-average basketball players as well, but have now leaned more toward football.

McGary is slated to lead the secondary, according to the article. Griffin had over 500 yards in receptions last season in only five games, due to injuries. He, along with Thomas and rising star Randolph (6’3”, 180 lbs.) form potentially one of the finest group of receivers in some time. Randolph started thinking about having more options regarding college, especially after the Flyers’ loss to Belleville East in the Class 4A regional basketball tournament. Being a good student, Randolph’s mom decided to let her son play football again, for

St.

basketball team several games, but decided to give football a try again, which is something he hadn’t done since middle school.

Hip, hip, hurrah!

INSIDE

enthusiastic and noisy crowd with people of all ages and from all walks of life. They kept the building rocking all night as the Surge put on a great display on the court. A drum line from a local school and a disc jockey kept the groove flowing at the atmosphere at a fever pitch.

Continued from B3 (Bradley), Felisha Loggins (Quincy U.), Kayla Person (Incarnate Word/Drake), Devonna Smith (Kirkwood/ UMSL), Hannah Weedman (Quincy U.), Katie Yohn (Bradley).

The Surge responded to the partisan crowd with some exciting basketball as they avenged their only loss of the season. They play an entertaining up-tempo style of basketball in which they average more than 80 points a game. The 97 points that they put up last Saturday was one of their highest outputs of the season.

First-year head coach Tony Condra has been a fixture in St. Louis girls’ basketball for years. His staff includes former area stars Petra Jackson and Angela Lewis. They have put together a deep and talented squad with plenty of size and athleticism.

The members of the team are Samantha Barber (Wisconsin-Stevens Point), Bianca Beck (Incarnate Word/SEMO), Jaleesa Butler (Alton High/Georgetown), Lucy Cramsey (Quincy U.), Amber Dvorak (Drury), Gabriella Green (Hazelwood East/Lindenwood), Rebecca Harris (Illinois), Leah Kassing

n It was a very enthusiastic and noisy crowd with people of all ages and from all walks of life.

Oregon,

Sunkett. Now, devoting himself to football under Coach Sunkett, Randolph has already caught the eyes of recruiters in the 7-on 7-camps and some other skills camps, to the point where he has been offered scholarships from several schools, including Kansas. Randolph started on the

It’s good to see more kids, and parents like Karon’s mom, take control of their kid’s activities with some coaches and not limit their ability to play other sports. In our program’s long athletic history, I can’t remember an athletic director, who happens to be the head basketball coach, allow one of the nation’s top freshman prospects to be academically ineligible. And you had him with you all summer. It wouldn’t happen under Bennie “Boss” Lewis, or the great Bob Shannon! Someone tell me when we started accepting this kind of athletic leadership?

More parents, alumni and coaches want to say what I’m saying, but are scared of retaliation.

Parents fear, with only one high school in town, some coaches and administrators might not give their kids a fair shake.

If you were not one of the many people who attended the

East

Louis AllAmerican lineman Terry Beckner Jr. has offers from USC,

Ohio State, Nebraska, Florida and many others.

Treasurer picks vendor to study parking

Desman Associates has previously done studies for WUSTL, Ballpark Village

American staff

The City of St. Louis Treasurer’s Office will hire Desman Associates to conduct a comprehensive study of parking in the city.

Desman Associates responded to a request for proposal (RFP) to hire a consultant to evaluate the city’s current on- and offstreet parking programs and to recommend improvements to the parking system.

Desman Associates has conducted several previous parking studies in St. Louis, including studies for Ballpark Village, the Peabody Opera House, Grand Center and Washington University.

“The parking study will be used to reform the current parking system and offer guidance as we look to implement new parking technology and modernize an outdated system,” said Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones. “We look forward to working with Desman Associates to create a firstclass parking operation for the city.”

DOOLEY

Continued from B1 as Councilman Mike O’Mara – have said that apprenticeship training would ensure that county jobs are done properly. But Dooley and Erby have argued that keeping that threshold low would shut out many minority- and femaleowned businesses that can’t afford such training or aren’t a part of labor unions.

O’Mara, D-Florissant, introduced competing legislation that sets the threshold lower than Erby’s legislation.

“This does not exclude the unions from bidding on” contracts over $2 million, Dooley said. “It doesn’t exclude anybody. It just opens the door for others to come into the process.”

Dooley said he was

St. Louis

Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones

Desman Associates will be asked to provide recommendations on parking

confident that executive order would withstand any legal challenge. But the county charter states executive orders “shall be uniform as the various departmental functions will permit and which shall not be inconsistent with any ordinance.” By raising the apprenticeship threshold to $2 million, the executive order alters an ordinance signed into law into 2012.

“If somebody wants to legally challenge, I’ll deal with it at this particular time,” Dooley said. “The process right now is immediately, when I sign the papers in my office, this will be a legal document for St. Louis County until otherwise determined.”

Looming election

The order comes as Dooley is engaged in an increasingly acrimonious primary battle with Stenger. He’s also been

utilization, best practices, future deployment of parking meters, guidelines for establishing and maintaining permit parking zones, principles for accommodating special events and construction, and pricing.

The parking study, in conjunction with a sixmonth field test of various parking technologies and a citizens advisory committee, will help to guide Jones’ decision to change St. Louis’ parking system. The field test ends in July, with plans to begin installing new parking meter technology in fall 2014.

dealing with a council that can block his legislation, since most of the council members are aligned with Stenger.

In a statement, Stenger said he was “encouraged Mr. Dooley used language from Councilman O’Mara’s diversity bill for his executive order.”

He also said the county council will pass “O’Mara’s bill into law next week.”

“I supported the office of diversity, which came before the county council last month, and I have publicly supported minority participation goals,” Stenger said.

Last Tuesday, Stenger questioned why Dooley had decided to bring the issue up several months before an election instead of earlier in his administration. Stenger said that the council had been close to a compromise on the apprenticeship threshold.

“I think it’s very obvious why he pushed this issue near

Bid now on Arch project

Federal procurement process means early deadlines for subcontractors

By Adolphus Pruitt For The St. Louis American

The recent success that CityArchRiver (CAR) and Great Rivers Greenway (GRG) have seen from using contractors right here from the St. Louis minority community has laid the groundwork for this next phase of the CityArchRiver 2015 Project. Local contractors take note of the chance to complete a project that will shine an international spotlight on our region.

On June 3, the National Park Service (NPS) issued a solicitation for the first of seven projects associated with the CityArchRiver 2015 initiative. These are funded by Prop P, which passed last April. The full

an election time. I think that it’s long overdue. It should have been done by him a long time ago,” Stenger said.

“There was an executive order that contained many of these same things that really went unenforced by this administration since 2007. We haven’t heard anything about it. And then suddenly, 60 days before an election, he’s brought this issue up. I’ll leave that to your speculation.”

For his part, Dooley said that 2007 executive order was enforced on a project-to-project basis. And when asked why he was signing executive order in the midst of a campaign, Dooley said, “We’re doing it right before an election because of what happened last night.”

Council approves alternative bills

On Tuesday evening, the St. Louis County Council gave

bid can be found at http://bit.ly/ SGBid.

Adolphus Pruitt

You may have heard about the initiative to revitalize the grounds at the Gateway Arch, including a new museum and park over the highway. The renovation is underway, with DBE participation on the Central Riverfront project currently at 50 percent. CAR and GRG will continue this partnership with future procurements, including their current call for a Soil Blending Contractor due June 20 (http:// bit.ly/GRGSoilProject).

These partners have hosted multiple informational and networking events to

preliminary approval to bills aimed at increasing minority and female participation for county contracts.

Councilman Mike O’Mara’s bills had some similarities with what Councilwoman Hazel Erby, D-University City, previously proposed. The key difference, though, was how much a county contract should be before a contractor must undergo federally-approved apprenticeship training.

Both Dooley and Erby have argued that apprenticeship training – which is primarily done by unions – is too expensive for some minority and female businesses. They say having a low apprenticeship training threshold puts minority and female businesses entities at a disadvantage when bidding for work. The bills passed on Tuesday — which could supersede the executive order signed by Dooley — sets the apprentice

showcase the upcoming opportunities included in the CityArchRiver 2015 Project. These regional partners have also worked with NPS to solidify the goal of the project as “the revitalization of the Park, the District and boost in jobs and economic development in the St. Louis region.”

The critical task now is for subcontractors to partner with general contractors, giving them all the information and price requirements immediately, so they can submit a comprehensive package proposal and win this business for the St. Louis economy.

We have the talent right here. Let’s make sure this project truly represents St. Louis from start to finish.

training threshold lower than Erby’s bills that the council rejected last week. “I cannot believe this council in 2014 will dismiss diversity the way they did,” Dooley said. “I think it’s unacceptable.”

But Stenger noted that Dooley had no problem supporting a bill in 2012 that required a federally-approved apprenticeship programs for contracts over $25,000. He went onto say that Dooley signed that bill even though some — such as MOKAN’s Yaphett El-Amin — raised concerns that the measure could block minorities out of contract opportunities.

(In response, Dooley said he supported that bill with the understanding that the council would reconsider it at a later date.)

Edited for length and reprinted with permission from news.stlpublicradio.org.

Summer of streetwear

Local brands capture the culture with signature looks

By Danie Rae, Style broker

For The St. Louis American

Streetwear is an American culture staple. Stemming from hip-hop and skateboard backgrounds, it has brought the underground’s way of expressing themselves through dress to a major contribution to the fashion industry. Major fashion trade shows have shifted their focus from only showcasing “off the runway”-inspired looks to having streetwear brands take over the bulk of the sales. The streetwear phenomenon has also affected the St. Louis area in a major way. We’re highlighting some of the

summer’s most anticipated streetwear clothing brands that will sizzle all season.

The Hero Brand

Starting in the summer of 2011, The Hero Brand has been a constant force on the fashion scene. Owner Shawn “Hero” Harrell has been in the fashion game for over seven years, working with other popular local clothing brands and boutiques. He’s inspired by comic books, Blaxploitation films, science fiction and pop culture in general.

“Our pieces represent intersections of various cultures,” Harrell said. “We can be appreciated by ‘80s babies, but still be relevant to the Google generation.” So far, the line carries graphic T-shirts, crew neck sweaters, hoodies, hats as well as custom pieces, and can be purchased at theherobrand.com or dropcents.com. Follow him on social media sites – Facebook at The Hero Brand, Twitter @herobrand314 and Instagram @the_hero_brand.

Born Poor Live Rich (BPLR) Born Poor Live Rich (BPLR) has been the crowd favorite for over a year now. Owners former NFL play Roren

Thomas and local hot boys Quinton Jackson, and Bilal Ladd are setting the tone of what it means to have a “brand.” They have taken a statement that personified each of their lives and turned it into a wearable message. They have a whole apparel

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

Chaka Khan made her long-awaited return to St. Louis Friday night at the Fox Theatre. She breezed through town last year to accept an award as part of the Salute to Women in Leadership, but it had been too long to recall the last time she took to the stage for the masses.

She would share the show with the O’Jays – and to the surprise of many, Khan opened the show.

But either the O’Jays decided to silence those who were confused about the performance order by bringing the house down, or Khan wasn’t at her best and yielded to the legendary group for the sake of the audience. Whatever the case, there would be no question about who was worthy of closing the show by evening’s end.

Chaka’s return was less than triumphant, but fans who filled the Fox to a nearly sold-out performance were so thrilled to see her in the flesh that they

See CONCERT, C5

portraying an armed guard in the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ company’s staging of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.”

Left: From “Backstabbers” to “Brandy,” the O’Jays

out all of the

Young artist shares power of opera

Ballentine speaks on OSTL’s stunning adaptation of Mozart classic

“office

and

– with no benefits, of course. They worked together on projects, took long lunches and he even turned on her computer when he arrived to work to make it look like she was not 10 minutes late every day.

It’s serious business if somebody has your desktop password … even if it’s at work. She changed jobs. They stayed in touch. They would often meet for outings and concerts and had become gym buddies. He did handyman work for her around the house. She was thoughtful and considerate, and he told her that she listened and understood him in a way that no one else could.

I would say it was perfect, but you know there’s always a catch. He was everything she wanted in a man – well, except for the most

See CONCERT, C4

she going to make it? … She made it. Oh, my God, she did it again.’ That’s what happens when you

Fredrick Ballentine

Above: While visually she was serving vintage Chaka, vocally she could have used a tune-up.

pulled

stops.

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

How to place a calendar listing

1. Email your listing to calendar@stlamerican. com OR

2. Visit the calendar section on stlamerican.com and place your listing

Calendar listings are free of charge, are edited for space and run on a space-available basis.

concerts

Fri., June 27, 10 p.m., The Coliseum presents 2 Chainz Live in Concert. The Coliseum, 2619 Washington Ave., 63103.

Sat., June 28, 1 p.m., Plush St. Louis presents SLUMFEST 2014. The St. Louis Underground music festival returns for its 5th year as the biggest Hip Hop Festival in the Midwest that showcases all four elements of Hip Hop under one roof. 3224 Locust St., Ste 101, 63103. For more information, visit www. slumfest.com.

Sun., June 29, 5 p.m., The Sheldon presents Patrice Rushen. Multi-Grammy nominated artist Patrice Rushen is fashioning her career after the legacy of her longtime friend and mentor, Quincy Jones. Best known for her 1982 Grammy nominated recording, “Forget Me Nots.” 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Thur., July 24, 6:30 p.m., K & LG Enterprise presents New Edition with special guest Dru Hill. St. Charles Family Arena, 2002 Arena Parkway, 63303. For more information, call (314) 4564826 or visit www.metrotix. com.

local gigs

Fri., June 27, 9 p.m., The Rustic Goat presents Andre Delano. Andre Delano has demonstrated his amazing ability to woo a crowd with his saxophone time and time again. His live performances are energetic and dynamic with an incredible sensual undertone that is quite surreal. 2617 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sat., June 28, 1 p.m., Plush St. Louis presents

SLUMFEST 2014. The St. Louis Underground music festival returns for its 5th year as the biggest Hip Hop Festival in the Midwest that showcases all four elements of Hip Hop under one roof. This event will consist of: over 60 Local and Out of State Hip Hop artists/group performances, over 20 of the area’s hottest DJ’s, and B-Boy/B-Girl Dance competition for a cash prize. The event will also include a Producer beat battle, Emcee Freestlye Battle, and live displays from Grafiti Artists. 3224 Locust St., Ste 101, 63103. For more information, visit www.slumfest.com.

Sun., June 29, 6 p.m., Carondelet Park hosts The Carondelet Summer Concert Series. Admission is free for all. Bring your chairs, blankets, and friends. The Carondelet Summer Concert Series has more than 25 concerts this year in Carondelet’s most beautiful parks. 3700 Holly Hills Blvd., 63116. For more information, call (314) 752-6339 or visit CarondeletEvents.com.

Sun., June 29, 6 p.m., Donny Hathaway Tribute starring Chuck Flowers with guest singers Zella Jackson-Price, Adrianne Felton & Courtnae Zewadi Smith and under the musical direction of Charles Creath. The Rustic Goat, 2617 Washington.

Mon., June 30, 6:30 p.m., U City Starlight Concert Series presents Coleman Hughes Project feat. Adrianne Felton Food trucks will also be on the concert grounds, offering up their specialties for purchase. Grab your lawn chair, bottle of wine and enjoy the best of blues, jazz, and contemporary music. Heman Park, 7000 Olive Blvd., 63130. For more information, call (314) 8636333 or (314) 505-8625.

Tues., July 1, 7 p.m., The Carondelet Summer Concert Series. Come enjoy and listen to Miss Jubilee. Music style:

Calendar

Hott Jazz/Blues. Admission is free for all. Bring your chairs, blankets, and friends. Fanetti Park Plaza is located at Michigan Ave. & Ivory Ave., 63111. For more information, call (314) 752-6339 or visit CarondeletEvents.com.

Sun., July 6, 6 p.m., Carondelet Park hosts The Carondelet Summer Concert Series. Come enjoy and listen to the Air Force Band. Admission is free for all. Bring your chairs, blankets, and friends. For more information, call (314)752-6339 or visit CarondeletEvents.com

Thurs., July 17, 8 p.m., Gateway Arch Riverboats Blues Cruise presents Big George. Experience the sounds of live local blues bands as you cruise down the Mississippi River and enjoy the beautiful St. Louis skyline. Reservations are required and include cruise and music. 21 and over. Cash bar and concessions are available. 50 S. Leonor K. Sullivan Blvd., 63102.For reservations, call calling (877) 982-1410. For more information, visit www. gatewayarch.com.

Sun., July 20, 6 p.m., The Carondelet Summer Concert Series presents Lynn Rose Terry & Friends. Carondelet Park is located at Holly Hills & Loughborough. For more information please call 314-752-6339 or visit CarondeletEvents.com.

Sun., July 27, 6 p.m., Union Communion Ministries presents Free Concerts and Ivory Perry Park feat. Ptah

Williams Trio. Instrumental jazz ensemble. Commerce Bank Stage, 800 N. Belt, 63112. For more information, visit www.ivoryperrypark.com.

Sundays, 6:30 p.m. (6 p.m. doors) Jazz @ Eventide, featuring Black and White Trio. Sip N Savor, 286 DeBaliviere, 1/2 block north of the Forest park Metro link. For more information, call (314)361-2116.

Wednesdays, 6-10 p.m., Lexus Len’s “Winedown Wednesdays,” Live Band featuring: Cheryl Brown, Jeremiah Allen, Jeff Taylor, Gerald Warren & Amos Brewer, The Loft, 3112 Olive.

special events

Sat., June 28, 9 a.m., James Washington III Foundation Basketball Camp. Youth basketball camp is back! Come out and learn basketball skills from the pros. Vashon High School, 30305 Cass Ave., 63106.

Sat., June 28, 10 a.m.,

Solefest Saint Louis. This is an event for shoe connoisseurs. SoleFest is an event where sneakerheads can buy, sell or trade some of the most sought after and collectable sneakers in the world. St. Louis Sports Center, 6727 Langley Ave., 63123.

Sat., June 28, 5:30 p.m., St. Louis All City Boxing

more.1200 S 7th St., 63104. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.

Sat., July 12, 8 p.m., The Ready Room presents Ying Yang Twins. 4195 Manchester Ave., 63110.

Sat., July 12, 9 p.m., Queeny Park hosts Glow in the Park St. Louis 5K Fun Run. 550 Weidman Rd., 63131. For more information, visit www. glowinthepark.com.

presents The Freedom Show. Enjoy a night of amateur boxing in St Louis. All proceeds support St. Louis All City Boxing’s comprehensive youth program. The event will be held at Koken Exhibitionist Hall, 2655 Victor St., 63104. For more information, contact stlacb@gmail.com.

Sat., June 28, 6 p.m., BBQ Concert feat. Non-Stop Reggae. One of St. Louis’s best-known reggae bands, will kick-off the 2014 Skinker DeBaliviere BBQ Concert Series and perform an exciting combination of classic roots rock reggae & modern reggae dance hits for all to enjoy. Greg Freeman Four Corners Park, 6008 Kingsbury Ave., 63112. For more information, call (314) 862-5122.

June 28 – 29, Soldiers Memorial Park hosts PrideFest. 1315 Market St., 63103. For more information, visit pridestl.org.

Thurs., July 3, 6 p.m., The Liberty Bank Alton Amphitheater host the Alton Fireworks Viewing Party. Come and enjoy listening to great bands as you celebrate the Fourth of July. Bands include Tyler Filmore, Leslie Craig and the Hellbangers, and Nashvegas. 1 Riverfront Dr., Alton IL 62002. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

July 3 – 5, Forest Park hosts Fair St. Louis. July 3: The Band Perry, Smash Band, Thompson Square; July 4: VP Parade, Bonnie Raitt, Matt Nathanson, Gavin DeGraw, Mary Lambert, Ozark Mountain Daredevils; July 5: The Fray, the Neighborhood, Musiq Soulchild, En Vogue. 5595 Grand Dr., 63112. For more information, visit www. fairsaintlouis.org.

July 3 – 5, Forest Park hosts Fair St. Louis. July

3: The Band Perry, Smash Band, Thompson Square; July 4: VP Parade, Bonnie Raitt, Matt Nathanson, Gavin DeGraw, Mary Lambert, Ozark Mountain Daredevils; July 5: The Fray, the Neighborhood, Musiq Soulchild, En Vogue. 5595 Grand Dr., 63112. For more information, visit www. fairsaintlouis.org.

Fri., July 4, 9:06 p.m., Alpha Eta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. presents Phrozen Phourth III. Calling all Greeks & Colleges to come out and Represent. Trendy dress code enforced. Greeks may wear paraphernalia. Harry’s Restaurant and Bar, 2144 Market St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 2236367 or (314) 324-0257.

Sat., July 5, 5:30 p.m., Family Fireworks Viewing Party. Highlands Golf Course, Forest Park, 5163 Clayton Ave., 63110.

Fri., July 11, 10 p.m., Elevated Fridays presents Jermaine Dupri. The Marquee Restaurant, 1911 Locust St., 63103.

Sat., July 12, 6 p.m., The Old Rock House presents Summer Gras. A Celebration of the Food & Music of New Orleans. Featuring: Dumpstaphunk, Honey Island Swamp Band, Dirtfoot, Al Holliday & the Eastside Rhythm Band, and

Sat., July 19, 7:30 a.m., Six Flags presents The Biggest Loser Run Walk at Six Flags St. Louis. A race for all itness levels, whether you are ready to set a personal record or this is your irst race, come join The Biggest Loser RunWalk. 4900 Six Flags St Louis Railroad, Eureka, Mo., 63069. For more information, visit http://www. biggestloserrunwalk.com/ SixFlags_St_Louis_race.

Sat., July 19, 8 a.m., Lift for Life Academy presents 2nd Annual UberAsphalt (Urban bike experience ride). An obstacle hunt using bikes, brains and brawn. Bicyclists in teams of 2 will create their own routes, taking them through the city of St. Louis, in a race to complete this fun scavenger hunt. At 6 checkpoints, riders will get bottle caps to be redeemed at the race’s end for a 6-pk of craft beer. For the under 21 crowd, they’ll get a 6-pk of craft soda. Each rider will receive a commemorative pint glass. 1731 S. Broadway, 63104. For more information, visit www.liftforlifeacademy. org.

Sat., July 19, 1 p.m., Contemporary Art Museum hosts Educated Girls Rock Oficial Launch “Appreciation Party.” Educated Girls Rock is a nonproit organization designed to promote the betterment of education to girls, young women and women from all different backgrounds and ethnicities which will encourage them each to succeed in school, college, career and beyond. The event will have music, prizes, school supplies, food, jewelry, handbags, body-wraps & essential, scarfs, cupcakes, etc. Everything that girls, young women and women love will be there. 3450 Washington Blvd., 63108.

Sun., July 20, 9 a.m., Rescuers 5K Run. All Fire Fighters, Nurses, Paramedics, Hospitals, Police Oficers, Social Services, Animal Rescuers, Military personnel and The General Public across the city and out of town are invited to take part in our 5K Rescuers Run. Tremayne Shelter, Creve Coeur Park, 13725 Marine Ave., 63043. For more information, visit www. rescuers5krun.com. Mon., July 21, Persimmon Woods hosts The 26th annual AAFA Golf Classic. The event is held for the St. Louis chapter of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation. 6401 Weldon Spring Pkwy, Weldon Spring, MO 63304. For more information, visit aafastl.org/ golf.

Through Aug. 17, Missouri History Museum presents American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition. Step back in time to an era of flappers and suffragists, bootleggers and temperance workers, and real-life legends like Al Capone and Carry Nation. Created by the National Constitution Center, this exhibit is the first comprehensive exhibition about America’s most colorful and complex constitutional hiccup. Spanning from the dawn of the temperance movement, through the Roaring ’20s, to the unprecedented repeal of a constitutional amendment, this world-premiere exhibition brings the whole story of Prohibition vividly to life. 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 746-4599 or visit www. mohistory.org.

Thursdays, 7 p.m. (6 p.m. practice), The Cultural Bop Society Of St. Louis Continuing the Bop with Style (CBS) (BOP the official Dance

K & LG Enterprise presents New Edition with special guest Dru Hill. See CONCERTS for details.

important thing. He’s married.

A year into their platonic relationship (three years after they were work spouses) he professed his love for my friend, and things got complicated to say the least.

You see not only is he married, but his wife is ill. It’s chronic – and very serious.

He swears that he doesn’t love his wife anymore, but feels like he can’t leave her because he will be demonized because she’s sick.

So, he asked my friend if she would be willing to be “his rock” until he has the strength to walk away from his marriage.

“And by his rock, he meant a side piece of rock,” she said.

The idea of a man with a sick wife propositioning for a mistress is slimy, but not original.

He swore to her that he was not a bad person – which is

another reason he doesn’t want to just leave his wife high and dry.

n “And by his rock, he meant a side piece of rock,” she said.

“He told me that he knows the process of them separating and getting a divorce would cause her extreme stress, which could be detrimental to her health,” she said. “But he also said that he had fallen in love with me over the course of our friendship and could no longer hide his feelings. The truth is, I felt the same way and just never acted on it.”

She admitted that she had never experienced the type of chemistry with anyone – not even the man she thought she was going to marry.

“The whole situation took me to a place I had never been emotionally,” she admitted.

“I mean, I really do love this man, but he has a sick wife that he is not willing or able to cut ties with.”

She understood why he couldn’t leave, but she didn’t understand why he would even ask her to go down that road –and she couldn’t understand why she found herself considering it.

She weighed her options. She even thought, to herself of course, that their relationship might be so wonderful that he would be more willing to devote himself completely to her and in turn develop the strength to leave his wife.

After being torn and conflicted to the depths of her soul, she prayed.

“What I heard was, ‘Anything that is of Me will not take you down a notch, but lift both of you up,’” she said. “I mean, think about it, anything that lowers –whether it’s your values, your standards or even your selfesteem – there is just simply no way it’s for you.”

Be a Tourist in Your Own Town

St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission

Imagination rules at the Missouri Botanical Garden

In the past, you might have seen a praying mantis or a monarch butterfly at the Missouri Botanical Garden, but you’ve never seen them like the ones that have taken up residency in the Climatron recently.

They are larger-than-life and made of plastic bricks. Yes, LEGO bricks, those cute little interlocking blocks you might have played with as a kid or your child plays with today.

In probably one of the most unusual exhibits ever at the Garden, 25 nature-inspired sculptures in 12 installations are now on display in an exhibition called Nature Connects: Art with LEGO Bricks.

The number of LEGO pieces used to construct the sculptures is absolutely mind-blowing—more than 300,000 in the entire exhibit.

Outside the Climatron, visitors get a preview — a life-size Roto-tiller (60 inches x 31inches x 31 inches) — of the sculptures they will see. It took some 20,903 LEGO pieces to build.

Among the sculptures inside the Climatron:

•   A majestic bald eagle (29 inches x 30  inches x 59 inches) built with 42,198 LEGO® pieces.

•   A beautiful monarch butterfly on a  milkweed (48 inches x 41 inches x 53 inches) built with 60,549 LEGO pieces.

•   Giant praying mantis (24 inches x 59  inches x 60 inches) constructed with 42,167 LEGO pieces.

•   The whimsical Birds vs. Squirrels at  Feeder. It took 8,586 LEGO pieces to build that one.

•   Pileated woodpecker (9 inches x 9 inches x  21 inches) built with 4,424 LEGO pieces.

•   Milk snake (40 inches x 40 inches x 9  inches) and mouse (12 inches x 12 inches x 7 inches) constructed with 12,069 LEGO pieces.

The sculptures are the handiwork of awardwinning artist and best-selling author Sean Kenney who says he owns two million LEGO

pieces!

Kenney doesn’t work for the LEGO company. He just loves to use their blocks in his artwork. Because of his building proficiency, enthusiasm and professionalism in using its products, the LEGO company made Kenney its first LEGO Certified Professional ever—that’s  someone officially licensed by The LEGO Group to engage in commercial activities involving LEGO products. There are currently only 12 LEGO Certified Professionals in the world.

Kenney’s sculptures in the Nature Connects exhibit were pre-built with regular LEGO pieces, epoxied together and delivered to the Botanical Garden for the exhibit.

“They came in these specially built crates which was really kind of interesting to me,” Garden spokeswoman Holly Berthold said. “They filled in (around the sculpture) with packing material and then built a crate around it because you can’t just throw a sculpture into a box and expect it to get here.”

Your visit to Nature Connects isn’t over when you exit the Climatron after viewing the exhibit. You then enter the Brookings Interpretive Center, where you can create your own masterpieces with LEGOs to leave on display in the center.

LEGOs aren’t just for kids, as the folks at the Garden are finding out.

“It’s been kind of neat to see guys in their 20s and 30s kind of revert back and remember how much fun that (playing with LEGOs) was for them and have an excuse to sit down and play again by “helping” their kids,” Berthold said. “They are actually having as much fun as their 7-year-old kids.”

The LEGO exhibit will be at the Missouri Botanical Garden through Sept. 7. It’s open the same hours as the Garden—9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. There’s an additional charge beyond Garden admission for the exhibit.

The new exhibition “Nature Connects: Art with LEGO Bricks” at the Missouri

Botanical Garden includes a sculpture of a monarch butterfly on a milkweed that is built with 60,549 LEGO pieces.

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have a good queen – and we have a great queen.”

But the strength of the show ripples far beyond Claire De Sevigne’s role as the Queen of the Night. It is reflected in nearly every nuance of the contemporary staging of Mozart’s 18th-century classic.

The genius of Mozart is by no means lost in repackaging that makes the production easily devoured both by its core audience and an entirely new demographic.

OTSL’s captivating presentation of “The Magic Flute” was pulled off by two individuals in particular who are considered geniuses in their own right.

World-class conductor Jane Glover and director/costume designer Isaac Mizrahi, an icon of the modern fashion scene, were a force to be reckoned with.

“He is just brilliant,” Ballentine said of Mizrahi.

“He has these great pictures in his head and was able to bring

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didn’t seem to mind. She looked fantastic and nowhere near her 61 years with her signature fire-red curls and matching lipstick accentuating her usual ensemble of something black and/or bedazzled. Her fitted, flowing tunic resembled a starry night sky and was paired with leggings and over-theknee suede boots.

While visually she was serving vintage Chaka, vocally she could have used a tune-up.

them out and put them on stage for the world to see.”

Neither of their respective areas of expertise was lost in “The Magic Flute.” Mizrahi’s color and glitter popped as much as the pounding percussion in the orchestration led by Glover.

“Jane Glover is a really famous conductor of Mozart, and the feedback she gave us for that production – I’m going to take with me for the rest of my life,” said Ballentine, who also understudied for the male lead in the production.

Audiences won’t soon forget the experience of Mozart led by Mizrahi and Glover either.

They work together to share with modern audiences what is ultimately a fairy tale – set to and performed through classical music – that includes a host of characters who play a role in illustrating the power of love, virtue, courage and wisdom.

The costuming is utter perfection, particularly the blue glittery diva-esque house coat worn by the queen in the opening scene that flows from the second story set and threatens to stretch into the audience.

After being met with a standing ovation, her performance started on a low note with a garbled and extremely abbreviated version of “I Feel for You.” She either didn’t know the words, or decided she wouldn’t bother –or both.

She seemed to improve as the evening progressed, but Khan never rose to her own performance caliber. It was quite possible that she was under the weather as she relied on background singers and her lead keyboard player to float her through some of the vocally demanding elements of songs like “Sweet Thing” and her rendition of “My Funny Valentine.”

The crowd was either especially supportive or obliviously caught up in the moment of seeing one of the most celebrated voices in R&B, but positive energy flowed from the seats to the stage for most of the hour and ten minutes she performed. They doubled as a choir for “Sweet Thing,” singing the slow jam classic at the top their lungs from the very first note without prompting.

Opening instrumentation unapologetically gives the orchestra time to flourish before singers take the stage and up until the performers open their mouths. That sets the bar for the musical elements of the show, and the singers fearlessly leap to successfully match it.

Everyone rises to the challenge in even the minutest of roles, which Ballentine admits is no easy task.

“Mozart was brilliant, but he was not merciful when he wrote for the armed guards,” Ballentine said. “Because I’m singing the most ridiculously high notes I can sing for the longest period of time.”

He shows up in the second act for a couple of selections alongside his fellow armed guard Zach Owens, and the two sing in tandem. After a few notes of traditional baritone, listeners are blindsided with a vocal register that does not seem humanly possible –especially among male singers.

“Every night you see the house to the right lose their minds for half a second because they are having high notes just shouted at them, and it doesn’t

The chorus continued through “I’m Every Woman.” Khan served as choir director during a breakdown of “Tell Me Something Good” and they happily obliged. She returned for an encore with “Ain’t Nobody,” but songs like “Through the Fire” and “Stay” (though she allowed her background singers to sing about two bars of the Rufus classic) were noticeably absent.

The O’Jays were another story. They left nothing wanting as they strategically made their way around every hit that they’ve ever had over the course of their set.

From “Backstabbers” to “Brandy,” they pulled out all of the stops. With a band that appeared more like an orchestra (including a four-piece horn section and a conga drum), The O’Jays glided across the stage and worked one end to the

stop the entire time I’m on stage for that scene,” he said.

“You can see on their faces that the audience goes, ‘What? Where did that come from?’

One night I was really worried that I had given this kind little lady to my left a heart attack.”

Ballentine encourages new audiences – African Americans, in particular – to check it out.

“Just sit through your first opera. Try it. It’s a really an amazing thing to connect with when you give it a chance,” Ballentine said.

“If you go into an opera wanting to understand what’s happening and wanting to learn something new, I guarantee you will come out wanting to see another opera.”

Opera Theatre Saint Louis’ presentation of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” continues on Saturday June 28 at 1 p.m.

The season concludes on June 29 with “Twenty-Seven.”

Productions of “The Dialogues of the Carmelites” continue tonight (June 26) and Saturday, June 28. For tickets or more information on the final weekend of the OTSL season, visit www.opera-stl.org or call (314) 961-0644.

other nonstop.

Walter Williams’ smooth balladeer vocals were in mint condition. And while Eddie Levert’s singing was more gruff than usual, he was so committed to follow their own musical mantra and “Give the People What They Want” that he managed to impress the audience anyway.

Everything good about their more than 50 years of stage experience showed. They showed off their natural chemistry and the knack for creating a connection with the crowd thanks to their catalogue of anthems.

And with music that ranges from disco to politically charged funk that has been enjoyed by all ages and backgrounds, this latest stage offering from The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers made for a captivating mix – and a fitting finale.

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tops and socks.

“Our customer identifies with us because everyone has had a struggle of some sort throughout their lives, but it doesn’t mean you have to look like you’ve been struggling,” said Jackson, their marketing director.

“We set ourselves apart from other brands, because we actually create clothing that’s not only fashionable, but that has a message.”

BPLR can be purchased on their website at www. bornpoorliverich.com and you can follow them on Instagram @thebplr.

Eyekon Klothing Co.

Eyekon Klothing has been on the scene for over a decade. And this summer, it is making a huge comeback to the streetwear forefront. Eyekon’s claim to fame is being the go-to brand for expressing individuality.

“The brand is 100 percent original, starting from the design conception to the fabric selection – everything is original,” boasts co-owner William Humphrey. Having effortlessly

n “The brand is 100 percent original, starting from the design conception to the fabric selection –everything is original.”

- William Humphrey, Eyekon co-owner

complimentary pieces to their customer’s wardrobe has been their claim to fame. They cater to a person that feigns for those one-of-a kind looks. Currently, Eyekon Klothing is sold at DNA Boutique, 1308 A Washington Ave., and can be found on social media on Instagram @ eyekonklothingco.

SMPLY AWSME! By Makal Cross

Makal Cross is new to the streetwear game with SMPLY AWSME! This brand is all about being tastefully fashion-forward. Starting with just T-shirts, crew necks, tanks and jackets, the brand is building at a slower, steadier pace. He plans to launch a ready-to-wear line this fall. Cross says,

“My customers appreciate art, and fashion is just an extension of that,” Cross said. “They tend to be aware of their image without being pretentious.”

His inspiration comes from his own self-expression, whether it be from art, music, or just nature. He takes from all of his surroundings and makes it work for the greater good. You can follow the brand on Instagram @ makalkareem_smplyawsme.

Bishop Dwight H. McDaniels Jr. (late) and Dr. Marie McDaniels are the founders of the San Francisco Temple Christian Prom, which celebrated its 29th year on June 14. We appreciate Mother McDaniels for providing a wholesome environment, bridging the generational gap and celebrating our youth’s accomplishments.

Reunions

Beaumont High Class of 1964 has started planning for its 50-year class reunion. We are currently looking for participants to help with the planning. Please provide your contact information to: beaumont64alumni@gmail. com.Send your ideas as well as the best time for meetings.

Beaumont High Class of 1974 is holding its 40th Class

~ Celebrations ~

Anniversary

Congratulations to Christine M. and Carl A. Williams Jr. The couple celebrated 40 years of marriage on June 22, 2014. They have two children; Kelly and Carl III (Shaunta) and seven grandchildren. Carl is a Retired Master Sgt., USAF, and Christine is a manager at AT&T.

Birthdays

June McLemore recently celebrated her 100th birthday with daughter Joan Truelove and son Lamonte McLemore, founder of the 5th Dimensions. Merilyn McCoo and Billie Davis Jr. former members of the group, and Harry Elston of the Friends of Distinction, along with 200 family and friends from 30 cities where in attendance.

Happy 76th Birthday to by beautiful mother, Verbena Foster on June 23. Love you! From your son, Roderick Farewell

Rosalyn McKissick celebrated her 66th birthday on June 25!

Reunion August 1-3, including a sock hop at the school Friday evening and dinner and brunch Sat and Sun at the St. Louis Airport Renaissance Hotel. For more info contact James White at 314-494-5554 or ten55jw@ yahoo.com.

Beaumont High School Class of 1975 is planning their 40 year reunion on Saturday, July 12, 2014 at the Lewis and Clark Library, 9909 Lewis and Clark, 63136 from 10am -12:15pm. Contact Gale Williams-Bailey at 314838-8493 or on Facebook or you can send an email to prmtm21@swbell.net for more information.

Beaumont Class of 1979 will be celebrating their 35th Class Reunion during Friday, September 5th thru Sunday, September 7th 2014. For

additional information, please contact Scarlett McWell at 314-458-7782 or send email to msscarletto@yahoo.com or Sandra Hooker at ayaina612@ sbcglobal.net.

The 5000 Block of Cabanne Reunion for the six generations that lived on Cabanne, will be held Saturday, July 5, 2014, from 12-8 p.m. Each family is $20 and $10 for one person to go toward food, drinks, games, prizes and three Reunion T-Shirts per family ($4 per additional shirt). Please post all names of departed loved ones & T shirt sizes on the “The 5000 Block of Cabanne Reunion” Facebook page and take you money to Nikki White (314.367.4882) 1252 Academy at Page. For more info contact: Jenice Lasley (Neicy) 770.478.1903. Due

date for money is June 28!

Central High School Class of 1979 is planning its 35 year reunion for August 29-31, 2014. Please check out our Facebook page, “Central High School Redwings class of 1979” for class updates or call 314-374-8523 or 314-5415645 for more information.

Lincoln Sr. High School (East St. Louis, IL) Class of 1964 50th Class Reunion, 6 pm, Friday, September 26; 6:30 pm, Saturday, September 27, St. Louis Airport Marriott, 10700 Pear Tree Lane, St. Louis, MO 63134; 10 am, Sunday church service at Southern Mission M.B. Church, 2801 State Street, East St. Louis, IL, 62205. Contact persons: Carolyn Leggs Curry at 314.385.6305 or Ruby McSwain Akins at

lottie840@yahoo.com.

Riverview Gardens High School Class of 1994 is planning its 20th reunion. The reunion will take place August 22-24, 2014. Please join us via Facebook: Riverview Gardens Senior High Class of 1994. You may provide your contact information via survey monkey: https:// www.surveymonkey.com/s/ XRKC975. You may also contact Shannon Tuggle, Leslie Norwood, Scott Wolosyk, and/or Mark Grzechowiak via email at rgclassof1994@gmail.com.

Soldan High School Class of 1974 will hold its 40th Reunion Weekend, August 15-17, 2014 at Hollywood Casino & Resort, St. Louis. More info to come soon!

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

Send your announcements to: kdaniel@stlamerican. com or mail to: St. Louis American Celebrations c/o Kate Daniel 2315 Pine St. St. Louis, MO 63103 FREE OF CHARGE

Reunion notices are free of charge and based on space availability. We prefer that notices be emailed to us!

However, notices may also be sent by mail to:

Kate Daniel, 2315 Pine St., St. Louis, MO 63103

Deadline is 10 a.m. on Friday. If you’d like your class to be featured in a reunion profile, email or mail photos to us. Our email address is: reunions@ stlamerican.com

June McLemore

Verbena Foster

Rosalyn McKissick

Jehovah’s Witnesses convene in St. Charles

Plus, Second

M.B. Church in Kinloch celebrates pastoral anniversary

American staff

Jehovah’s Witnesses are inviting all of their neighbors to attend their annual conventions to be held at the St. Charles Family Arena. The theme of this year’s program is “Keep Seeking First God’s Kingdom!” “People of many faiths pray for God’s Kingdom. This convention will explain what that Kingdom is and how it can be a positive influence in our lives,” said Tom Kelsey, a convention spokesman. “A highlight of the program will be the keynote address on Friday morning, which will discuss how that Kingdom is benefiting people today.”

Starting this weekend, and continuing for the next several weeks, Jehovah’s Witnesses will extend personal invitations to everyone to attend the convention with them. All of the area’s 153 congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses will be supporting the activity of distributing printed invitations to the convention.

The first of two three-day events to be held in St. Charles will begin Friday, June 27 at 9:20 a.m. The second threeday event begins on Friday, August 1 at 9:20 a.m. There is no admission fee. Conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses are supported entirely by voluntary donations.

An estimated 17,000 will come to the Family Arena

over the two aforementioned weekends for the Bible-based programs. Jehovah’s Witnesses in the United States plan to host 193 conventions in 71 cities. Worldwide, there are over 7,900,000 Witnesses in more than 113,000 congregations.

“A core belief of Jehovah’s Witnesses, based on Biblical and historical evidence, is that Jesus Christ began to rule as the King of God’s Kingdom in 1914,” Kelsey said. “The convention program marks this year as the centennial of that event.”

For more information on annual conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses: http:// www.jw.org/en/jehovahswitnesses/conventions/

Community Clothes Give Away

Mount Zion C.A.R.E.S. is hosting a Community Clothes Give Away at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church,

2100 Randolph in St. Charles, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 28. Clothes for men, women, children and infants will be available. Everything is free with “no qualification but need,” organizers said. The next give-away dates will be July 26 and Sept. 27. The Rev. Tremaine Combs is pastor. For more information, contact Deborah at 314-249-3470

Pastoral anniversary in Kinloch

The members of Second Missionary Baptist Church, 5508 Rev. Dr. Earl Miller

Street in Kinloch, will pay homage to their pastor, Reverend Alfred Washington, as they celebrate his first pastoral anniversary. This event will take place on Sunday, June 29 at the Morning Worship Service (10 a.m.). The Rev. Brian K. Jackson, First Baptist Church of Elmwood Park, will be the speaker of the hour. Dinner will be served immediately following Morning Service.

The celebration will continue at 3 p.m. with a special message from Moderator Rev. Dr. Haymond Fortenberry, pastor of Greater Fairfax M.B. Church. Musical guests and others will also be present to lift up the Lord in worship and praise. A special luncheon in honor of Lady Agnes Washington will be held on Saturday, June 28 beginning at noon.

The journey as pastor began on June 30, 2013 for Pastor Washington, and the journey continues. The Word of God says to honor those who labor among us for their work’s sake (1 Thessalonians 5:12).

“We plan to do just that by refreshing our pastor with words of appreciation, respect, and encouragement,” organizers said. “We will stand with our pastor during difficult times; and we will work side by side with him in ministry. We invite you to come and share in this momentous occasion, and celebrate Pastor Washington, the man whom God set in place to labor among us.”

From back in the day, I remembered how hard it was for me to realize that I am in the middle of a battlefield, as are you, and Satan really does want us as trophies. I can’t remember ever being so popular as to be the prize in such a high-stakes game of life and death, where my only weapon is my faith. It is so easy to forget some rather powerful ammunition, which would be God’s invitation to become a living testament to His eternal love. The problem is Satan is relentless and prone to attack at any given moment. I don’t know about you, but sometimes even on my best days there are distinct moments when focusing on the Word of God is the last thing on my mind. Events, circumstance and some people make it unlikely, impossible and just plain too hard. I now believe this is when the devil is at the top of his game. That’s what I mean when I say I don’t always realize he wants me as his personal trophy – dead, stuffed and mounted on his wall of shame to claim victory over God. When I’m consciously aware of these things, I understand Satan wants to embarrass, humiliate and, like a vengeful scorned lover, hurt the Lord. What

better way to do that than to steal something, degrade something, ruin something the devil knows the Lord loves. That would be me and you. It’s hard to think of myself as that important. It is impossible at times to think of myself as being the pivotal piece in an eternal game of spiritual chess, a King or Queen to One and a pawn to the other. I am always vulnerable. Like a child who wanders off into a swamp, he or she has no idea of the danger, injury and death lying just steps away. Do you ever feel that way? Lost and in trouble? If I am not vigilant, the devil will take me out and celebrate at my wake. Therefore, much like the weekend athlete, I know I have to train and be prepared. But some days I just do not want to work that hard. I just want to be left alone. Can you see how that rather simplistic thought can invite trouble? As simple as it sounds, get into the Word and strategize an offense and a defense of personal testimony. Armed in this fashion, like Jesus in the desert, the devil cannot win. When you’re determined and focused, you cannot be distracted. That’s why your so-called friends think you’re stubborn. Sometimes it just takes the will to win. How big is yours today?

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

James A. Washington

Carl Browley preaches at a Jehovah’s Witnesses annual convention.

Rev. Alfred Washington

Celebrity Swagger Snap of the Week

Reality star and R&B Starlet K. Michelle was eager to rep for her sorority Delta Sigma Theta with Khalia Grant Saturday night at Scottrade Center for Hot 104.1 FM’s Super Jam 2014. K. Michelle joined August Alsina, Juicy J, Yo Gotti and more for the annual summer concert.

Chaka’s voice was ‘through the fire.’ I know folks aren’t going to like what I have to say about Chaka Khan’s show Friday night at the Fox Theatre –especially her two biggest fans, Arika Parr and her blonde bombshell of a mama. But sometimes the truth hurts – but not as badly as the way Chaka kicked off her long-awaited St. Louis return. Folks were infuriated that she opened for the O’Jays, but they would have been even madder after seeing Eddie, Walter and that other one put their ankles into their set only for Chaka to follow up with that piece of show she served. I’ve decided that she was sick – because I had never seen her deliver anything less than a flawless performance. If she could have sounded as good as she looked, we would have had the best show of her career! But when she opened her mouth and mumble-sang, I thought she was singing or living “Drunk in Love” instead of “I Feel For You.” Honestly Eddie Levert’s menthol cigarette and Wild Turkey drenched voice gave me more than Chaka at certain points. If it weren’t for the O’Jays I would have spent the evening sorely disappointed. Check yourself. I’ve already infuriated some folks by going in on Chaka, so what’s one or two more? I really shouldn’t have to do this – especially since I have lots to cover and already don’t have enough space for everything. But there are people who insist on name dropping the American to get press access knowing full well they haven’t been associated with the paper since the Beijing Olympics. And by people, I mean Erica Brooks (most recently at the Chaka show). I’m not blasting simply for the sake of shade. It impedes the process of getting the job done – and not to mention jeopardizes our credibility. I’m not knocking your grind – By all means, keep taking pictures….just leave the American out of it. There are no hard feelings and we wish you no ill will. And this is not just for her; I’ve reached out to several venues and promoters to try and make sure ANYBODY who tries it will be shown the door.

Sorry Ms. Jackson. Floyd Mayweather must have put roots on his former boo for almost costing him that last fight. And even if he didn’t he would be thrilled to know that she was the first alleged celebrity to not bring in a big crowd on a Friday night at the Marquee. Too bad Nelly doesn’t claim her, because she could have used some of his star power. Maybe then she would have filled up a whole VIP booth. She seemed nice enough, but I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – to thrive in the club host business you need more than a pretty face and a cute shape. You have to have at least done something to build your brand besides being snuggled up with a star.

King Foxx celebrates at Soho. And since I’m on the subject of bombshells, I might as well mention that my girl Tiffany Foxx held a release party for her latest mixtape “King Foxx” Friday night at Soho. It wasn’t an embarrassment by any means, with respect to the size of the crowd, but I’m used to her packing the place all the way out. I just decided that the masses were saving their energy for Super Jam – and I was absolutely right.

Super Jam stayed winning. I want to give a major shout out – super if you will – to the folks over at Hot 104.1 for the win that was Super Jam 2014 Saturday at The Scottrade Center. Can you keep a secret? I was a nervous wreck about what would come of the Super Jam extreme makeover after Kendrick Lamar quietly floated off of the roster as headliner. New place, new time, no headliner…I was sweating bullets, but I should have known better! And Saturday was no different. Juicy J, August Alsina K. Michelle handled their business and Yo Gotti shut it all the way down. I was also thrilled with how the crowd showed so much love during the STL Mixtape portion –especially Laudie and Murphy Lee. And even though you can tell he has an attitude problem, and looks like a ratchet member of the Muppets – that Bando Jonez really had me tuning in to his little snippet. I’d need the whole Partyline to give full rundowns and read K. Michelle’s strobe light cat suit in the manner it deserves, but just know that I was pleasantly surprised by the whole get-up this year and all the performers except YG and Cash Out. The only losses I saw were the epic fashion failures that actually put K. Michelle to shame – especially the robust bodied young lady who decided she would intentionally wear her skirt so short that her underwear would show. Girl, why did you even bother with attempting to be conservative with your streetwalker swag? Other than all those dirty looks I gave the girls, Super Jam was great look for Hot. I also want to give a shout out to James Perry - a.k.a. the Super Jam Whisperer – for handling the pressure of his first Super Jam and staying cool as a cucumber – Weezy Jefferson voice aside. And SLIM Phil and the Coliseum team topped things off with an EPIC after party – and ALL of the biggest names on the bill showed up and showed out!

Black Music History and Café Soul collide. Café Soul will be back at the Rustic Goat on Saturday just in time to close out Black History Month with the biggest of bangs! Theresa Payne will be headlining the show – and a whole host of St. Louis’ finest will bless the mic. If it’s anything like last month, that microphone is going to spontaneously combust after the show closes, because ever since they re-launched, Café Soul has been bringing that fire with the talent and Deevine Soundz has been slaying on the tables. The show starts at 9 p.m.

Lola’s last hoorah. Even though I missed the last chicken and waffle meal, I still managed to get my last taste of Lola as the folks packed in like they should’ve been doing all along last weekend. From Friday to Sunday, you couldn’t catch a seat as the city’s young black and fabulous joined forces with the grown and sexy crowd to make the final memories for the nightlife spot.

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

Chelle and Keona closed out their weekend with a Day Party Sunday afternoon thanks to the Marquee

The staff of Lola posed together for the last time as the popular venue prepared to say farewell last weekend after four years in business

Toni and Mimi got a chance to meet and greet with Hot 104.1’s Super Jam headliner Yo Gotti before his performance Saturday night @ Scottrade Center

Singers Bando Jonez and Tinashe with Hot 104.1 FM’s Princess Stormm Saturday night @ Super Jam 2014 @ Scottrade Center

Kira and Anthony enjoy their last chance to kick it at Lola Sunday evening

Carri Griffin with Model Shantel Jackson, the latest cover girl for DELUX Magazine, Friday night for the Magazine’s release party @ The Marquee

She’s been making a splash on the national hiphop scene, but Tiffany Foxx returned home to celebrate the release of her ‘King Foxx’ mixtape Friday @ Soho with Damion and Tricky

Eddie Levert was blessed with some belated birthday love from Majic 100.3’s Tammie Holland on the morning of the O’Jays concert @ Majic studios Friday morning

Rapper Ty Dollar Sign met with lucky fan DaJuan during Hot 104.1’s Super Jam Saturday night @ Scottrade Center

Sydnee was one of the lucky few to get up close and personal with rising heartthrob August Alsina Saturday night @ Hot 104.1’s Super Jam 2014 @ Scottrade Center