June 2nd, 2011 edition

afternoon.The third

COMMENCINGWITH

black pride

Wash. U grads tip caps to heritage as they say goodbye

Graham Chapel, the Washington University Black Senior Alliance was bidding its own special farewell.

the courtyard decorated. Meanwhile, across the walk at

“Class of 2011, we did it,” said Portia Britt and Kathryn Brown, copresidents of the Black Senior Alliance (BSA). Jennifer Karikari, co-chair for the

BSA’s 24th Annual Commencement Ceremony, explained its significance.

“The significance of the separate ceremony is to acknowledge the unique challenges many of us face as minority students and to continue the legacy established by those who came before us,” Karikari said.

“The African-American community at Wash. U. is more than just an assortment of classmates and roommates. We are family.”

MASTER of disasters

Roy Gillespie is back from Joplin – and on to the next crisis

By Chris King Of The St.Louis American

Who are you going to call?

If you’re anywhere near St. Louis and you have a disaster on your hands, you’re going to call Roy Gillespie. Or the American Red Cross will call him after you call them.

“He is such an asset to all of these communities, ever since Hurricane Katrina, the first time he deployed with us,” said Nancy Bates, chief emergency services and regional operations officer for the St. Louis Area Chapter of the American Red Cross.

“Roy has been through wildfires, multiple floods and hurricanes and tornadoes. What a valuable resource we have here in St. Louis with Roy.”

“Katrina used to be my benchmark for a wide area of destruction, but that was nothing like Joplin - taking everything into splinters in a path a half-mile wide.”

– Roy Gillespie

Jury sides with Chief Coyle

Decides deputy chief was discriminated against in promotion of Jenkerson

By Rebecca S.Rivas Of The St.Louis American

After more than three years of waiting for his day in court, Deputy Fire Chief Charles Coyle said waiting five hours while the jury deliberated on May 27 was “nothing to me.”

It was worth the relief of vindication, he said. The jury found the City of St. Louis guilty of racial discrimination against Coyle, a firefighter with the St. Louis Fire Department since 1978 and deputy chief since 2001.

Eleven of the 12 jury members – a diverse group of city residents – said a

“If this is the tone we are setting, we are in trouble.These are the people running our city.”

– Deputy Fire Chief Charles Coyle

city administrator discriminated against Coyle when the administrator promoted a white firefighter of lower rank to fire chief in November 2007, violating the City Charter’s hir-

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St.Louis American

On May 18, Washington University was less than 48 hours away from its official farewell to the class of 2011. The ribbons were hung and

Cub Scout John Edwards,age 8,of Troop #821,raised a salute during a flag ceremony in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on Sunday

grader atMesnier Primary School in the Affton School District participated in the 62nd annual Memorial Day “Good Turn”event.About 4,000 Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts participated in placing flags on the 180,000 headstones in the military cemetery in South County.

Photo by Wiley Price

Deputy Chief Charlie Coyle of the St.Louis Fire Department, left,with Monroe Yancie,who was then chief paramedic for the department.

Photo by Wiley Price

Bernice King steps away from New Birth following settlement

Bernice King, the daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., will no longer serve as an elder at Eddie Long’s Lithonia mega church. According to Channel 2 Action News, King’s last day as an elder at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church was Sunday. King gave the alter call during Sunday’s 11 a.m. service. Sources told Channel 2 that they did not know if King’s departure had anything to do with the settlement and dismissal of the sexual misconduct lawsuits against Long. Long returned to the pulpit Sunday for the first time since settling four sexual misconduct lawsuits. Four young men sued Long last fall, alleging he coerced them into sexual relationships. Church officials emailed Channel 2 a statement saying the decision to settle was made to allow New Birth to move forward.

Maxwell’s bottle poppin’ b-day

According to the New York Post, soul singer Maxwell bought Champagne for the whole dining room during his birthday dinner at Co-Op in the Hotel on Rivington Thursday night. After Maxwell’s friends, actress Sanaa Lathan and model Jessica Stam, sang “Happy Birthday” in front of fellow diners Rachel Uchitel, actress Cassandra Seidenfeld and Paperstreet Films producer Austin Stark, he passed around the bubbly – at a cost of $7,000 –to everyone in the room and later danced up a storm with Stam to 1950s music. Maxwell left with both Lathan and Stam around 2 a.m. after tipping $2,000 to the waiters.

Lauren London opens up about Lil’ Wayne

In an interview with Skin Deep, actress Lauren London – who has been extremely private about the relationship between her and Lil Wayne – dishes the details of the long-term love between her and him. An expert from the interview is as follows:

What is the biggest misperception people have of you? What misperception bothers you most?

Lauren London: That my son is the result of some kind of one night stand or groupie encounter with his father. I struggle with deciding

when to answer or ignore the constant speculation about my private life, because I feel like that doesn’t belong to anybody but me. Do you want to go on to the next question, or clear up the speculation now?

LL: I met Dwayne when I was 15 years old. I’ve known him a very long time, and we were in a relationship that didn’t make it. We tried more than once to revive it, and we were engaged briefly years ago, but we eventually parted ways. People see the “Lil’ Wayne” persona and think they know who he really is. My son’s father is an intelligent, loving and lovable person who will always be a dear friend. That is all.

If you don’t mind another personal ques tion, there is a lot of talk about how well the mothers of his children get along. What’s the real deal?

LL: We are all good-hearted women who love our children and we want them to know each other. Real friendships have grown from that foundation and the result has been more love, less drama and less trauma for our kids.

Nick Cannon lets loose on Eminem

Actor/comedian Nick Cannon called out rapper Eminem Mon-

day night (May 30) on CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight.” Cannon, who acknowledged having “a beef” with Eminem, said he would ‘take out’ the rapper if they ever met face to face on a dark street.

“He’d have too many bodyguards around him,” Cannon said. “Anyone who insults my wife or my family, I have an issue with. I do. I understand that — I would have to see where that man actually was coming from. If he was saying, man, this is entertainment, this is something. But if you literally have a problem with me, then we can solve that problem. You’ve crossed the line a little.” Cannon was on the show to talk about many topics, including his career, his new job as host of “America’s Got Talent,” his marriage to R&B singer Mariah Carey, and their recently born twins. The results of Cannon’s comments stems from Eminem’s comments made about Carey on the 2009 song “Bagpipes to Baghdad.”

Sources: New York Post, Allhiphop.com, Eurweb.com, SkinDeep.com

Bernice King

Nick Cannon

Five local men master public speaking

By John T. Murphy

For The St. Louis American

The members iled into the familiar meeting room. They smiled and greeted each other with a spirit of community and of great expectation. Over the past few years for some, the past few months for others, they had arisen early on Saturday mornings and gathered at the Normandy United Methodist Church to improve their public speaking skills.

This morning, April 30, was special for ive local men. It would be a demonstration that those who remain steadfast in their goals are capable of profound change and extraordinary achievements. This morning, Nehemiah Dacres, James Brooks, Walter Nichols, Amin El Hasan and Anthony Neal would demonstrate mastery of public speaking and win the Competent Communicator Award given by Toastmasters International.

Toastmasters International helps people become better speakers. Members learn by doing at weekly meetings. There are no instructors, no exams and no pressure. A typical meeting has 8-14 members and three parts: impromptu speaking, prepared speeches and feedback.

Our ive young men had learned to think on their feet during the impromptu speaking segment of each meeting. They had also beneited from the feedback offered by their fellow members. More than anything else, however, they beneited from the prepared speeches.

The irst prepared speech is the Ice Breaker. Neophytes use this speech to begin speaking before an audience and become aware of their unique talents. Subsequent speeches focus on the fundamentals of public speaking, such as speech organization, vocal variety and body language. Each speech builds upon the skills learned in the previ-

ous speech. With each speech comes greater conidence in one’s skills and in oneself.

The tenth speech is enthusiastically known as the graduation speech. Members craft a speech that inspires their audience. It is truly an important occasion both for the club and for the member. This milestone is an opportunity for the speaker to demonstrate mastery of public speaking fundamentals and for the audience to witness the incredible growth of the speaker. On that wonderful Saturday morning, the Toastmaster of the Day acknowledged the special occasion with a few words. This would be the irst time that the Plus Factor Toastmasters Club would have ive members become Competent Communicators at one time. When every member was eagerly anticipating the

speeches, the irst speaker conidently strode to the lectern. Nehemiah, the youngest speaker, inspired us with the story of his high school chess trip.

Next, James took us on a journey of self-relection. He concluded by challenging each of us to ind our true identity and to honor that identity.

Walter continued the journey by recounting his Toastmaster experience. We laughed as we remembered his previous speeches; we were hopeful as Walter directed us toward his future speeches.

Amin took the occasion to the next level with his speech entitled, “Who am I?” Amin, a gifted motivational speaker, has the amazing ability to motivate and captivate his audience.

Anthony, the inal speaker, capped the event with a

carefully-crafted speech. He illustrated his speech with several stories. Each story demonstrated the power of positive thinking.

To honor the speakers, the Toastmaster of the Day said a few words and presented each speaker with a Competent Communicator badge. We all praised the speakers with a thunderous round of applause. Now more than ever, the world needs people with excellent communication skills. Effective communication can make a signiicant difference in your life. It can distinguish you from the competition in a job interview. It can improve the quality of your personal relationships. If you have an unvoiced desire to better yourself, consider Toastmasters. Murphy may be reached at john.murphy@dist8tm.org.

Elder robbery, murder is beyond savagery

len in the trunk.

Whatever happened to a healthy respect for the elderly, if not for religious reasons, out of a conviction that the most vulnerable in our community deserve to be treated with love and compassion?

That’s the question that many are asking following the senseless beating and murder of an 85-year-old lady who was guilty of nothing more than attempting to enjoy an evening of relaxation at a local bingo game, only to be kidnapped and later killed in savage fashion.

The victim, Yoko Cullen, was apprehended on the evening of May 18, following a Bingo session at a Collinsville, Ill. bingo hall, allegedly by a neighbor.

According to details from a search warrant application, three individuals – LaTosha Cunningham (who lived less than a mile from Cullen and was also a regular at the bingo hall), DaQuan Barnes and Demarcus Barnes (both associates of Cunningham) – waited for Cullen in the parking of the bingo hall, detained Cullen, forced her into the trunk of her own car, then drove her to a remote area in East St. Louis with a reputation as a dumping area for stolen cars.

DaQuan Barnes went on to state that Cunningham, after noticing that Cullen had seen her license plate number, decided to kill Cullen. So the three suspects, purportedly, beat Cullen with a tire iron, robbed her (pocketing about $130 each), bought gasoline and torched Cullen’s car, with her still in the trunk.

The Metro East Auto Theft Task Force discovered the car after Cullen’s relatives reported her missing, identiied the car and discovered the body of Cul-

Cunningham, and Demarcus and DaQuan Barnes (all three originally from East St. Louis) were arraigned on irst degree murder charges the following Monday, with Cunningham fainting, then attempting unsuccessfully to vomit into a trash can as her charges were read. East St. Louis Police Detective Michael Floore conirmed that it was his belief that the motive was robbery. It is my personal belief that the impetus is savagery, pure and simple. What type of individual willingly preys on the most vulnerable in our society over $390? Only a savage. This could have been any of our mothers or grandmothers who frequent the local casinos for “entertainment,” only to have their lives snuffed out by individuals who are either too lazy to work, too hardened to have compassion or too savage to care about the consequences and the impact of their actions on the families of their innocent victims. What’s even more disheartening is that a woman, LaTosha Cunningham, by all accounts was the ring leader and had previously done a nine-year stint for robbing and shooting an elderly woman back in 1993. And for Cunningham to have the audacity to engage in the courtroom theatrics of “fainting” and dramatically attempting to “vomit” during her arraignment is even more disgusting, given her alleged indifference and viciousness in the alleged beating and murder of her elderly victim.

Email: jtingram_1960@ yahoo.com.

Nehemiah Dacres, James Brooks, Walter Nichols, Amin El Hasan and Anthony Neal

James Ingram

EDITORIAL /COMMENTARY

We need to inish economic development bill

In its legislative session, the Missouri Legislature failed to pass a signiicant overhaul of economic incentives that would rein in some of the state’s out-of-control tax credit programs and offer new market incentives geared toward giving St. Louis a seat at the bargaining table to attract major new air trafic, both cargo and passenger. The demise of the sprawling economic development bill blocked new incentives needed to attract freight forwarders and developers of cargo facilities to Lambert. A late start on taking up the omnibus economic development package helped seal the fate of this critical legislation, as four Republican “iscal hawks” (whom House Majority Leader Tim Jones called “legislative terrorists”) tied up the body for an extended period with their preposterous opposition to federal funds to assist the longterm unemployed. Despite broad consensus in both the House and Senate to pass this critical economic development legislation, the reprehensible, time-consuming action by these rogue Republicans left House and Senate leaders stymied with only a week to try to reconcile thorny differences about tax credit programs. St. Louis had a huge stake in the overall economic legislative bill, not least because it included incentives for the Aerotropolis initiative that would give a vital boost to efforts to transform Lambert-St. Louis International Airport into a genuinely international cargo hub. A forward-thinking public/private partnership already has invested a considerable amount of time and capital into enticing China to the table in a deal that has enormous positive transformative potential.

If we are able to build on our existing rail, trucking and barge logistical platform, there would be substantive job growth, billions in economic activity, greater success in retaining existing business as well as attracting new business and human capital.

In a highly competitive global economy, unwarranted delay is not a prudent option.

A case in point is the tenuous nature of the current negotiations between the St. Louis airport and Chinese business leaders. The talks are at a critical point, and St. Louis is currently a strong competitor for a Chinese cargo hub in the Midwest. In addition to the obvious value of a Chinese cargo hub itself, there would be the additional beneit to attempts to realize St. Louis’ larger goal of becoming a global cargo and commercial hub. Improved air service would improve our leverage to better capitalize on our existing multi-modal transportation advantages.

Notwithstanding Gov. Jay Nixon’s earlier stated reservations about the urgency of a special session to pass an economic development bill, there are continued efforts being made to gain passage of a comprehensive bill – a bill that came close to inal agreement in the House and Senate and still can get done with bipartisan leadership.

The stakes are high and, in regard to Aerotropolis and the overall economic development bill, failure is not an option. Step one is for the House and Senate to reconcile their remaining differences, then either the House or Senate should call themselves back for a special session, or the governor should do so. Time is wasting, and expedited action is required in the near term.

Let’s support early childhood education

It is time for our community to take a serious look at answers for turning around population loss in the city of St. Louis. The easy, highly politicized explanation is to blame public education for “killing the city.” The other more dificult and uncomfortable factor is the city’s murder rate. Politics (inluenced by a well-inanced agenda) skews the explanation of population loss in St. Louis. Right now we have a unique opportunity to change the narrative and move past the blame game. Our children and our families do not exist in a bubble isolated from crime, joblessness, lack of affordable housing, poor nutrition and limited access to affordable healthcare. We may not be able to ix the long list of ills contributing to population loss in our community immediately, but we have started to address some of them. One answer for St. Louis Public Schools: full-service, community-centered schools that present the opportunity to re-purpose and re-vitalize neighborhoods. This program, with a proven track record, provides an anchor that supports

children and families with additional services, night classes, not-for-proit and corporate support.

The “schools as community centers” concept recognizes those children and their families aren’t in a vacuum, and if we can make some effort to educate the “whole-child” we have a chance to rewrite academic outcomes.

The other promising, but long neglected, initiative is providing increased opportunity for early childhood education. Pre-K is where we have to start. All evidence supports that investment in Pre-K gives taxpayers more bang for the buck. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, one dollar spent on Pre-K saves seven dollars in future taxpayer expenditures. The U.S. military and St. Louis Police Chief Dan Isom have been public advocates for Pre-K.

St. Louis city’s population under age 5 stands at 21,089, or 6.6 percent (Missouri’s at 6.5 percent). St. Louis has a consistent live birth rate of roughly 5,000 per year; nearly 60 percent of 3 and 4 year olds are not attending private day care, Head Start or the SLPS early childhood education classes. Recently, a coalition of community, corporate, and union partners urged passage of a capital improvement bond (Proposition S) that won with

75 percent of the vote. A recent poll (cited by Missouri’s Commissioner of Education) shows that 79 percent of voters statewide support voluntary early childhood education. Voters supported Prop S’s dedicated $10 million for early childhood education. Currently the district is poised to increase capacity by nearly 25 percent. As this expansion becomes viable, there is one missing piece. Kindergarten in St. Louis (irst in the nation in 1873) is still an experiment. Children, prepared or not, do not have to walk through the door until age 7.

For three legislative sessions in a row, bills have been iled to lower the mandatory age of attendance from age 7 to 5. Those bills have not moved forward. It is time for all advocates for children and families to join in lobbying, communicating and educating our elected oficials in order to pass this legislation. Now is the time to stand together and get our 5 and 6 year olds in the school door. I don’t think we have time to waste in assessing blame about who is “killing the city.” Our children and our community deserve us to join in a coalition dedicated to that irst step, even if it is a baby step, in the right direction.

Clemens serves as regional vice president of AFT MO, AFL-CIO

COMMENTARY

Blacks and AIDS: 30 years later

Sunday marked the 30th anniversary of the irst public identiication of AIDS. On June 5, 1981, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report disclosed that ive previously healthy gay men in Los Angeles were diagnosed with an infectious disease normally associated with a deteriorated immune system. Actually, AIDS began prior to 1981 – we just didn’t know it. Since 1981, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , 1.7 million people in the United States have been infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Among the 1.7 million, 600,000 died. More than 1.1 million are living with the disease today. Every 9 ½ minutes, someone is infected with HIV in the U.S. AIDS, initially thought to be the exclusive purview of white gay men, has taken a large toll on African Americans. Although blacks represent only 12 percent of the U.S. population, African Americans account for 45 percent of all HIV infections and 46 percent of all people living with HIV in 2006, according to the CDC. Over the course of the epidemic, African Americans have become a larger proportion of those diagnosed with AIDS, jumping from 25 percent in 1985 to almost double – 48 percent – in 2009.

Black women account for 61 percent of all new HIV infections among women, a rate nearly 15 times larger than that of white women. Most AfricanAmerican women were infected through heterosexual activity.

Black teenagers represent only 17 percent of all U.S. teenagers, but 68 percent of all new AIDS diagnoses among teens.

According to one ive-city sampling, 46 percent of black gay and bisexual men were infected with HIV, compared to 31 percent of whites and 17 percent of Latino males.

Citing a national study, an HIV/AIDS fact sheet published by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation observed: “Blacks with HIV/AIDS were more likely to be publicly insured or uninsured than their white counterparts, with over half (59 percent) relying on Medicaid compared to 32 percent of whites. One-ifth of blacks with HIV/AIDS (22 percent) were uninsured, compared to 17 percent of whites. Blacks were much less likely to be privately insured than whites (14 compared to 44 percent).”

In addition to less access of health care, the death rate is higher among blacks, in part, because African Americans are often diagnosed long after they have been infected, reducing the likelihood of successful treatment.

Phill Wilson and his Black AIDS Institute have been particularly impressive mobilizing civil rights leaders, even getting them to undergo testing in public. Similarly,

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Correction

Mrs. Angela L. Starks, the new CEO of Annie Malone Children and Family Service Center, was a young married mother of two boys. She has been married to Edward Starks Sr. for over 30 years. She has never been a single mother, as inaccurately reported previously. We apologize for the error.

Curry got it wrong

I believe George Curry got it completely wrong in his article “Demonizing the Poor for Being Poor.” Most Americans, both conservative and moderates (and maybe liberals), are completely irritated and disgusted with the waste in our federal programs.

I have very good friends who are conservative and liberal, but I don’t know anyone who doesn’t believe in providing a “safety net” for those poor souls in real need.

Curry makes the point that some state lawmakers are directing their anger at the poor. It’s waste that they are directing their anger toward. Does anyone get upset at all the people scamming the system?

Curry also quotes Stuart Varney, of Fox Financial, that much of the social programs is “income distribution,” beneiting people with an “entitlement mentality.” What else would you call it when we are expected to accept these programs without question or impunity? This article demonizes anyone and everyone as “selish” and “uncaring” people out to make the poor look like thieves in the night. America is on the edge of inancial collapse. It is the responsibility of all us to think about these issues logically without fomenting hatred toward those trying to correct the problems.

Jon Stewart, St. Louis

Play lots, not vacant lots

I’m tired of hearing how youth are causing a disturbance in the Loop. Times were that we catered to youth with roller skating in Forest Park, spring carnivals, summer jobs and recreational activities. We should learn from Chicago which not only sponsors Taste of Chicago, but also hosts dozens of

Pernessa C. Seele, of the Balm in Gilead, has mobilized the faith community, both here and in Africa, and C. Virginia Fields has placed a lot of focus on heterosexual women through her leadership of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS. Still, too many people are walking around unaware of their HIV status, posing a threat to themselves and others. That’s why testing needs to be expanded at all levels. In addition, the Blacks AIDS Institute’s 2011 State of AIDS in Black America report outlines a number of steps that need to be taken by health oficials to more effectively address the problem: · Provide people with continuous and coordinated quality care once they learn they have been infected by HIV; · Increase the number and diversity of clinical care and related services to people living with HIV; · Support people living with HIV who have other needs, such as affordable housing; · Reduce the stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV; and · Adopt community-level approaches to reduce HIV infections in high-risk communities. The 30th anniversary of the discovery of AIDS is no time for celebration. It is a time to expand our efforts to bring an end to this preventable disease. George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine and the NNPA News Service, can be reached through www.georgecurry.com.

neighborhood festivals, summer youth programs, and has hundreds of numbered play lots instead of vacant lots.

However, like Chicago, St. Louis is making the mistake of signing a lucrative development deal at the expense of its citizens. In the eighties, after inking the controversial deal, Chicago media cameras rolled, showing hundreds of tenants being evicted. After the historic downtown building was demolished, the deal fell through. The huge lot, prime real estate located adjacent to Marshall Field’s on State Street, sat empty. The city inally saved face by turning the vacant lot into a downtown skating rink.

The Ballpark Village lot that sits empty would more than solve our city’s temporary recreation dilemma. There are creative uses for that property that have yet to be considered. A downtown carnival or skating rink would generate teen activity and revenue to pay for itself.

A recent report revealed that Metro spent $250,000 on a sculpture at its Grand Station. Creative youth could have been given the opportunity, hired, provided a scholarship and college credit to fulill any art requirement. Shame on us if we continue in this selish and short-sighted manner.

Victoria Ryan-Bailey St. Louis Obama haters want bailout

In the month of April 2011, politicians across the state of Alabama that have solidiied their careers by trashing the name Barack Obama turn around and requests the president’s help in restoring communities that were damaged by the massive tornado storms.

A recent article from a Decatur, Alabama newspaper shines the light on hypocrite politicians who took part in such trash talk about our current U.S. president (“Getting Help From The Feds,” Decatur Daily, May 20).

Old School Rapper and selfproclaimed “street reporter” Prince EQ added to the article by posting a recording captured over the telephone of the Morgan County, Alabama School Superintendent whose attempt

was to further undermine our current president’s commitment to the well-being of “MainStreet” America. Prince EQ’s YouTube posting is entitled “Alabama Obama Haters Requested Help From The Federal Government.” Rodney Robinson Decatur, Ala.

Guest Columnist Byron Clemens

Guest Columnist George Curry

Vinita Park

Memorial Trail dedicated Saturday

Residents of Vinita Park and Trailnet will dedicate Vinita Park’s new bike and pedestrian trail on Saturday, June 4, at 10 a.m. The trail connects local residents to the Charles M. Forrester Park, City Hall and the Indian Trails Branch of the St. Louis County Library while providing a safe and shaded way to travel from Page Avenue to Midland Boulevard.

Due to the recent deaths of two Vinita Park Police Officers, the mayor and board have approved an official renaming of the trail to “The Vinita Park Memorial Trail.” The trail will be dedicated to the memory of “those who have made the City of Vinita Park a safe and beautiful place to live.”

Members of the community are invited to submit plans for a memorial at the trailhead and can be sent to the Mayor’s Office, Vinita Park City Hall, 8374 Midland Blvd. Vinita Park, MO 63114. Trailnet’s partnership with Vinita Park began through Trailnet’s creation of the city’s Bikeable – Walkable Community Plan, completed in 2007. For more information, visit http://trailnet.org/our-work/vinitapark-missouri.

United Way funds fostercare initiative

Epworth Children & Family Services

was awarded a $26,464 one-time grant from the United Way of Greater St. Louis to encourage healthy behaviors for young women ages 18 to 25 who have aged out of the foster care system.

This funding will help youth in Epworth’s Aging Out Initiative, a program dedicated to equipping youth leaving foster care with the skills to be selfsufficient by age 25. The grant will also allow Epworth to address risk factors such as tobacco use, alcohol and drug abuse, violence, gang involvement, sexual abuse, poor nutrition, health counseling and testing.

Approximately 2,000 youth and families turn to Epworth each year for emergency shelter, residential and intensive treatment, family reunification therapy, transitional and independent living programs, special education, foster family care and a 24-hour help line. For more information, visit www.epworth.org.

School kids contribute to Dred Scott statue

Jana Elementary School students recently presented Lynne M. Jackson with a check for $500 to help erect a six-foot tall statue of Dred and Harriet Scott in front of the Old Courthouse in downtown St.Louis.Jackson is a great-greatgranddaughter of the Scotts and president of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation.Six district schools donated to the fund,raising more than $1,600. With them are Jana Elementary School Principal Sheilah Fitzgerald,background,and Brender Benson,right,a vice president with M&I Bank,which is a primary fundraising sponsor for the statue drive.Jackson’s children, Christopher and Sherrie,attended Jana,starting in 1983 and 1986,respectively.

Juneteenth Celebration on June 18

The Buder Ol’Timers Committee will host a Juneteenth Celebration at Buder Playground, 2900 Hickory Street in St. Louis, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, June 18.Theme: Standing on Shoulders of Yesterday – Pressing for a Better Tomorrow.For information: buder_ol.timers@yahoo.com or 314-791-0699, 314-664-0327.

History’s hostages

By Julianne Malveaux NNPA Columnist

History belongs to whoever holds the pen. We celebrate our holidays and milestones through the lens of those who won the war.

So on Memorial Day, we lift up our nation’s veterans. Our veterans are men and women who fought for the right to fight, but few want to tell that story.

Mary Frances Berry and John Blassingame inspired a collection of essays that I edited, The Paradox of Loyalty, which speaks to the ways that a country that turns its back on black folk also expects us to defend it.

African Americans were the first Americans to celebrate Memorial Day, according to Yale University professor David Blight, in an interview he gave to Black Voices at AOL. Bight says that African Americans celebrated Union soldiers improperly buried in a field that was once a racetrack. On May 1, 1865, African Americans, many recently emancipated people, righted the wrong by putting up a fence around the area and claiming those who fought for black freedom.

Those who wrote our nation’s history are mostly white, mostly male, mostly connected to power. The stories they tell are self-serving stories of heroism and exemplary service. These folks are not the folks who plowed and planted and nursed and uplifted. The stories of our history are stories that replicate themselves and have no room for connection.

What would happen if women wrote the stories of our history? Would we learn more about the many ways that invisible women, like Abigail Adams, had something to say about the voice of women and people of African descent, even as President John Adams made poor choices. What would happen if black folk wrote the stories of our history? Would we learn about the challenges that allowed some to lay stone on the ground to build our nation’s capital? Would we finally capture the South Carolina burial ground that was the first recorded Memorial Day?

What would happen if Native Americans wrote the story? Would we learn about the men and women who grabbed belongings in the dark and fled someplace? Would we learn about the reservations that were established, a fraction of the space they once lived in?

History belongs to whoever holds the pen, and history holds us hostage to interpretation. So write, sister, write, the story of Memorial Day, of the black folks who went to give dignity and honor to those who lost their lives. Write, sister, write, about the foundation of our nation’s capital. The story will not be told unless we claim the pen as our own.

Julianne Malveaux is president of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C.

Julianne Malveaux

WASH. U.

Continued from A1

Family ties were illustrated through praise, spoken and sung. Special recognition was given to Dean James McLeod, who has served students of color at the university for more than 35 years.

“The AfricanAmerican community at Wash.U. is more than just an assortment of classmates and roommates.We are family.”

– Jennifer Karikari

“He is one of the most important and influential administrators on the campus,”

BSAsocial co-chair Pierre Boncy said.

“He never failed to make time for the personal need of any student who asked for it. When we failed, he was there to help us learn and move on. Without him, some of us may not have graduated.

You’ve been a father figure and a home away from home.”

The students were openly emotional as they said goodbye to their undergraduate experience.

“If it weren’t for you, I

wouldn’t have made it through these four years of college,”

BSAtreasurer Zack Jackson said as he introduced student keynote speaker Adrian Scott King. “You’ve been a roommate, a friend and most of all a

brother.”

When he stepped to the podium, King reminded students of the work that is left to be done.

“I encourage you guys to take a firm grip of your idea of success and your ideals and goals and claim it in front of you; and, as you march, keep your eye on it,” King said.

“Only he who can see the invisible can do the impossible.”

The ceremony had a beauti-

fully informal undertone.

“We‘re not just celebrating you, because you didn’t get here by yourself. You have Mama and Daddy – notice how I didn’t say ‘Mother’and ‘Father,’” said keynote speaker Garret Albert Duncan, director of the program in African & African-American Studies. “You also have older siblings who love you, because you have now become your parents’retirement plan.”

celebrated its 24th Annual Commencement Ceremony on May 18 at

As everyone laughed, they also reflected on the worldaltering changes that had taken place during their years on campus.

“Your class elected the first black president,” Duncan said – meaning the president of the United States, not a class president.

“You didn’t get with our program; we had to get with your program. It was you who got together with your allies and did something that has never been done in the history of America.”

Duncan said he was asked to be both celebratory and cautionary, but he flipped the script. His confidence in the class of 2011 was unwavering.

“You are the dreams realized by ancestors three centuries removed. You’re like Malcolm, Martin and all of those other people whose names begin with M,” Duncan said.

“You are the black butterflies. You are the dreams conceived that will never die. I said it would be celebratory and cautionary, but I have no worries or doubts. I will sleep well tonight knowing that the world is in your hands.”

BSAco-president Kathryn Brown offered a challenge to her classmates: “I charge you to not forget the community that made you, to not forget the people who came before you, and to give back and reach back.”

The Washington University Black Senior Alliance

Graham Chapel on the Danforth Campus.

Photo by Maurice Meredith

GILLESPIE

Continued from A1

Gillespie just got back from tornado-devastated Joplin, Missouri, where he was among the first boots on the ground to set up warehouses for relief supplies and an operational headquarters.

“In all my years working disasters, Joplin is absolutely the worst I’ve ever seen,” Gillespie said.

“Katrina used to be my benchmark for a wide area of destruction, but that was nothing like Joplin - taking everything into splinters in a path a half-mile wide.”

Gillespie said the tornado in Joplin destroyed almost 4,000 homes, and 142 have been reported dead.

Gillespie was one of five American Red Cross-trained volunteer supervisors deployed to Joplin. Overall, Bates said, the American Red Cross has registered over 7,000 St. Louis-area volunteers who have logged 27,000 hours of service in Joplin.

Gillespie deploys to disaster sites for the American Red Cross “on loan,” he said, from Teamsters Joint Council 13, where he is a member and serves as human rights commissioner. Marvin Kropp, president of Teamsters Joint Council 13, sent Gillespie down to Joplin and has facilitated his emergence as a national leader in disaster relief.

“Marvin didn’t believe in the race deal,” Gillespie said. “If you’re capable of doing the job and have the experience, then he’ll get you out there in a leadership situation.” Leadership in the

COYLE

Continued from A1

Teamsters’specialty – trucking – is desperately needed in the event of a disaster.

“Trucking – that’s logistics, moving stuff, warehousing, picking things up and moving them into another direction,” Gillespie said.

“It’s very essential in any disaster to get supplies to people, and who better else than an organization that works with people moving things in an orderly manner.”

His duties in disaster zones involve directing people, as well as things, in an orderly manner.

“It’s very essential in any disaster to get supplies to people, and who better else than an organization that works with people moving things.”

– Roy Gillespie

“Roy is a leadership volunteer who connects partners that the American Red Cross works with during times of disaster with the Red Cross so we avoid duplication and he connects us with the community to meet their needs,” Bates said.

“He also provides person hours through the Teamsters to deliver goods in bulk, which is tremendous cost savings for the organization.”

In Joplin, he saw a lot of hometown faces while pulling 18-hour days on the logistical grind, sleeping nights at Downstream Casino across the state line in Quapaw, Oklahoma, owned by the Quapaw Tribe of

Indians.

“There was a contingent of 25 officers from St. Louis County Police helping direct traffic and running police calls,” Gillespie said. “There were physicians, pediatricians, psychologists, health care professional from all over the St. Louis metropolitan area. The State NAACP came down, Baptists, Latter Day Saints. There was a lot of outpouring from St. Louis.”

An outpouring of volunteerism creates its own problems.

“At one point, it was overwhelming,” Gillespie said. “People sent clothes, but when your home has been completely destroyed and you are staying in a shelter and only have a little tub for two or three changes of clothes, it ended up being waste.”

That is why Gillespie said the public should always call the American Red Cross (314-516-2700 in St. Louis) to ask what help is needed at any time in any disaster.

Gillespie may be back at home now and sleeping in his own bed, rather than working all day in a disaster area then sleeping at an Indian casino hotel, but his work continues. And not just on the Joplin tornado – he is currently taking calls and giving advice on logistics for eight disasters in eight states. And he is always one phone call away from disaster number nine.

To volunteer or contribute, contact the American Red Cross at 314-516-2700. To become a trained volunteer, ask for Jeanie Eddington.

a tone that says, ‘We can do what we want to intimidate employees.’If this is the tone we are setting, we are in trouble. These are the people running our city.”

Simon, who was then public safety director. Bryson, who is black, immediately said he would enforce Simon’s threat, and after a delay did so, a month after his promotion.

would have followed the City Charter and promoted from the next lower rank, deputy chief, administrators would have promoted Coyle.

people who should be working hard to make sure there is no discrimination had key roles in keeping me from becoming fire chief.”

Dennis Jenkerson, who received that promotion, was said to be the first person elevateddirectly from battalion chief to chief of the department.

The jury of the St. Louis Circuit Court awarded Coyle the full $300,000 he sought for actual damages. However, after pleas from the city’s defense attorney, Nancy Kistler, that the city was cash strapped, the panel only awarded $50,000 of the $1 million Coyle requested in punitive damages.

“This is larger than what some people believe,” Coyle said.

“You had the people at the top of the city’s organizational chart doing this. I think it sets

Public Safety Director Charles Bryson made the promotion decision. He reports directly to Mayor Francis G. Slay, who appointed Bryson in October 2007. Before his elevation to director, Bryson had been a longtime community liaison and functionary for Slay.

The fire chief position was open at the time because of Bryson’s demotion of Fire Chief Sherman George over a set of contested promotions, which prompted George’s resignation. George described his exit from the fire service as a “constructive termination.”

Bryson was promoted by Slay when a threat for disciplinary action hung over George’s head, issued by Sam

After Bryson demoted George, the city’s first AfricanAmerican fire chief, he replaced him with an interim chief, Steve Kotraba, who immediately began promoting firefighters – almost all of them white – from the contested list.

Kotraba was then replaced by Jenkerson, a battalion chief, who was promoted over Coyle, who held the more senior title of deputy chief and also served as fire marshal.

Coyle’s lawyer, Jerome Dobson, argued that if the city

Kistler defended Bryson, saying that Jenkerson had the top test scores.

Dobson pointed out the racial disparities in such test results, based on numerous studies.

Coyle said his experience of discrimination in the process of this promotion to fire chief was consistent with his previous experience in the department.

“This case says that nothing has changed, and again I point to the people involved and where they stand in organizational chart,” he said. “The

Kistler said to Circuit Judge Edward Sweeney and the jury that the city understands the message sent to them by the jury. But Coyle is not convinced.

“I am not sure that the city truly understands,” he said. “Do we truly want to correct the discrimination in the city? I am not sure that’s what our leaders want.”

George applauded the jury’s decision, and said his own suit against the city failed because it never went before a jury but to the Civil Service Commission.

“Fortunately, Chief Coyle was judged by a jury of his peers,” George said.

“Unfortunately, I was judged by Mayor Slay’s peers, all white males except for one white female.”

Boy Scout Shemar Lee, age 13,from Troop #26 (sponsored by Bethlehem Lutheran Church in North St.Louis), placed flags on 180,000 headstones in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on Sunday. Approximately 4,000 Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts participated in the 62nd annual Memorial Day “Good Turn” event. ing regulations.

Coyle said these past few years have been hard on his family. He said he has felt intimidation at the workplace, with responsibilities removed from under his direction. As the verdict sinks in, he is not sure how his case will change the long-held racial tensions in the city’s fire department.

“I’m not sure where the fire department is going to go,” he said. “I am not sure if they want to make the appropriate changes in this city.”

Photo by Wiley Price

Students Are Wildly Creative at YMCA Science Gone Mad Expo

More than 80 students demonstrated their intelligence and their creativity at the “Science Gone Mad” expo and awards program, Saturday (May 21) at the St. Louis Science Center-Taylor Community Resource Center.

Students from Lift for Life Academy, Long Middle School, Lyons @ Blow School, Normandy Middle School, and Lucas Crossing School participated in the event, generously funded by the Monsanto Company.

“Science Gone Mad” is part of the YMCA of Greater St. Louis urban core youth development initiative. The goal of this after-school program is to energize interest in science and math careers. Since its start in 2008, “Science Gone Mad” has engaged more than 300 students in ive schools in the St. Louis area.

Saturday, Science Gone Mad students showcased activities from thematic units studied in their after-school program, becoming “star scientists” for the day.

Working with volunteers from the Campus Y at Washington University, students created science fair/science center style exhibits to demonstrate

various science and math concepts with hands-on activities. After the Expo, students and community partners were honored with trophies and certiicates for their dedication during a special luncheon. Students and their families then gathered at the Carondelet Park Rec Complex for an afternoon of family fun activities after their awards luncheon.

Sharetha Word may be typical of many students her age who are apprehensive about science and math.

“I was one of those kids who didn’t like science, whatsoever. But Science Gone Mad opened my mind. I learned so many interesting facts like chemical reactions, the periodic table (of chemical elements) and stuff about the earth,” said Sharetha. “Science Gone Mad not only changed my life, but changed my mind and made me think differently about what I want to be in life.”

As part of the after-school program Science Gone Mad participants take spring break ield trips. Students have visited the Weldon Springs Educational Center, Daniel Boone Museum, Shaw Nature Center, Melvin Price Lock & Dam and Meramec Caverns.

Sharetha Word, who has participated in the YMCA “Science Gone Mad” expo for three years, proudly displays her displays on the anatomy of butterlies.

Ask him any question about geomagnetism and Jamar Hudson could probably answer correctly at the “Science Gone Mad” expo and awards program, funded by Monsanto Company.

Jayla Crosby and Kelvin Marshall demonstrated how the simplest of machines make our lives easier in their YMCA “Science Gone Mad” exhibit.

Proudly decked out in their lab coats, Khalil Harbin and Shemar Lee show onlookers what atmospheric conditions cause thunderstorms and lightening at the “Science Gone Mad” expo.

Itches, scratches and local control

A common slam against Mayor Francis G. Slay and his team is they can make the kinds of deals that get Slay reelected, but the deals they make to govern the city and develop it have a way of falling apart or leaving them, and us, in the lurch.

The city’s deal with the police department for local control in exchange for collective bargaining rights was at irst seen by many in this light.

By now, readers of the EYE know the deal. In the recently ended legislative session, the St. Louis Police Oficers Association (POA) withdrew its long-standing opposition to city control of the city police department in exchange for the right to bargain collectively.

The St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners, which consists of Slay and four citizen colonels appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon, agreed to collective bargaining with the POA – before the Legislature passed local control. Then the legislative session closed without the passage of local control.

Ald. Antonio D. French said on Twitter this was not the best way to make a deal, but many other people were thinking the same thing.

On Tuesday, the police board and the POA actually signed a collective bargaining, agreement (which the POA rank-andile needs to ratify) – and still no local control deal. To paraphrase the Missouri songwriter Brian Henneman, the city scratched the cops’ back but the city still has its itch.

Nixon and the cops

The city could still get its scratch. Nixon could call a special session of the Legislature and put local control on the agenda. Moving control of the St. Louis police department away from a gubernatorial-appointed board would, evidently, reduce the governor’s political power, which is not something any politician relishes doing.

Also, Nixon is a former longtime attorney general for the state who always positions himself as a staunch friend of law enforcement. When the POA opposed local control, that helped explain Nixon’s lukewarm or negative stance on local control. Now, if the cops mean what they say, they actually want local control, so presumably Nixon would want it for them.

Term limits and pay schedules

But do the cops really want to pay back the city with its scratch? They certainly claim that they do.

Jeff Roorda is a former legislator whose new role with

Circulation transition

With the sudden death of Paul Reiter, the longtime St. Louis American circulation manager, on May 9, the newspaper lost a 22-year veteran whose efforts were largely responsible for the paper’s wide and consistent availibility.

As we recover from Paul’s loss and attempt to replace an irreplaceable colleague, please be patient with us, as the paper may not be as widely and readily available as our readers expect. At the same time, we need to hear from you about any interruptions or decline in service.

If you can’t ind The American where you expect to ind it, please email circulation@ stlamerican.com and be very speciic as to when and where the paper was unavailable. Also, please put “Circulation” in the subject line.

Remember, email circulation@stlamerican.com. Thank you.

the POA as business manager was critical in the past legislative session. According to The Beacon, Roorda acknowledged that the cops are tiring of “the calisthenics of dealing with the constant turnover” in the Legislature under term limits. “Roorda noted that about half of the state House was replaced last fall, some by term limits and others (including him) by the Republican wave,” The Beacon reported, and Roorda told them that “the learning curve is very steep.”

To put it a more cynical way, it’s easier to maintain a deal than to cut a new one, and with constant turnover in the Legislature, the POA had to constantly cut new deals with new legislators.

Also, the police board did keep in mind the city’s unfulilled itch in its three-year collective bargaining agreement with the POA. “The pay schedule during the third year would be improved if local control is in place,” The Beacon reported. And then there is the fact that the POA did not get everything it wanted in this agreement, which applies only to the department’s roughly 1,000 oficers below the rank of sergeant.

“Mayor Francis Slay has made a public commitment to pursue a separate but similar agreement with the department’s sergeants,” the POA said. Like local control, that is not a done deal – “a public commitment to pursue” an agreement is not an agreement.

The Rex factor

In addition to this leverage the city holds over the POA, there is evidence that the two parties have come to an understanding and partnership that is deeper than the local control/ collective bargaining deal.

When The American told Roorda that the City Charter

needs to be revised to make local control meaningful – its current provisions for the police department read like a bad joke – he agreed emphatically. In fact, he suggested that the POA is willing to embrace a more sweeping charter reform effort that is already in the works by Slay and – Roorda himself introduced the man’s name – Rex Sinqueield Sinqueield, of course, is the billionaire tax reformist and advocate for privatizing government who has been a major funder of Slay’s reelection campaigns and has started a ballot initiative for local control of the city police. Roorda has agreed with the EYE’s previous assessment that it was Sinqueield’s launching of the ballot

initiative that (Roorda’s words) “brought our association to the negotiating table.” It seems that, once they got to the table, they had a lot to talk about. The EYE expects the POA to back a Sinqueield/ Slay effort to streamline city government in a near-future charter reform effort. The cops have a clear motive. One aspect of local control they truly dread is additional aldermanic inluence and meddling, and fewer aldermen (sure to be one aspect of charter reform) would mean

less meddling.

The Jim Long trial balloon

If Slay keeps the POA as an ally, then he has sidestepped one opponent when and if he runs again for reelection. The POA loated something of a trial balloon as Slay killers last year when it ielded its own candidate, Jim Long, against Slay’s man for state Senate, Joe

Keaveny. Keaveny thumped Long at the polls. The POA has a long way to go in grooming candidates if Long is the best they can come up with, but Slay is known to fear his own shadow’s electoral potential whenever his name is on the ballot, regardless of how many millions he has in the campaign treasury. Pathetic as his candidacy may have been, the Jim Long trial balloon surely played a role in winning collective bargaining for the POA.

Tom Walsh, president of the St. Louis Police Oficers Association, shook hands with Richard Gray, president of the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners, after they signed an historic collective bargaining agreement Tuesday at the POA ofice on South Hampton Avenue. Photo by Wiley Price

Charles Simon Dickerson

Charles Simon Dickerson was born March 8, 1945, and departed this life May 13, 2011 at the age of 66.

Charles was a people person, he never met a stranger.

Charles was a man that was known for his suits and clothes, he was a sharp dresser. He enjoyed attending church, he gave his life to Christ at an early age he also served in the Army. Charles leaves to cherish his fond memories: his loving parents Gertrude and the late Jodie Dickerson; his cherished children, Bridgette Taylor, Bridgette Harris of St. Louis, MO, Montee Clay, Charleston Day of Detroit, MI, Saheed Brent Chicago,IL and Charles Sullivan Dickerson Jr. of Pontiac, MI; beloved brothers, Harvey (Bertha), Leonard, Arthur, and the late James Dickerson; 10 beautiful grandchildren, Lovell, LaCharles, Zenova, Treasure Harris, Jazzmin Smith, Kourtland Henderson, Destiny Green, Yazmin Davis, Ian and Imani Clay; nieces and nephews, Jerome, Dwayne, Leonard, Rachel, Meshell and Vincent Dickerson, and a special cousin Elizabeth and a host of other loving relatives and friends. His

body was laid to rest at Jefferson Barracks Cemetery. You will be missed tremendously.

Duane A. Anderson, Sr.

In memory of our beloved father, Duane A. Anderson Sr. Leaving to cherish his memories a wife, seven children, 14 grandchildren and a host of family and friends. We miss you daddy.

In Memoriam

Arvelle W. Fisher

Feb 7, 1936—June 2, 2007

It has been four lonely years since you had to leave. We were so fortunate to have you in our lives and think of you with love every day. We’ve had many changes this past year and longed for your presence and input even more. You’re sadly missed, and we still hold

OBITUARIES

you close in our hearth and will always cherish the memories. Your loving wife, Claudia; daughters, Marsha and Donna (Todd); granddaughters, Torey, Maya, Taylor and Kennedi; brothers, Booker (Estelle) and Michael; mother-in-law, Martha; sisters-in-law, Marian (James) and Fay (Harry), brothers-in-law, Lawrence (Lourdes) and Donald (Brenda); cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.

Our Beloved Father— Donald Craig Mitchell

Donald Craig Mitchell 53, of St. Louis MO died February 6, 2011 at DePaul Health Center. He was employed by Tom-Boy Supermarket approximately seven years and worked for SuperValu for 22 years. Big/ Honest Don served as Chief Shop Steward for the Teamsters Union Local 688. He fulilled the role, Trustee of the Teamsters Black National Caucus, an organization dedicated for the less fortunate.

Donald Craig Mitchell is survived by his wife, Barbara Mitchell; four children, Cortney, Kelsey, Craig, Elizabeth; and one brother, Allan Mitchell.

Donald Craig Mitchell ser-

vices were Feb. 11, 2011 from Shalom Church (City of Peace) through William C. Harris Funeral Directors. Burial was at Memorial Park Cemetery. Donald would have been 54 years of age on May 30, 2011. We miss you dearly Donald. Happy 54th Birthday.

My Beloved Husband, Monroe Haywood Smith, Sr.

Monroe Haywood Smith, Sr. was born on November 15, 1921 in Enid, MS, the eldest of six children born to Robert and Willie Smith. He was educated in the public schools of Charleston, MS, and later took classes through the University of Missouri. Moving to St. Louis as a young man, he began a 41 plus year career with General Cable and started in his own auto business (later Smith Auto Body) having locations including Sarah & Easton and the current one on Natural Bridge. He was also a union oficial with the IBEW.

In 1949 he married the love of his life, Eula Bernice Walker, and they were blessed with over 53 years of

marriage. Two sons were born to this union, Monroe H. Smith, Jr. and Ronald D. (Ronn) Smith. Mr. Smith loved God and Washington Metropolitan AME Zion his church. He would say, “I want to live so God can use me.“ Monroe was a lover of sports and played as a barn stormer with the Negro Leagues in the Mississippi area. In St. Louis he bowled, played baseball and softball for General Cable and other teams. He coached “his other sons” the Hornets & Giants baseball teams, along with one of the company’s teams.

Mr. Smith was also a Mason, a member of the Federation of Block Units, the Lamplighters (now Town & Country), 21st Ward, Natural Bridge and Newstead business associations, The North Newstead Development, Corp. Board, The Los Pores Bridge Club and other organizations.

In addition to his sons, those that will celebrate the life of Monroe H. Smith, Sr. include, sisters: Mary Baldwin of Chicago, IL; Lillie Tate (Gilbert); Doris Taylor of Charleston, MS; brothers Wheeler Smith (deceased); Marvin Smith; Forest Chapman (Bertha); granddaughter: Malena Smith and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Velma “Lil Ma” Turner

Velma Turner was born

May 3, 1911 in Fordyce, Arkansas. She moved to St. Louis in 1936. She lived a long, full and productive life. Velma was 100 years and 15 days old when she passed away peacefully on May 18, 2011. She leaves to cherish her memory a family legacy of 183 (167 living and 16 deceased).

Gil Scott-Heron

NEW YORK (AP) -- Long before Public Enemy urged the need to “Fight the Power” or N.W.A. offered a crude rebuke of the police, Gil Scott-Heron was articulating the rage and the disillusionment of the black masses through song and spoken word.

Scott-Heron, widely considered one of the godfathers of rap with his piercing social and political prose laid against the backdrop of minimalist percussion, lute and other instrumentation, died on Friday at age 62. His was a life full of groundbreaking, revolutionary music and personal turmoil that included a battle with crack cocaine and stints behind bars in his later years.

Musician and singer Michael Franti, who also is known for work that has examined racial and social injustices, perhaps summed up the dichotomy of Scott-Heron in a statement Saturday that described him as “a genius and a junkie.” Scott-Heron was known for work that relected the fury of black America in the postcivil rights era and spoke to the social and political disparities in the country. His songs often had incendiary titles - “Home is Where the Hatred Is” or “Whitey on the Moon” - and through spoken word and song he tapped the frustration of the masses. He came to prominence in the 1970s as black America was grappling with the violent losses of some of its most promising leaders and what seemed to many to be the broken promises of the civil rights movement.

“It’s winter in America, and all of the healers have been killed or been betrayed,” lamented Scott-Heron in the song “Winter in America.”

Scott-Heron recorded the song that would make him famous, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” which critiqued mass media, for the album “125th and Lenox” in Harlem in the 1970s. He followed up that recording with more than a dozen albums, collaborating mostly with musician Brian Jackson.

Though he was never a mainstream artist, he was an inluential voice - so much so that his music was considered to be a precursor of rap and he inluenced generations of hip-hop artists that would follow. When asked, however, he typically downplayed his integral role in the foundation of the genre. In later years, he would become known more for his battle with drugs such as crack cocaine than his music. His addiction led to stints in jail and a general decline: In a 2008 interview with New York magazine, he said he had been living with HIV for years, but he still continued to perform and put out music. He also was still smoking crack, as detailed in a New Yorker article last year. His inal works continued his biting social commentary. “I’m New Here” included songs with titles such as “Me and the Devil” and “New York Is Killing Me.” In a 2010 interview with Fader magazine, Scott-Heron admitted he “could have been a better person. That’s why you keep working on it.”

“If we meet somebody who has never made a mistake, let’s help them start a religion. Until then, we’re just going to meet other humans and help to make each other better.”

Duane Anderson Sr

Charles Dickerson

Arvelle Fisher

Monroe Smith, Sr.

Donald Mitchell

Velma Turner

Gil ScottHeron

Citygarden recognized for ‘Urban Open Space’

St. Louis sculpture garden wins prestigious national honor

American staff

n “Citygarden is a stunning example of what great public open space design can do for an urban area.”

– NYC Planning Commissioner Amanda M. Burden

St. Louis’ Citygarden, a 2.9-acre landscaped downtown sculpture garden, is the 2011 winner of the Urban Land Institute Amanda Burden Urban Open Space Award. The competition recognized an outstanding example of a well-used public open space that has spurred regeneration and the transformation of the surrounding community. St. Louis’ park was chosen for the top honor over inalists Director Park in Portland, Ore.; Discovery Green in

Houston, Texas; Jamison Square in Portland, Ore.; and the Raymond and Susan Brochstein Pavilion in Houston, Texas.

A $10,000 cash prize is being awarded to Citygarden, which was developed through the funding of the Gateway

Civil rights groups urge crack sentencing reform

American staff

National civil rights organizations and sentencing reform advocates are urging the Department of Justice to support the application of new sentencing guidelines to currently incarcerated crack cocaine offenders.

In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, the groups urged the department to support retroactive application of the U.S. Sentencing Commission’s revised sentencing guideline for crack cocaine offenses:

Foundation. Designer Warren Byrd consulted with the Missouri Botanical Garden in selecting lora that are native to the state, incorporating them into Citygarden’s landscaping design that includes 24 modern and contemporary sculptures. “Citygarden is a stunning example of what great public open space design can do for an urban area,” said New York City Planning Commissioner Amanda M. Burden. “It exempliies why public space is integral to the health of cities and epitomizes the best of what the Urban Open Space award seeks to foster.”

“The Sentencing Commission is currently considering whether to make the crack cocaine guideline reduction it adopted after enactment of the Fair Sentencing Act retroactive,” write the signatories, who include the NAACP, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Harvard Law Professor Charles J. Ogletree Jr. and the Rev. Al Sharpton.

“Retroactive application of the revised guideline is the necessary next step in addressing the unfair, unjustiied and racially discriminatory disparity in the treatment of the powder and crack forms of cocaine. The Department of Justice must demonstrate strong support for retroactive application of the guidelines to ensure that this next step is taken.”

The civil rights signatories credit the Obama administration for seeking to eliminate the 100 to 1 sentencing disparity in the treatment of the powder and crack forms of cocaine. They quote Holder’s own assertion that the “administration irmly believes that the disparity in crack and powder cocaine sentences is unwarranted, creates a perception of unfairness, and must be eliminated.”

They then argue, “Continuing to incarcerate people pursuant to the discredited, racially discriminatory former policy would undermine the progress that has been made towards fairness.”

According to the commission’s own estimates, about 12,000 offenders sentenced between October 1, 1991 and September 30, 2010 would be eligible to receive a reduced sentence if the new Fair Sentencing Act guideline amendment was made retroactive. African Americans, who have long been disproportionately affected by racially discriminatory drug sentencing laws, comprise 85 percent of the potential beneiciaries.

On June 1, the Sentencing Commission will hold a hearing on guideline retroactivity. It is imperative that the Justice Department weighs in with the commission to conirm its support for guideline retroactivity as a vital step toward greater fairness in our criminal justice system.

“The Fair Sentencing Act was a irst step in correcting this injustice but without retroactivity, thousands of men and women will unjustly languish in prison deprived of their families and a chance at a better life. It’s up to the Sentencing Commission to complete this uninished business that Congress left behind,” said Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and a signatory to the letter.

“Now is not the time to stop leading,” the letter states. “It is incumbent upon the Department of Justice to support retroactive application of the revised Sentencing Commission guideline. We urge you to not miss this opportunity to again demonstrate the administration’s commitment to fair, racially unbiased sentencing.”

‘An urge to move forward’

Ronnie White, Rick Teitelman awarded by Jews United for Justice

By Judge Mike Wolff Missouri Supreme Court

Jews United for Justice honored Judge Rick Teitelman and Judge Ronnie White at its 2011 Heschel/King Celebration. Judge Mike Wolff of the Missouri Supreme Court introduced Judge White with these remarks. We all work with good people and even a few great

people. And of the many things that make a person great, a first-rate temperament seems to be the most important because when things get really tough, a person’s character truly is tested. Ronnie White is a great person with a first-rate temperament, a man who refuses to burn bridges but continues to build bridges even when confronting overwhelming odds and heartbreaking adversity.

The day the United States Senate in 1999 was to confirm Ronnie White as a federal district judge was a tough day. Five of our colleagues, all appointees of Gov. Ashcroft, came with me after lunch to Ronnie’s office to watch the Senate vote on C-SPAN. As the roll call was taken, it became apparent that the agreement that was reached

to confirm Judge White and some other nominees was not going to be honored. The Ashcroft appointees drifted off, an awkward moment for a group of judges that had worked to build a collegial environment. I remained, momentarily speechless. Ronnie was stunned and said little. When I regained my speech I filled the air with a number of words that were short and Anglo-Saxon. It was a tough day.

The next day, Judge White expressed his great disappointment, something he may have gotten used to over the years. It was politics, he said, not about the merits of his fitness to be a judge, but about the desire of Senator Ashcroft to score points against Gov. Carnahan as he sought to fend off Carnahan’s challenge in the coming election in 2000. Ronnie immediately went back to work at the job where there was work to do, and he continued at the job day after day, month after month, studying the complexities and complications of law and the meaning of justice.

There has never been any doubt in my mind, from the time that I first met Ronnie in the 1980s, that he had and has a first-class temperament. I have seen them many times over the years with just cause to show anger and bitterness. That is not his style. When he was called to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to testify on Senator Ashcroft’s fitness to be the Attorney General, he told the Senate the facts, but refused to characterize his adversary as racist, a refusal that disappointed Ashcroft’s opponents.

Five years after that tough day in the Senate, Ronnie and I were on the stage in front of the capitol for the inauguration of Gov.-elect Matt Blunt, and sharing the stage was former Senator Ashcroft, now a former Attorney General. When the ceremony was

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ended Ashcroft came up to Judge White, prefacing his message with words about having had a close brush with death in a recent illness and wanting to make amends to those to whom he had caused pain, handing him an envelope and saying, “I am sorry for the pain that I caused to you and your family.”

I did not hear Ronnie’s response, but it was a word or two, plainly civil, but without emotion. I remember thinking, if that was I, the cold January air might be filled with hot, short Anglo-Saxon words. None of this came as a surprise to me. I have known Ronnie in his early times of triumph, his seizing the opportunity to run for the Legislature when a vacancy resulted in a special election, and he and his friends believed, correctly, that he could be elected and

THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CHAPTER University of Missouri - St. Louis Alumni Association and

HUBERT H. HOOSMAN, JR. & ANDREAL HOOSMAN President & CEO, Vantage Credit Union President, Heywood Realty HONORARY CHAIRPERSONS For A Fundraising Gala

benefitting the UMSL African-American Alumni Chapter’s C HANCELLOR MARGUERITE ROSS BARNETT SCHOLARSHIP featuring “MUSIC OF MIC HA EL JAC KSON” PERFORMED BY THE ST LOUIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA At Powell Symphony Hall 718 N. Grand Blvd.

June 11, 2011 7:30 p.m.

GALA RECEPTION IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING - GRAND TIER LEVEL

Tickets $40* Call (314) 516-5833

Phone (314) 516 -5833 to make donations or for additional information. Proceeds to benefit the UMSL AAAC Chancellor Marguerite Ross Barnett Scholarship.

*Tickets will be distributed at the Powell Hall Box Office the evening of the Concert. Fundraising Committee: Linda Brown Reed, Esq., Doris Coleman, Torri Hayes, Sharon R. Holbrooks, Phylllis Jourdan, Delores Kedley, Layi Sobomehin, and Lynette Veal

re-elected in a district whose voters were mostly white. I have seen him in the Legislature, following his own course, sometimes courageously, a course that occasionally deviated from that of the Black Caucus, whose loyalties and family ties were not the same as his own. He kept faith with his city, with his constituents, with his family, and he built relationships across the state that have served him and the state well.

when we see how great people handle defeat. Successes and the accolades that come with them are easy; defeat is not easy, but what a person makes of his defeats often defines him better than his successes. In neither success nor defeat does a person of Ronnie’s great character accept the hyperbolic judgment of the mob – he follows his own innate compass, finding the way forward and moving there.

n He told the Senate the facts, but refused to characterize his adversary, Ashcroft, as racist.

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose; and when you are in public service for the long run, as Judge White has been, you learn from your defeats and build on your successes. We learn from the examples of others – from the lives of Martin Luther King Jr. and his friend and compatriot Rabbi Heschel – that character shows

I have been with Judge White at the Supreme Court when cases that mattered much came out the wrong way. He picked up and went on. He is quietly effective; the court is not the same – in many ways that I am not exactly free to elaborate – since his departure. His excursion into private practice is informed by his public service, and he continues to be a force for good in our community. He better than most people I know has the kind of resilience that comes from a strong innate compass, and an urge to move forward. These are the makings of a fine lawyer, an excellent public servant, and a man I am proud to call my friend.

Judge Rick Teitelman and Judge Ronnie White sat together at Jews United for Justice’s recent 2011 Heschel/King Celebration, where they were honored. Photo by Philip Deitch

BUSINESS

JUNE 2 – 8, 2011

Technology fund, firm benefit SLPS

Special to The American

Clearwire ,a provider of 4G wireless broadband services, and the Innovative Technology Fund have awarded the St. Louis Public School District a grant to provide 21 Dell Latitude E6410 netbooks and two years of service on the CLEAR 4G network, providing unlimited mobile internet access.

Kelvin Adams, superintendent of schools, said the gift offered “the opportunity to enhance academics through cutting-edge technology and resources.”

The grant, valued at more than $20,000, will support collegebound students at Clyde C. Miller Career Academy, Gateway Institute of Technology High School, Carnahan High School of the Future and Big Picture High School. It will support the following

See SLPS, B2

Diversity, the law and St. Louis

By Rebecca S.Rivas

The legal practice is both a profession and a business. And diversity makes business sense, David Wilkins of Harvard Law School said at a Diversity Awareness Partnership event in St. Louis last week.

– David Wilkins,

Wilkins is the Lester Kissel professor of law, vice dean for global initiatives on the legal profession, and faculty director of the program on the legal profession and the Center for Lawyers and the Professional Services Industry at Harvard Law School.

Nearly every company and law firm has a diversity initiative, he

said.

“When I started looking at these issues in the 1980s, I assure you that was far from the case,” Wilkins said. “We’ve made progress.”

But that progress has recently flatlined. With the economic decline, the last lawyers hired were the first fired, and that largely meant lawyers of color, he said. Fewer minorities are entering law school – stifling the future pipeline for building more diverse law firms.

On May 24, Wilkins laid out a roadmap to successful diversity partnerships to more than 300 attendees at the Diversity Awareness Partnership’s Legal Diversity

PEOPLEON THE MOVE

Darrell Strong is the new assistant superintendent for learning for the Hazelwood School District. He has more than 15 years of educational experience, having served the past three years as principal of Hazelwood Central High School. He will direct and coordinate the instructional program for the district and supervise onefourth of its schools.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

$7.8M in federal funds will renovate Blumeyersite

A$7.82 million federal Hope VI grant will fund the renovation of the aging Blumeyer high-rise housing project into new homes on North Sarah street in the city of St. Louis. The footprint of the public housing tower will be transformed into a community green space.

U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay (D–St. Louis) announced the funding last week with Regional HUD Administrator Derrith Watchaman-Moore and Mayor Francis G. Slay.

The St. Louis Housing Authority will match the federal grant with $3.2 million of local funding.

Clay said the grant“supports our overall plan to make the Northside Regeneration project a reality.”

City gets $5M HUD grant forearly childhood education

Last week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded10 public housing authorities nearly $34 million in grants that will be used as seed money to create early childhood education and adult training facilities for public housing residents. TheSt. Louis Housing Authority received a grant of $5 million.

Chryslerrepays U.S. Treasury 6 years ahead of schedule

Last week, Chrysler repaid its outstanding loans to the U.S. Treasury from the Obama administration’s bailout of the auto manufacturer, six years ahead of schedule.

“I said if Chrysler and all its stakeholders were willing to take the difficult steps necessary to become more competitive, America would stand by them, and we did,” President Obama said.

“While there is more work to be done, we are starting to see stronger sales, additional shifts at plants and signs of strength in the auto industry and our economy.”

Obama issues $33M challenge to ‘regional innovation’clusters

Last week, the Obama administration announced a $33 million Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge, which leverages existing resources from 16 federal agencies to award funds to regions that demonstrate the existence of high-growth industries that support a wide range of economic and workforce development activities.

“Regional innovation clusters bring together the knowledge and financial resources that America needs to compete in the global economy,” said National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling.

The Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration will invest up to $20 million for technical skills training; the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration will invest up to $10 million in Economic Adjustment Assistance funds; and the Small Business Administration will invest up to $3 million in technical assistance.

The deadline to apply to the Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge is July 7. For details on the application process, see http://tinyurl.com/43tj74c.

Of The St.Louis American

Yolanda M. Newland of Florissant has completed her Doctorate of Pharmacy with honors from Florida A& M

Darrell Strong

Yolanda M. Newland

Photo by Wiley Price

The Diversity Awareness Partnership brought together the legal community for the St.Louis Legal Diversity Summit.Harvard Law School Professor David Wilkins delivered his presentation on the business of diversity and inclusion strategies.

Whether you’re a first-time stock investor or a seasoned veteran, you should understand what differentiates single stock investments from mutual fund investing.

First,some working definitions

Picture a collection of stocks, bonds, or other securities that are purchased by a group of investors and then managed by an investment company. That’s a mutual fund.

When you buy a share in a fund, you’re really buying a piece of a large, diverse portfolio. Conversely, stocks are shares of a single company.

SLPS

Continued from B1

programs: the Saturday Scholars sponsored by the University of Missouri’s

How do mutual funds and stocks differ?

Stocks vs.Funds:

The Management When it comes to managing an investment, some investors prefer leaving those details and skills to someone else. They like having a professional manager oversee the day-to-day decisions that a changing stock investment involves and see that as a distinct advantage. Agood manager, they might argue, has access to information that would cost them an exorbitant amount, even if they had the time and inclination to do the work themselves. On the other hand, some investors would never surrender control of their invest-

School of Medicine and by the Washington University’s School of Medicine; the St. Louis University Partnership program at Clyde C. Miller Career Academy; and the Ranken Dual Enrollment program at Ranken Technical

By Charles Ross PERSONAL FINANCE

ments. Part of the thrill of investing is knowing that when they succeed it was due to their own decisions, these investors might say.

Individual comfort level plays a big part in your investment choice.

Diversifying Matters

Charles Ross

When one security in a fund drops, an insightful fund manager may have included stocks

College.

Travis Revelle, general manager for CLEAR, said the company hopes “that these students will realize the benefit of true 4G high-speed mobile broadband.”

The Innovative Technology

that could offset that loss. Diversification is a big selling factor for mutual funds. But that’s not to say that an investor couldn’t diversify via his or her own stock selections.

Diversificationdoes notguarantee against loss; it is a method used to help manage investment risk.

Liquidity Fund investors can cash in

Education Fund (www.enhancinglearning.org) is a St. Louisbased charitable nonprofit operating as a private foundation.ITEF is also an FCC license holder of four Educational Broadband channels in St. Louis.

on any business day. When you sell a stock, you must wait three business days before the trade settles and your money is released.

The Issue of Red Tape Mutual fund investors often cite transaction ease as an inviting factor. And it is hard to beat the convenience of having records and transactions handled for you, while periodically receiving a detailed statement of your holdings.

Transacting business with stocks can be a more complicated experience. Placing buy orders, selling shares, or dictating any number of orders can be time-consuming. To some, however, that’s just part of the experience. In summary, fund investors are often attracted by the overall convenience. By way of contrast, stock investors may tend to be more comfortable with their own investing skills. Remember the value of both mutual funds and stocks will fluctuate with changes in market conditions, and when sold the investor may receive back more or less than their original investment amount.

Recently, the district’s Special Administrative Board, CLEAR and the Innovative Technology Fund honored three outstanding participants from the benefiting programs by awarding each student with the Spirit of Excellence Award and a Kodak Zi8 camera.

Wonnell Byrd, the 2011 Valedictorian of Big Picture Academy, earned the Spirit of Excellence Award for exceptional academic achievements at Ranken Technical College.

Working five hours a day for five days a week, Byrd earned a 3.8 GPAin the Industrial Technology Associate Degree program through the district’s Ranken Technical College Dual Enrollment Program.

India Riggins, a junior from Clyde C. Miller Career Academy specializing in the Biotechnology pathway, earned the Spirit of Excellence Award for her extraordinary participation the St. Louis University Anatomy Program.

OBAMA

Continued from B1 priority of the Middle Class Task Force – giving them peace of mind that their children are in a high quality learning environment while they are at work,” said Vice President Joe Biden, chairman of the Administration’s Middle Class Task Force.

Duncan said, “The Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge encourages states to develop bold and comprehensive plans for raising the quality of early learning programs across America.”

The challenge will reward states that create comprehensive plans to transform early learning systems with better coordination, clearer learning standards, and meaningful workforce development. Duncan and Sebelius also challenged the broader innovation community – leading researchers, high-tech entrepreneurs, foundations, nonprofits and others – to engage with the early learning community and to close the school readiness gap.

Charles Ross is host of the syndicated radio program “Your Personal Finance.” Contact him at P.O. Box 870928; Stone Mountain, Georgia 30087; or email to charles@ charlesross.com.

She worked with medical students at St. Louis University on dissections and then took the knowledge back to Clyde C. Miller Career Academy to teach sophomores how different organs function and how to properly dissect specimens.

Adam Benckendorf, a junior from Metro Academic and Classical Academy, earned the Spirit of Excellence Award for his remarkable performance with the Saturday Scholars program sponsored by the University of Missouri’s School of Medicine and by the Washington University’s School of Medicine. The program, which focuses on medicine and human anatomy, brought students to the anatomy labs at both major universities for immersion experiences. Benckendorf stood out from his peers with his engaging attitude while shadowing doctors, performing dissections, and touring medical departments.

The most recent report from the National Institute for Early Education Research indicates that, for the first time in a decade, states are reducing some of their key investments in early learning.

The National Institute for Early Education Research reports that, for the first time in a decade, states are reducing some of their key investments in early learning.

The Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge grants will encourage states to make the best possible use of current federal and state investments in child care and early learning.The Obama administration has sought and secured increased investments in Head Start and child care so that more families have access to quality, affordable care, while also pursuing important reforms such as requiring Head Start grantees to compete for continued funding.The administration has also steered resources towards evidence-based, cost-effective home visiting programs. Duncan thanked Congress for supporting Race to the Top saying, “Congress understands the value of investing in education reform, particularly early learning, even in these economic times.”

States applying for challenge grants will be encouraged to increase access to quality early learning programs for low income and disadvantaged children, design integrated and transparent systems that align their early care and education programs, bolster training and support for the early learning workforce, create robust evaluation systems to document and share effective practices and successful programs, and help parents make informed decisions about care for their children.

The Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge will be administered jointly by the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services. Guidance, eligibility, range of awards and number of grants will be announced in coming weeks. The application will be released later this summer with grants awarded to states no later than December 31, 2011. The public may provide input, including data and relevant research, by visiting http://www.ed.gov/blog/2011/0 5/rtt-early-learning-challenge/.

“MJ was and is the greatest.But LeBron could by all means get to his level someday.”

— Scottie Pippen, on the comparison between Michael Jordan and LeBron James

Ladue's Samantha Levin broke the Missouri state record in the girls 800 meters on Friday which was held by Hazelwood Central's Ann Heffner since 1992 with a time of 2:08.55.The senior runner came back on Saturday afternoon to break her own record with a time of 2:06.74 rewriting the record books for a second consecutive day.

Ladue girls shatter records

By Earl Austin Jr.

Of The St.Louis American

TRACK & FIELD NOTEBOOK

With Earl Austin Jr.

Earl Austin Jr.

and national championships for Levin and Roye, they are now headed to collegiate women’s track power LSU.

First championship for MICDS

After a spectacular prep career for Levin and Roye, they are now headed to collegiate women’s track power LSU.

MICDS won its first ever state championship by running away with the Class 3 state title. The Rams scored 71 points as they outdistanced their nearest competitor by 26 points. Senior standout Lauren Waterbury was the individual star of the Class 3 meet with four gold medals. Waterbury won the 200, 400, long jump and anchored the Rams’4x200-meter relay to a state title. Waterbury won the long jump with a leap of 18 feet 5 inches on the last jump of the competition. Waterbury was joined on the 4x200 team by Cameron Jackson, Cece Moore and Heather Cousins while the 4x400 team was made up of Moore, Cousins, Julia Olson and Madison Mann.

FROMTHE EAST SIDE

With Maurice Scott

Devon Alexander’s humble, yet determined work in the greater St. Louis community will deserve full billing again on June 25th at the Family Arena when he fights Lucas Matthysse. For every ticket sold, $1.00 will be donated to Backstoopers, INC. For more information you can go to: www.backstoppers.org.

Former St.Louis police officer Kevin Cunningham who is Alexander’s trainder,along with Alexander, have always supported the vision of the Backstoppers.

In addition, both Cunningham and Alexander continue to support GUNS ‘N HOSES along with the ‘KING OF BEERS BUDWEISER’annual Thanksgiving eve event here in St. Louis that continues to do great work for families of both local police officers and fire fighters.

Although the news of Devon Alexander’s next fight here in St. Louis didn’t come without somebody trying to put down the former champ in my opinion and many others here in St. Louis.

Astory in a local weekly, which generated hundreds of calls last week after some writer named Chad announced the planned card on June 25th as though Devon hadn’t sold a ticket in St. Louis EVER! If I recall, Mr. Alexander was on the undercard to the largest indoor boxing event at the old SAVVIES Center with Corey Spinks..... If I recall, Mr. Alexander put over 10,000- 13,000 in the seats (depending who you talked too)in his last fight at the Scottrade Center against Andre Kotelnick as the feature bout in front of a nationally televised audience on HBO.

Devon has been all class, a bright shining star for all.

But when I saw this article by someone named Chad along with the flyer with Ryan ‘THE IRISH’ Coyne’on top, well I had to take a double take. Ryan is a nice young man, and a good up and coming fighter on the rise from St. Charles. But I don’t think the HBO truck is bagging up for this one for him. In fact, I know there not because Devon Alexander is the featured fighter on the card and the fight that HBO will be showing live.

Nothing against Ryan, but I smell a rat. In fact, it’s a slap in the face to one of the ambassadors in St. Louis in Devon Alexander” The Great’and Team Alexander’period! Devon has been all class, a bright shining star for all even before he was the welterweight champion of the world. Now, after one loss he can’t sell tickets and Ryan is the draw?

From the way the article was written, it looked more like an intern had written it. Then I got to thinking, maybe this was someone who wasn’t even from St. Louis and wasn’t at Devon’s previous fights here to see the peeps in the stands?

And oddly enough, in 20 years in the business here in St. Louis, I had never heard of this guy. Oh I know, that was John Cadillac the Mizzou football announcer who made that flyer and wrote that article giving ‘THE IRISH’top billing in that

Devon Alexander

See INSIDE, B5

Photo by Wiley Price

Maurice Scott

The Pujols poweroutage

The Cards slugger is bereft in more than just home runs

If one had told the Sports Eye at the beginning of Spring Training that the Redbirds would lose Adam Wainright for the season, David Freese for most of the first half, watch their closer implode blowing four saves and losing three more while becoming nothing more than a mop-up-man, witness Chris Carpenter and Albert Pujols off to their worst starts of their careers, and still enter June in first place, the Eye would have told you to go take a hike.

Yet, that is the just case. The Cardinals have seemingly done it with smoke and mirrors. Well, not exactly. There is reason behind the Cards’success other than just playing in a very poor division. Whenever unforeseen adversity strikes a ball club, others must step up and fill the gaps. Jon Jay, Daniel Descalso and Allen Craig have been huge in that role for the Cardinals. Both Jay and Craig are hitting well above .300 and no player has come through with more big hits than Descalso. Fernando Salas, 2-0 with nine saves and a 1.50 ERA, has been perfect in taking over the closer role.

Eduardo Sanchez (2.49 ERA) and Miguel Batista (2.01 ERA) have been great additions to the bullpen as well.

But the biggest surprise has been the outstanding starting pitching. Kyle Lohse, Kyle McClellen and Jamie Garcia are a combined 18-5 for the season. And Jake Westbrook (5-3) has been much better than his 5.19 ERAwould indicate. Still, the Cardinals are going to need better numbers from their big guns Carpenter and Pujols to make their way into postseason play. The lack of power from Pujols has been the most quizzical to understand. And it’s not just his deficient home run total but the fact that he’s not hitting for extra bases, period. As of Wednesday, Pujols had just six doubles. Just one more than backup

As of Wednesday, Pujols had just five doubles. The same amount as backup catcher Gerald Laird (only 42 at bats) and Skip Schumaker (only 70 at bats).

catcher Gerald Laird (only 42 at bats) and Skip Schumaker (only 70 at bats), both with five. Even the slow-footed Yadier Molina has more than doubled Pujols’aggregate amount with 13 doubles. Until Monday, Albert had

hit just one home run since April 23 – until he promptly stepped to the plate and hit his second. That was a little disconcerting. Just as the Eye sits down to trash you, you tear into a ball like the El Hombre’ of old. Really? The Eye

By Mike Claiborne

Black and green in baseball

Okay, the annual question comes up with the same answers. Why are there not more African Americans in baseball?

thought, “What are you going to do next, rip a couple of doubles and totally ruin the column?”

Anyway, you get the point. Even his RBI total, or lack there of, is alarming. Only 13 RBI since April 23 while surrounded by some of the hottest hitters in baseball (Lance Berkman and Matt Holliday both hitting .344).

Whether its advanced age, the pressure of playing for a big contract or something else, there is simply no denying that Albert’s power numbers have retrograded.

There is a noticeable decline in AfricanAmerican participation as the Latin player has made headway, but even this year their numbers are down. The emergence of the white player should not be just a field issue. My suggestion is look at the front offices and the scouting departments. They are the ones that build an organization. With that said, the African-American player has limited access to the next level. Many public high school leagues either are under-funded or do not have a program at all for kids to play in. The select programs that have flourished in the suburbs has not reached out to the city players who can play. After all, it may not be about winning but making sure that Johnny has a chance at a scholarship –and if Devon from somewhere east of 170 is on the scene, that could be a problem; hence Devon goes to basketball or something else.

This is not a St. Louis thing by itself. The Cardinals have

Many public high school leagues either are under-funded or do not have a baseball program at all for kids to play in.

Mike Claiborne

Albert Pujols is still struggling to find his power game.

Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

Champs on both sides of river

Hazelwood Central, Cahokia win state third time each

By Earl Austin Jr. Of the St.Louis American

Hazelwood Central and Cahokia brought home state championships from their respective state meets last weekend. Hazelwood Central won the Missouri Class 4 state title while Cahokia won the Illinois Class 2Astate championship. Both schools celebrated their third state championships in boys track.

Hazelwood Central needed a dramatic victory in the 4x400-meter relay to clinch its second consecutive state championship. It was the last event of the day with three teams still in the running for the overall team championship had relay teams entered. The team of Cole Davis, Sean Wills, Marc Franks and Michael Hester won the title 3 minutes 17.61 seconds. Franks rallied the Hawks with an excellent 48.2-second third leg to bring the team from fifth place to first. Hester brought it home on the anchor leg to seal the Hawks’repeat state title. Hester also won the 200 and 400 in times of 21.96 and 47.7 seconds. Franks also finished fifth in the 100 and seventh in the 400. The Hawks also finished fourth in the 4x800-meter relay.

Cahokia was dominant in winning its Class 2 state title with 62 points, which was 18 points more than its nearest competitor. The dynamic duo of Vernon Carter and LaDerrick Ward came up big for the Comanches. Carter won the triple jump with an effort of 47 feet 5 inches while Ward was second with a 46-4 ?. Carter and Ward also finished

in third and fourth place in the long jump. The 4x400meter relay team of Ward, Kenny Ball, Darren Payton and Marlin Brady won the state title in a state-record time of 3 minutes 18.2 seconds. Carter also finished second in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles while Bell finished seventh. Carter was also seventh in the 110-meter high hurdles. Brady finished fourth in the 400.

Photo by Wiley Price

McCluer North's Deondre Canaday won the Class 4 shot put with a toss of 57-11.50 during the state track championships at Lincoln University on Saturday.

McCluer South 2nd in 3

McCluer South-Berkeley turned in a strong performance in finishing second in the Class 3 team standings. Standout sprinter Lonnell Watkins won the 100, 200 and anchored the 4x100 and 4x200-meter relay teams to state titles. The team of Camron Hampton, David Jones, Cory Williams and Jordan Wood won the 4x400meter relay. The 4x200 team of Watkins, Hampton, Wood and Jones set a new state record of 1:27.09. The 4x100 championship team consisted of Watkins, Jones, Hampton and Ross Blakley.

runs. Chaney won the state title in the 200-meter dash. She also finished second in the 100 and fifth in the 400.

Hazelwood East 4th in 4

Wentzville Holt sophomore

Nataliyah Friar established herself as the top jumper in the state as she won Class 4 state titles in the long jump and triple jump. Her winning effort in the long jump was 18 feet 11 ? inches while her winning triple jump was 39 feet 11 ? inches.

Best ever for Nerinx Hall

Nerinx Hall finished third in the Class 4 team standings, which was its best effort ever at the state meet. Senior distance star Colleen Quigley and junior sprinter Peyton Chaney carried the Markers. Quigley doubled as the state champion in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter

Hazelwood East finished fourth in the Class 4 team standings with 41 points.

Junior Tianna Valentine successfully defended her state title in the 100 with a sizzling time of 11.69 seconds. Valentine also finished second in the 200. The Spartans also won the 4x200 and finished second in the 4x100. Aspec-

Summit 2nd in 4

Rockwood Summit finished second in the Class 4 team standings on the strength of its middle distance. Daniel Mazar won the 800-meter run while teammate Curt Wood finished third. Mazar, Wood joined Devonte Harris and Aaden Aaden on the 4x800meter relay team that won a state title.

Westminster 3rd in 3

Westminster Christian took home a third-place trophy in the Class 3 team standings. They were led by senior twins Daniel and David Everett. Daniel won the 1,600-meter run with a time of 4:08.43 while David finished second. David was second in the 3,200-meter run while Daniel finished third. The Everetts also led the Wildcats to a state title in the 4x800-meter relay. Daniel Everett also finished third in the 800. MICDS finished fourth in the Class 3 boys meet to bring home a trophy.

Burroughs hurdler wins

Sophomore Ezekiel Elliott

tacular anchor leg by Shayla Luckett gave the Spartans the state title in the 4x200.

1,2,3 for Ewing

Ayesha Ewing of Cardinal Ritter won the Class 3 state title in the 100. Ewing was also second in the 200 and third in the 400. Dahlia Dyson of Fort Zumwalt West won the Class 4 state title in the discus and finished fourth in the shot. Nicole Douglas of Parkway West won the Class 4 state title in the 300-meter low hurdles for the second successive year.

of John Burroughs won the Class 3 state title in the 110meter high hurdles. Elliott also finished second in the 300meter intermediate hurdles. Alfred Larry of Jennings won the Class 3 state title in the 400-meter dash while freshman Charles Jones of Cardinal Ritter was second.

Other winners

Diondre Canaday of McCluer North won the Class 4 state championship in the shot put. Junior Jehu Chesson of Ladue won the Class 4 state title in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles. Chesson also ran a leg on the Rams’4x200 relay team that also won a state title. Kenny Cushing of Wentzville Holt won the Class 4 state title in the 1,600-meter run with a tremendous finishing kick down the stretch. Cushing led Holt to a fourth-place finish in the Class 4 team standings.

On the Illinois side

Belleville West finished third in the Class 3Ateam standings to bring home a trophy. The Maroons won the 4x100-meter relay state title as the team of Devonte Ridley, Tyree Buchanan, Raymond Scott and Jeremy Randolph circled the track in 41.87. The Maroons also finished second in the 4x200 and 4x400-meter relays. Freshman Adoree’ Jackson of Belleville East finished second in the long jump while Marcus Mason of Granite City was third in the high jump.

Lindbergh’s girls won the Class 4 state title in the 4x800meter relay. Tiffaney Cannon of Beaumont was second in the 100 and fifth in the 200.

Freshman Ashley Henderson of Hazelwood Central was third in the 100 and 200.

Hali the hurdler

Affton finished fourth in the Class 3 team standings behind a state championship performance from Hali Ford in the 100-meter high hurdles. Teammate Cheyenne Hoerr was fourth in the 400.

Summit, hosted at AT&T’s Data Center downtown.

“Companies and law firms are moving towards a partnering model, with a premium on human capital,” Wilkins said.

“Human capital is just a fancy way of saying people.”

“Law firms don’t sell widgets; they sell knowledge, experience and effort. They sell human capital and that’s all they sell.”

In the world today, diversity is both a driver and a beneficiary to this new model, Wilkins said.

Why is it a driver? Because of the increased diversity of lawyers. Fifty percent are women and 20 percent are people of color.

Besides this, companies rank diversity as an important factor in choosing legal services. In Wilkins’research, his team interviewed a wide range of companies to find out what was important to corporations when deciding on legal services. The top answers were not surprising, he said. They included factors such as the results on similar cases, reputation, and prior relationship with the law firm.

Yet diversity was in the second tier, and it ranked up there with factors such as the size of the law firm. It rated higher than where the law firm has offices.

“Diversity is a solidly second-order factor,” he said.

St.Louis: below average

Jeffrey E. Lewis, general attorney & associate general counsel at AT&T, noted that St. Louis is making progress

towards diversity in the legal profession, “but our community still ranks below many other cities in terms of the percentage of women and minorities as partners in major law firms.”

Lewis said African Americans and Hispanics are particularly underrepresented in the St. Louis partnership ranks. While women partners fare better, they are still below national averages. “The diversity of the city of St. Louis is not reflected in the city’s law firms,” said Lewis.

“But I believe that these

“The diversity of the city of St.Louis is not reflected in the city’s law firms.”

– Jeffrey E.Lewis,AT&T

metrics will improve as the St. Louis legal community is coming together in working to improve diversity in both corporate law departments and law firms.”

Women and diversity

Researchers also asked the question: if companies have more women in their senior leadership, are they more likely to value diversity?

“If you had 10 percent, you were twice more likely to value diversity than a company that had none,” Wilkins said. “If 50 percent of your leadership were women, you were 16 times more likely to value diversity.”

Yet, minorities are still up against age-old stereotypes.

Wilkins explained Harvard’s “Implicit Attitude Test,” a test that measures how quickly a person makes associ-

ations. It has been taken by millions of people and designed by top psychologists.

Results show that the image of what’s good in this country is white, he said.

“We’ve had hundreds and hundreds of years re-enforcing this, and only less than 50 years trying to counteract it,” he said. “It shouldn’t be surprising that it’s hardwired in our brains, even among black people.”

What are the implications of this? When people are making quick judgments of what the value of a person is, particularly in circumstances of high stress and limited information, Wilkins said they are likely to rely on preconditioned stereotypes. And oftentimes people are unaware they have these stereotypes.

“Even people who have positive liberal views of race relations, still this shows up,” he said. “This is a powerful thing, and it is particularly powerful in law.”

Wilkins said the companies who have had the most success in creating diverse partnerships are the companies that have made diversity an unrelenting top priority.

These companies have made people accountable. They have produced successful minority partners, showing minorities in the pipeline that hard work does pay off.

“We have a deep feeling that a diverse range of people will actually produce better problem-solving by bringing more ideas to the table,” he said.

Many companies and law firms have created formal policies and signed agreements with other law firms and companies to show their commitment to diversity. But those could be just words on paper without diligent accountability, he said.

Financial Focus

By Marvin Mitchell, financial advisor

& BLACK SINGLE

Steve Harvey is right twice

Set your personal standards, and let go when it’s time to go

By MK Stallings

For The St. Louis American

I have to confess that I agree with a key part of Steve Harvey’s ill-informed book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. He is right about at least two things: setting personal standards and letting go.

Morehouse Men and Spelman Ladies lit up the runway at the St. Louis Morehouse College Parents Association’s third annual Fashion Show Luncheon and Scholarship Fundraiser, Saturday, May 28 at the Frontenac Hilton.

Photo by Lois Ingrum

n If I were given an ultimatum as Harvey advises, then I can’t say that it would end with a ring on her finger.

In the last chapter of his book, Harvey offers advice for single women who are stuck in long engagements and may never get married but could maintain that relationship till death. He says that a woman should confront her man and make him pick a date or else he will happily “play house” and not “make a home” for them. This is true for some men. It certainly is for me. I have procrastinated with relationships like I handle landscaping my yard, tending my garden (yep, I got a garden), or remodeling my home (a yearplus project, sadly). I will walk past tall grass, ignore the weeds fighting with my flowers and live in a house that could benefit from the Extreme HomeMakeover: Home Edition crew.

If I were given an ultimatum as Harvey advises, then I can’t say that it would end with a ring on her finger. Some men I know are ready for marriage. One brother in particular was engaged (in his mind) before he even started dating his fiancé. This kind of man will only be satisfied if he has a wife and is raising children, which I guess is the ideal for women who swear by Harvey’s book. Other men take a spiritual approach to marriage and look for signs that God approves of the marriage before making a move. Either way, these men WANT to be married, much like I prefer being single. If a woman required these

See SINGLE, C4

Parents Association shows out with fashion, scholarships

By Dana Grace For

Bryan

A godfather of rap passes

Gil-Scott Heron, visionary poet and musician, dies at age 62

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. NNPA Columnist

Gil-Scott Heron (1949-2011) was more than a legendary entertainer. He was a social and political visionary who inspired generations of poets, spoken word artists, rappers – a global cadre of musical and cultural satirists who have contributed to the irreversible, progressive transformations of the mindsets of hundreds of millions of young people.

Heron was a contemporary of Bob Marley in their penetrating and relentless critique of human oppression, racism and suffering. He was urban, rural, pan-African and global, all at the same time. What James Baldwin did with his consciousness-evoking novels, Heron did with his musical compositions and literary genius.

Son of ESL Lincoln Jazz

By Rebecca S. Rivas

For The St. Louis American Jazz drummer Bryan Carter, age 20, was on his way to sound check for his CD release show of his debut Enchantment in New York City when he answered a call from The St. Louis American Sirens and street sounds filled the background as the student at Juilliard School in New York, and leader of the Bryan Carter Trio and Quintets, spoke about his jazz

roots in St. Louis. His father and jazz education legend, Ronald Carter, was the former director of East St. Louis’ world-renowned Lincoln Senior High School Jazz Ensemble.

“My father put the sticks in my hand figuratively and literally,” Bryan said. “The [Lincoln High] jazz band became a pillar of the community and helped to produce major artists in the jazz community, people like Russell Gunn, Terreon Gully and Montez

Coleman.” At age four, Bryan watched the Lincoln High band travel the world and open up for people such as Miles Davis. By age 11, Bryan himself had studied with jazz masters Louie Bellson, Harold Jones and Ed Thigpen. During high school, Carter traveled the country – taking weeks of school off at a time – to perform with the prestigious Brubeck Summer Jazz Colony, the Vail Jazz Workshop and the Grammy Jazz Ensemble.

On Thursday, June 2, Bryan will bring his Enchantment concert tour to St. Louis, the place where he first developed a love for music. “I could read music before I could actually read,” he said. “Going to my father’s high school, it was always cool to hang out with the big kids. That’s where it all started. It felt natural that music would be the path I followed.”

On Thursday, June 2, Bryan Carter will bring his Enchantment concert tour to St. Louis at Robbie’s House of Jazz.

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., Jun. 3, 8 p.m., Jekade Entertainment presents Masters of the Funk featuring TheBarKays, Sugarfoot’s Ohio Players, Slave, The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry. For more information call (314) 534-1111.

Jun. 12, 6 p.m., Hot 104.1 presents SuperJam 4, Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre starring Wiz Khalifa, Ludacris, Keri Hilson, Lloyd and more Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. For more information, visit www. hot1041stl.com.

Fri., Jun. 17, 8 p.m., R. Kelly with special guests Keyshia Cole and Marsha Ambrosius, The Chaifetz Arena. For more information, call (314) 5341111.

Sat., Jun. 18, 8 p.m., Earth, Wind and Fire, The Fox Theatre. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com or call (314) 534-1111.

Jul., 2, 8 p.m., JeKade Entertainment presents Bobby Womack featuring Latimore, The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry. For more information, call (314) 5341111.

Sun., July 17, 7p.m. (doors open 6p.m.) Lexus Len Productions presents THE BACKWITH AVENGENCE TOUR featuring George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic, The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry Rd. Call The (314) 869-9090 or Metrotix (314)534-1111 (metortix.com).

July 28, Sade with special guest John Legend, Scottrade Center. Tickets on sale April 16. For more information visit www.ticketmaster.com

Sat., Sept. 17, (Tickets on sale Mon., Jun. 6 at 10 a.m.),

Yo Gabba Gabba, The Fox Theatre. For more information, call (314) 534-1111 or visit www.metrotix.com

local gigs

Sat., Jun. 4, 6 p.m., Oliver Nelson Memorial and Juneteenth Jazz and Heritage celebration, A Juneteenth tribute to late St. Louis native and master jazz saxophonist & composer Oliver Nelson, Spruill’s, 2625 Stoddard Street. For more information contact Richard Henderson at 314-385-5281 or Dr. Myers at 662-247-3364.

special events

Sat., Jun. 4, 9 a.m., Shalom Church City of Peace will host a free Food and Clothing Drive to assist those affected by the recent tornado. 6136 Garfield Berkeley, MO 63134. For additional information, please visit our website at www.shalomccop.org or call 314-653-2300.

Sat., Jun. 4, London’s Legend Ball #5 “Solid Gold,” Blackmon’s Plaza. For more information, call (618) 7978752.

Sat., Jun. 4, 12 noon, Sumner High School Alumni Association presents the 4th Annual Scholarship & Award Luncheon, Debonaire Banquet Center & Catering, 3515 N. Lindbergh Blvd. call (314) 385-9843.

Sat., Jun. 4, 9:30 a.m., Voices Of Faith Launches “Stop The Killing”: An Action Plan Against Youth Gun Violence, Agroup of churches, mosques and faith-based organizations have been planning a collaborative effort to challenge its member and larger St. Louis community to engage the issue of youth gun violence.These

CALENDAR

faith partners will roll out their plan to the community which will offer a three dimensional approach in the areas of Advocacy, Activism and Awareness.St. Alphonsus Rock Catholic Church, 1118 North Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO.For more information please call Washington Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church (314) 533-8763.

Sat., Jun. 4, 7 p.m., Fyreboy Ent. Presents Divas of the Lou, a special concert featuring and honoring some of the hottest ladies in the St. Louis hip-hop and R&B scene, The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry. Jun. 6 – Aug. 12, Best Dance & Talent CenterDance & Activity Camp, (7 a.m. – 6 p.m. Mon.- Fri.) Best Dance and Talent Center, 105 Northwest Plaza. For more information, call (314) 739BEST(2378).

Mon., Jun. 6, 9:30 a.m., Congressman William Lacy Clay’s 6th Annual Career Fair, The event will feature more than 100 Top Employers along with great job opportunities with federal, state and local government agencies. Harris-Stowe State

University’s Emerson Physical Education & Performing Arts Center, 3026 Laclede Avenue. For more information, please call Congressman Clay’s office at (314) 367-1970, or visit www.lacyclay.house.gov<http:/ /www.lacyclay.house.gov/>.

Jun. 11, 7:30 p.m., Fundraising Gala to benefit the ChancellorRoss-Barnett Scholarship featuring Music of Michael Jackson performed by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra with a post show reception by the African American Alumni Chapter of the University of MO-St. Louis, Powell Symphony Hall. For more information, e-mail colemandm.mo@att.net

Sat., Jun. 11, 8 p.m., All School-Old School Adult Prom, 2 lucky winners will be crowned Prom King & Queen, Visitation Hall 1421 N Taylor. For more information, call (314) 480-0311.

Sun., Jun. 19, 3 p.m. (2 p.m.), Brotherly Love West Father’s Day Extravaganza, Marriot Airport Hotel. For more information, call (314) 495-1996 or (314) 382-7444.

Sat., Jun. 25, 12 noon, Comedy, Wine, Beer& Blues Day Tour, Must be at least 25 or older to attend. Call 314-219-4188 for info or register online at www.dayatthewinery.eventbrite.com

Sun., Jun. 26 – Sun., Aug. 28, 6 p.m., Ivory Perry Park concert Series featuring Trench Town Rock ( June 26th ), Charles Glenn (July 24) and Tony Simmons (August 28). For more information, visit the web site at www.ivoryperrypark.com or call Archilla Buford at 314367-2112.

Jul. 15 – Jul. 17, Vashon All Class Reunion Weekend, Vashon All Class Alumni Prom (Fri., Jul. 15) Olivette Community Center; All Class Reunion Picnic (Sat., Jul. 16, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.); Official After Party (Jul. 16 ) Masonic Hall, 3820 Olive. For more information, call (314)-3696548

Sat., Jul. 23, 7 p.m., 1st Annual Green Grass Carpet Honolulu Ball, Visitation Hall, 1421 N. Taylor. For more information, call (314)480-0311.

Tues., Jul. 26, 7 p.m., World Percussion Theatre 2011 featuring the Katherine Dunham Youth Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington. Tickets available by calling Metrotix Charge Line at 314-534-1111 or 1800-293-5949. They may also be purchased at the Fox Theatre Box Office or online at www.thesheldon.org or www.metrotix.com

Wednesdays through August, 5 p.m., The Downtown CID is introducing a NEWDowntown-wide Happy Hour, Wednesday Night Out, The Happy Hour will be from 5-7 pm and over 20 participating Downtown bars and restaurants will offer $4 signature cocktails, $3 wines, $2 beers and halfpriced appetizers. To see if your favorite restaurant/bar is participating, visitwww.downtownstl.org/wednesdaynightout

comedy

Jun. 2 – Jun. 5, St. Louis Funnybone presents Loni Love, Funnybone at Westport Plaza. For more information, visit www.stlouisfunnybone.com

Wed., Jun. 8, 7 p.m., The St. Louis County Library Foundation and Pudd?nHead Books are pleased to present renowned author Francine Prose for a discussion and signing of her new novel My New American Life, St. Louis County Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd. For more information, contact St. Louis County Library by phone 314-994-3300 or visit www.slcl.org

Wed., Jun. 8, 6:30 p.m., The St. Louis Publishers Meeting, Brentwood Community Center, 2505 Brentwood Boulevard Brentwood, MO 63144. For more information, please visit www.stlouispublishers.org.

Sat., Jun. 18, 6 p.m., 13 Black Katz present Flight Time a special V.I.P. reception and book signing featuring Shirley Strawberry and Lyah Beth LeFlore , Missouri Vineyard Bar and Restaurant (inside Lambert International Airport). For more information, visit www.13blackkatz.com.

Mon., Jun. 27, 7 p.m., The St. Louis County Library Foundation’s Reading Garden Event Series and Pudd’nHead Books present young adult author Ally Carter for a discussion and signing of Uncommon Criminals, St. Louis County Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd. For more information, Contact St. Louis County Library by phone 314994-3300 or visit www.slcl.org.

theatre

Through June 5, Gitana Productions presents The new original play Faultlines, written by Lee Patton Chiles, the play examines issues of domestic violence and abuse of women, particularly those in the South Asian immigrant community. Cardinal Rigali Center, 20 Archbishop May Drive at Laclede Station Road. Tickets may be reserved at www.gitana-inc.org or by contacting Gitana at gitanaproductionsinc@gmail.com or 314721-6556.

Through Jun. 26, The St. Louis Black Repertory Company will present the world premiere of Samm-Art Williams’ The Montford Point

13 Black Katz present Flight Time a special V.I.P. reception and book signing featuring Shirley Strawberry and Lyah Beth LeFlore (inset).See LITERARY for details

Marine. The Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. Tickets are available from the Black Rep Box Office (314) 5343810, from Metro Tix (314) 534-1111, or online at metrotix.com.

arts

Fri., Jun. 3, opening reception for Roz Flax –Retrospective, Art Dimensions Gallery 2720 Cherokee.

Sun., Jun. 12, 3 p.m., An exhibit and sale of the Paul ReiterCollection of St. Louis Art, Paul’s collection included work by Craig Downs, Cindy Royal, Carmelita Nunez, Jeremy Hendry and many others. In addition to Paul’s collection at the time of his death, several artists will make new work for this event. Work will be priced affordably, with the intention of selling everything. All work will come off the walls and go home with buyers that night. The award-winning barbecue master Roland Frank will offer cheaply priced Q in the courtyard, and Mad Art will operate a wine and beer cash bar. No admission price. Mad Art Gallery, 2727 S. 12th St. in Soulard. For more information, call 314-265-1435.

Through August 1, MFA Thesis Exhibition featuring the candidates in Washington University’s Graduate School of Art, part of the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum.

Through August 1, Cosima Von Bonin Character Appreciation, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum.

Through August 14, Cryptic: The Use of Allegory inContemporary Art with a Master Class from Goya.This exhibition will feature the work of six contemporary artists – Folkert de Jong, Hiraki Sawa, Allison Schulnik, Dana Schutz, Javier Tellez, and Erika Wanenmacher –paired with works by Spanish master Francisco José de Goya

y Lucientes. Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis,3750 Washington Boulevard. For more information, visit www.camstl.org.

Through August 28 PPRC Photography Project: BarnesJewish Hospital Center for Diversity & Cultural Competence, an exhibit at two locations. LOCATION 1: Through Aug. 28 at PPRC Photography Project Gallery, 427 Social Sciences and Business Building at UMSL, 1 University Blvd., St. LouisCounty, Mo. 63121; LOCATION 2: Through July 31 at Arts + Healthcare Gallery in the Shoenberg Pavilion at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, 4921 Parkview Place, St. Louis, Mo. 63110; Opening reception: 5:30-7 p.m. May 3; For more information, call (314) 5165273 or visit www.pprc.umsl.edu.

lectures

Sat., Jun. 4, In His Image Ministries International Christian Church will hold its first Youth Conference, The Airport Marriot Hotel. All youth entering grade 6 through 12 can register to learn basic life skills such as cooking, cleaning, sewing, changing a tire, tie tying, money management, resume writing and more. Registration deadline Friday May 20th. You may contact Assistant Pastor, Rev. Denise Belton at 607-9563 to register and find out more information.

Tues., Jun. 14, 8:30 a.m., InsideOut Coaching, DoubleTree/Conference Center St. Louis, 16625 Swingley Ridge Road, Chesterfield, Missouri 63017

health

June 4-5, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

ASID DesignerHome Tour benefitting Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Tickets are $25 each and for groups of six or more, tickets are $20 each. Homes are located in

easy to find areas of Kirkwood, West County and St. Charles. For tickets contact (314) 427-7933, visit the Concierge’s Desk at Plaza Frontenac or http://www.stldesignerhometour.info

Tues. June 7, 8 a.m. Free1Day Training forPotential Hospital Trustees by the Institute forDiversity in Health Management and the CenterforHealthcare Governance of the American Hospital Association, Chase Park Plaza Hotel. Complimentary breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and a 5 p.m. reception. Submit registration online at www.americangovernance.com /tcregistration.

Wed. June 8, Christian Hospital blood drive in the Detrick Building Atrium, 11133 Dunn Rd at the I270/Hwy 367 interchange. Make appointments online at www.redcrossblood.org and use the sponsor code, ChristianHospital; or contact Sandy Barnes at 314-653-5719 or slm9123@bjc.org

Sat. June 11, Susan G. Komen Race forthe Cure downtown St. Louis. For more information, go to www.komenstlouis.org.

Thurs. June 16, 11:45 a.m., “Preparing OurFaith

Hot 104.1 FM presents SuperJam starring Wiz Khalifa, Ludacris,Keri Hilson and more at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. For more information, see CONCERTS.

Communities forDisasters,” a faith based emergency preparedness conference at St. Louis University - DuBourg Hall - Refectory Room 157, 221 N. Grand in St. Louis. Space is limited to one person from the first 150 churches. Food and parking is provided. Registration begins May 1deadline is June 3. Churches can register by calling Cathy Harris at 314-977-8274 or email charri29@slu.edu

Sat. June 18, 7 a.m. - 2nd Annual Ronald McDonald House Charities of Metro St. Louis’Bike Ride in Forest Park. The event has five race options: To ride, volunteer or for more information, visit www.rmhcridestl.com, 314932-4146 or e-mail lfletcher@rmhcstl.com.

Sat., Jun. 18, 9 a.m., LTS

Love Outreach Ministry and Health Unit presents Meet the Professionals – Community Health Fair, 626 N. Newstead, St. Louis, Mo 63108.

Sun. June 19, Katy Trail Father’s Day Family Bike Ride, to benefit prostate cancer research at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. Riders can start from a designated KATY Trailhead and ride to Defiance,

Mo. Pre-registration is $10.00 ($15.00 day of ride). For more information, or to sign-up, go to www.fathersdaybikeride.com.

Sat., Jun. 25, 7:30 a.m., CHIPS Health and Wellness Center11th Annual 5k Run/Walk and 1 Mile Fun Walk and Community Health Festival, CHIPS Health and Wellness Center, 2431 N. Grand Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63106. For more information, call (314) 652-9231 Ext.20.

First Thursdays, 10 a.m.Family Support Group by NAMI St. Louis, The Alliance on Mental Illness at the Grace Hill MurphyO’Fallon Health Center, 1717 Biddle St. No registration needed; no cost. For more information, contact Allen Daniel, 314-814-8579.

Free psychiatric and chemical dependency evaluations are confidential at the Christian Hospital Center for Mental Health. Call 314-8393171.

The American Cancer Society offers free transportation services through a program called Road the Recovery, but more volunteers are needed to make certain that every patient has access to their lifesaving care. The program is in great need of volunteer drivers in St. Louis City and County. To learn more about Road to Recovery and become a volunteer, please call Kaci Hubbard at 314-2868174.

spiritual

Sun., Jun. 5, 12 noon, GreaterRising StarM B Church Building Fund Fellowship, Fellowship hall, 1819 N. Prairie at Garfield. For more information, call (314)-383-1115.

Jun. 10 – Jun. 12, West Side Missionary Baptist Church celebrates the Twenty-Fifth Pastoral Anniversary of Rev.

Dr. Ronald L. Bobo,

STLCC students, faculty recognized

Kenneth Campbell, Florissant Valley Phi Theta Kappa chapter adviser Tom McGovern, and Joshua Golden

Missouri Community College Association rewards excellence

Special to The American Seven students and four faculty members from St. Louis Community College recently were recognized by the Missouri Community College Association (MCCA) for classroom excellence.

The seven students were chosen to the annual MCCA/ Phi Theta Kappa 2011 AllMissouri Academic teams. First-team selections were STLCC-Florissant Valley’s Joshua Golden and Rachel Wood of STLCC-Wildwood. Students named to the second team were Wildwood’s Tracy Shelmire, Forest Park’s Fatine Bouraqqadi and Meramec’s Trevor Martin. Florissant Valley’s Kenneth Campbell and Derick Kalebe of Forest Park were named to the third team.

JAZZ

Continued from C1

Bryan and his group, which formed at Juilliard, will perform pieces from his new CD at Robbie’s House of Jazz in Webster Groves on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

He said, “It’s a concept album, and it deals with the idea of being enchanted by something – not enchanted like Harry Potter, ‘Here’s a

Wood, who is pursuing a degree in general transfer studies, also was named a Bronze Scholar through the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. She will receive a $1,000 award. Since 1994, the MCCA/ Phi Theta Kappa All-Missouri Academic teams recognize scholarly achievements of students enrolled in community colleges. Students must excel in the classroom; have the intellectual curiosity to pursue academic, career and cultural enrichment outside the traditional classroom; show evidence of substantial talents in academic and technical education; and demonstrate the ability to share this development with others.

Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society for two-year institutions.

Four STLCC faculty

spell, I’m going to get you.’ –more dealing with the idea of surprise or awe.”

The music aims to capture the feeling of the first time you experience something you really love or the first time you see a girl or guy you really like, he said.

“I’ve always been enchanted by New York City, and my dream has been to go to Julliard,” he said. “So being able to come here and play with amazing players and at any time being able to leave the

GrACE

Continued from C1

Jonathon C. Davis, M.D

members received Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching. The recipients were Teresa Huether, professor in mathematics at Florissant Valley; Pamela Garvey, associate professor in English at Meramec; Afzal Lohdi, chair of the science and physical education department at Wildwood; and Casey Shiller, assistant professor and coordinator of the baking and pastry arts program at Forest Park.

The Governor’s Awards are presented in conjunction with MCCA to faculty statewide for their effective teaching and advising, service to the school community, commitment to high standards of excellence and success in nurturing student achievement. Recipients are chosen by their respective institutions.

school and be whisked away into this magical wonderland, it’s an amazing feeling. I’d love to share that feeling with you.”

Tickets are available at Robbie’s House of Jazz or by calling Victor at 630-7122659. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students.

The newly released recording will be available at the concert or on www.bryancartermusic.com

who will finish his residency in Family Medicine at Southern Regional AHEC in Fayetteville, NC. Next month. Upon completion, Jonathon will enter the U.S. Air Force as a Captain. Duane M. Foster received his certification in dance from the acclaimed Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. He is currently heading up the Choral Department at his alma mater Normandy High School. He is also the founding Director of the Normandy Performing Arts Academy and the Normandy Dance Academy, Rev. Dr. Samuel W. Hylton Jr. – Pastor Emeritus of the prestigious Centennial Christian Church. Dr. Hylton attended Morehouse with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Too many accolades to mention; Dr. Hylton has served on several boards including the St. Louis Art Museum, he continues as a pioneer in the area of developing affordable housing for senior citizens starting with Hylton Point Apartments in 1988, Alvin R. Sams, DDS (Uncle Sammy) has a successful pediatric dental practice Dental Kids in North County. He is a former professor at Southern Illinois University Dental School in Edwardsville. Alvin and wife Karen are the proud parents of Morehouse 2011 graduate, Joshua Sams

HErON

Continued from C1

Heron was an inspirational bridge artist between the culture revolutions of the 1960s and the 1970s up to the evolution of the hip-hop generation in the 1980s, one of the godfathers of rap. He was born in Chicago in 1949, but was raised in the Bronx. He wrote poetry and music from the 1970s through 2010 and also became an accomplished novelist. Yet, it was his on-stage performances and his off-stage advocacy as a champion of African-American and pan-African liberation that gave him an endearing intergenerational following for more than four decades.

Like Langston Hughes of the

SINGLE

Continued from C1

men to set a date, they probably would act without hesitation. They do this because they believe that this is appropriate for them and is aligned with their worldview on marriage.

I also agree with Harvey that women must be prepared to let men go. If a man cannot comply with his woman’s personal standards, then she should leave him. I’ve been in some ugly situations partly because of the woman’s inability

Also on the runway, Spelman 2011 graduate Stacey Mason.

Proud mother Dr. Rosalyn Mason (SLPS) was also happy to have East St. Louis native Dr. Clifford Hancock (Los Angeles) in town last week for cousin Brelon Buckner’s graduation from Hazelwood Central High School. Brelon is the son of Dr. Elinor Hancock (Florissant Pediatrics) and Peter Buckner. This was an impressive event, music provided by the Normandy High School

Harlem Renaissance, Heron attended an HBCU, Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. While at Lincoln University, Heron refined his artistic abilities and began to branch out across different genres of music. During the fight against apartheid in South Africa, Heron’s voice was heard and felt by millions of people throughout the world.

Heron was my close friend and consistent comrade in the struggle for freedom, justice and equality. We shared many forums, rallies and grassroots campaigns in major cities, rural towns and villages. While I was imprisoned most of the 1970s, as a member of the Wilmington, NC Ten, it was Brother Gil who produced music about “Free the Wilmington Ten and all political prisoners.”

Heron’s music made you dance, clap your hands, stomp

to let go of the relationship. If he’s not fully involved in the relationship, then moving on may be in order.

The other side of it is how men lead women on and fail to recognize their humanity.

Harvey neglects to hold guys accountable for their actions. I know Harvey assumes that only women are reading his book and wants to provide some paternalistic wisdom on how to avoid getting hurt by men. His advice excuses the sexism of men and teaches women how to make the most of a sexist situation. Any guy that operates as Harvey describes is a man in age and species only. He lacks

has the

to

up on this one. I hope everyone had a great holiday. I was thrilled to see my cousins Joey and Margaret

(with babes in tow) in town from Kansas

for the Memorial Day holiday! Continue to pray for everyone in Joplin and Alabama. Peace, love and happiness! Dana Grace may be contacted at dgrandolph@live.com.

your feet and raise your clenched fists into the air to shout “Power to the People!” But most of all, Gil’s poetry and music would make you uncomfortable with injustice. Gil-Scott Heron once told me, “Hey, man, each one of us has to play a role in making the revolution for freedom real. If someone merely gives you what you might think is your freedom, then it is not really freedom; it is just an illusion of freedom. But, if you fight for your freedom, no one can ever take it away from you, can you dig it?”

Yes, we can “dig” it. Heron has passed the torch to the generation of poets, musicians and lyricists of today. Please keep that torch lit with the fire of freedom for all.

the maturity of adulthood and the concern of a human. If I know that a woman wants more than what I am willing to give but I choose not to address it, I have assaulted her personhood by using her. Men like me who are able to get away with that are beneficiaries of male privilege. I exploited women I dated and allowed the fiction of gender roles to excuse my behavior. It was only when I came to terms with my exploitation of women that I began to behave differently and treated women better. Visit mkstallings.com or find MK Stallings at twitter.com/ afroscribe.

Jazz Band. Photo Whiz Lois Ingram

pics

back me

Jones

City

Photo by Lois Ingrum

By Melanie Adams

Discover African-American St. Louis

Dr.

John

Wright to lead

St. Louis Discovery tour

With the opening of America I Am: The African American Imprint, the History Museum continues to explore and celebrate the accomplishments of African Americans. While the exhibit focuses on national stories, the museum turned to St. Louis’s own Dr. John Wright to help provide the local stories. On July 16, Dr. Wright will be leading a St. Louis Discovery tour of the stories and achievements of African Americans that have helped to shape St. Louis and left a lasting legacy for its citizens.

Begin with a visit to the exhibit America I Am: The African American Imprint at the Missouri History Museum. Continue on to explore the stories of people such as Homer G. Phillips and the hospital he founded and Phyllis Wheatley and the community center and programs she inspired. You will discover the namesakes of Harris-Stowe State University and much more.

I had a chance to speak with Dr. Wright about his upcoming tour and asked him for a preview of what people can expect.

St. Louis has a rich African American history and many people don’t realize it. When you give your tours, what always surprises people the most?

Most are surprised at the number of historic sites and individuals they see and hear about, especially those who have lived in the city most of their lives. They find it hard to believe they had passed many of the sights for years without realizing there importance.

In order for the history to live on, it is important that it is passed down through the generations. What can we do to make students more interested in their history?

We have to connect it to the present and not teach or speak about events and individuals in isolation. Students must understand the importance of history as it relates to today.

I know there are too many sites to visit in one day so what sites are not included on the trip, but are still historically significant?

The “Ville” community – Homer G. Phillips Hospital (now a senior citizens residence) and School of Nursing, Annie Malone Children’s Home, Turner School for the Handicapped, Tandy Community Center, Stowe Teachers College and more. We are making plans to go inside of Sumner and Homer G. Phillips.

Scott Joplin’s Home Black Walk of Fame

Central Baptist Church

Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing

Phyllis Wheatley YWCA

The Shelly Home on Labadie

The Old Court House

Kinloch, Brentwood, North Webster, Bennett Place, Compton Hill

Vaughn Cultural Center

Griot Museum

Greenwood Cemetery

Moses Dickson Cemetery Olive Chapel Quinn Chapel.

What is your favorite St. Louis AfricanAmerican history story and why?

The story of the “Ville” community is my favorite. I feel it represents a special place in time that will never happen again. The people, events, and individuals who lived, worked and studied there played a major role in shaping St. Louis, Missouri and America.

The African American Imprint in St. Louis Saturday, July 16 Dr. John Wright

The Missouri History Museum’s Discovery Tours are local excursions designed to entertain and educate. Inspired by the Museum’s exhibitions and programming, these tours explore historic themes at various sites throughout the city and the region. All tours will be led by trained guides with expertise in the tour topic’s field.

The Discovery Tours will begin and end at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park. Most tours will begin at 9:00am and return at 3:00pm. It is requested that all participants meet at the Visitor Service desk in the Emerson section of the Museum at 8:45am.

All of the tours will include deluxe motor coach transportation, tour guide, all admission and donation charges, water, snack and lunch.

It should be noted that there will be frequent, but generally not strenuous walking on every tour. To ensure a great day, plan on wearing comfortable shoes, bringing a jacket and having a camera handy to capture the wonderful memories that you will be creating on these fabulous adventures.

Rate

$65.00 per person for members of the Missouri History Museum

$75.00per person for non-members

To reserve your tour or for more information, please call 314-361-9017 or email reserv@mohistory.org.

Scientifically Speaking

The Journey to YES

By Nathan Bolden

The Youth Exploring Science Program (YES) has impacted my life immensely. I have grown academically, mentally as well as socially in my opinion because of the YES program. How so? Hmmm, let’s see…

It all started when I was in the eighth grade. I attended Compton-Drew I.L.C. Middle School, and they made a number of announcements pertaining to a class you’d attend called Science Saturday. At first I didn’t think anything of it, and didn’t plan on doing it until I was told all the details and perks of attending the class. It was kind of like a science workshop, and over the course of eight weeks you would attend this morning workshop, and at the end of the eight weeks you would receive a paying job. That was all I needed to hear, being a teenager in this day and age is not easy, and nowadays parents expect you to pay for all of your luxuries. I didn’t care what the salary was as long as I got a check. One thing I must do is to thank ComptonDrew, and Ms. Betsy King for coming to give us insight on how to be a YES Teen. Thank You.

Over the summer 2009, I had to attend a summer transition school from the eighth to the ninth grade so unfortunately I couldn’t work over the course of that summer, so I missed out on that, but at the beginning of fall semester I

was in the Taylor Community Science Center bright and early every Saturday at nine o’ clock. The YES Program is divided into a variety of different segments called components. I was placed in a component called SciJourn. Basically SciJourn is a group of eight teens that join together as science journalists to create a new way of learning science, and making it relatable not only to the adult crowd, but to persons our age as well. I honestly was not excited about being apart of SciJourn, however when I got used to the writing style and the people involved I was really happy where I was placed. Being apart of SciJourn has some perks of its own too. We’ve done everything from

interviewing famous scientists, to visiting recording studios. It really makes me feel good to receive press passes to events, and being able to get the “behind the scenes“ scoop on what’s going on within the science community. SciJourn also helps you in the school environment as well. At the school I attended last year, Metro Academic and Classical High, we had to write what were called Article Summaries every week. By using the wirriting skills I learned from SciJourn, I scored perfectly on just about every one of them. In conclusion, I am really happy to be apart of the Youth Exploring Science Program. I would recommend this awesome program to any individual. It’s a great program to be involved in.

Former Homer G. Phillips Hospital

Nathan Bolden

Graduation

Wash U

Ph.D grad

Veronica Lynnette Shead

Veronica

Lynnette

Shead

Rosati-Kain High School class if 1998

Vanderbilt University— B.S. in Neuroscience

UMSL— B.A. in Psychology Washington University—M.A. in Psychology, Ph.D in Clinical Psychology (May 20, 2011) Currently completing a postdoctorate at the VAHospital in Memphis, TN

~ CELEBRATIONS ~

Graduation Mary Institute Country Day

Kelsey Christine Major

Kelsey Christine Major Graduated from Mary Institute Country Day May 31, 2011

Attending University of Missouri—Kansas City in fall 2011

Proud parents are Arlene and Timothy Major

Graduation Ranken

Technical School

Markest Eugene Burnett

Birthdays

SpencerGalliday (83)—May 30

Tamera Greer—May 31

Timothy and Terrance Price (35)—June 2

Reunions

Beaumont High School Class of 1965 is looking for all classmates interested in celebrating our 45-year reunion. We are in the process of planning a dinner/dance.Your contact information is needed ASAP. Pleaseemail LaLinda Newsom Diggs at lalindadiggs@sbcglobal.net.

Beaumont High School Class of 1966 has sent out letters announcing their 45-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-16, 2011.Friday night - Meet & Greet; Saturday night - Dinner Dance and Sunday morningBrunch.All events will be held at TheSt. Louis Airport Renaissance Hotel.Please contact Josh Beeks 314-3030791 or Evelyn Wright- 314479-7674.

Beaumont High Class of 1971 has scheduled its 40-year reunion for August 5-7, 2011. E-mail your contact information to beaumont71alumni@ yahoo.com for details.

Beaumont High School Class of 1976 will have its 35th year reunionAugust 19-21, 2011.

Markest Eugene Burnett Graduated from Ranken Technical School May 14, 2011

Certification:Electri cal Automation Technology He is employed with United States Army Corps of Engineers.

Najah Aliyah Weekly (14)—June 3

Ron Turner—June 3

Madison Marie Coleman—June 5

Friday night,August 19: meet & greet hospitality suite St. Louis AirportRenaissance Hotel, Saturday August 20: a DinnerDanceSt. Louis Airport Renaissance Hotel Penthouse & Sunday August 21: worship & picnic.For more detailed information pleaseemail bhs1976@swbell.net or visit our website at http://desyco.tripod.com.

East St. Louis Lincoln Class of 1971, calling all classmates interested in their 40-year reunion, please send your contact info to: Lincoln Class of 1971, PO Box 1430, East St. Louis, IL62202. Email us at ESTLLincoln1971@hotmail.c om, on Facebook at ESLLinconPenn or call 618-

Soon to wed College love reunited

Stacee Young and Nicholas McKinley will wed on June 11, 2011 in St. Louis, MO and honeymoon on the beautiful island of St. Lucia. Stacee and Nicholas were friends and college sweethearts at Talladega College in Talladega, AL. They lost contact after college, but reunited on Myspace in 2007, and as they say, the rest is history!

781-4888 or 314-249-7295.

Hadley Technical High School class of 1961 is preparing for its 50-year reunion in 2011. We are seeking contact information to complete our directory. For more information contact Ralph Johnson 314-477-2042 or William Perry 314-531-3170.

Kinloch High School Class of 1970 will host their 41st Reunion Dinner Dance on June 10, 2011 at the Heart of St. Charles Banquet Center. Please contact Arlene Davis at 4800103, Lester Wilson at 8632180, or Mc McKinnies at 524-0126 for more info.

Riddick School/ Neighborhood Reunion will

be held September2-3, 2011. Friday, 9/2/11: Meet and Greet, Saturday, 9/3/11: Picnic (Forest Park). Costs: $30/individual, $60/couple, $75/family. Make money orders or cashier checks payable to: Riddick School Reunion, P.O. Box 52003 St. Louis, 63136. Please do not send cash or personal checks. For additional information, please contact: Wanda Simmsat 314-3837046, Wanette Johnsonat 314-869-9692 or Catherine Kendricksat 314-741-4059.

Soldan Class of 1976 is celebrating its 35-year reunion during the weekend of June 1012.We're looking for all alumni to participate. Contact us via e-mail:soldanclass 76@yahoo.com

Do you have a celebration you’re proud of? If so we would like to share your good news with our readers. Whether it’s a birth, graduation, wedding, engagement announcement, anniversary, retirement or birthday, send your photos and a brief announcement (50 words or less) to us and we may include it in our paper and website – AT NO COST – as space is available Photos will not be returned. Send your announcements to: kdaniel@stlamerican. com or mail to: St. Louis American Celebrations c/o Kate Daniel 4242 Lindell Ave St. Louis, MO 63108 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, 4242 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108. Deadline is 10 a.m. on Friday. If you’d like your class to be featured in a reunion profile, email or mail photos to us. Our email address is: reunions@ stlamerican.com

Religion

Inspirational-Gospel Choir concert June 12

Washington Metropolitan AME Zion’s Angels of Praise Dance Ministry also to perform

Special to The American

Recognized as one of the best choirs in the region, the Washington Metropolitan AME Zion Church Inspirational-Gospel Choir will present its Spring Concert, “Praise Is What We Do,” on Sunday, June 12 at 3 p.m. at the church located at 613 North Garrison Ave.

Featured as part of the church’s annual “Family and Friends Weekend Celebration,” the choir will perform a range of music including anthems, spirituals and contemporary Gospel. The Angels of Praise Dance Ministry will also be a highlight of the concert.

Admission is free.

In June 2002 the choir presented its debut concert where they performed “Gospel Mass,” composed by Robert Ray, with guest singers from the In Unison Chorus. Since that time past concerts have celebrated African-American contributions to music and literature with local well known guest speakers including Ron Himes, founder and producing director of the St. Louis Black Rep, and Bonita Cornute, reporter and journalist, FOX 2 News.

The choir has performed throughout the St. Louis region, Midwest, and East Coast. Their outstanding musicianship and ability to perform a variety musical genres has resulted in numerous invitations to sing in ecumenical services throughout Missouri. Most recently, the choir sang in concert with solo recording artist, Minister Eli Wilson Jr., emceed by Evangelist Mary Tillman, “The Radio Angel,” of Foxy 95.5. The choir was formed in 1997, and Warner Christopher White served as the choir’s first director. Following White the baton was handed to Maestro Robert Ray, founding director of the St. Louis Symphony IN UNISON Chorus and one of the major figures in his generation for the interaction of symphonic tradition, choral singing and African-American composers.

Washington Metropolitan AME Zion Church Inspirational-Gospel Choir, directed by Mark A. Brooks, will present its Spring Concert, “Praise Is What We Do,” on Sunday, June 12 at 3 p.m. at the church (613 North Garrison Ave.) as part of its annual “Family and Friends Weekend Celebration.”

From January of 2003 to the present, Mark A. Brooks has served as director of the Inspirational-Gospel Choir. A graduate of Webster University and an award-winning music educator, Brooks has served as Minister of Music at leading African Methodist Episcopal Zion and African Methodist Episcopal congregations throughout the United States. He is presently vocal music teacher at St. Louis Catholic Academy.

Washington Metropolitan was founded in 1865 and is the oldest AME Zion Church west of the Mississippi. From the church’s past pastoral leaders, three have been elevated to the AME Zion Board of Bishops. The Rev. Anthony Witherspoon serves as the current pastor.

For more information, contact Angela Bland, administrative assistant to the pastor, at 314-533-8763 or ab_here2serve@ sbcglobal.net.

Faith groups against youth gun violence

Voices of Faith will launch “Stop the

Killing,” an Action Plan Against Youth Gun

Violence, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, June 4 at St. Alphonsus Rock Catholic Church 1118 North Grand Blvd.

A group of churches, mosques and faithbased organizations have been planning a collaborative effort to challenge their members and the larger St. Louis community to engage the issue of youth gun violence. These faith partners will roll out their plan to the community which will offer a three dimensional approach in the areas of Advocacy, Activism and Awareness.

Featured events: An Anti-Gun Violence Organizations Fair, Unveiling of Faith Partners Call to Action Plan and Advocacy Workshop Against Gun Violence.

The group is soliciting non-profit organizations with programs directed towards preventing and intervening youth gun violence to participate in the Anti-GunViolence Fair. For more information, please contact Washington Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, 3200 Washington Blvd., 314-5338763. The Rev. Rodney T. Francis is senior pastor.

By Pastor Karen Jethroe For The St. Louis American

The same goes for you wives: Be good wives to your husbands, responsive to their needs. There are husbands who, indifferent as they are to any words about God, will be captivated by your life of holy beauty. What matters is not your outer appearance – the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes – but your inner disposition. – 1

Peter 3:1

Ouch!

When I read this passage of scripture, I must admit that it made me squirm in my seat.

After having 38 years of marriage under my belt and more years than that of being a Christian, I no longer try to justify my ungodly behavior towards my mate when I am reprimanded by God’s word. I take my licks like a big girl, and I adjust my attitude. Years ago, I had an answer for every reason that I represented Christ poorly in my marriage. Whether it was because I was tired, “monthly,” angry or frustrated, I felt that whatever I did there was a justified excuse for doing so and my husband and God should understand that.

NOT!

Ladies, if you are wondering why your unsaved husband does not want to hear

Accepting

anything about God? Or why your saved husband does not seem to be growing in his love for God? Maybe, just maybe, it could be because your behavior “behind closed doors” is anything but loving and responsive to his needs. I have come to find out in my long years of marriage that my husband needs me to lay my hands on him for more reasons than just for prayer. He needs to hear me say other words to him besides those that are found in the bible. He needs me to conduct myself in a way that says, “I know you are not perfect, but you are perfect for me.” I am still amazed at the great pretenders that many of us are. Hypocrite might be a better word. While I agree that we should all behave respectably towards our mates in public, it is quite another thing to be so “different” from who you are at home that even your husband does not know who you are. Ladies, let us work towards being the wife behind closed doors that we reflect to those in public. One who is loving and considerate towards

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

Community foundation awards first scholarships

Special to The American

Two deserving, adult students – Regan Draga and Josh Jones – were selected as recipients of the Janice Mosby Scholarship from the St. Louis Community CU Foundation. Each will receive $2,500 towards his or her educational costs.

Regan Draga attends St. Louis Community CollegeMeramec for her general studies. She intends to transfer to a four-year university to obtain a degree in social sciences. Draga plans to pursue a career in the social services field. She currently works for the Missouri Social Services/Family Support Division.

Josh Jones is a full-time student at Webster University and studies audio production. He plans to start a non-profit organization designed to help students with speech and language disorders.

Recognizing the important role education plays in the creation of fiscally responsible citizens, the Janice Mosby scholarship fund was established in 2010 through the St. Louis Community CU Foundation. Mosby served on the St. Louis Community

Two adult students receive $2,500 each to support education

Credit Union’s Board of Directors for 40 years and as a Board member of the credit union’s Foundation before passing away in September 2010. Janice Mosby was a teacher and principal in the St. Louis Public Schools for more than 30 years. She dedicated her life to helping students in the community develop to their fullest potential. This is the first year that the St. Louis Community CU Foundation has awarded a scholarship. Applicants must be first-time or re-entry students ages 23 or older who are attending college full or parttime and are trying to move forward with their lives.For more information, visit http://www.slccufoundation. org.

UNCF introduces 1,000 new Gates scholars

UNCF recently announced that the nation’s largest scholarship program, the Gates Millennium Scholars Program, has awarded good-throughgraduation college scholarships to this year’s cohort of 1,000 students. The scholarships can be used to pursue degrees in any undergraduate major at the

accredited college or university of the recipients’choice.

The Class of 2011 Gates Millennium Scholars represents 44 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories: American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and will be attending 334 colleges and universities. Established in 1999 with the goal of developing the next generation of America’s leaders, UNCF’s Gates Millennium

Scholars Program is funded by a $1.6 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. To date, over 15,000 students have received GMS scholarships, attending more than 1,500 schools, including Ivy League colleges, flagship state universities, and Minority Serving Institutions including UNCF member historically black colleges and universities.

The Gates Millennium Scholars Program provides recipients with leadership

Josh Jones and Regan Draga are the 2011 recipients of the inaugural Janice Mosby Scholarship from St.Louis Community CU Foundation.

training, mentoring, and academic and social support as well as financial support. The Program is known for its recipients’high graduation rates – a six-year rate of 90 percent (45 percent higher than the national graduation rates for all students) and comparable to the rates for students from highincome families.

“Gates Millennium Scholars’success proves that given the financial, academic and social support that other students take for granted, low-

income minority students can not only succeed in college, but excel,” said Michael L. Lomax, UNCF president and CEO.“For these students, the Gates Millennium Scholarship is a pathway to a college degree and the opportunities that come with it.And for the country, it is a blueprint for how we can produce the college graduates the U.S. needs to remain competitive in the global economy.”

UNCF’s management of the Gates Millennium Scholars Program is a partnership with the American Indian Graduate Center Scholars, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund to serve Gates Millennium Scholars in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“Education has always been the best pathway to opportunity, and we believe that college costs should not be an obstacle along that path,” said Jim Larimore the deputy director for student success at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For more information visit www.gmsp.org.

Celebrity Swagger Snap of the Week

Former NBA star Larry Hughes and the fam are continuing to pay it forward and give back to the St. Louis community. Larry – along with Larry Hughes Foundation’s Kim Moses and Vanessa Hughes – spent Sunday afternoon at the N. Hanley QuikTrip giving away free gas (30.00 per vehicle) to the irst 300 cars. The event was yet another of the many great ways the Larry Hughes Foundation shows love to the STL through acts of kindness to the community.

Four foot, seven foot soul (lessness). I was a bit worried when I walked up into EXO last Thursday. Grey Goose’s “Iconic” event was supposed to be going down featuring the miniature soul stylings of Bobby Valentino. However, crowd attendance was slow to build and there weren’t enough Grey Goose shots in the world to ignore the fact that things staggered to start. After several cycles of lingering down stairs, going up the stairs, nibbling on inger foods and then back down stairs to start all over again, things inally started to commence. Around one-thirty in the morning, the lost member of the Lollipop Guild made his entrance as he skipped through with bodyguards in tow. Once Valentino got on stage and went into “Mrs. Oficer,” the Lil’Wayne track in which he is featured, something didn’t sit well with me. Not only does a singer of his caliber have no business in being so late, I feel like he didn’t really come to give a show. His half hearted offerings didn’t really move me as it seemed he was his own hype man while allowing the vocal track to do most of the work. Since he wasn’t pressed, neither was I so I punched it. I quietly want my money back since the midget made me miss Jim Jones at Amnesia.

Gemini Juke Down. Confusion swirled as I arrived to Super Smooth Promotion’s “Gemini Extravaganza” last Saturday. When I made my slow descent into J. Buck’s showroom downtown, it wasn’t the usual young bunnies shaking their shapes to a beat. No, for some reason Alfre Woodard look-a-likes were all out in droves. Apparently, the new it place to celebrate your 45th birthday is with the young folks at J.Buck’s. I’m not going to knock that. If you want to hold onto your Beaumont class of ’81 homecoming days, please go forth and prosper! Once “Racks on Racks” hit the speakers, the party really took off. Tired picture taking with the same St. Louis skyline airbrush backdrop that tends to make its appearance at all the clubs was perched. The ladies really put on their best party frocks all the while remaining questionable in their choices. Homegirl with the makeshift ‘80s loral print, half-shape-in-half-shape-out number really stood out. She sashayed around like she was the belle of the ball. Another also followed suit as she adorned a peach top with somewhat matching multicolored stretch pants. From the looks of it, it seemed some kids got angry at the audacity for her to wear such and threw popsicles at her bottom half. But DJ Flex & DJ Rico kept things hot while VIP access to the roof was a nice touch to offset the sweat-induced dance loor.

South beach-less Bonanza. I had to part the crowd like the Red Sea and duck for cover due to so many frames twerking their lives away at Amnesia Saturday. The crowd really came to make the best of their Memorial Day weekend as pelvic pops were all the rage. I heard my girl Mocha Latte on the mic, but I couldn’t see her. For all I know, she was catching life from the roof or attic. I can’t blame her because the dance loor was bananas. The energy was high as the plexiglas that lined the VIP threatened the shatter behind those holding onto it for balance all the while throwing it back for their life! However, not even the club’s low lighting could hide the monstrosities hidden in party tarps. Bad shapes, drunken monkeys, with a few pretty girl rocks illed the place. But with DJ Sir Thurl on the decks, free entrance for the ladies, and free drinks, I guess I can’t blame those for going H.A.R.D.

Taming the teese. Straight pandemonium is the best way to describe what went down at the Old Rock house for Sygu’s annual Teese party. When I arrived, the line outside stretched the length of the building. Over 500 people were there as some waited hours to gain entry. Some were so frustrated that they chose to skip the line by jumping the fence. Was it really that serious though? I suppose they weren’t lying when they recommended that early arrival would be a necessity. Police were posted outside as threats of overcrowding became more and more apparent. You would think one was giving away London & Sons chicken baskets seeing how the masses were knocking the doors down. Many ladies gallivanted towards the door with decorative t shirts and the expected skin tight leggings. I’m sureAldo andArsol’s shelves were bare because the footgame was on point. I never have seen so many shoes with pink and neon green laces. Some complained though that perhaps the Old Rock House wasn’t the best venue for the monster sized event. Considering they packed out The Pageant in years past, Teese deinitely could have beneited from a larger venue. Since the building was packed like a Wendy Williams bust line, I decided to hit it before I was trampled to death. In retrospect, I feel stupid for not taking advantage and not setting up a tripe sandwich stand. Maybe then, I would have been more inclined to stay. New spot, same ‘Sexy’…or vice versa. So when the Loft started this campaign that they were “all-new” and “remodeled”, I was a bit skeptical. The few times I went just last week, I didn’t even see a new fold up chair. But they were in fact telling the truth! Well…sort of. Yes, there are newly added VIP sections with one laced with drapery as dividers. There are also new projection screens near the rear of the building. But even still, I’m not sure if this was a change to really gag the regulars. I was expecting to see the strobe lights they kept bragging about or at least something to make it feel like a real remodeling. However, it’s not necessarily a bad thing that for the most part, The Loft is still essentially the same Loft we know and love. There is no denying that it still remains a viable nightlife spot as it has been unveiled as the new home of Sexy As You Wanna Be (formally at The Label). Orlando was on hand in all his Pretty Boy glory to celebrate his birthday. A few of Teese turnaways were also planted with their Hello Kitty and Mickey Mouse T-shirts on. Apparently, they weren’t pressed on all the overcrowding either.

Singer Bobby Valentino

Ebonie, Jordan, Laura and Meyl @ The City for Distinguished Gentlemen B-day Bash

Rapper Jim Jones Kicks off Memorial Day weekend with Phil of Liquid Assets, Tony and P.R. of Top Shelf @ Club Amnesia

Ashlee and Courtney represent Delta Sigma Theta @ the Eye Candy Party at The Loft.

night @ the Loft

Kevin and Danielle McCoy @ Teese 2011 @ The Old Rockhouse

Nikole of NV Boutique, Comedian Darius Bradford and Courtney hanging out Friday night for Alternative @ Lola

Wayne of Close to Famous and John of the Fresh Group Celebrate their Birthdays @ The City for Distinguished Gentlemen B-day Bash

Drexel of The Loft and Kenny of Hot 104.1 @ the Eye Candy Party @ The Loft

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

Cierra and Jah at Sexy As You Wanna Be Sunday @ The Loft

Don’t dismiss memory problems

By Consuelo H.Wilkins,MD

One of the most common complaints I hear from older adults is related to memory loss. Concerns about memory loss can be very troubling, especially since it can be difficult to know whether mild memory changes are consistent aging or if they are the first signs of something more serious.

I often hear people joke about having ‘senior moments,’a nonmedical term used to describe temporary lapses in memory. I recently heard a new term‘junior moment’. Awoman in her 40s used this term to describe delays in her recall, which she thought were due to stress. It seems that concerns about memory are occurring in younger and younger people.

Although many people expect to have some memory changes, as they get older, they often overestimate the degree of memory changes. The fact is that some changes in cognitive function (attention, memory, language, logical reasoning, and visual and spatial acuity) do occur with age. These changes are typically minimal and involve a delay in recall as opposed to memory loss. For example, you may not be able to recall the name of the actress in your favorite movie but after 15 minutes, it finally comes back to you.

This is considered normal aging.

Even if it took you 3 hours or a few days to remember her name, that’s still normal. If you say to your friends, I don’t remember the movie at all and your friends recall watching it with you, that is concerning. These types of delays in recall tend to increase with aging but do not affect daily activities. When changes in memory start to impact the ability to perform routine tasks, an evaluation is needed.

Consuelo H. Wilkins,M.D., Medical Accuracy Editor

People with memory loss due to something other than normal aging, such as Alzheimer’s disease, may feel that something’s not quite right, but they’re unable to pinpoint what’s bothering them. Rather than call attention to a memory lapse, they may behave as if everything is fine.

Memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, but it certainly is not the only symptom of the disease. Alzheimer’s disease, a brain disorder, is the most common cause of dementia and leads to gradual and progressive loss of memory and function. Some of the earliest signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include:

• Asking the same questions

• Difficulty remembering common words

• Mixing words up — saying “bed” instead of “table”

• Being unable to complete familiar tasks

• Misplacing items in inappropriate places, such as putting a wallet in the refrigerator

• Getting lost while driving on familiar streets

• Undergoing sudden changes in mood or behavior for no apparent reason

• Becoming less able to follow directions

Many other medical problems cause symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s. That’s why it’s so important to consult a doctor if you’ve noticed memory lapses or uncharacteristic mood swings in yourself or in someone close to you. The problem may be a potentially reversible illness, such as depression, a metabolic disorder such as hypothyroidism, a reaction to a drug, or a vitamin deficiency.

If you are an older adult experiencing memory changes, try some of these tips to prevent memory decline.

Reading on a regular basis. In an age when people spend so much time passively watching television, reading pro-

vides an opportunity for active mental engagement. And such habits as making predictions about a story’s plot and recalling details from what was read can further enhance the benefits of reading on one’s memory.

Playing board games. An avenue for much-needed social interaction, board games also encourage critical thinking. Playing musical instruments or other hobbies. The mental discipline required to learn a new hobby or skill helps ensure that more areas of the brain remain active.

Dancing. For those who are physically able, dancing provides a combination of physical and mental activity, especially the hard work of remembering all those dance steps!

Crossword puzzles. Someone who completes the New York Times crossword puzzle four days per week reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by 50 percent compared to someone who does the puzzle only once per week.

Consuelo H. Wilkins, M.D., is medical accuracy editor of The St. Louis American and associate professor of medicine and psychiatry, Division of Geriatrics and Nutritional Science, at Washington University – St. Louis

Hypertension and kidney expert finds no savorin sodium study

By Will Ross,M.D.,M.P.H. Associate Dean for Diversity Associate Professor of Medicine

Washington University School of Medicine

I am obviously quite passionate about articles related to hypertension control. I recently read the full study in the Journal of the American Medical Society (JAMA) [titled “Fatal and Nonfatal Outcomes, Incidence of Hypertension, and Blood Pressure Changes in Relation to Urinary Sodium Excretion,” published May 4, 2011] and was appalled that such a scientifically flawed study could get published in such a reputable journal. The limitations of the study are jawdropping:

The sample size in the study was insufficient to detect a significant change in the outcome (death due to cardiovascular disease) over the relatively short study period.That is to say, the study wasunderpowered.

The 24 hour urinary collections were unreliable.In several occasions the urine collections were not collected properly, leading to an inadequate collection. That would underestimate the amount of sodium excretion.

The study was an observational one, meaning the investigators took a broad snapshot of sodium intake in one period of time.The best approach would be to conduct a randomized clinical trial, assigning patients to either a low-sodium, normal sodium, or high sodium diet and following then prospectively for several years, maybe more than a decade.Such a study would obviously be quite expensive, and perhaps unethical given what we know about the adverse effects of high sodium diets.

The results of the study are inconsistent with the large body of evidence gained over the past 25 years.

The authors are unable to provide a credible hypothesis linking low sodium intake to the causal pathway leading to increased cardiovascular disease.

The study participants were relatively young (mean age 49) and mostly healthy.

The participants were European – thus we cannot generalize the results to other ethnic groups, or to other geographic regions for that matter.

The current FDAguidelines, which I strongly support, call for a maximum of 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day (the amount found in a teaspoon of salt), and 1,500 milligrams of sodium (two-thirds of a teaspoon) for people who have high blood pressure or are at high risk of developing it. The latter group includes

people who are over the age of 40, are African American, or have somewhat elevated blood pressure (prehypertension)—a group that includes almost 70 percent of adults in the United States. Those recommendations, embraced by the 2010 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, are based on the known association between high sodium diets and high blood pressure. According to the IOM report and the Centers for Disease Control, hypertension increases the risk for heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure and renal disease. Heart disease is the largest cause of death in the United

States, accounting for more than onequarter of deaths in 2006, and stroke is the third-largest underlying cause of death, at 5.7 percent.Overall, excessive sodium intake accounts for $73.4 billion a year in direct and indirect costs. Health disparities in rates of hypertension are also well known:according to the National Health and Nutritional Examination Study African Americans have a 30% higher prevalence of hypertension compared to Whites.As a kidney specialist I see too many young people, mostly African Americans, presenting with advanced kidney failure second-

ary to hypertension, a treatable disorder. The Salt Institute is jumping for joy at the results of the JAMAstudy.They are all too eager to have the FDArollback its recent guidelines on sodium restriction. As we know, it can take years to modify the behaviors and lifestyles associated with high salt intake, however all the effective preventive health messages can be jeopardized by one well-intentioned but poorly-designed study.We must aggressively counter-act the confusing message outlined in the JAMAstudy while opening up the channels for even more intense community education.

HEALTH BRIEFS

Lowering fat intake might stave off diabetes without weight loss

Small differences in diet – even without weight loss – can significantly affect risk for diabetes, according to research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham published online May 18 by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

In this study, 69 healthy, overweight people who did not have diabetes but were at risk for it, were placed on diets with modest reductions in either fat or carbohydrate for eight weeks.

“At eight weeks, the group on the lower fat diet had significantly higher insulin secretion and better glucose tolerance and tended to have higher insulin sensitivity,” said Barbara Gower, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences at UAB and lead author of the study. “These improvements indicate a decreased risk for diabetes.”

Gower says the unique aspect of this study is that the results were independent of weight loss.

The study participants were fed exactly the amount of food required to maintain their body weight, and the researchers took into account any minor fluctuations in body weight during analyses. Thus, researchers say the results from this study suggest that those trying to minimize risk for diabetes over the long term might consider limiting their daily consumption of fat at around 27 percent of their diet.

“People find it hard to lose weight,” said Gower. “What is important about our study is that the results suggest that attention to diet quality, not quantity, can make a difference in risk for type 2 diabetes.”

The findings were even stronger in African-Americans, a population with an elevated risk for diabetes. Gower says African-Americans on the lower fat diet showed a

stronger difference in insulin secretion compared to the lower carb group, indicating that diet might be an important variable for controlling diabetes risk in that population.

Study participants in the lower fat group received a diet comprising 27 percent fat and 55 percent carbohydrate. The lower carb group’s diet was 39 percent fat and 43 percent carbohydrate. All food for the eight-week trial was provided by the study.

“The diets used in this study were actually fairly moderate,” said UAB dietitian Laura Lee Goree, R.D., L.D., a study co-author. “Individuals at risk for diabetes easily could adopt the lower fat diet we employed. Our findings indicate that the lower-fat diet might reduce the risk of diabetes or slow the progression of the disease.”

Atypical dinner meal on the lower fat diet would include sesame chicken with rice, snow peas and carrots, frozen broccoli, fat-free cheese, oranges and a dinner roll. According to the American Diabetes Association, Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes; millions of Americans have been diagnosed with it, and many more are unaware they are at high risk. Some groups have a higher risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, particularly African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and the elderly

In Type 2 diabetes, the body either does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore it. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use glucose for energy. When you eat food, the body breaks down the sugars and starches into glucose, which is the basic fuel for the cells in the body. Insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, it can lead to diabetes complications.

Gower says further research is needed to determine if the difference between diets in carbohydrate or fat was responsible for the differences in the measures of glucose metabolism and probe the potential cause-and-effect relationship between insulin and glucose responses to the diets.

The study was funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, one of the National Institutes of Health.

Obese patients at much greater risk forsurgical site infections

Obese patients undergoing colon surgery are 60 percent more likely to develop dangerous and costly surgical-site infections than their normal-weight counterparts, new Johns Hopkins research suggests.

These infections, according to findings published recently in the journal Archives of Surgery, cost an average of $17,000 more per patient, extend hospital stays and leave patients at a three times greater risk of hospital readmission.

“Obesity is a leading risk factor for surgical-site infections, and those infections truly tax the health care system,” says Dr. Elizabeth C. Wick, an assistant professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the lead author of the study. “The burdens of caring for obese patients need to be better recognized.”

To conduct the study, the Johns Hopkins team analyzed claims data from eight different Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance plans for partial or total colon removal surgeries performed on adults ages 18 to 64 between 2002 and 2008. They identified 7,020 patients, 1,243 of whom were obese. The researchers looked at 30-day infection rates and calculated total costs from all health care claims for 90 days following surgery.

Colon surgery – performed to treat colon cancer, diverticulitis and inflammatory bowel disease – costs roughly $300 more per obese patient, whether an infection occurred or not. Obese patients also had slightly longer hospital stays, regardless of infection.

The average cost of caring for a patient with a surgical-site infection was $32,182 compared to $15,131 for each patient who didn’t get infected. Those with infections stayed in the hospital for an average of 9.5 days compared to 8.1 days for those who did not contract one. The probability of hospital readmission in infected patients was 27.8 percent versus 6.8 percent in non-infected patients. When they had to be readmitted, those who had surgical-site infections stayed an average of two days longer than those without.

The authors argue that not only are these findings relevant to physicians who need to pay special heed to infections in heavier patients but, to policymakers who plan to mandate public reporting of hospitals’surgical-site infection rates.

Some insurers, meanwhile, have begun to withhold payment from hospitals when patients develop these complications and other insurers have discussed similar penalties. None of these plans take into account the higher infection rates found in obese surgical patients, Wick says.

walk off

Friends weight, diabetes medications

By Sandra Jordan

Of the St.Louis American

When Rosetta Keeton of St. Louis goes for a walk on her lunch break – at St. Louis ConnectCare, it is a time for prayer, silent reflection and clarifying her thoughts. At least one of her prayers has come true – she doesn’t have to take insulin to control her diabetes.

Keeton said she didn’t have any symptoms that she could identify. Her diagnosis came following a routine visit.

“The doctor said to me, ‘I can give you some pills or you can take insulin,’” which Keeton says kind of freaked her out. “She said there was a new kind of insulin I could take where I would only have to inject myself only once a week. And I said, ‘Well, what if I tried diet and exercise?

“She said, ‘Well, you could try it.’”

This conversation scared Keeton into action. Ayearand-a-half later, she is 40 pounds lighter and manages her condition with exercise and dietary changes, including portion control.

“I feel better than I ever felt,” Keeton says.

time, she came. When she came – she took my blood sugar and she could not get a reading.”

Keeton borrowed a meter from a relative to use for this emergency. She couldn’t get a reading because Lewis’blood sugar was off the charts and the meter she used couldn’t register a blood sugar higher than 300 mg/dL– but neither of them knew that at the time.

Lewis wound up spending a week at Christian Northeast Hospital.

Normal blood sugar level is generally between 80 and 100 mg/dL, though it may vary some from person-to-person.

Having a blood sugar level over 400 mg/dLis very dangerous and the American Diabetes Association advises people to go to the hospital when their blood glucose level is at 500 or higher. The health care team at Christian was surprised Lewis was conscious and was able to walk with assistance into the hospital. Her blood sugar level was indeed life-threatening.

Ten to 30 percent of U.S. adults and up to 40 percent of all children suffer from hay fever.

The inspiration to take charge of her life with diabetes comes from her friend, Rosita Lewis, whose personal introduction to being diabetic 10 years ago almost cost her life. She had some classic symptoms of diabetes –tiredness, frequent urination – and her employer sent her home to see a doctor because she looked very ill, but Lewis chalked it up to a hectic pace from working for an airline.

You could call it “good looking out” on both sides.

Ironically, it was Keeton who became alarmed when Lewis wasn’t her usual self during a phone call the day she was sent home. Keeton made a life-saving and life-changing decision to send in reinforcements.

“When I didn’t make sense on the phone, she called my family to let them know somebody needed to come see about me,” Lewis says. “In the mean-

“I was told that it was over 1600,” Lewis says.

“Normally, people are in a coma or they die when it’s that high. So, All I knew was that during that week, I just kept reading my bible and watching my eyes go back and forth … being able to see and not being able to see.”

Lewis was required to take high doses of insulin for a while to bring her blood sugar under control.

After she was released from the hospital, with the advice and encouragement of former St. Louis gynecologist, Randall Tobler, M.D., Lewis got busy – walking to lose weight and changing what and how she eats.

“I did everything he said to do –exactly how he said to do it,” Lewis explains.

“That included eating smaller, multiple meals, like oats for breakfast and making sure you have some protein but in a healthy way… portion control, but not to a point where you are hungry.”

by Wiley

Rosita Lewis and Rosetta Keeton have walked off about 90 pounds between the two of them.Exercise,along with dietary changes and food portion control,allowed the friends to eliminate or totally avoid diabetes medications.

Photo

Price

Sat. June 4, 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Community Health Fairat Mt. Beulah Missionary Baptist Church, 7823 Racine Drive at Page & Hanley Rd. At 9 a.m., the “Exercise Your Faith” Walk in Miller Park at1300 North & South Rd. at Canton Street in University City, Mo. Free consultations and screening on site. Low impact aerobics at 1 p.m. For more information, call 314-531-2746.

Tues. June 7, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. – Free1Day Training forPotential Hospital Trustees by the Institute for Diversity in Health Management and the Center for Healthcare Governance of the American Hospital Association – Chase Park Plaza Hotel. Complimentary breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and a 5 p.m. reception. Submit registration online at www.americangovernance.com/tcregistration.

Wed. June 8, Christian Hospital blood drive in the Detrick Building Atrium, 11133 Dunn Rd at the I-270/Hwy 367 interchange. Make appointments online at www.redcrossblood.org and use the

CALENDAR

sponsor code, ChristianHospital; or contact Sandy Barnes at 314-653-5719 or slm9123@bjc.org.

Sat. June 11, Susan G. Komen Race forthe Cure, downtown St. Louis. For more information, go to www.komenstlouis.org.

Thurs. June 16, 11:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., “Preparing OurFaith Communities forDisasters,” a faith based emergency preparedness conference at St. Louis University – DuBourg Hall – Refectory Room 157, 221 N. Grand in St. Louis. Space is limited to one person from the first 150 churches. Food and parking is provided. Registration begins May 1 –deadline is June 3. Churches can register by calling Cathy Harris at 314-977-8274 or email charri29@slu.edu.

Sat. June 18, 7 a.m. - 2nd Annual Ronald McDonald House Charities of Metro St. Louis’Bike Ride in Forest Park. The event has five race options: To ride, volunteer or for more information,

visit www.rmhcridestl.com, 314-9324146 or e-mail lfletcher@rmhcstl.com.

Sun. June 19, Katy Trail Father’s Day Family Bike Ride, to benefit prostate cancer research at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. Riders can start from a designated KATYTrailhead and ride to Defiance, Mo. Pre-registration is $10.00 ($15.00 day of ride). For more information, or to sign-up, go to www.fathersdaybikeride.com.

Sundays, 10 a.m., Alcoholics Anonymous Group 109 meets in the 11th floor conference room at Christian Hospital, 11133 Dunn Road at I270/Hwy. 367. This is an open meeting for alcoholics, drug addicts and their family and friends.

Mondays, 7 p.m., “Tobacco Free for Life” support group – free weekly meetings at St. Peters Mo. City Hall. Supported by SSM Cancer Care; RSVP

initial participation to 636-947-5304.

Tuesdays, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m., Help fora drug-free life - chemical dependency information meeting. Call 314-839-3171.

Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., STEPS Schizophrenia Support Group This nationally recognized program provides education and support for those with schizophrenia. Group is facilitated by an experienced STEPS nurse. For more information, call 314-839-3171.

First Thursdays, 10 a.m. – Family Support Group by NAMI St. Louis, The Alliance on Mental Illness at the Grace Hill Murphy-O’Fallon Health Center, 1717 Biddle St. No registration needed; no cost. For more information, contact Allen Daniel, 314-814-8579.

Free psychiatric and chemical dependency evaluations are confidential at the Christian Hospital Center for Mental Health. Call 314-839-3171.

Knowledge can empowerand inspire

I’ve heard about online health quizes that estimate a person’s chance of getting a disease in the future. I’ve neverused them because I am fearful of what I might find?

Many people feel the same way that you do. However, for chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer, finding out your chance of getting a disease before it happens can empower you to take specific actions to save your life and lessen suffering. Chronic diseases tend to be caused by a combination of many different factors, some of which are under a person’s control (like diet), some of which are out of person’s control (like age), and some of which are still unknown. The good news is that OVER HALF of all serious diseases in the United States could be prevented with healthier lifestyles.

Are there any online health quizes that do more than just give people theirchance of getting a disease?

All online health quizes are not created equal. The most helpful ones show a person’s chance of getting a disease, but most importantly they help people learn about how to reduce their chance of getting that disease. An online health quiz

called Your Disease Risk (www.yourdiseaserisk.wustl.edu) is one that is easy to use and based on scientific evidence. This educational website of the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine lets you find out your risk of developing five diseases common in the United States and then gives personalized tips for preventing them. These tips are often simple lifestlye changes that can be done easily, or changes that can be made over time.

Where can I find more information on the Your Disease Risk tool?

Visit www.siteman.wustl.edu or go directly to the tool at www.yourdiseaserisk.wustl.edu.

Look for future Siteman Cancer Center Ask the Doctor segments and educational ads in the newspaper during June.

Send yourquestions about cancerto SCC-PECaD, Campus Box 8100, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63110, orPECaD@siteman.wustl.edu. Look forfuture articles in HealthMatters.

WALKING

Continued from page 6

She satisfied her hunger with nutritious foods and started making lots of salads and eating fresh fruits.

Lewis lost about 50 pounds.

“Since then, my high blood pressure is finally normalized to where it’s normal with medication,” Lewis explains. “And today I am still not taking [diabetes] medication. In fact, I immediately stopped taking meds after I started with Dr. Tobler, which was like two or three weeks after I got out of the hospital.”

The two Ro’s, or “Ro-Ro” as they call themselves – are determined to keep medication at bay.

When Keeton brought her blood sugar down to normal levels, her doctor’s office celebrated with her.

“They took my A1C and it was a 6 – aw, I was so happy – they put a star on my hand – they walked me all around the clinic. I was the ‘Patient for the Day’,” Keeton says. “I was so excited and so happy, and immediately after that, it became immediately hard to control my blood sugar.” (A1C is a blood test that reflects the blood sugar over 3 months. An A1C of less than 7% is considered well-controlled diabetes and over 8% is poorly controlled.)

Hard, but she is doing it anyway.

Since being treated for diabetes, Lewis has run three half-marathons.

“I also learned that one of the things that drives your diabetes crazy, along with your blood pressure, is stress,” Lewis says. She left the airlines and has a rewarding career at St. Louis Community College – Florissant Valley. “I now love what I do every day.”

Both Keeton and Lewis are advocates for managing “self” to manage health.

“I made a conscientious decision – I won’t do meds” Lewis says. “I am going to be well because of the way that I live.”

Diabetes is something Keeton no longer fears.

“I know that if I treat my body right, then diabetes probably won’t kill me,” Keeton says.

“And so, I am not afraid of diabetes anymore. I know that diabetes is what I have and I have to manage it.”

YourHealth Matters

Abi-monthly special supplement of the St. Louis American

June 2, 2011

YourHealth Matters provides up-to-date information, from an African-American perspective, about one of the most important subjects in evryone’s life – their personal health.

Donald M. Suggs, President and Publisher

Kevin Jones, Senior Vice President, COO

Dina M. Suggs, Senior Vice President

Chris King, Editorial Director

Consuelo Wilkins, MD, Health Care Editor

Sandra Jordan, Health Reporter

Debbie Chase, Director of Health Strategy & Outreach

Sonia Dulaney, Onye Ijei, Barb Sills, Sales

Michael Terhaar, Art/Production Manager

Angelita Jackson, Cover Design

Wiley Price, Photojournalist

PROFILING PEOPLE IN HEALTH

Giving back by sharing knowledge, experience and wisdom

Position/Where:

Corporate Compliance Officer, Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers

CareerHighlights:

Registered nurse for more than 20 years in home health nursing, case management, Labor & Delivery, Nursery, Community Health Nursing, quality improvement, occupational health, administration and health care compliance.

Education:

St. Louis Community College at Forest Park, Associate Degree in Nursing

University of Missouri St. Louis, Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science in Nursing

Personal:

Married, mother of three and grandmother of five Member of Bridgeton Baptist Full Gospel Church, serving as corporation secretary and health unit ministry

Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc., Alpha Chi Chi Chapter Delta Sigma Theta sorority, St. Louis Metropolitan Alumnae chapter, volunteer mentor

St. Louis Connection: Attended Soldan High School in St. Louis

Journey to success:

While in high school, I took challenging classes that transferred to college, allowing me to “skip” many beginning or “101” level college courses. During my junior and senior high school years, I participated in a college prep program, were I met other college-bound students from schools throughout St. Louis City and County. We studied together and learned from each other. It was interesting to know that we had so much in common yet we all held different perceptions about our individual learning experiences. Each of us thought we were smarter than the other! It’s a positive learning experience to be among others who challenge your knowledge daily – it keeps you studying and encourages more knowledge.

In college, I had many professors who guided me and provided mentorship –that prepared me for life and my career. I was always given challenging assignments and volunteered for more – you have to be a self-starter and initiate the challenge in order to excel. I realized that having a diverse education and being surrounded by others who are positive, professional and leaders in the community can only enhance your skills, knowledge and experiences. I am grateful for the patience, wisdom and guidance they gave me.

During my career I am able to give back to others sharing knowledge, experience, wisdom, compassion and lessons learned that will help someone else. One of my mentors told me to seize every opportunity with a positive approach to “resume’building” and I have never forgotten that message. People’s Health Centers has afforded me the opportunity to advance in my career and learn from some of the Best Professionals in St. Louis – thanks to all of my many mentors!

Diniece Buchannon,RN

Diniece Buchannon,RN

Breast Cancer

Gateway to Hope offers no-charge medical and reconstructive treatment for uninsured breast cancer patients in Missouri. Contact 314-569-1113.

Behavorial

Christian Hospital offers free and confidential psychiatric and chemical dependency evaluations at the Christian Hospital Center for Mental Health. The hospital has a geriatric psychiatric unit dedicated to serving the mental health needs of geriatric patients. For more information, call 314-839-3171.

Diabetes Free, diabetes education program held at various locations by the Diabetes Network of St. Louis. Participants will be offered testing and support for diabetes control. Six sessions will cover monitoring your blood sugar, controlling complications of diabetes, taking care of your feet, living a healthy life through diet and exercise, and personal goal setting. Call Coco Bopp 314-7479533 for more information.

Dental

HEALTH RESOURCES

Free Dental Hygiene Clinic - No charge dental exams, x-rays, cleanings and other dental services for children and adults provided by dental students at Missouri College. Patients needing more extensive dental work (like fillings, crowns, etc.) will be referred to local dentists. For an appointment, call 314-768-7899.

Fitness

Jazzercise every Monday and Thursday, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. – $1 per class at Ferguson Heights Church of Christ, 1239 N. Elizabeth Ave. Ferguson, Mo., 63135. For information, call 314-521-8005.

Information

Missouri 2-1-1 offers referral and information on a wide range of social service and helpful resources. Call 2-1-1.

Medical

Salam Free Saturday Clinic, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Isom Community Center at Lane Tabernacle CME Church, 916 N. Newstead. for those who are uninsured. For information, call 314-533-0534.

St. Louis ConnectCare offers urgent care services to City of St. Louis employees without an appointment, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and most holidays. For more information, call 314-879-6300.

Nutrition

Food Outreachprovides food, meals and nutritional education/ counseling to eligible persons living with HIV/AIDS or cancer in St. Louis. For more information, call 314-652-3663 or visit www.foodoutreach.org.

Angel Food Ministries operates in hundreds of churches nationwide and offers heat and serve meals, canned and fresh food boxes at a reduced cost. Find the nearest locations by zip code at www.angelfoodministries.com.

Prescription Cost Help

Schnucks Pharmacies – now offers certain prescription prenatal vitamins for free and offers no-cost generic prescription antibiotics at select locations.

Wal-Mart Pharmacies – offer select prescriptions for $4 or less for a 30-day supply or $10 for a 90-day supply. View the complete list at www.walmart.com/pharmacy.

Respiratory Health

Free lung function screening - Christian Hospital Breathing Center at Northwest HealthCare, 1225 Graham Rd. For more information, call 314-953-6040.

Sexual Health

St. Louis County Health Department offers free, confidential testing, counseling and treatment at the North Central Community Health Center, 4000 Jennings Station Road, St. Louis, MO 63121. For more information, call 314679-7800.

St. Louis Metropolitan HIV/AIDS Program offers confidential or anonymous testing for HIV/AIDS. The office is located within ConnectCare’s main building in Suite 203 at 5535 Delmar, St. Louis, MO 63112. For more information, call (314) 879-6468.

What is obesity?

Generally, obesity is a chronic condition defined by an excess amount body fat. The body uses a certain amount of body fat for storing energy, heat insulation shock absorption, and other functions. The normal percentage of body fat is between 25 -30 percent in women and between 18-23 percent in men. Women with over 30 percent body fat and men with over 25 percent body fat are considered obese.

Body mass index (BMI) equals a person’s weight in kilograms (kg) divided by their height in meters (m) squared. Since BMI describes body weight relative to height, it is strongly correlated with total body fat content in adults.

Obese is defined as a BMI of 30 and above.

Source:Medicine.net

Preparing ourfaith based communities fordisasters: what and how

In the wake of the recent tornadoes that have devastated St. Louis and other parts of the country, it’s more important now than ever to be sure that families and communities are prepared for natural (and man-made) disasters.

Fortunately, several local organizations are partnering to present a conference on preparing for disasters, designed specifically for faith-based organizations. This free, half-day conference will provide basic information on emergency response and preparedness focusing on how a church can help develop emergency plans for their parishioners. The program will also help a church determine what role (if any) the church would take on during different emergencies or disasters.

The conference is free and open to all faith-based entities and is sponsored in part by Heartland Center for Public Health Preparedness, Saint Louis University School of Public Health and St. Louis Region Faith Based Partners. The conference will be held on Thursday, June 16, 11:45 a.m. – 5 p.m. Alight lunch will be provided. Registration is limited to two people per church. Advanced registration is required to attend. Please contact: Cathy Harris at 314-977-8274, fax 314-977-8150 or email charri29@slu.edu.

Other partners include: The City of St. Louis, Department of Health – City of St. Louis, St. Louis County Health, State of Missouri – Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Management – City of St. Louis, United Way 2-1-1, United Way of Greater St. Louis, American Red Cross, and Heartland Public Health Education and Training Center.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with different types of obesity in black and white children

Arecent study finds that while black and white children with vitamin D deficiency both had higher fat levels, black children were more likely to have higher levels of fat just under their skin and white children were more likely to have higher levels of fat between their internal organs.

Studies in adults and children have shown a link between obesity and vitamin D deficiency. However, data characterizing the racial differences in the relationship between obesity and vitamin D, particularly in fat tissue distribution are limited. This study examined the racial differences in the relationship between vitamin D status, BMI, fat levels, fat distribution and lipid levels in healthy obese and non-obese 8-18 year old black and white children.

“Vitamin D deficiency is rampant in American youth, and there is some suggestion in adults that low levels of vitamin D may be playing a role in the increasing rates of type 2 diabetes. It is possible the same may be true for youth with type 2 diabetes,” said Silva Arslanian, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh and lead author of the study. “Our study found that vitamin D was associated with higher fat levels and lower levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), also known as good cholesterol, in both black and white children.”

In this study, researchers measured vitamin D levels in 237 children and found the majority of the study participants were vitamin D deficient. Plasma vitamin D levels were associated inversely with BMI and fat levels and positively with HDLcholesterol in all subjects. Visceral adipose tissue (fat between internal organs) was higher in vitamin D deficient whites and subcutaneous adipose tissue (fat below the skin) was higher in vitamin D deficient blacks compared with their respective vitamin D non-deficient counterparts.

“Besides therapeutic interventions to correct the high rates of vitamin D deficiency in youth, benefits of vitamin D optimization on fat levels, lipid profile and risk of type 2 diabetes need to be explored,” said Arslanian.

The article, “Vitamin D status, adiposity and lipids in Black American and Caucasian children,” appears in the May 2011 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism