June 9th, 2016 Edition

St. LouiS A

The greatest is gone

Muhammad Ali passes away at 74

By Steve Almasy Of CNN

His hands and his mouth were furiously fast. His skill as a boxer made him “The Greatest” in his mind and in the minds of many others. He antagonized opponents with his taunts, amused reporters with his boasts and angered government officials with his anti-war speeches. At the same time, he goaded a stubborn, hard-nosed society with his stinging jabs against pervasive racism. Since the mid1960s, he had been one of the most famous faces on Earth, and even though his appearances in recent years were few, the name Muhammad Ali still sparked smiles all around the globe. His death Friday, June 3, 2016 at age 74 came after a lengthy battle against Parkinson’s disease. Ali was diagnosed with the disease in 1984, three years after he retired from a boxing career that began when a skinny

JAnuAry 17, 1942 –June 3, 2016 n Ali goaded a stubborn, hard-nosed society with his stinging jabs against pervasive racism.

See ALI, A12

Former State Sen. J.B. “Jet” Banks, (left), sits with Muhammad Ali and Akbar Muhammad, (right), the international representative of Nation of Islam’s Minister Louis Farrakhan and a St. Louis resident, at a celebration at Washington University on Dec. 5. 1975.

(See Akbar Muhammad’s commentary on page A4)

St. Louis remembers Ali

Anthony Shahid, Sam Moore, Kevin Cunningham reflect on The Greatest him to St. Louis twice, and received personal letters of recommendation from the great man – but he did not want to talk with The

By Chris King Of The

n “Subtract the most honorable Elijah Muhammad, and you don’t have no Muhammad Ali. That’s who made him.”

– Brother Anthony Shahid

– of Cassius Clay. This conversion at age 22 was critical

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

n “The sacrifices and the trauma that’s occurring needs to be acknowledged and honored.”

– Stefene Russell

After the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency announced on June 2 that north St. Louis City will officially be the new home for its west headquarters, about 250 residents attended a community meeting to find out how the $1.75 billion project will affect their neighborhoods. On June 6, city administrators held the first “Project Connect” community meeting at the Gateway Classic Sports Foundation north of downtown. City leaders said Project Connect “will ensure coordination and collaboration between neighborhood revitalization, transportation, and other re-development efforts and the city’s investments to support NGA.” The Next NGA West project will be built at the corner of north Jefferson and Cass avenues. The site is 100 acres adjacent to the former site of Pruitt-Igoe public housing development. Kevin Huntspon, a resident in the nearby Jeff Vanderlou neighborhood, told the St.

Muhammad Ali was known in the ring for his flashing hand speed – unusual for a heavyweight – for his showmanship and also for his brashness and braggadocio when a microphone was put before him. He taunted opponents before matches, trash-talked them during and proclaimed his greatness to reporters afterward.

St. Louis American

Toya and MephHitz call it quits

Despite currently appearing on the WeTv reality show “Marriage Bootcamp” with estranged husband Mickey “MempHitz” Wright, Toya Wright confirms the marriage is over and they are getting a divorce.

Toya told Big Tigger she and MempHitz taped Marriage Bootcamp over a year ago, when they were still working on their relationship, but as of now their marriage is over.

“We’re not together, that’s no secret. We are getting a divorce,” Wright said on Tigger’s radio show. “I’m at a new place in my life. I don’t [care] what nobody has to say. Im’ma live my life and do what I do. You gon’ judge me regardless. Im’ma live my life!”

Is Kanye taking Kim to the cleaners?

While insiders whisper about Kim Kardashian and

Kanye West’s marriage crumbling, there are also rumors that West is burning through her cash.

Star Magazine sources say that Kanye, who admitted to being $53 million in debt in one of his Twitter rants, has blown through much of Kim’s estimated $85 million fortune.

“Kim is paying for the renovations Kanye demanded on their Hidden Hills home,” an insider told Star.

“He’s constantly taking her money to pay for random ideas, which he thinks are genius, but they never come to fruition….”

‘The Real’ execs clap back at Tamar Braxton

and private – and that are between her and the Studio,” reps from “The Real” said a statement that was released immediately following the episode of “Braxton Family Values.”

However, we would like to make it crystal clear that Ms. Braxton’s departure from the show had nothing to do with her former co-hosts; any suggestion to the contrary unfairly tarnishes them. As always, we wish Tamar and Vince all the best.”

Bobby Brown opens up

On the last episode of “Braxton Family Tamar Braxton and husband Vincent Herbert implied that backstabbing jealous co-workers were the reason Tamar was fired as a co-host of daytime talk show “The Real.”

The latest implications sparked the powers that be of “The Real” to speak up.

“Tamar Braxton’s contract was not renewed for reasons that will remain privileged

In an interview with Robin Roberts on ABC’s “20/20” about his new memoir, singer Bobby Brown was especially candid about the relationship and information regarding the tragic deaths of his former wife, Whitney Houston, and his daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown

Along with the volatile romance, which ended in 2006 when Houston filed for divorce, Brown said that he and the pop star had devolved into a pattern of drug abuse.

Brown and Houston would lock themselves in one wing of their mansion, getting high while nannies cared for their daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown just rooms over.

insisted, though. “It’s hard when you’re doing it every day, it’s really hard.”

In his book (entitled Every Little Step), according to 20/20, Brown cites cocaine, alcohol and crack-laced joints as his substances of choice.

“The last few years of our marriage it was terrible,” he explained. “Both of us trying to be clean, or one of us trying to be clean… it was terrible.”

Brown also opens up about his daughter Bobbi Kristina’s drug abuse–which led to her death on July 26, 2015, nearly six months after she was found unresponsive in a bathtub in her Roswell, Georgia home.

Bobby

Brown

“I always made it a point to not let her see me or my wife in that type of situation,” he

“The same thing that happened to my daughter, it happened to Whitney,” he tells Roberts. “The hardest thing I had to do in my life was tell my daughter to let go.”

Brown also revealed that his daughter was set to relocate to Los Angeles to live closer to him just two days before the incident.

“The two days before what happened to my daughter, she was to come out here to Los Angeles to me,” Brown said, fighting back tears. “If I could get those two days back… my daughter would be here. All I want is those two days back.”

Sources: ABC.com, People.com, Star Magazine.

STL County has issued new warrants for Ferguson charges

By Mariah Stewart and Ryan J. Reilly

Of The Huffington Post

Officials in St. Louis County have issued warrants for the arrest of at least 47 individuals charged in connection with the August 2014 protests in Ferguson, a Huffington Post review of court records has found. But the law that county officials are using to prosecute those protesters – some of whom were originally arrested while standing on the sidewalk – should have come off the books in 1987, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a similar ordinance as unconstitutional.

It gets worse: Because St. Louis County doesn’t notify people in person that they’ve been charged with municipal violations – it simply mails letters to their last known address – many of the protesters likely never learned they had been charged and will have missed their court dates. Now they could wind up in jail the next time they encounter a police officer.

In the nearly 22 months since a white police officer shot and killed Michael Brown Jr., an unarmed black teenager, St. Louis County has changed – a bit.

Municipal courts, many of which served as major revenue generators for small municipal governments, have come under closer scrutiny. Ferguson reached a deal with the Justice Department to help bring an end to unconstitutional abuses that plagued its police department and municipal court. The city’s police force is now led by the first permanent African-American chief in its history. And Stephanie Karr, Ferguson’s contract attorney who aggressively pursued questionable cases against protesters in Ferguson Municipal Court, recently resigned her post.

But the county’s decision to issue arrest warrants for dozens of protestors charged under a law that’s probably unconstitutional shows that it still has a long way to go.

During and after the 2014 protests sparked by Brown’s death, St. Louis County arrested a number of people under Missouri’s “failure to disperse” law, which forbids knowingly failing or refusing to obey a lawful command to leave an unlawful assembly or riot. Over the course of 12 days that August, at least 125 people were arrested on that charge, according to records provided by St. Louis County authorities at the time.

Many of the situations in which protesters were arrested,

however, did not meet the legal standard for an unlawful assembly or a riot.

Officers threatened to arrest individuals who stood peacefully on sidewalks during daytime hours, a federal judge found in October 2014 in a case that challenged the practices used by law enforcement agencies in Ferguson. The judge said that policymakers knew that such people couldn’t lawfully be arrested and that the policy “was being used against peaceful citizens,” but officials “did not stop the practice.”

Law enforcement agencies, including the St. Louis County Police Department, lost that case, leading to an injunction against unlawful arrests and putting taxpayers on the hook for more than $152,000 in attorney fees.

It was an expensive lesson – though not one fully learned. Instead of backing down from those protester cases, St. Louis County officials pursued a perverse response.

Like Karr, the former Ferguson prosecutor and city attorney, officials in the St. Louis County Counselor’s Office play two sometimes-conflicting roles: They protect the local

during daylight hours is also still facing charges. St. Louis County officials are reluctant to answer questions about their legal strategy. St. Louis County Counselor Peter Krane, who said he would get back in touch with a HuffPost reporter who called more than a week ago, has not responded to several additional inquiries about the ongoing cases. And the St. Louis County Municipal Court, which seems to operate more like an executive branch office than an independent judicial agency, made a HuffPost reporter submit written public-records requests in order to review filings in court cases. Court records are typically open for public examination. Court officials also made it difficult to access court dockets for individuals arrested on interference charges and withheld the full dockets in some cases, obscuring what actually happened in court.

a McDonald’s in Ferguson. The county dropped those charges last month - after Lowery and Reilly promised not to sue. Officials in the St. Louis County Counselor’s Office have made similar agreements to drop charges in exchange for commitments not to sue in at

n The failure-to-disperse law was no longer going to work. So St. Louis County changed its strategy.

government from lawsuits, but also prosecute low-level cases in the equivalent of traffic court. That creates an incentive to bring low-level charges against people who might sue the county — charges that the county can then drop when plaintiffs agree not to sue.

The failure-to-disperse law was no longer going to work for that purpose. So the county changed its strategy.

Last summer, just before the statute of limitations was set to expire, it issued new charges against at least 95 protesters under its “interference” statute, which makes it unlawful to “interfere in any manner with a police officer or other employee of the County in the performance of his official duties or to obstruct him in any manner whatsoever while performing any duty.”

The county also charged two reporters – The Washington Post’s Wesley Lowery and The Huffington Post’s Ryan J. Reilly, one of the authors of this story – with trespassing and interference in connection with their arrests inside

least two other cases.

The interference law, which is the target of an ongoing lawsuit, is almost certainly unconstitutional. It is strikingly similar to an ordinance struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1987, when the high court ruled that the freedom to verbally oppose or challenge police action without risking arrest “is one of the principal characteristics by which we distinguish a free nation from a police state.”

Other courts have enforced this precedent. Nevada’s Supreme Court, for example, recently ruled that Carson City’s interference ordinance was too broad and therefore unconstitutional, and a federal judge struck down a similar Columbia, South Carolina, ordinance in 2013.

The interference statute isn’t the only problem with St. Louis County’s strategy. It’s also charging many of the protestors in the wrong court.

People arrested in Ferguson should have been charged in the city’s own municipal court. But the county is prosecuting

many of them in the St. Louis County Municipal Court, which has jurisdiction only over ordinance violations committed in unincorporated parts of the county.

St. Louis County has argued that the lawyers in the County Counselor’s Office have “special skills or training that are needed to provide services during an emergency or disaster” and can therefore bring charges they would not normally bring – even months after an emergency ends. Parttime judges like Craig Concannon - who was appointed by St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger after donating over $20,000 to Stenger’s campaign - have bought that argument.

Despite these constitutional and jurisdictional problems,

St. Louis County officials have pressed forward – first with the interference charges, and now with arrest warrants.

One of those protestors, Rashaad Davis, was the subject of an award-winning photo taken just before his arrest as he backed away from heavily armed officers, who had their weapons pointed at him. Authorities alleged in a court document that he “interfered” with the police officers who took him into custody when he repeatedly “failed to comply with officers’ lawful commands to dispurse [sic] from the area.”

A college student who caught her own arrest on video as officers unlawfully told her to “keep moving” along a sidewalk in Ferguson

As with other overly broad interference laws that give police too much discretion, the St. Louis County ordinance will likely be struck down eventually. But Maggie Ellinger-Locke, a lawyer suing on behalf of individuals charged under that ordinance, said arguments in the case, which the county has already been dragging out, will not take place until September 1. That will allow the county, she said, to “continue enforcing their unconstitutional ordinance through summer” while facing “no penalty for their significant delay.” In the meantime, Ferguson protesters who have warrants out for their arrest and are worried they may be jailed have another option: They can pay St.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Louis County has issued new arrest warrants for at least 47 individuals charged in connection with the August 2014 protests in Ferguson.

Editorial /CommEntary

The ‘spiritual greatness’ of Muhammad Ali

The remarkable life and contributions of Muhammad Ali resonate strongly for most African Americans. We see him as an essential part of a lineage of esteemed black activists. He and his image as a strong black man are seen, for many in this country and beyond, as inspiring, even epic. He had the courage of his convictions and acted on his beliefs despite the threat of imprisonment and the loss of fame and livelihood. His life is in the tradition of Paul Robeson, a beloved African-American athlete/ artist/activist. Robeson came to prominence in a time of legal segregation, when black people were being lynched by racist mobs. Born in 1942, a grandson of slaves, Ali grew up in the Jim Crow era. Black boxers, in particular, were expected to behave in a nonthreatening, self-effacing manner to assuage white male anxieties about strong black men. They were advised to act in a manner, with caution and restraint, to be a “credit to their race.”

NFL great Jim Brown, who bonded with Ali in the tumultuous 1960s over their shared beliefs about equal rights and justice, said, “He represented what a man should be in an America that’s free because he made people accept him as a man, as an equal, and he was not afraid to represent himself as that was what he was.” He was sentenced to five years imprisonment after refusing to comply with his draft notice. Ali was steadfast in that refusal, willing to risk his fame, fortune and freedom because of his beliefs. While he did not go to jail, he was not allowed to continue his professional career, robbing him of three and a half years during his prime. But author Joyce Carol Oates reminds us that the heart of the champion is this: “One never repudiates one’s deepest values, one never gives in.”

As we mourn his passing, we should also remember that the charismatic, courageous black male model he embodied should not overshadow

the extraordinary courage and contributions of the many women and children who go unrecognized in the ongoing struggle for civil rights and greater opportunity. Here in Ferguson, gay black women were among those in the forefront of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, an awakening that has increased political awareness and expressed outrage over unjust black deaths. Technology helped spread the word in a way not heretofore available. The impact of this movement has served as an impetus for major figures in the sports and entertainment world to be more outspoken – extending to the White House, where President Obama has been more forthright about race. In his recent address to Howard University’s graduating class, he urged them to embrace their black identity –much as he has started to do.

Ali, already 32 years old when he defeated a 25-year-old George Foreman to regain the heavyweight championship, was subsequently exploited by shameless promoters and managers who should have been guardians of his health and wellbeing. This disregard for his best interests helped lead to the tragedy of his later years.

Yet despite some jarring personal flaws, betrayed by some he trusted, and physical pain and suffering, he remained a person of “spiritual greatness.” He transcended his modest beginnings and meager formal education to become an iconic figure of his time. In his own words: “Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it … He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”

R.I.P. Muhammed Ali. We will never forget you will always appreciate your bravery and sacrifices on behalf of your beliefs and your people.

As I See It -

A Forum for Community Issues

Muhammad Ali was a hero

By Mike Jones Columnist

I was 14 years when Muhammad Ali captured the heavyweight title and the American imagination. I’m in my 67th year as he joins the ancestors. I realize at this moment Ali’s imprint defined my social consciousness.

He was the constant in an ever-changing morally relative political universe. As I watched the news coverage of his passing, I didn’t have a feeling of sadness but a sense awe at the profound impact of his life and was overwhelmed with gratitude that I lived during the time he was among us.

As I reflected on Ali’s life, what struck me was not so much who he was, but what he was. Muhammad Ali was a hero! Not the way we normally understand hero – you know, the average person who raises to the occasion at some special moment, but then rejoins the rest of us mortals. Webster defines hero as a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent with great strength and ability or the central figure in an event, period or movement.

To understand Ali’s place in our American narrative, you have to reference the classic literature of Greek mythology, like “The Iliad.” As much Achilles or Hector in Homer’s mythic history of the Trojan War, he processed all the qualities of the classic

hero: strength, skill, courage, intelligence, loyalty and an extraordinary empathy for those who needed defending.

All these qualities were forged in the white-hot furnace of American racism.

This is what he had to say when he emerged from that furnace: “I am America, I am the part you won’t recognize. But get used to me, black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own. Get used to me!”

Those who read these words today might say, “What’s the big deal?” This was America circa 1964, when Muhammad Ali came to the public consciousness a fully formed black warrior in the Age of the American Negro.

It is impossible to articulate what Ali means to me and my generation. In real time it’s impossible to pinpoint the most defining event of any historical period, but you can argue the America we live in today would not be possible but for Muhammad Ali.

In classic literature, the hero – in the face of great danger – combats adversity through impressive feats of ingenuity, bravery and strength, often

sacrificing his own well being for the greater good.

Ali’s stance against the Vietnam War and his refusal to be drafted is the classic definition of heroic. Not only did he put his life’s work and everything he had achieved at risk, he did battle with the United States government and the entirety of white America as a matter of conscience and principle. What do those of us who lived during his time owe his memory? Like the Greeks who followed Achilles to the gates of Troy or the Trojans who stood with Hector to defend it, we must bear witness to what we saw. We must tell his story to our children and grandchildren, and they in turn must tell their children and grandchildren through the ages, so we and the world can never forget what he did and on whose behalf he did it. We must produce our Homer to write his Iliad, so that thousands of years from now history will know of our epic struggle told through feats of our great hero. As he passes into legend, I smile knowing I have the answer to that ever-asked question, “Who was the greatest of all time?” Rest in peace, Champ.

Mike

and

Long live the spirit of Ali

By Akbar Muhammad For The St. Louis American

I, like thousands of people in America, have a Muhammad Ali story.

He touched our lives, inspired us and, in many cases, he changed the course of our lives. He touched people near and far.

Many never had an opportunity to see Ali in person but through books, documentaries and his acting many came to know him. There were many who did not like Muhammad Ali. Some thought that he was brash and arrogant. They were hoping that someone would defeat him in the ring or that he would suffer blows to mess up his “pretty face.”

By President Barack Obama and First Lady

Michelle Obama

Muhammad Ali was The Greatest. Period. If you just asked him, he’d tell you. He’d tell you he was the double greatest; that he’d “handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder into jail.” But what made The Champ the greatest - what truly separated him from everyone else - is that everyone else would tell you pretty much the same thing.

Like everyone else on the planet, Michelle and I mourn his passing. But we’re also grateful to God for how fortunate we are to have known him, if just for a while; for how fortunate we all are that The Greatest chose to grace our time. In my private study, just off the Oval Office, I keep a pair of his gloves on display, just under that iconic photograph of him – the young champ, just 22 years old, roaring like a lion over a fallen Sonny Liston. I was too young when it was taken to understand who he was – still Cassius Clay, already an Olympic Gold Medal winner, yet to set out on a spiritual journey that would lead him to his Muslim faith, exile him at the peak of his power, and set the stage for his return

to greatness with a name as familiar to the downtrodden in the slums of Southeast Asia and the villages of Africa as it was to cheering crowds in Madison Square Garden. “I am America,” he once declared. “I am the part you won’t recognize. But get used to me – black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own. Get used to me.” That’s the Ali I came to know as I came of age – not just as skilled a poet on the mic as he was a fighter in the ring, but a man who fought for what was right. A man who fought for us. He stood with King and Mandela; stood up when it was hard; spoke out when others wouldn’t. His fight outside the ring would cost him his title and his public standing. It would earn him enemies on

the left and the right, make him reviled, and nearly send him to jail. But Ali stood his ground. And his victory helped us get used to the America we recognize today. He wasn’t perfect, of course. For all his magic in the ring, he could be careless with his words, and full of contradictions as his faith evolved. But his wonderful, infectious, even innocent spirit ultimately won him more fans than foes – maybe because in him, we hoped to see something of ourselves. Later, as his physical powers ebbed, he became an even more powerful force for peace and reconciliation around the world. We saw a man who said he was so mean he’d make medicine sick reveal a soft spot, visiting children with illness and disability around the world, telling them they, too, could become the greatest. We watched a hero light a torch, and fight his greatest fight of all on the world stage once again; a battle against the disease that ravaged his body, but couldn’t take the spark from his eyes.

Muhammad Ali shook up the world. And the world is better for it. We are all better for it. Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to his family, and we pray that the greatest fighter of them all finally rests in peace.

Two days after his death, The New York Times described Ali in a way that made readers think about the impact Ali had, not only in America, but throughout the world. The headlines read “From Blockbuster Fighter to the Country’s Conscious” and “The Champ who Transcended Boxing.”

Growing up and watching Ali (we happen to be the same age), I can say with certainty that he saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of young Americans who would have went off to fight in the tragic, unholy Vietnam war. A war that took 58,000 precious American lives –had Ali not protested, we may have lost over 100,000 lives in Vietnam. Given Ali’s courageous stand not to go to war, he inspired and encouraged others to stand down and say “no” to war.

His insight and political position was rooted in the fact that at 21 years old he accepted the teachings of the honorable Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Nation of Islam. What he learned as a young Muslim not only sharpened his focus and determination in the ring, but it also opened up his mind to the condition of black people in America. He spoke out about discrimination and demanded social justice.

As the news unfolds about Muhammad Ali, we see many who try to sidestep and minimize his deep involvement in the Nation of Islam and the commitment he made to his faith. His stand not to go to Vietnam pricked the country’s conscience. When he was given the name Muhammad Ali,

it made those who followed boxing in America and throughout the world know immediately that there was something different about this fighter. When he won the championship from Sonny Liston (most who followed boxing thought that there was no way that this untried youngster could beat a man they thought was invincible), he pumped new life into boxing. Ali created a dynamic where boxers could now make millions of dollars that they rightly deserved.

I was blessed to be in Muhammad Ali’s company many times. I was blessed to be in charge of the Shabazz Restaurant in New York that prepared Muhammad Ali’s food when he fought at Madison Square Garden. I was blessed to be in Turkey when Muhammad Ali was invited to visit Turkey on his first visit by the then-foreign minister.

Again, The New York Times was correct: He was a champion who transcended the boxing ring. One of his greatest attributes was to make people feel good about themselves while laughing at themselves. Today we would call him a gifted spoken-word artist, as he predicted the round that he would defeat his opponents. He could look at his opponents and give them names almost instantly that described them in a humorous way. He loved to make people happy. He loved to see people laugh and enjoy themselves. Many would like to see Muhammad Ali as a man who crossed the bridge that got him over to the other side and turned and cursed the bridge. He was a Muslim, and many would like to take that away from him and make him just a good American that had a tremendous ability to fight. Long live the courageous spirit of Muhammad Ali! Akbar Muhammad, a St. Louis resident, is the international representative of Minister Louis Farrakhan, who has led the Nation of Islam since 1978.

New Head Start/Early Head Start center

The SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center was dedicated in East St. Louis on May 25. Cutting the ribbon with Jackie Joyner-Kersee in the center is four-year-old Vertruoz Young. Others observing include (from left to right): Pam Coaxum, Jackie JoynerKersee Foundation executive director; Titus Taylor, East St. Louis Senior High School wrestling coach; Marcia Oliver, SIUE JJK Head Start/Early Head Start Center coordinator; G. Lynnie Bailey, SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start program director; Alex Fennoy (behind), JJK Foundation president; and Mike Greenfield, director of programs and facilities at JJK Foundation. The center, with support from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, is dedicated to improving the lives of families and individuals – from pre-school through adult – in the Metro East. For more information, visit http://www.siue.edu/eslc.

Free summer lunches in St. Louis County

The St. Louis County Human Services Department is providing breakfast and lunch to students through partner agencies such as churches, day camps and community centers through its Summer Food Program. The program, running from June 1 through mid-August, plans to provide 2,000 meals per day, double last year’s total. The free meals are part of a national program funded through the USDA. Parents seeking information on where their children can access the program may text “Food” to 877-877; visit www.health.mo.gov/sfsp; or call 888-435-1464. If you think you have a location that would be a good fit for feeding kids, contact Brian Wieher at 314-615-4442 or bwieher@stlouisco.com.

How I handled the boy who called my son ‘blacky’

I can still remember the heat rising in my body as my blood started to boil.

I was listening to my number one son, then 8 years old, tell me about what happened to my number two son, then 6 years old, on the bus that afternoon. He was in tears as he explained how another boy used inappropriate words and actions to tease his younger brother.

“Mother, I know you said not to hit someone unless they hit you first and to ignore words that are meant to hurt you, but this boy called my brother ‘blacky,’ big lips and ugly,” said son number one.

As I held son number two in my arms and tried to comfort him, my mind was searching for positive words to say. I kept thinking of the verse from the Bible that says, “A soft answer turns away wrath,” but all I kept feeling was raging anger.

Why did we still live in a world where the color of your skin or the characteristic of your culture were still used against you in a derogatory manner?

the bus and that I wanted to introduce my sons to him. I wanted him to get to know them and to get to know some things about black people in general, so he could understand why those words were hurtful. His eyes slowly glanced up to mine, as they filled with tears. He listened intently and never looked away.

I handed him his treats of candy and baseball cards, and told him that he was special and that all children are unique.

I stood up quickly and demanded to know where the little boy lived and was told he lived just one block from us. I put on my jacket and snatched my keys and in a rage headed for the door with ill intentions.

Suddenly, I heard son number one praying for me, asking God to help me. I turned around and looked at him, and I started to feel a calmness come over me. I stopped in my tracks as I witnessed a young boy have more composure than his mother.

That was when I changed my plan of attack mode. I went and found some candy, baseball cards and my book “Becoming Myself,” and I autographed it. Then both sons and I headed down the block to the boy’s house and rang his doorbell.

His mother answered the door with a surprised and worried look on her face. I saw the young boy peek around the corner, but when he saw my sons he took off running to another room in the house. I explained to his mother what had happened, and she apologized sincerely. She mentioned she had been having some issues with her son’s behavior lately. She called for him to come to her, and he reluctantly joined us at the front door.

I could tell this little boy, age 9, had been in trouble before. He hung his head down low, not at all as confident as he had been just an hour or so before on the bus. He looked as though he was waiting for a tongue-lashing. I lifted his head gently with my fingertips and asked him if he recognized my sons. He nodded with his eyes glued to the hardwood floor.

I told him that I knew what had happened on

He did something that I was not expecting. He reached up and hugged me and then apologized. He shared his candy with my sons and told them he was sorry. His mother said he rarely apologizes without being threatened.

For the next three or four years after that faithful day at his house, whenever he saw us he would run to us and enthusiastically say hello. He was a different boy at school too. My sons said he went from teasing them to protecting them. Then one day he and his mother suddenly moved. I didn’t know where they moved to and pretty much forgot about him.

Recently I was in a specialty pet store when my dog wandered over to a young man who had his hand reached out to pet him. The young man was in his twenties, and he was very friendly. As he focused on my dog without looking up at me, he asked what my dog’s name was. I told him his name was Coach and I continued to shop. All of a sudden, the young man looked directly at me and asked what was my name. I told him, and his eyes teared up. He said, “It’s me, your neighbor,” and he said his name. “Do you remember me?”

It took a minute, but then it all came back to me. It had been 16 years since I saw him, and he was much younger then. It was the little boy who teased my son.

He wrapped his arms around me so tight that I almost coughed. He went on and on about how kind I was to him and how much of an impact that made on him. He rambled about how he read my book over and over, and how he wondered what happened to us. He couldn’t stop hugging me. He even told the store clerks, “This is the sweetest, kindest woman on earth!”

We reminisced for a while. He had had some ups and downs and was still trying to find his path in life at the age of 27. We traded contact information, then he left, but not without giving me another hug. I couldn’t help but think about how different that scene could have been if I went down to his house with anger and finger-pointing.

Cassandra Walker

NGA

Continued from A1

Louis American that he hoped the new facility will help curb crime in North city.

“A lot of things happen in this part of the city that they definitely don’t tolerate in other parts of the city,” he said. “You got a mapping agency. They’re like the spies for the world, so they should know about what’s going on everywhere.”

During the public comment portion, Joyce Belk-Miller spoke on behalf of her mother, Kathleen Belk, who will have to move out of her home on the 2300 block Mullanphy, where she’s lived since 1957. Because of the rise in housing costs surrounding NGA, she will have to move out to St. Louis County, Joyce said.

“My mom is 80 years old,” she said. “She’s not familiar with the county. She wouldn’t know where she’s going.”

one includes 500 residential units located in a 50-block area. It’s bound by St. Louis Place Park, Cass Avenue on the south, North Florissant on the east – immediately adjacent to the eastern edge of the new NGA facility. He expects to finish the first phase in five years.

Marilyn Melkonian, Telesis’ founder and CEO, told the American the residents living in the area are the “bedrock of the community” and that an important part of their work is “citizen engagement.”

“It’s just good manners and necessary to having a successful program,” she said.

However, Melkonian also was not present at the community meeting on June 6.

n “A lot of things happen in this part of the city that they definitely don’t tolerate in other parts of the city.”

– Kevin Huntspon

It’s not too late, she said, for the city to help residents like her mother to obtain one of the new homes that will be built around NGA. Several people asked about the housing development that will take place around NGA. The person in charge of that development – Paul McKee Jr., the developer for the publicly-subsidized Northside Regeneration project – was not at the meeting. McKee told the American he didn’t attend because large-scale meetings are often unproductive, and he prefers to have meetings with less than a dozen community members.

On June 7, McKee announced that he will partner with Washington-based Telesis Corporation to develop 3,000 market-rate residential units within the Northside Regeneration project. Phase

Catherine Lynch, director of planning for Telesis, said she attended the first part of the meeting but left before the public comment portion. She said in hindsight, it would have been a good idea for Telesis to set up a table and talk with residents.

McKee also has a long-standing partnering with Larry Chapman, principal with CRG Real Estate Services –which is a part of Clayco, for the Northside project’s commercial development. Chapman said he didn’t even know about the Project Connect community meeting.

But Chapman wasn’t the only one in the dark. Residents said that the city only announced the meeting online, and the news didn’t reach many neighbors. Stefene Russell, an editor with St. Louis Magazine and a resident in St. Louis Place, gave a moving and emotional comment at the meeting about project’s process.

“I know a lot of people in the city are happy about the financial part of it, but there is some genuine trauma that’s going on that needs to be recognized,” she said, speaking through tears. “I’ve never seen

Ali in STL

Sam Moore, now aldermen of the Fourth Ward, and his partners paid Muhammad Ali to come to St. Louis in 1987 for a week to pitch a closed circuit TV presentation of the Michael Spinks-Gerry Cooney ight, which Moore’s company was promoting. During one long autograph session at Delmonico’s Diner, Ali met with residents and kissed a baby.

anything like this. The sacrifices and the trauma that’s occurring needs to be acknowledged and honored.”

The site includes 76 percent vacant land, 9 percent vacant residential lots (lots with vacant homes), and 13 percent owner- or renter-occupied residences, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Final Environmental Impact Statement published on April 1. About 28 families were uprooted as part of the land acquisition, and eminent domain proceedings are currently underway for some of those.

In March, St. Louis city

leaders offered the federal intelligence agency free land if it agreed to build its western headquarters in North St. Louis. The original price tag for the North City land was $14 million. The city also has committed to providing a $1.5 million annual contribution for up to 30 years.

The state has committed $131 million for infrastructure improvements – $95 million in Tax Incremental Financing and approximately $36 million in Brownfield Tax Credits.

On June 2, NGA Director Robert Cardillo signed the Record of Decision, indicating

NGA’s final selection for its west headquarters is the north St. Louis City site.

“Ultimately this location, near a quickly-growing technological and professional environment, will allow for NGA to integrate capabilities and technologies in support of our mission to provide accurate and relevant geospatial intelligence to our customers.” he said.

While St. Louis leaders rejoiced, Illinois officials criticized the move and questioned the process, according to St. Louis Public Radio.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.,

called the choice of north St. Louis short-sighted. Illinois proposed a 182-acre site in St. Clair County that also came with $115 million in infrastructure upgrades.

“I am deeply concerned about the security of the St. Louis site and I do not believe we have received acceptable answers from Director Cardillo,” Durbin said in a statement.

Republican Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois has already asked the U.S. Government Accountability Office for an investigation into the NGA’s decision.

ST. LOUIS

Continued from A1

to Ali’s transformation into an African-American leader and transcendent international symbol and example of Black Power, rather than merely a world-champion athlete.

Shahid has in his impressive personal collection a number of Nation of Islam pamphlets signed by Ali that he would hand out to the public when Shahid traveled with him as body guard, starting in December 5, 1975, with Ali’s visit to St. Louis through Minister Akbar Muhammad.

Shahid’s strongest enduring connection to the great man was also Ali’s strongest connection to the Nation of Islam: Jabir Muhammad, son of Elijah Muhammad.

“Jabir Muhammad had already been around the world eight times meeting with heads of state when he met Muhammad Ali, who was just Cassius Clay then,” Shahid said. “Where do you think Muhammad Ali learned how to do that? He learned that from Jabir Muhammad.”

Shahid’s most recent achievement as an advocate and activist is forcing open the Jason Stockley case, which resulted in a then-St. Louis police officer being charged for first-degree murder in 2016 for a killing of a black man he did on the job in 2011. Shahid was also a first responder in Ferguson who was critical in firing up the crowd to turn grief into organized protest after the August 2014 fatal Ferguson police shooting of an unarmed black teenager.

Ali saw first-hand Shahid’s power over a street crowd that became nationally known during the Ferguson unrest. The first time Shahid traveled with Ali around Chicago, drawing huge crowds wherever he went, Shahid would stand up and command those crowds with his words.

“He called me ‘that crazy Negro,’” Shahid said, hesitating over “Negro,” as if Ali said a more street term than that. Shahid was being interviewed during Ramadan, when he would not say a curse word or racial epithet.

This crude word was used as a term of affection and admiration, however. Ali’s enduring affection and respect for Shahid is evident in a series of letters of recommendation he wrote and signed on Shahid’s behalf over the years. Jabir Muhammad co-signed these letters, typed on Muhammad Ali Foundation letterhead.

In one letter, dated May 11, 1993, and addressed to then-St. Louis Mayor Freeman Bosley Jr., Ali vouched for Shahid’s abilities as a youth organizer. Ali wrote that Shahid has “a proven track record in saving our youth.”

In another letter, dated November 30, 1989, and addressed “to whomever it may concern,” Ali – somewhat amazingly – endorsed Shahid as a craftsman and artisan.

This relates to the fearsome activist’s past work as a designer, including a stint –somewhat difficult to believe today – doing scenic design at Disneyland. “I could make a Mickey Mouse faster than anybody,” Shahid said.

Ali as pitchman and opponent

Equally incredibly, St. Louis Alderman Sam Moore has in his personal collection some Ali’s cartoons of whales, signed by the artist. Moore knew Ali from the unique, close-up perspective of promoter and pitchman. Moore and his partners paid Ali to come to St. Louis in 1987 for a week to pitch a closed circuit TV presentation of the Michael Spinks-Gerry Cooney fight, which Moore’s company was promoting. During one long autograph session, Moore noticed that Ali would doodle on the tablecloth during breaks and sign his sketches. At the end of the day, Moore kept the table cloth. It had Ali’s cartoons of whales. Moore also got to know Ali as a magician. The great man traveled with an assistant who always had a fishing tackle box with him. In that box Ali kept the paraphernalia for magic tricks. He did sleight of hand tricks with rubber balls, playing cards and other objects.

“I think it was a kind of

therapy for him,” Moore said. Ali’s most impressive magic feat required no prop, however. Using the same foot and toe strength that powered the Ali Shuffle in the ring, Ali had the power of levitation, or at least of seeming to levitate.

“He had a way of doing that and making it look like he was raising himself off the ground,” Moore said. “He would turn a certain way, I’m sure it was a trick, but it was oh so real.”

Among Moore’s mementos is a photograph of Ali doing his levitation act in a St. Louis nightclub. The photograph does not show his feet, so his secret is safe.

Shahid also saw that trick.

“I don’t know how he did it,” Shahid said, “but you’d think he was really moving off the ground.”

Moore is close personal friends with the Spinks brothers, Michael and Leon Spinks, and he also interacted with Ali as an opponent, since he traveled with the Spinks brothers and was literally in their corner.

Moore first met Ali when Ali and Leon Spinks were preparing for their second bout, on September 15, 1978, in New Orleans, when Ali reclaimed his title.

“Everybody was moving around and the fighters, you can’t confine them, so he moved around quite a bit,” Moore said of Ali. “And he would walk in and out, and I would always speak to him, and he would say, ‘You that guy with Spinks, ain’t you?’” Ali never forgot that. Just as Shahid would always be “that crazy Negro” to Ali, Moore would always be “that guy with Spinks” to him.

But Ali will always be much more than a pitchman and opponent to Moore. “Overall, he was The Greatest,” Moore said. “He was a good man for our history, and he kept us alert and on our toes. He had us doing the Ali Shuffle right along with him. It bought a sense of awareness that we didn’t have before he started speaking out.”

The night God was in trouble

Kevin Cunningham –arguably St. Louis’ most important professional boxing manager and coach of the 21st century – did not know Ali with this level of intimacy. But he is close to Michael and Leon Spinks, and he trained and managed Leon’s son Cory Spinks. He will never forget something that Leon Spinks told him about his stunning upset of Ali in their first fight on February 15, 1978

“Leon told me, in the middle rounds, Ali pulled him in and said, ‘Don’t you know I’m God?’” Cunningham said. Of course, Ali was famous for his over-the-top trash talk and psychological warfare against opponents. “Leon said, ‘Well, God is in trouble tonight!’” Cunningham laughed.

Cunningham got to know Laila Ali, the great man’s

daughter. Cory Spinks has trained in her gym in Las Vegas, and she has had them over to her house for her chicken and lasagna, where they laughed over stories like that.

“She talked like a daughter that loves her dad,” Cunningham said of Laila Ali. “She wasn’t like a fan or anything. Talking to her was like listening to a daughter talk about loving her father. He was just her Dad to her.”

Cunningham looked like he had been grieving when he

visited The American to talk about The Greatest. All of these tough men looked like they had done their share of crying. “I am so sad,” Cunningham texted soon after the news of Ali’s death broke.

Though he makes a living coaching and managing prizefighters, Cunningham was slow to talk about Ali’s work inside the ring. He wanted to talk about the man, the leader, the courageous example of an African American who stood up for his rights and his people. Cunningham said he

tells boxers he trains to learn, not from Ali’s moves in the ring, but from Ali’s belief in himself.

“You have to have a certain level of confidence to be successful, not as just an athlete, just as an everyday person in anything that you’re trying to do,” Cunningham said. “You’ve got to have a certain level of confidence to operate at a certain level in life.”

Grieving over the loss of this great man, Cunningham worried that some of his

example is being lost on younger generations.

“I don’t think there’s an athlete in this new generation that would give up millions and everything for something that they believed in right now,” Cunningham said. “Everybody is trying to protect their brand and things of that nature. They don’t stand up for something that’s wrong that they know is wrong, because they don’t want to be on the wrong side of politics and affect their brand. Because it’s all about the brand nowadays.”

Brothers Mellve Shahid, left, and Anthony Shahid, right, guard Muhammad Ali at a Washington University event in 1975.

Cop who killed Mansur Ball-Bey won’t be charged

No charges will be brought against the two police officers involved in the fatal shooting death of Mansur Ball-Bey on August 19, 2015 in Fountain Park, Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce told Ball-Bey’s family on Thursday, June 2.

St. Louis Police Commissioner Sam Dotson then released a statement that named the two officers involved in the incident. Police Officer Kyle Chandler fired the fatal shot, and Police Officer Ronald Vaughan also fired his weapon but did not strike Ball-Bey. Months ago, the protest community correctly named these officers, who were suspected of planting drugs on an individual during an arrest in 2011.

Ball-Bey’s death incited protests, where heavily armed police deployed tear gas into the residential West End neighborhood. Joyce launched an independent investigation into the case soon after the incident.

Attorneys representing BallBey’s family argued that BallBey was an innocent bystander who happened to be nearby when police executed a search warrant for drugs and weapons at 1211 Walton Ave. on August 19 – and claimed he was not carrying a gun. The raid ended in Ball-Bey’s death on the front lawn of 1233 Walton Ave.

Grand Sheik Todd IronsEl of the Moorish Science Temple of America spoke on behalf of Ball-Bey’s family at a press conference following their meeting with Joyce.

“The prosecuting attorney has charged people with less evidence than there was in this

case,” Irons-El said. “We are very disappointing the she did not bring charges against these officers.”

Attorney Jermaine Wooten said he believes Chandler and Vaughan were guilty of planting evidence, as they have been accused of doing in the past. Police found three guns at the scene. One of those guns closely matched a gun that Ball-Bey posed with in photographs and a video posted on social media. Police said they found Ball-Bey’s fingerprints on the gun.

“Mansur had just come from his job at Fed-Ex,” attorney Jerryl Christmas previously said. “Why would he have a gun?”

Records from Federal Express show that Ball-Bey had not been to work for at least 24 hours prior to the shooting, the report stated.

“Of those three guns, they took one of them and planted it on Mansur,” Wooten said. Even if Ball-Bey had possessed it in the past, Wooten claimed, he didn’t have it on him that day.

In the Joyce’s report, she acknowledged the discrepancies between law enforcement accounts, which stated that Ball-Bey fled from the house where the warrant was served holding a gun that he flashed at police, and a civilian account, which stated that the youth was not in the building and was not armed.

The crucial point, she said, is that the civilian – a 14-year-old friend of Ball-Bey – did not have a clear view of the moment he was shot and therefore would not be a credible witness to undermine

the police officers’ claim of self-defense.

The young witness told investigators he had never handled a gun, but is show on social media brandishing heavy weapons in both hands with guns shoved in both front pockets.

“When a person claims selfdefense, the burden of proof rests with the prosecution to prove that the shooter did not fear for his safety or the safety of others,” Joyce writes.

On August 21, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s preliminary autopsy results showed that Ball-Bey died from a gunshot wound in the back. Many felt this confirmed that he was running when he was killed and not preparing to fire at the officers, as police claimed.

Police routinely claim, in these instances, that the subject flashed (or fired) his gun and then ran, so when the officer fired in self-defense the individual was shot in the back. The same claim was made in the police killing of VonDerrit Myers Jr.

The Ball-Bey family’s attorneys believe that Ball-Bey was shot in a gangway and fell to his death after his spinal cord was severed. Also, the gunshot wound went straight to an artery that leads to the heart, Wooten said, and it would have been “impossible” for Ball-Bey to run two houses away, as police have claimed, after they

shot him.

In response to this, Joyce stated in the report, “Three witnesses said the shooting occurred in the back of 1233 Walton, not in the gangway. Several witnesses say they saw Ball-Bey run past the front of the house after the shooting before he fell in the yard.”

Though Joyce said she concluded the evidence against the police shooter was not strong enough to bring charges, she was critical of the police work in the incident. In a press conference, Joyce said that one of the most troubling aspects of the case was that there were no officers stationed at the back door when the search warrant was executed. She stated that the officers were “mistakenly in the yard of the store” next to the raided house.

Police said that Ball-Bey and the 14-year-old witness, both black males, fled out the back of the house that they were raiding and ran into the alley. Wooten said only two individuals were inside the house at the time of the police raid, and both said that BallBey was not in the house.

In her analysis, Joyce stated that Ball-Bey could have come up from the basement and the others could have been unaware he was in the building.

Wooten said that Ball-Bey and his friend were watching the raid from the alley when two police officers in plain clothes walked up and pointed

Family and supporters of Mansur Ball-Bey held a conference outside the Carnahan Courthouse on June 2 after learning from Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce that there would be no charges brought against the St. Louis Police officer who claimed he killed the youth in selfdefense when he fled a drug raid.

Photo by Wiley Price

guns at them. The boy also told him that the police didn’t say to stop or put their hands in the air, Wooten said, and they ran because they were afraid.

However, in the report, Joyce states that “Witness 2” – an off-duty officer who watched the raid from a yard across the alley – saw Ball-Bey flee from the back door. The witness also saw the police identified in vests marked “Police” across the front.

Mansur’s father, Dennis Ball-Bey, told The St. Louis American that his son was a loving person.

“He was loved by his people,” he said. “He respected his elders.”

The family believes BallBey was shot wrongfully and is praying for justice, Irons-El said.

“These things must stop in St. Louis,” he said. “This happens all around the country. At some point, the families are going to have to get together – even if we have to go to the U.N. – and bring charges against some of these police departments.”

‘Resign and run’

Alderman Antonio French, who represents the 21st Ward, recently called for St. Louis Metropolitan Police Chief Sam Dotson’s resignation – saying police officers in high-crime areas are left to patrol with fewer resources.

At the June 1 aldermanic public safety meeting, several aldermen – particularly those representing North City –voiced the same frustration. While the these sentiments are not new, their anger resurfaced after Dotson’s decision to put more officers into downtown following the brutal carjacking and murder of Brandi Hill at 11th Street and Washington Avenue. The carjackers later discarded Hill’s 9-month-old daughter miles away. The infant was unharmed.

French said an infant in North St. Louis was recently burned to death, and the chief’s response was not equal. “There was no press conference,” French said, “no promise to hunt down the killer.” Alderman Chris Carter, of the 27th Ward in North City, said if the majority of crime happens in one part of the city, the police chief should be putting the extra resources there.

“It’s a large slap in my face, and my residents’ face, when we have 20-plus officers walking on one street (in downtown), and I can barely see two as I sit on my front porch or ride through my neighborhood,” Carter said.

“I just had a shooting on my street, a week and a half ago where a man was shot at 30 times in his vehicle. I haven’t seen any extra patrols,” said Alderman Dionne Flowers of the 2nd Ward. “And I understand that there are locations where we have tourists that come and visit our city, and they’re important. But the people that live in these neighborhoods, that pay taxes, that want to see their officers, they want protection, and they’re just not getting it.” Flowers said she feels Dotson’s recent decisions are part of his unofficial campaign for mayor. Mayor Francis G. Slay announced on April 8 that he would not be running for re-election, and Dotson has made everyone’s shortlist for mayoral contenders. “If Dotson is going to run for mayor,” Flowers said, “I’m tired of him campaigning in police uniform. He should resign and run.”

Summer fun at the Missouri History Museum

By Melanie Adams

The Missouri History Museum is once again happy to provide a summer of free fun and engaging programs for area youth. This year’s Summer Family Fun Series kicked off on Monday, June 6 and runs through Friday, July 29. This series combines special guests, performances, music, storytelling and hands-on acts and crafts projects inspired by objects and themes in our exhibitions. Below are a few of the highlights from the series. For the complete schedule, please go to mohistory. org/summerfamilyfun.

Groups of six or more must call (314) 454-3114. In some cases, the series can accommodate groups, but in other cases, groups may not be permitted but may be invited to make private reservations for other free programming.

June 20 The Sheldon presents Nothing but the Blues

10:30–11:15am:

The story of the blues is the story of America’s music. From its African roots to its formation in the Mississippi Delta, follow the blues as it spreads up the river to St. Louis, Memphis, Chicago, and Kansas City.

July 11 Beatboxing with Nicole Paris

10:30–11:15am:

Start your week off right with a little beatbox beat! Nicole Paris, a beatbox artist, musician, and native St. Louisan, gained notoriety and millions of fans when a YouTube battle against her mentor and father, Ed Cage, went viral within hours of its release. Mixing current EDM (Electronic Dance Music) sound, vibrant energy, and passion to create new and unique beats, her freestyle will keep you on the edge of your seat. Nicole will share technique tips and lead a few exercises to get you making a few beats yourself.

July 18 WeBop with Jazz St. Louis (for Ages 2–4)

10:30–11:15am and 11:30am–12:15pm: WeBop is an early childhood jazz education program that invites families to stomp, strut, and swing to the joyous

A lively percussion workshop with Mama Lisa using African instruments from 10:30-11:30 Monday, July 18 is some of the summer fun the Missouri History Museum has planned.

rhythms of jazz as they learn about the core concepts, instruments, and great performers of jazz. This special sample class engages both the child and caregiver and is a preview of the full 8-week series offered through Jazz St. Louis. WeBop was developed by Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York. This class lasts 45 minutes and will be held at 10:30am and 11:30am. Class size is limited, and tickets for each class will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 10am.

July 18 Drum PaTi Part 1 with Mama Lisa (for Ages 5+)

10:30–11:30am: Join Mama Lisa for a lively percussion workshop using African instruments!

June 15 Celebrate Reading and Service Dogs

10:30am–12pm: Stop by anytime from 10:30-12 to mingle with local authors, PAWS support dogs, and a police officer and dog from the St. Louis Metro Police Department Canine Unit. Children can read books to dogs, meet local authors, learn about the different kinds of work dogs do, and get creative with some hands-on activities inspired by

NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION

the books.

July 6 Dance Performance by Mexican Cultural Society of St. Louis

10:30–11:30am: Come to the Museum for an interactive performance by Ballet Quetzal. Learn more about Mexican culture through traditional dance and music. Families are invited to join in and learn some dances.

July 25 Drum PaTi Part 2 with Mama Lisa (for Ages 5+)

10:30–11:30am: Participate in a high-energy percussion workshop using Caribbean instruments!

July 13 Back to School Bash

10:30am–12:30pm:

Explore the special exhibit Where Did You Go to High School? one last time before it closes and enjoy some of the best parts of going to school. Pose for a yearbook photo, play some math games, conduct science experiments, and even go to a homecoming dance where you can make your own homecoming crown, and groove to some live classic rock, pop, blues, and funk music by Lunar Levitation. Visit the Little Black Dress exhibit to get some fashion ideas for what to wear to the dance.

July 20 Olympic Warm-Up Festival 10:30am–12:30pm:

Get ready for the Summer Olympics in Rio next month! Go on a scavenger hunt through the Museum’s galleries to learn about local sports history, and do some calisthenics at each stop to earn the 5 Olympic rings. Make an Olympic torch of your own, practice your skills in our obstacle course, and learn about Brazilian culture and how to speak a bit of Portuguese.

July 27 Dancing through Missouri History with Project Pinx 10:30–11:30am: Join youth participants from the Project Pinx Summer Dance Intensive as we take you on a journey through the Missouri History Museum’s exhibits interpreted through dance. Join us as we explore the World’s Fair of 1904, do the Lindy Hop in our little black dresses, and more! It’s sure to be a treat for the whole family.

Illinois blew its chance at NGA West

If LeBron James missed a wide-open dunk, causing his team to lose, you’d shake your head in amazement and expect him to shoulder the blame. Why? Because he’s an NBA superstar and, arguably, the best player in professional basketball.

So, Illinois officials in St. Clair County, Springfield, Illinois and Washington, D.C. should feel a similar way in losing the NGA West project to North St. Louis in what should have been a political slam dunk, and for good reason.

Illinois lawmakers had the perfect scenario: a 382-acre site next to Scott Air Force Base (a perfectly secure military installation). The land for the proposed project was already owned by St. Clair County. And to make the deal even sweeter, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner even offered $116 million in infrastructure enhancements.

James Ingram

Compare that to North St. Louis, which had 188 murders last year (not a very safe or secure site), and where dozens of residents must be relocated in order to develop the eventual location that, some say, is in need of extensive environmental remediation.

Yet St. Louis was chosen, over Illinois, to receive the NGA program with its potential of 1,500 construction jobs and 3,100 permanent jobs – good jobs. Recall that the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is an iconic agency, best known for pinpointing the location Osama Bin Laden’s compound. Sure, Missouri offered $131 million in incentives, but the bad far outweighed the good for St. Louis –until Illinois was weighed in the balance.

Consider a state which is incapable of passing a budget due to a political standoff between its republican governor, Bruce Rauner, and its House speaker, Democrat Michael Madigan, not to mention the controversial mismanagement of the dysfunctional MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah and a history of governors who have a tendency of ending their terms in federal prison.

So the NGA, in their infinite wisdom, may very well have selected North St. Louis, and taken their chances, versus gambling on the political drama and corruption inherent in dealing with the Illinois political climate.

And just as Illinois political leaders – like St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern (D), U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (R), U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R), U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D), Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner (R) and others – would have been quick to take full credit if the NGA site had it been awarded to Illinois, they should be equally as quick to admit that they missed a wide-open political slam dunk and blew thousands of jobs for St. Clair County and the state of Illinois because of their reputation for political obstructionism and corruption.

But don’t hold your breath on that one, folks. Since when have politicians ever taken the blame for their failures, especially in Illinois?

Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com; Twitter@ JamesTIngram.

PRESENTS:

One way to eat healthier as a family is to plan ahead. Sit down and lay out your weekly menu strategy together. Decide how you will include healthy foods with each meal. What green vegetables will you eat? What are healthy ways you can prepare your food? What foods should you avoid? BONUS — You’ll be less tempted by fast food and unhealthy snacks if you plan and prepare healthier meals. Follow the Healthy Families page all summer long for tips on healthy nutrition choices that will help you with ideas.

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 5

Later this summer, the 2016 International Summer Sports Competition takes place in Brazil. Create your own fun, family outdoor battle. Include activities that each member of your family enjoys, so that each person can compete in an activity in which they excel. Who can stand on one foot the longest? Who can do the most jumping jacks in a minute? Which member of your family can throw a Frisbee the farthest? Award your gold, silver and bronze medals, and consider trying the competition again later in the summer.

While walking (or driving) around your neighborhood, look for ways that your family can get involved improving the area around your home. Find a cause in your neighborhood that you all agree would be a fun way for you to all work together to make a difference.

Learning Standards: HPE 1, HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 5

Is there a park that could use some weeding? Could you clean up the trash on your street? Remember to wear gloves and be safe if working outdoors. If every family in your neighborhood volunteered just one hour a month, imagine how beautiful the world could look!

Learning Standards: HPE 2, NH 1

Castlewood State Park is located just about a half hour from St. Louis. This beautiful park offers several different walking/hiking trails that your family could enjoy. Some of these trails are along the bluffs and more challenging, but you can also find shorter, easier trails for more casual walking. A hike along these trails will provide views of the forest, the Meramec River and various wildlife including cricket frogs, wild turkey, white-tailed deer and river birds.

Go to https://mostateparks.com/park/ castlewood-state-park before you go, to plan your visit. With five miles of park, your family could easily spend the day hiking, fishing, picnicking and just enjoying nature! Also located on the park property is the World Bird Sanctuary. (We will highlight that attraction in a future Healthy Activities feature.) Pack your picnic lunch and spend the day at Castlewood State Park, your family will love it!

PARK HOURS

7 a.m. to 30 minutes after sunset, year-round

LOCATION 1401 Kiefer Creek Rd, Ballwin, MO 63021

Admission to the park is FREE.

Planting the Seeds for Success! The weekly Healthy Families series is presented by the Missouri

Survival among peers

Peer support relationships improve outcomes

By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American

Having a good buddy can mean everything, especially when that person knows what you are going through because they have been there too. A Saint Louis University doctoral student determined the impact is meaningful among breast cancer survival.

Shannon Nicks recently completed her Ph.D. in Public Health Studies with a concentration in behavioral science and health education at Saint Louis University.

Through her work at Center for Cancer Prevention Research and Outreach to evaluate center activities and programs, along with her interest in breast cancer health disparities, Nicks learned a lot about The Breakfast Club and its founder, Sherrill Jackson. It led to her dissertation,

n “We found that those relationships really function to provide consistent and quality social support, in addition to, or even in the absence of support from other relationships in one’s social network.”

– Shannon Nicks

“Examining mechanisms of peer support and effects on survivorship outcomes for African American women with breast cancer.” She assessed the quality of peer relationships in the Breakfast Club’s Breast Health Buddy program and its impact on survivors of club members compared to breast cancer survivors who are not members. The Health Buddy program pairs a breast cancer survivor with a newly diagnosed woman. It is one-on-one support to help alleviate fear, to be a shoulder to cry on, and a companion to accompany the woman to medical treatments. Buddies also assist women in finding other resources and support during breast cancer treatment and recovery.

Nicks said it helped her understand how their programs worked and what the benefits might be for African American breast cancer survivors who receive the organization’s support.

“We found that those relationships really function to provide consistent and quality social support, in addition to, or even in the absence of support from other relationships in one’s social network,” Nicks said. “Existing dynamics with family or friends, whether those are good or bad, the relationships that form in The Breakfast Club offer ongoing support in a way that others aren’t able to because of those shared

See PEERS, A11

Knowing better

By Kenneth G. Poole, Jr, MD, MBA For The St. Louis American

Recently, a close family member was rushed to the hospital after suddenly becoming ill. After a basic evaluation in the emergency room, he was transported to the intensive care unit for further testing and treatment. Upon receiving the call from his significant other, whom accompanied him to the hospital, not-surprisingly my immediate questions were: What do they think is going on? What tests and treatments are they administering?

Her reply was: Well they haven’t told us anything yet. They’re running some tests and giving him some medication for pain, but that’s all I know at this point. We haven’t spoken to a doctor since he’s left the emergency room.

As a family member who happens to be a physician, conversations like this are extremely frustrating because I know better. I know that physicians and other health care providers are taught to routinely formulate an Assessment and Plan for each patient encounter that they have. Sometimes referred to as an Impression, the Assessment consists of a differential diagnosis, which is a list of potential causes of a patient’s problem in order of perceived certainty. The Plan is exactly that – what the care team plans to do to confirm and then treat the cause of the problem.

n The lead physician on the care team should have briefed my loved ones as to what the Assessment and Plan was.

I know that the lead physician on the care team should have briefed my loved ones as to what the Assessment and Plan was. I know that not only is this good “customer service,” it is humanistic decency to give patients complete, up-to-date information as to what is going on and to assure them that the care team is diligently working on their behalf. Unfortunately however, this is often times not the case in health care settings, particularly for patients of color.

As in many other industries, overt and unconscious racial bias is a big issue in health care and has been getting a lot of attention as of late. There have been a myriad of studies that show that such biases lead to unfavorable experiences and poor health outcomes for black patients. The good news is that racial bias is gradually being recognized and acknowledged on our end as providers, and medical schools and other health care training programs are implementing educational exercises to uncover and confront it. The bad news is that the system is still wrought with inequity, and there remains a lot of work to do.

The best thing you can do as a patient during a care experience is ask questions and make sure that your health care providers consistently give you appropriate,

Physicians and other health care providers are taught to routinely formulate an Assessment and Plan for each patient encounter that they have.

Kenneth G. Poole, Jr., MD, MBA

Vernell White, Ossie Foster, Bertha Merriweather, Sandra Hornsby, Carolyn Vaughn, Shannon Nicks, Ravonne Pleasant, Loistine Sutton, Diane Stevenson, Ella Jones, Sherrill Jackson, and Janice Jones (seated).

Photos from The Breakfast Club

Shannon Nicks

Open House at Empowerment Network’s expanded Cancer Education Center

The prostate cancer support organization, The Empowerment Network is holding an open house on Saturday, June 11 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. celebrating its move downstairs to upstairs in an expanded and upgraded cancer center. TEN Cofounder Mellve Shahid said the group has additional partners, including Siteman Cancer Center, the American Cancer Society, SLU Cancer Center and the Cancer Support Community of Greater St. Louis. TEN is located at 6000 West Florissant Avenue, St. Louis, 63136. For more information, call 314385-0998 or email rjones@tenstl.org.

The MOMS Line connects mothers with trained postpartum coaches

SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital launched The MOMS Line, a peer-supported help line for pregnant and new moms in the St. Louis area experiencing “baby blues.” It is staffed by Postpartum Peer Coaches – trained volunteers who have personally experienced postpartum sadness, irritability, anxiety or depression, and recovered from it. The goal is to provide compassionate and respectful support, in addition to resources and a warm connection to perinatal behavioral health professionals when needed. The Line was made possible with support from the St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation. Kim Martino-Sexton, director of The MOMS Line said affected women can get connected to peers and professionals that really ‘get it’ and truly understand how to help them heal.

“As a woman who suffered with postpartum depression, I know firsthand how hard it can be to find people to help. Even my OB/GYN gave me a proverbial ‘pat on the head’ and told me all women feel this way, just keep pushing on. This was three months postpartum when I was clearly suffering from postpartum depression and needed help,” Martino-Sexton said. “My healing began when I started attending a peer-led moms support group. Looking back, I am so grateful for those women who truly understood what I was going through,” Martino-Sexton said. Call The MOMS Line at 314-768-MOMS (6667) or to volunteer, call (314) 7688570.

DOCTOR

Continued from A10

detailed, real-time information. When you go to a car dealership or a local body shop for car trouble, you expect the mechanic or representative

PEERS

Continued from A10

experiences.”

Her research involved observations of meetings and interviews with breast cancer survivors who had a buddy partners compared to unaffiliated African American breast cancer survivors who were recruited from Saint Louis University Breast Oncology

to tell you what he thinks the problem could be and what he plans to do to confirm and fix the problem. The same expectation should be had in matters of your health and the health of your loved ones. Each time you leave the doctor’s office or hospital without being provided with at least some type of Assessment and Plan from the provider, a disservice has

clinic. The non-Breakfast Club members only had social support available through existing relationships and sources. Nicks said there were differences between the two groups. “It really seemed to be around having alternative sources to turn to for support and a willingness and ability to sort of acknowledge the emotional toll of breast cancer and have those emotions validated and processed,” Nicks described, “and, having them

MFH confronts health issues in Forward through Ferguson report

Foundation engages in six areas

Missouri Foundation for Health has designated up to $6 million toward addressing health issues highlighted in the Ferguson Commission’s 2015 report. The Foundation identified six areas of focus for initial engagement, including grassroots advocacy; gun violence; juvenile justice/behavioral health; food insecurity; toxic stress and trauma-informed care; and school-based care.

Focusing on both racial and health equity, the areas were chosen based on opportunity for greatest near-term impact on projects that were easily identified and well underway. In mid-May, MFH’s Board of Directors approved the first two grants related to this work: the Regional Health Commission’s (RHC) Alive and Well STL initiative and St. Louis University’s Shut it Down: School to Prison Pipeline project.

“The issues identified in the Forward Through Ferguson report deserve our attention,” said Dr. Robert Hughes, MFH president and CEO. “The Foundation has resources to share, and we are committed to building on positive momentum and partnering with others just as we did with SLU,” he added. “It’s important that we take a look at the underlying problems and conditions that may have gotten us to this point as a region and realize that now is the time to dig in and do the long, hard work of developing critical strategies and making progress.”

Shut it Down, led by Dr. Norm White, associate professor of criminology and criminal justice at Saint Louis University, was first initiated by Judges Jimmie Edwards and David Mason of the 22nd Circuit Court, in order to address the problem of disproportionate minority contact within the family court. In partnership with St. Louis Public Schools, seven elementary schools were chosen, including Adams, Ashland, Farragut, Herzog, Lyon, Monroe, and Mullanphy, to develop a pilot initiative that will provide professional development to school personnel and assist in identifying systematic and programmatic needs of the students. The seven participating schools serve 2,249 students, most of whom live in neighborhoods that experience racial, social, and economic inequality. More than 500 students were reported by the district as being homeless in 2015.

Alive and Well STL aims at reducing the impact of stress and trauma have on one’s wellbeing and health. The RHC Alive and Well awareness media campaign has been circulating for a few years, and the RHC is now planning to move into the learning collaborative phase of the initiative. More recently, there has been an increase in demand for trauma and toxic stress trainings and support by health care providers, schools, and nonprofits all looking to advance trauma-informed practices within their organizations.

“We are truly excited about this work,” said Stacey Easterling, vice president of programs at the Foundation. “The opportunity to respond to the recommendations of the Ferguson Commission and align them with the goals of MFH is vital. The issues we are looking to improve upon are ones we feel directly impact health outcomes for individuals in our region.”

MFH recognizes that the six areas are topics experienced by its entire service region. Additional health-focused commitments will be made throughout 2016, as these efforts are ongoing and flexible. For more information, visit mffh.org.

n The best thing you can do as a patient during a care experience is ask questions and make sure that your health care providers consistently give you appropriate, detailed, real-time information.

occurred. I know better. Now, so do you.

validated and acknowledged in a way that allowed the women who are part of the Breakfast Club to process those things, so that it did not take such a toll on their mental health, their emotional health, and in some cases, their overall quality of life.”

Nicks said the organization was looking for evidence-based data to support the work they are doing in the community – including breast health education, outreach, peer sup-

port, facilitating free mammograms for the uninsured/under insured, bras, breast forms, and comfort kits for women undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

“They’ve been around 20 years doing this type of work and that longevity and their success implies that they really have a wealth of knowledge and expertise about providing social support services to African American women in particular, with breast cancer,”

Kenneth G Poole, Jr, MD, MBA is a senior associate con-

Nicks said.

An urgent family situation out of town caused Nicks to miss her graduation at SLU.

Upon her return, Nicks came to a meeting to share her study findings. The Breakfast Club became a “buddy” to Nicks by surprising her with a one-onone graduation, with the help of her mentor, SLU professor Ricardo Wray, Ph.D.

“I got hooded there and it was just a nice gesture that was very special to me because I

sultant at Mayo Clinic Arizona in the Division of Community Internal Medicine, and he is the Chair of Diversity and Inclusion for Mayo Medical School in Rochester, MN and Scottsdale, AZ. He previously practiced internal medicine in St. Louis.

did not get the opportunity with the rest of my cohort that was graduating,” she said.

“Her graduation was recreated at The Breakfast Club support meeting at Centennial Christian Church, 4950 Foundation, where the Breakfast Club meets,” Jackson added. For more information about The Breakfast Club’s services and activities, visit http://www. breakfastclub-stl.org.

ALI

Continued from A1

12-year-old Louisville, Kentucky, amateur put on the gloves.

He is survived by his nine children, including daughter Laila, who like her father became a world champion boxer; and his fourth wife, Lonnie.

Ali was known in the ring for his flashing hand speed –unusual for a heavyweight – for his showmanship and also for his brashness and braggadocio when a microphone was put before him. He taunted opponents before matches, trash-talked them during and proclaimed his greatness to reporters afterward.

He stayed on his toes, literally, during a bout, sometimes quickly moving his feet forward and backward while his upper body stayed in place. The mesmerizing move became known as the “Ali Shuffle.”

Fans on every continent adored him, and at one point he was the probably the most recognizable man on the planet.

But he also was a controversial figure at home, announcing his conversion to Islam and name-change after an upset title win over Sonny Liston, then refusing to enter the draft for the Vietnam War and publicly speaking about racism in the United States.

In youth, told he’d better learn to box

Ali was born January 17, 1942, in Louisville as Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. His interest in boxing began at age 12, after he reported a stolen bike to a local police officer, Joe Martin, who was also a boxing trainer.

Martin told the young, infuriated Clay that if he wanted to pummel the person who stole his bike, he had better learn to box.

Over the next six years, Clay won six Kentucky Golden Gloves championships, two National Golden Gloves championships and two

National Amateur Athletic Union titles.

Just months after he turned 18, Clay won a gold medal as a light heavyweight at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, convincingly beating an experienced Polish fighter in the final.

The story goes that when he returned to a hometown parade, even with the medal around his neck, he was refused service in a segregated Louisville restaurant because of his race.

According to several reports, he threw the medal into a river out of anger. The story is disputed by people who say Ali misplaced the medal.

Thirty-six years later, he was given replacement medal and asked to light the cauldron at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, something he said was one of the greatest honors in his athletic career.

Clay turned professional after the Olympics and quickly won 19 straight fights. For many of them Clay, then known as “The Louisville Lip,” would make a rhyme to predict what round his opponent would fall.

The underdog stings like a bee

For his first heavyweight title fight, against the brutish Liston, he went a step further, renting a bus, and on the day he signed to fight the champ he went by Liston’s home.

On the side of the bus was painted: “World’s Most Colorful Fighter” and “Liston Will Go In Eight.” To make sure he was heard, Clay used a megaphone and shouted from an open window.

And in the lead-up to the fight, Clay, flanked by corner man Drew “Bundini” Brown, uttered the famous phrase that followed him forever, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” (Often missed is the subsequent line, “Rumble, young man, rumble.”)

In stark contrast to Clay’s pretty-boy image, Liston – a formidable and domineering fighter – had an extensive criminal past. He learned to box in prison. But the young, brash Clay appeared supremely

confident, and his mocking of Liston was relentless.

Despite the 7-to-1 odds against him, Clay defeated Liston in seven rounds to become heavyweight champion of the world.

He later told CNN’s Nick Charles that, despite his bravado, he was “scared to death.”

“I just acted like I wasn’t,” he said.

From Cassius X to Muhammad Ali

The day after the Liston fight, Clay announced that he had joined the Nation of Islam and was changing his name to Cassius X, the letter symbolizing the unknown name taken away from his family by slave owners hundreds of years before.

A year later, he was anointed Muhammad Ali by Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad. Most sportscasters initially refused to call him by his new name. But Howard Cosell did, becoming a supporter and friend to the champ as they verbally sparred for the rest of Cosell’s life.

Many in the United States scorned Ali’s name change and his alignment with the Nation of Islam, and a furor erupted after he refused because of his religious beliefs to serve in military during the Vietnam War when he was called up in 1966.

“I ain’t got no quarrel with them Vietcong,” Ali said. “No Vietcong ever called me n---r.”

At the weigh-in before one of his last fights of 1967, his opponent, Ernie Terrell, called him “Clay.”

A furious Ali trounced Terrell in the ring while yelling “What’s my name?”

But, at the peak boxing age of 26, he began a forced threeand-a-half-year exile from championship boxing.

Conscientious objector

Almost as quickly as Ali had arrived, his World Boxing Association heavyweight title was gone, revoked after he claimed conscientious objector status in refusing the draft. He also was stripped of his passport and all of his boxing licenses. He faced a five-year prison term after losing an initial court battle defending his objection to serving in a war that he called “despicable and unjust.”

Ali lost the chance at tens of millions of dollars in endorsements while appealing his case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

During this time, Ali aligned himself with Nation of Islam leaders including Malcolm X, making him even more of a controversial figure as well as a household name.

He earned a living during his hiatus from boxing by speaking against the Vietnam War on college campuses, one of the first national figures to verbally oppose the war.

“What was so important about it was that in a war in which young black men, mainly without any money and with little education, were dying in disproportionate numbers and being shipped off to Southeast Asia in disproportionate numbers, the symbol of strength, the symbol of vitality and virility, this young black man – outspoken – stands up and says no,”

Sam Moore, aldermen of the Fourth Ward, with Muhammad Ali during a promotional event in St. Louis in 1987.

the ground and brought a boisterous roar from the people watching.

A damaged champ’s career winds down

He retained his title as heavyweight champ until 1978, when he lost in a shocker to the inexperienced Leon Spinks. After defeating Spinks in a rematch, he regained the title for a record third time, only to give it up when he announced a short-lived retirement in 1979.

He came back the next year at age 38, when he challenged Larry Holmes, hoping to capture a fourth heavyweight title. He lost by a technical knockout.

According to Thomas Hauser, who wrote an authorized biography of the boxer in 1991 and had access to his medical records, Ali should never have been allowed to enter the ring against Holmes.

explained David Remnick, author of “King of the World,” a book about the young boxer.

Back to the ring –and on to Joe Frazier

The anti-war sentiment had gathered momentum by 1970, when a judge ruled that Ali could box professionally.

In 1971, he and his perfect record met undefeated champion Joe Frazier in an epic battle that boxing writers have dubbed “The Fight of the Century.” Each man was guaranteed $2.5 million, at that time the biggest boxing payday in the sport, with an estimated 300 million viewers worldwide.

Their rivalry would become legend and intensely personal, with constant verbal taunting from Ali.

“I’ll be the ghost that haunts boxing,” he said. “People will say, ‘Ali is the real champ, and everyone else is a fake,’” Ali said of Frazier.

Ali also hurled racial insults at Frazier, calling him an “Uncle Tom” and a black man disguised as a Great White Hope, a phrase that Frazier later said infuriated him.

And Ali delighted the media when he proclaimed, “Joe is going to come out smoking, but I ain’t going to be joking. I’ll be pecking and a-poking, pouring water on his smoking. This might shock and amaze ya, but this time I’ll retire you, Frazier.”

The world would soon learn that even the man who called himself “The Greatest” had his struggles. The match began with both fighters engaging in a series of powerful punches and counterattacks. In the 15th round, Frazier unleashed a devastating left hook that floored Ali.

It would be only the third time Ali had been knocked down in his career. When the final bell rang, the judges awarded Frazier a 15-round decision, sending Ali to his first loss in 32 professional fights.

Months after the defeat, Ali got a major victory outside the ring when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld his conscientious objector claim. His passport and his boxing licenses were reinstated, and the threat of prison time was erased.

Over the next few years, Ali’s religious views turned him more toward Sunni Islam, and he rejected many of the teachings of the Nation of Islam.

He won a 1974 rematch with Frazier, earning another shot at the heavyweight title, which would turn out to be the fight of his career and one of the most memorable events in sports history.

“The Rumble in the Jungle” pitted Ali against fearsome champion George Foreman, a 3-to-1 favorite to win the match in central Africa.

Boxing promoter Don King had struck an agreement with the government of Zaire to guarantee the unheard-of sum of $10 million for the boxers.

What is considered to be his best tactical fight, Ali used the “rope-a-dope” technique, leaning far back on the ropes, absorbing Foreman’s punches with his gloves and arms and letting the heavy puncher tire out.

In the eighth round, Foreman swiped at Ali in one corner for more than a minute until a stinging series of Ali right hands sent Foreman to

Ten weeks before the match, a team of doctors at the Mayo Clinic submitted a medical report to the Nevada State Athletic Commission describing a small hole in his brain’s outer layer and noting that the boxer reported a tingling sensation in his hands and slurred speech.

Ali retired permanently in 1981 with a career record of 56 wins – 37 by knockout –against five losses.

Parkinson’s, and ‘a relentless effort to promote peace’

In the years to follow his retirement, Parkinson’s disease began to take away Ali’s motor skills and his ability to speak coherently, but he never strayed from the spotlight.

“Even though Muhammad has Parkinson’s and his speech isn’t what it used to be, he can speak to people with his eyes. He can speak to people with his heart, and they connect with him,” wife Lonnie Ali said.

She said doctors told her the disease was not the result of absorbing too many punches but a genetic condition. Ali’s fame transcended the boxing ring, and he used that fame toward what his daughter Hana Ali called “a relentless effort to promote peace, tolerance and humanity around the world.”

He was welcomed by American presidents and foreign dictators, including Iraq’s Saddam Hussein and Cuba’s Fidel Castro. His role as an ambassador of peace started in 1985, Hana Ali said, when he traveled to Lebanon to try to secure the release of four American hostages. In 1990, he was credited with securing the release of more than a dozen American hostages from Iraq just days before the start of the Persian Gulf War and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997.

He also used his fame for charity work, helping raise millions of dollars for food and medical relief around the world. In 1998, he was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace.

“Muhammad feels that everything he did prior to now was to prepare him for where he is now in life,” Lonnie Ali said. “He is very much more a spiritual being. He is very aware of his time here on Earth. And he has sort of planned the rest of his life to do things so that he is assured a place in heaven.”

One of Ali’s last triumphs was the construction of a stateof-the-art museum chronicling his life and promoting peace and tolerance around the world. His vision became a reality in 2005, when the Muhammad Ali Center opened in his hometown of Louisville, a place he called “the greatest city in the world.”

Inside the cultural center and museum, Ali’s voice can be heard from plasma screens, reminding those who tried to defeat him that his claim of being “The Greatest” lived up to reality:

“Ali’s got a left; Ali’s got a right. If he hits you once, you’re asleep for the night. And as you lie on the floor, while the man counts 10, hope and pray that you never meet me again.”

– CNN’s Tricia Escobedo contributed to this report. The St. Louis American is a CNNWire affiliate.

Business

Renovated riverfront reopens

$25M project had 32 percent MBE participation, 14.7 percent minority workers

The CityArchRiver Foundation and Great Rivers Greenway hosted a community picnic at the renovated St. Louis Riverfront on Thursday, June 2, complete with a 2,016-foot-long community picnic table.

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

With a 2,016-foot-long community picnic table and fireworks display, many celebrated the re-opening of the renovated St. Louis Riverfront on Thursday, June 2.

The $25-million renovation was paid for through a combination of $10 million from a regional park tax and federal funding. And 51 percent of total project dollars were awarded to disadvantaged business enterprises – 32 percent participation by minority-owned business enterprises and 19 percent participation by women-owned business enterprises.

Workforce participation is also on track to meet the goal of 14.7 percent minority workers. However, women only made up three percent

n “The riverfront is a place where everyone is welcome, and it was important that the construction of the project reflect that.”

– Carey Bundy, Great Rivers Greenway

of the workforce, which is below the federal 6.9 percent goal, said Carey Bundy, project manager for Great Rivers Greenway.

“The riverfront is a place where everyone is welcome, and it was important that the construction of the project reflect that, too,” she said.

The renovation of the 1.5-mile stretch of riverfront includes the recently rebuilt Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard and extension of the Mississippi Greenway from the Biddle Street Trailhead south to Chouteau Avenue, with protected walking and biking paths. The entire riverfront was elevated an average of almost two feet to limit flooding, returning more days of the year back to the community for walking, riding bikes, sightseeing and special events.

Some historic elements were preserved, such as the cobblestones lining the levee and the old rusty chains. New features were added, such as benches, bike racks, lights, power outlets and a street-level stage will make more space for events and programs. The lineup for this

See RIVERFRONT, B6

Alderman proposes new regulations for payday lenders in STL

Consumer advocates decry loopholes in new federal rule for payday lenders

By Chris King

Alderwoman Cara Spencer (20th Ward)

to

Board

Revenue from

fee would be used to oversee new regulations and ensure that lenders are following rules. Those regulations would require payday lenders to post onsite APR information and provide information from the St. Louis Treasurer’s Office about alternative financial assistance and lending. Excess funds could be used to re-invest in low

n “The billion-dollar revenues generated from these loans are premised upon borrowers’ inability to pay and the resulting lucrative turnstile of debt.”

– Mike Calhoun, Center for Responsible Lending

income communities through existing programs such as Healthy Home Repair. The bill also would strengthen existing zoning regulations, including restricting payday lenders from operating within a mile of another payday lender, and will allow for more oversight

Milton Mitchell was named principal of City Academy. He most recently served in administration at the Chadwick School in Palos Verdes, California. A native of Kinloch, he received his Master of Arts in Management and Leadership from Webster University. City Academy is the only private, independent elementary school in St. Louis and Missouri providing scholarship support to all students.

Leah Gunning Francis is the new vice president for Academic Affairs of Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. She is the author of “Ferguson and Faith: Sparking Leadership and Awakening Community.” She left a position as associate dean at Eden Seminary in St. Louis. She, her husband Rev. Rodney Francis (pastor of Washington Tabernacle Baptist Church) and their family relocated to Indianapolis.

Roosevelt Mitchell III was honored as one of Black Enterprise magazine’s 2016 Men of Distinction. A native of St. Louis, he is the author of four books, a national speaker on disability awareness, an award-winning educator and host of “Your Black World News” who became homeless as a 17-year-old and overcame those obstacles.

Tarah M. Williams is kicking off her 10-city, “Stalk Your Destiny” conference tour in St. Louis at the Crowne Plaza Airport on Saturday, June 11 at 8 a.m. She is a published author on a mission to change lives as a life coach and accountability partner “connecting people to their destiny, one step at a time.” See www. stalkyourdestiny.wix.com.

Michael Scott Jr. has joined the coaching staff of the University of Alabama Birmingham’s women’s basketball team. He served as a graduate student with the University of Missouri women’s basketball team last year. A former standout at Mary Institute and Country Day School (MICDS), he was the 2010 ABC League Player of the Year.

Michelle Smith was named executive vice president, head of Finance and Administration of Concordance Academy. She will be responsible for the daily operations and administration of the academy, as well as helping map a growth strategy. Most recently she was managing partner of a Houstonbased architectural firm. The Concordance Initiative was created to address reincarceration and its many associated social problems.

On the move? Congratulations! Send your

Milton Mitchell

Roosevelt Mitchell III

Tarah M. Williams

Michael Scott Jr.

Leah Gunning Francis

Michelle Smith

Photo courtesy of Great Rivers Greenway

P

Building a financial emergency kit for your family

By Nathaniel Sillin

What would a sudden financial emergency be in your life? It could be a storm causing massive property damage to your home. It could also be something more personal, like an accident that would cut off your ability to make a living.

Whatever it is, if someone else had to step in to help you in an emergency situation, it’s important to have a plan in place so they know what to do.

A financial emergency kit is a crucial component in financial planning. In short, a financial emergency kit involves identifying and planning for potential financial emergencies that could affect you and your loved ones.

Building a successful one goes beyond sorting paperwork – it involves looking at a variety of potential situations in your life and then asking, “What’s the worst that could happen?”

You will want to create a kit – a set of physical or digital documents and instructions –that can help you or someone else you trust manage in a crisis. Here are some items you’ll likely want to include:

1. Estate documents. Estate planning is really the highest form of financial emergency planning, because it addresses the ultimate personal financial emergencies – medical incapacitation or death. Would your family have easy access to this material if something happened to you? In your family financial emergency kit, estate documents would include copies of current wills (for you and your spouse or partner), your advanced directives (which instruct doctors on end-of-life or other stages in medical care), health/financial powers of attorney (which designate specific individuals to step in to manage your money or healthcare if you cannot do so) as well as other documents that

provide additional guidance for operating businesses and managing and distributing other assets you have. Make sure these documents are always current and that contact information is included for all the qualified experts you used to prepare them – estate or business attorneys, tax professionals and financial planners.

2. Insurance policies. Being

able to find home and auto policies in a natural disaster is a no-brainer, but it’s important to think a little more broadly. File as much policy and contact detail as you can for any health, disability, business, life and accident coverage you have – and remember that it’s particularly important to note or file documentation on this coverage at work, too.

Sometimes we sign up rather blindly for work-based benefits only to realize how important they may be in a financial emergency.

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continued from page B1

and inspection. It also would require that lenders adhere to a “Good Neighbor Policy” that restricts signage, hours and sale of drugs and alcohol onsite.

Spencer noted that this bill comes as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announces a new federal rule regarding lending. In introducing these rules, CFPB Director Richard Cordray acknowledged the limits of federal regulation aimed at encouraging states and local governments to partner with the CFPB to rein in this predatory industry.

“At the heart of this proposed rule is the

3. Tax materials. If a family member dies or becomes incapacitated, tax matters still need to be attended to. If you work with a tax professional, make sure their contact information is in the digital or physical kit (see indexes, contacts and guides, below), but it’s also important to keep past returns and relevant supporting data based on your individual tax situation.

4. Investment, savings and retirement documents. If you work with a qualified financial planner or tax expert,

you may have access to a particular system that lists and track this information in an organized way that many of us don’t have at home. However you plan and track your investments, it should be included in your kit.

5. Indexes, contact sheets and guides. Some people need a little guidance, others need a lot. A family financial emergency kit needs to be usable by all designated family members. Put yourself in the role of a friend or family member who’s been

n “Our state allows lenders to charge up to 75 percent on a two-week loan, the highest rate cap in the country.”

– Alderwoman Cara Spencer

reasonable and widely accepted idea that payday and car title loans should be made based on the borrower’s actual ability to repay – while still meeting other basic living expenses,” Mike Calhoun, president of the Center for Responsible Lending, said of the new CFPB rule.

“Currently, the loan’s business model allows for lenders to seize money directly from a borrower’s bank account. Lenders easily and directly collect

loans regardless of whether borrowers can afford the full repayment without defaulting on other expenses. Similarly, with car title loans, lenders threaten repossession of a borrower’s car to coerce repayment.”

Calhoun noted that payday lenders collect 75 percent of their loan fees from borrowers with more than 10 loans per year. These highcost, unaffordable loans lead to a cascade of financial consequences, such as overdraft

called in to help you in a crisis. If you had to step in to settle an estate, healthcare or disaster emergency for a friend or family member and they weren’t around to advise you, what information would you need to get started? In any category of information you include in a financial emergency kit, include a separate file or digital instruction that details people to call, account numbers if necessary, relevant online and physical addresses and other key data to advise that person about what’s in front of them and what they should do. If you work with qualified financial experts, make sure their contact information is included.

6. Easy access to essentials under lock and key. If you’re away from home when damage occurs or if family members need to access vehicles or other spaces, make sure you have keys and access codes locked safely in your emergency kit. You will also want to ensure that your emergency contacts have the necessary access to your emergency kit in order to retrieve these materials. You or loved ones might also need access to funds, particularly cash in an emergency. If you don’t have a bank account established strictly for emergencies that allows specific family members to write checks or make cash withdrawals, you should consider it.

Bottom line: Building a financial emergency kit requires some thinking, but it can help you avoid major losses and speed up decision making in a crisis. Work with people you trust to make it accessible and useful to your family and trusted individuals.

Nathaniel Sillin directs Visa’s financial education programs. To follow Practical Money Skills on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ PracticalMoney.

fees, bankruptcy and loss of bank accounts.

“Data consistently show that these loans typically ensnare people into debt traps,” Calhoun said. “The billiondollar revenues generated from these loans are premised upon borrowers’ inability to pay and the resulting lucrative turnstile of debt created with every loan renewal.”

However, Calhoun said, the new rule contains significant loopholes that leave borrowers at risk. These include exceptions for certain loans from the ability-to-repay requirement, and inadequate protections against “loan flipping” – putting borrowers into one unaffordable loan after another.

“The rule’s ability-to-repay test provides an exception for about six short-term payday loans annually,” Calhoun said. “That’s six too many. Even one unaffordable loan – much less six – can cause significant harm to borrowers, impacting their ability to manage other expenses and keep their bank account in good standing.” He said the rule also permits exceptions for certain long-term loans that could ultimately overburden borrowers with unaffordable debt. Further, the protections against flipping borrowers from one short-term loan into another have been cut in half since the preliminary proposal last year.

“This change increases the possibility that lenders, by combining ‘exceptions’ and other rules, could still keep borrowers in 10 or more 300plus percent interest short-term loans in a year,” Calhoun said. Calhoun said the final rule should apply ability-torepay requirements to every loan; increase protections against loan flipping; and be broadened to cover any loan that enables lenders to coerce repayment from borrowers.

n “I’ve wrestled with alligators. I’ve tussled with a whale. I done handcuffed lightning and thrown thunder in jail.”

– Muhammad Ali

A personal take on The Greatest

‘Dang, Mama, you really went to high school with Muhammad Ali?’

When I think of Muhammad Ali, I think of one of the best memories of my childhood.

It was 1975, I was 10 years old and Ali was getting ready to take on Joe Frazier in their epic third fight, a.k.a. “The Thrilla in Manila.” My father would always go to watch Ali’s championship fights at the theatre via closed circuit television. I always wanted to go, but my parents would never let me. The evening belonged to my father and his buddies.

On the afternoon of October 1 in ’75, I got home from the school and my mother greeted me with a big surprise. She pulled out two tickets to go see Ali-Frazier III at the Riverside Theatre in Milwaukee. The cost was $25 per ticket, which was a pretty penny back in the day.

I had assumed that the tickets were for both my parents, but instead, my mother told me that I would be going with my father and not her. I ran all over the house screaming with excitement. I was finally going to join my father at the fights. I was in heaven.

The Thrilla in Manila was a great testament to the human spirit and the will to survive. Ali and Frazier waged war for 14 rounds, and I took in all of the excitement around the fight crowd at the theatre, most of whom were rooting for Ali. When Frazier did not come out for the 15th round, the place erupted.

It was an unbelievable night. Not only did a get to witness one of the most memorable professional fights ever, I got to enjoy the event with my father. It was the best. And I have my mother to thank for this priceless childhood memory.

When I think about the passing of Muhammad Ali last weekend, what immediately came to mind was Louisville, Kentucky, the hometown of “The Greatest.” It is also the hometown of my late mother and her family, the Unselds.

Sandra Unseld Austin attended Central High School in Louisville back in the late 1950s at the same time as a young man named Cassius Marcellus Clay. My mother was a couple of years older than Cassius. When I used to talk to her about her high school days, the conversation would go something like this.

“Dang, Mama, you really went to high school with Muhammad Ali?”

“Yes, I did,” she would say.

“What was he like back then?”

“The same as he is now: loud and silly.”

“Did he ever talk to you? What would he say to you?”

“Whatchu doin’, Pretty Girl?”

See ALI, B5

Cavaliers hanging by a thread

King James continues to pull the strings

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers have their backs against the wall. The Eastern Conference Champions find themselves down 0-2 against the Golden State Warriors in the Finals and fans are scrambling to find someone to blame. To some, King James is blameless. After all, he’s the unquestioned leader, most consistent producer and the only truly unstoppable force on the team. Without James, the Cavs would not be able to sniff the NBA Finals. However, as long as he continues to wield power as the team’s best player, de facto general manager and player-coach, it’s unlikely that Cleveland will be able to scratch its championship itch anytime soon.

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Maybe Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert should have paid more attention in Civics 101 at Michigan State back in his days at Michigan State. I’m sure that even in the early 1980s, professors taught about the importance of checks and balances. No, I’m not talking about balancing his multi-billion-dollar checkbook. As a person whose net worth is calculated in frozen burritos, I dare not lecture Gilbert about money matters. However, four score and seven years ago, George Washington chopped down the cherry tree so that we, the people, could form a more perfect Union (or something like that). The result is that the nation’s forefathers had the insight to separate its powers into three branches: executive (President), legislative (Congress) and judicial (Supreme Court). In Cleveland,

Last

See CLUTCH,

Earl Austin Jr.

Sistrunk

Muhammad Ali prepares for his third ight against Joe Frazier.

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

Ali meant all the world to me, I’m saying goodbye in person

The night of July 19, 1996 I made a promise to myself –one I prayed that I would not fulfill for many years to come. That evening, a proud but shaking Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic flame in Atlanta. It was a moving moment the world shared. But it was the first time I realized he was not going to live forever. I had no guarantee that I would even outlive him, but on that night I vowed to attend Ali’s funeral. I knew I had to personally pay my respects to the man who had meant so much to me as a black boy, black man, black college student, black journalist and black American. Following the taping of Donnybrook on Thursday night I’m driving to Louisville. If I have to plant myself outside the YUM Center for 12 hours to get a seat for the 1 p.m. (CDT) funeral, I’ll be doing it. I have to be there. I will be there.

Of his many famous quotes, as a 55-year-old man, this one hits home. “The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”

Ali’s views changed, so did mine during those 30 years. But like countless others, there are “Ali moments” that I will never forget.

Sept. 5, 1960 – I obviously don’t remember this date, but Cassius Clay won the Olympic light-heavyweight gold medal in Rome in a unanimous decision over Zbigniew Pietrzykowski of Poland. It was 24 hours before I was born.

March 8, 1971 – On this Monday morning we had trampoline day in gym at Rose Hill Elementary School. I was talking about the “Fight of the Century” with a kid named Dan Dickherber. I wanted Ali. He wanted Joe Frazier. He is white. I am black. It seemed like this was how the world saw the fight. Frazier would drop Ali with a punishing left in the 15th round and win a unanimous decision. I didn’t learn what had happened until the next morning on The

TODAY Show. To this day, I still feel the sting of that loss. I was a crushed 10-year-old.

March 31, 1973 – I was all set to watch Ali beat up a young guy named Ken Norton in a tune-up fight for a Frazier rematch. Televised on a Saturday afternoon from San Diego, Norton broke Ali’s jaw and dominated the fight. It was Ali’s second loss. By this time in life I realized crazy things happen in sports. I actually felt excitement for Norton, in part because he hailed from Jacksonville, Ill., and I had relatives in that town. I was 12.

January 28, 1974 – My first closed circuit viewing

experience. The Loew’s Theater. I remember the place was not sold out, but there was not a soul in the building that was not rooting for Ali. He won a unanimous decision over Frazier and – and least for a few hours – the world was right again. I was 13.

October 30, 1974 – Forgive me Jesus, but my mind wasn’t totally on you during the church service I attended that evening at First Baptist Church of Meacham Park. The underdog Ali was taking on undefeated George Foreman in what would be come to known as “The Rumble in the Jungle.” The only way of following the action was on KATZ

1600, which had betweenround updates. The moment I got home I darted upstairs. Alone in my bedroom with my Soundesign clock radio tuned in, the fight progressed. It sounded like Ali was in control. I’ll never forget the words “A knockout. We have a knockout. Muhammad Ali has knocked out George Foreman!” A few weeks later, the fight was shown on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. I had turned 14 in September.

October 1, 1975 – The “Thrilla in Manilla.” It was a Wednesday night. Again, I followed this fight via betweenround updates. Unlike the Foreman fight, the updates were far more detailed. They told the story of a fight that had three stages. Ali dominated early. Frazier punished Ali in the middle rounds. Ali savagely beating Frazier in the late rounds and the gallant Frazier not entering the ring to start

the 15th round. Whenever it is replayed I watch the entire bout. It is a tribute to the talent and heart of Ali and Frazier. The next week’s Sports Illustrated had the fight on the cover and the lead headline on a lengthy article was Ali’s quote about Frazier: “Lawdy, Lawdy, he’s great.” I was 15.

February 15, 1978 – All St. Louis was proud of Leon and Michael Spinks. They were Olympic heroes who were now climbing the ranks in pro boxing. Spinks, a heavyweight, had signed to fight Ali on a bout to be televised on CBS. He was supposed to get whipped. Spinks did a hokey TV commercial wearing a tuxedo and holding a box of candy. He said something about having a present or a Valentine’s surprise for Ali. He looked and sounded ridiculous. And then he kicked Ali’s tail. Great for Spinks and St. Louis. Sad for Ali. I too was sad. I

was in the final semester of my senior year and was 17 years old.

September 15, 1978 –McCollum Hall on Daisy Hill at the University of Kansas was the largest dormitory on campus. It was imploded recently to make room for new dorms. This is where I watched the Ali-Spinks rematch. I lived in Templin Hall right down the block, but McCallum and a big-screen TV and hundreds of students packed its lobby to watch. Ali seemed to toy with Spinks, outthinking and outfighting him in winning a unanimous decision in New Orleans. I said aloud that I hoped Ali never fought again. He retired. I didn’t believe him. I was right. I was 18. October 2, 1980 – Ali took on champion Larry Holmes. I truly believed that Ali could somehow do it one more time. He could not. I watched the fight in a Lawrence, KS., bar/restaurant that had it on satellite. I could barely watch Ali take the beating the fight mercifully ended when Ali’s corner stopped it after 10 rounds. I was 20 and I felt beaten too. December 11, 1981 – I was home from college on Christmas break. Ali lasted 12 rounds in losing a unanimous decision to some guy named Trevor Berbick. I made no effort to watch the fight. I knew – for the first time – that Ali was going to lose. I was 21 and knew it was finally over for the great Muhammad Ali. Winter of 1984 – When I arrived at the Danville Commercial-News in August 1983 I was a newlywed working at his first newspaper. I was the only black reporter in the newsroom, and I covered sports. Late one Saturday night in the “back shop,” where a crew of guys (all white and in their 50s) laid out the pages, I was proofreading a page. The conversation had turned to boxing because Larry Holmes remained undefeated and was nearing Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 record. The talk was that Marciano would beat Holmes. I calmly added that Ali would have knocked out Marciano if they ever fought and that Cassius Clay probably would have dropped Marciano for good in a round or two. I’ll never forget the looks I got. I was 23, my inner-Ali popped out and I won that fight. Alvin A. Reid is a panelist on the Nine Network program, Donnybrook and appears on ABC’s The Allman Report and several sports radio shows. His Twitter handle is @aareid1.

Alvin A. Reid

When Muhammad Ali knocked out George Foreman on October 30, 1974, many St. Louisans were listening to between-round updates on KATZ 1600.

ALI

Continued from B3

My mom said Ali always referred to her as “Pretty Girl.”

I wonder if he even knew her name. I’ve seen my mother’s high school pictures, and she was indeed a pretty girl. And we all know how Muhammad liked to talk to the pretty girls.

n Like Ali, the Unselds, particularly my uncles Wes and George Unseld, are part of Louisville sports royalty.

As I think of The Greatest, I’m gratified to know of the connections that he had to my family back in Louisville. Like Ali, the Unselds, particularly my uncles Wes and George Unseld, are part of Louisville sports royalty. After Muhammad Ali, basketball legend Wes Unseld was probably the second most famous athlete ever produced in the city. They were like cousins who were related through sports in Louisville.

Even Ali’s mother, Odessa Clay, and my grandmother, Cornelia Unseld, knew each other quite well.

When my Uncle Skip was a young teenager back in the 1950s, he trained as a boxer at the Golden Gym on 4th Street, which happened to be Ali’s first training spot as an up-andcoming amateur star.

Muhammad Ali’s impact on the world in sports, activism, human rights, civil rights, politics and our culture in general is well documented on so many levels. He was indeed an international treasure. There has been no shortage of glowing testimonials for Ali the fighter and Ali the man and I’ve read and watched many of them.

It’s just an honor for me to be able to share my thoughts on The Greatest there ever was from a special family perspective.

CLUTCH

Continued from B5

to the Finals in his first. Gilbert hired Lue as head coach with zero experience leading a team, much less a superstar player. The team also signed Tristan Thompson to a 5-year, $82 million deal and Kevin Love to a 5-year $110 million deal in the offseason despite the fact that they play the same position. Make no bones about it, James wielded heavy influence in each of those decisions. Unless a team is prepared to go back to the olden days with an actual player-coach, having a player as the puppet-master is just not going to work. Think of all the players who have been labeled as coach killers: Deron Williams, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard DeMarcus Cousins How many of them have NBA championships? None. Michael Jordan needed Phil Jackson, as did Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant Magic Johnson did help to usher in the Pat Riley era in Los Angeles, but Riley turned out to be one of the greatest coaches of all-time and the Lakers boasted two of the greatest players of all-time with Johnson and Kareem AbdulJabbar. All due respects to Love and Irving, legitimate All-Star caliber players, neither is Johnson or Abdul-Jabbar. Also, don’t think for a second that Erik Spoelstra would have survived James’ first season in Miami (when they lost to the Dallas Mavericks) if the universally-respected Riley wasn’t calling the shots.

Now that the Warriors have made it appear that a second crown will be easy work, rumors have surfaced that James could take his talents elsewhere once again in free agency. The same individuals who swore that the results of last year’s Finals would have been different if Irving and Love had been healthy are now blaming their lack of defense for the team’s current position.

While Stephen Curry has not yet played up to his MVP cali-

ber, backup point guard Shaun Livingston scorched Irving for 20 points in Game 1 and Draymond Green lit up Love for 28 points in Game 2. Cleveland should play with more of a backbone as the team returns home, but what will happen when Curry and Klay Thompson finally heat up and get buckets live up to their superstar status? The Warriors took some bad losses against Oklahoma City in the Western Conference Finals and bounced back, so it would be naïve to think the series is over. But the series is over.

The Warriors are confident and deep. Though Steve Kerr is just in his second year as head coach, it’s obvious that his players put enough ‘respek’ on his name. There are no rumors about unhappiness in Golden State. Kerr doesn’t have to tell Curry to “shut the [heck] up” in huddles to assert his authority. Even down 3-1 to the Thunder, there were no side eyes or shade sightings in Oakland. General Manager Bob Myers is the architect, Kerr draws up the Xs and Os and Curry and his teammates execute the plays. In Cleveland, it’s no secret that James calls the shots. When he sat out a game

against the Houston Rockets on March 29, James paced the sidelines and called out plays and instructions over Lue’s shoulder. In Lue’s defense, he’s trying his best to assert control of the team. However, it’s a lost cause. James IS Cleveland. Until James finds another Riley-esque leader, he’s destined for runner-up trophies. Maybe he’ll wind up taking his talents to New York. The jewelry stores in Cleveland will stay closed for business.

RIP Muhammad Ali

Though this week’s edition of The St. Louis American is filled with coverage of ‘The Greatest,’ I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least express my condolences and admiration of the late Muhammad Ali. Ali had numerous iconic moments, including his trilogy with Joe Frazier, the amazing rope-adope against George Foreman, the brutal “What’s my name?” beat down of Ernie Terrell and his amazing and brave stance against the Vietnam War. He will forever be the face of heavyweight boxing and one of the greatest sportsmen who ever lived. Rest in peace champ!

Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ IshmaelSistrunk

he ST. LouiS AmericAn PreP AThLeTeS of The Week

Rayvon Allen

Rockwood Summit – Boys Track and Field

The talented junior won two medals at last week’s Class 4 state championships in Jefferson City, including the state title in the triple jump. Allen won the event with a winning effort of 49 feet 0 1/2 inches to complete an outstanding series of jumps. Allen also had jumps of 48-9, 48-11 and 48-0 1/2 before unleashing his best effort on his fifth jump of the competition.

Allen also produced on the track and he finished in seventh place in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles.

Isaiah Cole

Hazelwood West – Boys Track

The standout sprinter won a couple of gold medals at the Class 5 state championships in Jefferson City.

Cole won the state championship in the 400-meter dash and anchored the Wildcats to a state title in the 4x400-meter relay.

Cole posted a winning time of 47.21 seconds in the 400. He brought the baton home for the Wildcats’ state-championship relay team, which finished in a time of 3 minutes 17.12 seconds. He also finished third in the 200-meter dash.

Bill Russell, Jim Brown, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and other African-American athletes came together in support of Muhammad Ali’s refusal to go to Vietnam.

Ali with his longtime trainer Angelo Dundee.

Ali with Pele

Muhammad Ali knocks out Sonny Liston in the irst round of their rematch in Lewiston, Maine in 1965.

Ali with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

A rare photo OF Muhammad Ali with Joe Frazier during friendlier times at Frazier’s gym in 1971.

Photo by George Kalinsky

RIVERFRONT

continued from page B1

summer and fall includes bike rides, walk/run events, the St. Louis Brewers Guild Heritage Festival, a free concert series with The Sheldon, swap meets and more.

“With two projects finished and three more to go, this historic transformation is taking shape,” said Ryan McClure, director of Communications for the CityArchRiver Foundation,

the nonprofit helping to coordinate the project and overseeing private investment.

“When the majority of the Gateway Arch grounds landscaping finishes this fall and the rest of the project is completed in 2017, visitors will get the exceptional experience of a connected city, Arch and river that is active throughout the year.”

The renovations were funded by many partners, including Great Rivers Greenway; the U.S. Department of Transportation, through

Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) funds; the National Park Service; CityArchRiver Foundation; and Bi-State Development.

“This new front door for our region celebrates the energy, adventure and awe of the mighty Mississippi and our iconic Gateway Arch,” said Susan Trautman, executive director of Great Rivers Greenway, the regional parks and trails district and lead agency on the project.

The renovation of the 1.5-mile stretch of the St. Louis riverfront includes the recently rebuilt Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard and extension of the Mississippi Greenway from the Biddle Street Trailhead south to Chouteau Avenue, with protected walking and biking paths. The entire riverfront was elevated an average of almost two feet to limit flooding.

Photo courtesy of Great Rivers Greenway

Urban League honors living legends

Melba Moore, Mary Wilson among 2016 Salute to Women in Leadership awardees

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

“Today everybody wants to be a star, but in the 60s as a black person that wasn’t something that was on your mind,” said Mary Wilson, founding member of the legendary group The Supremes. “You were just really trying to be considered a human being and a citizen.”

Mary Wilson, Diana Ross and Florence Ballard were just teenagers when they caught the eye of up-and-coming Motown Records creator Berry Gordy in their hometown of Detroit.

Popular culture would never be the same as the originators of the Motown sound

used music to bridge cultures and serve as ambassadors for black music (and people) around the world.

Next week Wilson will be in St. Louis as one of the honorees of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis’ 12th Annual Salute to Women in Leadership Gala.

“We are proud to recognize women who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve their communities,” said Michael P. McMillan, president and CEO of The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. “The Urban League is proud to give recognition to outstanding women who embody the mission of our organization to help create

See URBAN, C4

Beyond the punchlines

a captivating intimate portrait of Dick Gregory

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis

American (New York, NY) – “Growing up in St. Louis I used to think poverty was the worst disease in America,” Joe Morton says while portraying the title role in the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway play Turn Me Loose: A Story of Comic Genius Dick Gregory.

“Turns out, it’s racism.”

Balling with the stars

Concert presenter, club promoter and popular personality LooseCannon

S.L.I.M. brought boxing mogul Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s Money Team along with several other stars for the 6th Annual LooseCannon Celebrity Basketball Game Sunday night at Chaifetz Arena. ‘Love and Hip Hop Atlanta’ co-star Stevie J and rappers The Migos were just a few of the names who suited up with Mayweather as The Money Team took on the LooseCannon crew.

Black Rep stages reading of Wolfe classic for collective fundraising initiative

By Kenya Vaughn

n The play, produced by John Legend’s Gifted Productions, continues through July 3.

As his work on the ABC Network hit “Scandal” brings him to the brink of finally getting the mainstream credit he deserves as an actor, Morton has returned to the stage to shed light on the sacrifices made by the homegrown comedy legend who forfeited his pioneering career to fully devote himself to the Civil Rights Movement. The limited engagement production written by Gretchen Law and directed by John Gould Rubin that opened in May continues through July 3 at New York’s Westside Theatre.

Turn Me Loose calls upon Morton to pour his heart and soul into the role of Gregory.

As he rises to meet the physical, mental and emotional demands of the show, Morton removes any shadow of doubt with respect to his capacity as a performer and adds a new level of appreciation for his caliber of talent. Not only is he required to capture Gregory’s fervor and passion as an activist, but the challenge also fell upon Morton

See GREGORY, C4

Melba MooreMary Wilson

Actor Joe Morton portraying the title role in the Off-Broadway play Turn Me Loose: A Story of Comic Genius Dick Gregory.

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

How to place a calendar listing

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

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

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

concerts

Fri., June 17, The Marquee Old School Series with Too Short, The Marquee, 1900 Locust. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com .

Sun., June 19, Temptations Revue featuring Dennis Edwards, The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Wed., June 22, 10:30 a.m., St. Louis County Library presents Music & History: West African Kora

Enjoy this special musical performance by Sean Gaskell on the Kora, an ancient 21-stringed harp from West Africa. Gaskell will feature traditional songs that are the heart and soul of the Kora’s musical repertoire, in addition to some of his own personal compositions. Grant’s View Branch, 9700 Musick Rd., 63123. For more information, call (314) 994-3300 or visit www.slcl.org.

Sat., Jun. 25, Mo Investment presents Brian McKnight Live, The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sun., July 3, Riviera Club Productions presents The Whispers with special Guests The Dirty Muggs, The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry.

local gigs

Fri., June 10, 7 p.m., Kim Massie presents A Tribute to Prince. The Beale on Broadway, 701 S. Broadway 63102. For more information, call (314) 621-7880 or visit www.bealeonbroadway.com.

June 10 – 11, Randy Holmes Quintet presents Miles Davis 90th Birthday Party. Ozark Theatre, 103 E. Lockwood Ave., 63119.

For more information, call (314) 962-7000 or visit www. ozarktheatre.com.

Sun., June 19, 4 p.m., Sikuizm: A Soulition Day Groove. A day of groove offering unapologetically afroprogressive vibes for those who dare to think outside the club. Centene Center for the Arts, 3547 Olive St., 63103. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.

special events

Fri., June 10, 5:30 p.m., Sigma Gamma Rho-Zeta Sigma Chapter Presents “Project Wee Savers,” For Ages 6-18, Confluence Academy, 3017 N. 13th Street St. Louis, MO 63107

Fri., June 10, 6:30 p.m., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Metro St. Louis Alumnae Chapter and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Nu Chi Chapter will be hosting their Annual Alumni Step Show Competition. The competition will be fierce with a cash prizes, trophies and bragging rights for a year. So come on out and support your favorite Divine Nine organization in this wonderful night of fun and competition to support our scholarship program initiatives. Machinist Hall, 12365 St. Charles Rock Rd., 63044. For more information, email stepshow@dstslmac.com or visit www.eventbrite.com.

June 10 – 12, Soldan High School Class of 1976 Reunion. For more information, email soldanclassof1976@yahoo.com or visit www.facebook.com.

June 10 – 12, Fair U City. Make plans to visit the Fair and enjoy great food; hear some fantastic music including the U City Jazz Festival; take a spin on some old-fashioned carnival rides; ride the mechanical bull;

The Marquee Old School Series with Too Short. For more information, see CONCERTS.

Featured Event

Mon., June 6, 10:30 a.m., Missouri History Museum presents Summer Family Fun: Dre Hilton Performance. Come out for an interactive musical performance by Dre Hilton, native St. Louisan and star of the new TV show ‘Kid Start with Dre Hilton.’ 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 746-4599 or visit www. mohistory.org.

and much, much more. Heman Park, 975 Pennsylvania Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 505-8617 or visit www.fairucity.com.

Sat., June 11, 6:30 a.m., Susan G. Komen Greater St. Louis Race for the Cure 2016. Raise vital funds for lifesaving, local breast health programs and cutting-edge, global breast cancer research; celebrate breast cancer survivors and forever fighters; and honor those we have lost to the disease. Soldiers Memorial, 1315 Chestnut St., 63103. For more information and to register for or donate to the Race, visit www. komenmissouri.org/STLRace.

Sat., June 11, 11 a.m., The St. Louis Crisis Nursery invites you to Dynamic Dad’s Day Celebration. Dads and their children (birth - age 12)

are invited to enjoy food, fun, games, door prizes and more. Also, interact with and learn from speaker Reginald Slaughter. City Outreach Center, 2401 N. Grand Ave., 63106. For more information, call (314) 533-6900 or visit www.crisisnurserykids.org.

Sun., June 12, 1 p.m., Desire to Empower 2nd Annual Women’s Empowerment Conference. Conference will include brunch, entertainment as well as a strong line-up of motivational, educational and inspirational speakers. This year we will honor and award “Phenomenal” women who are making significant contributions to the communities of St. Louis. We will also have a host of vendors available for you to patronize. The Polish Heritage Center, 1413 N. 20th St., 63106. For more information,

facebook.com.

Sat., June 18, 3 p.m., Circuit Attorney Debate 2016. An opportunity to engage all four candidates running for St. Louis City Circuit Attorney before voting in August. Busch Student Center, 20 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information or to register your questions, visit www.bit. ly/1XvLbU4.

Mon., June 20, Kingdom House presents 2016 Golf Tournament & Dinner Auction. The day will include 18 holes of golf with cart, lunch, food and drinks on course, a dinner auction, and more. Forest Hills Country Club, 36 Forest Club Dr., 63005. For more information, (314) 260-6369 or visit www. kingdomhouse.org.

Sat., June 25, 9 a.m., 150th Anniversary of the Buffalo Soldiers Bike Ride. We will conquer all 11.8 roundtrip miles of the St. Louis Riverfront Trail taking in the sights of the cascading river, various scenery, and artwork. We will meet at the trail entrance at the northern end off Riverview Drive & 270. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.

call (314) 372-6020.

Fri., June 17, 5:30 p.m., Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis presents Salute to Women in Leadership. Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel, 800 Washington Ave., 63101. For more information, call (314) 6153668 or visit www.ulstl.com.

Sat., June 18, 10 a.m., CAM, the Pulitzer, and the Sheldon present Family Day Block Party. Enjoy superherothemed art activities at each location, music by KDHX DJ Paul Stark, performances by Tapman, face painting, and more. Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 535-4660 or visit www.camstl. org.

Sun., June 19, 10 a.m., Every Black Man. What would it take to get every black man in STL that was physically able to meet and fellowship, burn sage, pray for our incarcerated, pray for our brothers that have passed, tribute our ancestors, uplift each other, and make arrangements to better ourselves, our women, our children, our homes, and our communities? Art Hill in Forest Park, 63110. For more information, visit www.

Sat., June 25, 4 p.m., Reggae Fest Day Party: Carnivãl Edition. This is not just a day party, Carnivãl is a vibrant experience full of

June 16-June 18, Helium Comedy Club St. Louis welcomes Sinbad, Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St. Louis Galleria St. For more information, call (314) 7271260 or visit http://st-louis. heliumcomedy.com/ Fri., July 29, 8 p.m. Martin Lawrence, Chaifetz Arena. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com

literary

Sat., June 11, 10 a.m., Write Sistahs Literary Group presents Brunch & Poetry Reading. Come hear readings from Rennell Parker, Kiana “Justice” McKinney, Valerie Wiggins, Sistah Taraji, and more. Legacy Books & Café,

5249 Delmar Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 210-4774 or visit www. mariecheweelliott.com.

Saturday, June 11, 2016, 11am - 3pm, St. Louis author DuEwa Frazier will sign copies of her teen novel, Deanne in the Middle for B-Fest Teen Book Festival. Prizes and literacy games will be offered for young readers. Free Barnes & Noble Ladue Crossing, 8871 Ladue Rd. St. Louis, MO 63124. For more information, call 314-8626280.

Sun., June 12, 2 p.m.,

“Breaking the Silence from Shame: My Journey” Book Launch Celebration. Copies of the book and t-shirts will be available for purchase. A portion of the proceeds will go to organizations that assist victims of abuse. Event also will include attendance prizes, grand prize raffle drawing, light refreshments and informational booths. St. Ann Community Center, 1 Community Center Dr., 63074.

Tues., June 14, 7 p.m., Images of Modern America: African American St. Louis Commemorate the upcoming Juneteenth holiday by joining us for this program on Images of Modern America: African American St. Louis, the newest book by John A. Wright, Sr., John A. Wright, Jr., and Curtis A. Wright, Sr. Tracing key milestones in St. Louis history, this book pays homage to those African Americans who sacrificed to advance fair socioeconomic conditions for all. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 746-4599 or visit www. mohistory.org.

Tues., June 14, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Elicka Peterson-Sparks author The Devil You Know: The Surprising Link Between Conservative Christianity and Crime. While not resorting to a blanket condemnation of Christianity or religion as a whole,

Peterson-Sparks issues a wakeup call regarding conservative Christianity’s toxic mixture of fundamentalism, authoritarian politics, patriotism, and retributory justice. 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 3676731 or visit www.left-bank. com.

Wed., June 15, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Walter Mosley, author of Charcoal Joe. Detective Easy Rawlins is back, with a new agency and a new mystery to solve. 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-6731 or visit www.left-bank.com.

Thur., June 16, 7 p.m., Ferguson Public Library hosts author Carol Anderson, author of White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide As Ferguson erupted in 2014, and media commentators across the spectrum referred to the angry response of African

Americans as black rage, Anderson wrote a remarkable op-ed in the Washington Post showing that this was, instead, white rage at work. 35 N. Florissant Rd., 63135. For more information, call (314) 521-4820 or visit www. ferguson.lib.mo.us.

Wed., June 22, 7 p.m., St. Louis Public Library hosts author Kimberla Lawson Roby, author of A Sinful Calling. Schlafly Branch, 225 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-4120 or visit www.slpl. org.

theatre

June 13 – 22, The Muny presents The Wizard of Oz Fly “over the rainbow” for this all-time American and Muny classic. Whenever Dorothy and her friends follow their hearts down the yellow brick road, you’re guaranteed an evening

lectures

Tues., June 14, 4 p.m., Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis presents Job Testing Workshop. It is widely known that pressure and stress can drag some job seeker’s pre-employment test scores down. This workshop aims to increase your success with taking pre-employment tests and to ensure that you are prepared in advance. St. Louis County Urban League, 8960 Jennings Station Rd., 63136. For more information, call (314) 506-5306 or visit www. ulstl.com.

health

of enchantment. 1 Theatre Dr., 63112. For more information, call (314) 361-1900 or visit www.muny.org.

Through June 26, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 6604 Fine Arts Dr., 63110. For more information, call (314) 5319800 or visit www.sfstl.com.

The Griot Museum of Black History presents Lady Leaders and Legends. Artist Daniel Hodges will 20 outstanding St. Louis women including Maya Angelou, Katherine Dunham, Frankie M. Freeman, Ida Woolfolk, and others. 2505 St. Louis Ave., 63110. For more information, call (314) 241-7057 or visit www.thegriotmuseum.org.

Fri., June 10, 8 a.m., VOYCE presents the 5th Annual Changing Landscape of Long-term Care Conference: It’s Time for a Revolution. There will be two tracks throughout the day; one for professionals working in long-term care and one for the general public who are looking for answers to the complexity of long-term care. Topics for the general public include planning longterm care with your family, self-care when caring for a loved one, understanding care options, and more. Topics for professionals include nutrition in long-term care, staff engagement, meeting the needs of the younger population, and more. Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel, 9801 Natural Bridge Rd., 63134. For more information or to register, call (314) 919-2410 or visit www. voycestl.org.

Tues., June 14, 3 p.m., SSM Health Home Care/Hospice RN Hiring Event. We are looking for experienced RN’s for Home Care and Hospice$10,000 Sign-on Bonus for all eligible RN’s. SSM Medical Group at The Shoppes at Cross Keys, 14021 New Halls Ferry Rd., 63033. For more information, call (314) 523-8045 or visit www.bit.

ly/1TF03ur.

Sat., June 18, Community Women Against Hardship’s 12th Annual Walk and Health Fair, Tower Grove Park. For more information, Call (314) 289-7523 or visit www.cwah.org.

Sat., June 18, 10 a.m., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Upsilon Omega Chapter presents the 17th Annual Commemorative Charles Drew Blood Drive. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (800) RED CROSS or visit www. redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code: Omega.

Fri., June 10, 6 p.m., Calvary M.B. Church Youth Ministry presents Keep It 100 Youth Lock-in. Join us in celebrating our children and youth at this fun filled event. Children 9 and under will attend the event from 7p until 10p, youth 10 and older will attend the event from 7p Friday June 10th and dismiss on Saturday June 11th at 7a. A $2 donation is requested for children 9 and under and a $5 donation is requested for youth 10 and older. Food, prizes, giveaways, live entertainment and workshops are planned for this celebration. We offer a fun, safe, family friendly environment. For more information, call (314) 2694120.

Sun., June 12, 10 a.m., The United Methodist Church of Wentzville invites you to celebrate their 150th Anniversary. From 10 am to 11 am, one service will be held; followed by fellowship and potluck luncheon at 11 am. At noon, an anniversary program consisting of historical photos, artifacts, and testimonies will be given. 725 Wall St., 63385. For more information, call (636) 327-6377 or visit www. livelovegrow.org.

Helium Comedy Club St. Louis welcomes Sinbad. For more information, see COMEDY.

Comedian and activist Dick Gregory with actor Joe Morton at the premier of the Off-Broadway play

Turn Me Loose: A Story of Comic Genius Dick Gregory.

GREGORY

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to nail the crucial element of timing as he reenacted classic comedy bits over the course of the show – which he does with ease.

The 90-minute production also features talented actor John Carlin in a host of supportive role snippets and spans the nearly 60 years since Gregory became a household name. Law seamlessly weaves together early standup material with controversial appearances on the college lecture circuit in recent years – and personal monologues of inner turmoil Gregory faced along his journey. Many within the younger generations only know Gregory as an advocate of clean eating and a preacher of racially motivated conspiracy theories. But, through Turn Me Loose audiences are more tangibly exposed to his gift for wit and how he broke ground in mainstream comedy with clever punchlines in a conversational style that delivered powerful body shots to the overt systemic

URBAN

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opportunities for disadvantaged and overlooked individuals and communities.”

In addition to Wilson, stage/ film/television actress and singer Melba Moore will be honored for her life’s work. She used her platform as a performer to shed light on the need to help others –particularly through her role with the National Council of Negro Women, where she

racism of his era. It’s not a stretch to say that Gregory put himself in harm’s way by performing racially and politically charged comedy that constantly jabbed at the Jim Crow south and bigotry as a whole. Especially when considering Emmitt Till’s brutal murder – just a few years before Gregory hit the comedy circuit – was said to be sparked by the 14-year-old merely whistling in the direction of a white woman. Gregory further put himself at risk as by using his celebrity to promote African-Americans’ struggle for equality from the frontlines of the movement. In doing so, he came to closely know those who paid the ultimate price for their efforts to dismantle racism. His relationship with slain leaders Medgar Evers and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are touched upon in Turn Me Loose – particularly Evers. Gregory’s close friendship with the Mississippi NAACP leader, who was assassinated in his front yard as President John F. Kennedy delivered an address on the Civil Rights Act, was an integral element of the monologues that spoke to his role in the movement. Evers also inspired the title of Turn

worked under the leadership of the legendary Dr. Dorothy Height. Moore also marched alongside Coretta Scott King and Jesse Jackson and others in the efforts to get Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday recognized as a national holiday.

“God has done a work in me,” Moore said as she reflected upon her decades-long career that garnered her a Tony Award and a series of hit R&B albums. “I hope that people will be able to see in me the glory of God – and what he will do if you make him first, middle

Me Loose.

The play, produced by John Legend’s Gifted Productions, continues through July 3 and comes on the heels of the singer/songwriter-turned-producer’s critically acclaimed series, “Underground,” which broke ratings records for cable’s WGN network.

With Turn Me Loose Legend is one step closer to proving he has as much a knack for producing quality socially conscious historical drama as creating catchy soul ballads.

One of the most endearing qualities of the play is that it pays homage to Gregory while he is still here to enjoy it.

With Morton as the vessel, the fitting tribute offers touching insight on how Gregory’s passion for activism and focus on helping black people obtain their basic liberties as Americans compelled him to unapologetically walk away from comedy at the height of his fame.

“More,” Gregory said. “If I had it to do all over again, I would have done more.”

Turn Me Loose continues through July 3 at The Westside Theatre in New York City. For more information, visit http:// www.turnmelooseplay.com/

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Project1VOICE/1PLAY/1DAY

– an event presented in association with a variety of other theater companies, museums, and institutions throughout the US and abroad.

For their contribution to the international fundraising initiative that will benefit the theatre’s youth summer program, The Black Rep decided to use CAM as the backdrop as they read George C. Wolfe’s seminal satire, “The Colored Museum.”

“The cool thing about this is that The Colored Museum will actually be set in a museum,” Himes said. “We will have the ‘exhibits’ move through the museum so it won’t be in one static place.

We will be moving the audience through the museum with each of the exhibits.”

In a series of 11 vignettes that Wolfe calls “exhibits,” The Colored Museum uses satire and dark comedy to shed light on the black experience in America.

This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the black theatre classic.

“I think that all of the pieces have really strong resonance for different people. That’s the cool thing about this show,” Himes said. “There are 11 exhibits and everybody walking out of the reading will have a different favorite.

This piece is so biting, so sharp and so witty. It speaks to issues then that are just as relevant now as they were in 1986.”

In the spirit of the Project1VOICE/1PLAY/1DAY blueprint that casts celebrities to read for the production, some familiar St. Louis faces will take to the metaphorical stage

n Both Moore and Wilson said the honor is especially rewarding considering the Urban League’s legacy of providing resources for the African-American community.

and last.”

Jamala Rogers, longtime American columnist, author and founding member of the Organization for Black Struggle, is also among the women to be recognized for their commitment to

n “This piece is so biting, so sharp and so witty. It speaks to issues then that are just as relevant now as they were in 1986.”

-Ron Himes

at CAM.

Himes feels that seeing the likes of Art Holiday from KSDK, Carol Daniel from KMOX, Debra Bass from the Post-Dispatch, Wiley Price from the American and others step out of their respective boxes and on stage as performers will be added incentive for the community to come and show their support.

“Who would ever think of Wiley Price being on stage and not behind a camera? That’s part of the reason why we called him up,” Himes said.

“He has such a following that he will be a draw. Carol will be a draw. Art will be a draw. So will the others. This could really be something special.”

Even though the reading hasn’t happened yet, Himes gives the vibe that the

collaborative spirit between the actors, the seven directors that will help bring The Colored Museum and the venue has already made the project a resounding success because of the synergy that has come out of the preparation process.

“It’s great for us that they are partnering with us,” Himes said of CAM. “They are closed on Monday. So they are opening their museum just for us for this event. And I feel like we have the potential to bring a new audience into their space. It’s an amazing thing when arts institutions work together collectively and collaborate in a way that is mutually beneficial.”

The icing on the cake for Himes would be the audience sinking their teeth into the content of The Colored Museum.

“I hope it makes people go out and register to vote. It should have a political impact,” Himes said. “I hope when people see these pieces and realize that they were written 30 years ago and how loudly that they speak to today, that it stimulates some change. This piece can really provoke some consciousness and I think it has the ability to do that across the board – black and white folks – and I hope that’s what it will do.”

The Black Rep’s stage reading of The Colored Museum as part of the 6th Annual Project1VOICE/1PLAY/1DAY will take place at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 20 at the Contemporary Art Museum, 3750 Washington Blvd. The event is free and open to the public, although donations will be accepted toward scholarships for students in the Black Rep’s Summer Performing Arts Program. Interested attendees are asked to pre-register at camstl.org/ blackrep.

community building.

In addition to Moore, Rogers and Wilson, the full list of honorees are as follows: Cheryl Jones, CEO of Girls Inc.; Sharon John, president and CEO of Build-A-Bear; Kathy Walker Steele, central regional

coordinator of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.; Michelle Tucker, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Business and Community Engagement; Stacy M. Edwards, manager of the William J. Harris Education Center for St. Louis Community College; Marsha Rusnack, Civic Leader; Linda Harris, Senior Vice President of Administration and Compliance for the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis; Judy Bentley, founder and President/ CEO of Community Health-InPartnership Services (CHIPS Health and Wellness Center); Linda Spradley Dunn, CEO and Founder of Odyssey Media; Brenda Clayton Davis, Urban League Guild Member of the Year; and Tonja SesleyBaymon, Urban League CEO of the Year.

In addition to a reception and the awards ceremony, the evening will feature a concert by R&B veteran Freddie Jackson, who collaborated with Moore on the 1986 R&B hit “A Little Bit More.” Both Moore and Wilson

said the honor is especially rewarding considering the Urban League’s legacy of providing resources for the African-American community. “Singing was a hobby,” Wilson said. “My two friends and I never could have imagined that 50-some years later that we would be known all over the world because of a gift from God – and it’s so wonderful to be recognized by your own people. As a young girl I never thought what we were doing was anything special. Now I know it had to be [special] for the world to still be appreciating it, enjoying it and for us to continue to be honored for it.”

The Urban League’s 12th Annual Salute to Women in Leadership Gala will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, June 17th at the Marriot St. Louis Grand Hotel. Proceeds from the Salute to Women will benefit Urban League programs and services. For tickets or additional information, please call (314) 615-3668.

Celebrations

Jennifer Stanford of Herbert Hoover

Birthday Scholarship Winner

Boys’ & Girls’ Club is the first recipient of the Joan Ellyn Silber Award for Volunteerism and Leadership, a Boys & Girls’ Clubs of St. Louis endowment gift provides an award to a deserving young woman who demonstrates outstanding volunteerism and leadership. Jennifer will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

Reunions

Beaumont High Class of 1968 48-year reunion will be June 10--12, 2016. Friday: Bowling Kick-Off, Saturday: Black n’ White Speak Easy Party and Sunday: Family n’ Friends Picnic. Meetings will be at Florissant Valley Library Branch, 195 New Florissant Rd., Florissant, MO 63031 on Saturday March 26, April 23 and May 28 from 1-4 p.m. For more information call (314) 869-8312.

Beaumont High Class of 1971 is planning its 45th year reunion for July 22-24, 2016. The reunion dinner dance is Saturday, July 23, 2016 at the Renaissance Airport Hotel, 9801 Natural Bridge Road. Please send your contact information (address and phone number) to Gladys Smith at beaumont1971alumni@aol. com.

Beaumont High Class of 1976 will have its 40th year reunion September 23-25, 2016. For more detailed information please email bhs1976@swbell. net or Facebook: Beaumont High class of 76.

Beaumont High Class of 1984 can stay updated via our Facebook page “Beaumont Class of 1984”. We meet the last Friday of every month. Contact Rochelle Williams at rochellewilliams001@yahoo. com.

Cole School Alumni & Neighborhood Friends age 50 and older reunion weekend

will be held May 12-15, 2016. For more info call Andrea at 314-369-3052 or check our Facebook page at coleschoolstlouis.

East St. Louis Lincoln High Classes of 1966 will celebrate our 50 year class reunion August 19 - 21, 2016 at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Fairview Hts., Ill. The cost is $100 for classmates and $50 for guests. A late fee of $25 pp will be assessed after May 31. Please contact John Cunningham for details and reservations at: 618-692-6610.

East St. Louis Class of 1971 will celebrate its 45-yesr reunion Sept. 2-4, 2016 at the Casino Queen in East St. Louis, IL. For more information, please contact Opal at 314-952-4729, Sandra at 314-249-7295 or Glenda at 618-781-4888 or email timac48@aol.com.

Hadley Technical High School Class of 1961 will celebrate its 55-year reunion, September 16-18, 2016 at the Renaissance Airport Hotel. For more information, contact Ralph Johnson 477-2042, Shirley Woods 361-5351, or Jeffery Raybon 3821875. Send updated contact information to celiajteach@ gmail.com. The annual picnic is Sunday, September 4th at John L. Brown Park, 4300 Calvert Ave 63134 (off Woodson Rd.).

Harrison School All-Class Reunion Saturday September 10, 2016, 6:30 pm-10:30 pm at Ambruster Great Hall (6633 Clayton Rd., St. Louis, Mo 63117). Tickets are $60 per person.For more info contact; Judy Darris at 314-443-6741, Yolanda Beck at 314-3468103 or Làshell Tolliver at 314-420-3566.

Soldan High Class of 1965 presents: “On the Road Again” to Washington, DC.

Anniversaries

Happy 1st Anniversary to Jason and Mildred Grady Mr. and Mrs. Grady had a beautiful, breathtaking beach front wedding in Tampa, Florida on June 4, 2015. I hope you two have an amazing anniversary, filled with nothing but love. Love, Nikki

I seriously asked, “Have you ever been in love with a stranger?”

Your response, “Are you serious?”

I asked, “Will you marry me?” June 5, 1976.

Your response, “I will.”

My Sharon, forty years of marriage feels like we’ve only just begun. May God bless us with forty more!

Your Leonard

Cost: $479 per-person, double occupancy, 6-Days and 5-Nights, Thurs. June 2- Tues. June 7, 2016. First payment due now $75 each person. For more information and reservations contact: Corinne Stuckes (636)-294-4373, Brenda Yancey (314)-8301334 or Isaiah Hair, Jr. (314)387-7592 email: cstukes@ charter.net.

Soldan High Class of 1966 has planned its 50-year reunion for September 9-10, 2016 at Christian Hospital Atrium, 1111 Dunn Road St. Louis, Mo 63136. For more information, please contact: Meredith Wayne Farrow, 314.521-8540, Robert Collins, 908.313-5002 or Marilyn Edwards Simpson, 341.837-7746. Facebook, soldan class of 1966 or email: stlsoldan1966@yahoo.com.

Soldan Class of 1971 is planning its 45th year reunion for: June 17-19, 2016 at the Ameristar Casino Resort & Spa, One Ameristar Boulevard, St. Charles, Mo 63301.

Soldan Class of 1976 40-year reunion will be held the weekend of June 10-12, 2016 at the Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel. Contact Monica A Stewart at 314-420-9373 or email: soldanclassof1976@ yahoo.com for information and/or with your complete mailing address and telephone number. Also you can join us on Facebook, Soldan High School Class of 1976.

Sumner Alumni Association will host its 8th Annual Scholarship Awards & Luncheon June 4, 2016, Noon - 4 p.m. at Marriott St. Louis Airport Hotel. Cost $50 with a cash bar, free parking, attendance prizes and more. For more info, contact B. Louis at 314-385-9843.

Sumner High School Class of 1956 will celebrate its 60th

reunion July 15-17,2016, at the Sheraton Westport Plaza Hotel. For more information, please contact Gloria at 314-438-7339 with your contact information (address, phone number, e-mail).

Sumner High Class of 1964 70th Birthday Gala will be held Sat. Aug 13. 2016 at the Norwood Hills Country Club at 6:30 pm. Please contact Joyce Camp for additional information 314-423-8821 or Yvette Allen 314-997-2214 or Fannie Clark Rogers 314-3554337 your Gala Committee.

Sumner High School Class of 1966 is planning their 50th Class Reunion. Please contact Ella Scott at 314-436-1696, Els2188@sbcglobal.net with your name, address and email

or join the Sumner Class of 1966 Facebook Group page.

Sumner High Class of 1971 is planning its 45th year reunion for August 12-14, 2016 at the Holiday Inn Earth City. Contact: Rita Shields at 314-868-7989 or email ritashields@att.net, Al Wilhite 314-302-3448 or email 27alhouse@sbcglobal. net for more information.

Vashon Class of 1967 is planning its 50-year reunion and is need of contact information for all alumni. Contact JoAnn Alvoid at alvoidjoe8@gmail.com; Sarah (Taylor) Robinson at srobinson647@hotmail.com; or Sonya (Walker) Smith at 314.381.8221, with your address, email and phone.

Do you have a celebration you’re proud of? If so we would like to share your good news with our readers. Whether it’s a birth, wedding, engagement announcement, anniversary, retirement or birthday, send your photos and a brief announcement (50 words or less) to us and we may include it in our paper and website – AT NO COST – as space is available Photos will not be returned. Send your announcements to: kdaniel@stlamerican. com or mail to: St. Louis American Celebrations c/o Kate

2315 Pine St. St. Louis, MO 63103 FREE OF CHARGE

Reunion notices are free of charge and based on space availability. We prefer that notices be emailed to us! However, notices may also be sent by mail to: Kate Daniel, 2315 Pine St., St. Louis, MO 63103

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

Happy Birthday to Tony on June 8! We love you dearly. From, Mom, Dad, Paul, Cassie & Alex

Church in the NGA footprint says goodbye

Grace Missionary Baptist Church lost its pastor, and now its location

By Carolina Hidalgo

Of St. Louis Public Radio

In the same pulpit his father had preached from for decades, he clutched the microphone and spoke.

“You whispered a word.”

Beads of sweat dotted his face. He stretched out his vowels so his words became a song.

“You called him home.”

Fresh flowers decorated the lectern. He wore a white suit with a picture of his dad pinned to its lapel.

“Father, we want to thank you for a beautiful life.”

The Rev. Jonathan Davis opened his eyes and looked at the dozens of people swaying in the pews. They had all known and loved his father, The Rev. Joel Kelly Davis, and now they were here to say goodbye. They stood in the warm, cinder block building that has housed Grace Missionary Baptist Church for most of its 60-year existence. Each of them had a story about the elder Davis, who died May 17 at age 101. They traded memories, each one distinct except for the little church at 2319 Cass Ave., near Jefferson Avenue, that tied them all together.

That morning, Jonathan Davis — who took over for his father about 12 years ago — unlocked the church’s front gates after a month of services

at a new location. The congregation moved in early May, shortly after the National GeospatialIntelligence Agency (NGA) announced North St. Louis as the preferred location for its new Western Headquarters. Grace church sits on the southern edge of the NGA West footprint, a 100-acre site the city has promised to clear for the NGA.

So now, Davis preaches in a former Catholic church building two miles away. But he knew his father’s farewell service, which took place May 29, couldn’t be held anywhere but here. It was here that countless members learned the word of God. One of them nervously recited the Lord’s Prayer here at age 9. Another sang his first hymn at age 66. They took turns sharing stories. The pastor whose grandmother was one of the church’s first members. The 17-year-old who grew up singing in the choir. The man who came to St. Louis for a two-week visit but stumbled into Grace and never left. When the city started talks with the NGA, about 200 residents lived within the footprint. Many organized to save their neighborhood. They demonstrated at City Hall. They attended public meetings. They spoke out against eminent domain. Two of them pitched a

No right to be down

Some days just trying to be a Christian can accelerate that feeling of just treading water. Add to that whatever situation you’re in or circumstances that you’re going through and the overwhelming feeling can be summed up with “what’s the point?”

Being a Christian, as we all know, does not guarantee a life void of trial and tribulation. But God is always in your life. No matter the situation, He will never abandon you, regardless of how lonely life gets or appears to be.

I liken it to pushing a huge rock uphill. On many a day that rock becomes a boulder and that hill transforms into a very steep and treacherous mountain. At these times, one must recognize that were it not for God’s presence in your life, that rock would trample you and the hill would turn to quicksand. It’s all in your attitude. I admit it’s easy to get down, even though you are a believer. But because you’re a believer, it should also be impossible to stay down.

tent and fasted for 35 days.

By now, many have accepted buyouts from the city. A handful are still fighting.

Davis is not one of them. “Our faith teaches us that we’re not in control,” he said.

Still, he hopes that his father’s church will somehow be spared.

He thinks the NGA could use a chapel. Or the church could be moved, across the street perhaps to the old Pruitt-Igoe site - where his father used to walk among the towers, knocking on doors and spreading the gospel.

“My father had a way of reaching out and touching you where you were,” said Juan Davis. “In order to help you to get where you needed to be.”

Juan, the youngest of the Rev. Joel Davis’ 10 children, is not as optimistic about the building’s fate as his older brother. The city has said it is only moving one building in the

footprint - Charlesetta Taylor’s three-story home.

Instead, Juan Davis hopes to build a legacy center and start a youth program nearby, in his father’s memory.

Bob Hansman, one of the church’s newest members, said the congregation knows that the church is really about relationships.

“But we also know that little building holds a lot of memories,” he said. “We can kind of still see Rev. Davis there. We can feel him there.”

The imminent loss of the church, coupled with the loss of its founding pastor, has been hard to deal with, he said.

“If we lose the building and we lose the site,” Hansman said, “all we have is ourselves.”

Follow Carolina Hidalgo on Twitter: @CarolinaHidalgo.

Reprinted with permission from news.stlpublicradio.org.

I went to two different churches recently where members were allowed to give testimony and request prayer. One was very large and high-tech. People spoke of their journeys to Christ by concluding that “Jesus is more than a story.” Each testimony of Christ’s reality in changing a life forced me to rethink my own situation and conclude: I have no right to be down. Heaven, I’m blessed.

In the other, much smaller and more intimate church, member after member told stories of specific trials and tests and the need for prayer: from family situations in which a six-month-old died prematurely and a sevenyear-old died from cancer, to a person so allergic to life that the smell of perfume would cause excruciating pain and a life of seclusion.

I have no right to be down. Heaven I’m blessed. I pass these stories along because in all instances the people involved found a way to cope, to live, to survive. Remember, every testimony was relayed in church as an acknowledgement of the power and love of the Lord through whom all blessings flow. Every story was an entreaty for prayer and a profession of faith.

Real Christians … real life … the real world.

I just thought I’d take this opportunity to again let you know that my real world, no matter how messed up it can be and has been, is never as bad as it could be without the love of the Lord in my heart, the faith of Jesus Christ in spirit and the invitation to the Holy Spirit to ride shotgun with me wherever I go. I don’t have room to insert Psalm 23 here, but read it today. Look around your valley of death and fear no evil. Bathe in the grace of God. As the kids say, “You better recognize.” Recognize and be blessed.

Columnist James Washington

The Rev. Jonathan Davis spoke to the dozens of people at the church who had known and loved his father, The Rev. Joel Kelly Davis, and were there to say goodbye.

Photo by Carolina Hidalgo

Swag Snap of the week

RIP Muhammad Ali. It’s only six months in to 2016 and by the looks of things, this year’s annual Year in Review compilation is going to be one long obituary.

Y’all know that my heart is heavy yet again with the loss of Muhammad Ali. He was my first EVER celebrity crush – and not because he was fine … which he was. Ali put in work to dismantle stereotypes and show what commitment and sacrifice for one’s beliefs really looks like. Never mind him being the most popular athlete in the world and being unbothered as the “powers that be” made good on their threat to keep him from the sport that made him the most famous athlete of his day. He was willing to forfeit his freedom (yes, his freedom y’all) for what he believed in. Let how he lived his life, standing by his faith and using his fame to uplift our people serve as an example of how to avoid being caught up in the celebrity and how to effectively operate in greatness. Okay, we now return to your regularly scheduled disgraceful programming.

Getting back into Got Lyrics. My weekend kicked off with my girl Mocha Latte’s monthly poetry set, Got Lyrics, Thursday night at Mood. She’s been going strong for nearly ten years – which is no small feat. I’ve been to poetry series that couldn’t make it through their first mid-show intermission without shutting down for good. I saw some of the spoken word scene staples like The Invisible Man, Lightning, XBluRAyne, Abby, Kells, Oops and a few folks who I haven’t bumped into since I used to stay perched up in Legacy during its early days. Sir Ervin Williams III was the featured poet and as usual, he left plenty on folks’ minds with his poetry and monologues – including a powerful tribute to a homeless veteran. Mocha will be back at it on July 7 with featured poet/rapper Real Talk out of Atlanta. Be sure to check for her on Instagram @QueenMochaLatte for the location.

Cool on KeKe Wyatt. On Friday night me and 19 okay, okay, maybe 11 is more like it devoted KeKe Wyatt fans made our way to the Marquee for her obligatory annual St. Louis concert appearance. She brings all kinds of slayage to the table as far as her looks, her style, AMAZING voice and hee-larious personality. But her “gusband (gay husband)” Andre needs to lock her and duet partner Avant in the studio and not let them out until they come up with at least five more slow jams to pull out of her purse to freshen up the show. As long as she keeps hitting these clubs with the same old snippet set – regardless of how good she sounds – she’s going to see her fan base shrink faster than a Simply Fashions body dress in the dryer on high heat.

Laughing out loud with Jayski and Lil Duval. As many people as the club could handle came through to Helium Comedy Club to check out rising bite sized comedian Lil Duval’s sold out weekend of shows. I was expecting to get a kee-kee or two in for Duval, but his opening act Jayski made him look like the straight man. I can’t think of a single joke that is safe enough for me to mention without my career or an FCC fine being at stake, but just know that he was funny as all get out. It’s a wonderful thing when you hear brand new joke concepts instead of a spin on every other bit that we’ve heard since raunchy urban comedy became hot in these streets. My cheeks were hot and swollen after Jayski got to breaking down how he noticed his body changing with age – and when he asked somebody in the audience to take a picture of him on stage with his phone so he could send it to his parole officer as proof that he was employed. Lil Duval was funny too, although I heard that he had an off night on Friday. By Sunday he had worked out whatever kinks he was supposed to have had. Duval had me hook, line and sinker when he heralded St. Louis as the side chick capitol of the universe. I was like, “hello, I’ve been saying the same thing since Y2K…” People laughed when he said it, but I’m considered a hater whenever I bring it up. And when he talked about the side chicks with main chick emotions, some of the men in the Helium were cackling a little too hard. Mmmm hmmm…it was dark, but I saw y’all.

A double play with LooseCannon and The Money Team. I closed my weekend out on Sunday with S.L.I.M. and the crew. The first stop was the annual Celebrity Basketball Game at Chaifetz Arena. I had a good time other than being so tired of seeing the folks on the court trying their hand at the most pitiful Steph Curry impersonations. Yes, he is to blame for all of those awful buckets and pathetic three-pointer attempts especially from Stevie J and The Migos by making it look too easy. Tattered shooting attempts aside, I got my life from watching Floyd Mayweather and his quietly decent rebound game. He was playing like $200 million was at stake. I was pleasantly thrilled with how seriously he took the game. And, as I predicted, Floyd’s trash talk game was everything. S.L.I.M. was bricking, but he was blocking too! The bad news for the LooseCannon crew is they got clobbered on the court, but it was for a worthy cause. And The Money Team played like Floyd told them they would have to walk back home if they lost. Knowing him, he probably did. After the game, I headed to the after party, which was uncharacteristically light boots up in the general population. VIP was on swole though. And the ladies of a certain reputation were using every possible seduction tactic to try and get waved in. Can I ask a serious question? If the split on your freakum dress is so high and deep that you can see the whole front of your underwear, why bother putting the doggone thing on? Also, can somebody tell the bar ladies at Lux to be more aware of their surroundings as the maneuver through the crowd with those bottle sparklers? My bun almost suffered third degree burns on two separate occasions.

Hip Hop artist Arshad Goods and Leon helped the Saint Louis Hop Shop celebrate their one year anniversary Saturday night @ The Hop Shop

Boxing champ Floyd Mayweather Jr. made fan Toya’s Sunday @ LooseCannon Celebrity Basketball Game afer party Sunday night @ Lux

Kristen and Sydney strolled through Old North St. Louis to catch the live art and music for the First Friday Galler Walk @ PARKS

Leading Lady Yae’ with boxing star Adrien Broner and LHHATL star Stevie J Sunday @ after party for the LooseCannon Celebrity Game @ Lux

Aisha and Brandy made their way to party with Floyd Mayweather’s Money Team and LooseCannon Sunday night @ Lux

Candice, Brittney, Benny B and Alize’ enjoyed a nice brunch @ HG Sunday for Hookah and Syrup

Old School 95.5 FM’s DJ Kut ran into Dallas Cowboys Ezekiel Elliott (our latest homegrown NFL star) checking out Lil Duval Saturday @ Helium Comedy Club

National recording artist Keke Wyatt and Toya Brooks snapped after Keke’s concert Friday night @ The Marquee

Dariel and Kenya were on the scene for Element Saturdays @ The Marquee

Yanni and Kim were all smiles Friday night @ HG

Rising comedy star Lil Duval and St. Louis’ own Kyjuan got a chance to chop it up when Duval came through HG to unwind following the first of his three night gig at Helium Comedy Club.

Photos by Lawrence Bryant & John Scott

Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer, building your dream home, or looking to refinance to a lower rate, the mortgage specialists at Midland States Bank will be with you every step of the way. We’ll work with you one-on-one to make the process simple and fast.

A few of our most popular programs:

• FHA / First-Time Home Buyers• Believable Banking Affordable Home Mortgage

• HARP Streamline Refinances• Believable Banking Home Improvement Loan

• 100% VA Loans

• New Construction Loans

Contact a Midland States Bank mortgage specialist today to get started!

Kris Mills NMLS# 322178 (636) 379-6117 kmills@midlandsb.com

Karlyn Brasselmon

NMLS# 1197605 (314) 512-8550 kbrasselmon@midlandsb.com

City must meet requirement to fund affordable housing

By Molly Metzger For The St. Louis American

Many St. Louisans are struggling to keep a roof over their heads. Among households earning less than $35,000 annually, one out of five are spending more than 30 percent of their earnings on their housing, making them “housing cost burdened.” We have a need for more quality affordable housing. The City of St. Louis’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) is intended to help address that need. For at least the last four years, the City of St. Louis has funded the AHTF at $500,000 below the legally mandated minimum. This year is shaping up to be no different. If the city sticks with its preliminary budget decision, city residents and neighborhoods will miss out on a half million dollars in housing investment. How did we get to the point where the City has underfunded our commitment to affordable housing by around $2 million over the past four years?

Tax raising $30.15 million on average over the past 4 years, there is no legal reason our city should be underfunding affordable housing.

There is a great distance between where we would be under the original 2001 law and where we are today.

If the 2001 ordinance was in place today, roughly $15 million would be invested in affordable housing in the City of St. Louis this year. If the City of St. Louis were to make up for the lost investment over the past four years, roughly $7 million would be invested this year. Alas, if the City of St. Louis simply followed its own legal requirements, $5 million dollars would be invested in bringing quality affordable housing to our communities, to our neighbors.

n For at least the last four years, the City of St. Louis has funded the Affordable Housing Trust Fund at $500,000 below the legally mandated minimum.

Unfortunately, the City of St. Louis is yet again planning to fund the Affordable Housing Trust Fund below its legally mandated minimum despite calls from the Ferguson Commission and housing advocates to increase investment.

In 2001, the City passed a Use Tax of which 50 percent was to be “dedicated to providing for the development and preservation of affordable and accessible housing.” After revenue generated by the Use Tax beat expectations, the city passed a new ordinance in 2002 establishing minimum allocations of $5 million to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, $5 million to the Health Care Trust Fund, and $3 million to the Use Tax Demolition Fund. Under the new ordinance, the only way the City of St. Louis could fund the AHTF below $5 million is if the Use Tax raised less than $10 million. With the Use

If you believe in providing quality affordable housing for all St. Louisans, if you believe in reinvesting in our buildings, if you have witnessed a child performing better in school because her family’s new affordable home allowed them not to move every month, then call your alderperson, call the mayor’s office, and tell a friend that the city should allocate at least $5 million to affordable housing this year.

Molly Metzger is an assistant professor at the Brown School and a board member at the Metro St. Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council.

Donald M. SuggsPublisher &

Executive Editor

-1993)

Tips to combat packing stress when moving

(StatePoint) From inding a new home to selling one’s current home, the moving process can be a big source of stress.

Among the top stressors is packing. In fact, in a recent survey, commissioned by Duck brand, conducted online by Harris Poll, over half of Americans (56 percent) say packing to move is extremely/very stressful. It doesn’t have to be this way. Here are some tips to reduce packing pain.

• Purge before packing: Diminish the workload by irst cleaning out items you no longer need.

ing material, like Bubble Wrap. Dish and glass kits provide pouches and dividers to protect delicate goods. Lastly, secure your boxes with quality packing tape, like EZ Start Packaging Tape.

• Pack carefully: Forty percent of those who would ind it frustrating to pack when moving worry about items breaking. Eliminate anxiety by wrapping fragile items with cushion-

• Buy boxes: Scrambling to ind enough boxes can be nerve wracking. Don’t dig around the grocery store last minute. Instead, purchase boxes in a variety of sizes and levels of durability from an easy to ind brand like Duck brand. hen, color code each box with tape, to know where it goes on moving day.

While moving will always contain some stress, the right moving supplies and strategies can streamline the task of packing.

‘Tis the season to move up or spruce up

|

Learn about

by June 15

Spring and summer are peak seasons for home buying and renovating. The warm, sunny days are a perfect time of year to hunt for that perfect new home, renovate a kitchen or bath, or replace old windows or a roof. And interest rates are still historically very low, so it’s a great time to buy or refinance.

There are a wide variety of mortgage loan options available. While conventional “Fannie Mae” loans remain very popular and are often the best option for those who qualify, FHA, VA and USDA loans can also be very attractive, featuring little to no down payment options and more flexible underwriting guidelines than conventional loans.

But for many, coming up with a down payment or qualifying for these loans may be a challenge. Traditional lending guidelines are credit score driven. Whether it’s from some credit challenges in the past or simply little to no credit history at all, underwriting guidelines that are driven by credit scores can be hurdles that are just too high to jump over. Thankfully, there are a few loan programs available to assist people on the pathway to successful home ownership that are “outside the box.” At Midland

States Bank, we developed the Believable Banking Home Mortgage and Home Improvement Loan for this very reason. The unique loans feature flexible underwriting guidelines to address some of the challenges faced when qualifying for traditional mortgage and home equity loans. Available in select communities in the St. Louis region, The Believable Banking Home Mortgage is not credit score driven and is potentially available up to 100% financing for purchases and refinances. The Believable Banking Home Improvement Loan is a short term loan from $1,500 to $10,000 that can be used for most minor or major home repairs.

David R. Noble Community Development & CRA Officer

Midland States Bank NMLS # 329214

So get out and enjoy the beautiful weather while you’re pondering your next move; whether it’s to a shiny new home or making your existing home shine a little brighter.

Equal Housing Lender. Loans subject to credit approval and eligibility requirements. Bank NMLS #411141. The views and opinions expressed in the article referenced above are those of the author only and are not to be attributed to Midland States Bank.

Helping home buyers do their homework

Haywood Hoosman Realty

helps open doors to home ownership

By Pat Matreci

For The St. Louis American

Home buying requires that parties in this complex process do their homework before purchasing.

If you’re looking for a study partner, Andreal Hoosman and Haywood Hoosman Realty (www.vhhrealty. com) will help you navigate through the complexities.

“We are committed to promoting education of the home-buying process,” she said. “Subsequently, we work with many lenders and financial institutions providing free home buyers workshops. Additionally, our workshops are certified. Upon completion, attendees are eligible for various first-time home buyers financial assistance for down payment, closing, costs, etc.”

Hoosman, a broker, has been a real

estate professional for more than 29 years. She owned her own company, Haywood Realty Group, based in Kansas City, Missouri, for 10 years.

A St. Louis native who graduated from Normandy High School and the University of Missouri-Columbia, Andreal is the “Haywood” in her current realty endeavor. She and husband Hubert Hoosman Jr. combined business forces in 2012 and introduced Haywood Hoosman Realty (residential) and H&H Brokerage Group (commercial) to the St. Louis market in 2012. They are companies of Visions Consulting Realty LLC, a women/minority-owned firm established in 2001.

Located at 15 S. Florissant Road in Ferguson, Haywood Hoosman and H&H Brokerage specialize in residential and commercial real estate and property management. Andreal Hoosman is

licensed to provide real estate services in Missouri, Illinois and Kansas.

“Home buyers are looking for a great deal. That’s why home-buyers’ workshops and seminars are so important, especially for the first-time home owner,” Andreal Hoosman said. “If you’re getting a deal that is too good to be true, usual conditions of risk exist. A prepared buyer understands the home buying process. They understand the importance of the pre-approval process, conduction inspections, appraisals, both the private and municipal inspections, how to shop and select the mortgage that is right for them, and more.”

According to Hoosman, the greater St. Louis Metropolitan area has experienced appreciation during the recent months at a pace higher than the national average. The average listing price, time on the market, percent of sale to listing price have improved compared to a year ago. Those factors, combined with a reduced supply of quality homes in key areas, Hoosman says, has created a seller’s market.

But there are things sellers must do to take advantage of that market.

“Sellers should always maintain their

Located at 15 S. Florissant Road in Ferguson, Haywood Hoosman and H&H Brokerage specializes in residential and commercial real estate and property management. Its principals are Andreal Hoosman and Haywood Hoosman.

home at a level that at a minimum meets and preferably exceeds the conditions that existed when purchased,” Hoosman said. “Kitchens and bathrooms are the key selling features to the buyer, and should be upgraded when appropriate. Modern appliances and fixtures are also high on the buyer’s list.”

The negative portrayal of the area by both local and national media has not impacted the Hoosmans’ ability to “sell” St. Louis.

“The area is doing well attracting interest from residential and commercial parties,” she said. “The social unrest of the community, crime rates combined with the media’s dramatic portrayal has slowed the real estate recovery in numerous areas. However, all key performance indicators of the St. Louis market are performing better year-todate compared to the previous year. Our company is experiencing an increase in business from clients that reside in other regions of the country relocating to our area as well as the investment community.”

For more information about Haywood Hoosman Realty and H&H Brokerage Group, visit www.vhhrealty.com.

Photo by Wiley Price

Home Safety Month: New ways to protect your family

(StatePoint) While you may think of smart home technology as a convenience -something to save you a few steps of walking between the couch and the nearest light switch, smart home offerings also include important preventative measures that can help you protect not only your valuables, but your home itself and everyone in it.

June, which is Home Safety Month, is a great opportunity to learn how to use new technology in order to help protect your family:

• Beyond the Burglar: The irst thing that comes to mind when most people think about home security is almost certainly burglary. But intruders aren’t the only thing you have to worry about entering your home. Water damage is the second most common cause of property loss and accounts for a quarter or more of homeowner’s insurance claims. A good early detection device, such as a Z-Wave lood sensor, could be the difference between a damp inconvenience and a soaking wet catastrophe in your home, especially when combined with a smart shutoff valve.

• Avoid dangers: Some sensors, like GoControl’s Z-Wave Door/Window Sensors, for example, are a great way to keep you alerted to potential dangers -- especially on days when the kids get home earlier than you do. A few placed judiciously around the house -- on liquor or medicine cabinets, for example, or even the knife drawer, are a great way of keeping your mind at ease. And those same sensors placed on entry

points could alert you in the event of an invasion.

• Deter intruders: When it comes down to it, though, the best way to deal with home invasion is to deter intruders altogether. When you’re out of town for a vacation or business trip, it’s important to make sure your home still looks lived in, and rigid pre-programmed lighting timers aren’t fooling anyone. Newer smart light bulb systems, like BeON Home, go one step further by recording and playing back your daily lighting routines, and even include a sophisticated listening system that can respond to a doorbell, by turning inside lights on organically, one at a time, exactly the way you would if you were home.

Smart home technology is becoming more versatile than ever. To learn more about how it can be used for keeping people, pets and property safe, visit Z-Wave. com and BeONHome.com for DIY videos, how-tos and live customer assistance.

While there’s no replacement for a caring neighbor’s watchful eye, these days there are a great number of ways of taking home security into your own hands -- no matter where you are. Smart hubs, combined with sensors in and around the home, can take the worry out of being away from home by alerting you when something goes wrong.

With a connected home, you can better keep tabs on your house and keep the things and people in it safe, even when you’re not home.

What to keep in mind when updating home looring

(StatePoint) Updating your home looring? From durability to style to color, there are many things to consider -- and you’ll want to be sure these elements match your family’s lifestyle.

Here are ive great questions to ask yourself before you begin the remodel process.

• How do you want the space to feel?

Do you want the room to feel calming, fun, classic, dramatic or rustic? When you start to play with adjectives, you may realize you already have a direction in mind.

For a calm look, choose a loor color that is tonal with your wall color. Or if you’re dreaming of a dramatic hotel look, try something deep and rich to contrast with your walls and give an elegant base to your design.

• Do you want to play with pattern?

The reason most homeowners have challenges getting a space to feel like that inal image on a home improvement show, is that they often chicken out before pulling the trigger on bold updates. Designers however jump in head irst, layering patterns and textures to give a space depth and a sense of home. Remember, if you love something, it’s never going out

of style.

It’s helpful to think of looring as the pants to an outit. Choose something classic, go patterned and fun, or just wear shorts!

• Who uses the room?

Who does the looring have to serve? Is it a high-trafic area? If so, look for waterproof, pet-proof and kid-proof carpet,

such as Tigressa H2O, available at Flooring America, which can withstand tough household spills and pet accidents. If durability doesn’t play as important a role in your choice, consider plush, eco-friendly options like Tigressa’s Cherish line, which is 75 percent iner than current soft carpet standards. Their color enhancement system protects each iber, allowing for deeper colors and textures

that stay beautiful, new and fresh longer than the average carpet.

Keep in mind that thanks to technology innovations in carpeting, you can have the best of both worlds when it comes to strength and softness. Ultimately, choose soft carpeting that doesn’t quickly show matting, crushing and wear. To learn more about innovations in looring, visit looringamerica.com.

• What’s on trend?

Gray is the new beige, and grays and browns look great together. So if you have an existing brown loor, you can easily partner a room nearby with gray looring. Most of the time, it’s all in how you accessorize the space.

• Should I be scared of color?

If you have always loved a particular color, have fun in one room with it. There are always ways to accessorize colored looring in different combinations to change how a space feels, so you’re never stuck with one look.

Flooring choices are sometimes overwhelming. Be sure to check with a trusted looring retailer who can offer design and performance recommendations that will best suit your home.

We’re in the business of

To learn more, call us today!

Things to consider when buying a new home

There are so many advantages to owning a home. But, there are also many things to consider before you buy. Your credit score, how much do you need for a down payment, how much can you borrow, are there any hidden costs, are there tax benefits, should you prequalify...and so much more. It can seem daunting.

At Providence Bank, we work with people just like you to help them through the home buying process. Our highly skilled team of mortgage bankers help everyone from first time home buyers to people who’ve bought and sold for years. Why do our customers look to us for help with this important purchase? It’s because we know the local market and carefully help you choose the perfect mortgage. Whether you’re buying a new home, building or refinancing, we will guide you through the process, explain your options and make sure you get the best financing available.

offer low closing costs, quick credit decisions and flexible payment options. We have a variety of loans to fit your specific needs including Conventional Loans, FHA, VA, USDA and Construction Loans.

We know it’s difficult to save a huge down payment. Now, thru Providence Bank’s Affordable Housing Loan Program, we are helping more families realize their dream of homeownership by providing down payment and closing cost assistance to first-time home buyers. Eligible borrowers can receive a $5,000 down payment assistance grant and get $450 off closing costs!

To find out more information on this exclusive program, or any of our home loan options, please call us at 800.721.4322 and talk to one of our mortgage bankers.

financing available.

We all hear so much about credit scores. What does that mean to you? We’ll help you sort out how to qualify for a loan that makes sense if you have perfect credit, less than perfect credit, or don’t have a huge down payment. Our bankers have more ways to say Yes! We

Providence Bank has assembled a highly skilled team of mortgage bankers who know the local market and carefully fit you with the perfect mortgage. Whether you’re buying a new home, building or refinancing, we will guide you through the process, explain your options and make sure you get the best

Whether you have perfect credit, less than perfect credit or don’t have a huge down payment, we have more ways to say Yes! We offer low closing costs, quick credit decisions and flexible payment options. We have a variety of loans to fit your specific needs including Conventional Loans, FHA, VA, USDA and Construction Loans. We’re ready to put our years of experience to work for

you. Let’s talk about your plans and the right loan for you. To get started, call 800.721.4322, visit, or apply online at my-mortgagecenter.com!

And now, thru Providence Bank’s Affordable Housing Loan Program, we are helping more families realize their dream of homeownership by providing down payment and closing cost assistance to first-time home buyers. Eligible borrowers can receive a $5,000 down payment assistance grant and get $450 off closing costs! To find out more information on this exclusive program, please call us at 800.721.4322 and talk to one of our mortgage bankers.

Special offer available only on applications submitted to Providence Bank by 12/31/16 that are funded. Any portion of the $450 not used toward closing costs will be waived. Applicants cannot receive cash back from this offer. Not available on Home Equity Loans or Lines of Credit. Offer is non-transferrable and cannot be combined with other offers. Normal credit qualifications and other terms, conditions and restrictions apply. This does not represent an offer to enter into a loan agreement. Loans subject to credit approval. Products, rates and terms subject to change without notice. Certain income restrictions may apply. Ask for details.

Summer home updates to enhance your space

Is your house in need of a seasonal overhaul? Get your home in shape with these easy tasks and upgrades, and enjoy the warmer months.

• Top-to-bottom cleaning: In each room, start at the top and work your way to the bottom. Crumbs will inevitably fall from kitchen counters and dust will ly from ixtures, so clean your loors last so you don’t have to redo them later.

In the kitchen, circle around the sink, starting at the right side of your stove and then move clockwise around the room. Stoves can be the dirtiest part of the kitchen, so ending there prevents the spread of grease and dirt.

Finally, when it’s time to sweep, hold the broom with one hand on top of the handle and the other in the middle. Having a proper grip on the broom will make each stroke more effective. Ensure you don’t miss any dirt by sweeping from the outside in. Pulling dirt to the center of the room will make for easier pick-up.

• Creative upgrades: After the garage, the kitchen is tied with the home ofice as the second most cluttered room in the house, according to a Moen survey. Get rid of clutter by updating features with those that create a “home” for items that

live out in the open.

For example, when selecting a faucet, choose one with style and function, like the Voss faucet from Moen, which has a transitional low-proile design, ideal

for installation in front of windows or on a kitchen island, and features Relex technology, which allows for easy, secure docking of the spray wand. The collection also offers matching accessories like towel

bars to make organization functional and fashionable.

A new kitchen sink, when chosen carefully, is another update that can reduce the appearance of clutter. Look for a model with a low-proile center divider that provides the versatility of a double bowl with single-bowl functionality. For instance, those from Moen allow you to it items like pots and cookie sheets across two bowls easily, limiting the visibility of dirty dishes in the sink -- which is ideal for open concept layouts. To learn more, visit moen.com.

• Color Your World: A fresh coat of paint can do wonders for a room. And lighter hues are both in style and perfect for summer.

For the irst time, Pantone, the worldwide standard for color communication, selected two colors of the year: Serenity and Rose Quartz. The light pastels complement each other and make for a calm and soothing design aesthetic. Meanwhile, paint maker Sherwin-Williams named Alabaster its 2016 color of the year. Keeping with the trend of light colors, this white hue is a nice blank canvas to showcase your summer décor. A few projects around the home can get you set for sunny seasons ahead.

What you should know about security deposits

Advice from Legal Services of Eastern Missouri

Remove everything from your dwelling unit when you vacate. Clean the dwelling. Take photographs to document its condition. Keep your photographs in a safe place in case you need evidence to challenge any damage claims.

Schedule an appointment with your landlord to deliver the keys and possession of the dwelling. During the appointment, conduct a walk-thru inspection with your landlord to review the condition of the dwelling and to discuss any charges or deductions the landlord might add to your final balance.

Your landlord does not have to return your security deposit before you move; your landlord has 30 days from the day you move out to either return your deposit or give you an itemized statement of any amounts withheld by your landlord.

Your landlord can apply your security

deposit to unpaid rent and/or damages.

Legal damage charges are only for damages caused by you that are beyond normal wear and tear.

You should make a written demand for the return of the security deposit, and keep a photocopy of your demand letter as proof that you requested your landlord return the security deposit. In your demand letter, provide your landlord with an address to send you the security deposit. You are not obligated to give your landlord your new home address. Use a P.O. Box address or other address where you do not live or work.

If the landlord refuses to refund your deposit or to give you an itemized statement of amounts withheld, you may file a Small Claims Court lawsuit against your landlord for up to two times the amount of the security deposit withheld.

If your landlord believes you owe any money, your landlord may file a counterclaim against you in your security deposit lawsuit.

Under the Missouri law, a landlord cannot legally charge you more than two times the monthly rent for a security deposit.

Make sure you obtain a receipt or any other type of proof of your security deposit payment to your landlord.

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri

(LSEM) has provided high quality legal assistance in civil cases to the low-income community for more than 50 years. In 2015, LSEM helped more than 14,000 people (including clients and their household members) in 21 counties of eastern Missouri. For more information, visit www.lsem.org.