March 23rd, 2023 edition

The St. LouiS AmericAn

By Sylvester Brown Jr.

A desert oasis

“Thank

Medicaid re-enrollment deadline is March 31

By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American and Alexa Spencer Word in Black

More than 200,000 Missourians – and millions could soon be without health insurance coverage through Medicaid if proper actions are not taken immediately.

In 2020, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) was signed into law, requiring states to keep people with Medicaid enrolled in the program during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Previously, enrollees had to reapply for benefits every 12 months, but under FFCRA, they’re automatically reenrolled. States received additional funding for executing the policy,

State AG filed amended petition to remove Kim Gardner

By Sylvester Brown St. Louis American

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has filed an amended petition to remove St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner from office.

Betty Wheeler name

graces school

History Month is the perfect time

The new filing of more than 100 pages details his explanations as to why she should no longer hold the office she has twice been elected to hold. In his petition, Bailey wrote that judges have been “forced to dismiss more than 2,700 cases because defendants have not received discovery information in timely fashion nor have they received speedy trials.”

Bailey alleges that Gardner: Failed in her duty to review warrant applications, with at least an eight-month backlog. Failed in her duty to properly present many cases to the grand jury, receiving much criticism by the grand jury on many occasions.

Engaged in years of costly and wasteful litigation, including suing the City of St. Louis, a case which has been pending for four years.

Consented to extraordinary bond reductions, and failed to file motions to revoke bond, involving serious, violent crimes.

Caused turnover of Circuit Attorney’s Office (CAO) in record number.

Caused CAOs to commit discovery abuses, resulting in sanctions by the court.

He also alleged that Gardner has created “a toxic work environment.”

“This is about protecting the people of the City of St. Louis, restoring the rule of law, and finding justice for victims. We brought this suit to remove a prosecutor who has refused to perform her duties to the people of St. Louis,” Bailey said in a statement.

“The evidence is shocking and deeply disturbing,

See GARDNER, A7

Photo by Wiley Price / St.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American Kim Gardner

Kandi, Tamar Braxon beefing

Kandi Burress and Tamar Braxton are at odds. Braxton shared details about the beef during an appearance on Watch, What Happens Live. She revealed she was talking about Kandi and her husband in a December 2022 Instagram post accusing them of threatening her.

“It really did happen, I’m not lying,” Braxton said. “Like, I’m not looking for attention or drama or anything like that, but that [expletive] really happened, it was not cute.”

“The Wire” star Lance Reddick dies at 60

Lance Reddick who starred in “The Wire,” “Fringe” and the “John Wick” franchise, has died. He was 60. Reddick’s publicist Mia Hansen confirmed the actor suddenly died of natural causes Friday morning. No other details

have been released.

Wendell Pierce, Reddick’s costar on “The Wire” paid tribute on Twitter. “A man of great strength and grace,” he wrote. “As talented a musician as he was an actor. The epitome of class.” “John Wick — Chapter Four” director Chad Stahelski and star Keanu Reeves said they were dedicating the upcoming film to Reddick and were “deeply saddened and heartbroken at the loss.”

Tia says it is time to look out for herself

Tia Mowry is focused on putting herself first as she adjusts to being a newly single woman.

“Self-love is the most important thing. Spend time with yourself, have grace with yourself,” imparted Mowry, 44, in a recent interview with E! News, where she discussed ways she is navigating this chapter of her life.

The actress split from Cory Hardrict, 43, her husband of 14 years, last October. She filed for divorce shortly after publicly announcing their separation. The

couple was together for over 20 years and share two children: a son, Cree, and a daughter, Cairo

“I’ve always been next to someone,” Mowry said during an E! News interview.

“I’ve always had my sister, sideby-side next to me, and this is kind of the first time that I’ve ever been by myself. And so, I’m just really learning about myself, loving on myself, and being optimistic and positive. Life is short, so just focus on the positive.”

Mowry says she plans to be cautious now that her marriage is ending.

“I was only allowed to date at 18 years old, and I never really dated,” she said.

“So my mind is still that of an 18-year-old when it comes to dating. I don’t know anything. What is it, the dating pool? I am not jumping in that pool.”

Sean Lampkin, Nipsey from Martin dies at 54

dy, business partner, and trainer passed away this morning. RIP Sean Lampkin,” she said.

Rick Ross’ latest beef

Rick Ross has responded to his neighbors following their beef over a herd of buffalos that broke out of his land and into theirs.

Sean Lampkin, known for his roles as Nipsey on Martin has died. He died on March 8 and was 54.

Lampkin’s friend Marsel Watts shared the sad news on Facebook last Wednesday.

“My friend, my last roommate for 10 years, a father and family man, my brother, skate bud-

After they escaped, they were returned to the rapper.

“To everybody that’s wanting a statement or response for my bulls, my cows, couple buffaloes that got away in the community, this is my response. I always return stray animals. Make sure you always keep a collar on your animals. Mine don’t have a collar cause’ you know, its mine so when you see my buffalo, give it a carrot. Give it a apple. They so kind, they so peaceful,” he said. He continued: “Thank everybody for watching. Thank everybody for making sure all of my animals got back into the Promise Land. We had some things we was doing on one side and they eased through a little cut, but all my neighbors, Fayetteville, Georgia, all the best, Boss.”

His neighbors were terrified the buffalos would harm young children, but nobody was harmed and they are back at the Promised Land.

Sources: AP News, Essence, E Online!, MTOnews

Lance Riddick

Tia Mowry

Sean Lampkin

“What this moment requires is a leader; someone who can collaborate with folks to build understanding and knowledge.”

- Chicago mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • MARCH 23 - 29, 2023

Renee Hardin-Tammons takes her place on Court of Appeals

Sworn in on March 16

St. Louis American staff

Renee Hardin-Tammons was sworn in Thur. March 16, 2023, as the new judge on the Missouri Court of Appeals for the Eastern District at the Old Court House, another step up in her distinguished career as an attorney and member of the bench.

The Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, is the state’s largest appellate court, with offices in the historic Old Post Office building in downtown St. Louis.

The Court is composed of 14 judges who manage approximately 50% of the intermediate appellate caseload in Missouri, covering 25 counties and the City of St. Louis. Oral arguments are regularly conducted in St. Louis, Hannibal, Cape Girardeau and other locations within the Eastern District.

Hardin-Tammons of Olivette, is a former Associate Circuit Court Judge for the 21st Judicial Circuit, which covers St. Louis County. The position became vacant due to the end of the term of the Honorable Dale Hood. She served as a provisional municipal judge for the City of Berkeley and the City of Woodson Terrace. She previously served as a St. Louis County Municipal Judge in the North division, a municipal judge for the City of Moline Acres, and an assistant county counselor.

She is a private practitioner with

Dubail Judge, P.C. and a small business owner.

Hardin-Tammons received her bachelor of science degree cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and her juris doctor from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Prior to her appointment to the court of appeals, Hardin-Tammons served as circuit judge for in the 21st Judicial Circuit (St. Louis County) for three years and was an associate circuit judge there for two years. Prior to tak-

ing the bench in St. Louis County, she also served as a municipal judge for the city of Berkeley and the St. Louis County municipal court. She was in the private practice of law from 1998 to 2017, and worked in both the St. Louis County public defender’s office and the St. Louis County counselor’s office. She taught criminal law classes as an adjunct professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Over the years, she has been

active in various bar organizations.

Hardin-Tammons is a member of The Missouri Bar, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, the St. Louis County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Mound City Bar Association, the Lawyers Association of St. Louis and the Women Lawyers’ Association.

She is a member and past president of the Missouri Municipal and Associate Circuit Judges Association. The Supreme Court of Missouri has

Renee Hardin-Tammons was sworn in Thur. March 16, 2023, as the new judge on The Missouri Court of Appeals for the Eastern District.

appointed her to serve on its committee on practice and procedure in municipal division cases and also its task force on criminal justice. She is a frequent speaker at area schools and churches, is a member of the Gospel Symphonic Choir, and is also a certified Kansas City Barbecue Society Judge.

In 2007, she wrote the book “I’m Guilty of Loving Southern Cooking, A Soul Food Cookbook” and brought her famous wing sauce to market in 2014.

The Honorable Michael Mullen, retired circuit judge of the 22nd Judicial Circuit (St. Louis city), served as master of ceremonies. The chief judge of the Eastern District Appeals Court, and the Honorable Michael E. Gardner, chief judge of the Eastern District appeals court presided. Hardin-Tammons’ son, Charles R. Tammons Jr., spoke at the ceremony, and Denise Thimes sang.

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Editorial/Commentary

The American’s endorsements for city aldermanic races and charter reform on April 4th

Divisiveness has long caused problems for the nation, this state and our local governing institutions. We are now in especially troubling times. This is concerning because of the continuing myriad of problems, not unique to St. Louis, that need to be better addressed.

The upcoming aldermanic election in the city of St. Louis on April 4 affords an opportunity for major change with a reduction in the number of wards from 28 to 14. The new ward boundaries reflect some of the dramatic population demographic shift over the years. The quality and effectiveness of the elected officials who face these daunting challenges that have escalated over many decades of neglect, poor management and economic change has not been reassuring. Whether a shrinking tax base, loss of population and businesses or the cost of providing essential public services and funding of deferred maintenance, the harsh political divide has accelerated the depth of these entrenched problems.

This is an election that could see a more collaborative strategy instituted that is not as constrained by harmful self-serving political squabbles that hinder efforts to move this divided city in a more constructive direction.

The essentially one party system in the city includes several factions based on race, geographic location, and social-economic status in the city that has resulted in harmful consequences that would be greatly mitigated if the city’s politics were more aligned to solve problems and optimize some of the new opportunities to foster more fair and equitable economic growth.

Our endorsements reflect our belief that a more cohesive, forward-thinking and effective political coalition would provide better gover-

As I See

nance and better outcomes.

Many of these aldermanic ward elections listed have already been commented in greater detail on other pages of the paper in recent issues.

Here are our endorsements for the April 4 aldermanic races. The results of these races are critical to continuing the city toward a better, more hopeful future.

1 - Anne Schweitzer

3 - Shane Cohn

4 - Bret Narayan

5 - Helen Petty

6 - Daniela Valazquez

7 - Alisha Sonnier

9 - Michael Browning

10 - Shameem Clark Hubbard

12 - Tashara Earl

13 - Norma Walker

14 - Rasheen Aldridge

In addition, we endorse needed charter reform and support this proposed inclusive process that has the potential to bring broader respect and cooperation across the city. We recommend YES on Proposition C on April 4.

Celebrating Women’s History Month

By Christina Greer

March is Women’s History Month. I don’t know about anyone else who is reading this column, but this past Black History Month was a doozy.

I felt like, in the words of my late grandmother, “People really showed their tails!” I’m hoping March will be filled with less nonsense and more focus on inclusivity and the myriad of ways women have been trailblazers in almost every facet of our lives.

I often think about the link between February and Black History Month with March and Women’s History Month. I like to make a concerted effort to recognize the multitudes of Black women, past and present, who have changed my life and the world for the better. Making this list is so easy because I am blessed to be able to start with my mother, Gloria McCray Greer.

Most importantly, my mother is a connector and a friend. When I think of the power of women, I think of a collective. I think of deep bonds that withstand circumstance and time. I think of women coming together to lift one another up in the face of tremendous odds.

My mother has been, and luckily for me continues to be, the embodiment of a trailblazer and innovator. I think of her humble beginnings in Florida, which instilled in me the foundation of hard work and a love of nature.

I think of her still sewing on the sewing machine she received for her Sweet 16 to make everything from prom dresses to curtains to now making sanitary goods for girls on the continent of Africa, which has instilled in me a creative spirit and a desire to make things with my hands and share my creative talents with others.

I think of women sharing secrets, telling their stories, and living their truths, knowing they are surrounded by their sisters who will accept them and help serve as a foundation for them, through good times and bad. My mother has modeled the gift of friendship to me and my sister through the years and because of that, I have a collection of “aunties” who have served as an additional source of strength, guidance, mentorship, and love.

As we learn more about the amazing women who have run for office or started businesses or helped their communities, let’s not forget to look closely at the amazing women who may be in our own homes…or cleaning our homes. I am so blessed to be surrounded by incredible Black women in my life, and I know it is because that sense of pride and comfort with talented and caring women began in my home. Happy Women’s History Month. May you see the women in your life in the light they deserve.

Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University, the author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream.”

On Further Review

Back to the Barbershop; Race and caste

By Mike Jones

Socrates: What’s up y’all?

Barbershop: I know you’re not due for a cut, but we’re glad to see you, musta talked you up.

Socrates: You usually do! I think I know what’s on your mind, but tell me anyway.

Barbershop: St. Louis American columnist Mike Jones’ Race and Caste column, we were in here speculating on where he was heading.

Socrates: There’s knowing and then there’s understanding, you have to know some things before you can understand anything.

Barbershop: The way that Brother normally works, he wants us to know something specifically about the past, so we’ll have a better understanding of the present, in order to deal with what’s coming.

Socrates: You got it!

Barbershop: Let’s get to it then!

Socrates: In 1800, 14 years after the United States was founded, there were 5.3 million people in the country and 900,000 were enslaved Black folk. The number of “free” Black people, people classified neither Black nor white were statistically irrelevant, so let’s call it 17% Black, 80% white.

Now let’s look at 1860, 31 million population, including 4 million enslaved Black people (13%), 27 million white people (87%). In 1960, 100 years later, there are179 million people, 158 million white (88.6%) and18 million Black (10%).

the Other is intrinsically different and alien, from the dominant group. Take Black people in America for instance. The way white folks defined American, you had to be white, and we by, their definition can never be white, so we can never be American.

Socrates: You not only took the course, you read the book too! So go ahead my young brother, and tell ’em the rest of it.

Barbershop (young brother): The rest of it? Oh, you mean Rene Girard and the scapegoating thing?

Socrates: I most certainly do!

Barbershop (young brother): The Other plays another vital role, the Other is always the scapegoat. The scapegoat is who the dominant group blames for the mistakes and unsolved problems. This is necessary because the dominant group couldn’t stay together if they started blaming each other for their problems. By blaming the scapegoat the dominant group maintains its unity.

So, from the founding of the United States through 1960, this country has always had a white majority that made up more than 80% of the total population.

The Barbershop: That explains a whole lot!

Socrates: For instance?

Barbershop: It explains why white people today think they own the country and us too, because for most of that time they had an overwhelming majority and they actually classified us as their property.

Now this caste thing Mike was talking about is starting to make sense. White folks may have created a democracy, but that democracy created a caste system, with us as the permanent Untouchables of India.

Barbershop (younger brother): I took a course last semester and learned about the Other and Scapegoats. Don’t wanna speak for the Brother, but I think he’s going in that direction.

Socrates: He and I are pups from the same litter, I can say without fear of contradiction, he’d want you to speak for him. So, I’m gonna yield the floor so you can explain to the brothers what you’re talking about.

Barbershop (younger brother): It deals with human nature and group dynamics. People are social, meaning we live in groups, from tribes to nations. Whatever the social group, it has a core identity. That core identity defines who’s in it and who’s not. It’s like everybody who’s not us is them, and them is always the Other. By definition

Letter to the editor

Barbershop (older brother): Hold up? Socrates, is this young brother saying that even if they no longer needed the free labor, white America continued to demonize and marginalize us so they would always have a scapegoat for their problems?

Socrates: That’s exactly what he’s saying, and I’m saying he’s correct.

Barbershop (older brother): So, the double cross on Reconstruction was about throwing us under the bus so white America could get on the same page! That’s pretty damn lousy!

Socrates: You’re speaking the Black truth.

Barbershop: But Mike has implied something happened?

Socrates: You know about 1960, but that’s look at 2020. There are 332 million people in America, 195 million are white (59%), 63 million are Hispanic(19%), 40 million are Black(12%) and 20 million are Asian(6%). By 2050 the white population of America will be less than 50%. White nationalists want America to be white again. But this will never happen. America is on its way to becoming predominantly nonwhite. And White Americans know and understand this. The Barbershop: This explains why white folks bout to lose their minds up in here!

Barbershop: So, what’s gonna happen?

Socrates: That’s not only the unanswered question, it’s also the unasked question. It’s clear that one group of white Americans have asked and answered that question. That’s MAGA America. Their solution is how quickly can they turn America into their Nazi Germany. I have no insight on the intellectual and emotional state of white Americans. I confess to being clueless. But for the purposes of our discussion, I’ll take a stab at answering. It would appear that a majority of white Americans, perhaps a substantial majority, either have no clue that the question exists or they are in denial about the question’s existence. But how they answer the question or not, will be pivotal in November 2024.

Rasheen Aldridge

Shameem Clark Hubbard Tashara Earl Alisha Sonnier

Schnucks customers and the company raised $120,000 for the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis during its “Round Up at the Register” campaign in February. From left, Schnucks Executive

of Supermarkets Ted Schnuck, ULSTL President and CEO Michael P. McMillan, Schnucks Director of Community Engagement and Customer Care Schron Jackson, ULSTL Vice President of Development and Special Events Tom Bailey and Schnucks Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Bill Bradley.

Schnucks Markets rounds up $120K for Urban League

St. Louis American staff

Good tidings were spread around during Black History Month at Schnucks Markets in support of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. Schnucks customers and the company donated $120,000 to support the Urban League through the third annual “Round Up at the Register” campaign in February.

Customers donated $112,766 and Schnucks provided an additional $7,234 during the campaign which ran February 1-14. St. Louis area Schnucks customers had the option during checkout to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar with 100% of donations to support the Save Our Sons program. Round ups at Schnucks stores in other markets supported the Urban League chapter in each respective area or the National Urban League.

port our programs and our mission speaks volumes. We are so deeply appreciative.”

n Customers donated $112,766 and Schnucks provided an additional $7,234 during the campaign which ran February 1-14.

“We are truly grateful for our longstanding partnership with Schnucks, but this year’s Round Up effort is especially humbling because we are coming out of a pandemic and a devastating flood that impacted so many,” said Michael P. McMillan, ULSTL president and CEO.

“The fact that people intentionally dug a little deeper to sup-

The ULSTL’s Save Our Sons program helps economically disadvantaged African American men find jobs and earn livable wages.

This program completes these objectives by assisting the participants in obtaining post-secondary education and job training and teaching the imperative career life skills and work ethic necessary to become successful employees in today’s workforce.

The Urban League recently opened two new Save Our Sons facilities in south St. Louis and East St. Louis, Illinois.

“We were honored to once again celebrate Black History Month with our decades-long partners at the Urban League,” said Todd Schnuck, Schnucks chair and CEO and past ULSTL chair.

“As a company that employs nearly 12,000 teammates, we not only have the opportunity to nourish people’s lives and help develop the workforce, we have the obligation to do so - a goal shared by the Urban League through the Save Our Sons program.”

No shade from this Pepper Tree

What do children in elementary school know about racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, discrimination, hatred, and bigotry?

“Nothing” should be the answer. We are not born with a chromosome or gene that makes any of these things innate within us, our DNA does not dictate that we must display any of these behaviors. The truth is all these isms and phobias are learned behaviors and ideologies. Most of us get our values from our teachers, preachers, parents, and friends. When young children use hateful slurs, profanity, or disrespectful language it is a result of their environment and home training. It is a poor reflection on our current society that so many of our young people must lose their “innocence” because of access to the Internet and friends who have been prematurely exposed to the ugliness of how we talk and treat those who are different.

Freedom of speech is important, but not at the cost of another person’s wellbeing. We must show respect and kindness towards our fellow human beings. Our children deserve better examples from us.

Recently, my daughter and I were having a discussion and she asked me if I had heard about what was happening at the elementary school she attended. At the time, I had not heard about it. She told me a little Black child was given a “Golden N-Word-Pass” by a little white child.

I have lived in Upland, California for close to 35 years and both of my children attended Pepper Tree Elementary School. As a matter of fact, my daughter was part of the first group of children to attend the school when it opened. One day when my daughter was riding the bus home from school, a little white boy called her the “N” word and when she got home, she was crying and asked why he called her that name.

This recent incident at Pepper Tree Elementary School brought back memories from the pain I experienced when my daughter came home crying close to three decades ago. It is sad to learn that over 30 years later, we are still dealing with racial slurs and insults to our children.

A pepper tree is known for casting shade in mild climates. Right now, Pepper Tree Elementary School is far from having a mild climate and the shade they are providing is shining a light on how far we must go as a society.

Racist behavior is something that we have been dealing with in America since the beginning of time. I recently heard someone say that we are a divided nation, two countries fighting to become one. If we are not careful, we will face another Civil War breaking up families, communities, and states. The political environment we have been experiencing in our country has caused people to come out boldly about their true feelings about race.

It is important that we come up with solutions to the issues at hand. We also need to make sure they have results. We must hold the teachers, school administrators, Parent Teacher Associations (PTA’s), parents, and the community accountable for solutions for the future of our children and society. Everything must be put on the table and dealt with and not buried underneath the surface.

Children must feel safe, especially at school. I think the solutions go beyond just firing someone, but rather instituting mandated sensitivity training that have consequences when not adhered to. If not, we will continue to have children not only being hurt, but also killing each other and pondering suicide. Let us all be the difference.

Wendy Gladney is an author and columnist for the L.A. Sentinel

Vice President

Photo courtesy of Schnucks

Wendy Gladney

Fields

Continued from A1 told the crowd.

“We like to take food deserts and make them former food deserts.”

The new store at 6840 Page Avenue replaces the Save A Lot that closed in 2021 after 11 years. That closing meant that residents, including those residing in a nearby senior citizen home, would have to travel miles for groceries or fresh food.

Immediately after Save A Lot closed, Chris Krehmeyer, CEO of the nonprofit Beyond Housing, told the St. Louis American that he started looking for a new store to take its place. That search led to the partnership between Fields

Foods and its new landlord, Beyond Housing. Despite losing Save A Lot, Beyond Housing’s “24:1 Municipal Partnership Initiative” a collaboration with nearby municipalities, including Pasadena Hills and Normandy, seems to be paying off.

Fields Foods will join Midwest BankCentre, Affinia Healthcare, BJC HealthCare 24:1 Cinema, a senior living center, Carter Commons and several other Black-owned businesses at the Page location.

Krehmeyer thanked St. Louis County and other lenders who “made this happen” before listing the ongoing accomplishments in Pagedale. “This community is thriving, it’s getting better,” Krehmeyer told the crowd. “We have a bank, we have a movie theater, a food hall, a health facility

and now we have this fantastic grocery store. We’re building 36 new homes in about 60 days and more great things are coming.”

St. Louis County Council Chairwoman Rita Heard Days used an old adage to describe Fields Foods presence in Pagedale.

“They say, ‘when one door closes, another opens,’ and that’s exactly what’s happening here,” Days said.

“This is a first-class operation and I’m very appreciative of Fields Foods taking and making a commitment in our community. We deserve this. Let’s make sure this is a success.”

Pagedale Mayor Ernest G. Shields also thanked Goodson and Krehmeyer for their commitment and contributions to the city. Shields said only one

word summarizes his feelings.

“Overwhelming. Look around you. We have the produce and all the things that we need. I’m just so grateful and so pleased,” Shields said. “If we want the store to stay here, we must patronize it. Tell your family and friends and come back again, and again, and again.”

Save A Lot owners didn’t cite specific reasons for closing the store. But Krehmeyer cited lagging sales brought on by limited store hours and a decline in in-person shopping during the pandemic. Those vague explanations, he said, weren’t sufficient reasons to close the store.

Beverly Hills Mayor Brian K.Jackson, vice chair of the 24:1 Municipal Partnership, emphasized that the new enterprise cannot be successful without loyal patronage.

“Without us, it closes again,” Jackson stressed.

Goodson said the key to the new store’s success depends on the involvement of residents from all the municipalities in the 24:1 Municipal Partnership’s footprint.

“We not only want to grow from Pagedale we need to grow from Normandy, Pasadena Hills…we need to get all those areas.”

Although the official opening wasn’t slated until 5pm Tuesday, customers peppered in hours earlier anxious to shop.

Wheeler

Continued from A1

to celebrate one of the few schools in the country named for an African American female.

The late Betty McNeal Wheeler was the founding principal of Metro High School in 1972. She was known for creating an innovative school program that borrowed from successful programs around the country. She placed a strong emphasis on preparing juniors and seniors to take their places in the world.

Today, Metro consistently is ranked number one in the state and the elementary school is also highly rated.

“Metroites” joined in on the CJA campaign to honor their former teacher through the renaming of the elementary school.

Her daughter, Gayle Wheeler-Williams, said at the re-dedication “[my mother] worked hard. She sacrificed and it’s good to know her students [and] St. Louis Public Schools have recognized her for her accomplishments and the things she has done.

“It feels really good. I’m proud of my mom.

“I am an only child as far as birth, but I have a lot of siblings because they (Metro) were her kids, all of them! At times I was jealous as a child until I understood.”

She added, “My mom had vision, but I don’t think in her wildest dreams she would have imagined this. Her name will never be forgotten and

One elderly man who arrived two hours early, was disappointed he couldn’t shop but vowed to return.

“I just live a couple blocks from here…I’ll definitely be back,” the man told Goodson.

Dozens of customers with black shopping carts at the ready streamed the aisles after the dignitaries’ speeches. With “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang blaring over loudspeakers, they canvassed the store sampling treats and filling their carts.

Goodson, former president of the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners and a real estate developer, said his challenging foray into the grocery store business began with his real estate development in the Lafayette Square area.

“It took me forever to convince Walgreens, which has stores on every freakin’ corner in Chicago, to open one in Lafayette Square. We did that so I ended up pitching an idea for a store to a bunch of grocers. They all said, ‘love what you’re doing, but…’ I got tired of hearing ‘but’ so I went all in and created Fields Foods. That’s how it started.”

There are skeptics who claim that some products at Fields Foods seem to be more expensive than those carried by discount chains like Aldi’s or Save A Lot.

Cognizant of that concern, Goodson said the shelves at

the new store are stocked with “Best Choice” and other discount brands. The store, which is larger than the Dogtown one and the one in the Skinker DeBaliviere neighborhood, is well stocked with discount brands. The meat, dairy, frozen food and other sections of the store all offer a vast array of discount brands.

During the ceremony, Goodson thanked his “hardworking” staff and “management team,” four of which, Goodson said, are African American. Wakeatha Duff, the store’s “head manager,” said she’s upbeat about the store’s presence in Pagedale.

“We have a lot of people around here letting us know they’re excited. We have reasonable prices and it’s something new to the area. So, I’m happy for them as well,” Duff said.

It’s an understatement to say Duff’s ascension at Fields Foods has been rather rapid. Within eight weeks she’s been promoted from part-time employee to bakery manager to store manager at the Lafayette store to her current position as “director” at the Pagedale location.

Duff said her goals as director are simple.

“My role is to lead by example and make sure we’re a good store in this community.”

that’s a beautiful thing.”

Wheeler’s former students always remember her warm hugs and how she insisted that everyone, even her students, call her “Betty.”

Sels said “at every opportunity Ms. Wheeler demonstrated care, compassion, and confidence in every child’s ability to achieve greatness.

“To ensure their success, she built her school culture around innovative and proven programs in Chicago, Philadelphia and Brooklyn, New York. Her promise to her students was that –in her school - they would not fail.

Betty Wheeler was married to the late Samuel Wheeler, and they had one daughter, Gayle Wheeler Williams. Ms. Williams is married to Herman Williams. Wheeler, who died in 2011, was the daughter of T.D. McNeal, Missouri’s first Black state senator. She graduated from Sumner High School and was one of the few Black students attending St. Louis University in the 1950s. She started her teaching career at Gundlach and Yeatman elementary schools before opening Metro in 1972.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

From left: 26th Ward Alderwoman Shameem Clark Hubbard with long-time secretary Rose Williams and Gayle Wheeler-Williams, daughter of Betty Wheeler.

Continued from A1

fiscal year, which lasts from July 2023 to July 2024.

For the first time in three years, participants must take steps to re-enroll. Eligibility redeterminations end April 1

Missouri’s state legislature first tried to halt voter approved Medicaid expansion, then took a lackluster approach to its implementation.

It will certainly be among the states that immediately resume conducting eligibility checks and removing participants from rolls who are deemed ineligible.

Some Medicaid health insurance recipients could lose coverage because they are no longer eligible because their income is now too high.

However, many Missourians could lose coverage because of procedural errors, including failing to return proper paperwork. States are working under federal guidelines to limit those types of procedural disenrollments.

The Deaconess Foundation is urging Medicaid recipients to take immediate action.

According to a Deaconess release, “not everyone will complete their annual renewal the same month.

“Typically, the renewal process will occur the same month as the anniversary of when an individual’s coverage first began. Every currently enrolled Medicaid individual will receive a renewal letter at some point between April 2023 and April 2024.”

There are two steps needed to make sure renewal is completed by the deadline:

STEP 1: Get ready for renewals by keeping your contact information up to date so you can get important updates in the mail. If your address has changed in the last 3 years, you will need to notify the Family Support Division by:

Reporting a change online

Visiting your local resource center calling 855-373-4636

STEP 2: You will receive a letter in the mail sometime between April 2023 and April 2024. You can check the annual renewal timeline to find out when you should expect to get your letter. This letter will tell you what, if anything, you need to do next. If a response is required, make sure to submit it by the deadline so you do not risk losing your healthcare coverage.

The Biden administration is predicting that 15 million people could lose Medicaid benefits over the coming year.

Overall, the country saw a coverage increase of five million people between 2020 and early 2022 and a historic uninsured rate of 8%.

Joseph R. Betancourt,

Gardner

Continued from A1 and we remain committed to removing Circuit Attorney Gardner from office.”

KSDK reported on Wednesday that Bailey asked Judge John Torbitzky to grant him additional time to present new evidence against Gardner and requested a June trial date.

In a response, Gardner said Bailey would not have to request changes to the original quo warranto petition if Bailey’s office wasn’t rushing the process to “take advantage of a tragedy for political gain, while ignoring the will of the voters.”

Gardner has 10 days to respond to the amended petition. Last week, Gardner responded to the original petition hours before a midnight Wednesday, March 15 deadline.

To be removed, Gardner contends, that Bailey “must allege a willful and intentional failure, not negligence.”

“[The statute] has only been applied to oust a prosecutor (or any other official) when they engaged in intentional corrupt acts in derogation of their official duties, and ouster of prosecutors under this statute has been uniformly denied for anything less.

“Taking Mr. Bailey’s allegations in his Petition as true and giving them their broadest reading, his Petition fails to state facts that show Kimberly Gardner has engaged in intentional corrupt acts in derogation

president of the Commonwealth Fund which released the Medicaid statistics earlier this year, said it’s going to take courage to maintain the gains made.

“Health insurance is critical to assuring all Americans get the health outcomes they deserve for the enormous investments we make,” he said in a statement.

“The pandemic demonstrated what we can achieve with common-sense strategies to expand coverage — broadening access to care and diminishing longstanding disparities in insurance rates. We must have the courage to maintain these gains, and close the Medicaid gap for good. Going backwards, with millions losing coverage, should not be an option.”

The end of Medicaid’s automatic enrollment isn’t the only policy researchers say could harm low-income and people of color when it ends. They’ve also got their eyes on the Affordable Care Act.

The 2014 legislation made it possible for states to expand eligibility for their Medicaid programs. In those states, adults under age 65 with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level became eligible ($17,774

of her official duties. Instead, the Petition alleges mere negligence or mistakes in the administration of her office without any allegation of corrupt intent or bad faith.”

The motion states, “Mr. Bailey’s Petition fails to meet the extremely high bar to state a lawful claim for ouster. Instead, his Petition is a gross power grab, an affront to the liberties of all Missourians. The Court should dismiss it.”

Gardner’s office is under scrutiny after the handling of a high-profile case. A 17-year-old volleyball player was critically injured in a crash caused by a suspect who was supposed to be on house arrest.

Court records show the suspect in that crash violated house arrest on a previous armed robbery case, but prosecutors never filed a motion to revoke his bond and dismissed and refiled the charges against him in July 2022 because they weren’t ready to go to trial.

Gardner’s motion also contends that she was not personally involved in the suspect’s case, thus she cannot be held accountable.

“These cases were not litigated by Ms. Gardner herself, but by others, and Mr. Bailey has provided no factual allegation of Ms. Gardner’s personal involvement or knowledge of what happened in those cases,” according to the motion. “This is an action against Ms. Gardner; it must allege that Ms. Gardner, herself, acted intentionally or corruptly.”

KSDK and Sylvester Brown of the St. Louis American contributed to this article

for an individual and $36,570 for a family of four in 2021).

More than 21 million people in more than 40 states and territories gained coverage because of the expansion.

But despite increased financial incentives, 11 states have chosen to opt out — including Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and most other southern states with high populations of Black residents.

While Missouri has not opted out, there will be legislators who will immediately press to take the action that will leave many state residents without coverage. Missouri and the states listed suffer from high maternal and stroke-related death rates.

Sara R. Collins, vice president for health care coverage and access and tracking health

system performance at the Commonwealth Fund, said the expansion efforts have made it possible for more Black and Brown folks to get coverage, but more work needs to be done.

“The Affordable Care Act’s coverage expansions have helped drive historic progress in reducing racial and ethnic gaps in health insurance coverage, but we still have a long way to

Bethany Johnson-Javois, president and CEO of the Deaconess Foundation, is urging Missourians with Medicaid health insurance to take the needed steps by March 31, 2023 to insure they are not incorrectly stripped of coverage.

go,” she said in a statement.

“Too many Black and Hispanic adults are still unable to get insurance or the health care they need, which contributes to inequitable health outcomes. If we want to continue making progress toward a more equitable health system, it’s critical to ensure that all people are continuously covered, not just during a pandemic.”

Photo by Deaconess Foundation

Beloved St. Louisan Elson Williams passes

‘He was a doer, a giver to so many’

By. K. Michael Jones The St. Louis American

Elson Williams, Jr., a friend to many and a provider for many St. Louis area non-profits, has passed. He was 77. Elson Williams Jr. was born on July 8, 1945 in St. Louis, Mo. He was the second born of three born to the union of Elson Williams Sr. and Katherine Williams. His parents and both siblings, Myrna and Ronald, preceded him in death.

Elson was a proud product of the St. Louis Public Schools. He graduated from Soldan High School and attended Northeast Missouri State College, until he was drafted into the United States Army. He served a tour of duty as a sergeant in the U.S. Army, and was responsible for leading two infantry squads in the jungles of Vietnam. After the war ended, he returned to St. Louis, where he attended Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. There he received his bachelors of science degree in sociology and later went on to Webster University to earn a master’s degree in marketing. August 20, 1970, Elson married the love of his life, Flora June Burton. From this union were born Elson C. Williams III and Sean Omar Williams (who preceded him in death).

Elson took pride in his family, fitness, and travel. He was a proud member of Forest Park Forever, and spent many mornings there with his Forest Park buddies, the “Legends of Forest Park.”

Elson began his career as a state manager for Seagram’s Distillers. He later moved on to Major Brands, Inc. where he retired after 25 years as a highly successful sales manager. During that time, he received numerous performance and leadership awards from Major Brands and top spirits suppliers across the United States. Elson was a well-respected man in the community; serving as one of the original members of 100 Black Men of St. Louis. He supported veterans’ initiatives; the Community Women Against Hardship program; volunteered for Meals

on Wheels every Thanksgiving; helped the homeless find food and shelter; gave turkeys to families in need; and provided school supplies to children in the St. Louis community.

“He was a catalyst,” said Gloria Taylor, president of local non-profit Community Women Against Hardship. “He was a doer, a giver to so many of us,” she said. “Whenever I asked he always, always said ‘Yes.’ But guess what, he never wanted any accolades, because that’s just who he was.”

In partnership with the St. Louis Retail Group and the St. Louis Independent Liquor Licensees, Elson helped raise money to fund college scholarships for high school students in the City of St. Louis. He also contributed to the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and the United Negro College Fund. Elson won several awards: Lieutenant Governor’s Veterans Service Award and the NAACP Unsung Hero Freedom Fund Award. He was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars and member of the Urban League Whitney M. Young Foundation. Elson departed this life Wednesday, March 15, 2023. He is survived by his wife, June; son, Elson (Tré); niece, Pam (Dwayne); and close family and friends.

Visitation is Friday, March 24, 2023 from 11am-12noon at Austin A. Layne Mortuary, 7239 West Florissant, followed by interment at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.

Be a Tourist in Your Own Town

A Month to Remember

By Barry Draper

With winter in the rearview mirror, there’s no better time to enjoy everything that St. Louis has to offer. This April, add these experiences to your calendar.

With the start of baseball season, as well, the local sports scene continues to heat up. If you’re a fan, snag tickets to see one – or all – of our professional sports teams play in rip-roaring competitions in between these other events. Learn more at explorestlouis.com/discover/ st-louis-sports-fans/.

Monet/Mitchell: Painting the French Landscape

March 25 to June 25

Offering a fresh view of two of the most experimental painters of the 20th century, Monet/ Mitchell: Painting the French Landscape is the first exhibition in the U.S. to examine the complex dialogue between the work of French impressionist Claude Monet and American abstract expressionist Joan Mitchell. The exhibition at the Saint Louis Art Museum will present 24 paintings, 12 by each artist. Often monumental in scale and overwhelming in impact, these artworks highlight the fascination both painters had for expansive, panoramic formats and natural iconography.

Skeleton Crew

March 29 to April 16

Set in Detroit during the Great Recession, Skeleton Crew focuses on an automotive plant that’s on the brink of closure and the impact that the uncertainty has on the workers. Tensions rise when an employee who worked on the line for a long time gets promoted to a supervisor position. His co-workers – his friends – expect him to tell them what’s happening, and he gets caught between his loyalty to them and his new responsibilities as management. The Black Rep will perform Dominique Morisseau’s play at the Catherine B. Berges Theatre at COCA.

No Tears Project Throughout April

Gateway Arch National Park, Jazz St. Louis and the Oxford American have partnered on the No Tears Project, a series of free events that utilize music and conversation to engage communities in civil rights education and storytelling. Throughout the month of April, you are invited to community concerts, panel discussions and youth education programs that address St. Louis’ past and present in the broader American civil rights story.

GO! St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend April 1 and 2

The GO! St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend brings the area’s favorite running tradition to the city streets, historic landmarks and beautiful parks of our unique neighborhoods, from downtown to Forest Park. On April 1 and

2, the 23rd annual Marathon Weekend will include races and festivities for everyone in the family, including a marathon relay, 5k and kids’ fun run.

Sake and Sakura April 7

The Missouri Botanical Garden has more than 100 varieties of cherry trees, and during Sake and Sakura, you can enjoy views of their delicate flowers while specialists guide you on a sake sampling adventure. Seven sake samples are included with admission. Attendees will also receive a keepsake tasting cup, and they will have the rare opportunity to explore the Japanese Garden’s Teahouse Island.

Gateway Blues Festival April 7

The 2023 Blues Is Alright Tour returns to Stifel Theatre on April 7 for the 15th Annual Gateway Blues Festival. The evening will feature performances by Tucka James, known for his swagger, style and charming voice; Pokey Bear, who started as a rapper but transitioned into the blues-Southern soul genre; Calvin Richardson, who started singing at a young age in a Gospel act called The Willing Wonders; R&B artist King George; singer-songwriter J-Wonn; and Ronnie “RnB” Bell, a church-reared independent R&B singer.

Enchanted Evening April 22

Hear ye, hear ye! Aspiring princes and princesses are cordially invited to the Royal Ball at The Magic House on April 22. Guests can meet their favorite storybook characters and pose for pictures with them in the museum. Enjoy pastries and apple juice at a tea party

with Princess Tiana, watch the story of Cinderella and Prince Charming come to life, travel through the Children’s China exhibition with Mulan and dance the night away with Belle. Little ones can also create their own crowns and tiaras during the enchanted evening.

St. Louis Earth Day Festival April 22 and 23

The St. Louis Earth Day Festival is a community tradition. At the two-day event, guests learn about sustainable products and services offered by area businesses and organizations, including 4 Hands Brewing Co., Alpacas of Troy, Baetje Farms, Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum, Kakao Chocolate, Schlafly Beer, Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. and the World Bird Sanctuary. You can also meet local nonprofits, such as the Gateway Arch Park Foundation, which share Earth Day values, and try local restaurants, such as Salt + Smoke, which comprise the Green Dining Alliance – all while enjoying live entertainment.

Lizzo April 25

“If you love me, you love all of me.” The winner of four Grammy Awards and one Primetime Emmy Award, Lizzo will bring The Special 2our to Enterprise Center on April 25. Showcasing her many talents, the performance has been described as part variety show spectacle and part megachurch empowerment retreat. Lizzo awes audiences with everything from powerhouse singing to flute playing and motivational speaking to choreo slaying, and it would be remiss of us not to tell you to get your tickets today.

With the start of baseball season, snag tickets to see one – or all – of our professional sports teams play.

Elson Williams

Aldergeddon moves to the courtroom

As we’ve learned in the last week, St. Louis’ Aldergeddon won’t only be fought in the polling booths -- some battles will take place in the St. Louis City Circuit Court, as well. The outcome of at least one ward may come down to a court order and could potentially shift power on the Board of Aldermen. On Thursday of last week, incumbent Alderwoman Laura Keys filed a lawsuit against her opponent for the new 11th Ward aldermanic seat, Carla “Coffee” Wright. In Keys’ request to boot Wright from the April 4 ballot, the alderwoman alleges that Wright doesn’t meet residency requirements to run for office in the ward. Keys bases her allegations on the lack of city water service to the address that Wright claimed in filing for the 11th ward, as well as Wright’s voter registration address in another ward until December 2022 and Wright’s April 2022 federal candidate registration for last year’s U.S. Senate race. Keys’ lawsuit is straightforward: based on Wright’s own filings with the FEC last year, she does not meet the one-year residency requirement to run for the ward alderperson.

State representative and current 14th Ward aldermanic candidate Rasheen Aldridge filed his own lawsuit against opponent Ebony Washington of the Hubbard political family last Friday that seemed equally as straightforward as Keys’. In the brief, three-page lawsuit, Aldridge challenged Washington’s eligibility to run for office on the basis of her “assessed city taxpayer ” status - or lack thereof. The city charter requires candidates running for alderperson to be assessed for two years prior to running for office. Since Washington filed to run in 2022, she should have paid personal property taxes or obtained a waiver for the years 2020 and 2021.

Washington was seen at City Hall on Monday, reopening her personal property tax account and trying to pay at least two years of back taxes owed on her vehicle.

According to the Post-Dispatch, Aldridge’s lawsuit “is now moot” and Aldridge’s lawyer said on Tuesday he with-

drew the lawsuit after Washington paid the tax bills she owed from 2020 and 2021. The southside isn’t without its own messy situation. Although the court isn’t involved, 1st Ward candidate, deputy sheriff Tony Kirchner, has found himself in uncharted territory. Kirchner, who has obtained some questionable restraining orders against his ex-wife, has been a very vocal opponent of a new shelter proposed for the Carondelet neighborhood. One of those restraining orders is currently in effect until August of this year and the judge who entered the order in favor of the deputy is St. Louis City Judge Scott Milikan former police attorney and the brother of current police attorney and St. Louis County municipal judge Brian Milikan. “Help for me and not for thee,” apparently is this deputy’s motto. Kirchner has also publicly supported the Attorney General’s attempt to overturn St. Louis City voters’ overwhelming choice by removing Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner from office, and he grossly tried to use a teenager’s tragic accident to amass political support. Kirchner, whose personal life seems to play out like a “Jerry Springer” episode, is challenging incumbent Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer, and he’s relying on a MAGA-heavy platform in his effort to join the Board. There’s no question who the right - and sane - choice is for the ward. We just hope the voters can see past Kirchner’s selfish charade on April 4.

its assets like police headquarters and precincts, vehicles, and equipment. The state would also be financially liable for health insurance and pension costs, as well as salaries and lawsuit settlements.

As Mayor Jones also pointed out, another state takeover of the SLMPD will not make St. Louis safer. Under state control of the police department, from the Civil War until 2012, crime was higher than it is currently. You wouldn’t know it from the way local television stations cover the subject, but violent crime has actually seen some decline since the city regained control of the police department in 2013. But this fact is not helpful to Missouri Republicans’ narrative.

The General Assembly’s bigger obstacles to taking over the SLMPD are linked to constitutional issues, namely the violations of the Hancock Amendment and Article VI, Section 22, which bars the state legislature from passing laws that impose any duties or obligations onto municipal employees. We discussed those legal issues more in-depth in last week’s Political Eye.

To be clear, the General Assembly’s legislative assault on St. Louis and Kansas City is part of the larger “culture war” that state Republicans are waging against Missouri cities. Especially cities with Black elected leadership.

While we’re on the subject of police in St. Louis, Mayor Tishaura Jones’ administration has taken a strong stance against the Missouri General Assembly’s legislative insurrection to undermine the city’s elected government. Mayor Jones recently appeared on MSNBC’s “All in with Chris Hayes,” where she reminded the state legislature that its attempt to regain its control over St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department would cost Missouri taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Under the proposed legislation, the state would have to purchase from the city all of

Motivated by white grievance, extremists in the Missouri GOP believe that what makes their voters angry also gets them out to vote. They have once again wasted at least half of the current legislative session focused on “wokeness”, removing history from public school curriculum, pulling books that foster inclusion and diversity from library shelves, and banning health and mental care for children understanding their gender identities. There are certainly more pressing issues, such as rising gun violence in public spaces and the growing housing crisis, but basic human needs like safety and shelter appear to be of little importance to state Republicans.

Un-elected Attorney General

Andrew Bailey has regularly overstepped his legal authority since he was appointed to office, making the fight to save the SLMPD from a state takeover so much more critical to the well-being of our city. The General Assembly’s power grab is akin to what Missouri’s pro-slavery governor, Claiborne Jackson, did the first time local control of the SLMPD was revoked. The intent in 1862 was to try to prevent St. Louis from defending itself from the incoming Confederate army, clearing a path to take over the city and to re-enslave the thousands of free Black residents who lived here. That same white supremacy lives on today through illegal “emergency regulations” denying healthcare to children, lawsuits against public school districts, and the non-stop “culture wars” against “wokeness.” Whatever that actually means - we have yet to

see one of these racist ideologues actually define the term. The EYE sees “wokeness” as standard human decency - the awareness of racial and social issues and paying attention to how they intersect with other issues like policing, access to housing, access to healthcare, and quality public education. We have a difficult time understanding what is objectionable to this simple definition, or why any person would oppose “wokeness” when the term calls for basic kindness toward other people.

What the extremists in Jefferson City do accept is the notion that there is more energy against “wokeness” than other policy issues, session after session, which is the humanity of all Missourians, not just the select few deemed worthy by the majority-white male legislature. Every year, millions of Missouri residents are left

behind by elected officials who don’t represent their constituents’ interests but instead spend their time pushing a Reagan-era “culture war” that, for decades, has been code for racism and sexism. Look no further than the current loosening of gun laws to encourage more chaos and violence in our cities, or the banning of abortion and attempts to ban birth control. In addition there is the emphasis on transgender issues and kids where there is not simply support from their base but also some Democrats and independents. Nevertheless, we are facing a state legislature that acts as if they want to see St. Louis fail in every way. Enough is enough, and we applaud Mayor Jones, County

and

Executive Sam Page,

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas for fighting back against this power grab on behalf of their residents.

“Taking Care of You”

STL Regional Medical Center partners with Alive and Well

Partners work to end health disparities

St. Louis American staff

The St. Louis Regional Health Commission and Alive and Well have recently partnered in the effort to eliminate health disparities throughout the state.

Founded in 2001, RHC addressed the crisis in access to care after the region’s last remaining public hospital, St. Louis Regional Medical Center closed.

In 2017, AWC spun off from the RHC and formed as a statewide non-profit to address the impact of stress and trauma on health outcomes. The organization works in partnership with communities in St. Louis, Kansas City and Southeast Missouri (“the Bootheel”) where poor health outcomes and health disparities continue to persist.

“The RHC historically has been focused on improving access to care for low-income

residents of St. Louis City and County,” said Angela Brown, CEO of the RHC.

“With the expansion of Medicaid and the subsequent closure of the Gateway to Better Health program, we are accelerating our work to eliminate health disparities across the state of Missouri.

“To do so, we recognize we need a broad-

By Jessica Ann Tyson

As the incessant flu continues to plague America, we can take precautions to keep our health in good shape. Whether that’s getting a flu shot, taking essential vitamins, or even washing hands a few more times a day, lots of people are taking the extra step.

During the 2021-22 flu season, there were more than 4 million medical visits and over 10,000 hospitalizations for the influenza virus. Combining the 10,000 hospitalizations from the flu along with COVID-19 hospitalizations, the number of people visiting and staying at healthcare facilities pushed into the millions. As these numbers continue to rise, so does the cost of healthcare. Since 2010, despite these skyrocketing numbers, health insurance still manages to cover less and less each year.

n In the 20212022 flu season, there were more than 4 million medical visits and over 10,000 hospitalizations for the influenza virus.

In the 2021-2022 flu season, there were more than 4 million medical visits and over 10,000 hospitalizations for the influenza virus. The combination of that number and COVID19 hospitalizations pushed the number of people visiting and staying at healthcare facilities into the millions. As these numbers continue to rise, so does the cost of healthcare. Since 2010, individual insurance premiums have risen over 58%, and family insurance premiums have risen more than 63%. Despite these skyrocketing numbers, health insurance still manages to cover less and less each year.

While health insurance companies move further from coverage and closer to profit, more Americans are drowning in medical bills, struggling to make ends meet.

The top five health insurance companies, (United Health Group, Anthem, Centene, Humana, and Blue Cross Blue Shield) collectively generated a profit of over $720 billion in 2022 alone.

The largest of the five insurance compa-

State action can save Black postpartum moms’ lives

By Dr. Kendra Holmes President & CEO, Affinia Healthcare

It’s a matter of life or death.

Despite the technological advances in healthcare, one of the most joyous times in a parent’s life can be the most dangerous, especially for Black women.

According to the Missouri Foundation for Health, Missouri Black women die from pregnancy-related complications four times more often than White women. Black women are at risk nationally and locally.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in 2020, the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black women was 55.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, almost three times the rate for non-Hispanic White women. These rates are similar to those in Missouri.

According to the United Health Foundation’s 2016 Health of Women and Children Report, the rate of Missouri’s Black maternal death is even higher at 65 deaths per 100,000 live births. Missouri’s overall maternal mortality rate was 28.5 deaths per 100,000 live births (In 2016, Missouri ranked 42nd in the nation; the state has dropped to 44).

n According to the Missouri Foundation for Health, Missouri Black women die from pregnancyrelated complications four times more often than White women. Black women are at risk nationally and locally.

A maternal death is defined by the World Health Organization as, “the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and the site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes.”

According to the annual Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services

Angela Brown. St. Louis Regional Health Commission CEO, and commissioners of the St. Louis Regional Health Commission have announced a partnership with Alive and Well Communities. From left are Edwilla Massey, Brown, Joe Yancey, Devon Whitmore, and Lisa Potts.

Photo courtesy of RHC

See PARTNERS, A11

See TYSON, A11

The new President and CEO of Affinia Health is now Dr. Kendra Holmes at Affinaia’s Biddle location Mon. Jan. 8, 2023.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Jessica Ann Tyson

St. Louis American staff

The head of the World Health Organization said the agency is likely to declare an end to the coronavirus pandemic later this year as case numbers and related deaths keep declining.

“I am confident that this year we will be able to say that COVID-19 is over as a public health emergency of international concern,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a media briefing on March 17,2023.

“We are certainly in a much better position now than we have been at any time during the pandemic.”

Tedros made his comments as statistics reveal the weekly number of reported coronavirus deaths over a four-week period was lower than when WHO declared the virus a global pandemic three years ago.

In the U.S., coronavirusrelated statistics have fluctuated over the past three years as different strains take hold, but the number of deaths and infections are now trending downward.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chart shows there were 1,706 weekly deaths as of March 15, the lowest weekly total since 1,119 on the week of March 25, 2020, near the start of the pandemic. The highest weekly total was reported on Jan. 13, 2021, when there were more than 23,000 logged deaths.

Hospitalization rates and coronavirus cases are down presently but not at pandemic lows. Nevertheless, the Biden administration plans to declare the public health emergency over on May 11.

Moms

Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review board report released last August, “maternal mortality events are internationally viewed as an indicator that may be used to judge the overall health of a country, state, or community.”

There’s a bright spot here: we can do something about this. In 2018, the Missouri

Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review determined

Continued from A10

er approach that incorporates societal factors that impact health. Our association with Alive and Well allows us to address issues such as K-12 education, an area we historically have not engaged in.” Missouri life expectancy illustrates the importance of the partnership between RHC

Continued from A10

nies, United Health Group, raked in over $324 billion dollars this year and is projected to bring in more than $360 billion in 2023. These record-breaking profits are an embarrassment to our healthcare system as hospitals are struggling to keep the lights on and patients are unable to

“Taking Care of You”

WHO to declare pandemic over in coming months

Biden administration to end health emergency May 11

The White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said in a statement in January the declarations, which were set to expire in the coming months, would be extended again until May 11 and then terminated. The government has been paying for COVID19 vaccines, some tests and certain treatments under the PHE declaration. When it expires, those costs will be transferred to private insurance and government health plans.

that 80% of pregnancyrelated deaths that year could have been prevented. In the Show-Me-State, more than half of pregnancyrelated deaths occur after 43 days postpartum. To help improve the mortality rates for Black mothers, Missouri’s Maternal Mortality Review Commission has recommended that the state extend Medicaid from 60 days to one year postpartum to all pregnant people regardless of condition. As the leader of one of the largest federally qualified

and AWC. In the Bootheel, the average life expectancy rate is 73.4 years, with four of its six counties (Pemiscot, Dunklin, New Madrid, and Mississippi) having the state’s lowest life expectancies. According to the Kansas City Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), that area’s average resident can expect to live 77 years (equivalent to the U.S. average.) However, that number varies dramatically depending

cover these absurd costs. In 2017, with full control of Washington, Republicans worked to repeal Obamacare only to come up short. Now that they have the majority again, we must encourage the new leadership to offer a bold new vision that puts patients over profits and offers legislation that would protect American patient’s access to affordable care. This is an opportunity for Congress to finally imple-

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said it will declare the coronavirus pandemic over later this year. The Biden administration announced in January that it will declare the public health emergency over on May 11.

PHE’s expiration will also end directives, known as Title 42, that expel migrants from Nicaragua, Cuba and Haiti caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border back to Mexico, OMB said.

health centers in Missouri, my commitment is to provide high quality healthcare to all, including those who have been traditionally excluded and underserved communities.

Black mothers are dying due to maternal complications at higher rates than any other demographic group in our nation, and we can help turn this statistic around. We have an obligation to do better.

Bills introduced in last year’s Missouri legislative session sought to authorize postpartum Medicaid coverage for 12 months, however, the bills were not approved. The

on where you live in Kansas City based on ZIP code.

Residents in the 64128 ZIP code have the lowest life expectancy of 68.1 years, and 86% of them are Black. Meanwhile, the other Kansas City ZIP code 64113’s life expectancy is 18.2 years higher (86.3 years) and consists of 93% white residents.

ment policies that will hold insurers accountable.

OMB said in a separate statement that Biden would veto a proposed bill in the U.S. Congress that would eliminate COVID-19 vaccine mandates for health care providers working on certain federal programs. COVID-19 cases are declining in the United States, though more than 500 people continue to die each day from the disease, government data showed.

proposed legislation has been reintroduced to the legislature in the current session.

We need Missouri to extend healthcare coverage to a year postpartum for our new parents. Contact your state legislators and demand they do what’s best for Missouri parents.

It’s a matter of life.

Dr. Kendra Holmes is the President & CEO for Affinia Healthcare, a community health center with locations in St. Louis City and County, that provides medical, dental, and behavioral healthcare for all ages and income levels.

Sharonica HardinBartley

A 2019 survey showed that Americans collectively owed around $195 billion in medical debt and that number will only continue to rise. The US healthcare system is especially cruel to minority groups. While Americans owe around $195 billion in medical debt, the burden is unevenly distributed among American citizens. 28% of Black households hold medical debt

A very similar racial disparity of life expectancy rates (18 years between white and Black) exist across racially segregated ZIP codes in the St. Louis metro area that are less than 10 miles apart.

“The science tells us trauma and toxic stress, including the trauma that comes from systemic racism, leads to poor health outcomes,” said Jennifer

compared to 17% of white households. Surveys have shown that in parts of the US, people living in communities of color are four times more likely to have medical debt compared to those living in predominantly white communities. The racial disparities in healthcare continue to devastate minority groups and the price gouging of health insurance companies is of no help. As the third year of the

WHO officials report more than 760 million coronavirus cases throughout the world with more than 6.8 million virus-related deaths. The U.S. has more cases (102 million) and deaths (1.1 million) than any other nation.

In September 2022, the WHO warned that relaxed coronavirus testing and surveillance in many countries means there are a number of cases going unnoticed. Additionally, the agency issued an advisory urging the government to strengthen its efforts against the virus with the winter months approaching and the prospect of new variants emerging, AP reported.

Brinkmann, AWC president.

“With our newly formed affiliation, AWC and RHC will improve the lives for thousands of people across Missouri.”

The RHC’s new strategic plan builds on its past successes and seeks to eliminate all health disparities, according to the organization. It calls for facilitating systems-level change guided by community members experiencing unjust health outcomes.

“This affiliation between

pandemic begins and flu season is in full throttle, health insurance companies should become our allies rather than our enemies. These companies are bringing in enough profit to wipe out all the nation’s medical debt several times over. Yet millions of Americans, and especially minorities, are consistently losing sleep over how to pay off surprise medical bills and monthly premiums. It’s time for health

two well-respected organizations allows us to give families the opportunity to thrive,” said Sharonica Hardin-Bartley, University City School District superintendent and AWC chair.

“We know our students have a more difficult time learning when they and their families aren’t in good health. Until we prioritize the well-being of everyone, regardless of income and race, our children will fall behind educationally and in other ways.”

insurance giants to be held accountable, and work for their patients instead of against them.

Jessica Ann Tyson is Frederick Douglass Foundation Michigan Chapter president and served on the Michigan Board of Nursing Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Bureau of Health Care Services

Photo by International Telecommunication Union

NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION

PRESENT:

PRESENT:

PRESENT:

Dining Out.

What Is ASize?Serving

GRAINS

Nutrition Challenge:

When we’re lucky enough to have a chance to go out for dinner, there are a few ways to stay healthy with our food

The Smart Way!

Keep ‘em Whole!

Do

Warm Up & Cool Down

Staying Active (Naturally) DuringSummer!the Smart Summer Eating!

First Day of Spring!

This. Not That!

Exercise Game

Exercise Game

Smart Choices

Calculate BMI

Once you’re out of school, many of you may have a lot of extra time on your hands to be snacking. Resist the urge to eat sweet, salty, fried and high-calorie non-nutritious snacks this summer.

See if the restaurant will let you “share” a meal. Many meals are two, three or more times an actual serving size.

Tech-Neck

Tech-Neck

for several different reasons.

We each need at least 3 servings per day of whole grains. But what does that mean? How can we know what foods contain whole grains?

Look at the ingredients list of a package of food you are about to eat. If the word “whole” is used, then there is most likely a whole grain ingredient. A few items that don’t use the word whole

As soon as you’ve divided your plate into the right size servings, ask your server for a to-go box. Go ahead and box up what you don’t need to eat right away. You can enjoy

In our “Super-Size” world, we can easily lose track of what an actual serving size means. When reading labels on a food or drink product, you can determine the nutrients, sodium, fiber, sugar and calories of a serving size. But be careful; just because it looks like one small bottle

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

those leftovers for lunch the next day!

are popcorn, wheatberries, brown rice and wild rice. Getting plenty of whole grains in your diet can improve your health and reduce your chance for some chronic illnesses such as stroke, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Visit wholegrainscouncil.com for more information.

Create a Smart Summer Eating plan with your parents. Ask their help in finding nutritious snacks and meals for the

Cocoa Puffers Cereal

> Decide you’re going to switch from soda to water.

> Ask the server how the different menu items are prepared. Fried, sautéed, and

lifestyle. You can do this by forming new habits. For example, if you decide to eliminate sugary drinks completely, it only takes a few weeks until this becomes what you’re used to.

As the weather gets warmer, there are many ways that we can enjoy ourselves outdoors and stay healthy over the summer. Some naturally active things you can do include:

Here are the steps to making a healthy permanent change. We‘ll use the sugary drink change as an example.

lifestyle. You can do this by forming new habits. For example, if you decide to eliminate sugary drinks completely, it only takes a weeks becomes what you’re healthy permanent change. We‘ll use the sugary drink change as an example.

Let’s make a game out of exercise!

Let’s make a game out of exercise!

> Decide you’re going to switch from soda to water.

summer. Delicious juicy, ripe fruits are all around and are healthy for you too! Make it your goal to come back to school in the fall healthier and happier!

> Start by substituting one drink per day to water.

> Start by substituting one drink per day to water.

> Avoid gravies, cheese sauces and other kinds of toppings that often just add fat and calories.

Melissa Douglass, MSW

As spring approaches, warmer weather allows us all to get more outdoor exercise. Here are some ways to become a more active person.

First, locate either a deck of cards or two dice.

> Wash your parent’s car.

Weekly Newspaper in Education Program

Latoya

Woods, DNP, APRN, FNP-C

Charvida King, Candidate Experience Coordinator

Review: What are some nutrition tips you learned by following The St. Louis American’s Healthy Kids page this school year? Send your answers to nie@stlamerican.com.

INGREDIENTS: Whole Grain Corn, Sugar, Corn Meal, Corn Syrup, Canola and/or Rice Bran Oil, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, Color Added, Salt, Fructose, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Trisodium Phosphate, BHT Added to Preserve Freshness. Vitamins and Minerals: Tricalcium Phosphate,

> Walking to the store when possible.

> Every few days increase the amount of water and decrease your soda intake.

> Every few days increase the amount of water and decrease your soda intake.

> After 3-4 weeks, this change will become a habit.

of soda — it may not be considered one serving size. For example, a 20-oz bottle contains 2.5 servings. So if the bottle states “110 calories per serving,” that means the entire bottle contains a total of 275 calories! Remember to watch those serving sizes and you’ll have better control over what you’re eating and drinking.

> Stick with water to drink. Not only will you save money, but you won’t be adding in extra calories from a sugarfilled drink.

> After 3-4 weeks, this change will become a habit.

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

Learning Standards:

Learning Standards: HPE

Where do you work? I am a family nurse practitioner for BJC Medical Group.

Where do you work? I am an EMT – B at Abbott EMS in Belleville, Illinois.

> What are other ways to stay healthy while dining out?

When you automatically reach for water instead of soda, it has now become a lifestyle change!

When you reach for water of soda, it has now become a lifestyle change!

even simmered can all mean, “cooked in oil.” Instead, choose baked or grilled options.

HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 3, NH 5

Learning Standards:

mononi- trate), Vitamin A (palmitate), A B Vitamin (folic acid), Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3 MAY CONTAIN WHEAT INGREDIENTS.

Where do you work? I am a school nurse with St. Louis Public Schools.

Where do you work? I am a school nurse at Monroe Elementary School.

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

HPE 1, HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 5

Staying active, getting your heart rate up and opening your lungs will help you start off next school year happier and healthier!

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

Where did you go to school? I graduated from Lindbergh High School. I then attended the University of Arkansas in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where I studied biology.

> Help with yard work: planting, weeding, etc.

Secondly, when you are finished with any kind of strenuous (very active) exercise, take some time to cool down. You can slowly stretch your arms and

March 20, 2021, is the first day of spring. With spring comes warmer weather and longer days (later sunset). Make it a habit to spend as much time playing outside as the weather allows.

It’s important that before you embark on any kind of exercise to remember two things: warm up and cool down. Start with some slow stretches and movement (like walking) to increase your heart rate a little. Warm up for a good five minutes before increasing your heart rate.

Instead of watching TV — ride your bike with friends.

legs again, and continue with reduced speed movements until your heart rate begins to slow down.

Where did you go to school? I graduated from McCluer North High School. I earned an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing from Meramec College in Kirkwood and completing my bachelor’s degree at Webster University in Webster Groves.

Instead of playing video games — play baseball, football, badminton, or some other active game.

> Play, play, play outside as much as you can!

Instead of surfing the ‘Net — go for a brisk walk around the neighborhood.

Some fun outdoor games to play include tag, kickball, basketball, Frisbee, and bicycling. Choose activities that increase your heart rate

First, locate either a deck of cards or two dice. Next you’ll need to make a list of different types of exercise: jumping jacks, sit-ups, lunges, etc. Write each exercise item on a small piece of paper or index

Next you’ll need to make a list of different types of exercise: jumping jacks, sit-ups, lunges, etc. Write each exercise item on a small piece of paper or index

> NEVER walk on a “frozen” pond, lake, river or any other body of water. Just because it looks frozen does not mean it is safe.

card and fold into a small square. Put these squares into a bowl. Take turns rolling the dice (or drawing a card) and selecting an exercise from the bowl. The total number on the dice or card tells you how many of the exercise you must do. Face cards (king,

Review: What are some exercise tips you learned by following The St. Louis American’s Healthy Kids page this school year? Send your answers to nie@ stlamerican.com.

How much time do you spend each day looking down at a phone, laptop or video game?

card and fold into a small square. Put these squares into a bowl. Take turns rolling the dice (or drawing a card) and selecting an exercise from the bowl. The total number on the dice or card tells you how many of the exercise you must do. Face cards (king,

Can you think of other ways to be more active? Going outside and staying active not only increases your heart rate and burns calories, but it also helps you build friendships!

Learning Standards:

Over the last 35 weeks we have discussed many smart choices that you can make to help you stay safe and healthy. Break into small groups and list as many Smart Choices that your group remembers. Now individually, choose one that you think is very important. Describe in your own words what that smart choice is, and how you can remember to make the right choice in the future. Name a new “smart choice“ that you will make this summer.

Break into small groups and define what it means to be a bully. Share your ideas with the class. Did you have the same things listed (as the other groups) that you would consider as bullying behavior? Now back in your groups, create a newspaper ad that includes at least two of the following:

How much time do you spend each day looking down at a phone, laptop or video game?

and breathing. You want to have fun, but it’s also a great way to help keep your heart, lungs and body healthy. Make a list of your favorite 10 activities to do outdoors. Compare your list with your classmates and create a chart to see what are the most popular.

Where did you go to school? I graduated from McCluer High School. I then earned a Bachelor of Nursing and a Master of Nursing Practice from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. And finally, I earned a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Maryville University.

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

This warm-up and recovery period is important for your heart health. It also helps to reduce the amount of muscle pulls and strains.

HPE1, HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 5

> What to do if you see someone else bullied.

queen or jack) should all count as the number 10. Aces are “wild” and you can do as many as you want! To really challenge yourself, have one person roll the dice and the second can select the exercise. See who can complete the exercise challenge first!

queen or jack) should all count as the number 10. Aces are “wild” and you can do as many as you want! To really challenge yourself, have one person roll the dice and the second can select the exercise. See who can complete the exercise challenge first!

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1

Where do you work? I am the founder and distance counselor for Goal Driven Counseling, LLC. Where did you go to school? I graduated from Whitney Young Magnet High School in Chicago, IL: same as former first lady Mrs. Michelle Obama. I then earned a Bachelor of Science in Social Work, and a Master of Social Work from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. I also completed two more years of supervision and exams to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Missouri.

What does an EMT do? My day-to-day includes helping others when they aren’t feeling their best. I also assist getting them to the hospital when they can’t take themselves.

Where do you work? I am the candidate experience coordinator for BarnesJewish Hospital. Where did you go to school? I graduated from University City Senior High School. I then earned a certificate in residential planning (interior design) from The Art Institute and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management (Human Resource Management) from DeVry University.

Where did you go to school? I graduated from Sumner High School. I then earned Associate Degree in Nursing from Forest Park College and a BS in Business Administration from Columbia College.

What does a school nurse do? I love giving students medications, so they’re able to focus on learning. I clean and bandage wounds. I use medical equipment like a stethoscope, for example, to evaluate whether or not my asthmatics are breathing well. Moreover, I teach and promote healthy habits to my students.

What does a Licensed Clinical Social Worker do? I use technology to help teens and young adults explore their emotions, better understand their feelings, work through relationships, and address common challenges completely online through a computer, tablet, or smart phone. Similar to a Facetime call, I support and guide my clients from the comfort of their home or private location where they are comfortable

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 4, HPE 5, NH 1

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

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 4, HPE 5, NH 1

What does a family nurse practitioner do? Each day I have office visits with patients to help treat new health conditions and/or manage established health conditions. I perform physical examinations on patients, order labs, read x-rays results, and more.

Cracker-wiches

> What to do if YOU are the bully.

A BMI (Body Mass Index) is a generic way to calculate where your weight falls into categories (thin, average, overweight, obese). However, it’s a good idea to remember that a BMI may not take into consideration many things such as athleticism (how athletic you are), your bone density and other factors. Discuss your BMI with your

Chiropractors around the country see young patients every day suffering from back, neck and head-aches resulting from the extra strain you put on your body when you look down for long periods of time.

> How bullying hurts others.

Chiropractors around the country see young patients every day suffering from back, neck and head-aches resulting from the extra strain you put on your body when you look down for long periods of time. A couple of quick tips that will reduce that strain on your neck are:

> If you are with someone that falls through the ice, first run (or call) for help. Do not try to go out onto the ice to help your friend. You can fall through the ice too.

Learning Standards: HPE 1, HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH5, NH 7

> What to do if you are bullied.

doctor if you have any questions. The formula to calculate your BMI is 703 X weight (lbs) ÷ height (in inches/squared) or search “BMI Calculator” to find an easy fill-in chart online. If your number is high, what are some ways to lower your BMI?

1. Most importantly — take breaks! Have a goal of a 3 minute break every 15-20 minutes. Move around, stretch your neck and relax, without looking down!

1. Most importantly — take breaks! Have a goal of a 3 minute break every 15-20 minutes. Move around, stretch your neck and relax, without looking down!

> Also — remember to look up! Icicles injure numerous people every year. If you see large icicles forming over your front steps, ask your parents to use a broom handle to knock them off to the side before they break loose from your gutters.

Ingredients: 8 Saltine crackers

Frozen Yogurt Blueberry Bites

Easy Hummus Dip

Banana PB Smoothie

Why did you choose this career? I chose this career to help improve the health of my community.

Look through the newspaper for examples of ad layouts and design. Discuss the words “compassion,” “empathy” and “sympathy.” How do they each play into your response to bullying at your school?

2. Set your tech device in a holder to keep it at eye level, reducing the need to look down.

> What other ice hazards are there?

Learning Standards: HPE 1, HPE 2, NH 5

2. Set your tech device in a holder to keep it at eye level, reducing the need to look down.

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 4

Frozen Yogurt Blueberry Bites

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp Peanut butter

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

1 15-Oz Can Garbanzo beans

1 cup blueberries

1 cup blueberries 1 cup non-fat Greek Yogurt

2 Large Strawberries

1 Garlic clove, crushed

1 cup non-fat Greek Yogurt

1 Tbsp Honey (optional)

What does a candidate experience coordinator do? I help recruiters hire the right person for the job by reviewing Resumes, Employment History, Background Checks, and Health records. Although my role includes onboarding clinical and non-clinical employees, I rarely get the opportunity to observe employees that I hire active in their role, unless myself or a family member are in need of care.

> When walking on icecovered roadways or sidewalks, take baby steps. Walk carefully and slowly.

A couple of quick tips that will reduce that strain on your neck are:

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

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, HPE 7, NH 5, NH 7

“Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 314-289-5422

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

Ingredients: 1/2 Cp Vanilla Greek yogurt, 3 Tbsp Natural peanut butter, 1 Ripe banana (sliced and frozen), Splash of vanilla (optional) 6 Ice cubes

Directions: Drop each blueberry into the yogurt. Using a spoon, swirl around to coat and place each blueberry on a cookie sheet topped with parchment paper. Freeze for at least an hour.

2 Tsp Cumin, 1 Tsp Olive oil, ½ Tsp Salt Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Enjoy with baked tortilla chips or raw vegetables.

Directions: Blend all ingredients until Smooth. Makes 2 yummy smoothies!

Directions: Drop each blueberry into the yogurt. Using a spoon, swirl around to coat and place each blueberry on a cookie sheet topped with parchment paper. Freeze for at least an hour.

Directions: Spread peanut butter on four of the crackers and top with sliced strawberries. Drizzle with honey and top with the other crackers to make four cracker-wiches.

What does a school nurse do? I assess the concerns of students who are ill, injured or experiencing alterations in their normal health. Nurses screen daily staff, students and visitors for safety. Monroe School is a pilot school for Covid-19 test sites in partnership with the city. Why did you choose this career? I love nursing because there are many opportunities in hospitals, schools, clinics and offices, insurance, legal and research. My passion is working in the schools with students, parents, staff and community partners.

Why did you choose this career? I am a St. Louis native, and was an asthmatic child who experienced frequent hospitalizations. Besides having the influence of nurses in my family, the local nurses who helped take care of me were my “angels” and always managed to nurse me back to health, thus sparking my interest.

Why did you choose this career? I chose this career because I enjoy helping others problem solve. Also, I have twin stepsons, one who wants to be a police officer, and the other who wants to be a doctor. I thought that being an EMT helped me to meet them both in the middle. And, back in 2018, I had my own medical emergency and was transported by ambulance to a hospital. The paramedic that took care of me was so comforting and assuring that I realized that becoming an EMT is an honorable career. I now work with that same paramedic, at the same company.

Why did you choose this career? I chose this career because I enjoy being a support to teens and young adults in a very challenging phase of life that can be overwhelming. I enjoy teaching them how to best take care of themselves so they can live healthy and fulfilling lives.

Why did you choose this career? I love working with people. It’s always been my passion to be in a role that allows me to help others advance in their career.

What is your favorite part of the job you have?

What is your favorite part of the job you have? Many chronic health conditions (diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure) are preventable, and early detection is key. Thus my favorite part of the job is partnering with patients to establish and manage a plan to help them each live a long and healthy life.

What is your favorite part of the job you have? I enjoy meeting and learning about new people and cultures every day. I also like the adrenaline of driving fast with sirens going to get to an emergency quickly.

What is your favorite part of the job you have? I enjoy when a child tells you, “I want to be a nurse.” And best of all, I love the smiles, hugs and “thank-yous”.

What is your favorite part of the job you have? The most exciting part of my job is clicking the “Hired-Final” button and welcoming eager candidates to the BJC family.

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

What is your favorite part of the job you have? I love that my job makes talking about mental health not as scary and even makes it kind of cool. I love that I get to build valuable relationships with so many people that trust me to be there for them. I love that no matter where my clients are, we can simply connect with a video call and I can not only support them through hard times, but lots of good times as well.

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

My childhood health challenges have given me sensitivity to children suffering with illness. After being given a new lease on life, I consider it an honor to be in a position to promote health to the children of my community, in whatever capacity I serve – in turn, being their “angel.”

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

Learning Standards: HPE 6, NH 3

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

“Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 618-910-9551

“Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 314-289-5422

“Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 314-289-5422

“Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 314-289-5422

Yonniece Rose, Registered Nurse

Deborah Edwards, School Nurse

Marnay Howard, EMT - B

The St. Louis American’s award winning NIE program provides newspapers and resources to more than 8,000 teachers and students each week throughout the school year, at no charge.

Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 618-910-9551

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

Fourth-grade students Knico Turner and Jachai Hamilton, in Ms. Rhonda Stovall’s class at Gateway Elementary School, are observing and identifying fossils in a model canyon using Mystery Science.

SCIENCE CORNER

Would you like to create apps for cell phones, animate movies, design video games, or work on websites? If so, computer science is the field for you.

What is a computer scientist? Computer scientists focus on the study of computer science. Computer science includes computer theory, such as coding, programming, information theory, and graphics. (Computer engineering focuses on computer hardware.)

Important subjects related to computer science: physics, algebra, calculus, and English.

Skills Needed: logic, analytical skills, problem solving, and good communication skills.

Education: Must have a bachelor’s, most jobs require a master’s degree or Phd.

Type of work: creating software, teaching programming, research, and development.

Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text for main idea and supporting details. I can make text-to-self connections.

Internet Privacy

You are able to quickly find a lot of information on the internet. That definitely has a lot of advantages. However, it also has a disadvantage when it comes to privacy. In this activity, you will learn about internet privacy.

Materials Needed:

• Computer with internet access • Paper • Pencil

Procedure:

q Log on to the computer and Google your first and last name.

w If you found results, in what position was the first link with information about you?

e If you did not find results, try adding your nickname or school information.

r Are there photos of you? Can you find a webpage with your personal information and photos?

t Are you able to delete the photos and information or set it “private?”

Evaluate: In your opinion, is your information on the internet private? Why or why not?

Learning Standards: I can follow sequential directions to complete an experiment. I can draw conclusions and analyze results.

q A school ordered 10 Chromebooks at $399 each. If shipping and handling was $15, what was the total cost? ______

w The computer has 6 hours of battery life when fully charged. If you have 75% of charge remaining, how much time do you have left? ______

e A company sells a box of 12 computer mice for $75. What is the cost per mouse?

r You have the option to buy a computer making monthly payments. If you pay $39/month for 16 months, what is the total you will pay? ______

t If you buy a laptop for $350, a case for $19, and a mouse for $7, and you pay 9% sales tax, how much do you spend in all? ______

Learning Standards: I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a problem.

African-American Computer Science Educator

James Hill

James Hill grew up in Nashville. As a child, he enjoyed playing with K’NEX and LEGOs and creating new designs. He was very competitive and would later become a track star, earning a spot in the top 8 long jumpers in the United States. However, his father was a high school math teacher, and insisted that Hill focus on academics, as well. If Hill had a C in a class, his Dad made him take a break from athletics.

After graduating from Hume Fogg Magnet High School, Hill attended Morehouse College in Atlanta. In 2004, he earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science. As he began to search for a university to earn his graduate degree, he felt uncomfortable at some of his college visits due to his race. When he arrived at Vanderbilt University, it was a natural fit. Hill earned his master’s degree there and then in 2009 he earned his doctorate degree in computer science, as well. Hill worked for eBay one summer and even turned down a job to work for Facebook because he wanted to be a professor and encourage others to seek graduate degrees in computer science. On August 25, 2015, he became one of the youngest African-American men to become a tenured computer science professor at a U.S. research university. He was 33 years old at the time. Hill is an associate professor of computer and information science at Indiana UniversityPurdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).

According to a January 2016 interview with The Indianapolis Recorder, Hill states, “There is a lot of security in the STEM area. Makers of technology are the people who are changing the world into what they want it to be.”

Learning Standards: I can read a biography about a person who has made contributions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Enjoy these activities that help you get to know your St. Louis American newspaper.

Activities —

Words:

Transition

Transition words are important in writing to help your reader follow your thoughts more smoothly. Look through the newspaper for 10 minutes and circle all the transition words you can find. Challenge yourself to use some of these words in your writing.

Apartment for Rent: Find 3 apartment listings in the newspaper. What is the average monthly cost? What is the cost of rent for one year? Which apartment is the best choice and why?

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can write for a specific purpose and audience. I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a problem.

Photo by Rhonda Stovall

Doug Engelbart invented the first computer mouse in 1964. It was made of wood.

MARCH 23 – 29, 2023

local Business sPotlight

A home plate

Elicious Southern Style Breakfast and Brunch opens in Ferguson

Elicious Southern Style Breakfast & Brunch founder Johnny Little talks with regulars Lathon Ferguson and his wife, Chalana Scales-Ferguson, Thursday, Mar. 9, at it’s Ferguson location.

By Ashley Winters

The St. Louis American

When you walk into Elicious Southern Style Breakfast and Brunch you feel welcome - and hungry.

The waiting area has wall-to-wall photos of entertainers including the Jackson 5 and Chuck Berry. A record player is surrounded by Frankie Beverly and Maze, Luther Vandross, and Renee & Angela records.

The Commodores ‘Brick House’ was playing as patrons eagerly awaited the next available table and enjoyed the music before sitting down to a southern-style breakfast.

Owner Johnny Little says being in his restaurant “is like being at a family reunion.”

“People bump into someone they haven’t seen in a while almost on a daily basis,” he said.

n “This is a community restaurant for everybody,” said Little.

A newcomer to the Ferguson business community, Elicious opened its doors in December. The restaurant is open on Tuesdays through Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. “We give people who are retired, a place to come to,” said Little.

Sunday hours are from 10:00am to 3:00pm and Mondays the restaurant is closed.

Little says customers enjoy the vibes of the breakfast and brunch restaurant, the music and ambiance, looking at album covers really takes them down memory lane.

Located on the 500 block of South Florissant Road, Elicious serves breakfast all day, and also features hamburgers, salads, and wraps. Little said he worked on the menu two years before opening his restaurant, adding that many dishes are inspired from his childhood.

The restaurant owner tells the St. Louis American his parents migrated to St. Louis from Mississippi and brought along their southern style cooking. Fried breakfast pork chops, catfish and grits, and his southern style omelets with pork sausage and bacon are southern staples.

“The food you get from your mama’s kitchen, that’s what you’ll get here,” said Little. Little greets guests, talking with them like they’re old friends. However, the restaurant owner wasn’t always in the hospitality industry.

B2

From Guam to The Lou

Tabari Coleman takes DEI advancement personally

By Isaiah Peters

The St. Louis American

During his 14 years with the Anti-Defamation League [ADL] working as an educator and national professional development director, Tabari Coleman decided to dedicate himself to increasing diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the region.

“I’m trying to engage in courageous conversations that hopefully allow us to see how we show up in different communities and make life harder for certain people,” Coleman said. While presenting more than 500 workshops, Coleman has taught and worked with people to deconstruct prejudice. He has visited young audiences in schools and at local events, primarily in St. Louis. He has also shared his experiences on college campuses and with law enforcement departments throughout the nation and internationally. By 2020, Coleman experienced an unprecedented number of requests for speaking engagements, empowering him to launch The Coleman Group, a DEI facilitating business.

Tabari Coleman, Founder of the The Coleman Group, LLC. in his office holding a photograph of his daughter, Amari Louise S. Coleman, 9, which Coleman said is a main motivator in his work.

PeoPle on the Move

Craven to serve as regional advocate

The Office of Advocacy in the U.S. Small Business Administration announced Darcella Craven has been appointed Region 7 Advocate. Representing Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, Craven will help Advocacy reach the midwestern states and ensure that small business in the heartland have their concerns heard. Recently, Craven was the president at the Veterans Advocacy Foundation, Inc. and an instructor at the University of Missouri teaching entrepreneurship. Craven has also worked for the United States Army, specializing in combat communications, transportation, and logistics, and received an honorable discharge in 1996. She holds a Master of Arts and is a doctoral candidate in management from Webster University.

Catina Howard named to transit board

Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) has elected Catina Howard, vice-president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 788 (ATU 788), to its Board of Directors. She will serve a twoyear term. Howard has more than two decades of transit industry experience. As vice president of ATU Local 788, she represents MetroBus operators, Metro Transit Call-A-Ride, clerical, maintenance, mechanic and light rail bargaining unit employees, as well as 600 school bus operators. Prior to her current role, she served as a Metro Transit operator for 10 years.

Raven Stanton joins ARCHS

Howard Raven Stanton has been named executive assistant for Area Resources for Community and Human Services (ARCHS). Stanton brings more than 10 years of for-profit and not-for-profit experience with ARCHS, Bridge 2 Hope, Grayson Co., and IKEA. She has an associate’s degree in science specializing in business administration and management from Stevens Institute of Business and Art.

Shaw named RGSD Teacher of the Year

Black men make up less than 2% of the nation’s teachers, according to a 2018 NCES survey “The district is now investing in getting students into teaching fields in high school and following them through so they can become Black educators,” Coleman said. Coleman was “a military kid” raised primar-

ily in Japan and the remote island of Guam, an unincorporated U.S. territory, about 6,000 miles from California. While the territory is a part of the U.S., he went to school amongst an ethnic group unfamiliar to most Americans, the native Chamorro people.

He created a five-session package titled “Building a Culture of Inclusion.” Through these sessions, he challenges people on subjects such as unconscious bias, individual, and institutional racism. Coleman helped create the Ritenour School District diversity statement and engaged in teaching programs to empower Black students to get involved in education. See COLEMAN, B2

Juanita Shaw, a sixth-grade teacher at Westview Middle School was named the Riverview Gardens School District Teacher of the Year. Shaw has served as a teacher at Westview Middle for four years. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Harris-Stowe State University. She has earned master’s degrees in Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix. Outside the classroom, Shaw serves as a youth mentor and is an avid motorcycle rider.

Promotion, board appointment, new hire, award... please submit your People on the Move item (including photo) to kjones@stlamerican.com

See ELICIOUS,

Darcella Craven

Juanita Shaw

Catina

Raven Stanton

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Photo by Isaiah Peters / St. Louis American

Coleman

Continued from B1

Describing his childhood, Coleman said he felt like a minority amongst minorities. He said he was the only Black student at his schools in the late 80s and early 90s.

“These are indigenous people, in all shades,” Coleman said. “During football practice, I got into it with a teammate who called me a n****r. We brawled, and the coach broke us up and told him, ‘when you go to the mainland, they will see you just like him,’ which was integral in my understanding of race being a social construct.”

Coleman spent only three years in the contiguous 48 states and desired to connect with his Black heritage. After high school, he set out for Baltimore’s HBCU Morgan State University.

“When I arrived in Baltimore, it was a rude awakening; I was Black, but I had an accent,” Coleman said. “Culturally, I felt like an immi-

grant, like an outsider.”

“Most of my friends’ freshman year were also diverse,” Coleman said.

“From Jamaica and Nigeria, we were Black, but our sense of Blackness and peoples’ perception of our Blackness was different because of culture, and

n “Being vulnerable; vulnerability to the extent that you’re going to allow your world to be disrupted for someone else’s reality to become a part of your consciousness,” Coleman said.

I learned a lot about myself.”

After transferring to Southern Illinois University

Edwardsville, Coleman connected with the city’s social justice community and made St. Louis home. After graduating, he worked at a charter school where the principal, who was involved in the ADL, saw his passion and suggested he get

involved with the organization.

“White people are going to be the minority by 2040,” Coleman said.

“The stage is being set for these demographic shifts. So, to ensure power is to assure the education material kids are exposed to aligns with a narrative. So even as the minority, there is a control of disseminating information.” In combating fear-mongering, Coleman said the best anecdotes are exposure and not being afraid to admit ignorance. The latter simply, as he calls it, the ability to be open and transparent.

“Being vulnerable; vulnerability to the extent that you’re going to allow your world to be disrupted for someone else’s reality to become a part of your consciousness,” Coleman said.

“To do that, we must be willing to listen more than we want to talk.”

“We’re a community,” Coleman said. “How do I recognize that your happiness and success are linked to my happiness and success?”

Elicious

Continued from B1

He is a former marketing professional who says owning a restaurant was never a part of what he envisioned. A friend contacted him and told him the former Marley’s Bar & Grill was for sale.

Little initially passed on the idea of becoming a restaurateur, but while driving in Ferguson he spotted the for sale sign at the former bar and grill.

Little moved forward with a complete renovation. The waiting area was once a game room filled with pool tables and there was a bar where his dining area is now. The 5,000 square foot restaurant has seen many changes, but Little kept the original walls. He describes the decor of his restaurant as “a modern, rustic barn style.”

n He says customers really enjoy the vibes of the breakfast and brunch restaurant, the music and ambiance; looking at the album covers really takes them down memory

Bee Hive Cafe and many more. He says it’s the beginning of changing Ferguson. The restaurant owner is big on changing Ferguson for the better. One of his employees is a student at the FergusonFlorissant School District and a part of the Ferguson Youth Initiative (FYI). Little donated $5,000

Customers who had been waiting in line outside for Elicious to open its doors for the day file in for a great dining experience.

Photo courtesy of Elicious

Photo courtesy of Elicious

A view inside Elicious of customers enjoying great food.

n “I don’t think we’ve ever had a real argument. Nothing crazy like that.”

– Jaylen Brown on his relationship with Boston

Sports

MARCH 23 – 29, 2023

InSIdE SportS

By Earl Austin Jr.

St. Louis shows state it’s the city of champions

The St. Louis area displayed a collective flex of its basketball muscle at last weekend’s Missouri State High School Activities Association State Basketball Championships in Springfield.

Of the six state championship trophies available, St. Louis area teams won five in Classes 4 through 6. Several special storylines came to fruition, including:

• Vashon High won both the boys and girls Class 4 state championships. It was the first time a school captured two respective crowns since 2003.

• Incarnate Word Academy won the Class 6 state championship to continue its dynasty. The Red Knights also extended a record St. Louis area winning streak to 100 games,

• Cardinal Ritter College Prep won its 10th state championship after defeating Ladue in an all-St. Louis Class 5 boys state final.

Vashon Girls Make History

Vashon’s 79-77 victory over St. Joe Benton in the girls Class 4 state championship game was the most exciting game of the weekend.

The Wolverines won a double-overtime thriller to win their first state title in girls’ basketball. Vashon staged a dramatic rally in the fourth quarter, storming back from a 55-44 deficit with four minutes left to force overtime. The Wolverines “Big 3” of senior Raychel Jones, and juniors JaNyla Bush and Chantrel “Tutu” Clayton came up big in the big game.

The 5’11” Jones finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and four steals. A four-year starter, Jones was the centerpiece of coach John Albert’s rebuilding program when he took over and she finished her stellar career as a state champion.

Bush and Clayton showed again why they are the top backcourt combination in the state as they combined for 42 points. The 5’6” Bush finished with 24 points, five rebounds, three assists and six steals.

A Missouri State commit, she was playing on her future home court at the Great Southern Bank Arena in Springfield.

Clayton finished with 18 points, two assists and three steals. She picked up her fourth foul in the third quarter but managed to play the remainder of regulation and two overtimes without picking up her fifth foul.

Senior guard Bri Collins chipped in 10 points, hitting key three-pointers from the corners.

Vashon boys dynasty continues

Vashon girls won a double-overtime thriller to win their first state title in girls’ basketball. Vashon staged a dramatic rally in the fourth quarter, storming back from a 55-44 deficit with four minutes left to force overtime. state championships. The Lions staged a furious fourth quarter rally in the semifinals to defeat Pembroke Hill 58-54 last Friday.

64-37 in the Class 4 state title game. The Wolverines’ closest call came in the semifinals when they defeated Father Tolton 49-45 in a hard-fought rematch of last year’s state championship game. The Wolverines dominated the game at both ends of the floor as they smothered Park Hills Central with its pressure defense while shooting better than 50% from the field. It was the 14th state championship for the Wolverines and sixth state title for head coach Tony Irons. Sophomores Dierre Hill Jr. and Trey Williams Jr. scored 12 points each in the championship game. In the semifinals, senior forward Kennard Davis Jr. scored a game high 20 points.

Cardinal Ritter wins a 10th title

Cardinal Ritter defeated Ladue 65-54 in the Class 5 final for its 10th state championship in the school’s storied boys’ basketball history. It was the third state championship in four years for the Lions, who were determined to improve on last year’s third-place finish.

Coach Ryan Johnson has continued the coaching legacy at Ritter which began with Preston Thomas in the 1980’s and 90’s and continued with Marvin Neals in the 2000s. After winning the Class 3 state title in 2020, the Lions were moved up to Class 5. They’ve gone to three consecutive Final Fours and won two

Vashon›s championship run stretched to a third year after defeating Park Hills Central called police and claimed that he struck and bit her during an argument. He was arrested. She later recanted and no charges were filed.

Of the “Sweet 16” teams remaining in the 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, three have a Black head coach which is about 19% of that field. According to the 2021 Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport [TIDES] Racial and Gender report card, which was released in March 2022, 24.3% of all head coaches were Black or African American.

On Saturday, Ritter registered its most complete performance of the season to defeat a solid Ladue team that was making its first state finals appearance. The good news for Cardinal Ritter fans, and unwelcome news for other teams, is that the team’s starting lineup included five juniors.

Incarnate Word makes it 100

The Incarnate Word Academy girls’ basketball dynasty continued with a dominating weekend performance to win another Class 6 state championship. The Red Knights posted impressive victories over Raytown in the semifinals and Rock Bridge in the championship game. The wins increased its win streak to 100.

Coach Dan Rolfes has built a tremendous program that has continued to excel on the local, statewide, and national levels.

Last Saturday’s championship marked the end of an era as senior forward Natalie Potts played her last game in an IWA uniform.

Potts had 16 points and six rebounds in the state semifinals against Raytown and followed up 17 points and nine rebounds in the championship game against Rock Bridge. She finished

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

her stellar career with more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds and three state championships. The Red Knights’ underclassmen also came to the forefront at the Final Four. Sophomore guard Navaeh Caffey had a game-high 18 points along with four rebounds, two assists and three steals in the semifinals against Raytown. Junior Kaylynn “KK” Janes came through in the championship game with a career high 19 points, which included an impressive five of six from 3-points range.

Lutheran St. Charles wins girls Class 5 title

In the final game of the weekend, Lutheran St. Charles defeated Carl Junction 44-39 to win the Class 5 state championship. The Cougars were sparked by talented freshman guard Kyrii Franklin, who scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds. She took over the game in the third quarter with the Cougars facing a seven-point deficit. She scored all 10 of her points to push Lutheran into the lead. Senior forward Megan Aulbert finished with 11 points, 14 rebounds and five assists in her final high school game. In the semifinals against West Plains, sophomore guard Jordan Speiser scored a game high 29 points while making seven of 11 from 3-point range.

Trio of Black coaches reach Sweet 16

The remaining Black coaches who will lead their teams into Sweet 16 games are Kelvin Sampson, University of Houston; Jerome Tang, Kansas State University; and Rodney Terry of Texas. Terry is interim head coach of the Longhorns after taking over for the fired Chris Beard early in the season. Beard was dismissed after his girlfriend

Alvin A. Reid

Terry’s team and several former Longhorns are making it clear they want Terry to land the head coaching position.

“God’s great, and I’m so blessed to work with these guys,” Terry said following his team’s 71-66 victory over Penn State.

“I’m so proud of them and they’re a lot of fun to be around.

We get our work in, we have fun and we’ve had an incredible journey.” Tang’s K-State Wildcats were picked to finish last in the Big 12 Conference. Not only was he named Big 12 Coach of the Year his team’s magical season has stretched into the second week of the tournament.

Kansas State followed Texas to the Sweet 16 with a 75-69 win over college basketball blueblood Kentucky.

“We have a program that’s rich in tradition also,” Tang said after the Wildcats’ win.

“You know, all those old dudes that played for Kentucky, they ain’t coming back. Tradition does not help you if you don’t go out there and play with some dudes. And we had more dudes than they did

K-State head coach

Jerome Tang celebrates his team’s 75-69 victory over Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament.

today.”

Sampson’s Cougars overcame foul trouble, and a 10-point halftime deficit to scrappy Auburn in a game in Birmingham, Alabama to reach the Sweet 16. Following the 81-64 win, Sampson said, “The way we play was obviously not very evident in the first half.

“I thought we were playing hard, but I didn’t think we were competing. There’s a big dif-

ference of playing hard versus competing. I think the biggest adjustment was in our attitude. Sometimes that’s the most important thing.”

The odds of a Black coach reaching the Final Four in Houston are increased because Sampson and Terry are both in the Midwest Regional in Kansas City.

The Cougars would be playing in their home city with a pair of wins, beginning with a 5:15 p.m. Friday match against Miami. Texas then plays Xavier at 7:45 p.m.

K-State takes on Michigan State at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in New York at Madison Square Garden.

The Reid Roundup

Jerome Tang Kelvin Sampson, Purdue’s Matt Painter, and Marquette’s Shaka Smart are finalists for Naismith coach of the Year…

Smart’s team lost a heartbreaker to Michigan State in its Round of 32 game. The final score of 69-60 was not indicative of how close the game was…Missouri was favored to defeat Princeton, but coach Dennis Gates’ Tigers were easily topped by the Ivy League’s Tigers 78-63…Mike Woodson’s Indiana Hoosiers also went quietly in an 86-69 beat down

Earl Austin Jr.

Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Photo courtesy of kstatesports.com

Cardinal Ritter guard Jordan Nichols drives to the basket during the Lions’ state championship win.

Photo by Earl Austin Jr. / St. Louis American

BJC names Deidre Griffith new VP of community health improvement

BJC HealthCare has named Deidre Griffith, MPH vice president of community health improvement, effective April 17. In this role, Griffith will be responsible for the development, implementation, and evaluation of BJC HealthCare’s community health programs.

With BJC’s exist-

ing Community Health Improvement strategic plan, Griffith will lead continued implementation along with new programs and initiatives to advance health equity across the region. She will also oversee connections with community-based programs, particularly those identified in BJC’s community health

needs assessment, and will lead BJC’s efforts to expand the scale of pilot projects addressing health disparities.

Griffith currently serves as vice president, programs, for Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a national notfor-profit and leader in the field of whole child health. She has also spearheaded the

organization’s community engagement strategy, which identified gaps and opportunities to ensure that resources and services appropriately reflect and resonate with communities served.

Griffith holds a master’s degree in public health from St. Louis University, and a bachelor’s degree from

Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana. She has been recognized as a Fellow from the Terrance Keenan Institute for Emerging Leaders in Health Philanthropy and is a past graduate of the FOCUS Leadership St. Louis program (Class 40, 2015-2016).

HSSU biology faculty is recipient of a $75,000 grant from Taylor Geospatial Institute

Harris-Stowe State University’s (HSSU) assistant professor of biological sciences

Dr. Rekha Meyer is one of the recipients of the Taylor Geospatial Institute (TGI) Seed Grant Program to stimulate Collaborative Research grants

(GISCoR). This grant will allow Dr. Meyer to conduct an exploratory research project based on her proposal titled, “Waste Not, Want not. A “Smart Garden” approach to Water Conservation using Remote Sensing and Geospatial

Technologies for Urban Agriculture.”

TGI’s mission is “to advance geospatial science through multi-institutional, interdisciplinary collaborations in order to create innovative, real-world solutions to societal

grand challenges.”

Dr. Meyer is a recipient of SEED funding from the Taylor Geospatial Institute (TGI) which will lead to groundbreaking research that will aid in discoveries around water conservation in the St.

Louis community. “Harris-Stowe State University’s posture as a member of TGI affords all our faculty the opportunity to engage in collaborative research in areas of emerging technologies,” said Dr. Freddie

CDA announces $20 million available for grassroots projects

The Community Development Administration (CDA) released the Neighborhood Transformation Grants NOFA today to fund projects in Economic Justice Index priority areas and Qualified Census Tracts (QCTs) in the city. Non-profit organizations are encouraged to submit a wide range of proposals from gardens and green spaces on vacant land, construction projects, hiring staff, to building affordable housing and more. The $20,250,000 of grant funding comes from State & Local Fiscal Relief Funds (SLFRF), a part of the

People’s Family of Corporations, in partnership with Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers and Amanda Luckett Murphy Hopewell Center is seeking to fill several positions which include thera-

Wills, vice president for STEM Initiatives and Research Partnerships. Grants for collaborations such as these will continue to fuel the agenda for GIS and HSSU’s new College of STEM.

American Rescue Plan.

The CDA is prioritizing four categories of potential projects:

1. Housing Production: $6,750,000

2. Home Repair: $4,000,000

3. Proactive Development: $4,000,000

4. Neighborhood Beautification & Capacity Building: $4,500,000

Nonprofit organizations have until May 15, 2023 to submit applications for projects. The CDA anticipates announcing awards in July, 2023 and recipients will have until 2027 to complete their projects, per ARPA regulations. Applications will be evaluated, scored, and selected by CDA based on the applicant’s capability, budget, risk assessment, ability to provide innovative solutions, approach to the priorities, and

People’s to host career fair March 30 and April 20

pists, community support specialists, certified peer support, residential specialist, OBGYN, dentist, internal medicine physician, registered nurses (RN’s) and much more.

Sign-On bonuses are being

offered for some of the positions which can be found online at https://bit.ly/workatpeoples. The centers will host two career fairs this Spring. The first fair will be held on Thursday, March 30, 2023, from 3:00 p.m.

to 6:30 p.m. and on Thursday, April 20, 2023, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Lacy Clay Center for Children’s Health located at 5746 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri 63112 (in the Ida Woolfolk Room).

Interested applicants are encouraged to register for the career fair by calling 314-5311770, extension 4043 or visiting https://bit.ly/workatpeoples and submitting a resume along with an application.

Walk-ins will be welcomed, and there will be on-site application stations. Participants are encouraged to bring copies of resumes, credentials, and other professional documentation.

Deidre Griffith

Living It

An inclusive evening of opera

BIPOC stories centered and celebrated through OTSL New Works Collective

By Kenya Vaughn The St. Louis American

Wearing a bright red wide leg suit with a black lace shirt and matching black clutch, local singer Golliday made an entrance that turned heads as he took his seat Thursday night for Opera Theatre Saint Louis’ New Works Collective. Each of the three 20-minute productions moved him to an “ugly cry” and a standing ovation. When Matthew Pearce sang “No, you don’t know our community…who are

Ensemble L to R: Ardeen Pierre, Dancer 1 (Kelly Marsh), Kimwana Doner, Melissa Joseph, Dancer 2 (Ka Thomas), and Flora Hawk in “Madison Lodge” by composer/librettist Tre’von Griffith.

you to control our story,” as Simon in Slanted: An American Rock Opera, the Asian man’s plight seemed to especially resonate – perhaps with his Black experience. By the song’s third refrain, he was singing along as tears ran down his face.

And before the cast of Madison Lodge could fully extend for their bow, he leapt to his feet as if his seat had springs. It is anyone’s guess if Thursday night was Golliday’s first opera. But he certainly felt seen – and welcome –thanks to Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and its New Works Collective.

As she stood before the packed house at COCA’s Catherine B. Berges Theatre, U.S. Congresswoman Cori Bush admitted that New Works Collective would be her first time experiencing the art form.

“It is no secret that opera has not always been as diverse or inclusive with respect to the myriad of experiences in our communities as one might hope,” Bush said. “It was not a

creative outlet where I thought I would see stories like mine, perspectives like mine or voices like mine.”

She praised New Works Collective and the groundbreaking initiative’s vision of making opera an inclusive space for everyone.

“This vision has created a place where marginalized voices are not just included, but they are centered,” Bush said. “A place where underrepresented stories are not just highlighted, they are embraced. A place where people from all walks of life are not just invited, they are celebrated.”

The first initiative of its kind for an American Opera company, New Works Collective invited creatives from across the nation to submit their ideas for an opera. More than 130 submissions were reviewed by the diverse New Works Collective panel in the hopes that their proposal would be selected for commis-

OTSL, C6

By Ashley Winters The St. Louis American

ain’t for you’. The crowd claps their hands and snaps their fingers in agreement as if they were at a spoken word show.

The Wellston native is an artist, activist, and writer, and he jumped right into it with the first song of the night “Routine.” As soon as the background music started to play, the concertgoers started cheering him on. Folks were bopping to the song, singing the lyrics

Parkway North alum Jordan Ward embarks on first tour as lead man

By Danielle Brown St. Louis American

Jordan Ward has danced for famed entertainers including Prince, Justin Bieber, The Jonas Brothers, and Becky G. His most recognizable and unforgettable dance moment was his work in Beyoncé’s Coachella performance in 2018. In 2019, Netflix released “Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé,” a documentary detailing the iconic concert and Ward was a force on the stage. Ward is still rocking out on stage—but he’s now performing a solo R&B act.

He’s currently on the road with fellow St. Louisan Smino in the Luv Is 4 Ever Tour with J.I.D.

“The tour is going well,” Ward said while preparing for a Chicago show.

“The crowd’s energy has been super amazing. Everyone on the tour is super cool including the artists. I’m having a great time.”

n “We’ve got to give people the best show we can every single night and it’s just inspiring.”

- Jordan Ward

with him. If I had to describe his talent I would say, if Common, Kendrick Lamar, and ‘old’ Kanye West had a rap baby it would be AJ McQueen. Being in that concert you were going to leave with some life lessons, whether that

See McQueen, C6

Ward also performed at Smino’s annual Kribmas benefit concert last December at Stifel Theatre. He says he’s “learning and soaking up a lot of lessons.”

“Seeing him [Smino] go out there and give it his all every single night; at the end of the day that’s what it’s about,” Ward said.

“We’ve got to give people the best show we can every single night and it’s just inspiring. Seeing how if you just focus on the music over time you’ll build that fan base that’s just so solid.” Ward recently released his debut album

“FORWARD” and will begin his first headlining tour, “TOURWARD ‘23” in May. He will perform at St. Louis’ Blueberry Hill Duck Room on May 10. Tickets are available on https://www. jordanalexward.com.

The album title is an homage to his family’s surname.

“I wanted to shed light on my identity,” he said.

“What I’ve been through with my family represents how I got here, who I was as a kid, what my upbringing was like and I’m going through as an adult.”

“FORWARD is also my taste level with different sounds. I like what creative powers do. I wanna indulge in ‘For Ward,’ not for anybody else but for me.”

Nearly 10 years ago, Ward moved to Los Angeles the day after his high school graduation to pursue his dreams in commercial dance.

“That’s something I had been prepared for, for a few years before I even graduated high school,”

See Ward, C6

Photo courtesy of AJ McQueen

Dancer Jordan Ward is still rocking out on stage—but he’s now performing as a solo R&B act.

Photo by Ricky Alvarez I All Things Mean

Photo by Phillip Hamer I Courtesy of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

Shrine of the Black Madonna preaches gospel of history

By Nadira Jamerson Word in Black

From book bans to eliminating critical race theory in schools — much of modern life in the United States centers on silencing Black voices and erasing our history and experiences. It is rooted in anti-Blackness.

But journalist Aswad Walker of the Houston Defender Network says he’s found a faith community that brings joy and empowerment to Black folks through the Pan-African Orthodox Church, more commonly known as the Shrine of the Black Madonna.

Led nationally by Reverend Albert B. Cleage Jr., the Shrine of the Black Madonna has long been known for its Pan-Africanism and civil rights work.

The theology of our church is heavily influenced by Marcus Garvey, who a lot of people don’t realize was a powerful theologian,” Walker says.

“Our denominational name — Pan African Orthodox Christian — is really a shout-out to

the church that is most associated with Garvey — the African Orthodox Church.” Walker has been a part of the Shrine of the Black Madonna since 1990 and serves as an associate pastor, sharing the church’s teachings in Houston, Atlanta, and throughout South Carolina.

It’s “more of a movement than a church,” he says.

A 2019 Pew Research Center survey found that roughly three-quarters of Black adult participants believe Black churches have played a role in helping Black people move toward equality — and the Shrine of the Black Madonna is no different.

The church regularly organizes and hosts social justice-oriented events to inspire and mobilize the Black community. Walker says the Houston-based church organizes a weekly food giveaway that helps feed an average of 400 families. The church’s Buy Black Marketplace, which has operated in Houston for nearly 10 years, is also rooted in Black

organizing and civil rights. Walker explains, “When Freddie Gray and Michael Brown, and brothers and sisters left and right were being killed, at our bookstore people would come and say ‘I feel so helpless I feel like there’s nothing we can do.’

The Buy Black Marketplace was a way for our people to use our dollars to protest injustice by supporting Black businesses.”

By Lyndia Grant

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. — Romans 8:24-25 ESV

We must all face the dark, unpleasant experiences that are automatically a part of this life here on earth. In fact, most Christians and most world religions understand that “life is suffering.” When encountering these moments

of darkness, thankfully we can turn to the light of scripture to find hope and comfort. From the examples and guidance of biblical text, we find that we are not alone in dealing with the struggles of life. Perhaps we can even learn to appreciate the darkness, giving contrast and clarity to the light. Luckily, there are many Bible verses to find hope in the midst. This column is written to encourage those of you who are going through some hard times right now. Maybe you’ve recently been diagnosed with

some deadly disease, lost a loved one or lost a job, and you feel lost. Just because your doctor has given you a diagnosis, that is not necessarily the final word. However the diagnosis and healing does depend on your level of faith. Scripture reminds us, “For I say to every man that is among you, through the grace given unto me, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Never stop having faith and believing in God and His miracles! It is indeed always darkest just before dawn. The sun will

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives, folks who believe they are “cared for by a loving divinity” are more likely to have higher self-esteem and fewer instances of depression and anxiety. The Shrine of the Black Madonna espouses that faith, devotion to God, and self-love are all interconnected.

The church teaches folks to turn away from “slave-master” teachings of faith which pro-

come up tomorrow — even if it is cloudy and raining, the sun is there behind the clouds. If the sun was not there, it would continue to remain dark, but God’s mighty power shines through even the largest storms. It may get darker, but never totally dark as night. God’s sun is shining behind those horrendous storms! Here’s what you must do: stop, meditate, pray and think about the blue skies and the bright sun, shining above the storm. Take your thoughts to a higher place, a place where you can allow God and His Holy Spirit to come into your heart. He will surely give you

mote continued oppression and self-subjugation in the Black community. Instead, the Shrine of the Black Madonna believes Black folk must believe they are deserving of respect, justice, and equality.

Walker says some people believe that “God has a soft spot in her heart for people who are downtrodden, so the more you are abused, the more God is for you.”

However, both Marcus Garvey and Shrine of the Black Madonna leader, “Cleage said that is insane,” explains Walker.

“If we believe that we are equal to all people, then God is not going to reward us for getting our butts kicked all the time. God expects us to show our beauty, our creativity, our intelligence. God expects that of us. We’ve got the ability to make the kind of world that our ancestors would be proud of and that our children and our elders deserve.”

As part of his devotion to his faith, Walker, who is also a lecturer in the University of Houston’s Department of

peace, even in the midst of a storm. Begin to sing “Peace Be Still.” When these tough times come along, increase your faith, and just as the word says turn it over to God, you will look around, and those hard times will have passed over, just like the storms of life. How many of you remember the movie “Annie” where she sings about tomorrow, which goes like this: “The sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there’ll be sun. …When I’m stuck with a day that’s gray and lonely, I just stick up my chin and grin and say, oh, the sun will come out tomorrow. So you gotta hang on til tomorrow, come what may! Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow. You’re always a day away!”

African American Studies, is required to study Black history and culture so that he can teach it to others and inspire them to believe in their own power.

“My faith demands that I study my history, that I learn it, and that I teach it. What I’ve found is that people who do that feel much better about themselves and, hence, they have more love and respect for people who don’t look like them,” Walker says.

No matter which religion you follow, Walker says all faiths are rooted in Black culture, and to respect religion, we must respect Black history as well.

“One of my mentors said, as a Black person, you can practice Christianity, Buddhism, whatever, and be confident that your ancestors were practicing that same faith,” Walker says. Instead of dwelling on or creating divisions, we have to work together.

”

Writer and content creator

Nadira Jamerson is the Digital Editor for Word In Black.

Beautiful lyrics friends, it is a reminder that the sun is always shining. It may be raining or cloudy down here but take a plane ride and watch what happens when the plane flies way up above those clouds. Clear skies and bright sunshine is all you will see. It is truly a remarkable moment, I always revel in God’s mighty power, and reflect thinking of how we must hold on during the

the

Columnist Lyndia Grant

DATA QUALITY ANALYST

Responsible for all aspects of data quality and analysis. The Data Analyst will be accountable for developing data quality reporting which requires analytical skills and an aptitude for data, as well as resolve data issues while strategically trying to drive continuous improvement efforts to eliminate root causes.

To apply, please visit: https://www.safetynational. com/careers-page/

MANAGERCOVERAGE COUNSEL

Under the direction of the Assistant Vice President and Senior Counsel, provides legal guidance related to Casualty and Workers’ Compensation claims coverage issues and coverage litigation by leveraging a demonstrated ability for sound business judgment while supporting a growing Claims organization in these areas.

To apply, please visit: https://www.safetynational. com/careers-page/

LIABILITY CLAIMS ACCOUNT MANAGER

Responsible for new, renewal and ongoing Large Casualty and Public Entity Liability account management services and the analysis, implementation and oversight of associated administrative issues.

To apply, please visit: https://www.safetynational. com/careers-page/

COORDINATOR - CLIENT ENGAGEMENT

Serves as overall support for the operational needs of the Client Engagement initiatives. Assist in the daily tasks necessary to support the overall Client Engagement strategy and execution of initiatives.

To apply, please visit: https://www.safetynational. com/careers-page/

PREMIUM AUDIT COORDINATOR

FOSTER CARE CASE MANAGER

MECHANIC FOREMAN, MUNICIPAL SERVICE WORKER I & II IN THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

The City of Clayton is now hiring for Mechanic Foreman, Municipal Service Worker I & II in the Public Works Department. Apply at www.claytonmo.gov EOE

DRIVER EXAMINERS & MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTORS

Missouri State Highway Patrol, Be a part of the solution to Highway Safety.

Missouri State Highway Patrol is hiring Driver Examiners & Motor Vehicle Inspectors professionals in the St. Louis area! Includes full state benefits starting your first day with state holidays, weekends, and nights off! Make a positive impact in your community and career! Visit: STATE PATROL.DPS.MO.GOV

Disclaimer: The Missouri State Highway Patrol is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The Coordinator will conduct audit processes for applicable large casualty and primary accounts, substantiating the accuracy of policy classifications, exposure base, exposure information, inclusions / exclusions, status of subcontractors, etc. The Coordinator will also facilitate the order process for applicable excess accounts. To apply, please visit: https://www.safetynational.com/careers-page/

SANKOFA RISING JOB READINESS PROGRAM

Better Family Life, Inc. seeks individuals for the following positions in our Sankofa Rising Job Readiness program. The persons who’ll be taught will be TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) recipients or TANF eligible.

1. One individual who can provide training in the design, construction, and use of the items necessary to succeed in a costuming tradition usually associated with the New Orleans style of the Black Mardi Gras celebration. This same individual must also be able to provide instruction in some of the rhythms associated with an Afrikan percussion tradition, which also includes history of the musical style, construction and care of the instruments, and any applicable cultural contexts. The appropriate instruments will be provided. In addition to teaching how to play rhythms associated with the instruments, also provide instruction in the various career preparation skill sets necessary to succeed in the music profession i.e., vitae writing, promotional visuals such as photos, social media ads, and website content; professional networking, personal skill enhancement, contract comprehension and negotiation. This same individual must be able to provide instruction in the Afrikan tradition of stilt walking, costuming for the stilt walking, along with how to construct the stilts. This same person must be able to provide documentation and teach about the historical traditions of the Black Mardi Gras celebration, Afrikan percussion instrumentation, stilt walking and the secret societies associated with the tradition. At least 25 years of documented experience that supports this position is required.

2. One individual who can provide training in the design, construction, and use of the items necessary to succeed in a costuming tradition usually associated with the New Orleans style of the Black Mardi Gras celebration. This person must be able to work under the guidance of the person described in #1 above. At least 20 years of experience that supports this position is required.

3. One individual who can walk on stilts and serve as an assistant to help provide instruction in the Afrikan tradition of stilt walking, costume design, along with how to construct the stilts. This person must be able to work under the guidance of the person described in #1 above. At least 10 years of documented experience that supports this position is required.

4. One individual who can teach the rhythm & timing of Salsa dance and how to apply it to music, as well as the history, costuming, and celebrations associated with this movement genre. This person must also provide instruction in salsa music, core instrumentation, counting and musicality. Must be able to provide instruction in some of the various career preparation skill sets necessary to succeed in the movement arts, i.e., vitae writing, promotional visuals such as photos, social media ads, and website content; professional networking, personal skill enhancement, and theatre. At least 15 years of documented experience that supports this position is required.

5. One individual who can provide instruction in some of the rhythms associated with an Afrikan percussion family, which also includes history of the music tradition, construction and care of the instruments, and any applicable cultural contexts. The appropriate instruments will be provided. In addition to teaching how to play rhythms associated with the instruments, also provide instruction in the various career preparation skill sets necessary to succeed in the music profession i.e., vitae writing, promotional visuals such as photos, social media ads, and website content; professional networking, personal skill enhancement, contract comprehension and negotiation. At least 20 years of documented experience that supports this position is required. Any interested persons must respond in writing no later than Monday, March 27, 2023. Must be able to commit to fulfill these positions during April and May 2023. Reply to dahmed@betterfamilylife.org.

INSURANCE UNDERWRITING SPECIALIST

Will actively participate in various tasks, initiatives, and projects in the Insurance Underwriting department while engaging across multiple internal departments. Responsible for handling various duties to assist and support Insurance Underwriting primary liaison and management. Act as a supporting liaison between Insurance Underwriting and other departments.

To apply, please visit: https:// www.safetynational.com/ careers-page/

VICE PRESIDENT – TREATY REINSURANCE CLAIMS

Responsible for handling assigned claims from initial assignment to closure as well as managing the Treaty Reinsurance (Treaty Re) Claims team.

To apply, please visit: https:// www.safetynational.com/

EDI DATA INTAKE ANALYST II

As the company’s largest department, I.S. is responsible for supporting both ongoing operations and our next innovative project. Information technology is prioritized, allowing us to partner with colleagues to securely enable and support new capabilities every day. Utilizing a diverse set of technologies, like Guidewire, Salesforce, Java, C#/.NET, Mule, and Azure, the available career opportunities continue to grow rapidly. To apply, please visit: https://www.safetynational. com/careers-page/

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE CEO

Better Family Life, Inc. is seeking an Executive Assistant to also serves as a liaison to the board of directors and senior management teams; organizes and coordinates executive outreach and external relations efforts; and oversees special projects. The Executive Assistant must be creative and enjoy working within a small, entrepreneurial environment that is mission-driven, results-driven and community oriented.

To apply, send resume to: hr@betterfamilylife.org NO PHONE CALL, PLEASE!

ARTS LEAD (AA LEAD)

The ARPA for the Arts Lead (AA Lead) is a newly created position that is responsible for the central coordination and project management of all American Rescue Plan ACT (ARPA) grant funding that is received by the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis (RAC) to support the recovery of the St. Louis arts and culture sector. This is a full-time position that includes a comprehensive benefits package and is funded through March 31, 2027, using ARPA dollars allocated by the City of St. Louis to RAC. For more information, please visit the job posting on the website, https://racstl. org/career-opportunities/ Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter online by April 9, 2023.

SPECIAL EVENTS MANAGER

The Special Events Manager will be responsible for producing high-quality events and donor/member experiences that successfully promote the reputation and mission of Trailnet.

Part-time work from April until December 15. Approximately 20 hours per week. Hourly pay $2326 per hour. Position has potential to begin full-time work in 2024. Qualified applicants should submit a brief letter describing their experience and a resume to hr@trailnet.org.

CITY ADMINISTRATOR

The City Administrator shall be the Chief Administrative Assistant to the Mayor and as such shall be the administrative officer of the City Government excluding the Police Department. A Bachelor’s degree in Public and/or Business Administration or a related field; or 3-5 years of experience in local governmental operations, public administration, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience. Experience in a high level of fiscal and financial operations and managerial leadership. Must maintain compliance with all local and State laws, ordinances, guidelines, regulations, and policies and procedures that govern the City of Northwoods, Mo.

PUBLIC WORKS LABORER

The City of Northwoods, Missouri has a position open in the Public Works Dept. for a skilled laborer to perform tasks related to lawn maintenance, upkeep of city grounds and greenspaces, the setup/breakdown for city events and meetings, code enforcement for vacant and delinquent properties, snow removal and plowing, and equipment repair and maintenance. Individuals must have a valid driver’s license and be able to pass physical and substance abuse examinations, and a background check. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Apply at: The City of Northwoods 4600 Oakridge Blvd., Northwoods, Mo. 63121.

PENGUIN PUFFIN COAST SLIDING DOORS RFP 2023

The Saint Louis Zoo seeks bids from qualified firms to submit proposals for Penguin Puffin Coast Sliding Doors RFP 2023. Bid documents are available as of 3/22/23 on the Saint Louis Zoo website: stlzoo.org/vendor

ADVERTISEMENT FOR RFP FOOD ESTABLISHMENT FIELD OPERATIONS

The City of St. Louis Department of Health seeks proposals for software to support its Food Establishment Field Operations. Requests for Proposals may be obtained beginning March 6, 2023, by downloading from the City of St. Louis website at www.stlouis-mo.gov/health

The deadline for submitting proposals is March 24, 2023, by 5:00 P.M., to Justen Hauser, 1520 Market Street, Suite 4051, St. Louis, MO 63103, hauserj@stlouis-mo.gov, and must be received in electronic and hard copy following the guidelines within the RFP. Late or incomplete proposals will not be reviewed.

The Department of Health reserves the right to reject any or all responses with or without cause.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR RFP ANIMAL SHELTER OPERATIONS AND ADOPTION SERVICES

The City of St. Louis Department of Health seeks proposals for its Animal Shelter Operations and Adoption Services. Requests for Proposals may be obtained beginning March 3, 2023, by downloading from the City of St. Louis website at www.stlouis-mo.gov/health

The deadline for submitting proposals is April 7, 2023, by 5:00 P.M., to Justen Hauser, 1520 Market Street, Suite 4051, St. Louis, MO 63103, hauserj@stlouis-mo.gov, and must be received in electronic and hard copy following the guidelines within the RFP. Late or incomplete proposals will not be reviewed.

The Department of Health reserves the right to reject any or all responses with or without cause.

SEALED BIDS

Bids for ROOF REPLACEMENTS - VARIOUS BUILDINGS, Project No. M2315-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, March 23, 2023. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS:

LU23023 PERRY HALL WASTE/VENT PIPE AND FIXTURE REPLACEMENT

Lincoln University-Missouri will be accepting bids for the replacement of the sewer stack located in Perry Hall. If interested request a copy of the construction documents at lufacilitiesplanning@lincolnu. edu. A pre-bid walk-through will be held at Perry Hall located at 920 Taylor Dr., Jefferson City, MO 65101 on March 22, 2023, at 10:00 a.m., all parties wishing to submit a bid must be present at the walk-through to be eligible. All bids will be due by 4:00 p.m. on March 31, 2023, and must be delivered to the Office of Facilities & Planning, 820 Chestnut St., 309 Young Hall, Jefferson City, MO 65101

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Elevator Replacement at Western Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center, Project No. C2224-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, April 18, 2023, via MissouriBUYS.

Bidders must be registered to bid. Project information available at: http://oa.mo.gov/ facilities

CITY OF ST. LOUIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS— DIGITAL MEDIA SERVICES

Date of Issuance: Monday, February 27, 2023

Proposal Due: Friday, March 24, 2023 at 4:00 pm CST

On February 27, 2023, the City of St. Louis issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a DIGITAL MEDIA SERVICE PROVIDER This RFP may be found on the City’s procurement page https://www.stlouis-mo.gov /government/departments/slate/documents/ digital-media-services-rfp.cfm, and by emailing Fredrecka McGlown, SLATE Executive Director at slaterfp@stlworks.com. The deadline for questions regarding the RFP is March 17. 2023. The deadline for submitting sealed proposals is March 24, 2023. Sealed proposals must be submitted in strict compliance with the instructions in the RFP. The City reserves the right to reject all proposals. Minority and Women-Owned Businesses are encouraged to apply.

CITY OF ST. LOUIS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS— WIOA ONE STOP OPERATOR SERVICES

Date of Issuance: Monday, February 27, 2023

Proposal Due: Friday, March 24, 2023 at 4:00 pm CST

On February 24, 2023, the City of St. Louis issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACTONE STOP OPERATOR SERVICES. This RFP may be found on the City’s procurement page https:// www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/slate/ documents/wioa-oso-rfp.cfm, and by emailing Fredrecka McGlown, SLATE Executive Director at slaterfp@stlworks.com. The deadline for questions regarding the RFP is March 17. 2023. The deadline for submitting sealed proposals is March 24, 2023. Sealed proposals must be submitted in strict compliance with the instructions in the RFP. The City reserves the right to reject all proposals. Minority and Women-Owned Businesses are encouraged to apply.

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Repairs to Structure at E m p l o y m e n t Security Central Office, Project No. O1914-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, April 13, 2023, via MissouriBUYS.

Bidders must be registered to bid. Project i n f o r m a t i o n available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

SEALED BIDS

B i d s f o r C o

Services - Telecom & Data Wiring, P r o j e c

N o s . IDIQMCA-3003, IDIQMCA-3004, IDIQMCA-3005, a n d IDIQMCA-3006, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, April 11, 2023, via MissouriBUYS. B i d

to bid. Project i n

http://oa.mo.gov/ facilities

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Renovate Interior & Exterior at Moberly Readiness Center, Project No. T2208-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, April 20, 2023, via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered to bid. Project information available at: http://oa.mo.gov/ facilities

INVITATION TO BID FERGUSONFLORISSANT SCHOOL DISTRICT FLOORING REPLACEMENT/ ASPHALT PAVING/ PATCHING AND SEALING/STRIPING PIPING AND INSULATION INSTALLATION TO NEW CHILLER AT MCH

Sealed bids are being requested from the Ferguson Florissant School District and will be received and publicly opened on various dates at the Operation and Maintenance dept. located at 8855 Dunn Rd. (REAR) Hazelwood, MO 63042. Please obtain bid documents for exact dates. Pre bid meetings will be held at various locations and dates. Please obtain bid documents for exact dates and locations of pre bid meetings. Bid specs must be obtained at http://new.fergflor.k12.mo.us/ facilities-rfq. Contact Matt Furfaro @ mfurfaro@fergflor.org for further information/questions.

CITY OF ST. LOUIS BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS for CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISION AND MATERIAL TESTING FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF TAXILANE CHARLIE FROM TAXIWAY SIERRA TO TAXIWAY GOLF AT ST. LOUIS LAMBERT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. Statements of Qualifications due by 5:00 P.M., CT, April 11, 2023 through the Bid Express online portal at https://www.bidexpress.com/ businesses/20618/home? agency=true. RFQ may be obtained from BPS website https://www. stlouis-mo.gov/government/ departments/public-service/, under BPS RFQ and RFP Announcement, or call Board of Public Service at 314-622-3439. 25% DBE participation goal.

CITY OF ST. LOUIS ST. LOUIS LAMBERT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SOLICITATION FOR BIDS (SFB)

Service: BANKING CONCESSION

Pre-Bid Meeting Date: March 29, 2023- 1:00pm St. Louis Lambert International Airport-Terminal 1

Bid Due Date: May 9, 2023 by 2:00pm

Point of Contact: Robert Salarano –Email: RCSalarano@flystl.com

Bid documents may be obtained at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Airport Properties Division, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., or by calling (314) 426-8178 or This SFB may also be obtained by visiting our website at: https://www.flystl.com/civil-rights/business/ contract-opportunities

Robert Salarano Airport Properties Division Manager

Normandy Schools Collaborative is issuing a Request for Proposals for Landscaping Services for 2023. Proposals due April 17, mandatory pre-bid meeting on April 5. See https://www.normandysc.org/ departments/businessoperations/request-forqualificationsbids for details.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for the CRS Rehabilitation - Assumption Valley project, St. Louis County Project No. CR-1886, will be received electronically thru the County’s Vendor Self Service portal at https://stlouiscountymovendors.munisselfservice.com/ Vendors/default.aspx, until 2:00 PM on April 12, 2023

Plans and specifications will be available on March 13, 2023 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouiscountymo.gov) or by contacting Cross Rhodes Print & Technologies, 2731 South Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63118 (314) 678-0087.

DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ST. LOUIS, COUNTY

St. LouiS american Bids & Public Notices St.

ITB #:57822297

INVITATION TO BID

Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) is requesting proposals for the construction services required for the New Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) Building Renovation. Proposals must be emailed no later than 2:00 pm on Thursday April 4, 2023, to Corey Freeman at freemanc@hssu. edu. Responses to the RFP will be opened and read at a virtual bid opening on Thursday April 4, 2023, at 2:30 pm. The link to the virtual bid opening will be sent at the time of bid submission.

A pre-bid conference and walk-through will be held on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at 2:00 pm at the Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Building located at 3205 Olive Street St. Louis, MO 63103.

A copy of the Request for Proposals and Bidding Documents can be obtained by contacting Corey Freeman at email address: freemanc@hssu.edu, faxing: (314) 340-3322 or calling (314)-340-3325.

Should you need any further assistance, please email Ryan Wilson with NAVIGATE Building Solutions at ryan@navigatebuildingsolutions.com

The University reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive all informalities in proposals.

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE:

Advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, imitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial\status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.

“We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.”

Call Angelita Houston at 314-289-5430 or email ahouston@stlamerican.com to place your ads today!

REQUEST

FOR QUALIFICATIONS

CIVIL ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR CDBG STREET IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

THE CITY OF BEL-RIDGE IS SOLICITING QUALIFICATIONS TO PERFORM ARCHITECTURAL/ ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR THE STREET IMPROVEMENTS AT MAYBELLE DRIVE. SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN APRIL 20TH, 2023 AT 12 PM AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS: 8920 NATURAL BRIDGE ROAD, ST. LOUIS, MO. 63121. TO REQUEST A PACKET PLEASE CALL 314-429-2878 EXT.1 OR PICK IT UP AT 8920 NATURAL BRIDE RD., ST. LOUIS, MO. 63121.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Requests for Quotes, Bids and Proposals are posted online for public download. Please navigate to www.msdprojectclear.org

> Doing Business With Us

> View Bid Opportunities

Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Modify HVAC System a

Supreme Court Building, Project No. O2010-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, April 20, 2023, via MissouriBUYS.

to bid. Project

http://oa.mo.gov/ facilities

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Replace Highway PP Bridge at Katy Trail State Park, Project No. X2227-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, April 18, 2023, via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered to bid. Project information available at: http://oa.mo.gov/ facilities

ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

St. Louis Community College will receive separate sealed bids for CONTRACT NO. F23 606, Asbestos Abatement for IR, CS and BA buildings at Meramec for STLCC Transformed, until 2:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday April 18th, 2023. Bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at the office of the Manager of Engineering and Design, 5464 Highland Park, St. Louis, MO 63110-1314. Drawings, Specifications and bid forms and other related contract information may be obtained from Cross Rhodes’ Plan room at 2731 S. Jefferson, St. Louis, MO 63118 or at S. M. Wilson’s Building Connected website using the link below: https://app.buildingconnected.com/public/ 5913928fce945d0a00d28943

Electronic bid sets are available and may be printed by the plan holders and in Bonfire at https://stlcc.bonfirehub.com

Questions regarding the scope of work should be directed to Patrick Aylesworth, patrick.aylesworth@smwilson.com. A prebid meeting will be held on April 6th, 2023 at 10am CST at the Meramec Campus room BA 105. A walk-through of the project will follow the meeting. You may schedule site visits by contacting Nathan Webb at nwebb18@stlcc.edu

The College has the proposed minority goals MBE 15% and WBE 12%

Individuals with special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act may contact: 314-984-7673

Advertisement Date: March 20, 2023

he said.

“l wanted to move, I wanted to get an agent, and I wanted to go on tours and dance for artists.”

His career took a leap when he performed in The Monster Show, which was staged during the “Monsters of Hip Hop” convention.

The convention hosts workshops throughout the year and youths receive dance instruction and performance tips. Some performers receive scholarships, and are invited to dance in The Monster Show.

After months of low wage dance gigs, his hard work began to pay off. His agent called him and told him he booked Prince’s “Breakfast Can Wait,” music video. Ward moved to LA in May 2013 and that gig came in September. He didn’t get to meet Prince during that performance’s practice or shows, but he later performed on the rebooted Arsenio Hall Show in 2014 and the men met.

He almost thought he wasn’t going to book “Beychella,” [Beyoncé’s Coachella concert] in 2018.

“I had just got home from traveling and doing some other dance stuff. I didn’t really think that I was gonna get it,” he said.

“I’m like a 5’7,” 150 pound guy. I feel like Beyonce needs some big Hercules dudes. I went into the audition really goofing around. Then for the next few months we were just crushing it for hours every single day, six days out of the week. It was a dope experience. It pushed me a lot and I built a lot of great bonds.” Ward grew up in south St. Louis and Maryland Heights. He attended Metro Academic and Classical High School, and later graduated from Parkway North High School.

Continued from C1

sion. Three were chosen. And after months of creative support and development, they premiered to an eager audience.

The celebration began with Samiya Bashir and Del’Shawn Taylor’s Cook Shack. An image of St. Louis cultural treasure The Griot Museum of Black History was projected as the backdrop while performers stood as motionless exhibits. They eventually came to life and guided 11-year-old Dayo to recognize the capacity for Black excellence that lies within her. As much a history lesson as an opera, powerful voices inform the audience of contributions by black women in science, medicine and technology by highlighting the stories of Dr. Patricia E. Bath, Marie Van Brittan Brown and longtime St. Louisan Annie Malone. Flora Hawk was a charming delight as Dayo. Her historical “aunties” added vocal richness – particularly Kimwaa Doner-Chandler as Marie Van Brittan Brown.

form has commanded a captive audience for the past 425 years.

He trained in dance and musical theater at The Black Rep, Center of Creative Arts (COCA), The Muny, Charmette Academy of Dance & Acrobatics, and Pinx Academy of Dance.

to explore and St. Louis is no exception.”

He added thatSt. Louis is filled with many great musicians that have changed music’s landscape.

“Every single person on this planet has embedded greatness in them,” he said.

“When you call that love, light, God, purpose, vision, mission, whatever you wanna call it we all have an infinite capacity that we’re entitled

“We have a right to push the boundaries and to fully indulge and invest in our business because that’s what we’re here to do. I would just say keep going, don’t try to fit any mold, do what you like to do.”

The Pope at War: The Secret History of Pius XII, Mussolini, and Hitler

March 27

7:00 - 8:30 PM

Graham Chapel Washington University in St. Louis Reception immediately following

Public lecture by David Kertzer

Please register at rap.wustl.edu

Free and open to all

Simon Tam and Joe X. Jiang’s Slanted: An American Rock Opera followed. The production details the true story of an Asian band’s fight to repurpose a slur as their moniker - which took them all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Matthew Pearce’s exquisite voice served the compelling story especially well. Instead of the typical booming vibrato tenor, Pearce opted for a tender, angelic delivery that had the capacity to pierce a heart of stone.

New Works Collective’s trio of twenty-minute operas culminated with St. Louis native Tre’von Griffith’s visually stunning and musically diverse Madison Lodge The opera features a character known simply as X, portrayed by Namarea Randolph-Yosea. They leave the south for New York City at the height of the Harlem Renaissance so that they can be their authentic self.

McQueen

Continued from C1

was between his songs or in his lyrics. “ I make music for the soul,” said McQueen.

His lyrics in ‘Elderberry’ talk about battling depression, and feeling lost. He tells the crowd he wrote the lyrics while drinking elderberry tea. McQueen describes his music as holistic, music that is good for healing. But who he is now wasn’t who he was back then.

The rapper says he was a misguided teen, who was pridefully ignorant, meaning he was confident in what he didn’t know. An unfortunate shooting incident at 16 is why he moved to Houston. However, the artist says his journey to becoming a better person started with him getting to know God and that’s when his music started to make sense.

Upon their arrival, they enter the trenches of a battle to live their truth on behalf of the generations of queer communities to come.

Stage director Rajendra Maroon Maharaj did a masterful job of creating a cohesiveness among the three productions that vary in subject matter and musical styles. And choreographer Kirven Douthit-Boyd used intricate movement to maximize the presence of his pair of dancers.

The format of the show required that the physical sets be easily modified and adjustable, but the 20-minute shows were given full-length production value. Costume designer Devario Simmons, lighting designer Jiyoun Hang, video designer Tom Ontiveros and wig and makeup designer Kelley Jordan were a creative dream team that added visual layers and focal points that maximized the viewing pleasure.

New Works Collective used non-traditional perspectives to reflect the power of opera–and demonstrated why the art

“It’s been a beautiful journey, and I’m so glad to be coming home in this fashion,” said McQueen.

And people are feeling his lyrics. Laree Webb said, “I love seeing him perform, and rap about things that uplift us.”

John Redding caught on to his music through Instagram and has been following McQueen ever since. “I am looking forward to seeing how he performs and hearing ‘Sway’, ‘Routine’, and ‘Unsung’.

McQueen says he was filled with so much gratitude when he was performing at the Dark Room, he has recognized his growth in music and now has confidence he didn’t have before.

“I don’t follow trends in the music industry, I’m not into commercial rap,” said the rapper.

He says that he creates evergreen music that will stand against the test of time.

The talented artist rarely

Emotional narratives and powerful music join forces to reveal the common threads of the human experience – whether that be from the viewpoint of Black women, Asian men or gender non-conforming people of color.

As she thanked General Director Andrew Jorgensen, creative director James Robinson, the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis staff and all parties involved with the New Works Collective, Bush reminded the audience that creating spaces for marginalized voices to speak their truth provides the opportunity for change.

“Through every plot point and every note sung and every note held, these performances ought to be seen as acts of resistance – and St. Louis, we know a bit about resistance – from the status quo,” Bush said. “As opportunities to bring attention to both the injustices and the beauty that exists within all of our communities.”

writes down his lyrics, once he hears the beat, they just start flowing. One of his all-time favorite artists is Lauryn Hill. He told the St. Louis American that he has Lauryn Hill’s silhouette from her “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” album tattooed on his chest. He says that even though he was a child that album just did something for him. He likes the way Hill raps about love and heartache.

“That album hit my heart,” said McQueen.

Besides listening to Hill, McQueen also listens to a lot of reggae music, ole school rap like Nas, and loves R&B greats like Anita Baker.

McQueen said that his shows are an experience. “If people give my music a chance, give my artistry a chance. I believe I can make an impact, like Bob Marley did,” said the rapper.

Ashley Winters is a Report for America reporter for the St. Louis American.

Photo by Phillip Hamer I OTSL

Sister (Olivia Johnson) and X (Namarea Randolph-Yosea) in “Madison Lodge” by composer/librettist Tre’von Griffith

Photo by Ricky Alvarez I All Things Mean

Singer Jordan Ward recently released his debut album “FORWARD” and will begin his first headlining tour, “TOURWARD ‘23” in May. He will perform at St. Louis’ Blueberry Hill Duck Room on May 10.