& SINGLE
Bad hair date
She remembered him being cutting-edge, but his new coif has taken things to a new level. Now he looks like Little Richard.
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Right to Work and civil rights
License Collector Mavis Thompson recalls Dr. King’s claim that Right to Work laws try “to destroy the freedom of collective bargaining.”
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By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American
Growing up in the U.S. Virgin Islands was quite different from what most children experience on “the mainland,” said Laurent Javois, regional executive director for the Missouri Department of Mental Health.
Javois spent most of his childhood outdoors, playing carefree in a tropical, warm paradise, he said. Yet many things were not so different from the rest of the United States.
Laurent Javois
“I recall seeing other kids being teased, misunderstood and having difficulty,” Javois said. “They seemed unable to help themselves. I always wished there was something I could do to help them.”
As he learned about mental illness in his studies, he realized that some of these outcasts had been experiencing behavioral and mental
n “Unfortunately, there are many individuals who simply do not understand mental illness and shy away from it.”
– Laurent Javois
health challenges. “I was really drawn to the field because I felt there was something
See JAVOIS, A6
St. Louis Public Radio reports on Michelle Corey, president of the St. Louis Better Business Bureau, warning against current scams.
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By Sandra Jordan
Of The St. Louis American
These are the final days. Monday, March 31 is the deadline to at least start the process of enrolling for health coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It was the deadline to complete enrollment, but U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced on Tuesday that March 31 is now the deadline to begin the process on Healthcare.gov.
By Tim Lloyd
“If you’re in the site trying to get enrolled, we’re going to give you time to complete that process, but this is not an extension of open enrollment,” Sebelius said. “You have to be in the system; you have to essentially be in line, signing up for health care.” Those who miss the deadline will pay a penalty of 1 percent Principal Trina Petty-Rice honored
By Bridjes O’Neil
Of The St. Louis American
Trina Petty-Rice, principal of Mark Twain Elementary School in the Brentwood School District, was honored as a 2014 Exemplary New Principal by the Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals.
Each year, each of the association’s 12 regions selects a new principal who has made measurable contributions to their schools, districts and profession. Petty-Rice became principal of Mark Twain in June 2012, replacing Karen Smith, who retired. Petty-Rice said she continues to be inspired by her students at Mark Twain and their “thirst for knowledge.”
“Daily she focuses on data
n “Everything she does always goes back to how it impacts the kids and how this will affect their education and their future.”
– Cheryl Miller
and collaboration, effective communication and building a positive school culture,” Kristi Shinn, who chairs the association’s Northeast Region, said of Petty-Rice. The fully accredited Brentwood School District is one of the smaller public school districts in St. Louis County. In 2013, according to data from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
(DESE), the district had 772 students, with 30 percent of students on free or reduced lunches, an indicator of poverty.
In 2013, according to DESE, the district student body was two-thirds (65 percent) white and one-third minority, with 22 percent black students, four percent Hispanic and four percent Asian.
In 2013, the district appointed its first African-American high school principal, Edward M. Johnson Jr. With Mark Twain being one of only two elementary schools in the district (McGrath Elementary School is the other), Petty-Rice is focused on relationship-building between students, parents and staff at both schools.
“We have these elementary
See ACA, A6
Saint Louis University has a new president, its first non-Jesuit president, to succeed the Rev. Lawrence Biondi, who stepped down amid controversy last year. The university’s Board of Trustees unanimously elected Fred Pestello during a special meeting Thursday evening, according to a news release. He will begin his new position on July 1.
“Selecting the next president of this university is probably the most important thing that any of us would ever do as our tenure as a member of the Board of Trustees,” said Joe Adorjan, chairman of the board told reporters on Friday morning. “I’m pleased to report today that I think we’ve selected an outstanding, excellent candidate to run this university.” Adorjan pointed to Pestello’s
Fred Pestello to succeed Biondi as first non-Jesuit to lead university See PESTELLO, A7
Judge stands behind cop’s firing for Rihanna photo leak
Back in 2012 ten year LAPD veteran Rebecca Lopez was fired from the force for leaking the infamous photo of Rihanna’s badly beaten face after she was assaulted by Chris Brown Lopez’s firing has been upheld.
A judge ruled against Lopez’s wrongful termination suit agreeing with the disciplinary board’s decision to fire her.
While she admits to snapping a photo of the picture sealed in Rihanna’s evidence file she denies leaking the photo to TMZ. Her ex-girlfriend and roommate, then rookie cop Blanca Lopez, was also implicated in the leak but was found innocent and retained her job.
Jay Z takes a bite out of Drake on Jay Electronica track
In his most recent interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Drake made a comment about Jay Z being corny for always using art references in his rap.
In his interview, Drake is quoted as saying:
“It’s like Hov can’t drop bars these days without at least four art references. I would love to collect [art] at some point, but I think the whole Rap/art world thing is getting kind of corny.”
Saturday night rapper Jay Electronica
dropped a ‘We Made It Freestyle’ ft. Jay Z where Jay addresses Drake’s comments.
“Sorry Mrs. Drizzy for so much art talk/ Silly me, rappin’ ‘bout [expletive] that I really bought/ While these rappers rap about guns that they ain’t shot/ And a bunch of other silly [expletive] that they ain’t got.”
Anita Baker arrest warrant dismissed
A Michigan judge has dismissed an arrest warrant that had been issued for Grammy Award-winning singer Anita Baker
A Wayne County Circuit judge had signed off on the warrant last week. It was sought by the lawyer for a company that says Baker owes it $15,000 for work done on her Grosse Pointe home.
According to WDIV-TV, Judge Edward Ewell said Monday that while the warrant has been dismissed, the lawsuit over the money will continue at a hearing in April.
The singer’s lawyer has said Baker didn’t know she had been sued in 2011 by Ray A. Smith Painting &
Decorating.
The company’s lawyer says he wants to see his client get paid for the work it did.
Tiny dismisses divorce rumors, owns up to enhancing curves
In a sit down with Wendy Williams on Tuesday, Tameka “Tiny” Harris admitted that while she went through some friction with husband T.I., there is no divorce in sight.
“We had a couple fights and we were arguing,” Tiny told Williams. “We argue all the time, though. We had this one big fallout about the Grammys. It just lingered on and it got bigger and...We’re still together, there’s no divorce. We’re normal. We go through the same thing that every marriage goes
She also addressed T.I.’s decision to call her out on Instagram regarding a photo she posted showing off her “assets.”
“I don’t know why he chose to address it on social media. I guess to show he was looking at it,” Tiny
said.
“Is that booty a natural booty or a bought booty,” Williams asked upon seeing the photo. “It’s a little of both.” Tiny responded.
“Now are those natural boobs or bought boobs,” Williams asked. “They’re bought. I’ve always had a lot of boobs but after three babies they sag.”
Kanye said to be furious over Kim K.’s ties to Chris Brown
RadarOnline.com is reporting that Kanye West “blew a gasket” after recently learning about a previous association between his fiancée Kim Kardashian and singer Chris Brown.
One source says he’s so upset he might even consider calling off the wedding if she ever speaks to Brown again.
“Even though the encounter between Kim and Chris happened long before Kanye came on the scene, being Kanye, he’s still intensely jealous,” a Kardashian insider told Radar.
The contention could have something to do with reports of Brown being caught kissing Kanye’s former flame Amber Rose on the dance floor at Diddy’s 4th of July White Party back in 2009.
Sources: TMZ.com, Rolling Stone, The Wendy Williams Show, YouTube, GossipJacker
On Wednesday, March 12, the Missouri History Museum sponsored a presentation by Linda Nance, president of the Annie Malone Historical Society, celebrating “The Life and Legacy of Annie Malone.” Eugene B. Redmond – poet laureate
of East St. Louis, emeritus professor of English at Southern Illinois UniversityEdwardsville and founding editor of Drumvoices Review – and Lois Conley, founder and executive director of the Griot Museum were among many on hand to share in the lecture and discussion.
Many were surprised to learn that Madam C.J. Walker (Sarah Breedlove) was employed by and received her training in the hair care industry under the tutelage of Annie Malone. The lecture shared extensive information about the Poro College and its involvement during rescue efforts for the 1927 tornado that severely damaged North St. Louis and the building’s role in the establishment of the Lincoln University Law School. Annie Malone was a true pioneer in the hair care business and is considered the
By Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. Columnist
After 246 years of slavery, Americans fought a brutal Civil War — the bloodiest in our history — to end slavery and preserve the union. Three amendments were added to the Constitution: the 13th abolished slavery; the 14th guaranteed equal protection under the laws, and the 15th outlawed discrimination in voting on the basis of race or prior servitude. But although they surrendered on the battlefield, the Confederates did not give up. They waged a fierce rearguard battle over state sovereignty, also known as “states’ rights.” They sabotaged the post-war reconstruction, unleashing a wave of terror across the South. Several states began to enforce segregation against the newly freed slaves. And in the shameful decision
of Plessey v. Ferguson in 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court gave approval to state Jim Crow laws, endorsing the oxymoron of “separate but equal.”
It took another half century of struggle to re-establish the reach of the civil rights amendments. In 1965, the Voting Rights Act was passed to enforce the 15th Amendment’s guarantee against discrimination in voting. States, counties and municipalities in the South continued to invent new obstacles to voting, but for areas with a history of discrimination — largely Southern states — the Voting Rights Act required pre-clearance of any changes in voting laws. This enabled the Justice Department to prevent significant voter suppression.
But having lost the military battle in 1865 and the legal battle in 1965, the Confederates did not give up. They
continued to argue for states’ rights.
And since the 15th Amendment only outlawed denying a citizen his right to vote based on race or color, voting procedures remained under the control of states and localities. In 2013, with a conservative majority in control of the U.S. Supreme Court, the court revived statesrights arguments in Shelby v. Holder, acting shamefully to weaken federal authority, gutting much of the vital preclearance portions of the Voting Rights Act. Once more as the federal authority was weakened, the Confederates churned out new obstacles to voting — strict
mother of the black hair care industry. She was dedicated philanthropist contributing much of her wealth to uplifting her race. She contributed the land and the first $10,000 to establish the St. Louis Colored Orphan’s Home – now the Annie Malone Children & Family Service Center, $25,000 to the establishment of the YMCA, $10,000 toward the establishment of the Maternity Hospital at Barnes Hospital and sponsored the showing of movies at area churches to showcase positive images of African-American people, places and things. The Annie Malone Historical Society is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Annie Malone Children & Family Service Center.
photo ID requirements, elimination of same-day voter registration, reducing early voting periods, eliminating early registration for young people, outlawing use of student IDs and more. Within two hours of the Shelby decision, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot — now running for governor — announced that Texas’ voter identification law, previously rejected by the U.S. Justice Department and a federal court, would immediately be implemented. North Carolina followed shortly. Now some 34 states have erected new obstacles to voting. If the fundamental individual right to vote had been constitutionally guaranteed in 2000, Al Gore would have been elected president over George W. Bush because all the individual votes of Floridians would have had to be counted, as felons in
Florida were not allowed to cast their votes. If there were a constitutionally guaranteed right to vote, we would not have different laws for 50 different states and 13,000 election jurisdictions. We’d have a federal law that would govern voting rights for all. Congressmen Mark Pocan, D-Wis., and Keith Ellison, D-Minn., have introduced House Joint Resolution 44 to amend the Constitution to guarantee the right to vote. It would provide every American with a fundamental individual right to vote and give Congress the clear authority to create a unified national voting system with minimum standards. The right to vote is not a partisan question. It should not be left to changing legislatures or biased Supreme Court majorities. It should be clearly guaranteed in the Constitution.
It is fitting that the Obama administration – which admittedly was slow in fixing problems with its health insurance Marketplace website, Healthcare.gov – gave uninsured Americans some additional time to complete the process of enrolling for health insurance on the website before imposing penalties on the uninsured. Monday, March 31 had been the last day to buy a 2014 health plan through the Missouri Health Insurance Marketplace through open enrollment before facing a fine, as set forth in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Now Monday is the deadline to start the process of enrollment.
“If you’re in the site trying to get enrolled, we’re going to give you time to complete that process, but this is not an extension of open enrollment,” U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said on Tuesday. “You have to be in the system; you have to essentially be in line, signing up for health care.” Though having health insurance will be its own reward, there is now a penalty for those who do not insure their health. Those who miss the deadline for starting enrollment will pay a penalty of 1 percent of their annual income or $95, whichever amount is higher. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will collect fines based on tax returns, where individuals will be asked to show proof of health insurance. Penalties will be subtracted from any tax refund due. The fines increase every year you remain without health insurance.
There is help for those who want to discuss options before starting the enrollment process on Healthcare.gov. The Cover Missouri Coalition has been
working across Missouri to educate people about health insurance options, including assistance with payment, and to help them enroll. Find an education or enrollment event near you by calling 211 or visiting www.covermissouri. org. You can also call toll free 1-800-318-2596 for help. The same experts can advise you on exemptions to facing a penalty for not starting enrollment, including various categories of “hardship exemption” – see today’s news story on 1A. Being required to purchase health insurance, as licensed drivers are required to purchase automobile insurance if they want to drive, will take some getting used to for the American public. But the individual mandate, enforced by fines, was designed to enlarge the pool of ensured Americans to eventually drive down costs of services for everyone in the market. Also, expanded attention to preventive health care should make for a healthier public with less need for expensive – and dangerous – medical interventions in health crises. Yes, it’s the law of the land – but it is also a sane, compassionate (albeit complex) law. Perhaps most importantly, because of the Affordable Care Act no one will be denied
health coverage now because of a pre-existing condition. Also importantly, at least 80 percent of your premium dollar must now pay for your health care benefits, and not overhead, or your insurance company will owe you a rebate. Young adults up to the age of 26 can now stay on their parent’s insurance. Insurance companies can no longer impose lifetime limits on your health insurance benefits, so your insurance company can’t stop paying their share once you hit a certain dollar amount. And all private health insurance plans that operate in the Marketplace are required to cover a comprehensive set of benefits, including physician visits, preventive care, hospital stays and prescriptions.
Over the objections of the mayor and police commissioner, the New York City Council on July 26, 2013 approved two bills jointly known as the Community Safety Act. The mayor vetoed the bills, and the council responded by overriding the mayor’s veto, thus enacting legislation that increased oversight of the New York Police Department and expanded citizens’ ability to sue over racial profiling.
and it stayed that way for 152 years. State control of the St. Louis police came to an end on September 1, 2013 creating an environment for the new Police Chief Sam Dotson to fulfill all his visions for the department.
Civilian oversight should be on his list – and finding the balance needed to protect the rights of both officers and citizens is achievable.
On January 1, the act went into effect. It created an independent inspector general to monitor and review police policy, conduct investigations and recommend changes to the department. It also expanded the definition of bias-based profiling to include age, gender, housing status and sexual orientation.
Finally, it allowed individuals to sue the police department in state court – not only for individual instances of bias, but also for policies that disproportionately affect people in any protected categories without serving a significant law enforcement goal.
Over the decades, there have been numerous attempts to establish a bill that permits local control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. St. Louis was first stripped of local police control after the Civil War,
In March 2006, the Board of Aldermen passed legislation that would have created a civilian review board, but the legislation was subsequently vetoed by Mayor Slay. In April 2006, the Board of Police Commissioners gave unanimous approval to form a civilian review board to help examine complaints about the conduct of police officers, but it had less authority than under the proposal approved by the Board of Aldermen.
Civilian review is common across the country. According to Lou Reider, former deputy chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, about half the major cities in the United States have some form of civilian review board.
In a February 15, 2012 Post Dispatch article, Jeff Roorda of the St. Louis Police Officers Association claimed that citizen review panels have failed.
“Every place they’ve tried them, they’ve had negative consequences,” Roorda said.
“They only cause derisiveness and division between the police and the community.”
But Reider said he would want a citizen review board if he were a police union representative because they
are frequently more lenient on police officers than other bodies. Several years ago in Detroit, the major complaints about its civilian review board was that it had become a rubber stamp for the police department.
Roorda was subsequently elected to the Missouri House of Representatives, where his fight against civilian oversight of police continues. Roorda introduced HB1466 in the Missouri House, which would change the laws regarding the Open Meetings and Records Law, commonly known as the Sunshine Law. His legislation would close any record regarding internal investigations by law enforcement agencies into the fitness and conduct of a law enforcement officer and any record regarding a law enforcement officer’s employment status. The civilian review process must be open and public. A civilian review board must have the power to subpoena individuals and records and to conduct public hearings. It also requires a budget commensurate with its mission. And civilians who believe they have been victims of police misconduct need to learn how to become advocates in their own behalf – they need instruction and guidance in documenting and filing complaints. Therefore, to be effective a citizen review board must include a rigorous public education program. Pruitt is president of the St. Louis city branch of the NAACP.
To apply for health coverage, call 1-800-3182596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325), apply in person with trained insurance navigators at various sites throughout the community, download a paper application from HealthCare. gov and mail it in as directed, or enroll online at HealthCare. gov. After enrolling, individuals must pay their first monthly premium to make their coverage effective. To first benefit from the advice of the Cover Missouri Coalition, visit www. covermissouri.org. who
All letters are edited for length and style.
Blaming poverty on the mysterious influence of “culture” is a convenient excuse for doing nothing to address the problem.
Columnist Eugene Robinson
That’s the real issue with what U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said about distressed inner-city communities. Critics who accuse him of racism are missing the point. What he’s really guilty of is providing a reason for government to throw up its hands in mock helplessness. The fundamental problem that poor people have, whether they live in decaying urban neighborhoods or depressed Appalachian valleys or small towns of the Deep South, is not enough money.
Alleviating stubborn poverty is difficult and expensive. Direct government aid –money, food stamps, Medicaid, housing assistance and the like – is not enough. Poor people need employment that offers a brighter future for themselves and their children. Which means they need job skills. Which means they need education. Which means they need good schools and safe streets.
The list of needs is dauntingly long, and it’s hard to know where to start – or where the money for all the needed interventions will come from. It’s much easier to say that culture is ultimately to blame. But since there’s no step-by-step procedure for changing a culture, we end up not doing anything.
This is what Ryan said in a radio interview: “We have got this tailspin of culture, in
our inner cities in particular, of men not working and just generations of men not even thinking about working or learning the value and the culture of work, and so there is a real culture problem here that has to be dealt with.” What exactly does he mean by culture? In the context of “our inner cities,” Ryan can’t be talking about rap music and baggy pants. If so, he ought to visit any high school in any affluent suburb, where he will find kids listening to the same music and wearing the same clothes.
Is he talking about the breakdown of family structure? To me, that’s looking suspiciously more like effect than cause. As President Obama has noted, the rise in out-of-wedlock births and single-parent households seen years ago among African Americans is now being seen among whites, especially in communities hit hard by economic dislocation.
Ryan surely can’t be talking about the use of illegal drugs, since most surveys indicate that young blacks and Hispanics are no more likely to be drug users than are young whites. Ryan refers specifically to “the value and the culture of work,” and he may be onto something – almost. His description of “just generations of men not even thinking about working” is ridiculous. That would be like demanding to know what cultural shortcoming keeps me from spending time thinking about sailing my mega yacht to my private island.
In depressed urban and rural communities, there is an acute shortage of meaningful work. There was a time when young men who didn’t plan to go to college could anticipate finding blue-collar work at “the plant” nearby – maybe a steel mill,
maybe an assembly line. There they could have job security, enough income to keep a roof over a family’s head, a pension when they retired. Their children, who would go to college, could expect lives of greater accomplishment and affluence.
This was how the “culture of work” functioned. How is it supposed to happen without work?
Confronting the devastation suffered by what used to be working-class communities is hard; adjusting to postglobalization economic realities is harder. Say the word “culture” and you sound erudite and concerned, especially if you drop the name of the Harvard scholar Samuel Huntington, who described world affairs as a clash of civilizations with different cultural values.
My problem is that when you identify something so amorphous as culture as the fundamental issue, you excuse yourself for not proposing concrete solutions.
I’m suspicious of the cultural hypothesis as a way to explain who succeeds and who doesn’t. I believe outcomes mostly depend on opportunities, and that people are much less likely to engage in selfdestructive behavior if they see opportunities that make sense to them.
If we had universal prekindergarten that fed all children into high-quality schools, if we had affordable higher education, if we incentivized industry to invest in troubled communities – if people had options for which they were prepared – culture would take care of itself.
But all of that is expensive. Hot air, as Paul Ryan knows, is cheap.
Engaging the entire region
Several months ago, I became part of a formal effort to assemble valuable information and foster an informed, fact-based dialogue amongst citizens of St. Louis city and county about the future of our region. The belief at the core of this project is that the future of our region will be determined better together.
That belief was strengthened at St. Louis University’s Public Law Review Symposium titled “United We Stand or United We Fall: The Reunification of St. Louis City and County.” This all-day event featured 16 speakers, including former U.S. Sen. and Indianapolis Mayor Richard Lugar and St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley.
The true success of this event, however, did not fall on the shoulders of the panel alone. It was the record-setting crowd of engaged citizens, civic leaders and law students who filled the room, as well as two lecture halls streaming the event live that were filled to capacity. The excitement for this event demonstrated that our region is ready and eager to have an important discussion about its future.
The symposium confirmed that St. Louis has all the resources necessary for a bright future, beginning with world-class institutions like St. Louis University Law School, and bright, passionate young leaders like Erin Bruns and Christopher Jump, two SLU Law students who led this incredible symposium. I would also like to thank SLU Law Dean Michael Wolff and Professor Anders Walker for welcoming the public into SLU Law’s beautiful new downtown facility and engaging the entire region in this important conversation.
Ambassador George Herbert Walker III Chairman, Better Together St. Louis
Now that Missouri has returned control of the St.
Louis Metropolitan Police Department to local leadership, it is also time to grant oversight of that control to the citizens of St. Louis.
The crime rate in St. Louis is widely known throughout the country. Unfortunately, so is the repressive use of police force, the excessive use of stop and frisk, and the gross disparity in the selective arrest, prosecution and conviction of African Americans. The gross misconduct of the police, as irrefutably shown during the Reggie Clemons hearings, is just one instance that demands more aggressive and independent oversight of misconduct.
Despite the fair-handed manner in which Police Chief Sam Dotson has handled complaints against officers – such as those involved in the case of unarmed, honor student, Cary Ball Jr., who was shot 25 times by SLMPD police officers – the need to restore trust between the police department and the community will only be fully realized when oversight of police disciplinary matters are shared with the citizens being policed.
Christi Griffin Founder/president, The Ethics Project
Mute and aloof
Those who missed the March 17 meeting of the St. Louis County Library Board can be assured that unbridled arrogance was on display.
During the citizen comment portion of the meeting, 10 citizens rendered emotional pleas to the board to save their neighborhood library. Knowledgeable citizens beseeched the board to abandon its moronic plan to bulldoze the historic Lewis & Clark Branch in Moline Acres. Citizens and local politicians from South County implored that the Tesson Ferry Branch not be abandoned in favor of a new library building at Grant’s View, an upscale housing development in progress.
Despite reasonable and convincing appeals, board members remained mute and aloof, obviously unmoved by the heartfelt offerings of those
Cameron Clark, a Star Scout from Troop 493, recently was awarded with the Boy Scouts of America Certificate of Merit for his actions to help save his dad’s life. The National Council of the Boy Scouts of America presents this award to outstanding Scouts or Scouters who have rendered special service to others.
While playing video games with his siblings, Cameron suddenly heard his mother screaming. After rushing to
his mom’s side, Cameron realized his father was having a seizure.
“Scouting prepared me because the one thing they always told us was to stay calm in an emergency situation,” Cameron said.
He quickly called 911 for help.
By Mavis Thompson For The St. Louis American
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. supported organized labor. He said, “Our needs are identical with labor’s needs: decent wages, fair working conditions, livable housing, old-age security, health and welfare measures and conditions in which families can grow, have education for their children and respect in the community.”
In his 1961 speech before the AFL-CIO, Dr. King also highlighted the historic role of organized labor in the pursuit of justice and human dignity.
“Less than a century ago, the laborer had no rights, little or no respect and led a life which was socially submerged and barren,” he said.
“American industry organized misery into sweatshops and proclaimed the right of capital to act without restraints and without conscience. The inspiring answer to this intolerable and dehumanizing existence was economic organization through trade unions.”
Labor unions are the only large-scale movement left that tirelessly acts in the economic interests of the middle class. Organized labor has given workers higher wages, a voice without reprisal and substantial leverage against rouge employers.
Gateway180, the largest 24-hour emergency housing services agency for families in Missouri, will hosting the agency’s 5th annual gala to raise funds for its extensive housing programs at The Palladium St. Louis, 1400 Park Ave., 6 p.m. Friday, April 4. Guests will enjoy a vintage World’s Fair theme and cocktails, bid on unique auction items and delight in fine dining to entertainment provided by Kim Massie. Gateway180 manages four, distinct, emergency housing programs for families, including a 24-hour emergency shelter. The agency also offers clients housing programs with various levels of supportive services in apartments with 12 month, 24 month or permanent leasing options. Contact Bree DeGraw at 314-231-1515 for information.
Paramedics soon arrived on the scene and relieved Cameron of his care over his dad.
“My wife was crying. My children were crying,” recalled his father, Sidney. “Cameron was steadfast; he was like oak. It was tough but to think about what my little boy did; it’s powerful.”
After giving the dispatcher necessary information, he also received instructions to care for his dad until an ambulance could arrive. He needed to do was move his dad off the bed and onto the floor. Unable to do this on his own, the boy ran to a neighbor’s house to get help.
Each Saturday, Saint Louis University medical school students volunteer their time providing free medical services at the Health Resource Center (HRC), their clinic in North St. Louis that provides care to uninsured and underinsured individuals.
While the treatment is free, the cost to run the clinic is not, so student volunteers are hosting an auction to raise funds 6 p.m. Saturday, April 12 at Il Monastero, 3050 Olive St., on Saint Louis University’s campus. Patrons will have the opportunity to bid on items including tickets to Disney World, a Lou Brock retro jersey and Rams tickets.
Tickets may be purchased in advance or at the door. To purchase tickets online, visit http://giving.slu.edu/hrcauction.
For more information about how to support or receive care at HRC, email sluhrc@gmail.com or call 314-389-0008.
Some Missouri legislators are pushing to implement so-called “workplace freedom” legislation. Proponents of the “Freedom to Work” Act paint a beautiful picture of better job growth, higher disposable income and economic opportunity for the working class throughout the state.
Sounds deceptively impressive, but questionable gains aside, this effort is a reincarnation of an old fight. It’s a slick regurgitation of the Taft-Hartley Act adopted in 1947 which was a conscious effort to diminish the gains made by the labor movement.
“Freedom to Work” disingenuously taps into the sentiments of the Civil Rights Movement. It is a misnomer created by anti-union advocates that promotes the theory that organized labor somehow prevents Americans from exercising their right to work. Right to Work prohibits unions from requiring membership or union dues as a condition for employment, either before or after hiring. These laws or statutes do not guarantee employment, nor do they protect the rights of working people.
In 2011, the Economic Policy Institute noted that seven out of the 10 highest-unemployment states are states with Right to Work laws. The institute further noted that these laws lower compensation which undermines consumer spending, and threatens economic growth.
Additionally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics recognizes that workplaces in Right to Work states have a tendency to become more dangerous and pay less attentive to safety issues.
“In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, such as ‘right to work,’” Dr. King said in 1961.
“Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining by which unions have improved wages and working conditions of everyone.”
Excerpted from remarks made January 20 at the CBTU banquet for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.
Mavis Thompson is license collector for the City of St. Louis.
I had to offer,” he said, “and I wanted to make a difference.”
Today, Javois oversees three psychiatric hospitals in the St. Louis area for the state. In his time as regional executive director, he has led the department through both severe budget cuts and innovative changes to the mental health system.
“Year after year, it seemed we were continually asked to do more with less,” Javois said. “Fortunately, the leadership was very innovative and came up with the initiatives that allowed us to shift dollars and save money where we could. What we did was to invest in those programs that we felt were critical for the community.”
On Friday, April 25, Javois will receive the 2014 St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund Dr. John Anderson Excellence in Mental Health Award at the St. Louis American Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awards Luncheon at the Frontenac Hilton. The award was named after Dr. Anderson, a longtime St. Louis psychiatrist.
In 2010, the state government faced a $500 million budget shortfall. To save on costs, the state closed the 50-bed acute care psychiatric unit and emergency department at Metropolitan St. Louis Psychiatric Center at 5351 Delmar Blvd. As a result, psychiatric patients experienced long waits in the region’s emergency rooms – in medical environments that are not designed to safely provide emergency psychiatric care. The closure has made it challenging to find appropriate inpatient care for consumers experiencing psychiatric crisis. Javois worked with BJC Healthcare, SSM Healthcare
and the Regional Health Commission to establish and sustain the Regional Psychiatric Stabilization Center – a 25-bed acute psychiatric hospital located inside of the Delmar center. It provides a 24-hour intake area and a treatment unit.
Also in response to the closures, Javois helped to establish the Hospital Community Linkage Service, which is coordinated by the Behavior Health Network
of Greater St. Louis. This initiative enables community mental health programs to visit patients on psychiatric units in community hospitals. Through the program, 700 psychiatric patients every year are connected with community treatment.
“The impact has been shorter hospital stays, reduced re-hospitalizations and thousands of dollars saved,” he said of the service.
Javois is concerned about several issues affecting the African-American community. The stigma of mental illness and its impact on access to treatment is a big problem in the black community, he said.
“Unfortunately, there are many individuals who simply do not understand mental illness and shy away from it,” he said. “I think we need to do a better job of engaging individuals who are influential in the African-American community and have them participate in a conversation about mental illness, treatment and recovery.”
Continued from A1 of their annual income or $95, whichever amount is higher. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will collect fines based on tax returns, where individuals will be asked to show proof of health insurance. Penalties will be subtracted from any tax refund due.
There are four ways to apply for health coverage: call 1-800318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-8894325), apply in person with trained insurance navigators at various sites throughout the community, download a paper application from HealthCare. gov and mail it in as directed, or enroll online at HealthCare. gov.
After enrolling, individuals must pay their first monthly premium to make their coverage effective.
Underrepresentation of African Americans among health care professionals and leaders is another area where the community could grow, he said. He believes health care management programs at colleges and universities should make it a priority to recruit African-American students.
Before leaving the U.S. Virgin Islands to become a regional executive in Kansas City, Javois served as the director of the Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for the U.S. Virgin Islands. He made his way to St. Louis after serving as the deputy director of the division of comprehensive psychiatric services in Jefferson City.
“It was by accident that I landed in St. Louis on an interim basis to oversee the hospitals temporarily,” he said.
“But when I got here, I stepped right into a very exciting initiative.”
The Eastern Region
There are exceptions to being subject to a fine for not starting enrollment by March 31.
The penalty for not having health insurance, called the Shared Responsibility Payment,
n “If you’re in the site trying to get enrolled, we’re going to give you time to complete that process, but this is not an extension of open enrollment.”
– Kathleen Sebelius
has exclusions for extenuating circumstances, which require documentation. Categories of hardship include homelessness; residence eviction or bankruptcy in the past six months; utility shut-off notices; domestic
Behavioral Health initiative was underway, which was a coordinated effort to evaluate the mental health system in the region and to transform it.
“When the folks in Jeff City asked if I wanted to return to central Missouri, I chose to stay in St. Louis,” he said. “I’m glad that I did.”
After moving to St. Louis, Javois met his wife, Bethany Johnson-Javois, who is the CEO of the non-profit St. Louis Integrated Health Network.
“It was hard to leave the Virgin Islands, but I really have come to love and enjoy Missouri,” he said. “The way I look at it, I have two wonderful homes now.”
Tickets for the 14th Annual Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awards Luncheon on Friday, April 25 at the Frontenac Hilton are $750 per table for VIP/Corporate seating and $50 each/$500 table for Individual seating. To order tickets, call 314-533-8000 or visit www.stlamerican.com.
violence; the death of a close family member; unexpected increases to costs as a caregiver; health insurance cancellation; religious exemptions; and disasters.
Persons claiming hardship can complete a hardship application, downloadable at http:// tinyurl.com/hardshipApp. In Missouri and other states that have not expanded Medicaid to get more of its residents covered with affordable health insurance, persons who cannot afford the cost of monthly premiums and other “hardship exemptions” will not be fined.
Missourians who live on incomes lower than the poverty level will not be penalized, said Ryan Barker, vice president of health policy at Missouri Foundation for Health.
According to HealthCare. gov, if your income is more than 100 percent of the federal poverty level – $11,490 a year as a single person or about $23,550 for a family of four – you will be able to buy a private health insurance plan in the Marketplace and may get lower costs based on your household size and income.
If you make less than about $11,490 a year as a single person or about $23,550 for a family of four, you may not qualify for lower costs for private insurance based on your income.
A copy of the notice of denial of eligibility for Medicaid will be needed for next year’s federal tax filings to be exempted from the fine. Currently, many individuals and families are going through the enrollment process before finding out that they don’t qualify for assistance with the premiums.
After Monday, March 31, the same navigators and counselors who helped with enrollment will be available to help with hardship and other marketplace questions.
“The assisters will still be around after Monday,” Barker said, “and one of their tasks will be to help people who fall into that gap.”
To apply for health coverage, call 1-800-318-2596 (TTY:
Continued from A1
schools that feed into the middle school,” Petty-Rice said. “To me, it did not make sense for the kids not to have had opportunities to get together with students on the other side of the boulevard.”
Petty-Rice said she is constantly searching for innovative ways to change the dynamics of instructional practices at Mark Twain. She welcomes feedback from her students, believing that “every single student has something to bring to the table” in planning and designing her own lessons. She also encourages honest discussion and collaboration between teachers in developing and implementing early intervention methods, which she said are key components of academic success. One intervention method she hopes to implement next year is a “data wall” of students’
academic performance.
“We begin to put faces on a data wall where we can see who is performing at that basic
Continued from A1 Jesuit education, experience in Catholic higher education and track record of taking on increasing levels of responsibility over time.
“He’s very collaborative and has a very clear understanding of shared governance,” Adorjan said.
Last year, much of the controversy surrounding Biondi hinged on faculty and students who felt like they had no say in the direction of the university. Pestello pointed to his collaborative style in his current position as president of Le Moyne College, a Jesuit liberal arts institution, in Syracuse, N.Y., as an indicator of how he intends to steer the university going forward.
“I need everyone to join with me, to help me through a transition, to help through an acclimation and to help me plan the future of the institution,” Pestello said Friday, during the news conference.
“I’m anxious to meet with the faculty and to indicate to them that my success is a function of us working together sincerely to continue to build this institution. I’m sure that my goals and aims are no different.”
Barrett Lanham is a senior studying sports business and was in class when Pestello spoke to students on Friday morning, but he quickly read up on the new president’s background. So far, Lanham likes what he sees.
“I think he’s got a lot of ideas that he’s bringing to the university,” Lanham said. “I think he’s got a great vision that could really put Saint Louis University on the map more than it already has been by Father Biondi.”
Pestello will be the first lay president of SLU, as was the case when he became president of Le Moyne College. He said that comes with some challenges.
“The advantage of a religious leader is the symbolic importance of it and the ability to administer the sacraments,” Pestello said. “It’s no small thing, I can’t do that.” At the same time, Pestello said, with fewer Jesuits it’s important to identify what roles lay people can play as administrators.
“The most critical thing is the community itself. Is it ready for that?” Pestello said. “I’ve been told by everyone from the Board of Trustees to the Jesuits that they were ready and open to hiring the best person, whether (he or she) is Jesuit or not.”
Pestello said the key is remaining true to the faith and core religious principles. Both Adorjan and Pestello met with St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson Thursday, and Pestello pointed to his strong relationship with Jesuits at Le Moyne.
In recent years, Saint Louis University has been a major player in Midtown revitalization efforts. Pestello said he doesn’t envision that stopping.
“The city and region are really an extension of our campus, for our student learning, for resources, for scholarship, and as part of our mission for improvement,” Pestello said. “I see us continuing into the future to continue to work in the immediate Midtown area and beyond to help with development in a positive trajectory.”
Pestello also said that building a more diverse student body is intertwined with SLU’s core mission. At the same time, Pestello said he needs to familiarize himself with recruiting strategies before laying out any concrete plans.
“I can tell you, though, I have been and will continue to be committed to diversity, both in terms of diversity and inclusion,” Pestello said. “It’s not just simply welcoming diverse people into a community or bringing them in; it’s also about making them feel comfortable and providing the opportunity for them to flourish.” Before becoming Le Moyne’s president, Pestello was the provost of the University of Dayton, a Catholic, Marianist research institution in Ohio. Pestello earned his doctorate in sociology from the joint program at University of Akron and Kent State University. Reprinted with permission from news. stlpublicradio.org.
Trina Petty-Rice, principal of Mark Twain Elementary School in the Brentwood School District, was honored as a 2014 Exemplary New Principal by the Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals.
“Everything she does always goes back to how it impacts the kids and how this will affect their education and their future,” Miller said. Miller said that Petty-Rice came to the school full of fresh ideas from her experience in the Ladue School District, where she previously worked as a technology coordinator. She holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood and elementary education from Oakwood College, a master’s degree in computer teacher education from Fontbonne University and a master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from Maryville University. Petty-Rice is also active as an educator within her church. She is chairman of the board at the Early Childhood Development Center
level and trying to make sure that we’re moving students from below-basic to that proficient and
It was a nothing news item and presented as such, even by the St. Louis PostDispatch, which has an eagle eye for political impropriety stories, especially where black politicians are concerned. The Post did it in 87 words.
“Ward 21 Alderman Antonio French has been fined for campaign ethics violations,” the Post begins its report –somewhat ominously, for the “ethics violations” end up being a matter of fine print on a yard sign.
“The Missouri Ethics Commission found that French and his campaign committee failed to timely report an expenditure and included improper information on a ‘paid for by’ disclosure on printed signs for Aldermanic President Lewis Reed’s campaign for mayor. French stipulated to the order filed on March 14,” the Post continued, referring to Reed’s failed 2013 Democratic primary bid against Mayor Francis G. Slay The Post then concludes with the numbers, which always seem worse at first than they turn out to be in fact, where Missouri Ethics Commission (MEC) fines are concerned: “French and his committee was fined $3,700. The order and the remaining balance of the fine will be vacated if $460 of it is paid within 45 days.”
According to French, the brief Post report left out a few more words that help make sense why this “news” existed at all. He tweeted, “The Post’s story leaves out that my $460
fine for an old ‘paid for’ on a sign is the result of a petty complaint filed by Slay’s campaign.”
Slay’s campaign? The mayor does not face reelection until 2017. Can he be hearing footsteps this early in the game? French told the EYE that his campaign-ethical lapse regarding the fine print on a yard sign was reported to the MEC by Bradley Ketcher, an attorney for the Slay campaign.
The EYE called Ketcher, who said, after a pause, “I did not make the complaint. I do represent a number of clients, and I can’t comment further on those clients.”
The EYE asked Ketcher if it is true that he is an attorney for the Slay campaign. “I do legal work for the Slay campaign, among other clients,” Ketcher said. He then referred the EYE to Richard Callow, longtime Slay campaign consultant. Callow said he did not file the complaint against French either and suggested the EYE ask French for a copy of the complaint.
Give it to Callow for being helpful to a publication he must consider hostile to his most favored client, Mayor Slay – a publication that Callow completely ignored in a breezy recent post about local media on the mayor’s campaign blog. “Bright young beat writers from the PostDispatch constantly are chatting up trends and breaking news with respected peers at the combined KWMU-Beacon Newsroom, with the part-time
analysts like nextSTL’s Alex Ihnen and Geoff Whittington; and with lively reporters from the Business Journal Riverfront Times, Missouri Scout, KMOX, and television news teams.” This leaves out the state’s largest weekly newspaper and St. Louis’ most influential black-owned publication: this paper.
The complaint against French, in fact, was not made by Bradley Ketcher but rather Bradford Kessler, another St. Louis attorney and political hopeful who has been a Callow client. In 2011, Kessler ran for 6th Ward alderman, with Callow’s support, and lost by a landslide to incumbent Kacie Starr Triplett, who recently confessed to her own much more substantial campaign ethics violations. Whereas Triplett paid her personal bills with campaign funds while reporting she was buying campaign supplies, the complaint Kessler filed against French literally does concern fine print on a yard sign. French’s campaign for alderman incorrectly credited which campaign entity paid for a yard sign that promoted both his campaign for alderman and Reed’s campaign for mayor.
‘Political retribution’
“I swear,” French said, in a follow-up tweet, “if the mayor’s people put as much energy into empowering communities as they do on
political retribution ...” Ketcher, clearly, is one of “the mayor’s people.” Kessler is nowhere near as closely connected to Slay, though they share a political relationship with Callow. The EYE called Kessler to ask him why he filed the complaint against French and whether he was doing the mayor’s dirty work. Kessler said he was on the road in Florida and losing his phone connection and encouraged the EYE to call back. The return call to Kessler was not answered and had not been returned by press time.
As for the alleged “political retribution,” French is not being paranoid. “Slay’s people” owe French payback for his vigorous support of Reed’s campaign against Slay. Beyond that, French is an observant, candid and outspoken critic of the Slay administration. Whether or not Slay fears French as a potential mayoral challenger, it’s bad for Slay’s business to have an intelligent, courageous and credible critic like French in city office.
They can’t dumb French down or turn him into a coward, but they can attempt to damage his credibility. A news nugget reporting on the “ethical” lapse of making a mistake on a yard sign’s fine print can put a tiny dent in a politician’s credibility. Hearing this news in passing, if you don’t know the details, it sounds like French’s ethics might be a little shaky. The facts don’t support that
Alderman Antonio French in his 21st Ward community center, The Sanctuary. Behind him is the campaign sign that resulted in his recent $460 fine for campaign violations. The campaign reporting error is in the tiny band of red print at the bottom of the sign. Photo by Wiley
Price
impression, but impressions can be more powerful than facts.
Ketcher’s past pays to play
The EYE can forgive French for mistaking Bradford Kessler for Bradley Ketcher, and not only because their names are almost identical.
Careful, longtime readers of The American will recognize Ketcher from a December 2008 news report titled “Committee close to mayor pays to play in black press.” It reported that Ketcher served as treasurer for Citizens for a Better St. Louis, which paid cash money for “media” (not advertisements) to the St. Louis Argus and Gentry Trotter’s MultiMedia PR Group in return for coverage highly favorable to the Slay administration and his then Director of Public Safety
Charles Bryson
Bryson, of course, was the black man promoted by Slay to public safety director to execute the threat to demote Fire Chief Sherman George that had been issued by his predecessor as public safety director, Slay family friend Sam Simon (You can get whiplash trying to follow Slay’s appointments to public safety director.)
Bryson executed the threatened hit on Chief George in October 2007, demoting George and thereby (George claimed) forcing his retirement. George subsequently lost his legal battle against Slay,
claiming racial discrimination. Though Deputy Chief Charles Coyle, who was passed over for George’s successor as fire chief in favor of Dennis Jenkerson, a white man with a lower rank of battalion chief, won his discrimination suit against Slay. Slay and Bryson took repeated, hard hits in this paper in the fall and winter of 2007 for their handling of Chief George. Ketcher’s committee paid for some positive press in other black-owned local publications in early 2008. On Jan. 11, 2008, Ketcher’s Citizens for a Better St. Louis paid the Argus $3,000 for “media” (not advertisement). On Jan. 17, the Argus ran a front-page story titled “Truce proposed between firefighter factions” that admits to presenting events in the fire department from the point of view of Bryson and Jenkerson. On Jan. 21, Slay was shouted down at the Old Courthouse, primarily because of his treatment of Chief George. On Jan 24, the Argus ran another front page story “Bryson appeals for unity in STLFD.” Before Ketcher’s committee was done paying to play with the Argus, the paper had been paid $10,370 for “media” (not advertising).
That report also showed that Ketcher’s committee picked up the slack on paying for Trotter’s media services in the Whirl when the Slay campaign wasn’t picking up Trotter’s tab.
“Readers deserve to know what is news and what is a paid political advertisement,” French, then 21st Ward committeeman, said on the record in our December 2008 report. “The sad effect is that at a time when Slay’s policies have undercut the black community and denied our neighborhoods millions in investment and jobs, he’s able to buy the silence of two popular black voices for what amounts to pennies.” They have not been able to silence French’s candid, courageous voice. Instead, the approach appears to be an attempt to damage his credibility in dribs and drabs.
Planting the Seeds for Success!
Harry’s Big Adventure:
We specialize in making science fun!
Investigate and explore over 700 interactive exhibits and take in a film on one of the world’s largest domed screens in our OMNIMAX® Theater. Come, play and exercise your brain! General admission is always free. slsc.org/nie3
Take advantage of the many teacher programs we offer at the Zoo to supplement your students’ classroom experience. The Zoo Outreach Program offers instructors who can bring live animals to YOUR classroom. We offer a variety of teacher kits you can check out, and we offer other resources (videos, books, etc.) FREE for you from our library. We even designed a cool poster you can hang in the classroom!
Exercise
Nutrition Challenge:
Your body uses calcium to build strong bones.
By the time you hit the age of 20, your bones have usually completed their growing. So it is during your school years that you need to give your body the most calcium. Drinking soda not only reduces the amount of
My Bug World! presented by Terminix® is a multisensory experience that immerses you into the world of bugs. Harry the Chinese Praying Mantis and his bug friends will lead you through freestanding and interactive habitats in a hands-on, fun way!
Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World! presented by Terminix® is a multisensory experience that immerses you into the world of bugs. Harry the Chinese Praying Mantis and his bug friends will lead you through freestanding and interactive habitats in a hands-on, fun way!
Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World! presented by Terminix® is a multisensory experience that immerses you into the world of bugs. Harry the Chinese Praying Mantis and his bug friends will lead you through freestanding and interactive habitats in a hands-on, fun way!
slsc.org/hbanie1
slsc.org/hbanie2
slsc.org/hbanie4
We’re here
PRESENT: Healthy Kids is a weekly series that focuses on nutrition, exercise, safety and more.
calcium you consume, it also affects how your body absorbs the calcium you do get.
The Institute of Medicine recommends that kids between the ages of 9 to 18 years should eat and drink at least 1,300 milligrams of calcium each day. Some great sources of calcium include: > Milk – 8 oz. (300 mg) > American Cheese – 2 oz. (300 mg) > Cottage Cheese – 4 oz. (70 mg)
As the weather warms up, one great way to get outside and stay active is to try gardening! As soon as the threat of frost has passed, ask your parents where you can start a small vegetable garden.
You’ll only need a small area of dirt. Look for a spot that gets several hours of sun a day. Working with an adult, you can begin digging up the area. The ground is usually pretty solid and
Look for “calcium-fortified” foods and beverages to boost your calcium intake.
FYI— If you choose lowerfat skim milk, it has the same calcium as whole milk!
Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 5
hard after a long, cold winter and you can start “working” the soil to get it ready for your garden. You might also want to explore ways to protect your plants from local pesky animals that just might want to come by for a taste.
Digging, planting and weeding a garden is a great way to bend, stretch, work muscles and increase your heart rate. If all goes well, you will be enjoying your very own home-grown vegetables this summer!
Learning Standards: HPE 1, HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1
Where do you work? I work at Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine. Where did you go to school? I graduated from Belleville West High School and Sanford Brown College (Medical Assistant Certification).
What does a medical assistant do? My job is to make casts to help bones heal, listen to patients’ heartbeats and breathing, and give medicine and shots. I also schedule patient appointments and surgery. Why did you choose this career? I chose working as a medical assistant because I love helping people feel better. What is your favorite part of the job you have? My favorite part of my job is making the casts that help heal patients’ bones.
Learning Standards: HPE 6, NH 3
class, discuss what it feels like when someone isn’t really listening to you. How can you show that you’re actively listening while your friend is speaking?
to http://www.stlamerican. com/newspaper_in_education/ and download our Weekly
Challenge Journal page. Keep track of
Elementary School 3rd grade teacher
Chevelle
AFRICAN-AMERICAN INVENTOR AND FIRST FEMALE AFRICAN-AMERICAN MILLIONAIRE: Madame C.J.
Sarah Breedlove McWilliams Walker was born in 1867 in a very poor area of Louisiana. Her parents were former slaves and she was an orphan at the age of seven. Walker and her sister worked in cotton fields to survive, and she married at the age of fourteen. In 1885, her only daughter was born. Two years later, her husband died, and she traveled to St. Louis to stay with her four brothers, who were established barbers. Walker worked as a laundrywoman to save money to educate her daughter. She was also involved in the National Association of Colored Women.
Did you know there are different types of hair conditioners? There are four main types and each one has its own, unique purpose and characteristic. They are ordinary, hold, pack, and leave-in. If your hair is medium thickness and you need a conditioner for everyday use, you should choose ordinary. If you want to style your hair and keep it in a certain shape, you should choose hold conditioner. Hold conditioners contain polymers that keep hair set in a certain shape. Pack conditioners are much thicker than the other types of conditioners. They are often used as a styling aid that can hold hair, while treating extreme dryness. Leave in
Are you influenced by brand names? In this experiment, you will see how easily people are influenced by brand names of shampoo.
Materials Needed:
4 Brands of Shampoo (choose some bargain brands and some designer brands) • 16 Clear Plastic Bottles • Surveys
Procedure:
q Label the clear plastic bottles 1, 2, 3, and 4 and fill them with the 4 different shampoo samples.
w Each volunteer will receive a set of the samples (the clear bottles labeled 1-4).
e Volunteers will wash their hair for one week with each sample and rate the effectiveness of the shampoo.
Use your math skills to solve these word problems about hair.
q Kevin has to be at school by 7:30. It takes him 5 minutes to brush his teeth, 5 minutes to shower, 10 minutes to dry his hair, 10 minutes to eat breakfast and 22 minutes to walk to school. What time will he need to get up? _____________
w Debby’s hair was originally three inches long. She asked her hair dresser to cut eight ninths of it off. How many inches did she have cut off? _____________
e Lana’s hair was originally six inches long. She asked her hair dresser to cut six ninths of it off. How
conditioners are very thin and you can apply them and let your hair air dry. This type of conditioner does not add weight to your hair, nor is it a deep conditioner. When you are choosing a hair conditioner, remember these categories and their purposes so you can have more effective results.
Want to Make Your Own Hair Conditioner?
Try: http://www.naturallycurly.com/recipes/ Deep+Conditioner. http://www.ehow.com/how_6143697_make-olive-oilhair-mask.html.
Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text to find main idea and supporting details.
However, in the 1890s, Walker began to lose her hair. She was very embarrassed by this and she tried experimenting with different products and home remedies. Annie Malone, a black entrepreneur, created a line of home hair products. In 1905, Walker became a sales agent for Malone and moved to Denver. It was here that she married Charles Joseph Walker, and changed her name to Madame C.J. Walker.
r At the end of the experiment, determine which shampoo was most popular by reading the volunteer surveys. Was it the most expensive brand?
Reflection/Analysis: In this experiment, the volunteers are not persuaded by brand names or advertisements, they are focused on the effectiveness of the shampoo and how it affected their hair. Were you surprised by the results of the most popular shampoo? Why or why not?
Alternate Survey: Show the four bottles to volunteers to see if they can rate the bottles from cheapest to the most expensive, based solely on how they look, smell and feel.
Learning Standards: I can follow sequential directions to complete an experiment. I can analyze the results.
many inches did she have cut off? ____________ r In Mrs. Smith’s math class, there are 24 students. 12 have blonde hair, 6 have black hair, 4 have brown hair, and 2 have red hair. What fraction of Mrs. Smith’s class has brown hair? ___________
t If 3/5 of the students in my class have dark hair, what percentage does not have dark hair? _____ If there are 25 students in my class, how many have dark hair? _______
Learning Standards: I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a problem. I can multiply and divide fractions.
Walker created her own business and promoted her product called “Madame Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower,” which was a scalp conditioner and healing formula. She sold her products door-to-door, traveling through the South and Southeast, demonstrating her product. In 1908, she opened a college in Pittsburgh where she could train her hair scientists. Her company grew to form a national corporation, employing over 3,000 people. She founded the Walker System, which included cosmetics, Walker agents, and Walker schools. Not only did Walker help people with her effective products and employment, she was the first known African-American woman to become a self-made millionaire. She is quoted as saying, “I am a woman who came from the cotton fields of the South. From there, I was promoted to the washtub. From there, I was promoted to the cook kitchen. And from there I promoted myself into the business of manufacturing hair goods and preparations. I have built my own factory and my own ground.”
For More Information, Visit: http://www.madamewalker.net/.
Learning Standards: I can read a biography about an individual who has made contributions in math, science, and technology.
Use your newspaper to complete these activities to sharpen your skills for the MAP test.
Activity One —
Design an Advertisement: Create an advertisement that people to visit an area attraction. How would you use photographs or drawings in your ad? How would you arrange the words and what would you say to persuade people to come? Use descriptive words! Look through today’s ads for ideas.
Activity Two — Write a Sports Editorial: Write an editorial supporting your favorite sports team or athlete. What makes this person or team worth supporting? What do you think is important in a sports team or athlete? Look at both the sports section and the editorial/ opinions page for ideas.
Learning Standards: I can write for a variety of purposes. I can support my writing with specific details. I can use the newspaper to find information.
When I heard what Terry Robinson had done, I knew what kind of bravery this took. But I still wondered what the end game would be. A number of intersecting issues started flying around in my head –rogue cops, retaliation, prison recidivism, snitching, local control, transparency, etc.
Robinson, young and black, recorded two St. Louis cops on his cell phone allegedly pressuring him to come up with someone to plant a gun on or else they’d arrest him
and charge him with gun possession.
Guest Columnist Jamala Rogers
This is not a new method of policing. Whether it’s called framing or free casing, it’s an old practice by police in black and brown communities.
Common examples are the use of throw-away guns, planted drugs, and false testimonies to obtain an arrest and conviction.
The consequences are devastating for black men like Robinson, their families and our community. This practice by urban police
departments is a significant contributor to the ballooning mass incarceration in this country as well as the high recidivism rate for Missouri prisons.
When I have to reframe the No Snitching Campaign, this is what I’m referring to. It has little to do with black folks helping police to solve crimes in our neighborhood and has everything to do with police
allegedly fighting crime by breaking the law and violating the rights of citizens. The use of this kind of snitching is a re-occurring theme in wrongful conviction cases.
Robinson claims the same two officers have been harassing him for weeks. Why him, you ask? Robinson is on probation. Should he violate that probation, he will go to jail for up to nine years. He’s
vulnerable, and allegedly these cops are exploiting it.
“Your nine years are going to seem like four times more.” That’s what you hear someone Robinson claims to be a female cop threatening him on the recording.
Black men who face real or trumped-up charges, or who are on probation for those real or trumped-up charges, are targets for the kind of intimidation
Robinson says he faced. In order to lessen their charges or to avoid free casing, they must cooperate with the illegal efforts of the police.
My advice to Robinson is to stay strong and live up to the promise he made to his mother. After a brush with the law, he promised to get this life on track and has enrolled in a GED class. His exposure of this alleged wicked police practice took a heap of courage. Our city needs to be grateful to him for bringing the police department into accountability. My advice to Police Chief Sam Dotson is to end this alleged despicable practice by members of his force. This is key to building trust between what is seen as an occupying force and a captive community that has little respect for the public servants who are sworn to “serve and protect.”
KMOV’s report on Robinson: http://www.kmov. com/news/local/Man-filmslocal-officers-attempt-tointimidate-him-under-falsepretences-249957921.html.
By Rebecca Rivas
Of The St. Louis American
Contractors are putting the final touches on the new Flance Early Learning Center, located in the Murphy Park neighborhood.
The building’s classrooms beam with natural light and bright colors. In fact, most rooms have one wall completely constructed of windows. The hallways and ceilings feature curved and rounded architecture, designed to create a calming environment.
n “Using this facility to lay a foundation at the early stage, we can apply effective early childhood education that can change the trajectory.”
– Sandra Moore, president of Urban Strategies
Overall, it’s a teacher’s dream building, said Beth Ketcher, executive director of the center. That’s because teachers were the ones who designed it.
“We wanted the very best for our children and teachers,” Ketcher said.
Urban Strategies and McCormack Baron Salazar broke ground on the $11 million, 23,000-squarefoot early childhood education center last spring. Located at 1908 O’Fallon St., the center is set to open on May 1, serving children from infancy to 5 years.
The general contractors on the project are Brinkmann Constructors and the minority-owned firm Simms Building Group. Out of the $5.2 million construction budget, 79 percent – or $4 million – of the contracts were awarded to a
Out of the $5.2 million construction budget on the new Flance Early Learning Center, 79 percent of the contracts were awarded to a minority business enterprises. On the workforce side, 46.4 percent of the workers were minorities. Urban Strategies and McCormack Baron Salazar are developing the project, located at 1908 O’Fallon St. The general contractors on the project are Brinkmann Constructors and the minority-owned firm Simms Building Group.
minority business enterprises (MBEs), including the Simms Building Group. About 57 percent or $2.9 million of the contracts were awarded to Section 3 firms, or companies with owners or workforce largely comprised of low/ moderate income individuals and/ or public housing residents. About 8
percent went to women-owned businesses. On the workforce side, 46.4 percent of the workers on the project were minorities. The center is located in an area where more than 51percent of the households are low or moderate
income. Hence, leaders have committed that 100 of the 154 children enrolled will be from low-income families, particularly those living in public and HUD-assisted housing or subsidized rental housing.
By Susan Stith For The St. Louis American
It wasn’t that long ago when the focus was on making sure a diverse workforce had more African Americans or Hispanics or women. We have rightly expanded the meaning of diversity and today, we can definitely say that minority employees are not just only included, but are sought after.
Susan Stith
But even with the gains we have made, gaps remain. For instance, at Express Scripts, we are rightly proud of a diverse workforce that is 35 percent minority, 65 percent female and 75 percent under the age of 50. That means we have a broad perspective of viewpoints and experiences to draw from as we work to make the use of prescription drugs safer and more affordable.
However, we have another target to aim for in the near future: as of March 24, all federal contractors must set a hiring goal of 7 percent for people with disabilities. Again, while we have made great strides in diversifying our workforce, all companies must redouble their efforts
Christopher A. Pickett will lead the diversity & inclusion committee as chairman for the St. Louis law firm Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C. Pickett is an officer in the firm’s litigation practice group, where he focuses on complex commercial litigation, securities litigation/arbitration and employment disputes. As head of the 10-member committee, Pickett will lead diversity efforts for the fifth-largest St. Louis law firm.
Javal Burton is the new district human resources manager for the Missouri Department of Transportation’s St. Louis District. She has nearly nine years of professional-level human resources experience with MoDOT. She started her career at MoDOT 13 years ago as a COOP student while still in school. She graduated from Lincoln University with a BSBA and earned an MBA from Lincoln in 2008.
Howard Hayes was elected to the St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers’ Executive Committee. He is director of Minority Business Development for the City of St. Louis. The St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers is the owner organization promoting the region through collaborative leadership to improve the efficient delivery of construction projects.
Michelle Martin has been appointed to the Missouri State Foster Care and Adoption Board by Gov. Jay Nixon. She is Thompson Coburn’s Professional Development & Diversity manager. The board establishes procedures to review Children’s Division policies and provides written opinions and recommendations for changes to the division. It also provides draft policy suggestions for improvements in foster care or adoption practices.
Ikechukwu P.N.
Ohu was one of 107 students awarded a Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois (DFI) Program Fellow for the 2013-2014 academic year. He is an engineering doctoral student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s School of Engineering. The Illinois Board of Higher Education awards the fellowships to increase the number of underrepresented faculty and staff in Illinois institutions of higher education.
Bridget Botchway Bradley was awarded the 2014 Inclusive Excellence Award by the University of Missouri Chancellor’s Diversity Initiative. She is a graduating senior in the MU School of Journalism studying strategic communication, a Minority Recruit Team member in the MU Office of Admissions, an outreach assistant for Academic
Services at MU and a mentor for
By Mary Delach Leonard
Of St. Louis Public Radio
Add tax return scams to the ever-growing list of ways crooks are ripping off people, warns Michelle Corey, president of the St. Louis Better Business Bureau.
In recent years, identity thieves have been filing bogus tax returns and collecting refunds, said Corey, who advises consumers to regularly check their financial and credit reports for signs of wrongdoing.
The BBB recently issued a warning about the top scams working in the St. Louis area:
1. Tax Return Identity Theft
People may notifications from the IRS when they file their returns that returns have already been filed in their names – and refunds have already been issued.
At that point, consumers should contact the IRS and take action to prevent further damage. The number for the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit is 800-9084490.
“You need to check your credit report periodically to make sure someone’s not out there trying to pretend they are you, taking out fake loans in your name, or in this case, filing tax returns under your name,” Corey said. “The faster you’re aware of it, the faster you can stop it.”
“Don’t carry around your Social Security number. If you get bank statements, credit card statements, checking account statements, keep them in a secure place. When you’re entering your PIN number in a public place keep it covered,” she said.
2. Sweetheart Scams / Online Dating
The growing popularity of online dating services has attracted scammers who hide behind fake profiles and photographs, Corey said. After developing online relationships with their targets, they ask for money so they can visit – or they claim to have a financial hardship.
3. Jamaican / Nigerian Sweepstakes Or Lottery Scams The scammers convince their victims that to collect their prizes – millions of dollars – they will need to pay taxes or processing fees. The scammers provide directions for payment: Wire the money
or purchase a prepaid money card and mail it to a provided address.
“Once they do it, they will be contacted over and over again for more money,” Corey said.
n The growing popularity of online dating services has attracted scammers who hide behind fake profiles and photographs.
4. Storm damage repairs When a tornado or severe storm hits, storm chasers appear in damaged areas selling emergency home repair services, Corey said.
Corey said it is important to check out a company’s reputation before making a down payment. She encourages consumers to check the BBB’s website, which rates local
businesses and charitable organizations.
5. Advance-Fee Loan Scams Loan schemes target some of the most vulnerable members of the community, Corey said.
“Once you fill out that application form, a couple of things could occur,” Corey said. “You will disclose financial personal information because you have to do that to get this personal loan. And they will steal your identity. Or, they will call and tell you that you’ve been approved for a loan, but they need for you to provide payment either for processing fees or application fees.”
Reprinted with permission from news.stlpublicradio.org.
RBC awards $225K grant to KIPP for talent acquisition
The Regional Business Council awarded a three-year grant of $225,000 to the KIPP St. Louis Talent Acquisition Program. A director of Talent Acquisition has been hired to lead the effort to establish six schools in the area.
“This investment will help accelerate the growth of the KIPP network and therefore serve more kids and families in the city,” said Kathy Osborn, executive director of the RBC.
Scheduled to open in August at capacity, KIPP Victory Academy will serve 500 students, from kindergarten through fourth grade. KIPP Inspire Academy, founded in 2009, has 320 fifth through eighth graders. Washington University is KIPP’s charter sponsor.
For more information about KIPP St. Louis, call 314865-2535 or visit www.kippstl.org.
Kwame Foundation to host 11th Annual Golf Tournament
Kwame Foundation will host its 11th Annual Golf Tournament on Thursday, August 28 at the Norman K. Probstein Golf Course at Forest Park.
Kwame Foundation has raised $993,000 for scholarships to-date and will break the $1 million mark at this event. The foundation endows $150,000 a year in scholarships and grants at colleges and universities that improve educational opportunities for minorities.
Sponsorship opportunities from $150 to $10,000 are available. Individual entry for the tournament, lunch and events is $375 and non-golfer participation is $75. For online registration or sponsorships, visit http://kwame. golfreg.com. Contact Sonja Branscomb (314) 862-5344 orsbranscomb@kwamebuildinggroup.com for more information.
STL awarded more than $10M by HUD to improve public housing
St. Louis Housing Authority was awarded more than $10 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to make major large-scale improvements to public housing units as part of more than $27 million in grants to public housing authorities in Missouri.
In addition to the $10,395,036 awarded to the city, the Housing Authority of St. Louis County was awarded $535,993, the Wellston Housing Authority $243,616, the Housing Authority of the City of Pagedale $100,734, the Housing Authority of the City of Kirkwood $85,627, the Housing Authority of the City of St. Charles $80,921, the Housing Authority of the City of Festus $74,472 and the Housing Authority of the City of Olivette $17,443.
n “I think the NFL is 10 years away from an implosion. I’m just telling you: Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered. And they’re getting hoggy.”
– Mark Cuban
By Earl Austin Jr.
Of The St. Louis American
The Missouri Class 4 girls state championships last weekend was more of a coronation than a competition as the Incarnate Word Red Knights stormed to another state title.
Ranked No. 2 in the country, Incarnate Word defeated Marshfield 59-33 in the semifinals and Dexter 60-43 in the championship game to win its second consecutive state title and third in the past four years. The state championship completed an especially dominating two years for the Red
Knights, where they posted an impressive 62-1 record. Making this accomplishment even more incredible was it as done against some of the best girls basketball teams in the country. Coach Dan Rolfes loaded up the schedule with one national heavyweight program after another to test his talented team.
The end result was some tremendous victories, including the championship of the Naples Holiday Tournament in Florida in December, a victory over national power Regis Jesuit (CO) in the Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout and a victory over
See WORD, B4
By Earl Austin Jr. Of The St.
Louis American
The last time Christian Brothers College High won a state championship in basketball was in 1997 when Justin Tatum was a senior tough guy who led the Cadets in scoring in rebounding.
The Cadets celebrated another state championship last weekend in Columbia.
This time, it was Tatum roaming the sidelines as the first-year head coach at his alma mater.
CBC defeated Columbia Hickman 86-77 in an overtime thriller to win the Class 5 state championship at the Mizzou Arena. Senior
forward Jordan Barnett put on a performance of the ages in leading the Cadets to their first state crown in 17 years.
The 6’8” senior forward erupted for a career-high 43 points and 20 rebounds as he carried the Cadets on his back in what was one of the most spectacular performances in the history of the state tournament.
Barnett gave the Mizzou crowd a tremendous show, which included a highlight reel slam dunk in the first half where he took off from just inside the free throw line. He also provided several clutch moments as well. His biggest basket came in the fourth
Dallas Mavericks owner
Mark Cuban made waves this week when he publically predicted the NFL’s demise. When asked about the NFL’s new television deal, the always frank Cuban didn’t mince his words.
“I think the NFL is 10 years away from an implosion,” Cuban told ESPN reporters.
“I’m just telling you: Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered. And they’re getting hoggy.” It would be easy to brand Cuban as a hater and write off the opinionated billionaire’s comments. After all, the NFL’s expanded Thursday night games will likely affect Cuban’s bottom line by poaching viewers away from Dirk Nowitzki and the mighty
Mavericks. The NFL is the undisputed king of television ratings. In 2013, 34 of the top 35 prime-time programs were NFL games. That doesn’t even count Super Bowl XLVIII, which became the most watched show in the history of U.S. television with 111.5 million viewers. Yes, those are pretty good reasons to be salty, but that doesn’t mean that Cuban isn’t right. For the past several years, the NFL has been aggressively seeking to expand its fan base. In addition to the regular Thursday night games, there have been more regular season games hosted in Europe, Monday Night Football doubleheaders and even talk of lengthening the season to 18
reason the NFL is so wildly popular is due to the one game per week schedule for each team. Fans are more likely to binge on football when it’s available just one or two days per week. It’s simple supply and demand. By limiting the availability of the game, people will go crazy to consume all they can when it’s available. Just ask Nike & Jordan Brand who have mastered the art of selling the same shoes over and over by adhering to this rule. But if the NFL, who already rake in monstrous piles of advertising cash, decides it wants to be greedy and expand to five or six nights per week,
people will stop caring. Once upon a time, weeknight games were reserved for A-1 matchups that would garner national interest. Last season, we had such highly-anticipated Thursday Night matchups as: Buffalo vs Cleveland, Houston vs Jacksonville and Carolina vs Tampa Bay. The once-revered Monday Night Football had a few clunkers of its own. Poor matchups dilute the franchise and fan apathy starts settling in.
“They’re trying to take over every night of TV,” Cuban said. “Initially, it’ll be, ‘Yeah, they’re the biggest-rating thing that there is.’ OK, Thursday, that’s great, regardless of whether it impacts [the NBA] during that period when we cross over. Then if it
See CLUTCH, B4
With Mike Claiborne
Jupiter, FLA. – One weekend of the tournament down and two more to go before the madness concludes.
It was just over a week ago when the tournament selection show took place and all the talking heads were saying it was a wide open field and we will have upsets galore on the way to a new national champion.
Despite what you have been told and led to believe, it just isn’t so. Cinderella is a fantasy. Sure, there will be teams that upset a big boy in the early rounds, but seldom is David around to slay Goliath the next weekend. You see getting to the next weekend is hard, real hard. St. Louis University has never done it ... EVER. Missouri has done it once since Norm Stewart left in 1999, and that was three coaches ago. Too many things have to go right to get to the next weekend.
So why does everyone give you the impression that anyone can be? Easy answer, it’s a better story. It gives you the impression that this is what college basketball is truly about, the student athlete and apple pie and all that stuff. Meanwhile, the NCAA is busy counting hundreds of millions that they elect not to share with the student-athletes.
The money schools walk away with each game means a lot to the conference, as in is a six-figure check for every game played. This big business on and off the court. Everyone likes a winner, including high school seniors and their families, and the universities know this.
As for the ones who have a shot, let’s be clear here. This is about the big boy conferences. This year is no different, as of the 16 schools still alive, 12 of them have been to the Final Four within the last 25 years. There are few who back into the Final Four. For those who do, their lives are never the same as one of two things happen. You either start the tradition and all of a sudden try to figure out how to hold onto
Continued from B3
your coach, or you lose him to a bigger school from a bigger conference and are never to be heard from again. This would apply most recently to Virginia Commonwealth and their coach Shaka Smart and the guy who coached Florida Atlantic last year, had a fun run in the tournament and then left to coach at USC. See what I mean? We already forgot about them. Leave the emotion out of it and just enjoy the big boys playing their games and watch everyone else hope for playing one more game in one more weekend next year.
Cardinal time
The first edition of the 2014 Cardinals is now set. After some off-season moves and a full spring of reasonably good health, this is a better team that played in the 2014 World Series.
The Red Birds are better at shortstop with Jhonny Peralta Kolten Wong has had a more than solid spring at second base this spring, and Matt Carpenter has settled back into his original position at third. The outfield without Carlos Beltran is in good shape as Allen Craig will get a bulk of the work there. His bat will be counted on like
gets Saturday, now you’re impacting colleges. Now it’s on four days a week. ... It’s all football. At some point, the people get sick of it.” The timeline on the disinterest could be sped up if the NFL doesn’t begin to at least act like it cares about the people pouring all those billions into its bank coffers. There are so many commercials during NFL games that it seems like the actual gameplay is simply a commercial break for the commercials. It’s also gotten hard to decipher whether officiating has gotten so terrible due to poor referees or because there are now so
n “I think the NFL is 10 years away from an implosion. I’m just telling you: Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered.”
– Mark Cuban
last year when it comes to producing runs.
There is more speed, as Wong and newcomer Peter Borjous will certainly stand out. Borjous, who came from Anaheim as part of the David Freese deal, has great speed. If he stays healthy, he will be a big factor in the Cardinal offense.
Where are the AfricanAmerican players? The Cardinals have lagged behind in developing AfricanAmerican players, but this year three were in camp most of the spring.
First baseman Xavier Scruggs hit 29 home runs in class AA last year. He has
many rules that it would take a patent lawyer to actually figure them all out. The latest idiotic rule the No Fun League has instituted is a ban on dunking the football through the goalposts after a touchdown – something no fan, player or coach has ever complained about. Maybe the league should mic the official huddles as well since they seem to huddle after every play like the players do. Lastly, those of us in St. Louis know far too well the level hardball the billionaire owners play in order to get the sweetest tax deals possible, despite the record ratings, popularity and TV deals.
In a follow up post on his Facebook page, Cuban levied one last warning to the NFL:
shown good power, but needs more work in the minors.
Joey Butler, in his first year in the organization, was battling for a spot in an already crowded outfield. He too will need work in the minors before he is ready for the big show.
Sam Freeman has seen action with the Cardinals over the last two seasons and is very close to being here for good. Freeman will have to work on just a couple of elements of his game in order to be here for good. With two lefthanders in the bull pen, finding a consistent role would have been difficult. There are others who are emerging in the minors. The
“You shouldn’t try to get every last second of a person’s attention or every last penny that you can squeeze from them
… Customers/Fans/Advertisers know when they are being pushed. They know when they are being squeezed. It always ends up costing the business in the end.”
Ultimately the NFL will get the message. If not now, my guess is that Mark Cuban will greet them on the way down dressed as that Verizon guy.
“Can you hear me now?” he’ll ask. But by then it’ll be too late.
Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ IshmaelSistrunk and on Google+.
Cardinals will need to make some decisions about who will be going and who will be staying soon. Over the course of the season, this roster will change because of injury and declining and emerging skill levels.
Cardinal General Manager John Mozeliak is a believer in how your team looks late in the year, as it is all about the post-season for a team that is considered one of the best in the game. Good health and luck should see the Cardinals win the division. What happens in post-season is too hard to predict, as luck plays heavy into the equation.
Continued from B3
Class 5 state champion Columbia Rock Bridge in the championship game of the Webster Groves Challenge.
Junior forward Napheesa Collier had a near-perfect weekend as she enjoyed two stellar performances. She had 33 points and nine rebounds in the state championship game against Dexter. Collier also had 24 points, seven rebounds and nine blocks against Marshfield. In two games, Collier was 25 for 27 from the field, including a perfect 12 for 12 against Marshfield. Senior center Gwen Adams was also a force in the paint as she had 18 points and seven rebounds in the finals against Dexter. She also had 12 points and seven rebounds in the semifinals against Marshfield. She is headed to SIU-Edwardsville. Senior point guard Nakiah Bell completed her stellar high school career as a three-time state champion. In her last game as a Red Knight, Bell had nine points, five assists and three steals. One of the state’s top point guards, Bell will take her talents to Iowa State next season. Guard Katie Lacefield added six points for IWA and added her normal tough defense and steady ball handling.
Former East St. Louis Lincoln star Cuonzo Martin has never forgotten his roots in the 618.
Another one of former East St. Louis Lincoln and Flyers coach Bennie “Boss” Lewis’ boys proved coaches from East St. Louis can get it done.
Martin’s Tennessee Volunteers moved into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Up next is a date with the Cadillac program from the BIG 10, the Michigan Wolverines on Friday night in Indianapolis.
With Maurice Scott
annually to the top minority head coach in Division l men’s basketball.
In addition, he also was a finalist for the Hugh Durham “Mid-Major” Coach of the Year Award, and the USA Basketball Jr. National Team selected Martin to join Matt Painter (Purdue) and Brad Stevens ( Butler, Boston Celtics) on the United States men’s coaching staff at the 2011 FISH World University Games in Shenzhen, China.
Martin’s team has won nine of their last 11 games, including impressive wins over Mizzou, Iowa and early Cinderella darling Mercer, 83-63, on Sunday to advance to the Sweet 16.
Maurice Scott
Coach Martin who had guided Missouri State to the Missouri Valley Conference Championship in 2011 before heading to Knoxville.
At the 2011 Final Four in Houston, Martin received the Ben Kind National Coach of the Year Award, presented
The East St. Louis native seems to have silenced all of critics in the Volunteer State with his late-season success.
“It has been a blessing for me and my family since I walked through the doors on March 28, 2011 and accepted this job at Tennessee,” Martin said via telephone, after Sunday’s victory over Mercer University. The work doesn’t stop here. Our goal is to be in Arlington, TX. (site of this year’s Final Four) next week.”
Coach Martin relies heavenly on his faith, and his
Continued from B3 quarter when CBC had lost a 13-point lead and fell behind 64-62. With the Hickman crowd at a fever pitch, Barnett responded with a beautiful turnaround jumper on the baseline to tie it and a threepoint play to give CBC the lead back at 67-64. Sophomore guard Christian Willis added 13 points for the Cadets on six of nine shooting from the field. Senior guard Josh Webster added nine points while senior Tyris Lockhart had eight points and seven assists. In the semifinals, the Cadets had a great team effort in defeating Lee’s Summit West 81-68. Barnett led the
hometown of East St. Louis for inspiration while coaching in Knoxville.
“I have plenty of love and support from both family, friends, former coaches of mine back home,” he said.
“I often invite coach Bennie Lewis to our games, and call him sometimes just to talk and
to get advice. I will always love and respect those who have supported me throughout the years as a player, and now a coach.”
One thing for sure. The buzz around East St. Louis regarding Cuonzo is electric. People all over town, where most of the talk is negative regarding boys
n Senior forward Jordan Barnett put on a performance of the ages in leading the Cadets to their first state crown in 17 years.
way with 20 points and 12 rebounds. He was one of the five Cadets to score in double figures. Sophomore guard Jordan Barnes had 14 points, seven rebounds and eight
CBC – Boys Basketball
The 6’8” senior led the Cadets to the Class 5 state championship with a performances of the ages.
Barnett scored 43 points and grabbed 20 rebounds to lead CBC to an 86-77 overtime victory over Columbia Hickman in the state championship game at the Mizzou Arena.
Barnett was 15 of 23 from the field and 12 of 15 from the free throw line. He also blocked three shots to complete his dominating performance. In the semifinals against Lee’s Summit West, Barnett had 20 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Cadets to an 81-68 victory. For the season, Barnett averaged 20.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. He has signed with the University of Texas.
Incarnate Word – Girls Basketball
The 6’1” junior standout led the Red Knights to their second consecutive Missouri Class 4 state championship.
Collier scored 33 points and grabbed nine rebounds in IWA’s 59-33 victory over Dexter in the state championship game. Collier was 13 of 15 from the field.
In the semifinals against Marshfield, Collier had 24 points, seven rebounds and nine blocked shots in the Red Knights’ 60-43 victory. She was a perfect 12 for 12 from the field, which made her 25 of 27 from the field during the weekend.
For the season, Collier averaged 23.7 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks per game.
Former East St. Louis Lincoln star Cuonzo Martin has moved his Tennessee Volunteers into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
assists. Willis had 14 points while senior Beau Bommarito had 13 points, including three 3-pointers. Lockhart added 10 points as CBC shot a sizzling 60 percent from the field.
and men’s basketball in East St. Louis these days, are speaking with the highest respect for the former East St. Louis star. We live in a community that loves and supports their hometown teams and coaches when they display integrity, and leadership. Having beaten cancer,
Martin has used that courage and inspiration to promote awareness of cancer supporting numerous cancer charities. In 2008 while at Purdue, Martin served as spokesman for Cancer Research Challenge raising over $30,000 for cancer research. Coach Martin has also been instrumental is mentoring young men in basketball and, more importantly, in the game of life.
In East St. Louis, and black communities across the country, administrators, and community leaders alike cannot tolerate people and coaches who do not have the best interest of black studentathletes. Cuonzo has proven that you can find great people and coaches from East St. Louis who genuinely care about young people, and has proved it with the national spotlight shining on him. No matter what happens tomorrow night, we are proud of our hero Cuonzo Martin. He is proving on a national stage that you don’t have to act like a jerk to lead young men and can be a positive coach while coaching them.
For Tatum, it was his second state championship in three seasons. In 2012, he guided Soldan to the Class 4 state title on their third consecutive trip to the Final Four. After taking over the CBC program, he put together a rigorous national schedule to prepare his team for the state tournament. It all paid off in a state title. Hazelwood Central finished fourth in the Class 5 state tournament in their first Final Four appearance in 20 years, where they finished second. The Hawks were defeated by Hickman 62-56 in the semifinals. Senior guard Demarco Buchanan scored 16 points to lead the Hawks while sophomore Dominique Dobbs added 11 points. In the third-place game, Central was defeated by Lee’s Summit West 70-58.
By Ron Moore and Shantana Stewart
For The St. Louis American
In the words of the old Gospel hymn made famous by the late Mahalia Jackson, some might wonder how Robert LeAnder “got over.”
“Dr. Bob,” as some of his students call him, is an associate professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The 63-year-old product of East St. Louis public schools boasts five degrees, with three in engineering.
In jeans instead of a Brooks Brother suit, he teaches bioinstrumentation, engineering electromagnetics and stochastic processes, alongside electrical and computer engineering courses.
His parents – a cab driver and domestic worker – were by no means wealthy. College seemed out of his reach.
“In the 1950s, education wasn’t the focus among many African Americans,” LeAnder said. “I went to school, came home at 4 o’clock and watched ‘Superman.’ I never came home and practiced my arithmetic.”
However, LeAnder’s high school principal told his parents about a program aimed at helping blacks earn degrees. LeAnder graduated six and a half years later with a B.S. in music education from the University of Illinois at
Continued from B1
Urbana-Champaign.
He then taught music in East St. Louis schools.
“Suddenly, things fell apart,” he said.
Diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 36, he learned that the financial and educational hurdles he leapt over to earn his first college degree were child’s play compared to what lay ahead.
medication. But this also made it difficult for him to function, so he turned to God.
“I prayed and asked the Lord to please hold my mind together, because I couldn’t take Lithium any longer,” he said.
“Voices screamed a constant chorus of ‘Kill yourself!’” he said. He suffered from paralyzing panic attacks and was plagued by deep depression and erratic mood swings. At first, LeAnder took
Besides faith in the Lord, LeAnder uses Neuro-Linguistic Programming – a self-help technique that purportedly allows people to re-program their own minds –to manage his disorder.
For example, LeAnder said he “tricked his brain” into replacing the feelings of impending failure and stress that he got from thinking about
a statistics class with positive thoughts.
“I developed a joyous anticipation for the next time that I would go to class,” he said. “Developing a positive attitude about statistics won at least half the battle. So despite starting out feeling illequipped, overwhelmed and out of my depth, I earned a B.”
Then a friend from church encouraged LeAnder, now no longer satisfied with teaching music, to join him as an engineer.
LeAnder quickly learned that he needed several remedial courses to get his mathematical skills up to speed, but he persevered and earned four degrees in the process. He
earned his most recent degree, a doctorate in bioengineering, from the University of Illinois at Chicago at the age of 51. “College algebra was murder,” he said. “But any class I took and got a C in, I kept retaking until I got an A or a B.”
Studying math from five to 15 hours a day for eight years was therapy of sorts for LeAnder, he said, because it protected his mind from voices and hallucinations.
“Some relatives probably thought I didn’t care much for them, because I didn’t come to family functions,” he said. “I was determined and said to myself, ‘I will not lift my head up from this math.’”
The median household income in the 63106 zip code was $10,491 according to the 2010 census. The first five years represent the pivotal juncture of how poverty shapes the development of young minds, said Sandra Moore, president of Urban Strategies.
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to be inclusive of people with disabilities.
We know unemployment is a big issue. About 30 percent of the general working-age population today does not have a job. However, nearly 75 percent of African Americans
“Using this facility to lay a foundation at the early stage, we can apply effective early childhood education that can change the trajectory,” she said. “That has to be what this is all about.”
A 2010 Urban Institute study indicates that without proper intervention, children
who are disabled are out of the workforce entirely, even though many of them want to work. Even with additional awareness of this disparity, the figure has remained consistent for years. Physical barriers have been removed, policies have evolved, and technology has revolutionized the workplace. So, with all of that positive change, why haven’t the
who are born poor are more likely than others to drop out of high school, have a teen non-marital birth, have patchier employment records and be poor between the ages of 25 and 30.
According to research, the lack of school readiness is most apparent in children from families with socio-economic risk factors such as unemployment,
numbers improved?
For many of the same reasons other minority groups took longer to have a greater representation in corporate America, people with disabilities face similar challenges. Negative attitudes, often grounded in misinformation,
adult illiteracy and enrollment in TANF, Medicare and WIC. The center intends to directly address this trend, Moore said.
The University City Children’s Center will operate the center, which is named after I. Jerome Flance, a physician and community supporter, and his wife Rosemary.
n Nearly 75 percent of African Americans who are disabled are out of the workforce entirely.
stand in the way of progress. Employers often fear increased costs, poor performance, absenteeism, elaborate accommodations and workplace tension. People with disabilities also may, unwittingly, contribute to their
Moore said she tapped the University City Children’s Center, a United Way-funded agency, to operate the center because of its nationally acclaimed education and training programs. The center will also serve as a training hub for childcare providers to learn best practices, through a partnership with the LUME Institute.
own invisibility because they lack a sense of their value in the marketplace.
At Express Scripts, we have embraced the diversity that employees with disabilities bring to our workplace. We serve tens of millions of Americans, many of whom suffer from disabilities of their own and require prescription drugs. Having colleagues who understand innately the challenges our patients face is a valuable asset in doing our work well.
To help us and other companies tap into this valuable group of workers with disabilities, an innovative local program is boosting people with disabilities into competitive jobs and changing attitudes in companies across the country. The Next Big Step is a program empowers people with disabilities to become highly-competitive job seekers and trains hiring managers to interview, hire, retain, and promote them.
The Next Big Step class is offered free of charge for qualified applicants through the Starkloff Disability Institute. The program’s success rate far exceeds that of state-sponsored job placement programs for people with disabilities.
We partner with Starkloff as we educate and train our managers on how to best engage with the disabled
The Flance Center includes a three-room health suite that connects to Grace Hill, which will provide onsite immunizations and quick health screenings. The center also features a living room area, where families can have group meetings and various community events, as well as a community and industrial kitchen.
workforce. As has been the case with improving the workplace diversity by knocking down barriers that prevented other minority groups from job opportunities, there are many entities that must come together to help disabled people succeed. It takes companies, government agencies and dedicated nonprofit groups like Starkloff working together toward a common cause. It’s true that we have a deadline to meet, but at the same time, I’m reminded of the old saying, “Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking.” For years, without a deadline or percentage to aim for, we have been actively recruiting, placing and promoting people with disabilities at Express Scripts.
Whether it is a deaf man working in Tempe, AZ, a woman in a wheelchair in St. Louis or hundreds of our colleagues with disabilities working across our company. Each day, they teach us valuable lessons in perseverance, respect and compassion. We’re better for having them on our team, and we believe other companies would be as well.
Susan Stith is senior director of Human Resources, Diversity and Inclusion for Express Scripts.
4th annual showcase highlights the best and brightest young performers
By Kenya Vaughn
Of The St. Louis American
“There is just so much talent that is going to be on that stage,” said dancer TJ Hammond. “People are going to be amazed by it – and by how young we are.”
The 15-year-old contemporary dancer – a sophomore at CBC High School – is one of the dozen acts who will competing at The Fox Theater next Friday in the finals of the 4th Annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition. Five of the contestants are African-American.
“It’s kind of nerve-wracking because I’m going up against people with all types of talent,” Hammond said. “Normally I only compete against people who just dance. So going against people who twirl
By Danie Rae, Style Broker
batons and play violin and stuff like that makes me nervous. But I can hang, and I’m extremely excited to do it.”
Presented by The Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation, the talent pool began with nearly 200 entries from 78 schools in the bi-state metropolitan area.
“The kids have worked so hard,” said Raymond Parks, dance instructor at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School and coach of the Underground Tappers, another finalist.
A total of $24,500 in scholarships and prizes will be distributed among the top competitors. The first place winner will also receive a $1,000 scholarship from UMSL. Students
See TEEN, C4
When doing my search for the latest addition to the Style File roster, I tend to gravitate to who is up and coming, undiscovered but filled with talent. I’m pretty sure I’ve found the next big thing.
This young man not only is a budding artist, but he also is a part of a clothing brand design team, and he is a rising emcee. That man of many hats is Brock Seals.
Brock may be just kicking off his career within the arts arena in St. Louis, but he is way ahead of his time. Take a look at what he considers his movement, “Young Man, Old Soul.”
Name: Brock Seals
Age: 21
Occupation: Artist, musician, designer
Birthplace: Jennings, MO
Danie Rae: Let the reader know who Brock Seals is.
Brock Seals: Well, basically, I’m new to the art game. Being a student at Florissant Valley Community College, I’m learning how to translate what I get from school into all of my other outlets of expression, which includes my clothing line, NDGO, and my music.
DR: Oh wow, you truly are a renaissance man. So, how does your creative process work? Do you focus on one genre at a time, or do you just go with the flow and create whatever catches your attention in the moment?
BS: Most of my work naturally ties in to each other. I really don’t separate my creative processes. Whatever pops in my mind, I typically roll with.
DR: So, do you pull inspiration from each form of expression?
BS: Yeah, but ultimately I get inspired by the city, and my surroundings. When I start a new project – whether it be a painting, song or T-shirt design – I pull from what I see or feel from the streets, and that’s pretty much how I create. But most of my work subconsciously pulls from each other. It usually starts off with a painting, and
“Project
after I name the piece it influences a verse in a song or a design for a shirt.
DR: Who are some of your biggest influencers?
BS: Definitely my crew! We all pretty much come from the same background, and share the same ideas about fashion and lifestyle. But in mainstream culture, I would have to say Kanye West is a huge influence on how I look at ways to express myself.
Dana G. Randolph
DR: So who is on your hot list? Like, if you had to name top five things you are checking for, what would they be?
BS: As far as brands, I will always be a fan of Ralph Lauren, but other than that, I’m not that big on brand names. I’m a huge fan of thrifting, and finding unique patterns and fabrics for my
See SEALS, C4
By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American
“How did your date go,” I asked my friend.
She was excited about the idea of taking a cordial situation to a new level. She met him a couple of years ago. They went on a few dates. It never went anywhere, even though they stayed in touch over the phone, by text and through Facebook chat. He reached out and asked her out again. She agreed. Why not? He was cute and personable – and really nice.
“He had a relaxer,” she said.
“Wait. What? No. Really,” I said. “Girl, doesn’t he know the natural hair movement is in?” It was a futile attempt to offer some comic relief to the situation.
“I’m serious,” she said. “This is all bad.”
n The curls were somewhat subtle, but in my head he looked like Little Richard.
She remembered him being cutting-edge, but his new coif has taken things to a new level.
According to my friend, it was a cross between Bruno Mars’ performance hair and Miguel’s latest style. There was definitely some ironwork/hot curlers or a roller set involved.
“Girl, I couldn’t focus,” she said. “I was so shocked by this up-do. In all honesty, the curls were somewhat subtle, but in my head he looked like Little Richard.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t natural?” I asked. “Maybe he had it cut low last time and it was too short for the curls to turn over.”
“Oh, I’m sure,” she said. “There was nothing natural about what was going on in that head. He had a quiet conk.”
I didn’t know what to do, say or suggest. The thought of dating a
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Sat., Mar. 29, 9 p.m., The Ambassador presents The R&B at its Best Tour feat. Dru Hill, J. Holiday, Johnny Gill. 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.
Wed., Apr. 2, 7 p.m., Pops Nightclub presents Bun B and Kirko Bangz. 1405 Mississippi Ave., East St. Louis, IL. 62201.
April 2 – 5, Jazz at the Bistro presents Cyrus Chestnut Trio with Russell Malone. 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.
Fri., April 4, 8 p.m., The Peabody Opera House presents BB King. 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, visit www. peabodyoperahouse.com.
Fri., Apr. 11, 6:30 p.m., Black Alumni Council at Washington University presents Dinner and a Concert with Take 6, Friday evening, April 11, 2014, 6:30 p.m., Khorassan Ballroom, Chase Park Plaza Hotel, 212 N. Kingshighway. Tickets are $85-$125. For detailed information and/or to purchase tickets, please visit our website at: bac.wustl.edu or call the message center at (314) 9359676. Box ofice for tickets –(314) 935-6543.
Fri., Apr. 18, 7 p.m., The Ambassador presents Webbie & Zed Zilla. 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.
Fri., Apr. 18, 8 p.m., The Sheldon presents Brian Owens performing the music of Ray Charles. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.
Sat., Apr. 19, 8 p.m., The Sheldon presents Catherine
Russell. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.
Sat., Apr. 19, 9:30 p.m., Jazz at the Bistro presents Poncho Sanchez and his Latin jazz band. 3536 Washington Blvd., 63101. For more information, visit www.jazzstl.org.
Apr. 19 & 22, Jazz at the Bistro presents SIUE concert jazz band featuring SIUE alumni. 3536 Washington Blvd., 63101. For more information, visit www.jazzstl. org.
Fri., Apr. 25, 8 p.m., The Ambassador presents Lil Boosie. 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.
Wed., Apr. 30, 8 p.m., Old Rock House presents Mobb Deep. 1200 S 7th St., 63104. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.
Fred Walker and his Saxy Jazz Music Show returns to Ms. Piggie’s Smokehouse on Sundays with the best in live and recorded Jazz and Gospel. 12noon - 4pm 10612 Page Ave. St. Louis, Mo. 63132 call (314) 428-7776 for information.
Saturdays, 3 p.m., The Kendrick Smith Quartet, Premier Lounge, 5969 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. For more information, call (314)385-5281 or e-mail crusadersforjazz@hotmail. com.
Sundays, 6 p.m., Chuck Flowers Live, InSpot, 5854 Delmar. For more information, visit www.artistecard.com/ cflowers
Sundays, 6:30 p.m. (6 p.m. doors) Jazz @ Eventide, featuring Black and White Trio. Sip N Savor, 286 DeBaliviere, 1/2 block north
of the Forest park Metro link. For more information, call (314)361-2116.
Sat., Apr. 5, 7 p.m., Humor for Hire presents The Clean Comedy Series: Family Funny hosted by DeAndre Whitner. A clean comedy show for all ages to enjoy. Featuring national and local comedians sure to keep you laughing. Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 329-1503.
Sat., April 12, 8 p.m., The Chaifetz Arena presents St. Louis Comedy Festival. St. Louis Comedy Festival featuring Sommore, Bruce Bruce, Earthquake, Arnez J, Gary Owen, and Tony Rock. One S. Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.thechaifetzarena.com.
Mar. 28 – 29, Washington University Association of Latin American Students presents 15th Annual Carnaval. Edison Theatre, 6445 Forsythe Blvd., 63105.
Mar. 29, 10 a.m., St. Louis Outlet Mall Hosts the 6th Annual Fairy Glam Project’s Prom Dress Giveaway, The Fairy Glam Project is currently collecting new and gently-used formal dresses for girls to go to prom. ALL juniors and seniors with a
current high school ID will be admitted to pick out a dress FREE of charge. It is strongly encouraged for girls to preregister online. 6th Annual Fairy Glam Project will take place at St. Louis Outlet Mall (next door to the Gap Outlet in Neighborhood 2) located at 5555 St. Louis Mills Blvd. in Hazelwood, MO. For more information on how to participate in the Fairy Glam Project, to preregister, and for a list of Dress Drop locations, visit www.nvizion.wix.com/ fairyglamproject, or email fairyglamproject@yahoo.com.
Sun., Mar. 30, 9 a.m., 10K Race for Veterans. All proceeds go to providing financial help to veterans and their families needing professional and/or academic assistance through grants and scholarships. Queeny Park, 550 Weidman Rd., 63011. For more information, call (636) 345-0769.
Fri., April 4, 8 p.m., The Fox Theater presents St. Louis Teen Talent Competition. High school students compete at the Fox Theatre for college scholarships and prizes and will be judged by performing arts professionals. This Broadway-style family show is FREE and open to the public. Tickets are however required. 527 N Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www. foxpacf.org.
Sat., April 5, 12 noon, Grand Slam Flea Market presents Spoken Word and Soulful Jams event. Featured artist will be the amazing Ground Floor Blues Band, Jazz Saxophonist extraordinaire Readus Miller,
Black Alumni Council at Washington University presents Dinner and a Concert with Take 6. See CONCERTS for details.
Getaway, prices include: bus transportation, drink passes, five star hotel accommodation, party passes and a ticket to the Atlanta Hawks vs Miami Heat. For ticket prices and more information, call Rod at (314) 779-7655; Thrill at (314) 2295267 or (314) 348-1884.
Fri., Apr. 11, 7 a.m., Renaissance St. Louis Airport hosts Breakfast with the INN CrowdBreakfast Gala to Benefit Homeless Children. With the involvement of more than 60 interfaith congregations, Room at the Inn offers temporary, emergency shelter for women and families, up to 20 people each night. All proceeds from the breakfast will benefit the homeless of St. Louis County. 9801 Natural Bridge Rd., 63134. For more information, visit www.roomstl.org.
and several of St. Louis’ own most profound Poets. Grand Slam Flea Market, 10041 Lewis & Clark Blvd, St. Louis, MO, 63136 For more information please visit www. myfleamarketmall.com.
Sat., Apr. 5, 6 p.m., Ameristar St. Charles hosts Kids In The Middle Gala 2014 “Meet Me in St. Louis.”An evening of hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, dinner and auctions to provide counseling for kids in the middle of their parents’ separation or divorce. Ameristar Blvd., 63301. For more information, visit www. kidsinthemiddle.org.
Sun., April 6, 2 p.m., Four Seasons Hotel hosts Food Outreach “A Tasteful Affair 26.” Food Outreach’s largest annual fundraiser featuring signature tastings from 40 restaurants and caterers and 100’s of unique auctions items. The Roaring 20s is the theme of this year’s event. 999 N. Second St., 63160. For more information, visit www. foodoutreach.org.
Fri., April 11, 7 a.m., Renaissance St. Louis Airport hosts Breakfast with the INN CrowdBreakfast Gala to Benefit Homeless Children. With the involvement of more than 60 interfaith congregations, Room at the Inn offers temporary, emergency shelter for women and families, up to 20 people each night. All proceeds from the breakfast will benefit the homeless of St. Louis County. 9801 Natural Bridge Rd., 63134. For more information, visit www.roomstl.org.
April 11- April 13, 30+
Promotions presents the 15th Annual STL ATL Hoops
Fri., Apr. 11, 6:30 p.m., Washington University Black Alumni Council 30th Anniversary Celebration with special guests Take 6. Chase Park Plaza Hotel, 212 N. Kingshighway Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 935-9676 or visit www.bac.wustl.edu.
Sat., Apr. 12, 9:30 a.m., Ritz-Carlton hosts Together! Engaging Women & Empowering Girls. This event raises funding for Safe Connections, the region’s oldest and largest locallyfounded agency focused on preventing, ending and helping survivors of domestic and sexual violence. The mission is to reduce the impact and incidence of relationship violence and sexual assault through prevention education, crisis intervention, counseling and support services. Speakers include Fox 2 news reporter Kim Hudson, young indie-pop artists Bella and Lily Ibur, and former Missouri Senator Betty Sims. 100 Carondelet Plz., 63105. For more information and reservations, contact Allison at allison@ safeconnections.com.
Sat., Apr. 12, 5 p.m., North County Resource Center’s 2nd Annual Honorarium Gala, Yacovelli’s Restaurant, 407 Dunn Rd. Florissant, MO 63031. For tickets, visit KTF Empowerment Center, 13063 New Halls Ferry Rd. or call (314) 736-1378.
Sat., Apr. 12, 6 p.m., Soulard Preservation Hall hosts Once Upon A School. Celebrating 20 years of providing a unique educational experience for children at Shining Rivers Waldorf School. Come hear the stories of past and present
april 5, 2014
at the annual live auction event. All of the members of the community are invited as they turn the page and enter their next 20 years. 1921 S. Ninth St., 63104. shiningrivers. org.
Sat., Apr. 12, 6:30 p.m., The Chase Park Plaza hosts SouthSide Gala Dinner and Auction. Supporting and celebrating 128 years of service for South St. Louis children and families. Help “opening doors” for the girls and boys of South St. Louis by attending the annual Gala Dinner Auction. The evening includes: live and silent auctions, hors d’oeuvres, three course dinner, premium open bar, complimentary valet parking. Cocktail (semi-formal) attire. 212 N. Kingshighway Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit southside-ecc.org.
Sat., Apr. 19, 10 a.m., Forest Park hosts Kids Bunny Run. This run will cater to children ages 4-12. They will complete 4 silly themed challenges at stations along the “bunny” trail and will be awarded prizes. At the completion of the Bunny Run, a complimentary breakfast item and a beverage will be served. For the adults, there will be a Hops Run 5k. Macklind Dr. and Union Dr., 63110. For more information and to register, visit www. hopsrunstl.com
Sat., April 19, 3 p.m., Ramada Plaza Hotel hosts 2nd Semi-Annual Handwork of a Housewife/ Momtrepreneur Fashion Show & Auction. Original, high-end, hand-made women’s apparel in addition to various vendors, shopping and a bite or two of hors d’oeuvres being served. A portion of the proceeds will go toward starting a “Clara Mae Ross Fund” to help Widows, Elderly, and the poor. All are welcomed. 811 N 9th St., 63101. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.
Thurs., Apr. 24, 6 p.m., 360 St. Louis Hilton at the Ballpark hosts Annual Sip Into Spring Tasting Event at 360. Enjoy amazing views of the city while sampling wine and taking in the beautiful spring weather. The exclusive wine tasting event will also provide a preview of Three Sixty’s new spring menu. Sip on incredible Bommarito wines and then vote for your favorite. Tickets include samples of wine and select new menu items. One S. Broadway, 63102. For more information, visit www.360stl.com.
Thurs., April 24, 7 p.m., The Family Arena hosts Family Feud Live. Complete with big laughs and big money, contestants will have an opportunity to be grouped into their new stage show “family” and compete for cash and prizes in gameplay taken directly from the Emmy award-winning TV show. 2002 Arena Parkway St. Charles, 63303. For more information, visit www.metrotix .com.
Fri., Apr. 25, 11 a.m., Centene Corporation and Home State Health Plan present The St. Louis American Foundation’s 14th Annual Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awards Luncheon. Hilton St. Louis Frontenac, 1335 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, call (314) 5338000 or visit www.stlamerican. com.
Apr. 25 – 26, The Fox Theater presents Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. 527 N Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.
Through Mar. 29, The Excellence Arts & Media Academy in partnership with the Lewis & Clark Community College Minority Affairs proudly presents Harlem Shadows: Lives of the Harlem Renaissance. produced and directed by Jacob Henderson. Lewis and Clark Community College at the ATC room on Saturday and Sunday, March 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., and Demetrious Johnson Charitable Foundation Center on Friday and Saturday, March 28 and 29 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available by e-mail at EAMA.RSVP@gmail. com and online at Eventbrite.
Through Mar. 29, Washington University South Campus Theater presents Rent. A contemporary rock/ pop riff on Henri Murger’s comic French novel, Scenes de la Vie de Bohème and (to a lesser extent) the famous Puccini opera La Bohème, but now set in New York City’s East Village. 6501 Clayton Rd., 63117. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.
Through Mar. 30, The Fox Theater presents We Will Rock You. 527 N Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.
Sat., Mar. 29, 12 noon, Damaged Goods: My Journey, book signing release party for author and domestic violence survivor Atara Estes, Queen of Sheba, 6665 Olive Blvd University City, MO. For more information, visit www. soundthealarmoutreach.com
Sat., April 5, 6 p.m., Metropolitan Artist Loft hosts a book release party for April Floyd, daughterin-law of the legendary blues singer and writer, Eddie Floyd has released her new novel entitled, Unique. Unique, April Floyd’s first novel, introduces the readers to sixyear-old Unique, a girl who has seen much more than her young eyes would betray. 500 N Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www. aprilfloydbooks.com.
Thurs., Mar. 27, 5 p.m., The Barnett on Washington presents The Vine and Canvas event. The event will feature a diverse collection of talented artists who will be displaying and discussing their work in a elegant Spanish mission environment. 3207 Washington Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (636) 448-1747.
Through Mar. 28, May Gallery presents Broken Roots: Illegal Immigration into the U.S. The dramatic reality of men, women and children making their way
The Chaifetz Arena presents St. Louis Comedy Festival. For more information, see COMEDY.
to the Mexico-US border in search of a better life is the theme of a photographic essay by José HernándezClaire. Sverdrup Building, Webster University, 8300 Big Bend Blvd., 63119. For more information, call (314) 2467673.
Through March 29, Regional Arts Commission presents Gallery Opening: Latinicidad. RAC brings the tradition and vibrant culture of Latin American Carnaval to Saint Louis with its Latinicidad exhibition. Exhibit will run through Mar. 29. 6128 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 863-5811.
Wed., April 2, 7 p.m.,
Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis presents Poetry Reading: Mary Jo Bang, Devin Johnston, and Carl Phillips. 3750 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit camstl.org.
Through April 3, An Activist Voice: The Art of Nanette Carter and Howardena Pindell.
Instructional Resource Building, St. Louis Community College, Florissant Valley Campus, 3400 Pershall Rd., 63135. For more information, call (314) 513-4861.
Through April 11, Art of Africa. Featuring over 100 pieces of beautifully crafted art and artifacts from the African continent. The DeToye Student Gallery will feature the work of Liberty Middle School students. Edwardsville Art Center, 6165 Center Grove Rd., Edwardsville, IL. 62025. For more information, call (618) 655-0037.
Through April 12, 10th Street Gallery’s presentation of “Women in Textiles,” featuring 4 multi-talented women artists. Exhibit runs through April 12. 419 N. 10th Street. For information, visit www.10thstreetgallery.com
Thur., Mar. 27, 6:30 p.m., FAFSA Frenzy. Families will be able to complete the 2014-15 FAFSA on site and obtain valuable informations. Scholarships will be drawn for students attending the events in Missouri. St. Louis Community College, Wildwood Campus, 2645 Generations Dr., 63040. For more information, call Katie Martin at (636) 422-2000.
Thur., Mar. 27, 5 p.m., American Slavery & Schools: Northern Opposition to Black Education, featuring Craig Steven Wilder, Professor of History and Department Chair at MIT and the awardwinning author of Ebony & Ivory: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America’s Universities (2013A reception will follow the talk and copies of Ebony & Ivory will be available for purchase. Boileau Hall, Saint Louis University, 38 N. Vandeventer Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 977-8621.
Fri., Apr. 4, 8:15 a.m., Breaking Down Barriers to
Housing Opportunities: A Community Workshop. This full-day workshop explores barriers to equal housing in the St. Louis region and increase access to opportunities for all people. Afternoon features action-focused work sessions in three major topics: Disparities in Health Care, Crime Free Housing Ordinances, and Immigration. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 534-5800 ext. 7012.
Wed., Apr. 2, 7 p.m., SLUCare presents Diabetes: What’s Your Type? Diabetes affects 25 million Americans, and if left untreated, it can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke and other serious conditions. The good news is it can be managed. Endocrinologist Dr. Deepashree Gupta will guide you through the types of diabetes, symptoms, tests, treatments and preventive strategies. The Heights Community Center, 8001 Dale Ave., 63117. For more information, call (314) 977-4440.
Wed., Apr. 2, 7:30 p.m., New Direction in Alzheimer’s Disease Research from Cure to Prevention. Featured speaker is John C. Morris, M.D., Harvey A. & Dorismae Hacker Friedman Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Pathology and Immunlogy, Washington University in St. Louis; 2013 Academy of Science - St. Louis Outstanding St. Louis Scientist Peter H. Raven Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Living World Theatre, St. Louis Zoo, One Government Dr., 63110. For more information, (314) 5338586.
Sun., Apr. 13, 11 a.m., Blessed Hope MB Church hosts a Sunday Brunch, Savoy Banquet Center. For more information, Call (314) 600-3099.
clothing. In terms of music, I call myself a “Young Man with an Old Soul,” so I listen to a lot of ‘60s and ‘70s artist like Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, and the Isley Brothers. But some of today’s artists that inspire me are Jay Z, Curren$y and, of course, Kanye.
DR: Currently, what projects are you working on or have coming out?
BS: Well, I just came back from Italy where I did a release of my album, “Young Man, Old Soul.” I also am curating my first art exhibition to launch during Summer 2014, and the NDGO clothing brand drops new apparel each quarter. I also am the host of an online
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“You
talk show called “Project Take Back.” We’ve partnered up with local radio station, 104.1 FM, to shed light on what’s on the mind of the youth within the St. Louis area. We have a roundtable discussion about current events, pop culture and issues that we come in contact
Eyebrows.” As our
for him suggests, Brandon’s eyebrows were snatched and waxed for dear life with an impeccable arch.
“That’s totally different,” she said. “Manscaping is something totally different. Besides, I just pretended Brandon was Puerto Rican – you know, they keep their eyebrows in check and it works
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with in our everyday lives. I try to be a local global person, just keeping my ear to the streets while reaching for the stars.
To find out more information about Brock Seals’ work, you can find him on social media sites @Brock_Seals or email brock.seals@yahoo.com.
for them.”
“Trimming your eyebrows is not manscaping – you have to go lower, much lower, to catch some manscape action.”
“Manscaping and Brandon Eyebrows don’t have anything to do with what I’m going through,” she said. “What should I do? Should I tell him that his new hair swag is blocking any feelings that might otherwise be developing?”
I didn’t know how to respond. I mean, how rare is it that you run across a man with relaxed hair? It’s like a four leaf clover or something.
I think the situation was made worse by the fact that she hadn’t had a relaxer herself in going on five years.
Even Prince – once the poster child for the near-extinct population of heterosexual males with a hair process – is rockin’ a fro these days. And this man’s full out PCJ (as in “pressing comb in a jar”) clearly gave her the blues.
I’m sure this sounds so petty, shallow and superficial. It is what it is. I tried to put myself in her shoes, but I really couldn’t tell her anything else but to be honest with him and herself.
He might not know that his hairdo is shrinking his status in the dating pool. It could be a social experiment to weed out the women who won’t accept him for who he is – or what he has going on at the top of his head.
Who am I kidding to make it that deep? He probably just thought it would be cute on him and decided to roll with it.
A few supporters seen on the links and/or the awards ceremony were Honorable Charles and Kay Shaw, Odessa Owens, Kristin Gipson Jones Bonnie Gipson (host’s mother), Nell Cheatham Gina Cheatham Tony Davis Sr. Warren Nichols, Jeff Neely, Vaughn Druman Paul Randolph, Esq., Odessa Owens, Nell Cheatham, Gina Cheatham, Sidney Clark Rocky Arceneaux, Judge Charles and Kathleen Shaw James Walker Mike Reese David Reese, Sandra and Nat Murdock, MD. Kenny Murdock (Murdock Report) and Anyta Wilson and Joyce Balls. A great time was had by all. An exhibit of photographs by master photographer Maurice Meredith will open Saturday, April 5 at Portfolio Gallery. The opening reception will be from 7-9 p.m. Portfolio is located at 3514 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO. 63103. Please call 314-533-3323 for exhibit information. Looking forward to the exhibit, Maurice! Native St. Louisan Candace Ming has made that coast to coast leap from LA to New York City. She landed a 12-month internship within MOMA’s (Museum of Modern Art) Department of Film. She is supervised by the Celeste Bartos Film Preservation Center’s Chief Curator of Film Rajendra Roy and Curatorial Assistant Sophie Cavoulacos
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are also eligible for prizes and scholarships from Lindenwood University, Missouri Baptist University, Webster University and Southeast Missouri State University.
The Teen Talent Competition is free and open to the public, though tickets are required.
“It’s a great way to bring the St. Louis community together and show off how talented the city is,” said Carl Nappa, campus director for Vatterott College ex’treme Institute by Nelly.
Nappa will return for the third year as one of the judges for the finals.
Candace just inished assisting on Documentary Fortnight 2014: MOMA’s International Festival of Noniction Film and Media curated by Sally Berger She helped with ilmmaker travel, guest lists and other festival duties. She also had an opportunity to work with Matthew Freundlich (Chaminade ‘04). It was nice to connect with a fellow St. Louisian. I asked Candace about her favorite restaurant. She can’t pick one; she is overwhelmed by all the choices in Brooklyn. Her favorite coffee shop is Hungry Ghost. They serve Stumptown beans, a famous Portland coffee joint. Kudos, Candace! Keep us posted on upcoming NYC exhibits. Candace is the daughter of Leo and Lauren Nash Ming of St. Louis. The Wilberforce University Metro Alumni Association is pleased to announce their 10th Annual Musical Concert –April 27 at 4 p.m. The concert will be held at St. Paul AME Zion Church. Please call 314-385-8900 for additional information. This concert is free and open to the public.
“Just seeing the amount of raw talent in this city is unbelievable, and now seeing it at the high school level – it just blows me away,” Nappa said. “And it’s not just musicians, it’s dancers, actors and performers of all kinds.”
Finalists in past years have included an aerialist, classical and pop singers and musicians, a whistler, dancers, jugglers, a spoken word artist and baton twirlers.
Sharrilyn Rose can’t wait to see her son TJ – who overcame a bone infection in his foot as a toddler – take the stage.
The St. Louis Paupers gathered for the irst time this year on March 16 and enjoyed a great luncheon in the beautiful Norlite Room at Norwood Hills Country Club Members had a grand time celebrating the Ides of March and catching up on news in the New Year. Chapter President Jocelyn Reed welcomed everyone and Susan Smith offered the afternoon prayer. The yummy menu was selected by Susan Buford Members at the club enjoying
“If I could, I would tell every one of the competitors to be proud of where they have made it – which is a big step in itself,” Parks said.
“They should take pride and know that they have an opportunity that so many performers haven’t had – and that is to be onstage at The Fox. That is a dream in itself.”
The 4th Annual St. Louis Teen Talent Competition will take place at 8 p.m. Friday, April 4 at the Fox Theater. The show is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Tickets can be picked up from the Fox box office, or reserved online at metrotix.com.
“He’s so young, and he’s found his passion,” Rose said. “I can’t describe the feeling that I get when he’s on stage, because I see him doing something that he loves to do and it shows in every move that he makes.” Parks advises his students –and all of the young finalists –to soak in the opportunity.
On a beautiful college campus in a small midMissouri town a short drive from St. Louis lies what may well be Missouri’s most fascinating hidden gem.
Some of the best travel memories spring from unexpected discoveries. That’s the experience some visitors have when they ind the National Churchill Museum, on the Westminster College campus in Fulton.
Who expects to ind an exquisite 17th century English church housing a moving tribute to Winston Churchill, the revered prime minister of England during World War II, in a small mid-Missouri town? It was Churchill who gave us–in a speech at the college in 1946–the phrase “Iron Curtain,” a term that symbolizes the Soviet Union’s post-war effort to segregate itself from the West.
The memorial conveys a vivid history lesson of what happened in Europe before and during the war and how it set the scene for events that followed impacting our world today.
Visitors need not fear an eye-glazing, mind numbing museum display there, though. Redesigned several years ago for the 60th anniversary of Churchill’s campus visit, the exhibits beckon visitors with a lively, interactive experience as they learn about Churchill, his life, World War I, the rise of the Nazis in Germany, World War II and its aftermath.
Museum visitors can now:
• Relive the sights and sounds of living in a trench on the Western Front during World War I.
• Experience the effects of a London air raid at the height of “The Blitz” via a dazzling light and sound show.
• Watch “Churchill’s Finest Hour,” a ilm narrated by Missouri’s own Walter Cronkite, television newscaster.
• Touch Churchill artifacts and read his personal correspondence.
• Witness the Nazi propaganda machine.
• Practice their spy skills by deciphering World War II secret codes or inding clues from secrets locked in a Cold War briefcase.
“It’s really a wonderful visitor experience,” said Rob Havers, executive director of the museum. He is a former professor of war studies at England’s Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst.
“It’s a great day out but it also is a tremendous educational experience because it does immerse you in the history of the late 19th century and early 20th century.” Churchill’s actions impacts our lives even today, Havers said. The creation of the modern state of Iraq is a good example of how events Churchill was involved in “have contemporary resonance,” he added.
The story of how Churchill came to give his monumental speech at a small college campus in mid-Missouri is an interesting one. He had lost re-election as prime minister in 1945 but still wanted to warn the world about the intentions of the Soviet Union.
Meanwhile, Westminster College was looking for a itting igure to deliver the John Findley Green Lecture, a series established in 1936 “to promote understanding of economic and social problems of international concern.”
Churchill would it the bill but how to get him to come to this somewhat out-of-the-way place?
The college asked a Westminster alum, an aide to President Harry S Truman, to appeal to Churchill to come, Havers said.
At the bottom of the invitation sent to Churchill, Truman hand-wrote this personal note: “This is a wonderful school in my home state. Hope you can do it. I’ll introduce you. Truman.” Knowing he’d have a wide audience for his speech with Truman introducing him was enough to convince Churchill to accept. The speech indeed drew wide coverage. In fact, with its “Iron Curtain” reference, some experts say Churchill’s
speech marked the beginning of the Cold War.
But how did the stately St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury Church, a beautiful 17th century English church meticulously restored and built on the foundations of the original Christopher Wren structure, come to house the museum?
In the early 1960s, the college was looking for a itting way to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Churchill’s speech. As a committee met to discuss ideas, British architect Patrick Horsborough cited a Life magazine story on Wren churches which had been badly damaged in the war but nearly 20 years later hadn’t been repaired. The ambitious idea of bringing the ruins of a Wren church to Fulton and reconstructing it as a memorial to Churchill gained approval.
The church has a long history. The original structure, dating to the 12th century, was destroyed by the Great London Fire in 1666. It was rebuilt with a design by Wren, famed English architect, and destroyed again in the London Blitz during World War II.
In 1965 workers began dissembling and labeling each of the 7,000 stones that comprised what remained of the church. In the trip thousands of miles across sea and land, handlers scrambled the pieces leading the Times of London to call the project “perhaps the biggest jigsaw puzzle in the history of architecture.”
Herculean tasks that it was, workers ultimately unscrambled the pieces and put them back together but the structure still had no roof or interior. So an international team of craftsmen overseen by an architect from the United Kingdom was assembled to reconstruct the church as it was before the bombing. It was dedicated on May 7, 1969 and serves as the college chapel and a memorial to Churchill and his 1946 speech at the college.
It’s the beautiful Wren church visitors irst see when they approach the museum. They also see several Churchill sculptures and a bas relief of “the moment he drops his hands and utters that immortal phrase, ‘An iron curtain has descended across the continent,’” Havers said.
In 1990 a most unusual sculpture joined the memorial. Edwina Sandys, Churchill’s granddaughter, created “Breakthrough,” a massive work from eight sections of the original Berlin Wall to commemorate the irst anniversary of the Wall’s fall.
“What she did was cut out silhouettes of a man and woman so that people can walk through the Wall and thereby symbolically achieve their own breakthrough,” Havers said. It was “very appropriate” that the work of art be installed within sight of the gymnasium where Churchill predicted the Cold War that dominated the world’s political scene for so many decades, he said.
President Ronald Reagan dedicated the 11-foot-high by 32-foot-long structure as the centerpiece of the Cold War Memorial on the campus one year after the November 9, 1989 fall of Wall.
Though some are surprised to see a memorial to Churchill, a 17th century Wren church and a piece of the Berlin Wall in the center of Missouri, they tend to be amazed by the experience.
“Nobody leaves disappointed,” Havers said.
If you go:
The National Churchill Museum is located on the campus of Westminster College, in Fulton, MO, an hour and a half west of St. Louis.
The museum is open daily 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Admission is $7.50, adults; $6.50 for those 65 and older, AARP and AAA members and active military; $5.50 for youth 12-18 and college students; $4.50, children 6-11; free, children 5 and under; museum members, Westminster College students and those from Callaway County Schools
By Melanie Adams
Written by Devi Acharya, Rachele Banks, Elizabeth Freihaut, and Jacob Laseter
Last month, we introduced the Teens Make History Exhibitors’ Avenues of Activism oral history project. For this project, we are interviewing activists involved with civil, labor, and LGBT rights, bringing to light the power of activism in shaping our past, present, and future. We hope to showcase both the important moments in activist history and the little-known stories of the everyday work that goes into bringing about change. In honor of Women’s History Month, this month we are discussing our interview with Frankie Freeman, a prominent civil rights lawyer in St. Louis.
Frankie Muse Freeman got her start in law when she moved to St. Louis with her husband after receiving her degree from Howard University. Ms. Freeman faced various challenges, most notably because she is an African American woman. At the time, many people did not want a female African American lawyer to represent them.
“In fact,” Frankie explained, “there was only one other African American woman who was practicing law in Missouri, and that was Margaret Bush-Wilson.”
Ms. Freeman used her law practice as her primary tactic to fight for equality. She opened up her own law office in the Jefferson Bank Building. “After I had my sign on the window—‘Frankie Muse Freeman, Attorney at Law’—a man came to the office looking for a lawyer. And I said, ‘I’m a lawyer.’ ‘I don’t want a woman.’ And so there were people in the beginning who did not want a woman lawyer.”
She began as a general practice lawyer but went to the NAACP and told them that she would take on civil rights cases. Her first civil rights case, Brewton v. the Board of Education of St. Louis, fought against segregation in St. Louis schools. This case was only the beginning. For instance, she also fought for housing equality in the case Davis et al v. the St. Louis Housing Authority. “I was the lead attorney in that case. We filed suit in federal court against the St. Louis Housing Authority,” she explained to us. The case ultimately ended segregation in public housing in St. Louis. Her success brought attention to the NAACP and to her law practice. “I had general practice, but after all of those cases, there was a lot of publicity,” Ms. Freeman described. “That at least meant that there were other people who would come to my office for other cases, because I was involved not just with civil rights cases, but I was of course handling other cases, too.”
Later, President Johnson nominated Ms. Freeman for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, making her the first female to be nominated to the commission. “During all of the sixteen years that I served on the Civil Rights Commission, we held many, many hearings around the country on various issues involving not only race but gender and also in terms of the kinds of work that people were getting to do,” she told us.
One of her greatest achievements while serving on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights was encouraging voting rights. “One of the things that I felt the most comfortable about was the fact that we were able to at least do so much with respect to the voting rights, to at least get more people registered to vote.”
For our project, we have been asking a common question of all of the activists: what issues does St. Louis face today? When we asked Ms. Freemen, she said that we need to make improvements in education. She challenged our community to step up and to help keep kids in school. “You still have the problem in terms of education, and you have people who do not have the education that they need. And everybody needs an education. So we need to do more to try to avoid dropouts. And we need to be sure that the public schools, that their curriculum meets the needs.”
Frankie Freeman, like all of the activists we have interviewed, demonstrates the perseverance necessary to activism. She faced a unique challenge as an African American woman, but she nonetheless worked through the law to help fight for equality. She advises young activists to show the same amount of dedication. “First of all, do your homework. Be involved. Stay involved. Work to make a difference.” Frankie Freeman and the fight for civil rights have certainly shaped the city of St. Louis. Her story is just one of the 250 stories of St. Louis’s history featured in the Missouri History Museum’s new exhibition, 250 in 250
Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary to John & Thelma McCain!
The McCain’s will celebrate this remarkable milestone on March 29 at 4 pm at Life Center International Church, 8400 Halls Ferry, 63147. Thelma (Banks) McCain is a homemaker and John McCain, Sr. is a retired roofer for St. Louis Public Schools. They have five children: Jenice, Charisse, Rachel, John Jr. and Kenneth and 12 grandchildren.
For more information email bhsco1968@att.net or call 314 869-8312.
Sumner High School Classes of 1954 will celebrate its 60 year class reunion August 15-16, 2014 at the Sheraton Westport, Plaza Tower, 900 Westport Plaza. Contact Audrey Poindexter (314) 383-7174; ajpoin@att.net or Marlene May (314) 567-9629; onelene1@att.net.
Beaumont Class of 1968 46th Reunion Family Picnic will be Saturday, June 7, 2014. Meetings to plan the picnic will be the 4th Saturday of February 22, March 22 and April 26, 2014 at 2 p.m. at STL County Library 7606 Natural Bridge.
Sumner High Class of 1974 has started planning its 40th class reunion. Meetings are held the third Saturday of the month from 2-4 pm at New Beginnings Missionary Baptist Church, located at 4055 Edmundson Rd., St.
Louis, MO 63134. For more information please contact Denise (Washington) Nicks at Sumnerclassof74@yahoo.com, 314-642-3366 or Joyce (Bush) Cruesoe at cruesoe2195@att. net, 314-484-1552.
Sumner High School Class of 1984 is planning a 30 year reunion for August 22-24, 2014. For more information please contact Priscilla (Ms. Prissy) at 314-556-3944, or Robin Allen at 314-369-9549.
Vashon High School Class of 1964 has planned their 50th reunion weekend for September 19 -20, 2014. Please call or email any changes to your address, telephone number and/or
Candace Bond McKeever, daughter of the late Dr. Leslie and Mrs. Anita Bond, was recently honored as a Woman of Achievement by the Women Commissioners of Los Angeles, CA. She was honored for her work with women and girls in LA. Candace is married to attorney Steven McKeever, and they have two children, Brent (12) and Maddox (7).
Happy Birthday to my dearest sister, Bonzella Smith left, on March 26! With love, Bernice
Happy 2nd Birthday to Teon Jones, below, (aka ‘Lil
TJ). You don’t understand how much love everyone has for you! Love you so much, Mommy, Daddy and your Big Sis Amiya “Baby Cakes”
Cory Johnson—March 23
Ernestine “Tee-Tee” Jones—March 29
e-mail to Juliette Johnson at 314-781-2233 or jj0119@ aol.com or Thelma Hall at 314-869-4609 or tabbeytt@ prodigy.net or visit Facebook page: Vashon Class of 1964, for activities and updates.
Vashon Class of 1965 is planning for the 50th Class Reunion. The planning meeting will be held on Saturday, March 29, 2014 at the Walnut Park Library, 5760 West Florissant at 2 pm. Classmates are encouraged to attend. For information call Cleo Sanders Chairman (314)383-1934.
Vashon High Class of 1974 has started planning its 40th class reunion. Meetings will
be held the second Sunday of each month, 3 p.m. at the Gateway Classic Sports Foundation, 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King, St. Louis, MO 63106. Classmates can provide contact information by joining the group page at Yahoo Groups - vashon74 or by email to ljbady@yahoo.com. For more information please call 314-382-0890 or 314-6405842.
Vashon Classes of ’74, ’75 and ’76 present “3 Classes Under 1 Roof” March 29, 2014, 7 pm., at the Gateway Classic, 2012 Dr. MLK Dr., BYOB, Donation $10-$15 at the door. For tickets call: 314505-3823.
Do you have a celebration you’re proud of? If so we would like to share your good news with our readers. Whether it’s a birth, graduation, wedding, engagement announcement, anniversary, retirement or birthday, send your photos and a brief announcement (50 words or less) to us and we may include it in our paper and website – AT NO COST – as space is available Photos will not be returned. Send your announcements to: kdaniel@stlamerican. com or mail to: St. Louis American Celebrations c/o Kate Daniel 2315 Pine St. St. Louis, MO 63103 FREE OF CHARGE
Reunion notices are free of charge and based on space availability. We prefer that notices be emailed to us! However, notices may also be sent by mail to: Kate Daniel, 2315 Pine St., St. Louis, MO 63103
Deadline is 10 a.m. on Friday. If you’d like your class to be featured in a reunion profile, email or mail photos to us. Our email address is: reunions@ stlamerican.com
Try to reach uninsured before March 31 deadline for health insurance enrollment
American staff
The National Medical Association (NMA), the nation’s largest organization of African American physicians representing over 37,000 doctors, is partnering with Enroll America and African-American religious denominations to help educate minority communities about the Affordable Care Act and increase public awareness of the opportunity for African Americans to have health insurance coverage.
Twenty-one percent of African Americans under the age of 65 do not have health insurance coverage.
A recent survey by Enroll America showed that 68 percent of uninsured African Americans are unaware that financial help is available to help pay for the new health insurance options. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, six in ten uninsured African Americans may qualify either for tax credits to purchase coverage in the Health Insurance Marketplace or for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
“The churches in the African American community play a pivotal role in informing people about the Affordable Care Act and encouraging them to enroll for health coverage,” said Dr. Michael LeNoir, president of
the NMA.
“Our partnership with the faith community will provide our physicians with the opportunity to help the uninsured understand the long–term ramifications of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. In addition, we will provide cholesterol, blood pressure and other screenings at the church events.”
Affordable Care Act Faith Coalition Partners include the following denominations: African Methodist Episcopal Church, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Progressive National Baptist Convention, Church of God in Christ, National Baptist Convention, National Baptist Convention of America, Full Gospel Baptist Fellowship, African American Ministers Leadership Council, National African American Clergy Network, Faith Partnerships and National Action Network.
Statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention show that 14 percent of African Americans, or approximately 5.5 million people, are considered to be in fair or poor health. Approximately 38
percent of African-American men and 44 percent of African American women, 20 years of age or older, have hypertension while 38 percent of AfricanAmerican men and 54 percent of African-American women, over 20 years of age, are obese.
The numbers pertaining to smoking are also very sobering. More than 25 percent of black men and 18 percent of black women, 18 years of age or older, smoke cigarettes. Under the Affordable Care Act, all plans are required to cover smoking cessation interventions free of cost.
“The NMA takes a hard line on smoking and considers it to be public enemy number one as it pertains to the health of the African-American community,” said Dr. LeNoir. “Smoking is a major contributing factor in the development of heart disease and cancer. A recent report issued by the U.S. Surgeon General states that individuals who smoke expose themselves to thousands of chemicals and compounds, many of which are known to cause cancer.”
African-American males lead all ethnic groups in the number of new cancer cases. They also rank first in the
“Churches are the center of the African-American community and are in the forefront of educating people about the Affordable Care Act,” said Etoy Ridgnal (center), director of African American Engagement and Faith Based Initiatives for Enroll America.
number of deaths caused by cancer. African-American women rank second in the number of new cases of cancer each year but rank number one when it comes to cancer deaths among females. In the past, many cancer patients were denied coverage based on their pre-existing condition, but now, nobody can be denied because of their cancer history.
“Churches are the center of the African-American community and are in the forefront of educating people about the Affordable Care Act,” said Etoy Ridgnal, director of African American Engagement and Faith Based Initiatives for Enroll America.
“The African American churches in the Faith Based Initiative have a combined membership of over 17 million. Now, thanks to this partnership with physicians, individuals who attend our church events will not only learn how they can get help paying for health insurance but they will also have access to information about various diseases provided by experts.”
To enroll for health insurance, visit healthcare.gov.
I heard someone say recently that mistakes are the price you pay for wisdom.
Stated another way, wisdom is the result of the lessons learned from the mistakes we make every day. It kind of gives new meaning to that knowledge is power thing.
Power, wisdom and experience are interconnected and should be explored from a spiritual point of view. The experienced person, who has learned from his or her mistakes, becomes wise and wisdom, being the prerequisite for knowledge provides the framework for what I believe is a fact.
“Knowledge is power.”
The question rolling around in my head, then, is what kind of power does one get from their knowledge of God? Isn’t knowing God the pinnacle of human understanding? That’s got to be power of an unbelievable nature. Awareness of the Lord, an understanding of our purpose and subsequent submission to His Living Word, gives one a kind of power most folk don’t want to or cannot comprehend.
Knowledge usually comes with a price. Anyone want to share with the class the pain and anguish of repeated mistakes, false optimism, idol worship, addictions or maybe just outright don’t give a damn about this religion
stuff? Does anyone want to proclaim how the knowledge of God has made these once seemingly insurmountable obstacles but mere memories of past lives? Take it from one who knows, that’s power!
Let’s look at our shortcomings through the lens of wisdom. Mistake after mistake just may have been a part of the course you were required to take so you might gain the wisdom necessary for you to allow God to mold you into a vessel where He can reside. When pottery is put in a kiln, the temperature gets pretty hot. But this process must be adhered to if you expect a resilient beautiful piece of pottery. The resulting knowledge is exhilaratingly powerful, and joy does have new meaning. Unfortunately, it can also make you feel stupid, given how easily it could have been acquired, yea all these long years. Read Psalm 23 again, please. Someone who I respect a lot once told me God will not compete for your attention. So if you want other things, other pleasures, He will not stand in your way. May you learn the lessons you need to in order to get the wisdom necessary to experience the presence of God in this life. Talk about power.
The American is accepting Inspirational Messages from the community. Send your column (no more than 400 words) as a Word document and pasted text to cking@stlamerican. com and attach a photo of yourself as a jpeg ile. Please be patient; we will run columns in the order received.
Carri Griffin, the first lady of Delux Magazine and Melanie, the First lady of The Marquee were on deck with heartthrob Harold “House” Moore of VH1’s
for
Redefined Taste in a redesigned space. DELUX Magazine and the all new Marquee (formerly known as the Paragon) teamed up for the latest Redefined Taste Friday night. I hadn’t been to the place in its newest incarnation, and I must say that I’m thrilled with Dre and Melanie’s upgrades! Quite honestly, the Paragon left them with some nice bones, but they gave it an ultra-sleek NYC swag. And the way the floors contrast with the furniture…life! But I know y’all didn’t come here for an episode of Extreme Home Makeover: Tear the Club up Edition, so I’ll get to the party. Delux brought House Moore a.k.a. Terrence from “Single Ladies” to the STL so he could enjoy his last few minutes of fame. What? I didn’t cancel the show! Anyway, it was definitely a nice vibe up in there. I loved the fact that it was a good sized crowd, but it didn’t seem all congested. What didn’t sit well with me was that House was at the tippy top of the place in that super private second level VIP area. That means that the folks had to all but break their necks to bask in his buffed, dark brown beauty. If you perch a celebrity there, you might as well just pay him to come to your living room, because nobody else in the club really gets to see them except when they make their grand entrance and exit. I had to burn out early, but from what I saw Redefined Taste had a fresh new flavor at the Marquee – and the folks were eager to get a sip. SuperJam Madness in full swing. The reason I had to dip out of Redefined Taste was so that I could head over to the Loft at the crack of dawn to be a fly on the wall for Hot 104.1 FM’s SuperJam Madness competition that kicked off at 8 o’clock in the morning. Call me nosy if you want to, but I had to see what the city was serving up these days as far as fresh faces in hip-hop and R&B. That’s right, this year they’ve opened the competition up to the local R&B scene too to vie for a slot to perform alongside some of the biggest names in urban music at Super Jam 2014. I can’t say that the folks were lined up down the street and around the corner like they’ve been for past rap contests, but the ones that showed up were committed to advancing to the finals. I want to tell you my favorites – just for the sake of saying I told you so. But I will stick to the rules and leave y’all with some suspense. Now I will say that I went through every range of emotion as I saw the folks bring the good, the bad and the downright hilarious – from “that’s what’s up,” to “girl, what?” The folks at Hot 104.1 are generous enough to give the folks who missed the first auditions another chance this Saturday morning at Cuetopia II. That’s right 8 a.m. And if you get cute and try to audition again after being turned down once, they will show you the door. They also have some big plans for the final round that I will be sure to keep you posted about.
K.Michelle’s cute concert sample. I must let the world know that I was so ready to hate on K. Michelle for the hot mess I expected her to serve up on stage Saturday at The Ambassador. And when I saw the ratchetry that was lined up all the way past the Halls Ferry Post Office ready to rep with the Rebels (her cute little nickname for fans), I just knew I would be in for it. Actually, it was the VIP line that was stretched down the street waiting to take their seats as the general admission moseyed on in. Where do they do that at? Anyway, I have to say when all was said and done, it was all good. Even in the midst of the bare feet standing on tables and the freeze curls that populated the ordinary people section, I can’t really say anything bad. Well, anything other than it was quite bite-sized. I’ve never in all my days seen a headliner do so few songs as she did with that sample pack performance. She should have taken note from Aloha MiSho and Seviin Li and sprinkled in a few cover songs to make a whole show out of it. Those two were working that stage like they were showcasing for a major record label, do you hear me? Especially, Aloha…with her full band, backup dancers and Lady Gagainspired ensemble and brunette Beyoncé hair game. After a delay that had me wondering if some foolery was going to go down as the ratchet “Rebels” yelled out “K. Michelle…K. Michelle,” she came out and did her thing for those three little songs. She sounded great, she looked great and even though her one song about “Paying Bills” had me feeling downright uncomfortable, she really connected with the audience and kept it all the way real. I wouldn’t think twice about seeing her again. In related news, I would be remised if I didn’t give a shout out to Big Terrence, Dano and the DJ for keeping the folks distracted and under control with their entertaining mix of trap music that gave me almost as much life as the show!
The R&B continues. Since I’m already talking about R&B at The Ambassador, I might as well mention that Johnny Gill and his new plussized shape, Dru Hill and J. Holiday (remember him?...yeah, I quietly don’t either) are headed there this weekend for the “R&B At Its Best Tour” on Saturday night. Now even though aside from Sisqo I’ve hardly recognized them each and every time I’ve seen perform, Dru Hill puts on a good show. Johnny Gill does too when he’s in top form – even though that Mother’s Day Show at the Scottrade last year had me laying his vocal chords on the altar. I can’t speak for J. Holiday and his two little songs, but I’m willing to bet the show will be interesting and entertaining to say the least.
CONGRATS TO THE GRADS. Moms, dads, grandmas, aunties…The St. Louis American will publish its very first Congrats to the Grads SPECIAL SECTION June 19th. Check out the ad on page 6B of this week’s paper, or visit stlamerican.com. You can place a color photo and listing of your special graduate, and share your great news with the world! We’re anticipating pics of hundreds of grads from grade school, high school, college and graduate
be sure to let the community know about yours.
