March 4th, 2021 edition

St. LouiS AmericAn

Tishaura top vote leader in primary

By Dana Rieck Of The St. Louis American

St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones and Alderwoman Cara Spencer won the city’s March 2 mayoral primary election and will face off on April 6 to become the city’s next leader.

Numbers in this election look different, as voters were asked to vote for as many mayoral candidates as they approved of, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the general election.

Unofficial results indicated that 44,538 people voted, or 22.12% of registered voters in the city. Jones took first place, receiving approval from 56.97% of voters who cast their ballot, equating to 25,374 votes. Spencer came in second with 20,649 votes, or 46.36% of voters.

n Jones took first place, receiving approval from 56.97% of voters who cast their ballot, equating to 25,374 votes. Spencer came in second with 20,649 votes, or 46.36% of voters.

Their opponents, Aldermanic President Lewis Reed and utility executive Andrew Jones, received 17,162 votes (38.53%) and 6,422 votes (14.42%) respectively.

During a Zoom appearance Tuesday night, Jones said she did not take lightly the decision to run for mayor for a second time. Jones lost to Lyda Krewson in 2017 by 888 votes.

“The decision to run and throw my hat in the ring came down to one simple belief: That you should be able to succeed here regardless of your skin color, who you love, how you worship, your zip code or any identity you have. You should be able to succeed and St. Louis should be welcome to you,” she said. Jones also thanked her supporters and her campaign volunteers.

“Our success this evening could not have been possible without you, one thing is very clear: we are ready to tackle the next phase of this election and we are ready to win,” she said. “It won’t be easy, we will most certainly

“There will be no time to waste to begin delivering real results for the people of our Jones will face Spencer in general election

St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones addresses her supporters after being declared the winner of the March 2nd mayoral primary election.

be outspent and the most powerful special interests will all line up in favor of the status quo … but here’s the thing — the people, the people, are on our side. We have built an unmatched and unparalleled grassroots campaign and we will not be stopped.” Jones also held a separate media briefing

following her Zoom appearance.

“It is essential that the next mayor has experience to lead on day one,” Jones said.

‘Approval voting’ checks the boxes Primary Election

Sixty-one-year-old

on Tuesday morning having done something he had never done before in his life: Vote. The St. Louis native said he’s lived in various states throughout his life and never considered voting because he moved around so much.

“I decided to participate in what’s going on,” Thomas said. “Made me really realize, I am supposed to be voting. I’ve been in different states living and I really didn’t consider voting because I would always leave that state. But I’m back home now so I’m participating in it.”

ballot and voters can choose as many candidates as they approve of in each race. The two candidates with the most votes will then face off in the general election. The approval voting method affects elections for mayor, comptroller, board president and alderpersons.

“It was okay, since this was my first time

By Sylvester Brown

Of The St. Louis American

It took Nethra Hill a few minutes to recall what she did for a living before she married and became a stay-at-home mom.

“Let me think, what was I doing? Was I a secretary, no; was I at the airport or at Hollywood Video? Nope. Oh yeah, I was working part time at the Central Library and at a Christian Book store?”

It’s not that Hill wants to forget her past; it’s just that once her children came along (Colin, born in 2011, Destiny and Brooklyn born in 2012 and 2017 respectively), motherhood has become her full-time vocation.

Since her marriage in 2010 to videographer, Christopher Hill, Nethra proudly boasts of her current job titles: “Stay-at-home mom, home-schooler and entrepreneur.”

“I’m a crafter,” Hill explained. “I make T-shirts, mugs, tumblers, and ‘busy books,’ for school-age children.”

The true gift of an entrepreneur is the ability to hone-in and capitalize on a marketable need. For Hill, the choice was a no-brainer,

By Dana Rieck Of The St. Louis American

Danny Thomas walked out of Fanning Elementary School in Tower Grove South

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

By Derwin Johnson Of The

Lawrence Jones

Danny Thomas

President Barack Obama walks with Vernon Jordan, left, after attending the Alfafa luncheon at Jordan’s home in 2016.

Nethra Hill teaching her children,from left, Brooklyn Hill, Colin Hill and Destiny Hill.

Photo courtesy of the AP

Photo by Christopher Hill

A A golden time at Tiffany’s Tiffany Haddish was in the middle of a get-together with a small group of family and friends after the Golden Globes on Feb. 28 when the party was cut short when the Los Angeles “po-po” arrived. Haddish turned it into a photo op, and took pictures with the women and men in blue. “The police came to shut the back yard boogie down and it’s only 7 of us. #weready,” the Girls Trip actress captioned the photos on Instagram.

Shmurda is freed and working on new material

Fans of

Shmurda are doing the

and Atlanta producer Mike Will Made-It Zaytoven has produced a number of songs that featured Shmurda, including Migo’s “Shmoney Never Stop.” Born Ackquille Jean Pollard, Shmurda was released on Feb. 23 from a New York prison where he spent six years for conspiracy and weapons possession. His career was on the rise when he was incarcerated. Shmurda is under community supervision until Feb. 2026.

Actress Erica Watson dies at age 48

The brother of actress and comedian Watson reports she died Saturday in Jamaica due to complications of COVID-19. On his Facebook account, Eric Williams requested prayers and privacy for the family, per the Chicago

(no phone calls please) as we make arrangements to bring my sister home. Keep us in your prayers,” Williams wrote. Watson was known for her acting roles in “Precious,” “Chi-Raq,” and as Miss Tiny in the first season of the Showtime series, “The Chi.” Watson reportedly moved to Montego Bay, Jamaica during the pandemic.

R. Kelly fully vaccinated against COVID-19

Dr. Michael Obeng

Although he twice tried to get released from prison early due to the coronavirus pandemic as he awaits trial on federal charges of child pornography and obstruction of justice – singer R. Kelly, full name Robert Sylvester Kelly, is already ahead of most Americans in this public health fight. TMZ reports that he recently received his second COVID vac-

cine in his hometown at the Bureau of Prisons at MCC Chicago. His trial is set for September 13.

Business is booming for ‘Gorilla Glue girl’s’ plastic surgeon Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Micheal Obeng says his office has received around 5,000 calls for all types of surgeries – most unrelated to glue removal, after he successfully released the tresses of Tessica “Gorilla Glue girl” Brown who slicked down her hair with the spray and went viral after asking for help via social media. It also seems the formula Obeng created to free her hair may stick around as another business opportunity. TMZ reports Obeng said there is a potential deal in the works to produce his “magical solution” commercially.

Sources: Metro.co.uk, Instagram, HipHopDx, Rolling Stone, Smart News Chicago Tribune, The Grio and TMZ

Bobby

Bobby Shmurda

Erica Watson

Comptroller Darlene Green wins unopposed News

St.

Louis voters make choices in aldermanic primary

By Sophie Hurwitz

Of the St. Louis American

Longtime St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green won her primary on Tuesday with 78.16% of the vote. She ran unopposed.

In the March 2 primary election for the mayor, comptroller, and members of the Board of Aldermen, voters were able to select as many candidates as they wanted. In the aldermanic primary elections, the top two candidates from each ward were selected to continue to the April 6 general election. While 16 out of the 28 wards held primary elections, only seven of those wards had more than two candidates on the ballot. That leaves six wards, the 1st, 4th 12th, 17th, 21st and 27th in competitive races, and nearly all

the contested areas are located in North St. Louis. In the 1st Ward, incumbent Sharon Tyus won 60.24% of the vote, and challenger Yolanda Brown won 46.03% of the vote.

In the 3rd Ward, incumbent Brandon Bosley won 75.41% of the vote and Herdosia Bentum won 27.04% of the vote. In the 4th Ward, incumbent Dwinderlin Evans won 47.2% of the vote and Ed-

Darlene Greene

ward McFowland won 35.42% of the vote. In the 5th Ward, incumbent Tammika Hubbard won 62.47% of the vote and James Page won 40.64% of the vote. In the 7th Ward, incumbent Jack Coatar won 58.85% of the vote and Shedrick Kelley won 45.19% of the vote.

In the 9th Ward, Dan Guenther won 70.26% of the vote and Ken Ortmann won

34.79% of the vote. In the 12th Ward, Vicky Grass won 48.53% of the vote and Bill Stephens won 36.10% of the vote. In the 13th Ward, Anne Schweitzer won 68.61% of the vote and Beth Murphy won 38.79% of the vote.

In the 15th Ward, incumbent Megan Green won 74.29% of the vote and JenniferFlorida won 30.69% of the vote. In the 17th Ward, incumbent Michelle Sherod won 69.02% of the vote and Tina Pihl received 46.18% of the vote. In the 19th Ward, incumbent Marlene Davis won 74.223% of the vote and Cleo Willis

Missouri Republicans look to reinstate voter ID requirement

By Rebecca Rivas

From the Missouri Independent

About 137,700 registered voters in Missouri did not have a state-issued identification in 2017, according to an analysis from the Secretary of State’s Office.

Another 140,000 voters had expired IDs, and 2,000 more voters had forfeited their driver’s licenses. Under a bill passed Wednesday in the Missouri House, those registered voters would either have to get a government-issued photo ID or only be allowed to cast a provisional ballot on Election Day. The provisional ballot would be counted only if the voter returns later that day with a photo ID or if election officials can verify their signature based on voter records.

The House voted 109-46 to

send the bill to the Missouri Senate.

Proponents argue the measure is needed to prevent voter fraud and “illegal votes.”

“Missourians expect people to come to the polls and identify themselves with secure photo identification when they go to the polls,” said state Rep. John Simmons, a Franklin County Republican sponsoring this year’s voter ID legislation.

But voting-rights advocates say the law will negatively impact minorities, seniors, voters with disabilities and many others who struggle with the transportation and funds needed to get an ID.

That is particularly true in the midst of a deadly pandemic, said Denise Lieberman, director and general counsel of the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition.

“Missouri lawmakers should focus on making voting more accessible rather than again con-

tinue to promulgate unnecessary, expensive and unconstitutional burdens on the right to vote in Missouri,” said Lieberman, who has been part of several legal teams that have sued the state over previous voter-ID legislation.

Currently voters may cast a ballot if they have a photo ID

several times, but it’s never been able to fully withstand legal challenges.

This year’s bill is moving forward because a January 2020 Missouri Supreme Court ruling blocked a key provision in a previously enacted voter ID law. Simmons said the court decision “utterly and wholly gut-

n The GOP-backed push comes after a previous law was gutted by the Missouri Supreme Court

with their current address or if they have several other forms of identification, including a utility bill or voter registration card with their current address.

Missouri Republicans have been trying to enact a photo ID requirement to vote for the last 15 years. Legislation has passed

ted the intent and practicality of this statute.”

Today, 36 states have laws requesting or requiring voters to show some form of identification at the polls, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

But Missouri was one of the

first states to attempt to enact a law where only a state or federally issued ID would be acceptable to vote in 2006. After being approved by lawmakers, the court deemed it unconstitutional because there was no evidence of voter fraud and it infringed on people’s right to vote.

So voter-ID proponents focused on changing the constitution itself.

In 2011, lawmakers placed a voter ID amendment on the ballot, but the measure was derailed by a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Missouri and Advancement Project.

In 2016, a photo ID amendment finally made it to the ballot and was approved by voters that allowed someone to cast a ballot without a state-approved photo ID only after signing an affidavit under the penalty of perjury.

However, the Missouri Supreme Court struck down the affidavit because it deemed it to

be “misleading,” and therefore unconstitutional. In the same ruling, the court considered the state’s request to strike the non-photo ID options altogether – which is what Simmons’ bill would do – and concluded that it posed “constitutional concerns and could not have been adopted by this Court.”

During debate on the new measure this week in the House, both Republicans and Democrats raised concerns about the fact that the bill does not require the state to cover the costs for obtaining an ID. In order to get a state-issued ID, people have to obtain a birth certificate. And that often can be a costly and lengthy process, said Rep. Shamed Dogan, a St. Louis County Republican. “It’s something that courts view with suspicion,” he said, “that in order to vote, you have to get an ID and we’re not going to pay for it.”

2 finalists should avoid divisive, regressive campaigning

Conditions at St. Louis jails: Who are you going to believe?

By Matthew Mahaffey

Regarding the response letter from City Counselor Michael Garvin to the request for immediate access by local organizations to the City Justice Center, including my St. Louis City Public Defender office, language matters and informs. Mr. Garvin’s expression that the City “will indulge” those raising concerns lets our jailed population know that such cries for change and help will sometimes be tolerated, but never invited and certainly never listened to by City Hall. It is the language of the oppressor and master, not the wisdom of a leader.

voices are not to be heard, only judged, dismissed, controlled, and suppressed. See mass incarceration, the war on drugs, neighborhood gentrification, COVID response and treatment, stop and frisk.

This is not the side of history we want to be on.

The final count in Tuesday’s mayoral primary showed that Treasurer Tishaura Jones gained 59.7 percent of the vote and Alderwoman Cara Spencer received 46.36 percent in the city’s first election with “non-partisan approval” voting. These were the two candidates who captured the highest percentage of the 44,538 ballots cast, and they will compete in the general election on April 6. Unlike in the past, there will be no party affiliation, or in this case gender distinction, on the ballot for either of these Democratic elected officials. While the turnout represented only 22 percent of the city’s 201,352 registered voters (Jones was the only candidate to gain more than 50 percent of the vote) Aldermanic president Lewis Reed, whose third bid for the mayoral office saw his campaign, assailed by a bombardment of negative ads, result in a dismal third place with only 38.53 percent of the vote. Utility executive Andrew Jones was last with 14.42 percent. The unexpected, sometimes regressive, highly effective strategy by the Spencer campaign worked to vanquish and then catapult her past Reed. It is notable that Treasurer Jones’ support was broad-based, as was her resounding landslide victory in the Democratic primary for treasurer last August. We look forward to a spirited campaign between two progressive women candidates (both of whom can read a spreadsheet) who will share their vision and platforms for a revitalized future for the city that will lead the way forward past years of decline. In either case, we will see a new generation of energized, fresh leadership. We hope that both campaigns will adhere to a level of civility and substance in the next four

and a half weeks that our deeply divided city needs if it is to reset to become a more equitable and thriving city.

While there are some dogged naysayers about Jones’s candidacy, they ignore the repeated voter support for her aspirational messaging. She won 18 out of 28 wards, Spencer only 10. Her leadership resonates with a wide swath of supporters that extend across the city, county and beyond, nationally. Her campaign will attract national attention, and we see many nationally known, experienced leaders in person, as well as virtually, during the campaign.

We have already seen political leadership across St. Louis County, the city of St. Louis boundary and across the Mississippi River show a willingness to engage with her to address mutual concerns. This also includes the unprecedented outreach and support for Jones from across the state.

We assume we will learn more about 20th Ward Alderwoman Spencer, who has a thin resume of executive leadership beyond her articulate campaign rhetoric. Hopefully both candidates will ignore the examples of some in the media who seek voter resentment based largely on their personal animus at the expense of a serious discussion about forward-thinking policies that prioritize more inclusive growth.

The stakes in the upcoming mayoral general election for the future of the city and the region are high, with expectations of additional resources from the federal government, we will need the highest, most competent level of leadership in the city of St. Louis, the region’s essential urban core.

Put education within reach of all students

By Austin A. Lane

My college education put me on the path to a career I love, one I had not imagined when I graduated from high school over 30 years ago.

When I left high school, I had a scholarship to play basketball at a junior college in Texas. The only idea I had was to stay for two years and get exposure, then play in Division I. When those plans didn’t work out, I knew I needed to complete my undergraduate education.

But I faced a major obstacle: I couldn’t afford a college education in my native state of New Jersey. Fortunately, I was able to earn my bachelor’s degree in Oklahoma, which was less expensive. With that degree, along with a master’s and a doctorate, I have worked in higher education, helping students pursue their dreams. Today, with millions of jobs lost to COVID-19 and the need for highly skilled professionals expected to grow, the issue of access to higher education becomes more urgent. All the opportunities that come from a college degree cannot benefit a student who believes college is beyond their reach. Too often, high school graduates and adult learners are deterred from even

applying because they think they don’t have the right test scores or fear unmanageable debt.

At Southern Illinois University Carbondale, we’re proud of the distinctive education we offer. Students receive hands-on learning and personal attention. Undergraduates can do research often reserved for graduate students. At SIU, we believe it’s our responsibility to provide access to those opportunities. Many SIU students do not come from privileged backgrounds. About 40% are the first in their families to attend college, and nearly 80% receive financial aid. They might not be able to afford expensive classes to maximize their scores on standardized tests, and studies have shown GPA is a more accurate predictor of student success. So we removed an obstruction for many qualified students and no longer require SAT and ACT test scores for admission and most scholarships.

And even students without the best grades in high school have the potential to do college-level work. They deserve a chance. That is why I am excited that we’re relaunching the Dr. Seymour Bryson Future Scholars program. Students take summer classes and receive academic coaching, advising, mentoring and tutoring. In the past, the program has assisted students from diverse races and communities. At SIU, we are also lifting financial barriers between students and their education.

Out-of-state students pay the same tuition rate as Illinois residents. For new students from Illinois who meet the criteria, we have started two exciting initiatives: the Saluki Commitment and the Saluki Transfer Commitment. If a student’s financial aid package does not completely cover tuition and mandatory fees, we pledge to close the gap.

It’s important for colleges and universities to clear whatever hinders students from attaining their full potential. It is in the best interest of our students, our institutions and our society.

Austin A. Lane is chancellor of Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

The “unsupported allegations” cited in the City’s response consist of dozens upon dozens of first-hand accounts from those housed in our city jails regarding the conditions they have seen and experienced. ArchCity Defenders presented six of these stories through family members at a recent presentation. The attorneys at the public defender’s office have fielded countless more. And the ArchCity hotline, established to field such concerns, continues to see calls on a daily basis according to executive director Blake Strode.

The question now is whether we believe real and systemic problems exist, based on the numerous and consistent reports from those housed in the jails, or whether we believe the City’s response that every account has been fabricated.

This is bigger than just the happenings of Saturday, February 6. Our country has a strong history of ignoring or disbelieving the voices of the most vulnerable – the accused, the poor, immigrants - especially when they are people of color. To our leaders, these

When news broke of the uprising on Saturday, February 6, our attorneys visited our clients with the goal of listening and investigating as to how they were doing. What we found and continue to find was outlined in the request sent to City Hall, information regarding safety and well-being that we continue to be concerned about.

We had hoped for swift access and movement, but our officials missed a critical time for investigation and action. Requests for immediate access by media, social justice organizations, and the public defender have been universally denied. The mayor’s Corrections Task Force does not have one member who represents individuals housed in the city jails in their state criminal matters, and no one meeting that description received an invitation to participate. This is not how transparency or effectiveness is achieved. Why not now think differently?

Does St. Louis City and the courts have the will and courage to attempt such a change? Are we so married to our carceral history, from slavery to the 13th Amendment and beyond, that we cannot separate what is tradition from what is effective? Are the words innocent until proven guilty intentions but not actions?

Perhaps the most telling part of the MacArthur findings as it pertains to the will of St. Louis power brokers was this: “The study found that the declines in population and bookings were more pronounced for white detainees.”

In a jail with broken locks and inconsistent water access, with no social visitation for nearly a year, with COVID 19 a real and present danger, and with no reason for hope regarding their bond or case status, an uprising occurred. They weren’t upset that their presidential candidate lost. They wanted some acknowledgement of their humanity and dignity. If only they weren’t black and brown, maybe they could get an organic meal instead.

Matthew Mahaffey is the District Defender of the St. Louis City Trial Office of the Missouri State Public Defender.

A new study recently found that jail population across the U.S. dropped by nearly a quarter at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, mainly due to fewer people being booked. This according to the nonprofit MacArthur Foundation and City University of New York. Their findings? “We’ve seen no change in public safety outcomes,” said Reagan Daly of CUNY, one of the authors of the study. “There’s been no increase in crime. There’s been no increase in violent crime.” This led St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell to state, “The evidence is clear. When you give individuals the support and resources they need, they offend at a lower rate.”

Letters to the editor

Election laws need reforming now

As an associate of St. Joseph of Carondelet committed to unity, I want to engage in repairing the fractured relationships that have divided us during this difficult election season.

I believe that every person is valuable and should have an equal voice. The right to vote, to have a say in decisions that affect our lives, and to be fairly represented by officials who are responsive to our needs is foundational to democracy in the United States. Our current system of election laws is inadequate and in need of democratic reform.

I urge our lawmakers to engage in bipartisan, good faith efforts to protect and strengthen our founding democratic values. H.R.1, the For the People Act, addresses the reforms needed.

It makes it easier, not harder to vote; ends the dominance of big money in our politics, and ensures public officials work for the public interest. The need is urgent and the time to pass this legislation is now.

Dorothy Dempsey St. Louis

Looking for leadership to fight the pandemic

COVID-19 has been devastating to our community. More than 2,000 St. Louisans have died, over 100,000 infected, unemployment has reached 11.3%, and across-the-board, the Black community has been disproportionately affected.

We are still struggling to provide equitable care and adequate resources to St. Louisans 11 months into this pandemic.

All letters are edited for length and style.

Yet the Missouri legislature is attempting to limit our local health departments in implementing evidence-based guidelines that make sense for us. Dangerous bills in Jefferson City would severely restrict local leaders from enacting ordinances that have prevented the spread of COVID-19, coordinated hospital resources, and saved lives.

We shouldn’t hinder public health officials who work tirelessly to protect our communities. Instead, we should recognize how important our public health advocacy is in fighting for all St. Louisans. We need experts to lead, not Missouri politicians who have minimal public health experience and who don’t come from St. Louis.

Samantha Lund St. Louis

Guest Columnist Matthew Mahaffey

Guest Columnist Austin A. Lane

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Kansas City Mayor, Quinton Lucas, helps rally supporters for Treasurer Tishaura Jones on Sunday, Feb. 28. She will compete in the General Election for mayor with Alderwoman Cara Spencer on April 6, 2021.

Enjoying a little spring in the winter

After the snow melted in the St. Louis area, Dacota Goodwin and many others enjoyed milder temperatures and sunshine in Forest Park last week.

Assistance available for St. Louis tenants and landlords involved in evictions

The Conflict Resolution Center – St. Louis (CRCSTL) is reopening applications for residents of St. Louis City in need of rental assistance as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The focus of the mediation is to facilitate dialogue between landlords and tenants, in an effort to help prevent evictions and homelessness. “What we provide goes beyond just rental assistance because we bring folks together, and that lasts even after we write the check,” said Wolf Smith, executive director of CRCSTL.

Through the Eviction Prevention Assistance Fund (EPAF), CRCSTL provides direct assistance to parties currently pursuing or experiencing an eviction. “We know it takes courage to ask for help, and we work hard to respect that,” said Smith. “We are always asking

ourselves ‘How can we make getting help easier for the people we serve?’ and people feel it.”

To be eligible to apply for EPAF, applicants must:

• Be a resident in the City of St. Louis.

• Be behind in rent, regardless of whether the landlord has filed a petition for eviction.

• Be seeking an award for rental assistance that was incurred after March 1, 2020.

• Have a safe and sanitary property, or have the landlord agree to make such necessary repairs.

• Have not made a previous request on behalf of the tenant for EPAF.

To complete an intake form for rental assistance, please visit https://www.stlresolutioncenter.org/intake

For more information about EPAF, housing mediations, or other resources, please visit www.stlresolutioncenter.org

The rocky road to Black political power

It’s election time. Some people equate elections with political power. I see elections as just one way political power shows up. The struggle for Black political power is not only about who we elect. It has also been about creating the conditions that guide people to stand up to social, economic and political alienation and domination. It takes a movement to confront racism and white supremacy in all of its manifestations. The ballot box then becomes a compelling act of both resistance and affirmation.

Because we are in America, most Black folk have tried to be responsible participants in this democracy. As an enslaved people, that road has been a rough one – one of many hills and valleys.

The first big movement that took us to the ballet box was in the late 1800s. Under Reconstruction, about 2,000 descendants of slaves ascended to public office including the U.S. Senate. It would be nearly a century after Hiram Revels and Blanche Bruce took office as senators that the nation would see Edward Brooke, a Black man, become a senator from Massachusetts by popular vote. In the post slavery period, Black folks had waited proudly and patiently to prove themselves worthy of citizenship. Our reality was jaded by a false sense of hope that was shattered by the savagery of white supremacy that wiped out all the gains under Reconstruction. Perceived as less than human, Black folks get constant reminders that we have no place in this society. Still, we have persisted.

St. Louis may be on its way to a first. The election of its first African American woman: Tishaura Jones.

The anger and discontent coming from the police murder of Mike Brown in 2014 was channeled into organizing that’s transforming the electoral landscape in the St. Louis region. Candidates and ballot issues that are closest to addressing the real needs of people have been the focus of a strategic, organized movement. It gave us an increase in the minimum wage, the expansion of Medicaid, our first Black prosecutors in the city and county. Self-serving and unresponsive politicians will be singled out for replacement.

The country is at a crossroads and so is St. Louis. The struggle is between democracy and barbarism, between progress and stagnation, between the haves and the have nots. There’s a part for all democracy defenders.

Radical voices are looking for ways to accelerate the victories into transformative and long-lasting change. In the spirit of Sankofa, going back to lessons from the past is sharpening the vision of the world we are building for the future.

In 1972, nearly 10,000 Black folks converged on Gary, Indiana for the National Black Political Convention. The historic event was the powerful convergence of the Black Power and Civil Rights movements. The delegates produced the National Black Political Agenda and organized local and state assemblies to elect candidates who supported the agenda. In the period following the convention, the number of elected officials in the country tripled. Black faces in high places in no longer sufficient especially if it doesn’t translate to improving the lives of people who elected them. Thankfully, we’ve gotten more sophisticated and realistic about engaging in electoral politics and building movements. There is still work to do.

Next year is the 50th anniversary of the NBPC. It’s time for an update and broader unity around an agenda that goes wide and deep, stomping out any vestige of trumpism. It would be awesome if St. Louis could report that it’s on the way to a more democratic city with a Black mayor who represents all its citizens and their aspirations.

The webinar, “Revisiting Gary 1972: Re-energizing the Movement for Black Political Power in 2021,” takes place March 13 at 2p.m. CST. Register for free at http://bit.ly/37DyAcY.

The St. Louis American Staff

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Jamala Rogers

By Dana Rieck

Of The St. Louis American

City officials approved a $1.5 million budget transfer

Feb. 17 to repair the broken locks at the St. Louis City Justice Center – an issue largely blamed for the magnitude of the inmate uprising in February. The Board of Estimate and Apportionment has three members – Aldermanic President Lewis Reed, St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson and St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green. They voted unanimously to transfer $1.5 million to repair the locks, according to Krewson’s spokesperson Jacob Long. Local reports indicate the funds came from salary budgets for vacant positions. The city contracted local company Pauly Jail Building Company, Inc. through an emergency work authorization process and the work on the fourth floor of the CJC began Monday, Long said. He added the work is expected to take 10 to 12 weeks. Pauly Jail Building Company’s website claims it is the oldest correctional facilities contractor, having operated since 1856. Headquartered in Noblesville, Indiana, the

Tishaura

Continued from A1

City approves $1.5 million to fix jail locks after uprising

City officials approved a $1.5 million budget transfer Feb. 17 to repair the broken locks at the St. Louis City Justice Center.

company lists several projects under construction in Indiana, one in Michigan and another in North Dakota. The issue of the locks was put on blast directly following the uprising, in which 117 inmates took over the majority of the CJC’s fourth floor for several hours, smashing win-

city and to begin facing up to the incredibly tough challenges facing our city. We are not a poor city, we are a cheap city. We refuse to invest in things that will move this city forward and we have failed to meet our mandate to provide basic municipal services to every neighborhood.” Spencer also streamed her address to the city, thanking her campaign staff, supporters and her family.

“We had countless hours working a tremendous amount to bring us where we are today — the top two runoff — in St. Louis’ historic approval voting,” she said.

Spencer celebrated the fact that the next mayor of St. Louis will be a “true progressive” and said she feels honored to be one of those candidates.

“This campaign, this conversation, has already changed the city. We have changed the dialogue about what it means to be in public office. We’ve turned our attention to the special interests that have run this city for decades. And just by being the top two vote getters in this election, we have kicked the special interests out of the mayor’s office,” Spencer said. Andrew Jones released a statement formally conceding around 10 p.m. Tuesday.

“It has been my honor and privilege to spend the last few months walking the streets of this beautiful city, meeting many of the vibrant citizens and hearing their hopes and dreams for our future,” he wrote. “Those interactions were priceless, and I will forever cherish them.” Reed did not immediately release a statement.

dows and setting fires in what was the third inmate protest within six weeks at the jail.

Once the situation was under control, Public Safety Director Jimmy Edwards spoke publicly about a rather peculiar issue the jail is dealing with.

“The detainees have the ability to jimmy their locks

and the locks don’t necessarily lock, even though our automated panel system would indicate that the cells are locked, they are, in fact, not locked,” Edwards said at the time. “And so other detainees were able to get out of their cells and into the unit.”

In the days following the

uprising, Commissioner of Corrections Dale Glass reiterated that point, saying there had been multiple occasions prior to the Feb. 6 uprising when an inmate tampered with a cell lock.

“So we began searching, prior to COVID, and we even reached out to various companies … it was part of our submission for budget and then these events happened,” Glass said at the time. “As I indicated, we had already engaged some people to help us find the solution to this issue.”

During the Board of Estimate and Apportionment’s monthly meeting Feb. 17, Krewson provided a formal updated on the status of closing the Workhouse (less commonly known as the Medium Security Institution), which is something she does every month.

She said that some inmates were moved to the Workhouse from the CJC following the uprising Feb. 6 and noted three CJC units are not occupiable, because they are in need of renovations and improvements as a result of the inmates’ demonstration.

“So, until that work is done, we are certainly happy that we had MSI available,” Krewson said. “Which by

the way, we’ve made a lot of improvements to MSI in the last three or four years totaling around $8 million. And it just so happens that the last pod at MSI was completed just a week before this latest disturbance, so we were very happy we had that capacity available.”

The Board of Aldermen passed Board Bill 92 unanimously on July 17, 2020, which was based on a plan by the Close the Workhouse Campaign. The bill directed the commissioner of Corrections to begin the process of closing the Workhouse by presenting a plan with a closure date set for no later than Dec. 31, 2020. Even so, it remains operational with no close date in sight.

“So, I do think that everybody is still on track to figure out what is the safest way and the most humane way to hold the detainees that are sent to the city by the judges – we don’t have anything to say about who we detain, those decisions are made by the judges, and then it is up to the executive branch and department heads to determine the best way to do that,” Krewson said. “So right now, that’s where we stand.”

Hill

Continued from A1

motherhood. In 2019, she started “Eve’s Bloom,” a program designed to give mothers a place to gather and learn from one another. Last year, Eve’s Bloom received a $7,000 grant from the National Parents Union with funding from the Walton Foundation.

For now, Hill, who lives in Ferguson, focuses mainly on mothers in her neighborhood. She uses Facebook and “Nextdoor” (the social app that helps people communicate with their neighbors) to arrange meetings at libraries or other public spaces. Hill explained her program’s name and its mission:

“Eve” means the mother of all living things. Bloom is like how flowers bloom. It’s basically just me pulling moms together and creating a space where we can bloom together in the area of motherhood,” Hill said. “We learn parenting and communicating skills while

providing a support system where moms learn from moms, learn about being a mom and supporting one another.”

The idea solidified for Hill after noticing how some frustrated moms dealt with their kids in public places like grocery stores or playgrounds. She recalled one incident that stayed with her.

“I saw a young mother with a little boy and girl, maybe three or four, on the playground. They were playing and then the kids started arguing. The mother immediately started yelling at them, cursing, and yanking the kids by the arm. I thought her reaction was unhealthy, but I didn’t want to impose because people sometimes are not receptive to strangers.”

That experience and others motivated Hill to create a space where feelings of frustration with children could be addressed in an open but safe environment. The group settings were going well until the coronavirus started to spread in March of last year.

“OK, so now we can’t meet.

Everybody is stuck in the house, cut off from the world,” Hill recalled adding, “So now, it was time to explore social time online.” She transitioned from oneon-one gatherings to virtual sessions. One of the major topics of discussion was the fast-changing educational environment due to the pandemic and the challenges of virtual learning. For Hill, addressing those concerns was easy.

“Virtual learning is so stressful for parents and kids. Managing and juggling personal and screen time and all that is a huge burden for some mothers. Sitting kids in a room by themselves and saying, ‘go learn,’ wasn’t going to work for me,” Hill explained. “So, when the Fall 2020/2021 school year began, my husband and I decided that our kids weren’t going to be a part of that.”

Using the philosophy of her program, Hill shared the challenges of home-schooling with her network of moms. She invited those who were already teaching their kids at home to

share their experiences. She also used and shared YouTube tutorials and other online home-schooling lessons from Google and other social media sites. Hill published a book, “Mommy & Me Heartfelt Affirmations,” in 2019. She plans to continue publishing work on positive parenting. The Parents Union grant, she said, will allow her to incorporate Eve’s Bloom as a tax-deductible nonprofit.

Hill also plans to recruit professionals to interact with the women she serves. Surrounding herself with professionals is in no way a self-indictment. She has an associate’s degree from community college but didn’t graduate from Harris Stowe State College afterwards. As an avid entrepreneur, there were other requirements other than an advanced degree to start the enterprise for moms.

“All you need is heart and compassion,” Hill stated proudly. “To do something like this, you just need to care.”

Tishaura Jones talks with Claudia Spener who was out drumming up support for

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Jordan

Continued from A1

uate from Howard University Law School in Washington, D.C.

In one of his books, Make it Plain: Standing Up and Speaking Out, he told a number of the stories of events that hugely impacted his life.

As a law clerk for Donald L. Hollowell, “the great civil rights attorney from Atlanta,” he helped prepare for the successful lawsuit that ended whites-only status at the University of Georgia – opening the way for the first two Blacks to be admitted – the late Hamilton Holmes (renowned orthopedic physician) and Charlayne Hunter-Gault (noted journalist and civil rights activist). He personally walked Hunter-Gault to the university admissions office past a group of angry white protestors.

He found “someone who had applied to the University of Georgia the same time I had, had the same credentials, and yet got in and I didn’t,” said Hunter-Gault in a PBS NewsHour interview. “He and his assistants went through thousands of documents and he was the one who found the critical document,” that was a key to winning the case.

Jordan left private law practice in the 1960s to become a Georgia field director for the NAACP. During its 1961 annual convention in Philadelphia, he was taken to be introduced to then Attorney Thurgood Marshall. Marshall interrupted the introduction saying, “I know this boy…he worked with Hollowell on the University of Georgia case.”

Six years later, shortly after Marshall’s appointment to the Supreme Court, and after Jordan’s swearing in to petition the court, he said, “I looked for

Election

Continued from A1

doing it I wouldn’t know no difference,” Thomas said of the approval voting method. He confirmed he did vote for multiple candidates and planned to return in a month for the General Election.

Lawrence Jones, a Metro bus operator, cast his ballot Tuesday morning at Beloved Community UBM Church in the Gate District. He said the new voting system didn’t change his approach as a voter in this primary.

“Well, I feel that if I feel strongly about one candidate then I’m going to vote for them,” Jones said. “If I feel

a moment directly at Marshall, and he, while keeping his face impassive, quickly, but unmistakably winked his eye at me.”

Jordan’s mother later told him “That gesture was like the laying on of hands.”

Jordan went on to leadership roles at the Southern Regional Council, the Voter Education Project and the United Negro College Fund before heading the National Urban League in 1971, while still in his 30s.

“Today, the world lost an influential figure in the fight for civil rights and American politics, Vernon Jordan,” said

less about you, I’m not going to vote for you. So, I don’t understand that process, you vote for how many people you want – because all of them don’t have the same perspective.”

Contrary to Jones’ opinion, voter Javeline Henderson is in favor of the new system. She also cast her vote Tuesday morning at Beloved Community UBM Church.

“Actually, I liked it today because I was really in-between two people so I did enjoy being able to vote for two people,” Henderson said. “It will give me a little more time to do more research [before the General Election].”

Q. Walker agreed, talking about her experience with the new system Tuesday afternoon

NAACP President and CEO

Derrick Johnson in a written statement. “An icon to the world and a lifelong friend to the NAACP, his contribution to moving our society toward justice is unparalleled.”

Jordan also provided counsel to numerous business leaders and politicians. He was a close friend and advisor to President Bill Clinton and in 1992 played a leading role in the transition team after Clinton’s election to the presidency.

“Vernon Jordan was a wonderful friend to Hillary, Chelsea and me,” said Clinton

outside Hodgen Elementary School in the Gate District.

While she likes the approval voting method, she said she

in a Twitter post. “We worked and played, laughed and cried, won and lost together. We loved him very much and always will.”

In the past 20 years, Jordan served on the boards of numerous Fortune 100 companies and was senior managing director of one of the country’s premier investment banking firms.

One of his closest friends, Ursula Burns, former CEO of Xerox and the first Black woman to lead a Fortune 500 company, said Jordan was “unbelievably consistent and unbelievably strong…He was

only voted for one mayoral candidate.

“I liked it, I enjoyed it because it gives you different

not to me a corporate person. He was not a political person. Not a legal person or a finance person. He was all of them and I saw him operate in all of those spheres without a break in form whatsoever.” She made the comments on PBS’ NewsHour.

In numerous speeches to students across the country Jordan gave words of encouragement and direction.

Celebrating with multi-faith graduates and their families in 2015 at Stanford University, Jordan said “I come today to ask as did Isaiah, ‘Who will

go, and Whom shall we send?’ And I pray your answer is, ‘Here I am, send me’.”

Jordan continued: “Send me to help clear the rubble of racism still strewn across this country. Send me to be one of the bulldozers on behalf of equality and in the cleanup crews against injustice. Send me to disrupt injustice.”

“Vernon Jordan knew the soul of America, in all of its goodness and all of its unfilled promise,” said President Joe Biden in a statement on Tuesday. “And he knew the work was far from over.”

options,” Walker said. “I decided [who to vote for] basically just by whose thoughts and views closely matched mine and they’re going for things I believe in and that I am for, so that’s how I made my choice.”

Vernon Jordan, long-time confidant of President Clinton, tips his hat to the press gathered at his home in Washington during the impeachment trial of Clinton.

Photo courtesy of the AP

MARCH 4 – 10, 2021

FOCUS St. Louis’ Spring 2021 Emerging Leaders

By Danielle Brown

Of The St. Louis American

FOCUS St. Louis recently named 30 participants as part of its Spring 2021 Emerging Leaders cohort. The three-month Emerging Leaders program provides professionals between the ages of 22-35 with the opportunity to strengthen their personal, professional, and civic engagement leadership skills.

“It’s a program for young professionals to increase their engagement in the region, build their own toolkit around leadership, and activate their participation in our region to add value in the places and causes that are most important to them,” Shalia Ford, director of Leadership Programs, said.

Cohorts will attend an opening reception, a two-day retreat, complete a group civic action project

and engage in numerous seminars. They will also have access to FOCUS Now, an all-program graduation/networking event, and a complimentary fourmonth FOCUS membership.

One day in particular included in the program’s itinerary is Personal Narrative Day, where a deeper discussion occurs on topics ranging from mindfulness to why self-expression matters in how you dress.

n A large component in FOCUS’ mission and the Emerging Leaders program is the embracing of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Leaders and Member & Alumni Relations, said. “Imposter syndrome is a real thing and I certainly want to alleviate that in people so they don’t have to think through those things, but instead understand they are strong leaders.”

The current cohort includes individuals from various sectors in the workforce including legal, higher education, consulting, and other professions.

Cockrell looks forward to networking and applying the principles she learns to her business.

“I’m looking forward to focusing on consulting and coaching and learning more about what’s going on in other industries’ engagement with job and community awareness,” Cockrell said.

A large component in FOCUS’ mission and the Emerging Leaders program is the embracing of diversity, equity, and inclusion. “It’s so much more than just what you look like on the outside, but maybe those things that you don’t see.” Ford said. Due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, all of Focus’s programming is virtual. Brittani Williams, who works in nonprofit development, was part of the first

One of the participants is 28-year-old Dr. Mauyra Cockrell, who is the owner of the consulting firm, YKnot Consulting, which specializes in human resource development and improving business relationships. Through the program,

“Personal Narrative is a big component in being an Emerging Leader because when I was that age, I was thinking ‘Oh, gosh do I look right, do I feel right, am I right for this?’” Matthew Kerns, director of Emerging See

$80 Million restoration project breaks ground in the Ville neighborhood

By Sophie Hurwitz

Of the St. Louis American

Laura Hughes’ memory of growing up in the Ville neighborhood of St. Louis is mapped out by the neighborhood’s sidewalks. She remembers walking first to Simmons Elementary, then to Sumner High School – and sometimes walking to drop-off meals with her mother as she worked at Homer G. Philips Hospital.

“These little sidewalks, they’re everything to me. That was my map of how I got around this neighborhood,” she said. Now, as the 4th Ward’s master developer and CEO of the Fleur De Lis Development Corporation, Hughes hopes to restore the historic area to its former health.

The project connects to the current controversial schooling situation in the city of St. Louis, too – in that it is located in the 4th ward, where Sumner High School, Hickey Middle School and Farragut Elementary were recently slated for closure by a vote of the St. Louis Public Schools Board of Education.

n The $80 million project, which was approved for construction last October, will entail the restoration of 20 historic homes and construction of 300 new ones.

The $80 million project, which was approved for construction last October, will entail the restoration of 20 historic homes and construction of 300 new ones. Hughes, along with several local government officials and St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent Kelvin Adams, symbolically “broke ground” on the development project in a freezing-cold ceremony on the morning of Friday, February 12.

The Fleur De Lis Development Corporation intends to restore several properties in the 4th Ward, and then construct several new homes on the ward’s many vacant lots. The first phase of this project, Fleur De Lis said in a press release, will be the creation of Maffitt Matters, in the 4200 block of Maffitt Avenue. This project will rehab several homes.

The location of the Maffitt Matters sector of the project, according to a Fleur De Lis Development Corporation press release, is just a short walk away from where Hughes grew up and attended Simmons Elementary School, which is currently closed. Should closure be the call of nearby Sumner High School, Hickey Middle School and Farragut Elementary, the ward will be without a single school.

“We owe it to our ancestors and our descendants to return [the Ville] to its past grandeur,” said Hughes. And the area is rich with history: in the early 20th century, restrictive housing covenants prevented Black St. Louis residents from finding housing in other areas of the city. As a result, the African American population of St. Louis became heavily concentrated in the Ville area. The Ville then became home to many landmark institutions of Black St. Louis: Homer G. Philips Hospital and Annie Malone Children’s Home, for example, as well as Stowe Teachers’ College (one day to become part of Harris-Stowe State University).

Now, the neighborhood, which is 97% Black as of the 2010 census, is

Linda Thomas-Greenfield recently began her duties as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. The career diplomat was sworn-in last week by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. “The United Nations is the world’s most important forum for bringing people and countries together,” ThomasGreenfield said, as reported by the Associated Press. “This administration knows that when America is at the table and acting in accordance with our values, the United States is an indispensable institution for the advancement of peace, security and collective well-being.”

She said the Biden administration is “clear-eyed about the difficult work that needs to be done, from elevating human rights to reforming the U.N. itself to addressing conflicts old and new around the world.”

Constance Gully, president and CEO of Parents as Teachers, and Michael McMillan, president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, are recipients of the 2021 FOCUS Leadership Awards. The awards are given annually to individuals who demonstrate committed leadership, generate a meaningful impact in the community, and encourage strong community engagement in others.

“Constance and Michael demonstrate what it means to answer the call as leaders,” Sharon Harvey Davis, board chair for FOCUS St. Louis, said. “In the face of the challenges of the past year, they have not only continued to lead their organizations forward but have also adapted to better meet the needs of those they serve.” The awards will be presented at the 24th Annual What’s Right with the Region celebration to be held on Thurs., May 13.

Terrell Carter has been selected as the new executive director of Rise Community Development, effective July 1. Carter, a St. Louis native and a former St. Louis police officer, most recently served as chief diversity officer at Greenville University in Greenville, Illinois. He has led two local non-profits, successfully serving Northside residents and seniors in the region, and he has experience in construction and residential development project management. As executive director, Carter will work closely with staff to build trust and work towards identifying new opportunities that will lay the foundation for Rise’s continued success. He succeeds Stephen Acree, who announced his retirement last year.

Laura Hughes speaks at the development project ground-breaking ceremony on Friday, February 12

Constance Gully

Linda ThomasGreenfield

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Michael McMillan

Terrell Carter

“Taking Care of You”

Getting out the vaccines

CareSTL Health’s Dana Hunter, RMA, administers the Moderna vaccine at the agency’s

location to Tyrone Anderson, 60. CareSTL Health is working to schedule more than 10,000 registrants.

St. Louisan who led Pfizer team says vaccine is only way out

By Marissanne Lewis-Thompson St. Louis Public Radio

Pfizer scientists, engineers and technicians were able to develop a vaccine that is 95% effective against the coronavirus. Paul Mensah, a chemical engineer and vice president of the bioprocess research and development group at Pfizer in St. Louis, led the team based in St. Louis and Andover, Massachusetts. It’s responsible for developing and manufacturing the vaccine’s DNA starting material and the messenger RNA drug substance that ultimately becomes the vaccine.

Mensah wants to restore trust and ease the

concerns about the vaccine to people in Black and brown communities. He takes pride in knowing that he and his wife have taken it, and that his kids will eventually get it too. St. Louis Public Radio’s Marissanne Lewis-Thompson spoke with Mensah about vaccine supply, coronavirus mutations and the importance of getting the vaccine. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Marissanne Lewis-Thompson: When you learned the Pfizer vaccine was effective, what was your initial reaction to that? Paul Mensah: I was just ecstatic and

Johnson & Johnson expects to deliver more than 20 million doses in March

By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American

There is a third COVID-19 vaccine in the mix now that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices gave the go-ahead on Sunday, Feb. 28 for Johnson & Johnson’s onedose COVID vaccine to be approved for Emergency Use Authorization. A U.S. Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committee gave their approval on Saturday, Feb. 27. Johnson & Johnson began shipping its vaccine immediately, expecting to deliver more than 20 million doses to the U.S. in March, and 100 million doses in the first half of 2021.

n In the US, it is considered 72% effective, and offers 86% protection against severe forms of the

relieved. We’ve had a team of people who have been working nonstop on this product. And when you work on these things, you never know if it’s going to work. And we never expected that it would be 95% effective. . ..You want to work on things that are impactful. But the impact of this one is especially significant, because it’s not just a small patient. The whole world — the whole world — is a patient.

Lewis-Thompson: There has been a lot of distrust from Black people about this vac-

Last Saturday, the City of St. Louis Department of Health and its community partners provided 1,352 first doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to residents in North St. Louis. The community vaccination clinic was held at the Omega Center on Goodfellow Boulevard to enable some of the most vulnerable residents who had pre-registered to receive the vaccine.

n “We hope to continue to bring these clinics to various communities of the City of St. Louis to help protect and obtain better health for all.”

“By bringing this vaccination clinic to the Omega Center, it allows community members who may not be able to travel out of the North City area to obtain a COVID-19 vaccination,” said Dr. Fredrick Echols, acting director of Health for the City of St. Louis. “We hope to continue to bring these clinics to various communities of the City of St. Louis to help protect and obtain better health for all.”

– Dr. Frederick Echols

The Department of Health invited individuals from its vaccine notification survey to register for appointment time slots prior to the clinic. ZIP code data from the registrations were used to select eligible persons from an area of North City to issue the invitations. To be eligible, individuals had to fall into one of three of the State of Missouri’s categories (Phase 1A, Phase 1B-Tier 1, and Phase 1B-Tier 2).

Currently, there are more than 64,000 registrations on the City’s vaccine notification survey. The Department of Health will continue to use that information as it organizes additional clinics. If you have completed the survey, you do not need to complete it again. If you previously filled it out and have secured your vaccinations through another agency, you may remove yourself from the list by emailing health@stlouis-mo.gov or calling 314-6571499. Please be sure you include your name and the email address you used to complete the survey. To sign up for the vaccine notification survey for future clinics, please visit stlouis-mo. gov/covid-19/vaccine.

One-dose Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID vaccine gets approved for Emergency Use Authorization in the U.S.

Whittier

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Photo by Johnson & Johnson

Janssen

Continued from A12

J&J vaccine produced by its Janssen division requires regular refrigeration.

Globally, it tested 66.1% effective against moderate to severe/critical COVID-19 at least four weeks after vaccination, according to an FDA analysis. In the US, it is considered 72% effective, and offers 86% protection against severe forms of the disease.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, who signed the

recommendation to use J&J’s Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccines for persons age 18 and older, said the vaccine is another important tool in their toolbox to equitably vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.

“This vaccine does not need to be kept in freezer and can be stored at refrigerated temperatures – so it is easy to transport and store and allows for expanded availability in most community settings and mobile sites, as supply scales up,” Walensky said in a media statement. “This third safe, effective COVID-19 vaccine

“Taking

Care of You”

comes at a potentially pivotal time. CDC’s latest data suggest that recent declines in COVID19 cases may be stalling and potentially leveling off at still very high numbers. That is why it is so critical that we remain vigilant and take all of the mitigation steps we know work to stop the spread of COVID-19 while we work our way toward mass vaccination.”

She said having different types of vaccines available for use, especially ones with different dosing recommendations and storage and handling requirements, can offer more options and flexibility for the

public, jurisdictions and vaccine providers. She added that getting vaccinated with the first vaccine available to you will help protect everyone from COVID-19.

Following the approval, Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky stated, “As we continue to pursue regulatory authorization around the world, our company is on track to meet our manufacturing goals, committed to making our vaccine available on a not-for-profit basis for pandemic emergency use and confident in the strength of the data from our clinical trials. Tested at the

height of the pandemic, our vaccine has shown its potential to significantly reduce the burden of severe disease with just one immunization.”

According to the J&J, its Janssen version of the COVID vaccine uses an inactivated adenovirus, which is a type of virus that causes the common cold, to carry a gene from the coronavirus to human cells.

“The cells then produce coronavirus proteins (not the virus itself) to mimic the virus, which helps prime the immune system to fight off later infection if the body encounters the coronavirus.”

J&J reports its vaccine was tested on more than 44,000 individuals of different ages and ethnicities across eight countries and three continents. In the U.S., Latin America and South America in its ENSEMBLE clinical trial, J&J says its vaccine is “72% effective in the U.S. and 66% effective overall at preventing moderate to severe COVID19, 28 days after vaccination; and 85% effective overall in preventing severe disease and demonstrated complete protection against COVID-19 related hospitalization and death at day 28.”

Keep children safe from poisoning risk from hand sanitizers

By The Missouri Poison Center

SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital

As the cases of COVID-19 increased in our communities –so did the need for proper hand hygiene. Hand sanitizer is an easy way to clean your hands when the option to wash your hands with warm water and soap is not available. While hand sanitizer is great for preventing the spread of germs, it also has a high percentage of alcohol as the active ingredient (usually ethyl or isopropyl alcohol, or a combination of both). Recently, the FDA put out a warning and recalled hand sanitizer products that contain methanol – which is more toxic than ethanol or isopropyl alcohol. Methanol can be extremely harmful. If a child or adult drinks the concentrated product, even in small amounts, it could cause blindness. The CDC also put out a health advisory regarding serious health problems caused by hand sanitizers containing methanol.

The approved alcohol in the hand sanitizer can have the

same effects as drinking an alcoholic beverage, but this is unlikely when accidentally ingesting small amounts. When applied to the hands, these sanitizers are effective in preventing illness by killing germs.

Bottles of hand sanitizer are frequently scented with attractive fragrances and are not usually packaged in child-resistant containers. This makes it very easy for curious children to lick and taste the gel. The use of hand sanitizer by children should be supervised by an adult. The notion that children can get drunk from licking their hands after application is false. In a healthy toddler, it would take much more than the dime-sized amount typically used to sanitize hands. Abuse of hand sanitizers for the high alcohol content is very different from a curious child licking the gel. If you know of an adult or teen who’s gotten sick from abusing hand sanitizer, call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-2221222. The poison center is open all day, every day for poisoning emergencies and questions.

More people for the COVID vaccine waiting list

By Sandra Jordan

Of The St. Louis American

On March 15, Missouri

Governor Mike Parson says he will open up the COVID vaccinations to individuals in Phase 1B - Tier 3 of the state’s COVID-19 Vaccine Plan. In a news release it says newly eligible will include

Vaccine

Continued from A12

and whether they should get it. How do you hope your involvement in developing the vaccine will help ease those concerns?

Mensah: The history of clinical testing with Black folks in particular, the Tuskegee experiment, I think it’s a good reason why Black people have been skeptical about vaccines and pharmaceutical companies in general. But I think, you know, since that experiment and over time, I think there have been significant improvements in that process. And there’s been lots of work that has been put in place such that those types of experiments will not happen again. What I can say is that, you know, it started with the clinical trials, right. As part of that trial, Pfizer really made a huge effort to try to recruit as many Black people as possible as part of the trial. And I believe at last count, we were almost 10% of Black

“K-12 educators and school employees; child care providers; grocery store employees; and energy, food, agriculture, and other critical infrastructure workers, among others. With the activation of Phase 1B - Tier 3, approximately 550,000 more Missourians will be eligible for the vaccine.”

folks in the clinical trial, which is really important. What I can say is that, you know, at least for me, working at a company like Pfizer, and being a part of the team that really developed this product, I have every confidence in it. Right? I have personally taken it, and I’m doing fine.

The reality is – Black people are more impacted by this than any other group. And so, the only way we get out of this is through vaccination. I was just reading the news that the life expectancy for Black people is down by 2.7% from 2019 to 2020. And a big part of it is because of the COVID-19 disease. And so the only way — the only way — we get out of this is through vaccination.

Lewis-Thompson: What needs to happen in order to make the vaccination process more efficient?

Mensah: As you know, Pfizer in essence distributes the vaccines to the government, and the government is responsible for making sure that it gets to people. So what we have been trying to do on our part is to ensure that we

This is despite the fact there are thousands of people who are still on waiting lists to get their vaccines who were eligible in previous tiers.

The state is expecting 50,000 doses of the new Johnson & Johnson Jansen COVID-19 vaccine this week, approved last weekend for Emergency Use

produce as much as possible because we know that the supply has been limited. And so there’s significant effort to try to increase throughput. And in fact, with our CEO and the president at our main site in Kalamazoo, it was announced that we can increase nearly double our productivity and increase throughput by twofold.

So from our end, I think what we can do is continue to improve on the process and get as much vaccine out there as possible. The other thing that came out, which is critical, at least from the supplier end as well, is the fact that right now, we have just recently submitted data that shows that our vaccine can be stored at regular freezer temperature at pharmacies. And so, that should really help in a significant way on the distribution of the vaccines to the govern-

Authorization. Parson said he will get them out throughout the state.

“During these initial weeks that the Janssen vaccine is available, we will be allocating it across all current delivery channels providing vaccinations for Missourians,”

Governor Mike Parson said. “Hospitals, local public health

ment and to pharmacies.

Lewis-Thompson: The Biden administration has asked manufacturers to speed up their process, and you mentioned that Pfizer is doing so. How much more vaccine can the company produce in the coming months? And will that allow us to reach herd immunity by the summer?

n You want to work on things that are impactful. But the impact of this one is especially significant, because it’s not just a small patient. The whole world—the whole world—is a patient.

Mensah: I believe Pfizer had supplied over 40 million doses of the vaccine to the government. Our hope is that by the end of March, we would have 120 million doses delivered. And by the end of May, we will have 200 million doses delivered. That is really two months ahead of our schedule. And so I think we’ve just signed another deal for another $100 million, and I’m sure that will follow soon after that. And so there’s been significant effort, really. I mean, I think

agencies, federally-qualified health centers and mass vaccination clinics will be included in the plan to distribute the Janssen vaccine so local providers can help determine which populations could be best served with a single-dose regimen.”

Tuesday, President Joe Biden moved up his estimate by two months, saying there will be enough COVID-19 vaccine for every adult in the U.S. by the end of May, and he is directing states to prioritize teacher vaccinations to help reopen schools and to return students to the classroom.

we started off slow, but we’ve made significant improvements, to try to get as much out there as possible. So, you know, I’ve heard the government says, you know, between us and Moderna, I believe there should be about 600 million doses by July. And hopefully if all of that is used, it will lead towards getting us to a stage where this will not be an issue.

You want to work on things that are impactful. But the impact of this one is especially significant, because it’s not just a small patient. The whole world—the whole world—is a patient.

Lewis-Thompson: There have been some mutations already with the coronavirus. How effective is the existing vaccine against coronavirus mutations?

Mensah: Thus far, we have done some in vitro test tube studies with our vaccine against the South African variant and the UK variant. And in both cases, we’ve seen a really strong immune response towards that. And that makes us believe that our vaccine is likely to work against those

two variants. Also, real world data from Israel and from the UK seems to indicate that our vaccine is very effective against the UK variant. So we haven’t started formal studies yet. But you know, I think as our CEO and many of our leaders have stated before, we are really working to set the foundation, the groundwork such that if there is any strain of the virus that has mutated, that we will be ready to develop a new vaccine even faster than we did the first one to work against it.

Lewis-Thompson: How do you think you’ll look back on this moment in time, many years down the road?

Mensah: Years from now, many people will still be talking about the pandemic. And to be able to say that in your own little way, in your small part, you helped the world to get to a stage where we overcame this pandemic, I think that is the pinnacle of a career in my mind. That you helped make the world better. Follow Marissanne on Twitter: @Marissanne2011

The use of hand sanitizer by children should be supervised by an adult.

NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION

NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION

Planting the Seeds for Success!

Nutrition Challenge:

GRAINS

What Is ASize?Serving

Keep ‘em Whole!

PRESENT:

Do

Warm Up & Cool Down

This. Not That!

reasons.

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

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

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

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

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids Kids

are popcorn, wheatberries, brown rice and wild rice.

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

Learning Standards:

Cocoa Puffers Cereal

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

Learning Standards: HPE 2,

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

Melissa Douglass, MSW

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

> How bullying hurts others.

> What to do if you are bullied.

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

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

Instead of watching TV — ride your bike with friends. Can you think of other ways to be more active? Going outside and staying active not only increases your heart rate and burns calories, but it also helps you build friendships!

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

Learning Standards:

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

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1

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

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

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

> What to do if you see someone else bullied.

> What to do if YOU are the bully.

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

> What other ice hazards are there?

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

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 4

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

Cracker-wiches

Easy Hummus Dip

Ingredients:

Ingredients: 8 Saltine crackers 4 Tbsp Peanut butter

2 Large Strawberries

1 15-Oz Can Garbanzo beans

1 Garlic clove, crushed

1 Tbsp Honey (optional)

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

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

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

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

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

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

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

Deborah Edwards, School Nurse

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

Families continue science investigation activities at home.

“Future Engineer” Oliver “Ollie” Moser, 5, designs and creates a mechanical Super Shark with power jets on its side.

Bacteria Are Everywhere!

Bacteria are everywhere! They are the smallest living organism on Earth and they are made of only one cell. That cell is surrounded by a cell wall to protect it. Some bacteria have hairs called pili, and some bacteria have long threads called flagella. Bacteria are divided into three groups, depending on their shape. Cocci bacteria are round, bacilli bacteria are straight, and spiral bacteria have a corkscrew shape. Bacteria live in colonies and can reproduce very quickly, about once every 20 minutes.

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

Background Information:

Some bacteria cause disease, like tuberculosis, tooth decay, salmonella, E. coli, cholera, and many more. However, bacteria can also be helpful. An example of helpful bacteria is the bacteria found in yogurt and cheese. This helps our stomach process food. Bacteria can also be used to create some types of medicine. To learn more interesting facts about bacteria, read the “Did You Know” section (below).

Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text for main idea and supporting details.

Create a Light Box!

In this experiment, you will learn about attributes of light.

Materials Needed:

• 4 Plastic Clean Bottles (such as 16-20 ounce water/soda bottles) • Water • Tape

• Scissors • Large Cardboard Box • Food Coloring • Foil • Plastic Cups (to fit over bottles) • Note Book

Process:

q Fill the bottles with water. Add food coloring to three of the bottles.

w Trace the bottom of the bottles on the top of the box and cut 4 holes.

e Put tin foil on the top of the box to help light reflect into the bottles.

r Cut a hole in the side of the box to look inside.

t Push the bottles into the 4 holes. The top of the bottle will still be above the top of the box. Cover the tops of the bottles with a cup.

y Look through the side of the box and observe how the light looks as it moves through the different colors. Record your findings in the notebook.

Reflect: Which colors tend to absorb light? How do the light rays bend and expand as the sun shines? For more information, read about light refraction.

For A Light Refraction Video, Visit: http://www. dailymotion.com/video/x2rvd3j.

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

In today’s biography, you learned about a method that helped make water safe to drink. Water is a liquid that is measured in ounces, cups, pints, etc. Use this chart to answer the following questions.

8 oz = 1 cup 2 cups = 1 pint

4 cups = 1 quart

8 cups = 1/2 gallon 16 cups = 1 gallon

African -American Inventor and Engineer

Emmett Chappelle

SCIENCE STARS MATH CONNECTION

Emmett W. Chappelle was born in Phoenix, Arizona, on October 24, 1925. He grew up on a small farm and helped his family raise cotton and take care of cows. In 1942, Chappelle graduated from Phoenix Union Colored High School. After graduation, he was drafted into the army. He was able to take some engineering courses when he was assigned to the Army Specialized Training Program. Later, he was sent to Italy with the All-Black 92nd Infantry Division. Upon his return to the US, Chappelle earned his associate’s degree from Phoenix College, then used his GI Bill of Rights to receive his bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of California, in 1950.

From 1950 to 1953, Chappelle worked as an instructor at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. He continued his research. The University of Washington offered him an opportunity to continue his research with them while he earned a master’s degree in biology. Chappelle was an eager student and he continued taking graduate classes at Stanford University. From there, Chappelle went to Baltimore to join the Research Institute for Advanced Studies. He worked on creating a safe oxygen supply for astronauts. He also worked for Hazelton Laboratories and joined NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. His research focused on the study of luminescence (light without heat). He used chemicals from fireflies as part of his method of detecting life on Mars. This method of using light created by living organisms is called bioluminescence. Chappelle used this method to detect bacteria in water.

In 2001, Chappelle retired from NASA. He has fourteen patents, and has written more than 35 scientific publications. He has been honored as one of the top 100 African-American scientists and engineers, has received an Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal from NASA, and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, in 2007.

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

x Elizabeth bought a ½ gallon of lemonade for her birthday party. She has 5 guests. If each guest is given 1 cup of lemonade, how many cups of lemonade will be left?

c Steven chose a gallon of milk at the store. If he uses 2 cups of milk for a

z Water is essential for good health. You should drink 8-10 cups of water per day. If you drank 8 cups of water, how many ounces of water did you drink?______ How many pints of water did you drink? ______ How many quarts of water did you drink? ______ How many gallons of water did you drink?

DID YOU KNOW?

recipe and drinks 2 cups of milk, how many quarts of milk does he have left?

v How many ounces of fluid are in one pint? ______

b If you have a 16-ounce sports drink, how many pints do you have?

Learning Standards: I can use addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to solve a word problem. I can covert units of liquid measurement.

This special Newspaper In Education initiative is made possible, and delivered to classrooms, through

MAP CORNER

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

Activity One Numbers in the newspaper can be written a variety of ways. Can you find an example of a numeral, a number written as a word, a decimal, a percentage, a fraction, a roman numeral? Can you find an example of a metric number? Explain how the numbers were used in the newspaper.

Activity Two — Circle 12 words in the newspaper that begin with a capital letter. Discuss why each word begins with a capital letter. Then, identify which of those words are proper nouns. Divide the proper nouns into categories of person, place, thing, or idea.

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can identify the purpose of capitalization and classify information.

Missouri House committee votes to forgive federal unemployment debts

Government Oversight Committee unable to find solution for overpayments from state fund

By Rudi Keller The Missouri Independent

Thousands of Missourians facing repayment of mistakenly paid unemployment benefits would get some relief under legislation passed with a bipartisan vote Wednesday in a Missouri House committee.

The bill, which will likely be debated on the House floor next week, would forgive debts due to overpayments from federal coronavirus relief programs but would not stop collections on debts to the state’s regular unemployment fund.

The House Special Committee on Government Oversight voted 7-1 in favor of the bill, which combines seven bills sponsored by Republicans and Democrats. The committee, by the same vote, also approved a resolution calling on Gov. Mike Parson to direct the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to halt collection efforts for debts due to federal relief aid.

The lone opposition vote came from state Rep. Dirk Deaton, R-Noel. During the vote on the bill, Deaton said he was concerned that the bill is too generous and fails to define what constitutes fraud to obtain benefits.

“I think this issue is more complex than might be first seen on the surface,” Deaton said. “I think there are many problematic aspects from pursuing this course of legislation.”

Starting in March 2020, Missouri began paying hundreds of thousands of new unemployment claims as businesses shed workers because of the COVID-19 economic slowdown. In addition to regular state benefits, which pay

a maximum of $320 per week, the federal CARES Act created new programs that expanded who was eligible and provided supplements to regular payments.

From April to the end of July, for example, anyone who qualified for at least $1 in weekly payments from the regular unemployment program or the federal programs that expanded eligibility also

received $600 per week in supplemental benefits. Exactly how much is owed to each fund is uncertain.

In a Feb. 11 letter to Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Director Anna Hui, state Sen. Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur, wrote that information she was provided indicated more than 36,500 people have received letters demanding repayment

and the total amount sought is $64.8 million. Other reports have put the amount closer to $100 million.

The split between debt owed the regular unemployment fund, which is financed by taxes on a portion of business payrolls, is also uncertain, but during discussion Wednesday lawmakers said about 80 percent was owed to federal programs.

The federal guidance to states on the federal programs, issued about one week after the CARES Act was passed, says that states can waive debts if repayment is “contrary to equity and good conscience.”

Leaders

Continued from A11

virtual Emerging Leaders cohort last fall.

Although the organization was met with challenges in restructuring its format, Williams said they still did a great job with implementing it.

“They did a great job of staying connected and curating

Ville

Continued from A11

still home to the yearly Annie Malone May Day Parade. It is still home to a new clinic and is a local historic site. But much of what Hughes called the “grandeur” of the Ville is gone, as it has filled up with abandoned lots and decaying buildings – more abandoned lots, according to 72-year Ville

The bill would forgive all federal overpayments that were not obtained by fraud. However, during committee discussions, one of Deaton’s objections was that the bill does not define what is and what is not fraud.

Hui told the House Bedget Committee last month that only about 3 percent of overpayments were due to what the department considers to be fraud. Most were mistakes, either for payments begun before a person’s full employment history was available or for other reasons.

In his public statments, Parson has been adamant that the entire debt be repaid.

There’s no relief for over-

diversity of leadership from gender to race,” Williams said.

“I enjoyed having the opportunity to utilize the virtual features of breakout rooms, large groups and breakout rooms with smaller groups. My cohorts and I formed a great bond during and after the program.”

FOCUS Emerging Leaders program launched in 2012.

payments to the regular state unemployment fund because the issue is a difficult one, said Committee Chairman Jered Taylor R. Republic.

During hearings on the bills last week, members discussed whether the state could repay the fund from CARES Act funding that covers extraordinary costs to the state due to the pandemic. That money has been used to pay prison guards, purchase equipment for first responders and hospitals and set up mass testing, among other needs. During a special session in November, lawmakers approved depositing up to $500 million in unspent CARES Act money in the state unemployment fund to avoid returning it to the federal treasury.

“Right now that doesn’t appear to be an option,” Taylor said.

Before the vote, the committee had a public hearing on one of the seven bills. The sponsor, state Rep. Rachel Proudie, D-Ferguson, told members about a constituent released from prison in the fall of 2019 who lost his job with a school dictrict in March 2020.

Proudie said a colleague, Rep. Scott Cupps, R-Shell Knob, spoke with the man and helped him step back from that step.

“We have citizens in this state who are deciding whether or not ending their life for the sake of us sending money back to the federal government to no benefit is a better solution,” Proudie said. “And I don’t know what to tell them about that.”

The other committee members said they understood the stress on that family.

“Tell him to hang on,” state Rep. J. Eggleston, R-Maysville said. “We’re going to get him help as quick as we can.” Republished with permission of the ttps://missouriindependent.com/2021/02/17/ missouri-house-committee-votes-to-forgive-federal-unemployment debts/.

FOCUS is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to sharing directorial resources and improving the qualitative traits of how a leader should be.

For more information about FOCUS, visit its website: https://www.focus-stl.org/

More than 450 professionals across various sectors have completed the program. As of today, FOCUS has 10,000 alumni from all programs combined with more than 70% still residing in St. Louis.

resident Julia Allen, than any other neighborhood in the city.

Allen hopes that the Fleur De Lis project will restore the Ville to the place that she fondly calls “my small town” – “A place where you had access to healthcare, education, groceries, commerce, equitable employment, home ownership, recreation, worship, and entertainment for everyone. My small town had homes. Filled with families, where

neighbors knew and helped one another.” In the 1970s, Allen recalled, redlining and economic depletion meant that parts of her “small town” began to disappear, replaced with “high unemployment, spotty city services…and vacant lots.” Advocates of the Ville hope that the new housing and community development project will help offset the trajectory Allen described, and bring her “small town” back.

“At a minimum, we need to build healthy, amenity-equipped communities in which all residents have access to quality education, safe and healthy homes, and access to quality healthcare,” Hughes said. The new homes built through this project will be selling for $180,000 to $250,000.

At the February 12th

groundbreaking ceremony, many recalled former 4th Ward Alderman Samuel Moore, who served as a mentor to Hughes and an advocate of the Ville until his death at age 71 this past year.

“He believed in me,” Hughes said. “It’s because of him that I’m here today. And so it is a great honor to be here, because he’s watching all of this. Alderman, step by step, brick by brick, we are getting it done.”

Photo by Tenor Media LLC

LLManny releases new music with ‘Love Come Down Remix’

By Danielle Brown Of the St. Louis American

Manny “LLManny” Buckner, 29, released the uptempo Latin-infused track, “Love Come Down (Remix)” on Feb. 14. Both the original and remix feature local vocal powerhouses who helped craft a cohesive, soulful masterpiece. Brianna “Be. Be” Brown is on the original and Tonina Saputo, bassist and vocalist is on the remix.

“The person I was dating at the time

influenced me to finish the song because we had a lot of sexual chemistry that we hadn’t acted on,” Buckner said. “I was like ‘hmm, you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into,’ so I talked about it in the song, but I wanted it to still be tasteful.” Producing the song came relatively easy for Stacey Reynolds, better known as ‘VolumeSpeaks,’ who incorporated Buckner’s influences with her own personal

See LLManny, B8

“I’m

going to be

my authentic self to the fullest, everybody may not like it, but you will respect me,”

-

Manny “LLManny” Buckner

An ode to the ‘Godmother of Black opera singers’

Graves remembers legacy of Marian Anderson

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

Before she was an internationally acclaimed soprano and recipient of the famed Grand Prix Lyrique distinction, Denyce Graves was a fourth grader in Washington, D.C. discovering the woman whom she later counted amongst her heroes.

“I learned about Marian Anderson during Black History Week – that was before it was Black History Month,” Graves said. Graves was paying the lesson she learned so many years ago forward as she spoke to area students via Zoom for a “Trailblazers in Opera,” Black History Month event on February 18. The talk and masterclass hybrid which also featured her giving valuable tips and tools to students of opera – including Normandy High School senior Margaret Mischeaux – was a joint effort by Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and the Des Lee Fine Arts Education Collaborative.

n “I learned about Marian Anderson during Black History Week – that was before it was Black History Month.”

- Denyce Graves

Pioneering Black opera singer Marian Anderson was remembered by classical music star Denyce Graves as part of the ‘Trailblazers in Opera’ Black History Month talk and Masterclass presented by Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and the Des Lee Fine Arts Education Collaborative.

as a youngster with those developing their own passion for classical music. Fifteen years after being denied the opportunity to perform at Constitution Hall – which set the stage for the awe-inspiring 1939 performance on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial – Anderson became the first African American to sing at the Metropolitan Opera House. She was also excited to discuss being selected for the

By Sarah Fenske St. Louis Public Radio

William Wells Brown

Ancestral Threads: Art Museum Celebrates Fiber Artists

By

If It Wasn’t for the Women Goes Virtual

Celebrating more than a decade of achievements in the arts, the Saint Louis Art Museum’s If It Wasn’t for the Women panel discussion will be virtual this year. Three phenomenal women will share their art practice through this year’s theme, Ancestral Threads. We invite you to join the conversation on Zoom Webinar from the comfort of your home on March 10, 2021, at 7 pm. This year we have a distinguished panel of interdisciplinary artists using fiber to create innovative works. Nnenna Okore, Song Watkins Park, and Edna Patterson Petty each bring a different perspective to fiber work, incorporating themes of race, environment, and gender into their practice.

Fiber art is a term used to describe works constructed of natural or synthetic fiber-based materials. Fiber art can encompass small textiles and quilts to large-scale installations. The Art Museum’s collection includes local artist Mary Giles’ Copper Strata and internationally recognized works such as Faith Ringgold’s story quilt Jo Baker’s Birthday and Gee’s Bend quilter Lucy Mingo’s Pine Burr Quilt Artist Edna Patterson Petty is a lifelong res-

ident of East St. Louis, known of her quilts and public mosaic art. Patterson Petty graduated from SIU-Edwardsville with a bachelor of fine arts degree in studio art. She later earned her master of fine arts and master’s degrees from the same university in textile arts and art therapy.

Born in Australia and raised in Nigeria, panelist Nnenna Okore creates large installations that integrate life cycle and environment themes. Self-described artist, researcher, and teacher, Okore is currently a professor at Chicago’s North Park University. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and her master’s degree and master of fine arts degrees from the University of Iowa.

A painter by training, Song Watkins Park creates quilted works with central painted portraits. Born in South Korea, Park received her bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Iowa in drawing and painting. She later received a master of fine arts degrees in visual arts locally at the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts, Washington University in St. Louis. Park is currently adjunct faculty at St. Louis Community College. Please join us on March 10, 2021, at 7 pm for the Art Museum’s virtual If It Wasn’t for the Women virtual program. Reservations are required, and you can reserve your space at slam. org/events. You will receive a confirmation email with a unique zoom link to join the program. Capacity for this event is limited, and registration is required. This program is supported by the Mary Strauss Endowment.

Women’s History Month Programs at MHS

By Emily Underwood, Missouri Historical Society

Every March the Missouri Historical Society commemorates Women’s History Month with a slate of programs that share and celebrate the stories of Missouri women, both historical and contemporary. This year’s lineup is a broad array of opportunities to learn about the contributions and experiences of Missouri women. Much of the programming is inspired by the current special exhibit at the Missouri History Museum, Beyond the Ballot: St. Louis and Suffrage, which spotlights groundbreaking and change-making women who shaped this region from the city’s earliest days through the beginning of the 20th century. Many of these stories and more can also be found in the exhibit’s companion book, Groundbreakers, Rule-breakers & Rebels: 50 Unstoppable St. Louis Women, which is available at the Museum Shop and online.

Women’s History Month kicked off on Tuesday, March 2, with “Continuing the Legacy of Empowering Missouri Women,” a panel discussion moderated by St. Louis Public Radio’s Andrea Henderson and featuring panelists Leslie K. Gill, president of Rung for Women; Wendy Doyle, president and CEO of United WE; and Keri Koehler, executive director of the Women’s Foundation of Greater St. Louis. The conversation took dual inspiration from women featured in Beyond the Ballot like Annie Turnbo Malone, who uplifted other women economically and professionally, and United WE’s 2020 Report on the Status of Missouri Women. The panelists discussed the challenges that Missouri women face today, how these challenges have been amplified by COVID-19, and how women are finding ways to support and empower each other. The program was recorded and will be uploaded to the Missouri Historical Society’s YouTube channel under the St. Louis History Live playlist. It’s never too early for kids to start learning about women’s history. Families with children ages 2–5 and early childhood groups can tune in for a “Herstory” storytelling program on Friday, March 5, at 10:30am that will include stories about women like St. Louis native Josephine Baker. On Saturday, March 6, at 11:00am, “Leading Ladies: A Virtual Family Program” will introduce children ages 5 and up to some of the women in Beyond the Ballot through storytelling and games and will help get some of their energy out with a Women’s History Workout. In addition, “We Demand: Voices of St. Louis Women,” a homeschool and virtual learning day, will dive deeper into the diverse stories of Beyond the Ballot on Monday, March 15, from 10:00am to 2:00pm. The day includes fun craft tutorials, a virtual tour of Beyond the Ballot for families, and live webinars engaging students in interactive discussions and investigations into the lives and stories of women who have shaped St. Louis. Registration is required for the webinars. For educators, MHS is offering a special workshop, “An Exploration of Elizabeth Keckley’s Life and World, from the Gateway to the West to the Federal City,” on Wednesday, March 10, at 3:00pm. Keckley was born enslaved in Virginia, purchased freedom for herself and her son, and went on to establish herself as a sought-after

fashion designer and business owner who became the personal dressmaker for Mary Todd Lincoln. Presented in collaboration with Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC, this interactive workshop will focus on Keckley’s story as a lens through which we can explore the complexities of port cities, border states, urban slavery, freedom, and the Civil War. “History is often presented as a list of facts and dates. We can learn so much more when we humanize history by looking at the lives of individuals like Elizabeth Keckley,” says K–12 programs manager Maria Russell. Registration is required. Participants are eligible for one professional development hour upon request. Additional programs include a panel program featuring the youngest woman of color to paddle the length of the Mississippi River (March 4); an exploration of Missouri women’s contributions to military history (March 10); a women’s history walking tour in the Central West End (March 13); and a fascinating look at the ways in which both free and enslaved women experienced life in colonial St. Louis under Spanish, French, and finally, American rule (March 16). The full lineup of programs can be found at mohistory.org and the Missouri History Museum Facebook page. All programs are virtual and free to the public, with the exception of the walking tour. ASL interpretation will be available for the March 2 panel program and the March 6 family program. Advanced registration is required for some programs, as noted on the website.

Victoria McCraven,

Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellow 2020 – 21

Illustration by Rori!

Annie Turnbo Malone

Song Watkins Park

Nnenna Okore Edna Patterson Petty

InSIdE SportS

Lift for Life girls win Class 3, district 4 championship

The date of Wednesday, February 24 will go down in history as a great day in the annals of athletics at Lift for Life Academy.

On this day, both the Hawks’ boys and girls’ basketball teams won district championships for the first time in the school’s history. The girls got things started by defeating St. Pius X 52-32. Junior Taylor Brown led the way with 10 points and 10 rebounds while freshman La’Niya Starks had a team-high 11 points. Senior Na’Teonia Russell had seven points, nine rebounds and four assists.

After the girls’ impressive victory, the Hawks’ boys’ team followed up with a dramatic 23-22 victory over host DuBourg to win their first district championship. The Hawks trailed 22-16 midway through the fourth quarter, but outscored the Cavaliers 7-0 down the stretch to take home the championship trophy. The top player throughout the season for the Hawks has been 6’0” senior guard Rico Singleton. Congratulations to the boys and girls at Lift for Life Academy on making this special history.

Jayson Tatum to start in the All-Star Game

Congratulations to St. Louisan Jayson Tatum, who was recently selected as a starter in the upcoming NBA All-Star Game, which will be held in Atlanta this month. It will be Tatum’s second AllStar Game appearance and first as a starter. He was selected as a reserve, but was elevated to be a starter to replace Kevin Durant, who will be sidelined during the All-Star Break with

The

a hamstring injury. What this also means is that we will have two players from St. Louis starting in the All-Star Game for the first time as Tatum will join fellow Chaminade College Prep grad

Bradley Beal in the lineup. The two former prep All-Americans hooked up in a great game on Sunday where Tatum’s Boston Celtics edged Beal’s Washington Wizards 111-110. The two St. Louisans

the Class 3, District 4 championship. The

first district

showed out in this game as Beal scored a game-high 46 points while Tatum scored 31 points, including the last six points in the final minute to give Boston the dramatic victory.

SportS EyE

for the

Thank you Marv Williams

pro-

Special congratulations go out to Marv Williams, who is retiring after an excellent 40-year career as a basketball

official in the St. Louis area. Williams worked his last game last Thursday night at McCluer North, which happens to be my alma mater. Williams’ tremendous career also spans the years of my basketball career and the careers of my family members. Marv officiated my games at McCluer North in the early 1980’s, my sister Courtney’s games in the mid-80’s and my brother Richard’s games in the mid1990’s. He also worked the games of my three nephews Robin, Austin and Sean, whose careers spanned from 2011-2020. During his stellar career, Williams has worked at the high school, collegiate and junior college levels. He has worked numerous district and sectional contests as well as six Missouri State High School Activities Association state championship games. Marv Williams was not only a terrific basketball official, but also a great man and a class act. He loves interacting with people and he never knew a stranger. Even when he’s calling a game, he still knows how to work the room and communicate with the fans; even during the most intense moments of a game where things can get really hostile. In the later years of his career, Marv has served as a great mentor to many of the young up and coming officials in the area. If you played high school basketball in St. Louis between 1980 and 2020, the chances are great that you’ve had Marv Williams on at least one of your games. I cannot say enough good things about this gentleman. Congratulations again Marv on a wonderful career and the service that you have provided to the young people in our community.

Woods’ car crash puts his life in perspective

Tiger Woods and his SUV took a horrific tumble down a Los Angeles area hill more than a week ago. He is alive and reportedly doing as well as expected. He faces months of rehabilitation before walking with a usual gait. Competitive golf? Maybe never again. The year 2000, when Woods dominated the PGA Tour unlike any golfer before him, is more than two decades ago. Today it seems like 200 years ago. Authorities are saying he is lucky to be alive. He is saying thank you to all his well-wishers and fans. You might want to look up in your Cedars-Sinai Medical Center hospital bed or stare out the window and thank God, Tiger. Woods suffered multiple right leg injuries including open fractures in the tibia and fibula bones, and extensive ankle and foot damage. He has gone through two rounds of surgical procedures. There will be more.

He was first admitted to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center after being transported by ambulance after the crash. Doctors inserted a rod into his leg and pins and screws into his foot and ankle to stabilize them, the centers chief medical officer said.

For what each person might think of him, Woods is part of most of our lives. Had he died Tuesday morning, February 23, it truly would have been a tragedy.

My advice to Tiger Woods today is the same I would have given him two weeks, two years or two decades ago.

“Hey man. Slow down.”

Tiger Talks

Woods’ first public comment following his one-car accident came after several golfers donned a red shirt and black pants during last Sunday’s round of the WGCWorkday Championship in Florida.

“It is hard to explain how

touching today was when I turned on the tv and saw all the red shirts,” he wrote on Twitter.

“To every golfer and every fan, you are truly helping me get through this tough time.” Earlier last week, a statement was posted on behalf of Woods, saying “he was in good spirits.”

Tiger Woods unveiled his Payne’s Valley Golf Course, the first he designed, near Branson, Mo., in late September. Five months later, a terrible auto accident could mean the end of his competitive golf career.

The Woods Roundup

Another read, “Tiger and his family want to thank you all for the wonderful support and messages they have received over the past few days.” While the world is talking, guessing and speculating, I doubt we will hear a lot more from Woods in the next few weeks.

Barely a day had passed before Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said his department would not file charges against Woods in connection with the crash. “He was not drunk. We can throw that one out.” My question is, ‘how did he know?’ Was there a toxicology report?... In comparison, Britt Reid, son head coach Andy Reid and Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach, hit a vehicle on Thursday, Feb. 4 leaving a 5-year-old girl in a coma. He admitted drinking beer sometime before the accident. The results of his blood and toxicology tests had not been released as of Tuesday morning…Woods’ 2021 Genesis GV80 SUV had to be traveling at a high rate of speed to roll more than 700 feet before cascading down an embankment. This is more than two football fields in length and the Gateway Arch is 630 feet tall… The Sheriff’s Department said the downhill section of road where the rollover occurred “is known for a high frequency of accidents.”…

For those who still refuse to wear a seatbelt, let Woods’ crash be a lesson to you. He was wearing his and it almost certainly saved his life… Kobe Bryant died in a L.A. area helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020. Woods’ horrific accident was 13 months later. Had Woods not survived, he would have passed away during Black History Month… After hosting his Genesis Tournament in the L.A. area Feb. 18-21, Woods remained in the L.A. area to film a Discovery series featuring him instructing celebrities on their respective golf games. The Monday before the crash, he worked with actor David Spade actress Jada Pinkett Smith and former NBA star Dwyane Wade The day of the crash, NFL quarterbacks Drew Brees and Justin Herbert were awaiting Woods’ arrival to tape another installment… I still held a belief that Woods could find his way back to great gold and make a late 40s-early 50s push to win a couple more Major tournaments. That dream seems to be over now.

With Alvin A. Reid

Alvin A. Reid

Earl Austin Jr.

With Earl Austin Jr.

Lift for Life girls’ basketball team made history last week by winning

Hawks defeated St. Pius X 52-32 in the championship game. It was the

title

girls’ basketball

gram. The Hawks’ key players included Na’Teonia Russell (10), Daniyah Ward (3) and Kanise Mills (23), shown here in a game against Vashon earlier this season.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Photo courtesy of KOLR10 News

Spiritually Speaking…

Power comes easy when motivated by faith

By James A. Washington

I don’t think. I know one of the most misunderstood concepts in both the secular and the spiritual world is power. Many associate power with money, the ability to buy whatever you want whenever you want.

Others believe that real power is defined by the ability to influence or affect the outcome of any given situation.

The more power you have, the more you can affect the lives of those you come in contact with. In a spiritual sense, the answer to the question of using power for good or evil has profound consequences. When it comes to the power of prayer, or faith, or the ab-

solute power of the Lord, this power thing can become the focal point of some rather intense conversations. According to the Christian faith, God is omnipotent. The truth is most religions of the world give power to the God or Gods that men worship. Christians simply believe El Shaddai is capable of doing anything. He doesn’t have the answer to all things. He is the answer to all things.

It has become crystal clear to me that power comes from truth. There is inherent power in the truth of who Jesus really was, who He really is and who He will always be. That truth brings peace of mind and that peace of mind releases power. I’m not talking about some

ideological rhetorical power that one refers to just to make a point. I’m talking about the power of the truth to withstand the devil and stand up against evil. It gives you real power in the real world.

This is very apparent in the bible as we see in those who believe and then act upon their belief. Then as now, persecution followed these believers. Their very existence was put in jeopardy.

Can you imagine the power derived from defining your very existence in eternal terms? One with God, always was, always will be? That kind of power is all

powerful. That kind of power allows you to confess an unwavering belief in God even in the face of actual death. That kind of power was not available to Peter when first questioned about being Christ’s boy. His fear was so evident when in denying Christ the cock crowed, just as Jesus had predicted. Later, the power that let that same Peter be crucified as a known child of the church is but a small example of divine power realized. Have you ever wondered what gives people the will to do right, to be right, to act right in the face of adver-

sity, temptation and yes, even the threat of death? I guess it would be better to ask have you ever wondered what makes the righteous persevere?

What is it about righteousness that strikes fear in the unrighteous? Why is the happily married man or woman the perfect target for the sinful suitor?

Again, power realized is power exercised in the name of truth, in the name of faith and regardless of how “cliché-ish” it sounds, in the name of love.

History tells us that real power becomes a threat and must be destroyed. Is anybody trying to destroy you? Is anybody or anything trying to kill your spirit and destroy your faith? Is your righteousness under attack?

If not, then maybe you ain’t got no power. If not, maybe you’re not at peace with God. If you were, then everyone around you would know because you would be under attack, a target for temptation and a glorious example of what God can and will do through His representatives here on earth.

Yes, that would be us, you and me. Then whatever comes your way as a Christian is met with the righteous indignation of one who knows the truth, one who has power.

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…”

(Romans 1:16) May God bless and keep you always.

What does the Black Church mean to you? A 21st Century challenge

St. Louis American Staff

“The Black church is where you went to learn about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and so much more.” said Sister Esther Jones, who’s been a member of Christ’s Southern Mission Baptist Church for more than 70 years.

“The Black church was a place where you went to learn how to be an engaged citizen in your community, how to respect our elders, listen and learn in school, how to be an activist,” said Laurel Simpson, former member of the now defunct Saint Michael’s Lutheran Church in Kinloch.

“The church was our home away from home. On Sundays we had Bible School, then main service, then we ate lunch there and then attended afternoon service. We also had Bible study there a couple times a week,” said Lydia Nalls, describing church life at First Baptist Church of Maplewood before it was torn down and replaced by a strip mall. “I’m still a church goer. It’s instilled in me. But so many Blacks have fallen away. And their reasons? Too many to explain.” These are the views of several Black churchgoers in St. Louis.

The Black Church has always been an integral part of Black communities through-

out the country and has gone through many evolutions since the days when White evangelical preachers first started directing their proselytizing to slaves in the late 1700s. During that time, both free Blacks and slaves formed some of the first churches, in varied Christian denominations.

Religion played critical roles in some of the earliest slave revolts, most notably when enslaved Nathanial “Nat” Turner led a group of other slaves and free Blacks on a revolt against slave owners in Virginia in 1831.

During the next hundred years the church played an increasingly central role in all

aspects of Black life and can be credited in building the foundation and drive for the Civil Rights Movement.

But even then, the Black church faced many external challenges, arguably, none more notable than here in St. Louis. In the 1960s, in the span of several years, more than 40 churches were destroyed and tens of thousands of Blacks displaced when Mill Creek Valley, an area west of St. Louis, was demolished for urban renewal.

Many of those churchgoers moved to other areas within the city. Some of the congregations never recovered. There remains a number of very successful Black churches in St. Louis, but

while driving through the heart of the city, it’s impossible to ignore the dozens of churches closed and boarded up, or in disrepair, reflecting the challenged communities they serve.

Black churches have also been negatively impacted by decreases in attendance. A 2019 Pew Research Center Study found, “Regular churchgoers still outnumber those who infrequently or never go to religious services among Black Americans (58% vs. 41%), though the share of people who say they attend religious services a few times a year or less often has risen over the last decade among Black Americans.”

The diversity of Black American religious life is also negatively impacting the Black church. A recently released Pew study “takes a closer look at the religious diversity among Black Americans,” at https://tinyurl. com/43hfhw78.

For a more in depth journey into the history of the Black church in the United States, PBS is streaming the documentary by Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., “The History of the Black Church: This is our Story. This is our song,” at https://tinyurl.com/ sm6e3epr

Columnist James Washington

ACCOUNTING

Full-Time Accounting Assistant

Proficient in Accounts Payable & Excel Spreadsheets. Working knowledge of Accounts Receivable. Understands General Ledger and Financial Reports.

Professional phone etiquette & customer service skills.

Email resume with qualifications and work experience to: rbritt@stlamerican.com

Subject: Accounting Assistant

Or you may mail to: St. Louis American Newspaper

Attn: Accounting Assistant 2315 Pine Street, St Louis, MO 63103 NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE

TEACHER OPENINGS

– DE SMET JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL

Business and Entrepreneurship, AP Biology (part-time) and ACC Forensics (part-time). For more information and to apply, visit https:// www.desmet.org/about/ careers. EOE M/F/D/V.

SAFE CONNECTIONS IS HIRING FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS:

• Full-Time Adult Therapist LPC/LCSW

• Clinical Manager – Support Services LCSW/LPC

• Clinical Manager -Adult Therapy -LPC/LCSW

Full Description and Apply at safeconnections.org

The Mission of Safe Connections is to reduce the impact and incidence of relationship violence and sexual assault through education, crisis intervention, counseling and support services.

FINANCE DIRECTOR

The City of Jennings is accepting applications for the position of Finance Director. Please see the full Job description online at www.cityofjennings.org Application available at Jennings City Hall or online at www.cityofjennings.org. NO RESUMES ACCEPTED WITHOUT COMPLETION OF OUR APPLICATION! Completed applications may be delivered to City Hall, mailed, emailed to jobs@cityofjennings.org or faxed to 314-388-3999. Applications accepted Friday, March 12, 2021 at 5:00 p.m.

PRINCIPAL PLANNER

The City of Clayton is hiring for a full-time Principal Planner. Apply by 3/12/21: https://claytonmo.applicantpro. com/jobs/ EOE

FULL-TIME PLANS EXAMINER

The City of Clayton is hiring for a full-time Plans Examiner. Apply by 3/26/21: https://claytonmo.applicantpro. com/jobs/ EOE

CLIENT ANALYST

HS Diploma. Responsible for processing assigned caseload for the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8). Conducts interviews, orientation sessions for applicants seeking assistance through Section 8. Process changes in client status to vacate, evictions, inspection action notifications, voucher issuance, program terminations, contracts, lease agreements, inspection requests, income changes, interim reviews, housing assistance payment adjustments and/or withholdings. Good communication skills and ability to deal with the public. Must type 30 wpm. Starting Salary $36,855 Annually. Apply or send resume to: St. Louis Housing Authority, HR Division, 3520 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63106 by 5:00 p.m. March 3, 2021 via our website www.slha.org or email athomas@slha.org. A Drug Free Work Place/EOE.

LOCAL UNION #562 ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

Plumbers & Pipefitter’s Local Union #562 will be accepting applications the 1st Tuesday of every month from 8:30am-10:30am. Applications will be available at our Training Center, 3755 Corporate Trail Drive, Earth City, MO 63045. You must be 18 years of age or older, have a high school diploma or a G.E.D to complete an application. A drug-screening test will be required for employment. Random drug and alcohol testing are required thereafter. Please No Phone Calls

HEAD PASTOR

UCM The Church of Jesus Christ, a non denomination Christian church, is seeking a head Pastor. If God led, please submit your resume to info@ucmcojcstl.com with subject Pastor Search. For questions call 314-261-9960 and someone will return your call as soon as possible.

ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL MATH TEACHER

This is a full-time position in the Math Department. Candidates should have a bachelor’s degree, high school teaching experience, and be able to demonstrate readiness to contribute to St. Louis University High’s rigorous college preparatory curriculum. Master’s degree and state certification preferred. Interested candidates must submit a cover letter and resume online. Priority will be given to submissions received before April 30, 2021. https://sluh.aaimtrack.com/jobs/

EDUCATION SPECIALIST

Urban Strategies, Inc is seeking applicants for the Education Specialist position at St. Louis’ Near North Side Choice Neighborhood Plan to view the full job descriptions visit, https://tinyurl.com/ USIEducationSpecialist110 USI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and this position will be funded in whole or in part by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Choice Neighborhood program funds.

Nurses - $70/hr. for Psych, ICU and ER RNs. Immediate & flexible start dates in Centreville, IL. Flexible scheduling available on all shifts. Fully employer-paid medical & dental. Immediate vesting in 401(k) with 6% employer contribution. All nursing backgrounds will be seriously considered. Call Vicki at Worldwide 866 633 3700, x 108.

District of Illinois

required See: www.uscourts.gov/careers

POLICE OFFICER

The City of Creve Coeur is accepting applications for the position of Police Officer. Starting salary is $59,688 w/ excellent benefit package. Applicants must be 21 years of age and POST certified at the time of appointment, have a valid driver’s license, and Associate’s Degree or a minimum of 64 hours of college. Duties include, but are not limited to Community Policing, Patrol, Traffic Enforcement, Enforcement of State and local laws. Application information is available at www.crevecoeurmo.gov. For additional information contact Hiring and Recruiting at 314-274-2106. THE CITY OF CREVE COEUR IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

SALES PROFESSIONAL

Radio Arts Foundation (RAF), branded as Classic 107.3, a St. Louis based not-for-profit classical music radio station, is seeking a Sales Professional to join our management team. This is an exceptional opportunity for a mission-minded, self-motivated, and innovative individual to be an integral part of a growing public media organization

specific projects and tasks; provide information to and assist judges, attorneys, managers and the general public; and other duties as assigned. These duties and responsibilities may be carried out in the Courts Building, as well as other buildings where court services will be provided. Starting Salary: $2954/monthly plus State

Ursuline Academy, a Catholic, college-prep high school for girls located in Kirkwood, MO, is seeking applicants for the following position for the 2021-2022 School Year:

• Full-Time Mathematics Teacher

• Full-Time Science Teacher with an emphasis in Biological Sciences, Masters Degree Preferred

• Full-Time Technology Support Specialist.

• Part-Time Visual Arts Teacher

Submit a resume and letter of interest to resume@ursulinestl.org with the job title in the subject line.

ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH

The person hired for this position will teach a full-time load of English classes in a literature-based curriculum. All four years of the curriculum focus on guiding students in the development of reading and writing skills, with college-model, semester content electives in the senior year. A Master’s degree and teaching experience is preferred, though we welcome any candidate who is passionate about reading, writing and teaching. Candidates will be expected to make a vibrant contribution to the school’s co-curricular program in support of our mission of the educational and spiritual formation for young men.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please send a letter indicating your interest and briefly summarizing your qualifications and experience addressed to school Principal Fr. Ian Gibbons through the school’s Aaimtrack portal at Admin. aaimtrack.com Interested candidates must submit a cover letter and resume online. Priority will be given to submissions received before March 15, 2021. https://sluh.aaimtrack.com/jobs/

CASE MANAGER

STAFF RN

Excellent computer skills a must! Please provide cover letter and resume to hr@nursesfornewborns.org

Covenant House Missouri (CHMO) is a non-for-profit organization that welcomes youth who are runaway, at-risk or experiencing homelessness. CHMO is looking for an experienced Case Manager responsible for providing goal oriented support and individualized care and supervision of program youth. Interested applicants can apply by visiting CHMO careers page https://www. covenanthousemo.org/ work-for-chmo

INVITATION TO BID:

Blackline Design and Construction is seeking qualified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE’s) & Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE’s) proposals for the interior and exterior renovations (multi-family conversion) of a former medical office building located at 1500 S. Grand, St. Louis, MO 63104. Scope consist of: Demolition, Abatement, Excavation/Grading, Concrete Foundations/Flatwork, Masonry, Aluminum Fence, Gates, & Operators, Metal Railing, Carpentry, Lumber, Casework, Millwork, Countertops, Materials, Mailbox, Building Signage, Doors/Frames/Hardware, Windows/ Film/Glazing, Appliances, Metal Stud Framing, Drywall, Insulation, Flooring, Tile, Roofing, Sheet Metal, Gutters, Downspouts, Painting, Plumbing, HVAC, Electrical, Fire Protection, Fire Extinguishers & Cabinets, Fill, Finish Grading, Landscaping, Plantings, Asphalt Parking Lot, Steel Bollards

Site walks scheduled for: 2/24/21: 3pm-5pm, 3/1/21: 10am-12pm, 3/4/21: 3pm-5pm, 3/9/21: 10am-12pm. Proposals are due via email by close of business Thursday, 3/11/21. For details and more information, contact Jenny McKie at: jmckie@blacklinestl.com or (314) 391-8900.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Advantes Construction, LLC, is seeking qualified small, disadvantaged, minority, and women’s businesses for the Paincourt Lofts redevelopment project. Opportunities include, but are not limited to, demolition, concrete, masonry, carpentry, doors, windows, roofing, finishes, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, drywall, flooring, painting, signage. All negotiations must be complete by bid opening date of March 15, 2021 @ 10:00AM. A copy of current SBE/DBE/ MBE/WBE certification must accompany any written proposal or quotation, as well as bidder’s MBE/WBE status with the City of St. Louis. For plans and bid documents, email company and contact name to bwright@advantesgrp.com.

ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

St. Louis Community College will receive separate sealed bids for CONTRACT NO. . F 21 402, Replacement of Library Elevator at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park Campus, until 2:00 p.m. local time Tuesday March 30, 2021 Bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at the office of the Manager of Engineering and Design, 5464 Highland Park, St. Louis, MO 631101314. Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from the Manager’s office, at the above address or by calling (314) 644-9770.

PREBID MEETING: March 15, 2021

10:00 am, Forest Park, Library Entrance

An Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The St. Louis Economic Development Partnership solicits proposals from qualified firms to host and maintain its website, including 24/7 technical assistance, and to perform various website development projects as directed. The requested services shall be for a one-year period with two successive options for the Partnership to renew for terms of one year each. A copy of the complete RFP is available at https://stlpartnership.com/ rfp-rfq/. A five percent bid preference may be available to certified MBE firms. To be considered, proposals must be received no later than 3:00 PM CST on Friday, March 26, 2021.

St. Louis Economic Development Partnership Equal Opportunity Employer

ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

St. Louis Community College will receive separate sealed bids for CONTRACT NO. F 21 201, Replacement of Front Walk at St. Louis Community College at Corporate College, until 2:00 p.m. local time Tuesday March 9, 2021. Bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at the office of the Manager of Engineering and Design, 5464 Highland Park, St. Louis, MO 63110-1314. Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from the Manager’s office, at the above address or by calling (314) 644-9770. An Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

CITY OF ST. LOUIS CLEAN ENERGY DEVELOPMENT BOARD

The Clean Energy Development Board of the City of St. Louis will receive sealed proposals for Administrator Services for the Set the PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) St. Louis Program. The scope of work includes general program management, marketing, tracking and reporting of program performance, and to ensure PACE project compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws.

Proposals will be received until 5:00

PM on March 31, 2021 at 1520 Market Street, Suite 2000, St. Louis, MO 63103.

The complete Request for Proposal is at https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/ government/departments/sldc/documents/ request-for-proposals-foradministration-services.cfm

The expected contract start date for the successful respondent is July 1, 2021.

Respondents must take affirmative action to ensure that employees & applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of their race, sex, marital status, color, age, religion, sexual orientation, familial status, disability, national origin, or ancestry.

RFP – EXTENDED DEADLINE

The St. Louis County Port Authority (the “Port”) has extended the deadline to submit proposals to perform certain landscaping, maintenance, snow-removal, and debris-removal services for various real property parcels located in St. Louis County. The requested services shall be for a one-year period with two successive options for the Port to renew for terms of one year each. A five percent bid preference may be available to certified MBE firms. A copy of the RFP is available at https://stlpartnership.com/rfp-rfq/ Proposals must be received no later than 3 PM CST on Wednesday, March 10, 2021.

St. Louis Economic Development Partnership Equal Opportunity Employer

PUBLIC NOTICE

World Trade Center St. Louis is seeking applications for instructors to teach in the Chancellor’s Certificate in International Trade program. Instructors are needed for six International Trade subjects. To learn about requirements, visit: www.worldtradecenter-stl. com. Interested applicants should reply ty 5PM (CST), March 12, 2021. Equal Opportunity Employer.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for White And Rosalie I/I Reduction And Bridgeport Sewer Separation under Letting No. 11212-015.1, at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on Friday, March 19, 2021 Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualified by the District’s Engineering Department for: Deep Sewer Construction Brentwood Drain Layers License Required

Plans and Specifications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.”

in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid. The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

BID NOTICE

Great Rivers Greenway is seeking Request for Qualifications for Grant Research Grant Writing and Coordination Grant Reporting. Go to www.greatriversgreenway. org/jobs-bids and submit by March 31, 2021.

BID NOTICE

Great Rivers Greenway is seeking Bids for repairs to the handrail and curbs on McKinley Bridge Bikeway. Go to www.greatriversgreenway. org/jobs-bids and submit by March, 15 2021.

SEALED BIDS

B i d s f o r C

n

Improvements, Environmental Control Center, P r o j e c t N o . O2114-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 3/25/2021 via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered to bid.For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Aging Ahead invites proposals and bids for: transportation services, frozen meal home delivery, evidence-based programming, and primary vendor within counties of St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson and Franklin.

Awards to be made are governed by Titles III of OAA regulations and specifications of the US Dept. of HHS, Missouri Div. of Senior and Disability Services and Aging Ahead

The contract period will be July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. Contracts may be extended up to three fiscal years. Specifications and proposal packets may be obtained at Aging Ahead office beginning noon, February 22, 2021, 14535 Manchester Road, Manchester, Missouri, 63011, 636-207-0847 or online at https://www.agingahead.org/who-we-are/ financials/. Closing date for receipt of proposals is March 26, 2021 at 4:00pm. Agency reserves right to accept or reject any or all proposals.

BID NOTICE

Great Rivers Greenway is seeking the services of qualified professionals for Pre-Construction and Construction Management Services for multiple Greenway Projects. Go to www.greatriversgreenway.org/ jobs-bids and submit by March 11, 2021.

NOTICE TO CONSULTANTS

Palisades Drive Culvert C-3-260 0.26 miles W of Hunt Avenue St. Louis County Project No. CR-1781

• Twillman Avenue Culvert C-1-127 0.30 miles E. of Bellefontaine Road St. Louis County Project No. CR-1777

Full details for this project, including submittal requirements and deadline, will be available on March 1, 2021 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouisco.com)

ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

St. Louis Community College will receive separate sealed bids for CONTRACT NO. F 21 502, Childcare Canopy Repair and Drainage Improvements at St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley Campus, until 2:00 p.m. local time Tuesday March 23, 2021

Bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at the office of the Manager of Engineering and Design, 5464 Highland Park, St. Louis, MO 631101314. Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from the Manager’s office, at the above address or by calling (314) 644-9770.

An Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

CITY OF ST. LOUIS BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS for PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR TESTING AND INSPECTION OF MATERIALS FOR PROJECTS AT ST. LOUIS LAMBERT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. Statements of Qualifications due by 5:00 PM CT, MARCH 24, 2021 at Board of Public Service, 1200 Market, Room 301 City Hall, St. Louis, MO 63103. RFQ may be obtained from BPS website www.stl-bps.org, under On Line Plan Room-Plan Room, or call Board of Public Service at 314-589-6214. 25% & 5% MBE/WBE participation goal.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

City of Crestwood, 1 Detjen Drive, Crestwood, MO 63126 is seeking bids for Whitecliff Park Community Center Phase 4 HVAC and Electrical Improvements Project. Bids due 3/25/2021 by 2:00 p.m. local time by email to jgillam@cityofcrestwood. org. A mandatory pre-bid site meeting will be held on 3/9/21 at 2:00 p.m. local time at 9245 Whitecliff Park Lane, Crestwood, MO 63126. Complete sets of procurement documents may be downloaded from the City of Crestwood website, cityofcrestwood. org. For project questions contact Margaret Bailey at mbailey@bricpartnership.com. CITY OF ST. LOUIS ST. LOUIS LAMBERT

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

We are requesting proposal for the Research Commons-Replace PILC Medium Voltage Cables at the University of Missouri Columbia. Plans are available at Advertisements | PD&C | Campus Facilities | University of Missouri Proposal must be submitted to our office by 12:00 p.m. CT on or before 03/11/21 by either Fax: (573) 556-8777 or by email to kimz@kaisercentralmo.com

If you have any questions, please contact us at (573) 556-6188.

Paric Corporation is seeking proposals for the following project: 100 North Broadway

This is a renovation of the exterior envelope and interior renovations.

The scope of work includes but is not limited to Landscaping, Concrete, Masonry, Waterproofing, Air/Vapor Barrier, Flooring, Painting, Waterproofing, Earthwork, Mechanical , Electrical and Site Utilities.

This project has a diversity participation goal of 20% MBE and 8% combined WBE, DBE.

Bids for this project are due on March 25th at 10:00 a.m. For any questions or would like to find out more detailed information on this opportunity, please contact Matt Davis at 314-307-4214, msdavis@paric.com or John Davis at 314-704-6075 jcdavis@paric.com

All bids should be delivered to Paric via e-mail (bids@ paric.com) or fax (816-878-6249).

PARIC CORPORATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT ST. LOUIS MISSOURI

LEMAY WWTF

SECONDARY BUILDING DRAIN LINE REPLACEMENT (IR) CONTRACT LETTING NO. 13462-015.1 ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for Lemay WWTF Secondary Building Drain Line Replacement (IR) under Letting No. 13462-015.1, at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on April 8, 2021. Bids can be deposited in the bid box located on the First Floor of the District’s Headquarters located at 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103, prior to the 2:00 p.m. bid deadline, or Bidders have the option to electronically submit their bid. Please refer to the Bid Form, page BF-3 for instructions for bidding electronically

A general description of the work to be done under these contract documents can be found in Section 01 11 35 SUMMARY OF PROJECT, of Part 5 –Specifications of the Bidding Documents.

The work to be done under these contract documents consists of:

• Removal and replacement of sanitary and roof drain piping, fittings and valves.

• Removal and replacement of pipe and structural support fasteners.

• Insulating of new piping.

Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualified by the District’s Engineering Department for: Building Contractors or Mechanical/Electrical/ Plumbing Contractors.

The Engineers Opinion of Probable Cost is $ 464,000.00

Plans and Specifications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Specifications are also available for viewing or purchase at Cross Rhodes Reprographics located at 1712 Macklind Avenue, St. Louis MO 63110. All bidders must obtain a set of plans and specifications in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid. The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

A non-mandatory, virtual Pre-Bid Conference will take place via MS Teams on March 22, 2021 at 9:00 a.m., local time. The meeting link and call-in information is provided below.

Meeting Link: Click here 13462 Lemay Drain Line Pre Bid CLICK HERE Call-In Number: +1 636-206-6466,

Conference ID: 258 851 503#

A site visit will not be held. Bidders are encouraged to attend the Pre-Bid conference at 9:00 am on March 22, 2021. OWNER will transmit to all prospective Bidders of record such Addenda as A2 ENGINEER considers necessary in response to questions arising at the Pre-Bid conference, including conference meeting minutes and attendance sign in sheet. Oral statements made during the conference may not be relied upon and will not be binding or legally effective.

SOLICITATION FOR BID (SFB)

Service: Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS)

AUCTION NOTICE

The following people are in debt to Gateway Storage Mall of Columbia & Dupo. The contents of their storage unit(s) will be sold at auction to compensate all or part of that debt. Auction will be held online with www.storageauctions.com starting on March 10, 2021 at 10:30 AM. A cash deposit will be REQUIRED for all winning bids. We will require all units completely cleaned within 72 hours of auction closing. Col. A014 – Sarah Woodard, Dupo 403 – Roy/Amanda Venus, Dupo 418 – Jessica Nixon, Dupo 76 - Jessica Nixon, Dupo 202 – Jim White, Dupo 414 - Kim Anderson, Dupo 85 - Samantha Petry, Dupo 48 - Brandon Whelchel.

For all rules, regulations and bidding process, contact www.storageauctions.com. All other questions, please call 618-421-4022 or mail 17 Royal Heights Center, Belleville, IL 62226.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR MARKET

Spanish Lake Community Development Corporation (SLCDC) seeks proposals from qualified firms to provide market analysis, urban planning and design services related to the Bellefontaine Corridor Study adopted by the St. Louis County Council. To be considered, proposals must be received no later than 5:00 PM CST on Friday, March 19, 2021. For the complete RFP and/or questions, please contact Angela Pinex at angela@spanishlakecdc.org

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE:

Advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, imitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial\status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.“We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.” Call Angelita Houston at 314-289-5430 or email ahouston@stlamerican.com to place your ads today!

ROOMS FOR RENT

and

the 30th anniversary of her being bestowed with the honor. With the award came the invaluable opportunity to meet Ms. Anderson as well as perform for a special concert in Anderson’s hometown of Danbury, Connecticut.

“For me it was if I had stepped into the history books,” Graves said. “[I thought] I learned about you when I was a little girl.” Graves was admittedly nervous when she was hosted by Anderson at her home. “For

Continued from B1 inspirations.

“She’s a big fan of Selena, that’s where the Latin feel comes from, but I had also been very inspired by electric and house music at the time,” Reynolds said. “I combined both sounds together and it created a really dope track.”

us – African American opera singers – she remains the godmother of opera,” Graves said. She was so unsettled that her nerves compelled her to use the restroom. “As I was leaving the ladies room, I could hear the clicking of a walker,” Graves said. It was followed by a booming voice. “‘Are you Denyce Graves?’,” the voice said, according to Graves. “It was the biggest, the roundest, the most resonant, that makes your heart feel like it is going to break through your chest cavity,” Graves said. “I turned around to see this really tiny, frail woman and somehow the power of that voice was still very much intact. It didn’t fit the vessel

that it was coming out of.”

As the two singers spent time together, Graves relished in the opportunity to learn about “Marian Anderson, the woman.” “We all knew about her as the great and mighty artist that she was,” Graves said. “She was herself quite a shy woman – very unassuming. She said to me that she didn’t want to become the face of the Civil Rights Movement.”

But her voice had the power to compel then First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt to act in her defense. Upon hearing the news of Anderson’s denial, Roosevelt resigned from the DAR and played a role in coordinating the 1939 outdoor Easter concert on the National Mall that was

attended by 75,000. Graves was tapped to reenact the iconic performance in commemoration of the concert’s 70th Anniversary in 2009.

“She had this wonderful instrument that carried with it so much DNA of who she was and what was in her heart – and that was that she really wanted everyone to unite and love and respect each other,” Graves said. “I swear you can hear that in her singing. One of the things that makes singing so great and music so great is that it is a universal language and it is a great unifier. It reaches us in places that words cannot.” Graves felt tremendously honored and privileged to sit across the table from

Anderson and talk about what was important to her. Anderson paved the way for so many in the field of opera, including St. Louisans Robert McFerrin – who was the first African American to sing at the Met – and fellow diva Grace Brumbry.

Graves shared with the audience that she had a “delightful” phone conversation with Brumbry, and they discussed Anderson’s contributions –which served as a precursor of sorts to the talk and masterclass.

They discussed what it must have been like for Anderson to attempt to share her gift with the world, only to be met with racial terror.

“It took a tremendous amount of spiritual strength and tenacity and having a foundation and strength,” Graves said. Gravers felt that Anderson being reared in the church was no accident in preparation for the doors she was forced to open and ceilings she had to break as a pioneering Black woman opera singer.

“She needed to have that foundation and strength for her journey,” Graves said. “To be able to withstand everything that was coming against you from everybody, it was incredibly difficult. But I will say this: When she opened her mouth to sing, that changed the people’s hearts.”

Continued from B1

slaved people in the area whose paths intersected with him.

For Andrew J. Theising, treasurer of the historical society and the editor of its new book on slavery, “In the Walnut Grove: A Consideration of the People Enslaved in and Around Florissant, Missouri,” connecting Brown to Florissant was a revelation.

“The William Wells Brown

Buckner released “Love Come Down,” and its remix in addition to “Pep Talk,” which will be on her upcoming album, “Drugs, Liquor & Perfume,” which drops in May. She took the feeling of boredom from engaging in mundane routines during the quarantine and turned it into motivation for new content.

“Probably like the first two and a half weeks of quarantine, I was in a rut. I’d wake up,

narrative is so interesting,” he explained on a recent St. Louis on the Air. “In reading Brown’s work, it was very clear that he was speaking about north county. … As I was reading these names I realized, ‘That’s a north county name’ and ‘That’s a north county road.’ With a little more research it was very clear that he really was enslaved right here not far from Florissant.”

Overall, Brown had nothing good to say about the people he interacted with locally. “I cannot find a good master in the whole city of St. Louis, because there are no good mas-

watch tv, go to sleep, do it all over again,” Buckner said. “I revisited some old beats I had in my inbox and I used them as ways to cope and develop new sounds.”

The album’s theme comes from Buckner identifying the coping mechanisms she’s noticed some people have adopted during these unparalleled pandemic times.

“Drug users have a temporary, false sense of confidence

ters in the state,” he wrote.

Theising explained that “In the Walnut Grove” was inspired by the 1619 Project at the New York Times, which won the Pulitzer Prize for its examination of slavery’s role in the nation’s history.

“I was thinking after reading that series that I knew a lot about the history of slavery in St. Louis generally, but I didn’t know a lot about it in places like Florissant and elsewhere in north county,” said Theising, who is also a professor of political science at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. “And

when they indulge in whatever their poison is,” Buckner said. “Some people have to take a couple shots, so they can feel themselves. Others are interested in feeling good and looking good, that’s where the perfume comes into play.”

Nicknamed the Empress of Hip-Hop Soul for her graceful, commanding presence, she has been making music for more than five years, but she began taking it more seriously with

so I started digging. It was one interesting story after another. A lot of pieces have done small pieces of work, and this book collects it into a single work.”

Theising said the Florissant Valley Historical Society was immediately on board for the project. He cited the Ferguson Report for pushing museums and cultural institutions to examine their own histories of racism. The 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson took place just a few miles from Florissant.

“This is our contribution, really, to implementing the Fer-

her 2017 extended play release, “Esta Fuego.” She followed up with “Soul Glo,” in 2018, and has continued to make music.

“I felt like then, at the age of 27, I knew enough about myself to put out a positive message to the world rather than just about what’s trending,” Buckner said. Growing up, Buckner listened to a lot of Missy Elliott and Lauryn Hill, seeing how they carried themselves as Black, empowered women who didn’t have to be overly sexy

guson Report, to be a place that starts a very important conversation,” he said.

The historical society operates Taille de Noyer, the historic home on the property of McCluer High School. The oldest sections of the stately Florissant house have been standing since at least 1790, making it one of the oldest remaining homes in St. Louis County. In the book, the historical society stresses the need to remember the enslaved people who made homes like Taille de Noyer function.

Describing the home today,

resulted in her having the same approach in her artistry.

“I’m going to be my authentic self to the fullest, everybody may not like it, but you will respect me,” Buckner said. Buckner is a 2009 graduate of Central Visual and Performing Arts High School.

LLManny’s music is available on all streaming platforms. Find out more at https://llmanny.com/home.

the book explains: “The back stairs of the old house show the wear of two centuries. The old hardwood treads are worn smooth and dipped in the middle. Let us remember that some of the feet on those steps did not walk there by choice, that some of the hands on the handrail were being summoned for service. It is a magnificent old house that accommodated two very different realities.” Republished with permission of content partner St. Louis Public Radio.

Summer cAmpS Summer cAmpS

As we celebrate Black History Month, we pay tribute to all the great leaders of color who have made significant contributions to our society. Even when faced with adversity and racism, they persevered, broke barriers and worked to better our country – often while fighting for equality. While more opportunities exist for African Americans today than generations before, the injustices of racial and income inequality are still evident, especially when it comes to access to high-quality college education. That’s why nonprofit, fully online university WGU Missouri is committed to providing equal opportunities in higher education to adults who dream of earning a college degree but have faced challenges that have prevented them from moving forward.

for creativity, sports and recreation,

n The university offers more than 60 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in the high workforce need areas of business, education, IT and health professions, including nursing.

WGU, which is celebrating eight years since it was established in Missouri by Gov. Jay Nixon, consistently receives recognition for its efforts educating and graduating minority student populations. The university is committed to providing students of all backgrounds with access to affordable, high-quality, career-boosting education. Most of the university’s students are underserved, and approximately 40 percent of graduates are among the first generation in their families to complete college. These students –who may not have otherwise been able to complete a degree through traditional means – have found success at WGU. The university offers more than 60 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in the high workforce need areas of business, education, IT and health professions, including nursing. Its industry-leading, competency-based structure allows students to leverage previous education, training and work experience to graduate faster. Most students work fulltime and raise families, and WGU’s innovative model allows them to move quickly through material they already know and focus on what they still need to learn, accelerating degree completion at low cost. WGU’s tuition is about $3,500 per six-month term, and it provides scholarships to many students to make tuition even more affordable. In honor of its 8th anniversary, WGU Missouri is awarding $400,000 in scholarships to new students enrolling in any of the university’s undergraduate or graduate degree programs. The scholarships – valued at $8,000 each – are just one example of how WGU is working to make

WGU, C6

Summer Day Camp at Boys & Girls Clubs is June 14 - Aug.

6

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis is offering area kids and teens another summer of friends, activities and exploration with summer day camps. Boys & Girls Clubs are operating in accordance with all health and safety protocols and will continue to do whatever it takes to give each child the best summer experience possible. Offered at 10 locations in Missouri and Illinois for campers ages 6-18, summer camp runs from 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. from Mon., June 14 to Fri., August 6.

BGCSTL offers one of the most affordable, comprehensive, extended, high quality summer day camp programs in the St. Louis region. Its

n BGCSTL offers one of the most affordable, comprehensive, extended, high quality summer day camp programs in the St. Louis region.

summer campers, ages 6-18, are exposed to a variety of learning and participate in educational, recreational, and social activities as well as field trips, social recreation, and cultural activities on-site and in the community. Camps also includes a nutritious breakfast and lunch.

Campers will find trained and

professional camp staff who will listen and guide them throughout the summer, plus opportunities for creativity, sports and recreation, swimming, teen and STEM programs; and music studio. New this year is Esports, an organized form of competitive tournaments with video games where players face teams (Or, most commonly,

a multiplayer online video game competition).

Summer campers who are interested in writing, producing or singing will enjoy the Music Studio program led by Grammy Award-winning producer/ songwriter Alonzo ”Zo” Lee. Students will be fully engaged in the songwriting/recording process and create a song from start to finish.

Youth who aspire to become coders, graphic designers, 3D animators or game developers will have access to our newly

See BOYS & GIRLS, C7

St. Louis ReCAST has announced its fifth round of community projects, and among them are fun and meaningful summer activities for kids who want to learn more about the arts, health, relationships, and careers.

ReCAST (Resiliency in Communities after Stress and Trauma) is a federal grant program that supports efforts to promote mental health, peer support, youth engagement, and violence prevention in the Promise Zone, a federally designated area that encompasses parts of the city of St. Louis and St. Louis County. Each year, proposed projects are put to a vote. Of course, this

ReCAST (Resiliency in Communities after Stress and Trauma) is a federal grant program that supports efforts to promote mental health, peer support, youth engagement, and violence prevention in the Promise Zone, a federally designated area that encompasses parts of the city of St. Louis and St. Louis County.

Campers will find trained and professional camp staff who will listen and guide them throughout the summer, plus opportunities

swimming, teen and STEM programs; and music studio.

2021 Summer Camp Guide

This listing was provided in partnership with Blueprint4SummerSTL.

Blueprint4Summer is a FREE web app that helps parents find summer opportunities in the St. Louis area for children ages 3-18. You can search their extensive database of thousands of listings by price, age, location, category, etc. at http://blueprint4.com/ stl. This is a small sample of camps offered in the area listed on Blueprint4Summer. All of the camps listed on Blueprint4Summer provide more information about multiple dates and expanded camp offerings not listed here.

Abra-Kid-Abra Camps

Website: http://www.Abrakid.

com Phone: 314-961-6912

Address: 803 Lafayette St. Louis, MO 63119

Camp Description: Abra-KidAbra camps are performing arts camps. Among the performing arts we teach are magic, circus, comedy, balloon art, and theater.

Age Range: 5-12

Cost Range: $115-$197

Aim High St. Louis

Website: https://www.aimhighstl.org

Phone: 314-432-9500

Address: 755 South Price Rd

St. Louis, MO 63124

Camp Description: Aim High

St. Louis is a five-week summer learning program that provides academic, cultural, and personal enrichment for middle school students. Aim High is tuition-free and is currently admitting 5th- and 6th-grade students. Students MUST submit application and be accepted to participate.

Age Range: 10-15

Cost Range: FREE

Artscope

Website: https://www.artscopestl.org/summer-camp-create Phone: 314-865-0060

Address: 2929 Tower Grove Avenue St. Louis, MO 63110

Camp Description: Artscope provides access to the arts from two locations in Tower Grove Park. At Artscope we foster emotional well-being, expansive and intentional inclusivity and environmental harmony through imaginative art, dialogue and visionary play. Age Range: 5-12

Cost Range: $160-$210

Ballwin Parks and Recreation

Summer Camps Website: http://www.ballwin. mo.us/Departments/Parks-andRecreation/Summer-Camps/

Phone: 636-227-8950

Address: #1 Ballwin Commons Circle Ballwin, MO 63021

Camp Description: Ballwin Parks and Recreation’s Summer Camps are safe, affordable and unforgettably fun! Throughout the course of the summer, campers will meet new friends, be physically active, pursue their interests and make lifelong memories. Most camps are held at The Pointe at Ballwin Commons. Age Range: 4-15

Cost Range: $40-$166

Better Family Life - Safe

Passage Urban Rhythms Summer Camp Website: http://www.bflyouth.

org

Phone: 314-367-3440

Address: 5415 Page Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63112

Camp Description: Grounded in the African concept that it takes a village to raise a child; the program seeks to assist parents in the development of healthy and productive children ages 5-18 through dance and drama, field trips, arts and crafts, sports, swimming and much more.

Age Range: 5-16

Cost Range: $125

Bobby McCormack’s Basketball Camp Website: http://schoolyou.com/

index.html

Phone: 314-606-5370

Address: 1071 Purcell Ave. St. Louis, MO 63130

Camp Description: The shooting camp gives campers the opportunity to focus on improving their shooting skills. Emphasis is placed on technique, footwork, shooting drills, shooting off the dribble, shooting off the pass, shooting games, free throw shooting, and post/perimeter shooting.

Age Range: 6-14

Cost Range: $230

Boy Scouts of America

Website: http://stlbsa.org

Phone: 314-361-0600

Address: 4568 West Pine Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63108

Camp Description: Day Camp in 2021 promises a STEM filled experience for your

possible! The seven week camp will be from June 14 August 6, 2021 and confirmed at Adams Park Club, Boys & Girls Clubs of Bethalto, Herbert Hoover Club, Mathews-Dickey Club, OFallon Park Club and Teen Center of Excellence. Social distancing and safety measures will be in place. At this time we anticipate that space will be limited, reserve your spot today. Scholarships available. Prices vary up to $275.

Age Range: 6-18

Cost Range: $275

Bricks 4 Kidz St. Louis Website: http://www.bricks4kidz.com/chesterfield Phone: 314-930-9535

Address: 1840 Sparks Ct Wildwood, MO 63011

Camp Description: STEM camps for children ages 4-12. LEGO building, Robotics, Minecraft, Video Game Design, Star Wars, Pokemon, Disney Characters. Lots of locations: St Charles Community College, Longview Farm, Kirkwood, Community school, MO Athletic Club, Ballwin Pointe, Fox, Lindbergh, Mehlville, Chesterfield Day School, Ursuline Academy, more!

Age Range: 9-13

Scout: with the Geared Up Robotics! theme, your Scout is sure to have a blast with their friends at camp, exploring and building in the world of science, while also having fun participating in traditional day camp activities, like archery, fishing, hiking, games, crafts, and much more!

Age Range: 7-11

Cost Range: $40-$166

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis

Website: http:/www.bgcstl.org

Phone: 314 335 8000

Address: 2901 North Grand Blvd St. Louis, MO 63107

Camp Description: Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis is planning to have summer day camp in several locations across MO & IL to serve as many children ages 6-18 as

Cost Range: $0-$180

Camp Barnabas Website: https://www.campbarnabas.org/ Phone: 417-476-2565

Address: P.O. Box 3200 Springfield, MO 65808

Camp Description: Camp Barnabas is a unique ministry providing Christian camping experiences to people with special needs and chronic illnesses, along with their siblings.

Age Range: 18-100

Cost Range: $1500

Camp Ben Frankel Website: http://www.campbenfrankel.prg Phone: 618-235-1614

Address: 3419 W. Main St Belleville, IL 62226

Camp Description: Jewish

coed overnight camp for children 7-17 with 60+ activities, incredible child care, and no screens!

Age Range: 7-17

Cost Range: $2,125-$4,250

Camp Courage Website: http://www. annieshope.org/ Phone: 314-965-5015

Address: 1333 W. Lockwood

Ave Ste 104 St. Louis, MO 63122

Camp Description: Annie’s Hope provides comprehensive support services to children, teens, and their families who are grieving a death. Age Range: 6-18

Cost Range: FREE

Camp EarthWays: Young Green Builders

Website: http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/ sustainability/sustainability/sustainable-learning/classes-tours/ camp-earthways.aspx

Phone: 314-577-0281

Address: 4651 Shaw St. Louis, MO 63110

Camp Description: Science, design, and sustainability hybrid camp for 5th-8th graders at the Missouri Botanical Garden

Age Range: 10-13

Cost Range: $100

Camp Encourage Website: http://campencourage.org Phone: 816-830-7171

Address: 4025 Central Street Kansas City, MO 64111

Camp Description: Overnight camp and social outings for youth with autism spectrum disorders and their peers, ages 8-18. Age Range: 8-18

Cost Range: $560-$1200

Camp Invention Website: http://campinvention. org/ Phone: 816-602-0017

Address: 1500 SW Stonecreek Blue Springs, MO 64015

Camp Description: Come

Invent with Us at Camp

Invention’s RECHARGESTEM Camp and take home your invention prototypes, blue tooth microphone, customizable vehical, catapult, solarbot, and much more, for children entering grades K-6th.

Age Range: 5-6

Cost Range: $245

Camp Magic House and Camp Magic House @ MADE

Website: http://www.magichouse.org/camp

Phone: 314-288-8900 or 314328-0561

Address: 516 S. Kirkwood Rd. ST. Louis, MO 63122 and 5127 Delmar Blvd. 63018

Camp Description: At Camp Magic House, campers participate in fun educational activities, explore The Magic House or MADE for Kids and more.

A different theme is featured each day and even the snack becomes part of the handson fun. Whether campers are embarking on artistic adventure or unleashing their inner inventor, Camp Magic House is sure to spark their imagination. Age Range: 5-6

Cost Range: $150-$250

Camp Sabra Website: http://www.campsabra.com

Phone: 314-442-3151

Address: 2 Millstone Campus Dr. St. Louis, MO 63146

Camp Description: Jewish

Overnight Camp for children

grades 2nd - 10th on our picturesque 205 acre peninsula featuring 3 1/2 miles of shoreline at the Lake of the Ozarks.

Age Range: 7-14

Cost Range: $2435-$4970

Camp Wartburg

Website: http://www. CampWartburg.com

Phone: 618-939-7715

Address: 5705 LRC Road Waterloo, IL 62298

Camp Description: Camp Wartburg is a Christian camp where children K-12 can spend a week or more of fun and fellowship doing a variety of activities - Archery, Canoeing, High Ropes, Creek Walking, Campfires, and more!

Age Range: 6-70

Cost Range: $70-$630

Camp Weloki for Girls

Website: http://www.campweloki.com

Phone: 636-530-1883

Address: 300 Chesterfield Center Suite 255 Chesterfield, MO 63017

Camp Description: This camp provides a safe home away from home experience where girls can grow, expand and become a leader while having a blast.

Age Range: 9-18

Cost Range: $1295

Challenger Learning Center

Website: http://www.challengerstl.org

Phone:

Address: 205 Brotherton Lane Ferguson, MO 63135

Camp Description: Week-long virtual space and engineering camps where Challenger staff will lead students through hands-on STEM activities that emphasize problem-solving and engineering.

Age Range: 6-15

Cost Range: $75-$220

Circus Harmony

Website: http://www.circusharmony.org

Phone: 314-436-7676

Address: 4120 Parker Road Florissant, MO 63033

Camp Description: Circus camp for children ages 7-12 learning a broad range of circus skills. Circus Harmony offers unique camps in our space at City Museum. Campers will learn skills like juggling, hula hooping, and aerial skills.

Age Range: 7-12

Cost Range: $150

City of Bridgeton Parks and Recreation

Website: http://www.bridgetonmo.com/daycamp Phone: 314-739-5599

Address: 4201 Fee Fee Rd. Bridgeton, MO 63044

Camp Description: The Bridgeton Parks and Recreation Department offers a traditional-style outdoor day camp program for kids ages 5-12 years. The camp covers a wide range of activities including arts & crafts, swimming, sports,

games and more. In addition, the department also offers a field-trip based teen camp for ages 12-15.

Age Range: 5-12

Cost Range: $100-$140

City of Ellisville Day Camps

Website: https://www.ellisville.mo.us/ Phone: 636-6672508

Address: 225 Kiefer Creek Road Ellisville, MO 63021

Camp

Description: This day camp provides youth with the opportunity to participate in a wide range of educational and adventurous outdoor activities. Campers will be grouped by age to better coordinate activities. Camp will be divided into sessions with a special theme for each session. during each 2 week session we will take a field trip and have quest entertainers! Age Range: 5-12

n This guide was produced in partnership with Blueprint4SUmmer. To find out more information about these programs and many more, visit their website at http://blueprint4. com/STL ability

Cost Range: $125-$255

City of Manchester Parks and Recreation

Website: http://www.manchestermo.gov

Phone: 636-391-6326 ext. 400

Address: 359 Old Meramec

Station Rd. Manchester, Missouri 63021

Camp Description: Manchester Parks, Recreation, & Arts offers a wide variety of camps to keep kids busy all summer!

Age Range: 8-12

Cost Range: $77-$250

City of Maryland HeightsMaryland Heights Day Camps

Website: http://www.marylandheights.com

Phone: 314-738-2599

Address: 2300 McKelvey Rd. Maryland Heights, MO 63043

Camp Description: We have re-imagined Maryland Heights

Summer Camp for 2021!

Campers will be broken into smaller groups of kids in their age group and spend their days participating in a variety of games, activities and crafts.

Age Range: 6-12

Cost Range: $180

City of Olivette Parks and Recreation Summer Camp Website: http://www.olivetteparksandrec.com/camps.html

Phone: 314-991-1249

Address: 9743 Olive

Boulevard Olivette, MO 63132

Camp Description: City of Olivette Parks and Recreation offers summer camps for children ages 3.5-14 teaching a variety of recreational interests.

Age Range: 5-12

Cost Range: $112-$139

Climb So ILL Website: https://climbsoill. com/summer-camps/ Phone: 314-621-1700

Address: 1419 Carroll Street

St. Louis, MO 63104

Camp Description: Our camps bring aspiring climbers together and develop their skills through group activities, games, and climbing challenges. Climbers will gain confidence in their

COCA - Summer Arts Camps Website: http://www.cocastl. org/

Phone: 314-725-6222

Address: 524 Trinity Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63130

Camp Description: COCA has hundreds of unique and fun-filled Summer Arts Camp experiences for ages 3 to 21. Summer Arts Camp options include in-person (indoor and outdoor) or virtual; morning, afternoon, and full day; before care, after care, and lunch. Camps begin the week of June 1 and run through August 20. Financial aid is available. Summer Arts Camps follow COCA’s Health & Safety Procedures. Age Range: 3 - 21 Cost Range: $45-$1,375

Code Ninjas O’Fallon Summer Camp Website: https://www.codeninjas.com/camps/mo-ofallon/ Phone: 636-851-9634

Address: 2955 Highway K O’Fallon, MO 63368

Camp Description: Transform your child’s love for technology into an exciting learning adventure. Guided by our team of Code Senseis, Code Ninjas Camps empower kids to gain valuable tech skills and make new friends. Age Range: 7-14 Cost Range: $150 - $185

Complete Harmony Website: https://www.completeharmonystl.com/ Phone: 314-649-0108

Address: 3520 Greenwood Blvd. Maplewood, MO 63143

Camp Description: At Complete Harmony Summer Camps, we use mindfulness and yoga to provide an accepting space for kids to explore, play, and process. Age Range: 5-12

Cost Range: $75-$255

Consuming Kinetics Dance Company Website: http://www.ckdc.org/ kidsdanceandartcamp Phone: 314-564-1477

Address: 465 N. Taylor Ave.

St. Louis, MO 63108

Camp Description: CKDC

hosts an all day dance and art camp for kids ages 6-12 to explore all styles of dance-- all levels welcome! CKDC’s virtual camp-at-home program is a flexible way to keep your child engaged with fun activities at home!

Age Range: 6- 18

Cost Range: $30-$350

Crayola Imagine Arts

Academy

Website: https://stlouis.imagineartsacademy.com/

Phone: 314-991-8000

Address: 8420 Olive Blvd.

Suite R St. Louis, Mo 63132

Camp Description: Art

Class Reinvented! Our unique approach teaches your child art concepts and techniques, but with a twist. We strive to broaden their understanding of the world and sharpen their critical thinking skills by focusing on art as a problem-solving tool, as a career path, as a way to understand different places and cultures, and more.

Age Range: 5-12

Cost Range: $150-$265

DaySpring Arts & Education

Website: http://www.dayspringarts.org/summer

Phone: 314-291-8878

Address: 2500 Metro Blvd. Maryland Heights, MO 63043

Camp Description: DaySpring Arts & Education’s summer offers an opportunity to explore the arts in the areas of dance, musical theatre, music, visual arts, circus arts, as well as engage in critcal thinking in STEAM subjects.

Age Range: 5-12

Cost Range: $35-$450

Des Peres Parks and Recreation Summer Camps

Website: http://www.desperesmo.org/503

Phone: 314-835-6150

Address: 1050 Des Peres Road Des Peres, MO 63131

Camp Description: Des Peres Parks and Recreation offers

50 sessions of camp over 11 weeks to keep your kids active and engaged all summer long. We are centrally located at 1-270 and Manchester Road for

an easy commute to work! Age Range: 3-16

Cost Range: $119-483

Dragons Drum & Bugle Corps

Website: http://www.facebook. com/dragondrumcorps/ Phone: 573-301-0105

Address: 10266 W. Florissant Ave. St. Louis, MO 63136

Camp Description: 100% FREE Summer Youth summer music camp (Saturdays). Drum Line, Brass Horn Line and Color Guard are open to youth ages 13-21. FREE music education & mentoring by music professionals/educators, instruments & equipment, uniforms and costumes, refreshments, recreational swimming after music camps. All members receive PAID STIPENDS for 5 public performances at multicultural, family-friendly events. (Musicians MUST be able to play and read music). Age Range: 13-21

Cost Range: FREE

EYC Academy Website: http://eycacademystl. org Phone: 636-220-3344

Address: 13718 Olive Blvd Chesterfield, MO 63017

Camp Description: Summer Academy at EYC offers in-person and virtual programs in art, writing, and science/STEM for campers entering grades 4-6, along with a comprehensive tutoring program for students in grades K-12. Age Range: 6-12

Cost Range: $150

GEOINT/GIS Entry to Executive Program

Website: https://www.ggayba. org Phone: 314-252-8841

Address: 911 Washington Avenue, Suite 646 Gateway Global American Youth and Business Alliance Academies

St. Louis, MO 63101

Camp Description: Gateway Global American Youth and Business Alliance Academies

GEOINT/GIS Technician Entry to Executive program is a full virtual training and credentialing program designed to put high school students (and recent graduates) on

Geospatial and other STEM related pathways. Students who pass our training and earn credentials qualify for our US DOL GEOINT Apprenticeship and internship and entry level placement with our corporate employer partners.

Age Range: 16-19

Cost Range: $1,175

Gifted Resource Council Summer Academies Website: https://www.giftedresourcecouncil.org/index.php/ summer-academies/ Phone: 314-962-5920

Address: 357 Marshall Ave., Ste. 6 St. Louis, MO 63119

Camp Description: Gifted Resource Council offers summer programs for bright and talented students (finishing K-8) in a varietiy of fun and engaging subjects.

Age Range: 5-14

Cost Range: $525

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri

Website: https://www. girlscoutsem.org

Phone: 314-590-2300

Address: 2300 Ball Drive St. Louis, MO 63146

Camp Description: At Girl Scouts, we know that time spent in nature helps build girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. Whether your girl is a first-time camper or a seasoned pro, activities and experiences are designed to support girls’ development of healthy habits and crucial 21st-century skills in an welcoming and inclusive environment.

Age Range: 5-18

Cost Range: $19-$590

Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois

Website: http://www.gsofsi.org

Phone: 618-692-0692

Address: 4 Ginger Creek

Prkwy Glen Carbon, IL 62034

Camp Description: Girl

Scouts of Southern Illinois offers two to five- day day camp programs at various locations throughout the St. Louis metro east and southern Illinois. Camp focus varies from STEM to crafts to leadership opportunities and traditional outdoor camp activities for girls in K-12th grade. We also offer three-to-seven-day Resident Camp offerings at our community partner locations in southern Illinois for girls in 2nd - 12th grade.

Age Range: 5-18

Cost Range: $30-$560

Girls Inc.

Website: https://www.girlsincstl.org/summer-program

Phone: 314-385-6540

Address: 3801 Nelson Dr. St. Louis, MO 63121

Camp Description: At Girls Inc. your daughter and her friends can enjoy our activities designed to encourage girls to try new things, build their skills, knowledge and prepare them for a brighter future.

Age Range: 5-18

Cost Range: $550

Good Journey’s Summer Leadership Academy Website: http://www.goodjourney.org Phone: 314-229-9079

Address: 5046 Vernon Avenue St. Louis, MO 63113

Camp Description: Summer Leadership Academy is an African cultural experience that gives young community builders the opportunity to express themselves through art, science and technology, gardening, media, social justice organizing, and more.

Age Range: 9-16

Cost Range: $225

Great Griffin Farm Horse

Camp Website: http://www.greatgriffinfarm.com

Phone: 636-398-4116

Address: 903 Schwede Rd. Wentzville, Mo. 63385

Camp Description: Horsemanship (ages 6 and up) and Pony camps (ages 4 and up) that will teach kids about

horses through riding, stable activities, games, and crafts!

Age Range: 4-16

Cost Range: $200-$375

Greenhouse Forensics

Institute

Website: https://www.gci-stl. org Phone: 314-626-3GCI

Address: 523 Chapel Cross Drive Florissant, MO 63031

Camp Description: The Greenhouse Forensics Institute provides Speech & Debate training for 5th-12th graders. Age Range: 10-18

Cost Range: $200

Illinois Math & Science

Academy Website: https://www.imsa. edu/stem-enrichment-programs/ Phone: 618-791-3855

Address: 2465 Amann Drive Belleville, IL 62220

Camp Description: We can’t wait for Summer! IMSA’s hands-on, inquiry-based summer programs foster collaborative and creative problem solving in a supportive and fun environment. Students utilize discovery, exploration, and problem-solving in innovative ways. Offered for students rising into grades 3-10 and have an interest or passion for math and science. Age Range: 8-15

Cost Range: Cost varies by program

Immanuel Lutheran Day School Website: https://www. ilsolivette.org/ Phone: 314-993-5004

Address: 9733 Olive Blvd Olivette, MO 63132

Camp Description: Weekly summer camps for children ages 3 - 14 focusing on a different theme each week. Age Range: 3-14

Cost Range: $75-$120

Indian Hills Swim Club

Summer Camp

Website: http://www.indianhillsswimclub.com

Phone: 314-544-9177

Address: 4210 Lasata Drive St. Louis, MO 63123

Camp Description: Safety and FUN come first at this camp. Includes swim and dive

instruction, arts/crafts, sports/ games, did we mention FUN?

Come learn through play at this summer camp!

Age Range: 5-12

Cost Range: $185

International Schoolhouse

Spanish-Immersion Camp

Website: http://www. InternationalSchoolhouse.com

Phone: 314.874.0715

Address: 1414 Bellevue

Avenue St. Louis, MO 63117

Camp Description: Hands-on

Spanish-immersion camp for children ages 3- 9

Age Range: 3-9

Cost Range: $450-$490

J Day Camps

Website: https://jccstl.com/ camps-afterschool/j-day-camps/

Phone: 314-442-3423

Address: 2 Millstone Campus

Drive St. Louis, MO 63146

Camp Description: The J Day

Camps feature the activities kids love most like swimming, sports, and arts for ages 3-12

Age Range: 5-12

Cost Range: $180-$330

Kraus Farms Equestrian Summer Camps

Website: http://www.krausfarmsinc.com/

Phone: 636- 225- 9513

Address: 333 Hillsboro Road

High Ridge, MO 63049

Camp Description: The Staff at Kraus Farms offer a fun and educational program teaching student about horses in a friendly environment. Our instructors stress safety, horsemanship, and enjoyment as the most important elements of the camp.

Age Range: 5-14

Cost Range: $251-$450

Laumeier Sculpture Park Summer Art Camps

Website: http://www.laumeiersculpturepark.org/

314.615.5268

Phone:

Address: 12580 Rott Road St. Louis, MO 63127

Camp Description: An art camp for ages 6-12 that encourages a love of art and the outdoors through creating amazing works of art and exploring outdoor sculptures and woodland trails! The Teen Art Program, for ages 13-17, stimulates creative expression and the development of artistic skills and knowledge through hands-on application and mentorship in a fun outdoor setting.

Age Range: 6-17

Cost Range: $225-$450

Little Medical School

Website: http://www.littlemedicalschool.com/stlouis

Phone: 314-279-1948

Address: 707 N New Ballas Creve Coeur, MO 63141

Camp Description: Little Medical School® brings medicine, science, and the importance of health to children in an entertaining, exciting, and fun way.

Age Range: 4-16

Cost Range: $150-$300

Logos School-Summer Intensive Program

Website: https://www.logosschool.org/admissions/summer-intensive-program

Phone: 314-997-7002

Address: 9137 Old Bonhomme Road St. Louis, MO 63132

Camp Description: LOGOS

Summer Intensive Program is an opportunity for students in grades 6-12 to experience our unique therapeutic and academic program.

Age Range: 11-12

Cost Range: $3,000

Lutheran North Crusader Summer Academy Website: https://www.lncrusaders.org/summer

Phone: 314-389-3100

Address: 5401 Lucas and Hunt Road St. Louis, MO 63121

Camp Description: Lutheran North’s Crusader Summer Academy offers children the opportunity to grow in athletics or learn a new hobby. From basketball to baking, Lutheran North coaches and staff help guide students toward perfecting their craft.

Age Range: 6-13

Cost Range: Prices vary by program

Mad Science Summer Camps Website: https://stlouis.madscience.org

Phone: 314-991-8000

Address: 8420-R Olive Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63132

Camp Description: Unique science summer programming that delivers hands-on science experiences for children that are as entertaining as they are educational.

Age Range: 3-12

Cost Range: $150-$328

Maryville Science and Robotics Program Website: https://www. maryville.edu/robot/ Phone: 314-281-1120

Address: 650 Maryville University Drive St. Louis, MO 63141

Camp Description: The Maryville Science and Robotics Program is an engaging opportunity for students who are interested in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. We offer premier, cutting-edge courses for students ages 4-16 with highly qualified faculty.

Age Range: 4-15

Cost Range: $150-$395

MathJam

Website: http://www.megsss. org

Phone: 314-842-5968

Address: Two City Place, Suite 200 St. Louis, MO 63141

Camp Description: Project MEGSSS challenges gifted 5th-8th grade students through a unique math curriculum designed to broaden and accelerate math exposure. We discover, develop, and inspire the next generation of great math

minds!

Age Range: 10-13

Cost Range: $275-$395

Mathnasium of Wildwood

Website: http://www.mathnasium.com/wildwood/ Phone: 636-875-1175

Address: 2446

Taylor Road Wildwood, MO 63040

Camp Description: Math Summer Workouts, Build Confidence, help yoyur child get ahead.

Age Range: 5-18

Cost Range: $599-$799

Metro Theater Company

Summer Camps

Age Range: 5-12

Cost Range: $157-$254

OneCity Stories Website: http://www.onecitystories.org

Phone: 314-471-5546

n This guide was produced in partnership with Blueprint4SUmmer. To find out more information about these programs and many more, visit their website at http://blueprint4. com/STL

Website: http://metroplays.org

Phone: (314) 932-7414 x110

Address: 3311 Washington Ave. St. Louis, MO 63103

Camp Description: Whether it’s playing with sculpture, storytelling, and song at Creative Arts Camp or learning how to audition for a play at Grand Theater Camp, MTC’s professional teaching artists bring fun and growth through the arts to campers of all ages.

Age Range: 4-18

Cost Range: $80-$200

Midwest Children’s Burn Camp

Website: http://brsg.org/programs/camp/ Phone: 314-939-1550

Address: 6220 South Lindbergh Blvd., Suite 203 St. Louis, MO 63123

Camp Description: A weeklong residential camp for young people ages 6 to 17 who have survived burn injury or smoke inhalation. MCBC is free of charge!

Age Range: 6-17

Cost Range: FREE

Olympia & Team Central Gymnastics- Various Locations Website: https://www.olympiagymnastics.org/ Phone: 314-291-7664

Address: 2675 Metro Blvd. Maryland Heights, MO 63043

Camp Description: Each week of summer camp we offer a unique theme and our day is jam packed with gymnastics and/or ninja, activities, art projects, and games linked to the theme.

MetroRecPlex 205 Rec Plex

Drive O’Fallon, IL 62269

Camp Description:

P.L.E.X. Kids Summer Camp offers families a unique summer camp experience that combines a balance of activities and leisure, choices for projects based on campers’ interests and entertainment venues unique to the McKendree MetroRecPlex. Ice Skating & swimming offered every week along with themed activity blocks.

Age Range: 5-13

Cost Range: $160-250

Rockwood Summit Baseball Camp Website: http://www.rockwood.k12.mo.us/rsummit/athletics/Pages/SportsCamps.aspx Phone: 636-891-6800

Address: 1780 Hawkins Rd Fenton, MO 63026

Camp Description: Rockwood Summit baseball camp for Kindergarten - 8th grade. All are welcome regardless of where you attend school!

Age Range: 7-13

Cost Range: $75

Address: 1 University Blvd. 302 Marillac Hall St. Louis, MO 63121

Camp Description: OneCity Stories invites youth ages 14-17 from different metropolitan neighborhoods to write together at University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). Writers work with guest artists and local media experts to create and publish creative writing, print journalism, podcasts, and film.

Age Range: 14-17

Cost Range: $450

P.L.E.X. Kids Camp

Website: http://metrorecplex. com

Phone: 618-623-8405

Address: McKendree

Saint Louis County Parks and Recreation Summer Camps- Various Locations Website: https://stlouiscountymo.gov/st-louis-county-departments/parks/ Phone: 314-615-4386

Address: Various locations across St. Louis County

Camp Description: Variety of day camp and special interest programs for kids held across St. Louis County.

Age Range: 5-15

Cost Range: $0-$175

Saint Louis UniversitySummer At SLU Website: https://www.slu.edu/ summer Phone: 314-977-3534

Address: 3840 Lindell Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63108

Camp Description: SLU offers camps and academies for Pre-K through high school students. From diving into creative arts to immersive experiences in our STEM programs, there is bound to be something that sparks your family’s interest and leads to their best summer yet.

Age Range: 5-19

Cost Range: $0-$400

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis Summer Camps

Website: https://www.sfstl. com/in-the-schools/summer-camps/ Phone: 314-531-9800

Address: 5715 Elizabeth Ave

St. Louis, MO 63110

Camp Description: Theater camp for young critical thinkers.

Age Range: 11-18

Cost Range: $500

Sherwood Forest Camp Website: http://www.sherwoodforeststl.org

Phone: 314-644-3322

Address: 2708 Sutton Blvd St. Louis, MO 63143

Camp Description: Sherwood Forest helps kids discover the best in themselves so they can grow up to do good in the world.

Age Range: 10-14

Cost Range: $50-$75

Sinai Family Life Center Summer Enrichment Program Website: http://sinailifecenter. com/ Phone: 618-874-2002

Address: 1200 St. Louis Ave. East St.Louis, IL 62201

Camp Description: Exciting and innovative camp to open up the minds of young people to something other than electronics. We do a lot of retro games and activities as well as new innovative things. Each morning starts with positive affirmations and “Hype Time”.

Age Range: 5-12

Cost Range: $82

St. John Vianney High School Summer Camp Website: https://www.vianney. com/summercamps.html Phone: 314-965-4853

Address: 1311 South Kirkwood Road St. Louis, MO 63122

Camp Description: Summer camps at St. John Vianney High School are designed to challenge boys entering grades 2 to 8 in the fall.

Age Range: 6-13

Cost Range: $25-$250

2021 Bi-State Virtual Camp Fair helps families search 4 summer fun

St. Louis, MO

Area families are looking to summer camp as a critical opportunity for their children to explore, learn, and grow, which has become especially important after school disruptions limited these interactions for development.

Planning for summer can be stressful for families. What camps are close to my home? What days are they offered? What ages are they for? How much will it cost? As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many families are also navigating new financial pressures and paying special attention to camps’ health and safety measures.

To help parents and family members connect with specific camp providers, local partners are joining forces to host the first-ever Bi-State Virtual Camp Fair on Saturday, March 27, and Saturday, April 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The fair is free to the public and participating camps and is a collaborative effort, organized by the FergusonFlorissant School District, Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, and the free summer planning resource Blueprint4Summer.

These partners are offering a combined, virtual opportunity for any local family to have one-on-one video conferences with camp representatives from some of the best summer programs in the region.

Maxine Clark, founder of Blueprint4Summer, said she’s proud to be working collaboratively with partners across the metro area, including in Illinois, to better serve families at this critical time.

“Blueprint4Summer offers a free way to digitally search and find the perfect summer camp, but it doesn’t replace the value of speaking with a camp provider to find out if

the offering is a great fit,” said Clark. “In the past, we were pleased to offer in-person camp fairs in communities often overlooked – like North St. Louis. We look forward to returning to those face-to-face events but knew this wasn’t a year to simply cancel the fairs. Summer 2021 is going to be so important to our children. We are delighted to help families across the bi-state region get the information they need to make the right choices for their children.”

Blueprint4Summer is a free website to help all families in the St. Louis region

n Blueprint4Summer is a free website to help all families in the St. Louis region search for best-fit summer programming. It was launched in 2015 to alleviate the stress and frustration families felt as they pieced together summer plans for their kids, especially families in under-resourced areas.

search for best-fit summer programming. It was launched in 2015 to alleviate the stress and frustration families felt as they pieced together summer plans for their kids, especially families in under-resourced areas. According to a study

by Johns Hopkins University, summer learning loss during elementary school accounts for approximately two-thirds of the achievement gap in reading by ninth grade. Blueprint4Summer aims to reduce this disparity by providing lower-income

that process. We are proud to partner with Blueprint4Summer and are excited to welcome families from any district across the region for this free event.”

This event builds off the success of the 2019 and 2020 North County Camp Fairs. Many regional camps will participate to share information about in-person, virtual, and hybrid Summer 2021 programs that focus on a wide range of activities, including fine art, sports, music, STEM, and more for children of all ages.

“There are camps for children of any age, including high schoolers,” said Zasmine Johnson, program manager for Blueprint4Summer.

“Many local programs also offer scholarship opportunities, so it’s important to learn all of your options and register for camps early. The camps attending the Bi-State Virtual Summer Camp Fair are also listed on Blueprint4Summer, so if you can’t participate in the free event, you can still search for summer opportunities on our website.”

students access to educational summer camps and the opportunity to attend them via scholarships.

“What happens during the summer directly affects outcomes here in our district,” said Dr. Joyce Pugh-Walker, the director of federal programs for the FergusonFlorissant School District.

“Our vision is to support all students flourishing and becoming lifelong contributors to the success of the societies in which they work and live, therefore encouraging them to participate in meaningful summer programs is part of

WGU

All families are welcome to participate in the Bi-State Virtual Summer Camp Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 27, and Saturday, April 10. To register for a free meeting with a specific camp, visit bit.ly/2021VirtualCampFair

Parents and guardians looking for more information on summer programming in the bi-state region can search for opportunities on Blueprint4Summer by visiting http://blueprint4.com/stl

To stay informed and connect with other parents online, “like” Blueprint4SummerSTL on Facebook at www.Facebook. com/Blueprint4SummerSTL or follow Blueprint4SummerSTL on Twitter at www.Twitter. com/B4SSTL

Continued from C1 lives. To learn more about WGU Missouri, its scholarship initiatives, programs and its mission of making high-quality college education more accessible and affordable for all adults, visit Missouri.WGU.edu.

education more equitable by empowering adults to go back to school so they can advance their careers and change their

St. Louis ArtWorks Summer Program Website: http://www.stlartworks.org/apply

Phone: 314-899-9758

Address: 5959 Delmar Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63112

Camp Description: St. Louis

ArtWorks provides art education, essential job skill training and exposure to career opportunities through paid art apprenticeships for teens ages 14-19. Age Range: 14-19

Cost Range: FREE

STL Rock School Website: http://www.stlrockschool.com

Phone: 314-692-7625

Address: 1305 Baur Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63132

Camp Description: Music camp for kids ages 6-18 focusing on working as a rock band to put on a live concert!

Age Range: 6-18

Cost Range: $345-$635

Summer @ SLPL Camps Website: https://www.slpl.org/ Phone: 314-880-8169

Address: 1415 Olive Street St. Louis, MO 63103

Camp Description: Free virtual summer camps for kids and teens at St. Louis Public Library!

Age Range: 3-18

Cost Range: FREE

Summer Fundamentals at Miriam Website: http://www.miriamstl.org/summer-camps/ Phone: 314-961-1500

Address: 501 Bacon Ave Webster Groves, MO 63119

Camp Description: Miriams specialty camps are perfect for students entering grades K-12 who need a boost in

FUNdamentals during the summer months.

Age Range: 5-14

Cost Range: $400-$1200

The Green Center Website: http://www.thegreencenter.org/camps.html Phone: 314-725-8314 X 105 Address: 8025 Blackberry Avenue University City, MO 63130

Address:

Boys & Girls

Continued from C1

opened Best Buy Teen Tech Center at the Herbert Hoover Club. The center is an interactive and innovative, fully equipped space with everything needed to engage youth ages 12-18 with STEAM activities including a music studio, 3D printer, t-shirt press maker, coding stations, state of the art computers, monitors and virtual reality headsets.

New to the BGCSTL family of Clubs is the MathewsDickey Club as well as Boys & Girls Club of Bethalto. Many of the Boys & Girls Clubs are also open and offer daytime support (in-person/virtual), virtual learning hubs, after school programs, virtual mentoring & more! Basketball programs have also started at the Herbert Hoover and Mathews-Dickey Clubs. Camp locations and contact

ReCAST

year’s voting looked a little different.

“We had a lot of interest in virtual voting,” said Paula Southerland, the program manager. “It’s not what we’ve done in the past but it made the process accessible during the pandemic.” As a result of the community vote, each of the following projects will receive $30,000:

• Poetry for Personal Power will distribute food and offer peer support and additional wraparound services to unhoused youth in the St. Louis promise zone between the ages of 18-25.

• Places for People will offer virtual trainings on the topics of anxiety management, sleep hygiene, parenting, and stress management for 500 adults living in the Promise Zone.

• Community Health in Partnership Services (CHIPS) will train high school students in the Promise Zone to become peer health educators who can use the arts to teach others about violence prevention.

• St. Vincent Home for Children will provide life skills classes, vocational and job skills training, fitness and recreational sessions, and community events to youth 13-17 years old and their parents.

• Employment Connection

will offer career education and vocational training, work readiness, and social entrepreneurial training, along with a weeklong community service project, to 15 youth from high-risk neighborhoods in the St. Louis Promise Zone.

• St. Louis Art Works will work with 40 youth ages 14-19, using art as a tool to improve the well-being and interpersonal skills that help youth make informed decisions, think critically, and build healthy relationships.

Anyone interested in learning more about these programs can visit recast-stl.org or the ReCAST Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/ RECASTSTL/.

Louis, MO 63131

Camp Description: Golf

Camps for Juniors ages 6-12 of all skill levels.

Age Range: 6-12

Cost Range: $250

U-CREATE Summer Camp

Website: http://www.umsl. edu/campusrecreation/youthprograms/ucreatesummercamp-page.html

Phone: 314.516.2344

Address: 1 University Blvd.

229 Recreation and Wellness Center St. Louis, MO 63121

Camp Description:

U-CREATE Summer Camp is a program for kids ages 6-12 designed to be an active camp that both educates and stimulates while offering fun.

Age Range: 6-12

Cost Range: $150

UMSL Bridge Program

Summer Academy Website: http://www.umsl.edu/ precollegiate

Phone: 314.516.5196

Address: 1 University Blvd.

St. Louis, MO 63121

Camp Description: Our

Virtual Summer Academy

offers academic enrichment courses in mathematics, science, written and oral communication, career research, personal and professional development and activities that support college planning. The Bridge Program Summer Academy is held virtually from mid-June to mid-July for students in grades 9 through 10. Participants must apply and be accepted.

Age Range: 9-10 Grade

Cost Range: FREE

University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy

Website: https://www.uhsp. edu/summer/immersion/index. html Phone: 3144468328

Address: 1 Pharmacy Place St. Louis, MO 63110

Camp Description: University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis’ Health Care Summer Immersion Program is a seven-day, sixnight residential, non-credit, academic enrichment program giving rising sophomores, juniors and seniors in high school the opportunity to

explore health care careers and build a foundation for success in college and adjusting to life after high school. Age Range: 16-18

Cost Range: $850

Ursuline Academy - Summer STEAM and Sports Camp Website: http://www.ursulinestl.org/ Phone: 314-984-2818

Address: 341 S. Sappington Road St. Louis, MO 63122

Camp Description: Whether your child loves to perform, create, run, build, compete, or everything-in-between, Ursuline has a summer camp for them! This year, we’re excited to offer a wide array of options in athletics, STEAM, and our new partnership with

COCA, all on Ursuline’s campus.

Age Range: 4-18

Cost Range: $75-$400

Variety St. Louis Website: https://varietystl.org

Phone: 314-720-7700

Address: 11840 Westline

Industrial Drive Suite 220 St. Louis, MO 63146

Camp Description: St. Louisarea children and teens (ages 4-20) with physical or developmental disabilities are invited to attend our free Virtual Summer Camp, which will take place on our clickto.camp platform for six weeks in the summer of 2021. And, new this year, both Adventure Camp and Teen Camp will be offered every week!

Age Range: 4-20

Cost Range: FREE

Vetta Summer Camp-

Various Locations Website: http://VettaSports. com/camp

Phone: 636-498-4625

Address: Various locations across the metro region

Camp Description: There’s something to be said for longevity, and Vetta Sports Summer Camps have been around for more than 30 years. Simply put- we play sports and have FUN.

Age Range: 5-12

Cost Range: $148-$185

Victory Raceway Website: http://www.academyofracing.org/

Phone: 314 297 0720

Address: 8800 Watson Road St. Louis, MO 63119

Camp Description: Our 5-day camps are about racing, fun and learning. For the first half of the day, kids get to race around the track learning basic principles like “the line”, acceleration, braking, and race craft. After a provided lunch, the kids will build, program and run experiments using Lego Mindstorm Robots with the EV3 Software platform.

Age Range: 8-16

Cost Range: $300-$375

Webster Groves Parks and Recreation Website: https://secure.rec1. com/MO/webster-groves-mo/ catalog

Phone: 314-963-5650

Address: 33 E. Glendale Rd. Webster Groves, MO 63119

Camp Description: Outdoor fun, sports, swimming, speciality camps, and field trips!

Age Range: 3-16

Cost Range: $65-$290

YMCA Camp Lakewood Website: http://www.camplakewood.org

Phone: 573-438-2155

Address: 13528 State Highway AA Potosi, MO 63664

Camp Description: YMCA Camp Lakewood is where kids of all ages and abilities come to have fun, learn new skills, make new friends, and simply be a kid!

Age Range: 6-21

Cost Range: $395-$1,350

Gateway Region YMCA Website: https://www.gwrymca.org/ Phone: 314-436-1177

Address: 23 Branch Locations in Missouri and Illinois Camp Description: At the YMCA, we can’t wait to welcome your child to enjoy summer as it should be: fun, action-packed, and most of all, safe! Safety is our first priority, and we are committed to following guidelines set forth by our local health officials. We offer camps throughout the summer for ages 3-17. Camps range from traditional outdoor camp to special interest camps such as sports, aquatics, arts & humanities, and teens. We also offer Before & After Camp Care as an add-on at an additional fee.

Age Range: 5-17

Cost Range: Cost varies by location.

Yucandu Art Studio Summer Camps Website: https://www.yucandu.com/camps/ Phone: 314-963-4400

Address: 20 Allen Avenue Suite 110 Webster Groves, MO 63119

Camp Description: An artfilled summer of fan favorites for children grades K-9 using a wide variety of materials. Age Range: 5-15 Cost Range: $75-$275