November 22nd, 2018 Edition

Back to the classroom – to lead it

St. Louis Teacher Residency recruits adults to change careers and try teaching

By Ryan Delaney

A group of middle-aged adults is back in school this fall. This time, though, they’re at the front of the classroom learning how to be teachers. St. Louis Teacher Residency, launched over the summer, is recruiting adults to change careers to work in education, hoping their life experience and maturity will lead to less burnout and longer tenures among urban educators.

An African dance troupe performed

n “I was so eager every morning on that shift to work with that teacher to help those students.”

The new teachers spend four days a week under the mentorship of a senior educator, while also working on a master’s degree and teaching certificate. Residency programs like

this are becoming an increasingly common way of cultivating teachers in more than two dozen cities, including St. Louis and Kansas City. The educators ease into classroom life, as compared to the well-known Teach for America program, which places recent college graduates in schools for two years after a summer training program. Instead, these teacher residents make a threeyear commitment following their year of

By Clark Randall For The St. Louis American

the n-word and threatened with physical harm and when white officers allegedly said they didn’t want to ride in the same cars with “n--gers.” It states that a black officer allegedly received a note in his locker that said the white officers wouldn’t come to his aid if he were in trouble.

“This ongoing

and pervasive racially and religiously hostile environment has caused the plaintiff tremendous anxiety and stress,” the lawsuit states. A spokesman said the city does not have a comment on the pending litigation.

In February 2015, Muhammed was transferred from District 6 to District 5, the lawsuit states. On his first day, his direct supervisor, Sgt. James Clark, allegedly told Muhammed that Clark had received a call from

By Tyshon Sikes

For The St. Louis American

Part of a year-long series, presented by The American and the Brown School at Washington University, on changing the narratives and outcomes of young black males in St. Louis. I grew up without my biological father. Not having that portion of my life caused distress and anger. I was constantly getting in trouble at school and at home to get my anger out. I moved in with my grandfather when I was 4 years old because he spoiled me and I enjoyed being with him. When I turned 12, my grandfather and I moved to University City to provide me with the chance to have a fresh start in a new neighborhood and school district. I met a remarkable, fun, and close friend, Demetri. We claimed each other as brothers. We would get in trouble together, but we always had fun.

Kevin Buie Sr., Pamela Kelly, Patrick Smith Sr. honored at Salute on Nov. 30

Photo by Wiley Price

Of St. Louis Public Radio

Tyshon Sikes

Kevin Buie Sr.

Pamela Kelly Patrick Smith Sr.

Jennifer Hudson and David Otunga call it quits

Grammy Award winner and Oscar winner

Jennifer Hudson and reality star David Otunga have officially ended their ten-year relationship. The couple was engaged for several years, though recently backed away from setting a date for their nuptials.

According to TMZ.com, Otunga confronted Hudson with claims that she was secretly dating singer and music producer Mali Music.

TMZ said police removed Otunga from their family home Thursday night after Hudson got an order of protection against him. The celebrity news and gossip site

says the order claimed she feared him. It also reportedly said he had gotten physical with her and was a threat to her and her son. Otunga has vehemently denied the allegations.

Tyrese gets joint custody

Tyrese Gibson’s ex-wife Norma Gibson was denied a permanent restraining order against Tyrese after accusing him of brutally beating their 10-year-old daughter on Friday.

gets to spend equal time with both of her parents in joint legal custody while she continues to grow in a happy and healthy environment - this has always been and will continue to be my priority. Today is the first day of the rest of my life with MY FAMILY, my FRIENDS, my fans and supporters and my business associates and of course my immediate TEAM *”

Kandi stands by decision to not record with Xscape

Instead, Tyrese was awarded joint custody to begin in January and the former couple have already worked out a visitation schedule to allow Tyrese to see the child over the holidays.

“Friday was not a win for me, it is a win for our daughter, Shayla.

Who unfortunately has been exposed to tension, private and public embarrassment and growing up and feeling torn between two parents who are no longer married,” Gibson wrote in a lengthy Instagram caption.

Gibson, who married second wife Samantha Lee in February this year, then hailed his custody agreement as a win for all fathers fighting to remain in their children’s lives.

“It is a win because she

“Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Kandi Burruss admitted she has no intentions of recording new music with Xscape despite their reuniting and going out on tour.

In an interview with People Magazine, Burruss states her case. An excerpt from the interview reads: “It wasn’t a planned reunion.”

“What happened was a network was going to do an unauthorized movie about us, and of course I’m not going to let somebody just take my legacy. So, I called my group members and we were all able to have a conversation to start trying to get our story told the right way.”

“I was like, I need a public apology. She’s going to have to say to the world that the stuff that she said about me was a lie. And so, in doing that — we did it on the radio — and the radio disc jockey, he’s like, ‘Oh, Xscape is back!’ I was like, ‘Xscape is not back!’ All of

a sudden we started getting all these offers to perform and do shows, so I just went with the flow for the moment.”

“It’s always drama. We all think differently when it comes to handling business, or at least, the three of them think differently than me. It’s always them three against me, and I feel like I’m always made to be the villain. It’s really irritating and stressful.”

Usher accuser asks for case to be dismissed

Earlier this year, Usher Raymond was slapped with a lawsuit by a Jane Doe from Atlanta, later revealed to be Laura Helm, accusing him of infecting her with the herpes virus.

According to reports, Helm’s new attorney has filed a motion to have the case dismissed without prejudice with intent to refile. Helm’s old attorney withdrew from the case after audio leaked of Laura telling her publicist she never had unprotected sex with the pop star. A second set of accusers, including one man, are also suing Usher and are being represented by attorney Lisa Bloom.

Sources: People.com, TMZ.com, Instagram.com

*Spelling and grammar as it appeared in original post

Jennifer Hudson

Tyrese

‘Living Legends’ behind the lens and the mic

Wiley Price, Art Holliday receive highest honor from black journalists

By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American

It was a gathering of familiar faces and longtime friends on Saturday, November 3 as the Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists (GSLABJ ) recognized two St. Louis news media icons for telling the African-American story through journalism excellence. Its Living Legend award was bestowed this year to St. Louis American photojournalist Wiley Price and KSDK newsman Art Holliday – both St. Louis-area natives.

“These two have been consummate professionals and an inspiration to many in the field of journalism,” said Reginald Riddle-Young, chairman of the GSLABJ celebration.

Carol Daniel, president of GSLABJ, said to the honorees, “We respect you, we admire you, and we hope tonight to show you how valued you are by our profession, to our community and indeed to all the young people and the gray hairs – the old folk who watch you, look at your work, and are inspired by what you do and by who you are, because that shines through in the work that you do.”

As a youngster, Wiley’s instrument of choice was a trombone, until at age 13 his father and namesake (the first black disc jockey on air in St. Louis) bought him a Polaroid Swinger camera from Famous and Barr. Wiley soon discovered that it was through capturing images that he could realistically learn about, document, celebrate and highlight the community he lived in – and all that is St. Louis.

In 2008, Wiley snapped a blind, overhead photo of presidential candidate Barack Obama, as African

Institute’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. In his 45-year career, he has photographed a wide range of Black St. Louis’ triumphs, tragedies and treasures. In his acceptance speech, he explained that it is a privilege to shoot for The American because he is covering the community that he loves and that he would shoot on his own time if it were not his job.

His photos of some of St. Louis’ most notable African Americans also were captured in his 1999 book “Lift Every Voice and Sing: St. Louis African Americans in the Twentieth Century.”

Wiley, who grew up in University City, was inducted into his high school’s Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2009, the NAACP counted him among the “100 Most Inspiring St. Louisans.” In 2012, Price was inducted into the Missouri Journalism Hall of Fame. He is a walking encyclopedia of the history of where St. Louis structures once stood and momentous events happened – every dive, haunt, hangout and shanty along the way – and what they meant for the community.

projects, and candlelight vigils from a community gathered in love and sorrow.

“We try our best to keep the African-American community afloat and energized for the next day,” Wiley said. “I have always tried to do well at my job and bring respect to myself, to the profession and to my paper.”

n “We respect you, we admire you, and we hope tonight to show you how valued you are to our profession, to our community.”

– Carol Daniel, president of GSLABJ

Methodist Episcopal bishops gathered in St. Louis laid hands on him and prayed that God would order his steps – a journey forward that included

eight years serving as our nation’s first African-American president. Wiley’s photo of that moment is now on display as part of the Smithsonian

Wiley attended the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where the allure of jazz still tooted his horn, as it did later at the University of Missouri St. Louis (UMSL). However, during his last two years at UMSL, Wiley became the student photographer for the college paper, the UMSL Current He was hired by The American while still in college, and he started freelancing for the Argus and Sentinel newspapers. Wiley has earned over 80 national, state, regional and local awards for his work, not to mention countless heartwarming accolades from parents who see their child portrayed in positive images in the paper. Wiley has captured Boy Scouts placing flags on the gravesites of veterans, performers in Annie Malone May Day Parade, first responders saving lives, countless classroom learning

For many longtime readers, Wiley is The American. He has been with the paper even longer than its publisher. For many individuals and organizations, their event has not been covered by the media unless Wiley Price was there. Reporters from The American who show up to report a story before Wiley arrives learn to expect to be asked, “Where is Wiley?” Wiley’s fellow GSLABJ Living Legend, TV news anchor, reporter and storyteller Art Holliday, will celebrate 40 years at NBC affiliate KSDK Channel 5 next year. The St. Charles native and University of Missouri Columbia graduate began his career in sports, later switching to news and co-anchoring for 22 years. He has earned numerous awards for his work over the years, including three Emmys and induction into the St. Louis Media Foundation’s Television Hall of Fame in 2009.

“I had the good fortune to find a career that matched my skill set – a job that teaches me something every single day,” Holliday said.

Holliday is also a documentary filmmaker. His first film, “Before They Fall off the Cliff: The Ripple Effect of Schizophrenia,” was showcased at several film festivals. Currently, Holliday is working on the films “Johnnie Be Good” and “Brother Boogie.”

To students and aspiring journalists, Holliday said, “Do the work, nurture your talent, find a mentor and most importantly, ‘carpe diem’ – seize the day – because it goes by fast.”

Photo by Bradley J. Rayford

St. Louis American photojournalist Wiley Price and KSDK newsman Art Holliday were recognized as Living Legends by the Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists on Saturday, November 3.

Editorial /CommEntary

Giving thanks –and offering resistance

The Ga people of Ghana, West Africa, begin a celebration in August that continues as a monthlong thanksgiving known as Ga Homowo – the Harvest Festival. Many ethnic groups in Ghana and all over Africa have similar traditions. Ceremonies and rituals vary, but the purpose is the same – remembering lean times, being thankful for present blessings, and praying for future abundance.

There are no written documents to account for the origin of Homowo. But, according to traditional stories, the Ga people emigrated from the Middle East and descended throughout the Sahara to Benin City in Nigeria. They settled there for a time before relocating to Accra, some time between the 14th and 16th centuries.

Legends say the Ga had only a bit of corn and palm oil when they landed, which women ground and mixed together to make kpokpoi. After the men caught fish, the clan enjoyed their first meal after landing – kpokpoi and fish soup.

The immigrants planted millet and corn seeds they had brought with them. Then, they endured a long, lean waiting period while crops matured. When the harvest came, the Ga held a feast and gave thanks to their gods. The first celebration became the Hom Yi Womo, meaning a “hooting at hunger.”

replaced the spirit of sharing and cooperation. The vicious assault on Native Americans is not widely discussed anymore. The holiday has come to mean turkey and the trimmings, preChristmas sales and football. The history of the brutal process used by Europeans to dispossess Native Americans of their land is not pretty. And now it is almost completely ignored.

In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad had Marlowe define the “conquest of the Earth” as “taking from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves.”

In both sub-Saharan Africa and North America, the native people were mostly cooperative in the early days of European arrival. Nevertheless, conquest and colonization ensued later on both

Although some of us of African descent in this country now enjoy modest affluence, the overall status of our people must be defined largely in terms of the marginalized and less fortunate.

For those without jobs, without hope or dignity in the ghettos of St. Louis or the squalor of Soweto or Port-au-Prince, Thanksgiving is meaningless and is certainly no holiday. It is mostly a grim reminder of misery and powerlessness.

Sleepwalking toward disaster

By Charles Jaco For The St. Louis American

Evil disguised as common sense is as American as Thanksgiving, and now we have research to back it up. An international gaggle of well-meaning researchers spent a year talking to Americans and have produced a study called “Hidden Tribes: A Study of America’s Polarized Landscape.”

They asked a big question: why is America so polarized? That large question has a pretty simple answer: because some people are fine with racism and fascism, and some people aren’t.

In a heroic effort to make the simple complex, an organization called More in Common divided Americans into seven groups, labeled each one a tribe, and gave each one specific characteristics. It’s depressing reading for two reasons.

smallpox and the smallpox vaccine for their illness.

In the Hidden Tribes study, researchers from More in Common lumped 67 percent of Americans into what they call the Exhausted Majority. But their descriptions of the subgroups included under that heading share one big trait: they don’t see Trump’s authoritarian racism as something that has to be opposed, but as something they can either compromise with, or simply ignore.

First among the Exhausted Majority are what they call Traditional Liberals, described as “cautious, rational, and idealistic. They value … compromise.” In plain English, they are cautious about opposing Trump, and think that they can compromise successfully with a GOP that’s become a white nativist party.

“extremism” seems to make Trump support and Trump opposition equally bad, these “moderates,” like the rest, don’t see the threat of the collapse of American democracy as something that needs to be fought tooth and nail. The study tries to make the point that the meanness and callousness of American politics have left the commonsense people of the Exhausted Majority behind, and that restoring their trust means we need to be more civil, kinder, and more compromising with each other.

Thanksgiving began in the United States in the 17th century as a celebration, a friendly coming-together of European settlers and the indigenous people of North America. The Native Americans had welcomed the Pilgrims to this land and shared the vast knowledge they had about the continent’s flora and fauna. They explained planting corn and plowing and taught the newcomers trapping and fishing.

According to tradition, both peoples slaughtered turkeys and made dressing and had a version of cranberry sauce at the first Thanksgiving. They feasted together. During those tough early days for the newcomers, Native Americans extended their hands and opened their hearts. Their hospitality and support helped Europeans survive in an unfamiliar land.

We know of the bitter and bloody relationship that developed when conquest and colonization

African Americans should not forget the early occasion that brought this particular holiday into existence in this country. We must dedicate ourselves to remember the “least along us” in a society that has effectively shut out so many of our people. Indeed, we are especially obligated to support policies and initiatives that strengthen family life and enable the poor to share in the nation’s bounty.

That is more true than ever, with an overtly racist, misogynist, hate-mongering U.S. president who frequently stands with white nationalists and white supremacists, not to mention hostile foreign powers, while undermining and abandoning many of this nation’s strongest, most productive and protective alliances.

Let us all give thanks for what blessings we have – and commit ourselves to resisting resurgent white nationalism and white male supremacy and working toward a future with greater racial equity, where blessings are more equitably shared.

We need to pay teachers better

educators.

By Adam Layne

For The St. Louis American

All too often, we see media coverage of various strikes by teachers around the nation. We see teachers with picket signs refusing to work and demanding to be paid fairly. Unfortunately, the public often takes a crass view of these images of teachers standing up for what they believe in.

In 2018, two districts in Washington saw their teachers strike at the beginning of the school year as they refused to work unless demands were met for what they believed to be fair salaries. When area families were asked for comment, some expressed strong disapproval, stating the delay was unfair to students, that teachers were acting selfishly, and that teachers were taking away from the students’ opportunity to learn.

Our mindset around teacher compensation needs to drastically change. We often say that teaching is a “noble” profession, saying it’s meaningful work but also implying that compensation is expected to be inadequate for the work we ask teachers to do. The mindset around that expectation creates the dissonance people experience when teachers ask to be adequately compensated – a dissonance that rattles the public and also the people who ultimately make the decisions around compensation for

Columnist

Adam Layne

Those who don’t teach have a hard time understanding the financial strains of being an educator, especially in a public system. Teachers pay out of pocket for many things in the classroom, and they do it because they care. Before the year even starts, teachers buy materials to contribute to the aesthetics of their room, which outside eyes might deem nonessential. However, teachers understand the value of having a space set up in a way that promotes not only learning, but also a sense of safety and comfort. Throughout the year, class snacks, rewards, and other materials contribute to engaging students and enriching the experience for every classroom, an expense that is multiplied seven times for high school teachers. As a teacher, I had a stockpile of orange juice and breakfast foods for students who I know may have missed their first meal of the day for reasons usually beyond their control. One additional source of income for teachers are afterschool activities. On the slim chance a teacher has time to take this is on, most schools pay teachers (minimally)

to host these activities, and teachers still front the costs for materials needed to enrich the experience of those activities.

One prevailing, yet circular argument for not paying teachers centers on districts’ inability to properly evaluate teachers. This stems from the difficulty in determining metrics for equitable compensation, especially across subjects, grade levels, and statewide tests. Even without perfect evaluation, it is clear that there are high-performing teachers and low-performing teachers, yet districts pay all teachers poorly. Then, they wonder why great teachers leave the classroom for administrative positions that pay better, with less stress, less work to take home, and less contact with our young people. Our current system incentivizes not being in the classroom. Paying teachers better would not only attract high-quality teachers, but also build more intentionality around replacing lowperforming teachers. Moreover, fairly compensating those individuals who directly interact with our students every day, and often well past the final bell, will lead to better outcomes and experiences for our students.

Adam Layne is an education advocate who has been teaching and developing curriculum and leadership programs in St. Louis since 2011.

One, it ignores the fact that tribalism is a function of privilege. Black people, Hispanic people, poor people, and other groups marginalized by mainstream America have never had the luxury of sorting themselves into tribes because they’ve always been defined as The Other by white middleclass America. The tribal sorting has already been done for them.

Two, and by far the most depressing, is that the Hidden Tribes study clearly shows that this country is profoundly right-wing and segregated. Millions of Americans disguise their enabling of corrupt policies and our slide toward being an authoritarian society run by the rich by claiming to be disgusted, befuddled, and turned off to politics.

Silence is consent. And the study shows a majority of people in the United States are remaining silent about Trump’s white nationalist horror show. The study shows they’re upset by the country’s “partisan tone,” that they’re turned off by “negative politics” and that they’ve become passive in the face of the biggest threat to American democracy since the Civil War.

But it’s actually worse than that. Examine their answers, and you find a toxic theme of both-sidesism, where the Trumpistas trying to turn this country into a mash-up of the Russian Federation and the Confederate States and the people fighting them are equally guilty of poisoning the American spirit. It’s like walking into a 19th century critical care ward and talking to sick patients who blame both

Congrats from Obama

I congratulate everybody who showed up and participated in our democracy on November 6. Obviously, the Democrats’ success in flipping the House of Representatives, several governorships, and state legislatures will get the most attention. But even more important than what we won is how we won: by competing in places we haven’t been competitive in a long time, and by electing record numbers of women and young veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, a surge of minority candidates, and a host of outstanding young leaders.

Next are what they call Passive Liberals. These people “feel isolated from their communities. They are insecure in their beliefs and avoid political conversations. They feel ... their lives are beyond their control.” In other words, they’re so scared of fascism’s rise that they’ve crawled back into their holes and pulled the holes in after them.

Then there are the Politically Disengaged, who the study’s authors claim make up 25 percent of all Americans. Their description reads more like a sketchy psychiatric evaluation: “untrusting, suspicious about external threats, conspiratorially minded … pessimistic … and detached from politics.”

These “disengaged” people are actually very engaged. They think immigrants are a threat, believe Facebook conspiracies, and believe others are out to get them. Those are precisely the scams Trump pitched, and they believe them.

The final member of the Exhausted Majority coalition are what the study’s authors label Moderates. These people start out seeming reasonable and then degenerate quickly, described as “engaged in their communities, well-informed, civic-minded. Their faith is an important part of their lives. They shy away from extremism.” Since Trump repeatedly used “faith” as a pitch to the gullible, and

The more Americans who vote, the more our elected leaders look like America.

On a personal note, Michelle and I couldn’t be prouder of the alumni of my administration who took the baton and won their races last night. Even the young candidates across the country who fell short have infused new energy and new blood into our democratic process, and America will be better off for it for a long time to come.

I also want to congratulate voters across the country for turning out in record numbers and for voting for several ballot initiatives that will improve the lives of the American people

That is a lie, wrapped in conservatism, and neatly packaged in a dangerous misreading of history. Fascist totalitarians came to power in the 20th century by harnessing the power of exhaustion with the system. People were fed up and disengaged so, what the hell, how bad could Mussolini, Franco, or Hitler really be? It’s the same pitch Trump used: “What do you got to lose?”

When a majority of a nation’s population refuse to see an autocratic authoritarian racist as a threat, but instead use it as an excuse to disengage and blame both sides, that nation is circling the drain pretty rapidly. But the implicit premise in Hidden Tribes is that there’s no special danger here, that things are still moreor-less normal, and that there’s nothing wrong that a few please and thank-yous can’t fix. The actual truth was summed up by a Tweet from German filmmaker Werner Herzog, tweeting under his nom du Twitter @WernerTwertzog: “Dear America: You are waking up, as Germany once did, to the awareness that 1/3 of your people would kill another 1/3, while 1/3 watches.”

That’s the gut-punch takeaway from Hidden Tribes. The authors implication is that kinder, gentler politics will enable us to reclaim our brethren lost in the wilderness of disengagement and despair, and bring them back into civic life. The reality is that the “disengaged” are shoving us toward the authoritarian abyss by claiming both sides are wrong and that decent people can compromise with fascism. It was progressive activists who got out the vote and flipped the House to stop Trump. We need more of that, and fewer hand-wringing studies that try to justify sleepwalking toward disaster. Charles Jaco is a journalist, author, and activist. Follow him on Twitter at @ charlesjaco1.

– like raising the minimum wage, expanding Medicaid, and strengthening voting rights. Our work goes on. The change we need won’t come from one election alone – but it is a start. Last night, voters across the country started it. And I’m hopeful that going forward, we’ll begin a return to the values we expect in our public life – honesty, decency, compromise, and standing up for one another as Americans, not separated by our differences, but bound together by one common creed.

Barack Obama Via email

Columnist

Charles Jaco

Matt Ross, a volunteer with First Robotics, showed Conner Daniels, 12, a 7th grade at Hazelwood North Middle School, how the robotics system works during the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Challenger Learning Center in the Ferguson-Florissant School District on November 3. For more information, visit www.challengerstl.org.

December 3 deadline for teen video contest

First State Bank is accepting submissions for its Lights, Camera, Save! video contest through December 3. To participate, teens (ages 13-18) must create a video of 90 seconds or less about saving and using money wisely. Videos will be judged on their quality, message, content and the criteria set forth by the contest’s official rules. The local winner will be awarded a cash prize of $500 and be submitted to a national contest organized by the American Bankers Association Foundation with a chance of winning up to $5,000. To learn more about the contest, visit fsbfinancial.com/video-contest.

Public hearing on Ferguson-DOJ consent decree

The U.S. Department of Justice will host a quarterly status hearing on its consent decree with the City of Ferguson at 11 a.m. Wednesday, December 5 in Courtroom 14-South at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, 111 So. 10th St. in St. Louis. Members of the public, in addition to the monitor and counsel for the parties, will be allowed to speak at the hearing. Specifically, any members of the public who wish to speak may do so by appearing at Courtroom 14-South between 10:30 a.m. and 10:50 a.m. on December 5 to register.

Members of the public may file a written submission of no more than 10 pages with the court no later than 4:30 p.m. Friday, November 30. Written submissions may be hand delivered or mailed to: Clerk of Court, United States District Court, Thomas Eagleton United States Courthouse, 111 South 10th Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63102, Re: United States v. City of Ferguson, Case No. 4: 16 CV 180 CDP.

Cut out the millennial condescension

By Esther Cepeda Washington Post

Now that New York has elected Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Congress, it’s time to drop the snarky jabs about millennials. Ocasio-Cortez, 29, is worth celebrating. Young people are woefully underrepresented in governing roles, and their exuberance, fresh ideas and open minds could help them connect with a more diverse demographic. Yet in a society that is obsessed with being youthful and on the cutting edge, we sure look down our noses at even the most accomplished young person if he or she has the temerity to like avocados, toast or – insert patronizing tone here – avocado toast.

Just set the food preferences aside and note that the disparagement that Ocasio-Cortez’s detractors heap upon her centers mostly on her Democratic Socialist political beliefs but also leans heavily on her age.

Adjectives like “spoiled,” “entitled,” and “vacuous” are appended to “millennial” and deployed to heighten the fiction that, if you’re to believe the criticism on newspaper-website comment sections, Ocasio-Cortez is so post-internet ignorant that she believes money falls from the sky and that everyone should get everything for free.

The woman graduated from Boston University with degrees in international relations and economics. I’m pretty sure she knows where money comes from.

A less charitable reading would be that Ocasio-Cortez’s membership in a generation that is frequently mocked was a gift to those who want to root against a woman trying to gain political power but don’t want to appear openly misogynist.

Surely there’s some of that. But, most likely, some older people openly despise millennials because they are free-spirited and possessed of the idealism and naiveté that every young person deserves to indulge in before the realities of a life’s difficulties grind away a little bit of the optimism.

There was a media uproar when it came out that Ocasio-Cortez can’t afford to put down a deposit, and first and last month’s rent, in the nation’s capital, one of the most expensive cities in the country (one-bedroom apartments average about $2,200) – plus pay moving and living expenses – before getting the first paycheck from her new job. Neither could most of America, never mind a young person who has been open about having student loans she’s still paying. Someone who, until recently, was working as a server in a bar.

At least in this instance, level heads, even from opposing camps, came to OcasioCortez’s defense.

“It’s perfectly appropriate to criticize the kinds of anti-market policy prescriptions a Socialist like Ocasio-Cortez is likely to recommend. But let’s not beat up on her for failing to have as much access to wealth as the average member of Congress,” wrote Robby Soave, an associate editor at Reason.com. “This problem should inspire sympathy, not scorn.”

Better yet: Cut out the millennial condescension.

By most measures, the youngest millennials are 22 and the oldest are 41. It’s a populace so diverse and heterogeneous across geography, race, ethnicity and socioeconomic class, that lumping them all into one category of detached, internet-obsessed narcissists is every bit as offensive as religious, racial and gender-based stereotypes. Young people are America’s present and future. If we don’t like them, we should point the finger of blame toward ourselves – and who bought all those pre-teens their internet-enabled smartphones and laptops for their bedrooms and didn’t set limits? –instead of piling on.

And remember, we need those idealistic young people to pay into Social Security and take care of us in the not-too-distant future.

Esther Cepeda’s email address is estherjcepeda@washpost.com, or follow her on Twitter: @estherjcepeda.

Celebrating Challenger with robotics

Esther Cepeda

Photo by Wiley Price

residency. The residency has 18 fellows for its first year, spread across St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) and the KIPP charter network.

Iris Jackson had to learn to lower her voice to work with first-graders instead of teenagers.

“A lot of times I use that strong mother voice, when sometimes you have to just lower it and actually sit and listen to them,” Jackson, 47, said after stepping out of her classroom at Patrick Henry Downtown Academy.

She gleaned that strong mother voice working in a juvenile justice center, where she discovered her favorite part of the job was helping in the classroom. “I was so eager every morning on that shift to work with that teacher to help those students,” she said. Jackson decided to leave juvenile justice and pursue education, first becoming a long-term sub for SLPS and then a reading tutor at Patrick Henry. The principal encouraged her to apply for the teacher residency program. Jackson used that softer tone to comfort a pouting kid. She flashed a beaming smile when a student improved his sight word vocabulary by nine words. There were lots of highfives exchanged. Jackson and the other residents will be placed in classrooms of their own next fall.

“Every day I say, ‘Is this is where I’m supposed to be?’” Jackson said. “And then I come

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and experience something different and it shows me, ‘This is where you’re supposed to be.’”

Jeff Konkel said he is finding teaching to be “humbling work.”

There are a few gray hairs on his head and in his trimmed beard. The 44-year-old said he got some confused looks from fellow staff members and even some students when he didn’t quite fit the mold of first-year teachers.

“There is no way I could

On December 11, 2012 at around 6 p.m., Demetri and I were at my house playing with a revolver. We began playing cops and robbers with the gun, not knowing that the gun was loaded. When I pulled the trigger, assuming nothing was in the gun, it went off and the bullet hit Demetri.

have done this work when I was in my 20s,” he said. “I just couldn’t have. I don’t think I had the patience. I didn’t have the compassion and empathy that’s required to do this work day in and day out.”

Konkel worked in public relations most recently and has a small Mississippi blues music label that he put on hold in order to pursue teaching. While he is used to speaking in front of crowds, Konkel found standing in front of an English class at KIPP Inspire middle

I began to cry while trying to get him up. I called the police, and when they arrived I was taken to the police department for interrogation, then transported back to my house. Around midnight, two detectives returned to my house to take me into custody due to Demetri passing away.

The detectives took me to juvenile, and I was charged with involuntary manslaughter. I stayed in juvenile for three months until my court date. Then the judge sent me to the Division of Youth Services to receive treatment for my grief and loss.

I was there for four years. During that time, I was able to

school “terrifying” at first. “Being in front of a group of slightly suspicious eighth-graders can be a little daunting,” he said. “I have learned that everything they say about how difficult it is to be a teacher is absolutely true.”

As a teaching resident, Konkel observes a more experienced teacher. He will lead a lesson or discussion and then get feedback. Over the course of the school year, he will take charge of the classroom more and more.

receive effective treatment for my grief and loss and to learn many life skills. I also was able to receive my education. I met so many positive staff and productive leaders. The staff and fellow group members trained and prepared me to become a leader for my support group. At the age of 14, I was leading older youth in the same group as me.

A few weeks into the school year, Konkel was having a hard time connecting with a student who was also new to KIPP.

“I was really doubting myself in that moment,” he said.

But then, at the end of the day, students were going around giving their “shoutouts” — accolades or a thank you to a peer or teacher — “and this student didn’t say a word,” Konkel said, “but as he was walking out handed me a piece of paper with a shout-out

I met Captain Perri Johnson, who began a group at the facility for young men. Upon my release, I met with Captain Johnson and expressed my life goals. He begin connecting me with people who allowed me to live my dreams. I graduated with my high school diploma at the age of 16 and began attending St. Louis Community College, studying office information systems. Due to my past and how police officers helped me grow from a traumatic situation, I was interested in becoming a police officer and working with juveniles. I began this journey by joining the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Explorer Program, under the supervision of Lt. Darla Gray.

I was honored and selected for the leadership position as the lieutenant for our program.

Lt. Gray then provided me with resources and a fabulous opportunity to be a part of the Police Cadet Program.

to me.” It was addressed to “Mr. K” and said, “he helps me every time I mess up.”

“I did my best not to cry right there,” Konkel said, “but it meant a lot.” He keeps the note folded up in his wallet, a reminder of why he’s on this journey to become a teacher. Follow Ryan on Twitter: @ rpatickdelaney. Reprinted with permission from news.stlpublicradio.org.

My first assignment was the Juvenile Detective Unit. I was able to meet Lt. Kimberly Allen and juvenile detectives who taught me so much about life, decision-making, and becoming a great police officer. My plan now is to continue the Police Cadet Program, obtain my bachelor’s degree, and go to law school. I plan to become a police officer at the age of 21 and to retire at the age of 42. Then I will become a lawyer and work towards becoming a judge. Today, as I look over my life and where I came from, I am proud of myself. I thank everyone who has allowed me the opportunity to grow. God has blessed me so much and given me the privilege to live life for myself and Demetri.

“Homegrown Black Males” is a partnership between HomeGrown STL at the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis and The St. Louis American, edited by Sean Joe, Benjamin E. Youngdahl Professor and associate dean at the Brown School, and Chris King, managing editor of The American, in memory of Michael Brown.

Iris Jackson works with firstgraders at Patrick Henry Downtown Academy in St. Louis on a reading comprehension assignment. Jackson is a resident teacher at the school.

Photo by Ryan Delaney/St. Louis Public Radio

his boss, Lt. John Applegate, informing him that “he and his other officers had concerns about the plaintiff being part of the platoon because of his religion, Muslim,” the suit states. In May 2015, Muhammed changed his legal name from Stanford Willis to Amir Muhammed. His new superior, Sgt. Michael Scego, who is white, allegedly refused to respect Muhammed’s new name, saying “him” instead of his name during roll call and on duty, the suit alleges. ThenPolice Officer Milton Green –a black man who was shot by a white officer in June 2017 and has not been able to report back to duty because of his injury – allegedly told Muhammed that Scego had tried to dig up dirt on Muhammed to get him disciplined, the lawsuit states.

On October 6, 2016, St. Louis County Police Officer Blake Snyder was shot and killed while on duty. Shortly thereafter, police officers in St. Louis city wore patches to mourn his death. Muhammed claims he did not receive a patch to wear that morning. Two white officers allegedly approached him later, claiming he was “acting like Colin Kaepernick” and not supporting his fellow officers. These are just a few of the many accounts that Muhammed details in his lawsuit. His allegations go further, providing an account of the department’s racial tensions.

Muhammed alleges that

AWARDEES

Continued from A1 a group of people of color who are not yet leaders in the firm.

“I map out what their career looks like,” he said.

“We talk through how to have discussions with their leaders and have some transparency there. It’s helping them to navigate in their current roles and looking forward.”

As director of Talent and Inclusion at Dot Foods, Pamela Kelly uses diversity to drive results for Dot Foods.

“I have learned the secret behind inclusion and diversity organizational success is great leadership from the top,” Kelly said, “and the ability to translate goals and insights into action that enable companies to establish higher-

there are officers who regularly use the n-word on the job, citing, a white man identified as Officer Skalzone. Skalzone is known, according to the lawsuit, to rough up black residents so often that black officers avoid riding with him.

Muhammed alleges that during roll call officers would often be told to arrest black residents, specifically. At times Muhammed alleges that officers were directed to “get these jobless shitheads off the corner,” alongside other racist remarks allegedly directed at black families and neighborhoods in St. Louis.

Muhammed alleges that a fellow black officer received a note in his locker that read: “You black ass n*****. We want you out of our station. We want your black ass DEAD. F--k your medals. If an aid call comes out for you we won’t respond. KILL YOURSELF N***** OR WE WILL.” The letter allegedly was signed, “South Patrol.”

Muhammed claims he was notified of the incident by his colleague for his own safety and claims in the lawsuit that to his knowledge no officers have been disciplined for the letter.

Muhammed describes an alleged scene from March of 2016 with a white officer, Sgt. Michael Sisco. Upon arriving, Muhammed claims he found a gun behind a dumpster and shortly after, a black man walked by the officers. Muhammed alleges that Sgt. Sisco insisted – without evidence, witnesses, or victims – that the black man be charged in relation to the firearm. When he refused to do so, Muhammed claims, Sgt. Sisco found another officer to write

functioning, more inclusive work.”

Kelly chairs the company’s Diversity Leadership Group, which is charged with creating the vision and mission for diversity at Dot Foods. She directs diversity efforts across all departments and locations, with the end goal of improving Dot’s competitive talent advantage.

Dot Foods receive the St. Louis American Foundation’s 2016 Corporate Diversity Award, two years after Kelly joined the company, a $7 billion ingredient supplier founded in 1960 in Mount Sterling, Illinois, about two hours north of St. Louis. After she joined the company, she said, Dot Foods experienced an “135 percent increase in salaried diverse talent.”

As vice president of division operations at Ameren

Twins for veterans

up a false report. Muhammed claims he filed a formal complaint about the incident.

Muhammed alleges that Sisco later said that he was “sick and tired of riding around with n******,” with regard to having black officers as his partners. Muhammed claims he went on to report several

Missouri, Patrick E. Smith

Sr. directs personnel who are responsible for design, construction and maintenance of Ameren Missouri’s electric energy distribution systems and leads strategy execution for Customer Operations. He has served in capacity since July 2017, although Smith’s Ameren career spans nearly three decades.

Smith started off as a meter reader in the East St. Louis, Illinois office of Union Election (now Ameren), then worked his way up as a journeyman lineman, supervisor of Electrical Operations, strategic analyst, and superintendent of Operations in Ameren Missouri.

Smith is an East St. Louis native and earned a bachelor of science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and an Executive MBA from

n Muhammed alleges that a fellow black officer received a note in his locker that read: “You black ass n*****. We want you out of our station.”

instances thereafter of calling for backup and being ignored by officers.

Prior to filing a federal lawsuit, Muhammed claims he previously filed Equal

Washington University in St. Louis. St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation has 1.2 million electric and 130,000 natural gas customers in central and eastern Missouri. Its service area covers 64 counties and more than 500 communities, including the greater St. Louis area. Its parent company, Ameren, had more than $6 billion in revenues in 2017.

Employment Opportunity Commission complaints. He said he also complained, orally, of these incidents to upper chains of command and received no response. Last month the case was transferred from state to federal court.

The 19th annual Salute to Excellence in Business Awards & Networking Luncheon will be held Friday, November 30 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel St. Louis, with a networking reception at 11 a.m. and luncheon program at noon. Tickets are $100 for Preferred/ VIP seating and $75 for general admission. Call 314-533-8000 or visit www. stlamerican.com for more information or to purchase tickets.

Twins Kamory’e and Kamora Ashley, 4, students at North Side Community School, took in the sights of the Veteran’s Day Parade in front of the newly renovated Soldiers Memorial in downtown St. Louis on November 10.

Photo by Wiley Price

Abolish the police

By Christian Ralph For The St. Louis American

In the early hours of July

7, 10 black Washington University students were stopped by Clayton police officers on the suspicion of

theft. The officers marched the students back to IHOP to pay for the meal they allegedly stole. However, these students were innocent. In response, Washington University’s Association of Black Students (ABS) released a statement

demanding an apology for targeted racist harassment of the black students. The university also held a series of panels. The most recent panel, hosted by the student organization TRUTH (Teaching

Racial Understanding Through Honesty), featured Washington University Police Department Chief Mark Glenn and St. Louis Metropolitan Police Chief John W. Hayden. While other panelists discussed the systemic nature of policing, both police officials discussed reforms centered on concepts of individual interactions, empathy for the communities police engage in, increasing policing training, and a new model of policing popularized by President Obama’s model of

21th century policing. However, both chiefs could not be more wrong. By advocating for these limited measures, they betray the role in which they act to uphold and ultimately support an insidious system that was created to protect capital and oppress black people.

The origins of U.S. policing can be traced to two sources: the slave patrols of the South and England’s metropolitan policing. The metropolitan system of policing provided

London with a centralized police force guided by a set of principles now known as the “Peelian Principles.” These principles stress an ethical relationship between the citizenry and the police meant to protect and serve them. In the South during the 18th and 19th centuries, a completely different model of policing developed based on catching fugitive slaves and maintaining the white supremacist socio-economic order by serving the wealthy plantation upper class. This policing force used state-sanctioned violence, surveillance of black slaves as well as freedmen, and a carceral system to maintain the status quo.

Unfortunately, many of these same practices define and characterize the modern institution of policing. Given this, how do we address these deeply rooted systemic issues? How many extra hours of increased training, time spent “practicing empathy” and energy invested in less violent individual interactions will be sufficient to undo 300 years of reinforced violence that continues unabated to this day?

Community policing is one solution proposed. But this idea holds little water when considering the inherent nature of policing. The foundation of the United States is in theory based on a series of social contracts between the governed and those who govern. Our most basic institutions are only as strong as the faith society has in the social contract. For policing, this is represented by the ethics of the Peelian Principles. However, the police as an institution betray and ultimately break this social contract.

Columnist Christian Ralph

In this socioeconomic climate, how can a model of community policing ultimately work when black people see themselves as residents in a system of internal colonialism with the police as an occupying force bent on maintaining racism and capitalism? When a social contract between the people and the police is broken, the police become an illegitimate entity, an entity needing abolition and replacement by an institution recognized by the people as legitimate. It is not enough to be “anti-police brutality, but not anti-police.” This creates a dangerous framing of a narrative that transforms the issue from institutional to individual. If the institution as a whole is illegitimate due to its inherent racist nature, then one must transcend an “antipolice brutality” mentality and become anti-police. We must advocate for the abolition of the police to be replaced by institutions created from the bottom up. Solutions based on principles of community control and restorative justice allow people to give these new structures legitimacy and can be modeled by work of organizations such as Assata’s Daughters, the #LetUsBreathe collective, and Critical Resistance. This is considered a radical position. I would argue that what is radical is suggesting that the solution to fix policing can be measured in hours of training. What is radical is suggesting that the same police that shot 15-year-old Branden Leachman four times and Patrick Kimmons at least nine times can be reformed via practicing empathy. What is radical is suggesting that the solution to 300 years of systemic racism is a community policing system where officers struggle to build ties with community members who view them as illegitimate conquerors. Christian Ralph is a Washington University graduate student and organizer with WUGWU, Washington University’s graduate student union.

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After Trump, Hawley? Welcome to Fascism 2.0

Charles Jaco – journalist, author, and activist (on Twitter at @charlesjaco1) – who took down U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill’s Republican challenger Todd Akin six years ago in a bruising broadcast interview, came out of retirement to write for The American before the November 6 general election and has stuck with it. He penned this guest Political EYE.

The bug-eyed MAGA red hats who pack Donald Trump rallies aren’t attending political events so much as a worship services, with Trump as the angry white tribe’s messiah. And while Trump may be a blovating racist, a narcissistic despot, a cowardly liar, an unfit sociopath, and a gelatinous greedhead, he’s not American fascism’s chosen one. In the theology of American democracy’s collapse, Trump is John the Baptist, paving the way for an actual totalitarian theocrat who would pull the lever for the trap door that would leave the American Republic swinging in the wind. Trump is too weak, too vain, and too greedy to pull it off. Over decades, he’s made too many dubious deals, laundered and spent too much dirty money, and hurt or swindled too many people for his past not to blow back on him.

core weakness. And he’ll believe in the same autocratic despotism as Trump. Enter Josh Hawley The lean, square-jawed, 38-year old Stanford and Yale law school grad taught at St. Paul’s School in London and lived in D.C., clerking for U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and practicing law with one of the capital’s old silk-stocking firms before re-discovering Missouri on a map and moving back to his birth state in 2015, just under the residency deadline to run for attorney general in 2016. Hawley even picked up cred from the people who still think reasonable, soft-spoken, bowtied Republicans still exist by attaching his political barnacle to the hull of the Danforth name and fortune.

Trump will do a substantial amount of damage and, eventually, he’ll be gone. But the 63 million people who elected him will still be here. They want white so-called Christian order. The next object of their affection will learn from Trump. He (and it will almost certainly be a he) will be smooth, wellgroomed, telegenic and, when the occasion calls for it, even soothing. He’ll be smooth, young, focused, and not prone to the man-baby fits of temper that have revealed Trump’s

Episcopal priest and former Republican U.S. Senator John Danforth, heir to a fortune because his grandfather’s horse and cattle feed business morphed into Ralston-Purina, describes himself as Hawley’s “mentor,” the same word he used to describe his relationship with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. And despite his self-proclaimed reputation as a “moderate” Republican, Danforth has sponsored two men who represent what used to be the far-right extreme of GOP politics.

Even though Hawley has endorsed all of Trump’s positions, from his white nationalist border crackdown to his abuse of power and incendiary racial rhetoric, he resembles Vice President Mike Pence more than Trump. Pence, in addition to fawning over Trump’s authoritarianism, is a white Christian nationalist, probably best known before Trump as the Indiana governor who supported a law requiring funerals for aborted fetuses.

Hawley’s religious

Josh Hawley shared a caption contest-worthy moment with President Trump on the tarmac at the St. Louis airport on March 14. Then the state’s attorney general and now a U.S. senator-elect, Hawley is being groomed by far-right conservatives as a possible heir to the Christian-pandering, white nationalist movement sparked by Trump.

extremism wears a Brooks Brothers suit and a Yale Club tie, but it has the same dangerous, apocalyptic worldview as Pence, Franklin Graham, and any other huckster who expects Jesus to return any minute now wielding a fiery sword as the flames of End Times consume the world.

In a 2012 essay for the Patheos religious blog, Hawley disguised crackpot theology with $50 syntax when he wrote, “Isn’t immanentizing the eschaton precisely what Christian citizens should be doing?”

“Immanentizing” means “to make something immanent or

immediate”; “the eschaton” means “the final event of the divine plan, the end of the world.” Hawley was arguing that so-called Christian citizens should do everything they could to speed up the arrival of End Times, so the final battle between good and evil can be waged. Then believers will be transported skyward in the Rapture, and the Earth will be left as a lifeless cinder floating through space. Remove the Ivy League pedigree and the polysyllables, and you have an extremist vision the Taliban or ISIS would easily endorse. Later in the essay, Hawley wrote,

“Government serves Christ’s kingdom rule; that is its purpose.”

These aren’t metaphors.

These are a precise, clear statements of intent to create a Christian nationalist state. But just as Muslims, Jews, and nonbelievers are excluded from this theocracy, so are progressive Christians and the social justice gospel of many black churches.

If Americans should have learned any lesson from Trump’s campaign, it’s that when an oligarch tells you what he intends to do, don’t laugh. Listen. Trump made it clear what sort of strong-man, racist rule he intended, and he did just

that. So when Hawley writes that government is created to serve conservative Christian ends, listen up.

Hawley’s said that birth control is pretty much the same thing as abortion and that sex trafficking was caused by the sexual revolution of the Sixties. He’s said Trump’s clearly racist immigration restrictions and crackdown are necessary for American security. He has verbally and literally embraced Trump, and his actions reveal an extremist political core that makes him Trump’s perfect heir.

Investigations by both the Kansas City Star and the PostDispatch revealed that rightwing political consultants took over much of the day-to-day operations of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office almost the moment Hawley was inaugurated. Running the office as a springboard for Hawley’s national political ambitions rather than as the state’s top prosecutor cost Missouri taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in unnecessary lawsuit settlements. Hawley successfully argued the Hobby Lobby case before the U.S. Supreme Court, so now employers can refuse to cover birth control in employee’s insurance plans because of so-called religious objections. Hawley’s stillpending lawsuit would overturn ObamaCare and allow insurers to deny coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. Hawley’s public persona is so smooth, polished, and telegenic that he can take bad policy and deliver it with a calm certainty, not Trump’s volcanic tantrums.

John the Baptist was smart enough to recognize the chosen one when he saw him. Trump’s not. We should be. Josh Hawley is American fascism 2.0.

Charles Jaco is a journalist, author, and activist. Follow him on Twitter at @charlesjaco1.

Photo by Bill Greenblatt UPI

School clinic opens at Lift For Life Academy

By Sandra Jordan

a licensed clinical social worker, and one or two medical assistants. Dental exams will be provided by a mobile unit.

n “It’s often difficult for working parents to leave work and address their child’s immediate medical needs.”

– Marshall Cohen, Lift for Life Academy

Students will not be turned away due to an inability to pay for medical service. The clinic will also accept private insurance

and Medicaid. Initially, it will operate on Wednesdays.

“Having a school-based health center on our campus will provide a much-needed medical service for our students,” said Marshall Cohen, executive director and co-founder of Lift for Life Academy. “It’s often difficult for working parents to leave work and address their child’s immediate medical needs. This will offer convenient and responsive support to parents and students.”

In addition to improving student

See CLINIC, A13

‘Gun violence is a public health crisis’

Dr. Sonny Saggar rejects NRA’s claim that guns are not a physician’s issue

By Evie Hemphill Of St. Louis Public Radio

After a recent tweet by the National Rifle Association suggested that medical professionals should “stay in their lane” when it comes to guns, many U.S. doctors responded with messages of their own. Dr. Sonny Saggar, a St. Louis physician, was among those insisting that the issue of gun violence actually falls well within their lane.

“When doctors say, ‘This is our lane, this is my lane,’ they’re basically raising awareness that gun violence is indeed a public health crisis,” Saggar said on St. Louis on the Air. “If a virus killed 20 kids in five

See GUNS, A13

Climate change is a threat to the health of the human species

National Medical Association rejects proposed repeal of Clean Power Plan

By Dr. Niva Lubin-Johnson National Medical Association

The National Medical Association opposes the proposed repeal of the Clean Power Plan and replacement with the Affordable Clean Energy or “ACE” rule.

Since our founding nearly 120 years ago, the National Medical Association has faithfully carried out our mission to represent the interests of over 50,000 African-American physicians and the patients we serve. It is our firm belief that enactment of the ACE plan contradicts the core principles of our organization and harms the health of our patients, who already suffer disproportionately from the health effects of climate change.

The increased emissions attributable to the proposed ACE rule will negatively affect the immediate health of all members of the country and will disproportionately affect children, seniors, lowincome people, those with chronic disease and many communities of color.

According to the NAACP, 68 percent of African Americans live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant, and an additional one million live within one half-mile of natural gas facilities. This proximity to fossil fuel facilities places these communities at risk of increased exposure, magnifying the potential for heart and respiratory disease.

n A study of our members conducted in 2014 revealed that 88 percent of AfricanAmerican physicians are already seeing health effects of climate change in our patients.

A study of our members conducted in 2014 revealed that 88 percent of AfricanAmerican physicians are already seeing health effects of climate change in our patients. From exacerbation of preexisting cardiac and respiratory disease to injury from severe weather, our patients are affected more often than the general population.

The most common cause of weather-related death is heat stroke. This death occurs most commonly in elderly, urban shut-ins who do not have air conditioning or cannot afford to use it. With climate change, northern cities like Chicago and Philadelphia are now at highest risk.

The National Medical Association recognizes climate change as a threat to the health, well-being, and longevity of the human species and advocates for policies that address root drivers of this problem. Although the entire population will feel the burden of climate change, low-income urban communities of color are less equipped to adapt to increasing climate stressors.

We, as African-American physicians, are called upon to respond to the needs of those who do not have the ability to evacuate from locations of hurricanes and floods such as those from the recent storms in North Carolina, Texas, and Florida.

The proposed ACE rule will accelerate this climate change when compared to the Clean Power Plan. By 2030 alone, we expect

Dr. Niva LubinJohnson

Affinia Healthcare and Lift for Life Academy celebrated the opening of a school-based health center at the school campus on S. Broadway Avenue in St. Louis on November 13.

Dr. Sonny Saggar

Photo by Affinia Healthcare

CLINIC

Continued from A12

attendance for academic achievement, the new schoolbased health center will increase student access to primary medical and behavioral health care and help students to improve their health and wellness.

For youth who need it, Alan Freeman, president and CEO of Affinia Healthcare, said the clinic will serve as a primary and behavioral health care home. “Convenient, affordable and timely care is essential to improving health outcomes among our patients,” Freeman said.

School-based health centers are increasingly an important method of health care delivery for youth and their families who experience financial, cultural, and transportation barriers. Medical clinics in schools create an environment of service coordination and collaboration that addresses the health needs and well-being of youth with health disparities or poor access to health care services.

Lift For Life Academy opened in 2000 as the first independent charter school in the city of St. Louis, and

‘No veteran should go hungry’

Advocates call on Congress to fund SNAP via farm bill

American staff

In connection with Veteran’s Day 2018, Empower Missouri and Missouri Budget Project called on Congress to support U.S. veterans by passing a farm bill that protects and strengthens the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), helps more than 37,000 Missouri veterans with low incomes – that’s eight percent of all Missouri vets –put food on their tables.

Formerly known as food stamps, SNAP helps over 750,000 needy Missourians pay for groceries, including seniors, people with disabilities, and many workers who are in between jobs or working a job with unstable hours and few benefits.

Both of Missouri’s current U.S. senators, Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill, voted for the bipartisan Senate bill that includes SNAP funding.

“SNAP reduces hunger, promotes school success, improves health outcomes for children, and supports sustained employment for the many Missourians working in low wages jobs that have irregular schedules and limited benefits,” said Jeanette Mott

Oxford, executive director of Empower Missouri.

“We thank Senators Blunt and McCaskill for voting for the bipartisan Senate bill and urge them to work with their

colleagues to ensure the final bill includes the Senate SNAP provisions to protect and strengthen SNAP.” Nationally, new data shows that SNAP helps almost 1.4

million low-income veterans across the country. Mott Oxford noted that veterans often face unique barriers in the workplace. Young veterans who leave

active duty may have little work experience beyond military service or may have trouble finding a job that matches their skills. Recent young male veterans have higher unemployment rates and lower labor force participation rates than similar civilians.

“No veteran should go hungry in the United States of America,” said Amy Blouin, executive director of the Missouri Budget Project. In June, the U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan farm bill that protects SNAP for veterans and others who are struggling, and strengthens programs that can help veterans on SNAP get and keep a good-paying job. In contrast, the version of the bill approved by the U.S. House would cause many veterans and others to lose food assistance through expanded harsh work requirements. Legislators from both bodies are currently working to reach agreement on a final farm bill.

People’s to continue administering WIC Services

Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers will continue administering Women Infants and Children (WIC) Services for the 2019 federal fiscal year. WIC is federally funded under the USDA Food and Nutrition Services Program and contracted locally by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Over the next year, People’s expects to serve 52,271 pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, infants and children up to age five who

GUNS

Continued from A12

minutes, or if a bacterial strain killed 60 people in 15 minutes – if you’ve got some pathogen randomly attacking schools, churches, nightclubs almost every day of the year – then people would wonder whether doctors had fallen asleep at the wheel.”

Until last December when he started focusing solely on the 24-hour Downtown Urgent Care business he owns, Saggar had worked for many years in hospital emergency departments

around the St. Louis region. He grew up in England and also worked in emergency departments there before moving to the U.S. During his 21 years in American medicine, he has observed many of the bodily and psychological results of gun violence – for those killed and injured, for loved ones and bystanders, and also for colleagues.

“There’s a lot of people who are affected,” Saggar said. “Who’s actually removing the bullets from the spines and from the hearts? Who’s repairing the bowel and the bones from gunshot wounds? Who’s having to deal with

have nutritional needs and meet the income guidelines.

WIC services include nutrition education, help with breastfeeding, referrals to services in the St. Louis area, and vouchers for supplemental foods. The supplemental foods

the psychological effects? Surgeons, psychiatrists, internists, emergency physicians, OB-GYNs, pediatricians, everyone.”

Saggar urged community members to think about responsible gun ownership and take proactive measures, such as removing guns from a home where children live.

“If you can’t do that, then [practice] safe storage and safety measures like a loading indicator or a child safety lock on the gun,” Saggar said. “These things have actually been proven to help reduce gun accidents.”

He added that he thinks it is appropriate for physicians

include infant formula, cereal, juice, milk, cheese, eggs, beans, peanut butter, fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods such as bread, brown rice, and tortillas. For eligibility information or to schedule an appointment

to ask parents and adults about guns.

“I think it’s no different from asking, ‘Is there a fence around your swimming pool? Do you have car seats for your children? Do you smoke around your children?’” Saggar said.

“If those questions are intrusive, I don’t know what else we can do. We’ve got to ask proactive questions.”

He emphasized his deep concern about American gun culture – something he said he struggles to explain to friends and family abroad.

“When one-third of gun sales require no background checks – for example, at a gun

for WIC services, call People’s Central location, 5701 Delmar Blvd. (314-361-5728); its Health & Dental Care for Kids center, 4055 Lindell Blvd. (314-535-3332); its North location, 11642 West Florissant (314-831-3517) or Casa de Salud, 7200 Chouteau (314772-1633). For more information about Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers visit: www. phcenters.org.

show – it’s basically asking for trouble,” Saggar said. “What does it say about a country where it’s now normal – and I can’t think of any other word – it’s normal [where] it’s just another day to have a shooting in a school?”

Reprinted with permission from news.stlpublicradio.org.

CLIMATE

Continued from A12

rule is enacted. Therefore, I voice our opposition to this proposal to replace the Clean Power Plan with the ACE rule, and it is why we urge you to reaffirm policies that reduce both immediate and long-term health risks to all, as well as reducing health disparities.

Edited from testimony given in opposition to the Proposed Affordable Clean Energy Rule to Replace the Clean Power Plan. Dr. Niva Lubin-Johnson is the 119th president of the National Medical Association and a general internist residing in Chicago.

Lift For Life Academy student ambassadors celebrated the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Affinia Healthcare health center that opened at the

charter school on Wednesday, November 14.

Photo by Affinia Healthcare

Missouri State University holds

community health clinics, Affinia Healthcare opened its first school-based clinic

at Normandy High School in 2017, and plans to open its third school-based clinic in the

coming weeks at Confluence Aspire Academy in St. Louis.

Normandy alum Chajuana Trawick teaches the business of fashion

Lindenwood prof built Early College Start dual credit program with alma mater

By Bridjes O’Neil

Of

Normandy Schools Collaborative

An accomplished university professor, business owner and mentor, Chajuana Trawick has a simple motivation in her career.

“I want to help young people who were like me, looking for somebody that looked like me, as inspiration to be a fashion designer,” said Trawick, program chair and associate professor of Fashion Business & Design at Lindenwood University.

The Normandy High School alum’s mentorship extends beyond the collegiate level. Prior to joining the staff at Lindenwood, Trawick worked for two years as a substitute at her high school alma mater. It was during this time she and fashion design teacher Desiree Green reconnected. When Trawick joined Lindenwood in 2012, she invited Green and the Normandy students to participate in fashion shows at

Krab Kingz opens on the Loop

n Normandy’s Fashion Design program prepares students for the ever-changing world of work, which means not only college readiness, but also career readiness.

the university. It was an opportunity for high schoolers to showcase their work alongside college students.

The partnership was the beginning of what would eventually become a dual credit program in Fashion Design at the high school. Through the Early College Start dual credit program, juniors and seniors can earn up to six credit hours toward a Fashion Design degree at Lindenwood.

“No other high school has this program with Lindenwood,” Trawick said.

Normandy also has a dual enrollment partnership with St. Louis Community College through the Gateway to College program.

“I remember getting three credit hours through the [University of Missouri-St. Louis] Bridge Program when I was at Normandy,” Trawick said. “It changed my life.”

A first-generation college student in her family, Trawick earned her doctorate degree in Textile and Apparel Management, with a minor in Black Studies and emphasis in 20th Century African American Business History from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She said she was the first African American accepted into that UMC doctorate program. She also has a master’s degree in Business Administration and a bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising and

See MARYVILLE, B6

Sulbrena Day expanded her role as chief operating officer (COO) at Touchette Regional Hospital by assuming the chief nurse officer functions. She has been the COO since early 2017 and has been with the Touchette leadership team since 2004. Previously she served in numerous capacities through service at St. Mary’s and Kenneth Hall Regional hospitals.

Bernard Gilkey was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. A University City High School graduate, Gilkey played 12 seasons in the big leagues, including his first six (1990 to 1995) for the hometown St. Louis Cardinals. Overall, he hit 118 home runs, 244 doubles and drove in 546 runs in a career that included time with the New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves.

Lori Patton Davis was elected as the first AfricanAmerican woman to lead the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE). ASHE is a scholarly society with 2,000 members dedicated to higher education as a field of study and committed to diversity in its programs and membership. She is a tenured full professor at Indiana University, an East St. Louis native and 1991 graduate of Lincoln Senior High School.

Terrell Carter published a new book, “Healing Racial Divides: Finding Strength in Our Diversity.” The book explores how race has been viewed and interacted with historically through churches, and how people of faith can be more intentional about bridging racial divides within our nation. The book can be ordered from the publisher at www.chalicepress.com or through book sellers. He is a local pastor and seminary professor.

Angell Farley

Angell Farley was named a board member of the Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls, where she will apply her experience in corporate STEM partnerships to further the school’s mission in helping young women achieve academic success. She is a human resource manager for Watlow, where she has worked to build education, workforce development and recruitment programs that raise awareness of careers in manufacturing and engineering.

Alan Green was recently appointed by Gov. Mike Parson to serve on Missouri’s Justice Reinvestment Executive Oversight Council, which aims to reduce crime, significantly decrease the prison population and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. A Democrat from Florissant, Green represents District 67 in the Missouri House of Representatives. The Justice Reinvestment Council was established and implemented by Gov. Parson’s Executive Order 18-08.

Bernard Gilkey

Alan Green

Terrell Carter

Sulbrena Day

Lori Patton Davis

Chajuana Trawick discusses her love of fashion and teaching at Lindenwood University. She was instrumental in expanding the university’s Fashion Design program to include a Fashion Business and Entrepreneurship degree.

The franchise owners for a new Krab Kingz cut the ribbon on their restaurant at 5860 Delmar Blvd. on the University City Loop on Friday, November 2. Present were Joe Edwards, Delmar Loop chair; Lamar Jackson, co-owner of Krab Kingz; Cortez Burton, co-owner of Krab Kingz; and Alderman Frank Williamson, along with the crew at Krab Kingz.

United Way raises more than $76M

The United Way of Greater St. Louis raised $76,006,420 through its 2018 fundraising campaign chaired by Mark S. Wrighton, chancellor of Washington University, and Jeff Fox, chairman and CEO of Harbour Group, the agency announced on November 14.

More than 100,000 residents and 1,800 companies made

contributions through United Way’s community campaign, which is now the largest United Way fundraising campaign in the nation. Thirteen companies, their employees and participating labor unions were recognized for combined team gifts of more than $35 million this year.

At the $6 million or more level in team gifts were the associates of Edward Jones. This year, Edward Jones associates invested a record $6.8 million into the community through United Way, the single largest company campaign in United Way history.

At the $4 million or more

Thomas Sullivan is interim CEO of Mathews-Dickey

Thomas Sullivan is now the interim chief executive officer of Mathews-Dickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club, as Wendell Covington “has reached the end of a three-year contract,” according to a release. The club is planning a search for a new president and chief executive officer.

Sullivan is the club’s chief operating officer and longestserving staff member. He will collaborate with a transition team of top-level managers and board members.

Thomas Sullivan

Stephanie Riven, principal consultant with The Riven Company, has been engaged as a strategic advisor. She will work with

the board and staff to strengthen and build organizational capacity, especially in the area of development and fundraising.

“We are excited about our future as we look for new ways to get young people engaged with sports and education, but we will never forget our roots,” said Jack Raymond, chairman of the Mathews-Dickey Board of Directors.

Raymond noted that club co-founder, Martin Mathews “is still with us to encourage and inspire us with his passion and enthusiasm.”

level in team gifts were employees of Enterprise Holdings Inc. and Worldwide Technology.

At the $3 million or more level in team gifts were employees of Bayer U.S. and Centene Corporation.

At the $2 million or more level in team gifts were employees of Ameren, Spire

Inc. and Wells Fargo Advisors.

At the $1 million or more level in team gifts were employees of AnheuserBusch, BJC HealthCare, Emerson, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company and Schnuck Markets.

The St. Louis Regional Business Council, which represents more than 100 area firms, raised more than $14.8 million this year.

Cold Weather options for Spire customers

Due to the Missouri Cold Weather Rule, Spire (formerly Laclede Gad) is offering payment plans and budget billing through March 31. Customers who need assistance to stay warm this winter should call Spire at 800-887-4173.

Job readiness program

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis is currently offering a job readiness program called “Jr. Staff.” Young people ages 15-18 that complete the program are then eligible to select employment with a variety of the club’s community partners (such as GAP, Old Navy, Banana Republic, St. Louis Zoo and more). For more information, call 314-335-8000.

“We want to thank everyone, on both sides of the river, from our labor unions to companies big and small, who gave their time and treasure to make this year’s campaign a success and help local families live their best possible lives,” said Wrighton.

Sun Country flying to Fort Myers and Tampa from STL

Sun Country Airlines has launched nonstop flights from St. Louis Lambert International Airport to Fort Myers, Florida and Tampa, Florida. Sun Country operates out of Terminal 1 with operations at Gate C-27. The carrier, which is hubbed in Minneapolis/St. Paul, has 46 destinations in the US, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. To book, visit suncountry.com.

Free session with credit-building counselor on Nov. 29

‘Score a Better Future’ launched by FICO, Justine Petersen,

By Galen Gondolfi

For The St. Louis

Hey St. Louis! FICO is coming to town and, just like Santa Claus, in one evening you will receive a gift that will

change you and your family’s future. This type of gift does not fit in a stocking or under a tree, but rather positively impacts almost every facet of daily life, now and for the future. It comes in the form of

learning the inside and out of your FICO Score and receiving free one-on-one coaching and credit counseling from a local non-profit credit-building counselor. This is the gift of

building a relationship with a local credit-building counselor, someone who is knowledgeable about your credit score, someone who cares about your financial well-being and future, and someone who will co-draft, along with you, a personalized credit action plan to achieve your financial asset-building goals – be that owning a home, starting a business, or lowering the cost of your car note and car insurance.

FICO is a company that has pioneered scoring analytics for most lending decisions made at financial institutions such as banks. This means that your FICO Score is your future when it comes to building financial assets.

Here in St. Louis, FICO

Treasurer’s Office

n Score a Better Future is a free event to be hosted at HarrisStowe’s Clay Center, 10 N. Compton Ave., 6-8 p.m. Thursday, November 29.

is partnering with the local non-profit organization

Justine Petersen, the Office of Financial Empowerment at the City Treasurer’s Office, and the St. Louis Regional Unbanked Taskforce to launch Score a Better Future.

Score a Better Future is a national program that brings together consumer

advocates, credit educators, and community leaders in a series of free educational events across the county to help individuals and their family members learn about credit scores and the financial tools they need to help them achieve their dreams.

Score a Better Future is a free event to be hosted at Harris-Stowe’s Clay Center, 10 N. Compton Ave., 6-8 p.m. Thursday, November 29. One-on-one credit counseling, games and activities for kids, child care, and dinner will all be made available for free. Galen Gondolfi is chief communications officer at Justine Petersen. For more information, visit http://www. justinepetersen.org.

Airbnb will start collecting city taxes in St. Louis on December 1

Effective December 1, Airbnb will collect local taxes for all Airbnb bookings in St. Louis and remit said taxes to the St. Louis License Collector’s Office in a new agreement announced on November 14.

Earlier this year, Airbnb reached a tax agreement with the Missouri Department of Revenue. That accord went into effect February 1, with Airbnb collecting and remitting the state sales tax along with a variety of local taxes.

“Since the State of Missouri reached its agreement with Airbnb, St. Louis city is one of the first jurisdictions to follow suit,” said St. Louis City License Collector

the playing field” for all entities that provide lodgings in the city. “Additionally, this tax revenue is important to Explore St. Louis for marketing, the Regional Arts Commission for arts’ organization grants, and the City of St. Louis for general revenue and bond payments,” Ratcliffe said.

n “I’ve been dealing with this for seven years.”

— St Louisan Bradley Beal on the dysfunctional Washington Wizards

Sports

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CBC looks to repeat

Cadets meet Rockhurst for Class 6 state championship

There are two weeks left in the high school football season and seven teams from the St. Louis area are still alive and in the hunt for a state championship.

CBC will be looking to repeat as Class 6 state champions this weekend in Columbia while the other six teams will be participating in state semifinal games with a berth in the state championship on the line. Here is a look at this weekend’s action:

Class 6 State Championship Game

CBC vs. Rockhurst, Saturday, 6 p.m. –

These two traditional powerhouse programs will meet for the state championship at Faurot Field on Mizzou’s campus. The two teams met last month will CBC taking an impressive 45-7 victory over the Hawklets. The Cadets have been the dominant program in Missouri for the past two seasons and no team from Missouri has slowed them down yet. CBC defeated Joplin 59-14 in the semifinals last Saturday while Rockhurst edged Blue Springs 14-13 to advance to yet another state championship game. CBC will also be looking for its third state championship in the past four years.

Class 5

Vianney at Carthage, Saturday, 3 p.m. – The Golden Griffins won the state championship two seasons ago and are looking to get back to the state title game after an upset loss to Pattonville in the state quarterfinals last season. Vianney advanced with an impressive 69-28 victory over previously undefeated Jackson last Saturday. Carthage, the

Ishmael gives thanks

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, it only seems appropriate to give thanks to the man upstairs for the gift of sports. After all, in addition to stuffing our faces with turkey, dressing, collard greens and sweet potato pie, many of us will spend the holiday weekend on the couch watching sports. So in honor of Thanksgiving, here are three things I’m grateful for in the sports world. LeBron in L.A. While many people were upset when LeBron James departed Cleveland for Miami in 2010, there was much less outrage when he bolted Cleveland for Los Angeles this offseason. It’s almost universally recognized that James, the brightest star in basketball, belongs in L.A. Now that the superstar forward is draped in purple and gold, one of the preeminent franchises in the league has

shot back into prominence. Without some blockbuster trades (Bradley Beal, anyone?), the Lakers aren’t expected to compete for a championship this season. With James though, “Showtime” is back and the team is now exciting to watch. James’ biggest impact and greatest achievement to date in L.A. may very well be his ability to overshadow LaVar Ball Think about it. Before James’ arrival, Ball consistently made headlines for his outlandish remarks. Now King James rules the sports headlines and Ball has faded to the background where he belongs. He pops up every now and then just to let us know he’s still around. However, he’s nowhere near as annoying now that James has taken over the spotlight.

Earl Austin Jr.

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With Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Cardinal Ritter’s Shamel Morrow (17) rushed for 72 yards on 14 carries against Kennett Saturday, Nov 17, 2018 during the Class 3 quarterfinal played at St. Louis University High. The Lions of Cardinal Ritter went on to defeat Kennett 42-9.

LeBron James move to Los Angeles has been a positive for the NBA. Though the Lakers aren’t expected to contend for a title this season, it’s clear that the league’s brightest star belongs in L.A.

Photo by Wiley Price

The Washington Wizards would either get their act together last week or face major changes. You read that here last week. Home losses to the awful Cleveland Cavaliers and talented Portland Trailblazers – plus guard John Wall, cursing at coach Scott Brooks during a practice –have led to sources saying Bradley Beal, Wall and all members of the Wizards are on the trading block.

Wall’s contract, which will pay him $42.3 million over the next two years, is an albatross. Beal is younger, makes less money and could make a bad team better, a good team a contender and the L.A. Lakers one of the most dangerous teams in the NBA Western Conference. On Tuesday, speculation had it that the Lakers will make a major run at obtaining Beal.

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

Beal joining LeBron James in L.A. would jolt the NBA

messed up on the floor.”

Weeks ago, the Wizard weren’t 5-11 and last in the Atlantic Division.

On Nov. 2, Beal snatched a clipboard from Brooks during a timeout to make a point of his own. Dysfunction abounds, and it came to a head when Wall said “(Bleep) you” to Brooks last week when he challenged Wall to show more effort during a practice. He apologized and was fined. Anthony Riccobono who covers the NBA for the International Business Times says Beal to the Lakers makes great business sense too.

ESPN’s NBA guru Adrian Wojnarowski first reported said on Twitter last weekend, “Wizards signaling a willingness to consider trade overtures on entire roster, including All-Star guards John Wall and Bradley Beal.” He added in a video that several members of the team “really don’t like each other.” Beal is aware of the trade rumors and told the Washington Post, “I’m not going to be naive to it, you know,” said Beal, who saw the report.

“I’ve heard those rumors weeks ago. Then, I didn’t buy into them. Now, I’m still not going to buy into them because if that’s my main priority and focus, then I’m going to be

“L.A. refused to give up a bunch of their assets for Kawhi Leonard in the summer, though San Antonio’s asking price was reportedly very high,” he wrote.

“Acquiring Beal would likely eliminate the Lakers from their pursuit of a max free agent in the summer of 2019. Los Angeles could still be more than $20 million below the salary cap.”

LeBron, who posted 51 in a win over Miami this week, needs help on offense.

“As a career 39 percent three-point shooter, he is an ideal candidate to play with James. The shooting guard is averaging 21.5 points per game and shooting a career-low 33.9 percent from three-point range this season,” Riccobono added. Dan Favale of Bleacher Report concocted a possible deal that would send Beal, Thomas Bryant, and Jeff Green to the Lakers for Michael Beasley Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma,

and Brandon Ingram

“Sitting out another blockbuster shouldn’t be part of the Lakers’ plan. They of all teams know nothing is certain in advance of free agency. If they can reel in a 25-yearold (Beal), an All-Star who complements LeBron James’ game without obliterating their asset base, cap space should be a secondary concern.”

While his name is not mentioned in that deal, my guess is that Magic Johnson and the Lakers front office would love to add Beal to the roster and subtract Lonzo Ball

If it’s going to happen, watch for the trade to occur near the first of the year, 2019.

Burwell and the blue

The late Post-Dispatch sports columnist Bryan Burwell and I were touring the

St. Louis Cardinals Museum in Ballpark Village on Opening Day a few years back and had a hysterical discussion about the sky-blue uniforms the Cardinals wore during their 1982 World Championship season.

Apart from the Dallas Cowboys blue jersey, silver pants combo, the ’82 blue Cardinals uniform is my alltime favorite.

He hated it. Mocked it. Laughed at it.

I defended that uniform like I had designed them. I even threw in “you had to be here.”

I couldn’t convince him to stop hating on the blue, but I told him that someday, the look would be back.

The Cardinals announced this week that the powder blue would indeed return this year.

Hey Bryan, dude, it’s hard to believe you will have left us four years ago on December 4. I still miss you. I guess I won that fun debate. Say hi to my dad, and I know you’re digging Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

Reid Roundup

Let’s start the roundup with a bot of personal thanks. My wife, Carmen, and I were in Chicago last weekend to

see our daughter star in the Dominican University musical “School House Rock.” She’s making great grades, will serve as stage manager for an upcoming Judy Collins concert on campus and performs with the school’s critically acclaimed improvisation ensemble … Our daughter, Blaine, is a senior at Kirkwood High School and a member of its National Honor Society. Active in jazz choir and a leader of its theater crew students, she has her choice of colleges – and, yes, has been accepted at KU, although Missouri seems to be her first choice. She will pursue an engineering degree … My mom, Erma Reid remains a pillar of service to retired teachers and the entire Kirkwood community. Who gets a Ph.D. at 80? My mom. She’s now 82 and more vibrant than I was at 21. I’m blessed, and I’m truly thankful … Ladue plays at Webb City and MICDS hosts Smithville on Saturday afternoon. The winners advance to the Class 4 state championship – where I grant my personal permission to the Rams to run up the score on MICDS should they meet … The St. Louis Blues fired coach Mike Yeo on Monday night. It probably stinks to be let go right before Thanksgiving –

Bradley Beal could make a bad team better, a good team a contender and the L.A. Lakers one of the most dangerous teams in the NBA Western Conference.

just ask the hundreds of Shop ‘n Save employees who just lost their jobs this week … Les Miles is KU’s new head coach. I chatted with KSDK Sports Director Frank Cusumano about the hire this weekend and he mentioned it on his show on Monday. Thanks for the shout out, dude … Mizzou should give coach Barry Odom a raise and leave him alone. He’s going to go 8-4 and play in a respectable bowl game. We Jayhawks long for those days … Words cannot describe the Monday Night Football game in which the Los Angeles Rams topped the Kansas City Chiefs. If the Chiefs had any kind of defense, they would be favored to reach the Super Bowl…. The Rams back in the Super Bowl just three years after bolting from STL? Yep, could happen

Alvin A. Reid was honored as the 2017 “Best Sports Columnist – Weeklies” in the Missouri Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest and is a New York Times contributor. He is a panelist on the Nine Network program, Donnybrook, a weekly contributor to “The Charlie Tuna Show” on KFNS and appears monthly on “The Dave Glover Show” on 97.1 Talk.” His Twitter handle is @aareid1.

Alvin A. Reid

inSide SporTS

With Earl Austin Jr.

Referees love the game, one whistle at a time

As we embark on another high school basketball season, everyone will be concentrating on who will be the top players and top teams in the area.

There is another group of dedicated people who are also ready to get after it this season on the court. They are the referees. These good folks may not get a lot of recognition in general, unless it’s on the business end of loud vocal chatter from players, coaches and fans.

During my 30-plus years of covering area basketball, I’ve witnessed the proliferation of quality AfricanAmerican officials in the game. They have grown in numbers since my playing days in the ‘80s and many have become good friends over the years.

As the high school season approached and before everyone started their busy schedules, veteran official Dorian Hobbs came up with a brilliant idea. He put out a call to African-American referees from around the area to gather together for a group photo. More than 50 people

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there is no NBA team. Besides that small gripe though, the NBA League Pass is the way to go for basketball fans.

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No. 1 team in Class 5, defeated Lebanon 43-0 to advance to the semifinals. Vianney is led by the sensational Kyren Williams, who has scored 36 touchdowns this season. The winner of this game will face the Battle-Fort Osage winner for the state title on Sat., Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. at Mizzou.

Class 4

Ladue at Webb City, Saturday, 1 p.m. – The two teams that met for the state championship last season will get it on again this year in the semifinals. Webb City defeated Ladue 14-0 to win the state championship. Ladue has not lost a game since that game as they have utilized a staunch defense and balanced offense to go 12-0 this season. Senior Andrew Hunt is a strong twoway player while Dale Chesson is a big-play performer. The Rams shut out a powerful West Plains team 26-0 in the quarterfinals. Webb City is one of the signature high school programs in the state with 10 state championships in its storied history.

answered the call and showed up at Normandy High on a late summer morning for the photo shoot. It was a beautiful gathering full of fellowship and togetherness, combined with a storied history. You had many sage officials who have seen it all along with the younger group that is just getting started in the game. They told stories and shared their experiences before gathering for a photo, which was taken by our Hall of Fame photographer Wiley Price.

The list of names was quite impressive with Edsel Bester, Marv Williams, Andy Miner, Jerry Hayes, Ed Crenshaw Jr, Ronnell Turner, Danita Moore, Jordan Wilson. That small list represented the different generations of African-American officiating excellence under one roof. It was a remarkable sight.

“It was such a great feeling to see all of us together like this,” Hobbs said. “It means so much that people can see us and recognize that we’re good at what we do. We have a lot of history and I watched a lot of these guys and they helped

Mizzou football resurgence

The Missouri Tigers football team started out a ho-hum 4-4. Amongst the four defeats were heartbreaking losses to South Carolina (37-35) and #12 Kentucky (15-14). It looked

The Cardinals escaped with a thrilling 28-27 victory over Camdenton in the quarterfinals.

Smithville at MICDS, Saturday, 1 p.m. – After consecutive 9-3 seasons and district runner-up finishes, MICDS broke through to win a district title. The Rams kept it going with a victory over Hannibal in the state quarterfinals. They are led by senior standouts Graham Bundy Jr. and Holy Cross commit Tyler Purdy. Smithville advanced to the semifinals with a 45-6 victory over Warrensburg. The state-championship game will be held on Friday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. at Mizzou.

Class 3

Maryville vs. Trinity at St. Mary’s, Saturday, 1 p.m. – The powerful Trinity Titans had a scare in the quarterfinals against Southern Boone, but they escaped with a 27-17 victory in a mud-bowl in MidMissouri. The Titans will be back on the turf at St. Mary’s where they can unleash their stable of offensive weapons, led by quarterback Isaiah Williams. Trinity will be facing a Maryville team that won the Class 3 state title last season.

me as I was coming up.”

Those officials that Hobbs was referring to were men such as Williams, Bester and Wyndel Hill, Harvey Cloyd and the late John Eddy, who all put in more than 40 years with the whistle. These men were pioneers that helped paved the way for the many black referees who have followed.

“There weren’t too many of

like the Tigers team was in for a down year and might be omitted from the postseason bowl games.

However, the Tigers rallied around QB Drew Lock and a powerful rushing attack with Larry Rountree III and Damarea Crockett to right the

Cardinal Ritter at Mt. Vernon, Saturday, 1 p.m.

– The undefeated Lions will make the trip to the Ozark region to face a strong Mt. Vernon team that was the state runners-up in Class 3 last season. Ritter has a breathtaking passing game led by junior Mekhi Hagens and receivers Jameson Williams, Luther Burden and Cam Coleman. The Lions had another offensive explosion last Saturday in defeating Kennett 42-9 in the quarterfinals.

The Class 3 state championship game will be held on Saturday, Dec. 1 at 11 a.m. at Mizzou.

Class 2

Lutheran North at Blair Oaks, Saturday, 1 p.m. – An entertaining matchup between small-school powers in MidMissouri will feature the power-running of Lutheran North against a tremendous passing attack from Blair Oaks. Both teams have strong traditions and talented teams capable of winning a state title. Lutheran North defeated Caruthersville 51-8 and Blair Oaks defeated Clark County 55-6 to advance to Saturday’s semifinals. The winner of this game will face

us working games at that particular time and it was hard,” said Bester, who has worked seven state tournament Final Fours as well as collegiate games in the MIAA before retiring. “Along with myself, we had Marvin Williams, John Eddy and Bob Beeks, who went on to work in the NFL. It was hard in the beginning, but we knew we were doing an

ship. Suddenly, the Tigers rattled off three straight wins over #11 Florida (38-17), Vanderbilt (3328) and Tennessee (50-17). If Mizzou can do what it is supposed to do and knock off 2-9 Arkansas this week, the Tigers will sit at 8-4 and be assured to

either Lathrop or seven-time state champion Lamar for the state championship on Friday, November 30 at 3 p.m. at Mizzou.

Individual standouts from the weekend

• Quarterback Mekhi Hagens of Cardinal Ritter passed for 389 yards and three touchdowns in the victory over Kennett in the Class 3 state quarterfinals.

• Quarterback Jordan Smith of Lutheran North rushed for four touchdowns and threw two touchdown passes in the victory over Caruthersville in the Class 2 quarterfinals.

• Running back Bryan Bradford of CBC rushed for 216 yards and two touchdowns in the Cadets victory over Joplin in the Class 6 semifinals. Bradford now has 37 touchdowns on the season.

• Senior Graham Bundy Jr. of MICDS scored on a 9-yard pass, an 86-yard punt return and a 95-yard interception return in the Rams victory over Hannibal in the Class 4 quarterfinals.

important job. It’s fantastic to see all of these young officials working today.”

Marvin Williams, a 43-year veteran, has worked the games of all of my family members from myself and my sister in the 1980’s to my brother in the ‘90s to my nephews in the 2010’s. He’s seen it all during a career that has spanned five decades.

land a decent bowl game.

Now, instead of wondering whether coach Barry Odom will get the ax at the end of the season, Tigers fans are wondering what if the Tigers had pulled out victories in

“It was tough when we first started because there weren’t many of us,” Williams said. “We had to go to some real hostile places, especially outside of St. Louis. It was really rough, but we had to handle it. There were times when we wondered if we would get out of the building.” For Williams, those difficult early times were well worth it as he watched many talented men and women follow him and move up the ranks.

Officials such as Ed Crenshaw Jr., a former University City basketball standout who is now a well-respected NCAA Division 1 referee. And women such as Danita Moore and Sara Woods, who do high-quality work. It is also good to see the cycle continue as accomplished officials such as Crenshaw and Mark Halsell serve evaluators and mentors to the next wave of young referees.

“It’s fantastic when these young people tell me how much they appreciate what you did to help him,” Williams said. “It’s great to see how so many of them have moved up the ranks. They do it because they love the game.”

those two razor-thin losses.

Most importantly, Mizzou has once again silenced the haters who claim the black and gold doesn’t belong in the SEC.

Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ishcreates.

The senior standout enjoyed another huge performance in the Golden Griffins’ victory over Jackson in the Class 5 state semifinals. Williams rushed for 227 yards and scored five touchdowns and also added three two-point conversions in Vianney’s 69-28 victory over the previously undefeated Indians. Williams also surpassed 6,000 total yards for his career during Saturday’s game.

For the season, Williams has rushed for 1,612 yards to go along with 662 yards in pass receptions and 36 touchdowns. On defense, he has a total of 69 tackles with seven interceptions. Williams will play collegiate football at Notre Dame next season. Vianney will visit Carthage on Saturday afternoon in the Class 5 state semifinals with a berth in the state championship game on the line.

Earl Austin Jr.

Many of St. Louis’ top African-American basketball referees gathered for a group photo at Normandy High before embarking on the 2018-19 season.

Photo by Wiley Price

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Design, both from Fontbonne University.

Normandy’s Fashion Design program prepares students for the ever-changing world of work, which means not only college readiness, but also career readiness.

“It has enhanced our curriculum because the content area meets industry standards and prepares students for the required industry-based assessment,” Green said.

Normandy students in the Fashion Design track earned recognition for their achievements in the field, earning gold and silver medals in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) STAR Event Competitions. They have earned this recognition for two consecutive years.

As program chair, Trawick ensures that the Fashion Design curriculum provides her students with a wellrounded experience. She has developed a study-abroad program and travelled with students to Paris, France. In May 2018, they visited Château des Milandes, a Renaissance castle in the Périgord region of France where fashion icon and St. Louis native Josephine Baker once called home. She described it as a life-changing experience.

“They had all of her costumes from her performances on display and diploma on the wall from Sumner High School,” the 1992 graduate recalled. “It was absolutely breathtaking to see that beautiful woman of color and all this admiration surrounding her.”

In the fall of 2017, Trawick was instrumental in expanding the university’s Fashion Design program to include a Fashion Business and Entrepreneurship degree. When meeting with

students, she discovered some were not interested in the creative side of the industry.

“They didn’t want to sew and construct,” she said.

“They wanted to own their own boutiques. They wanted to work as a merchandiser or buyer.”

As a business owner, she knows first-hand both sides of the industry. She launched her custom design and clothing company, Designs by CVT, in her parents’ basement. She found her niche designing prom dresses. Her latest home business venture, the Fashion

and Beauty Historical Society, provides consulting services for young adults. Trawick says the society’s mission is to preserve the past, promote the present, and prepare future AfricanAmerican entrepreneurs in the fashion and beauty industries.

“Whether you’re starting

your own business, working in the industry or any industry, navigating college or just needing someone to talk to,” Trawick said, “helping students build their future is where I find my joy.”

Small businesses can still buy healthcare

By Maximilianah Zales For The St. Louis

American

n Open enrollment is shorter than it once was, ending December 15 this year.

The Trump administration has created a lot of confusion through recent changes and misinformation about the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but it’s important for Missouri small businesses to know they can still purchase healthcare through Healthcare. gov. It’s important to know open enrollment is shorter than it once was, beginning November 1 and ending December 15. Cuts to advertising and enrollment assistance may also make it harder to find the information needed to enroll, but local organizations like Cover Missouri are stepping up to fill this gap. Purchasing insurance through the ACA marketplaces remains a great option for firms that want quality, affordable insurance. In fact, Missouri’s second-cheapest silver plan is estimated to decrease by nine percent next year. The ACA remains law, and it’s important for small business owners and employees to learn about their options now to make sure they are covered for 2019.

Maximilianah Zales is the outreach manager for the Small Business Majority in St. Louis.

Chajuana Trawick (far right) is chair of Normandy’s Fashion Design program. She has developed a studyabroad program and travelled with students to Paris, France.

Maximilianah Zales

A breathtaking look at the black experience

Maxwell, up close and personal

After recent arena appearances, soul crooner Maxwell’s latest St. Louis visit lived up to the tour’s title when ‘50 Intimate Nights’ came to Stifel Theatre Thursday night. The casual, yet sultry set was delightful departure from the typical structure of his phenomenal live offerings. The show also featured Marsha Ambrosius, who gave St. Louis audiences the added treat of an intimate performance of her own Friday night at BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups – where she was backed by Love Jones The Band.

Acclaimed author, STL

native Jabari

Asim returns to discuss

new book

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

Several years before the mere mention of a quaint municipality in St. Louis county became a flashpoint for the conversation on the broken relationship between black people and law enforcement, St. Louis native Jabari Asim was using his work as a talented wordsmith to express the aforementioned dysfunction.

Two of his recent fiction works, “Only The Strong Survive” and “A Taste Of Honey,” tackle police violence against black citizens in Midwest cities that pay tribute to black men and boys being the constant target of police

See JABARI, C4

Mahershala shines in ‘Green Book’

Stellar

performances

sell pleasant, yet predictable film

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

It is in the highly anticipated “Green Book” Mahershala Ali gets finally gets the top billing he’s worked so hard for by way of two decades as a skillful supporting player that has seen more roles on television than in film. “Green Book” was the darling of film festival season – picking up audience choice awards at the famed Toronto Film Festival and most recently Cinema St. Louis’ St. Louis International Film Festival. The movie’s Thanksgiving week nationwide release will also be Ali’s first major film since audiences saw him simultaneously in “Hidden Figures” and his Best Supporting Actor Academy Award-winning performance as Juan in “Moonlight.”

“Green Book” is promoted as “inspired by a true friendship.” Translation: sappy film that provides hope for the racism that still permeates the nation because of a happily-ever-after, odd-couple friendship strengthened by empathy for a black man’s experience during the height of the Jim Crow era.

The film takes few risks as far as storytelling and feel-good, to the point of being far-fetched. But the performances offered by the lead actors will cause audiences to connect with the film despite its unapologetic predictability, lack of character exploration and Hallmark Channel caliber happily-ever-after.

Frank “Tony Lip” Vallelonga, a proud Italian and equally proud bigot with mafia connections,

Green Book starring Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali opened in theaters nationwide on Wednesday, November 21.

Bernie to lead Blues Museum

Hayes in as interim executive director, search underway to permanently fill role

makes his way onto the screen through Viggo Mortenson. He is so racist that he would rather throw out two perfectly good glasses because his wife’s liberal hospitality was offered to two black repair men who visited their cramped New York City apartment for a maintenance concern had touched them.

See FILM, C4

Special to The American The National Blues Museum (NBM) has appointed local music staple and longtime American columnist Bernie Hayes as interim executive director, following the departure of outgoing executive director Jeffery Hardin. Hayes, with more than five decades of experience in the media and music industry and nearly three years on the National Blues Museum Board of Directors, has been a steadfast supporter of the museum and its commitment to preserving and honoring the legacy of the Blues and its musicians.

See BLUES, C4

Bernie Hayes

How to place a calendar listing

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

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

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

holiday haps

Thur., Nov. 22, 8:45 a.m., Thanksgiving Day Parade. 20th St. and Market, 63103. For more information, visit www.christmasinstlouis.com.

Sun., Nov. 25, 1 p.m., The True Meaning of Christmas Tour. Join the United Methodist Church for free family-friendly activities. 134 St. Clair Square, Fairview Height, IL. 62208. For more information, visit www. unwrapchristmas.org.

Tues., Nov. 27, 5:30 p.m., Operation Food Search’s Holiday Rap ‘N Pack Volunteers will sort winter coats and pack food while enjoying music, food, and more. 1644 Lotsie Blvd., 63132. For more information, visit www. operationfoodsearch.org.

Fri., Nov. 30, 7 p.m., Hip Hop Nutcracker. Fox Theatre, 527 N Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www. fabulousfox.com.

Sat., Dec. 1, 1 p.m., The St. Louis Children’s Choirs Holiday Concert. With special guests Ambassadors of Harmony. Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www.slso. org.

Sat., Dec. 1, 10 a.m., The Griot Museum of Black

History invites you to A Spirit Holiday Past. A day of activities steeped in a fusion of West African and European cultural holiday traditions. 2505 St. Louis Ave., 63106. For more information, visit www.thegriotmuseum.com.

Sat., Dec. 1, 6 p.m., Breakaway Productions & Witherspoon Entertainment present Holiday Jazz Featuring Marion Meadows, Alex Bugnon, and Mark Harris II. Sun Theatre, 3625 Grandel Sq., 63108. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sat., Dec. 1, 9 p.m., A Spirited Holiday Past. Twenty-six historic houses, museums, and privately-owned homes are joining together to present a splendid grand tour. Field House Museum, 634 S. Broadway, 63102. For more information, visit www. historicsaintlouis.org.

Dec. 1 – 2, International Institute presents the 4th Annual Holiday Bazaar. Find unique treasures from local artisans and crafters. 3401 Arsenal St., 63118. For more information, visit www.iistl. org.

Sun., Dec. 2, 3 p.m., UMSL Music presents Jazz for the Holidays. Touhill Performing Arts Center, 1 University Blvd., 63121. For more information, visit www.touhill. org.

Kenya Vaughn recommends

Sun., Dec. 2, 5 p.m., Cirque Musica Holiday presents Wonderland. Family Arena, 2002 Arena Parkway, 63303. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.

Sun., Dec. 2, 7 p.m., St. Louis Symphony Orchestra presents An Evening with Leslie Odom, Jr. An extraordinary evening of melodies from Odom’s Simply Christmas album. Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www.slso.org.

Dec. 2 – 3, Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker: Dove of Peace Tour. Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd.,

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra presents An Evening with Leslie Odom, Jr. For more information, see HOLIDAY HAPS.

63103. For more information, visit www.fabulousfox.com.

Tues., Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m., A Magical Cirque Christmas Experience the magic of Christmas with dazzling illusions and breathtaking cirque artists, performing to all your favorite holiday music. Fox Theatre, 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103.

Thur., Dec. 6, 7 p.m., A Charlie Brown Christmas Live on Stage. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, visit www. stifeltheatre.com.

Fri., Dec. 14, 7 p.m., Kirk Whalum presents the 7th Annual A Gospel According to Jazz Christmas Performances by Sheila E, John Stoddart, Brian Owens, and more. Friendly Temple Church, 5515 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr., 63112. For more information, visit www. friendlytemple.org.

concerts

Sat., Nov. 24, 7:30 p.m., Urban Vibe presents Thanksgiving Soul Jam feat. The Whispers. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com.

Fri., Nov. 30, 8 p.m., Touhill Performing Arts Center presents Kenny G: The Miracles Holiday and Hits Tour. 1 University Blvd., 63121. For more information, visit www.touhill.org.

Sun., Dec. 2, 3 p.m., Sheldon Concert Hall presents Lynne Fiddmont: Power of Love Concert. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sun., Dec. 2, 8 p.m., The Pageant presents Yo Gotti 6161 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com.

Dec. 7 – 9, Touhill Performing Arts Center presents Ambassadors of Harmony: Sounds of the Season. 1 University Blvd., 63121. For more information, visit www.touhill.org.

Sun., Dec. 9, 4:30 p.m., Holiday Jazz feat. Brian Owens and the Adam Maness Trio. Special performance by Chancellor Thomas F. George. Jazz St. Louis, 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.umslalumni.org.

Thur., Dec. 13, 6 p.m., Rockhouse Ent. presents Lover’s Winter Fest with Dru Hill Silk and Troop. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Thur., Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m., Live Nation presents Justin Timberlake: The Man of the Woods Tour. Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.enterprisecenter. com.

Sun., Dec. 16, 5 p.m., 2JO’s and FOYO Entertainment present A Motown Christmas Tribute. Feat. Enkore. 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For more information, call (314) 496-9358 or (314) 680-9539.

Sun., Dec. 16, 7 p.m., Chaifetz Arena presents Future WRLD feat. Future and Juice WRLD With guests BlocboyJB, Gwoppaveli, Dash, and LA4SS. 1 S. Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.thechaifetzarena. com.

Sat., Dec. 1, 6 p.m., Breakaway Productions & Witherspoon Entertainment present Holiday Jazz Featuring Marion Meadows, Alex Bugnon, and Mark Harris II. Sun Theatre, 3625 Grandel Sq., 63108. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sat., Dec. 1, 7 p.m., In RetroSpect: A Tribute to Tony! Toni! Toné!, Ledisi & Angie Stone. Voce, 212 S. Tucker Blvd., 63102. For more information, call (314) 4884196.

Nov. 30 – Dec. 2, JPEK Creative Works Theatre presents A Diva’s Dedication A tribute to Whitney Houston, Patti Labelle, Gladys Knight, and Mariah Carey. .Zack, 3224 Locust St., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

special events

Thur., Nov. 22, 10 p.m., Black Ceaser and Frat House Entertainment presents STL Fashion Affair. Marquee, 1911 Locust St., 63103. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Fri., Nov. 23, 2 p.m., Black Owned Black Friday Pop Up Market. Black makers, artists, creatives, and brands. The Luminary, 2701 Cherokee St., 63118. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.

Fri., Nov. 23, 2 p.m., Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Epsilon Lambda Chapter presents the All Black Phriday Party. 3615 19 h St., 63107. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Sat., Nov. 24, 12 p.m., Small Business Saturday Expo Come out for multiple vendors, speakers, live music, and more. Holiday Inn Downtown, 811 N. Ninth St., 63101. For more information, visit www. stlnaturalhairexpo.com.

Sat., Nov. 24, 7 p.m., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., East St. Louis Alumnae Chapter invites you to the Denim & Diamonds Scholarship Dance. 4204 Tap House, 6435 W. Main St., Belleville, IL. 62226. For more information, visit www. dsteslac.org.

Tues., Nov. 27, 7:30 a.m., MicroFinancing Partners in Africa’s Inaugural Women for Women Giving Tuesday Breakfast. William Shearburn Gallery, 665 S. Skinker Blvd., 63105. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Thur., Nov. 29, 6 p.m., 2nd Annual YWCA Shop for a Cause. The Vault Luxury Resale, 2325 S. Brentwood Blvd., 63144. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Fri., Nov. 30, 7 p.m., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority,

Inc., Upsilon Phi Omega Chapter’s 20th Anniversary Party. American Legion Golf Course & Lounge, 58 S. State Route 157, Edwardsville, IL. 62025. For more information, visit www.akaupo1908.com.

Fri., Nov. 30, 11 a.m.

The St. Louis American Foundation’s 19th annual Salute to Excellence in Business Awards & Networking Luncheon, RitzCarlton Hotel St. Louis, with a networking reception at 11 a.m. and luncheon program at noon. Call 314-533-8000 or visit www.stlamerican. com for more information or to purchase tickets.

Fri., Nov. 30, 7 p.m., World AIDS Day Film Screening and Panel Discussion: Alternate Endings, Activist Risings. = Griot Museum, 2505 St. Louis Ave., 63106. For more information or to RSVP, call (314) 241-7057.

Sat., Dec. 1, 9 p.m., Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Epsilon Lambda and Delta Epsilon Lambda Chapters present Founders Weekend Party. Dos Salas, 1919 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Sun., Dec. 2, 5 p.m., Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Epsilon Lambda Chapter’s Founders’ Weekend Annual Banquet. Neo on Locust, 2801 Locust St., 63103. For more information, email epsilonlambdaapa@gmail.com.

Wed., Dec. 5, 2 p.m., St. Louis Public Schools Interview Day. Teachers, custodians, safety officers, and instructional care aides can interview for positions available immediately and next school year. 801 N. 11th St., 63101. For more information or to register, visit www.slps. org/jobs.

Sat., Dec. 8, 2 & 7 p.m., The Original Harlem Globetrotters. Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.enterprisecenter. com.

Wed., Dec. 12, 6:30 p.m., Urban League St. Louis invites you to the 6th Annual Whitney M. Young Society Reception. Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www. ulstl.com.

Sat., Dec. 15, 11 a.m., Sheer Elegance No. 30. A fashion show and featuring “Project Runway” alumni, celebrity escorts, door prizes, and more. Proceeds benefit MathewsDickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club. 4245 N. Kingshighway Blvd., 63115. For more information,

visit www.mathews-dickey. com.

literary

Tues., Nov. 27, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Michelle Purdy, author of Transforming the Elite: Black Students and the Desegregation of Private Schools. With Professor Lerone Martin. 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, visit www.leftbank.com.

Wed., Nov. 28, 7 p.m., St. Louis Public Library hosts author Jabari Asim, author

comedy

Nov. 23 – 24, Helium Comedy Club presents Michael Blackson. 1151 St. Louis Galleria St., 63117.

Sat., Nov. 24, 8 p.m., Eddie B: Teachers Only Comedy Tour. Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, 1 University Blvd., 63121. For more information, visit www. touhill.org.

Nov. 30 – Dec. 1,8 &10:15 p.m., The Laugh Lounge presents Tony Tone. 11208 W. Florissant Ave., 63033. For more information, visit www.thelaughloungestl.com.

theatre

Through Nov. 25, Fox Theatre presents Disney’s Aladdin. 527 N Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www.fabulousfox.com.

Fri., Nov. 30, 8 p.m., Meet Me at the Muny. Celebrate 100 years of musical theater featuring numbers from the many Broadway shows that have made their way to the Muny stage. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www.charischorus.org.

of We Can’t Breathe: On Black Lives, White Lies, and the Art of Survival. Schlafly Branch, 225 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, visit www.slpl. org.

Wed., Dec. 5, 7 p.m., St. Louis County Library hosts author Andrew Delbanco, author of The War Before the War: Fugitive Slaves and the Struggle for America’s Soul from the Revolution to the Civil War. 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, visit www.slcl.org.

Dec. 2 – 30, Metro Theater Company presents Wonderland: Alice’s Rock & Roll Adventure 7-1/2-year-old Alice chases through Wonderland in search of her own inner musical voice. Grandel, 3610 Grandel Sq., 63108. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Dec. 11 – 16, Fox Theatre presents Les Miserables. 527 N Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Dec. 14 – 23, Tesseract Theatre presents Facing Zack, 3224 Locust St., 63103. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.

Sun., Dec. 2, 4 p.m., Mena Darre Photography presents The Seasons of Melanin Photography Exhibition Exodus Art Gallery, 5075 Delmar Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. menadarrephotography.com.

Through February 10, Kehinde Wiley: Saint Louis, Saint Louis Art Museum. One Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park. For more information, call (314) 721-0072 or visit http:// www.slam.org/exhibitions/ kehinde-wiley.php.

lectures and workshops

Tues., Nov. 27, 6 p.m., Panel Discussion: The History of Immigration in St. Louis. Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 533-9900.

Fri., Nov. 30, 10 a.m., Meet the Judges. Gain a better understanding of the role of the judge in the legal process, and attend a Q&A with the Judges. Thomas F. Eagleton Courthouse, 111 South 11th St., 63102. For more information, call (314) 8624859.

spiritual

Sun., Nov. 25, 10 a.m., Newstead Avenue Missionary Baptist Church invites you to Family and Friends Day. 4370 N. Market St., 63113. For more information, call (314) 3714436.

Nov. 29 – Dec. 1, Live Church Women’s Conference 2018: Sarah’s Daughter. Event includes service, workshop classes, brunch and more. 215 N. Shepley Dr.,63137. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Kenya Vaughn recommends

Sheldon Concert Hall presents Lynne Fiddmont: Power of Love Concert. See CONCERTS for details.

But after the club where he works as a bouncer goes on hiatus, he is forced to take work wherever he can get it to make sure his family stays afloat for the holidays. His street cred gets him a meeting with a man known only to him as Dr. Shirley, who is in search of a chauffeur.

When Tony Lip takes the meeting, he learns that Dr. Don Shirley is a black man with doctorates in music and psychology that is seeking a driver with enough grit to handle the literal and metaphorical baggage that comes with the gig of escorting a black classical pianist across the south in the early 1960s. Despite being a world-renowned musician with unmatched culture and refinement, Dr. Shirley must adhere to the rules of Jim Crow – and rely on “The Green Book” that was as important as any road map. African-American road travelers relied on The Negro Motorist Green Book to assure their safety as they took to the highway. They learned which restaurants, hotels and other establishments they were allowed to patronize – and the dreaded “sundown towns” they should avoid at all costs. There will be no real surprises as far as the story goes in “Green Book,” well perhaps one or two as the layers peel back on the complicated details of Dr. Shirley’s life. But Mortenson and Ali are magnificently matched in the Peter Farelly film that has Academy Award winning actress Octavia Spencer as a producer. Mortenson’s performance will not seem as striking – mainly because the role of the rough around the edges New Yorker with a surplus of bravado and limited brainpower has been so overplayed on film. But he nails the performance just as he does with every role he’s assumed since he lit up the screen alongside Al Pacino with a bit part as a Puerto Rican hood in “Carlito’s Way” back in the mid-1990s. Ali is challenged with the task of revealing a character rarely seen on screen – and delivers a career-defining performance. His Dr. Shirley is

aware of his place in society in the sense that he doesn’t fit in any place in particular. He is tortured by the solitude of his existence, but self-aware with respect to his talent and intellect. He has a certain privilege that his fellow AfricanAmericans couldn’t even imagine – but must reconcile with the constant dehumanization that comes with the color of his skin for the sake of breaking down barriers for the next generation.

‘Green Book’ opens in theatres nationwide on Wednesday, November 22. The film is rated PG-13 with a running time of 130 minutes.

JABARI

Continued from C1

violence and criminalization in

St. Louis.

“We’ve been dealing with brutal police, and the killing of unarmed black people at their hands, since there have been police,” told The American ahead of the release of his book “Only The Strong” back in 2015. “I hope that people will have a sense of history and understand that what happened in Ferguson is a culmination of events that started decades ago.”

In his latest book, a collection of essays entitled “We Can’t Breathe: On Black Lives, White Lies, and the Art of Survival!” Asim uses nonfiction to tackle the subject – and many others related to the black experience.

The acclaimed work was released last month and was praised by the likes of The Washington Post, ESSENCE Magazine and Publishers Weekly.

Next Wednesday (November 28) the noted professor, editor, author, poet and playwright and current Emerson College Associate Professor will return home to discuss the book as part of a collaborative presentation by the St. Louis Public Library and Left Bank Books.

“We Can’t Breathe” is a collection of eight essays where Asim lends his life experience of growing up among the racial complexities of St. Louis and juxtaposes them against the racist vitriol that has infected our nation from its inception.

Noted professor, journalist, editor, author, poet and playwright and St. Louis native Jabari Asim will sign and discuss his latest book “We Can’t Breathe: On Black Lives, White Lies, and the Art of Survival!” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 28 at St. Louis Public Library’s Schlafly Branch, 225 N. Euclid in the Central West End.

Keenen Ivory Wayans’ black cult classic film, “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,” to quoting 18th century Benjamin Franklin.

In his essay “The Elements of Strut,” Asim chronicles his exchange with a beat cop who noticed him as he minded his own business while absorbed by the music of his jazz playlist, that included John Coltrane and the World Saxophone quartet.

of this country had already staked a claim to the nation’s moral imagination- long before the hunger for captive black bodies reached fever pitch. They polished their enlightenment flavored philosophies about morality and the dignity of man, while building an economy on our ancestors’ backs – and making a concerted effort to cripple their spirits and minds. This was, of course, a long strategic process.”

“We Can’t Breathe” seamlessly weaves the skills he has developed as a noted journalist through lengthy tenures at The Washington Post, The St. Louis PostDispatch and The St. Louis American and the decade he spent as Editor in Chief for The NAACP’s Crisis Magazine with his work as a professor of higher learning. Through its essays, he asks the big questions and encourages critical thinking while offer blistering critique of America rooted in the facts of a history constantly being forced to repeat at the expense of black people because of the ugly truths America refuses to face, let alone address.

“We are thrilled to have a revered blues community icon and long-standing board member such as Bernie Hayes to serve as interim executive director while we embark on our national search for an individual to lead us to our next phase,” said Rob Endicott, chairman of the Board of Directors for the National Blues Museum in a statement. “Bernie’s deep roots in the community will serve him in good stead in this important role.” Currently, Hayes is a media professor at Webster University, host of the Bernie Hayes television show and a columnist for the St. Louis

American. He is also the curator of the Don and Heide Wolff Jazz Institute and the curator/ founder of the National Black Radio Hall of Fame at HarrisStowe State University. Hayes began his career in radio, working at stations in Chicago, San Francisco and Mississippi before returning to St. Louis in 1986. He is the former news director for KWMU at the University of MissouriSt. Louis and served as the Midwest Promotions director for MCA and ABC record companies. He is a former recording artist for Stax Records and was inducted into the Stax Record Company Hall of Fame, along with the Wendell Phillips High School Hall of Fame, the Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame, the St. Louis Radio Hall of Fame and the St. Louis Black Radio Hall of Fame.

“I am humbled and anxious to guide the National Blues Museum towards its mission of preserving history, displaying talent, education and public service,” said Hayes.

As NBM begins its search for a permanent executive director, Hayes will lead museum staff and guide the national search process.

“The National Blues Museum is one of the brightest beacons of our wonderful city,” said Blues Music Award winner and NBM board member Devon Allman. “As we march into our next phase, it’s important that we reclaim the integrity, excitement and openarms vibe that was present at the grand opening, towards all patrons, businesses and musicians that we are fortunate to have as our allies and supporters.”

“I’m a huge fan of essays. I read them like most people read the sports pages,” Asim told Adrian Walker, a Metro columnist for The Boston Globe during a conversation about the book just a week after its release at the Harvard Bookstore. “I thought it was time to dip my toe in that water.”

The rich, broad vantage points of the lens through which he sees the world has Asim giving references to

The cop asked him if he was doing laps as he was clearly in the midst of a brisk walk and made his second time around the block in Boston (where he resides) just before diving into the hustle and bustle of his day.

“I couldn’t tell if he was just being friendly, or if he was letting me know that I was under surveillance,” Asim said in the essay.

In the essay “Of Love and Struggle: The Limits of The Politics of Respectability,” Asim writes,

“The founding framers

“Do oppressed people have the irresistible impulse to forgive? Does forgiveness free us from some larger burden enabling us to cope with a larger struggle?” Asim wrote in “Of Love and Struggle.” “ Or perhaps it keeps the hot coal of anger from burning our palms, as Buddha would have it. Loving our oppressors is so much a part of the African American consciousness that to question it is to risk censure of the harshest kind. It’s a form of masochism – kissing the sword that has just sliced you open.”

Jabari Asim’s “On Black Lives, White Lies, and the Art of Survival!” is available in bookstores and online nationwide. He will sign and discuss the work at 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 28 at St. Louis Public Library’s Schlafly Branch, 225 N. Euclid. For more information, call (314) 367-4120 or visit www.leftbank.com

Mahershala Ali

Celebrations

Meet the Artist

a

art

at the art museum featuring residents of St. Louis and Ferguson. Pictured here with Wiley (second from right) are Normandy students

Turner, Namaria Maufas, NHS art teacher Kelly Eggers, and NHS student

Reunions

All reunion announcements can be viewed online!

Beaumont Class of 1971 is holding a happy hour “Road to 50” Kick-off and 50/50 Raffle fundraiser on Friday, December 7, 2018. It will

be held at Déjà Vu ll, 2805 Target Drive, St. Louis, Mo. 63136 from 5:30-7:30 pm. All classes are invited to attend. For more information, send email to Gladys Smith at beaumontalumni1971@aol. com.

Northwest Class of 1979 is planning on cruising for our 40th class reunion and would love for you to join us! Date to sail is set for July 20, 2019 and you can feel free to contact: Duane Daniels at 314-568-2057 or Howard Day at 414-698-4261 for further

information. Please don’t miss the boat!

Soldan Class of 1979 is planning its 40th year reunion for the weekend of August 2-3, 2019. Yearlong reunion activities will begin with a kickoff at Soldan High School Homecoming on Saturday, October 13, 2018 prior to the game at 1 p.m. For more information or to assist with reunion activities, please email at: soldanclassof1979@gmail. com or call Barbara at 314 456-3391. Sumner Class of 1976

Beautiful Baby

The most beautiful baby in Missouri hails from Florissant! Anastasia Williams, 11 months, edged out local winners to become Mini Miss Missouri. Her mother, Dr. Angela Williams, is honored to have her daughter represent Missouri in the National Competition in March 2019. Anastasia also won the coveted Miss CoverGirl category, qualifying her for an automatic bid to the Baby Miss World Competition in the upcoming months.

Annual Christmas Party, Friday, December 21, 2018, 7pm @ DEJAVU II Cafe, 2805 Target Dr., 63136. 2 for 1 Drink Specials (5:307:30pm), free parking, band performs from 7:30 - 9:30pm. no cover charge; classmates and guest each pays $5 for the catered food, served during intermission, whether you partake of it or not. Limited reserved seating available until 10 pm. (Doors open 5 pm/ close 1 am) For more info, call B. Louis at 314.385.9843. Sumner Class Of 1969 50th

Congratulations to James and Verna Bradley who will celebrate their golden 50th wedding anniversary on November 28. To God be the glory!

reunion “Living Life Like It’s Golden” June 28-30, 2019. Looking for classmates of 1969 to contact us with your updated information via address:sumnerclass1969@ gmail.com or our FB page: Sumner High.

Sumner Class of 1979 will hold its “Bulldogs Rock the Boat” BIG 4-0 Reunion Cruise, June 22-27, 2019. For further information, email your contact information to sumner1979@ ymail.com or call 314-4064309. Join our Facebook group at Sumner High Class of ‘79. Golden Anniversary

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

While attending

workshop at the Saint Louis Art Museum,

students at Normandy High School were introduced to Kehinde Wiley, the artist commissioned to paint the official portrait of President Barack Obama. Wiley currently has an exhibit

Kayla

Regina Miller.

My, my Maxwell. It’s been a minute since I’ve seen Maxwell on a stage that wasn’t in an arena – and let me tell you how glad I am to have that old thing back. He hit up Stifel Theatre Thursday night with his “50 Intimate Nights Tour” and it was everything I could have hoped for and more. First of all, he had that little beanie cap he wore back when he wanted to give his fro a rest during the “Urban Hang Suite” days. And while I was one of the four folks who didn’t care for the hairy-scary Maxwell from back when he made lifelong fans out of us from his Mississippi Nights performance, I must say that I got life from the retro beanie. I still lust for Maxwell with that perfectly tapered Caesar cut, though what I’ve enjoyed of late most of all – he’s maintained a level of fine that the law should not allow to last for 20 years. Okay, back to the show. I guess I will go ahead and jump into the life that was given by way of Marsha Ambrosius for the opening set. I love how she keeps it real –and even though she’s British, she’s ratchet enough for me to feel a kindred spirit. She talks more than I usually care for, but she’s funny and a savage, so I don’t mind. And When I heard her say “petty” with her British accent, I was like, “I have to learn how to say it just like that.” It seemed so much more petty with that extra annunciation on the t – and that’s my level of petty. Her singing was much less “yodely” than usual – and her high notes were life! And while I’m talking about being chatty, Maxwell talked more Thursday night onstage than he has the whole 20 years I have been checking for him combined. I was here for it. Then he got to dropping it like it was hot in those tight, iridescent slacks. If he had worked in two more of those hip swivel drop kicks, the cops woulda had to do more than just come knocking. They would have had to come protect him from me as I attempted to rush the stage. I know y’all still mad he didn’t sing “This Woman’s Work.” But I’d rather him pass on in it than give a struggle-voiced version – which is what we would have received since he had performed 33 times before he got to us.

Maxwell’s STL connection after set. Normally I big up Maxwell’s sickeningly wonderful band when I offer a show recap. But since they gave us our own show, I’ll give them their own item. Did y’all know that the bass and keys of Maxwell’s band are held down by some of St. Louis’ finest? Of course you did. And Shedrick Mitchell and Jon Jon Webb and the rest of his band gave us a nightcap of the life they deliver nightly with a special after set at Voce. Lamar Harris sprinkled his horn magic on the set too. After doing a fully choreographed Soul Train-inspired routine to their extended take on James Brown’s “The Big Payback,” Tracy Smith reminded me why I used to root so hard for her several years back when she stepped to the mic to slay vocals on a rendition of Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy.” She was serving black Cher realness with that fur vest and over-the-knee boots – and vocals that would make your favorite national recording artist sneak out the side door if they were told they would have to follow her on stage. As usual, the folks working the door at Voce give me trouble when I try to show them love – which is why I typically pass on the events there. Let me give a special thanks to my boy Melvin Moore for the co-sign – which they reminded me was the only reason they let me in. Oh well, I’m glad I stopped through, even if it meant my whole Friday morning was one long sleepwalk.

Another scoop of Marsha too. This seems like the Maxwell edition, I’m sure, but I have one more residual from his St. Louis stop. Because his road manager Shawn (a.k.a. Conscious) is also from here, we got an intimate night with Marsha Ambrosius Friday night at BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups. She came through and did the cutest of sets with Love Jones The Band – which she couldn’t help but be blown away by. She showed up when she felt like it for that alleged 5 p.m. start time, but it was for the best, because Chris, Melvin, Tracy, Kent and Ryan got it all the way in as we waited. And then when she took the stage and gave us all of our life with those vocal instrumentations backed by the band, it was absolutely every single thing.

The return of the Hamiltones. My girl Angel brought back the down home soul sounds of the Hamiltones for her birthday edition of A Night of Soul Searching Sunday night at The Ready Room after they tore the roof off of BB’s a few months back. They got started way late, which ruined the logistics for the rest of my night. Luckily, they were worth it. And Angel got on the mic herself – and had me impressed by somebody’s ability to cover Cee Lo for the second time in one week. This month’s edition had an open mic feel to it. The more conservative crowd was not quite ready for the Redd Foxx after-dark-inspired set Darius Bradford delivered, but they moved on. Tish Haynes Keys tore it up and I got to see Chocolate Thai cover Erykah Badu. Was I the only one who didn’t know she could sing? The Hamiltones hit the stage and had me at hello. They are all handsome, but I have it so bad for the tall one. Even still, I almost got caught up in the seductive side-eye game of the one on guitar. At one point, I was thinking it was specifically for me. I was like, “How you giving the come hither look in the middle of ‘Somebody Roll The Weed?’” But in all seriousness, those men are magical to watch on stage and I will always check for them, whether they are behind their boss Anthony Hamilton or in their own spotlight.

The LBGTQIA were not playing with Lil Duval. The Pageant cancelled his show following the cringeworthy remarks he made on the Breakfast Club (I don’t have space, so Google it if you don’t know what I’m talking about). Some folks were wondering what would happen when Lil Duval came to the Ambassador Sunday night. Well, I heard that the LGBTQIA folks were not smiling – and made it known that they haven’t forgotten what he said by way of some serious protest action. I also heard that the promoters pulled a solid-sized crowd despite the controversy – and that after he spent a few minutes dragging the Ambassador as a venue he gave an abbreviated set because folks wouldn’t stop recording him with their cell phones.

Newlyweds Tracey and Lonnie caught The Hamiltones @ A Night of Soul Searching Sunday night @ The Ready Room

LA transplant Reesha was in the building with her brother Will to check out The Hamiltones Sunday night @ The Ready Room

Maxwell’s backup singer LaTina was in the building to support her bandmates during their afterset, and J. Ross captured it all Friday night @ Voce

Saxophonist Rhoda G, who will celebrate 25 years in music with a special show Sunday night at The Laugh Lounge, with Aja Thursday night @ Voce

Robyn Boyce, James Clark and his lovely wife Peachez @ BFL’s Unity Ball after party Saturday night @ Airport Renaissance

Christa posed with birthday girl Angel, who brought soul trio The Hamiltones to the Ready Room for a special edition of Night of Soul Searching Sunday night

Jason and Tiffany were all smiles in anticipation of Maxwell’s signature soul @ his 50 Intimate Nights Tour @ Stifel Theatre

Vanessa Townsend and her lovely mother Beatrice were the belles of the Unity Ball Saturday night @ Airport Renaissance

The McClendons made their way to Maxwell’s 50 Intimate Nights Tour Thursday @ Stifel Theatre

Cheryl and Norman came to the Better Family Life Unity Ball dressed to the nines Saturday night @ The Airport Renaissance

Marsha Ambrosius and her lovely mother Cookie took a moment to chill and listen to Love Jones The Band after she sat in for a special session with them Friday at BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups Friday night.

BUSINESS SYSTEMS ANALYST

Responsibility for the collection, preparation, documentation and communication of IS requirements, both business and technical. Demonstrate clear and working knowledge and concepts of Business Analysis and Information Technology. Capable of working independently, but may be assigned to work under the guidance of a Senior Business Systems Analyst when engaged in larger, more complex projects. To apply, please visit: https://www. safetynational.com/careers-page/.

ASSISTANT - CLAIMS CALL CENTER

Responsible for various support tasks related to: providing phone support for claimants and providers for the Large Casualty unit. To apply, please visit: https://www. safetynational.com/careers-page/.

HANDYMAN NEEDED

Handyman needed for city apartment complex. The job pays $10 per hr. Carpentry, plumbing, painting and drywall experience preferred. To inquire call Tim 314-319-8597

PTAC BUSINESS SPECIALIST POSITION WITH PROCUREMENT

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER

Provide client counseling including federal, state, and local government procurement assistance. Conduct assessments of client needs. Additionally, develop and conduct workshops in a variety of areas of procurement focused on small businesses including women owned small businesses, HUBZone small businesses, and service disabled veteran owned small businesses.

Area to be served includes St. Louis metro area and surrounding counties and a Master’s degree with two years’ business/contract experience required.

This is a University of Missouri Extension position. You can find the link http://extension.missouri.edu/about/ jobs.aspx

Part time with Urban Strategies. Ideal candidate responsible for AP, AR, reporting, and budgets. https://urbanstrategiesinc. aaimtrack.com/jobs/ 286970-76441.html

CLIENT SERVICES ADMINISTRATOR:

Local Nonprofit seeking full-time Client Services Administrator to manage the internal office duties for a home repair program serving seniors in the city of St. Louis.

Responsibilities include managing client applications and approvals, overseeing billing and invoicing for work orders, and tracking and reporting data and outcomes.

Applicants should possess at minimum an associate’s degree and at least 1 year related experience. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to todd.martin@missionstl.org, by November 30, 2018.

Mission: St. Louis is an EOE

PARAMEDICS

Mehlville Fire Protection District is accepting applications for the position of CRITICAL CARE PARAMEDIC

Starting $56,294; $60,294 w/CCP-C $84,344 after 4 years

Benefits include health insurance, pension, tuition reimbursement, sick leave, attendance bonus, vacation, life & disability, holiday pay, uniform allowance, wellness benefits

REQUIRED: EMT-P certification through the State of Missouri

PREFERRED: CCP-C or FP-C certification Applications accepted September 24 – October 31, 2018, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Headquarters, 11020 Mueller Rd. 63123. Download application packet at www.mehlvillefire.com Equal Opportunity Employer.

ATTORNEY

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has a vacancy for a staff attorney in its St. Louis Regional Counsel’s Office located in Chesterfield, Missouri. The position would be primarily responsible for handling litigation in the areas of eminent domain, general and fleet vehicle tort liability, and workers’ compensation, as well as a limited office practice.

Requirements include: a Juris Doctor degree and membership in good standing with the Missouri Bar Association. Excellent research, writing and communication skills are preferred.

This is an entry-level position, which has a starting salary of $49,680/year - $50,820/year. MoDOT also offers an excellent personal leave, medical and retirement benefits package. Moderate overnight and out of state travel is required.

An on-line application with resume and copies of official undergraduate and law school transcripts must be submitted by December 10, 2018 at www.modot.org, under “Career Opportunities”.

MoDOT is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer.

CAPITAL PROJECTS MANAGER

Responsible for the coordination and management of the daily operations of the department. Oversees and directs the coordination of capital projects and contract administration of construction contracts. Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Engineering, Architecture or Construction Management and at least 5-7 years of progressively responsible management experience. Salary $76,973 - $91,433 Annually. Apply or send resume to: St. Louis Housing Authority, HR Division, 3520 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63106 by 5:00 p.m., November 26, 2018 via website www.slha.org or email athomas@slha.org. A Drug Free Work Place/EOE.

WORKING GROUP COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Join the Airport Advisory Working Group as the Communications Manager. Develop a strategy for communications and interaction with the public on the activities of the Airport Advisory Working Group.

The position reports directly to the Airport Advisory Working Group and is employed by St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC). This is a fully grant funded, full-time and benefit eligible position. SLDC offers a full range of benefits including deferred comp, 401(a), and medical insurance. SLDC is an equal opportunity employer and values a diverse workforce.

To apply online and see a full job description go to: http://www.stlouis-mo.gov/sldc/ and click on “Careers at SLDC.”

CORRECTIONAL OFFICER

The City of Jennings is accepting applications for Correctional Officers. Duties entail working a 12-hour shift, which includes booking, processing and supervising prisoners. Must be a high school graduate or have a GED; 21 years of age and have no disqualifying criminal history. Valid driver’s license required. Starting salary $30,571.00 (C8C).

Interested applicants must complete a Corrections application, which is available at Jennings City Hall, 2120 Hord Ave. or online at www.cityofjennings.org. NO

RESUMES ACCEPTED WITHOUT A COMPLETED APPLICATION!

Returned application must include a current record check from St. Louis City and County Police Dept. and a valid driver’s license. Application deadline is November 16, 2018 at 5:00 p.m.

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

Must have a Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent from a four year college or university in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations or related field; or four years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Prior experience in a public housing agency or local government office preferred. Must possess a demonstrated use of intermediate to advanced skills in writing and design software packages (word processing, spreadsheets, vector based graphics, desktop publishing programs and photo manipulation programs). Salary $51,034 - $63,083 Annually. Apply or send resume to: St. Louis Housing Authority, HR Division, 3520 Page Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63106 by 5:00 p.m., November 26, 2018 via website www.slha.org or email athomas@slha.org A Drug Free Work Place/EOE.

FAMILY DRUG COURT COMMUNITY SUPPORT WORKER

Family Court of St. Louis County is seeking to enter into a professional service agreement for a Community Support Worker in the Court’s Child Protective Services Department and acts as an officer of the Court. These services are grant-funded through the Drug Court Coordinating Commission from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019, with a possibility for renewal. Work involves serving a client caseload by assessing and providing on-going support in the areas of life skills, medical needs, housing, employment, substance abuse treatment referrals/information, parenting and financial management. The professional service agreement is funded at $16.19/ hour working up to 25 hours/week. A one year commitment to the position is highly preferred. Qualifications: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, or a related social/behavioral science is preferred. Plus, one year of professional work experience performing community support; one year of experience involving chemical dependency preferred; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience. NOTE: All selected individuals will be required to submit to a background check. To apply (position open until filled), please send a resume, along with a cover letter to the following address: Contract Community Support Worker, Attn: Human Resources Department, Family Court of St. Louis County, 105 S. Central Ave., Clayton, MO 63105. EOE. Please contact the Human Resources Department at 615-4471 (voice) or RelayMO 711 or 800 735-2966 if you need any accommodations in the application process, or if you would like this posting in an alternative format.

REHABILITATION COUNSELOR

The State of Missouri is accepting applications for a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor in the St. Louis area. Starting salary is $38,808-$40,776. View job description, benefits and application instructions at https://dese.applicantpro. com/jobs/application instructions at https://dese.applicantpro.com/jobs/

ENTERPRISE PROGRAM MANAGER

The Enterprise Program Management Office at Safety National is growing! If you know someone who has experience managing projects, programs, and portfolios and is looking to join a top rated company where they can make an immediate impact, with tremendous professional development opportunities, please pass

FIREFIGHTER

City of Alton, IL

See website for requirements and application www.cityofaltonil.com/careers

Deadline: November 28, 2018

Testing for this position will be held on December 8, 2018

The Missouri Historical Society has position openings for the following: • Coordinator, President’s Office

Editor • Exhibition Designer

Processing Assistant (American Legion Collection) • Reservations Assistant • Visual Materials Associate Processing Archivist

Please visit www.mohistory.org under the “Current Openings” tab for position details and to apply. An Equal Opportunity Employer

RECRUITER

Safety National has an opening for a newly created position to join our talent acquisition team.

PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC HOUSING

WAIT LIST OPENING

Renaissance Place at Grand will accept pre-applications online at www.slha.org for 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5

bedroom units beginning November 26, 2018 at 8:00 A.M. closing November 28, 2018 at 12:00 A.M.

Applicants with disabilities that need assistance in completing an online application or who do not have access to a computer can be accommodated at 1001 N. Compton, St. Louis, MO 63106 or SLHA Corporate Office located at 3520 page from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. on November 26-28, 2018.

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District will receive RFQ’s in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 10:00 a.m. on January 3, 2019 to contract with a company for: ROOFTOP UNIT AT GRAND GLAIZE YARD CONSTRUCTION BUILDING. Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). The bid document will be identified as 9684 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.2735 to request a copy of this bid. Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

BID PROPOSAL

Great Rivers Greenway is seeking proposals for security cameras and installation for Mississippi Greenway: Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing. Check https://greatriversgreenway. org/jobs-bids/ and submit by December 5, 2018.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

REQUEST FOR BIDS

PINNACLE CONTRACTING

Union Station Restaurants: Trainshed and 1894 Cafe 201 S. 18th Street St. Louis, MO. 63103 Due date: Wednesday December 5, 2018 at 2:00 pm

Pre-bid walkthrough: November 20th at 2pm, and November 27th at 10am. Wear PPE (hard hat, safety vest, and eye protection) and park in the south parking lot. Meet at the front steps of the former Hard Rock Café.

Description: Pinnacle Contracting is accepting bids for the buildout of two spaces at Union Station. The first space is 7,587 SF at the 1st floor that will be a restaurant and bar called the Trainshed.

The second space is 4,509 SF at the 2nd floor and will also be a restaurant and bar called the 1894 Café. Email bids to bids@pinnaclecontracting.com. Call or email Keana Flanders for the link to the plans and specs at 314-783-8000 ext. 2 or keana@pinnaclecontracting.com.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:

Site and related work to construct a masonry restroom at Tilles Park 9551 Litzinger Rd. IFB: 2018-10-657-PR, due Dec. 3rd, 2018, 12 pm, Demien Const. Co. 636.332.550 / Fax 636.332.5465 / Call for Email.

BIDS

Curtiss-Manes-Schulte, Inc. is soliciting bids from MBE/WBE/ SDVE/DBE subcontractors and suppliers for work on the Medical Science Building – Research Vivarium Upgrade and Maintenance, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO. Bids are due December 13, 2018 by 1:00 pm and can be faxed to (573) 392-4527 or emailed to bbrown@cms-gc.com. For more information, call Bob @ (573) 3926553. Curtiss-Manes-Schulte, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS

SEWER DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is accepting proposals in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 10:00 a.m. on December 18th, 2018 to contract with a company for: Janitorial Services for Coldwater Creek Treatment Plant.

Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). The bid document will be identified as 9666 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.2735 to request a copy of this bid. Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Declaration of Candidacy

The three-year terms of Ferguson-Florissant School Board members Leslie Hogshead and Constance (Connie) Harge expire in April 2019.

Declarations of Candidacy may be picked up in the Office of the Superintendent at 8855 Dunn Road, Hazelwood, Missouri from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on days the district is open. Under Missouri law, the first day to file as a candidate is Tuesday, December 11, 2018. Filing closes at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 15, 2019. School district offices will be closed Monday, December 24, 2018 through Friday, January 4, 2019.

The annual election for the Board of Education is Tuesday, April 2, 2019.

A person who wishes to file for candidacy for the Board of Education must be:

A citizen of the United States

At least 24 years old

A resident taxpayer of the school district

A resident of the state of Missouri for at least one year

addition, the candidate must follow these procedures:

File a declaration of candidacy

Line up for filing pursuant to district Policy 4013

The Ferguson-Florissant School District Board election in April 2019 will be conducted by cumulative voting, a change ordered by the federal court. In cumulative voting, voters cast as many votes as there are seats. Voters are not limited to giving only one vote to a candidate. Instead, they can give their votes to one or more candidates. For instance, in this election for two open board seats, voters

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS

SEWER DISTRICT

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District will receive RFQ’s in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 11:00 a.m. on January 8, 2019 to contract with a company for: SEWER BRICK.

Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). The bid document will be identified as 9671 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314-768-6254 to request a copy of this bid.

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

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for FF-18 Villa Dorado - LacklandPage Sanitary Relief (Adie Rd to Villa Dorado Dr) under Letting No. 10018-015.1, at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on Thursday, December 20, 2018, at a place designated. Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualified by the District’s Engineering Department for: DEEP SEWER CONSTRUCTION – St. Louis County drainlayer’s license required Or TUNNELING

BID PROPOSAL

Great Rivers Greenway is seeking qualifications for a process designer, facilitator & strategic planner for the Chouteau Greenway project. Check https://greatriversgreenway. org/jobs-bids/ and submit by November 29, 2018.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for Tina Terrace Drive Storm Sewer under Letting No. 11407-015.1, at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on Thursday, December 13, 2018, at a place designated. Bids will be received only from companies that are pre-qualified by the District’s Engineering Department for: SEWER CONSTRUCTION – St. Louis County drainlayer’s 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.” 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.

Public Notice of Single Source Procurement Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to procure: PRIMARY#6 REBUILD. The District is proposing single source procurement for this equipment because EVOQUA WATER TECHNOLOGIES LLC c/o RESSLER & ASSOCIATES is the only known available source for the equipment. Any inquiries should be sent to gjamison@stlmsd.com. Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS

SEWER DISTRICT Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is accepting proposals in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 10:00 a.m. on November 26th, 2018 to contract with a company for: Lawn Care Services for Lemay & County Pump Stations. Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). The bid document will be identified as 9634 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.2735 to request a copy of this bid. Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

ADVERTISE YOUR JOBS, BID NOTICES, SERVICES HOMES FOR SALE & RENTALS

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Paric Corporation is seeking proposals for the following project: 1894 Café located at St. Louis Union Station.

The project consists of restaurant build out with MEPFP scopes being design build. Bids for this project are due on December 6th at 12:00 PM. For any questions or would like to find out more detailed information on this opportunity, please contact Theresa Stout at 636-561-9500 or tmstout@paric.com.

All bids should be delivered to Paric via e-mail (bids@paric.com) or fax (636-561-9501).

Plans and specifications will be available to view at Paric’s Main office at 77 Westport Plaza, Suite 250, St. Louis, MO 63146.

PARIC CORPORATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER MWBE PreBid Meeting Notice

The SITE Improvement Association is hosting a Prebid meeting for Qualified and Certified MWBE contractors to discuss working on MSD’s Ferguson 901 Sanitary Replacement (IR) Contract Letting No. 12874-015.1

This meeting is being held on behalf of the following SITE contractor member:

J.M. Marschuetz Construction Co. 15 Truitt Drive Eureka, MO 63025 636/938-3600

The meeting will take place at 10:00 a.m. November 29, 2018

SITE Improvement Association Office, 2071 Exchange Drive St. Charles, MO 63303

Project plans are available from MSD. For questions regarding this prebid meeting, Contact the SITE Improvement Association office at 314/966-2950.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Paric Corporation is seeking proposals for the following project: The Trainshed Restaurant located at St. Louis Union Station.

The project consists of restaurant build out with MEPFP scopes being design build.

Bids for this project are due on December 6th at 12:00 PM.

For any questions or would like to find out more detailed information on this opportunity, please contact Theresa Stout at 636-561-9500 or tmstout@paric.com.

All bids should be delivered to Paric via e-mail (bids@paric.com) or fax (636-561-9501).

Plans and specifications will be available to view at Paric’s Main office at 77 Westport Plaza, Suite 250, St. Louis, MO 63146.

PARIC CORPORATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

St. Louis Community College will receive separate sealed bids for CONTRACT NO. F 19 201, ADA Revisions to 6 Restrooms at St. Louis Community College at Corporate College, until 2:00 p.m. local time December 13, 2018. 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.

Voluntary Pre-Bid Meeting: November 29, 2018, 11:00 am Meet in Main Entrance An Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer

CITY OF ST. LOUIS ST. LOUIS

INVITATION TO BID

TARLTON CORPORATION invites you to submit a bid proposal for the Primate Canopy Trails for the Saint Louis Zoo located at 1 Government Drive, St. Louis MO. This project will consist of demolition of the Former Seal Lion Arena and associated structures, demolition of site paving, as well as fence and tree removal. Additionally, fill and grading in place of the former structure, replacement of a portion of the Perimeter Security fence, and seeding the site area are also included. Coordination with adjacent simultaneous train tunnel remediation project and tree protection are also required.

Pre-bid meeting and site inspection will be held on November 13, 2018 at 2 p.m. in The Living World Building on Government Drive in Forest Park, Lower Level - Monsanto Lecture Theater.

The MBE/WBE participation goal for this project is 25% MBE and 5% WBE.

Subbids are requested by 12 p.m. on November 26, 2018. These should be emailed to bids@tarltoncorp.com. Any questions, please contact Scott Snyders at 314.633.3358 or SWS@tarltoncorp.com.

Drawings, Specifications, and Bid Documents explaining the requirements for bidding and performing the work will be made available at the following locations

Tarlton’s Building Connected site:

https://app.buildingconnected.com/public/55b2997ad17b3807006f2618/projects/5be33fd7123371001ea25751

Cross Rhodes Reprographics located at 1712 Macklind, St. Louis, MO 63110

The Murphy Park Apartments will accept pre-applications online at WWW.SLHA.ORG for 2 bedroom units beginning November 29, 2018 at 8:00 a.m. and closing on November 30, 2018 at midnight: Applicants with disabilities that need assistance In completing an online application or who do not have computer access can be accommodated At 1920 Cass Ave, St. Louis, MO 63106 or St.

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District will receive RFQ’s in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 10:00 a.m. on December 14, 2018 to contract with a company for: Check Valve Purchase for Bonfils Pump Station. Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). The bid document will be identified as 9665 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.2735 to request a copy of this bid. Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer. PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC HOUSING WAIT LIST OPENING

your interest in this project!

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\sta- tus, 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.”

Bishop T.D. Jakes reflects on impact of slavery

‘We learned how to become a people’

By Michael H. Cottman Urban News Service

DALLAS – Inside a provocative exhibit about Thomas Jefferson and slavery, Bishop T.D. Jakes was reminded of his own enslaved ancestors.

Jakes, who has visited Africa many times, proudly talked about his Nigerian roots. He said Henry Louis Gates Jr., a professor of African and African-American research at Harvard University, arranged a DNA test which confirmed that Jakes’ ancestors were from Nigeria.

“Going back there recently, I went into an area that was predominantly Ibo and it was kind of emotional to me,” Jakes said. “Because they made presentations to me –my house is decorated with a lot of African art – and they were telling me this is what your language sounds like.” Jakes said he has a vivid recollection of his great-grandmother, who was once enslaved. He was just 10 years old but said he remembers listening to his greatgrandmother talk about slavery and his family’s history.

“And I think of how so many people look at Africa and they talk about poverty but when I looked at it I thought they are so rich in ways that we are poor.” Jakes said. “They know who they are, they know whose they are, they know where they came from, they proudly understand their languages, and in that way we are very poor. And so there needs to be a greater exchange between us as people because for me it was like regaining a part of myself that was lost.”

Jakes is the honorary co-chair of a traveling exhibit, “Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello: Paradox of Liberty,” which will run through December 31 at Dallas’ African American Museum (and visited

Some of Jefferson’s items on display include a finely carved chess set, his eyeglasses and bookstand. Also, a medicine bottle from Paris that may have been brought back by Sally Hemings during her time in France; a portion of a black pot (Jefferson encouraged his slaves to marry and gave them a black pot as a wedding gift) and an arm chair used in the house that is believed to have been made by John Hemings, a gifted furniture maker.

Meanwhile, Jakes reflected on the artifacts, which conjured images of enslaved Africans aboard slave ships heading from West Africa to the Americas.

“All of the people who got on the boat were not the same people but they had to unify in order to survive under stress. It’s an amazing story when you think about it. They didn’t even speak any other’s language so well. There was a certain amount of distrust under the planks of the ship, and there was a huge enemy above and so in that sandwich dimension of history we survive nonetheless,” Jakes said.

“We learned how to communicate with each other. We learned how to become a people. We struggle with what to call ourselves – ‘darkies’ and ‘coloreds’ and ‘niggers’ and negroes’ and all of these names that were thrust upon us is a reflection of trying to identify who am I.”

The Message

Take the ‘d’ from ‘devil’

We live in a world, this physical one, where the devil has some sway. He even shows up at times with a little bit of swag. And if you don’t or can’t accept this, try removing the “d” and think “evil” in its place. Conceptually some might find it easier deal with the fact that we live in a world where evil and temptation are always present, like it or not.

What is our responsibility as believers in God as we try to model our lives after the one we call Christ? Add an “o” to “God” and think of this as a dilemma about good and evil.

The first point of reference is the temptation of Jesus in the desert by Satan. Satan offers Jesus the entire world, things that would cripple a lesser man: power, riches and dominion over everything he saw. Jesus renounces Satan and is then attended to by a multitude of angels who supply all His needs.

Secondly, when John wrote to believers in Ephesus, he tells them to not love the world or anything in it. Apparently in order to safely navigate a world stacked against you, help is needed. The help comes from a belief system based in Go(o)d, not (d)evil and the knowledge that this world is temporary. The devil runs some things, and we’re just passing through.

St. Louis at the Missouri History Museum 2013-14). The exhibit, which premiered at Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, breaks new ground by focusing in more detail on the life of Sally Hemings, who was enslaved with an estimated 400 other men, women and children on Jefferson’s 5.000acre Monticello plantation. The exhibit showcases more than 300 artifacts.

Some of the artifacts that appear in the exhibit include nails made at the nailery, which was run by the enslaved families and became an extremely profitable industry for Jefferson; a tombstone of Priscilla Hemmings that was hand-carved by her husband, Michael Hemmings; and china and pottery purchased by the enslaved families at the market.

Jakes said slavery was also about survival – people were forced into a violent life and stripped of everything, including their names. He added that slavery and contemporary issues of race are forever intertwined.

After Jakes completed a tour of the exhibit, he sat inside one of the museum’s upstairs galleries, glanced at a panel about enslaved African people, and spoke philosophically about slavery’s 300-year impact on the world.

“I think that, no matter what the color of the people are, any time we allow one group of people to have that much power, abuse perpetuates itself,” Jakes said, “whether you are talking about some of the atrocities that have happened in the history of the Jews or whether you’re talking about the apartheid in South Africa or whether you’re talking about slavery and Jim Crow in America.”

As long as we recognize just how treacherous life can be, as long as we acknowledge the ever-present evil out here, as long as we put our faith in the accuracy of the map and the mapmaker, we’ll come out of this life okay. Our obligation as Christians is to try and make sure that we don’t succumb permanently to the temptations that surround us.

We cannot love the world more than we love God. Just can’t happen! We cannot be led by our passions and our emotions. Remember, the devil is clever and relentless. He will never let up. Our faith in God must be equally relentless.

The destination is the only reason to take the journey in the first place. Pack well for this trip. Bring along all those things you will need so you don’t have to stop along the way. Faith can’t hurt. Love is a must, and don’t forget the map because without it you will surely get lost. With this understanding and the One who will supply all your needs, you’re ready to travel.

Just be serious about this Christian undertaking. The devil ain’t playing. It is all about good vs. evil, and you gotta choose. It’s a life and death and eternal life thing. Got it?

Columnist James Washington

Photo by the Mamones

Bishop T.D. Jakes is the honorary co-chair of a new traveling exhibit, “Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello: Paradox of Liberty,” visiting Dallas now.

High-risk pregnancies –What you need to know

and delivery. If you are concerned or have questions about high-risk pregnancies you can find a health care professional near you by visiting www.ssmhealth. com/maternity or by calling 1-866-776-3627.

Creating a Village to Support Expecting Mothers

The CenteringPregnancy® program offered at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital brings families together to provide exceptional prenatal care

When you first find out you’re expecting a baby, you typically will daydream about the perfect pregnancy and delivery. But that’s not always reality. Many women fall into a category called high-risk, meaning the woman has one or more things that raise her –or her baby’s –chances for health problems before, during or after delivery.Sometimes a high-risk pregnancy is the result of a medical condition present before pregnancy. However, you or your baby can develop something during pregnancy which also puts you into this high-risk category. Specific factors that might contribute to a high-risk pregnancy include:

•Pregnancy complications including placenta position or even fetal growth issues. The best way to protect you and your baby during any pregnancy is to seek regular prenatal care. Prenatal visits can help your health care provider monitor your health and the health of your baby. At SSM Health, we believe a multidisciplinary, team approach is the best way to care for your unique needs. That is why our high-risk maternal-fetal medicine team is comprised of a range of experts including board-certified obstetricians and gynecologists, highrisk pregnancy doctors and perinatal nurse practitioners, neonatologists who care for babies born prematurely or with serious medical conditions and an experienced NICU nursing staff. SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital recently opened a brand new, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) offering state-of-the-art technology as well as comfortable, private rooms for families to bond. The NICU at SSM Health St. Mary’s is co-managed and staffed with those who know babies best –SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital nurses and physicians from Saint Louis University School of Medicine. These experts are here for you and your baby to ensure you both receive exceptional, state-ofthe-art care throughout your pregnancy and delivery.It’s often difficult to predict which pregnancies will become high risk or when a high-risk condition might occur. That’s why it is important to stay in touch with your doctor and report any changes in your pregnancy to them. Your health care provider can manage any medical condition you might have during your pregnancy and can explain how your health might affect your labor

•Advanced maternal age, meaning women over the age of 35

•Lifestyle choices like smoking, drinking alcohol, using illegal drugs

•Medical history can contribute, especially if you have conditions like diabetes, hypertension, heart disorders and blood-clotting disorders

•A history of surgery on your uterus, including multiple C-sections or even fibroids

•Carrying multiples

Changing the path for moms-to-be addicted to opioids

their babies. “We don’t know exactly why Centering outcomes are better, but we think it’s partly because we have more time to de-stress and talk through peoples’ concerns and, most importantly, the moms and families support each other,” Garrett said. The CenteringPregnancy® program is ideal for pregnant women who have healthy, low-risk pregnancies. For more information about the program and to find out if you are eligible to participate, call 314-768-8797 or email Jessica Garrett at jessica.garrett@ssmhealth.com. Or, find the program on Facebook @CenteringStMarysSTL.

There is a well-known African proverb that says “it takes a village to raise a child.” In the United States, though, many parents find pregnancy and raising children to be isolating and lonely. Creating a “village” to support expecting moms is the idea behind the CenteringPregnancy,® a specialized prenatal care program offered at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital.CenteringPregnancy® includes 10 group visits and as many private visits as needed. During group visits, women (and often times their support people) meet with a SLUCare certified nurse midwife and eight to ten other women who are all due around the same time. Visits include a private check-up with the nurse midwife and group conversation about self-care, pregnancy, childbirth, infant care and more. Appointment times range from 90 minutes to two hours. “We think the best thing that we do in Centering is offer an environment where peer-to-peer support can grow and thrive,” said Jess Garrett, nurse and program coordinator. “Group wisdom is real and people supporting each other is powerful.”Centering moms often say they feel better prepared for childbirth and caring for themselves and their new baby. They also report higher satisfaction with their care –there is no waiting room time with CenteringPregnancy®. Studies have shown some important health benefits associated with the CenteringPregnancy® model of prenatal care. There is a lower incidence of preterm birth among Centering families than the general population. Centering moms are also less likely to need a C-section and more likely to breastfeed

services to access necessary resources such as housing, and support in developing and enhancing parenting, life and job skills necessary to support mothers in maintaining their sobriety.

The WISH Center represents the vision of Jaye Shyken, M.D., FACOG, WISH Clinic Director, a maternal and fetal medicine specialist, who has led innovative efforts to provide comprehensive care for pregnant women affected by substance use disorders in Missouri for more than two decades. If you know someone who needs the help of the WISH Center, visit www. ssmhealth.com or call 314-768-8230.

The WISH Center (Women and Infant Substance Help), located at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital –St. Louis, provides comprehensive, highrisk maternity care for women who are dependent on opioid drugs. It is the first, and remains the only center of its kind in Missouri. The number of babies born dependent on opioid drugs has increased dramatically in recent years. In 2012, nearly 22,000 newborns in the U.S. were treated for opioid withdrawal, according to one study. When a babies are born dependent on drugs, they develop something called neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Symptoms include high-pitched crying, tight muscle tone, hyperactive reflexes, seizures, sneezing and gastrointestinal problems. Depending on the severity of their symptoms, babies may be treated with medications such as morphine and they often require longer and more costly hospital stays than healthy babies. The WISH Center helps expectant moms by helping them commit to beginning a chemical dependency treatment program which includes receiving prescribed buprenorphine or methadone from a federally licensed program. Then throughout the patient’s pregnancy, the WISH Center utilizes a multidisciplinary team of providers, including a maternal fetal medicine specialist, three nurse practitioners who are trained in high-risk obstetrics, nurses, a nurse coordinator, social workers and a dedicated OB pharmacist to meet all of the patients’ needs. They also coordinate with behavioral medicine therapists.The help doesn’t stop once the baby is born. Medicaid coverage expires at 60 days postpartum, making it difficult for many women to continue treatment as they adjust to the addition of a newborn to their family. WISH Center social workers help new mothers access ongoing substance abuse treatment. The team is working to develop a full two-year program that would continue care for new moms after the baby is born, when the risk for relapse is greatest. This includes partnering with outside organizations and wrap-around

resources needed to provide appropriate support for new moms.

women who truly understood what I was going through.”

“For many moms, talking with a peer may be the first time she feels truly understood. The field of support for women who suffer perinatal mood and anxiety disorders is small but growing here in the St. Louis Metro Area,” Martino-Sexton said. For more information about the MOMS Line or to volunteer, call 314-768-8570.

Up to 80 percent of new mothers experience mild mood changes, often referred to as the “baby blues.” The symptoms, which may include tearfulness, irritability, anxiety and sadness often occur in the days right after childbirth and may last for a few hours or as long as one to two weeks after delivery. These feelings usually go away on their own and do not generally require treatment from a health care provider. If the symptoms do not go away or get worse after two weeks, the new mother may be experiencing some form of perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (more commonly referred to as postpartum depression).

Martino-Sexton says the first step toward feeling better is to talk about your experience with someone who will understand and support your path to getting well. That’s where the MOMS Line comes in. Volunteers go through a comprehensive postpartum peer coach training program and ongoing training to give them the tools and

The MOMS Line is the only peer-support program in St. Louis for pregnant and new moms who are experiencing depression, anxiety and other mental health issues. According to Kim Martino-Sexton, director of the MOMS Line, the program is a revitalization of a former program, Mother-to-Mother, which closed in 2013. “Pregnant and postpartum women affected by depression, anxiety, baby blues deserve a safe and supportive place to call to get connected to peers and professionals that really ‘get it’ and truly understand how to help them heal,” Martino-Sexton said. “As a woman who suffered with postpartum depression, I know firsthand how hard it can be to find people to help. Even my OB/GYN gave me a proverbial ‘pat on the head’ and told me all women feel this way, just keep pushing on. This was three months postpartum when I was clearly suffering from postpartum depression and needed help. My healing began when I started attending a peer-led moms support group. Looking back, I am so grateful for those

The “baby blues” are reality for thousands of pregnant and new moms. Often, moms feel like they have nowhere to turn. There is a resource called the MOMS Line, a peer-supported help line for pregnant and new moms in the St. Louis area. The MOMS Line (314-768-MOMS) is staffed by trained volunteers –postpartum peer coaches –who have personal experience with postpartum sadness, irritability, anxiety or depression, and have recovered. The goal is to provide compassionate and respectful support, in addition to resources and a warm connection to perinatal behavioral health professionals when needed.