November 2, 2017 Edition

STL local wins $20K scholarship through MTV

American staff

Southeast Missouri State University

freshman Dai’Sha Walker recently won a $20,000 scholarship through a partnership between Get Schooled and MTV’s Total Request Live and was presented the award during an appearance on the show.

Walker was one of only five students selected to receive the scholarship from more than 2,700 applicants nationally.

“To me, this scholarship means that I have enough potential to reach my goals, and enough people believed in my cause,” said Walker.

“I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. My younger brother and I were raised by my grandmother when our mother died two days before her birthday. My father was never in my life, and the three of us made it along okay until my grandmother was diagnosed with

breast cancer. Despite everything that I went through, I stayed strong and remained an ‘A’ student because I knew that I was more than what I had been through.”

Walker, a graduate of Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis, competed for the

Southeast Missouri State University freshman Dai’Sha Walker recently won a $20,000 scholarship through a partnership between Get Schooled and MTV’s Total Request Live.

neighborhood where you attempt to be your own motivation, and you learn to live off nothing to your name but a couple of dollars and a vivid dream of success that you’re constantly being told is unattainable,” Walker wrote.

“I’ve witnessed mothers crying, brothers dying and the most intelligent people become products of their environment because they thought the ‘street cred’ would be more defining.

In the words of a quote I live by, ‘Whether it pushed me or pulled me, drained me or fueled me, loved me or left me, hurt me or helped me, my neighborhood is a part of my growth.”

scholarship after submitting an essay titled, “How does your neighborhood define who you are?” The following is an excerpt from her winning essay:

“I come from a neighborhood where a support system doesn’t exist, and a male role model in the house is like seeing a dog walk on its hind legs, a

As a finalist for the scholarship, Walker was flown to New York, and as a winner of the scholarship, she appeared on the MTV program.

“It was amazing in New York,” Walker said. “The scenery was beautiful, but it was nothing like Missouri. It is more expensive, and the

people are totally different. It literally is the city that never sleeps. Being on television was fun! I got to meet celebrities, and I met a lot of people who wanted to see me win. I feel like this experience has opened so many doors for me.”

Walker is an active participant in Southeast’s Academic Support Centers and participated in College Bound St. Louis and the St. Louis Internship Program.

Get Schooled, which helped facilitate the scholarship, is a new innovative company that uses their digital platform to empower and engage young people to give them the inspiration and tools to get the education they need to succeed. Get Schooled provides information about financial aid, scholarships and jobs that help offset the cost of higher education.

We should not increase taxes on the poor to pay police more

By Megan Ellyia Green

For The St. Louis American

We all want St. Louis to be a safer place to live. We all want city employees – including police officers – to be treated fairly and paid well. And we all want taxes to be as low as possible. Our public policies should reflect these agreements, and many do.

There are at least two ways of trying to improve public safety. One is by continuing to increase funding for existing police officers, hiring more officers, and just hoping that crime goes down. We’ve tried that before. Police officers have received raise after raise, and yet we still have one of the highest crime rates in the country. The other way, the approach I prefer, is by investing in programs that address the underlying causes of crime – poverty, lack of educational opportunities, unemployment.

This battle of ideas between giving more money to police versus investing in long-term solutions faces a key test on November 7, when St. Louis residents will vote on the

second sales tax increase of the year. Proposition P is a 0.5 percent sales tax that will generate about $23 million per year. The Krewson Administration has committed most of that money to increasing police officer salaries and hiring more police officers.

St. Louis is already the 7th-highestpoliced city in the country, and we already spend 54 percent of our budget on policing. Simply increasing pay for police officers will not make our neighborhoods, playgrounds, and schools safer. What it will do is further entrench our city in an outdated “arrest and incarcerate” view of public safety. If Proposition P passes, St. Louis will have the third-highest sales tax in the country. And it would place the greatest burden on our lowest-income neighbors. People under the poverty line already pay over 5 percent of their incomes in sales taxes, and now we’re asking them to pay even more. Now is not the time for more police; now is the time for a new public safety strategy.

Our new strategy should link increased police pay to reforms.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with paying police officers more as long as it’s done thoughtfully and carefully.

That’s why I support police salary increases if the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department adopts the recommendations of the Ferguson Commission, President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, and other community policing standards.

If we are to allocate any new money to policing, it must be used to incentivize the reforms that we want to see within the department, not just to prop up the status quo. And our new public safety strategy should better fund programs that address the root causes of crime. The city continues to underfund things like the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and has cut nearly $1 million from our Health

Department. We cannot expect our crime rates to go down if funding for programs that prevent crime go down.

Proposition P will do little to improve public safety and will place the highest tax burden on our lowestincome residents, and is just not a good deal for taxpayers.

The good news is that Proposition P is not our only option. To offer the city an alternative, I have introduced Board Bill 117. Instead of a tax that places the greatest burden on the poor, Board Bill 117 would be a 0.5 percent payroll tax paid by big businesses. Unlike our sales taxes, our payroll tax rank amongst the lowest in the country, and has not been raised since it was first implemented in 1990. Big business contributed $325,000 to the “Yes on P campaign” because an increased sales tax doesn’t impact them as much as it does people under the poverty line, and it’s about time that we ask the business community to step up and pay their fair share.

A payroll tax would also generate $15 million more per year than Proposition P. That increased revenue

could be used to restore funding to our Health Department, create a Department of Mental Health, increase funding for the Prison to Prosperity program, allow the city to create more homeless shelter space, restore funding to the Health Care Trust Fund and Affordable Housing Trust Fund, transition the workhouse into a rehabilitation facility, and fund more recreation programs. In sum, it would fund real crime prevention programs.

We have a choice on November 7 between these two visions of public safety. Voting yes on Proposition P would increase taxes on the poor to pay police more. Voting no would send the issue back to City Hall so that a fair solution that addresses more of the underlying causes of crime could be considered.

It’s a choice between a short-term solution that won’t solve anything and a longer-term plan that could make a real difference in our city’s future. Vote no on Proposition P. Megan Ellyia Green is 15th Ward alderwoman in St. Louis.

Columnist Megan Ellyia Green

Editorial /CommEntary

Vote no on Prop P on Nov. 7

During the last mayoral campaign, Lyda Krewson said the City of St. Louis should hire more police officers and increase police pay. We wouldn’t need to worry about money, she assured us, because she would find it from cost savings identified in a city-wide audit. If more was needed, Krewson promised, she could find the additional revenue in grants and “other third party funding.” In her administration’s first major move, Krewson broke her promises. She has not yet performed a city-wide audit, and hasn’t found any cost savings, grants, or “other third party funding.” Instead, she proposes Proposition P, which asks voters – once again – to approve a 0.5 percent sales tax to pay for increased police salaries and hiring more police officers. If passed, Proposition P would raise the city’s sales tax to be the third-highest in the country. And, given the Slay Administration’s proclivity for handing out tax incentives like candy at Halloween, much of the city is covered by special taxing districts that would make the sales tax the highest in the nation.

By proposing a sales tax increase, Krewson selected one of the most regressive taxes available. Because poor people have to spend so much more of their income on necessities, they pay more of their income in sales tax than middle-class or wealthy people. Poor families currently spend 5 percent of their income on sales taxes. Proposition P would increase that disparity. Then we come to whether the police officers deserve a raise. Last spring, the comptroller released an audit finding gross financial mismanagement of overtime funds within the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. This fall, the police department infamously trampled over constitutional rights on a night officers marched through the streets with paramilitary equipment, chanting that the streets were theirs. Taking pride in his officers’ conduct, interim Police Chief Lawrence O’Toole – a throwback to 1964 – declared that the police “owned the night.” In any other line of work, an employee this negligent of duty and offensive to the public who pays his salary would be fired – not

With both parties in crisis, turmoil is the new normal

Donald Trump is not the disease that afflicts our politics. He’s a symptom, like nausea or an embarrassing rash. Both major parties are in crisis, and I believe the reason is that the ground has shifted beneath them in ways they do not understand. Until the contours of the new political landscape become clear and the parties reshape themselves accordingly, I fear that chaos and turmoil will reign as the new normal.

offered millions of dollars to expand his kingdom.

And the police chief’s kingdom is surely a large one in our city. Law enforcement already amounts to a majority of the city’s budget. The police department’s bloated roster includes over 1,000 police officers, making St. Louis the seventh most-policed city in the country. According to FBI statistics, the city has twice the average number of police officers for a city our size. Even when correcting for our city’s staggering problem with poverty - which is to say, with crime - our problem is not that we have too few police officers.

The problem is we have too much poverty. Social service programs that address poverty, mental health, and education are proven to be helpful in preventing crime and intervening before crimes occur. Krewson has paid lip service to the need for crimeprevention programs. In an email to supporters this week, Krewson said, “We need more prevention programs ... more recreation for kids ... more summer jobs for teens and young adults ... and more mental health services.” She’s right, of course. But like with so many of her assurances, there’s no substance to back them up. Krewson has not committed to spending any of the Proposition P money on programs other than policing, much less specify what programs she would spend the money on. The St. Louis Police Officers Association –in one of its most monstrous public positions – threatened

to oppose Prop P when any of its funds were directed toward crime prevention and not police officer pockets.

Our position on the police is that they provide a necessary public service that is terribly compromised by our regional fragmentation. We have long argued that we need fewer, larger, more professional, better managed, more accountable police departments – and, yes, better-paid police officers. But raising the sales tax to boost the pay of city police officers – who just trampled over the U.S. Constitution while chanting joyfully about owning the streets that we pay them to police for our safety – just because county voters approved funds to raise the pay of county police officers only reinforces the harm done by our fragmented governmental dysfunction and sends the dog into a deeper tailspin chasing its own tail.

St. Louisans are already over-taxed, over-policed, and under-served. Proposition P would just make that situation worse. The St. Louis American strongly urges a vote of NO ON PROPOSITION P ON THE NOVEMBER 7 BALLOT.

Proposition P will appear on the ballot in a special election on Tuesday, November 7. Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. To vote by absentee ballot before Tuesday’s election, vote in-person at the Election Board at 300 N. Tucker Blvd. from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Friday, November 4, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 4 or on Monday, November 6 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Transition to an elected SLPS board should begin now

By Susan R. Jones

For The St. Louis American

We’re all too familiar with the saying, “too many cooks spoil the soup,” which commonly refers to what happens when too many people are trying to control, influence, or work on something. The quality of the final product suffers as a result. I see the underlying truth of this concept beginning to play itself out in the unfolding drama concerning who should govern Saint Louis Public Schools (SLPS) when the Special Administrative Board (SAB) is no longer in charge. When the State Board of Education made the decision to take over SLPS in 2007, the district was only two points away from accreditation. The State Board stated that the decision to return governance back to the elected board would be considered when the district received full accreditation. Now that SLPS is fully accredited, the idea of returning governance to the elected St. Louis Board of Education –and, more importantly, to the taxpayers and citizens of St. Louis – has to be engaged.

This question has brought many running into the kitchen who have never stepped through the doors of a St.

Louis public school; some don’t even live in the City of St. Louis. Currently, there are many organizations working to influence the governance structure of the district. For example, the St. Louis Public Schools Foundation, a non-profit which raises funds for SLPS, has been interviewing stakeholders from across the region on what they think should be the governance structure for the district. The DanforthFreeman committee is reviving. The business community is having back-room discussions.

The SAB recently announced they would form a committee to explore governance structures other than a traditionally elected school board, and that this committee would make a recommendation by December. Every fully accredited school district in Missouri is governed by an elected school board chosen by the citizens of that district. Can you imagine parents of the Clayton, Ladue, or other affluent school districts

not having the right to elect who governs their school district? What is it about SLPS that makes people think the citizens of the City of St. Louis should be denied the same school governance system that that every other citizen of the state enjoys?

SLPS has returned to full accreditation – we have finally regained all the losses that started with Mayor Slay’s school board slate of 2003. We could have done this sooner if the elected board hadn’t been removed in the first place, as the voters did exactly what they were supposed to do and did not re-elect those who destroyed the system.

The elected board understands that there must be a process in place that is agreed upon by both boards, appointed and elected, in order to effect a smooth, efficient transition back to fully elected board. We should not waste time and $80,000 of taxpayer money in this futile study of governance. The transition needs to begin now, and the citizens of St. Louis deserve governance of their schools back.

Susan R. Jones, MA, is president of the elected St. Louis Board of Education.

I am not postulating any sort of false equivalency. It was the Republican Party that nominated Trump for president, and consequently must be blamed for this horror show of an administration. The party that loves to grandly invoke the name of Abraham Lincoln sent to the White House a crass egomaniac who cynically heightens racial animosities. Now the GOP claims to be engaged in a great civil war. So far, I’ve seen nothing more than a few skirmishes. After all that Trump has said and done, just three GOP senators have had the guts to take him on: Bob Corker (Tenn.) and Jeff Flake (Ariz.), who are retiring, and John McCain (Ariz.), who is seriously ill. When the other 49 come out from their hideyholes, I’ll believe there’s a war. Trump is large and in charge of the Republican Party because he’s more in touch with the base than the GOP establishment is – which means the party’s leaders have lost contact with the country. But meanwhile, where are the Democrats? Basically nowhere. The Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), are better at

politics and basic arithmetic than their Republican counterparts. This fact has given Democrats more power in Congress than they deserve. But the party managed to lose a presidential election to a man who had never been elected to public office, who slandered Mexican immigrants as rapists, who used African Americans and Latinos as foils to help him stoke feelings of grievance among whites, and who bragged about sexually harassing and assaulting random women. You lost to that guy, Democrats.

Columnist

Eugene Robinson

The party of Franklin Roosevelt allowed the GOP to pretend to champion the interests of the working class. Failure to connect with white voters in the Rust Belt is only part of the story of last year’s defeat, and maybe not the most important part. Democrats failed to sufficiently energize their core constituencies – urbanites, African-Americans, Latinos, women, young people.

If the Trump blitzkrieg hadn’t happened, the big political story of the year would have been the rise of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., an aging socialist with no national profile, to rock-star status. Sanders gave Hillary Clinton a run for her money and demonstrated that the Democratic Party also has factions and fissures.

I believe the reason both

Letters to the editor

Correction

Our feature on Steve Cousins said he established the Financial and Real Estate Services department at Armstrong Teasdale, which he still leads. In fact, he established the firm’s Bankruptcy and Financial Restructuring practice area, which he still leads. We regret the error.

Corporations should pay fair share

Think, “I pay more” when you hear tax reform.

Many politicians in power are planning to further starve our opportunities to get ahead by reducing taxes from giant business corporations. Don’t you think it’s time for our government to invest in us again? Time to give good jobs to citizens and reduce our vehicle repairs by improving our roads and bridges? Time to give our schools more money for books and five-day school weeks? Time to give hard-working citizens a chance to afford technical school or college by using our tax dollars to support us?

Corporations would like you to believe they are paying a 35 percent tax rate, but in reality after loopholes, discounts and rebates, they are only paying 0-20 percent. It’s time corporations paid their fair share of taxes, so you and I can afford a better living.

Ellen Wentz Kirkwood

Paying to play

The recently filed campaignfinance report for County Executive Steve Stenger shows he has now taken in $325,000 from the developers of the old Northwest Plaza site. This is where St. Louis County has moved the St.

parties are struggling is that a broad political realignment of some kind is under way. We all have a mental image of the political spectrum. On the right, there is the Republican Party with a set of conservative policies – cut taxes, shrink government, limit entitlements, deregulate, etc. On the left, there is the Democratic Party with a set of liberal policies – expand health care, raise wages, regulate Wall Street, promote fairness. The rise of Trump and Sanders and the fact that some of their campaign positions were identical – we should have health care for all, freetrade pacts have harmed U.S. workers, the “system” is rigged to favor the rich and powerful at the expense of the middle class – suggest to me that the familiar left-right spectrum is no longer an accurate schematic of public opinion.

Today’s key fault lines may be between metropolitan areas and the exurbs and small towns strung along the interstates; between those who have gone to college and those who have not; between families who have benefited from the globalized economy and those who have not; and between an anxious, shrinking white majority and the minority groups that within a couple of decades will constitute more than half the population.

My advice to Democrats is to say the word “opportunity” so often that it becomes the party’s trademark, then frame progressive policies in that context. My advice to Republicans, who are stuck with Trump, is to pray.

Louis County Board of Election Commissioners and other offices after the developers were given a no-bid lease for office space worth as much as $50 million.

The 20-year lease was proposed by Stenger and then approved by the County Council last July when the council was still controlled by the county executive. Had a request for proposals been issued, it could very well have resulted in a savings of many millions of dollars for county taxpayers.

The $325,000 is likely a record amount of campaign contributions ever received by a public official in St. Louis County related to just one project. Stenger has taken payto-play to a level never before seen in the county, resulting in millions of dollars of contributions for his re-election campaign.

When Ernie Trakas, R-Oakville, took his 6th District seat on the County Council this year to represent south county, he became part of a new council majority no longer controlled by Stenger. It has impaired the county executive’s ability to hand out favors to his campaign supporters.

Many believe Stenger is secretly arranging most of the funding for the effort to recall Councilman Trakas. It’s not difficult to understand why. Tom Sullivan University City

Columnist Susan R. Jones

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department was protested at police headquarters on September 25.

Attorney

Black Jurors Matter campaign hosts expert Help

New Election Central 2018 website

in St.

Missouri For All – a nonpartisan nonprofit organization – launched its Election Central 2018 website, which allows voters to research candidates for multiple offices throughout Missouri and volunteer on campaigns with the click of a button.

Voters can research candidates, find which district they live in, learn more about how Missouri’s government is structured and sign up to run for office themselves.

Missouri For All also runs workshops to help Missourians work together, overcome social and political divisions, and find solutions to challenges. For more information, visit www.MO4All.org.

as part of the

Matter Campaign by

for disaster survivors

Missourians with disaster-related unmet needs now can access disaster case management services. The services are available even if applicants already received state and federal disaster assistance.

The Disaster Case Management (DCM) program grant is fully funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and will be administered by the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency and managed by Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri. Disaster Case management is a time-limited process that involves a partnership between a case manager and a disaster survivor to develop and carry out a Disaster Recovery Plan.

Missourians who have unmet needs are encouraged to call United Way 2-1-1 by dialing 2-1-1 or (800) 4274626 for information on services available in the area and referrals to case management services.

The EPA and us

By Jessica Estes For The St. Louis American

America is in crisis, and it is of a constant yet varied nature. Multiple natural disasters, mass shootings, civil unrest, racial tension and political discourse dominate every media outlet and every conversation with friends and family. One could be so overwhelmed by the state of our nation that one crisis may be unintentionally overlooked or overshadowed.

When regime change happens in America – when there is a new presidential election – priorities change. One such priority change grossly decreases the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) budget. In relation to the other crises at hand, the state of the EPA could be easily put on the back burner. But the EPA budget cuts will have a trickle-down effect on us here in St. Louis, so we must advocate for environmental justice.

The EPA defines environmental justice as fair treatment and meaningful inclusion regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

The EPA’s Environmental Justice Program funds local projects. Dutchtown South Community Corporation and Trailnet are two local organizations utilizing those funds for the betterment of the community.

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) reports the $81 million Missouri receives in grants from the EPA is in jeopardy. In 2016, the EPA provided Missouri with $3.6 million to keep our drinking water safe; 2.5 million Missourians rely on the EPA to keep their drinking water safe. Unfortunately, the Trump administration intends to strike these funds from the budget. Where does that leave Missourians?

The EPA budget cuts impact us all, but vulnerable populations stand to lose the most. Missouri has 1,022 Brownfield sites, which are sites that have a presence of hazardous substances, contaminants or pollutants. The Trump Administration has proposed decreasing EPA’s clean-up initiatives. Funding to Brownfield sites will be slashed more than 20 percent.

There is a high concentration of these Brownfield sites in predominantly black and low- to moderate-income neighborhoods –for example, Wellston and Jeff-Vander-Lou. The median household income in Wellston ranges from $16,912 to $30,250. In Jeff-VanderLou, median household incomes are as low as $9,732.This is not by happenstance. This is the manifestation of environmental racism. When low-income individuals and minorities are relegated to living in close proximity to toxic and hazardous waste, including urban decay, we call this environmental racism. The environment in and of itself is not racist. However, the institutions that mediate environmental hazards and disasters, such as the EPA, are led by people, who establish priorities based on personal bias and prejudices. Nationally, consider the handling of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina; locally, consider the handling of the Clemens Mansion. The EPA provides us with a number of services that improve our quality of life. It is imperative that we ensure those services continue. We must hold the Trump Administration accountable and demand environmental justice.

Jessica Estes, MSW, is a community organizer with Missourians Organizing for Reform & Empowerment (M.O.R.E.).

Jessica Estes

Will Snowden was recently

Louis

Black Jurors

the Organization for Black Struggle. Snowden, founder of the New Orleans-based The Juror Project, presented a workshop on the importance of black jurors. Snowden shared a laugh with the writer Tullia Hamilton, whom he discovered is a New Orleans native.

Continued from A1

County Council and four of its members: Sam Page, Ernie Trakas, Rochelle Walton Gray and Hazel Erby. Their lawsuit states the functions of the auditor’s office are essential to the county government’s functions and it is currently unequipped to perform them. Currently, the auditor’s office has only one employee, county Auditor Mark Tucker. Tucker is the only black auditor in the state. In April of this year, Stenger froze hiring for the auditor’s office by refusing to distribute the funds allocated for hiring.

Stenger also wrote a letter to the County Council in September of this year asking for Tucker to be fired, based on a document showing that Tucker had owed a significant amount in unpaid taxes in 2011. The council did not act on that request.

The auditor’s office performs financial functions related to the county government, including reviewing the accounting system of the county and recommending changes, auditing the accounts and records of public employees, and investigating “all matters

JEMISON

Continued from A1

education – came to St. Louis October 25 to share that vision with sixth grade students from Compton-Drew Middle School, a St. Louis Public Schools magnet school focused on science and technology education. The students participated in a program at the St. Louis Science Center, conducting experiments alongside Jemison.

The goal of early science education, Jemison said, should be to make sure everyone in society is scienceliterate.

“What is science literacy? It’s the ability to read an article in the newspaper about a subject, from environment to healthcare to manufacturing, and figure out what it means,”

relating to the receipt, disbursement, and application of public funds.”

According to Page, the auditor’s office does not have enough staff members for its assigned functions. A 2013 audit Quality Assessment Review of the St. Louis County Auditor’s Office came to the same conclusion.

Most counties around the country have three to 15 auditors. St. Charles County, for example, has six.

“Even if all County Auditor staff positions provided [in the county budget] were filled, the County Auditor’s Office would

Jemison said. “It doesn’t mean that you’re a professional scientist, but it means that you have the critical thinking skills to think your way through the day.”

Science literacy can be promoted by fostering children’s natural interest in hands-on learning, she said, as can African-American students’ involvement in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine) fields.

“Frequently, people think about science as a subject that kids don’t like, but kids actually love science because it’s hands-on,” Jemison said. “It’s about exploring the world around them. What they don’t like is being told to sit down and just being told to read and regurgitate things from a book.”

She was there in partnership with the Bayer Science and

n “The appropriate staffing is needed to bring accountability and transparency to county government.”

– Councilman Sam Page

still be an understaffed outlier, nationwide and regionally, due to its low manpower in relation to its workload,” the lawsuit reads.

The County Council reached the decision to sue via a vote on legislation introduced by Page. The bill passed also

Education Foundation, a nonprofit funded by the Bayer pharmaceutical company. The Bayer programs Jemison works with focus on that approach, as do her own projects. She is involved in a number of programs dealing with science education, including teaching basic skills to young students and their teachers and training at-risk high school students for biotechnology jobs.

included a provision stating that Krane, as the county counselor, should not represent either side of the case due to the conflict of interest involved in one branch of county government suing another.

The resolution asked that Krane appoint the law firm of

fields, African-American women frequently said that hands-on learning experiences in high school internships were the deciding factor in pursuing that career. Popular imagery of scientists who don’t fit the stereotypical white male image can make a difference, too.

n “Can we see ourselves as earthlings? Because we won’t make a difference until we understand that, no matter what we do, we’re sharing this planet.”

– Mae Jemison

“Most kids want to do well,” Jemison said. “They want to contribute, they want to be effective, but we very frequently don’t give them the opportunity.”

That can apply particularly to minority students, she said. In a Bayer survey of women and minorities in chemistry

“People were all blown away by the movie ‘Hidden Figures’,” Jemison said, referencing the 2016 film about black women who worked as mathematicians during NASA’s space race. “Wouldn’t it have made a difference if we’d known that years ago, with the whole thing about ‘men’ landing on the moon and we didn’t recognize these women?”

Three of the four St. Louis County Council members who sued County Executive Steve Stenger for preventing the county auditor’s office from hiring new employees – Sam Page, Rochelle Walton Gray and Hazel Erby – at a January 3 council meeting. Councilman Ernie Trakas and the council itself also are plaintiffs.

Bick & Kistner to represent the council. According to the lawsuit, Krane wrote to the law firm on October 4 “stating his opinion that the Resolution has no legal effect and indicating that no County funds would be appropriated for the services of the Proposed Special Counsel.”

The County Council’s lawsuit asks the court to recognize their power to make decisions related to the auditor’s office and order Stenger’s office to disburse the funds for hiring. It also asks that the county counselor pay the attorney’s fees and litigation expenses of the

Jemison said she is often asked about the future of NASA and space exploration.

In 2010, then-president Barack Obama canceled an ambitious NASA project to return to the moon, and while current President Donald Trump vowed to send a mission to Mars during his presidency, he’s yet to even name a NASA administrator. Interstellar travel is an obvious interest of Jemison’s. She is famously a Star Trek fan. She was the first real astronaut to appear in the franchise, with a guest role on “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”

At this year’s Comic-Con, she moderated a panel on the franchise’s newest show, “Star Trek: Discovery.”

“Discovery” is the first Star Trek show to feature a black female lead – a much larger role than Lieutenant Uhura, the black woman on the original “Star Trek” who was part of Jemison’s inspiration to join NASA.

“What made Star Trek really fascinating is that it used science as a character and helped us to look at sociocultural, economic kinds

council.

“The appropriate staffing is needed to bring accountability and transparency to county government,” Page said in a September interview with The American Stenger responded with a statement claiming that he welcomed audits and the county auditor’s office was adequately staffed. The only problem, Stenger claimed, is Tucker’s “incompetence.”

Jessica Karins is an editorial intern for the St. Louis American from Webster University.

of issues that we might not be able to see if we played them out in our own society,” Jemison said.

Jemison is also the leader of the 100 Year Starship program, a grant-funded project that hopes to create a centurylong business plan focused on developing the technologies humans will need to someday travel between the stars.

Despite that, Jemison is not resting her hopes for humanity’s future on science fiction visions of leaving Earth for huge spaceships or other planets. Instead, she said, we need to focus on making sure our environment is sustainable for future generations.

“Can we see ourselves as earthlings? Because the reality is no matter what we do – as individuals, as countries – we won’t make a difference until we understand that we’re sharing this planet,” Jemison said. “People always want to make science and the future about children. It’s about us as adults and what the hell we’re doing right now.” Jessica Karins is an editorial intern for the St. Louis American from Webster University.

County Auditor Mark Tucker

Photo by Wiley Price

Richard K. Gaines, a member of the appointed Special Administrative Board that governs St. Louis Public Schools, celebrated the victory of Proposition 1, which increased property taxes to fund public schools, with SLPS Superintendent Kelvin Adams in April 2016. Gaines chairs a committee that is organizing a series of public meetings to discuss future governance of the district.

SLPS

Continued from A1 have in the future.

In the first meeting on Monday, November 6, the district will present on the topic of elected governance; future meetings will cover appointed governance (November 9 at Central VPA High School) and hybrid forms of governance (November 13 at Northwest Academy of Law High School). The first meeting on Monday will be held at Vashon High School from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Richard K. Gaines, a member of the SAB who chairs the committee organizing these meetings, said they hoped as many members of the public as possible would attend the meetings and learn about the different forms of governance.

“These are, we believe, some of the most important meetings that the community will have about its public school system,” Gaines said.

Natalie Vowell, a member of the elected school board, said the elected board has had no input in the planning or content of the upcoming governance meetings – including the one on November 6 about elected board governance.

According to Gaines, the SAB has appointed a task force of nine community members who will make a recommendation about the future of the board; the SAB, in turn, will make a recommendation to DESE. If the department were to decide to proceed with a hybrid board

SLPS governance public meetings

Elected Board Governance – 6:30 p.m. Monday, November 6 at Vashon High School, 3035 Cass Ave.

Appointed Board Governance – 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, November 9 at Central VPA High School, 3125 S. Kingshighway Blvd.

Hybrid Board Governance – 6:30 p.m. Monday, November 13 at Northwest Academy of Law High School, 5140 Riverview Blvd.

All meetings will be handicapped-accessible and have an interpreter for the hearing-impaired.

or a permanent appointed board, the state legislature would be required to pass a law allowing that.

Even an appointed board, though, would not necessarily be the same three-member board as the current one. “We were and are a temporary body,” Gaines said. Susan Jones, the current president of the elected board who is running for reelection this year, said an elected school board is the better form of government.

“Members can be removed from office during the election if the public ever loses confidence in them,” Jones said.

Jones said if decisionmaking power were returned to the elected board, they would focus on communicating with the public and improving academics and minority

inclusion. She believes it is important for a school board to be accountable to the public.

Jones said, “It’s a basic right for them to be able to vote for who they want to vote for.”

A district spokesman encouraged the public to attend these meetings – which will be streamed live on the SLPS Facebook page – and to leave comments about governance on the SLPS website at https:// www.slps.org/governance.

The first public meeting on SLPS board governance will be held 6:30-9:30 p.m. Monday, November 6 at Vashon High School, 3035 Cass Ave. Complimentary child-care and light refreshments will be provided.

Jessica Karins is an editorial intern for the St. Louis American from Webster University.

Photo by Wiley Price

Healthcare Open Enrollment is underway

Crime and the mental illness blame game

By Jameca Falconer

The St. Louis American

For

Jameca Falconer

Innovative new research from the University of Missouri (by Philip Robbins and Paul Litton) has shown that offenders with genetic mental disorders that predispose them to criminal behavior are judged more negatively than mentally disordered offenders whose criminal behavior may have been caused by environmental factors, such as childhood abuse. The findings from this study are astounding and speak to how individuals perceive offenders of crime. These authors sought to determine if it mattered how defendants acquired those mental disorders, and how that might influence the way society assigns blame and punishment when a crime is committed.

By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American

November 1 marked the start of open enrollment for health insurance coverage.

Enrollment guidance and financial assistance remains available for those needing to consider the latest options available in Missouri to purchase health insurance under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).

different statements, ACA is still the law of the land. There are plans every county in Missouri has to choose from.” Three insurers are offering plans in Missouri; however, not all three are offered in all locations. Cigna and Ambetter (Centene Corp.) are Marketplace offerings in the St. Louis area. Anthem BlueCross BlueShield, which is not offered in St. Louis, is an option in outstate, rural counties. Kelley said the two types of financial Nov. 1 – Dec. 15 for coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2018

“If people hear nothing else, they need to know the ACA – what people call

n “A lot of people get plans for $100 or less per month.”

– Nancy Kelley, Cover Missouri Coalition

‘Obamacare’ – is still the law,” Nancy Kelley, program director for Expanding Coverage at the Missouri Foundation for Health. “No matter what you might have heard on TV or

State program for uninsured adults extended through 2022

The health care program for uninsured adults in St. Louis City and St. Louis County, “Gateway to Better Health,” recently received a five-year extension from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. It had been set to expire on December 31. Gateway provides primary, specialty and urgent care coverage each year to approximately 24,000 uninsured adults, ages 19-64, living in poverty in St. Louis city and county, through a network of community providers. Gateway is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Social Services in partnership with the Regional Health Commission. The extension of the Pilot Program preserves up to $30 million in annual funding for community healthcare in St. Louis’ urban core through December 31, 2022. Under the terms of the extension, Gateway will continue to cover individuals up to 100 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) for primary, specialty and urgent care. For more information about eligibility, visit http://www.stlgbh.com/.

Health Briefs

n When the cause of a mental disorder was genetic, study participants assigned more blame and harsher punishment compared to when the offender’s mental disorder was not genetic.

Robbins and Litton’s findings showed that when the cause of a mental disorder was genetic, study participants tended to assign more blame and harsher punishment for the crime, compared to cases in which the offender had a mental disorder that was not genetic in origin. This is totally the opposite of what I (and probably many others) have assumed. I have always thought that people who commit criminal acts but suffer from a mental disorder would be assigned less blame and punishment for their crimes.

Psychologists and those in the mental health field are familiar with this phenomenon. It is called attribution theory, a psychological theory that influences how people attribute certain situations. Attribution theory states that we have a tendency to explain someone’s behavior by attributing a

See CRIME, A11

STL County nets $1M in federal grants to fight opioid epidemic

The U.S. Dept. of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded two grants totaling $1 million to the St. Louis County Department of Public Health to address the opioid epidemic.

A $400,000 grant over two years will be used to enhance the St. Louis County Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. Part of it will be used to cover the cost of participating counties, the hiring of an additional staffer, and engagement, education and reporting.

A second grant will provide $600,000 over three years to fund increased regional collaboration and the hiring of an additional staff member. Currently St. Louis County, The City of St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia and Springfield partner and share regional information. The grants also cover the participation costs for all current and potential participating jurisdictions for two years. The St. Louis County Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, which is available to all Missouri jurisdictions, was launched in April 2017 and currently has 48 jurisdictions participating, representing 71 percent of the state’s population. For more information, visit www.stlouisco.com/PDMP.

Photo by Wiley Price

Nancy Kelley, program director of the Cover Missouri Coalition, and Lorna Vaughn, a community access worker and mental health counselor, discuss Open Enrollment, which runs November 1 to December 15 for Affordable Care Act health insurance coverage in 2018.

HEALTH

Continued from A10

assistance, cost-sharing reductions and premium tax credits, are still available this year.

“Over 80 percent of people in Missouri qualified for some level of tax credits this year, and we expect that to be the name next year,” Kelley said. “It brings down the cost in most cases, to what the government calls ‘affordable.’ A lot of people get plans for $100 or less per month.”

Kelley said cost–sharing reductions, or CSRs, reduce the out-of-pocket costs of health care.

“Someone might get coverage, but we all know that when you have to pay a co-pay, or you’ve got your out-of-pocket costs, sometimes that makes it hard to use your insurance,” Kelly said. “Costsharing reductions, based on income, reduces the cost for people so they can actually use their insurance.”

Cost-sharing reductions are paid to the insurance companies, and the insurance companies offer those as discounts to the consumer.

Those cost-sharing subsidies are what President Donald Trump announced in midOctober that he was ending –as part of his ongoing effort to dismantle Obamacare.

“President Trump issued an executive order that stopped the CSR payments, so the insurance companies are no longer getting those payments,” Kelly said. “However, the law says the consumers get them so the consumers are still getting them, it’s just the insurers who are now having to eat that cost. The good news is that people who are receiving them will still get those discounts this year.” In the end, consumers may still pay. “The impact could be insurers over time are going to raise up their prices because they have to make up that difference of that expense somehow,” she said.

Signing up for coverage

The six-week window to sign up for health coverage can pass by sooner than you anticipate, Kelley said. There are certain documents you need to get started.

“When they sit down to

Cost-sharing and premium tax credit charts provided by the Cover Missouri Coalition take into account household size and wages to help families determine if they qualify for any of the reductions for health coverage in 2018.

enroll, be it by telephone or at their computer or with an assister, they would need to have access to an email address, because they have to create their own account on the Marketplace,” said Lorna Vaughn, of Bilingual International Assistant Services in St. Louis.

“They would need their Social Security card, their permanent resident card; proof of income, be it a W-2 or a pay stub, so we can calculate their income for the year; and a list of current doctors and medications – because that way we can kind of look to see which plan would work better for you. You can be an informed consumer when you shop for your insurance.”

Additionally, Vaughn said shoppers also need the Social Security number and date of birth for all the people who are carried on your tax return.

“The big factor is the

Open Enrollment events this weekend

The Cover Missouri Coalition is holding “Rock Enrollment” events this weekend to help support health insurance open enrollment.

• Saturday, Nov. 4 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Community Action Agency of St. Louis County, 2709 Woodson Rd. (63114)

• Saturday, Nov. 4 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the National Blues Museum, 615 Washington Ave. (63101).

• Saturday Nov. 4 and Sunday, Nov. 5, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Missouri History Museum, in conjunction with the Dia de Los Muertos Festival in Forest Park, 5700 Lindell Blvd.

number in the household,” she said.

Vaughn, a community access worker and mental health counselor, focuses on churches in the African-

American community to talk about health insurance coverage, because churches are places where people seek help.

“That’s also the place where you find the grandmothers, the

How to enroll for health insurance

Apply for coverage at HealthCare.gov; by telephone at 800-466-3213; with paper applications; or with free, in-person guidance of federally trained and certified assistors or navigators.

The health insurance shopper will be the one making all of the decisions in the health insurance plan purchase. However, an assister can guide shoppers through the enrollment process, along with calculators and other information, at no charge by calling 800-4663213. Free marketplace counseling for non-English speakers is available locally from bilingual navigators by calling Bilingual International Assistance Services at 314-645-7800.

The CoverMissouri.org website can also help you find a certified health insurance navigator or assister in your area. Visit HealthCare.gov, CuidadodeSalud.gov or call 1-800-218-2596 to complete an application and enroll in the Exchange for a 2018 health insurance plan.

aunts and the uncles who can also take the message back to the young group that we’re trying to reach,” she said. Vaughn said her main message is simple.

“You have to health insurance, and you should have health insurance,” Vaughn said. “I give them the analogy that you insure your phones, you insure your cars, your fur coat, your house, your boat – whatever else you have – why not your health?

Because, without your health, you can’t use any of those other things.”

When young adults come in and look at rates, Vaughn said they are surprised at the affordability. For people 18 to 25 who don’t smoke, she said, health insurance may cost “less than a pack of cigarettes.”

Open Enrollment is also the time for individuals and family who already have existing coverage through the Marketplace to a look at plans offered in Missouri for 2018 as some may have changed or are no longer available.

If you do nothing you will be automatically placed into a similar plan. However, if you and your family re-enroll automatically without looking at what is available for 2018 and the plan does not have the doctors or other service options you preferred, you are stuck with that for a year.

CRIME

Continued from A10

cause to his/her behavior. In our effort to try to understand the behavior of others, we explain their behavior in terms of their personality and disposition (internal), or we explain their behavior in terms of the situation (external).

For instance, you might, explain your boss’s harsh words about your performance

as being the result of his angry personality type, or you might attribute it to his disappointment with the overall office performance. If you attribute his harsh words to the angry personality type, then you have made the fundamental attribution error. The fundamental attribution error is our tendency to explain someone’s behavior based on internal factors, such as personality or disposition, and to underestimate the influence that external factors,

such as situational influences, have on another person’s behavior.

This is particularly true when the behavior is negative. For example, when a person commits a crime, we tend to think it relates to their personality, rather than the situation the person might be in. This is especially true in cases of mental illnesses.

Even though most research on crime favors the view that both personality and situational factors play a

mutual role in determining behavior, most people fail to realize or acknowledge this. Individuals with genetic mental disorders may engage in criminal behavior because of their characterictically poor impulse control, difficulty with long-term thinking, and difficulty handling stressful and emotionally fraught situations.

It seems that individuals who possess these deficits are seen as fundamentally flawed (e.g., personality and disposition) and less

deserving of leniency, whereas individuals who were abused as children and go on to commit crimes are seen as victims.

The results of the study show that although individuals born with mental disorders have difficulties managing their behavior, society sees this as similar to deficits in personality.

These findings suggest that presenting evidence of childhood abuse suffered by the defendant in a criminal case will be more effective

For persons who do not have health insurance coverage through their employer, a government program or the Marketplace, the penalty for not having insurance remains part of the Affordable Care Act. It is $695 per uninsured adult and $347.50 per uninsured child in each household (up to $2,085 for a family) or 2.5 percent of income, whichever amount is greater. “Per adult means that if you are a head of household, every person that you carry on your tax return has to be insured, otherwise, you’ll get penalized for whatever period of time that person or those people and children are not insured,” Vaughn said. If you are due an income tax refund, that penalty for not having health insurance comes out at tax time.

Kelley makes the case by saying when you consider paying less than $100 a month for coverage in Missouri versus paying a $695 per adult penalty for not having insurance – you could have health coverage for that same amount of money.

Visit HealthCare.gov, CuidadodeSalud.gov or call 1-800-218-2596 to complete an application and enroll in a 2018 health insurance plan.

than explaining the crime in genetic terms. In addition, these findings indicate that jurors need to be educated more on the characteristics of genetic mental disorders. Jurors should understand that individuals born with mental illness are victims, but in a different way than those individuals who were abused as children.

Jameca Falconer, PhDm, is a licensed psychologist and Public Education coordinator for the Missouri Psychological Association.

The National Coalition of 100 Black Women held its Minority Women’s Health Fair on Saturday, October 28 at St. Louis Community College – Forest Park. Stepping out for health

Photo by Wiley Price

Standard Time

Nutrition Challenge:

It seems that all of us are usually in a hurry. But when it’s time to eat, sit down, relax and focus on eating. With each bite, set down your fork and chew your food completely before swallowing. This allows your stomach to “catch

Exercise Challenge:

Is biking your thing? Or do you like to play basketball? The best “exercise” you can do is through an activity you enjoy. Make a list of 10 activities that you like to do, that are active enough to be considered exercise. Some possibilities include kickball, baseball, football, dancing, biking,

Healthy Kids Kids

up” with your eating, and you’ll know when you’re full. Eating slowly allows you to know when you’ve had enough and you can stop eating before you become uncomfortable from overeating… and you’ll eat less!

Try this Practice chewing each bite 30 times before swallowing.

Learning

running, skating, jump rope, walking or playing Frisbee. Make it a goal to do one of these activities each day of the week (at least five days a week). Exercise can be fun!

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

On November 5, Daylight Savings Time ends. What does this mean? Well, it means that it gets dark a lot earlier than it used to! So plan ahead when you have outdoor activities or if you have to walk or bike somewhere. You may want to leave a little earlier in order to get home before it’s too dark. Also, wearing light colored clothing and carrying a flashlight can help keep you safe.

Learning Standards: HPE 5, NH 5

Learning

SCIENCE CORNER

Seventy percent of Earth’s surface is covered by oceans; therefore, oceanography is a very important topic to study!

Oceanography is the study of the ocean and all of its living properties, including plant and animal life. Oceanography contains many different types of jobs, including engineers, zoologists, and marine biologists. Marine biologists focus on studying the living creatures in different types of water, such as seas, bays, and other large bodies of water. Chemical oceanographers, such as marine geochemists, study the chemical composition of the ocean waters. They investigate the effects of pollution on the water, study the chemicals found in certain ocean

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

waters, and study how ocean chemicals react to the air at the ocean’s surface. Oceanographers also include technicians who work on equipment used to study the oceans. These technicians work on boats, electronics, and other specialty equipment. Oceanographers can work in the lab and write technical reports, or they may travel and explore the oceans.

For more information, read: http://www.field-trips.org/sci/oceank/index.htm kids.usa.gov/teens-home/science/oceanography/index.shtml

Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text to gain background information about oceanography.

Deep Freeze Activity

How do you make super cold water without the water freezing and turning to ice? In this experiment, you’ll learn how to cool water below its freezing point of 0 degrees Celsius without it turning to ice.

Materials Needed:

Freezer • Spoon • Water

• Salt • Ice • 2 plastic glasses

• Marker

Procedure:

q Fill two plastic cups with the same amount of water.

w Use the marker to label one cup with an “S.”

e Add four heaping spoonfuls of salt to the cup with an S.

r Place both cups in the freezer. Make sure they are balanced and will not tip over.

MATH CONNECTION

Oceanographers track the motion of waves. In this activity, you will become an oceanographer and use your math skills to solve the problems.

Questions:

q If a wave is traveling at 18.72 meters/second, how far will it travel in 10 seconds? ____________

w How far will it travel in 20 seconds, if it is traveling at the same speed?______________

SCIENCE STARS

AFRICAN AMERICAN OCEANOGRAPHER:

Dawn Jeannine Wright

Dawn Jeannine Wright was born April 15, 1961, on the visland of Maui, Hawaii. As a young girl, Wright loved the open seas and stories of adventure and discovery. In 1983, she graduated cum laude from Wheaton College with her bachelor’s degree in geology.

In 1986, she earned a master’s degree in oceanography from Texas A&M University. For the next three years, Wright took expeditions through the Pacific and Indian Oceans and offshore Antarctica as a marine laboratory specialist with the Ocean Drilling Program. In 1994, she received her doctorate degree in geography and marine geology from the University of California.

Wright worked as a research assistant for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In 1995, she began her teaching and research career at Oregon State University in the Department of Geosciences.

An expert in geographic information systems (GIS), Wright has focused her work on mapping the ocean floor in locations around the globe. She assisted with a number of outreach programs to encourage more minority and female students to choose a career in science.

t Check both cups every hour for four hours. What changes do you see? Leave them in overnight and check the next morning. What’s the difference between the two cups?

Discuss: The freezing point of water is usually 0 degrees Celsius. Adding salt to the water lowers the freezing temperature, making it more difficult for the water to freeze solid. Therefore, the water can be colder than 0 degrees Celsius and still not actually be frozen. Although salty water will eventually freeze, the water needs to be much colder. You may see bits of ice form when the salt collects at the bottom of the cup. This happens in the ocean around Antarctica, where the very salty water sinks to the bottom of the ocean. This is called the Antarctic Bottom Water.

Learning Standards: I can follow directions to complete an experiment and make observations.

the waves!

e How many seconds would it take to travel 1,872 meters?

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

Wright has published many papers and books describing her investigations. She has received several awards, including the U.S. Professor of the Year for the State of Oregon. She was listed as one of fifteen scientists featured in Portraits of Great American Scientists . She was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and has co-authored Arc Marine: GIS for a Blue Planet.

Discussion Questions: Dr. Wright took inspiration for her field of study from her surroundings—namely, the Pacific Ocean when she was growing up on the island of Maui, Hawaii. When thinking about what you would like to do in the future, is there anything in your environment that has inspired you to consider a certain career or field of study?

Learning Standards: I can read a biography to learn about an African American who has made contributions in science, math, technology, or engineering.

MAP CORNER

Use the newspaper to complete the following activities: The Math of Newspapers: Measure, in inches, a variety of pictures, pages, and ads in the newspaper. Convert these measurements from inches to centimeters.

Practice Previewing Skills: Practice your previewing skills by scanning the front page of today’s newspaper. Read the headlines and lead paragraphs, take a look at the charts and graphs, and skim the photos and captions. Using this information, summarize the top news of the day.

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can calculate and convert measurements. I can scan, skim, make predictions, and summarize.

The Atlantic Ocean’s name refers to Atlas of Greek mythology.

Amelia Earhart became the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932.

Ms. Wright was the first AfricanAmerican female to dive in the three-person submersible Alvin.

Mr. Ward’s Class at Hanrahan Elementary School, Jennings School District In the Jennings School District, Hanrahan Elementary School teacher Mr. Ward teaches a STEM lesson with students Javahn Watkins, Bruklynn Allen, Darnell brown and Dariah Covington using the newspaper’s NIE page for information. Photo: Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Teachers, if you are using the St. Louis American’s NIE program and would like to nominate your class for a Classroom Spotlight, please email: nie@stlamerican.com.

Police captain ruled wrongfully terminated will return to force

St. Louis Police Captain Ryan Cousins returned to his job on Monday, October 30, pending an appeal in the lawsuit he filed against the department.

Cousins was placed on forced leave from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) after an incident on January 29 in which other officers said he told them not to report evidence of a felon illegally possessing a gun. Cousins, who is black, sued the police department for discrimination.

Now, the St. Louis Civil Service Commission has ruled that Cousins must be reinstated to his post while the SLMPD appeals the commission’s earlier decision in Cousins’ favor. The city requested that Cousins be placed on paid leave, but he successfully argued he should be returned to his duties.

reports. According to Petruska, the white officers present violated the civil rights of the black suspect by illegally searching him and interrogating him without reading him his Miranda rights. Her client, she said, was trying to prevent his white colleagues from treating a black citizen as the perpetrator, rather than the victim, of a crime.

Petruska also alleged Cousins’ colleagues deliberately conspired to fabricate Cousins’ violations of the rules. She points to the testimony of six other police officers present, who all testified they had been told to ignore the shell casings, but whose accounts of where they were and who was present differed.

At a press conference on Friday, October 27, Cousins’ attorney Lynette Petruska said other officers had conspired to remove Cousins from his job because he witnessed a civil rights violation. The incident took place when Cousins and several other SLMPD officers responded to a suspected burglary. At the scene, they found the inhabitant of the targeted house had fired shots, but then discovered he was a convicted felon who could not legally possess a gun.

That’s where the two sides of the case stop agreeing on the facts. In the Civil Service Commission hearing, other officers present said Cousins told them to disregard the shell casing at the scene and to exclude shots fired from their

“If you don’t remember how it happened, it’s because it didn’t happen,” Petruska said. The case also now involves both of the city’s police unions, frequently pointed to as a sign of racial division within the department. The St. Louis Police Officers’ Association, the bargaining agent for rankand-file cops, has not spoken up in favor of Cousins and worked to keep his hearing private, against his attorneys’ wishes. The Ethical Society of Police (ESOP), composed of mostly black members who advocate for racial equity in the department, has come out strongly in favor of reinstating Cousins.

ESOP financial secretary Jason Love said Cousins, one of only two black police captains in the SLMPD, is also one of the most proactive and beloved.

Unsafe.”

But while creativity is not his strong suit, no one can accuse Roorda of lacking persistence. Indeed, despite three losses since 2010, Roorda tossed his hat into the race for Jefferson County Executive. Fresh from a new spate of television and radio appearances as the leading public defender of Officer Jason Stockley, who prosecutors argue murdered Anthony Lamar Smith and then planted a gun in Smith’s vehicle, Roorda has displayed a knack for controversy and uniquely offensive rhetoric. Whether for being restrained from punching the Majority Leader on the House floor, shoving a woman at an aldermanic hearing, or calling parts of the city a “ghetto,” Roorda is so reactionary that even Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson has called him “uneducated and uninformed.” Of course, this rhetoric could be a boon to Roorda’s chances in good ol’ JeffCo. While the EYE laments JeffCo’s recent Republican tilt, JeffRo is one Democrat we wouldn’t mind seeing sent to permanent political retirement.

Calloway slams Roorda

“The Ethical Society of Police was created to help minority officers when cases like this arise,” Love said.

“This is a blatant example of the unjust and severe disciplinary procedures that black officers experience.”

The Civil Service Commission’s judgment in Cousin’s favor rested on the premise that he had been

disciplined more harshly than white officers who committed more severe offenses. The judgment listed 12 cases of white officers who committed rule violations, including domestic violence, threatening civilians and drunk driving, but were only suspended from their jobs.

In the upcoming appeals process, Cousins and the SLMPD will face off in a public court rather than the closed process of the Civil Service Commission. The city will be represented by Peter Dunne, a private defense attorney.

“What the City of St. Louis has done to Captain Cousins is wrong, and we look forward to the chance to fully litigate this on appeal,” Petruska said.

“The best thing about this appeal is now they can’t act behind the closed doors of the Civil Service Commission.

We wanted Captain Cousins’ hearing to be public from day one. Everybody is going to know what this police department did to Captain Cousins to destroy his career and destroy his reputation.”

From Ferguson to Ferghanistan

Rest assured, this will be the first and last time that the EYE ever quotes white police union mouthpiece Jeff Roorda in a headline.

Roorda is the blowhard who was fired 15 years ago as an

Arnold, Missouri policeman, having being accused of filing a false statement against a suspect and later, against his own police chief after he was denied paid paternity leave. Roorda appealed the firing, which was upheld.

All was not lost, though. In that bastion of white flight that is Jefferson County, being a cop fired for framing a suspect is hardly a disqualifier, and Roorda soon squeaked out an 83-vote win in a primary for the state House of Representatives. He was re-elected a couple times before losing three races – one for the House, one for the Senate, and one for City Council.

During his time in and out of the House, Roorda took a position as the public face of the St. Louis Police Officers Association, from which he offered ever more reactionary views on race, policing, and crime. The same laws of cable TV that have helped Ed Martin earn a CNN contributor gig got Roorda on TV in the wake of the Ferguson unrest, and ultimately led to a self-published book called, “Ferghanistan: The War on Police.” An Amazon reviewer’s hashtag unwittingly sums up the book’s viewpoint: “#WeAreDarrenWilson.”

Two years later Roorda did something that may be unprecedented in the annals of publishing when he selfpublished a second book whose title was a near anagram of the debut effort: “The War on Police: How the Ferguson Effect is Making America

Former Missouri state Rep. Don Calloway, who now runs a political consulting firm, Pine Street Strategies, based in the Washington, D.C. area, tore into Roorda in a Facebook post.

“Jeff Roorda is running for Jefferson County executive, as a Democrat. Jeff Roorda is despicable. I will contribute against him if he has a primary, and if he has a general, team Pine Street Strategies and I will give money and work zealously against him, for whoever the Republican nominee is. I will also watch his financial disclosures very closely, to make sure that I know who supports him and his foolishness.

“I am still a Missouri Democrat; I know this because I still get several weekly calls for support and counsel from Missouri Democrats. There’s no room for Jeff Roorda in our party….

“PS: I would gladly have tagged the despicable Jeff Roorda in this post, but he unfriended me some time ago. Which I find to be an addition by subtraction. I would urge MO Dems to consider the same math.”

Not unlike Roorda, Calloway has been on the national media circuit discussing issues of race, policing, and the criminal justice system. Unlike Roorda, Calloway has spoken out forcefully and thoughtfully against the injustices that continue to plague the system locally and nationally.

Photo by Wiley Price

Lynette Petruska, attorney for St. Louis Police Captain Ryan Cousins, center, discussed Cousins’ case with officials from the Ethical Society of Police at her law offices on Monday, October 30.

Lewis Rice to receive 2017 Corporate Diversity Award

Salute to Excellence in Business is Friday, November 17

Tefere Gebre was reelected executive vice president of the AFL-CIO at its recent 28th Constitutional Convention in St. Louis. In 2013, Gebre (who was born in Ethiopia and fled state-sanctioned violence) became the first immigrant, political refugee, black man and local labor council leader elected as a national officer of the AFL-CIO. Before coming to the AFL-CIO, Gebre led the Orange County Labor Federation.

Hettie Barnhill was nominated for a 2017 New York Innovative Theater Award for Outstanding Choreography and has been appointed the new visiting professor of Musical Theater and Dance at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York, where she just finished choreographing for the 50th anniversary celebration of their Arts Center. She is an East St. Louis native and daughter of Priscilla Dixon. See Hettiebarnhill.com.

Abdul-Kaba Abdullah, M.A., joined Park Central Development, a community development corporation serving the neighborhoods of the 17th Ward of the City of St. Louis, as executive director. Most recently he served as city manager for the City of Berkeley, Missouri. He also served on St. Louis’ Affordable Housing Commission and as assistant manager of Workforce Development at Better Family Life.

By Rebecca Rivas

Louis American

Of The St.

When Apollo Carey, a corporate tax and real estate lawyer, joined Lewis Rice law firm more than a year ago, it became immediately apparent that the firm’s diversity efforts were not just for show.

“It’s in the organization’s consciousness,” said Carey, a member at Lewis Rice. “It permeates throughout everything that we do – in our hiring, in our retention efforts, in our marketing and how we present ourselves to the community. It permeates within your interpersonal relationships within the firm. People believe in it. People adhere to it. It filters within the culture.” Carey has seen other organizations struggle to make diversity part of their culture. But

n “We’ve worked hard at keeping up with the different trends in diversity and the different ways we can diversify our firm.”

– Bridget G. Hoy, a member of Lewis Rice’s diversity committee

Lewis Rice has what it takes to make it stick – a leadership team that feels diversity and inclusion are paramount, he said.

“Not only to say it’s important, but to allocate resources to making it and showing how important that diversity is,” Carey said. “It all starts at the top with the leadership and the

people who decide that it’s important for the long-term viability of the firm.”

On Friday, November 17, Lewis Rice will receive the 2017 Corporate Diversity Award at the St. Louis American Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Business networking luncheon and awards reception. The event will be held at the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis.

Bridget G. Hoy, a member of the firm’s diversity committee, said their team is “thrilled” to receive the award because it not only reflects their recent inclusion efforts, but also honors the firm’s foundation.

More than 100 years ago, the two founders Joseph Lewis and Charles Rice overcame their differences in religions and age to establish the firm, Hoy said. They also set a goal to

See RICE, B6

Concordance Academy launches Employment Agency

Kick-off Employer Symposium at Regional Chamber on Nov. 9

American staff

Concordance Academy of Leadership is launching an employment agency aimed at connecting St. Louis-area employers with ex-offenders ready for a new start.

The St. Louis Regional Chamber will host a kick-off with an Employer Symposium, “Finding Talent in a Challenging Economy,” 7:30-9:30 a.m. Thursday, November 9 at its offices, located at One Metropolitan Square, Suite 1300.

Attendees can learn more about Concordance Academy’s Employment Agency, as well as hear from a panel of St. Louis human resources executives, including leaders from

n “When the business community asks, ‘What can we do to help reduce crime in St. Louis?’, this is exactly what they can do.”

– Roderick Nunn, Concordance Academy

release and intensive post-release program at Concordance) with area employers. The agency will also: reduce employee recruitment and screening costs by recruiting and screening workers with essential workplace skills; absorb the risks associated with providing workers compensation, general liability and fidelity bonds; conduct pre-employment and ongoing drug testing; and provide training to supervisors to help them better understand the barriers faced by the formerly incarcerated.

“We’ve now hired four Concordance participants at three different locations, and

Angie Harris, DO, joined BJC Medical Group’s Family Physicians of Alton, Illinois, located in Suite 230 of Medical Office Building B on the Alton Memorial Hospital campus. She has more than 13 years of experience in a variety of hospital settings including urgent care and family medicine and completed her residency in family medicine at Greenville Hospital System in South Carolina.

James Williams Jr. was appointed to the Board of Directors at St. Patrick Center. He is CEO of Estel Foods, Inc., a privately held company that operates McDonald’s franchises in Missouri and Illinois. St. Patrick Center provides opportunities for self-sufficiency and dignity to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Vetta L. SandersThompson, PhD., joined Washington University’s Center For Community Health Partnership and Research as faculty co-director. A licensed clinical psychologist, she focuses her work on the health and well-being of ethnic and racial minority communities, particularly the African-American community. She is an associate editor for the journal PsycCritiques: Contemporary Psychology

Tefere Gebre

Abdul-Kaba Abdullah

Vetta L. SandersThompson

James Williams Jr.

Hettie Barnhill

See ACADEMY, B2

Photo by Rebecca Rivas

Angie Harris

Ameren, Nestle Purina, St. Louis Staffing, SAK Construction and Pi Pizzeria. The agency will match qualified program participants (who have completed the pre-

Bridget Hoy and Apollo Carey are members at Lewis Rice, which will receive the 2017 Corporate Diversity Award at the St. Louis American Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Business networking luncheon and awards reception on Friday, November 17.

Black student loan borrowers fail to get a fair deal on federal loans

By Charlene Crowell

For The St. Louis American

For most families, the pursuit of higher education means substantial investments in time, effort, and a combination of cash and loans to gain a college degree. These investments – both human and material -- are made in confidence that the rewards, although often years away, will one day result in a marketable set of skills that can command a better standard of living over a lifetime. Unfortunately, life does not always bring what was once hoped for.

Decades of racial wealth disparities result in the majority of black students borrowing more loans than their white classmates. Even after 12 years, student loan balances for black bachelor’s graduates grew to 114 percent of the principal borrowed. By comparison, white bachelor grads who borrowed loans owed only 47 percent of their principal for the same time frame. This new finding comes from an education analysis by the Center for American Progress (CAP). Using U.S. Department of Education data, CAP examined long-term outcomes of student borrowers by race and ethnicity among students who began college in the 2003-04 school year. After a dozen years, CAP found that the former black students owed

more on their federal student loans, and further that nearly half of black college student borrowers also defaulted on their loans. As some might suspect, 75 percent of those who dropped out of for-profit colleges wound up in default.

“Seeing even AfricanAmerican students who earned a bachelor’s degree struggle also reinforces that we cannot pretend the federal student loan program exists in a vacuum,” wrote Ben Miller, author of the analysis and senior director for Postsecondary Education at the Center for American Progress.

“Racial discrimination in hiring has not improved over the past quarter century. Perhaps it’s too much to expect student loans and postsecondary education to solve these structural problems, but sending AfricanAmerican students into an

n “There are now borrowers who are unnecessarily defaulting on student loans when alternatives exist to protect their payment affordability and their credit ratings.”

– Whitney Barkley-Denney

inequitable adulthood with large debts from college can put them even further behind than they already start.”

The “further behind” reference speaks to the $1,700 in accumulated wealth held by median Black households. Household wealth is typically determined by subtracting all expenses and debts from cash sources and reserves like savings accounts and/or investments.

A second important review of the nation’s student loan crisis adds more reason for

concern. The annual Student Loan Ombudsman Report released by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) found that over the past year, 56 percent of student loan complaints received by CFPB were about federal loans. Among federal loan complaints, 71 percent were about either a lender or servicer. Many borrowers continue to struggle to access the protections guaranteed under federal law. These laws were designed to help borrowers avoid delinquency and default during periods of economic disruption like longterm unemployment. By comparison, private student loans, nearly always higher-priced and with more rigid repayment terms

ACADEMY

continued from page B1

we couldn’t be happier with them,” said Chris Sommers, Pi Pizzeria co-owner. “Our first Concordance hire was promoted within two months of joining Pi because of his tenacious work ethic. He’s on his way to becoming a supervisor. Our second hire was also promoted, and the two most recent ones are off to a flying start.”

Local research suggests that while there is an aversion to hiring the formerly incarcerated, resistance is declining. The 2015 State of St. Louis Workforce research showed that over one-quarter (26 percent) of area employers indicated that they would not consider a

accounted for approximately 37 percent of 2016’s student loan complaints, with related debt collection complaints comprising the remainder.

“As borrowers continue to fall through the cracks of our broken student loan system, the bureau’s work to date offers a roadmap for consumerdriven reforms,” said CFPB Student Loan Ombudsman Seth Frotman. “When borrowers are empowered to stand up for themselves, they can shape policy and spur government to take action. We have much more work to do to build a student loan market that works better for consumers.”

If lenders and servicers had done a better job with student loans, CFPB would not have needed to return more than $750 million to mistreated borrowers. One can only wonder how many defaults could have been avoided if servicers had been more accurate and efficient.

“Just as there were mortgage borrowers who unnecessarily went into foreclosure during the housing crisis, there are now borrowers who are

former felon for any reason, while 13 percent indicated that that they would consider the applicant for positions if they met the qualifications. The remaining respondents (61 percent) indicated that hiring considerations are dependent on the nature of the felony, time since the offense, and the type of job being sought.

Nationwide, nearly 80 percent of formerly incarcerated individuals return to prison within five years, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

“If they cannot find a job, many return to the very thing that got them into prison, whether it is drugs or crime,” said Roderick Nunn, executive vice president, Head of Education and Employment at Concordance. “When the business community asks, ‘What can we do to help

unnecessarily defaulting on student loans when alternatives exist to protect their payment affordability and their credit ratings,” noted Whitney Barkley-Denney, a senior policy counsel with the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) and a specialist in student loans.

“These unnecessary defaults, in many cases, contribute to the 2,300 debt collection complaints involving student loans. Something is wrong when in a single year, there are more complaints about taxpayer-funded loans than there are about private ones. This finding reveals how the ill-advised recent revocation of an information sharing agreement by the Department of Education with the CFPB is really hurting borrowers. As this report suggests, there should be more oversight of Department loans and servicing, not less. This includes oversight from independent agencies like the CFPB and state regulators.” Readers may recall an earlier column that shared how under Secretary Betsy DeVos, the agency severed its informationsharing agreements with the CFPB. It would seem to be common sense for two federal offices to work cooperatively and collaboratively to resolve student loan issues. Perhaps the Education Department will reconsider its decision and make a good-faith effort to better serve student borrowers. It’s hard to build wealth when debts don’t go down or away. But it is tragic when those who did everything to build a better life cannot get a fair deal on a taxpayer-funded education program. Charlene Crowell is the deputy communications director with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene. crowell@responsiblelending. org.

reduce crime in St. Louis?’, this is exactly what they can do – utilize the Concordance Employment Agency and support its success.”

The November 9 event will also feature keynote speaker David Ulrich, who will describe best practices in sourcing talent and the value in employing non-traditional talent in today’s economy.

To register for the November 9 event, “Finding Talent in a Challenging Economy” visit www. stlregionalchamber.org/events. For more information on the Concordance Employment Agency, visit https:// concordanceacademy.org/ employersymposium/ or contact Roderick Nunn at rnunn@ concordanceacademy.com or 314-396-6001.

Charlene Crowell

This chart from the Center for American Progress shows student loan default rates by race for various types of students.

n “Everybody gotta stop being scared. I’m not made of glass.”

— Philadelphia 76ers

center Joel Embiid, on his minutes limit

P

Football notebook

Tatum showing he is something special; Elliott out for six games

~ See ‘Sports Eye’ page B4 ~

Teams battle for hardware on Championship Friday night

It is Championship Friday Night around the state of Missouri. There will be plenty of hardware passed out on Friday night as with a full schedule of district championship games on hand. Here is a look at the district championship schedule for St. Louis area teams, with all games scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Class 6, District 1: Lindbergh at Eureka

Earl Austin Jr.

Class 6, District 2: Hazelwood Central at CBC

The winners of the two Class 6 district championship games will advance to the state semifinals next weekend. Eureka defeated Lindbergh in their regular season meeting 41-10 three weeks ago. CBC defeated Hazelwood Central for the district championship a year ago in an epic overtime game.

Class 5, District 1: Jackson at Vianney

Class 5, District 2: Hazelwood East at Pattonville

Class 5, District 3: Timberland at Fort Zumwalt North

Class 4, District 1: Cape Central at Hillsboro

Class 4, District 2: MICDS vs. Ladue at Kirkwood

Class 4, District 3: Parkway Central at Riverview Gardens, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Class 4, District 4: Borgia at Rolla

Class 3, District 2: Miller Career Academy at Lutheran South

Class 3, District 5: St. Charles West at McCluer South-Berkeley, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised at how much hate Los Angeles Lakers PG Lonzo Ball is receiving from the masses. After all, his father LaVar Ball is as over-the-top as a basketball dad can be. Many seem to be blinded by rage and fury of the elder Ball’s nonstop bravado and hyperbole regarding his son. For me though, it’s easy to separate the father’s attention-seeking antics from the player’s prospects. Lonzo Ball is going to be a great NBA player. Is he “better than Steph Curry right now,” as his father once asserted? Absolutely not. Will he be “better than Michael Jordan?” The chances are slim-to-none. However, that does not mean that Lonzo won’t blossom into an All-Star caliber player. In fact, I’d be willing to wager that Ball will reach AllStar status within four seasons, even in the stacked Western Conference.

took the Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo, to make his first All-Star game. A season later, the Milwaukee Bucks’ do-it-all forward is garnering legitimate consideration as the best player in the league.

I recently witnessed two good friends go berserk at the mere suggestion that Ball is an extremely talented player. One friend is so anti-Ball that he texted me for nearly two hours straight (starting at 11 p.m.) about why the 6-foot-6 point guard is a “bum.” The text exchange included detailed plays, game plans and schemes to shut down Big Baller Brand’s star athlete. Gregg Popovich would’ve been proud. Another friend derided his defense, awkward jump shot, terrible field goal percentage and lack of toughness. All of those concerns are valid, but keep in mind that we’re talking about a rookie – one with less than 10 NBA games under his belt. Because of his father’s

Four seasons is how long it

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Carl Evans (20) of the Riverview Gardens Rams holds the block for Lawrence Johnson (7) who ran for 214 yards on 25 carries against Fort Zumwalt East Saturday at Riverview. The Rams went on to defeat the Lions 42-41.

Photo by Wiley Price

SportS EyE

Alvin A. Reid

With

Celtics’ Tatum showing he is something special; Elliott out for six games

It’s difficult to believe that Jayson Tatum is just 19 years old.

Two years removed from Chaminade and a year out of Duke, Tatum is helping the 5-2 Boston Celtics overcome the season-ending ankle injury to Gordon Hayward. He is also a leading candidate for Rookie of the Year honors in the NBA.

The kid cannot legally drink – but he can score, rebound and play defense.

Tatum tallied seven points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and two 3-pointers in Monday’s 108-94 win over the San Antonio Spurs. He logged 35 minutes of playing time, thanks in part to an injury to fellow power forward Marcus Morris. In the Celtics’ first seven games, Tatum averaged 14 points, seven rebounds and 1.7 assists.

“Sometimes when I’m open, I don’t take shots. But the guys out there, they put confidence in me to tell me when I’m open, to shoot.”

Earlier this season, Tatum told reporters “I’ve got to learn on the fly. But that’s how to learn, by being out there on the floor.”

Rotoworld said, “He does not look like a rookie at all.”

“Tatum’s shooting line is now 48.4. percent from the field, 50.0 percent from (threepoint range) and 83.9 percent from the line to give him a Kevin Durant-like true shooting percentage. He’s rebounding better than expected and he’s been really good on the defensive end, as well.”

Respected NBA writer A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston said, “The Celtics have had some pretty special talent come through in the past, but rarely has there been someone who hit the ground running as well as Tatum.”

“His 20-point performance (in a victory over the New York Knicks last Saturday) was his second of the season. Of the top-5 scorers in franchise history, only one of them (Larry Bird) had multiple 20-point performances faster than Tatum. Even more impressive is that he’s doing this as a 19-year-old on a topflight team that’s among the best in the NBA.”

Following the Knicks game, Tatum told Bleacher Report, “Sometimes I just think I play too fast and think about the plays and swinging it,” he said.

Along with second-round pick Semi Ojeleye, Tatum has won the confidence of coach Brad Stevens

“We’ve talked a lot about how we’re not going to talk about age as a crutch. It is what it is,” Stevens said. “What they’ve done thus far is good, but we’re only (a handful of) games in.”

Morris was scheduled to return to action on Wednesday night for a home game against the L.A. Clippers. It will be interesting to see if Tatum’s minutes drop.

By the way, Tatum was 13 the last time the Celtics beat the Spurs. This was a year after a 12-year-old Tatum asked LeBron James to follow him on Twitter.

While James isn’t following Tatum, he certainly is keeping an eye on him as the Celtics and Cavaliers continue a season-long battle for best record in the NBA Eastern Conference.

Elliott suspended six games

We won’t be seeing Ezekiel Elliott playing for the Dallas Cowboys until the week before Christmas.

On Monday night, Judge Katherine Failla of the Southern District of New York said Elliott and his NFL Players

Association legal team failed to demonstrate a substantial question warranting the extraordinary remedy of injunctive relief, forcing him to begin his six-game suspension immediately.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and 17 other owners reportedly have Commissioner Roger Goodell on a hot seat and want him out. Sources say the insurrection is because of the player protests and lack of leadership from Goodell.

Nope. Jones is straight-out irate over the six-game suspension imposed on Elliott back in August. Now that it is upheld, I’d be willing to wager that Goodell will not be at the 2018 NFL Draft in Dallas because Goodell will not be NFL commissioner.

On Tuesday, Jones said on his Dallas radio show, I’m sure (the commissioner) would like to take back his initial Ray Rice stance, and a few others, and he’s in the process of

having to correct that, and in doing so Zeke is a victim of an over-correction.”

“Institutions have always been in the process of correcting … usually behind the curve. Then they really react, then they turn around and overreact, and they have to come back to the middle,” said Jones.

Texans take a knee

Houston Texans owner did black players throughout the NFL a favor when he blathered “you can’t have the inmates running the prison,” during a sensitive meeting between owners, players and NFL executives.

While he has apologized and said he did not mean to offend anyone, I’m not buying that BS. That’s exactly what he meant to say and exactly how he feels, not only about players who protest during the national anthem, but all black players. Criminals with a nice uniform on and a big salary – but still criminals.

Because of McNair’s ignorance, a team that had not protested during the anthem saw most of its players either sit or kneel last Sunday before the game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Running back D’Onta Foreman, a Texas native, skipped practice last Friday after reading McNair’s comments in an ESPN Magazine article.

“I was upset. I feel like my family that’s been supporting the Texans since they started the franchise and me growing up watching this franchise, a comment like that is definitely going to hit home with me,” he said.

“I have a daughter. Even though she’s young, that’s something you got to stand on morals and principles. I was brought up like that. You have to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything. I want to be here. I love my teammates.” Foreman and other Texans hint that their protests are not over. Hopefully, more black players will feel the urge to do something, as well.

Alvin A. Reid was honored as the 2017 “Best Sports Columnist – Weeklies” in the Missouri Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest. He is a panelist on the Nine Network program, Donnybrook, is a weekly contributor to “The Charlie Tuna Show” on KFNS and can also be heard on Frank Cusumano’s “The Press Box.” His Twitter handle is #aareid1.

Alvin A. Reid

Two years removed from Chaminade and a year out of Duke, Tatum is helping the 5-2 Boston Celtics overcome the season-ending ankle injury to Gordon Hayward. He is also a leading candidate for Rookie of the Year honors.

By Matt Knight, CNN

(CNN) -- When Lewis Hamilton was growing up he always dreamed of emulating his hero Ayrton Senna -- on Sunday, he surpassed the great Brazilian.

In winning the 2017 Formula One world championship, Hamilton has now joined an elite band of drivers who have won four titles.

In all the sport’s 68-year history only Juan Manuel Fangio, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and now Hamilton have achieved such high status.

For Hamilton, the moment had added historical significance, as he overtook racing legend Jackie Stewart to become the most successful British driver of all time.

“This year I think Lewis has come of age,” Stewart, who won the world title in 1969, 1971 and 1973, told CNN.

“In the second part of the season he has shown a considerable maturity which was not particularly obvious on some occasions before and he’s driven extremely well -- he should be very proud of himself,” Stewart told CNN.

CLUTCH

Continued from B3

I wholeheartedly agree with those who compare Ball to a young Jason Kidd. His court vision and precision passing skills are extraordinary. He is also a tremendous rebounder for a point guard. Like a young Kidd, his jumper needs work. But let’s not forget that Kidd went from a kid that people jokingly called “ason” due to his lack of a ‘J’ to knocking down the 8th most three pointers in NBA history.

Other all-time greats such as Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash struggled mightily during their rookie seasons. Each of them had the talent and work ethnic to keep grinding away until those laughs turned into cheers. They grew from their struggles. Ball will do the same. Despite all the shade being thrown his way, Lonzo will shine.

UA shoots an air ball with Curry 4

As a recovering sneaker addict, I generally stay away from sneaker blogs and social media posts in order to prevent falling back into my former quasi-addiction. (A Swoosh account, nearby Nike outlets and a squad full of Jordanheads is a dangerous mix). Before this year, the last shoes I purchased were two pair of Under Armour Curry Ones in 2015. The kicks were

PREP

Lewis Hamilton ‘comes of age’ to join F1 greats

‘At ease within his own skin’

Stewart and many others around the F1 paddock had quietly questioned whether Hamilton ever would cultivate a more measured demeanor after raising eyebrows with some of his antics off track.

Last year’s Japanese Grand Prix highlighted those reservations when Hamilton, who was involved in a bitter title battle with then teammate Nico Rosberg, played around on his phone during the pre-race press conference and then refused to speak to the media two days later.

Steph Curry debuted his latest shoes, the Curry 4, during the 2017 NBA Finals. When the Under Armour shoe went on sale in October, it was not made in sizes that many NBA players wear.

“His head was all over the place and you thought: is he ever going to learn?” veteran F1 journalist and author Maurice Hamilton told CNN.

“Is he going to brilliant one minute and do something stupid the next? That’s what he was prone to do. What we’ve seen this year is that he is so

tial launch, but your feedback has been noted,” they replied. “Stay tuned at a later time!” Ouch. Please pardon my self-pity and Sasquatch chronicles for one moment. My shock wasn’t only because I couldn’t get a shoe that I wanted. True sneakerheads know that missing out on a cop is just part of the game. I was legitimately shocked that Under Armour’s signature shoe, a basketball shoe, was not being made in sizes that many basketball players actually wear.

According to a study conducted in 2013 by SLAM, the average NBA player shoe size is 14.81 aka size 15. That means that Curry’s shoe is not made in a size that fits the average NBA player.

at ease within his own skin, finally. That’s the impression you get.

“If we’d had this conversation a year ago I would have said you can’t compare him, he’s not there yet. He’s won three championships which is great -- hats off, respect -- but he’s not quite the full deal, But now he is.

“He’s definitely worthy of being up in the top five,” Hamilton said. “I’m not going to choose who’s better but you are talking about the Stewart, Jim Clark, Prost, Senna and Schumacher. He’s now on that level.”

The question now is how many more titles can Hamilton win?

Fangio’s haul of five could be equaled next season, and given Mercedes recent dominance -- the German manufacturer has now won four consecutive constructors’ titles -- it’s conceivable that Hamilton, who will turn 33 in January, could reach Michael Schumacher’s all-time record of seven.

Stewart believes Hamilton’s driving style, once defined by an aggressive streak borne of watching Senna on his TV as a boy, has become more refined as he’s got older.

“The great drivers of the

world like Fangio have always been smooth, clean and unspectacular,” Stewart said.

“I was driving at the same time as (two-time world champion) Clark -- he is my No. 2 of all time -- and he drove in such a smooth and effortless style ... Alain Prost is up there too and Lewis now is not over driving and Vettel doesn’t over drive either.”

Vettel was the first driver to offer his congratulations on Sunday, pulling up alongside Hamilton on the in lap at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and the stage is already set for what should be an even closer title fight next season.

For now, Hamilton can afford take his foot off the gas, safe in the knowledge that his status as one of the all-time F1 greats is guaranteed. Next stop is the Brazilian Grand Prix in two weeks time where he can enjoy some unofficial victory laps around Interlagos -- the home circuit of Senna, the man who inspired him to start his journey to greatness.

The-CNN-Wire™ &

Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

the St. louiS AmericAn college AthleteS of the Week

familiar position - laptop out, staring at the clock waiting for 9 a.m. to arrive, fingers stretched, limber and in the ready position. Once the clock struck nine, I raced to toss a pair of size 15s into my cart before they sold out only to discover that the Curry 4 is only sold up to size 14.

After checking a few other websites, I decided to send a tweet to Under Armour directly to confirm this horrendous, first-world catastrophe.

Once Curry premiered the Curry 4 during the 2017 NBA Finals, I knew it was set to be the hottest basketball shoe release of the year. Fastforward a few months to the release date and I was back in

Continued from B3 specifically purchased as basketball shoes. Though Nike (and its subsidiary Jordan Brand) dominates the sneaker market in the U.S., the Curry One was a different look and a very comfortable shoe. After two years of handing out buckets, bad memories and Ls to all comers, it was time to grab some new kicks. Luckily for me, the Curry Ones lasted through all the extra-average design models of UA’s signature sneaker line.

Class 2, District 2: Trinity at Lutheran North Illinois playoffs continue with second round

The IHSA playoffs are moved into the second round and there are five teams from the metro east that are still remaining. Here is the schedule for those games.

Class 8A: Edwardsville at Palatine, Saturday, 3 p.m.

Class 7A: Buffalo Grove at East St. Louis, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Class 4A: Althoff at Rochester, Saturday, 5 p.m.

Class 4A: Effingham at Highland, Saturday, 3 p.m.

Class 2A: Westville at Carlyle, Saturday, 2 p.m.

“@AskTeamUA @ UnderArmour Why are there no size 15s available for the #Curry4?” I nervously tweeted. “Will this size be available at a later date?”

“Not in the plans for the ini-

PreP Athlete of the Week Lawrence Johnson

Riverview Gardens – Football

The senior quarterback led the Rams to an incredible comefrom-behind 42-41 victory over Fort Zumwalt East in the Class 4, District 3 semifinals. The 6’1” 175-pound Johnson amassed 339 yards of total offense as the Rams rallied from a 27-0 deficit for the dramatic win. Johnson scored a touchdown and converted a two-point conversion in the closing minutes to provide the winning points. He rushed for 214 yards on 25

Just for the sake of reference, here are the sizes of a few notable NBA stars. Curry wears a size 13.5. LeBron James and Russell Westbrook wear size 15. Kevin Durant wears size 18 shoes.

If UA wants to be taken seriously in the sneaker market, it’ll have to produce its signature shoes in sizes players can actually wear. (Let’s not even get into the fact that the Curry 4 ‘release’ was actually a ‘pre-order’ due to manufacturing woes.)

As for my personal Bigfoot diary, I simply waited one more day and picked up a pair of LeBron 15s. I guess Nike is the market leader for a reason.

Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ IshmaelSistrunk carries and completed five passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. For the season, Johnson has passed for 1,463 yards and 20 touchdowns and only three interceptions. He has also rushed for 1,652 yards and 22 touchdowns. He has amassed a total of 3,115 yards from scrimmage and 42 touchdowns. Riverview Gardens (8-3) will host Parkway Central for the district championship on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.

The redshirt freshman wide receiver from Fort Zumwalt South enjoyed the best game of his short career in the Lions’ victory over Nebraska-Kearney last Saturday. The 6’1” 175-pound Collier caught five passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns in the Lions’ 35-31 victory. His touch-

Alantis

The senior guard from Parkway North led the Hornets to an impressive victory over Georgetown College on Saturday in the opening game of the basketball season. The 5’8” Sutton scored 20 points and grabbed six rebounds in the Hornets’ 67-55 season. Sutton is one of the top returning players

down receptions came for 39 and 68 yards. Collier entered the game with six receptions for 77 yards before his breakout performance. Collier was a two-sport standout at Fort Zumwalt South where he was a starter on the basketball team as well as the football team.

Sutton Harris-Stowe State University – Basketball

Kai Collier Lindenwood University – Football from a Hornets’ team that finished the 2016-17 season with a 19-12 record. As a junior, Sutton averaged 9.6 points and 3.0 rebounds while making 53 3-pointers. After a standout career at Parkway North, she started her collegiate career at Mineral Area College before coming over to Harris-Stowe.

Photo by Olive Mason/Getty Images

In winning the 2017 Formula One world championship, Hamilton has now joined an elite band of drivers who have won four titles.

RICE

continued from page B1 serve the community in an “unpretentious manner.”

“One was Christian, one was Jewish,” Hoy said. “And at the time, it was a coming together of diverse lawyers. This really is our history, and we’ve worked hard at keeping up with the different trends in diversity and the different ways we can diversify our firm.” There are about 150 lawyers at Lewis Rice, and the firm hires the most talented lawyers, Hoy said. Since 2014, they’ve hired six black attorneys laterally, or who have come over from other firms. They also have a large support staff, and they make sure that they have diversity everywhere from the reception desk to the courtrooms and board rooms.

“We hire good people,” she said. “That comes from all walks of life. It comes in all genders, and colors and sexual orientation and religions.” Nationwide, on average 9 percent of partners in law firms are African-American, Hoy noted.

“That’s a very small

percentage,” she said. “There’s a lot of work to be done in the legal profession on the diversity front.”

The firm’s diversity committee has focused on three aspects to making a diverse law firm: perception, hiring and retention.

“We try to get out into the community to change perceptions about what the legal field is,” Hoy said. “We recruit and try to make ourselves attractive to all sorts of young lawyers, and we work to retain our lawyers.”

The diversity committee includes members from all levels of leadership and departments at the firm. Through their outreach program, they connect with minority college and high school students and show them that people like them are doing important legal work in the community, Hoy said. They also find ways to support and retain their women lawyers, who make up about 50 percent of the firm’s lawyers. “We try to be flexible and find solutions because we want them to stay and keep their toe in the legal profession,” Hoy said.

Lewis Rice has put together

full women trial teams, she said, and “that doesn’t happen everywhere around the country.”

Having a diverse legal team is simply the best way to represent their clients, she said.

“At Lewis Rice, we are relationship-based,” Hoy said. “We talk about being efficient a lot. When you have people coming at legal problems from different backgrounds, perspectives, different ages, different religions, you come up with better solutions. And that is one of the great reasons why we need diverse legal teams for our clients and why we’ve put that together at Lewis Rice.”

The 18th Annual Salute to Excellence in Business Awards & Networking Luncheon will be held Friday, November 17 at the Four Seasons 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.

Financial Focus

By Andre K. Nelson, AAMS

Lewis Rice members Apollo Carey and Bridget Hoy.

Photo by Rebecca Rivas

Beard game proper

Gabrielle Union unfiltered

By Kenya Vaughn

Of The St. Louis American

“I wanted this [book] to feel like a conversation with my girls,” Gabrielle Union said Saturday night at the St. Louis County Library Headquarters. “Where we are sharing really uncomfortable truths and telling crazy tales –and there are cocktails.”

When she came to town to discuss her debut book, “We’re Going to Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated, and True,” the atmosphere of the discussion mirrored the energy she hoped for from the book. The talk with former St. Louis Post-Dispatch

writer Debra Bass was filled to capacity with women who carried on as if they were each a member of Union’s most inner-most sister circle.

When she stepped to the stage after it was announced that the next day was her birthday, she was serenaded by them with Stevie Wonder’s rendition of “Happy Birthday.” Union did a twirl, had a seat and dove head first into sharing her truths. Her issues with colorism and self-esteem, being unfaithful to her first husband and sexual gratification were among the topics discussed. There was a level of transparency that is typically reserved for closely guarded friendships over the course of the hourlong talk. The only thing missing was the wine.

Black Rep gala returns with ‘Crossin’ Over’ concert

Awards rolled into special

night

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St.

Last year there was hardly a seat to be had at Washington University’s 560 Music Center for the inaugural Black Rep Gala that featured a star-studded concert performance of the black theatre classic, “Dreamgirls.” Film and television actors performed alongside Black Rep veterans for the production –and the audience ate every bit of it up. Black Rep Founder and Producing Director

native who made Emmy history with beloved television character passes at 89

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

could deliver a look or a line that would spark instantaneous laughter. His impeccable comedic timing eventually led him to make Emmy history.

Guillaume passed away on Tuesday, October 24 at the age of 89. His widow Donna Brown Guillaume told The Associated Press that the Emmy Award and Grammy Award-winning performer had been battling prostate cancer. “He

By Chris King and Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

Rance John Styles and Barbering will launch The Classic Man Collection, a line of beard grooming products, this Saturday at Urb Arts. Photo by Lawrence Bryant

How to place a calendar listing

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

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

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

concerts

Thur., Nov. 2, 7:30 p.m., The 13th Annual Mildred Thimes Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Benefit Concert. Feat. Denise Thimes, hosted by Lou Thimes Jr. “The Real JR”, with comedienne Monique Marvez. Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Fri., Nov. 3, 5 p.m., National Blues Museum presents Howlin’ Friday with Eric Foreman and Renaissance Band 2. 615 Washington Ave., 63101. For more information, visit www. nationalbluesmuseum.org.

Fri., Nov. 3, 8 p.m., Anthony Gomes – Live in St. Louis The Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., 63104. For more information, visit www. anthonygomes.com.

Fri., Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m., Family Arena presents The O’Jays with very special guest The Spinners. 2002 Arena Parkway, 63303. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sun., Nov. 12, 8 p.m., The Sheldon Concert Hall presents An Evening with Jennifer Holliday. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. Sat., Nov. 18, 7 & 9 p.m., .Zack presents Jeanette Harris: Grown & Saxy 3224 Locust St., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sat., Nov. 18, 7 p.m., The Sheldon Concert Hall presents Cecile McLorin

Salvant. 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108.

Sun., Nov. 19, 5 p.m., CWAH’s 29th Annual Circle of Support Gala featuring Nicole Henry Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington. Tickets now available by calling 314-2897523 or www.cwah.org.

Sun., Nov. 19, 6 p.m., Ol’ School 95.5 & T.S. present A Night of Romance with Freddie Jackson. With special guests Kim Massie and Rhoda G. The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sat., Nov. 25, 8 p.m., Exquisite Taste and S. Hartwell Jones & Associates present The Bobby Rush Show with DJ Ice Berg Omega Center, 3900 Goodfellow Blvd., 63120. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sun., Nov. 26, 6 p.m., MMDA presents Up Close and Personal with Avant & Keke Wyatt. Skip Viragh Center for the Arts, 425 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

local gigs

Sat., Nov. 18, 7 & 9 p.m., .Zack presents Jeanette Harris: Grown & Saxy 3224 Locust St., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Mon., Nov. 20, 9 p.m., Old Rock House presents Wax Tailor: Solo Set & Guest 1200 S. 7th St., 63104. For more information, visit www.

Kenya Vaughn recommends

metrotix.com.

Fri., Nov. 24, 8 p.m., Fresh Heir Believe Album Showcase. .Zack, 3224 Locust St., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sat., Nov. 25, 6 & 9 p.m., Holiday Winds feat. Althea Rene & Elan Trotman with special guest The Coleman Hughes Project. Emerson Theatre, Harris Stowe, 3026 Laclede Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sun., Nov. 26, 3 & 6 p.m., If Only for One Night –Legends of Soul Tribute Featuring the music of Gladys Knight and Patti Labelle. Artists will also cover the music of Sam Cooke, Chaka Khan, and more. .Zack, 3224 Locust St., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

special events

Thur., Nov. 2, 11 a.m., Myrtle Hilliard Davis Comprehensive Health

Centers, Inc. presents the 48th Annual Anniversary Celebration Awards Luncheon. The William D. Purser Center, Logan University, 1851 Schoettler Rd., 63017. For more information, visit www. mhdchc.org.

Sat., Nov. 4, 11:30 a.m., 42nd Annual Soroptimist International of Greater St Louis Fall Fashion Show, 2050 Dorsett Village Plaza, Maryland Heights, MO 63043. For more information, visit http://www.soroptimiststlouis. com/.

Sat., Nov. 4, 5:30 p.m., The American Cancer Society Champions of Hope Gala, led by the CEOs Against Cancer of Missouri – St. Louis Chapter Members. Presented by World Wide Technology, Inc. and The Steward Family Foundation will feature Patrice Rushen, Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries, 3648 Washington Blvd. For more information, visit http:// www.championshopegala.org

Nov. 4, 7 p.m., Dillon International National Adoption Month dinner and benefit concert featuring Emmy Award-winning

classical jazz pianist-composer/ Dillon adoptive father Michael Silverman and Grammy Artist/ renowned saxophonist Eric Marienthal. Mandarin House Banquet Hall 8004 Olive. For more information, visit http:// www.dillonadopt.com

Nov. 4 – 5, Dia de los Muertos Celebration. A showcase of altars that represent a variety of Latin American cultural traditions, Day of the Dead–inspired artwork, and much more. Missouir History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. mohistory.org.

Sun., Nov. 5, 9:30 a.m. (8 a.m. registration), 12th annual St. Louis Bicycle Works’ Cranksgiving, Food items collected will be donated to Food Outreach Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust. Riders are encouraged to register ahead of time online: https://www.eventbrite. com/e/2017-cranksgivingcanned-food-drive-bicycleride-tickets-37285219094

Thurs., Nov. 9, 5:30 p.m., Nursery Night at Bar Napoli, Networking/social event with proceeds benefiting the Saint Louis Crisis Nursery. For more information: http:// crisisnurserykids.org/events/ upcoming-events

Sat., Nov. 11, 6 p.m., AbdulWakil M Kamal Memorial Foundation presents the 2017 Jeans ‘N Hoodies Fundraiser. Come out for music, speakers, a raffle, and more to raise money to renovate homes for four low-income families. 2035 Shenandoah Ave., 63104. For more information, visit www. abdul-wakilfoundation.org.

Nov. 11 – 12, The Blessing Basket Project Inventory Blowout Sale. Shop from thousands of beautifully handcrafted baskets and textiles from artisans around the world while helping us end poverty. 5234 Oakland Ave., 63110. For more information, visit www.blessingbasket.org.

Sun., Nov. 12, 1 p.m., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., St. Louis Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter presents Unmasking Our Power: High School Professional Development Day. Siegle Hall, Washington University, 1 Brookings Dr., 63130. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Sun., Nov. 12, 5 p.m., Dignity Period Has the Blues. A night of jazz and comedy in support of St. Louis-based nonprofit, Dignity Period. The Harold and Dorothy Stewart Center, 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.dignityperiod.org/events.

Wed., Nov. 15, 9 a.m., HireLive presents the St. Louis Sales Job Fair. Employers looking to hire for sales reps, financial planners, retail management, account managers, and more. Doubletree Westport Hotel, 1973 Craigshire Rd., 63146. For more information, visit www.hirelive.com.

Thur., Nov. 16, 6:30 p.m., Memory Care Home Solutions hosts the 11th Annual Memories & Melodies. Help us honor those who are dedicated to community service, leadership and philanthropy. The Chase Park Plaza, 212 N. Kingshighway, 63108. For more information, call (314) 645-6247.

Fri., Nov. 17, 9 a.m., Urban League Fall Hiring Event. Attending companies include UPS, SLU, Dots Foods, and more. Village of Cahokia Fitness Center, 509 Camp Jackson Road, Cahokia, IL. 62206. For more information, visit www.ulstl.org.

Fri., Nov. 17, 11 a.m., The St. Louis American Foundation’s 18th Annual Salute to Excellence in Business Education Awards & Networking Luncheon. Four Seasons Hotel, 999 N. 2nd St., 63102. For more information, call (314) 5338000.

Sat., Nov. 18, 9 a.m., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., St. Louis Alumnae Chapter presents Delta Academy. This program is designed for girls ages 11-14 to be introduced to role models in non-traditional careers. Cardinal Ritter College Prep, 701 North Spring Ave., 63108. For more information, visit www.dst-sla. org.

comedy

Sat., Nov. 4, 1:30 p.m., New Millennium Groups presents A Tribute to Dick Gregory St. Louis. Henry Givens Auditorium, Harris Stowe State University, 3026 Laclede Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.

The Sheldon Concert Hall presents An Evening with Jennifer Holliday. See CONCERTS for details.

metrotix.com.

literary

Fri., Nov. 3, 5 p.m. and Sat.

Nov. 4, 12 noon. St. Louis Indie Book Fair. More than 100 titles from over 60 authors from which to choose, with 15 authors present to sign and sell their books. Kranzberg Arts Center in Grand Center, 63103. For more information, visit www.stlouisindiebookfair.

org.

Sun., Nov. 5, 4 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Orlando Luis Pardo, author of Cuba in Splinters. Eleven Cuban writers depict a world that veers from a hyperreal Havana in decay to a fantasy land—or is it? 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, visit www.leftbank.com.

Tues., Nov. 7, 7 p.m., Scott Kelly discusses Endurance: A Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery, with Professor Ramanath Cowsik. Kelly is a veteran of four space flights and the American record holder for consecutive days spent in space. SLU High School Peformance Arts Center, 4970 Oakland Ave., 63110. For more information, visit www.left-bank.com.

Thurs., Nov. 9, 4 p.m., Left Bank Books presents Rickey Smiley, who will sign copies of his new book Stand By Your Truth: And Then Run For Your Life, 399 N. Euclid. For more information, visit www.left-bank.com.

Thur., Nov. 9, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author

Keisha Mabry, author of Hey Friend: 100 Ways to Connect with 100 People in 100 Days a mission-driven book or better yet—a movement to get people to stop networking and to start #friendworking. 399 N. Euclid. For more information, visit www.left-bank.com.

Wed., Nov. 15, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Dr. Chezare Warren, author of

Urban Preparation: Young Black Men Moving from Chicago’s South Side to Success in Higher Education A significant contribution to our understanding of how young males of color can best be served in schools. 399 N. Euclid. For more information, visit www.left-bank.com.

art

Sun., Nov. 5, 1 p.m., Mary Engelbreit will be signing her books, Green Door art gallery, 21 N. Gore, Webster Groves MO 63119. For more information, visit www. GreenDoorartgallery.com or call 314-402-1959.

Through December 31, Mickalene Thomas: Mentors, Muses, and Celebrities, The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington Blvd. St. Louis, 63108. For more information, visit http://camstl. org/ or call (314) 535-4660.

lectures and workshops

Sat., Nov. 4, 7 p.m., Pilgrim Congregational Church UCC and Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty present Death is Not Justice: Conversation with Two Death Row Exonerees. 826 Union Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. madpmo.org.

Tues., Nov. 7, 5 p.m., Grace Hill Women’s Business Center Legal Clinic. Join us to meet a lawyer and discuss any legal questions or concerns, relating to business. 2125 Bissell St., 63107. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Tues., Nov. 7, 9 a.m., Starting a Business in Missouri: The First Steps. Missouri Job Center 715 Northwest Plaza Dr., 63074. For more information, visit www.missouribusiness.net.

Kenya Vaughn recommends

Family Arena presents The O’Jays with very special guest The Spinners. For more information, see CONCERTS.

Wed., Nov. 8, 6:30 p.m., The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis presents the Financial Aid Basics Workshop. Workshop to aid students and families in successfully navigating the financial aid process. 6825 Clayton Ave., Suite 100, 63139. For more information, visit www.sfstl.org.

Thurs., Nov 9, 10 a.m., Tower Real Estate Group presents details on finding then leasing or purchasing the commercial location that best fits your business needs. Downtown T-Rex, 911 Washington Ave Register today by calling (314) 718-0377 or online @ https:// towerbusiness-11-9-2017. eventbrite.com

Fri., Nov. 10, 12 p.m., History of the St. Louis American. Fred Sweets will discuss the history and origins of St. Louis’s only continually operated newspaper for African Americans. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112.

theatre

Sat., Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m., The Black Rep presents the 2nd Annual Gala: Crossin’ Over in Concert. Songs of faith, spirituals and gospel music from its roots in Africa to contemporary gospel. 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, visit www. theblackrep.org.

Fri., Nov. 17, 7 p.m., KHJ Production presents Got to Be Real. A play focusing on the with the harsh yet sensitive reality of HIV/AIDS. Christ Pilgrim Rest MB Church, 1341 N Kingshighway Blvd., 63113. For more information, call (314) 367-2974.

health

Fri., Nov. 3, 6:30 p.m., Continental Societies, Inc. St. Louis Chapter presents Blast Off with Reading and Bowl Out Childhood Obesity, Tropicana Bowling Lanes, 7960 Clayton Rd. Sat., Nov. 4, 9 a.m., Community Action Agency presents ROCK Enrollment. Learn about new health

insurance options through the Missouri Health Insurance Marketplace. 2709 Woodson Rd., 63114. For more information, visit www. covermissouri.org.

Sat., Nov. 4, 9:30 a.m., St. Louis Science Center presents SciFest: Healthy U. Skip the waiting room and come face to face with real medical professionals and resource providers. 5050 Oakland Ave., 63110. For more information, visit www. slsc.org.

Sat., Nov. 4, 8 p.m., Metropolitan Community Church of Greater St. Louis presents St. Louis Night of Comedy with Karen Williams. Featuring music by Kristen Goodman. 1920 S. 7th St., 63104. For more information, visit www. mccgsl.ccbchurch.com.

Nov. 6 – 14, Church of God in Christ invites you to the 110th Holy Convocation. America’s Center, 701 Convention Plaza, 63101. For more information, visit www. cogic.org.

Tues., Nov. 7, 5:30 p.m., KB and Trip Lee Hometeam Tour. First Christian in Florissant, 2890 Patterson Rd., 63031. For more information, visit www. evenbrite.com.

Fri., Nov. 3, Roman J. Israel, Esq. starring Denzel Washington opens in theatres nationwide.

Nov. 2 – 12, 26th Annual Whitaker Saint Louis International Film Festival. We will be showing international films, documentaries, American indies, and shorts that can only be seen on the big screen at the festival.

and skin treatments to hair units for men experiencing baldness.

This weekend John will raise the stakes with the official launch of the Classic Man Collection – a line of male grooming products that cater to the bearded community.

The Classic Man Collection, or TCM Collection, will feature beard oils, beard conditioners and pomades, among other products and is a joint venture with Atlanta-based businessman Terry Armstrong.

The idea for his own line grew out of working with Chris Givens, who was then with Design Essentials. John became the first barber educator for the line – which showed him the ropes with respect to the development and sales of products for men’s facial hair.

“Me coming out of the beauty industry, I saw that everything had been marketed and packaged towards women and stylists,” John said. “But there wasn’t anything pretty much packaged towards guys. There’s been a void in grooming for guys. We saw that and wanted to pounce on that.”

The Launch party for the TCM Collection will take place on Saturday, November 4 at Urb Arts in Old North St. Louis.

“This brand will be a staple in today’s ‘classic man’ grooming regimen and we’re happy to announce it’s coming straight out of St. Louis,” said John.

From pep talk to personal passion

It was a career day talk during his junior year at Webster Groves high school that would ultimately order John’s steps in finding his life’s work. Barbershop owner Lee Moss spoke to John’s class about his profession. John, who had not too long since settled back in St. Louis permanently after a back-and-forth period between here and his birth city of

Chicago, instantly connected with the points of Moss’ presentation.

“He talked about being a businessman, being able to provide for his family, the freedom, the artistic point of everything,” John said. “I just liked everything that he talked about.” John spent his senior year apprenticing with Moss. He swept up hair and did other tasks as assigned by Moss.

“Just being in the atmosphere was enough for me,” John said. After graduation, John entered Missouri Barber College. In the mid-1990s, he started working as a professional barber, first with Sweet Shears and then with his mentor Moss. In 1996, John lost his mother and his brother in the span of six months. Dealing with the back-to-back tragedies took him on a spiritual journey that led him to take the steps towards owning his own business.

“I was in a weird transition,” John said. “My brother in law at the time, George Smith, we saw a place on Jefferson and Cherokee and I would just ride past that place. I was newly found in my faith and I would just have conversations with myself and God and I was talking about that corner space and was like ‘that would be perfect.’”

Thanks to the generosity of building owner Lloyd Jones, John secured the location for his first shop. Things went so well that John was able to buy the building. But a divorce and

business naivete caused him to lose the space – and everything else. “I was sleeping on a buddy’s floor,” John said. “I had to start all over. I had three kids, no business, no home. Nothing. It was just rock bottom.”

He bounced around at different shops with the few clients that were willing to follow him before he noticed another space on Jefferson. He was in that space for a few years before moving two doors down to his current location nearly 10 years ago. He now has a team of eight barbers – including himself and his son Isaiah Miner, who John is grooming to take over the business.

The shop expanded to include The Experience salon a year-and-a-half ago. “I always knew we would do more than just cut hair, which is why I named it Rance John Styles and Barbering,” John said.

The depth of services John offers will continue to grow with this weekend’s introduction of TCM collection.

“This is only the beginning,” John said. “We advocate for men to look at personal grooming and their own overall wellness as a necessity and not an option.”

The TCM Collection launch party will take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 4th at Urb Arts, 2600 N. 14th St., St. Louis, MO 63106. For more information, visit: https://www. eventbrite.com/e/the-tcm-collection-launch-party-st-louistickets-38535882863.

“I was asked to write a book ten years ago and I didn’t feel like I had enough worth,” Union confessed. “I didn’t feel like I was a talented enough writer – or a big enough celebrity.”

A veteran of film and television, Union is the star and executive producer of the BET hit “Being Mary Jane.” The show’s final season in currently underway.

Over the years, Union has made appearances and given talks and people were consistently inspired by her truths. So much so that after she left the podium guests would be lined up – not to talk Hollywood –but to let her know that they connected with her life and struggles beyond the camera.

“People are suffering, and they are suffering in silence,” Union said. “Whether it’s black bodies in white spaces, friendship challenges, health crises or prenups. A lot of people have been through some [expletive], but we don’t talk about the [expletive]. So, we suffer –because we think we are alone.

“But this book was to let people know ‘I got you.’”

Her book was released this week and debuted at number seven on the New York Times Bestseller’s list.

“I’m trying to offer my truth in a way that is relatable, and that people can easily get the message that I’m trying to get across,” Union said.

Her message is that her path to healing was ordered by honesty and authenticity – and that the process wasn’t always pretty.

“I should be doing Facebook live from my therapist’s office, because that’s what gets me to the #goals pictures – which are filtered by the way,” Union said.

Being Gabrielle Union

“I’d never be brave enough to say some of the things that you say in this book,” Bass told

Union. “Obviously I need more therapy.”

They shared a laugh and Union talked about her life as a celebrity – particularly the lack of personal space, which is especially difficult for her as a rape survivor.

“To be a ‘good celebrity’ is to allow everyone into your space and pose for every picture no matter how uncomfortable you feel. Just think about how close you have to be for someone to take a selfie,” Union said. “As someone who has post-traumatic stress, every time it feels like I’m having a heart attack. My arm goes numb. The intention is so pure and it’s so positive from the person, but there is no thought or regard that I might not be in the right space to recognize it.”

Though her assault did not take place within Hollywood, she talked about the recently exposed culture within the industry that she says has given sexual predators license to repeatedly offend.

“It’s not to be ‘woe is us’ celebrities. We do have pretty nice lives,” Union said. “Just before we judge, consider that maybe every moment is not for public consumption.

“We [as a society] strip people of their humanity and their agency over their lives. It is terrifying.”

The rest of the evening would be dedicated to the parts of her life that fans haven’t seen.

“My parents were married for nearly thirty years and my

dad was dating my stepmother for about 20 of those 30 years,” Union confessed. “So, you see why this got a whole chapter –and why Thanksgiving could possibly be a little awkward.” Union admitted she was brought up to believe that there were winners and losers in marriage. The winner enjoyed the spoils and the loser suffered through their lot in life.

“Cut to my first marriage –saying yes to the first fool that asked me because I wanted so badly to be publicly chosen,” Union said. “In my first marriage, he started playing in the NFL. Before we got married, he got released and never played again. He never had a job again and never contributed financially to the household. Because I was raised to think that there were winners and losers in the relationship, I treated my husband like a loser.

“I didn’t let my marriage get in the way of my dating. Let that sink in. That’s how openly disrespectful and unapologetic I was.” She admitted to imposing the same pain on her husband that she had confronted her father about years ago.

“I did the exact same thing to my ex-husband without any regards to his feelings or how it affected his feelings or his self – esteem,” Union said. “I would apologize to him, but he owes me a lot of money.

“This book is about being honest – even when it’s ugly. That’s how you evolve.”

Photo by Raquita Henderson

Debra Bass and Gabrielle Union discuss Union’s debut book, “We’re Going to Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated, and True” before a capacity crowd Saturday night at St. Louis County Headquarters.

Williams, Michael Lowe and Venezia Manuel.

Ron Himes is hoping that history repeats itself on Saturday night.

“The response to last year’s gala was so overwhelming that we knew we had to bring it back,” Himes said of the benefit event. “We have challenged ourselves and hopefully we will surpass that goal.” Year two will also take place at 560, and includes a concert version of the musical “Crossin’ Over.” But the format is a bit different.

As the featured musical for The Black Rep’s milestone 40th season, “Crossin’ Over” was met with sold-out performances and an extended run. Bringing the musical back for the gala seemed to be a no-brainer.

“The challenge with doing it was that we didn’t want to replace any of the singers with celebrities,” Himes said. “We are so proud of this cast and we thought that it was such an outstanding ensemble that we had to have all of them.”

The cast will remain the same as it was last year –which included J. Samuel Davis, Kelvin Roston Jr.,

Once again under the musical direction of Charles Creath, they will be backed by the 50 voices of the Dello Thedford Gospel Symphonic Choir. The gala’s concert version will have a special twist. The African Suite of the production that pays tribute to the evolution of African American spiritual music will be augmented.

“For people who have seen it, it will be just as exciting –probably even more so,” Himes said. “And for people who missed it because it was sold out now have an opportunity to see ‘Crossin’ Over.’”

Individuals who look forward to seeing celebrities in the flesh will have an opportunity to do that too at this year’s gala, thanks to the Frankie Muse Freeman Spirit Awards being folded into the evening’s festivities.

Stage and television actress Marla Gibbs will be honored with the Woodie King Lifetime Achievement Award. Musical theatre legend Andre DeShields will receive a Spirit Award along with Valerie Patton and Washington University. Keith Williamson of

Gisele Marcus of the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Hank Weber of Washington University are the honorary co-chairs for the 2nd Annual Black Rep Gala and Frankie Muse Freeman Spirit Awards.

“We wanted to do something really special,” Himes said. “We wanted to honor Ms. Freeman – as well as bring back elements from our Woodie Awards, the annual gala we held for several years.”

Actor Antonio Fargas (a beloved figure at the annual Woodie Awards) will be joined by “Stephen McKinley Henderson co-star of Denzel Washington’s film version of August Wilson’s “Fences,” Angela Gibbs and Charles Glenn as featured guests of the 2nd Annual Black Rep Gala.

The 2nd Annual Black Rep Gala, featuring a concert performance of “Crossin’ Over” and the Frankie Muse Freeman Spirit Awards will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 4 at The Washington University 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity in University City. Tickets are available atwww. theblackrep.org, or by calling 314-534-3807.

GUILLAUME

Continued from C1

could, surrounded by love and in his sleep,” Donna Guillaume told CNN.

Born Robert Williams in St. Louis on November 30, 1927, Guillaume was a proud graduate of Sumner High School and Washington University. He also studied at Saint Louis University and served in the Army before heading to Cleveland to pursue a career on stage with the black theatre troupe Karamu Players. Guillaume made his Broadway debut in “Kwamina” in 1961. Other stage appearances included “Golden Boy,” “Tambourines to Glory” and a black adaptation of “Guys and Dolls” – which earned Guillaume a Tony Award nomination. It was a role he would reprise at home on stage at The Muny.

He became a regular on the small screen thanks to several guest appearances on shows like “Good Times,” “The Jeffersons” and “Sanford and Son” with fellow St. Louis native Redd Foxx. But he became a household name thanks to his role as Benson on the ABC series “Soap,” a primetime spoof of daytime drama. Through the portrayal Guillaume made history as the first African-American to win an “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series,” award – a full 25 years after the category was added to the Primetime Emmy Awards.

Guillaume’s performance as Benson DuBois resonated so profoundly that the character was given its own spin-off. He became a staple of primetime television thanks to the sevenyear run of “Benson.”

In November 28, 1984, Guillaume received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in the television industry. The next year, he made Emmy history again when he became the first African-American to take home the “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series” in 1985 for

“Benson.”

After “Benson” ended, Guillaume once again made several guest appearances on television shows such as “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “A

n Guillaume appeared in nearly 25 films and countless stage productions over the course of his career.

Different World” and “Saved By the Bell: The College Years.”

He broke racial barriers on stage by becoming the first African American to sing the title role of “Phantom of The Opera.”

He won over a new generation of fans for his role

as Rafiki in the 1994 Disney Blockbuster “The Lion King.” Guillaume captured hearts with wisdom he delivered through his role of Rafiki. He earned the Best Spoken Word Album for Children Grammy Award in 1995 as the narrator for “The Lion King Read Along.” Donna Guillaume added that her husband treasured his role as Rafiki – and that he really loved making music, entertaining and making people laugh.

Guillaume appeared in nearly 25 films and countless stage productions over the course of his career. He is survived by four children, all of whom had spent time visiting with their father in his final weeks, Donna Guillaume said.

“He was a good father and a good husband,” Donna Guillaume said. “He was a great, great person.”

Robert Guillaume was a proud graduate of Sumner High School and Washington University. He also studied at Saint Louis University and served in the Army before heading to Cleveland to pursue a career on stage with the black theatre troupe Karamu Players.

Leah Stewart, Amber, Herman Gordon, Amber Rose, Maureen L.

Centene,

The NFL, abortion rights and white male privilege

By Mike Jones Columnist

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

This quote by Martin Luther King Jr. provides the paradigm for black political engagement with these United States at the beginning of the 21st Century. In the struggle to liberate ourselves we must be ever mindful that our freedom will always be defined by all those who remain the most oppressed among us. Over the last several weeks, President Trump has declared war on NFL players (75 percent of whom are African-American) and their 1st Amendment right to free expression. He also attacked the contraceptive freedom of American women. What do these two seemingly unrelated events have in common other than being precipitated by an emotionally unhinged, intellectually and morally deranged president?

The American lexicon has always given freedom or liberty a preeminent status. But at the inception of the Republic, the idea of freedom or liberty applied only to white men with property. African-American men and women were considered property, and white women had no civil rights to speak of but were totally subordinate to white men. The American psychology evolved with white men inherently feeling they had license over anyone or anything that was not a white man.

White men exercised this license by defining what authority people of color

and women had over their bodies (none). The premise of American life at its inception was that people of color and women have no inalienable rights, so what they are allowed to do with their bodies is a function of what white men permit.

After 240 years, African Americans are no longer legally regarded as chattel property and white women can vote. However the American psychology presumes both of these as the largesse of white men, not the redress of crimes against humanity. The attack on black NFL players and the assault on women’s reproductive rights should be viewed from this perspective.

The NFL is to America what gladiators and the Coliseum was to Ancient Rome. On Sunday, black men risk life and limb in the arena for the financial benefit of rich white men and the entertainment of an overwhelmingly white male audience. The insistence by Trump and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones that these black players recognize their

n On Sunday, black men risk life and limb in the arena for the financial benefit of rich white men and the entertainment of an overwhelmingly white male audience.

symbols of authority at the beginning of this death match is equivalent to gladiators facing the insane emperor and the Roman mob to proclaim, “We who are about to die salute you!”

Colin Kaepernick taking a knee to protest state-sponsored violence against black men is an assertion of his full humanity and ours. Gladiators could enjoy great fame and

some fortune in their alltoo-short lives, but history only remembers one. Colin Kaepernick is our Spartacus. The question is: How many NFL players are prepared to say, “I’m Kaepernick”?

Patriarchal cultures are based upon one governing premise: that men have an inherent right to control women’s bodies. The highest manifestation of this in America is right-wing, reactionary men making the claim that they, not women, have the right to determine when women may choose to become mothers. We should be morally outraged by the insane notion that men, who are biologically incapable of giving birth, claim the right to determine when women can. This speaks to pervasive and entrenched nature of male privilege in American culture.

Sexism and racism are intellectual rationalizations for the same political reality: white male privilege. The presidency of Barack Obama and the near election of Hillary Clinton were existential threats to that hegemony. The dismantling of the Obama legacy is nothing more the modern version of an ancient practice, attempting to eliminate the historical record. The attack on women’s reproductive health is an attempt at intimidating women to “accept their place.”

Because of this reality, black political leadership must create a political agenda that defines our interests in broad and inclusive terms. You cannot advance the interest of black Americans without standing up for the interests of all other oppressed segments of Americans society. We must come to know what Dr. King understood, or as James Baldwin wrote to Angela Davis, “If they take you in the morning, they will be coming for us that night.”

Mike Jones is a former senior staffer in St. Louis city and county government and current member of the Missouri State Board of Education and The St. Louis American editorial board.

Donald M. Suggs to receive 2017 Thomas Jefferson Society Award

‘I am not taking credit personally’

By Shakia M. Gullette For The St. Louis American

For more than six decades, Donald M. Suggs has served the St. Louis community in various capacities. Known to many as a retired oral surgeon, a collector of exquisite art, a civil rights organizer, and publisher of The St. Louis American, next week he will add a new attribute to this long list: winner of the Missouri Historical Society’s highest honor. The Thomas Jefferson Society Award is given each fall to individuals or organizations that embody the spirit of bettering the community.

As a young dental student, Suggs faced the difficult decision of completing his postgraduate work in either New York or St. Louis. Yet the lure of the Big Apple couldn’t compete with the reputation of Homer G. Phillips Hospital. “I saw what I thought were black doctors in charge, and that was an ‘aha!’ moment for me,” Suggs said.

After serving as chief of oral surgery at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, Suggs returned to St. Louis and became the first African-American associate clinical professor at Saint Louis Dental School. The city’s active civil rights movement quickly captivated him, and he knew he had to get involved.

“Historically, African Americans have always been a people pushing and trying to change our circumstances,” Suggs said. “As a boy growing up, I was politicized by, I guess, radical thinkers of the time. The words were there, the ideas were there, but there was no real action. So in the ’60s when I came back to St. Louis, all of a sudden it was action.”

By the late 1960s, Suggs was serving as the St. Louis chairman for the Poor People’s March on Washington. Following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Suggs sought solace and found it in a rather unexpected way.

“When you realize the revolution was not going to come in the form that you want it, but some of these things you could hold on to – one of those things was our Africanness – that led me to an interest in art,” Suggs said. Collecting African art ultimately helped Suggs stay connected to the civil rights movement. His new passion for art also led him to open the Alexander-Suggs Gallery of African Art in St. Louis and New York City in 1970.

Ten years later, Suggs saw an opportunity to transform The St. Louis American from a oncestruggling newspaper with a paid subscription base into a thriving weekly that was free to the public, and so he joined with two partners to purchase the paper.

Donald M. Suggs, publisher of The St. Louis American, will receive the Missouri Historical Society’s highest honor, the Thomas Jefferson Society Award, which is given each fall to individuals or organizations that embody the spirit of bettering the community.

the largest African-American newspapers in the nation.

Suggs’s dedication to the St. Louis community and his focus on issues such as health and education have only deepened over the years. One way this can be seen is in The American’s ongoing spread emphasizing the importance of STEM education and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Suggs has also formed a partnership between The American and the Missouri History Museum to further children’s education. During a program at the Missouri History Museum on November 8, Suggs will unveil a new online teacher resource that uses The American to teach students about the civil rights movement. Suggs will also share personal stories and elaborate on the role newspapers have played in civil rights history during this live oral history presentation led by MHM curator Gwen Moore.

n “I saw what I thought were black doctors in charge, and that was an ‘aha!’ moment for me.”

– Donald M. Suggs

When asked whether he had a vision for the newspaper during the early years, Suggs said: “I grew up in an era when there were black newspapers of real substance. Some of them had national footprints; they were influential in terms of dictating and influencing policy. So I always thought to have a newspaper that reflected the lives and the concerns of the black community.”

Under Suggs’s leadership, the American’s distribution grew by 1,600 percent, boosting the paper’s prominence and establishing it as one of

“When you have a life of relative material success, you owe something to the community, the people that came as my patients, the people that mentor me, and the way I was raised,” Suggs said. “I don’t see it as giving back; I see it as what I owe.”

Regarding his receipt of the 31st annual Thomas Jefferson Society Award, a humbled Suggs said: “I accept on behalf of many people who have made contributions. Certainly whatever little part I have been a part of, it’s been a joint effort. I am not taking credit personally, but I am accepting this award on behalf of all the people that I have known. Many of them don’t get the chance to be publically recognized. I am very honored.”

Shakia M. Gullette is manager of Local History Initiatives at the Missouri History Museum.

Guest Columnist Mike Jones

St. Alphonsus Liguori ‘Rock’ Church (Very Rev. Richard M. Potts, CSsR, VF, Pastor) is celebrating its 150th Anniversary with a Jubilee Mass on November 5, 2017 at 10 am. The Most Rev. Robert J. Carlson, Archbishop of St. Louis, will be the main celebrant. There will be a reception in the Church Gym immediately following Mass. The church is located at 1118 North Grand Blvd. at the corner of Cook and Grand. All are welcome to attend this momentous celebration. For more information call the church office at 314-533-0304.

Celebrations

Reunions

Beaumont Class of 1968 will celebrate its 50-year reunion June 8-10,2018. Yes, Class ‘68 will begin Milestone celebration 6th month on 8th day. Our 2018 meetings in preparation will be held at STL County library located

7606 Natural Bridge at 1:00 p.m.. Dates are (Saturdays) January 13, February 17, March 17, April 21, May 19 and June 2. For more information call (314) 8698312 or email bhsco1968@ att.net. Pass the word and lets celebrate!

Beaumont High Class of 1978 will celebrate its 40-year reunion in 2018. For further information, please contact: Marietta Shegog Shelby, 314-799-5296, madeshe@ sbcglobal.net.

McKinley Class of 1978 will celebrate its 40-year reunion July 27-29, 2018 at

the Embassy Suites-Airport. For more information please contact Barbara Lindsey, Barbara_Lindsey@icloud.com or Marvin Woods, mwoods@ projectcontrolsgroup.com , (314) 647-0707.

Northwest High School Class of 1978 is planning its 40-year reunion for next year. PLEASE reach out to our classmates, tell them get ready for this. If you have any questions please contact Sly at (314) 397-0311 or email us at northwestbluedevils@78gmail. com. Check us out on Facebook Northwest High School-Class of 1978.

Sumner Class of 1976

Annual Christmas Party Saturday, December 23, 2017, 7 pm at DEJAVU II Cafe, 2805 Target Dr. 2 for 1 drink specials (5:30 - 7:30pm), free parking, No cover charge but $5 (40-Yr Class Reunion Attendees & Guest) or $10 for all others for the Catered Food. Limited Reserved Seating AVAILABLE until 10pm. (Doors open 5pm/closes 1am) For more info, call B. Louis at 314.385.9843.

University City Class of 1978 will hold its 40th reunion May 25-27, 2018. For more information please email ucityhs1978@gmail.com

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.

However, notices may also be sent by mail to: Kate Daniel, 2315 Pine St., St. Louis, MO 63103

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

‘You shall not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor’

BJC CEO recognizes protestors in accepting Human Relations Award

By Stephen H. Lipstein

For The St. Louis American

For more than a century, the American Jewish Committee has been the leading global advocate for the well-being of the Jewish people and for the advancement of democratic values for all. How do they do this? Effective advocacy, reasoned diplomacy, vital bridge-building and innovative educational programming.

They determined that the best way to protect the Jewish people against anti-Semitism, isolation and discrimination would be to work towards a world in which all people, not just Jews, were afforded respect and dignity. They understand that if any group is held in contempt, then the rights of every group is threatened.

Here in St. Louis, at this particular moment in time, there is real urgency for all of us to work towards a world in which all people – of all faiths, of all races, of all nationalities – are afforded respect and dignity. But what does that mean – all people are afforded respect and dignity? And why are some people protesting in the streets because they believe that some people who live here – our fellow citizens – are afforded neither dignity nor respect? The protests may have been triggered by a judge’s ruling, but the deepseeded problems of geographic concentration of poverty, coupled with racial isolationism, manifesting themselves in educational, economic

The stranger living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were a stranger in Egypt.

When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you.

And from Deuteronomy: There will always be poor people in your land. Therefore, I command you to open your hands towards the poor and the needy….You shall not remain indifferent.

To be sure, nobody would ever mistake me for a biblical scholar.

But, these verses from the bible speak to some key themes of “dignity and respect”: universal access to health care, how we treat people of other races and nationalities and ethnicities, and food security so that our fellow human beings don’t go hungry.

service.

and health disparities, are at the root of this unrest.

As you know, the Jewish community has just completed observance of our high holy days –Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. And knowing that I would be receiving an award this evening for human relations, I found myself struggling this past week to reconcile how anybody could accept an award for human relations at a time when human relations in our city are so troubled and frayed. And then, kid you not, I am not making this up, a rabbi came to my rescue. My rabbi. Jim Bennett. He gave me a constructive way to think about this dilemma. And lucky for me, I remained awake during the sermon at this year’s Rosh Hashanah morning

Jim quoted the Torah, go figure, excerpts that describe Jewish values, values that shape me as a person, values that help me to define and articulate the role of a leader and what it means to work in the health care professions, values that shape my political views, values that I share with my wife and my family, values that make me want to be a better version of myself, and values that describe a future state for human relations in our city and for which we can all advocate.

From Leviticus: You shall not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor, when he is in danger, sick or vulnerable.

When a stranger lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him.

I am not trying to make a political statement. Well, wait a minute, we just got through with Yom Kippur so it is way too soon in the New Year for me to spin the truth. But whatever be the representative political views in this room, I know there are people in this audience who share these values.

So, with all of these people who share these values - that come from the Bible – why are we as a people still challenged by human relations? Because we are human.

And as human beings – each one of us – we are called upon to keep trying to improve the human condition for all the peoples of this planet. We may not be able to do enough in our lifetimes to advance human relations to that future state that adheres to the teachings of the Bible, but we can all keep at it for as long as we all shall live.

Edited from remarks made on October 2 when receiving the John D. Levy Human Relations Award from the American Jewish Committee.

Phi Delta Kappa Ministerial Scholarship Awards Program

National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. is an organization of professional female educators founded in 1923 by Gladys Merritt Ross. Alpha Nu Chapter’s annual Ministerial Scholarship Awards Program will be held on November 4 at the Orlando Gardens Events & Conference Center, 2050 Dorsett Village Plaza, Maryland Heights, Mo. 63043. The awards luncheon will recognize four men and two women in the various fields of ministry. They are Pastor Bobby Wright, Elder David Vann, Elder Allif Dove, Minister Nadine Davis, Evang. Dr. Brenda L Hunt, and Pastor DeVone Cruesoe. Donations from this event will grant four scholarships to deserving students who choose to pursue a degree in education. Basileus Dr. Barbara Gwinn and program Chair Dr. Cynthia D Warren thank you and say, “We appreciate your dedication to God’s kingdom.”

Metropolitan Congregations United Public Meeting

Metropolitan Congregations United will host “Public Meeting: From Pipeline to Pathways” 6:308 p.m. Thursday, November 9 at Harris-Stowe State University, 3026 Laclede Ave., in the Henry Givens Auditorium. The theme is: ending the criminalization of black youth by introducing education, policing and juvenile court reforms. For more information, visit Metropolitan Congregations United on Facebook or on Twitter @MCUStLouis.

Valerie Bell, who co-chaired the 2017 John D. Levy Human Relations Award dinner, with honoree Stephen H. Lipstein, chief executive officer of BJC HealthCare, on October 2, when he accepted the award from the American Jewish Committee.

Swag Snap of the Week

Gabrielle Union uncut. If you looked around Saturday night and noticed that the ladies were way late coming to the Halloween parties, it was because we were at home still processing “Being Mary Jane” star Gabrielle Union spilling every bit of tea imaginable at the talk for her new book, “We’re Going to Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated, and True” Saturday at St. Louis County Library. Wine? Girl, I needed some Hennessy, Ciroc, Patron, Effen Vodka and Honey Jack Daniel’s after that chat … and I don’t even drink. I knew the evening was going to be something else with how the ladies were lined up in the library to see her. The St. Louis County Library Headquarters was filled from front to back! Debra Bass (we’re going to miss you girl, good luck on your next life adventure in California) would have done a wonderful job either way, but I think she may have asked three questions and Gabby went on for an hour and twenty minutes with tangents of piping truth! I’m going to buy the book for support, but I lowkey think she gave us the audio version with her nonstop conversation. She kept it so real that the girls could hardly deal. It was life more abundantly. There were a few bits that are NSFP (Not Safe For Partyline), but a nice chunk of it was about how she gave her first husband the blues by being unfaithful. I was gagging when she said that she let it be known to her ex that since he was not contributing to the household, she could have as many boyfriends as she wanted. She talked about finding her happy place and the man of her dreams by living in a place of honesty and authenticity. But admitted she had to heal first – and that took 20-plus years of therapy. I can’t wait to read the book, which is already a New York Times Bestseller its first week out. Even if she was speaking verbatim from the book, I would be happy to relive the chat all over again through the pages.

In love with the 90s all over again. Since I’m speaking on getting life more abundantly, I might as well jump right into the 90s party brought to The Ready Room by the DJ formerly known as Needles. He had me at Camp Lo “This is it, what? Luccini pouring from the sky. Let’s get lit, what?” I’m so, sorry. I got caught up in the moment. Okay, back to the recap. The music was everything – which is to be expected from James Biko (formerly Nappy DJ Needles). The energy and the effort with the outfits took the party to the stratosphere. I want to give a special shout out to the two young women with the bucket hats with sunflowers sewn on the front. I’m not sure if they were paying tribute to “Blossom” or Freddie from “A Different World.” Based on the demographic for the party, I’m going to assume the latter. Even if I didn’t give him points for the masterfully curated mix of music, Needles was giving all types of life with his Dwayne Wayne tribute outfit. I might as well stay in the decade and add a bit about the cute party Desiree Coleman threw for her husband Rasheen’s big 40 at JC’s Supper Club Saturday night. Side note: neither one of them look a day over 28. She didn’t know it, but Christina Bailey came as me circa 1992. The stacks, Jeans West bomber jacket and clip on gold front tooth was my uniform. Don’t even try to judge me! It was too cute- then and now. Seeing her flat stomach in that cut off shirt made me wish that I didn’t have a middle-aged midsection in my early teens. On the sheer strength of my vanity, she won my favorite costume of 2017.

Half-cocked Halloween weekend. I went a lot of places expecting to see an influx of naughty costumes and spooky fun. The girls kept the never-ending theme of half-nekkidness (yes, nekkid) in full effect, but things weren’t universally crackin’ as they typically are. The Halloween edition of Niddy’s Hush Party was all the way live, but it was the tightest squeeze up in the Envy. And Mood wasn’t busting at the seams, but the folks up in there were kicking it as if their souls depended on it. Who was the woman dressed as the tabletop that was twerking so tough that the drinks and candle she had glued around her neck popped off? And the woman who went as Rihanna in one of her infamously seductive Crop Over (google it) costumes, added a bit of belly dance as she dropped it low. The Marquee was packed for the Liquid Assets annual costume contest, but $5K will bring out the masses every single time. I’m so glad that the most-covered person up in there won the prize – perhaps it will inspire the girls to not risk pneumonia in the name of being somebody’s naughty nurse or kitty. But I couldn’t help but gasp when the winner, who came as The Purge, almost took a tumble heading up to collect the top prize. The last thing I wanted for him was to have to use some of that money on a hospital visit. He was ineligible to win, but I want to give a shout out to Phil Assets for his Colin Kaepernick costume. If he had shaped the ‘fro a bit more, it might have been my favorite of the year.

Lil late Durk and the Tuesday night Halloween turnup. Speaking of Liquid Assets, they had Mystic going up on a Tuesday (look, I know the song is out of style, but it works for this bit) thanks to a Halloween night party with Def Jam artist Lil Durk. The folks acted like they could care less about work waiting to see him take the stage. I hung in there until 12:40 a.m. then I had to beat it, but the spot was still packed as all get out when I made my exit. One man who I must have inspired to head towards the door said, “I don’t even know what songs he sings and if I stay another minute, I’m gonna end up calling off tomorrow.” I know what he sings, but I don’t know what he sang Tuesday night, because he was playing too much by taking his sweet time after midnight like I don’t have deadlines to meet.

Lamar Hudson had the pleasure of chauffeuring the one and only Janet Jackson when her State of the World Tour stopped at Chaifetz Arena on Oct. 21

Jay Classic and April met a few friends at The Laugh Lounge Sunday night

Supa Fly, Foxy Brown, Laura and Pointe Dexter @ Dos Salas to partying with the people Saturday

Tah and Rai represented for the around the way girls during That 90s Jam Friday @ The Ready Room

Guardians of the Galaxy Raven and Tiffany mingled among the humans @ Dos Salas Saturday

Earth Quake and host fellow comedian Frank L, had the Laugh Lounge crowd rocking with laughter Friday thru Sunday.

Gladys and Ruth made sure they arrived early to ENVY on Friday for the Halloween edition of HUSH

DJs OMB, AJ, and Tossin Ted had a chance to hype the crowd for House Sessions 5 Friday @ VOCE

Actress

Photos by V. Lang

Mr. and Mrs. Harris Stowe State 2017 Jamez and Jaylia welcomed rapper Kash Doll to the campus just before the HSSU Homecoming concert kicked off.