October 13th, 2022 edition

LouiS AmericAn

Sheltering those in need

Unhoused STL has no ceiling on its help

By Ashley Winters The St. Louis American

Curtis

intersection. She believes they have a story that is worth sharing.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness there were 6,527 homeless individuals on a given night in Missouri in 2020.

The report also shows that between 2019 and 2020 the state’s unsheltered population increased by 69%. More specifically unhoused families increased by 5%, and youth homelessness

increased by 26%. The report shows that in St. Louis County there are 479 unhoused individuals on a given night in 2020. The numbers are even more alarming for St. Louis City, when there were 1,260 unhoused individuals on a given night in 2020.

Before Curtis founded Unhoused STL, a non-profit organization, she began connecting with the unhoused by sitting and talking with them, getting to know them on a personal level. She began to tell their stories on her social media platforms titled Homeless of St. Louis inspired by the national storytelling

Melonie Montgomery instructs an early Saturday morning workout class before the start of the Support JADASA Walk/Run Against Domestic Violence at Bellefontaine Park.

‘Teach In’ set for Oct. 15

‘A pathway to community healing’

By Alvin A. Reid

By Sylvester Brown Jr.

The St. Louis American

“If I could speak to the McEntee Family, his wife, his kids, I would tell them that I’m sorry. If I could erase that day, I would.”

Those were the opening words in the “Kevin Johnson Clemency” video posted on the Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty’s [MADPMO] website. Included in the 35-minute film is Johnson’s recollection about July 5, 2005- the day he, at the age of 19, murdered Kirkwood Police Sgt. William McEntee. According to news reports, Johnson ambushed McEntee who was on patrol in the Meacham Park neighborhood. Reportedly, Johnson approached the passenger side of

n “If I could speak to the McEntee Family, his wife, his kids, I would tell them that I’m sorry. If I could erase that day, I would.”

– Convicted Killer Kevin Johnson

McEntee’s patrol car, fired several shots, then fired two more as McEntee crawled out of his cruiser. In all, McEntee was hit seven times. On Tuesday Nov. 29, 2022 Johnson is scheduled to be put to death at the state prison in Bonne Terre. The Missouri Supreme Court announced in August that it had issued a war-

rant for his execution. Individuals and advocates such as MADPMO hope to win clemency for Johnson. They claim that he was sentenced to death because of a racially biased prosecution bent on convicting a Black man for killing a white cop. Johnson had two murder trials, the first ended with a hung jury. The jury by a margin of 10-2, argued for a lesser, non-capital, charge. In the second trial, MADPMO asserts that “the deck was stacked” against Johnson from the outset. They contend that then Prosecutor Robert McCulloch, whose police officer father was gunned down by a Black man in 1964,

St. Louis Health Director D. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis on Wednesday announced the new St. Louis Behavioral Health Bureau. More than 12 additional staff members will address the city’s growing mental health needs, and guide people to drug addiction treatment.

Also targeting drug addiction

By Sarah Fentem St. Louis Public Radio

The St. Louis Department of Health will soon hire more than a dozen workers to staff a new behavioral health agency designed to address the city’s growing mental health needs.

The Behavioral Health Bureau will help improve awareness of and access to mental health and drug addiction treatment, St. Louis Health Director Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis said.

“Today we begin transitioning from talking about mental health and substance abuse concerns to making a major equitable, data-driven approach to addressing those concerns,” she Davis said.

The bureau will focus on many mental health

See MENTAL HEALTH, A7

A Murder in Meacham Park

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Michelle Higgins

Photo by Sarah Fentem / St. Louis Public Radio

Ramona Curtis

Saturday morning workout

NeNe Leakes releases statement on her son’s congestive heart failure, stroke

Reality TV star and entrepreneur NeNe Leakes has broken her silence on her son Brentt Leakes’ health. NeNe shared on Instagram on Monday (Oct. 10, 2022), that Brentt, 23, was hospitalized last month after suffering congestive heart failure and a stroke.

“He’s only 23, so he’s really young for something like that to happen to him,” Leakes said. “This is not the way I wanted it to come out. We wanted to be able to talk about it ourselves when Brentt was in a better place. So, here I am because I would rather the correct thing be out there than something that’s not correct.”

She also explained Brentt had difficulty talking but has since shown improvement.

pen to him,” she said. “And we are still trying to figure it out. Because if we knew the cause, obviously they could treat the cause. It was very scary.”

She claimed doctors think it could potentially be a genetic condition as she was treated for blood clots in her lungs in 2013.

She also addressed Brentt has had a lot of stress from grieving his late father Gregg Leakes’ one-year death anniversary. Gregg died last year from colon cancer, he was 66.

“One of the things I do know, Brentt was very stressed out in the month of September because that was the oneyear anniversary for the passing of his dad,” she said. “He was very close to his dad and he’s been super stressed out over it. And I don’t even know if that has anything to do with it at all.”

Because of his age and condition, NeNe said doctors confirmed Brentt wasn’t using drugs, didn’t have HIV, COVID-19 or any other infection.

“So, they have run a number of tests on him to see what could have possibly made this hap-

Wayans dad, son duo headed back to CBS in comedy series

Deadline is reporting that the fatherand-son comedy duo of Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. will star in a comedy series for CBS The plot for the show

follows “a legendary talk radio host and happily divorced “Poppa” (Damon Wayans) who has to drag his grown son (Damon Wayans Jr.), who has all his charm and none of his drive, kicking and screaming into adulthood before he turns 40.”

This marks Wayans’ return to network comedy. He previously starred on the hit ABC family comedy series My Wife & Kids with Tisha Campbell. His son appeared on the network as well, and later starred in the comedy series Happy Endings, which lasted three seasons.

Jackson, 25 vented on Instagram this week to say the $6,700 his father paid his mother in child support was not enough.

The father and son duo appeared on screen together on the Wayans Jr. CBS series Happy Together where they played father and son. The upcoming CBS series is co-written by Damon Wayans and former Last Man executive producer Kevin with both Wayans executive producing the series.

50 Cent’s son offers to pay him $6,700 to spend time with him

Money is one way to get a person’s attention, maybe even your own father. 50 Cent’s oldest son Marquise Jackson bribed him with $6,700 to spend time with him.

“Since y’all think $6,700 is sooo much money, someone tell my pops I will pay him $6,700 for just 24hr of his time so we can do everything I ever wanted to do with him as a kid,” Jackson wrote. “Red Yellow Green whatever color he like.”

His caption was accompanied by Jackson posing with “Entitled” spelled out in money mocking 50 Cent’s 2015 post where he posed the same way except spelling out Broke instead.

50 caught wind of the post and shared a clip from his show “Power” where Kanan kills his own son, he wrote “No caption needed.”

Last week Jackson opened up to rapper Choke No Joke about him and his father’s estranged relationship and how he thought the money his father paid his mother was inadequate.

“$6,700 a month in… New York City, you do the math,” he said. “You’re talking about a Forbes lister – you’re talking about someone that has problems with everybody – you can’t just live in any neighborhood, $81K is not a substantial amount of money. You can’t just live anywhere.”

Sources: MSN, NBA, Page Six. Deadline, BET

Nicole Williams to lead SLPS as interim superintendent

By Alvin A. Reid

The St. Louis American

Nicole Williams is changing jobs, but her new office is not far from her previous one.

Williams, SLPS Superintendent Kelvin Adams’ chief of staff, will serve as interim superintendent beginning January 1, 2023. Adams is retiring in Dec. 31, 2022.

“Dr. Williams’ impressive career in education spans three decades. As a former superintendent, interim superintendent, and consultant to school boards and [SLPS] leadership teams, [she] is both familiar with school district operations and the responsibilities of a superintendent,” the SLPS Board of Education stated in a release.

As chief of staff, Williams has overseen district strategic priorities including pandemic relief spending, equity, family engagement, and organizational transformation.

Before moving to her current role, she served as SLPS chief academic officer for several years before serving as a superintendent in New York.

“Her experience both within and beyond [SLPS] will lend valuable insight during this time. Above all, Dr. Williams is passionate about Saint Louis Public Schools and is driven to ensure that all children in the City of St. Louis

receive an excellent education,” according to the school board release.

Williams will be at the helm on an interim basis until a permanent superintendent is selected. The Board of Education has retained a superintendent search firm to conduct a nationwide search “and the process is on track to have a permanent superintendent in place by the beginning of the next school year,” according to the school board.

The timeline and other updates regarding the search are available at http://www. slpssupersearch.com.

The district is also seeking community members input on the attributes they would like to see in the new superintendent, and issues they feel should be addressed.

The Board of Education interviewed seven candidates, “each of whom thoroughly impressed us with their willingness to step forward and lead the district,” reads the release.”

“We cannot thank these candidates enough for going through this process and look forward to the many positive impacts from their continued leadership in the district. There is no doubt that the district is currently in a state of evolution. We will change and grow as we hire a new superintendent, advance the citywide planning process, and invest Proposition S funds.”

Prop S, which passed with an 87%

majority, will allow the school district to borrow $160 million to improve schools. Funds will be used to acquire, construct, renovate, repair, improve, furnish, and equip school sites, buildings, and related facilities. Funding will be used for facilities work including, but not limited to air quality, lead removal, security improvements, new playgrounds, HVAC, roof repairs and bathroom upgrades.

In her role as deputy superintendent of academics she worked closely with the superintendent, AFT St. Louis Local 420, and members at the school and district levels to help the district achieve provisional accreditation. Williams’ career has included

senior-level leadership positions, including as a superintendent of schools in New York. She has worked as an educational leadership consultant and adviser to superintendents, boards, and school leadership teams. She describes herself as passionate in her support of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational and technical solutions to meet diverse learner needs.

She has made presentations to the National Alliance of Black School Educators, Futures Institute, and the International Center for Leadership in Education. Additionally, she has briefed state senators and elected officials on pressing educational issues in

New York and Illinois.

She also served on the New York State Council of School Superintendents’ Diversity and Inclusivity Commission, where she focused on addressing gender and racial parity in the superintendency across the 733 school districts in New York State. Williams, who is bilingual in Spanish and English, holds a doctorate and a master’s degree from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education; and a master’s degree in education (with a concentration in bilingual education), and a bachelor’s degree in political science, both from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.

Photo by Brian Munoz / St. Louis Public Radio

Nicole Williams, chief of staff for St. Louis Public Schools, speaks in March during an event at Washington University. Williams will become interim superintendent of St. Louis Public Schools in January.

Guest Editorial

Isn’t it a better alternative to have an educational and enlightening conversation about all those issues we find concerning or uncomfortable?

Book bans in 21st century America are unthinkable

By Janice Ellis

If you have ignored or had doubts about whether the concern that democracy is in danger in America, just look at the growing movement to ban books in our schools and libraries.

There is a history of books being banned in the United States for their subject matter and content. Most notably during the colonial era, slavery and the Civil War, the Jim Crow era, and during the 19th century when religious movements and fights against immorality reached a fever pitch.

Smaller efforts have also occurred in the mid-20th century during the “Red Scare” of the McCarthy era.

In 1982, the Supreme Court weighed in on the issue of students right to read when they ruled on a case in New York brought by students when their school board banned books it deemed anti-American, anti-Christian or in other ways thought objectionable.

The Supreme Court explicitly ruled: “Local school boards may not remove books from school libraries simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books,” …, citing students’ First Amendment rights.”

The ruling inspired the American Library Association (ALA) to establish an annual celebration of “Banned Books Week” where librarians, teachers, publishers, and readers get together to support the freedom to find information and express views.

areas have not changed: Books about race, sexuality, religion, and politics.

There are different targets.

When it comes to race, the growing craze is to ban books in high schools and libraries that promote so-called “Critical Race Theory,” whether those books do or not.

One could legitimately ask: Is this a ruse or excuse?

First we need to understand what “Critical Race Theory” is and is not.

“Critical Race Theory” is defined as a specific academic course that is taught in college or law school, and the focus is to examine systemic racial and cultural biases that exist in American society. It is not a general heading to promote a curriculum about race.

More importantly, there is no evidence that “Critical Race Theory” is being taught in any high school in the country.

When it comes to sexuality, any books addressing LGBTQ issues or featuring LGBTQ characters are targeted to be banned. According to a report from PEN America, these books constitute the highest percentage — 41%, of books targeted in 2021.

During this annual celebration, the ALA puts together an annual list of books that have been challenged or banned. Banned Books Week 2022 was just held last week.

The real question is, why the unprecedented support now for banning certain books?

Haven’t we learned anything from past efforts to ban books? Many of the books once banned are readily available for age-appropriate audiences. Many are considered classics.

Examples include Huckleberry Finn, The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Canterbury Tales, The Color Purple, Harry Potter.

There are many others.

Furthermore, for decades and across generations, there has been vigilance, rules, and regulations in managing and monitoring age-appropriate access in many areas whether operating a motor vehicle, buying alcohol, going to bars, or viewing PG, R or X-rated movies. The same has been true and continues to be when it comes to regulations and monitoring around access to age-appropriate books both contemporary and classical literature. Most books are categorized and marketed for target audiences: children, adolescents, teens, young adults, adults, seniors.

So, have you paused to think about why we are seeing a growing movement of banning books in America in the 21st century? Have you given any consideration to the types of books being banned?

One could argue that, during the intermittent bans over 200 years ago, the focus and subject

What is expected to be gained by banning books in subject areas or about growing social trends that we harbor fears about or disagree with?

Banning books does not erase any historical or contemporaneous facts.

Just as importantly, there is no guarantee that the people we are seeking to keep from reading those books will not find a way to do so if they want to, especially as they come of age.

Isn’t it a better alternative to have an educational and enlightening conversation about all those issues we find concerning or uncomfortable?

As parents, teachers, librarians and concerned citizens, is educating our children about all aspects of American history and contemporary society the better alternative to censorship?

For a country that values and boasts about freedom of speech and the press as outlined in the First Amendment, are we now willing to turn a blind eye to the unprecedented increase in book banning?

Book banning is considered to be the most widespread form of censorship.

Where is the outcry?

Don’t we care as much about the threats to the First Amendment as we seem to care about the Second? Do we care more about the right to own guns than the right to express ideas, write about and discuss real issues among us honestly in the most appropriate way to create awareness and find solutions?

An educated citizenry is the foundation to a healthy and resilient democratic republic.

Growing acceptance of book banning in America in the 21st century. Who would have ever thought it?

Janice Ellis, a Missouri Independent columnist, has lived and worked in Missouri for more than three decades, analyzing educational, political, social, and economic issues across race, ethnicity, age, and socio-economic status.

As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

Ketanji Brown Jackson fiercely defends voting rights

By Marc Morial

In its zeal to defend the racially discriminatory Congressional districts state legislators created to dilute the political participation of their Black constituents, Alabama is making a mockery of the Constitution.

The Solicitor General of Alabama stood before the U.S. Supreme Court and put forth the argument that drawing congressional districts that give Black Americans fair representation would violate a provision of the Constitution intended to give Black Americans fair representation.

Specifically, Alabama contends that the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits racial discrimination in voting, is in violation of the 14th Amendment, which was adopted to prevent racial discrimination under the law.

It’s hard to believe anyone with even a basic understanding of history, much less constitutional law, could voice this fallacy with a straight face. Even worse, some of the Justices appear willing to accept it, further dismantling the protections of the Voting Rights Act in the process.

In a pointed series of responses to Alabama Solicitor General Edmund LaCour, newly-invested Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson demolished his absurd claim “that it is unconstitutional to consider race when addressing racial discrimination” as legal commentator Peter Shamshiri wrote, and provided a sorely-needed history lesson.

“The entire point of the [14th] Amendment was to secure rights of the freed former slaves,” she said. “The legislator who introduced that amendment said that ‘unless the Constitution should restrain them, those states will all, I fear, keep up this discrimination and crush to death the hated freedmen.’ That’s not a race-

neutral or race-blind idea in terms of the remedy.

“When there was a concern that the Civil Rights Act [of 1866] wouldn’t have a constitutional foundation, that’s when the 14th Amendment came into play. It was drafted to give a foundational, a constitutional foundation for a piece of legislation that was designed to make people who had less opportunity and less rights equal to white citizens. With that as the framing in the background, I’m trying to understand your position, that Section 2, which by its plain text is doing that same thing, is saying you need to identify people in this community who have less opportunity and less ability to participate and ensure that’s remedied—it’s a race-conscious effort, as you have indicated. I’m trying to understand why that violates the 14th Amendment, given the history and background of the 14th Amendment.”

As states are required to do following each decennial Census, Alabama last year redrew its congressional districts in blatant violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits any standard, practice or procedure that results in a “denial or abridgment of the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.”

Alabama’s map both splits Black communities among two or more districts so they don’t constitute a majority in any of them – a process known as “cracking” – and crams Black voters into one district so they can’t influence the outcome in other districts – a process

known as “packing.”

Black Alabamians, who make up 27% of the state’s population, wound up with a majority in a single district out of seven, whittling their representation to about 14%. A federal court ordered the state in January to redraw the map “to include two districts in which Black voters either comprise a voting-age majority or something quite close to it.”

The Supreme Court in February put the order on hold, allowing elections to proceed according to the gerrymandered districts, and postponing arguments until this week.

NAACP Legal Defense Fund attorney Deuel Ross, who defended the lower court’s ruling before the Supreme Court, said, “There is nothing raceneutral about Alabama’s map. The district court’s unanimous and thorough intensely local analysis did not err in finding that the Black Belt is a historic and extremely poor community of substantial significance. Yet, Alabama’s map cracks that community and allows white block voting to deny Black voters the opportunity to elect representation responsive to their needs.”

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority includes three of the five justices who struck down Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act in 2013 via Shelby County v. Holder, plus three nominated in the following presidential term. They may not be swayed by Justice Jackson’s eloquent refutation of Alabama’s argument to uphold the lower court’s ruling – although decency and the law dictate that they should -- but they may be more likely to overturn it with a narrow ruling that does not completely gut Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

Marc Morial is National Urban League president and CEO

Unite to defend the Black vote

By Ben Jealous

Before our last national elections in 2020, thousands of Black voters in Detroit got a call from someone posing as a woman named “Tamika Taylor.”

She warned them that if they voted, the government would collect their personal information and come after them for credit card debt, outstanding warrants, even forced vaccinations. The calls were a voter suppression scam, and the two white guys behind it were prosecuted. But we’ll never know how many people were nervous enough to avoid voting that year.

Dirty tricks like this make me sick. And as we get closer to this year’s midterms, civil rights leaders are warning that we’re likely to see more of them. The Far Right is waging a war on Black voters, and disinformation is among its favorite weapons.

To

Another one is passing laws to make it harder for Black citizens to vote. The Brennan Center at NYU keeps track of these efforts. The legal scholars there report that since 2020, lawmakers in 49 states have introduced more than 400 bills that would make it harder to vote. This midterm election is the first nationwide election since that massive voter suppression campaign started, and we have one way to fight it: massive voter mobilization.

Getting our friends and neighbors to vote so we can have a say in issues that affect our daily lives is a calling for

all of us. I am fortunate to lead an organization that will make Black male voters the focus of our Get Out the Vote efforts this year. Our initiative, Defend the Black Vote, will reach out to Black men in 15 states who are registered but skipped two out of three of the last elections. Our focus will be men because they still don’t vote in the high percentages Black women do. Our message will be simple: Vote this November. Vote because your vote is your voice and your power. Vote because of everything that is on the line in these elections: jobs, reproductive rights, mass incarceration, who sits on our courts, education for our kids, health care, pollution in the environment where our families live.

Vote because we need to Ban the Box. Vote because Black Lives Matter. Vote because you have a dream of entrepreneurship. Vote because your mental health, and your family’s mental health, matters. Vote because the white supremacists don’t want you to, and are doing everything they can to stop you, and that tells you how important it is.

I know that some folks don’t vote because they believe their vote doesn’t matter. History shows that it does. The best

example I can think of is what happened in Georgia in 2020, the first year we ran our Defend the Black Vote campaign. We motivated over 200,000 additional Black men in Georgia to vote that year – a year when the presidential election in the state was decided by 12,000 votes. The Black men who voted in Georgia made a historic difference, and the numbers prove it. We know there’s one more way today’s Far Right and their predecessors -- the Klan, the White League, and all the other terrorists like them – have tried to suppress Black votes, and it’s the ugliest: intimidation and threats of violence. Our ancestors faced a real risk of being attacked or murdered for registering to vote or voting. Today the intimidation might be more high-tech: is your name in the system, will you be accused of an illegal vote? Florida’s arrests of returning citizens who voted – after being issued new voter registration cards by the state itself – are especially cruel. They were meant to scare people, and they probably did. So, vote because we refuse to be intimidated. Because those who went before us put their lives on the line to cast a ballot. And if you are a man who doesn’t have a plan to vote, or you have a father, brother, uncle or son who doesn’t have a plan, it’s not too late to make one now. We need you.

Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way

Columnist

Marc H. Morial

Columnist Janice

Columnist Ben Jealous

With glee

St. Louis American staff

The Morehouse College Glee Club will perform in a special benefit concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, November 12, 2022, as part of The Black Rep’s annual GALA at the 560 Music Center at 560 Trinity Avenue.

Calling 2022 “an extraordinary year,” Ron Himes, Black Rep founder and producing director, said HBCU choirs will continue to grace St. Louis with respective talents.

“We are so happy to be bringing the Morehouse College Glee Club to St. Louis audiences. There is no better way to celebrate our ability to experience the joy of live performance together than to hear these voices,” he said.

“The Black Rep made a five-year commitment to present an HBCU Chorale group each year at our Gala.”

The all-male Glee Club was formed at the HBCU in Atlanta in 1911. It has performed at historic events including the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, former President Jimmy Carter’s inauguration, and at the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral - a notable alumni of the Glee Club and Morehouse University.

The Glee Club traveled on a two-week, three-city tour in Nigeria. The cultural exchange marked the 50th Anniversary of the choir’s first visit to Nigeria.

Performing at King’s funeral “propelled [the Glee Club] and the college in a more international light,” said Dr. David Morrow, director of the Morehouse College Glee Club.

Under Morrow’s direction, the Glee Club will perform a repertoire of African and American songs during the Black rep gala. Funds raised from the concert support The Black Rep’s Community and Education programs. This includes classes and workshops, Summer Performing Arts, Teen Tech Training, Professional Fellowships, and the Regional Touring Company season for school and community audiences.

Serving as 2022 co-chairs are Shanti Parikh, associate chair of African and African American Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, and Dennis Reagan, retired Muny president and CEO.

For concert tickets contact The Black Rep at 314-5343807 or visit www.theblackrep.org

Many of us are two-sided coins

By Wendy Gladney

Growing up as a bi-racial child today in America is not unusual, however when I was born in 1961, it was a new trend. Interestingly, children of mixed heritage have been with us since the beginning of time, but here in the United States, we have what is referred to as the one drop rule.

If you have even one drop of Black blood, you are considered Black. I was raised by my African American (paternal) side of the family and lived with my grandmother, affectionately known as Mother Dear. My grandmother taught me to always hold my head up and to be proud of who I am and my heritage. I am proud to be a biracial Black woman in America.

Like a coin, I have two sides. One side of my family is African American and the other is German American. I recently learned that October 6th is recognized as National German American Day. The purpose is to celebrate the German heritage of millions of German Americans and the contributions they have made to our society. Many Germans came here during the 19th century through Ellis Island or by crossing the border in Canada. Most of my family members came through Ellis Island on steamships. We also have one documented record that shows my great-grandfather, Leo Oberleiter, on the paternal side of my mother’s family, came through Canada.

Growing up, I was very curious to know more about my mother’s family and heritage. Since I did not grow up with them, they were always a mystery to me, yet I was told that I looked just like them and that I have some of their ways.

Later, while I was in college when I met and became reunited with my mother’s family, and I spent time with them, I began to understand, and I learned the role between nature and nurture plays in one’s life. I literally am the spitting image in many ways of my “Auntie Mom Kathy.”

My curiosity about my German family grew and around 2012, my mom and I traveled to Wisconsin to do research and to trace the steps of our ancestors. We learned a lot and together our love for one another and our history grew.

Between both sides of my mother’ family, I am the fourth and fifth generation German American. On my mother’s maternal side, my greatgreat grandfather, Ferdinand Behren, came to America through Ellis Island around 1855. He eventually met and married my great-great grandmother Ana and together they settled in Grafton, Wisconsin where they ran a farm.

Eventually they had children, and my great-grandfather, Walter Herman, was born and as an adult he met my great-grandmother, Florence. He became a Lutheran minister and was instrumental in translating the bible from German to English for their congregation.

From this union, my grandmother Ruth was born. My grandmother Ruth met my grandfather Arno and eventually, they moved from Wisconsin (which was a heavily populated German state) to California where my mother met and married my father, and from their union I was born.

Being a descendent of German people, I was not always proud because I was concerned if any of my family participated in the devastation of the Jews with the Hitler regime. I was happy to learn they were against such treatment and did what they could do to stop it. Many of my relatives fled Germany before the war and the ones that were still there showed compassion towards the Jewish people. I am proud of every part of who I am.

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

The Morehouse College Glee Club recently traveled to Nigeria for a series of concerts, 50 years after its first visit to the African nation.

Photo courtesy of Morehouse College

Wendy Gladney

Morehouse Glee Club concert to benefit Black Rep

Continued from A1

cast doubt on his ability to prosecute Johnson without bias.

In the second trial, McCulloch is accused of using his peremptory strikes to eliminate Black jurors to ensure a predominately white jury. Numerous police officers were allowed to gather in the courtroom and hallways, Johnson’s appellate lawyers said, insisting that it sent a signal to jurors to convict.

McColloch got the capital conviction in Johnson’s second trial.

“The system failed Kevin,” MADPMO wrote on its “CLEMENCY FOR KJ” webpage. First, by ignoring the “Batson challenge” a precedent that refers to the court ignoring the peremptory challenges on grounds that the prosecution excluded potential jurors “based on race, ethnicity, or sex.”

Secondly, Johnson’s new attorneys argue that his courtappointed lawyers failed to put substantial evidence before the jury that would have mitigated the crime, therefore decreasing the likelihood of a death

Reparations

Continued from A1

“We have the opportunity to demand repair, and to learn how we can support each other along the way. Reparations is part of our commitment to making St. Louis home.”

A coalition of 25 local organizations sent a memo to Mayor Jones’ administration, requesting establishment of a reparations commission to address “the longstanding harms of

sentence. Therein lies the point of contention in Johnson’s upcoming death sentence. He remorsefully admits to murdering McEntee. Yet the circumstances on the day of the killing speak to Johnson’s fractured state of mind based on his belief that McEntee was involved in the death of his then 12-year-old brother, Joseph “Bam Bam” Long. These mitigating factors are at the center of calls for Johnson’s clemency.

In His Own Words

The clemency video has footage from Johnson’s trial where he described the fateful events that preceded his taking McEntee’s life.

Johnson’s grandparents and great-grandparents lived next to each other at 411 and 413 Saratoga Street in Meacham Park. Johnson was at the home of his great-grandparents, Henrietta and Anderson Kimble, when he saw two police officers pull up and look into the window of his white SUV.

He panicked because he had outstanding warrants for a parole violation. Johnson woke his little brother, Bam Bam, and told him to take his keys to

racial exclusion, occupation, and economic divestment done to Black people and communities in the City of St. Louis.

During a Juneteenth celebration at St. John’s United Church of Christ in north St. Louis, Congresswoman Cori Bush amplified the call, and other organizations have joined the effort.

“For years, we have been talking about the disparate outcomes that have long existed for Black St. Louisans. We have introduced terms like systemic racism and racial

while they searched the residence for Johnson.

Johnson, watching events unfold from his great-grandparent’s window, said he saw the police order all family members onto the driveway. He said he saw the police searching the house, still not sure where his little brother was. He did, however, say he saw the officers’ step over something that he later learned was his brother’s body.

was just dead.”

Joseph “Bam Bam” Long was pronounced dead at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center in Creve Coeur that evening. By that time, Johnson had already sought out and killed McEntee, the officer he recognized at the scene of his brother’s death.

Patricia Ward, his grandmother and ask her to tell the police she was driving his truck.

Johnson said he watched as his grandmother approached the police officers dangling his car keys saying: “I’m driving it, I’m driving it.” Suddenly, she stopped and looked back toward the house. He described hearing his grandmother’s terrified scream to police: “Come quick, Bam Bam just passed out.”

equity into the everyday language to better understand the status quo,” said Blake Strode, ArchCity Defenders executive director.

“And now, we see a strong grassroots desire to directly address the generational harm caused to Black people and Black communities.”

Kayla Reed, Action St. Louis executive director, said “Black people deserve to thrive in St. Louis. If we’re serious about transformation, if we’re serious about Black liberation, then we have to be committed

I interviewed the family back in 2005. They told me what happened after Bam Bam rushed in with Johnson’s car keys. His heart seized, Ward said, adding that the boy collapsed, face forward, on her living room floor.

Family members said police “slow-walked” toward the house and then, upon entering, told everyone to leave. Ward recalled how police even made a relative stop giving CPR

to telling the truth about how we got here.”

“A process of reparations allows us to engage in that work.”

A reparations commission would determine the size, scope, and impact of racial oppression, exclusion, occupation, and economic divestment on Black communities in the city, according to organizers.

The memo “acknowledges the nefarious impact of slavery, compounded by generations of anti-Black policymaking that systematically prohibited Black St. Louisans from accessing homeownership, equitable education, accessible transit, environmental health, and much more.”

“Across multiple gener-

Although Kirkwood police initially said Sgt. McEntee was not at the house, Johnson, who recognized the officer, said he arrived with the ambulance. He also saw his mother, Jada Tatum, arrive on the scene and try to get into her mother’s house. Johnson testified that McEntee blocked his mother’s entrance. When she tried to look through and open the living room window, Johnson said McEntee aggressively approached her.

“He almost pushed her off the porch,” Johnson testified, adding: “that was when I started getting mad.”

Johnson said he watched paramedics exit the house with his brother on the stretcher.

“They had taken Bam Bam’s shirt off and his feet were dangling,” Johnson recalled on the witness stand. “I could tell he

ations, Black St. Louisans experience state-sanctioned occupation through the arrest-and-incarcerate model of public safety that has resulted in ever-increasing levels of violence and harm, including leading the nation in the most people killed by police per population of any major US city.”

Organizers will echo the call for a commission to explore the history of racebased harms in the city; reveal the present-day manifestations of that history; and, ultimately, propose a method for directly repairing the harms that have been inflicted and preventing further injury now and in the future.

Event hosts include

Around the 21-minute-mark of the clemency video, former Kirkwood Detective Geoff Morrison talks about his interaction with a much younger Kevin Johnson when Morrison served as the department’s juvenile officer for 37 years.

“I got along with Kevin,” Morrison recalled. “I never had any dealings with Kevin as a violent person nor did I know of any history of violence or reported violence.” Morrison remembered the day McEntee, his friend and fellow officer was killed. He was shocked to learn that Johnson was involved. In the video, Morrison said he believes the death penalty is appropriate for “certain crimes.” When asked if Johnson’s actions warranted a death sentence, Morrison replied solemnly:

“No, not this one.”

Next: Part II: The Making of a Murderer

Action St. Louis, American Civil Liberties Union-MO, ArchCity Defenders, Deaconess Foundation, Empower Missouri, Faith for Justice, Freedom Community Center, Homes for All, Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, Organization for Black Struggle, Pro-Choice Missouri, the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center, Uhuru Solidarity Movement, and Unhoused STL.

To register, visit: https:// bit.ly/reparationsblockparty Lunch will be provided for registrants and live music will be performed by Tef Poe. Central Baptist church is located at 2842 Washington Avenue downtown.

Kevin Johnson, 36, killed Kirkwood Police Sgt. William McEntee when he was 19. An effort to grant him clemency is underway as Johnson is scheduled to be put to death on Nov. 29, 2022.

Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty website photo

project Humans of New York

From her postings on her social media, she says that her project took off, and folks would message her inquiring about how they can get involved and donate.

“I never started out saying, I’m going to start a nonprofit.

Having a non-profit wasn’t a part of my original plan,” said Curtis.

She says the community came together and decided that they collectively should do a food drive, giveaways, and community events to help those facing housing insecurities.

People were donating items, food, and money to Curtis before she became an official 501c3.

n

Curtis admits she was hesitant about taking donations in the beginning because she wasn’t an official organization, just someone who cares, a storyteller using her skills to get the word. However, her supporters wouldn’t take no for an answer and insisted that she take the donations.

wants us to stop being so neglectful towards them. Curtis is working diligently to recreate a city that cares about its people.

“We want to call ourselves this world-class city because we have this billion-dollar soccer stadium, but some of our citizens [use the bathroom] outside.”

During the summer months, Unhoused STL had an eightweek cooling shelter called Heatwave Haven in the downtown west neighborhood. The cooling shelter provided a space where those facing harsh living conditions in the elements could cool off, and receive food, medical attention, and other much-needed services.

The organization partnered with the St. Patrick Center our local Urban League, and the Bridge STL for the cooling shelter. The Bridge is a local thrift store that donated clothes to Heatwave Haven to provide the unhoused with a free dignified shopping experience.

“If we are going to do better at accepting unhoused people we need to start thinking of them as human beings.”

Curtis connected with Cathy ‘Mama Cat’ Daniels of Pot Bangerz and Andrew Cole of the Urban City Services for her first major community giveaway. She held a Black History Month community giveaway last February and from that event led Curtis to have monthly giveaways for the unhoused neighbors in St. Louis. During the winter of 2021, Unhoused STL partnered with local housing shelters, her organization managed three winter shelters and put together three pop-up shelters.

– Ramona Curtis

Curtis connected with Dr. Nathan Nolan, who visited every Wednesday, to provide medical needs, blood pressure tests, hepatitis, and HIV/ AIDS. Hearts for the Unhoused also helped out with their medical fair as well. Homes For All, a tenants’ rights organization that helped the unhoused apply for jobs, and SNAP benefits who were at Heatwave Haven. And St. Francis Xavier College Church gave out free identification cards.

“In that eight-week period, we were able to connect people to a lot of services,” said Curtis.

Unhoused couple Naomi Jordan and Eric Brown are so grateful for Curtis and her organization.

Unhoused STL provides food and other items to unhoused individuals throughout the St. Louis area. There are an estimated 1,260 homeless individuals on a given night in St. Louis, and 479 in St. Louis County.

Curtis says she is calling out our [city] Board of Alderman for “trying to criminalize people for experiencing housing insecurities, by making it illegal for them to sleep outside on public properties.”

To fight what she considers “an atrocity” towards the unhoused, the activist has rallied local organizations like Arch City Defenders, Action St. Louis, and Black Men Build to fight the policies she feels hurt the people she cares deeply about.

“The government is intentionally neglecting the unhoused because they have the resources, they are choosing not to use those resources towards them. And I’m angry about it,” she said. She wants the St. Louisans to do better in how we address the unhoused population, she

Mental Health

Continued from A1 needs, but in its first year it will dedicate most of its energy to treating drug addiction and preventing overdoses, which killed nearly 450 people in the city last year.

The city has the highest rate of mental health-related emergency department visits in the state, said the health director. Many of those visits are drug-related.

The bureau is long overdue, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones said. The health department previously did not have any employees singularly dedicated to working on the city’s behavioral health needs.

“At every town hall I’ve been to this year, community members emphasize the need for better awareness of and access to mental health care,” Jones said. “Residents across our city see first-hand the human cost of failing to invest in behavioral health.”

Jones said the city would boost the health department’s budget to pay for the new bureau.

“Addiction, lack of access to mental health care, these are some of the root causes of crime,” Jones said. “It’s a commitment to treat mental health as a critical component of well-being.”

No permanent employees have been hired yet, she said, but a seven-person group of scientists, data experts and epidemiologists from the

Both met Curtis when she started Heatwave Haven when they were living outside near Jefferson by the downtown west neighborhood. The couple had been unhoused for two months when Jordan lost her apartment back in June. They say Unhoused STL has helped them get resources medically, food, receive SNAP benefits, and temporary housing at the Tiny House Community on Jefferson. During those hot summer months, Heatwave Haven came through for Jordan and Brown and folks who are a part of their community.

“It should be more people like Ramona, that have a heart to do for the unhoused people,” said Brown. Following his statement, Jordan said, “Since meeting Ramona it has been so positive.”

Brown says he feels the local politicians aren’t doing enough

federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have signed on for a 10-month stint to identify trends related to substance abuse and lack of treatment options.

The CDC assembled the team for the St. Louis health department after CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky visited the city’s health department earlier this year. Hlatshwayo Davis asked the agency for help.

“When I told her I didn’t have one person that I was employed here to do the work for that, she was stunned,” Hlatshwayo Davis said. “I mean, floored!”

The seven-person team will work on collecting data while city health officials interview and hire 14 permanent staff members for the bureau, including nurses, epidemiologists and data specialists. Then, the department will start work based on the information the CDC team collected.

“If I know where the deficits are, if I know where the disproportionate deaths are, that’s where we want to drive action both internally and through our partners,” Hlatshwayo Davis said.

The director was vague about how the department will address those needs, but said the bureau hopes in the next six months to create a map of where addiction and substance use prevention services are needed in the city, create a plan to address the overdose crisis and create a dashboard that will track opioid overdose metrics.

to help those like him and his girlfriend. They feel ignored and overlooked. According to the City of St. Louis Housing Support: Services for the Unhoused the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for the homeless has a total amount of $16,386,370.00. $10,970,334.64 has been allocated for Estimate and Apportionment (E&A) approved contracts, personnel services, and Board Bill approved Intergovernmental agreements (IGA). There are eight projects to help combat

homelessness in our city, each project is given a certain amount of funds.

For example, the WrapAround-Services project has $1,250,000.00 in its budget, but the project is only estimated to need $973,946.00, however, the project department has only spent $1,747.20.

The Permanent Supportive Housing project has a budget of $1,500,000.00, the estimated funds needed is $1,210,784.00, but zero dollars have been spent. The Tiny Homes project has a budget of

$2,000,000.00 the estimated amount needed for this project is $1,000,000.00 but only $689.50 have been spent on the project. Curtis said, “I can’t rely on the city, despite the fact that the city has the funding, they’re not spending it on those who it is for.”

Now that we are in the cooler months of the year, Curtis is prepping her team and volunteers for the winter ahead. She is getting set up for her winter shelter called Revolution Winter Haven,

she is calling it a revolution because Unhoused STL is tired of the way our city is handling homelessness, her staff and volunteers are finding ways to radically love unhoused people. “We are a pulled-together group of caring people,” said Curtis. The founder and CEO hoped to bring more awareness and resources to the people she cares about the most. Ashley Winters if the St. Louis American Report for America reporter

Photo courtesy of Unhoused STL

More evidence of Jack Coatar’s “Dark Deeds”

More sunlight continues to expose the blatant dark deeds of current 7th Ward Alderman and aldermanic president candidate Jack Coatar. We don’t understand how he continues with his campaign.

Since our column last week, we have received more evidence of unethical behavior by the young alderman, especially the facts related to corrupt deals with developers.

Remember Coatar’s public admonition of his donors, Lux Living, when he returned $15,000 to the controversial developers last month? He told the Post-Dispatch, “I returned their money and told them to clean up their act,” but Coatar never commented on the years-long media coverage of tenants complaining about maintenance, repairs, and working utilities. Because the young alderman never bothered to speak up about the damage Lux Living inflicted upon its renters, we can only assume that he condoned the developer’s nefarious actions. Actually - we don’t have to assume. We know. Coatar wrote so himself.

A letter earlier this year has surfaced, dated March 28, 2022, and seemingly submitted in support of Lux Living’s application for a 25-year tax break from the Port Authority of Kansas City. But where St. Louis has failed to do its due diligence when it comes to bigmoney developers, Kansas City vets these developers - and consequently Lux Living’s bid for a $55 million development was

rejected. Public records show that Lux Living’s partners failed to disclose SEC charges and a history of litigation involving other real estate projects.

In contrast, Coatar irresponsibly touted Lux Living on his aldermanic letterhead to the Kansas City Port Authority, claiming that Lux’s “redevelopments and new construction have helped to fill a void in St. Louis’ residential rental market” and that their apartments “are in high demand from residents.”

Of course, this is not a true statement, because Lux Living’s developments in St. Louis are widely understood to have relatively low occupancy rates. Moreover, St. Louis’ greatest need is affordable housing - not unaffordable, so-called “luxury” apartments that come at the expense of St. Louis Public Schools.

The alderman makes an interesting admission to Port KC in his letter: “as Alderman, I have supported Lux Living through legislation for incentive requests, zoning changes, and, most recently, redesigning an interaction to support the SoHo Apartments.” There, Coatar lays bare how he has used his aldermanic power - but he neglects to inform the Kansas City Port Authority of his actual relationship with Lux Living and how much money he has taken from the developer since taking office in 2015.

But Lux Living is not the only campaign donor who has - on paper - engaged in pay-toplay schemes with Coatar.

Take, for example, a $20,000 donation earlier this week to “Jack PAC,” Coatar’s political action committee, by the MidAmerica Carpenters Regional Council, formerly known as the St. Louis-Kansas City Carpenters Regional Council before federal criminal inquiries and civil litigation shut down local operations and relocated the former power player to Chicago.

Coatar’s close relationships with multi-million-dollar developers have seemingly been mostly beneficial to everyone but residents and business owners in his ward.

Why is a sitting alderman taking PAC money from a political organization under federal investigation, anyway?

But perhaps more concerning - and in-line with the confirmed corrupt actions by former aldermanic board president Lewis Reed - was Coatar’s acceptance of a $50,000 campaign contribution by the “Leadership Counts,” deposited last week upon the quarterly filing deadline closed. Practically speaking, this means that “Leadership Counts” won’t have to report any of its donors until January 15, 2023. Only a week before its $50,000 donation to Coatar, the “Leadership Counts” PAC had cash on hand of only $981.63.

Luckily for our readers, we don’t need to speculate about the source of the $50,000 donation to Coatar. A day before Jack PAC received those funds, an entity called “SLC Holdings, LLC,” which has a registered address that is the same as Busch Stadium, made a $50,000 contribution to the “Leadership Counts” PAC. S-L-C -- we’ll let our readers connect the dots on these three letters and the registered address.

The day before he reported Carpenter’s donation, Coatar also received $50,000 from the Lodging Hospitality Management, represented by its lobbyist Dave Sweeney. Lodging Hospitality Management currently is in a labor dispute with its employees at Union Station who are trying to unionize.

This is a perfect example of what political pundits mean

by the term “dark money” - a voter has to dig into the weeds to connect the dots. It’s when a politician is not being forthright or transparent about who is supporting him. If we had to guess, the EYE would posit that Coatar knows the consequences of being honest and forthcoming with voters about taking money from union-busting corporations and developers with poor relationships with workers.

Ehlmann’s retrograde and condescending manner hinder regional cooperation

The same lack of accountability has seemingly spilled into our regional neighbor-tothe-north. Although, somehow, St. Charles County’s leader has had far worse problems than corrupt Coatar, St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann has been struggling to recover from a self-inflicted public knock-out. In a paywalled opinion piece in the St. Louis Business Journal, Ehlmann called for something that neither St. Louis City nor County residents have asked for: a new state law that would remove the powers of the St. Louis City Circuit Attorney to prosecute police officers within their jurisdiction. Ehlmann’s retrograde and condescending manner is a hindrance to regional cooperation.

No other county’s democratically-elected prosecutor in the state would be subject to the same removal of power. Of course, Ehlmann had other ideas for damaging policies to cram into this proposed legislation, like merging of the City and County judicial circuits, and he based his authority to speak on these issues on occasional visits to cultural amenities, or to shop or go to a Cardinals or Blues game.

St. Louis City Mayor Tishaura O. Jones responded to Ehlmann’s out-of-line comments in a KMOX interview last Thursday. Jones reminded the St. Charles County politician that he first and foremost was not elected by St. Louis

City voters and that residents were sick of “being talked down to” by a person who doesn’t live here and who isn’t invested in our community.

Jones called out Ehlmann for refusing to join the City and County’s lawsuit against the State to strike down the Second Amendment Preservation Act, which has impeded local and state law enforcement’s efforts to investigate and prosecute gun crimes. She also called on the St. Charles County Executive to put money where his mouth is, by contributing some of his county’s resources to regional amenities, including the ZooMuseum District, Lambert International Airport, and MetroLink system.

Jones also made clear St. Louis City’s relationship with the state’s top elected officials.

“I value the relationships that I have with our governor and lieutenant governor,” the Mayor said, recalling her previous service in the state legislature.

“Absolutely we do not agree on everything, but we work on the things we do agree on and stay away from the things that we don’t. And that’s leadership.”

Ehlmann appeared on last week’s Donnybrook after Mayor Jones’ comments, where he tried to defend an opinion that no one wanted to hear.

Rather than showing some respect for St. Louis City and County voters, Ehlmann pushed aggressively the idea of Jefferson City going over voters’ heads and legislating away our democratic rights. Even the Post-Dispatch’s world-weary

Bill McClellan cast doubt on Ehlmann’s ideas for a city 45 minutes away, saying, “I just think the problem, Steve, is the idea that we’re going to let the rest of the state make these decisions and, suddenly, we won’t have such a crime problem.”

The timing of Ehlmann’s newfound concern for “crime” in St. Louis City and its alleged impact on St. Charles County could not be more noteworthy, as the suburban politician’s entire career has been focused on clouding up his own government’s lack of transparency and differentiating his jurisdiction from St. Louis.

representing his own county, let alone speaking about someone else’s. There have been numerous opportutnities during his 30-plus-year political career to show some commitment to support regionalism. But within a week of taking office as St. Charles County Executive, Ehlmann introduced legislation that undermined St. Charles County by effectively defunding their public schools. The measure passed, ultimately establishing the St. Charles County Municipal Court. When a municipaltype court is created, the fines for municipal violations go to the county (or municipal) government. Otherwise, under state law, fines from traffic cases prosecuted in the circuit court go to public school districts across the county. The creation of municipal courts, especially in St. Louis County, was one of the ways angry white parents fought back against desegregation. By removing potential revenue from the public schools and redirecting those intercepted funds to municipal police and courts, our region gradually evolved into the 90-something municipalities hellscape that have physically and financially burdened residents and families, and helped perpetuate cycles of poverty across entire other swaths of St. Louis County. Ehlmann advocated for - and won - this additional layer of policing for his constituents. By further militarizing St. Charles County and adding more police - in 2007, mind you - Ehlmann hurt St. Charles County schoolchildren. In 2009, Ehlmann made no efforts to hide his opposition to a state law that would have expanded the St. Louis Zoo-Museum District and its tax base to counties beyond St. Louis. It is unquestionable that our region’s prominence and the core of its economic vitality is built around St. Louis City and County. We are the center. No one visits this area to go to St. Charles. They come to the City or County for sporting events, concerts, dining, shopping, and entertainment. As regional non-tax-payers, St. Charles residents are no different from out-of-state tourists who come to the City to enjoy amenities that even Ehlmann admits he enjoys.

For example, Ehlmann’s role in January 1991, helping the St. Charles County Commission draft a policy to undermine its obligations under the Missouri Sunshine Law, believing it to be a “hindrance” to “efficient operations of county business.”

Although he was a state representative at the time, Ehlmann is credited in the Post-Dispatch as authoring the County Commission’s anti-transparency policy. Flash forward a few years to Ehlmann’s time in the Missouri Senate, where he supported a 1995 bill that would have sealed police investigation reports and blocked them from public view. The bill failed only because Ehlmann and another senator were returning to the senate chambers from another meeting and missed the vote. Inexplicably, then-state Sen. Lacy Clay told the Post-Dispatch that he, too, supported preventing the public from obtaining police reports.

Ehlmann’s own record of supporting anti-transparency laws as well as intentional efforts to undermine his constituents disqualify him from

If St. Charles County wants to be regarded in our region to be anything other than a largely suburban bedroom community with few attributes as a major economic driver, its leadership should have some interest in being more collaborative in fostering forward looking strategies for regional growth and prosperity. They should contribute funds to improve the airport, and pay for an expansion of MetroLink service that connects St. Charles to that regional asset. And as a start, no more excuses - stop waiting for the rural-dominated state legislature to remove obstacles to joining the Zoo-Museum District and find a way to make it happen.

The assets needed to be a more competitive region for inclusive growth come at a cost and all parties across our bistate region need to contribute their share in a more collegial and respectful way.

Urban League opens Save Our Sons location on city’s southside

Program has helped more than 2,500 clients

The newest Urban League Save Our Sons location was made possible by a partnership between the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development (MDHEWD) and the Urban League to expand operations of the Save Our Sons and Save Our Sisters Workforce Development programs. Sen. Steve Roberts, UL President Mike McMillan, and Dr. Mardy Leathers, director of the Missouri Office of Workforce Development, along with Mayor Tishaura Jones, tour the new facility in south St. Louis at 2626 Cherokee Street in the city’s Gravois Park neighborhood Tuesady, Oct. 11.

By Alvin A. Reid

The St. Louis American

Johnny Cotton sat front and center on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, as Mike McMillan, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis president and CEO, and other dignitaries celebrated the opening of a new Save Our Sons job training and skills center at 2626 Cherokee on the city’s southside.

Cotton, who spent 16 years in federal prison

before being granted clemency by President Obama on his last day in the Oval Office, was the most powerful example of SOS success shared during the ceremony. SOS assists Black males in obtaining education and job training, and Cotton took full advantage.

He now works for the Missouri Department of Transportation in its signing and striping department and is one of more than 2,500 people that the program has helped.

Tydrell Stevens, SOS director, said Cotton’s

Stark reality

Increasing internet access is key

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

n “We’ve been talking about the digital divide for over 30 years. It’s no longer just the digital divide, and these are issues of equity, fundamental issues of fairness about who’s connected and who’s not.” – Federal Communications Commissioner Geoffrey Starks

The digital divide and digital redlining, zone casting, and overall access to the internet for Black and brown communities top the agenda of Federal Communications Commissioner Geoffrey Starks. With three Democrats and two Republicans, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent government agency overseen by Congress. The commission’s chief responsibility begins with implementing and enforcing the nation’s laws and regulations surrounding communications. The

story confirms that SOS “is about changing lives.”

“Since his release, it changed Johnny’s life. Today is amazing. The bar has been raised in south St. Louis,” he said.

Stevens said he was born and raised on the southside, and many of his friends “had different barriers keeping them from reaching the next stage [in their lives.]

See URBAN LEAGUE, A10

Briana Jones named project administrator

Kwame Building Group recently hired Briana Jones as project administrator. As project administrator, Jones is responsible for administrative support on various projects, working primarily on the Metropolitan Sewer District project. She corresponds with project team members and clients, creating presentations, managing records and compiling reports. Celebrating its 30year anniversary in 2021, the employee-owned company provides estimating, scheduling, project planning, value engineering and other project management services as an independent advocate for owners and developers.

William-Moore named director at ARCHS

Charlan WilliamsMoore

Charlan Williams-Moore has joined Area Resources for Community and Human Services (ARCHS) as directors of family support initiatives. Moore brings extensive program management experience through a career path with the Urban League, Midtown Community Services, and University City Children’s Center. She has a master’s degree in organizational management from Saint Louis University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Clark-Atlanta University. Over the years, ARCHS’ partnerships focusing on early childhood, youth development/afterschool, ex-offenders, and children’s vision care have been recognized by FOCUS-St. Louis.

Frierson named chief people officer at Explore

Explore St. Louis recently announced that Shana Frierson will join the company as its chief people officer, bringing more than 15 years of experience in human resources. Frierson will ensure that Explore St. Louis’ core values are reflected in the organization’s approach to diversity, equity, inclusion, recruitment, company culture and employee development. Frierson has a BS in business administration from Webster University and a MA in human resources development and human resources management from Lindenwood University. Prior to Explore St. Louis, Frierson spent more than seven years in human resources at Levy Restaurants.

Staten named officer at Carrollton Bank

Tamika Staten has been named community development officer at Carrollton Bank. Staten has 15 years of experience, most recently serving as a Financial Education Specialist at St. Louis Community Credit Union and Prosperity Connection. She was also a team leader at the Internal Revenue Service for several years. She received her bachelor’s degree of science in human resources management/ personnel administration, general from Lindenwood University and is a certified Home Ownership Counselor.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Shana Frierson

Tamika Staten

Briana Jones

Photo courtesy of PBS

The newest Urban League Save Our Sons location is a partnership between the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development (MDHEWD) and the Urban League to expand operations of the Save Our Sons and Save Our Sisters Workforce Development programs. On Tuesday, Oct. 11, a grand opening was held for its new south side location in the city’s Gravois Park neighborhood. UL President Mike McMillan, and Dr. Mardy Leathers, director of the Missouri Office of Workforce Development, along with Mayor Tishaura Jones were on

Urban League

Continued from A9

“We plan on placing 150 people in jobs [annually] through this location. Just think what that can mean to this community,” he said.

McMillan said the Urban League now has eight SOS locations. The southside location is one of five that includes an Urban Closet, where clients can access suits, dresses, and accessories to wear during job interviews.

“This is a roadmap to empowerment,” McMillan said.

“We are serving in the purpose of what the Urban League was created to do. Nationally, we have placed more Black people in jobs than any other organization. And we help all people,” he said.

Mayor Tishaura Jones said the SOS impact on the city is vital “because you are less likely to pick up a gun if you are picking up a paycheck,”

“This is one of the most

Starks

Continued from A9

believes that communications technology has the potential to be one of the most potent forces on Earth for promoting equality and opportunity.

“To unlock that potential, however, all Americans must have access,” Starks said during an appearance on the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s live morning news broadcast, Let It Be Known.

“What we regulate is the infrastructure of the internet, the pipeline,” the commissioner added, noting further that the FCC protects consumers and promotes universal service.

“We’ve been talking about the digital divide for over 30 years,” Starks asserted. “It’s no longer just the digital divide,

important ways to make the city safer.”

State Sen. Karla May said the SOS program gives people more than employment opportunities.

“It gives them hope. It gives them confidence,” she said.

“If you want to reduce crime, you have to reduce poverty. To reduce poverty, we need SOS. This model is so successful because the need is great.”

State Rep. Rasheen Aldridge said opening the new southside office “continues the transformative work we need to do in St. Louis.”

“This is not just about building wealth for yourself, but for your families as well,” he said.

McMillan said employment is the core pillar of the Urban League.

“It is the No. 1 thing we focus on. When you look at the crime rate, education, and housing; having a job can help all of them fall into place.”

The SOS office was developed through a

and these are issues of equity, fundamental issues of fairness about who’s connected and who’s not.”

Starks said he’s focused on the data that shows a disproportionately high number of Black and brown individuals who remain disconnected on the affordability issue.

“The good news is that Congress has heeded that call, and we now have over $14 billion [to help] those with low income, those on SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, and public housing. So if you are [in those categories], we will help you get connected to the internet free,” Starks pronounced.

“We’ve got to do better and ensure our brothers and sisters are connected. This helps with job opportunities, telemedicine, and telehealth,” he continued. “There are so

partnership between the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development [MDHEWD] and the Urban League.

“We help Missourians find work, and we help Missourian stay at work,” said Mardy Leathers, MDHEWD director.

“No one does that better than the Urban League.” SOS curriculum teaches career skills and work ethic, including how to find a job, how to keep a job, how to get promoted, and how to remain marketable in the workplace.

The newly established Save Our Sisters program provides employment, training, and mentorship to women as they work to improve financial management, career readiness, entrepreneurship, and being a caregiver.

“Together, we are creating a regional system that delivers in-demand programs and services that benefit those seeking employment and career advancement while meeting the needs of St. Louis employer partners,” McMillan said.

many reasons we have to do so, and I’m passionate about this.” Earlier this year, the FCC launched a task force to target digital discrimination and “digital redlining.” Commissioners noted that everyone, regardless of where they live and who they are, needs access to complete highspeed broadband services for 21st-century success.

“Where broadband networks get built shouldn’t be determined by the income, race, ethnicity, or religion of the communities they will serve,” officials noted in a release. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requires the FCC to create rules and policies to address digital discrimination and redlining to promote equal access.

“The task force was part of the Infrastructure Law,” Starks stated. “I’ve seen digital discrimination firsthand in my travels. So we’re taking a hard look to ensure digital equity throughout the country. That’s the chief goal.” Starks also addressed ZoneCasting, the FCC rule that allows stations to broadcast geo-targeted content for five minutes or less each hour.

“ZoneCasting is a new technology that’s before me as a commissioner. It’s the ability to use boosting to advertise better locally,” Starks said.

“I have been honored to hear from the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters and so many of their colleagues there who have made clear that this makes sense for small Black and brown radio stations. I’m working with my colleagues to make sure they know and recognize the value of increasing the ability of small Black and brown radio stations to have hyper-local advertising.”

hand for the historic moment.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

UMSL welcomes cohort of students from The Bahamas

A partnership between the University of Missouri–St. Louis and the Ministry of Education in The Bahamas has brought a cohort of 20 first-year students from the Caribbean country to St. Louis this semester.

The students are part of the Public School Scholars Programme or received the National Tuition Assistance Scholarship. The Public School Scholars Programme was instituted in The Bahamas in 2015 to promote college readiness, equity and access in the public school system.

The Ministry of Education provides each student enrolled in the program with guaranteed scholarship awards ranging from $7,500 to $15,000 – and matched by awards from one of its 33 partner institutions in the United States and Canada – for up to four years.

Reggie Hill, UMSL’s vice chancellor for strategic enrollment, finalized the agreement to become a partner with the Ministry of Education in January after previously signing similar agreements while working in admissions at St. Leo University and the University of the Ozarks.

“One of the things that the University of Missouri–St. Louis offers is being a tier 1, public research institution,” Hill said. “The Ministry of Education in The Bahamas has what they consider high-need academic areas, and the majors that we offer here are neatly aligned with the national interests and the economic interests of The Bahamas.

“I knew UMSL’s brand, degree offerings and its location – being in St. Louis, Missouri, a diverse community, not only cultural community but economically – would attract Bahamian students.”

This fall, the Bahamian students have joined first-year students from at least 28 countries spread across five continents, enriching the diversity of the campus community.

Being joined by so many of their countrymen should help ease the adjustment each student has living on their own and away from home as they immerse themselves in the UMSL community.

Lincoln University among 28 HBCUs selected for HBCU initiative

Lincoln University of Missouri is participating in a new initiative that joins 28 Historically Black Colleges and Universities with Strada Education Network, a nonprofit social impact organization dedicated to increasing students’ economic mobility by fostering more purposeful connections between education and work. The initiative is strengthened by Strada’s $25 million grant that will support HBCUs and the next generation of leaders.

“LU is honored to have been selected by Strada Education to take part in this initiative,” said Lincoln University President Dr. John B. Moseley.

“Participation in this initiative allows us to continue supporting our students — future leaders and innovators for our community — in the best ways possible.”

Throughout the past year, Lincoln University students conversed with Strada Education Network to identify needs and opportunities to accelerate economic mobility for HBCU students. Strada’s initiative will focus on leadership development and provide students with scholarships and financial support to help with the costs of working internships. It will also help students create and build their professional networks and prepare them to start a career or begin graduate studies.

Strada Education Network works to help the millions of Americans who seek to complete postsecondary education

and training gain value from their experiences and go on to build meaningful careers. The $25 million investment was created to amplify and support the existing work of HBCUs in the Black community.

Lydia Huston named Kwame Foundation executive director Kwame Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Kwame Building Group, has selected Lydia Huston as its new executive director. She will oversee daily operations, apply multidimensional fundraising and community relations initiatives and implement yearround philanthropic activities through the organization’s existing events and programs.

Since 2003, the organization

has contributed nearly $3 million in endowed scholarships, primarily for firstgeneration college students. With Huston’s hiring, the organization will shift to endowing scholarships primarily to HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities).

“As the Executive Director of Kwame Foundation, Lydia will merge her years of proven fundraising success with

strategic community engagement and sound administrative practices. I firmly believe our new direction of endowing scholarships primarily to HBCUs is critical to help level the playing field for minority students committed to obtaining a college education,” said Kwame Foundation Founder Tony Thompson. Huston holds a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Studies

from Saint Louis University and is a Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE). She is a board member with St. Louis University’s Black Alumni as well as a recent graduate of FOCUS St. Louis Women in Leadership program. Lydia previously served in key leadership roles at Loyola Academy of St. Louis, The Little Bit Foundation, Fontbonne University and YWCA Metro St. Louis. Huston holds a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Studies from Saint Louis University and is a Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE).

Lydia Huston

“Taking Care of You”

Heart to heart

Local women driven by personal experiences with heart disease

By Alvin A. Reid

The St. Louis American

Like many African Americans, heart disease and high blood pressure has impacted the families of two local Black women who are now working to reduce its frequency in minority communities.

Devita Stallings, Ph.D., an associate professor of nursing at Saint Louis University’s Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing, recently received a $50,000 Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences [ICTS] grant to improve African American health outcomes.

The ICTS is a Washington University-led research consortium, of which Saint Louis University is a member, and Stallings is

using it for community-based research and development of an app for self-management of hypertension among African American patients.

“We need more researchers doing this work to improve African Americans’ quality of life and life expectancy,” said Stallings, who lost her grandmother to a stroke when she was a child.

She said her grandmother’s death “now fuels [my] passion to educate the community about the dangers of uncontrolled blood pressure.”

Stallings’ is studying factors that influence self-management behaviors of minority populations with hypertension and heart failure. One way to reach underserved populations, she said, is through a telephone.

What makes her app unique is its use of “theory-based, culturally relevant, individualized, and evidence-based self-management interventions to improve hypertension disparities.”

She will employ an IT developer and a hypertension advisor panel consisting of nurses, doctors, nutritionists, community leaders, and African Americans living with hypertension.

Like Stallings, Chonda Nwamu, senior vice president, general counsel, and secretary for Ameren Corporation, has also dealt with heart disease in her family.

She is serving as the American Heart Association [AHA] Go Red For Women cam-

Breast cancer screenings save lives

By Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D.

Though the fall season typically is associated with deep colors such as orange and red, the month of October is now best known for the color pink and its association with breast cancer awareness. Except for skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Per the National Cancer Society, it is estimated that over 43,000 women will die of breast cancer and almost 290,000 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer by the end of 2022.

As a medical student, I learned about breast cancer. I learned how to recognize it, the tests used to diagnose it, and the procedures used to treat it. However, that academic knowledge cannot compare to real-life examples I have seen over the years. Descriptions written on a page in a textbook pale in comparison to the women for whom I have had the honor to provide care. I can still see the faces of some of these women. Some of the women were diligent with their self-breast exams. Many of them were not. Some women came into the office immediately if they noted a lump in their breasts, a nipple discharge, or experienced breast pain. But a few women waited a few months to see if the symptoms would disappear. Some women waited years before they came into the office.

As you can imagine, the outcome for these different scenarios also varied. Some of those previously mentioned examples were benign, some had local disease, and some died from metastatic breast cancer.

However, breast cancer does not have to be a death sentence. Breast cancer screenings save lives. The keys to survival are prevention and early detection.

Though mammography has been the standard of care for some time, many women continue to be delayed in their routine screenings. Several barriers to screening mammograms exist such as low income, lack of access to care, lack of a primary care physician, lack of a provider-driven recommendation, lack of awareness regarding breast cancer risks and screening techniques, and cultural/language differences. These barriers may help explain why disparities in breast cancer exist for African American women. The incidence

STL breast cancer death disparity rate among U.S. highest

Racial barriers among causes

By Ariama C. Long Word In Black

Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death among women, but research shows that despite a slight decline in the mortality rate due to earlier detection and improvements in treatment, Black women are still at a 40% higher risk of death from breast cancers than white women.

In a Susan G. Komen report published last year, “Closing the Breast Cancer Gap: A Roadmap to Save the Lives of Black Women in America,” the nationwide breast cancer awareness organization studied 10 cities with the highest reported disparities for Black women when it comes to breast cancer. The cities were Dallas, Memphis, Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, Tidewater, Va., Houston, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Los Angeles.

n The report found that Black women experience higher rates of death from breast cancer because of a myriad of factors, including “barriers to early diagnosis, the aggressive nature of certain breast cancers that are more prevalent in Black women, and systemic racism, discrimination and a lack of quality care.”

The St. Louis Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure draws one of the nation’s largest turnouts of breast cancer survivors, family members, and participants remembering those lost to the disease. A Komen report released last year lists St. Louis as fifth in the nation in the breast cancer death disparity rate.

Devita Stallings, Ph.D., RN to BSN program coordinator and associate professor of nursing at Saint Louis University’s Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing, is researching factors that influence self-management behaviors of minority populations with hypertension and heart failure.

Photo by Sarah Conroy / St. Louis University

Photo courtesy of Komen.org

Denise HooksAnderson

“Taking Care of You”

Planned Parenthood will open mobile clinic in southern Illinois

Goal is to assist Missourians

By Tessa Weinberg Missouri Independent

To fortify access to abortion throughout the Midwest and in Missouri, where the procedure is almost entirely banned, Planned Parenthood is launching a mobile clinic across the state line in southern Illinois.

The mobile clinic will be part of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri and will provide medication abortions up to 11 weeks gestation. It’s expected to launch later this year.

Abortion clinics on wheels have begun to get off the ground across the country, and this mobile unit will be the first throughout the Planned Parenthood network, said Yamelsie Rodríguez, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri.

In the coming weeks, Planned Parenthood will also be taking over the location of Tri-Rivers Family Planning, a Title X health center in Rolla, which recently closed. It provided contraceptives, pregnancy tests and additional reproductive health services to residents across central Missouri.

The dual initiatives are two prongs in Planned Parenthood’s strategic plan to bolster access to abortion and reproductive health care in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

“We are doubling down on our commitment to expanding access to family planning in the state of Missouri,” Rodríguez said, “while we

Heart Disease

Continued from A12

paign chair

“I have a history of heart disease in my family, so my involvement in Go Red for Women is personal,” Nwamu said.

“Beyond my personal connection, I am motivated by how the American Heart Association is actively working to address issues of health equity and access to health

Breast Cancer

Continued from A12

Black women who often spoke up for themselves within the healthcare setting were ignored or met with disapproval, which often led to delays in treatment and deepening mistrust, said the report.

Natasha Mmeje, director of community education and outreach at Susan G. Komen, said that there’s a huge disparity in death rates in women of color and that Black women tend to be diagnosed with later-stage breast cancer as well.

Breast cancers, such as triple-negative breast cancer [TNBC] and inflammatory

Anderson

Continued from A12

of breast cancer is lower in African American women but the death rate is higher. Research has also shown that African American women are

continue to work nonstop to rebuild access to abortion in the state.”

The mobile clinic will have two fully functional exam rooms, a lab and ultrasound machines. The unit will be built with the ability to also offer procedural abortions, which may be offered later, Rodríguez said. While exact routes for the mobile unit have not been finalized, the 37-foot long, 8-foot-wide RV will aim to both reduce the miles patients are traveling for care while also relieving pressure on Planned Parenthood’s abortion clinic in Fairview Heights, Illinois — just across the Missouri border.

The surge in patients traveling to what has become an

care, specifically among underserved communities and women of color.”

The annual campaign raises awareness about heart disease, the leading cause of death for women. It will culminate with the St. Louis Go Red for Women Luncheon on April 26, 2023. Since its inception in 2004, Go Red for Women has had “a profound impact on women’s health,” according to Jennifer Jaeger, American Heart Association St. Louis executive director.

breast cancer, are considered extremely aggressive because they grow and spread quickly.

TNBC is commonly found in Black women younger than 40 or ones that have the BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations in their genes. This type of breast cancer also, unfortunately, has fewer treatments available than other types.

“It’s a perfect storm of issues that have been brewing for a long time in our country, and they expand across health care and generally our society at large,” said Mmeje.

“Really, what we know is that Black women are dying more than white women because all of our systems have failed them and continue to fail them at every point in their

more likely to present with more advanced breast cancer and are often delayed in receiving the type of care that is needed once the cancer is diagnosed. Maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise, and eating a diet full of fruits and vegetables are all ways

abortion safe haven in southern Illinois, “happened practically overnight” after Roe v. Wade was overturned in late June, Rodríguez said. Calls for assistance for transportation, accommodations and monetary aid received by the Regional Logistics Center in Fairview Heights more than doubled in the first two months following the Supreme Court’s decision, Rodríguez said, and have come from practically every state where abortion has been restricted.

In Missouri, the state’s trigger law banned nearly all abortions the day Roe v. Wade was overturned, and Planned Parenthood — previously the state’s last abortion provider — ceased all abortion services.

“As the trusted, passionate and relevant force to eradicate heart disease and stroke through the Go Red for Women movement, the American Heart Association remains steadfast and committed to meeting the comprehensive health needs of women – at every life stage.”

Jaeger added her organization is “thrilled to have Chonda’s experience,

breast cancer journeys.”

Mmeje posited that one explanation for such high death rates among Black women could be the lack of timely access to mammograms since most doctors recommend screenings at 40 and not at younger ages where Black women are being affected.

Most abortions are outlawed in at least 14 states, with bans blocked by the courts in nine states, according to The New York Times.

Planned Parenthood has extended its hours at its Fairview Heights clinic to 10 hours a day, six days a week, with appointments also being offered one to two Sundays a month. Having appointments seven days a week is the next goal.

The crush of demand and longer distances patients are now forced to travel to access the procedure means Planned Parenthood is seeing a rise in demand for an abortion later in pregnancy, said Colleen McNicholas, Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest

conviction and passion help to drive Go Red in St. Louis.”

“Together, we know that we will have a positive impact on the lives of women in our community and the families that depend on them,” she said.

The AHA raises funds from local and national Go Red for Women activities to support awareness, research, education, and

The Komen report concluded that other root causes for the

to improve the likelihood of not having breast cancer. It is not too late to start these lifesaving habits. In addition, be proactive. Don’t delay yearly mammograms. As an African American female doctor, I know how devastating breast cancer can be personally and professional-

disparities may be a lack of knowledge and study of genetic testing in the Black community, inequitable research on Black women in clinical trials, a high percentage of medically underserved communities, and the social and economic gap. Historically, said the study, Black people do not volunteer for genetic testing and studies, and Black

ly. This is why I advocate on behalf of women of color. Our presence must be at the table when resources are allocated for mammography access, breast cancer treatment, breast cancer education, and breast cancer research. In addition, we must continue to push our educational institutions to

Missouri’s chief medical officer. “So as the numbers and demand for procedural abortion, particularly in the second trimester increase,” McNicholas said, “it’s going to be really critical for us to be able to redistribute some of the demand for medication abortion — a service that we know is completely safe to offer outside brick and mortar either via telehealth or via mobile care.”

Planned Parenthood ceased offering medication abortions, which are typically induced by a two-pill regimen, in Missouri in 2019 after the state mandated pelvic exams on patients that McNicholas said were “really truly a violation of our medical ethics to continue to provide that service under those conditions.”

In Illinois, Planned Parenthood has provided medication abortions through telehealth — an avenue that is banned in Missouri — and can mail the pills to patients.

Prior to Roe v. Wade being overturned, over 60% of those seeking an abortion nationwide across Planned Parenthood health centers sought a medication abortion, Rodríguez said.

‘We’re going to continue to show up’

In the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned, confusion has swirled.

A hospital system in Kansas City temporarily ceased providing emergency contraception, citing ambiguity in the state’s trigger law, and Missouri physicians shared fears of potentially fatal delays in care due to doctors’ fears of prosecution under the law.

community programs to benefit women.

Only 55% of women realize heart disease is the number one cause of death and less than half know what are considered healthy levels for cardiovascular risk factors like blood pressure and cholesterol, according to the AHA.

Department of Health and Human Services statistics illustrate the importance of Stallings research and the Go Red For Women campaign • African Americans are

women are less likely to go to the doctor or take prescribed medications.

Dr. Vivian Bea is the section chief of breast surgical oncology at NewYorkPresbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital and an assistant professor of surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine.

She says it is imperative to know your risk, as well as family history, get screened early and bring a friend for support if you can. Also, administering self-breast exams to lower the chances of breast cancer.

She emphasized that women should not let fear stop them. When I take care of my Black patients ... I can’t

educate our next generation of healthcare providers on systemic racism and how that long standing institution has contributed to the disparities that we see in breast cancer. October is not just about the leaves turning colors, the temperature dropping, or sitting outside on the patio sip-

That’s when Tri-Rivers Family Planning in Rolla began receiving calls from patients worried they would have to remove their intrauterine devices and seeking guidance to cut through the misinformation on whether their birth control was now illegal.

“We’re still having people that tell us that that’s why they’re getting those longer acting methods,” of birth control, said Hailey Kramer, Tri-River’s lead nurse practitioner. “Because they don’t want to get pregnant in this day and age.”

Many of Tri-River’s patients are low-income and lack health insurance, and the clinic will be the Planned Parenthood affiliate’s first rural location in the state, where access to health care — and reproductive health care in particular — can be especially difficult to attain in the face of long distances, cost barriers, stigma and more.

Rodríguez said it’s part of Planned Parenthood’s commitment to expanding into communities in the need of greater reproductive health care and continuing to make abortion accessible — even as it faces losses of over $600,000 a year from restricted Medicaid payments from the state. Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit against the state over the restricted payments is ongoing

“We’re going to continue to show up,” McNicholas said. “And whether it takes a month, a year or 10 years, we will fight our way back to having equitable access to all reproductive health care, including abortion in the state of Missouri.”

30% more likely to die from heart disease than non-Hispanic whites.

A• lthough African American adults are 40% more likely to have high blood pressure, they are less likely than non-Hispanic whites to have their blood pressure under control.

• African American women are nearly 60% more likely to have high blood pressure, as compared to non-Hispanic white women.

tell you how often I hear, ‘I trust you because you look like me,’” she recently told TODAY.

“I hear stories of, ‘I talked to this doctor, and I told them I had a mass, and they told me it was nothing,’ or, ‘I had a pain, and they said it was in my head.’ Unfortunately (Black) women are sometimes not taken seriously.

“Black women’s lives matter. They need to know that, and oftentimes they don’t feel that way. ... Black breasts matter.”

Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member for The Amsterdam News. Alvin A. Reid of the St. Louis American contributed to this report

ping hot cider. Let this month be a reminder that breast cancer can be prevented and treated. Go get your mammogram and take a friend.

Your family doctor, Denise Hooks-Anderson, MD, FAAFP

Dr. Vivian Bey

Chonda Nwamu

Photo by Craig Phelps

Okunsola M. Amadou, founder and CEO of Jamaa Birth Village, decried the U.S. Supreme Court’s June decision to overturn Roe v. Wade during a reproductive rights rally at The Old Courthouse on Monday, October 10, 2022. She joined other speakers in vowing to continue the fight to protect women’s health options.

PRESENT:

Dining Out.

GRAINS

What Is ASize?Serving

Keep ‘em Whole!

The Smart Way!

Schedule It!

Warm Up & Cool Down

Time to Excercise

Do This. Not That!

Exercise Game

First Day of Spring!

Tech-Neck

Nutrition Challenge:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

those leftovers for lunch the next day!

are popcorn, wheatberries, brown rice and wild rice.

When your family is in a hurry and going through a fast-food drive-thru, how are you supposed to eat healthy? Here are a few tips to remember: Select grilled instead of fried options. Often the healthiest option is a nice salad of greens and veggies, along with grilled chicken. Instead of fries or onion rings, see if you can have a fresh fruit cup or side salad instead. Be mindful of liquid calories (soda, shakes, slushes, etc.). Choose water or zero-calorie drinks whenever possible.

Healthcare Careers

Cocoa Puffers Cereal

INGREDIENTS:

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s make a game out of exercise!

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

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

Healthcare Careers

> Start by substituting one drink per day to water.

r Condiments can contribute unhealthy calories, especially full-fat dressings, sauces and mayonnaise. Just think before you order — and you could eliminate hundreds of calories from sugar and fat!

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

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

Weekly Newspaper in Education Program

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

Melissa Douglass, MSW

Weekly Newspaper in Education Program

Latoya Woods, DNP, APRN,

Deborah Edwards, School Nurse

Travis Threats, PhD

FNP-C

Where do you work?

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

t Most (if not all) fast-food restaurants can now provide nutrition information for all menu items.

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

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

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

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

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 3, NH 5

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

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 3, NH 5

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

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

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 4, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 2, NH 3, NH

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

Where do you work? I am the founder and distance counselor for Goal Driven Counseling, LLC.

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

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

Learning Standards: HPE 1, HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 5 Staying Active (Naturally) DuringSummer!the Smart Summer Eating!

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

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

I am an EMT – B at Abbott EMS in Belleville, Illinois.

Too busy to exercise? Then schedule it! Just like you would put anything else important on your calendar (sports practice, school events, doctor appointments) so that you don’t forget — do the same for exercise. Try to schedule at least thirty minutes

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

> Walking to the store when possible.

> Wash your parent’s car.

November X = Exercise

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

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

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

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

(but aim for sixty!) at least four days a week. What are some creative ways to mark your calendar?

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

Instead of watching TV — ride your bike with friends.

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

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

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

According to the National Fire Protection Association, space heaters cause about 35% of all winter house fires and 80% of all winter heating fire deaths.

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

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

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

and breathing. You want to have fun, but it’s also a great way to help keep your heart, lungs and body healthy.

Try putting “Me Time!” or “Explore the Neighborhood” on your

calendar. Regular exercise is good for your heart and lungs. But don’t forget the bonus benefits. Exercise burns calories, increases your metabolism and even improves your mood. So, put it on your calendar!

Where do you work? I am the professor and chair of the department of speech-language and hearing sciences at Saint Louis University. Where did you go to school? I graduated from Washington High School in Kansas City, Kansas. I then earned a Bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Kansas State University, a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign, and a PhD in Speech-Language Pathology from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s discuss some ways to be safe while using space heaters.

Break into small groups and define what it means to be a bully. Share your ideas with the class. Did you have the same things listed (as the other groups) that you would consider as bullying behavior?

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

Make a list of your favorite 10 activities to do outdoors. Compare your list with your classmates and create a chart to see what are the most popular.

> Do not use a space heater if the chord is frayed or damaged

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

> The best space heaters are the ones with a safety switch that automatically turns off if the heater falls over. If yours does not have this, be sure to turn it off when you leave.

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

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

Now back in your groups, create a newspaper ad that includes at least two of the following:

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

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

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

Learning Standards: HPE1, HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 5

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

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1

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

> What to do if you see someone else bullied.

> Keep anything flammable away from the space heater including blankets, curtains, newspapers, etc.

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

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

Cracker-wiches

> What to do if YOU are the bully.

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

What does a school nurse do? I assess the concerns of students who are ill, injured or experiencing alterations in their normal health. Nurses screen daily staff, students and visitors for safety. Monroe School is a pilot school for Covid-19 test sites in partnership with the city.

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

What does a speech-language pathologist do? About half work in schools and half work in medical settings. The ones that work in schools work with children that have developmental disabilities like troubles with speech, making the sounds of speech, language (making sentences, understanding sentences and reading), and stuttering. In medical settings you work with people with acquired disorders through stroke, head trauma, dementia or any other brain disorder like Parkinsons disease. With these patients we work with speechlanguage cognitive, and swallowing disorders.

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

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

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

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

> How bullying hurts others.

> What to do if you are bullied.

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

> Can you think of any other space heater safety tips?

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

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

Ingredients:

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

Why did you choose this career? I was introduced to the field very young because my brother was autistic. What motivated me was actually how poorly the speech therapists and any other health professionals treated my family. They were condescending and racist. I went on to become a professor so that I could have a bigger impact in the field

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

Why did you choose this career? I love nursing because there are many opportunities in hospitals, schools, clinics and offices, insurance, legal and research. My passion is working in the schools with students, parents, staff and community partners.

What does an EMT do? My day-to-day includes helping others when they aren’t feeling their best. I also assist getting them to the hospital when they can’t take themselves. Why did you choose this career? I chose this career because I enjoy helping others problem solve. Also, I have twin stepsons, one who wants to be a police officer, and the other who wants to be a doctor. I thought that being an EMT helped me to meet them both in the middle. And, back in 2018, I had my own medical emergency and was transported by ambulance to a hospital. The paramedic that took care of me was so comforting and assuring that I realized that becoming an EMT is an honorable career. I now work with that same paramedic, at the same company.

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

What is your favorite part of the job you have?

What is your favorite part of the job you have?

1 15-Oz Can Garbanzo beans

Learning Standards: HPE 5, NH 5

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

Learning Standards: HPE 1, HPE 2, NH 5

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, HPE 7, NH 5, NH 7 Ice can be dangerous for several different reasons.

> What other ice hazards are there?

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

1 Garlic clove, crushed

Ingredients: 1 cup blueberries 1 cup non-fat Greek Yogurt

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

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 4

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

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

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

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

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

until browned and crisp.

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

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

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

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

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

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

My favorite part is the success and the great things that my students have gone on to accomplish in the field. Speech-language pathology is a moral field, meaning that those who go into the field have a moral responsibility to help the people that come to them in the way that they want to be helped.

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

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

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

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

Learning Standards: HPE 6, NH 3

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

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

Yonniece Rose, Registered Nurse

Frozen Yogurt Blueberry Bites

PRESENT:

Banana PB Smoothie

Marnay Howard, EMT - B

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

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

Teacher Dr. Bouchard discusses photos of space history with students at the Boeing flight and space museum.

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT SCIENCE STARS

African-American Astrochemist William M. Jackson

SCIENCE CORNER

A comet is made out of dust and ice. Many scientists compare them to a dirty snowball. Comets are created in two places- Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud. Comets can live there for billions of years. However, once they bump into each other, they can change direction. This is what sends them to the Inner Solar System. The Sun’s heat and radiation creates a Solar Wind, which causes an increase in temperature, and the comet begins to melt away. As they

melt, the dust and gas debris forms a tail. At this point, the only solid part of the comet is the nucleus, which is the center of the comet. As the comet gets closer to the sun, the nucleus boils off a cloud of dust and gas, called a coma. For more information, visit:

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/search/comet/.

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

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

In this experiment, you will make a colorful comet that you can use to play catch.

Materials Needed:

• Plastic Grocery Bag

• Scissors

• Tennis Ball

• String or Ribbon

• Glow-in-the-dark Paint

• Paintbrush Process:

q Cut the handles off of the plastic bag.

Catch a Comet

e Put the ball in the middle of the plastic, and pull the corners together.

r Tie the string around the plastic, close to the ball, so the plastic won’t slip off.

t Carefully cut slits in the plastic, making 1 or 2-inch strips.

y Paint the comet with glow-in-thedark paint. When the paint dries, you can decorate it with stickers, ribbons, etc.

Reflect: The tennis ball is like the ice and rock chunk in the center of a comet, and the plastic bag makes the coma and tail.

William M. Jackson was born on September 24, 1936, in Birmingham, Alabama. He grew up in Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama, and attended Immaculata High School and Central High School. Jackson earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1956 from Morehouse College, and his doctorate degree in 1961 in chemistry from Catholic University of America. He studied photochemistry, lasers chemistry, and astrochemistry.

Jackson used chemical research to understand comets and led the first research team to use the International Ultraviolet Explorer telescope in a satellite to observe comets. Jackson’s work included many organizations such as the National Bureau of Standards (now the National Institute of Standards and Technology), Martin-Marietta Company, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the University of Pittsburgh, Howard University, and University of California, Davis (UCD). Jackson has taught at UCD since 1985.

The National Science Foundation awarded Jackson a 1.2 million dollar grant to establish the Mentorship for Undergraduate Research Participants in Physical and Mathematical Sciences. Jackson made it a point to recruit and mentor African-Americans for the PhD. program in Chemistry. He has published over 165 academic papers, and has one patent in his name. He was also a founder of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers.

w Carefully cut down each side of the bag, to make a flat piece of plastic.

Rainy days mean spending more time in the classrooms, so it’s a perfect time to play games to sharpen your math skills!

101 AND OUT:

Materials Needed:

A Sheet of Paper

• Pencil • One Dice

Object of the Game:

To score as close to 101 without going over or “out.”

Learning Standards: I can follow sequential directions to make a model of a product.

Rainy Day Math Games

BACK TO BACK:

Materials Needed: A Writing Surface • Writing

Utensils • Someone who is quick with their math facts for a “caller.”

Object of the Game: Guess the other player’s number before they guess yours.

Players: 2 players and 1 caller for each round. To give everyone a chance to play, keep playing until you are “out,” and cycle in a new player each round.

Jackson has received a number of awards, including the 1997 Lifetime Mentor Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, a Distinguished Research and Emeritus Professor, Bennie Trailblazer Award, and an Alexander von Humboldt Research Award. Jackson is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society and was named a Fellow of the American Physical Society. The Planetary Society also named an asteroid 1081 EE37 as Billjackson, as a tribute to him.

Learning Standards: about an African-American who has made contributions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.

Players: Can play as individuals, in small teams, boys vs. girls, etc.

Directions: Take turns rolling the dice. Players can take the number as a one or a ten. For example, if a student rolls a 5, they could take it as a 5 or a 50. Students keep a running record of their total as they play. The player (or group) that first scores as close to 101 as possible without going over wins.

DID YOU KNOW?

Around 500 B.C., Greek philosophers used the word “komotes,” which means “long haired,” to refer to the comets they observed in the

Directions: Two students come up to the board and stand back to back. This allows for the students to write on the board, but blocks their view of the other person’s number. The players will write a number between 2 and 9. The caller states “numbers up” as the signal for the players to write their number on the board. The caller then states the sum or product of the two numbers. The students use their understanding of math facts to figure out what the other person’s number is when added or multiplied by their number. The player to say the other person’s number first wins the round. The “loser” gets to choose the next person to come to the board. Learning Standards: I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a problem.

If a comet comes close enough to Earth, it is bright enough to see during the day.

Many people believe the comet’s tail is traveling behind it. The tail can actually be in back or in front of the comet, depending on the Sun’s solar wind.

MAP CORNER

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

Activities —

Relevant Information:

Find an interesting news story to evaluate. Read the story and identify the main ideas.

Number the ideas in order of importance. Explain why you chose that order.

Polygon Perimeters: Locate and circle 4 verbs in a news story. Use a ruler to connect the verbs like a dotto-dot puzzle to form a polygon. Measure and label each side of your polygon with a ruler. Add the lengths of your sides to find the perimeter. Write the perimeter in the center of your polygon. Try it again with nouns or adjectives.

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can identify main idea. I can identify parts of speech.

Comet 67P/C-G from March 2016, about 200 miles away. Credit European Space Agency/Rosetta

An evening of elegance with purpose

Milestone 35th Salute showcases educators, students and awards

The St. Louis American Foundation’s milestone 35th annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala provided a memorable evening of elegance and inspiration from lively receptions and celebrations of dedicated educators, to outstanding musical entertainment and a delicious meal. Guests at the America’s Center Ballroom paid tribute to Lifetime Achiever Holly Cousins, Stellar Performer Dr. La Tonia Collins-Smith, the Bayer School of Excellence Marion Elementary, SEMO Community Based Partner of the Year Tashanna

and eight Excellence in Education recipients. More than $2.8 million in scholarships and community grants were distributed this year.

by

Maryville University’s Dr. Nina Caldwell with Maryville’s Suggs Scholar recipients.

University of MissouriColumbia’s Anna Maria Fernandez, with Suggs Scholar Andres Moran.

Webster University’s Dr. Beth Stroble, Vincent Flewellyn, and Julian Schuster with the Webster Suggs Scholars for 2022.

Emcee Carol Daniel and St. Louis American Foundation Director Raven Whitener present the 2022 Stellar Performer in Education award to Dr. La Tonia Collins-Smith.

The Jazz Edge Band provided entertainment during the dinner and awards program.

Stanciel,

Representatives from Marion Elementary, the 2022 Bayer School of Excellence, along with Bayer’s Al Mitchell (second from right)

2022 Lifetime Achiever in Education Holly Cousins with her mother Barbara Mae Frances Parran

SLPS’s Dr. Kelvin Adams

All photos

Wiley Price, Lois Ingrum and Maurice Meredith

The 2022 Excellence in Education awardees: Linda Wells-Glover, Dr. Regina Ware, Roosevelt Mitchell, Dr. Brittany Green, Ashley Gerald, Starlett Frenchie, Ashley Ellis and Leah Crawford.

SEMO’s Debbie Below presents the SEMO 2022 Community Based Partner of the Year award to Tashanna Stanciel.

Hon. Co-chair St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and U.S. Senate candidate Trudy Busch Valentine

Inimitable Emcee Carol Daniel entertained and engaged the Salute crowd. Salute guests give a standing ovation for the holly Cousins Lifetime Achiever.

Michael Thomas and Gabrielle Young

Guests

at the dance after party.

Goldfarb School of Nursing’s Dr. Michael Ward and Suggs Scholar Bellana Ochoa

UMSL Chancellor Kristin Sobolik with Suggs Scholar Kahleb Williams

St. Louis Community College’s Dr. Julie Fickas and STLCC Suggs Scholar Nicole Richie

Al Mitchell, vice president, corporate engagement for Bayer introduces the 2022 School of Excellence

Evelyn Gilliam and guest

Salute guests were all smiles.

Raven Hunter, Nysa Gilchrist, Chris Gilchrist, Rochelle Gilchrist, and Alyssa Gilchrist at the pre-event reception

Friends and family supporting 2022 Lifetime Achiever in Education Holly Cousins

Christina Dancy and Ald. Megan Ellyia Green

AKA members were in the house at Salute, including: Melita Ware, Annya McElroy, Terri Williams, Amy R. Miller, Ashley Garcia-Burns, Jan SandersSmith, Amanda Jackson, Michelle Ellis, Kenya Vaughn, Kamryn Haynes, Robin R. Britt, Nina Caldwell and Kimberly Hodge-Bell.

Some of the fabulous Salute volunteers

Centene’s Keith Williamson and Stephanie Williams

Darryl and Villa Jones

Jazz Edge singer Ron Wilkinson Songstress Denise Thomas

Mark and Vivian Darrell

Awardee Dr. Regina Ware with guests

Briana Bender, Darryl Jones, Chalana and Lathon Ferguson

Previous awardee Rev. Dr. Doris Graham and Rev. Randy Taylor

Washington University’s Daniel Schnall and Suggs Scholar Omolabake Oyebamji

Derriek Headed with NAACP’s John Bowman

Richard and Emily Pitts (third and fourth from the left), Dr. Chajuana Tranwick, John Ferguson and other Salute guests

Robin Britt, Kamryn Haynes and Salute Volunteer Coordinator Claire Hays

Tracey, David and Dymond Calhoun

More supporters of 2022 Lifetime Achiever Holly Cousins

Markita Hogans and The St. Louis American’s Danielle Brown

Salute guests at the reception, awaiting the big gala

Thomas and Valerie Joyner

Guests dressed to the nines for the 35th annual gala.

Michael Thomas St. Louis County Prosecuting Atty. Wesley Bell

A couple brought their child to their first Salute.

Rose Bruce, Donna Jones and a guest relax at the Salute reception

Robin Herron aka “Bubbling Brown Sugar” provided the Caribbean cruise for two as the grand attendance prize.

Johnny Furr and his daughter Jasmine Furr

Emma and Horace Watson

Family of awardee Leah Crawford

Members of the large Salute crowd

Ken and Tisha Strawbridge

Janine Milan-Haynes, LaMarr Haynes, Rebecca and Malik Leb, Wendy Gehore, Nancy Pearl, Jim and Amie McGraw and Amy Germain

The Urban League’s Patricia Washington

Eric and Mary Easter

A guest with WSIE’s Robin Boyce and St. Louis American columnist James Ingram

Toni Cousins and Pamela Bell

Dwight Elliot and Miranda Avant-Elliott

Sylvester Brown and Kathleen Wyatt

Living It

Cori Bush autobiography shares her ‘pain, perseverance’

‘I don’t keep stuff to myself anymore’

By Danielle Brown

The St. Louis American

Congresswoman Cori Bush is keeping herself booked and busy. She is in the final weeks of her re-election campaign for Missouri’s 1st Congressional District seat and she also released her autobiography on October 4, 2022

“The Forerunner: A Story of Pain and Perseverance in America,” chronicles Bush’s story which includes domestic and sexual violence, homelessness, and encounters with healthcare discrimination.

The Left Bank Books Foundation hosted Bush’s book signing and forum at Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus. The congresswoman was joined by Tracie Berry-McGhee, M.Ed. (Divine Tea) and Yolonda Lankford (Lady YO),

The Left Bank Books Foundation hosted Cori Bush’s book signing and forum at Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus on Thursday, Oct. 6. The congresswoman was joined by Tracie Berry-McGhee, M.Ed. (Divine Tea) and Yolonda Lankford (Lady YO), executive producers and hosts of the daytime talk show, Own Your Now Show.

executive producers and hosts of the daytime talk show, Own Your Now Show, and Dr. Love Holt, community organizer.

Berry-McGhee opened the dialogue asking Bush how she came up with “The Forerunner” for the book’s title. Surprisingly, Bush said the current title wasn’t always what she first envisioned. Her first choice was ‘The Cori Chronicles’.

“I thought that would be a good name since it was chronicling my life,” Bush said.

“After I finished the book and handed over the manuscript, the publishers told me it was so much more than chronicling my life.

“I chose “The Forerunner” because I’ve gone

through so many bumps, bruises and a lot of trauma. I took the pain and wanted to use my voice to work with others and show them if we push hard enough we can make a change so that other people don’t have to go through the things I’ve gone through.”

Lankford said many young girls, especially Black girls admire Bush, and wondered if Bush aspired to write a book in her younger years.

“It didn’t cross my mind until I was 16,” Bush said.

“My boyfriend’s mother at the time gave me a

“’Till” tells historic, terrifying story that can’t be forgotten

By Dwight Brown NNPA News Wire Film Critic

Emmett Till, a black teen, was murdered by racists in Money, Mississippi on April 28th in 1955.

Writer/director Chinonye Chukwu (Clemency) and cowriters Michael Reilly and Keith Beauchamp (documentary filmmaker of the awardwinning The Untold Story of Emmett Till) recount this brutal crime largely from the mother’s point of view. A mom whose quest for accountability and justice sparked a new age in the civil rights movement. A crusade that became a blueprint for other Black moms forced into the same situation by heinous acts of violence. Till-Mobley passed away in 2003, but her fighting spirit lives on in this very enlightening and deeply emotional bio/ drama.

In 1955, Mamie (Danielle Deadwyler, The Harder They Fall), a young single-mom and widow, has a very respected office job with the Air Force in Chicago. With great trepidation and egged on by her mother Alma (Whoopi Gold-

Danielle Deadwyler portrays Mamie Till, and her 14-year-old son, Emmett, is played by Jalyn Hall in the stirring motion picture “Till,” which recently debuted at the New York Film Festival.

Photo courtesy of MGM Studios

berg), she sends her 14-year-old son Emmett (Jalyn Hall, Bruiser) South to Mississippi for the summer to stay with relatives. Before his departure, Mamie dutifully and prophetically warns her affable son that he must

See Brown, B8

String of hits includes “Coke Bottle”

By Ashley Winters The St. Louis American

Don’t call it a comeback for rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer Fresco Kane. The East St. Louis one-man band is mixing early 2000s swag with his latest hits, Coke Bottle featuring Nelly and On My Bull….] in which he samples “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop” by Young Gunz. His resume doesn’t stop there, he produced and is featured on Chingy’s latest project Chinglish which is set to drop at the top of 2023.

“I’m a chameleon, I know how to adapt to the culture of music today, and I think that’s why I have the success that I have today,” said Fresco Kane.

The artist says that he records his own songs, mixes the sound, and makes his own beat.

Music has been a part of the rapper’s life since he was a child. It started at Calvary Baptist Church. His grandma Bae Bae made sure he had a relationship with God, Kane told The American. He would walk to church by himself and also went to Sunday School and Summer Vacation Bible School

“I love church, and I love music,” said Kane.

Calvary Baptist Church is where the rap artist got his first taste of the spotlight. It was during Summer Vacation Bible School and it was announced that the drummer for the choir couldn’t attend Sunday service and someone was needed to fill in. Twelve-year-old Fresco Kane raised his hand saying that he could play the drums, however, there was a little fib attached to his volunteering for the job. Fresco had never played the drums before.

“I had never played the drums before in my life, but when I got on the drum set I could play. That had to be God because at that moment I had no idea what I was doing,” said the rapper.

Not only is Fresco Kane a talented rapper, producer, songwriter, and singer, but he also plays five instruments and really is a one-man band. Since fourth grade, he’s played in the school band. His instrumental skills range from the clarinet, bass clarinet and saxophone to drums and piano.

In the eight grade, his older cousin taught him how to write rap lyrics. They were hanging out making up songs to a variety of beats and when it came time to record the songs, the local rapper says he laid the track in one take. Instead of using the lyrics they had written, once Fresco Kane heard the beat, the lyrics just flowed from him like second nature.

“From that point on I was a rapper, I started

Photo by Wiley Price | The St. Louis American

Photo courtesy of @FrescoKane Twitter Fresco Kane

A true wonder

Keith ‘Wonderboy’ Johnson passes away at 50

St. Louis American staff

Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson, who propelled to the summit of gospel music charts with hits including “Be Right,” “Let Go and Let God Have His Way,” “Send A Revival,” and “Hide Behind the Mountain,” died at his home on Friday, Sept. 30, 2002. He was 50.

“I’m in total disbelief,” said Kerry Douglas, Black Smoke Music Worldwide founder, who recognized Johnson’s talent while he was performing at the American Gospel Quartet Convention in Birmingham, Alabama in the late 1990s.

“I was just taken by how he moved the audience. He was an electrifying performer. He was the second act I ever signed, and he was my first signing to become a major artist.”

Douglas said he and Johnson sold CDs and The Gospel Truth magazine from the trunks of their cars.

“Keith was like a brother. I was there when his first child was born,” Douglas said.

Keith Lamar Johnson was born on May 17, 1972, in Brooklyn. His family tabbed him with the nickname “Wonderboy” when he was five years old in recognition of his musical talent.

As a teenager, he would visit Harlem’s Apollo Theater to see gospel acts including John P. Kee and the Rev. James Cleveland. He sang with the Boys Choir of Harlem and with his father’s quartet group, The Spiritual Voices.

Johnson’s first hit was 1998’s “Hide Behind the Mountain,” an A Capella track with a steady drum beat as the lone instrument. Then came “Send A Revival,” “I’ll Fly Away,” and “I’ve Got a Feeling,” which highlighted the singer’s gravelly tenor.

Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson sang with the Boys Choir of Harlem and his father’s quartet group before launching his award-winning gospel music career. Johnson died Sept. 30, 2022, at 50 years old.

In 2004, he moved to RCA Verity Records where he released two albums and scored his biggest hit, “Let Go and Let God.” Johnson’s rendition of “12 Days of Christmas” has become an annual favorite on gospel radio stations. After recording single respective albums with Malaco Records and Motown Gospel, Johnson signed a production deal with SRT Entertainment which released his album, Keep Pushin,’ through a distribution deal with Shanachie Records.

“I am saddened to hear of the passing of Keith Johnson,” says Shanachie General Manager Randall Grass.

“[Here was] an artist injecting the quartet tradition into a contemporary style, and it was great. His contribution has been great, and he will be missed.”

Earlier this year, Johnson returned to Black Smoke Worldwide where he released the album, Restructure, Renew & Reunion, which featured the radio single, “It Was You.”

Johnson, who moved to Atlanta three years ago, is survived by his parents, Susan and Phillip Johnson; a sister, Attorney Sonya Denise Johnson; and two daughters, Brianna Destiny Johnson and Elyse Victoria Johnson.

A wake and musical tribute will take place at 6 p.m. Friday, October 14, 2022, and a homegoing service will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, October 15, 2022, at The Concord Baptist Church in Brooklyn. Both will stream live via YouTube: @ ConcordBrooklyn

By Levi Cullifer, Missouri Historical Society

When public education first reached St. Louis, it only catered to those who were white. Missouri followed the same philosophy as other slave states, with lawmakers fearing that if enslaved people had any kind of education, they might revolt. In 1847 the General Assembly of Missouri passed a law stating, “No person shall keep or teach any school for the instruction of negroes or mulattos, in reading or writing, in this State.”

By this time, many examples of abolitionist readings were already in circulation and being smuggled to enslaved persons. Such literature included David Walker’s Appeal, in Four Articles (1829), which actively called for revolts; Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845); and Narrative of William W. Brown, a Fugitive Slave (1847).

During Missouri’s prohibition of Black education, many underground schools were organized to teach those of color. Examples included a school run by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, the long-running Meachum Freedom School, and various “schools” held in church basements. After the Civil War, the Missouri constitution was revised to explicitly state that it was the state’s duty to provide education to those of African descent.

Schools for Black students were established in St. Louis several years later, but many were poorly cared for or not kept up to standard by the Board of Education. These conditions—not to mention the racism that lurked outside schoolroom doors—made education even more chal lenging for St. Louis’s Black population.

The first Black public schools in the St. Louis area were initially numbered 1–12. The number ing system reinforced the idea of segregation, and the schools were eventually renamed to honor notable Black figures. This change was no small feat and was pushed for by the Colored Educational Council, which was separate from the Board of Education and organized by Black parents.

It wasn’t until 1946 that integration was put to the test in St. Louis, when Catholic archbishop Joseph Ritter gave the order to end racial segre gation in parochial schools. Many white parents protested, and Ritter responded by declaring that any civil lawsuits brought against the church on

the issue of integration would result in excommunication, essentially ending the opposition. In 1954, after the Brown v. Board of Education ruling was handed down by the US Supreme Court, integration slowly extended into the nation’s public schools. St. Louis clung to the unconstitutional practice of segregation, ultimately leading to a court-ordered desegregation plan. Over the past year, I’ve been researching and mapping St. Louis’s original schools for Black students. My interest in this project arose from my museum courses at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. I began with Colored School No. 5, which was originally located on the corners of Conde and 18th streets (now Montgomery and 22nd streets). Today the site is no longer accessible due to its location on the new National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency west campus, though the school itself had been gone for more than 100 years. After that, I broadened my research to include other early schools.

To get started, I read through the Annual Reports of the Board of Directors of the St. Louis Public Schools between the years 1865 and 1877, all held at the Missouri Historical Society’s Library & Research Center. These reports listed teachers for each school and broke down statistical data that the board collected on students. Working with MHS’s map and atlas collection allowed me to access city layouts and the names of land owners that helped me track down the schools over multiple years. I also used MHS’s vast collection of city directories to track the movement of the schools for every year from 1865 to 1900 (each school moved an average of three times). I decided to stop my search once the schools received proper names. This research led me to create a webpage through ArcGIS StoryMaps, a website that uses mapping to tell a story, or in this case a history. Using addresses obtained from the annual reports, the city directories, and various block books, it was possible to overlay all 12 public schools for Black children (plus one parochial school and later Sumner High School) onto modern maps. The webpage also includes information about each school, such as when it was created, the different names it went by, and addresses from the 19th century and today. To explore the mapping project, please visit storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/fa9a385e86344d01bfac43d52336f5ba

Photo courtesy of Black Smoke Music

n “Kyrie Irving would be dismissed as a comical buffoon if it weren’t for his influence over young people.”

– Kareen Abdul-Jabbar on Irving posting a conspiracy theorist video

OCTOBER 13 – 19, 2022

InSIdE SportS

By Earl Austin Jr.

Battle of unbeatens tops late season tussles

Cardinal Ritter heads to Hillsboro

Two weeks is all the time area prep football teams have in preparation for the postseason.

After seven weeks, only four teams remain with undefeated records: Cardinal Ritter, Francis Howell, Hillsboro, and Union stand with 7-0 records.

At least one will get its first loss this weekend when Cardinal Ritter visits Hillsboro on Friday night in a 7 p.m. kickoff. In the latest media state rankings, Cardinal Ritter is No. 1 in Class 3, Francis Howell is No. 2 in Class 5 while Union and Hillsboro are ranked No. 5 and 6 in Class 4, respectively.

Darren Sunkett nabs No. 200

Congratulations to East St. Louis Senior High coach Darren Sunkett, who picked up his 200th career victory last Friday night in the Flyers’ victory over Alton. Sunkett began his area coaching career at Riverview Gardens, where he directed the Rams a state championship in 1998. He came over to East Side a few years later and has continued the Flyers’ tradition as a regional powerhouse and national name.

East St. Louis will host Edwardsville on Friday night in a Southwestern Conference showdown at 7 p.m.

Week 7 Standout Performers

• Senior running back Deion Brown of Kirkwood had a performance for the ages last Friday night in the Pioneers’ 49-7 victory over Lindbergh. Brown rushed for 352 yards and scored seven touchdowns, which are both school records.

• Wide receiver Ryan Wingo of SLUH caught five passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns in the Jr. Billikens 42-19 victory over Chaminade

• Wide receiver Allen Middleton of Mascoutah had 144 yards of total offense and scored three touchdowns in the Indians’ 50-6

victory over Civic Memorial.

• Running back Correyonte Midgett of Cahokia rushed for 171 yards on 17 carries in the Comanches’ 32-26 victory over Mt. Vernon.

• Quarterback Dakarri Hollis of Lutheran North passed for 160 yards and two touch-

downs in the Crusaders’ 36-29 victory over Maryville.

• Quarterback Grant Gibson of Summit completed 17 of 28 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns in the Falcons’ 38-28 victory over Oakville.

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

*What’s on Tap for Week 8

St. Mary’s (6-1) at Louisville Trinity, Friday, 6 p.m.

Edwardsville (6-1) at East St. Louis (5-2), Friday, 7 p.m. Cardinal Ritter (7-0) at Hillsboro (7-0), Friday, 7 p.m.

Indianapolis Warren Central at CBC (6-1), Friday, 6 p.m.

Eureka (6-1) at Parkway North (5-2), Friday, 7 p.m.

Kansas City Rockhurst at SLUH (3-4), Friday, 6 p.m.

Lutheran North (5-2) at Lutheran-St. Charles (4-3), Friday, 7 p.m.

Lafayette (5-2) at Ritenour (4-3), Friday, 7 p.m. MICDS (6-1) at St. Dominic (3-4), Friday, 7 p.m. Jackson (5-2) at Holt (6-1), Friday, 7 p.m.

Top Girls Basketball Players Commit

Three of the area’s top Class of 2023 girls’ basketball players gave verbal commitments during the past week. Julia Coleman of Westminster Christian committed to Texas State University, Jasmine Gray of Pattonville committed to Washburn and Laylah Jackson of O’Fallon gave a commitment to the University of Illinois-Springfield. Coleman is a 6’0” forward who led the Wildcats in scoring and rebounding as a junior. The versatile forward averaged 15.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 3.6 steals while blocking 34 shots in leading Westminster to a 19-8 record. Gray is a 5’8” guard who led the Pirates to a 20-5 record and a conference championship. As a junior, Gray averaged 15.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 4.2 steals while shooting 48 percent from the field.

Jackson is a 5’6” point guard who helped the Panthers to a 25-5 record and an Illinois Class 4A regional championship last season. As a junior, she averaged 7.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists a game.

Warriors win Ramey Fall League Championship

Congratulations to the Warriors on winning the championship of the Ramey Fall League championship, which was held at Cardinal Ritter College Prep. The Warriors defeated the Nets 75-70 in the competitive final. 6’4” senior guard Javaris Moye of Kirkwood scored a game-high 29 points and was named the Most Valuable Player. His teammates included Kobi Williams (Westminster Christian), Jordyn Richard (Vashon), Jack Fessenden (Troy), Joseph Bishop (Soldan), Joseph Aghaeze III (Whitfield), Christian Dake (Principia), Oliver Kokal (Parkway Central0, Brady Connor (LutheranSt. Charles), Amauri Aaron (Vashon), and Brandon Bragg (Hazelwood Central).

‘Coach Prime’ fuels an HBCU football feud

Is it good for the game?

While the college football world remains enamored with Jackson State University head coach Deion Sanders, Alabama State University head coach Eddie Robinson Jr., is not a fan. Following Jackson State’s road victory over Alabama State on homecoming, Robinson shook Sanders’ hand but pushed “Coach Prime” away when he sought to embrace him.

Robinson’s ire in the days leading up to the game. Sanders called the contest “a money game” for Alabama State because Jackson State draws large crowds.

“[Sanders is] in the [Southwest Athletic Conference] doing a great job, can’t knock that, got a great team,” Robinson told reporters following the midfield dustup.

Alvin A. Reid

“But you’re not going to come here and disrespect me and my team and my school and then want a bro hug. Shake my hand and get the hell off.”

Robinson wasn’t through with his postgame pontification, firing a verbal shot directly at Sanders.

“He ain’t SWAC. I’m SWAC, he ain’t SWAC,” Robinson said. Sanders first drew

Robinson was also sizzling after Sanders walked through Alabama State’s offensive warm-ups in one of the end zones while he was headed to Jackson State’s sideline. Rather than take a knee and run out the clock in the game’s final minute, Sander’s allowed Jackson State’s backup quarterback to run several plays. Of course, Sanders didn’t sit quietly during his postgame press conference. “One of the comments that kind of disturbed me out of all the comments, that I’m not SWAC. Who is SWAC if I ain’t SWAC?” he said. Sanders said he should be “applauded” for his remarks leading up the game because the contest did sell out. He also will not accept an apology from Robinson.

“I’m not one to come back the next day and you going to pick up the phone and you going to apologize and we straight. No, not whatsoever. You meant that mess,” Sanders said. It was just a matter of time before Sanders began rubbing fellow HBCU coaches the

wrong way.

I’m sure many of them cringe when they see Sanders and Alabama coach Nick Saban on those silly AFLC commercials. Some have dedicated most of their careers to HBCU football, and Sanders instantly became all things HBCU in less

than two full seasons. While he convinced his son to attend Jackson State, Sanders played at traditional power Florida State University.

While he might be the current conductor, Sanders caught the HBCU football train decades after many other coaches and administrators.

Sanders and Jackson State reached the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta, which is recognized as the HBCU football national title game. South Carolina State blasted Sanders’ team 31-10, but that is rarely mentioned by national college football writers. It’s all “Deion is great” all the time.

While Sanders’ commitment to HBCU football and his university should not be questioned, his impact on the future could have its drawbacks.

Deron Snyder, a freelance sports columnist who I worked with 30 years ago at USA TODAY Baseball Weekly sort of foresaw the future in an article that was published in The Grio a week before Sanders v. Robinson.

“[Sanders] will be fine no matter what, whether he stays at Jackson State another 20 years or just two,” wrote Snyder.

“But HBCU culture needs safeguarding under the intense lights that have followed him. It also needs shelter moving forward when the attention might wither like a racial reckoning.”

As for Robinson, who is not related to the late Eddie Robinson, famed Grambling State University football coach, this grudge match is not over.

“I hope [Sanders] comes back next year, I pray he don’t get a Power 5 job, so we can play them next year in Jackson,” Robinson said.

“And I pray they put us for their damn homecoming.”

The Reid Roundup

The St. Louis Cardinals had been on Albert Pujols watch for most of September. The team now has most of winter to watch Pujols’ highlights after being swept in a best two-of-three Wild Card series against the Philadelphia Phillies…Both Pujols and Yadier Molina got base hits in their final Major League at-bats, which was a fitting way to go out.

Earl Austin Jr.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

University City receiver De’Mario Battest (3) tries to hold on to a pass as Hazelwood East’s Bobby Cole III defends during third-quarter action Saturday, Oct. 8, at U. City. The Spartans went on to defeat the Lions of University City 49-8.

Jackson State University head football coach Deion Sanders

Alabama State University head football coach Eddie Robinson Jr.,

clothes or another reason.

Continued from B1

journal and told me I was going to write a book one day so I needed to document my story and the things I was going through.”

Over the course of two years, Bush said she filled up two journals, which she no longer has.

Berry-McGhee, who is also a licensed therapist, explained how liberating it can be to write about your feelings, mention-

ing how Bush detailed her first experience of having a Black teacher and Black nurse. “I resonated with the first Black teacher I had. Her name was Ms. Whitfield and she was a substitute teacher in second grade,” Bush said. “She was slim, dark skinned, had a relaxer with a roller set, gold jewelry, makeup, [her] hair was laid, wore a cute dress and heels. I couldn’t believe she was there to teach us. I saw something different in her because she made me immediately feel comfortable, she felt like my mom was at school with me.” Bush gained further inspira-

tion from the first Black nurse she saw practice. “I remember her gently touching a patient’s back who was in a lot of pain and then [they] instantly felt better,” Bush said. “After seeing that I said ‘I wanna do that for people too.”’

Much of Bush’s book is rooted in the trauma she faced, what she learned, and how she has overcome it. She spoke of being “hypersexualized” in her youth, and being sexually assaulted on multiple occassions later in life.

Through therapy she has gained the tools to help her overcome depression and confront those triggers that she once feared.

“I started therapy after the sexual assault in 2016. I never thought about it because I’m a preacher and thought I could just go to church,” Bush said. “I still have that same therapist and still go to therapy. It took me months, but I was able to get out of that place.”

publicly. She reveals that she also had a second in the book. She said she was at the 12-week stage and went into a clinic contemplating coming back another day. Instead, she said, “discriminatory practices” forced her to make her decision that day.

Bush said her treatment is why she’s passionate about providing healthcare access to all and removing racial biases.

“I don’t keep stuff to myself anymore, I speak about it because it could be happening to other people,” Bush said.

esteem. We cannot leave people bleeding and have them walking around with open wounds and put a band aid over it. We have to check discrimination at the door, people cannot be accountable if we don’t speak up.”

Bush said she wants readers to finish her book knowing their struggles, trials, and trauma don’t have to define how far they can go.

“The Forerunner: A Story of Pain and Perseverance in America,” is available for purchase on Amazon, at Target, Left Bank Books, and more. Bush

She questioned whether it was her fault because of her

tone down his vibrant behavior, recognize the evils of racism and be on his guard. Hanging with his cousins outside a grocery store, Emmett whistles at and offends Carol Bryant (Haley Bennett), a white woman whose family owns the shop. Several nights later, Bryant’s irate husband, his half-brother and others barged into the Emmett’s granduncle’s house, abduct, mutilate and shoot the vulnerable boy dead.

News of the teen’s disap-

selling my tapes and CDs at school,” said Fresco Kane. The then middle schooler became an instant hit. He says by his senior year at Cahokia High School he was small town famous.

His major hit was in 2006, when he dropped Dope Boy Fresh as an independent artist. His then rap name was Gena and he was just a youngster in the game of rap. He was so used to creating music out of his mother’s basement that made working in a professional

pearance and subsequent killing reaches Chicago. Mamie’s worst fears turn into agony and grief. She’s shocked into action, seeking the truth, accountability and a reckoning. Courageously she stands up to southern racism during her son’s killers’ trial: “Hate is like a virus in the blood of Mississippi.”

Meticulously, with the refined brushstrokes of an artist, the wisdom of a shaman and the spirit of a fighter, Chukwu retells Mamie’s history-making story. Feelings of sadness, anger and ultimately inspiration emerge in ways that will enlighten and move audiences. Ingeniously, as her illuminating bio/crime/drama confronts

studio seemed like a whole new world for the young artist. His first hit song came about when he was playing around with a beat drum. He started coming up with some lyrics that flowed with the beat and he added that he remembers going from the engineering table to the studio to rap his lyrics. And before he knew it, he had a hit song. Local artists Chingy and Kyuan and Murphy Lee of the St. Lunatics liked the young rapper’s song so much they asked if they could be featured on the hit sounding song. Local DJ Cuddy Montana from 100.3 The Beat dropped the song on the radio. Dope Boy Fresh topped the charts, playing on all the local R&B/

treacherous bigotry, the film becomes more and more riveting. Wisely, the violence surrounding Till’s horrific death is kept off camera and never exploited.

The family life is endearing, the courtroom drama intense (a la To Kill a Mockingbird) and the smart strategies used to keep this tragedy in the public eye are on view. When Till-Mobley demands an open casket so the world will see what they did to her baby, her savvy becomes awe-inspiring. You feel the misery, but you also see an indomitable spirit put into action.

The footage is eye-catching, and the sounds pierce through the crises. Every color (art directors Carlton Lee Jr, Chris-

rap stations here. It was a song everyone was dancing the chicken head to, everybody wanted to be dope boy fresh.

Fresco Kane described his feelings when he heard his song on the radio, “ I was like wow, that’s really me. But if you ask anyone from the east side they would say, Gena been doing this. So my song playing on the radio station was gratification for them, it was for my people.”

He says people are still getting hip, a lot of people don’t know he write, and produces all of his songs.

His hit song and talents have given him opportunities to work with living legends like Jermain Dupri, CEO of So So

Bush shared the importance of reproductive healthcare, especially in reference to abortions. She had an abortion at 18, which she she has spoke of

topher Tandon), thread (costume designer Marci Rodgers), set (production designer Curt Beech) and prop (Cassaundra Marie) works to reproduce the times and locations. The proceedings are captured in luminescent cinematography (Bobby Bukowski, The Messenger) and intensified by a pulsating score with evocative acapella voices (Abel Korzeniowski). All scenes and sequences are carefully assembled into an increasingly intense string of images (editor Ron Pantane).

The accomplished cast includes Frankie Faison as grandad, Sean Patrick Thomas as Mamie’s future husband Gene Mobley and John Douglas

Def record label. Fresco Kane signed to Dupri’s record label in 2012 right before he changed his stage name from Gena to Fresco Kane. He says he got the name from one of his favorite movies, Menace II Society. However, his new name didn’t sit so well with L.A. Reid andfor two months L.A. Reid’s team tried to come up with a more catchy name for the artist, but nothing worked. They couldn’t agree on a name.

“I told L.A. Reid I’m sticking with my name and he was like, alright,” said Fresco Kane. Being connected to music greats like Jermaine Dupri and L.A. Reid has allowed the local rap star to work with living legends like Mariah Carey.

“People are left with scars and that affects their self

Thompson in the pivotal role as the uncle who must live with haunting regrets. Goldberg, as Grandma Alma Carthan, takes a very understated approach to her characterization, making the matriarch even more believable.

Jalyn Hall’s interpretation of Emmett is so vibrant and likable it makes the teen’s tragic death even more devastating.

Deadwyler’s angst-filled and gutsy performance pulls you into Mamie’s full range of emotions. Happy protective mother. Fearful parent. Enraged guardian. Fierce advocate.

When Emmett’s casket is taken off a train, she cries and moans in ways so primal it will touch your soul. At a funeral home,

when Mamie views her son’s body, touches his mangled corpse and screams in pain it will break your heart. Deadwyler’s display of sorrow is so deep and expressive it deserves an Oscar® Award.

Sometimes the love between a mother and son is so strong it doesn’t die, even after death. That’s what audiences will see here. That’s what they will take away. A love and strength that endures.

“Till” opens in theaters October 14, 2022, with wide distribution on October 28.

He wrote “With You” from her 15th album Caution in 2018. “I love Mariah,” said Fresco Kane. He remembers their studio session like it was yesterday, they were just chilling out in the studio and his nerves were all over the place, he brought a bottle of Remy to calm his jitters. He would sneak a sip here and there while they were creating lyrics for the song. He says Carey was drinking some wine, and she asked him what he was drinking and whether she could taste his drink. Well of course he shared his Remy with one of the most incredible singers above ground. He says from then on his nervousness went away and the song ‘With You” was created from them just chilling in the studio like they had known each other for some time. Fresco Kane hopes to work with more musical greats like Pharrrell Williams who has produced music for Jay-Z, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Brittany Spears and Justin Timberlake, as well as top charting rap artists Future and Lil Baby.

“At this point in my career and life, everything is ordained,” said Fresco Kane. Ashley Winters is The St. Louis American Report for America reporter

FINANCIAL REPORTING ACCOUNTANT

Ensure accuracy and timely completion of responsibilities within the financial reporting and analysis area, as well as the reporting analysis area with regard to internal management reporting.

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

RESOURCE COORDINATOR

The Housing Partnership, Inc.

has an opening for a Resource Coordinator. The primary function is to serve as the initial point of contact for clients (potential/current/previous), answer questions as trained, coordinate intake/closing procedures, documents, and files, and properly connecting clients with appropriate staff when necessary. Duties include intake, file management, reporting, closeout, and follow-up for various programs. For a full job description go to www. TheHousingPartnershipSTL.org Submit resume to The Housing Partnership, Inc. P.O. Box 16356, St. Louis, MO 63125 or via email to kevin@ TheHousingPartnershipSTL.org

An Equal Opportunity Employer

COORDINATOR –ACCOUNT SERVICES – INSURANCE OPERATIONS

Mid-level non-exempt position responsible for providing client/ customer support for the department’s Large Casualty operational functions. Performs a variety of routine and non-routine tasks for our business and in the issuance of our insurance policies.

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

FAMILY ADVOCATE

FT position responsible for recruiting and enrolling eligible families with children into the Head Start Program and providing case management and support to families. BA/ BS plus 2 years of related experience required. $17-19/ hr. Resumes: GASA, 1127 N. Vandeventer Ave., St. Louis, MO 63113 or hr@gasastl.org EOE

FULL-TIME CHEF

The Chef prepares nutritious food and guides menu planning, food production, safety and sanitation, quality assurance and group education for clients and volunteers. Must have excellent people skills. Great benefits. Food Outreach is a non-profit agency providing nutritional support to men, women and children living with HIV/ AIDS or cancer.

Qualifications:

Must have a Culinary Degree from an accredited program.

ServSafe Manager Certification (food safety and sanitation certification).

Hours are Tuesday – Friday 8:30 am – 4:30 pm, and Saturday 7:30 am – 3:30 pm

Must be able to lift a minimum of 50 lbs. The position may be financed (in part) (wholly) through an allocation of Community Development Block Grant funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the City of St. Louis’ Community Development Administration. Food Outreach is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Salary: $40,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance

• Flexible schedule

• Health insurance

• Paid time off

• Retirement

•

Send resume to kathy@foodoutreach.org

DIRECTOR –PUBLIC ENTITY UNDERWRITING

Responsible for underwriting multi-line public entity new business and renewal accounts as part of Safety National(SN)’s Public Entity vertical. Underwriting focus includes evaluation and development of requested forms and endorsements; consistent application of underwriting appetite, including retention levels and pricing approach, as related to public entity individual accounts and self-insured groups.

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

SPECIALIST –ACCOUNT SERVICES – TECHNICAL SERVICES

Mid-level non-exempt position responsible for providing technical assistance, user acceptance testing, and documenting end user processes for the policy administration systems and supporting software applications.

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

SENIOR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FINANCIAL AID

Under the supervision of the Associate Director of Student and Family Engagement, the Senior Assistant Director is responsible for providing financial aid counseling to prospective and current students and/or their parents to afford their Washington University education. Additionally, this individual is required to provide leadership, oversight, and perform critical duties in administering the financial education program. The position works in a service-oriented and fast-paced team environment that will actively support the department and the university’s student recruitment and retention goals.

To view the full job description and to apply visit jobs.wustl. edu and enter job JR69046.

THE CITY OF JENNINGS IS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

The City of Jennings is accepting applications for the following positions: Deputy City Clerk; Recreation Specialist; Deputy Building Commissioner; Finance Director; Fleet Maintenance/Mechanic; Correctional Officers; Court Clerk, Public Works Laborer; F/T Accounting Clerk; P/T Accounting Clerk; P/T Assistant to the City Clerk; P/T Public Works Laborers. Please see the full job descriptions online at www.cityofjennings.org. Applications are available at the Jennings City Hall or on the website at www.cityofjennings.org

The City of Jennings is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

SYSTEMS ENGINEER II

Responsible for the design, implementation, and support of Microsoft 365, including MS Teams, SharePoint, Exchange Online, OneDrive and other associated technologies. Manage the day-to-day operations of these technologies and assist with the changing needs as the company increases adoption of M365.

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

COVERAGE COUNSEL

Under the direction of the Vice President and Assistant General Counsel (“VP/AGC”), provides legal guidance related to Casualty and Workers’ Compensation claims coverage issues and coverage litigation by leveraging a demonstrated ability for sound business judgment and an entrepreneurial mindset while supporting a growing Claims organization.

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

Individual is responsible for monitoring and handling the various tasks associated with the submission set-up and processing needs for all lines of business written, including new prospects and renewal policies. This includes the review and verification of received business applications, as assigned, while maintaining department timelines and processing guidelines. To apply, please visit: https://www.safetynational.com/ careers-page/

PROJECT ANALYST

Responsible for initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing information technology projects using a formal project management methodology with guidance from Project/Program Managers and for organization and administration of processes and documentation for the Enterprise Program Management Office.

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

Medical Assistant Apprenticeship- JR64741

How would you like to be a Medical Assistant, but don’t have time or the funds to go to school? We have a solution! Once you pass our entrance requirements and are hired through Washington University, you can complete our Apprenticeship program in just 12 weeks. Upon completing, and passing the credentialing exam, along with being a continued employee for 1 year, you will receive recognition as a Certified Medical Assistant. Class times will be during working hours (4 hours a week), and there will be no tuition costs to you.

JR69968 Coordinator Residency/Fellowship (Hybrid) - Cardiology

This position assists the program director in the management and direction of the fellow or resident training program and coordinates educational activities of the program. This individual functions as a liaison between residents or fellows, departments, attending physicians, administration and outside institutions. This position includes a hybrid work schedule (combination of on-site and remote work). The ideal candidate will have the following required qualifications: Bachelor ’s degree or equivalent working experience. Minimum of two years’ experience working with residency or fellowship training programs or in a related field.

JR68876 Assistant Manager of Summer Programs and Conference Services - Residential Life

This position provides all aspects of the conference service function which serves the Washington University community and external clients. This individual will manage all technical aspects of conference management, department web site, student personnel and other duties related to customer service. The ideal candidate will have the following required qualifications: Bachelor’s degree plus four years full-time professional experience in conference and event planning, management and administration; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

JR68430 Senior Residency/Fellowship Coordinator - Neurology

This position assists with managing resident programs and participating in related activities. Establishes and maintains personal contacts with residents while aiding in development and advancement. Understands, interprets and articulates the policies of the program, the division and the University. Plans and supports the progress through all phases of the program. Serves as liaison between residents, staff and faculty on various program issues. The ideal candidate will have the following required qualifications: High school diploma or equivalent high school certification with some college coursework. Four years of experience in a related position or combination of education and experience equaling eight years.

CITY OF ST. LOUIS PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE AND DRAFT 2023 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AND COMMENT

The City of St. Louis is soliciting comments on its draft 2023 Annual Action Plan, which includes annual priorities for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership (HOME), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) programs.

The Community Development Administration (CDA) will conduct a virtual public hearing on November 8, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. CST to solicit public comments and answer questions pertaining to the draft 2023 Annual Action Plan. Instructions for attending the Virtual Public Hearing are available on the website: http://www.stlouis-mo.gov/ cda/

The 2023 Annual Action Plan will be available in draft form for review beginning on October 7, 2022. The plan will be available at the Central Branch of the St. Louis Public Library, located at 1301 Olive Street; on the City of St. Louis website at http://www. stlouis-mo.gov/cda/ and at CDA’s office, located at 1520 Market Street, Suite 2000. The views of citizens, public agencies and other interested parties are encouraged. Written comments may be submitted to CDBG@stlouis-mo.gov and will be accepted until 12:00 p.m. CST on November 7, 2022.

Persons with special needs should contact CDA Executive Director Mr. Nahuel Fefer at FeferN@stlouis-mo.gov or (314) 657-3835 or (314) 589-6000 (TDD). Interpreting services are available upon request by calling the Office on the Disabled at (314)622-3686 (voice) or (314)622-3693 (TTY).

CDA is an equal opportunity agency (employer). Minority participation is encouraged.

CITY OF ST. LOUIS

BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE SECTION 001113.1

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS-SHORT

Electronically sealed bids for the hereinafter mentioned project will be received online by the Board of Public Service through Bid Express at https://www.bidexpress.com/ businesses/20618/home. The Bidder must pay $40 to submit a bid through the Bid Express Service. Monthly subscriptions are available. Proposals must be submitted before 1:45 PM, St. Louis Time, on Tuesday, November 15, 2022. The proposals will then be publicly opened and read.

Job Title: Forest Park Bowl Lake Pavilion

Letting No.: 8755

Authorizing Ordinance: 69049

Contract Time: Substantial Completion by December 23, 2023, with procurement activities started within one (1) week after receipt of construction NTP and 90 Calendar Days once Work has started.

Schedule Related Liquidated Damages Per Day: $500

Project Contact Person, Email: Helen Bryant, Contract Supervisor, BryantH@stlouis-mo.gov

Estimated Cost: $575,000

Bid Deposit: $14,600

Bid Opening Location: Via Zoom, https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83445052494?pwd=eHZvQIRESxmxBREhJWjZFLzVBcitSUT09

(Passcode: 621348)

The proposed Work includes the construction of a new pavilion on Bowl Lake in Forest Park and associated site work, including a walking path and related pedestrian bridge upgrades.

Plans, Specifications, and the Agreement may be examined online through Bid Express at https://www.bidexpress.com/businesses/20618/home and may be downloaded for free.

An optional pre-bid conference for all contractors bidding on this project will be held onsite at the existing Seven Pools Bridge located at 5032 Clayton Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, on October 17, 2022, at 10:00 AM. All bidders are strongly encouraged to attend the pre-bid meeting. Attendance at the pre-bid meeting is considered an important element of a Contractor’s Good Faith Effort to maximize the utilization of M/WBE if M/WBE participation goals cannot be met.

Bidders shall comply with all applicable City, State, and Federal laws (including M/WBE policies.

The right of the Board of Public Service to reject any or all bids is expressly reserved.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Requests for Quotes, Bids and Proposals are posted online for public download. Please navigate to www.msdprojectclear.org > Doing Business With Us > View Non-Capital Bids (commodities and services) or >Visit Planroom (capital construction bids)

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

SOLICITING BID

Reinhardt Construction LLC is Soliciting Bids from MBE/WBE/ DBE/Veteran/SDVE for the following:

University Physicians Medial Building – 4th Floor Renovation Contact: Mike Murray ; mikem@reinhardtconstructionllc. com

Phone: 573-682-5505

INVITATION TO BID

WEBSTER GROVES SCHOOL DISTRICT SOUTH ADDITION TO: WEBSTER GROVES HIGH SCHOOL

Sealed bids are requested from qualified contractors for an addition to the school referenced above.

A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on Thursday, October 27, 2022 at 4:00 p.m., at Webster Groves High School.

Bids will be received by Mr. Rob Steuber, Construction Project Manager, on Tuesday, November 15. 2022 at 2:00 p.m., at the District Service Center Building, 3232 South Brentwood Boulevard, Webster Groves, MO 63119. Public bid opening will follow immediately thereafter.

The project consists of South Addition to Webster Groves High School.

Contract documents will be available on October 18, 2022 for a refundable deposit of $50.00. Checks to be made out to Webster Groves School District. Documents will be available through County Blue; call 314-961-3800 to arrange for documents. For project related questions, please contact Dickinson Hussman Architects (Stan Hampton) at (email at shampton@ dharch.com). Documents also on file at McGraw Hill Construction Dodge, 6330 Knox Industrial Drive, St. Louis Missouri 63139.

The owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids. Bidders must provide a Bid Bond in the amount of 5% of the proposed contract sum. The successful bidder will be required to provide 100% Performance and Payment Bonds, comply with the Missouri Department of Labor Standards Prevailing Wage Rates, and be enrolled in the E-Verify Federal Work Authorization Program.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BID

Sealed Bids for the construction of the NORTH HILLS LANE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, COOL VALLEY, MISSOURI, will be received by the City Clerk at the office of City Clerk until 1:00 P.M. (Local Time) on November 3,2022, at which time the received bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. Bids received after that time will be returned unopened.

Copies of the Bid Documents, Contract Drawings, and Specifications may be examined at the following locations: Palladian Consulting City of Cool Valley Engineers 100 Signal Hill Dr. 8706 Gravois Road Cool Valley, MO 63121

St. Louis, MO 63123 Phone - (314) 221-3443 McGraw-Hill Dodge I square foot Plan Room www.construction.com www.isqft.com eplan room www.eplanbidding.com

This Contract, NORTH HILLS LANE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, COOL VALLEY, MISSOURI provides for the construction, supplying, installation and placement into successful operation of the following work: Rotomill and Overlay North Hills Lane

Copies of the Bid Documents, Contract Drawings and Specifications may be obtained for Bidding purposes from the Engineer, (Palladian Consulting Engineers, LLC) by email at palladian@sbcglobal.net

Bidders must be contractors qualified to do business and licensed in accordance with all applicable laws of this State and local governments where the project is located.

The work is to be commenced within (30) Thirty calendar days after the Date of Agreement. Completion of the Work is required within (30) Thirty consecutive calendar days following the Date stated in the Notice to Proceed at the Site.

A Certified Check or a Bid Bond satisfactory to the Owner in the amount of not less than five percent (5%) of the total Bid Price must accompany each Bid. A Contract will be awarded to the low responsive, responsible Bidder unless all Bids are rejected.

The successful Bidder will be required to furnish a Performance Bond and a Labor and Material Payment Bond guaranteeing faithful performance and the payment of all bills and obligations arising from the performance of the Contract.

Bids will be received on a LUMP SUM basis.

Missouri State Statutes 144.062, effective August 28, 1994, allows for a sales tax exemption to contractors constructing, repairing or remodeling facilities or purchasing personal property and materials to be incorporated into and consumed in the construction of projects for a tax exemption entity. The tax-exempt entity shall furnish a signed exemption certification authorizing such purchases for the construction, repair or remodeling project to each contractor and/or subcontractor.

Enrollment in Federal Work Authorization Program

Bidders are informed that pursuant to Section 285.530, RSMo, as a condition of the award of any contract in excess of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00), the success ful bidder shall, by sworn affidavit and provision of documentation, affirm its enrollment and participation in a federal work authorization program with respect to the employees working in connection to the contracted services. Successful bidders shall also sign an affidavit affirming that it does not knowingly employ any person who is an unauthorized alien in connection to the contracted services.

Safety Training

Bidders are informed that the Project is subject to the requirements of Section 292.675, RSMo, which requires all contractors or subcontractors doing work on the Project to provide, and require its on-site employees to complete, a ten (10) hour course in construction safety and health approved by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (AOSHA@) or a similar program approved by the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations which is at least as stringent as an approved OSHA program. The training must be completed within sixty (60) days of the date work on the Project commences. On-site employees found on the worksite without documentation of the required training shall have twenty (20) days to produce such documentation.

The Owner reserves the right to waive any informalities or to reject any or all Bids and to waive irregularities therein, and all Bidders must agree that such rejection shall be without liability on the part of the Owner for any damage or claim brought by any Bidder because of such rejections, and the filing of any bid in response to this invitation shall constitute an agreement of the Bidder to these conditions.

Bidders on this work will be required to comply with the President=s Executive Order No. 11246. Requirements for Bidders and Contractors under this order and other regulations are contained in these documents.

This activity is funded in whole or in part with Community Development Block Grant Funds pursuant to Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended. All applicable federal regulations shall be in full force and effect.

Be advised that contracts over $200,000 trigger Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968. Section 3 requires that economic opportunities generated by the expenditure of HUD funds be directed, to the greatest extent feasible, to low and moderate income persons via contracting, employment and training. All contractors and subcontractors working on this project will need to demonstrate compliance with Section 3 numeric targets and other applicable provisions. In cases where Section 3 compliance is not achieved, contractors and subcontractors must document good faith efforts to comply.

Date___10/6/2022______

By:/s/ Cheryl Wallace City Clerk

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

SEALED BIDS

M2001-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, November 10, 2022. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http:// oa.mo. gov/facilities

Center, Project No. M2114-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, November 1, 2022. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

Bids for New Comfort Station, Project No. F2206-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 Tuesday, N o v e m b e r 1, 2022. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

The St. Louis County Port Authority requests proposals from separate, qualified contractors to perform the following services for a retaining wall located at the former Jamestown Mall site in St. Louis County, Missouri 63034: (1) site preparation; (2) block placement and reinforcement; (3) wall backfill; (4) wall drainage; and (5) subsequent protections of wall and fence installation. The full RFP is available at https:// stlpartnership.com/rfp-rfq/. Proposals should be received no later than 3:00 PM CST on November 4, 2022.

St. Louis County Port Authority Equal Opportunity Employer

SOLICITING BIDS

Curtiss-Manes-Schulte, Inc. is soliciting bids from MBE/WBE/ SDVE/DBE subcontractors and suppliers for work on the UPMB 4th Floor MOA Clinic Renovation, University of Missouri-Columbia. Bids are due Tuesday, November 1, 2022 by 1:00 pm and can be faxed to (573) 392-4527 or emailed to bbrown@cms-gc.com. For more information, call Bob @ (573) 392-6553. Curtiss-Manes-Schulte, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

ROOMS FOR RENT Upscale, Very Clean, Good heating and cooling. Cable 314-484-3147

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Great Rivers Greenway is requesting qualifications for environmental consulting services. Go to www.greatriversgreenway.org/ jobs-bids and submit by October 27, 2022.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The STLVentureWorks solicits proposals for a firm to provide general maintenance, repairs, and property management services at four business centers located in St. Louis County, for up to a three-year period. A copy of the full RFP is available at https://stlpartnership.com/rfp-rfq/. A five percent bid preference may be available to certified MBE firms. Submissions should be received no later than 3 PM CST on Thursday, November 3, 2022. St. Louis Economic Development Partnership Equal Opportunity Employer

INVITATION TO BID: FERGUSONFLORISSANT SCHOOL DISTRICT ANNUAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER INSPECTIONS

Sealed bids for the above projects are being requested from the FFSD and will be received and publicly opened on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28th, 2022 @ 1:00pm CST at the Operation and Maintenance Dept. located at 8855 Dunn Rd. (REAR) Hazelwood, MO 63042. Bid specs must be obtained at http://new.fergflor.k12.mo.us/ facilities-rfq. Contact Matt Furfaro at mfurfaro@fergflor.org for further information/questions.

PUBLIC NOTICE

The City of Wellston will hold a public hearing to discuss the estimated allocation of $261,000.00 in Community Development Block Grant funds that will become available after January 1, 2022. In addition, the city will discuss the allocation or reallocation of $87,000.00 per year in funds for years 2020, 2021 and 2022. The public hearing will be held 6:00 pm on Friday, October 28, 2022, at Wellston City Hall, located at 1414 Evergreen Ave., St. Louis, Mo., 63133. If you have questions or if you are a person with a disability or have special needs in order to participate in this public hearing, please contact Janice Trigg no later than Monday, October 24, 2022 at (314) 553-8001. jann.trigg@gmail.com cityofwellstonmo.com

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Project: Parkview Apartments

Elevator Replacement

Owner: St. Louis Housing

Authority

Business Participation: 25% MBE and 5% WBE

Workforce Participation: 25% MBE and 5% WBE

Bid Date: October 20th, 2022 @ 11:00 AM

The estimator working on this project is Erik Hankins. Please send all bids to office@hankinsmidwest.com

If you would like more information on the job, please reach out and we will be more than happy to help you access the project documents.

Sponsored by:

Experience the region’s most advanced center dedicated to the health of women and infants with modern new labor and delivery suites connected to the highest level newborn intensive care unit. Where our team of experts who have seen it all are prepared for every what if.

Health & Wellness

5 ways traditions help us stay healthy and happy

(StatePoint) Health experts say that establishing and maintaining family traditions can boost overall well-being and vitality, especially as we age.

“As children become adults and move out of the house or away, the family traditions that bind us can sometimes get lost in the process,” says Aparna Abburi, president of Medicare and CareAllies with Cigna, which provides insurance to hundreds of thousands of older adults through its Medicare plans. “Forming new traditions or reigniting old ones can keep us connected to loved ones, ultimately helping us feel more fulfilled, happier and healthier.”

Here are some insights into the importance of traditions to well-being and vitality as we age, along with tips for keeping

those connections going in your own circle of family and friends:

Traditions help combat loneliness: According to a 2020 survey by Cigna, 61% of adults reported being lonely – a 7 percentage-point increase from 2018. That feeling was likely exacerbated by the pandemic that followed. Traditions can help to combat feelings of isolation. Consider setting up weekly video calls or trading letters and notes with relatives who live far away. Regular trips to a favorite destination, such as a lake or beach, or celebrating important holidays together every year, can provide meaningful time together.

Traditions pass on family values: Having shared values can help us feel connected to one another. Telling stories from the past or practicing cultural, spiritual and

religious traditions are great ways to pass these values down from one generation to the next.

Traditions can make us feel young again: From cooking and gardening to sports and games, family traditions often evoke old memories and make us feel young again. Sensory memories can be particularly powerful. Whether it’s a cookie bakeoff, ballpark peanuts and hot dogs, or a singalong around the piano, family rituals that include special sights, sounds and aromas are often the ones we think of most fondly.

Traditions strengthen communities: Traditions are not just for families; they can also strengthen ties among friends and communities. Consider getting a group of neighbors together for morning walks

or meeting friends for shopping excursions. Make visiting the farmers market, attending free concerts in the park, playing community center bingo and gathering for other recurring local events part of your routine.

For more information about how to stay healthy while aging, visit www.cignamedicare.com.

As you embrace the rituals that matter most to you, remember that traditions don’t need to be rigid or set in stone.

“Just as you might modify a family recipe to suit your dietary needs or switch from weekly phone calls to weekly video calls, don’t be afraid to tweak and expand on older traditions so they’re relevant and interesting today – and for years to come,” says Abburi.

What you need to know about heel pain

(StatePoint) Very common in adults and on the rise in children, heel pain continues to be the number one reason patients seek care from foot and ankle surgeons. While experts say there are many reasons for heel pain, including bursitis, Achilles tendonitis, bone bruises, fractures, growth spurts and nerve pain, the most common cause is plantar fasciitis, a condition that one in 10 people will suffer from in their lifetime. According to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS), plantar fasciitis can have serious repercussions if left untreated. Here’s what to know:

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the band of tissue (the plantar fascia) that extends from the heel to the toes in which the fascia becomes irritated and then inflamed. Symptoms include pain on the bottom of the heel, pain in the arch of the foot, and swelling on the bottom of the heel. For many, the pain is worse upon arising and increases over a period of months.

A telltale sign of mechanical issues in the foot, those with overly flat feet or higharched feet are more prone to developing plantar fasciitis. Lifestyle factors can also play a role. Wearing non-supportive footwear on hard, flat surfaces puts abnormal strain on the plantar fascia. This is particularly evident when one’s job requires long hours on the feet. Obesity and overuse may also contribute to plantar fasciitis.

How

is it Treated?

“We typically treat plantar fasciitis conservatively, at first,” said Michael J. Cornelison, DPM, FACFAS, a foot and ankle surgeon and president of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. “This can include a combination of remedies, including rest, exercises that stretch the calf muscles, orthotics, icing the heel, overthe-counter medications like ibuprofen, supportive footwear and physical therapy.”

Most patients respond well to conservative treatments. However, depending on the severity of the plantar fasciitis, additional therapies may be required,

including:

• Injection Therapy: Growth factor injections and platelet rich plasma injections are used to boost the body’s healing response and help repair injured tissue.

• Shockwave Therapy: This in-office treatment uses sound waves delivered over the skin to slightly damage the tissue and stimulate the body’s natural repair process. This helps the plantar fasciitis heal and relieves pain symptoms without making an incision. Patients can expect to be up and moving immediately after treatment, but it may take three to six months to see results.

• Ultrasonic Treatment: In this newer procedure, a small incision is made into the heel of the foot and a probe directs ultrasonic energy at the fascia to break down bad tissue and help the healing process. A diagnostic ultrasound tool is used to create an image of the inside of the foot and guide the probe. Patients may need to wear a boot immediately after the procedure for up to two weeks and they can expect to see

improvements anywhere from three to six months after the procedure.

• Surgery: Also called a plantar fasciotomy, this minimally invasive, minimally traumatic surgical treatment involves making a small incision through the heel into the damaged tendon to try to lengthen it and relieve tension. Patients tend to recover in six to 10 weeks, but it may take up to three months to resume exercise and more vigorous activities.

No matter what kind of treatment a patient undergoes, the underlying causes that led to the condition may remain. Preventive measures, such as wearing supportive shoes, stretching and using custom orthotic devices, are the mainstay of long-term treatment for plantar fasciitis.

For more heel pain information and to find a foot and ankle surgeon near you, visit FootHealthFacts.org, the patient education website for the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

Health & Wellness

Explore the flavors and health benefits of Indian cuisine at home

(StatePoint) In the last few years, more Americans have gotten hooked on the rich, mouth-watering flavors and bold spices of South Asian cuisine. In fact, research has shown an increase in searches for Indian cuisine, making it the second most searched for cuisine on Instagram.

Creating delicious Indian foods at home is now possible for anyone, regardless of their culinary skills. With the right shortcuts, you can prepare nutritious meals in less time. Ready to get started? Here are three reasons why you should add Indian cuisine to your lunch and dinner rotations: 1. It’s better for you: Indian cuisine features a number of ingredients that support a healthy lifestyle. For example, lentils are

an excellent source of protein and gutfriendly fiber, leaving you feeling fuller for longer. Commonly used spices, such as cumin and ginger, aid in digestion and provide anti-inflammatory benefits.

And if you stick to vegetarian and vegan dishes, you’ll be taking it a step further. Plant-based diets not only taste great, but have been linked to weight loss, better blood sugar control and a decreased risk of heart disease, among other health benefits.

2. It’s better for the planet: Eating a plant-based diet is one of the simplest ways to protect the planet. With its wide variety of protein-rich dishes and flavorful ingredients, Indian cuisine is a go-to choice for anyone looking to cut back on

meat. Studies show that if you eat one plant-based meal a day for a year, you’ll save almost 200,000 gallons of water –that’s equivalent to 11,400 showers.

3. Time-saving meal kits can make it convenient: For people who are not sure how to get started, a meal kit subscription is the perfect way to gain fluency in Indian flavors and makes the experience of putting authentic dishes on the table easy.

In particular, The Cumin Club, available nationwide, offers more than 30 authentic Indian dishes starting at $4.99 each. All you need is hot water and about five minutes to make a satisfying meal. This betterfor-you option uses all-natural ingredients you can feel good about, including spices

sourced from different regions of India. From classic street food to comforting bowls of paneer butter masala, the brand’s ever-expanding menu is vegetarian- and vegan-friendly, represents various cuisines of India, and is an excellent choice for busy, health-conscious foodies on a budget. To learn more, visit thecuminclub. com and receive 20% off your first order by using the code: EAT20.

Making authentic Indian food a part of your weekly rotation is an easy way to add healthier options with a ton of flavor. Thanks to new shortcuts, preparing it at home is easier than ever.

Your breastfeeding journey and achieving long-term success

Just like with pregnancy and childbirth, you have probably heard other mothers’ stories about their experiences with breastfeeding and you can certainly end up feeling overwhelmed by all the information.

Mothers have been breastfeeding their babies since the beginning of time, but that doesn’t mean the process is seamless. Emily Fishman, MD, IBCLC, Washington University neonatologist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, encourages all mothersto-be to learn about the importance of providing breast milk for their infants.

“It’s not about what to buy or how to arrange your nursery, but rather how to prepare for one of the most beautiful — yet challenging — experiences you’ll encounter as a mother,” Dr. Fishman says.

“One of the most important things to do is to educate yourself about breastfeeding before the baby arrives,” says Dr. Fishman. “Be familiar with any breastfeeding resources that are available to you and take

a breastfeeding class prior to your baby’s arrival. The most empowered are those who are prepared ahead of time.”

Breastfeeding is a natural gift and a process

Breastfeeding challenges aren’t uncommon in the first couple of weeks, but most of them resolve with time and a little guidance, Dr. Fishman says. “During this time, a mom will have many questions, whether it’s her first child or fourth child, as each child is unique in the breastfeeding journey,” she says. “Your pediatrician or a lactation consultant can answer your questions and be a wonderful resource for you, as well as local breastfeeding support groups.”

Your body starts getting ready to breastfeed during pregnancy, as early as 16 weeks into your pregnancy. After you give birth, your body gets the final signal

to make milk.

“It is best to bring your baby directly to your breast right after delivery,” Dr. Fishman adds, “ideally no longer than hour after he or she is born. Babies have an innate sense to go toward the breast and have reflexes for early suckling.”

“In the first few days after birth, your breasts make a thick, sticky, yellowish early milk called colostrum, which has the essential minerals and antibodies your baby needs for nutrition and the ability to fight infections,” Dr. Fishman adds. “Colostrum starts as drops and will slowly increase until about three to five days after birth, when you start to make mature milk.”

Benefits of breast milk for mothers and their babies

Breastfeeding provides many benefits for babies and nursing parents. That’s why the American Academy of Pediatrics

recommends exclusive breastfeeding for a newborn’s first six months and continued as long as parent and baby can after introducing solid foods.

“Human milk provides all the nutrients, calories and fluids needed for your baby’s health. Breast milk supports your baby’s brain development and growth and is easiest for your little one to digest,” Dr. Fishman says. “Breastfeeding continues to deliver the healthy antibodies your infant naturally received in the womb, which boosts your baby’s immunity to everything from the common cold to more serious conditions.”

Breastfeeding allows mothers’ bodies to recover from pregnancy and childbirth more quickly and lowers the risk of diabetes, hypertension, and breast and ovarian cancer. It can also help mothers to lose weight. There are also financial benefits, which can help decrease life stressors and the financial cost of paying for formula.

Flu season and the Coronavirus: vaccines are key to staying healthy

As the year comes to an end, it is once again imperative to receive both the COVID vaccine/ booster and the flu vaccine. The new bivalent COVID booster is the only booster now available. COVID is still present in the community and can continue to spread as people are in close quarters in the winter. This flu season is also believed to be quite intense and may cause many infections in the community.

As part of Centene’s influenza education program, Fluvention, Home State Health began sending text messages, emails and postcards to members this fall, point ing out that illness prevention will be important to reduce spread of the flu this winter. The health plan continues to educate members about hand washing, wearing a mask, maintaining safe distances from others, and staying home if not feeling well.

nity and the elderly may be more impacted by both infections.

According to a recent study from APM Research Lab, African Americans are dying from the COVID virus at nearly three times the rate of white Americans. In 42 states and Washington D.C., Hispanics/Latinos make up a greater share of confirmed COVID-19 cases than their share of the population. Dr. Wessels notes, “Prevention of COVID and the flu are our greatest defenses – vaccination, hand washing, and isolating if you are ill.”

“Medical professionals are gearing up to see more COVID and influenza infections this winter, as well as pneumonia and common colds,” said Home State’s Chief Medical Director, Jennifer Wessels, M.D. “Both COVID and influenza can cause similar symptoms. Some cases may be very mild while other may be severe enough to require hospitalization.”

Dr. Wessels notes that influenza and COVID-19 share many of the same symptoms – fever, chills, cough, runny nose, body aches, and fatigue, and stresses that it is important to seek medical care if you develop symptoms. “Be sure to seek medical care and obtain testing if you believe you have symptoms of COVID or influenza,” Dr. Wessels says. The flu and COVID-19 both have major impacts on vulnerable communities. Minority commu-

Dr. Wessels recommends that everyone older than age 6 months should receive a flu shot unless the individual has an allergy or significant reasons not to receive the vaccine.” She stresses that safety is a top priority for both the influenza and the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Both vaccines must be extremely effective at preventing disease, and must be safe for people. That is why the vaccines have undergone intense testing and clinical trials, she says.

“While receiving the vaccines can help prevent you from becoming seriously ill, they can also protect others around you.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that both the coronavirus and influenza vaccines help the body’s immune system learn how to defend itself against the viruses. The CDC also reports that the COVID-19 vaccines were tested in large clinical trials to make sure they meet strict safety standards, and that after vaccination, most people do not experience serious problems.

Visit these websites to learn more about influenza and Coronavirus vaccines, www.Cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/ and www.Cdc.gov/flu/

Vaccines are key to staying healthy. Help protect yourself, your family and community and get both the COVID vaccine/booster and the flu vaccine.

Transforming the health of the community, one person at a time.

To learn more about our work in the communities we serve, visit centene.com