October 14th, 2021 edition

St. LouiS AmericAn

Arthur R. Culver named Lifetime Achiever

“My entire career has been focused on improving educational outcomes for disadvantaged students.”

By Sylvester Brown, Jr.

The

East St. Louis School District 189

was in a state of chaos in 2011 when Arthur R. Culver was appointed superintendent. The district, with about 7,300 students at the time, had failed to meet state standards for nine years under the “No Child Left Behind Act.” Only 60%

Belated

of its students met or exceeded state performance standards. Additionally, the district’s administrative costs were higher than any other school district of similar size, taking up 8.7% of its budget, compared to the statewide average of 3.5%.

By May of 2011, the Illinois State Board of Education had taken control of the school district. Culver was

approached by Illinois education officials who were interested in him becoming the liaison between the state and District 189. In an interview with The Beacon that year, Culver described how he “fell in love” with the district.

“I’m motivated by challenges and by things that other people either can’t do or don’t want to do. The longer I was here, the more I was reminded of why I

went into education: to make a positive difference in the lives of students who are from high-poverty backgrounds and are not being successful in school,” he said.

On Friday, November 5, Culver will be recognized as the 2021 Lifetime Achiever at the St. Louis

Mayor holds first community input session on police chief search

By Dana Rieck

By Dana Rieck

The St. Louis American

The city’s new corrections commissioner, Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah, has been on the job now for just over a month. As she works to understand the issues facing the city’s jails, she told The St. Louis American she doesn’t have just one priority.

n “Overall, it needs work on both ends, it needs structure on both ends — from increasing the pay for the correctional officers to the just treatment of the detainees like humans.”

— Jennifer ClemonsAbdullah, St. Louis Corrections Commissioner

Clemons-Abdullah lists several issues she’s focused on improving such as the care and custody of people in the jails, closing the Workhouse (the Medium Security Institution), providing restorative justice, ensuring detainees have access to a quick judicial process and providing corrections officers an outlet to feel valued and appreciated.

“What [restorative justice] looks like to me is starting from the bottom, seeing what they didn’t have when they came in … jobs, avenues for therapy, avenues for just a rehab type thing because oftentimes they come in and they may have a drug habit, and it hasn’t actually been addressed and they covered it up for a long period of time. So, I feel like if we address that as restorative justice, you know, kind of a reform, I think it will help them not only go back into society to reinvent themselves but help them be a good neighbor.”

She believes her over 30 years of experience makes her uniquely qualified to handle the city’s current jail issues. Clemons-Abdullah has over 46 specialized certificates of leadership training within corrections; experience working for the Department of Justice’s Federal

Photo by Bill Greenblatt / St. Louis American

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Sean Joe, PhD speaks about the search for the city’s next police chief during a virtual public input session with St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and St. Louis Police

John Hayden on Tuesday.

Jennifer Clemons-Abdullah favors ‘restorative justice’

Arthur R. Culver is the 2021 Lifetime Achiever in Education

Ali claims ghost writing propelled Nelly’s career

On Monday morning, Oct. 11, Ali posted a past interview of Nelly on Instagram recognizing his role in molding Country Grammar’s success.

He wrote the post in response to what he believes to have been a subliminal message from Nelly.

“It’s called a career and in it you have ups and downs…some never have ups themselves so technically they just never had a career. they just was apart of someone else. FACT!!”

Nelly said in the rumored diss.

Ali said his work with Nelly’s debut album helped him reach mainstream success. He claims his writing is what skyrocketed Nelly’s career during the early 2000s, comparing its sales to Nelly’s newly released album Heartland

Wow , that’s how many copies of that album he sold.” He added that his career “was writing [Nelly] a career.”

Shaun

T

publicly shares childhood trauma story

Fitness Trainer Shaun T recently opened up about a traumatic childhood experience.

He shared a video on social media with messages across the screen while lip synching lyrics from MIKA’s “Grace Kelly”–“I could be brown, I could be blue/ I could be violet sky/ I could be hurtful, I could be purple/ I could be anything you like.”

“I wrote it & he said it and we sold 10,000,000,” Ali said. “do you notice that he hasn’t said ANYTHING about that country album !!?? Well I’ll tell you why ...13,000 !!!!

He first began the storytelling by saying: “When I was a 8 yrs old we used to have fun movie nights in our basement. We used to have to take turns running upstairs to the kitchen to get snacks during the commercials.”

The story became worse when he revealed one night when it was his cousin’s turn to get snacks his stepfather asked if he had ever French kissed anyone. He responded no and the stepfather tried to teach him how to and then attempted to have sex with him.

He continued: “He repeatedly molested me weekly until I was 12 years old. I ended up moving out of my childhood home away

from my mother and brother when I was 14yrs old. I was afraid if I told anyone he’d kill me so I didn’t tell my mother until I was 21 and suffered years of PTSD until I went through years of therapy and learned how to love myself!”

In the post’s caption he explained why he decided to share his story: “If you ever wondered why I trademarked the slogan ‘DIG DEEPER’ this is it! I was once asked, ‘Don’t you think you’re sharing too much?’ My answer: ‘Don’t you think there are too many people not sharing enough?’ #throwbackthursday #digdeeper.”

Brittish Williams indicted by federal grand injury on fraud charges

St. Louis native and Basketball Wives LA star Brittish Williams has been indicted by a federal grand jury in St. Louis on fraudulent charges.

Williams, who appeared on season three of BBWLA was charged on Sept. 22 on five felony charges of misuse of a social security number, four charges of bank fraud, three charges

of making false statements to the IRS, three charges of wire fraud and three charges of aggravated identity theft.

She was arrested on Thursday, Oct. 7 and pleaded not guilty to all charges. The indictment states she’s being accused of using fake social security numbers to acquire loans, lines of credit and other funds from banks.

Prosecutors say in 2017 and 2018, she deposited four checks between the amounts of $4,500 and $5,800 into bank accounts she managed and then removed the money before the checks bounced or banks realized they were false.

She’s also incriminated for using fake names and social security numbers to untruthfully claim dependents on her 2017-2019 tax returns.

Williams’ attorney said in a statement that he believes she’s being targeted because of her celebrity and expects her name to be freed “once the evidence is produced.”

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Brittish Williams

MO’s merit scholarships close door on Black, rural students

Rep. Windham advocates for system overhaul

Sophie Hurwitz

The St. Louis American

Missouri gives out hundreds of thousands of dollars in merit-based scholarship money to help students attend college each year: 13,575 students received A+ Missouri scholarships in 2019-2020, and 7,784 students received Bright Flight awards. 189 students received workforce development-oriented awards from the smaller Fast Track Missouri program.

More than 43,600 students received awards of varying sizes from Access Missouri, the state’s main need-based scholarship program. Access Missouri grants are capped at $3,000 per year for four-year college students, and less for two-year students. A+ Missouri and Bright Flight awards, which go to students that have completed a certain set of GPA and behavioral requirements, are generally larger awards.

State Rep. Kevin Windham, D-85th District, thinks that those numbers obscure a bigger story: that of a scholarshipdistribution system that is inequitable, and does not adequately serve students.

Windham recently praised a report from the Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis League of Student Advocates, a nonprofit group that provides scholarship distribution and counseling services. The report found that Black, rural and disabled students are receiving disproportionately small amounts of state-distributed scholarship aid as compared to the rest of Missouri’s student population.

While 12% of Missouri students are Black, only 3% of A+ awardees are. And the median family income of A+ awardees was, according to the report, over $90,000 for the 2019-2020 school year. That’s significantly higher than the statewide median of $55,000. This disparity was even more stark within the Bright Flight program: only 1% of awardees were Black, and the median family income of awardees was over $100,000. Ultimately, the report advocates for eliminating Missouri’s four separate state-level scholarship programs entirely, and starting over with one single need-based program. The issue, to Rep. Windham, is personal because he is still paying off significant student loans because he was unable to receive enough aid to put himself through college otherwise. He supports the conclusions that the League of Student Advocates have drawn, which can be summarized as follows: that most aid in Missouri should be going towards needbased rather than merit-based scholarships, as current scholarship requirements are inaccessible to many students and aid money is not going where it’s most needed.

Aja McCoy, law student and researcher with the League of Student Advocates of the Scholarship Foundation of Greater St. Louis said that eligibility requirements for merit-based programs like A+ Missouri are often impossible to meet — particularly for students who may have to work to support their families, or come

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from districts with less capacity to work with students to meet the requirements.

“The A+ program … requires you to have a 95% attendance rate, 50 hours of community service, and you also have to be either advanced or proficient on the state math test,” she said. “So what we’re finding is a lot of brown and Black students aren’t able to complete the 50 hour community service, because a lot of them have to look after siblings or work jobs to help with the family, stuff like that.”

School counselors at both Parkway School District and St. Louis Public Schools say that they are doing their best to help students meet these requirements, but often run into obstacles in doing so — and watch the possibility of scholarship money disappear from their students.

Nana Grange, counselor with

Parkway School District, said that while districts can appeal some requirements of the A+ scholarship — the 95% attendance requirement, for example — other requirements are fixed at the state level, such as the GPA minimum and the fact that any student involved with the criminal justice system is automatically disqualified from the program. The factor she sees getting in students’ way most frequently is when their GPAs don’t meet that 2.5 minimum mark.

“It’s just up to them to maintain the requirements. It’s like all scholarships — it doesn’t happen automatically, you have to earn that minimum GPA and maintain good attendance and stuff like that.”

In St. Louis Public Schools, according to College and Career Readiness Curriculum and Events Facilitator Khadija Tejan, the testing and GPA

requirements are what hold students back from scholarship money, too.

“It starts off great, right? You come to school, get good grades, make sure you give back to others in terms of service,” she said. “Those are the components. And what shuts the door are those other pieces, namely, the testing requirements. Those start to filter people out. But all of our students know that if they work hard, they do the work, they have this opportunity.”

Another reason these meritbased scholarships often end up outside the hands of less economically privileged students is because they are “last dollar scholarships” — meaning they only apply if students don’t already have other scholarships on offer such as Pell grants.

Tejan, along with McKinley High School College admissions specialist Kurly Taylor,

State Rep. Kevin Windham (right) calls the state’s current scholarship distribution system inequitable, and says it does not adequately serve students. Windham says it is also a personal issue because he is paying off student loans.

said that while moving to a more need-based system may help some students, the real problem is in fact the rising cost of tuition, and the fact that the total amount of scholarship money available simply isn’t keeping up. Over the past two decades, according to the College Board, the price index for tuition and fees to attend college has increased 172%. In the 2020-2021 academic year, the average list price of a public four-year college was $27,020; the average list price of a private equivalent institution was $37,650.

“I think changing to needbased is a quick fix, but I think it’s a much larger problem at stake here,” Taylor said. “As tuition is increasingly going up, aid is not meeting the inflation. So, despite putting in more funds, or making it needbased, there’s still going to be that insurmountable gap for students if these things continue to persist. In the grand scheme of things we’re going to need a complete overhaul of the system, complete reform of the antiquated system.”

Photo courtesy of St. Louis Public Radio

Guest Editorial Black Press continues to fill void in American journalism

“Black media continue[s] to create a space where Black folks can speak for ourselves about issues of importance and combat stereotypes that harm us.”

The racial awakening after the death of George Floyd didn’t spark a great reaction from mainstream media outlets.

By contrast, Floyd’s murder and the global protests that ensued further espoused the importance of the Black Press, and again revealed the dire straits of people of color face if there is no Black Press of America.

A City University of New York’s (CUNY) Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism study found that Black media publishes as much as six times more coverage than mainstream outlets on issues of importance to Black communities, including racism, health disparities, and voting access.

Released on Wednesday, October 6, 2021, the study, Why Black Media Matters Now, found that nearly one in four articles in Black media mentioned racism or related issues, as compared with less than one in 10 in mainstream media.

“Within coronavirus coverage, Black media wrote five times more on the disproportionate racial impact of the pandemic and nearly twice as much on frontline and essential workers,” CUNY researchers found.

The study concluded that Black media “stood out in its focus on a variety of other health issues of particular relevance to Black communities, including maternal health, hypertension, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and sickle cell disease.”

“It also led the way in coverage of voting access, racism, and stories that humanize the individuals and groups in the news,” the authors wrote.

“Nearly 200 years later, Black media continue to create a space where Black folks can speak for ourselves about issues of importance and combat stereotypes that harm us.”

This role of the Black press was both needed and visible over the past 18 months when the convergence of the worst pandemic in US history and state violence both were disproportionately impacting Black Americans, the researchers further acknowledged. This report, a comparative content analysis of the Black press and US mainstream media, shows the ways that Black media have continued the tradition started by the Journal in a contemporary context.

The researchers concluded: “Black media were important in 1827, and they are just as critical today.”

Other highlights of the report include:

• Within coronavirus coverage, Black media wrote five times more than mainstream media on the disproportionate racial impact of the pandemic, and nearly twice as much as mainstream media on frontline and essential workers.

• Black media covered a variety of health issues of particular relevance to Black communities at higher levels than mainstream media, including maternal health, hypertension, diabetes, HIV/ AIDS, and sickle cell disease.

• The issue of voting access was included in 12% of all politics stories in Black media, which is more than twice the percentage for mainstream media (5%).

• Black media leads the way on stories related to racism, putting focus on these stories at higher levels and earlier in the news cycle than mainstream media.

• Black media centers the community in coverage and humanizes the individuals and groups in the news.

• Black media used the word “Black” frequently in coverage, in an explicit naming of Black people and communities in reporting the news.

The word “Black” was consistently in the most frequently used 100 words across assorted topics, and in many cases was uniquely prevalent when compared with the top words used by mainstream media.

• Black media consistently had certain social identities emphasized for a variety of topics –community, family, women, and children foremost among them. Mainstream media did not use these words with similar frequency.

• Black media connects news events across subjects to cover wider issues of injustice, including threats to voting access, disparities in medical care, and policing and mass incarceration.

• Black media provides historical context to present day challenges. This is done by explicitly including historical events in related breaking news, as well as by linking related news events such as police killings of Black people.

In a world and nation that is undergoing historic change, a steady and confident force now and in the future is the Black Press. It is constant, and as proven by the CUNY study, it is very much needed.

The commentary was published by the National Newspaper Publishers Association

Infrastructure bill, Build Back Better essential to America

By Marc H. Morial

Filibuster. Cloture. Reconciliation. The chatter surrounding President Biden’s landmark infrastructure investment and Build Back Better agenda seems focused on the legislative process, on political maneuvering, on faceless numbers taken out of context.

What we’re not hearing enough about: parents desperately searching for childcare only to encounter year-long waiting lists and abrupt shutdowns due to understaffing. School children forced to do homework in parking lots because they have no internet access at home, and their school buildings are closed because they have no heat. Senior citizens who rely on Medicare skipping life-sustaining medications because they can’t afford their prescriptions.

Decades of neglect and failure to invest in America’s physical infrastructure and public institutions, a trend that accelerated when Tea Party members of Congress forced drastic cuts to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and intensified during the Trump era, have left us with dilapidated schools and crumbling bridges. Childhood asthma linked to poor air quality causes 13.8 million missed days of school annually. A water main breaks every two minutes, losing enough treated water each day to fill over 9,000 swimming pools. We’re the only developed country in the world that doesn’t mandate paid family leave, and our failure to invest in child care costs us $57 billion a year. Black Americans have borne the brunt of this neglect. Income inequality grew at a faster rate during the Trump era than during any of the last five administrations. The typical Black family holds about $12.50 in wealth for every $100 held by the typical white family. The Black unemployment rate remains nearly twice the rate for whites, and Black women are the least recovered from pandemic job losses.

form our economy while enhancing racial equity. There are five million fewer Americans working than in February 2020, and 2.7 million people have been out of work for six months or more, even as employers struggle to fill a record number of job openings. Taken together the infrastructure and budget reconciliation packages, could create 2 million jobs by mid-decade, according to Moody’s Analytics. Over the course of the 10-year budgeting window, the combined legislation would provide fiscal support for more than 4 million jobs per year, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

In fact, Moody’s found that the educational provisions of the legislation -- universal pre-K, two years of free community college, expanded Pell Grants and other education benefits -- would boost the economy beyond the 10-year budget window “given greater educational attainment and higher labor force participation.”

The two initiatives would invest about $4.1 trillion in America’s physical and human infrastructure over the last 10 years – almost exactly what the Main Street Marshall Plan called for. To put this number into perspective, the cost of the War on Terror since September 11, 2001, is about $8 trillion. The reckless 2017 Trump tax code revisions – which every Republican Senator and all but a dozen Republican House members eagerly supported – carried a $2.3 trillion price tag. What’s more, while the tax code revisions were enacted without a plan to pay for them, the infrastructure and Build Back Better plan would be funded by tax hikes on the wealthy, tougher tax enforcement and other revenue raisers. A modest tax hike on the wealthiest 0.05% of Americans alone would bring in at least $3 trillion in revenue over 10 years. So, when you hear politicians and talking heads opining about Senate and House procedures and legislative vehicles, know what’s really at stake: the future of you, your family, our community, and the nation. It’s time to Build Back Better.

Why I went to jail on October 5

By Ben Jealous

Sometimes friends have to hold friends accountable. That’s why I got arrested outside the White House on Oct. 5. I was there with other civil rights and religious leaders to call on President Joe Biden to do more to protect voting rights that are under attack.

We know that President Biden supports voting rights. He has called anti-voting laws being passed by Republican state legislators the biggest threat to our democracy since the Civil War. We need him to act like he truly believes those words.

We need a federal voting rights law passed this year. More states are enacting voter suppression. They are abusing the redistricting process to rig future elections and give Republicans more power than they would win in a fair system. They want to shut Democrats out of power in 2022 and 2024. They want to stop progress that millions of Americans voted for when we put President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in the White House—and mobilized to elect Georgia Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.

In the 1960s, President Lyndon Johnson did not choose between civil rights and his antipoverty agenda. He knew the country needed both and he used his mastery of the Senate to get both passed. That’s what we need from President Biden, who has more experience in the Senate than any president since Johnson. The infrastructure bill is vitally important. So is the Build Back Better agenda. But we need the White House to devote the same level of urgency to the infrastructure of our democracy. President Biden must lead Senate Democrats in passing voting rights this year—and getting rid of the filibuster if it stands in the way.

We need strong, effective moral leadership both inside and outside the White House at this moment. The civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s was a moral movement. It called on Americans to live up to their own ideals as well as to the promises in our founding documents. It brought the public pressure that compelled LBJ to use the powers of his office to pass civil rights and voting rights legislation.

The infrastructure investment and Build Back Better agenda – which largely incorporate the National Urban League’s Main Street Marshal Plan – represent a historic opportunity to trans-

Marc H. Morial is National Urban League president and CEO

We have seen this before. When Black people and their allies won political power after the Civil War, white supremacists used violence and illegitimate power to reverse that progress. State-level voter suppression was a core tactic of Jim Crow. The solution then, and the solution today, is strong federal voting rights legislation that will override those state laws and prevent new ones from taking effect.

The good news is that the legislation has been written. It has passed the House of Representatives and it has the support of every Democratic senator. If it gets to the White House, President Biden will sign it.

That bad news is that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his Republican colleagues are using Senate filibuster rules to keep voting rights from coming up for a vote. This is 2021, not 1921. President Biden and Senate Democrats cannot let McConnell have the final word on voting rights in this country.

I was proud to stand outside the White House with so many religious leaders: a Catholic nun representing thousands of her sisters; a Jewish rabbi in whose organization’s office the original Voting Rights Act was drafted; Black Baptist and AME clergy taking their place in the Black church’s long legacy of working for justice. We were joined by representatives of secular social justice and voting rights organizations.

Before I was arrested and spent the night in jail, I delivered a message to President Biden: When the president of the League of Women Voters is willing to risk arrest, when pastors in Dr. King’s lineage are willing to risk arrest, when Catholic nuns are willing to risk arrest to call you to fulfill your promise to make voting rights a top priority, it is time to examine your moral conscience.

Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way.

Letters to the editor

City aldermen need to be held accountable

There is a collection of over 30,000 signatures of persons who are tired of business as usual with the St. Louis Board of Alderman.

I am speaking from my own experience and other members of North City. What do they do besides run for office? Most of them are not accessible to their constituents. How can they get dressed to go to work and ride past all the vacant uncut lots? Where do they list their accomplishments? What are they doing? Our neighborhoods reflect poor leadership. I am from the era of Paula Carter and Fred Weathers who were respected and feared.

We can’t get our trash emptied and abandoned cars moved. We are unaware of programs to improve our neighborhood. Our aldermen need report cards and if you can’t see any improvement in where you live then they need to be held accountable and replaced. Our decay can be traced to poor leadership and self-serving individuals who bring nothing to our community.

My hope is that we will take time to investigate the effort of accountability of the persons

we have elected to represent us. There are good people who want to walk to the grocery store but are afraid because our community looks like war zones so they infiltrate and we are behind the steel bars. This is no longer acceptable and we will die from lack of leadership. We need leadership to make a commitment not at election time but always have our interest at heart. We did not elect them to give them jobs but rather to represent our interests. We don’t need to see them fighting each other, and we have no new business in our area and our children are not safe walking past so many vacant buildings. We need to demand more to improve our neighborhoods.

Patricia Miller 18th ward

David Steward is founder and chairman of

Columnist Marc H. Morial

Columnist Ben Jealous

STEAM Academy at McCluer SouthBerkeley, which offers a curriculum with science, technology, engineering, art design, and mathematics courses, has been recognized as a 2020-2021 Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Distinguished High School.

STEAM Academy honored as a ‘Distinguished School’ by PLTW

1 of 204 schools nationally

STEAM Academy at McCluer South-Berkeley has been recognized as a 2020-21 Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Distinguished High School. It is one of 204 American high schools to receive this recognition, just 1.7% of all schools. Eligibility requirements include:

• Having students enrolled in at least three PLTW High School courses from any pathway during the 2019-20 school year.

• Having 25% or more students who participated in PLTW High School courses from any pathway during the 2019-20 school year, or, at least 33% of those students who participated during the 2019-20 school year take at least two PLTW courses during their tenure at STEAM school.

• Having strategies and procedures that support proportional representation in regard to race, ethnicity, poverty and gender. Statistical data had to be provided to PLTW.

The program “celebrates districts and schools committed to helping to empower students to unlock their

potential by developing in-demand, real-world knowledge and skills necessary to thrive beyond the classroom. It is a great honor to recognize these schools and districts for their commitment to students,” said Vince Bertram, president, and CEO of PLTW.

“They should be very proud of ensuring students have the knowledge and skills necessary to be careerready on any career path they choose.”

The STEAM Academy at MSB, a FergusonFlorissant School District school, offers a STEAMfocused curriculum with science, technology, engineering, art design, and mathematics courses. It serves resident students who meet the admission criteria for the program.

STEAM’s pathways include computer science, engineering, business/finance, and biomedical science.

“It allows students to learn through project-based learning in an accelerated learning environment,” according to.

Through its computer science, engineering, and biomedical science pathways, PLTW “engages students in hands-on activities, projects, and problems, empowers them to solve real-world challenges, and inspires them to reimagine how they see themselves,” according to its website.

Who gets flexibility?

By Julianne Malveaux NNPA Newswire Contributor

I had not planned to have a policy conversation when I boarded my connecting flight from Detroit to DC. But the young white woman, totally professionally dressed, seemed to want my ear. She was coming to Washington to do “advocacy,” she said, around workplace flexibility and “reimagining work.” I thought girlie just wanted to hear herself talk, so my responses were minimal – um hum, okay. But I was more interested when she wove her policy thoughts into her own story – a young mom who COVID-19 challenged to ensure that her children didn’t fall behind.

The exchange sustained us for the scant hour or so of the flight, but I went another perspective as we began to exit the plane. We were in row 15, just five rows out of first class. As we left, I observed several women, mostly Black and Latina, and one African man, frantically cleaning the plane’s first-class cabin. It was clear that they were also waiting for the rest of us to get off the plane so they could go to the back and continue to clean.

The airlines promise cleaning between flights, and these folks were doing their jobs. Watching them, though, made it clear that the flexibility my seatmate was advocating for is not flexibility that trickles down. Those who write, talk, think, and compute for a living have the privilege of flexibility. Those of us who clean, sit behind a cash register, pick up garbage, or more, don’t have the same benefit of flexibility. Too much of the policy conversation centers around providing flexibility for some. What accommodations are we prepared to offer others?

For example, at hotels these days, guests are told that we should sleep on the same sheets and use the same towels for days, only asking for housekeeping services when we need them. But when we do not have housekeeping services, there’s a sister who has less work. She can’t clean our rooms from home, so her work week, once 40 hours or more, is now shortened. Her paycheck is smaller. Her benefits may disappear. Where is flexibility for her?

Our policy lens is distorted by our privilege and class situation. Desk jockeys advocate for desk jockeys, folks who can easily do their jobs from their desk or the office. Folks who can’t desk jockey or advocate are left on their own. Too many of those who don’t’ have the luxury of flexible work are Black or brown. A conversation about flexible work reeks of privilege and sidelines too many in the labor force.

Simple arithmetic suggests that when we pay people more, we get more effort, that many won’t mind the three-day workweek if they can be paid for it. Some of the workers, most of whom are women, won’t mind spending more time engaged in their children’s education, perhaps volunteering at their schools. Others might like the time to upgrade their skills, possibly enrolling in classes that augment their already proven skills with management possibilities.

The pandemic reminded us of our interdependence, of the many ways we must rely on each other. For many privileged workers, it has meant that the terms and conditions of their work can be reexamined. What about the workers we rely on for our health care, transportation services, grocery shelving, and more? It will be a classist tragedy if the few folks at the top only enjoy workplace flexibility. Workplace flexibility, and the pay that goes with it, must also be a privilege of those at the bottom.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author and Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at Cal State-Los Angeles.

St. Louis American staff

Juliane Malveaux

Photo courtesy of STEAM Academy

Continued

American Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Award, Virtual Gala.

Culver said he is “deeply honored” to be recognized, adding that it’s an honor he shares with many people.

“I know the difference that a good education can make in a child’s life. I know it truly takes a village to raise a child - no one person can do it all,” he said.

“The progress made within the East St. Louis School District is because of the strong involvement of multiple stakeholders. It is an honor to serve in the East St. Louis School District, where we are committed to excellence.”

Culver, a former Champaign, Illinois school superintendent, had established a reputation as a “turnaround leader,” in both Illinois and Texas where he served in public education as a teacher and administrator for more than 30 years. Upon his appointment as superintendent of District 189, State Superintendent of Education Christopher Koch, praised Culver’s educational accomplishments.

Chief

Continued from A1

A1 es on simply having a large police force — leaving not only the officers exhausted, but the community as well.

“Art Culver’s willingness to embrace a challenge, his leadership and experience implementing systematic change in the Champaign district will be a great asset to the East St. Louis district,” Koch said in a written release.

Koch noted how Culver, while in Champaign, improved African American elementary math and reading scores by 30% and 26%, respectively. Additionally, African American middle school scores improved by more than 50% and 26%, respectively, in math and reading. Enrollment of African American students in honors and advanced-placement courses tripled during the same time period.

Culver quickly established “structures and systems” aimed at ensuring teacher and student success. New implementations, according to his bio, included “rigorous curriculum standards, increased teacher and principal accountability that includes responsibility for student academic growth and increased social-emotional support for students.”

Under Culver’s 10-year leadership, the East St. Louis School District has earned accreditation through 2024. Additionally, the four-year graduation rate increased by over 13%, the college persistence rate increased by 12%,

and the dropout rate decreased by 5% while student academic achievement rates have grown steadily.

Financially, the school district has gone from concerns about having enough funds to make payroll in 2012 to now having the state’s highest designation for financial stability.

Culver is a tireless advocate for changing the education funding formula in Illinois. East St. Louis has one of the highest tax rates in the state. Local funding represents just under 15% of the district’s revenue. In the average Illinois district, local dollars make up nearly 70% of the budget. Educational experts have often cited East St. Louis as one of the very worst models in the country for students in poor districts.

To address financial instability, Culver implemented multiple strategies that included securing over $50 million in competitive grants, eliminating excess personnel and vendor contracts, and using working cash bonds.

Perhaps most impressive is Culver’s innovative educational focus. Under Culver’s leadership, the district has added numerous social workers, counselors, and behavior specialists. It has also increased staff professional development to become trauma-informed

and to “utilize restorative practices.”

The 34th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Virtual

Gala will be celebrated online as a free virtual event on Friday, Nov. 5, on stlamerican. com, the St. Louis American’s Facebook page and YouTube

same time.

channel. For additional details on how to participate, please visit givebutter.com/2021EducationSalute.

“They’re frustrated with a broken 911 system and a failure to address the root causes of crime in their communities,” Jones said. “When I think about the future leader of our police force, I know it has to be someone who understands that public safety just doesn’t mean one magic fix. It means taking a holistic view of the problems in our community and a vision that includes public health and community policing.”

questions they’ve received so far are:

Jones said Hayden has been an ally in the attempt to reimagine public safety. Then Joe took over the virtual meeting, welcoming people to submit their questions via the Zoom chat or to signal they would like to ask their questions directly. He noted that the meeting’s goal was to hear directly from community members about what they would like to know from their next police chief.

Jones’ administration has set up an online survey for the public to submit their comments. Joe said the top

1. How will you ensure accountability amongst the police force?

2. What does community policing mean to you?

3. If you became police chief, how would you work to build trust?

The public survey can be found at https://forms.gle/pwvjGysmDcxzfjnK8. On Tuesday, Jones said that over 260 people had submitted responses. Hayden also answered some questions, saying that he hopes the new chief would continue efforts to continue

the reduction in violent crime and community relationships. Hayden said he welcomes the citizen police oversight board that Jones is working to put together.

Questions asked by community members included addressing problems they consider public health issues, addressing root causes of crime, bettering the department’s relationship with St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner and the characteristics the two believe are needed to be a successful chief.

Jones said the characteristics she’s looking for someone who can be compassionate and enforce the law at the

“I don’t think those two things are dichotomous,” she said.

Alderwoman Shameem Clark-Hubbard, Ward 26, thanked Hayden for his service and dedication to the role, then asked what the two leaders should not do when hiring a new chief.

Jones emphasized the need to listen to the community and take their needs into account.

“I think it would be short sighted to again expect better results or great results if in fact we slip into old patterns, which our city is accustomed to doing,” Hayden added.

“We are just so used to ask-

ing the police for everything, and there’s a lot of mission in what we do, but I think we are on the right track in trying to include other professionals in this public safety mission.” Another virtual listening session is scheduled for 6 p.m., Tuesday Oct. 26. There have been multiple internal candidates and about eight external candidates who have applied for the position so far. Jones said at the meeting’s close that once the city has a list of top candidates, her administration will schedule an event for those people to respond to community questions.

East St. Louis School District Superintendent, Arthur R. Culver, visiting students at Officer Elementary School in East St. Louis.

Photo by Sydney Stigge-Kaufman

Jail

Continued from A1

Complex, Forrest City in Arkansas. She noted she began her career as a jailer, so she has a perspective not all corrections leadership does.

And hopefully it works to her advantage, as it’s no secret Clemons-Abdullah has inherited a position riddled with high-profile issues left behind by the previous commissioner, Dale Glass. Most notably, the City Justice Center has experienced at least six detainee uprisings since the end of December — all blamed on faulty locks in the facility. Those uprisings include two this summer that resulted in the transfer of about 140 detainees to the now-closed Workhouse.

In addition, three detainees in June sued the city in a complaint detailing numerous stories of abuse at CJC, mostly alleging correctional officers excessively pepper spraying inmates and withholding access to clean water as punishments.

The St. Louis American recently reported that in March Glass approved a $17,379 order for the chemical, or as much pepper spray as the department had purchased in the previous six years combined. Shortly after that story, the ACLU of Missouri sued the St. Louis City Department of Corrections for not complying with a request for records pertaining to pepper spray incidents between corrections officers and detainees at the St. Louis City Justice Center (CJC).

that is beneficial to us, for safety and security purposes, but not just us, but for the detainees as well.”

She said while she’s still reviewing department materials, she believes the policies need to be enhanced and more annual review trainings need to be held.

As for detainee protests and uprisings, Clemons-Abdullah said she has some experience dealing with similar, but not identical, incidents.

“Not with necessarily detainees, they’ve been with convicted felons and it’s more of an organized approach to deescalate the situation,” she said. “And that’s going to be my first initiative, to put some things in place to deescalate things on a very basic level and not result to action immediately, because oftentimes, you shouldn’t jump straight to action there should be some conversation and some communication, first and foremost.”

n ClemonsAbdullah said she’s approaching the job by first doing an in-depth analysis of the jail’s policies and previous incidents to better understand what is needed to correct the situation and move forward.

Clemons-Abdullah said she’s approaching the job by first doing an in-depth analysis of the jail’s policies and previous incidents to better understand what is needed to correct the situation and move forward.

“I can’t comment on things that have happened, but what I can say is I’m currently looking at the matter in which we conduct business with the policies and procedures and go from there,” she said. “And hopefully we can have some things that are — we’ll put some things, I’ll put some things in place to help steer them in a direction where it’s properly used, and we go in a direction

She clarified that the action she mentioned was using pepper spray or tear gas to gain control of the detainees during such an event.

The new commissioner said while it’s not an overnight process, she is also in the process of evaluating corrections officers, staff members and detainees in light of misconduct allegations to determine what actions need to be taken.

“Overall, it needs work on both ends, it needs structure on both ends — from increasing the pay for the correctional officers to the just treatment of the detainees like humans,” she said. “With everything, I think it needs work. Nothing is ever perfect and so we’re going to work toward that and hopefully with a little effort, a little visiting the detainees, attending their dorm rep meetings, just going around and talking to them and talking to the staff I have gotten a pretty good grasp of where I need to start.”

As for the Workhouse, Clemons-Abdullah said it will be closed.

“The perspective still hasn’t changed — at the end of the day it will be closed,” she said. “The old part of it is not open. We’re still utilizing it, we’re not using the old part of it, but it will be closed. And when I came in the door it was already closed. We’re utilizing it until construction is completed.”

Wednesday, Oct.

was awarded

via the National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grant. The award will fund a new walk-in combination cooler/ freezer installed at the

Dr. Crystal Henderson, principal at Gibson Elementary School in the Riverview Gardens school district, helps Jessiah Moye, 5, and Alyssa Roper, 5, with their lunch

13. Gibson

$25,000

school.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Schnucks to encourage mammograms

Teams with Pink Ribbon Girls and Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis

By JoAnn Weaver

The St. Louis American

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for American women.

“Despite progress in the detection and treatment of this terrible disease, racial and ethnic disparities persist, and the NCBI reports that AfricanAmerican women have a 41 percent greater chance of dying from breast cancer than white women, although white women have a higher incidence of the disease,” the NCBI concluded.

to white women despite having numerous health care facilities.

As part of the “Treasure Your Chest” program, the first 1,500 mammogram clients living in one of 21 select zip codes* of north St. Louis County and north St. Louis City can receive a $50 Schnucks gift card along with other resources to promote healthy living and eating choices.

“We are thrilled to partner with Schnucks and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis to help encourage women to make their health a priority,” says Cory Smallwood, Regional Director of Pink Ribbon Girls. “We hope that the Treasure your Chest campaign will inspire women to schedule a mammogram because we know mammograms can save lives.”

“Along with our partners at the Pink Ribbon Girls and the Urban League, Schnucks is answering the challenge and striving to make the communities we call home better,” said Schron Jackson, Schnucks Director of Community Engagement and Customer Care.

“Working together we can change the landscape, and over time, provide a meaningful impact on those devastating statistics that show breast cancer disproportionately affects women in underserved areas of St. Louis - that includes where Schnucks was founded 82 years ago and continues serving today.”

To address this disparity in the St. Louis region, Schnuck Markets, Inc. is teaming with the Pink Ribbon Girls of St. Louis and Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis (ULSTL) to encourage women in underserved communities in the St. Louis area to get mammograms.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women and the second-leading cause of cancer death. In the St. Louis region, breast cancer mortality rates are significantly higher for African-American women compared

To receive the $50 gift card, participants must register for the “Treasure Your Chest” program by visiting the Pink Ribbon Girls website.

Residents of eligible zip codes will then be mailed a voucher.

From there, one can schedule a mammogram. Bring the voucher and the letter received after your appointment from your mammogram pro vider to a “Treasure Your Chest” event at one of two local Schnucks stores or visit the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis at one of the following locations during normal busi ness hours to receive your gift card: their regional headquar ters, their county operations, the Ferguson Community Empowerment Center or the Peter Bunce Campus.

“We are honored to part ner with Schnucks and Pink Ribbon Girls to help increase the opportunity for high-risk women to receive a mammogram,” said Michael P. McMillan, Urban League President and CEO.

“Many of the clients seeking services from the Urban League are female, heads of household so if they have a health emergency, the entire household suffers. This is life-changing for the woman and her family.”

Eligible zip codes for St. Louis County include: 63132, 63133, 63134, 63135, 63136 63137,63140, 63147, 63143, 63033, 63034, 63044, and 63074. Eligible zip codes for St. Louis City include: 63101, 63106, 63107,63112, 63113, 63115, 63120, 63121, 63136, and 63147.

Cahokia Heist!

Alorton’s merger into Cahokia Heights.

By James Ingram

less than $20,000.

That hasn’t stopped Mayor Curtis McCall, Sr., and others from engaging in the same slick political profiteering and hook-ups that we’ve come to expect from their respective former communities, as well as their neighbor East St. Louis. In this case, the salaries of office holders are as much as four times the income of the average resident. Most glaring is that of Mayor McCall at $85, 000, and his brother in-law Christopher Belt, who draws $64,000 an administrative position. Meanwhile, Belt earns an additional $67,874, plus a per diem as an Illinois state senator. But that’s just the beginning. Former Alorton mayor and convicted felon JoAnn Reed is being paid $72,000 to work in the department of nutrition. This could be a reward for giving up her former job and agreeing to

Columnist James T. Ingram

Then there’s LaMar Johnson, who is on federal probation for making fictitious and fraudulent statements to investigators in 2017. Apparently, criminality means nothing in Cahokia Heights. Johnson is now earning a cool $82,175. So, what about nepotism? Glad you asked. Mayor McCall made sure that his son, Kerchavian McCall, will receive a comfortable $67,450 post in the water department. In fact, maybe the city could be renamed “Cahokia Heist” because of the blatant and thoughtless way in which taxpayers are being insulted and robbed by the overly inflated salaries. It is shameful that 22 employees on the payroll will earn an average of $69,000 annually, while 68 hourly workers are projected to make about $44,000 per year in a poor community. It’s an obscene stick-up of the highest order with the political heist being pulled off by people with no conscious, no integrity. Their personal greed and arrogance are their sole motivation.

I only hope that voters wake-up and force the new city administration to course correct before it goes the way of East St. Louis and other communities that have fallen victim to political corruption in the nottoo-distant past.

Email: jtingram_1960@ yahoo.com Twitter@ JamesTIngram

“Taking Care of You”

The work of nurses and health care workers who provide direct care to

ongoing pandemic continues and many remain underpaid.

will be used to raise compensation to a livable wage.

Medicaid health workers still underpaid despite expansion

Gov. Parson vetoed bill to pay “livable wage”

By JoAnn Weaver The St. Louis American

currently struggling with exacerbated staffing problems. Medicaid expansion could alleviate the staffing issues.

State Rep. Peter Merideth, the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee, said Missouri can expect substantial revenue increases to Missouri coffers from federal

sources as a direct result of Medicaid expansion, according to information provided to the General Assembly by DSS on Oct. 6.

“We have a crisis that has been growing in our state in that the people that care for disabled and elderly and mentally ill are dramatically underpaid in comparison to not just other states, but also the private sector and other jobs,” Merideth said in a phone interview.

Missouri officially implemented the Medicaid expansion Oct. 1 after Republican legislators attempted to gut funding through the budget process in an ill-conceived attempt to undo the will of voters. The state has already started processing Medicaid applications for those newly eligible for the program.

Merideth said some legislators believe the problem with underpaying providers stems

from raising minimum wage.

“Now, a few Republicans have tried to blame the rising minimum wage,” Merideth said.

“But the reality is that if jobs like WalMart or fast-food chains pay people more, whether it is because of a raise in minimum wage or because the economy is demanding it right now, then our employees that are paid through reimbursements from Medicaid are not getting those kinds of raises.”

The Missouri Supreme Court unanimously upheld the constitutionality of Medicaid expansion in July, vindicating Missouri voters and reiterating the points made by Democratic legislators who fought to respect voters’ decision.

However, a bill that would increase pay

By Wendy Gladney L.A. Sentinel

Unfortunately, death becomes an unwanted visitor to our homes and family leaving pain, suffering and hurt. Last week my oldest male cousin on the paternal side of my family, Benny Rene Harris, passed away. We were both raised by our grandmother, but due to our age difference we spent limited time together. Like many of us, Ben’s life had many ups and downs, highs and lows, sorrows, and setbacks. But I am proud to say during the last decade of his life, he truly dedicated his life and work to serving the Lord. He was active in his church and various other ministries extending his gifts and talents anyway and anywhere he could. Over the years Ben and I had established a routine of checking in weekly to see how the other one was doing and what was going on in our lives. One day he shared with me that he was not feeling well and that something was wrong. I urged him to go to the doctor and get checked out. For some reason many men, especially Black men hesitate to go to the doctor. After getting checked he found out that he was struggling with various illnesses including cancer.

Recently when he called me from his hospital bed, and he asked me to come and see him I told him I would be right there. After detailed discussions with his doctor I realized that his time was running out. Eventually he was moved from the hospital and was transferred to a healthcare center and then finally to hospice. Ben felt alone because he never married, never had children, and lived alone most of his life. I wanted to make sure he knew and felt that he was not alone.

His last words to me were that he wanted to make sure I was happy, that I take care of my health and that I always remember that he “loved me too much.” Ben, I will miss you on this side of heaven, but I look forward to seeing you at the crystal river. Thank you for your spirit and for your unconditional love my cousin. Although you never got married and you never had children, your legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of all of us who loved you.

The loss of my beloved cousin made me think about how many Black men are dying because of their failure and refusal to have routine medical checkups. I began to research this subject and was taken aback by the

COVID-19 was STL County’s third leading cause of death in 2020

Black residents died at higher rate

By JoAnn Weaver The St. Louis American

According to a recent report from the St. Louis County Department of Public Health, although heart disease and cancer remained the top two leading causes of death, COVID19 was the third leading cause of death in 2020.

The report data also show that as the virus surged, it further exposed the deep inequities between health outcomes for African American residents versus their white counterparts.

Spring Schmidt, deputy director of St. Louis County Public Health Department, reiterated that health disparities increased the negative health outcomes of African American County residents.

n The report data also show that as the virus surged, it further exposed the deep inequities between health outcomes for African American residents versus their white counterparts.

“Unfortunately, we have been reporting that Black county residents have faced health outcome disparities for years, and we have been talking to different people in different industries to get to some root causes,” Schmidt said.

A13

Medicaid patients has been exhausting as the

State Rep. Peter Merideth and health care organizations hope some Medicaid expansion revenue

Photo courtesy of University of Missouri (showme.missouri.edu)

See BLACK MEN, A13

Wendy Gladney

St. Louis hospitals say most workers complied with vaccine regulation

By Sarah Fentem

St. Louis Public Radio

Hospital officials in St. Louis say the vast majority of their employees have gotten the COVID-19 vaccine by the fall deadlines administrators set earlier this summer.

While some hospital officials had worried the vaccination requirements would lead people to quit rather than get the vaccine, there hasn’t been a mass exodus of workers, said Dr. Clay Dunagan, the head of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force.

“That turns out to be a very tiny part of the workforce, and it’s really not compromising health care operations,” he said.

In early July, the region’s four largest hospital systems — Mercy, BJC HealthCare, SSM Health and St. Luke’s — announced all workers would need to get the vaccine or face weekly coronavirus testing. Administrators said workers who did not comply would be suspended and fired. Hospital systems offered exemptions from the mandate for religious or health reasons. They had different deadlines, but all required their workers to be vaccinated by October.

About 40 workers at BJC Healthcare, where Dunagan is the chief clinical officer, decided against getting vaccinated, he said. That represents less than 1% of

COVID-19

Continued from A12

“There were disparities that were present in our community before COVID ever started, and COVID not only exacerbated that, but also exposed how severe some of those changes could be.”

African American residents died of COVID-19 at 2.4 times the rate of white residents, according to report data. Those in Outer North and Inner North subregions of the county and those living in neighborhoods with high poverty levels had the highest COVID-19 mortality rates as well.

Among those who died from COVID-19, chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and hypertension were prevalent, indicating that individuals with these conditions are at a greater risk from the virus — illnesses that already disproportionately impact Black residents across the country.

“We have seen the dis-

Medicaid

Continued from A12 for Medicaid workers was not passed, which is exacerbating the crisis.

‘Tiny part of workforce’ didn’t comply

more than 30,000 workers in the health system. Officials at other hospitals say most workers have complied but declined to give detailed numbers.

“The vast majority of our employees in the St. Louis

region were compliant with the vaccine mandate,” said a spokeswoman for SSM Health.

“We continue to work with the small number of employees who were not vaccinated at that time.”

Mercy and BJC Healthcare

have suspended employees who have not yet been vaccinated against the coronavirus, representatives of the hospitals said. If they don’t get the vaccine soon, they’ll be fired from their jobs.

Hospitals in St. Louis,

The Rev. Bill Cardy, Mercy Hospital South chaplain, was one of the first Missourians to receive a coronavirus vaccination in December 2020. The vast majority of hospital workers in the region have gotten the COVID vaccine after mandates took effect this fall.

know some places shied away from issuing mandates for that purpose.”

That all four major hospital systems in the region issued their mandates during the same week likely persuaded skeptical workers to get vaccinated, said Alex Pennington, an emergency nurse at a St. Louis hospital.

“I think most people kind of came around with the mandate, especially since all the hospitals locally acted together,” he said. “It wasn’t just, ‘Well, I’m going to go to a different hospital.’ It was like, ‘I’m either going to do this mandate, which I’m a little upset about, or I’m going to have to move to rural Kentucky.’”

Most of the people in his department had gotten the vaccine within a month of it becoming available for health care workers, Pennington said. But there were a few holdouts.

“It’s kind of nice to know that there’s probably only three or four people there that have exemptions and that aren’t vaccinated,” he said.

Kansas City and other major metropolitan areas are less likely to view vaccine mandates as an employment risk, Dunagan said. “But I know in smaller hospitals and in more rural settings, it’s been viewed as a real threat. … I

parities in heart disease, some cancers and other types of disease in the early cause of death reports before, but for COVID to suddenly become as the third leading cause of death in nine months in comparison to other

“An estimated $30 million for consumer directed services would get health care providers who serve those on Medicaid up to $15 an hour and we managed to get it into the budget, but the governor vetoed it without good reason,” Merideth said. “He’s putting off this crisis and undervaluing people doing these jobs.”

Black Men

Continued from A12

health crisis Black men are experiencing. There are so many reasons I believe people

diseases has come as a shock, but it just underscores how much work still needs to be done,” Schmidt said.

As a result of increase of deaths due to COVID-19, overall life expectancy declined by

2.3 years in St. Louis County in 2020.

“There are several factors that account for this disparity including general access to care, a disproportionate number of conditions, and majority of

Black residents worked essential jobs which required them to be in front of the population, which exposed them to the virus,” Schmidt said.

A decline in life expectancy was observed across all groups;

In September, President Joe Biden announced the federal government would soon mandate vaccinations or routine testing for all United States health care workers as well as federal employees and contractors.

The president directed OSHA to implement the new policy, which has yet to go into effect.

however, there were stark disparities in the magnitude of the decline by race, with the greatest decline observed among African American women (-3.9 years) followed by Black/ African American men (-3.4 years).

Schmidt went on to talk about how institutionalized racism plays a role in the disparities.

“There could be other factors of institutionalized racism in the world that disproportionately affects African Americans that are not based upon their jobs or health conditions but continue to play out in poorer health outcomes,” Schmidt said. “These are harder to quantify but important to recognize.”

“It will take a community approach to address these root causes, and by root causes, I mean we have to focus on housing as health, transportation as health, and other social determinants,” Schmidt said. COVID-19 killed 1,310 residents accounting for 11% percent of all deaths in St. Louis County in 2020.

“We have so much money right now that it is ridiculous, and we should be putting it into paying these workers what they deserve,” Merideth said. The increase in money is a big relief, but it may not be enough to mitigate the dire situation. If turnover rates continue to increase for the direct care providers, then the crisis will worsen.

(especially men of color) are hesitant to take care of their health. The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Black male conducted between 1932 and 1972 that left Black men to suffer from the disease has

and economic

“We want to avoid a crisis where we can no longer find people to provide healthcare to those on Medicaid,” Merideth said. “It’s not going to matter

caused Black men to have a lingering distrust of the medical system. But the reality is the health of Black men continues to be worse than that of nearly all other groups in the United States. On average, Black men die

that we are getting all of this money from federal sources to pay for this expansion population, if we don’t have providers willing to do the work because we don’t pay enough money to do it.”

Additionally, House Republicans removed $1.9 billion allocated for the Medicaid expansion in April. However, federally-sourced funding for the Medicaid expansion will be spread over the next two years.

more than 7 years earlier than do women of all races, and Black men die younger than all other groups of men, except Native Americans. As a wife and a mother of sons and grandsons it concerns me deeply that of all the men

“Because of our state’s decision to expand Medicaid coverage to hundreds of thousands of Missourians, our state will receive nearly $1.1 billion in enhanced federal funding over the next two fiscal years,” Merideth said. “This is in addition to the billions in federal reimbursements that will pay for expansion itself - an extra billion provided by Biden’s American Rescue Plan to newly expanding states that we can spend however we want.” “On top of all the other revenue and savings our state will receive by expanding, Missouri leaders should act now in using this money to strengthen our health care infrastructure for the future.”

in the United States, Black men have unique health concerns that include diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, just to name a few. It is important for us to encourage the men in our lives to stay on top of their health. We do not need to cry for them

before it is truly their time. Rest in peace Brother Ben. I love you too much!

Wendy Gladney is a columnist with NNPA

Photo by Theo Welling / Special to St. Louis Public Radio

PRESENT:

PRESENT:

Nutrition Challenge:

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

Dining Out.

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

those leftovers for lunch the next day!

are popcorn, wheatberries, brown rice and wild rice.

The image also includes a side of milk.

Cocoa Puffers Cereal

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

INGREDIENTS:

Dividing Your Plate!

What Is ASize?Serving

GRAINS

Keep ‘em Whole!

The Smart Way!

Warm Up & Cool Down

Do This. Not That!

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?

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

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

For years kids were taught the proper variety of different categories of food by the use of a “Food Pyramid.” The tip of the pyramid represented the small amount of fats a child should consume and that was followed by the five food groups (Milk/Cheese, Meat, Vegetables, Fruits and Grains/Breads). Now, the more common image is a plate divided into portions, showing how much room vegetables, fruit, meats and breads should fill.

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

> 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.

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!

Play Tag!

First Day of Spring!

Exercise Game

Tech-Neck

for several different reasons.

> Start by substituting one drink per day to water.

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

Seeing the different kinds of foods on a plate can help you see how much of each type of food you should eat. Notice that the fruits/vegetables portion fills half of your plate. And remember to include whole grains in the “bread” section of your plate.

Weekly Newspaper in Education Program

Latoya Woods, DNP, APRN, FNP-C

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

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

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.

For more information visit: http://kidshealth. org/kid/stay_healthy/food/pyramid.html.

Learning Standards: HPE 2,

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

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

Learning Standards: HPE 2, NH 1, NH 5

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

Melissa Douglass, MSW

Deborah Edwards, School Nurse

Yonniece Rose, Registered Nurse

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

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

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

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

A fun way to run around, get your heart rate up and have fun is to play good old-fashioned tag. One person is “it” and they must tag someone else who is now the chaser. This game has many variations including:

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

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

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.

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

Flashlight Tag —

Instead of watching TV — ride your bike with friends.

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

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

Pool Noodle Tag - Each player has a soft, foam pool noodle. One person is “it” and uses the noodle to gently “tag” another person, who then becomes “it.”

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.

They should tuck them into their two back pockets. All of the players start in a different corner of the yard and when the game starts, you try to grab one sock from another player. Once a player has no more socks, they sit down in the yard. The winner is the last player with a sock.

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

> 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.

Flag Tag - To create flags, each player will use two long socks.

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

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,

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

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.

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!

Instead of tagging other players, “it” must simply shine a flashlight on another player, who then becomes “it.”

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

Learning Standards:

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.

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!

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.

What are some other ways to play tag? Share your ideas with your classmates.

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

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

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.

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

Most of our childhood we are taught to share. But there are some things that should never be shared! These include eating utensils such as forks, spoons, straws and even napkins. But some other items to keep to yourself are your brush, comb, toothbrush, headbands and make-up. Germs, allergens and even living organisms (such as lice) can be passed through sharing these items. What are some other things that should not be shared?

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

Cracker-wiches

> What to do if YOU are the bully.

> 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.

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.

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!

> 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.

Fruit Roll-ups

Ingredients:

Easy Hummus Dip

Ingredients: 1/3 Cp No-sugar-added fruit preserves (any flavor) 1 Tsp Cornstarch

Ingredients:

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

certificate, Advanced Life Support (ALS) certificate, an Emergency Medical Technician – Basic (EMT-B) license and a Life Insurance license.

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.

What does an emergency medical technician do? I drive the ambulance. I also go to crazy 911s where things get hectic. Life is crazy and I see crazy every day. I take care of all different types of people: old people, young people who gang bang, prisoners, lawyers, and people who overdose. I see it all, but at the end of the day all of these people needed my help. And no matter what, I don’t judge.

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 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

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 chose EMS because it reminds me of my favorite game, football. Things change every day and you always gotta keep your head on a swivel. You get to make plays and save the team, yourself, your partner, and your patient. So to be honest, I’m a playmaker and I make plays every day.

Frozen Yogurt Blueberry Bites

> How bullying hurts others.

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

> What to do if you are bullied.

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

Why did you choose this career? I 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 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?

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?

1 15-Oz Can Garbanzo beans

Ingredients:

1 cup blueberries

> What other ice hazards are there?

Learning Standards: HPE 3, NH 1, NH 7

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

Learning Standards: HPE 1, HPE 2, NH 5

1 Garlic clove, crushed

1 cup non-fat Greek Yogurt

Directions: Mix the fruit preserves with the cornstarch until dissolved. Spread into a 12-inch by 2-inch rectangle onto greased parchment paper. Bake at 225 degrees for 45 minutes and cool. Cut around the rectangle and roll up.

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 4

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

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

What is your favorite part of the job you have? My favorite part is the diversity of people. I build relationships with patients that I never thought I’d be cool with. On the flip side, you see people who are just like your family or your homeboys. This career gives me perspective that I never thought I’d get.

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

Learning Standards: HPE 6, NH 3

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

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

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

Banana PB Smoothie

Greg Weston, ALS, BLS, EMT-B

CLASSOOM SPOTLIGHT

Students in Dr. Bouchard’s fifth grade class at Barrington Elementary School enjoy hands-on science activities. Jariya Hill-Spencer and Amarii Johnson are labeling the water cycles as a group lesson.

by Dr. Bouchard

SCIENCE CORNER

The Science of Problem Solving: The Scientific Method

If you have ever tried to find a solution to a problem, you have used science. The first step is to identify the problem. In the experiment section on this page, the “problem” is that you are trying to keep an ice cube from melting. The second step is that you will form a theory. This is what you believe will fix the problem. It is also called a hypothesis. The third step is to test the hypothesis. Is your solution or design effective? What needs to be changed? The fourth step is to collect the data. This means you will write your observations or take measurements. Step five is to analyze

What Is Ecology ?

climate, water, and soil.

SCIENCE STARS

Shirley Malcom had a PhD in ecology. What is ecology, you may ask. Ecology is the relationship of living things to each other and to what’s around them. So, if you are learning about what kinds of relationships fish have with other plants and animals in their neighborhood, then you are learning about ecology. Did you know the word “ecology” comes from Greek words meaning “study of the household?” That means that ecology is the study of the “household” of living things, which includes their neighbors and their neighborhood (their habitat). Ecology includes not only how living things interact with each other, but how they interact with their physical environment: things such as

Background Information:

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

In this experiment, you will design a container to keep an ice cube from melting quickly.

Materials Needed:

• Cardboard (less that one cubic foot)

• Waxed Paper • Masking Tape

Shirley Malcom was a zoologist who studied animals and their behavior. In this experiment, you will see a process that simulates the method an animal uses to clean its fur.

• Newspaper • Aluminum Foil

• Rubber Bands • Ice Cubes

Materials Needed:

Cotton Ball • Fingernail File • Pencil

Process:

Process:

q Rub the side of the sharpened end of a pencil across the end of your finger to collect a layer of graphite (pencil lead) on your fingertip.

w Gently rub a fingernail file back and forth across the graphite layer on your finger.

e Observe your fingertip and the file. Which has the most graphite present?

r Rub the fingernail file back and forth across a cotton ball.

q Using these materials, make a container to see how long you can keep an ice cube from melting. Find out what works best to keep the heat away from the ice cube. For example, should you wrap the box in aluminum foil? Should you use the aluminum foil to line the inside of the box?

MATH CONNECTION

Scientists are excellent problem solvers. Use your problem solving abilities to answer these ecology based word problems.

q You are planting 48 flowers and want them to grow in rows. If there were 8 flowers in each row, how many rows would you have? _______ If there were 4 flowers in each row, how many rows would you have? _________ If there were 12 flowers in each row, how many rows would you have? __________

Ecologists are scientists who study ecology. They learn about living things by observing them and analyzing what happens. They apply the scientific method. There are many different jobs in ecology. Some ecologists study a specific species or habitat. Some study the behavior of a species to see how it interacts with other organisms and the environment. They might study many different species that either depend on each other or compete with each other for food and space.

the data. How will the information help you tweak your design to make it more effective? Finally, step six is to draw conclusions. The conclusion will either be “yes” the hypothesis was correct, or “no” the hypothesis was incorrect. If the hypothesis was incorrect, you will use your data to change your original hypothesis and repeat the six steps. Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text for main idea and supporting details.

To Learn More About Ecology, Check Out: http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/index.cfm.

Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text to find

Work with a group to design your cube keeper. w Put an ice cube in the cube keeper. Take another ice cube and leave it out of the cube keeper. It will be your control. In 45 minutes, check both ice cubes. If at the end of 45 minutes, the control ice cube is the same size as the ice cube in your cube keeper, the container didn’t do much to keep the ice cube from melting. Analyze: Compare your results with other groups in your class. Which techniques were most effective? Why?

t Observe the surface of the cotton ball and the file. What happens?

Think About It: This experiment might remind you of how one of your pets keeps itself clean. Which animal uses its tongue to clean its fur?

Explanation: This experiment demonstrates how a rough surface can be used to clean another surface. Cats use a rough surface (their tongue) to lick their fur and clean it. A cat’s tongue feels rough because of the coarse pieces of skin (papillae) on its tongue. The papillae are similar to the fingernail file used in this experiment. When the cat rubs its fur with its tongue, the papillae remove dust, dirt, and loose hair.

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

Learning Standards: I can follow sequential directions to complete an experiment. I can apply the scientific method of problem solving and analyze results and draw conclusions.

AFRICAN-AMERICAN ZOOLOGIST & ECOLOGIST:

Shirley Malcom

African-American Inventions in the Classrooom

Shirley Malcom was born on September 6, 1946, in Birmingham, Alabama.

As a young child she knew she wanted to be a doctor. She worked hard in school and graduated as one of the top students in her class. Malcom earned her bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Washington and her master’s degree in zoology from the University of California at Los Angeles. Then, she earned her doctorate degree in ecology from Pennsylvania State University.

As you return to the classroom once again, many items around the room were invented by African-Americans. In this section, you will learn about a few of them.

Masking Tape and Clear Tape — Richard G. Drew received a patent for masking tape in 1923. Originally, this tape was used for painters and only had adhesives on the end, and not in the middle. Recognizing that tape could be used for many different purposes, Drew later made a clear tape with adhesive the entire length. It was called Scotch tape and was invented in 1930.

Pencil Sharpener — JL Love received a patent for a pencil sharpener on November 23, 1897. This design was a handheld sharpener that worked by placing the pencil into the opening of the sharpener and rotating by hand. The sharpener held the shavings. Many artists used this invention. This design is still being used today and can be found in many school desks.

Malcom taught biology at both the high school and university level, working at the University of North Carolina. After teaching, she became a program officer for National Science Foundation. In 1994, she was appointed to the National Science Board by President Bill Clinton and became a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. From 1994 to 2001, she was named to the President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology. From there, Malcom went to work for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, working to increase opportunities for women, minorities, and those with disabilities in the STEM professions.

Pen — W.B. Purvis invented the fountain pen which allowed people to write without having to carry a bottle of ink. He said, “The object of my invention is to provide a simple, durable and inexpensive construction of a fountain pen which may be carried in the pocket.” He received his patent in January of 1890.

Folding Chair — The folding chair was invented by Nathaniel Alexander to be used in large gathering places, like church and school. Folding chairs are often used to add extra seating for musical programs, assemblies, meetings, etc. When the chairs are folded closed, they can be stored without taking up a lot of space.

She has won many awards, including the Alumna Summa Laude Dignata Award from the University of Washington and the Public Welfare Medal of the National Academy of Sciences. Malcom has fifteen honorary degrees and has participated in many national committees that focused on scientific education and literacy. Finally, she has authored several reports on engaging women and minorities in science.

Discuss:

Discuss: What are your favorite inventions in your classroom? Why? If you could invent something for your classroom, what would it be? How would it improve school?

Malcom has worked as an administrator of education and has a background in zoology. What do you think a zoologist does? What topics does a zoologist study? Dr. Malcom also received her PhD in ecology. How is ecology different than zoology? How would you describe the ecology of your neighborhood?

Extension: Did you iron your clothes for school? Did you know that African-American Sarah Boone invented a design for an ironing board? Maybe you placed your breakfast dishes in a dishwasher. You can thank Dennis Weahterby for inventing dishwasher detergent! How many mailboxes did you pass on the way to school? The mailbox was invented by Philip B. Downing so that people would not have to travel so far to the post office to send mail.

Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text about African-American inventors.

MAP CORNER

Use the newspaper to complete these activities:

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

and your garden is 6 feet wide and 9 feet long, how many feet of fencing material do you need?

MAP CORNER

Activity One —

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

Examine Dialect: As a class, talk about your area’s dialect. Look for examples of local dialect in the newspaper. Pay special attention to local news stories and advertisements. Discuss examples found.

Activity One — Spend 20 minutes reading the St. Louis American silently. At the end of the time, each student must state a fact they learned, express an opinion about an advertisement, and state a price for an item he/she would like to buy.

Activity Two —

Meeting People’s Needs: Locate pictures of groups and organizations that help meet people’s needs. Cut and paste the picture on a piece of paper. Write an explanation that explains how each group or organization meets the needs of the people.

Activity Two — Have a race through the newspaper to find as many geographical words as you can like hill, river, lake, plateau, etc. Find examples of as many of them as you can on a state map.

Learning Standards: I can use a newspaper to locate information. I can identify the difference between fact and opinion. I can locate geographical terms in print and on a map.

Learning Standards: I can state a claim and support it with evidence. I can use the newspaper to locate information.

Photo

St.

Malcom addresses Ridhwaa Seminary students in Dar es Salaam, in 2010. Photo courtesy U.S. Embassy, Dar es Salaam.

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.

Improving health outcomes in the Black community

Marcus Howard is owner of GreaterHealth Pharmacy & Wellness that will open in the Delmar DivINe development at 5501 Delmar. The former St. Luke’s Hospital is being renovated to house offices and shared resources for nonprofits with a focus on health, education, and human service organizations.

Marcus Howard’s start-up pharmacy located in Delmar DivINe

By Alvin A. Reid

The St. Louis American

As important as a $1 million investment in Marcus Howard’s business dream is his inspiration to improve health care outcomes in the Black community.

Howard is watching his Black pharmacy startup, GreaterHealth Pharmacy & Wellness, come to life during ongoing construction at 5501 Delmar Avenue in St. louis.

“Being from St. Louis and seeing the health inequities made me think about a business that can help,” he said.

While armed with an undergraduate degree in exercise and sports fitness from North Carolina State and post graduate degrees, including a PhD in education from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Howard has no background in health care or the pharmaceutical business world.

But the Metro High School graduate knew he wanted to return home “with a purpose.”

He found it in his effort to launch a pharmacy that provides “culturally competent health care to communities of color in St. Louis.”

While he is a not a pharmacist, his best friend is. That helped him create a business plan and understand what would be needed to succeed.

Like most first-time hopeful entrepreneurs, Howard’s first assignment was raising money to create the business. He created a GoFundMe site during the toughest months of the ongoing pandemic and raised $8,000 toward his goal of $600,000.

Howard’ said his “grassroots movement” got the attention of local leaders, including Maxine Clark, founder of Build-A-Bear and inspiration behind the Delmar DivIne project where Howard’s pharmacy will be located.

“I was first introduced to Marcus by a newspaper article and then I contributed to his Go

Fund Me as an early investor,” Clark said.

“When we finally got to meet and to hear his vision for a full-service pharmacy to serve his community as well as the broader St. Louis community, I knew the Delmar DivINe was the perfect home for this exciting business.”

The Delmar DivINe is a $100 million-plus project that is converting the former St. Luke’s Hospital complex into offices and shared resources for nonprofits. There is a focus on health, education, and human service organizations.

“Pharmacies aren’t a new invention, just like teddy bears weren’t new, but one that brings us back to the roots of locally owned and consumer centric is exciting. We are proud to be his first location,” Clark said.

Howard said The Missouri Foundation for Health joined community organizations and local community members to raise $1 million and help

PeoPle on the Move

Battle named to top 25 diversity list

Roster of 35 includes two recipients of Donald M. Suggs Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award

By Karen Robinson-Jacobs

celebrate the 35 startups and early-stage businesses, including 19 from Missouri, that make up the 2021 cohort in the Arch Grants program. Collectively the companies are in line to receive nearly $2 million in grants. This is the largest cohort in the history of the nearly 10-year-old Arch Grants program, which is designed to attract and retain “extraordinary entrepreneurs locally, across the country and around the globe to build the future economy in St. Louis,” according to a news release. Each company in the cohort will receive $50,000 as well as pro-bono professional services from well-known local firms, and $10,000 for relocation if they are located outside of Missouri and at least 150 miles from St. Louis. As part of the program, companies will move to St. Louis from across the country including See ARCH GRANTS, B2

St. John joins Saint Louis University

Victor St. John has joined the Criminology and Criminal Justice program at Saint Louis University within the College of Public Health and Social Justice - School of Social Work as assistant professor. St. John also collaborates with Child Trends - a non-profit research firm in Washington D.C., where he is the deputy director for the U.S. Department of Education National Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Neglected or Delinquent Children and Youth; principal investigator for the evaluation of the PREPARE reentry program in New York; and project director for the Coparenting Network Study for Young Fathers.

named distinguished alumni

Brenda Battle, senior vice president, community health transformation, and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, UChicago Medicine, was named to Modern Healthcare Magazine’s list of Top 25 Diversity Leaders in Healthcare. The St. Louis native joined the Chicago-based health system in 2012 and has been at the forefront of many of its efforts to address diversity, equity and inclusion. She’s been the point person on developing collaborations with community organizations as well as state and local leaders. See HOWARD, B2

Linda Lockhart will receive one of Lutheran High School South’s 2021 Distinguished Alumni awards. In 1970, she became the first AfricanAmerican student to graduate from Lutheran High School South. She attended the University of Missouri, Columbia, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. After college, Lockhart started on what would become a 45-year journey as a reporter, editor, editorial writer and other positions at daily newspapers.

Modern Healthcare Magazine named Jason Purnell as one of the medical industry’s Top 25 Diversity Leaders in Healthcare. The magazine honored all of their awardees for their “commitment to expanding and improving access to care, regardless of a patient’s race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation.” Purnell is vice president, community health improvement, for BJC HealthCare. He previously served as the head of Health Equity Works, a research group at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. He also served as a consultant to BJC’s Center for Clinical Excellence.

Promotion, board appointment,

Victor

Brenda Battle

Victor St. John

Jason Purnell

Lockhart

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Linda Lockhart

Purnell named Top 25 Diversity Leader

St. Louis-based Harmonee is among the 35 early-stage companies that are 2021 Arch Grants recipients. From left: co-founders David Rygiol, Justin Trusty, and Tara Nesbitt.

Photo courtesy of Harmonee

UMSL DEI Accelerator accepting applications

Program to hold community info sessions

By Sophie Hurwitz

The St. Louis American

UMSL’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Accelerator — which provides business development training and $50,000 grants to local entrepreneurs from marginalized groups — last week announced it would be accepting applications for its second cohort now through Oct. 29.

In order to ensure as many qualified applicants as possible, the program will hold community information sessions Oct. 16, and Oct. 19.

Monique Bynum, managing director of the DEI Accelerator, says she hopes to see a diverse range of people including people of color, immigrants, the LGBTQ community and veterans applying to be part of the next cohort. Any founder of a for-profit business based in the St. Louis area is eligible to apply, though Bynum said they are looking for business models that are scalable.

In the first cycle, in which six local founders participated, Bynum says the accelerator’s team was able to confirm something members already suspected.

“There’s a huge need in St. Louis for diverse businesses to be funded. And I say that because we received 437 appli-

Arch Grants

Continued from B1 Dallas, Los Angeles and New York. The companies commit to operating their businesses from St. Louis for at least one year.

Two of the Arch Grants were made possible by donations made in honor of Dr. Donald M. Suggs, publisher and Executive Editor of The St. Louis American. Both grant recipients will be recognized with the Donald M. Suggs Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award.

They are:

Harmonee a mobile application software company that allows businesses to pose questions to targeted groups of people in exchange for donating funds to nonprofits that those

Continued from B1

make GreaterHealth Pharmacy & Wellness a reality.

“We hope that this model scales to other communities of color around the U.S.” Howard said.

As an independent pharmacy owner, one not part of a chain, Howard is part of a positive trend.

According to a Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, the number of independent pharmacies in the U.S. increased by 12.9% between 2010 and

cations in that first year,” she said.

The second round of the program, which begins in January, may be run in a hybrid or entirely-virtual format, depending on how the COVID19 pandemic develops. Last year, however, virtual programming came with some silver linings.

“It was probably helpful in the fact that we were able to get guest speakers from all over the country, because we were virtual,” Bynum said. Bynum urged all eligible individuals to apply, and not to be dissuaded by the extensive application process.

“If you fit into the eligibility criteria, apply,” she said.

“Because the application will allow you to learn more about your business. I’ve had companies and founders go through the application process and say ‘Wow, I never thought about asking myself that question. Wow, I didn’t even know that I should be tracking that kind of information.’

“So even if you don’t get

people support, raising funds to support community groups and giving businesses valuable consumer insights.

Co-Founders: Tara Nesbitt, David Rygiol and Justin Trusty

Origin: St. Louis, Mo.

Paerpay – an application software platform that allows merchants to accept contactless payments without installing new hardware, changing processors or downloading apps.

Founder: Derek Canton

Origin: Boston, Mass.

On Nov. 17, Arch Grants will host the 2021 Arch Grants Virtual Gala to welcome the 2021 Cohort, and honor Jim McKelvey – founder of Invisibly, and co-founder of Square, the financial services and digital payments company born in St. Louis.

Since 2012, the Arch Grants program has awarded $10.57 million in grants to attract

2019. There was a 4% increase in Missouri. Howard also has a Black leader in the world of pharmacy located on the Metro East side.

Lakesha M. Butler, a clinical professor in the SIUEdwardsville Department of Pharmacy Practice and pharmacist, is president of the National Pharmaceutical Association. It represents minorities in the pharmacy industry.

Butler recently told NBCnews.com that “culturally competent care” has a direct, positive impact on the Black patients she sees when she works at clinics two days a week in St. Charles, Mo., and East St. Louis, Ill.

into the program, the application will prepare you for the next application. It’s going to help you with your knowledge of your business and your knowledge of applying for grants and applications in general.”

At the information sessions, DEI accelerator staff will walk founders through portions of the application process, let them know what to expect of the eight-session intensive program, and answer any questions they may have. Times and locations of the sessions are as follows:

Date: Oct. 16

Time: 10-11 AM

Location: UMSL Accelerate Building (North Campus, formerly Gallery 210)

44 Arnold B Grobman Drive St. Louis, Missouri 63121

Registration link: https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/ umsl-dei-accelerator-info-session-tickets-185129396007

Date: Oct. 19

Time: 5-6 PM

Location: UMSL Accelerate Building (North Campus, formerly Gallery 210)

44 Arnold B Grobman Drive St. Louis, Missouri 63121

or keep in St. Louis 208 early-stage businesses, helping boost the city’s startup scene with new talent and ideas. After participating in the program, the companies have created more than 2,347 jobs, generated more than $479 million in revenue and attracted more than $411 million in follow-on capital. Between 35% and 40% of the companies have been co-owned or co-led by African Americans, POC, or Hispanic/ Latinx entrepreneurs, an Arch Grants spokesman said. About $4.2 million has gone to companies co-owned or co-led by African American, POC, Hispanic/Latinx.

Karen Robinson-Jacobs is The St. Louis American / Type Investigations business reporter and a Report for America corps member.

“It’s just amazing to me when I’m practicing in a clinic setting and an African American patient sees me,” Butler said.

“It’s a pure joy that comes over their face, a sigh of relief. It’s like ‘OK, I’m glad that you’re here because I can be honest with you, and I know you will be honest with me.’” Like African Americans throughout the U.S., Black residents of the St. Louis area are disproportionately affected by heart disease, high blood pressure, and infectious diseases.

“The under-use and overuse of prescriptions,” are also Black community health concerns, according to Howard. He explained GreaterHealth will research a community’s demographic variables, psychological characteristics, health motivations, and cultural behavior.

“This data will allow GreaterHealth to offer responsive services that will shape actions that lead to healthier behaviors,” he said.

“[At a chain pharmacy], you walk up, you get your medicine, and you walk away. For communities of color, that’s not enough.

“This is a critical development as communities of color around the U.S. need health care providers that offer both quality care and a deeper understanding of their culture. He added, “GreaterHealth has the potential to become a trusted source of health care for these communities and help alleviate challenges that prevent better outcomes.”

Howard

Monique Bynum

Sports

InSIdE SportS

By Earl Austin Jr.

McCluer Comets’ outstanding season orbits around its offense

Team is off to a 6-1 start

The McCluer Comets have streaked to a 6-1 record behind a powerful offense that has helped the team score more than 50 points in each of its victories.

The Comets have topped the 60-point mark twice and scored a whopping 80 points in an early-season contest.

Dual-threat senior quarterback Michael Hopkins has excelled as a runner and a passer. He has passed for 1,265 yards and 18 touchdowns while rushing for 661 yards and 14 TDs.

Senior Kameron Gillespie has more than 700 yards of total offense and tallied 20 touchdowns. Senior Victor Johnson has rushed for 436 yards and six touchdowns, while senior Dennis Keyes has a team-high 516 yards receiving and four touchdowns.

Defensively, senior Kaidyn Jimerson has recorded a team-high nine quarterback sacks. Junior Al-mani Jimerson has recorded five sacks, while junior De’Adrian Sharp leads the team in tackles.

McCluer concludes its regular season with games at Normandy on Saturday, Oct. 16 and then a big home game against SLUH from the Metro Catholic League on Oct. 23.

Braxton Stacker commits to Murray State

Cardinal Ritter College Prep basketball standout Braxton Stacker has given a commitment to Murray State University. A 6’5” senior guard, Stacker played a significant role in the Lions’ run to the Class 5 state title last season.

As a junior, Stacker averaged 12.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists, while shooting 39% from 3-point range. He is a dynamic athlete who plays at full throttle at both ends of the court. During the summer grassroots season, Stacker played for the Brad Beal Elite 17U squad that advanced to the championship game of the prestigious Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Peach Jam in July.

The undefeated

As we approach the home stretch of the high school football regular season, there are several teams still enjoying undefeated seasons.

Hazelwood Central (7-0), Mascoutah (7-0), MICDS (7-0), Summit (7-0), Union (7-0), Vashon (7-0) and Wentzville Holt (7-0) sport unblemished records.

Top Performers from Week 7

• Running back Quaron Williams of Parkway North rushed for 205 yards and four touchdowns in a victory over Parkway Central.

• Running back LJ Minner of Westminster rushed for 318 yards on 32 carries and three touchdowns in a victory over John Burroughs.

• Running back Jay Harris of Timberland rushed for 257 yards on 26 carries and three

touchdowns in a victory over Fort Zumwalt West.

• Quarterback Avion Bass of Lift for Life completed 14 of 24 passes for 318 yards and four touchdowns in a victory over Priory.

• Receiver Michael Parr, Jr. of Lutheran-St. Charles had three receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown in a victory over Quincy Notre Dame.

• Running back Keshawn Ford of DeSmet scored three rushing touchdowns in a victory over Kansas City Rockhurst.

• Receiver Quincy Hall of Mascoutah had four receptions for 178 yards and a touchdown in a victory over Bethalto.

• Quarterback Antonio Muyco of Affton completed 14 of 24 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns against North Point.

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

Disgraced former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden swore he is not racist on Friday, Oct. 8. He repeatedly apologized for an email he shared with then-Washington Redskins executive Bruce Allen in 2011, in which he wrote of NFLPA Executive DeMaurice Smith, “Dumboriss Smith has lips the size of michelin tires.” Gruden said he refers to people who don’t tell the truth as having rubber lips.

The Wall Street Journal broke the racist email story earlier on Friday. Gruden had faced no action from the Raiders or the NFL by noon Sunday, Oct. 10. He coached his team’s lackluster 20-9 loss to the Chicago Bears. “Is this racist, pompous jerk going to really slide? many of us were thinking. Then, The New York Times reported late Monday afternoon, “Gruden had casually and frequently unleashed misogynistic and homophobic language over several years to denigrate people around the

On Tap This

Elite Basketball Showcase this Weekend

Some top basketball players from the St. Louis metropolitan area are scheduled to participate in the Elite Basketball Showcase. The one-day event begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 16 at the Belleville, Illinois Sportsplex. Presented by Elite Amateur Sports, the games feature top players from freshman and sophomore classes around the state. I look forward to checking his one out!

Goodbye, good riddance, it’s great Jon Gruden is gone

game and historic changes” in emails obtained by the newspaper.

Alvin A. Reid

Gruden and Raiders owner Mark Davis were aware of the emails and that they were going to be published. The NFL had provided them to the organization and both men. I think the NFL wanted Gruden gone. I think it leaked the first email to the Journal After Davis did nothing, Gruden told lie-after-lie, and coached on Sunday, a batch of emails went to the Times on Monday. Less than five hours later, Gruden turned in his resignation and Davis accepted it. The emails have it all: the white male privilege, the homophobia; the misogynism; the disdain for people of color and women in high-level positions; the failure to realize a man can take a knee during a song and not be fired from his job. The saddest part of this entire saga is that Gruden will not be unemployed for long. My guess is that FOX News

has already contacted him about joining its team in 2022.

The Gruden Roundup

The NFL has more than 650,000 emails gleaned during its investigation into the thenRedskins’ office culture. The written conclusions of the investigation and all pertinent emails should be released to the media…It’s clear how

Jon Gruden’s explanations and apologies for a racist email trope insulted our intelligence. After learning of many more filthy email insults posted over a number of years, the Las Vegas Raiders finally fired the pompous Gruden. Watch for him to pop up on FOX News in the future.

Gruden views the world of politics. The New York Times reported that he attacked former President Barack Obama and then-Vice-President Joe Biden. It printed the slur he used against Biden, but did not release specifics on Obama, other than he criticized Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign...“He’s a BAD PERSON. I tried to tell people this when I played for this man!” retired

former Tampa Bay receiver Keyshawn Johnson wrote on the website Mediaite. “But I was in the wrong. ‘Keyshawn’s just a spoiled brat.’ But here we are now, and stuff is coming to the surface…Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones couldn’t bring himself to say Gruden should have been fired. “From the standpoint of contribution, I know we all are accountable to even a, if you will, fleeting or minor part of our actions. We all are accountable to those. That’s about all I want to comment on that.” Jerry, that is pitiful…Gruden insulted gay former Missouri Tigers star linebacker Michael Sam after he was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in 2014. Sam would ultimately fail to make the roster of none other than Jones’ Cowboys…The Raiders have the first openly gay player on a team regular season roster, defensive lineman Carl Nassib. Nassib said on Twitter the scandal “isn’t surprising. If we dug through other (coaches’) trash, it’d be interesting to see what we’d find.”… Let’s talk irony. Gruden resigned and the story of his departure was reported during the ESPN

Monday Night Football game on Oct. 11. Gruden served as color analyst on the broadcast from 2009-2017. Oct. 11 is National Coming Out Day… ESPN reported that following Gruden’s apology to the team there was “one Black player who gave him a hug and asked how he could help. I wonder how he feels today…Here’s what some columnists are writing: L.A. Times Sam Farmer “(the emails are) career-destroying bad, but how many more are beneath the surface? Which other NFL careers are on the line?” Nancy Armour, USA TODAY, “If this was bigotry bingo, Gruden would have had almost every square covered. His attitudes are disgusting, reprehensible and, considering Carl Nassib plays for the Raiders, terrifying.”… Tim Dahlberg, Associated Press, mocking Grudens’ ‘there isn’t an ounce of racism in me.’ “The targets were many. The shots were crude. The emails were exposed, and so was Gruden’s real character. An ounce of racism? How about a cup of misogyny? Maybe a full pint of homophobia?”

Earl Austin Jr.

McCluer’s Victor Johnson (40) had 19 carries against Jennings for 164 yards. The Comets went on to defeat the Warriors of Jennings 52-28 Saturday, Oct. 9, at McCluer.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

BGCSTL Hall of Honor inductees honored

St. Louis American staff

The Boys and Girls Club of Greater St. Louis (BGCSTL) recently honored its 2021 Alumni Hall of Honor inductees Brandon Bosley, Paris Thompson, Sharita Davis, Rev. Steve Vasser, Gerald Fulton, Marsha Walls, and Kayla Jackson-Williams for achieve-

ments in their respective fields, commitment to leadership, serving the community’s youth, contributions to the St. Louis community and for living out the mission of the Boys & Girls Club.

“This event gives us the opportunity to celebrate the many ways that our staff, board volunteers, alumni and friends contribute to the welfare of the children we serve and highlight our impact,” said Flint Fowler, BCGSTL president.

“While we recognize the challenges of COVID-19, we believe it is important to recognize the contributions and achievements of so many Club constituents.”

From left are Flint Fowler, BGCSTL president, Sharita Davis, Marsha Walls, Kayla Jackson-Williams, Rev. Steve Vasser, Paris Thompson, the parents of Gerald “Hitman Holla” Fulton, Jr., and Graylon Johnson, presenter and Boys & Girls Clubs alum.

Photo courtesy of BGCSTL

Living It

Ancient Treasures

“Digging Up Dessa” teaches historic relevance, self-discovery

By Danielle Brown The St. Louis American

Pre-teen and teenage years can be challenging times in a youth’s life as their bodies adjust to changes from puberty. Sometimes they move to different schools, have to make new friends, come into their own as far as finding themselves, and deal with whatever else life throws their way. On top of facing those day-to-day struggles, 12-year-old Dessa battles with post-trauma and grief from losing her father in a car accident.

To help her cope with his death, she becomes curi ous about science and professes that she will someday work in that profession.

Reality sets in for her when she realizes there aren’t many women represented in that field. On her visit to the museum she only sees men on the walls and in her history books there’s only one woman mentioned—that woman is the late 19th century paleontologist Mary Anning. After learning about Anning, Dessa goes on a quest to have her legacy memorialized and recognized more among her male counterparts. While Dessa is the only person who can

visibly see Anning, the icon takes Dessa under her wing and guides her through her journey of selfdiscovery.

Metro Theatre Company will premiere its own adaptation of playwright Laura Schellhardt’s work “Digging Up Dessa” at The Grandel from Oct. 17 through Nov. 7. In the world premiere of Dessa at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the lead actress for Dessa was played by Latina actress Alina Collins Maldonado. For MTC’s production, the lead actress is Rae Davis, a Black woman.

Lisa Nolan shares her story in gripping first book

“I don’t know why I got chosen to handle some of this stuff but I look good handling it.”

By Danielle Brown The St. Louis American

Everybody has a story, there’s no one walking this earth who hasn’t been through something whether good or bad.

Some stories may have parallel similarities while others differ drastically, but all in all every person’s story matters and their voices deserve to be heard.

Lisa Nolan’s first published book “Everyone Has A Story,” goes in depth about all she has lived and experienced in her 29 years of living. Much of what she’s endured can resonate with so many different people because they too have had identical circumstances.

Grief, a recurring theme in her book, is something Nolan knows far too well and it’s something that countless people can relate to especially those who’ve ever lost a parent.

In 2007, when Nolan was 15-years-old she lost her father Thomas “Tommy” Nolan Sr. to a heart attack he had at work. Then in 2018 at age 26, she lost her mother Inez Nolan to a tragic car accident.

Having to cope with being parentless has

been a rollercoaster of emotions for Nolan and she admits that some days are very hard for her having to accept it. And she isn’t afraid to admit that she always allows herself to feel how she feels in the present.

“ I have my days,” she said. “I think what

Heart of Lou

By Danielle Brown The St. Louis American

Fifteen years ago, rapper Reace Yung released his first original body of work , a mixtape titled “Heart of Lou.” To his surprise it didn’t receive the recognition he thought it deserved. But this was also at the wave of CDs transitioning over to MP3 formatting and digital platforms such as YouTube.

This month, he re-released the former mixtape and transformed it into a full album. This time around he said there’s better songs and it shows his growth throughout the years.

“When I first recorded it [Heart of Lou] in 2006 I was a lot younger,” he said. “It was a lot more street. It was a lot more violence that I was portraying in the music at the time because I thought that’s what was cool. I’ve grown so much through the years that the old version of me didn’t sit well with me.”

The intro is very significant for him because his grandmother has never been a big fan of hip-hop and rap. He chose the piano riffs in the background to honor her because he believes if she were alive she’d appreciate its soothing and melodic rhythms.

See Digging, C8 n “We all have a certain feel and instinct we give off that just clicks. I tried to really keep everything home based with ‘Heart of Lou.’”

“If my grandmother was to hear my album; I envisioned her listening to it cause she wouldn’t listen to anything that had anything to do with hip-hop,” he said.

“For me to create it, I had to feed it to her in a way where she would like it and receive it well.”

The album is his version of how he viewed St. Louis through his eyes when he was an adolescent, and now as an adult at 33. He walks us through his personal journey of how life was like for him growing up in St. Louis.

- Reace Yung

Lisa Nolan’s first published book “Everyone Has A Story,” goes in depth about all she has experienced in her 29 years of living. Much of what she’s endured can resonate with so many different people because they too have had identical circumstances.

keeps me going is I wake up everyday. To be completely transparent sometimes it’s hard. I really get up and it’s like I really don’t want to do nothing. I don’t think I was ever really taught to really allow my grief to grieve. I think as I’ve gotten older I’ve really worked through the grieving process of just allowing my body to do whatever it needs to do. I’m very big on that. Whatever your body is telling you to do, do it.” She continues adding one of the main reasons she chose the entrepreneurial career path is to be able to willingly go through the stages of grief she may feel one day without having to be tied down to someone else’s schedule or rules.

“Honestly that’s why I really can’t work for nobody cause if I’m gone sleep I’m gone sleep. If I’m gone cry I’m gone cry, I don’t have any shame in crying,” she said. “If I get triggered, one thing about me you gonna get what I give you, so whatever I’m feeling, that’s what you

See Nolan, C2

He mentioned track three, “What I’m Doin,” is about him being vulnerable about different adversities he’s been battling.

“What I’m Doin is a record about what I’ve actually been doing,” he said. “What has actually been affecting me in life— recovering from my grandmother’s death, going through counseling, keeping my mental stability in a space where I can operate and maneuver in life.”

On the track he also adds how in his earlier rap days he received a lot of rejection from prominent figures in the music industry. They felt he used too many words in his song structure. But a lot of him doing that came from hanging around his family’s music store and being exposed to hip-hop at an early age.

He became fascinated with the art form and absorbed everything he was saying in his environment.

“I listened to everything I heard in the record store and spinned records, I watched my big cousin manage the business and I would make copies of CDs, take them to school and sell them,” he said.

His earlier experiences at the beginning of his career such as the record store shaping to present day exemplify the meaning behind Heart of Lou. It’s what he calls a gift to his hometown.

“It was very monumental because the music scene has really changed in St. Louis within the last 15 years and it never was like it was today,” he said. “Artists are able to do what they do whereas before if you weren’t a big name nobody was checking for you.”

Yung said the album is something where every-

See Yung, C8

Photo courtesy of Jennifer A. Lin

Actresses Rae Davis and Lizi Watt receive direction from Metro Theatre Company Artistic Director Julia Flood for the play “Digging Up Dessa,” which premieres Oct. 17 at The Grandel Theatre.

gone get.I just allow myself to feel it and I allow myself to go through grief cause sometimes grief wins and other times we here.”

She also advises people who are providing support for individuals that are grieving to allow them to share what they need rather than trying to figure it out or guess.

“If you are consoling anybody that is grieving just let them tell you what they need,” she said. “Don’t try to fix it. Don’t try to tell them ‘oh, it’s gonna get better.’ Please do not tell them God only gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers, everything was meant for a reason, ‘oh you’re so strong.’ People who are grieving do not need to hear that they just need to be human and they need to feel what they’re feeling. People need to know that they’re being heard so if somebody tells you I just need some lemonade right now just get them some lemonade. If they say come over and y’all don’t talk, don’t force a conversation just let it happen. If you’re consoling somebody just let them tell you what they need and if they don’t tell you don’t take it personally. This whole grieving thing you don’t know what it is that you need, what you want. Let them decide how you can help them.”

Nolan’s book also touches on the topics of advocacy, boundaries, struggles with beliefs in faith, self-worth and more.

In the first chapter of the book she provides context about the racial injustices and police brutality our country, especially African Americans and other people of color have

faced from the killings of Mike Brown, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. Nolan, who identifies as Puerto Rican talked, participated in protests and advocated for the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Her talking about those racial and socioeconomic issues served as a form of self-care for her in the book and also opened her eyes to the truth that although she is a person of color she has somewhat lived with privilege herself as a white passing latina.

One of her favorite chapters in the book is titled “It’s Not About Me,” she reveals various scenarios where she was mistreated by people both personally and professionally. She realized in those moments of mistreatment that when people do things to you it has everything to do with what they have going on in their life, not anything you’ve done.

“Not saying you allow them to do the things that go with that boundary, but I talk about how I started to be able to look at it from the other person’s perspective,” she said. “I also

learned that just because you do something to me doesn’t mean I have to accept it. You can feel how you feel, but I don’t have to be there to listen to it, that’s a boundary for me.” In all she’s been faced in every aspect of her life, Nolan’s story is one that is filled with perseverance, resilience, passion, transparency, and most of all transparency. For her autobiography and the legacy that she will someday leave behind she wants people to know that she lived life to the fullest and gave it her all.

“With my legacy I want you to know that I did this thing called life and I did it with grace,” she said. “It was a rocky road but I did that and whenever my time comes I am perfectly fine with whatever was left because I did that. I don’t know why I got chosen to handle some of this stuff but I look good handling it.” Everyone Has A Story is available for purchase on Nolan’s website, https://www. healingshegotfaith.org/shop.

Are you on Medicare and Medicaid? Then you might qualify for our new Essence Dual Advantage plan (HMO D-SNP). If you’re eligible, you could get lower out-of-pocket costs and additional benefits all in one plan.

*You can call from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. You may reach a messaging service on weekends from April 1 to September 30 and holidays. Please leave a message, and your call will be returned the next business day.

Essence Healthcare is an HMO plan with a Medicare contract. Essence Healthcare also includes an HMO D-SNP plan with a contract with Medicare and the state Medicaid program. Enrollment in Essence Healthcare depends on contract renewal. Essence Healthcare complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex.

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To learn more and see if you qualify for the Essence Dual Advantage (HMO D-SNP) call 1-866-947-6109 (TTY: 711)*

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Lisa Nolan

The Unselfish Bus Driver

For participants asked to return after the 1 st visit, total time commitment could be about 7 hours. Up to $600 is provided for time and effort.

By Amanda Claunch, Missouri Historical Society

In 1954 a group of St. Louis community leaders gathered at the Statler Hotel on Washington Avenue to attend the presentation of the first Griesedieck Achievement Award. Founded by the Griesedieck Brothers Brewery, the award was intended to be an annual event to honor an individual, regardless of race, color, or creed, for “meritorious and unselfish” service to their community.

The first recipient was George Owens, a lifelong resident of St. Louis who made the Ville neighborhood his home for most of his adult life. As a young man, Owens worked as a hydraulic press operator and wagon driver before beginning what would be his primary occupation as a school bus driver for St. Louis Public Schools.

In 1926, at the age of 27, Owens started driving children to the newly opened Charles Turner Open Air School for Crippled Children. Open-air schools were popular in the 1920s and were designed with many doors or large windows that were kept open at all times of year, as fresh air was believed to act as a cure for or to prevent tuberculosis. The school had a wing of open-air classrooms as well as rooms and accommodations designed for children who were deaf, blind, or disabled.

Turner and Elias Michael Open Air schools were the first public schools in St. Louis built specifically for students with

special medical and physical needs. In an era of school segregation, however, Turner School was intended to serve all the Black children in the St. Louis area while Elias Michael School served only white children. The St. Louis Board of Education only built Turner School after years of lobbying by concerned parents of Black children with special needs. The school was named after Charles Turner, a noted entomologist, board member of the Urban League, and strong advocate for the school.

George Owens was one of two bus drivers who worked to bring Black children from all around the city of St. Louis to the Ville, where Turner School was located at 4215 West Kennerly Avenue. For decades he drove a regular route and never had a major accident. In the days before chair lifts, he had to pick up and carry some of the children to help them on and off the bus every day.

By 1940 he was living just a few blocks away from the school and right across the street from St. Matthew the Apostle Church with his wife and young daughter, Daisy. He also helped children in his free time by designing and building crutches and other devices from collected scraps and cast-off material such as broomsticks.

When the Griesedieck Brothers Brewery named Owens as the first recipient of its service award, Owens had been serving the children of Turner School for 28 years. He had safely and reliably driven students to

school, helped them on and off the bus every day, and dedicated much of his spare time to helping them. When asked what his motivation was, Owens revealed it came from a deep faith, quoting the Bible: “Inasmuch as ye do it unto one of these, the least of my children, ye do it also unto me.”

The same year that Owens received his award, the Supreme Court struck down school segregation in Brown v. Board of Education. In response to the court’s ruling, the St. Louis Board of Education immediately set up a plan to transfer all the Turner School students to the Elias Michael School.

The Turner School building in the Ville was converted into a regular elementary school, Turner Branch, but Owens remained dedicated to his students. He also transferred to the Elias Michael School, where he worked as a custodian instead of a bus driver.

George Owens was still a Ville resident working with children with disabilities when he passed away in 1964 at the age of 64. In honoring a person for “meritorious and unselfish service to their community,” it would be hard to imagine a more deserving candidate.

The Elias Michael Open Air School is now known as Gateway Michael Elementary School and continues to serve St. Louis students with serious health problems and multiple disabilities.

Missouri Historical Society Collections

Students exiting the bus at Charles Turner Open Air School, 1954. The bus driver, likely George Owens, is shown carrying a boy off the bus.

Religion

Interfaith Partnership to celebrate religious community commitment

St. Louis American staff

The St. Louis metropolitan area’s diverse religious communities faced the same challenges the world has over the past months.

A global pandemic. Separation and loneliness. Racial inequity and hate crimes. Political polarization. Through it all, religious communities have offered strength, hope and healing, provided space for people to reflect and grieve and advocated for human dignity.

The Interfaith Partnership of Great St. Louis will celebrate improving lives and strengthening community

during its annual dinner at 7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, at the Hindu Temple of St. Louis’s Cultural and Education Center, 725 Weidman Rd., Manchester, Missouri. A livestream of the event will begin at 8 p.m.

This year’s annual fundraiser dinner, with the theme “Overcoming Adversity Together,” is hosted by the Buddhist, Hindu, and Sikh communities. In 2019, more than 500 people attended the event.

Interfaith Partnership, “is a vibrant interfaith community that includes both lay people and clergy, represents 34 different religious and ethical communities,” according to Rev. Jim Poinsett, Interfaith Partnership STL

Spiritually Speaking…

Will the Black church continue to sing ‘I Believe I Can Fly?’

By Cheryl Townsend Gilkes

The first time I heard R. Kelly’s song “I Believe I Can Fly,” I was spinning records for “The Uncloudy Day,” my weekly gospel music radio show at the radio station where I teach. An ivory tower academic, I was (and am) lax in my engagement with secular popular culture, and I knew little about Kelly, his stardom and his ugly ways. But I had recently emcee’d a concert by gospel great Dottie Peoples, and it was her version of “I Believe I Can Fly” that I played. I knew it as a secular song that was being embraced by choirs and music

educators. At the time I categorized it with a number of songs that echoed a favorite text from the Book of Isaiah:

“They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles.”

It was years before I connected “I Believe I Can Fly” with R. Kelly and his crimes. When I did, I ceased to air it on my show.

If the #MeToo movement has taught us nothing, it has revealed how deeply embedded predatory sexuality, drugs and slavery-like exploitation are in the entertainment industry.

In light of his criminal conviction, some people now wonder if Black

executive director. The event will include a communal vegetarian langar meal that is prepared by the Sikh community and an educational program highlighting cultural and religious aspects of the host communities.

In-person attendees must be fully vaccinated and wear a mask except while eating.

Interfaith Partnership will honor

churches will stop singing “I Believe I Can Fly.” As church historian Anthea Butler pointed out recently, the Black church has maintained a relationship with Kelly despite the increasingly disturbing news about him. As a result, she wrote, “Kelly’s conviction is also a conviction of Black religious life and popular culture.”

Maryl Walters, CSB, of the Church of Christ, Scientist and Swami Chetanananda of the Vedanta Society of St. Louis with Lifetime Interfaith Achievement awards for their years of service and activism in the St. Louis interfaith community.

Poinsett said the main benefit of sponsorship will be “partnering in IPSTL’s critical work of bridging divisions, fostering relationships, and

Segments of the Black church have always been suspicious, uncomfortable and occasionally downright hostile to popular culture and the recording industry. Seeing it as “the world,” some parents have prevented their children from signing recording contracts. Some gospel singers, like Mahalia Jackson and Marian Williams, refused to sing worldly songs. Others, such as Kim Burrell, Clara Ward and the Ward Singers, and Mavis Staples have walked a fine line between the sacred space and popular culture.

The entangled history of the recording industry and the Black church arises from music’s central place in the church culture. W.E.B. Du Bois called the spirituals created by enslaved Africans and their descendants “Sorrow Songs” and used them to frame his classic work, “The Souls of Black Folk.”

He provided a foundational critical model of the African American Christian experience. The “Negro Church,” Du Bois said, comprised three vital elements: “the preacher, the music, and the frenzy.”

Du Bois’ categories require translation for us in the 21st century. It helps to think of those categories as the leadership, the music and the ecstatic worship tradition with its emphasis on the person of the Holy Spirit. Although one can view African American Christianity through the lenses of denominational bodies, there is a trans-denom-

A festive gathering will again be a part of the Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis annual fundraising dinner, like in 2019 when 500 guests attended. Hosted by the Buddhist, Hindu, and Sikh communities, the 2021 dinner is at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, at the Hindu Temple of St. Louis’s Cultural and Education Center, 725 Weidman Rd., Manchester, Missouri.

or donate a sponsorship by going to www. interfaithstl.org/celebrate.

Tickets cost $100 per person for those attending the dinner and $100 per household to watch livestream from home. Sponsorships range from $250 to $2,500 or higher.

inational dimension that music does much to constitute and sustain.

Music is so central to the Black church that Zora Neale Hurston termed the rise of new denominations in the early 20th century — the Holiness, Pentecostal, Apostolic and Deliverance churches that comprised “the Sanctified Church” — a “music making movement.”

The horrific behavior of R. Kelly, and the popularity of “I Believe I Can Fly” (long after his crimes were suspected), is now part of that history of the Black church and its music. Will the Black church continue to sing “I Believe I Can Fly”? I sincerely hope not.

Cheryl Townsend Gilkes is the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur professor of African American studies and sociology at Colby College and assistant pastor at the Union Baptist Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This commentary was originally published by Religious News Service.

Photo courtesy of Interfaith Partnership

Columnist

Cheryl Townsend Gilkes

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

CONSTRUCTION SUPERINTENDENT

The City of Clayton is hiring an Administrative Assistant. Apply now: https://claytonmo.applicantpro. com/jobs/ EOE SEPTEMBER

Wiley Robb & Associates, LLC is accepting applications for a Construction Superintendent position. Primary responsibilities include oversight of general contractors/subs and construction laborers, scoping, bid completion, local code/permit compliance, scheduling, materials acquisition, planning, and performance of construction tasks on residential and commercial renovation and repair projects. The ideal candidate will have 3-5 Years of Construction experience; 2-3 years of Supervisory experience; and PC, Windows and M/S Office experience required. Request further info and an application from jrobb@wileyrobb.com

HUMAN RESOURCE DIRECTOR

Provident Behavioral Health (PBH) has opening for a Director, Human Resources. For further details and to apply online, go to https://www.providentstl.org/ about-us/career-opportunities/. PBH is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. final product to our customers. To apply, please visit: https://www.safetynational.com/ careers-page/

Position: Assistant Director of Human Resources

Status: Full-Time

Manager: Ed Long, Director of Human Resources

Duties: This position is responsible for performing work of considerable difficulty in assisting with directing the 21st Circuit Court’s Department of Human Resources. Work is performed under the administrative direction of the Director of Human Resources. Work involves assisting with administering the entire human resources function including recruitment and selection, classification, payroll processing, employee relations, legal compliance (e.g., EEO, ADA, etc.), management consultation, and training and organizational development. Work is reviewed through supervisory conferences, reports, and periodic briefings, achievement of stated goals and broad objectives, and adherence to legal mandates.

Minimum Qualifications: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) in Human Resources, Social Work, Clinical Psychology, or a related social/behavioral science is required. Plus at least six years of professional experience, of which at least two years should be at the management level; or any equivalent combination of training and experience.

Salary: Range 114 $50,856 - $83,636

This position is non-merit and County funded; will receive 10% addition to pay.

To Apply: Candidates wishing to apply should visit the following address and complete an online application and submit a resume and cover letter by October 14, 2021: http://agency.governmentjobs.com/stlouis/default.cfm

EOE. Please contact the Human Resources Department at (314) 615-4471 (voice) or (314) 615-5889 (TTY) if you need any accommodations in the application process, or if you would like this posting in an alternative format.

St. LouiS american Bids & Public Notices

SOLICITATION

FOR PROPOSALS

CITY OF ST. LOUIS

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

The City of St. Louis Department of Human Services and The Affordable Housing Commission are soliciting proposals for the FY2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), for multiple categories of projects.

Beginning September 30, 2021, RFP packets will be available via pick-up at:

Department of Human Services Homeless Services Division 1520 Market, Room 4065, St. Louis, MO 63103

Or at: https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/ procurement/

Informational Bidder’s Conference Webinar will be held via Zoom on October 11, 2021, 3-4:30pm. Email Amy Bickford at BickfordA@stlouis-mo.gov to obtain Zoom Webinar link, by October 8, 2021.

Questions may be referred by email only and must be submitted on or before October 15, 2021, to Amy Bickford, Chief Program Manager, at BickfordA@ stlouis-mo.gov

The RFPs closing date is 4:00 p.m., October 22, 2021.

LETTING 8736

TRANSPORTATION SERVICES (MICROTRANSIT PILOT)

FOR NEAR NORTH AND DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS NEIGHBORHOODS ST.

LOUIS,

MISSOURI

SEALED PROPOSALS will be received by the Board of Public Service in Room 301 City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Mo. Until 1:45 PM, CT, on October 19, 2021, then publicly opened and read. Project requirements may be examined on the Board of Public Service website http://www.stl-bps.org/planroom (BPS On Line Plan Room) and may be purchased directly through the BPS website from INDOX Services at cost plus shipping. No refunds will be made.

Bidders shall comply with all applicable City, State, and Federal laws.

All bidders must regard Federal Executive Order 11246, “Notice of Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Employment Opportunity”, the “Equal Opportunity Clause” and the “Standard Federal Equal Employment Specifications” set forth within and referenced at www.stl-bps.org (Announcements.)

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The City of Crestwood is accepting proposals for a Park Master Plan. Submittal deadline is 3:00 PM, October 22, 2021. Bid specifications can be obtained from the city website www.cityofcrestwood.org/ bids.aspx. Bids should be submitted to the Crestwood Community Center, 9245 Whitecliff Park Lane, Crestwood, MO 63126.

ELECTRIC TRAIN INFRASTRUCTURE

2021

The Saint Louis Zoo seeks bids from qualified firms to submit proposals for Electric Train Infrastructure 2021. Bid documents are available as of 10/13/2021 on the Saint Louis Zoo website: stlzoo.org/vendor

AUCTION PUBLIC NOTICE

The following people are in debt to Gateway Storage Mall of Belleville. The contents of their storage unit(s) will be sold at auction to compensate all or part of that debt.

Auction at the Belleville Royal Heights location will be held online with www.storageauctions.com on, November 9th, 2021, at 10:00 A.M.

A cash deposit will be REQUIRED for all winning bids.

Royal Heights --Belleville: Michael Wilmington –A06, Calvin Smith –A23, Scott Busche – F17, Cory Lee – A22.

Auction at the Belleville Mascoutah Avenue location will be held online with www.storageauctions.com on November 10th, 2021, at 10:00 A.M.

A cash deposit will be REQUIRED for all winning bids.

Mascoutah Avenue—Belleville: Cheryl Gavin – 311, Tony Cotton –306, Geraldine Seco DeLucena – 549.

For all rules, regulations and bidding process, please contact www.storageauctions.com . All other questions, please call 618-233-8995 or mail: 17 Royal Heights Center, Belleville, IL 62226.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District), the Owner, will receive sealed bids for Bissell - Coldwater - Missouri - Meramec Public I/I Reduction (2022) Contract A under Letting No. 12584-015.1, at its office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 2:00 PM, local time, on Wednesday, November 17, 2021. All bids are to be deposited in the bid box located on the first floor of the District’s Headquarters prior to the 2:00 p.m. deadline. Bids may, however, be withdrawn prior to the opening of the first bid. BIDS WILL BE PUBLICLY OPENED AND READ IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE BID DUE DATE/TIME AT 2350 MARKET STREET, AT A PLACE DESIGNATED.

The Work to be performed under these Contract Documents consists of: The work to be done under this contract consists of rehabilitation of approximately 62,346 lineal feet of sanitary sewers, varying in size from 6-inch to 36-inch, using cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) methods, 31 manholes, 762 service connections, 20 point repairs, and 3 site repairs. The project is within the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Boundaries, inside the city(ies) of Cities of Ballwin, Ellisville, Manchester, Town & Country, and unincorporated St. Louis County in the State of Missouri. The work will be performed in various quantities at various sites.

All prospective bidders must prequalify in the Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP) category, and be certified prior to the Bid Opening. Prequalification forms for obtaining said certification may be obtained from the Owner at the above mentioned address. All bidders must obtain drawings and specifications in the name of the entity submitting the bid.

This project will be financed through the Missouri State Revolving Fund, established by the sale of Missouri Water Pollution Control bonds and Federal Capitalization Grants to Missouri. Neither the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, its divisions, nor its employees will be party to the contract at any tier. Any Bidder whose firm or affiliate is listed on the GSA publication titled “List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement or NonProcurement Programs” is prohibited from the bidding process; bids received from a listed party will be deemed non-responsive. Refer to Instructions to Bidders B-27 for more information regarding debarment and suspension.

Nondiscrimination in Employment: Bidders on this work will be required to comply with the President’s Executive Order 11246. Requirements for bidders and contractors under this order are explained in the specifications.

Plans and Specifications are available from free electronic download. Please go to MSD’s website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Specifications are also available for viewing or purchase at Cross Rhodes Reprographics located at 2731 S. Jefferson Ave St Louis, MO 63118. The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer and invites the submission of bids from Women and Minority Business Enterprises.

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.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Beginning on October 18, 2021 at 8:00 a.m., Request for Proposals for General Accounting Services to include monthly account reconciliations and year end closing assistance in preparation for external audit will be available by contacting Cathy White at white@stlrsa.org at the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority. Bids for services must be received by 12:00 p.m. on November 5, 2021.

CITY OF ST. LOUIS BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS for PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR TESTING AND INSPECTION OF MATERIALS FOR PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI. Statements of Qualifications due by 5:00 PM CT, OCTOBER 22, 2021 at Board of Public Service, 1200 Market, Room 301 City Hall, St. Louis, MO 63103. RFQ may be obtained from BPS website www.stl-bps.org, under On Line Plan Room-Plan Room, or call Board of Public Service at 314-589-6214.

25% & 5% MBE/WBE participation goal.

INVITATION TO BID

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Paric Corporation is seeking proposals for the following project: 1717 Olive Street, St. Louis.

The project consists of renovating the Historic recognized Butler Building located on 1717 Olive Street. St Louis, MO into 384 units including amenity spaces such as a pool, walking track, fitness room and community areas. The project also includes an enclosed parking garage and retail spaces.

Fire Sprinkler System, Plumbing, HVAC and Electrical packages are design build and have already been awarded.

Bids for all remaining scopes of work, except finishes, will be due on November 16, 2021 at 2:00pm. Refer to the Bid Manual included in the documents for all design information. Work Packages will be created and issued by addendum. Bid forms and initialed Work Packages must be submitted with your proposal.

A walk thru / Pre-Bid Meeting will be held on site October 26, 2021 @ 9:00am Please send questions to Ruben Guzman at rmguzman@paric. com or Terry Turnbeaugh at tlturnbeaugh@paric. com. No questions are to be submitted directly to the design team. All questions to be submitted by end of day November 9th.

Diversity requirements for this project will comply with business and workforce participation as mandated by the latest diversity requirements included in the Bid Manual.

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

PARIC CORPORATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Upgrade E l e c

, Badger & Coyote L o

e Park, Project No. X2105-01 will be received b y F M D C , State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, Thursday, N o v e m b e r 4, 2021. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http:// oa.mo.gov/ facilities

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

L. Keeley Construction Co. is soliciting Proposals for the Cervantes Convention Center Expansion Early Utilities Package. Scope of work includes but is not limited to the following: MSD water and storm sewer utility infrastructure at various locations around the northwest extents of the Cervantes Convention Center. Activities include trenching/backfilling; utility abandonment and removal; water/storm pipe network installation and connections; fire hydrants; new manholes, junction boxes, and inlets; and roadway patchwork/site restoration. Proposals are due to L. Keeley Construction prior to bid opening October 26th, 2021. The Owner has adopted a comprehensive Inclusion Program for the construction phase of the Project which includes, but is not limited to, the following. Enterprise: 21% African Americanowned business enterprises, 2% Hispanic American-owned business enterprises, .50% Asian Americanowned business enterprises, .50% Native American-owned business enterprises and 11% Women-owned business enterprises. Workforce: 25% Minority, 7% Women, 23% City Residents and 20% Apprentices. For all inquiries, please contact Elise Brown elise.brown@lkeeley.com

The Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit is currently soliciting bid proposals for pest control services. The request for proposal is available on the Court’s website www.stlcitycircuitcourt.com Click on General Information, Then Request for Proposals. A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on October 28, 2021 in Room 306 of the Carnahan Courthouse, located at 1114 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63101. EOE CITY OF ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION 2022 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN DRAFT & PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

The draft 2022 Annual Action Plan will be available on October 15, 2021, for review and comment by any interested person for a period of 30 days. The plan is available for review at CDA’s office located at 1520 Market Street, Suite 2000. The plan will also be available at the Central Branch of the St. Louis Public Library, located at 1301 Olive Street and on the City of St. Louis Community Development Administration website:

https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/community-development/

The views of citizens, public agencies and other interested parties are encouraged, and comments or questions with respect to the proposed Annual Action Plan should be directed via email at CDBG@stlouis-mo.gov

A virtual public hearing is scheduled to review the proposed 2022 Annual Action Plan 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 hearing will be held at 1:00 p.m. on November 5, 2021.

Instructions for attending the Virtual Public Hearing are available on the website: https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/cda/

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

St. LouiS american Bids & Public Notices St.

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

# NMSA-3, Design Services – Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) is requesting qualifications for architectural services for the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

A copy of the request can be obtained by contacting Barbara A. Morrow at email address: morrowb@hssu.edu or telephone #: (314) 340-5763.

Qualifications must be emailed no later than 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 21, 2021 to morrowb@hssu.edu. Responses to the Request for Qualifications will be opened and the names read at a virtual bid opening on Thursday, October 21, 2021 at 10:15 a.m. No award shall be made at the time the names are read.

The link to the virtual bid opening will be emailed out to all interested parties at a later date.

This Request for Qualifications does not commit the University to award a contract or to procure or contract for the services. The University reserves the right to accept or reject any or all responses received, or to cancel this request in part or in its entirety if it is in the best interest of the University to do so.

SOLICITING BIDS

ALL n ONE Outdoor Solutions, LLC is Soliciting Bids MBE/ WBE/DBE/Veteran/SDVE for the following: Missouri University Science and Technology Rolla, Exit 185 beautification project – Electrical and Plumbing Bids due October 15 Contact: Will Patterson, will.patterson@allnooneoutdoor. com Phone: 573-636-5642

SOLICITING BID

Reinhardt Construction, LLC is Soliciting Bids MBE/WBE/DBE/ Veteran/SDVE for the following: University of Missouri Locust Street Building- Modify Space for A&S Relocation CP21921

Bids October 19

Contact: Mike Murray, mikem@reinhardtconstructionllc. com

Phone: 573-682-5505

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Replacement Light Poles for

Will be

by City of St. Louis Treasurer UNTIL 3:00PM 10/26/2021

For specific project information, go to https://www.stltreasurer.org/ Request for Proposals/

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE:

Advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, imitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial\status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.“We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.”

Call Angelita Houston at 314-289-5430 or email ahouston@stlamerican.com to place your ads today!

Digging

Continued from C1

Julia Flood, MTC artistic director and Digging Up Dessa director felt it was imperative to have the play fit the demographic representative of St. Louis.

“I wanted the audience and young people we serve to see themselves on that stage,” Flood said.

“I also think for me a play is much more interesting if there are a lot of different kinds of people on the stage, so that I’m seeing a rich community of people that looks like the community I live in. That makes the play even more resonant for not just me but for a young girl who’s 12 years old who’s coming to see this play. I want her to be able to see herself.”

Davis instinctively thought about how she could make her character relatable to especially Black youth that will come see the show. She sees the importance of wearing out her natural hair and using African American Vernacular English to cater to that audience while she delivers the storytelling.

“I want them to see themselves represented in a field where it’s not that we don’t exist, it’s just we’re not shown,” she said.

“Dessa wants to be a scientist and I’m hoping that this show will open their eyes to a lot of different opportunities and possibilities. I hope

Yung

Continued from C1

one from the city can be like “damn, I felt that because we all are one back home.”

“We all have a certain feel and instinct we give off that just clicks,” he said. “I tried to really keep everything home based with ‘Heart of Lou.’ At least from my perspective how I see hip hop music through my eyes of being a Lou native, that’s where I get that from.”

He wants his supporters to understand and realize that he is someone that can carry the light for the city with the messages of grind, hustle, triumph and determination he has in his music.

“It’s not just about partying and dancing all the time,” he said. “It’s to really stand out there for the culture for real for

it expands their view of what is available to them and what they’re capable of achieving despite all of the adversities and societal disadvantages we have to deal with.”

Davis’ character Dessa’s connection with Anning, played by Lizi Watt, may be liberating, but it’s her relationships with her mother Esther (played by her older sister Alicia Revé Like) and her newfound friend Nilo, played by John Katz, that make the story even more worthwhile.

Davis’ sister Like is two and a half years older. She recalls her being very protective of her when they were younger. She thinks it’ll be interesting for the audience to see their relationship transform from little sister/ big sister in real life to a mother daughter dynamic on stage.

“You usually see a basic relationship between mother and daughter especially during puberty years; where it’s like my mother doesn’t understand me, she doesn’t know what I’m going through and she’s never lived this life,” Davis said. “Not acknowledging the similarities a daughter has to their mother and how as time moves on you see those realizations.”

Dessa’s friendship to Nilo is like no other. Both come from two completely different backgrounds. One of the most obvious differences between the two is that Nilo is a white male and privilege is innately in him. While their walks of life are on polar opposites of the spectrum, their bond still shows the importance of educating, being

open to learning, and being open to correction.

“I think Dessa and Nilo’s relationship is interesting because they’re both experiencing growth, changes in life and not feeling understood, but they’re living in two different neighborhoods and two different lives,” Davis said.

“The basic human experience is the base of what they build their budding friendship on. I think it’ll be nice for people to be able to see that reflected and understand that differences don’t have to be things that keep us at a distance. Those are things that can be celebrated and be used to our best advantage to figure out how we can exist in this world together and assist each other in this world together.”

Flood said the play is entertaining and strongly encourages everyone to come out and see it.

“There’s a lot of laughter in this play,” she said. “It’s important to know that there’s human as well as heart and it’s a really smart play too. I couldn’t be more excited to be back on stage at The Grandel.”

MTC opens its 2021-2022 season with “Digging Up Dessa Oct. 17- Nov. 7 with socially distant seating at The Grandel theatre. Virtual streaming is available Oct. 21- Nov. 7 at metroplays.org. Tickets are $20$36 and can be purchased on MetroTix’s website. The play is recommended for children ages ten and up. Visit https://www.metroplays.org/dessa for more information about the production.

real. Somebody that’s actually stamped, that’s what I want my supporters to take from that.” Heart of Lou and all of

Reace Yung’s other music can be listened to on all streaming platforms.

Photo by @marcodevonphotography

Reace Yung

How creativity and crafting can bring families together

The benefits of family quality time, which include positive impacts on mental health, reduced stress, promoting adaptability and more, are well understood. But the importance of creativity in families is less common knowledge.

According to a recent online study conducted by Ipsos, adults who participate in creative activities are more likely to describe themselves as optimistic, happy, passionate and joyful. But though art and creativity are vital for child development – helping develop fine and gross motor skills, problem-solving abilities and even improving emotional wellness, according to education experts – they’re not always a focus in schools. According to the Ipsos study, seven in 10 parents feel as though standardized test scores are prioritized more than creative thinking in

school.

In a world where families juggle work, school and other responsibilities, it’s important to find ways to unwind and to create joyful moments that get children and adults off the couch, away from screens and developing habits of lifelong learning. The Ipsos study found that 75% of parents want their child(ren) to have more opportunities to be creative than they did when they were young, and twothirds of adults admitted they wish they got to use their creativity more in life.

The good news is families can get creative right at home by seeking out opportunities for cross-generational learning. Grandparents can pass down their hobbies and crafts. Parents can teach children the traditions that make up their heritage. Whether it’s knitting, crocheting, cooking

or woodworking, such hobbies are often specific to a family’s culture and are precious to keep in practice.

If this is not an option, no worries. Online services can help your family get creative. For example, Craftsy, the premiere digital destination for creatives, is revolutionizing the way people tap into their potential and engage with lifestyle passions. The site can guide and encourage your family to create meaningful, creative experiences together, allowing you to set up ongoing craft projects to do with your kids, such as decorating cupcakes, sewing a cozy pillow or learning to draw something new. Even families and friends who live apart can spark creativity and learn together from the comfort of their homes. Families and friends will soon be able to share their membership with loved

Adults who participate in creative activities are more likely to describe themselves as optimistic, happy, passionate and joyful.

ones to unlock unlimited access to over 1,500 courses, many of which are now also available in Spanish. From beginner to advanced, the site offers content and community for families and individuals of all ages in more than 20 categories. Services like Craftsy offer expert instruction, a passionate virtual community and plenty of opportunities for families to say, “We did it!” from participating in classes such as painting, gardening and cooking. To learn more or get started, visit craftsy. com.

Lifelong learning is a powerful form of personal development, helping individuals tap into their human nature of wanting to grow and explore, and when families find new hobbies and develop new skills together, they can collectively reap the benefits of creativity.

How medical community neglected African Americans with COVID-19

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

A new study published by the University of Michigan shows that Black patients experienced the lowest physician follow-up post-discharge and the most protracted delays (35.5 days) in returning to work.

More than half of hospital readmissions within the 60 days following discharge were among nonwhite patients (55%), and the majority of post-discharge deaths were among white patients (21.5%).

“The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected Black and Latinx communities in the United States compared with white communities in both morbidity and mortality,” the study authors wrote.

late, or work from home, the study revealed.

“Health disparities, or preventable differences in health outcomes, are known to be driven by a variety of economic, environmental, and social factors, including institutional or structural racism and bias in health treatment,” the authors conceded.

The report noted that hospitalization rates for Black and Latinx patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 are approximately three times higher than those of similar white patients.

“It is therefore unsurprising that of the 216,635 COVID19–related deaths in the United States to date for which we have race and ethnicity data available, 29.3% have been Black (34,374) or Latinx (29,063), which correlate with US population norms,” the authors continued.

For example, researchers cited a recent study that evaluated patients with COVID-19 among five US emergency departments. That study found that Black patients accounted for the majority (56.7%) of readmissions within 72 hours, whereas white patients only accounted for 16.7%.

The study investigated variation in 60-day post-discharge clinical, financial, and mental health outcomes of diverse patients with COVID-19.

n “I think people only think of Covid in terms of death, you know, or having like a mild cold.”

“I think people only think of Covid in terms of death, you know, or having like a mild cold,” Dr. Sheria G. Robinson-Lane, a gerontologist and the study’s lead researcher, wrote.

– Dr. Sheria G. Robinson-Lane

“They don’t think about all of those spaces in between where people are having these effects post-COVID.”

White persons in the United States account for approximately 76% of the population and 61.1% of deaths (132,315).

Notably, Black and Latinx adults have an increased prevalence of comorbid conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease, associated with an increased risk of severe illness due to COVID-19.

Further, significant numbers of Black and Latinx adults have occupations considered essential, requiring close contact with others, thereby hindering the ability to effectively socially distance, self-iso-

Robinson-Lane said one of the most surprising findings was the lack of follow-ups with physicians, noting that hospitals need to improve discharge plans to serve patients better. The physician shortage and stigma to going into the doctor’s office when infected with COVID might contribute to the lack of follow-ups, Robinson-Lane said.

“So, we need to do a much better job about coordinating care, to find out what it is that people need,” she said.

“Because we’re seeing a significant number of people also that are dying within those 60 days after hospitalization.”

Dr. Sheria G. Robinson-Lane

COVID-19 safety protocols are top of mind as children return to school. The CDC also recommends that students and school staff practice physical distancing guidelines and wear a mask, especially indoors.

Back to school COVID-19 safety

By Centene

For The St. Louis American

With a new school year underway, children have returned to area classrooms for in-person learning, and COVID-19 safety protocols are top of mind. Dr. Jennifer Wessels, chief medical director with Home State Health, Centene’s Missouri health plan, says students, teachers and school staff should continue following public health measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

“We all know that students benefit from in-person learning, therefore, staying healthy is a priority,” Says Dr. Wessels. “It is important that we continue to follow safety protocols that are outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “For adults and kids, washing your hands is still the best way to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

It’s still a very solid defense.”

Dr. Wessels likes to remind parents and caregivers that teaching small children how to properly wash their hands is key to blocking all respiratory infections, such as influenza and the common cold.

“It’s easy to show smaller children how to really lather up their hands by singing.

Something like, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” she adds.

The CDC also recommends that students and school staff practice physical distancing guidelines and wear a mask, especially indoors. “Proper wearing of a face mask is a simple and very effective way to protect students who currently are unable to get a COVID-19 vaccine,” says Dr. Wessels.

Home State Health manages the health care of close to 150,000 children under the age of 12 in Missouri. Dr. Wessels encourages parents to talk with their

child’s pediatrician about COVID safety, as well as all childhood immunizations, including those for the flu. “Parents can follow the approval process for COVID19 vaccines, and make sure they ask questions and get answers regarding vaccine safety,” she said. Medical experts expect that a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine for children, ages five to 11 could be approved by the end of October. And, it’s flu season

With the arrival of winter and cold temperatures comes influenza and a host of other respiratory illnesses like the common cold and pneumonia. This flu season, COVID-19 will confuse an already complex menagerie of respiratory symptoms. Both influenza and COVID19 are highly contagious respiratory viruses. They can both cause anything from a mild condition to a severe or life-threatening illness.

Dr. Wessels states that the most important thing that you can do to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 is to get fully vaccinated. “Vaccinated people are still very well protected, and the vaccines are effectively reducing the risk of hospitalization, severe illness and death,” she adds.

In the battle against the flu, doctors recommend that everyone older than age six months should receive a flu shot unless the individual has an allergy or significant reasons not to receive the vaccine. Additionally, COVID-19 vaccines can be administered at the same time as other vaccines, even on the same day, according to Dr. Wessels. “It is especially important to be protected from both COVID-19 and influenza as we enter the winter months when people spend more time indoors and may increase family visits during the holiday,” she adds.

To schedule a mammogram or get more information about screening, call your primary care provider, local hospital or screening facility. Some hospitals even offer mobile screening clinics, often called “mammography vans,” which can set up in neighborhoods near you.

For Your Health: Seeing pink is a great mammogram reminder

By Dr. Graham A. Colditz Siteman Cancer Center

If the pink popping up in store displays and across our screens hasn’t given it away already, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And while it focuses on a serious disease, I always appreciate the opportunity it gives my colleagues and me to highlight ways women can look after their breast health.

One of the most important things on that list: getting regular screening mammograms.

It’s a message many women are used to hearing, but coming up on two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s also a message that’s more important than ever.

Mammograms are a type of X-ray that help find breast cancer in earlier stages when it’s easier to treat. With disruptions in health care and concerns about safety, especially in the pandemic’s early months, many women missed their scheduled mammograms. And some have yet to get caught up.

But we know that keeping up with

regular health care remains extremely important even during a pandemic, and most hospitals and screening facilities are back to their regular schedules and are taking steps to keep patients safe.

“If a woman is overdue for her mammogram, she should come in as soon as possible,” said Dr. Debbie Bennett, chief of breast imaging at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “Delays in screening can lead to delays in breast cancer diagnosis.”

For the best chance of catching cancer early, most women should get a yearly mammogram starting at age 40.

“That’s why it’s important that women find out by age 30 whether they would benefit from screening or other tests in their 30s.”

Women who are at increased risk of breast cancer, because of factors like family history or medical history, may need to start screening earlier. And it’s best to talk with a doctor about your breast cancer risk sometime in your 20s.

“Many of the strategies to prevent breast cancer, or catch it in its earlier stages, begin at a younger age for women who are at higher risk,” Bennett said.

This can be particularly important for Black women, who are impacted unequally by breast cancer. Not only are Black women 40% more likely than white women to die of breast cancer, they also have the highest rate of developing the disease before age 40. Earlier screening, and other important care, in women at higher risk could help narrow such gaps.

To schedule a mammogram or get more information about screening, call your primary care provider, local hospital or screening facility. Some hospitals even offer mobile screening clinics, often called “mammography vans,” which can set up in neighborhoods near you.

Most insurance plans cover mammograms, and many facilities take part in programs that can help provide free or low-cost tests for those who need it.

With the pandemic ongoing, it’s

important that women take time to look after their health, even as they have more on their plates than ever, Bennett said. And getting mammograms is a relatively quick and easy way of doing that.

“Screening mammograms are an important part of self-care,” she said. “We want to give all women the best chance of living long, healthy lives.”

Dr. Graham A. Colditz, associate director of prevention and control at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is an internationally recognized leader in cancer prevention and the creator of YourDiseaseRisk.com, a free, personalized tool for helping people reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases. An epidemiologist and public health expert, he has a long-standing interest in the preventable causes of disease. Colditz has a medical degree from The University of Queensland and a master’s and doctoral degrees in public health from Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Dr. Graham A. Colditz

Why Black women are more at risk of dying from breast cancer

By StatePoint

For The St. Louis American

Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Yet, according to a recently released report, Black women in the United States face a perfect storm of issues spanning across every aspect of the health care system and society at-large that are causing them to die about 40% more often from breast cancer than white women. Indeed, in some metropolitan areas, the gap can be as high as 74%

Why is this happening? As the report, “Closing the Breast Cancer Gap: A Roadmap to Save Lives of Black Women in America,” by breast cancer leader Susan G. Komen highlights, despite advances in science and increased access to early detection nationally, Black women face the combined effects of racial, gender, ethnic and other forms of bias while navigating systems and institutional structures in which entrenched inequities remain the status quo. This experience is felt by Black women nationwide, regardless of their income, education or insurance status.

For example, one Black health care professional who participated in a focus group for the report noted that her own experience is poor when she goes for treatment without her “white coat.” “I was ignored until the doctor came into the room and started asking me very specific questions. The way I answered made the doctor stop and ask my background. I asked, ‘why does it matter?’ She said, ‘Do you work in the health care field?’ I said, ‘More or less.’... She stopped, and she said, ‘Oh, so what’s your title?’ I said, ‘It’s Dr.,’ and within 30 minutes I was upstairs in a room. If I get treated this way, then what do other people go through? I really felt like I was just another Black face, until they understood that this Black face came with a level of influence and authority.”

These issues are exacerbated by the socioeconomic impacts of segregation, unfair employment practices and racist policies like redlining that still divide many metropolitan areas today. For example, many Black women face difficulties finding high-quality cancer care located near them. In the report, one Dallas-area health care provider recounted how a 65-year-old woman walked about 10 miles in the July heat to get to her screening mammogram. By the time she got to the hospital she was dehydrated and had to go to the emergency room

to get fluids before her screening. And those who rely on Medicaid or similar insurance are often turned away once they arrive or are forced to wait hours to see someone.

These transportation and insurance issues are just a few of the barriers tragically impacting Black women today. Whether it’s substandard care, the availability and affordability of diagnostics and follow-up care, insurance practices and implicit bias and racism, the report

authors stress that Black women are dying more than white women because our systems are failing them at every step in their breast cancer journey. Leveraging the insights and solutions recommended in the report, Komen is launching a new initiative called Stand for H.E.R. – a Health Equity Revolution, to take specific action in each of the 10 U.S. metropolitan areas where disparities are the greatest. Made possible by funding from Robert Smith and the Fund II

Black women in the United States face a perfect storm of issues spanning across every aspect of the health care system and society at-large that are causing them to die about 40% more often from breast cancer than white women.

Foundation, this initiative will include several specific interventions to improve the quality of care and to overcome obstacles and bias, including connecting women to care through culturally competent patient navigators.

The hope is that by launching this initiative, other organizations and community stakeholders will join with Komen to address the long-ignored issues that continue to marginalize the Black community.

Doctors say the coming flu season is likely to be bad. Despite the ongoing pandemic, protecting against the flu is also vital this winter.

St. Louis doctors: Don’t forget your flu shot during the coronavirus pandemic

By Sarah Fentem St. Louis Public Radio

The flu season is approaching, and St. Louis-area doctors say everyone who can get the flu vaccine should do so. Unlike last year, doctors are predicting a bad flu season now that many people are taking fewer precautions against the coronavirus.

Because many people wore masks and stayed home during the pandemic, the country saw historically low levels of flu transmission during last year’s flu season, said Dr. Steven Lawrence, a Washington University infectious disease physician.

But doctors expect the flu virus to spread more this year. “We can almost guarantee with just about 100% certainty that this year’s flu season is going to be worse than last year, which was a record low because people are getting together more often,” said Lawrence, who works at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, doctors worried that flu and COVID-19 patients would overwhelm hospitals. This year, it’s more likely that the region will see fewer COVID-19 hospitalizations because more people are vaccinated against the coronavirus compared with last year. However, it’s likely people sick with the flu will fill up more beds.

Still, the coronavirus has proved to be unpredictable, and it’s important

for people to get a flu shot to protect themselves and each other and keep the hospitals from getting too crowded, Lawrence said. “We are expecting more flu this year, and we don’t know what COVID is going to do,” he said. “We were so concerned about it last winter, but it might be even more important this year to prevent flu as much as possible.”

It’s easy for patients to forget that other illnesses are a threat when the pandemic is still ongoing, said Dr. Troy Dinkel, president and chief medical officer at Total Access Urgent Care, which operates several clinics in the region. Many people have become singularly focused on the coronavirus and forget about other risks, he said.

“Certainly, before COVID … if someone came in with a bad headache, upset stomach or a productive cough they were thinking, ‘I wonder if I have pneumonia,’” Dinkel said. “Now, they really just want a COVID test and leave, and sometimes we have to say wait a minute, there’s some other dangerous things that could be occurring here.”

The COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t protect against the flu. But people can safely receive both flu and COVID vaccines at the same time, in many places for free. There isn’t any evidence of people who receive both shots simultaneously having more severe side effects, Lawrence said.

NNPA Newswire

Best foods to improve your cholesterol numbers

Diet can play an important role in lowering your cholesterol. Here are some foods to improve your cholesterol and protect your heart.

Can a bowl of oatmeal help lower your cholesterol? How about a handful of almonds? A few simple tweaks to your diet—along with exercise and other heart-healthy habits—might help you lower your cholesterol numbers

Oatmeal, oat bran and high-fiber foods. Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the “bad” cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears.

Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Five to 10 grams or more of soluble fiber a day decreases your LDL cholesterol. One serving of a breakfast cereal with oatmeal or oat bran provides 3 to 4 grams of fiber. If you add fruit, such as a banana or berries, you’ll get even more fiber.

Fish and omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty fish has high levels of omega3 fatty acids, which can reduce your triglycerides—a type of fat found in blood—as well as reduce your blood pressure and risk of developing blood clots. In people who have already had heart attacks, omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of sudden death.

Omega-3 fatty acids don’t affect LDL cholesterol levels. But because of those acids’ other heart benefits, the American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of fish a week. Baking or grilling the fish avoids adding unhealthy fats.

The highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids are in:

• Mackerel

• Herring

• Tuna

• Salmon

• Trout

Foods such as walnuts, flaxseed and canola oil also have small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 and fish oil supplements are available. Talk to your doctor before taking any supplements.

Almonds and other nuts. Almonds and other tree nuts can improve blood cholesterol. A recent study concluded that a diet supplemented with walnuts can lower the risk of heart complications in people with history of a heart attack. All nuts are high in calories, so a handful

added to a salad or eaten as a snack will do. Avocados. Avocados are a potent source of nutrients as well as monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). Research suggests that adding an avocado a day to a heart-healthy diet can help improve LDL cholesterol levels in people who are overweight or obese.

People tend to be most familiar with avocados in guacamole, which usually is eaten with high-fat corn chips. Try adding avocado slices to salads and sandwiches or eating them as a side dish. Also try guacamole with raw cut

vegetables, such as cucumber slices.

Replacing saturated fats, such as those found in meats, with MUFAs are part of what makes the Mediterranean diet heart healthy.

Olive oil. Try using olive oil in place of other fats in your diet. You can saute vegetables in olive oil, add it to a marinade or mix it with vinegar as a salad dressing. You can also use olive oil as a substitute for butter when basting meat or as a dip for bread.

Foods with added plant sterols or stanols. Sterols and stanols are substances found in plants that help block the

absorption of cholesterol. Foods that have been fortified with sterols or stanols are available. Margarines and orange juice with added plant sterols can help reduce LDL cholesterol. Adding 2 grams of sterol to your diet every day can lower your LDL cholesterol by 5 to 15 percent. It’s not clear whether food with plant sterols or stanols reduces your risk of heart attack or stroke, although experts assume foods that reduce cholesterol do reduce the risk. Plant sterols or stanols don’t appear to affect levels of triglycerides or of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol.

Erica “Umi” Clahar created Umi Feeds in Atlanta as a way to make good use of unwanted, healthy foods including fresh fruit and vegetables. This type of nutrition is important in reducing cholesterol levels.

Photo Courtesy/Umi Feeds

St. Louis’ senior citizens can get rides to the store in electric cars

By Niara Savage St. Louis Public Radio

Seniors in St. Louis will soon receive nonemergency transportation to grocery stores, doctor’s appointments and social activities through a new electric carsharing service.

The St. Louis Vehicle Electrification Rides for Seniors program launched last week. It provides electric vehicles to the Northside Youth and Senior Service Center and City Seniors Inc., in south city. The SiLVERS program was implemented by Portland, Oregon-based group Forth, which advocates for laws and policies to expand the use of clean transportation and to offset reliance on fossil fuels.

Forth program manager Connor Herman said the nonprofit selected St. Louis as the location for the service because cities outside the East and West

Coasts are sometimes overlooked when it comes to promoting and utilizing sustainable technology. The goal of the project is to demonstrate in a Midwestern state “that this type of technology works,” Herman said.

The federal Department of Energy awarded Forth funding for the program in July 2020. The advocacy group partnered with the City of St. Louis, Ameren, General Motors and Bloomberg Philanthropies American Cities Climate Challenge to bring the service to the city.

Jennifer Bess, executive director of City Seniors, said the program will improve the quality of life for seniors.

“We’re really excited because we can offer a generation who only imagined electric vehicles the opportunity to ride in an electric vehicle,” Bess said. The center has received two electric Chevy Bolts and will serve residents on the south side of the city after charging stations are fully

installed. People over 60 can schedule rides by making a phone call.

Bloomberg Philanthropies included St. Louis as one of 25 cities in its American Cities Climate Challenge in 2018. The initiative is aimed at helping cities address the climate crisis and promote a more sustainable future. The total price tag to run the program for three years is about $1 million, including the cost of the vehicles, insurance, charging stations and staff time to develop the project.

During the three-year period, Forth will partner with electric vehicle software company AmpUp to track the number of rides given and measure the amount of energy required to power the vehicles. It will then compare the data to the amount of fuel needed to power a typical combustion engine vehicle.

The Northside Youth and Senior Service Center received three electric vehicles. Shana Watson, the center’s

director, said seniors were visibly excited about the electric cars at the ribboncutting ceremony last Thursday. “A lot of them wanted to sit in [the vehicles] and look under the hood and see what’s in there and see that it’s only a battery and a few other fluids,” Watson said.

While there are already several options for seniors to receive transportation in St. Louis, Watson said the smaller electric vehicles may allow seniors to travel longer distances outside of the city. She added that the need for transportation has grown during the pandemic because vans typically used to transport seniors can only be filled to half-capacity to ensure social distancing.

Charging stations at Northside are fully installed, but the center isn’t up and running yet. Watson said Northside will start offering rides sometime this month, after drivers receive training arranged by Forth.

Seniors in St. Louis can get free rides in electric Chevy Bolts.

Photo by Niara Savage / St.Louis Public Radtio