October 25th, 2018 Edition

‘Let your voice be heard’

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As Missouri voters prepare for Nov. 6, they no longer need a photo ID

By Rebecca Rivas

The

Senate races will be contested in Missouri, as will ballot issues for raising the minimum wage, cleaning up the campaign-contribution process, and legalizing medical marijuana, among others.

“These are issues that impact our daily lives and are necessary for us to weigh in on,” Blackmon said. “And to evaluate the

candidates up for election based on one’s own moral principles for healthy and equitable living. At least let your voice be heard.” Blackmon pointed out that not voting does not remove you from the political process. Nominate an individual or family for help by Nov. 3

U.S.

Huge life payoff through CWAH

By Gwen Swan For The St. Louis American

the overtime,” she said. She is working on a dual savings goal – saving for a rainy day and for her son’s football trip to Florida. That same goaloriented, determined nature was what led Dulaney, somewhat

‘Claire’s opponent will be a rubber stamp for the current president’

By Chris King Of

“Claire

has been unwavering in his support

By Chester A. Deanes Jr. For The St. Louis American

Part of a year-long series, presented by The American and the Brown School at Washington University, on changing the narratives and outcomes of young black males in St. Louis. My parents migrated to St. Louis from Aberdeen, Mississippi, expecting to build a good life for us. A year later, Daddy left us. He sent us Easter clothes and trunks full of toys during Christmas. He was not present and involved, but he sent packages! When I was 10, one Saturday after working her second job Momma said, “Son, your father is not returning. I expect you to help the family by working, bringing money in the house and protecting your sisters and brothers.” I said, “Okay, Momma.”

Photo by Wiley Price

See McCASKILL, A7

Voters cast absentee ballots at the St. Louis election board on Wednesday, October 24. They were not required to show

photo ID, as a constitutional amendment requiring that was overturned in the courts. Absentee voting is underway for the November 6 midterm election.

See MALES, A7

India Dulaney and Michelle Worthy of CWAH

Photo by Wiley Price

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill

Chester A. Deanes Jr.

Kevin Hart settles trademark case

Kevin Hart has reportedly resolved claims that he attempted to rip-off another comic’s brand.

Last week, the owner of Laugh Out Loud Comedy Productions, filed to dismiss his case against Hart. According to the court documents, Montoya and Hart agreed to end the battle and pay their own legal expenses. A source told The Blast that Lionsgate – a co-defendant in the case –gave Montoya money as component of the deal, with Lionsgate›s insurance paying the sum.

In 2016, Hart began trying to acquire three trademarks for “Laugh Out Loud” to do a new comedy project with Lionsgate. Montoya fought the trademarks, and around this time last year, pursued a case against Hart.

Steve Harvey confirms being on back burner in major markets

Last month, news leaked that NBC was replacing Steve Harvey’s talk show with a new show hosted by American Idol winner in 11 major markets

Harvey confirmed the news to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“This is NBC’s decision... I don’t own any TV networks but I’m not a grudge type of person. I happen to be a talent. I think people recognize that,” Harvey told AJC.com.

“Whatever happens with the show moving forward, I’ll be just fine.”

Rihanna passes on Super Bowl gig in support of Kaepernick

Rihanna turned down an offer to perform at the Super Bowl in support of quarterback Colin Kaepernick

“Rihanna was the frontrunner for next year’s super bowl

halftime show,” insiders told Entertainment Tonight. “CBS and the NFL reached out to Rihanna first, who after thinking about the offer, decided to pass due to the NFL and the situation regarding players kneeling. The offer and exposure would have been great for Rihanna as she’s planning a new album and tour, but she stuck to what’s right in her eyes.”

ET also reported that P!nk turned down the offer for the same reason.

Tracy Chapman files suit, wants no parts of Nicki Minaj track

to make it disappear, but Chapman is seeking damages and an order prohibiting Minaj from releasing the song again.”

In August Nicki Minaj announced that her new album “Queen” might get pushed back because of an uncleared sample from folk singer Tracy Chapman’s 2002 hit single “Baby Can I Hold You.”

TMZ.com says Chapman is suing because Minaj released the song anyway.

“According to the suit, Funkmaster Flex played “Sorry” on Hot 97 and lots of Internet users picked up the song and sent it around. It was also played on “The Breakfast Club” with Charlamagne Tha God.” TMZ reported.

“The day the track was played, Minaj tweeted, ‘Sis said no,’ which, according to the lawsuit, refers to Chapman’s denial to her request to use ‘Baby Can I Hold You.’ She pulled the song from ‘Queen’ and tried

Did Fabolous and Emily B. jump the broom?

According to Hip Hop Enquirer rapper Fabolous and reality television personality Emily B. have tied the knot. The hip-hop news and urban gossip site says the pair was married last week by a New Jersey’s Bergen County clerk in a private ceremony that was witnessed by friends and family. Their reported nuptials took place in the wake of charges of domestic violence, stemming from an argument between the pair that reportedly got physical. Fabolous is facing four felony charges related to his alleged assault on Emily B, the mother of his two children. A grand jury in New Jersey indicted the rapper last week on 1 count of domestic violence with significant bodily injury, two counts of threatening to kill and 1 count of possession of a weapon ( a pair of scissors). Fabolous pleaded not guilty.

Sources: TMZ.com, The Blast.com, ET.com, Hiphopenquirer.com

Kevin Hart

Tracy Chapman

Move, Bruce, get out the way!

The non-clinical definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result or outcome. If that’s the case, then re-electing Gov. Bruce Rauner in the upcoming Illinois gubernatorial contest would be the craziest thing that Illinois voters could ever do. Just imagine if you were the most inept employee on your job. Then, more than likely, you would eventually be fired.

Well, conservative magazine The National Review has described Rauner as the “worst Republican governor in America.” That’s pretty bad, but not surprising, given his track record or lack thereof. Since his election, Rauner foolishly chose to pick a fight with Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, the longestserving and, arguably, the most powerful speaker in the United States, the equivalent of

Harris-Stowe student named White House HBCU Competitiveness Scholar

American staff

Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) student

Reid Chunn has been named to the 2018 HBCU Competitiveness Scholars List, an initiative launched by the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Chunn is one of 63 students from 54 HBCUs to be selected a 2018 HBCU Competitiveness Scholar – the initiative’s highest student recognition.

Comprised of undergraduate, graduate and professional students, Competitiveness Scholars are recognized for successfully preparing to compete for top opportunities that improve long-term outcomes. Nominated and endorsed by their institution’s president, Competitiveness

Reid Chunn is Student Government Association president

Scholars are selected from among several highly distinguished HBCU students selected for their academic achievement, campus and civic involvement, and entrepreneurial ethos or competitive spirit.

“Reid is a bright, dedicated and talented young man. I am confident he will represent our institution and community very well,” said Dwaun Warmack, president of Harris-Stowe State University.

Chunn is a native of St.

peeing into a 100 mph political headwind.

The result has been an abysmal failure for the state of Illinois, consisting of a budget stalemate in excess of two years, $16 billion in unpaid bills, halted afterschool programs, and shuttered mental health, rehabilitation facilities and services for senior citizens statewide.

Rauner has also demonstrated his insensitivity through his vetoes of minimum salary increases for public school teachers (to $40,000) and of a bill which would have required that corrections officials educate and provide ballots, registration forms and information to persons detained in jails.

The voters of Illinois can’t afford four more years of failure and a political standoffs with the state legislature. It is time for new leadership in the person of challenger J.B. Pritzker, who is the antithesis and polar opposite of Bruce Rauner. Pritzker’s key advantage is a cordial working relationship with Madigan, which would promote dialogue and, hopefully, progress between the executive and legislative branches of government.

Secondly, Pritzker is more attuned to the working-class voter, having founded 1871, a successful tech business incubator, which created over 7,000 jobs alone in the Chicago area. He also wants to

Louis and graduate of Gateway STEM High School. He is the 2018-2019 Student Government Association president, a writer for the Gold Press student newspaper, and a member of the Black Male Initiative and Semper Fidelis Pre-Law Society.

“It is an incredible honor and privilege to be selected an HBCU Competitiveness Scholar,” said Chunn, a junior mathematics and mechanical engineering major. “To be nominated by President Warmack and recognized by the White House for my academic achievements, campus and community engagement, and entrepreneurial spirit is special. As a first-generation college student, this selection motivates me to help pave the way and encourage students from similar backgrounds to have faith and persevere through the toughest times.” In the course of their oneyear term, Competitiveness Scholars will learn and share proven, promising practices that support individual and HBCU competitiveness, with the goal of strengthening prospects for career and life success. Scholars were recognized on September 17 during the 2018 National HBCU Week Conference held September 16-18 in Washington, D.C.

create a $15-an-hour minimum wage, expand funding for public education and restore vocational education in our high schools.

In addition, Pritzker is an advocate of lowering the burden of excessive property taxes through the legalization of recreational marijuana, which would generate an estimated $700 million in tax revenues.

Finally, Pritzker, is a coalition builder and unifier. While Rauner is busy making Donald Trump-like claims that high crime and high unemployment in Chicago are the result of illegal immigrants (while research proves otherwise), Pritzker proudly speaks of his immigrant grandfather coming to America as a “penniless” refugee and, eventually, being given the opportunity to live the American dream.

And while Rauner the billionaire heartlessly states that an increase in teacher’s wages is an “inefficient way to compensate teachers,” Pritzker has been endorsed by the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the AFL-CIO, former President Barack Obama and Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Ducksworth.

So as rapper Ludacris might say, “Move Bruce, get out the way”! Illinois cannot afford four more years of stagnation, gridlock, excuses and playing the blame game. The state sorely lacks true leadership at the helm, and J.B. Pritzker may be just the antidote for the ailing state of affairs in Illinois.

Whatever you decide, please vote on November 6.

Email: jtingram_1960@ yahoo.com; Twitter@ JamesTIngram.

Columnist James Ingram

Harris-Stowe State University President Dwaun Warmack and Reid Chunn attending the HBCU conference in Washington, DC.

The St. Louis American strongly endorses Claire McCaskill

We believe strongly in the right to protest, as well as the right to vote. We believe in the value and power of protesting, as well as the value and power of voting. But the time and place to protest is not in the voting booth on election day. Protest is a cry from the outside, a disruption of business as usual in an effort to be heard. A vote is a strategic effort to win a contest. If you don’t cast a vote for the best possible candidate on the ballot who has a chance of winning, then you are doing nothing but helping a worse – even, these days, dangerous – candidate win.

No American citizen should need to be told this today. Because many good people cast a protest vote against Hillary Clinton in 2016, Donald Trump was elected president of the United States, with many disastrous, enduring consequences that continue to unfold on a daily – indeed, hourly – basis. We know that many other factors contributed to Trump’s victory, and that Clinton and the Democratic Party made countless mistakes in 2016. However, if everyone who knew that Trump would be a worse president than Clinton had voted strategically against Trump, rather than cast a nonstrategic protest vote against Clinton, then we (and our Supreme Court) would all be much further from the edge of ruin than we are today. For now, the best we can do is weaken Trump and the Republican Party that continues to enable him and force greater accountability from them. On November 6, that means we need to defeat every Republican on the ballot that we have any hope of defeating.

In Missouri, we have an opportunity to defeat the Trump-endorsed Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Josh Hawley, currently the state’s attorney general. This very

closely watched race has seen the incumbent McCaskill and Hawley trade places at the top of polls, with the margin always tiny. We believe that if everyone in Missouri who knows that a weaker, restrained President Trump is a stronger United States votes strategically on November 6, then they will vote against the Republican candidate Trump has endorsed and vote for the Democratic incumbent McCaskill. It’s the only way to prevent Trump from gaining another Republican ally in Congress to protect and empower him. This is especially crucial in the Senate, the most powerful house of Congress that confirms – or rejects – so many presidential appointments, none more important than to the U.S. Supreme Court. That body can curb Trump, whose fearmongering rhetoric has become increasingly outrageous and dangerous.

“I know progressives who believe a vote against McCaskill is their only avenue of protest against a Democratic Party that has not been too welcoming,” the Rev. Darryl Gray, a protest leader, told us. “But there are groups of people and communities that need your vote and cannot afford your protest. The results of this election could literally mean life or death for many Americans and others around the world already living in fear, famine, and frustration.” We agree with Rev. Gray and would only go further to say that the results of this election could literally mean life or death for democracy in America.

Progressive frustration with McCaskill is understandable, and we share it keenly. We urged McCaskill to run a different kind of campaign geared at energizing her base, especially African Americans, knowing that almost every single black person who casts a

vote will vote for the Democrat at the top of the ticket, and on November 6 that will be McCaskill. But McCaskill, knowing that Trump beat Clinton by a half-million votes in Missouri, ran the most centrist campaign of a centrist political career. Where we want her to defy and repudiate Trump, she publicizes her efforts to find common ground with him and his party. Where we want her to express outrage at his inhumane immigration policies and increasingly obvious white nationalism, she raises only mild objections, if any.

That is because she knows that Missouri is a whopping 81 percent non-Hispanic white and one of only 10 states that have never elected a non-white person to statewide office. She has to win this election in the state of Missouri, not only the city of St. Louis. She can’t be the Democrat we want her to be

if she is going to be a Democrat who can beat a Republican challenger, especially in this midterm election. As Charles Jaco wrote in this paper, “while McCaskill vacuums the couch cushions for spare dimes in rural Missouri, the part of the state where she has her richest support is taken for granted.”

While we understand it is difficult to show enthusiasm for someone who takes you for granted, we think it should be easy for a progressive voter to show genuine zeal for limiting and diminishing the power of Trump – and, without question, a vote for McCaskill does exactly that, considering the alternative.

To be clear: McCaskill cannot realistically be the Democrat we want her to be and still beat Hawley. However, she is a very different senator than Hawley would be, and Democrats up and down the ticket have told us so.

“Claire McCaskill has stood with me in defense of Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and the right to vote,” said U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay (D-Missouri). Hawley would help Trump undermine all of those things.

“Claire’s opponent would immediately support efforts of his party and his president to roll back civil rights and consumer protections that we depend on to have a fair chance at success in this country,” said Michael Butler, Democratic nominee for St. Louis recorder of deeds on the November 6 ballot with McCaskill.

“I support Senator Claire McCaskill because she has a proven track record of fighting for working families by protecting our healthcare, standing up against big drug companies, and she supports the proposed minimum wage increase,” said St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green, a Democrat. Green referred to Proposition B on the November 6 ballot, which would raise the state’s minimum wage to $12 by 2023. McCaskill endorsed the measure; Hawley opposes it.

Karla May, a state representative who is the Democratic nominee for the 4th Missouri Senate District on the November 6 ballot, mailed 5,000 pieces informing voters in her district about McCaskill’s support for Proposition B, the minimum wage increase, as well as McCaskill’s fight against so-called “Right to Work” legislation, which May called “right to work for less.”

Hawley “is fighting against your right to vote, fighting against the Affordable Care Act, fighting to lower wages in our state, fighting for right to work for less,” May’s mailer pointed out. Indeed, McCaskill has stood up to Hawley’s lawsuit that is threatening to take away health care for 2.5

million Missourians with preexisting conditions and fought to lower health care costs for all Missourians. Hawley, a shameless liar, continues to claim to support coverage for people with pre-existing conditions while pursuing a lawsuit that would remove that and all consumer protections of the ACA with no provisions to replace these protections. May also reminded voters of something that many may have forgotten: “Our Senator Claire McCaskill stood with and supported President Barack Obama.” Indeed, McCaskill was a very early – and crucial – supporter of Obama in his uphill primary fight against Hillary Clinton in 2008. We believe St. Louis County Councilwoman Hazel Erby (D-1st District) ultimately sounds the rallying cry that no one who hopes to maintain democracy and decency in this country should fail to heed: “Claire’s opponent has ads stating that he will be a rubber stamp for the current president.” It is impossible to fathom how any voter of conscience could do anything but cast the most strategic vote to defeat a “rubber stamp” candidate for Donald Trump on November 6. In Missouri, only one vote for the U.S. Senate seat does that – and our vote is powerful. If black voters could provide the margin of victory for a Democratic Senate candidate in Alabama, then we – more than any other demographic group – have the power to defy the odds and carry McCaskill to victory in Missouri. As strongly as we have ever urged our readers to cast any votes – to make their voices heard, to protect and advance the policies that are critical to our community and its well-being – we strongly endorse ClAire MCCAskill for U.s. senAte

Beating Trump and company is not rocket science

By Charles Jaco

For The St. Louis American

Like anyone who ever took physics, I always thought that the Pauli Exclusion Principle was absolute, that two objects can’t occupy the same space at the same time. But during Professor Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, the committee’s 11 white male GOP Senators were all able to occupy exactly the same space – hiding behind the skirt of a sex crimes prosecutor as she grilled Prof. Blasey Ford. They hired her to ask all of the questions that would have normally been asked by GOP senators because having 11 white conservative males grill a female sexual assault victim would have looked pretty bad. It was bad enough, with Prof. Blasey Ford calmly recounting her story of sexual assault at the hands of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, followed by Kavanaugh himself being anything but calm in his vein-bulging condemnation of what he called “a political hit job.” But none of this may matter when it comes to putting a conservative ideologue with a mysterious financial history

on the Supreme Court, even after being accused of sexual assault by three different women. A new PBS poll finds 53 percent of Republicans think Kavanaugh should be confirmed to the Supreme Court even if all the charges against him are true. And it appears the GOP is hell-bent on listening to their raging white base and will vote to put a morally compromised pro-Trump judge on the nation’s highest court, despite a Kavanaugh performance at Thursday’s hearing that was condescending, confrontational, and not credible, sometimes all within the same sentence.

Crunch the numbers, and it’s amazing to see how a small minority of the American population is having its way:

• 34 percent of the U.S. population is white male

• 22 percent is made up of white male GOP supporters

• They make up 100 percent of Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee

• They make up 100 percent of Republican Senate leadership

• They make up 84 percent of the Senate’s GOP majority. How did one-fifth of the American population end up with that much power?

Much is historical, from the

days when white males ran 100 percent of everything. Much is gerrymandering and voter suppression. And a lot of it is who votes and who doesn’t. That’s important, especially now.

And any hope for stopping the Trump regime’s dismantling of American democracy will be largely built on new voters, especially younger voters and voters of color.

While those two groups are the keys to any hopes Democrats have of putting the brakes on Trump and company’s authoritarianism, the proof is in the turnout, and that proof isn’t too good. Take young people age 18 to 34. In the last midterms, 2014, their turnout was 21 percent. It rose to 50 percent in 2016, but if they return to form in these midterms, the game may be over, since no one wins anything when four-fifths of a demographic you’re depending on stays home.

In the 2016 election, 94 percent of African-American voters went for Hillary Clinton. But slightly less than 60 percent of registered black voters went to the polls. That was a significant drop from the 2012 election, and it was coupled with a 65 percent turnout for whites, most of whom, of course, voted for Trump. But buried in that is a startling trend: 4.6 million more voters cast ballots in 2016 than in 2012. But of those, more than 80 percent, 3.7 million voters, were over age 65. And guess who the vast majority voted for?

The old, conservative, white GOP now in power was put there by old, conservative, white voters. Voters age 65 and above voted for Trump, and an astonishing 71 percent of them went to the polls. The composition of the Republican Senate on display during the Thursday hearings with Kavanaugh and Professor Blasey Ford clearly represents

the people who turned out in the largest numbers – older, white, culturally conservative voters, angry that “their” country is being overrun with non-whites, feminists, gays, and the liberal/progressive young. In some cases, despite voter photo ID and other attempts at voter suppression, African-American voters have outperformed other groups.

In Alabama’s U.S. Senate election, Democrat Doug Jones only defeated Republican (and accused pedophile) Roy Moore because blacks, who make up 26 percent of the state’s population, were 29 percent of voters and provided a tsunami of votes for Jones. In other cases, voter registration drives among African Americans have met with indifferent success. After the Ferguson uprising following Michael Brown’s death, a concentrated and heavily publicized voter registration drive resulted only in 128 new voters, and the pro-police white mayor of Ferguson, which has a 70 percent black population, was re-elected.

A similar but nationwide drive to register young people, spearheaded by anti-Trump billionaire Tom Steyer and the survivors of the Stoneman

Douglas High School massacre in Parkland, Florida, is hoping to get at least a half-million new voters under age 25 to the polls November 6. If it succeeds, it would go against all the previous math for young voters. People that age have never voted in anywhere near the percentages of their parents and grandparents. That kind of electoral math is the reason why, as America becomes younger and less white, most of its elected officials, especially in the Senate, remain white and older. They’re a pretty good representation of the people who voted for them. It’s the kind of math the GOP needs to elect or re-elect pro-Trumpers like Senate candidate Josh Hawley and U.S. Representative Ann Wagner in Missouri and U.S. Representative Mike Bost in Illinois. Changing the face of Congress and resisting Trump isn’t rocket science. It’s simple arithmetic. Register. Vote. Have more votes than the bad guys. Period.

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

Columnist

Former Ferguson interim police chief honored in exhibit

The service and work of Andre Anderson, who served as Ferguson’s interim police chief (the first African American to lead that department), is chronicled in a special exhibit at the New National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington, D.C. Anderson is currently a commander with the Glendale, Arizona police department. In July 2015, he took a six-month leave of absence from Glendale to serve is Ferguson’s interim police chief and continued to work as a consultant for the department several months after his return to Arizona.

During his tenure in Ferguson, Anderson worked with the U.S Justice Department to reach a settlement agreement with the city, implemented several community policing and community engagement programs, and increased the hiring and promotion of qualified minorities within the department.

The new museum, located on the National Mall, opened on Saturday, October 13. The facility features a collection of more than 20,000 artifacts that depicts American law enforcement through community relationships, historic events, educational interactive exhibits and pop culture. Anderson, donated his Ferguson police chief’s uniform for the museum’s History Time Capsule exhibit, which will highlight his work and experiences there.

Ferguson PD use of force policy open for public comment

The public has until November 15 to comment on the revised use of force policies for the Ferguson Police Department arrived at through its consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice. Ferguson Police officers also are being solicited for their review and comment during this period.

All feedback received during this 30-day comment period will be considered prior to the policy being finalized and going into effect. After policies go into effect, the final version will be posted on Ferguson Police Department’s website. Ferguson and the DOJ will continue to welcome feedback at any time after policies are finalized, which will be considered on an ongoing basis and during the required review of policies that will occur one year after they are implemented. The use of force policy and other revised department policies may be viewed at tinyurl.com/Ferguson-policies. Please send any feedback to community.ferguson@usdoj.gov.

Wake up call for America

By Dorothy Dempsey For The St. Louis American

Wake up, my white fellow Americans. Why are you all acting like deer who got caught in the headlights of a car?

We are as near destruction as we can get, and many of you are wringing your hands and acting like you don’t know what to do about it.

Need you ever forget, you are the ones who hold all the power. Your greed, racism and bigotry have brought you this far, where do you go on the next page of the history books?

Your children are dying from drugs, the farmers are in trouble, health care is at its worst, and we may be bombed off the face of the earth.

Everything President Trump has touched is smeared with his low self-esteem that he tries to apply to everyone else, and you are still talking and doing nothing.

No person of color has ever been afforded the luxury of a white person. To let this white man with the credentials of a mere criminal become the president of our country is beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.

Everything he does is in your face, no guessing, no speculation. He brags about it, and then he lies about what he says and does.

Now he is inviting Putin into the White House. One thing that black folks don’t do is invite enemies over for dinner. They can’t even cross our doorstep.

If you look at Putin and Trump on stage together, there is a world of difference between the two. Putin is smooth, calm and calculating, and Trump is overly indulgent and all showmanship. One thing money can’t buy is class.

Shame on all you rich, high-class aristocrats who praise the almighty dollar. Don’t you know that your riches are fleeting? You can’t take the riches with you.

Trump’s base benefitting from his tax cuts for the richest continues to live high on the hog. You can’t even begin to understand the struggles of the lesser people. You say things like “my family members had hard times, and they were able to overcome them.”

You for sure don’t know what black peoples’ struggles are.

Death, sickness and bad health do not discriminate. All that you treasure can be lost in a heartbeat.

Your greed is on display for all the world to see. The legacy that you leave your children will be determined by the changes you make in your lives.

There are some white people God put on this earth who are working to make things better. They have been blessed with the gift of empathy and love, and for that I am eternally grateful. I pray every day that a change will come for a better tomorrow.

Dorothy Dempsey

“To not vote at all is to vote as well,” she said. “It’s one less vote that’s in your best interest.”

For your voice to be heard in this election, you do not need to show a photo ID at the poll, as a constitutional amendment requiring that was overturned in the courts.

Over the weekend, St. Louis city and county election authorities revised all their election materials stating that voters needed a photo ID to get a ballot.

Earlier this month, Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan issued a ruling in a lawsuit that basically threw out the photo ID requirement – the core of the voter ID constitutional amendment that was enacted on June 1, 2017. And on October 19, the Missouri Supreme Court denied an appeal by Attorney General Josh Hawley and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, both Republicans, to halt the lower court’s decision. Under the constitutional amendment, if voters didn’t have a photo ID, they would have needed to provide another form of ID and then sign a sworn statement.

“What the court said was: you cannot require a voter to produce a photo ID,” said Gary Stoff, St. Louis city election director. “Because they don’t have to show a photo ID, they don’t have to sign the statement if they don’t have one. What that means in terms of election day is it will actually simplify the process.”

Voters with any form of acceptable identification will be immediately processed – as long as they are at the correct polling location, said Eric Fey, Democratic director of elections for St. Louis County. Acceptable forms of ID include a driver’s license, social security card, state college ID, utility bill, bank statement, government check, and paycheck.

The voter information cards that come in the mail are also valid. For city voters, those cards should land in mailboxes this week, Stoff said. For county voters, Fey said some cards will arrive this week but most won’t receive their cards until next week due to a printing error.

St. Louis County will deploy about 3,500 election judges to the polls on November 6, and the vast majority have already been trained, Fey said. Election authorities in both the city and county are now sending out mass text messages, emails and

calls to update the poll workers on the court ruling.

“It’s going to be a challenge just to get a hold of them in this time frame,” Fey said.

Voters asked for a photo ID should call the city election board at 314-622-4800 or the county board at 314-615-1800.

Also, voters who encounter problems at the polls can call the Missouri Election Protection Coalition hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683), which is part of a national effort.

“That number is live right now,” said Denise Lieberman, coordinator for the state’s coalition and an attorney with the Advancement Project.

“And anybody who calls that number from Missouri, that

CWAH

Continued from A1

serendipitously, to Community Women Against Hardship (CWAH) in 2009. Following a layoff from her job as a security guard at St. Louis Lambert International

line will be answered by a Missouri attorney.”

On November 6, they will have nonpartisan monitors at polling locations throughout the metropolitan area.

“Our sole job is to help voters navigate the process and make sure that no one leaves the polling place without casting a ballot,” Lieberman said.

Lieberman and election authorities encourage voters to double-check their voter registration and polling location. Voters can’t cast a ballot at the wrong location. They also encourage them to print out a sample ballot and bring it to the polls already filled out. There are numerous constitutional amendments

Airport, Dulaney tried to locate an organization to help her pay utility bills and en route she happened to pass by CWAH. Curiosity led her inside, but God and CWAH would do the rest. The serendipitous stop at CWAH was a life-changing event. GED classes began the following day.

Voters cast absentee ballots at the St. Louis election board on Wednesday, October 24. They were not required to show a photo ID, as a constitutional amendment requiring that was overturned in the courts. Election authorities recommend studying a sample ballot before voting because of the numerous constitutional amendments and propositions.

and propositions that all take a while to read for the first time, they said.

For a sample ballot in the county, visit www.stlouisco. com/yourgovernment/ elections and click on “Sample Ballot.” In the city, visit www. tinyurl.com/STL-sample-ballot.

The Missouri Secretary of State also offers the chance to preview candidates and issues for most voting precincts at voteroutreach.sos.mo.gov. Your local election authority also should have a sample ballot to preview in the office.

October 27

voter forums

Black Jack Councilwoman Carmen Watkins-Austell is

“I always knew I was smart,” she said, “but my GED teacher, Stephanie Tolen, was a great motivator, and I passed my exam with a really high score.”

Armed with that success, she continued to enroll in other classes at CWAH – Soup for the Soul, Healthy Eating, Boxing Conditioning, Job

partnering with Rev. Blackmon and Christ the King United Church of Christ to host a voter forum on Saturday, October 27, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the church, located at 11370 Old Halls Ferry Rd. in Florissant.

The forum will provide helpful information about the candidates and issues on the ballot, said Rev. Traci Blackmon, senior pastor of the church.

“The League of Women Voters have put together some helpful handouts on what a vote ‘yes’ will mean and what a vote ‘no’ will mean,” Blackmon said.

They are also hoping to help people develop a method that they can use in every election to evaluate candidates and ballot measures.

“We are the church, so we can’t be partisan but we can be political,” Blackmon said. “We have to be political in this age, and we have to stand up for what’s best, not just for us but for generations to come. Right now, policy is being enacted that will outlive the adults who are voting now. We have to think not just ourselves but of future generations.”

The League of Women Voters is also hosting a Fall Ballot Issues Forum on October 27 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Louis Community College Florissant Valley in the Memorial Union, 3400 Pershall Rd. Call the St. Louis election board at 314-622-4800 or the St. Louis County election board at 314-615-1800.

Readiness, Tai Chi, Zumba, Revelation in S.E.L.F. classes, with Michelle Worthy, LCSW. Not a utility payoff, but a huge life payoff. The river of her life had wound dynamically through love and loss. She had three beautiful sons, but the demands of raising them with little assistance from their father left her unable to finish high school. She had a great job at the airport, but a change in supervisors and completion of terminal repair at the facility following a tornado resulted in a job layoff.

itous stop at CWAH was a lifechanging event. GED classes began the following day.

CWAH allowed her to follow one of her dreams – enrolling in college. She pursued a degree in Human Services, but ran out of unemployment benefits. Her living situation had become dangerous in the area where she lived, but an opening came up at Murphy Park. She was able to move into a beautiful apartment that she could afford. She found work through an insurance agency, but the commissiononly job was not enough to sustain her family. Her car stopped working, and she was forced to take a bus at 4 a.m. to get to her jobs through a temporary agency and to take her children to school. And then another gift – she was able to buy a car without any money down or an initial insurance payment. Now she has obtained an associate degree in Human Services from St. Louis Community College and is a student at Saint Louis University working on a bachelor degree in Social work. Her life continues to pay off.

If you know of an individual or family that could benefit from services at CWAH, nominate them for our 2018 People Against Poverty Campaign. Submit nominations by November 3 at measter@ stlamerican.com; mail to The St. Louis American, 2018 People Against Poverty Campaign, 2315 Pine St., St. Louis, MO 63103; or fax to (314) 533-2332. Community

Photo by Wiley Price

McCASKILL

Continued from A1

of Trump.

“I’ve met with her opponent, Josh Hawley, and he did not give me false hope, or any hope, that he would support my issues,” said the Rev. Darryl Gray, a police accountability protest leader and former Kansas state senator. “He was clear and has been consistent that he would follow the lead of the current president. That alone was enough for me to fully support McCaskill.”

Michael Butler, Democratic nominee for St. Louis recorder of deeds on the November 6 ballot with McCaskill, pointed out some key issues where Hawley’s election would further tilt the Congress away from the public good.

“Claire’s opponent would immediately support efforts of his party and his president to roll back civil rights and consumer protections that we depend on to have a fair chance

MALES

Continued from A1

I took odd jobs that consisted of getting groceries, transporting dry cleaning, and shining shoes for neighbors. I brought my few dollars to Momma and we split them 50/50. That was the beginning of being self-sufficient, responsible, and fulfilling expectations.

We eventually moved into the Pruitt-Igoe housing projects. There were 33 11-story high-rise towers, 2,870 apartments and 10,000 residents on 57 acres. Blacks and whites were jammed together, sharing a community in spite of racial biases. Without the constant fear of drugs, violence and gunfire, we played outside all day long until the adults started separating us, imparting their racial beliefs on us children. Around the age of 13, it

at success in this country,” Butler said.

St. Louis County Councilwoman Hazel Erby (D-1st District) pointed out other policy areas where Hawley would do further damage.

“Congress and the current administration plans to continue their efforts to slash Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and the Affordable Care Act as soon as they are given the opportunity,” Erby said. “We desperately need a Congress that will fight for these critical issues that impact our community. Claire’s opponent has ads stating that he will be a rubber stamp for the current president.”

Hawley’s “rubber stamp” support of Trump is critical in that the Senate confirms crucial presidential appointments, including U.S. Supreme Court nominees.

However, black leaders do not only support McCaskill as a better alternative to what Hawley has said he would do

became difficult for white and black kids to play together. I attribute that to cultural differences and the violent race-based events that erupted. The June 1963 assassination of Medgar Evers heightened the tension and emboldened local black citizens. The Jefferson Bank protests brought the realities to St. Louis two months later, as there were no black employees where we were depositing our money. In the absence of my biological father, several men mentored me and provided rites of passage into manhood before I got married and became a father. My maternal grandfather, Mr. Arlegus Tate, taught me how to walk tall as man; he instilled work ethic and moral character. Deacon Hill’s strength was his duty to family and church. Mr. Ernest E. Jordan Jr. became our Pops, eventually marrying Momma after years of dating. Pops brought his respectable character, quick

if elected. She also has earned their support for her track record in the U.S. Senate.

“I support Senator Claire McCaskill because she has a proven track record of fighting for working families by protecting our healthcare, standing up against big drug companies, and she supports the proposed minimum wage increase,” said St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green, a Democrat.

Green referred to Proposition B on the November 6 ballot, which would raise the state’s minimum wage to $12 by 2023. McCaskill endorsed the measure; Hawley opposes it.

Karla May, a state representative who is the Democratic nominee for the 4th Missouri Senate District on the November 6 ballot, mailed 5,000 pieces informing voters in her district about McCaskill’s support for Proposition B, the minimum wage increase, as well as McCaskill’s fight against so-called “Right to Work”

wit, and vast knowledge from life experiences and military service. He spent quality time with me, attended school programs, got me a job at the Big 4 Barbershop on Page Boulevard and enhanced my love for jazz music.

I graduated from Providence High School, where I played violin, while working weekends. Mr. Robinson, his wife and five children lived across the hall. He modeled family leadership and worked at McDonnell Douglas Aircraft in avionics. I later worked as a lab technician at McDonnell Douglas after an honorable discharge from the U. S. Air Force.

Fulfilling expectations means adapting. When I lost my job at McDonnell Douglas after 12 years because of bias, I had to adapt.

I was a husband and father who had graduated from college and was unemployed when I was spotted by a New York agent who suggested I

legislation, which May called “right to work for less.”

Meanwhile, May’s mailer pointed out, Hawley “is fighting against your right to vote, fighting against the Affordable Care Act, fighting to lower wages in our state, fighting for right to work for less.”

May also reminded voters of something that many may have forgotten: “Our Senator Claire McCaskill stood with and supported President Barack Obama.” Indeed, McCaskill was a very early – and crucial – supporter of Obama in his uphill primary fight against Hillary Clinton.

One of the rising stars in St. Louis politics – Wesley Bell, the Democratic nominee for St. Louis County prosecutor on the November 6 ballot, who slayed the giant of incumbent Bob McCulloch in the August primary – said McCaskill inspired one of his key policy stands.

“I believe diversion programs (i.e., drug treatment and mental health care

become a professional model. Completely unexpected, the occupation provided money for our home, our daughters’ needs, investments, a car, and the opportunity to teach young men to model. I wrote “The Personal Development Program” and began presenting workshops to community centers and agencies.

I then met Mr. Halbert Sullivan, CEO of Fathers’ Support Center (FSC), and began working with him for the next 18 years, mentoring men to support the well-being of their children. Later I became an advocate, working with legislators to write bills to impact responsible fatherhood. In 2002, I founded Fathers United to Raise Awareness (FUTRA). FSC and FUTRA attended hearings leading to the historic passage of SB 140 and SB 141.

SB 140 changed state law regarding criminal nonsupport, whereby the courts that deal with nonsupport cases (child

programs) are imperative to making a safer St. Louis, but just as importantly, these programs help people,” Bell said. “Claire McCaskill was the first to bring diversion programs to Missouri.”

McCaskill also earned black leaders’ support, not only for her policy stands, but also for her tenacity in advancing them.

“Claire McCaskill has spent her life fighting for people in St. Louis and all across Missouri,” said state Senator Jamilah Nasheed (D-St. Louis).

“I know she’ll stop at nothing to improve our lives, our state and our country.”

Some progressives have attacked McCaskill for her centrism in a state where Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton by a half-million votes. Rev. Darryl Gray is a progressive who has pushed McCaskill to the left, not always with success, but he will vote for her and warns against the danger of casting a protest vote on November 6.

“I know progressives who believe a vote against

support) can assign non-violent offenders to educational, vocational, or substance abuse programs. The defendants can have their criminal penalties reduced, dismissed or modified, if they complete the court-ordered programs and make child support payments.

SB 141 requires that a man presumed to be a father of a child must be notified of any civil proceedings used to determine paternity and inform him of his rights to contest the assumption and request a genetic test to determine his paternity, thereby possibly removing a debt burden from a man who is not the parent.

McCaskill is their only avenue of protest against a Democratic Party that has not been too welcoming,” Gray said. “But there are groups of people and communities that need your vote and cannot afford your protest. The results of this election could literally mean life or death for many Americans and others around the world already living in fear, famine, and frustration.”

St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones, another of the region’s rising progressive Democratic political stars, strongly agreed.

“Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that our lives begin to end the day that we become silent about the things that matter,” Jones said. “This November 6, I can’t think of anything that matters more than our community coming out in full force to re-elect U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill. Our vote is our voice and we must use it to keep Claire in office.”

In 2016, FSC and FUTRA testified for SB 964, which supported HB 1550. This legislation, which encourages state courts to award shared parenting when both parents are fit and there has been no domestic violence, became law in Missouri. FUTRA provides fathers with a voice and acts on changes needed in our community.

Currently, I volunteer and work for Saint Louis Public Schools as a way of fulfilling expectations. We all have a duty to nurture our children and end the self-inflicted genocide of young people.

Chester A. Deanes Jr. is president/CEO of Fathers United to Raise Awareness (FUTRA), the father of two adult daughters with four grandchildren, a U.S. Air Force veteran, and member of Union Memorial United Methodist Church.

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

Gerald L. Early to receive 2018 Literary Excellence Award

American staff

Gerald L. Early will receive the 2018 Tradition of Literary Excellence Award from the Municipal Commission on Arts & Letters of University City at 7 p.m. Saturday, October 27 on the fifth floor of University City’s City Hall, 6801 Delmar Blvd. The award honors “the work of a living local author whose literary achievement has won national and international acclaim and, in so doing, has contributed to the distinction of the St. Louis area, upholding its tradition as a center of literary excellence,” according to organizers.

The Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters at Washington University, where he also chairs the African and African-American Studies Department and serves as

executive editor of The Common Reader, Early won the 1994 National Book Critics Circle Award for Criticism for “The Culture of Bruising: Essays on Prizefighting, Literature, and Modern American Culture.”

Gerald L. Early

His other collections of essays include “Tuxedo Junction: Essays on American Culture” (1989); “This is Where I Came In: Essays on Black America in the 1960s” (2003), and, most recently, “A Level-Playing Field: African American Athletes and the Republic of Sports” (2011). He is a prolific anthologist,

with his most recent edited books bring “Best African American Essays 2010” with guest editor Randall Kennedy and “Best African American Fiction 2010” with guest editor Nikki Giovanni. He has served as a consultant on several Ken Burns documentary films –including “Baseball,” “Jazz,” “Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson” and an upcoming film on the Jackie Robinson – twice been nominated for Grammy Awards for writing album liner notes.

Tickets ($25/person; $40/couple), which cover beverage, reception, and live music, are available at www. brownpapertickets.com. For more information, contact Winnie Sullivan at penultim@ swbell.net or (314) 447-3888.

Black women could play a decisive role in midterms

By Eugene Robinson Washington Post

If a “blue wave” does let Democrats seize the House, protect endangered Senate seats and win key governorships, it looks likely that the party will have AfricanAmerican women to thank.

“Black women are the backbone of the Democratic Party, and we can’t take that for granted,” Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said last December on Twitter. In truth, the party has taken this loyal constituency for granted in the past – but surely cannot afford to do so now.

Perez’s acknowledgment came one day after AfricanAmerican women did the impossible in deep-red Alabama: They provided the margin that gave Democrat Doug Jones a narrow victory over Republican Roy Moore for a vacant seat in the U.S. Senate.

There is no other way to read the result of that special election. Yes, Moore was a wretchedly awful candidate who had been accused of creepily approaching teen-aged girls when he was a grown man in his thirties. But he was a Republican running in Alabama, which should be enough to guarantee a win.

Indeed, despite Moore’s glaring flaws, exit polls showed that he won the support of 72 percent of white men who voted and 63 percent of white women. But black men, who made up 11 percent of the electorate, gave 93 percent of their votes to Jones. And black women – constituting a weighty 17 percent of those who went to the polls – cast an astounding

98 percent of their votes for the man now referred to as U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala. Jones beat Moore by a slim 1.5 percent margin. If AfricanAmerican women had been the tiniest bit less committed to the Democratic Party or less enthusiastic about voting, Jones would have lost.

The stage is set for black women to play a similarly decisive role in numerous highprofile races on November 6.

Obviously, they can’t do much for Democrats such as U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, which according to the 2010 census had a black population of just 1.2 percent; or Jon Tester of Montana, which has the smallest AfricanAmerican population of any state in the union.

But consider a state like

n “Black women are the backbone of the Democratic Party, and we can’t take that for granted.”

- Tom Perez, Democratic National Committee Chairman

Missouri, where Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill is shown by polls to be virtually tied with Republican challenger Josh Hawley. Missouri’s black population is roughly 12 percent. If African-American women do there what they did in Alabama – vote in largerthan-expected numbers and give Democrats their all-butunanimous support – McCaskill looks likely to win re-election.

Or look at Georgia, where Democrat Stacey Abrams is hoping to become the first black woman elected governor of any state. The Real Clear Politics average of polls shows Republican Brian Kemp leading

Abrams by 2 percentage points, which statistically makes the race a toss-up. But African Americans constitute about 31 percent of Georgia’s population, and if they make up an even larger share of the electorate –as happened last December in next-door Alabama – Abrams has a clear path to victory.

My guess is that black women in Georgia will give at least as much support to Abrams as black women in Alabama gave to Jones. And I don’t want to hear any wailing and gnashing of teeth about “identity politics” – unless someone has an alternative explanation of why white men vote so lopsidedly in favor of white male candidates.

In Florida, polls show Democrat Andrew Gillum – running to become the state’s first African-American governor – with a slim but significant lead over Republican Ron DeSantis. If black women repeat their Alabama performance in the nearby Sunshine State, they can not only propel Gillum to a win but also drag U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson across the finish line in his tough re-election battle against Republican Rick Scott. President Trump’s idea of appealing to black voters was having music superstar Kanye West come to the Oval Office and rant about how Hillary Clinton’s campaign didn’t have enough “male energy” to suit his taste. The coordinated, nationwide GOP response – suppressing the black vote – seems likely to fail as well. Even the purging of some 50,000 voters, most of them black, from the rolls in Georgia is marginal given the state’s total population of more than 10 million.

Four hundred years of history have imbued AfricanAmerican women with steely determination. We may well see the result when the midterm votes are counted.

Columnist Eugene Robinson

Normandy breaks ground on Early Learning Center

The shovels were almost as big as some of those shoveling on October 18 as early childhood and kindergarten students joined families, staff and community members to break ground on a new Normandy Early Learning Center.

The center, which will serve students in Pre-school, Pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten in one building, is scheduled to open for the 2019-2020 school year. It is being built on the site of the current Normandy 7th-8th Grade Center, which will close next school year. Normandy 7th and 8th graders will return to the elementary schools in fall 2019 as part of a district-wide reconfiguration.

The funds to construct the center were made possible by the voters’ approval of Proposition N in April 2017. “Thank you voters, community, partners for your faith in this process of transformation for our community, district and children,” said Rev. Cedric Portis Sr., president of Normandy’s Joint Executive Governing Board.

St. Louis is worth the fight

By Jay Nelson For The St. Louis American

To many, a proud St. Louis looks like more than $8.5 billion in projects from the Arch to Wash U with a thriving Central Corridor. For others, it’s a beautiful night to walk the dog, wife, and kids in a safe neighborhood after enjoying a locally brewed beer. But for so many St. Louisans, our pride is buried under the debris of gun violence, inequality and the decay of vacant and abandoned buildings driving down property values and possibilities.

The stigma of St. Louis throughout the nation is of violence, death and destruction. Data from the FBI reports that St. Louis has one of the highest homicides rates per capita in the United States. We hear these reports and bury our heads, retreating to the comforts of our own neighborhoods and social circles. But that doesn’t help change anything. Contrary to popular belief

St. Louis does, in fact, have a lot to be proud of, yet we aren’t talking about it. As one friend puts it, “St. Louis does not do a good job at promoting the good things about St. Louis or the proud things it already has or what’s new to the city. It’s just here.” I believe the city should take a more strategic and proactive approach to telling the story of St. Louis. We should show a strong commitment to our struggling neighborhoods and failing zip codes by offering access to re-development in these areas and a public safety plan to ensure it is protected. Using what we know is already working in successful neighborhoods, people across our city should collaborate to build our city up together. Yes, this means we all have to travel north of Delmar. An effort to bring back pride to St. Louis is going to take all of us. We know the issues; we have our studies and reports. We all hear the talk of what’s working well in other places. But what holds us back? Are we too proud to admit what isn’t working? Are we too proud to accept we are all responsible?

A proud St. Louis looks like $8.5 billion in projects

from I-55 to I-70. It looks like a beautiful night to walk the dog, wife, and kids in any neighborhood. It looks like a St. Louis without racial boundaries between neighborhoods. It looks like a St. Louis rising from the debris of decay, gun violence and being one St. Louis to lead the nation in

growth and opportunity.

Don’t get me wrong: this is no easy task. But as the old saying goes, “Anything worth having is worth fighting for.”

St. Louis is worth the fight.

Jay Nelson is director of Community Affairs for state Senator Jamilah Nasheed (D-St. Louis).

Guest Columnist Jay Nelson

Photo by Bridjes O’Neil

St. Louis goes zombie on public safety

Jimmie Edwards tries to raise mandatory minimums from the dead

By Blake Strode For The St. Louis American

After an extended stretch of summer heat, the air has cooled, the leaves have turned a fiery hue, and front porches everywhere have been adorned with all manner of jack-olanterns, false cobwebs, and plastic creepy crawlers. And if that weren’t enough to get you in the Halloween spirit, some of our city officials are doing their level best to bring one of the very worst policy ideas back from the dead.

Last week, St. Louis Public Safety Director Jimmie Edwards called for an increase in the mandatory minimum sentence for armed criminal action from its current level of three years to 15 or 25 years, arguing that such a policy would help the city to reduce gun violence. He went on to suggest that heightened consequences would “put some teeth” in the law and make people think more seriously about their actions before

engaging in violent crime. Edwards dismissed concerns by some aldermen about the contribution of mandatory minimums to mass incarceration and the likelihood of disproportionate impact on poor people and communities of color, insisting instead that such a policy would be applied “irrespective of one’s station in life.” This is preposterous. There is nothing in the full stretch of history of the American criminal legal system that has impacted all people evenly “irrespective of one’s station in life.” Look no further than the demographic makeup of our prisons and jails. Black, brown, and the poorest among us bear the brunt of each new layer added to the prison-industrial state. Even more fundamentally, the presumption at the core of this latest call for harsher punishment – that it will provide meaningful deterrence to criminal behavior – is completely baseless. We have seen this

story play out many times in many places, and the empirical evidence shows a consistent pattern: prison populations increase, racial disparities

deepen, incarceration costs skyrocket, and the impact on crime rates is negligible. I am hardly the first to make these observations about man-

datory minimums. Consider these statements:

“Those who argue that without the hammer of a mandatory minimum sentence defendants

won’t cooperate are wrong…”

“Mandatory minimum sentences should be eliminated for many offenses, and where they are still applied, their length should be reduced.”

“Mere familiarity is not a good reason to prolong a policy that’s not working. There can be no compromise on public safety, but we need a new approach… Today, the rate and length of incarceration in this country is unprecedented and unsustainable.”

“The over-reliance on mandatory minimum sentences must come to an end.”

What radical, wild-eyed activist wrote these incendiary words? Former Attorney General Eric Holder.

That was more than two years ago, and it signaled a federal trend that followed the trend of states across the country taking steps to move away from mandatory minimum sentencing. From Bernie Sanders to Newt Gingrich, policymakers across the spectrum have come to abandon these counterproductive sentencing schemes. But supporters of mandatory minimums have a new champion in current Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has undone many of the Holder-era reforms and made clear his penchant for incarceration. It appears some St. Louis officials wish to follow his playbook.

n There is nothing in the full stretch of history of the American criminal legal system that has impacted all people evenly “irrespective of one’s station in life.”

If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, our criminal justice policy can only be understood as a cry for mental health intervention. In Missouri, 859 out of every 100,000 people is in jail or prison. Compare that to 698 as the national average; 413 in Russia; 139 in the United Kingdom; 114 in Canada; 102 in France; 96 in Italy; and 78 in Germany. In the face of these epidemic levels of human caging, what has our policy response been? More police, more prosecution, more cages. We are, truly, gluttons for punishment.

It does not have to be this way. For several years, groups like Decarcerate STL, the Coalition Against Police Crimes and Repression, Action St. Louis, and Organization for Black Struggle, among others, have been building a framework for a holistic, people-centered approach that prioritizes community well-being as a means of achieving public safety. Such an approach focuses on treatment, services, violence intervention, and access to jobs and education. For an example of this framework, see the Plan to Close the Workhouse and Promote a New Vision for St. Louis at www.closetheworkhouse.org.

We must reject the use of destructive and ineffective policies like mandatory minimum sentencing once and for all. Otherwise, much like the undead villains in those spooky Halloween tales, these zombie ideas will continue to haunt us. Blake Strode is an American civil rights lawyer serving as the executive director of ArchCity Defenders.

Guest Columnist Blake Strode

Photo by Bill Greenblatt / UPI

St. Louis Public Safety Jimmie Edwards with Mayor Lyda Krewson announced a gun buyback program last December. Now Edwards is calling for an increase in the mandatory minimum sentence for armed criminal action from its current level of three years to 15 or 25 years.

Wiley Price, Art Holliday

Carol Daniel:

‘They are great role models for our youths’

American staff

Wiley Price and Art Holliday are “Living Legends,” according to their peers in the Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists (GSLABJ), and will be recognized as such on Saturday, November 3, at IL Monastero, 3050 Olive St. in Midtown.

Price is the longtime photojournalist with The St. Louis American who has a news photograph that he took of Barack Obama being blessed by AME bishops on display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Holliday is an anchor and reporter at KSDK 5 on Your Side who will celebrate 40 years at the station in 2019, as well as a filmmaker.

“These two gentlemen –both natives of the St. Louis region — have spent their entire careers giving more than 75 years of combined outstanding media coverage to the community,’’ said Carol Daniel, GSLABJ president. “They are great role models for our youths, volunteering as instructors for our Minority Journalism Workshop over the years, and special to our organization.”

The son of St. Louis’ first black disc jockey, Price has a long history in the media business. He got his professional start in photography as a freelancer for the Associated Press in 1982 and also shot for the Suburban Journals of St. Louis for 10 years. Holliday, who grew up in St. Charles County, has worked as a sportscaster and

news co-anchor, as well as managing editor and executive producer of the morning newscast on KSDK 5. Both have been honored with many previous awards from many journalism associations.

Established in 2014, the GSLABJ Living Legend event honors those who have dedicated time and energy to furthering the mission of

n Established in 2014, the GSLABJ Living Legend event honors those who have dedicated time and energy to furthering the mission of GSLABJ.

GSLABJ. Four journalists — Sharon Stevens, Linda Lockhart, Bonita Tillman and Bonita Cornute — have been honored since that time.

The 2018 Living Legend event will begin with a 6 p.m. reception on Saturday, November 3, at IL Monastero, 3050 Olive St., followed by a 7 p.m. program. The event in Midtown. Tickets are $40 each

Germans and the abolition of slavery in Missouri

By Cecilia Nadal

For The St. Louis American

Last year protestors disrupted the German festival Oktoberfest in St. Charles County to bring attention to issues of social justice and the acquittal of former police officer Jason Stokely for the murder of Anthony Lamar Smith. This was the eighth protest since the verdict in the St. Louis region, with interesting contrasts and ironies with the history of Germans in Missouri before and after the Civil War.

St. Charles was the first capital of Missouri and the home of Judge Arnold Krekel, a well-known German abolitionist who fought for the emancipation of slavery in the State as well as for voting rights and equal access to education. If he had been alive last year he would likely have joined the protestors on Main Street in his hometown.

Many Germans came to America in the early and mid-1800s as a result of the oppression that existed in Europe and their hopes that they could find freedom and purchase land of their own. The numerous highly educated Germans came with well-debated ideas of what democracy should look like in practice. They were disgusted by the existence of slavery in America and found it to be a complete contradiction.

Prominent German activists, such as Henry Boenstein and Franz Sigel, came to Missouri as a result of earlier immigration by such liberal Germans as Arnold Krekel, Friedrich Munch, Eduard Muhl and Carl Strehly. Educated and accustomed to presenting their case, these men passionately argued against slavery, mobilizing other German immigrants in Missouri through their Germanlanguage newspapers. They also fought vigorously in the Union Army and willingly worked side by side with the “Colored Infantry.” When these German Union soldiers marched through the streets of St. Louis, they were spat upon and called derogatory names by the nativists who were proslavery.

Not all Germans in Missouri agreed fully agreed with the German abolitionists. Some Germans were caught in the middle, especially the farmers who needed workers in rural Missouri. Though they did not agree with slavery, they saw no way to work around the fact that they needed workers. As a result, some German farmers compromised their principles looking more to the practical side of surviving in an untamed and difficult frontier life. There was also a sense of insecurity on the part of some Germans about their own position as immigrants. They wanted to become citizens, and many of the nativists who were also pro-slavery wanted to prevent the Germans from becoming citizens too soon. Their slogan was “America is for Americans!” Some were reluctant to take a public stand against slavery, fearing it would affect their citizenship. Sound familiar?

Hermann, Missouri became

Boernstein, son of the famous Henry Boernstein, sold his father’s well-known German newspaper to join the U.S. Colored Troops! The contributions of German immigrants to St. Louis and Missouri are enormous. We have schools, streets, churches and many businesses that contributed over time to the cultural and social fabric of our region. If statues are removed to erase the horrible memories of the Confederacy, then perhaps we might consider replacing them with statues that remind us of the moral courage of people like Judge Arnold Krekel who believed in equality and social justice that was color-blind and was not afraid to bring that message to his own community with passion and conviction.

ground zero for the abolition of slavery in Missouri. As Sydney Norton of Saint Louis University points out, this small town becoming the center of gravity for anti-slavery mobilization was “an unusual phenomenon since Missouri had entered into the Union as a slave state and there was little vocal opposition among the Anglo-American population.”

In 1852 Arnold Krekel founded the St. Charles Demokrat, a liberal newspaper that brought Germans together with a sense of unity and became a prominent voice for antislavery. When the

n When German Union soldiers

Civil War started, it was the leadership of Judge Krekel that mobilized Germans as “the St. Charles Home Guard” blocking Confederate soldiers from a

takeover of the region north of the Missouri River. Judge Krekel remained steadfast in his support of political and social equality for African Americans. In 1865 it was Krekel who presided on the Missouri Constitutional Convention signing into law the freeing of all slaves. Against much opposition, he petitioned that the word “white” be removed from the constitution. When the 56th U.S. Colored Infantry asserted that blacks had the right to full political citizenship, Krekel supported their petition. It is noteworthy that Krekel was on the founding Board of Directors of the Lincoln Institute (now Lincoln University). In 1863 Augustus

No doubt there were people of German descent participating in the protests in St. Charles on Octoberfest, and there were those wishing that the protests had never come to St. Charles. That’s America! Knowing about Judge Krekel and other German abolitionists enriches our understanding of how diverse leaders have fought for our democracy. It is important to acknowledge the history of contributions of different cultural groups to our community and the complexity that comes with fighting for social justice. These were not perfect men, but their contributions mattered for African Americans.

Cecilia Nadal is the executive director of Gitana Productions, an arts and education company that provides global healing through music, dance and drama in the St. Louis community. On February 23, 2019 Gitana Productions will bring together the two largest ethnic groups in St. Louis, Germans and African Americans, to discuss our shared experiences in the past and hopes for the future. Visit gitana-inc.org for updates.

Guest Columnist Cecilia Nadal

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Protestors took to the streets of St. Charles on Friday, September 23, 2017 to disrupt its annual Oktoberfest as protests of the not-guilty verdict in the Jason Stockley trial entered their second week.

Rape, race, McCaskill, Kavanaugh, Hawley and those crazy radio ads

The stakes are so high in Missouri’s U.S. Senate race on November 6 that money is pouring in from everywhere, much of it dark, in an effort to sway the election, which could well determine whether Republicans maintain control of Congress’ most impactful body. Most alarming, to many African Americans, are some of the ads that Republican interests are running on urban radio in an attempt to undermine blacks’ historic allegiance to the Democratic Party.

The worst of the attack ads, as the Kansas City Star reported, “seeks to frighten black voters away from U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill’s campaign by suggesting the Democrat supports lynchings.”

This ad features two black women discussing the grilling that Brett Kavanaugh endured from Democratic senators during his Senate confirmation hearings and claims that black men will be presumed guilty if accused of rape should Democrats return to power in Washington, D.C.

“Black folk will be catching hell again,” one woman says in the ad.

The Missouri ad is nearly identical to an ad being aired in a U.S. House race in Arkansas, the Star notes, though the Missouri ad omits the explicit use of the word “lynching,” which is used in the Arkansas ad. But the lynching subtext in the Missouri ad is hardly submerged.

“I’m voting for Josh Hawley for Senate because we have to protect our men and boys,” one woman says in the Missouri ad. “We can’t afford to let Claire McCaskill take us back to the bad old days of race verdicts, life sentences or worse when someone screams rape.” That “or worse” business is where the lynching claim is barely submerged. There is so much disinformation in this ad the EYE hardly knows where to begin. First, the racial strategy behind the ad deserves some unpacking.

The most effective disinformation contains a kernel of information, the best lies have a grain of truth, and that is the case with this ad. Namely, one of the weaknesses of #BelieveHer as an imperative in rape allegations is that some women, in fact, have lied when they claimed rape, and there is a racial component to this dynamic that this ad attempts to exploit. And one can find examples without hearkening back to the “bad old days.”

In June of this year, a 19-year-old white woman named Nikki Yovino confessed that she lied when she claimed two young black men – football players, like the young Brett Kavanaugh - raped her at a party. In fact, as she eventually confessed, she initiated consensual group sex with the

young men, but then claimed rape after the fact.

“She admitted that she made up the allegation of sexual assault against (the football players) because it was the first thing that came to mind and she didn’t want to lose (another male student) as a friend and potential boyfriend,” according to the arrest warrant affidavit, as reported by the Connecticut Post. “She stated that she believed when (the other male student) heard the allegation it would make him angry and sympathetic to her.”

Before she confessed to her damaging lies, her victims had lost their scholarships and been bounced from Sacred Heart University – all because this white woman would rather crush the lives of strangers by falsely accusing them of rape rather than let it be known that she willingly invited two black guys into a bathroom to have sex with her.

So, yes, #BelieveHer might give African Americans pause, if it’s meant to imply that every woman who alleges rape is necessarily a victim of rape or attempted rape. But this has nothing to do with McCaskill’s rejection of Kavanaugh. And it has nothing to do with what will happen should Democrats reclaim control of the Senate (or the U.S. House of Representatives). Constitutional protections for presumption of innocence and the accuser having the burden of proof are so ironclad – and men hold such a large majority over women in both houses of Congress – that #BelieveHer may become a moral imperative but is not likely to influence the adjudication of rape cases in the way this attack ad insinuates.

To be clear, Kavanaugh was not facing a criminal complaint that compelled constitutional protections for presumption of innocence and the accuser having the burden of proof. He was going through a job interview process – for one of the most powerful positions in the world, which is a lifetime appointment – and certainly many people have been denied lesser jobs on flimsier grounds than that more than one woman accused him of sexual assault.

That is, Kavanaugh would not have been “lynched” or suffered an unconstitutional denial of due process had he been denied this job over these allegations, particularly considering the credible and compelling testimony of the only alleged victim who testified before the Senate, Christine Blasey Ford Then there is the fact that McCaskill did not interview Kavanaugh regarding his confirmation, as she does not serve on the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. She did not even speak when his confirmation was debated before the full Senate. She did oppose Kavanaugh’s nomination, but

President Donald Trump embraces white nationalists and supports Josh Hawley (seen here with Trump in St. Louis on March 14) in his bid to unseat incumbent U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill on November 6, yet a new series of attack radio ads claim that McCaskill beating Hawley will make it harder on black Americans.

not because of the allegations of sexual assault that emerged late in the confirmation process.

“[My] decision is not based on those allegations but rather on his positions on several key issues, most importantly the avalanche of dark, anonymous money that is crushing our democracy,” McCaskill wrote on Twitter. “He has revealed his bias against limits on

campaign donations which places him completely out of the mainstream of this nation.”

In one of the many cruel ironies of this attack ad, McCaskill is being attacked for a position that she did not take – namely, that sexual assault allegations were enough to disqualify Kavanaugh from the Supreme Court in the absence of substantial supporting

evidence – when McCaskill also was attacked by her own base because she did not take that position. That is, some voters who know what is going on attacked McCaskill for not doing something that they expected her to do, while voters who do not know what is going on stand to be confused into believing McCaskill did that thing and should be punished for it. This ad reminds us of another truism of lies: the big lie can be easier to pull off than the little lie, particularly (as Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels said) if you repeat it often enough (and these ads have been in heavy rotation). The big lie here is that the election of Democratic majorities would make it more dangerous to be black in America. If Kanye West believes this to be true, he might be the only black person who does. The Republican majorities in Congress protect President Donald Trump and his policies – Donald Trump, who openly claimed to be a “nationalist,” understood by most sentient beings to imply “white nationalist,” and who said of the white nationalists and Nazis who marched in Charlottesville that their ranks included “some good people.” The McCaskill attack has a black woman claiming that “black folk will be catching hell again” if McCaskill is reelected. In fact, black folks have never stopped catching hell, but that got a whole lot worse with the election of Trump, and the defeat of McCaskill and election of Hawley would only further embolden and empower the dangerous white nationalist in the White House.

As for the attack ads, they were paid for by a North Carolina-based political action committee, not the Hawley campaign. The Star reported that it took Hawley’s campaign more than four hours to respond to the ads. Then their only response was: “Of course we don’t support this.” Of course, the EYE does not believe that.

Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

‘Show Me Healthy Women’

Program offers breast, cervical cancer screenings for uninsured women

By Sandra Jordan Of The

n Annually, approximately 8,000 women are screened in the program.

services.

Show Me Healthy Women is funded primarily through a federal grant received from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with some additional funding from state general revenue and

donations.

Since 1992, the program has offered free breast cancer and cervical cancer screenings for women in Missouri who meet age, income and insurance guidelines of eligibility: income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level for household size; between the ages of 35 and 64 (65 and older if the person do not receive Medicare Part B); and no health insurance to cover the program services.

“Women referred for treatment can apply

Mary Baldree, R.N. (sixth from right), a nurse in the Labor and Delivery Department at Memorial Hospital Belleville, was among 13 BJC HealthCare employees honored for personal health achievements in the 2018 Health Hall of Fame program. The program recognizes employees who have inspired others through a major lifestyle change that has benefited their own health, a personal medical recovery, workplace or community leadership related to health awareness, or involvement in a community organization that advances health and wellness causes. Baldree eliminated processed foods and began a regular

exercise routine which helped her decrease her elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, and body mass index, thus also reducing the number of her prescribed medications.

The BJC Health Hall of Fame was launched in 2003 to recognize employee health accomplishments. Employees are nominated by their co-workers, and winners are selected by a hospital committee. It is part of the BJC Help for Your Health employee wellness program, which also includes free annual employee health screenings, fitness center discounts, weight management program, free tobacco cessation support and health awareness campaigns.

By Charles Jaco For The St. Louis American

Despite its racist beginnings, Social Security has evolved into a vital lifeline for millions of Americans, white and black. Medicare provides a huge safety net for Americans over 65, as well as people who have been on Social Security disability for over two years. Over half of African-American retirees and most of all single retirees depend on Social Security for over 90 percent of their income.

Both Social Security and Medicare benefits could face cuts, as Republican leaders grapple with the financial whirlpool created by the Trump tax cuts, the continuing effects of the George W. Bush tax cuts, and the bills coming due for the unsuccessful wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The federal deficit has increased a whopping 17 percent, to $779 billion, mostly thanks to Trump’s $1.5 trillion tax cut that benefited mostly the wealthy, and a record $675 billion budget for the Pentagon.

Senate majority Leader Mitch McConnell denies the tax cuts and the everescalating price tag for Bush’s disastrous Iraq invasion have anything to do with the red ink.

While billionaires and defense contractors reap windfalls, McConnell says the government’s financial black hole is the result of “the three big entitlement programs, Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid …. There’s been a reluctance to tackle changes because of the popularity of these programs. Hopefully…we’ll get serious about this.”

Meanwhile, the GOP House in late September passed an extension of the Trump tax cuts guaranteed to do two things: put more money in the pockets of the rich, and make it almost inevitable that Social Security and Medicare will have to be cut to pay for the fat-cat windfall.

n Instead of going after them directly, conservatives cut taxes for the wealthy until the government can no longer pay its bills without taking the

The $3 trillion in lost government revenue would mean that lowincome seniors would have both their incomes and medical care reduced, while billionaires would measure the tops of their yachts for a new helicopter landing pads. These are not unintended consequences. By slashing taxes for the rich and corporations, Republican lawmakers are maneuvering the United States into a position where deep cuts in Social Security and Medicare will be necessary within six years to keep the government from going bankrupt. That’s the GOP long game. Cutting government revenue to the point where social programs will have to be reduced or eliminated is the entire point.

All of this, of course, can be avoided, and Social Security and Medicare can be solvent indefinitely. Most of Social Security, 85 percent, is funded through payroll taxes. Starting in 2019, once you earn $133,000 a year, Social Security taxes stop. Social Security can be saved merely by removing that cap. There’s no reason a worker earning $40,000 a year should pay a far bigger proportion of Social Security taxes than an executive making $700,000 a year. The capital gains tax on couples earning more than $600,000 a year can also be raised. It’s 37 percent now. Increasing that,

Mary Baldree enters BJC Health Hall of Fame

Dr. Juri McDowell honored with Chairman’s Award

Alton Memorial Hospital recognizes chief of Anesthesiology from staff nominations

American staff

Dr. Juri McDowell, chief of Anesthesiology at Alton Memorial Hospital, was recognized with its 2018 Chairman’s Award. The award publicly acknowledges a member of the hospital medical staff for contributions to the hospital and community, active participation in hospital and medical staff departmental affairs, and the promotion and practice of outstanding customer service with hospital patients and staff.

mentors and colleagues, Dr. Hany Tadros and Dr. Calvin Williams. “Over the 13 years I have come to know them, they have remained the standard bearers for fairness, honesty, and integrity,” Dr. McDowell said. “I continue to learn a great deal from them professionally and personally.”

n “Competence has little meaning without compassion.”

– Dr. Juri McDowell, chief of Anesthesiology at Alton Memorial Hospital

“Past Chairman’s Award winners comprise a group of physicians that I hold in the highest regard,” Dr. McDowell said. “This year’s nominees were all excellent and deserving.” He said he shared the honor with “a phenomenal team” of nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologists.

“Our team of nurse anesthetists at Alton Memorial Hospital is a truly amazing group that I have the honor and privilege with whom to work,” he said. “We laugh together, cry together, and share in each other’s victories and setbacks like a family.” He also recognized two

Dr. McDowell joined Alton Memorial Hospital in 2007 and became both chief of Anesthesiology and a member of the Medical Executive Committee in 2016. The comments in his nominations for the award from hospital staff and physicians included: “Strives to put patient safety first,” “Compassionate, caring and talented physician,” “Collaborates with physicians, nurses, and other team members to seek the best care for our patients,” “Works positively towards the vision and the excellence of all the departments within the hospital,” “Addresses clinical and personal issues with integrity, fairness and selflessness,” and “Focused on developing best practices to manage daily workflows.”

Dr. McDowell earned his medical degree from the University of Missouri in 2001. He completed an

Anesthesiology residency in 2005 at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, where he was named

information for the DHSS.

Continued from A14

for and receive Medicaid to assist with costs related to treatment,” said Megan Hopkins, chief of public

Continued from A14

dodge their responsibility to keep Social Security afloat. Medicare, on the other hand, is kept from solvency partly by a federal law. It’s illegal for Medicare to use its mammoth purchasing power to negotiate lower drug prices with Big Pharma. Wal-Mart ruthlessly uses its size to force suppliers to give them lower prices. Medicare could do the same, and drastically cut prescription

“Women can receive the screenings if they are a noncitizen, but must be a citizen if being referred to Medicaid for coverage of additional diagnostics and treatment.” In 2017, Show Me Healthy Women provided direct

drug costs, one of the big drivers of Medicare expenses.

But since 41 percent of Medicare is paid from the government’s general revenue, we get back to the unsustainable nature of the Trump tax cuts and the disastrous potential of the Tax Cuts 2.0 passed by the House. So far, the Trump tax breaks for the rich have cut corporate tax collections by 31 percent. Restoring tax rates to what they were before Trump would boost general revenue and help fund Medicare. American conservatives

support to CareSTL Health (formerly Myrtle Hilliard Davis Comprehensive Health Centers) in excess of $60,000 to screen 331 women. Annually, according to Hopkins, approximately 8,000 women are screened in the program.

have never been fans of social programs like Medicare and Social Security for two reasons. Paying for them means making the rich and corporate America pay their fair share of taxes, and the benefits go to the so-called “undeserving” poor. That, of course, is an outgrowth of conservatism’s calculus that money is a moral scorecard, and therefore people with money are morally superior to the rest of us.

In fact, that debate about “deserving versus undeserving” has been with us since Social Security was first implemented.

Children’s Hospital covering pediatric patients at Northwest HealthCare

Washington University pediatricians at St. Louis Children’s Hospital now provide coverage for pediatric patients in Christian Hospital’s satellite Northwest HealthCare Emergency Department, 1220 Graham Rd. in Florissant.

Kimberly Quayle, MD, the Dana Brown chair in pediatric emergency medicine and professor of pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine, serves as medical director of pediatric services at Northwest HealthCare.

“We are very pleased to have our colleagues from Washington University and St. Louis Children’s Hospital make access to world-class care more convenient for babies and children – and their families – in our North County community,” said Rick Stevens, president of Christian Hospital.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 19: Brian Shaw, RN; Deb Cervenka, RN; Venus Martz, Greater North County Chamber of Commerce; Don Zykan; Joan Magruder, Children’s Hospital president and BJC HealthCare group president; Katherine Austin, MD; Rick Stevens, Christian Hospital president; Rebecca Zoll, North County, Inc. president; Jim Murphy, RN,; and Natalie Edwards, RN.

“So far this year we’ve screened 183,” said Jason Ware, director of grants and contracts for CareSTL Health. “Each year, we need more and more support from Show Me Healthy Women and often have to request additional financial support to continue

In order for FDR to pass the Social Security Act of 1935, he needed support from 141 Southern white Dixiecrats in Congress. They agreed to support Social Security only after domestic employees, like maids and agricultural workers, were exempted. At the time, 65 percent of African Americans in the Old Confederacy were employed either as farm workers or domestic workers. Social Security only became law because it managed to exclude over half of the black people in the South, a problem that wasn’t remedied until

providing the free preventative screenings.” CareSTL Health conducted Show Me Healthy Women screenings on Friday, October 19 at its clinic on Martin Luther King Drive in St. Louis. Providers in 85 Missouri counties and the City of St.

20 years later, when Social Security was expanded.

The modern conservative drive to slash Social Security and Medicare is merely a more sophisticated version of the 1935 vote. Conservatives realize both programs are wildly popular with a huge majority of Americans, so instead of going after them directly, they cut taxes for the wealthy until the government, literally, can no longer pay its bills without taking the knife to Medicare and Social Security.

The sensible options –raising taxes on the rich

Louis offer Show Me Healthy Women services. To find a provider near you, call 866726-9926 or visit https:// tinyurl.com/show-me-healthy for a clickable county map that lists Show Me Health Women providers in your area.

– won’t be considered by Republicans because they’re joined at the hip to the lie that lower taxes on the wealthy will translate into economic growth. Since the Trump tax cuts, corporate profits have risen 42 percent, while worker’s wages have gone up one percent. Trickle-down economics isn’t even dripping down. The Trump tax cuts have been a disaster. Now they want your Social Security and Medicare to pay for it. Charles Jaco is a journalist, author, and activist. Follow him on Twitter at @charlesjaco1.

Dr. Juri McDowell, right, chief of Anesthesiology at Alton Memorial Hospital, accepts the hospital’s 2018 Chairman’s Award from Steve Thompson, chairman of the its board of directors.

Anesthesiology Resident of the Year. “Competence has little meaning without compassion,”

Dr. McDowell said. “I continually strive to embody both. Humility and dignity are another pair of traits that

I feel have been essential to my professional and personal successes. And lastly, honesty is a moral imperative.”

Photo By Bret Berigan

Healthy Kids Healthy Kids

If you have a bag FULL of Halloween candy — what can you do to help you resist over-loading on sweets? Some tricks to follow are:

Resisting Leftover Candy

Unplug!

Halloween Safety

Now is the time to talk about staying safe during your trickor-treating. Here are a few very important things to remember.

Brush your teeth after you’ve had a piece of candy. Having fresh, clean teeth can help you resist eating another piece. Bonus — brushing also helps get the sticky sugar off of your teeth to help prevent cavities!

Consider “donating” your candy to a food pantry, family shelter or other

Exercise Challenge:

According to some statistics, the average American child spends as much as 4 hours a day watching TV and another 2 hours playing video games and having fun on a computer. That’s 6 hours each day!

Instead of spending so much time in front of screens… why

Walk with a parent or older sibling. Wear reflective clothing or something light/bright to be more visible to cars.

Carry a flashlight, if possible, to watch for obstacles while walking such as holes, fences, flower-pots, etc.

group that might appreciate your leftover treats. When you do have a treat, remember to do some extra, fun activities to burn off the extra calories.

Can you think of other uses for your bag-o-candy?

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

not go outside and get some exercise? Try reducing your TV watching by one hour each day, and spend that hour throwing a football, riding a bike, playing kickball or some other fun outdoor activity with your friends. That one hour can make a big difference in how you look and feel.

Do not eat any candy until your parent(s) have had a chance to “inspect” it. Never go inside someone’s home. Watch for cars! They might not see you in the dark.

Do you know other ways to help you stay safe?

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 5

Directions:

Theodore Simpson IV, Community Health Manager

Where do you work? I work at Beyond Housing. Where did you go to school? I graduated from St. John Vianney High School. I then earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and a Master of Business Administration from Fontbonne University.

What does a community health manager do? I find ways to teach people about making healthier decisions when it comes to nutrition and exercise. I also work with other organizations to find ways to help families that are struggling to find food for their families.

Why did you choose this career? There is a saying that “Health is Wealth.” I wanted to help people understand that being healthy is the easiest way to live your best life. There is more to wealth than just being financially well off. Being unhealthy makes it much harder to accomplish your goals and dreams.

What is your favorite part of the job you have?

My favorite part of the job is witnessing people reach the results they have been striving to attain. Watching people stay disciplined in their diets and exercise regimen while overcoming obstacles and hurdles is inspiring.

Learning Standards: HPE 6, NH 3

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

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

In Mrs. Latasha Gray’s gifted class at Jefferson Elementary School in the

Teachers,

SCIENCE STARS

AFRICAN-AMERICAN INVENTOR:

James West

James West was born on February 10th, 1931, in Prince Edward County, Virginia. As a child, he loved figuring out how things worked by taking them apart. He said, “If I had a screwdriver and a pair of pliers, anything that could be opened was in danger. I had this need to know what was inside.” It was when he took a radio apart that he became interested in electricity. It was then that he knew he wanted to be a scientist. His parents feared this dream would not become a reality because he grew up during a time of segregation and Jim Crow laws.

SCIENCE CORNER The Science of Sound!

Sound is a vibration or wave that travels through a solid, liquid, or gas and can be heard. It begins with a mechanical movement (such as knocking on a door), which creates a vibration. As surrounding molecules vibrate, they cause the sound to travel. The speed of sound is how fast the vibrations pass through matter. The type of matter affects the speed of sound. For example, sound travels faster in water than air, and even faster in steel. The volume of sound is the measure of loudness. This is labeled in decibels. A

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

Do plastic and glass bottles make the same sound? In this experiment, you will compare and contrast sound in glass and plastic bottles.

Materials Needed:

• Empty Glass and Plastic Bottles of Various Sizes • Water • Spoon

Process:

q Hit each empty bottle with a spoon. How are the sounds similar and different?

w Blow across the top of each bottle.

Describe the sound each makes.

Keep your skills sharp with these review questions.

1. What are the next three numbers in the following pattern? 320 160

2. Here are the number of tries your friends took to get a strike when they went bowling.

2 6 7 5

What is the median number of tries? What is the mode? What is the mean?

whisper is approximately 15-20 decibels, a jet engine is approximately 150 decibels. Most people experience pain at around 130 decibels, but hearing loss can occur beginning at 85 decibels. So, be careful when using your headphones or have the TV at a loud volume. If an airplane or fighter jet travels faster than the speed of sound, it breaks the sound barrier and creates a sonic boom.

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

In 1953, West went to Temple University to study physics and worked as a summer intern for the Acoustics Research Department at Bell Laboratories. In 1957, he received a bachelor’s degree in physics and was hired by Bell to work full time.

In 1960, West began collaboration with Gerhard Sessler, a fellow scientist, to develop an inexpensive, highly sensitive, compact microphone. This microphone required the use of electret transducers. In 1962, they completed their creation of the electret microphone. Six years later, it was in mass production. Today, 90% of contemporary microphones (found in telephones, tape recorders, camcorders, baby monitors, and hearing aids) use this technology.

In 1997, West was appointed as president of the Acoustical Society of America. The next year, he joined the National Academy of Engineering.

In 1999, West was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

e Add various levels of water in each bottle. Some should have a small amount, some should be nearly full. r Repeat steps one and two. Describe your results.

Reflect: Does the material of the bottle (glass or plastic) affect sound? How does water affect sound? What did you observe in this experiment?

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

West retired from Bell in 2001 and became a research professor at John Hopkins University. In his career, he developed more than 250 patents on microphones and has written numerous scientific papers detailing his research. West has been honored with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation and the Benjamin Franklin Medal. He has also worked to encourage minorities to pursue careers in science and technology.

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

MAP CORNER

3. Andrew ordered 6 pizzas. He paid $94.50. What is the cost of each pizza?

4. A florist made 225 bouquets in 5 days. How many bouquets did the florist average per day?

5. Gabriel scored 86 in Math and 78 in Science. Find the ratio of his scores in Math to Science.

Learning Standards: I can recognize patterns. I can calculate mean, median, and mode. I can find ratios. I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve problems.

Use the newspaper to complete these activities for MAP review.

Activity One —

What is an abbreviation?

Using the paper, locate ten different abbreviations. Clip these out and write what they represent.

Activity Two — Find the Four Kinds! Find two examples of each of the four kinds of sentences: interrogative, declarative, exclamatory, and imperative.

Learning Standards:

I can use a newspaper to locate information. I can identify abbreviations and state their meaning. I can identify types of sentences.

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

Normandy Collaborative School District students Scott Johnson, Isaiah Robinson and Yabsa N’diaye work on a coding experiment found on the newspaper’s

Business

‘She

always exceeded our expectations’

Debra Owens is one of two

Entrepreneurs of the Year

By Rebecca Rivas

Louis American

Of The St.

Smoke and lights filled the stage at Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity’s 2015 conference in New Orleans. As if by magic, the new president that year, W. Randy Bates Jr., dramatically appeared when the smoke cleared.

Another year, the fraternity introduced its new president and his wife by raising them up from under the stage sitting on lounge chairs through smoke and lasers.

“They looked like they just appeared,” said Kevin “KJ” Johnson, national meeting planner for the fraternity since 2000. “Every year, we do something that wows the crowd.”

The fraternity’s conferences can bring to town up to 30,000 and have more than 115 events throughout the week – everything from panels to concerts. In order to make all that happen, he needs a world-class producer. For more than 15 years, that producer has been Debra Owens.

“You have to have the right kind of vision to

n “To someone looking to be an entrepreneur, I would say: if you want to do it, step out on faith,” Because that’s exactly what I did.”

– Debra Owens

help bring to life what I end up developing on behalf of the fraternity,” Johnson said. “It’s good to have a partner like Debra.”

Johnson said the fraternity accepts bids for production services every year, and Owens’ company keeps winning them every year.

“It really takes someone who is organized and well managed to pull off the kind of things we do,” Johnson said. “It’s a huge undertaking. She is up for the challenge.”

Owens owns Premiere Production Choice, which provides production services for meetings, conventions and special events. Her services

include handling the lights, sound, and stage setup for anywhere from 75 people up to a large, week-long convention.

Ten years ago, Owens was working for an audio/visual company when her manager came to her and said they were laying off 500 of their account executives. At that moment, they took her company credit card and computer and she was paid her last check.

“And I said, ‘Oh my God, I just lost my job,’” Owens said. “I left there bawling. ‘How am I going to tell my family?’”

She called her good friend and told her what happened. Together, they decided on her next move.

“I started calling all my clients and telling them, ‘Hey, I’m not with the company anymore. I’m thinking about starting my own business. Will you support me?’” she said. “And I got an ‘absolutely.’ I got an ‘it’s about time.’”

Her plan was starting to take form, but she needed to make one last call to feel comfortable

See OWENS, B2

Kavanaugh joining the Supreme Court is bad for workers

By Natashia Pickens For The St. Louis American

Missourians have a lot to celebrate recently. The recent defeat of Proposition A, the so-called “Right to Work” ballot measure that would have weakened labor unions and lowered wages was a huge victory for Missouri workers that will protect our standard of living and ensure working families have a share in the current economic upturn. Although over two-thirds of voters made their support for workers’ rights clear in Missouri, we still have more to do to secure a victory for workers. With the recent confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, working families are facing new dangers. Kavanaugh is not a friend to workers. In fact, his track record when it comes to ruling against workers and unions suggests that he’s squarely on the side of the rich CEOs and corporations,

n Kavanaugh’s legal decisions have shown neither support for unions nor respect for the workers who are driving the current economic growth.

not America’s working class. In Missouri, we recognize the value of labor unions in raising wages, protecting worker rights and safety, and ensuring that people are treated fairly on the job. In a nation where CEOs make 271 times more than their employees, unions are still the main vehicle for making sure that workers derive some benefit from the profits and wealth they generate for the nation’s biggest companies and wealthy executives.

Unfortunately, Kavanaugh’s legal decisions have shown neither support for unions nor respect for the workers who are driving the current economic growth for which President Trump is claiming credit.

As a judge on lower courts, Kavanaugh sided against workers, arguing that a New York woodworking company should be able

See WORKERS, B2

Karen Dickson joined Providence Bank as assistant vice president, Banking Center manager. She will be responsible for the management and supervision of the Banking Center employees at the new Jefferson Avenue Banking Center, 1643 S. Jefferson Ave., and the continued business development of the St. Louis market. She has over 25 years of banking experience, including seven years as a CRA officer, where she provided financial education with an emphasis on credit and mortgages.

David Noble was promoted to director of Community and Economic Development at Midland States Bank. He has served as Midland’s Community Development and CRA officer since joining the bank in 2014. In his new role, Noble will directly supervise the Regional Community Development Relationship managers in Midland’s Rockford and East Region.

Mariah R. Smith wrote a recent cover article for Time magazine, “Amandla Stenberg Is a New Kind of Hollywood Star.” She graduated from Clayton High School in 2009. In 2015, she created “Keeping Up With the Kontinuity Errors,” a blog that tracks the continuity errors in “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” She also writes entertainment essays and television recaps for various media outlets and is a television producer working in late night TV.

Solomon Thurman will co-chair the Arts and Education Council’s 2019 St. Louis Arts Awards in January. He is co-owner of 10th Street Gallery and an artist, researcher and teacher. He was commissioned to paint “Celia,” a portrait of a slave girl, by civil rights attorney Margaret Bush Wilson and “Black Americans in Flight,” a 51-foot-long mural depicting the Tuskegee Airmen at St. Louis Lambert International Airport. He received the Missouri Arts Council’s 2018 Individual Artist of the Year Award.

Paula Perkins Bryant received 95 percent of the votes from the 20 members of the Missouri Judicial Performance Review Committee that she meets overall judicial performance standards. She is a circuit judge on Missouri’s 22nd Circuit Court, which covers the City of St. Louis. Appointed to the bench in 2016 via the Missouri Non-Partisan Court Plan, she will stand for retention on the November 6 ballot.

Ed Blair published the book “Over The Backyard Fence,” a gripping story set in the 1940s that follows the lives of five families who all happen to be albino. They live in St. Louis in a forgotten part of town near the 18th Street bridge. The book is available at major online retailers. He is a native of St. Louis and graduate of Vashon High School who is

David Noble

Ed Blair

Solomon Thurman

Karen Dickson

Mariah R. Smith

Debra Owens, owner of Premiere Production Choice, is one of the St. Louis American Foundation’s two 2018 Entrepreneurs of the Year.

Photo by Rebecca Rivas

Natashia Pickens

OWENS

continued from page B1 about moving forward. And that call was to the Kappas.

“At that moment, he said to me, ‘Would you be able to put together a proposal for me in two weeks?’” she said.

And she nearly dropped the phone in excitement, she said. Owens started her company with “zero dollars,” she said. She partnered with another company to use its audio/visual equipment at first. Little by little, she acquired her own gear, and now she has her own warehouse full of equipment.

“To someone looking to be an entrepreneur, I would say: if you want to do it, step out on faith,” she said. “Because that’s exactly what I did. God says, ‘If you take one step, then I will show you 10.’”

She also advises entrepreneur hopefuls to do their homework and do something to develop their businesses every day, she said.

On Friday, November 30, Owens will receive one of two 2018 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards at the St. Louis American Foundation’s 19th annual Salute to Excellence in Business Awards & Networking Luncheon. One of Owens’ close partners –

WORKERS

continued from page B1

to avoid bargaining with their employees, members of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, by creating a non-union spin off company.

This is a common ploy among companies that want to avoid following the law, which requires employers to bargain in good faith with unions that represent their members over wages and working conditions. Workers in the non-union spinoff facility were paid lower wages. He sided with the bosses

Jeanetta Hawkins, CEO of Personal Touches by Jeanetta, Inc. – will also receive a 2018 Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

again in 2008 when he was the only dissenter on a decision that ruled against a meatpacking company that violated the law by refusing to bargain with its unionized workers because they were undocumented immigrants, arguing that immigrant workers – who are often knowingly employed by companies seeking to exploit undocumented people – should be excluded from basic labor protections, safety and overtime pay.

In another high profile case in 2014, Kavanaugh disagreed with a ruling that upheld Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rules

Owens grew up on the south side of St. Louis in a household of 10 children.

“I am the youngest of 10,” Owens said. “And I was the

against SeaWorld. OSHA had cited SeaWorld for safety violations that contributed to the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau, who was killed by a killer whale in 2010.

Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court is bad news for workers and unions, which have already faced some big blows from the Court, including the Janus v. AFSCME Council 31 decision earlier this year that overturned a long-time precedent allowing unions to collect “fair share” fees from the public sector non-members they are required by law to represent. That legal decision will weaken public sector unions that represent workers performing critical

Debra Owens owns Premiere Production Choice, which provides production services for meetings, conventions and special events.

wouldn’t be anywhere without her team members, who have worked with her for 20 years.

“They have my best interest at heart, and that’s what I need in order for me to be successful,” she said. “I couldn’t do it without my team.”

Owens has worked with the African Methodist Episcopal Church on a variety of projects over the past 10 years.

“When she started Premiere Production Choice, it seemed like natural progression and we were happy to partner with her on the largest convention held by the church,” said Richard Allen Lewis, treasurer and CFO of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. “She has invested herself in the success of our programs and always exceeded our expectations.”

For more information, visit http://ppcav.com.

hardheaded one.” That trait ended up being an asset in building her own business, she said.

“My mom always told me

services we all count on, including first responders, health care workers, teachers, and sanitation workers, making it harder to negotiate fair wages and working conditions or to advocate for improvements on the job.

Women – a growing share of union membership, particularly in the public sector – will be the most impacted by Janus. Two-thirds of unionized women work in public-sector jobs. Women in unions earn an average of 30 percent more than non-union women in comparable jobs and generally face a smaller gender wage gap than non-union women.

Today, women are half the

that I was going to be a leader, not a follower,” Owens said. “I always thought that I could do anything.”

Yet, Owens said she

workforce. Close to half of working women are the main breadwinners for their families, yet they still experience significant discrimination in wages and treatment on the job, including the kind of sexual harassment we’re seeing exposed across many sectors and levels of employment.

Right now, unions are the best chance for women –and all workers – to improve these conditions and to bargain for better wages, benefits, and fairness on the job.

Though faced with a hostile Legislature, Missourians know that we have to expand and protect union rights for all Missouri workers. That’s why

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

we voted overwhelmingly against Prop A, and that’s why we rejected the Paycheck Deception bill recently passed by the Missouri General assembly. Fortunately, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, a longtime champion for women and for workers, has chosen to stand by Missouri families by rejecting Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court. With Kavanaugh confirmed. though, it’s essential that all our elected officials continue to work to protect working families and be champions for union rights for all Missourians.

Natashia Pickens is president of CWA Local 6355.

City’s 2018 general obligation bonds, debt rated A+ by S&P

S&P Global Ratings (S&P) assigned its A+ longterm rating to the City of St. Louis series 2018 general obligation (GO) bonds. The agency also affirmed its A+ rating on the city’s existing GO debt and its A rating on the city’s existing appropriation debt, with a stable outlook on all ratings.

Approved by St. Louis voters during the August primary election, the series 2018 GO bonds are structured such that no tax increase is necessary to meet the debt service requirements.

“With this bond issuance, the City of St. Louis is demonstrating a commitment to fully using current tax levy resources before asking to increase property taxes,” said Comptroller Darlene Green.

“This aligns with our 10-year financial strategy to leverage no-tax-increase bonds, when possible, as a way for the city to better sustain routine capital investment in critical public safety and infrastructure needs.”

S&P viewed the city’s fiscal management, budget

performance and strong liquidity as positive factors for the A+ credit rating for the City of St. Louis, stating that “management has demonstrated a capacity to maintain structural balance without significantly disrupting operations and continues to make a concerted effort to increase available general fund reserves.”

Pricing for the series 2018 GO bonds is scheduled for October 30, with a scheduled closing date of November 15.

Kwame Building Group funds

HSSU’s

Alumni Under 40 event on Oct. 26

Kwame Building Group has donated $10,000 to the Harris-Stowe State Foundation to support its inaugural “Outstanding Alumni Under 40 Awards Program,” which will honor selected Harris-Stowe State University alumni under the age of 40 who have made outstanding achievements in their chosen fields of endeavor.

Harris-Stowe’s “Outstanding Alumni Under 40” awards

will take place 7 p.m. Friday, October 26 at the Stifel Theatre (formerly Peabody Opera House), 1400 Market St. Proceeds from the event will be used for HarrisStowe Foundation student scholarships. The Harris-Stowe Foundation was created in 1992 to support activities that are not supported through state appropriations.

“We recognize and celebrate the contributions of the alumni under 40 and congratulate HSSU on its continuing achievements and impact on the St. Louis community,” said Anthony Thompson, president and CEO of Kwame Building Group.

Tickets can be purchased at www.hssu40award.com or through the university’s Bursar’s Office.

Photo by Rebecca Rivas

n “He’s a sellout. I believe Malcolm (Jenkins) capitalized on the situation. He co-opted the movement that was started by Colin, to get his organization funded.”

— Carolina Panthers’ Eric Reid

Sports

Jontay Porter’s injury one of several bad bounces for college basketball

~ See ‘Sports Eye’ page B4 ~

Earl’s playoff predictions

Rock Bridge enter as top seeds

The postseason is upon us as district playoff competition is getting underway around the St. Louis area. Here is a look at the districts involving St. Louis area teams. To see the complete district brackets, visit the state’s website at www.mshsaa.org.

Class 6

District 1

Top seed: CBC

Top Contenders: DeSmet, Pattonville, Hazelwood Central

Earl’s Prediction: CBC. A lot of quality teams in the district, but the Cadets have been head and shoulders above everyone all season.

District 2

Top Seed: Rock Bridge

Top Contenders: Francis Howell, Blue Springs, Troy

Earl’s Prediction: Rock Bridge. This district covers the state of Missouri with a lot of competitive teams from East to West in the state.

District 3

Top Seed: Eureka

Top Contenders: Kirkwood, Joplin

Earl’s Prediction: Eureka. The Wildcats enjoyed an excellent regular season at 8-1.

District 1

Class 5

Top Seed: Jackson

Top Contenders: Fox, Seckman

Earl’s Prediction: Jackson. The final should be a great matchup featuring the passing of Jackson against the powerful rushing attack of Fox.

District 2

Top Seed: Mehlville

Top Contenders: Vianney, Chaminade, Parkway West

Earl’s Prediction: Vianney. The

The first week of the NBA season was an exciting affair. There was a little bit of everything, including high-flying plays, lights-out shooting, drama, high-scoring games and even some good ol’ fisticuffs. The one thing the NBA has been missing, however, is defense. Defense in the NBA has been abysmal. Blame it on the offseason. Blame it on the Henny (here’s looking at you J.R. Smith). Blame it on the new shot clock rules. Defense all around the league is hot garbage. And if teams don’t do something about it, the shoddy play on the defensive and threatens to ruin the league.

Think about this for a minute. Last season, only five teams averaged more than 110 points per game. Those teams were the Golden State Warriors, New Orleans Pelicans, Toronto Raptors, Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets. A week into the

2018-19 season, a whopping 20 teams are currently eclipsing 110 ppg. Here’s another stat for you. Last season, only five players averaged more than 25 points per game. So far this season, 19 players are averaging more than 25 points per game. The list includes players such as Nikola Mirotic Zach Lavine and Tim Hardaway Jr. It’s unlikely that these ridiculous statistics will not hold up for an entire season. However, it does show a disturbing trend throughout the league. What might be more disturbing is that it’s a trend of which the league seems to be in favor. Remember the shot clock rules I mentioned earlier? The league instituted a change in how the shot clock is reset after an offensive rebound. Previously the clock would reset back to 24 seconds. This season, teams will only have 14 seconds to get up another shot attempt.

Earl Austin Jr.

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Ladue’s Marzion Cosby (4) and Kirkwood’s Stefan Cameron (3)

Kirkwood High. The Rams of Ladue went on to defeat

Pioneeers of Kirkwood

Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans rises up for the jumpshot as four Rockets defenders watch.

Photo by Wiley Price

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

Jontay Porter’s injury one of several bad bounces for college basketball

It was a bad week for college basketball. Missouri had the look of a team that could challenge the SEC’s best and earn a second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament – until Sunday.

Jontay Porter blew out his knee in a secretive controlled scrimmage against Southern Illinois-Carbondale, a crushing injury that now puts a damper on a promising season.

This hush-hush, for-youreyes-only scrimmage seems mysterious, especially when you add that (as of Tuesday morning) Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin nor anyone from the athletic department had made an official comment. Weird. Somebody at the scrimmage who clings to anonymity told the Kansas City Star that Porter was injured while driving to the basket. He fell backward, and his right knee buckled and folded. He suffered the double whammy of a torn ACL and MCL.

had played with tendinitis in both knees last season, restricting his ability to rise to the basket.

“I had a lot of knee pain last year, but that’s all but gone,” he said following the Missouri Madness showcase a day before he went down.

“I still have days where I have to sit out some drills in practice because my knees are killing me, but (Saturday) they felt good and I guess the adrenaline was pumping and I got up a little bit. I’m not scared to jump my highest and not scared to make a cut because I know my knees aren’t going to give out.”

As a freshman, Porter averaged 9.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He entered his name into the NBA Draft, but did not sign with an agent. He later withdrew his availability and returned to the Tigers for his sophomore year. He said via Twitter, “Thanks to everyone who reached out! It’s hard to stay positive in the midst of something like this but everything happens for a reason.”

Now I’m sure the mighty basketball gurus Earl Austin and Frank Cusumano probably knew this, but I learned in the Post-Dispatch that Porter

Cue the “Twilight Zone” theme right here. His brother, Michael Porter Jr., is still recovering from a second back surgery and has yet to take the court for the Denver Nuggets, the team that drafted him last spring. Porter’s lone college season at Missouri was cut short by his first back surgery in November after just a few minutes court time against Iowa State.

He returned for a loss in the SEC Tournament in St. Louis and then a first-round NCAA Tournament loss.

The word “cursed” has been thrown around a lot this week. I think it’s more like the Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes song, “Bad Luck.”

If there is bad news for KU basketball, it is good news for most Mizzou hoops fans. Let’s travel about 1,000 miles east to a federal courthouse in Manhattan.

Porter blew out his knee in a secretive controlled scrimmage against Southern Illinois-Carbondale, a crushing injury

The jury began deliberating on Tuesday the U.S. v. Adidas executive James Gotto. Gotto and two other men admittedly help funnel money to respective college recruits’ family members and guardians in return for the player to attend a certain school. Defense attorney Michael Schacter alleged in closing arguments that his client approved a $20,000 payment to KU recruit Silvio De Sousa’s guardian, Fenny Falmagne, by request from head coach Bill Self and Kansas assistant Kurtis Townsend Self and Townsend aren’t on trial, but they sure seem to be guilty of something. In Self’s case, not knowing that any of this was happening is damning in its own way. It’s not as bad as if he knew and was part of the dirty scheme to land players – but he’s got some explaining to do.

Self and the KU athletic department will not comment until the trial’s end. By the time this column hits the streets on Thursday, the verdict could be in.

By the way, KU is No. 1 in the Associated Press preseason poll and a favorite to reach the Final Four in March.

What I consider great news for many young basketball players, can also be construed as the closing argument on college basketball’s bad week.

The NBA’s G-League will offer “select contracts” worth $125,000 next year to elite prospects who are not yet eligible for the NBA.

Instead of elite players being forced to attend college for a year to play basketball or playing overseas, they can earn a very respectable living while improving their respective games in the G League.

Malcolm Turner, G League president, called the Select Contracts “an answer to the basketball community’s call for additional development options for elite players before they are eligible for the NBA.”

He added that these players should not be “forced” to go to college.

Players will be eligible to sign the select deal if they turn 18 by Sept. 15 prior to the season that they would spend in the G League. The league announced that a working group is being established to identify players who could be offered the contract. If Austin isn’t a part of that group, it’s missing the thoughts of one of America’s shrewdest basketball minds.

The reaction from college coaches has almost been non-existent. But Kentucky’s John Calipari told USA TOAY “If it’s what they say, three or five guys and that’s it, I don’t think it affects us.”

“As a matter of fact, probably makes us better. The kids that come here are kids that want the competition and want to get better. They’re not going somewhere so that they only gotta shoot all the balls. (Those players) don’t come here.”

I don’t believe that and neither does Calipari. He, like most big-time college coaches, has forgotten that $125,000 is a lot of money. Especially if it is earned legally and can help a poor athlete’s family immediately begin living better.

The Reid Roundup

Man, lots here this week.

So’ let’s get going.

While St. Louis is following the Taylor Family MLS effort, it should be noted that the Columbus Crew franchise was so cash strapped, the owner wanted to move the team to Texas. A tentative deal has been reached with a new ownership group that includes Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam … A man of color will be the World Series winning manager. The L.A. Dodgers have MLB’s only black manager in Dave Roberts. The Boston Red

Sox are guided by first-year manager Alex Cora, a native of Puerto Rico … KC Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes tallied four touchdown passes in last Sunday night’s 45-10 win over Cincinnati, giving him 22 in his first eight starts. It breaks Kurt Warner’s record of 21 … The L.A. Rams beat down of the San Francisco 49ers was shown in St. Louis instead of the national game of the week between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins. I guess the Rams hate is dying down … Eric Reid, who was ready to surrender his career rather than back down to owners on national anthem protests before he was signed by the Carolina Panthers, called the Philadelphia Eagles’ Malcolm Jenkins a “sell out” following their game last Sunday. Jenkins has worked with the NFL on anthem policy and reached out to police officers to share thoughts. Reid had to be restrained from attacking Jenkins during the game, reportedly. Reid was not a Panther when the Dallas Cowboys played Carolina in September. I wonder what he would have said, or did, to the “toe-on-the-line” brothers Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott? … Speaking of the 3-4 Cowboys, owner/ GM Jerry Jones traded a 2019 first-round draft pick to Oakland for receiver Amari Cooper. I warned my fellow Cowboy fans that this season would be rocky. The trade doesn’t change my opinion. … The Cowboys visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture on Monday. Jones told TMZ that is was not a stunt to win favor with the tens of thousands of black fans he insulted with his toe-on-the-line comments ... After Manny Machado’s irritating behavior in the NLCS, which included two questionable slides, several area sports writers and talkers are saying the Cardinals should not pursue him. Why are white players “scrappy” after incidents like this, and minority players “dirty”? ... Of course, some of the same folks want the Cardinals to go all in on free agent Bryce Harper – a guy who was once attacked by a teammate because of his lackadaisical attitude, has to be warned annually to hustle and run out ground balls and has had his commitment to winning openly questioned … The St. Louis Blues lost in overtime 5-4 on Monday night in Winnipeg to fall to 2-3-3 with a seven-game homestand beginning Thursday…

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

Alvin A. Reid

Jontay

that will put him out for the season.

Aijha Blackwell commits to Missouri

By Earl Austin Jr.

St. Louis American

the

Of

Whitfield School girls’ basketball star Aijha Blackwell has given a commitment to the University of Missouri. Blackwell made her official announcement with a commitment video on her Twitter account on Monday night. After fielding numerous offers, Blackwell narrowed her final list to Missouri, Louisville and Kansas before deciding to stay in her home state and play for the Tigers. As a final touch, she made her announcement while wearing the No. 33 jersey of her late father Ernest Blackwell, a former Mizzou football standout in the 1990’s who played at Eureka High. Like her father, Aijha wears the No. 33.

A 6’0” guard, Blackwell is one of the most talented players in the United States, as shown by her No. 8 rating in the ESPN HoopGurlz Top 100 rankings in the Class of 2019.

As a junior, Blackwell averaged 24.2 points to lead the St. Louis metro area in scoring. She also averaged 8.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.6 steals while shooting 61 percent from the field and 40

CLUTCH

Continued from C7

they might use to run around in circles doing dribble handoffs. Instead, they are forced to hoist up faster shots after hitting the offensive boards.

Not surprisingly, a bulk of those shots are three-pointers. A season ago, 11 teams averaged more than 30 three-point attempts per game. This season that number has jumped to 19 teams.

Copycat League

What team is not included in that 19? The defending Champion Golden State Warriors. Yes, the team with

Continued from C7

Golden Griffins are looking for a return trip to the Show-Me Bowl after winning the state title two years ago.

District 3

Top Seed: Fort Zumwalt North Top Contenders: McCluer North, Fort Zumwalt South

Earl’s Prediction: Fort Zumwalt North. Panthers have a talented cast of skill position players.

District 4

Top Seed: Timberland Top Contenders: Battle, Holt

Earl’s Prediction: Battle

percent from 3-point range in leading Whitfield to a thirdplace finish in the Class 3 state tournament. As a sophomore, Blackwell led the Warriors to a runner-up finish in the state tournament.

A starter from the moment she entered high school, Blackwell enters her senior year with 1,900 points and 892 rebounds in her career. She is a sure bet to reach 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds for her career.

During the summer, Blackwell earned the honor of playing for her country as she competed for USA Basketball with the U18 women’s team that won the gold medal at the FIBA Americas Tournament in Mexico City. A starting guard for the USA team, Blackwell averaged nearly 10 points a game as the USA rolled to the gold medal with an undefeated record.

Blackwell will be joining a Missouri program that has been very competitive in the powerful Southeastern Conference under the direction of head coach Robin Pingeton. The Tigers finished the 24-8 record last season and earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament.

Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson average just 27.8 3-point attempts. The Warriors were not the first team to embrace a strategy around the long ball but they were the first to build a dynasty out of three-point threats. However, the Warriors started with two of the greatest threepoint shooters to walk the face of the Earth. Then the Warriors added Durant. In order to remain competitive, other teams began taking (and making) a ton of threepoint shots as well. Guards, forwards and centers are all getting in on the three-point action in today’s NBA. It’s as if Oprah brought back her show and started handing out free three-pointers to the entire studio audience.

“You get a three! She gets

Class 4

District 2

Top Seed: Ladue

Top Contenders: Summit, Roosevelt Earl’s Prediction: Ladue. The undefeated Rams are seeking a return trip to the state championship game. A district title is the first step.

District 3

Top Seed: Hazelwood East

Top Contenders: MICDS, Parkway North, Jennings Earl’s Prediction: Parkway North. Vikings want to send retiring head coach Bob Bunton out a winner.

District 4

Top Seed: Fort Zumwalt East

Top Contenders: Hannibal, Westminster, Priory Earl’s Prediction: Fort Zumwalt East. A very competi-

a three! He gets a three! Everybody gets at three!” Unfortunately, in this new rush to transition to a long-range attack, nobody has learned how to effectively guard the three-point line. Players repeatedly get wide open shots. Some are the result of terrible defense. Others happen when defenders get pump-faked out of their shoes trying to run the opposing team off the free-throw line. As the defender jumps, flails and flies by the shooter, the shooter is often left with an open three-pointer or an easy dunk.

Charles Caleb Colton once said, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”

Steve Kerr and the Warriors must be blushing every day. The entire

tive district field.

Class 3

District 2

Top Seed: Cardinal Ritter

Top Contenders: St. Clair, Lutheran South Earl’s Prediction: Cardinal Ritter. The undefeated Lions are explosive and have many weapons. St. Clair is dangerous with its running game.

District 3

Top seed: Trinity

Top Contenders: Lutheran St. Charles, St. Charles Earl’s Prediction: Trinity. The Titans are on a state championship or bust mission.

Class 2

District 2

Top Seed: Lutheran North

Top Contender: Life for Life

league has copied not only the Warriors free shooting style of play, but also its “switch everything” style of defense. The problem is, just like there is no other team with shooters as deadly as the Warriors, none have the surplus of quality perimeter defenders. GSW has Thompson, Durant and Draymond Green. Before Durant arrived it was Harrison Barnes. Those players all have the capability to defend four or five positions.

Nearly every team in the NBA now bases its offense around lots of ball screens. Teams run pick-and-roll action until they get a mismatch. The simple solution would be to make players fight over screens whenever possible. Since everybody wants to switch on screens, overmatched defenders

Prediction: Lutheran North. The Crusaders are gearing up for another deep postseason run.

Illinois playoffs get underway this weekend

Several metro east teams have also qualified for the IHSA playoffs, which begin this weekend. Here are a few of those matchups.

Hoffman Estates at East St. Louis, Saturday, 3 p.m. (Class 7A)

Edwardsville at Evanston, Friday, 7 p.m. (Class 8A) Belleville West at Wheaton Warrenville South, Friday, 6 p.m. (Class 7A) Mt. Zion at Cahokia, Saturday, 4 p.m. (Class 5A) Rich Central at Highland, Saturday, 5 p.m.

routinely get burned and the scoreboard every night show scores of 140-135. 70 or 80 point halves (by a single team) are no longer uncommon in the defenseless NBA. It’s clear that since the Warriors have taken the league by storm that players around the league are working hard to become better three-point shooters. Coaches are also abandoning the old-school thinking and giving nearly

everyone on the court the green light to fire away. I have no gripes with those things. I am far from a purist. I try hard not to become one of those old fogies who always talks about the olden days. Something has to give though. Somebody somewhere has to play defense. After all, offense wins games, defense wins championships.

Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ishcreates.

The junior running back enjoyed a tremendous performance in the Flyers victory over Alton in Southwestern Conference action last Friday night. The 5’11,” 190-pound Witherspoon rushed for 255 yards on 15 carries and scored three touchdowns on runs of 2, 40 and 74 yards in the Flyers 71-28 victory over the Redbirds. For the season,

Witherspoon has rushed for 1,043 yards on 115 carries and 17 touchdowns. He is averaging 9.1 yards per carry. On defense, he has recorded 77 tackles with three quarterback sacks.

Whitfield School girls basketball star Aijha Blackwell (middle) has given a verbal commitment to the University of Missouri.

KAI Design & Build acquires

Atlanta-based Dorsey Engineering

National, African American-owned firm headquartered in St. Louis expands

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

KAI Design & Build

acquired Atlanta-based Dorsey Engineering on October 1.

The firm provides prime engineering consulting and design services to building owners, architects, federal and state government agencies, design-build contractors and a variety of clients throughout the United States and the Caribbean.

n “We now have a broader reach in Atlanta that will extend all the way from our headquarters in St. Louis, down to Jacksonville, Florida and around our existing offices in Texas and Nebraska.”

– KAI President Michael Kennedy Jr.

Dorsey’s clientele includes Home Depot, Siemens, Department of Veteran Affairs, Macy’s, Caterpillar, United States Forest Service, Johnson & Johnson, Atlanta Public Schools, Centers for Disease Control, Gwinnet County Public Schools, DeKalb County School District, Marriott International and Hilton Hotels & Resorts. Dorsey’s office staff in Atlanta and Jacksonville, Florida will complete

“Acquiring Dorsey also enables us to have greater opportunities in a prime engineering-focused role, as opposed to being an engineering subconsultant,” said KAI President Michael Kennedy Jr.

its current contractual commitments to clients, with all new opportunities proceeding as KAI Engineering. KAI Engineering intends to grow the Atlanta and Jacksonville staff to over 25 engineers and designers and

will begin relocating current staff immediately.

“We now have a broader reach in Atlanta that will extend all the way from our headquarters in St. Louis, down to Jacksonville, Florida and around our existing offices in

Texas and Nebraska,” said KAI

President Michael Kennedy Jr. “Acquiring Dorsey also enables us to have greater opportunities in a prime engineering-focused role, as opposed to being an engineering subconsultant,

which has generally been KAI Engineering’s role in the past.” Dorsey Engineering owner Brad H. Dorsey will remain with the firm during the transition period, then work as a consultant until his retirement.

Photo by Wiley Price

Acclaimed visual artist

Kehinde Wiley discusses his latest exhibition, ‘Kehinde Wiley: Saint Louis’ during a press preview Thursday at Saint Louis Art Museum. The collection of portraits featuring subjects from North City and North County painted to reflect works in Saint Louis Art Museum’s permanent collection will be on display through February 10.

Kehinde Wiley: Saint Louis opens at SLAM

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

“When thinking about this exhibition I wanted it to be a response to St. Louis,” Kehinde Wiley said as he introduced “Kehinde Wiley: Saint Louis” during the press preview of the exhibition Thursday morning at the Saint Louis Art Museum. “I wanted it to be a response to the institution. In a strange way I wanted it to talk about the way that institutions as sites have a specific relationship to their community.” While walking into the second space within the gallery to browse the paintings that encompass the exhibition that opened to the public on Friday, I was stopped in my tracks when I cast my eyes upon “Robert Hay Drummond, D.D., Archbishop of York and Chancellor of the

Portraits inspired by museum collection make for moving tribute to the region

Order of the Garter, 2018.”

I recognized the face of one of his subjects in the collection of paintings. I had actually seen her before – the woman in the two-person portrait with her shoulders held high and a book smartly propped on her leg – on more than one occasion.

While trying to place her face, the significance of the exhibition was clear. I stopped trying to remember where I knew this woman from and soaked in the magnitude of seeing a face I explicitly recognize within an exhibition at the Saint Louis Art Museum. In that moment, I forged a new relationship with the institution – and the power of representation within the visual arts.

That was the intention for Wiley with “Kehinde Wiley: Saint Louis,” which will be on display through February 10. “There is a reason why I went into the permanent collection and sort of started scouring through all of those paintings,” Wiley said. “I wanted to create this dichotomy between the inside of the institution

See KEHINDE, C4

Captured by Kehinde Wiley

Lynette Foote a subject of famed painter’s SLAM exhibition

By Kenya Vaughn

Of The St. Louis American

She’d be able to see herself amongst the subjects of “Kehinde Wiley: Saint Louis,” during a private reception Thursday night, but another six hours was too long for Lynette Foote to wait. So, she took it upon herself to head to the Saint Louis Art Museum several hours early in the hopes that she would get a peek to hold her over until the event.

Lynette Foote stands next Kehinde Wiley’s “Three Girls in a Wood” painting, that features her as a subject. The piece is part of the ‘Kehinde Wiley: Saint Louis’ exhibition currently on display through February 10 at the Saint Louis Art Museum.

“Oh. My. God!” Foote said before she realized that the excitement in her head was coming out of her mouth. She instantly recognized her face on the super-scaled painting “Three Girls in a Wood,” the anchoring piece for the exhibition that opened today at Saint Louis Art Museum the morning before at the private press preview. She quickly cupped her mouth with her hands. Her eyes got bigger as she studied every detail of her face. Foote couldn’t believe it. There she was – regal, yet regular, and in all of her glory – about five times larger than life on the wall of one of the most prestigious fine arts institutions in the world. And to top it off, Foote was painted by one of the most well-known artists in the world. She and President Barack Obama have been muses for the same man. The press preview was private, but Wiley is

See SLAM, C4

Stephen McKinley Henderson to be honored by Black Rep

Acclaimed

‘Fences’

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

When veteran Broadway and film actor Stephen McKinley Henderson sat down to talk about being recognized by the Black Rep for his contributions to theater, he wanted to talk about the career and unsung legacy of somebody else.

“Can you believe it’s been 30 years?” Henderson asked. Longtime Stage manager Tracy D. Holliway-Wiggins was celebrating her 30th anniversary with The Black Rep when Henderson visited St. Louis last month.

n “The footprint for the Black Rep goes all across this country – all over the world, really,” Henderson said. “That’s why I’m so thankful that they chose to recognize me.”

“I remember when I did my first Broadway show, she was assistant stage managing a production for the Black Rep when they were over in that old church – on 23rd Street,” Henderson said. “Now she has gone on and taught others, and they will teach others.” Henderson, famously a member of the first cohort of drama students at Juilliard more than five decades ago, was last seen by the masses in the Academy Award-winning film adaptation of August Wilson’s “Fences” starring Oscar Winners Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. Next weekend the Kansas City native will take the stage as the recipient of the Woodie Lifetime Achievement Award at the Black Rep Gala at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, November 3 at Washington University’s 560 Music Center.

“The footprint for the Black Rep goes all across this country – all over the world, really,” Henderson said. “That’s why I’m so thankful that they chose to recognize me.”

The award’s namesake, legendary theater producer Woodie King Jr. will be on hand for the ceremony, as will stage, television and film veterans Ted Lange and Antonio Fargas, among others.

stage and film veteran Stephen McKinley Henderson will be bestowed with the Woodie Lifetime Achievement Award at the Black Rep Gala on Saturday, November 3.

How to place a calendar listing

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

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

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

concerts

Thur., Oct. 25, 7:30 p.m., Mildred Thimes Foundation 14th Annual Benefit Concert A tribute to Luther Vandross and Chaka Khan featuring Denise Thimes. The Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.

Fri., Oct. 26, 7 p.m., Omerta Entertainment presents Kstylis Twerk Fest Tour Feat. Yvette. Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.

Sat., Oct. 27, 8 p.m., Harris Stowe University Homecoming Concert feat. YFN Lucci. Henry Givens Auditorium, 3026 Laclede Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sun., Oct. 28, 3:30 p.m., Julian Marley & The Uprising. The Firebird, 2706 Olive St., 63103. For more information, visit www.ticketf. ly.

Sun., Oct. 28, 4 p.m., The Royal Vagabonds Foundation, Inc. Annual Concert: Jazz on a Sunday feat. The Bosman Twins with Marsha Evans. Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sun., Nov. 4, 5 p.m., 95.5 The

Lou presents Keri Hilson feat. Bobby V. Ballpark Village, 601 Clark Ave., 63102. For more information, visit www. ticketf.ly.

Nov. 7 – 8, Jazz at the Bistro presents Nicole Henry. Jazz St. Louis, 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, visitwww.jazzstl. org.

Fri., Nov. 9, 7 p.m., Chaifetz Arena presents Ladies Night Out feat. Keith Sweat and Blackstreet. 1 S. Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www. thechaifetzarena.com.

Sat., Nov. 10, 7 p.m., Enterprise Center presents the Aubrey & The Three Migos Tour. 1401 Clark Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Sat., Nov. 10, 8 p.m., The African Heritage Association of St. Louis, Inc. presents Soweto Gospel Choir Live in Concert. Touhill Performing Arts Center, UMSL, One University Blvd., 63121. For more information, visit www. touhill.org.

Thur., Nov. 15, Stifel Theatre presents Maxwell: 50 Intimate Nights Live With special guest Marsha Ambrosius. 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, visit www.stifeltheatre.com.

Sat., Nov. 17, 7 p.m., The Sheldon’s Rhythm &

The Guide

Kenya Vaughn recommends

Jazz Series presents Dee Dee Bridgewater and the Memphis Soulphony. 3548 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

special events

Thur., Oct. 25, 5:30 p.m., Christian Hospital’s 10th Annual Legacy Leaders Recognition Dinner. 1

Norwood Hills Country Club Dr., 63121. For more information, visit www. christianhospital.org.

Thur., Oct. 25, 6:30 p.m., Westminster Christian Academy Open House. Hear from school leadership, meet our faculty, and take a tour of campus. 800 Maryville Centre Rd., 63017. For more information, visit www.bit.ly/ WCA-Open-House.

Oct. 25 – 28, St. Louis Science Center’s Science Spooktacular. Enjoy live demonstrations, a spooky trail, a haunted lab, and more. 5060 Oakland Ave., 63110. For more information, visit www. slsc.org.

Fri., Oct. 26, 6 p.m., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., St. Louis Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter presents Fall Into Books with Delta There will be storytellers, dramatic performances and activities for all youth participants. Gary Gore Elementary, 2545 Dorwood

Dr., 63136. For more information, email firstvp@ dstslmac.com.

Fri., Oct. 26, 7 p.m., Ola Style Survivor Fashion Show. Fellow survivors walk the runway in pink & white Ola brand designs. Proceeds benefit Susan G. Komen Missouri. Hilton St. Louis Frontenac, 1335 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Fri., Oct. 26, 7 p.m., 2018 Harris-Stowe State University Outstanding Alumni Leader Under 40 Awards. The Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Sat., Oct. 27, 9 a.m., Divine Daughters hosts the Daughters on the Run: 5K Walk/Run. January-Wabash Park, 501 N. Florissant Rd., 63135. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.

Sat., Oct. 27, 10 a.m., No

Tricks, All Treats Halloween Spectacular. Field House Museum, 634 S. Broadway, 63102. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.

Sat., Oct. 27, 10 a.m., Contemporary Art Museum presents Halloween Family Day. 3750 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www.camstl.org.

Sat., Oct. 27, 10 a.m., Taste of the Middle East Festival. Musical performances, arts and crafts, vendors, and more. Tower Grove Park, 4256 Magnolia Ave., 63110. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.

Sat., Oct. 27, 6 p.m., African Diaspora Council presents their 5th Annual Anniversary Community Awareness Gala: One People! One Community. 1425 Ferguson Ave., 63116. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Mon., Oct. 29, 6 p.m., Sauce Event Productions presents

Community Women Against Hardship 30th Annual Circle of Support Gala. featuring violinist Regina Carter. For more information, see SPECIAL EVENTS.

The City Wide Trunk or Treat. Games, bounce houses, costume contest, and of course candy. The Marquee Parking Lot, 1911 Locust St., 63103. For more information, visit www. facebook.com.

Fri., Nov. 2, 5 p.m., The Metropolitan St. Louis Fisk University Alumni Association presents Fisk Fridays. Jay’s Ultra Lounge, 12667 New Halls Ferry Rd., 63033. For more information or to RSVP, email tllovelace0608@gmail. com or alabamagirl_55@ charter.net.

Sat., Nov. 3, 10 a.m., Women’s Winter Bazaar Shop, eat, and fellowship. Emmanuel Temple Church of God, 4935 Union Blvd., 63115. For more information, call (314) 598-8187.

Sat., Nov. 3, 4 p.m., Reggae MusicFest 18. Feat. SistaSol’Chile and Diverse Culture. Boenker Hill Vineyard & Winery, 12855 Boenker Lane, 63044. For more information, visit www. purplepass.com.

Sat., Nov. 3, 6 p.m., Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists presents the 2018 Living Legend Celebration. Honoring Art Holliday & Wiley Price. Il Monastero, St. Louis University, 3050 Olive St., 63103. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Sat., Nov. 3, 7 p.m., The Legendary Miss Fannie’s Ball. Hosted by The Vivacious Vicky Valentino. Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sun., Nov. 4, 12 p.m., St. Louis Best Bridal Show. Brides to be can check out photographers, DJs, caterers, reception sites, and more. St. Charles Convention Center, 1 Convention Center Plz., 63033.

Sun., Nov. 4, 5 p.m., Community Women Against Hardship 30th Annual Circle of Support Gala. Feat. violinist Regina Carter. Sheldon, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.

Fri., Nov. 9, 6 p.m., Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis’ Great Futures Gala Chase Park Plaza, 212 N. Kingshighway Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

literary

Sat., Nov. 3, 10 a.m., St. Louis Indie Book Fair 2018 40 authors to discuss, sell, and sign copies of their work, 7 publishers, and 100s of titles in every genre. Treffpunkt, 3453 S. Jefferson Ave., 63118. For more information, visit www. stlouisindiebookfair.org.

Sun., Nov. 4, 4 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Quincy Troupe, author of Miles & Me: Miles Davis, the Man, the Musician, and His Friendship with the Journalist and Poet, Quincy Troupe. 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108.

comedy

Nov. 1 – 4, Helium Comedy Club presents Arnez J. 1151 St. Louis Galleria St., 63117. For more information, visit www.heliumcomedyclub.com.

Fri., Nov. 2, 8 p.m., Nick Cannon Presents : Wild’N Out Live with special guest Katt Williams, Enterprise Center. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Nov. 2 – 4, The Laugh Lounge presents Dyon Brooks a.k.a. Mr. James. 11208 W. Florissant Ave., 63033. For more information, visit www. etix.com.

Fri., Nov. 9, Helium Comedy Club presents Bruce Bruce. 1151 St. Louis Galleria St., 63117.

Sat., Nov. 10, 7 p.m., Comedy Night with Sarge, author of Black Boychik, Staenberg Family Complex, Edison Gymnasium. For more information, visit https://jccstl. com/arts-ideas/st-louis-jewishbook-festival/festival-eventsschedule/

theatre

Oct. 26 – 27, Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Picture Show Live Performance. Proceeds benefit PROMO. The Monocle, 4510 Manchester Ave., 63110. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Sun., Oct. 28, 11 a.m., The Uppity Theatre Company presents Dance the Vote Ethical Society St. Louis, 9001 Clayton Rd., 63117. For more information, visit www. ethicalstl.org.

Fri., Nov. 2, 7 p.m., Delmar Hall presents Bettye LaVette

Kenya Vaughn recommends

6133 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. delmarhall.com.

Nov. 2 – 4, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra presents Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas 718 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www.slso.org.

Nov. 2 – 11, Hawthorne Players presents A Raisin in the Sun. A family struggles with what to do with their new inheritance. Florissant Civic Center Theatre, 1 James J. Eagan Dr., 63033. For more information, visit www. florissantmo.thundertix.com.

Nov. 7 – 25, Fox Theatre presents Disney’s Aladdin 527 N Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www. fabulousfox.com.

Sat., Nov. 17, 7 p.m., The Girl Who Never Cried. A single mother of three who longed for a good man finds the true beast behind the suit and scriptures of the man she’s found. Harris-Stowe State University, 3026 Laclede Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

art

Through Oct. 27, The Griot Museum of Black History presents Civil Unrest in Review. Explore recent civil rights protest and activism in St. Louis through art. 2505

St. Louis Ave., 63106. For more information, visit www. thegriotmuseum.com.

Thur., Nov. 1, 6:30 p.m., For Freedoms Town Hall: The 50 State Initiative. The Initiative was begun by artists to show what democracy looks like through art and arts institutions. Contemporary Art Museum, 3750 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www.camstl. org.

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

lectures and workshops

Thurs., Oct. 25, 4 p.m., Washington University Assembly Series presents Tarana Burke “Me Too,” Graham Chapel, Washington University, For more information, visit assemblyseries.wustl. edu or call 314-935-4620.

Sat., Oct. 27, 1 p.m., League of Women Voters’ Issues Forum. Learn about Amendment 1 – Clean Missouri, Medical Marijuana, Fuel Tax, Minimum Wage, and more. St. Louis Community

Left Bank Books hosts author Quincy Troupe, author of ‘Miles & Me: Miles Davis, the Man, the Musician, and His Friendship with the Journalist and Poet, Quincy Troupe.’ See LITERARY for details.

College – Florissant Valley, 3400 Pershall Rd., 63135. For more information, www.lwvstl. org.

Thur., Nov. 1, 6:30 p.m., Excellence Overcomes All Obstacles: The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen. Maplewood Public Library, 7550 Lohmeyer, 63143. For more information, visit www. maplewoodpubliclibrary.com.

Tues., Nov. 6, 7:30 p.m., UMSL Office of Student Involvement presents A Night of Conversation with Gabby Douglas. Touhill Performing Arts Center, One University Blvd., 63121. For more information, visit www. touhill.org.

Thur., Nov. 8, 7 p.m., Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice presents Policing in America: Problems, Perspectives, and Priorities. Richmond Heights Community Center, 8001 Dale Ave., 63117. For more information, visitwww. facebook.com.

Thur., Nov. 15, 7 p.m., Missouri History Museum presents Restorative Justice and Community Healing. Dr. Fania Davis discusses changing schools and communities through restorative practices. 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. mohistory.org.

Fri., Oct. 26 – 27, Give Kids A Smile hosts Free Dental Clinic for Kids. Toddlers and school-aged children, Center for Advanced Dental Education, SLU, 3320 Rutger St., 63104. For more information, visit www. givekidsasmile.org.

Sat., Oct. 27, 9 a.m., Annual Community Health Fair & Fun-K. Free health screenings, giveaways and door prizes. Truelight Baptist Church, 1535 Tudor Ave., East St. Louis, IL. 62207. For more information, visit www.truelight-estl.com.

Sun., Oct. 28, 1 p.m., 2018 St. Louis Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.alz.org/ greatermissouri.

Sun., Oct. 28, 5 p.m., Prince of Peace Church Live Recording. 9350 Natural Bridge Rd., 63134. For more information, visit www. princeofpeacechurchsstl.com.

Sun., Oct. 28, 3:30 p.m. Clayton Missionary Baptist Church 125th Anniversary Celebration Gospel Musical featuring Evangelist Mary Tillman as mistress of ceremonies, Clayton Missionary Baptist Church, 2801 N. Union Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63115.

Sun., Oct. 28, 7 p.m., The People Under the Stairs Film Screening. Brown Hall, Washington University, 63131. For more information, email fms@wustl.edu.

Nov. 1 – 11, 27th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival. The festival will screen 413 films including international films, documentaries, American indies, and shorts. For more information, visit www. cinemastlouis.org.

Nov. 2., Nobody’s Fool starring Tiffany Haddish and Tika Sumpter opens in theatres nationwide.

Nov. 16, Widows starring Viola Davis and Cynthia Erivo opens in theaters nationwide.

Nov. 21, Creed II starring Michael B. Jordan opens in theaters nationwide.

and the outside.”

In dignified poses that depict royalty and centuriesold wealth, there they sat and stood. Most of them wearing their regular clothes. More than one had Nike emblems with visible “Just Do It” logos. Another had a fitted cap that read “Ferguson,” across the front. There were women in tank tops, jeans, shorts and open-toe sandals. They were regal in their regular every day wear, the expressions on their faces imply that they have every right to be hung there.

“The whole point of this exhibition is to give one a sense of the radical contingency that gives rise to these images – a sense of chance, the sense of celebration of the self,” Wiley said. “All of these models were told this is going to be your portrait, so wear something that reflects you.”

Last summer he took to the streets of North City and North County to find subjects for what would be his first exhibition since the now famous portrait of President Barack Obama was unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery – and Wiley became the first AfricanAmerican artist commissioned

REP

Continued from C1

St. Louis American Publisher and Executive Editor Donald M. Suggs and Andreal Hoosman will both receive Frankie Muse Freeman Spirit Awards over the course of the evening that also features a live concert performance of the beloved musical “The Gospel At Colonus” – a Black Rep

for a presidential portrait. He dug into the works that dated from the 1540s to the 1920s and intersected them with the present by way of his muses for “Kehinde Wiley: Saint Louis.”

“I do the same process all over the world. I’ll be in the favelas of Brazil or the streets of Sri Lanka really charting what it feels like to be young and alive in the 21st century,” Wiley said. “And so much of it is a portrait of young people fashioning identities oftentimes shot through the rubric of American hip-hop. You’ll see kids in the nightclubs of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem totally in American hip-hop swagger. [I was ] talking to Ethiopian Jews about their rap lyrics and how they are constructing who they are through the lens of American blackness. It’s a strange fracturing of image and fashioning of self.”

But created in the wake of Ferguson, “Kehinde Wiley: Saint Louis” had special significance. The Ferguson Market was one of the scouting locations.

“We specifically went to the convenient store where he [Michael Brown] was allegedly stealing and stood outside and with the cameras and with the books and eventually people sort of found me,” Wiley said. “It became this strange sort of moment around celebrating his life. That’s certainly not the

audience favorite. The talented cast of performers includes Chuck Flowers and J. Samuel Davis.

Henderson’s signature smile was even brighter as he talked about the early days of the Black Rep and how its managed to stay afloat for more than four decades – and provide a platform for HolliwayWiggins and countless others.

“It’s truly a treasure to see them carry on,” Henderson said. “And the caliber of work they do – and with the consis-

entire way to read this body of work, but I do think that it’s a certain lens that we can’t ignore.

“There’s a defiance in the work – in its radical youth, in its demand to be present and beautiful and indelible. I think that’s perhaps the most fitting memorial.”

Wiley has become a pop culture phenomenon by intersecting the centuries-old art form of classical portrait painting and the celebration of blackness.

“It’s fascinating how you can take a snapshot within a society and within a given amount of time the culture will create a lens through which to see it,” Wiley said. “We have to see these as an affirmation – a saying ‘yes’ to the people who happen to look like me on these walls. It’s the museum making a decision, saying, ‘this is the type of work and type of people who matter.’

“There is something powerful about being able to see yourself – and that makes museum culture seem a lot more inviting.”

Indeed, it is.

“Kehinde Wiley: Saint Louis” will be on display through February 10, 2019 at Saint Louis Art Museum. For more information, visit www. slam.org or call (314) 7210072.

tency in which they’ve done it. Man, let me be the first to tell you it’s not easy.”

He is especially impressed with how they have handled the work of playwright August Wilson and his cycle of plays that depicted the various perspectives of black life over the course of the 20th century.

Henderson was a personal friend of Wilson – and was handpicked by Washington when he took the play’s 2010 Broadway revival to film in 2016.

side of the barrier.

Continued from C1

in the tiny fraternity of visual artists to become a pop culture phenomenon. That means there were onlookers crowded at three of the entry ways leading to the exhibit – some tried to catch pictures of the artist in the flesh, others did their best to experience the exclusive moment

from just beyond the proverbial velvet rope. Foote was among them, but she came to see how Wiley chose to express her likeness.

Renee Franklin, the Saint Louis Art Museum’s director of audience development, was the first to notice her. “That’s you!” Franklin said with delight. “Yes ma’am,” Foote said. “Do you mind if I come look at it?”

“I don’t think that will be a problem,” Franklin responded and guided her from the other

When she got closer, Foote let out a gasp that sounded as if it came from the bottom of her feet and ran through her entire body as she took in every detail. “It’s me. He got everything,” Foote said. “The lines on my face, the muscles in my forearm – the part in my hair. I just wouldn’t let that part go.”

Wiley’s signature as an artist is creating portraits that blend the contemporary swagger of everyday African Americans

Washington told the cast when they were still on stage that the chemistry was so magical that he wanted to translate it on film for the masses.

“He told us, ‘Be ready in 2016,’” Henderson said. He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to reprise his role because of an unexpected surgery.

“I told them, get somebody else if you have to,” Henderson said. “And Denzel said, ‘We’re not going to do it without you.”

He healed in time to co-star with Washington and Davis. It

and the aesthetic of centuries old European royalty. “Oh my God, look at it. It looks just like me,” Foote continued. “I never would have imagined that it was going to look like this. It is amazing. What words could I have to describe this?”

An unlikely muse

The painting never would have happened if the car her daughter Lynora was riding in hadn’t broken down near Grand and St. Louis Avenue. It just so happened to be one of the places in North city and North County (including Ferguson) where Wiley scouted for subjects.

Her daughter had been rushing Foote to come get them. Once she arrived, they were being interviewed by Wiley. The mother was one of the individuals who caught his eye.

“I didn’t know who he was,” Foote said. “I just know he treated me like I was somebody. This whole experience has showed me even more that you

is an experience he will treasure for the rest of his life.

Through the filming, Henderson saw why Wilson loved his native Pittsburgh to the point where it was the setting of most of his plays.

“The people just loved on us,” Henderson said. “Every morning we would be out there, and they would be right along with us – showing us how much we were appreciated for being there. They helped us tell the story we needed to tell.”

Henderson says that organi-

should treat people how you would want to be treated. Here he was this big time painter –and he was just so friendly and nice.”

Foote said that it was his kindness that compelled her to agree to come to take the picture that ultimately became the piece. Wiley said that Foote agreed under the condition that her daughter be included in the portrait as well.

It was Lynora that let Lynette know who Wiley was. Lynora knew Wiley’s name from the hit Fox Network drama “Empire” starring Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard. His artwork has been prominently featured on the show.

“People will say, ‘You did that painting in Hakim’s bedroom,’” Wiley said of how he became a household name within urban culture.

Foote couldn’t stop smiling, even when she was asked to do so for the sake of capturing a photo next to the piece in her

zations like The Black Rep are critical to the stories being told with authenticity, grace and love.

“I met Ron when he was just starting the company, so to be a part of this heritage by way of this award is really something incredible,” Henderson said. The Black Rep Gala will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 3rd at Washington University’s 560 Center, 560 Trinity Ave. For more information, Call (314) 534-3807 or visit www.theblackrep.org.

likeness as it appeared on the painting.

“I’m just very grateful,” Foote said. “I’m grateful that he chose me because there were several people and he only picked a few. And he had such an open spirit. I never would have guessed that he was a professional artist on this level.” Foote said that the experience was transformative for her, and not just because she will be forever linked with Wiley and his impressive body of work.

“Seeing his personality, his attitude and how he was with everybody made me more open to people – and more open in dealing people,” Foote said. “And the experience of doing that has changed my whole life.”

“Kehinde Wiley: Saint Louis” is currently on display at the Saint Louis Art Museum through February 10, 2019. For more information, visit www. slam.org

Kehinde Wiley has become a pop culture phenomenon by intersecting the centuriesold art form of classical portrait painting and the celebration of blackness.

Conventions mean jobs

and

Kiara Bryant For

the St. Louis American

Our convention center serves as an anchor to downtown, bringing in hundreds of thousands of out-of-town visitors to the metro area every year. As the front door to our community, improvements to the America’s Center Convention Complex are necessary so that it remains a vital asset and world-class venue for meetings and conventions.

Organizations across the country have a choice when selecting a facility for a convention and we need them to choose St. Louis. Without improvements to our convention center, the community will be negatively impacted as this loss of convention activity will affect the local economy and jobs.

St. Louis welcomes 25 million visitors for leisure, conventions, meetings and business travel every year. These visitors spend $5.8 billion in St. Louis and help create 88,000 jobs for area residents providing annual wages of $2.87 billion.

As one of the region’s largest employers, the America’s Center is a key part our local travel and tourism industry, bringing revenue and employment opportunities to the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County and the State of Missouri. Our convention center hosts roughly 100 events annually, with more than 600,000 attendees, 300,000 hotel room nights and generating $265 million of new direct economic spending for the community according to Johnson Consulting. All of which supports 3,340 full-time jobs for local residents, including everyone from the frontline employees to the skilled technicians and laborers that bring these events to life for the attendees.

Last summer, America’s Center hosted a number of conventions including 25,000 people at the Urban League’s National Convention. The center will once again host The Church of God in

Christ, Inc. Holy Convocation next month.

The building has hosted numerous major conventions, trade shows and exhibitions as well as events as varied as concerts, motocross races and monster truck rallies. In 1999, Pope John Paul II celebrated mass inside the Dome, which was the largest indoor gathering ever held in the U.S. The facility has also played host to a number of large-scale amateur and professional sporting events, including the 2005 NCAA Men’s Final Four. All of these events put the spotlight on St. Louis.

It’s important that St. Louis remains competitive with the likes of cities such as Indianapolis, Nashville San Antonio, Columbus, Louisville and Oklahoma City, just to name a few. All of these cities have recently invested or have plans to invest in their convention centers, with Nashville spending as much as $623 million on building the Nashville City Music Center.

The estimated $175 million AC Next Gen Project will expand and improve our convention center, allowing us to make the needed investments into the America’s Center to not only retain jobs, but grow our convention business and enhance employment opportunities.

Our convention center was originally built in 1977 and is in need of modernization, including expanded and quality exhibit space, improved loading dock access to the exhibit halls, the addition of a sizeable multi-purpose space, improved service access to exhibit halls and meetings areas, as well as other improvements. Upon completion, these enhancements will stabilize the current decline in event bookings and potentially create nearly 36 percent growth, according to the most recent estimates by Johnson Consulting.

There will be no new tax on local residents, as this is only paid by a St. Louis hotel tax. Through the support of legislation proposed by elected officials in both St. Louis City and County, the project will be funded by the extension of payments from the designated fund set up through the hotel and motel taxes collected in St. Louis city and St. Louis County, which was initiated to build The Dome at America’s Center.

America’s Center represents us as a community to hundreds of thousands of event attendees who visit and return to St. Louis for meetings or leisure travel. Your support of the AC Next Gen Project is vital to carrying our community forward. To learn more about the AC Next Gen Project, please visit www.explorestlouis.com.

A rendering of the updated and expanded America’s Center Convention Complex

Doctorate Achievement

Raegan Johnson recently received a doctorate in Public Policy Studies with an emphasis on Urban and Community Development from Saint Louis University. Dr. Johnson’s dissertation focuses on how communities recover from riot trauma through the lens of small businesses. Her research highlights the unrest in Ferguson and Dellwood as a case study. Dr. Johnson currently works at Bayer Crop Science as the HSE Communications and Engagement Lead.

Class of 1968 will celebrate its 50 year reunion on Friday, October 12, 2018 at the Main Street Brewing Center, 6435 West Main Street, Belleville, IL. 62223. For more information contact Linda Ward Spencer (618) 830-8221 or laws50@aol.com.

Celebrations

Youth Award

Congratulations to Jayden Keys, who recently received the Outstanding Youth Achievement Award from the Community Action Agency of St. Louis County. Pictured left to right: Cenia Bosman, CAASTLC President and CEO; Keith Robinson, CAASTLC Associate Director-CSBG; Jayden Keys; Paul Springer, CAASTLC Case Manager

O’Fallon Tech Class of 1968 Reunion will be held on Nov 2, 2018 from 12 p.m. until 3 p.m. at the Hollywood Casino Buffet, Maryland Heights, Missouri. The cost will be $18 per person which will include the buffet, taxes, and gratuities. All classes and PHL graduates are invited to attend.

Beaumont Class of 1978 40th Reunion Extravaganza Save the Date: October 5-7, 2018. Call or text Marietta Shegog Shelby at 314-799-5296 for further details.

East St. Louis Sr. High

Northwest Class of 1979 is planning on cruising for our 40th class reunion and would love for you to join us! Date to sail is set for July 20, 2019 and you can feel free to contact: Duane Daniels at 314-568-2057 or Howard Day at 414-698-4261 for further information. Please don’t miss the boat!

at: soldanclassof1979@gmail. com or call Barbara at 314 456-3391.

Sumner Alumni Association presents it’s Maroon & White Homecoming Week Oct. 8-13, 2018. Bowling Mon. 7-9pm at Crest Bowl ($10), Alumni Happy Hour Wed. at Dejavu II Cafe, Old School Sock Hop Fri., 6-10pm at Sumner ($5/$7), Tailgate/Block Party noon, Sumner’s Homecoming Football Game at Sumner’s Tuskegee Airmen Field at 1pm Sumner vs. Vashon. Contacts: Ms. Prissy at 314.556.3944, Michelle Elgin at 314.452.1275 or email: sumneralumniassn@yahoo. com. All reunion announcements can be viewed online!

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

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

2315 Pine St., St. Louis, MO 63103

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

information to sumner1979@

Sumner Class of 1979 will hold its “Bulldogs Rock the Boat” BIG 4-0 Reunion Cruise, June 22-27, 2019. For further information, email your contact

RELATIONSHIP BANKER

Seeking outgoing candidate with banking experience to represent RBOM at our new in-store branch at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore HQ (63118). Connect with prospects, clients, provide financial education, open new accounts. Full-Time, Benefits, Vacation, Holiday & Sick Pay. Apply at www.royalbanksofmo.com.

PARAMEDICS

Mehlville Fire Protection District

is accepting applications for the position of CRITICAL CARE PARAMEDIC

Starting $56,294; $60,294 w/CCP-C

$84,344 after 4 years

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

REQUIRED: EMT-P certification through the State of Missouri

PREFERRED: CCP-C or FP-C certification Applications accepted September 24 – October 31, 2018, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Headquarters, 11020 Mueller Rd. 63123.

Download application packet at www.mehlvillefire.com

Equal Opportunity Employer.

CCC&C INC. ARMED AND UNARMED SECURITY NEEDED APPLY IN PERSON, EXPERIENCED OFFICERS 6000 W. FLORISSANT AVENUE, STL 63136 NO PHONE CALLS

City of Alton, IL Must have been a full-time Police Officer See website for further requirements and application www.cityofaltonil.com/careers

The Brentwood School District seeks to hire the following position

FT Night Custodian-2:30pm-11pm Mon-Fri during the school year and 7 pm-3:30pm during the summer and as needed

• Custodial experience required. School Custodian experience preferred.

• Must have a stable work history and excellent attendance

• Demonstrate aptitude/competency for assigned responsibilities

• Demonstrates initiative, cooperation and enthusiasm

• Must be willing to open to learning basic computer programs Terms of Employment

• 12-month, full-time position.

• Board paid medical, dental, and vision for employee.

• As a condition of employment, all new hires will be required to complete a FBI, State Highway Patrol and Children’s Division of the Department of Social Services background check.

Visit the following website for to apply: www.brentwoodmoschools.org

Click on the Human Resources tab at the top of the page. Deadline is 11 p.m., Wednesday, October 31, 2018. Only online applications are accepted. If you have applied in the past you will need to reapply. Please No Phone Calls. EOE.

https://www.cbizems.com/extranet/ recruiting.aspx?id=2A2725CB-7BD640E1-9E12-4BEC3B92A10E&src=stlamerican&rqid=C08E5581-425D-4A81893F-9C5D056CC039?id=2A2725CB7BD6-40E1-9E12-4BEC3B92A10E&src=stlamerican&rqid=C08E5581-425D-4A 81-893F-9C5D056CC039

JOB POSTING CORRECTION

LIEUTENANT

The City of Jennings is seeking applications for the position of Correctional Lieutenant. This position is responsible for the administration of the jail and supervision of correctional officers. Duties include, but are not limited to, overseeing jail functions, enforcing rules and regulations, overseeing training of new employees, preparation and monitoring of departmental budget, working with federal, state and local agencies and the St. Louis County Police Department.

Five years of experience as a correctional and/or police officer and four years management experience is required. Must have a valid driver’s license. Starting salary is $42,000 - $45,000 annually.

HELPWANTED:

Great Rivers Greenway

OUTREACH SPECIALIST

Great Rivers Greenway is seeking up to three permanent, part-time, Outreach Specialists to set up and staff information table/booth at regional festivals, races or other events on an as-needed basis. To apply, visit www.GreatRiversGreenway.org/jobs

DISTRIBUTION SPECIALIST

Great Rivers Greenway is seeking up to four independent contractors to identify, document and assist with the distribution of maps & information about regional greenways. Distribution will focus primarily on medical or allied health profession waiting rooms. To apply, visit www.GreatRiversGreenway.org/jobs

FULL-TIME POLICE OFFICER

The City of Eureka (population approximately 11,000) is accepting applications for a full-time Police Officer. There is no application deadline, and interviews will be conducted periodically until the position is filled.Application and job description available at Eureka Police Dept., 120 City Hall Dr., Eureka, MO and on the City’s website at www.eureka.mo.us. Starting salary is $50,500.00, plus excellent benefits. For additional information, call 636-938-6600 (Relay Missouri: 1-800-735-2466). The City of Eureka is an EOE/ADAemployer.

CITY OF JENNINGS SPECIAL SERVICES COORDINATOR

Responsibilities include managing purchasing, inventory, safety and risk management, fleet management overseeing information technology and social media programs. Starting salary of $38,825 (GS15). Minimum Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in related fields or equivalent experience, plus two years of municipal government/ public administration of similar duties.

HANDYMAN NEEDED

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

for Insurance opportunity call 314-332-4311

Missouri Historical Society New Openings

The Missouri Historical Society has position openings for the following:

• Coordinator, President’s Office

• Editor

• Exhibition Designer

• Processing Assistant (American Legion Collection)

• Reservations Assistant

• Visual Materials Associate Processing Archivist

Interested applicants must complete a Corrections application, which is available at Jennings City Hall, 2120 HordAvenue or online at www. cityofjennings.org. NO RESUMES ACCEPTED WITHOUT COMPLETEDAPPLICATION! Returned application must include a current record check from St. Louis City and County Police Dept and copy of your valid driver’s license. The deadline to submit applications is November 15, 2018 at 4:30 p.m. REINSURANCE ACCOUNTANT

Applications are available at Jennings City Hall, 2120 Hord Ave., or online at www.cityofjennings.org. NO RESUMES WILL BE ACCEPTED UNLESS ACCOMPANIED BY A CITY OF JENNINGS APPLICATION! Applications are accepted at Jennings City Hall or can be emailed to jobs@cityofjennings.org until Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at 4:30 p.m.

RECRUITER

Safety National has an opening for a newly created position to join our talent acquisition team. The ideal candidate will have at least 2 years’ experience as a recruiter in the Insurance/Financial services industry with an emphasis in IT recruitment. Safety National is recognized as a Best Place to Work in Insurance by Business Insurance Magazine and as a Top Work Place in St. Louis, MO by the St. Louis Post Dispatch! To apply, please visit: https://www.safetynational.com/ careers-page/.

ENTERPRISE PROGRAM MANAGER

The Enterprise Program Management Office at Safety National is growing! If you know someone who has experience managing projects, programs, and portfolios and is looking to join a top rated company where they can make an immediate impact, with tremendous professional development opportunities, please pass the word along! Safety National is recognized as a Best Place to Work in Insurance by Business Insurance Magazine and as a Top Work Place in St. Louis, MO by the St. Louis Post Dispatch! To apply, please visit: https://www. safetynational.com/careers-page/.

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

An Equal Opportunity Employer

VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION COUNSELOR

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

To ensure that the daily tasks required to perform ceded and assumed reinsurance and program accounting are completed accurately and timely. Responsible for claims payment funds for Large Casualty claims and Large Primary Workers Compensation over the SIR andAGG limits. To apply, please visit: https://www. safetynational.com/careers-page/.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The St. Louis Economic Development Partnership (the “Partnership”) solicits proposals from qualified firms to provide liaison services with state-level governmental officials, agencies, and elected representatives.

To be considered, proposals must be received no later than 3:00 PM CST on Thursday, November 15, 2018. Proposals should be sent by email to hbean@stlpartnership.com, or to St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, ATTN: Howl Bean II, 7733 Forsyth Blvd., Suite 2200, St. Louis, Missouri 63105. DBE, MBE, and WBE consultants are encouraged to bid, and a five percent bid preference may be available to certified MBE firms.

The Request for Proposals may be obtained from the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership’s web site at www.stlpartnership.com. The Partnership reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive informalities therein. Any questions should be directed to Howl Bean II at (314) 615-7663 or hbean@stlpartnership.com.

St. Louis Economic Development Partnership Equal Opportunity Employer

LETTING #8678

FIVE NEW PASSENGER BOARDING BRIDGES AT GATES C-30,

A-8,

A-10, A-14 AND A-15

Sealed proposals will be received by the Board of Public Service in Room 208 City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Mo. Until 1:45 PM, CT, on Tuesday, November 27, 2018 then publicly opened and read. Plans and Specifications may be examined on the Board of Public Service website http://www.stl-bps.org/planroom.aspx (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 (including MBE/WBE policies). ). Mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018, at 10:00 AM in the Ozark Conference Room at the Airport Office Building, 11495 Navaid Rd., Bridgeton, MO 63044.

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).

MWBE Prebid Meeting Notice

The SITE Improvement Association is hosting a Prebid meeting for Qualified and Certified MWBE contractors to discuss working on MSD’s Coldwater Upstream Pump Station (P-180) Storage Unincorporated St. Louis County Contract Letting No. 12126-015.1

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

Fred M. Luth & Sons, Inc.

J.M. Marschuetz Construction Co.

4516 McRee Ave. 15 Truitt Drive St. Louis, MO 63110 Eureka, MO 63025

314/771-3892 636/938-3600

The meeting will take place at 10:00 a.m.

November 1, 2018 SITE Improvement Association Office 2071 Exchange Drive St. Charles, MO 63303

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

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Paric Corporation is seeking proposals for the following project: Ameren St. Louis North Metro Operations Center.

The project consists of a 19,600 sf office building, 6,400 sf vehicle storage building, open truck shelter and trailer storage on a 6.7 acre site.

The project includes but is not limited to concrete, masonry, steel fabrication & erection, rough & finish carpentry, casework, membrane roofing, metal wall panels, architectural sheetmetal, doors/ frames, storefront, drywall, flooring, painting, ACT ceilings, specialties, pre-engineered metal buildings, plumbing, mechanical, fire protection, electrical, grading, utilities, asphalt, landscaping, fencing.

The project has supplier diversity goals of 25% MBE and 10% Other (Women, Veteran/Service Disabled, LGBT).

Bids for this project are due on November 5th at 12:00 p.m. For any questions or would like to find out more detailed information on this opportunity, please contact Evan Chiles at 636-561-9544 or emchiles@paric.com.

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

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

PARIC

CITY OF ST. LOUIS BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICA-

TIONS for PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR OPEN-ENDED MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, AND PLUMBING DESIGN SERVICES AT ST. LOUIS LAMBERT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. Statements of Qualifications due by 5:00 PM CT, OCTOBER 25, 2018 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 314-622-3535. 25% MBE and 5% WBE participation goals.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for 2018 ITS Program

– Bellefontaine Road and North & South Road, St. Louis County Project No. AR-1690, will be received at the Office of the Director of Procurement for the County of St. Louis, County Government Center Administration Building, 41 South Central Avenue, 8th Floor, Clayton, Missouri 63105, until 11:00 a.m. on November 7, 2018

Plans and specifications will be available on October 15, 2018 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www. stlouisco.com), or by contacting County Blue Reprographics, Inc., 1449 Strassner Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63144, (314) 961-3800.

Public

Notice of Single Source Procurement

Notice is hereby given that the

Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to procure: FOXBORO SERVER UPGRADE 2018. The District is proposing single source procurement for this equipment because RE PEDROTTI COMPANY is the only known available source for the equipment. Any inquiries should be sent to gjamison@stlmsd.com.

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

Public Notice of Single Source Procurement

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to procure: ONBOARDING AND PERFORMANCE SOFTWARE. NEOGOV was used for the service. Any inquiries should be sent to gjamison@stlmsd.com.

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

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

The Gateway Arch Park Foundation is seeking preferred vendors for private events at The Gateway Arch. Please visit https://www.archpark.org/ events/preferred-vendors and submit by November 9, 2018.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for 2018 ITS Program

– Ballas Road and Dougherty Ferry Road, St. Louis County Project No. AR-1691, will be received at the Office of the Director of Procurement for the County of St. Louis, County Government Center Administration Building, 41 South Central Avenue, 8th Floor, Clayton, Missouri 63105, until 11:00 a.m. on November 7, 2018

Plans and specifications will be available on October 15, 2018 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouisco.com), or by contacting County Blue Reprographics, Inc., 1449 Strassner Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63144, (314) 961-3800.

RFP FOR PROP S YOUTH AT RISK PROGRAMS

The Public Safety Committee of the Board of Aldermen has approximately $950,000 available to award in calendar year 2019 for programs designed to prevent crimes perpetrated by youth in the City of St. Louis. The Committee is seeking proposals from qualified notfor-profit organizations to serve at-risk youth in the 11 to 24 year-old demographic. For the purposes of this RFP, crime prevention programs are defined as those programs that, either on an individual or group level, work to reduce the likelihood of youth involvement in criminal activity. An award range from $15,000 to $200,000 has been established for proposals submitted pursuant to this RFP. Please visit https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/ government/procurement.cfm or contact Kim Cole, Department of Public Safety, at 314-622-3391 for more information.

winning bids. Units: Col. A020 – Sherry Gogolek, Col. 5 – Chico Hudson, Col. 30 –Brian Killingsworth, Col. 43 – Ted Goldschmidt, Col. 123 – Laura Kelley, Col. 126 – Tony Reichwein, Dupo 7 – James Arms, Sr., Dupo 26 – Matt Tudor, Dupo 65 – Jennifer Goforth, Dupo 70 – Matt Ratterman, Dupo 86 –Diana Merzweiler, Dupo 105 – Amanda Venus, Dupo 150 – Joe Barnhardt, Dupo 125/126 – Tammy Watson, Bel. 17 –Lona Bray, Bel. 25 – Jestin Boone, Bel. 28 – Jessica Bailey, Bel. 101 – Cecelie Holmes, Bel. 122 – Michael Vogelsberg, Bel. 206/215 – Bridget Williams, Bel. 219 – Jaye Jones, Bel. 306 – Tony Cotton, Bel. 311 – Jennifer Pribble, Bel. 319 – Tameka Lilton, Bel. 409 – Donny & Mesha Sykes, Bel. 412 – Lakeshia Nicholson, Bel. 504 – Mark Hall, Bel. 514 – Brittany Ramsey, Bel. 522 - Arthur Berreman, Bel. 528 – Tara Davis, Bel. 532 – Beverly Driver, Bel. 533 - Kasandra Atwater, Bel. 544 -Elijah Cadle, Bel. 612 – Sean Cohagan, Bel. 625 – Yeishea Vaughn, Bel. 636 –Jules Johansen/Daryl Jones, Bel. A05/ A06 – Rashonda Coates, Bel. A14 –Allen Klingelhoefer, Bel. A17 – Michelle Morgan, Bel. B02 – Chiquita Bartlett, Bel. C03 – Charles Ballard, Bel. C04 –Vernice Smith, Bel. C08 -Latasha Little, Bel. D04 – Rashonda Coates, Bel. E05 –Samishia Delarocha For all rules, regulations and bidding process, contact Jersey County Auctions. All other questions, please call 618-421-4022 or mail PO Box 81, Dupo, IL 62239.

Public Notice of Single Source Procurement

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to procure: 12 month maintenance service for digester gas cleaning assembly. The District is proposing single source procurement to Unison Solutions for this service because Unison Solutions is the original installer and the sole maintenance service provider. Any inquiries should be sent to ameyer@stlmsd.com.

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

Public Notice of Single Source Procurement Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to procure: RECONFIGURATION OF HR SPACE. WAREHOUSE OF FIXTURES was used for this service. Any inquiries should be sent to gjamison@stlmsd.com.

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

PUBLIC NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

A public hearing will be held by the St. Louis Port Authority from 2:00 P.M. on Wednesday, October 31, 2018, at St. Louis Development Corporation in the Board Room, 1520 Market Street, Suite 2000, St. Louis, MO 63103, to notify the public of a recommendation for a change in the current adjusted base rate for rental of all land and mooring privileges owned by the City of St. Louis which is situated within the Port District.

RFP Announcement

The Missouri Historical Society Press is seeking a graphic designer for the Mighty Mississippi book project. For details and contact, please visit: http://mohistory.org/about/ requests-for-proposal/graphic-designer-for-mighty-mississippi-book/ Proposals Due: November 16, 2018

An Equal Opportunity Employer

For Bids (SFB)

PUBLIC NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

A public hearing will be held by the St. Louis Port Authority from 2:00 P.M. on Wednesday, October 31, 2018, at St. Louis Development Corporation in the Board Room, 1520 Market Street, Suite 2000, St. Louis, MO 63103, to notify the public of a recommendation for a change in the current adjusted base rate for rental of all land and mooring privileges owned by the City of St. Louis which is situated within the Port District.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:

STL Co. Gov., Reno. of 911 Backup Call Ctr., RFP 2018-66-TP. All M/WBE subcontractors providing proposals to Demien Const. should submit the info. required under Part B and Part C of the bid documents with the bid proposal. Due 11/05/18; 3PM / 636.332.5500 / 636.332.5465 Fax / Call for Email

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Paric Corporation is seeking proposals for the following project: PWC – St. Louis

The project consists of a 40,000 sf office build-out in the Ball Park Village Block 100 Tower in downtown St. Louis, MO.

A pre-bid meeting will be held on Tuesday October 23, 2018 at the Paric jobsite trailer for Ball Park Village Block 100 located off of Broadway Street in downtown St. Louis. The current structure is still under construction & this meeting is by no means mandatory. There is parking available in the Ball Park Village parking lot, but parking will not be validated for this meeting. Bids for this project are due on November 5, 2018 by 5:00 PM (CST). For any questions or if you would like to find out more detailed information on this opportunity, please contact Cameron Lang at 314-280-3058 or cclange@paric.com or Evan Fox at 314-578-2542 or ecfox@paric.com .

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

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

PARIC CORPORATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

LETTING NO. 8677

TOWER GROVE PARK NEIGHBORHOOD

ACCESS ENHANCEMENTS

NO. TAP 5670(604), ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

Sealed proposals will be received by the Board of Public Service in Room 208 City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Mo. Until 1:45 PM, CT, on NOVEMBER 20, 2018, then publicly opened and read. Drawings and Specifications may be examined on the Board of Public Service website http://www. stl-bps.org/planroom.aspx (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.

The prime contractor must have a fully responsive contractor questionnaire on file with the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission at least 7 days prior to bid opening date in order for MODOT to concur with the award of this project. Bidders shall comply with all applicable City, State and Federal laws (including DBE policies).

There will be a pre-bid conference for this contract on November 6, 2018, 9:00 a.m., City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri Room 305. All bidders are encouraged to attend the pre-bid meeting.

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).

The City of St. Louis hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, ancestry, or national origin in consideration for an award.

Contractors and sub-contractors who sign a contract to work on public works project provide a 10-Hour OSHA construction safety program, or similar program approved by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, to be completed by their on-site employees within sixty (60) days of beginning work on the construction project.

The DBE Goal for this project is 16%

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District will receive RFQ’s in the Purchasing Division, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103-2555 until 10:00 a.m. on November 27, 2018 to contract with a company for: New 2019 Single Axle Bricklayers Truck with Custom Features. Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from www.stlmsd.com, click on the “MSD AT WORK” link, (bid opportunities). The bid document will be identified as 9637 RFQ. If you do not have access to the internet, call 314.768.2735 to request a copy of this bid. Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

NOTICE:

Regarding: Ameren North Metro Operations Center

Dear Qualified MBE/WBE/VOB/ SDVOB/LGBTQ/etc. Contracting Firms, KAI Design & Build is seeking qualified Diverse Business Enterprises for subcontracting opportunities on the Ameren North Metro Operations Center project which will be located at 4427 Geraldine Ave., St. Louis, MO 63115. Proposals will be due on Tuesday, November 6, 2018, promptly at 2:00 PM CST at KAI Design & Build Headquarters, 2060 Craigshire Road, Saint Louis, MO 63146. We strongly encourage interested parties to contact KAI Design & Build to learn more about the project and the desired diversity goals. Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Joe Kabance at jkabance@kai-db.com or 314.241.8188. We appreciate your interest in this project!

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:

Great Rivers Greenway is seeking proposals for materials testing and inspections for Mississippi Greenway: Katherine Ward Burg Garden (#402). Check https://greatriversgreenway.org/ jobs-bids/ and submit by November 15, 2018.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:

Great Rivers Greenway is seeking bids for the rental and service of portable restrooms as needed for a period of three years (2019-2021). Check https://greatriversgreenway.org/ jobs-bids/ and submit by November 16, 2018.

KELLER

CONSTRUCTION INC.

Requests subcontractor and or material supplier quotations from Illinois Department of Transportation Certified subcontractors, suppliers and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises for the letting to be held November 9, 2018. Interested parties should contact Keller Construction at (618) 656-0033. All quotations must be submitted by 4:30 PM Wednesday November 7, 2018. Keller Construction is an equal opportunity employer.

SEALED BIDS

for Roof Replacement, Multiple Radio Tower Locations, West, Central & East Missouri, Project No. R1803-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 12/6/2018. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/ facilities

NOTICE TO MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE

Korte & Luitjohan Contractors, Inc. 12052 Highland Road, Highland, IL 62249 (618) 654-9877 (Phone) 618654-9778 (FAX), is seeking qualified MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISES for ST. LOUIS COUNTY GOVERNMENT, RENOVATION OF 911 BACKUP CALL CENTER RFP #2018-66,: Subcontracting opportunities in the following areas: Site Work, Concrete, Painting, Electrical, Mechanical, HVAC, Hauling, and Seeding/Fertilizing. All interested Minority Business Enterprise Businesses should contact, IN WRITING, (certified letter, return receipt requested), Ken Robinson, to discuss the subcontracting opportunities. All negotiations must be completed prior to the bid opening bid date of November 6, 2018. Proposals will be evaluated in order on the basis of low responsive bid received.

BIDS

Y1902-01 willbereceived byFMDC, StateofMO, UNTIL1:30 PM,11/15/2018. Forspecific project information andordering plans,go to:http://oa.mo. gov/ facilities

CITY OF ST. LOUIS BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS for PROFESSIONAL PLANNING SERVICES FOR AIRPORT LAYOUT PLAN UPDATE AT ST. LOUIS LAMBERT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. Statements of Qualifications due by 5:00 PM CT, OCTOBER 29, 2018 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 314-622-3535. 15% DBE participation goal.

Gladys Knight and Peabo have still got it. When I settled into my seat to catch the one and only Gladys Knight get it in with crooner Peabo Bryson as the appetizer, I knew my heart would be glad. I was right for more reasons than one. First off, was I the only one who didn’t know that Peabo played instruments? I mean, his voice is so silky smooth that it almost seems unfair that he can do other things too, but he can. Peabo brought that heat – and not only with “Feel The Fire.” From start to finish I got every bit of my whole entire life. I was looking sideways when he said he was going to do some new music – and the that sideeye evolved into a double roll with a twist when he said the title of the song was “All I Want to do is You.” But when he started playing it, I must admit it was a jam. When Gladys Knight took the stage in her red hot fire outfit and full-sized heels, I knew I was in for a show. Her voice wasn’t as pristine as it was the last time she came to town, but she still put on a show. Anybody that can work the stage like that in their 70s has earned my praise. I really enjoyed how she worked in newer music – like Sam Smith and Bruno Mars into her mix. She must love her some Bruno, because there was more than one nod to his musical catalog. I could tell the crowd wished that she had done a little less talking –mainly because they kept hollering every time she stopped singing. But I say, let a legend do her thing. And any excess chatter was forgiven by the time she got to “Midnight Train to Georgia.” The folks lost it. And that’s folks of all ages – from aunties on down. Kickin’ it with Kehinde. When tell you that the folks at the Saint Louis Fashion Fund pulled off one of the most saucerific (yes, I made that word up) party experiences I’ve been to in a minute, trust me. They showed famed artist Kehinde Wiley some love following the opening of his exhibition “Kehinde Wiley: Saint Louis” at the Saint Louis Art Museum with a haute after set. The who’s of the who’s who was in the place on this good evening – starting with Kehinde himself and his wonderful twin brother Taiwo. If I get to naming names, I know I will be in trouble. But let me tip my bun to Naretha Hopson for doing a mid-party wardrobe change. Girl, so we just changing entire looks at parties now ... that’s what we’re doing? Well, you win! I was shook with delight. Visual artists Damon Davis and Kevin McCoy and performing artists Duane Foster and TreG were on site as well. And I finally got a chance to congratulate Vincent Flewellen on his new gig over at Webster University. Don’t worry Vincent, Dr. Stroble loves us and won’t be mad that I shouted you out as one of the tastemakers who made Kehinde feel at home.

A classic boogie for Kut’s Big 5-0. Y’all know it was only right that I help the one and only DJ Kut ring in his big 5-0 at Boogie Nights on Saturday and I’m so glad I stopped through. He won’t be mad at me for telling his age – especially since he saw all the folks in the building who drove all the to Hollywood Casino to kick it with him. That’s the most packed its been in a minute. Plenty of his Radio One St. Louis team was in the place, including one of my faves Deevine Soundz!!!! Big up to the book writers! It was by sheer happenstance that I ended up over at Exodus Gallery for the Bawse Collective presentation of The Bailey West Experience Saturday evening, but I’m so glad I ran into a friend who told me I needed to be there – just about anything my girl Melva Paden Moore endorses, I will try to support. I knew I was going to have a good time when I hit the door and saw the Love Jones Band doing their thing. I promise you I’ll never tire of hearing of them. I wish I could say the same about a few other bands who shall remain nameless. Wait, this is a positive post, so I dare not get petty. Let me shout out the wonderful folks I saw giving love to our local authors. Sharon, you always have my back when I’m at the Ambassador and I feel like telling you this right now. Okay, back to Bawse….Bailey West was getting showered by love and support by her family, friends and fans – and the event gave shine to rising local author Marlee Rae. I also saw fellow author Jo Lena Johnson and my girl Jody Squires on the scene.

Happy Nappiversery. The kinks, coils, twists, locs, curls and fros were front and center Saturday night as James Biko celebrated the 6th Anniversary of Supernatural at Urb Arts. Natural Uhuru was in the place – as was Erica B. of Healthy Hair Solutions. Listen, she slangs that Whisper Whip, let me tell you. And be sure to get you some if you come across her. Anyway, I also was pleasantly surprised by running into the Knuckles as I kicked it. Aloha is about the only woman in the world who can do the most as much as she does and have me love her all the more for it. Girl, you were rocking that Wonder Woman cape so tough that for a second (just a second) I considered working it into my

2019 wardrobe.

Salute

Sharniece, Shamara, Aleah and Jasmine kicked back @ Shisha Saturday night

Naretha Hopson with celebrated visual artist Kehinde Wiley as the Saint Louis Fashion Fund hosted an ultra-posh opening party for “Kehinde Wiley: Saint Louis”

Black Rep family Ron Himes, Denise Thimes, J. Samuel Davis and Heather Himes soaked in the classic soul by Peabo Bryson and Gladys Knight Friday @ The Fox

Author Bailey West and her husband Brian felt the love from fans and supporters @ BAWSE Collective Presents The Bailey West Experience Saturday @ Exodus Gallery

The Level 10 squad invited family, friends and clients into the shop on Sunday as they celebrated their grand opening

Rockwell Knuckles and Aloha Mi’Sho a.k.a. The Knuckles came through for Supernatural’s 6th “Nappiversary” Saturday night @ Urb Arts

Jaquan and Destiney showed love to Supernatural 6th “Nappiversary” set Saturday night @ Urb Arts

Vincent was among the stylish crowd that stopped through Saint Louis Fashion Fund to toast the opening of SLAM’s ‘Kehinde Wiley: Saint Louis’ Friday night

Felicia and Melva @ BAWSE Collective Presents The Bailey West Experience Saturday @ Exodus Gallery

Jo Lena, Marlee and Jody @ BAWSE Collective Presents The Bailey West Experience Saturday @ Exodus Gallery

Hip-hop veteran turned stage actor Snoop Dogg paid a visit to the one and only DJ Kut at the 95.5 FM studios just ahead of his starring role in JeCaryous Johnson’s “Redemption of A Dogg” when it played Stifel Theatre Friday night.

Faith compels support of higher minimum wage

Peace and Justice Commission of St. Louis Archdiocese endorses Proposition B

American staff

The Peace and Justice Commission of the St. Louis Archdiocese endorsed Proposition B, the Missouri statewide ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2023. Proposition B will be on Missouri ballots statewide on November 6. Absentee voting is underway.

“As stated in this year’s Labor Day Statement from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, ‘Just Wages and Human Flourishing,’ the church’s traditional teaching holds that wages must honor a person’s dignity and ability to contribute to the common good of civil society and family wellbeing,” said Marie Kenyon, director of the Peace and Justice Commission.

“Every worker has a right to a just wage according to the criterion of justice, which St. John XXIII described as wages that give the worker and his family a standard of living in keeping with dignity of the human person. Missouri’s current minimum wage is too low to honor this teaching.”

Proposition B will raise Missouri’s minimum wage gradually to $12 an hour by 2023, helping 260,000 children who live with parents earning minimum wage and 100,000

senior citizens and near retirees who are working hard to try to make ends meet.

“We have thousands of our sisters and brothers across the state working hard to raise their families, but still living in poverty,” Kenyon said. “We must do better. We must raise the minimum wage.”

Missouri’s minimum wage is currently $7.85 an hour – which translates to earnings of just $314 a week, or barely $16,000 a year before taxes – for someone working full time.

“Three hundred fourteen dollars a week is not enough to raise a family or care for a parent or loved one. The cost of basic necessities has gone up for years, but wages have not increased accordingly,” Kenyon said.

“There are thousands of health care staffers, teacher’s aides, janitors, and other workers across

our state who work full time but still cannot meet their family’s basic needs. Our faith demands that we speak out and advocate for them and their families, which is why we are supporting Proposition B.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “The development of economic activity and growth in production are meant to provide for the needs of human beings. Economic life is not meant solely to multiply goods produced and increase profit or power; it is ordered first of all to the service of persons, of the whole man, and of the entire human community.”

Kenyon said not only Catholics are compelled to support an increased minimum wage.

“We encourage all people of faith to stand in support of our human community by voting

The Archdiocese of St. Louis held a “Mass for Peace and Justice” on August 20, 2014, shortly after the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson. The Archdiocese’s Peace and Justice Commission is continuing its work on racial equity and human rights.

‘yes’ on Proposition B this November to raise Missouri’s minimum wage,” said Kenyon. The St. Louis Archdiocese created the Peace and Justice Commission in 2015, when Archbishop Robert Carlson appointed 27 individuals to serve as members. Members of the Commission include lay persons, clergy, religious sisters, economists, attorneys, and educators. The commission develops its priorities by looking at how issues affecting the St. Louis region specifically impact the family, because by working to strengthen the family, the Commission hopes to help build stronger communities and a peaceful and just region and world.

For more information on the Peace and Justice Commission, visit: https://www.archstl.org/ peace-and-justice-commission.

The Message

Free will, the roller coaster

You know life at times can appear to be just one big roller coaster, a frightening one at that. It’s full of twists and turns, people and events, ups and downs that would make anyone skeptical as to its purpose.

Free will is supposed to have something to do with how we live our lives by the decisions we make or do not make. We find ourselves caught up in quagmires of discontent due to situations we created by simply making the wrong decisions, taking the wrong path or by making the wrong choice.

Believe me. It can make your stomach turn.

That’s why I’m finding the subject of change in scripture so fascinating. “In paths that they have not known, I will guide them” (Isaiah 42:16) clearly indicates that when you attempt to change your life, seek God because divine help will be needed.

Whenever someone in the Bible begins to accept God’s Word, change is inevitable, fear is prevalent and faith gets challenged. Walking by faith and not by sight is unnatural in the natural world. This kind of change in your spiritual life speaks to everything in your supernatural existence.

Joshua 1:9 lets us know that from the moment we begin to expand our awareness of God, we must take Him everywhere we go or constantly lose ourselves to our own devices much like the Israelites in the desert: “Be not dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with you wherever you go.”

The easiest thing to fall prey to in this life is all of the temptations that come your way every day. We do live in a materialistic society that is framed in 30-second sound bites and news of instant wealth and fame and the pursuit of more. If there is no spiritual fallback position, you are forever caught up in defining yourself by how much you have, what you can buy and what pleasures you can exploit. Under those conditions alone, life will make you feel inadequate, alone and anxious.

More is never enough. Spiritual awareness, now that’s different. “My presence shall go with you and give you rest.” Exodus 33:14.

The understanding of eternal existence and the spiritual side of man allows you to put into perspective the absurdities and contradictions in life. Focus on God brings clarity to the soul and order to chaos. Peace of mind abounds in the hearts of those who seek His truth. Purpose is simplified and life becomes much easier to navigate.

In this context, free will merely acts as confirmation of the obvious. “Whatever is born of God overcomes the world.” 1 John 5:4.

Columnist James Washington

Photo by Camille Phillips / St. Louis Public Radio