October 6th, 2016 Edition

n “When we do

T-Dubb-O said, “if we put

we

Millennials prepare for Nov. 8 election

Harris-Stowe students urge peers to vote: ‘It’s

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis

voters, talk to the media and understand complex voter ID laws in their states.

“It’s extremely important for us to provide our voices, because the older generations are not going through what we’re going through,” said T-Dubb-O, a freshman at Harris-Stowe State

More than $500K in scholarships

Annual Salute to Excellence in Education celebrates students, teachers

Sisters

By Gwen Swan

By Kenya Vaughn Of

n “Since 1994, the St. Louis American Foundation, together with its education partners, has fostered over $4.5 million in scholarships and community grants.”

– Donald M. Suggs

Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala at America’s Center on Saturday, October 1. She knew that the more than 1,200 Salute guests knew better, but was so compelled by the success story of 2016 Monsanto School of Excellence recipient Riverview Gardens High School that she felt the need to encourage them to remind others.

More than $500,000 in scholarships was awarded to students. Scholarships endowed in the name of American Publisher Donald M. Suggs – from undergraduate to post-graduate studies – were presented by University Missouri-Columbia (the foundation’s first scholarship partner), Southeast Missouri State University, Missouri State University, Harris-Stowe State University, , St. Louis Community College, Webster University, Maryville University and (the foundation’s newest scholarship partner) Fontbonne University.

The St. Louis American Foundation’s total

Gloria Taylor, cofounder and CEO of Community Women Against

poses with two sisters who have benefitted from the non-profit’s services, Candace

and Crystal Henderson. Through October 21, CWAH is accepting nominations for people needing help through its 2016 People Against Poverty campaign.

Riverview Gardens School Board chair Lynn Beckwith, Superintendent Scott Spurgeon and Associate Principal Traci Nave applauded Riverview Gardens High School Principal Darius Kirk for the school being honored as 2016 Monsanto School of Excellence at the St. Louis American Foundation’s 29th annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala at America’s Center on Saturday, October 1.

Photo by Maurice Meredith

Photo by Wiley Price

Hardship,

Henderson

Photo by Rebecca Rivas

Gunmen rob Kim K. at Paris rental, $10M in jewels reportedly stolen

Sunday night, Kanye West abruptly ended his concert in New York after learning his wife, Kim Kardashian, had been bound, gagged, and robbed at gunpoint in Paris.

E! News reported that the French Interior Ministry said five men threatened a concierge with a weapon, handcuffed him and forced him to open Kardashian’s private apartment. The Paris Prosecutor’s office confirmed two of the men gained entry to her room. Among the items stolen included one of Kardashian’s rings, worth an estimated $4.49 million, as well as a box of jewelry worth an estimated $5.6 million.

According to NBC News New York, the five men escaped on bikes. They are still at large. A source reveals to E!

News Kardashian was gagged and bound at her hands and feet, then handcuffed and held at gunpoint.

“She begged for them to let her live and [said] she has babies at home,”

The source said. “Then they wrapped her mouth in tape and put her in the bathtub. Scared and alone, Kardashian feared the worst. She thought they were for sure going to kill her.”

After the men left with “all her jewelry,” Kardashian “broke out of her bindings and got out,” the source told

Later, after speaking with Parisian police, the reality star boarded a plane. According to The Sun, Kardashian is fearful that another sex tape scandal may unfold as a result of the robbery.

“Much of the terror and shock she is still suffering is due to the real fear that pictures and videos on her two pinched mobile phones leak online,” a source close to the Kardashians told the paper.

“There is footage on the devices that was only ever meant to stay private. It would be catastrophic for Kim if her personal property was made public. She’s at her wits’ end.”

Gun case against Chris Brown reportedly falling apart

Last month, singer Chris Brown was arrested at his home after an hours long SWAT stand-off after he was accused of pulling a gun on a friend of a houseguest who claimed Chris accused her of trying to steal some jewelry

According to TMZ, the case is stalling because of miniscule evidence.

“Sources close to the investigation tell us ... the reason the case has not gone forward is that the D.A. is unimpressed with the evidence assembled by cops,” TMZ.com said.

“As we reported, the case was supposed to be submitted to prosecutors 2 weeks ago but the D.A. kicked it back for lack of evidence.”

Shawty Lo casket stopped by strip club

Last week, Atlanta rapper Shawty Lo died in a horrific car crash on the way home from the Blue Flame Lounge gentleman’s club.

The Blue Flame used the establishment’s Instagram account to share video footage of the rapper’s strip club processional.

Toni Braxton ‘fine’ after hospitalization

Singer Toni Braxton was hospitalized in Atlanta due to complications related to her battle with lupus last week.

A rep for the singer confirmed to The Huffington Post that Braxton has since been released and is at home resting.

“She was not in serious condition, though Lupus is a serious disease and must be monitored at all times,” the rep said.

Toni Braxton

Before he was laid to rest, Shawty Lo’s casket was driven by his favorite after hours spot one last time on Friday night – the evening before his funeral services.

TMZ reported that Braxton was in the hospital for four days, noting it’s unclear whether she checked herself in or was transported by an ambulance. Braxton’s boyfriend, rapper Bryan “Birdman” Williams, reportedly boarded a plane from Texas to Atlanta when he heard the news, according to TMZ. Braxton first revealed that she had lupus in 2010, when she accepted the Women In Achievement Award from Lupus LA. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack its own tissue and organs.

Sources: TMZ.com, E! News, Huffington Post, Instagram.

Clergy call for ‘Moral Revolution of Values’

By Mariah Stewart

Of The St. Louis American

tour hosted by well-known clergy members. “The Revival: Time for a Moral Revolution of Values,” is a multi-denominational church tour with an effort to “redefine morality in American politics,” according to the tour’s website. The local event was held at Christ The King United Church of Christ in Florissant, which is pastored by Rev. Traci Blackmon, executive minister of the United Church of Christ’s Justice and Witness Ministries and one of the tour’s leaders.

“We don’t have a Republican problem. We don’t have a Democratic problem. We have a heart problem,” Rev. William J. Barber II told the congregation. “We have a heart problem, with money and greed, political hubris and ego, and [believing that] beating your opponent is more important than working to uplift humanity.” Barber, who co-founded the revival tour, is pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina and a national board member of the NAACP. Barber is best known for leading the “Moral Monday” movement – civil disobedience protests that began in North Carolina and have spread across the country. Barber most recently helped

suffered a massive heart attack.”

A 2014 study found that approximately 218 to 700 Missourians will die every year because Medicaid has not been expanded by the Missouri Legislature.

“We cannot take it anymore,“ Baker told the church. “I am mad, I am fed up and I will not stop protesting until this state passes Medicaid expansion.” Rasheen Aldridge, the youngest Ferguson Commission member and a community activist, spoke on the unsettling feeling young activists had during the death of Michael Brown Jr. and the importance of protesting.

Thomas Payton testified about being suspended and expelled from elementary school and getting locked up in juvenile detention for one month at the age of 10. Payton also shared that he spent his 14th birthday in the juvenile system.

“That is an experience that no child should have to endure.” Payton told the congregation.

During the revival, speakers encouraged attendees to get involved in the fight for moral justice by joining organizations such as Empower Missouri, Show Me $15, Missouri Jobs With Justice and Metropolitan Congregations United.

Rev. Traci Blackmon, who emceed for the event, told the congregation how the first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, held the night before, failed to mention the issues brought up during the night’s revival.

advocate for the dismissal of a North Carolina law that mandated a state voter photo ID requirement. The U.S. Supreme court struck down five provisions of the bill that the NAACP referred to as “racially discriminatory.”

As Barber knows, Missouri faces a voter photo ID initiative on the November 8 ballot, Amendment 6. “Tonight, I can come as a prophetic sign that you all are going to win,” Barber said. “If we beat them in North Carolina, you can beat them in Missouri.”

Denise Lieberman, a senior attorney for the Advancement Project’s Voter Protection Program, spoke against Amendment 6. “Missouri already has voter ID,”

said Lieberman. “You already have to show ID at the polls, so don’t believe the hype. What this does is limit the kind of ID. It takes away the kind of ID that voters rely on to cast a ballot.”

Missouri currently has 220,000 valid voters who don’t have a stateissued photo ID. According to Lieberman, another 130,000 valid voters have IDs that are expired and will no longer be able to use it if voters approve the amendment.

“In Hebrew, the word ‘vote’ is the same as ‘voice,’” Lieberman said. “Our vote is our voice, and it’s immoral to silence people in our society because the right to vote is about basic human dignity. This is a moral issue. Voting is a way that we tell someone they matter.”

Other speakers gave testimonies about the lack of Medicaid expansion, the minimum wage not being a livable wage and the school-to-prison pipeline.

Rev. Emmett Baker, of Beth-El Baptist Church in St. Louis, was recently convicted of trespassing at the state capitol for protesting with 23 other clergy members for Medicaid expansion. Prior to getting arrested in Jefferson City for his activism, Baker’s daughter died.

“My daughter passed from something as simple as a blood clot in her leg,” Baker said. “But since she worked at the job she worked at that didn’t offer her any healthcare, she neglected to go to the doctor. The blood clot traveled upward, and she

“I heard little about the living wage for people who are working two and three jobs,” Blackmon said. “I heard little about healthcare expansion, so that everyone could have healthcare for their families. I heard little about voting rights so that we don’t have to revisit this issue over and over and over again. I heard little about women’s right to choose.”

The revival tour leaders are asking clergy of all faiths to preach and teach on justice, love and mercy in the third week of October. The effort is a way of “calling people to be engaged electorally and beyond,” Barber said. This story is published as part of a partnership between The St. Louis American and the Huffington Post.

Photo by Wiley Price

Yara Allen, Rev. Traci Blackmon and Rev. William J. Barber II sang the gospel during “The Revival:

Time for a Moral Revolution of Values,” held Tuesday, September 27 at Christ The King United Church of Christ in Florissant.

Editorial /CommEntary

The American endorses Robin Smith, Judy baker, teresa hensley

At the risk of aggrandizement, we must say we have not had an easier endorsement to make than Robin Smith for Missouri secretary of state since the last time Barack Obama was on the ballot. A veteran newscaster, Smith might be a novice to electoral politics as a candidate, but her sense of her campaign is as sharp as anyone who has ever come to us seeking an endorsement. She understands that Missouri history is against her – an African American has never been voted to statewide office – but she also knows that she is a very unique candidate. She has four decades of positive exposure in the public eye in one of the state’s two major urban centers, and is married to a beloved celebrity in the state’s other urban center, University of Kansas basketball legend Isaac “Bud” Stallworth. She also displays confident knowledge of the office’s duties as the state’s chief election officer, among other functions. Her strong stance against Amendment 6, which will be with her on the November 8 ballot, shows that she believes in protecting the rights of all voters. Amendment 6, which is strongly supported by her Republican opponent, would impose a voter photo ID requirement to vote in Missouri. It would protect against no known voter fraud, but it would keep an estimated 220,000 people from voting, mostly the elderly, low-income people, college students and the disabled – groups that tend to skew Democrat.

Baker, a former state representative from Columbia who has always made The St. Louis American an early and frequent stop on the campaign trail, demolished a primary opponent from Kansas City, Pat Contreras, though she has a formidable Republican opponent on the November 8 ballot in Eric Schmitt, currently a state senator from St. Louis County. Schmitt is rare among Missouri Republicans for having received favorable notice in this newspaper, as he successfully pushed badly needed municipal court reforms through the Legislature. But he is not, on balance, an ally of our community and its interests. Among many other disastrous Republican-led bills, he supported the bill that made Missouri the first state to enact “Stand Your Ground” legislation since George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin. Most recently, Schmitt has angered the business community in Missouri by threatening to pull Boeing Co.’s state tax incentives after a possible deal for Boeing to sell commercial airplanes to Iranian airlines was reported.

We hope that Schmitt’s foolish foray into foreign policy hurts him in his Republican base, because Baker’s decisive primary victory shows her sure strength in her Democratic base. Given that the current state treasurer, who could not seek reelection, is a Democrat, this is a statewide seat that Democrats should – and could – keep. We strongly endorse JuDy baKeR foR miSSouRi tReaSuReR.

About that Republican opponent: John “Jay” Ashcroft is the son of one of the state’s most successful and rabid Republicans. Voting is so dear to this man who wants to be our chief election steward that he sat out seven major elections between 2000 and 2012, including Republican primaries in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 – and his father was on some of those ballots. He lost a race for state Senate in 2014. A defeat in this race could signal an early, and welcome, end to his political career.

We strongly endorse Robin Smith foR miSSouRi SecRetaRy of State.

The Missouri treasurer, of all positions in state government, has the greatest potential to help improve financial literacy and services for those who most need them, and the African-American community in the St. Louis region is the nation’s most unbanked and under-funded. Only one candidate for state treasurer in 2016 – Judy Baker – has the endorsement of and close working relationship with St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones, a national leader on these issues.

We do not know the Democratic nominee for attorney general – Teresa Hensley, former Cass County prosecutor – nearly as well, but relevant experience is ample reason to endorse her strongly over a Republican, Josh Hawley, who has never held political office and, as Hensley points out, “has never prosecuted a single criminal or sought justice for a single victim in a Missouri courtroom.” Hawley touts his activism in a religious liberty lawsuit – the notorious Hobby Lobby case – won at the U.S. Supreme Court. His primary campaign of attack ads were funded by ultra-conservatives, including more than $2.25 million in donations from executives of Tamko Building Products in Joplin. Hawley clerked for conservative U.S. Supreme Justice John Roberts, and is an ultraconservative ideologue whom the Democrat must defeat on November 8. We strongly endorse teReSa henSLey foR miSSouRi attoRney GeneRaL.

As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

Questions that haunt me daily

By Stefan M. Bradley Guest columnist

As someone who regularly reads, writes and talks about the Black Freedom Movement of the past, living in this moment is a blessing and curse. It is a blessing to see and feel change, but I have to admit that I am overwhelmed by questions I cannot, alone, answer.

The police shootings of unarmed and legally armed and questionably armed black people are at the center of my thoughts. Surrounding those are the media’s fascination and concerns with terrorism and the way the term is applied to only Muslims; the unification of diverse native peoples to oppose a fuel pipeline; the strange need for professional athletes to be one-dimensional patriots; and the not-so-subtle way that women in public have been stereotyped.

The overarching question swirling in my head is: Will black, brown, and red people and women of all races be allowed to be human? But I have more specific questions. Is it possible to concede that police officers have a difficult job to do and that they, by way of their training, biases and possibly fears, can escalate situations with black people to the point of lethal action? How is it that police officers have figured out how to shoot non-black people at such a disparately lower rate than black people? Why do so many pundits, politicians and preachers greatly emphasize the need

for respectable and peaceful protest when the history of the nation betrays the notion of respectable or peaceful protest? Along those lines, why does it take protest – respectable or peaceful or otherwise – to be human and to assert rights?

Will the business community grow tired of replacing glass and buildings while losing money on their employees who come to work late because of demonstrations on the highway and freeways – not to mention the people who will be afraid to do business in an area where demonstrations are held? Are government officials, who are worried about the radicalization of young brown people in the Middle East, not concerned about the radicalization of young black and brown people in U.S. urban areas? If errant killings and an overbearing authoritarian presence are enough to make enemies of youth abroad, why would the situation be any different here?

Will those in the Movement for Black Lives learn from the way that peoples from 200 Native American tribes unified to check the proposed North Dakota Pipeline that would have cut through sacred grounds? Will all black lives matter?

Do we believe that men

have better powers of healing than women, as was insinuated in several media outlets when Hilary Clinton fell ill on September 11? Or are we making a statement about what we view as passable for men and intolerable of women?

Are we so cruel as to think that black women are more poised in the moment of tragedy than any other group because they speak on behalf of justice while grieving the untimely deaths of their significant others and sons? Is it possible, as several of our courageous leaders have noted, black women just have more practice in the matter?

I wish I had answers to the questions that haunt me daily. It is hard, sometimes, to be hopeful. At those moments of despair, I remember two things.

The first is what the late, great law professor Derrick Bell, taught: The glory for us will not come with the victory but with knowing that we are perpetually willing to struggle for our humanity. Second, I cannot remain hopeless as long as there are black youth, because I know they will make something of the democracy experiment. Their anger, impatience and belief in justice have saved the soul of the nation in the past.

Stefan M. Bradley is associate professor of history and African American Studies at Saint Louis University and author of “Harlem vs. Columbia University: Black Student Power in the Late 1960s.”

Commentary

trump’s ugly, unrepentant

By Eugene Robinson Washington Post

It is hopelessly retro, but perhaps unsurprising, that womanhood has become a prominent issue in the presidential race. This has to be bad for Donald Trump, a hall-of-shame sexist – and good for Hillary Clinton, an actual woman.

It was political idiocy for Trump to fall into Clinton’s artfully laid trap at the debate on September 26 when she mentioned how he treated the woman who won his Miss Universe pageant in 1996: “He called this woman ‘Miss Piggy.’ Then he called her ‘Miss Housekeeping,’ because she was Latina.” Clinton was referring to Alicia Machado, whom Trump threatened with taking away her title after she gained a few pounds. Trump seemed flustered and could only respond with a complete non sequitur – a defense of the many ugly things he has said about comedian Rosie O’Donnell, maintaining that “I think everybody would agree that she deserves it and nobody feels sorry for her.”

I, for one, do not think O’Donnell, or any other woman, deserves being called “a slob” who is “disgusting” and has “a fat, ugly face,” among other gross insults Trump has hurled over the years. But aside from congratulating himself for his restraint in not saying something “extremely rough to Hillary, to her family,” Trump had no response to the question of his treatment of Machado.

But the following morning on “Fox and Friends,” Trump could not resist elaborating. He said of Machado that “she was the winner and, you know, she gained a massive amount of weight and it was a real problem.”

Machado did go on a diet during her Miss Universe reign after gaining, she said, about 15 pounds. Trump went on Fox News again on September 28 and told Bill O’Reilly that by fat-shaming Machado, “I saved her job. ... And look what I get out of it. I get nothing.”

So who here is being piggy?

The Clinton campaign had anticipated that raising the Machado incident would get a rise out of Trump. He helped focus a spotlight on one of the more unsavory facets of his personality: an ugly, unrepentant sexism.

Trump’s surrogates are not helping. Newt Gingrich offered the defense that “you’re not supposed to gain 60 pounds during the year that you’re Miss Universe.” For Trump and Gingrich, both of whom have ample spare tires where their waists should be, to criticize anyone about his or her weight is ridiculous.

The Clinton campaign is already running a powerful ad in which Trump’s voice utters a string of sexist comments while the viewer sees images of young women. Trump’s campaign manager, Kellyanne

Letters to the editor

changing our broken campaign finance system

I am honored to earn the first-ever presidential endorsement of Every Voice. To strengthen our democracy, we need to get secret, unaccountable money out of our politics and get the voices of Americans back in. Every Voice is leading that fight. They uncover how special interests interfere with our democracy and block progress on critical issues like addressing climate change, preventing gun violence, and raising the minimum wage. And they have smart, concrete ideas on how to change our broken campaign finance system.

I’ve made campaign finance reform a cornerstone of my campaign from the beginning. If elected, this will be a top priority for my presidency. And I will be a strong partner to everyone working toward that goal.

In my first 30 days in office, I will propose a constitutional amendment to overturn the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision. I’ll appoint Supreme Court justices who understand how deeply that decision damaged our democracy. We’ll work to amplify the voices of Americans and make it easier for citizens to run for office by supporting small-donor matching. And we’ll fight for more robust disclosure requirements.

Hillary Clinton, Via email

RiP, Jacqueline ellis

I am deeply saddened by the passing of Jacqueline Ellis. Jacqui was one of the first black women to serve as a chief of staff on Capitol Hill, and she quietly and patiently held the door open so that others could follow in her footsteps. A proud Democrat, she gave voice to the voiceless, and believed in her soul that we must work together to open the vaults of opportunity, lift up the least of our brothers and sisters, and

sexism

Conway, is a pollster; she knows that most voters are women, and that women already favor Clinton by a wide margin. This terrain is potentially lethal to Trump’s hopes, but no one has yet managed to zip his lip.

Trump’s threat to say something “extremely rough” was a reference to Bill Clinton’s infidelities. This from a man who has had three wives, and who cheated on the first two. And I have a hard time believing that in this day and age, a man would actually try to blame a woman for her husband’s indiscretions. But that appears to be the cliff’s edge that Trump is hurtling toward.

Clinton, on the other hand, has the chance to make history. Not enough is being made of the obvious fact that she would be the first female president. Countries such as India, Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Liberia have all reached this milestone before the United States. It’s about time. When you watched the debate, you saw a woman who was prepared, poised and perfectly unflappable. And you saw a man who was trying to wing it, with little grasp of the issues and less ability to control his impulses. He bluffed and blustered. He insisted on “facts” that were unfactual. He interrupted his opponent constantly. He substituted chest-thumping arrogance for actual substance.

I’m guessing that many women who will vote in November might know a man or two who act that way. Not good for Trump.

make our communities and streets safe for every child no matter their zip code. She will be deeply missed, but her work will live on in the hearts of all those who have been touched by her life’s work.

Donna Brazile, interim chair DNC honoring veterans and values

This year, October 1 marked the 70th anniversary of the first Nuremberg Trial verdicts for Nazi war crimes – presenting a unique opportunity to honor both veterans and the values they defended. Nazi atrocities included camps designed to systematically slaughter over six million European Jews and Slavs, Gypsies, and others deemed inferior by Nazi demagogues. Allied leaders sought a fair, democratic

standard of justice for future generations. On November 20, 1945, an International Military Tribunal opened in Nuremberg, Germany. At the first Nuremberg Trials, the court determined Germany’s leaders willingly embraced Nazi ideology disregarding human values Americans deem selfevident: life, liberty and the right to happiness. Today, we take a moment to honor veterans everywhere for protecting our cherished values – and pledge that our actions and our aspirations will continue to support those values throughout our communities and our country.

Brenda Laughhunn, Crossroads Hospice executive director Chesterfield

Columnist

Eugene Robinson

Guest Columnist Stefan M. Bradley

Robin Smith with Hillary Clinton in Kansas City on September 8.

Youth Visionary Award nominations due Oct. 15

The Youth Council for Positive Development is now accepting applications for the Jamala Rogers Young Visionary Award, which recognizes and support young adults who have made efforts to promote social justice and human rights.

Previously, applicants had to already be enrolled or would enroll in a college or vocational institution by the next academic semester. Once selected, the monetary award was paid directly to the institution of the applicant’s choice.

Urban League needs ‘Souls to the Polls’ volunteers

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis is leading the Souls to the Polls get out the vote effort for the U.S. presidential election. It is seeking transportation partners to assist in taking voters to the polls on Tuesday Nov. 8. To volunteer or for more information, call Darryl Jones at The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis at 314-615-3618.

This year the eligibility was expanded to young people who want to use the award for activities like leadership training or community service projects that promotes racial justice. The 2016 award is $2000. Applicants must be between the ages of 17-26 and reside in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The deadline for the application is October 15. For more information, visit www.positiveyouthdev.com or call (314) 669-5959.

Christian Hospital calls for volunteers

Christian Hospital is calling out for volunteers for a variety of duties as well as to run errands within the hospital. Volunteer positions are available in many different areas. You’ll meet a variety of interesting people while making a difference in our community. Applications are available at www. chrisitianhospital.org or in the Volunteer Office, located off the hospital’s main lobby, 11133 Dunn Rd.. For more information, call 314-653-5032.

Who votes – and who doesn’t vote

By Michelle Obama Guest columnist

Elections aren’t just about who votes, but who doesn’t vote. And that’s especially true for young people. In fact, in 2012, voters under the age of 30 provided the margin of victory for Barack Obama in four key battleground states: Florida, Ohio, Virginia and Pennsylvania. But without those votes, Barack would have lost those states and he would have lost the election, period, end of story.

So for any of you hear who might be thinking that your one vote doesn’t really matter or that one person can’t really make a difference, consider this. Back in 2012, Barack won Pennsylvania by about 300,000 votes, which sounds like a lot. But when you break that number down, the difference between winning and losing the state was about 17 votes per precinct. I want you to take that in.

That’s how all presidential elections are – 7 votes a precinct, 30 votes a precinct. Here it was just 17. That’s the margin of difference in every presidential election. It’s going to be close.

So the fact is that each of you could swing an entire precinct and win this election for Hillary Clinton just by getting yourselves, your families, and your classmates out to vote. But here’s the other thing. You can also swing an entire precinct for Hillary’s opponent with a protest vote or by staying home out of frustration. Because here is the truth: either Hillary Clinton or her opponent will be elected president this year, and if you vote for someone other than Hillary or if you don’t vote at all, then you are helping to elect her opponent.

n If you vote for someone other than Hillary or if you don’t vote at all, then you are helping to elect her opponent.

And let me just say this – the stakes are far too high to take that chance. And remember, it’s not about voting for the perfect candidate. There is no such thing. In this election, it’s about making a choice between two very different candidates with very different visions for our country. So the question is: Do you want Hillary Clinton to be your president, or do you want her opponent to be your president? That is the choice in this election.

And if you’re like me and you choose Hillary, then we’ve got to get to work. We can’t take anything for granted. And you’ve got to do more than come to a rally. You’ve got to do more than be angry and just speak out about the need for change. We have to all take action to elect folks who will stand with us to make that change.

So you need to get yourself and everyone you know registered to vote today. And then you’ve got to roll up your sleeves. You’ve got to get to work knocking on doors, making phone calls, getting folks out to vote on Election Day. Edited from remarks made in Pittsburgh on September 28.

Michelle Obama

Past recipients of the Jamala Rogers Young Visionary Award join Rogers in congratulating Khaila Jones last year as the 2015 Young Visionary. Left to Right: Jessica Burns (2008); Rasheen Aldridge (2013); Khaila Jones (2015); Jamala Rogers; Jonathan Long (2011).

a trip to Washington, D.C.

SISTERS

Continued from A1

With house and car notes, four mouths to feed and steadily mounting bills, Candace said, the most difficult part of the ordeal was the strain on her children. “Christmas was coming up, I was putting in 15-20 applications every day, getting no hits, and wondering if things would ever get better,” she said.

Her greatest cheerleader was her sister, Crystal. A paralegal, Crystal always had words of support and encouragement for those around her, and constantly kept her eyes open for ways to help Candace. When she saw an ad in the newspaper requesting family referrals to Community Women Against Hardship (CWAH), she submitted a letter recommending her sister as a candidate. Candace and her family were chosen, and the pattern began.

n If you know of an individual or family that could benefit from services at Community Women Against Hardship, please submit nominations by October 31.

A year later, Crystal lost her job of four years. Now she stood in her sister’s shoes. For Crystal, the timing couldn’t have been worse. She had just bought a house and had other on-going expenses, including private school for her son.

“I’ve always been the one who wanted to help other people, so it was a shock for me, because I didn’t like to ask for help,” Crystal. “I had to humble myself and temporarily work at a job I might otherwise not have taken.” But the pattern continued …

Candace, having benefited greatly from their services, suggested CWAH to Crystal, and accompanied her sister to all the classes she had previously attended: Jewelry Making, Healthy Eating, Boxing Conditioning, Soup for the Soul, and a summer program that culminated in

Clothing, furniture, groceries, a genuine “welcome and focus” on the client and a “feeling of family” lifted their spirits. The pattern progressed … Today, both sisters are gainfully employed, Crystal again as a paralegal, and Candace at DePaul HospitalSSM, (and soon graduate with an Associate of Science in Nursing degree). With the help of CWAH, Candace also won a scholarship from the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, which she will use when she returns to school in August to complete her RN. They both now give back to CWAH as members of the newly formed Alumni Committee by encouraging, mentoring and motivating new prospective families. As the pattern expands, the children of these beautiful women are blossoming as well, with students at Tennessee State University in Nashville and a junior at University of Central Missouri. One graduated in May from Eureka High School, and two are in elementary school. The sisters’ words of encouragement to others are to “keep the faith, encourage yourself and remember that you have to ‘go through the rain to get to the rainbow.’”

The pattern has been started, CWAH continues to perpetuate the positive and we, as individuals, can do the same.

If you know of an individual or family that could benefit from services at CWAH, nominate them today for our People Against Poverty Campaign 2016. Please submit nominations by October 31 to: The St. Louis American, People Against Poverty Campaign 2016, 2315 Pine Street, St. Louis, MO. 63103; fax to (314) 533-2332; or email mwinbush2@stlamerican.com.

SALUTE

Continued from A1

scholarships and grant awards for 2016 was more than $700,000. “I’m proud to report that since 1994, the foundation, together with its education partners, has fostered over $4.5 million in scholarships and community grants,” Suggs said at Salute.

The first standing ovation of the night was given spontaneously to one of the new 2016 Suggs Scholars, Vera Stidmon, a student at St. Louis Community College interested in pursuing a career in social work. Chancellor Jeff Pittman introduced her as his “hero” for maintaining a 3.6 GPA while raising six children on her own.

Thousands of dollars also were awarded to teachers and administrators in the form of educational grants for their commitment to creating environments conducive to learning. Institutions and individuals alike received praise for their performances as scholars and educators.

“There’s so much negativity that you read and you see about Ferguson, and I wanted to make sure we highlighted a positive story,” Monsanto Fund President Al Mitchell said before presenting Riverview with their award.

n “I don’t believe that those children who get ‘left behind’ and their families don’t want an education. They just don’t know how to navigate the many challenges and stresses.”

– Deborah Patterson

Mitchell spoke of district’s turnaround spearheaded by the arrival of Superintendent Scott Spurgeon and high school Principal Darius Kirk – who received the evening’s second standing ovation.

Other awardees included 2016 PNC Bank Early Childhood Education Award recipient Aurdeen Clarkson, an infant room teacher at the

Flance Early Learning Center; 2016 SEMO Counselor of the Year Award recipient Erica Snelson, a college counselor and department chair at Grand Center Arts Academy; and two 2016 Golden Apple recipients for exceptional teachers in The American’s Newspapers In Education program, Carmen Little, a teacher at Northview Elementary in the Jennings School District and James Perotti, a teacher at Buder Elementary of Saint Louis Public Schools.

Eight educators received the 2016 Excellence in Education Award: Kimberly D. Berry, kindergarten teacher at Bermuda Elementary; Sarah Briscoe, principal of Bryan Hill Elementary School; Cori Cloyd, dean of Students at KIPP Triumph Academy; Kathleen Foster, English teacher at Jennings Middle School; Stacy Hollins, associate professor of Information Systems at Maryville University; Kacy Seals, principal of Central VPA High School; Gladys Smith, assistant director of Counseling and Life Development at Webster University; and Cynthia D. Warren, executive director and dean of Students at Dwight McDaniels Theological Seminary and extended site coordinator at Lindenwood University Like Daniel did before them,

Salute’s two main awardees – 2016 Education Advocate Awardee Deborah Patterson and 2016 Lifetime Achiever Charlene Lofton Jones – both told the audience that, while there is plenty to celebrate, there is also much work yet to be done.

“I want to remind everyone that, in order to achieve economic and educational success, it takes community advocacy,” said Patterson, who recently retired as president of the Monsanto Fund. She said the success stories in the room were largely because of those who had help – and access.

“I don’t believe that those children who get ‘left behind’ and their families don’t want an education,” Patterson said. “They just don’t know how to navigate the many challenges and stresses associated with staying on the path to graduation. They need empathy and wraparound services.” Jones – who was handed the 2016 Salute’s highest honor as Lifetime Achiever – said that, to succeed, one must be willing to fail. Now assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and assistant professor of Political Science at HarrisStowe State University, Jones has raised more than $500 million for Saint Louis Public Schools through 25 tax and bond-issue campaigns. But what few people know is that the most successful fundraiser in district history started out as a failure.

“I lost my first four campaigns,” Jones said, “but I won my next 21. Never be afraid to fail.”

The 2016 Education Advocate Awardee

Deborah Patterson

Carol Daniel, left, mistress of ceremonies for the St. Louis American Foundation’s 29th annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala with the 2016 Lifetime Achiever Charlene Lofton Jones.

STUDENTS

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University majoring in political science. “They don’t know how to properly ask for what we want, because there’s a disconnect there. That’s why you’ve seen what you’ve seen in Ferguson.”

Hands Up United has a motto: “It’s not your mama’s civil rights movement.”

T-Dubb-O is in the same political science class at Harris-Stowe as Kia Brooks, who will cast her vote for the first time on Tuesday, November 8.

obligation, by all means. A lot of people died for us to be able to vote. I’m going to exercise that right to the best of my ability.”

n

“Trump says, ‘What do you have to lose, African Americans?’ We have a lot to lose.”

– Antoin Johnson

“I’m voting because we need to vote,” said Brooks, 20, a junior. “It’s not a want. It’s not something that you should take as an option. It’s an

Who Brooks will vote for is “nobody else’s business,” she said. However, the class – led by Charlene Lofton Jones, assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences – has inspired and informed her decision, she said. She’s been amazed at how involved and passionate her fellow classmates are.

“Growing up, I didn’t have too many people telling me how important it was,” Brooks said regarding voting. “So getting that information in that classroom, the teacher is a teacher, the student is a teacher, and you’re just learning everything about everything.”

Antoin Johnson, president of the LGBT community at Harris-Stowe, is also in the class. Unlike Brooks, Johnson is quite vocal about who she’s

n “It’s an obligation, by all means,” Kia Brooks said of voting. “A lot of people died for us to be able to vote.”

voting for – Hillary.

“Trump says, ‘What do you have to lose, African Americans?’” Johnson said. “We have a lot to lose. We have our freedom to lose.

Trump says, ‘I want to make American great again.’ To me, he is saying, ‘I want to make America white again.’”

Johnson, who is majoring in urban administration, works fulltime as a postal worker, driving semis. She intends to become a civil-rights attorney, and she doesn’t plan on stopping there.

“I want to be that speaker of the House and change the laws,” she said.

While Johnson is passionate about national politics, T-Dubb-O is laser-focused on local politics.

“If you can control your local community, then the federal doesn’t have as much impact on your city,” he said.

However, he’s under no illusion that voting is the endall to black liberation, he said.

“But it gets some ground for our negotiations,” T-Dubb-O said. “When we do turn out and vote, when we do get behind a candidate that actually

n “Trump says, ‘I want to make American great again,’” Antoin Johnson said. “To me, he is saying, ‘I want to make America white again.’”

represents the people and has our interests at hand, if we put them in office we can hold them accountable.”

In the Democratic primary on August 2, Hands Up United supported Kimberly Gardner for St. Louis circuit attorney and Bruce Franks Jr. for state representative of the 78th House District.

T-Dubb-O understands that some millennials have completely lost faith in the system, and he can definitely see that side. However, he and his comrades think strategically.

“It’s all a strategy to get where you want to go,” T-Dubb-O said. “What we try to do is build that political education into every aspect of our programs – whether it be a concert, a men and women circle – to get some of those people off the fence and say, ‘We have to do this in order to get this.’ And it’s starting to work.”

Photo by Rebecca Rivas

Photo by Rebecca Rivas

Plaintiffs in Ferg-Flor want cumulative voting

District has until October 14 to file its proposed voting plan with judge

By Camille Phillips Of St. Louis Public Radio

The

Cumulative

“We believe that cumulative voting is the one that will really both be able to correct the discrimination there and be a very accessible, user-friendly (so to speak) system,” said Julie Ebenstein, an ACLU attorney representing the NAACP and its co-plaintiffs.

“It has a few benefits, like it can grow if the population does shift or change. It gives voters a little more flexibility to form coalitions, whether they prefer candidates by region or whatever other factor.” In a brief filed late Wednesday, September 28, the ACLU and the NAACP also gave federal Judge Rodney Sippel two other options: one that divides the district into seven geographic areas with a board member representing each area, and another with two at-large members and five members representing different geographic areas.

“We were able to make clear in the brief that we think cumulative would be a good

solution, but at the end of the day it’s really up to the court to decide,” Ebenstein said.

The Ferguson-Florissant School District has until October 14 to file its proposed voting plan. The judge will then decide which plan to put

in place.

Elections are currently on hold while Judge Sippel decides what voting method should be in place. He ruled in August that the current at-large voting system dilutes the strength of black voters. Ebenstein said the

judge wants everything to be decided in time for candidate filing in December. The ACLU and NAACP recently held a town hall meeting on September 22 at Wellspring Church in Ferguson to share the options they

Ferguson resident Shirlissa Pruitt asks about keeping more resources in her part of the FergusonFlorissant School District at a town hall meeting held at Wellspring Church in Ferguson on September 22.

were considering and to get community feedback. About 30 people attended the town hall, including at least one former school board member.

Wellspring’s pastor, the Rev. Willis Johnson, is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. He said they wanted “people encouraged and empowered, feeling like they have ownership, which is not something that people have felt in this community around their educational process.”

Follow Camille on Twitter: @cmpcamille.

Reprinted with permission from news.stlpublicradio.org.

American wins 2016 Gold Cup from Missouri Press

American staff

The St. Louis American won the coveted Gold Cup award from the Missouri Press Association in the 2016 Missouri Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest. Awards were presented during the 150th annual MPA convention last week in Branson.

Competing with all large weekly newspapers in the state, The American won the Gold Cup award for amassing the most points in its class in the competition. This marks the third time in the last four years

that The American has won top honors among all large weeklies.

The American also took home first place honors for General Excellence in its class, marking the sixth time the newspaper has won that prestigious award.

“We are deeply honored to be recognized by juries of our peers in competitions like the Missouri Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest,” said Donald M. Suggs, publisher and executive editor of The St. Louis American “In this particular competition, we do not compete

Third time in last four years paper wins top state honors among large weeklies

against other African-American newspapers, but rather all large weeklies in the state, so it is gratifying to see our mission-driven journalism and our diverse, majority-black staff compete successfully against more mainstream and alternative publications. It is our community’s story we are telling every week, so this is a high honor we share with our community.”

Among its 27 awards in the contest, The American also received nine other first place awards: Best Front Page (Mike Terhaar), Best Photo Package (Lawrence Bryant’s coverage of the Baltimore protests), Best News or Feature Special Section (the annual “Diversity: A Business Imperative” section), Best Story About Religion (Rebecca Rivas, “We are Hawthorn”), Best Video

(Rebecca Rivas), Best News or Feature Obituary (Kenya Vaughn, “Willie Akins”); Best Editorial Award (editorial board, “Is Jamyla Bolden the movement’s next moment?”); and the Community Service Award (for the Salute to Excellence annual events/ program).

The American’s first place award for its Best Newspaper in Education Project was in competition with all newspaper in the state, weeklies and dailies.

Second place awards for the paper included: Best Overall Design, Best Feature Story,

Best News or Feature Series, Best Editorial Pages, Best Sports Columnist (Alvin A. Reid), Best News or Feature Special Section, Best Coverage of Government, and Best Video (Rebecca Rivas). Third place awards included Best Sports Feature Story (Ishmael Sistrunk), Best Local Business Coverage and Best Video (Rebecca Rivas). Ever since the Missouri Press Association began giving awards for video journalism, Rebecca Rivas of The American has won first, second and third place awards in the video competition.

Robin Smith says: Vote No on Amendment 6

Robin Smith, the Democratic nominee for Missouri secretary of state on the November 8 ballot, grew up in North St. Louis and spent more than four decades in the public eye as a broadcast journalist in the St. Louis metropolitan area. She is widely known here already, so she has been putting in extra work in the state’s other urban Democratic stronghold on the western side of the state. She was in Kansas City with U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Kansas City) on September 25 to open Hillary Clinton’s campaign headquarters there, joined by young Democrats from colleges and universities in Missouri. Smith and Missouri Democrats in general are stumping with students, among other groups, to organize them to vote against Amendment 6, which is also on the November 8 ballot. Amendment 6 – which Smith’s Republican opponent John “Jay” Ashcroft strongly supports – would require Missouri voters to show a state-issued photo ID before they could vote. As a transient population who frequently do not drive, college students are less likely than the average voter to have a state-issued photo ID.

1965 to secure federal equal voting protection for everyone to cast a ballot in the U.S. But, Missouri has a perfect state constitution which protects the right to vote for every qualified resident. Our diverse grassroots movement will protect everyone’s right to cast a ballot. We will not allow anyone to shatter our Missouri Constitution!” Smith also uses her husband as an asset on the Western side of the state. Her husband is former University of Kansas basketball standout Isaac “Bud” Stallworth, who still does KU broadcast work in the Kansas City media market. Smith said that is why she got more votes in the Kansas City Democratic primary on August 2 than Chris Koster, current attorney general who is running for governor as a Democrat, even though Koster is from Kansas City.

Rape allegation roils state House

Robin Smith, the Democratic nominee for Missouri secretary of state on the November 8 ballot, joined U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Kansas City) and volunteers to open Hillary Clinton’s campaign headquarters in Kansas City on September 25.

to protect other women, particularly given the social climate in the state capital, where a series of elected officials and lobbyists have been disgraced by incidents of sexual abuse.

Dotson files campaign committee

St. Louis Police Commissioner Sam Dotson has filed papers with the Missouri Ethics Commission to explore a possible bid for mayor. Incumbent Mayor Francis Slay is not seeking reelection.

Respiratory Therapy, and has an MBA from Lindenwood College. As St. Louis Public Radio noted, her appointment does not need confirmation to take effect. It comes as state education officials are discussing when an elected board may resume control over the city schools.

Mini muni court reforms

Last week, Missouri Chief Justice Patricia Breckenridge announced that the Supreme Court of Missouri had adopted minimum standards for all Missouri municipal divisions, including requirements to have a judge on duty at all times, a clerk on duty for at least 30 hours per week, a space large enough to accommodate the public, and alternative payment plans for defendants without the ability to pay when assessing fees or fines. These standards took effect immediately.

And, as a matter of fact, they are being sued in federal court for just that. In August, local civil rights firm ArchCity Defenders and Washington, D.C.-based Arnold & Porter filed suit against 13 cities that have used St. Ann’s “holding facilities,” or jail. Charlack, Northwoods and Vinita Park – the new partners in St. Ann’s municipal court – were not named in that suit, but Bel-Ridge, Bellefontaine Neighbors, Beverly Hills, Calverton Park, Cool Valley, Edmundson, Normandy, Pagedale, St. John, Velda City, Velda Village Hills, Wellston and St. Ann itself were.

Current Secretary of State Jason Kander – a Democrat running for U.S. Senate on November 8 against Republican incumbent U.S. Senator Roy Blunt – estimates that Amendment 6 would disenfranchise 220,000 voters in Missouri. In addition to college students, low-income people, the disabled and the very elderly are most likely to be without state-issued photo ID. All of these demographics trend Democratic as voters, which is why Republicans all over the nation have pushed voter photo ID proposals for years. “Rev. Cleaver and I do not have our right to vote guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution,” Smith said in Kansas City. “Rev. Cleaver and I can vote because of the Voting Rights Act passed in

Cora Faith Walker Democratic nominee for House District 74 running unopposed on November 8, came forward to Tony Messenger of the Post-Dispatch to discuss her rape allegations against someone who was poised to be her future colleague: Steve Roberts Jr., Democratic nominee for House District 77 also running unopposed on November 8. Messenger’s column ran this weekend and generated national news. Walker also made the claims in a letter to leadership in the Missouri House of Representatives, asking that they not seat Roberts until a criminal investigation of her allegations is complete. Law enforcement officials confirmed to The American that Roberts is being investigated, but he has not been charged with a crime. Roberts maintained his innocence to other media, but did not respond to a request for comment from The American Walker said that she came public with her allegations

In a statement, Slay said he expects Dotson to resign if he decides to campaign for mayor. “I want to be clear to the citizens of St. Louis that I will not condone a part-time police chief,” Slay said.

Lyda Krewson, currently 28th Ward alderwoman, and Gregory F.X. Daly, currently the collector of revenue, also have formed mayoral campaign committees. Lewis Reed currently aldermanic president, has said he will run, but has not formed a committee. A diverse group is trying to draft Tishaura O. Jones, currently

city treasurer, to run for mayor. Antonio French, currently 21st Ward alderman, released an exploratory video with a crowd funding account. Jamilah Nasheed, currently state senator, also has been making exploratory calls.

Clinkscale appointed to SAB

Darnetta Clinkscale, a former member of the elected board for the St. Louis Public Schools, was appointed by Slay to the three-member appointed Special Administrative Board that has run the district since 2007. She replaces Melanie Adams, an original member of the SAB who resigned because she has accepted a job in Minneapolis. The other two SAB members who remain are Richard Gaines (also a former elected board member) and Rick Sullivan, SAB president. Clinkscale has worked at Barnes-Jewish Hospital for more than 35 years. She received a B.A. in biological science from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, is a graduate of the Northwestern University School of

What she did not do was announce a radical consolidation of municipal courts in St. Louis County, the state’s most fragmented municipal division with the worst abusers of local courts for revenue generation. However, she did announce that two voluntary self-consolidations are underway.

Municipal operations from Charlack, Northwoods and Vinita Park have consolidated into the St. Ann municipal division (now called the St. Ann Consolidated Municipal Courts). And Municipal operations from Bellerive Acres, Cool Valley, Glen Echo Park, Greendale, Pasadena Park and Uplands Park are expected to be consolidated into the Normandy municipal division with support from a State Justice Institute grant. Ironically, in a purportedly good news release from the Missouri Supreme Court, St. Ann Mayor Michael Corcoran is quoted as saying, “The city of St. Ann has had ongoing relationships with 17 municipalities over several years, providing various police services such as dispatching and holding facilities.”

The suit accuses these municipalities of “terrorizing” plaintiffs and “many hundreds of others through a deliberate and coordinated scheme established and implemented to fill the municipalities’ coffers by extorting money from poor – disproportionately African-American – people in the St. Louis region, creating a modern-day police state and debtors’ prison scheme that has no place in American society today.”

The Normandy consolidation was spearheaded by Beyond Housing, which has been working closely with the 24 municipalities in the Normandy School Collaborative footprint in its 24:1 initiative. Beyond Housing began working with elected leaders on effectiveness and efficiencies in 2010. Two are considering merging all their municipal functions –Vinita Park and Vinita Terrace will vote on this potential merger in November, which is poised to be the first municipal merger in St. Louis County Boundary Commission history.

“At Beyond Housing, our mission is to Ask-Align-Act,” said Beyond Housing Chief Executive Officer Chris Krehmeyer. “We ask residents what they would like to see and experience in their community, we align the resources and partners, and we work together to make it happen. This pilot project is the product of several years of asking and aligning, and we are now ready to act.”

discuss

‘Pro-life’ and other crimes against black families

By Freddy Doss Guest

from her body. Today, we find that many of the states that have the most restrictive abortion laws are also where women are most likely to live in poverty. Not so shockingly, many of these states are also where there are much larger populations of

black women. Finally, women who are denied an abortion are three times more likely to be living in poverty within two years.

In 1976, Congress passed the Hyde Amendment which banned Medicaid coverage of abortion. This amendment is the namesake of Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL) who was a wealthy white male, disconnected from the struggles of low-income women of color in the United States. Yet, he still took the liberty of being the chief sponsor of the amendment which disproportionately affects poor black women.

The Hyde Amendment turns 40 this month and finally we have a presidential candidate who might actually see the value in overturning this amendment.

Hillary Clinton stated the following on January 10: “Any right that requires you to take extraordinary measures to access it is no right at all. Not when patients and providers have to endure harassment and intimidation just to walk into a health center. Not when providers are required by state law to recite misleading information to women to shame and scare them. And not as long as we have laws on the book like the Hyde Amendment making it harder for lowincome women to exercise their full rights.”

n Hillary’s stance on reproductive rights for all women is one of the reasons she will get my vote.

Hillary’s stance on reproductive rights for all women is one of the reasons she will get my vote. As a black man in America, I know that in order to support my community we must support and stand with black women. They are and always have been the backbone of this country. When you threaten the ability of black women to make decisions about their families, you intrude on one of the most paramount human rights. So let’s talk about abortion and, more importantly, things that make abortion less necessary, such as access to healthcare and birth control, accurate sex and sexuality education, and adequate support of women who choose to carry their pregnancies to term in order to ensure healthy pregnancies.

Perhaps if all of the “prolife” rhetoric applied to black lives that actually live and breathe on their own in this country we would be much further as a nation. Unfortunately, pro-life advocates are nowhere around when a black child is gunned down in the streets. The choice of when and how you will build a family are extremely important for women all over the country; however, we still apply legislation such as the Hyde Amendment that make it harder for marginalized women to have equal decision making rights over their bodies as their wealthier white counterparts. I am a black man. I am a man for choice, and I stand with women. This is why I will voting Hillary Clinton, a champion for women, as president of the United States.

Freddy Doss, 27, is a legislative assistant for state Rep. Michael Butler (D-St. Louis) and was a Hillary Clinton delegate at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

columnist

a young black man and I will be voting for Hillary Clinton on November 8.

Guest Columnist Freddy Doss

Why I’m voting for Hillary Clinton

By LeBron James Guest columnist

Two years ago, I told you I was coming home to Northeast Ohio — where I was born and raised. When I came back, I had two missions.

In June, thanks to my teammates and all your support, I accomplished my on-the-court mission. We came back from being down 3-1 in the NBA Finals to finally grab what we’ve waited 52 long years for: a championship in Northeast Ohio. Holding that trophy was beyond words. It still hasn’t hit me. But for me, coming home was never just about basketball. As a kid, I didn’t have much money. It was just my mom and me, and things were rough at times. But I had basketball. That gave me a family, a community and an education.

That’s more than a lot of children in Akron can say. There are a lot of people who want to tell kids who grew up like me and looked like me that they just don’t have anything to look forward to.

That’s dead wrong. And that’s why I came back to Cleveland to continue my second mission. I am determined to make sure my kids in Akron have what they need to become their best selves. Opportunities, a support system, and a safety net for kids in poverty or kids in single-parent households shouldn’t be limited to those lucky enough to be blessed with athletic talent.

When I entered the league, I founded the LeBron James Family Foundation. I didn’t know it at the time, but my mission has become clear. We give kids in Akron the resources and opportunities they need to stay in school and reach their dreams through education.

I don’t want to see any of them fall through the cracks. That easily could have

happened to me. But I was fortunate enough to have support and mentors around me who kept me on the right path. That’s what we’re giving these kids through my foundation. And when someone believes in you, that changes everything.

I’m so proud of the more than 1,100 students in my Wheels for Education and Akron I PROMISE Network programs. We’re working on year six now, and my kids have big plans for their futures. A lot of them didn’t think college was for them, but now I hear they want to become things like doctors and business owners. We even have a future astrophysicist. I can’t wait to see how far these kids can go. I also tell all my kids how important it is that they give back to the community.

Because if basketball has taught me anything, it’s that no one achieves greatness alone. And it takes everyone working together to create real change. When I look at this year’s presidential race, it’s clear which candidate believes the same thing. Only one person running truly understands the struggles of an Akron child born into poverty. And when I think about the kinds of policies and ideas the kids in my foundation need from our government, the choice is clear. That candidate is Hillary Clinton.

I support Hillary because she will build on the legacy of my good friend, President Barack Obama. I believe in what President Obama has done for our country and support her commitment to continuing that legacy. Like my foundation, Hillary has always been a

champion for children and their futures. For over 40 years, she’s been working to improve public schools, expand access to health care, support children’s hospitals, and so much more. She wants to make sure kids have access to a good education, no matter what zip code they live in. She’ll rebuild schools that are falling apart and put more money into computer science. She’ll make sure teachers are paid what they deserve so they can give everything to their students.

She also has plans to make college a reality for more people in America, especially for those who can’t afford it. My kids in Akron are proof of the hope and motivation that come from knowing college can be in their future, no matter what obstacles they might be facing.

Finally, we must address the violence, of every kind, the African-American community is experiencing in our streets and seeing on our TVs. I believe rebuilding our communities by focusing on at-risk children is a significant part of the solution. However, I am not a politician, I don’t know everything it will take finally to end the violence. But I do know we need a president who brings us together and keeps us unified. Policies and ideas that divide us more are not the solution. We must all stand together — no matter where we are from or the color of our skin. And Hillary is running on the message of hope and unity that we need.

There’s still a lot of work to be done in Akron, Northeast Ohio, and all across our great country. We need a president who understands our community and will build on the legacy of President Obama. So let’s register to vote, show up to the polls and vote for Hillary Clinton. This column first appeared in Business Insider and the Akron Business Journal.

Guest Columnist

LeBron James

CHOICES

LaunchCode to offer free coding classes

Free classes start Oct. 24

American staff

LaunchCode will offer a free 20-week computer programming course, LC 101 St. Louis, designed to put people on a path towards a career in technology. The class will be offered in two locations – at the University of Missouri St. Louis and St. Louis Community College –Meramec – this fall to increase accessibility for more St. Louisians.

“It’s free, open to the public and designed to give participants the in-demand skills needed to launch a career in tech,” said Mark Bauer, VP of Operations at LaunchCode, a nonprofit that connects aspiring technologists with apprenticeships and jobs in tech.

Students must be 18 years old or older with the aptitude

American staff

St. Louis-based microlender

Justine Petersen was among 37 recipients from 24 states, and the District of Columbia awarded a total of $5 million in grants from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Program for Investment in Micro-Entrepreneurs (PRIME).

SBA placed special emphasis in this year’s competition on projects that will offer training and technical assistance to strengthen cooperative forms

and drive to gain coding skills. No previous coding experience required. Interested individuals will need to complete an online application and aptitude test, as well as a beginning coding assignment.

Foundational concepts are taught in Python, followed by specialized skill tracks in Java or Javascript.

Vice President Joe Biden visited LaunchCode recently. He said an improving economy and advancing technology provided opportunities to get people jobs in the technology industry, and that LaunchCode is helping meet an urgent need.

“What you guys are doing here is translating the need into reality,” Biden said. “It’s like knowing how to know.”

Jim McKelvey, who helped cofound LaunchCode in 2013,

of business, particularly those that service economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs.

Justine Petersen is one of 15 grant recipients that will carry out projects that support entrepreneurship among ex-offenders. SBA recently changed the rules in its Microloan Program to allow loans to entrepreneurs on parole or probation.

“I think this program is dynamic and unique and poised to be successful because capital is involved,” said Galen Gondolfi, senior loan counselor

said that the company doesn’t “ask the companies to do us any favors,” but rather says,

“You have a need for talent and we have a source for talent. Anyone, and I truly mean anyone, can get one of these jobs if you work hard enough. And we never lowered the standards for that work, so we keep it all about talent.”

Felipe Naranjo was one of the people who linked up with LaunchCode – which eventually led to a job at Express Scripts.

“As soon as I applied, they were incredibly welcoming and they had a lot of guidance to give me,” Naranjo said. “They were able to measure my skills and take that measurement and compare that to where I needed to be.” At both LaunchCode locations, classes will be held 6-9 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays for 20 weeks, starting on October 24. Registration is now open at www.launchcode.org/lc101.

and chief communications officer at Justine Petersen.

“Not to disparage other programs, but a bevy of efforts to help ex-offenders don’t have at the end an opportunity for participants to borrow money. Capital is lacking in most programs. There is a lot of coaching and education and putting people in seats, but no capital. This is different.” For more information on seeking a small business loan from Justine Petersen, contact Tamra Thetford of Justine Petersen at 314-533-2411

Normandy schools get a ‘Little Bit’ of help

The Normandy Kindergarten Center officially welcomed its new partner, The Little Bit Foundation, with a ribboncutting ceremony and birthday party. The birthday party was for students born in September, and the ribbon cutting was to officially christen the school’s partnership with the non-profit foundation.

The Little Bit Foundation provides wraparound services to students in need, in the form of uniforms, school supplies, books, among other goods. The organization also secures needed services such as nutrition assistance, health screenings and medical exams. Also on hand for September

n The Little Bit Foundation provides wraparound services to students in need, in the form of uniforms, school supplies, books, among other goods.

19 ribbon cutting was staff from Normandy Schools Collaborative (NSC), Beyond Housing, and Citi, a major supporter of The Little Bit Foundation. In addition to its financial support, Citi

employees volunteer at the school ‘Boutique’, where they work with students and families on academic and social needs.

Pictured here with some of the Normandy Kindergarten Center (NKC) students are (from left): Little Bit Foundation board members Michael Amann and Annette Desaulniers-Baraczewski; Dannah Steele, NKC assistant principal; Randy Weller, Citi director of community development; Kesha Whitley, NKC principal; Charles Pearson, NSC superintendent; and Rosemary Hanley, Little Bit founder/executive director.

Keeping an eye on H2O

Area school districts are testing water for lead levels

By Sandra Jordan

Of The St. Louis American

The national conversation about lead contamination in the water in Flint, Michigan sparked local school administrators to test water sources used by students and staff.

Lead enters the drinking supply through plumbing materials – and exposure to lead can cause a number of health problems, particularly in children age 6 and younger, from learning and hearing difficulties to organ damage. High lead levels can harm the fetuses of pregnant women, causing lower birth rate and slower physical and mental development. In adults, high lead levels have been linked to increased blood pressure. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Water Drinking Act has a Lead and Copper Rule (LCR). The LCR action level for lead in drinking water is 0.015 mg/L or 15 ppb (parts per billion).

Many school district tested water sources in August. Some tests were conducted internally while other districts hired outside testing companies. Some districts have completed lead testing, have the results and are working on remedies, while others are still testing or awaiting results. The following is what district representatives told The American about lead testing in their schools.

School District of Clayton

Clayton’s school district hired a contractor to test faucets and drinking fountains for lead contamination in all district’s facilities. The St. Louis testing firm, Professional Environmental Engineers began collecting samples on Aug. 31 in the three elementary schools and at the Family Center and will work their way through

Wydown Middle School, Clayton High School and the rest of the District’s buildings over the course of the next two to three weeks, according to a website statement.

“We are in the process of finishing up testing in all of our buildings. We expect to have the final report in a few weeks. Obviously, we will take immediate action to replace any contaminated pipes or fixtures,” said Chris Tennill, chief communications officer.

Affton School District

“Affton School District tested various water supplies for lead contamination at all of our facilities. These tests were done by Environmental Operations on August 25,

Many school district tested water sources in August. Some tests were conducted internally while other districts hired outside testing companies.

2016, and all test spots at our schools were well below the acceptable limit,” said Erica Chandler, community relations director.

Ferguson-Florissant School District

“Testing of water in the Ferguson-Florissant School District confirms that water is safe,” said Charlene Goston, communications specialist. “Testing for lead and pesticides were performed in all district buildings Aug. 23 through Sept. 12. Tests were conducted internally and performed by a lead professional licensed plumber and supervisor to ensure testing was conducted consistently and accurately. All test results were negative.”

Back then vs. now

With early detection, breast cancer is no longer thought of as a death sentence.

By Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D. Of The St. Louis American

Very few lives not impacted by this disease. Furthermore, I cannot imagine individuals who can honestly say they do not know anyone who has been diagnosed with this disease. What disease you ask? None other than the second leading cause of cancer death in women, breast cancer.

Denise HooksAnderson, MD

When breast cancer entered the vocabulary of my family members, it took everyone by surprise. Until then, no one in our family had cancer of any kind. However, those two words, breast cancer, sent shock waves rippling through our very fibers. What did this mean? Would our loved one survive? How would this impact the other female members of this family? Those raw emotions displayed by my family are no different than those experienced by people everyday who receive that dreaded news of breast cancer. The difference between then and now, in my opinion, is how advanced detection and treatment options have come as compared to over twenty-five years ago. Women back then were diagnosed at later stages and often were not given many breast-sparing options. About 12.4 percent of women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in her lifetime. In 2016, it is estimated that over 246,000 new cases of breast cancer will be identified. In 1975, the five-year relative survival rate was 75.2 percent. However, in 2008 it was 90.6 percent per the National Cancer Institute.

Today with early detection and appropriate treatment, breast cancer is no longer thought of as a death sentence. But the key words are early detection and appropriate treatment. Yet, though we know that finding the cancer early in its disease process and initiating treatment within 60 days improves treatment outcomes, black women are less likely to receive such care.

Per the CDC, black women are 40 percent more likely to die of breast cancer than white women. Research has shown many factors that contribute to this disparity such as lack of resources, late detection and lack of appropriate follow up and high quality treatment. When you hear those types of statistics, my hope and prayer is that it forces you to take action. Remind someone to go get their mammogram. Mammograms are x-rays of the breast that can detect early breast cancer,

The national conversation about lead contamination in the water in Flint, Michigan sparked local school administrators to test water sources used by students and staff.

Photo by Wiley Price

HealtH Briefs

Could fitness tracker sabotage your diet?

By Susan Scutti CNN

Wearable technologies can monitor your physical activity or your allergies. Increasingly, they are part of our everyday lives. But a new analysis comparing two sets of dieters discovered that those wearing activity trackers lost less, not more, weight than the tech-free dieters.

“We went in with the hypothesis that adding the technology would be more effective than not having the technology, and we found just the opposite,” said John Jakicic, author of the study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“One of the things we didn’t study here was, maybe these things are really effective for people gaining weight, but maybe that’s different from helping people lose weight,” said Jakicic, a professor and director of the Physical Activity and Weight Management Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh. “We need to do a lot more digging in the data to understand that.”

How do I lose weight and keep the pounds off? It’s not only dieters who ask this question; it’s researchers, too.

“We’ve been doing this weight-management stuff for

a very long time and realized that we have really good approaches to help people lose weight in the first three to six months,” Jakicic said. He wondered whether the increasingly popular wearable devices might help.

“Activity monitors started coming onto the market in a commercial sense in the early 2000s, but they’ve really picked up steam in the last couple of years,” observed Jakicic. The idea behind the new study, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, was to compare two sets of dieters: those with wearable activity monitors and those without.

Jakicic acknowledges having received past funding from Jawbone, a wearable device company, and both he and two other researchers have received past honorariums from Weight Watchers International. For the new study, the researchers enlisted the help of 470 adults between the ages of 18 and 35. Each participant’s body-mass index fell within the range of 25 to 39; commonly, 25 to 29 is considered “overweight,” and 30 to 39 is considered “obese.” Slightly more than three-quarters of the participants were women, and not quite a third were non-white.

The researchers randomly divided participants into two

groups for a 24-month weight loss study.

Both groups participated in a group-based, face-toface weight loss intervention.

“We find those to be the most effective way to deliver these programs and cost-effective way to deliver these programs,” Jakicic said. All the participants received counseling around nutrition and physical activity: the basics of healthy eating and activity.

“But beyond that, more importantly, it’s not just ‘here’s what you eat, and you need to exercise more,’ “ Jakicic said. Instead, the program was grounded in behavioral theory that helps patients understand why they are struggling and what’s getting in the way.

“How do I make it work today when yesterday it didn’t work?” Jakicic suggested.

Calls and texts

Group sessions were scheduled weekly for the initial six months and monthly between months seven and 24. During those later months, participants also received brief (just 10 minutes at the longest) telephone calls once each month and weekly text messages.

Half the participants were provided with and encouraged to use a commercially available wearable technology (with a Web-based interface), while the other half simply recorded their activity on a website. What happened? The change in weight at 24 months differed “significantly” by intervention group: The group wearing activity monitors lost, on average, 7.7 pounds compared with an average loss of 13 pounds for those walking “naked.”

However, the researchers reported that both groups showed improvements in body composition, fitness, physical activity and diet.

Dr. Barbara Berkeley, a board-certified physician in both internal and obesity medicine, points to a simple statement in the study that indicates there were no “significant” differences between diet intake and physical activity for the two groups.

“That means that something is amiss,” said Berkeley, who was not involved in the new study. She explained that if there was “absolutely no difference” between what the two groups ate and how much they exercised, the average weight losses “should be the same whether the study subjects wore a device or not.”

Berkeley observed that studies on dieting are “notoriously hard to do,” so adding exercise into the mix makes accurate research doubly difficult. The main issue is that any longterm study must rely on the participants self-reporting what they ate and how much they exercised, so accuracy is naturally a problem.

Wearable but i n the drawer

Jakicic is eager to look more closely at the data, but he and

his colleagues have come up with a few hypothetical explanations for the unexpected result.

“Anecdotally, these devices tend to work or people tend to engage with them for about three months or so, and after that, a lot of people start throwing them in the drawer. They get bored with them,” Jakicic said.

Another possibility: Not everyone likes wearables. Instead, many people feel “’I got this device, and I just hate it,’” he said.

Berkeley, the author of “Refuse to Regain: 12 Tough Rules to Maintain the Body You’ve Earned,” noted that “weight loss is much more dependent on scrupulously following a weight-reducing diet than on exercise.” Generally, she said, diet is more important than exercise during the active weight loss phase, but exercise becomes much more important during weight maintenance.

“It’s entirely possible that those who were paying more attention to the exercise part of their regimen [because of the wearable device] were less scrupulous about their intake,” Berkeley said. She added that exercising can often cause dieters to “feel that they’ve ‘earned’ the chance to eat more.”

Q&A on Health Marketplace and Medicare

Q: If I qualify for tax credits to cut the cost of health insurance, could the Health Insurance Marketplace be a better option for me than my Medicare plan?

A: The Affordable Care Act created the Health Insurance

LEAD

Continued from A14

Hazelwood School District

Water in Hazelwood School District were tested in August and came back clean. It contracted with John Jurgiel & Associates to conduct testing.

“The conclusion of the report indicated that in 32 of our schools, the laboratory could not detect the presence of any lead,” said Kimberly G. McKenzie, director of communications. “In one school, Armstrong Elementary, a very slight amount of lead was detected, but it was far below the limit set by the Environmental Protection Agency for lead in drinking water. Because this level is below the EPA guideline, no further action is recommended by the EPA.”

Jennings School District

Jennings School District tested its schools in August and September.

“Please know that all of our water fountains are lead free and below the levels by all standards,” said Art McCoy, superintendent. “We did do their testing and we are below 0.001 to 0.000 at all water

DOCTOR

Continued from A14

Marketplaces, and provides for tax credits to help reduce the cost of health insurance for many people whose income is less than four times the Federal Poverty Level – that computes to about $47,000 per year for a single person, or about $97,000 per year for a family of four.

However, the Marketplace is

fountains. The organization that did the testing is named Eklab Service Environmental Laboratory.”

Ladue School District

Ladue School District had the water in all of its buildings tested by Farmer Environmental Services, LLC on Sept. 7-8.

“The conclusion on the final full report states the following: ‘All sample results had detections of lead below the federal and state action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb). No further action is recommended at this time,’” said Susan Downing, director of communications. “In fact, no faucet or water fountain tested higher than 2.9 ppb, and the vast majority were under 1.0 ppb.”

Maplewood Richmond Heights School District

“MRH is currently beginning the process of reviewing companies and requesting bids for future water testing at our three campuses,” said Brian Adkisson, director of communications. “This is part of our ongoing facilities review and planning.”

Lindbergh Schools

“Our employees took the

even before a palpable mass. And no, these tests do not cause significant pain and they are only performed once a year or every two years depending on whose guideline you are following. Secondly, if you are diagnosed with breast cancer, discuss with the other members in your family. Breast cancer has a genetic component to it and others may be affected and not be aware. Family history is crucial in determining one’s

not meant to replace Medicare, and if you are already on Medicare, you should not buy a Marketplace health insurance plan. The Medicare plan you have now already includes substantial government help to keep the cost down for you, and you get at least some government help regardless

samples and Tek Lab is processing the results,” Beth Johnston, communications director, said. “We are testing all buildings in Lindbergh Schools, but have not yet received the results.”

Johnston added that Lindbergh tested every school in 2004, and those results came back negative. “However, we feel it is important to test again as a reassurance for our district families.”

Mehlville School District

SCI Engineering handled the testing of water for lead in all Mehlville district school buildings. John Wolff, director of communications and public relations, said, “15 parts per billion is the standard ... everything was far below that level, except one faucet in the Oakville Middle School cafeteria, which had a lead level of 15.9 parts per billion.

The faucet was replaced ... the water at that faucet is being retested right now and it will not be used until it passes the lead test.”

Normandy Schools Collaborative

We conducted testing earlier this year after the situation in Flint hit the news. Our tests came back negative for lead.

of your income. In addition, Medicare has lower deductibles and lower out of pocket costs than the typical coverage you can get from the Marketplace. Finally, if the seller knows you are Medicare-eligible, it is illegal for them to sell you a private Marketplace plan. There are rare exceptions, but for

Sharifah Sims Williams, communications director

Parkway School District

“The Parkway School District is in the process of testing our water faucets and sinks and we expect to finish by November 1. We have 28 schools, so as you can imagine, there are a lot of faucets/ sinks. Of course, we will take immediate action to repair or replace equipment that has an unacceptable level of lead.”

Cathy Kelly, communications coordinator

Pattonville School District

City Design Group is testing water for Pattonville School District.

“We’re in the middle of testing our schools and will take immediate action to fix any issues that may arise,” said Mickey Schoonover, director of School-Community Relations.

Ritenour School District

The district posted a letter on its website dated Sept. 21 to Ritenour families from Superintendent Chris Kilbride about its school lead testing. It reads in part:

“I am pleased to inform you that the test results showed that water in all of our buildings is

nearly everyone on Medicare, the best option is to stay on Medicare. The Marketplace also does not sell Medicare Supplemental polices, so this is not a place to shop for that coverage.

Need help in figuring this all out? Call 1-800-MEDICARE [1-800-633-4227] anytime,

safe, with levels well under the minimum safe standard set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).”

The district contracted with from John A. Jurgiel & Associates, Inc., who collected samples from each building on Sept. 9. The samples were tested through a certified lab that follows EPA protocols. The letter went on to say that “All of the samples had lead results less than the laboratory limit of detection of <0.0030 mg/L, which were well below the EPA limit for lead in drinking water of 0.015 mg/L.”

Saint Louis Public Schools

SLPS is in the process of repairing, replacing and retesting sinks and water fountains found to have actionable levels of lead (in The American, Sept. 1-7, 2016). Patrick Wallace, executive director of communications said, “The scheduled completion date is October 31st” unless there are unforeseen problems. “It should be noted that no sink or water fountain will be turned back on and put into use for students or staff until that sink or water fountain tests below 10 parts per billion for lead.”

ronmental pollution and radi-

24 hours every day. Or call your local trained counselors. Their number is on the back cover of your Medicare & You handbook. Also, you can get their phone number by calling 1-800-633-4227; just ask for your State Health Insurance Assistance Program or the SHIP in your state.

School District of University City

Testing started in August 30 in the University City school district. “Every drinking fountain in every school was tested and every sink used as a drinking/common use source was tested in each buildings,” said Pat Washington, executive director of communications and outreach. High levels of lead were found at some water sources.

Flynn Park Elementary: one source; 37.3 ppb (sink)

Barbara C. Jordan Elementary: one source 78.8 ppb (sink)

McNair Administration Center: one source, 144 ppb (sink)

Brittany Woods Middle School: one source 28.8 ppb (sink)

University City High School: two sources. 1@ 90.1 ppb; 1@25ppb (two fountains) Washington said PSI collected the samples and sent them to TEK in Collinsville, Illinois for analysis. She added the sources have been isolated and the district is replacing fixtures and piping in some instances and the sinks and fountains will not be used again until the water is retested and the results come back as safe.

Advances in medicine are useless if we do not take advantage of them and demand equal access to every available option. Breast cancer detection and management have come a long way and will continue to improve with future research.

Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D. is assistant professor at SLUCare Family Medicine. You can contact her at yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com

Students stir as Post video on Ferguson ‘sides with law enforcement’

Moderator rages, passes out, is taken away in an ambulance

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St.

American

Louis

When David Carson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch photojournalist, offered an introduction for the 22-minute film that was said to summarize the paper’s Pulitzer-Prize winning photo coverage over the course of the Ferguson unrest, he seemed genuinely interested in feedback from the audience.

The admonition “be careful what you wish for” has never applied more than it did to the turn of events that followed its screening during the “Ferguson: Reporting in Chaos, Finding Context” panel discussion Thursday, September 29 at the St. Louis Public Radio offices. The film was supposed to jumpstart the conversation for the panel presented by the Press Club of Metropolitan St. Louis, Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists and Missouri Journalism Educators Association – which included an audience of about 100 student journalists from area high schools.

Panelists included Carson and Steve Giegerich, a reporter for the Post-Dispatch independent photojournalist and videographer Bradley Jr. Rayford, and this reporter, the web editor for The St. Louis American At the end of the film there was an uncomfortable silence from the audience. After a confusing pause, scheduled panel moderator Gloria S. Ross came to the front with a face full of rage.

“I’m not having a good morning,” Ross said. “Who else is not having a good morning?”

Many of the African-American students raised their hands.

The question was an attempt to bait the group of students into articulating the side eyes, neck rolls and SMH (shaking my head) moments that carried on for most of the 22 minute video.

“Why are you not having a good morning?” Ross asked a young woman.

“Because I didn’t have a good breakfast,” the girl said. She didn’t take the bait.

“Well, I had a great breakfast,” Ross said. “My bad morning started because of what I just saw on the screen.”

She was supposed to be introducing the panel and summarizing the necessity for these types of discussions as the community continues to work towards healing from the trauma inflicted on the region after August 9, 2014 Ferguson police killing of Michael Brown Jr. and resulting unrest that garnered international attention.

But Ross was so unsettled, she couldn’t gather any thoughts other than to express her disgust. “I’m not going to be able to do this,” Ross said. “This does not tell the whole story. It sides with law enforcement.”

The film appeared to be a revamped and expanded version of a video showcased last June at the St. Louis Media Persons of the Year Awards. That Post video on Ferguson stirred up such negative emotions by American staffers who came to show support publisher and honoree Donald M. Suggs that its became the subject of an editorial by The American. As that editorial asked of the Post

protests grew, then strategically released with video footage of an unrelated that incited more outrage.

The protestor narrative is given by the black community.

A gentleman by the name of “Budd Cuzzz” and another young man are given platform as representatives of those in support of the unrest. 911 Salon owner Dellena Jones, who is also African-American, speaks on behalf of the business owners in Ferguson, and discusses how it felt to be collateral damage in the protests.

McCulloch, Belmar, Jackson and Fletcher all have ample experience in front of the camera and were repeating narratives and opinions they have delivered to the media many times. Meanwhile, Budd Cuzzz – the Post has been on the Ferguson beat for two years, and the best named protestor source they can find gives them “Budd Cuzzz” as a name?

why I feel this way. This is so disturbing … this is so disturbing,” she said. Her body seemed to be betraying her, but the shock of it took organizers and panelists a few moments to realize what was happening. By the time anyone came forward to assist her, Ross had collapsed.

“We’re going to have to take a 10-minute break,” one of the organizers said. Carson and others aided in caring for Ross until EMS arrived.

based on the video: “Why did you dedicate so many resources to peeling back the layers of systemic dysfunction that led to the tragic death of Michael Brown Jr. if it were just a fight between a violent suspect and a police officer who feared for his life?”

Lynden Steele, pictures editor for the Post, accepts credit for the producer of the Post’s video work on Ferguson. He later told The American that the 22-minute video screened on September 29 should not be considered an expansion of the briefer video screened last June, but both videos have the same flaws. They side with law enforcement and trivialize Brown and the community that rose up in his memory (and gave the Post the platform to win its Pulitzer Prize).

One improvement: the latest incarnation of the video omits the audio footage of a voicemail left by a Post

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reader – judging by her voice, an elderly white woman –saying that she was sick of all of the Mike Brown coverage and stories about people who “spend all of their money getting their hair done every week.”

The new video employs an interview format that is intended to share the opposing views of those caught up in the Ferguson unrest. The white people are selected to represent for law enforcement and Ferguson civic leadership.

St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch, and St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar, then-Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson and former Ferguson Mayor Brian Fletcher share their experiences and opinions in the wake of the unrest. Jackson had the nerve to say that the protests began on a myth, as opposed to the facts. These were the very same facts his department withheld, while

– and the other gentleman spoke on raw feelings.

n After a confusing pause, scheduled panel moderator Gloria S. Ross came to the front with a face full of rage.

This is not to slight these brave individuals for coming forth to speak, but it’s hard not to see implicit bias in play. The Post seemed to cull the personification of negative stereotypes and bring them forward as the “black perspective.” The shame is, after Ferguson, if not necessarily before, the Post actually now has strong and deep sources in the local black community who could have spoken with context and eloquence on the pain of their community and what Ferguson means to them.

The whole thing was too much for Ross to handle.

“Somebody’s going to have to come up here,” Ross said. “I’m feeling light-headed. I have a cold, but that’s not

The panel proceeded –after Ross was taken away by ambulance – as a Q&A. There was a moment of contention between Carson and couple of the students who questioned him about why Darren Wilson had to shoot Mike Brown so many times, and asked if his death was necessary. Carson told them that officers are trained to “empty their clip” when they feel they are in a position of mortal threat. After the panel concluded, one of the students came up to The American

“I felt like it didn’t tell our side of the story right,” the young girl said. “That movie made it like people who were out there protesting didn’t know the truth about Mike Brown –and like people ain’t out here dying every day because of the police. We know what’s going on, and those people out there protesting were fighting for what’s right.”

Lynden Steele, pictures editor for the Post-Dispatch, repeatedly declined requests by The American to post a link to the Ferguson video in question. He said it is a “work in progress” and will be published when it is finished. He said the video has been screened “about a dozen times as part of discussions on Ferguson-related issues.”

How a Post-Dispatch video about Ferguson landed me in the hospital

By Gloria S. Ross

For The St. Louis American

Five minutes after walking to the podium to begin moderating a panel discussion of a forum titled “Ferguson: Reporting in Chaos, Finding Context,” I collapsed. Then I threw up. Someone called EMS, and I was carted off to Saint Louis University Hospital in an ambulance. Before heading to the podium on September 29, I had sat among about 100 area high school students watching a St. Louis Post-Dispatch video about the newspaper’s coverage of the killing of Michael Brown Jr., an 18-year-old unarmed black man, by then-Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson, who is white. A bad cold and some serious meds probably contributed to my aborted moderating duties, but I credit the Post-Dispatch video as the primary cause of my takedown. I haven’t been right since Trayvon Martin. The killing of Michael Brown Jr. pushed me further toward the brink. I followed the case with the zeal of a prosecuting attorney – a real prosecutor, not St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch, who seemed to function as a defense attorney. I consumed every morsel of information, down to the reading and re-reading of the Department of Justice report. I wrote an op ed for the Post-Dispatch on the first anniversary of Michael’s death titled “The DOJ Got it Wrong: Why I Still Believe in Hands Up, Don’t Shoot.”

In between, I sparred with the Post-Dispatch over its coverage, like the time a story quoted, unchallenged, a forensic scientist who said that Michael tried to take Wilson’s gun; no forensic evidence proved any such thing.

More than two years after the fact, the Post-Dispatch video slammed me back into the fight. The 22-minute video was developed by the Post-Dispatch to showcase its extensive coverage, which garnered the newspaper a Pulitzer Prize for photography. It is technically beautiful, but frustratingly flawed.

The video heavily favored the view of police and local leaders: McCulloch, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar, then-Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson and former Ferguson Mayor Brian Fletcher. With a hefty chunk of screen time, Jackson laid out the police version of the events of August 9, 2014.

“We were just trying to maintain order,” Jackson declared. “They (the protesters) were really mad. What happened is a story was being broadcast that was not true. The ‘hands up, don’t shoot’ narrative was absurd.”

As Jackson spoke, a murmured strain of astonishment and disagreement rippled through the students.

Two of the three “everyday” people the video chose to highlight strongly identified with the police’s stance.

One was an AfricanAmerican hair salon owner, who shared her impatience with the continuing inconvenience of the protests. Another was a young black father, flashing a gold tooth, who expressed his dismay that his son believed police could ever be a clear and present danger to him. Most voices of dissent were mere

cameos, like that of the person who asked plaintively, “Why they shooting at us?” The only sustained countervailing opinion was that of a Ferguson resident, a young black man who eloquently expressed an understanding of the unrest and questioned some of the official storyline. Not a word was included from black civic leaders, civil rights activists, elected officials or academicians – the AfricanAmerican community’s counterpoints to McCulloch, Belmar, Jackson and Fletcher. There were poignant flashes of pain and protest – stills and video – but the most dominant scenes were ones of violence and chaos – fires and looting – live and in living color. The causes of the unrest got less attention: that Michael Brown lay on Canfield Drive in the summer sun for four and a half hours; that numerous witnesses said he ran for his life before raising his hands in surrender; that it took a week for police to release Officer Wilson’s name – and they released it as if it were an afterthought during a news conference announcing a purported strongarm robbery by Brown; that the “justice” system didn’t seem all that just. The few voices that spoke for Michael Brown and a community in pain were severely muted.

Showing this “law and order” video continues to perpetuate the racial divide, a chasm that’s unlikely to be bridged anytime soon if this video is any indication. But my health is fine. “These things happen,” said my doctor at SLUH. Not to me. I’m going to take a sabbatical from all things Ferguson.

Gloria S. Ross is a freelance journalist and obituary writer in St. Louis.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Ferguson youth struggled through tear gas when returning from the McDonald’s on West Florissant Avenue on August 11, 2014, as protests following the police killing of Michael Brown Jr. grew.

Guest Columnist

Gloria S. Ross

Healthy Kids Kids

Healthcare Careers

Planning A Healthy Menu

Create an Obstacle Course

Nutrition Challenge:

Look through the food ads in today’s newspaper and plan a healthy dinner menu for your family using what you find. Consider earlier lessons regarding

Exercise Challenge:

With your parent’s help and permission, create an obstacle course or fitness trail in your own backyard. Be sure to include balance, endurance, skill and speed challenges. Activities could include standing on one foot, running around a shed, tossing a ball into a bucket,

What is peer pressure?

Peer Pressure

Anytime a friend or classmate pushes you to do something that you really don’t want to do, that is considered peer pressure. Sometimes it’s just harmless fun, like daring a friend to eat a food that s/he doesn’t really like. But if you are feeling pressure

serving sizes, variety and nutrition. List all of the items for your meal and categorize by food group (dairy, protein, fruits, etc.).

Present your “meal” to your classmates. Now, as a class, determine which meal would be the most delicious… and nutritious!

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

push-ups against the side of the house and crawling under the lowest branch of a tree. Who could do the most push-ups? Who did all of the challenges the fastest? Consider holding a weekly competition to see who is the new winner.

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

to do something that is dangerous, unhealthy or illegal, ask yourself, “Who is pressuring me, and why should I do something just to make that person happy?” Always make smart choices based on what you know to be right and you’ll do better in life.

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

Dr. Edgar Everett, III, Chiropractor

Where do you work? I work at Proficient Chiropractic. Where did you go to school? I graduated from Belleville West High School. I attended Illinois State University, and earned a Bachelor of Science and a Doctorate of Chiropractic from Logan College of Chiropractic. What does a chiropractor do? In addition to adjusting all the bones of the spine, my partner, Dr. Xaivier Tipler, and I educate our practice members about their nervous system and spine. We teach them how to do exercises that will help them get stronger and be able to walk and play sports again.

Why did you choose this career? We wanted to help people live healthier lives without medication by getting them active and eating a healthier diet. Water aerobics, workout classes, and walking are great ways to get the body stronger. A diet full of vegetables, water and the proper vitamins help the body function at its best.

What is your favorite part of the job you have? It’s incredibly rewarding to see people walk better, sleep better, run faster and live without pain. Our practice members start out nervous about Chiropractic, but in no time they tell us how much they love coming to our office and getting adjusted.

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

The St. Louis American’s award winning NIE program provides newspapers and resources to more than 7,000 teachers and students each week throughout the school year, at no charge.

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

Brown Elementary School 5th grade teacher, Taewan

Jemerson, shows students Robert

Essence Cunningham, Madison

and

SCIENCE CORNER

Have you ever spent time observing bugs? Then you have experienced entomology first hand. Entomology is the scientific study of insects. It comes from the Greek word “entomos,” meaning “cut up,” since most insects have segmented bodies. Entomologists have discovered more than 1 million species of insects.

What is Entomology?

body, instead of having a backbone and skeleton inside their body. Insects have three main sections to their exoskeleton— the head, thorax, and abdomen. Insects have 2 antennae, 6 legs, and they hatch from eggs.

African-American Zoologist Charles Turner

Charles Turner was born in 1867 in Cincinnati, Ohio. His father was a custodian and his mother was a nurse. Both parents encouraged Turner to read and to learn all that he possibly could. He was a very hard-working student who enjoyed school. In 1886, Turner graduated from Gaines High School as Valedictorian (top of his class).

Entomologists have learned that there are two main types of insects. Those with wings and those without wings. All insects are invertebrates, which means they have a hard exoskeleton on the outside of their

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

Did you know insects help with the role of decomposition? Forensic scientists observe insect activity to give them clues about the time frame in which an activity happened. In this activity, you will see how bugs are involved in decomposition.

Materials Needed:

• Pear • Plastic Knife

• 3 Jars with Lids

• Nylon Screen • Rubber Band • Notebook • Pencil Process:

q Cut a pear into 3 equal pieces. Put each piece into a separate jar.

Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text for main idea and supporting details. I can make textto-text and text-to-world connections.

Buggy Decomposition

e Place the jars outside together. Observe them every day for a few weeks and record the observations in your notebook. Which jar shows the most decomposition? Which jar has the most bug activity?

r Make observations and draw conclusions: Which method best protected the fruit from decay? Why?

He enrolled in the University of Cincinnati and earned his bachelors’ degree in biology in 1891. One year later, he earned his master’s degree. While pursuing his degree, Turner got married and worked as a teacher to provide income for his family. In 1907, Turner earned a PhD in zoology from the University of Chicago. He was the first African American to earn this honor. Turner researched insects. His research focused on animal behavior. He was the first person to discover that insects can hear and are capable of learning. His research showed that honey bees can see in color and recognize patterns. After earning his degree, Turner moved to St. Louis where he taught at Sumner High School for more than 10 years, until he retired in 1922. After retirement, he moved to Chicago to live with his son, where he died one year later.

Turner published more than 70 research publications. Today, many schools are named in Turner’s honor, including schools in St. Louis where he was a teacher. Clark Atlanta University has a building named in his honor, the Tanner-Turner building. He was also honored in the children’s book, “Bug Watching with Charles Henry Turner” by M.E. Ross.

Learning Standards: I can read a biography about a person who has made contributions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. I can make text-to-text and text-to-world connections.

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

Activities —

w Leave 1 jar uncovered. Put a nylon screen over the second jar and attach it with a rubber band. Screw the lid tightly on the third jar.

z If a worker bee flies 15 miles per hour from the colony to a pollen and nectar source 1/2 mile away, how long does it take it to complete one trip?______

x If a worker bee makes 8 complete trips to get food 3/4 mile away by flying 15 miles per hour, how much time has it spent flying?______

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

Worker Bees!

c If a worker bee can carry 90 milligrams of nectar and pollen each trip, how much total weight has it carried after making 10 trips? ______

v Africanized Bees lay an average of 4,000 eggs per day. How long would it take them to lay 14,000 eggs? ______

b European Bees lay an average of 2,500 eggs per day. How many eggs would they produce in one year?

About 80% of Earth’s animals are

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

Synonyms: Writers have to consider their word choice. They cannot repeat the same words. In the sports section, there are many different ways to say “win” or “lose.” Create a list with those synonyms. Next, look through the newspaper and choose five words from the headlines. Create three synonyms for each of those five words.

Making Changes: Find a newspaper story about an individual who is trying to change society. What efforts have they made? Have these efforts been effective? Create a list of questions you would ask them if you were interviewing him/her for the newspaper.

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can write for a a specific person and audience.

Green,

Harris,

Daniel Medina how to find information using the STEM page in the newspaper. Brown Elementary School is in the Hazelwood School District.

Photo by Wiley Price/St. Louis American

Head Thorax Abdomen

Tax abatements and the segregation of incentives

By Clark Randall For The St. Louis American

Created in the spirit of incentivizing reinvestment in communities, tax abatements allow a party to freeze property taxes for a period of years while they redevelop the land. In theory, tax abatements can be a positive for urban development. Unregulated, however, they can lead to express gentrification and hardened segregation. In St. Louis, the latter is unfolding.

On Tuesday, September 27, the Board of Aldermen met to discuss 19 properties proposed for redevelopment. These proposals come about when the party interested in redevelopment approaches their alderman asking for support. Working with the St. Louis Development Corporation, aldermen then take the proposals they agree to sponsor to the board to have them either passed or rejected.

In St. Louis, these proposals tend to pass for the most part without challenge from the other aldermen. Otherwise known as “aldermanic courtesy,” the idea is that each alderman will act without board interference in exchange for allowing other aldermen to do the same.

The meeting held last week was no different. Bills came through the board with little conversation or opposition. In only one instance did an alderman abstain from voting, perhaps as a light-handed

way of disagreeing without rejecting. Occasionally, some questions were asked of developers: Does the design match the neighborhood? How many stories will the structure be? This soft probing is usually followed by a chorus of, “No further questions.”

This summer, concerns were raised about unchecked tax abatements by a team of policy researchers at Washington University’s Brown School. They discovered a lack of investment in communities north of Delmar, while citing that “the displacement of the black population ... is widespread throughout the Central Corridor.”

One of the study’s authors, Assistant Professor Molly Metzger, reports that the black

n Of the 19 proposals for tax abatement presented last week, 17 were in the Central Corridor and none was north of Delmar.

population in the Central Corridor dropped by more than 2,300 residents from 2000 to 2010. During that same timeframe, the non-black population of the Central Corridor grew by more than 7,000. The Central Corridor they’re referring to is the region of St. Louis that receives the most tax abatements.

The report urged St. Louis to use tax abatements in accordance with poverty statistics in the city, meaning that areas with higher rates of poverty were to be given

extended tax abatements to incentivize development. More affluent areas like those in the Central Corridor would only be allowed limited tax abatements. This provision alone would help regulate a more equal investment in the future. The study also noted the need for affordable housing throughout the region, and particularly in areas that are gentrifying. Inclusionary zoning laws could be one way of advancing that goal. Of the 19 proposals presented last week, 17 of them were in the Central Corridor between Arsenal and Delmar. None of the 19 was north of Delmar. As the report points out, in time, this pattern creates an uneven burden of taxation on black communities north of Delmar. The violent irony of this laissez-fair approach to tax abatements is within the city’s history. Entire swaths of land in St. Louis are vacant or “blighted” due to a century’s worth of racist policies like redlining, racial zoning, and subsidized suburbanization for white families. These historically destructive policies have created the present need to incentivize redevelopment. While well-connected developers find ways to avoid paying property taxes, ordinary homeowners are left to cover the budget gaps. Just as white flight in the middle of the twentieth century was subsidized by the taxation of black communities, so too it seems will the gentrification of St. Louis occur on the backs of this city’s black communities. A recent graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, Clark Randall is an editorial intern for The St. Louis American.

Guest Columnist Clark Randall

Express Scripts execs work side by side with Jennings students

Superintendent Art McCoy orchestrates career training with local companies

By Rebecca Rivas

Of The St. Louis American

Breyanaah Parker, a student ambassador at Jennings High School, dipped her paintbrush in the red paint and got to work on bringing to life a big “J” on a collective school art project. Parker looked over at her art partner – Bill McLaughlin, a vice president of information technology at Express Scripts – and asked how many prescriptions Express Scripts makes.

“We service about one-third of all the people in the United States,” McLaughlin told her. “We make about 1.2 billion prescriptions a year.” McLaughlin was working on painting in the “Your future starts here” words, as the two chatted about their lives. At about 25 other tables, similar conversations were happening

n “It was important to me to design a career program that would engage our corporations to hire our youth and adults.”

– Superintendent Art McCoy

between high-school students and Express Scripts corporate executives as they painted “empowerment” ceiling tiles that will be hung in the high school.

“The overall goal is to empower students to have employers who see them, get to know them and they get to know the company and

have some mentors in the organization,” said Art McCoy, superintendent of Jennings School District.

On September 30, Timothy Wentworth, CEO and president of Express Scripts, and 150 of the company’s vice presidents and executives participated in beautification projects at the district. They split up in three groups of 50 to work with students on art projects at Jennings Junior High and Northview Elementary School as well.

Express Scripts is a major supporter the new Jennings Pharmacy Tech Program, which will be taught by St. Louis College of Pharmacy faculty. Eventually, the students will serve as apprentices during their junior and senior years as pharmacy-

See STUDENTS, B2

Wanted: money to help defend the poor

ArchCity Defenders could hire the nation’s brightest lawyers, but how will they be paid?

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

Thomas Harvey has reached a point of paradox with ArchCity Defenders, the civil rights legal group he co-founded (in 2009) and directs. “If I had not co-founded ArchCity Defenders, coming out of law school right now, I couldn’t get a job or even an internship here,” he said.

ArchCity’s valiant defense of the constitutional rights of the poor has made national news many times, attracted co-counsel offers from major East Coast firms, and started to make progress in reforming the municipal courts in St. Louis County – whose abuses were documented in an ArchCity white paper (August 2014), the Department of Justice report on Ferguson (March 2015) and in much investigative journalism, not to mention in ArchCity’s series of federal suits against some of the worst municipal abusers. One of the firm’s most recent hires, former

Thomas Harvey, co-founder and director of ArchCity Defenders

tennis star Blake Strode, came fresh from Harvard Law School on a fellowship. This past summer, ArchCity’s humble offices in Christ Church Cathedral were crowded with interns from law schools at Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, the University of California Berkeley, the University of Chicago, Washington University and the University of Missouri. Harvey, who earned his J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law, recently had a visiting post at Harvard Law, where some of the nation’s most able and desirable future lawyers

n How do you pay lawyers to do all of the difficult work that needs to be done to protect and defend the poor in the St. Louis metropolitan area?

asked him what they should do with their law degrees.

“It’s crazy to have them asking me,” Harvey said. “I wanted to tell them, ‘You can do anything you want.’ Most of them could have done anything they wanted before they even walked into Harvard Law.”

Harvey was surprised to discover that a sizable number of our nation’s brightest law students would like to do what he is doing,

See POOR, B6

James E. Williams Jr., owner of Estel Foods, joined the Regional Business Council, whose mission is to unite and engage members to act on high-impact business, civic and philanthropic affairs for the betterment of the St. Louis region. A native of East St. Louis and graduate of Dickinson College with a degree in political science, Williams owns McDonald’s franchises in Illinois and Missouri.

Misty Collier Farr was presented with the Distinguished Young Pharmacist Award by the Missouri Pharmacy Association. She serves as pharmacy manager at Walmart in Florissant. Previously, she was the pharmacy manager at the Chesterfield location, where she served as regional immunization champion, training pharmacists and implementing immunization at Missouri Walmart stores.

Dennis Williams, a technical fellow with Boeing Defense, Space & Security, received a Senior Technology Fellow award at the Black Engineer of the Year Awards for his work on military combat aircraft survivability engineering. Williams said he’s most proud that he has contributed to potentially saving the lives of the young women and men aboard those aircraft.

Thelma Mothershed Wair was inducted into the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Alumni Hall of Fame. She made history as a member of the Little Rock Nine, the African-American students involved in the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School in 1957. She received an MSEd in Counselor Education in 1972, a PMC in Educational Administration in 1978 and an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from SIUE in 2016.

Rodney Maurice Norman is producing and starring in a new reality TV show called “Let the Beats Get You Started” that will follow eight aspiring talents from Missouri as they strive to make their own way in the hip-hop and R & B music industry. He is working with local TV production company Dynasty TV.

Camille Brooks joined Harris-Stowe State University as director of Alumni Relations and Events. Previously she worked in various marketing roles including cause and event marketing, shopping center marketing management, and marketing instruction. Her goal is to create and implement a meaningful strategic growth plan that will promote, support and advance the Harris-Stowe State University Alumni Association.

On the move? Congratulations! Send your good professional news and

James E. Williams Jr.

Dennis Williams

Thelma Mothershed Wair

Rodney Maurice Norman Misty Collier Farr

Camille Brooks

Photo by Wiley Price

Antonio Rucker, Express Scripts VP Kevin Barron, Cormekia Tanter, Aniyah Royal, Jennings Superintendent Art McCoy, Brian Thomas and Kacy Stith worked together on a ceiling tile to hang in Jennings High School on September 30, when 150 of Express Scripts’ vice presidents and executives spent a half-day working and meeting with students in the district.

By Nathaniel Sillin

Food shopping can quickly

take over your budget despite your best intentions. Perhaps it’s due to impulse purchases, unplanned shopping trips, food going bad or a combination of all three. If you’re looking for ways to save money while enjoying nutritious and delicious meals, consider these money-saving tactics.

Stick to your budget to save time and money. Look at your food budget before making a trip to the store. If you don’t have one yet, figure out your overall budget including food costs with a simple budget worksheet. Knowing how much you want to spend and actually spent can help you make informed decisions.

Plan out the week’s meals with your budget in mind. If you make dishes that rely on the same staples, you can save money by using leftovers to create a new dish. But mix things up to avoid boredom.

Make your trip to the grocery store even easier with a shopping list. Sticking to a list can help limit food waste and make it easy to get in and out of the grocery store. If you share food shopping duties with a spouse or partner, you can avoid double purchases by using grocery apps that let you create and sync shopping lists.

How to save money on your grocery bill

Stack different discounts and deals to rack up savings. Once you enter the grocery store, it’s time to put your plan into action. Plan for the occasional indulgence and let yourself make impulse purchases occasionally, but try to stick to the list. You can also often save money at grocery stores by joining the store’s loyalty program. Members get exclusive discounts, and some programs offer additional savings at partner stores. Check your membership account online or with the app before checking out, as some

programs have electronic coupons that you need to “clip” to get the savings.

One way to increase your grocery budget is to use one, or several, of the apps that give you cash back when you buy groceries. Sometimes you can even earn cash back on general purchases like a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk. Depending on the app and food, you may

need to verify the purchase by scanning the barcode and sending a picture of your receipt.

The store you choose can also significantly impact how much you’ll spend.

Strategically plan your shopping route. Planning your grocery shopping after reviewing your local stores’ weekly sales and coupons can

STUDENTS

continued from page B1

technicians at Walgreens or at Express Scripts itself, said McCoy.

“Here in St. Louis, we were identified as a Promise Zone based off the unemployment and underemployment of our adults,” McCoy said. “It was

help you determine what to buy where. Also take the time to explore your neighborhood stores, as one grocer may frequently have high-quality yet inexpensive produce while another might have a great butcher.

No matter where you shop, be mindful of how the store’s design can entice you to make purchases. The outside ring is often where you’ll find

important to me to design a career program that would engage our corporations to hire our youth and adults.”

In order for companies to want to hire students, they have to be equipped, he said.

“We are on a mission to make sure every young person has an industry-recognized credential before high school graduation that will get them a living wage and job, as well as

the fewest processed foods, however you might notice that you need to walk to the back of the store to grab milk or eggs. The store hopes you’ll be tempted by something you see along the way.

Sticking to your list, refraining from walking through an aisle unless you need to and remembering that the eye-level products aren’t necessarily the best bang for your buck can help you avoid these traps.

Stick to inexpensive foods. Consider choosing storebrand rather than name-brand products as they’re often cheaper, but not necessarily lower quality. You may also want to consider changing what you buy. Filet mignon can be delicious, but so can cheaper cuts of meat and there’s a lot of advice online for how to best prepare them. Staples, such as rice, beans and canned or frozen goods are also a low-cost way to supplement meals.

Bottom line. Buying food is a necessity, but you don’t have to overspend to keep a well-stocked fridge and pantry. By planning your meals and grocery trips, using the money-saving tactics above and carefully choosing where you shop, you can save time and money – and cook up something delicious.

Nathaniel Sillin directs Visa’s financial education programs. To follow Practical Money Skills on Twitter: www. twitter.com/PracticalMoney.

have college credits,” McCoy said. In total, the district offers opportunities to gain these credentials in seven different career paths, including certified nursing assistant, information technology and construction. Before the beautification projects began, Express Scripts leaders presented McCoy with a check for $25,000 to fund college-visit trips to Morehouse and Spelman colleges. Jennings in turn gave the company three paintings made by students. Wentworth spoke to the packed high-school auditorium about being the CEO of Express Scripts and his path to get there. He also talked about his high-school experience and facing peer pressure.

“I truly think that I was lucky,” Wentworth said. “I was lucky because I had those good influences at a time when those bad ones weren’t so in my face that I felt like I had to follow them.”

After his speech, McCoy gave Wentworth a big hug and told the students, “Tim is one of the most genuine, caring and fun CEOs I’ve ever met. We did actually meet on the dance floor. I saw that a white man can dance.”

The students erupted in laughter and applause.

n “If I sneeze the wrong way, it’ll be a flat. If I tie my shoe the wrong way, it might be a fine.”

– New York Giants

receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

Sports

PreP Football Notebook

With Earl Austin Jr.

Only 1 undefeated in Class 6

Hazelwood Central Hawks continue their roll

And then there was one.

After seven weeks, the Hazelwood Central Hawks now stand alone as the only undefeated team in Missouri Class 6. The Hawks continued their roll with a 54-18 victory over Pattonville last weekend.

The talented Hawks have been led by senior quarterback Antonio Triplett Jr., who has passed for 934 yards and eight touchdowns while running for 562 yards and 11 touchdowns. Running back Raphael Bell has rushed for 688 yards and seven touchdowns while Paul Sullivan and Dallas Craddeith are the team’s top two receivers.

Defensively, the Hawks are led by senior linebacker Jordan Carey and junior linebacker Javon Kirk and Craddeith, who has received numerous Division I scholarship offers. Hazelwood Central will host Hazelwood West on Saturday afternoon.

The Undefeateds

Hazelwood Central is joined by eight other undefeated teams in the St. Louis metro area as we head into October. They include Trinity (6-0), St. Dominic (7-0), Hillsboro (7-0), Owensville (7-0), East St. Louis (6-0), Althoff (6-0), Breese Central (6-0) and Columbia (6-0).

Metro Catholic vs. Mid Missouri

Some of the most exciting action this season has been when a team from the Metro Catholic Conference takes a trip to the middle of the state. The latest example was last Friday night when CBC defeated Jefferson City 65-59 in one of the wildest games of the season. The score was actually tied at 51-51 in the fourth quarter, when the Cadets put two scores on the board to take the victory. Junior Kamryn Babb had 10 receptions for 220 yards and two touchdowns, Justin Williams rushed for 220 yards and two touchdowns while quarterback Brett Gabbert passed for 340 yards and two touchdowns. On August 26, DeSmet travelled to Columbia Rock Bridge and pulled out a

See PREP, B5

Say hello to the bad guy

Boo-birds in mid-season form as Durant and Warriors kick off the preseason

Though the NBA regular-season has yet to begin, haters are out in full force as the Golden State Warriors began preseason play with newbie Kevin Durant. The former NBA MVP made waves in the offseason by leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder via free agency to join a team that finished with the best regular-season record in NBA history at 73-9. When the Warriors took the court for its preseason opener Saturday night in Vancouver, fans booed the superstar forward every time he touched the basketball. If fans in Vancouver, which no longer has an NBA team, showed such disdain for Durant, imagine what will happen in actual NBA cities.

Some rejoiced at Durant’s subpar performance (9 points on 2-of-9 shooting, 3 TO) in the meaningless 97-93 loss to the Raptors. It was obvious though that the opener was just a warmup for the Warriors as none of the starters played more than 19 minutes.

Two-time MVP Stephen Curry was not amused by the reaction from the fans.

“It’s just funny,” Curry told reporters. “I highly doubt anyone in this arena was affected by that, so it’s just funny. They’re just buying into a narrative that doesn’t really make sense to me.”

The humble KD, who once attempted to nickname himself

“The Servant,” took the jeers in stride.

“I’m sure we’re going to be

n If fans in Vancouver, which no longer has an NBA team, showed such disdain for Durant, imagine what will happen in actual NBA cities.

bilities. Durant, Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and sixth-man Andre Iguodala each played at least 20 minutes and the Warriors lit up the scoreboard like a Christmas tree in front of the excited home fans. Thompson led the Warriors with 30 points on 10-for-14 shooting in just 21 minutes. Durant followed with 21 points on 6-10 shooting in 24 minutes. Win or loss, preseason outcomes are generally nothing to get excited about. However it can’t be completely ignored that at one point the Warriors led by 53-points versus a 53-win team from last season.

a hot ticket coming into town and everybody’s going to want to see us play. I look at it that See CLUTCH, B4

Earl Austin Jr.

Kevin Durant angered fans outside of the Bay Arena by joining a Golden State Warriors team that won a NBA-record 73 games last season.

Miller Career Academy’s Kerel Barnett (7) rushed for 189 yards on just 12 carries Saturday against the Roosevelt Rough Riders at Gateway. Career Academy went on to defeat the Rough Riders 62-0.

Photo by Wiley Price

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

Black manager guaranteed to reach NL Championship Series

There are currently two managerial job openings in Major League Baseball, and plenty of minority candidates could fill them. Arizona needs a new skipper, and so do the Colorado Rockies. Manager Walt Weiss stepped down on Monday.

Robin Ventura’s five-year deal with the Chicago White Sox expired, and he chose to not seek another contract. The job was open less than 24 hours because bench coach and former Cubs manager Rick Renteria was hired to take over. He becomes MLB’s only Hispanic manager. Former Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington will interview for the Atlanta Braves’ managerial post, as will Bud Black. Black could not come to a financial agreement with the Washington Nationals last offseason, which led to Dusty Baker getting the manager’s job. He led his team to the NL East title, and his Nats will take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in a NL Divisional Series.

The Dodgers are led by MLB’s other black manager, Dave Roberts. The matchup means a black manager will reach the NLCS – and be four wins from the World Series.

La Russa still employed

The architect of the Arizona Diamondbacks 2016 disaster, Tony La Russa, still had his job as president of baseball operations as of Tuesday.

But Dave Stewart, the lone black GM in the Majors, and manager Chip Hale were fired on Monday. La Russa got to fire his longtime friend, although he reportedly told Stewart he was being forced to do it. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports, “The Diamondbacks have yet to determine La Russa’s future role, while La Russa must

decide whether he wants to stay.”

My guess is that La Russa will keep his job, keep finding ways to dodge his own incompetence in the front office, keep running his mouth on subjects such as demonstrations during the national anthem, and keep the spotlight on himself. It’s all about Tony, folks.

Cards should consider McCutchen

With seven home games against the Cincinnati Reds and

Pittsburgh Pirates, respectively, in the season’s closing week, the St. Louis Cardinals had a chance to roar into the postseason.

A 5-2 record was not good enough, because the San Francisco Giants posted the same mark against the Colorado Rockies and hated Los Angeles Dodgers. The Redbirds swept the Pirates in three, but the Giants did the same to the Dodgers.

My bold prediction of a long playoff run was silly. The Cardinals had me fooled all season, I’ll admit it. It took 162 games to put the Cardinals out of the playoffs, but the National League was a hot mess of mediocrity this year so the franchise should take no pride in that statistic.

What St. Louis should take is Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen

The Pirates have made it known the five-time All-Star could be available in a deal. The Cardinals need a true center fielder who could bring solid defense and a steady bat to the lineup.

In all honesty, McCutchen brought neither to the field in 2016.

Pittsburgh GM Neal Huntington told the Pittsburgh media on Sunday “We love this core (of players), and we think we can supplement it. At the same time, if there is a significant move that gives us a better chance to get back to the postseason in 2017 and ideally ’18 and beyond, that’s something we’ll be open to.”

McCutchen will make $14 million next season ($3 million less than the departing Matt Holliday), and the Pirates have an option for the 2018 season.

A year ago, there was talk of extending McCutchen’s contract, but he admits it isn’t happening until he snaps out of his 2016 funk.

“Who’s going to want to sign me for the (rest of) my career when I’ve had the year that I’ve had? No one is going to think that,” McCutchen told Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

“You know what they’re going to think? ‘Trade him. Get him out of here. He doesn’t deserve (an extension).’ People

are going to say that.” I’m fine with Matt Carpenter remaining in the leadoff spot, but there is continuous talk of moving him down to No. 3 in the order.

McCutchen could be the Cards’ 2017 leadoff man – but if he plays in the future like he did this year, any deal would be a bust.

His .256 batting average was the lowest in his eightyear career, although he did hit 24 home runs. He only had 79 RBI, and Pirate fans will tell you he repeatedly failed in key situations during the Bucs’ late-season swoon.

I’m not a big analytical guy, so the Win Above Replacement (WAR) statistic means more to some fans than me, but McCutchen slipped to -0.7.

The most shocking statistic of the season is McCutchen ranking last among MLB center fielders in Defensive Runs Saved (-27).

But you weren’t going to get the MVP McCutchen in a trade – you can get the current one.

Alex Reyes should not be considered in a deal, but the

Cardinals could mix-and-match and come up with something the Pirates would accept. The Pirates desperately need a closer, and I’m not convinced Trevor Rosenthal can be trusted in that role. He also wants to be a starter, and maybe the Pirates can offer him that chance.

Luke Weaver would draw interest. Who would miss Jaime Garcia if he were part of the package?

McCutchen might not be the same player he was when he won the 2013 NL MVP award, but he’s far from finished at 29. A change of scenery could jumpstart him, and there’s no better place to re-charge than Busch Stadium – in front of packed houses instead of paltry Pittsburgh crowds. St. Louis should not trade too much for him, but they should give the Bucs a call.

Alvin A. Reid is a panelist on the Nine Network program, Donnybrook and appears on ABC’s The Allman Report and several sports radio shows. His Twitter handle is @aareid1.

Alvin A. Reid

Dusty Baker’s Washington Nationals face Dave Roberts’ Los Angeles Dodgers in a National League Divisional Series, which means a black manager will reach the National League Championship Series – and be four wins from the World Series.

dramatic 32-27 victory. The Spartans trailed 27-13 before scoring three touchdowns in the last three minutes to take the victory. On September 9, Vianney ventured Columbia to take on top-ranked Battle. The two teams staged another impressive shootout with Battle coming away with a 55-52 victory.

Earl’s Pick Game of the Week

Miller Career Academy at Gateway STEM, Friday, 7 p.m. – The Public High League championship will be on the line in this showdown between two teams that are riding big winning streaks. Miller Career Academy has won six consecutive games after dropping its opening contest against powerful CBC.

Gateway Tech started the season with two consecutive losses, but the Jaguars rebounded to win its last five games. Career Academy is lead by running back Kerel Barnett, who has rushed for 951 yards and 12 touchdowns. Gateway Tech features two-way performer Miqueal Pillow-Smiley, who has nine touchdowns on offense and 11 quarterback sacks on defense.

Top Games of the Week

Rockhurst at CBC, Friday, 7 p.m.

Pattonville at Ritenour, Friday, 7 p.m.

Lafayette at Fox, Friday, 7 p.m.

Parkway C. at Parkway W., Friday, 7 p.m.

Kirkwood at Summit, Friday, 7 p.m.

Fort Zumwalt N. at Fort Zumwalt S., Friday, 7 p.m.

Francis Howell at Francis Howell C., Friday, 7 p.m.

Lutheran N. at Mater Dei, Friday, 7 p.m.

St. Dominic at MICDS, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Trinity at John Burroughs, Saturday, 1 p.m.

E. St. Louis at Belleville E., Saturday, 1 p.m.

McCluer at Hazelwood E., Saturday, 1 p.m.

CLUTCH

Continued from B3

ESPN’s Ethan Sherwood Strauss pointed out that Durant and Thompson outscored the entire Clippers team by 10 points at the half.

Back to the haters and boobirds, the ever-salty Stephen A. Smith continued to demonize Durant’s decision on First Take by proclaiming he has “ruined the regular season.” Smith’s stance makes little logical sense, considering he supported LeBron James decision to leave Cleveland to form a ‘super team’ in Miami with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. He also supported James’ decision return to Cleveland in order to form another ‘super team’ in Cleveland to play alongside (and win a NBA title with) Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love Smith and other Durant bashers have also been silent on the 67-win San Antonio Spurs’ acquisition of All-Star forward/center Pau Gasol Gasol joins Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge to form an all-All-Star frontcourt, but they have been overlooked due to Durant’s move to the Bay Area.

As with any team that makes major offseason changes, the Warriors squad will have its up and downs over the 82-game grind. They won’t finish 82-0. According to Green, they likely will not try to chase last season’s record for regular-season wins. All eyes in Oakland are focused on the championship that eluded the team a season ago. For what it’s worth, Durant seems to be ecstatic to play in Golden State’s free-flowing, find-the-open-man offense. Who wouldn’t be? According to Durant, in Kerr’s offense, he quickly learned that he wasn’t as smart as he thought on the basketball court. Once he gets comfortable in the new system, with three All-Star teammates, the sky is the limit. The boo-birds better make room.

Visit our award-winning website for daily news, sports and entertainment updates!

www.

Levi Stockard commits to Kansas State

Vashon High basketball standout heads

west

By Earl Austin Jr. Of The St. Louis American

Vashon High basketball standout Levi Stockard has given a verbal commitment to Kansas State University. The 6’8” Stockard

n A four-year varsity starter, Stockard averaged nine points and six rebounds in helping lead the Wolverines to the Class 4 state championship last season.

averaged nine points and six rebounds in helping lead the Wolverines to the Class 4 state championship last season. The 245pound Stockard is a big, physical post player who impacts the game at both ends of the floor with his scoring, rebounding and shot blocking.

Stockard spent the summer playing for the Gateway Basketball Club 17U team that competed in the Adidas Uprising Gauntlet Series. He was Gateway’s leading scorer and rebounder during the grassroots season. Stockard becomes the third player from St. Louis to commit to head coach Bruce Weber’s Kansas State program. Former Hazelwood Central standout Xavier Sneed is a current freshman for the Wildcats. Former Parkway North standout Darrell Johnson is a senior for Kansas State.

Mizzou-made Pressey pushing to make the team

Former Mizzou Tiger point guard Phil Pressey is competing for a spot with the Golden State Warriors. Pressey played most of the 2015-16 season with the Idaho Stampede of the NBDL. He did earn two consecutive 10-day contracts with the Phoenix Suns in February and March before being released and returning to the D-League.

The lighting-fast, passfirst point guard would be a wonderful fit for the Warriors bench. There is no shortage of shooters for him to find when pushing the basketball up the court. However, the Warriors

currently have guaranteed contracts for 14 out of its 15 roster spots, meaning there is likely only one spot available. The favorite to fill that position is JaVale McGhee. The seven-foot center could provide badly needed rim protection for the Warriors. However, he averaged just 5.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 34 games for the Dallas Mavericks last season. So it remains to be seen if he has enough left in the tank to make the team. If not, Pressey might just make the cut.

Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ IshmaelSistrunk

Donnell Hawkins

Francis Howell North – Football

Warriors torched the Clippers 120-75 in a preseason game.

The senior running back enjoyed a big performance in leading the Knights to a 49-28 victory over Troy last Friday night.

The 5’7” 185-pound Hawkins rushed for 218 yards on 15 carries and scored three touchdowns on runs of 15, 67 and 56 yards. The victory improved Howell North’s record to 4-3. For the season, Hawkins has rushed for 1,106 yards and 15 touchdowns. He is averaging close to 10 yards a carry this year. As a junior, Hawkins rushed for 979 yards and scored nine touchdowns.

Vashon High basketball standout Levi Stockard is one of the top post players in the state of Missouri

Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers were unable to stop Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors as the

POOR

continued from page B1

fighting for the poor, rather than banking hours at a large corporate firm. At Harvard Law, he was shocked to find, there is even a support group for students who start to doubt themselves as they fend off corporate recruiters and search for jobs with a more pure social mission, but far less pay. In fact, those more noble but lesser-paying jobs are harder to find. As Harvey and his co-founders MichaelJohn Voss and John McAnnar know well, there is not much money in fighting for the poor. ArchCity keeps the lights on through grants (because of their advocacy for the homeless, the Department of Housing and Urban Development is a major funder), legal fees from federal settlements (in a September 2015 settlement with the City of Jennings, ArchCity split $1.1 million with two co-counsel firms) and client

fees. The need, however, far outweighs the small firm’s capacity, especially since the Missouri Supreme Court continues to flinch from thorough reform of St. Louis County municipal courts. That’s even after Chief Justice Supreme Justice Patricia Breckenridge was nearly driven to drink, by her own admission, after visiting a few municipal courts in the county; in an address to a joint meeting of the Missouri Bar and Judicial Conference on September 22, she joked it’s a good thing she turns to chocolate, not alcohol, in moments of despair. But how do you pay lawyers to do all of the difficult work that needs to be done to protect and defend the poor in the St. Louis metropolitan area? Some of the world’s most brilliant interns can come to St. Louis to work, more or less pro bono, over the summer. But what if they want to come back, like Blake Strode did from Harvard Law, and work for ArchCity Defenders? How will they be

paid? Harvey has decided to find the money to pay them, with an eye toward diversifying the firm as well. He also hopes to groom the next generation of leadership, one that does not look like the three co-founders, who are all white men (Voss remains at ArchCity in a leadership position, but McAnnar has since moved on). Harvey was inspired by his brilliant, diverse corps of summer interns, several of whom would come back to work for the firm – if there was budget to pay them.

So now Harvey has added to his duties a fundraising component: approaching law firms and foundations for money to help him grow and diversity his staff, to help ArchCity Defenders protect and defend the poor in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

For more information or to help fund fellowships at ArchCity Defenders, call 314361-8834 or email rgorley@ archcitydefenders.org.

It’s shameful to lobby for payday lenders

By Cara Spencer Guest columnist

There’s money to be made in predatory lending. Big money. And when that is threatened, it’s no surprise that an industry that preys on the poor turns to bullying tactics.

But what is a surprise is that some of our region’s most highly regarded and trusted institutions allow their good reputations to be represented by the same man that represents the interests of the payday lending industry.

Lou Hamilton is the lobbyist paid to represent the interests of The St. Louis Art Museum, The St. Louis Zoo, BJC, Anheuser-Busch, the St. Louis Cardinals and our public transit entity, Bi-State. The same man is the paid lobbyist for a consortium of

payday lenders, six, in fact. It is absolutely shameful that Lou Hamilton is willing to disparage the reputations of some of St. Louis’ most prestigious institutions by simultaneously representing one of the most rapacious industries side-by-side at City Hall, in the state Legislature and everywhere else he goes. Neither I nor the Consumers Council of Missouri would gain anything from the passage of restrictions other than the satisfaction of St. Louis lessening the impacts of financial degradation by payday lending.

The ethical question is: Why would anyone lobby for the continued ability for payday lenders to suck millions of dollars out of our poorest neighborhoods? In our state, we have

allowed payday lenders to run amok, with over 11 percent of Missourians taking out a payday loan every year. Missouri has quite literally the laxest laws in the country regulating this industry, despite Lou Hamilton claiming there are “already tight restrictions” on an industry that has more storefronts in Missouri than McDonalds, Starbucks and Wal-Mart stores combined.

Please let these institutions know that who they choose to represent their interests is important to our region’s reputation. Our collective reputation deserves better than being tarnished by direct association with payday lending.

Cara Spencer is executive director of Consumers Council of Missouri and 20th Ward alderwoman in St. Louis.

Financial Focus

By Courtney Bond

Want to retire early? Start planning now

The average American retires at about age 63, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. If you enjoy your work, of course, you may want to go well beyond that age. But what if you don’t want to wait until 63 or so? Can you afford to retire early? Possibly – if you follow these suggestions:

• Research the costs involved. What will you do during your retirement years? Will you travel the world or stay close to home, pursuing your hobbies? Will you downsize from your current home? How will you pay for health care until you’re old enough for Medicare? You will need to answer these and other questions to determine how much you will need to sustain a comfortable lifestyle as an early retiree.

• Invest more – and invest for growth. One big advantage in retiring at the usual age, or even later, is that it gives you more time to invest. But if you’re determined to retire early, you will almost certainly need to accelerate your investment

rate – which, in practical terms, means you’ll likely have to contribute more each year to your IRA and 401(k) or similar employer-sponsored retirement plan than if you were going to retire later on. Plus, you may have to “ratchet up” the growth potential of your investment portfolio. However, because growth-oriented investments typically are more volatile than other investments, you will be taking on more risk than you might otherwise. If you are truly uncomfortable with this risk level, you may need to re-evaluate your plans for retiring early.|

• Cut down your debt load. It’s always a good idea to enter retirement with as few debts as possible – but if you want to retire early, you may need to be even more diligent in controlling your debt load.

• Know the rules governing retirement plan withdrawals. If you want to retire before age 59½ and begin taking distributions from your IRA or 401(k) plan, you will generally be subject to a 10% early distribution penalty, plus normal income taxes. (To withdraw your earnings from a Roth IRA tax and penalty free, you generally must have owned the account for at least five years and have reached age 59½. You can withdraw your contributions at any time tax and penalty free.) However, you may be able to avoid the 10% penalty if you take “substantially equal periodic payments,” which are calculated

By Kenya Vaughn

Of The St. Louis American

Nate Parker deserves an ovation for having the nerve to invest his own resources, co-write, direct and star in “The Birth of a Nation,” a film adaptation of Nat Turner’s famous 1831 insurrection. If the title sounds familiar, it’s because he intentionally appropriated it from “Birth of a Nation” – an early 20th century racist propaganda film that is often heralded as one of the first cinematic masterpieces. Unfortunately, the “different history” he envisioned for the title bled into the film itself. His creative liberties and historical “re-imaginations” make the “The Birth of a

Nation” unworthy of the acclaim the film has received since it became the darling of The Sundance Film Festival this past winter as an alleged masterpiece in its own right.

There are plenty of pieces of history that need to be seasoned with dramatic fantasy for it to translate into a film that will engage its audience.

The story of Nat Turner is not one of them.

Born into slavery, Turner’s religious conviction and intelligence earned him a favored position among those enslaved on the Southampton County, Virginia plantation where he spent his entire life. He conducted Baptist church services – through which he even

Game recognizes game

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

“I don’t see myself as a humanitarian. I often see myself as a neurotic, self-involved man who defines himself as a maker of art,” Bill T. Jones

said. It was quite the confession, considering that moments before Jones had been presented with Washington University’s 2016 International Humanities Medal by Chancellor Mark Wrighton.

“This award has led me to examine what it means to be an artist,” Jones said, then posed himself some questions. “Why are you here today? What have you done? What do I care about in this life?” Jones was an open book during his lecture

By Kenya Vaughn

Photo by John Scott

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

Fri., Oct. 7, 7:30 p.m., SiriusXM presents I Love the 90’s. Featuring Vanilla Ice, Salt N’ Pepa with Spinderella, Kid N’ Play, All 4 One, Coolio, and Young MC. 1 S. Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 977-5000 or visit www. thechaifetzarena.com.

Fri., Oct. 7, The Marquee welcomes Scarface. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sun., Oct. 9, 8 p.m., Blueberry Hill presents Futuristic. 6504 Delmar Blvd., 63130. For more information, call (314) 727-4444 or visit www. blueberryhill.com.

Mon., Oct. 10, 9 p.m., The Pageant presents Rae Sremmurd – SremmLife II Tour. 6161 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 726-6161 or visit www.thepageant.com.

Fri., Oct. 14, 7 p.m., National Blues Museum presents the Take Me to the River Concert. This unique event will feature a live performance by the Take Me to the River Memphis All-Star Band, including: William Bell, Frayser Boy, Al Kapone, Legendary Hi Rhythm Section, and the Stax Academy Alumni Band. 615 Washington Ave., 63101. For more information, call (314) 925-0016 or visit www.facebook.com.

Sat., Oct. 15, The Ambassador welcomes Gucci Mane. The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Fri., Oct. 21, 7 p.m., Delmar Hall presents the Mvstermind EP Release Show. With Danté Wolfe, J’Demul, Arshad Goods + Special Guests. 6133 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www.

thepageant.com/event.

Sat. Oct. 22, An Evening With Cedric The Entertainer and Friends featuring Smokey Robinson and George Lopez. Peabody Opera House. For more information visit www.cedricandfriends. org.

special events

Thur., Oct. 6, 7:30 p.m., Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions 2016 Join Olympic All-Around Champions Gabrielle Douglas and Nastia Liukin, along with members of the 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Teams. 1 S. Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 977-5000 or visit www.thechaifetzarena.com.

Sat., Oct. 8, 9 a.m., A Step Beyond in collaboration with the City of Berkeley and the City of Hazelwood will be hosting the 2nd annual “Unity in the Community Youth Rally”. The rally will begin at 9am, and the march will begin at 10am at Musick Park (North Hanley Road and Latty Avenue). in Hazelwood Missouri. For more information, please call 314-339-9086 or visit www. barakchristianchurch.org.

Sat., Oct. 8, 10 a.m., Historic JCPenny Estate Sale and Auction. Join us for a day of family, music, and estate shopping. Several St. Louis nonprofits, with missions to serve the communities will be volunteering time and service. Everything is for sale from new and used home furniture/appliances, vintage collectables, sporting goods, books, medical equipment, electronics, and more. 5930 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr., 63112. For more information, email antonio.j.gully@gmail. com.

The Guide

Featured Event

Oct. 12 – Nov. 6, Repertory Theatre St. Louis presents Until the Flood. Celebrated writer and performer Dael Orlandersmith interviewed people from the region about recent social unrest and crafted a stunning piece that reflects the complexity of St. Louis. 130 Edgar Rd., 63119. For more information, call (314) 968-4925 or visit www.repstl.org.

Sat., Oct. 8, 3 p.m., 2nd Annual Young Friends Brewfest. Join us for an afternoon of food, drinks, and live music. Proceeds from this event will benefit Marian Middle School’s mission of breaking the cycle of poverty by Educating Girls for Life. Urban Improvement Construction, 1607 Tower Grove Ave., 63110. For more information, call (314) 771-7674 or visit marianmiddleschool.org.

Sat., Oct. 8, 8 p.m., Touhill Performing Arts Center presents Vision: Where Ballet + Fashion Meet. Take two up-and-coming New York fashion designers and put them together with two of New York City’s most impressive young choreographers … and you have VISION. Don’t miss this mash up of cutting edge fashion and dance that tests the boundaries of classical ballet while staying true to the fundamentals of technique. One University Blvd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 516-4949 or visit www. touhill.org.

Sun., Oct. 9, 12 p.m., St. Louis’ Best Bridal Show. Find the dress, honeymoon package, bouquet, limo, dessert, and everything else you will need. There will be a runway fashion show at 3:30 p.m. St. Charles Convention Center, 1 Convention Center Plaza, 63303. For more information, call (314) 4751202.

Fri., Oct. 14, 9 a.m., St. Louis World Food Day 2016. A food-packaging program providing nutritious meals to help feed hungry children and families living locally and internationally. Packaging Partners register for a one-hour packaging session and their registration fees along with sponsorships and donations, help defray the cost of the ingredients, supplies, and distribution of food to people in need. Leadership Volunteers sign up at no cost to volunteer in four-hour shifts, assisting with event execution. 755 S. Price Rd., 63124. For more information, call (314) 7862785 or visit www.STLWFD. org.

Side present Rollin’ with North Side. An evening of fun to benefit North Side Community School. Price includes 2 hours of bowling, food and drinks. Pin Up Bowl, 6191 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 385-9502 or visit www. northsidecommunityschool. org.

Sat., Oct. 22, 11 a.m., Helping Hands Food Pantry Inaugural Luncheon: “Living Your Life to Leave a Legacy.” Entertainment, door prizes and a silent option will be part of the event. Crown Plaza Hotel, 11228 Long Eagle Dr., 63044. For more information, call (314) 8396591 or (314) 795-4753.

Sat., Oct. 15, 8 p.m., The Fabulous Fox presents AC2. Join Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen for an unscripted, uncensored and unforgettable night of conversation. The late night talk show host and the journalist, longtime friends, interview each other and take questions from the audience. 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www.fabulousfox.com.

Sun., Oct. 16, 3 p.m., The Meramec Community Orchestra and Symphonic Band presents Scout Remembers Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird” The band will perform the music to the soundtrack of this classic film and Mary Badham, the actress who played Scout in the movie, will narrate. This concert honors the artistic achievement of Harper Lee and all those involved with this extraordinary book and film. The concert will include projected images and artwork. Meramec Community College Theatre, 11333 Big Bend Blvd., 63122. For more information, call (314) 9847639.

Mon., Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m., River Styx and Brick City Poetry Festival feat. Sandra Beasley, Justin Phillip Reed, and Jon Tribble Contemporary Art Museum, 3750 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www.riverstyx.com.

Thur., Oct. 20, 6 p.m., The Young Friends of North

Sat., Oct. 22, 11 a.m., The Girl Talk Outreach Project Summit 2016. Our mission is to help empower, encourage, motivate and positively build the self-esteem within teen girls and teen moms, through mentorship, motivational conference events and more. This year’s event will talk about goal setting and include a goal setting activity to help young girls set and organize their goals, which in return will help them reach their dreams. Black Jack Community Fire Protection District, 5675 N Hwy 67, 63034. For more information, visit www.entertainment.com.

Sat., Oct. 8, 7 p.m., Jazzy ENT presents Laughs in the Lou Comedy Explosion Featuring Darius Bradford, Jeremiah “JJ” Williamson, Michael Colyar, T.K. Kirkland, and Brandon “Hot Sauce” Glover. The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., 63136. For more information, call (409) 571-9454 or visit www. ajazzyevent.com.

Through October 6, Kemper Art Museum presents the Art on Film Series. The series features three films highlighting artists from the museum’s newest exhibit. Oct. 4: Pollock – the film looks at the career and tumultuous life of painter Jackson Pollock. Oct. 5: Moulin Rouge – José Ferrer portrays Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, whose work embodies the spirit of bohemian Paris in the 1890s. Oct. 6: The Mystery of Picasso – Through a combination of stop-motion and time-lapse photography, the film follows Pablo Picasso at work in his

An Evening with Cedric The Entertainer and Friends featuring Smokey Robinson and George Lopez. See CONCERTS for additional details.

studio, resulting in a quiet documentary that captures the revolutionary artist’s creative process. Tivoli Landmark Theater, 6350 Delmar Blvd., 63130. For more information, call (314) 935-4523 or visit www.kemperartmuseum.wustl. edu.

Oct. 8 – 9, Highland Arts Council presents the Thirteenth Annual Art in the Park. This family friendly festival brings professional artwork to the community while providing music, food and fun for children and adults. Featuring original works in a wide range of art mediums, including: painting, clay, glass, sculpture, photography, jewelry, and more. Lindendale Park, 2005 Parkhill Dr., Highland, IL 62249. For more information, visit www. highlandartscouncil.org.

Oct. 8 – 9, Griot Museum of Black History presents Wax & Wine – Wandering Spirit: African Wax Fabrics Exhibit Closing Event. 2505 St. Louis Ave., 63106. For more information, call (314) 241-7057 or visit www. thegriotmuseum.com.

Through Oct. 30, COCA presents Outside In: Paint for Peace. Showcasing the power of the arts, the exhibition presents a selection of the murals painted on the boardedup storefronts by amateur and professional artists in the days and weeks following the 2014 protests in Ferguson. 524 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 7256555 or visit www.cocastl.org.

theatre

Through Oct. 9, Stages St. Louis presents Sister Act. A divine comedy about a sassy, low-rent lounge singer forced to hide out from the mob in the last place anyone would ever look for her – a convent. The Robert G. Reim Theatre, 111 S Geyer Rd., 63122. For more information, call (314) 821-2407 or visit www. stagesstlouis.org.

Oct. 12 – Nov. 6, Repertory Theatre St. Louis presents Until the Flood. Celebrated writer, performer and Pulitzer Prize finalist Dael Orlandersmith spent a week in St. Louis interviewing people from every corner of the region about recent social unrest. From these conversations, she has crafted a stunning piece that reflects the complexity of St. Louis. The play is a mosaic of voices that tells our region’s story without advancing any one viewpoint above others. 130 Edgar Rd., 63119. For more information, call (314) 968-4925 or visit www.repstl. org.

Sat., Oct. 15, 2 & 8 p.m., UMSL International Studies and Programs Department presents Shanghai Nights. The show features 40 awardwinning acrobats. Touhill Performing Arts Center, One University Blvd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 516-4949 or visit www.touhill. org.

Oct. 21 – 23, Variety Children’s Theatre presents Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Touhill Performing Arts Center, One University Blvd., 63121.

Oct. 21 – 30, Washington University Performing Arts Department presents Passing Strange. A semiautobiographical account of a young brother’s encounters with sex, drugs, and rock and roll as he searches for “the real.” A rock musical that is equal parts comedy and drama, Passing Strange follows “the Youth” on his pilgrimage of self-discovery from Los Angeles to Amsterdam, Berlin and beyond. Directed by Ron Himes. Edison Theatre, 6465 Forsyth Blvd., 63105. For more information, call (314) 935-6543 or visit www.edison. wustl.edu.

Oct. 29 – 30, Fox Theatre presents Love Jones The Musical. 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, visit www.fabulousfox.com.

lectures and workshops

Wed., Oct. 12, 6:30 p.m., We Are St. Louis: African American Heritage. Dr. John A. Wright will discuss the history of African American communities and historic sites in the St. Louis region. A panel discussion will follow the presentation, featuring community members working to preserve three of these historic African American communities. Registration required. Lewis & Clark Branch, 9909 Lewis-Clark Blvd., 63136. For more information or to register, call (314) 994-3300 or visit www. mo.evanced.info/slcl.

Thur., Oct. 13, The History of Policing and the Changing Landscape. This program

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the current state of policing in the region. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112.

Fri., Oct. 21, 5:30 p.m., CJT Consulting LLC presents Mosaic Ceiling: A Panel Discussion for AfricanAmerican Women. Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center, 5595 Grand Dr., 63112. For more information, visit www.evite. me/2SMhr2gRUA.

Wednesdays through Nov. 9, 7 p.m., The Missouri Bar presents the Fall 2016 Mini Law School for the Public. The more you know about the laws that affect you, the easier it is to make good decisions about your life, your family, and your finances.

St. Louis County Council, 41 S. Central Ave., 63105. For more information, call (866) 366-0270 or visit www. missourilawyershelp.org/minilaw-school.

health

examines the history of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the current state of policing in the region. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112.

Tues., Oct. 18, 1 p.m., The Election Series with Terry Jones. Noted political consultant Terry Jones will lead a series of panel discussions that will expand your understanding of the issues affecting the 2016 election. Speakers include Dr. J. Martin Rochester, University of Missouri; Dr. Warren Rosenblum, Webster University; Dr. Jeremy Caddel, Washington University. Center of Clayton, 50 Gay Ave., 63105. For more information, call (314) 862-4859.

Thur., Oct. 13, The History of Policing and the Changing Landscape. This program examines the history of the

Sat., Oct. 8, 9 a.m., St. Louis Health Equipment Lending Program is hosting a Medical Equipment Donation Drive. For more information or a list of participating locations, call (314) 567-4700 or visit www. stlhelp.org.

Sat., Oct. 8, 10 a.m., Breast Cancer Awareness Seminar Free to the public seminar to provide the latest information about breast cancer.

II Monastero, St. Louis University, 3050 Olive Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 479-2423 or email zetaslb@yahoo.com.

Sat., Oct. 15, 9 a.m., SSM Health DePaul Hospital presents Diabetes 1-1: Staying Healthy, Cooking Healthy Registration required. May Conference Center, DePaul Hospital, 12303 DePaul Dr., 63044. For more information or to register, call (314) 3446691 or visit www.ssmhealth. com/depaul.

Sat., Oct. 15, 9 a.m., Health Protection & Education Services presents Free Health Screenings and EKG. No appointment necessary. University City Library, 63130. For more information, call (314) 448-7373.

Sat., Oct. 22, 7:30 a.m., American Cancer Society hosts the 8th annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. Forest Park Lower Muny Lot, 1 Theatre Dr., 63112. For more information, call (314) 2688185 or visit www.main. acsevents.org.

Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7:30 p.m., Get Sexy Movement Boot Camp. Station styled boot camp with 1 minute at each station for three rounds. North County Recreation Center, 2577 Redman Rd., 63136.For more information, call (314) 898-8898.

spiritual

Sat., October 8, (6 p.m. doors), Cedric Shannon Rives and The Brothers, The Sun Theatre. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com

Sat., Oct. 15, 7 a.m. – 2 p.m., Greater St. Mark Family Church BBQ and Yard Sale, 9950 Glen Owen Dr (@ Chambers Rd), St. Louis MO 63136

Sat., Oct. 22, 11 a.m., Centennial Christian Church Jazz Brunch The brunch will feature the Coleman-Hughes Project featuring Adrianne Felton-King and a Silent Auction. The Atrium, 4950 Fountain Ave., 63113. For more information, call (314) 276-7702.

Sun., Oct. 23, Festival of Praise Tour starring Fred Hammond, Karen ClarkSheard and many more. The Fox Theatre. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

The Ambassador welcomes Gucci Mane. For more information, see CONCERTS.

Continued from C1

She didn’t feel one way or the other about him when they met. He pursued her. But he was such a gentleman and they had a great time together. She found herself liking him – and while she hadn’t necessarily given much thought to whether it was short- or long-term, the idea of him being a part of her life was starting to grow on her before he disappeared.

“It had me questioning and doubting myself in ways that I hadn’t done before,” she said.

She found out from a mutual male acquaintance that this is his M.O. Wine, dine, hit and quit.

“I just don’t understand why he couldn’t tell me that out the gate,” she said.

A male friend of mine –who, of course, wants to remain anonymous – breaks it down.

“The proposition for sex at first sight is a hard sell,”

he said. “If I’m keeping it real, most of the women who would be down are women you wouldn’t necessarily want to have sex with. And if by chance you get a yes from an unlikely, yet willing participant, you think to yourself, ‘Who else is she saying yes to?’”

n You think to yourself, “Who else is she saying yes to?”

I was confused. “You are asking for sex at first sight, but not from ‘those type of women?’ Help!” I said. “What does the fact that you are compelled to ask this random person to have sex say about you – regardless of her answer?” I couldn’t help it.

“See, that’s what I’m talking about. This is why that man felt the need to lead your girl down that dead end.”

Touché.

“And don’t act like there isn’t deceit on both ends when it comes down to the dating game,” he said while the ball was in his court. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said, ‘I’m not looking for anything serious from the jump.’ And you know what the response is, nine times out of 10? ‘Me neither.’”

According to him, after a “grace period” (which varies depending on the woman), she just decides that enough time has passed and she is in a serious relationship with him – whether he’s a willing party or not.

“Next thing you know, they are stuffing underwear in couch pillows and leaving lipstick on the vanity.”

He had me. Then he lost me.

“Okay, now that sounds like a scene from an urban romantic comedy,” said. I refuse to subscribe to the idea of a woman pushing her panties into a couch outside of a film set.

“Why would she put them there – for another woman to find them? Please … A woman won’t dig in a man’s couch,” I said. “She barely digs in her own couch, unless there’s a vacuum involved or there’s a desperate quest to find a ringing phone, keys or remote control. If she drops something in your couch, she would ask you to get it.”

He was steadfast. “You’d be surprised,” he said.

I still am.

“The point is: Don’t talk about us running game if you aren’t willing to own y’all’s. If you want us to say, ‘My interest in you is purely sexual, are you down?’ Try walking up to a man you’ve been crushing on forever and saying, ‘Normally, I don’t do this, but would you be willing to be my man, meet my family and marry me and be the father of my children … tonight?’”

“Let me know how it turns out.”

BIRTH

Continued from C1

attracted white followers –and was referred to as “The Prophet.”

The turn of events that etched him in history on August 21, 1831 began as an act of faith. The seed for the bloody revolt that carried on for freedom’s sake was planted as one of his prophetic visions. When the carnage ended, several dozen white slave owners and their families were dead. More than 200 people of color would lose their lives. An estimated 56 were executed for their roles in the revolt, and the rest were casualties of violent white mobs who set out to exact revenge for the actions of Turner and his co-conspirators.

Parker’s inserted emotional sidebar suggests that Turner’s actions were motivated by personal tragedy and betrayal. They were not. The radical, bloody act was a response to oppression – and nothing more. Suggesting otherwise diminishes the impact of Turner’s act to a quest for revenge as opposed to his making the ultimate sacrifice in the hopes of liberating his people.

Parker gets so deep into his imaginary Nat Turner experience that he leaves out compelling elements of the true story that would have helped create the layers of dramatic effect he so desperately reached for with his manufactured subplots.

Like the film from which the title is derived, “The Birth of a Nation” also feeds into certain stereotypes that have been a barrier to the truths about slavery and race in America.

First, the film gives platform to the “kind-hearted, well-meaning slave master” narrative that dilutes the trauma imposed on enslaved people of color. The fairskinned house slave traitor

n Parker’s inserted emotional sidebar suggests that Turner’s actions were motivated by personal betrayal. They were not. The radical, bloody act was a response to oppression.

myth also creeps its way into Parker’s telling of Turner’s rebellion.

As far as the performances, Parker does a commendable job as Turner – as do most of the supporting cast that includes Armie Hammer, Mark Boone Junior, Aja Naomi King, Gabrielle Union, Roger Guenveur Smith, Dwight Henry, Penelope Ann Miller and Jackie Earle Haley.

But “The Birth of a Nation” is such a historical failure that it’s difficult to say the film succeeds at anything else.

“Birth of a Nation” opens in theatres nationwide on Friday, October 7. The film is rated R with a running time of 120 minutes.

“A Talk on Art, History and Love” that began immediately after the award ceremony on Thursday, September 29 at the Edison Theatre on WUSTL’s Danforth Campus.

He defined a humanitarian as someone who makes it their life’s work to make things better for others. Mother Theresa, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi and even President Barack Obama were among those he qualified for the distinction.

In Jones’ work, he uses movement to comment on the human predicament, often in crisis – with issues of race, AIDS and the Holocaust.

“I want to make sure that there is truth about what I am and what I am doing,” Jones said. “While I don’t get to see it or hear it – it’s about the breakfast table conversations that next morning and those talks in the lobby after the show.”

He provided historical context with an overview of the pioneers of modern and contemporary dance, then told how he found the form. “I was an athlete. And I

decided that there were two kinds of sweat – there was competitive sweat, and then I thought there was the sweat of inspiration. I went for the latter,” Jones said. “In

A dance of survival

Dance St. Louis stages ‘Analogy/Dora: Tramontane’

The Center for the Humanities at WUSTL, which manages the International Humanities Medal program, organized a number of local performing and teaching opportunities for Jones and his company, on and off campus. The big show was on Saturday, September, 30, when the center’s lead community partner, Dance St. Louis, presented The Bill T. Jones/ Arnie Zane Dance Company at the Touhill Center on the campus of University of Missouri St. Louis. The troupe performed “Analogy/Dora: Tramontane,”

which is based on interviews Jones conducted with 95-year old Dora Amelan, the mother of his husband Bjorn Amelan. The piece goes beyond the realm of traditional choreography by incorporating spoken word. The dialogue and live musical accompaniment made the production feel more like musical theater than a dance concert. It was a wonderful expression of movement blended with vivid storytelling. The hour-long production played without intermission, but the performers never seemed to wane despite the

physical demands of the show. Jones said in his lecture, “I was more interested in the conversation” than the technical aspect of dance, and that spirit was reflected in the performance of “Analogy/ Dora: Tramontane.” The choreography served the telling of the story as the dancers masterfully depicted Dora’s coming of age as a Jew in wartorn Europe at the height of the Nazi occupation, her struggles to survive and save the lives of others.

-

Kenya Vaughn

Bill T. Jones, Washington University Chancellor Mark Wrighton and Jean Allman, director of WUSTL Center for the Humanities.

Photo by Wiley Price

college, I began to take dance classes. I began to study dance. Then I became interested in choreography – I wanted to

speak the language.”

Though his name now ranks with the masters, he felt personal limits as a dancer because he got such a late start and did not have the sharpest technical skills.

“A number of people said, ‘You should go to New York and let Mr. (Alvin) Ailey finish you,” Jones said. “I was 19 with big muscles and a big personality – and I didn’t want anybody to finish me. I never had the technical skills to do that sort of dance, but I was more interested in the conversation.”

The conversations he created exposed the truth of experiences – especially his own.

“You could be gay, but you couldn’t be gay on stage,” Jones said. “Mr. Ailey was a great friend and teacher to me, but I will say that he said to me at one time, ‘We’re representing the black community; you’ve got to be a man on stage.’ But my heart belonged to a five-foot-four Jewish homosexual, and he

and I were inseparable in every sense – and I wanted the world on my terms.” In 1982, he and his “inseparable” partner Arnie Zane created the Bill T. Jones/ Arnie Zane Dance Company. Jones continues to lead the troupe to this day, though Zane passed away from AIDS in 1988. More than 30 years after they began, the group thrives and is recognized for creating work that blends mediums of expression and tackles daring subject matter.

“Put your [expletive] out there,” Jones said. “Find out what you love, and go do it.” He placed just one limit on the challenge to do what you love: “Don’t hurt people.”

He quoted from a holiday card sent by an IsraeliYemenite friend. “He wrote to us and said, ‘May this year bring us to see ourselves in the other,’” Jones said. “That’s what I’m learning. Let’s say it together: ‘May this year bring us to see ourselves in the other.’ That’s the deal, isn’t it?”

Ferguson protest art enshrined in national museum

Mallory Nezam, De Nichols, and Marcis Curtis prepare to enter the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. where their protest piece “The Mirror Casket,” which was prominently featured during the Ferguson unrest, is housed.

Applications open for Teens Make History Academy

By The Teens Make History Exhibitors

American History and Culture

‘Mirror Casket’ now housed at Museum of African

By Jenny Simeone

Of St. Louis Public Radio

The National Museum of African American History and Culture opened in Washington, D.C., to the public on September 24. Unlike many of those in the crowd at the opening ceremony, St. Louis artists De Nichols, Marcis Curtis and Mallory Nezam made artwork that is in the museum’s collection.

The trio made the 13-hour trip by car from St. Louis to see “The Mirror Casket”’s new home. After touring the exhibits, the group left confident that the Smithsonian will carefully display the life-sized casket covered in shattered mirrors. The sculpture asks audiences to reflect on their role in the struggle for social justice.

“I feel affirmed. I feel cared for, and that doesn’t often happen,” Nichols said.

“When I think about the possibility that the casket will be in one of these exhibitions soon, I feel a sense of trust that the narrative, the story, the struggle will be respected and that it will be shown in a way that takes into detail and consideration so much of what we’ve been through.”

The “Mirror Casket” was born out of a recurring nightmare that Nichols had after protesting in Ferguson in August 2014. In it, dark looming figures dressed in black carried a casket covered in mirrors toward her. She reached out to a number of friends in St. Louis’ art community for help making the casket a reality. Curtis, Nezam and four other artists answered the charge. They finished it weeks later, in time for protests across Ferguson - most notably after a grand jury decided not to indict then-police officer Darren

Wilson, who shot and killed

Michael Brown Jr. Protesters carried the casket from the site where Brown died to the Ferguson police station.

The casket became part of the museum’s permanent collection after it was purchased by the Smithsonian in 2015. It is awaiting exhibition, where it will be paired with other Ferguson works. Nichols envisions a performative element to the display. She pictures a dark room where audiences enter one by one, greeted by sounds from Ferguson protests.

The “Mirror Casket” was featured in the last issue of Smithsonian magazine before the opening of the museum. The accompanying article was written by civil rights activist, writer, and professor Angela Davis.

Reprinted with permission from news.stlpublicradio.org.

The Missouri History Museum is now accepting applications for the 2017 Teens Make History (TMH) Academy, a museum studies workshop for high school students that serves as the first part of the Teens Make History program. As graduates of the TMH Academy—and now paid apprentices at the Museum as Teens Make History Exhibitors—we wanted to share our own experiences with the Academy in order to encourage other high schoolers from around St. Louis to apply.

Each of us had different expectations when we came to our first day of the TMH Academy. Some of us were really interested in history; others had just heard from friends that the Museum was a fun place to hang out. We thought that maybe we’d be doing something like writing exhibition labels, but none of us really had any idea of all that was to come and all that we would learn in the next eight weeks.

Each week of the TMH Academy explored a different part of museum work, including exhibitions, museum theatre, marketing, research, and oral-history interviewing. On Thursdays, museum professionals gave presentations about their jobs and led us in hands-on activities. On Saturdays, we applied what we had learned in a large-scale project. Because we were broken up into different teams each week, all of the activities emphasized collaboration and communication. Our peers judged our projects based on guidelines set forth by the professional staff, and we worked hard to earn the gold star (and the candy prize) that was awarded to the best project of the week.

We were particularly excited to be allowed access to the behind-the-scenes areas of the Museum’s facilities throughout the course of the Academy. For example, one day we went to the Museum’s Library and Research Center on Skinker Boulevard. While there, collections staff showed us a variety of different artifacts, including propaganda posters from World War II and a gas mask used in the Korean War. We were also able to look at old maps of our neighborhoods and at city directories that listed who lived in our houses before us.

The real strength of the TMH Academy is that it incorporates high school students from all over the St. Louis metro area—teens with really different backgrounds, interests, and learning styles.

Last year’s Academy, for example, included teens from twenty different high schools around St. Louis. From the very first day, we discovered that despite our outward differences, we were actually quite similar. We still remember what it was like to meet the other Academy students for the first time and discover that they, too, liked the same video games or shared our cultural backgrounds. We might not have met each other otherwise, and some of us have formed lasting friendships with other students from the program.

Additionally, the TMH Academy stresses the development of professional skills. There’s a reason for everything we do, whether that’s an opening teambuilding activity or a reflection at the end of the day. We learned skills such as time management, teamwork, and communication. The real “tests” came on Saturdays with the museum challenges, when we were given a large project to complete with our team in a limited amount of time. Through these projects we discovered that it doesn’t matter where you start but how you work with one another and where you finish.

The TMH Academy functions as a stand-alone workshop, but it also serves as the first step for teens interested in a paid apprenticeship as

Teens Make History Exhibitors at the Museum. Through the Academy, we discovered that some of us liked writing exhibition labels, whereas others found a passion for acting. Successful graduates of the Academy receive a stipend and are then eligible to apply for a job in Museum theatre or exhibitions—a job you can keep until graduation! The next TMH Academy will run from Saturday, January 14, through Saturday, March 4. It will meet twice a week: from 3:30pm to 5:30pm on Thursdays and from 10am to 2pm on Saturdays. Lunch will be provided on Saturdays. You can apply for the TMH Academy online at mohistory.org/tmh/apply; paper applications are available by request. The application deadline is Saturday, November 26. Applicants will be brought in for formal interviews, and selected students will be notified of their acceptance into the program by Saturday, December 17.

If you’re a high school student looking for something fun to do—or if you’d like to meet new people you wouldn’t have met otherwise—we encourage you to apply. You’ll have one of the best experiences of your high school years, and the friendships you’ll make and the professional skills you’ll build will stay with you when you leave.

Photo credit: Missouri History Museum Teens Make History Academy students get a behind-thescenes look at artifact conservation.

Anniversaries

Sending best anniversary wishes to Mr. and Mrs. William Humphrey, who celebrated thirtyfour years of marriage on October 2, 2016.

Rev. J.J and Joyce Shields will celebrate 27 years of marriage on October 7. We are so blessed and grateful to God that he favors us with his bountiful blessings of love.

Celebrations

Star Students

Caroline Quaye of Soldan International Studies was selected for membership in the National Society of High School Scholars. The society recognizes top students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, scholarship and community commitment.

Olivia Martin, an MICDS graduate now attending Washington University, was among 42 young women in eastern Missouri to earn the 2016 Girl Scout Gold Award. The Gold Award is the highest national award a Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador, girls in grade 9-12, can earn.

Reunions

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

Harrison School All Class Reunion has been changed to Saturday October 22,

2016, 6:00 pm-11:00 pm at Ambruster Great Hall, 6633 Clayton Rd. For more info contact Judy Darris at 314443-6741.

Sumner Class of 1965 is planning a “70th” Birthday Cruise for October 2017. If you’re interested and want to receive more information, please contact Luther Maufas (314) 541-4556, Brenda Smith Randall (314)382-1528, or Laura Young (314) 328-3512 with name, address so the info can be mailed to you.

Sumner Class of 1967 is planning its 50-year reunion and need contact information from those classmates. Please contact Carlotte Algee Stancil at algee1999@

yahoo.com; DonnaYoung Rycraw at donnarycraw@ aol.com or Stella Smith Hunt at stellalhunt58@sbcglobal. net, 314-381-5104 with email, address and phone number.

The Sumner Alumni Association presents it’s Maroon & White Homecoming Week Oct. 10-15, 2016. Bowling Mon. @ Crest Bowl, 70’s Theme Adult Skate Party Tues. @ Skate King, Alumni Happy Hour Wed. @ Dejavu II Cafe, Ladies Kick Ball Game(s) Thurs. @ SHS, Alumni Dance Fri., 8pm – 1am @ the Machinist Hall; $15/$20 Parade Sat. 10am (Cars, floats, SUV’s, Marching Bands), etc.; Tailgate noon, Sumner’s Homecoming Football Game @ Sumner’s Tuskegee Airmen

Field @ 1pm Sumner vs. Vashon. For more info, contact Ms Prissy @ 314.556.3944, Michelle Elgin @ 314.452.1275, Sheila Goodwin SHS 314.371.1048 (Parade) or email: sumneralumniassn@ yahoo.com.

Vashon Class of 1957 is having its 60-year reunion on May 20, 2017 at the Atrium at the rear of Christian N.E. Hospital on Dunn Road. Classes 1955-1959 are welcomed. For more information, please contact Lovely (Green) Deloch at 314867-1470, Marlene (Randall) Porter at 314-653-0107, Mae (Simmons) Mahone at 314653-0818 or Phyllis (Bolden) Washington at 314-531-9925.

Happy 60th Birthday to Charles T. Staton Jr. on October 3. To the most incredible husband and father ever, you are truly the love of my life today and forever. I pray that the Lord blesses you with many, many, more years to come. Your wife, LaRay

Vashon Class of 1967 is planning its 50-year reunion and is need of contact information for all interested alumni. Please contact JoAnn Alvoid at alvoidjoe8@gmail. com; Sarah (Taylor) Robinson at srobinson647@hotmail. com; or Sonya (Walker) Smith at 314.381.8221, with your address, email and phone number.

St. Louis Community College needs your help identifying STLCC alumni. Alumni are encouraged to visit the website: www.stlcc.edu/foundation/, to become members or update information. For more information, contact Ashley Budde, coordinator of alumni relations, at abudde6@stlcc. edu, or 314-539-5145.

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

MO 63103 FREE OF CHARGE

Reunion notices are free of charge and based on space availability. We prefer that notices be emailed to us! However, notices may also be sent by mail to: Kate Daniel, 2315 Pine St.,

Swag Snap of the week

A slam dunk Salute! Y’all know how much I love saying I told you so. But nothing gives me more joy than to report another successful Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala in the record books. Saturday night at America’s Center marked 29 years in a row we have been honoring educators, offering scholarships and creating an opportunity for those of us who consider educating the community a top priority to come together and fellowship. And we top it off with the after party of the year. If I were to do a complete list of this year’s list of attendees, I would literally need this whole Partyline as a roster. Just know that everybody who is anyone was on deck and dressed to the nines, tens and elevens! And as soon as we stepped out of the formal program we got about the business of partying hard. Denise Thimes was giving us vintage glamour and good music as she set it off as the headliner of the J Hill Jazz Cabaret. Folks were coming out the door and getting their life! And for those of us looking to cut a rug, we eased on down to the Premiere Production Choice Old School After Party, where DJ Sir Thurl turned it out on the tables! Did anybody else feel the floor shaking as the whole entire after party got into that “Fantasy” slide? It was everything we could have asked for. I’m already excited for the 30th Anniversary Salute and can’t wait to see how that goes down next year. As soon as I have the date I will share it! Salute style winners. I know y’all are aching to hear who was the most snatched of them all at Salute. I’m so glad it was on a Saturday so that we could use the whole day to get ourselves gala ready. Style guru Skylar Barnes was absolutely right last week in our annual Salute fashion spread when he said that black would be all the rage. As a matter of fact one of my favorite looks from the evening The American’s own Robin Britt was giving me opulence overload with her black gown with the lace top and asymmetrical hemline topped off with a bow in the middle. I promise I’m not being partial – she killed it. So did 2016 honoree Dr. Kacy Seals in her cobalt yellow gown that was clearly inspired by Beyoncé’s latest album “Lemonade.” We give Bey credit for everything, don’t we? Anyway Jas Lewis and her little peach ditty was serving as well – as was Tracey Bradley (wife of SLU’s Dr. Stefan Bradley). She never gets it wrong, and 2016 was no different! She was clocking the girls in maternity formal wear at Salute a few years back. As far as the men, I’m going to go with Harris-Stowe President Dr. Dwaun Warmack as one of the most dapper of them all. I can’t wait to see the fashion parade that the 30th is going to bring!

The Pageant’s soul buffet. Café Soul had the Pageant going up on a Tuesday with the succulent lineup that was the best illustration of the variety within the genre that featured Andra Day and Corinne Bailey Rae. There was not a seat to be had - which was a great thing for Café Soul, but a challenge for much of the crowd. However, the show was so good that if they told me I had to stand on my tip toes the whole time, I probably would’ve. The talent started off with St. Louis’ own Tre’G. He talked a little too much, but I was still thrilled with the way he held his own alongside veteran INTERNATIONAL acts – and with nearly all original music mind you. And when he had the nerve to do a cover of Prince’s “Beautiful Ones” to close out the show, I was like “I wish he had been around for the BET Awards tribute,” even though Bilal’s cover of the same song was the saving grace of that segment. But back to this show…I didn’t know what to expect from Corinne based on her outfit. She was giving “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me” from her neck to her ankles with a green bell bottom jumper, which was topped off with some “Goldmember” boots. She’s British, so I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. Never mind her outfit, her wispy voice and soothing melodies were utterly on point! I felt like I was floating on a fluffy cloud thanks to her airy sound and feel good vibe. And Andra Day might not be a household name just yet, but trust that she’s gonna be. She has the look of vintage Etta James. Her voice sounds like the vocal chords of Erykah Badu and Amy Winehouse had a baby and she has a style all her own that pays homage to James, Nina Simone and the early days of unapologetic soul. She even gave a nod to Nina in her set – as she did Kendrick Lamar Junior Mafia and rock band Queen. You know you are a star when you can roll all that into one package and have folks begging for more!

Too much playing with The Game at Marquee. It goes without saying that The Game is most of our not-so-secret thug crush guilty pleasure. How can you not love a man that has President Obama in front of the American flag tatted on his chiseled torso – right above “Compton” in a font and layout that bears striking resemblance to the late great Tupac’s iconic “Thug Life” tat. Even still, if I had known on Thursday night that I would have to wait until 2 a.m. to see him on stage, I would have kept my lusting within the confines of his Instagram page. I mean, most of us…well some…okay maybe just a few of us had to be to work the next morning. He attempted to redeem himself by making it rain on the crowd like they were the grand shakers in a gentleman’s club. You best believe I scooted those crisp ones up under my feet and placed them in my pocketbook. I needed them to buy coffee the next morning! The show was cute enough, but there are only a handful of people alive that would be worth it for me to see them START at 2 a.m. His fans didn’t seem bothered, but your girl was ready to fall out from fatigue.

LT, PT and Rob stepped in the 90’s party Saturday @ Hiro

Bonita, Tameka, Tiffany and Arica were among the masses that made their way to the Premiere Production Choice Old School After Party following the Salute Saturday @ America’s Center

Jami, Karlla, Turan and Nina kept it classy and elegant in black and white Saturday @ The 29th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education @ America’s Center

Chris, Chuck and Brad had Hiro feeling like a blue light basement party Saturday night as they took the crowd back to the 90s

Mo Spoon made the most of his birthday by celebrating with Eye Candy Model alums and plenty of others Saturday night @ RG

Rapper and reality star the Game with host Fat-Fat just before he took to the stage to perform some of his biggest hits Thursday night at The Marquee.

Naja and Valerie Saturday night @ Hiro

Q of BPLR and Rayon got caught up in the old school vibes @ The 90s Party Saturday night @ Hiro

Tephanie and Joy came out to support their supervisor Saturday @ The 29th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Gala @ America’s Center

Sheryl and Monica were all smiles Saturday @ The 29th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala @ America’s Center

Rising local soul star TreG held his own as the opening featured performer for Café Soul’s sold-out presentation of Andra Day and Corinne Bailey Rae Tuesday night at The Pageant. Headliner Andra Day gave him props for his impressive performance as she closed out her set – and she made time for a photo op after the show. Photo by Phillip Hamer

Photos by John Scott

Ferguson church shelters music outreach program

Humanities Council grants

$2,500 to St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church

for Strings Attached

American staff

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Ferguson received a $2,500 grant from the Missouri Humanities Council to support its Strings Attached project. The project connects youth, ages 5 to 17, with music education using American roots music. They learn to play instruments such as guitar, ukulele, dobro, banjitar and mandolin

It all goes back to Ray Charles.

Project founder Steve Housewright, a St. Louis native, began working in an afterschool program in Los Angeles in 1999, as Terry Perkins reported for The Beacon. This was a program sponsored by Ray Charles called the Sir Charles Blues Lab. When Housewright moved back to the St. Louis area, he founded a similar program in 2009 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church with the support of Father Steve Lawler, who had started community outreach programs under the umbrella name “The Vine.” They started with guitars, hence the name “Strings Attached.”

The program offers free lessons by Housewright, as well as loaner guitars for students. Those young people who stick with the program, attend regularly, practice hard and participate in community concerts then become eligible to be awarded a guitar of their own.

In addition to building his students’ musical skills, Housewright has a strong focus on providing a sense of St. Louis’ musical history and tradition to the young people in the program. He has created videos that showcase the music of St. Louis musical legends ranging from Scott Joplin and John Hartford to Chuck Berry.

Strings Attached, based at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Ferguson, serves over 200 Ferguson and St. Louis youth with non-profit music education classes in guitar and ukulele.

“It’s really important to try and reconnect these kids to a sense of the rich musical traditions that are such an important part of our culture,” Housewright told The Beacon. “It’s all about helping them realize the importance of American roots music, everything from blues and ragtime and jazz to country, folk, bluegrass and gospel. That’s where contemporary music comes from, and its connections and traditions need to be communicated.”

Housewright challenges his students to perform concerts and even make recordings, with the assistance of more seasoned musicians, in what he calls “intergenerational recordings.” That also goes back to Ray Charles.

“When I was with the King Charles Blues Lab in L.A., Ray Charles would make sure all the kids in the program had the opportunity to go into a recording studio for a day,” Housewright told The Beacon “It turned out to be a very valuable learning experience for them, even if they didn’t

continue as musicians. It showed them there were other aspects on the music industry that were open to them and also gave them insight into the recording process.”

Strings Attached serves over 200 Ferguson and St. Louis youth with non-profit music education classes in guitar and ukulele. Grant funds provided by the Missouri Humanities Council will help the project purchase audio visual equipment and supply youth and their families with music books for use in classes. It will also help create a unique storybook library for project families on the lives of influential musicians such Duke Ellington, Ellla Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, Django Reinhardt and many others.

For more information about Strings Attached, visit www.stringsattached.info For more information about the grants program of the Missouri Humanities Council, call 314-781-9660 or 800-357-0909 or write to the Missouri Humanities Council,543 Hanley Industrial Court, Suite 205, St. Louis, Missouri 63144-1905.

Paul is a place of refuge

I remember reviewing the letters of Paul in Bible study. In doing so I was constantly reminded that one cannot look at Paul without really seeing Jesus’ amazing handiwork. I haven’t found a biography or autobiography of anyone, Jesus notwithstanding, who comes close to my admiration for Paul. Because the two are so closely associated with one another, I can’t help but consider the impact of this tandem on human history.

Just in case someone wants to debate me on this by bringing up the lives of the 12 apostles, I have considered them as well as the prophets, and I’m just in awe of Paul. A very large part of the Bible is devoted to Paul’s building of the early church at a time when who you worshipped was a life and death decision. Sound familiar?

Paul himself says in his letters to the church in Corinth that there was indeed a point to his suffering and persecution and the basis for most, if not all, of what he went through was a byproduct of his faith in Jesus Christ. It’s another perspective of one of my favorite scriptures.

“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:8-10.

This kind of thinking and belief led to the eventual proliferation of the church worldwide. It also makes the point of how the lives of so few have impacted and influenced so many in the world then, and also in the world as we know it today.

Paul is who he is because of his unique one on one encounter with Christ. That encounter changed him and ultimately the world in which we live. If that be true, then our individual encounters with Christ should also have a profound effect on us and the world in which we currently live.

It is not unusual for new Christians to come under attack by old friends. It is also not unusual for new Christians to come under the attack of the world, since it is in the world that Satan has some degree of power. I think Paul’s good news is there is a place of refuge for all of us, when this happens. He uses himself as an example to follow.

Like Christ, he’s been through and has experienced the worst that life has to offer. But because of his belief system, he’s experienced the best of God’s promises. Have you ever wondered why those who have been through so much are able to stand and witness mightily for Christ? Reexamine the reality of God’s grace and you just might get your answer.

Columnist

James Washington