September 22nd, 2016 Edition

Ferguson activist Darren Seals laid to rest

‘I loved the way he loved his people,’ said his mother

By Mariah Stewart Of The St. Louis American

Hundreds of people gathered inside Greater St. Mark Family Church on Saturday, September 17 to mourn and celebrate the life of Ferguson frontline activist Darren Seals, whose violent death shocked the region.

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“He showed a lot of love to me and my family – and I just wanted to come up here and show some love to him and his family.”

– Michael Brown Sr.

“I first met Darren on August, 9 2014, Michael Brown Sr. said. “He showed a lot of love to me and my family – and I just wanted to come up here and show some love to him and his family.” Brown was the first of many speakers who

Pray for Ray

Grandmother says ‘saint and believers’ are needed again for boy battling tumor

His grandmother asks the people she calls “the saints and believers of this great city” to pray for Ray on his birthday again.

Yvonne Rhodes wrote to The American this time last year. She asked “the believers of the city to celebrate Ray’s birthday on September 23 by praying for him.”

Ray Lathon was diagnosed with a brain tumor on June 15 of last year when the boy was five. The family was told the condition was incurable, and Ray was given a prognosis of six months to a year of life remaining. He finished his medical treatment last August 17.

Ray Lathon

The grandmother’s letter about Ray was so detailed and eloquent it merited a front-page story. Naturally, every grandmother sees her grandchild as special in the eye of God, but Ray was seriously accomplished. At age three, he recited the Lord’s Prayer during Easter Sunday service. He fed the homeless with his pastor. He helped his family cook, clean, garden and even repair cars. When Ray took deathly ill at age five and was hospitalized, he would ask his visitors to join hands and start a prayer circle.

“There was so much crying and such testimonies that came from this little boy’s belief in prayer,” his grandmother wrote. That came to be just as true when Ray’s story was published in this newspaper. His grandmother called last week and came to

From unaccredited to excellence

came forward to remember the young man for his activism in response to the shooting death of unarmed teen Michael Brown Jr. “I want people to know that Darren Seals was a Ferguson frontline activist,” Ebony Williams, a Ferguson activist and friend of Seals, said. “He was a rebel with a cause. His only objective was to learn from his mistakes and teach other boys from the ‘hood like him that there is hope in the future.” Riverview Gardens High School to be honored at Oct. 1 Salute

By Rebecca Rivas

Darius Kirk, principal of Riverview Gardens High School, said he will never forget the cab ride on the way over to his district interview when he flew in from Oklahoma in 2013. The cab driver asked him where he was going. When Kirk told the driver, she said, “‘Baby, if I was you, I’d get back on that airplane and turn back and go home.’” At the time, it was one of the lowest-performing schools in the state. Kirk told her, “It takes someone with strong leadership and someone with a vision and purpose for children for them to excel, and for them to make what seems impossible possible.”

She responded, “Well, maybe you’re the right person for the job.”

See SEALS, A7

General Assembly expands gun rights, mandates voter photo ID if amendment passes

Of The St. Louis American

Scott Spurgeon, nearly tripled its score on the state’s rigorous assessments in just two

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Riverview Gardens High School Principal Darius Kirk talks with students Lajasia Higgins (right) and Amber Porter about colleges. The high school will receive the Monsanto School of Excellence at the St. Louis American Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala on Saturday, October 1.

Photo by Rebecca Rivas

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

Pallbearers conducted the remains of Darren Seals out of Greater St. Mark Family Church in Ferguson following his funeral on Saturday, September 17. Seals, 29, was killed in Riverview on September 6. His murder remains unsolved.

Rapper Shawty Lo killed in car crash

Rapper Shawty Lo, real name Carlos Walker, has died as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident early Wednesday morning.

Shawty is best known for forming the group D4L and for his international hit song “Dey Know.”

The crash was originally described as a hit-and-run, but police said otherwise.

“It has been confirmed now that it was a single car accident,” Fulton police spokeswoman Cpl. Maureen Smith told the Atlanta JournalConstitution

The crash happened about 2:20 a.m. and temporarily blocked the ramp to Cascade Road. Police told AJC.com that a white Audi went over a guardrail, hit two trees and burst into

flames. The driver, described as a man about 40 years old, was ejected from the Audi and pronounced dead on the scene, Smith said. Two women, also in the car, were injured and taken to Grady Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Pebbles given greenlight to sue over ‘CrazySexyCool’ biopic

According to the New York , an Atlanta federal judge has ruled that R&B act TLC’s creator and former manager Perri “Pebbles” can proceed with a case to sue Viacom for allegedly defaming her in a 2013 VH1 biopic, “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story.” Viacom filed a motion last year stating Reid had no case, but the judge ruled against it Thursday. Reid signed the band in 1991, and TLC went on to become one of the biggest-selling female acts, with hits like “Waterfalls.” They later filed for bankruptcy, and the film claims Reid only paid the group $25 a week. Reid is seeking $40 million in damages. “We are thrilled with this major win against Viacom and look forward to justice,” Her lawyer, Stacey Godfrey

Evans, told The New York Post. “Ms. Reid worked hard to ensure the success of TLC, and she is ready to present that story to a jury. The negative portrayal of her in the TLC movie is simply not the truth.”

“‘CrazySexyCool’ was a docudrama about the experiences of the members of TLC told from their perspective,” A spokesperson for Viacom told The New York Post in response to the ruling. “We are confident that our First Amendment rights to tell this story will ultimately be vindicated, although we are disappointed that the court chose not to dismiss the entire case on summary judgment.”

Faith fuels Stevie J dating rumors

refers to her as “his best friend.”

Back in July, Stevie J. performed alongside Evans during her mainstage performance at the 2016 ESSENCE Music Festival.

‘Bring It’ dance coach arrested, charged with exposing HIV to a minor

John Conner III

Last year, Joseline Hernandez claimed that her former boo Stevie J was creeping with R&B diva Faith Evans

Last week, Always A List creator Jawn Murray said the rumors of relationship between the singer and reality TV star were in fact true. The celebrity news and gossip blog said that it was aware of the pairing, but kept mum for the sake of the couple’s privacy. Evans took a step towards admitting to a relationship with Stevie J via Instagram by reposting one of his images of the two where he

A Memphis dance coach seen on the popular Lifetime Network hit “Bring It” has been arrested after police say he had sex with one of his minor students and exposed him to HIV.

Last year, John Conner III and the victim met on a social website and arranged to meet up, according to the affidavit.

They had unprotected sex, but Conner did not tell the victim he is HIV positive, according to the affidavit. The two had unprotected sex several times and also sent each other texts that included nude photos and discussion of sexual activity, according to the affidavit.

The victim was 16 when it happened, and Conner was 26, police said. Conner was arrested Friday and charged with criminal exposure to HIV, soliciting sexual exploitation of a minor and statutory rape by an authority figure.

Sources: MTV.com, AJC.com, WREG.com, the New York Post, TMZ.com

Perri Reid

Shawty Lo

Black Caucus Foundation focuses on voting rights

Nov. 8 will be first presidential election since Voting Rights Act was gutted

By Courtney Davis Howard University News

WASHINGTON – With a historic presidential election just weeks away and new restrictive voter laws in many states, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) on September announced new initiatives to protect voting rights for African Americans and others at the opening press conference for its 46th Annual Legislative Conference.

The CBCF is the fundraising and program arm of the Congressional Black Caucus, an organization of congressional representatives for mostly predominately African-American districts.

A. Shuanise Washington, the president and CEO of the CBCF, announced the legislators and their foundation would be hosting a “Voter Protection” series during this year’s conference. The series will highlight “challenges and solutions in order to overcome restrictive voting laws,” Washington said.

Rep. Lacy Clay, D-Mo., the honorary co-chair of this year’s conference, said the series is an effort to fight voter suppression and protect the right to vote.

Voter suppression has become an issue since 2013, when the U.S. Supreme Court declared unconstitutional a provision of the historical Voting Rights Act, which was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965,

to overcome legal barriers designed by states, cities, towns and counties across the South to prevent African Americans from voting.

The provision that the court struck down had required areas with a history of discrimination in voting to pre-clear any changes in voting laws with the Justice Department or the federal courts.

,the black voter turnout has increased over the past five presidential elections. “In 2012, the share of the black vote was two percentage points higher than the white vote, with 130 million folks coming out to the polls,” she said.

Clay said local officials, intimated by the increasingly diverse electorate, “have been in a misguided race to see how

n “Jurisdictions at all levels of government fear the diversity of the new American electorate.”

– U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay

Following the court’s decision in Shelby County v Holder, some states put in restrictive rules for voting and voting registration that many, including the U.S. Department of Justice, said target African Americans, Latinos and the poor.

“Shelby County v. Holder severely weakened the Voting Rights Act,” Clay said. “Jurisdictions at all levels of government fear the diversity of the new American electorate.” According to Demessie

many roadblocks and modern day poll taxes they can put in place to disenfranchise as many citizens of color as possible.”

The Justice Department, the NAACP and other civil rights organizations have been pushing back.

Just two weeks ago, the Supreme Court denied a request from North Carolina to allow its controversial voting rights law to go back into effect. A lower court opinion that struck down the law, which it said targeted “African Americans

Voters checked in at a polling place for the presidential preference primary in St. Louis on March 15. The presidential election is on Tuesday, November 8.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

with almost surgical precision.”

The law, which North Carolina legislators put into effect quickly after the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision, eliminated same-day voter registration, rolled back a week of early voting and put an end to out-of-precinct voting. This year will mark the first presidential election since the altering of the Voting Rights Act.

In this presidential election, 14 states will have new voting restrictions. Some of the new laws include strict photo ID requirements and early voting cutbacks.

“When you think about the black community and the fact that, despite all these achievements, we are still unemployed at twice the rate as whites, working is important,” said Menna Demessie, vice president of Policy and Research for the CBCF.

The CBCF also announced it will release a Voting Rights Tool Kit and launch a Black Voters Awareness Day. More information about these initiatives will be posted on the CBCF website, www.cbcfinc. org, officials said.

Republican Party rejects black voters

By Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. Columnist

Are black voters so loyal to Democrats that their issues are ignored? Donald Trump suggests as much, arguing that blacks had “nothing to lose” by voting for him. A column by Farai Chideya at FiveThirtyEight cites academics who make a similar argument. In recent elections, about 90 percent of the black vote has gone to Democrats. Chideya cites Paul Frymer of Princeton, who argues that politicians focus their appeals on swing voters, particularly “moderate, disaffected whites in the middle — whether you call them soccer moms or NASCAR dads.”

Chideya also cites two recent studies on how well black interests are represented in government. A 2015report from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies concluded that “black voices are less equal than others when it comes to policy.” And a 2015 law review article by Nicholas Stephanopoulos of the University of Chicago Law School “found that black support for Congressional legislation actually decreased its chances of passage.”

Are blacks voting against their own interests? Are they a “captured group” who would be better off if they weren’t so pro-Democrat?

African Americans vote overwhelmingly for Democrats, not because we reject the Republican Party, but because the Republican Party rejects us. If we vote our interests, we have little choice but to vote against a party that has systematically tried to undermine and constrict the right to vote, that votes against affordable housing, against expanding Social Security and against poverty programs.

Republicans have led the fight against a living wage. They oppose efforts to curb gun violence in our cities by blocking background checks and repealing the ban on assault weapons. They vocally undermine enforcement of equal employment laws and anti-discrimination measures.

Their Supreme Court nominees gutted the Voting Rights Act, and their legislators have blocked efforts to restore it. They have consistently voted against any plan to rebuild our cities, reinvest in infrastructure and put people to work. They oppose efforts to ease the student loan debt that burdens too many African-Americans. Blacks vote against Republicans in overwhelming numbers because Republicans are overwhelmingly campaigning against our core interests. Republicans can appeal to black voters but only if they reach out and change their policy positions. As former New Orleans Mayor Mark Morial told Chideya, “A chicken can’t root for Colonel Sanders.”

Arguably, the real “captured group” of voters are the poor and working-class white voters who vote Republican. That vote is surely against their economic interests. Republicans have won their votes by appeals to race, to religion and to conservative social issues, but they never deliver. Now polls suggest that they favor Donald Trump for president, someone who opposes lifting the minimum wage, opposes empowering workers to organize, opposes expanding Social Security, wants to repeal health care reform and vows to cut taxes on the rich and corporations.

Columnist

Jesse L. Jackson Jr.

Editorial /CommEntary

We must vote, for our past and future

As this edition of The St. Louis American goes to press, we are running out time. The blood of our ancestors cries out to us to use this time wisely. People who wish to vote on November 8, yet are not currently registered to vote, have less than three weeks to register to vote. The last day to register to vote in the upcoming general election is October 12. The election itself is less than a month and a half away.

On November 8, we will elect a new president, a new commander in chief of our armed forces who will appoint at least one (and probably several) U.S. Supreme Court Justices. The ideological bases of those judges will influence life in the United States in countless crucial ways. Remember a Republican president appointed Clarence Thomas, who cast the decisive vote in a landmark Supreme Court case that allows states to hinder voting rights. Missouri voters also have a real chance to elect another Democrat, Jason Kander, to the U.S. Senate. The Republican incumbent, Roy Blunt, while politically skilled, has consistently voted against our community’s interests. Blunt voted against 25 of the 26 bills the NAACP said were consistent with its civil rights mission in the 112th Congress. Among several dangerous and misguided ballot initiatives, Missouri voters will have a chance to reject Amendment 6. This would impose a voter photo ID requirement in the state. While allegedly targeted at stopping voter fraud, the voter impersonation that photo ID would prevent is virtually non-existent. What Amendment 6 would do is make it more difficult for various constituencies to vote. Kander estimates there are 220,000 registered voters in Missouri (most of them low-income, students or very elderly) who do not have a photo ID that would meet the requirements of Amendment 6. While those requirements will not be in place on November 8, if voters do not reject Amendment 6, then they will take effect for future elections. That means if we do not register to vote before October 12, vote on November 8 and vote against Amendment 6, then voting will become more difficult for many people who tend to vote in our best interests. Republicans across the nation sponsor voter photo ID bills and amendments because they know, if they succeed, many marginalized people who vote Democrat will be denied the right to vote.

energize voters, with an eye towards her most loyal constituencies against this reprehensible Republican nominee, African Americans and Latinos. Clinton introduced a website, www. iwillvote.com, to expedite voter registration. The NAACP, African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church and Service Employees International Union are among other groups committed to registering and energizing voters. As Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker, director for the AME church’s Commission on Social Action, said, “Voter apathy is the greatest threat to democracy!”

You can’t VOTE on NOVEMBER 8 if you don’t register by OCTOBER 12! Get more info at www.sos.mo.gov

For African Americans, voter apathy also is a grievous sin against the blood and suffering of our ancestors. To our horror, we are aware that some millennials are talking about sitting out this election because (they say) even a black Democratic president did not stop police brutality or (perhaps) because their preferred candidate lost the Democratic primary. Long before these individuals were born, many people lost their lives fighting for their precious right to be heard via their vote. That right should not be squandered over disappointment with limited options or outrage over continuing inequity in the criminal justice process.

We think of people like the Rev. George Lee, whose efforts to register black voters in Mississippi inspired the formation of a White Citizens Council that retaliated against blacks as soon as they registered to vote. Members of the White Citizens Council killed Rev. Lee in 1955 when he would not agree to stop registering black voters. What would Rev. Lee say if he knew that people in his grandchildren’s generation planned to sit out an election – particularly an election where a dangerous demagogue like Donald Trump, who proudly and boldly proclaims his racist views, will win if the Democratic nominee loses?

We must remember our historic dissent and resistance to the forces that oppose full acceptance of our rights as Americans, such as the franchise. We must oppose a Republican nominee with a racist birther fixation about the legitimacy of the Obama presidency. Whether we look to the past or to the future, our conscience tells us that we must register to vote before October 12, we must vote on November 8, and we must cast votes that matter against Trump, Blunt and Amendment 6.

By Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay Guest columnist

Protecting the right to vote is the most urgent, most endangered and most critical issue that we are facing, because all across this country that most fundamental constitutional right is under assault.

That’s true in my home state of Missouri, where the forces of voter suppression are trying to pass a constitutional amendment to impose a photo ID requirement that could disenfranchise over 225,000 voters, many of whom are black, disabled or among the rural poor.

And just like in Indiana, North Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin and far too many other jurisdictions. That is no accident.

Since the disastrous (and, in my view, wrongly decided) SCOTUS decision in Shelby County vs. Holder in 2013, which severely weakened the Voting Rights Act, jurisdictions at all levels of government who fear the diversity of the new American electorate have been in a misguided race to see how many roadblocks and modern day poll taxes they can put in place to disenfranchise as many citizens of color as possible.

All of that is happening while there is a real danger that our upcoming presidential election could be tampered with by a foreign power.

And yet, Speaker Paul Ryan refuses to stand and protect the integrity of our election system.

Meanwhile, legislation that I am cosponsoring to reauthorize, revise and fully restore the Voting Rights Act is being held

hostage in the House Judiciary Committee by the majority. Not because it is objectionable, but because they know that if they let it come out to the floor for a vote it would pass with a clear, bipartisan majority.

So at the federal level, we have to ask the question: Why? And, like most things in politics, it’s all about power and math – and the math never lies.

According to the highly respected Cook Political Report, in 2016 – for the first time in our nation’s history – the percentage of white voters who will make up the total electorate on November 8 is projected to fall to 70 percent.

African Americans are projected to make up 13 percent of all voters, Latinos 11 percent, and Asians American and other ethnicities 6 percent. So people of color are finally voting our weight.

And instead of celebrating that injection of civic energy and full participation in our democracy, some people consider that a dire threat that must be suppressed at all costs.

They just don’t understand that history and demographics don’t care about your politics, or your prejudices, or your obsolete ideas about who should sit at the table of power. And I have to add that history will not look kindly on those candidates who openly pander to, and eagerly

Letters to the editor

A number of voter registration efforts are underway, and we endorse them heartily. Allies of Hillary Clinton have formed the Every Citizen Counts organization to register and

In addition to online voter registration at http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/ register or www.iwillvote.com, you may register to vote at the office of your local election authority or a library.

Commentary

Democrats must energize voters

If Democrats want to beat Donald Trump, they need to get past the freak-out stage and get to work.

In a sane and just world, this presidential race would be a walkover. Commentators would already be sketching out their postmortem analyses of an all-but-certain Hillary Clinton victory. Pare the contest down to its essentials: A former senator and secretary of state, eminently qualified to be president, is running against a dangerous demagogue who has never held public office and should not be allowed anywhere near the White House. Ought to be case closed. But it’s not. Clinton’s big lead in national polls following the party conventions, which approached double digits, has shrunk to about 2 points. Trump has gained ground in swing-state polls as well. If the election were held tomorrow, Clinton would probably win. But November 8 is many weeks away, and the recent trend line is hardly in her favor.

Trump’s current set of handlers – campaign manager Kellyanne Conway and chief executive Steve Bannon – have done a better job than their predecessors of keeping their candidate from committing acts of self-destruction. They have gotten him to use a teleprompter more, rant and rave less, and sometimes go as long as 48 hours without spewing idiotic vitriol on Twitter.

Conway bravely goes on the cable shows every day and tries to explain the unexplainable. Sometimes she is made into a liar by her own candidate, as happened when she denied that Trump would release any

medical records on “The Dr. Oz Show,” only to see him do just that a few hours later. Pretty much every time she appears, she has to pretend that one or another of Trump’s nonsensical issue positions makes sense. But she is unfailingly patient, polite and nonthreatening. Clinton, meanwhile, has been through a rough patch. Just as it seemed she might be getting past the latest hubbub over her emails, she told backers at a fundraiser that half of Trump’s supporters fit into a “basket of deplorables.” Then she felt wobbly at Sunday’s 9/11 commemoration and later disclosed that she has pneumonia.

I’m well aware that Trump has said worse things about the voting public; there is video of him opining that half of Americans are freeloaders. I’m also aware that in the larger sense there is no real comparison between Clinton’s serious, inclusive, fact-based campaign and Trump’s noxious stew of bigotry, resentment and juvenile fantasy.

Voters have been informed of Trump’s ignorant and outrageous statements, his real and potential conflicts of interest, his bankruptcies, his hucksterism, his untempered temperament and all the other factors that make him unthinkable as a president. Coverage by the news media brought all this information to light. Don’t blame the media for the fact that many people

say they plan to vote for him anyway.

If you want to stop Trump, focus on the fundamentals –and get busy.

Ordinarily, this would be a tough election for any Democratic candidate to win.

That is because, historically, a party that controls the White House for two terms in a row has difficulty winning a third. In addition to that headwind, nearly 70 percent of Americans say they believe the country is on the wrong track.

Trump, with his soaring unpopularity and general flakiness, is no normal candidate. Many voters –including many Republicans – obviously believe that while it may be the GOP’s turn to take the helm, it will never be Trump’s turn. Still, there are those who have real doubts about Trump but may still vote for him because they want change.

But the Democratic Party has structural advantages in a presidential year, as Barack Obama so vividly demonstrated. The party’s coalition of women, young people, African Americans, Asian Americans and Hispanics has growing weight. Trump’s base – older, whiter, more male – is a shrinking portion of the overall vote.

And the electoral map favors Democrats, giving Clinton more paths to victory than Trump. If she wins Florida, it’s over. Same if she wins Ohio. And she could even lose both and still get to 270.

Angst doesn’t help.

Energizing the Democratic Party’s reliable voters, especially in crucial states, can make all the difference.

Not standing for the pledge

I decided to not stand for the pledge of allegiance in the Missouri Senate to stand in solidarity with the cause of injustice that Colin Kaepernick has shined a bright light upon. I am not anti-America, and in fact, it is because I love this country that I take this stand.

I am doing so not because of past transgressions by America, but to call attention to current injustices here in this state and country, such as:

• The injustice of police brutality – the refusal to mandate police body cameras;

• The injustice of poverty – the underfunding of our public schools;

• The injustice of voter suppression – passing Voter ID laws;

• The injustice of not having health care – not expanding Medicaid;

• The injustice of unlivable wages – refusing to raise minimum wage and the rightto-work attack on labor;

• The injustice of unequal pay for women;

• The injustice of mass incarceration; and

• The injustice of economic disparity.

The pledge of allegiance and the national anthem stand not just for what America is, but for what it should be. “Liberty and justice for all” are not just words – they are our country’s ideals. We must commit ourselves to honoring those principles not just by speech, but also through our actions. This is why I, as a matter of conscience, chose not to stand.

State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed D-St. Louis

We can still expand Medicaid

New census data indicate that hundreds of thousands of Missourians still can’t get the health care they need to be healthy, productive members

embrace, the vile voices of hatred, division, bigotry and intolerance to further their own political ambitions. In just a few weeks, we are going to conduct the first presidential election in 50 years without the full protection of the Voting Rights Act. And even though federal courts have struck down clearly discriminatory photo ID laws in Texas and North Carolina, winning those victories took many months and cost millions of dollars.

Those fights, and future court battles, could be easily avoided if Congress would finally do its job to revise, restore, and fully reauthorize the Voting Rights Act. As someone who has fought voter suppression and intimidation since my very first congressional election in 2000 – when I was forced to go to court on behalf of thousands of my constituents who were disenfranchised by an illegal, inactive voter list in St. Louis – the obvious and best solution would be to establish a uniform VRA pre-clearance mechanism across the country, so that we could ensure the same standard of voter protection for every citizen.

Imagine that: treat every voter the same, protect the integrity of every ballot, and make participating in our democracy easier. That is a completely American idea.

Adapted from remarks delivered September 16 to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay (D-St. Louis) represents Missouri’s 1st Congressional District.

of their communities. About one in every ten, or 583,000 Missourians, was uninsured at the time of the American Community Survey – a number that would have been significantly reduced had Missouri expanded Medicaid as provided through the Affordable Care Act.

Our state can still expand Medicaid in the next legislative session and benefit from the many ways Medicaid makes people’s lives better while saving the state money and boosting the economy.

While Missouri’s uninsured rate has declined along with the rest of the nation, the uninsured rate is significantly higher in states that have not expanded Medicaid (12.3 percent), as compared to states that did (7.2 percent). In addition, for those living in poverty or near

the poverty level, the rate of decline in the number of uninsured was significantly lower in non-expansion states as compared to expansion states. Notably, while Missouri historically has had an uninsured rate consistently below the national average, by failing to expand Medicaid, it is now above the national average. Medicaid expansion would reduce uncompensated care, save state tax dollars, and create jobs. And hundreds of thousands of Missourians could access the health care they need to work, take care of their kids, and lead healthy, happy lives.

Amy Blouin, executive director Missouri Budget Project

Columnist Eugene Robinson

New soccer field donated to SLPS school

The Gateway Welcome Project, a new not-for-profit corporation geared to assisting immigrants in St. Louis, led the effort to build a new artificial-surface soccer field at St. Louis Public Schools’ Nahed Chapman New American Academy, located at 1530 S. Grand Blvd., where nearly 400 immigrant and refugee children attend school. Principal Donnie L. Harris was joined by Peter Tao, principal of the architecture firm Tao + Lee Associates, and members of the Construction Forum St. Louis, who donated time and materials, to open the new field.

Fathers’ Support Center expands in North County

Fathers’ Support Center is expanding in North St. Louis County. The St. Louis nonprofit began conducting classes at the new Ferguson-Dellwood Community Resource Center, located at 1435 Stein Rd., on September 6. This is Fathers’ Support Center’s fourth St. Louis area location, in addition to North City, Downtown and Wellston.

Fathers’ Support Center provides a comprehensive

program of services for men who want to learn to be responsible fathers committed to strong family relationships. Over the past 18 years, the center has reached over 13,000 fathers and made a difference for more than 32,500 children. In 2015, a total 197 clients agency-wide obtained employment which has led to $3.4 million being put into the local St. Louis economy. For more information, visit www.fatherssupportcenter.org.

Free books at Little Readers Festival on Sept. 24

St. Louis County Library will host a Little Readers Festival 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, September 24 on the parking lot of library headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd. The free event will feature a variety of activities for families including games, a fire truck, story time with Llama Llama, performances by Juggling Jeff, and a visit from the Bubble Bus. The PNC Mobile Learning

Adventure will also be at the event with a dress-up photo booth, crafts and giveaways. Each child under the age of 5 will receive a punch card for a free book from Ready Readers, a free treat from Murray’s Shaved Ice Truck, and another free book from the library. A complete schedule of Little Readers Festival events can be found at: www.slcl.org/little-readers-festival.

We must get out the vote

By Donna Brazile Guest columnist

African Americans leaders from across the nation convened last week in Washington, D.C. for the annual Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Conference to discuss issues important to our communities – economic development, civil and social justice, voting rights, public health, education and more. Last week also marked the 53rd anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, a senseless tragedy that shook the nation and became a flashpoint of the Civil Rights Movement.

The Democratic Party and our nominee for president, Hillary Clinton, are proud to stand with African Americans and build on the progress of the Obama administration. Under President Obama, the unemployment rate among African Americans has been cut in half from 16.8 percent in 2010 to 8.1 percent as of August. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, the uninsured rate among non-elderly African Americans has declined by more than half. More African Americans are graduating from high school than ever before, and college enrollment among blacks reached an all-time high in 2014. And the incarceration rates for African Americans fell during each year of the Obama administration to reach their lowest point in decades.

These accomplishments were all possible because so many people made their voice heard by organizing, mobilizing and voting.

n Our nation has made tremendous strides to open up the vaults of opportunity for all and to push racists and bigots to the fringes of our society.

Now it’s time to do it again and keep our country moving forward together. Democrats are fighting to expand and protect the right to vote for all Americans. We believe in raising the minimum wage and leveling the playing field of our economy. Democrats want to heal the racial divide in this country, not exploit it. We understand our nation is in desperate need of criminal justice and prison reform. And our candidates up and down the ticket believe in building bridges, not walls. The conference came at a critical time. We’ve seen a troubling resurgence of racism in Republican politics recently. Donald Trump hired as his campaign CEO a man who described his website as a “platform for the alt-right.” In past interviews, Trump has failed to disavow the support of notorious neo-Nazi and KKK Grand Wizard, David Duke, who has referred to African Americans as “primitive animals.” Twice in one week Trump’s running mate, Mike Pence, refused to say that Duke is “deplorable.”

Recently, Trump had the audacity to ask African Americans what we have to lose by voting Republican. Each day the answer is becoming clearer. Our nation has made tremendous strides since the civil rights era to open up the vaults of opportunity for all and to push racists and bigots to the fringes of our society.

We cannot go back. We must get out the vote. We must elect a Democrat as our next president, and elect Democrats up and down the ballot this November.

Donna Brazile is interim chair of the DNC.

Donna Brazile

years.

And on Saturday, October 1, Riverview Gardens High School will receive the Monsanto School of Excellence at the St. Louis American Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala.

“Riverview Gardens is a really good school district, against popular belief,” said Kaylen Lucas, a senior at the high school. “And I think eventually – soon, actually –we’ll be able to prove that to everyone.” Kirk arrived at the same time as Spurgeon in July 2013. At that point, the district had been unaccredited since 2007 and was under state control. Prior to their arrival, the district had earned only 40 out of 140 points on the state’s annual performance report (APR). A district needs at least 70 points to be considered for provisional accreditation and 98 for full accreditation.

Spurgeon said his first order of business was working through the transportation situation with the district’s student transfer program, where nearly 1,400 students signed up to attend other districts. Riverview had to pay for those students’ tuitions –and some transportation costs –to attend other schools, costing about $13 million the first year. That number of students at other districts has since decreased to 500, costing about $6.5 million.

RAY

Continued from A1

The American to report that the family received prayers and letters from New Zealand, Japan, Jerusalem and all over the United States.

Davona Rankins, a senior, has attended schools in the district since kindergarten and chose to stick with Riverview Gardens.

“It’s my district,” Rankins said. “It’s my home. We have amazing students and teachers and administrators, and it did not feel right to leave this district and start over with something new.”

Despite the exodus of students and revenue, the district still jumped 23 points on the APR following the 2013-2014 school year. “Just 6.5 points shy of the 70 points

n “They set the stage and the pace for everyone else to follow.”

– Superintendent Scott Spurgeon on Riverview Gardens High School

we needed to be considered provisionally accredited,”

Spurgeon said. The 2014-2015 school year started off “fantastic,” he said, with a back-to-school bash. However, on August 9, 2014, Michael Brown Jr. was

“Because of your prayers and prayers that came from so far away, and by the Grace of God, Ray has beaten the odds,” his grandmother wrote in a letter she had prepared. There were other blessings along the way. Ray’s mother and siblings had an opportunity to fly round-trip to Orlando, Florida for a week at Disney World, sponsored by Make a Wish Foundation. The Cancer Society was a big help for necessities.

shot and killed in the Canfield Green Apartments, which is within the district’s geographic footprint. Throughout the protests, Spurgeon said he was proud of students and staff for keeping their focus on academics.

n “Because of your prayers and prayers that came from so far away, and by the Grace of God, Ray has beaten the odds.”

– Yvonne Rhodes

Then, in June of this year, at the far range of his prognosis

Corey Stevens, a senior seen here studying, said, “Riverview Gardens High School deserves to be the School of Excellence because the effort that’s put forth by the administrators and staff is relentless, day in and night out.”

84 percent. When he arrived, there was an only one advanced placement class – now, there are 29. This past year, his students received $4 million in scholarships.

“But good is the enemy of great,” Kirk said. “So what was great last year is not great this year.”

Right now, the 2015-2016 school year data is being analyzed, and the district will get its first peek at the data in October. The APR results go out to the public on November 7. Spurgeon believes the district’s request to upgrade its accreditation status will be considered at the Missouri State Board of Education meeting on December 1-2.

“The pressure is real,” said Corey Stevens, a senior. “They are constantly pushing us. They won’t let us give up on ourselves. The administrators are our backbone. Riverview Gardens High School deserves to be the School of Excellence because the effort that’s put forth by the administrators and staff is relentless, day in and night out.”

In October 2015, district staff learned that, despite the unrest and emotional uproar in the community, the district had earned 111 out of 140 points –enough to be considered fully accredited.

Spurgeon said the high school is the district’s “flagship” and has led the renaissance, showing the highest gains of any building. “They set the stage and the pace for everyone else to follow,” he said.

Under Kirk’s leadership, the high school’s graduation rate has risen from 59 percent to

home,” his grandmother wrote.

The 2016 Salute to Excellence in Education Gala will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, October 1, 2016 at the America’s Center Ballroom, following a reception at 5 p.m. Tickets are on sale now. Individual tickets are $85 each/$850 table, and VIP/ Corporate tickets are $1,500 table. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www. stlamerican.com and click on Salute to Excellence, or call 314-533-8000.

to live, Ray had a setback. He lost his appetite and began to lose weight. Over the course of follow-up visits, the family was told there was swelling of the brain and the tumor seemed to have become aggressive. He was not expected to live long. Ray was discharged from the hospital to hospice care on July 5. “Still weak, we took him

“Pastor John and Elaine Mango from Universal King Ministry, Pastor Cassandra Harris from Hope House of Worship, Pastor Harry Walls from Christian Fellowship, Elder Marcus and Gloria Henderson of Mount Zion Church, and other elects were at the hospital or came to my home to pray for Ray.”

The family is following biblical practice, Ray’s grandmother pointed out, citing scripture from James 5:14-15:

“The Word of God says, Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church: and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick and the Lord shall raise him up.” Ray did rise up. He came with his grandmother to the newspaper when she delivered her new letter. He was still weak, but very much his loving self. Now his grandmother asks for saints and believers to pray for Ray again on his seventh birthday, Friday September 23 Then she invited anyone who has prayed for Ray to fellowship with Ray and the family on Saturday, September 24 at Penrose Park from 1-6 p.m. She added: “God bless each and every one of you!”

Photo by Rebecca Rivas

Seals, 29, was a factory line worker at General Motors in Wentzville and a hip-hop musician who also managed other artists. He was found dead on September 6 in the North St. Louis County neighborhood of Riverview. His body was discovered in his Jeep, which had been set on fire. St. Louis County Police said Seals suffered from one gunshot wound. His death, which remains under investigation, was ruled a homicide.

On the fateful day of August 9, 2014, Seals was on the scene in the Canfield Green Apartments to protest the death of Mike Brown soon after he was fatally shot by thenFerguson Police Officer Darren Wilson. Because he began calling for justice immediately after Brown’s death, Seals was considered a “day one” activist. Dr. Cornel West is among the black political leaders Seals conversed with and stood alongside in Ferguson.

“What I remember most about Darren is that he kept it real,” Lewis Reed, president of the St. Louis Board of Alderman, said before issuing a proclamation to the family. “He was focused on moving you where you needed to move so that some positive change can happen for the people in our community. That was his focus and that needs to remain the focus of the movement.”

Also in attendance was Cephus “Uncle Bobby” Johnson, the uncle of Oscar Grant. Grant was fatally shot in 2009 by a police officer at a transit station in Oakland, California. Grant’s death was later retold in the film

VOTE

Continued from A1

Nixon’s veto, 24-6. Both chambers voted to restore a bill that would put in place a photo ID mandate for voters who go to the polls.

The Senate’s 24-7 action came after a mini-filibuster by some Democratic dissidents, notably Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal of University City. The state House voted 11443 in favor of the override. The bill – which is estimated to cost the state $17 million a year – is an implementation measure that would go into effect only if Missouri voters on November 8 approve a proposed constitutional amendment to allow the state to require voters to show a photo ID at the polls. The Missouri Supreme Court ruled in 2006 that the state constitution currently bars such a mandate. Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard, R-Joplin, defended his decision to curb Senate debate on both measures, when Democrats appeared to attempt filibusters. He said the two bills had been debated enough during the regular session. Some of the overrides of other bills, he said, reflected

“Fruitvale Station.” Uncle Bobby said Seals was the second person he met upon arrival in Ferguson. He said Seals told him, “We are in a state of emergency” and “there has been a war lodged against people, specifically of African descent.”

“All I can say is: Represent what he brought to us about the injustices that are happening to our people that will be the demise of our children,” Uncle Bobby said. “This is about our babies.”

the lack of dialogue during the regular session between Nixon’s administration and the measures’ sponsors. Meanwhile, Democratic leaders in both chambers predicted there will likely be court fights over the photo ID and gun bills, because of some of the provisions. And the overrides will have financial implications.

Democrats contend that the resurrected bills add spending or tax breaks that will cost the state at least $65 million more during this fiscal year.

n The stand-yourground provision “allows me to proactively kill somebody,’’ said state Rep. Brandon Ellington, who chairs the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus.

The House debate over the gun bill got particularly passionate. State Rep. Brandon Ellington, D-Kansas City – who was openly carrying his concealed weapon around the Capitol grounds – repeated his earlier assertion that the bill was legalizing murder.

The stand-yourground provision “allows me to proactively kill somebody,’’ said Ellington, who chairs the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus.

State Rep. Kim Gardner, D-St. Louis, noted that she’s soon to be the city’s new circuit attorney and warned that the bill is “creating the perfect storm’’ by ending gun-training requirements while expanding access to firearms. In the override fight

over the photo ID bill, the Democrats’ case appeared hurt by their party’s nominee for governor, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, who supports the implementation bill. His favorable comments, made over the summer, were

Chants of “black power” and “power to the people” echoed in the church after his speech. Seals’ funeral was held in a church, led by the Rev. Tommie Pierson Sr., that served as a meeting hub for

highlighted repeatedly by House Republicans. A spokesman for Koster reaffirmed that he remains opposed to the proposed constitutional amendment that also must pass before the state can impose a photo ID

the Ferguson movement. In 2014, Al Sharpton stood in the pulpit at Greater St. Mark and declared that Ferguson had become the spark of a new civil rights movement. During Seals’ funeral, a New Black Panther Party meeting was

mandate for voters. But if the amendment passes, Koster sees the implementation bill as a satisfactory compromise, the spokesman said.

State Senator, Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City, called the implementation

held in the basement of the church. Members of the party filed in and out of the funeral ceremony periodically. Seals’ younger brother, older sister and mother – who all referred to him as “ManMan” – spoke during the funeral.

His younger brother Byron Seals, 14, said Seals was “like a father” to him, always taking him places in his Jeep and teaching him about black historic figures like Malcolm X and Nat Turner.

“Y’all know him as King – King D Seals,” Byron said. “I know y’all loved him. I loved my brother too. But, y’all still got a king – it’s me.” His speech was followed by a standing ovation with Black Power fists held in the air.

Although Seals often clashed with other Ferguson protest leaders on social media, his loved ones said he never grew tired of speaking out against police brutality and social injustice.

“He shared so many stories about what you guys were doing,” his older sister Latoya Seals said. “I thank you guys for standing in the gap while I couldn’t be here, for standing on the frontline with him when I was terrified that something was going to happen to him.” Seals’ mother, Mary Otis, was thankful for the Ferguson movement and asked that her son be remembered.

“To be able to see my son stand up for justice and what he believed in, I thank God for that,” Otis said. “He went hard to make a difference, and I loved the way that he loved his people. My son said he would never let Mike Brown’s name get swept under the rug. Will y’all please do the same thing for my son?”

bill “a definite step backward. What we should be promoting is inclusion and activism for all people.”

Edited for length and reprinted with permission from news.stlpublicradio.org.

Darren Seals’ mother, Mary Otis, asked that mourners remember her son at his funeral at Greater St. Mark Family Church in Ferguson on Saturday, September 17, as Brother Anthony Shahid, Akbar Muhammad and her son Byron Seals listened.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

‘Thundering victory’ for Bruce Franks Jr. in special election

It was a very special election indeed in Missouri House District 78 on Friday, September 16. Challenger Bruce Franks Jr. devastated incumbent Penny Hubbard by more than a 3:1 margin, 2,235 votes to 701 votes.

The special election was ordered by District Judge Rex Burlison, who ruled on a suit brought by Franks claiming improper use of absentee votes by the Hubbard campaign.

Burlison ruled that election authorities accepted enough improperly recorded absentee votes to call into question the August 2 primary results, when Hubbard beat Franks by 90 votes though Franks received more votes on the actual election day. Hubbard had a significant advantage in absentee votes in the special election, 95 votes to 69 votes, though there was a smaller window of time to gather absentee votes than in the primary, and her absentee advantage was nowhere near enough to match the energized voters who went to the polls to vote for Franks.

Franks campaign, a number of residents describe manipulative tactics used to secure their absentee votes. The matter is under review by state and federal authorities.

Rodney Hubbard Sr. also is 5th Ward Democratic committeeman. He won his August 2 primary, again with a huge absentee vote advantage, against Ferguson activist and commissioner Rasheen Aldridge. Aldridge has since retained Roland to file suit challenging those election results as well. Penny Hubbard remains 5th Ward Democratic committeewoman, having defeated Megan Betts on August 2 by a wide margin.

“This is a paradigm shift in St. Louis politics,” said state Senator Maria ChappelleNadal, who donated to Franks’ primary campaign and supported him.

Democrats are a powerless minority in the Missouri House of Representatives, where Franks will serve. (Franks will face a Republican opponent in the November 8 general election, Erik Shelquist, but he got 2,000 fewer votes fewer than Franks or Hubbard in the primary.) So the “paradigm shift” is not about any change in the Missouri House, but rather a major disruption of the status quo in St. Louis politics and North City in particular.

As Franks’ lawyer Dave Roland argued in pleadings and court, the Hubbards have a track record of winning hugely lopsided absenteevoter-majority victories. Ruth Ehresman lost to Hubbard in the 2012 primary for the same seat and raised the same issues brought in Franks’ suit. Among many irregularities, a polling place in the district is located in Carr Square Village, where Rodney Hubbard Sr., Penny’s husband, is executive director of the Carr Square Tenant Corp. In affidavits collected by the

However, Betts is a likely challenger for yet another Hubbard who holds elected office, 5th Ward Alderwoman Tammika Hubbard (daughter of Rodney and Penny), who stands for reelection in March. Given that Hubbard has authored the enabling legislation for Paul McKee Jr.’s controversial NorthSide Regeneration development, that will be a hotly contested seat.

“This was an absolutely thundering victory,” Roland said, “that vindicates the fight that Bruce has been up against this entire time and his willingness to call out the corruption in the Hubbard family.”

Already, Republicans are trying to seize advantage with this fight over absentee voting irregularities in a Democratic primary. Jay Ashcroft Republican nominee for secretary of state, Missouri’s highest election authority, sent out a fundraising email on Friday claiming that Franks’ suit against Hubbard was proof of voter fraud. Judge Burlison, however, did not come to that conclusion. His ruling placed the blame on mistakes made by election officials, not on voters or the Hubbard campaign perpetrating fraud. On the same November 8 ballot where Franks will appear, Missouri voters will face Amendment 6, which would allow for a voter photo ID requirement. Missouri Republicans are pointing to Hubbard’s use of absentee ballots to stump for Amendment 6, but – as Franks has pointed out – the mistakes (and manipulations) made in the August 2 primary would

not have been rectified by voter photo ID.

Franks won the special election on a day of steady, at times driving, rain, which continued into the night at the election watch party and ultimate celebration at Yaqui’s on Cherokee Street. As the rain fell outside, supporters chanted Franks’ name, jumped on tables, and chanted, “This is what democracy looks like.”

Franks’ victory was celebrated as the dawn of a new day. The Hubbards are longtime allies of both U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay and Mayor Francis G. Slay Clay fought hard to preserve Hubbard’s victory on August 2, even writing a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch asking the Department of Justice to intervene and stop the special election (which he did not do). Slay, a lame duck who is not running for reelection, did nothing to help his former North City allies.

Franks said this election was not about him, but about

a new, populist future for St. Louis politics. “This shows the power that the people have,” Franks told The American “Not money, not political relationships, not invested interests, but people. When you take power and invest it in the people, you can do anything.”

Daly forms mayoral committee

The 2017 St. Louis mayoral race has a new contender: Gregory F.X. Daly has formed a campaign committee for a mayoral race. Currently the collector of revenue and the license collector before that, Daly has a vast war chest from past campaigns and strong name recognition from serving in citywide office since the previous century.

Though Bruce Franks Jr.’ rainbow coalition suggests that the city might be moving away from its traditional two-party system – white Democrats

and black Democrats – it still makes sense to group St. Louis mayoral candidates by race. Daly joins Lyda Krewson, currently 28th Ward alderwoman, as white candidates. Lewis Reed, currently aldermanic president (who lost to Slay in 2013), is the only black candidate who has announced. A diverse group (that looks much like Franks’ coalition) 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. At press time, less than $4,000 had been donated to it. State Senator Jamilah Nasheed also has been making signals that she might run.

Governor of the veto override

State Rep. Shamed Dogan (R-Ballwin) points out that,

Bruce Franks Jr. celebrated his whopping special election victory over incumbent Penny Hubbard in Missouri House District 78 at Yaqui’s on Cherokee Street on Friday, September 16.

after the September 14 veto session, the total number of overrides in state history now stands at 119, with 97 of those coming under the watch of Governor Jay Nixon That’s more than 80 percent of the gubernatorial vetoes in state history, all undermining one governor. This shows two things: how much more shrewd and strategic Missouri Republicans are than Missouri Democrats come redistricting time, since they keep drawing legislative districts that they can win. It also shows how ruinous and short-sighted Nixon’s selfish strategy of running alone, without helping down-ballot candidates, has been for his administration and party base. Unfortunately, the Democrats’ current nominee for governor, Chris Koster, is apparently taking a similar approach. If he wins on November 8 and doesn’t change his game plan, Koster is likely to give Nixon a run for his money in racking up veto overrides.

Photo by Carolina Hidalgo / St. Louis Public Radio

Nov. 24 deadline to collect in Jennings settlement

City agreed to pay $4.7M to compensate those it wrongly jailed

By Chris King

Of The St. Louis American

If the City of Jennings threw you in jail between February 8, 2010 and September 16, 2015 because you could not afford to pay a fine or court costs, then you may have some money coming to you.

In September 2015, the City of Jennings entered into a proposed settlement agreement with ArchCity Defenders, Equal Justice Under Law

and Saint Louis University School of Law Legal Clinics, who had sued the city over unconstitutional practices in its municipal court.

As part of the agreement, the City of Jennings agreed to pay $4.7 million to compensate an estimated 2,000 people who are eligible to receive money from the settlement.

But there is a deadline. If you believe you are eligible you have until November 24 to complete the Jenkins v. City of

Jennings Settlement claim form by mail or email in order to receive compensation from the

landmark settlement. Access the form at goo.gl/7Roupk.

Of the $4.7 million, according to Thomas Harvey, executive director of ArchCity Defenders, a few hundred

a settlement form in time. The total amount paid is based on how many days spent in jail.

“No amount of money could ever compensate or absolve the systemic abuses that

n The City of Jennings agreed to pay $4.7 million to compensate an estimated 2,000 people it wrongly jailed between February 8, 2010 and September 16, 2015.

thousand is going to the homeless shelter that former Superintendent Tiffany Anderson created, and 25 percent will go to attorney fees, split up between the three law firms who represented the plaintiffs “so we can file other suits here and across the country.” The remaining $3.5 million will be split among the eligible people who complete

people have been subjected to,” Harvey said, “though we believe this settlement has the potential to set legal precedent on debtors’ prison cases across the country.”

The proposed agreement, which would be enforceable in federal court, also includes the following reforms: elimination of cash bail, immediate release on signature or unsecured bond

on a first arrest, establishment of a meaningful inquiry into a person’s ability to pay, elimination of the payment docket, conversion of unpaid fines and fees to civil judgment, elimination of warrants or jailing for the failure to pay, and dismissal and forgiveness of all fines and fees on cases dating prior to March 12, 2011. In the past year, various municipalities have announced periods of warrant forgiveness and other reforms to their municipal courts and many of these municipalities have advertised a program charging $100 to recall warrants.

“Temporary, voluntary and unmonitored internal policies in 81 separate part-time courts with part-time judges and prosecutors will not solve the problems that plague our region,” Harvey said. “Under the current piecemeal approach to reform, there is nothing to stop these municipalities from going back to old policies in the near future.”

Harvey said the only sustainable solution to unconstitutional municipal court practice would include consolidation of the currently existing municipal court system; creation of a regional court system, open full time, with professional staff; and the implementation of the procedural protections proposed in the settlement with the City of Jennings (Jenkins v. Jennings 4:15-cv-00252CEJ) and ArchCity’s previous proposed settlement with the City of Velda City (Pierce v. Velda City 4:15-cv-00570HEA).

To complete the City of Jennings Settlement Form, visit goo.gl/7Roupk or go to ArchCity Defender’s office in the second floor of Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust St. in downtown St. Louis. For more information, call 1-866236-6721. The deadline is November 24.

Local black politicians: What’s going on?

By Sylvester Brown Jr. Guest columnist

Marvin Gaye’s 1971 hit

“What’s Going On” describes my feelings as it pertains to politics and some black politicians in our region. I’m especially talking to black politicians, because the most disenfranchised group of voters elected you to address their disproportionate woes. It’s been about six years since I covered politics professionally.

So, like the returning Vietnam Vet typified in Gaye’s song, I’m asking, “What’s going on?”

I’ve heard your appeals to young people imploring them to vote for you. What I haven’t seen is legislative action or detailed plans to address the factors that propelled them into the streets in the first place. It seems a new wave of progressive candidates – black and white – consider many of you out-of-touch and part of an antiquated, good-oleboy political system. I see government resources pouring into one part of North St. Louis while crime, poverty, unemployment festers in the poorest parts of that area.

So, what’s going on?

dollars to rich developers, tony neighborhoods and powerful entities with the liquid hope that something, anything will trickle down to poor folk. We’re currently watching tax-subsidized gentrification in North St. Louis with the multi-million-dollar NGA and NorthSide Regeneration projects. If one part is to be cleared out in the name of “development,” shouldn’t there be a plan to preserve and restore other parts of that long-ignored landscape?

n What do unprivileged dreamers need to know to gain access to the free land, tax breaks and incentives you’ve endorsed for the rich and outside interests?

neighborhoods.

What’s going on? Where are your plans to strengthen public education, increase tax revenue, create inner-city jobs or rebuild heavily-populated sections of North St. Louis?

It seems many of you are in compliance with the mayor’s outdated model of giving public

Surely you’ve read the scorching St. Louis Magazine series that has detailed how politicians “sacrificed millions” to lure people (read white people) back to the city. Between 2000 and 2014, according to the magazine, $307 million in tax incentives have been allotted to rich developers and affluent homeowners in the city. But, because of 10-to-25-year tax break exemptions, public schools are shortchanged of at least $150 million. I understand, it’s easy get caught up in promises of job creation and tax generation. But the tax benefits are years down the road and a tiny fraction of your constituents will help build the new projects, work in the new businesses or live in the fancy, revitalized

I’m sure current developments are complicated, with multiple layers of public/ private sector collaboration and money. But aren’t there certain basic, duplicable factors that can spur grassroots development as well?

Someone drew a line around specific sections of St. Louis then went to politicians to advocate and/ or write legislation that made the project(s) suitable for government assistance. What stops you, black politicians, from doing the same? Is it because of the pay-to-play system? Is it lack of vision, creativity or the fact that you don’t believe blacks can do-forself with a little political help?

to Vandeventer Avenue. With proper funding, access to vacant land and government resources, we can create about 70 summer youth jobs, improve housing for the poor, open a fresh food market and an industrial kitchen to package and sell produce and food products. We can build a money-generating farmer’s market, like the very successful Tower Groves Market in South

St. Louis.

With your support, we can lay the foundation for neighborhood revitalization, small business growth, land ownership and develop a selfsustaining economic engine in North St. Louis.

So, how do those of us who’ve invested sweat equity into our city get the same support as the well-connected? You’ve taken risks on unknowns before. Remember when you signed off on a $1 billion football stadium bribe, even though the owner publicly stated he wanted no part of St. Louis?

What do unprivileged dreamers need to know to gain access to the free land, tax breaks and incentives you’ve

There are at least eight nonprofits, mine included, that are trying to make a positive impact from, MLK Boulevard all the way down

endorsed for the rich and outside interests? Should we just step aside and tolerate the decades-old trend of shoving black people out of their homes and neighborhoods for the sake of “development?” Is the “system” permanently fixed against those intent on empowering the powerless or maintaining and sustaining our own neighborhoods?

Please tell us, dear black elected officials, what’s going on?

Sylvester Brown Jr. is a writer, community activist and executive director of the Sweet Potato Project, a program that seeks to empower low-income youth and adults through land-ownership and urban agriculture.

Guest Columnist

Sylvester Brown Jr.

out the

before it goes out.

Taking a ride to wellness

Health care is coming to St. Louis County MetroLink stops

By Sandra Jordan Of The

Sometime after the first of next year, commuters at St. Louis County MetroLink stations will have the opportunity to get basic health screenings, thanks to part of a $7.3 million grant from U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration for innovative ways to use transit connect people to healthcare. It is FTA’s Rides to Wellness Mobility Grants initiative, which funded 19 projects in 16 states.

n General health screenings will include blood pressure, height, weight, body mass index (BMI) assessment and perhaps basic blood tests, like cholesterol screening.

Bi-State Development’s nonprofit Research Institute, and the St. Louis County Department of Public Health partnered to bring convenient health screenings to mass transit-dependent community. The County health department already has a mobile medical unit that will be used to screen patients.

“The grant, for the most part, is to put the mobile medical clinic out at the stations for four days a week, six hours a day,” said John Wagner, director of Bi-State Development Research Institute. They project to serve 48 people per day – about 15,000 patients during an

18-month demonstration period.

“If someone doesn’t have health insurance, we would be able to get them hooked up with either Medicaid or the other programs around here to actually get them hooked up with a primary care physician,” Wagner added.

“Dr. Faisal Khan, director of St. Louis County Department of Public Health, said, “The lack of transportation has been identified as a major barrier throughout the country for people not being able to access [health care]–there are others, affordability and all of that, but lack of access to transportation is one such barrier.” Khan said the County health department

received $885,000 and Bi-State received $55,000 to provide administrative support.

“What we want to be able to do is obviously track how many people we serve, how many people we are able to refer back to follow-up into an in-depth, more meaningful way, said Dr. Khan added.

Two nurses will see patients on the mobile health unit. General health screenings will include blood pressure, height, weight, body mass index (BMI) assessment and perhaps basic blood tests, like cholesterol screening. “We might consider having social workers

Warning: danger up ahead

Denise

MD n One in five children in the U.S. is obese. This extra weight can carry with it many future health problems.

A recent mission trip to the nation of Malawi revealed quite a bit of differences between that particular country and the United States. First, the currency there is a lot weaker as compared to here. Every $1 equals roughly 750 Kwacha in Malawian currency. Second, access to healthcare is not an option for most of the people there. For example, even though a local clinic in Chiradzula, run by extremely competent nurses who can suture wounds, provide high blood pressure medications and deliver babies, exists within 10-15 miles of where people live, access is limited due to the $2 cost of a clinic visit. Yes, the beautiful people of Malawi are so poor that $2 poses an astronomical financial barrier. Lastly, and the most striking difference I noticed while visiting this nation for the second time was how rarely I saw someone who was obese. And if I did see someone who obviously had a BMI greater than 30, I knew right away that they were not as poor as the average citizen of the country. Even though I am comparing Malawi and the U.S., you can interchange Malawi with almost any other country and the comparison would probably hold true regarding obesity. Just try out the game of “pick out the American.” Does not matter on what continent you land, more than likely the biggest person in the room is probably from the U.S. September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. This month is analogous to the stream of light illuminated by lighthouses across the water. Just as the beacon of light warns ships of upcoming danger, this month is to warn parents, administrators, government officials, and healthcare providers of potential dangers of obesity in childhood. My explanation is quite simple and does not take a doctorate degree to comprehend it: without early intervention, obese children grow up to be obese adults. One in five children in the U.S. is obese. This extra

St. Louis American

William Harge, the custodial supervisor at the St. Louis County Health Department, checks

van

HooksAnderson,

Photo by Wiley Price

Photo by Wiley Price

Rein in the sugar

Children should eat less than six teaspoons of added sugars daily

In new recommendations from the American Heart Association, children ages 2 to 18 should eat or drink less than six teaspoons of added sugars daily, according to the scientific statement recommending a specific limit on added sugars for children, published recently in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.

Six teaspoons of added sugars is equivalent to about 100 calories or 25 grams.

“Our target recommendation is the same for all children between the ages of 2 and 18 to keep it simple for parents and public health advocates,” said Miriam Vos, M.D., Ms.P.H, lead author, nutrition scientist and associate professor of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

To keep kids healthy, American Heart Association recommends:

• Consume less than six teaspoons of added sugars per day for children.

• Limit intake of sugar-sweetened drinks to no more than eight ounces weekly for children and teens.

• Infants and toddlers under the age of 2 years should not consume foods or beverages with added sugars, including sugar-sweetened drinks.

“For most children, eating no more than six teaspoons of added sugars per day is a healthy and achievable target,” said Vos.

Eating foods high in added sugars throughout childhood is linked to the development of risk factors for heart disease, such as an increased risk of obesity and elevated blood pressure in children and young adults.

“Children who eat foods loaded with added sugars tend to eat fewer healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products that are good for their heart health,” said Vos.

The likelihood of children developing these health problems rises with an increase in the amount of added sugars consumed. Overweight children who continue to take in more added sugars are more likely to be insulin resistant, a precursor to type 2 diabetes, according to the statement written by a panel of experts.

“There has been a lack of clarity and consensus regarding how much added sugar is considered safe for children, so sugars remain a commonly added ingredient in foods and drinks, and overall consumption by children remains high – the typical American child consumes about triple the recommended amount of added sugars,” said Vos.

Experts believe having a specific amount to target based on scientific research will significantly help parents and public health advocates provide the best nutrition possible for our children.

It is also recommended that no added sugars be included in the diet of children under the age of 2. The calorie needs of children in this age group are lower than older children and adults, so there is little room for food and beverages containing added sugars that don’t provide them with good nutrition. In addition, taste preferences begin early in life, so limiting added sugars may help children develop a life-long preference for healthier foods. Added sugars are any sugars – including table sugar, fructose and honey – either used in processing and preparing foods or beverages, added to foods at the table or eaten separately. Starting in July 2018, food manufacturers will be required to list the amount of added sugars on the Nutrition Facts Panel making it much easier to follow the recommendations in this scientific statement.

“Until then, the best way to avoid added sugars in your child’s diet is to serve mostly foods that are high in nutrition, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean meat, poultry and fish, and to limit foods with little nutritional value,” said Vos. One of the most common sources of added sugars is sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soda, fruit-flavored and sports drinks, sweetened teas and energy drinks.

HealtH Briefs

DOCTOR

Continued from A12

problems, like elevated blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer. Childhood obesity is also associated with mental health issues like low self-esteem and depression as a result of bullying. Changing clothes in

front of peers, not being able to keep up in physical education classes or suffering from hygiene issues are all problems obese children are likely to encounter on a daily basis.

Preventing our children from having to endure such indignities is where our communities should be razor-focused. Start at home. Insist on cooked meals instead of the local fast food runs. Cooking at home and

eating dinner together at the table not only helps fight the obesity epidemic but it also improves our neighborhoods by strengthening families one by one. Our schools can also help by offering a variety of healthy meal options.

Children don’t need hamburger and fries every day as lunch choices. If you build it, they will come. Try a nice

salad bar instead. How do you know they will not eat it, if you do not introduce it? This obesity fight is ours to win or lose. How will YOU help?

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

METRO

Continued from A12

or counselors onboard as well, so that would depend on what sort of uptake we’re seeing,” Khan said. “We certainly don’t want staff just sitting there being underutilized.”

There will not be a prescription pharmacy on the mobile unit, Dr. Khan said. Any medication it may have would be over-the-counter.

The County and Bi-State began working on the idea late year after receiving a feasibility study grant from

n Although all of the specifics are still being worked out, both Khan and Wagner stress it is an 18-month demonstration project. Whether the mobile health service at MetroLink stops is extended past the funded period all depends on utilization and resources.

the Missouri Foundation for Health. Although that report is being finalized – the FTA grant availability earlier this year was a separate but complementary opportunity that was too good to pass up.

Wagner said probable locations will located in St. Louis

County. “Probably Wellston, St. Charles Rock Road … North Hanley would certainly be a wonderful location, and then maybe even the North County Transit Center up in Ferguson would be a good place to put it as well,” Wagner said.

Health Brief

Although all of the specifics are still being worked out, both Khan and Wagner stress it is an 18-month demonstration project. Whether the mobile health service at MetroLink stops is extended past the funded period all depends on utilization and resources.

“For the transit-dependent community, this will be a great way to maybe try to improve their health if it needs to be improved,” Wagner said, “and we’re trying to find ways to make the stations more a part of the community.”

Alzheimer’s education, support at local YMCA

The Alzheimer’s Association St. Louis Chapter and the Gateway Region YMCA last week announced a pilot program to offer Alzheimer’s education and support services at select Y branch locations in the area.

The pilot will include consumer education classes on Alzheimer’s warning signs, disease basics and healthy aging taught at 13 Y branches throughout the St. Louis area.

The classes, which are free and open to the general public, will begin being offered in mid-September. Additional branches will be added in the coming months and the program will be expanded to include branch-based support groups and fitness classes tailored to individuals with

Alzheimer’s Impact

• 5 million+ Americans are impacted

• 330,000+ individuals have Alzheimer’s disease

• 900,000+ people provide unpaid care for them in Missouri and Illinois.

Source: Alzheimer’s Association 2016 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures Report

Alzheimer’s.

“This partnership with the YMCA will help us better connect individuals and families with important Alzheimer’s education, information and support,” said Stacy Tew-Lovasz, president of the St. Louis

Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. “And like the majority of our programming, the classes and support groups are being offered out in the communities where people live and work.”

“The Alzheimer’s educa-

tion and support elements are a natural fit with the YMCA’s community centered programming and mission to build healthy spirit, mind and body for all,” said Tim Helm, President and CEO of the Gateway Region YMCA. “This partnership allows us to expand the types of resources we can offer, and we anticipate a great response to these services from our members and guests.”

For more information about Alzheimer’s disease and local programs and services, visit http://www.alz. org/stl/ or call at 800-2723900. To find a Y location near you, please visit www.ymcastlouis.org/locations.

The MetroLink at Noth Hanley Rd.

NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION

PRESENT:

Healthy Kids Healthy Kids

Healthcare Careers

Fall Foods!

No Smoking! Fall Exercise

Nutrition Challenge:

This week brings the first day of fall — and with that comes fall fruits and vegetables! Some things in season now are pumpkin, apples, squash and pears. “In season”

Fall brings cooler temperatures. It’ll no longer be too hot to enjoy the outdoors!

So put on your shoes and jacket and go out and enjoy the weather. Choose activities that raise your heart rate and increase your breathing for at least 20 minutes.

One fun fall activity is to have a leafcatch race. Stand behind a specific line

Studies show that one of the easiest ways to stay healthy and extend your life expectancy is to not smoke. Smoking affects your lungs, your heart and many other parts of your body. And smoking is very addictive. So it’s way easier not to start, than to stop later!

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

generally means that the food is extra flavorful and yummy this time of year, but also easier to find and less expensive!

As a class, plan a Fall Foods Feast. What foods would you include, and what are nutritious, healthy ways that you could prepare them? What are ways that these foods might be served that aren’t so healthy?

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

(using sticks or a sidewalk to mark your starting point). When you see a leaf fall from a tree see who can catch it before it hits the ground. The first one to catch 10 leaves wins!

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

Healthier Cheese Stix

Ingredients:

6 Mozzarella String cheese sticks ½ Cp. Panko breadcrumbs

1 Large Egg (mixed with a fork)

Dipping Sauce — Low-fat ranch, marinara, etc. (optional)

Directions: Preheat oven to 425º and spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Toast the Panko breadcrumbs in a warm pan til browned, then cool and place in a small plate. Cut the cheese sticks into small 2-3 inch pieces. Dip in the egg mixture, roll in the breadcrumbs and place on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake until warm and cheese starts to soften (3-4 minutes).

Marcus Fulton,

Registered Respiratory Therapist

Where do you work? I work at Saint Louis Children’s Hospital. Where did you go to school? I graduated from Sumner High School in St. Louis and earned an associate degree in respiratory therapy from Saint Louis Community College, Forest Park.

What does a respiratory therapist do? The majority of my day I spend giving medicines that help the lungs. I listen to the lungs to determine if the medicines are helping the patients. I work with kids with lung or breathing problems. I help teach them and the family ways to monitor and prevent coming to the hospital.

Why did you choose this career? I picked this career because I lost some family members to asthma attacks. I then met a respiratory therapist at the hospital while I was doing EMT clinicals. I was sitting in class one day when I read that Forest Park had a respiratory program. I signed up for it and the rest is history.

What is your favorite part of the job you have?

My favorite part of my job is seeing kids smile, knowing that they are getting better and that I am making a difference.

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

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

Hamilton Elementary School 4th grade teacher, Lacie Donaldson, helps students Elijah White and Kamiyah Delaney

email: nie@stlamerican.com.

SCIENCE CORNER

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT SCIENCE STARS

African-American Food Safety Expert LaTonya Mitchell

USFDA Regulations for Food Safety

Have you ever thought about food safety?

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), food borne illnesses cause 47.8 million episodes of illness, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths each year in the United States. The United States has a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that works to evaluate the safety of food that is sold to the public. The FDA also exists to educate about potential food risks. The FDA has rules that oversee how products are packaged and stored. They test the safety of ingredients that are added to foods. They educate the public about food borne illnesses. The FDA notifies the public of any safety concerns and recalls.

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

All materials, including food, break down or decay. Some factors can cause the decay to happen more quickly. In this experiment, you will find the answer to the question: What makes food decay faster?

Materials Needed:

• Packet of Dried Beans

• 4 Ziploc Bags • Water • Bowl

• Refrigerator • Notebook • Pencil

Procedure:

q Form a hypothesis. Which causes food to decay faster — heat, light, or water?

w Create the control group. Place 10 beans in a Ziploc bag and label it as “control.”

e Soak the remaining beans in a bowl of water overnight.

r Place 10 soaked beans into each of the remaining Ziploc bags.

MATH CONNECTION

z The farmer planted 8 rows of corn. If each row had 8 corn plants, how many plants did he have in all? ______ If each corn plant produced 5 ears of corn, how many ears of corn did he have in all? ______

What can you do to be safe? Always keep cold items refrigerated. Store leftovers immediately so they do not grow bacteria. Beef, pork, turkey, and chicken need to be cooked thoroughly. Always wash fresh fruits and vegetables. Stay informed about potential outbreaks and recalls. Check expiration dates. With these precautions, you can decrease your chance of getting sick from food.

For more information, visit: http://www.fda.gov.

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

Decaying Food

t Place one bag in a warm, bright place, one in a warm dark place, and one bag in the refrigerator for a week.

y Place the control bag of beans in each condition for two days during the experiment. Observe what happens to the beans. Record your observations in your notebook.

Draw conclusions: Was your hypothesis correct? Did you change your hypothesis during the week as you observed the beans? Which factor caused the food to decay faster — water, heat, or light?

Learning Standards: I can follow a sequential procedure to complete an experiment. I can form and evaluate a hypothesis. I can record and make observations. I can draw conclusions. I can make text-toworld connections.

Fascinating Food Problems!

Jimmy donated 25 pumpkins to the local fall festival, how many pumpkins did they have left? ______ If they divided the leftover pumpkins evenly, how many did they each get to keep? ______Were there any pumpkins left over? ______

x Janice and Jimmy planted pumpkins in their garden last summer. In October, they picked 18 orange Giant pumpkins, 36 Jack-BeLittle pumpkins, and 13 White Casper pumpkins. How many total pumpkins did they pick? ______ Janice and

c Student Council wants to decorate the cafeteria for the Fall Festival. They would like to put 3 pumpkins on each of 18 tables. How many pumpkins do they need? ______ If they pay $2.50 for each pumpkin, how much will it cost? ______

Learning Standards: I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a problem. I can make text-to-world connections.

LaTonya Mitchell has worked for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for over 20 years. Her job is to protect the health of the public. She joined the Kansas City District office in May 1994. She studied the effects of pesticide on human food and on animal feed. Next, Mitchell worked as the Director of Chemistry II Branch at the Southeast Regional Laboratory in Atlanta. While there, she focused on the effects of food coloring, pesticides, and chemotherapy. She is currently the District Director for Denver’s Office of Regulatory Affairs. She is in charge of overseeing Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming to be sure that they follow food safety rules and regulations.

Mitchell received a BA degree in Chemistry from Park University in Parkville, MO, and a Master of Science degree in Health Services Administration from Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, MI. In 2002, she became a graduate of the FDA Leadership Development Program. She has the following advice for students: Set both long and short term goals. Seek out mentors and advisors who will help you meet those goals. Be flexible and open minded. Seek challenging work assignments.

To learn more about LaTonya Mitchell, visit: https:// www.acs.org/content/acs/en/careers/college-to-career/ chemists/mitchell.html.

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, text-to-world, and text-to-self connections.

MAP CORNER

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

Activities —

Find a Restaurant:

Newspapers are a great resource to learn about new restaurants in your community. Look through the newspaper to find information about a local restaurant. It can be an advertisement, a review, or a feature story. Underline the facts, and circle the opinions.

Word Choice: Word choice is important in writing. Use the newspaper to find an article describing an event in your community. Highlight the word choice the author uses that helps you visualize the action.

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can identify fact and opinion. I can identify powerful word choice.

with a STEM activity using the newspaper. Hamilton Elementary School is in the Saint Louis Public Schools District.

Photo by Wiley Price/St. Louis American.

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

SEIU activists work with students to GOTV

Union, students focus on higher education issues in Nov. 8 election

American staff

Union activists are working with college students, faculty and staff – including at Washington University and Saint Louis University – to educate and energize voters for the November 8 general election.

“Candidates on all levels –federal, state or local – need to address the high cost of tuition so students are debt free and able to pursue their dreams,” said Cody Burleson, a graduate worker at Washington University in St. Louis.

“Candidates can lock in the college vote by standing with us to restore the promise of higher education.”

Events were held on both Washington University and Saint Louis University’s campuses last week to highlight these issues with the goal of reaching more than one million voters in 16 states. At 50 campuses this fall, organizers said, thousands of professors and graduate assistants will be knocking on doors, phone banking and convening voter information sessions to educate campus goers on key issues like debt-free college and better pay for students and faculty.

Activists from Service Employees International Union Local 1 – which represents nearly 50,000 workers throughout the Midwest – are coordinating with student

assistants, faculty, alumni and community allies at 50 campuses across the country on what the call “GOTV U Pledge Week.”

n

working families; $1.3 trillion in in existing student debt; bad actors rigging the system and misusing taxpayer dollars; and college and universities

“Candidates on all levels – federal, state or local – need to address the high cost of tuition so students are debt free and able to pursue their dreams.”

– Cody Burleson

Elizabeth Eikmann, a graduate assistant at Saint Louis University, worked with two SLU students last week on “GOTV U Pledge Week.”

others to raise awareness of these issues.

“Higher education should provide a pathway to the American Dream, but instead years of broken promises and extreme cuts to public education budgets by state governments and Congress have led to skyrocketing tuition and more than $1.3 trillion in student debt,” Burleson said.

“Combined my wife and I have student debt that makes it hard to get a loan for anything else – a home or a car. It colors all of our future decisions because this debt will be with us for a long time.”

Nationally, more than 50 percent of all faculty appointments are part-time and over 70 percent of instructional staff are not on tenure track. The reliance by many of our nation’s top universities and other colleges towards cheap contingent labor results in inadequate compensation for comparable work, lack of employment benefits, job security, and professional support for these workers which damages academic freedom, institutional governance, and student outcomes.

Doing nothing is a death sentence

By Mellve Shahid Sr. Guest columnist

With the White House proclamation declaring September as prostate awareness month in hand, we honor the more than 2 million prostate cancer survivors in our nation, it has become a true celebration in my life and a real honor for the many men that live with this disease to be recognized by our great president.

I should be feeling joy and the excitement, instead of the sadness that I feel as I watched another survivor and friend being placed under hospice care and succumbing to this disease.

How can I celebrate and get ready for this great month when I still have close friends making poor decisions about their prostate health and doing nothing after being diagnosed with prostate cancer?

How can I celebrate when men around me are still refusing to take a simple blood test called a PSA test?

How can I celebrate as I watch many in the medical community say that the PSA test is doing more harm than good?

How can I celebrate as I watch the survivors in our support group fight the recurrences of this disease?

should already be a part of their everyday diets. A cancer diagnosis has to be treated, and this is not the time to self-diagnose by running to the internet for holistic advice. Yes, the internet is full of valuable information, but your cancer care must be under the watchful eyes and closely guarded care of your doctor, a trained health care professional who is monitoring your health and watching your numbers. Do you really think that swallowing a handful of supplements to fight an aggressive late-stage cancer that is metastasizing throughout your body is a winning situation to be in? What are you thinking?

Many survivors, after being diagnosed, become selfappointed medical doctors without degrees, forming their own medical and health opinions. They self-diagnose on how they will approach this cancer demon that has invaded their bodies without consulting their oncologist or urologist.

Nationwide, higher education has reached a tipping point, with continual institutional reliance on tuition dollar –passing the cost of college onto

increasing dependence on contingent academic labor and low-wage campus support staff, and across the country students are being joined by faculty and

Simultaneously, many service and support workers do not earn a living wage. SEIU Local 1 has been working with college and university professors throughout the Midwest, including nearly 1,000 in the St. Louis area, to give them a voice on the job and to address these issues.

Are they not listening as I continuously spread the message that cancer has to be treated? You cannot afford to wait for years and do nothing after being diagnosed with this disease.

Many of the newly diagnosed men are using the holistic approach theory without consulting a holistic medicine practitioner. Holistic medicine is a form of healing that considers the whole body, mind, sprit and emotions to achieve optimal health, and not a hand full of vitamins.

Newly diagnosed men are using the term “holistic” as an excuse to do nothing but run to the nearest health food store or market and purchase bottles of supplements or a bag of apples and oranges as a cure all for cancer. The fruits, vegetables and vitamins that they are now purchasing and consuming

None of my cancer survivors have a medical lab set-up in their home, so what are they basing their data, scientific knowledge and facts on? This is yet another form of doing nothing as they continuously ignore the warning signs. Doing nothing is not just an excuse, it is a death sentence. I watched cancer survivors die because of their confused attitudes and thinking. You cannot outthink this disease. This “doing nothing” mentality means that you are relying on your own limited knowledge. This thinking can be deadly. If you have been diagnosed with cancer, follow the advice of your doctor and join a good support group that offers the emotional support and love to help with the fears that come along with a cancer diagnosis. Let’s turn doing nothing into doing something this 2016 September National Prostate Awareness Month. Mellve Shahid Sr. is founder/ president of The Empowerment Network Inc.

Guest Columnist

Mellve Shahid Sr.

Business

SEPTEMBER 22 – 28, 2016

From Tossin’ Ted to financial empowerment

Ted Thornton at 1st Financial helps move people from payday lender to credit union

By

Hip-hop artists are notoriously focused on their “paper” – on their finances – so it’s fitting that Ted Thornton landed his job as a financial empowerment specialist for 1st Financial Federal Credit Union through a friend in the St. Louis hip-hop scene. Thornton, 53, became friends with Alice Prince when she was a hip-hop promoter and he was a radio DJ, working under the handle “Tossin’ Ted.” But when she tossed him a tip for a completely new gig last summer, she was Young Adult Workforce Division manager for St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE), the City of St. Louis’ job training agency.

n “I tell them, ‘I can save you money.’ I tell them, ‘The payday lenders are there to rob you with their interest rates.’”

– Ted Thornton

By then, in August 2015, Thornton had left radio after years on the grind for 100.3 The Beat and Magic 108. He did not like where the industry was heading, in terms of treating its on-air talent, and wanted to make more of a positive impact than spinning the hits of the day. He was teaching TV and radio at Roosevelt High

School in the St. Louis Public School District when Prince told him about the new position at 1st Financial, a federal credit union based in St. Louis that started as an employee credit union at McDonnell Douglas, founded by the International Association of Machinists (District 837).

The new position appealed to him, he said, because the hours were more flexible than teaching high school (he and his wife, Elese Thornton, have a teenager and two young children) and because he had “the opportunity to help more youth from the area, not just the kids at one high school.”

At 1st Financial, he helps youth (and others) with their paper – their money. His core

See THORNTON, B2

Commission kicks payday lenders off utility pay stations

State recognizes annual percentage rate of 36 percent as predatory threshold

By Cara Spencer

For The St. Louis American

The Missouri Public Service Commission’s new rule on payday lenders at utility pay stations went into effect this month. This is a huge step in protecting utility consumers from predatory payment options. Starting this month, utility companies will no longer be able to contract with payday lenders to be official pay stations for electric, natural gas, water and sewer bills. Consumer advocates, including the Consumers Council of Missouri, have been advocating for this rule for almost a decade. Regulated utilities are allowed to function as monopolies, providing essential services to the public. Allowing utility payments at predatory lending locations presents several problems. Utility payment options can be an effective marketing tool to get people in the door. It encourages and facilitates the use of highinterest-rate loans to pay for essential services.

People

Carl Davis was awarded the National Let’s Move! Active Schools Award, in conjunction with the Ferguson-Florissant School District, Bermuda Elementary School and Central Elementary School. He is a health, physical education teacher in the Ferguson-Florissant School District. The award recognizes schools that demonstrate great assessments and execute their action plans to benefit children through First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Active Schools Program.

Angela J. Brown was named vice president of Marketing for Live Nation Midwest. She was promoted from Marketing manager to this newly created position. Her expanded role will include developing special market and venue promotions, enhancing existing marketing partnerships and taking a larger role in managing marketing campaigns. Live Nation is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, Live Nation Media & Sponsorship and Artist Nation Management.

Dr. Darryl Pendleton was being inducted into the SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame as a remarkable graduate of Southern Illinois University. He is the associate dean for student affairs and diversity affairs at University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry and clinical associate professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry. He also directs the college’s Urban Health Program. He earned his DMD from the SIU School of Dental Medicine in 1986.

Yvonne Osei joined the Saint Louis Art Museum as the 2016-17 Romare Bearden Graduate Minority Fellow. The fellowship aims to build a pool of talented young minority professionals to work in art-related fields in museums, galleries, non-profit organizations and universities. She recently completed a master of fine arts degree in visual arts at Washington University in St. Louis.

Michael Harper II published a novel, “Hangman: A Journey to Redemption.” A St. Louis native, his book appears to be just a religious book about an angel who gets in trouble with God, but it is conceptually more than just your “average Sunday read,” with intriguing characters, fascinating concepts and intricately woven plot twists. It is available through online book retailers.

Cara Spencer area to get banks and credit unions to become pay stations, and we have added several new locations since last year and hope to have more coming across the state online soon.

Having a logo on the door for a utility that provides a necessary service lends legitimacy to a predatory business. This is the first instance in Missouri that specifically points to lending entities which offer loans at an effective annual percentage rate (APR) of 36 percent. Advocates across the country have agreed that 36 percent APR is the threshold over which lending becomes predatory. Missouri law allows for up to an effective 1950 percent APR by allowing 75 percent interest on a two-week loan, the highest rate cap in the country. Acknowledgement of the 36 percent threshold for the first time is a big step forward in much-needed consumer protection in the lending industry in our state.

The Consumers Council of Missouri has worked with advocacy groups in the St. Louis

The Missouri Public Service Commission, in this rule, is taking a preventative and proactive action. This is a huge win for consumer advocate groups, but this is not the end. Missouri has the highest cap in the country on payday loans and has more payday lending stores than McDonalds, Starbucks and Wal-Mart stores combined.

As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau considers federal rules regarding payday lending, we need to ask U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay to sign on to the long list of U.S. representatives supporting strong rules. And please consider supporting the Consumers Council of Missouri in our continued efforts to protect consumers from predatory loans. To join us, email cara@ moconsumers.org.

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

Deidre Griffith was named a 2016 Terrance Keenan Institute for Emerging Leaders in Health Philanthropy fellow. The purpose of the fellowship is to nurture talented practitioners who have shown the potential to be among the next generation of leaders in the field of health philanthropy. She is program director for the Missouri Foundation for Health’s Healthy Schools Healthy Communities initiative.

On the move? Congratulations! Send your good professional news and a color headshot to cking@stlamerican. com

Carl Davis

Dr. Darryl Pendleton

Yvonne Osei

Michael Harper II

Angela J. Brown

Deidre Griffith

Chris King Of The St. Louis American

Photo by Wiley Price

Ted Thornton goes over financial planning with Furnish Morgan at 1st Financial Federal Credit Union, 1407 Washington Ave.

By Nathaniel Sillin

Are you stressed about managing your money?

Fintech is changing money management for the better

Most of us are at one time or another. Whether you’re trying to track your spending or invest spare change, fintech (financial technology) is here to ease your money worries. That’s the promise of the entrepreneurs and engineers working in one of Silicon Valley’s fastest growing industries.

Five Ways Fintech Can Help Here are just a few examples of how fintech services could help you with your personal finances.

• Budgeting easily and efficiently. There are budgeting apps that sync with your financial accounts to let you track your spending and savings in real time. You can even track spending in different categories, receive notifications when you exceed your budget and analyze the data to see where you spend most of your paycheck.

• Saving money automatically. Apps can make it easy to grow your savings. Some services use algorithms to calculate how much you can afford to save, and then automatically transfer the money to your savings account.

Apps can make it easy to grow your savings. Some services use algorithms to calculate how much you can afford to save, and then automatically transfer the money to your savings account.

meaning someone can’t log in with your password alone.

• Use biometric authentication. Some banks offer biometric authentication that you can use to access your account from your phone. Rather than type in a password, the phone’s camera or microphone can verify your identity with your fingerprint, eye, face or voice.

• Enable location-based alerts. Geolocation tracking can add an extra layer of security to your account. With your permission, banks can use GPS data from your smartphone to help verify that you’re with your card when it’s used for a purchase.

• Use several accounts. Keeping your assets in several accounts can help limit your risk. Even if one account is attacked, you’ll have access to your other money while the financial institution looks into the matter and makes you whole.

• Investing with minimal effort. Technology has made investing straightforward and inexpensive. Robo advisors are computerized investment management services that offer low fees, a simple setup and customized investment strategies. Using a robo advisor, you can let a computer create and manage your investment portfolio with just a few clicks.

to checking accounts let you send and receive money instantaneously.

• Getting paid back quickly. Say goodbye to postmeal negotiation as you and your friends try to split the check. Mobile apps linked

• Comparing loan offers. There are online services that allow you to enter your information once and receive loan offers from competing lenders. The shopping tools let you compare interest rates and terms, which could save you money over the lifetime of the loan. You might also be

benefiting from fintech developments without realizing it. For example, new technology could be powering your bank’s online chat service or suspicious activity alerts.

Keeping Your Finances and Information Secure

Even if a new app or service seems reputable, it’s important to take steps to safeguard your finances and personal information.

THORNTON

continued from page B1

responsibility is to help youth getting paid through jobs via SLATE to open accounts at 1st Financial (in almost all cases, it’s their first bank account) and to explain the basics of personal finance to them. For most of the youth, this is their

• Always research an app or service. Search the name of the app or company and look for reviews. Positive reviews by major media outlets are usually a good sign that the service is considered reliable.

• Improve your password security. Password protection is an important aspect of online security. Don’t use the same password for two accounts, financial or other, and try to use two-factor authentication,

first experience managing money that does not involve a shoe box or a corner payday lender. “These kids have been exposed to the more negative part of finance, to predatory lenders, and they don’t know the opposite side,” Thornton said. “Some of them have never set foot in a bank.”

A 2009 report by the Federal Deposit Insurance

Bottom Line: Fintech is changing the way people save, spend, borrow and manage their money. Though there are important security risks to consider, these new innovative and intuitive services offer something for everyone.

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

Corporation (FDIC) showed that St. Louis had the largest racial disparity in the nation, comparing numbers of unbanked households, with more than 31 percent of black households unbanked. That sparked the creation of the St. Louis Regional Unbanked Task Force, of which 1st Financial is a member. Through the task force’s efforts, including 1st Financial’s partnership with SLATE, the percentage of unbanked households in St. Louis dropped to 29 percent in 2011 and to 13.3 percent in 2013.

Thornton’s selling point to his students is simple.

“I tell them, ‘I can save you money,’” Thornton said. “I tell them, ‘The payday lenders are there to rob you with their interest rates. They might charge you 400 percent. At a bank, you’re looking at more like 8.99 percent.’” He also tells them that if they keep their money in a shoebox and someone steals it, the money is gone, whereas bank deposits are federally insured. Though teaching young people to move their money away from the shoebox and payday lender and into more credible financial institutions is Thornton’s main mission, as an employee of 1st Financial Federal Credit Union, he also advocates credit unions over banks. He explains that there is now a nationwide network of credit unions, making them more accessible than one expects from a credit union. That network extends to 30,000 surcharge-free ATMS and 3,000 branches.

Those who miss Tossin’ Ted should know that Thornton may have turned his back on commercial radio, but not on playing DJ. He continues to spin at clubs and parties. “DJ’ing is till my passion,” he said. I love music – all genres.”

For more information about 1st Financial, visit www.1stfinancialfcu. org or email Thornton at tedthornton@ FirstFinancialFCU.org. For more information on Tossin’ Ted’s DJ services, email tossinted@gmail.com.

n “We believe in trying to prevent crime, rather than solve crime.”

– Rene Hiemstra, on plans to use GPS and fingerprinting to keep banned fans from entering Dutch football matches

PreP Football Notebook

Off to a strong start

Miller Career Academy has won four straight

Miller Career Academy is off to another strong start this season. After suffering an opening-season loss to powerful CBC, the Phoenix have reeled off four consecutive victories and they look like one of the teams to beat in the Public High League.

The Phoenix are led by senior running back Kerel Barnett, who has rushed for 507 yards and eight touchdowns. Barnett rushed for 191 yards and scored four touchdowns in Career Academy’s 42-14 victory over Soldan last week.

Fellow running back Jacquis Avant has rushed for 296 yards and four touchdowns while quarterback Brandon Harris has thrown for five touchdowns.

The defense is led by linebacker Darrius Collins, who has a total of 61 tackles with three sacks and three interceptions.

Play of the half-year

The McCluer Comets may have pulled off the play of the year at the halfway mark of the season in last week’s 19-14 victory at Riverview Gardens. Trailing 14-12 with seven seconds remaining and with no time outs left, the Comets pulled off the hook-and-ladder play to score the winning touchdown with no time remaining.

Quarterback Jordan Moore threw a pass to receiver Anthony Harris, who in turn lateralled the ball back to teammate Seamus Branham as raced into the end zone as time expired, touching off a wild celebration. McCluer, which improved its record to 3-2 will visit Hazelwood Central on Saturday.

Earl’s Pick Games of the Week

There are a couple of small school games to watch this weekend.

On Saturday, MICDS will visit John Burroughs in a battle of old-time rivals. Kick-off is at 2 p.m. In this traditional rivalry, both schools celebrate their homecoming the weekend of this game, regardless of who is hosting. Burroughs has dominated the rivalry in recent years, but

After an impressive KO victory over a game, but overmatched Liam Smith for the WBO light heavyweight title, Canelo Alvarez proved that he has taken the boxing baton from Floyd Mayweather Jr. No, I’m not suggesting that Alvarez has ascended to the pound-for-pound throne. Nor am I insinuating that Alvarez has reached Mayweather’s level from a technical perspective. However, it’s clear after drawing more than 50k fans to the AT&T stadium in Dallas to watch him fight ‘that guy from Britain’ that Alvarez has now become boxing’s most bankable star. He’s also become the sport’s latest frustrating businessman. Smith entered the ring as a 12-1 underdog. His biggest victory leading to the Alvarez fight was against Predrag Radosevic. Who, you ask? Exactly. Still, Alvarez aban-

H. Sistrunk

doned his self-made 155-pound division and actually made the welterweight limit (154 pounds) in order to add Smith’s WBO strap to his trophy case. Meanwhile, fans continue to clamor for a middleweight showdown between Alvarez and “Triple G” Gennady Golovkin Alvarez and his promoter Oscar De La Hoya have been ducking and dodging Golovkin in the name of business. In May, Alvarez vacated his WBC middleweight title in order to avoid a mandatory fight against the hard-hitting Golovkin. Since Alvarez is the bigger star, the leverage of being the A-side was more important than the honor of defending the title against the best opponent available. Sound familiar? Instead of giving fans the fight they want to see, Alvarez has taken two easy fights in a row against Smith and the

Adam Jones tells the truth; La Russa in hypocritical la-la land

~ See ‘Sports Eye’

With Earl Austin Jr.

Earl Austin Jr.

n Canelo Alvarez and his promoter Oscar De La Hoya have been ducking and dodging Gennady Golovkin in the name of business.

After taking his only career loss at the hands of Floyd Mayweather Jr., Canelo Alvarez also took Mayweather’s strategy minimizing risk and maximizing reward in terms of opponent selection.

Chaminade’s Andre Whitley (10) breaks away from Vianney’s Devin Ward (33) and Jack Sullivan (15) during Saturday’s game at Vianney. Whitley ran for 107 yards and the Red Devils went on to defeat the Golden Griffins of Vianney 47-32.

Photo by Wiley Price

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

Adam Jones tells the truth; La Russa in hypocritical la-la land

All-Star centerfielder Adam Jones of the Baltimore Orioles is a rarity in America.

He is a black star in Major League Baseball. They are few and far-between in a game in which African Americans comprise just 8 percent of the player population.

Last week Jones, unsurprisingly to most black fans, called the National Pastime a “white man’s sport.”

“We already have two strikes against us already, so you might as well not kick yourself out of the game. In football, you can’t kick them out. You need those players. In baseball, they don’t need us,” he said. “Baseball is a white man’s sport.’’ Jones was explaining to USA TODAY why you most likely won’t see any type of protest against the national anthem by black baseball players.

“You’re not going to be out there representing our team and our organization by disrespecting the flag. No, sir, I would not allow it. … If you want to make your statement, you make it in the clubhouse, but not out there. You’re not going to show it that way publicly and disrespectfully.”

What’s more disrespectful to Major League Baseball, Tony? Managing a steroidfueled baseball team in Oakland for several years and winning a World Series with a roster full of cheaters?

Isn’t it disrespectful to your team and the game to drunkenly fall asleep at a Jupiter, Florida, stoplight and be charged with driving under the influence?

The NBA’s player population is 74 percent black, and that number is 68 percent in the NFL. For all the reactionary and downright racist responses to Colin Kaepernick and other players that are kneeling during the Star Spangled Banner, the NFL can’t afford to force them to stop.

I wouldn’t be a kneeler until Commissioner Roger Goodell or a member of my team’s front office threatened to take action against me if I did protest. Then I might stretch out on the 50-yard line.

La Russa’s ridiculous stance is fueled by the fact that there are only 69 black players in the National and American Leagues combined, less than one in 12. He only has one black player on the Diamondbacks 25-man roster, Rickie Weeks

n “Baseball is a white man’s sport.’’

He also knows that white men dominate front offices and owner suites. If a black man or woman owned the team that he worked for, he would be hesitant to run his mouth on a subject which he obviously knows little about.

– Adam Jones of the Baltimore Orioles

La Russa also said Jones was wrong in calling the sport “a white man’s game,” because MLB is working to create more interest in baseball in the black community and among young African-American athletes.

Tony La Russa, who has done a marvelous job of wrecking the Arizona Diamondbacks franchise as its chief baseball officer, said last week he would not allow any player to publicly protest during the national anthem.

“I would tell [a player protesting the anthem to] sit inside the clubhouse,” La Russa told The Dan Le Batard Show

“We have tried so hard, MLB, to expand the black athletes’ opportunity,” La Russa said. “We want the black athletes to pick, not basketball or football, but want them to play baseball – they should play baseball. And we’re working to make that happen in the inner cities.”

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports challenged La Russa by writing this week that MLB is

“left with a truth that AfricanAmerican ballplayers for years have said among themselves and Jones elucidated publicly: Baseball, in America, is a white, elitist sport.

“Look at the crowds in stadiums,” Passan wrote. “Look at the demographics of TV viewers. Look at youth tournaments. Whites overwhelmingly populate every corner of American baseball. And when Jones says he feels like there are two strikes against him, well, he understands men like Tony La Russa are waiting to turn a protest into a referendum.”

The word is that La Russa’s job is on the line in Arizona. There will be plenty of white guys left in the game if he’s fired, but let’s hope there is one less and he gets shown the door.

The price of pain

South Carolina State visited Clemson on September 17 for a badly-need $300,000 check and a severe butt whipping.

The score was 45-0 at halftime and the referees asked Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and SC State coach Buddy

comprise just 8 percent of the

Pough if they wanted to shorten the second and third quarters by three minutes. They agreed, and Clemson went on to win 59-0.

Pough said before the contest, “They’ve got the ability to really come out and knock us crazy if they really decide to be that way. We want them to just kind of come out and just kind of go through the motions and get out of there, which would probably be the best-case scenario for us.”

If you were a player, why would you even want to suit up? You aren’t getting

paid, the school is. The school isn’t about to be battered and bruised, you are.

HBCU athletic departments are facing tough financial times – but subjecting respective football teams to this type of game is cruel and unusual punishment in the pursuit of money.

Cardinals will beat Cubs

The St. Louis Cardinals will host and win the National League Wild Card playoff game against the New York Mets. The Cardinals will beat the heavily favored Chicago Cubs in a NL Division Series matchup. The Cardinals will lose to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series. You heard it here first.

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

Adam Jones, an African-American in Major League Baseball, is one of a few that

African-American player population.

this year a surprising MICDS team enters the contest with a 3-0 record in the Metro League, which is good for first place. John Burroughs is coming off a 34-14 loss to Lutheran North, who lost to MICDS two weeks ago. It should be a spirited contest. Also, Lutheran St. Charles will pay a visit to Trinity in a big Archdiocesan Athletic Association showdown. Trinity has been dominant in winning its first five games by large margins. Lutheran comes into Friday night’s game with a 4-1 record. The teams split their two meetings last season. Trinity won the regular season contest 33-27 while Lutheran came back to defeat Trinity 28-27 in the district playoffs. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Standout performances

Kirkwood defensive end Tahj Telfair had nine tackles, a quarterback sack and returned a fumble recovery 15 yards for a touchdown in the Pioneers’ 13-0 victory over Parkway North. Chaminade’s Reginald Crawford had six receptions for 131 yards and touchdown in the Red Devils’ 47-32 victory at Vianney. Teammate Andre Whitley scored four touchdowns, including a 93-yard punt return. Lutheran South’s Cody Schrader rushed for 286 yards on 40 carries and three touchdowns in the Lancers’ 24-17 victory over Westminster.

Top Games of the Week

Ritenour at Parkway North, Friday, 7 p.m.

Soldan at Gateway STEM, Friday, 7 p.m.

SLUH at CBC, Friday, 7 p.m.

Lutheran North at Lutheran South, Friday, 7 p.m.

Summit at Pattonville, Friday, 7 p.m.

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

Parkway West at Ladue, Saturday, 1 p.m.

from The eAST Side

With Maurice Scott

Underrated on the East Side

Cahokia QB Wayne Grant Jr. is one to watch

Cahokia High School quarterback Wayne Grant Jr. is one of the most underrated players in the Metro East.

The 5’11” 160-pound senior has the speed, agility, and a rocket-throwing arm that reminds some of former Florida State All-American signal-caller Charlie Ward.

With Grant leading the way, the Comanches are currently 2-2, after starting the year 2-0 for the first time since 2009 under first-year head coach John Clay.

After consecutive losses to Illinois powerhouse Geneseo (35-22) and to Marion last week (23-20), the senior signal-caller must continue to play well if Cahokia plans on making the playoffs in late October.

We feel that, as a team, the meat of our schedule is still there. If we execute what our coaches are preparing us with each week, we will be fine”.

Through four games,

Grant has looked at times like a Michael Vick mixtape, bobbing and weaving through opposing defenses with his pinpoint throwing, and running skills.

n Grant has looked at times like a Michael Vick mix-tape, bobbing and weaving through opposing defenses with his pinpoint throwing, and running skills.

“Right now, we just want to continue to get better day-by-day in practice,” Grant said. “We are a young team at certain positions, and our coaches are doing a great job preparing us for our opponents each and every week.

connect with on Friday nights.

Some have led the Comanches to multiple state titles in track and field. Elijah Rice had four catches for 116 yards and three touchdowns against Sumner. George Smith is a fast receiver. Grant’s main target, Demarion Hinkle, has 24 catches for 488 yards and six touchdowns.

In addition, he has put up some impressive numbers, passing for 1,082 yards and 16 touchdowns. He has also rushed for one score.

Grant led the Comanches on a final last-minute drive in a victory over perennial playoff contender Highland in the season opener. The following week against St. Louis Sumner, he lit-up the Bulldog defense with 11 of 15 passing for 264 yards and six touchdowns.

Grant has some young but athletic receivers he looks to

CLUTCH

Continued from B3

be against bums. However, when a boxer is only in the ring twice per year, three or four consecutive easy fights means two years of yawning for fight fans.

De La Hoya and Alvarez have stated that a matchup against Golovkin is in the cards, but all signs point to late-2017 at the earliest.

Canelo’s broken thumb and what’s likely to be a contentious negotiation process could push it back further. The whole plan seems to be very Mayweather-esque in that Golden Boy seems content to bore boxing fans out of their minds until they are willing to mortgage the house for a good fight just to stop the torture. That’s essentially what happened with the whole Mayweather vs Pacquiao saga. We’re all witnessing it once again.

Mayweather staying retired

Speaking of Mayweather, the ‘Money’ man has announced that he will stay retired. Mayweather had been flirting with the idea of a match against UFC superstar Conor McGregor. McGregor has been calling out Mayweather for months, suggesting he could defeat the former five-division champion in a boxing match. The brash claims prompted Mayweather to initiate discussions with Showtime executives on the plausibility of making the fight hap-

pen. Between Mayweather’s standing $100-million dollar demands to step into the ring, McGregor’s UFC contract and the unlikelihood that fight fans would shell out money big-money for a circus fight, it was always unlikely that the matchup would ever happen. It shows that even in retirement, it’s hard for Mayweather to pass up an easy win.

Kaepernews not disappearing anytime soon

After yet another unarmed black man was shot by police, the story of Colin Kaepernick’s ongoing protest of the national anthem is not going away anytime soon. This time, it was Terence Crutcher being

gunned down, with his hands up, in the middle of the street by police officers in Tulsa, Ok. With every new death of black Americans at the hands of police officers, the message behind Kaepernick’s protest is validated and pushed back into the forefront of the news.

Of course, the All Lives/ Blue Lives Matter crew continues to be bitter and blinded by anything Kaepernick-related. When ESPN analyst Ryan Clark went on Mike & Mike wearing a Kaepernick jersey, the Twitter trolls went into a hissy fit. Enraged sports fans called for Clark’s job, called him names, told him to “move on” and suggested that he just focus on sports. Nevermind the fact that they were criticizing him for wearing a sports jersey

“Demarion, Elijah, George and I have a bond together because of the success we have obtained in track and field.” said Grant. “We support our teammates, and look to each other to be leaders both on and off the field.”

Through four games, Clay feels that his Comanches have the makings of being a very good football team.

“We have been hit by the injury bug at the running back position, and have had to ask some guys to step up and play a bigger role for us,” Clay said. “A dropped pass here, a missed assignment there, we could easily be 4-0.”

Cahokia will look to rebound the next two weeks when they host the Carbondale Terriers tomorrow night and a September

on a sports-related TV show. The hypocrisy was almost as stomach-turning as what happened to Elijah Scott. Scott, a 16-year-old Kroger employee, was sent home from work for wearing a Kaepernick jersey on “NFL Gear” day. Kroger employees are encouraged to wear NFL attire to work on Sundays, but Scott was told to leave and change after a customer complained about his “disrespectful” jersey. According to TMZ, the supermarket chain has apologized toe Elijah and promised to pay for the time missed, as if $16 bucks can make up for discrim-

ination and humiliation in the workplace.

Kaepernick-haters better get used to the new face of black American protest. Blaine Gabbert struggled mightily against the Carolina Panthers in the 49ers 46-27 Week 2 loss. Gabbert was solid against the Rams in Week 1 (partially due to the Rams’ punt-fest) but threw for two interceptions and completed just 47% of his passes against the Panthers. After two games, Gabbert’s 5.8 yards per attempt are next-to-last among NFL starters. The only QB with a worse YPA is the Rams’ Case Keenum at 5.7.

30th date with one of the states Cadillac teams in the Centralia Orphans for homecoming.

Scott’s notes

The top-ranked team in class 7A, the East St. Louis Flyers, will start to get into the meat of their schedule in a down year for the Southwestern conference when they play host to the Belleville West Maroons tomorrow night, then go on the road next Friday in the conference showdown against the Edwardsville Tigers and AllAmerican A.J. Espenesa.

Southwestern Conference teams have a combined record so far this season of 14-18, with East St. Louis and Edwardsville combining for 8 of the total 14 wins among conference foes. In addition, the street patrol in East St. Louis will be looking for victories from Flyers’ head coach Darren “Quarterfinals” Sunkett the next two weeks. The Flyers have lost to the Maroons the last two seasons, and haven’t beaten Edwardsville since September 7, 2012 (14-7) before losing to the Tigers that same year, 21-18, in the opening round of the IHSA play-offs.

The Rams have yet to score a touchdown in two games. Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News believes it’s only a matter of time before Kaepernick wrangles the starting job away from Gabbert. Considering Chip Kelly’s penchant for shuffling QBs, I agree that it’s only a matter of time before Kap is back under center. Whenever it happens, expect to see the heads of self-anointed patriots to explode from sea to shining sea across America.

Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch @IshmaelSistrunk

The ST. LouiS AmericAn PreP AThLeTeS of The Week

Donovan Marshall

Lutheran North – Football

The senior running back enjoyed a career day in leading the Crusaders to a big victory over Metro League foe John Burroughs last Saturday. Marshall rushed for 242 yards on 46 carries and scored three touchdowns to lead Lutheran North to a 34-14 victory over the Bombers. The 242 yards is a new school record for Marshall, who scored on runs of 1, 18 and 12 yards. For the season, Marshall has rushed for 738 yards on 139 carries and has scored six touchdowns. He is averaging more than five yards per carry. Lutheran North (4-1) will visit rival Lutheran South on Friday at 7 p.m.

Rajae Johnson

Jennings – Football

The senior running back enjoyed a huge day in leading the Warriors to a 56-8 victory over Affton last weekend. The 6’3” 200-pound Johnson rushed for 221 yards on 26 carries and scored five touchdowns. Johnson scored on runs of 4,2,19, 6 and 4 yards. For the season, Johnson has rushed for 775 yards on 108 carries with 11 touchdowns. He is averaging more than seven yards a carry. Jennings (3-2) will visit Warrenton on Friday night.

Maurice Scott

ESPN’s football analyst Ryan Clark threw the “All Lives Matters” crowd into a tizzy by wearing a Colin Kaepernick jersey on the set of Mike & Mike.

Aviation Electronics Technician Airman Elyssia Wright, from St. Louis, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 21, tightens screws on an SH-60S Sea Hawk in the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) hangar bay. Makin Island, the flagship of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, is conducting integrated training with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit off the coast of Southern California, in preparation for a scheduled deployment.

Business Brief

United Way sets $75M campaign goal

United Way of Greater St. Louis has set its 2016 community campaign goal at $75 million. The campaign co-chairs are Steve Lipstein, president and CEO of BJC Healthcare, and Gene Diederich, partner of Moneta Group. Last year, more than 140,000 individuals and businesses

donated to United Way to collectively raise a record $74.3 million for people in a 16-county region throughout Missouri and Illinois. Individuals interested in donating may pledge online at HelpingPeople.org.

By Kenya Vaughn

bright blue leotard, worn during her first year of competition, is on display. A year ago, a collection like this was

of classic Western

By Kenya Vaughn Of The

n The villain is wickedly bad, and Denzel’s Sam Chisolm has just enough anti-hero in him to stoop to his level for the greater good of community.

St. Louis American Industry and fan buzz began in early summer when the promotional images of Denzel Washington – with a holster and a handlebar mustache – made their rounds with him as the centerpiece of a band of misfits for a 2016 retake on the classic 1960 Western “The Magnificent Seven.” The film, which opens in theatres nationwide on Friday, September 23, reunites Washington with director Antoine Fuqua. The first pairing of the actor/director duo resulted in Washington’s 2001 Best Actor Academy Award for “Training Day.” They last paired for 2014’s “The Equalizer,” a film adaptation of the 1980s television show. Though adding Washington as the film’s anchor may draw a new audience to this update of a familiar film, unfortunately – and unlike “The Equalizer” – “The Magnificent Seven” is hurting for compelling content. Fuqua’s version of “The Magnificent Seven” stays true to the original Gold Rush era of John Sturge’s 1960 film, which itself is

Bill T. Jones will receive the 2016 International Humanities Medal on Thursday, September 29 at the Edison Theatre, and Dance St. Louis will present his piece “Analogy/Dora: Tramontane” September 30-October 1 at the Touhill.

Photos by Jason Flakes

By Tavia Gilchrist For The St. Louis American

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

Sat., Sept. 24, 8 p.m. doors, Mo Investment presents Joe and Vivian Green, The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry Rd. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sat., Sept. 24, 8 p.m. (7 p.m. doors) Pops welcomes Method Man and Redman. For more information, visit www.popsrocks.com.

Sat., Oct. 1, 8 p.m., 88.7 The Sound presents the Jason Marsalis Vibe Quartet. The youngest of the New Orleans’ Marsalis jazz dynasty, percussionist Jason Marsalis returns as leader of his Vibes Quartet, backed by bassist Will Goble, pianist Austin Johnson and drummer David Potter. The Sheldon Concert Hall, Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 533-9900 or visit www. thesheldon.org.

Tues., Oct. 4, 8 p.m. (7 p.m. doors), Café Soul welcomes Andra Day and Corrine Bailey Rae, The Pageant, 6161 Delmar. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com.

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.

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

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.

local gigs

Thur., Sept. 22, 7:30 p.m., The Music of Marvin Gaye feat. Brian Owens and the Deacons of Soul Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sun., Sept. 25, 6 p.m., Hang 10 Productions presents Sax in the City 2. Performances by Angelo Sax Shaw, Brandon Henry, Rhoda G, and more. Emerson Theatre, Harris Stowe, 3026 Laclede Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 359-8299 or (618) 530-6357.

Sun., Sept. 25, 7:30 p.m., Off Broadway St. Louis presents Adia Victoria. 3509 Lemp Ave., 63118. For more information, call (314) 498-6989 or visit www. offbroadwaystl.com.

Tues., Sept. 27, 6 p.m., Missouri History Museum presents Twilight Tuesdays: Queens Blvd. 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112.

Tues., Oct. 4, 6 p.m., Missouri History Museum presents Twilight Tuesdays: Fabulous Motown Review 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112.

special events

Fri., Sept. 23, 6:30 p.m., Inspire Fashion Show. A charity reception and runway show benefitting the United Way of Greater St. Louis. The designer and retailer list for this year includes: Arch

The Guide

Pops welcomes Method Man and Redman. See CONCERTS for additional details.

Featured Event

Sat., Oct. 1, 5 p.m., The St. Louis American Foundation presents the 29th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala America’s Center, 701 Convention Plaza, 63101. For more information, call (314) 533-8000 or visit www. stlamerican.com.

Apparel, Bachrach, Barbara Bultman, Otis & Maclain. VOW, Shukuru 2, HATS by DI-Anne, Camille la Vie, Soft Surroundings, Shermonda Green and Elizabeth Randolph. Discovery Ballroom, Ameristar Casino, 1 Ameristar Blvd., 63301. For more information, call (314) 6943343 or visit www.eventbrite. com.

Sept. 23 – 24, Greater St. Louis Hispanic Festival. The annual event will feature Hispanic Folkloric dancers, over 70 booths and the Los Ninos Kids Corner with piñatas and traditional Hispanic games. New this year is the Community Interactive Art – Day of the Dead Sugar Skull Project. Soulard Park, 7th and Lafayette Ave., 63104. For more information, call (314) 837-6100 or visit www. hispanicfestivalstl.com.

Sept. 23 – 25, Chaifetz Arena presents Disney on

Ice: Worlds of Enchantment 1 S. Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, call (314) 977-5000 or visit www. chaifetzarena.com.

Tues., Sept. 27, 11 a.m., National Career Fair. Free live hiring event. Career seekers should dress professionally and bring multiple copies of their resumes. You are encouraged to pre-register. Meet face to face with representatives from Macy’s, ITT Technical Institute, Sprint, Sears, AT&T, and more. For more information or to register, visit www.nationalcareerfairs.com.

Sept. 30 – Oct. 1, Dance St. Louis presents Bill T. Jones/ Arnie Zane Company Based on an oral history Bill T. Jones conducted with 95-year old Dora Amelan, a French Jewish nurse, social worker and survivor of World War II, Analogy/ Dora: Tramontane chronicles

63101. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

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, 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.

her harrowing, touching and inspirational story from early family life through her encounters with the internment camps while working for a Jewish underground organization. Mimicking the interview format between Jones and Dora, the story unfolds in multiple levels of transformation with the threads of Dora’s narrative paralleling the choreography. Touhill Performing Arts Center, UMSL, One University Blvd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 516-4949 or visit www.touhill.org.

Sat., Oct. 1, 2 p.m., Grove Community Improvement District presents Grove Fest 2016. This family friendly event will feature a kid’s zone, street performers, live music, and amazing food and drinks from local Grove businesses. There will be no shortage of crafts, fashion, and art for purchase from local artist and vendors. Manchester Ave between Tower Grove and Sarah, 63110. For more information, call (314) 5355311.

Sat., Oct. 1, 5 p.m., The St. Louis American Foundation presents the 29th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala. America’s Center, 701 Convention Plaza, 63101. For more information, call (314) 533-8000 or visit www.stlamerican.com.

Sun., Oct. 2, 10 a.m., The St. Louis Natural Hair & Black Cultural Expo. Come out for educational seminars, natural hair showcasing, fashion showcasing, over 40 vendors, and much more. Holiday Inn Downtown, 811 North 9th St.,

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. 755 S. Price Rd., 63124. For more information, call (314) 7862785 or visit www.STLWFD. org.

literary

Tues., Sept. 27, 6:30 p.m., Subterranean Books hosts author Sheryl Simmons, author of A Message From Mama: For the Caregiver’s of Alzheimer’s Victims. Within the throngs of Alzheimer’s disease, there are ups and downs and brief moments of clarity. One is almost hopeful that the old you has returned for good, then, just as quickly – a reality check. I miss you mama, even though you are here with me. 6275 Delmar Blvd., 63130. For more information, call (314) 8626100 or visit www.subbooks. com.

Tues., Sept. 27, 7 p.m., St. Louis County Library hosts author, Garth Risk Hallberg, author of City on Fire. New York 1976: a detective investigates a shooting in Central Park. The mystery, as it reverberates through families, friendships, and the corridors of power, will open up even the loneliest corners of the crowded city. And when the blackout of July 13, 1977 plunges this world into darkness, lives will be changed forever. An unforgettable novel about love and betrayal and forgiveness. 1640 S. Llindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, call (314) 994-3300 or visit www.slcl. org.

Tues., Sept. 27, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Sarah Jaffe, author of Necessary Trouble. In her

book, journalist Sarah Jaffe leads readers into the heart of these movements, explaining what has made ordinary Americans from Seattle to St. Louis to Atlanta become activists. 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-6731 or visit www.left-bank.com.

Wed., Sept. 28, 7 p.m., Kimberly J. Norwood signs and discusses Ferguson’s Fault Lines. This timely book addresses the deeply rooted perception of inequality and injustices experienced in Ferguson, with a keen focus on the legal and social reverberations following the death of Michael Brown. University United Methodist Church, 6901 Washington Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 8626100 or visit www.subbooks. com.

Thur., Sept. 29, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Christopher Hebert, author of Angels of Detroit A kaleidoscopic of an iconic American City, of abandonment, hope, violence, and resilience—and the lives intersecting on Detroit’s margins.

comedy

Sept. 23 – Sept. 25, Aug. 13, Helium Comedy Club

St. Louis welcomes Adele Givens, Helium Comedy Club, 151 St. Louis Galleria St., St. Louis, MO 63117. For more information, call (314) 727-1260 or visit http:// st-louis.heliumcomedy.com

Sat., Oct. 1, 8 p.m., Peabody Opera House presents Wanda Sykes. 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 499-7600 or visit www.peabodyoperahouse.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.

art

Oct. 1 – 2, The Shaw Neighborhood Improvement Association presents the Historic Shaw Art Fair Featuring 135 artists, food, music, art demonstrations and kids activities, and most importantly – great art. Flora Place & Tower Grove Ave., 63101. For more information, call (314) 771-3101 or visit www.shawartfair.org.

Through October 8, The Griot Museum of Black History presents Wandering Spirits: African Wax Prints. The exhibit is a vibrant visual exploration of the historical journey across Asia, through Europe, and into Africa where, ingrained in African culture and society, they reflect the stories, dreams and personalities of the people who love and identify them as their own. 2505 St. Louis Ave., 63106. For more information, call (314) 241-7057 or visit www.thegriotmuseum.org.

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 Sept. 25, The Black Rep presents Miss Julie, Clarissa and John. The dangerous attraction between the landowner’s daughter and his top servant takes on new shades as its taboo nature expands from crossing boundaries of social class to

Disney’s Queen of Katwe starring Lupita Nyong’o and David Oyelowo opens in theatres nationwide. For more information, see FILM.

also encompass racial lines. The situation is heightened further by Southers’ extensive development of the third onstage character from Strindberg’s play, which in this searing version becomes central to the conflict through her identity as the mulatto daughter of a slave woman. Edison Theatre, Washington University, 6465 Forsyth Blvd., 63105. For more information, call (314) 5343810 or visit www.theblackrep. org.

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.

lectures and workshops

Sat., Sept. 24, 11 a.m. & 1 p.m., Missouri History Museum presents Black History Highlights Tour. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture is opening this day. To celebrate, explore American history through this tour that highlights the experiences of African Americans who lived in St. Louis. 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www.mohistory.org.

Wednesdays, Sept. 28 – 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.

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

health

Sat., Sept. 24, 7:30 a.m., The Hope Community Project 5K. Run or walk with us and help provide medical care in Haiti. 135 West Adams Ave., 63122. For more information, visit www. hopecommunityproject.org/ hope-5k.

Sat., Oct. 1, 6:45 p.m., Dianne Bondy will teach a class to benefit Operation Backpack – an Operation Food Search program, Joy of Yoga, 3525 Watson Rd. To preregister, visit www.314yoga.com.

Mondays, 6:30 p.m., Yoga & Chill. A beginner-friendly, all levels (75 minute) class that spends time working through fundamental yoga postures and shapes while exploring alignment, breathing, relaxation techniques, and a good time. Modern Healer Studio, 1908 Cherokee St., 63118. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.

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.

Sat., Sept. 24, 10 a.m., New Emmanuel M.B. Church Community Picnic. All are invited to attend our Annual Community picnic where our theme is “Spirit is Contagious.” We will have lots of food and fun for all ages. 6233 Chatham Ave., 63133. For more information, call (314) 382-6499 or visit www.newemmanuel.org.

Sun., Oct. 2, 4 p.m., New Emmanuel Inspirational Choir invites you to celebrate the 49th Annual Choir Day: Use Your Weapon. Hosted by our guest Musician/ Clinician Charles “Chuck” Caldwell. 6233 Chatham Ave., 63133. For more information, call (314) 382-6469 or visit www.newemmanuel.net.

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

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.

Fri., Sept. 23, The Magnificent Seven starring Denzel Washington opens in theatres nationwide.

Thur., Sept. 29, 7 p.m., Henry Hampton Film Series presents Paris Is Burning Film Screening. Filmed in the mid- to late 1980s, this classic documentary chronicles New York’s drag scene and “house” culture, which provided a sense of community and support for the flamboyant and often socially shunned performers. A panel discussion follows. Missouri History Museum. 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112.

CAM STL exhibit sparks demand for boycott

Damon Davis challenges

Kelley Walker’s use of black bodies and struggle

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

Local artist and activist Damon Davis is calling for a boycott of Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, based on a current exhibit and a gallery talk devoted to it, while museum director Lisa Melandri is encouraging Davis and others who share his outrage to talk to her about it.

Davis was enraged by Kelley Walker’s exhibit “Direct Drive,” which opened on Friday, September 16, followed by a gallery talk by the artist and Jeffrey Uslip, the museum’s chief curator, on Saturday.

Uslip writes of one set of works in the exhibit: “Walker’s ‘Black Star Press’ series comprises images of racial unrest that have been digitally printed on canvas, silkscreened with melted white, milk, and dark chocolate, and rotated in ninety-degree increments.” Here is Davis’ take, posted on Facebook on Sunday: “Kelley Walker, a white man, takes images of black women, and photos of black people being attacked by police and dogs, and smears toothpaste and chocolate on the images. This work is offensive to black people, black women in particular, and the black struggle for freedom that we and our ancestors have been

MUSEUM

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essentially homeless. Now, there is dedicated space for the artifacts and objects that, welded together, depict the history and material culture of African- Americans. Shaped like a bronzed crown with each level reaching skyward on the National Mall, the National Museum of African-American History and Culture is the Smithsonian’s 19th museum, but easily the jewel in the nation’s treasury of cultural artifacts.

“There’s never been a museum devoted to AfricanAmerican culture on this scale and at this level,” said Joanne Hyppolite, a museum curator. “The fact that it now exists, positioned right next to the Washington Monument, allows you to frame the full context of how American democracy was born.”

It’s a story that many Americans are still beginning to understand. Scott Hartsock, a white construction worker who installed lighting throughout the museum, took a break to watch a video in the sports gallery. “I didn’t know the Negro Leagues were a real league,” he said. “I thought it was a minor league team, but I learned it was real. I had no idea.”

An act of Congress created the museum in 2003, but funding and Washington politics slowed progress and the groundbreaking didn’t happen until 2012. It was largely the tireless efforts of historian Lonnie G. Bunch III – the new museum’s founding director, an accomplished curator and a former director at the National Museum of American History – who was able to drive the campaign to bring the museum’s mission, and funding, to fruition.

“Even with this museum, it’s a constant theme we see in African-American history, this navigation between a struggle or a wall put up,” said Rhea Combs, a curator of photography and film for the museum. “We have found ways to go around that wall to provide a glimmer of hope, a moment of glee, a sense of hope.”

The absence of a national museum dedicated to AfricanAmerican history has always been a glaring omission. In Washington, where visitors

engaging in since this country was founded.”

Davis, a versatile AfricanAmerican artist best known for his positive creative responses to the Ferguson uprising, went to the gallery talk on Saturday already having formed this strong opinion. “I went to this talk to specifically ask Walker why he chose these images to use and what this art means,” Davis wrote.

The provocative New Yorkbased artist, however, was not equal to answering this local audience member his work had provoked.

“When confronted with an actual black person, Walker became flustered and angry and had no actual answer for why he was using these images,” Davis wrote. “When he couldn’t answer my questions, the curator, Jeffrey Uslip, interjected and tried to explain for him. Walker and Uslip never answered my questions, and were both rude and condescending to myself and multiple people that asked questions that both related to race and not.”

Melandri, who was present for this exchange, does not dispute Davis’ account.

“I acknowledge and recognize that was a difficult situation and that people who were asking questions weren’t given answers,” Melandri told The American. “For that, I

absolutely apologize. This is a space that welcomes questions and people who expect answers to their questions.”

Melandri encourages Damon and anyone else who has questions about the exhibit to contact her (lmelandri@camstl.org) and has since reached out to Davis and others. His Facebook post calling for a boycott of the museum had more than 500 shares and dozens of supportive comments by press time.

“I feel that it’s important and essential to us as an institution to reach out to artists who have expressed discomfort, unhappiness and whatever negative feelings they had, and try to work with them,” Melandri said. “We want to talk to everybody and ask, ‘Now, what shall we do together?’”

Judging by Davis’ original post, the only thing that the

museum could do “together” with Davis is to take down the exhibit, which is scheduled to hang until the end of the year, accompanied by a monograph with contributions by a Museum of Modern Art curator and a New Yorker staff writer.

“I am asking for everyone in this community that understands how damaging this is to join me in this boycott until this work is removed and the museum issues a formal apology to the black community and the black members of their staff for this disgusting display,” Davis wrote.

The museum posted a formal apology that the dialogue at the gallery talk was so inadequate and unhelpful, but Melandri defended Walker’s work in the exhibit.

“Kelley’s work is about reusing, transforming, recycling

images that are very salient in our society,” she told The American. “He makes us rethink various moments in our history and culture and try to decide what we as individuals feel about those moments. His work is so deeply engaged with history and culture that it’s a wonderful place to hold a mirror up to our current society.

That’s why we feel this work is important and should be seen.”

Davis insists the work is, if anything, a distorted and dangerous mirror that reveals more about the artist than the public – and that it should not be seen.

“Schools take black children to this gallery,” Davis wrote.

“When they see these images, they are being told that their bodies, their history and their stories are disposable and always up for use by any privileged white man and institutions that feels like using them to get some press.”

While Melandri agrees

to the city’s Smithsonian museums topped 28 million in 2015, African-American exhibits were spread out across several museums. A gallery inside the Museum of American History housed a portion of the collection.

Now, inside the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, there’s space for a Tuskegee Airmen Trainer Plane, used to train the all-black regiment for World War II combat duty. The plane soars above a gallery that also features a slave cabin, fumigated and removed from Edisto Island, South Carolina, and rebuilt inside the museum.

The fourth floor culture galleries are home to Chuck Berry’s red Cadillac and an exhibit about Public Enemy’s contributions to hip-hop’s early role in voicing black pride and awareness.

“I see the museum as a time capsule for our history,” said Clifton Kinnie, 19, a St. Louis native, Ferguson protestor and Howard University student. “I’m hopeful that other generations will be able to come and learn the story of great people and how African Americans shaped American culture.”

Every level of the museum features a phase of the AfricanAmerican story – beginning with slavery, the museum’s largest exhibit, housed two levels underground. The words of the Declaration of Independence scale the walls inside the expansive exhibit, towering above a bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson who is surrounded by bricks bearing the names of his slaves—and descendants.

“The history of this country is really its foundation, so in

telling this story you have to ground yourself in that history of slavery,” Hyppolite said. “Then when you see segregation and the civil rights phase, you can begin to see how African-American culture is born and formed out of that.”

Visitors climbing the ramps to the museum’s next levels also see the successive phases

of the African American story – the transition to freedom, the era of segregation and Jim Crow laws, and the Great Migration. Along the way, visitors see defining moments of sorrow and success throughout the journey of African-Americans. The fiery red cape and hat, the wardrobe of leaders in the Ku Klux Klan, are on display. Emmett Till’s casket is here too, a reminder of the danger and injustice that at times literally hunted African Americans in the segregated South.

There are copies of the Chicago Defender, a leading voice of the Black Press. An aged poster for the black-owned

with Davis’ description of the gallery talk – and respects his opinion of the art work itself as a valid response that deserves to be heard and discussed –she pointed out one mistaken inference in his Facebook post. Davis said a video of the gallery talk was deleted, but Melandri said it was only livestreamed and the museum does not have legal rights to post it.

Kelley Walker, contacted via the New York gallery that represents him, did not return a request for comment.

With Critical Mass for the Visual Arts, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington Blvd., is co-hosting a discussion on “Art and the Black Body” 7-9 p.m. Thursday, September 22. To speak to the museum director about the exhibit, email her lmelandri@camstl. org. For more information on the museum or exhibit, visit camstl.org.

Booker T. Motel welcomed black travelers. Pictures and stock certificates show the wealth and ambition of Marcus Garvey, who owned the Black Star Line, a shipping company that had a fleet of four cargo ships.

“It reminds us of all the texture of African-American culture during a bad time,” said Blair Kelley, a recent museum visitor and professor of African-American studies at

Photo by Jason Flakes

Kelley Walker

Kelley Walker, Black Star Press (rotated 90 degrees), 2006. Digital print with silkscreened white, milk, and dark chocolate on canvas, triptych, each panel 83 x 104 inches, two parts each 83 x 52 inches. Courtesy the artist; Paula Cooper Gallery, New York; Thomas Dane Gallery, London; and Galerie Gisela Capitain, Cologne.

which includes a $25,000 prize, include the critic Marjorie Perloff, filmmaker Ken Burns, writer Francine Prose, author Michael Pollan and novelist Orhan Pamuk (in 2006, before he received the Nobel Prize in Literature).

“It’s a huge honor for him to be a part of that roster,” Janet Wong, associate artistic director for the company, told The American Jones is no stranger to major awards and honors. He received a 1994 MacArthur Fellowship, was inducted into the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2009, was named a 2010 Kennedy Center Honors recipient and received a National Medal of the Arts in 2013, among many other honors.

“Bill T. Jones, by any measure, is one of the most influential humanists of our time,” said Jean Allman, director of the Center for the Humanities at Washington University, which administers the award.

“His works have not only inspired generations of dancers and choreographers — they have shaped the ways we think about the arts and the complexity of issues they engage.”

He was nominated for the award by Paige McGinley, assistant professor of performing arts at Washington University.

“So much more than a social comment ‘about’ sexuality, blackness, or AIDS, Jones’ dances marry a formally brilliant movement vocabulary to images, texts and sounds,” McGinley said. “The resulting works push audiences to rethink the relationship between the intimate and the political, between bodies and histories.”

A life in motion

The dance of Jones’ life began as the tenth of 12

children, born on February 15, 1952 in Bunnell, Florida, before his family headed to upstate New York among the millions of African Americans who left the South during the Great Migration. As a youngster he excelled in track, but then discovered dance while attending the State University of New York at Binghamton. That was where Jones met Artie Zane,

is the choreography itself, there’s the storytelling and the text, and the music. We are constantly developing those things concurrently.”

When Zane died of AIDS in 1988, Jones turned to dance as an outlet to mourn his passing and to continue their shared creative vision. The result was the acclaimed “Last Supper at Uncle Tom’s Cabin/The Promised Land.”

n “He is always referring back to history and never forgetting the past while constantly looking forward to the next thing.”

– Janet Wong on Bill T. Jones

who became his personal and professional soul mate. In 1973, the pair began presenting choreography at New York’s famed Dance Theater Workshop and, in 1982, they launched the dance company that bears their names.

The pair challenged the parameters of dance with their subject matter and by blending other creative media such as prose, video and other multimedia.

“There are many layers to the work,” Wong said. “There

Jones has created more than 140 dances for the acclaimed multicultural troupe, as well as commissions for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Boston Ballet, Lyon Opera Ballet, Berlin Opera Ballet and many others. He also has choreographed extensively for theater, including the Broadway hits “Spring Awakening” (2006) and “Fela!” (2009) – a show he conceived and directed.

“He is someone that is living on many levels at the

same time, from his body to his mind,” Wong said. “He is always referring back to history and never forgetting the past while constantly looking forward to the next thing.”

Dance St. Louis presents Bill T. Jones

“Analogy/Dora: Tramontane,” which Dance St. Louis will present September 30-October 1, is based on interviews Jones conducted with 95-year old Dora Amelan, the mother of his husband Bjorn Amelan, who also is the troupe’s set designer and creative director. The story is broken into episodes that use dance, spoken word and song to weave Dora’s narrative as a French Jewish nurse, social worker and Holocaust survivor with the choreography.

“Jones’ choreography has shone new light on historical figures that we thought we knew, as well as on marginalized people who are not often made the subject of art,” McGinley said.

As a teenager, Amelan watched her mother pass away days after Germany invaded Brussels and was forced to become the head of the household and support her two younger sisters. Her challenging family dynamic and status as a Jew in a nation occupied by Nazis didn’t stop her from working towards liberation of those suffering as a result of the Holocaust. She worked in internment camps in the south of France with a Jewish organization, helping people escape the camp and forge false identities to survive.

“She decided at the age of 19 that there were two types of people: There are the people who need help and the people who give help,” Wong said of Amelan. “She decided to be the latter. I hope the story inspires people to do the right thing.”

For more details on Jones’ lecture and the Dance St. Louis production and other events, visit https://pages.wustl.edu/ billtjones/events.

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a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 classic “The Seven Samurai.”

As usual, Fuqua flexes his mastery of the action sequence – which is made even more thrilling when applied to a Western gun battle. The villain is wickedly bad, and Washington’s Sam Chisolm has just enough anti-hero in him to stoop to his level for the greater good of community.

There is a certain level of excitement in introducing the stylish and highly choreographed dance of pistol duels and old-fashioned gun fights to the AK-47 generation. But the content beyond “bang, bang, shoot ‘em up” is such a snooze that audiences will yawn their way through to the next shootout.

In the film, industrialist Bartholomew Bogue has opted for a deadly hostile takeover of the small settler town of Rose Creek when the residents refuse his miniscule offer to purchase their land to mine for gold. After he sends a message

to the town that he will move forward with or without their cooperation, a resident elicits the help of no-holds-barred bounty hunter Sam Chisolm (Washington) to save their beloved city – and protect their lives. At first he turns the offer down, but ultimately accepts.

of highly skilled misfits as his seven-man army that vows to fight against Bogue and his henchman to the death.

production, and the purist

commitment to original film actually plays well. But the lack of a substantive storyline gives no provisions for audiences to truly connect to the characters – which is a shame, because of the solid performances by Washington and his supporting cast.

In addition to Washington, “The Magnificent Seven” also stars Chris Pratt, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Ethan Hawke, Haley Bennett and a nearly

The group created the feeling of an authentic connection over the course of the film, but their battle wasn’t big enough to win the creative war against the film’s shortcomings – which includes going on for entirely too long.

“The Magnificent Seven” opens in theatres nationwide on Friday, September 23. The film is rated PG-13 with a running time of 137 minutes.

Miles behind

From East Boogie to bankruptcy for former NBA star

East St. Louis homeboy

Darius Miles had it all: literally leaping from the gym of ESL Senior High into the NBA as a first round draft pick by the L.A. Clippers; signing a $9 million contract and, over the course of his career; earning over $60 million.

But, unfortunately, he now finds himself in bankruptcy court, rather than the familiar surroundings of a basketball court – a sad commentary on what was once a career filled with much promise.

And having spent some time in a few professional sports press boxes, over the years, I can assure you that there are more than a few bigoted local and national sports media types who are now enjoying Miles’ fulfillment of the stereotype of the “dumb black jock who blew it.” It won’t enhance their net worth, but validates their illusion of racial superiority.

But that should be the least of Darius’ concerns.

As a native of ESL, I derive no pleasure in writing a financial epitaph for Darius Miles. Over the years I have been critical of Miles’ poor choice of miscreants as companions, his brushes with the law, attempting to check a loaded gun at St. LouisLambert International Airport, or his lack of professionalism and work ethic relative to the NBA.

Columnist

James Ingram

In an article back in August 2011, I wrote that “I only hope that between his frequent screwups, court appearances and media humiliation that he has something left by the time that he’s 40 years old.”

It’s 2016 and Darius Miles, 34, has assets of $460,385 with $1.57 million in liabilities. He is officially broke, a fate of which I warned him.

But, it was inevitable. I recall dining in a Fairview Heights establishment and watching as Miles and his entourage strolled in for a meal, with Darius paying the tab. My server informed me that

this was a frequent habit of Miles’. I wonder if any of those “homies” are at his side now that he’s broke. I also wonder what his late mother, Ethel, would say. She once called me, back in 2004, and read me the riot act for writing a critical column about “her baby.” Once she calmed down, I attempted to explain that my words were designed to serve as a warning to Darius to avoid the fate of 60 percent of NBA players whose careers end in financial ruin within five years of retirement due to financial irresponsibility (cars, excessive spending, women, paternity issues, bad business deals and poor investments). Just ask Allen Iverson, Scottie Pippen, Latrell Sprewell, Shawn Kemp and Dennis Rodman. And having only a high school diploma doesn’t bode well for Darius’ future either. I only hope that a mentor will step forward (like a Magic Johnson or Shaquille O’Neal) who can help him navigate the turbulent waters of reinventing himself. He’s yet a young man with many years of earning potential. Now is the time for him to finally become serious about his future, if there is to be one.

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

Lesser-known actors like Lee Byung-Hun and Peter Sarsgaard

“The Magnificent Seven” – directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Denzel Washington – opens in theatres nationwide on Friday, September 23.

Celebrations

Anniversary

Birthdays

Happy birthday to Amara Sheree Gray, who celebrated her first birthday on September 17!

Happy 70th birthday to our greatgrandmother, Barbara McIntyre on September 21. You are the best and we love you! Love, Christian, Carter and your family

Major Paige celebrated his 94th birthday on September 7. This amazing man still lives independently and attributes his longevity to his priorities—faith, family and friends.

Happy birthday to our bright and beautiful eldest daughter, Mauryn Buckner-Swain, who turned 21 on September 19. The world is just beginning to see what we have seen from the day you were born! Love Always, Mom and Dad (Tara Buckner and Aaron N. Swain)

Reunions

reunion announcements can be viewed online!

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.

Mauryn Buckner-Swain

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 Kate Daniel 2315 Pine

Ritenour High School Class of 1976 is having its 40th reunion on October 1, 2016. For more information please see our Facebook page, Ritenour Class of 1976 or email ekbyers58@gmail. com.

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) 5414556, Brenda Smith Randall (314)382-1528, or Laura

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.

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 (Vendors $50 request appl.), Parade Sat. 10am (Cars, floats, SUV’s, Marching Bands, etc.; request Parade Appl.), 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.

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.

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., St. Louis, MO 63103

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

Our email address is: reunions@ stlamerican.com

Sending best anniversary wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Henderson who celebrated eight years of marriage on September 20.

Amara Sheree Gray

Barbara McIntyre

Major Paige

Swag Snap of the week

Salute swag approaches! I have some good and bad news in my nearly yearlong quest for inspiration with regards to nailing down a look that will leave the girls gagging with envy at the St. Louis American Foundation’s 29th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala next Saturday (Oct. 1) The good news is that I actually have the body to pull off an ensemble that channels one of my favorite looks from last week’s Emmy Awards – Kerry

Washington’s tastefully sexy cut out maternity gown. The bad news is that there no baby in my bump. Oh well, it won’t be the first time the state of my shape has forced me to resort to garments designed for a mother-to-be. At least this time I can add some glamour with it, honey…and you know I will. Okay! But enough about me at Salute, let’s talk about Salute. First of all, you will have all of the influential and tastemakers mixed in with civic leaders and one of the most important and noble professions in our community: educators. We will honor all facets of education – from presenting more than $840,000 in awards (yes, you are reading this number correctly) to student scholars to celebrating a lifetime of commitment within the field of helping others learn. If you haven’t been, you don’t know what you’re missing. And did I mention we have an after party that is the most lit you will ever see at a formal event. The folks keep it cute, but they go____________(insert new slang “hard in the paint.”)…especially when it’s time to “Wobble” or do a slide of any kind. This year’s after set will be sponsored by Premiere Production Choice and will feature the one and only Sir Thurl – and, as usual, there will be complimentary adult beverages provided by Anheuser-Busch. Get your tickets by calling (314) 533-8000 or visiting stlamerican.com. Don’t be mad if you wait too late and can’t get in, because – like I tell y’all every year – we sell out annually.

Was Mood MIA Friday? I guess Mood wasn’t in the mood to be open after midnight – or at all – because I scooted over there for Project Friday Nights and it was lights out. I don’t know if the event was canceled, closed early or what. I just know that nobody was home. I was bummed about it because they usually have a cute crowd. Hopefully they’ll be back in action next week. If anyone has any insight about it, please hit me up at dshante@stlamerican.com.

Mrs. Flocka at Marquee. Good thing Mood and The Marquee are neighbors, because I eased right on down the road (actually across the street) to see “Love and Hip-Hop” co-star also known as Waka Flocka Flame’s wifey Tammy Rivera Friday night. I asked around about what happened over at Mood, but nobody really had any answers. It was pretty regular (especially for a week with not much else going on) until my long lost boo Mario Clay came through and turned heads in a periwinkle leisure suit. The outfit sounds like a lot I’m sure, but trust me it was absolutely everything. He moved to Washington D.C. a few years back, but flew back in town “for one night only” to turn up with his beautiful bestie Shanell. And it was tag team slay action with those two as Shanell shut it down as usual too –but this time as a honey blonde bombshell with a sickening new bob cut. I hate to be it, but that crew – which includes more than one working model – managed to outshine most of the crowd including Mrs. Flocka Flame. I ran into some more of my favorite folks that night, like Mocha Latte and Keith from Koncepts.

Surprise collaborative birthday turn up. On Saturday I made my way to the new Sex Symbol Saturdays at HG. There were some sex symbols in the building, like R. Kelly dancer Porsha OMG, but hardly anyone else. It takes a few weeks for sets like that to kick in and attract the masses, so I will give the powers that be over there the benefit of the doubt. They may have been treading lightly over at HG, but in my second consecutive evening of “nightclub neighbor takes all” RG was quietly poppin’ like dynamite. The crowd was a bit savage around the edges, but it was still a good time. And I was shocked to find out that it wasn’t even a singular party. A bunch of birthday parties patched together in the same spot made it downright poppin’. Who would have thought that you didn’t need a theme, celebrity host or reality starlet to get the club crackin’?...not any promoter since 2010, that’s for sure.

Sizzling Sunday Surge. I don’t know if I’ve accidently become conditioned to stepping out on Sundays because of all the doggone day parties or had to be out in these streets because it was such a dead weekend but I hit up Surge Sundays at The OBar. It was pretty cute considering folks had to be at work the next morning. If you felt like Friday or Saturday night were a bust and you won’t be able to make it through the week knowing you didn’t tear the club up at least once – I would definitely say it up Surge Sunday.

The Ambassador’s R&B double header. I’m thrilled to have plans to hit up the Ambassador on Saturday (Sept. 24) to see one of my favorite crooners. Mo Investment are at it again with Joe and Vivian Green this weekend. They’ve had a great run so far this year as far as bringin’ the folks who had previously been relegated to my Zune playlist to the stage in 2016 – like Brian McKnight, Monica and Keith Sweat. I’m so excited to see Joe again that I don’t know what to do. Now I would be lying if I said I usually yawn through Vivian Green whenever I see her live, but to each its own, right? Y’all like her well enough and her music was cute and catchy when it was in style. But Joe puts it down and rarely disappoints – well maybe a couple of times, but not recently. And if he gets on that stage and all he does is his rendition of Adele’s “Hello” it will be worth it for me.

Jerrica, Brandi and Erica enjoyed themselves Saturday night @ HG

Nesha and Monica tried sent their weekend out with a Surge Sunday night @ The OBar

Kim, Britt and Sam set it off Friday night @ The Marquee

Tamika and E topped off their weekend @ the OBar for Surge Sundays

Candy Couture owner Candace Belger celebrated her birthday with friends in VIP Friday night @ The Marquee

Michelle and Ashley came through to kick it with reality star Tammy Rivera Friday night @ The Marquee

Lynn and Morgan made their way to VIP Friday @ The Marquee

Christina and Asia stopped through Element Saturdays @ The Marquee

Erica and Stacey were pretty in pink Friday night @ The Marquee

Erin and Tiffany @ Element Saturdays @ The Marquee

Tanji V, Tammy Rivera of “Love and Hip-Hop” fame, Delneta and Haley posed for the camera on the dance floor as the party popped off Friday night at The Marquee.

Photos by John Scott

Concerned Clergy of St. Louis endorse Kander for Senate

Rev. Nance: ‘Kander will be an advocate for our community’

American staff

Jason Kander was endorsed for U.S. Senate by the Concerned Clergy of St. Louis, a group of pastors and clergy members across denominational lines that help meet the spiritual, physical and social needs of the community.

A Democrat from Kansas City, Kander is running against incumbent U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-Springfield). The election is November 8. The last day to register to vote is October 12.

Kander, who presently serves as Missouri secretary of state, has attended church throughout St. Louis to meet with the leadership and members, talk about the issues impacting them and discuss how government can better serve their communities.

“Members of the Concerned Clergy of St. Louis know that Jason Kander will be an advocate for our community in the U.S. Senate, so we are enthusiastically supporting his campaign,” said Rev. Earl Nance Jr., pastor at Greater Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church.

“We need someone in the Senate who will represent all of us and ensure every Missourian has an opportunity to succeed no matter their background, and I know Jason Kander will be there for us,” said Rev. E.G. Shields, pastor at Mount Beulah Missionary Baptist Church.

Kander’s opponent, Blunt, voted against all but one of the 26 bills the NAACP said were consistent with its civil rights mission in the 112th Congress, giving him an F and the lowest percentage of anyone in Missouri’s Congressional delegation.

“I’m honored to have the support of pastors and clergy members from across St. Louis, and I promise as Missouri’s senator I will work hard with them to better their communities every day,” Kander said.

State Representative Sharon Pace, Rev. Earl Nance Jr., St. Louis City Treasurer Tishaura Jones, Rev. E.G. Shields and St. Louis City License Collector Mavis Thompson, among other clergy and elected officials, stand with Secretary of State Jason Kander, a candidate for U.S. Senate on the November 8 ballot.

“Members of the Concerned Clergy of St. Louis stand up for the region and fill in gaps where the government is failing, and I’m proud to stand with them.”

NAACP and A ME will GOTV

NAACP President and CEO Cornell

William Brooks met last week with the leadership of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church; Congressional Black Caucus Chair and Congressman G.K.

Butterfield; Melanie Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, pastors, millennial activists and leaders of other national African-American organizations to launch a mobilization plan for black voter turnout in the November 8 election for the presidential and down-ballot races. Issues that directly impact African Americans are at the center of the 2016 campaign, including criminal justice reform; voting rights; disrupting the broken

education system; entrepreneurship; innovation; income inequality; and unemployment.

The leaders issued a call to action to the black community to vote at the same levels that elected and re-elected President Obama in 2008 and 2012, to secure increased influence over policies impacting black lives at the national, state and local levels.

“It is essential for black churches and social justice organizations to work together to maximize voting levels within the black community this fall,” Brooks said. “The stakes of this election demand the kind of innovation and persistence we can only achieve through collaboration.”

Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker, director for the AME church’s Commission on Social Action echoed this call. “Voter apathy is the greatest threat to democracy! For that reason, amev-alert.org has joined with the NAACP and other partners to reach out to every eligible voter.”

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I remember as a high school senior going to a religious retreat and listening to a recording supposedly between the devil and one of his soul recruiters, who was having little to no luck at populating hell. The devil gave him one more chance to succeed before suffering the vilest of consequences. The next morning there was a proverbial traffic jam of souls trying to get in.

When the devil asked his protégé for his secret to success, the newly crowned supreme capturer of souls said, “I planted an irresistible seed that none of them seem to be able to refuse.” That seed was, “I’ll do it tomorrow.”

You cannot wait until tomorrow to do what you know is right in the eyes of the Lord. You can’t wait until tomorrow to get your life straight, to apologize, to ask for forgiveness. You cannot wait until you’re successful, have a lot of money in the bank, sow your wild oats before you get it together and live according to the Word of God.

The habit-forming nature of believing you can do it tomorrow becomes a state of mind that imprisons you from living to your fullest potential today. That potential just so happens to be the reality that God had in mind when He created you and me. If I could do half of what I plan to do tomorrow today, I’d be the master of my fate. The fallacy of a belief that you’ll do it tomorrow presupposes tomorrow will be there waiting on you.

As much as we know this is true, many of us still find ourselves waiting for tomorrow to really get our act together. All we need is a little more time, or money, or a new opportunity, a new man or a woman, a new relationship, or a new job. No wonder the devil’s protégé was so successful. Once the seed of tomorrow is planted, we dwell on the possibilities of today’s dreams. The do-nothing results will damn your soul for eternity. Living for tomorrow is not only foolish. It’s dangerous because we waste God’s greatest gift to us, and that gift is time. God gave the Israelites manna for a day. “Give us our daily bread” is what the prayer says. “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” Proverbs 27:1.

How many folk do you know who wish they had one more day to tell somebody how much they meant to that person? If you should close your eyes tonight never to awaken again, would you regret what you didn’t say to somebody and meant to say yesterday, but you’ll get around to it tomorrow and never did?

You cannot time the moment of your death anymore than you controlled the moment of your birth. Today, right now, is all you have.

Columnist James Washington