September 30th, 2021 edition

St. LouiS AmericAn

Mama Cat leaves St. Louis to begin new life chapter

Moving to Jacksonville, Florida

By Isaiah Peters

The St. Louis American

Cathy “Mama Cat” Daniels to much of the St. Louis community is representative of the generosity of humanity.

Daniels founded her organization, PotBangerz, in the wake of the Ferguson uprising. PotBangerz was born of the idea that Black Lives Matter means all Black lives, including the least seen and least served — and the idea that one way to uplift all people is by serving them good food. Today, PotBangerz is a 501c3 non-profit organization whose donations allows it to buy food and prepare meals and snacks for 150-200 members of St. Louis’ unhoused community.

“I don’t want just to give a meal,” Daniels said. “I want to give them their tomorrow.”

After the better part of a decade in St. Louis, Daniels is now moving on to Jacksonville, Florida. As part of her farewell, photographer and Daniels’ close friend Theo Welling hosted a photo viewing on Sept. 24, at the May Gallery of Webster University. There, he presented work he’s been creating around Mama Cat for around a year: a photo-documentary project titled “Mama Cat: Works in Progress,” which followed the daily life of Mama Cat and the rotating cast of dozens of characters that make up the PotBangerz family.

n “Everybody’s role in the movement is not just to be on the street. We all got a job, and we have to live in our purpose. I am trying to lift those with the least among us.”

– Cathy “Mama Cat” Daniels

Leaders liken it to civil rights era anti-Black violence

By Dana Rieck

Louis American

Calls are growing louder for three white Woodson Terrace officers to be fired and charged after they let a police K-9 attack a Black man for more than a minute while attempting to arrest him. The incident occurred just after 7 a.m. Sept. 20 in the 4500 block of Woodson Road. An onlooker filmed the interaction and posted it online — the video on Facebook has since been played more than 8,000 times. National outlets including The Washington Post, People, NBC, The Daily Beast and Vice have also written about the police interaction. And while the FBI is investigating the incident, the agency declined to comment on it. St. Louis County’s prosecuting attorney, Wesley Bell, also declined to comment but his office did confirm the incident is under review. Activists and protesters gathered in front of the Woodson Terrace Police Department on Sept. 24

The Rev. Darryl Gray (left) and Zaki Baruti, president of the Universal African People’s Organization, denounced three Woodson Terrace police officers’ actions and called for their dismissal after they let a police K-9 attack a Black man for more than a minute while attempting to arrest him on Sept. 20.

‘How do we create some kind of peace?’

Misha Marshall confronts her son’s COVID-19 infection and a season of violence.

By Leyla Fern King

This story -- the second in a series -- was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center and is part of Before Ferguson Beyond Ferguson’s 63106 Project. A team of journalists have been following families in the ZIP code during the time of COVID. A study has shown it has the most problematic social determinants of health in the region. Misha Marshall finds a body on the street near her home. She prays he is still alive.

On a late spring Sunday like any other, Misha had driven home from the grocery store. Oddly, this time, Misha found that her typical route home was blocked with emergency vehicles. A resident of the Columbus Square neighborhood, Misha took a different route.

“Never in a million years would I have thought that when I got closer that someone had been shot,” she said. “And then I’m thinking, well maybe it wasn’t a bad shooting. Maybe he’ll be okay.”

“And then I got to the house, went in and then I went back outside because I wanted to know what happened. And the police were just taping the crime scene off. And, I said, ‘Well, what happened? Is he okay? Are they working on him? And, they were like, ‘Well we don’t know.’ But this person was not moving.”

space to mourn COVID-19 victims

By Sylvester Brown Jr. The St. Louis American

“Forget me not… when the sunshine breaks the sky… Forget me not… when the moonlight shines bright… Remembering the good times, remembering the bad and all the times we had… Forget me not.”

Dr. Philip A. Woodmore plans to share his original composition, “Forget Me Not,” during the “Requiem of Light Memorial for St. Louisans Lost to Covid”on Saturday, Oct. 2, at Art Hill in Forest Park. Woodmore, a longtime member of the St. Louis music community and creator of the off-Broadway play “Antigone in Ferguson,” will serve as artistic director for the memorial concert. Acclaimed jazz singer Denise Thimes will sing “Forget Me Not,” one of many musical selections featuring artists selected by Woodmore including De-Rance Blaylock and Duane Foster. Artists, including some from the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, will perform multiple See CONCERT, A7

Cathy ‘Mama Cat’ Daniels talks about one of the photos with two of her kids at the artist’s reception at the May Gallery on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. Daniels is the focus of a documentary project photographed by Theo Welling. The show has been extended until Friday, Oct. 1.

Photo by Jennifer Sarti / St. Louis American

See MAMA CAT, A17

See MARSHALL,

The St.

Misha Marshall

Photo by Dawn Suggs / St. Louis American

Multi-talented Andrea Martin passes Singer-songwriter Andrea Martin has passed away, according to a post from her Instagram account.

“Dear Family and Friends, it is with a heavy heart we inform you of the passing of our beautiful Andrea Martin also known as ‘Annie,’” read the message, which was posted on Monday, Sept. 27.

“Andrea will always be remembered for her passion and dedication to her family and friends. Her impact will continue to be felt and heard for a lifetime.”

“We thank you in advance for your condolences, love, compassion and understanding during this time,” the post continued. “Please limit calls as we are trying to finalize arrangements at this time. Once finalized, we will be sure to post arrangements. Forever a legend. April 14September 27.”

Martin is known for penning several hit songs, including En Vogue’s “Don’t Let Go,” Monica’s “Before You Walk Out of My Life,” Melanie Fiona’s “Give It To Me Right,” Angie Stone’s “Wish I Didn’t Miss You” and SWV’s “You’re the One.”

She was also a singer, releasing her debut album “The Best Of Me” in 1998 under Arista

Records. The album’s lead single “Let Me Return the Favor” reached No. 83 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Beyoncé reaches a milestone birthday

Beyoncé is graciously and humbly embracing her being 40.

Since celebrating her birthday on Sept. 4, she’s penned a heartfelt letter and posted it on her website reflecting personal growth and lessons she’s learned.

“This is the first year that I really understand what it means to be alive and to live in the moment,” she said. “It’s the first time that I have an understanding of how fragile life truly is, how hard life can be at times, and therefore how important it is to stop and smell the roses during the good times.”

“I thought I knew that at 21 or 30...but I didn’t,” she said.

As she continues to evolve as a person, she said she better understands what joy is on a deeper level.

“The more mature I become, the more I understand and the deeper my joy grows. There’s a freedom and liberation knowing that I’ve made it to the other side of my sac rifice,” she explained. “I’m finally giving myself permission to enjoy the seeds I’ve worked so hard to plant my whole life.”

In the letter, she also de bunked the myth of your life being over after 40.

“Whoever tried to

condition women to feel that we are supposed to be old or unhappy when we turn 40 got it ALL THE WAY F’d UP. This has absolutely been the best I’ve felt in my life,” she said, adding, “I’m so grateful to be GROWN, GROWN!”

Kelly Price battled COVID-19, almost lost

Kelly Price has broken her silence after she was reported missing, announcing that she contracted COVID-19.

She told TMZ, she almost lost her life.

“At some point, they lost me,” she said. “I woke up some days later, a couple days later, and the first thing I remember is the team of doctors standing around me and asking me if I knew what year it was.”

She said she first contracted the virus on July 29, and didn’t share if she had been vaccinated. “I’m following [doctor’s] orders. I’m quarantined. Feeling really drained,” she wrote on Instagram. “Splitting headache but I’m not in the hospital. I’m grateful and expecting to have a quick recovery.

#GodIsAHealer.”

Once it became noticeable that she was distant, a missing person report was filed. Her sister, Shanrae publicly asked her to contact their family.

Price’s attorney Monica Ewassured media outlets that she wasn’t missing, but instead recovering.

In the footage obtained by TMZ, Price said she was at home

with COVID for about a week and her husband took care of her before he also tested positive. He had rushed her to the hospital with severe symptoms, including a fever of 103 degrees. She shared she was released from the hospital with an oxygen tank because of a shortage of beds and health care workers had been aiding her at home over four weeks.

Miguel and Nazanin Mandi call it quits

“After 17 years together, Miguel and Nazanin Mandi have decided to separate and have been for some time now,” a rep for the couple told People. “The couple both wish each other well.”

They dated for 10 years before getting engaged in 2016. In November 2018, they married at the Hummingbird Nest Ranch in Simi Valley, California. Earlier this year, Nazanin shared how she and Miguel were navigating through the COVID-19 quarantine.

“We were used to being around each other a lot, but then we were also used to traveling a lot,” she said. “So keeping the spark alive was definitely something we had to stay on — because when you’re in different cities, it’s automatic to feel excitement [when you see each other again].”

“But being home [together] all the time, it’s like, ‘Okay, we have to find new things to watch, and to do and to read,’ “ she continued. “It was a lot, but overall, we did great. I have no complaints, [and] am grateful for everything.”

Sources: revolt.tv, cnn.com, hot97.com, people.com

Beyoncé

Parkway Central students stand by racism claims

Black student admits to racist graffiti

Sophie Hurwitz

The St. Louis American

Approximately 1,000 students walked out of class Sept. 23 at Parkway Central High School in the wake of another incident of racism at the school, this time graffiti covering the walls of a bathroom. The next day, students at Parkway North walked out as well.

The graffiti at Central was, after an investigation by the district, discovered to have been written by a Black student at the school, though the allegations of racism in the district revealed by the protest go beyond this specific incident.

The graffiti was discovered Wednesday afternoon by a student, and included the n-word and the phrase “hope all Black people die.” A note from Parkway Central Principal Tim McCarthy in response to the graffiti that evening confirmed, “racist slurs were written on bathroom walls at Central and North High Schools.”

Superintendent Dr. Keith Marty sent a letter to the district on Tuesday.

“The student responsible is not white,” he wrote. “However this does not diminish the hurt it caused or the negative impact it has had on our entire com-

munity.”

He also wrote that a similar incident at Parkway North High School was under investigation, though according to school spokesperson Cathy Kelly, school officials do not believe the two incidents are related.

During the walkout at Central, students demanded the creation and support of a Black Students’ Union, as well as the implementation of an antiracism policy by the school’s administration. McCarthy told the crowd that a policy would be discussed by the school board “by the end of the month.”

“When is our protection, and when is us having someone to go to, going to be a priority?” a student shouted into a megaphone.

“Our administration [and] our teachers need to realize that our Black students don’t feel protected, at all.”

About 40% of Parkway Central students are people of color, with 15% of that group identifying as Black. The school has a history of similar incidents: In 2017, a racist message was found in a bathroom at Parkway Central, and in 2019, students from the high school appeared in a video threatening Black people and chanting “slavery, slavery, slavery.”

Students at the protest said teachers are also implicated — one 10th grade student recounted her first day in the district, as a first grader, in which she said she was told she was “pretty for a Black girl” by her first grade teacher. A Mexican student talked about being called slurs by his classmates, and a

Muslim girl spoke about being dubbed a terrorist, recounting the story of a P.E. teacher at the school who gave failing grades to hijabi students for refusing to remove their head coverings in order to swim.

of students took turns on the

and

with

“I want to tell the thousands of students who participated on behalf of themselves and their fellow classmates: I am proud of you for supporting one another and we heard you loud and clear.”

Students, meanwhile, wonder when exactly a formal anti-racism policy and a Black

Marty said in his letter that the walkouts were a “clear indication that more work is needed to ensure our school cultures and communities are safe for each student regardless of their race.”

Students’ Union will be made available to them, as protests regarding racism in the district continue to occur every few years.

“Early my freshman year, I was standing in this exact spot. Now I’m a senior...I’m here again,” said a student leader at the Parkway Central walkout. McCarthy said there is a district-level committee working on “addressing these challenges [systemically] within the district.”

Dozens

megaphone, detailing experiences

racism

other discrimination in Parkway schools.

Photo by Sophie Hurwitz / The St. Louis American

Editorial

Guest Commentary

Budget decisions are reflection of our values

By Wesley Bell

Effecting change is difficult and can be expensive. This I have learned in nearly three years as St. Louis County prosecuting attorney. When I was elected to this office as a change candidate, the office had no data analyst. Without data analysis, you’re acting on hunch and assumption. I hired a data analyst.

The office had little in the way of diversion programs to offer treatment rather than punishment to qualified low-level, non-violent offenders with drug and/or mental health issues. I hired a diversion director who expanded our diversion programs. This required support staff that we repurposed from other teams in the office.

The office had no independent unit to review police use-of-force cases or past convictions.

I hired a prosecutor from the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, and we created a Conviction and Incident Review Unit. This newly created unit also required support staff.

The office had no dedicated liaison for the 55 police departments that refer criminal cases to the county prosecutor.

I hired a former chief.

The office had no dedicated community outreach coordinator who built relationships of trust in the community by doing the equivalent of community policing for the office. I hired an experienced community-oriented police officer.

work with the office’s existing budget in creating new positions and programs. This budget had been largely unchanged for over 20 years. As attorney and support staff positions opened, I sometimes would hire staff for the office’s new programs and units rather than for one of the conventional prosecution teams.

We have kept up with our caseload and continued to deliver justice while effecting needed change. The COVID-19 pandemic may have eased this transition temporarily by slowing much of the courts’ usual business, but with the courts now back in operation, we have a backlog of COVID-delayed cases that need attention and a hard-working staff that is straining to keep up.

It would have been easier and cheaper to continue trying to prosecute our way out of the so-called war on drugs. It would have been cheaper for the office to ignore the opioid epidemic and not expand diversion opportunities to give non-violent and low-level offenders a second chance. It would have been cheaper to remain with no data analysis to guide policy, no independent unit that holds police and prosecutors accountable, no liaison for the county’s numerous police agencies, no focused outreach in a community that has had more than its share of tension and unrest.

But St. Louis County rejected the known cheap and easy way for a new, often more difficult, but more just path. Voters rejected a 20th Century prosecutor’s office and hired me to build a 21st Century prosecutor’s office, and we have made great strides to that end in a short period of time.

While we found federal grant support to grow our diversion programs, mostly we have had to

That is why I have asked the St. Louis County Council for a base request of $2.8 million in the county’s share of federal CARES revenue to fund the attorneys and staff our office needs. Compared to other similarly situated prosecutor offices around the country, we are one of the most under-staffed, and these federal funds would help bring our prosecutor/case ratios to a much more manageable level. With these funds, we could still maintain and develop our progressive, forwardleaning, but common-sense programs that have brought this office into the 21st Century.

For example, our diversion programs for non-violent offenders have accepted close to 1,200 participants, and the re-offense rate for our diversion participants was less than 8% as of August 2021. Compare that to statewide averages for recidivism that hover around 45% and go as high as 80% around the country, and it’s clear that these new alternatives to traditional prosecution are working and will protect the public in the long run.

The attorneys and staff in our office, regardless of this budget request, will continue our mandate to hold serious and violent offenders accountable.

But if we are serious about public safety, we must value and invest in those institutions that correlate with safer communities - such as quality schools, healthcare, affordable housing, and tough but compassionate prosecution. Our budget decisions must show that we value the men and women who work to bring justice to victims and their families.

Wesley Bell is St. Louis County prosecuting attorney.

Commentary

Biden fulfilling promise for federal court diversity

By Ben Jealous

One of the most important reasons to vote Donald Trump out of the White House was to stop him from packing federal courts with more anti-votingrights, anti-equality, pro-corporate judges. Stopping the flood of bad Trump judicial appointments was a huge accomplishment for every organizer and voter who helped elect Joe Biden as president. And that’s only part of the good news. President Biden is making history with the most diverse set of judicial nominees ever. President Trump’s judicial nominees were overwhelmingly white men, often young and unqualified. They were almost always picked for their commitment to a right-wing judicial ideology that makes it more difficult for millions of Americans to count on the courts for justice. Thanks to Trump and his Republican enablers in the Senate, we will be dealing with hundreds of those judges for years to come. Elections matter. Right now, instead of judges handpicked by right-wing legal activists and their corporate allies, President Biden is making good on his promise to bring greater diversity to our federal courts. Biden is naming far more Black judges and women judges than any other president – including Barack Obama.

Let’s look at some numbers, because they are impressive. More than 30% of Biden’s judicial nominees are Black. Fewer than 5 percent

of Trump’s judicial picks were Black.

More than a quarter of Biden’s judicial nominees have been Black women. Under Trump, it was less than 1%. In fact, almost half of President Biden’s judicial nominees are women of color.

Biden has been in office for less than a year, and he has already doubled the number of Black women judges on the circuit courts – the highest level of federal courts below the Supreme Court. Trump named zero Black judges to the circuit courts; nearly 40% of Biden’s circuit court nominees have been Black. There’s also more diversity in Biden nominees’ life experiences and professional backgrounds. They aren’t all corporate lawyers and law professors. Almost onethird of them have had experience as public defenders. Some of them have worked at respected civil rights organizations. Some have devoted their legal careers to protecting and representing workers. One started her career at the Legal Aid Society.

This is how we get federal courts that represent all of us, not just the most privileged and powerful.

And that brings us back to elections. President Biden has been able to get his nominees

As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

NAACP battles COVID-19 misinformation

By Derrick Johnson

Entertainers ranging from hip-hop artists “Offset” and Nicki Minaj, to noted Black Panther film actress Leticia Wright, R&B singer “Tank,” conservative political pundit Candace Owens and others have made inaccurate, disparaging public comments recently about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines or getting vaccinated, influencing some of their fans and followers to debate the science and guidance.

The inherent confusion complicates efforts to get reliable information to communities of color, but the NAACP, the nation’s largest and most preeminent civil rights organization, has continued to clear the air with its ongoing national ‘COVID. KNOW MORE,’ initiative. One of the key battles against COVID-19 in our Black communities is winning the information war.

We’re still in the trenches, fighting with facts and working to deliver reliable, up-todate, trustworthy information enabling the vulnerable and unvaccinated to make the most well-informed decisions. But there’s more work, considerably more work.

Of course, the nation’s war against the pandemic is far from won, and things may get worse, before they get better.

Despite seeing some early signs of hope with 182 million Americans now fully vaccinated, the coronavirus has roared back to life over the past

quarter, wreaking havoc on lives and families in declared hot spots including Missouri, Mississippi, Georgia, Texas, and Florida.

Two-thirds of Black Americans reside in the hard-hit southern U.S. The only good news is that although there remains some resistance among the unvaccinated, there’s also more willingness to get vaccinated today—especially in the south.

‘COVID. KNOW MORE’ was developed to provide Black Americans with comprehensive, relevant data and resources on COVID-19, with the goal of empowering Black America’s navigation through the pandemic toward a full recovery. It’s a

n We’re still in the trenches, fighting with facts and working to deliver reliable, upto-date, trustworthy information enabling the vulnerable and unvaccinated to make the most well-informed decisions.

formidable journey, but through ‘COVID. KNOW MORE’ individuals, families and communities of color have access to the most current, well-researched and credible facts they need to make the best possible choices for their wellbeing.

Among the latest facts: Proprietary research commissioned by the NAACP reveals that although half of the Black American community is fully vaccinated and hopeful about returning to normalcy soon, three out of five, or 62%, believe “the worst is yet to

Letters to the editor

confirmed—more lifetime judges at this point in his term in office since Gerald Ford— because voters in Georgia elected Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.

If Republicans still held a Senate majority, Mitch McConnell would be slow-walking and stopping Biden’s judicial nominees. When Trump was in power, McConnell laughed and bragged about how he kept so many of President Obama’s nominees from getting confirmed so that Trump would have lots of vacancies to fill.

McConnell would love to regain the power to block Biden’s judicial nominees. He would love to return to his practice of refusing to schedule hearings and votes on even the most qualified judges. He would love to abuse his power by keeping hundreds of judicial seats vacant in the hopes that Trump or some other Republican will take back the White House in 2024, and bring back the flood of white, right-wing men determined to impose their ideology on the federal courts and on all of us.

We can’t let that happen.

Let’s praise the good work being done by the Biden administration and Senate Democrats. Let’s thank them for bringing balance and diversity and a commitment to equal justice for all to the federal courts. And let’s work as hard as we can to keep the Senate and White House in Democratic hands in 2022 and 2024.

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

come,” up dramatically from 23% reported in June. The NAACP’s data further reports that 50% of Black Americans fear cases of COVID-19 rising again later this year, an increase from just 29%, and there is justifiable concern about the new variants potentially being more contagious or deadly.

Interestingly, the numbers underscore that the unvaccinated are more worried about the Delta variant than either the government’s accelerated approval process, or the potential physical effects of the vaccine. A full 68% of Blacks express concern about the potential spread of the new COVID strains—more so than their possible side effects. The NAACP’s ‘COVID. KNOW MORE’ builds upon the wealth of information it consistently services to the African American community, while emphasizing the pandemic’s foreboding long term implications and systemic disparities. ‘COVID. KNOW MORE’ features a multifaceted, user-friendly online information hub housing an array of options designed to help African Americans’ stay current with the ever-changing data and guidance about the pandemic. Each of us as Americans is free to get our information from whatever sources we choose, trust and respect, but it’s especially dangerous to post and share misinformation casually across social media about such a serious issue, when the human cost in the end can be so high. Our community needs to pay close attention to the most reliable COVID-19 resources now, so Black America isn’t doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past, tomorrow.

Derrick Johnson is national NAACP president and CEO.

The need for a cooperative effort to tackle violent crime

For most of my life I have heard this cautionary tale for black men choosing to overstay their welcome in St. Louis: If you don’t leave here soon after high school you will wind up being shot. Sadly, this has become a more truthful and sinister prognosis for young male residents perishing at a free-fall rate from our community due to senseless street violence. Now, it seems men and women, irrespective of gender or even race, are exposed to this cruel fate on an equal plane. In fact last weekend was a particularly violent one for the community, with eight people killed and 12 injured in a spree of violence that traversed the metro area and left many among us wondering when will the killing stop.

It’s going to take a cooperative effort by our government leaders, led by St. Louis Mayor

Tishaura

Columnist Ben Jealous

Guest Columnist Derrick Johnson

Guest Columnist Wesley Bell

Charter supports BFL through Community Assist program

St. Louis American staff

Charter employees teamed up with Better Family Life volunteers and staff to launch the Charter Spectrum Community Assist program on Sept. 18, 2021 The effort included painting, landscaping and light construction, and Charter’s investment will include a new smartboard, 25 laptops for a newly refurbished classroom and furniture. It was unveiled as the Spectrum Training and Technology Center.

Charter is also donating $50,000 to Better Family Life to support its career development programs. BFL is a nonprofit community service agency that provides short-term employment training programs, in-demand industry certifications, job placement and retention services, call center representative classes and micro loans for entrepreneurs looking to start their own small businesses.

“This is a great opportunity for the St. Louis region, and Better Family Life,” said Steve Ingram, BFL vice president of workforce development.

“Partnerships of this magnitude are essential

for small non-for-profits’ continued ability to provide innovative resources, and services to underserved communities especially as it pertains to technology,” said Ingram.

BFL is home to the first of 41 investments nationwide, which will total $30 million and impact more than 50,000 people in underserved communities.

“Community centers are hallmarks of our neighborhoods; people turn to these centers for support, shared experiences, and for help developing new job skills or finding employment,” said Rhonda Crichlow, senior vice president and chief diversity officer for Charter, which operates the Spectrum brand of internet, TV, mobile and voice services.

“Seven years ago, we set out to make a difference in our communities through Spectrum Housing Assist, which provided critical home repairs for low-income homeowners. Spectrum Community Assist is a natural evolution of that successful effort, extending our support for the communities we serve to local centers and organizations providing important programs and career development training.”

Community’s mental health needs ‘wrap-around’ approach

By Michelle Tucker

Turbulent times during the past year have placed a pronounced spotlight on the importance of mental health and related healthcare crises. Sunday, October 10, 2021, is World Mental Health Day, and an important time to highlight the importance of mental health for our community. With so many unique challenges facing Black, Indigenous, and People of Color [BIPOC] communities, including disproportionate impacts from the pandemic, racial tensions across the nation, and ongoing traumas that, for many, are carried from childhood through adulthood, it is imperative that our community has available and appropriate levels of support to help address these growing needs. Wrap-around approaches and partnerships are needed to maximize efforts as we aim to address these issues more fully.

According to Mental Health America, 16% (4.8 million) of Black and African American people reported having a mental illness, and 22.4% of those (1.1 million) reported a serious mental illness over the past year. Stigma and limited resources are often cited as prevalent reasons why Black people don’t seek necessary support, including access to culturally competent care.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health has noted the harsh impact of poverty on individuals’ mental wellbeing. Research has found that Black adults who live below the poverty line are more than twice as likely to report being in serious psychological distress compared to those with greater financial stability.

As we look closely at United Way’s Basic Living Measure and our recent Community Needs Assessment findings in the St. Louis region, we find that in typical economic times, 43% of all households do not have the monthly income to meet their basic needs (things like rent, utilities, food, medical expenses, transportation.) This falls disproportionately on Black people: In our region, 35% of Black people live in poverty, compared to 13.9% of white people.

Partnering with local nonprofits, we see firsthand how the burdens of poverty combine to form a crushing weight. This includes the inability to afford the basics needed to survive, such as food and a safe place to stay. There are tough choices, like paying for a critical medication or filling up the car’s gas tank to get to work. There’s the inability to stay ahead of it all, let alone to make investments to gain stability and prosperity, like post-secondary education. And for Black people, this couples with systemic inequities that limit day-to-day lives and long-term potential.

To maintain solid mental health, people need a strong foundation consisting of support systems and basic needs. The unique stresses of COVID-19 have further revealed gaps and clear opportunities for our region to better resource our efforts toward recovery and growth through a wide breadth of programs and services to address the varied challenges our neighbors face. Our community’s nonprofit safety net serves as a strong resource to help lift the burdens of poverty and assist on the journey to being physically and mentally well. This safety net helps people build or rebuild a solid foundation to stay healthy, access education, meet basic needs and become financially stable.

Our safety net supports are in place to help ensure that when people need food, shelter, care, counseling or respite, they know who to call to find help with everyday needs and during times of crisis. Our collective efforts provide individuals with the necessary tools to build brighter futures, such as obtaining a job with a livable wage and providing equitable economic opportunity.

Our community cannot thrive unless its people are thriving. By investing in our community’s nonprofit safety net, we can continue helping to address surrounding and underlying factors standing in the way of success for so many around us, including those struggling through mental health challenges.

If you or someone you know needs mental health resources, please dial 2-1-1 or visit 211helps.org to find local organizations and programs that can help.

Michelle Tucker is president and CEO of United Way of Greater St. Louis.

Aniyah Noble, 4, and Ari Nobile, 1, enjoy a cold drink during Sunday’s Taste of St. Louis in BallPark Village.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Steve Ingram It takes a village to deliver taste

Michelle Tucker

Marshall

Continued from A1

Soon enough, it was apparent that the individual had died, and Misha found herself expressing her anguish to a reporter from KMOV. “Why is this happening?” Misha asks the reporter. “Why is this happening in broad daylight? Why is this happening in my neighborhood?”

For the KMOV news crew, it was a compelling sound bite and few seconds of video to go along with the images of the crime scene, and a report that would go on to recount the shootings of eight individuals -- nearly all of them teenagers -- on the weekend of June 5-6 St. Louis. (As it turned out, the victim Misha saw was William Neering, age 37.)

Crime is not a novelty in the Columbus Square neighborhood. In the first half of 2021, police recorded four murders and 25 aggravated assaults, in a community with 2,000 residents.

And yet, to Misha and her family -- which includes her younger sister, Maya, her two children Jacobi and Maleah, and her parents, John and Cathy Marshall -- this summer’s crime wave came as a shock. The Marshalls have lived in Columbus Square for more than two decades since Misha was in high school. John and Cathy are among the few residents in the neighborhood who own their own home. John, now 76 and retired, remembers having to practically do handsprings to get a bank loan even though he had a good job at the Mallinckrodt Chemical Co. plant about two miles away. John used the loan to buy two units, and then combined them into a single home that is two stories with five bedrooms.

It was only last fall that Misha was saying she felt safe in her immediate neighbor-

Concert

Continued from A1

standard and original compositions arranged by Woodmore.

The event was envisioned by Professor Rebecca Messbarger, Director of Medical Humanities and cultural historian of medicine at Washington University. The memorial concert, Messbarger said, is designed to “remember and celebrate those who have died of the COVID-19 virus and bring solace to those mourning their loved ones.”

This is not a new space for Angela Kender, one of the memorial’s scheduled speakers. Kender lost her mother, Dr. Gaye Griffin-Snyder, to COVID last year. Kender, an only child, said her mother- “a rare type of human being”raised her to be “thankful for everything” and to always look out for those impacted by poverty, tragedy or circumstance.

hood, though she added she wouldn’t be “riding around with my windows down and my car unlocked at 2 o’clock in the morning.”

But with a homicide occurring only several steps from her front door, she has started to reconsider, asking herself: “What is happening?” Still, Misha won’t be moving. Instead, she focuses her attention on the roots of the problem. “People are angry. And I don’t know if it’s because of financial reasons. I don’t know if it’s because of the lack of opportunities. I don’t know if it’s because of mental health… How do we fix that? How do we create some type of peace?”

Speed bump

Though Misha has lived most of her life in Columbus Square there was a time when she lived in the Central West End, in a safer neighborhood. Her home was in the city’s 28th Ward then represented by Lyda Krewson, who would go on to become mayor. Safer perhaps, but uncomfortable. Maleah and Jacobi were only toddlers then and loved spending time at the neighborhood park across from their home. Misha noticed that cars would zoom past at an alarming speed. Misha remembers asking Krewson about the possibility of adding a speed bump next to the playground. Instead of expressing enthusiasm for the idea, Misha said Krewson responded: “We won’t be putting a speed bump over there. You just need to keep a better eye on your kids.”

Misha was taken aback. “You can watch your kids all you want, and someone can still hit them if they’re not stopping at a stop sign,” she said.

(I then called Krewson, who stated that she had no recollection of the conversation but was apologetic that Misha left feeling as though “her needs

of the coronavirus is its impact on grieving families.

Safety protocol, limited hospital and funeral gatherings, stay-at-home orders and curtailed memorial celebrations all affected people’s ability to gather and comfort one another communally or pay homage to the dead.

The “Requiem of Light” memorial will attempt to fill those voids. There, Kender will talk about her mother and her untimely death from COVID. Messbarger believes Kender’s story and others will accentuate the true meaning of the event:

“Public grief rituals or memorials are an ancient and near-universal response to death that proclaim the loss of life. For many of the recently deceased and grieving, their stories remain untold, the agony of their loss unrelieved.”

Motivated by her upbringing and what she perceived as inaction from politicians in the fight against the surging pandemic, Kender gathered stories from the families of COVID victims. With testimonials in hand, she traveled to Jefferson City during the August 2020 special session. At the Missouri State Capitol, Kender presented photos and real-life narratives of COVID victims. She shared the story of “Tim and Mary Ann,” who were married for 58 years before both contracted the disease and passed away within eight days of each other. There was the story of “Ricky,” a wife who contracted the disease from her husband. He recovered. Ricky did not.

“Father Edwards”’ story was among many that traveled with Kender. The pastor, who “loved to sing and include music into his liturgies” was also a victim of the pandemic.

“Nancy, Mitch, Mark, Kenneth, Ann, Bob, Gaye” and the stories of other COVID victims were shared so, Kender hoped, politicians could attach names, faces and families to legislation aimed at combating the disease. She is heartbroken that the personal stories didn’t stop politicians from politicizing the deadly pandemic.

One of the cruelest aspects

were not being met.” As a mother, Krewson stated that she understood wanting to keep your children safe. “I’m sorry that she felt like I didn’t take it seriously… I can definitely understand the problem.”)

Krewson lost a voter that day many years ago. It didn’t keep her from getting elected mayor in 2017 in a close race with Tishaura O. Jones. But now Jones is the mayor and that gives Misha some hope. “I’m excited to see an AfricanAmerican woman lead our city,” she said. “I feel like she’s going to do amazing things.” She finds hope, in the Biden administration’s effort to focus more attention on marginalized communities.

“I feel like we’re finally headed in the right direction as long as we continue to unify, work together, and do what we need to do as a country. [I’m tired of] living in two divided Americas.”

The transition from Trump to Biden also signaled a change in public health measures concerning the pandemic. Misha

with voices, not one is too small to hear… We will cherish all the memories and will not let their voices disappear.

is a medical technician and saw how COVID-19 landed unevenly on marginalized communities and at the clinic where she worked. But then quite suddenly it hit home.

COVID scare

One April evening, Jacobi came home from his valet parking job feeling fatigued. With only one look at him, Misha knew something was wrong. “Jacobi, I think you need to go get tested,” she said. They drove to an urgent care facility downtown. Within 15 minutes of their arrival, they learned Jacobi had tested positive for COVID. Given Jacobi’s age, 21, Misha figured he could simply stay quarantined and cope quite easily. But the next Jacobi woke up with more symptoms, muscle aches, loss of taste and smell, a high temperature, and, worst of all, trouble breathing. Each day, Misha double-masked, double-gloved, and donned protective goggles to take Jacobi’s vital signs.

Forget me not.”

Sylvester Brown Jr. is The St. Louis American’s inaugural Deaconess Fellow.

She checked his temperature, respiration, and heartbeat. His temperature tended to fluctuate, one day 103+ and the next 99. His breathing grew more labored, so much so that he could barely speak. His heart was racing as if he had run a marathon.

As the days passed without Jacobi getting better, she took him to the hospital. She found some reassurance when staff members told her Jacobi simply needed to rest and continue taking his medicine. He would not need to be admitted.

With two elderly parents and a disabled sister at home, helping Jacobi recover without putting anyone at risk was no easy feat for Misha. Jacobi had to deal with his own fears, not just for himself but for his grandparents. “I can’t imagine life without my grandparents… If they were to leave this world before God intended, it would be very upsetting for me.”

So the family went above and beyond to keep everyone safe. Any time Jacobi left the house for health checkups, Misha required that he used the back door of the house; the front door was closer to her parents and sister. Anytime he left his room, Misha wiped down each surface that he touched. All that rigor took a toll on Misha mentally and physically. But, Misha said, “he made it… And then it was almost like it didn’t happen.”

Before Jacobi’s diagnosis, Misha had intended to wait a while longer before pursuing a COVID vaccination. But after seeing Jacobi’s crippling illness first-hand, Misha decided to get vaccinated immediately. Maleah and Jacobi are now vaccinated as well. John, Cathy and Maya remain unvaccinated as they remain at home almost all the time.

Maleah initially was on the fence about the vaccine fearing side effects. But now says, “It’s for the protection of me, my family, and the people around me. Now, I can spend more

“Requiem of Light Memorial for St. Louisans Lost to Covid” is open to all. Seating is first come first serve on Art Hill and guests should

time with my family, and I don’t have to be so isolated.” As a healthcare worker, Misha is concerned about the patients she sees daily. Many are unvaccinated. “Some people feel like this is fake. And then you also have people, again, afraid of the unknown,” she said. “It’s going to take some time for us to get where we need to be.”

Hoops and firepits

With so much uncertainty, Misha has resolved to set a course for her own future. She wants to pursue a nursing degree, a goal she has put off again and again to care for others.

“I want to hurry up and get done with nursing school so that I can work on my own terms, do my own thing, my own way, and be able to take care of my sister,” she said. “I want to do things the way I want to… without having to jump through hoops and firepits.”

“I’ll be in school come January 2022, rain or shine, whatever I gotta do. If that means I got to be on the corner selling cupcakes and cookies and cake and pop… That’s what I’m going to do. I love what I do, and I love my patients and my families, but I want more for myself. By helping myself, I can learn to serve them better.”

Leyla Fern King is one of several storytellers for Before Ferguson Beyond Ferguson, a non-profit racial equity storytelling project. She is an alumna of John Burroughs School, and Cultural Leadership, a St. Louis-based program that brings together Jewish and African American students to learn about and address systems of oppression through the study of African American and Jewish history. King is currently a freshman at Indiana University.

bring their own chairs or blankets. The event starts at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2. More information is available at www. requiemoflight.com.

Woodmore, the author of the book, “Antigone in Ferguson: A Journey Through the Transformative Power of Music,” agrees.

“So many have lost loved ones and need the space to mourn, celebrate and talk about their loved ones. Music is transformative. When music is dropped into any situation, it creates a shift in the atmosphere. Using music when people are looking to find connections, to find answers… is life-changing, mind-changing and can lead to change.”

Rene Knott, host of KSDK’s “Today in St. Louis,” will serve as master of ceremonies. Community leaders including Mayor Tishaura Jones, Rev. Traci Blackmon, Rori Picker Neiss of the Jewish Community Relations Council and Thong Tarm, president of the OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates will speak at the memorial concert.

The evening’s event will end with the lighting of 3,000 lanterns around the waters of the Grand Basin. The ceremony, organizers say, is inspired by East Asian paper lantern festivals that commemorate the dead, “evoke the spirit of those lost and bring light and hope to those who remain.”

This thought, too, is addressed in Woodmore’s lyrics.

“When painting the sky

Misha Marshall’s son, Jacobi.

Misha Marshall’s daughter, Maleah

Urban League vaccine drive underway

“Taking Care of You”

Washington University School

Medicine’s

full-time Black professor of medicine poses with his portrait that now hangs in the school. He was the first Black house staff member and also its first Black resident.

Wash U. Med School’s

Aubrey Morrison honored

First full-time Black professor

By JoAnn Weaver The St. Louis American

To commemorate his years of service, the division of nephrology at the Washington University School of Medicine commissioned an artist to paint a portrait of Dr. Aubrey Morrison, its first full-time Black professor of medicine. It was unveiled on Thursday, Sept.

9, but will be hung later this year.

The portrait will be displayed in a prominent location near the Chromalloy American Kidney Dialysis Center, according to Wash U’s website.

Born and raised in Georgetown, Guyana, Morrison, emeritus professor of medicine in nephrology and internal medicine, opted to go to medical school in Dublin, Ireland.

After earning his medical degree from the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin and the University of London in 1970, Morrison came to Washington University through its rotating internship program and stayed to complete his residency and fellowships in nephrology (1975) and pharmacology (1978) at Barnes

By Dr. Denise Hooks-Anderson

Besides skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. Approximately 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Family history, being over 65, and being African American are all risk factors for prostate cancer.

Located just in front of the rectum and between the bladder and the penis is the walnut-sized prostate gland. The prostate produces secretions that help protect and maintain sperm. Urine is released from the body via the urethra which runs from the bladder through the prostate to the penis. The unique location of the prostate is the reason why, if it is enlarged, men can have problems with urinary issues such as hesitancy, night awakenings to urinate, and occasional dribbling.

The prostate produces a protein called PSA and this protein can be measured in the blood. Elevations in PSA can be indicative of prostate cancer, but it can also be associated with an enlarged prostate, called benign prostatic hypertrophy, BPH. Prostate enlargement is present in essentially all men over the age of 50. There are numerous medications that help relieve symptoms caused by BPH.

The FDA, Federal Drug and Administration, approved PSA as a screening test in 1994. Scientists and doctors were using it to screen for prostate cancer even before then, however. In the past, most doctors believed that a PSA greater than 4.0 indicated cancer. We now realize that cancer can be present even with levels below 4.0 and the opposite is also true as mentioned above in the examples of the enlarged prostate. Therefore, prostate cancer is not solely based on a one-time PSA level. There are newer calculations such as the Prostate Health Index or 4KScore that may be obtained following an abnormal initial PSA. A digital rectal exam and imaging studies such as ultrasound or MRI may also be utilized in

St. Louis County issues mask mandate as emergency rooms fill

COVID-19 drops Black life spans

By JoAnn Weaver

St. Louis American

The St. Louis County Department of Public Health issued a face coverings order effective Monday, Sept. 27. Face coverings are required to be worn by all individuals ages five and older while in indoor and enclosed public buildings, spaces, and public transportation in St. Louis County.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation’s (KFF) report, 70 percent of Black adults now report having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. This marks a significant change from earlier in the vaccination effort when Black adults were much less likely to report being vaccinated than white adults.

n “We don’t want to scare anybody away from the emergency department, but we want to make sure that people get to the best place to get tested or get the treatment they need.”

“KFF’s analysis of state data on vaccination rates by race and ethnicity suggests that, when looking at people of all ages including children who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated, white people continue to

A15

Dr. Aubrey Morrison, the

of

first

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

See ANDERSON, A15

The

Denise HooksAnderson, MD

“Taking Care of You”

Judge slaps down Schmitt’s attempt to block school mask mandates

By Tessa Weinberg Missouri Independent

School districts in the St. Louis area requiring students and staff to wear masks are hailing a Boone County judge’s ruling that hands Attorney General Eric Schmitt a defeat in his efforts to use the courts to block mask mandates.

Circuit Judge Brouck Jacobs denied Schmitt’s effort to use a single case, filed against Columbia Public Schools, to determine whether any district in the state can require face masks to control the spread of COVID19 in its buildings.

Spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark said Columbia schools are “thrilled” with Tuesday’s outcome.

Jacobs’ ruling signified he agreed with the district’s arguments that the attorney general’s office does not have the authority to enjoin all school districts for their individual decisions on mitigation measures in a single action.

n

“Today is a good day for Missouri.”

– Michelle Baumstark, Columbia Schools

Jacobs refused Schmitt’s request for class-action status, denied a motion for a preliminary injunction and turned down the Columbia school district’s effort to dismiss the case.

The result is that if Schmitt wants to challenge school mask rules, he will have to do so with individual cases against every district requiring them.

“The narrower route would be for you to pursue it in those districts,” Jacobs said.

The attorney general’s office, in a statement issued early Tuesday afternoon, found a victory in Jacobs’ decision not to dismiss the case.

Morrison

Continued from A14 Hospital.

He joined Wash U. as an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine on the tenure track in 1978.

“I have been at Wash U. for 51 years,” Morrison said. “I started as an intern in 1970 and have worked my way through the ranks to be a professor of medicine and developmental biology,” he said.

Morrison has made many significant contributions as a physician-scientist. As a trailblazer in the study of inflammatory processes in the body, his research has focused on chronic kidney disease.

“I think the department of medicine wanted to recognize my contributions and this portrait is a part of the most pow-

Mandate

Continued from A14 be vaccinated at higher rates than either Black or Hispanic people, although those gaps have narrowed over time,” the researchers wrote.

The pandemic has reduced the life span of Black males by an average of three years and has robbed Hispanic men of about 2.5 years, according to KFF.

“Today is a good day for Missouri,” Baumstark said in a statement.

The hearing in Columbia, which spanned nearly three hours, centered on whether school districts are subject to a new state law which limits the authority and scope of public health orders aimed at curbing the spread of a contagious disease.

Although he lost on the injunction applicable to every district, John Sauer, solicitor general, said the state will try again by seeking a preliminary injunction solely against Columbia schools.

“That’s something I will hear you all out on,” Jacobs said.

The district’s COVID-19 mitigation plan, including the mask rules, is not subject to the new state law, Natalie Hoernschemeyer, of Mickes O’Toole law firm, said as she

erful awards the department of medicine can actually extend to a faculty member,” Morrison said.

His research resulted in major contributions to the understanding of the role that COX-2 (an anti-inflammatory drug) plays in the body’s response to inflammation, according to the division of nephrology at Wash U. Morrison also recently received the 2021 Distinguished Graduate Award by the Association of Medical and Dental Graduates Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI).

“When I started here in 1970, I was the first Black house staff [member], then I became the first Black resident, and now I am the first full-time Black professor at the medical school,” Morrison said. “Now I am being honored with this painting, which will make me

argued on behalf of Columbia schools.

The district’s authority is clear, she said. It can use mitigation measures to check the

the first Black face that will be hung on a wall at Washington University Barnes Jewish Hospital.”

Being a pioneer in the medical field during a time of integration in Missouri came with a certain set of challenges for Morrison. He shared some of his experiences as a rotating intern at Barnes Hospital/ Washington University, in a Journal of the American Society of Nephrology article. They included staffers mistaking him for a courier instead of an intern on his first day. He also recalled a time when a white patient refused to let him examine her in 1972.

“The medical student first went in to examine the patient, then the intern,” Morrison said. “Then, when I went in, the patient responded to my questions, but when I said I needed to examine her, she refused.”

Dr. Edward Reinhard, the

Delta variant’s spread, she said, and that the attorney general’s office lacks standing to pursue the case.

Hoernschemeyer said the

attending physician, asked Morrison for his opinion of the patient, to which he responded that he could only give a partial opinion because she refused to be examined. According to Morrison, Reinhard called the patient and told her that she could find another doctor if she refused to cooperate.

Morrison decided to stay at the university instead of practicing medicine, although he did have contact with patients from time to time.

“I have been at WashU for a long time, and it has been really good to me,” Morrison said. “I am proud of my association with the institution.”

As a physician-scientist, Morrison has mentored many fellows and research scientists during his career.

Dr. Will Ross, associate dean for diversity and professor of medicine in the

to come in,” Poirer said.

St. Louis Public Schools teacher Audrey Hammock works with Walter Foster, 10, at Patrick Henry Downtown Academy while both are masked.

Public school districts can continue mask mandates after a Boone County judge shot down a legal effort by Attorney General Eric Schmitt to unilaterally end them.

internal rules — and not public health orders for the general public.

“School districts do not issue public health orders,” Hoernschemeyer said. “They never have.”

Even if the district was subject to the new law, the district followed the statute’s requirements, said Grant Wiens, also with Mickes O’Toole law firm.

Wiens outlined the various votes the Columbia Board of Education took to approve the district’s COVID-19 plan — which the attorney general’s office argued did not meet the 30-day timeline to renew mitigation measures under the law.

“You can’t extend something that’s already expired,” Sauer said.

Sauer also pushed back on the district’s other arguments, saying it was clear that issuing face mask requirements constitutes an “order.”

Sauer said the law doesn’t prevent mask mandates in schools, but merely establishes a process they must be implemented under.

“If you want to mask 19,000 school children,” he said, “you just got to go through this process.”

district was not subject to the new state law, in part, because schools are not “political subdivisions” under the law and that masking requirements are

nephrology department at Washington University School of Medicine, works closely with Morrison and commented on how the honor is well-deserved.

“I have been here for 25 years,” Ross said. “Dr. Morrison was my research mentor when I was a kidney fellow from 1987-1990.”

Ross met Morrison as a student at WashU in 1980, when he taught renal physiology.

“I was impressed because he was quite brilliant and skillful, but he reached out to me since I demonstrated an interest in nephrology,” Ross said. “While he’s been a top-notch physician-scientist, his main responsibility has been to mentor faculty who have an interest in medicine and science.”

Morrison mentors faculty through the Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program, which provides

Jacobs also denied the ACLU of Missouri’s motion to intervene on behalf of children with disabilities that the advocacy organization argued are not adequately represented in the case.

research awards to underrepresented faculty.

Moreover, Ross talked about how Morrison is a pioneer that helped pave the way for a new generation of medical professionals.

“He’s a pioneer who really doesn’t talk about the challenges he faced as a Black man in medicine in the ‘70s,” Ross said.

“Just like the civil rights leaders we extol in the ‘60s, people who know they are doing something larger, they take the blows because they know they’re doing something that would benefit the next generation.

“It’s certainly going to inspire countless faculty, physicians and medical students of color who will walk down the stairs and look up and see this remarkable individual and they will be inspired to make similar contributions to society.”

Black females have seen a more than a 2-year reduction in their average lifespan because of the pandemic. In contrast, Hispanic females fared better by losing slightly less than their African American peers. The life expectancy for white males and females decreased by just over one year.

Dr. Clay Dunagan said 80% of new cases that require hospitalization are unvaccinated individuals during the St. Louis Pandemic Task Force briefing on Tuesday, Sept. 28. According to the St. Louis Pandemic Task Force, the average for positive COVID cases on record is 437 people from daily net hospitalizations; the seven-day moving average is 447.

Dr. Robert Poirier, Washington University emergency medicine physician, talked about what healthcare

Continued from A14

determining a diagnosis.

Black men are 60% more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer, more likely to have a higher tumor grade upon diagnosis, and they are more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age. There have been some genes identified in Black men that increase their risk, but this gene is absent in most Black men with prostate cancer. More research is needed in this area. Socioeconomic factors play a huge part in this cancer disparity. Black men are more likely to be uninsured or underinsured which then

providers are facing across the St. Louis region.

“Lately the local emergency departments have been running pretty full, and signs that aren’t COVID are popping up here,” Poirer said. “We are seeing increased cases of the common cold virus, the RINO viruses, and others besides COVID.”

Poirer talked about how consulting with a primary health physician or getting a COVID test from a clinic can help free up space in emergency rooms across the St. Louis region.

“The emergency departments have been seeing a lot of people that have lacerations, broken bones and strokes so emergency cases are continuing

“The hospital’s patient side is running full, which backs up the emergency department as we wait for beds for people to be admitted. It provides us less capacity for us to see a high volume of patients coming to the emergency department.”

There are many COVID testing options available if you think you have symptoms. However, visiting the emergency room should be a last resort.

“If you were exposed to COVID, are showing symptoms and want to get tested for COVID, it’s best not to come to the emergency department,” Poirer said.

n Black men are 60% more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer (and) more likely to have a higher tumor grade upon diagnosis.

results in delays in screenings and treatment. It has also been shown that Black patients often are not aware of the multitude of options available to

“Some people come to us, thinking they can get a test right away and know their test results within a few hours, but in the emergency departments, we don’t have those kinds of testing resources.”

Local doctors advise people concerned about COVID symptoms should consult with their primary care doctor, a pediatrician, or a local health clinic like Affinia or STLHealthcare.

“If you have moderate to severe symptoms, that’s when you would want to come to the emergency room, which includes shortness of breath, trouble breathing, significant nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea,” Poirer said.

them regarding cancer care. Education is another component that contributes a crucial dynamic within the outcome paradigm of prostate cancer for Black men.

Moreover, Poirer talked about how families should have emergency plans in place for when children get sick and must miss school or when an adult gets sick and must miss work.

“A lot of kids right now are being sent home from school and parents want to take them to the emergency department,” Poirer said. “If they’re just having mild symptoms, it’s better to go to your pediatrician or local available clinics if they just need the test.”

“We don’t want to scare anybody away from the emergency department, but we want to make sure that people get to the best place to get tested or get the treatment they need.”

The American Cancer Society and other organizations agree that the discussion regarding prostate cancer screening should begin at age 45 for Black men. This early discussion allows the provider and patient to make informed decisions that are appropriate for that patient. Disease burdens are different for certain groups of people and as a society we must acknowledge that fact and fervently work to ascertain the reasons for such disparities.

Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D., FAAFP is an associate Professor, SLUCare Family Medicine and interim assistant dean of Diversity Equity and Inclusion

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

St. Louis American wins 33 awards from Missouri Press

Includes first place for general excellence and the top award for advertising excellence

By K. Michael Jones St. Louis American

The St. Louis American won 33 statewide awards in a statewide competition against newspapers with a circulation of 5,000 or more, from Missouri Press Association in its 2021 Better Newspaper Contest. The awards include the first place award for general excellence, which The American has won seven times now. Each year, a different state press association judges the competition. This year, it was the Texas Press Association.

The St. Louis American won 10 first place awards, 10 second place awards, nine third place awards and four honorable mentions. Regarding the general excellence award, judges stated “The St. Louis American stands out for its thorough coverage of its community, with strong editorial stands, an excellent Your Health Matters section, and lots of relevant content.”

The St. Louis American also won first place from the Missouri Press Advertising & Marketing Executives association for ‘Best Ad Content – Entire Publication’ for all weeklies and dailies in the entire state of Missouri. Earlier this year, The American was the recipient of the Russwurm Award, naming it the top African-American newspaper in the nation, by the National Newspaper Publishers’ Association.

“This is an affirmation of

the journalism quality of our mission-driven work that is achieved by a total team effort, from the reception desk to our news room, sales department, design team, accounting and administrative staff,” said Donald M. Suggs, publish er and executive editor of The St. Louis American “We couldn’t be more proud. We don’t take these awards lightly. These accolades from industry professionals are a testament to the consistent, professional, work we strive to provide for our community.”

Love)

* Best Sports Feature Story (Earl Austin, Jr. remembers Wes Unseld)

The St. Louis American won 10 first place awards from Missouri Press, including:

* General Excellence (the seventh time The American has won this first place award)

* Best Local Business Coverage

* Community Service (for its Salute to Excellence annual programs)

* Best News About History (Kenya Vaughn’s piece on the Hyers Sisters)

* Best Sports Package (The American’s special section on the life of Cardinals’ Lou Brock)

* Best Sports Columnist (Alvin A. Reid, his third time winning this award)

* Best Sports Photo (Wiley Price’s photo of athlete Caleb

* Best Video (Rebeca Rivas’ video on Salute awardee Dr. Punch)

* Best News or Feature Obituary (Kenya Vaughn & Chris King’s piece on Chadwick Boseman)

Second place awards include:

* Best Video (Rebecca Rivas’ video on Salute awardee Dr. Turner)

* Best Sports Columnist (Earl Austin, Jr.)

* Multi-Media Reporting (The American’s coverage in print/ video and online of US. Rep. Cori Bush)

* Best Newspaper In Education Project (The American’s 36-week STEM education page)

* Best Headline Writing (staff)

* Best Newspaper or Feature Obituary (Kenya Vaughn & Chris King’s piece on Wayman Smith)

* Best Investigative Reporting (Rebecca Rivas’ piece on minority inclusion at County morgue)

* Best Page Design (Mike Terhaar’s cover of The American’s Business page)

* Best Overall Design (Mike Terhaar and Melvin Moore)

* Best Feature Photograph (Wiley Price’s Little Drummer

from the Annie Malone Parade)

Third place awards include:

* Best Online Newspaper or Website (stlamerican.com)

* Best Sports Pages

* Best Editorial Pages

* Best Investigative Reporting (Rebecca Rivas’ piece on Mike Avery’s federal case)

* Best Story About the Outdoors (Sophie Hurwitz’s piece on billboards removed from a cemetery)

* Best Story About Education (Rebecca Rivas’ piece titled Feeding Students)

* Best Page Design (Melvin Moore’s cover of the Living It section)

* Best Photo Package (Wiley Price’s titled Ferguson in a time of George Floyd)

* Best Front Page (Mike Terhaar)

Continued from A1

Welling said an inspiring aspect of Daniels’ presence in the community is her consistency: some weeks, she works with a large support team, and other weeks she only has a few people. Daniels herself, however, seems to be omnipresent. Welling said the common denominator in the work is always herself.

In addition to its meal preparation and delivery work, PotBangerz, with the political support of U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, was approved for a $165,300 grant to open an inclusive (four to six-month) transitional house called Mildred’s Casa de Paz in Pine Lawn in August. The house will also offer job training for women, including cisgender, queer, and transgender women.

In addition, Mildred’s Casa de Paz is partnering with local organizations that offer placement assistance, counseling, transportation, medical referrals, and information regarding life skills.

During her farewell, Daniels donned continental Africa earrings and described herself to the audience as a humanitarian activist, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. As the community says goodbye to the beloved activist, she reminds everyone that once you become aware of the issues, turning a blind eye is not an option. Daniels said the concept of

Officers

Continued from A1 demanding the three officers involved be fired and criminally charged.

“When they released their K-9 dogs upon this person, even though he was in custody, it was reminiscent of the days where these K-9 dogs were released upon our people during the civil rights era as we sought justice throughout America,” said Zaki Baruti, president of the Universal African People’s Organization.

On Facebook, the Reverend Darryl Gray denounced the officers’ actions, likening them to the atrocities committed during the civil rights protests.

“Police violence will not go unchallenged in this state,” Gray, a well-known activist, wrote. “The actions of the Woodson Terrace police were reminiscent of the racist tactics used by police during the civil rights protests.”

In a lengthy Facebook post just hours after the attack, Woodson Terrace police released their narrative of what happened. They said officers were responding to a trespassing call in which the caller said

feeding the unhoused while also speaking on the fight for justice, came to her as she joined the community rallying in frustration and grief after the “murder” of Michael Brown in 2014. She began to bring food to the protesters, and has never stopped “feeding the movement.”

“In one day, I saw her prepare a reception for Ferguson’s first female African American Mayor Ella Jones, find a domestic abuse victim a room, and finish the day by preparing the PotBangerz meal for hundreds of people,” Welling said.

Daniels’ inspiring story sheds light on life’s struggles and triumphs, as she has travelled across the country creating community wherever she goes. She was born in Harlem, New York and raised in the Bronx. In adulthood, she moved around the country and was unhoused in 1989 with three kids, which brought her the strong empathy for the struggles of unhoused people she still carries.

She later met Perez, a St. Louis native and retired sailor, who became her husband. Perez, whom Theo refers to as Mama Cat’s best friend, is supportive of her community missions in his hometown.

Daniels said she will bring her family to Jacksonville, along with her PotBangerz mission of aiding the unhoused.

“Even though I’m moving, I’m still here for the fight,” Mama Cat said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

When thinking about the

a person was refusing to leave their business. That person eventually left the premises, police wrote, and officers found the man walking nearby. Police wrote that the man appeared to be under the influence of drugs, threatened to kill the officers and resisted arrest — at one point walking into rush hour traffic on Woodson Road.

The post goes on to say the K-9 was used to gain control of the man several times before they were able to handcuff him. They wrote that the man initially refused medical treatment but then later was taken to a hospital.

The police said they found “suspected methamphetamine” on the man after he was arrested.

However, a now viral video of the incident taken by onlookers shows the man leaning over the hood of a car with three officers surrounding him. The first time the police dog is let loose on him, the man does not run but rather remains about in the same place as the dog bites his feet and he screams for help. About a minute into the video, police get the man on the ground after the first time they sicced the K-9 on him.

long-term future of Potbangerz, she spoke with conviction, “Hopefully, there won’t be a need for PotBangerz, and we got to work toward that,” Daniels said.

Welling shared what he

The dog continues to bite the man while he’s face down on the ground while two police officers hold his hands behind his back.

The man manages to get up off the ground and attempts to run and the K-9 officer lets go of the dog’s leash to let the animal chase after him. The man takes a few steps before the dog gets hold of his leg and the man is back on the ground again. The dog is then allowed

found compelling about Daniels from their first encounters. “I was struck by the fact that not only did she remember me, but she remembered the context of our first meeting,”

to continue biting the man for another 30 seconds after falling to the ground.

Two of the officers again then appear to restrain the man, who is face down on the ground. The dog is put away in a vehicle and it appears the three officers have the man in custody. He can then be seen limping after officers help him to his feet and into the back of a police car.

While there’s no national

A portrait of Cathy “Mama Cat” Daniels is one of many in the exhibition “Mama Cat: Works in Progress” by Theo Welling at the May Gallery of Webster University, extended until Oct. 1, 2021.

with the day. Not Mama Cat: she remembers, learns their name, thinks about them, finds how she can help, then follows through,” he said.

As a proud military mother and wife, Daniels said her motto is to work within the system while also fiercely advocating for change.

“We deal with homelessness, and we deal with injustice. It is everywhere. I knew when I came to St. Louis, there would be more work required than other places,” said Daniels, referring to the racial tension.

What humbles Daniels and gives her the will to continue pushing for change is simply her identity and all that she’s overcome.

“I’m ever mindful of the fact that I’m a Black woman in America,” she said.

Daniels said the most significant takeaway is not uniformity but embracing individual skills.

“I am trying to lay the groundwork,” Daniels said.

“Everybody’s role in the movement is not just to be on the street. We all got a job, and we have to live in our purpose. I am trying to lift those with the least among us.”

Welling said. “I learned that Mama Cat seems to remember everyone she’s ever met, which I believe is one of the many driving forces in her efforts. For most of us, we might see a person in need and just go on

database recording police dog bites and other attacks, The Marshall Project found bites in nearly every state, though numbers vary widely by city.

For instance, the report found that in Chicago police almost never deploy dogs, having recorded only one incident from 2017 to 2019. But in Indianapolis, police recorded more than 220 bites in the same time period — more than Washington D.C., Seattle, New

Welling and Daniels shared that there might be a book in the future which is currently in the infancy stages. The exhibition “Mama Cat: Works in Progress” at the May Gallery of Webster University has been extended to Friday., Oct. 1, 2021.

York and Jacksonville, Florida, combined. Los Angeles reported more than 200 bites or dog-related injuries in that time.

Woodson Terrace is a small city just across Interstate 70 from St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Its police department is made up of 18 sworn offices and, as of 2019, the city has a population of just over 4,000 people.

Photo by Theo Welling

PRESENT:

PRESENT:

Nutrition Challenge:

Nutrition Challenge:

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

Dining Out.

Fall Foods!

What Is ASize?Serving

GRAINS

Keep ‘em Whole!

The Smart Way!

Warm Up & Cool Down

Do This. Not That!

First Day of Spring!

Exercise Game

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

Last week we celebrated the first day of fall — and with that comes fall fruits and vegetables! Some things in season now are pumpkin, apples, squash and pears.

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

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

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

Tech-Neck

can be dangerous for several different reasons.

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

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

Let’s make a game out of exercise!

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

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.

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

Healthy Kids HealthyKids

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

HealthyKids

Healthy Kids HealthyKids

HealthyKids

those leftovers for lunch the next day!

are popcorn, wheatberries, brown rice and wild rice.

Cocoa Puffers Cereal

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

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

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

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

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

INGREDIENTS:

> Start by substituting one drink per day to water.

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

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

Weekly Newspaper in Education Program

Melissa Douglass, MSW

Latoya Woods, DNP, APRN, FNP-C

Deborah Edwards, School Nurse

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

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?

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

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

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

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

Learning Standards:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(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!

Instead of watching TV — ride your bike with friends.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

and breathing. You want to have fun, but it’s also a great way to help keep your heart, lungs and body healthy. Make a list of your favorite 10 activities to do outdoors. Compare your list with your classmates and create a chart to see what are the most popular.

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

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

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

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

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

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1

Learning Standards:

> What to do if you see someone else bullied.

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

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

Healthier Cheese Stix

Ingredients:

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

Cracker-wiches

> What to do if YOU are the bully

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

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

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

> How bullying hurts others.

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

> What to do if you are bullied.

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

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

6 Mozzarella String cheese sticks

½ Cp. Panko breadcrumbs

1 Large Egg (mixed with a fork)

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

Ingredients:

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

Frozen Yogurt Blueberry Bites

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

Ingredients:

1 15-Oz Can Garbanzo beans

1 cup blueberries

> What other ice hazards are there?

Learning Standards:

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

1 cup non-fat Greek Yogurt

1 Garlic clove, crushed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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).

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 4

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What is your favorite part of the job you have? Many chronic health conditions (diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure) are preventable, and early detection is key. Thus my favorite part of the job is partnering with patients to establish and manage a plan to help them each live a long and healthy life. Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

enjoyed educating people and providing exceptional care. During this pandemic, there are a lot of unanswered questions. People seem to need support and care like never before. We need to work together and trust the science to get well as a community. I enjoy being a part of a team working to heal the community! What is your favorite part of the job you have? One thing I love is educating the patients. They come to see me with a problem; I work with them on a plan that works for them. No two people are exactly the same, but the process lets us determine how to provide the best care to each patient with similar problems or conditions.

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

What is your favorite part of the job you have?

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

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

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

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

Learning Standards: HPE 6, NH 3

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

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

Yonniece Rose, Registered Nurse

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

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

At the 2021 St. Louis American’s Summer Science Academy, Boeing scientists help students with a project that tested their own engineering skills.

Students in Ms. Rhonda Stovall’s (Ed.S.) class enjoy learning in the Science Enrichment Lab. Fifth grade Students Shann Hopson, Dylan Hamilton, Carl Brown and Fosiyo Abdi are investigating the physical and chemical properties of matter.

Photo by Rhonda Stovall

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

SCIENCE CORNER How Do Tectonic Plates Work ?

The Earth has a top layer of crust covered by giant pieces which are called tectonic plates. These plates are varying sizes and move at a very slow pace, about 2 cm to 10 cm per year, in varying directions. Oceanic plates are located under the ocean and continental plates are located under continents.

SCIENCE STARS

AFRICAN AMERICAN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY MAKER: Lisa P. Jackson

AFRICAN-AMERICAN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY MAKER:

AFRICAN-AMERICAN MATHEMATICIAN AND NEUROPHYSIOLOGIST:

Lisa P. Jackson

Emery Neal Brown

Lisa P. Jackson was born on February 8, 1962, and was raised by her adoptive family in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1979, she graduated as valedictorian from St. Mary’s Dominican High School. She received a scholarship from Shell Oil Company and used it to attend Tulane University, where she graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1983. Three years later, she received her master’s degree in chemical engineering from Princeton University.

Lisa P. Jackson was born on February 8, 1962, and was raised by her adoptive family in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1979, she graduated as valedictorian from St. Mary’s Dominican High School. She received a scholarship from Shell Oil Company and used it to attend Tulane University, where she graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1983. Three years later, she received her master’s degree in chemical engineering from Princeton University.

What Is Nutrition For The Brain ?

SCIENCE CORNER HowDoTectonicPlatesWork?

The Earth has a top layer of crust covered by giant pieces which are called tectonic plates. These plates are varying sizes and move at a very slow pace, about 2 cm to 10 cm per year, in varying directions. Oceanic plates are located under the ocean and continental plates are located under continents.

Boundaries are the places where the plates meet. New crust forms at the boundaries and the old crust is returned to the core to be melted again. This cycle takes about 100 million years to complete. Divergent boundaries are formed when plates move away from each other. The top layer of crust breaks apart and falls in to the second layer, creating a rift. Convergent boundaries are

Boundaries are the places where the plates meet. New crust forms at the boundaries and the old crust is returned to the core to be melted again. This cycle takes about 100 million years to complete. Divergent boundaries are formed when plates move away from each other. The top layer of crust breaks apart and falls in to the second layer, creating a rift. Convergent boundaries are

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

In this experiment, you will see plate tectonics in action, on a smaller scale.

Dr. Brown was a neurophysiologist who studied the brain. To picture the size and shape of your brain, place two fists together with your inner wrists touching. The brain is grayish in color and soft, composed mostly of fat and water. Neurons are brain cells that control thinking, learning, and feeling; there are over 100 billion of them in the brain! Neurons are shaped like an open hand with the fingers spread. Dendrites are represented by the fingers. Dendrites receive information from other neurons and send them through the axon to another neuron. In order for this transfer of information to move quickly and smoothly, you need proper nutrition.

Materials Needed:

1 Candy Bar Per Student (must contain layers, i.e., Snickers, Milky Way, Twix) • Plastic Knife

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

Process:

What does your brain need to function effectively?

q Healthy fats found in fish, nuts, and seeds.

w Protein found in lean meats and beans.

formed when two plates push against each other. One plate is pushed upward causing mountain ranges or volcanoes to form. The other plate is forced downward, where it will eventually sink into the core and melt. Earthquakes occur along these boundaries. Two plates sliding against each other as they move in different directions is called transform boundaries. As they slide past each other, neither plate is destroyed or pushed up or down. Instead, the movement causes energy to build up which may later be released as earthquakes.

Emery Neal Brown was born in Ocala, Florida, in 1957. Both of his parents were math teachers. In 1974, he graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy. Four years later, he graduated magna cum laude (meaning with great distinction and honor) from Harvard College with a degree in applied mathematics. After working as a fellow at Institut Fourier des Mathematiques Pures in France, Brown returned to Harvard Medical School to earn his master’s and doctorate degrees in statistics.

e Carbohydrates found in whole grains, such as brown rice.

r B vitamins found in dark, leafy greens.

t Calcium found in milk and yogurt.

For More Information, Visit: http://www.kidsgeo.com/geology-forkids/0043-plate-tectonics.php.

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

One of the most important nutritional needs is water. The brain is made of 75% water. When you do not drink enough water, the brain becomes dehydrated and the neurons, dendrites, and axons do not function efficiently. Remember… good nutrition is not only good for your body, it is also important for your mind.

formed when two plates push against each other. One plate is pushed upward causing mountain ranges or volcanoes to form. The other plate is forced downward, where it will eventually sink into the core and melt. Earthquakes occur along these boundaries. Two plates sliding against each other as they move in different directions is called transform boundaries. As they slide past each other, neither plate is destroyed or pushed up or down. Instead, the movement causes energy to build up which may later be released as earthquakes.

In 1988, Brown completed his internship in internal medicine at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Four years later, he completed his residency in anesthesiology (giving patients medicine to put them to sleep before a surgery or procedure) at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).

Jackson began working with Clean Sites, a non-profit organization that cleaned up hazardous waste sites. Inspired by this work, she began a fifteen-year employment with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In 2002, she started work with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy. Four years later, Governor Jon Corzine appointed her as the New Jersey Commissioner of Environmental Protection. With her leadership, there was an end to bear hunting in New Jersey, and a plan to reduce carbon emissions by 20% by 2020 was implemented. In 2008, the Governor of New Jersey appointed Jackson to Chief of Staff. In December of the same year, President Barack Obama appointed Jackson to serve as the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. She was the first African American to hold this position.

For More Information About The Environmental Protection Agency, Visit: www.epa.gov.

Discuss: Mrs. Jackson graduated as valedictorian of her high school. What is a valedictorian? What do you think she had to do to become valedictorian?

Jackson began working with Clean Sites, a non-profit organization that cleaned up hazardous waste sites. Inspired by this work, she began a fifteen-year employment with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In 2002, she started work with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy. Four years later, Governor Jon Corzine appointed her as the New Jersey Commissioner of Environmental Protection. With her leadership, there was an end to bear hunting in New Jersey, and a plan to reduce carbon emissions by 20% by 2020 was implemented. In 2008, the Governor of New Jersey appointed Jackson to Chief of Staff. In December of the same year, President Barack Obama appointed Jackson to serve as the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. She was the first African American to hold this position.

Mrs. Jackson received her degrees in mechanical and chemical engineering, but she is mostly known for her work in environmental policy. What strengths do you think a background in science gave her in her approach to environmental policy?

Next, he joined the anesthesiology staff in the Department of Anesthesia at MGH, and the faculty at Harvard Medical School as an instructor. In 1999, he joined the faculty of Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he was a professor of computational neuroscience and professor of health and sciences. Brown is well known internationally for his use of math to study neuroimaging. He was able to see how the brain transfers information and how the brain responds during anesthesia.

For More Information About The Environmental Protection Agency, Visit: www.epa.gov.

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

Materials Needed:

For More Information, Visit: http://www.kidsgeo.com/geology-forkids/0043-plate-tectonics.php.

Conduct with Spoons!

q Use the plastic knife to make cracks in the chocolate. These cracks represent fault lines.

In this experiment, you will see plate tectonics in action, on a smaller scale.

1 Candy Bar Per Student (must contain layers, i.e., Snickers, Milky Way, Twix) • Plastic Knife

Conduction is the transfer of heat from one material to another through direct contact. Heat spreads through some materials better than others. In this experiment, the spoon that loses its bead first is the best conductor.

Materials Needed:

w Use your candy bar to represent the tectonic movement of tension: pull the ends of the candy bar apart. How does this affect your fault lines?

MATH CONNECTION

Tall Glasses • Plastic Beads

Spoon • Metal Spoon • Drinking Straw

Process:

As an environmental scientist, Lisa P. Jackson is concerned about recycling. Use your math skills to answer these recycling word problems.

Water • Butter or Margarine

Recycle word problems! Candy Bar Plate Tectonics!

e Use your candy bar to represent the tectonic movement of compression: push the ends of the candy bar together. How does this affect your fault line? r Use your candy bar to represent the tectonic movement of shearing: move the two halves of the candy bar opposite one another. How does this affect your fault line?

Learning Standards: I can read a nonfiction text to find the claim (main idea) and evidence (supporting details).

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

Evaluate: Which type of movement is responsible for rifts? Which type of movement is responsible for mountains? Which type of movement is responsible for earthquakes? Learning Standards: I can follow directions to complete an experiment. I can make deductions from my observations.

q Janell collected 36 aluminum cans; Garrett collected 8 more than Janell. How many did they collect all together? __________

MATH CONNECTION

q Use the plastic knife to make cracks in the chocolate. These cracks represent fault lines.

e Use your candy bar to represent the tectonic movement of compression: push the ends of the candy bar together. How does this affect your fault line?

q Use the butter to stick a bead to the end of each of the spoons and the straw. w Stand them upright in the glasses. e Pour hot water in so it covers the bottom third of each spoon/straw. Observe what happens to the beads over the next few minutes.

Describe the process of conduction in this experiment. Which type of spoon was the best conductor? Why? I can follow sequential directions to complete an experiment. I can analyze results.

r Use your candy bar to represent the tectonic movement of shearing: move the two halves of the candy bar opposite one another. How does this affect your fault line?

Sharpen Your Brain with math!

w Use your candy bar to represent the tectonic movement of tension: pull the ends of the candy bar apart. How does this affect your fault lines?

w Andrea decided to recycle newspapers. The first week, she received 6 bundles from her neighbors. The second week, she collected 9 bundles. The third week, she collected 12. How many bundles did she collect altogether? ________ If she continues to increase the number

Dr. Emery Neal Brown applies statistics to his studies of the brain (neurophysiology). Statistics involve collecting, organizing, and analyzing data. Complete these math activities to sharpen your statistic skills.

Activity One:

DID YOU KNOW?

in the solar system with tectonic plates.

As an environmental scientist, Lisa P. Jackson is concerned about recycling. Use your math skills to answer these recycling word problems.

his customers for their favorite pizza topping. Look at this pie chart to analyze favorite pizza toppings. Which topping was the most popular? Which was the least popular?

There are around 30 tectonic plates, the largest being the Pacific Plate.

q Janell collected 36 aluminum cans; Garrett collected 8 more than Janell. How many did they collect all together? __________

w Andrea decided to recycle newspapers. The first week, she received 6 bundles from her neighbors. The second week, she collected 9 bundles. The third week, she collected 12. How many bundles did she collect altogether? ________ If she continues to increase the number

Activity Two: The prices of 4 different shirts at a store are $10.99, $9.99, $14.99, and $19.99. What is the range in prices of these shirts? ___________ What is the average price? _________________

Activity Three: Jake earned a 95, 92, 88, and 89 on his latest science exams. What is his average score for these 4 tests? __________

DID YOU KNOW?

Neuropsychopharmacology,

There are around 30 tectonic plates, the largest being the Pacific Plate.

of bundles at the same rate per week, how many will she collect in one month? ____________ e Heather, Maria, and Donald decided to save gasoline by helping their parents set up a ShareA-Ride carpool for daily rides to work. They saved 12 gallons of gas each day for 5 days. How many gallons did they save in one work week? _________ How much can they save per month? ________ How much can they save per year? _______ Learning Standards: I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a problem.

Evaluate: Which type of movement is responsible for rifts? Which type of movement is responsible for mountains? Which type of movement is responsible for earthquakes? Learning Standards: I can follow directions to complete an experiment. I can make deductions from my observations.

Activity Four: The average daily temperatures in degrees over one week were 40, 44, 50, 38, 58, 42, and 39, respectively. What is the range of temperatures? _______ What is the average temperature? __________________

Tectonic plates move on average at the same speed as fingernail growth.

Scientists are now able to track the movements of tectonic plates using GPS.

Activity Five: Survey your classmates to determine their favorite fruit. Create a bar graph to display the results of your research. _________

Want More Statistic Fun? Check Out: http://www.onlinemathlearning.com/statisticsgames.html

Learning Standards: I can collect and analyze data.

of bundles at the same rate per week, how many will she collect in one month? ____________ e Heather, Maria, and Donald decided to save gasoline by helping their parents set up a ShareA-Ride carpool for daily rides to work. They saved 6 gallons of gas each day for 5 days. How many gallons did they save in one work week? _________ How much can they save per month? ________ How much can they save per year? _______

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

Information travels

If you could harness the power used by your brain, you could power a 10watt light bulb.

speeds

Transmission

plates move on average at the same speed as fingernail growth.

as 0.5 meters/sec or as fast as 120 meters/sec.

Learning Standards: I can read a biography about a person who has made an impact in the field of science, technology, or mathematics.

Discuss: Mrs. Jackson graduated as valedictorian of her high school. What is a valedictorian? What do you think she had to do to become valedictorian?

MAP CORNER

Use the newspaper to complete these activities to sharpen your skills for the MAP test.

Activity One — That Can Be Recycled: Recycling is an easy and effective way to preserve resources. Use the newspaper to locate items that can and cannot be recycled. For the items that cannot be recycled, list ways that you can use this item or an alternate item to preserve resources.

Mrs. Jackson received her degrees in mechanical and chemical engineering, but she is mostly known for her work in environmental policy. What strengths do you think a background in science gave her in her approach to environmental policy?

Learning Standards: I can read a biography about a person who has made an impact in the fields of science, technology, or mathematics.

Brown is one of the most cited African-American mathematicians. In 2000, he won the National Science Foundation (NSF) Minority Career Advancement Award and also a National Institute of Mental Health Independent Scientist Award. In 2007, he won the National Institute of Health Director’s Pioneer Award. He is a fellow of several organizations, including the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the American Statistical Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Brown is also a member of the National Academy of Science and the Institute of Medicine.

Discuss:

q What part of Dr. Brown’s story do you find most

MAP CORNER

w How would you describe him?

Learning Standards: I can read a biography to learn about a person who has made contributions in the field of science and mathematics.

Use the newspaper to complete these activities to sharpen your skills for the MAP test.

Activity Two — Newspaper Road Map: With a partner, choose a news

Activity One — That Can Be Recycled:

MAP CORNER

Use the newspaper to complete these activities:

Activity One — Writing for Different

Purposes:

Recycling is an easy and effective way to preserve resources. Use the newspaper to locate items that can and cannot be recycled. For the items that cannot be recycled, list ways that you can use this item or an alternate item to preserve resources.

Write a personal letter, business letter, letter to the editor, postcard, and email message about one topic featured in the newspaper. How does your writing style change with the mode of writing and intended audience? You can also write thank you notes, sympathy messages, invitations, or other personal correspondence based on topics in the newspaper.

Activity Two — Who Am I?

Riddles: Fold a piece of paper in half. On the outside flap, write a riddle about a character/person featured in the newspaper. Paste the article on the inside, and share your riddle with your classmates. They will use their newspaper to solve the riddle.

Iloveto“rescue” homelesscats anddogs.WhoAmI?

Activity Two — Newspaper Road Map: With a partner, choose a news story to be your make believe road map. Both of you cut the story from separate newspapers. Your starting point will be the first word. Your partner will give you cardinal directions (ex: two words east, 4 lines south, 1 word west, etc.) while your partner also navigates the route. When he/she says, “stop,” compare your maps. Choose another article so you can give your partner directions. Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can follow cardinal directions. I can classify items that can and cannot be recycled.

Learning Standards: I can write for various purposes and audiences. I can make deductions and inferences to solve a riddle.

Teachers, if you are using the St. Louis American’s NIE program and would like to nominate your

seems to be the only planet in the solar system with tectonic plates.

Tectonic

sPonsored Content

BJC’s largest investment

BJC Campus Renewal

Project

enhances infrastructure, collaborative partnerships, career opportunities

The latest phases of the project will extend for the next four to five years. As BJC’s largest community investment thus far, overall, the Campus Renewal focuses on improving the patient and family experience from both a clinical and campus perspective, with additional private inpatient rooms and easier access and parking around the entire campus.

By Art McCoy STL.works Leader

With over 30,000 employees in 15 hospitals and multiple community health locations, BJC HealthCare is Missouri’s largest non-profit provider of unreimbursed care and among the largest private employers in the St. Louis region. Having over 2,100 BJC Career postings to date, BJC is committed to recruiting, training, hiring, and supporting a diverse workforce to provide award-winning, world-class health services. Yet, BJC’s impact extends well beyond health care, even into design, engineering, construction, and the trades.

Since 2012, vast transformations have occurred through the extensive BJC Campus Renewal Project to renovate Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital on the Washington University Medical Campus. As BJC’s largest community investment thus far, Campus Renewal focuses on improving the patient and family experience from both a clinical and campus perspective, with additional private inpatient rooms and easier access and parking around the entire campus. These 21st-century structural renovations have been strikingly visible, beautifying the boulevard the moment one exits Forest Park or Interstate 64 onto Kingshighway.

Such state-of-the-art transformations to the academic campus require a broad array of industry leaders, employees, and supporting architectural, engineering and contractors to innovate and expand, such as general contract partners throughout Campus Renewal – Clayco

and Regional Business Council (RBC) members Alberici Constructors Inc., KAI, S.M. Wilson, and McCarthy. These organizations have expanded opportunities for women and communities of color, enhancing inclusive prosperity

Center, located at 4440 Union Blvd., is adjacent to the old facility and can support 70 employees and serve more than 135,000 customers in North St. Louis and surrounding communities.

“We appreciate that Ameren Missouri is continuing to invest in this community by keeping an operating center on Geraldine Avenue,” said Mayor Tishaura Jones.

“Reversing

PeoPle on the Move

Dr. Exley Warren

The Normandy Joint Executive Governing Board recently approved the selection of Dr. Exley Warren Jr. as principal of Lucas Crossing School Complex. Dr. Warren comes to Normandy from Ferguson-Florissant School District where he served as principal at Halls Ferry Intermediate School. In Normandy, he is serving as the principal of the district’s largest school, with a student population of 700 in grades 1-8.

Burch-Smith joins Danforth Center

The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center announced that Tessa Burch-Smith, PhD, has joined the Danforth Center as Associate Member and Principal Investigator. Her research is focused on how plant cells communicate with each other through intercellular pores called plasmodesmata (PD). Plants are actually a vast network of interconnected cells that exchange essential molecules like sugars, proteins and RNA through PD during growth and development. Prior to Burch-Smith joining the Center she served as associate professor of the Department of Biochemistry and Cellular & Molecular Biology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Warren joins Normandy School District

Gyasi Haynes has joined KAI Build as director of project management. Prior to KAI, Haynes was principal owner of Haynes Living Construction where he developed and grew his contracting consulting firm offering project consulting and design/construction management services to commercial and residential customers. He also worked four years as Southeast USA regional project manager for Enterprise Holdings of St. Louis. In this role, he was responsible for execution and completion of construction, design, ground-up and renovations of 44 airports and over 1,500 home city branches for Enterprise, National and Alamo brands.

graduates from Air Force JAG Course

Tessa BurchSmith Steven Roberts

State Sen. Steven Roberts, D-St. Louis, graduated from the United States Air Force’s Judge Advocate Staff Officer Course (JASOC) on Friday, Sept. 17. Senator Roberts completed the nine-week course at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. The JAG Corps is an elite group of law professionals who provide a full range of legal services to the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Space Force, Airman, and Guardians. These highly trained attorneys handle legal issues that include international law, operations law, environmental law, military, and civilian personnel issues.

Photo courtesy of BJC

Gyasi Haynes

Photo courtesy of Ameren Missouri

African American entrepreneurs make history with new firm

MEOA aims to help Black firms

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

A historic “first” in Black business achievement has been recorded, and the benefactors will be historically undercapitalized minority-owned/ controlled businesses in various industry.

Minority Equality Opportunities Acquisition Inc. [MEOA] became the first minority-led special purpose acquisition company [SPAC] listed on NASDAQ in late August.

It has raised $126.5 million “earmarked to help minority businesses and enterprises grow and prosper through mergers and acquisitions,” according to Shawn Rochester, chairman and CEO, and Robin Watkins chief financial officer and secretary.

“The mission and purpose of MEOA will help to catapult minority enterprise in this country,” Rochester said.

“We have the opportunity signal to the broader marketplace that there is tremendous value in companies and teams that have long been ignored.”

Appearing on PBS-TV’s “The Chavis Chronicles,” hosted by Ben Chavis, NNPA president and CEO, Watkins said, “It’s amazing to be a part of this. I come from a family of entrepreneurs.”

Because her grandfather owned a trucking company and café in Lawrenceville, Virginia, and her father and other family

Ameren

Continued from B1 utility poles and other supplies off-site due to a lack of space at the Geraldine Operating Center. With these items now on site, response during service interruptions can be handled

members were entrepreneurs, Watkins leaped at this latest opportunity.

The enterprise trades under the ticker symbol “MEOAU,” and Rochester explained it is looking at companies with enterprise values between $250 million and $500 million with recurring and predictable revenues.

“There is unprecedented demand for diverse suppliers, but many minority firms don’t have the resources to meet the demand,” Rochester said Rochester earned a master’s degree in Business Administration from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and authored “The Black Tax: The Cost of Being Black in America.”

Watkins is a Drexel University graduate and financial and operations accountant.

“We’re really a blank check company that’s funded through an IPO,” Watkins said.

“The funds are held in trust to acquire another company.

more efficiently. A larger truck area will allow for future growth as well as serving as a staging area for crews and trucks in a large-scale outage situation.

As construction of the new facility continued over the past two years, hundreds of jobs for area workers were created. In addition, Ameren

Shawn Rochester, Minority Equality Opportunities Acquisition Inc. chairman and CEO, and Robin Watkins chief financial officer and secretary

In this case, we are looking at minority business enterprises to take them public through our IPO. We are the only SPAC that is targeting minority business enterprises.”

MEOA is also obligated to make things happen rather quickly. SPACs generally have two years to complete an acquisition. If they fail, the company must return the money raised to its investors.

Further demonstrating a commitment to racial equity and economic inclusion, MEOA engaged the Industrial Bank of Washington, one of the country’s preeminent Blackowned institutions, for its working capital banking needs during the SPAC and IPO process.

The company’s directors include Julianne Malveaux, MIT economist and dean of the College of Ethnic Studies, Cal State Los Angeles, Ronald Busby, Sr., US Black Chamber, Inc., president and CEO and Patrick Linehan, Steptoe & Johnson partner.

Missouri worked with 28 diverse suppliers on the project, and spent 38% of project funds with these vendors.

“We had long outgrown the Geraldine Operating Center, but it was important to us that Ameren Missouri remain invested in North St. Louis,” said Marty Lyons, president of Ameren Missouri.

“With the expanded footprint of the North Metro Operating Center, we can keep our crews close to the neighborhoods they are serving, so we can respond safely and quickly to issues as we work to keep energy reliable for our customers.”

The North Metro Operating Center investment is part of Ameren’s Smart Energy Plan, a multi-year effort to strengthen the grid and bring more resilient energy to Missouri.

North St. Louis and north St. Louis County customers now have stronger poles, more resilient power lines, smart equipment and upgraded circuits to better withstand severe weather. The upgrades also help restore power more quickly when outages do occur.

Sports

InSIdE SportS

By Earl Austin Jr.

St. Mary’s is fired up for a run in the Class 3 state playoffs

Dragons to host St. Dominic next

The St. Mary’s Dragons were prepared to make a big run in the Class 3 football playoffs after winning a district championship last season. But their fire was put out before a sectional game due to the COVID-19 protocol.

The Dragons are back and well equipped to make another run toward a special season. They are currently 3-1 with victories over excellent small school programs Lutheran North and Lutheran St. Charles under their belt.

St. Mary’s is led by senior star wide receiver Kevin Coleman, the No. 1 prospect in the state of Missouri and one of the most dynamic talents in the country. He also excels at running back, quarterback, defensive back and kick returner. The kid does it all. He is a big play waiting to happen.

The Dragons have more firepower on offense with senior running back Jamal Roberts and senior receivers Cyril Ikeh and De’Shawn Fuller.

St. Mary’s will host St. Dominic at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 1, in an Archdiocesan Athletic Association contest.

JBS girls volleyball shines

The John Burroughs School Bombers girls’ volleyball team has been on a terrific roll this season. The Bombers are currently 14-1-5 after a three-set victory over rival MICDS last Saturday. John Burroughs was a district champion last season and is looking for a title run this year. The top player is 6’2” senior Vanessa Polk, a four-year starter who leads the St. Louis metropolitan area in kills this season. Junior Kennedy Holmes, who is well known as a talented singer and a past contestant on “The Voice,” is also an outstanding volleyball player as an outside hitter. Sophomore Aaliyah Elliott is a tremendous athlete who excels as a middle blocker. She is the younger sister of Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott. Junior Emma Clark does an excellent job as the Bombers’ setter.

Standout Performers from Week 5

• Quarterback Robert Battle of East St. Louis completed 22 of 33 passes for 370 yards and four touchdowns in a victory over O’Fallon.

• Senior Jamarion Price of Hazelwood Central rushed for 261 yards and three touchdowns in the Hawks’ 49-28 victory over Kirkwood.

• Running back Jay Harris of Timberland rushed for 194 yards on 16 carries and three touchdowns in the T-Wolves’ victory over Francis Howell Central.

• Wide receiver Arhmad Branch of Festus had seven receptions for 211 yards and two touchdowns in the Tigers’ loss to Hillsboro.

• Wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan of CBC had eight receptions for 182 yards and three touchdowns in the Cadets’ victory over SLUH.

• Quarterback Terrell Peete of Duchesne had five receptions for 170 yards and two touch-

downs

victory over St. Charles.

• Wide receiver Ryan Wingo of SLUH had eight receptions for 187 yards and two touchdowns in the Junior Billikens’ loss to CBC.

On Tap this Weekend

• Wentzville Holt (5-0) at Francis Howell (5-0), 7 p.m. Friday – The game of the week takes place in St. Charles County with these two undefeated teams from the Gateway Athletic Conference.

• MICDS (5-0) at Lutheran North (3-2), 6 p.m. Friday – This game will most likely decide the championship of the Metro League.

• Triad (4-1) at Mascoutah (5-0), 7 p.m. Friday – A battle between the top two teams in the Mississippi Valley Conference.

• Ladue (4-1) at Seckman (4-1), 7 p.m. Friday

• Lift for Life (3-2) at SLUH (3-2), 6 p.m. Friday

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

• Timberland (4-1) at Troy (4-1), 1 p.m. Saturday.

Jameson Williams rises Tide

Former Cardinal Ritter football star Jameson Williams made history on Saturday in Alabama’s 63-14 victory over Southern Mississippi. Williams had two kick returns for touchdowns, making him the first player in the history of the Alabama program to accomplish this feat. A transfer from Ohio State, Williams returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. He followed that up with an 83-yard return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. And for good measure, Williams added a third touchdown on an 81-yard reception from quarterback Bryce Young in the second quarter. For the season, Williams has 12 receptions for 299 yards and three touchdowns in addition to his to scoring kick returns.

Hamilton races to 100th F1 win, remains driving force in society

Lewis Hamilton notched his 100th Formula 1 victory with a triumph at the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi on Sunday, Sept. 26, with a blend of strategy and sound driving. The Black British driver who calls Monaco home, the best there is in the sport today and possibly ever, is noted among the greatest at driving in rain and on waterslick tracks. The skies opened late in the race and his Mercedes team made the daring decision to pit and put on rain-appropriate tires. Race leader Lando Norris gambled – and lost – by not doing the same. Hamilton took the lead when Norris skidded off the track. Win No. 100 was his.

on in my career. I am so proud of everything we have done. This is a special moment for everyone that has been part of it. I feel incredibly grateful for the support I have had.”

Alvin A. Reid

“It’s taken a long time obviously to get to 100 and I wasn’t even sure whether it would come,” he said.

“It is a magical moment. I could only have dreamed of still being here, to have this opportunity to win these races and to drive with such phenomenal talents this late

The win propelled him back into the top spot in the race for the driver’s championship, just two points ahead of rival Max Verstappen. At 36, Hamilton still has many possible wins ahead of him and each victory brings him a new F1 record. Michael Schumacher posted 91 wins during his famed career and the next most successful driver is Sebastian Vettel with 53. Hamilton is the lone driver to have won a race in every season since 2007. If he can top Verstappen for the 2021 title it would be his eighth, surpassing Schumacher’s seven. A testament to Hamilton’s popularity is the fact that F1 is drawing its largest American TV audiences in the sport’s history, according to ESPN. Hamilton also graced the red carpet and attended the

Met Gala in New York two weeks ago that benefited Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. Never afraid of controversy,

Hamilton tweeted, “Pure magic last night. These designers – Kenneth Nicholson, Theophilio, Jason

–deserve this moment just as

much as any other designer who attends the Met Gala.

The goal is, and always will be, to open doors for young Black creatives.”

Hamilton invited the three artists to sit at his table, and told Vogue, “The Met is the biggest fashion event of the year…when people see us all together, it will put these Black designers at the top of people’s minds.”

Hamilton has also continued his campaign to bring more diversity to F1 and motor sports and refuses to yield in support of justice and equality for people of color.

He took a knee during the English anthem before the British Grand Prix earlier this year while sporting a shirt that said, “Actions Speak Louder than Words.”

The Reid Roundup

Let’s hope that Missouri football coach Eli Drinkwitz doesn’t partake in the building “Blame the Black Man” campaign that is gaining momentum in Columbia and throughout the state. Mizzou’s Black firstyear defensive coordinator Steve Wilks is becoming a scapegoat for the Tigers’ lack of talent on defense. His scheme is being questioned as are his credentials as a top-flite coach. Wilkes was fired as Arizona Cardinals coach after a single season in favor of wunderkind Kliff Kingsbury. But he is considered one of the game’s best defensive minds and Missouri is lucky to have him…NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar told Rolling Stone, “The NBA should insist that all players and staff are vaccinated or remove them from the team. There is no room for players who are willing to risk the health and lives of their teammates, the staff and the fans simply because they are unable to grasp the seriousness of the situation.”…

Congratulations to Houston manager Dusty Baker on guiding his Houston Astros to the American League Central title. He now will enter an AL Division series showdown with Tony La Russa and the Chicago White Sox.

2021

Rembert

Earl Austin Jr.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton looks on before the Russian Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Sochi Autodrom circuit, in Sochi, Russia, Sept. 26. Hamilton went on to win his record 100th Formula 1 race.

As if being the state’s top football prospect at wide receiver isn’t enough, St. Mary’s star Kevin Coleman excels at running back, quarterback, defensive back and return specialist.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

in the Pioneers’

Photo courtesy of the AP

efforts to be a collaborative advocate for increased diversity workforce development across all of our current and future design and construction projects. Our Campus Renewal Phase 1 project was able to achieve a combined 25.6% minority workforce for both male and female union tradespeople on one of the largest community investment projects in BJC’s history. We welcome additional partners and continuously assess current and future diverse opportunities,” said Greg Mohler, BJC HealthCare Facilities vice president. BJC Diversity Manager Charles Henson establishes benchmark goals and metrics for the partners and contractors to ensure equity and work opportunities for underrepresented populations.

“In my 40 years of experience in this field, never has there been this type of inclusion of diversity from the start,” said Henson.

“Nearly a dozen MBE and WBE (Minority/Women Business Enterprise) firms, inclusive of architectural and engineering design working under CannonDesign and BR+A, have been at the table from the beginning planning stages. Such unified efforts allow all to be on the same page before, during, and after

implementing the BJC Campus Renewal Project.”

McCarthy Building Company, the oldest privately held national construction company in America, is BJC’s trusted build partner for the next phase of Campus Renewal.

“As the largest contractor in St. Louis, we believe we have a unique responsibility to foster a diverse, thriving community of local businesses. Having a strong team of diverse industry partners supports innovation and creativity that not only drive better solutions for our clients, but also is good for our

community,” explained Ralph Powell, McCarthy Building Company’s new director of diversity, succeeding Monica Bailey, who retired in July. Along with other RBC

members, McCarthy has been committed to the BJC and RBC workforce and talent development priorities to increase diversity and strengthen the workforce

and region. Scott Wittkop, McCarthy Holdings, Inc. president and chief operating officer, serves on the RBC Workforce Development committee, and Powell understands the impact of this work.

“My work is part of a national Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) program that leverages best practices from every McCarthy region. Our team’s priorities are to promote inclusive hiring practices; equip and empower employees to grow their careers; and continue to expand our supplier diversity and community

engagement program,” Powell said.

“As the new Director of Diversity for McCarthy’s Central Region, I will draw on my 18 years of construction field experience to expand our supplier diversity and community outreach program. I’ll also lead and support diversity initiatives for major building projects across the region, including the Next NGA West campus in north city, the Neuroscience Research Building for Washington University School of Medicine at Cortex, and the next phase of the BJC HealthCare Campus Renewal Project.”

For the past year, BJC, McCarthy, CannonDesign and BR+A have partnered with the RBC’s STL.works to engage with the community on design and construction opportunities, training programs, apprentice recruitment, and more. Interested St. Louisans with and without skilled trades experience are being recruited, trained by the unions and corporate partners, and empowered to start a career pathway in construction and trades.

STL.works connects St. Louis city and county schools with speakers and site visits to increase the awareness with guest speakers at schools, exposure through site visits to see the work in progress, and experience via internships, apprenticeships, and employment in these STEM areas. BJC plans to place its Workforce Development Resource trailer onsite to provide learning opportunities for St. Louis area high school students to come on-site, meet professionals engaged in this work and learn about these career pathways firsthand.

More than ever, regional leaders are expanding infrastructure, collaborative partnerships, career opportunities, and lives through construction opportunities and beyond. Connect with these organizations and STL. works for more information and access to these excellent opportunities.

Charles Henson

Greg Mohler

Ralph Powell

The graphic above details phase 3 and phase 4 of the south campus construction.

Graphic courtesy of BJC

Key to our hearts Melvin Van Peebles passes at 89

Tammie Holland’s talent only surpassed by her love for community

By Danielle Brown

The St. Louis American

Sometimes in life, there are moments that leave people lost for words.

Speechless perfectly defined Tammie Holland’s feelings after receiving the first Key to the City presented by St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones on Sept. 23, 2021 at St. Louis City Hall.

“Words can’t express how humble and just how proud I am,” Holland told The St. Louis American. “I love St. Louis so much, and to have been bestowed such a high honor by Mayor Jones is fantastic.”

Jones praised and celebrated Holland in a tweet for the recognition.

n Tammie Holland found her calling at the Broadcast Center in Clayton where she received her journalism certification. As the saying goes, the rest is history.

“@Tammie Holland is a mom, storyteller, cancer fighter, and allaround genuine spirit spreading happiness and laughter everywhere she goes. I was proud to present her with my first Key to the City in celebration of #Tammie HollandDay.” Holland, a natural born performer, kept herself busy in high school competing in pageants, participating in theatre, cheerleading, and singing at church. After graduating from St. Thomas Aquinas-Mercy High School she pursued a flight attendant career.

During that time, like many young people do, she was focused on “kicking it” and living her best life. Her mother gave her a reality check and told her she needed to do something else with her life. She listened. She found her calling at the Broadcast Center in Clayton where she received her journalism certification. As the saying goes, the rest is history.

The center was the first chapter of a story that saw the 20-year media veteran become a beloved icon.

Marc Clarke, who was one of her instructors, encouraged her to come to Majic 108 to intern with him and Tony Scott. Majic was the launchpad for a skyrocketing career.

“I gathered news stories, grabbed coffee, was very present and closely watched everything they did,” Holland said. She gained knowledge and experience from

A Night of Legends brings music back to Chaifetz Arena

The Isley Brothers headline the show

By Danielle Brown The St. Louis American

What better way to bring live music back to the Chaifetz Arena for the first time since February 2020 than with some old-school R&B favorites and new school tunes.

“A Night of Legends” brought the sounds of Alex Isley, Stokley, Charlie Wilson, and The Isley Brothers to the stage on Sunday, Sept. 26. Alex Isley, daughter of Ernie Isley, opened the show with a few of her hits including last year’s “Good & Plenty.” Her stage presence and incredible vocal ability proved that she is a standout star in her own right, while proudly continuing the tradition of her famous family. Mint Condition lead singer and solo artist, Stokley, kept the crowd jamming from start to

Known as the Godfather of Black Cinema, Melvin Van Peebles was a man of many talents, all of which were on display with the film Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, which he produced, directed, starred in and distributed.

Godfather of Black Cinema, makes last curtain call

By Nsenga K. Burton NNPA Culture and Entertainment Editor

The film world is reeling over the loss of influential filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles who passed away on Sept. 22, 2021, in Manhattan. He was 89. Van Peebles is best known for his classic independent films Watermelon Man (1970) and Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971), which offered a bold critique of racism, power and Black liberation in the United States. Van Peebles, the father of actor/director Mario Van Peebles, created the blueprint for what would become the Blaxploitation genre of filmmaking.

Born in Chicago in 1932, Van Peebles was the son of a tailor and homemaker. After graduating high school, he enrolled in West Virginia State University before transferring to Ohio Wesleyan University.

Following graduation, the future filmmaker joined the Air Force and began writing. In 1956, he married German actress and photographer Maria Marx, who appeared with him in this iconic film Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song. They lived in Europe and Mexico before he returned to the states and worked as a cable car operator in San Francisco.

Clarke, Scott and many other radio greats including Doc Wynter, Calvin King, Deneen Busby, Chaz Saunders, Eric Michaels, and Dr. Jockenstein.

“They embraced me and I learned the business from some of the greatest who’ve ever

done it and ever rocked a mic.” she said. She went on to work for Gannett, Lutheran Hour Ministries, Roberts Broadcasting Company, and various roles at iHeartMedia, See Holland, C8

finish with his set, which included hits from his band and albums. The upbeat and fun “Vibrant,” from his latest album “Sankofa” opened his performance. Then he transitioned to Mint’s “U Send Me Swingin,” where he showed his best dance moves. If you didn’t know before that Stokley is a phenomenal dancer, well now you know. His vocal talent perfectly matches his smooth, show stopping moves. Other songs included “She,” “Breakin My Heart, (Pretty Brown Eyes),” and “Levels.” Charlie Wilson aka “Uncle Charlie,” a nick-

name all fans and music lovers know him by thanks to Snoop Dogg gracing him with it, took the stage in a blue sequin jacket and his dancers followed wearing matching jackets in varying hues. He started his performance, which he calls a party rather than a concert, with “Party Train,” by his iconic group The Gap Band. Surprisingly, once upon the stage some people were still in their seats.

“You know what’s got me confused, I’m

Charlie Wilson and people are sitting down that don’t add up to me,” Wilson said.

The crowd went crazy when he made that statement and from there the energy in the room

In the early 1960s Van Peebles published four novels and one-story collection in French and made a short film, Cinq cent balles (1965), about a child trying to retrieve a banc note in a tenuous

See Van Peebles, C8

What better way to bring live music back to the Chaifetz Arena since February 2020 than with some old-school R7B favorites and new school tunes? On Sunday, Sept. 26, “A Night of Legends” brought the sounds of Alex Isley, Stokley, Charlie Wilson, and The Isley Brothers.

completely changed. He began walking back and forth from side to side to see who was the hypest. Once he did that there was a major shift in the audience and everyone became more engaged.

He gave a lot of love and appreciation toward St. Louis, sharing that it is one of his favorites in the world.

“What y’all think about Uncle Charlie? Cause I love you St. Louis, and y’all about to make me cry up in here tonight,” he said.

He continued the nostalgic feelings and emotions everyone has from listening to The Gap Band with “Yearning for Love,” “Burn Rubber,” “Outstanding,” and “You Dropped a Bomb On Me.”

Ladies love Uncle Charlie. He’s charming, full of life, knows how to have fun, and gives the younger generation a run for their money when it comes to live performance.

He joked and told the fellas if they didn’t stand up and acknowledge they brought the finest woman in the room he would place the spotlight on them and call him out on the microphone.

See Legends, C8

Photo by Suzy Gorman

Tammie Holland’s media career launched at the Broadcast Center in Clayton and soon she was a listener favorite at Majic 108. She was honored with a Key to the City by St. Louis City Mayor Tishaura Jones on Sept. 23, 2021 at the St. Louis City Hall Rotunda for her career and community contributions.

Photo courtesy of The Isley Brothers Facebook page

Explore St. Louis and the rest of the hospitality industry salute the Hospitality Heroes that were honored at the Explore St. Louis Annual Meeting on September 29, 2021.

Frontline employees are the backbone of the hospitality industry. Those individuals who consistently provide high quality customer service, plus go a step further to “wow” a guest by rising to an unexpected occasion, pulling out all the stops, and making sure the incident is a positive and memorable one, are recognized as Hospitality Super Heroes.

2021 HOSPITALITY SUPER HEROES

2021 HOSPITALITY HEROES

Byron Miller ABM Aviation

Barb Hamilton Explore St. Louis

Peasel Baileys’ Restaurants

Briana Greer Hampton Inn St. Louis Downtown at The Arch

Pearletta Evans Hudson & Associates

Keishonna

Adam McBrady Urban Chestnut Brewing Co.

Artist Damon Davis on view at Art Museum

By Ellen Kunkelmann, Missouri Historical Society

On September 30, join the Missouri History Museum for the final concert in the Twilight Thursdays: The Sounds of St. Louis series, presented by McDonald’s of Metro St. Louis Co-op! The Tina Turner Tribute featuring Seviin Li will take the stage from 6 to 8pm.

Bring family, friends, blankets or lawn chairs, and well-behaved dogs on leashes to the Museum’s North Lawn. Pack a picnic basket or small cooler with snacks, soft drinks, water bottles, and alcoholic beverages (no glass bottles, please), or save time and support a local small business. Scheduled food trucks and tents for September 30 are Street Dogs, the Crooked Boot, Scoops Water Ice, and Café St. Louis by PURE. Come early to explore the Museum’s exhibits, including St. Louis Sound , where you’ll find artifacts, media, and more that illustrate Tina Turner’s story and music. The Museum will be open until 8pm. Masks are required indoors for all visitors ages 5 and older, including those who are vaccinated. For more information and guidelines, visit mohistory.org/twilightthursdays.

This is also the final weekend to visit Soldiers Memorial Military Museum in downtown St. Louis to experience Righting a Wrong: Japanese Americans and World War II . This traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian, which closes on October 3, examines the complicated history and impact of Executive Order 9066

that led to the incarceration of 75,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry and 45,000 Japanese nationals following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Young and old lived crowded together in hastily built camps, endured poor living conditions, and were under the constant watch of military guards for two and a half years. Meanwhile, brave Japanese American men risked their lives fighting for the United States. Some 40 years later, members of the Japanese American community led the nation to confront the wrong it had done—and urged Congress to make it right.

Soldiers Memorial is open from 10am to 5pm, Wednesday through Sunday. Learn more about the exhibit and current health guidelines at Soldiers Memorial at mohistory.org/memorialvisits.

After Twilight Thursdays ends, another weekly event will take its place! Starting October 14, the Museum will be the place to kick off every weekend. Thursday Nights at the Museum will be the most fun, engaging, uplifting, thought-provoking, perspective-shaping night of your week. Each Thursday Night at the Museum is based on one of our exhibit themes, with live music once a month. Happy hour and pop-up activities such as brief tours, games, and performances begin at 5:30pm. The main stage comes to life at 6:30pm, light appetizers and drinks are available for purchase until 7pm, and the Museum’s exhibits are open until 8pm for you to explore.

On October 14, join us for

LGBTQIA+ Communities and the Law. From masquerading laws to marriage equality to today’s fights for trans rights, the lives of people who iden tify as LGBTQIA+ have been at the center of legislation for generations. This legal history is featured in our virtual exhibit Gateway to Pride the focus of a moderated panel discussion led by Curatorial Assistant Ian Darnell in the Lee Auditorium at 6:30pm. You’ll learn about the issues that have played out in the courts in recent memory, ongoing legal battles, and legislation that has affected LGBTQIA+ lives.

Arrive early to meet Steven Brawley, a local historian and founder of the St. Louis LGBT History Project, at our STL LGBTQIA+ trivia table. Listen to a short concert by CHARIS, the St. Louis Women’s Chorus, and join a 15-minute tour about some influential St. Louisans who have worked to make our city more inclusive for LGBTQIA+ communities.

Save the date for Madam Mayor on October 21. You’ll hear from a panel of women who have served or are currently serving as St. Louis–area mayors and learn about their experiences running for office, the challenges they’ve faced, and their visions for the future of our region. And on October 28, Ghost Stories and Guitars will feature the Dead Beats and their hair-raising performance of Halloween-themed rock and pop, haunted history stories, and Vincent Price memorabilia and trivia. Costumes are encouraged!

If you require accessibility accommodations for Thursday Nights at the Museum, please email access@mohistory.org

We ask for two weeks’ advance notice to ensure ASL interpretation can be available for the program.

The purpose of the study is to identify sleep and brain wave markers of Alzheimer’s Disease before any symptoms. You may qualify if

Now on view

Oliver Lee Jackson is known for creating complex and layered images in which figurative elements emerge from abstract fields of vibrant color. Now on view, the 12 paintings, drawings, and prints presented in this exhibition were created from the mid-1960s through 2020, demonstrating his significance as a highly experimental artist working across a range of media.

Jackson was associated with the Black Artists Group, which was founded in St. Louis in 1968, and a close friend of comember and jazz saxophonist Julius Hemphill. Many of the works on view are loans from Donald M. Suggs, a local collector and close friend of Jackson’s.

The 2021 Twilight Thursdays concert series concludes on September 30.

St. Louis American staff

Representatives of the Circle of Protection, which is comprised of church organizations with nearly 100 million members in America and abroad, met with White House officials last week to urge passage of the family support bill and voting rights legislation.

The bills “would strengthen the physical and social infrastructure of our society, cut family and child poverty more than any time in our lives, and ensure the precious right to vote for all people made in God’s image,” the group wrote in a letter presented to President Biden and

members of Congress on Sept. 22.

“The Bible is clear in its opposition to the concentration of wealth amid neglected human need.”

Leaders of several African American and Latino church organizations, including the National African American Clergy Network, the National Association of Latino Evangelicals and the African Methodist Episcopal Church were among the delegation that met with White House officials.

Representing the Biden administration were Office of Public Engagement Director Cedric Richmond, White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood

Partnerships Director Melissa Rogers and Deputy Director of the Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Josh Dickson, who served as the head of faith engagement for the 2020 Biden campaign.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry of The Episcopal Church, the first Black person to serve in the position, told reporters outside the White House after the meeting, “There’s a moral high ground that these bills have an opportunity to meet.”

“That moral high ground is to make sure that the people most in

and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, of The Episcopal Church is a member of the Circle of Protection Steering Committee that met with White House officials last week to urge passage of the family support bill and voting rights legislation.

need are cared for, and the symbol of our deepest need is our children. … That’s what we stand for regardless of our religion, and that’s what this country stands for at our very best.”

Bishop Adam J. Richardson, senior bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, was among the leaders who signed the letter.

“At this moment of historic decision, we are urging the people in our churches and organizations to pay attention to what the President and Congress are doing and be active in advocacy that reflects biblical priorities,” said the letter.

“Indeed, the churches and organizations in the Circle of Protection are all communicating

with their grassroots members, often sending out action alerts about poverty-focused programs such as the Child Tax Credit.

“Congressional improvements in the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit this spring played a big part in reducing the percentage of Americans in poverty this summer to below its pre-pandemic level. Notably, these credits were extended to very poor families and individuals. But this year’s reduction of poverty will be short-lived unless the tax-credit improvements are extended in the family support budget bill.”

The Circle’s letter specifically urges that the provisions that are benefiting very poor Americans be made permanent and fully refundable.

The group has fought “balancing the federal budget on the backs of people in poverty and strongly believes that budgets are moral documents,” according to a Circle of Protection press release.

It now “has come together in support of an unprecedented national effort to finally reduce poverty and make it possible for struggling families to get ahead.”

Sometimes we fall into a belief as Christians that our faith will require suffering as an integral part of God’s plan to ready us for the challenge of publicly and boldly spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. Suffering in some ways can be seen as a prerequisite for strengthening one’s spiritual muscle. We all know how hard it is to respect the opinion of someone who has led the so-called charmed life, or someone who was born with the proverbial silver spoon in a cavity free mouth. It’s hard, if not impossible, to listen to someone talk with alleged

authority about things they’ve never seen or places they’ve never been, or temptations they know nothing about. My belief is that God teaches in a manner few of us will ever truly understand. I honestly believe that when He chooses you, when it’s your time, He has a unique way of communicating who’s really in charge. And for the record it ain’t us. That’s right! When God is talking to specifically to you or me, I sincerely think you know it. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness

We are all in training to fight in God’s war as far as I’m concerned. Whether being forged in a fiery furnace or stuck in a tailspin of perceived despair and hopelessness, each one of us is being battle tested in anticipation that one day, we will be called to arms. This struggle, these experiences, they bring about wisdom; a spiritual wisdom that forms a spiritual perspective; one that I believe must be shared. It must be. Otherwise, God keeps you in a perpetual classroom where life constantly gives you a new place to go to the bathroom. You haven’t learned anything, so life keeps kicking your…well, you get the picture. When you finally realize the one

trying to tell you something is God, then a wondrous thing begins to happen. You listen more intently and learn more eagerly. Like the child who discovers walking leads to the joy of running, or the baby who discovers his or her own hand, the possibilities seem endless. The mind says, ‘tell me more.’ The spirit says, ‘thank you Jesus.’

At that very moment, God lets us know we’re able to withstand, overcome, rise above and win the battle of carrying the message of salvation because Christ is savior. At that moment also, we move from being in the classroom to being on the battlefield where Satan intently keeps score. You remember those days back in school when you studied and were prepared for the test? Confidence

oozed from you. When God has been the lesson planner, the study partner, the instructor, it doesn’t matter how much Satan wants it to be a “crash and burn got another one” night. “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12. Our job then is to recognize and represent; recognize the hell we’re going through is not without purpose. Then and only then can we properly represent. We know the most important message of the day is to understand who (Jesus) has suffered the most and why. “It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.” Luke 12:32. May God bless and keep you always.

Photo courtesy of The Episcopal Church

Columnist James Washington

FIREFIGHTER/ PARAMEDIC

The City of Richmond Heights is accepting applications for the position of Firefighter/ Paramedic, $60,668 - 69,833 DOQ. To apply go to https://richmondheights. applicantpro.com/jobs/ Applications will be accepted from September 7, 2021 through October 1, 2021.

CONTRACT SPECIALIST

Contract Specialist.

Bachelor’s in Legal Studies.

Resume: ITF LLC

dba ITF GROUP LLC., 11990 Missouri Bottom Rd., Hazelwood, MO 63042

LOGISTICS ANALYST

Logistics Analyst. Bachelor’s in Economics. Resume: ITF LLC dba ITF GROUP LLC., 11990 Missouri Bottom Rd., Hazelwood, MO 63042

ATTORNEY II

St. Louis County Juvenile Office is seeking a full-time attorney to perform legal work that involves conducting legal research, litigation and legal representation of the Juvenile Officer in juvenile matters brought before the court. Work is supervised by the Manager of the Legal Department. The position is a non-merit position as an employee of Saint Louis County.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Graduation from an accredited law school, possession of a current license to practice law in the State of Missouri, at least two (2) years of trial experience preferably in juvenile, family or criminal law with additional years of trial experience or any equivalent experience being preferable.

SALARY: Entry salary typically starts at $62,649.60 and this position is eligible for 10% addition to pay.

TO APPLY: Candidates wishing to apply should visit the following address at St. Louis County Government’s website and complete an online application and submit a resume and cover letter by the end of the day on October 6, 2021: http://agency.governmentjobs.com/ stlouis/default.cfm EOE.

Please contact the Human Resources Department at 314 615-4471 (voice) or RelayMO711 or 800 735-2966 if you need any accommodations in the application process, or if you would like this posting in an alternative form.

The O’Fallon Fire Protection District is currently seeking qualified applicants to establish a hiring pool for the position of Firefighter/EMT-P. Application packets may be picked up at the O’Fallon Fire Protection District Administration Office located at 111 Laura K Drive, O’Fallon, MO 63366 beginning September 27, 2021 through October 1, 2021 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. CST, and must be returned to the Administration Office beginning October 4, 2021 through October 8, 2021 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. CST. Packets may also be accessed from our website: ofallonfire.org by clicking on the link located on the first page; the hiring packet may be downloaded and printed. Your completed packet may be returned in person or returned via US Mail or other carrier. The O’Fallon Fire Protection District is not responsible for any correspondence or mail that is lost or misdirected, or received after October 8, 2021, 2:00p.m. CST.

The O’Fallon Fire Protection District is an Equal Opportunity Employer

LONG-RANGE/CORRIDOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNER II

East-West Gateway Council of Governments has an opening for a Long-Range/Corridor Transportation Planner II position. Please follow the link to view posts at http://www.ewgateway.org/careers/

St. LouiS american Bids & Public Notices St. LouiS american

CITY OF ST. LOUIS ST. LOUIS LAMBERT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

Service: Government Relations Services

Pre-Proposal Meeting Date: October 7, 2021

Meeting will be held via teleconference. See RFP for details.

Question Due Date: October 11, 2021

Proposal Due Date: October 28, 2021

M/WBE Goals & Incentives:

MBE goals: 25%

WBE goal: 5%.

A 15% M/WBE incentive credit shall be applied to the evaluation of professional service prime contracts who are currently certified MBE-African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, Native American and WBE-Women owned Business Enterprises

Point of Contact: Gigi Glasper – gxglasper@flystl.com

Proposal documents may be obtained at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Airport Properties Division, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., or by calling (314) 890-1802. This RFP may also be obtained by visiting our website at www.flystl.com/business/contract-opportunites

Robert Salarano Airport Properties Division Manager

INVITATION TO BID

FERGUSON-FLORISSANT SCHOOL DISTRICT

FFSD is requesting proposals for the procurement of design, fabrication, purchase and installation of all components for the “launch vehicle” experience for the Challenger Learning Center located in Ferguson, MO. Sealed bids are due Friday, October 8 at 3pm. Additional information can be found at https://www.challengerstl.org/ job-opportunities/

SOLICITATION

FOR PROPOSALS

CITY OF ST. LOUIS

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES & OFFICE OF THE TREASURER

The City of St. Louis Department of Human Services (DHS), jointly with the Office of the Treasurer are soliciting proposals for the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) State Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) to implement the services necessary to deliver direct relief in the form of Direct Cash Assistance to City residents financially burdened by the economic and health conditions of the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020-2021.

Beginning September 16, 2021, RFP packets will be available via pick-up at the:

Treasurer’s Office 1200 Market Street City Hall, Room 220 St. Louis, MO 63103

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

If you are interested in participating in a Bidder’s Conference via Zoom Webinar on September 27, 2021, please email Shirley Rukcic by Wednesday, September 23, 2021, at Rukcics@stltreasurer.org to be added to the Calendar Invite. Notification will be provided via email prior to the virtual meeting.

Questions may be referred by email only and must be submitted on or before September 23, 2021, to Shirley Rukcic, at Rukcics@stltreasurer.org

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

LETTING NO. 8735

CERVANTES CONVENTION CENTER

EXPANSION AND MODERNIZATIONEARLY UTILITIES PACKAGE ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

PROPOSALS will be received by the Board of Public Service until 1:45 PM, CT, on October 26, 2021, through the Bid Express online portal then publicly opened and read. Plans and Specifications may be examined on the Board of Public Service website http://www.stl-bps.org/ planroom (BPS On Line Plan Room) and may be purchased directly through the BPS website from INDOX Services at cost plus shipping. No refunds will be made.

A pre-bid conference for all contractors bidding on this project will be held on September 27, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at the Convention Center on the corner of Cole Street and 9th Street.

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

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

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for the Aubuchon Road Culvert Repair, St. Louis County Project No. AR-1845, will be received electronically thru the County’s Vendor Self Service portal at https://stlouisco.munisselfservice.com/ Vendors/default.aspx, until 2:00 p.m. on October 27, 2021,

Plans and specifications will be available on September 27, 2021 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouiscountymo.gov) or by contacting Cross Rhodes Print & Technologies, 2731 South Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63118 (314) 678-0087.

DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ST. LOUIS, COUNTY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS COMPENSATION STUDY

East-West Gateway is seeking submittals from consultants to perform a comprehensive compensation study. Submittals are due no later than 1:00 p.m. on October 27, 2021. Submittal details and specifications can be obtained at www.ewgateway.org

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Replacement Light Poles for Multi Modial Will be received by City of St. Louis Treasurer UNTIL 3:00PM 10/26/2021 For specific project information, go to https://www.stltreasurer.org/ Request for Proposals/

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Missouri State Highway Patrol General Headquarters f a c i l i t y improvements, Project Nos. R2109-01 and R2110-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1 : 3 0 P M , 10/21/2021 via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered t o b i d . F o r specific project information, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

SEALED BIDS

B i d s f o r A u d i t o r i u m Renovation, M i s s o u r i School for the Blind Project No. E2005-01 will be received b y F M D C , State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, October 28, 2021. For specific project i n f o r m a t i o n and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

ADVERTISEMENT FOR RFP COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT, COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The City of St. Louis Department of Health is seeking proposals for Community Health Assessment, Community Health Improvement Plan, and Technical Assistance in Community Engagement. Request for Proposals documents may be obtained beginning September 1, 2021, by downloading from the City of St. Louis website at http://www.stlouis-mo.gov/. The deadline for submitting proposals is October 18, 2021, by 4:30 P.M. via email to Rhonda Bartow at bartowr@stlouis-mo.gov and only in standard (8.5 x 11-inch letter-sized) PDF format. The Department of Health reserves the right to reject any or all responses with or without cause.

WAITING LIST

WOODLAND TOWERS APARTMENTS

306 PINE LAKE ROAD

COLLINSVILLE, IL 62234

Seniors 62 and older Apply now for an affordable 1-bedroom unit. Stop by the office or Call: (618) 345-7240 for an application Applications may be returned in person, by mail or by e-mail. Monday-Friday 8-5 Managed by Related Management Company

CITY OF ST. LOUIS BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS for PROVIDING HOSTED ONLINE BIDDING/PROPOSAL

SUBMISSION SYSTEM for BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE. Proposals due by 5:00 P.M. CT, OCTOBER 15, 2021 at Board of Public Service, 1200 Market, Room 301 City Hall, St. Louis, MO 63103. RFP may be obtained from the Board of Public Service website www.stl-bps.org, under ON-LINE PLAN ROOM – Plan Room, or call City of St. Louis, Board of Public Service, at 314-589-6214.

SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS

CITY OF ST. LOUIS

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

The City of St. Louis Department of Human Services is soliciting Proposals for the FY2021Continuum of Care (CoC) – Annual NOFO Competition for the Renewal of Existing Projects and New Projects. There are a variety of permanent housing project types available under this RFP.

Beginning September 15, 2021, RFP packets will be available via pick-up at:

Department of Human Services

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

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

A Bidder’s Conference regarding this RFP will be held on Friday, September 17, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. via Zoom link. Contact Donette Coleman via email ColemanDo@ stlouis-mo.gov to request the Zoom Link for the meeting. If you are unable to attend the September 17th Bidder’s Conference, the meeting will be recorded and access to the meeting will be posted on the City website following the meeting.

Questions may be referred by email only and must be submitted on or before Oct. 6, 2021, to Amy Bickford, Chief Program Manager, at bickforda@stlouis-mo.gov All responses to the RFP shall be addressed and returned in sealed envelopes or containers to the above address. The RFP closing date is 5:00 p.m. Friday, October 8, 2021.

NOTICE OF FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS

Date of Publication: 09/30/2021

City of St. Louis: Community Development Administration (CDA) 1520 Market Street St. Louis, Missouri 63103 314-657-3700 / 314-589-6000 (TDD)

These notices shall satisfy two separate but related procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by the City of St. Louis (“The City.”)

REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS

On or after 10/18/21, the City will submit a request to the U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) for the release of the City’s Federal CDBG Program funds under Title II of the National Affordable Housing Act of 1990, as amended, to undertake the following projects:

Project Title: 2706-16 Hickory St., 2748-50 Rutger St.

Purpose: New construction of six (6) single-family homes, on vacant lots, each containing approximately 1,742 square feet, three bedrooms and three bathrooms

Location: 2706 Hickory St., 2708 Hickory, 2710 Hickory, 2716 Hickory, 2748 Rutger St., 2750 Rutger, St. Louis, Missouri 63104

Estimated Cost: Total development cost of this project is approximately $1,944,890, with $625,000.00 of funding coming from St. Louis City’s Year 2020 Federal CDBG Program Funds— Grant # B-20-MC-29-0006.

FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT

The City has determined that these projects will have no significant impact on the human environment. Certain conditions will apply to this project. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not required. Additional information for each project is contained in the Environmental Review Record (ERR) on file at the City CDA, at the above address, where the ERR is available for review and may be examined or copied weekdays, 8 A.M. to 4 P.M.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to Lisa Selligman, Architectural Manager, CDA, at the address listed above. All comments received by 10/15/21 will be considered by the City prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds. Comments should specify which notice they are addressing.

RELEASE OF FUNDS

The City certifies to HUD that, Justin Jackson, in his capacity as Executive Director, consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the City to use the City’s above-referenced HUD program funds.

OBJECTION TO RELEASE OF FUNDS

HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the City’s certification for a period of 15 days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the City; b) the City has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR Part 58; c) the grant recipient has committed funds or incurred costs not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of the release of funds by HUD; or d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58.76) and shall be addressed to Ms. Renee Ryles, Acting Community Planning & Development Director, HUD, 1222 Spruce Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103 (314) 418-5405. Potential objectors should contact HUD to verify the actual last day of the objection period.

Justin Jackson Certifying Officer

St. LouiS american Career Center St. LouiS

CUSTOMER ACCOUNTS

SPECIALIST

Customer Accounts Specialist. Bachelor’s in Business and Financial Management. Resume: ITF Logistics Group LLC., 11990 Missouri Bottom Rd., Hazelwood, MO 63042

FINANCE DIRECTOR

The City of Richmond Heights is accepting applications for the position of Finance Director, $90,000 - 105,000. To apply go to https://richmondheights. applicantpro.com/jobs/ Applications will be accepted from September 7, 2021 through October 1, 2021.

UNITED WAY OF GREATER ST. LOUIS IS HIRING!

Check out www.helpingpeople.org for opportunities and next steps. Come work with us!

PUBLIC NOTICE

Interface Construction Corp. is bidding the Normandy High School –Secured Addition. on September 30th by Noon. We invite certified MBE and WBE bidders to submit your quote to:

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) is requesting statements of qualification from financial consulting or advisory firms wishing to be selected for a “short list.” SLDC and the agencies it supports, including the City of St. Louis Port Authority, Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority, and Tax Increment Financing Commission, may procure services relating to incentives associated with real estate and business development proposals, implementation of social and economic justice concepts through economic development and capital financing projects, and to render assistance in the preparation and marketing of debt obligations. The complete RFQ can be viewed online at https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/ government/departments/sldc/ procurement/request-for-qualifications-rfq-for-financial-advisors-short-list.cfm or can be emailed or faxed by contacting Bonnie Wade, SLDC Law Department, at WadeBo@ stlouis-mo.gov or 314-657-3759. The deadline for the submission of responses is 12:00 p.m. (noon) Central Time on Friday, October 15, 2021.

Don Markus Interface Construction Corp. (314) 522-1011 8401 Wabash Ave. St. Louis, MO 63134-1837 email: donm@interfacestl.com

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

Effective October 1, 2021, Crown Center for Senior Living will reopen the Waiting List for the HUD-Subsidized apartments in the Weinberg Building, 8348 Delcrest Drive, St. Louis, MO 63124. Applications will be available by contacting Crown Center at (314) 991-2055 between the hours of 9:00AM and 5:00PM, Monday through Friday. Applications will be accepted only for subsidized one-bedroom apartments in the Weinberg Building. not for non-subsidized apartments. Questions may be directed via email to info@crowncenterstl.org or by calling (314) 991-2055.

St. Louis County Port Authority will accept bids from qualified firms for asbestos abatement and environmental materials removal at the Former Jamestown Mall (the “Project”) located at 175 Jamestown Mall, Florissant, MO. Interested firms or joint ventures should submit one (1) original and two (2) copies of their fully completed and signed Bid Proposal, along with all required documentation, in a sealed envelope marked “CONFIDENTIAL: Proposal for Former Jamestown Mall Abatement Project” to the offices of Sandberg, Phoenix & von Gontard, P.C., 120 S. Central Ave., Suite 1600, Clayton, MO 63105, Attn: Andrew C. Ruben, by November 4, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. (CST) at which time the bids will be opened and read aloud. There will be a mandatory pre-bid meeting and walk-thru on Tuesday, October 5, 2021 at 9:00 a.m., at the Project site. The Project Request for Proposals may be obtained from the Port Authority’s web site at www.stlpartnership.com/ rfp-rfq/. Copies of all Contract Documents may be viewed or purchased at County Blue Reprographics, 811 Hanley Industrial Ct., St. Louis, MO 63144 (http://www.countyblue.com),at Cross Rhodes Print & Technologies, 2731 S. Jefferson, St. Louis, MO 63118, or at MOKAN, 4666 Natural Bridge, St. Louis, MO 63115 (https://mokanccac.org/). All questions shall be submitted via email to Elizabeth Noonan at bnoonan@ced-solutions. com, no later than October 18, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. The Port Authority actively encourages submission of proposals from disadvantaged business enterprises and companies owned by minorities, women, immigrants and veterans. The Port Authority does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, national origin, disability or veteran status in consideration of this award. Equal Opportunity Employer.

UMSL CHILLER REPLACEMENT

Nooter Construction is accepting quotes from union MBE/MWBE/DBE/SDVE subcontractors. For more information, send capabilities profile to cslittle@nooter.com

ROOMS FOR RENT

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

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

BID NOTICE

Great Rivers Greenway is seeking to hire a Financial Analyst. Go to www.greatriversgreenway. org/jobs-bids and submit by October 29,2021.

BID NOTICE

Great Rivers Greenway is soliciting bids for improvements to the west entrance to the Arch Visitor Center and landscape improvements adjacent to the Old Cathedral. Go to www.greatriversgreenway. org/jobs-bids and submit by October 20, 2021.

Legends

Continued from C1

“Look at that girl you brought with you ‘cause I want you to tell her your name,” he said.

“She done forgot your damn name up in here ‘cause she looking at Charlie Wilson. Don’t get mad and start sitting

world. In 1968, Van Peebles made his first feature-length film, The Story of a Three-Day Pass (La Permission).

The renaissance man starred with actress Nicole Berger in the film which explored themes around interracial romance, nation and identity. Three-Day Pass was well-received by audiences and critics and put him on the map in Hollywood, many of whom thought they had discovered a French auteur instead of a talented Black man from Chicago.

Holland

Continued from C1

formerly Clear Channel Radio.

In 2017, she separated from iHeart and job offers started rolling in immediately.

She thought about relocating, but wasn’t pleased with the offers [she knew her worth], and she didn’t want to sever the relationships she built and nurtured in her hometown.

“I am truly in love with St. Louis and I could have gone,” she said. I could have left St. Louis. I could have taken jobs

down.” He sang many of his solo singles we all know and love including “Charlie Last Name Wilson,” “You Are,” “There Goes My Baby” and “I’m Blessed.”

At 68, healthy and happy, he shared his story of overcoming addiction and that God saved him. “I was an alcoholic and a crack cocaine addict, but I’m 27 years clean and sober cause

In 1970, Van Peebles made his first Hollywood film entitled Watermelon Man starring Godfrey Cambridge. Released by Columbia Pictures, the film told the story of a racist White man who one day wakes up Black and the fallout from his family, friends and place of employment because of it. In interviews, Melvin Van Peebles said it was the experience of making Watermelon Man within the Hollywood film system that convinced him to work as an independent filmmaker so he could have complete control over his films. The independent artist struck out on his own with the goal of making Sweet

in other cities but I did not. I stayed here and I invested in St. Louis.”

In the end, she knew her time in radio was up and instead took a new career route.

She created her own public relations company, Tammie Holland Public Relations (THpr). Now she’s an Emmy nominated content creator, influencer, and host of “This Week with Tammie Holland powered by Brown & Crouppen.”

“I’ve been a longtime admirer of Terry Crouppen. With him being a pioneer in advertising and marketing, I knew I wanted to be close to him in

I found somebody who picked me up and placed my feet on solid ground,” he said.

He concluded his performance with “Bound 2,” by Kanye West which he was featured on from his 2013 “Yeezus,” album.

The legendary Isley Brothers, featuring the two remaining biological siblings Ernie and Ron, took the audience down memory lane with their astonishing catalog of hits

Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, a film that explored themes of Black power and liberation. The auteur raised $500,000 from investments by supporters including Bill Cosby and earnings from his previous work. The film featured a soundtrack by Earth, Wind and Fire, a then up and coming jazz and R&B band and offered a gritty, unapologetic look into Black America’s underground economy. The film highlighted the story of a wrongfully accused Black man’s journey from sideshow to revolutionary. Sweetback put forth a bold Black aesthetic embracing Black fashion of the time, elements of the Black Power movement

that respect, she said.

“He came to me two days after I had been separated from the company and said, ‘Don’t worry about a thing kid I got you. We’re gonna create something for you here and everything’s gonna be all good.”

She’s having fun with her new role because it is a release from the pressure and high stress she experienced in radio.

“It has been a delight to become better connected with Missouri because of my work with Brown & Crouppen,” she said. “I’m a Missouri girl so I often use the hashtag on my posts #MadeInMissouri, it’s something I’m quite proud of.”

spanning over six decades. Hit after hit including “Summer Breeze,” “For the Love of You,” “Choosey Lover,” and more, they kept the crowd entertained with their beloved feel-good music.

For “Footsteps in the Dark,” they included Ice Cube’s sample of the song with “Today Was A Good Day.”

Singing sister-duo Kim Johnson & Kandy Isley, Ron’s wife, held down the back-

and articulating the idea of American freedom through a distinctly Black revolutionary socio-political lens. Much like Black film pioneer Oscar Micheaux, Van Peebles’ films were celebrated and condemned for exploring controversial topics and for what some critics called technical issues.

Using a distribution technique like Micheaux, Van Peebles rented out theaters in Black cities and showed his films to sold out audiences keeping all the profits. Through this distribution model, Van Peebles earned $10 million at the box office and Hollywood noticed. Film companies like United Artists which was on the

As someone who’s been in the business for two decades, Holland knows how to maintain longevity. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with the new generation of media professionals. The biggest advice she would give them is to remember the community.

“Oftentimes we’re asked the question of what could stop violence in our city and what could we do,” she said. “It’s just to begin with embracing community to have those with the power of a microphone or a large platform on social media to be concerned about what happens in the community. Not

ground vocals beautifully on every track.

Ernie displayed why he’s recognized as one of the greatest guitar players of all time as he struck the strings of his instrument so effortlessly.

Kandy joined Ron for a tribute to the late Aretha Franklin and vocal powerhouse Whitney Houston.

“I said for every show now (I’m going) to do something for my best friend Aretha

brink of economic collapse at the time, appropriated the narrative and stylistic elements of his films, giving birth to what would become the Blaxploitation era of filmmaking.

While Van Peebles continued writing and directing film, he appeared as an actor in 44 films and television shows including Boomerang, Living Single, Panther, Girlfriends and Peeples. He also continued writing and performing songs, releasing six solo albums over the years.

In 2014, Van Peebles released The Last Transmission, a spoken word and jazz collaboration with the Heliocentrics. He collaborated

just the bad news and sharing bad news, but sharing good news stories. I think that it’s very important to uplift people. Don’t just big up yourself, big up people, big up the community.”

She is battling stage four colon cancer, and remains proud of the imprint and legacy she’s left on the community.

Again, she stresses the importance of everyone staying connected with the community as well.

“I have just lived my whole life and my whole career trying to share, just trying to give. I had a microphone and that was my gift to St. Louis, so it’s very

Franklin,” Ron said. “I wanna dedicate this song to her sitting all the way up in heaven, her and Whitney Houston.” They rounded out the show with their first major hit, “Shout,” which was released in 1959.

“Make me wanna shout; if you don’t know anything about that just ask your grandmother.”

with other music artists, appearing in the visual album for Standing on the Corner’s single, “Angel” in 2020. Mario Van Peebles released a statement about his father’s passing through Criterion: “Dad knew that Black images matter,” Mario Van Peebles offered. “If a picture is worth a thousand words, what was a movie worth? We want to be the success we see, thus we need to see ourselves being free.”

important to me,” Holland said.

“Even as I’m sick battling stage four colon cancer that has metastasized in my liver, my lungs and my lymph nodes; as I’m preparing myself for radiation and preparing to have surgery I’m scared daily about my life, but still very much trying to remain as optimistic as possible I just say stay connected give to the community its very important.

“I’m most passionate about that. I feel as though my living will not or would not have been in vain because I shared my platform and I shared with people.”

Melvin Van Peebles is survived by three children

Mario Van Peebles, Megan Van Peebles and Max Van Peebles and a host of grandchildren.

Van Peebles