September 9th, 2021 edition

St. LouiS AmericAn

SLMPD Chief John Hayden announces retirement

National search for replacement begins

By Dana Rieck

The St. Louis American

St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden on Wednesday announced his retirement after approximately four years as chief. He will step down Feb. 23, the day marking his 35th anniversary with the department.

“Keep in mind that February is five months from now, so I still plan to serve faithfully until then, but I thought it was important to let the mayor and the director of public safety know of my intention at this time, so that they would have an opportunity to seek out a suitable successor,” Hayden said at a City Hall press conference.

“This decision was carefully and prayerfully considered by myself and my family and we all believe that it is time for me to pass the proverbial baton.” Hayden was met with a host of challenges as chief, including a record-breaking homicide rate in 2020, a pan-

demic and several high-profile incidents including: three white police officers charged with beating a handcuffed Black detective, Luther Hall; the death of officer Katlyn Alix who was shot and killed by fellow officer Nathaniel Hendren while he was on duty in January 2019; and local protests in summer 2020 over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

His announcement comes less than two weeks after St. Louis County Police Chief Mary Barton resigned after 16 months of addressing allegations of a racist culture within the agency.

During the mayoral campaign, Mayor Tishaura Jones was asked during a debate if, as mayor, she would interview Hayden to ensure he was the right person to continue leading the department.

“Everything is on the table, every position is on the

n “I want everyone to know that serving as the 35th police chief of the city of St. Louis has been an honor of a lifetime.”

— Police Chief John Hayden

Dogan sets his sights on County Executive office

Page says he would face ‘uphill battle’

By Alvin A. Reid

The St. Louis American

State Rep. Shamed Dogan, R-98, says he is proud to have been born and raised in north St. Louis County and that he will campaign throughout its municipalities to win Democratic votes in his quest for the office of County Executive.

Dogan announced on Wednesday he is running for the Republican nomination and, if successful, is eager to square off against County Executive Sam Page or another Democratic candidate in the November 2024 general election.

“I’ve been a leader in critical justice reform and worked with elected officials on both sides of the aisle,” Dogan told The St. Louis American “We passed the most significant police reform bill since Ferguson. People have talked about it for years, I got it done.”

Dogan said the bill “holds bad police officers accountable while helping good police officers fight violent criminals who threaten our communities.”

He added, “it’s time to also stop locking people up for minor marijuana offenses and non-violent crimes. This will keep people out of prison and stop wasting taxpayer dollars.”

In his announcement release, Dogan criticized recent Democratic leadership in the County Executive’s office.

“For nearly 8 years, Steve Stenger and Sam Page have let us down. Corruption. Population decline. Rising crime. Kids falling behind,” he said.

“If the last year has made anything clear, it’s that we have a County Executive who’s more concerned with his own power and self-interest than with helping regular folks. We deserve better.”

“Representative Dogan has an uphill battle,” Page told The American

Health centers physician says diverse community thoughts should help direct County ARPA funds

By JoAnn Weaver

The St. Louis American

St. Louis County has received $96.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, the first allotment of the $193 million the county is expected to receive over the next three years.

Dr. Kanika Cunningham, a family medicine physician at Family Care Health Centers, believes there should be a team assembled to help assess the needs of community and where a proposed $36 million new health center in North County would be located. It would increase health services and in-clinic lab capacity and include a state-of-the-art Substance Abuse Support Center.

“I definitely want them to be mindful of diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Cunningham said. “There should be a committee made up of community members to assist in allocation

of these funds, not just health department public officials; the community needs to be involved.”

Cunningham noted that systemic racism has had a major impact on the St. Louis region and that they need to be understood by those who work at the future center.

“The individuals who work at the Center will also need to recognize and understand the effects systemic racism has had on Blacks when it comes to substance use and create a more equitable approach with substance use to reach those in the community who are often left out,” Cunningham said.

“The people who work there need to look like the people they serve in addition to undergoing [DEI] training before opening up to treat the first patient in addition to what the latest evidence-based research is on treating

Dr. Kanika Cunningham, family medicine physician at Family Care Health Centers, is calling on St. Louis County leaders to recognize the role systemic racism plays in health care disparities, COVID-19 responses.

St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden speaking at a press conference Wednesday, Sept 8, 2021 announcing his retirement from the department set for Febuary of 2022. At left is interim Public Safety Director Dan Isom on the steps of St. Louis City Hall.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

See HAYDEN, A6

See DOGAN, A7

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

State Rep. Shamed Dogan

Actor Michael K. Williams dead at 54 from possible drug overdose

Michael K. Williams, the actor known for his roles as Omar Little on the HBO series, “The Wire,” and Chalky White on “Boardwalk Empire,” was found dead on Monday, Sept. 6 in his Brooklyn home. He was 54.

His longtime representative Shafran confirmed his death in a state ment, and said the family was struggling with “deep sorrow” at “this insurmount able loss.”

According to New York City Police, he was found around 2 p.m. His death is being investigated as a possible drug overdose, and the city’s medical exam iner will evaluate the cause.

Colleagues, family, friends and peers shared memories of him to their social media profiles.

Ava DuVernay, who worked with Williams on her mini-series

“When They See Us,” expressed that he touched the lives of

many, including her.

“You, brother, touched many,” she said in an Instagram post. “Through your personal interactions big and small, through your community activism, through your struggles, through your triumphs, through your glorious work. You moved many. You moved me.”

David Simon, writer and director of “The Wire” tweeted a photo of Williams on Twitter and said he was “too gutted” to say more about “a fine man and a rare talent” who “always deserved the best words.”

Cardi B and Offset welcome their second child

is now a big sister!

Her parents, rappers Cardi B and husband Offset, have welcomed their second child into the world. On Monday, Sept. 6 they made a social media announcement about the baby’s arrival.

Cardi B shared a photo of her and Offset with their new bundle of joy in what looked to be a hospital bed. She captioned the photo with “9/4/21” and three emojis including a blue heart along with a photo of the baby wrapped in a blue blanket, leaving fans to

assume the baby is a boy.

The couple secretly married in September 2017 and got “engaged” on stage a month later.

Their daughter Kulture was born in July 2018.

Cardi B and Offset, have publicly broken up and restored their relationship on multiple occasions. Their second pregnancy was kept secret until Cardi B revealed her baby bump during a performance with Migos at the BET Awards in June.

Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison reflect on “A Different World” characters

In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Jasmine Guy and Kadeem Hardison from “A Different World’’ reflected on the impact of their character’s Whitley Gilbert and Dwayne Wayne’s iconic love story and how they think the characters would be in modern-day times.

“It’s boy meets girl, girl’s not interested in boy, boy’s not interested in girl,” Hardison said. “Then the writers came up with some great idea to put boy and girl together, and then we ended up married and happily ever after.”

A wealthy Southern belle, Gilbert was known for her bourgeois persona and exquisite taste for the finer things in life.

“I realized that Whitley becomes another kind of character when she’s with him,” Guy

said. “Dwayne brought out her vulnerability, which she was never comfortable with. She always had to think she was in control.”

On the show, Gilbert eventually falls in love with Wayne, who comes from an average background. Guy stated that Gilbert and Wayne’s relationship was a matter of class rather than race.

“I don’t think I looked at our love story as a Black love story. It just seemed like a story that people can go through,” Guy said. “People that keep missing each other and then somehow find a way back and then split again. I think at the age that our characters were, you always think there may be something else. That there may be something better. And then we both had familiar pressures too because we were in different classes. I don’t think it mattered to us as much as it did to our moms.”

Where would Gilbert and Wayne be today?

Hardison said they’d still be hanging out, while Guy said they would have experienced a midlife crisis.

She explained, “She may say, ‘This is the only man that I’ve ever known. I want to explore the world.’ Whereas Dwayne is more, ‘I’m finally where we’re stable, our kids raised, we’re in a good place.’ And just how we used to do on the show; when somebody is just in another lane and we’re missing each other, we need to intersect.”

Sources: shadowandact.com, thejasminebrand.com, revolt.tv, nytimes.com, cnn.com

As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

Working together key to ending COVID-19 crisis

By Dr. Ingrid Taylor For the St. Louis American

The internet, radio, and television provide insurmountable amounts of information to process and understand as people attempt to protect themselves, and their loves ones, from this potentially deadly virus. Who can we trust to provide reliable, scientific information that will protect our community and save lives?

We are fortunate to have great resources, validated by leaders in our community, so that we don’t have to navigate this pandemic by ourselves.

According to new research, led by the Washington University School of Medicine, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and reported in The St. Louis American last week, social distancing policies implemented early on by St. Louis and St. Louis County were associated with decreased hospitalizations and deaths.

In short, by following the guidance of our public health experts, “Thousands of lives were saved.” Many of those lives were in our African American communities in north St. Louis and St. Louis County.

perts, this time on masking.

It is well established and scientifically validated that masks limit the spread of COVID-19 and buy us time to improve vaccination rates. This is what will end the pandemic once and for all. Masks in indoor settings provide the best chance right now for in-classroom learning, youth sports, vibrant business activity, and full employment. In the few weeks that masking policies have been in place, COVID-19 cases have stabilized. Continued masking in indoor settings and vaccinations are the path forward.

I am saddened to hear the conversation regarding masks become political, but I am heartened to see our community begin to embrace the leadership and direction of our public health experts that have proven to protect us and lead us prophetically in 2020. Let’s continue to follow their advice.

In the Spring of 2020, when there were no vaccines or highly effective treatments for those with COVID-19, many municipalities across the United States enacted social distancing policies to reduce the spread of this virus such as, closure of schools and prohibiting large gatherings and asking residents to reduce non-essential travel outside of the home (i.e., shelter in place.)

Both the city of St. Louis and St Louis County issued emergency public health orders to reduce person to person contact and to limit the size of gatherings. By March 23, 2020, bars and restaurants were closed and a shelter in place order went into effect.

Researchers were able to project that even short-term delays in enacting social distancing policies could have resulted in thousands of additional COVID -19 hospitalizations and deaths. The political reaction in some corners of the region and country was loud and sometimes disappointing. But by following the guidance of our public health leaders we are in a much better place today.

We are not out of this storm yet. But there is hope. Over the past month, we received more guidance and direction from public health ex-

Health departments in our region are leading vaccination campaigns to get us to the other side of the pandemic. St. Louis County, my home, has partnered with community leaders, faith leaders, physicians, health systems, beauty salons and barber shops and many other local businesses to increase vaccination rates in vulnerable populations and underserved areas.

St. Louis County has done an amazing job of arming African Americans who live in ZIP codes challenged with health inequities to get vaccinated against COVID-19. With this strategy of meeting people where they are, North County is becoming one of the fasting growing areas of people becoming vaccinated against COVID-19.

In fact, since June 25, 2021, there has been a 9 percent increase in the COVID-19 vaccination rate in North County.

Let’s continue to work together. Our community needs you. The partnership of the African American community and our public health leaders is vital for our community.

While public health policies can remove some of the thunder clouds of the COVID-19 storm, the pandemic can be a treacherous, scary, loud storm. However, with good solid public health policies in place that save lives and increasing vaccine access, COVID-19 can become just a whisper for most of us.

Dr. Ingrid Taylor is a board-certified family medicine physician who practices in St. Louis. Dr. Taylor is also founder of Allies in Healthcare (AIH), LLC.

National Urban League bringing vital message to Heartland

By Marc H. Morial

“Until George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer, sparking protests against racist police violence around the world, much of the popular depiction of the Midwest has been blind to its extreme racial inequality — or that nonwhite Midwesterners even exist.”

Police in Kansas City, Missouri, are accused of using excessive and deadly force against Black and Brown Kansas Citians, constitutional violations, and discriminatory patterns and practices in policing. Yet the citizens of Kansas City have little recourse, because the department is governed by a state agency.

Police in Columbus, Ohio, used physical violence, tear gas and pepper spray against peaceful protesters without provocation in what a federal judge called “the sad tale of officers, clothed with the awesome power of the state, run amok.”

In Louisville, Kentucky, the officers who shot and killed Breonna Taylor in a botched raid escaped consequences after prosecutors misled a grand jury, according to the jurors.

In each of these cities, trust between the police and the communities they serve is broken. Effective public safety cannot be achieved until that trust is restored. These are also cities where dynamic and determined Urban League affiliate presidents — Stephanie Hightower in Columbus, Sadiqa Reynolds in Louisville, and Gwen Grant in Kansas City — have led the efforts for justice, reform and

accountability.

That’s why they are the first cities chosen by the National Urban League’s Equitable Justice & Strategic Initiatives Division (EJSI) for its Heartland Tour to promote the League’s comprehensive framework for criminal justice advocacy, 21 Pillars for Redefining Public Safety and Restoring Community Trust. The tour will highlight solutions to police violence and misconduct in the Midwest

The division, led by Senior Vice President Jerika Richardson, was created after the murder of George Floyd during the social justice uprising of 2020. In addition to leading the League’s criminal justice reform work, EJSI also focuses its policy and advocacy efforts on civic engagement, census and redistricting, protecting voting rights, ending gun violence, combating extremism and more.

EJSI recognizes that many cities in the Midwest do not often receive national media attention, even though they have some of the highest rates of police violence and complaints of police misconduct and seeks to change that. Columbus, for example, has the highest rate of police shootings in the country, according to Police Scorecard. Kansas City ranked 496th

Black America should break out the box

We’re familiar with the metaphor “thinking outside the box.” which means to think differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspective. But the metaphor presumes the box is serviceable.

Suppose the box is functionally obsolete, has outlived its usefulness, just doesn’t work anymore. This means, you need a new box.

A major weakness, you could call it a character flaw, of what passes for the Black public intellectual cohort (actually just cable TV pundits and their cousins who make up the national Black political leadership) is a complete absence of analysis and imagination when it comes to America in the 21st century and the condition of Black people. If you’re Black in America, you don’t need to be thinking outside the box, you need to be thinking about a new box. Whatever has been the American box, it has never worked for Black people. We’ve spent the last 150-plus years trying to figure out and advocate for a place in the box. This American box as constructed, was not designed for us. As William E.B. DuBois put it, “A system cannot fail those it was never meant to protect.”

There was a constant in what I’ll call Black political theory regarding America, and the political activism that developed as a result of this Black political theory. From Frederick Douglass in the1850s, through DuBois to Martin Luther King and James Baldwin, to James Cones and Black Liberation Theology, or Derrick Bell and Critical Race Theory in the early 1980s, the role of Black public intellectuals was analysis, a critique of America, from the perspective of the Black experience. They were talking to us, about us. When it comes to America,

Black leadership doesn’t need to think outside the box, Black leadership needs to advocate for a new box. America has devolved from a place that has never worked for Black people to a place that no longer works, period.

Let’s start with America’s federal system of government.

The Constitution is not the Ten Commandments, it is simply a political compromise among privileged white economic interests on how to create a functioning government out of the failure of the Articles of Confederation.

It’s not an operating blueprint for all time. It was an operating blueprint for that time, and that time was 1789. In fact, it was changed immediately after it was agreed upon. What Americans reverently refer to as the Bill of Rights, are really nothing more than the first 10 changes to the original document. The Constitution has been amended 27 times.

Webster defines amend as “putting something right, to change or modify for the better, to alter formally by modification or deletion.”

I would suggest there is nobody in America that thinks of themselves as citizen of the state in which they reside. They consider themselves citizens of the United States, the country and they’re right. No matter where they travel, whether it’s Missouri, Georgia, Florida or Texas, their citizenship and its corresponding rights and privileges cannot be modified or diluted by

Letters to the editor

state government, per the Constitution as amended.

The Supremacy Clause of the Constitution establishes the Constitution, federal laws made pursuant to it and treaties made under it as the supreme law of the land and take priority over any conflicting state laws. The 10th Amendment says any powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution are reserved to the States.

Every vile, malevolent, contemptible officially sanctioned crime inflicted upon Black people, from enslavement to Jim Crow, are vested in the 10th Amendment.

But remember the definition of amendment is to change or modify what went before. The 14th Amendment, if you’re Black, is politically the crown jewel of the Constitution because it unequivocally makes the rights and privileges of citizenship a function of the nation and cannot be constrained by the states.

“No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.”

I’m neither a constitutional lawyer or scholar but I do know how to frame and make a political argument to advance my interest. American corporations have used the 14th Amendment to bypass and neuter state governments since the 1870s. There is no constitutional basis for anything that’s happening to us today relative to voting rights or women’s reproductive health. Every violation of our rights and humanity has happened because we continue to let a minority of white men maintain the fiction that we’re living in the America of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

of 500 departments evaluated based on use of force, arrests for low-level offenses, homicide clearance rates, accountability and overall spending on policing.

Only eight departments had a higher rate than Louisville of arrests for low-level offenses.

The League’s 21 Pillars centers on five key themes that are fundamental to the protection and preservation of life, dignity, trust, and safer communities: collaboration, accountability, changing divisive policies, transparency, and elevated standards for hiring and training police.

The Heartland Tour will familiarize communities with the objectives of the 21 Pillars, amplify the issues and concerns relevant in each city, and advocate for policy solutions.

The tour begins with a community forum at the Lincoln Theater in Columbus at 6 p.m. Wednesday, September 15. Community leaders from Cincinnati and Cleveland, which rank among the worst cities for use of deadly force on unarmed people, also have been invited to participate. Events in other cities will be announced in coming months.

The Heartland Tour is a first step toward fulfilling the first theme of the 21 Pillars: Collaborate with Communities to Build a Restorative System. Communities are truly empowered when public safety institutions engage in public dialogue and commit to structural change.

Marc H. Morial is president and CEO of the National Urban League

A week or so ago, the world watched one of the saddest episodes in modern history. Men, women, and even children were seen desperately clinging to the sides, top, and even the bottom of moving airplanes as they were trying to lift off the runway. Undoubtedly this was one of the most visually disturbing episodes seen from twenty years of American engagement, in war-weary Afghanistan. As Americans, we are deeply concerned about the safety and security of Afghans that worked to save the lives of our soldiers in Afghanistan through their service. However only 900 miles from Florida lies Haiti, which was recently

shocked by the assassination of its President. As bad as that was, a few weeks later Haiti was victimized by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake, where over 2200 Haitian people died, tens of thousands were made homeless, and thousands more were left without access to drinkable (potable) water, food, and basic shelter. All this was followed by the devastation of Tropical Storm Grace.

Unlike the Afghan refugees, the American public seems indifferent to the plight of Haitians. Among the many cruel acts by Donald Trump was to remove Haitians from the protection of Temporary Protected Status, without which they must leave America and return to Haiti. All of this causes us to wonder and ask

why are Black politicians silent when it comes to providing support for the citizens of Black countries? Mexico has offered to take in Afghan refugees, Europe is taking in Afghans refugees, Americans are taking in Afghans, yet we vigorously ask who is offering to bring Haitians to the safety of America? Where is the shame, embarrassment, and sense of pride that prevents Black politicians from demanding that America make a place for Haitians displaced by earthquakes, storms, and political unrest? We have plenty of room for the Haitians. They could sit right next to the Afghans.

Bishop

Lawrence M. Wooten, PhD

Columnist Marc H. Morial

Columnist

Mike Jones

Guest Columnist Dr. Ingrid Taylor

Creve Coeur to rededicate, celebrate Dr. H. Phillip Venable Memorial Park

St. Louis American staff

The City of Creve Coeur will hold a rededication ceremony for Dr. H. Phillip Venable Memorial Park, 10630 Country View Drive, at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021.

Creve Coeur acquired land for the park from Dr. Venable and his wife, Katie W. Venable, through eminent domain in the late 1950s.

“Both city and court records show that the people leading this effort were seeking to exclude the Venables from the city due to their race. The history of the park’s origins had been forgotten for many years, but the facts were brought to the City Council’s attention in 2019 by members of the community,” according to a Creve Coeur press release.

In December 2019, the City Council passed a resolution renaming the park as Dr. H. Phillip Venable Memorial Park. The city also acknowledged and apologized “for the abhorrent actions of their predecessors.”

“I encourage everyone to attend this important event for our community,” said Mayor Robert Hoffman. “We want to ensure the people who

enjoy the park also remember the history behind it. As we take this step toward correcting this past injustice, I invite the community to come together and celebrate the incredible legacy of Dr. Venable.”

Members of Dr. Venable’s family, including nieces Rossalind Yvonne Venable Woodhouse and Victoria Cheryl Venable Fletcher and nephew Allen Wade Wright Venable, will speak during the ceremony.

Dr. Will Ross, professor of medicine at Washington University in St. Louis and a past colleague of Dr. Venable, will share his thoughts on Dr. Venable and the ceremony will be hosted by Kelly Jackson of KSDK. Dr. Venable passed away in 1998.

The City Council also established the Venable Park Task Force to work with family members regarding the rededication event and future memorial to be incorporated into the park.

Donations from individuals, businesses and organizations to support the future memorial are being accepted.

To learn more about Dr. Venable, please visit www.crevecoeurmo.gov/VenablePark

I don’t understand the fury against masks

By Oseye Boyd

School board meetings usually aren’t well attended. I’ve gone to a lot of school board meetings. Most of the time, depending on the district, it was just me (the reporter), the school board, an administrator or two and a couple of teachers.

Parents came when their children were recognized by the board and then promptly left when the recognition was over. A packed room would return to empty in a matter of minutes.

School boards only have a large audience when people are fired up about an issue. Currently, that issue is masks.

For the life of me I can’t understand what people has so angry about mask wearing. If I had my druthers, I wouldn’t wear a mask.

However, we’re in a pandemic — a pandemic that keeps evolving but people are still denying it — so, I’m OK with following certain protocols to stay healthy and stay alive. I’m OK with exchanging a little comfort for life. Mandating masks isn’t crossing a line too far for me.

Again, it’s the fervor and fury of these parents and community members (everyone attending the board meetings isn’t even a parent) that I don’t understand. Like, your life must be pretty darn good if the only thing you get fired up about is a mask mandate.

Yet, these are some of the same people who have a problem with Black people nonviolently protesting police brutality. Can you imagine what would happen if Black parents came out en masse and stormed school board meetings in the same way?

If a Black man’s gun accidentally fell out of his pocket during a school board meeting?

That’s not what this column is about, but I couldn’t resist pointing out the double standard.

I’m reminded of the New York Times podcast “Nice White Parents.” Parents who act like their child or children are the only ones who matter and expect school boards to acquiesce to their demands (which they often do out of fear of losing students).

However, public schools are about more than your children. Public schools accept all children, and children come with different needs. These parents aren’t considering the children who have underlying conditions and need protection. While your child may be healthy, the student on his right may have an autoimmune disorder or be in remission from cancer.

Are these parents mad because they don’t believe their children have COVID-19 so there’s no need to wear a mask? Are they mad that schools are trying to protect their children? Do these parents demand doctors remove their masks during surgery or dental hygienists? What exactly has them so mad that they’ve lost all sense of civility?

These nice white parents aren’t modeling good behavior for the children. They certainly aren’t acting like adults. In fact, they’re acting like bullies. I’ve read about or watched parents harass doctors and others who say masks should be worn to protect their children’s safety. These parents boo, follow people to their cars or scream in their faces. Intimidating people who disagree isn’t nice. It’s appalling and downright disgusting. They should be embarrassed and ashamed of their behavior.

What makes their yelling and screaming (during a pandemic that is spread this way) even more appalling is we’re amid an increase in coronavirus cases. School boards aren’t requiring students to wear a mask just for fun. They’re doing so to keep children safe. They’re following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They’re trying to mitigate harm, not exacerbate it, but you wouldn’t know by the way these parents are performing.

I’m a parent with a child in school. She has to wear a mask. Is she excited about it? No. Does she complain? Sometimes. Does she get over it? Yes.

If we want to end mask mandates, then it’s simple. Let’s do our best to stop the transmission of COVID-19. Masks may not be 100% effective, but we know coupled with social distancing masks reduce the transmission of coronavirus.

At the rate we’re going, this thing is going to be with us forever.

Oseye Boyd is editor of the Indianapolis Recorder and an author.

Ciara Ruffin and her daughter, Chloe Stephenson, 11, walk the rows of American flags on Art Hill in Forest Park Sept. 4. 2021. The flags represent and honor the military lives that have been lost over the past 20 years since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorists attacks.

Hill of honor

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Oseye Boyd

Hayden

Continued from A1

table, there are no sacred cows here,” Jones said at the time.

On Wednesday, the mayor took to the podium and said she was surprised when Hayden told her that he was retiring. She noted he had been an ally in her administration’s effort to re-envision policing in the city.

The mayor said the nationwide search for Hayden’s successor will start immediately and will “focus on individuals who are experienced in 21st-century policing methods.” Jones intends to make the process transparent, with two public listening sessions in October, a survey for residents to voice their opinions and a town hall.

She said she hopes to collaborate with St. Louis County Executive Sam Page as both leaders search for new law enforcement heads.

“We’re looking forward to hearing from the community about their vision for the next police chief,” she said. “We’re taking lessons learned from the previous search and applying them here. We want this to be as smooth a transition as possible while hiring the most qualified person for the job that St. Louisans deserve.” Hayden was appointed as the department’s 35th chief by former Mayor Lyda Krewson in December 2017, a few months after protests erupted in the city following the acquittal of former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley in the shooting of Anthony Lamar Smith. Hayden’s predecessor, Chief Sam Dotson, retired abruptly on Krewson’s first day as mayor. On Wednesday Jones said Hayden has contributed to her administration’s efforts to address root causes of crime in the city of St. Louis, reallocate funds to critical services like affordable housing, improve 911 response times and connect mental health professionals to the right emergency call.

“I want everyone to know that serving as the 35th police

chief of the City of St. Louis has been an honor of a lifetime,” Hayden said. Det. John Leggette, chaplain of the Ethical Society of Police, spoke during the press conference. He said the organization

wished him all the best in his retirement.

“When Chief Hayden was appointed we issued our public support, yet stated we would hold him accountable for our community and for our offi-

cers,” Leggette said. “We will do the same and hold true for the next chief of police, who undoubtedly has a complex job ahead of him or her.”

After Hayden’s announcement, ESOP released a state-

ment noting the next chief of Missouri’s second-largest police force will be called to address challenging issues such as recruitment and retention, building the trust of the community and combating bias and

and

racism within the department. The organization believes the next chief must be a person who understands equality, fair police tactics, strategies

community engagement.

St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden and St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones walk down the steps of City Hall Wednesday, Sept. 8, to announce Hayden’s retirement from the police department in Febuary, 2022.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Wash U. study to examine how Black families discuss racial violence

By Chad Davis St. Louis Public Radio

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is funding a $697,914 research project led by a Washington University professor and other researchers to study how Black parents speak to their children about racial violence.

Sheretta Butler-Barnes, an associate professor in the Brown School at Washington University, will work with researchers from the University of Virginia and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Over the next three years, they will follow 1,000 Black families in Missouri and Virginia to examine how parents speak to their children about what happens when Black people are killed or harmed as a result of racial

Dogan

Continued from A1

“It’s going to be a difficult task for a candidate for County Executive in Democratic St. Louis County to run on the Republican General Assembly’s record, using Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s playbook.”

Dogan said he would have sided with County Council Chair Rita Days and Councilwoman Shalonda Webb in their votes against a mask mandate. He said he would have backed a “mask recommendation.”

“I have issues with any kind of mandate. I don’t want to get law enforcement involved. A recommendation makes sense. I don’t want the police to come in heavy handed.” No municipal police force in St. Louis County has announced it would take action against any individual not wearing a mask, nor have any arrests or citations been issued.

“Protecting kids in schools by mandating masks in schools makes perfect sense to me,” Dogan said. This puts him in opposition to Schmitt and many of his GOP colleagues in St. Louis County and Jefferson City.

violence and see how Black middle school and high school students cope with those incidents.

Barnes said there’s little research on how Black parents address racial violence. She and the other researchers will also study how a parent’s experience with racial violence influences the conversations.

“What is the stress level of parents engaging in these conversations, based on their own racialized experiences,” Barnes said. “It might be that they’ve encountered racialized experiences that might make them a bit hesitant, a bit fearful, a bit anxious, and even having to sit down and say, OK, you are going to be perceived this way.”

Barnes said she wanted to conduct the study in states that have had high-profile killings of Black people and where there was widespread anger and publicity. The researchers chose Missouri because the region is still coming to terms with how former Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson killed Michael Brown Jr. in 2014. They chose Virginia, noting a 2017 Unite the Right rally by white supremacists.

I’ve had the honor of serving Missourians at the local, state, and federal levels. I’ve seen firsthand that quality leadership in government can make people’s lives a little bit better. That’s why I’m so disturbed by what’s been going on in St. Louis County government.”

Dogan is the first Republican to announce a campaign for County Executive.

Republican County Council members Tim Fitch and Ernie Trakas have not said whether they have an eye on the office. Dogan said he will seek the nomination, “regardless of who enters the race.”

After serving as a Ballwin alderman from 2011-14, Dogan was elected to his first two-year term as the District 98 state representative in November 2014. He was re-elected in 2016 and 2018.

Dogan’s district covers parts of Ballwin, Ellisville, Fenton, and Wildwood and he is chairman of the House Special Committee on Criminal Justice.

He announced in January 2021 that he would form an exploratory committee to determine if he would run for County Executive.

“I’m running for County Executive to bring people together again so that we can get St. Louis County growing again,” he said.

in two states, Missouri and Virginia, which have both experienced nationally televised racist incidents,” Butler-Barnes said.

The researchers will check in with families to see if the family conversations lead young people to become civically engaged.

“Our grant focuses explicitly on Black parents’ race-related experiences, parenting practices and socialization on adolescents’ developmental competencies

Funds

Continued from A1 substance abuse as opposed to the old historical methods,” Cunningham said.

County Executive Dr. Sam Page said the funds “will provide an opportunity to make

“The regions were selected not only for feasibility but for the shared similar histories of racial violence. Both regions have experienced racial violence that ranges from racial hate groups (the alt-right movement) to police killings. Although the racial incidents occurred some time ago, Black families in these regions are still being impacted.”

There is little research on how Black parents talk to their children when a Black person is killed, said Kellina

historic investments in building a future where everyone in St. Louis County has access to health, safety and opportunity.”

The Page administration used CARES Act funds to address the public health, humanitarian, and economic consequences of COVID-19, with special emphasis on

Craig-Henderson, deputy assistant director for the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences at the National Science Foundation.

“We have not really explored the dynamics of development and socialization within African American families,” Craig-Henderson said. “This is one of the reasons why this work is as valuable as it is, because it is addressing a topic that has been understudied.”

Barnes said Black parents have long had to speak to their children following incidents of racial violence. She hopes the research will help researchers learn how families can better

addressing the impact the pandemic has had on vulnerable populations, particularly the African American community and people with chronic medical problems. Additionally, $22 million will be used to expand workforce development programs currently offered at the MET Center in Wellston.

Ferguson protest leader Brittany

participates in a 2014 demonstration.

Washington University researchers have been commissioned by the National Science Foundation to examine how Black parents in Missouri talk to their children about racial violence. Missouri was selected because the St. Louis region is still coming to terms with how former Ferguson officer

communicate with their children after such incidents.

“This work is really to increase the visibility and to create and have support systems for Black families who differ in their level of communication and having these very difficult conversations,” Barnes said.

The NSF is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 «to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare.” It is a funding source for approximately 25 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted by America’s colleges and universities.

A significant amount of the funds will replace lost tax revenue to relieve historical budget pressure for future property tax increases and provide pay raises to Justice Services staff who provide critical services to residents of the jail and make less than their counterparts in other counties.

Ferrell

Darren Wilson killed Michael Brown Jr. in 2014.

Photo courtesy of St. Louis Public Radio

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.

Women of color can win at work

By Cora Faith Walker

It’s a tough(er) time to be a woman of color in the work force. Ongoing and deeply seated systemic equity issues continue to raise roadblocks for advancement into leadership positions, which are vital for engaging, supporting and advancing other women of color. And COVID-19 has hit women generally harder than men, and Black women even harder. Many of us have been forced to make choices we’ve not wanted to make – at great sacrifice to careers and economic vitality just to make life work.

As we look at how the workforce and workplace has changed and is changing so much during this time, I believe that we have a distinct opportunity to rewrite the playbook, define and push hard to remove the barriers that have been so longstanding. But we must stand up and use our voices to speak out.

In my roles as a former state legislator and now as part of the St. Louis County Executive’s team, I have seen the drive and potential of every single person I’ve met. This community has a drive and determination to push forward, fully get back to work and help our families and communities thrive. But there is much work to be done to make each and every woman feel empowered to get there.

There is much work be done to foster an environment that truly ensures equity at all levels. And I know there is great commitment and drive to move that mission forward across the state of Missouri.

I’m very grateful to be part of the recently launched Missouri Women’s Economic Development Task Force, convened and led by United Women’s Empowerment, or United WE. To better understand what real women in Missouri are facing when it comes to participating, advancing and succeeding at work, we’re hosting town hall discussions across the state that will take real input from Missouri women to direct development of a set of policy recommendations to bolster women’s economic empowerment across Missouri.

The next Women’s Economic Development Town Hall is from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, September 14 at the Florissant Civic Center. We’ll dive into and explore issues that women are facing, including how COVID and other issues have affected our community,

childcare, paid family leave, entrepreneurship, and other topics. Free childcare, lunch and a gift card for participation will be provided.

Those who are unable to attend in person can attend via Facebook Live on United WE’s Facebook page or submit input via United WE’s online form. Whatever way you can, we need your voice, your experiences and your priorities to be heard. Understanding and prioritizing these issues will benefit us all. In fact, The McKinsey Global Institute found that Missouri could grow its economy by 10-15% by 2025 if women’s participation in the workforce increased. Policies affecting the quality of life of women and their families need to be at the forefront of our advocacy to advance their careers and fully realize their potential. This process will not only help us to accurately define the problems, but to map out the solutions. Please join me. Raise your voice and be heard. Learn more and register to attend at https://united-we.org/ mo-town-halls.

Cora Faith Walker is chief policy officer for St. Louis County Executive Dr. Sam Page and is a United WE Women’s Economic Development Task Force member

Professional golf returns!

September 6–12

Norwood Hills Country Club

Don’t miss your chance to see some of the greatest golfers in the world* — like Ernie Els, Jim Furyk and many more of golf’s legendary champions.

All proceeds benefit St. Louis-area youth and charities in North St. Louis County and beyond.

For more information, visit AscensionCharityClassic.com

Benefiting St. Louis charities

Guest Columnist

Cora Faith Walker

Rung for Women launches geospatial training

Rung for Women President Leslie Gill and founder Ali Hogan welcome new members on Friday, March 26, 2021. In September 2021 the organization launched a geospatial training program to help women, especially women of color, snag high-paying jobs.

Region already is home to more than 27,000 geospatial industry

By Karen Robinson-Jacobs

The St. Louis American

Rung for Women, Maryville University, and Greater St. Louis, Inc. are launching a training program this month designed to increase the chances women, especially women of color, can snag high-paying geospatial jobs.

The initiative comes as the region prepares for a range of job options associated with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Western U.S. headquarters that is taking shape in north St. Louis.

In partnership with several geospatial employers including St. Louis-based mapping service T-Kartor USA, Rung for Women and Maryville have developed a geospatial analyst training program designed to offer specific

n “We know that career opportunities in geospatial will continue to grow over the next 5 to 10 years, and we want to empower women to gain access to these good jobs with family-sustaining wages.”

– Leslie Gill, president of Rung for Women

knowledge and skills employers are seeking in entry-level geospatial employees.

The program is only open to members of Rung, which provides educational, professional,

jobs

and economic resources to help women advance. The first group of up to 8 participants will complete the program in December 2021 and will begin interviews with employers in early 2022.

“At Rung, we are building equitable pathways to high potential careers for women in our region,” Leslie Gill, president of Rung for Women, said in a statement to The St. Louis American. “We know that career opportunities in geospatial will continue to grow over the next 5 to 10 years, and we want to empower women to gain access to these good jobs with family-sustaining wages.

“Women have been underrepresented in STEM for too long, and we are proud to work with partners like Maryville to change that.”

Black Americans ‘remain in the caboose’ of the nation’s economic train

Racial discrimination plays role

By Alvin A. Reid

August jobs report. It does not seem mathematically possible, but employment of white workers grew by 1.1 million in July, compared to just 12,000 for Black workers. A National Urban League analyst calls it “a wide gap in relative employment growth.” While it is good news that the Black unemployment rate fell a full percentage point to 8.2%, the white rate of unemployment is considerably lower at 4.8%.

“African Americans remain in the caboose as the economic train moves steadily toward recov-

n “African Americans remain in the caboose as the economic train moves steadily toward recovery and full employment. There is a wide gap in relative employment growth,” according to the National Urban League.

ery and full employment. There is a wide gap in relative employment growth,” according to the National Urban League.

Bernard Anderson, NUL chief economics adviser, wrote in his economic outlook released Sept. 3 that policy changes are crucial to raising the Black employment rate.

“A high rate of job creation generated by monetary policy will not eliminate the racial employment gap. Enforcement of public policies to eliminate racial discrimination in the labor market is necessary for assuring equal opportunity in the labor market,” he wrote.

The policies include enhanced education, job training, direct employment, and enforcement of anti-discrimination actions.

Anderson calls it “unacceptable” that the Black/white unemployment ratio was 1.78 in July, even though it is better than “the perpetual 2:1 ratio.”

“Vigorous job growth and declining unemployment have done little to close the racial employment gap. The gap reflects several factors, including the labor force participation rate, the employment/population ratio of Black youth, and the greater frequency of labor market turnover among Black workers compared with white workers.”

William Spriggs, a Howard University economist who also works with the AFL-CIO, told Marketplace.org, “It’s clear there’s discrimination in the labor market.”

“It screams at you,” Spriggs said.

“The unemployment rate for Blacks with associate degrees was higher than the unemployment rate for whites who were dropouts.”

He said Black workers remain unemployed the longest and that they remain “the first fired, last hired in our economy.”

Chandra Childers, an Institute for Women’s Policy Research director, told Marketplace that industries including leisure and hospitality, state and local government and childcare are major employers of Black women, and they are bounc-

PeoPle on the Move

Adefioye named chief people officer

Emerson appointed Elizabeth Adefioye to the new role of chief people officer to lead diversity, equity, inclusion and talent development for the global industrial software firm. Adefioye, who previously served as chief human resources officer for Ingredion, will lead a newly consolidated human resources function, including accountability for culture, employee experience, end-to-end talent management, diversity, equity and inclusion, acquisition integration, organization development and effectiveness, total rewards and HRIS.

Jackson-Jennings heads COVID response team

The COVID-19 Regional Response Team (RRT) co-chairs announced that Andrea Jackson-Jennings has been hired as the collaborative’s new managing director. RRT is a collaboration of more than 30 area non-profit, public and philanthropic organizations that joined forces last year to create a centralized response to meet the social needs of people most adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In her new role, Jackson-Jennings will continue to strengthen RRT’s public health and social service infrastructure with a focus on housing security, community centered decision-making and racial equity.

Bryant

Ed Bryant has joined Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Company, LLC (Heartland) as the company’s new vice president of public affairs and communications. Bryant will lead Heartland’s government relations, stakeholder relations, media and brand PR, and provide guidance and counsel for local community giving programs. Bryant comes to Heartland after serving as vice president for stakeholder engagement at the United Way of Greater St. Louis, where he led the agency’s collective impact teams, including Ready by 21 St. Louis, East Side Aligned, and the agency’s

Danielle Washington has been promoted to senior director, programs, at Wyman. In Washington’s new role she will work closely with DeVonne Wilson, SVP programs, to support the entire Wyman Program Team. Washington will be a crucial leader in recruitment, selection, training, and on-going development of Wyman’s youth development experts. She will also be taking charge on many areas of program design and development by researching and assessing best practices, partnerships, and engaging with Wyman youth and alumni.

Elizabeth Adefioye

Andrea JacksonJennings

Danielle Washington

Photo by Jennifer Sarti / St. Louis American

Ed

Washington named senior director at Wyman

Bernard Anderson

Bush, ‘Squad’ call for end of Line 3 construction in Minnesota

Congresswomen press Biden on campaign promise of climate-forward presidency

By Sophie Hurwitz

The St. Louis American

Seven-hundred miles upstream of St. Louis on the Mississippi River, Indigenousled protest coalitions have been attempting to block the construction of the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline near Bemidji, Minnesota since November, 2020.

On Friday, members of a group of legislators known as “the Squad” travelled to the Stop Line 3 protest camps to lend their support and call on President Biden to halt the pipeline’s construction permanently.

If fully constructed, Enbridge Line 3 would carry up to 915,000 barrels of crude oil per day. During construction, the pipeline has caused some of the environmental destruction that advocates warned against: thousands of gallons of drilling fluid, which is a mix of mud and chemicals used as lubrication for drilling under rivers, spilled between June 8 and Aug. 5. Recently, Enbridge officials stated that construction on the pipeline is more than 90% finished.

On Saturday, Sept. 4, U.S. Reps. Cori Bush, Ilhan

Training

Continued from A9

Rung will recruit women and offer additional, complementary services -- including free childcare, prepared meals, counseling, coaching, and financial education -- to eliminate many of the common barriers that keep women from reaching credential completion.

Employer partners including Maxar Technologies, a space technology company based in Westminster, Colorado, and L3Harris Technologies, a defense contractor and information technology services provider, will interview women who complete the program for open positions.

The geospatial industry already supports more than 27,000 jobs in the St. Louis region, according to Rung, not counting more than 3,000 jobs expected when the Next NGA West headquarters opens in north St. Louis in 2025.

Many geospatial contractors are moving businesses -- and jobs -- to the region to be closer to the new headquarters.

Entry-level geospatial analyst jobs start at $37,000 with significant opportunity for

Continued from A9

ing back at a slower rate than other employers.

Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib participated in a roundtable discussion with Anishinaabe leaders regarding the history of treaty violations in the area and the lack of tribal consent to pipeline construction.

As a community that has historically been dependent on the Mississippi for trade, travel, and water, St. Louis is directly affected by the outcome of the Line 3 protests, at which over 800 people have been arrested over the past year. Bush said she will use her positions on multiple House committees to pressure the President on this issue.

“This poisoned water isn’t just going to harm communities in Minnesota. St. Louis sits directly downstream on the Mississippi River — with some of our most vulnerable neighbors, mostly communities of color, living right on the banks of that water,” Bush said.

“I will not sit back and watch yet another corporation prioritize profits over Black, brown and Indigenous lives. I thank Congresswoman Omar and the Red Lake and White Earth communities for welcoming us into their home this weekend. I strongly urge the

growth and upward mobility, Rung estimates.

The organization quoted figures from the National Science Foundation showing women represent nearly half of the overall U.S. workforce, yet make up 35% of the technology workforce. When looking at all women in computer and information science occupations, 56% are white, 32% are Asian, 7% are Black women and 5% are Latinx, according to Rung. About 70% of Rung members are women of color.

Gill noted that industries that are traditionally male-dominated industries have earned a higher wage than those that are female-dominated, for generations, leading to wage gaps between men and women and between Blacks and whites.

“By creating intentional pathways for women to enter into these good-paying jobs, along with the wrap-around support they need to succeed, our region is making a bold commitment to inclusive growth and opportunity for all,” she said in a statement.

The all-virtual program will be made up of 12 modules. A new module will be released every 10 days, giving students

Biden administration to put an immediate stop to Line 3, and I vow to use my seat in Congress to protect Indigenous rights, the rights of protesters and our environment.”

“We have been encouraged by Joe Biden’s boldness so far,” Ilhan Omar said, referencing the President’s January decision to cancel a border-crossing permit for the Keystone XL pipeline that would have carried oil from Canada to Nebraska.

“Now we have another chance to reject a moving pipeline. We hope you will act.” Rep. Bush also connected violence against protesters at Line 3 to police violence in Ferguson and in other communities of color. “Police have used torture devices, chemical agents, and low-flying aircraft to assault protesters demonstrating for environmental justice,” she tweeted. Law enforcement has received over $2 million from Enbridge for policing around the pipeline’s construction.

“The water that flows from this point will carry whatever dirty fossil fuels it picks up right on down to my district,” Bush said.

the time to study and master each level before moving forward. Students are given up to 16 weeks to complete.

Maryville University took feedback from employers to develop the curriculum, which is designed to be flexible enough to accommodate adults with families and full-time jobs.

“Through MaryvilleWORKS, we have created a platform for training ...that [serves] the needs of our region’s fastest-growing sectors while providing accessible and convenient learning opportunities for underserved students,” Dr. Mark Lombardi, president of Maryville University, said in a statement.

Membership in Rung is free. Members must be at least 21 years old, have a personal annual income of no more than $50,000, English proficiency, a high school diploma or the equivalent and an employment history and stable housing for at least six months.

More information on Rung can be found at rungforwomen. org.

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

The July job’s report showed long-term unemployment at 8 million workers, far above the level reported before the pandemic.

“Not only do Black women work in childcare, but they also are more likely than other groups of women to be the sole provider in their households, which means childcare becomes ever more important,” Childers said.

In addition, the pandemic destroyed many minority-owned small businesses across America that are unlikely to return during the economic recovery.

According to Anderson, there is little evidence that the elimination of supplementary unemployment compensation generated an increase in jobs. He explains the delay in workers returning to work include childcare responsibilities of women in low wage jobs, and the fear some workers have of contracting COVID-19 if they return to work.

“These conditions reflect the impact of the pandemic in creating the economic contraction, producing labor market adjustments not seen in a normal business cycle,” he said. As the effort to increase the number of Black homeowners is being bolstered by HUD Sec. Marcia Fudge and the Biden administration, Anderson wrote, “It’s ironic that at a time (when) mortgage rates are at a low ebb, housing affordability is beyond reach for many because of the widening gap between housing supply and demand.” Housing prices rose 18.6% from June 2020 to June 2021. Homebuyers were in search of moderately priced houses, and the median price for a single-family home was $360,000 in August.

Lieutenant facing allegations of harassment, violence

Lt. Arrethie Williams is public face of Community Outreach Division

By Dana Rieck

The St. Louis American

The public face of the St. Louis County Police Department’s Community Outreach Division is facing allegations of stalking, harassment and violent behavior from several people.

Lt. Arrethie Williams also heads the Domestic Violence Unit at the department. She was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in May 2019 and is one of few Black women within the department’s leadership — and certainly one of the highest ranking women there.

“The allegations that have been made against Lt. Williams are serious and equally disturbing,” ESOP wrote in a statement. “Many of them are criminal in nature and deserve the investigative attention that is consistent with what all crime victims should expect from a law enforcement agency.”

Mike English, a former University City police officer, told KSDK that Williams has for years assaulted, stalked and harassed him — sometimes while in uniform and while on duty — after their on-and-off dating relationship ended after about five years. KSDK also spoke with several people — some who are current or former officers in the region — who said they experienced similar treatment from Williams. ESOP noted that accountability is paramount to police legitimacy and the practice of police department employees investigating themselves, coupled with a citizen review board with no independent investigative authority, has strengthened skepticism of the internal investigation process.

“If in fact Lt. Williams is uninvolved to the extent the victims allege she is, it would be in the best interest of all parties involved for a thorough criminal investigation to be conducted in order to clear her name and bring about closure for the victims,” ESOP wrote.

The police department’s spokeswoman said that since this is a personnel issue they are not able to provide any information. She did note that a thorough investigation is being conducted and will be reviewed by the chief, assistant chief and the Board of Police Commissioners.

ESOP also argued that because some of the alleged crimes are felonies and occurred across multiple jurisdictions, Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell should assign investigators within his office to conduct the investigation. Bell’s office did not immediately confirm or deny whether it planned to conduct such an investigation.

Williams joined the department in 2005 and previously

served in the North County, Central County and City of Jennings precincts. She earned a master of business administration and a master’s degree in business and security management from Webster University.

This comes at a time when the department has experienced negative publicity for some time for various incidents and saw its embattled police chief retire in June after just 16 months in the role.

Mary Barton was the first woman to become chief of the department and during that time was constantly putting out fires.

Barton faced public criticism for telling the St. Louis County Council she did not believe systemic racism existed within her department and for handling of her brother-in-law, who was a St. Louis County police dispatcher, using a racial slur on the police radio.

In addition, at least two police contract instructors for the St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy have been fired for allegedly using racially disparaging language since Barton took over.

After the department transferred Officer Shanette Hall following her appearance in a Vice video featuring Black female cops talking about the culture of policing, ESOP’s board voted and declared no confidence in Barton. Just a few days later, so did the St. Louis County Council.

Currently, Lt. Col. Kenneth Gregory is acting chief and Lt. Col Bryan Ludwig is acting deputy chief.

ESOP has previously said that Ludwig is currently at the center of discrimination lawsuits.

Lt. Arrethie Williams

Sports

InSIdE SportS

By Earl Austin Jr.

Vashon-Soldan matchup has prep football fans buzzing

Both teams are 2-0

The two most notable of several intriguing high school football matchups coming up this weekend is DeSmet visiting CBC in a Metro Catholic Conference showdown and East St. Louis traveling to Bellflower, California to play national powerhouse St. John Bosco.

There is an under-the-radar matchup slated for 4 p.m. Saturday that has folks very excited in the city. Vashon and Soldan will meet in an early-season Public High League showdown at Gateway STEM. It will be the second half of a PHL double-header with Roosevelt and host Gateway STEM meeting in the opening game at noon. Both teams are 2-0 with victories over programs with strong reputations. Vashon has impressive respective wins over Webster Groves and Vianney.

Soldan has defeated Vianney and McCluer in a pair of exciting high-scoring contests.

Vashon entered the season with high expectations under head coach William Franklin. The Wolverines have plenty of size and speed, and an exciting running back in Zach Smith, Jr. Smith had three touchdowns against Vianney, and the Wolverines’ defense has given up only seven points in two games.

Soldan has been somewhat of a surprise team. The Tigers tallied 42 points in each of their first two victories. Senior quarterback LaVonta Clerk has been racking up passing yards, while athletic 6’4” junior Steven Bonner has provided explosive plays from his wide receiver spot.

Standout Performers from Week 2

• Senior Jared Rhodes of Ladue rushed for 187 yards and scored five touchdowns in a victory over Hazelwood West.

• Senior Jalen Byrd of East St. Louis had nine tackles and a sack in a 32-17 victory over DeSmet, thus earning Most Valuable Player honors in the East St. Louis Classic.

• Junior Dashon Hudson of Francis Howell had two interceptions and returned one for a touchdown in the Vikings’ victory over Fort Zumwalt North. In two games, Hudson has four rising star.”

interceptions, with two returned for touchdowns.

• Senior P.J. Behan of MICDS had 12 receptions for 272 yards and five touchdowns in the Rams’ 59-52 victory over Park Hills Central.

• Senior quarterback Duncan Cloniger of John Burroughs passed for 410 yards and six touchdowns in the Bombers’ 61-20 victory over Brentwood.

• Senior Jamarion Price of Hazelwood Central rushed for 114 yards and three touchdowns in the Hawks’ victory over Pattonville.

On Tap this Weekend

There are some excellent matchups coming up this weekend all over the St. Louis metro area.

DeSmet at CBC, 6 p.m. Friday – These excellent programs have battled for Metro Catholic

Conference supremacy for the past few years.

East St. Louis at John Bosco, 9 p.m. Friday

– The Flyers will take on one of the biggest non-conference challenges in team history when it faces John Bosco, currently ranked No. 3 in the USA TODAY national rankings.

Hazelwood Central (2-0) at Eureka (2-0), 7 p.m. Friday Duchesne (2-0) at Lutheran-St. Charles (1-1), 7 p.m. Friday

Area Players on the Collegiate Scene

Several former prep standouts from the St. Louis area enjoyed outstanding performances during the first big weekend of college football.

• Former Lutheran North standout quarterback Aqeel Glass of Alabama A&M completed 28 of

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

49 passes for 426 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-41 victory over South Carolina State.

• Former Cardinal Ritter standout receiver Jameson Williams of Alabama had four receptions for 126 yards, including a 94-yard touchdown in a victory over Miami of Florida.

• Former Vianney standout running back Kyren Williams of Notre Dame had 125 yards of total offense and a touchdown in a 41-38 overtime victory over Florida State.

• Former Trinity Catholic standout Isaiah Williams of Illinois had eight receptions for 101 yards in a loss to Texas-San Antonio.

• Former Eureka standout running back Hassan Haskins of Michigan had 13 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown in a victory over Western Michigan.

Renken brings international experience to St. Louis

Charles Renken’s soccer journey has taken him from his native Zambia to the U.S., Europe, and Canada. His passion for the sport drove him to become a star at several levels, and he is now a specialist coach with the MLS expansion franchise St. Louis CITY’s MLS Next Under-16 St. Louis Academy team. The CITY will play its inaugural MLS season in 2023. Renken also assists with the U-17 team.

“I’m very excited for this role. I will be working very hard to bring joy to St. Louis,” he said. Born Charles Bimbe in Lusaka, Zambia, he moved to Edwardsville, Illinois in 2003 and lived with the Renken family. Two years later, the family adopted him It was not long before international soccer scouts recognized his talent. He was a star in an Under-14 league – at the age of 10. He played for the national U-14 team at 11 in 2005, and a year later moved up to the U-15 squad. Renken’s next stop, at just 13 years old, was the internationally acclaimed U.S. Soccer U-17 academy in Bradenton, Florida in 2007. At 14, he was called “U.S. soccer’s next

The world of professional soccer awaited him, and he signed with Germany’s TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and became a member of the Vancouver Whitecaps academy team.

Alvin A. Reid

Knee injuries derailed his meteoric rise through the soccer ranks. In 2012 he signed with the Portland Timbers and played in 10 reserve league matches. He played for a Swedish team before he signed with Arizona United of the United Soccer League in 2014. He returned home to St. Louis and signed with the United Soccer League expansion club Saint Louis FC A year later, Renken signed with the USL’s Seattle Sounders. Throughout his career, Renken said he thought about becoming a coach in the future.

“I went to camps and volunteered. Eventually, the opportunity to help the community came along. I wanted to stay involved in the game,” he said. As a specialist coach, Renken said he works with players to improve a particular skill.

“If they want to get better at something, I take what they have, and make it better,” he said.

Throughout his playing and coaching career, Renken said he appreciated soccer’s outreach.

“I would say it has always been a diverse game. With our club, we like to provide a space for all communities to be involved,” he said. Renken’s U-16 team blanked Shattuck-St. Mary’s 2-0 on Sept. 4. The U-17 squad then dominated Shattuck-St. Mary’s 8-1 to remain undefeat-

ed in MLS NEXT action. The Reid Roundup Grambling State University held off Tennessee State 16-10 on Sept. 4, spoiling the debut of first-year coach Eddie George…Former Washington State football player Kassidy Woods has sued coach Nick Rolovich and the university for allegedly violating his civil rights. He claims he was

A native of Zambia, Charles Renken has followed up his outstanding career as a player by entering coaching. Lift

dismissed from the team after complaining about potential exposure to COVID-19 and joining an association of Black student-athletes… The Greater Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce is endorsing the Music City Baseball ownership group’s attempt to bring an MLB expansion franchise to the city. The team would be named the Nashville Stars, making it the first MLB club named after a

Negro League team… The NFL will allow players to display social justice messages on their helmets and will include “It Takes All of Us” and “End Racism” messages in the end zones of every field. The helmet decals can include “End Racism,” “Stop Hate,” “It Takes All of Us,” “Black Lives Matter,” “Inspire Change,” and “Say Their Stories”…American Sloane Stephens said she received more than 2,000 hate messages on social media after losing to Germany’s Angelique Kerber at the U.S. Open on Sept. 3. They included threats of violence and racist and profane language… Jason Payne has been promoted to head coach of the East Coast Hockey League’s Cincinnati Cyclones, making the former assistant the only Black head coach in North American men’s pro hockey for the 2021-22 season. The NHL’s Buffalo Sabres are the team’s parent franchise… Last week, Judge Christopher McGraugh ruled against the Los Angeles Rams’ request to have the region’s relocation lawsuit against the franchise moved to another venue, writing that there is “no evidence that potential jurors in the case have an inherent bias against the league.”

Earl Austin Jr.

For Life running back Da’Kion Phillips (21) breaks through for extra yards during game action Friday Sept. 3.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Photo courtesy of St. Louis City

“Taking Care of You”

Dr. Denise HooksAnderson, who received her first vaccination shot at St. Louis University Hospital on Dec. 28, 2020, is working to reduce pediatric COVID19 cases through a Missouri Foundation for Health campaign to protect children from the virus by increasing adult vaccinations.

Pediatricians speak out in vaccination campaign

By JoAnn Weaver The St. Louis American

From St. Louis to Kansas City to rural parts of the state, growing cases of kids with COVID-19 and other viruses are putting a strain on hospitals statewide.

A recent report from the American Academy of Pediatrics shows child cases in the U.S have “steadily increased” since the beginning of July.

A total of 121,427 pediatric cases were reported the week of Aug. 12. In Missouri, children make up 11.5% of the total number of COVID-19 cases.

Missouri pediatricians have teamed up with Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) to launch a campaign that aims to protect kids from COVID-19 by increasing adult vaccinations throughout the state.

“We’ve seen an uptick in the number of pediatric COVID patients with serious illness in addition to having limited to no COVID beds in our pediatric ICU, which is very concerning,” said Kayce Morton, DO, a pediatrician at CoxHealth in Springfield. “I don’t want to have to send our kids somewhere far away for their care.”

Physicians are sounding the alarm as pediatric COVID cases continue to surge through-

out Missouri and much of the country.

According to the CDC, unvaccinated adults and teens put children who are 12 years or younger and ineligible to receive the vaccine at a greater risk of contracting the virus.

“We understand that Missourians want to make their own choices, and we hope that in making those choices, they learn the facts and consider those who oftentimes can’t make the choice for themselves – our children,” said Dr. Dwayne Proctor, MFH president and CEO.

“We could be entering the most dangerous

By Robert Pearl Stanford University

In 2020, one of the most chaotic strings of events in U.S. history occurred in just a matter of months. As the coronavirus pandemic ravaged homes and hospitals, and as communities and businesses began to feel unprecedented economic pressure, and as a contentious presidential election loomed, and as the push for racial justice in America intensified, the cracks in the country’s foundation grew wider and more visible.

As one online commentator put it, “Imagine living through the Spanish Flu, the Great Depression, and the civil rights movement … all at once.”

n The African American community’s health nearly as much as the inequality that already existed in U.S. medicine.

During the mass demonstrations that followed the police killing of George Floyd, politicians and TV pundits voiced concerns that large gatherings of mostly unmasked people could lead to further outbreaks of the coronavirus. Health experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the nation’s leading immunologists, agreed: “When you get congregations like we saw with the demonstrations, that’s taking a risk.” Even the World Health Organization weighed in, supporting the protests while asking demonstrators to exercise caution by wearing masks. The connective tissue, which bound the pandemic with the protests, was institutional racism. Contrary to what commentators chose to discuss, marches against inequality did not threaten the African American community’s health nearly as much as the inequality that already existed in U.S. medicine. Consider the disparities of the disease in question. African Americans comprise 13% of the U.S. population but accounted for a quarter of the

The ‘unfairness’ of COVID-19

By Sylvester Brown The St. Louis American

Pamela Merritt has been wrestling with feelings of unfairness lately. Her older brother, William (Bill) Edward Merritt III, 51, passed away from COVID-19 last month. The unfair part about “Bill’s” passing, Pamela laments, is that he had already suffered so much.

Last year, he contracted COVID and survived. During that time, he had two strokes and also fought on. And then, this year, as he was healing and getting back to a challenging form of normalcy, COVID struck again. This time it was the delta variant, and this time he didn’t make it. He died on Aug. 26, three days after his diagnosis.

their brother above and beyond his disabilities throughout their lives. Caring for him in his adult years was not a burden, Pamela insists, “it was a gift.”

She said “Bill had his quirks.”

Sometimes, if he felt ignored or frustrated, Pamela said he’d “whip off his shoe” and bang it against his head. Raised around Black women, he loved the “coconutty smell” of their hair, Pamela recalled. So, oftentimes, he’d lean over to sniff the hair of women he didn’t know. Bill also liked to shake hands. As he entered or exited a public place, he incessantly shook the hands of puzzled strangers.

Pamela Merritt is fighting against the seeming unfairness of it all. Blame, regret, sorrow, and anger go against her positive, upbeat nature. It betrays the memories and lessons she’s learned as one of her brother’s caretakers and guardians. He was diagnosed with autism at an early age. Pamela and her older sister, Crystal Merritt, saw

He also loved music and was prone to stand, dance or sing out loud no matter the venue. One of his favorite tunes was Earth, Wind and Fire’s “September.” If he heard the song on the radio, he’d sing the chorus line, “ba de ya, de ya de ya,” for days on end, much to his sister’s chagrin. One of Pamela’s favorite memories was when

See MERRITT,

Photo by Dawn Suggs / St. Louis American

See PEARL, A15

Pamela (left) and Crystal Merritt are grieving after losing their brother, William (Bill) Edward Merritt III, to COVID-19 last month. He had overcome an initial bout with the virus and suffered a pair of strokes before contracting the delta variant, which claimed his life.

Photo courtesy of the Merritt family

Robert Pearl

By Dana Rieck

The St. Louis American

After a lengthy legislative and legal battle, around 230,000 additional Missourians are now eligible for the state’s Medicaid program, Mo HealthNet.

The state has apparently done almost nothing to advertise the program’s expansion, except for posting a court-ordered notice on the Mo HealthNet website.

According to KBIA radio, the Family Support Division of the state Department of Social Service has already received more than 4,000 applications.

These applications are presumed to be just sitting there, as an Aug. 11 video meant for staff shows Kim Evans, director of the Family Support Division, saying that while people can start applying now, staff would not be allowed to finalize any applications until Oct. 1 because of computer system upgrades.

Merritt

Continued from A14

Crystal scored tickets to an Earth, Wind and Fire concert at the Fox theatre in 2011. They took their brother and a staffer from one of EasterSeals Midwest Community Living homes, where he resided. Pamela remembered that incredible night.

“Billy loved it. He got so excited. He was hyperactive but the crowd was so mellow and cool when he stood up and started dancing. Two ushers even danced with him. That night he was being who he was and was accepted as himself. It was beautiful,” she said. Through Bill, the Merritt sisters saw and appreciated the simplicities of life.

“He loved planes, trains, and automobiles,” the Merritt sisters wrote in his obituary.

“He indulged his love of aviation at the St. Louis Science Center, watching model airplanes fly at Buder Park and watching birds of prey (owls! oh, how he loved owls) at the Wild Bird Sanctuary and in Forest Park. He also enjoyed riding the Metro to the end of the line

Campaign

Continued from A14

point of the pandemic for our children, and as the school year begins, we have to have a conversation about how to best protect them from serious illness. We know parents trust pediatricians to give them accurate information. This phase of the campaign,

Continued from A14

country’s COVID-19 deaths in 2020. In fact, when corrected for discrepancies in age, the mortality rate for Black people was more than double that of their white counterparts. Dive a level deeper, however, and it becomes clear that Black patients also suffer higher rates of prejudice and mistreatment in U.S. hospitals, clinics, and physician offices, driving up their risk of death. As an example, billing data showed that African American patients who came

“Taking Care of You”

Newly eligible for Medicaid?

Here’s what you need to know

Attorneys have sent a letter to state officials stating that waiting until October violates federal law.

So while the ongoing Medicaid saga continues, here’s everything Missouri residents need to know about applying for coverage.

Who is eligible under the new rules?

Adults between the ages of 19 and 64 who earn up to $17,774 a year, or $36,570 for a family of four. Things like owning a house or car do not factor into eligibility.

“Expanding Medicaid will provide health insurance coverage to 230,000 Missourians who are now caught in a coverage gap –they earn too much to qualify for the current Medicaid program but not enough to afford private insurance,” the Missouri Foundation for Health wrote

and playing with trains at the Transportation Museum.”

Pamela described an older brother who took great pleasure in simple things like eating at McDonald’s, Imos, Pizza Hut or Pickles Deli. His favorite snacks, Pamela added, were KitKat bars, Chips Ahoy, Doritos and Lunchables.

Caring for him, Pamela said, was “humbling,” like a reset button in a chaotic world.

“Oh, God. Just to watch Billy enjoy an ice cream cone on a park bench or a candy bar…to Bill it was the best damn KitKat bar ever.”

William was diagnosed with autism at a time when the illness wasn’t fully understood. In the 1970s, autism was still thought of as a behavioral disorder, not a complex genetic and environmental developmental disease.

Yet, Pamela said he graduated from the Judevine Center for Autism “with a package of spoken words, signs, and social skills to take on the city with passion and zeal.”

She said he used basic American Sign Language and very short sentences.

“He was hard to understand in many ways if you weren’t paying attention and listening with your whole self. It would piss him off being misunder-

#KidDocsFightCovid, will encourage adults to contact trusted physicians and get their COVID questions answered.”

The participating Missouri physicians represent various hospital systems and different regions of the state, but all agree the spike in pediatric COVID-19 cases is alarming and must be taken seriously as the more-contagious delta variant continues to spread. While the rise in child cases

to the emergency room with symptoms of COVID-19 (including cough and fever) were far less likely to be tested than white patients with similar symptoms. This doesn’t make any sense. With Black patients twice as likely to die from the disease, the logical response would be for doctors to test African American individuals more, not less. But when faced with a shortage of COVID-19 testing kits, a disproportionate number was used on white patients. In the early days of the pandemic, when emergency rooms had to ration testing kits, doctors could perform only two or three tests per eight-hour

What does Medicaid cover?

Medicaid covers costs of most medical services like going to the doctor for illness, immunizations, check-ups, while also covering costs of medications and hospital visits. MO HealthNet healthcare coverage pays the providers of services and does not make direct payments to patients.

Patients may be required to pay a copay for services, ranging from $0.50 to $10.

How does someone apply for coverage?

Missouri residents who qualify can visit mydss.mo.gov to apply. They can also call 855-373-9994 or download a paper application. If filling out a paper application, residents may mail it to 615 E. 13th St. Kansas City, MO 64106, or fax it to 573-526-9400. For additional information and questions, residents can call the Cover Missouri hotline at 1-800-466-3213.

Missouri’s path to Medicaid expansion

Prior to expansion, Missouri had one of the most restrictive Medicaid eligibility levels for parents and childless adults in the nation, according to the Missouri Budget Project. As it stood, the program provided coverage for low-wage parents earning no more than $388 per month for a family of three, the lowest level allowed under federal law and the third-lowest eligibility level in the nation.

In August 2020, 53.25% of Missouri residents who voted were in favor of a constitutional amendment in Missouri to implement Medicaid expansion. The new eligibility was slated to take effect July 1.

But the long road to implementation began in April, when House Republicans resisted the will of the voters by removing $1.9 billion allocated for the program’s July expansion when crafting the

2022 state budget. The Senate then also voted against funding the program expansion.

Six days after the General Assembly presented Gov. Mike Parson with the 2022 budget sans the expansion funding, the governor withdrew the state from its plan to expand Medicaid coverage altogether.

Protests across the state were held following the announcement. Shortly after, proponents took the matter to court.

Meanwhile, Parson warned that if the legislature did not reauthorize the medical provider tax, he could be forced to take a knife to the 202122 budget to fund the state’s Medicaid program.

The Medicaid provider tax is collected from hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies and generates $1.6 billion annually. Missouri is then eligible to receive an additional $3 billion in federal funds.

The legislature did not pass the reauthorization of that tax, as several GOP members

stood. He worked for years to learn those words and wanted to be heard!” That sense of “unfairness” again crept into her oratory as she described the circumstances of Bill’s existence as a Black, disabled man. She and Crystal feared the reaction

has made some parents, who have not made the choice to get vaccines now more open to the idea, others are still holding out.

The foundation hopes local pediatricians can encourage parents on the fence to consider the risk to children and what is needed to keep them out of the ICU.

“The initial rollout of COVID-19 information was rocky in some places and

shift. In the frenzy, and amid the fear of losing a truly sick patient, doctors saved those kits for the candidates they deemed most deserving. This quick-fire deciding process played out at a subconscious level and, more often than not, the patients who were chosen were the ones who looked most like the doctors. In the culture of medicine, doctors believe they treat all patients the same. The data presented here indicates otherwise. When presented with evidence of racial bias, physicians point to flaws in society as the reason Black patients experience poorer health. They insist that social

of a police officer who might perceive Bill’s loud outbursts, his approach to strangers or the fact that he just might open a candy bar in a store before paying for it, as something that needed to be addressed with a gun. When the pandemic began

when you start out that way it doesn’t build trust,” Dr. Denise Hooks-Anderson, MD, family medicine physician and interim assistant dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion at St. Louis University School of Medicine, said.

“The best people to turn to for medical advice are your trusted medical professionals, and I want more families to reach out to us for answers.”

As part of the campaign the

determinants (where people are born, raised, work, play and socialize) along with social dynamics (such as racial segregation, poverty and educational barriers) are to blame — not doctors. As in so much of American health care, the systemic and cultural issues are intertwined. In this century, expressions of racism in medicine have become less obvious and more statistical.

For example, one reason African Americans have died at twice the rate of white patients from COVID-19 is that Black people have statistically higher rates of diabetes, hypertension and heart disease than other groups.

wanted to include language in the bill that bans Medicaid coverage of certain birth control methods and blocks government funding of Planned Parenthood. Parson called the special session, and the tax bill was then passed without the amendments regarding birth control and abortion.

Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem struck down the lawsuit filed by advocates seeking to expand Medicaid, but the Missouri Supreme Court in July issued a unanimous ruling reversing that decision. The case was handed back to Beetem, who in mid-August ruled the Missouri Department of Social Services must allow newly eligible residents that qualify for benefits under voter-approved Medicaid expansion to enroll and cannot impose greater restrictions on them. In his ruling, Beetem rejected the state’s request that it be allowed to make its case for why it needs two more months to begin accepting newly eligible residents.

Pamela Merritt says her late brother, Bill, was a fighter that refused to give in to COVID-19, a pair of strokes and autism. She said caring for him in his adult years was “was a gift.”

spreading last year, they knew that residents of nursing and group homes were particularly vulnerable and at potentially higher risk of contracting the coronavirus. He was among the 61 million people with disabilities, according to Easterseals, who were three times more

pediatricians will be sharing their personal advice and stories on social media using the hashtag #KidDocsFightCovid, as well as through radio and other media outlets.

“There’s confusing information coming from all levels of government as well as online and traditional media, so I don’t blame parents for being skeptical,” Dr. Kenneth Haller, MD SLUCare pediatrician at SSM

When not properly controlled, these are three of the medical problems shown to worsen the severity of COVID-19 and increase a patient’s chances of dying. The prevalence of these chronic diseases can be attributed, in part, to diet and stress, but much of the problem results from poorer medical care provided by doctors.

Overall, the average Black patient receives $1,800 less per year in total medical care than a white person with the same set of health problems. To be clear, white physicians do not consciously decide to give Black patients substandard care. Yet it is also true that solving institutional

likely to be denied healthcare and four times more likely to be treated poorly while receiving care. The memory of her brother helps Pamela Merritt keep perspective and balance. He was loved by his hospital, clinic and group home staffers, his sisters and their extended circle of friends and family. The Merritt sisters are planning a virtual send-off for their brother later this month. In his obituary the sisters ask that people support organizations like Action St. Louis that champion the causes of people of color, homeless, poor and others who face “intersectional challenges” in life.

Mostly though, Pamela asks that people honor Bill by embracing the simple things he cherished.

“Bill loved the Science Center, the zoo, the art museum and all our parks. He’d watch birds and owls for hours and he loved riding the Metro or watching planes take off and land. He loved all the ‘free stuff’ St. Louis has to offer,” Pamela said.

“We hope people enjoy those things and think of Bill when they do.”

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

Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, said.

“We want parents to know the vaccines are safe, but we also want to validate their concerns and address any confusion. We have to treat parents as partners, they hold the key to getting the COVID situation under control.” For more information about COVID vaccines and where to access them in the state, visit www.mostopscovid.com.

racism is not their highest priority — especially not when they feel overwhelmed by other workplace demands and systemic pressures. If you doubt that these facts present obstacles toward racial inequality in American medicine, just ask yourself this question: Who would be more likely to challenge the biases embedded in physician culture, the doctors who benefit from those biases or the doctors who are discriminated against?

Robert Pearl is a clinical professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine and a former CEO of The Permanente Medical Group.

Photo courtesy of the Merritt family

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.

Color Your World!

What Is ASize?Serving

GRAINS Keep ‘em Whole!

The Smart Way!

How Healthy Are Your Lungs?

Warm Up & Cool Down

Do This. Not That!

First Day of Spring!

Exercise Game

Write It Out!

Tech-Neck

for several different reasons.

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

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

Think about how colorful your meals are. Is your plate usually filled with a lot of white and brown (e.g., breaded chicken strips, mashed potatoes and a roll)? Or do you have a rainbow of fresh, healthy vegetables?

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

Imagine a plate with grilled

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

Let’s make a game out of exercise!

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

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

Healthy Kids

those leftovers for lunch the

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.

> 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

INGREDIENTS:

Start by substituting one drink per day to water.

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

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

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

Try this

red salmon, roasted red peppers and steamed green broccoli. In general, the more colorful… the better it is for you!

Weekly Newspaper in Education Program

Latoya Woods, DNP, APRN, FNP-C

Melissa Douglass, MSW

Deborah Edwards, School Nurse

Ashley Bankston RN - NICU

Make it a goal to have at least three different colors on your plate each meal.

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.

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

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

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

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 4, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 2, NH 3, NH 5

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

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

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

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

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

changes in your daily activities.

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

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

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

One way to find out how “in shape” you are —is to see how long you can run (or hop, or skip) until you run out of breath. If it only takes a couple of minutes before you can’t breathe well, then you probably need to make some healthy positive

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

> 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?

Mental Health Tip — If you don’t already have one, start a journal today. This is a great way to express your feelings and think about ways to change/improve your life. You can use any kind of notebook or a computer. But journaling does not mean “blogging.” Always be cautious about revealing personal information online.

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,

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.

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

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

Learning Standards: HPE 2, NH 4

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.

> 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.

> 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.

Instead of watching TV — ride your bike with friends. 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!

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.

Exercising regularly strengthens the muscles around your lungs. This allows you to run and play longer before you feel tired or winded and will help you feel better too!

Discuss with your classmates different kinds of activities you could do every day.

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

Learning Standards: HPE 1, NH 1, NH 5

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

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 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.

Where do you work? I am a NICU nurse for St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Where did you go to school? I graduated from Hazelwood West High School. I then earned a Bachelor of Science from Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and a Master of Science in Nursing from Saint Louis University. I am currently pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, 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 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

> What to do if you see someone else bullied.

What does a NICU RN do? Each day at work, I provide specialized nursing care to premature and/or sick babies. I work with a team of doctors, therapists, and dieticians to help our babies grow and heal.

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

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

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.

Cracker-wiches

> What to do if YOU are the bully.

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

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

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

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

Ingredients:

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

Frozen Yogurt Blueberry Bites

Ingredients:

1 cup blueberries

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

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

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

What is your favorite part of the job you have?

Why did you choose this career? I chose this career because it gives me a sense of purpose, to be able to provide care to such a precious and unique patient population. NICU babies face many obstacles, but their resilience is amazing. What is your favorite part of the job you have? My favorite part about being a NICU nurse is having the opportunity to educate families. I also love to promote and facilitate the bonding experience between infants and their parents.

> What other ice hazards are there?

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?

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

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

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

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

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

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 4

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

Learning Standards: HPE 6, NH 3

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

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

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

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

Yonniece Rose, Registered Nurse

Banana PB Smoothie

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

At the 2021 St. Louis American Summer Science Academy, Scientists from the Illinois State Police Forensics Lab demonstrate one method used to test trace evidence.

please email: nie@stlamerican.com.

SCIENCE CORNER

Dr. Ovbiagele studied the brain and strokes. What does it mean to have a stroke? Arteries and veins carry blood throughout the body. The blood delivers oxygen to all the cells in the body. When someone has a stroke, the blood doesn’t flow the way it should. Sometimes, it is because a blood vessel is clogged, and sometimes a blood vessel bursts and sends a rush of blood to the brain. During a stroke, brain cells die because they don’t get the oxygen they need. With the help of research from doctors, such as Dr. Ovbiagele,

people know the warning signs of a stroke and can seek treatment faster and have much less permanent damage. Patients can recover from strokes with surgery, medicine and therapy to “relearn” things forgotten from the damaged brain cells.

To Learn More About Strokes, Visit: https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/strokes.html?ref=search

To Learn More About the Brain, Visit: https://sciencebob.com/research-help/the-body-zone/thebrain/

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

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

Background Information:

Are You Left or Right Sided?

There is a theory that brain function determines whether you prefer your right or left side. In this experiment, you will gather data to draw results.

Materials Needed: • Paper • Pen or Pencil • Scissors • Ball • Stairs • Coin • Paper Towel Tube or Toilet Paper Tube • Sea Shell • Volunteers (at least 5)

Procedure:

q Select 5 volunteers to observe one at a time. You will be testing hand, foot, eye, and mouth dominance. Label a piece of paper with the following chart to analyze results.

w Test hand dominance by asking your volunteers to write their name on a piece of paper, cut a piece of paper, and throw a ball. Record which hand they used—left or right.

e Test foot dominance by asking your volunteers to kick a ball, walk up a flight of steps, and step on a coin placed on the floor. Record which foot the volunteers used first in each event.

r Test eye dominance by having volunteers look through a paper towel tube, and then look through a hole you cut into a piece of paper. Hold up your index finger near your volunteer’s face. Ask them to close one eye to “follow” you. Record which eye they kept open.

MATH CONNECTION

Boost your brain power with these math problems that promote critical thinking!

z Amaya bought a used drum kit for $320. She received a 10% discount because she was a band member. Her mom gave her 50% of the remaining balance. How much did Amaya pay for the drums? ________

x Isiah’s mom is buying meat to cook for a holiday. She bought 23 pounds of turkey at $1.06/pound, she bought 5 pounds of beef roast for $4.99/pound, and she bought

DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know that approximately 20% of the blood pumped from the heart goes to the brain? 8-10 seconds after you lose blood supply to the brain, you will be unconscious.

tTest ear dominance last. Tell your volunteer you will whisper to them. Ask them to cup an ear to listen. Which ear do they cup? Give your volunteer a sea shell, which ear do they use to listen? Ask your volunteer to listen through a wall. Which ear do they place against the wall?

Analyze Your Results: How many volunteers were right hand dominant? Left hand dominant? Left or right foot dominant? Right or left ear dominant? And left or right eye dominant?

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

SCIENCE STARS

AFRICAN NEUROLOGIST AND STROKE RESEARCHER EDUCATOR: Bruce Ovbiagele, MD, MSc, MAS

Bruce Ovbiagele was born in Nigeria, and came to the U.S in 1995. He was interested in learning more about strokes because they are the most deadly neurological (which means brain related) disease and the number two killer of Africans. He earned his medical degree from the University of Lagos and was awarded his MSc in Clinical Research from UCLA, and a Master of Advanced Studies from the University of California at San Diego. His research has been published in many journals.

Ovbiagele directs the UCLA PROTECT program which provides stroke treatment. He speaks on behalf of the American Heart Foundation and the American Stroke Association’s “Power to End Stroke” campaign. He serves on various committees on the local, state, and national level, striving to raise awareness about strokes and their warning signs and prevention. Ovbiagele is also passionate about researching improved stroke imaging (where doctors can use machines to see what happens in the brain during and after a stroke) and stroke treatment. He has published over 60 articles in medical research journals. He plans to take his expertise back to Nigeria, training doctors and educating the public about prevention.

To Hear Dr. Ovbiagele Speak, Visit: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=gDPEZdZS-Cc.

Learning Standards: has made contributions in the fields of science, technology, or mathematics.

Use the newspaper to complete the following activities.

The human brain is approximately 75% water. Therefore, drinking plenty of water improves brain function.

3 pounds of steak at $7.99/pound. Which of the items cost the most? ________ c 170 children are in line at the skating rink. If 30 children can skate at a time, how many skating sessions will it take for all of the children to have a turn? ________ Carla ran 5/8 of a mile and swam 3/5 of a mile. How much farther did Carla run than swim?

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

This special Newspaper In Education initiative is made possible, and delivered to classrooms, through The St. Louis

Activity One — Point of View: First person point of view uses pronouns such as I, me, and my. Second person point of view uses the pronoun you and is often used for giving directions. point of view uses pronouns, such as he, she, and they. Select a newspaper article and determine from which point of view it has been written. Rewrite the story from a

Activity Two

Healthy Living: Use the newspaper to find five photo examples of healthy living. This can include food/nutrition, exercise, and social/emotional health. Explain why each of your five pictures promotes healthy living.

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can identify point of view and healthy lifestyle factors.

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.

MAP CORNER

What part of death don’t you understand?

Children are dying because of COVID-19. More specifically, they are most likely being infected and dying because of adults around them.

As a concerned human and a “village mama,” my patience has run out. The surge in new cases and deaths are directly related to the unvaccinated. In many cases, these are the same people who refuse to wear masks or social distance. This selfishness has deadly consequences.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 cases in children accounted for more than 20% of August cases. The numbers are expected to continue surging and, not surprisingly, Black and brown children are most at risk. The Pfizer vaccine has been approved for teens, but children under 12 are left vulnerable.

I understand a righteous suspicion of the government, the medical industrial complex and corporate America. I’ve written enough about them over the years to make readers wary of their every move.

Knowledge of that history didn’t disappear when I made an informed decision to get vaccinated. As a healthy and empowered woman, the decision was not about me and my personal and political views. It was for my elderly mother, for my diabetic sister, (and millions like her), for relatives and friends with cancer and for friends and relatives with respiratory ailments from asthma to COPD. It was for the

traumatized frontline healthcare workers who have been overwhelmed for months with COVID-19 patients.

I do differ with the CDC’s mask policy that vaccinated people don’t have to wear masks. Nobody knows who has been vaccinated or not, so I’m wearing my mask whenever I leave the house.

I have no sympathy for the fearful, misguided, lazy, unrealistic, timid, distrustful, ignorant, stubborn, ideologically inflexible, foolish, dishonest, conspiracy theorists and racist (whatever shoe fits, put it on).

Non-governmental groups have done a ton of education and I’ve delivered my best persuasive arguments. It’s clear to me now: It’s not that the unvaccinated don’t know better, most are just refusing to DO better.

I’m going to share a twoprong approach with you because we are in a desperate situation.

First, thank people for wearing their masks -- literally. Thank businesses, educational systems, and places of worship for enforcing mask wearing because it protects us all. Kudos to St. Louis City and County for mandating masks in public place and on public transportation. Kudos to places

like City Museum, Saint Louis University, Washington University, restaurants like Bait’s and Mokabe’s.

Thank any entity that is requiring the vaccination. Mayor Tishaura Jones has required the city’s 6,000 employees to get vaccinated. Ditto for Kelvin Adams, St. Louis Public Schools superintendent (with a lil’ help from AFT Local 420). The more public workers that are vaccinated, the safer the rest of us are. It works both ways. The second approach to discussing protection from the coronavirus is by moving from education to agitation. It’s time to ramp up the accountability phase.

A friend reported that she has been debating the vaccine issue with her brother, who stuck to his risk/factor argument. She reminded him that he has unprotected sex, which also has its risks. The friend’s brother has not been vaccinated, but his concerned sister’s reasoned rebuttal gave him pause. If we had leaders who were willing to make bold but controversial decisions at the beginning of the pandemic, we would be in a different place. I predict that we will hit a million deaths by the end of this year. Many of those deaths could’ve been avoided. It’s time to make everyone accountable for their non-actions to the virus. COVID-19 has reminded us just how connected we are to one another. As humans, that’s a good thing to remember.

Columnist

Jamala Rogers

Living It

Her Curves, Her Crown Family Fun

Elizabeth Saint James boutique promotes confidence, body positivity

By Danielle Brown The St. Louis American

From her childhood years to adulthood, Shannon Elizabeth Carr has always had a curvier, full-figured body type.

Growing up, she didn’t see much representation outside of herself and a few other women who were proportioned the same.

At that time, clothing options were limited for children with a plus-size physique. JCPenney’s was where she shopped in grade school; once she reached middle school, and her style began to change, she started shopping at New York & Company.

Now Carr sees times are much different and that there’s much more variety in fashion and styles for plus-size women.

n “When you come down here, even if you’re having a bad day, whatever it is that you need, it’s more than just the clothes. It’s an overall experience.”

- Shannon Elizabeth Carr, Owner Elizabeth Saint James boutique

Her love for fashion and interest in curvier women having limitless clothing styles led her to employment at what was once the only notable plus-size boutique in town. Then she decided to stop working for someone else and saw herself instead owning and operating her own business.

At first she was discouraged since there were already established boutiques in town. She was unsure on whether she should launch her own.

Soon she realized there was a need for her own company, and that’s how she founded Elizabeth Saint James.

“I found there was still a need for me to have my own brand and company,” Carr said. “I had to find my tribe, those groups of people who supported me and loved my fashion sense.”

For three years, her swank, pretty, and polished brick and mortar storefront at 2603 N. 14th Street has helped instill confidence and promoted body positivity among women.

Her store’s interior offers a modern and chic decor with gold accents, bright bold shades of pink, and blinged-out crystal and diamond encrusted chandeliers.

The store’s aesthetic displays the perfect girly-girl and feminine touches that can make

New Season, New Art

CAM STL presents fall/ winter exhibitions

By Danielle Brown The St. Louis American

The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis hosted an on-site media and guest preview for its fall/winter exhibitions on Friday, Sept. 3; its first preview since January 2020.

“It has been a challenge for artists and arts organizations, but art didn’t stop, CAM didn’t stop and it really is because of the people in this room,” Lisa Melandri, CAM executive director said during the preview.

“Our members, our friends, our patrons, our incredible board of directors have really steered us through all of this time and have allowed us to come back and offer another season of wonderful exhibitions.”

For the 2021-2022 season, COCA will present wUNDERland on Dec. 16-19, a hip-hop twist on the childhood favorite film Alice in Wonderland. The performance is led under the creative direction and choreography of Anthony “Redd” Williams, hiphop crew artistic director.

COCA’s season offers something for all performing arts lovers

By Danielle Brown The St. Louis American

In the words of Kirven Douthit-Boyd, co-artistic director of dance,hip-hop and modern dance, “COCA-Center of Creative Arts’ 2021-2022 season is well-rounded with something for everyone: dance lovers, music lovers, and theatre lovers, to enjoy.”

“From a dance perspective we really value the process it took to put in the planning and preparation behind performances,” Douthit-Boyd said.

“Obviously, having our kids in the room with professional artists is something that we find very, very valuable for their development, especially at this point in time in their lives. We really wanted to have a mix of that.”

A choreographic lab showcase presented by COCA alum Mason Cummings, under the guidance of Douthit-Boyd and his husband, fellow co-artistic director of dance, Antonio DouthitBoyd, kicks off the season with a two-day event, Nov. 5-6. In addition to the lab, kids and aspiring professionals will gain four veteran professional mentors; three from New York and one from Philadelphia.

women feel like they’re shopping in their own perfectly curated closet.

“I really offer an experience,” Carr said.

“When you come down here, even if you’re having a bad day, whatever it is that you need,

it’s more than just the clothes. It’s an overall experience. I really wanna make sure that you

Shara Hughes’ On Edge presents paintings, drawings and monoprints from 2015 to the present. Her landscape pieces demonstrate a love of colorful, unique imaginative paintings that don’t indicate a clearly defined location.

“They’re very much about where I am personally in my own place,” Hughes said.”I call them imagined landscapes or psychological

“They’ll [the kids and professionals] have those guys as sounding boards and Antonio and I to talk to them through the process of both their creativity and their teaching,” Douthit-Boyd said. “We’re really giving these young creatives the opportunity to come back home and continue to develop those skills.”

See Fashion, B8 n “We are gonna kick off with a really special part of our COCAWrites program, which is dedicated to developing new works,”

Summer Brooks, Crown, 2020. Spray foam, terracotta, resin, mica powder, gold leaf, 21 x 21 x 5 inches.

Image courtesy of the artist

landscapes. They’re completely unpredictable to me and teach me a lot more than I’m controlling them in lots of ways.” Kathy Butterly’s exhibition is separated into two parts which showcases over three decades

See CAM, B3

- Jennifer Wintzer, COCA artistic director

Cummings has been working with ballet eclectica (Classical ballet and contemporary repertoire) and COCAdance (jazz, modern and contemporary repertoire) to share a production of his choreography and document the experiences of his six-week journey at COCA. Kaleidoscope Crown by playwright Ashleigh Akilah Rucker leads the theatre department’s (COCAWrites) season debut on Nov. 13. It narrates the story of a young girl who awakes with a surprising new skill --every new emotion causes her hair to morph into multicolor tresses. Her transformation causes the people of her small traditional village to react negatively. Rucker’s inspiration stems from the art and traditions of the African Diaspora and puts the culture front and center.

“We are gonna kick off with a really special part of our COCAWrites program, which is dedicated to developing new works,” said Jennifer Wintzer, artistic director. “We commissioned a professional playwright and then our students are very much involved in the development process of that new play because one of the requirements is that the playwright really must be invested in creating characters of the age of our students.”

COCA was chosen as one of eight theatres in the country through TYAUSA (Theatre for Young Audiences) / USA / ASSITEJ (a national organization for the professional field of theatre for children and families) to workshop a new play with playwrights that have been placed throughout the country. Rucker from Los Angeles will be working on her play Kaleidoscope Crown alongside Alicia Like, an actress who performed in

See COCA, B8

COCA’s

Photo by McArthur25 Photography

For three years, Shannon Elizabeth Carr’s swank, pretty, and polished Elizabeth Saint James boutique, at 2603 N 14th Street, has helped instill confidence and promoted body positivity among women.

of her small-scale ceramic sculptures. In one gallery, you’ll find Out of one, many, a “micro-retrospective” of work created from a pint glass mold, displaying her eye for differences in a single, tiny form.

“I try to find unique personalities within each form and so that’s what that gallery is.” Butterly said.

Headspaces is on display in another gallery and it includes new and recent work larger in size and permeated with discussions surrounding daily issues.

“Headscapes is a body of work which was created in the last two years,” Butterly said.

“They’re really interesting to me because they’re much larger and go from a mere three inches tall. I really feel like I can pull out a lot in three inches and I can make something that has a very loud statement kind of whispers it to you. That’s the three inches being powerful.”

Farah Al Qasimi’s

Everywhere there is splendor is a new site-specific installation centered around her family’s history. The idea for the work came from her experience being quarantined at her family’s house and finding photo albums for the first time that documented her family’s emigration from Lebanon to the United States in the 1950s.

The title derives from a quote about a hotel where her grandmother worked as a line cook in the 1950s.

Her family’s willingness to assimilate to American culture through their design decisions, attention to color, and home decor details is reflected in the installation.

“I really love it when people interact with the work by taking pics with it,” Al Qasimi said in an interview. “I encourage people to photograph it, to photograph themselves in front of it, think of their own family archives, and what new things can come of them.”

Lorna Simpson’s Heads is part of CAM STL’s Street Views installation, a projection on the side of the building that spotlights from dusk to midnight. Blue Love and Redhead are the workers included.

Both utilize photographs from Ebony and Jet magazines with watercolor hairdos to highlight Black representation.

“The notion of fragmentation, especially of the body, is prevalent in our culture, and it’s reflected in my works,” Simpson said in a statement provided by CAM STL. “We’re fragmented not only in terms of how society regulates our bodies but in the way we think about ourselves.”

Summer Brooks, was selected by Teen Museum Studies participants because her work challenges the damaging perceptions of biased societal beauty and hair standards. Her work, The New Garden Variety is inspired by the events surrounding the June 2020 protests of George Floyd’s killing. As a Black

woman, she saw how important it was for her to talk about what happened. That’s when her ideas sparked for her showcase.

“These ideas were definitely manifesting in my head for a while before I was able to get it down,” Brooks said. “Crown [a large piece with a Black woman wearing a voluminous afro in black, gold and purple hues and crown hair jewels] was created in 2020. This was the pinnacle of ‘I got it.’ It’s just so big and beautiful. That’s when I took off, I got this idea of beauty and afro.”

Another piece is called Don’t touch, and it features a cake made from clay with smear marks and fingerprints on it to symbolize when white people touch Black women’s hair without permission.

“Why are you touching my hair? I don’t know where your hands have been and I don’t want you to violate my space cause I’m not gonna touch you in that way,” Brooks said.”Don’t touch is represented with the fingerprints and the

Summer Brooks, Don’t touch, 2021. Ceramic, india ink,7 x 7 x4 inches

Image courtesy of the artist

smear. That was really important for me to relate that aspect of me being violated in that way and kind of in this really innocent cake form.”

Other works in the exhibition include LEAP Middle School Initiative enMask & Mythos, created for middle school artists interested in an in-depth exploration of contemporary art practices and mediums.

The free 10-week afterschool program provides students with the opportunity to work closely with professional St. Louis-based artists and educators in a mentorship relationship.

New Art in the Neighborhood Making Comics is also part of the exhibition. It’s an education program, which provides St. Louis high school students with pre-professional art instruction and opportunities to work with contemporary artists all over the world.

For more information about the fall/winter exhibition, visit CAM STL’s website: https:// camstl.org/.

Gospel great Lee Williams passes away at 75

He led the Spiritual QC’s

By Noah Schaffer

press. But the Black gospel community — radio DJs, fellow artists, and everyday fans — rushed to pay their deep respects to a singer who, along with his group the Spiritual QC’s, almost singlehandedly revived the fortunes

of the traditional gospel quartet in the 1990s. Williams was a native and resident of Tupelo, Mississippi. His death was announced via his gospel group’s Facebook page on Monday, Aug. 30. A public walk-through viewing for Williams is set for 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, at the St. Paul Christian Life Center in Tupelo. The city of Tupelo will sponsor a memorial service in Williams’ honor at Gumtree

Spiritually Speaking…

Park at 4 p.m.

On Sunday, Sept. 12, a homecoming celebration will take place at the BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo. The event will include a second public walkthrough viewing from 10:30 a.m. until noon, followed by a service at 1 p.m.

At their height, the QC’s were a dominant live attraction in the quartet field, often found near the top of the Billboard gospel charts. The group racked up 10 Stellar Awards, gospel’s equivalent of the Grammys. But Williams’ seemingly overnight success was three decades in the making. The group, organized by Williams’ uncle, Mitchell Thornton, started up in the early 1960s. Like its predeces-

sor, the Gospel Stars, the QC’s were at first a family affair. But members eventually came and went.

In the early ’70s, the group made a trio of 45’s for the Designer label. Many of that prolific record company’s releases featured gospel groups who paid for these sessions. The idea was to have a product that could be sold at live programs, a common practice in the gospel recording field at the time.

The songs didn’t make much noise — they can’t even be found on YouTube these days. (Williams wrote one of the B sides.) The group’s featured singer then was member Willie Ligon. These releases were followed by a long recording

drought: the group continued to perform on the weekends while Williams drove a truck for a living.

In the mid-’90s, the group cut a release produced by George Dean of the Gospel Four. According to gospel historian Bob Marovich, that led to the group garnering airplay on Memphis’s hallowed WDIA-AM, which led to a deal with MCG Records. The resulting album, Love Will Go All the Way, skyrocketed up the charts at a time when the harder quartet style had been largely usurped in popularity and radio airplay by more contemporary gospel sounds.

During this period, Kirk Franklin was wearing casual clothes and sampling P-Funk; in contrast, the Spiritual QC’s wore formal tuxedos on their album covers and sang songs like “I Can’t Give Up,” a slow, firm testimonial that stretched out to 12 minutes when performed live. Lee Williams and the Spiritual QC’s were the biggest thing to happen to tra-

ditional gospel since the emergence of the Canton Spirituals, who two decades earlier had lifted the quartet tide. A household name in many Black American homes, Williams had little need for the kind of crossover project that can earn a gospel act attention from the secular music media. The latter returned the indifference, ignoring Williams and his group’s success, aside from a CD review on NPR’s “Fresh Air” in the late ’90s and a few references to a single track the group cut for a gospel tribute to Bob Dylan. In the meantime, Williams was given the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award by the Stellar Awards and a Mississippi Trailblazer Award by his home state. Noah Schaffer profiles unheralded musicians from the worlds of Gospel, Jazz, Blues and other genres. This article originally was published at artsfuse.org.

world

The power of Paul still helps shape our

I remember reviewing the letters of Paul in Bible study. In doing so, I was constantly reminded that one cannot look at Paul without really seeing Jesus’ amazing handiwork. Now, you need to know that I think Paul was an awesome person when it comes to the story of his life. I haven’t found a biography or autobiography of anyone in or outside of the ‘good book’ that comes close to

my admiration for Paul, Jesus notwithstanding. Because the two are so closely associated with one another, I can’t help but consider the impact of this tandem on human history. Just in case someone wants to debate me on this by bringing up the lives of the other 11 apostles, I have considered them. I remain one of those who is in awe of Paul. A very large

part of the Bible is devoted to Paul’s building of the early church at a time when it was a life or death decision. Paul himself says in his letters to the church in Corinth, there was indeed a point to his suffering and persecution. It was the basis for most, if not all, of what he went through.

“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I (Paul) will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in per-

secutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:8-10. This kind of thinking and belief led to the eventual proliferation of the church worldwide. It also makes a point of how the lives of so few have impacted and influenced so many in the world. Forgive me if I find this a rather fascinating fact. Paul had a unique one-onone encounter with Christ. That encounter changed him and ultimately the world in which we live.

If that is true, then our individual encounters with Christ should also have a profound effect on us and the

world in which we currently live.

I think Paul’s good news is there is a place of refuge when this happens. He uses himself as an example to follow. If I surrender my weaknesses to the power of Christ and subjugate my will to that of the Lord’s, then I become empowered to deal with whatever is thrown my way. Life, the Christian life, is funny that way. It places what I have described as a bullseye on your back, designed to distinguish you from those nonbelievers around you. It, your faith, also sets you up and apart to do great things in the name of Jesus Christ, my personal Lord and Savior. I guess what I’m really saying is when the going gets extremely tough,

check the human being, Paul. Like Christ, he’s been through and has experienced the worst that life has to offer. But because of his belief system, he’s experienced the best of God’s promises. It’s like a refresher course and I just wanted to let you know where I go during difficult times. You might also find some answers there. The point I’m trying to make is that in the eyes of God, one’s weaknesses are welcomed opportunities for God to show up and show out. Have you ever wondered why those who have been through so much are able to stand and witness for Christ? Reexamine the reality of God’s grace and you might just get your answer. May God bless and keep you always.

Columnist James Washington

Lee Williams

ASSISTANCE

ASSET BUILDING

COUNSELOR- AUTO

LOAN FOCUSED

Justine PETERSEN, a Non-Profit focused on credit building, homeownership, and microenterprise lending and training is accepting applications for a Business Assistance Manager, a Business Assistance Associate, and an Asset Building Counselor focused on Auto Lending.

To apply go to justinepetersen.org/get-involved/ job-opportunities/

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.

& MARKETING SPECIALIST

The City of Clayton is hiring for a Communications & Marketing Specialist. Apply now: https://claytonmo. applicantpro.com/jobs/ EOE

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.

Director

The

focusing on energy reduction and sourcing energy, concentrating on cost and carbon reduction, as well as the management of compliance, re-commissioning of campus critical facilities. The Director will be responsible for the Utilities Infrastructure, planning, management and strategic vision, as well as campus sustainability program planning and management. Required qualifications include an undergraduate degree in mechanical or electrical engineering with ten years of experience in higher education facilities management.

Director, Business Operations - Radiation Oncology - JR61567

Position is responsible for managing and directing the financial affairs of all financial and system support activities within the Department including management of business office services and personnel which includes coordinating financial operations for the entire $50+ million Department operating budget; overseeing annual budget process and quarterly reporting; performs financial analysis on a variety of projects. Required Qualifications include a bachelor degree in accounting or finance and t least seven years of experience in a financial, accounting, budgeting, auditing, or planning function with minimum of five years’ supervising three or more personnel.

Manager Third Party Reimbursement - Surgery - JR60796

Position develops programs to optimize reimbursement and provide timely reporting/ analysis procedures for third party collection processes.

• Manages electronic and paper claims submission to all third-party carriers.

• Coordinates with clinical departments all required support documentation necessary for claims submissions.

• Plans and directs the follow-up activities involved in the successful collection of all third-party receivable.

• Appeals reimbursement levels and policies with third-party payers as appropriate. Required Qualifications: Equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in business or related field with five years supervisory experience in third-party receivable or health care reimbursable environment

For a full description of these positions and other career opportunities, please visit https://jobs.wustl.edu/ to apply. Click search jobs and enter the job ID number. We seek people from diverse backgrounds to join us in a supportive environment that encourages boldness, inclusion and creativity. EO/AA/VET/Disability Employer Washington

ST. LOUIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

HOUSING RESOURCE COMMISSION FY2022

GRANT

The St. Louis County Department of Human Services - Homeless Services Program is seeking proposals for the Housing Resource Commission FY2022 Grant Bid Number 1395. The total funding available is approximately $604,097.00. Proposals are due electronically by 11:00 a.m. on September 23, 2021. Request For Proposal details and specifications can be obtained at the St. Louis County Bids and RFPs webpage located at https://stlouisco.munisselfservice. com/Vendors/VBids/Default.aspx

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

REQUEST FOR GENERAL CONTRACTOR BIDS

Normandy Schools Collaborative will be accepting sealed General Contractor Bids for the construction of the Secured Connector Addition at the Normandy High School. The entire bid package will be available electronically on Monday, September 13, 2021 by contacting TR,i Architects, via email at matt.miller@triarchitects.com

Estimated Construction Value is $8M to $10M. The project includes Business and Work-Force Diversity Goals. Two (2) Mandatory Pre-Bid Meetings will be held on Wednesday, September 15, 2021 @ 7:30 a.m. (CDT) and Friday, September 17, 2021 @ 11:00 a.m. (CDT). Bidders shall attend one (1) of these meetings. Bids are due on Thursday, September 30, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. (CDT). To download the entire Advertisement for Bids please visit: www.normandysc.org or contact Matt Miller, with TR,i Architects, at matt.miller@triarchitects.com

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Requests for Quotes, Bids and Proposals are posted online for public download. Please navigate to www.msdprojectclear.org > Doing Business With Us > View Non-Capital Bids (commodities and services) or >Visit Planroom (capital construction bids)

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

LETTING NO. 8734

LOUISIANA CALM STREET FEDERAL PROJECT NO. TAP-9901 (649)

Sealed proposals will be received by the Board of Public Service in Room 301, City Hall, 1200 Market St., St. Louis, MO. Until 1:45 p.m. CST, on September 28, 2021, then publicly opened and read. Plans and Specifications may be examined on the Board of Public website https://www.stl-bps.org (BPS Online BPS Plan Room) and may be purchased directly through the BPS website from INDOX Services at cost plus shipping. No refunds will be made.

A virtual pre-bid conference for all contractors bidding on this project will be held on September 7, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. The pre-bid conference will be held via Zoom at https://us02web. zoom.us/j/85498157932, or by calling 1.312.626.6799 Meeting ID: 854 9815 7932.

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 a referenced at www.stl-bps.org (Announcements).

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

Date of Publication: September 9, 2021

Expires: September 25, 2021

City of Wellston Missouri Nathaniel Griffin, Mayor 1414 Evergreen Ave. Wellston, Missouri 63133

These notices shall satisfy two separate but related procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by the Housing Authority of St. Louis County with the City of Wellston serving as the responsible entity for the project.

REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS

On or about September 26th, the City of Wellston Missouri will authorize the Housing Authority of St. Louis County to submit a request to HUD for the release of Public Housing Operating and Capital Funds under the US Housing Act of 1937 as amended and approval to undertake actions under HUD’s Section 22 Voluntary Conversion Program for the following project:

Project Title: Wellington Family Homes

Purpose: Redevelopment of Former Public Housing Units in Wellston, MO

Location: Wellston, MO

HUD Funding: Project Based Vouchers

Estimated Total: $29,921,131

Wellington Family Homes, LP (the “Partnership”) is submitting an application to the Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) for Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) to rehabilitate 186 units of affordable rental housing comprised of sixty-five (65) parcels which include the commonly referred to Senior Building, Family Building, Lotus Building, James Harvey Lane, Isabella Row Houses, Benn McLemore III Place Building, Myrtle Buildings, Valle Row Houses, Wellsmar Buildings, Evanston Building and Scattered Sites. Wellington Family Homes in Wellston, Missouri (the “Project”) is currently undergoing a transformation from traditional public housing to affordable housing through the US Department of Housing Voluntary Conversion Program approved by HUD’s special application center. The Housing Authority of St Louis County has received tenant protection vouchers and will provide 186 Project Based Vouchers in accordance with HUD policy to Wellington Family Homes. The project consists of renovations to existing residential buildings. Minor exterior renovations include painting and window replacement. Interior renovations include standard full rehab including flooring, cabinetry, and sheetrock as needed. The project does not include new construction or demolition FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT

The City of Wellston has determined that the project will have no significant impact on the human environment. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not required. Additional project information is contained in the Environmental Review Record (ERR) on file at City of Wellston, 1414 Evergreen Ave, Wellston MO and may be examined or copied weekdays 8 A.M to 5 P.M. Due to the Corona Virus Pandemic, the City will make the ERR available to the public for review either electronically or by US mail and requests for copies of the ERR may be submitted via email to Janice Trigg at janntrigg@gmail. com Also, the City requests that any in person reviews be requested by calling Janice Trigg at 314-553-8001.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to the City of Wellston at the above address or emailed to jann.trigg@gmail.com. All comments received by September 25th , will be considered by the City of Wellston prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds. Comments should specify which Notice they are addressing.

ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION

The City of Wellston certifies to HUD that Nathaniel Griffin, in his capacity as Mayor, 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 Housing Authority of St. Louis County to use Program funds for the City of Wellston.

OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS

HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the City of Wellston’s certification for a period of fifteen 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 basis: (a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the City of Wellston, Missouri; (b) the City of Wellston, Missouri 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 or other participants in the development process have committed funds, incurred costs or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a 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. Due to the Corona Virus Pandemic, objections must be prepared and submitted via email in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58, Sec. 58.76) and shall be addressed to the U.S. Department of HUD St. Louis Field Office, Public Housing Division, Attention: Public Housing Director, Craig Dobson at email address: Craig.C.Dobson@hud.gov; Potential objectors should contact HUD via email to verify the actual last day of the objection period.

/s/ Nathaniel Griffin, Mayor RE Certifying Officer

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR FIRMS SEEKING PROJECT FINANCING THROUGH THE NEW MARKETS TAX CREDIT PROGRAM ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE ST. LOUIS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

The St. Louis Development Corporation (“SLDC”), a CY 2020 New Markets Tax Credit allocatee, hereby requests proposals from firms wishing to receive project financing from SLDC’s New Markets Tax Credit allocation. For a copy of the RFP please visit our website at http:/ /stlouis-mo.gov/sldc by selecting the RFP/RFQ link for a complete copy of the RFP, or contact:

BILL SEDDON ST. LOUIS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION 1520 MARKET STREET, SUITE 2000 ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI 63103 (314) 657-3705 (PHONE) (314) 613-7011 (FAX) seddonb@stlouis-mo.gov.com

Proposals are due no later than 4:00 P.M. Central Daylight Time on Friday, October 1, 2021.

METROPOLITAN ST. LOUIS SEWER DISTRICT

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

MISSOURI RIVER WWTF DIGESTER GAS STORAGE COVER REPLACEMENT

CONTRACT LETTING NO. 13222-015.1

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (District) will receive sealed bids for Missouri River WWTF Digester Gas Storage Cover Replacement under Letting No. 13222-015.1, at this office, 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, until 02:00 PM on October 13, 2021. All bids are to be deposited in the bid box located on the First Floor of the District’s Headquarters located at 2350 Market Street, St. Louis, MO 63103, prior to the 2:00 p.m. bid deadline. Bids may also be submitted electronically at stlmsdplanroom.com. Refer to the Contractor’s notice page within the Bid Form for additional information on electronic submission of bids.

A general description of the work to be done under these contract documents is described as follows.

• Removal and replacement of the membrane gas covers for Digester #3 and #4. Work shall include, but is not necessarily limited to:

• Demolition and proper disposal of existing membrane covers

• Installation of new dual membrane covers and associated membrane catcher systems

• Removal and replacement of existing flexible piping

• All other structural or electrical modifications, as required to provide a complete and functional system

The Engineer’s Opinion of Probable Cost for this project is $1,282,000.

Plans and Specifications are available for free electronic download. Please go to MSD’S website and look for a link to “ELECTRONIC PLANROOM.” Plans and Specifications are also available for viewing or purchase at Cross Rhodes Reprographics located at 2731 S. Jefferson. St. Louis MO 63118. All bidders must obtain a set of plans and specifications in order to submit a bid in the name of the entity submitting the bid. The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

St. LouiS american Bids & Public Notices

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Paric is seeking proposal for the MEP/FP SCOPE OF WORK ONLY for the project known as “THE BRIDGE” located on 4738 Delmar Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63108

The project consists of two structures, the first structure is a residential wood frame building that will house 200 units, amenity spaces, fitness center, pool area, retail, etc. The 2nd structure will be a Precast Parking Garage that will have approximate 286 Parking Spaces with a Retail component at the first floor. Subcontractors shall provide a breakdown of the Sales Taxes included in their proposal as well as the engineering cost associated with their proposal and the residential and parking garage. Also, subcontractors shall abide by the current major executive order providing MBE/WBE enterprises and workforce as indicated.

Proposals will be due on Tuesday, September 28, 2021 at 2:00pm CST

Submit all questions no later than September 21, 2021. All bids should be delivered to Paric via e-mail (bids@paric.com) or fax (636-561-9501).

PARIC CORPORATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

RFP #: 57821245

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) is requesting proposals for the construction services required for Vashon Community Center Renovation-Wolff Jazz Institute project. Proposals must be emailed no later than 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday October 5th, 2021 to morrowb@hssu.edu. Responses to the RFP will be opened and the names read at a virtual opening on Tuesday, October 5th, 2021 at 2:15 p.m

A pre-bid conference and walk-through will be held on Tuesday, September 21st, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. at the Vashon Community Center located at the intersection of Market and Compton. Masks will be required for entry into the facility and at the pre-bid conference and walk-through. Social Distancing will also be required in facility.

A copy of the Request for Proposals can be obtained by contacting Barbara A. Morrow at email address: morrowb@hssu.edu or calling (314) 340-5763.

The University reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive all informalities in proposals.

CITY OF ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS (SLFRF) - FOOD ASSISTANCE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

In response to the public health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The City of St. Louis Community Development Administration (CDA) is accepting proposals for activities that will assist in the elimination of food instability experienced by City of St. Louis residents, caused by the health emergency.

Beginning September 8, 2021, with funding from State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) made available by the American Rescue Plan Act, The Community Development Administration (CDA) will make available applications for Food Assistance providers.

The RFP and related documents can be found on the Community Development Administration (CDA) website at https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/ community-development/rfp-slfrf-food-assistance.cfm

The SLFRF Food Assistance proposal deadline is Friday, September 30, 2021, 4:00 p.m., CST.

Questions concerning the RFP process may be directed the Community Development Administration at cdaslfrf@stlouis-mo.gov

CDA is an equal opportunity Agency. Minority participation is encouraged.

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Roof Replacement, T r a n s i t i o n Center of St. Louis, Project No. C2003-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1 : 3 0 P M , 10/7/2021 via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered t o b i d . F o r specific project information, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

Project No. H1901-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1 : 3 0 P M , 10/5/2021 via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered t o b i d . F o r specific project information, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

B i d s f o r Parking Lot Rehabilitation Roberts State Office Building Jefferson City, MO, Project No. O2002- 01 will be received b y F M D C , State of MO, UNTIL 1:30PM, October 7, 2021 For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http:// oa.mo.gov/ facilities

INVITATION TO BID

The Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit is currently soliciting bid proposals for replacement of ceiling tile in Division 8 and 9 on the 6th Floor of the Civil Court Building. The request for proposal is available on the Court’s website www.stlcitycircuitcourt.com Click on General Information, Then Request for Proposals.

A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on September 21, 2021 at 8:30 a.m.in Division 8, 6th Floor at the Civil Court Building, located at 10 N. Tucker Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63101. Bids are due October 1, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. EOE

CITY OF ST. LOUIS BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS for PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR STRUCTURAL EVALUATION AND CONCEPTS STUDY OF THE TERMINAL 1 ARRIVALS DRIVE AT ST. LOUIS LAMBERT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. Statements of Qualifications due by 5:00 PM CT, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 at Board of Public

INVITATION

The St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund (CSF) is requesting bid proposals for legal services. The selected firm will act as general counsel for CSF. Seeing firms with a particular emphasis in municipal law. Bid documents available at https://bit.ly/3sfVct8 bid #1383. Bids are due by 11 AM, September 24, 2021

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

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

premiere of Billy Elliot! The Musical, who will direct it. Dec. 16-19, wUNDERland offers a hip-hop twist on the childhood favorite film Alice in Wonderland

The performance is led under the creative direction and choreography of Anthony “Redd” Williams, hip-hop crew artistic director. The production breathes new life into the age old tale with dazzling costumes, visual effects, contemporary music and cutting-edge hip-hop choreography.

“He’s got a really great creative and artistic team, wonderful local graphic designer, and huge fashion designers that are working with him,” DouthitBoyd said. “It’s gonna be awesome music, great dance, a really creative telling of the story of Alice in Wonderland. Really excited about that in December.”

Christmas Carol, the holiday classic, isn’t included in the season’s lineup; COCA will partner with The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis for its annual Christmas Carol production. Hana Sharif, artistic direc-

tor of The Rep will direct the presentation; Douthit-Boyd will choreograph it and Wintzer will be the youth company director for it.

The Rep has an on stage residency with COCA for two shows. The St. Louis Black Repertory Company also has a partnership with COCA. Through both efforts, the companies are able to share the stage with the community and have an educational exchange between students.

COCAWrites continues the season with a production of the musical The Butterfly Room the story of a General Motors factory worker interested in going off to college and relocating from their factory town.

Another offering,The Wolves, a coming of age story about a high school girls soccer team conversing on subjects that affect teen girls; and next summer, the lineup includes Matilda, a musical about a young bookworm who relies on her love of reading to help escape her abusive parents.

The three student companies, COCA hip-hop crew (contemporary hip-hop repertoire), COCAdance, and ballet eclectica, will come together May 12-15 to present TRIumphant, a collaboration which includes eighteen pieces.

Students are presented with the opportunity to work with different artists from around the country. These residencies will culminate in a final show, which will provide the students with the chance to show what they’ve learned to their family and friends in the spring.

“We really look forward to that concert not only for all of the good things that are happening, but it’s the opportunity for the kids to show their versatility,” Douthit-Boyd said. “They go from ballet, modern to jazz to other styles. It’s a testament to their talent.”

COCA’s vocal company and COCA’s improv troupe will also hold performances as well.

This will be Wintzer’s first official year as the theatre artistic director. Not many in person performances took place last year, so she was unable to rightfully assume authority.

“This is my year to really put my artistic stamp on our offerings,” Wintzer said. “We’ve really seen a great turnout with our students, the professional artists and the community who are interested in our programming.”

Visit COCA’s website for more information about its upcoming season: https://www. cocastl.org/.

Continued from B1

feel good. That you not only look good but that you feel good.”

A plus-size woman herself, she strongly advocates for women who look like her. Carr’s slogan for the store is “Her Curves. Her Crown,” and she encourages women to fully embrace themselves especially in terms of what makes them unique.

She does carry regular sizes, small up to 3x. Her target audience is plus size, but all women have curves and she believes curves can also represent what separates you from the next.

“You may have an ailment, you may have a gap in your teeth, that’s your curve,” Carr said. “That’s your uniqueness, your crown. Once we get out of it and overcome certain things we realize that’s a part of our story. So that same thing that separated us from everybody else, that’s your curve.”

Carr, being a city girl who graduated from Gateway STEM High School, saw the need to open her business in an area that was familiar to her.

“We need gems and it’s a blessing to have a place that’s not downtown but close enough to downtown. It’s accessible to the highway,” Carr said. “I wanted to make sure that I am a good business in the community.”

Carr doesn’t have a formal education in fashion, instead she has degrees in community urban planning and sociology, and public administration. Both play a pivotal role in her current profession.

“Everything you do plays a part even if it’s down the road,” Carr said. “But the different things that you learn now play

A plus-size woman

women who look like her.

Her Crown,” and she encourages women to fully embrace themselves especially in

makes them unique.

a part in me like my location.”

Elizabeth Saint James is open for in-person shopping Wednesday through Saturday noon to 7 p.m. Shopping on Monday and Tuesday is by appointment only. For online shopping and more information, visit https://

Photo by McArthur25 Photography

herself, Carr strongly advocates for

Carr’s slogan for the store is “Her Curves.

terms of what