January 30th, 2025 edition

St. LouiS AmericAn

2025 Salute to Business

A polished attorney

Rodney Boyd, the 2025 ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’

By Sylvester Brown, Jr.

St. Louis American

Rodney Boyd, 53, founder and partner with the Nexus Group, a full-service government relations and lobbying firm, was afforded a valuable educational experience as a child.

From the age of eight until he was sixteen, Boyd worked at the “House of Good Care,” a popular shoeshine parlor on the corner of Marcus and St. Louis Avenues. It was a hangout where the city’s Black who’s-who (politicians, preachers, lawyers, entrepreneurs and hustlers) hung out, swapped tall tales and conducted business all while having their shoes expertly shined.

Customers of the parlor during the late 1970s and early ‘80s, Boyd remembers, included JB “Jet” Banks (the late former state senator), William (Bill) Clay Sr. (former congressman),

See BOYD, A7

Jackson

State of delusion

Mayor Jones, others rip Kehoe agenda

By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American

n Kehoe continued stumping for state control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, regardless of the wishes of Jones, Police Chief Robert Tracy and Missouri voters.

While Gov. Mike Kehoe said during his State of the State address that his agenda would help St. Louis as well as all regions of the state, his plan was blasted by St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, the state Democratic Party and a non-partisan state budget watchdog. Kehoe continued stumping for state control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, regardless of the wishes of Jones, Police Chief Robert Tracy and Missouri voters. Jones said, “the governor took aim at the city of St. Louis.” The mayor said Kehoe continued “emphasizing his passion for taking away local control, despite the continued decline in crime in the city, and

displayed some of the potential of his architectural/engineering skills during the the Community STEM Showcase at the Science Center on January 18. See KEHOE,

Trump funding freeze tumbles

St. Louis Public Radio

Faced with widespread criticism and at least two dozen lawsuits, the Trump administration has backed off on the controversial pause on all federal funding. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said that “Americans fought back, and Donald

Trump backed off.”

“This is an important victory for the American people whose voices were heard after massive pressure from every corner of this country—real people made a difference by speaking out,” said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.

“Still, the Trump administration— through a combination of sheer incompetence, cruel intentions, and a willful

disregard of the law—caused real harm and chaos for millions over the span of the last [72] hours which is still ongoing.”

The White House Office of Management and Budget sparked a national frenzy of confusion as states (many that Trump won in the presi-

She’s in charge

Ashley T. Johnson leads FBI field office

By Sylvester Brown, Jr.

If not for the old Matlock television series, Ashley T. Johnson may not have become the first Black female and first-ever woman to oversee the local FBI office. In October, former FBI Director Christopher Wray appointed Johnson Special Agent in charge of the St. Louis Field Office.

Ashley T. Johnson

In an interview with the St. Louis American, Johnson chuckled as she admitted it was Matlock, which premiered in the late 1980s, starring the ever-affable Andy Griffith, that drew her interest in the law enforcement.

“I’d literally come inside from playing at 3 o’clock just to watch Matlock and all my friends would tease me and, until this day, I watch it whenever it’s on.”

Johnson, who described herself as an “inquisitive child,” explained what drew her to the TV show: “It was the investigative side of it. I was always intrigued how they put the pieces of the puzzle together, how they followed mysteries…” It was perhaps the only part of the interview where the FBI director laughed or displayed a sliver of self-deprecating humor. Otherwise, her answers were direct, by-the-book with no unnecessary

See JOHNSON, A6

Founded by co-owners Jeffrey and Pamela Blair,

See Me specializes in children’s books that promote positive images and stories about Black culture and history.

Scottwagoner

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Rodney Boyd delivered the 2020 Lincoln University Founders’ Day keynote address in Jefferson City. Boyd, a 1993 LU graduate, is a co-founder of Nexus Group, a full-service government affairs firm headquartered in Jefferson City.

Photo by Taylor Marrie / St. Louis American

DJ Unk passes at 43

DJ Unk, the Atlanta MC known for his early 2000s hits including “Walk It Out” and “2 Step,” died after suffering a cardiac arrest this week, according to his wife.

Sherkita Long-Platt took to Facebook to announce his passing. She also shared his cause of death with TMZ.

According to the outlet, Long-Platt confirmed that DJ Unk – born Anthony Platt – died in his sleep on Friday, Jan. 24, following a cardiac arrest. She also denied speculation that his death was related to substance abuse, telling the outlet that her husband did not do drugs.

Rated PG for Parents Good?

TMZ has reported that Disney Channel star Skai Jackson has given birth to her first child, Kasai, with a man known as Deondre “Yerkky Yerkky” Burgin. News of her pregnancy broke a few months after she was arrested for domestic battery charges stemming from an argument with Yerkky.

The charges have since been dropped. Jackson has not released the gender, however TMZ reports many close to the actress have been referring to the child as “he” causing fans to believe she gave birth to a boy.

During his career, Platt saw charting success with his tracks “2 Step” — which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart in 2006 — and “Walk It Out.» The latter went on to feature André 3000 and Jim Jones in a remix. The song also appeared in the film “Stomp the Yard.”

The celebrity news and gossip site also recalled a post from Yerkky’s Facebook page slandering the star. “On wopp Im salty I got this dumb [expletive] Disney Channel [expletive] pregnant,” Yerkky allegedly wrote. “I hate this [expletive].” Jakson and her mother said his account was hacked and he did not actually write the post.

Rocky refused plea, trial starting A$AP

The trial for rapper A$AP Rocky is underway in downtown L.A. TMZ reports that he rejected a plea deal to

serve 6 months in jail – and can face up to 24 months if convicted. The artist is accused of firing a gun at a former associate, A$AP Relli, in 2021.

His lawyer, Joe Tacopina, argues that the gun shown in the unfavorable video evidence of Rocky seen brandishing a gun is only a “prop gun.”

He also argues the ballistic reports, if ever released by the prosecution, will show shell casings from the scene will match a semi-automatic weapon not the “prop gun” Rocky was seen carrying.

TMZ reports Rocky refused the plea deal because there were additional clauses that would significantly reduce his ability to perform as an artist – including three years of formal probation, seven years of unsupervised probation, and 500 hours of community service among other items.

Jeannie Mai and Jeezy divorce drama continues

In new court doc uments obtained by InStyle on Friday, it appears that exes Jeezy and Jeannie Mai were embroiled into yet another dispute back in December 2024 that report-

edly ended up with police getting called.

An alleged pre-scheduled visit to Jeezy’s house in Georgia went left. A judge reportedly allowed via court order for Mai to visit the home to retrieve boxes with personal belongings – such as handbags, shoes, her Emmys and other trophies. They were said to be inside the garage.

However, when she arrived, Mai was refused entry by the house manager “on the orders of Jeezy.” His reason for doing so allegedly stemmed from his concerns over letting the former host of “The Real” into their home for fear that she’d plant “listening devices or cameras” and Mai’s alleged previous attempts at “destroying [Jeezy’s] career with misleading information.”

As a result, the Atlanta police were called and later arrived at the home in an attempt to resolve the issue.

Sources: InStyle, People. com, Yahoo.com, Facebook.com, TMZ.com

A$AP Rocky

DJ Unk

‘Neither medicine nor science is exempt from white supremacy culture’

Dr. Kemi Doll keynotes Wash U. MLK Event

By Kenya Vaughn

The St. Louis American

The popular Dr. King quotes circulated over the days leading up to, during and proceeding the national holiday in his honor made their rounds. But as the culminating speaker for the Washington University School of Medicine’s full week of programming honoring King’s life and legacy on Friday, Dr. Kemi Doll dug deep to make it clear that he was aware – and fighting against – all forms of inequity.

“‘Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane,”’ Doll said, quoting King.

A professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the UW School of Medicine and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health, Doll has made the battle for equity in healthcare her life’s work.

“Neither medicine nor science is exempt from white supremacy culture,” Doll said.

“There is no reason to think that somehow when you get into the worlds of medicine or science, all of the biases in our society’s 400-plus years of white supremacy culture goes away. I am unapologetically focused on Black women and all Black folks with a uterus.”

Her research centers on examining Black-white racial inequity in endometrial cancer

in the US and has been funded by the NIH, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and several foundations.

“We have not found ‘the Black gene’ for endometrial cancer,” said. Doll. “People have been looking for it and can’t find it. So, there has to be something else going on.”

She dove deep into that “something else” using her wealth of knowledge regarding Black women’s reproductive health. She pointed out that Black women have higher rates in reproductive years of fibroids, irregular cycles, worse outcomes with infertility and higher rates of premenopausal hysterectomy because of all of the things mentioned. They also have higher rates of preterm labor and low birth rates of infants, maternal morbidity and mortality. And over the entire gynecologic life course, Black women are doing worse at every single point.

“You can look at this and say, ‘What is wrong with Black women’s bodies,’ or you can look at this and say ‘what is wrong with the environment that Black women are in,’” Doll said. “‘What’s wrong with the way that we study these diseases? What’s wrong with how we research these diseases? What’s wrong with how we treat these diseases? Why do we not understand what’s happening in these women’s bodies?’”

Doll said that she doesn’t believe in the idea of objectivity when one is studying race and ethnicity differences because, “We live with these biases baked in.”

“My perspective doesn’t just come from being a Black woman in the United States – though it is informed by that,” said Doll. “It also comes from reading the very rich academic writing that is available in people who have been trying to understand how race, gender and health intersect to produce these outcomes that we see.”

Doll talked about the racial differences in stage of diagnosis that vary by healthcare setting.

“Unless we think that there’s innately inferior biological differences in these Black women at different healthcare settings, you have to acknowledge that something different is going on in these

places,” said Doll. “Black women with Medicare – and with insurance – presenting with symptoms not getting ultrasounds, not getting biopsies, not getting DNCs. And these non-guideline pathways are associated with more stage 3 and stage 4 disease.”

Healthcare providers normalizing symptoms is also a factor.

“We have a group of people that have decades of higher rates of fibroids, irregular cycles, irregular bleeding, poor gynecological healthcare, poor experiences in reproductive healthcare and abnormal bleeding as a norm in younger women that can result in this normalcy of that very same symptom that now represents a cancer symptom in the menopausal years,” said Doll.

“We found that 40 percent of the black white mortality gap

Dr. Kemi Doll, A gynecologic oncologist at the University of Washington, Professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the UW School of Medicine and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health served as the keynote speaker for the Washington University School of Medicine 2025 MLK, Jr. Week and Inclusive Excellence Speaker Series. The talk took place on Friday, January 24th at the Eric P. Newman Center.

is actually attributed to stage of diagnosis and surgery rate.” Patients get to their provider, get an ultrasound to be told “everything’s fine.”

“How much longer does it take for you to come back,” Doll said.

She said there is not one magic solution, there are many needed solutions to this problem, which is common in health equity work.

“Our racial positioning – awareness or lack thereof – influences the design and interpretation of our studies,” said Doll. “Novelty and innovation in research are not just born out of new ideas, but new perspectives – which is why diversity in research and science is so critical and so important. It ensures that we live in a more equitable society – and attacking it ensures that we don’t.”

Ali Dalal, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who sees patients 13 years and older. He provides treatment of foot and ankle conditions and has extensive experience treating hip and knee arthritis, including robotically assisted hip and knee replacement. He takes a patient-centered approach to care that benefits from his breadth and depth of experience and takes pride in staying informed about leading-edge treatments.

Photo by Wiley Price/ St. Louis American

Editorial/Commentary

Guest Editorial Commentary

Trump’s attack on Black America Florida is fighting back and winning

By Keith Boykin

President Donald Trump has issued

a new memorandum to carry out his Inauguration Day executive order eliminating federal DEIA programs, by placing DEI employees on federal leave.

DEIA stands for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and Trump’s action rescinds President Biden’s executive order from 2021, which sought to make the federal government “a model” for effective DEIA.

Trump’s order inaccurately describes DEIA as “radical,” “illegal,” and “immoral discrimination.” So let’s look at what the federal government’s DEI programs actually do.

Federal DEI programs set goals in 8 different areas.

1. Data collection, to give us a better understanding of who is and isn’t in the federal workforce

2. Paid Internships, which provide valuable opportunities and experience for people from underserved communities

3. Recruitment, so that the government doesn’t just hire the usual suspects but posts job announcements in places where other people can see them,

4. Professional development, so that once people are hired they can continue to expand their skills and become better workers,

There’s a reason for this.

Black people were the least supportive racial or ethnic group for Donald Trump. We make up about 13.7% percent of the U.S. population but account for nearly 19% of federal workers. Nearly 400,000 Black people now work for the federal government. Trump’s DEI attack fits with his larger plans to move federal jobs out of Washington, D.C., and slash the federal workforce, which would leave thousands of Black people unemployed. All of this would constitute the most significant attack on Black public workers since Woodrow Wilson segregated the federal workforce in 1913.

5. Fair treatment of people with disabilities, so that they can get a job and find appropriate accommodation.

6. LGBT fairness, so that spouses and families of LGBT employees get the same benefits as other families do,

7. Pay equity, to review government policies, hiring, and salaries to make sure that women and people of color aren’t being paid less to do the same jobs, and

8. Opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals, to review barriers so that qualified job applicants who have served their time get a fair shot to get a job. These are not radical, illegal, or immoral ideas. These are calls to the highest principles of America, with the stated goal that “all employees are treated with dignity and respect.”

What DEI policies do is acknowledge our history to create a fairer and more inclusive workplace that benefits everyone. I’m not sure Trump knows any of that history, but I do know that his actions are designed to be an attack on Black America. That’s why he also revoked Executive Order 11246 on affirmative action, which has been in place since 1965 in the civil rights era.

Black people are overrepresented in the federal government because historically that was the one place where we did not face employment discrimination. I would not be here without federal DEI programs. My grandmother worked for HUD for 30 years in St. Louis. My mom worked for the Department of Defense at the Sharpe Army Depot in Stockton, California, and Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas. This is personal to me. But the impact of Trump’s attack will be felt far beyond the federal workforce. The federal government influences the private workforce by dictating rules for federal contractors and serving as a model for best practices for private employers. And some corporations are already rolling back their DEI initiatives.

Because of Trump’s actions, not only will Black federal employees lose their jobs, but Black people in private companies will be laid off. After spending his 2024 campaign scaring Black people with racist lies that immigrants are taking “Black jobs,” Trump will end up being the one to take their jobs.

I have no hope that “moderate Republicans” or misinformed celebrities performing for Trump will use their influence to help Black Americans, people of color, or other groups that are targeted by these mean-spirited policies. These clout chasers seem only to aspire to personal adjacency to power.

We must educate our own people, fight in the courts, the boardrooms, and the media when we can, and in the streets when we must, and resist his efforts to erase us as powerfully and constructively as we can.

“Black Vote, Black Power,” a collaboration between St. Louis native Keith Boykin and Word In Black, examines the issues and what’s at stake for Black America.

EMERITUS LEADERSHIP

Nathan B. Young (1894-1993) Founder

N.A. Sweets (1901-1988) Publisher Bennie G. Rodgers (1914-2000) Executive Editor Melba Sweets (1909-2006) Editor

Donald M. Suggs Publisher and Executive Editor

ADMINISTRATION

Dina M. Suggs

By Fedrick C. Ingram

My name is Fedrick Ingram, and I am from the future.

Donald Trump has returned to the White House, already fulfilling his promises of dangerous, retrograde ideas about education, immigration, and even democracy itself.

The dystopian future that Trump is building for this country is one I have already seen.

Born and raised in Florida, I’ve lived, worked, and fought in a state that has become a laboratory for MAGA experiments in extremist education policies and prohibitions. What works here, they assume, will work everywhere. To an extent, they are correct — we all live in Florida now.

Trump has amassed more power and converts to his insane vision and, at least until the midterms, he has essentially unchecked power to carry out that vision. However, I can tell you, he’s going to have to fight for every inch because I have seen what it takes to not just push back, but what it takes to win against extremist policies in our schools and colleges.

it for “indoctrination.”

This is not a new fight for Black folks who knew books and even the knowledge of books to be precious contraband in an antagonistic country. And so, we are doing what we have always done to fight back — we organize. I can speak personally about joining the NAACP to launch a Freedom Library in Tampa and helping furnish it with thousands of books filled with our history, our faces, and our stories.

But I was not alone.

Thanks to community and church leaders, some Florida students are setting aside their weekends to gather at the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum in Delray Beach to fill in the history and story gaps left open by DeSantis’ extremist policies. While I am speaking from the future, sometimes the key to fighting comes from our collective past.

This is not just a lesson I have learned from my time in education and labor, but by being a Black man in America who has the sense to listen to his elders and understands my success is the fruit of those who met, often in secret, to strategize a way to freedom. They saw an obstacle, they created community, and they made a plan.

Last November, the Florida Department of Education released a list of 700 books that have been “removed or discontinued” in public schools — making my home state the leader in banning books. Caught in the ban are stories about our history, stories by luminaries like Alice Walker and Toni Morrison to relative newcomers like Angie Thomas and Ibram X. Kendi.

And it’s not just books Florida objects to. It’s history itself. When the country’s first AP course on Black Studies debuted, Governor Ron DeSantis rejected

I am seeing this return to organizing in other future-tested areas like Texas, which has also prioritized book banning and curricular censorship. Educators in the state who were committed to academic freedom didn’t just stand by wringing their hands. Instead, they joined hands to create 12 new chapters of the American Association of University Professors.

In a time when unions are in the sights of Trump and his cronies, folks in states impacted the most by extremist policies doubled down on organizing. That’s because creating a responsive and responsible community is the best way to address the needs of your neighbors, friends, and family.

The only way through the next four years is together, and if you plan on succeeding, then you must also plan on organizing the voices and the hands that have the most at stake.

The future is ours to win, but we must begin today.

Fedrick C. Ingram is the secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers, serving 1.8 million members.

We stand together in demand of diversity

By Marc Morial

“A second Trump administration intends to abandon efforts to advance and legally defend affirmative action and DEI policies within military academies, federal minority contracting programs and other federal programs shown to open opportunities – as well as create inclusive education and workplace environments –unfairly denied to people of color, women and other marginalized groups … A second Trump administration would not only refuse to enforce civil rights regulations on behalf of individuals from historically marginalized groups but actively weaken these protections in housing, education, health care and other essential resources.”

Alexis Agathocleous, Kim Conway, ReNika Moore, ACLU

Less than 48 hours after Donald Trump once again became president of the United States, a historic coalition of civil and human rights leaders planned to gather to map out a strategy to defend equal opportunity.

diversity, equity and inclusion policies. It calls for references to “sexual orientation and gender identity” to be deleted from all federal rules, LGBTQ workplace discrimination protections to be sharply limited and a ban on transgender troops in the U.S. armed forces.

The Demand Diversity Roundtable represents a refusal to remain silent in the face of an unprecedented assault on DEI measures and a commitment to fostering unity, resilience and proactive leadership in defense of equal opportunity for all.

The Demand Diversity Roundtable is a lively, rapid-fire discussion focusing on confronting the disinformation campaign to discredit diversity, equity and inclusion, exposing the myths used to divide communities, setting the record straight with facts and reaffirming participants’ unwavering commitment to justice, unity and the values that strengthen our nation.

Trump has vowed that on his first day in office, he will revoke President Joe Biden’s executive order on racial equity and pursue the dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives both within the federal government and among private institutions. Project 2025, the policy blueprint Trump is expected to follow, calls for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division to “investigate and prosecute all state and local governments, institutions of higher education, corporations and any other private employers” with

America’s strength lies in its diversity, and abandoning DEI would endanger the nation’s progress and future. While Trump professed to know nothing about Project 2025 during his campaign, as president-elect he has selected its authors and influencers for key roles in his administration. The agenda is alarmingly hostile to any measures it designates as “woke” – a term the “anti-woke” movement has defined as “the belief there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to address them.” The movement holds that acknowledging discrimination is, in itself, discrimination.

Several organizations that have been designated hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center are among Project 2025’s advisory board, including Alliance Defending Freedom, infamous for restricting access to the abortion pill and support for anti-LGBTQ+ policies, and Center for Immigration Studies, known for providing a platform for racist writers and associating with white nationalists.

The incoming administration’s policies, aligned with frameworks like Project 2025, threaten to undermine principles of equal opportunity and roll back progress toward a multiracial democracy. The National Urban League and our co-conveners of the Demand Diversity Roundtable will resist these threats.

Marc Morial is National Urban League president and CEO

Guest Columnist Fedrick C. Ingram

Guest Columnist Keith Boykin

Columnist

Marc Morial

Illinois state Sen. Christopher Belt, a member of the ’40 Days of Nonviolence and Beyond’ initiative committee says failure to invest in Metro East youth leads to violence and crime in the future.

‘40 Days of Non-Violence’ initiative underway

St. Louis American

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has partnered with several Metro East organizations and law enforcement in launching a “40 Days of Nonviolence and Beyond” in the East St. Louis area, which continues through March 4, 2025.

The initiative will include activities for students, ages 8-18, with SIUE Project Success SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School, Lincoln Middle School, Black Greek letter organizations youth groups and more, according to Kimberly McClellan, an SIUE Head Start teacher and SIUE alumna, and member of the initiative’s executive committee.

“Either your tax dollars are going to go to pro investment for our youth, or we’re going to pay on the back end with issues surrounding violence or putting kids in detention centers, which is more expensive,” said Illinois

state Sen. Christopher Belt, who also serves on the committee.

Daphne Dorsey, a member of the 40 Days board, said homicide is the third leading cause of death for all young people between the ages of 10-24.

“When that number is broken down by race, it’s the number one cause of death for African American youth,” she said.

Included will be an Information Week, Health Week, Military and First Responder Week, Education Week, Community Engagement Week and Unification Week. The programming will be held on the Wyvetter H. Younge Higher Education Campus and Lincoln Middle School.

Activities will include chess lessons every Tuesday and Thursday at Wyvetter H. Younge and tennis lessons every Saturday at Lincoln Middle School by the East St. Louis Community Tennis Association.

At a critical crossroads

By Barbara Reynolds

As we stood at the crossroads of history on January 20, 2025, we were confronted with two starkly different futures.

On one side of the Capitol, a twice-impeached convicted felon, committed to depriving people of color of affordable health care, education and a sustainable future, was sworn in as president.

On the other side, thousands converged on Washington to pledge their allegiance to the continuation of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of equality, fairness and justice for all Americans.

I marched with those who chose to be on the right side of history. I am 82 but I intend to keep on marching and protesting. I began my first march in the 1960s as a student working to register Black people to vote in Tennessee.

Coming from the South, I was so naive I did not know that showing up in public after dark or going into white stores with interracial friends was a dangerous terrifying venture. My group was chased by the Ku Klux Klan and we felt blessed to escape with our lives. I kept on marching, protesting and as a writer, most of the time as the biographer of Mrs. Coretta Scott King. I saw how committed nonviolent warriors, those who would struggle and trade their blood for freedom, could overcome most anything. I was amazed at the fortitude of Mrs. King to fight for this holiday, rear her four children and continue the movement 30 years after her beloved husband was murdered.

In the ’60s when I entered the struggle for justice, there were no thoughts of an African American president, a Black woman on the Supreme Court or a multicultural vice president — we couldn’t even vote in the South or attend schools that were desegregated.

Today, we now have 62 Blacks in Congress, Black billionaires, like David Steward in St. Louis and others, who contribute to their communities, and the Black gross national buying power is estimated at $1.6 trillion.

I would be foolish not to be optimistic about our future. I understand we have come this far by faith and hard work, and we will not sit quietly as we are being pushed back possibly as far as when in 1857 the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott Decision ruled Black people had no rights that whites had to respect.

Trump represents a vision of America that is exclusionary and unjust. His path includes policies that have consistently targeted marginalized communities, particularly people of color, by undermining their access to essential services such as health care and education.

MLK’s path is rooted in the belief that all people, regardless of race, creed or socioeconomic status, deserve access to affordable health care, quality education and a sustainable future. It envisions an America where diversity is celebrated, and the rights of all citizens are protected.

Nonviolence is a cornerstone of this movement. Unlike the violent mob that ransacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021, these marchers were dedicated to peaceful protest. They drew strength from the Bible, which says not to fret over the crimes of evildoers as they will ultimately be crushed like blades of grass.

Their faith in a higher power. Their unwavering dedication to justice provides a moral compass that guides their actions and lights a path of righteousness. It’s a path we must follow.

Barbara Reynolds is a Washington Informer columnist and former editorial staff member for USA TODAY.

Photo courtesy of Office of Sen. Christopher Belt

Barbara Reynolds

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words or elongated replies.

Even when asked about negative actions attributed to the FBI’s history such as its 1950s and ‘60s-era COINTELPRO program that targeted, among others, Black civil rights leaders, and anti-war opponents or scandalous charges of sexism within the agency, Johnson’s answers were matter of fact, without antisepsis or delusion.

Growing up, the Mobile Alabama native didn’t foresee a career in law enforcement. Like her parents, aunts and other relatives who worked in education, Johnson saw herself following their paths. In fact, she was an education major for the first year and a half of her college years. But then at the end of her sophomore year, one of her professors told her about a career fair hosted by the local FBI office. That experience prompted her to change her major to criminal justice.

After college, Johnson spent three years as a probation officer but went back to school to get a master’s degree in social work. She then became a child abuse investigator

Kehoe

Continued from A1 Johnson

against the will of the overwhelming majority of Missourians, who voted for local control in 2012 by a 28-point margin.”

She called the attempted state takeover “pure politics, driven by elected officials who do not live in our city and the special

then a psychiatric social worker in the medical field.

Still, the FBI career fair experience stayed with her. She applied for a position with the FBI’s “victim’s specialist” program which she felt was in the ballpark of social work skills. The special agent in charge of the Mobile office encouraged her instead to apply for a special agent’s position which she felt would better suit Johnson’s skills.

Special Agents are trained in various fields including organized crime, cybercrime, counterintelligence, terrorism, drug traf-

interests that funded their campaigns.”

“Taking away local control of SLMPD will not make the City of St. Louis safer, will not help increase our population, and will not help to grow the revenue of our City, which is the economic engine for our state.”

According to 2024 police statistics, there were 150 homicides in 2024, the lowest number

ficking, community outreach, investigation, and are trained to work in tandem with local, state and foreign counterparts using the latest technologies in intelligence-gathering and data analysis.

The Mobile director’s intuition was right. Johnson joined the FBI as a special agent in 2007 assigned to the New Orleans Division, where she investigated civil rights and white-collar crime violations. Other leadership roles in her nearly 16-year career included a supervisory special agent role with

of homicides in 11 years. Overall, crime was down 15% year-over-year.

“From stripping local control from our communities and shifting it to the state or trying to gut voters’ ability to reign in their overreach through the initiative petition process, Missouri Republicans won’t stop until they have the power to control every aspect of our lives, right down

the New Orleans’ Cyber Division, supervisor of the domestic terrorism squad with the Atlanta Division, head of the FBI squad at the world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International and special agent in charge of the Atlanta criminal branch.

In her role as recruiter, Johnson has been asked why she chose to join an organization that has had a controversial and adversarial relationship with Black communities and Black leaders that included the period when then FBI director J. Edgar Hoover targeted during the civil

to our most personal decisions,” Russ Carnahan, Missouri Democratic Party chair said in a statement.

“Missouri Republicans have held control of our state legislature for more than 20 years, and their pursuit of power has caused them to leave sight of the values they were elected to uphold: a life free from government overreach and interference.

Kehoe announced he

Ashley T. Johnson, Special Agent in Charge of the St. Louis FBI, recently discussed hoax threats posted online while flanked by local, regional and federal law enforcement officials.

Johnson, the first Black woman to lead the local FBI office, said one of her goals is to help create opportunities for other deserving FBI agents.

rights era.

The 1991 film, “Silence of the Lambs,” apparently only gave a glimpse of the blatant sexism trainees like the fictional Clarise Stalling (played by Jodie Foster) endure at the FBI. Last year the FBI was fined $22.6 million in a discrimination lawsuit that claimed women trainees (from 2015 to 2024) were wrongfully dismissed from training due to sexism. The agency was charged with violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Johnson credited and restated FBI Director Wray’s candid acknowl-

supports the elimination of the Missouri income tax, a move that would blow a massive hole in future state budgets.

“We can’t cut our way to prosperity,” Amy Blouin, Missouri Budget Project president and CEO said in a release.

“Whether it happens over time or all at once, eliminating the state income tax wipes out more than 60% of the

edgement of the FBI’s misdeeds in the past, adding that her position is a positive step in avoiding misdeeds of the future.

“You have to be at the table to make change,’ right? It’s hard to make an impact on policies or investigations or advocate for resources if you’re not seated at the table,” Johnson explained. “So, what inspired me to go into leadership…to make lasting, organizational change, I needed to be in a position to make people aware of what the issues are in order to change them.”

Does she find being appointed the first Black woman and first woman period to lead the St. Louis FBI office weighty or daunting?

“I see it more as “humbling” and keeping me in perspective,” Johnson answered. “I want to always position myself, present myself so years from now this question won’t be relevant. There will be other women and minorities that will come behind me.

“I just want to make sure I carry myself where I won’t be the first five or ten years from now. That’s my goal.”

Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.

state general revenue budget and will require massive cuts to the services our communities need to thrive.” According to the Budget Project, eliminating the state income tax could lead to no general revenue support of public K-12 schools, public colleges, childcare, mental health, and senior services.

Sylvester

Photo by Brian Munoz / St. Louis Public Radio

dential election), schools and organizations faced the loss of trillions of dollars from Washington.

A new OMB memo issued late Tuesday, says the heads of executive departments and agencies should contact their general counsels “if you have questions about implementing the President’s Executive Orders.”

“Facing legal pressure from our clients and in the wake of a federal judge ruling in our case last evening, the TrumpVance administration has abandoned OMB’s ordered federal funding freeze,” Democracy Forward said in a statement.

“We are proud of our courageous clients -- who represent communities across the nation -- for going to court to stop the administration’s unlawful actions.”

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones said in a release that law enforcement efforts for crime reduction, evidence collection for future prosecution of criminal cases, and homicide investigations, which depend in part on employees supported by federal grants, were among the programs that could be impacted.

“Federal funds support law enforcement, seniors, flood mitigation, affordable housing, and so many other necessary invest-

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Wayman Smith (the late Anheuser Bush Executive), Michael and Steven Roberts (entrepreneurs and politicians) and many local notables.

“Every kind of man came into that place,” he recalled. “So, I’d listen to them talk about what they were doing or what they were planning to do. And, in that environment-much like a barber shop-their guards were down, and these men would just talk. I got to see such a diversity of men while working in that place and it really enriched my vista.”

Not only was young Boyd exposed to the social and political happenings of the city but he also said the seeds of entrepreneurism were planted within him as well.

“I knew, from the age of 8, 9 or 10, that I could - on any given day in the ‘70s - walk out of that place with $50-to-$100 dollars in my pocket, then go home where my grandparents were just overjoyed because I was able to generate more money than some of the older guys. That was my first exposure to entrepreneurism.

Boyd added: “I felt like I received a doctorate at a very young age. It was instilled in me that the entrepreneurial path was one I was going to be on. Even before I knew what a corporation was or what it meant to ‘make it,’ I had some abilities to take care of myself; to develop a skill set of providing a service in my own environment.”

By the time he was in high school, Boyd had chosen his life’s vocation.

“I remember when I was a freshman in high school and the career counselor asked me what I wanted to be. There was no pause, no hesitation. I said, ‘I want to be a lawyer but the kind who works in government.’”

From his experience with high profile customers at the shoeshine parlor-especially politicians-Boyd surmised that government shaped and influenced people’s lives.

“There’s so many things I think are wrong that if I can get into that space, I think I can make a differ-

n St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones said in a release that law enforcement efforts for crime reduction, evidence collection for future prosecution of criminal cases, and homicide investigations, which depend in part on employees supported by federal grants, were among the programs that could be impacted.

ments in our day-to-day lives. For President Trump to gamble with that shows a serious lack of leadership from this White House,” she said.

The St. Louis Business Journal reported Tuesday that Washington University in St. Louis received $683 million in National Institute for Health funding last year. It is the second-largest recipient of the federal health funds in the nation for a second consecutive year.

The development follows a federal judge’s order Tuesday that temporarily blocked the effort to pause federal payments for grants and other programs.

Under the original OMB memo obtained by NPR, a temporary pause in funding was set to take effect Tuesday evening, but a senior administration official said that the pause could be as short as a day if an agency determines its programs are in compliance.

The official said the directive should not be interpreted as a full funding freeze. The official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the

ence,” he told the school counselor.

And so, he pursued the path of law.

After graduating from Cleveland ROTC High School, he enrolled at Lincoln University in Jefferson City. In his senior year at Lincoln, he asked a professor how he could get “real experience in politics?” The professor arranged for him to have an internship at the state capitol. He wound up becoming an intern for the entire Black Caucus.

A constant comment from Black politicians in Jeff City was “I think I

n Boyd procured contracts for city and state state governments, helped get more than 70 legislative proposals passed in Missouri and Illinois and helped with the creation of new tax credit policies.

know you.” He rarely disclosed where from, but he figured it had to be from the “House of Good Care” shoeshine shop. This familiarity with Black politicians aided his career.

At the end of his junior year at Lincoln, Boyd enrolled at the University of Missouri in Columbia where he studied law and prepared for the LSAT (law school admission test). He graduated with a law degree in 1996.

Boyd had already served as a legislative assistant in the Missouri General Assembly and clerk for the Missouri Supreme Court. Before he graduated, another colleague, who had joined the city’s first African American mayor, Mayor Freeman R. Bosley Jr”s staff as city attorney. The friend invited him to be his intern. After Bosley lost to incoming Mayor Clarence Harmon, Boyd joined his staff as an assistant city counselor, assigned to the Prosecution Division.

Harmon wasn’t particularly fond of wrangling with Jefferson City politicians. Because he had some experience, Boyd was chosen to lobby for the mayor’s Administration.

“That’s when my career as a lobbyist was born,”

internal memo, said that agencies are supposed to review their grants, loans and programs to ensure that they align with the new administration’s priorities.

The nonprofit organizations that won the temporary stay Tuesday had claimed in their filing that the memo “fails to explain the source of OMB’s purported legal authority to gut every grant program in the federal government.” The groups also said that the memo failed to consider the interests of grant recipients, “including those to whom money had already been promised.”

Shortly after the decision by the federal Judge Tuesday, a group of attorneys general from 22 states and the District of Columbia filed a separate challenge in federal court.

Alvin A. Reid of the St. Louis American contributed to this report, which was written by Barbara Sprunt, Elena Moore, Deirdre Walsh Asma Khalid, and Tamara Keith of National Public Radio.

Boyd stated. “There I was a lawyer and a young virgin lobbyist and I realized this is something I would really like to do.”

He turned down an opportunity to work for Mayor Francis Slay’s administration, choosing instead to lobby for the city in Jefferson City as an independent contractor.

“I was an entrepreneur with my own lobbying firm. I was off and running.”

Boyd opened his own legal lobbying firm and started racking up numerous clients in need of strategic governmental relationships with lawmakers and state agencies.

Boyd procured contracts for city and state governments, helped get more than 70 legislative proposals passed in Missouri and Illinois, helped with the creation of new tax credit policies, and assisted in the creation of new law enforcement statutes and more.

In 2006, he joined the firm of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP, (now Dentons US LLP) based in Chicago with offices in St. Louis doing lobbying work. To grow his own practice, in 2018, Boyd cofounded and launched the minority-owned Nexus Group. The firm specializes in public policy and regulation practice in the government sector, focusing on state and local legal, governmental relations and public policy services.

Boyd has had an illustrious career. He said his major mission has been to make a difference and leverage opportunities for those “still stuck in North St. Louis.”

The reason he’s been able to fulfill that mission, Boyd added, stems from learning to listen and being listened to when he was a kid at the neighborhood shoeshine shop.

“The one thing I realized is that someone is always listening, always,” Boyd said. “So, be very prudent about what you say and how you say it. In every environment I’m in, I carry myself in a way that when I say things, I’m not going to be ashamed of later and I only say things that I sincerely plan to accomplish.”

Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.

ARTFUL MESSAGES

from your

Renee Franklin Community Partnerships

Through the Lens: Celebrating Gordon Parks at the Art Museum

Join Maggie Brown-Peoples, the 2024-2026 Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellow, as she delves into the dynamic career of Gordon Parks, an iconic photographer, filmmaker, author, and composer. In the Lens of Gordon Parks, a free program, will take place on February 7, 2025, at 1 p.m. in the Education Center at the Saint Louis Art Museum.

Born in Fort Scott, Kansas, in 1912, Parks was the youngest of eleven children. Raised in poverty and segregation, he witnessed the harsh realities of being Black in America. These formative experiences shaped his perspective and inspired his artistry. Self-taught and determined, Parks bought his first camera at a pawnshop, embarking on a career that led to groundbreaking achievements in photography, film, and beyond.

In 1942, Parks secured a prestigious position with the Farm Security Administration (FSA), where he captured some of his most impactful images. His celebrated photograph, “American Gothic,” features Ella Watson holding a broom and mop in front of the American flag—a powerful commentary on race and labor in the United States.

Parks expanded his career as a freelance photographer for Glamour and Ebony magazines and, in 1948, became the first African American staff photographer for Life. His series documenting Harlem gang leader Leonard “Red” Jackson earned him national acclaim and further defined his storytelling approach. A photograph from this series, Gang Wars in Harlem, New York City, is part of the Saint Louis Art Museum’s collection will be discussed in detail during the program.

Transitioning to film, Parks became the first African American to write and

direct a major Hollywood feature film with The Learning Tree (1969), based on his semi-autobiographical novel. He followed with the iconic Shaft (1971), a defining film of the Blaxploitation genre, which he also composed the music. Parks’s creative vision spanned multiple mediums, continually addressing issues of race, poverty, and civil rights. The Saint Louis Art Museum has long celebrated Parks’s work, including the 2008 exhibition Bare Witness: Photographs by Gordon Parks. Parks famously described his camera as a “choice of weapons,” a testament to his lifelong commitment to capturing stories of resilience and humanity. We look forward to seeing you at the February 7th program at 1 pm to learn more about the visionary artist, Gordon Parks and his photography contemporaries. Visit slam.org for details.

By Maggie Brown-Peoples, 2024-2026 Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellow

Director Saint Louis Art Museum

Gordon Parks, an iconic photographer, filmmaker, author, and composer.

Religion Walking with God towards equality

Faith leaders discuss the role of the church and social justice

By Aria Brent Special to the American from The Afro

The church has always been a pillar within the Black community and when issues arise they often stand in protest with the very people who fill their pews. Throughout time, whenever Black people have needed a place to gather, the Black church has answered the call.

During the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was well recognized for his use of local congregations and his partnerships with fellow faith leaders in the fight for civil rights.

As the fight for social justice, racial equality and civil rights continues, so too does the Black church’s involvement in creating change for the masses.

Black churches are catalysts for resistance against oppression.

The unique dynamic shared by churches and social change movements has been a vital part of progression in the Black community.

“The church and social justice movements must coexist if we’re going to have any civil society,” said Rev. Robert Turner of Empowerment Temple in Baltimore. “In the Bible, Jesus literally turned over tables in the temple and beat people in the temple. Of course, Jesus also told us to turn the other cheek, so it is important to know the context and to know what the situation is.”

Serving as both spiritual havens and epicenters of social change, churches have been instrumental in advancing civil rights and addressing systemic injustices that continue to affect Black communities.

“Historically, churches have been involved in the Civil Rights Movement and served as meeting places, sources of funding and centers for us to come together to strategize,” said Rev. Dr. Tamara E. Wilson, pastor of Pleasant Hope Baptist Church in Baltimore. “The church is like a hub of our community and activism is an opportunity for us to come and connect our faith to what we’re dealing with in our everyday life.”

By fostering a sense of resilience and collective identity,

Turner has been involved in activism his entire life and his role as a faith leader has helped him better support his community during times of political tension and social injustice.

“Arm them with the truth and arm them with means of voicing discontent,” he says.

Turner also believes one of the best ways he can serve his community is by accompanying his mustard seed faith with real life action. “Every month I walk from Baltimore to the White House for social justice, for reparations, for my people,” said Turner.

Although politics, civil rights and social justice are touchy subjects, they cannot be ignored, especially in the Black church – which once served as a news source for members of the community that lacked access to information.

“For a long time, Black people didn’t have televisions and they really couldn’t afford

newspapers, so they got their news from the church on Sunday mornings,” said Scottie Willis, pastor of Big Creek Missionary Baptist Church in Jackson, Miss. “The Civil Rights Movement and those types of things were able to be done because of the pulpit. It wasn’t just a place for the preacher–it was a place for politics.”

Willis noted that although there is room for politics to be discussed in the pulpit, he never takes that space to push his own political beliefs.

“As a pastor I’ll never tell you who to vote for, but I will

make sure that you are informed of both sides of the story. I can’t just have one side. It’s my job to make sure that the congregation knows this is what’s going on,” said Willis. “Even when we disagree, as the church it is our job to be like Jesus and so in that way–we gotta love everybody.”

From the pews to the streets, Black churches continue to be a source of strength, resilience, and transformation. Their legacy as champions of civil rights and social justice is a testament to the power of faith and community in the ongoing fight for a more equitable society.

“Our faith teaches us that we are to care for the oppressed, that we are to feed the hungry and speak up for those who are voiceless, “said Wilson. “I don’t see that as being political, per se. It’s about us living out the teachings of our faith. We can do those things in a bipartisan way.”

The post Walking with God: Faith leaders discuss the role of the church and social justice appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers. Edited for length and style.

Photo Courtesy of Tamara E. Wilson

Rev. Dr. Tamara E. Wilson supports her community on its social justice journey by providing resources and information to help them thrive in an ever-changing political environment.

‘Taking Care of You’

SLU helping create urban health care workers

Geriatric education offered

Northside Youth and Senior Services Center in St. Louis, a Black-led nonprofit community center located in city’s 4th Ward, is a partner in a $5 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. Northside works to ensure the equitable distribution of resources and services to meet those basic needs of growing and aging community members.

By Alvin A. Reid

St. Louis American

The Northside Youth and Senior Services Center in St. Louis, through a partnership with St. Louis University, will receive financial assistance to continue serving seniors in its neighboring community.

Black people have increased risk of glaucoma

By Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D.

Glaucoma is a complex group of eye diseases that lead to progressive damage to the optic nerve, often associated with increased intraocular pressure (IOP). It is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide, and its impact is disproportionately felt among African Americans.

People of African ancestry are five times as likely to develop glaucoma as others and up to 15 times more likely to be blinded by the condition. Compared to other racial and ethnic groups, research indicates that African Americans are not only more likely to develop glaucoma but also tend to experience more severe forms of the disease. Understanding the factors contributing to this disparity is crucial for developing effective prevention and treatment strategies.

n Genetic predisposition is one of the primary reasons for the increased prevalence of glaucoma among African Americans.

The grant also provides support for nine community partners, including: Northside Youth and Senior Services Center, St. Louis; Mercy Hospital Perry, Perryville, Missouri; Missouri Delta Medical Center, Sikeston, Missouri; Southern Illinois Health Foundation, Fairview Heights, Illinois; Northeast Missouri Area

A $5 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), will help St. Louis University, clinicians and researchers continue to provide high-quality geriatrics education and outreach to the St. Louis region and across the state of Missouri.

Agency on Aging, Kirksville, Missouri; Memory Care Home Services, St. Louis, Missouri; University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing, Columbia, Missouri; VOYCE Long-term Care Ombudsman Program, St. Louis. Marla Berg-Weger, Ph.D., professor emerita in social work and Max Zubatsky, Ph.D., associate professor in family and community medicine, received the five-year U.S. Department

See SLU, A11

Genetic predisposition is one of the primary reasons for the increased prevalence of glaucoma among African Americans. Studies have shown that certain genetic variations may increase susceptibility to the disease. For instance, variations in genes related to the regulation of intraocular pressure and the health of the optic nerve have been identified. These genetic factors, combined with environmental influences, create a heightened risk profile for African Americans.

In addition to genetic

See ANDERSON, A11

Alarming data on dementia among Blacks

New research shows Blacks face sharply higher dementia risks

By Stacy M. Brown

Special to The American from The Washington Informer

(Word In Black) – A new study reveals that Americans over the age of 55 have a 42% chance of developing dementia, a figure more than double than reported in previous research.

The significant increase in estimated risk means that roughly 514,000 Americans could develop dementia this year alone, with projections rising to approximately 1 million new cases annually by 2060.

Dementia – characterized by progressive declines in memory, concentration, and judgment – is becoming more prevalent due to the aging U.S. population, the study concluded. Factors such as genetics, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity,

poor diet, lack of exercise, and mental health challenges also contribute to the rising dementia rates. According to the study, earlier underestimations of dementia risk were likely due to unreliable recording in health records and death certificates, insufficient monitoring of early-stage cases, and the underreporting of cases among racial minorities, who are especially vulnerable. Conducted by a team from NYU Langone Health with contributions from Johns Hopkins University and other institutions, the research utilized data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS). Since 1987, this study has monitored the vascular health and cognitive function of nearly 16,000 par-

See DEMENTIA, A11

A

chance of developing dementia.

Photo courtesy of Northside Youth and Senior Services Center

Photo courtesy of Kindel Media / Pexels

new study reveals that Americans over the age of 55 have a 42%

Denise HooksAnderson

Diversity, equity and inclusion in the medical field is necessary to build better healthcare

By Dr. Richard Besser

President Donald Trump has issued dozens of executive orders to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and end efforts to boost healthcare coverage, lower drug prices, address infectious diseases, and more. These executive orders, along with dozens of others that roll back health measures and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, reverse course on the nation’s necessary journey toward a more just and equitable future.

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of Health and Human Services. Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) grant.

The program educates and trains health care and supportive care workforces to care for a range of issues impacting the health and well-being of older adults.

SLU and community partners across the state of Missouri and southern Illinois will help train healthcare workers and provide patient support in

Dementia

Continued from A10

ticipants, making it the longest-followed cohort of African Americans studying cognition and heart health.

The study, published in Nature Medicine, indicates that women and Black adults, along with individuals carrying the APOE4 gene variant, face higher risks of developing dementia, with lifetime risks ranging from 45% to 60% in these groups.

Dr. Josef Coresh, the study’s senior investigator from NYU Langone, noted the expected increase in dementia cases due to longer life expectancies and the high number of Americans now over age 65. He underlined the importance of early intervention strategies that target heart health to potentially slow cognitive decline and reduce the onset of dementia.

“The pending population boom in dementia cases poses significant challenges for health policymakers, who must refocus their efforts on

Anderson

Continued from A10 predisposition, socioeconomic factors play a significant role in the disparity observed in glaucoma prevalence and outcomes. African Americans face many barriers to healthcare such as access, limited access to eye care specialists, and lower health literacy. These barriers can result in delayed diagnosis and treatment, which are critical in managing glaucoma effectively. Regular eye examinations

It is unconscionable that the Trump administration would coopt the language and vision of the civil rights movement in these executive orders as it attempts to send our nation back to an era of rampant, state-sanctioned discrimination. Ultimately, these measures drive us farther away from a future when health is no longer a privilege, but a right for all.

Everyone wants healthcare rooted in compassion and respect. Research shows that greater diversity among doctors improves health outcomes for people of

dementia, loneliness and social isolation, caregiver well-being, and other older adult issues.

The project reaches all Missouri U.S. Congressional districts and a region of Southern Illinois targeting medically underserved and rural areas. Additionally, the grant will allow these regions to increase accessible education and care, improve population health areas, and integrate age- and dementia-friendly health care approaches for underserved older adults and families.

“Over the last decade,

strategies to minimize the severity of dementia cases, as well as plans to provide more healthcare services for those with dementia,” Dr. Coresh stated.

The study also links hearing loss among older adults to increased dementia risk, recommending enhanced testing and government support for hearing aids to promote healthy hearing.

One person took to social media to talk about the importance of proper diagnosis when it comes to dementia and African Americans.

“I just lost my mom from what was misdiagnosed as depression after losing a 50-year-old son and a husband three months later, then five years later diagnosed with unspecified dementia but after four months she died,” a social media user wrote on X. “We need culturally sensitive assessments for African Americans.”

New Research Shows African Americans Face Sharply Higher Dementia Risks originally appeared in The Washington Informer

are essential for early detection, as glaucoma often presents with no symptoms until significant damage has occurred. Unfortunately, many African Americans do not receive the recommended screenings, leading to a higher likelihood of advanced disease by the time they seek care. There may also be a lack of awareness within the African American community about glaucoma and its potential consequences. Misconceptions about eye health, coupled with a general mistrust of the healthcare system, can

color, disabled people, women, LGBTQIA+ patients, and others whose identities have long been underrepresented in the healthcare field.

Plus, strategies aimed at reducing racial disparities in healthcare— such as maternal health and cancer care—lead to better outcomes for all patients. The evidence is clear: a diverse healthcare workforce and inclusive policies serve us all. These

executive orders serve no one.

Dr. Richard Besser

we have educated not only professionals who specialize in geriatrics, but all professionals who work with older adults,” BergWeger, who serves as GWEP program director, said in a release.

“That includes physicians, occupational therapists, physical therapists, nurses, social workers, therapists, nutritionists, and the work force in long-term care settings. Whether it is taking more time during an exam or ensuring patients have reliable transportation once they no longer drive, there are many ways we can support older adults.”

We believe that policies across all levels of government, especially from the White House, should build upon people’s aspirations for better, healthier lives. Instead of sowing division, discord, and fear, our leaders should strengthen access to healthcare, protecting workers, and supporting families.

At RWJF, we will continue to defend and

Zubatsky said that longer lifespans bring a need for more health care providers who are well trained in caring for an aging population.

“With a significant geriatric workforce shortage in our country, comes the need for new professionals, students, and specialists to recognize the importance of older adult care in our communities,” said Zubatsky.

advance fundamental American values of diversity, equity, and inclusion with the urgency this moment requires. This includes steps such as increasing our investments in efforts to diversify the healthcare professions, as well as supporting legal, communications, and organizing efforts alongside leaders in the field.

These actions will improve the health of us all. Our grantees and partners have for decades worked relentlessly to build a healthier, more

“This grant will support not only educating our current health care professionals around aging topics but will also help to expand the future workforce across several disciplines.”

Among its many objectives, the grant will support organizations across Missouri in rural areas and urban centers that may not have access to needed services, with a particular focus on poverty, social inequities, and specific health disparities.

SLU faculty and providers will help partnering sites and underserved communities become “age-friendly” in their clinical and training services.

Project initiatives include comprehensive clinical rotations for students, innovative behav-

equitable future for everyone. In these days of backlash and backsliding, we at RWJF must match our commitment and resolve to transform health in our lifetime. We will.

Dr. Richard Besser is president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a leading national philanthropy dedicated to transforming health in our lifetime. It works with communities, practitioners, and institutions to get to health equity faster and pave the way together to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

ioral health services for dementia and loneliness, a continuing interprofessional geriatric collaborative case competition, and launching a new apprenticeship program for certified nursing assistants working in long-term care settings.

Berg-Weger and Zubatsky are leading 17 Saint Louis University faculty and staff in the initiative, including team members from SLU’s School of Medicine, Trudy Valentine Busch School of Nursing, School of Social Work, and Doisy College of Allied Health Sciences.

deter individuals from seeking timely medical attention. Educational initiatives aimed at increasing awareness about glaucoma, its risk factors, and the importance of regular eye exams are essential for improving outcomes in African American populations.

Moreover, the treatment of glaucoma can be complicated by comorbidities that are more prevalent in African Americans, such as hypertension and diabetes. For instance, roughly 55% of Black adults have high blood

pressure and 12% have diabetes. These conditions can exacerbate the progression of glaucoma and complicate treatment regimens. Effective management of these comorbidities is crucial for optimizing glaucoma treatment and preventing vision loss.

Addressing the disparities in glaucoma among African Americans requires a multifaceted approach. Public health initiatives must focus on increasing awareness and education about glaucoma within at-risk communities. Additionally, improving access to

healthcare services, including routine eye exams and treatment options, is essential.

Community outreach programs that provide free or low-cost screenings can help bridge the gap in access to care.

Glaucoma represents a significant public health challenge, particularly for African Americans who face increased prevalence and severity of the disease. By understanding the interplay of genetic, socioeconomic, and cultural factors, stakeholders such as insurers, hospital systems, and community-based organizations can develop targeted interventions to reduce disparities and improve eye health outcomes. Early detection and effective management of glaucoma are vital in preserving vision and enhancing the quality of life for those affected.

Addressing these disparities not only benefits individuals but also contributes to the overall health equity within society.

Denise HooksAnderson, MD, FAAFP can be reached at yourhealthmatters@ stlamerican.com

The St. Louis American’s award winning NIE program offers newspapers and resources to St. Louis area teachers and students each week throughout the school year, at no charge.

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

Students Journei Walker and Kellie Wheaton, in Ms. Stovall’s fourth-grade class at Gateway MST Elementary School, create a simple circuit to trace the path of electrical current.

Have you ever walked across the carpet, touched the door knob and received a zap? That is static electricity! When you take off your hat in winter and your hair stands on end? Static electricity. What is static electricity and how is it formed?

Everything is made up of atoms.

SCIENCE STARS

Percy A. Pierre

SCIENCE CORNER What Is Static Electricity?

balloon against your hair and watched as your hair raised and moved towards the balloon? This is an example of a positively charged item attracting a negative charged item. This process is called static electricity.

Close your eyes and imagine a typical day. You are surrounded by electronic conveniences such as MP3 players, TVs, gaming systems, microwave ovens, etc. With the flick of a light switch, you are able to see. The temperature of the air is controlled with heat in the winter or air conditioning in the summer. Have you ever wondered how all of these creations work? Who created them? Who studies them to make the improvements?

Percy A. Pierre was born on Jan. 3, 1939, in Louisiana. After graduating from high school in New Orleans, Pierre went on to receive a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Notre Dame. In 1967, Pierre was the first African American to receive a doctorate’s degree in electrical engineering from John Hopkins University.

Atoms contain protons (which have a positive charge), electrons (which have a negative charge), and neutrons (which are “neutral” and do not have a positive or negative charge). There is usually a balance of protons (positive) and electrons (negative). However, when you rub two items together, such as walking across the floor, or combing your hair, you create friction. Friction will move protons from one item to another. When an item has more protons than usual, it has a positive charge. When it has more electrons than usual, it has a negative charge.

Opposites attract. Therefore, a positively charged item will attract a negatively charged item. Have you ever rubbed a

Are you ready to create some static electricity of your own? For this experiment, you will need only three items: a comb, a light bulb, and a dark room.

Directions: After you have gathered your materials, you are ready to begin.

STEP 1. Comb your hair for a minimum of 20 strokes. This is friction.

STEP 2. Place the comb to the metal base of the light bulb.

Try It: Grab a comb and some cereal. After combing your hair, the friction creates a positive charge on your comb. Place the comb near the pieces of cereal. The cereal will be attracted to the comb and will move toward it.

Read About It: Are you interested in learning more about static electricity? Check out these books:

“Where does electricity come from?” by C. Vance Cast “Electricity and Magnets: Hands on Science,” by Sarah Angliss “The Magic School Bus” and the “Electric Field Trip,” by Joanna Cole

Learning Standards:

I can read nonfiction passages to understand a concept. I can apply the main idea in an experiment.

Electrical engineers study electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. With this knowledge, they are able to help develop products powered by electricity. Pierre specialized in signal processing, which uses math to convert (change) real world signals, such as voice, audio, and temperature. This process is used in many modern processes, such as MP3 recordings.

Pierre has used his knowledge in many different settings. He served as an Assistant Secretary of the Army for research and development, a dean at Michigan State University, and a White House Fellow for the Executive Office of the President. Pierre has also worked with 12 nonprofit organizations that focus on research or educational development. He has served on 10 national scientific and technical advisory boards. Recruiting new students to study electrical engineering, especially minority students is important to Pierre, so he founded the National Action Council for Minorities and Engineering (NACME) which has provided over $100 million dollars to more than 18,000 minority engineering students. Pierre was chosen to receive the 2008 Lifetime Mentor Award for the Advancement of Science.

Changing A Bulb

STEP 3. Observe as the static electricity will travel through the light bulb’s filament creating short bursts of light.

MATH CONNECTION

Static electricity isn’t the only place where you will encounter positive and negative forces. Solve the following math problems which use “positive” and “negative” numbers.

Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 618-910-9551 This special Newspaper In Education initiative is made possible, and delivered to classrooms through the St. Louis American Foundation and its NIE Corporate Partners:

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION By the Numbers

Analyze: How does this happen? The friction of combing your hair moves electrons to the comb. Now your body is positively charged and the comb is negatively charged. The metal in the light bulb is a conductor and sends the electricity through the bulb. Plastics, cloth, and glass typically act as insulators. Metal is a great conductor, which means that it allows electrons to move through it more effectively.

Learning Standards:

I can follow instructions to complete an experiment. I can use information to make inferences and deductions while observing the results.

In the News:

Use the newspaper to find six numbers. Use these numbers to create three math problems of your own. Trade math questions with a classmate and solve. Learning Standards: I can add, subtract, multiply and divide to answer a math question.

Electricity Is All Around You!

In the 18th century, Benjamin Franklin was experimenting with static electricity. His studies led to an invention of the lightning rod, which grounds electric energy that touches the earth during storms. Doctors use electrocardiograms (ECG) to measure the electricity going through your heart. Your heartbeat will create spikes as the blood pulses through your heart. Animals use static electricity, too! Electric eels use shocks of up to 500 volts to defend themselves.

Discuss:

How did Percy Pierre’s knowledge affect society? Which of his accomplishments did you find most impressive? Why?

Extension:

How much do you rely on electricity? Keep a log that records all of the electronics you use in a typical day.

Learning Standards: I can read and comprehend nonfiction text. I can make connections to a biography.

MAP CORNER

Meeting the needs of others: Percy A. Pierre devoted his time to helping others receive an education.

Locate pictures of groups or organizations that help to meet people’s needs. Cut and paste the pictures on a piece of paper. Write a sentence explaining how each group or organization meets the needs of people.

Solving problems with technology: There are many social, economic, or environmental problems that can be solved with science and technology. Use the newspaper to find an example of a problem that can be overcome with science or technology. What is the solution?

Where in the world was that discovered? We use technology developed by people all over the world on a daily basis. Locate and cut out pictures of technological inventions in the newspaper. Research to find out where each was invented or discovered. Paste the pictures on a world map, identifying the location of each discovery.

Enhancing Literacy Skills: When reading the newspaper, you will see many new words that are unfamiliar to you. Use context clues to guess the meaning of unknown words. Use a dictionary to confirm the definition of the word. Create a vocabulary log of the new words you learn.

Photo by Ms. Stovall

Reading is a health care fundamental

By Ashley Winters

The St. Louis American

Eye See Me African American Bookstore has partnered with SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital to provide young sickle cell patients with books featuring characters that are representative of them and their experiences.

As is the case for most institutions treating the disease, a majority of the sickle cell patients at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital are African American. In search of a

literary and educational component to include with pediatric care, they have teamed with Eye See Me.

Founded by co-owners Jeffrey and Pamela Blair, Eye See Me specializes in children’s books that promote positive images and stories about Black culture and history and children’s books written by African American authors.

According to the Blair’s, “As a tool to help increase literacy, African American children will benefit by seeing themselves respectfully represented in the literature they read.”

This includes health care literacy, which led to the establishment of the Crescent Club Book Club on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 20, 2025.

Developed by SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital’s Shining Star School–the Costas Center and Eye See Me African American Children’s Bookstore, a library of over 270 books was presented to children and families affected by sickle cell disease.

“What better day to recognize the importance of our African American

See READING, B2

Clinton-Peabody entering a new phase of history

By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American

One of the city’s oldest and most historic public housing developments will soon be reborn and redeveloped into a model community which will include 350 new mixed-income apartments and affordable homes.

Construction is set to begin on the new Clinton-Peabody public housing community after The Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) recently awarded nonprofit Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) $3.5M in tax credits.

It includes a combination of federal and state Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and of Missouri Affordable Housing Assistance Program tax credits.

Promised before the change in administration, the federal government has pledged $3 million in funding for the development, which was constructed in 1943 and is showing its age.

The first phase of the ClintonPeabody Redevelopment is in partnership with St. Louis Housing Authority

(SLHA), Clinton-Peabody residents, and the Clinton-Peabody Tenant Advisory Board. In November 2022, the St. Louis Housing Authority joined with res-

The St. Louis Housing Authority and partners have joined with residents and community stakeholders in gathering ideas for the new Clinton-Peabody public housing community in the Darst-Webbe neighborhood. ClintonPeabody was constructed in 1942 and will now be transformed into a resident-centered redevelopment.

Windham joins Wash U Chancellor’s staff

idents and community stakeholders in selection of Chicago-based POAH to lead the resident-centered redevelopment,

Kevin Windham has joined Washington University in St. Louis as the assistant director of community engagement for Chancellor Andrew D. Martin’s “In St. Louis, For St. Louis” Initiative. Windham previously served as state representative of Missouri’s 74th House District.

The mission of the “In St. Louis, For St. Louis” Initiative is to facilitate partnerships and connect the university to the community — deepening the university’s impact in health equity, economic opportunity, and educational access.

Kellie Shelton named senior project manager

Kellie Shelton named STL Partnership senior project manager

Kellie Shelton

Kellie Shelton has joined St. Louis Economic Development Partnership (STL Partnership) as a senior project manager. With more than 15 years of expertise in municipal government, project management and economic development, Shelton is committed to revitalizing communities and driving equitable economic growth. She has successfully managed redevelopment projects, strategic initiatives and construction efforts, while focusing on stakeholder collaboration and financial sustainability.

Mason joins BGCSTL board of directors

Taylor Mason of Mason and Associates has joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis board of directors.

Mason

Mason leads the firm’s client development, marketing, and professional services divisions, and focuses on building new relationships, identifying growth opportunities, strengthening existing client relationships, and building new partnerships.

He serves on several boards, including ACE Mentorship, Backstoppers Young Friends Board, and St. Louis Children’s Hospital Development Board.

ARCHS staff members contribute to new books

Dr. Eboni Sterling

Two Area Resources for Community and Human Services staff members have written chapters in newly released nationally acclaimed books. Johnathan Pulphus Jr., Grant Initiatives director, wrote the foreword to If We Don’t Get It: A People’s History of Ferguson.

Dr. Eboni Sterling, Research and Evaluation director, wrote a chapter for Sharing the Legacy and Narrative Leadership Experiences of Black Women in Education.

Kevin Windham

Photo courtesy of clintonpeabodystl.org

Eye See Me African American Children’s Bookstore co-owners Jeffrey and Pamela Blair, pictured with their daughter Naomi and Brenda Wilson, a teacher at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. They were on hand to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the Crescent Club Book Club for sickle cell patients at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025.

Photo courtesy of SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital

Taylor

Johnathan Pulphus Jr.

Reading

Continued from B1

community and our togetherness and improve,” said Brenda Wilson, a school teacher at Cardinal Glennon. “We want to provide children excitement and belief in themselves just like Dr. Martin Luther King did.”

n “It takes them to a new adventure. It’s a gap the bookstore is trying to fill.”

Wilson says some sickle cell patients miss school, interrupting their education. The hospital contacted Eye See Me co-founder and co-owner Pamela Blair to purchase books for outpatients and patients with sickle cell disease. She put together a list of books for infants to 12th grade.

Naomi Blair, daughter of the Eye See Me owners Jeffrey and Pamela Blair, said the bookstore has mirror books and window

Community

Continued from B1

which will also feature a reconfigured street grid, renovated Al Chappelle Community Center and new central park.

Importantly, this is not a gentrification project, according to stakeholders.

Current ClintonPeabody residents will have the opportunity for new housing in the redeveloped community.

Temporary onsite transfers of residents began in 2023, as preparation for the redevelopment began.

“After 56 years living at Clinton-Peabody, it’s more than a home to me,” said Pamela Emrick, a Clinton-

books for children and readers of color. “When the patients read a book it will be a mirror book that reflects their culture, their history, ideals, and community,” said Naomi. According to Naomi, reading books that represent one’s culture garners the patient’s self-esteem and self-identity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are approximately 100,000 individuals in the United States living with sickle cell disease (SCD) and another 2.5 million living with sickle cell trait. SCD is a hereditary red blood cell disorder that affects the way red blood cells move and carry oxygen throughout the body. Healthy red blood cells have normal hemoglobin which is a protein in red blood cells that carry oxygen. People with SCD have a special

Peabody resident and Clinton-Peabody Tenant Advisory Board president.

“To others it may just be public housing, but it’s more than that, because we all became a family.”

“SLHA is thrilled about the redevelopment, which will meet the modern needs of our families while honoring ClintonPeabody’s legacy as a cornerstone of the community,” said SLHA Executive Director Latasha Barnes.

“This historic neighborhood has been home to many of St. Louis’s most accomplished residents, and we look forward to a bright future as we work alongside our residents and partners to further strengthen this legacy.”

MHDC’s 2025 funding

type of hemoglobin that does not carry oxygen as well compared to those who have a healthier type

award includes:

• $1,470,000 in federal 9% LIHTCs

• $1,029,000 in state 9% LIHTCs (State LIHTC Accelerated Redemption Pilot Program)

• $3,000,000 in National Housing Trust Funds

• $1,000,000 in state Affordable Housing Assistance Program tax credits According to the SLHA and partners, the total development cost for Clinton-Peabody Redevelopment – Phase 1 is approximately $32 million.

The new development will have 89 multi-family housing apartments with a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedrooms serving

Seven yearold MaKayla Cross picking out a book at the ribbon cutting of the Crescent Club Book Club for sickle cell patients at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital on January 20, 2025. Cross suffers from sickle cell disease.

stiff rod, which causes the red blood cell to become sickled, or banana-shaped. Sickled red blood cells can pile up and block blood flow keeping healthy red blood cells from carrying oxygen from getting where they need to go. Organs are not able to receive necessary oxygen, resulting in a myriad of symptoms – including anemia and severe fatigue.

Data from Sickle Cell Speaks shows people of African descent make up 90% of the population.

The Cross family knows firsthand how difficult the disease can be. Cherie Cross’ daughter, seven-year-old Makayla has SCD. Her other daughter, sixyear-old Terri Nicole has the trait. “Having the Crescent Book Club allows my daughters to escape the hassle of having sickle cell disease,” said Cross.

of protein. When sickle hemoglobin releases oxygen, it clumps together forming a

households with a range of incomes.

These households primarily will have families below 60% of the area median income. Future phases will include 259 mixed-income apartments in a mix of garden-style and townhome buildings, creating a diverse array of housing options.

Although existing housing will be preserved, all apartments will be new with access to community amenities and designed with best practices in “sustainability, trauma-informed care and universal design” by St. Louis-based design firm Trivers.

POAH’s property management company, POAH Communities, will manage the properties and work

Children impacted by the disease will sometimes be separated from family and friends due to extend-

with residents and local partners to provide financial education, youth and senior programs, health, housing stability and homeownership readiness.

Clinton-Peabody’s location makes it desirable because of its proximity to major employers, service providers including the headquarters of Ameren and Purina.

Reinvestment plans are also in the works for neighboring Gateway South, King Louis Square, Old Frenchtown, the Brickline Greenway and a planned Metrolink expansion.

Thedevelopment partners include: POAH; SLHA; Clinton-Peabody residents; ClintonPeabody Tenant Advisory

ed hospital stays. “What better way to fill that time to allow them to go inward and read stories about themselves and the community they come from,” said Jeffrey Blair. “It takes them to a new adventure. It’s a gap the bookstore is trying to fill.” Wilson expressed partnering with the bookstore is such a gift. “Our goal is that when children come here with sickle cell disease they can leave with a book,” said Wilson. “We’ve got great books for them to choose from.”

The program is part of SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital’s ongoing commitment to serving the St. Louis region and providing holistic care for children and their families.

“For kids who have long periods in the hospital, utilizing a book can take them on adventures that a TV can’t,” said Jeffrey Blair. For more information, visit ssmhealth.com.

Board;

Central Energy

Unicorn

and Lamar Johnson Collaborative. Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce, Prosperity Connection, Employment Connection, St. Louis Small Business Empowerment Center and other service and economic empowerment partners will be engaged in a service plan focused on helping residents maintain housing stability and access new opportunities to achieve their goals for success, according to an SLHA release.

Trivers; Roanoke Construction; David Mason & Associates; Custom Engineering, Inc.;

Audits; Arbolope; Key Strategic Group;

Group;

Photo courtesy of SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital

“The best moment of my life.”

– STL native Caleb Love on his half-court shot buzzer beater in Arizona’s OT win over Iowa State

InSIdE SportS

With Earl Austin Jr.

Vashon Winter Classic features blazing prep teams

One of the most highly anticipated high school basketball games of the season will be taking place on Saturday night, Feb. 1, 2025, at Vashon High.

Perennial state powerhouse Vashon will host undefeated rising power Principia in the feature game of the Vashon Winter Classic. The defending four-time state Class 4 champion Wolverines are ranked No. 1 in Class 4, while Principia is ranked No. 1 in Class 3. Tip-off time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Vashon has put together another strong season under the direction of first-year head coach Jimmy McKinney, who replaced future Hall of Fame coach Tony Irons who is now the coach at Mineral Area College.

is a four-year starter who is an elite 3-point shooter. He hit a game-winning shot at the buzzer in the Wolverines 61-59 victory over Millard North (NE) last Friday night. Vashon is also loaded with excellent talent on the perimeter. Sophomore guard Jimmy McKinney III is averaging 12.9 points while playing for his father. Terron Garrett, a 6’6” senior guard, averages 12 points a game.

Dehrio McCaskill is a high-flying 6’3” senior guard who averages 10.5 points while sophomore guard Kain McCaskill averages seven points a game.

Principia has kept its undefeated season rolling with its young and talented nucleus, which is led by 6’3” junior Quentin Coleman, 6’2” sophomore Gassim Toure and 6’9” sophomore Sekou Cisse.

The Wolverines are 14-2 while playing another challenging schedule against several top teams in the state and region. They defeated teams from California, Florida and Illinois in winning the championship at the Tournament of Champions in Washington, Illinois. They also won tournaments in Fayetteville, Arkansas and Poplar Bluff, Mo., during the first half of the season.

They have been led by 6’2” senior guard Trey Williams, who is averaging 17.7 points a game. The Missouri State recruit

The Vashon-Principia showdown is the final game of an excellent fourgame event on Saturday. The opening game will feature McCluer North vs. Lutheran North at 2:30 p.m. McCluer North is currently on a threegame winning streak, which includes victories over Cardinal Ritter and Kirkwood. The Stars are led by 6’3” senior guard Harrison Bailey-Howard. Lutheran North is led by senior guard Barry Benson and sophomore guard Kyren Evans. Game No. 2 will feature

Lutheran North Crusader’s Berry Benson (22) battles Lutheran South Lancer guard Deyton Lucas for a rebound during game action Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025 at Lutheran South. North went on to defeat South 61-47.

MICDS vs. Chicago Hyde Park. MICDS has a very talented group of perimeter players in juniors Brandon Clemens, Jason Stokes and

Keshon Mims. Clemens averages close to 20 points a game. The third game of the Classic will be University

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

City vs. Springfield (IL). U. City is led by 6’1” senior guard Miyel Taylor, who is averaging 17 points a game. The Lions also

feature 6’6” senior forward Jayden Creighton and 6’0” sophomore guard Phillip Jones. Tip off is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Earl’s World Jayson Tatum reached a special career milestone last weekend in the Boston Celtics victory over the Dallas Mavericks. The former Chaminade College Prep All-American scored 24 points to lead the Celtics to the victory and tallied his 13,000th point. He is the seventh player in NBA history to score 13,000 career points before turning 27. Tatum joins a select group which includes Wilt Chamberlain Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Tracy McGrady and Carmelo Anthony… Incarnate Word Academy takes on Metro East power Alton in the Basketball of the Borders event at University City at 1 p.m. Saturday. IWA is looking to get back on track after having its national-record 141-game winning streak snapped last week in Massachusetts. They are led by the stellar senior duo of Nevaeh Caffey and Peyton Hill. After dropping its opening game to Lutheran St. Charles, Alton has won 22 consecutive games. The Redbirds are led by senior forwards Jarius Powers and Talia Norman, who both average 15 points a game.

Black QB duel in Super Bowl is still big news

While it is a rematch from Super Bowl LVII played two years ago, it remains historic that Black quarterbacks will start for their respective teams in this year’s game.

Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs: Part II

While many conservative politicians are fixated on eliminating DEI initiatives and squelching conversations on race, Black people can’t be silent. In fact, we must be louder.

amount of diversity were center, quarterback, running back and receiver.

What do those positions have in common? The players in these positions are most likely to touch the football during a game. There were other drawbacks to being Black in the NFL.

Support of Black achievers must be trumpeted throughout the U.S. Whether it be in business, politics, athletics or any other area.

Say it loud, you’re Black and you’re proud. That’s what I do.

It’s important that the nation – and world - witness a pair of Black quarterbacks dueling in what will be the most-watched television event of the year. It’s an international stage where the leading men are Black – and so are most of the co-stars. Why is this still important?

When Black players were first making the rosters of NFL teams, the positions that had the least

Acclaimed sports columnist Bill Rhoden, who writes for ESPN’s Andscape webpage, shared the story of Bernie Parrish, “a white kid from Florida,” and Walter Beach, an African American from Michigan, in a 2011 New York Times column.

“When they joined the Cleveland Browns as cornerbacks in 1959 and 1960, the majority of cornerbacks were white. There were unwritten rules and practices designed to keep it that way,” wrote Rhoden

“We were still in that era of the quotas,” said the late Parrish.

“In 1959, I believe the quota of Black players was 7; then it went to 13.” NFL owners also practiced the art of “stacking,” meaning that African American players competed for the same positions.

“There would be six or eight guys competing for my spot and nobody

competing for his,” Beach, who is now 94, said of Parrish, who became his friend while with the Browns.

The day before Hurts and Mahomes won respective NFL and AFC Championships, Madison Keys won her first grand slam title, upsetting defending champion and world No.

1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-3 2-6 7-5 in the Australian Open women’s final.

Like Mahomes, Keys has a Black father and a white mom. Mahomes identifies as a Black person, he wears his ethnicity with pride.

Keys, which is her right, has said in many past interviews that she doesn’t consider herself Black or white. “I’m just me,” is her answer. Again, I’m not upset with her. If she doesn’t want to be Black, the feeling is mutual. I hope

she isn’t also ignoring what many Black athletes endured to clear a path for today’s pro and college players of color – especially in tennis. A lot of crazy “executive orders” have been signed during the past 10 days. So, I’m issuing one of my own. It’s OK to discuss race and sports. It’s OK to discuss race and anything – and it doesn’t matter who doesn’t like it.

The Reid Roundup What do LeBron James and St. Louisan Bradley Beal of the Phoenix Suns have in common? They are the only two NBA players with a no-trade clause in their respective contracts. The Suns can’t just trade him anywhere, Beal has to approve… Jimmy Butler’s insubordinate behavior in Miami is disgusting. The Heat star has been suspended indefinitely as he tries to clown his way into a trade to Phoenix…The top five NBA player jersey sales are Steph Curry, Lebron James, our own Jayson Tatum Jalen Brunson and Victor Wembanyama Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones interviewed Black candidates Robert Saleh and Leslie Frazier for its head coaching position. Kellen Moore, a former Cowboys offensive coordinator who holds the same position for the Super Bowl bound Philadelphia Eagles, was also interviewed. The Cowboys tabbed Brian Schottenheimer, promoting him from offensive coordinator to head coach. My Cowboys are a dumpster fire.

Earl Austin Jr.

Alvin A. Reid

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) scores a touchdown during the NFC Championship game against the Washington Commanders, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia.

Photo courtesy of the AP

Homer G. Phillips Nurses Alumni to be honored on Feb. 1

The Change the Name Coalition will hold a fundraiser to support the Homer G. Phillips Nurses Alumni, Inc, a group of former and current healthcare providers committed to quality healthcare for African Americans.

The event will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday Feb. 1, 2025, at the Infinite Occasion Conference Center, 3515 North. Lindbergh Blvd.

The reception will also provide resources for the ongoing copyright infringement lawsuit against developer Paul McKee for his use of the name “Homer G. Phillips” on a three-bed urgent care center, which recently was unable to pay employees and was faced with a blood supply shortage.

In December 2024, the Nurses Alumni appealed a Sept. 6 dismissal of the lawsuit by St. Louis County Judge Heather Cunningham

The Nurses Alumni remains focused on changing the name of facility.

“We are in agreement that the medical clinic is

needed in that neighborhood, but just change the name,” said Nurses Alumni President Lois Jackson.

“For over 100 years the organization has worked tirelessly through community outreach efforts and activities to promote, preserve and represent the legacy of the historic Homer G. Phillips Hospital that once served the Ville Neighborhood in St. Louis.”

The reception will include a cultural performance, history presentations and fellowship.

Dr. Will Ross, associate dean for diversity at Washington University School of Medicine and professor of medicine in the Nephrology Division, will welcome guests.

Speakers include Dr. L.J. Punch, medical director of the Bullet Response Injury Clinic of St. Louis and Dr. Matifadza (Mati) Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, MPH, FIDSA, director of Health for the City of St. Louis.

SIU-Carbondale Job and Internship Fair Feb. 18

Businesses from throughout the region are encouraged to attend the Southern Illinois University Carbondale spring 2025 Job and Internship Fair on Feb. 18, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Center Ballrooms.

Any business that is

interested in hiring SIU students for career positions or internships is welcome to participate. To register online, please visit siu.joinhandshake. com by Feb. 3. Organizers encourage businesses to register by Feb. 3. To find additional information, including pricing, contact the Career Deveopment Center at careerdevelopment@siu.edu, or call (618) 453-2391. SIU campus departments, colleges, schools or units that are seeking interns can participate in the fair at no cost as well. They are also asked to register soon.

Organizers note that SIU is among the top 5% of the country’s higher education institutions for research and the job fair, sponsored by the U.S. Army, usually brings more than 100 employers to campus and draws hundreds of SIU students.

The fair helps business-

es and university departments identify and hire qualified people for career positions and internships.

Undergraduate and graduate SIU students from all majors can participate in the fair at no charge.

The Career Development Center also assists students by helping them prepare for interviews and write resumes and cover letters; they can arrange appointments through Handshake or by calling the center. Professional clothing for the career fair and interviews can also be acquired there.

Members and supporters of the Homer G. Phillips Nurses Association Inc., with attorney Rick Voytas following an August 8, 2024, hearing before Judge Heather Cunningham at the St. Louis County Courthouse. Cunningham dismissed the copyright infringement lawsuit filed against developer Paul McKee on Sept. 6, but the organization has appealed. A fundraiser reception will be held on behalf of the Nurses Alumni on Feb. 1, at the Infinite Occasion Conference Center, 3515 North. Lindbergh Blvd.

Photo by Bonita Cornute

Living It

Inspired by Hawaii

“Not enough is being done for the Black families in the aftermath of the California fires.”

- Flavor Flav, who is helping raise money for fire victims

The Deep’ by STL native Michael Marshall at Atrium through Feb. 22

By Zaria Mac St. Louis American

Just as with the opening reception the week before, Atrium Gallery had to get creative when making space for all who came to fellowship with St. Louis native Michael Marshall. On Thursday, the painter, sculptor and draftsman discussed his latest collection of works at the gallery during an intimate artist talk. The quaint space is less than a mile from Washington University where he spent time teaching art before moving to Hilo, Hawaii more than 40 years ago.

Atrium is featuring his collection entitled “From The Deep.” The exhibition includes pieces inspired by his most recent years there – specifically the past decade. Though displayed as a collection, each piece has its own color scheme and backstory representing an element of Marshall’s life on the island.

Marshall is currently a professor and the chairperson for the Art Department at the University of Hawaii, Hilo. He received his Bachelors of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois and a Master’s in Fine Art from Yale university – where he studied painting and drawing with William Bailey and Lester Johnson to name a few of his mentors.

With his recent collection “From The Deep” Marshall has begun to introduce fiberglass. “I broke with the regular set of materials that I might use,” Marshall said. “I needed to add something to it.”

He found that fiberglass creates a lighter canvas that does not need wood to support it. He has also introduced a new way he tells stories with his art through the use of paneling. He created various paintings and collaged them together to create a new meaning.

Like with his piece “Yemoja- Waikiki” – Yemoja being a water deity from the

C2C remembers Michael Brown with ‘Hands Up’

Theatre company starts season with works inspired by Ferguson uprising

By Zaria Mac St. Louis American

This weekend, A Call to Conscious (C2C) — an interactive theatre for social change – will begin their latest season. It starts with a commemoration of the 10th anniversary of Michael Brown’s death.

“The New Black Fest’s HANDS UP: 7 Playwrights, 7 Testaments” premieres at 7 p.m. on Friday, January 31st and Saturday, February 1st at Pilgrim Congressional Church. The works featured are contributions from internationally renowned playwrights Dennis A. Allen II, Idris Goodwin, Nambi E. Kelley, Nathan James, Nathan Yougerberg, EricMicha Holmes, and Nsangou Njikam.

“I’m hoping that people will write letters or join some type of organization to put laws in place that combat police brutality,” said C2C Producing Director

Fannie Lebby regarding the series of monologues that celebrate Brown’s life and the impact of his legacy.

Typical of C2C productions, this weekend’s performances will conclude with a talk back. The audience will have the opportunity to sound off with Michael

The ‘Hands Up, Don’t Shoot’ gesture was a familiar one during the several months of uninterrupted protests in response to the August 9, 2014 killing of Michael Brown by a Ferguson police officer.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

The power of Black love

Lathon and Chalana Ferguson, co-founders of Marriage MasterMYnds, LLC, will host their 3rd Annual Black Love Matters Brunch on Sunday, Feb. 16.

Marriage MasterMYnds, LLC to host 3rd annual brunch

on Feb. 16

By Ashley Winters

The St. Louis American

Brown Sr. and wife Cal Brown as they discuss Chosen For Change, the organization created in his son’s honor.

“We try to give people not only a

See C2C, C3

n We celebrate the beauty of what is when we come together in love...

- Chalana Ferguson

Lathon and Chalana Ferguson, co-founders of Marriage MasterMYnds, LLC say the mission of their organization is to uplift the Black family and, consequently, the Black community, by “strengthening marriages and families, one couple at a time.” The goal is to support married couples, intimate partners, and individuals through educational programs, social events, and resources to provide strategies to work toward the shared goals of a thriving relationship. They will host their third annual Black Love Matters Brunch on Sunday, February 16, 2025, from 12 pm- 4 pm at the Sheraton Westport Chalet Hotel. Guests will enjoy live musical entertainment, a full buffet brunch, a mimosa reception in partnership with Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, a cash bar, and special gifts.

The couple respects and embraces all love – however, Black love is very special to them. It represents the ability to prevail and endure as a people. According to Chalana, Black love is anchored in being Black unapologetically in a society that still tries to force the Black community into invisibility. She points to history for her example, recounting how enslaved families were divided – and marriages were not legally recognized.

“We celebrate the beauty of what is when we come together in love,” Chalana said. “As scripture tells us, ‘Love never fails.’ And even when the enemy surfaces, when equipped with love – a strong intense Black Love that stands the test of

Photo by Kenya Vaughn

‘Facing West – Mutants Everyone,’ was one of the major conversation pieces at Michael Marshall’s gallery talk for ‘From The Deep.’ The exhibition is currently on display at Atrium Gallery.

Photo courtesy of Lathon and Chalana Ferguson

‘From

BLACK HISTORY MONTH ACTIVITIES

Fri., Jan. 31, 6 p.m. Blessed by the Ancestors: Opening Reception, Beatnik Bob’s (City Museum 3rd floor), 750 N 16th Street, St. Louis, MO 63103. General admission is required. For more information, visit https://citymuseum.org.

Fri., Jan. 31, 7 p.m., Kirkwood

Black History: A Musical Journey featuring Kirkwood’s own Malena Smith with the Community Gospel Choir of St. Louis, Tillman Pepper Steppers and the Kirkwood High School Vocal Jazz Ensemble. The Kirkwood Performance Arts Center, 210 E. Monroe Ave. For tickets, visit https://www.metrotix.com/ events/detail/kpac-malena-smith

Feb. 1, 10 a.m., Throwing and Growing Foundation Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest Celebration, O’Fallon YMCA, 4343 W. Florissant, St. Louis, MO 63115.

Thurs., Feb. 6, 6 p.m., St. Louis County Library Black History Celebration with keynote speaker Victoria Christopher Murray, Author of “Harlem Rhapsody.” Tamia Coleman-Hawkins will receive the Frankie Freeman Inspirational Award during the program, St. Louis County Library – Clark Family Branch, 1640 St. Lindbergh. For more information, visit www.slcl.org.

Sat., Feb. 8, 10 a.m., The Black Rep presents Jabari Dreams of Freedom. Follow Jabari through a world of rap and sketch as he dreams of Civil Rights leaders and role models that help him ace his social studies test at school. St. Louis County Library – Clark Family Branch, 1640 St.

STL Sites & Sounds

Lindbergh. For more information, visit www.slcl.org.

CONCERTS

Fri., Jan. 31, 7:30 p.m.

Beethoven X Beyoncé, Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St. St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit www.stifeltheatre.com.

Sun., Feb. 16, 7 p.m.

Valentine’s Love Jam featuring Keith Sweat, Kem, Carl Thomas and Mya, Chaiftez Arena, 1 Compton Ave. St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Fri., Feb. 21, MC Lyte at City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit https://citywinery.com.

Fri., Feb 28, p.m. Lil Wayne With Special Guest The Hot Boys, Enterprise Center, St. Louis MO 63103. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Fri., Jan. 30, 6 p.m. Up Close & Personal with Marvin Cockrell, The Griot Museum, 25005 Saint Louis Ave, St. Louis, MO 63106. For more information, visit www.thegriotmuseum.com.

Fri., January 31, 7:30 p.m.

Broadway Rave: A Musical Theatre Dance Party, Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd. Saint Louis, MO 63112. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com

Feb. 6 - Feb. 8, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis presents New

Works Collective 2025 Catherine B. Berges Theatre, COCA, 6880 Washington Ave. St. Louis, MO 63130. For tickets and additional information, visit opera-stl.org or call 314961-0171.

COMEDY

Fri., Jan. 31, 7 p.m. Special Event: Tip “T.I.” Harris, Helium & Elements Restaurant, 1151 St. Louis Galleria Street, St. Louis, MO 63117. For more information, visit https://st-louis. heliumcomedy.com.

Thurs., Feb. 13-16, 7:30 p.m. Kevin Bozeman, The Funny Bone, 614 W Port Plaza Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146. Various showtimes available. For more information, visit www.stlouis-

funnybone.com.

Fri., Feb. 14, 8 p.m. Legends Of Laughter Tour featuring Sommore, Don “DC” Curry with St. Louis’ own Lavell Crawford and Guy Torry, Stifel Theatre, St. Louis MO 63103. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com.

ST. LOUIS MUSIC SPOTLIGHT

Thurs., Jan. 30, 7:30 p.m. Denise Thimes, Blue Strawberry, 364 N Boyle Ave. St. Louis, MO 63108. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Thurs., Jan. 30, 6 p.m. Quincy Jones: A Celebration

Presented by PureSoul, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit https:// citywinery.com.

Fri., Jan. 31, 8 p.m. MATI Showcase: Hodge + Noah Fence B, The Dark Room, 3610 Grandel Square, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit https://kranzbergartsfoundation.org.

THEATRE

Sat., Feb. 1, 8 p.m. We call it Ballet: Sleeping Beauty Dance & Light Show, E. Desmond and Mary Ann Lee Theatre, Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, Touhill Circle, St. Louis, 6312. For more information, visit https://feverup.com.

Feb. 5 – March 6, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the St. Louis premiere of “Clyde’s,” the Tony-nominated play by twotime Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage. The Loretto-Hilton on the campus of Webster University. For more information, visit repstl.org.

Through Feb. 9, 8 p.m. Pictures of a Revolution, Marcelle, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive, Saint Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit www.upstreamtheater.org

ART

Through Feb. 9, 2025, Great Rivers Biennial featuring Saj Issa, Basil Kincaid and Ronald Young, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington Blvd., St. Louis MO 63108. For more information, visit www.cam-stl.org.

Be a Tourist in Your Own Town

St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission

Heat up with chill thrills

By Barry Draper

Need a way to brighten the darkest days of winter? We’ve got just the ticket!

This February, St. Louis will host spirited celebrations for Black History Month, Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day – plus, buzzy festivals, dance premieres and one particularly corny Broadway musical that will have you smiling from ear to ear. For more ways to fill your monthly calendar, visit explorestlouis.com.

Orchid Show February 1 to March 9

They might not be the quintessential flower for Valentine’s Day, but pink and red orchids symbolize femininity, grace and elegance, desire, passion and love. Walking arm in arm with your loved ones, you can enjoy hundreds of the blossoms at the Missouri Botanical Garden’s ever-popular orchid show. The Garden’s vast orchid collection includes more than 6,000 individual plants representing almost 700 unique species, and approximately one in 10 orchids in the collection is threatened or endangered. Different species bloom at different times, so the orchid show is constantly changing – and always exciting!

Valentine’s Date

Night at Grant’s Farm February 7 to 22

Relish a romantic dinner in the Carriage House at Grant’s Farm this February. Reservations include a plated dinner and dessert for two – think roasted red pepper and tomato bisque, a strawberry salad with chocolate vinaigrette and your choice of entrée such as chicken marsala, grilled salmon, New York strip steak or vegetable lasagna. You’ll also receive a complimentary photo with a Clydesdale and an exclusive Grant’s Farm picture frame. If you want to splurge, add a carriage ride or a bottle of wine to your experience.

African American History Trolley Tour

February 8, 14 and 22

Join the guides at Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum for this two-hour trolley tour, where you’ll hear stories about fascinating figures in Black history, including Rev. John Berry Meachum, who established the Freedom School aboard a steamboat anchored in free territory in the middle of the Mississippi River in 1847. You can see Meachum’s gravesite as well as other highlights of the cemetery’s grounds and monuments on the captivating tour.

Your Side anchors will lead a conversation with Black St. Louisans as they share their perspectives and lived experiences in the Gateway City. The main-stage event will take place in the Grand Hall of the Missouri History Museum. Throughout the rest of the museum, visitors can learn more about Black arts and artists in St. Louis history; uncover stories of Black arts and history with an all-ages scavenger hunt; and enjoy other arts-themed activities.

STLCoffeeFest

February 22

Coffee lovers, caffeine enthusiasts and curious newcomers – it’s time to celebrate St. Louis’ robust coffee community! Taking place at 18Rails inside City Foundry, STLCoffeeFest will showcase the local coffee scene with samples of the hottest beans, stiff pours of themed cocktails, meet-andgreets with makers and engaging workshops. As you sip, learn and connect, enjoy locally made treats such as coffee-infused gooey butter cake and espresso ice cream. The full-day festival is perfect for everyone, from coffee aficionados to java novices.

Purina Pet Parade February 23

Shucked: A New Musical Comedy February 11 to 23

The Wall Street Journal calls Tony Award-winning musical comedy Shucked “flat out hilarious” – and nobody knows funny like economists. The corn-fed, corn-bred American show will surely satisfy your appetite for great musical theater when it comes to The Fabulous Fox. Among jokes about the urban city versus the rural town, Shucked addresses our differences with intelligence and heart. “When we finally realize that we are more similar than we are different, there’s no limit to what we can accomplish,” producer Mike Bosner says. “Shucked delivers that message along with a boot-stomping score.”

Black History Month Event with 5 On Your Side February 20

In honor of Black History Month, 5 On

Touted as the Guinness World Record holder for the largest costumed pet parade in the world, the Purina Pet Parade boasts thousands of festive four-legged friends strutting their stuff during Mardi Gras in St. Louis. After the parade, don’t miss the nation’s longest-running wiener dog derby where participants square off in Soulard Market Park to determine the “dashingest” dachshund in all the land.

Saint Louis Dance Theatre Winter Concert February 27 to March 2

With its winter concert, Saint Louis Dance Theatre will bring captivating evenings of dance to its audiences, spotlighting the contemporary dance company’s rise to new levels of artistic excellence and technical integrity. Be among the first to witness the company premiere of Sechs Tänze by Jiří Kylián, who served as artistic director and house choreographer of Nederlands Dans Theater for more than 30 years. The program also features the 1942 solo Chaconne by dance pioneer José Limón, who blends the formal austerity of the traditional Mexican dance with the powerful emotion of the music.

Black Missourians in STEM

By Cicely Hunter, Missouri Historical Society

Driven to cure cancer and further research on malaria, Dr. Lincoln “Doc” Diuguid served St. Louis’s Black community for more than 60 years. The youngest of nine children, he was born to Lewis and Bettie Diuguid on February 6, 1917, in Lynchburg, Virginia. During his childhood, he witnessed the Ku Klux Klan ride down Main Street in his hometown and the effects of enforced segregation on the Black community. Despite these circumstances, Diuguid was drawn to science and encouraged to pursue higher education by his father, who believed it was the best way for Black people to be successful. He attended West Virginia State College during the Great Depression, where he joined Omega Psi Phi, a historically Black fraternity dedicated to “Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance, and Uplift.” After graduating magna cum laude in 1938, he went on to earn his master’s and doctoral degrees at Cornell University in 1939 and later completed two years of postdoctoral research on malaria.

Diuguid’s path as a Black scientist and inventor did not come without its difficulties, and he was told by his professors that he would not be hired as a chemist. Undeterred, he applied to different chemical companies but was frequently denied entry into those positions. He was offered a job as the chief chemist at Beech-Nut Chewing Gum on the condition that he, a fair-skinned Black man, pass as white and abandon his family. Diuguid refused to do so and declined the job offer.

He moved to St. Louis during the mid1940s and opened Du-Good Chemical Laboratories and Manufacturers (motto: “Quality through Research”) in 1947.

Diuguid’s two-story red brick building at 1215 S. Jefferson Avenue—a renovated animal hospital—was “the first building on the block to go Black” due to restrictive covenants that were in place, according to his son Lewis Diuguid, who would later commemorate his father’s life in his book Our Fathers: Making Black Men Throughout his career, Diuguid worked with many students to spark their interest in science, teaching chemistry and physical science at what is now HarrisStowe State University, Arkansas State University, and Washington University until his retirement in 1982. He even judged several elementary and high school science fairs held at Washington

University in 1953, 1958, and 1964.

Diuguid completed independent scientific studies, researched a cure for leukemia and anti-malarial treatments, and developed a method to convert aviation fuel into a plasticizing agent. In addition, he developed commercial products like Rainbow Delight Detergent, Du-Good Hand Cleaner, Du-Good Dry Cleaner, mosquito repellant, aftershave lotion, and Kreation beauty cream.

Diuguid’s contributions to science did not go unnoticed by the local community or the wider scientific community, and he won awards for excellence from the American Chemical Society, Omega Psi Phi, the Saint Louis Science Center, and the St. Louis American. He also won the Carver Civil Award and was awarded an honorary doctor of humanities degree from Harris-Stowe.

He was married to Nancy Ruth Greenlee, and together they raised four children. Nancy died at age 62 in 1994. He passed away on January 27, 2015, from complications of pneumonia and the flu. His legacy lives on through his family members, his son Lewis’s book, and a collection of his scientific equipment and products housed at Calvin Riley’s George B. Vashon Museum.

“Black Missourians in STEM” is the theme of History Exploration Day on Saturday, February 15. From 10am to 1pm, families can learn about important Black Missourians who worked in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The day will feature story time, STEM crafts, a history workshop, a touch table and inquiry station about Homer G. Phillips Hospital, and playtime in “Dr. Du-Good’s Chemical Laboratory.” See mohistory.org/events for more information.

On Tuesday, February 18, the Museum will present “The Music of Black St. Louis” at 11am. Join DJ G. Wiz to explore St. Louis’s rich Black musical heritage.

Save the date for the Black History Month keynote program on Thursday, February 20. At 6:30pm, 5 On Your Side anchors Kelly Jackson and Brent Solomon will lead a conversation about Black joy and the arts in the Gateway City with some of St. Louis’s groundbreaking leaders in dance, visual art, music, and writing. Featured artists will include Mykael Ash, Lamar Harris, Yvonne Osei, Robert Poe, Alicia Revé Like, Stephon Riggins, and Tiala Taylor

African American History Initiative programming is presented by Wells Fargo. Thursday Nights at the Museum is presented by WashU.

Missouri Botanical Garden’s Orchid Show, February 1 to March 9

Columnist Barry Draper

CONTRACT ATTORNEY

Family Court of St. Louis County is seeking to enter into a professional service agreement with an attorney to provide assistance to Family Court judges who handle domestic cases filed by unrepresented individuals. These services are funded by special monies received from the Family Services and Justice Fund and are subject to continued availability of these monies. Primary responsibility will be to assist with management of the pro se docket including legal analysis, notifying litigants of requirements to revise legal documents and providing notices of court hearings and other correspondence. The professional service agreement is funded at $30.00/hour working up to 28 hours/week. A one+ year commitment to the position is highly preferred. Qualification: Licensed to practice law in the State of Missouri. Requirement: Maintenance of professional liability insurance.

NOTE: All selected individuals will be required to submit to a background check. To apply (position open until filled), please send a resume, along with a cover letter to the following address on or before March 7, 2025: Contract Attorney, Attn: Human Resources Department, Family Court of St. Louis County, 105 S. Central., Clayton, MO 63105. OR Email same to SLCCourtJobs@courts. mo.gov. EOE. Please contact the Human Resources Department at 615-4471 (voice) or RelayMO 711 or 800 735-2966 if you need any accommodations in the application process, or if you would like this posting in an alternative format.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

Sealed bids for Bid 25-116 – Mexico Road at Dardenne Creek Bridge Rehabilitation STP-4950(605) will be received by the City of St. Peters, Purchasing Department, City Hall, One St. Peters Centre Boulevard, P.O. Box 9, St. Peters, Missouri 63376 until 2:00 PM local time, February 21, 2025 and then opened and read aloud.

Contract Documents will be available on January 30, 2025 and may be obtained from the City of St. Peters website https://mo-stpeters.civicplus.com/ Bids.aspx

All questions regarding this project shall be submitted to the City of St. Peters Purchasing Department in writing to Bids@stpetersmo.net under the subject line Bid 25-116 – Mexico Road at Dardenne Creek Bridge Rehabilitation STP4950(605) before noon local time, February 12, 2025.

Special Needs: If you have special needs addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act, please notify Bids@stpetersmo.net under the subject line Bid 25-116 – Mexico Road at Dardenne Creek Bridge Rehabilitation STP4950(605), or through Missouri Relay System, TDD 636.477.6600, extension 1277, at least five (5) working days prior to the bid opening you plan to attend.

All labor used in the construction of this public improvement shall be paid a wage no less than the prevailing hourly rate of wages of work of a similar character in this locality as established by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (Federal Wage Rate), or state wage rate, whichever is higher.

The City of St. Peters hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, ancestry, or national origin in consideration for an award. A DBE goal of eight percent (8%) has been established for this project. Only the work performed by approved DBE subcontractors at the time of the bid opening will be applied towards calculating the DBE goal.

All prospective bidders are required to complete the DBE Submittal Form, made part of Section U of this document, and submit it with the bid proposal or within three working days after the bid opening date. Failure to deliver the completed and executed DBE Submittal Form showing DBE participation by 4:00 p.m. on the third working day after the bid opening date may be cause for rejection of the low bid and the proposed guaranty will become the property of the City of St. Peters. If any DBE’s shown on the DBE Submittal Form are not shown on the approved listings, then that DBE’s work will not be counted as DBE participation work and may be cause for rejection of the bid.

All bidders must be on MoDOT’s Qualified Contractor List per Section 102.2 of the Missouri Standard Specifications for Highway Construction, 2024 Edition including all revisions. The contractor questionnaire must be on file 7 days prior to bid opening. Contractors and sub-contractors who sign a contract to work on public works project provide a 10-Hour OSHA construction safety program, or similar program approved by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, to be completed by their on-site employees within sixty (60) days of beginning work on the construction project.

A bid bond in the amount of 5% (five percent) shall be submitted with each proposal.

This project has no On the Job Training (OJT) Goal.

The City of St. Peters reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

No 2nd tier subcontracting will be allowed on this project.

This project will be awarded to the lowest, responsive, responsible bidder.

SENIOR DATA ENGINEER. SAFETY NATIONAL CASUALTY CORP. ST. LOUIS, MO.

Responsible for contributing to development, architecture, & design of Safety National Casualty Corp’s Next Generation Data Warehouse. $139,942-190,000/yr. Requires: Bachelor’s deg. in Comp. Sci., Info. Sys. or related technical or eng. degree. 5 years exp. in any info. tech. position. 2 years exp. in Data Warehousing; Snowflake; & Qlik Replicate & Qlik Compose. Demonstrated ANSI SQL skills. Demonstrated knowledge of Guidewire tools, Claim Center & Policy Center, with knowledge of underlying database structures. Demonstrated Python skills. Demonstrated exp. with Git. Demonstrated exp. with Star, Data Vault, & 3NF data modeling techniques. Demonstrated knowledge of database arch. & Microsoft SQL Server. Demonstrated understanding of cloud technologies & implementations of cloud capabilities. Work from home avail. 2 days per week w/in commuting distance to office. Send résumés to Hima Kuppa, Safety National Casualty Corp., 1832 Schuetz Rd, St. Louis, MO 63146 or SNRecruiting@safetynational.com.

The Saint Louis Zoo seeks bids from qualified firms to submit proposals. Bid documents are available as of 1/29/25 on the Saint Louis Zoo website: stlzoo.org/vendor

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Family Sub-Contracted Services

The St. Louis City Family Court is seeking proposals from service providers to address behaviors that have resulted in referrals to the Family Court. Proposals should be submitted no later than 4:00 p.m. on March 7, 2025. Interested service providers may obtain the Proposal Specifications by accessing www.stlcitycircuitcourt.com and selecting Courts & Services, Court Administration, then Requests For Proposals.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

Interfaith Residences D.B.A DOORWAYS (DOORWAYS) will receive sealed bids at the Jefferson Avenue Campus 1101 N. Jefferson, St. Louis, MO 63106, until 12:00 p.m. prevailing time on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, for:

DOORWAYS, in the City of St. Louis, Energy Efficiency and Accessibility Renovation of the Cooper House Assistive Living Facility for People Living with HIV Unable to Live Independently Project (DOORWAYS’ Cooper House Improvements) 4385 Maryland Avenue St. Louis, MO 63108

HUD COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING (CPF) GRANT NO. B-24-CP-MO-1254

at which time the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. Proposals received later than the designated time and date will not be accepted. Facsimile or e-mailed copies of submittals will not be accepted.

Bids must be submitted in accordance with the Contract Documents and shall be accompanied by the proper bid security.

Project work includes, but is not limited to, the following: Replacement of the existing roof, windows, and elevator; new gutters and downspouts; tuckpointing; waterproofing; kitchen and dining expansion; new finishes, plumbing fixtures, and electrical fixtures; install new VRF mechanical system (equipment furnished).

A MANDATORY Pre-proposal bidder’s conference and site walk is scheduled for February 18, 2025, at 10:00 AM at 4385 Maryland Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108. Contractors interested in responding to this RFP must attend in order to have their proposal accepted as responsive.

Plans and contract documents will be available for a minimum of 30 days commencing on January 31, 2025, for download: https://www.x-rhodesplanroom. com/projects/public

Hard copies may be purchased directly from Cross Rhodes.

This project is funded in part through HUD Community Project Funding (CPF)

Grant funds. Additional funding from both State and Local public ARPA funds through the MO Dept. of Mental Health and the City of St. Louis Affordable Housing Commission and private sources, including Missouri Historic Tax Credits. This project is contingent upon DOORWAYS receiving an executed grant agreement from HUD.

The Contractor shall make a good faith effort to provide employment and contracting opportunities to Section 3 workers and businesses to the greatest extent feasible, as defined by HUD regulations at 24 CFR Part 75. All contracts awarded under this project shall include provisions requiring subcontractors to comply with Section 3 requirements.

The Build America, Buy America Act (BABA) was enacted as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) on November 15, 2021. BABA established the Buy America Preference (BAP), which requires that Federally funded infrastructure projects use domestically produced materials.

Bidders are informed that pursuant to Section 285.530, RSMo, the successful bidder shall, by sworn affidavit and provision of documentation, affirm its enrollment and participation in a federal work authorization program.

Bidders shall comply with all applicable City, State and Federal laws and regulations, including City of St. Louis MBE/WBE goals as established by Mayor’s Executive Order 28, as amended by Ordinance 70767. Minority-owned and Women-owned Business Enterprises are encouraged to submit.

DOORWAYS reserves the right to accept any bid or any part or parts or combinations thereof, to waive any informalities or irregularities, and to reject any or all bids.

For more information, contact: Jess Henry, Rise Community Development jess@risestl.org

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

Date of Publication: Thursday, January 30, 2025

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

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

REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS

On or about February 17, 2025, the City will submit a request to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the release of the City’s Federal CDBG Program funds under Title II of the National Affordable Housing Act of 1990, as amended, to undertake the following project:

Project Title: Good Shepherd Academy

Purpose: Renovation of the building at 5957 Page Blvd. and addition of a parking lot, leading to a change in land use from vacant residential to daycare. Facility will provide a trauma-informed program of services for 40 children in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood

Location: 5957 Page Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri 63112

Estimated Cost: Estimated total development cost of this project is $1,123,052, with an estimated $131,354 of funding coming from St. Louis City’s Year 2024 Federal CDBG Program Funds, Grant # B-24-MC-29-0006.

FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT

The City has determined that the project will have no significant impact on the human environment. Certain conditions will apply to the project. 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 the City CDA, at the above address, where it is available for review and may be examined or copied weekdays, 8 A.M. to 4 P.M., or visit https://cpd.hud.gov/cpd-public/environmental-reviews to review the HUD ERR.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to Trey McCarter, Community Development Planner III at the address listed above. All comments received before February 17, 2025, will be considered by the City prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds. Comments should specify which Notice they are addressing.

RELEASE OF FUNDS

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

OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS

HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the City’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 bases: (a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the City; (b) the City has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 58; (c) the grant recipient 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. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58, Sec.58.76) and shall be addressed to the HUD St. Louis Field Office, CPDRROFSTL@hud.gov. Potential objectors should contact HUD to verify the actual last day of the objection period.

Nahuel Fefer, Certifying Officer

CITY OF ST. LOUIS BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND TESTING SERVICES FOR WEST AIRFIELD PROGRAM AT ST. LOUIS LAMBERT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. Statements of Qualifications are due by 5:00 P.M. CT, FEBRUARY 14, 2025 through the Bid Express online portal at: https://www.bidexpress.com/ businesses/20618/home? agency=true RFQ may be obtained from the BPS website https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/ government/departments/ public-service/, under BPS RFQ and RFP Announcement, or call Board of Public Service at 314-589-6214. 15% DBE participation goals.

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 Bid Opportunities

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

January 9, 2025

NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE DISTRICT COURT DIVISION FILE NO.: 23 CV034229-590 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF MECKLENBURG Laura R chimene KODJO,Plaintiff VS. Ezechiel Esther BOTEWA ,Defendant: TAKE NOTICE that a pleading seeking relief against you has been filed 09/16/2024, in the above-entitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: ABSOLUTE DIVORCE. You are required to make defense to such pleading no later than at least 40 days from the first publication of this notice.

INVITATION FOR EQUIPMENT BIDS

East-West Gateway Council of Governments is seeking bids for a jet-refueling truck for a law enforcement air support unit. Bids are due no later than 1:00 p.m. on 02/18/2025. Funding is provided by the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security. D/S/W/MBEs are encouraged to submit bids. Find details at www.ewgateway.org

INVITATION FOR EQUIPMENT BIDS

East-WestCouncilGateway of Governments is seeking bids for various Stop the Bleed Kits for a emergencyregional medical services program. Bids are due no later than 1:00 p.m. on 02/18/2025. Funding is provided by the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security. D/S/W/MBEs are encouraged to submit bids. Find details at www.ewgateway.org

ADVERTISEMENT/ NOTICE

McCownGordon Construction is soliciting bids for the Missouri S&T –Advance Research Center (ARC) Addition and Renovation project, located at 500 St. Patrick’s Ln., Rolla, MO 65409. The scopes of work include General Requirements and Asphalt. The bids will be submitted electronically through Building Connected by 2:00pm February 14th, 2025. If the bid date extends, an announcement will be made through Building Connected. Contractors and sub-contractors may obtain bid documents and information about pre-bid events on or after January 24th, 2025, by emailing Kyle Pryor, kpryor@mccowngordon.com Missouri University of Science & Technology reserves the right to reject any or all bids and reserve the right to be the sole judge of what it considers the lowest responsible bid. McCownGordon Construction and Missouri University of Science & Technology are Equal Opportunity Employers.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS # 57825030, STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING INITIATIVE

Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) is requesting proposals for Strategic Assessment and Planning Initiative. If interested, a copy of the request for proposals can be obtained by emailing Barbara A. Morrow at email address: morrowb@hssu.edu. Proposals must be emailed no later than 10:00 a.m. CST on Thursday, February 20, 2025 (there will not be a public opening), and must be emailed to: morrowb@hssu.edu

The University reserves the right to accept or reject any or all responses received, or to cancel this request in part or in its entirety if it is in the best interests of the University to do so.

SEALED BIDS

The City of Crestwood, Missouri Department of Parks and Recreation is requesting sealed bids for our Quarry Fence Panel Replacement at the Quarry boardwalk in Whitecliff Park. Sealed bid proposals are due Friday February 14, 2025, at 10:00 am CST. For more information and the complete RFB package please see the Bids and RFP’s section of the City of Crestwood website (https://www. cityofcrestwood.org/ Bids.aspx).

ANNUAL GUEST STUDY RFP 2025

The Saint Louis Zoo seeks bids from qualified firms to submit proposals. Bid documents are available as of 1/29/25 on the Saint Louis Zoo website: stlzoo.org/vendor

time – we will win.”

From Lathan’s perspective, love means unconditional support, trust and honesty, emotional support, and mutual respect. He says Black love builds on these aspects and characteristics and includes love for cultural heritage, community, and family.

Marriage MasterMYnds seeks to promote the well-being of the relationships they help counsel – which is critical to their mission. The rationale is that the Black community must be independent to achieve and produce excellence in professional

C2C

Continued from C1

narrative that will spark a conversation but something to think about when they leave the theatre and provide resources and places to go if they need it.” Lebby said of C2C. She describes her work with the organization as an “edu-tainment” experience for all ages.

Lebby, Linda Nance and Linda Smith founded C2C in 2012 after performing an adaptation of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s

environments and communities. Their event is held during February to highlight Black History Month, Black Love Day, and Valentine’s Day and honor the spirit of love and celebration. At the brunch they will present The Legacy of Love Award. Couples in the region who exemplify Black Love and excellence through their individual and collective achievements in family, professional endeavors, and contributions to the St. Louis community will receive the honor.

“Black love is the foundation of the Black community,” said Lathon. “How can we build and maintain community connections if we don’t have

“I Have A Dream” speech at the Julia Davis Library. The response was overwhelming – and inspired them to continue. With their work they strive to build strong communities by sharing resources and inspiring people to get involved. Their selections also highlight the history many of us have forgotten or never learned.

For Lebby, C2C is how she combats injustice, with each piece being a form of protest.

“I can’t hit the pavement like I used to,” Lebby said. “So, this is a wonderful way of protest-

strong family connections? We know that it ‘takes a village,’ but if we don’t love ourselves, our heritage, and our culture then we won’t love the village – which means we won’t pour into the village.”

Marriage MasterMYnds was formed in 2016, after the celebration of the couple’s 16th anniversary. The Fergusons decided to use their story as inspiration for other couples to help them reach longevity. Along the way, they identified couples around them that provided mentorship to them that would help them during those tough times.

During the pandemic, the Fergusons had reached a milestone in their marriage celebrating 20 years

ing the injustices that are prevalent and still affecting us today.”

In previous seasons, C2C collaborated with the HEAL Center for the Arts and allowed their jazz band to play the score in a production of “Live at the Riviera.” The audience was fascinated to learn how The Riviera, a night club that sat at Delmar and Taylor, rivaled The Cotton Club in New York City.

For the last five years C2C has also brought Black History to the St. Louis History Museum, sharing the stories of Theodore McNeal, the first Black

together. They invited couples to a retreat in Branson where they say God showed them the vision of Marriage MasterMynds. They had done some programs and events in the past, but at that moment, when the world stopped, it became clear that it was about a greater purpose for them to lean into their gift of bringing people together in spaces that breed authenticity, vulnerability, transparency, and love. From there, many asked when they would do more and the “Black Love Matters Movement” of Marriage MasterMYnds was born.

“It has truly been a process over these 25 years,” Lathon said. “We have experienced growth,

state senator elected in Missouri and Jordan Chambers – the unofficial Black Mayor of St. Louis.

“Hopefully the people that come to the theater will go away talking about whatever issue resonated with them,” Lebby said of their upcoming production. “Or will see themselves differently and raise their conscious level.”

She finds the most stirring monologue to be “Abortion” written by Nsangou Njikam. In it he reads a letter to his son reflecting on the many life lessons he is eager to teach him. It ends on a sorrowful

unconditional support, and endurance, understanding that it is a marathon and not a sprint. We learned that it is important to give ourselves and each other grace. Which is easier said than done.”

Chalana shares her husband’s sentiments.

“We have evolved as individuals and as a couple,” Chalana said. “Being open to discovering what could be instead of being resistant to change has offered breakthroughs. We have learned to overcome our egos and find common ground for the greater good of us, while also establishing boundaries that allow us to remain true to ourselves.”

The couple hopes guests will be motivated and

note. Because of pervasive injustice in our nation, this child can never be born.

“Theatre is a great way to start a conversation”, Lebby says, “Even if they feel they can’t do nothing about it. There’s a lot of people who feel hopeless with our current administration and this play has a lot of healing.”

Each play A Call to Conscious performs addresses some form of social injustice be it colorism, urban renewal, and in this case police brutality. The play and conversation that follows is intended to inspire you to take some

inspired to invest in their relationships, through commitment, growth, and love.

Marriage MasterMYnds, LLC 3rd Annual Black Love Matters Brunch will take place on Sunday, February 16, 2025, from 12 pm4 pm at the Sheraton Westport Chalet Hotel. Visit www.marriagemastermynds.com to purchase tickets to the Black Love Matters Brunch and for more information about Marriage MasterMYnds. Email info@marriagemastermynds.com for information on tables and sponsorship opportunities.

Continued from C1

Yoruba culture. This is a collage of three separate pieces, one green, one black, and one blue. The pieces were cut and stitched together on a fiberglass canvas to resemble a street view of the city of Waikiki. During the gallery talk, he mentioned how at his home in Hilo he can enjoy the horizon. Waikiki is full of buildings so tall that they cover the sky. Even though the buildings are high he always knows the direction of the water. Another piece that features panels and fiberglass is “Tumultuous Waters”.

This massive fiberglass canvas covers the entire wall of the Atrium Gallery. This piece consists of five panels stitched together with a slate gray color scheme and subtle gold accents. He gained inspiration for this piece while working alongside Patrick Hart, writer and professor at the University of Hawaii,

Hilo. Marshall admired his soundtrack of bird calls and noticed how the tones moved in and out of space. He wanted to recreate this movement in his piece but found it difficult to translate movement onto a flat canvas. He then got an idea while spending time in the campus planetarium on just how to make this happen.

“I was listening to these birds and I was supposed to make some artwork in response to that,” Marshall said. “I kind of just surrendered to a more obvious kind of thing. The thing that kind of propelled in a way that I didn’t expect was that as I was listening to those songs, I realized the notes and melodies are moving in and out of that landscape.”

He learned about the concept of rugosity, which is used to measure the intricate folds on coral reefs. He found this concept would perfectly encompass the movement he was looking to capture. With a bucket of plaster, he went to work creating the folds and modulation he heard while listening to those bird calls. He first covered his fiberglass canvas with plaster, then paper, and then with paint – creating a rapid and energetic three dimensional water scene. Though beautiful, there is something in between the panels. The viewer will notice

bits of trash like toothpicks, plastic bags, and containers hiding amongst the waves.

“Tumultuous Waters” once again shows Marshall’s love and high regard for the water. But when the viewer focuses in on the piece, it becomes apparent how this beautiful space has been mistreated.

The theme recurs with “Facing West – Mutants Everyone.”

“There are figures in there. They relate to folks that are in distress – that are on the street,” Marshall said. “There’s way more of it now. Hilo is not immune to it in any shape or fashion. I don’t do figures often, but I did want to include them.”

Guests were captivated by Marshall – and he welcomed interjections.

“Who are some of the St. Louis artists you that you admire,” De’Joneiro Jones asked.

Marshall didn’t have an answer for the current group of artists, because he has been away so long and doesn’t get back to town very frequently. But he was eager to show love to the artists that inspired him when he was still in St. Louis. Quincy Troupe and Oliver Lee Jackson.

“Jackson made an incredible impression on me even before I knew who he was,” Marshall said.

He saw the huge paint

sort of political action. “We encourage you to do whatever you can,” Lebby said. “Even if you don’t want to join an organization you can always support [them] because they are the boots on the ground getting the work done.”

“The New Black Fest’s HANDS UP: 7 Playwrights, 7 Testaments” premieres at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31st and Saturday, Feb. 1st at Pilgrim Congressional Church, 826 N. Union. For more information, visit acalltoconscience.org

ing at the Saint Louis Art Museum that was part of his Sharpeville Series when he was a teenager.

“I remember it was up on the second floor,” Marshall said. “And there was a big opening on the floor and I walked around and moseyed over to the painting. I was looking at it – looking at all of these figures across this whole thing.”

After giving the audience another opportunity to spend time with the work, Marshall delved into the motivation behind the work, the process of creating it – and what he hopes the audience takes away from it.

“I guess you could say that when I am making my art work, I don’t limit myself to what might happen or how it needs to go to get finished,” Marshall said. “I think you have to do whatever you need to do to really make it hold together.

If you are cooking something and you don’t have the ingredient, you have to ask yourself what do I have that I can add as a substitute – and you never know, you might discover a new dish.”

“From the Deep” will be on display at Atrium Gallery through Feb. 22. For more information, visit https://www.atriumgallery. net/ or call (314) 3671076.

‘Loud budgeting’ can speak volumes ~ Page D2 ~ Take control of your money: A guide for everyone ~ Page D7 ~

JAnuAry 30, 2025 the

St. LouiS AmericAn

‘Loud budgeting’ can speak volumes

By Laura Onyeneho Houston Defender Network

Social media is known as a place where flaunting your latest purchase or sharing your vacation snaps is the norm. A new Tik Tok trend has emerged that encourages the opposite: being loud about not spending. “Loud budgeting,” a money-saving technique, is all about putting your financial goals first and being unapologetic about it.

Coined by media personality Lukas Battle, loud budgeting has gained traction as more young people look for ways to manage their finances without succumbing to the pressure of social obligations.

Battle describes the concept as follows: When invited to social events, whether dinner with friends, a birthday trip, or a lavish destination wedding, you should feel comfortable saying no if it jeopardizes your financial goals. What’s more, you should be honest about why you’re declining.

Jade Warshaw, a debt elimination expert, financial coach and co-host of The Ramsey Show, is known for paying off more than $460,000 in debt with her husband in seven years. She has used her social media platforms to help her followers strategize their way to financial freedom. She has been ‘Loud budgeting’ for over 30 years.

“I would say a good budget is detailed, realistic, and flexible,” she explained to her TikTok followers. “If you want to take it to the next level, make a zerobased budget. A zero-based budget is spending every single dollar on paper before the month begins, and you create a new budget every month because every

month is different.”

What is loud budgeting?

At its core, loud budgeting is about being open and vocal about the reason behind your financial decisions. For years, people have felt the pressure to keep up appearances, often accepting costly invitations even when it strains their wallets. With loud budgeting, that social stigma is flipped on its head. Instead of silently declining or feeling guilty about not participating, individuals are encouraged to proudly declare that they prioritize their financial well-being.

By making your budgeting decisions loud, you normalize discussions about money and create space for others to do the same. It’s not just about saving money—it’s about being transparent about your financial goals and feeling empowered to set boundaries regarding your spending. This transparency can alleviate financial stress and open up conversations about how others might feel similar financial pressures but are too afraid to speak up.

Balanced budget, less stress

According to the American Psychological Association’s 2023 Stress in America study, 45% of respondents feel embarrassed to discuss money with others. Money was one of the biggest sources of stress for respondents in every age group, with the exception of those over 65.

In a world where financial literacy

See BUDGETING, D5

Budget tips that can take you to success

By Brooke Howell GM Financial

What are your financial goals? Maybe you dream about cruising off the lot in a new vehicle or living completely free of credit card debt.

Whatever you want for your future, following careful and conscious budgeting tips can help you get there. Here are a few of our favorites to get started:

Know your why – Know why you decided to start a budget and keep yourself accountable by writing your reasons on a slip of paper to keep in your wallet.

Be honest – How much do you really spend each month? Unexpected purchases can add up and wreck your budget.

Pay yourself first – Before you put money toward necessities, move money into a savings account each time you get paid. Paying yourself first will help you see saving as a priority.

Be prepared – In addition to savings, put money into an emergency fund. Try to keep six to eight months of living expenses on hand.

Learn when to say no – Putting off big expenses or splurges until you’ve had time to consider and save money will help you make smarter, more satisfying decisions.

And when to say yes – As you build your budget, make room for things you enjoy, like an occasional meal out or that funky hat.

Make it a team effort – Budgeting is easier when everyone is on the same page. Sit down with your partner to determine your goals and figure out your budgeting plans as a family.

Keep at it – Be prepared for unexpected expenses, stay consistent and keep tweaking your budget to find what works best for you. You’ll get there.

This article was originally published by GM Financial

Creating a budget is an act of empowerment

Put yourself in control

St. Louis American

Creating and using a budget is something everyone can accomplish and benefit from. Budgeting is a powerful process that can help you develop a financial plan and build financial capability and empowerment.

Budgeting is an empowering process. It puts you in control of your money and guides you toward what you really want in life, including having fun.

What is a budget?

A budget is a written plan for how you will spend and save your income each month. Budgeting includes:

1. Identifying your priorities and goals

2. Creating an outline of estimated monthly income and expenses

3. Tracking actual spending and income

4. Making adjustments to the plan

Budgeting helps to:

• Show you where your money is going and reduce wasteful spending

• Improve ability to pay all your bills monthly and not run out of money

• Free up money to pay down debt

• Save for things you really want

• Better prepare for emergencies

Steps to create a budget

1. Estimate your monthly income

2. Estimate your monthly expenses

3. Divide the expenses from the income and the money left over can be put away in a savings account.

This article was compiled from Federal Trade Commission resources. For additional information, please visit https://consumer.gov/ your-money/making-budget

Budgeting

Continued from D2

isn’t always prioritized, trends like loud budgeting allow young people to engage in financial conversations that might otherwise feel intimidating. It challenges the societal norm that you need to say “yes” to every invitation or opportunity that comes your way, regardless of how it impacts your finances.

This trend is significant because it highlights the financial struggles many young people face today, particularly in a time of rising student debt, housing costs, and inflation. Financial pressure is real for many Millennials and Gen Z, and a sense of guilt is often tied to saying no to social plans. Loud budgeting removes that guilt and replaces it with empowerment.

Being loud about budgeting sends a powerful message that saving money and making responsible financial decisions shouldn’t be something to hide. With so much social media revolving around consumerism and “living your best life,” loud budgeting brings balance to the narrative by emphasizing that there’s strength in saving—and there’s nothing wrong with declining an invite if it helps you meet your financial goals.

“We, especially as women, need to become more serious about creating a generation of people, specifically adults, which are financially literate,” said content creator Naomi Ny.

“That means teaching our sisters, mothers, and aunties. Anybody in your family who doesn’t understand how money works or specifically their money.”

Taking control of your money: A guide for everyone

Debt can feel like a big burden, but it doesn’t have to take over your life. Lots of us face challenges with credit cards, student loans, and mortgages, which is why it’s so important to understand how to manage your financial responsibilities. Learning about debt management is the first step toward financial safety and success.

Why Managing Debt is Important

Many people struggle with debt, and one study reports that, “about 80% of Americans owe money”. This shows how important it is to understand money and get help when you need it. Whether it’s credit cards, student loans, or mortgages, knowing how debt works can help you make smart choices.

Debt often seems bad, but it doesn’t have to be. Some types of debt, like loans for education or buying a home, are called “good debt.” These can help you build wealth over time. On the other hand, “bad

debt,” like high-interest payday loans or credit card debt, can cause problems if you don’t manage it well. But if you handle your debt properly, it can lighten your load and give you hope for a better financial future.

Smart Ways to Handle Debt

Having a solid plan to manage your debt is important for achieving financial stability. Here are two popular strategies you can use:

1. Avalanche Method: This method focuses on paying off your debts with the highest interest rates first while making minimum payments on your other debts. This way can help you save money on interest over time.

2. Snowball Method: With this strategy, you tackle your smallest debts first. As you pay them off, you get a push of motivation to keep going.

Both ways are good, and the best choice depends on your own situation.

If you find it hard to stick to a budget or you use credit cards for everyday expenses, consider seeking help from a trusted credit counseling agency.

Creating a Strong Money Base

At Great Southern Bank, our Financial Education Center has great tools to help you build a strong foundation with money. You can learn about budgeting, saving, and investing here. For example, the 50-30-20 rule is an easy budgeting method that suggests using 50% of your income for needs, 30% for wants, and 20% for savings or paying off debt. This plan can help you prioritize your spending and develop better financial habits.

As a trusted member of the St. Louis area, we understand the special financial challenges you face. That’s why we provide easy-to-use resources through our Financial Education Center. Our lessons cover everything from starting out in life to planning for retirement, giving you the

tools to succeed.

By using these tools, you can make smart financial choices that will help you and your family for years to come.

You’re Not Alone

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by debt, remember you’re not alone. Getting support is an important step in managing your finances. Look for non-profit credit counseling agencies that offer low-cost services and trained counselors who can help with credit and debt.

Don’t hesitate to contact your bank. At Great Southern Bank, our team is here to give you personalized help to tackle your financial challenges.

At Great Southern Bank, we believe that knowledge is power, and we want to make that power available to everyone. Let’s take important steps toward financial empowerment today at www. GreatSouthernBank.com!