October 10th, 2024 edition

St. LouiS AmericAn

Carey-Boyd, family are ESL servants

‘Success is 99% hard work’

By Alvin A. Reid

Robin Carey-Boyd, president of the East St. Louis Branch of the NAACP, says she comes from “a family of servants.”

“My family and I are all natives of East St. Louis. I’m the proud daughter of Robert Allen Sr., and the late great Dr. Edna Rowery Allen.”

Carey-Boyd said her parents instilled the importance of education and community service into her and three siblings. She said they were all “service driven” from their childhood.

Her parents led by example and with enthusiasm.

“My mother was a real dynamo,” said CareyBoyd.

“She was a director for the Gifted Program for East St. Louis School District and served the district 34 years before retiring.

See CAREY-BOYD, A6

Harris-Stowe has historic week

CIE opens, HBCU receives $1M donation

By Alvin A. Reid

St. Louis American

The renowned past and exciting future of Harris-Stowe State University came together during a historic first week of October for the HBCU. Harris-Stowe celebrated the opening of its Center of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) on Thursday, October 3, 2024, formally unveiling

a state-of-the-art space “designed to inspire creativity, foster collaboration, and support groundbreaking ideas,” according to HSSU President LaTonia Collins Smith. Last week, the university also received a historic $1 million posthumous endowment from alum Anne E. Price, a former assistant superintendent for elementary schools and Banneker Elementary School principal in the St.

Louis Public Schools district.

CIE open for business

Collins shared that the building at 3203 Olive that houses the CIE once was once owned by Harris-Stowe.

“We sold it, and now it has come back. I was in Head Start as a kid right

CCS Divine 9 Challenge kicks off

Greeks

St. Louis American

The United Way of Greater St. Louis Charmaine Chapman Society (CCS) is kicking off its 2024 Divine 9 fundraising challenge during a milestone year - the 30-year anniversary of the group’s inception. The Divine 9 Challenge increases financial support for United Way’s annual community campaign and celebrate Black sorority and fraternity’s commitment to service that ensures the St. Louis region is a better place to live, work, and thrive. Last year’s Challenge raised a total of $385,000 for the community and the winners were:

• Sorority = Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. - $154,940 • Fraternity = Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. - $104,610 The fundraising challenge runs through December 2 and leading this year’s challenge are CCS co-chairs Arica and Steven Harris. “We are proud to be leading CCS during what is a very special year for us, the money we have invested into the

‘Are you ready to build, St. Louis?’

Mayor’s Business Luncheon highlights city growth

By Sylvester Brown, Jr. St. Louis American

Donning a white construction helmet, Neal Richardson, president and CEO of the St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC), ended his presentation with an enthusiastic call & response challenge to the capacity-filled auditorium.

“St. Louis, are you ready to build?

“St. Louis, are you ready to build a future where every young person, no matter what zip code you were born in, has the opportunity to reach their full potential?”

“Are you ready to build an ecosystem where all businesses in the city of St. Louis are able to succeed?” Richardson was co-host of the annual Mayor’s Celebration of Businesses luncheon held at the Marriott St. Louis

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith, Harris-Stowe State University president, introduced Dr. Stacy Gee Hollins, Anheuser-Busch School of Business dean, and Kristy Jackson, HSSU Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship executive director, before the ribbon cutting for the new facility at 3203 Olive on Oct. 3, 2024.

Photo cby Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Robin Carey-Boyd, president of the east St. Louis Branch of the NAACP.

Michelle D. Tucker

Cardi B and Offset still cohabitating despite split

Rap star Cardi B used a social media comment to update fans on the status of her relationship with soon-to-be ex-husband Offset

A week after the former couple duked it out on Instagram with messy details regarding their latest split, fans noticed that Offset was recording in Cardi’s home studio when he went live to share a snippet of new music.

“Why is that man in your house,” a user by the name of Lexie posted. “Where is the boundaries that you are set ting for a woman that knows her worth.”

Cardi took to the comments to clap back.

“I think y’all forget that I have a newborn that’s three weeks old.

Trust we are not play ing house,” Cardi responded.

“We are done, but my baby ain’t going to be no [expletive]. Also, slowly but surely, we setting

boundaries and new customs for my kids since they are used to seeing their dad everyday – especially my son.”

Is Ali the last Lunatic standing in lawsuit against Nelly?

Shockwaves went through the hip hop community when it was reported that rap star Nelly was being sued by his St. Lunatics group mates for $50 million.

Several outlets are now reporting that all but one of the St. Lunatics want

TMZ Hip Hop obtained a legal letter that was sent to the attorney who filed the lawsuit against Nelly. In the letter, according to TMZ Hip Hop, states that Murphy Lee, Kyjuan, and City Spud did not give authorization for them to be included in the lawsuit filed in mid-September. The lawsuit was said to be spearheaded by Ali Jones and it claims Jones and other St. Lunatics members have been shut out of royalties and

profits from Nelly’s Diamondselling “Country Grammar” album and other various tracks.

According to the letter, Nelly’s attorney N. Scott Rosenblum says the other three St. Lunatics recently retained him and are now demanding to be removed from the suit. The letter reportedly threatens legal repercussions if their names are not removed from the suit.

Ali posted a clip on his Instagram page of Nelly saying that Ali wrote the first eight bars of “Country Grammar.”

“Are you still performing and getting paid off of things that I wrote? …and…I wrote way more than eight bars,” Ali said as a caption to the video. “But we ain’t got to argue over that …’just pay me’ off with your mouth just said. I’m just Keeping it a whole 100. We ain’t got to do all this…. Just give me what’s owed to me and I’m gone!! To be continued.”

Meanwhile, Nelly was joined by Murphy Lee, Kyjuan, and City Spud on stage at the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the American Music Awards on Sunday (Oct. 6) for a performance that highlighted St. Louis hip hop. Chingy and J-Kwon were also featured during the five-minute showcase. The special was hosted by fellow St. Louisan Cedric The Entertainer.

Bobby Brown and Pat Houston pay tribute to Cissy Houston

Cissy Houston, the Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter – and mother of late music icon Whitney Houston – passed away on Monday, October 7 after battling with Alzheimer’s Disease. She was 91.

Houston’s former son-in-law Bobby Brown, father of Whitney’s late daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, issued condolences to the Houston family in a statement to People.com.

“Sending love and blessings to the Houston family on this great loss,” Brown and his wife Alicia EtheredgeBrown said jointly. “May she rest in Peace and Power. The Browns.”

Brown’s words came almost immediately after Houston’s daughter-inlaw Pat Houston released a statement announcing Cissy Houston’s passing.

“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We lost the matriarch of our family,” she said in a statement. “Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared greatly about family, ministry, and community. Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will remain at the forefront of our hearts.”

Sources: People.com, TMZ.com, Instagram.com

Ali Jones

Cardi B

Seed St. Louis breaks ground on food demonstration garden

By Ashley Winters St. Louis American

Seed St. Louis broke ground on Oct. 4, on a new 26,000-square-foot food demonstration garden at 5575 Enright Ave, just north of Delmar DivINe.

Once completed, the garden will be a dynamic educational resource that partners with local organizations and the Delmar DivINe to offer various programs for students, families, and adults.

Construction begins in early 2025 and the first phase of planting will start in the fall of 2025, followed by the grand opening in spring 2026.

“We are excited to see this vision come to life and to create a space where people of all ages can learn about growing food, sustainable practices, and community resilience,” said Matt Schindler, CEO of Seed St. Louis. “This project represents the next chapter in our mission to cultivate healthy, vibrant communities.”

The demonstration garden will be a hub for hands-on food education, community engagement, and sustainable urban agriculture. The garden will feature a 7,500-square-foot food demonstration area, orchard trees and bushes, pollinator and native plant zones, chickens, a solar

of dedication, a place where the community can come to learn how to grow food.

“Gardens bring communities together,” said 10th Ward Alderwoman Shameem Clark-Hubbard.

For over 40 years, Seed St. Louis has supported community gardens, school gardens, community orchards, and urban farms across the St. Louis region.

By providing the resources and education needed to grow food locally, Seed St. Louis empowers communities to build stronger, healthier, and more resilient neighborhoods.

Hubbard-Clark grew up on the westside of St. Louis City and hopes the demonstration garden will not just educate and empower the community but create access to fresh healthy foods for kids in the neighborhood.

“I’m glad to be in a position to help and support community projects like Seed St. Louis,” the alderwoman said.

Over the years she has noticed how investing in her community has helped turn back years of disinvestment that has impacted those in her ward.

The garden is designed to inspire and educate, offering workshops on topics like sustainable gardening and cooking with fresh produce. Its long-term goal is to serve as a model for urban

tion garden is located in the West End, near low-income and moderated housing. Around the corner is a senior facility and housing for disabled individuals. Just across the street is the Delmar DivINe.

“This project has the capacity to change this neighborhood in more positive ways than we have seen before,” said Mayor Tishaura Jones. “Nothing says health like fresh food.”

Urban gardening can also

“Shared gardening activities, investment in a collective project, and gatherings that arise as a result of urban garden events can all help people to make connections in the city,” she contends.

“The mental health benefits of community interaction have also been touted by researchers as one way of combating the “loneliness epidemic” that many urban areas are facing.”

The use and maintenance of green spaces for urban farming as a “sponge city” when applied widely across the urban space), and can help to reduce the urban heat island effect.

In the United States, around 54 million people were food insecure and 23.5 million lived in food deserts in 2022, according to the USDA. Food deserts disproportionately affect urban communities, and are also racially distributed, with Black communities the most affected by food deserts and food

Photo courtesy of Seed St. Louis

Guest Editorial

Stop listening to the clout-chasing clowns

By Keith Boykin

Three Black men have dominated the news in recent days for different reasons: Eric Adams, Marcellus Williams, and Mark Robinson. Their stories don’t have much in common, but they reveal much about our country and our politics.

First, Adams, mayor of New York City, was indicted on September 19, 2024, on bribery and corruption charges. Three years ago, when I was living in New York, I refused to vote for him. Even after he was elected, I was still not a fan but gave him four years to prove me wrong. He did not prove me wrong.

Adams is exactly who I thought he would be, and many of us tried to warn New Yorkers. But I remember talking to Black men in Harlem who supported him over a talented Black woman named Maya Wiley, in part because he’s a Black man. For all the lies about Vice President Kamala Harris — that “Kamala is a cop” — Adams actually was a cop, and a former Republican. But many Black men were still willing to support him.

Wesley Bell, a Democrat, and the Democratic appointees on the U.S. Supreme Court, who tried to stop it.

No legal authority gives Biden the power to intervene or pardon Williams in a state murder case. So, if you’re going to criticize Democrats, at least understand how our system of government works.

Third, Mark Robinson, North Carolina’s lieutenant governor, has been outed as a self-hating, hypocritically pornobsessed, Black Nazi who wants to bring back slavery and join the Ku Klux Klan. After all that, Trump and running mate JD Vance refuse to disavow him. This proves the point I’ve made many times that Republicans love Black people…who hate Black people.

Second is Williams, a 55-yearold Black man from St. Louis, my hometown. The state of Missouri executed him last week after the Supreme Court refused to stop his execution, even though the prosecutor said the case against Williams was flimsy and tainted. The NAACP appropriately called the execution a “lynching.”

A 6-3 Supreme Court decision split along party lines: the six conservatives approved his execution, while the three liberals voted to stop it. Donald Trump appointed three of the six conservatives; therefore, if Hillary Clinton had won in 2016 Williams would more than likely still be alive.

Still, some people on social media tried to blame President Joe Biden and V.P. Harris for Williams’s death. That’s a damn lie. Missouri’s Republican governor, Mike Parson, and Missouri’s Republican Supreme Court approved the execution. It was St. Louis County Prosecutor

Too many Americans don’t pay attention to their government until it’s time for a presidential election every four years. But Adams, Williams, and Robinson show what happens when we don’t. Our ignorance makes us susceptible to the click baiters, cynics, opportunists, hoteps, bots, and opps who spread misinformation for clout and pay.

I’ve worked in local, state, and federal government, and I know that governing is complicated. The system is designed to make it easy for the powerful to maintain their power but difficult for the powerless to fight back.

Stop listening to the clout-chasing clowns who don’t know anything about government or politics who try to get you not to vote or to throw away your vote. Stop listening to cynics peddling unrealistic expectations of what can happen in a single term in office and then weaponize your disappointment.

The truth is we can’t win if we don’t participate, and we can’t participate effectively if we don’t know the rules.

“Black Vote, Black Power,” a collaboration between St. Louis native Keith Boykin and Word In Black, examines the issues, the candidates, and what’s at stake for Black America in the 2024 presidential election.

Commentary

New Orleans has lost its matriarch

Though not tall in stature, Sybil Haydel Morial was a tower of grace, kindness, dignity and strength who inspired generations of servant leaders. For the past three decades, she was the matriarch of New Orleans politics. … Sybil was just as tenacious and just as fearless, but in a quiet yet iron-willed way — the epitome of a Steel Magnolia.”

By Marc Morial

America has lost one of the last soldiers in that battle of the 1950s and 1960s that opened doors so we could walk through them.

My family has lost its mother, grandmother and grandmother, Sybil Haydel Morial. But our grief is tempered by our gratitude, and the knowledge that her wisdom, passions, tenacity and love will live on for generations.

My father, Ernest “Dutch” Morial, was a trailblazer: the first Black graduate of Louisiana State University School of Law, the first in Louisiana to be elected or appointed to his many public offices, including mayor of New Orleans, and a major force in the civil rights movement.

But he’d have been nothing without Sybil.

Green Line will help transform St. Louis

By Tishaura O. Jones

St. Louis is about to see a transformation in the ways we all get around.

Between 2024 and 2027, more than $300 million will be invested in repaving and calming our streets, making our sidewalks and crosswalks safer, and building miles of new trails and bike paths.

The most transformational project is the expansion of MetroLink, with the creation of the new Green Line along Jefferson Avenue. It will connect Natural Bridge Avenue in the north to Chippewa Street in the south. This in-street light rail line will provide convenient access to jobs, education, cultural experiences, friends, and family. Ultimately, it will connect more St. Louisans to opportunity.

The MetroLink Green Line will also help preserve and grow the city’s unique neighborhoods. Our residents know better than most that when neighborhoods don’t receive the investment and opportunities they deserve, those neighborhoods will eventually decline. We need to prevent that, and where it’s already happened, we need to reverse it.

This summer, I signed a bill to responsibly loosen restrictions on parking minimums, the maximum number of floors, and the minimum lot sizes in areas within half a mile of the proposed Green Line stations. In these ways, we’re encouraging the use of public transit, we’re reducing barriers to constructing new housing and business dwellings, and we’re increasing density along the Green Line. My administration has also implemented a property tax freeze for seniors, making it easier for them to remain in their homes and benefit from the improvements to the neighborhoods they have helped shape.

To make this all a reality, we hope to secure as much as $600 million in federal funding. The Federal Transit Administration has already approved the expansion project development request, which means we are one step closer to doing just that. Our partners at Bi-State Development are currently working to complete an environmental review and 30% of the design, which is what needs to be done before we can apply for federal funding.

St. Louis residents along this historic corridor - which has the lowest percentage of car owners in the city - deserve more options when getting around. And young families deserve more reasons to move here. They want convenient access to entertainment, restaurants, and jobs. It’s essential for the future of St. Louis that we can attract more families who will establish roots here.

The Green Line isn’t the only transformational change you’ll see and feel in St. Louis City.

Thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act, we are investing $46 million in repaving and improving the designs of 30 miles of arterial streets, including Kingshighway, Grand, Jefferson, Union, and Goodfellow. Paving begins on Kingshighway this fall, with work on all these arterials to be completed by the end of 2026. That means your trips down these roadways will be smoother and safer along the entire route.

Construction of the Brickline Greenway has already begun. Once completed, this Great Rivers Greenway trail for pedestrians and bicyclists will be a vibrant, open, and welcoming network of paths connecting the Arch, Forest Park, Fairground Park and - with the help of a new, protected bike lane on Tower Grove Avenue - Tower Grove Park. Plus, hundreds of destinations in between.

— Clancy DuBos

Convention Center. But as the date of the concert approached, he found that the people he had entrusted to organize it had sold no tickets, booked no musicians, and failed to lock down the venue.

Once again, it was Sybil to the rescue. Headlined by the late jazz legend Lionel Hampton, the concert she organized raised the then-significant sum of $25,000 and saved my father’s campaign.

One of the enduring memories from my early childhood was a serious car accident in one of the most stringently segregated areas of the Jim Crow South, Columbia, Mississippi. My parents, my sister Julie, and I escaped injury, but the brand-new Cadillac my parents had borrowed from Sybil’s father was totaled.

Columnist Marc Morial

My parents had to decide whether we would continue our journey to the NAACP meeting in Chicago, where they would continue planning for the March on Washington. It was Sybil who urged my father to forge ahead. It was Sybil who arranged for us to ride a Trailways bus to a Greyhound bus to a train that would take us to Chicago.

When my father ran for mayor in 1977, his campaign was planning a huge fundraising concert at the Rivergate

The House of Sybil was a no-nonsense place. In the House of Sybil, you were going to school. You were going to church. You did your chores. She was a diplomatic drill sergeant. I see my mother’s many attributes in my siblings, our children, and our children’s children: her keen intelligence, her ease of making friends, and her drill sergeant-like ability to take charge. What I think I inherited was her ability to multitask. She could cook dinner, talk on the phone and help us with homework, all at the same time, without missing a beat, without a hair out of place.

Now she has gone to join her husband, her parents, her siblings. But she also has gone to join her fellow “sheroes” of the movement like Mary McLeod Bethune, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King and Fannie Lou Hamer.

That message is this: “You all have been running things, and we’ve been standing by you. You did some great things, and you made some mistakes. Now it’s time for us to lead, and we expect you to stand by us as we stood by you.”

Marc Morial is president/CEO of the National Urban League.

These changes are essential to making our neighborhoods, and our entire city, safer, stronger, and healthier.

In fact, an economic impact report prepared by the Saint Louis University Community Planning Lab for Citizens for Modern Transit found that the construction of the Green Line will create thousands of jobs and nearly $2.9 billion of cumulative economic activity. That’s not something St. Louis should pass on.

In just a few years, especially once the Brickline Greenway and MetroLink Green Line are completed, St. Louis - with our world-class parks, incredible theater venues, and downtown sports arenas - will be hard to resist. And those of us who already call St. Louis home will get to experience our city in new, safe, and enjoyable ways.

Tishaura O. Jones is mayor of the City of St. Louis

EMERITUS LEADERSHIP

Nathan B. Young (1894-1993) Founder N.A. Sweets

Guest Columnist Tishaura O. Jones

Guest Columnist Keith Boykin

From left,

Citizens for Modern Transit salutes its ‘Champions’

St. Louis American

Citizens for Modern Transit

(CMT recently recognized five “Champions of Transit” during its 40th Annual Meeting, held in downtown St. Louis.

CMT presented the Chairman’s Award to its general counsel Larry Katzenstein; the New Initiatives Award to the City of Fairview Heights and Service Awards to Ten Toe Express walk leader Mary Fran Balmer and longtime Metro Transit employees Eddie Cooley and Bruce Williams.

CMT’s “Champions of Transit” awards are given on an annual basis and designed to celebrate the efforts of organizations,

municipalities and individuals advocating for a safe and effective transit system in the St. Louis region.

Cooley of St. Louis and Williams of Florissant have dedicated their careers to Metro Transit.

Cooley is an 80-year-old, paint shop sander who works daily at Metro Transit’s Central Facility. He has been employed with the transit provider for 51 years.

Williams was a Metro Transit operator for 50 years. Both have participated in Metro’s mentorship program, helping to promote the benefits of working for Metro Transit, and are credited for their commitment and leadership to the transit industry.

Let Freedom Schools ring

By Quintessa Williams

In the mid-1960s, when the Supreme Court ordered the integration of public schools, states in the Deep South were incensed. Many banned Black schools from teaching American history between 1860 and 1875—the years between the start of the Civil War and the end of Reconstruction.

In 2022 when states began placing restrictions on teaching Black history in classrooms, many Black communities found a solution by bringing back Freedom Schools. Missouri is among states that did not have to bring back Freedom Schools. During summer of 2024, Freedom School sites included the Deaconess Center at 1000 N. Vandeventer, Peace UCC at Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, and Beyond Housing at the Legacy Center in Velda City, Missouri. Children, parents, and staff are introduced to a superb collection of books that reflect their own images. The books reflect a variety of cultures and experience and are part of an Integrated Reading Curriculum (IRC) in which books, activities, field trips, and games reinforce each other.

Freedom Schools have a deep-rooted history dating back to the Civil Rights Movement. Initially established during the 1964 Freedom Summer in Mississippi, these schools were created by civil rights organizations like the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in response to the state’s segregated and poorly funded public school system.

Their goal was to educate Black students about their history and Constitutional rights, empowering them to challenge systemic racism in America. The schools offered a curriculum beyond traditional subjects, including civic engagement, Black history, and critical thinking.

Today, the necessity of these schools has resurfaced with urgency.

The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), founded in 1915 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, whose mission was to promote, preserve, interpret, and disseminate information about African American life, history, and culture, has responded by establishing six new Freedom School branches in Florida alone. Additionally, Freedom Schools have expanded beyond the state, with new branches emerging in cities including Dallas, Indianapolis, and Urbana-Champaign, Illinois.

David Wilkins, president of ASALH’s Manasota Branch in Florida, says the decision to relaunch Freedom Schools was a direct answer to the Stop WOKE Act and similar legislation in states like Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.

“We knew it would definitely impact the teaching of our history,” he says.

“Our history has never been taught fully and accurately…which is a direct affront. We didn’t do this to create a separate school…but because it was needed.”

The Children’s Defense Fund, which launched its summer Freedom School program in 1995, released a report in 2023 that found that 84% of Black students in the program felt more academically engaged and confident in themselves based on the Black history curriculum. The CDF also found that nearly 85% of participants either improved or maintained their reading levels — highlighting these programs’ importance in bridging educational gaps.

The resurgence of Freedom Schools is a powerful countermeasure to the growing trend of Black history censorship in public education. These schools are not just filling gaps—they are actively pushing back against the erasure of Black narratives in American history.

Quintessa Williams is a Word in Black reporter and columnist

Your vote matters. It can make a di erence in the fight for things you care about. Like protecting Social Security and getting support for millions of family caregivers.

In the upcoming election, voters 50 and over can put these issues front and center. We’re the largest—and most influential—voting bloc in the country. We have the power to make candidates focus on what is important to us and on the challenges we are facing.

AARP Missouri is standing with you by providing the reliable election information you need to make your voice heard in November. Find out how to register, details on mail-in voting and polling places, plus all the key voting deadlines for Missouri at aarp.org/MOvotes

D’Andre Braddix, chair of Citizens for Modern Transit’s Board of Directors; Chuck Stewart, executive director of Metro Transit; Bruce Williams, Metro Transit operator and recipient of a 2024 Service Award; and Kimberly Cella, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit. Stewart accepted a 2024 Service Award on behalf of paint shop sander Eddie Cooley.

Photo courtesy of Citizens for Modern Transit

Quintessa Williams

Eddie Cooley

Carey-Boyd

Continued from A1

Her commitments to service and volunteerism included serving as president of the Democratic Women Organization in the 1970’s and social action chair/co-chair for the East St. Louis Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. for numerous years. She was elected to the ESTL Library Board, the State Community College Board, and appointed to the East St. Louis Board of Elections. She also ran for the East St. Louis Treasurer’s Office.

“She was very passionate about the political process,” Carey-Boyd said of her mother.

Robert Allen Sr. is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and dedicated postal worker who returned to college to earn a business degree from SIU-Edwardsville.

“My father also worked and retired from the former State Community College as director of the Vocational School. He went on to become the administrator of the Virgil Calvert Nursing Home,” said Carey Boyd.

“He worked as a substitute teacher in various school districts in the Metro-

Harris-Stowe

Continued from A1 here,” she said.

“We are not only opening a building, we are opening a door to possibility. entrepreneurial spirit. It is dedicated to fostering entrepreneurial spirit. Legacy takes a bold step forward here.”

The facility includes rooms for class instruction, conference rooms, and business development areas that include computers and other high-tech equipment to foster current and future entrepreneurs.

“We are not just talking about creating business plans,” said Stacy Gee Collins, interim associate provost of academic affairs and Anheuser-Busch School of Business dean.

“We are creating confidence, and solutions that are important to our community.”

East area for several years until he retired and became the world’s favorite great-grandfather. “

Carey-Boyd and her husband Michael Boyd have two adult children and “I’m the ‘Nana’ to five beautiful and intelligent granddaughters.”

Her daughter is on the ESL NAACP executive committee and a granddaughter serves as the Youth Council president.

Carey-Boyd is a graduate of Assumption Catholic High School in East St. Louis. She earned a Lincoln UniversityMO with a B.S. degree in communication disorders at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., and then a M.S. in speech pathology and a M.S in educational administration from SIU-Edwardsville.

Carey-Boyd later served as Lincoln

Collins said the CIT

“will ensure that underrepresented voices will be heard, especially Black and brown entrepreneurs.”

“This is a launch pad for their voices.’

Kristy Jackson, CIE executive director, shared that Black entrepreneurs face more financial hurdles than other groups of Americans.

“For every dollar raised [by non-Black owned businesses,’ Black owned businesses get a penny,” she said.

“I believe there is a seat at the table for all of us –even if we have to bring our own chair.”

Jason Hall, Greater St. Louis Inc. CEO, said the CIE will help “drive inclusive growth forward.”

“We are at a critical fork in the road. We have got to get inclusion right in this region. This center represents what it means to tear down barriers.”

He acknowledged some

member’s skepticism on the value of inclusion by saying “there are people that want this to fail.’

“The people in this room have got to make sure that it succeeds.’

The CIE is in the former Mill Creek Valley community. In the name of “Urban Renewal,” Black businesses, homes, and professionals were expelled. Approximately 54 blocks were demolished beginning in 1954.

More than 5,600 housing units, 40 churches, and 800 businesses were destroyed.

From that chapter in St. Louis area, Gee said “we are building a legacy that will last for years to come.”

A grand gift from alum

The $1 million donation of Ann E. Price is the largest ever received from an alum of the university and will provide scholarships

University Alumni Association of Missorui president She and her siblings all attended school in East St. Louis and went on to graduate from college.

Carey-Boyd has been ESL NAACP president for three years after serving as first and second vice-president. She has been active with this branch for approximately 14 years.

In her role, she has guided numerous food drives, led protest marches, set up Presidential Watch parties and volunteered with “get out the vote” campaigns.

“[Our NAACP branch] is increasing efforts to get people registered to vote,” she said.

“We are organizing fundraisers to increase funding for organizational programming within our various organizations.”

for HSSU students.

Price was a 1946 graduate of Harris Teachers College who began her career in the segregated St. Louis Public Schools in the late 1940s, serving as a teacher at Banneker Elementary.

She became a leader in reading education, establishing a reading clinic for Black children.

She rose to become Banneker principal, director of curriculum services, and assistant superintendent for elementary schools. She earned her doctorate in education from St. Louis University, specializing in urban curriculum supervision.

“She always spoke highly of Harris-Stowe,” said Price’s niece, Lynette Price McKinney.

“She was a 1946 graduate herself, and she never forgot her roots. It’s no surprise that she left such a generous donation.”

Price-McKinney shared

Carey-Boyd has also served as president and advisor to Jack & Jill of America, Inc. East St. Louis Chapter and president of the East St. Louis Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. She, like her mother, is also a dynamo, organizing Back to School Drives and collecting items for the Women’s Shelter for Battered Women.

“I am very proud of the work we do in East St. Louis. My family’s motto is, “Success is 99% hard work.”

Her chapter is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2024, and her service is historic in that she is the first woman president of the ESL branch since 1966.

“After 100 years of changes and growth, we are stronger than ever,” she said.

“The struggle continues for Black people as we face systematic roadblocks preventing us from having our rightful place in many areas of the workforce, educational opportunities and living spaces.”

Derrick Johnson, national NAACP president and CEO, will serve as guest speaker during the 70th The NAACP East St. Louis Branch Freedom Fund Banquet, 4:30 p.m. Sunday, October 13, 2024, at the Marriott St. Louis Grand 800 Washington Avenue in St. Louis.

that the endowment reflects Price’s “lifelong dedication to education and her strong desire to uplift underserved students.”

“She was always a huge supporter of the underdog. Her love for education was deeply personal. She wanted to help students from the city, particularly African American males pursuing elementary education. She believed in their potential and wanted to remove the financial barriers that so many of them face.”

Price was widely recognized for her contributions to both education and community service. She was the visionary behind Project FORE (Focus on Reaching Excellence), a motivational program that rewarded elementary students for excellence in achievement. Her work as the reading, writing, and spelling instructor on KMOV-TV’s “PS 4”

program also touched the lives of countless individuals across the St. Louis region.

“One woman wrote to tell me how grateful she was because her mother learned to write by watching ‘PS 4,’” Price once recalled. “It brought tears to my eyes—that was an unexpected reward.”

McKinney said her aunt “was always focused on bettering others.”

“Even at 96, she would ask caregivers about their plans for continuing their education. That’s just who she was, always looking forward and always encouraging others to do the same.”

HSSU President Collins said the donation “will not only honor her legacy but will also empower future generations to pursue their educational dreams.”

“Her commitment to equity in education resonates deeply with our mission at HSSU.”

Gathered in this family photo (from top, down) are Ronald Rainey, Robin Carey-Boyd, Dawn (Allen) Howard, Robert H. Allen Jr., Robert H. Allen Sr., and the late Dr. Edna Rowery Allen.

Photo courtesy of Carey-Boyd

community over the years is a testament to the generosity of all of those who have been members of this group,” said Arica and Steven.

“This Divine 9 Challenge will be a continuation of the high standard we’ve set in making sure CCS leads the way in making a positive impact in the community through collective giving.”

The challenge brings together members of the nine historically Black sororities and fraternities in the St. Louis region to support the community by pledging to the United Way Leadership level annual gift of $1,000 or more.

“Since the Charmaine Chapman Society’s inception, they have sought to be a leader in the Black giving community and this dedication has benefitted

Luncheon

Continued from A1

Grand Hotel on Friday.

This year’s theme, “Ready to Build,” highlighted the contributions of local businesses and organizations that demonstrated a strong commitment to the City of St. Louis.

The awardees included, the Passport Cocktail Bar & Bottle Shop, St. Louis Midtown Redevelopment Corporation, the Victor luxury apts., Intertwine Wine Bar on the city’s southside, Garcia Construction, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and WEPOWER, northside youth and senior service center.

Each was recognized for their efforts that are in alignment with the city’s “Economic Justice Action Plan,” which focuses on empowering, developing and transforming the city

millions of people throughout the St. Louis region over the past 30 years,” said Michelle D. Tucker, United Way of Greater St. Louis president and CEO.

“We look forward to our philanthropic leaders celebrating this remarkable 30-year milestone by making this year’s Divine 9 Challenge a special one that will uplift and empower our neighbors.”

The United Way of Greater St. Louis provides stable funding throughout the year to a network of more than 160 local high-performing nonprofits.

They help with immediate basic needs such as food, shelter, and transportation as well as long-term support such as youth programming, education, job training, and counseling. Thirty of the nonprofits served are led by Black CEOs or executive directors.

To support the United Way by making a donation, please visit Helpingpeople.org.

through equitable economic growth.

In his address, Richardson also recognized SLDC’s and the city’s partners, such as Greater St. Louis Inc., St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, the St. Louis Community Foundation, the board of Aldermen and its board president, Meagan Green.

“The economic justice action plan is our blueprint to build a more inclusive, stronger and equitable St. Louis,” Richardson preached. “We need a skilled team to bring that vision to life. These partnerships are critical in building the city’s future. That means we need every partner in this room to make St. Louis what it can be.”

Richardson went on to highlight key city initiatives, such as Scale Up STL-a $2.5 million program created to offer loans to business support

to small businesses and nonprofits; Mobilize STL-a program designed to offer bridge loans to small contractors and suppliers overcome funding delays that come with participation in major projects; and Home STLa program designed to recruit mortgage lenders to assist in the city’s homebuyer assistance program.

He also spoke about the Northside Economic Empowerment Center, a vital resource that has already reached over 4,000 residents and 2000 businesses in North St. Louis and surrounding areas.

Richardson set the stage for Mayor Tishaura O. Jones’ keynote address where she elaborated on other projects that SLDC and Greater St. Louis, Inc. have undertaken over the past year. They included revitalization efforts involving the

Millennium Hotel and the Railroad Exchange Building. She also discussed the initiative “Stable Communities STL,” aimed at addressing the issue of vacant and neglected properties.

Jones announced her administration’s ambitious goal to develop 5,000 affordable market-rate housing units in the City of St. Louis over the next five years.

“Home is where you raise your family, create memories, and build wealth,” Jones told the packed banquet room.

“The ability to acquire and hold affordable housing is crucial to economic justice, and the lack of affordable housing in our city is the root of so many of our problems. If we want St. Louis to prosper and grow, we must create a thriving community where every resident has access to the opportunities they deserve.”

Jones said her administration has already made significant progress in its commitment to address the city’s housing crisis with plans to build thousands of affordable housing units and repair more than 500 dilapidated units-mostly in North St. Louis-in two years.

Most of the city’s revitalization efforts, under Jones, have been accomplished due to the $498 million American Rescue Plan (ARPA) investment.

To achieve the city’s ambitious goals, Jones invited regional and local stakeholders – including businesses, community organizations, and residents – to actively participate in the city’s vital work.

During his time on stage, again using the “rebuilding St. Louis” analogy, Richarson spoke like a home builder:

As he completed his line of “are you ready…” questions, the audience responded with deafening applause. Taking that as an apparent affirmation to his queries, Richarson ended his speech with an aggressive challenge:

“Well then, let’s get to building!”

“Now that we have the right tools and are working on the infrastructure, it’s time for us to stabilize the beams and the pillars that hold everything up.” Richardson then outlined the city’s commitment to spend more than “$65 million to maintain vacant lots because, he said, “the land we build on must be strong.” That amount did not include the city’s commitment to spend an additional $15 million to remove 1,000 vacant structures across the city,” he added.

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

The Charmaine Chapman Society is celebrating its 30th year, and its Divine 9 Challenge is underway. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority inc., and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., won the

respective sorority and fraternity challenges in 2023. From left at a CCS event are Cedric Mitchell, Michelle Tucker, United Way president and CEO, Francella Jackson, and Lathon Ferguson.

Photo courtesy of United Way

‘a

Religion

Faith groups call voting

responsibility for believers’

By Dorothy Boulware Word In Black

For many generations, Christians have been encouraged to participate in the political system despite the “Be in the world, but not of the world” scripture used by many to remain aloof. The Black church, especially, has been the center of prayer and protest, and of Jesus and justice.

The upcoming general election in this country — one tasked with “saving the soul of the country,” as President Joe Biden put it — demands the attention of everyone of good faith to make the country better in whatever way they see fit.

“Don’t complain, Vote” is among the many slogans on front lawns around the nation, along with those who profess the candidate of their choice. According to Voter Registration Sunday more than 15 million Christians are not registered to vote.

So, organizations of varied faiths have aligned themselves to encourage participation by the myriad members of their combined groups.

For some, the message will be emphasized every Sunday through the Nov.5 presidential election.

“I’m preaching about lessons from the Daughters of Zelephedad (Numbers 27) when women’s rights and human rights were on the line,” says Ambassador Suzan Johnson Cook, regarding her Sept. 29 sermon at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Gastonia, North Carolina. She says democracy and women’s rights are on the line for history’s sake. These women woke up, spoke up, got up, and acted upon their condi-

tions. As a result, all the laws were changed to reflect rights for everyone,” she says.

” That’s what this Sunday is about, to do our one ‘Black job’ and go out and vote, to make a difference throughout the land.”

The website Vote Your Faith which facilitates registration, offers information, and a comprehensive tool kit that outlines how to sponsor a voter registration Sunday event at one’s house of worship.

In July, a coalition, Faiths United to Save Democracy began training volunteers to “provide a calming and moral presence for vulnerable voters at in-person polling sites,” according to their website. They did so mainly because the last election, vehemently protested by the Republican candidate for president, was the scene of potential voters being denied access to the polls and of perfectly safe voting places being called unsafe, not to mention the voter identification laws enacted since that election.

“Increasingly violent rhetoric and events throughout the 2024 election has given voters credible concern about violence or intimidation at the polls,” according to the FUSD site. Trained poll chaplains and peacekeepers will be deployed to the most vulnerable polling places. At this point, targeted states are Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin during early voting and on Election Day, Nov. 5.

“God intends for all creation to thrive. The current state of politics emphasizes the importance of protecting the vote for

all people, especially for people of faith. It is crucial to ensure safe access to the polls in all communities,” said Rev. Moya

Harris, director of Racial Justice at Sojourners.

“The involvement of poll chaplains and Peacekeepers is essential in actively safeguarding the vote in local communities. This is integral to our call as

ESL Monitor has new lease on life

But it remains on a deadline

By James Ingram

For the past 61 years the East St. Louis Monitor newspaper has provided its African American readers with a sense of relevance; from the local church announcements, to graduations, births, deaths, political news, celebrations of the City of Champions’ sports heroism, to lauding local “socialites” and organizations of note.

So, it came as quite a shock, to some, when the paper unceremoniously announced, on social media, that it had “permanently closed”; going on to say that “the current business climate has not made it financially sustainable to continue”.

“After careful consideration…The East St. Louis Monitor Newspaper has decided to reopen…and are extremely grateful for the overwhelming support the community has given us…”

That “support” came in the form of outcry from senior citizens who were saddened at the sudden loss of their primary news source, politicians whose outlet for friendly publicity would have been lost, local advertisers who would have been without a platform, and the locally prominent who would have been irrelevant without The Monitor to showcase their stature.

It’s been a poorly kept secret that due to those financial struggles, common in today’s newspaper business, that The Monitor has struggled to attract advertising dollars and, at one point, the owners had attempted to sell the paper, but to no avail.

Locally, the Riverfront Times, in spite of having considerable advertising dollars, had to throw in the towel, selling the paper after a 46-year run. It’s a tough business and even tougher for a black weekly like The Monitor that lacks advertising and relies upon weekly sales of its 4,000 print copies just to survive.

This is particularly daunting in an era where young readers consume their news digitally versus in print form.

But, even more amazing, after a mere two weeks of being ‘closed’, The Monitor, just as unceremoniously, resurfaced with a new edition and “Thank You” to its readers, announcing that

The problem with some of this support is that it is seasonal, in terms of political ads, sporadic, according to sources, in terms of advertising dollars that were owed to The Monitor by some of the very individuals who “guilted” them into re-opening. And I wish The Monitor well. The genesis of my interest in news was as a paper carrier for the now defunct Metro-East Journal. The Monitor was my first gig as a weekly op-ed columnist. The owners are good, decent people with a sense of community.

However, if the Monitor is going to remain open it must change its business model. In short, no advertising on credit or simply because an individual holds a position of power and influence.

Newspapers are, first and foremost, a business that cannot be sustained by nostalgia, sentimentality, black pride and dedication to the community alone. There must be consistent and increased advertising dollars poured into the publication, more subscribers and a viable virtual presence. Otherwise, it will close again and possibly for the final time.

Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com X@JamesTIngram

people of faith — to combat chaos with love and witness.”

In August, about 750 “first ladies,” mostly wives of pastors leading Black churches, convened online to talk about Harris and strategize ways to mobilize voters in their congregations and communities, according to a Religious News report.

Also, more than 16,000 people attended a “Win With the Black Church Kick-Off Organizing Call,” which fundraised for Black Church PAC, an organization that encourages individual Black church leaders to influence the outcome of national, state and local elec-

Ambassador Suzan Johnson Cook dedicated her Sept. 29, 2024, sermon at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Gastonia, North Carolina to the Daughters of Zelephedad (Numbers 27.) She says democracy and women’s rights are on the line for history’s sake, the women in this Bible chapter “spoke up.”

tions.

In the two calls, both sponsored by the Black Church PAC, the primary goal was to secure votes for Harris. Substantial time was devoted to discussing policies embraced by the Biden-Harris administration that oppose Republican proposals, including Project 2025, a series of conservative proposals that some worry will form the foundation of a potential second Trump administration.

“We’re getting behind her, not just because she’ll be the first African American woman or first woman to be president in the United States, but she’s the best candidate to be president of the United States, and she can lead, and she’ll lead with authority and strength and with intelligence and integrity,” said Shawna Watley, the co-host of the First Ladies of Faith United for Kamala Harris National Organizing Call.

“And she’s a woman of faith, which is important to many of

Photo courtesy of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church

Columnist James T. Ingram

‘Taking Care of You’

Affinia, Haven of Grace cook up healthier living recipe

Assisting pregnant, unhoused women

Meagan Scalfano, Affinia Healthcare Manager for WIC and Nutrition Services, and Kristen Gore, Director, Affinia Healthcare WIC program, completed a cooking demonstration as part of the new collaboration with The Haven of Grace. The partnership will provide healthy cooking demonstrations and foods for The Haven of Grace participants.

St. Louis American

Affinia Healthcare and The Haven of Grace are cooking up a new partnership to help pregnant and unhoused women in the St. Louis area.

The nonprofits have partnered to provide monthly cooking and nutrition sessions to current residents of The Haven of Grace, an organization that provides support to pregnant and unhoused women.

The Affinia Healthcare WIC nutri-

tionists will provide the food and other cooking supplies, as well as lead the sessions. The Haven of Grace will select participants and provide the facilities for the sessions. The partnership will run through June 2025.

“We’re helping our moms learn an important life skill — cooking healthy foods for the entire family,” said Affinia Healthcare WIC Director Kristen Gore.

“In our field, we hear it all the time — moms want to make sure that their

families eat healthier but may need additional resources and support to make it happen.”

In addition to cooking demonstrations, this will be an opportunity for the participants to meet and speak with a Registered Dietitian about nutritional concerns. Breastfeeding support will also be offered through the breastfeeding peer counselors.

Program leaders hope the support

See RECIPE, A11

Women must be informed about breast density

New federal rule could save lives

By Dr. Graham A. Colditz

Just in time for Breast Cancer

Awareness Month, many women will begin to see important new information about their breast health on their mammogram reports. A new federal rule now requires that women be informed about the density of their breasts following their mammograms. Breast density is a measure of how much breast tissue and connective tissue is in the breast compared to how much fat tissue. Higher-density breasts have higher amounts of breast and connective tissue. Lowerdensity breasts have more fat tissue.

n With the new rule, women will get a message on their mammogram results that says either, “Your breast tissue is dense” or “Your breast tissue is not dense.”

“Having dense breast tissue is very common, affecting almost half of women getting screening mammograms,” said Dr. Debbie Bennett, chief of breast imaging at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. And dense breast tissue is not a cause for worry or concern. It can, however, mean your mammogram is harder for the radiologist to read, and it also slightly increases your overall risk

See COLDITZ, A11

Kids’ health is at forefront of Child Wellness Summit

‘Every child deserves a foundation to thrive’

By Ashley Winters The St. Louis American

Keeping kids healthy is essential to the overall health and well-being of the region. In pursuit of that goal, representatives from corporations, non-profits and community organizations came together on October 3, 2024, at the Delmar DivINe for a Child Wellness Summit. The summit partners, St. Louis Area Diaper Bank, Operation Food Search, and United 4 Children, seek to unite voices around the state of child wellness in the St. Louis region. The first summit was held in March

2024 and focused on building a collaborative effort that included a legislative update from Kids Win Missouri and work groups. Panelists shared how their organizations are supporting families through policies, initiatives, legislation, and advocacy. The three organizations hope to tackle shared challenges such as food insecurity, diaper need, and childcare. The summit recognized the connections between these issues and realized legislators often overlook how neglecting one could have a ripple effect on families on the other issues. See SUMMIT, A11

Child Wellness Summit panelists Kyra Betts, manager of policy and advocacy at Generate Health STL and Lakesha Robinson, Children, Youth and Families senior advisor at the St. Louis City Mayor’s Office.

Photo courtesy of Affinia Healthcare

Graham A. Colditz

Photo courtesy of Cody Jordan / United 4 Children

Recipe

Continued from A10

and education will lead to families choosing the preparation of more healthy and nutritious meals to maintain a healthier lifestyle.

“We are introducing produce that is not always easily available in our community, and teaching moms how to prepare them in a healthy and flavorful way,” Gore added.

“Food deserts and food insecurity are a huge concern in our service areas. This partnership is just another way that Affinia Healthcare is helping to close the gap and helping patients overcome these barriers.”

Affinia Healthcare’s ‘Food is Medicine’ philosophy is part of its holistic approach to healthcare.

Affinia Healthcare has several food security initiatives and partnerships. The community health center has partnerships with the St. Louis Area Foodbank where it distributes free food to the public at its South Broadway and Biddle Street locations monthly. It also sponsors stops for the St. Louis MetroMarket at the S. Broadway, Biddle and new Ferguson location. The St. Louis MetroMarket brings fresh produce and select groceries to communities considered food deserts.

Affinia centers honored by NCQA

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has recognized five Affinia Healthcare health centers with the Patient-Centered Medical Home honor.

“Our health center staffs have done a fantastic job ensuring residents in our community are receiving

Summit

Continued from A10

“Every child deserves a foundation to thrive,” said Deanna Finch, United 4 Children executive director.

“There is a connection between child care, food insecurity, diaper insecurity, legislation, and funding.” Amy Blouin, founder, president and CEO of the Missouri Budget Project, said financial hardships at the state level are filtering down to street level and it impacts children’s health.

Colditz

Continued from A10

for developing breast cancer at some point.”

With the new rule, women will get a message on their mammogram results that says either, “Your breast tissue is dense” or “Your breast tissue is not dense.”

Because denser breasts may make it harder to see abnormal areas on a mammogram, some women may get extra screening tests that can provide other images of the breasts.

“Depending on how dense your breast tissue is and whether you have any other risk factors for developing breast cancer – such as family history of breast

‘Taking Care of You’

the best care available,” said Takisha Lovelace, vice president/chief operating officer.

“We are humbled and honored for the recognition and know that it is a true team effort to provide high levels of care for our community. It’s a mission we take seriously and will continue to do the work to

She said the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has a $719 million increase request for the state general revenue budget which has already been approved by state legislation.

“Everything beyond required increases is going to struggle,” said Blouin.

“What that means for groundwork is that requests made to lawmakers to appropriate funding for youth services it may be difficult [to receive] this year. It’s going to get worse in years to come before it gets better.”

Panelist Stacy Johnson,

cancer – your doctor may recommend that you have additional imaging tests done to screen for breast cancer,” Bennett said.

“This could include MRI, ultrasound or contrast-enhanced mammograms.”

Such testing can be covered by insurance, but it can vary from plan to plan. So, it’s important to talk to your insurance company or health-care provider about specific costs.

Mammograms, and any additional screening tests, can help find breast cancer early when it can be more effectively treated. While breast cancer is the second most deadly cancer in women, when found and treated in its earliest stage, it can have a very high rate of survival, with over 99% of women living at

ensure our patients receive the best care possible.”

The NCQA PatientCentered Medical Home program reflects the input of the American College of Physicians (ACP), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and American

chief program officer and Head Start director, understands how low funding impacts those in need.

Last year her program spent $14,000 on diapers for families that attend the Head Start program she oversees.

Her office is struggling trying to figure out the demand around diaper insecurity.

“Is it the soaring price on diapers or should state legislation eliminate taxes on diapers?” It’s a silent crisis,” said Johnson when describing the number of families that her office aids in getting diapers and baby formula.

Osteopathic Association (AOA) and others.

The NCQA PatientCentered Medical Home standards emphasize the use of systematic, patient-centered, coordinated care that supports access, communication and patient involvement.

“NCQA PatientCentered Medical Home

In Johnson’s opinion, the Women, Infants, and Children program commonly known as WIC has not measured up to what families need.

“Formula from WIC is not enough in a month to feed a baby,” she said.

She believes resources are not being replenished for the greater community including formula and diapers.

Kyra Betts, manager of policy and advocacy at Generate Health STL said, “There is not enough money in this state for all of us to be well.”

Betts points to the health gap that impacts

least five years after being diagnosed.

No matter their level of breast density, all women should get a mammogram every year, with most starting at age 40. Women at higher risk of breast cancer may need to begin

screening earlier, so it’s important to talk to a doctor about your risk factors for breast cancer. There are benefits of doing this at any age, but ideally it should be done by age 30.

Taking healthy steps to help prevent breast cancer

Kristen Gore, director, Affinia Healthcare WIC program, pops a dish into the over during a cooking demonstration at Haven of Grace. The partners are providing cooking demonstrations and nutrition education for pregnant and unhoused mothers.

Recognition raises the bar in defining high-quality care by emphasizing access, health information technology, and coordinated care focused on patients,” said NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane.

“Recognition shows that Affinia Healthcare has the tools, systems and resources to provide its patients with the right care, at the right time.”

expecting Black moms and the infant mortality rate. She said not having attainable access to healthy food, quality health care, reliable transportation, and adequate housing affects pregnant women and the baby they are carrying.

“Every single aspect of a woman’s life impacts her pregnancy,” she added. However, there are some hopes for the future because of the work that is being done in the St. Louis region.

LaKesha Robinson, Children, Youth & Families senior advisor at the St. Louis City Mayor’s

is also important, regardless of breast density, Bennett said. Around half of breast cancer cases could be avoided with healthy behaviors. Most of these may sound familiar, but they can have an important impact on risk – and even small changes can lead to large benefits over time. These healthy behaviors include:

• Keeping weight gain in check

• Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans

• Not drinking alcohol

• Being physically active

• Staying smoke-free or getting smoke-free

Breast cancer touch-

Affinia Healthcare has health centers in North and South St. Louis, Pagedale, and Ferguson. The community health center also operates school-based clinics in three area school districts, and other satellite locations.

Office, said more organizations are collaborating to tackle issues that negatively impact children and families.

She highlighted communities that have seen at least five decades of disinvestment that are now seeking funding to rebuild and generate wealth– helping neighborhoods get out of survival mode so they can now begin to thrive. “We are at the precipice of something great,” said Robinson

Ashley Winters is a Report for America reporter for the St. Louis American.

es many of us to some degree, whether it’s personally or through family or loved ones. A positive note, though, is that there are steps to help manage or lower the risk. And Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a great reminder of that and the benefits of working toward better breast health.

Dr. Graham A. Colditz, associate director of prevention and control at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is an internationally recognized leader in cancer prevention and the creator of the free prevention tool YourDiseaseRisk. com

Photo courtesy of Affinia Healthcare

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

Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 618-910-9551

Boeing scientist Jordan Monette teaches students at The St. Louis American’s Summer Science Academy

how to create a paper airplane that will stay airborne for the longest length of time.

FAMILY SPOTLIGHT SCIENCE STARS

SCIENCE CORNER

Do you love insects? You’re not alone. Entomology is the scientific study of insects, and the people who study them are called entomologists. The Entomological Society of America (ESA) is a professional organization that was created to help entomologists share research and resources. The International Association of Black Entomologists (IABE) is an association created to help promote the study of entomology among minorities. They often have individual meetings during ESA conferences.

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

In this experiment, you will see how temperature affects bug activity in your community. This is the perfect experiment for fall and spring with wide variations in temperature.

Materials Needed:

• Outdoor Garden Area (this can even include landscaping of plants around the building)

• Notebook • Pencil • Outdoor Thermometer Process:

z Ants can lift up to five times their body weight. If an ant weighed 1.5 mg, how much weight could it lift? ______

x A Monarch butterfly flies about 80 miles per day. So far it has flown 45 miles.

The equation 80 – m = 45, m represents the number of miles it has yet to fly that day. Find the solution to the equation.

The IABE has four goals: 1. To foster communication among black entomologists, 2. Organize meetings/events for black entomologists during ESA annual meetings, 3. Assist in the recruitment, retention, and advancement of blacks in entomology graduate programs and careers, and 4. Promote the science of entomology and entomology-related careers in the black community.

q Find an outdoor garden area to observe. Does your school have flowers or plants around the building? That will be an ideal area.

There are two types of

membership: student and non-student. Members of IABE include professors, researchers, teachers, students, and scientists from numerous agencies. IABE is open to all people who support their goals. The purpose of IABE is to encourage minority students to seek a degree in entomology and to offer support in finding a career.

To learn more about entomology and how to identify bugs, visit: https://www.amentsoc. org/insects/what-bug-is-this/.

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

African-American Entomologist Dr. Rizana Mahroof

Meet Dr. Rizana Mahroof, an entomologist and professor for the Department of Biological Sciences at South Carolina State University. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Next, she earned her Master of Philosophy in Entomology from the University of Edinburgh, UK. Finally, she earned her PhD in Entomology from Kansas State University. She has also received a diploma in computer science from IDM Computer Studies Limited, Sri Lanka. Mahroof’s research focuses on pest control to help preserve food. Pesticides are chemicals used that kill pests that feed on crops, but they can be very dangerous to the environment and the water supply. They can cause disease in people and animals. Mahroof researches the insects that attack crops and the safety of methods used to eliminate those insects and preserve the crops.

The U.S. Agency for International Development funded a project called Feed the Future Innovation Lab for the Reduction of PostHarvest Loss. Many communities face hunger when their crops are lost due to insects and pests. Mahroof was part of the team that traveled to Ethiopia and Guatemala to complete work for this project.

w Take a notebook and pencil outside and observe for 15-20 minutes. What is the outside temperature? Is it cloudy or sunny? What types of bugs do you see? Are they crawling or flying? Are they active or inactive?

e Choose a second day to observe (with different weather). Answer the same questions as #2.

r Analyze and draw conclusions. How did temperature affect the bug activity?

Mahroof has published numerous articles in scientific journals and has contributed to textbooks. She has won many awards, including: University Professor of the Year from South Carolina State University in 2012, Best Professional Presentation at the 59th Annual Meeting of the South Carolina Entomological Society, and the South Carolina State University MANRRS Faculty Achievement Award.

Learning Standards: I can follow directions to complete an experiment. I can analyze and draw conclusions. I can make text-to-world connections.

Buggy Math!

c A queen army ant can lay 135,326 eggs in five days. How many eggs can a queen lay in one month?

v On a field trip, Melvin visited an insectarium at the zoo. He took pictures of 18 species of ants, and 15 species of butterflies. If there are 330 species of ants and butterflies at the insectarium, what percent of insects did Melvin capture in his pictures?

Learning Standards: I can read a biography about an African American who has made contributions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

b A harlequin beetle lays eggs in trees. She can lay up to 20 eggs over 2 or 3 days. After the first day, she has laid 8 eggs. If she lays 20 eggs in all, how many eggs will she lay in the second and third day combined?

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

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

Activities —

Plural Words: Find and clip five plural words from the newspaper. Write their root word next to each of the plural words.

Newsworthy: Find a story in the newspaper and read it. Answer the following questions: When did the story take place? Where did the story take place? What happened? Who was involved? Why is it newsworthy?

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can identify root words. I can find the key details of a news story and explain why it is newsworthy.

An open letter to the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Community in Missouri

In recent weeks, there has been a lot of confusion about our negotiations with Mercy in Missouri. We believe our community deserves the facts.

How we got here

On August 31, Mercy informed us they would be leaving Anthem and its affiliated companies’ networks for all programs at the end of 2024. Prior to this notification, Anthem and Mercy had been negotiating for months to renew our contract to keep Mercy’s doctors and facilities in our members’ health plans at fair and reasonable rates.

What’s at stake

During our negotiations, Mercy demanded drastic increases in the prices they charge our members and employers for healthcare services. Over the next two years, Mercy wants to increase the prices they charge by five times the current inflation rate. These price hikes would mean dramatically higher costs for healthcare services at Mercy. Eighty percent of our members are covered by employers who pay their employees’ medical bills directly – meaning employers would feel the full burden of Mercy’s drastic price increases.

A dangerous negotiating tactic

Concerningly, Mercy is also threatening to cut off access to healthcare with their doctors and facilities for our most vulnerable populations – Medicaid and Medicare Advantage members. Disrupting patient care and driving drastic price increases is counter to Mercy’s mission of providing compassionate, high-quality care.

Anthem wants Mercy doctors and facilities in our health plan network

Anthem has a long history with Mercy, and we want them to remain in our networks to serve our membership. We remain committed to reaching a new agreement. As demonstrated by our commitment, we have offered Mercy annual payment increases, more than the current rate of inflation, each year for a multi-year period. Every offer we have made has been rejected. We will continue to negotiate in good faith, but we refuse to put our members or their healthcare providers in the middle of this negotiation.

Mercy remains in-network with Anthem through the end of 2024

If Mercy chooses to become an out-of-network option starting January 1, 2025, we are ready to help our members transition to one of the thousands of alternative innetwork care providers. For those with serious and complex medical conditions, we will ensure they can continue their care with their current Mercy doctor. Above all, we will continue to protect access to high-quality, affordable care for all Missourians.

For help, Anthem members may contact us using the number on the back of their Anthem ID card or visit Anthem.com/MercyMO

A big way to help youths

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri launches Mentors Matter program

Recruitment. BBBSEMO has launched a program entitled “Mentors Matter,” which is designed to cultivate resilience, leadership, and shared learning.

By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American

Young people who had mentors set higher educational goals and are more likely to attend college than those without mentors, according to a 2020 research Department of Education study “Youth Mentoring: Do Race and Ethnicity Really Matter?”

They are also more likely to take on leadership roles in school and civic organizations and on athletic teams.

Lindsey Saint Phar recently stated in her analysis article, ‘The Importance of Mentorship in the Black Community,’ that mentorship is important in any demographic.

“When speaking of the Black community specifically, it can be hard

n “This opportunity helps us close the gap and serve more youth than before.”

–Kristen Slaughter, BBBSEMO’s president & CEO

to navigate the many obstacles that America has given us,” said Phar, who serves as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts racial equity committee member and match support coordinator.

“Given the overall biases in the media and some of the negative portrayal of the Black community, it is

important for young Black kids to see Black success stories.”

Closer to home, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri (BBBSEMO) has launched the Mentors Matter program to cultivate resilience, leadership, and shared learning.

It will be renamed by its participants, young men from marginalized communities who will receive specialized support and wrap-around services.

This opportunity helps us close the gap and serve more youth than before,” said Kristen Slaughter, BBBSEMO’s president & CEO.

“Our mission is to effectively serve the diverse range of youth and families in our community. We continue to look

See BBBSEMO, B2

Yusef Scoggin loves serving his native St. Louis

St. Louis American

Yusef Scoggin new job as Delmar DivINe Charitable Foundation executive director is close to his heart and home.

A dedicated native St. Louisan who has served in government and non-profit roles, Scoggin resides with his family in the west end neighborhood where The Delmar DivINe is located at the former St. Luke’s Hospital.

“Delmar DivINe’s mission and impact are an important nexus in bridging and strengthening our community. Its commitment to community development and equity strongly aligns with my personal and professional values,” said Scoggin.

“I look forward to leveraging the good work started by our founder and board, while leading our strategic efforts to forge a strong future for Delmar DivINe, the West End and the St. Louis region.”

Scoggin joins Delmar DivINe after serving as the CEO of Covenant House Missouri. The non-profit offers housing, education, job training, mental health services, and more to help young people overcome the challenges of homelessness and transition to a more stable future.

He also brings experience in human services leadership in St. Louis City and St. Louis County.

Thompson named as Lifetime Achiever

Tony Thompson

Tony Thompson, founder, chair and CEO of Kwame Building Group, will receive the 2024 St. Louis Construction Consortium Lifetime Achievement Award during Supplier Diversity Day at 4 p.m. Wednesday, October 16, at St. Louis Community College Forest Park, 5600 Oakland Ave. Thompson holds a MSc in Civil Engineering from Washington University, an MBA in Finance from Webster University, and a BSc in Architectural Engineering and BA in Environmental Design, both from the University of Kansas.

Stable is new YWCA Metro St. Louis COO

Adriana Stable has joined YWCA Metro St. Louis as chief operations officer, bringing experience in education and community engagement to her new role. She formerly served as KIPP regional director of operations and was a former assistant principal of operations at KIPP Colorado Public Schools where she managed day-to-day operations, ensuring compliance and supporting the educational mission. “Growing up below the poverty line, it was the people, the advocates, and the champions around me that helped me become who I am today,” said Stable.

STLCC professor helps guide U.S. Cyber Team

STLCC professor helps guide U.S. Cyber Team Phylis Davis, associate professor of information systems at STLCC, has helped select members of a national STEM team to compete in two international cybersecurity competitions. The European Cybersecurity Challenge began Monday, Oct. 7, and ends on Oct. 11, 2024, in Turin, Italy. It is hosted by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity. The team then travels to Santiago, Chile, for the International Cybersecurity Challenge, Oct. 28-Nov. 1.

Publisher Elinor Tatum honored by E&P

Elinor R. Tatum

R.

publisher and editor-inchief of the New York Amsterdam

has been named 2024 Publisher of the Year by Editor & Publisher magazine. Tatum, who has been with the Amsterdam News for 30 years, was honored for her visionary leadership and pivotal role in shaping the future of Black journalism.

He served as the director of the department of human services for the city of St. Louis. He has also functioned as director of the Office of Family & Community Services for the St. Louis County Department of Human Services.

With 15 years of nonprofit experience in St. Louis, Scoggin is familiar with the needs of the most vulnerable and brings experience in health care, real estate

Yusef Scoggin resides in a west end neighborhood of St. Louis and has dedicated his career to serving all members of the region through governmental and non-profit work. Scoggin has been named executive director of the Delmar DivINe Charitable Foundation.

Photo courtesy of Covenant House Missouri

Adriana Stable

Andre Walker is a volunteer mentor, or “Big Brother,” at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri and Ericka Sanders is vice president of Community Outreach and Mentor

Photo by Miya Norfleet / St. Louis Public Radio

Elinor

Tatum,

News

Phylis Davis

BBBSEMO

Continued from B1

for innovative ways to increase our reach and deliver specialized services to meet our youth where they are.

“We are on pace to connect with 9,000+ youth and families this year; we are attracting more young men from marginalized communities than we can serve with the current roster of volunteers. This opportunity helps us close the gap and serve more youth than before.”

Dr. Kelvin Adams, St. Louis Community Foundation president and CEO and former Saint Louis Public Schools superintendent, organized and led a special advisory board for this initiative.

The board used the knowledge and experience of the positive outcomes achieved when youth from

Scoggin

Continued from B1

development and management, housing and human services.

“Yusef will be an outstanding leader for the Delmar DivINe team as we continue to impact the St. Louis region and begin the phase 2 renovation of the campus in 2025,” said Mary McKay, chair of the Delmar DivINe Charitable Foundation board.

“He has deep relationships with many agencies and neighborhoods in our region that will be a great asset as we embark on our newest strategic priorities.”

Scoggin graduated magna cum laude from Xavier University in New Orleans and has

marginalized communities are paired with mentors and peers who share lived cultural experiences and backgrounds

“Dr. Adams is an invaluable partner. He has an accomplished and storied history of serving the St. Louis community and investing in youth and families,” said Slaughter.

“When we were looking into the challenges we were facing, we knew we needed an expert and partner who believes in our work and brought an acute familiarity and understanding of the challenges that impact young men from marginalized communities in this region.

BBBSEMO’s first cohort will be comprised of males, ages 10-14, who live in the St. Louis metro area. The program will include two-to-three hours of 1-to-1 mentorship with each youth. Sessions will focus on teaching life and academic skills, nurturing and promoting individual strengths, talents, and abilities, and ensuring physical and emotional well-being.

“As superintendent, for 14 years, I was always concerned with the needs of the individual student while navigating the needs

a doctorate in medicine from University MissouriColumbia School of Medicine.

He serves on the Barnes Jewish Hospital Behavioral Health Advisory Board and Park Central Development Corporation Board. He is also co-chair of St. Louis Area Regional Commission on Homelessness, Chair of the St. Louis County Continuum of Care, and Chair of the Central West End Southeast Special Business District.

Scoggin will succeed Jorge Riopedre, founding executive director, on October 14, 2024. Riopedre announced his departure effective Nov. 1.

“Jorge Riopedre was an incredible partner in launching the Delmar DivINe. I wish him the best in his future endeav-

of the entire district. This partnership allows me and the advisory board to support the specific, targeted needs of individual students through a mentoring support system,” said Adams.

The students will benefit from a consistent,

n “I am very excited to have Yusef join our team and to learn from him. His experience in so many of the fields our tenants work in as well as being a neighbor and an experienced real estate developer will add greatly to our vision and impact. The best for the Delmar DivINe is yet to come.”

– Maxine Clark

ors,” said Maxine Clark, founder and chief inspirator of Delmar DivINe and Delmar DivINe Charitable Foundation Board president.

“I am very excited to have Yusef join our team and to learn from him. His experience in so many of the fields our tenants work in as well as being a neighbor and an experienced real estate

developer will add greatly to our vision and impact. The best for the Delmar DivINe is yet to come.”

The Delmar DivINe is home to 33 nonprofits in the education, health, mental health and community development space as well as service retail partners namely the St. Louis Community Credit Union, Greater Health Pharmacy, SSM Express Clinic, an

long-term relationship with a dedicated professional mentor. When I was a young student, my relationship with my mentor changed my life. I believe it can be life-changing for others.”

Jamal E. Bailey is the program director, and his is joined by three fulltime community-based mentoring managers, and a full-time resource case manager.

While the Mentors Matter program is new, mentoring has been part of BBBSEMO for years.

In January 2024, National Mentoring Month, it held a Mentor Fest to celebrate its work and recruit mentor volunteers.

Andre Walker told St. Louis on the Air on KWMU he wants to be an example of a successful “everyday Black man” to his mentee — or “Little Brother.”

“I’ve noticed that a lot of our [Black] youth, they

Edward Jones financial services office and the Delmar DivINe.

St. Luke’s Hospital opened in 1904, and its city location was closed in 1979. From 1979 to 1997 it was Regional Hospital and then Connect Care until its closing in 2013.

Clark reimagined the campus as the Delmar DivINe, a home for nonprofit agencies serving the metropolitan area as well as neighborhood needed retail services, conferencing facilities, a neighborhood gathering spot and affordably priced and energy efficient housing for the region.

Its first tenants began operation in fall 2021 and the campus was fully occupied by spring of 2022.

The Delmar DivINe also houses The Node

tend to [gravitate] towards the athletes or the entertainers because that’s what they see on their phones, on social media, on all of these different platforms,” Walker said.

“I know with me and my mentee, just from some of the conversations that we’ve had, he has been able to see another way for him. And it’s opened up so many doors already for his path.”

Ericka Sanders, vice president of Community Outreach and Volunteer Recruitment said data supports the importance of mentors.

“85% of our alumni graduate high school,” Sanders said.

“[Former mentees] either go on to higher education, they go straight into what we hope is gainful employment for them, or they even look into [enlisting in] the military.”

co-working space which is open to the public. The Residences at Delmar DivINe operate 150 apartments on the property. In 2023 Ameren partnered with the Delmar DivINe to add a solar roof to its parking lot that provides lower cost electrical resources to about 35 homes in the West End. More than 1000 people live, work, meet and access the public facilities at the Delmar DivINe. Phase 2 will include additional office space and 81 apartments. Construction is planned to begin in 2025. The Delmar DivINe is operated by the Delmar DivINe Charitable Foundation.

“I am truly honored to be Delmar DivINe Charitable Foundation executive director, said Scoggin.

n “I’d say it’s like the band is back together.”

– Receiver JuJu SmithSchuster on he and running back Kareem Hunt reuniting with the Kansas City Chiefs

InSIdE SportS

With Earl Austin Jr.

Big road shows await DeSmet, Lutheran North

Ritter to clash with Miege

Intriguing matchups that highlight the seventh week of the high school football season include DeSmet’s trip to Jefferson County to take on the Festus Tigers. Festus enters the week at 6-0, but the Tigers are stepping up in weight class to take on the powerful Spartans, who are one of the top Class 6 programs. Kick-off is at 6 p.m.

Perennial small-school powers Lutheran North and Maryville will play their annual mid-season game. Saturday’s contest will be played at Chillicothe at 1 p.m.

On Friday night, undefeated Cardinal Ritter will take on Bishop Miege, which has been one of the top programs in Kansas for many years. Kick-off is at 7 p.m.

Standout performers from Week 6

Running back Messiah Smith of Parkway North scored four rushing touchdowns in the Vikings 53-21 victory over Parkway South.

Quarterback Jeremy Ingrum of Jennings passed for 220 yards and three touchdowns in the Warriors 46-15 victory over Duchesne.

Running back Jordan Taylor of SLUH rushed for 184 yards and two touchdowns in the Jr. Bills 21-20 victory over

Lutheran

running back Mike Hall (4) picks up yards on MICDS during their 28-13 victory

Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024 at Country Day School.

Vianney.

Quarterback Nick McClellan rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 193 yards and a touchdown in the Cadets 37-23 victory over Lipscomb (TN).

Quarterback Jayden Ellington of Althoff passed for 330 yards and six touchdowns in the Crusaders 34-14 victory over Collinsville.

Quarterback Preston Brown of Hillsboro passed for 358 yards and four

touchdowns and rushed for 105 yards and three touchdowns in the Hawks 64-24 victory over Windsor.

Linebacker Aneas Smith of Fort Zumwalt North had three quarterback sacks in the Panthers’ 52-14 victory over Fort Zumwalt East.

What’s on tap for Week 7

Friday, October 11

CBC at Vianney, 6 p.m.

SLUH at Chaminade, 6 p.m. Fort Zumwalt West at

Troy, 7 p.m.

Orchard Farm at Principia, 7 p.m.

DeSmet at Festus, 7 p.m.

Mehlville at Oakville, 7 p.m.

Ritenour at Webster Groves, 7 p.m.

Bishop Miege at Cardinal Ritter, 7 p.m.

Eureka at Lafayette, 7 p.m. Belleville East at Edwardsville, 7 p.m.

Triad at Highland, 7 p.m.

Marquette at Kirkwood, 7 p.m. Alton at East St. Louis,

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

7 p.m.

Saturday, October 12 Lutheran North vs. Maryville at Chillicothe, 1 p.m. Hazelwood East at McCluer North, 1 p.m. Lift for Life at Roosevelt, noon

Earl’s World

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Public High League basketball legend Jim Gant, who recently passed away. Gant was a star player at

Hadley Tech. In 1962, he helped Hadley Tech make history as it became the first all-Black team from the PHL to advance to the Final Four of the state tournament. Gant also enjoyed a tremendous collegiate career at Missouri State University, where he scored 1,316 points…. Gant was best known for his coaching career at Central High in the 1970’s and early 80’s and later at Roosevelt. If you enjoyed up tempo, fast-breaking, scoreboard busting basketball, then you enjoyed a Jim Gant coached team. Central was a dormant program when he took over in the early 1970’s. He quickly transformed the Redwings into one of the top programs in the state. He led the Redwings to nine PHL championships, five district titles and three Final Four appearances….Those great Central teams in 1974 and ‘75 were led by the duo of Johnnie Parker and Arthur McFadden Central returned to the Final Four, led by the trio of Richard “Bird” Hamilton, Reggie Clabon and Chuckie White Gant’s most entertaining team came in 1981 when the Redwings, led by legendary point guard Daryl “Pee Wee’ Lenard, averaged more than 100 points a game. I witnessed a few of those games in person. The pace at which that ‘81 team played was breathtaking….Gant was also a stylish coach who made a fashion statement every time he walked the sidelines. His clothing style rivaled New York Knicks guard Walt Frazier. He also coached with a chip on his shoulder as he filled reporters’ notebooks with brash quotes.. He was confident in himself and his teams and he wasn’t shy about letting everyone know about it. Jim Gant was one of a kind.

Cardinals will error if team ignores Black fans

Many of the so-called “Best Fans in Baseball” found something else to do rather than attend a St. Louis Cardinals game in 2024. According to Major League Baseball and the Cardinals, 2.8 million fans attended games at Busch Stadium III, marking the first time since the stadium opened in 2006 less than 3 million took in a game.

experience at their ballparks.”

Fewer fans translate to fewer dollars for Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt II, and his son team president Bill DeWitt III. The latter announced during a season-closing press conference that the team is investigating ways to “improve and freshen up the game day experience.” This will include a “comparative analysis that examines ways in which other teams have had success in innovating the

I have a suggestion for the Cardinals: Find ways to attract more Black and brown fans to the game. I’ve attended games in St. Louis, Chicago (Cubs and White Sox), Detroit, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta in the last five years. In each stadium, the respective crowds were more diverse than St. Louis.’ This is an unscientific study based on what I have seen at Busch Stadium and other ballparks. If the Cardinals disagree with my assessment, I welcome a statistical breakdown of fans by race in Busch Stadium over the past few seasons. On Opening Day, the Cardinals were the lone MLB team with three starting Black players –shortstop Masyn Winn, and outfielders Jordan Walker and Victor Scott II.

However, there were more Black fans at games I attended at Wrigley Field and Guaranteed Rate Park (this year) than in St. Louis. The respective Cubs and White Sox didn’t have a Black player on their roster when the season opened. There is a disconnect in St. Louis between the team and Black fans. The Cardinals need to find a way to fix that – and fast. MLB had a record-low in Black participation at 5.6% according to the annual USA TODAY survey released on Jackie Robinson Day, April 15. The lack of Black players obviously is a factor in lack of Black fans.

When I discuss the number of Black fans at Cardinal games with Black people the “I don’t feel welcome” philosophy often is shared. The Cardinals must deal with this, even if the franchise refuses to believe it’s true. Here’s an example; Ask a Black fan if they must show proof of their seat number when returning to a field-level seat after buying food or visiting a rest room. Many say yes, adding that white fans come-and-go as they please. This happened to me, my daughter and son-inlaw while we were at a White Sox game in Busch Stadium this year. My

son-in-law is white, but he was with my daughter and me. We laughed and called it, “guilt by association.” It’s petty but it’s real, Cardinals. A 5% increase in Black fans at Busch Stadium would bolster the Cardinals’ bottom line. Hopefully, the team is considering this because Opening Day 2025 will be here before we know it.

The Reid Roundup Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward is the nation’s best at the position based on statistics and his heroics in bringing his team back from a 35-10 deficit to defeat Cal 39-38. Ward leads the country with 2,219 passing yards and 20 touchdowns while completing 69.2% of his attempts with just five interceptions… Boise State running back Ashton

Jeanty became the Heisman Trophy front-runner after the No. 21 Broncos’ blasted Utah State 62-20 on Saturday. Jeanty racked up 186 yards and three touchdowns on just 13 carries. His five-game totals are 1,031 yards and 16 touchdowns and an astonishing 10.9 yards per carry… St. Louis native Kyren Williams had his best game of the season last Sunday, rushing for 102 yards on 22 carries with one touchdown, But, a costly fumble, his first of the season, helped the Green Bay Packers top the L.A. Rams 24-19…The New York Mets postseason surge has them tied with Philadelphia 1-1 in a National League Division Series. Unfortunately, St. Louisan Devin Williams’ ninth-inning meltdown in relief led to the Mets’ 4-2 Wild Card Series clinching win. “I couldn’t come through for the boys. No one feels worse than I do.”

Earl Austin Jr.

Alvin A. Reid

North

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker

Lincoln U. enrollment, retention rates rise

Academic achievement is up as well

St. Louis American

More students are in classrooms, in-person and online, at Lincoln University of Missouri, in Jefferson City during the 2024 fall semester.

The HBCU reports a 14.17% increase in overall enrollment compared to fall 2023, with total enrollment for fall 2024 reaching 2,054. This mark is the highest since 2019, with full-time student enrollment growing from 1,143 to 1,440. It is a 15.85% increase.

New student enrollment has rose to 848, marking a 27.33% rise compared to fall 2023. International students now comprise 9% of the Lincoln University student body. The university also saw significant growth in full-time graduate student enrollment, reflecting continued interest and success in advanced degree programs.

Lincoln University also increased retention rates, climbing from 49% in

Nine employees of World Wide Technology were honored during the 29th Annual Women of Color STEM Conference on October 3-5 in Detroit and online.

2023 to 59.2% in 2024. This is the highest retention rate in 27 years.

Academic success is also rising at Lincoln, including an 11% increase in Dean’s List achievements and a 14% rise in students in good academic standing from spring 2022 to spring 2024. These improvements are coupled with a 25% decrease in the number of students on probation or suspension.

Average GPAs have risen across all demographics since 2021, with an 11.98% increase among firsttime freshmen. African

American students have seen a 7.17% rise in average GPA, while male and female students have experienced increases of 5.43% and 5.14%, respectively.

The university has introduced 100% online graduate and certificate programs, which include a Master of Business Administration, a Master of Arts in Higher

Education with an HBCU concentration, a Master of Education in School Administration and Supervision for K-12 educators, as well as

certificate programs in Cybersecurity, EMT, GIS and Mental Health for First Responders. This academic year also marks the inaugural year

of Lincoln’s University College, an initiative designed to provide a comprehensive and supportive academic environment. University College

WWT employees honored at STEM conference

This conference, in conjunction with Women of Color magazine, awards the significant impact that women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields are making in their industries today.

Since 1995, The Women of Color STEM Awards has

been the premier forum for recognizing the contributions of leading women in STEM alongside offering valuable career networking opportunities.

This year’s WWT Women of Color STEM award winners include:

Technology All-Star Category

• Dr. Sanaz Cordes, Chief Healthcare Advisor

• Dr. Leslie Okere, Lead Technical Operations Manager

• Nancy Pinkins, Senior Proposal Manager

for

and

‘L’ is for Lincoln

Lincoln University in Jefferson City recorded a 14.17% increase in overall enrollment compared to fall 2023, with total enrollment for fall 2024 reaching 2,054. The 15.85% increase is the highest since 2019. New student enrollment has rose to 848, marking a 27.33% rise.

will focus on enhancing the first-year experience, offering academic advising, tutoring and support services aimed at helping students succeed.

• Nikie Sarma, Digital Program Director

• Sukhi Gill, Director, Diversity Business Development

Technology Rising-Star Category

• Bunty Agrawal, Strategic Engagement Manager

• Candace Berry, Senior Project Manager

• Esha Sama, Senior Program Manager, Global Service Provider

• Zalika Miller, Client Manager, EMEA Global Service Provider

Photo courtesy of Lincoln University

Living It

“I do look for a beautiful smile.”

Grant Ellis, the second Black bachelor on the ABC series “The Bachelor, scheduled to air in January 2025

On the water in Athens

Cruising through the best of Greek culture

By Fred Sweets Of The St. Louis American

For those who love being near historical waters, be it the Mighty Mississippi or the Missouri River, or even Carlyle Lake, American Travels suggests a getaway to Athens. Not Georgia, not Texas, but Greece – the real one.

n I’m not a cruise guy. But after my experience aboard the ILMA, I’m ready for any itinerary The RitzCarlton Yacht Collection launches.

Combine it with a cruise through the cobalt/turquoise/azure/blue waters of the Aegean Sea, where your eyes question whether you’re actually seeing 200 feet to the bottom. It’s a step back in time to ancient Greece, where one of the oldest civilizations comes alive at locations throughout Athens. And it continues on every island I visited. Mykonos, Patmos, Rhodes, Santorini, and Milos were on the itinerary. Each had a unique feature to explore, and thanks to the schedule of the yacht ILMA, a part of the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection on its second sailing, not enough time to take it all in properly. An impractical suggestion would be two day stopovers instead of one long day. One of the more exciting stops en route to those beautiful islands was Kusadasi, Türkiye, also known in earlier times as Ephesus. I’m not a cruise guy. But after my experience aboard the ILMA, I’m ready for any itinerary The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection launches. The service, the five restaurants, the fabulous rooms, each with a balcony just couldn’t be beat. The most important part is the reasonable size. Maximum capacity is 448 passen-

See Travel, C6

Maxwell’s STL love

Serenade Tour comes to Enterprise Center on Sunday

By Kenya Vaughn The St. Louis American

It’s par for the course for a music star to sing the praises of the next city on their tour. But the adoration that Grammy winner and R&B/soul staple Maxwell has for St. Louis is real – and deep.

As he talked about bringing his Serenade Tour with Jazmine Sullivan and October London to Enterprise Center on Sunday (October 13), it was clear how much he loves us by how well he knows us.

“I’ve got a lot of folks that I know from St. Louis and they are always good people – the love, the kindness, the loyalty,” Maxwell said. “But you have to come correct when you are dealing with somebody from ‘The Lou.’ As long as you don’t play in their face, it will be alright.”

Truer words have never been spoken.

His intimate connection with our region is rooted in music, including his. Native

son Shedrick Mitchell is Maxwell’s musical director.

“Wait, how long is this article,” Maxwell said about Mitchell, implying that the word count wouldn’t be enough to fully express his gratitude for their musical partnership.

“He supports me and supports what we are trying to do,” said Maxwell. “He’s the one person that can kind of tap you on the shoulder and say, ‘hey bruh, I think it needs to be more like this.’”

Mitchell and Maxwell have been collaborating since the first album of the “BlackSummers’Night” trilogy.

“That was 2007 probably – and when I saw what he did, we lost our minds,” Maxwell said. “He is one of the greatest B3 organists alive, of his generation and after his generation. There is so much I could say about him. It’s more than just a friendship that’s based on the fact that we work together on a creative level. He’s a brother. He’s a family member.

He is a protector and he brings stability to the situation.” Maxwell has also worked with St. Louis native top tier musicians such as fellow Grammy winner Keyon Harrold and bassist Jon Jon Webb Jr.

“My drummer is from there too,” Maxwell said, referring to East St. Louis native Charles Haynes. “I just can’t get away from

He’s been coming to St. Louis since the days of the late great Mississippi Nights, where he played as a then unheard of artist with a debut album that went back to the basics of R&B.

“I looked at the people I loved and respected. And love still,” Maxwell said

“When you look at what it took for them to do what they did to touch my generation. That sacrifice. Walking in to do a show and having to walk through the back

door or through the kitchen because as a person of color you weren’t allowed to walk through the front door. These are real efforts that the ancestors and the forefathers – and ‘foremamas’ – did for us.” St. Louis’ own Donny Hathaway is among them.

“When you listen to a song like ‘A Song For You,’ Maxwell said. “I’ve known about that song since I was 15. And I can listen to it at 51 and it still sends the same chills that it did then.”

At the peak of the “New Jack Swing” era in the late 1990s, his “Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite” demonstrated the timeless power of a groove that goes much deeper than inspiring a rump shake – and being intentional about every aspect of the music.

“When I started in the industry, I don’t think people really knew where to put me or how to categorize me,” Maxwell said. “My mom is from Haiti. My dad is Puerto Rican. I’m not from the south, so it was like, ‘What do I know about R&B? What do I know about whatever.’ To be taken in by the community in that way because they could feel that I was connecting with them is the greatest award ever.”

It might be the greatest, but it was far from the only one. In the nearly 30 years since he came on the scene with a slow burn that ultimately helped ignite a new era of R&B, he has racked up three Grammy Awards and 13 nominations

Photo by Fred Sweets/St. louis American

A woman edits her iphone along the Sarakiniko Beach on the island of Milos.

St. Louis favorite and R&B staple Maxwell will return on Sunday, October 13 when his Serenade Tour with Jazmine Sullivan and October London comes to Enterprise Center.

CONCERTS

Thurs., Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m., WSIE presents Spyro Gyra: 50th Anniversary, City Winery, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit www.citywinery.com

Sun., Oct. 13, 7 p.m., Maxwell: The Serenade Tour with Jazmine Sullivan and October London, Enterprise Center. For tickets or more information, visit www.livenation.com.

Wed., Oct. 16, 6 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., Bilal, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit www.citywinery.com

Wed., Oct. 16, 8 p.m., Jamila Woods and Tank and The Bangas, The Pageant, 6161 Delmar. For more information, www.thepageant.com.

Fri., Oct. 25 & Sat., Oct. 26, 8 p.m., Usher: Past Present Future, Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark. For tickets or more information, visit www.livenation. com.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Sat., Oct. 12, 6 p.m. (5 p.m. reception) The St. Louis American Foundation’s 37th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education, awardees include Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Olympic Gold Medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Stellar Performer Ellicia Lanier, Founding Executive Director of Urban Sprouts, America’s Center. For more information, call 314.533.8000 or visit www. stlamerican.com

STL Sites & Sounds

Membership Event, Moto Museum, 3408 Locust St. For more information, visit ulypstl. wildapricot.org.

Fri., Oct. 18, The St. Louis Burbon Society presents the St. Louis Burbon Festival, The Lemp Grand Hall and Lofts, 1817 Cherokee Street. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit stlouisbourbonfestival. com.

COMEDY

Fri., Oct. 25 – Sun., Oct. 27, Helium welcomes Tommy Davidson, Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St Louis Galleria Street St Louis MO 63117. For more information, call 314.727.1260 or visit st-louis. heliumcomedy.com.

Fri., Nov. 14 – Sun., Nov. 16, Flyover Comedy Festival featuring Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Anointed Greens Presents: Unsung Black Sheroes, DC Ervin and more. Various locations including Stifel Theatre. For more information, schedule and full lineup visit www.flyovercomedyfest.com.

Fri., Nov. 29 – Sat., Nov. 30, Helium welcomes St. Louis’ own Lavell Crawford, Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St Louis Galleria Street St Louis MO 63117. For more information, call 314.727.1260 or visit st-louis.heliumcomedy.com.

ST. LOUIS MUSIC SPOTLIGHT

Sat., Oct. 12, 2 p.m., Music at Metro! Featuring First Call Band, the Kecia Davis

Sun., Oct. 13, 12 noon (11 a.m. doors) City Winery St. Louis and Pure Soul present Soul Brunch: Al Green, Otis Redding and the Sound of Memphis, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit www.citywinery.com

Sun., Oct. 13, 2 p.m. We’re Not Going Back concert featuring Adrienne Danrich, Natalie Douglas, Chuck Flowers and more, The Focal Point, 2720 Sutton Blvd.

THEATRE

Wed., Oct. 16, 7:30 p.m.,

Sat., Nov. 9, 7 p.m., St. Louis Black Repertory Company will present their 9th Annual Gala featuring The Spelman College Glee Club and honoring the achievements of playwright Pearl Cleage, designer Daryl Harris and Denise Thimes –who will receive the Woodie King Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award Maxine Clark and Rudy Nickens, who will receive the Frankie Muse Freeman Service Award, 560 Music Center. For more information, visit www.theblackrep.org or call 314.534.3807.

ART

Oct. 18, 6 p.m., Opening program for Narrative Wisdom and African Arts, Saint Louis Art Museum, One Fine Arts Drive,

St. Louis MO 63110. For more information, visit www.slam.org.

Oct. 19 – Feb. 16, 2025, Saint Louis Art Museum presents Narrative Wisdom and African Arts, Saint Louis Art Museum, One Fine Arts Drive, St. Louis MO 63110. For more information, visit www.slam.org.

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.

Through Apr. 13, 2025, Saint Louis Art Museum presents Federal Art Project 1935-1945, Saint Louis Art Museum, One Fine Arts Drive, St. Louis MO 63110. For more information, visit www.slam.org.

SPIRITUAL

Sat., Oct. 12, 11 a.m., The Advancing Church Slingshot Men’s Conference, The Advancing Church, 4152 Washington Blvd. St. Louis MO 63108. For more info, visit www.theadvancingchurch.org

Thurs., Oct. 17 – Sat., Oct. 19

Back 2 the Cross Ministries: 13th Women of the Cross Annual Conference, River of Life Evangelist Center C.OG.I.C., 518 North 12th Street East Saint Louis, IL 62201. For more information, visit www. facebook.com/back2thecrossministries

Thurs., Oct. 31, 6 p.m., Shalom Church (City of Peace) presents its Fall Festival, A Celebration of Freedom Fighters. Shalom Church, Lindbergh Campus, 5491 N. Highway 67 Florissant, MO 63034. For more information, visit www.shalomccop.org.

“History of Black Midwifery” and Other Programs

By the Missouri Historical Society

On Thursday, October 17, from 5pm to 8pm, join the Missouri History Museum for “History of Black Midwifery,” a Thursday Nights at the Museum program. Presented by Jamaa Birth Village founder Okunsola M. Amadou, this historical overview will commemorate the 10th anniversary of Jamaa Birth Village in St. Louis. Amadou will be joined by midwives and midwifery advocates Corrinna Edwards, Sandra M. Thornhill, and Rachel Williston for a panel conversation offering further insights into current midwife and doula training efforts and the powerful community impact of the resurgence of Black midwifery.

An effective, long-standing tradition of midwifery steeply declined after 1910, when the Flexner Report recommended that women deliver their babies in hospitals and that midwifery be abolished, making the case that all medical practitioners should have standardized training. But because medical education was rife with racial inequities, this transition away from midwifery had a particularly adverse effect on Black mothers and babies. Today there’s a strong movement to revive Black midwifery, and October has now been designated as Community Midwives Month.

Amadou is part of this movement. Born in rural Texas, Amadou is a traditional and certified professional midwife, certified doula and trainer, Ewe and Yoruba priestess, and Black maternal health trailblazer. She is recognized as the first Black person to become a certified professional midwife in Missouri. On Juneteenth 2020, Amadou led Jamaa Birth Village in opening Missouri’s first Black-led midwifery clinic. With support and funding from Merck for Mothers, Amadou led the Jamaa Birth Village-STL 360 Doula Initiative to train and certify 360 Black doulas in the St. Louis region, partner with hospitals in ensuring doula friendliness, advance Missouri Medicaid reimbursement for doulas, and normalize doula care in communities. Through this initiative and through Amadou’s work, the number of trained and certified practicing doulas in St. Louis who are Black has increased from fewer than 10 to more than 460 in eight years. Currently Amadou leads the Birth Retreat STL project to build the nation’s first Black-led birth center and postpartum retreat haven combined facility.

Before the presentation, enjoy food and drinks available for purchase from the Key Bistro, visit local resource tables, and explore the Museum’s galleries. A student midwife will present 10-minute talks in the Seeking St. Louis: Currents gallery at 5:45pm and 6:05pm.

The following week, Thursday, October 24, the Museum will host its annual Healthy History-Lovin’ Halloween Party, a candy-free Halloween party from 4:30pm to 7:00pm. Kids are encouraged to wear their costumes while they participate in Museum exhibit trick-or-treating and Halloween-inspired spooktacular stretches. Make sure to stop by the trickor-treat table featuring the book Missouri Weird and Wonderful by author Amanda Doyle and illustrator Dan Zettwoch Make your own creepy, quirky crafts, and if you’re brave, enjoy limited access to our family-friendly Haunted History Clubhouse at 30-minute intervals.

If you’re up for a later evening, stick around for the annual Ghost Stories and Guitars concert from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. Brace yourself for a spine-tingling live concert by the Broomstix as we jam out to Halloween-themed rock and pop hits, from “Thriller” to “Monster Mash” and more. Enjoy tarot and palm readings and get ready for some haunted history stories as we gather around the courtyard bonfire. MHS Public Historian Amanda Clark and Educator Emily Koeltzow will step into the scene as ghosts from St. Louis past, and Christopher Gordon, Director of Library and Collections, will give insight into approaching urban legends with understanding and compassion. Costumes are encouraged.

On Halloween evening, October 31, the Museum will host a night of St. Louis–style horror. Join us for a 6:30pm screening of The Raven, a creepy, tonguein-cheek take on Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous poem. Released in 1963, The Raven stars St. Louisan Vincent Price, the legendary king of horror. Come early for happy hour at 5pm to write some hair-raising poetry of your own and play trivia to test your knowledge about Price.

The Missouri Historical Society’s African American History Initiative (AAHI) programming is presented by Wells Fargo. The Thursday Nights at the Museum series is presented by WashU.

Jamaa Birth Village founder Okunsola M. Amadou.

Photo courtesy of the Missouri History Museum

GUARDIAN AD LITEM – FAMILY COURT - JUVENILE DIVISION

Family Court (Juvenile Division) of St. Louis County is seeking an attorney to serve as guardian ad litem (GAL) in the Family Court to handle juvenile matters/parent attorney. A GAL who serves the Court must commit to serve on various Family Court (Juvenile) cases on an as needed basis for a monthly retainer to be paid by public funds. The current retainer is in the amount of $2,300.00 per month. Payments for time expended in adoption, guardianship of minor, and termination of parental rights matters may be made over and above the retainer fee.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Graduation

from an accredited law school, possession of a current license to practice law in the State of Missouri, up to three (3) years of trial experience preferred; preferably in juvenile or family law (additional years of trial experience and guardian ad litem experience are highly preferred), and completion of necessary guardian ad litem training as required by the Supreme Court of Missouri. Note: This position is subject to continued availability of funding.

To apply, please send a current resume, along with a cover letter, to SLCCourtJobs@courts.

mo.gov or to the following address (application materials must be postmarked by November 8, 2024): Family Court of St. Louis County, Attn: Human Resources Department, 105 S. Central Ave., Clayton, MO 63105. 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 form.

City Seniors, Inc. an equal opportunity employer, is seeking Senior Center Activities Assistant/ Administrative Assistant. Strong activity and planning skills are important. Call 314.352.0141 to apply. Position may be funded through CDA CDBG.

CITY OF ST. LOUIS BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR NEW CONCOURSE AND TERMINAL PROGRAM AT ST. LOUIS LAMBERT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. Statements of Qualifications are due by 5:00 PM CT, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2024 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/bps-online-planroom.cfm under Online Plan Room-Plan Room, or call Board of Public Service at 314-5896214. 25% MBE and 5% WBE participation goals.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for the South County ARPA Multiple Sewer Improvements, St. Louis County Project No. AR/CR-1891, will be received electronically thru the County’s Vendor Self Service portal at https:// stlouiscountymovendors. munisselfservice.com/ Vendors/default.aspx, until 2:00 PM on November 6, 2024

Plans and specifications will be available on October 6, 2024 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www. stlouiscountymo.gov) or by contacting Cross Rhodes Print & Technologies, 2731 South Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63118 (314) 678-0087.

ACTING DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

PUBLIC NOTICE

Donald Maggi Inc. is accepting bids from Disadvantaged Business Enterprises for subcontracting opportunities on the Water System Improvements Contract A in Salem MO Project No.: 19072111-16

Bid Date and Time: 1:00 pm, Thursday, October 17, 2024 Plans/Specification are available via Dropbox or Email Contact Donald Maggi Inc. at 573-364-7733 or email maggiconst@gmail.com Donald Maggi Inc.

from 7:45 am-4:15 pm. This Ultrasound Team consists of 16 sonographers, 1 Genetic Counselor and 3 front desk team members. We have 8 locations within MO/ IL. This Sonographer will work primarily on the Wash U Campus, but will need to be flexible to cover other locations as business needs present. We have a positive, team-oriented work environment where everyone works together to provide quality patient care and the team feels supported by one another. We are looking for someone who is friendly with patients, reliable, flexible and a team player

Salary range for this position is based on direct OB/GYN, MFM scanning experience. Wash U offers amazing benefits, professional development, time off for work/ life balance and wellness resources. As a Sonographer on our team, you will have a unique learning experience scanning both inpatient and outpatient high risk patients, multiples and working side by side with our physicians, residents, fellows and Fetal Care team.

JR84777 -Vascular Lab Tech (Sign-on Bonus) – Surgery

As a Vascular Lab Technologist on our Surgery team the ideal candidate will play a vital role in providing high-quality non-invasive vascular studies and assisting physicians in diagnosing vascular diseases. They will perform high-quality non-invasive vascular studies, assist physicians with diagnostic procedures, and operate state-ofthe-art equipment in BJH inpatient and multi-site clinic outpatient settings. As part of an IAC-accredited lab, will collaborate with a motivated sonography team and support the diagnosis of vascular diseases, ensuring exceptional patient care. This full-time position is 5 days per week, with 5 regular 8-hour shifts. The typical shift hours are either 8:30

INVITATION TO BID

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. requests bids from qualified contractors for the following project:

SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital

Bid Package 04B – Steel, Enclosure & Enclosure Testing, Canopies, Helipad, Roofing, and Kitchen Equipment

For the following scopes of work: WC 27 –Helipad, WC 28 – Remaining Structural Steel, WC 29 – Roofing, WC 30 – Hot Applied Roofing, WC 31 –3rd Party Building Enclosure Testing, WC 32 – Kitchen Equipment, WC 33 – Medical Equipment Supports, WC 34 – Pedestal Paver, WC 35 – Premanufactured Canopies

An outreach meeting will be held on Friday, October 11 at 10:00 AM at McCarthy’s office located at 12851 Manchester Road, St. Louis, MO 63131. Certified MBE/WBE/DBE subcontractors are encouraged to attend the Outreach to learn more about the project and forthcoming bid dates.

BID DATE:

October 30, 2024, by 2:00 PM CST

Bid Documents will be available via Building Connected. Contact: Jennifer Simpson at jsimpson@mccarthy.com or 314-919-2304 for access to bid documents. Prequalification is required and can be accessed at https://www.mccarthy.com/subcontractors

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. 12851 Manchester Road | St. Louis, MO 63131

do so.

St. LouiS american Bids & Public Notices St. LouiS

REQUEST FOR BIDS

Alberici Constructors, Kwame Building Group and the Saint Louis Zoo seek bids from qualified firms to submit proposals for a project at the Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park. The project consists of providing low voltage and technology systems throughout the campus site and buildings. To request bid documents, please send an E-mail to stlzoobids@alberici.com

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Requests for Quotes, Bids and Proposals are posted online for public download. Please navigate to www.msdprojectclear.org > Doing Business With Us > View Bid Opportunities

CITY OF ST. LOUIS

OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS – YOUTH JOB PROGRAMMING FOR AT-RISK YOUTH

The City of St. Louis Office of Violence Prevention invites proposals from qualified nonprofits for youth job training programs targeting at-risk youth aged 15 to 24. Find the RFP online: https:// tinyurl.com/ovp-youthjobs Direct all communications to Cynthia Davis at violence-prevention@stlouis-mo.gov, 314-299-2196. Submission deadline: November 17, 2024, 11:59 P.M. CST. Late proposals will not be accepted.

TRAFFIC SIGN ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION RFP 2024

The Saint Louis Zoo seeks bids from qualified firms to submit proposals. Bid documents are available as of 10/9/24 on the Saint Louis Zoo website: stlzoo.org/vendor

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Sealed bids for the Castle Point Improvements project, St. Louis County Project No. CR-1847, will be received electronically thru the County’s Vendor Self Service portal at https:// stlouiscountymovendors. munisselfservice.com/ Vendors/default.aspx, until 2:00 PM on November 6, 2024

Plans and specifications will be available on October 7, 2024 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www. stlouiscountymo.gov) or by contacting Cross Rhodes Print & Technologies, 2731 South Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63118 (314) 678-0087.

ACTING DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ST. LOUIS COUNTY

REQUEST FOR BIDS

Millstone Weber, LLC is soliciting proposals for the removal and replacement of asphalt and concrete pavement, including demo, excavation, pavement markings, storm drains, electrical, steel reinforcement, traffic control, guardrail, and miscellaneous other work as indicated on the plans and specifications for the Improve I-70 Program Warrenton to Wentzville St. Charles & Warren Counties, MO. Project Number: JST0020 / J6I3033. Please phone 636-688-8794, fax 636-949-3129 or email bob.stubbs@ millstoneweber.com, quotes to bids@millstoneweber. com by 12:00 PM CDT on 10/16/2024. Millstone Weber encourages qualified MBE/ WBE subcontractors & vendors to bid this project. For Access to Plans and Specifications, please email bids@millstoneweber.com.

STLZOO MAGAZINE PRINTING RFP 2024

The Saint Louis Zoo seeks bids from qualified firms to submit proposals. Bid documents are available as of 10/9/24 on the Saint Louis Zoo website: stlzoo.org/vendor.

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

PUBLIC NOTICE

Donald Maggi Inc. is accepting bids from Disadvantaged Business Enterprises for ubcontracting opportunities on the Newburg Water System, Newburg MO. Bid Date and Time: 1:00 pm, October 22, 2024 Plans/Specification is available via Dropbox or Email Contact Donald Maggi Inc. at 573-364-7733 or email maggiconst@ gmail.com

Donald Maggi Inc.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Donald Maggi Inc. is accepting bids from Disadvantaged Business Enterprises for subcontracting opportunities on the Potable Water Systems, Licking, MO Part 1 & Part 2 Bid Date and Time: 1:00 pm, Monday, October 14, 2024 Plans/Specification is available via Dropbox or Email Contact Donald Maggi Inc. at 573-364-7733 or email maggiconst@ gmail.com Donald Maggi Inc.

INVITATION FOR SEALED BID

UAW Labor Employment and Training Corporation (UAW-LETC) is accepting Sealed Bids for Shop Equipment and installation of equipment, Tools, and (4) vehicles to set up a training lab for its Automotive Technology Training Program. Please contact Kelly Spangler at kspangler@letc.com or 314-716-3331 to request a bid packet with sealed bid instructions. Bid documents may also be obtained at 500 NW Plaza Drive, Suite 409, St. Ann, MO 63074, between the hours of 9:00am and 3:00pm from October 11 to November 1, 2024. All bids must be received by UAW-LETC by November 8, 2024, at 2:45pm. UAWLETC encourages M/WBE’s to apply. Bids received late or incomplete will not be considered.

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Replace Fire Alarm PanelsInfrastructure, Eastern Reception and Diagnostic Correctional Center, Bonne Terre, Project No. C2405-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, November 21, 2024 via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered to bid. Project information available at: http://oa.mo.gov/ facilities

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Replace Switchgear, Power Plant & Maintenance Building, Eastern Reception and Diagnostic Correctional Center, Bonne Terre, Project No. C233001 – Re-Bid, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, November 21, 2024 via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered to bid. Project information available at: http://oa.mo.gov/ facilities

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Service Generator, Replace ATS & Recondition Switchgear at Southeast Correctional Center, Project No. C2329-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, October 31, 2024 via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered to bid. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The America’s Center is seeking bids from qualified companies to install new fiber optic cable around ground floor of Dome. Interested bidders must attend pre-bid on-site walk-thru of project Oct 16, 2024, at 10:00 AM and starting at the Broadway Central entrance to the Dome. Contact bsmith@explorestlouis.com for scope documents. Bid proposals due, Oct 23rd,2024. The facility reserves the right to reject any and all proposals. EOE.

ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Will receive separate sealed bids for CONTRACT NO. F25 502, Theater House Lighting Replacement” at Florissant Valley Campus, until 2:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday, October 29th , 2024. Bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at the Engineering and Design office in Forest Park, 5464 Highland Park, St. Louis, MO 63110-1314. Drawings, Specifications and bid forms and other related contract information may be obtained from Cross Rhodes’ Plan room at 2731 S. Jefferson, St. Louis, MO 63118 (https://www.x-rhodesplanroom. com).Electronic bid sets are also available in Bonfire at https://stlcc.bonfirehub.com and may be printed by the plan holders. Questions regarding the scope of work should be directed to Josh Rasch, JRasch@ mcclureeng.com and Steve Dietiker, SDietiker@mcclureeng.com

A pre-bid meeting will be held on Thursday, October 17th, 2024 at 10am CST at the Florissant Valley Campus –theater. A walk-through of the project will follow the meeting. You may schedule additional site visits by contacting Nathan Gluesenkamp at ngluesenkamp@stlcc.edu

The College has the proposed minority goals MBE 15% and WBE 12%. The College also proposes their subcontractors employ apprentices in each of the building trades involved in this project.

Individuals with special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act may contact: 314-513-4551

gers. Before we mention the excellent Greek food whether it be low end or high end, a few words about its culture. It shows the influence of Mycenaeans, Egyptians, the Near East, the Romans and the Ottoman Empire.

EATING THERE - Be prepared to sample some of the best fish, seafood, lamb and chicken dishes ever to please your palate. Be aware too, that if you have a soft spot for the brainy octopus, you will find it grilled to perfection and, alas, on menus everywhere. Finally, be prepared for a real Greek salad. Don’t bother complaining about the absence of lettuce. The Greeks don’t put it in their salads— just a mélange of incredibly sweet red, yellow and green bell peppers, tasty tomatoes, red onion, black olives (probably grown, picked and cured in the islands), chopped fresh parsley, freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil — more than likely pressed locally.

Our favorite restaurant turned out to be the least expensive. Atlantikos is seafood only. It is located in the Psyrri neighborhood down an alley where tables are located along the walls. The few inside tables filled up quickly and we count-

ed more than 30 people eagerly waiting for a table on a Thursday. Our next three favorites just happen to have fabulous views in fabulous hotels. Full disclosure, they are on the pricey side. It’s a tie between the rooftop of The Grand Bretagne and either Taverna 37 or NOBU at The Four

among many others. And he’s gone from intimate clubs to packing out arenas.

“There are children being born right now that will listen to the stuff that we do as a collective on this tour and they will make decisions to continue with it,” Maxwell said. “People feel like they are being given something that is serving their emotional and spiritual intelligence and it is just an incredible experience, and I am grateful and thankful that I get to be a part of that.”

Seasons Astir Palace. All are in Athens.

GETTING THEREAmerican, Delta, United are the majors offering flights to Athens through Chicago, Philadelphia and JFK.

STAYING THERE -

The BONVOY chain has

He’s excited to be using the tour as a platform for the current and future generation of soul artists.

many excellent options in Athens from ultra luxurious to reasonable. All of the other chains have options and Airbnb is a popular choice on the islands. On the luxe resort side, the Four Seasons Astir Palace in Athens is hard to beat. Living on the cruise ship is a plus if you choose the right one.

He is eternally grateful to God that he has been blessed with his perfectly tailored musical journey.

“I’m doing my best to keep the torch burning as far as the R&B and soul situation– keeping the lost

“Jazmine Sullivan is the Simone Biles of singers,” Maxwell said. “She’s also an amazing writer. And October London, I feel like Marvin’s spirit is up in here [when he performs]. It’s unbelievable to listen to them and see that it is not over – the soul, the R&B and the musicianship is still alive.”

art of singing and musicianship alive,” Maxwell said.

“And I’m just grateful that I am getting to kind of do it on my own terms. And thankful that I also am able to bring not only the joy that music brings me each day, but hopefully the joy that I can bring to other people’s lives.”

The Serenade Tour starring Maxwell with Jazmine Sullivan and October London will take place at 7 p.m. on Sunday, October 13 at Enterprise Center. For tickets and/or additional information, visit www.enterprisecenter.com

James and Alicia Nixon of Dallas high atop the Acropolis in Athens visiting the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena built in 438 BCE.

A whitewashed Church on Mykonos.

Denise Borders and Fred Sweets at the Library of Celsus in Ephesus, Turkiye. The library is considred an architectural marvel commissioned in the year 110 and completed during the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian.

Left: Kimberly Tapscott(left) of Stamford, CT and aTameika Miller of Norwalk, CT near the iconic windmills on the island of Mykonos.

Photos by Fred Sweets/ St. Louis American