April 14th, 2011 edition

Ron Carter returns in support of Genesis

came at a mid-morning press conference in

Koster argues both sides of mandate

By William H.Freivogel For the St.Louis Beacon

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster filed an unorthodox and highly nuanced legal brief in the lawsuit against the national health-care law. It argued both sides of the legal issue.

of America Theatre.

Dr. Henry Givens Jr. retires

Held longest tenure of any university president in Missouri

By Rebecca S.Rivas

Dr. Henry Givens Jr. is the longest serving president of any university in Missouri – leading HarrisStowe State University for 32 years in May.

On Tuesday, Givens told a room of longtime supporters – including elected officials, business leaders and staff – that the time has come to retire. Givens will stay on board until the university’s national search produces a new president. Under his leadership, the university has nearly tripled its student population. It has grown from one building with only one degree to what will be eight facilities in the fall and 14 degrees.

“He has overseen the renaissance of this institution over the past 32 years.”

At one point, Koster argued that Congress exceeded its previously recognized power under the U.S. Constitution’s Commerce Clause when it passed the mandate requiring everyone to buy health insurance.

“He has overseen the renaissance of this institution over the past 32 years,” said Thelma V. Cook, chairperson of the Board of Regents. “His unwaver-

SLU alum leads school to diversity

By Rebecca S.Rivas Of The St.Louis American

In a bold red suit, Teri Murray, the dean of the School of Nursing at Saint Louis University, strolled down a hallway of faces in picture frames until she found hers.

– Thelma V.Cook,chairperson of the Board of Regents

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster

At another point, Koster said that the court still might approve the healthcare mandate under the Commerce Clause, if it made clear that health care was the only arena where Congress could go that far. At still another point, Koster said that the healthcare mandate might be constitutional under Congress’taxing power.

Despite fancy legal footwork, legal experts were unimpressed by the friend-ofthe-court brief filed this week in a Florida case before the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

“What I’ve learned from leadership is that it’s not for the timid or the shy. Leadership is risky business.”

– Teri A.Murray

“I graduated in 1979,” said Murray, RN, PhD, associate professor. Her index finger stopped on an African-American young woman with a white nurse cap and a big smile. “You see, ‘Teri Clark’right there,”

she said. “It’s really great to lead where you went to school because at St. Louis University, we educate the

2011 Stellar Performer Awardee Teri A. Murray, RN, PhD, Associate Professor See MURRAY, A6

2011 Stellar Performer Awardee Teri A.Murray, Dean of the Saint Louis University School of Nursing, RN,PhD, Associate Professor

He “has chosen to sacrifice affordable and accessible healthcare for all Missourians in exchange for political expediency.”

– U.S.Rep.Wm.Lacy Clay speaking about Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster’s action

“It appears that the attorney general is trying to split the baby with this amicus brief, hoping to satisfy those who demanded that he take a position against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s constitutionality while also signaling his support for the underlying policy,” said Dave Roland, director of litigation for the libertarian Freedom Center of Missouri, in an email.

“The brief looks like an adept political maneuver, allowing the attorney general to claim to have opposed the Affordable Care Act while signaling to health-care law’s supporters that he is really on their side.” Bruce La Pierre, a constitutional law expert at Washington University Law School

Dr.Henry Givens,Jr.shares his plans to retire as president of the Harris-Stowe State University on Tuesday,as Board of Regent member Wayman Smith stands in support.The announcement

the university’s Bank

Photo by Wiley Price

Of the St.Louis American

See KOSTER, A7

Photo by Wiley Price

Usher’s old lady asking him to clean house

Usher’s new girlfriend Grace Miguel is said to be calling the shots in the relationship and the situation has now spread to her new beau’s music business.

The 43-year-old former Def Jam executive now acts Usher’s co-manager and stylist and she’s urging her beau to clear out his staff including stylists, choreographers and tour managers and replace them with her people, an insider told The New York Post Usher’s longtime agent, Mark Cheatham of CAA, is said to be the first victim. Usher, 32, started his career with Cheatham and introduced him to teen sensation Justin Bieber, whom he currently

mixing business with pleasure. In 2007, he married his stylist, Tameka Foster, with whom he has two children. He filed for a divorce in 2009. When Foster was at odds with his mother and manager Jonetta Patton, Usher showed his mom the door.

“Usher will do whatever she wants him do right now,” the source said.

Gucci locked down after kicking passenger to the curb

Gucci Mane’s Friday (Apr. 8) arrest stems from charges related to an incident that took place back in January. According to an incident report from DeKalb County police, Gucci Mane picked up a 36 year old woman at South DeKalb Mall in a white Hummer after he asked her if she wanted to go to breakfast. The alleged victim stated she had never met the suspect previously but knew of his musi

can make my own money.’” The report said Gucci Mane leaned over the woman and opened the passenger side door while the vehicle was still in motion. “Gucci Mane shoved (the woman) several times in the side and shoulder area attempting to get her out of his vehicle.” The report said the vehicle left the roadway and Gucci Mane was able to push (the woman) out of the vehicle which was still moving. The arrest Friday is the result of an April 1, 2011 Magistrate Court Hearing of the woman’s complaint. Gucci Mane is no stranger to police in metro Atlanta. This arrest follows at least five other arrests in Fulton County alone since 2005.

Keyshia Cole reacts to Frankie’s arrest

Both tweets were later deleted from Cole’s timeline.

Legend, Cosby unleash on ‘The Donald’ Last month he was in the audience for Comedy Central’s Roast of Donald Trump Today, John Legend is getting in a few digs of his own, calling the real estate mogul’s obsession with President Obama’s birth certificate “racist.”

“He needs to stop saying that racist bulls**t birther s**t,”

“Celebrity

time he

questions

makes

place of birth – and he does it every chance he gets, revealing this week that he hired a private

Biotech career info session April 26

St. Louis Community College pushes

STEM disciplines

Special to The American St. Louis Community College will conduct an information session focusing on academic requirements and career options in biotechnology 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, April 26.

The program will begin in the Conference Room at BioResearch and Development Growth (BRDG) Park, 1005 N. Warson Road.

Aliyah Sulaiman relocated to St. Louis from her native California several years ago with the intent to complete her education and then return home. As a single mother trying to make it driving a school bus part time and attending classes at St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley, Sulaiman felt overwhelmed. That all changed after a conversation with Eilene Lyons, then the biotechnology program coordinator at Florissant Valley.

“I loved her class and had many conversations in her office about the things she was teaching,” Sulaiman recalled.

“Although my major at that time was not in biology, she recognized my passion for science, for biology in particular. She then offered me the Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Scholarship – if I were willing to change my major to biotechnology and complete the required courses. I am glad I did.”

Sulaiman enjoyed the hands-on lab experiences and participation in the campus Biotechnology Club. She attended the BIO Interna-

Aliyah Sulaiman, left, met Gov. Jay Nixon during a tour of St. Louis Community College’s labs at the BRDG Park facility in 2010. Also pictured is Eilene Lyons, acting dean of mathematics and technology at St. Louis Community CollegeFlorissant Valley.

Carver Essay Contest underway until April 30

George Washington Carver scholars have until Saturday, April 30 to enter the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s “Celebrate the Legacy” essay contest. Fourth, fifth and sixth grade students in public, private or home schools may enter. The question posted to essayists is, “If George Washington Carver were my teacher…”

8.5” by 11” paper using blue or black ink. The length of the essay should be no more than 300 words.

A $100 savings bond will be awarded to one winner at each grade level and the overall essay contest winner will received a $200 savings bond.

George Washington Carver

tional Convention last May in Chicago. “I never knew how deeply biotechnology effects communities around the world had I not been there to see it for myself,” she said. Sulaiman earned her associate degree in biotechnology in May 2010, and now is a contract employee at SigmaAldrich as a quality assurance specialist. “You can’t learn science if you aren’t willing to read,” she said. “Reading operating procedures about how to do what needs to be done, as well as reading research on what was done before you, is a critical

part of being a scientist. Some of the projects can seem overwhelming, but the instructors showed me what I was capable of and taught me to believe in myself. That kind of support is what kept me motivated to complete my classes and earn that degree, even when I felt like giving up.”

The discipline required to

n “I am passing that lesson on to my son. He gets homework and projects that we begin working on immediately.”

– Aliyah Sulaiman

complete her degree is something Sulaiman hopes to instill in her young son, who now attends kindergarten. “I don’t procrastinate any more with my responsibilities, and I am passing that lesson on to my son,” she said. “He gets

homework and projects that we begin working on immediately to allow him to earn best scores possible. All I wanted was for him to see his mother walk across the stage to receive her diploma, and for him to realize that he, too, would do the same one day.”

STLCC will conduct an information session focusing on academic requirements and career options in biotechnology 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, April 26. The program will begin in the Conference Room at BioResearch and Development Growth (BRDG) Park, 1005 N. Warson Road. Current students will discuss their experiences in the program. Attendees also will have the opportunity to participate in interactive sessions, tour the laboratories and learn how to get started at STLCC. Registration is requested and can be made by calling 314-539-5002 or visiting www. stlcc.edu/CareerInfoSessions

The famous botanist, scientist, inventor and educator was a native of Diamond, Missouri., and developed more than 300 uses for peanuts; and hundreds of uses ofr soybeans, pecans and sweet potatoes, among other inventions – although he patented only a few items. Essays may be neatly printed by hand or typed. If typed, use 8.5” by 11” paper with 1-inch margins and 10 point Arial font. If hand written, also use

Judges will look at creativity and originality; factualness; idea development in relation to the theme; sentence fluency; word choice and organization. All entries must be postmarked or delivered by April 30 for consideration. Or, mail entries to the Missouri Dept. of Agriculture, Attn: George Washington Carver Essay Contest, P.O. Box 630, Jefferson City, MO 65102. Or, entries may be emailed to EssayContest@mda.mo.gov. — S. J.

The Little Miss/Master Philo Pageant registration is underway

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Zeta Sigma Chapter of Zeta Sigma Philo affiliate is accepting applications for its biennial Little Miss/Master Philo Pageant Scholarship and Fundraising Gala. The event is open to boys and girls ages 5 to 12 who will compete for prizes and scholarships while participating in music, art, tutoring and etiquette classes. The application

deadline and orientation is May 21 at 4234 N. Grand (Divoll Library) at 2 p.m. The gala takes place Sunday, August 7 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Central Reform Congregation, 5020 Waterman, in St. Louis. For more information, contact Jane Clay at 314-2269785.

EDITORIAL /COMMENTARY

Real concern about Peter Kinder’s true values

There has been a lot of very much warranted press attention given to Lt. Governor Peter Kinder and his inappropriate and disproportionate use of public funds for his travel and campaign expenses. This spending blurs the line between government duties and political business.

A declared deicit hawk, Kinder claims a special regard for St. Louis. Although he hails from Cape Girardeau, a bastion of ultra conservatism, he has spent a great deal of time in this area attending, over the years, Cardinal baseball games, corporate sponsored fundraisers and importantly, Tea Party rallies. He is also a frequent guest at civic celebrations including some African-American events, and he reportedly enjoys a close relationship with some Democratic elected oficials.

The Way I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

Break the vicious cycle

of the juvenile population, they represent 52 percent of the arrests for violent crimes.

Apparently ignoring Kinder’s well-known core values, some of these Democrats—accustomed to scorn from most outstate elected oficials—seem seduced by Kinder’s frequent visits to St. Louis and his avowed special attachment to the place and feel he deserves praise and even support in his expected bid to return the Governor’s ofice to Republican control in the 2012 election. We need to point out that, notwithstanding their incessant rhetoric about social values, budget cutting and the frugal use of taxpayer dollars, there is an ample history of proliferate spending and questionable personal conduct by many GOP elected oficials in this state. But the Kinder conduct that needs to be examined more closely, especially by the AfricanAmerican community, is his laming rhetoric at Tea Party rallies that have made him a Tea Party favorite. We also want to remind everyone that Kinder iled his own lawsuit last July to stop federal health care reform—a public policy that will enable thousands of Missourians, including many African Americans, to get access to health care. Kinder also strongly opposes the disclosure of the individuals and organizations that are providing the funding for the legal challenge. Much of the opposition to health care reform comes from the insurance industry and politicians who see an opportunity to undermine President Obama by spreading misinformation about what they derisively refer to as Obamacare—a code word that carries implicit disapproval of the president himself and his legitimacy as the nation’s top elected oficial to many in this state.

While attending the memorial services for the late Patrice Thimes, I paused for a moment to relect upon the consequences of tolerating crime in our communities.

Black on black crime is a skeleton that hangs in the collective closets of most African Americans. Amidst cries of racism, social and economic discrimination, we as African Americans cannot deny the prevalence of black on black crime in our urban centers.

When Kinder iled his lawsuit, Missourians Against Obamacare, his comments were revealing about his true political beliefs; his suit contends that Congress oversteps its authority and tramples state sovereignty and that Congress cannot demand that state oficials enforce a “federal scheme”. These views strike us as ominous and disturbing, and reasons for real concern about some of the social and political values of Mr. Kinder.

The Way I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

St. Louis can lead in Catholic education

Although racial discrimination does play a large part in the troubles of the lives of disadvantaged African Americans, there are other causes of crime to be considered, such as joblessness, inadequate education, substance abuse and ignorance. The bottom line of this matter was that three teenaged African-American men participated in a gunight that ended the life of a 39-year-old African American mother.

It would be different if this was an isolated case, but it is not.

According to a 2010 Study by RTI International, youth involvement in lethal violence (murder and manslaughter) and nonlethal violence (robbery and aggravated assault) has been increasing in recent years.

In 2008, law enforcement agencies in the U.S. made an estimated 2.11 million arrests of persons younger than 18. Although African-American teens comprise only 16 percent

The juvenile murder arrest rate in 2008 was 3.8 arrests per 100,000 youths aged 10-17, a 17 percent increase over 2004 (Juvenile Justice Bulletin, 2009). In addition to being offenders, youths are often the victims of violence with 656,000 physical assault injuries and 14,532 juveniles under 18 being murdered in 2008.

The causes for youth violence are many: concentrated poverty from living in structurally disadvantaged neighborhoods; lack of role mentors and role models; drug market activity; increased availability of irearms; gang presence and activity.

Although the crime rates are slowly decreasing in St. Louis, it remains a problem when friends, family members and loved ones are murdered in cold blood. No statistic takes away the pain one feels due to grief.

As you may already know, police, prosecutors, churches and community agencies are working diligently to solve this crisis, but there is one major group that is missing. This group is the silent majority of residents who should be angry that their neighborhoods are being overtaken by thugs and who are willing to call the police when things look suspicious.

It is imperative that residents take the initiative to protect themselves by talking to the police about crimes that happen in their neighborhoods.

The “no snitching” code has wrecked havoc on our society and our communities because it allows criminals to go free.

Many are afraid that those they

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Praying forAntonio

All should be praying for St. Louis Alderman Antonio D. French as he attempts to reduce the gun violence in St. Louis (The American, “Fighting the shooting in North City,“ March 24). His project is monumental and dangerous. Yet the true scope of the project remains hidden in plain sight in the crime reporting.

the election, the courts should have acted on this issue well before other individuals came forth and put so much effort into their own campaigns. Their failure to do so only undermines public faith in the democratic process.

testify against will retaliate, but there are many discrete ways of speaking with oficers about community issues. Crimestoppers is a hotline which was set up to allow residents to give information to police in a conidential way.

Ms. Thimes’ assailants were apprehended quickly because witnesses cooperated with the police. Concerned citizens play a major role in helping communities to become crime-free zones. There are many strategies that can be done to curb youth violence. However, they all require that community, educational, family and individual leaders work together to support at-risk youth living in highcrime, impoverished areas. There are many coalitions forming to address violence in our city. The Urban League’s Public Safety Advisory Council, St. Louis City Department of Health’s STRYE Program, St. Louis Cares, Better Family Life, The Ethics Project and St. John’s United Church of Christ are among the community organizations hosting programs to address youth violence. Residents interested in organizing to make their communities safer should join the Federation of Block Units. I encourage everyone to get involved in these initiatives to address this important issue. Until the community as whole decides to get angry about teen violence, this city and eventually the entire metropolitan region will continue to suffer the consequences of tolerating the vicious cycle of poverty and crime. Buford is president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.

All letters are edited for length and style.

sions we make today.

Marc Perkel Gilroy, CA

Catholic schools have been an integral part of the culture and history of St. Louis for nearly 200 years. In 1818, one of my predecessors, Bishop DuBourg, established St. Louis College (now Saint Louis University). Also in 1818, St. Rose Philippine Duchesne opened the irst free school west of the Mississippi. The rest, as they say, is history.

ers, especially those who live in poor areas, and invite them to join us as we grow our Catholic schools.

A year ago, I shared with Catholics in the Archdiocese of St. Louis my vision and priorities for Catholic schools.

I have long believed that to truly fulill their mission, Catholic schools must be vibrant and growing. Today, our schools are vibrant – academically, spiritually and in their contributions to the communities they serve – but they are not growing in numbers.

Why? Changing demographics, the movement of Catholics further south and west, and changes in the way young Catholic families understand and practice their faith have all contributed to a 40-year decline in Catholic school enrollment and the rising cost of a Catholic school education.

Today, two-thirds of our Catholic elementary-aged children attend a Catholic elementary school or a Parish Schools of Religion; onethird of our high-school-aged Catholic youth are in a Catholic high school. This represents a signiicant challenge for us – to reach out to all our Catholic children and youth, and to oth-

Borrowing a phrase from Pope Benedict XVI, I said that our Catholic schools must be “Alive in Christ!” My vision is that our schools need to be vibrant and growing in three main areas: Catholic identity, enrollment and inance.

Briely, our schools must have a strong Catholic identity in order to carry out their mission to educate the whole person – mind, body and spirit. Catholic schools are at their very best when they help students to know, love and serve God by learning what our Church teaches and by discovering who God is through knowledge of all the academic disciplines.

During the last year, I have listened to nearly 3,000 parents, educators, pastors and administrators discuss our challenges and offer their suggestions. My seven-year initiative, called Alive in Christ 2018, aims to promote growth in Catholic identity, enrollment and inances. To accomplish this vision for the future, I have established four goals: catechesis and academic excellence, evangelization, social justice and stewardship.

It is crucial that we place a high priority on excellence in catechesis and academics. Proper catechesis in our Catholic schools will provide a

foundation on which children can grow spiritually, while strengthened academics will prepare them for rapidly-changing cultures and economies.

I hope that as a result of this initiative, the Archdiocese of St. Louis will be recognized as a leader in the Church’s spiritual renewal and in its commitment to social justice, including the protection of the dignity of human life, the importance of strong families, the basic human right to work, serving the poor and stewardship of God’s creation.

I hope that within seven years, Catholics all over the world will recognize the Archdiocese of St. Louis as a model of stewardship. I hope we will be able to help guarantee the inancial stability of parishes, schools and church ministries.

In fact, I hope that in 2018 there will be no empty seats in our schools, and no child will be denied a Catholic education simply because of an inability to pay for it.

I urge all Catholics in St. Louis and in all the communities we serve to respond without hesitation and with full conidence that Our Lord Jesus Christ is with us as we seek to do His will. I also invite all our friends and neighbors to help and support us through your prayers and your good will.

In 2018 I hope our Catholic schools will be vibrant, growing and Alive in Christ so that we can continue to serve the people of this region for at least 200 more years!

Criminal acts reported to police are recorded via a crime report. The FBI tabulates such reports and that data become the basis for crime statistics, which are usually quoted in crimes per capita (i.e., 12 burglaries per 10,000 population) for easy comparison. Attempts at a felony are recorded (for statistical purposes) as the crime itself; an attempt burglary thus recorded as a burglary. But the crime reporting game changes when it comes to shootings.

Following crime reporting logic, the act of injuring someone by discharging a irearm should (for statistical purposes) be recorded as a homicide; shooting someone being an obvious attempt to kill them. Thus the attempt should carry the same statistical weight as the successful crime … murder. If this logic was operative, St. Louis would have an astronomical per capita murder rate that might even concern Mayor Slay!

As Alderman French delves into quelling the gun-play in his hometown, all should realize that, if not for poor aim or circumstance and a crime-reporting anomaly, St. Louis would be the most dangerous, most notorious urban battleield in America. Hopefully, Alderman French will be successful in his quest for a safer St. Louis.

Michael K. Broughton Green Park

Vote of the people should decide

The judicial system’s failure to rule on this vacated ire board seat before now has contributed to continued turmoil in the Northeast ire district. Rather than waiting until a week before

The wishes and best interests of our ire district’s citizens have been ignored for years. And now, the winner of the four-year term in the election faces the prospect of having their victory invalidated by the courts, even though they have been supported by a majority of the voters. If the winner of that seat is forced to pursue litigation simply to rightfully assume their duly-elected seat, it will prolong the unsettled conditions we face and cast more negative light on the district.

But what choice will they have? The winner of this election should be allowed to serve.

Don Morice Bellerive Acres

Befriend the environment

It hasn’t even been a year yet since last summer’s oil disaster in the Gulf, and now BP wants to start drilling again? Shouldn’t there be some rule that you have to wait at least a year after one of the world’s biggest disasters before you can even ask to start again?

This is the price we pay for oil. We have to pretend disasters don’t matter. And then there’s the Libya War, yet another war for oil. In Japan radioactive water runs into the ocean, that radiation will become part of our oceans.

Reality has been tapping humanity on the shoulder telling us that we better start taking this issue seriously and come up with a clean energy solution that actually works. So before reality slaps us up the side of the head, we need to get a lot smarter and start taking our situation seriously. Real problems are only solved by coming up with real solutions. We need to embrace reality, make reality our friend, and remember that the way we live tomorrow depends on the deci-

Guest Columnist Father Robert Carlson

Guest Columnist James H. Buford

More than forty Sumner High School students embarked on an alternative service learning trip over Spring Break to tour colleges and offer assistance to hurricane ravaged ReNEW Schools in New Orleans,La.

Part of an elective course known as Service Learning,the concept for the trip,as well as the course,came from the movie “Pay It Forward,”in which one person does a favor for three people,asking each of them to “pay the favor forward”by doing favors for three other people

At ReNEW Schools,Sumner students painted the front of the building,cleaned out and rearranged a large storage room,landscaped around the building,read to students,painted an entire outdoor area,sanded and painted doors,and fixed up an entire bathroom with a fresh coat of paint.

“My goal was to bring a change,and this course allowed students to see that no matter what you have,you always have something to give back,”said Kevin Martin,teacher and trip organizer.

The alternative service learning trip also gave Sumner students,many of which have never left St.Louis,the opportunity to tour the University of Memphis and the University of Mississippi and visit the National Civil Rights Museum.

Student art & writing contest

Studentsin grades 6-12 can win prizes by entering the Holocaust Museum and Learning Center’s Eighth Annual Art & Writing Contest.Deadline for entries is by 3 p.m. Friday, April 29 – no postmarks accepted.

The competition is dedicated to the memory of the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaustandis sponsored by Dr. Ira and Judy Gall in honor of their grandchildren. There will be two divisions for both art and writing categories: Division 1: 6-8th grade; Division 2: 9-12th grade.

Topics may include: Acts of courage and heroism; Resistance and rescue; The consequences of indifference; Persecution, intolerance and injustice; Preserving humanity in situations of great adversity; History and lessons of the Holocaust;

Each student may submit only one writing and one art entry. The Writing Contest: This contest welcomes poems, newspaper articles,stories, plays/dialogues or essays. Entries may not exceed 1,000 words, must be double-spaced and typed on one side of the paper. Please use paper clips– no staples. Three copies must be submitted.

The Art Competition: This includes sculptures, drawings, photographs, paintings, posters, a collage or 5-minute videosor DVDs. All charcoal, chalk and pastels must be treated with fixatives. The work must represent the independent effort of the student. It may not exceed the dimensions of 20 inches x 20 inches. Asculpture entry may not exceed 18 inches X 18 inches x 18 inches. For safety reasons, art may NOTinclude real barbed wire, jagged glass or plastic.

Prizes in Each Category: First place—$300 and a certificate; Second place— $200 and a certificate; Third place— $100 and a certificate, and Honorable Mentions— $25 and a certificate. Entries may be dropped off 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday or mail to: St. Louis Holocaust Museum and Learning Center, 12 Millstone Campus Drive, St. Louis, MO 63146.

Winning entries will be displayed at the Holocaust Museum, on the community website, www.jewishinstlouis.organd at other St. Louis area locations.

Entry forms and contest rules are available at www.hmlc.org. For additional information, call 314-442-3714.

FYI on BMI

By Michelle Obama U.S.First Lady

I want to share with you a personal story in the hopes that it encourages you to get the most out of your doctor visits for your children.

Afew years ago as a working mom, I had the best intentions to feed my kids healthy food on a budget, knowing that sometimes pizza or the drive-thru were inevitable. But I was surprised when my pediatrician pulled me aside during an annual well-child visit and told me we needed to start paying better attention to what we were feeding our girls.

They were younger at the time. They were active and growing, with a healthy sense of themselves, which Barack and I have always encouraged. But our doctor told me that their BMIs were creeping upwards.

Now to be honest, I didn’t really know what BMI was. And I certainly didn’t know that even a small increase in BMI can have serious consequences for a child’s health. So I’m grateful my pediatrician was there to help. He explained that BMI, or Body Mass Index, is a way of gauging whether or not your child is within a healthy weight range for his or her height, age and growth pattern. Apercentage too low may indicate hunger and poor nutrition, and a percentage too high can lead to diabetes, heart disease and other health issues. I was fortunate that our pediatrician was paying attention to the trends of childhood obesity, because I never would have known to ask for a screening on my own.

This information is now within reach for you and your family too — you just have to ask for it. Last year, my husband signed the Affordable Care Act, which required new insurance plans to cover preventive services like BMI screenings without any kind of deductible, co-pay or co-insurance. So today, most of you can get your child’s BMI screened without paying a penny out of pocket.

As parents, you will also benefit from the new law. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, preventive services like mammograms, colonoscopies, cervical screenings and treatment for high blood pressure are available in new plans without any out of pocket costs. We know that these kinds of preventive services will go a long way in preventing chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease and high-blood pressure, which touch the lives of millions of Americans.

These diseases also consume over 75 percent of the health care spending in our country. Increasing access to preventive care will keep us all healthier and save money.

And by making it easier for women to get mammograms, the Affordable Care Act will help women with breast cancer catch the disease in the early stages. We know that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. The Affordable Care Act will help prolong women’s lives while we search for a cure.

So I encourage you to talk to your child’s pediatrician and your doctor. Ask for a BMI screening so that you can catch any problems early on. Make sure you’re getting the care you need to stay healthy yourself and stop health problems before they become emergencies. Together we’ll all stay healthier and raise a generation of happy, healthy kids.

Michelle Obama

Sumner serves New Orleans

MURRAY

Continued from A1

entire person – the mind, the body, the soul. That holistic education really prepared me for all of my future roles in nursing.”

Under Murray’s leadership, the School of Nursing recently received a $1 million grant to increase the student minority population, currently at 16 percent. With its mission of social justice, the university encourages Murray’s efforts in transforming the mindset around health care for underserved populations.

“Many landmark reports show that in the AfricanAmerican community, we need to be able to have a workforce that is representative of the community and that workforce has to have an intimate understanding of how to provide culturally-sensitive care,” she said. “If you could move towards a population-focused, healthcare mindset, research shows that you really can improve the overall health of the group.”

On Friday, April 29, Murray will receive the Stellar Performer Award at the St. Louis American Foundation’s 11th Annual Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awards Luncheon at the RitzCarlton, St. Louis. Areception will be held from 11 a.m. to noon, and the awards program will follow from noon to 1:30

p.m.

Murray always thought she was born to be a teacher, and in fact she was set on a teaching degree up until the moment she started filling out college applications.

“As I entered Northwest High School, the teachers went on strike, and the media had a lot of information about the challenges of teaching adolescents,” she said.

Murray’s sister, who was already in school for nursing, told her she’d love being a nurse. She was right, Murray said.

Murray went on to earn her Masters in public health nursing in 1993 from SLU. Her work as a public health nurse accounts for some of the most meaningful and memorable moments of her career.

“To be able to look into a person’s eyes in their home environment and community setting and seeing the health education and promotion that you’ve done is really making a qualitative difference, that is memorable,” she said.

Another memorable moment in her career was earning a doctoral degree from SLU in 1997.

“As I’ve shared, I’ve always had a passion for teaching, but I never imagined in all my wildest dreams that I would earn a doctorate. That was a dream come true for me,” she said.

One of her proudest achievements was receiving a gubernatorial appointment to

the Missouri State Board of Nursing, where she served for nine years – four of which were as president of board.

Diversity

At the School of Nursing, the numbers of minority students has ranged from two percent in 2002 to 23 percent in 2006. Prior to receiving the $1 million federal grant from the Human Service Resource Administration, the school’s diversity numbers were at 16 percent.

“Now with our grant, we are optimistic that we will increase our numbers,” she said.

The school is partnering with the East Central Missouri Regional Area Health Education Center and SLU’s Area Health Education Center to reach their goal with a three-prong approach.

First, they encourage students from five area high schools to enter the SLU nursing program. They work to retain the students until graduation and finally, they prepare students for the licensure exam for registered nurses.

As a public health nurse, she saw firsthand why it’s important to have representatives from all ethnic and racial backgrounds.

“Sometimes if the people believe that they can relate to you more, they will tell you ‘Well honey I can’t afford the pills.’And that enables the public health nurse to seek resources to move forward.

“What I’ve learned from leadership is that it’s not for the timid or the shy,” she said.

“Leadership is risky business.” Tickets for the 11th annual Salute to Excellence in Health Care Awards Luncheon are $75 each for VIP/Corporate seats and $50 each for Individual seats. Tables of 10 are available in each price category. To order tickets, visit stlamerican.com or call 314533-8000.

Based on research, patients often do better when they see people who look like them in the health care setting.” Murray said being the dean of the School of Nursing is a perfect alignment of her passion as an educator and the opportunity to lead. And if she’s learned one thing from her leadership role, it’s that she has to be bold.

Under Teri Murray’s leadership,the School of Nursing recently received a $1 million grant to increase the student minority population,currently at 16 percent.

Photo by Wiley Price

KOSTER

Continued from A1

described Koster’s argument as “simplistic, to be kind.”

The simple answer to the health-care law, wrote La Pierre in an email, is to “leave it all to the political process. Why are political conservatives suddenly so enamored with judicial activism and striking down the results of the democratic political process?”

Koster argued that the Supreme Court never has upheld as broad a reach of the Commerce power as the one required to uphold the health-care law. The court would have to go further even than it did during the New Deal. In the leading New Deal precedent, the court ruled that the government could order an Ohio farmer not to plant wheat for home consumption on half of his 23-acre plot of land. Even that small amount of wheat would affect the stream of commerce, the court ruled.

After arguing for many pages that the law exceeds the Commerce Clause,

Koster switched field to suggest that the court could use the Commerce Clause to approve the health-care mandate if it only did it this once.

“Abright-line exception could be constructed to aggressively limit this court’s decision solely to the healthcare arena,” he writes.

Carving out this single arena could be supported because “the congressional regulation is in the area of health care, in which nearly all individuals are certain to enter interstate commerce because of the need for medical treatment at some point in their life.”

This echoes the arguments of the law’s supporters.

Koster had another suggestion for how the court

might uphold the law. He argued that the law could be justified under the legislature’s power to tax, which is almost unlimited. He pointed out that the mandate is part of the Internal Revenue Code, making it a tax provision.

Koster noted that Missouri voters overwhelmingly approve Proposition C in 2010 barring enforcement of an individual health care mandate in the state.

But La Pierre pointed out that a Missouri law in conflict with a valid federal law must fall. “Missouri’s law in conflict with ACA?” he wrote. “Yes, and if ACAis constitutional, then Missouri’s law is invalid under the Supremacy Clause. It is preempted. Missouri’s law is irrelevant to the determination of the validity of the ACA.”

U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay issued a statement about Koster’s action, saying that he “has chosen to sacrifice affordable and accessible healthcare for all Missourians in exchange for political expediency.”

Clay said Koster did not offer solutions to correcting the actions of insurance companies that “gouge consumers” and exclude those with pre-existing conditions.

Ayear before Koster was elected as attorney general, the former state senator left the Republican Party to become a Democrat.

“The Attorney General should remember Harry Truman’s advice about Democrats who sometimes act like Republicans,” Clay said. “The former president was fond of saying, “If you give the voters a choice between an imitation Republican and the genuine article, they will choose the real one every time.”

Edited with permission by www.stlbeacon.org

Dr.Hortense Lewis,principal at Walbridge Elementary Schoo,l listens as Zenani Morgan recites a poem in honor of her sister,Mia Davis,who died in January from asthma complications in her home. Mia's mother Jemesha Powell,sister Meliah Davis 7, and brother Michael Davis Jr.5,look on.

Photo by Willey Price

An illustrious career

GIVENS

Continued from A1 ing dedication and passion for the students at Harris-Stowe, as well as his commitment to providing them with affordable, accessible higher education option is heroic.”

The list of his achievements is exhausting, but Givens said every bit of it has always been for the students.

“Without the students we serve, there is absolutely no reason for Harris-Stowe State University to exists,” he told the audience.

What students most love about Givens is his open-door mentality, said Derek Collins, student representative of Board of Regents. In most universities, it would be frowned upon for students to try to cut around the staff and go directly to Givens, he said.

“And it probably is here as well, but students catch him going to his car or in the hall,” he said. “And no matter what the issue is that they bring to him, he jumps right on it. He has his ultimate interest in the success of his students and I’ve seen it time and time again. No matter how large or small the issue is, they are able to go to him directly.”

Givens keeps books in his office, just in case students can’t afford them and need to get them on loan. He admits it’s a little selfish, but he loves the students coming to the office.

“When they come, I can hear them outside my door. I pick up the phone and ask, ‘Are there students out there? Let them in,’” he said. “That’s what I love about Harris Stowe. It’s small enough that you can get your arms around them. Rarely are there students that don’t know I’m the president. I keep in touch with them.”

Givens would have never dreamed as a student at Lincoln University in the

1950s that he would become a university president.

“It wasn’t my dream because I didn’t think that you could ever do that,” he said.

Yet the impression of thenuniversity president Dr. Sherman Scruggs stuck with him. Givens said Scruggs was sharp, wore a nice hat and knew all of his students. “I thought, ‘Boy I’d love to be just like that,’” he said. “But it never dawned on me that I would.”

Once he started taking education courses, he didn’t turn back – receiving his master’s at University of Illinois, his Ph.D. from Saint Louis University and his post-doctoral studies in higher education administration at Harvard University.

His career started a teacher at Webster Groves School District, and then he became a principal at the first prototype of a magnet school in the nation. He became the first African-American assistant commissioner of education in Missouri, where he served for five years. In 1979 he became president of what would become Harris-Stowe State College some years later and a university in 2005.

“He has been a pioneer for our state’s work in education,” said Gov. Jay Nixon. Selecting education as his career path has been one of his proudest achievements, he said. It comes second to “meeting the right young lady to marry, to raise our family, and to educate our children.”

Belma Evans Givens received two standing ovations at the Tuesday conference.

“I want him to be happy,” Belma said in an interview after the conference. “I hope there will be somebody who will have that commitment, who will have that passion that he has had for Harris-Stowe because it has been his life.”

Belma said one of the highlights of their career at HarrisStowe was in 1987, when their daughter graduated from

Dr.Givens, Armetta Whitmore,an unidentified woman,General Roscoe Robinson,Dr. Nancy Fields.

Harris-Stowe. That same year, the governor asked Givens to serve as the interim president at Lincoln University during its financial crisis.

“I told him that it was okay, but I wanted him to go and get a complete check-up before you go and try to take over two institutions,” she said. “He came out okay, but it was really tough.”

Givens read a long list –which encapsulated everyone in the room – and thanked them for being the “village” that has raised the university’s children.

U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay, Jr. has known Givens for most of his life, he said. In 1994 as a state senator, Clay championed the bill to expand HarrisStowe’s mission by adding more baccalaureate programs.

“Listening to Dr. Givens

remarks today, you can tell that his parents at an early age stressed the importance of education, and Henry followed through on their advice by first getting an education and then providing an education for thousands of others,” he said.

“This community should be grateful for the service that he’s given.”

His grandson Jarrett Woolfolk, a junior at HarrisStowe, said he once had a friend who was not sure college was for him, but he wanted to give it a try.

“My grandfather gave him a full opportunity to come to school and get the books,” he said. “And that’s one of those stories that’s pretty meaningful to me – giving people chances who don’t have it.” Givens has a knack for reeling in students on the fringe.

Gov.Mel Carnahan and Dr.Givens

About 90 percent of the student population are first-generation college students.

“So once we get them, we work with them,” he said. One of the biggest ways he does that is through scholarships.

Last year he headed the most successful fundraising capital campaign in the university’s 152-year history, reaching $45 million.

When the Anheuser-Busch School of Business was established, Givens helped to create the African-American Business Leadership Council for business leaders interested in providing support for the school. David Steward, founder of World Wide Technology, Inc, said Givens urged him to chair the council.

“I view him as much as an entrepreneur as an educator can possibly be,” Steward said. “I know what it takes as an entrepreneur myself. I have such admiration for him.”

By example, Givens inspires community leaders to push forward and never give up on their visions, said Alderwoman Kacie Starr Triplett, who represents the university’s Ward.

“He has created the vision and legacy to educate, empower and inspire new brainpower for our region,” she said.

In January, Givens stepped down as the chairman of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Statewide Celebration Commission, a position he held since its inception in 1986. It’s now the second largest statewide celebration in the nation.

“That is the cause of Dr. Givens’commitment to the process,” said St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley.

Dooley also applauds Givens for transforming what was once a one-building teaching college on the verge of failing in the 1970s to a full university campus with residence halls, a business school building and early childhood development/parenting educa-

tion center.

“It’s a great place to be,” Dooley said. “It makes you feel that someone is doing something right. It doesn’t get done by itself. He has been a contributor to the quality of life in the St. Louis area.” Givens endured and overcame many challenges, particularly in keeping higher education affordable. Historically, Harris Teachers College prepared white elementary school teachers for the City’s public schools and Stowe prepared the black public school teachers. The two schools merged in 1954, and Givens took his position when the college had become the newest member of the public higher education system. It takes someone with unique qualities to build such a great institution from a modest base, said Donald M. Suggs, publisher of the St. Louis American newspaper.

“His leadership has been indispensable in bringing to fruition the dreams he had for Harris-Stowe three decades ago,” Suggs said. “He has been tireless and totally focused.”

Lea Sutherlin, executive secretary to the president and secretary to the board, remembers five years ago when Dr. John E. Moore, Jr. retired as president of Drury University. Moore sent Givens a card with a bear on it that said being a university president is somewhat like dancing with a bear.

“In the beginning you have the exhilaration that you’re dancing with a bear,” she said. “The problem is when you want to sit down; the bear still wants to dance.”

Every since he got that card five years ago, Givens would come into Sutherlin’s office and say “the bear is doing the watusi today or the bear is doing the twist and I don’t feel like twisting,” she said.

“So when it was time for him to retire,” she said, “he looked at me and said, “the dance is over.’”

Lou Rawls, Dr.Givens and Vince Schoemehl

Belma Givens and Dr.Givens

Dr.Givens and Julian Bond

Earl Wilson and Dr.Givens

Dr.Givens and Anthony Keely Jr.

Nathan Young and Dr.Givens

Obituaries

Eugene P. “Gene” Slay

A devoted husband and father, an outstanding businessman and philanthropist, Gene was often described as both a teddy bear and tiger. He was born to John R. and Mary (Massud) Slay in the spring of 1927 and died April 3, 2011. Gene was one of seven children; growing up on Hickory Street in south St. Louis. Gene was a sports enthusiast throughout his life. At McKinley High School, he excelled in football, baseball, track and wrestling. In 1944, as a teenager, he was the Missouri State and Ozark A.A.U. Wrestling Champion. He was offered an athletic scholarship to St. Louis University but World War II had not yet ended and he was drafted for military service. He proudly served from 1945 to 1947; he was in the 7th Division of the U.S. Army, serving his tour of duty in Korea and Japan. Upon his return from military service, Mr. Slay met his future wife, Joan Schadlbauer, on the Admiral Cruise ship in St. Louis. They married in 1952 at St. Vincent Catholic Church where he had attended grade school. Together they had seven children: Jeanne, Gary (Laura), Guy (Bob), Glen (Carla), Jill (Jeff) Garlich, Janet (Matt) Westphal, Jeffrey and twelve grandchildren: Gary, Jacob, Natalie, Kayla, Olivia, Glen, Joanie, Julia, Jeffrey, Alex, Sabrina, and Anthony. Family was important to him and like his father, Gene had strong entrepreneurial skills. In 1948, Gene joined his father and began making deliveries throughout the city for the transportation company. During this time, he nurtured relationships with established clients and began developing new customers; his advancement with the company was rapid and impressive. Gradually, in addition to transportation, Gene developed warehousing, packaging and barging operations, expanding his father’s small commercial enterprise into one of St. Louis’ largest privately held businesses, operating in 48 states, Canada and Mexico. While growing his businesses, he was always mindful of helping others.

He believed it was an honor to give back and truly cherished the opportunity to be such a pil-

lar in the philanthropic community. In the early 1960’s, Gene, along with Danny Thomas, Alex Aboussie and other inluential Lebanese businessmen, helped form the St. Louis Chapter of ALSAC, the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities. The main focus of ALSAC was to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, ighting catastrophic illnesses and diseases affecting children. For his outstanding effort, Danny Thomas presented Gene with an award for outstanding support of the St. Louis Chapter of ALSAC and his other civic and charitable activities. In 1983, he organized and chaired a beneit for war victims of Lebanon. The event was called “Lebanon We Care”, a Las Vegas-style variety show at the Fox Theatre. Headliners included Danny Thomas, Danny Gans, Rita Moreno and other celebrities.

He was involved in countless charities and has been commended for his efforts decade after decade; not the least of which are The BackStoppers, the St. Louis Italian Open for Children’s Charities, St. Louis Chapter of the NFLAlumni, Faith House and the APDA.

As a boy, he was a member of the St. Louis Boy’s Club and found himself continually going back to the Club on South 11th Street to help and contribute toward the development of young boys in need. He served as President of the Club and became Chairman of the Board in 1993. He pursued his dream of creating an endowment large enough to become self-sustaining. Through his leadership, a premier annual golf outing at the Norwood Hills Country Club was initiated and became the cornerstone of the fund-raising to accomplish his dream. In 2006, in recognition of his long term contributions, the St. Louis Boy’s Club was renamed the Gene Slay’s Boys’ Club of St. Louis in his honor. He believed that to be successful, one must know where he came from to truly know where he was going. His family cherishes fond memories of his love of family and the excellent example he set by his compassion and generosity. His legacy will be the many lives he touched young and old, near and far, and the obvious ways he left the world a better place than he found it.

Donald M. Suggs, publisher of the St. Louis American, offer s his condolences to Mr. Slay’s family. He says, “Mr. Slay was an unselish supporter of the St. Louis American Foundation for

many years. He was a generous, loyal and valued personal friend of mine, and I will miss him and his counsel greatly.”

The family requests donations to: Gene Slay’s Boys’ Club of St. Louis, 2524 South Eleventh Street, St. Louis, MO 63104.

Martha Jimmar Christmas

I was born in St. Louis, Missouri to a mother, Juanita Jimmar who loved me dearly. My father, Finnis Breedlove resided in Dickson, Tennessee. A blessing occurred in my life at the age of two. I went to visit my grandmother Katie Jimmar in Leighton, Alabama and had a wonderful life. What a Blessing!

At the age of twelve, I was baptized in the southern African-American tradition. In a creek with clear water running over rocks, birds singing lying over head and beautiful shade trees as saints stood on the bank praising God.

There were two churches in the little town. I became a member of Galilee Baptist Church who had church on the second and fourth Sunday of the month. I attended Sunday school sang in the choir and attended BTU. On the irst and third I attended the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, sang in the choir, and attended Sunday school. Denomination was never an issue the purpose was being to serve God. I attended Leighton Training School and was salutation of my senior class. I enjoyed high school participation in the choir, participating in plays and sometimes skipping class to sit behind the school with friends watching trains passing back as our non-segregated school was next to the railroad tracks.

My high school teachers stressed excellence and we were empowered to do our best strive for excellence and to have good self-esteem. My special friends for life were Barbara J. Hankins, Rachael, Helen, Eloise, Brown Mary Elizabeth, Ruthie Jackson Taylor and Delphia King.

My undergraduate education was at my beloved Alabama A & M University in Huntsville, Alabama. I was nurtured, not a number, but checked if I missed a class. I sang in the choir, secretary of the Sunday school, a majorette, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and

worked in the ofice as secretary to the chair of the Division of Education. I received my graduate degrees from Webster University and The University of Missouri St. Louis. I loved working for the St. Louis Board of Education for thirty-nine years. My students were all special to me and we had a very special relationship. I was blessed to be able to recruit over 3,000 students from St. Louis to attend Alabama A&M University. Two have been elected President of the student body and two have been named Miss Alabama A& M University.

In 1962, I met and married John K. Christmas of Dothan Alabama. And we had two wonderful, handsome and dynamic sons. Jerryl Thomas (Jackie) and John Christopher. They blessed me with six beautiful granddaughters, Jendaya, Jala, Aliyah, Maiya, Jelani, and Jakada.

My family moved to St. Louis in 1963. My husband was an active participate in the civil Rights Movement serving as one of the irst three black policemen hired and ired after refusing to arrest only black citizens.

Arrangements are as follows: Wake April 15, 2011 at 4-8 p.m, Central Baptist Church, 2843 Washington Ave. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Omega Service, April 15, 2011 6 p.m., Central Baptist Church. Funeral Service, April 16, 2011 at 1p.m., Central Baptist Church.

Gerald Eugene Sistrunk

Mr. Gerald Eugene Sistrunk, affectionately known as Mootsey, was born on July 29th, 1952 to the proud parents, Harold Hicks Sistrunk, Sr. and Bessie Evelyn (Harrison) Sistrunk. He was baptized at St. John A.M.E Church and later worshiped with Jehovah’s Witnesses. He matriculated in the St Louis Public School System, attending Ashland Elementary and Beaumont High Schools. He later attended Forest Park Community College where he pledged Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. He was an active member in the Alpha Eta Chapter for many years.

Gerald dedicated thirty three years of service to National Vendors Corporation and retired as a supervisor in 2006. He was a member of the National Laborer’s Union. Gerald was the ultimate good neighbor, serving as an active community

advocate for the elderly and assisting those around him with tax preparation, gardening, and other needs as he could. He touched many with his kind heart and humble spirit. Gerald loved life. He was devoted to his family and was very loving, caring and protective. He enjoyed listening to music and ishing, and he was also an avid Cardinals fan. One thing Gerald truly took pride in was cooking. We all remember his great and frequent barbeques in the cold of winter and the “Chicken Wing Cook-Offs” in Forest Park. Gerald departed this life on March 29, 2011. Both parents preceded him in death. He leaves to cherish his memory his devoted siblings, Harold Hicks Sistrunk, Jr. (Iris), Errol Harrison Sistrunk, Carol Sistrunk Whitehorn (Roseal*), Karen Michele Sistrunk Cowan, M.D. (John), all of St. Louis, Missouri, and Sharon Sistrunk Johnson (Matthew) of Fishers, Indiana; three aunts and two uncles; a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins; and many very dear and devoted friends. He will truly be missed!

Lois Shepard

Mrs. Lois Harrold Shepard, a long-time resident of St. Louis, died after a long and productive life, on Friday, March 18, 2011 in Miami, Florida. She was 96. Born in Marshall, Texas on October 27, 1914, Mrs. Shepard grew up on the campus of Wiley College where her father, Dr. Pope Leo Harrold, was the university physician, and her mother, Norma Ethel Harrold. was a homemaker. In 1935, Mrs. Shepard graduated from Wiley with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. In her irst position, she taught school in Ruston, Louisiana. During World War II, she worked for the USO in Salt Lake City, Utah. After the war, she moved to St. Louis to teach school. She was married for many years to prominent educator, Dr. Samuel Shepard, Jr. That union produced Ethelyn Rebecca and Willard Russell Shepard, prior to divorce. Professionally, she was the long time Director of Pre-School Development of Kinder Cottage, which educated and cared for children between the ages of three and ive.

Active in her church, Union Memorial United Methodist, for nearly six decades, she taught Sunday School and Vacation

Bible School. She also served on the commission of stewardship and inance. Passionate about helping others, Mrs. Shepard belonged to the Teressa Hoover Group, which worked to support Shalom House to provide emergency shelter and temporary housing for homeless women and their children. She also coordinated the adopt-aneedy-family project, which provided food and toys at Christmas. Socially, she was a founding member of the St. Louis Cooking Club and also belonged to The Friday Girls, who dined monthly at local restaurants. She was also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Gamma Omega Chapter. Mrs. Shepard is survived by her daughter, Ethelyn S. Bowers; son-in-law Dr. Charles H. Bowers and grandchildren Nicole Sherri, Charlynn Carrie and Carlton Harold Bowers and great grandchild, Kennedi Gabrielle. She is also survived by her son Willard Shepard, with whom she spent her inal years in Miami, FL. Her two sisters, Rosalind Harrold and Evelyn H. Jackson preceded her in death. A memorial service was held on Sunday, April 3 in Miami. Another celebration of her life will be held in early June in St. Louis.

Richard Bratcher

June 29, 1954-April 10, 2011

Richard Bratcher

Richard (Rip) Bratcher, esteemed father to Richard Alex Bratcher, Farrah (Keith) Mosby and Lawrence C. Williams. He was a caring brother to Frank (Joann) Bratcher, Earline (Otis) Walker, Rev. James (Althea) Bratcher, Alma (Kenneth) Kissel, and Lima (Ron) O’Neal. He was a good man who loved the Lord. Richard had a wonderful heart and a brilliant smile. Following High school he served in the United States Marine Corps. For over 30 years, Richard served Olin Corporation as a Night Superintendent, responsible for directing all operations of the plant for the night shift. He combined his love of cooking and his talent for business, when he opened Smokeez North Bar B Que Restaurant. He was an avid dart player and championship winner of North County. He leaves behind a host of loving family and friends. Funeral arrangements are being planned by Austin Lane Mortuary located on West Florissant.

Eugene Slay

Lois Shepard

Gerald Sistrunk

Martha Christmas

Firefighter pensions and the bottom line

An elected official in St. Louis was once confiding in the EYE about the frustrations of seeking the endorsement of the police and firefighter associations in the city. They are always and only in it for themselves, he said, and you can never do enough for them. Whatever deal you cut is forgotten the instant they want more, or different, than you previously had agreed upon.

“And in the end,” he said, using words far more ugly than we can print here, “you get screwed in the most awful way imaginable, no matter what.”

This same elected official, if speaking on the record for attribution, would talk about the bravery of our men in blue and how they risk their lives for us, day in and day out, asking so little in return. But we know how he – and how most elected officials – really feels about the political tactics of their unions.

Former Comptroller Virvus Jones is now out of the political game, except for the occasional consulting gig. He also is a core advisor for his daughter, state Rep. Tishaura O. Jones, but the verbal abuse she has taken from the St. Louis Police Officers Association over her advocacy for local control of the city police has demolished any instinct her father might have felt to speak diplomatically about the police and fire unions in the city. So Virvus let it fire to the EYE this week.

“When I was a member of the St. Louis Firefighters Pension Board, I had the occasion to question the application for disability of a firefighter who had injured himself from fall off a roof. When I asked about the fire he was fighting when he fell from the roof, I was told by John Brewer, the secretary of the pension system at that time, that his injuries

came from a fall from a roof he was repairing while working on his secondary job as a roofer,” Virvus Jones wrote. “I then asked why should he is eligible for disability from the pension system if he injured himself while working on a roof in his secondary job and not while fighting a fire. Brewer stated that the definition of disability is the inability to perform the duties of a firefighter. I also made notice that the almost half of the firemen retirees were retiring on disability which gave them lifetime health insurance. It did not take a brain surgeon to figure out that the continued operation of the retirement system using these policies was not fiscally sustainable. Despite my protests, the other members of the retirement board, dominated by the firefighters union and retirees, did not change their policies.”

Cutting the sacred cows

Fast forward to 2011.

“With the city proposing to lay off 30 firefighters to cover the cost of the continuing rise in contributions to the pension, the chickens are coming home to roost. The firefighters and the police have long been sacred cows when it came to budget cuts. In 1981 when I was first elected to the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, the City of St. Louis had more than 12,000 employees. The 1980 census numbers had just been released, and the city had lost 27 percent of its residents (from 600,000-plus in 1970 to 453,000 in 1980. Time magazine ran a front page article headlined ‘The last person out, please close the door,’” Virvus wrote “Ten years later, in 1990, the city had 6,000 employees. The city had shed almost 50 percent of its non-public safety work force. The number of public safety employees (firefighters and police officers) remained approximately the same as it had been when the city had 600,000 residents in 1970.”

Same number of employees – and a growing number of expensive retirees.

“Using their clout in state Legislature, the Police Officers Association successfully lobbied and passed legislation

that gave them one of the most financially lucrative retirement systems in the state of Missouri. Because of parity, a charter amendment passed by the voters in the 1970s that mandated that firefighters get the same pay and benefits that police received, the firefighters automatically received any new benefit that the police were able to get passed,” Virvus wrote.

“Now the city has its back against the proverbial financial wall. The firefighters union is crying “foul” and is ready to roast their once BFF Mayor Francis G. Slay for recommending that firefighters be laid off to cover the cost of the pension contributions that they and the police officers went to court to force the city to make. Public safety is important, but nothing that requires the public expenditure of tax dollars is important regardless of the cost.”

Threat of Prop E

The once untouchable public safety portion of the city budget is now subject to the same scrutiny as the rest of the budget. Everything is on the table for the cutting – especially given the fact that Slay’s moneybags, Rex Sinquefield, has successfully pushed a statewide ballot initiative that now forces city voters to retain the earnings tax, which in effect funds police and fire services, in a citywide vote every five years. Starting Tuesday, April 5, when city voters will vote YES on Proposition E to retain the 1 cent earnings tax, or we are all in trouble, very much including the cops and firefighters.

Lost clout

They say: be careful what you wish for. The cops and firefighters are less powerful today because they got something they asked for.

“Part of the reason that the police and firefighters have lost their clout is the fact that police officers, who up until a few years ago were forced to live and pay taxes in the city, have moved out of the city in large numbers,” Virvus wrote.

“Their ability to vote and influence their city neighbors has diminished. The firefight-

ers successfully got legislation passed in the Missouri Legislature and signed into law last year that allowed them to live outside the city. The city does not believe that the state has the authority to change the residency requirements of the city charter and has vowed to fire any firefighter who is discovered to have moved.”

The bottom line?

“The bottom line,” Virvus wrote, “is that the firefighters’ disregard for any fiscal discipline in the management of their pension fund has made them a victim of the bottom line.”

Local control heats up

If state Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal wants to carry the water of the St. Louis Police Officers in their fight, that is her right. But Chappelle’s comments on WGNU Radio calling black city elective officials “house slaves” was out of line. If she has a problem with certain elected officials who have been critical of her opposition to local control, she has every right to be critical of them. But to say the every city elected official that supports local control are house slaves is inappropriate. City voters gave support to the issue of local control of the police by an overwhelming 70 percent plurality in the November 2010 election. City elected officials have a responsibility to listen and respond to their constituents. The brouhaha between state Rep. Jamilah Nasheed and Chappelle also needed stop because the issue of local control is too important to become embroiled in some silly comments made at a Lil Wayne concert. It is constructive that both of these elected officials decided to issue conciliation comments about their public conduct, which we have published online.

Manning Marable

I think about and write this column a week in advance. I had planned to assess the local election and critique the potential shutdown of the US government due to the incompetence of Congress. Then Manning Marable died; those two elements looked very insignificant. It was a crushing moment as it is always is whenever you lose a warrior in the struggle for human rights. Your mind tends to reflect: Of all the people trying to make this chaotic world a better place, why him or her?

In 1976 at the young age of 26, Manning launched his syndicated column, Along the Color Line. It appeared in over 400 newspapers worldwide free of charge because he wanted it to be as accessible as possible. About ten years ago, I called Manning to ask about syndication of my own column. He took time to explain the many pros and the few cons of syndication. I never quite made the leap to national syndication but I definitely appreciated his thoughts on the matter. I first met Manning through the Black Radical Congress (BRC). He was part of a core group of five people who initially put the draft ideas of such as formation in place. The core included his wife Leith Mullings, Bill Fletcher, Jr., Barbara Ransby and Abdul Akalimat. Manning’s energy and wisdom helped to launch the national organization in 1998 after two years of planning and dialog. He was equally committed to building a local BRC chapter in his home city of New York. The organization enjoyed his talents and skills up until 2001 when Manning stepped back because of health concerns and his intent to step up the work on his book on Malcolm X. When I found out that Manning had been diagnosed with sarcoidosis, a disease I have never heard of, he patiently explained it to me. His assuring voice and optimism calmed my anxieties although I would later do some research on the condition to deeper my own understanding. Yes, the disease that affects the body’s lymph nodes often goes into remission and there are many people who suffer few or no long term problems. For others, it will ultimately start affecting those nodes attacking the lungs, brain and heart. Rarely, sarcoidosis can be fatal. Death usually is the result of complications with the lungs, heart, or brain. I realized how serious this thing could get but for a number of years, Manning was able to

function normally. Last summer, the disease forced Manning to have a lung transplant that we all thought would improve his life chances. What seemed to be so terribly unfair in this scenario is that Manning made his transition three days before his seminal life’s work was to debut. “Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention” represented almost twenty years of painstaking research into one of this country’s most profound leaders. The book peels back many layers of Malcolm X and the organizations that shaped him--the Nation of Islam and the Organization for African Unity. Some of those revelations are not too flattering and are sure to bring some heat to the book. I think it was the light that Manning so desperately sought in the man, Malcolm X in order that we have a better, fuller understanding. The ironic timing of his death before the book splashed on the scene is that I know Manning was looking forward to the lively debates that would be forthcoming. In his review of the book in the Financial Times, Wilbert Rideau, stated that some of the details about the Nation of Islam or even the later chapters about Malcolm’s life were “excessive” and took away from the story. I can see Manning now, poised to explain the why’s, what’s and who’s in his nearly 600 page journey based upon meticulous study of FBI files, court transcripts, films, interviews and articles. Knowing Manning, there is a rhyme and reason for every word that’s in that book.

Manning never let his academic credentials or his tenure at the prestigious Columbia University get in the way of his relationships with people. He was just as comfortable in a discussion with a fellow scholar as he was with a prisoner. In fact, he taught classes in hip-hop culture and criminology inside Riker’s Island Correctional Facility as well as lectured in the Master’s Degree program for prisoners at Sing Sing Prison. We both shared a passion for the work of prisoners’ rights and talked about the need to lift up the rotting geniuses inside U.S. prisons as a crime against humanity.

Manning’s body of work on race relations, culture and politics is his great legacy. Those who had the privilege and opportunity to interact with him will always be inspired by his principled and humane approach to social and political relationships.

Jamala Rogers

Jamilah Nasheed

Tishaura Jones

Maria ChappelleNadal

Hazard-detection training is needed to keep teen drivers safe

New study pinpoints what happens right before teens crash

A recent study by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and State Farm Insurance Companies hones in on the most common errors teen drivers make that lead to a serious crash. Teen drivers are involved in fatal crashes at four times the rate of adults. The indings were published in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention.

Researchers analyzed a nationally-representative federal database of more than 800 crashes involving teen drivers and identiied a few common “critical errors” that are often one of the last in a chain of events leading up to a crash. Seventy-ive percent of these crashes were due a critical teen driver error, with three common errors accounting for nearly half of all serious crashes. Among crashes with a teen driver error: 21 percent occurred due to lack of scanning that is needed to detect and respond to hazards.

20 percent occurred due to being distracted by something inside or outside the vehicle.

Environmental conditions, such as poor weather, vehicle malfunction, aggressive driving, or physical impairments such as drowsy driving were not primary factors in most crashes, researchers note.

n Seventy-ive percent of these crashes were due a critical teen driver error, with three common errors accounting for nearly half of all serious crashes.

“This study helps dispel the myth that most teen crashes are due to aggressive driving or thrill-seeking,” said Allison Curry, Ph.D., lead author and a researcher at CHOP’s Center for Injury Research and Prevention (CIRP). “Promoting safe driving skills is as important as preventing problem behaviors.”

By getting very speciic about the types of teen driver errors that are most likely to precede a crash, this study makes it possible to target policies, programs, driver education and other strategies to reduce those critical errors and prevent crashes from happening.

21 percent occurred due to going too fast for road conditions, (for example, driving too fast to respond to other trafic or to successfully navigate a curve).

“Laws and policies that address distractions by limiting the number of peer passengers and prohibiting cell phone use among novice drivers will help reduce crash rates, but will only

address part of the problem,” says study co-author Dennis Durbin, MD, MSCE, who co-directs CIRP. “Many crashes will still occur due to the inability of teen drivers to detect and respond to a hazard in time. Formal teen driver training and parent-teen practice drives should focus on building scanning and hazard awareness skills.”

Scanning involves observing the surroundings far ahead of the vehicle and side-to-side, not just immediately

in front of the hood. It is a higher-level skill that experienced drivers develop over time. The study authors note that developing effective ways to teach this skill sooner in the learning-to-drive process could reduce teen crash risk.

Pilot tests of this type of training have shown promise in increasing hazard detection and response skills among novice drivers.

“This research gets us one step closer to understanding why teens crash

and what we can do to help prevent future crashes,” says Cindy Garretson, director of Auto Technology Research at State Farm. “Strong graduated driver licensing laws, along with educational programs that are focused on common teen driver errors, will help keep our roads safer for everyone.”

For more information about the study, visit www.teendriversource.org.

BUSINESS

KC’S GREEN IMPACT ZONE

SHOULDBENATIONALMODEL

Public-private partnership to turn around distressed neighborhoods

By Marc H.Morial National Urban League

“Looks like what drives me crazy Don’t have no effect on you – But I’m gonna keep on at it Till it drives you crazy, too.”

– Langston Hughes

In the great tradition of America’s global defense of democracy, our nation has now entered another foreign conflict to protect and improve the lives of innocent civilians.While we applaud the inclination to rescue people in peril around the world, we wonder why that same urgency does not seem to apply to the millions of

urban Americans still in the grips of the great recession who have been anxiously waiting for the United States to declare war on unemployment.

For the past several years, the National Urban League has been leading the call for action.With our current 12-point Jobs Rebuild America Blueprint, we have even offered Washington a winnable war plan, complete with a regime-change strategy that will remove the scourge of high unemployment from our communities and replace it with a new era of jobs and

PEOPLEON THE MOVE

Michele Y. Wright received the National Volunteer Award in Washington, D.C. on for her work as a community leader for the community ministry of United In the Name of Jesus Ministries.She received the official Presidential pin, an official letter from

Mark returns to chair African American Leadership Society

The society recognizes blacks who pledge $1,000 or more to United Way

By St.Louis American staff

Richard Mark, senior vice president of customer operations, Ameren Missouri will return as the 2011 chair of the African American Leadership Society for United Way of Greater St. Louis. Also known as the Charmaine Chapman Society, the African American Leadership Society of the St. Louis region is the largest African American initiative of its type in the country. In 2010, the society raised more than $1.8 million for United Way of Greater St. Louis with 800-plus members. Mark chaired the society in 2010. The society recognizes African Americans who pledge an annual gift $1,000 or more to United Way of Greater St. Louis.

“In chairing the African American Leadership Society last year, I was reminded of just how many lives United Way helps day in and day out,” Mark said. “I’m blessed to be fortunate enough to help the place I call home through United Way and look forward to chairing this great society again.”

– Richard Mark Marc H. Morial

Tocqueville Society for African Americans (African Americans who give at the $10,000 or more level to United Way).

“We had a tremendous year with Richard chairing the society last year,” said Orvin Kimbrough, senior vice president of United Way.

“We had the highest dollar and the most donors ever under his leadership. We’re fortunate he agreed to chair this society again. With Richard at the helm, we know he’ll continue to raise awareness about United Way and its importance in helping people in our community.”

“In chairing the African American Leadership Society last year, I was reminded of just how many lives United Way helps day in and day out.”

In 2010, more than $18.58 million was invested into 57 of the United Way partner agencies that primarily serve African Americans throughout United Way’s 16-county service area. Mark has been involved with United Way for several years. In the 1980s, Mark served on an allocations panel with United Way of Greater St. Louis; served on the board of directors from 1996 to 1997 and in 2009 he chaired the de

In 1994, Dr. Donald Suggs, president and publisher of The St. Louis American, founded the society to enable “a growing segment of the community to be visible and gain recognition for their support of health and human services through United Way.”

Richard is actively involved in a variety of organizations including serving as a director on the boards of the Major Case Squad, Grand Center, the Police Foundation, CrimeStoppers, the Belleville Dioceses Catholic Community Foundation, Enterprise Bank and Trust Financial, Mathews-Dickey, and St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

Prior to joining Ameren, he spent six years as president and chief executive officer of St. Mary’s Hospital of East St. Louis and five years as its chief operating officer. During his time there, the hospital recovered from the brink of financial ruin.

Richard has received numerous awards and

opportunity. Once again we put that strategy in the hands of White House and Congressional leaders during our State of Black America Legislative Policy Conference in Washington. As the former mayor of New Orleans, I

See MORIAL, B2

Richard Mark,senior vice president, Customer Operations,Ameren Corporation and United Way of Greater St.Louis’2011 African American Leadership Society chair.

honors; most recently the St. Louis Gateway Classic 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award from the St. Louis Gateway Classic Foundation, the 2008 Freedom Award from the St. Louis County chapter of the NAACP, a Distinguished Community Service Award from the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. State Celebration Commission of Missouri as one of the Most Influential Minority Business Leaders.

“Volunteering for something you believe in is important,” Mark said. “And I believe in United Way and the work it does in our community.”

To learn more or become a member of the 2011 African American Leadership Society, contact Orvin Kimbrough, senior vice president with United Way at (314) 539-4249.

The IRS will let you sell

By Alma M.Scarborough For The St.Louis

Notice of Federal Tax Lien attached. Double whammy! The owner thinks that he/she cannot sell the property due to the presence of the Federal Lien. But you can. Although your personal residence or rental property is burdened by the Federal Tax Lien, a sale of that property is yet an option. State law determines the interest in the property in question to which the lien attaches. Federal law determines the consequences. Internal Revenue Code Section 6325 (b)(2)(B) allows the taxpayer to obtain a “Certificate of Discharge” from a “piece’of property for NO MONETARYCONSIDERATION.

Should you be upside down in your personal

residence or a piece of property that currently is without equity and want to sell it, the IRS will discharge that property from the effects of that weighty tax lien for no money.

Do not present a funny book real estate appraisal! It is well investigated to prove that you have no equity, which means that you will have to have it appraised by a reputable, qualified

Although your personal residence or rental property is burdened by the Federal Tax Lien, a sale of that property is yet an option.

appraiser of real estate, and compare it to the balance due on the property and the tax lien for that piece of property to get discharged.

What this means to the taxpayer is that you no longer have the monthly mortgage payment on the house or rental real estate that you cannot afford and you do not have to file bankruptcy or prejudice your credit score (any further).

Basically; what this equates to is that a dis-

charge is provided, where it is determined that the interest of the United States in the property to be discharged has no value.

This property may not have value to the IRS, but think of the money it will save you in a bad situation. No house payment that keeps you consistently broke while avoiding foreclosure.

Adischarge from the federal tax lien is a sale. It would be comparable to someone taking over your mortgage payment, and saying to you, “You are free at last, free at last.”

Yes, you may have to downsize, but it is a step above foreclosure. Additionally, you sold your house and the IRS provided permission. This will assist you in the future to read the fine print on mortgages, and your personal business will not be published in the paper as it is in foreclosures.

Do not wait until you have foreclosure documents be proactive. Get a “Certificate of Discharge from the Federal Tax Lien” as prescribed in IRC 6325 (b)(2)(B).

Besides if you have to move/relocate, do so without that burden.

Alma M Scarborough is an enrolled agent with Scarborough’s Tax Affair (314-621-1402).

BUSINESS

BRIEFS

NAACPpartners with Wells Fargo on financial center

Last week the NAACPannounced the opening of the NAACPFinancial Freedom Center, the next phase of an agreement with Wells Fargo & Co.

The center will be the headquarters of the NAACPFinancial Freedom Campaign, an initiative to influence change in the banking industry, prevent unfair mortgage lending practices, protect the community against predatory mortgage lending practices, improve fair credit access, and promote sustainable homeownership, financial education and wealth building strategies in historically disadvantaged communities.

The center will provide workshops on topics such as money management and home preservation through partnerships with community groups in the D.C. area. It will serve as a base for NAACPunits across the country to learn and organize around financial and economic empowerment. It will also hold gatherings to educate leaders in the financial industry about the historical impact of racial discrimination and best practices in achieving racial equity.

Pay raise for Florissant teachers

Last week the Ferguson-Florissant National Education Association ratified the district administration’s offer of a 3.49 percent pool increase for the 2011-12 school year.

Administrators recommended that the Board of Education approve the offer at its April 13 meeting.

“In these trying times, it feels good to be able to reward employees for the invaluable work they do,” said Board President Les Lentz. “We want them to know how much they are appreciated.” The recommendation is the result of weeks of talks between FergusonFlorissant administrators and the NEA’s negotiation team.

“We appreciate the time NEAmembers and administrators invested in this process and are pleased to have been able to work so well together,” Lentz said.

If approved by the board, the increase will take effect on July 1 for the 2011-12 academic year.

Women’s Business Expo

The National Council of Negro Women will host its annual Women’s Business Expo on Sunday, April 17 from 3-6 p.m. at the Berkeley Civic Center (6120 Madison).Admission is free and all are welcome.For more information, please contact: Kelley Hoskins (314-629-5292), Carletta Washington (314-741-2166), or Hilda Jones (314-304-4976).

Alma M. Scarborough

There

What cash management tools are available?

By Charles Ross PERSONAL FINANCE

Charles Ross

cash. They generally have maturities ranging from 90 days to one year. The minimum face value of Treasury bills is $10,000, which makes them one of the least costly items in the money market. However, they are sold at a discount to face value with the full face amount being paid upon maturity. The difference between the discounted price you pay for the Treasury bill and the face value you receive at maturity is the interest, or yield.

Treasury bills are generally regarded as one of the safest investments available because

MORIAL

Continued from B1

know that many lives can be lost waiting for the federal government to respond to a national crisis.And there is not a day that goes by that I don’t get reports from our Urban League affiliates on the front line of the jobs crisis about the direct and collateral damage double-digit unemployment is inflicting on urban families throughout the country. That is why I am encouraged by the pro-active action of Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, who has developed his own war plan to defeat the tyranny of joblessness in his city.

Congressman Cleaver, who hails from Langston Hughes’ childhood home of Kansas City, Missouri, and who is also the newly elected chairman of the Congressional Black

opportunity for capital loss or capital gain, depending on the direction of interest rates.

An added advantage of Treasury bills is that they are free from local and state taxes.

Anotherrelatively safe investment instrument is the traditional certificate of deposit (CD) that you may purchase from your local bank.

Federally insured for up to $250,000 per depositor, per institution in interest and principal, CDs offer you a fixed

Caucus, has been the driving force behind that city’s promising Green Impact Zone.

His plan echoes many of the elements of the National Urban League’s call for national Green Empowerment Zones to attract investment and green jobs to neighborhoods with disproportionately high unemployment rates.

According to Congressman Cleaver, “Approximately 25 percent of the properties in the zone are vacant lots, and another one-sixth have vacant structures.Fewer than half of the homes are owner-occupied. Over the last two years, almost 20 percent of all mortgages were delinquent and median home prices for the area are less than $30,000.”

The mission of the Zone is use to use a comprehensive green strategy with intense resident engagement to more rapidly push community change and create jobs.Established with Stimulusseed money, Kansas City’s Green Impact

interest rate for depositing your money for a specific period of time. If you withdraw your money before that period is up, you may be subject to interest rate penalties. CDs are most suitable for purchasing and holding to maturity. However,youmay find it necessary to dispose of CDs prior to maturity. An important distinction between Brokered CDs and Bank CDs is the different means for early redemption. With a Bank CD, should you redeem your CD early, you will typically be assessed anearly withdrawal penalty.

Charles Ross is host of the syndicated radio program “Your Personal Finance.” Contact him at P.O. Box 870928; Stone Mountain, Georgia 30087; or email to charles@ charlesross.com.

Zone is being sustained with private-public investments in reduced energy consumption, low-income weatherization, transportation and infrastructure improvements, youth mentoring and job training with guaranteed employment upon completion. Together with the Entrepreneurship Center at the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, led by President and CEO Gwendolyn Grant, hundreds of sustainable jobs have been created as part of the project with many more to come.

Kansas City’s Green Impact Zone is paving the way for the rebirth of a neglected neighborhood and is proving to be a powerful weapon in Kansas City’s war on unemployment. We applaud Congressman Emanuel Cleaver for his leadership and urge Washington and the rest of the nation to follow his lead.

Morial is president and CEO of the National Urban League.

U. City, Belleville West host track invitationals

Fort Zumwalt

West girls edge Hazelwood East for team title at U. City

By Earl Austin Jr.

tures that we

last Saturday afternoon made for some impressive performances on the

and the

Invitational and Belleville West Invitational.

of the

of the

at University City was the

Senior Michael Hester of Hazelwood Central won the event in a time of 48.7 seconds. He was followed by Alfred Larry of Jennings in 48.9. Hester also ran a leg on Central’s 4x400meter relay team that finished first in a time of 3 minutes 19.4 seconds. Hester was joined on the

team by Marc Franks, Sean Wills and Cole Davis. Freshman Rashod Harris of Ritenour won the 800-meter run in 1:58.9 while Drew Padgett of Ladue swept the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs. McCluer South-Berkeley swept the 4z100 and 4x200-meter relays. Darion Boure of University City won the triple jump with a leap of 46 feet 1 inch. In the girls division at University City, Fort Zumwalt West edged Hazelwood East for the team title. Fort Zumwalt West was paced by senior Dahlia Dyson who won the shot put and discus

titles. The Hazelwood East girls set a number of meet records on the day, including a 56.18 performance by senior Shayla Luckett in the 400. Luckett also joined Tiana Valentine, Jazmine Johnson and Calyssia Jones to win the 4x100 in a meetrecord time of 47.8.

Valentine, the defending Class 4 state champion in the 100, set a new meet record in the 200 with a time of 24.86. Also setting a meet record was sophomore Whitney Adams of Francis Howell, who won the 800 with a time of 2:19.0. At the Belleville West Boys

INSIDE SPORTS

Invitational, the hottest action was taking place in the field events. There were several sparkling performances. In the high jump, Granite City’s Marcus Mason won the event by clearing 6 feet 8 inches. Kyle Landon of Chester (Ill.) and Laderrick Ward of Cahokia also cleared 6-8, but Mason won the event by having fewer misses.

Ward of Cahokia won the long jump with a leap of 23-2 and finished second in the triple jump by bounding 45-8. Ward finished second in the triple jump to his teammate Vernon Carter, who won the event with a effort of 46-

Frank Haith has been off and running since becoming the new men’s basketball coach at the University of Missouri. Haith has the reputation of being an excellent recruiter on the national

He has already talked about keeping the top talent in the

of Missouri at

especially the top players in

Louis metro area that have been getting away in recent years. The MU program has done well in recruiting Kansas City area talent in recent years, but getting into the STLhas been the program Achilles Heel. The chickens really came home to roost this year during the NCAATournament when we

(St. Charles),

Tyus (Hazelwood Central) and Jesse

(Arizona) shine. The ultimate kick in the butt had to be last week when the Show-Me State’s first ever Gatorade National Player of the Year showed up at his press conference donned in his Florida Gators sweatshirt. That has to change. One good place to get the in-state momentum recruiting going in the right direction (especially our side of the state) is to hire an assistant coach with some ties to the area. There are two young men who fit the bill and I think would be excellent additions to Haith’s new staff. The first name that comes to mind if former Cardinal Ritter College Prep star Chris Carrawell. Carrawell enjoyed a great career at Duke, including being name the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year in 2000. He is still a member of Mike Krzyzewski’s staff and has Coach K’s recommendation. Chris would give the Missouri program instant credibility around the state and especially in St. Louis. His name also still has a little national swag having been a standout at Duke. The other name is Derek Thomas, who is currently an assistant coach at the University at Detroit. Derek is no stranger to the Show-Me State. He is a Kansas City native. D.T. also spent many years in St. Louis as a head coach at CBC High and an assistant coach at Saint Louis University. He was also a former Division I head coach at Western Illinois University. Derek still actively recruits the St. Louis area. I think it’s time for the University of Missouri to have a person on its men’s basketball staff from the St. Louis area. We haven’t had one on the previous two staffs. I think this would be a great place to start.

Just my thoughts.

• The Bradley Beal postseason All-Star Basketball Game Tour continues this weekend in Charlotte, N.C. where he will play in the Jordan Brand All-Star Classic. The game will be televised on ESPN2 on Saturday at 8 p.m. Scott County Central (Mo.) star Otto Porter, Jr.

Earl Austin Jr.

With Earl Austin Jr.

— Charles Barkley

Carrawell

Hazelwood East’sTianna Valentine hands off to Shayla Luckett (right) during the Girls 4X100-meter relay with Hazelwood Central (left) close behind.East would win the event with a time of 47.8 during the Charlie Beck Invitational at U.City Saturday

Photo by Wiley Price

Chris Carrawell

Derek Thomas

With just over a week in the books, Cardinal Nation is in near panic mode. It kind of reminds you when the North and South stare at each other across the border and everyone runs for cover. Only, this is about fans who have vast second thoughts about a season that has not even gotten to Mothers Day let alone Flag Day, which is when we really start to play for keeps. Then again, what else would Cardinal fans have to grouse about? Just when you thought the season was already over with the injury to Adam Wainwright and the potential of Albert Pujols testing the free agent market, we forgot one thing... we still have to play the season. Aseason that has many questions well before the aforementioned issues. The lack of offense has been a concern early although manager Tony Larussa made it quite clear last week that it was way to early for that. However, the lack of offense was quite a reminder of how the second half of last season went hence the question. It was a question that Tony was not in a mood to answer three different times as the third time was the charm. Back to the team. Questions you ask? There are plenty to go around as we speak. The closer is not closing with the regularity of last season. The centerfielder, while good at the plate, has not made anyone forget Flood, McGee, Lankford and Edmonds in the field.

By Mike Claiborne

Cardinal panic? Not so fast

Edmonds would have made the plays in San Francisco that proved costly to the Cardinals.”

Van Slyke is right but neither he or Edmonds are playing out there now and that is the issue at hand, now not then. There are still some that are trying to find their way in the early portion of the season and I say welcome to the club. There are a lot of lost souls in the majors right now; just ask the Boston Red Sox. For Cardinal Nation, I say take a chill pill and let’s see what happens before those of you at the barber shops and local watering holes and other parts pass judgement so soon. It’s a long season and there is time before we know if the early season is a matter of working it out or is what we have to look forward to for the duration.

The centerfielder, while good at the plate, has not made anyone forget Flood, McGee, Lankford and Edmonds in the field.

Flag Day will tell you all you need to know about the Cardinals and the season, not to mention a few more teams where their fans are ready to run into the street with their hair on fire. There is something about the Cardinals that brings the best and worse out of people in St. Louis. Some are never happy unless there is something to grouse about. In this case there is reasonable cause but not at the avalanche pace that seems to come with one week of play.

Kickin it Around...

As former Cardinal Andy Van Slkye put it earlier this week “ Atwenty four year old Andy Van Slyke and Jim

Surely you remember as a kid in school the age old game of kickball? Yes, kickball. A game that’s played in every school yard in town during and only during recess. As we turn back the hands of time to the

days when the first inkling of your athletic skill set was about to be unveiled and it was discovered you are what you are, let us fast forward to 2011 as kick ball for grown folk has returned only it has a different kick if you pardon the pun.

Women’s kick ball is alive and well in St. Louis as

leagues and teams are sprouting up in a number of areas. University City’s Heman Park features one league that is making a name for itself for a variety of reasons. They have an under the lights league that takes place on Thursday nights that is drawing more than a little attention if you know what

I mean. Think about it. You have athletic women with all their skills not to mention their kick ball ability. Now, before you go off and say kickball, think about it. While you may not have played it in some years or should I say decades, do you think you have what it takes to

compete with the likes of the Sweetkixx Kickball Association? No need to think long and hard as you have nothing coming. My suggestion is to go out and check these ladies out as they have a good time and you should to. It’s nice to see the ladies out getting their grove on under different lights having fun. Your support in this positive venture they have gotten involved in would be greatly appreciated. One thing is for sure, kick ball will never be the same. One game and you will know why. Where was this when I was a kid?

Bill White In thirty years of meeting and dealing with the icons of sports and entertainment, few have been able to wow me. One person who I have admired and respected since I was a kid continues not to disappoint for what he has stood for. For those of you who have not heard of the name Bill White, now may be the time to google him. The short story is he was an all star first baseman who played on the 1964 World Champion Cardinal team. He went on to be the first African-American full-time baseball announcer for the New York Yankees as well as being the first of his race to hold the position of National League president. The list continues about Bill White for so many reasons. Many of which can be found in his book entitled “Uppity.” To talk with Bill and learn about all the things he endured as a player makes you wonder how he survived, especially in the racially charged city of St. Louis in the sixties. In my opinon, Bill White had the second greatest impact on the game of baseball behind Jackie Robinson. In some cases more. Before you think I have jumped off the deep end, read the book. Yes, it’s all true as many will attest to his impact even today in retirement. He was a role model on many fronts. Fronts that are taken for granted today by so many. Yes, Bill White was and still is the man. If you want a good history lesson to where we are today, pick up the book. It’s a good read and then make sure you pass it on to the young or uninformed.

Mike Claiborne

Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

Albert Pujols has struggled to find his stroke so far this season.

Chester

Hazelwood Central's

Michael Hester (right) won the boys 400 meters at the Charlie Beck Invitational

Saturday at University City.Jennings Alfred Larry (left) took second with a time of 48.98.

2 ?. Lebanon High standout

Andrew Ellison won the discus with an impressive throw of 188 feet. The indivdual standout on the track was Divonte Ridley of Belleville West, who swept the 110-meter high hurdles and 300-meter intermediate hurdles. Ridley’s winning times

Felicia Chesterpicked by Minnesota Lynx in WNBADraft

averaged 13 points during the NCAATournament. She also shot a team-high 56 percent from the field. Chester was the St. Louis American Player of the Year in 2006 after she led Incarnate Word to the Missouri Class 5 state championship.

the Blue Demons to the Sweet 16 of the NCAATournament. Chester

were 14.23 in the 110-highs and 38.26 in the 300-intermediates. The Maroons also won the 4x100 and 4x200-meter relays while Jeremy Randolph of West won the 400 with a time of 49.3.

Sophomore Emmonnie Henderson of Edwardsville continued her dominant earlyseason pace by winning the shot put and discus at the Granite City Invitational. Henderson won the shot put with a heave of 45 feet and the

22 Laura Witherspoon 5’8” (Southern Illinois University)

St.Louis Surge Home Schedule

5’7” (Mineral Area College)

32 Khalia Collier

5’10” (Harris-Stowe)

1 Jessica Wilkerson 5’8” (Columbia College)

April 23: 3- 6 p.m.

May 14: vs Kansas

• Congratulations to UMSL basketball standout Gerald Fulton, Jr., who was named to the All-Great Lakes Valley Conference First Team and the Daktronics All-Midwest Regional Team after a stellar junior season for the Tritons. The 6’2” Fulton averaged 22 points a game to lead UMSL to a 16-10 season, which was the program’s most victories in more than a decade.

• I will be appearing at the St. Louis Public Library Walnut Park Branch (5760 West Florissant) on Saturday, May 7 for a presentation and book signing for my various publications, including, The PHLin the STL, You Might Need a Jacket: Hilarious

discus with a throw of 140 feet.

Ladue High standouts

Samantha Levin and Montenae Roye competed in the prestigious Arcadia Invitational in Pasadena, CA. against some of the top athletes in the country. Levin finished third in the 800 in the invitational division with an impressive time of 2:09.48. Roye came through with a fourth-place finish in the 400.

On tap for this weekend is the Henle Holmes Invitational

Nuggets, 2 p.m.

June 11: vs. Kansas City Queenz, 2 p.m.

July 9: vs. Rock Co. Robbins, 2 p.m.

July 23: Regional Tournament

Stories of Wacky Sports Parents and You Might Need a Jacket II. My presentation will be from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Hope to see you all there. It should be a good time.

(You can follow Earl Austin Jr. daily on his basketball website, www.earlaustinjr.com You can also follow Earl on twitter.com/earlaustinjr. and Facebook).

Shayla

Felicia

at Parkway Central, which will be run on Thursday, beginning at 4 p.m. The Corey Siebert Invitational at Rockwood Summit will be held on Saturday for boys and girls.

Photo by Wiley Price

Financial Focus

By Richard Pitts, financial advisor

Wayne’s World

Hip-hop star displays staying power through new tour

By MK Stallings

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

Assumptions aside, it would be anyone’s guess what was to be served up when the hottest ticket in hip hop hit the STL on Sunday night.

Based on the fact that the audience was barely getting settled in as Mix Master Mike and Travis Barker summed up their set of a hip-hop/rock fusion, it was apparent who the crowd came to see.

Three of the hottest rap acts shared the bill with headliner Lil’ Wayne for the sold-out stop of the I Am Still Music tour at Scottrade Center. But when the dust settled and the final microphone dropped, Wayne would rightfully be the last man standing and illustrate his hold on the rap game with respect to his current competition.

Heavyweight Miami rapper Rick Ross was first on deck. Somewhere between the shameless promotion and underwhelming performance he lost fans and failed to capture the much broader audience base that attended the show.

His radio hits “BMF,” “Aston Martin Music,” and “Biggest Boss” were performed with assisting vocal tracks

By Kenya Vaughn

n Debasing womanhood is an equalopportunity activity.

and

have taken a toll on my view of the world and the place of women in it. It was through self-examination and listening as women called me all kinds of degrading things that enabled me to evolve. Whether formally educated or revolutionary brothas, we’re all affected by ideals of manhood that privilege men over women. Unexpectedly, I got into a conversation with a sister about male-female relationships. A beautiful woman with an Angela Davis ‘fro, she voiced a complaint about educated men who don’t like dating independent, educated black women.

“The problem with independent women is that they won’t let a man be a man,” the swagga-delic but privately insecure brotha might say. In Black Looks, bell hooks has a chapter called “Reconstructing Black Masculinity” where she talks about manhood and how we, as a black community, deine it. She references how black men like Frederick Douglass deined manhood as being able to do what white men do.

See SINGLE, C4 See

Photo by Wiley Price

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

How to place a calendar listing

1.Email your listing to calendar@stlamerican.com OR

2.Visit the calendar section on stlamerican.com and place your listing

Calendar listings are free of charge, are edited for space and run on a space-available basis.

concerts

Apr. 16, 9 p.m., Marbin live, Backstreet Jazz and Blues, 614 West Port Plz Saint Louis, MO 63146-3106. Call (314) 8785800.

Wed., Apr. 20, 7 p.m., UMSLMirthday Celebration featuring Cee Lo Green, Touhill Performing Arts Center, One University Blvd., UMSL. For more information, visit www.touhill.org.

Fri., Apr. 22, 9 p.m. doors, Ivy League Entertainment presents Eric Roberson with special guest Teresa Jenee. Hosted by Maurice G. with DJ Needles on the ones and twos. The Loft, 3112 Olive. For more information, call (314) 403-2208.

May 1, 2 p.m., Quiet Your World Piano Concert featuring composers and artists from Nashville and Seatlle as heard on ww.solopianoradio.com, 8920 Eden Avenue, Affton, MO 63123. For more information www.edenucc.org or [314]631-8930.

Fri., May 6, The 2nd Annual St. Louis SuperMusic Festival featuring Charlie Wilson, Eric Benet, Fantasia and En Vogue, Chaifetz Arena. For more information, visit www.metrotix.com

Sun., May 8, Ameren Missouri presents 15th Annual Denise Thimes and Friends Mothers Day Concert, Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington. For more information, call (314) 773-0337. For tickets, call (314) 534-1111.

May 15, 8 p.m. Diddy Dirty Money with special guests Lloyd and Tyga, The Pageant. 6161 Delmar. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com or call (314) 7266161.

July 28, Sade with special guest John Legend, Scottrade

Center. Tickets on sale April 16. For more information visit www.ticketmaster.com

local gigs

Fri., Apr. 15, 9 p.m. ( 8 p.m. doors) Café soul with In the Spotlight Artist Tish, The Loft, 3112 Olive.

Sun., Apr. 17, 6 p.m., Sip n SavorSensational Sundays presentsJazz @ Eventide featuring AStep Beyond, 286 Debaliviere, St. Louis Mo.63112 (1/2 block north from Forest Park Metrolink). For more info call (314)3612115 or e-mail: Sipnsavor286@gmail.com

Apr. 26, 6 p.m., St. Louis Hip-Hop artist William H instore listening party, R. Sole, 6662 Delmar Blvd. Suite A, 63130. For more information, visit www.freshovereverything.com

Wednesday evenings, 7 p.m., Saxophonist Fred Walker will perform his Saxy Jazz Music Show featuring the best in live and recorded music, Van Goghz Martini Bar & Bistro, 3200 Shenandoah Ave. (at Compton). Van Goghz features a great $6.99 steak dinner (Wednesdays only). For more information, call (314)8653345.

St. Louis’own StarCity recording artist Fred Walker performs his (one man)SAXY JAZZ music show at the all new SHRIMPSHACK GRILL , Every Friday (happy hour) 3pm – 7pm, and Saturday (brunch) 10am – 2pm. 8624 Natural Bridge Rd (at Hanley) 314-426-3333.

Funkin Right, Every 2nd

Saturday, Nappy DJ Needles invites you downtown for a monthly dose of good vibes delivered in the form of raw soul, afro beat, house, hip hop and deep funk. Lola, 500 N. 14th St.

Karaoke with Ric Louis,

CALENDAR

THURSDAYS, 8 pm at St. Louis’Happy Hour Bar & Grill, 12948 New Halls Ferry at Parker Road (Next to Save-A-Lot Supermarket). Wednesday s, 9pm at Ace`s Lounge, in the Comfort Inn Airport Hotel, 9600 Natural Bridge Rd. at Brown Rd. Come and enjoy Drink Specials, Food Specials, Super Music Videos, Free Prizes and Great Fun !! (314) 608-2424.

Kut-Nup Productions is seeking hip hop dancers immediately for the upcoming Lip Sync Competition in May at the Cotton Club. Please contact Sherre Ward 314-3131614 or Eric Ward 314-7755679.

Pieces of the Family featuring Marvin (Hit Man) Rice Fridays 8 p.m., Klub Klymaxx (inside The Ambassador), 9800 Halls Ferry Rd. Call (314)8699090.

Sensational Sundays, 6:30 p.m. (6 p.m. doors) Jazz @ Eventide, featuring Black and White Trio. Sip N Savor, 286 DeBaliviere, 1/2 block north of the Forest park Metro link. For more information, call (314)361-2116.

Steppin & Boppin, 6 p.m. Wednesdays, Legacy Café, 5249 Delmar.Lessons available.

special events

Fri., Apr. 15, 5 p.m., Stress Free Fridays, Lola.

Fri., April 15, 6pm-7:15; Awaken YourDance Force: AFun African Dance & Rhythm Class with International dancer Malena Amusa, Legacy Books & Cafe, 5249 Delmar Blvd. For more info, please call (314) 458 - 4282 or visit www.AddLifeStudio.com.

Apr. 17, 12 noon, Cardinal RitterPrep Open House, 701 N. Spring, St. Louis, MO 63108. Summer Academy and Athletic Camps begin June 6th, 2011 www.cardinalritterprep.org for more info.

Tues., Apr. 19, 6 p.m., The Monsanto Family YMCAwill host its 11th Annual International Dinner. The Annual Dinner, which includes international cuisine, raffle and entertainment, is designed to raise awareness and promote an international understanding that fosters world peace. Dinner tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased be contacting the Monsanto Family YMCA. Clyde H. Orr serves as the Chair of the International Dinner. Ida Goodwin Woolfolk,

Rev. Earl Nance, Jr. and Dr. Dareen Weathers are serving as the International Dinner’s CoChairs. To make a donation or to get more information on World Servcie contact Phyllis Mitchell at 314-367-4646 or via email at pmitchell@ymcastlouis.org.

Apr. 15 – Apr. 17, Soorya Performing Arts presents the St. Louis Indian Dance Festival, Clayton High School Auditorium. For more information, visit www.sooryadance.com

Fri., Apr. 22 & Sat., Apr. 23, ANNONYArts Presents: THE SLAUGHTER PROJECT, Founders’Theatre, COCA, 524 Trinity Avenue, University City, MO. 63130. For more information, visit www.cocastl.org.

Sat., Apr. 23, Absolut Vodka and the 13 Black Katz present Straight No Chaser, The Ritz Carlton.

Mon., Apr. 25, 9 p.m., “Gettin’Down(town) with Ozzie” Proceeds benefit The Bridge, a 501 (c) 3 agency that provides food and support services for residents of downtown St. Louis who are currently homeless. Special guest Ozzie Smith will be on hand for photos and autographs (for a fee). Home run derby on restaurant’s Wii. Live auction of baseball memorabilia. Reserve online at www.brownpapertickets.com. For more information, call (314)4213136 and ask for Debra.

Apr. 27 – Apr. 29, Delux Fashion Week, The Metropolitan Gallery (2936 Locust).

Fri., Apr. 29 – May 1, MurderMystery Train Trip from St. Louis To Kansas City. For more information call (314) 219-4188 or visit kcmysteryweekend.eventbrite.c om.

Apr. 29 – May 1, NCJW Warehouse Estate Sale 2011. Over 20,000 square feet featuring an amazing selection of unique items and home furnishings. 1270 N. Price Road, Delivery Warehouse Suite B, Olivette, 63132. See photos of some of the many items posted at: www.couturieronline.com

Through April 30, The Missouri Department of Agriculture is accepting applications forits annual George Washington Carver Essay contest. For more information, e-maiil: essaycontest@mda.mo.gov

Sun., May 1, Rockhouse Ent. Presents I’m ASurvivorAll White Party and Cancer Benefit, The Label.

Sat., May 7, 12 noon, Gamma Phi Delta Sorority Inc., Iota Chapterpresents the 29th Annual Bessie M. Cross Scholarship and Charities Fashion Show Luncheon, Holiday Inn St. Louis Airport, 4505 Woodson Rd. For more information, call (314) 389-5229.

Through May 15, Bob the Builder– Project: Build It will be on site at The Magic House, 516 S. Kirkwood Road, one mile north of Highway 44 in historic downtown Kirkwood. For more information, please call (314) 822-8900 or visit The Magic House online at www.magichouse.org

Fri., May 6, 8 p.m., Martin Lawrence, Scottrade Center Concert Club. For more information, visit www.livenation.com

Sat., May 7, 7 p.m. & 9 p.m., Laugh With Me Ma Comedy Weekend starring Jovan Bibbs, Marcus Combs, Matt Collins and more, Gateway Center, One Gateway Drive in Collinsville, IL. Call (618) 345-8998.

Sat., Apr. 16, 8 p.m., HEARding Cats Collective presents These Cats Can Speak, a multimedia event featuring several of St. Louis’ finest poets, accompanied by improvised music. The evening will feature readings by Brett Underwood, Anna Lum, K. Curtis Lyle, and Stef Russell. Floating Laboratories, 4528 Ohio. For more info, visit www.heardingcatscollective.org.

Tues., Apr. 19, 6 p.m., The Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club presents KWANSABAS & PSALMS In Observance Of Its 25th Birthday (& National Poetry Month), featuring The SoularSystems Ensemble, Building “B” –Room 2083, SIUE/East St. Louis Higher Education Center, 601 J. R. Thompson Drive, East St. Louis, Illinois 62201.

Wed., Apr. 20, Got Lyrics hosted by Mocha Latte with DJ Reminisce on the turntables, EXO, 3146 Locust Ave. Sat., May 7, 2 p.m., St. Louis American Sports Editor Earl Austin Jr. will be appearing at the St. Louis Public Library Walnut Park Branch (5760 West Florissant) for a presentation and book signing. Earl will be giving presentations on his publications, which include The PHLin the STL: The Public High League, ASt. Louis Basketball Legacy and the DVD of the same name; You Might Need a Jacket: Hilarious Stories of Wacky Sports Parents and You Might Need a Jacket II. theatre

Wed., Apr. 20 – May 15, The Black Rep presents Black Pearl Sings, The Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Squar. For more information, call (314) 534-3810 or visit www.theblackrep.org . Sat., Apr. 23, 3pm., Renew The Best You Through Acting w/ Coco Hype at InPowerInstitute. Drama fireball Coco leads an exciting exploration of character development,dialogue,improvisation, & key communication skills we need in life and on stage. 5400 Nottingham Ave., 63109. For more info, call (314) 458 - 4282 or visit www.AddLifeStudio.com. Apr. 21 – Apr. 23, St. Louis Community College Players present What the Butler Saw The Mildred E. Bastian Center for the Performing Arts, 5600 Oakland Ave., St. Louis. Apr. 28 – Apr. 30, Chicago’s legendary comedy theatre The Second City brings FAIR & UNBALANCED to St. Louis, Touhill Performing Arts Center Tickets are available now at the Touhill

Performing Arts Center Ticket Office; online at www.touhill.org; or by phone at 314-516-4949.

May 13 – May 14, JMJ Productions presents I Just Want to Be Loved, 5915 Minerva. For more information, call (314) 437-8937.

arts

April 14 – April 30, UMSL

Studio Art Students present Parental Advisory (Opening reception to take place from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. on Apr. 14), Gallery 210, Telecommunity Center at UMSL, 1 University Blvd. For more information, visit gallery210.umsl.edu or 314516-5976.

Through April 17, The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis is pleased to announce a new exhibition to The Front Room: Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver KochtaKalleinen’s The St. Louis Complaint Choir Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington Boulevard. For more information, call (314) 535-0770.

Through April 21, Framations Art Gallery presents Those Who Dream by Night, a juried exhibit of artwork focusing on themed work. Framations Gallery, 218 North Main Street, St. Charles, MO 63301. For more information, call (636) 724-8313.

lectures

Sat., Apr. 16, 9:30 a.m., Uplifting Spirit Prison Ministry presents a Free Jail/Prison Re-Entry and Visitation Workshop, Washington Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, 3200 Washington Boulevard (corner of Compton Avenue). The event is free. Acontinental breakfast will be served. Call (314) 533-8763.

Tues., Apr. 19, 5 p.m., INC Yourself in 2011 seminars presented by Comptroller Darlene Green of the City of St. Louis. INC Yourself in 2011: Doing Business with Airports and the Federal Government.” This seminar will be held at the new William J. Harrison Center located at 3140 Cass Ave.For more information, e-mail: incyourself2011@gmail.com or call 314-612-1462.

Wed., Apr. 20, St. Louis University School of Law, NOBLE, U.S. Probation Office - ED/MO, and the Black Law Student Association, will host an Offender Reentry Conference at St. Louis University - Busch Student Center.

Fri., Apr. 29, 7:30 a.m., The first-everDowntown Housing Summit, featuring guest speakers reporting on national and regional housing trends reflected in the just completed 2010 Census and the future of downtown living. For more information, visit www.downtownstl.org.

Wed., May 4, 6 p.m., We Are More Than You Think: Removing the stigma of men-

tal illness and Promoting mental wellness in the African-American community, Missouri History Museum – in Forest Park (Corner of Lindell and DeBaliviere). For more information, call (314)482-5697 or email:jidleburg@gmail.com

TMAPYouth Empowerment Sessions, Thursdays, 4:45 p.m., 5019 Alcott Walbridge C.E.C. Riverview West Florissant -TMAPmeet for Youth Empowerment Sessions facilitated by Keith Minor Nuisance Coordinator in the 27th Ward and feature a variety of positive role models from the St. Louis Metropolitan area listen to and dialogue with youth in the Walnut Park neighborhood. Topics vary and are youth driven. Call the RWF-TMAP office at (314) 381-6999.

Toastmasters International St. Louis presents Primary Conversations! Want to develop in Public Speaking? Visit Toastmasters Primary Conversations Club every 2nd and 4th Tuesday at 6pm...Please call 314-2259098 for more information.

The Gateway EITC Community Coalition will offer free tax help to Households in St. Louis City, County, St. Charles and metroeast Illinois with incomes of less than $49,000 in 2010. For information qualifications, locations, dates, and documents, visit www.gecc.us or contact United Way at 2-1-1 or 800-427-4626.

The Gateway EITC Community Coalition needs volunteers to help greet, interview and prepare taxes for low income and elderly residents from late January through April 18, 2011 at various locations in the region (including Illinois). Trainings take place during January 2011 at various times and locations throughout St. Louis City, St. Louis County and Illinois. Greeter, intake and tax preparer volunteers must attend one or more certification trainings in order to help. Volunteers do not need to be accountants to help. You must register for the trainings in advance. To find out more, contact GECC partner United Way at 314-539-4062 or email info@gecc.us

Matiff OPEN DANCE CLASSES,7 p.m. Monday and Friday, Male and Female dancers ages 14 and up specializing in modern, street, hiphop, and lyrical dance. Wohl Community Center, 1515 North Kingshighway. E-mail: matiffdance@gmail.com or call(314) 920-2499.

health

Thurs. Apr. 14, 6 p.m. – 7 p.m., Crisis Nursery Kid’s Banquet at Creve Coeur Government Center - honoring local volunteers from throughout the region. For more information, call (314) 292-5770 or visit www.crisisnurserykids.org.

Sat. Apr. 16, 8 a.m. - NOON, “Reward Yourself - Stay Healthy,” St. Louis ConnectCare Gym, (Enright entrance) 5535 Delmar Blvd.

in St. Louis. Events include Zumba stress-relieving exercises, breakfast and conversations about women’s and men’s health issues. The event is sponsored by the Sistah Connection Breast Cancer Support Group. RSVPto Rosetta Keeton at 314-8796231 or rxk2630@stlconnectcare.org

Sat. Apr. 30, Wellness Jam 2011 at the St. Louis Gateway Classic Foundation, 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr. –St. Louis. Free activities for all ages, including a children’s pavilion; free health screenings; fitness demonstration, step and line dancing; giveaways, raffles, and live performances. For more information, call 314-621-1994

Sunday, May 1, 2 p.m. –Heart & Soul 5K Race, at Creve CoeurPark. Event includes prizes, awards, health/ fitness stations; music and entertainment. Proceeds will benefit KaBOOM!, the national non-profit organization dedicated to saving play. Register at www.heartandsoulrun.com.

Wed. May 4, 6:00 – 8:30 p.m.

–“We Are More Than What You Think,” a free community forum about mental illness in the African American community at the Missouri History Museum. Continuing education credits from the Missouri Institute of Mental Health are available for no charge. For more information, contact Bryan Evans-Mental Health America @ 314-773-1399 or Justin Idleburg at 314-4825697-jidlehelps@gmail.com.

Sat. May 7, 9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. – “Behind the Mask” Lupus Educational Conference at Saint Louis University. Registration at 8 a.m., $10 attendance fee includes all sessions and lunch. Attendees must preregister by calling 800-9LUPUS6, email info@LFAheartland.org or go to http://tinyurl.com/lupusSTL.

May 7, 9 a.m., The Human Development Corporation of Metropolitan St. Louis (HDC), will be hosting a “Family Fun Wellness Fair” featuring fun, family-friendly activities to present alternatives to their regular routines and promote healthy lifestyles. Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School, 701 North Spring Ave. For more information, contact the Human Development Corporation at (314) 754-4511.

Sat. June 18, 7 a.m. - 2nd Annual Ronald McDonald

House Charities of Metro St. Louis’Bike Ride in Forest Park. The event has five race options: To ride, volunteer or for more information, visit www.rmhcridestl.com, 314932-4146 or e-mail lfletcher@rmhcstl.com.

Sun. June 19, Katy Trail Father’s Day Family Bike Ride, to benefit prostate cancer research at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. Riders can start from a designated KATY Trailhead and ride to Defiance, Mo. Pre-registration is $10.00 ($15.00 day of ride). For more information, or to sign-up, go to www.fathersdaybikeride.com.

Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. –7:30 p.m., STEPS Schizophrenia Support Group This nationally recognized program provides education and support for those with schizophrenia. Group is facilitated by an experienced STEPS nurse. For more information, call 314-839-3171.

Mondays, 7 p.m., “Tobacco Free forLife” support group – free weekly meetings at St. Peters Mo. City Hall. Supported by SSM Cancer Care; RSVPinitial participation to 636-947-5304.

Alcoholics Anonymous Group 109 meets in the 11th floor conference room at Christian Hospital. This is an open meeting for alcoholics, drug addicts and their family and friends. Sundays, 10 a.m. Christian Hospital, 11133 Dunn Road at I-270/Hwy. 367.

The American Cancer Society offers free transportation services through a program called Road the Recovery, but more volunteers are needed to make certain that every patient has access to care. The program is in great need of volunteer drivers in St. Louis City and County. To learn more about Road to Recovery and become a volunteer, please call Kaci Hubbard at 314-286-8174.

spiritual

Fri., Apr. 15, (4:30 p.m. health fair, 6:30 p.m. gospel celebration), Most Powerful Voices Gospel Tourfeaturing Dorinda Clark Cole and hosted by Merdean Gales, Greater Grace Church, 3690 Pershall Rd.

Sat., Apr. 16, (4:30 p.m. health fair, 6:30 p.m. gospel celebration), Most Powerful Voices Gospel Tourfeaturing Dorinda Clark Cole and hosted by Merdean Gales, Power of Change Christian Church, 2348 Jerome Lane.

Sat., Apr. 16, 10 a.m., Women of Authority Ministry presents Powerof Deliverance Conference, Northside Christian Church, 9635 Lewis and Clark, 63136. Call (314) 830-2873 www.woaministies.com

Friday, April 22, 2011, 9:00 a.m., the Antioch District Women’s Auxiliary presents Good Friday Crucifixon Service, Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, 2822 Dr. M.L. King Drive, St. Louis, MO, Messenger- Rev. Dr. F. Delano Benson, Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church. For more information, call (314) 2418365.

Fri., Apr. 22, 7:30 p.m., The Bethesda Temple Voices 20th Annual Pre-Easter Concert, Bethesda Temple Church of the Apostolic Faith, Inc., 5401 Bishop J.A. Johnson Lane. For more information, call (314) 3825401.

Mon., May 2 – Fri., May 6, 7:30 p.m., GreaterLeonard M.B. Church Annual Spring Revival with Evangelist Rev. Dr. Haywood A. Robinson, IIIPastor, People’s Community Baptist Church of Silver Spring, Maryland, Greater Leonard M.B. Church, 1130 Benton Street. For more information, call (314) 4215288.

Friday Night Live! Christian fun for everyone! Come enjoy Instrumental Flute, Poetry, Holy Hip Hop, FREE Food, and Games. Featured Special Guest will be CES Magmatic (http://www.cmflows.com) and Point Five (http://www.point5 online.com).

Sundays, 5 p.m., Christian Mission Church presents The Holy Ghost Miracle Healing Revival, AGreater Day Missionary Baptist Church, 1726 Anne Malone St.(corner of Anne Malone & Cote Brilliante).

Every 3rd Sunday7:30 pm, Flame of Fire Ministries presents Where the Spirit of the Lord Is! Kossuth Temple C.O.G.I.C., 3801 Clarence Ave Saint Louis, MO. Call (314) 652-4163.

film

Apr. 14 – Apr. 17, Cinema St. Louis presents the Fourth Annual Stella Artois QFest, Hi-Pointe Theatre. Advance tickets for all shows are available through BrownPaper Tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/profile/49376. For more information, visit www.cinemastlouis.org.

Ivy League Entertainment presents Eric Roberson.See CONCERTS for details.

want our building to be as nice as the Fox,” Holliway-Wiggins said. “I want people to say ‘we’re going to the Genesis –we’ve got to get dressed up for that.” In the meantime she has been facilitating an arts program every summer –at a host location.

Carter knows from decades of experience that an arts infused education can make all the difference.

The list of famed musicians that were a product of his famed tenure as leader of the Lincoln High School Jazz Band in impressive – and includes Grammy nominated jazz musician Russell Gunn. But Carter was just as eager to name drop teachers, lawyers and even a mathematician who learned the importance of dedication of discipline thanks to the relentless rehearsals and rigorous musical demands he lovingly imposed on them.

“I worked so hard not to send kids to music but to send them to success,” Carter said. “Music was just a way of doing that –creating the drive of what we can do to make ourselves a success.”

Holliway-Wiggins’ husband Anthony, a minister of music, is also an alumnus of Carter’s Lincoln jazz band, so she knows irst hand the impact that can be made.

“If they had the opportunity it’s the road that can lead them to a different place and a different space in their head,”

Holliway-Wiggins said. “Some of them swore they didn’t like jazz until they heard Mr. Carter. Then they were like ‘this is nice.’”

As a part of the programming surrounding the fundraiser concert, students in the East St. Louis District are also invited to take part in workshops and clinics led by Carter, his NIU students and the guest performer for the concert. For 2011, Randy Brecker will join Carter and NIU on stage and in the clinics. Carter is extremely grateful for the continued opportunity to give back to East St. Louis.

“Exposure, the training and the outpouring could be put back on the map with respect to producing great citizens for this city,” Carter said. “If they are trained and if they are exposed, East St. Louis can come back to its glory through the arts.”

In the meantime, Carter will use the talent he has cultivated

on how many beers a guy needs to imbibe before he would sleep with any of them.

Certainly, Douglass was for women’s suffrage but was he for women’s social equality? Was he for women earning as much or more than men? How about being as educated or better educated than men? Was he able to support and follow women in leadership roles?

I recently saw an ABC Sunday Evening News report that Yale University is facing a Title IX discrimination class action law suit alleging that the Ivy League school failed to adequately punish the sexist behavior of its male students, which resulted in a hostile environment for women. The report cited as an example a list circulated among male students at Yale that rate women based

I don’t recall seeing a black man in the report, yet this conversation seems familiar to me. Whether in a club or university, debasing womanhood is an equal-opportunity activity.

Given the indignities that women confront with sexism or abuse, an independent woman should NOT let a man be a man. That type of man puts the problems of his inadequacies and insecurities on the success of independent, black women. Black women should not have to choose between the social inequality of having (following) some unaccountable brother or being alone.

To the Angela Davis ‘fro sista looking for an educated black man, I suggest inding one who took (and earned a good grade in) a women’s study course while progressing toward his degree. Yeah, I know

at NIU to provide a good time and inspiration through their performance.

“Everybody knows Mr. Carter puts on a show,” HolliwayWiggins said. “It’s going to be a mind-blowing –yet relaxing – experience.”

She also knows that Carter’s continued support is much bigger than the show and workshop he conducts every year.

“He has taken on Genesis as a part of him,” HolliwayWiggins said. “We are thankful for the relationship and when he comes back here people just love on him.”

Ron Carter and the NIU Ensemble with special guest artist Randy Brecker will perform for the 7th Annual Genesis Academy of Arts And Fine Arts Ministry Fundraiser at the Sheldon Concert Hall on Sunday, Apr. 17 at 5 pm. For more information, visit www.gaafam.org or call (618) 257-0531.

that he may not be out there. Like me, he may not have enrolled in a class, but bell hooks’ work is available for purchase or in libraries. Let’s make reading her work and others a group activity. Instead of taking comedian Steve Harvey’s book seriously, check-out Mark Anthony Neal, Tricia Rose, Joan Morgan and Kevin Powell. The problem isn’t on women to resolve. A brotha who cannot enjoy the company of a beautiful woman, but instead sees a mirror of his inadequacies when looking at her, has the problem. Men shouldn’t try to be the ideal man as deined by this sexist, patriarchal society. To borrow from hooks, we should “reconstruct” our ideal about manhood and recognize that it can take more forms than one. You can follow the work of MK Stallings at Twitter.com/ afroscibe, Facebook or mkstallings.com.

St. Louis chronicled in southern hip-hop history

‘Dirty

South’ author to speak at Left Bank Books April 26

By American Staff

“Sure, St. Louis isn’t really the south,” writer Ben Westhoff said when he initially set out to start the interview compilation phase for his book, Dirty South: Outkast, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and the Southern Rappers Who Reinvented Hip-Hop last January.

As a resident of St. Louis for nearly eight years, Westhoff knows the ‘Midwest Swing’ of the city. But he is also aware that the lavor of STL hip-hop makes them an ingredient in the southern element of the hop-hop mix.

“Their rap music employs a southern character and they are routinely trashed for it,” Westhoff said via his blog. “That’s good enough for me.”

When he discussed the process during the irst week of 2010, he was eager for a skip back to ‘The Lou.’

“I’ll be in St. Louis next week,” Westhoff posted with excitement. “Murph Durt!”

More than a year later, Westhoff will return to offer St. Louis a sample of his inished product thanks to Left Bank Books.

The Washington University graduate and former Riverfront Times staff writer will be on hand at Left Bank Books Central West End location to sign and discuss Dirty South: Outkast, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and the Southern Rappers Who Reinvented Hip-Hop next Tuesday (April 26).

The book will be released nationwide through Chicago

Review Press next month and local rappers turned international stars are etched alongside the great ones as Westhoff chronicles the history of the great migration of rap music – thanks to anchor

Ben Westhoff will discuss and sign copies of Dirty South at Left Bank Books (399 N. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63108) on April 26 at 7pm.

cities like Atlanta, Houston, New Orleans, Miami – and, of course, St. Louis . Dirty South expounds on the spread of its style and audience from southern hotspots and explores how numerous

male health issues.

acts ballooned from DJ favorites at local southern clubs to nationwide chart-toppers by the mid-2000s. Peppered with Westoff’s personal insight and experiences, Dirty South is much more than simply a critic’s evaluation of the genre. Westhoff has interviewed and proiled many essential southern rap igures – including St. Louis names like Nelly, Murphy Lee and Jibbs, as well as Luke Campbell, Big Boi, Gucci Mane, Scarface, Geto Boys and Timbaland.

Ben Westhoff will discuss and sign copies of Dirty South at Left Bank Books (399 N. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63108) on April 26 at 7pm. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call (314) 367-6731 or visit http:// www.left-bank.com/event/benwesthoff-dirty-south

Rescuing your mind and body from stresses of the day can offer peace of mind and a healthier body. In the upcoming session, “Reward YourselfStay Healthy,” the Sistah Connection Breast Cancer Support Group at St. Louis ConnectCare partners with Missouri Care, The Empowerment Network prostate cancer support group and the Black Women Breast Cancer Survivor Project to show participants how to make it happen.

The event takes place Saturday, April 16, from 8 a.m. to Noon in the St. Louis Connect-

Care gymnasium.

“Relieving stress is a prevention to help you stay healthy,” said Rosetta Keeton, event organizer at St. Louis ConnectCare.

Learning by participating, three activities will be conducted to relieve stress –exercising, eating right and through journaling.

The morning begins with Zumba, followed by breakfast, stress-relieving exercises, and then time apart for women to discuss health topics that pertain only to women and men to speak with other men about

Prostate cancer support group leader Mellve Shahid says this type of event should be of particular interest to men, who have to take care of their own health in order to fulill their role of responsibility to their families.

“As men, we cannot afford to procrastinate on our prostate health or our overall health due to our attitudes or due to the lack of knowledge,” said Mellve Shahid, cofounder of The Empowerment Network.

“Ignoring our health in any form has caused the deteriora-

tion of the very fabric of our being as men.”

“Reward Yourself – Stay Healthy” takes place in the ConnectCare gym, located on the Enright entrance of the facility at 5535 Delmar Blvd. in St. Louis. It is free and open to the public; however, an RSVP is requested. For more information, contact Rosetta Keeton at 314-8796231 or by email at rxk2630@ stlconnectcare.com.

— S. J.

Ben Westhoff

Ron Carter

with his lat and commercialized rhyme style.

and a low energy hype man. Many have pointed to Ross as a Notorious B.I.G. – In Training, but Ross is more along the lines of Heavy D, but with less onstage charisma. Another contrast between the two is that while Heavy D milked his ‘overweight lover’ gimmick, Ross is attempting to capitalize on chronicles from his alleged former lifestyle as a cocaine kingpin.

Biggie created color and lavor with his words, where as Ross proved to not measure up

Though she literally popped up midway through Wayne’s set, Minaj was also a disappointing sideshow during a concert where Wayne owned the night.

A product of Wayne’s Young Money team, Minaj stands by default as the leading lady in hip-hop. Through countless guest verses on some of the hottest acts in hip-hop in R&B and a successful mixtape, Minaj took the industry by storm – which led to the monstrous success of her platinum selling debut Pink Friday Though undeniably talented as an MC, the gimmick of her act – vocal ticks and over the

top costumes – often overshadow Minaj’s ability. And while she has the reputation as a force to be reckoned with on a track, her tendency of failing to live up to the song during live performances also precedes her.

Minaj would be true to form in all respects (good and bad) when she took the stage.

A pink slanted afro wig and form-itting neon bodysuit distracted fans from the low of her dis track aimed at her former mentor and present nemesis Lil Kim. And the drama continued as she aimlessly scooted across the stage alongside her backup dancers. Fans seemed thrilled as she bounced back and forth between verses

from her debut album and guest appearances including “Bottoms Up,” “Super Bass,” “Number 2” and others. But she ultimately proved to be much more lash than an actual formidable talent.

Unlike his opening entertainment, headliner Lil Wayne came out with the hunger of a fresh faced MC aching to leave an impression.

Backed by an all black rock band Wayne came hard at hello with a guitar and drum looded rendition of “I’m Goin’ In” dressed in camoulage pants, a white tee and a St. Louis Cardinals ball cap.

It was the irst time St. Louis fans had seen him since just before he entered Riker’s Island to serve a year-long sentence on gun charges.

Upon his release, he hit the ground running –back into a rap game where the only person to take advantage of Wayne’s absence was Young Money member Drake (who was noticeably absent from the line up).

Thanks to an endless list of stockpiled guest verses Wayne was far from invisible during his incarceration. Thanks to the tour fans would get to hear them live for the irst time. The only downside would be that those guest verses would seem to be the meat of Wayne’s show.

Because he offered far too much attention to the special appearances (especially a medley of Drake hits) a huge helping of classic Lil’Wayne was missing in action. Songs like “Fire Man” and “Stunting Like My Daddy” were left by the wayside and there was a sorely missed opportunity to take advantage of Ross’ presence on the tour with a performance of “John.”

Another downside of the show was when the record executive in Wayne reared its head in the middle of his set as he stepped aside to allow Young Money artists the spotlight for a segment of songs.

Singer Shenell’s two song presentation was especially mix-matched as she quick changed from standard singer to sexpot – which was met by a room temperature reaction by the audience.

Despite the hiccups, Wayne’s heart was immersed in the experience of returning to the stage and a fellowship opportunity with his extremely diverse fan base.

“Three things about me,” Wayne said to fans as he opened and closed the show. “Number one: I believe in God. Number two: I ain’t [expletive] without you. Number three: I ain’t [expletive] without you.”

Cuts, layoffs and closings

ESL Schools Face Possible Oversight

To say that East St. Louis School District 189 has become an administrative train wreck is equivalent to saying that actor Charlie Sheen is a little crazy. Both statements are self evident.

The difference is that taxpayers don’t pay for the erratic behavior of Sheen. I wish that were true with respect to ESL School District 189.

While the ineptitude of Superintendent Theresa Saunders, School Board President Lonzo Greenwood and certain ESL School Board members has become a running joke in my column (and among media in general) there was nothing funny about a special school board meeting which resulted in the layoff of 287 teachers (40 percent of all District 189 teachers) and the closing of 3 schools (Edgemont, A.M. Jackson and Donald McHenry) at the end of the 2010-2011 school year.

high school students failing to meet state standards dropped to 10.75 percent. Now, adding insult to injury, we discover that Superintendent Theresa Saunders, as revealed by KMOV-TV reporter Craig Cheatham, after holding the job of ESL school superintendent for six years, claims that her primary home is in Ypsilanti, Michigan and that she has received a tax exemption as a result.

The cuts and closures were needed to eliminate a $9 million hole which District 189 systematically dug for itself since emerging from state oversight, back in 2004.

How did they do it? According to current School Board member Carl Oficer, the school district had a $39 million surplus when he was elected to ofice in 2009.

Since that time, the district has “blown through” $26 million in unnecessary spending and hook-ups for “consultants”, excessive travel by Superintendent Saunders and other board members, with little to show.

Other instances of ineptitude include a scathing seven page letter (dated March 4) from the Illinois superintendent of education, Christopher Koch, citing District 189 for being in “extreme ongoing non-compliance” in terms of failing to hire the required staff and failing to properly evaluate their disabilities program for nearly 1,000 children.

And for the ifth straight year, the percentage of ESL

As a result, it was also discovered that Saunders is being investigated for possibly owing personal property taxes for the city of St. Louis, because she has paid ZERO personal property taxes while residing at her south city loft.

I’m sure Dr. Saunders wonders who blew the whistle. Elementary, my dear Dr. Saunders. When one blatantly drives around in a Cadillac sporting Michigan license plates it does set you up for scrutiny. You don’t need a PhD to igure that out! ESL School administration is a hot mess which is quickly approaching inferno proportions. The only thing that can save this sinking ship is state oversight. State oversight and the leadership of individuals like Richard Mark regulated spending; created millions in surplus and prevented District 189 oficials from going on the spending spree that they engaged in following the exit of oversight, back in 2004. Carl Oficer, gave credit to Theresa Saunders for being qualiied but indicated that, for whatever reason, she appears to be “shielding” certain individuals from implication in the malfeasance which has become evident in the operation of ESL public schools. The solution is obvious. Saunders must go ASAP and state oversight should be reinstituted before another school year is wasted. Email: jtingram_1960@ yahoo.com

James Ingram

Nicki Minaj

Rick Ross

~ CELEBRATIONS ~

Graduation Engineering grad

On May 13, 2011, Ms. Jessica Anderson will graduate from Alabama A&M University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering. Jessica is a member of the National Society of Black Engineers and the National Society of Women Engineers. Her proud parents are Reverend Lionel and Mrs. Marilyn Anderson of Washington Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church.

Reunions

Beaumont High School Class of 1965 is looking for all classmates interested in celebrating our 45-year reunion. We are in the process of planning a dinner/dance.Your contact information is needed ASAP. Pleaseemail LaLinda Newsom Diggs at lalindadiggs@sbcglobal.net.

Birthdays

Kelvin Cobb—April 13

Stanli Beeks Johnson—April 15

Arvell Ferguson, Jr.—April 15

Lori Gill—April 17

Beaumont High Class of 1971 has scheduled its 40-year reunion for August 5-7, 2011. E-mail your contact information to beaumont71alumni@ yahoo.com for details.

Cardinal RitterCollege Prep High School is seeking members of the classes of 1981, 1996 2001 and 2006 for upcoming reunions. Please contact Alumi Affairs Director, Tonya Farr at 314-446-5506 or tfarr@cardinalritterprep .org for more information.

Cardinal RitterPrep. High School Class of 1986 is preparing for its 25-year reunion. We are looking for all classmates to update information and participate in monthly meetings. Please contact

Mike Reynolds at (314) 5789621-mreynolds@cardinalritterprep.org or Sylvester Williams at (314) 629-4429sylwilliams@cardinalritterprep. org.

Central High School Class of 1971 is preparing for its 40year reunion in 2011. We are looking for all classmates of 1971. We need your contact information to complete our class directory. Please email your information to Preston Kerns or Alice Manuel Robinson at centralclassof71@yahoo.com.

Farragut-Beaumont

Neighborhood Reunion

Dance and Fundraiser will be held Sat., May 21, 2011 from 8 pm to 1 am at the Omega

Birthday 70 years young

Mayme Gloria Gully will celebrate her 70th birthday on April 14, 2011. The years just flew by, and before she knew it she’s seven decades old and beautifully accustomed to it. Happy Birthday, Mom! From your children: Ronnie Gully, Sr., Titus Gully, Sr., Kenneth Gully, Etta Gully, Alice Birch and Felicia Gully.

Center, 3900 Goodfellow. For more information, contact boyds@stlouiscity.com, mscatmay@sbc.com or 314-3278330.

Hadley Technical High School class of 1961 is preparing for its 50-year reunion in 2011. We are seeking contact information to complete our directory. For more information contact Ralph Johnson 314-477-2042 or William Perry 314-531-3170.

Northwest High School Class of 1971 is preparing for its 40year reunion. We are looking for all classmates interested in attending and/or to help plan the festivies. Call Jeanette at 314 398-0383, Willie at 314 378-8326 or Diane at 4986886.

O’Fallon Technical High School Class of 1981 is beginning preparations for the 30year class reunion in 2011. We are seeking classmate contact information to complete our class directory. Please email Chrystal Riley at kittstark@ aol.com for information.

Soldan High School Classes of 1966and1967 45-year reunion will be held June 1618, 2011 at the Ameristar Casino in St. Charles, MO. For more information please con-

Helen Louise Nash—April 17

tact: Marilyn Edwards Simpson at 314-837-7746, Meredith Wayne Farrow at 314-521-8540, email: stlsoldanhs1966@yahoo.com or Facebook: stlsoldanhs1966.

SumnerHigh School Class of 1992 is planning its 20-year reunion. Please contact P. Parker for further information at parkp@live.com.

SumnerClass of 1976 is celebrating its 35-year reunion August 19-21, 2001 and is seeking all classmates to attend the reunion planning meetings. Special reunion registration pricing is available through April 15, 2011. For more information about the reunion or regular registration pricing, please call B. Louis 385-9843 or S. Johnson 3554719 or email: sumnerclassof76@yahoo. com.

SumnerClass of 1961 is preparing for its 50-year reunion, which will be held on June 3-5, 2011. If you have not received your info in the mail, please send your information to sledgesisternumber3@yahoo.com.

University City High School Class of 1991 presents its 20year reunion June 9-12, 2011. The cost is $150 per person. Children 6 and older are $25;

Do you have a celebration you’re proud of? If so we would like to share your good news with our readers. Whether it’s a birth, graduation, wedding, engagement announcement, anniversary, retirement or birthday, send your photos and a brief announcement (50 words or less) to us and we may include it in our paper and website – AT NO COST – as space is available Photos will not be returned. Send your announcements to: kdaniel@stlamerican. com or mail to: St. Louis American Celebrations c/o Kate Daniel 4242 Lindell Ave St. Louis, MO 63108 FREE OF CHARGE

Reunion notices are free of charge and based on space availability. We prefer that notices be emailed to us! However, notices may also be sent \by mail to: Kate Daniel, 4242 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108. Deadline is 10 a.m. on Friday. If you’d like your class to be featured in a reunion profile, email or mail photos to us. Our email address is: reunions@ stlamerican.com

under 6 are free. Our host hotel, Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel, has lodging available at $79 per night. All payments must be received by May 31, 2011. For payments & more information, please visit our website: http://www.wix.com/aeeshabell/ucityclassof1991 or contact Demetrius Stewart at Trinitywash3@sbcglobal.net or Aeesha Bell at aeeshabell@gmail.com.

Jessica Anderson

Asia Brimmage—April 10

LaKeeta Inez Jones —April 17

Relections on Rev. Rouse

Church of God

Epic Easter Drama

American staff

In the trying moments of hurting hearts, I believe in the power of God’s Word which is the ultimate encouragement for our church family. Even as we suffer the loss of our late pastor, scripture reminds us that Christ will not leave us as orphans. Rather, He has sent us a Helper that will abide with us forever!

It has to be the responsibility of this church to rely on the power, presence, and protection of God’s Spirit in the loss of our great leader. As interim pastor, it is my obligation and duty to the Lord and my spiritual father to carry out the mission and ministry of Christ.

In 56 years of ministry, Pastor John H. Rouse has blessed many with his kindness and penetrated the hearts of those who knew him. “Pop,” as I called him, will be forever missed and his memory and legacy will never be replaced. He was my “pop,” my pastor and my friend, and I will forever be grateful for his instrumental work and participation in my life! As Paul told Timothy so has my pastor said to me, “Guard what was committed to my trust.” I only desire to keep my promise to him that I made over 10 years ago; simply be the best preacher/leader I can be!

– Pastor Ron Young, interim pastor, Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist

Reverend Dr. John Henry Rouse, the proud pastor of our church, Mount Zion Missionary Baptist was a SERVANT OF GOD. Pastor Rouse was concerned about the total person: the individual’s physical and spiritual life in Jesus Christ our Savior.

This Man of God, a master preacher and teacher, fervently taught God’s word, equipping the members of our Church to live as Christians and to help others express a belief in Jesus Christ. Pastor Rouse also trained the leaders in our Church and Preachers, called the Sons of Thunder. He was a pastor who loved his wife and family and the congregation of Mt. Zion. But Pastor Rouse had a special place in his heart for senior citizens and children. Annually, Pastor Rouse and other volunteers took the seniors to Hot Springs, Arkansas for a vacation. Many

children considered him to be “the only daddy” they ever knew – they called him Daddy and Big Daddy. In their home, Pastor Rouse and his wife, First Lady Mary G. Rouse reared their four children, three adopted children and other children to whom they were not related.

Pastor Rouse was known all over this country for his workshops and revivals, he received numerous awards, he was a leader in the Baptist Church at the State and National level, and he shook hands with ive sitting US Presidents. But he would say, “JUST TELL EVERYONE THAT I, PASTOR JOHN H. ROUSE WAS A SERVANT OF GOD JUST DOING THE WILL OF HIM WHO SENT ME.”

I am forever grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to study under Pastor Rouse and to serve for over 19 years as chairman of the Deacons Ministry

The East St. Louis community lost a giant civic and spiritual leader with the passing of the Rev. John H. Rouse on March 12, 2011, after suffering a heart attack. Rouse is shown here with President Barack Obama and Sherry Maxwell during a presidential campaign stop at Mt. Zion

Random acts of kindness

I recently enjoyed a conversation with a dear friend who lives in Texas. She is a woman of wisdom and has always given me sage advice. During this conversation we traded stories about our different family gatherings. My friend was able to travel to her family gathering in Arkansas. Many friends and family had gathered there and the time spent talking and laughing was a blessing to her, but one thing troubled her: the food.

Turkey and ham and all the ixings. She said there was so much food it made her ill to look at it. I was a little surprised to hear her say such a thing, but as she continued I learned the reasoning for her strong reaction.

notices going up on doors. When I moved into my apartment six months ago, all the apartments were illed. Today, there are only three families in a building that can house up to eight. All around us we can see people in need. John 3: 16, tells us that God sent Jesus, his only begotten son, to die for the sins of the world. What a bountiful gift that we can enjoy! God loved us so much that he did this just for us. He gave us his very best. God has plans for us that stretch all the way into eternity. This plan is greater than any future we could imagine or plan for. God gave his love, and He wants

under his leadership. He was my friend, my mentor, and my pastor. GREAT GOD FROM ZION – one of Pastor Rouse’s expressions that will continue to inspire us to move forward LEAD BY GOD, OUR LORD AND SAVIOR.

– Ross L. Fields, chairman of the Deacons Ministry

Epic Easter Drama

New Cote Brilliante Church of God will present an “Epic Easter Drama Musical for all generations on the following dates:

4 p.m. Sunday, April 17

7 p.m.. Thursday, April 21

7 p.m. Friday, April 22, Admission is free. The church is located at 6195 Washington Ave. Call 314-727-3550 or email newcbcog@sbcglobal. net.

Once they were done eating, there would be doggie bags made and loads of leftovers to ill more than one refrigerator. After a few days, most of this food would inds itself in the garbage. With so many people experiencing inancial distress, homelessness, joblessness and hunger, she felt that this was so wasteful.

Later that evening, I spoke with one of my sisters who had a similar experience at our family gathering. She didn’t want any of the leftovers at her house due to health concerns. Yet there was more than enough food for everyone to take home as leftovers. In my apartment community I have noticed more

Madeline Wright

Photo by Wiley Price

Celebrity Swagger Snap of the Week

All Wayne, all the time. This week’s paper will indeed appear to be a Lil Wayne Special Section, but what can I say? It was necessary. Shall we get on with the show. I know I will get some hate mail and maybe even a death threat from Rickay Rozay himself, but he just doesn’t do it for me one bit. Y’all can say what you want, but he is a regular rapper who makes catchy music. That’s about the size of it.And his contribution during the I Am Still Music Tour was nothing more than an infomercial for his record label and album. I was playing cell phone bubble breaker for the majority of his show – except for making mental notes regarding the number of subliminal shout outs to Maybach Music. The only good thing about his show was that he didn’t take his shirt off.

Anyway Nicki Minaj emerges from beneath the stage resembling the hottailed livin’ consequence (her tragic ensemble won’t allow my spirit to speak the term love child) of a one night stand between the Bride of Frankenstein and Homey the Clown. She was servin’it to her former O.G. plastic raptress mentor Lil Kim out the gate thanks to her dis track. Sadly I was so visually overloaded yet underwhelmed by her festive neon attire and outlandishly augmented booty meat that I couldn’t follow along with Onika’s venom verses. Folks indeed enjoyed her, but the tragedy for me is that somewhere underneath the store-bought silicone curves and cotton candy hi-top fade atrocity, there’s a taste of actual talent.

But my beloved Lil’Wayne and his prison yard pectoral muscles made me forget abut the bad things that had happened on stage before he arrived. He was servin’ it. And I caught every sip. Then out of nowhere his set was interrupted like an emergency broadcast warning with some side-eye warranted performance from the Garbage Pail Kids Young Money

Shenell was the biggest fail of the bunch. She came out with what can best be described as a horrible homage to Cindy Birdsong’s Supremes audition performance. And just when it couldn’t get any worse, she stripped down to an Apolonia 6 nighty costume and bragged about her storebought hair going down her back. I was saddened and confused at the same time. Girl, “whippin’ hair” is so summer 2010. And besides…what grown woman jacks a ifth grader’s performance swag? Don’t be surprised if Jada hears about it and snatches your wig.

Luckily Wayne came back and delivered us from…whatever that was.

Weezy afterparty at Posh. What? I already told y’all that this was the Lil’ Wayne edition – so don’t act brand new. I actually was wheezy at Posh (get it) because of the masses that rolled through well past the midnight hour to get a glimpse of Wayne in kickin’ it mode thanks to LooseCannon. The good news is that Lil Wayne showed up. The security had to be as frustrated as S.L.I.M. because the folks were tryin’ to muscle, beg, borrow and steal their way up into the VIP even before Weezy left the hotel. I really saw how much nerve and false sense of importance that the club rats have in their spirit.

Which brings me to the bad news I have to report. Why were more grown men arguin’ and tusslin’ with security tryin’ to get in his VIP zone than the self-proclaimed vixens and resident jump offs? Some of y’all fellas really looked ridiculous…and for what? To say you were in VIP with Lil’ Wayne? What does that mean if you don’t really belong there – honestly, what does it mean if you did belong up in there?At least the ladies have a chance to bask in his fertility for a child support come up? The worse news is that the folks on the mic kept tellin’the folks not to “ishbowl” Lil Wayne. In other words, we know the only reason you paid to come here tonight was to see him, but after you take a glimpse, look away and never turn back?

Help.

But other than that – and witnessing a few ladies who looked like Rasputia from Norbit make the fatal fashion mistake of partaking in the “panties as pants” trend – it was great fun to be had. I was extremely thrilled that we didn’t give folks another chance to light us up on Worldstar Hiphop or Allhiphop.com – but we all know that the Galloways and the brigade of security and police oficers on deck wouldn’t have allowed for it to go down like that anyway.

One year of Sexy Sundays. I really must tip my hat to Rockhouse Ent. Prettyboy and ‘nem took a night that was designated for shameful relections of regret thanks to thirsty shenanigans of fassness (yes, I said fassness) from Thursday – Saturday and offered another day to let the good times roll! Sunday night will mark the one year of nonstop “So Sexy Sundays” at The Label. And we all know that the event is poppin’ on the regular – so just imagine how it’s gonna go down for the anniversary jam. Best believe I will be in the building.

The return of Erro. Beloved underground soulman Eric Roberson will return to the STL next Friday and I am elated. And somebody please inform him that I’ve been workin’on my vocabulary skills, so I’ll be bringin’the pain when he solicits words from the audience to make an impromptu song. Make a neosoul classic with egregious if you’re really bad! He’ll be at the Loft and STL soulstress Teresa Jenee will be providing the opening entertainment. Café Soul. What better way to celebrate turning your taxes in than with some soulful sounds of STL’s inest singers and musicians? Tomorrow night the In the Spotlight will feature Tish and you can best believe you won’t be sorry you rolled through. Do I even have to remind you that the Loft is the place and 8 p.m. is the time? I didn’t think so.

Battle of the Big Shows. Things are getting heated in the battle for the audience on May 6. Live Nation will have Martin Lawrence at the Scottrade Concert club on the night that Daryel Oliver slotted out for his St. Louis Super Music Festival at the Chaifetz Arena. Now Daryel has added Anthony Anderson and Rickey Smiley on to the music line up of Charlie Wilson Eric Benet, En Vogue and Fantasia. I think Celie said it best in the Color Purple when she whispered “I’m just gonna stand back and see what color Shug gon’ paint the walls.”

Get some lyrics in your life. For those clueless folks who don’t know one of the hottest spots for spoken word has returned, I thought I would give you a reminder that is now going down every third Wed. at EXO. Do the math and that means that the next one is right around the corner – April 20 to be exact. The wordplay pops off at 9 p.m.

Rapper and producer Laudie on the Track and Guccio Sunday night @ Amnesia

Tasha and Cna were on standby waiting for Lil’ Wayne Sunday night @ Posh

Tammie Holland and Sylvester celebrated his big 3-0 Saturday night @ Lola

Award winning CSI: NY star Gary Sinise and Carlston Edwards downtown this weekend

Eddie and Boone kick off a Soulstylz and Sygu collabo evening Friday night @ Lola

Liquid Assets had some of the baddest girls from the hit TV show in town Sunday night @ Amnesia

Virginia, Nicole and Angela @DJ Charlie Chan’s Grown and Sexy Tuesday @ African Palace

Lamar Harris and Corey entertain the masses with music Friday night @ Lola

Two of the lovely dollface models head to Amnesia Saturday night

DJ Charlie Chan and Dave @ Grown and Sexy Tuesday @ African Palace

B-day girl Kim celebrates with her lovely daughter Jill Friday night @ EXO

Toby and her girls Saturday night @ Lola

LOUIS AMERICAN

Investigate standardized tests in public schools

Diversifying how we measure student performance will keep things honest

By Judge Greg Mathis

For The St.Louis American

For several years, ever since the No Child Left Behind Act took effect, students, teachers and school districts have felt the pressure that comes from living in a nation that uses standardized tests as its sole method for measuring student proficiency.

When too many students at one school perform poorly on these tests, teachers can be been fired, principals replaced and schools closed. Hundreds of teachers were fired in DC schools because of poor performance by students on test. The stakes are high. But no one would have guessed that the pressure would lead to alleged cheating on these exams.

An investigation by USA Today into drastic test score turnarounds at Noyes elementary, a Washington, DC public school, revealed that seventh grade students in one classroom at the school each had,

on average, nearly 13 wrong answers that were erased and changed to the correct answer.

Coincidence? Maybe not. In 2006, 10 percent of the school’s students “passed” the standardized math test. In 2008, nearly 60 percent did. Tests scores showed the school made similar gains on the reading portion of the test.

Perhaps the teachers simply worked harder and ensured students absorbed the lessons? Maybe. But it’s important, for comparison, to note that the average wrong to right erasure for seventh graders throughout the D.C. public school system was less than one. Noyes elementary school isn’t the only one with questionable score improvement.

Fifty-eight Atlanta schools are under investigation because high rates of wrong answers changed to right on student answer sheets raised flags. Similar occurrences have raised red flags in Detroit as well.

If this is, in fact, cheating,

who is responsible? Teachers?

School principals? No one is sure but one thing is certain: if it’s happening in DC, Detroit and Atlanta, it is happening in other cities.

Changing test answers to fake improvement doesn’t help our students. It hurts them. That is why a federal task force needs to be formed to investigate drastic improvement on standardized tests at our nation’s public schools. We want to believe that our teachers and principals are honest but we also know that fear - of being fired if students perform poorly – or greed – teachers and principals at Noyes received bonuses when scores improved – are powerful motivators. There also needs to be another way to measure stu-

Judge Greg Mathis

dent performance. We cannot simply rely on standardized tests. Periodic monitoring can easily show how students and teachers perform in the classroom. Required essays and math ‘projects’will show us that students can actually apply what they are taught.

Diversifying the way we measure student performance –and deciding the fate of teachers, principals and schools –will also help keep things honest.

SLU launches $1M scholarship effort

Saint Louis University has established the SLU Jesuit Community Scholarships, a new $1 million initiative for local Catholic high school stu-

dents.

Starting this fall, one student from each of the 28 Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of St. Louis as well as four Catholic high schools in the Metro East will receive a scholarship to SLU. Annual award amounts will range from $5,000 to full tuition, depending on need.

To qualify for SLU Jesuit Community Scholarships, applicants must have the following:

• Aminimum 3.2 cumulative grade point average (GPA)

• Ademonstrated financial need in a completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

• An outstanding essay on a topic to be determined annually by SLU.

Recipients can renew their scholarships each academic year if they maintain full-time enrollment and a minimum 3.0

cumulative GPA. They also must complete 20 hours of service annually at their alma mater high schools. The SLU Jesuit Community Scholarships are sponsored by the Marchetti Endowment Fund, which is named for the late Jerome J. Marchetti, S.J., an alumnus and longtime professor and administrator at the University. The fund is supported though contributions from the salaries of Jesuits who teach and minister at SLU.

Acommittee from each high school will select candidates for the award. In the St. Louis Archdiocese, preference will be given to recipients of Today and Tomorrow Educational Foundation awards.

Parents who would like more information about the SLU Jesuit Community Scholarships should contact the Saint Louis University Office of Student Financial Services at 314-977-2350