February 11th, 2016 Edition

Under the VAN

Black challengers of Democrat incumbents fight with party over access

By Rebecca Rivas

Of The St. Louis American

The Missouri Democratic Party is trying to block several Democratic candidates – who are also Ferguson movement leaders – from using a campaign tool called the Voter Activation Network (VAN).

VAN is software that allows candidates to use voter information for things like robo-calling, doorknocking and email blasts. Congressional candidate Maria Chappelle-Nadal, state representative candidate Bruce Franks and U.S. Senate hopeful Cori Bush said the Missouri Democratic Party has told them “no” when they requested access to the VAN. All are challenging incumbents or establishment contenders in the August 2 primary.

“The sign almost says, ‘Newcomers need not apply,’” said Rev. Darryl Gray, campaign manager for Bush.

“But this is the year of the newcomer and the year of change. In New Hampshire, Democrats clearly said

DOJ sues Ferguson Says legal action needed after City Council amends consent decree

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

Vanita Gupta, head of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, had a terse response to the Ferguson City Council’s vote on February 9 to amend the consent decree it had negotiated with the DOJ.

“The Ferguson City Council has attempted to unilaterally amend the negotiated agreement. Their vote to do so creates an unnecessary delay in the essential work to bring constitutional policing to the city, and marks an unfortunate

Happy Chinese New Year

Taliya Conrad, 5, a kindergartener at the Chinese School, 3740 Marine Ave., does a Chinese folk dance in celebration of the Chinese New Year on Monday afternoon.

outcome for concerned community members and Ferguson police officers,” Gupta said in a statement.

She then threatened litigation: “The Department of Justice will take the necessary legal actions to ensure that Ferguson’s policing and court practices comply with the Constitution and relevant federal laws.”

Almost immediately, the DOJ made good on the threat, filing suit against Ferguson in federal court. The DOJ said it brought the suit to remedy Ferguson’s “unlawful conduct”

See FERGUSON, A7

Diversity at Mizzou

Middleton wants to ‘get away from the blame game’ and find solutions

By Dale Singer Of St. Louis Public Radio

The interim president of the University of Missouri said on February 5 that the school has to stop looking backward at the recent turmoil and concentrate on moving forward on issues of race and diversity. But before he spoke, a student panel told members of the Board of Curators that such progress won’t happen until university leaders pay more attention to what students want and need. The sharp contrast came into focus at the board’s meeting on the Columbia campus, one day after the curators’ meeting was interrupted by students reiterating their demands for more diversity. Those demands led to the resignation of system President Tim Wolfe and the demotion of Mizzou Chancellor R.

See MIZZOU, A6

Jennings sets impeachment hearing for mayor

Henderson claims charges are just ‘politics and personal vengeance’

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

The Jennings City Council has set 5 p.m. Monday, February 29 for an impeachment hearing for Mayor Yolonda Fountain Henderson. The location is yet to be determined.

The council voted 8-0 to proceed with the hearing after being presented with a five-page Bill of Impeachment by special prosecutor Paul Martin, which the council passed on February 8.

“This is more about politics and personal vengeance by a few board members than it is about misconduct in office,” Henderson told The American

The charges begin with the suit that Henderson filed against the council and many other city officials soon after she was

See JENNINGS, A6

Ferguson Councilman Wesley Bell and Mayor James Knowles III discussed the City Council’s vote to amend its consent decree with the DOJ at the council meeting on Tuesday, February 9. The DOJ responded by filing suit.

Photo by Wiley Price

Photo by Wiley Price

Maria ChappelleNadal

Bruce Franks

Cori Bush

UK radio station not feeling Beyoncé’s Super Bowl 50 ‘Formation’

According to The Mirror, Beyoncé’s Black Power imagery during her Super Bowl 50 performance was shunned by a British media company.

The publication says that the media firm Global – who owns Capital, Capital Xtra, Radio X and Heart – told staff first thing on Monday morning that Queen Bey’s Super Bowl performance had to be removed from all of the firm’s websites.

And her new song “Formation” – which she performed – did not feature on any of the channels’ playlists.

from the Super Bowl performance had to be removed.”

DMX found unresponsive in hotel parking lot

On Tuesday several outlets reported that rapper DMX suffered a near fatal drug overdose after ingesting a powdery substance in a hotel parking lot in Yonkers. DMX denies the claims.

Reps for

The celebrity news and gossip publication claims an email fired off to staff stated that Bey was not to be mentioned under any circumstances.

“It was made absolutely clear Beyoncé was not to be mentioned. No photos, no music videos, no Beyoncé,” a source reportedly told The Mirror. “Anything that had been published

DMX told TMZ.com that the rapper did not take any powdery substances or drugs and that the last thing he remembers is having shortness of breath before passing out.

When first responders arrived, they said he was not breathing and had no pulse. They began chest compressions and administered oxygen. He started to breathe slowly on his own.

DMX’s camp said that he had been having trouble with his bronchitis for a few days.

The reps claim X passed out because his family members did not get his asthma inhaler to him in time. He was released

from the hospital Tuesday morning.

Ciara hits Future with $15M defamation lawsuit

Back in January rapper Future went off on his son’s mother, pop star Ciara calling her a [b-word expletive] and a control freak. He also accused her of refusing to allow him to see their son on Christmas.

Ciara responded this week by slapping Future with a $15 million lawsuit claiming he has been waging an ongoing media campaign to ruin her career and using their situation to promote his music.

In the defamation of character suit, Ciara cites various interviews and public statements Future made and claims his slander has cost her business opportunities.

allegations. Meanwhile newly surfaced info from Ciara’s lawsuit claims Future sends their son home from visits with clothes smelling like marijuana and urine.

Leolah Brown

Insiders from Future’s camp told TMZ.com he believed he had grounds to sue Cici over her first hit single after they broke up – which was all about a lousy boyfriend – but “he chose not to be petty.” Future also claims he was never properly served with Ciara’s lawsuit so he can’t respond to any of the

Leolah promises book with piping hot Whitney and Bobbi Kristina tea

Bobby Brown’s sister Leolah Brown announced she was writing an exposé on what she claims really happened to Whitney Houston and her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown a few months after Bobbi Kristina’s untimely death last year.

Leolah claims on her Facebook page that the book is nearly complete and promises that minds will be blown by the book’s stunning revelations. “I have not left any one single thing out. I promised you the truth and that’s exactly what you will get…nothing less,” Leolah said via her Facebook page. “If I were spooky I’d say, besides The Almighty God, Whitney and Krissi has taken over my hands. Therefore, expect to be blown away with the truth! Get ready!”

Sources: The Jasmine Brand, TMZ.com, WABC 7, Facebook.com, Life & Style

Families near West Lake Landfill celebrate victory

U.S. Senate approves transfer of site from EPA to Army Corps

By Rebecca Rivas

Louis American

Of The St.

Many residents cheered on February

2 after the U.S. Senate passed a bill to give the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers the authority to clean up the radioactive waste at the West Lake Landfill in Bridgeton.

The bill now puts the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in charge of the landfill’s remediation and takes that responsibility out of the hands of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has been criticized for negligence. Community members said they have more confidence in the Corps to manage the site’s cleanup.

“The families living near the West Lake Landfill have made clear that they are fed up with the EPA’s long delay in implementing a plan to clean up the site,” said U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.).

legislation in the House. It will need to pass before President Obama signs the transfer into law.

“With the passage of this legislation today, the Senate has demonstrated that voices of the community around West Lake Landfill are being heard,” McCaskill said.

However, she said the plan isn’t a “silver bullet” and will take longer than she’d like to resolve the issue.

“But it’s a concrete, positive step forward,” she said.

The Just Moms STL community action group helped lead the grass-roots campaign lobbying for the transfer legislation.

n “The EPA has lost credibility within the community and left parents living in fear.”

– U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt

“The EPA has lost credibility within the community and left parents living in fear for their children’s health and safety. That’s completely unacceptable.”

U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill (D-Mo) and Blunt filed the bill after the community’s repeated requests for the landfill to be put in the Corps’ Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP). U.S. Reps. Wm. Lacy Clay and Ann Wagner have introduced companion

“We have sacrificed so much and we still have work to do, but for now, we will take this victory,” said Karen Nickel, cofounder of Just Moms STL.

Nickel said her group will go to Washington, D.C. next week – “and to the ends of the earth to protect our children” – to make sure the House companion legislation passes.

Although the mothers group and activists have long been fighting for this action, most St. Louisans didn’t know about the radioactive waste at West Lake until last fall. For the first time, community members learned that St. Louis County has had an emergency plan silently in place since October 2014 for a potential “catastrophic event” at the Bridgeton and West Lake landfills – which are

located northwest of the I-70 and I-270 interchange.

At any moment, an underground high-temperature chemical reaction in the Bridgeton Landfill could reach the wastes from 1940s atomic bomb production that are buried only an estimated 1,000 feet away from the fire, Nickel said during an October community meeting where hundreds of concerned residents attended. If that happens, toxic fumes – and possibly particulate matter – could spread throughout the region and potentially force people into shelters or to evacuate, according to the county’s emergency plan. Those who live in Bridgeton, Hazelwood, Maryland Heights, the Village of Champ and the city of St. Charles are directly affected, the plan states. The first response would be for people to “shelter in place,” by closing windows in their homes, schools or workplaces.

On September 3, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster released a report where an expert argued that

the chemical reaction could hit the radioactive waste within three to six months.

The expert’s initial estimate is the worse-case scenario, said Ed Smith of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment. The best-case scenario is that the chemical reaction ends within five years, like landfill owner Republic Services hopes, Smith said.

However, residents say they can’t wait five years. They have already been feeling the effects of the awfulsmelling odor that the landfill fire has been releasing for the past five years. In 2013, Missouri Department of Natural Resources conducted air tests and found that the fire was indeed letting off harmful gases. The air testing showed increased levels of benzene, a known carcinogen, and hydrogen sulfide, a neurotoxin.

A resident of Spanish Village said she has been “sheltering” in her home for more than five years.

“We can’t open our windows,” she said at the October community

meeting. “Our eyes burn when we walk outside. We vomit when we get out of our cars. We know there’s something in that dirt.”

Koster is currently suing the landfill owners for alleged violations of law associated with the still-smoldering reaction – which was first detected in December 2010 in the north quarry of the inactive 52-acre Bridgeton Landfill.

Republic Services has still not built an “isolation barrier,” as owners promised in 2013 in an agreement with Environmental Protection Agency. Koster sued the company to order them to comply, and the case is scheduled to go to trial in March. But some fear that it’s too late to build a barrier because they can’t find a place that doesn’t have radioactive waste to construct it.

“We are calling for a safe and permanent solution for the radioactive waste,” Nickel said. Follow this reporter on Twitter @ RebeccaRivas.

Sarah Skiold-Hanlin / St. Louis Public Radio

This radiation warning sign is one of many posted on the chain link fence surrounding part of the West Lake Landfill in Bridgeton.

Editorial /CommEntary

Ferguson is foolish to pick fight with DOJ

Wesley Bell – the new Ferguson councilman who helped to negotiate that troubled city’s consent decree with the Department of Justice – is about to learn the hard way that the attorneys in the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division are not as stupid as he seems to think they are.

At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Bell proposed, and the council unanimously adopted, seven amendments to the consent decree that the city had negotiated with the DOJ. Even Bell must know that when one party unilaterally amends a negotiated agreement, it’s an insult to the intelligence of the other party and the effective death of that agreement. The Department of Justice got the message, promptly filing suit in federal court, asking the court, in essence, to enforce the terms in the consent decree.

Bell and Ferguson’s mayor – a relatively powerless councilman at large, given Ferguson’s governance structure – also underestimated and insulted the intelligence of the public and the DOJ by repeatedly insisting these are minor amendments. That is absolutely not true.

One amendment states that if another entity takes over services currently provided by the City of Ferguson, then that entity would not have to honor the terms of the consent decree. Clearly, if the DOJ had accepted this amendment, then Ferguson could have contracted with another police department and – voila! – instantly opt out of all of the mandated police training and supervision spelled out in the consent decree.

Bell seems to be measuring his adversaries at the DOJ as if they are dullards in a St. Louis County municipal courtroom. After all, he serves as prosecutor in Riverview, judge in Velda City and city attorney in Wellston. In Wellston, he was central to

that failing city contracting for police services with the newly formed North County Police Cooperative, which is unaccredited. After the brash and irrational antics of the City Council last night, it’s not impossible that Bell imagined slipping a fast one past the DOJ and offering the North County Police Cooperative the police contract of its wildest dreams in Ferguson.

The ultimate, pathetic tragedy is that the DOJ consent decree – even if enforced down to the last point – will only improve one small police department and one municipal court. That’s one police department out of 57 in the county, one municipal court out of 81. If there is one truth that Ferguson officials have consistently spoken since they came under fire, it’s that Ferguson is not unusual. As ArchCity Defenders and others have persuasively shown, municipal courts throughout St. Louis County routinely violate basic constitutional principles and rely on the local police for “taxation by citation.”

As seldom as we agree with County Executive Steve Stenger, we commend his push for minimal countywide police

standards. Indeed, Stenger and County Police Chief Jon Belmar should take a close look at the Ferguson consent decree for a litany of best practices in police training and supervision.

As for the municipal courts, as we have argued before, we need the Missouri Supreme Court to get us out of this hell. We need the state’s highest court to consolidate the rat’s nests of municipal courts –including its most notorious municipality, Ferguson – and bring them under the direct supervision of the circuit court and in alignment with the U.S. Constitution.

Nixon should appoint Vannoy

Justice in Ferguson and the rest of St. Louis County will be a long time coming. However, Gov. Jay Nixon has the power right now to bring a measure of racial equity and justice to Missouri’s appellate courts. He should appoint Judge Robin Vannoy to the open seat on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District.

Vannoy is one of three nominees, and the only African-American, submitted to Nixon by the Appellate Judicial Commission. The Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District currently has 13 judges; only one, Judge Angela Turner Quigless, is African-American. One black appellate judge out of 13 is hideously unrepresentative of the public served by the court; two out of 14 (or 14 percent) is much closer to appropriately representative.

Demographics and race aside, Vannoy is widely respected by attorneys and law professors as a fair and capable jurist. She deserves to be Missouri’s next appellate judge. Nixon should take this opportunity to appoint her promptly.

As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

Toward a new North County

By North County mayors Guest columnists

Can we please press the “pause” button on the rush to dismantle municipalities in St. Louis County? Pause does not mean change should not occur. It does not mean the past practices of some municipalities are acceptable. It does not mean no consolidations or mergers.

Pause implies: Can we have a thoughtful, rational conversation about what we are trying to achieve and how do we get there? Can local communities and local tax payers drive the conversation, not Jefferson City or the county executive? The state and county are clearly partners in this conversation, but they should not be the drivers.

For decades, white leadership in the region segregated the AfricanAmerican community and harmed the long-term strength and vitality of many of our neighborhoods and municipalities, especially in North County. Now today do we want to abdicate the leadership in the needed change to outsiders who do not know, care or relate to our communities? We think not. Our communities are predominantly AfricanAmerican and have predominantly AfricanAmerican elected leadership. We are not willing to simply walk away from this representation without voicing our communities’ perspective.

Over the last five years, well before the explosion of Ferguson, we the mayors of the 24 municipalities of the Normandy Schools Collaborative have been working together to provide the most efficient and effective government to the residents and tax payers of our communities.

In 2013, Cool Valley made

the decision to dissolve its police department and contract services with another 24:1 municipality, Normandy. Cool Valley saved roughly $200,000 annually, while also managing to provide better quality services for its residents. Normandy already was providing policing services for Bellerive Acres, Greendale and Glen Echo Park.

In 2015 both Charlack and Wellston decided to dissolve their police departments and contract with the newly formed North County Police Cooperative run by Vinita Park. Vinita Park also provides policing for Vinita Terrace. Total savings for the Charlack, Vinita Terrace and Wellston police departments is nearly $1 million per year. The Police Co-op is currently pursuing its national CALEA accreditation.

In 2015, in partnership with the Normandy Schools Collaborative, we received a two-year $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to place a Community Resource Police Officer in every school building.

Pine Lawn led a successful effort to find a more efficient and cost-effective way for cities to provide trash services. In January 2013, Pine Lawn published a request for proposals and established a transparent bidding process for trash collection that would make services and pricing available to all 24:1 municipalities. The best of four competitive bids resulted in savings of over $70,000 per year and a model contract based on the best services and terms found in neighboring contracts.

Four municipalities are working with St. Louis County to pool their funds to use collectively for demolition, street repair or a variety of other beneficial purposes.

As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues

Democrats are not working the black vote

Roger Caldwell Guest columnist

In the 2012 election cycle, black voter turnout surpassed the white vote for the first time since 1996. This was a phenomenal achievement, and it was due to the massive turnout of the black women vote. Basically, this confirmed the fact that black women were the most motivated and organized category in the country, when it came to voting in 2012.

But in 2014, the Republican Party was more organized and motivated, and now 31 governorships and many of state legislatures are Republican-dominated, and the Republicans control the majority in both houses in the federal government. There are many excuses that the Democrats can give, but there is no excitement and outreach in the leadership of the party. Many in the party think that U.S. Rep. Debbie WassermanShultz is the wrong person to lead the Democratic Party, but no group has challenged her authority.

As the 2016 election draws near, the leadership in the black community appears to be disorganized with no clear-cut plan to rally the

L

Guest Columnist Roger Caldwell

black vote around. The Black Lives Matter movement initiated civic engagement and communication with the two Democratic presidential candidates, but nothing substantial came out of the talks. Both Democratic presidential candidates together have over 30 key black executive staffers, but there is still a major disconnect with the black community. With nine months until the general election, black leadership has not developed a comprehensive black agenda to get grass-roots blacks to vote. “People don’t think black folks are going to turn out because President Obama is no longer on the ticket, but we were voting long before that,” said Melanie Campbell, president and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation. “In order to make change happen, we have to get out the vote.” There is a generational divide between the young black political organizations and the older, established civil rights

etters to the editor

Trojan Stenger

St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger is a Trojan horse. History lessons tell us that Greek worriers were unable to breach the defenses of Troy. The city seemed impregnable, so the Greeks resorted to trickery; the Trojan horse. Troy fell.

As a pilot program, St. Louis County has offered to consider providing an incentive or matching funds to encourage collaboration. The municipalities are currently working on a collective bid on demolition and anticipate saving over $2,000 or 20 percent on each of the 51 homes to be demolished.

With our partner Beyond Housing, we were awarded a $500,000 grant over five years from the Missouri Department of Conservation in 2015 to design a self-sustaining municipal services district. The district would focus on strategic tree management but would be applicable to all kinds of municipal services.

In late 2015, 10 municipalities put out a joint municipal bid for audit services.

The only narrative our region has heard is that our municipalities are incompetent, unneeded and treat people unfairly. This is not the whole story. Don’t let criticism from people who don’t live here, don’t have children in our schools and don’t pay taxes here drive the agenda for change. Change is happening, and if supported by the state and county we will continue to evolve, improve and lead the way to what a new North County can look like.

Patrick Green Normandy; Viola Murphy, Cool Valley; Rachel White, Bel-Ridge; Rev. Everett Thomas Northwoods; Mike Jones, Bellerive Acres; Earline Luster Velda Village; Mary Carter Pagedale; Geno Salvati, Pasadena Hills; Adrain Wright Pine Lawn; Kevin Buchek, Bel Nor; Nathaniel Griffin, Wellston; Victoria Valle Glen Echo Park; James McGee, Vinita Park

Based on events during Stenger’s first year as county executive, it is obvious that voters were hoodwinked. The innuendoes and whispers alleging incompetence and wrongdoing by then County Executive Charlie Dooley were enough to create suspicion that clouded the minds of voters. Stenger pledged clean government; no more businessas-usual cronyism, honest and fair practices in all County departments, and a chicken in every pot.

But once the Trojan horse was in place in the County Government Center, the belly of the beast opened and the repugnant reality of St. Louis politics poured forth. Suffice to say that ethical standards and practices are not a priority of the Stenger administration; I.e., Stenger/Belmar/Saracino, etc. Cronyism, favoritism and secrecy abound!

Michael K. Broughton Green Park

Time to expand Medicaid

Three years ago, Colorado expanded Medicaid. At that time, I was living with an uninsured family who relied on free services for their healthcare needs. Medicaid expansion insured them. They were able to access healthcare when they needed it, not just when it was offered.

As the years passed, Medicaid expansion continued to serve their best interests. More and more healthcare providers opened their doors to Medicaid patients. It also served the interests of the general community. New healthcare facilities were created. To me, the increase in service choice that resulted from Medicaid expansion demonstrates an investment in the empowerment of individuals and respect for all people in Colorado.

In August, I moved from Colorado to Missouri to pursue a graduate degree. I wish I

organizations. The younger black organizations have made a real impact in driving the national conversation around race, but what are the next steps with the black community?

The Democrats know they cannot win the presidential office without blacks showing up at the polls and voting. In 2012, blacks voted and registered in record numbers, but in 2016 there appears to be a lack of enthusiasm and excitement with both of the Democratic candidates. Neither of the leading Democratic candidates at this point has spent any significant money in the black community to get the vote out.

The Democratic Party and campaigns have a history of waiting toward the end of the election cycle, before they spend money in the black community, with the black media and black organizations. In order for blacks to not be left out of the Democratic presidential primary, key Hillary and Bernie black staffers must reach out to the black community. It is extremely important that the black media and black organizations receive funding early in the process, and not be one of the last groups to share in the primary pie.

could say I am proud of living in Missouri, in the way I am proud of Colorado. Instead, I find myself ashamed to be living in a place that does not embody the needs of its fellow community members.

I do not understand why barriers are in place in Missouri that limit fellow human beings from receiving the support they need to live healthy lives. The opposition that I have found to expanding Medicaid in this state is inexplicable.

Shelby Bates, St Louis

Divorcing politics from health care

Healthcare has become a pawn for political agendas. An issue as important as healthcare should not be politicized. Rather, Missouri’s decision to expand Medicaid should be decided based upon the real needs of Missourians not on a politician’s desire to be elected for the next term. Politicians in Missouri have used Medicaid expansion to divide a state based upon individual party affiliations. This is the wrong

way to decide the life-and-death issue of access to healthcare. The working poor in Missouri get the short end of the stick when their lives are used as political capital. The working poor typically work one, or maybe two jobs that pay minimum wage around $7.65 an hour. These jobs lack health insurance, and without Medicaid expansion the working poor in Missouri are left without a viable option to access healthcare. Think about the 300,000 Missourians who fall into this category of working poor, not the political stereotypes generated by selfserving politicians. Sadly, because Missouri has not expanded Medicaid these people fall into what is called the “coverage gap.” The fact that they work means they make too much money to qualify for Medicaid in Missouri. But due to an unintended glitch in health reform they do not make enough money to qualify for assistance in buying insurance on the Missouri health exchange.

Abigail Wood St. Louis

Ferguson City Council Member Wesley Bell

Presidential puppet

The President Obama puppet was brought out for its final MLK Day march with Obama as sitting president on January 18.

Webster University Joins FAFSA Frenzy

Webster University is participating with the FAFSA Frenzy, a state-wide coordinated effort by Missouri Department of Higher Education( MDHE) to offer workshops assisting to parents and future college students on how to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Webster’s event will be 2-4 p.m. Sunday, February 28 on its home campus in Webster Groves. The University also will be participating in similar events in the St. Louis region on Feb. 6 and Feb. 20. Times, dates and locations for all FAFSA Frenzy events are available at http://dhe.mo.gov/ppc/ffsites.php. For more information about FAFSA, visit https://fafsa.ed.gov/.

Five vie for Pattonville school board

Five individuals have filed for three seats on the Pattonville Board of Education. In order of filing, Mary Kay Campbell of Maryland Heights (the incumbent appointee currently filling Tami Hohenstein’s position); Ruth Petrov of Maryland Heights (an incumbent); and Gregory Waters of St. Louis (near Creve Coeur). One position on the board is open for the one-year position. Candidates who filed for this position are, in order of filing, Danita Stewart and Brian Gray, both of Maryland Heights. Filing for the positions ended January 19. Election to the Pattonville school board will take place during the general municipal election on April 5.

Free financial planning session

University of Missouri Extension is offering a free session on financial planning 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, March 8 at University of Missouri Extension Center, 260 Brown Rd. in St. Peters MO 63376. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required. Call 636-970-3000 to register.

Treasury can help families save for college

By Tishaura O. Jones and Ida Rademacher Guest columnists

Last November, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew announced the official launch of My Retirement Account (myRA), a retirement investment product first proposed by President Barack Obama in his 2013 State of the Union address.

myRA provides a simple starting place for low- and moderate-income Americans who don’t have access to a retirement plan at work. With no minimum contribution, no fees and no minimum balance, myRA caters to the needs of small-dollar savers who are often seen as an unprofitable market segment by mainstream financial service providers.

There is great potential for Treasury to take the myRA model one step further and create a “companion” product to help millions of families, regardless of economic status, save for another critical financial goal: college.

Research shows that children in low-income families with some college savings – even as little as $100 – are much more likely to attend and graduate college. Elected officials and advocates who appreciate this fact are working hard to expand access to savings opportunities.

But the college savings products currently available in the marketplace – 529s and other tax-preferred vehicles – are mostly geared to higher-income families. In the absence of a widely available, no-fee, no-risk, “starter” account for higher education, millions of families never take tangible steps toward saving for college.

A “my children’s savings account” or “myCSA” product could support efforts of state and municipal leaders across the country eager to implement universal children’s savings accounts. For example, as treasurer of the City of St. Louis, one of your authors recently launched St. Louis College Kids a program that provides a college savings account for every kindergartner enrolled in a public or charter school within the city limits.

The challenge of establishing the St. Louis College Kids program has been echoed in many other municipalities that must start from scratch to find a financial partner to customize an account product. This clearly establishes the need for a federal, turn-key product.

Thankfully, we know what the main elements of such a product should be: the accounts should not have any fees, be easy to contribute to (including through tax refunds), have no minimums, be in the child’s name, be dedicated to education and training expenses, not affect the family’s eligibility for critical support programs (like health insurance subsidies or food stamps), and not burden the saver with complicated investment or tax decisions.

As with retirement accounts, if the private sector is unable to meet the needs of low- and moderate-income Americans, Treasury should step in.

The most sensible tax vehicle for the account would be a Roth IRA (which is what myRA uses), but current rules require that IRA contributions come from earned income – which kindergartners would of course not have. Additionally, parents, friends, and family should be able to make deposits in the child’s account at conveniently located brick and mortar storefronts, perhaps grocery stores or post offices, but Treasury doesn’t yet have this functionality. In St. Louis, we are currently exploring technology that would allow electronic cash transactions at convenience stores, a feature that Treasury could study as well.

Treasury has already made important strides in retirement, now it can help make children’s dreams of college a reality.

Tishaura O. Jones is the treasurer of the City of St. Louis. Ida Rademacher is the executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Financial Security Program

Tishaura O. Jones

Photo by Wiley Price

Ida Rademacher

JENNINGS

Continued from A1

elected. Martin alleged that this suit frivolously cost the city legal fees when the mayor accused the council of setting terms for appointed city officials, which it is legally empowered to do.

Martin alleged that the mayor ordered the city Department of Public Works to perform four pieces of work without council approval. These chores include ordering the Public Works director to clear snow and salt the streets in Flordell Hills, which had no contract with Jennings for such service, and ordering this same official to pick up her lawn mower from a repair shop and drop it off at her home.

Martin alleged that the mayor took actions “to expend city resources without city council approval” in four instances – most notoriously, contracting with Tony Weaver (her former colleague in the Northeast Ambulance and Fire Protection District) without council approval and authorizing the city to pay him after the contract was voided.

Martin alleged that the mayor did not reimburse Jennings after she drove a city vehicle to

MIZZOU

Continued from A1

Bowen Loftin in November.

Wolfe’s replacement, Michael A. Middleton, told the curators that he has spent much of his time since being appointed interim president in November discussing the state of the university system with lawmakers, faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni and others.

“Everyone has true concerns about this university and our future,” he said. “In fact, most of what I’ve heard is blame – a lot of people and groups blaming other people and groups for what our beloved university is facing.” Middleton cited efforts in

Jefferson City to defend herself, in the capacity of Norwood Township committeewoman, before the Missouri Ethics Commission. The mayor also allegedly removed from a council meeting agenda a councilman’s request that she reimburse the city for this vehicle use.

Martin alleged that the mayor “exceeded the scope of her mayoral authority in investigating alleged insurance fraud and in disciplining the city clerk as a result” and interfered with the city attorney’s ability to perform her duties in a number of instances.

“Many of these charges inaccurately and unfairly depict my actions and decisions on the days in question. I have not personally gained anything from any of these alleged acts, nor has the city suffered a loss worthy of impeaching me,” Henderson told The American

“At worse, all of this simply shows that I made some discretionary choices that were not very popular. I have sincerely apologized to the residents and the board for that on countless occasions. Some are trying to exploit my freshman conduct by engaging in a speedy impeachment process so they can have another chance at becoming mayor.”

recent months to answer some of the students’ criticisms about a lack of diversity and attention to equality. He noted that three finalists for the newly created position of chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer for the system will appear at public forums in Columbia later this month, and $921,000 has been set aside for diversity initiatives in Columbia, St. Louis, Rolla and Kansas City. But, Middleton noted, universities nationwide, as well as the country as a whole, are facing similar problems, so no one can expect the University of Missouri to come up with satisfying solutions quickly.

“To resolve the difficulties we face, we must get away from the blame game and focus our efforts on developing sustainable solutions,”

Middleton said. He urged lawmakers not to carry through on some of the discussions about cutting appropriations for the university because of the recent problems.

“This is a very serious situation,” Middleton said at a news conference after the meeting. “Significant budget cuts could do very, very serious damage to the university. I understand their anger. I understand their frustration. I understand their embarrassment on behalf of their constituents. I don’t understand why the university should suffer.”

He took particular exception to people who he has heard say that the university has become a zoo where the animals are in charge, or that the inmates are running the asylum.

n “Everyone has true concerns about this university and our future.”

– Michael A. Middleton

“Let me say we are neither an asylum nor a zoo,” Middleton said. “We are a university, discovering new knowledge, serving Missouri’s communities, teaching, mentoring, counseling, guiding young adults, developing new products. Our students are neither inmates nor animals. They are young adults that we are grooming to lead us through the 21st century.”

Before Middleton’s address, four students at Mizzou discussed diversity efforts on the campus, as part of the theme of this year’s chair of the board of curators, Pam Henrickson of Jefferson City: a culture of respect. But the students appeared to have little respect for the efforts of the curators so far. Tim Love, an AfricanAmerican graduate student, echoed some of the demands of the student protestors and said the university needs to pay more attention to the needs of individuals, not to the bottom line.

“If there was monetary gain in racial harmony, the University of Missouri would immediately approve diversity course requirements,” Love said. “They would immediately

hire more African-American faculty and make sure that African-American students, Muslim students, Middle Eastern students, Latino students and LGBTQ students are properly represented and treated fairly.”

Alluding to the fact that the only two African-American members of the board, Yvonne Sparks and David Steward, resigned in recent days, Love added, “And it also doesn’t help that all of you are white. That sends more of a signal that there’s a gulf between us.”

Disclaimer: The University of Missouri’s Board of Curators holds the license for St. Louis Public Radio. Follow Dale on Twitter: @ dalesinger. Reprinted with permission from news.stlpublicradio.org.

Mayor Yolonda Fountain Henderson consulted the agenda at a City Council meeting on January 25.

Photo by Wiley Price

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and to seek the court’s powers to “ensure compliance with the Constitution and federal law.”

The suit alleges a wide variety of constitutional violations routinely practiced by Ferguson police and courts, as previously outlined in the DOJ’s report on Ferguson, including racial bias in policing. It requests that the court order Ferguson to cease these unconstitutional and discriminatory practices and adopt and implement policies and procedures that correct and prevent them – as spelled out in the consent decree. The unilateral amendments imposed by the City Council were: no mandate for the payment of additional salary to police or other city employees; no mandate for staffing in the Ferguson Jail; extended deadlines; terms of the agreement shall not apply to other agencies that take over services currently provided by the City of Ferguson; local preference in contracting with consultants and contractors providing services under the agreement; project goals for minority and women

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that we need a change and party bosses cannot dictate voters’ choice.”

Bush is running against Jason Kander in the Democratic primary to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, a Republican. Bush is an ordained pastor and Ferguson Frontline organizer. When her campaign first requested access to VAN, Gray said party leaders told them “no” because Kander, currently Missouri secretary of state, was already the party’s presumptive nominee.

Gray said for two weeks the party’s Executive Director Crystal Brinkley was too busy to meet with them, but they finally got a chance to sit down with her. They gained access to the network on February 9, he said.

“No one should have to jump through hoops, especially the party we are all committed to,” Gray said.

Missouri Democratic Party Chairman Roy Temple said Bush was denied access because she didn’t have her campaign finance filing

participation; and a change in monitoring fee caps.

The City Council brashly stated in a release, “The Department of Justice must accept the seven amendments in order for the settlement agreement to be valid.”

The council quickly passed

established with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Once Bush did that, Temple said, she was given access. Gray said party staff never asked for the FEC documents. Further, he said the commission does not require candidates to establish a committee until they have spent or raised $5,000, which they have not yet done. Hence, they still haven’t established the “required” federal filing, yet the party gave them access.

Bruce Franks, an activist on community-police relations, is running against incumbent state Rep. Penny Hubbard of the 78th District. At first, Franks said party staffers told him there was a fee for access. However, according to Temple, there has not been a fee since 2014. Next they told him in two separate phone calls that they don’t provide VAN access during primary elections, he said.

Temple said that VAN is used in primaries. Staff members that Temple spoke with said they have never heard from Franks, Temple said. Regardless, he said, it’s the party’s practice to prohibit challengers from using VAN when there is an incumbent.

“Everyone kind of knew,

Former Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson attended the Ferguson City Council meeting on Tuesday, February 9 when the council finally voted on the city’s consent decree with the Department of Justice. The council voted to add seven amendments, which the DOJ took as a rejection of the decree.

a wide range for the cost of implementing the decree –from $2.1 million to $3.7 million in the first year, then roughly $1.8 million to $3 million after that. The consent decree is for five years, with provisions for that term to be abbreviated or extended.

The amendment stating that another entity that takes over services currently provided by the City of Ferguson would not have to honor the consent decree clearly offers an easy out for the city. If this amendment had been accepted, Ferguson could have contracted with another police department and escape all of the mandated training and supervision spelled out in the consent decree.

Bell is a seasoned operator in municipal politics. He serves as prosecutor in Riverview, judge in Velda City and city attorney in Wellston. He was central to Wellston contracting for police services with the newly formed North County Police Cooperative, which is unaccredited.

decree and go back into negotiations., they vote ‘yes’ but with amendments,” Kidd said.

“Well, does the Department of Justice agree with those amendments? Why do us Ferguson residents, Ferguson taxpayers, pay all of these lawyers all of this money, over all of these months, to come up with a negotiated consent decree, only to have you at the very last minute, say, ‘Oh, yeah, we’re totally going to change it. That makes no sense.”

In other business at the council meeting, Laverne Mitchom was unanimously voted to succeed the late Brian Fletcher as Ward 2 council member.

“Racism, oppression and violation of others’ human and civil rights will only continue to make this country a chaotic, hypocritical nation,” Mitchom wrote in an opinion column in The American last April.

these amendments – which had been prepared in advance, complete with a press release –after the third of three listening sessions where members of the public commented on the consent decree to the council.

Ferguson Councilman Wesley Bell, an attorney who

if you are running against an incumbent, there were difficulties that you are going to face,” Temple said.

Chappelle-Nadal is challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay of the 1st Congressional District. Last week, she vented her outrage at being denied access to the VAN on social media.

She said that on December 21 she exchanged text messages and phone calls with party staffers regarding access to VAN. At first, she was told that it would not be a problem, but then they said that she needed to write a letter to the 1st Congressional

helped to negotiate the decree, proposed the conditions that the council adopted unanimously. Bell suggested his amendments were necessary for Ferguson to survive the enforcement of the consent decree as a functioning municipality.

Ferguson officials estimated

District Committee for access to network, she said.

“I didn’t think an entity appointed by the sitting congressman would grant me access to the VAN,” she told The American She sent the letter on December 28 anyway, she said, but didn’t receive a reply.

On February 5, she said, Brinkley told her on the phone that she could not have access to VAN and her decision was based on a “practice,” not a policy. Chappelle-Nadal said she requested that decision in writing, along with the policy or practice. She said she has not received it.

Chappelle-Nadal said a

Angelique Kidd, 43, Ferguson resident for over 12 years, said she felt angry and cheated by the council for not voting on the consent decree as negotiated.

“Instead of having the guts to vote ‘no’ on the consent

volunteer called the party right before Thanksgiving to obtain access. The party granted access to the volunteer for 48 hours, she said, but they had trouble with the network.

When Chappelle-Nadal called personally to fix the problem, that’s when the “rules changed,” she said. Party practice with VAN access is clearly inconsistent.

Cara Spencer gained access to VAN during her campaign against incumbent St. Louis Alderman Craig Schmid last March. Spencer told The American that state Rep. Tracy McCreery made some phone calls to obtain access for her.

Gray said even though the

“How can the United States of America continue to preach democracy and human rights around the world when the human and civil rights of our own people are being violated here?”

Mariah Stewart, Ferguson Fellow for the Huffington Post, contributed reporting.

Bush campaign has visited the party office several times, staff will still not acknowledge her as a candidate. On their last visit, he said, they hung a poster on the wall next Kander’s so staff will stop saying, “Cori who?” when they call.

“She is running because far too often political bosses and money determine political campaigns,” Gray said. “We can’t afford that to happen in 2016 – not with the apathy that is out there.”

Follow this reporter on Twitter @RebeccaRivas.

Photo by Carolina Hidalgo / St. Louis Public Radio

Cuba Gooding Sr. calls out political ‘whores’

By James T. Ingram For The St. Louis American

Guess what? I found a celebrity who is not apolitical, who is not bashful when it comes to his views about politicians and is using his art to reinforce it.

That’s what I found during an exclusive interview with Main Ingredient lead singer, Cuba Gooding Sr., who was in St. Louis at the invitation of St. Louis actor Marty K. Casey, founder of the Show Me Arts Academy.

The meeting took place at The Bridge, a retirement and assisted living facility in Florissant, prior to Gooding’s visit to Ferguson, which he mentions in his latest song, “Everybody’s Got to Vote,” an

anthem designed to galvanize voters for the upcoming presidential, state and local elections.

Our talk was more of a lecture (on his part) designed to encourage media to promote his song and encourage voters to challenge the status quo. “The media and common sense have to get married,” Gooding said, in order to “shut down intolerance” by those seeking high office.

When I attempted to get him to speak on those AfricanAmerican politicians who would exploit their own, such as in East St. Louis government, Gooding quickly dismissed my question. “There is no such thing as a black politician,” he said. “Politicians are whores, and if we don’t vote it allows street whoredom to determine the future of our youth.”

Admittedly, I felt good with Gooding raising the very same criticisms that I often address in my columns regarding politicians and black leadership. But I’m a political columnist. That’s what I do.

Gooding has activism in his DNA, his father being a follower of Marcus Garvey, back in his native Barbados, prior to moving to Cuba and before landing in America. Gooding was named “Cuba” as a result of that pilgrimage. His mother was a follower of charismatic ministers Father Divine and Daddy Grace.

So Gooding has a flair for political rhetoric and activism, though most only know him for his days with the Main Ingredient and songs such as “Everybody Plays the Fool” and “Just Don’t Want to be Lonely” – or through his son, the actor Cuba Gooding Jr. Hopefully, after his media tour of St. Louis, “Everybody’s Got to Vote” – a catchy tune –will get some air play during the political season.

But it was refreshing to hear that the political “street whoredom” that he described (and I often refer to) can be overcome if we, in his words, simply “exercise the right to vote and not let any attempt at stopping them succeed.”

I’ll try to remember his words and optimism as the cash flows and votes are stolen during the next elections in East Boogie.

“Everybody’s Got to Vote” is available on www.cubagooding.com. Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo. com; Twitter@JamesTIngram.

James T. Ingram and Cuba Gooding Sr.

Lewis Reed dances with the Grim Reaper

Aldermanic President Lewis Reed has set his hair on fire by appearing on a shock jock’s radio show and laughing as the host – who is also a generous campaign donor for Reed –heaped foul verbal abuse on Reed’s chief political enemy of the moment, Alderwoman Megan Ellyia Green

The episode, hosted by the self-proclaimed “Grim Reaper of Radio,” aired back on January 11. The AM radio show has so little reach and impact that it caused no stir until a YouTube user with the handle “STL Stadium” posted a video on February 7. Twitter got hot about it. The Riverfront Times confirmed that the clip was legitimate – literally, it’s hard to believe that this actually happened – and posted a story on February 8. Lewis has been running around (and tweeting) with his hair on fire ever since.

His initial walk-back was incredibly weak. He actually said he tried to tone down the Grim Reaper using hand signals, since they were on the air. Pretty much 100 percent of women listeners – and most likely a large majority of men as well – would say that a much more serious intervention was needed than furtive hand signals.

And, when given the mic, Reed piled on against Green, though using words like “reprehensible” rather than “alder-bitch,” the Grim Reaper’s neologism.

In fact, Reed could have tried to shut up the Grim Reaper and present his reasoned anger toward Green. After all, she told the world that she started a federal investigation into whether Reed broke the law in helping to broker the stadium financing deal. If Reed is innocent of

10 years as a unit supervisor who managed the investigative and administration staff of the Department of Corrections’ Board of Probation and Parole. That seems like a lot of law enforcement background for someone – a white woman –who is supposed to oversee the police from the civilian side, but board members defended their choice.

“She is a very detailed oriented. She was a great selection for the position. She is prepared for what lies ahead,” said board member Ciera Simril

agency, but they have outlived their current facility,” said state Senator Joe Keaveny, D-St. Louis, who sponsored the measure, Senate Concurrent Resolution 58. “We have a new location available that will more than meet the needs of the NGA and is the best choice for the new headquarters.”

State Senator Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, who co-sponsored the measure, said, “This is a prime location for the NGA. This location will meet the mission of the NGA and provide them options for growth in the future.”

decision to allow Uber X drivers to continue operating on city streets in spite of its refusal to be regulated by the Metropolitan Taxi Commission and in violation of a long-standing regulation that requires fingerprinting of drivers of all for-hire vehicles.

Last summer, Slay allowed his administration to turn a blind eye to Uber X’s illegal operations in the city, including on Mardi Gras last Saturday. The holiday traditionally is the busiest day of the year for St. Louis’ for-hire drivers.

accepting a bribe – as he claims, and the EYE believes – then he has every reason to be angry and offended that his political playmaking was publicly branded as criminal by a colleague.

A colleague, lest we not forget, whom Reed helped to elect, or so he claimed. For he was right there with Green on election night nearly a year ago, celebrating her primary victory and taking credit – at least, to the EYE – for helping engineer her successful election.

But you can’t bite the hand that feeds your campaign, and the Grim Reaper donated $40,000 to Reed’s campaign. The Riverfront Times also reported that previously, and much else of the Grim reaper’s sordid story. The Grim Reaper did time in federal prison after lying to a grand jury that was investigating racketeering in the Metro East. In addition to radio, he invests in land – and strip clubs.

The aldermanic president

who took campaign money from a strip club operator, and then laughed along when the flesh peddler called one of the elected official’s female colleagues an “alder-bitch” on the radio? The reaping for Reed does look pretty grim.

COB

selects commissioner

Nicolle Barton has been selected as the first commissioner of St. Louis city’s Civilian Oversight Board, after a four-month search process. The board is responsible for independently reviewing concerns or complaints about the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Barton, who assumed her duties on February 8, will report to the city’s public safety director and hire two assistants.

Barton served as a probation and parole officer for Missouri for six years. She also spent

“Barton is very personable and energetic. I am confident that she will be well received by the community and the police department,” said board member Jane Abbott-Morris Simril, Abbott-Morris and the other board members –Bradley T. Arteaga, David Bell, Heather Highland, Lawrence C. Johnson and Stephen Rovak – next must go through the police department’s civilian academy, which will finish at the end of March.

Simril said she doesn’t know when the board will be ready to take on cases, but it will depend on when the staff is fully in place.

MO Senate urges NGA to stay in STL

On February 9, the Missouri Senate adopted a resolution urging the National GeospatialIntelligence Agency (NGA) to remain in St. Louis by building a new facility in the city. The only location in the city, among the four being considered for the new NGA West facility, is in North St. Louis adjacent to the former Pruitt-Igoe site. The current location is near the Anheuser-Busch brewery just south of downtown.

“St. Louis has been the proud home to the NGA for 72 years. We have had a wonderful partnership with the

The NGA provides crucial map-based intelligence to the military, policymakers, first responders, and intelligence professionals. NGA West, which pays an average salary of $83,000, employs more than 3,000 people, and two-thirds of those employees live in Missouri.

“I’ve told Mayor Francis Slay, we will back him up on whatever he needs to do to keep the NGA here in the Show-Me State,” said Senate Leader Ron Richard, R-Joplin.

“Staying in St. Louis city will bring a huge economic development advantage to the entire state.”

Majority Floor Leader Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, said, “The General Assembly has shown we not only will provide regional cooperation, but statewide support as well.” Last session, the General Assembly passed House Bill 514, which provided for tax increment financing (TIF) for blighted areas for the proposed site.

The resolution will now move to the House for consideration.

Cabbies angry over Uber

St. Louis taxi company owners are united in their mounting outrage and concern over Mayor Slay’s

The taxi commission was established by the state in 2002 to monitor taxi cabs, limousines and other for-hire transportation in St. Louis city and county. The commission requires that the drivers of these vehicles be fingerprinted and that those prints be made available to law enforcement.

Many of the long-established cab companies that operate in St. Louis spend tens of thousands of dollars every year to comply with this and other legal requirements on their businesses.

But Uber X declared that it would not operate in the city if it had to be regulated and fingerprint its drivers like every other cab company, something Uber X has resisted doing in many other cities.

Instead of supporting the taxi commission, Slay buckled under the political pressure from segments of the population who want Uber X here.

Traditional cab company owners are incensed. Marius Palmer, president of Harris Cab Co., the oldest blackowned taxicab company in the city, wants a fair playing field. “Local taxicab companies pay for a business license, personal property taxes and city earnings taxes,” Palmer said. “Uber X is not required to pay any of these, further handicapping the legitimate and legal business in the vehiclesfor-hire industry.”

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

During much, much, much happier days, Alderwoman

Megan Ellyia Green celebrated her victory in the Democratic primary with aldermanic President Lewis Reed at Mangia on South Grand on March 3.

Fellowship opens eyes to black art history

Saint Louis Art Museum accepting applications for next Bearden Fellow

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

It was black history – ancient African history

– that first got Courtney M. Baxter interested in history. From one of the last generations that grew up on television, rather than webbased media, she was fascinated by the History Channel’s programs on ancient Egypt. She can also thank George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and their intrepid character of Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones, who traveled to the ancient Egyptian city of Tanis in “Raiders of the Lost” (1981) on a mission to keep occult powers out of the hands of the Nazis.

So when Baxter was awarded the Saint Louis Art Museum’s 2015-16 Romare Bearden

Graduate Minority Museum Fellowship, her favorite niche in the vast, encyclopedic museum became the ancient Egyptian rooms in the basement. Her single favorite piece – out of more than 2,000 on view – is Mummy Mask of the Lady Ka-nefer-nefer, which dates to Dynasty 19 of the New Kingdom, 1307-1196 BCE, according to SLAM.

“I love this gal,” Baxter told a visitor on Thursday, February 4, the day she first gave a gallery talk as Bearden Fellow (though it was not about ancient Egypt). “Look at her face. And the hair is so detailed.”

Interestingly, this mask has a story that is worthy of an Indiana Jones movie. Excavated in 1952 in Saqqara – about 200 kilometers south of Tanis, where Indiana Jones had his fictional

exploits – it quickly appeared on the European art market, according to SLAM, and passed from collector to collector until the museum purchased it from an antiquities gallery in 1998. The U.S. government, however, believed an alternate version of events given by the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, which claimed the mask was stolen from Cairo before eventually finding

A race for equality

Iconic sprinter Jesse Owens is subject of new film

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

2016 marks 70 years since Jesse Owens’ historic quadruple-gold-winning performance destroyed Hitler’s myth of white supremacy in his own backyard at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

He used the track to pave a platform for athletes of color from around the world –including East St. Louis’ own Jackie Joyner-Kersee – to shine and dominate on sports’ biggest stage in the arena of track and field.

Next week, the story of Owens’ sprint from Ohio State University track-and field-phenomenon to American hero hits theatres, thanks to the Stephen Hopkins film “Race” starring Stephan James and Jason Sudekis.

While the film’s focus is narrowed to the window of Owens’ meteoric rise to the top of track and field, it offers glimpses of the inner turmoil he faced as he wrestled with the idea of representing a country on a global stage that treated his people less than human at home.

Because his name is synonymous with Olympic greatness and U.S.A.’s domination of the modern Olympiad, there are no spoiler alerts necessary.

Some didn’t agree with his political or professional choices upon his return, but the fact that his commitment to excellence uplifted a people – and athletes for generations – is indisputable.

James Cleveland Owens was the youngest of 10 children, three girls and seven boys, born to Henry Cleveland Owens and Mary Emma Fitzgerald in Oakville, Alabama, on September 12, 1913. His father was a sharecropper. His grandparents were slaves.

J.C., as he was called, was nine years old when the family moved to Cleveland, Ohio as part of the Great Migration.

When his new teacher asked his name during attendance, he said “J.C.”, but because of his strong Southern accent, she thought he said “Jesse.” The name stuck, and he was known as Jesse Owens for the rest of his life.

Owens first came to national attention as an athlete when he was a student of East Technical High School in Cleveland. During the 1933 National High School Championship in Chicago, he tied the world record of

EBR Writers Club hosts event at SIUE Feb. 16

“Black Lives Matter” poets/ panelists at a gathering in East St. Louis: Roscoe “Ros” Crenshaw, Jaye P. Willis, Charlois Lumpkin and Darlene Roy.

American staff

A panel of four bi-state authors will discuss and perform “Black Lives Matter” on Tuesday, February 16, at 2 p.m. in the Eugene B. Redmond Learning Center of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Elijah P. Lovejoy Library.

The free public panel is one of many in a year-long series of events set to commemorate the 30th birthday of the EBR Writers Club. Maya Angelou (19282014) and Amiri Baraka (1934-2014) were trustee of the group, founded in East St. Louis in 1986.

Panelists will include poet-photographer Roscoe “Ros” Crenshaw, poet-playwright Charlois Lumpkin (who write sunder the name Mali Newman), poet-editor Darlene Roy (moderator), and poet-essayist Jaye P. Willis, all members of the Writers Club and contributors to Drumvoices Revue. For 17 years, Drumvoices was co-published by the club and SIUE’s English Department.

Redmond, namesake of the 30-year-old group, will introduce the panel.

During twice-monthly meetings, club members discuss and critique new writings and explore cultural/social backgrounds to literature. And at various other gatherings and performances, they continue refining their formidable cultural, analytical and literary skills – all of which they will bring to the February 16 panel discussion. The “Black Lives Matter” movement, born in wake of the Trayvon Martin killing in Sanford, Florida, gained momentum after a rash of police-killings of other blacks in cities like New York, Ferguson, Baltimore, and Chicago. However, as panelists will demonstrate, the killings and subsequent movements have deep historical precedents and profound implications for present and future thinking (and action), especially regarding race,

The story of Jesse Owens’ sprint from Ohio State University trackand field-phenomenon to American hero hits theatres on February 19, thanks to the Stephen Hopkins film, “Race” starring Stephan James (pictured) and Jason Sudekis.

Courtney M. Baxter, the Saint Louis Art Museum’s 2015-16 Romare Bearden Graduate Minority Museum Fellow, likes Mickalene Thomas’ 2012 photograph “Din, Une Tres Belle Negresse 1

Photo by Wiley Price

its way to St. Louis. The U.S. attorney eventually lost the case in federal court in 2014, and the mask remained in the museum long enough for Baxter to make her acquaintance. Baxter’s frame of reference for the museum’s

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Egyptian collection is closer to her own present cultural moment than the intricacies of antiquities dealing. She pointed to the Coffin of the Singer of Amun, Henut-Wedjebu, which is exhibited near the mummy mask and dates from roughly the same period, 1391-1350

B.C.E. “To be a mummy you had to be someone important,” Baxter said of the ancient temple singer. “You could not be a regular Joe and be mummified. She was the Beyoncé of her era.”

Baxter is just getting started in this field, thanks to the Bearden Fellowship, but established experts agree with her, albeit using a comparison to a different pop icon. Noting that Henut-Wedjebu was one of the rare gilded mummies, with gold foil on her coffin, Sarantis Symeonoglou, a professor of Art History and Archeology at Washington University, said, “She must have been an extremely beautiful and important woman to receive gilded status, like a Marilyn Monroe of ancient Egypt.” Symeonoglou was speaking to the campus newspaper Student Life in 2006, when the paper raised the question whether Washington University, which owns the mummy, should display it in the campus museum rather than loan it out to SLAM across Skinker Boulevard. Like the Mummy Mask of the Lady Ka-nefer-nefer, Henut-Wedjebu

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and her coffin thus far have remained safely inside the Saint Louis Art Museum. Baxter, however, is likely to leave the museum this summer. The Bearden Fellowship is a one-year paid appointment, instituted in 1992 and named for AfricanAmerican artist Romare Bearden, that is designed to train minority professionals in the museum arts and then export them to the field. Past fellows went on to work at the Wadsworth Atheneum, the Chrysler Museum of Art, the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Texas at Austin. SLAM already has started to seek applications for the fellow who will replace Baxter.

Though she brought to the museum her passion for ancient Egypt and for history in general, the fellowship was her first substantial exposure to art and art history. She came here from a position at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and has degrees in public history (a Master’s from Loyola University) and history and sociology (a Bachelor’s from the University of IllinoisSpringfield).

Oddly, for someone with an interest in ancient Africa who played with only black dolls as a girl and watched the 1977 “Roots” miniseries with her family every holiday season, Baxter was almost completely ignorant of black visual artists when she came to SLAM. In her formal education she had only learned about European art, mostly from the Renaissance. Through the

police-community relations, politics, health, education and the arts. The “kwansaba,” a poetic form invented by Redmond in 1995 (with help from fellow writers), will be used to illustrate the importance of verse – and literature generally – in creatively capturing, understanding, averting/ redirecting, and possibly treating social stress and violence. A widely published poet, Redmond is an SIUE emeritus professor of English and has

Bearden Fellowship, she has learned enough to edit the museum’s “Celebrate African and African American Art” brochure – the edition that reflects her work was released at SLAM’s 2016 MLK Day program – and to give her first gallery talk on “the flourishing of African-American art from 1936-40.”

She also learned some things about black Americans that Alex Haley did not teach in “Roots.”

“African Americans have been producing art the whole time they were in America,” she said. “I didn’t realize that. In Colonial America, they were producing fine, skilled art. Black people were making beautiful marble busts and oil paintings early in American history. That’s good for people to know, especially kids. You don’t think about people going to art school when their parents were just slaves. It gives you a more full and complex picture of what peoples’ lives were like.”

Clearly, a museum educator has been born – or, rather, trained – during her Bearden Fellowship. Indeed, she has started to apply for museum educator positions with the strength of this new prestige credit from SLAM on her resume. “I want to do this career-wise,” she said. “Hopefully the fellowship made me more marketable.”

To apply for the Romare Bearden fellowship, visit http://www.slam.org/AboutUs/ employment.php. The application deadline is March 18.

been poet laureate of East St. Louis since 1976. For information, call 618650-3991 (or 618-650-5710 between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm weekdays); email eredmon@ siue.edu; or write c/o EBR Writers Club at P.O. Box 6165, ESL, IL 62201.

Centene Corporation presents

BLACK HISTORY

How Their Life Changed Yours

Dr. Matilda Evans

Her Life

Dr. Matilda Arabelle Evans was born in Aiken, South Carolina, in 1872. Much of her young life was spent working in ields alongside her family. Evans attended Scholield Industrial School and soon became a protégé of the school’s founder, Martha Schoield. Martha helped Evens complete the paperwork and raise funds to attend Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, eventually receiving her medical degree in 1897. Dr. Evans originally planned to be a medical missionary, but decided to focus her efforts on the needy closer to home. She moved to Columbia, South Carolina, and was the irst AfricanAmerican woman to open a practice in that state. At the time, Columbia did not have a hospital serving African-American patients. In line with her generous heart, Dr. Evans took patients into her own home until she could establish a hospital for them, which she did in 1901, with the establishment of the Taylor Lane Hospital and Training School for Nurses. Evans conducted surveys of black school-aged children in Columbia and discovered disturbing problems with their health care. She established processes for school physicals and immunizations which saved countless young lives, and in 1930 opened a free medical clinic for African-American children.

How Her Life Changed Yours

The establishment of school physicals and mandatory vaccinations impacted the immediate and long-term health of young people, and the Good Health Association of South Carolina, also founded by Dr. Evans, encouraged people to improve their own health by following safe, healthy and sanitary practices.

OWENS

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9.4 seconds in the 100-yard (91 m) dash and long-jumped 24 feet 9 1⁄2 inches.

He attended The Ohio State University. Known as the “Buckeye Bullet,” Owens won a record eight individual NCAA championships, four each in 1935 and 1936.

Though Owens enjoyed athletic success, he had to live off campus with other AfricanAmerican athletes. When he traveled with the team, Owens was restricted to ordering carry-out or eating at “blacksonly” restaurants. Similarly, he had to stay at “blacks-only” hotels. Owens did not receive a scholarship for his efforts, so he continued to work part-time jobs to pay for school.

During the 1935 Big Ten meet at Ferry Field in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he set three world records and tied a fourth (100 yard dash, long jump, 220 yard sprint and 220 yard low hurdles) in the span of 45 minutes.

His Big Ten domination set the stage for Olympic history.

Owens took home individual gold medals in the 100m sprint, 200m sprint and long jump.

He won his fourth gold medal in the 4x100 sprint relay when Jewish-American sprinters Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller were replaced with Owens and Ralph Metcalfe, who teamed with Frank Wykoff and Foy Draper to set a world record of 39.8 in the event.

He is one of only four sprinters in modern Olympic history to win four or more gold medals in a single Olympic games.

Owens’ performance was not equaled until Carl Lewis won gold medals in the same events at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

During his Olympic performance, Owens wore personally handcrafted leather track shoes by German shoemaker Adolf “Adi” Dassler. His triumph ultimately helped Dassler to successfully

During his Olympic performance, Jesse Owens wore personally handcrafted leather track shoes by German shoemaker Adolf “Adi” Dassler, who launched the Adidas shoe brand a decade later

Life after Olympic gold

When Owens returned to the states, an estimated 1.5 million people gathered for a parade to celebrate when he arrived in New York City. Yet he received no recognition from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and he was forced to use the colored entrance for a dinner in his honor at the Waldorf-Astoria.

And in spite of his fame, Owens struggled for money and began to participate in stunt races against dogs, motorcycles and even horses during halftime of soccer matches and between doubleheaders of Negro League baseball games.

“People said it was degrading for an Olympic champion to run against a horse,” Owens once said, “but what was I supposed to do? I had four gold medals, but you can’t eat four gold medals.”

Owens would have to wait 40 years for his performance in Berlin to receive recognition from a U.S. president. In 1976 President Gerald Ford presented Owens with the

Medal of Freedom, the highest honor the U.S. bestows upon a civilian. Owens, a-pack-a-day smoker for 35 years, died of lung cancer at age 66 on March 31, 1980 in Tucson, Arizona. In 1981, USA Track and Field introduced the Jesse Owens Award. The annual recognition is the highest accolade for the best performers in the sport. Joyner-Kersee became the first athlete to win the award back to back (1986 and 1987).

In 1984, a street outside Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, where Owens shot to fame, was rechristened Jesse-OwensAllee. The section of the Olympic Village where he stayed during the 1936 Summer Olympics features displays about the American champion. A decade after his death, President George H.W. Bush posthumously awarded Owens the Congressional Medal of Honor. Bush called his victories in Berlin “an unrivaled athletic triumph, but more than that, a triumph for all humanity.”

“Race” opens in theatres nationwide on Friday, February 19. The film is rated PG.

Food insecurity

Food Outreach supplies food and freshly prepared meals to

addition to being food insecure, are living with HIV/AIDS or cancer.

Urban and rural areas could be food deserts according to the Missouri Foundation for Health

By Sandra Jordan

Of The St. Louis American

Supplemental nutrition programs –government school breakfast and lunch programs; SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and WIC, the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children; as well as food pantries run by churches and other charitable organizations play an essential role in reducing hunger.

However, there is a global, national and local perspective on food deprivation, known as food security, which permeates to neighborhoods and communities where we live. The 1996 World Food Summit of the

n “Even when you control for income – just looking at race, you see food deserts disproportionately impact African American communities.

– M. Ryan Barker, vice president of Health Policy at the Missouri Foundation for Health

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations said “food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and

nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”

In addition to available food options in a given area, sufficient resources to access and purchase healthy food, and basic nutritional knowledge and patterns in individual households, the World Health Organization said food security includes adequate water and sanitation. With these factors to consider, urban and rural areas alike have pockets of food insecurity, which could be food deserts or food swamps, according to the Missouri Foundation for Health.

“A food desert refers to a lack of supermarkets or places where there is nutritious, high quality food – fruits and vegetables available in

See FOOD, A13

Updated dietary guidelines

Updated nutritional guidelines encourage Americans to adopt a series of science-based recommendations to improve how they eat, to reduce obesity and prevent chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. The update, released in January by the U.S. Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture, is the20152020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It recommends individuals and families to adopt a healthy eating pattern that limits calories intake of sugar, saturated fats and sodium, with less than 10 percent of calories per day from added sugars and saturated fats and less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium for day. For persons with high blood pressure, persons who are middle-aged and older, and for African Americans, daily sodium intake should be reduced further to 1500 mg per day, to lessen the risk of cardiovascular disease

See DIETARY, A13

Although having access to quality food seems like a necessary part of life, this is not the reality for many Missourians. Large pockets of food deserts exist in some of the financially insecure areas of the state. These neighborhoods or communities may only have limited choices for food options or they may lack the resources to purchase healthier items even if nutritious items such fruits and vegetables were present. However, Missouri Foundation for Health wants to change that dynamic. This week we learn how MFH is choosing to rage this war against “food insecurity.”

Healthy food: A basic necessity for all

By Dr. Robert Hughes President & CEO

Missouri Foundation for Health

Food insecurity – hunger, lack of access to healthy food, and anxiety about having enough food – is a growing issue in our region. In 2016, we have an embarrassingly high number of people living in Missouri without enough food to eat or access to healthy, nutritious food.

As defined by the Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Program within the United States Department of Agriculture, food security is “access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life.” Following the Great Recession of 2008, the total number of households without food security increased by one-third to over 16 percent. While the nation has seen a steady decrease in unemployment over the seven years since 2008, the level of food insecurity has not changed; it has remained at the unacceptably high rate of 1 in 6 households. Access to fresh and nutritious food is essential for children to grow up healthy and for adults to prevent many chronic conditions such as diabetes. In recognition of widespread food insecurity, Missouri Foundation for Health, in 2012, developed the Emergency Food Access Project to expand the ability of the state’s food banks and their networks to provide healthy food to needy Missourians. One million dollars each was granted to four food banks throughout our region over two years. Those funds were used to buy equipment and to make infrastructure improvements to increase the capacity of our area’s emergency food system for the storage and distribution of fresh food to residents. The food banks participating in this effort were the St. Louis Area Food Bank, Southeast Missouri Food Bank (Sikeston), The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri (Columbia), and Ozarks Food Harvest (Springfield). Collectively, these organizations work closely with more than

See DOCTOR, A13

A12

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • FEBRUARY

Denise HooksAnderson, MD

Dr. Robert Hughes

men, women and children in the Metro St. Louis area who, in

Photo by WIley Price

Missouri 9th in total number of health insurance enrollees this year

By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American

January 31 marked the end of the third open enrollment season for health insurance coverage, and federal health leaders are pleased that about 12.7 million Americans selected plans or automatically re-enrolled through state-based Marketplaces or through HealthCare.gov. HHS reports 9.6 million consumers got their insurance through HealthCare. gov and about 42 percent were new to the Marketplace in 2016.

“Open Enrollment for 2016 is over and we are happy to report it was a success,” said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell. “The Health Insurance Marketplace is changing people’s lives for

FOOD

Continued from A12

an area,” said M. Ryan Barker, vice president of Health Policy at the Missouri Foundation for Health. “Food swamps– there is lots of food available, but it’s fast food; so it is unhealthy food choices – a geographic area that is overwhelmed by unhealthy food choices.”

Neither of which supports good nutrition as part of a healthy and active life. Moreover, some residents with limited options are forced to live in food deserts and swamps simultaneously.

“Even when you control for income – just looking at race, you see food deserts disproportionately impact African American communities,” Barker noted, “and we see the same thing with food swamps, except we see the same African American communities that lack supermarkets and access to healthy foods are then overwhelmed by the corner bodegas – that don’t always carry the healthier food options – and lots of fast food.”

Examining existing data from various sources, the MFFH put together a profile of food insecurity in Missouri in its recently released Health Equity Series report, Food Insecurity. It found the rate of food insecurity has been rising for a decade.

“We looked at the rates of food insecure households, and for most of the early 2000s, the food insecure rate was hovering around 11 – 11.5 percent. As expected, when we hit the recession in 2007-2008, we saw a spike in food insecurity and it jumped up to about 15 percent,” Barker said. “What was really surprising to me… what we haven’t seen is that food insecurity rate has not

Continued from A12

the better. Across the country, about 12.7 million Americans selected affordable, quality health plans for 2016 coverage, exceeding our goals. That includes over 4 million new consumers in the HealthCare. gov states who signed-up for coverage this year. The Marketplace is growing and getting stronger and the ACA has become a crucial part of healthcare in America.” Certified assisters to educate consumers on health care choices, a competitive selection of health insurance providers to choose from, and the deadline-drive desire to avoid the penalty helped spur the push to get coverage, particularly during final weeks. Nationally more than 15,000 assisters were aided the enrollment process. More younger people ages 18 to 34 selected health insur-

come back down.”

It paints a different picture of the nation’s economic recovery.

“The economy has recovered for some folks, but it has left other folks behind,” Baker said. “We aren’t seeing those who are more vulnerable – the economy recovering for them.”

Several health determinants are involved in food security, including stress, lack of basic health care, poverty, housing needs, and related coping mechanisms.

“The biggest think that came up in the report for urban and rural areas was transportation,” he said. “If healthy food options are not available in your neighborhood, how do you access those healthy food options? A lot of time, transportation becomes a huge barrier.”

Toxic stress – whether due to safety concerns, racism, anxiety or other reasons – stress factors into food insecurity on a number of ways.

“Stress can play a role because it has physical impacts on the body and ties in –especially when you have a household that is food insecure and don’t have access to food – stress may cause overeating, undereating, eating only what’s available – and it may not always be the healthiest choices,” Barker explained.

Food insecurity is highly correlated to the obesity epidemic.

ance coverage this year. Health officials said persons who needed insurance for health conditions tended to enroll first, while the third year is bringing in healthy and young

adults, and refreshing the health insurance risk pool. Burwell said this year, 2.7 million people ages 18 to 34 are signed up for coverage in HealthCare.gov states, and the

percentage of new customers in that age range is higher than last year.

In Missouri, more than 290,000 in the Show Me State selected health insurance coverage this enrollment period.

As of February 1, local media markets in Missouri include the following new or re-enrollees for health insurance coverage: • 134,934 consumers in St. Louis

• 110,572 consumers in Kansas City

• 56,449 consumers in Springfield

• 22,811 consumers in Columbia-Jefferson City • 22,324 consumers in Paducah-Cape GirardeauHarrisburg

• 16,230 consumers in JoplinPittsburg • 7,770 consumers in Quincy-

Food Insecurity report

has the highest percentage

followed by Pemiscot

Mississippi,

Barker said MFFH did see large disparities in food insecurity regarding race and ethnicity.

Hannibal-Keokuk

• 3,954 consumers in St. Joseph • 3,847 consumers in Ottumwa-Kirksville

“We’re thrilled that more than 290,000 Missourians successfully enrolled in health coverage through the Marketplace this year, beating last year’s total by nearly 40,000 enrollees,” said Nancy Kelley, program director for the Expanding Coverage initiative at the Missouri Foundation for Health. “We’re especially grateful for the efforts of the Cover Missouri Coalition in helping to educate and enroll consumers across the state. With this success, Missouri ranked 9th in the nation in total number of consumers enrolled.”

in the long term, if affects the economy and affect’s their ability to get jobs.”

He said behavioral issues of youth not dealt with in the schools with low resources are often referred into the juvenile justice system, affecting a disproportionate number of minority and low income children. Barker said food insecurity is playing a role in the school-to-prison pipeline. Veterans and disable populations also have higher rates of food insecurity.

“Households that have someone with a disability, whether they are working or are unable to work, have higher rates of food insecurity,” Barker said – three times as likely. That’s 33-and-a-half percent compared to about 12 percent of non-disability households.

In the report, the MFH describes policy recommendations at the local, state and federal levels that can make access and availability of healthy foods equitable for all Missourians. It includes increasing the state minimum wage, building and improving existing retail food stores, and reaching out to assist persons eligible to participate in SNAP, free and reduced meal program at schools, the “Double Up Food Bucks” movement at farmers markets and utilizing community gardens.

DOCTOR

Continued from A12

1,000 community-based partners such as afterschool programs, senior centers, and food pantries. The four food banks increased their food distribution by 28 percent in 2013, which was equivalent to

“For folks who don’t have the resources or access to healthy foods, they may be consuming food that is unhealthy and easy to access, that’s high in sugar and high in fat, but it’s what’s available and what folks can afford,” he described. “And people, when they do have access to food, they may overeat, because they know next week, my food stamps are going to run out and I run out of food, so I eat more this week.”

“By focusing on small shifts in what we eat and drink, eating healthy becomes more

“The food insecurity rate for whites is about 10-and-a-half percent; for African Americans, it’s 26 percent – it’s two-anda-half times as large,” Barker

manageable,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia M. Burwell. “The Dietary Guidelines provide science-based recommendations on food and nutrition so people can make decisions that may help keep their weight under control, and prevent chronic

said. “And for the Hispanic population, it’s 24 percent –almost two-and-a-half times the rate for whites.”

Women, older adults and children also had higher incidences of food insecurity, which is particularly troubling for children, Barker explained.

“If kids aren’t getting nutritious quality food, they’re com-

conditions, like Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.”

“The latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines provides individuals with the flexibility to make healthy food choices that are right for them and their families and take advantage of

ing to school hungry – they are not learning, so it’s affecting their education,” he said. Food insecurity may factor into children’s behavior as well. “What we saw is higher rates of depression, anxiety, aggression and hyperactivity among kids who are food insecure,” Barker said. “If they aren’t doing well in school,

Social, environmental, and educational recommendations to increase healthy behaviors and health outcomes are detailed in the report. Hard copies of the Food Insecurity report are available by request by calling the Missouri Foundation for Health at (314) 345-5500 or (800) 655-5560. Read or download the report at mffh.org.

insecure households. There are a range of policy recommendations outlined in the Food Insecurity report that would tackle economic, educational, and environmental barriers for families that are most impacted by this issue. In a state like Missouri, which has a strong, diverse and thriving agricultural sector, we can, and we should, do better. It will require the public and private sectors to work together on an array of opportunities – from strengthening participation in existing nutrition assistance programs to making healthy food choices more accessible and affordable for all. As a basic necessity for life, eliminating food insecurity is a goal that enhances our state from both a health and economic perspective. and stroke. The new dietary guidelines promotes healthier beverages and nutrient-dense foods across all food groups. It takes into consideration cultural and personal preferences to make the shift to a healthier eating lifestyle easier to accomplish and maintain.

the diversity of products available, thanks to America’s farmers and ranchers,” Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said. In tandem with the recommendations above, Americans of all ages should meet the Physical Activity Guidelines (http://health.gov/paguidelines/) for Americans to help reduce the risk of chronic disease. Americans should aim to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. Find the complete dietary guidlines report, at http:// health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/.

23.4 million pounds of food. Importantly, this included a 44 percent increase in fresh food distributed that year. Raising awareness of food insecurity and working to reduce its impact has always been a priority for MFH as we contribute to improving the health of the people and communities in our region. Our latest work in this area is the Food Insecurity report that was released in December as part of our ongoing Health Equity series (mffh.org/equity). This report highlights the connections between food insecurity and social and economic factors such as where people live and the availability of food stores selling healthy food. The report also highlights the difficult trade-offs people with low incomes are forced to make between nutritious food and other essentials like rent, utilities, health care, and transportation.

While strengthening food banks in 2012 increased the capacity of our state’s emergency food system, it is also important to concentrate on systemic change aimed at decreasing the number of food

The

of the Missouri Foundation for Health finds St. Louis City

of household food insecurity rates (26%) in Missouri,

County (23%). The top 10 food insecure counties also include

Dunklin, New Madrid, Reynolds, Jackson, Nodaway, Washington and Wright counties.

Healthy Kids Kids

Healthcare Careers

Why Am I Eating?

Nutrition Challenge: A good healthy habit to start is to eat only when you’re hungry. While this might sound obvious, very few of us actually do it.

Keep an Eating Journal for a week to see when

Counting Steps

Walking is one of the best ways to stay active. Throughout the day you can look for ways to increase the amount of steps you take. You can walk around the living room while watching TV. You can take the stairs instead

Animal Safety

While animals can be cute and furry, we should all be careful anytime we are around any kind of animal (especially if it isn’t your own pet). A dog you see while walking down the street might seem friendly, but if it doesn’t know you it could be afraid and jump up on you, or bite. When you see someone walking a dog,

EatingMyJournal

why you ate.

Was it because you were bored? Did you eat when you were sad or upset? Or maybe you ate just because it’s what you always do.

of an elevator, or maybe you can walk to a nearby store instead of riding in a car.

Some studies show that kids that take about 12,000 steps per day are healthier.

Consider purchasing a pedometer. This small,

it’s always a good idea to ask the dog’s owner if it’s ok to pet the dog.

And finally, if you see an unleashed dog (or any kind of wild animal) wandering around, do not approach the animal or attempt to pick it up. Wild animals are scared of you and may lash out at you in fear.

Learning Standards: HPE 5, NH 5

(Perhaps you usually eat a snack when you sit down to watch a movie.)

Now try to make it a habit to wait until your stomach tells you that you’re hungry before you eat. You’ll eat a lot less junk food… and you’ll be healthier!

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

inexpensive device clips onto your waistband and measures how many steps you take a day.

Challenge yourself to increase the amount of walking you do. Try adding in more and more walking each and every day.

Learning Standards: HPE 1, HPE 4, NH 1

P.B. Banana Spirals

Ingredients:

Directions:

Diedre Boozer, Program Manager, Orthopedics & Spine

Where do you work? I work at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Where did you go to school? I graduated from Fayetteville-Manlius High School in Manlius, New York. I then earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Studies from Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and a Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

What does a program manager do? I get to work on a number of different projects at a time. I meet with nurses, social workers, doctors, physical therapists, business people and others to make sure our projects are successful. I use numbers to answer questions about how well we are caring for patients.

Why did you choose this career? I did not want to be a doctor or nurse, but still wanted to be in health care. I was lucky to have a great mentor who recommended health care administration. I shadowed him at his job for two months, which helped me realize that health care administration was the right degree and career for me.

What is your favorite part of the job you have?

My favorite part is working with amazing people who take care of patients. They are so passionate about making a difference. I do not work directly with patients but I know that if I can help those that do, I am making a small difference.

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

The St. Louis American’s award winning NIE program provides newspapers and resources to more than 7,000 teachers and students each week throughout the school year, at no charge.

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

Building Bridges

Civil engineers who design bridges are problem solvers. Their goal is to create a structure that will allow people and vehicles to travel over railroad tracks, roads, rivers, and other obstacles. The bridge design must be able to support the necessary weight and withstand earthquakes, strong winds, freezing and thawing. The design and cost of the bridge also needs to be considered. Bridges must be maintained, just like roads. There are many types of bridges, including beam bridges, arch bridges, suspension bridges, cantilever bridges, truss bridges, and cable-stayed bridges. Bridges need to withstand two forces: tension and compression. Tension is the force created when

SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

Background Information:

The goal of this experiment is to create a paper bridge that can support 100 pennies.

Materials Needed:

• Piece of 8½” x 11” Paper

• 6 Books • 100 Pennies

• Ruler

Procedure:

SCIENCE STARS

African-American Civil Engineer

Karl W Reid

an object is pulled, such as a rope in tug of war. If a bridge cannot support the tension, it will snap (imagine a rubber band pulled too far). Compression is the force created when pressure is placed on an object to push it down and shorten the length. Imagine your finger applying pressure to compress a marshmallow. If a bridge cannot support the compression, it will buckle. In order to support tension and compression, engineers need to redistribute the weight that is applying pressure.

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

Build a Paper Bridge!

the bridge support before it collapses? What happens if the pennies are in the center of the bridge or spread across the bridge?

Karl Reid is the executive director of the National Society of Black Engineers, which has over 30,000 members who are black engineers that succeed academically, professionally, and personally. These engineers also have a positive impact in their community. Dr. Reid was chosen for this position after he worked for 15 years at the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to help low income and minority students receive access to college. Dr. Reid has also served as executive director of Engineering Outreach Programs for MIT’s School of Engineering. He worked to recruit minority students in the STEM related careers. Reid was born and raised in New York. His parents encouraged his success in education and Reid looked up to his older brother, who excelled in math and science, and the brothers both attended MIT. At MIT, Reid earned his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Materials Science and Engineering. He became involved in Tau Beta Pi, an engineering honor society, which he states helped boost his confidence and leadership skills. Reid then earned his Doctorate of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. After graduation, Reid worked for 12 years in the computer industry.

q Make two stacks of books of equal height. Put them 6 inches apart.

w Make a bridge by putting a sheet of paper across the books.

e Put some pennies on the bridge. How many pennies can

MATH CONNECTION

Today’s word problems are all about travel!

z Joyce drove 256 miles at 64 miles per hour. How long did Joyce drive?

x If Gary bicycled 18 miles at 12 miles per hour, how long was Gary travelling?

c It took Rick 3.5 hours to ride to Clarkson’s house at 55 miles per hour. How far is it between Rick’s house and Clarkson’s house? ________

v If Rachel skated 22 miles at 8 miles per hour, how long was Rachel travelling? ________

DID YOU KNOW?

r How can you make the bridge stronger? Can you change the design of your bridge to support more pennies? Try bending, folding, or tearing the paper.

t Test your bridge again by adding pennies one at a time. How many pennies can your bridge support?

Learning Standards: I can follow directions to complete an experiment. I can analyze results and draw conclusions.

b Sharon rode a bike to Shirley’s house. It is 20 miles from Sharon’s house to Shirley’s house. It took Sharon 5 hours to get there. How fast did Sharon go? ________

n If Paula sailed 15 miles at 6 miles per hour, how long was Paula travelling?

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

In his free time, Reid volunteers at the Reid Temple AME church where he directs Christian education. He also writes a blog about striving for academic achievement. He is a member of Tau Beta Pi National Engineering Honor Society, the DC STEM Network Advisory Council, and the American Society of Civil Engineers’ “Dream Big” IMAX Movie Technical Advisory Council. He was named one of the “Top 100 Executives in America” by Uptown Professional magazine. Dr. Reid has received the NSBE Golden Torch Award for “Minority Engineering Program Director of the Year” and the Outstanding Advisor of the Year award from the MIT Academic Resource Center. Dr. Reid is also a recipient of the YMCA Black Achievers Award, the MIT Presidential Award for Community Service and the MIT Excellence Award.

To read Karl W Reid’s blog and advice for school success, visit: http://karlwreid.com/.

Learning Standards: I can read a biography about a person who has made a contribution in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.

MAP CORNER

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

Activity One —

Antonyms: Find five sets of antonyms in the newspaper. Clip them out and then double-check your answers with a dictionary or thesaurus.

Activity Two —

Slogans: Companies create slogans to use in advertising. Slogans help customers connect with the business and remember the company name, product, or service. Find five slogans in the newspaper. State what you like or dislike about the slogan.

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can use resource materials. I can evaluate text. I can create text to world connections.

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

Earl Nance Sr. Elementary School 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Henry-Union, uses the newspaper to teach students Arielle Ellis, Jaiden Wesly, Keashaun Hicks, and Ajaee Buford to search for biographies on people of interest as a STEM lesson. Earl Nance Sr. Elementary is in the St. Louis Public Schools District. Photo by Wiley Price/St. Louis American

The Eads Bridge over the Mississippi River was the first arched steel truss bridge in the world.

The Golden Gate Bridge has been declared as one of the modern wonders of the world by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Fall 2015 issue of the NSBE magazine.

Business

Provident hosts gala fundraiser Feb. 26

Larry

Thomas:

‘The more supporters we have, the more people we will be able to help’

By Chris King

Of The St. Louis American

Larry Thomas, a partner at Edward Jones, is clear about his first priority as newly elected board chair at Provident, Inc.

“We need more resources,” Thomas said. “The more supporters we have, the more people we will be able to help.”

n “I decided that Provident is a place where I can probably make a difference.”

– Larry Thomas, board chair

Provident is a mental health agency, headquartered in Midtown St. Louis, that provides counseling, suicide prevention and intervention, and community support programs. Its staff of 128 (52 full-time and 76 part-time) and 127 volunteers currently serves more than 40,000 individuals and families in the region.

For Thomas, that is not enough.

“There are more people experiencing trouble,

more people experiencing need,” he said. “I want to make our services available to more people. I want to go deeper into the community. I don’t know, is 50,000 people served the right place? I want to make more services available to help more folks.”

To provide more services, Provident needs more community awareness – newspaper interviews can help with that – and more “resources,” by which Thomas means more money. The “Spirit of Provident” annual gala is one way the agency raises fund.

Black homes matter

Housing

By Rebecca Rivas

Of The St. Louis American

conference focuses on needed policy changes

Black homes matter. That was the message Washington University assistant professor Molly Metzger drove home at a fair housing conference at Saint Louis University School of Law on February 6. However, governmental policies – on a local, state and federal level – have historically not supported this sentiment.

n In the St. Louis metro area in 2012, 43 percent of the black population were homeowners – compared to 77 percent of the white population.

In the St. Louis metro area in 2012, 43 percent of the black population were homeowners – compared to 77 percent of the white population. Currently in Missouri, affordable housing programs and tax incentives often breed further gentrification and segregation, she said. The problem starts with many people’s view of what subsidized housing is.

“When people think of subsidized housing, they think of Section 8 housing,” said Metzger, who is an assistant professor at WUSTL’s Brown School of Social Work. “But all housing is subsidized. Homeowners get massive tax breaks. It’s overwhelmingly higherincome households, which are overwhelming

See HOMES, B2

Jason Q. Purnell will receive FOCUS St. Louis’ 2016 Leadership Award for his work on the “For the Sake of All” project. The award is presented annually to individuals who demonstrate remarkable and courageous community leadership, have meaningful impact on the community, and encourage strong community leadership in others. He is an assistant professor in the Brown School at Washington University.

J. Danielle Carr joined Polsinelli as its first director of diversity and inclusion. She will help lead efforts to advance the firm’s initiatives across all areas of diversity and inclusion throughout the U.S. in each of Polsinelli’s 17 offices. Recently she was director of professional development and inclusion at Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale. She received The St. Louis American Foundation’s “Excellence in Business Performance Award” in 2015.

Yusef Freeman is the new managing director of new business for McCormack Baron Salazar, Inc., and will lead new business development nationally. Previously, he was head of the San Francisco office where he worked on the development of mixed-income, mixed-finance, multi-family housing and commercial real estate in Northern California. He also served as the lead project manager for the Harmony Oak HOPE VI in New Orleans.

Tamee Reese was reelected as secretary of the Board of Directors of the MathewsDickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club. She has served as AT&T’s general attorney since 2000. She is a corporate law specialist with over two decades of experience providing legal counsel and managing the full complement of business law matters. She is a past president of the Association of Corporate Counsel.

Lee Michaels will be inducted into the St. Louis Media History Foundation’s St. Louis Media Hall of Fame. A former disc jockey on KATZ and KMJM in the 1970s, he went on to national fame in syndication from Los Angeles. He is the only African American in the group of 15 being inducted this year.

Lisl King Williams was appointed to the 2016 Child Support Guidelines Review Subcommittee of the Missouri Supreme Court’s Family Court Committee. This group collects and analyzes testimony from Missouri residents to help develop new child support guidelines. She is director of Legal Services for Fathers Support Center. On the

Jason Q. Purnell

Yusef Freeman

Tamee Reese Lee Michaels

J. Danielle Carr

Lisl King Williams

Photo by Wiley Price

Larry Thomas, a partner at Edward Jones, is the newly elected board chair at Provident, Inc., a mental health agency, headquartered in Midtown St. Louis, that provides counseling, suicide prevention and intervention, and community support programs.

Gustavo Velasquez, assistant secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, spoke at a fair housing conference held at Saint Louis University School of Law on February 6.

Photo by Wiley Price

Personal Finance

Sharing money problems with kids

By Nathaniel Sillin

Kids are surprisingly resilient in the face of a crisis. But even so, serious family money troubles can potentially affect a young person’s home life, education and outlook on money management down the road.

While my wife and I don’t have kids, children under the age of 10 who are particularly mature – and particularly observant – often can immediately pick up on a parent’s stress over money or other issues.

How can you be honest about your finances with a child under the age of 18 without spreading confusion or stress? The American Psychological Association points out (http://www.apa.org/ helpcenter/children-economy. aspx) that kids can often deal with a crisis fairly well but most aren’t yet keenly aware of tension in the household. When sharing money problems with your kids, here are a few ideas from the APA and other resources you can use:

• Tell the truth, but watch how you tell it. You want to spare your child from hardship

HOMES

continued from page B1

white households.” The amount of money devoted to tax breaks dwarfs the money going towards lowincome housing, she said.

“It’s regressive,” she said. “Segregation is maintained. That’s by design.”

Metzger said the Ferguson Commission recommended that local governments pass

and worry, but it’s important not to say things are great when they’re clearly not. Try to explain in brief but truthful detail about what’s happening and leave time for questions. Any child, no matter how sophisticated, can become worried if his or her parents reveal extreme fear about money concerns. Keep in mind there’s a great opportunity in these conversations to understand your child’s thoughts and attitudes. Make it a kind, understanding conversation, and listen for clues.

• Keep the discussion ageappropriate. Teens may be more aware of general financial circumstances because they can spot different behavior at home or because their friends’ parents might be going through similar circumstances. However, younger kids generally have less knowledge and experience to process what’s going on. Tell kids what they need to know, but don’t overload them with information.

• Set an example. It may be difficult, but demonstrate grace under pressure. Be

ordinances on “inclusionary zoning” that promote access to affordable housing.

“We need it everywhere,” she said of affordable housing opportunities. “We can’t place it all in low-income communities, but they also need investment also. We want to spread it more broadly.”

At the conference, public policy researcher Will Winter displayed graphs showing that most of Missouri’s funding goes to housing in North St. Louis and North St. Louis

calm and reasoned. If you are looking for work, discuss that with your children and even share what that process is like. Remember, kids learn by example. If they see their parents dealing sensibly with adversity no matter how long it takes to right the ship, that’s a very important lesson. Communicate behaviors that they will need to learn if they’re going to successfully deal with money problems as

County.

Winter said the conference’s main objective was to inform the public about the federal Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing final rule.

“At some point, people who receive these funding streams have to respond to the new rules that say, ‘Are the location of your investments furthering racial segregation?’” said Winter, who is an analyst with the Public Policy Research Center at University of Missouri St. Louis.

adults.

• Introduce or reinforce money lessons. Whatever the problem, reinforce smart spending and savings behavior no matter what the child’s age. However old they are, (http:// www.practicalmoneyskills. com/EducateKids/) kids should get regular lessons in the relationship between money and the things in their life.

However, he said the rule does not lay out a clear process for how to make things better. The conference was a way for government, nonprofit and academic experts to present different areas where change can happen.

The Ferguson Commission also issued a call for action to institute fair housing protections statewide. Last year, St. Louis city made it illegal for landlords to say “I don’t take Section 8,” Metzger said, and it was a big win.

• Make it educational. Communicate behaviors that kids will need to successfully manage money in the future. Whatever the problem, reinforce smart spending and saving behavior no matter what the child’s age. Teaching kids about money can be fun by introducing educational games. The Practical Money Skills website offers a collection of games (http:// www.practicalmoneyskills. com/games/) kids can play to learn how to save money. Talk to them about important financial concepts such as budgeting – and bring them to life using real-life examples like planning an affordable family vacation or outing.

• Introduce the emergency fund. One of the essential building blocks of personal finance, the emergency fund exists to protect savings and keep borrowing to a minimum. Older children might embrace the value of an emergency fund as a way to offset the financial loss of a lost bike or smartphone or some other personal item. For adults, the general rule of thumb on emergency funds is to have at least three to six months of

“Right now it’s only the city, not in St. Louis County,” she said. “It could be done statewide.”

The Ferguson Commission also recommended developing a regional strategy to stabilize middle-market neighborhoods. Metzger is currently working with a Forest Park Southeast mothers group and City Garden Montessori charter school to establish a “Yes in my backyard” campaign for affordable housing. While the Shaw and Forest Park Southeast area were once mixed income neighborhoods, investors are buying up properties and selling them

savings on hand in case of a lost job or expensive repair. The key is to talk with the teen about the parallel financial risks in their lives that might benefit from the existence of emergency savings.

• Focus on things more important than… things. Parents can use a tough financial stretch to focus on the positive, such as time spent enjoying family, friends and pets, which doesn’t cost much at all. Good health and healthy behaviors are essential elements of correcting problems, overcoming tough times and living a full life. In short, use this moment in time to help your child put money in the proper perspective.

Bottom line: A money crisis can truly test the strength of a family. Should you find yourself in a financial bind, use it to teach your kids some very important money lessons.

Nathaniel Sillin directs Visa’s financial education programs. To follow Practical Money Skills on Twitter: www. twitter.com/PracticalMoney.

for prices for only highincome brackets. Essentially, developers are using tax incentives to gentrify these neighborhoods.

“We are trying to advocate for policy changes,” she said, “and cracking down on the policies that promote gentrification.”

The event was sponsored by the Metropolitan Equal Housing and Opportunity Council, City of St. Louis Civil Rights Enforcement Agency, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Missouri Commission on Human Rights and Saint Louis University School of Law.

You show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser.” – Cam Newton

Word wins Winter Classic

n The Red Knights are now 17-4 with a 12-game winning streak and appear on course to winning a fourth consecutive Class 4 state championship.

Looking back during the Christmas holidays, Incarnate Word Academy’s girls hardly looked the part of a three-time defending state champion. The Red Knights had struggled to a 2-2 record in the Visitation Christmas Tournament. One of those losses was a 58-36 loss to Francis Howell that dropped IWA’s record then to 5-4 as well as the jaws of many local basketball fans who were wondering what was happening to this local dynasty. Those days seemed like a lifetime ago as the Red Knights are now 17-4 with a 12-game winning streak and appear on course to winning a fourth consecutive Class 4 state championship in just over a month. The graduation of generational star Napheesa Collier and some injuries to key players led to some early-season growing pains for the Red Knights. But, now they appear to be hitting their stride as they gear up for another postseason run. Last week, the Red Knights won the championship of the Webster Winter Classic in dominating fashion. Despite having a field of very accomplished programs, Incarnate Word won all three of its games by at least 20 points. IWA defeated Rock Bridge 56-26 in the first round, host Webster Groves 66-42 in the semifinals

How

I

Local team wins Pylon 7-on7 Southeast Regional football champioship

I always get excited when I see a group of athletes from St. Louis travel out of town for some kind of national competition and make the city proud with a stellar performance.

n Quarterback Tyler Foote of Class 3 state champion John Burroughs and wide receiver Kamryn Babb of Class 6 state runnersup CBC took home Most Valuable Player honors.

Such was the case last weekend when a talented group of football players from the STL ventured down South into football country and brought home a championship trophy from a highprofile tournament. Representing the Explosion Sports Flight Academy, the St. Louis team won the Pylon 7-on-7 Southeast Regional championship in Nashville, Tennessee. Some of the best high school football talent in the country was on hand for this tournament, but the Explosion Sports Alpha team emerged from the pack with a perfect 7-0 record. They defeated the Chicago Boom 25-20 in the championship game.

On their way to the regional title, St. Louis defeated Chicago Boom, Epic 7 Southeast (Atlanta) and Southern Express (AL) in pool play. In the championship round, they defeated another St. Louis team Explosion Sports (Charlie), Epic 74PL (Atlanta) and 412 Elite (Pittsburgh) before defeating Chicago Boom in a rematch for the championship.

“Our team is pretty young, so for us to go down and win the Southeast regional against teams with kids who have offers from programs such as Alabama, Georgia, Texas and Florida kind of puts St. Louis on the map,” said Greg Wayne, owner of

skipped the Super Bowl and survived

Writer’s interest in NFL took flight with Rams

The moment the St. Louis Rams turned into Los Angeles Rams is the moment I stopped caring about NFL football. You can call it sour grapes, bitterness or resentment but there’s just something engrained deep in my psyche that will not allow me to remain loyal to a league that fought so hard (and so dirty) to tear my team away. When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell allowed Rams’ owner Stan Kroenke to fly away to greener pastures, my interest in the league took flight on the same plane out of town. OK, maybe I’m exaggerating, but only slightly. I knew immediately once the Rams departed that I had about as much interest in watching one of the “Magic Mike” films as I did in seeing a playoff game or the Super Bowl – zero. It was never really meant to be a public protest or boycott. I didn’t invite others to follow my lead. My decision wasn’t blasted out via Facebook or Twitter for public attention. I didn’t turn into that hater we all know who scoffs at people for “wasting their time” watching sports. Still, whenever I politely declined a Super Bowl party invitation or explained that I didn’t really have a preference as to who won, nor did I plan to watch, people had the same reaction. Their jaws dropped to the floor and they stared in utter disbelief. Sunday afternoon, the last minute checkups rolled in.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come over and watch the game?” one relative texted. “We’ve got chicken wings.”

With Earl Austin Jr.

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

See PREP, B5

With Ishmael H. Sistrunk

As Von Miller and the Denver Broncos defense dominated the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50, this writer turned his back to the biggest spectacle in American sports.

With Earl Austin Jr.

Earl Austin Jr.

Sophomore Nakayla Jackson-Morris of the surging Incarnate Word Red Knights.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

SportS EyE

With Alvin Reid

Cam Newton learns you have to play nice after you play poorly

Hey, Cam Newton

If you’re going to dab-thedab when you win, you also have to blab-the-blab after losing.

A bitterly disappointed Newton was barely audible while addressing the media following his Carolina Panthers’ 24-10 upset loss to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. Gone was the flamboyant, happy-go-lucky guy NFL fans grew to know during the 2015 season. That guy was replaced by a sulking, sad dude we hadn’t seen since Newton’s rookie season. With his head down and sweat jacket hood pulled up, Newton gave his haters all the ammunition they need to keep him under fire until the 2016 season begins next September. Can you put your feelings into words? “We lost.” Would you have done anything differently? “No.” What did coach Ron Rivera tell his team? “He told us a lot of things.” Did the Denver defense shut down Carolina’s running lanes? “No.”

disguised racial barbs based on the fact that the “uppity” Newton was put in his place. Fair? No. To be expected? Yes. That’s why Newton needed to address the media with a suit and a smile on and just survive those few terrible minutes.

Last year, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson faced the media with style and grace after what was probably the most painful loss for any team in Super Bowl history. The worst play-call in Super Bowl history turned into the most devastating turnover in Super Bowl history. Yet Wilson, coach Pete Carroll and other Seahawks didn’t put on the pouty face. Newton, with all his talent and Hall of Fame potential, is still a work in progress. He failed the test of grace-in-defeat last Sunday, but hopefully he’ll learn from it.

Meanwhile, in Inglewood...

With that, Newton called it a night and walked off stage. Of course, Newton’s display of poor sportsmanship does not excuse former NFL linebacker Bill Romanowski’s tweet “You will never last in the NFL with that attitude. The world doesn’t revolve around you, boy! #CamNewton.”

That’s what Newton will be hearing from many fans for the next few months – thinly

St. Louis’ loss of the Rams is a major victory for Inglewood, California and its African-American Mayor James T. Butts. The L.A. suburb he governs has a population of 110,000, of which more than 90 percent of those residents are minorities. Latinos comprise about 50 percent of its population and black 43 percent, according to 2014 U.S. Census data. The median income for Inglewood is $50,000, while

L.A. County averages $56,000 and the state of California $62,000, respectively. Rather than wait on Rams owner Stan Kroenke or the NFL to lead them by the hand – or nose – Butts and city leaders had experts compiling economic and environmental impacts of a major stadium project. This was BEFORE Kroenke

officially announced his stadium plan. Several of these reviews had been completed by the time we ever heard of our “task force.”

If Kroenke had sought public funding, Butts was adamant that it was not going to happen, saying the city’s plan “doesn’t ask for, nor will ever be offered, any public funds.”

Butts displayed leadership skill sorely lacking in our region. He won. We lost.

His trophies include an estimated $1 billion per year for the local economy and 40,000 new jobs, many of which will continue long after the stadium is complete.

The ancillary restaurants, retail outlets and concert venue will create thousands of permanent jobs. The project is expected to bring as many as 2,500 new residential units and a 300-room hotel, plus office and retail space, multiple lakes, and 25 acres of public park space. Inglewood, its black mayor and its 90 percent minority population are moving forward. We should be happy for them.

Orlando Pace to enter Hall of Fame

Congratulations to former Rams offensive lineman

Orlando Pace for selection into the 2016 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. My guess would have been that quarterback Kurt Warner would have gotten the call before Pace.

It’s difficult to quantify how an offensive lineman earns HOF status, especially those that played before all the crazy computer analytics became a part of sports. Basically, Pace dominated his man Sunday after rough-and-tumble Sunday. He beat up defensive linemen, and then he beat them down.

Warner will enter the Hall of Fame, probably next year.

He would not have a chance without Pace protecting his blind side, regardless of the HOF-worthy careers of Isaac Bruce and Tory Holt Also entering the Hall will be former Tampa Bay Bucs and Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy, the first black coach to win a Super Bowl. Former Colts receiver Marvin Harrison is also Hallbound.

Brett Favre was a firstballot winner and Ken Stabler finally received enough votes. He should have been voted in years ago. He didn’t live to cherish the honor.

Former San Francisco 49ers

owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. will be enshrined for helping

Carolina quarterback Cam Newton showed no class after losing Super Bowl 50 by sulking and pouting and refusing to answer questions at the post-game press conference.

construct that franchise’s 1980s-early ‘90s dynasty. Voters conveniently overlooked the fact that in 1998 he pleaded guilty in federal court to a felony charge. He admitted that he paid former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards and his son a $400,000 bribe in order to win a casino license. DeBartolo was sentenced to two years on probation, paid $1 million in penalties and testified in the Edwards’ extortion trials. He also was forced to surrender 49ers ownership.

Kevin Greene, a Granite City South graduate, and stand out with the Carolina Panthers will also be inducted to the Hall in August. Greene might be best remembered for attacking assistant coach Kevin Steele on the Panthers’ sideline during a home loss to the Washington Redskins in 1998. People have all kinds of problems with HOF finalist Terrell Owens, but he was never arrested and certainly never attacked a coach. Funny how that works out, isn’t it?

Alvin A. Reid is a panelist on the Nine Network program, Donnybrook and appears on ABC’s The Allman Report and several sports radio shows. His Twitter handle is @aareid1.

Alvin Reid

Continued from B3

Explosion Sports Flight Academy. “The talent level there was phenomenal. It was a great opportunity for our kids to get a lot of national exposure because all of the media outlets were there.”

By winning the Southeast regional, Explosion Sports Alpha qualified for the Pylon National Champions, which will be held during the Fourth of July weekend in Dallas at the Cowboys Stadium. Explosion Sports will be one of only 10 regional champions who will be in Dallas in July.

Several of these young men have already achieved at a very high level in St. Louis football circles as state champions, All-State and All-Metro performers. Some have already earned Division I scholarship offers while others are well on their way to being highly recruited prospects.

Quarterback Tyler Foote of Class 3 state champion John Burroughs and wide receiver Kamryn Babb of Class 6 state runners-up CBC took home Most Valuable Player honors for their stellar performances throughout the weekend.

Joining Foote and Babb on the championship team were Andrew Clair (SLUH), Dallas Craddieth (Hazelwood Central), Dyllan Conway (Westminster), Gavon Burks (CBC), Ivan Burnett (Kirkwood), James Richardson (McCluer North), Justin Williams (CBC), Antonio Phillips (Kirkwood), Antonio Cunningham (Gateway STEM), James Whitfield Jr. (Hazelwood Central), John White (McCluer North), Justin White (Clayton), Cameron Brown (CBC), Xavier Jackson (Marquette) and Jordan Sommerville (Lutheran North).

The coaching staff consists of Trevor Gaylor, Allen Eberhard, Corey Bethany, Gary Johnson and Tim Bay. Congratulations, young men, on a job well done.

CLUTCH

Continued from B3 West HQ. The Super Bowl is now like the Drake album. Everybody loves it and tunes it, but no man is free to admit it publically.

So what exactly did I do during the game? A lot, actually.

4:15 p.m. – FIFA 16: What better way to ignore an American football game that to play a video game of real football? You know, the properly named one where people actually kick the ball with their feet for 90% of the game. I had a few epic online matches playing the most popular sport in the world. Though I played with the national teams of the USA and Mexico, it might be time to get familiar with the MLS teams since rumor has it, soccer could be returning to St. Louis in the near future.

6:15 p.m. – Urgent Care: After growing tired of hearing me fight a losing battle with an annoying cough over the past few weeks, my wife suggested I go to Urgent Care. On Super Bowl Sunday? Why not. I figured the lines would be non-existent as most guys would have to be on their death bed to skip

PREP

Continued from B3 and MICDS 63-42 in the championship game.

Sophomore guard Sonya Morris enjoyed a big tournament, which included a 22-point performance in the championship game against MICDS. She also had a gamehigh 15 points against Rock Bridge in the first round.

The 5’9” Morris is averaging 11 points a game, which is second on the team behind 6’1” senior Abbey Hoff’s 12 points a game. A Miami of Ohio recruit, Hoff has taken over the leadership mantle as the team’s most experienced player. A pair of talented freshmen have also stepped into big roles in 6’2” Rickie Woltman and 5’11” Kiki Britzmann. Holtman is averaging 9.1

the big game. I walked in and the game was on, I averted my eyes from the television. After a quick sign in, they directed me to my room, where once again, the game was on the television. A quick press of the off button and I was once again free. An hour later, me and my bronchitis were sent home with some shiny new pills.

7:15 p.m.

– The Daily Show: Back home, I knew there was nothing to watch on television. Being a terrible planner, I’d already binged watched Hand of God and Mad Dogs unto completion. Instead of starting a new show, I watched a wonderful episode of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Noah has grown into his role as host and holds it down on his own instead of just being the black guy that replaced Stephen Colbert.

chips, beer and lots of other unhealthy snacks. I decided to sneak in a quick workout on my trusty speedbag. No, I didn’t pretend that the bag was Goodell or Kroenke (that would be heavy bag work), but I burned a few calories and got in a good sweat.

n I’m sure I will watch football in the future, including the Super Bowl. However, without a home team, I’m just not as interested. I skipped the Super Bowl and survived. Only time will tell whether my love for the game does the same.

8:15 p.m. –Food run: Since I’d passed on the parties filled with free-food, I was tasked with fetching dinner for the evening. A quick run to the grocery store elicited me strange looks from the employees. Their eyes openly wondered who was this guy and what did he forget to buy for his football party? The parking lot was barren and I counted three non-employees in the entire place.

7:45 p.m. – Speed bag: If I were watching the game, I’d be sitting on my butt and stuffing my face with wings, pizza,

points and 6.0 rebounds a game while Britzmann is averaging 6.7 points. Senior Sam Cooke and sophomore Nakayla Jackson-Morris are also big contributors to the Red Knights’ winning ways.

Webster Groves dominating It is nothing new for the Webster Groves Statesmen to be rolling towards another 20-victory season. This season, the Statesmen have been really dominant as they entered the week with an 18-1 record. Of those 18 wins, there have only been two games where the margin of victory has been under 10 points. The Statesmen are smaller this year, but they have tremendous team quickness and guard play, which makes them even more dangerous, especially on the defensive end, which is a trademark of head coach Jay

After departing, I stopped at a local fast-food burger joint to get something quick and easy. There was no line. I ordered and got my food with no wait time. There was nothing missing from my bag as I’m sure the employees were excited to

Blossom’s teams.

Sophomore guard Courtney Ramey has emerged as one of the top players in the St. Louis area this season. The 6’3” Ramey is averaging 18.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists a game. Ramey has really enjoyed some huge scoring outings in recent games as he continues to be a force at both ends of the court.

Senior forward Chris Gordon has also enjoyed a breakout season. The 6’5” Gordon is averaging 12.1 points and 5.1 rebounds a game. Senior guard Leland Bradford is averaging 10 points a game in his fourth year as a varsity starter. Juniors Cam Potts and Kevin Butler both average six points a game while adding to the Statesmen’s group of talented guards while 6’5” senior Andy Bennett helps Gordon hold things down in the post.

see some sign of life from the deserted restaurant. The worker handed off the bag like Peyton Manning, fully expecting me to race home in time to catch the end of the game. I didn’t. Due to the Internet and social media, I had an idea of what was happening in the game. My intent was never to completely avoid everything about the Super Bowl. I just was not going to go out of my way to watch or support it. After the fact, I really don’t feel like a rebel or an outlier. I planned to watch the SportsCenter highlights Monday morning, but never got around to it. The same thing happened with the commercials. What does the future hold for me in regards to the NFL? Who knows? I’m sure I will watch football in the future, including the Super Bowl. However, without a home team, I’m just not as interested. I skipped the Super Bowl and survived. Only time will tell

Javonte Perkins

whether my love for the game does the same.

Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ IshmaelSistrunk

The Explosion Sports Flight Academy Alpha football team from St. Louis won the Pylon 7-on-7 Southeast Regional championship last weekend in Nashville, Tennessee. Explosion Sports defeated Chicago Boom 28-20 in the championship game to finish the tournament with a 7-0 record. They qualified for the Pylon National Championships in Dallas, Texas in July.

PROVIDENT

continued from page B1

This year’s gala will be held Friday, February 26 at the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis. Dr. William H. Danforth, chancellor emeritus at Washington University, is gala chair. The 2016 “Spirit of Provident” awardees are Risa Zwerling, a Provident board member, and Mark Wrighton, current Washington University chancellor (and her spouse). Tickets are $170; register at www.providentstl.org.

The fundraising goal for the gala is $125,000. Funds raised will go towards Provident’s operations. Its 2015 budget expenses were nearly $6 million. Its 2015 allocation from the United Way, the agency’s single largest funder, was $2.1 million. That was 36 percent of its total budget and 84 percent of its public support.

One upgrade the agency needs, according to Sherry Gerke, director of development, is to replace its “antiquated phone system.” She estimated that $100,000 is needed to install an updated phone system.

Jane Smith, director of Life Crisis Services at Provident, said the agency answers 80-100 calls a day, or 30,000 calls a year. She said 15 to 21 percent of those callers are suicidal. Provident’s crisis hotline is 314-647-4357 or text

“HELP” to 314-226-1147.

“People don’t realize, with all the attention that murder gets, that the suicide rate is twice as high as the homicide rate,” Smith said.

Nationally, the discrepancy is higher than that. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2013 there were 41,149 suicides in the United States, compared to 16,121 murders – that’s 2.5 suicides for every murder.

Locally, the numbers are

different. In 2015, St. Louis County Police Department investigated more homicides (38) than suicides (28); in 2014, those percentages were roughly inverted, with more suicides (38) than homicides (26). The County PD does not patrol the entire county.

(The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department does not collect statistics for suicide, so no comparison was readily available for the city.)

Smith said that Provident’s call volume spiked after the Ferguson police shooting of Michael Brown Jr. and the militarized police response to protests, but not all of that was a Ferguson effect. Two days after Brown was killed on

n “People don’t realize, with all the attention that murder gets, that the suicide rate is twice as high as the homicide rate.”

– Jane Smith, director of Life Crisis Services

August 9, 2014, the beloved actor and comedian Robin Williams killed himself, and highly publicized suicides tend to result in more crisis calls.

Provident has a counseling office in Ferguson, located at 409 South Florissant Rd., that opened a year before the police shooting and unrest. That office did experience some cancellations during the period of unrest, Smith said, as some clients were unsure of their safety.

Provident’s newest counseling center is its South County Office, located at 11222 Tesson Ferry Rd., Suite 100, which opened on February 1. It also has offices in Mid County (12755 Olive Blvd. in Creve Coeur) and the Metro East (5016 North Illinois St., Suite A in Fairview Heights), as well as at its headquarters,

2650 Olive St. in St. Louis. The first appointment line for all locations is 314-533-8200.

Provident serves clients across a wide spectrum of needs, including crisis counseling, treatment for anxiety and depression, teen self-injury, child play therapy, and court-required ex-offender therapies.

As for Thomas, he previously served as vice chair of the Provident board and replaces Stuart Greenbaum, former dean of the Olin School of Business at Washington University, as board chair. Thomas has served on the board since Greenbaum pressed him into service in 2009.

Greenbaum was a former finance professor of Thomas’ at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where Thomas earned his MBA while already employed at Edward Jones in St. Louis. (“I flew to Chicago 72 times,” Thomas said.)

Then Washington University recruited Greenbaum to chair its business school, Provident recruited him to chair its board, and Greenbaum recruited Thomas to serve with him on the board.

“When Stuart called me, I told him my plate was pretty full, but he said I ought to look into it,” Thomas said. “So I did some research. I thought about the need, what people need – counseling and, though we don’t like to think about suicide, it happens all the time. And I decided that Provident is a place where I can probably make a difference.”

The Provident crisis hotline is 314-647-4357 or text “HELP” to 314-2261147. The first appointment line is 314-533-8200.

Tickets to the “Spirit of Provident” gala are $170; register at www.providentstl. org.

December 3, 1941 – February 4, 2016

‘A

shining star in heaven’

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St.

The world lost a rare breed of

Fire

died in his sleep from the effects of Parkinson’s disease on Thursday, February 4, 2016. He was 74 years old. The gift of Earth, Wind and Fire goes far beyond the irresistible

Designer Sherrell Hall branches out with new brand

By Danie Rae, styleBROKER

For The St. Louis American

St. Louis is becoming more and more known for its design talent. Sherrell Hall of Leola Sky is on the forefront of the scene. Leola Sky is in its debut season and has the fashion scene in the city in a frenzy for it to drop.

Catching up with the design maven, she was in the middle of shooting a pilot for a reality show based around the fashion family of Eyekon Clothing. Founded by Hall and Shawn Williams, who was killed in a tragic car accident, Eyekon was a contemporary urban brand that had the city on lock. The show is a glimpse at how the Eyekon squad is still keeping the legacy of Shawn alive through their various fashion outlets.

Danie Rae: How long have you been designing?

Sherrell Hall: Since 2003. I didn’t have the clothes that everyone else did, so I would make my own. My grandmother taught me how to sew, and I would take whatever little

money I had at the end of the month and buy fabrics or hit the thrift stores to make my own outfits.

DR: When did you first decide to make your creations for the masses?

SH: When I dropped my first line called “Addiktion.” My friends always wanted me to make them the same outfits I wore, so it was only natural that I come out with

a collection. Addiktion is now my more mainstream, affordable line, while Leola Sky is my higher-end collection.

DR: So what is the inspiration behind Leola Sky?

SH: Definitely still stemming

See FASHIOn, C4

PHoTos By LaWREncE BRyanT

MoDELs: sHERRELL HaLL

anD sHanELL HoWaRD oF

TaLEnT PLus

HaiR: cHaTWaKa JacKson oF suiTE 101

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Beyoncé slays Super Bowl 50

The right voice for the right time to showcase race in America

By Roxanne Jones For CNN

Unapologetically black, that is the attitude that Beyoncé – and, to a large degree, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton – brought to Super Bowl 50. And as a lifelong NFL fan who’s attended more than 15 Super Bowls, Bey and her perfectly timed, bold, Black Pantherinspired halftime tribute was a beautiful thing to behold. Beyoncé redefined what it means for a celebrity to command the stage while the whole world is watching.

Going beyond the game and the glitter, the 34-year-old pop icon used her star power to shine a light on the problem of race in America. Singing a cleaned-up version of her new single release, “Formation,” Beyoncé dared to use the nation’s most-viewed event as a platform to shout #blacklivesmatter! For a minute, watching Beyoncé and those strong black women sporting black berets and big afros march out onto the field, I forgot I was watching a Super Bowl

Gregory Porter

Gregory Porter bridges gap between genres with soulful presence

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

The trendy, diverse, urban crowd that marched towards the Touhill Performing Arts Center on Saturday night looked more like an audience for a Mary J. Blige concert than the 2014 winner of the Best Jazz Vocal album (“Liquid Spirit”). But that’s the power of Gregory Porter. In the five years since he captured the music industry’s attention with his debut album “Water,” his soulful baritone voice and gifted quartet of musicians – including a St. Louis native rhythm section of Emmanuel Harrold on drums and Jahmal Nichols on bass – created a bridge that delivers jazz back to its original audience. Through Porter, the neo-soul and hiphop generations have found the link to where it all began. Porter was certainly up for the task with his latest

Louis American

musical

Wind and Fire founder Maurice White

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.

black history activities

Through Feb. 28, African American Inventions Exhibit, St. Louis County Library – Thornhill Branch, 12863 Willowyck Drive. For more information, visit www.slcl. org/black-history-celebration.

Fri., Feb. 12, 7:30 p.m., St. Louis Symphony presents Lift Every Voice: Black History Month Celebration with Larnelle Harris. Join us as we commemorate the legacy of African-American art, music, culture and community. 718 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 533-2500 or visit www. stlsymphony.org.

Tues., Feb. 16, 7 p.m., Missouri History Museum presents Spies of Mississippi Film Screening. During the Freedom Summer of 1964, the state of Mississippi entered the spy business. This documentary, created by Trilogy Films, explores how the commission infiltrated the civil rights coalition, obtaining sensitive documents and information using its most potent—and most secret— weapon: a cadre of black operatives who gained the trust of civil rights crusaders to gain intelligence for the segregationist state. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www. mohistory.org.

Sat., Feb. 20, 1 p.m., Black History Month Program presented by Ruth Rattler, New North Side Village Apartments 2054 Nemnich Rd.

Sun., Feb. 21, 6 p.m., Community Women Against Hardship Black History Month Beneit Concert featuring Bethany Pickens, The Harold & Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz. 3536 Washington, St. Louis, MO 63103. Tickets available via the Jazz St. Louis Box Ofice, by calling (314) 571-6000 or online by visiting www.jazzstl. org

Sun., Feb. 21, 2 p.m., St. Louis Public Library presents Black History Month Keynote Speaker Sonia Sanchez. St. Louis Public Library – Central Branch, 1301 Olive St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 5390359 or visit www.slpl.org.

Sun., Feb. 21, 3 p.m., UMSLAfrican American Alumni Chapter and the Associated Black Collegians presents Black in St. Louis: Sculpting The Future. A thought provoking Black History Month forum featuring distinguished panelists and moderator. Free and open to the public. J.C. Penney Auditorium, 8100 Natural Bridge Rd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 5165833.

Mon., Feb. 22 6:30 p.m., Webster University hosts #BlackLivesMatter. Join them in welcoming the Founders

Calendar

State of Emergency III starring Lil Wayne and featuring Yo Gotti, 2 Chainz and more. See CONCERTS for details.

Featured Event

Sat., Feb. 27, 11 a.m., The Greater St. Louis Alumni Chapter of Lincoln University hosts Greater St. Louis Alumni 150th Founder’s Day Luncheon. 9801 Natural Bridge, 63134. For more information, visit www. lincolnu.edu.

(See Black History Activities)

and International Ambassador of #BlackLivesMatter. Loretto Hilton Center for the Performing Arts, 130 Edgar Rd., 63118. For more information, visit blogs. webster.edu/mcisa.

Sat., Feb. 27, 11 a.m., The Greater St. Louis Alumni Chapter of Lincoln University hosts Greater St. Louis Alumni 150th Founder’s Day Luncheon. 9801 Natural Bridge, 63134. For more information, visit www.lincolnu.edu.

Sun., Feb. 28, 9:30 a.m., Calvary Missionary Baptist Church presents Black History: Our Heritage On Stage, presented by the Calvary Missionary Baptist Church Sunday School

South Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.thechaifetzarena.com.

Feb. 28, 8 p.m., Gary Clark Jr. - The Story of Sonny Boy Slim Tour, The Pageant, 6161 Delmar. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com, www.ticketmaster.com or call (314) 726-6161.

Mar. 2 – 5, Jazz at the Bistro presents James Carter Organ trio. 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.jazzstl.org.

local gigs

Fri, Feb. 12, 7 p.m., Trio Tres Bien with Danita Mumphard, St. Louis County Library – Florissant Valley Branch, 195 N. Florissant Rd.

Marquise Knox, and legendary harmonica player Big George Brock. 601 Clark Ave., 63102. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.

Sat., Feb. 27, 8 p.m., Blank Space presents FEMFEST 2: All Females Hip Hop Showcase. This showcase will feature and pay homage to some of the dopest female emcees in and out of St. Louis. There will be live performances by Bates, Truthdoit, Donesty & MZ. Tigga, and many more. 2847 Cherokee St., 63118. For more information, visit www. slumfest.com/femfest2.

Department , 2822 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive St. Louis, Missouri 63106.

concerts

Sat., Feb. 13, 7 p.m., St. Louis Music Festival starring Fantasia, Joe and Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly. For more information, visit www.thechaifetzarena.com

Feb. 17 – 20, Jazz at the Bistro presents Marcus Roberts Trio. The Marcus Roberts Trio is known for its virtuosic style and entirely new approach to jazz trio performance. 3536 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.jazzstl. org.

Fri., Feb. 19, 8 p.m., Sheldon Concert Hall presents Ruthie Foster with special guest Bottom Up Blues Gang. 3648 Washington Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 533-9900 or visit www. thesheldon.org.

Sun., Feb. 21, 7 p.m., Chaifetz Arena welcomes LooseCannon S.L.I.M.’s State of Emergency III starring Lil Wayne and featuring Yo Gotti, 2 Chainz and more. 1

Thur., Feb. 18, 6:30 p.m., Not So Quiet! Concert Series presents David Dee & The Hot Tracks Considered by many to be the reigning blues king of St. Louis, Dee has earned the title as bandleader, song writer, guitarist, entertainer, and singer through 40 plus years of road work, recording and performing. Central Library, 1301 Olive St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 2412288 or visit www.slpl.org.

Sat., Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m., Kranzberg Arts Center presents Shades of Jade. Debuting new music and vibes to its listeners and excited to feature some of STL’s inest musicians. 501 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 630-5674 or visit www.eventbrite.com.

Sun., Feb. 21, 7 p.m., Manchester United Methodist Church presents Duke Ellington Tribute Concert. St. Louis’ own Adaron “Pops” Jackson will lead guest musicians in a fabulous evening of music by the legendary Duke Ellington. 129 Woods Mill Rd., 63011. For more information, visit www.manchesterumc.org.

Sat., Feb. 27, 7 p.m., Ballpark Village presents National Blues Museum Showcase. In anticipation of the grand opening on April 2, the National Blues Museum has partnered with us to host its irst-ever public live music event. This event is free and open to the public, and will feature live performances from three St. Louis-based artists: blues rock band Phi, guitarist

Sun., Feb. 14, 6 p.m., Clark Wilson Entertainment & LeSyndicate present A Sensual Night of Romance” featuring a performance by Flirt & No ID, Voce,212 South Tucker, STL MO 63102. For advance tickets, visit Serenity MYO,362 North Boyle Ave, STL MO 63108 • 314.371.4290Studio 6 Salon,3318 N. US Hwy 67, STL MO 63033 • 314.831.3036

and Cooper for an unscripted, uncensored and unforgettable night of conversation. The late night talk show host and the journalist, longtime friends, interview each other and take questions from the audience. It’s a live, interactive look behind the scenes of pop culture and world events. 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 534-1111 or (314) 534-1678.

Mon., Feb., 22 6:30 p.m., Loretto Hilton Center for the Performing Arts hosts #BlackLivesMatter. 130 Edgar Rd., 63118. For more information, visit blogs. webster.edu/mcisa.

Sat., Feb. 27 7 p.m., The Mandarin House hosts 1st annual Mardi Gras Hangover party. BYOB event & VIP tables available. 8008 Olive, 63130. For more information, call 314-229-5267 or 314-496-7959.

Sat., Feb. 27, 7 p.m., The Mandarin House hosts 1st annual Mardi Gras Hangover party. BYOB event & VIP tables available. 8008 Olive, 63130. For more information, call 314-229-5267 or 314-496-7959.

Sat., Mar. 5, 6:30 p.m., The Ritz-Carlton St. Louis host SouthSide Gala Dinner and Auction. Come out for an evening of food, silent and live auctions, and more to raise funds for the programs at SouthSide Early Childhood Center. Last year more than 425 friends from throughout the St. Louis region demonstrated their support for our mission at this signature event. 100 Carondelet Pl., 63105. For more information, visit www.southside-ecc.org.

Through Mar. 27, Missouri Botanical Gardens hosts 2016 Orchid Show: Where the Wild things Grow. Approximately 500 orchids are on display at any one time. This year’s Orchid Show offers visitors the chance to learn more about the habitats of orchids and how they adapt to changing environments. 4344 Shaw Blvd., 63110.For more information, visit www.mobot. org.

comedy

Sat., Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., The Lumiere Casino welcomes George Wallace, Lumiere Live. For more information, visit www. ticketmaster.com.

Fri., Feb. 26 8 p.m., The Chaifetz Arena presents Katt Williams: The Conspiracy Tour. 1 South Compton Ave., 63103. For more information, visit www.thechaifetzarena. com.

March 12, 8 p.m., The Comedy Getdown starring Cedric ‘The Entertainer’, Eddie Griffin, D.L. Hughley, George Lopez and Charlie Murphy, Scottrade Center. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com.

literary

Thur., Feb. 18, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Devin J. Group, author of Inside Ferguson: A Voice for the Voiceless. 399 N. Euclid, 63108

Fri., Feb. 19, 7 p.m., St. Louis County Library

Foundation hosts authors Frankie Muse Freeman and Koran Bolden. Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, call (314) 994-3300 or visit www.slcl. org.

Thurs., Mar. 3, 7 p.m., Left Bank Books hosts author Amina Gautier, author of The Loss of All Lost Things. 399 N. Euclid, 63108. For more information, call (314) 3676731 or visit www.left-bank. com.

theatre

Feb. 12 – 28, Metro Theatre Company presents And in This Corner…Cassius Clay. Based on the early life of Muhammad Ali in Jim Crow Louisville, the play tells the story of a young man who believes his potential is unlimited despite the segregation and racism he is surrounded by. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 9327414 or visit www.metroplays. org.

Feb. 12 – 13, Black Anthology presents Woke. Black Anthology was founded in 1989 to provide a means of commemorating the history and progress of African Americans. Edison Theatre, Washington University, 6445 Forsyth Blvd., 63130. For more information, call (314) 935-6543 or visit www.edison. wustl.edu.

Feb. 20 – 21, COCA presents Three Little Birds. Based on the known and loved reggae music of Bob Marley, join the fun of this musical, which has been adapted from the children’s book “Three Little Birds” by Cedella Marley. An empowering tale about triumph over anxiety, the musical’s young protagonist, Ziggy, must ind a way to leave the house despite a fear of hurricanes, mongooses and other things in his native Jamaica. 524 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 7256555 or visit www.cocastl.org.

Saturdays, Through Feb. 27, 11:30 a.m., Teens Make History presents Looking for Dunham. It’s a slow news day for the paper’s entertainment reporters when rumors that the great Katherine Dunham is in town start to circulate. Will they ind Miss Dunham before the TV journalists get the scoop? Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., 63112. For more information, visit www.mohistory.org.

Feb. 27-28 Powell Symphony Hall presents Midsummer Night’s Dream. Journey to the land of forbidden love with Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Hans Graf leads the enchanting incidental music to Shakespeare’s beloved play, with actress Maureen Thomas portraying vignettes from the drama on the Powell Hall stage. 718 N. Grand blvd., 63103. For more information, www. stlsymphony.org.

Through Mar. 6, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Disgraced. Successful corporate lawyer Amir Kapoor is Pakistani born, but he long ago distanced himself from his roots to embrace life as a slick New Yorker. On course to become a partner at his law irm,

Amir’s carefully constructed world begins to unravel when unexpected events cause him to question his own beliefs. 130 Edgar Rd., 63119. For more information, call (314) 9684925 or visit www.repstl.org.

arts

Fri., Feb. 12, 5:30 P.M., The Regional Arts Commission (RAC) presents A Song from the Field which features local artists William Burton Jr. and Robert A. Ketchens. Screening of award-winning, America’s Blues Movie will take place following the talk. Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar (across from The Pageant).

Through Mar. 13, COCA presents Carl Richards: Money. Visualized. Carl Richards, author and creator of the weekly “Sketch Guy” column in the New York Times, makes complex financial concepts easy to understand through his elegantly simple sketches. There will be an opening on Jan. 15 at 6 p.m. 524 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 7256555 or visit www.cocastl.org.

Through March 19, Pulitzer Arts Foundation hosts Kota: Digital Excavations in African Art. 3716 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www. pulitzerarts.org.

lectures/ workshops

Mon., Feb. 15, Applications due for Venture Café’s Youth CITIES’s March to May Bootcamp. The intention of the boot camp is to prepare young people (middle and high school students) to be leaders in their field, whether as founder or part of an innovative team, to identify, launch, and execute innovative products, services, and new ventures that contribute to socio-and economic value creation. To apply visit, http:// www.vencafstl.org/youthprograms/#. Scroll to the bottom of the page and hit the “apply” button.

Tues., Feb. 16, Missouri Business Development Program presents Starting a Business: The First Steps Registration is required. American Job Center in St. Louis County, 26 North Oaks Plaza, 63121. For more information, call (314) 657-3768 or visit www. missouribusiness.net.

Wed., Feb. 17, 9 a.m., Missouri Business Development Program presents The Basics of Writing a Business Plan. American Job Center in St. Louis County, 26 North Oaks Plaza, 63121. For more information, call (314) 657-3768 or visit www. missouribusiness.net.

February 21, Application deadline for The St. Louis Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., 2nd Innovative Think Tank Entrepreneurship Competition. Interested persons should contact Minnette Scruggs at (314) 952-5160 or Teresa HargrowSimmons at (314) 790-1234 for information on how to participate.

Thur., Feb. 25, 7:30 a.m., COCA bizSession presents Carl Richards: Creative on Purpose. 524 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 725-6555 or visit www.cocastl.org.

Sat., Feb. 27, 8 a.m., Webster University hosts 5th Annual St. Louis ProductCamp. ProductCamp is a unique opportunity for anyone who designs, builds, markets, or manages a product or service. The event is free to attend. 545 Garden Ave., 63119. For more information, visit www.stlpm. org.

Sat., Feb. 27, 3 p.m., Education 4 All presents Author Showcase and Book Fair. Featured local authors & entrepreneurs Mrs. Lydia Douglas and Mr. Odie Smith will present workshops about their books, writing, and publishing. These and other authors will be available to autograph purchased copies of their books during the event. Registration is required. 20 S. Sarah, 63108. For more information, call (314) 397-8757 or visit www. education4allinc.com.

health

Sat, February 13, 10 a.m., Health, Healing and Hip Hop Showcase! New York, East St. Louis and St. Louis together, Hip Hop Public Health one of Michelle Obama’s Campaigns, Artie Green (A multi-platinum music producer) Easy A. D. Harris (Founding member of the Legendary Cold Crush Brothers) will host the event. Special guest DeAndre Perryman(former American Idol contestant) Gabbii, Minime, Carr Lane Dancers, Ralph Beck, Milk and Honey, Project X, Melle

St. Louis Public Library presents Black History Month Keynote Speaker Sonia Sanchez. For more information, see BLACK HISTORY MONTH ACTIVITIES.

Morel Matiff Dancers, Get Fit Crew’s MarQ, Marquece, Milato, Asia, Aziaha, Tyler, Jada, Joshua, Lamarr, Heaven and Cherish, Elijah,and more! Awesome vendors and a showcase! For more information, visit getfitcrewstl. org or call 314-384-2362.

Sat., Feb. 13, 10 a.m., Girl Scout Gold Award Project Free Health Fair, blood pressure screenings, glucose screenings, health risk assessments, feet screenings, HIV screenings, dental screenings. CHIPS Health and Wellness Center located at 2431 N. Grand Boulevard. For questions, please contact Erin Weyerich, CHIPS Director of Operations, at 314-652-9231 ext 20.

Sat., Feb. 20, 9 a.m., University City Library hosts a Free Health Screening. February is Heart Month. Come in for a free EKG screening. Registration begins at 9 am. No appointment necessary. Free cholesterol testing, diabetes testing and EKGs performed along with other testing. One-on-one consultation with a physician after testing at no charge. 6701 Delmar Blvd., 63021. For more information, call (314) 448-7373.

spiritual

Sun., Feb. 21, 10 a.m. Human rights activist Nontombi Naomi Tutu -- the third child of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nomalizo Leah Tutu -- will be at Christ Church Cathedral on Sunday, February 21 to preach at the 10 am worship service and lead a noontime community forum on “Truth & Reconciliation: South Africa

and STL. The forum, which will last from noon - 1:30 pm in the Cathedral Nave, is part of Christ Church Cathedral’s “Spotlight Sunday” series of speakers. Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust Street, St. Louis, MO. For more information, visit www. christchurchcathedral.us, or call (314) 231-3454.

Feb. 17 – 19, Olive Chapel A.M.E. Church Winter Revival. Life events can knock the wind out of you. Do you need a second wind? Come and join us for our Winter Revival at Olive Chapel AME Church. Our revival theme is When God Gives You A Second Wind from Ezekiel 37:1-14. 309 S. Harrison Ave., 63122. For more information, call (314) 821-0237 or visit www.facebook.com/ olivechapel.amechurch.

Feb. 26 – 27, Kossuth Church Of God In Christ presents “The Making Of A Leader” Leadership Conference Workshop & Luncheon. Presenters will teach The Principles Of Leadership in workshops on: selective leaders, authorization of the ministry, three ways spiritual leaders are appointed, divine calling, and season of preparation. Everyone is Welcome. You will be inspired, motivated, and empowered. Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel, 9801 Natural Bridge Rd., 63134. For more information, visit www. kossuthcogic.org.

tax assistance

Through Mar. 31, 9 a.m., AARP Tax Assistance Eligible Seniors may call the AARP tax help line and schedule an appointment for free tax preparation assistance. St. Louis Public Library, Buder Branch, 4401 Hampton Ave., 63109. For more information or to register, call (314) 5251660.

Through Apr. 11, University of Missouri St. Louis hosts Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. St. Louis Public Library, Schlafly Branch, 225 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-4120 or visit www.slpl. org.

Through Apr. 11, 12 p.m., AARP Tax Help. St. Louis Public Library, Kingshighway Branch, 2260 S. Vandeventer Ave., 63110. For more information, call (314) 5251660.

FASHION

Continued from C1

from my love of creating my own style, but I received a lot of inspiration from my grandmother and greatgrandmother, who the line is named after. My great grandmother, Leola, was a master seamstress. My style perspective has a lot of nostalgic tones, and that’s definitely to pay homage to her.

DR: How do keep inspiration, season after season?

SH: I get a lot of inspiration from old movies and vintage glam overall. I’ll rent movies from the ‘40s and ‘50s and take a good nap and come up with my whole collection in one sitting.

DR: How important is branding for your clothing line?

SH: It completely defines your brand identity and your overall look of your line. When coming in contact with so many different people who might have opinions on how you should run your business, it’s important to have a strong brand point of view to avoid outside influences deterring your vision.

DR: What are some of the pros and cons of being the STL /Midwest market as a designer, compared to New York or L.A.?

SH: Well, it’s definitely more affordable to live and work in St. Louis. But, most

n “I’ll rent movies from the ‘40s and ‘50s and take a good nap and come up with my whole collection in one sitting.”

– Sherrell Hall

of my customers come from other places throughout the country instead of right here at home. Only after I showed my collection during Phoenix Fashion Week, did I receive feedback from other fashion week platforms in this area. It can be hard to gain support here.

DR: So, what’s in store for the Leola Sky line in 2016, and what are some style trends we should look out for during the spring season?

SH: I’m in the process of having my first Leola Sky collection manufactured. This is super exciting for me to be able to sell my items on a larger retail platform and to have my creations be worn by the

masses. For the spring, Leola Sky is all about the dramatic flair. From bell bottoms to trains, we are serving drama one twirl at a time.

DR: What advice would you give any aspiring designers that might be reading?

SH: I would say, stay true to your vision. Define your brand perspective. Find a mentor. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and reach out to people. And put PASSION over your emotions. To find more information and where to purchase “Leola Sky”, check IG, Twitter and Facebook @LeolaSky.

Follow Danie Rae, style BROKER, @style_broker for the latest style vibes.

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

Leola Sky designer Sherrell Hall

was a band. They were soul music’s answer to the selfhelp movement – but laced in spirituality, through songs like “Devotion,” Keep Your Head To The Sky” and “Gratitude.”

White, along with his brothers Verdine and Fred White and the falsetto of Phillip Bailey, gave listeners the instant gratification of a groove that demanded a detour to the dance floor. But they also delivered a message rooted in spirit by consistently speaking of the power of love (for others and self) and giving homage to a higher power.

“With his brothers and bandmates of Earth, Wind and Fire, Maurice fused jazz, soul, funk and R&B into a quintessentially American sound that captured millions of fans around the world,” President Barack Obama posted on Facebook.

Earth, Wind and Fire is a treasured element of the fellowship experience – which is why the loss of Maurice White conjured up emotions and grief similar to the passing of a favorite uncle.

Maurice White was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1941 and grew up in South Memphis, where he lived with

PORTER

continued from c1

By night’s end, he would enjoy more than one – and the type of encore-demanding applause typically reserved for icons. The show kicked off with “Painted on a Canvas,” a selection that delivers a message of racial harmony and acceptance. He picked up the pace with “On My Way to Harlem” – the bustling tribute to the city where Porter found his jazz voice. The selections that followed focused on several perspectives of love (both lost and found), and he sprinkled in a bit of black history with “1960 What?” Porter gives enough R&B flavor to provide a gateway to the hardcore jazz concepts of his band. This was especially apparent with “No Love Dying Here,” when the audience happily obliged after being given Porter’s permission to sing along.

During the Temptations classic “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” he gave Nichols the opportunity to shine at home with a bass solo so intense

his grandmother in the Foote Homes Projects. He was a childhood friend of Booker T. Jones, while attending Booker T. Washington High School. He made frequent trips to Chicago to visit his mother and stepfather. In his teenage years, he moved to Chicago, studied at the Chicago Conservatory of Music and played drums in local nightclubs.

By the mid-1960s he found work as a session drummer for Chess Records. While at Chess, he recorded with artists such as Etta James, Ramsey Lewis, Sonny Stitt, Muddy Waters, the Impressions, the Dells, Betty Everett, Sugar Pie DeSanto and Buddy Guy. White also played the drums on St. Louis native Fontella Bass’s “Rescue Me” and Billy Stewart’s “Summertime.”

that the instrument shouldn’t have been able to sustain his heavy licks and plucks. Later in the show, Harrold shredded a snippet of Ray Charles’ “Hit The Road Jack.” Both gave their hometown something to be proud of with their respective solo spotlights. What seemed to resonate most during the show was his song “Musical Genocide,” which speaks to the state of urban music. A member of the hip-hop generation himself, he sang from experience to those who have grown tired of hearing the explicit content and lack of musical substance that permeate radio airwaves.

“I do not agree, this is not for me No, musical genocide I will not commit nor will I submit to Musical genocide This is not for me, I won’t let it be No, musical genocide”

Each time he repeated the chorus, he pierced the souls of those in their seats.

“You better say that,” more than one audience member shouted.

In 1966, he joined the Ramsey Lewis Trio. He played on nine of the group’s albums, including “Wade in the Water” (1966), from which the track “Hold It Right There” won a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Group Performance, Vocal or Instrumental in 1966.

In 1969, White left the trio and joined his two friends, Wade Flemons and Don Whitehead, to form a songwriting team. The three friends got a recording contract with Capitol Records and called themselves the Salty Peppers. White then moved to Los Angeles and altered the name of the band to “Earth, Wind & Fire,” which reflected the elements in his astrological chart.

With Maurice as bandleader,

co-lead singer and producer of most of the band’s albums, EWF was awarded six Grammys, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and four American Music Awards. The group’s albums have sold over 90 million copies worldwide.

Other honors bestowed upon Maurice included inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame.

White began showing signs of the Parkinson’s disease in 1987 and was forced to retire in 1994. He retained executive control of the band and was still very active in the music business, producing and recording with the band and other artists.

“Only Maurice could make such sophisticated songs so catchy. Only he could inspire generations of such diverse artists,” Obama said.

“And only he could get everyone – old and young, black and white – to let the groove move them on the dance floor. Our thoughts and prayers are with Maurice’s family, friends and bandmates. He is the shining star in heaven tonight.”

He was survived by his wife, his two sons, and his brothers Verdine and Fred.

BEYONcé

continued from c1

performance. For the first time I felt like I wasn’t just a spectator of the game, but that the game had become a part of my black experience in America. With just a few lyrics, Beyoncé connected with black women everywhere. Her performance became personal.

“I like my baby hair, with baby hair and afros. I like my Negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils. Earned all this money but they neva take the country out me. I got a hot sauce in my bag, swag.”

Add in the pro-LGBTQ messaging of Coldplay’s performance and the soulful rendition of Lady Gaga, who has long stood with the gay community, belting out the national anthem, and you have a vision of an America that I aspire to live in one day.

A nation where equality and justice aren’t just reflected in the words we recite, but in our everyday interactions with one another.

Sadly, it is a vision of America that still scares some people.

Predictably, the Beyoncé bashers were out in force, calling the halftime performance politically charged, an assault on police

officers, scandalous. “This is football, not Hollywood,” former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani complained later. Giuliani and those critics are out of touch with America. They act as if far too many unarmed black men and boys haven’t been shot and killed by police officers on American soil. As if systematic racism doesn’t exist in America. Her “Formation” video features scenes of a young black boy dancing in front of riot police, who signal their surrender by putting their hands up, referencing the “Hands up, don’t shoot!” anthem of the Black Lives Matter movement inspired by the 2014 killing of Michael Brown Jr. Tidal, the streaming service founded by her husband, Jay Z, reportedly plans to donate $1.5 million to Black Lives Matter. I say, thank you Queen Bey, for having the creative courage to join the fight for justice. You slayed.

Roxanne Jones, a founding editor of ESPN Magazine and former vice president at ESPN, has worked as a producer and as a reporter at the New York Daily News and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She is co-author of “Say It Loud: An Illustrated History of the Black Athlete” and CEO of the Push Marketing Group. The St. Louis American is a CNN-Wire affiliate.

Maurice White

By Melanie Adams

Last chance to see ‘A Walk in 1875 St. Louis’

Museum expands hours February 11-14

This weekend is the final weekend for “A Walk in 1875 St. Louis.” Since opening on May 30, the exhibition has been seen by more than 225,000 visitors, making it the third most visited exhibition in the institution’s 150 year history. Museum visitors, staff, and volunteers have regularly listed it as their favorite exhibition. There are only four more days for you to experience “A Walk in 1875” before it is packed up and gone forever. In order to ensure everyone has an opportunity to see the exhibit, the museum will have expanded hours, closing at 8 p.m. Thursday, February 11 through Sunday, February, 14.

I asked Andrew Wanko, museum public historian and content lead on “A Walk in 1875 St. Louis,” his thoughts as the exhibition comes to a close.

What has been your favorite experience with the exhibition?

Andrew Wanko: My favorite experience with “A Walk in 1875” was seeing the deep level of engagement the exhibit achieved with museum visitors, often in surprising ways. For example - In May 1875, a national distillery scandal known as the “Whiskey Ring” was uncovered, with the headquarters at St. Louis. The Whiskey Ring’s governmental corruption was a black eye on the presidency of Ulysses Grant, but for one St. Louis family in 2016, it was a doorway to their own history. They brought in a family letter from 1875, and it was urging a St. Louis correspondent to “sell off the distillery interests as quickly as possible.” Their distant relative was likely a Whiskey Ring plotter! These are the kinds of moments you can never predict.

What did you learn about the St. Louis community by doing this exhibition?

Andrew Wanko: I learned that St. Louisans from across the city’s spectrum are hungry for their own history, and they are just as interested in hearing the difficult, complicated stories as they are the easy or fun ones. St. Louisans want to learn about the places they experience every day, they want to hear about those who have come before, and how the past has influenced the city today. We got a chance to show visitors their city from new angles, and visitors really responded well.

What is the one thing you want people to remember about the exhibition?

Andrew Wanko: We often have to look beyond the present-day landscape to uncover history, and it is up to us to protect and cherish the incredible built environment we still have. St. Louis has gone through enormous changes over the last century, and unfortunately, we’ve lost so many of the physical structures that provide “access points” to our history. When

this happens important stories can easily get lost, and local, neighborhood-level history is vitally important in carrying them on.

“A Walk in 1875 St. Louis”

Thursday, Feb. 11 to Saturday, Feb. 13 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day Sunday, Feb. 14 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. • FREE

And in This Corner…Cassius Clay Presented by Metro Theater Company Opening night Performance, Friday, February 12th at 7:30pm (see website for all dates/times) $18 per person/$14 for students/military/seniors

Before he became “The Greatest,” Muhammad Ali was just a boy named Cassius Clay growing up in Jim Crow Louisville, Kentucky. In a rage over a stolen bicycle, 12-year-old Cassius meets the white cop who will be his first boxing coach on his way to Olympic glory. A true story of courage, conscience, and community.

Leyla Fern King poses against one of the enlarged vintage maps of the city that forms the basis of “A Walk in 1875 St. Louis,” which closes this weekend. Photo by Chris King

Celebrations

Birthdays

Happy 80th Birthday to Sylvester Clark on February 10! With love from Liz, Belinda, Barbara, Richard, Arnie, Douglas, Jayden, JaTwon, Brenda, Arnell and Keivon.

I want to give a special 17th birthday shout out to my beautiful baby girl, Dahja Michelle Ward, on February 16! You’ve grown into such a wonderful, respectful young lady. Love you sweetie!

We would like to wish Naila B. Taylor a very Happy 14th Birthday! We also congratulate her for being selected to attend the prestigious Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience next year! She recently scored 1257 on her STAR reading test and is the cheerleading captain at Carr Lane VPA!

Reunions

Beaumont High School

Class of 1971 is planning its 45th year reunion for July 22-24, 2016.Please send your contact information (address and phone number) to Gladys Smith at beaumont1971alumni@aol. com.

Soldan Class of 1971 is planning its 45th year reunion for: June 17-19, 2016 at the Ameristar Casino Resort & Spa, One Ameristar Boulevard, St. Charles, Mo 63301.

Soldan Class of 1976 reunion will be held June 10-12, 2016. For more information, email soldanclassof1976@yahoo. com or Facebook: Soldan High School Class of 1976.

Sumner Alumni Association hosts its 13th Annual RoundUp of Sumner Alumni Sunday, February 28, 2016, 1-4 pm at Sumner High School. Theme: “Climbing Jacob’s Ladder” with Special performances by Sumner Alumni and non-Sumner

Alumni. Reception with entertainment: 12:45-1:45 pm in the gym with displays, souvenir items, photographer and more. New, Renewal, and “Climbing Jacob’s Ladder” (Lifetime) for alumni memberships accepted in the foyer. Program: 2 pm in the auditorium. Vendors are welcome ($50 in advance); contact B. Louis at 314.385.9843 for Vendor Form or Flyer at: sumneralumniassn@yahoo. com. John House, Chairperson 314.420-3442.

Sumner High School Class of 1966 is planning their 50th Class Reunion. Please contact Ella Scott at 314-436-1696, Els2188@sbcglobal.net with

your name, address and email or join the Sumner Class of 1966 Facebook Group page.

University City High School Class of 1976 is planning its Fabulous 40th year class reunion for June 24-25, 2016. We need your contact information. Please email your information to: weareuc76@ gmail.com or call the UCHS Class of 76 voicemail at 314301-9597.

University City Class of 1981 35th reunion will be August 5-7, 2016. Please send your contact information to Denise Weatherford -Bell at msdenise38@yahoo.com.

Vashon January and June Classes of 1966 will celebrate our 50 year reunion October 7-9, 2016 at the Hollywood Casino, 777 Casino Center Drive, Maryland Heights, MO 63043. Contact Marilyn Stuckey, Chairperson, 314-438-8338, email: masystucup@att.net or Janice Holland, Co-Chairperson, 314-727-1695, email: jholland1695@att.net for more information.

Vashon Class of 1986 will be celebrating its fabulous 30th Class Reunion in beautiful Las Vegas Nevada, July 21-23, 2016. For more information contact, Claudette at 314 3681502 or cctreze@att.net.

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 2315 Pine St. St. Louis, MO 63103 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, 2315 Pine St., St. Louis, MO 63103

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

Roy and Gloria Robinson celebrated 50 years of wedded bliss on January 29 at Sandals Resorts in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Congratulations!

Golden Anniversary

Sylvester Clark

Dahja Michelle Ward

Naila B. Taylor

Swag Snap of the

Get prepped for Young Leaders. If you don’t already know what time it is, you have two weeks to get your best second interview outfit together and join the St. Louis American Foundation as we celebrate 20 of the best and brightest emerging leaders from a host of concentrations throughout the region. I must tell you that it is the place to be for bawse-minded (yes, I said “bawse”) individuals to mingle amongst themselves as they prime for domination. It goes down at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 25 at The Four Seasons. If you haven’t cuffed your tickets yet, now would be the time to do so because we sell out every.single.year…and 2016 won’t be any different. For more information, call (314) 533-8000 or visit www.stlamerican.com for more details.

Curves busting out of Ambruster. I want to give a special shout out to Alisha Phipps and her Dangerous Curves divas who ripped the runway and showed that sexy is not size specific. When I tell you I got my life from the shapes as they strutted down the catwalk, understand that it was not a game last Friday night. The show also proved that size is no excuse to not be snatched! The only bad thing was that there was not enough room in to hold the folks who wanted to be in the mix and the light was anything but conducive to a runway experience. In all fairness, the spot was a funeral home in its former life, so how could anyone expect a strobe light, sconces or anything other than dismally dim. It was still a cute experience that made me eager to see what the Dangerous Curves crew can pull off if they have enough space…and lights.

Art walkin’ with the cool kids. When I tell you I had the time of my life in Old North St. Louis last Friday for the monthly gallery walk that goes down every first Friday of the month along the stretch of storefront creative spaces along 14th Street Gallery. You really had to see it to believe it. All of these young folks who an uninformed person might assume was going to club were up and down the block getting a taste of the artistic expression that our city has to offer. I made my way to four galleries and two spoken word sets (hey Corey Black). Urb Arts didn’t have room for one more shape at the spoken word battle that was underway. I saw my girls Tracie McKeown and Sarita Moody were slaying as usual. I also want to give a shout out to our own Lawrence Bryant – who sold out of every single one of the Mardi Gras inspired “Strange Clouds” collection he had on display. If you do nothing else for next month, be sure to check out their collective artistic experience. It goes down from 7 p.m. – midnight on the 2600 block of N. 14th St.

Mystikal’s midnight Mardi Gras Musical. Midnight? Who am I kidding? Mystikal was still nearly two hours from gracing the stage for his trap meets Zydeco rap show Friday night at The Marquee. As usual I had to suffer through some locals who weren’t polished enough to be on stage. This go round we got a taste of ATL mid-card talent with a topless rapper whose name sounded a lot like Mirage or Millage or something. Either way, I was bored to death until he showed me he’s on that Shaun T Insanity or dusted off somebody’s P90X tapes. Those pecs were poppin’ like dynamite. Mystikal was in good shape as well when he brought 22 years worth of energy to the stage for the folks who can remember back when New Orleans rap music ran hip-hop. He did solid medley of his hits and then had the nerve to take an intermission. I thought to myself, “sir, you just showed up…and its 2:25 a.m. You better power through it.” He didn’t. He brought some cat from East St. Louis that is on his squad, but at this point I was too exhausted to be bothered, so I beat it. I mean honestly, the only person Mystikal could’ve brought out at 2:30 in the morning and have my attention is Master P and he still would’ve had to have been there an hour earlier than he was. The folks have gotten hip to the graveyard shift shows at the Marquee. At 12:30 it was almost empty boots and by 1:30 they had a decent crowd. I would have expected a few more for Mystikal, but it wasn’t a size one could be mad about.

Gregory Porter’s St. Louis groove. Now folks would tell me I’m a fool for thinking y’all would be bothered with jazz music. But anybody in the building at the Touhill for the Gregory Porter show on Saturday can tell you otherwise. I saw so many of my young, black and fabulous folks ready to get scatted down I barely knew what to do. LaShone Gibson and Makeba Heather Himes, Vanita Applebum, Rebeccah Bennett and the list goes on. And with the help of St. Louis’ own Jahmal Nichols and Emmanuel Harrold, Gregory Porter did that. Don’t believe me? Ask any of the musician community who stopped through that will happily co-sign. I saw Stan Coleman, Chuck Flowers, Tiffany Elle and a gang of folks I have forgotten about. I may not remember their names, but I know we all got our life that night.

Cold shoulders at The Ambassador. I got the shock of my life when I pulled up the Ambassador for the Dirty Muggs show presented by William C. Harris Funeral Home and thought I would have to park in the Popeye’s lot because it was so packed down with cars and people. Turns out there were three parties in one – and Mr. Spruill’s vision for an urban nightlife epicenter came to fruition Saturday night. Too bad, I won’t be able to tell you one bit about any of the sets because I was turned away (I’m singing it like Chucky Booker in my head) faster than one of those door-to-door salespeople. I was not on the list and OWNER Mr. Spruill’s says he would have to go and check about getting me on the list. Since it’s my policy to never, ever beg people to provide them with coverage, I made my way to the nearest exit. But not before trying to peek into at least one of the parties were I was issued the same persona non grata treatment. I guess.

Jenea, Catura and Andrea represented for the AKA’s @ The Omega Center on Friday

I am Jstarr and The Collectors gathered in VIP to watch Super Bowl 50 Sunday @ The Lux

Our very own Lawrence Bryant a.k.a. LB showcased his “Strange Clouds” exhibit with Premium printing owner Rome Carter @ Premium Printing during The First Friday Art Walk

Tiffany and Aja had a blast as Mystikal ripped the stage Saturday @ The Marquee

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Delta Delta Omega Chapter of East St. Louis made sure they were in full effect for Pink Goes Red @ the Omega Center Friday

Cardio Queen D and her cousin Keisha celebrated Queen D’s b-day Friday @ The Marquee

Jenae and Latosha enjoyed poetry, live music and art @ Urb Arts during the First Friday Art Walk

Fat-Fat and Kyjuan caught Mystikal live @ the Marquee Friday

Chasidy and Kenyana came through The Lux Sunday to catch Super Bowl 50

Trina and Alexis were in the building to kick their Mardi Gras off right Friday night @ The Marquee

Latasha Paige had a chance to catch New Orleans rap veteran Mystikal as he helped St. Louis kick off Mardi Gras with a performance at The Marquee Friday night.

week

Photos by Lawrence Bryant & John Scott

Religion

Bishop Braxton to speak at racial reconciliation conference The fix is in

Plus, MCU urges people to sign NGA petition

American staff

Most Rev. Edward K. Braxton, Catholic bishop of Belleville, Illinois, will speak at a racial reconciliation conference titled “Black and White in America: How Deep the Divide?” March 3-4 at Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama.

A widely traveled and published Catholic leader and theologian, Bishop Braxton was responsible for the erection of Wiktor Szostolo’s well-known sculpture, “The Angel of Harmony,” next to the St. Louis Cathedral on Lindell Boulevard. The face of the angel with wings made of wind chimes is that of the bishop’s brother, Lawrence. Children of different backgrounds play in harmony at the feet of the angel. On the base are Dr. Martin Luther King’s challenging words, “Love is the only force powerful enough to turn an enemy into a friend.”

The hosts of “Black and White in America” are Birmingham Mayor William A. Bell, Bishop Robert J. Baker of the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham, and Dean Timothy George of the divinity school.

“In the wake of recent racial turmoil in our country and having experienced much anguish over racial issues in our city of Birmingham, we want to offer a possible pathway to dialogue and harmony for the future,” said conference chairs Bell, Baker and George. “A reflection/conversation on race relations in the United States among its African-American and white citizens is our humble effort to foster light and hope where darkness and despair may prevail.”

The conference also will feature talks by Bell and Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. of Charleston, South Carolina; Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange; Professor

Most Rev. Edward K. Braxton, Catholic bishop of Belleville, Illinois.

Emeritus Wayne Flynt of Auburn University; Rev. Dr. Carolyn Maull McKinstry, Birmingham author of “While the World Watched”; and Most Rev. Anthony Obinna, Catholic archbishop of

n “The selection of the St. Louis inner-city site for NGA will be a game changer for St. Louis.”

– Metropolitan Congregations United

Owerri, Nigeria. The conference also will include two panels. The first panel will feature civil and political leaders and be moderated by S. Jonathan Bass, Samford professor and university historian. The second panel

will be moderated by Fisher Humphreys, professor emeritus of Beeson, and will include religious leaders from the Christian, Jewish and Islamic faiths. The conference will conclude with a mid-day prayer service led by George.

Conference chairs Bell, Baker and George said they hope that the conference, which will be held during the season of Lent, will bring about a time of repentance, conversation, reconciliation and hope for the future.

“Please join with us. Reflect with us. And, pray with us for this important event,” they said.

Find more information and register by Feb. 15 at www.birminghamblackandwhite. com. Seating is limited.

MCU urges people to sign NGA petition

Metropolitan Congregations United (MCU) is urging the faithful to sign a petition asking President Obama to direct that the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) West facility be located in North St. Louis, one of four sites in the region under consideration.

“In the coming weeks the president has a decision to make about where to locate a proposed $1.6 billion federal facility,” write Rev. Karen Anderson, MCU president, and Rev. David Gerth, MCU executive director. “We hope you sign the petition which seeks social justice for one of America’s most challenged urban areas.”

The petition asks that the president, when making his selection, follow Presidential Executive Order 12072, which directs that any new dollars for federal facilities be spent in urban areas.

“The selection of the St. Louis inner-city site will be a game changer for St. Louis,” the MCU leaders write. “The selection of Illinois and the migration of jobs out of the City of St. Louis will be very damaging to an already challenged city.”

Sign the petition at http://wh.gov/iwR4t.

Let me not be the one that says this spiritual thing is easy. Staying focused spiritually is difficult in a world hell bent on taking you out.

I mean we live in a world where the evil one is supposed to have some power. Christ even calls the devil the prince of this world in John 12 and 14. This would suggest that evil has some (hopefully) limited power to function and act against the children of God in this realm.

Now I know we are in a fixed fight and the outcome is already known. Christ defeated the devil via his death on the cross and His resurrection soon thereafter. My point here is that sometimes we can lose sight of the victory which is certainly ours when, as they say, all hell is breaking loose around us.

Personally I am challenged when the world becomes such an enticing place that seems to leave no room for meditation, prayer, worship and simple appreciation of the many blessings that are showered upon me by Him, who loves me like no other.

One of the things I have come to appreciate about this walk of mine is that the Lord has shown me those areas of my life where I’m the most vulnerable. Rather than run from or deny them, I know I have to embrace them in order to fully understand and overcome them. It’s sort of like knowing what you’re praying for. I cannot claim ignorance of that which I know so well could destroy me. I have to acknowledge that when I’m confused tempted or just plain lost, I have to make a deliberate effort to reconnect to the body of Christ.

One of the reasons I stayed out of church was because I felt it was full of hypocrites to say the least. From the pulpit on down to the pews, there was no need for me to gather at the church house, or so I thought. The irony is the devil defeated me by giving me the ammunition I needed to think I was out of God’s eyesight. The trick of the devil had me thinking I had all the answers for my own salvation and did not need the guidance of anyone else. Fortunately, the fight is fixed. All God did one day was have me stumble into church one Sunday after a multi year sabbatical. The preacher confirmed in my spirit the idiocy of thinking there was or ought to be a perfect church and a perfect congregation. His point was we’ve got to stay connected, i.e. Holy Spirit connected. So now when I’m stumbling I know I’ve got to consciously and with heaven aforethought, seek first the kingdom. The devil is a liar and you are his prize. Remember he knows how much you mean to your Father. He’ll do anything to you to hurt the one who created and loves you. So remember this. Whatever your weakness is, name it and claim it in the name of the Lord. He will do the rest.

Columnist James Washington