January 19th, 2017 Edition

n “I expect the media to be fair and tell the entire story, which has not happened thus far.”

– Tishaura O. Jones during a January 17 press conference.

The truth about the travel budget

Tishaura Jones gets less taxpayer money for expenses than other citywide officials

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

Marching for MLK

Dyon Midgett, 9, a student at Ford Elementary School, waved his Pan-African flags proudly while marching in the 49th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Day Celebration Parade in downtown St. Louis on Monday, January 16, a national holiday in Dr. King’s honor.

Obamas leave images that will never fade

We’ve never seen an AfricanAmerican family in these roles

By Eugene Robinson Washington Post

n In their time in the White House, the Obama family expanded this nation’s idea of what it can achieve. They gave us vivid images that will never fade.

Hold on to one image from President Obama’s farewell address: The president using his handkerchief to wipe a tear from his eye as he thanked Michelle Obama for her grace and forbearance. The first lady was holding back tears, too, as was her daughter Malia. Politics aside, it was a touching moment in the life of a family we have come to know

See OBAMA, A6

that the sum is closer to $27,000 over the four years. However, the mayor is allowed an annual expense See JONES, A7

Shahid planning Tauheed Youth Group reunion

‘I

am excited about the challenge he is going to put on black men’

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

When community organizer James Clark was 23, he came across a man whose “fervor” for the African-American community, he said, was “unmatched.” That man was youth advocate and community activist, Anthony Shahid.

In the 1980s, Shahid started the Tauheed Youth Group, a mentoring group for high-risk, African-American young men and women. Clark participated in Shahid’s street patrol, where they engaged young people who were caught up in drugs and gun violence and offered them alternatives.

“While not everyone was happy we were there, we were able to change the trajectory of many men and women’s lives,” Clark said.

Ken Griffey Sr. speaks up about prostate cancer

Early detection saved the All Star’s life – now he wants to save others

By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American

The name Griffey is known to baseball fans, with an All Star father and a Hall of Fame son, but people may not know how prostate cancer has impacted the Griffey family.

“Black men don’t talk about prostate cancer,” Ken Griffey Sr. told the St. Louis Prostate Cancer Coalition at a public event at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel on Thursday, January 12. Griffey had four uncles who died from prostate cancer. His late mother, Ruth Griffey,

See GRIFFEY, A6

Photo by Wiley Price

The Obama Family

Photo by Wiley Price

Bishop Eddie Long passes

Bishop Eddie Long, the controversial leader of one of the nation’s largest megachurches, has died, according to the suburban Atlanta church he presided over. He was 63.

Long died after a battle with an aggressive form of cancer, according to a statement by the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.

In recent months, rumors swirled about Long’s health after he lost a dramatic amount of weight and appeared frail in public.

fight the devil and get victory.”

Robin Thicke and Paula Patton in family therapy after abuse allegations

Earlier this week, R&B singer Robin Thicke accused ex-wife, actress Paula Patton, of refusing to allow him to see their six-year-old son Julian amid allegations of abuse.

On New Year’s Eve at his church, an emaciated Long addressed his congregation, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

“God ain’t through with me and sometimes you need to see the skinny Eddie and the big Eddie and all that,” he said, his once-powerful voice reduced to a raspy whisper. “It ain’t got nothing to do with physical appearance, it’s what in your heart ... You are a Scripture ... I want to see you struggle, I want to see you

According to reports, after an investigation by Child Protective Services, Paula was ordered to release Julian to his father on Friday for an overnight visit.

In video obtained by TMZ, police officers are seen speaking with Paula and acknowledging that Julian did NOT want to go with his father and would not be taken against his will.

A source close to the family told PEOPLE Magazine that the former couple has since entered family therapy to resolve matters.

“The family attended their first joint therapy session this weekend. Ms. Patton will continue to do what is right for her son,” The source told PEOPLE.

Is Chrisette Michele performing at Trump inauguration party?

A source close to the festivities reportedly told the New York Daily News that singer Chrisette Michele will join the party ushering in Donald Trump’s presidency. The source says that the deal was reached last week, but the performance has been kept a “a big secret” because Michelle’s camp feared the seven days of criticism that would surely lead up the divisive President-elect’s big day. They reportedly became especially concerned when Jennifer Holliday, who’d committed to performing for Trump’s inauguration last week, withdrew amidst heavy pressure on Monday, citing “a lapse of judgment.”

“Our insiders say that inauguration organizers first reached out to Michele’s team asking her to perform the song “Intentional” with Travis Greene, Jonathan McReynolds and Tye Tribbett the same trio with whom she did that tune on BET’s “Celebration of Gospel” broadcast one year ago,” The New York Daily News said. “We’re told that plan fell apart when at least two of those three singers declined the offer. But, according to our sources, Michelle agreed to sing for the Prez so long as she could perform an R&B set.”

Andrew Caldwell claims to have suit, restraining order against Kim Burrell

Former internet sensation and St. Louis native Andrew Caldwell claims that he expects to see Kim Burrell in court after the gospel singer and minister reportedly included his name in the controversial sermon she recently preached against homosexuality that went viral two weeks ago.

The sermon compelled Ellen DeGeneres to disinvite Burrell to perform a selection from the “Hidden Figures” soundtrack on her show with Pharrell Williams. In the sermon, Burrell called homosexuality a perversion and implied that speculation about recently deceased Bishop Eddie Long’s health crisis was related to rumors about his sexuality. And according to Caldwell, she mentioned him by name in the sermon – and so he’s filed suit.

“Focus on God and keep my name out of your mouth,” Caldwell said. He said that he has proceeded with a restraining order as well and that Burrell has already been served.

“Kim, I will see you in court on January 23 at 2 p.m. in St. Louis,” Caldwell said in a video posted to Facebook. “You are not gonna mess up my brand. “

Sources: CNN.com, TMZ.com, People.com, New York Daily News, Facebook.com

Bishop Eddie Long

Chrisette Michelle

Pink House closes its doors

‘It comes down to money’ and reach, says Beyond Housing

By Rebecca Rivas

Of The St. Louis American

Towering over a small, pink house in Pagedale is a giant tree whose wide trunk is decorated in deep purple, green and blue fabrics.

“It’s our sacred tree,” said Is’Mima Nebt’Kata, a local teaching artist. “The roots represent our past and our grounding. The branches represent our growth.”

This summer, children who attended art classes at the Pink House – a neighborhood art studio funded by Beyond Housing – decorated the trunk with 100 feet of hand-dyed cloth. Pink House children and adults like to put their minds, hands and hearts together to create, she said.

“Our tree helps to validate how beautiful our souls are,” Nebt’Kata told The St. Louis American during a tour of the studio in August. “Our tree helps us come together to work in unity and express ourselves. Our tree is a safe area. All the community comes and sees our tree.” For five years, the Pink House has brought in local artists to hold six- to eightweek sessions in everything from photography and painting to yoga and meditation.

“I think the Pink House is a touching point for neighbors to come together creatively,” said Gina Martinez, who has been in charge of the Pink House since 2011. “It’s a place not only to get to know each but to explore the individual creative process and take creative risks together. It’s informal; it’s intimate; it is

a small family.”

However, in late October, Martinez received word from a Beyond Housing representative that they would be closing the studio effective January 1. “It’s comes down to money, and it comes down to reach as well,” Beyond Housing Executive Director Chris Krehmeyer told The St. Louis American. “I wish we would have had more time to talk to folks. We can’t get everything we want.”

The Beyond Housing leaders decided that they could reach many more children if they closed the studio and then added art classes to their afterschool programs at the Pagedale Family and Services Center, Krehmeyer said.

Pink House was originally Krehmeyer’s idea, along with Chicago-based artist Theaster Gates Jr. – whose organization, Rebuild Foundation, helped to fund the program for the first few years. Beyond Housing then became the sole funder for the last couple years, Krehmeyer said. Martinez appreciates that the Beyond Housing initiated and backed the program for five years, she said. However, it was difficult for the children, families and artists to adjust to the closing with only two months notice.

“I feel horrible about it closing,” said Beverly Moody Poke, whose granddaughter Nykia Moody has participated since the beginning. “I miss Miss Gina and her people dearly. It’s just really sad. The kids are going to be missing it a lot.” Beverly especially loved to

attend the monthly receptions, where the parents were invited to learn about what their children were doing at the studio.

with the same mindset and the same problems, and we talk about it,” Nykia said. “If I go home, that won’t happen because people are at work or I don’t feel like talking about it because they wouldn’t understand. I just talk to kids who will understand.”

Another participant, Joy Southerland, had been learning about photography.

that’s why Pink House is very important to us. You can never underestimate a child’s potential.”

n “I feel horrible about it closing. It’s just really sad. The kids are going to be missing it a lot.”

“The Pink House is where you can learn things that you haven’t done before,” Nykia said during an interview with The St. Louis American in August. “You can learn life lessons. I’m learning how to forgive people for doing things that they shouldn’t have done to me and other people.”

– Beverly Moody Poke

“My granny was watching me, and I was happy,” she said. She also enjoyed the field trips they would take to the museums and other parts of the city that she’d never seen before. “Here, there are other kids

“I do stuff that I never thought I would be able to do,” Southerland told The American in August. “I do art that I’ve never heard of. I get to meet a lot of new people.”

Beyond Housing’s mission is to make communities a better place to live, said Vikki Collier, Beyond Housing’s director of education.

“The doors are always open,” Collier told The American in August. “You feel free to come into this space, be creative, talk about what’s going on in your life and just have some down time with family. We really want to make sure that our community is a great place to live so

We are proud to have made quality, affordable housing the cornerstone of our mission to rebuild central cities across the United States and in our home city of Saint Louis.

Krehmeyer said that Beyond Housing is waving the $100 annual fee for Pink House children and their families for 2017. Nykia has started going to Beyond Housing’s afterschool program for tutoring, but not many of the other Pink House participants have made that transition, Beverly said.

“They don’t do art like Miss Gina,” said Beverly. “At the Pink House, they help with homework and have projects on a daily basis.” Martinez said that the Pink House was a neighbor and an open arts studio.

“It is a community inside of a community,” Martinez said. “It has been a platform for both individual and collaborative creativity, authentic to the spirit of the place and the relationships that developed organically. It is a platform with potential to be valuable in any and every neighborhood.”

North Sarah Apartments St. Louis, Missouri

One of Nykia’s favorite memories is of an African dance workshop this past summer. At the end, the children performed for their families in the grassy yard next to the house.

Photos by Joy Southerland

Children at the Pink House, a neighborhood art studio in Pagedale, participated in workshops on painting, sewing, nutrition, yoga, photography, music and many other art forms. The studio closed on Jan. 1.

Editorial /CommEntary

Candidate attacks distract from city’s need for change

The City of St. Louis is preparing to elect a new mayor at a time of unprecedented uncertainty but increasing potential. We publish these thoughts the day before Donald Trump is inaugurated as president of the United States with less popular support than any modern president. This is an emotionally immature and ethically corrupt reality TV star, who won by stoking latent xenophobia, misogyny, racism and isolationism more in keeping with the 19th century than the 21st. Clearly, no one needs our help grasping the level of uncertainty in 2017 for the United States, and especially for its cities. They are the strongholds of the more enlightened diversity that was reviled by this new president and his supporters.

Nevertheless, St. Louis has become a city poised for renewal, even taking into account the perilous years ahead for most cities and their diverse inhabitants. As a xenophobic, misogynist, factresistant populist movement energized just enough voters in just enough swing states to give this obnoxious man an Electoral College victory, St. Louis has started to move in the other direction. The Ferguson uprising may have contributed to the national “whitelash” critical to Trump’s victory, but within our region, it revealed an urgent need for a substantial reset of our priorities. The Ferguson Commission analyzed the region through “the lens of racial equity,” and despite the nonsense Trump may be tweeting, based on whatever untruths, this region must focus better our attention and resources, so that Ferguson – or worse – does not happen here again.

business with the same firm (and some of its competitors in the bond business recently have settled on horrific fraud cases that make IFS Securities look like an honorable alternative).

Further, IFS Securities is black-owned, and Jones makes no secret about her belief in racial equity when reviewing city vendors or her belief that ex-felons deserve the chance to get on with their lives and business. Moreover, there is no evidence that the city was not well served financially by her decision.

n If racial equity and good government are what we want for this struggling city that is trying to redirect itself, then why is everyone attacking Tishaura O. Jones?

The latest media-manufactured outrage at Jones concerns the travel expenses for which she bills the city. As our news report this week makes clear, this reporting overlooks the fact that other city offices are given larger budgets for discretionary expenses than the sums for which Jones was reimbursed. The mayor ($30,000) and circuit attorney ($32,000) receive annual discretionary funds that are greater than the total travel expenses for which Jones billed the city in four years ($27,000) –and they receive those sums every year. The aldermen expressing outrage at Jones in media reports receive $4,200 a year for discretionary spending, or $16,800 over the past four years (less than $27,000, but not much less), without being required to submit a single receipt. Further, the Board of Aldermen approved the travel budget that Jones draws upon when she submits expenses.

As I See

We need the right people in place

By Lewis Reed Guest columnist

Public service and the pursuit of progress is a rewarding, yet challenging endeavor. You have to make decisions that will chart a promising path for the future. You must use every bit of your experience, intelligence, integrity and your instilled values to decide what you think is best for the community’s long term success. One of the biggest challenges we currently face is making sure we fully develop the skills and talents of our youth, and steer them away from violent crime.

The current crisis in violence and crime is deep and pervasive and will require leaders on all levels who can reach these young people and bring them the resources, understanding and change that they so desperately need.

use experience and forward thinking to make the best decisions on behalf of our young people. And when we have an opportunity to appoint someone to an important position, we have to put the right person in place to get the job done.

Our public school system plays an enormous role in the outcome of our young people and addressing the problems that we face.

It is incredibly important that we have the best public school district as possible.

That is what makes the media coverage of the mayoral race to date so dismaying and selfdefeating. One of the major candidates for mayor most committed to change – who consciously cites the “lens of racial equity” phrase enshrined in the Ferguson Commission’s report – is the leading subject for coverage of the mayoral contest in the Post-Dispatch and some broadcast media, but not for her ideas for change or her track record of an impressive turnaround in her current position as city treasurer. Instead, she has been repeatedly attacked on the basis of facts that are so outdated as to be irrelevant or taken completely out of meaningful context. Yes, Tishaura O. Jones filed for bankruptcy in 1999 when the business reporter who ran with the story was eight years old. Yes, the treasurer’s office under her direction did bond business with a firm, IFS Securities, that employs an ex-felon who once did business with her father, former Comptroller Virvus Jones. The State of Missouri and many other public entities also do bond

In fact, Jones is the only one of these city elected officials who does not have a discretionary expense account – because she opted out of it when she came into office. “I wanted to make sure that we made everything transparent,” Jones said. “I decided I would submit receipts for my travel.” Jones is being attacked for her upfront, intentional transparency, just as she was attacked for doing fiscally sound business with a minority firm that employs an ex-felon who served his time and regained his broker’s license.

If racial equity and good government are what we want for this struggling city that is trying to redirect itself, then why is everyone attacking Tishaura O. Jones? We need to focus on the larger aspects of public policy. This city cannot afford to continue a status quo that ignores factors that help spawn violent crime and stifle economic growth. Despite our considerable assets, St. Louis will continue to lag behind its peer cities if we are unwilling to raise the level of our public discussion. St. Louis cannot afford to get mired in a divisive squabble enabled by those in the news media who seem willing to take the low road at the expense of fair and balanced, objective journalism.

Commentary

Trump is wrong about black America

By Eugene Robinson Washington Post

U.S. Rep. John Lewis is the son of sharecroppers.

As a child, he wanted to be a preacher; he practiced by delivering fiery sermons to the family’s chickens. But history had other plans for him: lunch counter sit-ins, Freedom Rides, the March on Washington, the Edmund Pettus Bridge, a seat in Congress representing most of Atlanta. No sane person would accuse such a man of being “all talk, talk, talk – no action or results.”

But that is precisely what Donald Trump said of Lewis. It was not the first time the president-elect raised questions about his own sanity, and I doubt it will be the last.

Trump’s compulsion to answer any perceived slight with both barrels blazing is a sign of dangerous insecurity and weakness, not strength. We are about to inaugurate a president with the social maturity of a first-grader.

Trump also took a gratuitous swipe at Lewis’ majorityblack congressional district, saying it was “in horrible shape and falling apart (not to mention crime infested).”

In a subsequent tweet, he said Lewis “should finally focus on the burning and crime infested inner-cities of the U.S.”

When Trump thinks of African-Americans, Trump apparently pictures “inner cities” that are godforsaken hellholes of despair. He sees dystopian enclaves beset with record levels of crime – ramshackle places that are “falling apart” in every sense.

I have taken every opportunity possible over my years in public service to provide opportunities for our youth. If there is an opportunity to invest in our recreation centers, it is my duty to make it happen. If there is an opportunity to invest in youth programming, it is my duty to take that opportunity. If there is a project coming to the City of St. Louis and a chance to invest in our youth and provide an opportunity to learn a skilled trade, it is my duty as a leader to give them a chance to benefit from that project.

Elected leaders have to

One of the first big decisions I made as president of the Board of Aldermen was my appointment to the Special Administrative Board (SAB) of the St. Louis City Public Schools. I was very proud and enthused to hear last week that our schools had once again gained accreditation. This was an example of the hard work and dedication it takes to turn an institution around for the better. That announcement was 10 years in the making.

I was proud of my decision to appoint Richard Gaines to the SAB. Richard Gaines was the main architect behind the comprehensive plan that was the road map to take the school district to fully accredited status. This is a big step in the

Letters to the editor

Obama turned America around

During my entire career in Congress, I have never seen any president face the levels of obstruction that President Obama faced from congressional Republicans. They have stymied, blocked and tried to torpedo nearly everything he has tried to do. Despite these roadblocks, the president kept his focus on who he was fighting for, not who he was fighting against.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Through his preaching, his intellect and his courage, and perhaps above all, through his willingness to suffer for the oppressed, he taught a nation to understand liberty differently. He reminded us that freedom and justice are forever linked. If the rule of law is not upheld for all, liberty is safe for no one. Today is a chance for Missourians to commit ourselves anew to this great vision of justice, so that, in the words of Scripture, “the poor may have hope, and injustice shut its mouth.”

right direction. It was a lot of work and a lengthy process, but well worth the effort. I appointed Gaines because I saw in him many of the leadership qualities that I equate with what makes a good public servant, including a commitment to community, a willingness to work and the experience and personality to drive a plan forward until it has reached its fruition. Richard was also the only appointee to the original SAB that was a former member of the elected school board. Those were things I felt were needed on that board. I factored all of that in my decision to appoint him and we are all very pleased with the result. All of those qualities played a major role in the progress the school district has made to date. It is going to take everyone in leadership to make good decisions on behalf of our youth. We have the knowledge and resources right here in St. Louis to begin to make a positive impact. We have great institutions, businesses, and thought leaders right here in our city. We just need the right people in place, making the right decisions, to bring everyone to the table to work together toward a common goal of progress.

Lewis Reed, who is presently president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, is a Democratic candidate for mayor in the March 7 primary election.

In August, Trump made this campaign pitch to an almost all-white audience in Akron, Ohio:

“The Democrats have failed completely in the inner cities. For those hurting the most who have been failed and failed by their politicians – year after year, failure after failure, worse numbers after worse numbers. Poverty. Rejection. Horrible education. No housing, no homes, no ownership. Crime at levels that nobody has seen. You can go to war zones in countries that we are fighting and it’s safer than living in some of our inner cities that are run by the Democrats.

And I ask you this, I ask you this – crime, all of the problems – to the African-Americans, who I employ so many, so many people, to the Hispanics, tremendous people: What the hell do you have to lose?”

Ridiculous. Begin with the question of poverty. It is true that the poverty rate for African-Americans, at about 27 percent, is almost triple the rate for whites. But that ignores history and context. Since 1971, according to a December 2015 Pew Research Center report, African Americans have improved their income status far more than any other racial group.

Black Americans now have roughly $1 trillion in annual purchasing power. Dotted

This vision is patently wrong, grievously insulting and guaranteed to ensure that the new administration’s support from black America remains minimal. Trump received just 8 percent of the AfricanAmerican vote.

around the country are AfricanAmerican neighborhoods, lined with McMansions, that are affluent by any standard – including parts of Lewis’ district.

As for education, black attainment has risen steadily in recent decades; nearly a quarter of African-American adults have college degrees, compared to slightly more than one-third of white adults. The story in home ownership is similar: gains paralleling those of whites, but starting from a lower baseline and thus not having reached full parity.

And someone really should let Trump know that the rate of violent crime is barely half what it was in the early 1990s. Most big cities are safer, wealthier, more vibrant places than they were 20 or 30 years ago. How can a real estate developer not know that?

Many big-city public school systems are failing. Poor urban neighborhoods are desperate for jobs, much like the Rust Belt towns that put their trust in Trump. And in terms of crime, Chicago is a tragic outlier worthy of presidential attention; it saw more murders last year than New York and Los Angeles combined.

But the president-elect seems to have no clue that African-Americans – like any grouping of 40 million people – are incredibly diverse, economically and culturally. They would be much more diverse politically, too, if Republicans ever bothered to make a serious play for their votes. Tell the president-elect: There’s more to black America than Ben Carson, Don King, Omarosa and a bunch of huddled masses.

In the darkest days of the Great Recession, our nation’s economy was in freefall. As a result of failed Republican economic policies, financial institutions were going bankrupt one after another, we were losing more than 700,000 jobs per month, and unemployment reached a high of 10 percent.

President Obama turned our nation around. He pressed for a stimulus package that halted the bleeding. Working with a Democratic Congress, he stemmed the losses. He signed the Dodd-Frank bill, he passed the ACA, he enacted student loan reform, and he saved the auto industry. Since that time, the unemployment rate declined from 10 percent to 4.7 percent. We have had 75 consecutive months of job growth. And 20 million Americans now have the security of having health insurance.

As President Obama begins his life outside the White House, remaining silent may not be an option when our nation is faced with issues that will affect generations yet unborn. If those moments arise, I urge him to continue speaking boldly. I also urge our new leaders to heed the President’s call to action. We must do all we can to protect our progress so future generations are not fighting the same fights tomorrow that we are today.

U.S. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings Baltimore

MLK linked freedom and justice

Today we honor the life and legacy of the Reverend

Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley, Columbia

Long four years

U. S. Representative Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, has joined the ranks of the contemporary version of the Knights Templar. The Knights are a gaggle of Donald Trump’s congressional cronies who guard the Kingdom of Trump. They turn a blind eye to oath, rules, justice, the common good and common sense in order to provide unalloyed allegiance to King Trump.

Trump’s publicly touted plan to divest himself of his world-wide business holdings is a convoluted bit of legal chicanery, a smokescreen intended to obscure the fact that Trump has not in fact divested himself of his many business interests. Walter Shaub Jr., director of the Office of Government Ethics, sees beyond the smoke and wants to investigate Trump. But in the Trump government, no righteous action goes unchallenged or unpunished.

So Templar Knight Chaffetz intends to summon civil servant Shaub before his Oversight Committee in order to publicly make a point: that other rabble-rousers who take a shot (figuratively) at King Trump are certain to be publicly rebuked regardless of the validity of their intention.

On January 20, America will morph from a democratic republic to the Kingdom of Trump, a country ruled by the autocrat, King Donald. Rep. Chaffetz and other knights will be stationed on the parapets of Trump castle to assure that no rabble penetrate the walled

fortification of Trump and his wealthy brethren. It’s going to be a long four years!

Michael K. Broughton Green Park

Columnist Eugene Robinson

Guest Columnist Lewis Reed

‘Glory’ for Dr. King

Humanities Awards applications due March 1

Soroptimist International of Greater St. Louis (SIGSL) is accepting applications for its annual Humanities Awards. Awards ranging from $500 to $3,000 will be presented to selected organizations that serve women, girls, families and/or teens in the greater St. Louis area. Organizations applying for this award should be working to improve the lives of women and girls by working to end poverty and violence against women and addressing other issues affecting their economic, social and political process. Application deadline is March 1. For more information, contact info@soroptimiststlouis.com or visit www.soroptimiststlouis.com.

January 7.

Road safety poster contest

The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety is hosting the “Make a Difference” art contest for Missouri students ages 14-19. Students can create a poster to support the importance of wearing a seat belt. The deadline is February 27.

The poster must have a strong call to action and encourage peers to buckle up. Among prizes awarded, contest winners will have their posters promoted in the March Teen Seat Belt statewide media campaign.

For more information about the “Make a Difference” contest, visit Save MO Lives on Facebook, or visit www.saveMOlives. com.

End of Life coalition changes name

Gateway End-of-Life Coalition is the new name for the organization formerly known as the Gateway Alliance for Compassionate Care at End of Life. The change took effect January 1. Since its inception in 1999, the organization has provided the St. Louis community with critical information regarding care for people with serious illness. For more information about Gateway End-of-Life Coalition, visit http:// gatewayeol.org

Children need champions

School fights are nothing new, they’ve been around as long as there have been kids. This writer was suspended once for fighting. I’ve always resented the fact that there was no attempt to look at mitigating circumstances – that I was an honor student, that I had no previous incidents, that I acted in selfdefense. Two students fighting? Automatic suspensions for both students. End of story.

At the pre-school level, even little ones are bound to tangle. They are territorial and impulsive. These are not criminal acts; they are part of child development. They are teachable moments that allow adults to show how conflicts can be resolved fairly and non-violently.

Recently, four local school districts decided to ban the suspension of preschoolers and primary grades. It’s mind-blowing that school officials had to be forced to change this policy. St. Louis Public Schools, Maplewood-Richmond Heights, Normandy and Ladue all reached a point of enlightenment, thanks to community pressure by groups working to end the schoolto-prison pipeline.

A 2015 study by the UCLA Center for Civil Rights Remedies put Missouri at the top of the heap for its disproportionate rate of suspensions between black and white students. This is happening at all levels –elementary, middle and high school. In true Show Me No Shame Missouri, instead of addressing this critical disparity, the state goes a step farther and criminalizes student fights.

We live in a violent society. Discipline in schools, especially in high schools, has been mirroring the broader society for the last several years. Many offenses that should be dealt with as juvenile code violations are now viewed as adult crimes. Add actual police officers to the equation to enforce school codes and arrest students, you have another effective tool to keep the prisons full.

Now is the time for parents, teachers, civic leaders and concerned citizens to put pressure on local school boards and principals as to how state law on criminal assaults should be interpreted. It can’t stop there.

Schools must come up with creative and humane ways to deal with classroom discipline. Currently, teachers are bearing the burden for dealing with students, and many have psychological issues. Teacher performance reviews are being impacted by their inability to simultaneously be teachers, counselors, therapists and law enforcers. It’s not surprising (but unacceptable) that we hear teachers calling for stricter discipline measures and supporting suspensions to quickly rid themselves of problem students.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has long condemned suspensions and expulsions that are key part of most districts so-called zero tolerance policy. It affirms that students who are put out of school are 10 times more likely to drop out of school. It also points out that not getting to the root of the problem may be putting the child back into an environment that may be resulting in misbehavior.

The academy recommends a more pro-active approach, and that is screenings at the early childhood stage for high-risk behaviors. Suspensions may be quick fixes but they are temporary, ineffective and can cause longterm problems for a child, the family and our community.

Trauma – sexual, physical and psychological – is a real factor in the lives of impoverished families. We need welcoming and prepared schools to deal with the contemporary issues that impact the learning of our children. A social worker at each school is a legitimate demand.

Our children are worthy of getting all that they need to reach their full potential as human beings. It’s up to empowered and committed adults to be the champions of children and the institutions that serve them.

Jamala Rogers

Morgan and Braylon Taylor performed “Glory” at the 31st annual MLK Statewide Celebration Kick-off at Harris-Stowe State University on Saturday,

Photo by Wiley Price

GRIFFEY

Continued from A1

saw her brothers succumb to the disease, and she made sure that her five sons knew the importance of early and regular testing. Griffey said his mother’s encouragement saved his life.

Griffey said he started taking the PSA test in his mid30s while he was still playing professional baseball. When he stopped playing ball at age 41 and started coaching, he continued getting a PSA test with his annual physical. After taking a PSA test at age 55, he was told he had prostate cancer. Fortunately, his was slow-growing and he had robotic surgery to remove it.

“It was found early enough that I didn’t have to have radiation or chemotherapy,” he said. He has now been without prostate cancer for almost 12 years. He still gets his PSA checked each year.

It was only after his own experience with the disease that some of his longtime golf buddies spoke up about their own prostate cancer surgeries.

a lot better.”

Ken Griffey Sr. spoke to the St. Louis Prostate Cancer Coalition about the importance of screening and early detection at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel on Thursday, January 12.

racial group, according to the coalition.

Siteman radiation oncologist

Dr. Lannis Hall said there is controversy about PSA screening because of the results of poorly conducted studies that had little to no participation of AfricanAmerican men. The coalition wants to make clear the importance of talking to your doctor and getting screened, because early detection saves lives.

“Prostate cancer is highly curable if detected early, but only 30 percent of men survive five years if detected after it’s spread to other organs,” Dr. Hall told The American “Unfortunately, there are no early symptoms, so this simple blood test is a good step in evaluating prostate health.”

As for the All-Star’s Hall of Fame son, Griffey said Ken Griffey Jr. gets screened.

OBAMA

Continued from A1

so well – one of countless such moments, and images, that have changed this nation forever.

The White House is really a glass house, and for eight years we have watched the Obamas live their lives in full public view. We’ve seen a president age, his hair graying and his once-unlined face developing a wrinkle here, a furrow there. We’ve seen a first lady change hairstyles and model an array of designer gowns. We’ve seen two little girls grow into young women. We’ve seen it all before –

Just a few months ago, Griffey said his younger brother Freddie was diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer and is doing fine now.

“They had the radical prostate cancer surgery, and they would never talk about it until they found out that I had prostate cancer – and I had been playing golf with them for years,” he said.

“He at least had somebody

except that we’ve never seen an African-American family in these roles.

Visuals are uniquely powerful. They rearrange and reorient our thinking in ways that are difficult to describe or even comprehend. They penetrate to our deepest levels of consciousness without being attenuated by the filter of language. They can make us laugh, cry, rage and weep without quite knowing why.

For eight years we have had the privilege of seeing a black family living in the White House. I still find that hard to believe.

We watched as the president, the first lady, Malia and Sasha walked across the South Lawn to board Marine One. We watched the

to talk to,” Griffey said, “because I went through everything he was getting ready to go through.”

The sibling prostate cancer survivors speak to one another every day. Griffey said he has two older brothers “who are harder to convince” but are both going to the doctor now and “taking care of themselves

president playing with the family dog, Bo. We watched Michelle Obama working in her garden. Those who live in Washington might have glimpsed the girls stopping by McDonald’s on their way home from school, or the president and first lady having a date night at one of their favorite restaurants.

We saw the Obamas host glittering state dinners. We saw them walk down the stairs of Air Force One onto red-carpeted tarmacs around the world. We saw President Obama channel the pride of the nation at moments of triumph, as when he announced the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. And we saw him become a conduit for our despair after the

Through the pharmaceutical and agriculture company Bayer, Griffey is part of the Men Who Speak Up project, a national movement to raise awareness about prostate cancer.

The St. Louis Prostate Cancer Coalition is comprised of health care providers from Siteman Cancer Center,

Newtown school massacre, the Charleston church killings and so many other senseless acts of gun violence.

Given this country’s history of slavery and discrimination, the first black family to serve as first family had to be like a fortress, strong and unassailable. In that sense the Obamas were from central casting – so impeccable in education, elocution and etiquette that even the president’s harshest political critics spoke of them as a family with genuine admiration.

We watched as Obama largely abandoned recreational basketball, the scourge of tendons and ligaments, for a more age-appropriate pastime. According to a website that

community advocates and survivors. The coalition supports the continued and early use of the PSA test, particularly for AfricanAmerican men, because of the heavy prevalence of the disease. In the St. Louis region, African-American men are 2.3 times more likely to die from prostate cancer than any other

tries to keep track, Obama has played more than 300 rounds of golf during his tenure. Unlike other presidents, he almost never used these outings to butter up political adversaries or reward loyal allies. Instead, he stuck mostly to a tight group of regulars, with a few luminaries, mostly professional athletes, tossed in.

When he wasn’t working – and, reportedly, sometimes when he was – the president watched ESPN.

As a rule, Obama went upstairs to the residence every evening so the family could have dinner together. Then he would go back to work for a while before bedtime.

As Obama noted, one of his wife’s great accomplishments was opening the doors of

“I stay on him and my young son Craig, and I make sure that they talk to each other,” Griffey said. After every annual physical, he said, he always asks, “Did you get the PSA?”

For more information, visit http:// prostatecancercoalitionstl.org.

the White House as wide as possible to the American people. Every December, she and the president put themselves through a Long March of holiday parties, including two for the media. At the end of the evening, having shaken hundreds of hands and posed for hundreds of smiling pictures, any normal human beings would have been homicidal, suicidal or both. But the Obamas were unfailingly sunny and gracious. In their time in the White House, the Obama family expanded this nation’s idea of what it can achieve. They gave us vivid images that will never fade. We owe them heartfelt thanks for being, at all times, the classiest of class acts.

Photo by Wiley Price

SHAHID

Clark watched as Shahid set up a pipeline for jobs at Frito Lay in the 1990s.

“I know 50 young men personally who went to work for Frito Lay because of Anthony Shahid,” said Clark, vice president of community outreach at Better Family Life Inc. “I know at least 10 young men who went to college. He blazes a trail through every neighborhood. He’s respected throughout every neighborhood. Anthony Shahid is one of the nation’s unsung heroes.” From April 6-9, Shahid will host a Tauheed reunion for all the men who participated in the Tauheed group and anyone else whose life Shahid has touched.

For more than 30 years, Shahid has mentored youth in jails three times a week, mentored in dozens of schools, worked to bring thousands of jobs to the community and mediated discrimination cases at several large companies, Shahid said. He’s reached out to families whose loved ones fell to gun violence and police-involved shootings. He also stood by Mike Brown Jr.’s family in Ferguson after

JONES

Continued from A1

Continued from A1 account of $30,000, the circuit attorney of $32,000, and the comptroller of $15,000. Over the past four years, the mayor has received $120,000, the circuit attorney $128,000 and the comptroller $60,000 for discretionary expenses without having to submit a single receipt. The treasurer has no such discretionary fund. All three offices also have separate expense accounts for travel. To get their discretionary funds, elected officials can either submit receipts and receive reimbursements, making it nontaxable. Or they can receive it as part of their paycheck monthly, and then they do not need to account for how the taxpayer money is spent – which is how most of them do it.

Jones is running for mayor, and none of her opponents holds any of these three other citywide offices. She is running against one citywide official, the president of the board of the aldermen, and a number of aldermen.

Brown’s death and led several protests and marches in the following months. “I’m mostly known for going dead into the streets, where many people are intimidated to go,” Shahid said. “Places where they are shooting dope, gambling, drinking. That’s what they are doing when I come. I let them know that they are sleeping giants. They are like elephants that are asleep. When an elephant wakes up and figures out who they are, the whole world trembles at their feet.”

The weekend’s main event will be a massive street patrol on Saturday, April 8 from noon to 5 p.m., when Shahid said 10,000 men throughout the country will hit the streets to address the issue of violence head-on.

“With 200 murders a year in St. Louis city alone” – for each of the last two years, there were actually 188 homicides in the city – “you can’t keep your eyes shut and think it’s going to be someone else’s family,” Shahid said.

The weekend will kick off with an alumni social at Vashon High School on Thursday, April 6 and a Jumar Prayer Service on Friday, April 7. Shahid will also host an Honoring Our Heroes awards dinner on Saturday, April 8 at

These officials all receive $4,200 a year for discretionary spending, or $16,800 over the past four years that Jones billed the city for $27,000. They don’t have to submit receipts for these funds to the comptroller, as Jones does.

Budget Director Paul Payne told The American that the budgeted amount for the board’s “elected official expense” fund has been a total of $121,800 per year for all the aldermen, including the president.

In fact, Jones is the one of these city elected officials who does not have a discretionary expense account – because she opted out of it when she came into office. Instead, she chose to submit her expenses to the comptroller and be reimbursed. And travel is the only expense she receives reimbursements for.

“I wanted to make sure that we made everything transparent,” Jones said. “I decided I would submit receipts for my travel.”

As such, they were available to Sunshine Law requests when her opponents did opposition research on her. Trager acknowledged she received all of Jones’ travel

Better Family Life, 5415 Page Blvd. Then Shahid will give a final address on Sunday, April 9.

“I’m excited to see some brothers I haven’t seen in 10-15 years, but I’m more excited about the charge and the challenge that Anthony Shahid is going to put on black men,” Clark said.

One day in the 1980s, Shahid started standing out on the corner of Vandeventer and St. Louis avenues to talk

expenses from “a source.”

Jones said all of her travel expenses are “Sunshineable, unlike the aldermen where you don’t know what they spend those funds on.”

Trager included multiple quotes from Aldermen Steve Conway and Joe Vaccaro saying they were “outraged” at her spending, as if it were a secret.

n

However, the Board of Aldermen approve the Treasurer Office’s Parking Division’s travel budget every year. In June 2016, the aldermen unanimously approved a $20,000 travel line item for the 2017 fiscal year, which is for the entire department. And those numbers have been the same or similar every year since Jones was in office.

to youth, he said. After a few weeks, he said, about 50 and 75 people would stand there and listen to him – and that became the first formation of the Tauheed Youth Group.

“I never had a spot,” Shahid said. “I would go from this corner to this corner.”

After a few years, community leader Bertha Gilkey gave the group the Cochran Community Center to use as their “Mecca,” he said.

“Back then, Eric Ali and

expect the media to be fair and tell the entire story, which has not happened thus far. What all of this tells me is that my becoming mayor must pose a threat to somebody.”

Jones said her mayoral campaign has been subjected to “baseless and suspicious” attacks for months.

“I wanted to make sure that we made everything transparent.”

– Tishaura O. Jones

“I have been attacked for giving a second chance to a man who has paid his debt to society, attacked for filing bankruptcy almost 20 years ago, and attacked for making a trip to meet with officials of the NAACP to try to persuade them to bring their national convention to our city,” Jones said.

When asked if any aldermen have ever questioned her travel expense before approving her travel budget, Jones told The American, “Never.”

“As treasurer, I expect the people to hold me accountable for my actions,” Jones said at the press conference. “I also

“I say these attacks are suspicious because I have not done anything either remotely wrong or unlawful to justify the aspersions being cast on my character.”

by Wiley Price

I would walk by ourselves talking to brothers,” Shahid said. “It was a high drug-traffic area. We would tell them to meet at Cochran Community Center, and they came.” Shahid said he wouldn’t have his passion for community activism if it weren’t for El-Hagg Sultan Muhammad, the director of the Tauheed Youth Group since it started. Muhammad heard Shahid speaking on the corners and was amazed that the youth

The NAACP meeting in Las Vegas is one of the travel destinations where Jones did business. She also traveled to the Democratic National Convention; conferences for parking service providers, securities professionals, the National League of Cities, Rainbow PUSH and the Congressional Black Caucus; and meetings with Missouri legislative leaders, the treasurer of Chicago, the Missouri State Women’s Political Caucus, the Cities for Financial Empowerment Coalition, the Clinton Global Initiative and Operation HOPE, where she serves on a board.

State Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, who recently endorsed Jones, said that she stands with Jones because she refuses to be sidetracked by the media smears initiated by her opponents.

“What matters to the City of St. Louis voters and residents here is fixing our public school system,”

were standing out in the cold to hear him, Shahid said. So Muhammad offered his help.

“I look at him as a father figure,” Shahid said. “He told us to love black people. He made me love my people.”

Sultan Muhammad, now 85, will also help host the reunion weekend.

Ajuma Muhammad met Shahid while working with his group the Association of African-American Role Models. Seeing as they both worked with disenfranchised, high-risk youth who are prone to violence, they quickly became friends, he said.

“He will never compromise,” Muhammad said. “When companies know that they have to deal with a voracious activist, they know they are in for a real dog fight.”

Kevin Bryant, who met Shahid when he was 19, said Shahid was one of the first black men he had seen that was “a stand-up guy.” “A lot of my peers had chosen street life,” Bryant said. “I wanted to be involved in changing that, but I didn’t know how to talk to my peers. But I could take them to the Tauheed Youth Program. If it wasn’t for Anthony Shahid, a lot of people wouldn’t have found their way,” he said.

Nasheed said. “What matters is creating new jobs. What matters is stopping crime in our streets and making our city a safe place to be. Those are the issues that really matter.”

The recent “bias media attacks” are a hit on the entire community of people of color in St. Louis, said Lew Moye, president emeritus of the St. Louis Chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists.

“It is clearly an attempt to portray black folks as corrupt and inept,” Moye said. “We are calling on all those of good will in our communities to stand and speak against media bias and let our region know that black women do matter.”

Jones remains undaunted.

“I want to say it loud and make it clear that nothing will stop this campaign,” Jones said. “Nothing will take us off track or distract us from our mission to bring new and fresh ideas to this city.”

Anthony Shahid has been leading street patrols and outreaching to people in the streets of St. Louis since the 1980s.

Photo

Mayoral candidates respond to crisis of homelessness

The EYE asked all four of the major mayoral candidates –Antonio D. French, Tishaura O. Jones, Lyda Krewson and Lewis Reed – the following questions: “Mayor Francis G. Slay has finally succeeded in getting the New Life Evangelistic Center’s shelter ordered closed. Was that the proper course to take? Would you be open to appeals to reopen the shelter as mayor? More generally, what would you do to address the city’s housing (homeless) crisis and the entrenched conflict between downtown residents who have homes and those who don’t?”

They were also asked at the same time in the same email and given the same deadline. Lyda Krewson responded first.

“The New Life Evangelistic Center puts people out on the sidewalk every morning, and it is impossible to get back on your feet from the sidewalk with no bathrooms, no food and no services. We must have a housing-first strategy. The ‘old’ approach undermines more stable shelter providers. Homeless folks need intensive services through the Continuum of Care. So yes, I agree with the closure of NLEC,” Krewson

responded.

“With the closure, other service providers in the area will be able to take in more homeless individuals and provide them with the resources they need to get back on their feet. Cops will be able to keep them safer. Most importantly, they will become part of a network of support which will empower them to get off the streets permanently. As mayor, I will not accept anything less than a comprehensive plan to address the long-term needs of our homeless population across the region, and I will work closely with the nonprofit sector and religious community to accomplish this shared goal,” Krewson continued.

Tishaura O. Jones responded next.

“Currently, New Life Evangelistic Center’s shelter is unsafe and does not do enough to help the people with the underlying issues that cause homelessness: lack of affordable housing, mental health, substance abuse and unemployment. New Life should be closed until it can be renovated and its programs brought up to modern practices to help people transition out

of homelessness. At the same time, the city should not close New Life until we have a comprehensive plan for dealing with people who depend on this facility,” Jones responded.

“As mayor, I will support a Homeless Bill of Rights that will decriminalize homelessness and keep St. Louis aligned with HUD regulations. Biddle House is an excellent resource for the homeless, but it’s not enough. The city needs good, quality shelters in more places, with more beds, and more

cooperation with groups like St. Patrick’s Center to end the cycle of homelessness. New Life could be one of them. I would support the use of city funds to do so and I would include the requirement to address homelessness in Community Benefit Agreements that would be part of any subsidy or abatement for projects like Union Station, the Jefferson Arms and the Scottrade Center,” Jones continued.

“Denver, a city I visited in 2014 and which had many more panhandlers than St. Louis, is addressing homelessness (and panhandling) with a day laborers program, providing a day’s work to the homeless, and the opportunity to be invited back the following day. People who would otherwise have a difficult time finding work, including the undocumented and the unbanked, are able to build employment histories and skills. Those who aren’t ready to work because of addiction or other problems are connected with counseling and other services to help them prepare for the labor market,” Jones continued.

Antonio D. French

responded next.

“It’s unfortunate that under Francis Slay, the city has adopted an adversarial relationship with New Life and Rev. Larry Rice. There is an obvious need for the services that Rev. Rice offers. He provides shelter to hundreds of people every week. That’s a good thing and he should be commended for the service he’s done for decades, even during a time when the city was doing far less than it is today,” French responded.

“I also think it’s a damn shame that Slay and Police Chief Sam Dotson station police cars outside of New Life to intimidate and threaten with towing anyone coming down to help feed the homeless. We should not be criminalizing people carrying out their Christian duty to feed the poor. The power of Room 200 should not be used to bully the homeless or their advocates. Rev. Rice and New Life deserve to have a place at the table and to be included in the city’s plan to address homelessness,” French continued.

“I plan to partner with service providers and others to help transform dozens of LRA-

owned properties into homes for families who currently have none. It’s hard to explain why a city like ours with so many vacant and abandoned houses can’t figure out how to provide a home for anyone who needs one and is willing to work for it. We can do better. As mayor, I’ll make sure we do,” French continued. Reed did not answer by deadline.

Krewson and Reed on TIF

Krewson and Reed missed last week’s deadline in responding to the glut of TIF allocations in the Central Corridor. Their answers Krewson on TIF:

“As mayor, I will work with all developers to encourage and incentivize them to develop projects outside of the central corridor in both North and South City. I will also promote sites in North and South City that developers might not be aware off and provide more incentives to develop in areas not in the central corridor. Planning is also an important function, and I hope to work with aldermen during that process.”

Reed on TIF:

“As aldermen, I created the first neighborhood TIF, which let the community decide what projects were funded and when. The mayor has an enormous amount of sway over where development happens in the city and what types of incentive packages are presented for projects. As mayor, after reviewing the data on what has worked best and had the best outcomes, I would make sure we use incentives that work to build North and South St. Louis neighborhoods the way we have built the central corridor and downtown.”

Mayoral Candidate Forum on January 19

A St. Louis Mayoral Candidate Forum will be held 7-9 p.m. Thursday, January 19 in the Emerson Performing Arts Center Theater on the campus of Harris-Stowe State University, 3026 Laclede Ave. It is hosted by Alpha Omega City-Wide Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. in partnership with state Representative Bruce Franks Jr. According to organizers, this event is being held in an effort to educate and inform our young adults in the city of St. Louis between the ages of 17-24 years old on the platforms of each mayoral candidate while providing them with the ability to openly state their position on areas that affect this particular demographic.” For more information, email dstaq1936@gmail. com. Register at https:// stlmayoralcandidateforum. eventbrite.com.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Activists joined homeless people who rely on the New Life Evangelistic Center’s shelter for a protest on December

23. The city has ordered it closed by April 1.

Art Museum Honors Dr. King with Musical Tribute this Friday

On Friday, January 20 at 7 pm the Saint Louis Art Museum will host its annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Celebration. The event will include a screening of the film Let Freedom Sing: How Music Inspired the Civil Rights Movement and a performance by the Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church choir.

The Civil Rights Movement and music are forever intertwined. The beginning of the movement can be traced back to the gospel music sung within the Black church, which always has served as a place of refuge during times of struggle. The songs heard in these houses of worship became our hymns of hope, healing, and perseverance. In addition to gospel music, other genres like rhythm and blues, jazz, and rap influenced how the American public engaged with and perceived the movement. The sit-ins, marches, and boycotts that marked the 1950s and 60s were often accompanied by a soundtrack of popular music, gospel songs, and protest anthems.

Let Freedom Sing: How Music Inspired the Civil Rights Movement is a documentary celebrating the song writers, singers, and anthems that played a critical role in shap-

ing the Civil Rights Movement as we know it today. The film emphasizes the ability of music to be both uplifting and unifying, with people of all races and ethnicities finding common ground through the popular songs of the 1950s and 60s. These songs captured the spirt and pain felt by African Americans during the civil rights era but also the commitment of many activists to continue the fight for fair and equal treatment under the law.

The Saint Louis Art Museum holds in its collection more than 100 photographs by Moneta Sleet Jr., the first African American man to win a Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography. His images captured a revolution and would come to define the struggle for racial equality in America. The museum’s collection—which includes images of MLK, freedom marches, and boycotts—were the impetus for the first MLK Freedom Celebration, and it continues to inspire Museum programs and events.

Tickets for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Celebration may be reserved in person at the Museum’s Information Centers.

Judge ‘Dollar Bill’ under investigation

St. Clair County has had more than its fair share of scandals and controversies involving judges.

Back in 2006, Circuit Judge Patrick Young was involved in an alleged drunk driving incident, following a St. Louis Rams game, in which he struck and injured the driver of a pickup truck. Young’s passenger, on that day, was none other than his friend Chief Judge Jan Fiss. A settlement was eventually reached in that case.

Then, in 2013, a double whammy occurred when Associate Judge Joe Christ dropped dead from a cocaine overdose at the family hunting lodge of his buddy Circuit Judge Michael Cook.

Shortly thereafter, Judge Cook himself was busted, during a much publicized sting, in possession of a weapon while attempting to purchase heroin. He went on to serve a two-year federal prison stint.

Now a special prosecutor has been appointed to investigate possible obstruction-of-justice charges against St. Clair County Circuit Judge Ronald Duebbert, in connection with a recent murder case involving David E. Fields, 20, of Belleville.

Fields, who was previously convicted of a 2013 assault of a 17-year-old girl at Belleville East High school, once lived with Duebbert upon his release

from prison. Duebbert, who is openly gay, claims that he was simply “being Christian” in attempting to mentor Fields in turning his life around and that his relationship with Fields was not of a romantic nature.

However, a video posted on Fields’ Facebook page (from May 2015) shows Fields out for a friendly cruise in a Porsche, driven by Duebbert, while Fields bragged about his gang affiliations.

Ingram

In a second video, posted during that same month, Duebbert and Fields are shown in a Porsche heading toward East St. Louis, as Fields boasts about his Versace apparel and making casual references to Duebbert as “Dollar Bill.”

In other Facebook posts, Fields displayed a variety of Versace clothing and accessories for sale at discounted prices.

But apparently this unusual reform program was an abysmal failure and demonstrated incredibly poor judgment on the part of Judge Duebbert, who was recently interviewed by the Major Case Squad regarding new charges involving Fields.

These latest charges against

Fields stem from the Christmas holiday murder of Carl Z. Silas, when Silas was shot him in the face in front of his two children in his Belleville apartment. In the meantime, St. Clair County Chief Judge Andrew Gleeson has placed Duebbert on administrative duties and removed him from hearing cases. However, Duebbert will continue receiving his $185,500 per-year salary as he awaits his due process. Gleeson has stated that he fully intends to file a complaint regarding Duebbert with the Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board, and rightfully so.

According to Steven Pflaum, chairman of the Illinois Judicial Ethics Committee, there is no precedent involving a judge residing with a parolee or one accused of a criminal offense. Yet, if Duebbert is found to be in violation of some judicial ethical code of conduct, it could lead to a penalty which may include a formal reprimand, suspension or even removal from office. Even if Duebbert’s intentions were genuinely good, there are better ways of providing opportunities and mentorship to a violent ex-offender without physically becoming their roommate, especially if you happen to be a judge. Email jtingram_1960@ yahoo.com; Twitter@ JamesTIngram.

Officer involved in Kajieme Powell killing leaves force

Ellis Brown’s search-warrant practices had come under fire

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

Ellis Brown, one of the St. Louis police officers involved in shooting and killing Kajieme Powell in 2014, left the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department on January 11, according to a department spokesperson.

The spokesperson said the department could not divulge details of his leaving the department or any disciplinary actions that may or may not have been involved.

This fall, Brown’s searchwarrant practices had come under fire. In September, St. Louis prosecutors dismissed a gun and marijuana possession case after Circuit Judge Beth Hogan questioned the validity

of a search warrant that Brown had written. Hogan refused to hear Brown’s testimony because he had given conflicting statements, and Hogan believed Brown shouldn’t continue without the presence of his own lawyer, according to the Post-Dispatch

The judge said Brown’s testimony “implicates practices and procedures in the entire St.

n The judge said Brown’s testimony “implicates practices and procedures in the entire St. Louis Police Department.

Louis Police Department,” and that the agency has an interest in Brown being represented, the Post-Dispatch reported.

Also in September, federal prosecutors dismissed charges in the another case where the defense lawyers challenged

search warrants written by Brown. The defense argued that Brown was using almost identical wording on all his search warrant applications and not establishing a just probable cause. When asked about the case’s dismissal, U.S. Attorney Richard Callahan told the PostDispatch, “There were some search and seizure issues we didn’t want to litigate.”

On November 3, 2015, then-St. Louis Circuit Attorney Jennifer M. Joyce announced that no criminal charges would be filed against Brown and his partner who shot and killed Kajieme Powell. Joyce concluded that Powell was wielding a knife as he walked towards the two police officers outside Six Star Market on the 8700 block of Riverview Boulevard in the early afternoon of August 19, 2014. Jermaine Wooten, attorney for Powell’s family, told The St. Louis American that he disagreed with several aspects of Joyce’s investigation and that, “The police had many options. They could have stayed at a distance.”

Martin Luther King, Jr. after meeting with President Johnson to discuss civil rights, at the White House, 1963.

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

Columnist

James

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Ferguson protestor DeRay Mckesson left a note at a memorial to Kajieme Powell in August 2015.

NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION

What Is ASize?Serving

Warm Up & Cool Down

In our “Super-Size” world, we can easily lose track of what an actual serving size means. When reading labels on a food or drink product, you can determine the nutrients, sodium, fiber, sugar and calories

It’s important that before you embark on any kind of exercise to remember two things: warm up and cool down. Start with some slow stretches and movement (like walking) to increase your heart rate a little. Warm up for a good five minutes before increasing your heart rate.

Slip Sliding Away...

Ice can be dangerous for several different reasons.

> NEVER walk on a “frozen” pond, lake, river or any other body of water. Just because it looks frozen does not mean it is safe.

> If you are with someone that falls through the ice, first run (or call) for help. Do not try to go out onto the ice to help your friend. You can fall through the ice too.

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

PRESENT:

Healthy Kids Healthy Kids

Healthcare Careers

Sierra Danley , Chiropractic Assistant

contains a total of 275 calories! Remember to watch those serving sizes and you’ll have better control over what you’re eating and drinking.

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 4,

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

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

> What other ice hazards are there?

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

continue with reduced speed movements until your heart rate begins to slow down. This warm-up and recovery period is important for your heart health. It also helps to reduce the amount of muscle pulls and strains.

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1

Cracker-wiches

Ingredients:

Where do you work? I work at Chiro-Med, O’Fallon, Illinois. Where did you go to school? I graduated from Belleville East High School. I then earned a phlebotomy certificate from the St. Louis School of Phlebotomy and a CNA from CALC, Institute of Technology in Fairview Heights, Illinois.

What does a chiropractic assistant do? I stretch the muscles of our patients to get them ready for their treatments and I’m in charge of their therapy. I also enter notes from their visit into the computer to have an accurate record of the details of their appointment.

Why did you choose this career? I chose it because in the long wrong, I potentially see myself with a career in a medical field. This job allows me to experience different areas in medicine to help me decide where I would ultimately like to take my medical career.

What is your favorite part of the job you have? My most favorite part would be to see people improve. A lot of people come to us experiencing pain and they often leave our office pain free or at least feeling much better. This is the best part of my job.

Directions: Spread peanut butter on four of the

and top with sliced strawberries. Drizzle with honey and top with the other crackers to make four cracker-wiches.

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

“Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or

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.

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

Aspire Academy

4th grade teacher, Anna CollierMoore, shows her students how to make snow using an experiment found in The St. Louis American’s STEM page.

Aspire Academy is part of the

SCIENCE CORNER

Scientists in this field study the conservation and management of wildlife and fish. They evaluate the environment and habits of these animals, allowing the scientists to understand disease, habitat, and behavior. For example, studying the eating habits of a type of fish will help the scientists determine if the area has enough food supply to support their population. These biologists help control population when it is overgrown and help to replenish endangered species. They help keep water clean and safe. Studying how fish respond to diseases not only helps that species of fish, but that information is also helpful to learning how humans could possibly respond to treatments for diseases.

African American Fish and Wildlife Ecologist Mamie Parker

To have a career in this field, you will need a bachelor’s or a master’s degree. This field offers many types of job choices. You can work on boats to collect information for research. You can work in fields or streams. You can work in a lab, and you can be a teacher or professor for this field.

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

Ice Fishing Anyone?

In this experiment, you will create a setting for ice fishing.

Materials Needed:

• Small Paper Cups or an Ice Cube Tray

• Glass or Bowl of Water • String (yarn or kite string works great) • Small Stick (this will be your fishing pole) • Salt

Procedure:

q Fill the cups or tray with water and place in the freezer.

w When the water is frozen, remove the ice from the cup or tray.

e Put the ice in the glass or bowl of water. The cube will bob up and down in the water before it floats to the top.

r Place one end of the string from the fishing pole on top of the ice cube and

Solve these fish-related word problems.

q There are 26 aquariums at the pet store. Each aquarium holds an average of 20 fish. Approximately, how many fish are there in all? ______

w A class of 24 students took a fishing field trip. There was a three fish maximum catch limit. ½ of the students caught the maximum, ¼ caught two fish, and ¼ caught one fish. How many fish did they catch in all? ______

e Tyra bought a can of fish food. It said it would feed one fish for about one month. Tyra

DID YOU KNOW?

Check out these facts about fish:

sprinkle salt on the ice where the string is touching. The water will melt and refreeze.

t After about 10 seconds, carefully lift the ice cube out of the water with the fishing pole. You caught a fish (ice)!

y Analyze—water freezes at 32° F. Salt lowers the water’s freezing temperature. The more salt you add, the more it affects the refreezing temperature. How did this process affect this experiment?

Extension:

Try sugar, pepper, sand, flour, or other items. See what works, and what doesn’t, and try to figure out why!

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

has four fish. Approximately how long will this can of fish food last?

r Fish tanks need gravel or sand in the bottom. A rule of thumb is to include one pound per gallon of tank to create a 1 inch base, and two pounds per gallon to create a 2 inch base. Alexander has a 33 gallon tank. He wants to create a 1 ½ inch base. How much gravel should he add? ______

Learning Standards: I can use addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to solve a problem.

Mamie Parker was born in Arkansas, the youngest of 11 children. Her mother named her Mamie after First Lady Mamie Eisenhower, as a tribute to all of the work Ike Eisenhower did for the Civil Rights movement. Parker loved the outdoors and all types of animals. Having a large family, they depended on the success of their fishing efforts in order to have enough protein to feed the family. Parker enjoyed this time with her mother, who always encouraged her to learn all that she could. Mrs. Parker said, “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance!”

Parker was one of the first to attend the integrated high school in Wilmot, Arkansas. She was inspired by Marvin Gaye’s song, “Mercy Me” which spoke of pollution and the need for change. Parker enrolled in the University of Arkansas to major in biology. While there, she was recruited to move to Wisconsin as an intern. She earned a degree in biology from the University of Arkansas and an ecology degree from the University of Wisconsin. Later, she would attend Harvard to study leadership training.

Her career took her from Wisconsin to Minnesota, to Columbia, Missouri. While in Columbia, she helped local farmers learn how to maximize the use of their land to help wildlife and fish thrive. Parker is also known for helping the Atlantic salmon population which was endangered. After many years in the business, Parker was offered a job in Washington D.C. as the first African-American woman to be the Assistant Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS). She remembers a fellow employee telling her that the only African American women who had been in the building were the janitors who cleaned it. Parker felt pride in her position and wanted to inspire other women to pursue careers in the STEM field.

Parker has authored the book, “The Future of Fisheries.” She has received many awards, such as The Presidential Rank Award and the Ira Gabrielson Award. Parker also has been featured on NPR (National Public Radio) and is a motivational speaker.

Learning Standards: I can read a biography about a person who has made contributions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. I can make text-to-text and textto-self connections.

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

Activities — Pick a Plot: Use the newspaper to cut out words that are places, people, and actions. Place each word in a bag labeled place, people, or action. After everyone has added their words, draw a word from each bag. Use your words to create a story.

Anableps is a type of fish with four eyes. It can see above and below water at the same time.

Figures of speech: Authors use figures of speech to be creative and descriptive. Can you find examples of similes, metaphors, alliteration, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, or idioms in the newspaper? Create a poster with your examples. Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can write for a specific purpose and audience. I can identify figurative language.

Confluence Charter Schools.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

Censorship of student art in Capitol spells trouble for democracy

By Etefia A.E Umana and Etefia M. Umana

American

Louis

For The St.

Leonardo Da Vinci said, “Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” With that in mind, American civilization is at risk.

Every year in the 435 congressional districts across the United States, the local representative holds an art contest for high school students. The prize for the students is having their painting exhibited in the halls of Congress for a year. It is a wonderful honor to young, fledgling art students across the country and typically does not cause a murmur.

Last spring, U.S. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay (D-St. Louis) of Missouri’s 1st Congressional District held this contest in conjunction with Webster University’s fine arts department. The unanimous winner was David Pulphus, a quiet, gentle, unassuming student from Cardinal Ritter College Preparatory High School, a Catholic high school in St. Louis.

After winning the competition, Pulphus, along with his mother, flew to Washington, D.C. for a ceremony celebrating all of the competition winners. The winners’ art works were ceremoniously placed for their yearlong residence in the Capitol building. Pulphus’ painting, along with those of his fellow artists, hanged for six months in peace.

In December 2016, Pulphus’ painting became a source of controversy and discomfort for law enforcement officers on Capitol Hill, as well as Republican politicians and conservative media.

Images in the piece portrayed the young African American artist’s view and interpretation of police and community relations as he saw it during the Ferguson crisis. The painting featured anthropomorphism by portraying law enforcement officers with boar heads and human bodies (the artist chose to paint boars instead of pigs because of the advanced level of savagery in the behavior of boars in contrast to pigs). Only the officers who had drawn their firearms had boar heads; the other officers in the painting did not.

Among other depictions, there was also religious imagery in the form of an African-American male being

officials have asked the fundamental question that the painting begs: Why would a young student with hope, promise, and purpose perceive his community and the police in such a manner?

The officials did not take into account the role that the militarization of policing has played in AfricanAmerican communities (including Ferguson and St. Louis) or the way that “stop and frisk” and pretext stops invade the privacy, not to mention constitutional rights, of AfricanAmerican citizens. Then, of course, there are the police-involved shootings of unarmed and legally armed African Americans that have not apparently pricked the consciousness of the newly fashioned art critics.

persecution of intellectualism and art.

When Duncan Hunter, Doug Lamborn and their colleagues removed Pulphus’ award-winning painting, they illegally and dangerously silenced a citizen’s speech for their own comfort. The elected officials should be arrested by the same police whom the painting offended. Furthermore, Congress should censure the uncivilized representatives for their un-American acts in the Capitol building. They privileged their feeling above that what makes America great: the freedom of expression.

crucified in his cap and gown.

Right-wing media expressed outrage upon “discovery” of the picture. Police groups (acting as art critics) across the country expressed immediate vocal opposition to the painting. On January 6, in the penultimate expression of privilege, disrespect and suppression of free speech, white Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter of California’s 50th District removed the painting.

Four days later, the Congressional Black Caucus held a re-installation ceremony of the painting. That same day, white Republican Congressman Doug Lamborn of Colorado boldly removed the painting again, stating, “I could not, in good conscience, continue to walk by a painting that so flagrantly disrespected the brave police officers that protect us here in the Capitol and in our communities across the country.”

In essence, he, his colleagues and the police were offended by the painting. Good for them.

The actions of the police and

representatives in this matter threaten civilization and challenge the essence of democracy. Additionally, they highlight the privilege that white people in positions of power wield: immunity. It is unimaginable that a young black citizen could enter the Capitol building and without permission remove the image of staunch slavery advocate John C. Calhoun without being accosted and likely arrested. The police and representatives are demonstrating that rules and laws only apply to certain kinds of citizens that must not include white members of Congress.

Why would he paint that?

The misplaced and faux anger of the authorities fails to address critical issues pertinent to conditions in African-American communities, police community relations, and constitutional rights.

Art imitates life, but none of the police officers or elected Republican

The relationship between police and the AfricanAmerican community depicted in the painting is implicitly understood among African American citizens but less so in the white community. A 2015 national Pew Research Group poll found that 71 percent of white people expressed a great deal or fair amount of confidence in local police to treat black and white people equally; just 36 percent of black respondents agreed. The stark chasm between these two perspectives is caused by a long history of brutality and oppression. The painting meticulously illustrates that chasm of understanding.

Pulphus’ artistic expression is not the serene setting that one might observe in a Monet painting. There are no sunscapes and lily pads, but rather an accurate portrayal of this young achieving American’s experiences and interaction with police. The artistic expression of protest, in this way, is a form of protest itself. Minimally, his work is a constitutionally protected expression of free speech.

On a larger scale, the recent incidents send a message to AfricanAmerican youth to not bother with finishing school and pursuing excellence because, even if their work is recognized, it will be removed by those who cannot understand it and who see themselves as the exclusive arbiters of Americanism. This is sad, because history has proven that the mark of a declining civilization is the

At this moment in the United States, certain groups have achieved untouchable status with regard to criticism. Citizens may not suggest that policing needs reform without their love of country being questioned. Rather than protecting constitutional freedoms, which the police and member of Congress pledged to do, the white Republican congressmen have chosen to shield the police from critique. There has been a public shift from constructively analyzing the actions of the police to shaming anyone who dares to share one’s human experience. That indicates that America is in danger.

The behavior of the white elected officials regarding the artwork is a clear display of privilege. Americans, but especially African Americans, get the message: freedom of expression is only for police-worshipping privileged citizens. The white members of Congress will likely not be punished for touching that which did not belong to them because it appears that, in this instance, law enforcement and elected officials have far more restraint for white protestors than for black resisters.

In case the Capitol Hill police and the members of Congress wanted to know why Pulphus depicted the authorities in such a manner, the artist’s only comment is, “The art speaks for itself.” It has spoken loudly. Now, who will protect American civilization?

Etefia A.E Umana is chairman of Board of Directors at Better Family Life Inc. Etefia M. Umana is a freelance writer.

Artist David Pulphus

David Pulphus’ painting in response to the Ferguson unrest, which won first place in Missouri’s 1st Congressional District in the 2016 United States Congressional Art Competition, became the target of censorship by police groups and Republican congressmen.

Business

From cop to legal advocate

As an attorney with ArchCity Defenders, a nonprofit civil rights law firm in St. Louis, Sam Henderson has represented hundreds of cases. He has helped numerous people to avoid eviction, homelessness, and the inevitable downward spiral that often follows client interactions with police and municipal courts.

Sam Henderson left police work to practice civil rights law

By Rebecca L. Gorley

For The St. Louis American

One of Sam Henderson’s first experiences with the police was as a teenager, growing up in Chicago in the 1980s. He was walking home one night when a white police officer stopped him and asked, “Where do you live?” Henderson pointed and said, “Down the street.” The officer replied, “Don’t make me slam you against the car. Tell me where exactly you live.”

In 1997, Henderson while interviewing to work in private security in St. Louis, Henderson was told he was overqualified and should consider applying with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

n “Police can make a big impact in people’s lives.”

– Sam Henderson

“I would have never in a million years thought that I would be a police officer,” Henderson said. “But I know how cops treated me and my family growing up. I thought that I could make a positive difference and make a change from the inside, so I applied.”

He worked for the St. Louis police from 1997 until 2000. In that time, he said, he observed situations that he would describe more as hypocritical than police misconduct. For instance, he saw an officer berate and arrest a woman for disciplining her child with a belt, while in a separate incident he saw that same officer nearly break a teenager’s arm during an arrest.

Since that time, Henderson has held a belief that police departments should adopt and

Greitens rides corporate gravy train

Inauguration ‘benefactors’ belies governor’s claim to end ‘politics as usual’

By Michael Butler Guest columnist

Governor Greitens spent a lot of his campaign pledging to do away with the “culture of corruption in Jefferson City” and changing the “politics as usual” nature of the Capitol that favored “well-paid lobbyists and special interest insiders.” He attempted to live up to that pledge in his first official act as Missouri’s 56th governor by moving to ban state employees of the executive branch from soliciting or receiving any gifts from lobbyists. In Executive Order 17-02 he pledged that his administration would “lead by example in order to fundamentally change the culture of

BUTLER, B2

Long Battle

Jillean Long Battle was named assistant deputy treasurer for the State of Missouri by state Treasurer Eric Schmitt. She previously served as chief deputy treasurer and general counsel to Indiana State Treasurer Kelly Mitchell. She has wideranging experience with economic development programs, pension policy and public finance, and holds degrees from the University of California –Berkeley and the Indiana University McKinney School of Law.

Robert McNichols Jr. is one of 10 local artists who each received a $20,000 Artist Fellowship from the Regional Arts Commission (RAC) of St. Louis. They were selected from 212 applicants after being reviewed by RAC Commissioners, a community advisory committee, 26 expert readers, and staff. He was recognized in the field of music.

Susan Stith

implement greater measures of accountability for the sake of public safety.

As a means of cultivating police accountability, he encouraged people to take action by filing formal complaints. As an officer, people would tell him stories of how police mistreated them. His response: file a complaint.

“Ultimately, Internal Affairs, the courts or a private lawyer are going to review those documents, and they could likely be used as evidence in a case,” Henderson said.

While he was an officer, Henderson said, he educated people on how to file a complaint and even accompanied people to police stations to file them.

His goal was to raise public awareness of citizen’s rights and help people feel safe in exercising them. He said he never experienced any backlash or retaliation for teaching and

See SAM, B6

Don’t blame the governor for the budget

Voters and legislature are responsible for shortfall

By Jeanette Mott Oxford Guest columnist

We at Empower Missouri are sad to learn of withholdings to essential programs like higher education today, made necessary by a shortfall in revenue. We have heard some express anger toward Gov. Greitens regarding the $146.4 million in withholds, and we find such criticism unfair. Missouri taxpayers and the General Assembly share in creating the context that forced Gov. Greitens to make these cuts to balance the state budget – just as previous governors have also been forced to make similar withholdings.

Four Missouri tax policy failures that repeatedly create the need to withhold revenue from essential state programs. Hancock Amendment. Voters in our state

See OXFORD, B2

Susan Stith was chosen as an honoree for the Young Women Christian Association’s 2016 Leader of Distinction Award. These women exemplify excellence in their chosen profession, are outstanding role models for other women, and have made significant contributions to their communities. She is senior director of Diversity, Inclusion and Corporate Giving at Express Scripts.

Fred Onovwero-

Fred Onovwerosuoke has a number of newly published musical compositions, including “Caprice for Piano and Orchestra, “Serenade for Flutes Spiralbound” and “Rhapsodies for Wind Quintet – No. 2 (Malaika).” He is a St. Louis-based composer and founder and director of African Musical Arts, www.africaarts.org.

Kyley PruittWilliams was named talent manager of Chestnut Health Systems. She has several years recruiting and sourcing experience. Her responsibilities will include identifying potential candidates for hardto-fill open positions. She will use a variety of sourcing methods and tools to articulate Chestnut’s mission and values.

Jeff Thomas was selected for the 2017 Under Armour All-America High School Football Game, presented by American Family Insurance. He is a senior football player from East St. Louis High School. Family Insurance recognized his mother, Veronica Reed, with

Jillean

suoke

Kyley PruittWilliams

Robert McNichols Jr. Jeff Thomas

Photo by Wiley Price

Photo by Jason Rosenbaum / St. Louis Public Radio Governor Eric Greitens

Michael Butler Jeanette Mott Oxford

By Nathaniel Sillin

Many people ask their appliances to work a little harder than normal during the holidays, and proper maintenance throughout the year might be the key to avoiding an untimely breakdown. Here are a few maintenance tips for refrigerators, dishwashers, laundry machines and dryers. Each of these major appliances has an average lifespan of 10 to 13 years and you might want to start budgeting for your next purchase around the nine-year mark. There are many factors that contribute to a particular machine’s lifespan. However, regular maintainance could help ensure your appliance’s longevity, let you avoid expensive service calls and lead to lower utility bills.

Clean the coils to keep the fridge efficient and cool. We mostly expect refrigerators to keep working. But imagine having a house full of holiday guests and waking up to find that it stopped. Not only are you stuck paying for repairs ($220 to $270 on average), or a new fridge (anywhere from $350 to over $2,500), but you might be making an expensive

BUTLER

continued from page B1

Jefferson City,” but apparently that didn’t include his own inaugural festivities. Minutes after signing this executive

Simple ways to make your appliances last longer

trip to the store to replace all the spoiled food. The most important part of refrigerator maintenance is keeping the condenser coils clean. A dirty coil won’t release heat as well, causing the compressor to work harder, which in turn shortens its life and can cost you money in higher utility bills. Luckily, the process takes about 15 minutes and only needs to be done once or twice a year. Start by unplugging your refrigerator. Units that have coils underneath them will likely have a cover needs to be remove and a condenser fan that should be cleaned. Other units have uncovered coils on the back. Using a brush or vacuum carefully clean off the dirt and dust. If you use a vacuum, check for and empty or dry out the drip pan, which is common on units with a built-in defroster.

The inside of a dishwasher needs cleaning as well. Your dishwasher might not be a necessity, but it sure is nice to spend time with visiting family and friends rather than washing dishes by hand. In fact, during one recent family visit, we ran our dishwasher was multiple times per day. It’s important to clean the

order, Governor Greitens participated in the acceptance of well-paid lobbyist gifts. The last page of the inaugural booklet distributed to inauguration attendees details the many lobbyists and special interest insiders, disguised as “benefactors,” that

inside of the dishwasher as mineral deposits and leftover food scraps can build up, leading to clogged or leaky components and nose-turning smells. Running an unloaded dishwasher on a cleaning cycle with white vinegar could do

contributed to the inaugural committee. Among the 87 so-called “benefactors” are some of Missouri’s largest influence-wielding corporate special interests, including but not limited to; Monsanto, Enterprise, Commerce Bank, Altria, Peabody Energy and

leak could lead to an expensive mess. While gaskets cost about $10, labor costs can be between $75 and $150 an hour and damage from the water could be significantly more.

Respect the load limits of your washer and dryer. I’m always shocked by the piles of laundry that build up when you have a full house. While the extra towels, sheets and clothes from visiting guests might make it tempting, don’t overload your machines.

Too much weight can cause parts to wear out and break prematurely. Plus, you could wind up with detergent residue on clothes and need to rerun the cycle (a waste of time, water and energy), or damp clothes that still need to be dried.

the trick. You may also need to scrub the walls by hand and clean out the filter, which is often found at the bottom of the machine.

Next, gently wipe down and inspect the plastic gasket around the door, a break or

Walmart. I implore you to call the governor at 573-7513222 and ask: What do each of these Jefferson City insiders pay for?

What’s clear from this brazen display of hypocrisy is that Governor Greitens just talks a big game about ending corruption in Jefferson City. It seems that, instead of holding himself and his “team to the highest possible standard,” he

OXFORD

continued from page B1

helped to create our repeated budget woes by passing the Hancock Amendment in 1980. This established that total state revenues cannot exceed

Also, gently close washer and dryer doors. Too much force could break the switch –the small part that signals to the machine the door is closed. The average cost to fix common washing machine problems is $50 to $150, while dryers’ more expensive parts push repairs costs to about $100 to $400.

Consider DIY repairs if something breaks. Even with proper maintenance, appliances

couldn’t resist getting a piece of the action before returning to wagging his finger at the public servants with whom he will have to work with as governor.

can break. Unless you have a repairman in the family, you will likely spend $75-plus an hour to hire one. You might consider trying to save a little money by doing the repairs yourself. The job in question, your comfort level, experience and access to tools will influence which repairs you should attempt, but you won’t necessarily be completely on your own. Appliance manufacturers, appliance parts dealers and independent handymen post helpful video guides with step-by-step instructions that you can follow.

Bottom line: While every appliance will eventually need to be replaced, keeping the components clean and handling machines with care can help extend their lifespan. Make it a regular habit and you’ll set yourself up for fewer repair calls and less frequent appliance purchases as well as a better chance to spend time with loved ones, uninterrupted by inconvenient and expensive appliance issues.

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

If Governor Greitens really wanted to lead by example, he should have disclosed the cost of his inaugural festivities and outright rejected the corporate dollars he continues to claim have tainted the Capitol. That is how you lead by example, not by signing a symbolic executive order. Missourians have had enough talk, and they’re hardly inclined to believe that you’ll “clean up” Jefferson City when you have no problem riding the corporate gravy train right into the Governor’s Mansion. Michael Butler is Democratic Minority Caucus chair and state representative for District 97.

5.64 percent of Missourians’ personal income or tax dollars have to be returned to Missouri income tax payers.

(This provision was triggered more than once in the 1990s.)

A second revenue-limiting amendment was passed in 1996, forcing the General

Assembly to take most revenue-producing ideas to the voters for approval.

Tax cuts. The General Assembly has repeatedly cut taxes over the past 15 years – with cuts totaling nearly a billion dollars cumulatively. We are now approximately $4 billion below the point at which Hancock refunds would be triggered. We believe this is an indication that our General Assembly is not providing a maintenance of effort related to the common good in Missouri.

n The General Assembly has repeatedly cut taxes over the past 15 years –with cuts totaling nearly a billion dollars cumulatively.

Outdated tax table. The General Assembly has not updated our graduated tax table since 1931 –leaving our state with an outdated, unfair and inadequate revenue system – and one that is harder to fix with every year that passes.

State deduction on federal taxes. Missouri is one of only six states allowing a deduction on state taxes for federal taxes paid. The wealthiest 40 percent of Missourians receive 83 percent of the benefit of this tax feature, and the tally of funds not collected due to it in the most recent year for which we have data was $589 million.

Taken in combination, Missouri’s voters and General Assembly have structured our state to fail to provide essential programs and services and destined Missouri governors to face withholdings repeatedly.

Jeanette Mott Oxford is executive director of Empower Missouri.

n “Sports has a way sometimes of changing hearts in a way that politics or business doesn’t.”

– President Obama, welcoming the World Series champion Cubs to the White House

Ritenour on the rise

Huskies one of area’s most improved teams

PreP BasketBall NoteBook

With Earl Austin Jr.

The Ritenour Huskies have been one of the most improved teams in the St. Louis area this season. The Huskies entered the week with a 10-3 record against an upgraded schedule. Ritenour won the championship of the Warrior Classic at St. Charles West in early December and finished runner-up in the Chaminade Tournament to the host Red Devils.

The Huskies are an entertaining team that loves to run and press and push the pace at all times.

The linchpin of Ritenour’s highoctane offense is 5’8” senior guard Robyion Hughes, who is averaging 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 3.5 steals a game. Junior Kobe Smith is a talented 6’4” wing player who is averaging nearly 16 points a game. Senior football standout Carl Garmon has also been good on the basketball court as well with his high motor and 10 points a game. Junior forward Nick Williams has been a much improved player in the low post. The 6’7” Williams is averaging 7.7 points and 6.5 rebounds a game while athletic 6’4” senior Demeetrie Beach averages 8.0 points and 5.7 rebounds a game.

Ritenour advanced to the championship game of the D.C. Wilcutt Tournament, where they will face host CBC.

Jennings continues its roll

The Jennings Warriors looked to be in a rebuilding stage after graduating five of their top six players from a team that won 20 games last season. Instead of taking a step back, the Warriors have continued their winning ways as they entered this week with a 13-2 record. The Warriors made an early-season statement by winning the championship of the Pattonville Tournament. They are also in the championship game of the Denver Miller Tournament at Kirkwood.

The Warriors have defeated some quality teams along the way such as Pattonville, Whitfield, McCluer, Parkway West and Kirkwood. The one remaining key player from last season’s 20-win season was 6’3” senior forward Rajae Johnson, who has been a pillar of strength for the Warriors. Johnson is currently averaging 14.9 points and 9.6 rebounds a game.

NBA Roundup

Despite having the privilege of being a sports columnist, when it comes to picking for any type of sports pools (NFL, NCAA, NBA), I typically hover near the bottom. I rarely even look at the standings. Coming up short is not the issue. It’s seeing the long list of people who finished ahead of me that chips away at my pride. The problem is simple. Instead of simply picking who I think will emerge victorious, I have the bad habit of searching for upsets and underdogs that nobody else will pick. However, when the sleepers don’t pan out, I find myself well below the people who don’t watch sports and select based on jersey colors, family vacations or the ever-effective ‘Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.’ My sports pool futility reminds me of the Los Angeles Clippers. When Chris Paul and Blake Griffin led the Clips to a fantastic 14-2 start

to the NBA season, it was hard to go more than five minutes without seeing Paul in a State Farm commercial another NBA talking picking the Clippers as their sleeper team. The Warriors and Spurs are the obvious favorites to emerge out of the Western Conference, but for some reason the Clippers team was the sexy pick to shock the league. On paper, the Clippers field a fine team, one that should be capable of winning a championship. Paul is one of the best point guards in the league. Griffin is one of the most dynamic power forwards in the game. DeAndre Jordan is an elite rebounder and defender. The bench is deep and talented.

The Clippers have done the unthinkable and overtaken the Lakers as the premiere Los Angeles basketball franchise. However, the safest bets in basketball are that the Clippers will suffer key injuries and

that they will be bounced from the first or second round of the playoffs.

nears return, Paul will miss six-to-eight weeks with a torn ligament in his left thumb. Both should return, but the Clippers team has lost its mojo and gone just 15-12 since its blazing start.

scored eight points against CBC Monday night during the

King Jr. Remembering the Dream Classic at SLUH. CBC’s air defense is Caleb Love

and Davion Bradford

The Dragons of

went on to defeat the Cadets of CBC 64-55.

n The Warriors and Spurs are the obvious favorites to emerge out of the Western Conference, but for some reason the Clippers team was the sexy pick to shock the league.

losing streak. Sorry, but the Clippers are too streaky and too fragile to shock the West.

The Clippers are only sleepers because they always seem to go to bed early.

The injury bug has already reared its ugly head. Griffin, who has only played 82 games once in his career, has missed 15 consecutive games after having arthroscopic knee surgery in December. Just as he See CLUTCH, B5

The team is currently on a seven-game winning streak, but it follows a six-game

for Melo Phil Jackson is appar-

ently ready for life without Carmelo Anthony. Multiple sources have reported that the Zenmaster has approached Anthony about waiving the no-trade clause in his contract. Despite billing itself as a ‘super team’ after acquiring Derrick Rose to play alongside Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, the 18-24 Knicks team has finally realized it is still very mediocre. It appears that the front office would like to make Anthony the scapegoat of its woes and I’m not sure why. Anthony is the same offensively-minded, iso-loving player

Earl Austin Jr.

Coach Doc Rivers must find a way to win without superstars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, who will both spend significant time on the injured reserve this season.

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Photo by Wiley Price

St. Mary’s Antonio Burks (22)

Martin Luther

(2)

(50).

St. Mary’s

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

NFL black head coaching fraternity grows to seven

When the NFL season regular season ended on January 1, there were six open head coaching positions.

If you had told me one-third of those slots would be filled by black men, I would have doubted you.

If you had told me no black coaches would be fired, bringing the total of African Americans guiding NFL teams to seven, I would have been flabbergasted.

If you reminded me that the NFL would now have eight minority coaches, including Carolina’s Ron Rivera, who is Hispanic, I would have said, “The NFL should be applauded.” The NFL should be applauded. Its sketchy history on minority hiring should never be forgotten and the number of black coaches could plummet by this time next year – but for now a tip of the cap is deserved.

its five-win season.

Calling his opportunity “a dream come true,” Lynn said his team will reflect his passion for the game.

“I want all of our fans to know that we’re going to start by putting together a great staff, and we’re going to put together a team with the heart and will of a champion. I know there’s a lot of work to be done, and I’m going to give everything I have to the Chargers, the Spanos family and the City of Los Angeles,” he said.

“Anthony has a commanding presence and brings a no-nonsense approach,”

Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said.

“He is going to be a great leader, and we’re confident he’s going to lead the Chargers to great success that our fans have come to expect out of this organization.”

Anthony Lynn was tapped by the San Diego Chargers as head coach a day after the franchise announced it was moving to Los Angeles. Along with experience and tremendous football knowledge acquired by working for some of the NFL’s premier coaches, Lynn has two things going for him.

First, the Chargers have talent and need to stop underachieving. Second, it won’t be difficult to fill 30,000-seat Stub Hub Stadium in Carson, California, especially if the team dramatically improves on

Lynn, who started the year as running backs coach, served as the Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator after Rex Ryan promoted him a month into the season. He took over as interim head coach when Ryan was fired with one game left. He had been a running backs coach for the previous 13 seasons, including the past eight with Ryan with the Bills and Jets. He also served under Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville, Bill Parcells in Dallas and Romeo Crennel, another black head coach, in Cleveland.

The Chargers will be tenants in the Los Angeles Rams’ new stadium after its scheduled

opening in 2019, but Lynn has a chance to be the king of L.A. football if he can get the Chargers back in contention for a playoff spot next year.

Should they make the playoffs, look out!

The successful Denver Broncos, a member of the AFC West with the Chargers, found the need to hire a new head coach after Gary Kubiak retired. The leading name connected with the job was Kyle Shanahan, the son of Mike Shanahan, a former Broncos head coach.

However, Elway had interviewed Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph in 2015 before hiring Kubiak to replace the departed John Fox. He obviously was impressed because he surprised many NFL pundits by tabbing Joseph for the job.

Unlike most of his black counterparts over the years, Joseph knows he’s in a fortuitous situation.

“For the first-time head coach to have a chance to be with a team like the Denver Broncos, that’s not broken, that’s rare,” Joseph said.

“Usually you have the opportunity of a rebuild. It’s like when Mike Tomlin took over Pittsburgh. When Mike took over, they were a year out from winning the big game.”

When asked if he is ready for the responsibility of being a NFL head coach, Joseph responded, “I think you’re ready when they give you the

job. I won’t know everything about being a head coach, but obviously I’ll learn.”

Like Lynn, Joseph has worked for an impressive roster of head coaches including Mike Nolan in San Francisco, Cincinnati’s Marvin Lewis, who is black, Adam Gase in Miami and Kubiak.

“Experience isn’t equal to knowledge,” Joseph said. I’ve had great experiences around great head coaches, winning guys. It’s problem solving; it’s being in the right experiences that lead to knowledge.”

Barring an unforeseen change, the NFL will kick off the 2017 season with Todd Bowles, New York Jets; Jim Caldwell, Detroit Lions; Hue Jackson, Cleveland Browns; Joseph, Lewis, Lynn and Tomlin as black head coaches.

No social security

Social media has again reared its ugly head, thanks to Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown’s poorly run route. The AllPro receiver decided to live stream coach Mike Tomlin’s speech to the team following its thrilling 18-16 victory at Kansas City last Sunday night.

It isn’t like the New

England Patriots needed further incentive to defeat Pittsburgh on Sunday to advance to the 51st Super Bowl – but now they have it. Said a fired-up Tomlin, “When you get to this point in the journey, man, not a lot needs to be said. Let’s say very little moving forward. Let’s start our preparations. We just spotted these a--h---- a day and a half. They played yesterday. Our game got moved to tonight. We’re going to touch down at 4 o’clock in the f---ing morning. So be it.

“We’ll be ready for their a--. But you ain’t got to tell them we’re coming. Keep a low profile, and let’s get ready to ball like this up again here in a few days and be right back at it. That’s our story.” So much for that “low profile.”

Further irony is that a Steelers players is heard saying, “Keep cool on social media. This is about us, nobody else, man.” Brown is as responsible for the Steelers being a win away from the Super Bowl as any of its players. But this time, the talented receiver dropped the ball.

Minority NHL stars shine Nashville’s P.K. Subban will captain the Central Division squad during the fourteam NFL All-Star 3-on-three tournament on January 29. St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko is also on the Central team and could be a member of the top line with Subban.

Other players of color, their respective teams and All-Star divisions are Jeff Carter, L.A. Kings (Pacific); Seth Jones, Columbus, (Metropolitan); Kyle Okposo Buffalo (Atlantic) and Wayne Simmonds, Philadelphia (Metropolitan).

Certainly there should be a place for several other minority stars, but the four teams must have six forwards, three defensemen and two goalies apiece from each NHL division. Like the MLB AllStar Game, every franchise must be represented at least once. According to USA TODAY, “those restrictions essentially guarantee an elite forward or defenseman in each division will be a victim of the numbers game.”

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, including Frank Cusumano’s “The Press Box” on KFNS. His Twitter handle is @aareid1.

Alvin A. Reid

Anthony Lynn was tapped by the San Diego Chargers as head coach a day after the franchise announced it was moving to Los Angeles.

Cowboys RB Elliott, Chargers DE Bosa receive top rookie honors from PFWA

By Pro Football Weekly

The Pro Football Writers of America announced Tuesday that Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott was voted the Rookie of the Year and Chargers DE Joey Bosa was voted Defensive Rookie of the Year. Elliott led the NFL with 1,631 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns. His teammate, Dak Prescott, was the quarterback for the PFWA All-Rookie Team.

C Cody Whitehair and OLB Leonard Floyd. Here is the complete PFWA All-Rookie Team for 2016: Offense

QB – Dak Prescott Dallas Cowboys

Bosa led all rookies with 10.5 sacks, despite appearing in only 12 games. He also had 17 tackles for loss and 21 QB hits. Bosa was one of three Chargers to make the AllRookie team, joining TE Hunter Henry and LB Jatavis Brown. The Chiefs had four spots on the All-Rookie Team, as Tyreek Hill was named the All-Rookie kickoff returner, punt returner and specialteamer. Chiefs DT Chris Jones made after notching two sacks and 10 QB hits as a rookie.

The Bears also had three players make the All-Rookie Team: RB Jordan Howard,

CLUTCH

Continued from B3

that he’s always been. This season, Anthony is averaging 22.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game with a 19.3 player efficiency rating. Compare that last season where Anthony averaged 21.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists with a 20.3 PER. Apparently Jackson is ready to part ways with Anthony and hand the keys to Porzingis. That in itself is not a bad idea since Porzingis is a superstar-in-the-making. Anthony though, a native New Yorker, went to an awful franchise and made the team relevant – at least for a while. He gave New York fans a superstar to root for.

Anthony has stated his intentions to remain in New York to play out his contract. Though he is frustrated with the drama, he is fiercely loyal to New York. If there Brooklyn Nets weren’t so terrible, it might make sense as a destination for Anthony since Brooklyn is his actual hometown. It’s doubtful though that Anthony would waive a no-trade clause to leave a

PREP

Continued from B3 Jennings has also been bolstered by a pair of transfers in the backcourt. Junior guard Kyle Younge, a transfer from Riverview Gardens, has been one of the impact backcourt players in the area. The 5’10” Younge is averaging 18 points, three assists and 2.5 steals a game. He scored a game-high 32 points in a victory over host Kirkwood in the semifinals of the Denver Miller Tournament. Junior guard Terran Jackson, a transfer from McCluer North, is averaging seven points and nearly four assists game. Forward Jordan Brown also contributes 5.8 points and 3.9 rebounds a game.

STL represents in national rankings

The St. Louis area is well represented in the latest Rivals.com national rankings for the Class of 2018. The national recruiting site has four players from St. Louis rated amongst its top 150 players in the ’18 Class. Power forward Carte’are Gordon of Webster Groves was ranked No. 18. The 6’8” Gordon is a Saint Louis University commitment. Gordon’s teammate at Webster Groves,

RB – Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys; Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears WR –Sterling Shepard New York Giants; Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints

TE – Hunter Henry, San Diego Chargers

C – Cody Whitehair Chicago Bears

G – Joe Thuney, New England Patriots; Laremy Tunsil, Miami Dolphins

T – Jack Conklin, Tennessee Titans; Taylor Decker, Detroit Lions

Defense

DL – Joey Bosa, San Diego Chargers; DeForest

mediocre team for a terrible one. Anthony holds all the cards in the current standoff with Jackson. His current contract runs through the 2018-19 season. We know ‘Melo doesn’t mind running out the clock for a one-on-one matchup. Mismanagement in the New York Knicks front office is the one thing in the NBA that’s more predictable than the Clippers’ annual collapse. It’s not Anthony’s fault. And the Oscar goes to… I’ve tried to lay off criticizing LeBron James too much this season. For all the flack he gets in the media, James is one of the greatest players to ever lace up a pair of sneakers, a true champion and a stand up guy – well, when he’s not flopping all over the place.

As if the 35-point MLK Day showdown beatdown by the Golden State Warriors wasn’t ugly enough, James once again was nominated for “Flop of the Year.” James did his best Simone Biles impression and nearly did a triple somersault with a full twist after Draymond Green ran into him on a fast break during the second quarter of the game. James is 6’8” and 250-pluspounds of pure muscle, strength and athleticism. He

guard Courtney Ramey, was ranked No. 28. Guard Torrence Watson of Whitfield was rated No. 93 while 6’6” small forward Karrington Davis of Chaminade was rated at No. 137.

Ameritime Classic at Parkway West

The Ameritime Classic will be held next week at Parkway West. The tournament features

Buckner, San Francisco 49ers; Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs; Yannick Ngakoue, Jacksonville Jaguars

LB – Jatavis Brown, San Diego Chargers; Leonard Floyd, Chicago Bears; Deion Jones, Atlanta Falcons

CB – Vernon Hargreaves III, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Jalen Ramsey, Jacksonville Jaguars

S – Karl Joseph, Oakland Raiders; Keanu Neal, Atlanta Falcons

Special Teams

PK – Wil Lutz, New Orleans Saints

P – Riley Dixon, Denver Broncos

KR – Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs

PR – Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs

ST – Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs

Visit ProFootballWeekly. com | View Latest E-Edition

is a freak of nature. There’s simply no way that the contact Green made would make James go airborne in the manner that he did. James then writhed in agony on the floor long enough for Green to get hit with a ‘Flagrant 1.’

James’ flopping is secondto-none in the NBA and only

eight quality area teams. The first round games will be on Monday, Jan. 23 with Parkway West vs. Parkway South at 4 p.m.; DeSmet vs. Lafayette at 5:30 p.m.; Hazelwood Central vs. Liberty at 7 p.m. and Hillsboro vs. Parkway Central at 8:30 p.m. The semifinals will be on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. The championship game will be held on Friday, Jan. 27 at 8:30 p.m.

Brooke Flowers

6’4” junior center has

matched in professional soccer. Maybe James’ next great act will be to lead Tottenham or

Newcastle United to a Premiere League title. Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ IshmaelSistrunk

LeBron James lies on the floor in faux-pain after a tremendous flop Monday night versus the Golden State Warriors. The Cavaliers lost the game 126-91.

SAM continued from page B1 accompanying people through that process. After a few years on the beat, he began to feel like he would more effectively make a positive difference as a lawyer practicing criminal and civil defense. So he became a lawyer.

Advocate for the poor

In 2009, Henderson was approached by Kathleen Zellner, an attorney from Chicago, who was looking for local counsel to work on a case to help to exonerate Ryan Ferguson from a murder he did not commit.

Henderson worked with a team of Chicago attorneys to get Ferguson’s conviction overturned.

He combed through evidence, witnesses and testimony to uncover that police had pressured the co-defendant and witness to lie. They also discovered that the prosecutor hid critical evidence from the defense. The wrongful conviction led Ferguson, an innocent man, to spend 10 years in prison. He’s been free since 2013.

Henderson was working at Brownstone Law firm in 2013 doing post-conviction relief work when Cornealius Anderson’s case came across his desk. He worked to find dusty but relevant case law to prove Anderson had already done time served, which secured his client’s acquittal from unsubstantiated charges.

In 2014, he represented Anderson in a second case when he was arrested for a robbery that he did not commit. When Anderson was leaving a bar, he was falsely accused and subsequently arrested for a robbery that had been reported downtown.

Henderson worked tirelessly to investigate the case himself and found evidence that proved Anderson’s innocence.

“Sure, people make mistakes, but they could

have done a more thorough investigation,” he said of the police on that case.

Henderson successfully got the case dismissed, and the prosecutor’s office issued a public apology to Anderson. Following that win, Henderson applied for an attorney position with ArchCity Defenders, a nonprofit civil rights law firm in St. Louis. Since then, he has represented hundreds of cases. He has helped numerous people to avoid eviction, homelessness, and the inevitable downward spiral that often follows client interactions with police and municipal courts.

Less than one week into 2017, Henderson helped a hard-working mother, Keilee Fant, avoid a $14,000 judgment, winning a landlord tenant case on her behalf. In late 2015, Fant requested the new owner of her rented house to make necessary repairs, and the new landlord began threatening eviction. Fant and her children eventually moved out of the house, but the owner filed a lawsuit alleging Fant abandoned the house and allowed someone to break in, causing damage to the air conditioner unit, HVAC system and plumbing.

The owner was aware the police arrested a neighbor for the burglary. Instead of going after the neighbor who broke into the house, she sued Fant for almost $14,000.

At trial, Henderson argued Fant did not cause the damage. Additionally, he argued that the owner was not entitled to rent payments under the lease because she failed to comply with Missouri law. The cornerstone of Henderson’s winning argument was a landlordtenant case that ArchCity Defenders won in appellate court in 2014, which set legal precedent and expanded tenants’ rights.

While Henderson’s caseload includes housing, criminal, municipal court, and family law matters, he intends to focus on protecting individuals’ civil rights, particularly in situations of police misconduct. “Police,” he said, “can make a big impact in people’s lives.”

For more information, follow ArchCity Defenders on Facebook and on Twitter @ archcitydefense.

Rebecca L. Gorley is director of communications for ArchCity Defenders.

Financial Focus

By Roger Macon, AAMS

Overcoming ‘roadblocks’ to a comfortable retirement

direct this “found” money toward your retirement.

• Underestimating your longevity – You can’t predict how long you’ll live, but you can make some reasonable guesses – and you might be surprised at your prospects. According to the Social Security Administration, men

Candace Brown, a student at the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University, talks with Sam Henderson, an attorney with ArchCity Defenders, in his office in downtown St. Louis.

Photo by Wiley Price

Best of both worlds

STL music stars team to form music duo The Knuckles

By Kenya Vaughn

Of The St. Louis American

“It’s rare to find someone that you can connect with musically on this level, because your thing is your thing,” said singer Aloha Mischeaux. “And I’ve been doing my thing by myself on my own for a long time.”

Individually, she and rapper Rockwell Knuckles have had the local music scene’s stamp of approval for several years now.

She was a top 32 finalist for “American Idol,” the recently defunct television show that enjoyed cultural phenomenon status at the height of its popularity.

He was a runner-up for the DTP Madness hiphop competition presented by Hot 104.1 FM and rapper Ludacris’ Disturbing Tha Peace record label.

Both have enjoyed radio hits and received national buzz for their respective solo work, but a chance encounter while working on a television project would change the course of their musical direction by creating an intersection.

The television show never managed to take off, but the silver lining came in the form of the creative partnership that they say came together organically about a year-and-a-half ago. Their natural chemistry compelled them to go into the studio and make songs – and they never stopped. They soon joined forces as the duo The Knuckles.

The past 18 months they’ve created more than 200 songs. They released the album “Set One” last year. “Set Two” is being finalized for an early spring release.

“The stuff I’m making with Aloha is so powerful because I don’t have to slow down for her,” Knuckles said. “The level of making music I’m trying to attain is easier because I’m doing it with her.”

The work of The Knuckles sounds absolutely

Baldwin in his own words

James Baldwin

‘I Am Not Your Negro’ reveals timeless legacy of literary giant and social critic

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

“All the words in this film are all Baldwin’s. I didn’t write a single word,” said filmmaker Raoul Peck.

In the film “I Am Not Your Negro,” there is no “talking heads” commentary from historical figures or experts speaking on James Baldwin’s rightful place in history as an author, social critic and activist. Clips and footage provide context and visual stimulation, but the focal point of film is Baldwin’s words – which are narrated by Samuel L. Jackson.

See BALDWIN, C4

nothing like their respective solo work. It’s almost as if they are coming from a place of oppositional defiance when it comes to making music that fits into a format conducive to radio airplay – or a particular genre in general. On one track she might be singing with a cadence usually reserved for rap. On another track, he might be singing. Regardless of how

See the On-Line story video on www.stlamerican.com

STL beauty mavens share hot tips for 2017

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

“Our theme for 2017 is ‘living your life like its golden’ and that’s what this makeover is going to be about,” Marie Simone of Shi Salon and Nettie Kelley of Nettie Kelley Cosmetics said as they prepared to show why they are two of the most respected beauty professionals in the city.

“It’s all about living your best life and being your best self – and using your look to help articulate that energy,” Simone said.

“Live your life like its golden in 2017!” they both exclaimed in unison.

Shi Salon has been a staple on the St. Louis hair scene since Simone opened its doors back in 2001. Her work has been featured in some of the nation’s top hair, fashion and lifestyle magazines, including Modern Salon, Essence, Behind

anti-industry the music comes across, the sound they’ve teamed up to create raises the bar of expectations and potential for them as artists – who have joined forces to create something completely left of what is expected from them individually.

“We’re throwing stuff at the wall and just seeing what works,” Mischeaux said. “For the first

time, I didn’t have to fit into a radio format, a box, a skirt or a certain hairdo. I was just myself all the way and it was just so easy. I’m in a group with somebody that I don’t have to explain myself to. It’s just a certain feeling that I feel we

Jasmine Quinn gets a glamourous makeover thanks to Marie Simone

lon, Nettie Kelley of Nettie Kelley Cosmetics and personal stylist and

the Chair, Sophisticate’s Black Hair and InStyle, to name a few. Nettie Kelley is one of the most sought-after makeup artists in the region. She further solidified her brand when she launched Nettie Kelley

Cosmetics in 2013. As great as they are separately, Simone and See STYLE, C4

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Aloha Mischeaux and Rockwell Knuckles, known collectively as The Knuckles, performing at Tef Poe’s Poefest last month at Delmar Hall. See KNUCKLES, C4

Model

of Shi Sa-

Shi Salon artist Geovantie Slaughter.

Photo by Rebecca Rivas

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

Thurs., Jan. 19, 3:30 p.m., A Creative Psalm of Neighborhood, St. Louis Pulbic Library – Julia Davis Branch, 4415 Natural Bridge Rd. For more information, call (314) 383-3021.

Thurs., Jan. 19, 4 p.m., Paper Doll Peace Change, St. Louis Public Library – Baden Branch, 8448 Church Road. For more information, call (314) 388-2400.

Sat., Jan. 21, 2 p.m., Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Embracing Brotherly Love Through Poetry, St. Louis Public Library – Walnut Park Branch, 5760 West Florissant.

Thurs., Jan. 26, 12 Noon, Maryville University Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, Maryville University Auditorium, 650 Maryville University Dr. For more information, call (314) 529-9434.

Fri., Jan. 27, 7 p.m., St. Louis County Library’s Black History Celebration presents Bernice King, 2017 Frankie Freeman Inspirational Lecture. She will discuss and sign “My Life, My Love, My Legacy” a new autobiography of her mother Coretta Scott King Library Headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, call (314) 994-3300 or visit www.slcl.org.

Sat., Jan. 28, 3 p.m., Black History Gospel Celebration featuring gospel rapper Mike Dyson and Friends, Afro World, 7276 Natural Bridge Rd. For more information, call (314) 389-5194.

Mon., Jan. 30, 10 a.m., I Have a Dream Blood Donor Drive, the blood donor drive is for adults only, St. Louis Public Library – Kingshighway Branch, 2260 S. Vandeventer.

For more information, call (314) 771-5450.

Feb. 1- Feb.28, African American Inventors Exhibit, St. Louis County Library, St. Louis County Library – Thornhill Branch, 12863 Willowyck Drive. For more information, visit www.slcl. org.

Fri., Feb. 17, 7:30 p.m., St. Louis Symphony presents Lift Every Voice: Black History Month Celebration. Join the STL Symphony, guest Byron Stripling and the IN UNISON Chorus to commemorate culture and community. 718 N. Grand blvd., 63103. For more information call 314-534-1700 or visit www.stlsymphony.org.

Sun., Feb. 19, 6 p.m. (5 p.m. doors), Community Women Against Hardship Black History Month Benefit Concert with special guest Russell Gunn, Harold and Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz, 3536 Washington. For more information, call (314) 571-6000.

concerts

Through Jan. 21, Jazz St. Louis presents Regina Carter: Simply Ella. Jazz at the Bistro, 3536 Washington Ave., 63103.

Sat., Jan. 21, R&B Legends featuring Miki Howard, Lenny Williams, Surface with special guest Tony Terry. Hosted by Lightning. The Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry. For more information, call (314) 869-9090.

Fri., Jan. 27, 5 p.m., Howlin’ Fridays concert series presents Skeet Rogers. National Blues Museum, 615 Washington Ave., 63101. For more information, visit www. nationalbluesmuseum.org.

Sat., Jan. 28, 8 p.m., Saint Louis Classical Guitar Society presents Guitar Duo Noire, The Ethical Society,

Featured Event

Jan. 21 – 22, COCA presents Momentum. A choreographic collaboration between Kirven DouthitBoyd and Anthony “Redd” Williams. 524 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 561-4877 or visit www.cocastl.org.

9001 Clayton Road, St. L 63117. For more information, (314) 229-8686 or online at www.guitarstlouis.net.

local gigs

Sun., Jan. 22, 5 p.m., BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups presents Voyage to Atlantis: The Music of the Isley Brothers. Justin Hoskin & The Movie will soothe your soul with the sultry sounds of the incomparable Isley Bros. 700 S. Broadway, 63102. For more information, call (314) 436-5222 or visit www. bbsjazzbluessoups.com.

Sat., Jan. 28, 2 p.m., St. James AME Church hosts Synthesis of Sound 2 Jazz

Concert feat. Willena “Mz. NV” Vaughn with Adrianne Felton King and Rhoda G 4301 St. Ferdinand Ave., 63113. For more information, call (314) 371-0687 or visit www.stjamesstl.org.

special events

Fri., Jan. 20, 6 p.m., Annie’s Hope presents the 5th Annual Chocolate and Wine Tasting Event: The Chocolate Affair. 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 9655015 or visit www.csc-stl.org.

Sat., Jan. 21, 7 p.m., 2017 Slumfest Hip Hop Awards

St. Louis County Library’s Black History Celebration presents the 2017 Frankie Freeman Inspirational Lecture Featuring Reverend Bernice King. See BLACK HISTORY MONTH ACTIVITIES for additional details.

Jan. 23 – 27, St. Louis Community College – Forest Park celebrates Social Justice Week: Commemorating the Past and Synergizing for the Future. Jan. 23, 7 p.m.: The highlight of the weeklong events is an observation of the 100-year mark of the devastation resulting from the East St. Louis riots. True Light Baptist Church will provide a musical tribute. For a complete list of events and locations, visit www.stlcc.edu/FP. For more information, call (314) 644-9745.

Wednesday, January 25, 7 p.m. & Thursday, January 26, at p.m. Opera Theatre Saint Louis presents Opera Tastings, Menu highlights by Executive Chef Ryan Luke: Wine and locally-sourced continental cuisine Moulin Events, 2017 Chouteau Avenue in Lafayette Square. For more information, visit ExperienceOpera.org/ OperaTastings or call (314) 961-0644.

Jan. 27 – 29, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents The St. Louis Food and Wine Experience. We will have more than 900 wines to taste and culinary delights around every corner. 212 Kingshighway Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www.foodandwinestl.org.

This award show will honor the accomplishments of Area Hip Hop Artists, DJs, Producers, and BBoys/BGirls. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 4428749 or visit www.slumfest. com.

Jan. 20 – 22, Peabody Opera House presents Sesame Street Live: Elmo Makes Music. 1400 Market St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 499-7600 or visit www. peabodyoperahouse.com.

Jan. 21 – 22, COCA presents Momentum. An unprecedented choreographic collaboration between Kirven Douthit-Boyd and Anthony “Redd” Williams makes this a not to miss performance! 524 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 561-4877 or visit www.cocastl.org.

Mon., Jan. 23, 5:30 p.m., 26th Annual St. Louis Arts Awards. Chase Park Plaza, 212 Kingshighway Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 289-4003 or visit www.keeparthappening.org.

Friday, January 27, 7 p.m. Opera Theatre Saint Louis presents Opera Tastings Menu highlights by General Manager Eric Sohn: Beer and new American-style comfort food, Quintessential Dining & Nightlife 149 N. Main Street in Historic St. Charles. For more information, visit ExperienceOpera.org/ OperaTastings or call (314) 961-0644.

Sat., Jan. 28, 11 a.m., National Sales Network hosts the 10th Annual State of the Organization Jazz Brunch Windows on Washington, 1601 Washington Ave., 63103. For more information, email nsnstlouis@gmail.com or visit www.eventbrite.com.

Feb. 18, 9 p.m., Phi Chapter of Alpha Psi Kappa Fraternity, Inc. will be hosting its 3rd Annual Bowties & Stilettos – a fundraiser , 14th Street Artist Gallery, 2701 North 14th Street. Sat., Feb. 25, 2:30 p.m., True Light Missionary Baptist Church Progressive League hosts its Annual Black History Program, 2838 James

“Cool Papa” Bell Ave., 63106 at Glasgow Ave. For more information, call (314) 5311801.

comedy

Wed., Jan. 25, 8 p.m., Helium Comedy Club St. Louis presents Comics against Humanity in St. Louis. A show that brings the beloved and horribly amazing game “Cards Against Humanity” to life. Watch as the best local comedians improvised their sets on the spot using cards from the game as inspiration. 151 St Louis Galleria St., 63117. For more information, visit www.heliumcomedy.com.

Feb. 14, 8 p.m., St. Louis Laugh A Thon starring Earthquake, Don “DC” Curry, Michael Blackson, Damon Williams and Huggy Low Down, The Peabody Opera House, The Peabody Opera House, 1400 Market. For more information

literary

Thur., Jan. 19, 7 p.m., St. Louis County Library hosts author James Hamblin, author of If Our Bodies Could Talk 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, call (314) 994-3300 or visit www.slcl.org.

Fri., Jan. 27, 6 p.m., 100 Boots Poetry Series: Lyn Hejinian & Alison C. Rollins. Pulitzer Arts Foundation, 3716 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 754-1850 or visit www. pulitzerarts.org.

Mon., Jan. 30, Left Bank Books hosts author Aaron Coleman, author of St. Trigger. 399 N. Euclid Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 367-6731 or visit www.left-bank.com.

Through February 28, St. Louis County Library’s Winter Reading Club. All ages are invited to participate. For more information please

call 314 994-3300 or visit www.slcl.org/winter-readingclub.

Sat., Jan. 21, 7:30 p.m., Black Market: A Private Affair in Art, Music and Dance. Proceeds benefit Kawasaki disease, the number one cause of Heart disease in Children. Missouri Jewelite Building, 3562 Market St., 63103. For more information, call (314) 322-3112.

Mon., Jan. 23, 5:30 p.m., 26th Annual St. Louis Arts Awards. Chase Park Plaza, 212 Kingshighway Blvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 289-4003 or visit www.keeparthappening.org.

Through Jan. 28, The Thomas Dunn Learning Center presents the American Revolutions Art Exhibit. The 2016 election further exposed the great divide between many American citizens. Fortunately, there is healing in art - or at least an opportunity for self-expression. This exhibit features the works of artists who are unafraid to exercise that right. 3113 Gasconade St., 63118.

Sat., Jan. 28, 4 p.m., UMSL presents Taking it to the Streets. The exhibition features work by artists whose work addresses themes of identity, social-justice, place, environment and family. This program is free and open to the public. Gallery 210, UMSL, 44 East Dr., 63121. For more information, call (314) 5165952 or visit www.gallery210. umsl.edu.

The Thomas Dunn Learning Center is seeking artists to display work during an upcoming Black History Month art exhibit A Change is Gonna Come. They are also seeking poets to perform spoken word compositions at the opening reception on February 4 at 12 p.m. 3113 Gasconade St., 63118. For more information, call (314)

353-3050 or visit www.tdunn. org.

Through Mar. 31, National Blues Museum presents Women of the Blues: A Coast-to-Coast Collection 615 Washington Ave., 63101. For more information, call (314) 925-0016 or visit www. womenoftheblues.com.

theatre

Jan. 26 – Feb. 12, New Jewish Theatre presents Lynn Nottage’s Intimate Apparel, Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Drive. For more information, call (314) 442-3283.

Jan. 27 – Feb. 12, Upstream Theater presents the U.S. Premiere of The Year of the Bicycle, Kranzberg

women who are on the brink of, in the middle of, or have survived “The Change.” The Playhouse at West Port Plaza, 635 West Port Plaza, 63146. For more information, visit www.MenopauseTheMusical. com.

Feb. 17 – Mar. 14, Max & Louie Productions’ presents “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill,” The Kranzberg Arts Center. For more information, visit http:// maxandlouie.com/

lectures and workshops

Thur., Jan. 19, 7 p.m., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Alpha Omega Chapter in partnership with State Representative Bruce Franks, Jr. presents a Mayoral Candidate Forum For more information or to register, visit www. stlmayoralcandidateforum. eventbrite.com.

Arts Center. For more information, visit http://www. upstreamtheater.org.

Through January 29, The Black Rep continues its 40th Anniversary Season with Nikkole Salters’ LINES IN THE DUST, Washington University’s Edison Theatre, 6445 Forsyth. Tickets for the production are available at The Black Rep Box Office by calling 314.534.3810 or online at theblackrep.org.

Though Jan. 29, The Fabulous Fox presents An American in Paris.. 527 N. Grand Blvd., St Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit www.fabulousfox.com.

Through Feb. 12, The Playhouse presents Menopause the Musical. The groundbreaking celebration of

Fri., Jan. 20, 12 noon, Saint Louis University John Francis Bannon, S.J., 2017 Lecture presents “History, Social Justice, and the Age of Trump” featuring Dr. Kambiz GhaneaBassiri, Reed College and Dr. Leah Wright Rigueur, Harvard Kennedy School, Boileau Hall, 38 Vandeventer Avenue (between Laclede and Lindell) at Saint Louis University, for more information, e-mail lglover1@ slu.edu or call 314-977-8621

Sat., Jan. 21, 9:30 a.m., YWCA Woman’s Place will offer a free workshop on SELF-COMPASSION 8300 Morganford Road. Call 314-645-4848 to reserve your place.

Wed., Jan. 25, 2 p.m., T-Rex presents Getting into the Game – Learn to be a Player in the World of Federal Contracting. 911 Washington Ave., 63101. For more information or to register, visit www. downtowntrex.org.

Wed., Jan. 25, 7 p.m., The Thomas Dunn Learning Center presents Career Readiness: Taking All the Necessary Steps. 3113 Gasconade St., 63118. For more information or to register, call (314) 353-3050.

health

Fri., Jan. 20, 5:30 p.m., The Foundation Fighting Blindness presents The 8th Annual St. Louis Dining in the Dark Visionary Awards Dinner. Ritz-Carlton, 100 Carondelet Plaza, 63105. For more information, call (847) 680-0100 or visit www.FightBlindness.org/ StLouisDininginthedark.

Sat., Jan. 21, 12:30 p.m., A Day of #BlackGirlHealing. Mindful Movements, 1400 N. Market St., 63106. For more information or to RSVP, visit www.squareup.com.

Sat., Jan. 21, 10 a.m., The Community Action Agency of St. Louis County, Inc. invites you to the Home, Health and Energy Resource Fair Ferguson Community Center, 1050 Smith Ave., 63135. For more information, call (314) 446-4435 or visit www.caastlc. org.

Fri., Jan 27, 9:15 a.m., Dr. Mark Mitchell will present Health and Social Justice in Home, School, and Playground Environments at Pediatric Grand Rounds on the campus of Barnes -Jewish Hospital South in Clopton Auditorium.

Sat., Jan. 28, 7 p.m., SSM Health Cardinal Glennon presents Taste for Glennon. William Grant & Sons will be on hand to craft cocktails. Guests will also enjoy hors d’oeuvres and a glass-blowing demonstration, all to benefit the mission and exceptional care of SSM Health Cardinal Glennon. Third Degree Glass Factory, 5200 Delmar bBlvd., 63108. For more information, call (314) 577-5605 or visit www. glennon.org.

R&B Legends featuring Miki Howard, Lenny Williams and Surface with special guest Tony Terry. For more information, see CONCERTS.

The film’s premise –and content – comes from “Remember This House,” an unfinished work by Baldwin that chronicled his relationship with Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. Each made a commitment to use their gifts and resources to dismantle racism in America, and each paid the ultimate price. Baldwin’s reflections on their tragic deaths – as well as his own response to the Civil Rights Movement, both as a witness and a vocal advocate who used his platform to expose the ills of systemic racism and segregation – give a first-person perspective.

At the time of Baldwin’s death, he had only written 30 pages of the book he initially pitched to his literary agent in 1979. But Peck managed to create a comprehensive visual narrative that sees Baldwin’s vision realized by way of the lens.

“Me as a filmmaker, I had to be in the background for ‘I Am Not Your Negro.’ I had to be the messenger,” Peck said. “It was not about me – it’s about Baldwin and his words – and making sure that you are confronted with his words. They are so powerful. They show his whole defiance to the system. And as an audience, you are confronted with this in a very direct and intimate way. That is the film I wanted to make.”

Baldwin’s words resonate as much today in this toxic social and political climate that saw unrest in Ferguson, the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement and the election of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United Sates. It’s as if he were watching the moments that have given our nation pause in recent years unfold in real time.

“All of these words were written 40 or 50 years ago –that’s how strong they are,” Peck said. “The way they

n “He helped me structure myself. I feel like the man that I am today is in large part due to James Baldwin and his writing.”

- Raoul Peck, Filmmaker

resonate today says something about how profound and fundamental they are.”

He hopes that Baldwin’s genius will have the same impact on young people as it did on him when he picked up the book “The Fire Next Time” as a teenager growing up in Haiti.

“He never left me since then. He helped me grow,” Peck said. “He helped me structure myself. I feel like the man that I am today is in large part due to James Baldwin and his writing.”

The acclaimed filmmaker said that Baldwin also had a direct impact on his work.

“He helped me deconstruct my own profession,” Peck said. “When I started making film, I already had Baldwin in my mind and I knew the instrument – and what you can do with

images, and what images can do to you.

I knew about propaganda and brainwashing because of Baldwin. By the time I became a filmmaker I was using Baldwin left and right. [Because of him] as a black filmmaker, I felt that I can tell the history from my point of view – and I had to do it in an industry that didn’t care.”

In “I Am Not Your Negro,” Baldwin’s words are made even more compelling as they are juxtaposed with images from the ugliest battles of the Civil Rights Movement and the unrest in Ferguson.

He talks about the importance of being a witness to the movement – and speaks of excessive force by police as imagery of youth protesting in Ferguson, though Baldwin died nearly 30 years before the death of Michael Brown.

“By the time I decided to make this film, I was angered by how today we ignore that somebody like him existed –and how important he is,” Peck said. “Baldwin was never afraid of losing everything. And that’s the price you pay. If we are not ready to pay that price today, then we are in trouble. We are not only missing a voice like Baldwin, we are missing the sacrifice.”

Peck hopes his film takes people back to Baldwin and the realities he forced people to confront by way of his life, his works and his contribution to dialogue on race that still rings true today.

“There’s a moment in the film where Baldwin confronts [white] America,” Peck said.

“He says, ‘if you don’t realize that this story is also yours and that you invented the [n-word expletive] – and if you are not ready to take back your [n-word expletive] – then there is no way things are going to change.’”

“I Am Not Your Negro” opens in St. Louis on February 3 at The Tivoli. For more information on the film, visit http:// www.iamnotyournegrofilm. com

STYLE

Continued from C1

Kelley are even better together. And as they prepared to incorporate the saying made popular by the upbeat and affirming song “Golden” by soul singer Jill Scott released in 2004, things got literal. Both were gleaming with excitement about bout the gold shavings they had cupped in their hands, which would serve as the foundation for the look they were about to come together to create.

And, naturally, the completed look gave a taste of what to expect of hair and makeup trends for 2017.

Vintage glamour – “2017 is all about that classic elegance from the roaring 20’s through the Harlem Renaissance and up through the 1940s,” Simone said as she put the finishing touches on model Jasmine Quinn’s push waves by sprinkling what was left of her pile of gold leaf on top of the completed style. Push waves are a derivative of the “finger waves,” but instead of fingers, combs are used to lift the hair from the head. “It’s like 3-D finger waves,” Simone said. “This technique adds volume and fullness to that classic look.” In addition to finger waves and push waves, Simone said soft updos that that pay homage to the African American style icons of the 1940s are expected to be popular hair options for 2017. “It’s all about the glamour – and finding a way to express that in a way that is authentically and beautifully you.”

Fresh faced and flawless –“As far as your foundation, you want to it to be effortless,” said Kelly. “We want it to look like it is coming from within.” Who else is thanking Jesus that we were supposed to bid farewell to extremely contoured faces in 2016? The answer: just about everyone. According to Kelley, you want your foundation –which is exactly when you’re creating your look as far as makeup – to have that natural beauty glow if you plan to be current as far as the makeup trends of 2017. Breathable skin is the goal. That’s not to say that you can’t be bold and dramatic. “Blend the face out, but

magnify a bold color – like a bold pink.”

Heavy metal – or, fitting with their “golden” theme, metallic shades on the eyes and the lips will be all the rage in 2017. Kelley used the gold leaf as eye shadow. “You can use this all over the body – as you can see you can put it in your hair, you can put it on your nails and set it with a coat of clear nail polish,” Kelley said.

“You can use it as an eye shadow – or a liner.” She did a bit of both as she made Jasmine’s eyes pop with the substance.

“This stuff is way too cool.

It can be very subtle or very daring and bold.” She also put a bit on top of the lip to accentuate and tie in the gold.

“Have fun with it,” Kelley said. “That’s what it’s all about in 2017 – living your life like it’s golden.”

For more information about Nettie Kelley, visit http://www. nkmakeupstudio.com/

For Marie Simone and Shi Salon, visit www.mariesimone. com Visit stlamerican.com to view the accompanying video, “24-Karat Hair and Makeup Magic” by Rebecca Rivas.

KNUCKLES

Continued from C1

have in our music.”

That feeling can best be described as creative freedom.

“There’s no box or formula, but it works,” Knuckles said.

Last year they took The Knuckles on the road playing festivals and were featured on several local shows – most recently rapper Tef Poe’s Poefest last month at Delmar Hall.

They also recently released a video for their song “Ugly People.”

“The song looks at people going at things for the wrong reasons,” Knuckles said. “Some people are chasing things to show off how beautiful they are to everybody to hide how ugly they are inside.”

He calls their songs light-

hearted mission statements.

“We’re not being preachy, but we are representing what we feel,” Knuckles said. “We just want to have a consistent amount of content to push out because we want people to get emotionally attached to what we have to offer.”

do some great [expletive] and I think I’ve just touched the tip of the iceberg. It’s beyond music. It’s a feeling. And that can translate to so many things.”

n “There’s no box or formula, but it works,”

- Rockwell Knuckles

She hopes that through listening to what they have created, it will encourage others to liberate themselves as well.

“Do not conform. You are enough – you are definitely enough, but only if you believe it,” Mischeaux said. “I want to

He knows that not everyone who rocks with them individually will be down for the ride of The Knuckles, but hopes they all will at least be inspired by what their new partnership represents.

“You don’t want in, we understand,” Knuckles said. “But we’ll continue to have fun, laugh at ourselves when we fall – and try to learn how to fly.” The Knuckles can be on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @theknucklesband. For more information on the group, visit www.theknuckles.net.

Photos by Rebecca Rivas

2017 is all about channeling vintage looks and making them all your own when it comes to makeup, hair and style trends.

Photos by Rebecca Rivas

Stylist Geovantie Slaughter, Marie Simone, Jasmine Quinn and Nettie Kelley strike a pose outside Shi Salon after a successful makeover.

Birthdays

Reunions

please contact: Marietta Shegog Shelby, 314-799-5296, madeshe@sbcglobal.net.

Sumner Class of 1959 presents its 39th annual Oldie But Goodie Dance, January 21, 2017 at the Machinist’s Hall, 12365 St. Charles Rock Rd., 7:30 pm—midnight. Donation: $15. Tickets available now. Contact: Hubert at 314-6808324 or Delores at 314-7915504.

Celebrations

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, 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

Beaumont Class of 1967 will have its 50-year reunion on June 10, 2017. The next meeting is January 21, 2017 at1:30 pm at Normandy Library.

Beaumont High School, Class of 1978 will celebrate its 40-year reunion in 2018. For further information,

Sumner Class of 1965 is planning a “70th” Birthday Cruise for October 2017. If you’re interested and want to receive more information, please contact Luther Maufas (314) 541-4556, Brenda Smith Randall (314)382-1528, or Laura Young (314) 328-3512

with name, address so the info can be mailed to you.

Sumner Class of 1967 is planning its 50-year reunion. Please contact Carlotte Algee Stancil at algee1999@ yahoo.com; DonnaYoung Rycraw at donnarycraw@ aol.com or Stella Smith Hunt at stellalhunt58@sbcglobal. net, 314-381-5104 with email, address and phone number.

Vashon High School 90th Anniversary Celebration will be held at Renaissance Hotel Airport St. Louis, October 6-7, 2017. On October 5, 2017, there will be an Alumni Day at Vashon High School. Please save the dates.

Vashon Class of 1957 is

having its 60-year reunion on May 20, 2017 at the Atrium at the rear of Christian N.E. Hospital on Dunn Road. Classes 1955-1959 are welcomed. For more information, please contact Lovely (Green) Deloch at 314867-1470, Marlene (Randall) Porter at 314-653-0107, Mae (Simmons) Mahone at 314653-0818 or Phyllis (Bolden) Washington at 314-531-9925.

Vashon Class of 1967 is planning its 50-year reunion and is need of contact information for all interested alumni. Please contact JoAnn Alvoid at alvoidjoe8@gmail. com; Sarah (Taylor) Robinson at srobinson647@hotmail. com; or Sonya (Walker) Smith at 314.381.8221, with your

address, email and phone number.

Vashon High School 90th Anniversary Celebration will be held at Renaissance Hotel Airport St. Louis, October 6-7, 2017. On October 5, 2017, there will be an Alumni Day at Vashon High School. Please save the dates.

St. Louis Community College needs your help identifying STLCC alumni. Alumni are encouraged to visit the website: www.stlcc.edu/foundation/, to become members or update information. For more information, contact Ashley Budde, coordinator of alumni relations, at abudde6@stlcc. edu, or 314-539-5145.

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

Aidan Cotton turns 13 on January 23! Happy 13th Birthday to an amazing young man. We believe in you and all the great things you will accomplish. Love, Mom and Pops

Abundance of blessings to Blanche Parham on your 84th birthday on Jan. 17 and Khamrin Graham on your 21st birthday on Jan.15! Love you the most, Cynthia/Little Granny

Happy Birthday to Mack Lomax II on January 7. You’re a loving father, brother and most of all, husband. Let’s party! I love you. From your wife, Latanya Lomax

Swag Snap of the week

Undersung with Sevyn Streeter. Thursday night I made it on over to the Firebird to see what kind of live show singer/songwriter Sevyn Streeter was serving. To say that I was underwhelmed would be an understatement. It wasn’t terrible, it just sounded like she was singing for a sound check or just keeping up with the words so that she could stay on beat while she rehearsed the choreography. I mean, the idea of the show was better than the actual performance. I quietly felt like I was watching a dollar tree Ciara, but folks up in there seemed to be checking for the show. She really tried, but I promise if Diddy came through and caught that show, she would not have been asked to be a part of the late great Danity Kane. The good news is she has her songwriting to fall back on, and I didn’t really realize how many bangers she was responsible for.

Faux wintery mix blues. Now I don’t want to give anybody any ideas, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s not some sort of class action suit against all the meteorologists in the region or that fake ‘em out ice storm that essentially killed nightlife on Friday and Saturday for no good reason. Now I will say this: I’ll take having all the roads to myself on Friday and Saturday because of a false ice alarm over that baby Winter Classic we had to skate our way up out of last month. And I had so many events that I had planned to stop through that didn’t pan out because of the winter advisory. The thing that I hate I missed most was the full weekend of festivities celebrating hip-hop collective Team Back Pack’s relocation kickoff. Oh well, hopefully I will catch some of the folks I missed out on at S.L.U.M.Fest HipHop Awards on Saturday (Jan. 21) at Delmar Hall.

Saturday night (no) ice. The fake ice storm collateral damage carried on into Saturday night too. Folks didn’t even bother testing the roads. They clearly just sat up and watched Charter On Demand as they ate the bread and drank the milk that they cleared from the shelves Thursday night. Since I can’t pull together a Partyline from a “Deadly Women” marathon, I was determined to piece together some sort of a nightlife recap. I would have been off trying to, because y’all were not the bit bothered with being in the streets. I stopped by Mood and Blue Lounge and it was empty boots. But I don’t blame the parties, clubs or promoters – I actually commend them for their “show must go on” mentality.

Dolph and all the openers. I did not expect when I traipsed on down to the Pageant to check out Murphy Lee and Young Dolph that I would experience the trap edition ESSENCE FESTIVAL, because of all the folks who took the stage in the three-and-a-half hours before Young Dolph closed it out. I made the most of it, thanks to a couple of power naps and epic people watching sessions. I welcome the idea of rising rappers getting on stage before a national act. But I got over seeing folks do a duet with their background music and straight up let the track do all of the work and most of the vocals. And when did this phenomenon of the “photographers” getting all up in the face of the artist and chasing the talent up and down the stage. It might seem exciting to do, but y’all are ruining it for the fans – and the credentialed photographers. I’m just saying. But anyway, back to the show. For me, the show got started with the artist formerly known as Huey. When he did “Pop, Lock and Drop It” the crowd turned up with him. Murphy Lee did his thing as the last act before the headliner. Did anyone else catch that he’s apparently no longer using the n-word in his shows? I got my life from his conviction. Dolph made up for every n-word we missed because of Murphy Lee when he hit the stage in that fur blend bomber jacket that had me sweating from my seat. He was alright I suppose, but those trap stars really don’t try to put on a solid show as far as performing full songs and leaving the background vocals at the house. I will say that he was live on stage and even powered through a quiet heat stroke because he refused to sit that coat down. And I think more than anything, he fed off of the energy of the crowd – who pulled out their second wind turn up to sing along to every single word. He had to be shocked that they knew all of his songs like that – I know I was. Turn up for what? Even though I knew most everybody had the next day off for MLK Day, I was still in awe of how live it got at HG Sunday night for the official Young Dolph concert after party. Folks were too turnt (yes, I said turnt). Well… everyone but the man of the hour. When I tell you that Young Dolph did his best Russell Simmons Def Comedy Jam show closer impersonation when he stepped to the mic – and was unbothered the whole time he was up in the club. It was weird, because it seemed like they had to all but put him off the stage earlier in the night for the concert. I was like “How you gonna make trap music and club bangers and have an aversion to the club? Help!” He sat back with his fur coat and scrolled through his phone the whole time he was there. And then when the clock hit 1:30 (and not a minute later) he got up and hit it. I was later told that he was exhausted because he made the drive up from Memphis, so I will give him a pass – mainly because everybody else up in the spot was partying like it was 1999 to help Phil Assets bring his b-day in with a bang. Mission accomplished. Ashley’s 32nd chapter. I couldn’t stay long because the time conflicted with the Young Dolph show, but I must give a shout out to Ashley Mitchell for her classy, elegant 32nd birthday celebration Sunday at Orlando’s. Instead of partying, she spends her birthdays paying it forward and lifting up women with the special fellowship that goes down with the gathering each year. And everyone looked fantastic too. I must say that Ashley, Scotti and Jamila “Jo Prima” Boone never get it wrong!

Nikeea, Ronda and Shanael stopped through The Marquee Sunday night

Sabrina and Michelle checked out Osei The Dark Secret and company @ The OBar for Lust Saturdays

Chelly, Amanda and D chose to unwind @ MOOD on Friday

Redd and Blacc decided to party with rap star for the Young Dolph after party Sunday @ HG

Rebbeca, Debra and Lelia enjoyed their night Sunday @ HG

Monica and Kim partied at The Marquee for Element Saturdays

Monica and Kim partied at The Marquee for Element Saturdays

Kim and Khristi came through HG Sunday night for the official Young Dolph after party

Stacy and Blu Saturday paused for a pic Friday night @ MOOD

Kay and Briana were in their element Saturday @ The Marquee

Rising Memphis rap star Young Dolph came through the STL for a concert Sunday night at The Pageant thanks to promoters Phil Assets and Orlando Watson.

Photos by John Scott

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

CITY OF KIRKWOOD, MISSOURI

Accepts utility payments, sells sanitation bags, handles customer service inquiries regarding sanitation, electric and water services. Excellent customer service and ability to work with the public. HS Diploma/GED. Salary $35,960/yr. Beneits. Apply online by 1/30/17 to: kirkwoodmo. org or call 314-984-6975 for application.

EOE

POLICE OFFICER

he Manchester Police Department is seeking motivated individuals for the position of police oicer. Additional information and the application are available online at www.manchestermo.gov or by calling 636-227-1410 ext. 102.

RESILIENT AND CARPET INSTALLATION TRADE POSITION

Seeking individual with considerable knowledge of the Resilient and Carpet installation trade. Knowledge of Hardwood and/or Ceramic installation a plus. Willing to train apprentices and journey workers, maintain certiications and keep up with the latest trends. Teaching experience, INSTALL certiication, computer skills and college credit are desirable. Must be in good standing with Floor Layers Local 1310 for at least 10 years, have proven loor laying experience and high school diploma/G.E.D. equivalency. Submit resume by February 10, 2017 to: F.J.A.C 8300 Valcour Ave. St. Louis, MO 63123

CITY OF ST PETERS CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Are you a team player? Work for an employer who values and supports teamwork for their employees. For current job openings please check our website at www.stpetersmo.net. City Hall also has job openings posted in the lobby.

Apply in person, fax application to 636477-1044, or mail to:

Human Resources

City of St. Peters One St. Peters Centre Blvd. P.O. Box 9 St. Peters, MO 63376 AA/EOE

STAFF ATTORNEY AND A SOCIAL WORKER

LSEM is seeking a Staf Attorney and a Social Worker for a new project focusing on combatting the systemic issues that create racial and ethnic disparities in school discipline and fuel the “school-to-prison pipeline”. For more information on the position and how to apply visit our website at www. lsem.org. his position closes January 22, 2017.

ACCOUNTANT

Leveraged Resources Management (LRM) the accounting subsidiary of Area Resources for Community and Human Services (ARCHS) a St Louis based not-for-proit organization specializing in community development and partnerships is seeking an accountant to assist in the inancial operations of ARCHS and the 10 not-for-proit organizations that currently use the bookkeeping services of LRM. he position requires knowledge of not-for-proit fund accounting, monthly general ledger closes, accounts payable processing and payroll generation with online tax payments. he position is full time and ofers full beneits package and 401K with match. he successful candidate should have a degree in accounting or business and experience in the day to day operations of an accounting department.

. No Phone Calls Please. Send resume and cover letter with salary history to careers@ stlarchs.org or Fax to HR 314-289-5670.

COORDINATOR –

PSA PREMIUM AUDIT

AT SAFETY NATIONAL

he Premium Audit Coordinator will work both collaboratively and independently to meet corporate objectives and goals related to the accurate and timely completion of primary premium audits.

To apply, please visit: www.safetynational. com and click on the Careers tab.

CITY OF JENNINGS

Accounting Clerk I

Finance department with administrative and accounting functions.

Primary Responsibilities: Supports the Finance department by performing administrative and accounting duties Prepares A/P invoices for check processing

Maintains Purchase Order system by accurately matching them against invoices Monitors all invoices for proper department account codes

Responds

Qualiications:

CONTRACT DEFENSE ATTORNEY

he Family Court of St. Louis County is seeking an attorney to perform the equivalent of full time legal work as juvenile defense counsel in delinquency cases. he contractual position is created to conform to the requirements of the Memorandum of Understanding entered between the Department of Justice and the St. Louis County Family Court on December 14, 2016. A copy of said agreement is located on the court website: www.stlouisco.com/lawandpublicsafety/circuitcourt/familycourt he monthly retainer is $5,000 per month. he position is subject to annual renewal and continued availability of funding.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Graduation from an accredited law school, possession of a current license to practice law in the State of Missouri, at least two (2) years of trial experience preferably in juvenile, family or criminal law with additional years of trial experience or any equivalent experience being preferable.

To apply, candidates should send a cover letter and resume to Cliford Faddis, Director of Human Resources, Circuit Court of St. Louis County, 105 South Central Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105. Applications must be received by 5 PM, Friday, February 3, 2017.

Note: Any selected individual will be required to submit to a drug screen and background check prior to hire. EOE. Please contact the Human Resources Department at 314 615-4471 (voice) or RelayMO711 or 800 735-2966 if you need any accommodations in the application process, or if you would like this posting in an alternative form.

SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS MANAGER

he Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis seeks a School and Community Programs Manager to extend the educational reach of the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (CAM) by actively programming ofsite and onsite projects, workshops, and experiences across the St. Louis community. he role is designed to maintain and build bridges between the Museum and St. Louis communities through the cultivation of relationships, inclusive programming, and ofsite engagement with schools and community partners. For more info and to apply, please visit camstl.org/jobs.

ASSISTANT

Claims Operations at Safety National Responsible for various tasks related to: categorizing, imaging and processing incoming mail for Auto/GL, LPT and Primary WC.

To apply, please visit: www.safetynational.com and click on the Careers tab.

FOSTER CARE CASE MANAGER

Provide case management services for children in foster care. Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in social work or related ield. Minimum of one year of employment in child welfare ield. Interested candidates forward letter of interest and resume to: admin@posimpacts.com, Attention: Valerie Atkins. Employee will be employed by Positive Impacts, Inc. and contracted to Epworth Children & Family Services.

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

For the Sake of All, a project of Washington University that seeks to improve the health and well-being of African Americans, is currently seeking a Communications Manager to help formulate, lead, and implement the overall communications strategy for our initiative. Desired candidate should have experience in Adobe Creative Suite, WordPress, and in developing and managing a range of print and online communications. Apply for the position at jobs.wustl.edu, under communications manager 35504.

- SLACO (St. Louis Association of Community Organization) seeks part-time Neighborhood Trainer. Selected candidate will recruit residents for training on neighborhood analysis and revitalization, recruit presenters, handle class logistics. Average 16 to 20 hours/ week, including weekends and some weekday hours. Degree in urban studies ore related ield helpful. Equal Opportunity/Airmative Action Employer. Send resume, cover letter to: kmckinney@ slaco-mo.org. No Phone Calls Please.

INSPECTOR I

East St Louis Housing Authority has an immediate opening for an Inspector I Capital Improvement Department please visit www.eslha.org click employment link to apply and for a complete description of position.

AA/EOE

HUMANITRI

St. Louis, Missouri Case Manager

Position Description

Humanitri, a faith-based Lutheran not-for-proit organization in St. Louis is hiring a case manager to work with exofenders in our Next Steps Home Re-Entry Program. Clients are non-violent, non-sex, non-child ofenders and work with the Case Manager for a period of 18 months.

Candidate will maintain a caseload of 25 clients. Case Manager is responsible for preparing clients for self-suiciency through housing permanency, employment support, life-skills development and managed referrals. Case Manager is tasked with implementing customized Client Action Plans with each client, developed using scores on quantitativeassessments, including drug tests, clinical mental health assessments, literacy and logic tests and vulnerability/selfsuiciency indexing. Case Manager accepts exclusive responsibility for completing two in-home, goal-directed Client Sessions per month with each client. Case Manager collects documentation of client progress during each visit, charts client action toward goals since last visit and for next visit, actively connects client with community support services, persists with referrals, motivates and empowers clients to achieve goals established in Client Action Plan.

he position is full time, salaried. Hours of employment are M-F 8:00AM-4:00PM. Candidate must have dependable transportation, be willing to work in client homes, and be available to work occasional evenings and weekends. Candidate must engage comfortably with the client population, landlords and the justice system.

Experience/Qualiications: Bachelor’s

Public Notice of Single Source Procurement

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to procure: TWO NEW TV TRUCKS FOR STORMWATER. EJ EQUIPMENT

Public Notice of Single Source Procurement

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is proposing to procure: TWO NEW TV TRUCKS FOR STORMWATER. EJ EQUIPMENT

City board orders New Life shelter to close by April

Rev. Rice:

‘calculated maneuver’ to put

more homeless on street

By Camille Phillips and Rachel Lippmann

Of St. Louis Public Radio

A city board is ordering a downtown homeless shelter to close by April 1.

On Thursday, January 12, St. Louis’ Board of Building Appeals denied New Life Evangelistic Center’s appeal of a cease and desist notice issued in early November. The center has been operating without an occupancy permit since May 2015. The letter ordered New Life to get a permit, appeal the letter, or stop operating. New Life filed an appeal in December.

City Attorney Michael Garvin said in an email Friday that the board decided to delay enforcement until April 1, when the weather will be warmer.

New Life founder Rev. Larry Rice and Vice-President Ray Redlich have previously stated they intended to appeal to a state or federal court to block the city from shutting down the shelter.

New Life Evangelistic Center received a cease and desist notice from St. Louis Building Commissioner Frank Oswald in November. He told the shelter it had 30 days to get a new permit, vacate its building at 1411 Locust St. or file an appeal with the city’s Board of Building Appeals. “They have no permit at all to occupy the property. And they’ve been simply using it for more than a year now without any permit

whatsoever,” Garvin said in November. “And that’s a violation of city law.”

If New Life closes, Human

Services Director Eddie Roth said his department is prepared to take in the people currently at the shelter. Roth estimates that between 100 and 175 people stay at New Life every night, and that it would cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars to put together the additional beds needed.

“We’re looking at about six months of transitional shelter for people who would be staying there, maybe in the order of six months or so and during that period integrating them into our existing shelter system when vacancies occur and also moving people quickly into (permanent) housing,” he said.

Roth said the city-owned Biddle Housing Opportunities Center has the capacity to double its nightly occupancy for men to 200.

“So the men we’d likely bring to Biddle for not more than six months,” Roth said. “And we’d look at a separate facility for about 70 women.”

St. Patrick Center, the agency operating Biddle, is slated to receive more than $1 million by the end of the year from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. That would temporarily pay the rent for people currently in shelters while they get job support to be self-supporting, and create vacancies at Biddle and other city-funded shelters, Roth

Christ’s new contract

God released us from the Law of Moses when Christ died on the cross. Take a look at scripture and look up “new’ in your Concordance. You will find that in the case of the New and Old Testament, Christ fulfilled the old contract. Almost like an athlete on the last year of a supposedly current contract, they say that athlete is playing for a new one to be signed at the end of the season. In sports there’s a thing called a free agent, a player without a team. As Christians this is not where you want to find yourself. And as long as your view is based on what was and not what is, you really aren’t on the team.

said.

After ruling that New Life was a detriment to the neighborhood in December 2014, the city’s Board of Public Service gave New Life until May 12, 2015 to apply for a new occupancy permit or close its doors.

In response, New Life sued the city in federal court. The judge dismissed the case and told the shelter to try to apply for a new permit. Since then, New Life has been fighting a legal battle to get a new permit without asking its neighbors for approval — a requirement of applying for a shelter occupancy permit.

Residents and property owners neighboring New Life initiated the proceedings that led to the revocation of its original permit.

New Life exhausted its options to appeal at the city level in September, when the Board of Building Appeals officially ruled that the shelter had to get permission from its neighbors, a procedure called a “plat and

petition.”

“What we see is part of a calculated maneuver to get us to put the 200-plus people we have at our place at 1411 Locust out on the streets with the many other homeless people who are already out there between 13th and 15th streets,” Rev. Larry Rice said. Rice said New Life hasn’t started asking its neighbors for permission to continue shelter operations because it has asked the state court to review the Board of Building Appeals decision.

But Garvin said the city doesn’t need to wait for state to review the decision to order New Life to get a permit or close its doors.

“The sole issue in that appeal is whether or not they have to comply with the city’s plat and petition procedures,” Garvin said. “We think they do need to.”

Edited for length and reprinted with permission from news. stlpublicradio.org.

“For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance-now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. This is why event the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.” Hebrews 9:15-17.

I’m in the will. I have an inheritance and I’m claiming all that is rightfully mine and so should you. But if you are ignorant to the tenets of the will, you will go through your life not knowing your sins have been forgiven and as I like to point out, the war is over. We won. There are yet battles we each must fight but really, let the guilt go. Recognize what you have inherited and live in that awareness each and every day. You and I were cleansed before we were even born. Now if you believe this then good for you. If you don’t then you must doubt something about the New Covenant. The problem with this is you will be forever destined to starve spiritually believing you’ve got something to prove or forever trying to live up to a salvation that is yours without ever asking.

Columnist James Washington

Photo by Chris King

St. Louis’ Board of Building Appeals ordered New Life Evangelistic Center to shutter its homeless shelter at 1411 Locust St. by April 1.