STL closes out 2025 with festive celebrations
St. Louis American See page B1
The
JANUARY 8 – 14, 2026
Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928
stlamerican.com
Vol. 97 No. 39 COMPLIMENTARY
2025 Person of the Year:
Michael McMillan By Sylvester Brown Jr. St. Louis American When the powerful tornado ripped through North St. Louis last May, it left entire neighborhoods scarred and, months later, still struggling to recover. But in the aftermath, the region’s response revealed a powerful truth: when emergency strikes, leadership, coordination and compassion matter. For demonstrating that leadership on a citywide scale, The St. Louis American names Michael P. McMillan, president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, its 2025 Person of the Year.
“Michael is an extraordinary and transformative leader, a visionary deeply rooted in the community who has dedicated his entire life to serving others,” said St. Louis American Publisher Donald M. Suggs. “He is being cited as the 2025 Person of the Year for his role in making the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis a steadfast anchor for providing crucial relief and hope to thousands who were devastated in the aftermath of the catastrophic storm.” McMillan leads an agency that mobilized immediately after the tornado and remained a steady, trusted pres-
See McMILLAN, A13
Saluting Business excellence
Organization of the Year
Grassroots relief became North St. Louis’ lifeline
Regional partners unite to celebrate the region’s brightest leaders
By Nia Hightower For The St. Louis American Black entrepreneurs and executives play a vital role in driving economic growth, job creation and civic leadership across the St. Louis metropolitan area. The three co-presenters for the 24th annual Salute to Excellence in Business Networking and Awards Luncheon understand the importance of recognizing the region’s brightest leaders. The Regional Business Council (RBC), Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and Greater St. Louis Inc. return as co-presenters for the event, partnering with The St. Louis American Foundation to spotlight outstanding leaders across corporate, nonprofit and entrepreneurial sectors whose work strengthens communities and expands opportunity. “The Salute to Excellence in Business is about more than recognition — it’s about
See SALUTE, A13
INSIDE SPORTS
By Sylvester Brown Jr. St. Louis American
and an integral part of The American’s mission,” said Publisher Donald M. Suggs. “We are deeply appreciative of his many years of service as a tireless photojournalist. He has served both this newsroom and the community extremely well.” The Missouri Photojournalism and St. Louis Media Hall of Fame inductee started as a freelancer with The American in 1979 under the tutelage of late Executive Editor Bennie G. Rodgers. By 1982,
The tornado that struck North St. Louis last May was not only a violent storm. It was a revealing test of what happens when disaster collides with neighborhoods already burdened by decades of disinvestment and economic vulnerability. As the Missouri Independent reported, the violent tornado carved a 22-mile path across the region, damaging or destroying 16,000 structures, killing five people and causing an estiThe viomated $1.6 billion in damage — the lent tornastate’s most devastatdo carved ing weather disaster a 22-mile since Joplin. path across Yet, even as the scale of the destructhe region, tion became clear, damaging or something equally destroying powerful emerged. 16,000 struc- Communities organized. Neighbors tures, killing showed up. five people Grassroots leaders and causing moved with urgency an estimated because families $1.6 billion in could not afford to wait. damage. “Grassroots organizations mobilized, deployed, and came together in a way that was both historic and divine,” Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier said. “They are among the strongest advocates for rebuilding in a way that ensures the same residents who called North and West City home before the tornado can continue to do so for generations.” For their speed, coordination and unwavering commitment, Action St. Louis, ForTheCultureSTL, Operation ANY MEANS Necessary, Diamond Diva Empowerment Foundation, Gateway Early Childhood Alliance, 4theVille, Invest STL, Dream Builders 4 Equity and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis are The St. Louis American’s Organizations of the Year. These groups stepped in immediately, clearing debris and blocked streets, delivering food and essential supplies, creating access to services and stabilizing families facing sudden displacement and uncer-
See PRICE, A13
See ORGANIZATIONS, A13
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
After more than 40 years as the primary staff photographer for The St. Louis American, veteran award-winning photojournalist Wiley Price filed his last photos on Dec. 31.
An ‘American’ treasure Wiley Price retires after a 45-plus year photojournalism career
A look back at 2025 NFL season Raheem Morris, who went 16-18 (8-9 twice) as head coach over two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, was fired at season’s end by owner Arthur Blank. The team’s African American GM Terry Fontenot was also dismissed.
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Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
The St. Louis American names Michael P. McMillan its 2025 Person of the Year.
By Kenya Vaughn and Ashley Winters St. Louis American If pictures tell a thousand words, then about three volumes of encyclopedias surrounded Wiley Price as he packed up his office at The St. Louis American on Friday. His retirement on Dec. 31 after more than four decades of service as the staff photojournalist — and for many, the face of The St. Louis American — marks the end of an era. “Wiley has been a beloved colleague
Editorial/Commentary A2
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 8 - 14, 2026
Guest Editorial
Commentary
Democrats need more Honor America by than anti-Trump strategy fighting for freedom
Another proposal seeks to support Virginians most likely to lose access to health care due to Republicans refusal to Democrats ended 2025 with importextend Obamacare subsidies. ant victories that steadied a rattled party North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein has still reeling from Donald Trump’s return put forth a budget that would raise pubto power. Yet even after those wins, lic education spending, including a 10% Democratic approval ratings remain stubincrease in average teacher pay. Stein also bornly low. wants to invest millions more in health A recent Quinnipiac University poll care. found only 18% of voters approve of the Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed way congressional Democrats are hanan executive order last month aimed at dling their jobs. A record low of 73% disreducing energy costs. approve. In stark contrast, congressional Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who Republicans have a 35% approval rating also serves as Democratic Governors while 58% disapprove. Association chair, has been a leading Democrats are even underwater within voice highlighting the impacts of the our own party. The same poll found only Republican affordability crisis on rural 42% of Democrats approve of congresAmerica. Beshear has noted the rural sional Democrats with 48% disapprovhealth care centers that have ing. Among Republicans, 77% already shuttered due to Medicaid approve of their own party in cuts and how reductions in federal Congress. food aid will hit poor and rural This data indicates Democrats Americans while the wealthiest will need to do more than run benefit from Trump tax cuts. against Trump if the party wants Nationally, Democrats are to win in 2026. To keep the echoing Beshear with the launch momentum going, Democrats of the first rural outreach program must show working-class voters that will fund engagement and they also know how to govern in messaging efforts focused on risthe places where they currently Guest Columnist ing costs and the chaos caused by hold power. Kevin Harris Trump’s tariffs. That starts with recognizing a Georgia Democrats are planhard truth: being anti-Trump is ning a legislative agenda focused not a governing agenda. It can on affordability when the legislamobilize a base, raise money and ture returns; hoping to build off win a news cycle. It cannot, by momentum from last year’s elecitself, lower grocery bills, stabilize tions where the party flipped two rents or make health care more Public Service Commission seats affordable. with a targeted message on relief Democrats must understand that from high utility bills. while many working-class voters What these leaders share is a are exhausted by Trump, they are refusal to reduce their politics to equally frustrated with a political Guest Columnist opposition alone. They talk about system that seems incapable of jobs, schools, roads, hospitals and improving daily life. The working Richard costs. They meet voters where class wants to see relief they can McDaniel they are and they understand that feel as sharply as the rising costs governing well is the strongest that are hitting their pockets each week. rebuke to Trumpism. The working class must see a coordiThe midterms will not be a referendum nated effort with congressional Democrats on Trump alone. They will be a judgtaking the lead in holding Republicans ment on whether Democrats used their accountable for rising costs. moments of power to make life more Coordination is key because it demonaffordable and health care more secure. strates to working class voters that Democrats don’t need to abandon Democrats can offer more than rhetoric their values to win. They need to prove and are prepared to wield power to bring those values can produce results. In down costs. 2026, Trump resistance won’t be enough. The South can demonstrate leadership Democrats will have to show some that’s desperately missing. Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger receipts. will prioritize affordability in her first legKevin Harris and Richard McDaniel islative session. Her plans include workare veteran Democratic strategists who ing with the state legislature’s expanded co-host “Maroon Bison Presents: The Democratic majority to pass a multifacetSouthern Comfort Podcast.” ed health care package designed to tackle out-of-pocket costs. By Kevin Harris and Richard McDaniel
paigns targeted Irish, Italian and Eastern European immigrants. All of it was wrapped in the language of America has a big birthday this year. “100% Americanism.” Here’s a hint: The celebration will not Let me be clear how far this rot went. feel much like the last big one in 1976. I still believe our nation’s best days are Henry Ford spread antisemitic conspiracies through the newspaper he owned. ahead. But our history — and our headBlack veterans feared wearing their unilines — suggest we are facing a familiar forms in public. The Klan was ascendant test. Another fraught fight for freedom on anti-immigrant hate. Mainstream and democracy is already upon us. newspapers depicted Catholic immigrants That, too, is part of a pattern. as inherently criminal and dangerous to How America marks century anniverAmerican society. saries has looked different from how we The sesquicentennial did not create mark the halfway points. The difference these forces. It amplified them. is not in the fireworks. It is whether we Which brings us to now. are expanding the idea of who belongs— If history is a guide, America’s 250th or shrinking it. In 1776, the colonies declared indepen- birthday will feel more like 1926 than 1976. The same currents are visible: dence from a monarchy and made a radiimmigrants from historically Catholic cal claim: that all men are created equal. nations cast as threats, racism on the rise, By 1826, that promise had narrowed, antisemitic tropes revived, Islamophobia not widened. inflamed. Slavery was more entrenched and All in parallel. All dressed up as patribrutal than at the founding. Congress otism. outlawed the transatlantic slave trade in But history offers more than 1807, effective in 1808. But it did warning. It offers instruction. not weaken slavery. It intensified In 1926, the civil rights moveit. A vast internal slave trade tore ment did something harder and families apart as enslaved people more powerful than protest were sold further south to fuel cotalone. It organized the nation’s ton’s explosive growth. conscience. The nation celebrated indepenLeaders claimed the ideals of dence while perfecting a domestic the American Revolution not machinery of human trafficking. as nostalgia, but as goals the Another 50 years brought a difcountry was obligated to reach. Guest Columnist ferent moment. They defined American patrioIn July 1876, the centennial Ben Jealous tism as expanding freedom. They told a more hopeful story. The warned that those who would party of Lincoln remained in turn Americans into subjects power. The constitutional amend— through violence, exclusion, or fear — ments guaranteeing citizenship and voting were the real threat to the founding ideals. rights were part of the national narrative. They called on their neighbors to build Federal troops still protected Black America up, not tear her down. communities in the South. Much would That was not naïveté. It was strategy. change months later. But on the nation’s It worked. Not overnight. But over time. birthday, Black America was living in an Fifty years after 1926 came 1976. Fifty era defined by hard-won freedom. years hence, if the pattern holds, America That pattern would repeat a century can be in a better place. later. The question is not whether history In 1976, the Bicentennial arrived in bends. It is who does the bending. the midst of desegregation. The mood America’s great birthdays do not meawas reflective. Protest was understood as sure how free we think we are. They American. Reconstruction was no longer erased. The country celebrated what many measure how seriously we take the work undone. If we honor this birthday by called a second Reconstruction. recommitting to the fight for freedom — But in 1926 — America’s 150th birthby widening democracy, not shrinking it; day — the pattern broke the other way. by confronting hate, not tolerating it — The nation was in the grip of xenothis celebration can become a hinge, not phobic, antisemitic and racist backlash. a warning. White supremacist organizations wielded real political power. Racial violence Ben Jealous is a professor at the and intimidation were facts of daily life. University of Pennsylvania and former Antisemitic conspiracy theories were president of the NAACP. mass-produced. Anti-Catholic camBy Ben Jealous
Commentary
Making a real difference more scholarships for students who will become the next generation of leaders.” Spelman College used its $38 million “It’s easy to focus on the methods gift to increase scholarships and upgrade of civic participation that make news, technology infrastructure. President and hard to imagine the importance of Helene Gayle said, “This historic gift the things we do each day with our own strengthens our ability to support talminds and hearts. Who nurtured a child in the kitchen; who was kind to a stranger ented students and ensure they have the resources to thrive.” in line at a grocery store; who gave $50 Morgan State University and Prairie to a local food shelter: these are not news View A&M each received $63 million, stories. But all of it matters.” — MacKenzie Scott bolstering research capacity and faculty recruitment. Alcorn State University, with a $42 When MacKenzie Scott announced million gift, the largest in its 154-year hundreds of millions of dollars in unrehistory, is investing in scholarstricted donations to Historically ships and campus improvements. Black Colleges and Universities Scott also gave $70 million to — after record contributions to the United Negro College Fund Urban League affiliates — it to create a pooled endowment wasn’t just philanthropy. It was benefiting 37 member schools, a game-changing reimagining strengthening financial sustainof how resources can empower ability across the HBCU netinstitutions that have long been work. underfunded and overlooked. While HBCUs build future Scott is a philanthropist, leaders, Urban League affiliates author and ex-wife of Amazon Columnist address immediate needs in founder Jeff Bezos, to whom housing, workforce development she was married for 25 years. As Marc Morial and entrepreneurship. Gifts like part of their 2019 divorce, she $7.4 million to Seattle and $6 million to received a 4% stake in the online retailer. Pittsburgh have expanded housing proIn May 2019, shortly after she grams and connected thousands of famiannounced the terms of the divorce on lies to jobs and child care resources. Twitter, she signed her Giving Pledge, Since 2020, Scott has given more than promising to give away at least half of her wealth over the course of her lifetime. $26 billion to more than 2,500 nonprofits that support causes like racial justice, HBCUs have greatly benefited from education, and economic mobility. her generosity. Scott’s approach—trustScott’s model challenges the status quo based, unrestricted giving—has allowed of philanthropy. By removing strings, she these institutions to dream bigger and act empowers organizations to respond to faster, without the strings that often limit local needs with agility and vision. This traditional grants. is not charity—it’s partnership. And it’s a Howard University received $80 blueprint for how transformational giving million, including $17 million for its can dismantle systemic barriers. College of Medicine. President Wayne A. I. Frederick called the gift “transforMarc Morial is president and CEO of mational,” saying, “It will allow us to expand our research footprint and provide the National Urban League. By Marc Morial EMERITUS LEADERSHIP Nathan B. Young (1894-1993) • Founder N.A. Sweets (1901-1988) • Publisher
Bennie G. Rodgers (1914-2000) • Executive Editor Melba Sweets (1909-2006) • Editor
STAFF Donald M. Suggs Publisher ADMINISTRATION Dina M. Suggs — Senior Vice President Julie Erickson — Chief Operating Officer Raven Whitener — Director, St. Louis American Foundation and Special Events EDITORIAL Rod Hicks — Executive Editor Alvin A. Reid — City Editor Kenya Vaughn — Arts and Entertainment Editor Earl Austin Jr. — Sports Editor Denise Hooks — Anderson, M.D. Medical Accuracy Editor Wiley Price — Photojournalist Sylvester Brown Jr. — Deaconess Advocacy Fellow Ashley Winters — Assistant Editor, Community Editor Zaria Mac — RAC St. Louis reporter Taylor Marrie — RAC St. Louis Photographer/ Videographer
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“This reeks of audacity. Not only did they get a pardon, they are saying they deserve a payday for the crimes they committed.” – Former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn on the proposal of January 6th insurrectionist receiving reperations
News
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 8 - 14, 2026
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‘Mass exodus’: Black faculty describe hostile climate at Mizzou From 2013 to 2023, the proportion of Black professors on campus rose by less than a percentage point
MU is not representative of the broader state. “I definitely think that people pay a lot more attention to When Aaron Campbell was race at Mizzou than they do at appointed to be an assistant professor of special education at the other institutions,” Campbell said. “I’ve had students tell me University of Missouri in 2023, I’m not only [their] first Black she became the first Black tenprofessor, but first Black ure-track faculty member teacher ever.” in her department. University officials Campbell is one in declined an interview for a cohort of Black prothis story. In a written fessors at MU that has statement, spokesperson technically increased in Christopher Ave said the last decade, but only the university “does not by a small amount in tolerate discrimination or relation to the rest of the harassment on our camprofessors: from 2013 to pus. All reported cases 2023, the proportion of Aaron are investigated, and Black professors on camCampbell individuals who violate pus rose by less than a our policies or the law percentage point — from Assistant are held accountable. just over 3% to 3.78%, Professor Potential consequences according to data colof Special for those who commit lected from the National Education such violations include Center for Education being trespassed from Statistics. campus, expelled from the By comparison, the total numuniversity and charged with a ber of professors at the university grew by about 10% during the crime.” According to self-reported same period. According to the 2020 census, data on MU Analytics, in fall 2025, there were just 85 Black 12.4% of Missouri’s population faculty out of 2,231 total profesis Black — an indication that sors — about 3.8% of the profesthe number of Black faculty at By Lilley Halloran KBIA
Photo by Claire Nguyen/Columbia Missourian
Attendees at the annual Welcome Black & Gold BBQ speak to UM System President Mun Choi on Aug. 29, 2024, at Mizzou’s Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center.
soriate. From that number, just 36 have tenure or tenure-track status, compared to 1,000 professors total with the ranking. Campbell said she has become a support for Black students who seek her help — even those she’s never had in class. Though she used to recommend that students report discrimination to the Office of Institutional Equity, Campbell said she no
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longer does because she’s been disappointed by the outcomes. “I realized that office is actually not [there] to help the student, and it’s not to help the faculty,” Campbell said. “It is just there to stand on the side of HR and help fight whoever is mad.” The treatment of students she’s observed has led Campbell to question staying at MU. She’s also factored in messaging she’s
received from other Black faculty, whom she says mostly work from home. “You need to stay out the way, girl, stay out the way if you want your check,” Campbell recalled other Black professors telling her when she asked why they work remotely. “That’s literally what they say: ‘I survived here that long because I stay out the way.’”
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 8 – 14, 2026
Community News
Commentary
Who is North City really being built for?
has arrived, suddenly declaring North City “valuable” again. And that is exactly what worries In the fall of 2025, St. Louis me. welcomed the National GeospatialHistory tells us what happens next. Intelligence Agency (NGA) to When massive institutions move into North City, settling at Jefferson and long-neglected communities without Cass avenues, sprawling across a 97-acre footprint. Officials promised firm protections for residents, disthis facility would bring opportunity placement follows. Property values for academic partnerships, industrial rise, taxes increase and the very people who held these neighborhoods growth and meaningful integration together through the hardest years are with surrounding neighborhoods. pushed out. They said it would be an Churches that have investment in North City. stood for generations, famBut a harder and more ily-owned businesses and uncomfortable question residents who were “granddemands to be asked: Who fathered in” don’t get upliftwill actually benefit once ed, they get priced out. the doors fully open? That is not revitalization. I live in downtown That is removal. St. Louis, and like many It is deeply unfair to ask working people, I drive long-standing residents to through North City regmake room for progress ularly. I pass the NGA Demitria Davis that may never include site while traveling down them. It is unjust to celeJefferson through the Carr brate economic development while Square area, heading toward the ignoring the cultural, social and hishighway for work. torical fabric of a community. And it On these drives, I don’t just see is disingenuous to promise partnera shiny new facility rising from the ship without guaranteeing protection. ground. I see block after block of If the presence of NGA will truly vacant homes, empty storefronts and improve North City, the investment neighborhoods that have endured must begin with the people who decades of disinvestment, neglect already live there — not developers, and broken promises. North City has always been more not outsiders, not future tenants with higher incomes. than a map coordinate for developWithout enforceable commitments ment plans. It has been a place of to affordable housing, local hiring, opportunity for working families, community ownership and anti-disespecially Black families, who placement protections, this project found affordable homes and built risks becoming yet another chapter in lives there. These were neighborhoods where a long story of broken trust. North City does not need to be our grandparents and great-grand“saved” by bringing in an institution parents worked hard to buy properthat may ultimately erase it. It needs ty, raise children, attend church and to be respected, protected and uplifttake pride in their ownership. ed. My grandfather grew up in inner Until that happens, we must be North City and attended Vashon honest enough to say it out loud: High School. He witnessed the rise NGA, as it currently stands, is not and fall of these neighborhoods benefiting North City. firsthand. He saw families plant roots, businesses open their doors Demitria Davis is a community and communities thrive long before organizer, activist and St. Louis resdisinvestment hollowed them out. Now, after decades of abandonment, ident. a multibillion-dollar federal agency By Demitria Davis
Photo courtesy of The Nation
The U.S. Postal Service has enacted a new rule that could void some Illinois ballots. The rule, which took effect Dec. 24, says mail may not receive a postmark on the same day the Postal Service takes possession of it. Some election officials use postmarks to verify that mail ballots were cast before polls closed.
New Postal Service rule could void Illinois ballots Missouri Independent Illinois is among the states that could be affected by a new U.S. Postal Service rule. A Postal Service rule that took effect Dec. 24 says mail may not receive a postmark on the same day the agency takes possession of it. The Postal Service says it is not changing existing postmark practices and is only clarifying policy, but some election officials have relied on postmarks as proof that mail ballots were cast before polls closed. The rule has implications for 14 states and Washington, D.C., that count ballots arriving after Election Day if they are postmarked on or before that day, commonly known as a “ballot grace period.” In those states, ballots mailed by voters before the deadline may not be counted if the Postal Service applies a postmark after Election
Day. The rule states that “the postmark date does not necessarily indicate the first day that the Postal Service had possession of the mailpiece.” The timing coincides with a U.S. Supreme Court case that could eliminate ballot grace periods nationwide. A ruling is expected late this spring or next summer and could make concerns about the postmark policy moot. The Postal Service defended the change in a response published in the Federal Register, emphasizing that it does not administer elections and does not advocate for or against voting by mail. The agency repeated its advice that voters mail completed ballots at least a week before Election Day and noted that voters may request a manual postmark.
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PEOPLE On The Move
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell was instrumental in securing a settlement with the Trump administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that ensures the National Institutes of Health will consider grant applications without judging institutions’ diversity, equity and inclusion efforts or vaccine-related research.
Davis honored by Webster Groves School District Jaylen Davis, Webster Groves High School director of choirs, was recently honored during a Webster Groves school board meeting for winning the Janice Reed Fleming Excellence in Education Award. The award is named in memory of Janice Fleming, wife of Charles Fleming, a Douglass High School alum. Davis has served as director of choirs since June 2022 and previously was Jaylen Davis choir director at MacArthur High School in Decatur, Illinois. He also has performed as a background singer with artists including Barry Manilow and Josh Groban.
Ewing to launch residency shows downtown
Photo courtesy of Office of Massachusetts Attorney General
Anti-DEI criteria dropped for stalled NIH grants
Settlement ends ‘political interference’ By Jacob Fischler Missouri Independent Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American While Missouri’s former Attorney General Andrew Bailey did not join a federal lawsuit seeking to protect National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants from Trump administration interference, Washington University could be among institutions that benefit from a settlement
announced last week. In a settlement agreement filed Dec. 29, in federal court in Massachusetts, NIH and a group of Democratic attorneys general who challenged new grant funding criteria said the agency would consider applications submitted through Sept. 29, 2025, “without judging the efforts related to diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, or vaccines.” Under the agreement, the Trump administration
will allow NIH to review previously frozen grants without using controversial standards that discouraged initiatives involving gender, race and sexual orientation, as well as vaccine research. Under Trump’s policy, Washington University stood to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in research funding. Several stalled projects specifically focused on African American health outcomes. The university reported
in December 2024 that it secured $683 million in NIH research support during federal fiscal year 2024, a record high that ranked second nationally for the second year in a row. Over the past eight years, Washington University School of Medicine had been the fastest-growing among top U.S. research institutions in NIH funding. In February 2025, Dr. Will Ross told the St. Louis See GRANTS, A6
Save case signals troubling future
Missouri case could mean tougher times for student borrowers By Braxton Brewington For Word in Black Today, the greatest threat to Black educational futures is not a lack of talent or ambition — it’s the United States Supreme Court. In 2023, conservative justices ended affirmative action in higher education, dealing a blow to Black enrollment. Days later, the court blocked the Biden administration from administering broad-based student debt relief, a move that would have narrowed the racial wealth gap and freed millions of Black borrowers from crushing debt. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court also cleared the path for the Trump administration to dismantle the Department of Education, striking at the heart of federal civil rights enforcement. Now the courts are poised to deal another blow. See SAVE, A6
Steve Ewing, a member of the band The Urge and co-owner of Steve’s Hot Dogs, is launching a new weekly residency at Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, near Busch Stadium. He plans Steve Ewing & Friends performances from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesdays with a rotating cast of local guest artists. There Steve Ewing will be an $8 cover charge. Ewing also announced this week that the Steve’s Hot Dogs location in the Delmar Maker District will close Jan. 10, 2026, citing a slow recovery from the May 16, 2025, tornado, which devastated parts of the surrounding neighborhood.
Kenyan ambassador tours St. Louis
David Kerich, Kenya’s ambassador to the U.S., recently visited St. Louis as keynote speaker for Vitendo4Africa’s annual gala. Vitendo4Africa is a nonprofit organization that works to empower communities through educational and outreach programs in Missouri and in Africa. Kerich particiDavid Kerich pated in a roundtable discussion at World Trade Center St. Louis, which is collaborating with officials in Kenya on a trade mission to Africa in 2026. He also toured several key locations around the region, including the Saint Louis Art Museum, local African-owned businesses and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.
Singh named Lincoln U of Missouri provost
Dr. Piyusha Singh has been appointed provost and vice president for academic affairs at Lincoln University of Missouri. She has served as interim provost since July 21, overseeing academic operations during the transition. Singh holds a doctorate in public policy and management from Piyusha Singh Carnegie Mellon University. She previously held senior leadership roles at Columbia College in Missouri, including vice president for online education, chief of staff and provost and senior vice president.
Photo by Desola Lanre Ologun / courtesy of Unsplash
The Missouri SAVE settlement with the Trump administration could cause hardship for many African American student borrowers.
Please submit your People on the Move item (including photo) to areid@stlamerican.com.
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Grants Continued from A5 American, “Trump’s cuts to NIH will not only hobble critical biomedical research and stifle innovation, but will also impede the ability of investigators to address some of the long-standing health issues in the African American community.” “The cutting-edge advances in diabetes care and hypertension, two major causes of poor health and disability among African Americans, will be stalled as we continue to see disproportionate deaths from these preventable diseases,” Ross said. The ACLU praised the settlement but cautioned that the broader issue
SAVE Continued from A5 If a court approves a settlement between the Trump administration and the state of Missouri to dismantle the Saving on a Valuable Education Plan, or SAVE, student debtors will be thrust into even more dire straits. SAVE, introduced by the Biden administration, was the most affordable plan for student debtors ever widely available. It lowered millions of borrowers’ monthly payments to zero or close to it. For many, it cut the timeline for eventual student debt relief in half, from 20 years to 10. For nearly 75% of debtors, SAVE also ended interest payments for borrowers who kept up with their monthly principal balance. The SAVE plan — even without broad-scale
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 8 – 14, 2026 remains unresolved. “Researchers deserve to have their work evaluated on its merits, not sidelined by political interference,” said Olga Akselrod, senior counsel for the ACLU Racial Justice Program. “NIH has now agreed to review the stalled applications individually and in good faith, without applying the unlawful policy directives.” The agreement also sets deadlines requiring NIH to review and decide applications based on their original submission dates. It further confirms that the close of federal fiscal 2025 will not prevent NIH from reviewing or awarding applications. “This agreement marks another important step toward restoring trust in our public insti-
tutions,” said Kenneth Parreno, counsel at Protect Democracy. “By committing to evaluate these NIH grant applications on their scientific merit, not on political ideology, the federal government is taking a necessary step to ensure that facts, evidence and the rule of law guide the decisions that shape our nation’s health and innovation.” While the administration did not permanently abandon its effort to evaluate research funding based on institutions’ DEI programs, the settlement provides a path to resume reviews while courts continue to consider whether such criteria are lawful. NIH officials “will complete their consideration of the Applications in the ordinary course of NIH’s scientific review
process, without applying the Challenged Directives,” the agreement states, adding the agency will “evaluate each application individually and in good faith.” The settlement was signed by U.S. Department of Justice lawyers and the attorneys general of Massachusetts, California, Maryland, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said the agreement commits the Department of Health and Human Services to resume “the usual process for considering NIH grant applications on a prompt,
agreed-upon timeline.” The 17 attorneys general originally sued in April over $783 million in frozen research grants. The lawsuit and settlement could prove essential to Washington University and other leading academic centers whose research includes studying higher maternal and infant mortality rates and disproportionate breast and ovarian cancer outcomes among Black women. “(Studies that) estimate how Black Americans have about twice the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease compared to white people, will be put on hold through the (funding) pause and ill-conceived cuts to NIH research payments,” Ross said when Trump began his second term. A trial court and
appeals court in Massachusetts sided with the states earlier this year, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in August that the trial judge lacked authority to compel the grants to be paid, particularly given a similar ruling involving the U.S. Department of Education. The national ACLU, ACLU of Massachusetts, Protect Democracy, the Center for Science in the Public Interest and Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP filed a separate lawsuit in April challenging abrupt cancellations and stalled grant applications on behalf of individual researchers. Joining that suit were the American Public Health Association, the United Auto Workers and Ibis Reproductive Health.
debt cancellation — ranked as one of the most progressive federal actions on student debt. The SAVE plan wasn’t perfect. For example, its payment formula did not account for everyday expenses such as child care. And the reality of all student debt repayment plans is that they can mean a lifetime of debt for Black borrowers, who have described these plans as a “trap” and a “scam.” Corrupt student loan servicers and years of federal mismanagement of a $2 trillion portfolio also mean millions of debtors who are legally entitled to relief haven’t received it. Still, eliminating the SAVE plan will intensify an already tough situation. Borrowers would see their payments jump by hundreds of dollars as they are forced into costlier repayment options devised by the Trump administration. Black borrowers, espe-
cially Black women, who bear much of the student debt burden, would be disproportionately hurt. Families will be forced to choose between making student debt payments or buying groceries, paying rent, getting dental care or putting gas in the tank. These are impossible choices that hurt working families, drag down the economy and undermine the few social safety nets the country has. It gets worse. The settlement proposal includes a provision that would, in effect, make broad student debt cancellation nearly impossible to administer for the next 10 years. While 85% of Black student debtors support cancellation, the proposal to end SAVE could also put a decade-long moratorium on the executive action Black borrowers have demanded. The deck is stacked against student debtors.
The ultra-wealthy who can afford to pay the cost of college upfront avoid crushing student loan interest. Meanwhile everyone else pays far more than they borrowed — or never gets out of debt at all. This inequity is especially true for Blacks, who must borrow more to attend college, take longer to pay off debt, are more likely to default and earn less in the workplace. Without intervention, many loans will fall into default, triggering wage garnishment, tax refund seizures and other punitive financial measures that can push people into poverty. All hope is not lost. Student borrowers — and future borrowers and their co-signers — must take concrete steps to protect themselves. For starters, borrowers should pursue options the Department of Education often doesn’t highlight: • Seek hardship
exemptions to pause and reduce forced collections if they’re facing default. • Seek lesser-known relief programs such as Temporary and Permanent Disability Discharge, Borrower Defense to Repayment and Closed School Discharge, which offer opportunities for those in need. • Keep meticulous records. Every payment, communication with a student loan servicer and notice from the Department of Education could be evidence in future complaints or disputes, especially given how frequently loan servicers make errors. Student debtors must act as a political constituency. Too often, mainstream media and conventional political spaces portray student debtors as white, wealthy, high-earning graduates of elite institutions. That flawed narrative undermines the
reality of the people most harmed. Student debtors are disproportionately older, Black and brown, women, working class and individuals with a mix of college experience — from attending a historically Black college or university to being defrauded by a predatory institution or unable to finish a degree. The destruction of Black educational spaces — from attacks on HBCUs to undermining diversity efforts to halting student debt relief — is not new. In an era in which the wealthy refuse to pay their fair share and the cost of public goods continue to rise, it’s time for debtors — as an economic and political constituency — to rise and demand better. Braxton Brewington is a community organizer for the Debt Collective and a doctoral student in sociology at the University of North Carolina.
HealthMatters your
‘Taking Care of You’ ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 8 – 14, 2026
It’s not too late to get vaccinated
Attorney and avid runner Geri Lynn Arrindell overcame a hypertensive emergency to complete 100 races after dedicated care from Barnes-Jewish Hospital’s sports cardiology program.
From health crisis to half-marathons
Photo courtesy of Geri Lynn Arrindell
How heart care helped Geri Lynn Arrindell stay in the race
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Special to The St. Louis American from BJC HealthCare here is no stopping what’s in some people’s hearts. With expert care and a fierce commitment to her own healing, Geri Lynn Arrindell turned a health crisis into fuel — and recently crossed her 100th halfmarathon finish line. Arrindell, 53, is an avid runner who has completed at least one half-marathon in every state. In October 2020, the University City attorney was hospitalized at BarnesJewish Hospital with a hypertensive emergency, meaning her blood pressure was
dangerously high. The condition can severely damage vital organs and lead to encephalopathy, a disease that affects brain function. For nearly a month, Arrindell was in and out of the hospital. She struggled with shortterm memory loss, diabetes, and physical disability. With the help of Mustafa Husaini, MD, a WashU Medicine sports cardiologist at BarnesJewish Hospital, Arrindell began a program to resume her goal of running a halfmarathon in all 50 states—and ultimately reaching 100 races. “He took a genuine interest in me as a patient,” Arrindell said. “He has been the most consistent physician I’ve ever had, and
(By StatePoint) In a time of confusion and inconsistent information, healthcare professionals want you to know that it’s not too late to get vaccinated this respiratory season. Getting vaccinated helps protect against potentially serious diseases like influenza (flu), COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and pneumococcal disease. A recent survey All recomfrom the National mended Foundation for vaccines Infectious Diseases undergo (NFID) finds that many Americans extensive harbor concerns safety testabout vaccine safety ing before and effectiveness, approval or find the guidance on respiratory vacand concinations unclear. tinue to be To address misconmonitored ceptions around vacfor safety cines and promote a healthy winter for and effecyou, your family, tiveness and communities long after nationwide, NFID they are rec- is sharing these insights: ommended
for use.
Vaccination helps prevent severe disease. Vaccination is not just about preventing infection. Most importantly, it’s the most effective way to protect yourself and others against severe disease-related outcomes, including hospitalization, long-term complications, and death due to flu, COVID-19, RSV and pneumococcal disease. This means that even when vaccination does not prevent infection completely, it can make an illness See VACCINATED, A8
See ARRINDELL, page A8 PeopleImages / iStock via Getty Images Plus
Affinia lands Port Authority grant
Also will continue WIC services By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American Affinia Healthcare’s Family Medicine Residency Program will launch in June, helping bring top-level healthcare opportunities to underserved communities in North St. Louis and St. Louis County. Supporting that effort is a $150,000 grant from the St. Louis County Port Authority, one of 38 grants awarded to area organizations. The grant will help fund the newly developed Affinia Healthcare Family Medicine Residency Program, which will be housed at the Ferguson location. “This award will go towards the remodeling of our Ferguson Health Center building to house the Family Medicine Residency Program, providing dedicated space for the residents, as required for accreditation,” said Affinia Healthcare Vice President, Development and Community Relations Yvonne Buhlinger. The funding comes through the Port Authority’s Community Investment Fund,
The grant will help fund the newly developed Affinia Healthcare Family Medicine Residency Program, which will be housed at the Ferguson location.
which supports economic and community development projects aligned with the agency’s mission. In March 2025, Affinia received a $500,000 Teaching Health Center Planning and Development Program grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to help create the residency program and train the next generation of family medicine physicians for community health centers. Affinia Healthcare’s Family Medicine See AFFINIA, A8
Photo courtesy of Affinia Healthcare
Affinia Healthcare CEO Kendra Holmes, third from left, is joined by a host of dignitaries in cutting the ribbon in celebration of the Ferguson Health Center in fall 2023. The Ferguson location will be the new home of the Affinia Family Medicine Residency Program, which will launch in June.
HealthMatters your
‘Taking Care of You’
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 8 – 14, 2026
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Vaccinated Continued from A7 milder. Vaccines are safe and effective. All recommended vaccines undergo extensive safety testing before approval and continue to be monitored for safety and effectiveness long after they are recommended for use. In the United States and globally, vaccines are held to the highest safety standards – more stringent than those for almost all other medications. Contrary to a widespread misconception, vaccines cannot cause the diseases they are designed to prevent. While there are potential side effects, they are rare, and much less severe than the diseases vaccines prevent. The most common side effects – sore
Affinia Continued from A7 Residency Program is in partnership with A.T. Still University, Christian Hospital and SSM Health DePaul Hospital. It focuses on training future primary care physicians for service at Affinia Healthcare and in community health center environments. “Statistics show that many patients in underserved communities suffer or experience a lower standard of care when seeing providers who don’t understand or have bias toward certain populations,” said Dr. Melissa Tepe, Affinia Healthcare chief medical officer, in March. “It is imperative
arm at the injection site, achiness and fever – are normal signs that the body’s immune system is building protection. Getting vaccinated helps protect everyone. By preventing severe respiratory illnesses, getting vaccinated reduces your likelihood of missing work or your child missing school. It reduces strain on the healthcare system and helps protect everyone, especially infants and young children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with heart disease, lung disease, or other chronic health conditions. Recommendations are science-based. It’s important to follow science-based immunization recommendations. They are based on rigorous review and ongoing research. National
that we cultivate a new generation of clinicians who will know how to serve these populations. The Family Medicine Residency program is another way Affinia Healthcare can help provide a better quality of care for our patients and communities.” The Family Medicine Residency Program received full accreditation earlier this year from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, allowing recruitment to begin. The application deadline closed last month with what officials called an overwhelming response. “We received over one thousand applications and will be completing 94 interviews for our four slots,” said Program Director Dr. Kenneth
By preventing severe respiratory illnesses, getting vaccinated reduces your likelihood of missing work or your child missing school. medical organizations composed of practicing healthcare professionals recommend these respiratory vaccines based on long-standing evidence and clinical experience: • Annual flu vaccination is recommended for everyone age 6 months and older. • An updated COVID19 vaccine is recommended for those at high risk (including young children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with chronic health conditions),
and anyone age 6 months and older who wants to reduce their risk for severe COVID-19 or long COVID. • A one-time RSV vaccination is recommended for pregnant women; infants whose mothers did not get vaccinated for RSV during pregnancy should receive a monoclonal antibody to protect against RSV. RSV vaccination is also recommended for certain adults ages 50-74 and all adults 75 and older. • Pneumococcal vac-
Clinic locations and hours • 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday 1717 Biddle St., St. Louis, 63106 • 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday 3930 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 63118 • 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday 2220 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 63104 • 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday 4414 N. Florissant, St. Louis, 63107 • 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 5471 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, St. Louis 63112
Hemba. “We’re happy with the response of the number of applicants. We
know the Program will not only expand access to care but also builds a sustainable pipeline of highly competent providers committed to health access and long-term impact.” Affinia will continue WIC services Affinia Healthcare
Arrindell Continued from A7 his encouragement and support have been amazing.” The sports cardiology program at the Washington University and BarnesJewish Heart & Vascular Center is dedicated to improving cardiovascular care for high school, college, professional, and recreational athletes. As the first and only sports cardiology program in St. Louis, it aims to prevent sudden cardiac arrest, treat cardiovascular symptoms during exercise, and enhance the physical fitness of its patients. Arrindell always loved running but didn’t pursue the sport after high school. After losing both her mother and father, running became a way to cope with her grief. In March 2012, she channeled that energy into completing her first halfmarathon in Louisiana. While in law school, she was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat and underwent cardiac ablation surgery. She continued to be monitored by a cardiologist for years, and with no concerns after the procedure, she kept running. She ran about one race a year until 2019, when she committed to running a halfmarathon in every state—50 states before turning 50. In 2020, Arrindell was hospitalized with multiple medical issues, and her
cination is recommended for children younger than 5, all adults 50 and older, and people with certain chronic health conditions or other risk factors.
Healthcare professionals are here to help. Talk with a trusted healthcare professional to learn about the benefits and risks of vaccination
against flu, COVID-19, RSV and pneumococcal disease. These conversations can help you make informed decisions about your health and the health of your family and community. More information about the 2025-2026 respiratory season can be found at https://www.nfid.org. “It’s not too late to get vaccinated. If you have questions about which vaccines are right for you, reach out to your doctor, pharmacist, nurse or other healthcare professional,” says Robert H. Hopkins, MD, NFID medical director. “I am confident enough in these vaccines that I have been vaccinated, as have all my family members. I encourage others to be immunized so they have the same protection I give to my family and to my patients.”
announced it has signed a contract extension with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to continue providing Women, Infants and Children (WIC) services for federal fiscal year 2026. WIC is a supplemental nutrition program serving pregnant women, new mothers, infants and children up to their 5th birthday who meet income and nutritional risk guidelines. To qualify, applicants must have income less than or equal to 185% of the federal poverty level and be at nutritional risk. Migrant families are also eligible. Primary services include supplemental food, risk assessment, nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding promotion and support, health screening and referrals to health care. WIC food packages are chosen to provide foods high in protein, iron, calcium and vitamins A and C. Eligible women and children
receive fortified milk and cheese, eggs, whole grain bread products, cereal, 100% fruit juice and fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. The program encourages breastfeeding and provides breastfeeding support, baby foods and infant cereal. For women who cannot or choose not to breastfeed, infants may receive supplemental iron-fortified formula. Participants use eWIC cards to obtain approved items at participating grocery stores and pharmacies. Studies show that pregnant women who enroll in WIC early have fewer low-birthweight babies, experience fewer infant deaths, begin prenatal care earlier and eat healthier. WIC is administered in St. Louis by Affinia Healthcare. For more information or to apply, contact Affinia Healthcare WIC at 314-898-1701 or email WICinfo@affiniahealthcare.org.
whole body began to shut down. With high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, and a presumed heart attack, her heart required close monitoring. Weak, unstable, and facing a lifethreatening situation, Arrindell was determined to regain control of her life, rebuild her strength, and return to running. Referred to the sports cardiology program, she worked closely with Dr. Husaini to reclaim her health and resume physical activity. “Dr. Husaini evaluated my stress tests, monitored my blood pressure, provided heart assessments and a personalized treatment plan, and ensured my heart was strong enough to return to running,” Arrindell said. “I also worked closely with the clinic dietitian to manage my nutrition, as I had diabetes and high cholesterol.” Dr. Husaini understood how important staying active was for both her physical and mental health. He was also incredibly supportive. He asked about her races, provided helpful resources and connected her with the right specialists. With hard work, the right medical guidance, and assessments— and Dr. Husaini’s expert care — she received the clearance she needed to resume her running. “It felt good to feel my feet hit the pavement again,” Arrindell said. “I finished the 25 states remaining from my goal of 50 before 50.” Arrindell completed
her 100th race in March 2025 in the same place she started—Louisiana. Crossing that finish line, she felt she hadn’t just completed a race; she had become a symbol of perseverance. Now, with her 50state goal and 100 halfmarathons behind her, she’s setting new ambitions. She’s incorporating strength training to build endurance, cooking more, and carefully monitoring her nutrition. She’s also on the lowest dose of blood pressure and cholesterol medication she’s ever taken. Arrindell’s heart tried to slow her down, but she kept moving—one step at a time. With 100 halfmarathons behind her, she’s proof that taking care of your health doesn’t just get you back in the race— it helps you keep winning it. Next up: the Abbott World Marathon Majors, seven marathons across the globe. She’s scheduled to run the Sydney Marathon in August 2026.
Access may vary. Evolving federal recommendations directly impact the availability and coverage of vaccines. Some states and insurance companies are developing their own coverage rules for vaccines previously recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you run into barriers, talk with a trusted healthcare professional who can help you navigate local restrictions.
To learn more about the sports cardiology program at the Washington University and BarnesJewish Heart & Vascular Center or to make an appointment, call 3143621291. To follow Geri Lynn Arrindell’s running journey to Sydney, visit her Instagram profile at @ geri_lynn_arrindell. This story was published courtesy of BJC HealthCare and has been updated since its original publication.
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 8 - 14, 2026
‘The Wire’ actor Isiah Whitlock Jr. passes at 71 Isiah Whitlock Jr., best known for playing the corrupt state senator Clay Davis on “The Wire,” died on Tuesday, December 30. He was 71. Whitlock, a native of Indiana, was a prolific character actor. He was a frequent collaborator of Spike Lee, appearing in his films “BlacKkKlansman,” “Da 5 Bloods,” “She Hate Me,” “25th Hour,” “Red Hook Summer” and “Chi-Raq.” He was also an accomplished theater actor. It was his work in “Jitney,” August Wilson’s masterpiece about Black men navigating dignity and survival, that became a defining chapter in his stage career. Whitlock performed in multiple productions of the play, including the acclaimed 2000 Broadway presentation.
Donnie McClurkin denies abuse claims
iah
suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery. The charges stem from an incident that happened on December 2 in Dedham. The police report, dated Dec. 16, 2025, states that the alleged victim, who identified herself as Diggs’ personal chef, initially hesitated to file charges “due to his fame” but later changed her mind and provided a detailed statement describing the incident. During a dispute over her pay, the victim claimed Diggs smacked her and placed his hands around her neck, causing her to struggle to breathe and feel lightheaded. She reported pain and difficulty swallowing after the alleged assault. Diggs’ attorney, Michael DiStefano, made a remote appearance in Dedham District Court, seeking to have the police report impounded, arguing that the details should remain sealed. DiStefano also disclosed to the court that Diggs has made a financial offer to resolve the dispute with the alleged victim in this case. “As we speak, they’re working to come to an agreement on that,” DiStefano said. The judge said she’d take the request under advisement before allowing the release of the unredacted report, which revealed disturbing allegations of violence against a woman who claimed to be Diggs’ personal chef. The judge also agreed to consider a request to extend Diggs’ arraignment date to March.
Is r. A lawsuit has been filed against ock J O.J. Simpson’s estate agrees Whitl Grammy-winning gospel singer and pastor Donnie McClurkin by a man to pay family of Ron Goldman who alleged that the gospel singer assaulted him for years. O.J. Simpson’s estate has finally agreed to Giuseppe Corletto claimed in a lawsuit filed on pay the family of Ron Goldman – who was killed in Friday, Jan. 2, in New York County Supreme Court 1994 along with Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole Brown and obtained by PEOPLE that the singer and pastor, Simpson. RadarOnline.com reveals that the news 66, sexually abused him for several years after their comes nearly 30 years after O.J. Simpson was found first meeting in 2003. liable for the pair’s murders in a wrongful death civil McClurkin’s attorney, Greg Lisi, told PEOPLE in suit. a statement that the claims made in the lawsuit were Simpson died from prostate cancer in April 2024 “categorically false.” at age 76. The $33.5 million judgment was made “At no time did Pastor McClurkin engage in any against him in 1997. His estate has accepted a nearly form of sexual abuse, assault, or sexual coercion of $58 million claim from the Goldmans, according to Mr. Corletto,” Lisi said. “The claims set forth in the documents filed in a Las Vegas court by the NFL lawsuit grossly mischaracterize their interactions, great’s longtime lawyer Malcolm LaVergne. which occurred over a decade, and some accusations It is unknown if the estate has enough dough to over two decades ago. All these allegations are consatisfy the debt it owes the Goldmans. tradicted by the real facts.” “The Executor’s acceptance of the claim is a positive acknowledgement of the debt,” Goldman family attorney Michaelle Rafferty said in a statement to Stefon Diggs charged with strangulation RadarOnline.com. “It does not constitute payment. This acceptance Stefon Diggs, a star wide receiver with the New allows the administration of the claim to move forEngland Patriots, is facing criminal charges after an ward in probate. We will continue to monitor the incident in Massachusetts earlier this month. probate process.” According to paperwork from Dedham District Court, Diggs is charged with felony strangulation or
Advertise in The St. Louis American Classified section! For more info contact Angelita Houston, ahouston@ stlamerican.com or call 314-533-8000
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NEWSPAPER IN NEWSPAPER NEWSPAPERIN IN NEWSPAPER IN
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EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION
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Planting Planting the Seeds for Success! Planting the Seeds for Success! Planting the Seeds for Success! Planting the Seeds for Success!
The The weekly Healthy Kids page The weekly Healthy Kids page The weekly Healthy Kids page The weekly Healthy Kids page provides health tips on nutrition, provides health tips onon nutrition, provides provides health tips on nutrition, provides health tips nutrition, exercise exercise and more. exercise and more. exercise and more. exercise and more.
Healthcare Careers
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Learning Standards: HPE 6, NH 3 Discuss BMI with your roadways or sidewalks, HPE HPE 5, cubesto coatDrizzle around and place strawberries. witheach honeyblueberry and top 1, 2, HPE 2, NHHPE 5 7, NH 5, 6 Ice A couple of quick tips that HPE Learning Standards: tortilla chips or raw vegetables. Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3 Learning Standards: baby steps. Walkarecarefully NH 7 on a cookie sheet topped with parchment with the other crackers to make four >take What to do if you “Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell will reduceorthat strain on yourCathy HPE 2,1, HPE 5,2,NHNH4 1, NH 5 Directions: Blend all ingredients until “Questions “Questions comments? Contact Sewell “Questionsororcomments? comments?Contact ContactCathy CathySewell Sewell HPE HPE paper. Freeze2for at least an hour. cracker-wiches. and slowly. bullied. csewell@stlamerican.com or 314-289-5422 Smooth. 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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • MARCH 6 - 12, 2025
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 8 - 14, 2026
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The St. Louis American’s award winning NIE program provides newspapers and resources to more than 8,000 teachers and The St. Louis American’s award winning NIE program offers newspapers students each week throughout the school year, at no charge. and resources to St. Louis area teachers and students each week throughout the school year, at no charge. Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 618-910-9551 Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 618-910-9551
SCIENCE STARS SCIENCE STARS SCIENCE STARSMeterologist African American Jessica Matthews: AFRICAN-AMERICAN MYCOLOGIST AND EDUCATOR: WilliamO. “Bill” Parker
FAMILY SPOTLIGHT
CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT
Students Aariyah At the St. Louis Thompson and at Students American’s TheFisher, American’s Savannah in Summer Summer Science Ms. Stovall’s firstScience grade class at participants Gateway Academy, Academy work MST Elementary in the Saint Louis Science in teams to Center’s Youth Exploringhow to are learning School, discover the
William (Bill) Parker grew up Jeanettethe Jones Powering World with in New Orleans. He graduated Jeanette Jones was born from JFK High School, Play and Electricity on September 19, 1950, in which
on math, science, Fortfocused Valley, Georgia. Jones Jessica O. Matthews is Valley anParker inven-was and engineering. graduated from Fort Science (YES) Program assist tor, entrepreneur, and leader who construct a series circuit. interested State Universityin inhurricanes 1972 with at many different youngby science students in an shows that great ideas can spark Photo Ms. Stovall a youngdegree age, but he became a bachelor’s in biology computer engineering project to build a big change just like electricity. She interested in the weather education. In 1973, Jones programming roller coaster out of recycled was born in Poughkeepsie, New a high statistics her master’s degree in York,received andafter grew up asschool both a U.S. items. languages. botany andcitizen. (a branch class. Inmycology this class, he and Nigerian From anlearned early Teachers, if you are using the St. Louis age, Jessica was curious about of biology that studies fungi) Teachers, if you are using the St. Louis how to predict the chancehow of American’s NIE programif and would like Teachers, you are using American’s program and would like to nominateNIE your class for a Classroom things worked and wanted to solve the St. Louis American’s NIE from The Ohio State University. rain. Parker wanted to attend to nominate your class for a Classroom Spotlight, please email: program and would like to real-world problems. She Spotlight, please email: In 1976, she received herstudnie@stlamerican.com. a historically black college/ nominate your class for a nie@stlamerican.com. ied psychology and economics at Classroom Spotlight, please doctorate (Ph.D.) degree. university (HBCU), so heHarvard chose Jackson State University to to email: csewell@stlamerican. University, then went on She alsometeorology. studied at the He University of Nevada, thebachelor’s University degree, com study graduated with his earn her MBA from Harvard Business ofinCalifornia School, the National Center for Disease 1994. School. Her Medical education helped her understand both people debris forms a tail. At this Control-Atlanta, Massachusetts Institute Technology. and technologyand twothe things she would later of combine to bring point, the only solid part In 1993, he began to gain experience in the field when he light and power Alabama to communities around theJones world. After graduation, A&M University hired as an A hurricane forms over tropical and Hurricanes of can last a few hours or several the comet is the nucleus, worked as a student meteorologist. One year later,an he was a When Jessica was 19 years with assistant biology professor. In old, 1986,she shecame servedup as an adjunctidea that A comet is made of dust andwater and subtropical oceanout water. Warm days. Most hurricanes which is theoccur centerduring of the the meteorologist intern at Shreveport. Inothers. 1998, Parker would change lifeofand the lives Whilebecame visiting professor in theher College Pharmacy andof Pharmaceutical ice. Many compare themstrong cool, moistscientists air combine to create fall months.comet. How can youcomet stay safe? As the gets Have family a general forecaster, and tenwent yearsout later, a leadher forecaster. in Nigeria, the power during aunt’s wedServices at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University to a dirty aremiles per winds thatsnowball. can gust Comets up to 200 an evacuation plan an emergency closer to and the sun, the nucleuskit ding. She realized that many families lived without reliable In 2012, he became a warning coordination meteorologist and worked on a project with NASA. In 1991, Jones served as created in two Kuiper Belt Fungi areplacesorganisms made of filaments (called leaves, stems, or roots. use spores to hour! These winds create waves that prepared. Meteorologists track these boils off aFungi cloudcan of dust and electricity. Thatare experience inspired her to title create a soccer (WCM). There only 122of people with in the United the first female president research andthis development and the Oort Cloud. Comets can hyphe) that are stacked together. Unlike reproduce. One common type of fungus is ball bring the storm on shore. Hurricanes storms andgas, keep you informed. that couldvice generate electricity while being kicked. She called a coma. States, and Parker was the only African American. Parker at Alabama University. She also played served aswith President of it is plants, fungi doThey have chlorophyll, livevery there for billions ofnot years. it theA&M SOCCKET. As people the ball, the mushrooms you find on your pizza. called are destructive. can flip cars, so For more hurricane facts, For more information, currently the meteorologist-in-charge (MIC) at the National Alabama A&M University’s 2001ortosmall 2006. theyonce cannot their food. Some However, theymake bump intoown energy that couldFaculty later Senate powerfrom a lamp device. Mold, yeasts, and mildew are also types stored sink boats, uproot trees, and demolish visit: http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/ visit: Weather Service, leading a team of 26 weather professionals. In 1992, she was appointed to the U.S. Army Science Board by Through something as fun as play, Jessica found a way to fungi are parasites, which mean they live each other, they can change of fungus. houses. https://spaceplace.nasa. sciencefacts/weather/hurricane.html. create light in homes that often went dark at night. the U.S. Secretary of the Army, Togo West. Since 2004 Jones off of other organisms. Some fungi feed direction. This is what sends them Parker is also very active For More Information, Go to: Jessica didn’t stop there. At just years old,Behavioral, she founded In powerful winds, hurricanes bring a lot ofcreates rain. gov/search/comet/. has the director of the Center for22 Biomedical, off ofto dead and decaying Fungi areradiation toaddition the Inner Solar System. The matter. Sun’s heat and Learning Standards: Ihttps://kids.kiddle.co/Fungus can read nonfiction text for main as been a volunteer in his a company called Uncharted Power, which (Taiwan received 114 inches rain inincluding three days during and Environment at Alabama A&M University. She incauses the environment, Learning Standards:details. I can read nonfiction text for main a Solareverywhere Wind, which anofincrease in temperature, anda idea and supporting community. HeResearch is abring member builds new ways to electricity and to help them hurricane.) These rains can cause landslides anddust flash floods. also worked as a consultant with federal agencies the soil, lakes, river and seas, air, melt, and the the comet begins to melt away. As they and gas idea and supporting details.Learning Standards: I can of the Shreveport-Bossier technology to communities everywhere. read nonfiction text to gain background develop training programs to attract women and minorities to on plants and animals. Fungi (plural of Her company designs systems that Mayors’ Prayer Breakfast information about fungi. STEM cities education and careers. fungus) help organic matter to decay and release carbon and make “smart” by La safely combining Executive Committee, oxygen into the environment. Unlike plants, fungi do not have power, data, internet cables under InCima 1975, Jonesand wasLeadership listed in the World’s Women’s Who’s Who Bilingual the ground. Her inventions help make and she was named an Outstanding Young Woman of America In this experiment, you will make a Academy, Bossier Chamber create a watertight taping to plastic, 2 inchesand above and energy cleaner, safer, and more accessiIn this experiment, you’ll create a replica e Put theseal. ballContinue in the middle of 1the in 1978. Beta Beta Beta National Biological Honor Society colorful comet that you can offor Commerce Education below the seam. of a hurricane and identify how the forces pull the corners together. bleawarded everyone. Jessica hasservice been award. hon- Jones also Grow ing Mold! her the distinguished use to play catch. Committee, Volunteers forher creativity and work together to create a hurricane. ored around the world for t Hold the bottlesrbyTie thethe middle lift the stringand around thejugs. plastic, close received the Significant Service Award from the NASA Space leadership, including being named one Youth Justice, and a coach Materials Needed: t Forturn five the days, measure the square centimeters mold is In this experiment, you will learn how mold grows best. y Quickly, Materials Needed: tobottles the ball, plastic won’t slipofoff. Sciences Training Program and the Extramural Associate overso sothe that the water-filled bottle ofLife Forbes magazine’s “30 Under 30” SOCCKET soccer ball for Bossier Parks and • 2Plastic Grocery Bag on the eachbottles piece of through the bag. Use a grid, is an important SodaMold Bottles Clips that has several uses, including on top. Set onbread the table again. Research Development Award from the National Institute of •• Scissors • 3 Paperfungus innovators. t Carefully cut slits in the plastic, Recreation. Parker is also if possible, or a ruler. If mold covers more than half a breaking dead•organic Health.Jessica In 1990O. andMatthews 2006, she uses was named Peanuts C. Sand Funnelmaterial. Some purified molds areu Observe •• 3Tennis • ¼down her Woman of the Year the watermaking as it drains into thestrips. bottle below. The water Today, 1isorcounted 2-inch Ball used as an antibiotic to treat illnesses. an associate minister at Elizabeth Baptist Church square centimeter, it as one full centimeter. actually at Alabama A&M University and was given the Outstanding success to inspire young people especially girls and children •• Water • Duct Tape competes with the air from the empty bottle. Both substances String or Ribbon in Benton, where he has beenSenate. serving the congregation since If it is less, it is counted as 0 centimeters. This will give y Paint the comet with glow-in-theof color to believe that they, too, can invent and change the Leadership Award by the Faculty The U.S. Army Materials Needed: push to pass through the neck. Procedure: • Glow-in-the-dark Paint 1997. you the area of mold on each slice of bread world. She teaches that science and creativity go hand in dark paint. When the paint dries, you can presented Jones the Commander’s Award for Outstanding of bread • Water • 3 Ziploc bags • 3 slices i Turn the bottles over again. This time, shake the bottles in a • Fill Paintbrush (painting is and thatasnoainmember idea is too to make a difference. q one bottle thecentimeter paperclips,grid peanuts Civilian Service ofasthe Armymodel Science decorate it with stickers, ribbons, or etc. Parker believes serving asmall role toBoard. the youth and Jesto y At the end of a week (5 days of measuring) longer, use hand, 10x10with square • • Ruler circular motion. Be sure to keep the bottles vertical. optional) sica reminds us that electricity doesn’t just power machines and sand. These represent the debris and help your final results to say what percentage of the bread recruiting African Americans in the STEM field. Personally, he Discussion Questions: Dr. Jones received many awards Reflect: The tennis ball is like the ice and rock chunk in the it can also power hope, imagination, and the future. make theProcess: movement of water easier to see. o The water will form a vortex as it drains theornext bottle. Process: in mold. Make ainto table graph hashonors. hired three African-American meteorologists. and How would you describe her achievements In andaddition, center of a comet,was andcovered the plastic bag makes the coma and to q funnel Wet one slice of bread enough to make The water will flow along the outside of the neck, while air moves w Place the in the mouth of the bottle display the information. he has recruited minorities for summer intern positions. her contributions to science? Dr. Jones is studying how ELA Questions tail. q Cut the handles off the plastic bag.Seal the it moist andof place it in aitbag. quickly up through the center of the vortex. The water will drain and pour water into the bottle until is 3/4 Parker hasbe also mentored High Schooldostudent for fungi might used as agentsan ofAirline war. What purpose you How much Learning Standards:Discussion I can follow Questions: sequential directions to much faster. bag very tightly. w Carefully cut down each side of the bag, to make a flat full, then remove the funnel. • How did Jessica O. Matthews’ invention of the think fungi serve in modern warfare? Are fungi beneficial or his senior project. Parker’s advice to students interested in mold was on the bread? Which location make a model of did a product. piece of w plastic. SOCCKET soccerisball useas electricity toand helpscience people? Analyze: How water create a hurricane? Place the twobottle other upside slices of dry harmful? e Turn the second empty meteorology to take many math classes hadand theair most mold? Which had the least? bread in two bags and down and hold it over the separate first bottle can you draw about as possible. Learn about summer in your Learning Standards:What I can conclusions follow sequential directions to the Standards: I can read biography to learn about •Learning What lessons can students learnaopportunities from seal them, asbottle well. are so that the mouths of the conditions inmake whichobservations mold grows? and Howdraw can community. If you are interested in meteorology, visit National complete an experiment. I can an African American who has made contributions in science, Jessica’s story about creativity and Cold Day Math Games aligned. e The bottles will look like food manufacturers and restaurant owners Place the bag with the wet slice of Weather Service or offices conclusions. math, technology, engineering. solving problems in theirand serve as a volunteer or intern, and an hourglass. use this information to help them? bread and one of the bags with a communities? Cold days mean find leaders in your community to serve as your personal role BACK TO BACK: drytime slice of bread in a dark place, r Tape themore seam, pressing spending in models. Materials Needed: • A Writing Surface • Writing Learning Standards: I can follow
SCIENCE CORNER SCIENCE CORNER
Hurricanes
SCIENCE CORNER
What Are Fungi?
SCIENCE INVESTIGATION Catch SCIENCE INVESTIGATION a Comet Make Your Own Hurricane!
SCIENCE INVESTIGATION
MATH CONNECTION
a closed cabinet or closet. the tapesuch firmly to theduct classrooms, soasit’s a perfectr time to play Place the third bag with a dry slice games to sharpen your of bread in the refrigerator. math skills!
Utensils • Someone who is quick with their math sequential directions to complete an experiment. facts for a my “caller” I can display results, make observations, and draw conclusions. Object of the Game: Guess the other player’s number
MAP CORNER Learning Standards: I can read about
MAP CORNER
t a person who has made contributions me Enjoy these activities o c to the fields of science, technology, of that help you get to ge ows before they guess yours. Use the newspaper a your St. im h ow X has grown to have wind speeds of 48 $115,264 in damage, City B reported know to complete the ew LAS s en gl 101 AND OUT: Players: 2 players and 1 caller for each round. To give N Louis American A hurricane has moved 456 miles in T re following activities: miles per hour. How much faster will the $236,096 C reported $436,869 Materials Needed: everyone a chance to play, and keepCity playing until you are 3I/A nge g newspaper. 6Ahours. How many miles per hour is Enjoyof these activities winds have to become for Tropical Storm What was the total cost Sheet of Paper Types News: “out,” and cycle in in damages. a new player each round. stra Scientists often use tables and the results — Questions: Which day hadtothe measured Activities the hurricane ______ If itgraphs Xtotodisplay that become Hurricane X? Discussion ______ of damages rounded themost nearest • Pencil • Onetraveling? Die Use thehelp frontyou get Directions: students come upLooking to the board of to their research. Looking these displays, you can draw Information: rainfall? WhichTwo day(s) had the least? at theand bar graph,Relevant continues travel at that speed,athow to know your St. section of the thousand? ______ Ifstudents the statetoand Object of the Game: stand back to back. This allows for the conclusions. Find an interesting news what might you conclude about rain patterns in March/April? Upon landfall of a Category 4 Louis American far will it travel in 10 hours? ______ newspaper to evaluate federal government promised $500,000 To score as close to write on the board, butcan blocks their view of the other story to evaluate. Read the What other observations you make? As we approach spring weather (and increased rain), create a ordered an hurricane, local officials newspaper. SLPS receiv the types of news stories es Builders inThe aid,players how much would the local people story 101 without going person’s number. will write a number and identify the main Award from Hurricane Frederick is traveling at 86 of evacuation. bar graph that displays the amount rain that fallsCity for A several presented: local, national, Learning Standards: I can use a bar graph to display has a population of Bank of over or “out.” Activities — to raise by themselves? ______ between 2 and 9.have The caller states “numbers up” as the ideas inthe America days or weeks. inches,City DayB2:has 0 inches, miles perconsecutive hour. If the hurricane is (Day 129 1: 1.59,613, andNumber international. Sort information. I can use the information to make deductions andideas. a population 5,013for Who works where? Find The theofsignal the players to write their number on the order of importance. Explain Players: Can play as St. Lo Daythe 3: 1.5 inches, articles into the three categories and create acbar graph that inferences. uis Publi miles from coast, howetc.) many hours Scho Learning I can and City C has a population of 3,972. ols Foundation (S a picture a building in the board. The caller then states the sumStandards: or product of the twoadd, why you choseof that order. individuals, in small teams, boys vs. girls, etc. LPSF) has each type displays the amount of coverage be en named a will it takeRAINFALL until theMEASURE hurricane reaches subtract, multiply, andofdivide to solve a recipient of Ba How many people were evacuated in all? use numbers. The students their understanding math facts newspaper and tell what kind of Am nk erica’s Neigh received. Polygon Perimeters: of news story Directions: Take turns rolling the dice. Players can take borhood the coast? ______ problem. to figure out what the other person’s number is when added or ______ of jobs people who work in that building 5 Locate and circle 4 verbsMystery Story: Cut out several the number as a one or a ten. For example, if a student rolls multiplied by their number. The player to say the other person’s could have. 4 in a news story. Use a ruler to from the newspaper without a 5, they could take it as a 5 or a 50. Students keep a running A tropical storm takes on a hurricane pictures After citizens returned to first theirwins the round. The “loser” gets to choose the number Problem and Solution: a period connect the verbs like a dot-to-dot puzzle toPlace formthe aOver 3 record of their total as they play. The player (or group) that status when the winds reach 74 miles per houses after the evacuation, reading the caption. pictures next person to come reports of to the board. of weeks, clip articles from newspapers polygon. Measure and label each side of your polygon first scores as close to 101 as possible going over wins. in a bag, and without looking, pick your hour. After2 three days, Tropical Stormwithoutdamage were totaled. City A reported Learning Standards: I can add, subtract, multiply, and with a ruler. Add the lengths of your sides to find that deal withfrom problems and issues mystery picture thethe bag. That’s 1 divide to solve a problem. perimeter. Write the perimeter in the center of your facing yourfor local or county government. your stimulus writing. Construct a S M T W Th F S polygon. Try it again with nounsthe or adjectives. Discuss reasons these the problems graphic organizer tofor identify 5Ws and ty un Co If a comet comes close enough to Earth, it is Halley’s Comet is estimated to be how government hopes towhy) solveofthem. (who, when, where, and ts Learning I the canwhat, use the newspaper DemocraStandards: bright enough to see during the day. 4.5 billion years old. Chinese have been using There are over your story by looking at your picture. toac locate I can identifyStandards: main idea. I can Then, $2M Learning ceptinformation. the bracket fungus in 10,000 species ofpeople believe the comet’s tail continue the writing process. Around 500 B.C., Greek philosophers used the Many is parts of speech. t I can use the newspaper to locate gran their medicines for 4,500identify election mold, 1,000 Hurricane Katrina affected Hurricanes dowith not form a hurricane particularly word “komotes,” which meansapproximately “long haired,”90,000 to traveling behindIfit. The tail canisactually be Learning Standards: years. information. I can discuss problems and Alexander Fleming usedstates. a type of of those square miles across multiple It sky. has been the within 300 milesspecies ofinthe damaging, the name will be refer to the comets they observed in the back or in front of the comet, depending I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can of jobs. I can mold fungus to create the drug solutions. I can identify types Chinese in the costliest hurricane to date, with $81.2 billion in equator found because there is Sun’s solar permanently retiredcaterpillar so that it fungus is onUnited the wind. categorize and summarize that information. has been used for fatigue penicillin, which is now used to Penicilllin mold States. make text-to-world connections. property damage and overall damage amounts of no Coriolis Effect at the not used again. Five hurricane
MATH CONNECTION
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Math Storms!
MATH CONNECTION Analyzing a Bar Graph
MAP CORNER
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DID YOU KNOW? KNOW?
DID YOU KNOW?
treat illness. more than $100 billion.
commonly grows on fruit
This special Newspaper In Education initiative is made possible, and delivered to classrooms through the St. Louis American Foundation and its NIE Corporate Partners:
equator.
and cancer treatment. names were retired in 2005.
Content—Jennifer Wirthwein• Design—Beth Sharpe
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 8 – 14, 2026
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 8 – 14, 2026
Price Continued from A1 he was the full-time staff photographer. “He worked for a weekly, but I saw him every day,” said retired photojournalist Odell Mitchell Jr., who worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Every time I would pop up at a news event, Wiley was already there shooting,” Mitchell said. Price also worked for the Suburban Journals and The Associated Press, but the vast majority of his award-winning career has been with The American. “The time has flown by,” Price said as he reflected on his tenure. “It feels like a nanosecond.” The piles that he prepared to box up and take home reflected the advancements in technology within his field over the decades. On his desk were slick black-and-white images he developed in his darkroom when the office was at 4144 Lindell. Color images and burned CDs represented the 4242 Lindell days. There were also the orange and silver external hard drives that held the final assignments that he edited and filed at 2315 Pine, The American’s current location. “Anyone can pick up a camera and take a photo,” said Tim Parker, who worked alongside Price at the Suburban Journals. “But Wiley could pick up a camera and make a photo. He brought being a good person to the job — and that’s something technology can’t replace.” At the top of one stack was an 8-by-10 image of a funeral procession that curled at the edges. It was
McMillan Continued from A1 ence as families — many displaced — worked to rebuild their lives. Under his direction, the Urban League helped organize disaster cleanup partnerships; hosted nine large-scale community distribution events that collectively served thousands of residents; provided hotel vouchers and housing support; supported children returning to school; and ensured families had access to food and essential services as the storm deepened already existing needs. Leaders across the region noted
Organizations Continued from A1 tainty. Their combined efforts helped distribute thousands of supply packages, support thousands of households and serve more than 21,000 meals across neighborhoods including College Hill, Penrose, O’Fallon, the Ville, Greater Ville, Fountain Park, Lewis Place and Academy. They acted because delay was not an option. Last year, Action St. Louis Executive Director Kayla Reed told The American that her team understood the urgency immediately. “We knew folks would immediately need food,
Salute Continued from A1 reinforcing the ecosystem that allows St. Louis to thrive,” said Michael Holmes, board chair of The St. Louis American Foundation. “When organizations like RBC, the Urban League and Greater St. Louis Inc. come together, it sends a powerful message that collaboration
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama receives blessings from African Methodist Episcopal bishops during a campaign stop in St. Louis in 2008. The photo, by retired St. Louis American photographer Wiley Price, is displayed in the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.
around — that’s the type of reporting he did. Other photographers would just stand and point their camera.” From Ferguson in 2014 to the tornado that devastated historically Black St. Louis neighborhoods on May 16, 2025, Price was on the front lines. “The killing of Mike Brown Jr. in Ferguson and the Ferguson Uprising really stands out to me,” Price said. “That historical moment brought news stations from across the country to St. Louis.” He was also there for all the moments in between the major news milestones. The times when Black people needed to see themselves reflected in a manner that countered the narratives that reduced its community to stereotypes and statistics. As he packed away his final box, the moment was bittersweet. “I have so many emotions right now,” Price said. “I’ve never imagined myself not doing this.” He has a sense of peace knowing that he is leaving on his own terms and with his legacy established. He spent decades moving from protests to press conferences, from sidelines to sanctuaries. The record he leaves behind ensures that the story of Black St. Louis — in moments of joy, grief and resilience — will endure long after his final assignment. “His pictures weren’t just snapshots,” Mitchell said. “They told a story about the community. They helped tell the story that was being reported. But they also told their own story.”
black-and-white, but the casket glistened to the point where it felt like it was in color. Flowers and people surrounded it. The image was from the 1987 funeral of Bishop P.L. Scott, founding pastor of Lively Stone Church of God. “It looked like it was made of solid gold,” Price said. “I remember thinking, ‘I will never shoot another funeral like this.’ And of all the funerals I shot, I never did.” Immediately beneath that image was a distraught little girl lying on the ground with her head on the curb. She had been hit by a car in the parking lot of the Walgreens on Lindell. Price had his camera with him as he stopped in to make a purchase and captured the image of the girl. “She wasn’t really hurt,” Price said. “She was
just overwhelmed by all of the fuss that was being made by the adults around her as they waited for the police to come. It amazes me sometimes when I think about how many times I just happened to be in the right place at the right moment to make a picture.” Perhaps the most wellknown of those moments lay flat on the floor. The massive 24-by-26 image featured a man in the middle of a prayer circle. “I’m a photojournalist for a Black newspaper, do you know how many times I’ve taken a picture of preachers praying over someone,” Price said. “What makes this picture stand out is who they are praying for.” That man was thenU.S. Sen. Barack Obama. He was in St. Louis for the national convention of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church as part of his 2008 presidential campaign. Obama ran on hope — and a prayer — and went on to become the first Black president of the United States. Price’s image went viral before the language existed to describe what that meant. A reprint hangs in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Over the years he photographed every U.S. president from Jimmy Carter to Joe Biden. Obama’s photo holds a special place with Price, but it is not among his personal favorites — which are too vast to narrow down. “If you are a photographer and your best image is of a celebrity, then chances are you are probably not a very good photographer,” Price said.
Price’s work extended beyond photography. His camera allowed him to be a relentless practitioner of community service. “The community has been served completely through the eyes of Wiley Price,” said St. Louis American Contributing Editor Fred Sweets. “I can’t begin to tell you how proud I am of the work he’s done for The American.” Sweets, who also worked for The PostDispatch, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times, said Price has documented history over his four-plus decades. “He would work a scene and get different angles,” Parker said. “He built relationships with people in the community. Wiley would walk
that the Urban League stepped in when many families could not afford to wait for formal systems to respond, helping stabilize neighborhoods at a time when uncertainty was widespread. One month after the devastation, Fox 2 St. Louis reporter Shirley Washington noted that efforts like the Urban League’s sent a clear message of support to the community after one of the worst tornadoes in the city’s history. His leadership in crisis was forged early. One year after he became president and CEO in 2013, Ferguson — and the nation — were shaken by the killing of Michael Brown. The
upheaval that followed demanded stability, coordination and a renewed commitment to rebuilding. Out of that period came a sharpened focus on strengthening communities, building trust and expanding resources where they were needed most. As a self-described “old soul trapped in a child’s body,” McMillan, an only child, grew up listening to elders discuss politics and race, often asking more questions than they had patience for. He joined the Urban League at age 16 and later served as a mayor’s assistant, the youngest elected alderman and license collector, while continuously holding a seat on the Urban League
board since age 24. Under his leadership, the organization has grown from a $17 million annual budget in 2013 to $52 million in 2025, expanding to 20 locations and dozens of programs supporting education, workforce development, health access and economic empowerment. The Urban League faced another defining test in 2020 when the COVID19 pandemic struck. McMillan helped mobilize what became one of the state’s largest relief operations, providing protective gear and emergency support to thousands of families across Missouri. Alderwoman Shameem Clark-Hubbard said the same spirit guided the tor-
nado response. “Being on the ground daily in all the neighborhoods in my ward, I personally witnessed the tornado relief efforts of the Urban League. They have been responsive and resourceful and led with empathy and humanity in helping people get to the next step.” McMillan said he is “beyond honored” to receive the recognition and emphasized that recovery remains ongoing and deeply personal. “When we look at what’s happened over the past 7½ months after the tornado, you see what the Urban League and other organizations were able to do, it showed the best
of St. Louis once again,” McMillan said. For McMillan, the work ahead is as important as the work already done. He has repeatedly stressed that rebuilding is not just about replacing what was lost, but ensuring North St. Louis emerges stronger, safer and better supported than before the storm. That commitment to long-term recovery, grounded in both urgency and compassion, is why he is being honored — and why his leadership continues to matter at one of the region’s most critical moments. Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.
neighborhoods… What we created was not just a hub — it was a demonstration of what is possible when community leads and love is the foundation.” That is why these organizations are being honored. They showed that resilience is not abstract. It looks like neighbors with chainsaws, volunteers with meals, organizers building structure out of chaos and communities refusing to leave one another behind. Together — alongside Michael P. McMillan, The American’s 2025 Person of the Year — they once again displayed the very best of St. Louis.
nized, strengthened and carried forward. “We have a really great lineup of awardees this year, and I think it’s going to be a very inspirational afternoon,” Whitener said. “The recognition of these business leaders is important because of the impactful work they are doing that not only is changing their own lives but the lives of others in their communities.”
water, hygiene products — and help cleaning up,” she said. The People’s Response Impact Report — prepared by Action St. Louis, ForTheCultureSTL and the University of Missouri’s Community Innovation and Action Center — documented how residents “self-deployed” while formal systems caught up. Between May 16 and June 28 alone, more than 10,000 volunteers cleared debris, distributed 8,000 supply packages and served 21,000 meals. At 4theVille, Aaron Williams described how quickly the work began. The day after the tornado hit, he said, “We bought three chainsaws and we hit the streets… just cutting trees and power lines and
is essential to building a stronger regional economy.” The honorees this year will be announced next week. Awards will be presented in four categories: Lifetime Achiever in Business, Corporate Executive of the Year, Nonprofit Executive of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year. The event will be held Thursday, Feb. 19, at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis, from 11:30 a.m. to
A career well served
light poles for people, just so they can get off their block to get whatever they
need. While we were doing all of that, more people started calling us, saying,
‘How can we help?’” The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis also served as a critical stabilizing force, coordinating relief efforts, hosting large-scale distributions and helping families access essential support as recovery moved from emergency response toward rebuilding. Beyond statistics, the response demonstrated something deeper — a roadmap for what is possible when recovery is rooted in dignity, proximity and love. As the People’s Response report stated: “This was not just a moment of emergency response. It was the result of years of community organizing, infrastructure-building and leadership development in Black
1:30 p.m. “The Salute to Excellence in Business event gives people an opportunity to be in a room with the region’s top business leaders — presidents, CEOs and other executives,” said Raven Whitener, the Foundation’s director. “Being able to be in that space and to network and connect is an invaluable experience.” At a time when equitable economic growth
remains both a challenge and a priority, the Salute to Excellence in Business Awards aims to highlight leaders who are helping push the region forward. That regional outlook underscores why events like this are significant. The St. Louis region ranks No. 6 in the nation for the share of Blackowned businesses relative to its Black population, according to a Brookings Institution study released
last year. Even so, minority-owned businesses accounted for only 12.7% of all businesses in 2022, while minorities made up 26.6% of the population. By elevating leaders who are shaping industries, mentoring the next generation and reinvesting in their communities, Whitener said the Foundation helps ensure the region’s legacy of Black entrepreneurship and leadership is recog-
Photo courtesy of St. Louis Public Radio
Ohun Ashe, left, and Kayla Reed organized an effort that became the People’s Response Hub.
Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 8 - 14, 2026
Congressman Bell challenges Trump’s Venezuela strike
By Melanie Eversley
For The St. Louis American
While Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were in custody in New York Monday on federal drug charges, the congressman representing St. Louis was meeting with House colleagues in Washington to find a way through what has evolved into an international controversy. At the center of the debate is President Donald Trump’s decision to order military action and the capture of Venezuela’s first couple over the weekend without authorization from Congress. Such authorization is required under the Constitution and the War Powers Act, U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell, told The St. Louis American. Bell, who served as Prosecuting Attorney for St. Louis County for six years before joining Congress, said he and colleagues would be discussing the legal issues and potentially scheduling a Capitol Hill hearing. “First and foremost, as a former prosecutor, I have no love for Maduro, and he is horrible. … I get that,” Bell, a Democratic member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Oversight Committee, said of the Latin American dictator. “The question is when we look at the president’s modus operandi of how he acts before thinking, how this administration does things, and then when they get in hot water they figure out it’s a lot more complicated. Then
they start trying to think about it after the fact to try to dig themselves out of the mess that they made,” he said. Bell also reacted to Trump’s insistence that the United States would now run Venezuela. “I just find it odd that the president can’t run this country, when we look at housing costs and look at health care costs, the cost of living in general, but now wants to run Venezuela,” Bell said. The move drew strong reaction from world leaders and in the St. Louis area, where at least two protests were held over the weekend and a press conference condemning the action was held Wednesday by the Universal African Peoples Organization and the African People’s Socialist Party. While some Venezuelan Americans nationally are celebrating Maduro’s capture, local feelings are more complicated, said Blake Hamilton, president and CEO of the International Institute of St. Louis. “We do serve some Venezuelans and there is concern about the travel and safety of their loved ones,” Hamilton said. “Most folks are connected through WhatsApp. We’re just trying to help answer their questions about what they might be able to do from this side.” The Venezuelan American community in St. Louis is small — between 600 and 700 people — but growing, according to the Institute and St. Louis Mosaic. It is also close-knit, Hamilton said, and moments like this heighten fear and uncertainty. “It really is a case-by-case
U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell, D-St. Louis County, attempts to speak to constituents during a town hall meeting at The Post Building on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in downtown St. Louis. Photo by Brian Munoz/ St. Louis Public Radio
scenario,” Hamilton said. “Right now, there is not a U.S. diplomatic presence in Venezuela, so it becomes challenging for folks over there.” Nationally, the response has largely fallen along political lines. Many Republicans have either backed the president or remained silent, while Democratic leaders have sharply criticized the move and questioned whether Trump exceeded presidential authority. “This is not about drugs or democracy,” former Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement. “It is about oil and Donald Trump’s desire to play the regional strongman. If he cared about either, he wouldn’t pardon a convicted drug trafficker or sideline Venezuela’s legitimate opposition while pursuing deals with Maduro’s cronies.” U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke, a Democrat from New York and chairwoman of the
Congressional Black Caucus, called Trump’s action “a grave and illegal abuse of power,” referencing the widely challenged 2018 and 2024 Venezuelan elections. “While Nicolás Maduro is, in fact, an illegitimate leader, the deployment of U.S. military power to impose political change in a sovereign nation — without the consent of Congress or a clear and defined plan of action — threatens to draw the United States into an indefinite conflict in Venezuela,” Clarke said in a CBC statement. Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver of Kansas City, also criticized the administration for not briefing congressional leadership. “As Congress returns to Washington, the administration must immediately brief the people’s elected representatives about the legal justifications of this attack, the short-term risks
to our troops and civilians, and the long-term strategy to ensure the situation in Venezuela does not result in another quagmire that the American people do not support and cannot afford,” Cleaver said in a statement. Republican U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, who represents the St. Louis suburbs, listed Maduro’s alleged abuses in a statement, but did not explicitly endorse or condemn the president’s actions. “As a Member of the House Intelligence Committee, I look forward to a full briefing on this strike when Congress returns this week,” she said. Bell said Democrats want Republicans to take a more public stand. “At the end of the day, I think that you need not just the Democrats to be the adults in the room — we need Republicans to also do their jobs,” Bell said.
“The United States was founded through conflict and built on war.” See Jamala Rogers’ column on Venezuela, Page B4
Living It
“Before the kids, I was probably cold-hearted. But now I’m a loving kind of fella. I’ve got a lot of love to give to the world.” - Rapper A$AP Rocky on parenthood
B1 • ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 8 - 14, 2026
‘A guiding force’
Sequins, salsa and celebration Photo by Taylor Marrie/St. Louis American
St. Louisans bid farewell to 2025 by partying at Atomic by Jamo.
Carmen de Lavallade helped shape the early identity of what would become the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
From Havana heat to AfroSexy cool, STL stepped into 2026 without missing a beat
W
Modern dance pioneer Carmen de Lavallade passes at 94
By Zaria Mac St. Louis American ith two New Year’s Eve parties serving up contrasting vibes but the same high energy joy, St. Louis didn’t just close out 2025 — it lit it up. From a Havana-soaked ballroom to an AfroSexy dance floor in The Grove, party-goers found the perfect blend of ambiance and abandon to welcome the new year. “Midnight in Havana” took over the Live by Loews Ballroom and whisked guests to Cuba. The party featured Spanish inspired bites like Beef Brochettes and Tostones Rellenos — a savory seafood dish nestled in a crispy plantain boat. The open bar poured Cuban inspired cocktails, with the standout being the Smoked Pineapple Mojito, a citrus and smoke blend that surprised guests in the best way. Most attendees arrived shimmering in sequins — elegant floorlength gowns that glimmered as they moved through the room. One guest took it further with a slim fit sequin pantsuit that dazzled with
By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American
heights and deep water. “I had some instances as a child – fell out of a couple of trees – and it came to near-death experiences,” said Armstrong. “Same with water. I had an instance where I probably would have drowned if people weren’t watching over me.” The fear of the unknown also contributes to his fear of deep water. “We only know
Through movement, Carmen de Lavallade shifted culture. Her decades of work were a proclamation that Black women were not guests in the world of modern dance — they were architects. The legendary performer, choreographer, and teacher, whose influence shaped the field across generations, died on December 29. She was 94. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater announced her passing via Facebook on New Year’s Eve. “We honor and give thanks for her extraordinary life, boundless artistry, and the generations she shaped through her work, her wisdom, and her presence,” the organization said. Ailey is an institution de Lavallade helped shape through a lifelong friendship and creative partnership with its namesake — who was also her high school classmate. Her passing closes a chapter on one of the most quietly revolutionary lives in American arts. She made movement feel like language. Her presence was a masterclass in grace and elegance. Born in Los Angeles in 1931, de Lavallade grew up in a household where creativity was stitched into everyday life. Her mother, a seamstress, taught her the Carmen de discipline of craft, while Lavallade’s career her cousstretched across in — future genres: Broadway, Metropolitan opera, film, television, Opera trailblazer Janet and concert dance. Collins — showed her what it meant to carve out space in a world that didn’t always want to make room. By her teens, she was studying with Lester Horton, the modern dance pioneer whose Los Angeles studio became a refuge for artists of every background. When Horton died suddenly in 1953, she and Alvin Ailey were among those who kept the company afloat. Their partnership would become one of the most important artistic relationships of the 20th century. It was de Lavallade who brought Ailey to New York. It was de Lavallade who introduced him to the East Coast dance world. And it was de Lavallade whose artistry helped shape the early identity of what would become the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She performed in the company’s first concerts, offering a blend of grace and stunning technique rooted in the Black experience — a quality that became a signature of the Ailey aesthetic. She helped build institutions, but de Lavallade refused to be confined by them. Her career stretched across genres: Broadway, opera, film, television, and concert dance. She appeared in Carmen Jones and Porgy and Bess, danced with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, and performed with the companies of John Butler,
See DIDA, B3
See CARMEN, B3
Photo by Taylor Marrie/St. Louis American
Moriah Degraffenried, Rachelle Gray, and Larry LaMar at Atomic by Jamo for the New Year’s Eve Celebration on 12/31/25. every step. Others opted for sultry cocktail dresses, including a velvet asymmet-rical oneshoulder look that created a striking, curvy silhouette. The evening opened with The Boogaloo Crew, a band blend-ing Latin rhythms and American soul into their signature Boogaloo sound. Their set transported the room straight to Havana with songs like “Para Ti” and a Boogaloo style cover of Coldplay’s “Clocks.” Guests twirled to the trumpets, heels be damned, shaking their hips to the congas with the carefree spirit Havana is known for. Then the DJ took over, transforming the ballroom into an ’80s
dance party. He spun classics like “Raspberry Beret” and “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough,” sliding seamlessly into “Give It to Me Baby.” Guests abandoned their plates and rushed to the dance floor, ready to show off their funky stuff. From line dancing and the “Electric Slide” to belting out “Livin’ on a Prayer,” joy and bliss filled the room as the elegantly dressed crowd rang in the new year in luxury. An AfroSexy groove See NEW YEAR, B3
From the pitch to primetime STL’s Dida Armstrong competes on FOX’s ‘Fear Factor’ reboot
St. Louis native Dida Armstrong is among the 14 contestants of ‘Fear Factor: House of Fear’ which premieres at 8 p.m. Wednesday, January 14 on FOX. Photo courtesy of Dida Armstrong
By Zaria Mac St. Louis American St. Louis native and professional soccer player Dida Armstrong is stepping outside the comfort of the pitch – and straight into the reboot of one of TV’s most notorious challenge shows. The 21-year-old is among the 14 contestants braving “Fear Factor: House of Fear.” The show premieres on January 14 on Fox and phobias, grit and sheer willpower matter far more than athletic skill. This season, MTV staple Johnny Knoxville hosts contestants in a remote Canadian location, leading through a gauntlet of fear-inducing, nerve-wracking challenges – all for a shot at a $200,000 grand prize. Currently playing for Sporting JAX in Jacksonville, Florida, Armstrong describes himself as extremely competitive, but also a team player. “Soccer kinda ran in the family,” he said. “I didn’t start taking it seriously until 14.” Now
Photo courtesy of Facebook.com/carmendelavalladeofficial
he’s building a career doing what he loves. He’s spent years sharpening his athleticism, but quickly learned on “Fear Factor” that physical ability is only the baseline. “It was pretty equal all around,” Armstrong said. “They made the challenges where athleticism didn’t really count. It was more about putting your will forward and overcoming your fears.” Armstrong admits he’s afraid of both
Living It content is produced in partnership with Regional Arts Commission.
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 8 - 14, 2026
St. Louis American Calendar
STL Sites & Sounds CONCERTS
visit www.chaifetzarena.com.
Sat., Jan. 10, 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Maysa’s Blue Velvet Soul Experience: The Milestones Tour, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit https://tickets.citywinery.com.
Sat., Jan. 10, 8 p.m. R&B Ice Skating After Dark, Centene Community Ice Center, 750 Casino Center Dr, Maryland Heights, MO 63043. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.
Sat., Jan, 17, 6 p.m. Chrisette Michele, City Winery St. Louis, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit https://tickets.citywinery.com. Wed., Jan. 28, 7:30 p.m. The Evolution of Beyoncé: The Cowboy Carter Experience Tribute, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit https://tickets.citywinery.com. Sun., Feb, 15, 7 p.m. The Queens! 4 Legends 1 Stage featuring Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight & Stephanie Mills, Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Ave, St Louis, Missouri 63103. For more information, visit www.enterprisecenter.com. Sun., Feb. 22, doors 6 p.m. Boys 4 Life Tour featuring B2K & Bow Wow, 1 S Compton Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit www.chaifetzarena.com.
SPECIAL EVENTS Sat., Jan. 10, 2 & 7 p.m. The Harlem Globetrotters 100 Year Tour, Chaifetz Arena, 1 S Compton Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information,
Widow’s Row, Edison Theatre, 6465 Forsyth Blvd. For more information, visit www.theblackrep.org. Fri., Jan. 23 - Feb. 8, 7:30 p.m. Myth of the Ostrich, The Marcelle, 3310 Samuel Shepard Dr, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit https:// kranzbergartsfoundation.org/.
Through Jan. 11, Gateway Arch Park Foundation’s Winterfest, Kiener Plaza, 500 Pine St, St. Louis, MO 63101. Build your experience at www.archpark.org. Thurs., Jan. 29, 7:30 p.m. Maddie in the Morning Live with TS Madison, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit https://citywinery.com.
COMEDY Wed., Jan. 14, 7:30 p.m. St. Louis’ own Joe Torry, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit https://citywinery.com. Thur., Jan. 15 - 18, 7:30 p.m. Warren B. Hall, St. Louis Funny Bone, 614 Westport Plaza Dr, Maryland Heights, MO 63146. For more information, visit www.stlouisfunnybone. com. Fri., Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m. Mark Curry, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit https://tickets.citywinery.com. Fri., Jan. 16 - 18, 7 p.m. Special Event: Sheryl Underwood, Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St. Louis Galleria St,
ART January 9 – February 14, 2026, Portfolio Inc. presents the All Colors Arts Invitation and Juried Exhibition, opening reception will take place on Friday, January 9 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., The St. Louis Artist Guild, 12 North Jackson Ave, Clayton, MO 63105. For more information, visit www.portfoliogallerystl.org
Comedy veteran and St. Louis native Joe Torry will take the stage at home for a special one-night only set at City Winery next Wednesday. See COMEDY for more information.
St. Louis, MO 63117. For more information, visit https://st-louis. heliumcomedy.com.
ST. LOUIS MUSIC SPOTLIGHT Thurs., Jan. 8, 7:30 p.m. Marquise Knox, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit https://citywinery.com.
Sat., Jan. 24, doors 7 p.m. HOT IN HERRE: 2000’s Dance Party, The Sovereign, 3306 Washington Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit https://oldrockhouse.com.
THEATRE
Thurs. Jan. 15, 7: 30 p.m. Dee Jazz in Standards Outside The Box, Blue Strawberry, 364 N. Boyle Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108. For more information, visit https://bluestrawberrystl.com.
Fri., Jan. 9 - 10, 8 p.m. A New Line Cabaret VII: Broadway Noir Deux!, Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108. For more information, visit www.newlinetheatre.com. Through Jan 25, The Black Rep presents The Dance on
Through February 1, 2026, Jennie C. Jones: A Line When Broken Begins Again, Pulitzer Arts Foundation and Museum, 3716 Washington Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108. For more information, visit https://pulitzerarts.org. Through February 8, 2026, Teresa Baker: Somewhere Between Earth and Sky, Contemporary Art Museum, 3750 Washington Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108. For more information visit, https://camstl.org. Through June 2026, The Future Is Female, 21c Hotel and Museum Hotel St. Louis, 1528 Locust St, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit https:// 21cmuseumhotels.com.
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 8 - 14, 2026
CARMEN Continued from B1 Geoffrey Holder, and Glen Tetley. She was a muse, a collaborator, and a teacher. Among those who carry her imprint is Alicia Graf Mack — former Ailey star, the first Black woman to lead Juilliard’s Dance Division, and Ailey’s recently appointed artistic director. In an interview with The Dance Enthusiast, Graf Mack reflected on de Lavallade’s profound influence, describing her as “a guiding force whose example shaped generations of dancers.” She has spoken publicly about how de Lavallade showed younger artists “what was possible when a Black woman claimed her full space onstage,” and how her presence offered both permission and possibility. Graf Mack has credited de Lavallade with teaching her that technique matters, but intention is everything. “She moved with purpose,” Graf Mack has said. “And she taught us to do the same.” Her most iconic work, Butler’s Portrait of Billie, remains one of the most haunting solos in modern dance. De Lavallade didn’t imitate Billie Holiday — she embodied the emotional truth beneath the voice. Audiences didn’t just watch her dance; they felt her interpret a life. That ability — to translate emotion into movement without ever slipping into melodrama — became her artistic signature. She danced like someone who understood that the body remembers everything: joy, grief, longing, and the quiet determination to keep going anyway. In 2017, when she received the Kennedy Center Honors, de Lavallade reflected on her life in a way that felt like both gratitude and benediction. She spoke of the “astonishing journey” that dance had given her, and how every step — whether on a grand stage or in a
DIDA Continued from B1 12% of the ocean, and I’d rather not find out any other percentage on my own,” Armstrong said with a laugh. “Fear Factor” became legendary in the early 2000s for pushing contestants to their limits – from wading through insects to climbing suspended structure. Armstrong only caught glimpses of the original. “It was before my time, so I didn’t get to experience it when it came out,” Armstrong said. “But I saw a little bit and thought, ‘What am I getting myself into?” He didn’t do much preparation, he “just went for it.” “I went in with an open mind,” Armstrong said. “But It’s ‘Fear Factor’,’ so I tried not to add any more anxiety than I already had.” When challenges got rough, Armstrong leaned
New Year Continued from B1 The celebration continued in The Grove with AFROSEXYCOOL, a dance party that packed Atomic by Jamo with a rotation of DJs — with Biko FKA Needles taking over just before midnight. Guests arrived in alternative, glamgrunge looks, with black lace and leather boots anchoring many outfits. As midnight struck and balloons rained from the ceiling, Biko dropped “All of the Lights,” sliding
Annual MLK Celebration at the Art Museum
Photo courtesy of Ailey.org
Carmen de Lavallade danced like someone who understood that the body remembers everything: joy, grief, longing, and the quiet determination to keep going anyway.
modest studio — was “a chance to tell the truth.” She reminded the audience that art is not about perfection but about presence. “You show up,” she said. “You breathe. You give what you have.” It was a philosophy she lived long before she ever articulated it. Even as she aged, de Lavallade continued to perform. Her 2014 solo show, As I Remember It, was a masterclass in storytelling — part memoir, part movement meditation. She danced, she spoke, she laughed, she remembered. And audiences, many of whom had followed her career for decades, watched with the same awe they felt when she first stepped onto the stage in the 1950s. Her honors were plentiful: the Kennedy Center Honors, the Dance Magazine Award, the Bessie Award for Lifetime Achievement. She was married for 56 years to Geoffrey Holder,
the towering Trinidadian choreographer, painter, and actor whose booming laugh and flamboyant style contrasted beautifully with her quiet elegance. Together, they were a study in artistic partnership — two visionaries who understood that creativity is both individual and communal. In the Black arts community, de Lavallade’s legacy is immeasurable. She was a bridge between eras — between the pioneering generation of Collins and Horton, the transformative era of Ailey and Holder, and the contemporary artists she continues to influence. She showed that modern dance was a space shaped by the rhythms, histories, and imaginations of Black people. And she did it without ever raising her voice. She simply danced. “You can take a lifetime to discover what you want to say in your art,” de Lavallade once said.
on the two tattoos behind his ears. “Kaizen means to get one percent better each day,” he said. “On the show, I wanted to overcome fears and take steps as they came.” “Carpe Diem means seize the day,” he continued. “So when I faced difficult
that’s a plus.” Living with strangers added another layer to the experience. “It was weird at first,” Armstrong said. “But over time you create these relationships from all the challenges you go through. You build an unbreakable bond that only the 14 people in that house will understand.” Contestants are sworn to secrecy during filming, with limited phone access and no contact with home. “I didn’t get to tell my family and friends much,” Armstrong said. “I called my mom for the first time and told her I made it out. I told her it was pretty crazy. When you see it, you’ll understand.” Cheer on another St. Louis local as he uncovers hidden depths and soars to new heights on the inaugural season of “Fear Factor: House of Fear.” The show premieres at 8 p.m. CST Wed., January 14 on the FOX network. Check local listings for channels.
“I went in with an open mind, but It’s ‘Fear Factor,’ so I tried not to add any more anxiety than I already had.” - Dida Armstrong
moments, I remembered why I got that tattoo.” Focusing on those concepts helped him push through. “After the show, I went to see if I could swim in an open body of water and not get scared – so
straight into “Not Like Us.” Partygoers screamed the chorus like it was a New Year’s resolution, declaring community and authenticity in the year to come. Dancers moved freely among the fallen balloons as Biko blended “MUTT” by Leon Thomas and “Boo’d Up” by Ella Mai over a New Orleans bounce beat. With the vibe locked in, he hit the crowd with “Choppa Style” and “U Don’t Have to Call.” Then came a moment: Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” layered over “Lights, Camera, Action” by Mr. Cheeks — a
mashup that had the room singing and bouncing in unison. Biko flexed even more range when he mixed Kendrick Lamar’s “squabble up” into “Never Too Much.” The crowd erupted, grooving to his seamless blend of oldschool and newschool hits. New Year’s Eve is one of those nights St. Louis always gets right. Whether you lean glamgrunge or high fashion, there’s always a scene waiting — and always a way to step into the new year feeling blissful, bold, and beautifully alive.
The Saint Louis Art Museum invites you to gather for its annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Sunday, January 18, at 2 pm in the Museum’s Farrell Auditorium. Always free and open to the public, this beloved program honors Dr. King’s legacy through art, reflection, and community voices. This year’s MLK celebration, titled “The Dream Reimagined: Youth Voices Uplifted,” St. Louis Poet Laureate Pacia Elaine Anderson will lead a poetic journey inspired by Moneta Sleet Jr.’s photographs of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement in the museum’s collection. The program’s artistic director, Kathryn Bentley, spotlights young, gifted, and Black youth from multiple local schools and performing arts institutions, including Legacy Roots Dance Ensemble and Gentlemen of Vision. Sleet was an accomplished photojournalist, best known as the staff photographer for Jet and Ebony magazines and for documenting the Civil Rights Movement. During his career, Sleet won the Pulitzer Prize for feature photography in 1969 for his image taken at King’s funeral – an image that continues to speak across generations. Sleet also received awards from the National Urban League and the National Association of Black Journalists. The Art Museum is honored to have more than 100 photographs by Sleet in its collection. Pacia Elaine Anderson is a poet and visual and
Image courtesy of The St. Louis Art Museum
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. illustration teaching artist performing locally and nationally. In 2020, she was named Community Impact Artist at the St. Louis Visionary Awards. Her work has appeared in “Crossing the Divide,” “Humans of St. Louis,” “All the Art,” and “Drumvoices Revue,” among other publications. Kathryn Bentley, founder and curator of the Alaiyo Collective, has more than 40 years of experience as an actor, director, and teaching artist. She is a professor emeritus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and a Community Arts Training Institute faculty member. She received the St. Louis Visionary Outstanding Working Artist Award in 2020. Continuing a tradition that many look forward to each year, the celebration
will also include a powerful call to action offered on behalf of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.—the fraternity of Dr. King— by Marcus A. Creighton of the Epsilon Lambda Chapter. We invite you to join us to reflect, and be inspired through poetry, movement, and the voices of young people reminding us that the dream lives on, with more still to be done. Free tickets for this program may be reserved in person at the museum’s welcome desks or through MetroTix at metrotix.com or 314.534.1111. All tickets reserved through MetroTix incur a service charge; the service charge is waived for tickets reserved at the Museum. Although the event is free, advance tickets are recommended. To learn more, visit slam.org/ events.
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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 8 - 14, 2026
New year, same Biko vibe. I already knew what it was gonna be when I made my way to the Grove to get down with James Biko for the New Year’s Eve edition of his AfroSexyCool set at Atomic By Jamo. He took us back to his DJ Needles days at 609, 2720 and everywhere else he had the tables on lock. He could make the folks dance like it was a 90s house party back then—and now. We’ve graduated from the “People don’t dance no more…all they do is this…” era to the present-day line dance obsession. But Biko had the folks freeform moving to the beat of the music – or their own beat in a few cases. It was a treat to step into 2026 getting my juke on! Starting 1 2026 with salsa and soul. Speaking of jukin,’ The crew behind the “Midnight in Havana” New Year’s Eve celebration at Live By Loews set the tone for me to have the urge to stay on the dancefloor all night long. As soon as The Boogaloo Crew hit the stage, it was a wrap for anyone who even tried to be a wallflower. It was Dirty Dancing: Northside Nights up in that ballroom! They had the nerve to have an instructor to teach us how to salsa. So if you see me at the Zodiac Lounge on some “Hips Don’t Lie” behavior, blame Elizabeth Donielle and Michael Manning. Oh, and don’t think I didn’t see you Kimberly Smoot channeling your inner Charo! I wasn’t the least mad about it! If I had known then what I know now, I
would have showed you up by putting a pair of maracas in my purse and shaking them for dear life to the Latin rhythms that were being served all night long. A Niddy New Year. My boy Niddy once again proved himself to be undefeated with his New Year’s Eve celebrations. When I tell you the turn up is legendary every-doggone-year! To usher in 2026, he brought us The Midnight Lobby. The Pennywell Hotel was such a movie thanks to him that I wouldn’t have been surprised if Pennywise showed up trying to kick it. If he had, I would have made a mean pivot towards the nearest emergency exit. But I promise you that it was so lit that hardly anyone else would have noticed. Oh, and congratulations to Niddy and Tay on jumping the broom last month! They are one of my favorite couples in the city! RIP to a real one. When I tell y’all I was tore up when I heard that Thrill a.k.a. Frank-o aka Franchot O’Neal passed away over the weekend. What’s crazy is that we had just chopped it up right before Thanksgiving and he was talking about his upcoming retirement from The St. Louis Fire Department and how he was going to get back heavy into his party promoter bag. His last words to me were “Memphis in May is gonna go crazy this year.” Man, I remember how lit those all-class parties used to be at The Ambassador and heard stories about how the Memphis in May experience was
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2 Photos by Taylor Marrie/St. Louis American
1. Elizabeth Donielle and Tiara Marshall at ‘Midnight in Havana’ New Year’s Eve party at Live By Lowes 2. Chelle and Darrell contributed to the afro and the cool of the AfroSexyCool NYE celebration at Atomic By Jamo 3. Marc Reid and Tammiell Gates at ‘Midnight in Havana’ New Year’s Eve party at Live By Lowes all the way live. I’m so glad that I really took the time to talk with him, because I was running from one place to the next. I had no idea it would be our last conversation. I’m sending prayers and condolences to his family and his colleagues. A praise break for Big Boss Vette. After I heard about Thrill’s passing, I was like, “Come on 2026, don’t start with the 2025 behavior!” But then I saw that our girl Big Boss Vette was able to do her “Pretty Girls Walk” to ring the bell that indicated that she was cancer free. I was Monday years old when I learned she had cancer in the first place! She didn’t say what kind of cancer she had, but she was wearing a pink hat when she rang the bell. That caused me to draw my own conclusions, but
one thing I’m not gonna do is make public assumptions when it comes to somebody’s health. I will say that I’m so thrilled that she can declare victory. I will also say that her rap game is strong, but if she wanted another side hustle, she might consider the CIA. That pretty face can keep a secret! I stalk her on social, and had no clue of what she was going through until she said so herself! Monday night with the Nupes. I hope y’all aren’t sick of me and all of my Divine Nine talk – but if they keep serving up a time, I’m gonna keep it up. And a time was exactly what was had on J5, aka the founder’s day for Kappa Alpha Psi. Now, I’ve gotten to the age where I’m super selective about whether or not I turn up on a
weekday – especially the first weekday. But I’m glad I followed my first mind and popped out at the Kappa House to kick it with the Nupes on Monday. They brought out the folks and the strolls were non-stop. And some of my favorite Nupes were on deck to kick it. I can’t name everybody, but Jim Triplett and Jason Ware are among them. And I also saw one of my favorite Deltas of ALL TIME. Courtney Z. McCall, girl where have you been? I was so thrilled to see you pop out in these Black Greek streets that I had to call out your whole name and middle initial! I don’t know what crypt you’ve been in, but it must be filled with collagen, niacinamide, peptides and retinol! Because if your locs weren’t salt and pepper, I would have assumed by your face that it was 2015. Well done, Wiley. I won’t be long—because I will get raw emotional. But I had to flip my bust down in honor of one of my favorite colleagues as he closes out his career. By now I know most of y’all have heard that the one and only Wiley Price retired from the paper at the end of 2025. It’s only been a week and I miss him and that mustache already. I cannot overstate how hard he worked for us. And by us, I don’t only mean The St. Louis American. I mean the entire community. He spent the better part of 50 years serving our best interests through the lens of his camera. You deserve to kick your heels up, sir.
Commentary
Putting an end to redefining war After the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, Congress confronted both real and perceived threats to U.S. national When I think about the Trump adminsecurity. It enacted legislation that grantistration’s seizure of Venezuelan oil ed sweeping powers to future presidents tankers and the kidnapping of President under the broad justification of combating Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia terrorism. Flores, I can’t help but think about the We should also remember the military quote from the Rev. Martin Luther King operations that resulted in the deaths of Jr.: “Those who love peace must learn to Osama bin Laden and Moammar Gadhafi. organize as effectively as those who love war.” The peacemakers are losing ground. These were men of color who opposed The United States was founded through U.S. imperialism, and the actual threat conflict and built on war. Violence is part they posed to the U.S. remains debatable. The U.S. military violated the sovereignty of its DNA and embedded in its identity. of two countries to reach them. For most of its 250 years, the Many people, both within and U.S. has been at war. Contrary outside the U.S., have questioned to the patriotic narrative, very the fate of leaders in this country few of those wars were about who may be viewed unfavordefending the country; they were ably by other nations. Would primarily about the acquisition they have the right to snatch up of land, resources and power. Trump and hold him accountable What happened last week was no for his crimes? exception. It’s all about the oil. The record of Congress on Period. military actions confirms it The constant point of contenwill vote for such action, as it Columnist tion — that such military action did when the Bush administraneeds congressional approval Jamala tion lied about Iraq’s weapons — is irrelevant. The 1973 War Rogers of mass destruction. The War Powers Resolution was passed to Powers Resolution is as impotent curb presidential abuse of power, as the current Congress. but both parties are guilty of exploiting We have a president who now wants to loopholes. An even older and supposrun Venezuela. The only running Trump edly more revered document is the U.S. has done for us is to run this country into Constitution. Article I clearly states that only Congress has the authority to declare the ground. Our responsibility to stop his domestic and international destruction war. has just intensified. To do this, we must What if one avoided using the term organize more effectively than the lovers “war” and described this illegal military of war. aggression in other ways, couching it under national security justifications? The Jamala Rogers is an opinion writer Trump administration claimed the U.S. and one of the founding members of the didn’t declare war on Venezuela; instead, Organization for Black Struggle, based in this action was merely “a law enforceSt. Louis. ment function to capture an indicted drug trafficker.” By Jamala Rogers
STRAVINSKY AND DEBUSSY Music in Motion
Jan 10–11 Sat 7:30pm Sun 3:00pm
Stéphane Denève, conductor Saint Louis Dance Theatre Kirven Douthit-Boyd, choreographer
In this celebration of movement and music, the SLSO and Saint Louis Dance Theatre reimagine Stravinsky’s Pulcinella Suite, and Stéphane Denève conducts ballet music by Debussy and Roussel. Pictured: Sergio Camacho Photography at 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis, artwork Fallen Fruit, The Way Out West
slso.org 314-534-1700
STÉPHANE DENÈVE, MUSIC DIRECTOR
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“Phoenix was a place that I didn’t want to leave.” — Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant, after hitting a game winning shot against the Phoenix Suns
Sports
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JANUARY 8 – 14, 2026
Sports Eye With Alvin A. Reid
A look back at the NFL season and forward to playoffs
The NFL regular seaeven though Tampa Bay son came down to the and Atlanta were also final seconds of its final 8-9…Texans head coach game before coach Mike DeMeco Ryans was on the Tomlin and the Pittsburgh hot seat at midseason, but Steelers prevailed over the his team closed out with Baltimore Ravens 26-24 a nine-game win streak. tto win the AFC North. While Pittsburgh is host, A loss, which would the Texans are favored to have occurred if Ravens’ win their playoff game… kicker Tyler Loop had The matchup guarantees connected on a 44-yard a Black head coach will field goal attempt, might reach the NFL Divisional have spelled doom for Round…Of the 14 teams Tomlin in the Steel that reached the City. NFL playoffs, five As is, Tomlin will start a Black will lead his team quarterback: C.J. into a home playoff Stroud, Houston; game against the Bryce Young, surging Houston Carolina; Jordan Texans on Monday Love, Green Bay; night. He is likeCaleb Williams, Alvin A. ly to return to Chicago; and Reid Pittsburgh for a Jalen Hurts, 19th season. Philadelphia…Love and Let’s look back at the Williams will square off in regular season and ahead a wild card game, sending to the playoffs, Reid at least one Black QB to Roundup style. the Divisional Round… Raheem Morris went Of the 32 NFL teams, 14 16-18 (8-9 twice) as head had an African American coach over two seasons starting quarterback in with the Atlanta Falcons. Week 1. During the final He failed to reach the week, Trey Lance started playoffs and was fired a for the L.A. Chargers few hours after leading and Josh Johnson Atlanta to a win over the guided the Washington New Orleans Saints. The Commanders… Jacoby team’s African American Brissett took over in GM Terry Fontenot was Arizona for the injured also dismissed…It’s a Kyler Murray, and Malik statistical fact that Black Willis was Green Bay’s NFL head coaches are starter for several games fired quicker than their while Love was hurt. In white counterparts. Owner all, 18 Black quarterbacks Arthur Blank’s decision started respective NFL is unfortunately par for games this season…Willis the proverbial course… played so well with Green An irony is that Raheem’s Bay, could be a starter final win helped make for a team in 2026… the 8-9 Carolina Panthers Malcontent Murray will the NFC South champs, likely be released or traded
While his Carolina Panthers closed at 8-9, Bryce Young will be one of five Black QBs quarterbacks to start NFL playoff games this week.
Photo courtesy of sports.betmgm.com
by the Cardinals…Dak Prescott will return as Dallas quarterback after playing all 17 games of this disastrous 7-9-1 season. The Cowboys embarrassed themselves with a miserable 34-17 loss to the lowly New York Giants…I doubt Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who caused the 2025 defensive meltdown by trading Micah Parsons, will pay free agent wide receiver George Pickens what he would seek on the open market. Pickens won’t quietly accept a franchise tag. Fireworks to come… QB Patrick Mahomes and
the Kansas City Chiefs are watching the playoffs. So are QB Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens and STL’s own Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions wide receiver. The Ravens were the betting favorite to reach the Super Bowl, and the Chiefs and Lions weren’t far behind…The rocky relationship between Baltimore coach John Harbaugh and Jackson could end with one of them gone. Jackson, according to a Baltimore Sun report, has issues with conditioning, diet, late-night video-game sessions, and meeting-room
naps. Jackson’s salary cap cost in both 2026 and 2027 would be $74 million, which could move the Ravens to find a trade partner. The alternative would be extending Jackson’s contract to lower the cap hit but my guess is Harbaugh wants no part of that…Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, whose contract has expired, is a hot commodity. Reports say the Las Vegas Raiders and minority owner Tom Brady are interested in him becoming the downtrodden team’s head coach. Flores, former Miami
Dolphins head coach, still has a racial discrimination lawsuit pending against the NFL and the Denver Broncos, Giants, Texans, and Dolphins…Vance Joseph, former Denver head coach and its current defensive coordinator, and Jesse Minter, Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator, are the leading Black candidates to secure an open NFL head coaching position. Minters’ defense smothered the potent San Francisco 49ers offense in a 13-3 road win the NFC West.
Inside Sports With Earl Austin Jr.
Highland Shootout, another star-studded event The Highland Shootout games in the evening sesis annually one of the sion. top one-day basketball showcase events in the First Session Midwest. Highland vs. Alton In recent years, the (Girls), 10:30 a.m. event has featured future The Alton Redbirds NBA players such are having another as Jayson Tatum of excellent season at the Boston Celtics 11-2 heading into the (Chaminade), new year. Alton is Michael Porter led by senior Kaylea Jr. of the Denver Lacey and junior Nuggets (Father Madeleine Ducey. Tolton Catholic), Host Highland enters Jordan Goodwin with 10 wins. The Earl of the Phoenix Bulldogs are led Austin Jr. Suns (Belleville by senior guard Althoff), Caleb Jordan Bircher, Love of the Portland who is averaging 14 points Trail Blazers (CBC) and a game. Jaylen Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks (Nicolet, Highland vs. Wisconsin). Waltonville (Illinois), This year’s Highland noon Shootout again promisThe host Highland es to be a star-studded Bulldogs are led by juniors event, featuring top playBrody Cunningham and ers and teams from the Carter Powell, who are St. Louis metro area as both averaging 12 points a well as Illinois, Indiana game. Waltonville comes and California. The sevfrom southern Illinois and en-game shootout will be won a Class 1A regional held Saturday at Highland championship last seaHigh School, about 30 son. Waltonville is led by minutes from St. Louis 6-foot-6 senior forward on the Illinois side of the Gage Peterson. river. Here is a look at Second Session the seven games in the Chaminade vs. LoganHighland Shootout. The Rogersville, 1:30 p.m. first session includes two This matchup feagames, followed by five tures two programs that
junior guards Aiden Stevenson and Devin Rice. Fishers is 10-0 and ranked No. 1 in Indiana, led by senior Cooper Zachary (5-foot-10), junior Levi Walker (6-foot-4) and senior Kai McGrew (6-foot-8).
Photo by Earl Austin Jr. / St. Louis American
Junior Scottie Adkinson of Webster Groves will be one of the top players to watch at this Saturday’s Highland Shootout in Illinois. Webster Groves will face Inglewood in the final game of the event at 7:30 p.m. have reached the Final Four in recent seasons in their respective classes. Chaminade is again a contender in Class 6 with leading scorer Jonny Jordan averaging 23 points a game. Sophomores Elijah Poniewaz and Jesiah Buchanan are impact players, while senior guard Tricy Collins averages 10 points a game. Logan-Rogersville is a contender again in Class 4 and features junior guard Chase Branham, a 6-foot-
4 Indiana commit, along with 6-foot-6 sophomore Titus Moore and 6-foot-7 senior Marcus Moore. Cardinal Ritter vs. Fishers (Indiana), 3 p.m. Cardinal Ritter enters the week on a four-game winning streak after a slow start against a rugged schedule. The Lions are led by seniors Oscar Patterson (6-foot-3), Ismael Isidor (6-foot-7) and guard Danny Winston (5-foot-10), along with
Vashon vs. Warren Township (Illinois), 4:30 p.m. Vashon is 6-2 against a demanding national schedule. The Wolverines are led by junior guard Jimmy McKinney III, who averages 17 points a game, along with 6-foot-6 junior Leon Powell Jr. and senior guard Kain McCaskill. Warren Township features 6-foot-1 junior guard Jaxson Davis, regarded as one of the top players in Illinois and a Top 50 national recruit. Principia vs. East St. Louis, 6 p.m. This matchup features elite teams from both sides of the river. Principia is off to a strong national start, including a third-place finish at the City of Palms Tournament in Florida. The Panthers are led by standout senior guard Quentin Coleman, who is headed to Wake Forest, along with guards Gassim
Toure, Kingston Money and Wyatt Slay and 6-foot9 forward Sekou Cisse. East St. Louis is one of Illinois’ top teams, led by 6-foot-9 senior forward Jamison White, a Penn State signee, senior guard Alex Johnson, juniors Phillip Jones and Terriyon Webster and senior guard Devin Houston. The Flyers are coming off a Proviso West Tournament championship. Webster Groves vs. Inglewood (California), 7:30 p.m. The final game is a marquee matchup featuring two of the nation’s top scoring guards who also will be future Missouri Tigers teammates. Webster Groves is led by junior guard Scottie Adkinson (6-foot-3), who averages 31 points a game and was Missouri Player of the Year after leading the Statesmen to the Class 5 championship. Inglewood features 6-foot-3 senior guard Jason Crowe Jr., California’s all-time scoring leader and the first player in state history to surpass 4,000 career points. Crowe will join Mizzou next season, while Adkinson is committed to Missouri for 2027-28.
Career Center
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St. Louis american B6
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN
Washington University in St. Louis offers rewarding opportunities in various fields at all levels, with positions in engineering, nursing and health care, research, administration, technology, security and more.
WashU is recruiting a Vascular Lab Technologist in the Department of Surgery. This position includes a $20,000 sign-on bonus, paid over two years in quarterly installments. As part of our IAC-accredited lab, you’ll work alongside a dedicated sonography team to deliver outstanding patient care at a leading academic medical center. We are seeking a skilled Sonographer with a specialization in vascular ultrasound to join our team as a Vascular Lab Technologist. In this critical role, you’ll contribute to the diagnosis of vascular diseases by performing high-quality non-invasive vascular ultrasound studies, assisting physicians in diagnostic procedures, and operating advanced ultrasound equipment in both inpatient and outpatient settings. As a member of our IAC-accredited lab, you’ll collaborate with a dedicated sonography team to deliver outstanding patient care. This full-time position is 5 days per week, with 5 regular 8-hour shifts. The typical shift hours are either 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM or 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. In addition to regular working hours, call coverage is an essential component of this role, ensuring that necessary studies are conducted during on-call periods. Please note that the department is closed on weekends, and studies are performed on an as-needed basis during on-call hours. Up to 22 days of vacation, 10 recognized holidays, and sick time. Competitive health insurance packages with priority appointments and lower copays/coinsurance. Take advantage of our free Metro transit U-Pass for eligible employees. WashU provides eligible employees with a defined contribution (403(b)) Retirement Savings Plan, which combines employee contributions and university contributions starting at 7%. For the full job description and to apply, visit jobs.washu.edu, JR91011. We seek people from diverse backgrounds to join us in a supportive environment that encourages boldness, inclusion, and creativity. EEO/AA/VET/Disability Employer
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: SSD 105-26 – CENTRAL OFFICE DATA RESOURCE CENTER RENOVATION All vendors interested in participating in the proposal process are requested to attend the pre-bid conference at 2:00 PM on Friday, January 23, 2026. The Pre-Bid Meeting is not mandatory. The pre-bid conference will commence at Special School District Central Office, 12110 Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO 63131. Project Manual and drawings will be available at County Blue Reprographics (811 Hanley Industrial Ct, Brentwood, MO 63144) as of January 22, 2026. Please call County Blue in advance to order bid documents. ONLY attendees on record at County Blue will receive any correspondence or communication after that date. Bids are due at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, with a Public Opening at Special School District Maintenance Office, 700 Fee Fee Road, Maryland Heights, MO 63043.
CITY OF ST. LOUIS OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - YOUTH JOB PROGRAMS (PROP P) The City of St. Louis Office of Violence Prevention invites proposals from qualified nonprofits for youth job programming to reduce crime among at-risk youth. The RFP may be found online at: https:// tinyurl.com/ovp-rfp Please direct all communications to OVP at violence-prevention@ stlouis-mo.gov or call (314) 299-2196— submission deadline: January 23, 2026, at 11:59 PM CST. Late proposals will not be accepted.
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St. Louis american
JANUARY 8 - 14, 2026
MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY CURRENT JOB OPENINGS! The Missouri Historical Society is actively hiring for the following positions: • Collections Management Database Administrator • Human Resources Administrator • Production Technician • Rental Event Assistant and Sales Support Please visit MHS Current Job Listings for a list of available positions, details and links to apply. An Equal Opportunity Services Provided On A Non-Discriminatory Basis
PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Requests for Quotes, Bids and Proposals are posted online for public download. Please navigate to www.msdprojectclear.org > Doing Business With Us > View Bid Opportunities Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
SEALED BIDS
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Bids for Repairs Bids for Replace to Interior/ Locking Exterior, System, Project Lebanon No. C2410Readiness 01, 18701 Old Center, Highway 66, Lebanon, MO, Pacific, MO Project No. 63069 will be T2507-01 will received by be received by FMDC, State of FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 1:30 PM, February 3, February 10, 2026. Project 2026. Project information information available at: available at: http://oa.mo. http://oa.mo. gov/facilities gov/facilities
FOSTER CARE CASE MANAGER Provide case management services for children in foster care. Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in social work or related field. Minimum of one year of employment in child welfare field. Interested candidates forward letter of interest and resume to:vatkins@posimpacts. com, Attention: Valerie Atkins. Employee will be employed by Positive Impacts, Inc. and contracted to Epworth Children & Family Services.
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Bids for Update HVAC & Chiller, Crime Lab Building, Troop D, Springfield Project No. R2517-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, February 5, 2026. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities
Bids for T251801 - Festus Readiness Center, Lagoon Repair, Project No. T2518-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, February 17, 2026. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities
GREENWAY OPERATIONS COORDINATOR AND SUPERVISOR Great Rivers Greenway is hiring a Greenway Operations Coordinator and Supervisor. Go to https://greatriversgreenway.org/careers/ for more details and apply. REQUEST FOR BID The School District of University City is seeking sealed bids for University City High School, School Based Health Center. Bids are due by 2:00 PM on January 16, 2026. A prebid walkthrough will be held at 4:00 PM on January 8, 2026, at University City High School, located at 7401 Balson Ave, University City, MO 63130. Notice to Proceed will be issued on January 23, 2026. For more information and the complete bid package, please contact DeAna Carter at dcarter@ kwamebuildinggroup.com.
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Bids for REBID Bids for - Change of Renovations Scope Renovate to Interior, Cabins 1-4, Core Building 14, & 16, Sam at Hillsboro A Baker State Treatment Park, Patterson, Center, Project Missouri, No. H2503-01, Project No. will be received X2319-01 will by FMDC, be received by State of MO, FMDC, State of UNTIL 1:30 MO, UNTIL PM, February 1:30 PM, February 10, 3, 2026. Project information 2026. Project available at: information http://oa.mo. available at: gov/facilities http://oa.mo. gov/facilities
Bids for Service and Add Electrical Circuits to Emergency Generator, Food Service Warehouse, Project No. will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, January 29, 2026. Project information available at: http:// oa.mo.gov/ facilities
Bids for Renovations to Interior/Exterior & Install Emergency Generator, Multiple Assets, Project No. R2502-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, February 19, 2026. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities
St. Louis american THE
Bids & Public Notices ST. LOUIS AMERICAN
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St. Louis american THE
B7
JANUARY 8 - 14, 2026
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Please be advised that on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Louis City Hall, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103, the Housing, Urban Development and Zoning Committee of the Board of Aldermen of The City of St. Louis, Missouri (“City”) will hold a public hearing to consider a Petition to Amend and Restate the Petition to Establish 1100 Washington Avenue Community Improvement District by, among other things, Altering the Boundaries of the 1100 Washington Avenue Community Improvement District and Clarifying the Project (the “Amended Petition”) pursuant to the Community Improvement District Act, Sections 67.1401 to 67.1571 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, as amended (the “Act”). The Amended Petition was filed with the municipal clerk for the City (St. Louis City Register) and seeks to, among other things, (i) alter the boundaries of the existing 1100 Washington Avenue Community Improvement District (the “District”) by the addition of certain real property to the existing District (the District, as amended to include the additional property is referred to herein as the “Amended District”), (ii) add an additional project valued at $500,000, (iii) extend the term in connection with Section 67.1481 of the Act, (iv) clarify the existing blight determination, and (v) consent to the terms of the Board of Directors of the Amended District. The boundaries of the Amended District generally consist of the following tax parcels and situs addresses: (i) 0836-9-050.000 (1100 Washington Avenue), (ii) 0836-9-040.000 (1110 Washington Avenue), (iii) 0836-9-031.007 (1122 Washington Avenue), (iv) 0179-9010.000 (1000 Washington Avenue), (v) 0178-9-090.000 (1021 Washington Avenue), (vi) 0836-9-011.096 (1132 Washington Avenue, Retail Unit A), (vii) 0836-9-011-097 (1132 Washington Avenue, Retail Unit B), (viii) 0178-9-020.001 (1013 Washington Avenue), (ix) 0178-9-021.002 (1015 Washington Avenue), (x) 0517-9-011.002 (1113 Washington Avenue, Unit 102), and (xi) 0517-9-011.003 (1113 Washington Avenue, Unit 103), all located in the City. The Amended District is generally bounded by St. Charles Street on the south, Tucker Boulevard on the west, Lucas Avenue on the north, and North 10 th Street on the east. A map illustrating the boundaries of the District and the Amended District is provided herein. The Amended Petition is available for review at the office of the municipal clerk for the City (St. Louis City Register) located at City Hall, Room 118, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63103 during regular business hours on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. All interested persons shall be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. Procedures to Speak in Committee Meetings In Person A sign in sheet will be available for those who attend in person and wish to speak. This sheet will be near the Clerk of the meeting. All members of the public who wish to speak must sign this sheet. There is no preregistration to speak at this meeting. The Chair of the meeting will announce when the meeting is open for public comment. Rules related to this are below. Procedures to Speak in Committee Meetings Virtually (if available) The Chair of the Committee will announce when the meeting will be open for public comment. If you wish to speak, click the “Raise Hand” icon and function in the Zoom Meeting Screen while in the meeting. This will place a raised hand next to your name. Usually only people showing a raised hand will be called on to speak. When the Chair is ready for you to speak you will be moved from the attendee list to the participant list by the meeting manager. You will be moved back to the attendee list once you are completed. Speakers from the public will be called to speak in order of appearance on the list. Committee members may have questions after your talk. When you enter the meeting to speak the Chair will ask your name and may ask if you are for, against or have no position on the petition. The Chair may also ask other questions related to your relationship to the petition. The Chair will determine the amount of time all speakers will have. The Chair may determine this after all those wishing to speak have raised their hands. The time usually allotted to speak is about three (3) minutes. The exact time will be announced by the Chair before the public comments begin. Board of Aldermen Rule 34 - Public Hearing Procedures After the presentation of a bill, resolution, or topic for discussion by City Officials or invited guests at a Committee Meeting, the proponents and the opponents of said bill or resolution shall be heard alternately, and public comment on the topic for discussion shall be heard. If the hearing is set in person, all persons who wish to testify at a public hearing shall sign a list which shall be made available by the Chair of the Committee at least one-half hour before the announced time of the hearing. If the hearing is held via electronic communication, all persons who wish to testify may, but are not required to sign up in advance. Registered persons (if any) shall be called upon first, followed by participants who request to testify during the hearing. The initial presentation of any witness shall be no longer than five minutes except with the permission of the Committee Chair, but any witness may respond to questions by members of the Committee for an additional period of time to be determined by the Committee Chair; and any witness may submit written testimony to the Committee at any time prior to the conclusion of the hearing on the bill. Written Comments Written comments to be shared with members of the Board may be emailed to the Board of Aldermen Clerk - Mr. Terry Kennedy at: boameetings@stlouis-mo.gov . They may also be mailed through the US Postal Service or dropped off. They should be addressed to: Mr. Terry Kennedy, Clerk, St. Louis Board of Aldermen, St. Louis City Hall 1200 Market Street Room 230, St. Louis, Mo. 63103. Those with Disabilities Individuals with disabilities, who may need sign language interpreters, written materials in alternative formats, or other accommodations should make a request to boameetings@ stlouis-mo.gov or call 314-589-6845 at least 48 hours before the meeting.
As further explained in the Amended Petition, as to tax parcel 0836-9-011.096 (1132 Washington Avenue, Retail Unit A) and tax parcel 0836-9-011-097 (1132 Washington Avenue, Retail Unit B), only the portion of those aforementioned tax parcels from street level to 15 feet above street level shall be included within the District; the vertical portion of those tax parcels 15 feet, 1 inch and more above street level shall not be included within the boundaries of the District.
SEALED BIDS Bids for Campground Shower House Replacement at Wakonda State Park, Project No. X2531-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, February 10, 2026. The State of Missouri, OA-FMDC, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, ancestry or national origin in consideration for an award. Federal Land and Water Conservation Funds are being used in this project, and all relevant federal, state and local requirements apply. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities
REQUEST FOR BIDS
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Alberici Constructors, Great Rivers Kwame Building Group Greenway is and the Saint Louis Zoo seek bids from qualified requesting Bids : firms to submit proposals Portable Restroom for a project at the Saint Services. Go to Louis Zoo WildCare Park. The project consists of www.greatrivers providing fully equipped food and retail carts. greenway.org/bids request bid documents, and submit by Toplease send an E-mail to January 15, 2026. stlzoobids@alberici.com.
REQUEST FOR BIDS (RFB) Good Journey Development Foundation seeks qualified contractors for greenhouse and equipment installation and perimeter fencing removal and replacement at Bustani Ya Upenda in St. Louis, MO. Interested bidders may review the full RFB and submission instructions at: https://www.goodjourney. org/request-for-bids.html
To Advertise Real Estate, Rentals, Cars, Garage Sale, Contact Angelita Houston at ahouston@ stlamerican.com 314-289-5430 ROOM FOR RENT Single Occupancy, $150 per week + Dep, All Utilities included, WiFi, W&D, Near Bus line. Call
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PUBLISHER’S NOTICE:
WE PRINT EVERY THURSDAY
Advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, imitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial\status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.“We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.” Call Angelita Houston at 314-289-5430 or email ahouston@stlamerican.com to place your ads today!
Religion B8
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JANUARY 8 - 14, 2026
Gospel visionary Richard Smallwood passes at 77 Composer and artist bridged the Black church and the concert hall By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American Richard Smallwood didn’t just write songs. He crafted hymns that felt like they had always existed. His music lived in that rare space where classical precision met the raw ache of the Black church, where the moans and wails of its origins could sit comfortably beside contemporary praise. The legendary composer, pianist, and worship leader — whose catalog was often a liaison between gospel and classical music— died of kidney failure on December 30. He was 77. Even artists who rarely stepped into gospel spaces felt compelled to pay tribute to him. “His music didn’t just inspire me, it transformed me,” soul, R&B and funk legend Chaka Khan told CBC News. Stevie Wonder, Destiny’s Child, Boyz II Men, and Whitney Houston were among the secular artists who have performed or recorded Smallwood’s
music. His passing reverberated across sanctuaries, concert halls, and choir lofts around the world. For many, it felt like losing a living bridge between the old guard of gospel pioneers and the new generation. Smallwood’s songs — “Total Praise,” “Center of My Joy,” “I Love the Lord,” “Anthem of Praise” — became liturgy. They were sung at weddings, funerals, commencements – and even performed by HBCU marching bands. His compositions traveled farther than he ever could, becoming the soundtrack of Black resilience and worship. Born in Atlanta in 1948 and raised in Washington, D.C., Smallwood grew up in a home where music and ministry were inseparable. His mother, a classical pianist, introduced him to Bach and Beethoven. The church introduced him to the blues-tinged gospel of Dorsey, Sallie Martin, and the caravans of sound that defined mid-century Black worship. Smallwood
Photo by Wiley Price/St. Louis American
Richard Smallwood headlined The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra IN UNISON Chorus’ ‘A Gospel Christmas’ in 2016 at Powell Symphony Hall.
absorbed it all — the discipline of classical training, the improvisational fire of the Black church — and fused them into something unmistakably his. He graduated with honors from Howard University. By the time he founded the Richard Smallwood Singers in the late 1970s, he had already begun reshaping the sound of contemporary gospel. His arrangements were lush, symphonic, and unapologetically formal — yet they carried the emotional truth of a Sunday morning testimony. He wrote with the heart of a preacher
and the technique of a conservatory scholar. That duality is what made him a modern-day Thomas Dorsey. Dorsey gave gospel its language; Smallwood gave it its architecture. Dorsey brought blues into the sanctuary; Smallwood brought the symphony. Both men understood that Black sacred music is elastic — and stretches to hold our grief, our joy and our praise. Smallwood performed with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s IN UNISON Chorus on more than one occasion. IN UNISON
Preparation Is The Equalizer
ORVIN T. KIMBROUGH Chairman and CEO, Midwest BankCentre
We tend to think the smartest people win. The most educated win. The most technical win. The ones with the titles win.
But the longer I lead, the more convinced I become of something far simpler — and far more powerful: Preparation is the great equalizer. Author, Twice Over a Man
I was reminded of this during a recent conversation with one of my senior leaders. We were talking about the Federal Reserve, the economy, interest rates, and the experience of sitting in rooms where people speak in formulas, models, and macroeconomic code. Rooms where the language itself can make you doubt whether you belong. I told him plainly, “I’m not that smart.” And I meant it. But here’s the truth I’ve learned across every sector I’ve served in — from nonprofits, to banking, to national policy conversations: Most of the people in the room aren’t that smart either. They’re doing the best they can with imperfect information, under imperfect conditions, with imperfect models. Even the most credentialed experts get it wrong. History is full of economic decisions made too early, too late, or off the wrong signals. So if intelligence doesn’t separate leaders, what does? Preparation. When I walk into a new space — whether it’s the National Academy of Medicine, the Federal Reserve, or a boardroom full of CEOs — I never assume I can wing it. I build frameworks. I study the history. I ask for past materials. I analyze the players, the purpose, and the patterns. The room doesn’t require brilliance. It requires readiness.
— founded to celebrate and preserve the music of the African diaspora — was the perfect vessel for his work. Under the baton of conductors who understood the spiritual weight of his compositions, Smallwood’s music soared in Powell Hall with the same authority it carried in the pews. His headlining appearance for IN UNISON’s “Gospel Christmas” nearly a decade ago in 2016 transformed the concert hall into a sanctuary. Symphony musicians who had spent their careers playing Mahler and Mozart found themselves swept into a different kind of majesty — one rooted in testimony, survival, and the unshakable faith of the Black church. Smallwood didn’t just lead them; he invited them into the story. His collaborations with IN UNISON also affirmed something he had always believed: that gospel music belongs on the world’s grandest stages. That the sacred sound born in storefront churches and wooden-floor sanctuaries deserved the same reverence as any classical canon. That our music — Black music — is America’s music. His honors include Stellar Awards, Dove Awards, a Grammy nomination, and induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. But Smallwood’s influence extended far beyond his compositions. He was a mentor, a historian, and a keeper of the flame. He carried the stories of the elders with him, often reminding younger musicians that gospel’s power lies not in performance but in purpose. Richard Smallwood leaves behind a body of work and arrangements that will continue to stretch the boundaries of gospel music. And his legacy — like Dorsey’s — will continue to shape the sound of Black worship for generations.
The Next MOVE
Preparation creates clarity. Clarity creates confidence. Confidence creates leadership. And that’s not just true at the national level, where economies turn on a sentence. It’s true inside organizations, where cultures turn on alignment. You cannot lead well on shaky information. You cannot make sharp decisions with messy data. You cannot build momentum in a system full of unclear expectations. That’s why I’m constantly reevaluating structure — who reports where, how information flows, whether the data is governed, whether our processes match our goals. Leadership isn’t just about vision. It’s about engineering clarity so your people can execute. And you cannot do that without preparation. The leaders who struggle most are the ones who react. The leaders who thrive are the ones who prepare. But there’s one part of preparation people rarely talk about: Preparation is not just intellectual. Preparation is also rhythmic. It’s about deciding, “I’m not working Sundays next year,” because leadership requires margin. It requires rest. It requires clarity of mind and strength of heart. Preparation is not simply study. Preparation is stewardship — of your energy, your focus, your time, and your presence. So, here are my questions for you: Where do you need to prepare more deeply? Where do you need to build a better framework? Where do you need to reclaim a rhythm that keeps you sharp? Because leadership is not about being the smartest. Leadership is about being ready. For more, visit OrvinKimbrough.com or MidwestBankCentre.com.