July 30th, 2026 edition

Election Day is Tuesday!

Read the St. Louis American’s endorsements, A2

St. Louis American The

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928

stlamerican.com

Vol. 98 No. 16 COMPLIMENTARY

Removing barriers to college

STLCC promise program to provide tuition assistance and support

By Na’Porsha Williams St. Louis American St. Louis Community College is preparing to launch a new program next spring that will provide tuition assistance and support services to an initial group of 100 students from St. Louis and North County.

The program is intended to reduce financial and non-academic barriers that can prevent students from earning a degree or certificate. Officials said eligi-

In addition to tuition assistance, the college plans to help students cover expenses such as food, transportation and books.

bility requirements are still being finalized.

“It’s a program we’re hoping to have ready for the spring semester,” said Sharifah

Sims-Williams, a spokesperson for the college. “And the whole idea behind the program is to have support and wraparound services in place to help students overcome barriers to receiving a degree or certification.”

In addition to tuition assistance, the college plans to help students cover expenses such as food, transportation and books.

For Isaiah Dixion, a sophomore at STLCC’s Florissant Valley campus, the support would come at a critical time. He said that while he’s fortunate to have the support he needs to attend college, many of his peers face a very different reality.

“I think this program would be really good for anybody in general, espe-

cially right now with what’s going on in our country,” Dixion said. “I think a lot of people are struggling with the most basic of needs.”

National research suggests promise programs can increase college enrollment, particularly among Black students. A study published in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis found enrollment gains of 51% among Black women and 47% among Black men participating in promise programs.

A study published by the American Educational Research Association examining 33 promise programs at 32 community colleges found first-time, full-time enrollment increased an average of 23% See Program, A10

May family remembered for love and kindness

Mourners leaned on faith for homegoing of three family members in East St. Louis

By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American

Taking care of business

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

Mia White receives her ballot from Kena Jones as Shirley Norman assists with early voting at the St. Ann Voting Center.

SLU under fire Trump Anti-DEI campaign turns to medical schools

By Sylvester Brown Jr. and Na’Porsha Williams St. Louis American Saint Louis University School of Medicine has become the latest target in the Trump administration’s campaign against diversity initiatives, joining four other medical schools under federal civil rights investigation over their admissions practices.

The investigations mark a new phase in the administration’s effort to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion practices in higher education.

Rather than immediately filing lawsuits, federal officials are using coordinated civil

rights investigations to determine whether medical schools’ admissions policies comply with the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision ending race-conscious admissions before deciding whether additional enforcement action is warranted.

The U.S. Department of Education announced last week that SLU’s medical school is among those under investigation for possible violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The investigations are being conducted jointly by the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ See SLU, A10

Seeing three caskets in a sanctuary at the same time takes an emotional toll — even on a stranger.

The weight was compounded by the tragic circumstances that led to the joint homegoing for “God has three generations of one family: given me a lot a mother, her daughter and her grandson. of water. He “This has been a big pill to has wrapped swallow,” said Rhonda Little, his arms whose sister, Patricia May, was among those lost. “But God has around me given me a lot of water. He has as I continue wrapped his arms around me to try to deal as I continue to try to deal with with this.” this.”

Three life reflections in a single obituary. And a com– Patricia May munity in mourning. Patricia May, Cherie May and Devin May, all of East St. Louis, were among the lives stolen in what authorities allege was an orchestrated series of killings carried out by two teenagers, including See Funeral, A10

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

Darreyonna Mathis, Devin May’s younger sister, mourns beside her brother’s hearse following the joint homegoing service for Devin, Cherie and Patricia May at House of Prayer to All Nations Church in East St. Louis on July 25.

Editorial / Commentary

A2

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

Editorial

Our endorsements for Tuesday’s ballot Tuesday’s ballot presents voters with some extraordinarily consequential choices, from choosing who will represent the St. Louis region in Congress to statewide measures that could raise sales taxes and make it harder for citizen-driven ballot initiatives to win approval. The outcome of these races and measures will be largely determined by the size and demographics of the turnout. The St. Louis American’s Editorial Board offers the following recommendations on key races and ballot measures.

have prepared Shane Cohn to serve as St. Louis recorder of deeds. He sees the office as an opportunity to solve problems, not simply process paperwork. He understands that the recorder’s duties are established by state law and has realistic expectations about what the office can and cannot do. In a generation of urban politicians who are often dismissive, Cohn still does it the old-school way.

We trust him as a politician and believe he deserves a promotion. We strongly endorse Shane Cohn for Recorder of Deeds.

1st Congressional District Missouri Amendment 1 This is a hotly contested race, just as This measure asks voters to renew in 2024, when The American endorsed the Parks, Soil and Water Tax, a more then-incumbent Cori Bush. We believed than 40-year-old sales tax that keeps then that she had earned a second term, admission to Missouri’s state parks free and replacing her with Bell wouldn’t and funds soil and water conservation make a meaningful difference for the programs. It last appeared on the ballot Black community. With two years of in 2016, when 80% of voters approved it. experience in the seat, Bell has earned Vote Yes on Amendment 1. our backing for a second term, but with reservations.

Missouri Amendment 4 Bell will have to decide whether his Amendment 4 is the latest effort first obligation is to the people he was by the GOP-led legislature to restrict elected to represent or other competing Missouri’s citizen initiative process and interests and concerns that helped put override the will of voters. him there. We also believe It would require citizen inikeeping Bell in the seat tiatives proposing changes makes long-term strateto the Missouri Constitution gic sense should Missouri The outcome to receive a majority vote in Republicans succeed in their of these races all eight of the state’s conwish to redraw congressioand measures gressional districts, making nal boundaries in ways that it extremely difficult if not weaken the political influence waill be largely impossible for voter-initiated of Black and Democratic vot- determined by constitutional amendments to ers in the district. All things the size and pass. considered, we endorse demographics Meanwhile, proposals Wesley Bell for re-election. placed on the ballot by the of the turnout. legislature would continue to St. Louis County Executive require only a simple stateIn our view, none of wide majority. It is a major the candidates seeking this power grab by Jefferson City important position — Brian insiders. Vote No on Amendment 4.

Williams, Angela Walton Mosley and Jake Zimmerman — gave voters a comMissouri Amendment 5 pelling reason to believe they were the Amendment 5 would require the best choice. The campaigns of all three Legislature to phase out the income tax were underwhelming — and that’s an and replace it primarily with higher sales understatement. taxes. It would also allow lawmakers to Williams would bring limited adminbypass existing tax restrictions for five istrative experience to the office. Still, he years and impose new taxes without has shown an ability to produce legislavoter approval. tive results for his Black and Democratic It is a reverse Robin Hood proposal constituents as a Democratic state senator in a difficult, Republican-controlled envi- that essentially shifts the tax burden onto low- and middle-income Missourians, ronment. He also was the only candidate who spend most or all of their money who outlined his goals for the position on food, clothing and other necessities, to members of our Editorial Board. We while benefiting wealthier residents endorse Brian Williams for County by eliminating taxes on their income.

Executive.

Missouri already has spent years cutting personal and corporate income taxes, State Senate District 14 with little evidence of sustained economWe are most familiar with his expeic growth. rience and leadership, partly because he Rather than repeating a strategy that was the only candidate who spoke directhasn’t worked, the state should invest ly to us about his candidacy. Whether in education, workforce development serving as a legislator or leading the St. and infrastructure — the foundations of Louis County NAACP, John Bowman long-term economic growth, prosperhas focused on issues that matter to ity and competitiveness. Vote No on working families. His record reflects Amendment 5. years of public service, coalition-building and advocacy on behalf of North St. St. Louis County Proposition U Louis County residents, both in elected This measure would impose “use” office and beyond. We endorse John taxes on out-of-state online and mail sellBowman for State Senator representers that otherwise do not pay sales taxes ing District 14. on goods sold in Missouri. It helps level the playing field for retail stores. Vote St. Louis City Recorder of Deeds Yes on Proposition U. Years of legislative service and committee leadership as a St. Louis alderman

St. Louis American stlamerican.com

Nathan B. Young (1894 - 1993) • Founder N.A. Sweets (1901 - 1988) • Publisher

Bennie G. Rodgers (1914 - 2000) • Executive Editor Melba Sweets (1909 - 2006) • Editor

Donald M. Suggs Publisher

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Fred Sweets • Ellen Sweets

ADMINISTRATION Dina M. Suggs – Sr. Vice President Julie Erickson – Chief Operating Officer Raven Whitener – Director, The St. Louis American Foundation and Special Events Reba Smith – Executive Assistant-Coordinator

PRODUCTION Mike Terhaar – Art Director

EDITORIAL Rod Hicks – Executive Editor Alvin A. Reid – City Editor Kenya Vaughn – Arts and Entertainment Editor Earl Austin Jr. – Sports Editor Lawrence Bryant – Visual Journalist Sylvester Brown Jr. – Deaconess Advocacy Fellow Na’Porsha Williams – Breaking News Reporter

DIGITAL Dawn Suggs – Digital Director James LeBine – Multimedia Specialist SALES Pam Simmons – Senior Account Executive Angelita F. Houston – Classified Manager Ashley Simmons – Account Executive

The St. Louis American 2315 Pine St. St. Louis, MO 63103 314-533-8000

The largest weekly newspaper in Missouri

100% independently owned & operated continuously published, without interruption since 1928

Commentary

South Carolina puts Black voters in driver’s seat In the 2016 primary, Clinton won approximately 272,000 votes, or 73.5%, while Bernie Sanders received about The Democratic Party’s decision to 96,000 votes, or 26%. Clinton won 39 elevate South Carolina as the first 2028 pledged delegates to Sanders’s 14. presidential primary provides Black votBlack voters accounted for roughly six ers with an historic opportunity. in 10 participants, and exit polls found Black voters will lead in determining Clinton won close to nine in 10 which presidential candidates of them. receive momentum and which Joe Biden arrived in South campaigns collapse before most Carolina in 2020 with a campaign Democrats even have a chance to on the brink of failure after finishvote in the primary. ing fourth in Iowa, fifth in New Candidates seeking the 2028 Hampshire and second in Nevada. nomination will now have to Then Black voters changed the organize in Black communities race. early. They will need relationColumnist Biden won all 46 counties and ships with local leaders, churches, captured 39 of South Carolina’s civic organizations, historically Kevin Harris 54 pledged delegates. Exit polls Black colleges and universities, found Black voters made up a small businesses and rural communities. majority of the electorate and supported Their records will be scrutinized on Biden over Sanders by approximately voting rights, health disparities, educafour to one. tion, economic mobility, criminal justice A Biden campaign that had appeared and the survival of Black institutions. close to collapse after New Hampshire Black voters will vote based became the nomination fronton which candidate speaks runner in less than two weeks. directly to their concerns as From 2008 to 2020, Black opposed to a political calculaBlack voters voters were the constituency tion rooted in who is the most will vote that crowned the eventual nomelectable after Iowa and New inee. Only in Iowa with Obama based on Hampshire have already picked over the candidates. which candi- did Black voters validate the choice of a white electorate that With South Carolina, date speaks voted before them.

Democrats are now moving the directly to Still, South Carolina is not nominating calendar closer to their cona perfect representation of the Black voters who are actually Democratic coalition. The state the party’s center of gravity. cerns. has a relatively small Latino This decision reflects nearly population, limited union dentwo decades of election results sity and few recent examples of showing Southern Black voters have been central to selecting Democratic Democratic success in statewide general elections. Nevada and other states can presidential nominees despite being reasonably argue that they test different placed later in the nominating process. and equally important parts of the party.

Barack Obama’s 2008 Iowa caucus But the traditional calendar wasn’t victory established a Black candidate representative either. could win in a predominantly white state.

Iowa and New Hampshire gave disBut Black South Carolinians solidified proportionate power to electorates that the coalition that carried Obama to the were overwhelmingly white and rural. the presidency.

Candidates could spend a year discussing More than 530,000 votes were cast in the concerns of those voters and engage the state’s Democratic primary. Obama seriously with Black communities only received approximately 295,000 votes, or 55%, compared with about 141,000 votes after the field had already narrowed.

Putting South Carolina first reverses and 27% for Hillary Clinton. that sequence. South Carolina is a recogBlack voters constituted roughly 55% nition that Black Democrats have more of the primary electorate, and nearly than earned our say. eight in 10 supported Obama.

Kevin Harris is a Democratic strateEight years later, Black voters in gist.

South Carolina delivered an even more lopsided result for Clinton.

By Kevin Harris

Commentary

Use your vote, don’t waste it

than they were two, three or four years ago? If not, why not? Who and what actions or inactions are responsible?

We have important elections this year, 3. Consult credible local and national and elections have consequences. organizations and other trusted sources A lot is riding on how we vote — or, for factual information. worse, if we choose not to vote at all.

Many of the issues and condiThere are concerted efforts tions affecting your community, at the national level and across city or state are the same across the many states to make it more difcountry. Some are different. But ficult to exercise that power. the important thing is how they are We cannot afford to sit silentdealt with and what the attendant ly by and allow such efforts to short- and long-term results are win. from the people you vote to put in First, follow any proposed office. changes in voting requirements We only have to look at a few Columnist and make sure you are still able critical indicators to reach some to vote.

Janice Ellis rather poignant conclusions: Then, determine where you Our ability to keep up with the stand on the candidates and the cost of living. issues.

The availability and affordability of In Missouri, there are very important housing in our communities. ballot issues seeking your vote in August Access to quality health care services and November. Take the time to find out at affordable prices. and understand what you are truly being Access to services such as a asked to vote for. good grocery store, pharmacy Across the country, there and auto services. are legislative offices — at the The state and quality of eduWe cannot municipal, county, state and cation our children are receivfederal levels — with candiafford to sit ing. dates vying for our vote. Our silently by We cannot afford to look involvement and vote, or failure and allow only at our personal situation, or to vote, will determine the outjust one area, in a vacuum when such efforts come for those critical offices. so much of where we find ourThere are ways we can to win. selves is interconnected. achieve a “comfort zone” Your vote for a particular around who can best represent candidate can be the change. us and how we should vote on Find out what actions the incumbents the ballot issues before us. have taken or failed to take on the issues 1. Take some time to examine and that are most important to you. Ask the reflect on the issues that are important to challengers for their specific plans to you — whether they are your personal address them should they be elected. quality of life, economic development, Our current political environment is community revitalization, jobs for youth, flooded with divisiveness, disinformation, quality health care or some other conmisinformation, no information, downcern. What has been the overall political right lies, personal agendas, finger-pointand policy direction, and what decisions ing and the blame game dominating the have been made by those whom you have news and public square. entrusted to lead?

Our vote has the power to make the 2. Develop a scorecard on paper or in difference and the changes we need. your mind and see how you, your comJanice Ellis is a columnist for the munity, your city, your county, your state Missouri Independent, where this comor our nation has fared. Ask yourself a mentary was originally published. few critical questions: Are things better

By Janice Ellis

“If we aim to get it right with all youth, a productive starting point is to design teaching and learning to the group(s) of students who have been marginalized the most in society and within schools.”

— Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, author of Cultivating Genius and Unearthing Joy

News

A3

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

Getting youth in gear for back to school

By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American Derrick Walker merged his love for cars and his commitment to young people into an annual event that draws hundreds as students prepare to return to school.

The 8th Annual Rides N’ School Supplies Charity Car & Bike Show returns to the YMCA’s O’Fallon Park Recreation Complex at noon on Saturday, August 1.

Once again, the event is powered by NASCAR. “This whole thing started with a love for cars and a love for youth — and to make sure that we put on for our kids as best as we possibly can,” Walker said.

He said he was led by God to create the event and believes the support from sponsors and area residents confirms that “their steps are ordered.”

The event feels more like a citywide celebration than a charity drive.

“We didn’t want it to feel like charity. We wanted it to feel like community,” Walker said. “We want the kids to come out, have fun — and leave with something.”

Music, fellowship and fun anchor the afternoon as guests share in Walker’s passion for muscle cars through the car and bike show while easing the financial burden of back-

to-school expenses for families.

“Yes, we will have supplies. Yes, we will award scholarships. Yes, we will have prizes,” Walker said.

“But the most important thing we want everybody to take home is the knowledge that there are people and organizations that care about them and want them to succeed — in school and in life.”

Back-to-school event roundup

In addition to the Rides N’ School Supplies Charity Car & Bike Show, several back-to-school events will take place across the region in the coming weeks.

Sat., Aug. 1, 12 noon — Rides N’ School Supplies, O’Fallon Park Rec Plex, 4343 West Florissant Avenue.

Hands on automotive experience In addition to the annual giveaway and car show, the organization has expanded into automotive education.

“We saw how the car culture can bring people together and offer learning opportunities based on our own experiences as adults,” Walker said. “We thought, ‘Why not give that to the kids?’”

Two years ago, they began offering Automotive Symposiums.

In February, Rides N’ School Supplies held its first one with Ranken Technical College. Walker was driving down Page Boulevard when he noticed the school pulling in a Corvette like the one his team was working on.

“I was like, ‘I’m gonna pull over and shoot my shot,’” Walker said. “This is a program they did for college students, but they revamped it for us.”

Photo by Kenya Vaughn / St. Louis American

Derrick Walker, his wife Taylor Walker and their sevenmonth-old son Avalon Michael Walker posed alongside the custom vehicle created by NASCAR at last year’s 7th Annual Rides N’ School Supplies.

Young people ages 9–17 received classroom instruction and a chance to get under the hood.

“This is our first time doing something like this,” said Zach Lueker, Automotive High Performance Department Chair at Ranken Technical College. “I’m glad he stopped by that day so that we could get it going.”

Lueker said the symposium was a learning experience for Ranken as they worked with students younger than their typical collegeaged group.

“I know that my indus-

try needs more young people,” Lueker said. “If we can convince any of these kids that they might like this, then that’s a good thing for us.”

His goal was to cover the basics and give them general knowledge.

“Our long-term goal is to get to a point where we can do this multiple times a year,” Lueker said. “If you figure out that you can fix small things, you can have a little more confidence when it comes to fixing big things — and solving problems.”

Sat., Aug. 1, 1 p.m.

— Boys and Girls Club of Greater St. Louis Back-to-School Fair, Mathews/Dickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club, 4245 N. Kingshighway Blvd.

Thu., Aug. 6, 6 p.m.

— Riverview Gardens School District Back-toSchool Bash, Riverview Gardens High School, 1218 Shepley Drive. More information: www.rgsd. k12.mo.us.

Sat., Aug. 8, 10 a.m.

— Normandy Schools Collaborative presents Beyond the Backpack, Normandy Early Learning Center and Normandy Middle School at Lucas Crossing. Registration required: https://bit.ly/4wsGf6N Sat., Aug. 8, 10 a.m. — Jennings School District Back-to-School Jamboree, Jennings High

School, 8850 Cozens Avenue. More information: www.jenningsk12.org Sat., Aug. 8, 12 noon — Dem Jeep Girls Back to School Giveaway, 95 North Oaks Plaza.

Sat., Aug. 8, 12 noon — Goodfellas Back to School Picnic, Bayer YMCA, 5555 Page Blvd.

Sat., Aug. 8, 12 noon — Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis Back to School DriveThrough Giveaway, 1408 N. Kingshighway Blvd.

Sun., Aug. 9, 12 noon — Dwann Dillon Colon Cancer Foundation 16th Annual Back-to-School and Resource Fair, North County Recreation Center, 2577 Redman Ave. Tues., Aug. 11, 5 p.m. — University City National Night Out and Back-to-School Rally, Centennial Commons, 7210 Olive Blvd.

Sun., Aug. 16, 12 noon — Inspiring STL Back-to-School Bash, Hoskins-Jackson Park, 6231 Washington Avenue, Berkeley.

For more information on Rides N’ School Supplies, visit RidesNSchoolSupplies. org.

A4

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

News Briefs

FEMA grant could expand St. Louis tornado recovery team

The city of St. Louis has received a $2.9 million federal grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to continue long-term recovery services for residents affected by the May 16 tornado.

The grant will fund 10 disaster case managers through June 2027 and could allow the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency to expand the program by hiring 14 additional case managers, bringing the total to 24 to help meet continuing demand for assistance.

City officials said case managers have been working with about 1,200 households, with new applications arriving each week. Their work had been supported by interest earned on the Rams settlement fund, which was expected to be depleted in August.

The city submitted its application for disaster case management funding in September 2025. The award follows Mayor Cara

Spencer’s recent trip to Washington, D.C., where she met with Missouri’s congressional delegation to request additional federal assistance.

“Our residents are at the heart of this recovery, and every family deserves the support they need to recover and hopefully return to the neighborhoods they call home,” Spencer said.

The Missouri State Emergency Management Agency submitted the FEMA application and will oversee the program.

According to SEMA, the additional positions would help accommodate the high volume of incoming requests for assistance. The United Way of Greater St. Louis will administer the grant and coordinate services with the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, LifeWise STL and HOPE. The federal funding becomes available Aug. 1.

Panera leaving St. Louis County for Massachusetts

Panera is moving its headquarters from St. Louis County to Weston, Massachusetts, in July 2027, according to an internal memo obtained by St. Louis Public Radio.

Founded in 1987 as St. Louis Bread Co., the company opened its first location in Kirkwood. It was acquired by Au Bon Pain Co. in 1993 and renamed Panera Bread in

1997, although its local cafes retained the St. Louis Bread Co. name.

Although Panera plans to maintain a support center in St. Louis, many local employees and some remote workers will be asked to relocate to the new headquarters.

Panera operates more than 2,200 locations across the United States and Canada.

KAI complete campus for trafficking survivors St. Louis-based KAI has completed design and construction of a new campus for The Covering House in Jefferson County.

The $9 million, 17,000-square-foot residential facility will serve up to 10 survivors of child sex trafficking, ages 12 to 18, and

includes space for future expansion. The campus provides housing, education, therapy and other support services.

The Covering House, founded in 2009, opened its first residential home in 2015.

PSC seeks comments on utility assistance programs The Missouri Public Service Commission is seeking public comments from people who have received assistance through investor-owned utility assistance programs.

Comments are due by Aug. 31 and will help the commission evaluate customer experiences, eligibility requirements, program design, outreach and ways to measure program effec-

tiveness. Utilities covered include Ameren Missouri, Evergy Missouri Metro, Evergy Missouri West, Spire, Missouri American Water, Liberty Utilities and Summit Utilities.

Comments may be submitted to the Missouri Public Service Commission by mail at P.O. Box 360, Jefferson City, MO 65102 or by email at pscinfo@psc.mo.gov.

As I See It

Saving the tools of democracy

or, like Prop M on the August ballot in Missouri, change existing laws. Props happen at the local Most voters take the valued level, while amendments like tools of democracy for granted.

Amendments 4 and 5 change the We can access them readily withstate constitution. The irony of out thinking about how society got them, or who’s responsible for Amendment 4 is that if passed, it will make it all but impossible protecting them. The foundational, electoral, and direct democracy to pass amendments in the future by mandating majorities in every tools are deeply integrated into one of the eight congressional the fabric of society. It has only districts. If one district misses the been under the current regime mark, it can screw up the passage. that significant attention has been given to understanding what these This is not what democracy looks like. tools are and the potenBallot initiatives are tial consequences of how citizens have won losing them.

Medicaid expansion The foundational eleor secured increases ments include freedom in the minimum wage. of speech and assembly.

Victories like these were In the U.S., citizens not the result of benevreadily speak their mind olent legislators. Citizen or express their opinions groups had done the in writing. We gather incredible work required to meet when we want to collect signatures, get or to protest when necJamala Rogers the initiative on the balessary. Under MAGA, lot, educate voters, and people are using their ultimately get them to the polls on voices and feet to express their concern about government corrup- election day.

The MAGA crackdown will tion. Mass protests have been a be to weaken the potency of these constant during Trump 2.0. tools or to eliminate them. We The electoral apex of tools must fight back. Citizens in Festus is the right to vote. Trump’s have provided a good example of Save America Act is a dangerhow to use the democratic tools at ous threat to the voting process. their disposal. They held commuThe desperate despot has pretty nity meetings and informed their much given up on trying to conlocal government that they did not vince stakeholders of the Big want data centers.

Lie. Instead, he is now focusing When the city council ignored on bullying Congress to pass the their demands, citizens voted out Save America Act. If that fails, it appears that the MAGA regime is the four incumbents who supportpreparing to disrupt the November ed the detrimental data center.

Citizens proceeded to recall the elections under the guise of mayor and three remaining counnational security. Americans will be fed allegations of foreign inter- cil members. This is what democracy looks like! ference, possibly even from the Citizens and citizenship will Russians. be challenged at every step for We also have the right to the next three months. The Trump petition our government through administration is telling us how it ballot initiatives, constitutional plans to rig elections and strip us amendments, and propositions. of our power. We must be vigiThese tools have become particulant and proactive. Declawing the larly important given the governtalons of authoritarianism is a colment’s indifference toward meetlective act of resistance. Fighting ing the needs of its citizens. for a purpose feels so good.

Propositions create new laws

By Jamala Rogers

Business JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

Program prepares St. Louis businesses for corporate contracts St. Louis American staff For many small businesses, landing a contract with a Fortune 500 company or major institution can be more difficult than developing a good product. A Greater St. Louis Inc. program opening applications this month aims to help local companies overcome those barriers.

The organization’s Supplier Readiness Accelerator is a 12-week program designed to prepare locally owned businesses to compete for corporate and government contracts by strengthening the skills and systems larger customers often require.

For many entrepreneurs,

owned businesses with winning those contracts corporate procurement involves much more than opportunities while encouroffering a competitive prodaging major employers and uct or service. Businesses institutions to often must purchase more navigate comgoods and serplex procurement systems, “Our mission is vices from combased in meet financial to drive growth panies the St. Louis and insurance and create region. requirements, more and bet“Our misobtain certificasion is to drive tions, manage ter jobs.” growth and cash flow and create more demonstrate they – Lakesha Mathis and better jobs, can scale their and we want operations to to help local meet demand. small businesses The accelbe at the leading edge of erator is part of Greater that growth,” said Lakesha St. Louis Inc.’s broader Mathis, a partner at Greater SupplySTL initiative, an St. Louis Inc. “Our Supplier effort to connect locally

Readiness Accelerator is a perfect opportunity for companies looking to take that next step and be a part of the supply chain process for major corporations and institutions.”

Greater St. Louis Inc. recently expanded the initiative beyond its original accelerator model to include supplier readiness coaching, capital partnerships and additional business support services designed to help companies become more competitive.

According to the organization, its previous Diverse Business Accelerator served more than 55 entrepreneurs and helped create more than See Contracts, A6

A5

PEOPLE On The Move

Westbrooks-Hodge to chair education task force Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge, who recently completed a six-year term on the Missouri State Board of Education, has been named chair of the St. Louis Region Future of Public Education Task Force.

The task force held its inaugural Pamela meeting last week Westbrooksand plans to develHodge op and evaluate four options for the future of the Normandy Schools Collaborative.

Westbrooks-Hodge said the group is working with education attorneys to ensure its recommendations are legally feasible and plans to collaborate with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the commissioner of education and the State Board of Education on implementation. ***************************

Sponsored by

JPMorganChase & Co.

Don’t let fraud ground your vacation

Mathis earns economic development honor Lakesha Mathis of Greater St. Louis, Inc., has been named one of Consultant Connect’s 2026 Top 50 Economic Developers.

Mathis leads Greater St. Louis, Inc.’s community engagement team.

The annual recogLakesha nition honors ecoMathis nomic development professionals nominated by peers in the economic development and site selection industries. ***************************

Wilson succeeds Davis as AKA regional director Nicole C. Wilson has been installed as regional director of the Central Region of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., succeeding Kiahna W. Davis, who served in the role since 2022.

Wilson was installed during the sorority’s 72nd Boule in Las Vegas last week.

A Silver Star and Nicole C. Life Member of Wilson the Alpha Mu Omega Chapter in Indianapolis, she has served in several chapter leadership positions, including president and parliamentarian. *************************** Photo courtesy of JPMorganChase & Co

Watch out for automated calls or texts offering free vacations or “vacation deals.” There may not be a vacation package available at all, or you’ll be asked to pay processing fees, taxes and other costs to claim your “free” trip.

The travel and events sector is especially susceptible for scams As you make your summer travel plans this year, or perhaps you’ve already hit the road or you’re on your way to the airport, one thing to keep in mind – without putting too much of a damper on your trip – is to stay financially vigilant when finalizing your vacation plans.

The travel and events sector is especially susceptible for fraud and scams as people are looking for deals in locations that might be unfamiliar, with bad actors savvier than ever when it comes

to separating travel scams so travelers from you can relax and Scammers can enjoy your trip. their money. make caller Once travelers figure out their Vacation ID, emails and plans, they’re rental scams texts display ready to hand over the funds to as messages So you’ve make their dream from your found a great vacations happen bank or other house on a vaca– and scammers tion rental webbusinesses. are more than site and email the happy to take it. property through Nakischa the website. You Joseph, Chase community might have received a call manager in St. Louis, offers back from the “owner,” these tips to help you avoid who asked you to send your the latest and most common deposit through Zelle or

another peer-to-peer app. The “owner” will often pressure you into sending a deposit to hold the property, saying there’s a lot of demand for the location, and may ask to move the conversation from the official website to a private messaging app As your trip gets closer, you might reach out to confirm the details or assume all is well and travel to the property at the start of your trip.

That’s when you discover the location is already booked, See Fraud, A6

Denia Adams takes part in ‘The Great Race’ Denia Adams, a recent St. Louis Community College graduate, participated in this year’s “The Great Race,” a 10-day classic car rally along historic Route 66 from Springfield, Illinois, to Pasadena, California.

Adams earned an associate degree in automotive technology and competed Denia as a member of Adams the X-Cup Legacy Team. A Metro High School graduate, she previously received a $5,000 Ford Automotive Tech Scholarship and a $1,500 PepsiCo Foundation Scholars Program scholarship.

Please submit your People on the Move item (including photo) to areid@stlamerican.com.

A6

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

Fraud

If you hear about a charter flight or other private flight deal to a destination, sometimes including a tour or hotel stay, be extra careful.

Too many wouldbe travelers find out after paying their money that the flight, and sometimes the entire trip, is nonexistent.

Continued from A5 not available to rent or doesn’t exist at all.

The listing you saw could have been fake, or a fake phone number was posted to a real listing, and the true owner has no idea about your reservation.

Either way, you’re stuck without lodging and your payment, with little chance of getting your money back.

Most major property rental sites offer fraud guarantees, but only if you pay and communicate with the owners through the site. To avoid lodging scams, try to see properties in person if possible, read reviews from other travelers, and pay through the official platform. Sending deposits through wire transfers or P2P apps is like sending cash -- once you send it you may not be able to get it back.

“Free” trips Unless you’ve won a legitimate contest or sweepstakes – and even those should be examined – there’s no such thing as a free vacation. If you get a call, text, email or other notification that you’ve won a free vacation, it may be a scam, especially if you don’t remember entering a contest.

Watch out for automated calls or texts offering

Contracts Continued from A5 120 jobs before evolving into the broader Supplier Readiness initiative.

Participants begin with an assessment of their business before spend-

Envato photo

If you hear about a charter flight or other private flight deal to a

The event ticket industry is ripe for scammers.

You might find an amazing deal for a sold-out show on social media, send money to the seller

While even the most prepared consumers can fall victim to a well-executed scam, remember these tips to protect your vacation plans.

• Zelle and other P2P payment apps should be reserved for family, friends and businesses you know and trust. Treat your transactions like cash -- once scammers get the money, you may not get it back.

• Scammers are advertising on social media and social marketplaces.

Whenever possible, shop through official websites and be cautious of deals that seem too good to be true before sending any money.

• Scammers can make caller ID, emails and texts display as messages from your bank or other businesses. If you are ever unsure, end the conversation and reach out to the company directly through

ing 12 weeks working through topics such as business development, lead generation, scaling operations, cash-flow management, certifications, vendor portals and sourcing strategies. The program concludes with participants presenting a comprehensive growth

plan.

“This is an experience that no matter where you’re starting, it gives you the opportunity to really jump in, connect with the folks that you want to meet, and receive real mentorship from people who are two or three steps ahead

of where you are right now,” said Calvin Dantley, founder and principal of Master Systems LLC and a graduate of the spring 2026 accelerator.

Greater St. Louis Inc. says a survey of graduates from the accelerator and its predecessor program found that 90% reported

gaining significant business knowledge, 60% increased revenue by more than 10%, and 68% added an average of three employees.

Businesses interested in applying must be locally owned, employ 250 or fewer people, generate revenue, operate in the

free vacations or “vacation deals.” There may not be a vacation package available at all, or you’ll be asked to pay processing fees, taxes and other costs to claim your “free” trip, which might include substandard accommodations.

If you did enter a contest and are told you’re the winner, you won’t be asked to send money to claim your prize. The Federal Trade Commission is a good resource for information on recognizing legitimate versus fraudulent contests.

Flight scams

destination, sometimes including a tour or hotel stay, be extra careful. Too many would-be travelers find out after paying their money that the flight, and sometimes the entire trip, is nonexistent.

The U.S. Department of Transportation maintains updated lists of approved charter flights so you can make sure the company you’re considering is legitimate.

Concert/event ticket scams

and never hear from them again. Not only do you not have concert tickets, there’s also no way to get your money back.

While some social media sellers might be legitimate, the best sources for ticket deals are verified resale sites that handle transactions and guarantee authenticity. If something goes wrong, there’s a digital “paper trail” that can help you get your money back.

Reminders

their official website or call the number on the back of your card.

For more financial health tips, visit chase. com/security.

For informational/ educational purposes only: Views and strategies described in this article or provided via links may not be appropriate for everyone and are not intended as specific advice/ recommendation for any business. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but JPMorgan Chase & Co. or its affiliates and/ or subsidiaries do not warrant its completeness or accuracy. The material is not intended to provide legal, tax, or financial advice or to indicate the availability or suitability of any JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. product or service. You should carefully consider your needs and objectives before making any decisions and consult the appropriate professional(s). Outlooks and past performance are not guarantees of future results. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates are not responsible for, and do not provide or endorse third party products, services, or other content.

Deposit products provided by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Opportunity Lender. © 2026 JPMorgan Chase & Co.

business-to-business or business-to-government marketplace, have a scalable business model and commit to participating in the full program.

Applications for the fall 2026 cohort are open through Aug. 19.

HealthMatters your

‘Taking Care of You’ JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

A7

Hospital planned for Cahokia Heights St. Louis American staff

its patients have incomes below the federal poverty level. The Ferguson clinic was developed after a community health assessment identified significant unmet primary care needs in North St. Louis County and was designed to serve about 8,675 patients annually.

Federally qualified health centers receive federal funding to provide primary and preventive care regard-

A planned hospital in the underserved community of Cahokia Heights, Illinois, moved a step closer to construction after receiving state approval July 14, clearing the way for a $231 million project.

The proposed 108-bed Touchette Regional Hospital is expected to expand behavioral health services and increase access to medical specialists in Southern Illinois and the Metro East, according to Dr. Dolores Gunn.

“In recent years, we have seen an increasing number of Dr. Dolores patients in the area Gunn who needed to be admitted but were transferred to other hospitals, primarily in Missouri, and adolescents to Chicago for behavioral health,” Gunn said.

“A modern hospital with new capacity will help Touchette recruit the The proposed specialists the region needs 108-bed to keep our Touchette patients here at Regional home.”

Hospital is Gunn is a board-certified expected to family medicine expand behavphysician with ioral health more than 30 services and years of clinical increase access experience in to medical spe- East St. Louis and the Metro cialists.

East.

Touchette’s current facility at 5900 Bond Ave. will discontinue inpatient services once the new hospital opens. Construction is expected to begin in March 2027, and the hospital is scheduled to open in mid-to-late 2029.

The new hospital will include 12 private medical-surgical beds, 48 adult behavioral health beds, 24 geriatric

See Pelosi, A8

See Hospital, A8

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

Wesley Bell of Missouri’s 1st District looks on as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Standing before a sign that read, “Healthcare is a Human Right,” described health care as “a right for all, not just for a privileged few.”

Medicaid cuts could hit clinics hard

Pelosi joins Bell, Cleaver for health care descussion and campaign endorsement

By Sylvester Brown Jr. St. Louis American Potential reductions in federal Medicaid funding could affect community health centers like Affinia Healthcare, which serves more than 43,700 patients across the St. Louis region, Democratic lawmakers said during a visit to the organization’s Ferguson clinic.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined U.S. Reps. Emanuel

Cleaver of Missouri’s 5th District and Wesley Bell of Missouri’s 1st District, along with Affinia Healthcare President and CEO Dr. Kendra Holmes, to discuss the role federally qualified health centers play in caring for low-income patients and the potential effects of proposed federal Medicaid cuts.

Affinia Healthcare operates multiple federally qualified health centers across the St. Louis region. According to the organization, more than 90% of

Former NFL linebacker Isaac Keys

Keys returns with message of healing Discusses his new memoir, ‘The Grind Don’t Stop, It Just Changes’

By Na’Porsha Williams St. Louis American Actor and former NFL linebacker Isaac Keys returned to his hometown with a message he said he spent years avoiding: Black men don’t have to hide their struggles with trauma and depression.

Speaking to counselors, violence intervention workers and disaster relief staff at an event hosted by the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Keys discussed his new memoir, The Grind Don’t Stop, It Just Changes, and reflected on growing up in St. Louis, navigating street culture and processing the death of his father.

“We put on that armor

“Isaac is a very unique person.

He can speak to so many facets of the urban African American experience.”

– James Clark

to survive, especially growing up in the late ’80s and ’90s,” Keys said. “Writing this book allowed me to release a lot of things — release some anger, bitterness, or just have more understanding

about who I am.”

James Clark of the Urban League Division of Public Safety said Keys’ willingness to speak openly about his own struggles resonated with employees who work every day with residents coping with violence and trauma.

“Isaac is a very unique person. He can speak to so many facets of the urban African American experience,” Clark said. “He sees the turmoil that our young people find themselves in, and he wants to use his life to inspire young people to fight through what they face every day.”

Clark said Keys’ openness about dealing with See Keys, A8

Actor and former NFL linebacker Isaac Keys signs a copy of his new book for a fan.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

HealthMatters your

‘Taking Care of You’

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

A8

Dellwood to mark 75th anniversary with community celebration St. Louis American The city of Dellwood will celebrate its 75th anniversary with the Diamond Jubilee Expo from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Dellwood Recreation Center.

The free event will feature a performance by R&B singer Howard Hewett, along with live music, step team performances, food vendors and nonprofit organizations providing information about community services. Attendees also will have an opportunity to meet city officials and local business representatives.

Mayor Reggie Jones said the event is intended to recognize the city’s history while looking toward its future.

“Celebrating 75 years is about more than looking back — it’s about recognizing how far we’ve come and where we’re going,” Jones said.

In April, Dellwood voters approved Proposition D, which will fund a new public safety building on West Florissant Avenue, a turf sports field near Dellwood Park, an events center, a splash pad, a playground and a food truck plaza.

Pelosi Continued from A7 less of a patient’s ability to pay. Many also serve large numbers of Medicaid recipients and uninsured

Rendering courtesy of SIHF Healthcare

Proposed Touchette Regional Hospital in Cahokia Heights, Illinois, would include 12 private medical-surgical beds, 48 adult behavioral health beds, 24 geriatric behavioral health beds and 24 adolescent behavioral health beds.

Hospital Continued from A7

Photo courtesy of Cleveland.com

Howard Hewett will perform during the city of Dellwood’s Diamond Jubilee celebration marking its 75th anniversary on Saturday, Aug. 1, at Dellwood Park.

patients, making them particularly sensitive to changes in federal health policy.

Standing before a sign that read, “Healthcare is a Human Right,” Pelosi described health care as “a right for all, not just for a

privileged few.”

During the discussion, Pelosi, Cleaver and Bell criticized proposed reductions in federal health spending that largely affect Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act and public health programs.

behavioral health beds and 24 adolescent behavioral health beds. The adolescent unit, serving patients ages 12 to 17, will be the only program of its kind in Illinois south of Springfield, according to a news release.

The facility also will include an emergency department, surgery, gastroenterology, diagnostic imaging, laboratory services and pulmonary testing.

The hospital is part of the East St. Louis

Supporters of the proposed reductions have argued they are needed to reduce federal spending and address fraud and inefficiencies within government health programs. Pelosi countered that proposals to reduce Medicaid spending by about $1 trillion have also drawn concern from some Republicans.

About a dozen House Republicans signed a letter opposing reductions in Medicaid coverage, citing potential effects on vulnerable populations and rural hospitals. U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, and Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, also have spoken publicly in support of preserving Medicaid, with Hawley describing the program as “a vital safety net.”

Pelosi, Bell and Cleaver said the effects of Medicaid reductions would extend beyond urban areas to rural communities that also depend heavily on the program.

Bell said many rural communities already have experienced hospital closures and reductions in health care services.

“I’ve talked to many folks who identify as Republicans who’ve come up to me to say, ‘This fight is important to me,’” Bell said. “Americans on

Keys Continued from A7 depression after leaving football also encouraged counselors and therapists who help others process trauma.

“Our therapist, he talks about trauma [that] plagued him for a long time. So for him to say to her, ‘You know, I deal with trauma,’ empowers her,” Clark said. “This information helps motivate them personally, but then also it gives them more of a reservoir that they can go to when they’re talking to our clients.”

Writing the memoir also meant revisiting experiences Keys had carried for years. Publisher Brian Johnson of Live Your Dreams Out Loud Publishing, who has known Keys since 2004, spent about a year interviewing Keys and shaping

Health Transformation Partnership, a collaboration among Touchette Regional Hospital, Southern Illinois Health Care Foundation, doing business as SIHF Healthcare, and other community partners.

The project will be funded primarily through Illinois’ Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives program.

About $193 million will come from a transformation grant administered by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. The Illinois Capital Development Board will contribute $15 million, and Touchette Regional Hospital will

provide the remaining $23 million.

“This project is especially meaningful because it brings together Touchette Regional Hospital, SIHF Healthcare and other community partners around a shared goal — addressing gaps in health care and economic development,” said Larry McCulley, CEO of SIHF Healthcare. “The new hospital is part of a broader, coordinated investment in the region, and we are grateful for the support from the City of Cahokia Heights, Senator Christopher Belt and others in helping make this investment possible.”

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

During the discussion, Nancy Pelosi, Emanuel Cleaver and Wesley Bell criticized proposed reductions in federal health spending that largely affect Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act and public health programs. both sides of the aisle support access to quality and affordable health care.”

Bell called for regional cooperation to protect Medicaid and federally qualified health centers.

Holmes said community health centers provide a critical access point for patients who might otherwise go without preventive care, behavioral health services or treatment for chronic conditions.

The Ferguson clinic offers primary care, dental services and behavioral health care. It was built

after community health assessments identified significant gaps in access to care in North St. Louis County, particularly for residents managing chronic illnesses and other ongoing health needs.

Pelosi said protecting Medicaid is essential to preserving that safety net.

“Healthcare is a human right,” she said. “It’s a right for all, not just for a privileged few.”

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

hundreds of thousands of words of notes into a 70,000-word manuscript.

“The one thing that I wanted him to do was get everything out of his head,” Johnson said. “It was a process of sitting down, asking the right questions, being intuitive, and knowing to push in.”

Keys said writing the book forced him to think about what he wants to leave behind.

“Time is really limited, and you don’t know how much time you have,” Keys said. “So what are you doing with your time?

What are you doing with your life? What are you leaving behind?”

Among those listening was Jameel Robinson, who had been an Urban League intern for only about a week after joining the organization through its job placement and educational programs.

“He said what I’ve been hearing a lot, but when he

said it, it just hit different,” Robinson said. “It made me want to keep grinding, keep going, stay focused.”

Robinson said Keys’ message reinforced his commitment to making the most of the opportunity.

“Like he said, ‘The grind don’t stop, it just changes.’ That really stuck with me,” Robinson said.

“It made me not want to lose track of what’s really going on in life.”

Keys said he hopes sharing his experiences encourages young people to face challenges without compromising their values and to recognize that caring for their emotional well-being is part of building a successful life.

“Identify your dreams.

Identify your goals,” Keys said. “Life is not gonna be easy. You can create the life that you want to live, but you’ve got to be willing to put the work and the sacrifices in for those things.”

A9

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

‘Def Poetry Jam’ star Black Ice dead at 54

Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s mother sued by widow

Black Ice, the Philadelphia poet who became one of the most powerful voices in performance poetry, has died. He was 54. Born Lamar Manson, the Def Poetry Jam standout delivered sharp examinations of race, history, identity, and survival. His cause of death has not yet been made public.

According to Allhiphop.com, Russell Simmons, Jill Scott, Toni Blackman, Jessica Care Moore, and others paid tribute as news of his death spread.

Scott, who shared a 30-year friendship with Black Ice, wrote, “Rest beautifully WORDSMITH,” in a social media post. “We got to have 30 years as REAL FRIENDS with REAL pens.”

Black Ice ***************************

Nivea reveals leukemia diagnosis

Grammy-nominated singer Nivea revealed she was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.

The singer told ABC News she was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in early 2026 after two bone marrow biopsy procedures.

“Life for me has changed in various ways but treatment thus far is working,” Nivea said in a statement. “Taking it day by day with a positive mindset & a heart full of gratitude! I’m blessed with the ability to still do what I love—music, continue to mother my children, and learn new skills that fuel me! I am and have been very blessed in this life and won’t ever take it for granted.”

“A tremendous thank you to everyone for the love & prayers,” she added.

The R&B artist previously opened up in an interview with the “Cadillac Chronicles” video series that she has been undergoing treatment for leukemia, and “everything is going great so far.”

“It’s so cliche to say, you know, you don’t know the time nor the hour, but it’s true, and it just helped me put a lot of things in perspective,” she said during the interview. “And I live in gratitude, like religiously.”

Nivea was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in early 2026 after two bone marrow biopsy procedures.

One year after actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner drowned in Costa Rica at age 54, his widow, Tenisha Warner, has filed a lawsuit against his mother. She is suing Pamela Warner in her role as successor trustee of the Warner family trust.

The suit, filed on the one-year anniversary of his death, seeks to recover at least $1.2 million from that family trust. The suit alleges, in part, that Malcolm-Jamal Warner did not “purchase and maintain a term life insurance policy on his life in the amount of $1 million” or on Tenisha Warner’s life, as allegedly stipulated in their premarital agreement.

“For the last year, I have attempted to privately settle my beloved husband’s complicated estate and honor his last wishes,” a spokesperson for Tenisha Warner told CBS News in a statement. “Malcolm had every intention to provide for our 9-yearold daughter and me. He was close to finalizing a new estate plan to replace the stale plan created in 1996 when he was 26 years old, 20 years before we met and well before we gave birth to our beautiful daughter. Sadly, he was unable to do so before we lost him.” ***************************

Preliminary hearing held for d4vd

A preliminary hearing revealed additional details on some of the evidence prosecutors say they have gathered against singer d4vd in the killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. According to CNN.com, this evidence includes testimony about blood stains on various items from his garage, chainsaw purchases and explicit text messages with the girl.

The 21-year-old singer, whose legal name is David Burke, is accused of killing the girl after she threatened to expose their relationship and damage his lucrative career as a rising music star. Testimony on Friday included text d4vd messages between them that prosecutors say show a sexual relationship with the victim who was just 13 at the time. A judge is weighing whether there’s enough evidence to move forward with a trial.

Celeste’s dismembered body was found in the trunk of d4vd’s Tesla in September 2025, parked near his rented Los Angeles home. The musician has pleaded not guilty to firstdegree murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and mutilating human remains.

Hot Sheet Sources:

ABC News, Allhiphop.com, CBS News, CNN.com, YouTube.com

A10

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

Chelsey Gatlin speaks while holding her 1 year old daughter, Emery May Gatlin, during the joint homegoing service for Devin, Cherie and Patricia May at House of Prayer to All Nations Church in East St. Louis on July 25.

Funeral Continued from A1 a family member. The tragedy left five relatives dead — including Shania Thompson and Quentin L. Thompson — and two more family members critically injured. The deaths and injuries shocked the region and drew national attention.

As the May family was remembered Saturday afternoon at House of Prayer to All Nations Church in East St. Louis — their family church — the focus remained on the impact of their lives rather than how those lives ended.

They weren’t “three of the five victims.” They

SLU Continued from A1 Office for Civil Rights and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

SLU officials say the university complies with federal law and intends to cooperate with the investigation.

“The university is proud of the outstanding students, alumni and physicians that the SLU School of Medicine has educated over the past 190 years,” Clayton Berry, assistant vice president for communications, told St. Louis Public Radio. “The School’s commitment to excellence in education, research, patient care and service continues to exemplify the best of the

were loving family members who left a lasting imprint.

Pat — as she was known — had friends playfully proclaiming themselves “the original best friend” as they offered condolences and shared memories.

She often led 5 a.m. prayer calls, according to Evangelist Linda Galloway. Her daughter Cherie was described as “as sweet as she could be,” welcoming others easily into her circle.

“If you met her, you loved her,” one friend said as she addressed the family. “I ask that you not remember her as a victim, but as a loving person, a mother and a sister to me.”

Six days before he was killed, Cherie’s son

Devin had proposed to Anthony Pettiford, senior his longtime girlfriend, pastor of House of Prayer Chelsey Gatlin — on her to All Nations Church, birthday. The during his couple shared eulogy. a 1-year-old In her “Everybody is daughter who remarks, talking about the Galloway read will grow up knowing her from a letter tragedy, but we father through published in wanted to take the memories the East St. a bit of time to of others.

Louis Monitor talk about all A young from Mayor cousin spoke Charles Powell the blessings at the service III. that this family about how “It was Devin beamed gave.” titled ‘A when talking Message of –Elder Anthony about being a Hope and Pettiford father.

Healing,’” “Everybody Galloway said. is talking “Part of it read, about the trag‘To the young edy, but we wanted to take people of our city, I want a bit of time to talk about you to know this: Your life all the blessings that this matters. Your futures matfamily gave,” said Elder ter. You matter more than

you could ever know.’”

Galloway — Patricia May’s neighbor and close friend — staked her claim as one of Patricia’s best friends.

Sister Rhonda Little settled it.

“I am her original best friend,” Little said with a laugh. “We grew up in the same bedroom and wore each other’s clothes.”

As people lined up to share reflections, a recurring question surfaced repeatedly. “How could something like this happen to this type of family?” A prayer warrior. A loving father. A devoted mother and daughter.

“When they first called me and told me, I didn’t believe it,” said Sharon Clark. “It went from disbelief to hurt. Then it went

from hurt to hate — and from hate to anger.”

She said she found comfort in her faith — Psalm 121:1 in particular.

She spoke it aloud as she left the podium: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.”

Pettiford used the book of Job as the scriptural foundation for his message, urging mourners not to dwell on the “why” of what happened.

“Grieve, yes. There is a time to grieve,” Pettiford said. “But in the midst of all, worship and bless the Lord. Know that the Lord is there — in the midst of trouble, in the midst of trials and in the midst of tragedy — and he gave us a power in the name of Jesus.”

university.”

The other schools named in the investigation are Dartmouth College’s Geisel School of Medicine, East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences and William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Title VI prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin in educational programs receiving federal financial assistance.

The Department of Health and Human Services is involved because medical schools and their affiliated teaching hospitals receive federal health funding, giving the agency authority to investigate whether they complied with federal civil

rights laws.

In June, the Justice Department announced investigations into 15 additional medical schools over potential race discrimination in admissions, signaling a broader federal effort focused specifically on medical education.

Most of the targeted institutions have denied engaging in unlawful discrimination. They argue their admissions systems are merit-based, individualized and comply with the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision, which permits applicants to discuss how race has shaped their personal experiences without allowing race itself to be used as a factor in admissions decisions.

Last year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing

in admissions — especially in professions as critical as medicine, where quality of training should be the top priority,” Dhillon said in a statement from the department.

Dr. David Seres, a retired Columbia University Medical Center professor of medicine, criticized the administration’s investigations.

“I’m not aware of there ever being such a wholesale attack on medical schools,” Seres told Inside Higher Ed. “This has been an overt, politicized attempt to reshape medicine by people who are not experts in medicine.”

Laura Hirshbein, a psychiatrist and professor of the history of medicine at the University of Michigan, said medical schools are particularly vulnerable because of their reliance on federal funding.

“They depend on federal money in a profound sense,” Hirshbein said.

“It’s been quite effective for the federal government to threaten that funding to get medical schools to say, ‘OK, we’ll do whatever you want.’”

This year, the Justice Department also opened civil rights investigations

and issued discrimination findings involving the University of California, Davis School of Medicine and Yale School of Medicine. It also joined an ongoing private civil lawsuit challenging the admissions policies at the University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine.

According to The New York Times, some university leaders, medical professionals, legal scholars and state officials have criticized the administration’s investigations as politically motivated attacks on higher education and public health.

Last week, Harvard University President Alan Garber defended the independence of higher education institutions in a statement published by The Washington Post.

“No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.”

Program

cation,” said Bahaldin Kabara, another student at the Florissant Valley campus. “So, this would be a good thing, not just for them, but for society as a whole. The more educated people there are, the better society is.”

STLCC plans to announce finalized application details and guidelines prior to spring registration.

federal agencies to enforce civil rights laws against what the administration describes as unlawful race-based preferences in education and other sectors. The administration has also sought admissions data from colleges and universities as part of its enforcement efforts.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said when the Justice Department announced its June investigations that many medical schools appear “more concerned about the demographics of their incoming classes than training students to succeed in the profession.”

“Under this Justice Department, we will continue to protect American students from discriminatory and illegal preferences

Continued from A1 compared with colleges without such programs.

“This program could be a great opportunity for people who are less fortunate — who think they can’t go to college. A lot of them are smart, but they don’t have the means to use that talent and edu-

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

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

A11

A12

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

“Our focus should always be on impact over fame.”

– Dr. Bernice King

Living It B1 • JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

Motown magic

Muny impresses with first-ever staging of

‘Ain’t too Proud’

Daniel Yearwood, Nick Rashad Burroughs, James T. Lane, Jawan M. Jackson and Elijah Ahmad Lewis star in the Muny’s premiere of ‘Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations.’

The production opened on Monday, July 27 and runs through Sunday, August 2.

By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American When the Muny premiere of Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations kicks off with “Get Ready,” the opening number feels less like an introduction and more like a directive. What follows over the next two-and-a-half hours is a whirlwind of emotion and powerhouse performances that move far beyond jukebox musical nostalgia.

Those expecting a simple sing-a-long should know that Detroit playwright Dominique Morisseau crafted something deeper. She threads the group’s greatest hits — and a few surprises — into a theatrical experience that reveals the sacrifices behind the music. The Temptations left an unmatched imprint on Motown and popular culture, and with a special opening-night curtain speech from Otis Williams, the See Muny, B3

This guy’s still got the blues – and the fire Music legend Buddy Guy delivers a commanding set on latest tour

By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American Buddy Guy is the last of the living guitar giants who built their legacy in Chicago’s post-World War II blues scene.

Nearly all of the bluesmen whose music reshaped American popular culture arrived there from Mississippi during the Great Migration. Many of the rest — including Little Walter, Bobby Rush and Guy — came up from Louisiana.

When Guy played The Factory at The District on Friday night for the St. Louis stop of his Buddy Guy 90 Tour, he reminded the crowd of the moment he “I don’t get often calls his “second birthday.” this kind of “September 25, 1957 is the treatment day that changed my life,” everywhere I Guy told the audience. It was the day he made it go.” “from a plantation – Buddy Guy on in Louisiana to the concrete jungle of the fans of St. Chicago.”

Louis He arrived hungry, hoping to play for his hero Muddy Waters. He played through the hunger. After leaving the room stunned, he asked for something to eat.

“You play like that, you ain’t never gonna be hungry again,” Waters told him — a story Guy has repeated over the years, including in the 2021 documentary Buddy Guy: Chase the Blues Away.

Waters was right. Guy has been “eating” ever since.

His signature sound shaped not only the blues, but pop, rock and metal.

St. Louis blues fans witnessed that staying power See Guy, B4 Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

Buddy Guy reminds St. Louis of his lasting blues legacy during the Buddy Guy 90 Tour stop Friday night at The Factory.

Photo by Phillip Hamer Courtesy of the Muny

Usher, Chris Brown ignite The Dome

High-caliber co-headlining R&B showcase lives up to the hype

By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American St. Louis has had its share of defining moments in Black music — in rooms both intimate and enormous. From W.C. Handy’s appearance at the 1944 Negro Music Festival at Sportsman’s Park to Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour at The Dome at Tens of thouAmerica’s Center eight decades later, there’s a sands packed familiar pride in being in for the St. able to say, “I was there Louis stop of when…” the R&B Tour.

Another one of those moments unfolded at The Dome last Tuesday night, when tens of thousands packed in for the St. Louis stop of the R&B Tour featuring Usher Raymond and Chris Brown.

Both artists have made recent visits to St. Louis. Usher’s Past, Present and Future tour sold out two nights at Enterprise Center in See Usher, B6

B2

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

St. Louis American Calendar

BACK TO SCHOOL EVENTS Sat., Aug. 1, 12 noon, Rides N School Supplies, O’Fallon Park Rec Plex, 4343 West Florissant Avenue.

Sat., Aug. 1, 1 p.m., Boys and Girls Club of Greater St. Louis Back to School Fair, Boys and Girls Club – Mathews-Dickey, 4245 N. Kingshighway Blvd.

Thursday, Aug. 6, 6 p.m., The Riverview Gardens School District (RGSD) Back to School Bash, Riverview Gardens High School, 1218 Shepley Drive. For more information, visit www. rgsd.k12.mo.us.

Sat., Aug. 8, 10 a.m., Normandy Schools Collaborative presents Beyond The Backpack, Normandy Early Learning Center and Normandy Middle School at Lucas Crossing. Registration is required. Register today: https://bit.ly/4wsGf6N Sat., Aug. 8, 10 a.m., Jennings School District’s Back to School Jamboree, Jennings High School, 8850 Cozens Avenue. For more information, visit www.jenningsk12.org Sat., Aug. 8, 12 noon, Dem Jeep Girls Back to School Giveaway, 95 North Oaks Plaza.

Sat., Aug. 8, 12 noon, Goodfellas Back to School Picnic, Bayer YMCA, 5555 Page Blvd.

Sat., Aug. 8, 12 noon, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis Back to School drive through giveaway, 1408 N. Kingshighway Blvd.

bergartsfoundation.org/ the-dark-room

Hitmakers Akon and NeYo have joined forces for the Nights Like This Tour and will be hitting Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre for the St. Louis stop. See CONCERTS for details.

Sun., Aug. 9, 12 noon, The Dwann Dillon Colon Cancer Foundation presents their 16th Annual Back To School and Resource Fair, North County Recreation Center, 2577 Redman Ave., St. Louis MO 63136.

Tues., Aug. 11, 5 p.m., University City annual National Night Out and Back-to-School Rally, Centennial Commons, 7210 Olive Blvd.

Sun., Aug. 16, 12 noon, Inspiring STL Back to School Bash, Hoskins-Jackson Park, 6231 Washington Avenue, Berkeley MO. CONCERTS Thurs., July 30, 7 p.m., Lil Wayne: 20 Years of Carter Classics with 2 Chainz, Hollywood Casino Amphitheater. For more information, visit www.livenation.com.

Sat. Aug. 1, The City Winery welcomes Kindred The Family Soul, City Winery, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO. For more information, visit www.citywinery.com.

Tues., Aug. 4, 8 p.m., Akon & Ne-Yo: Nights Like This Tour 2026, Hollywood Casino Amphitheater. For more information, visit www. livenation.com.

Sun., Aug. 9, 7:30 p.m., Jack Harlow, The Pageant, 6161 Delmar. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com SPECIAL EVENTS Thurs., July 30, 6 p.m., Black Tech Midwest presents SIP & TECH Mixer St. Louis Edition, The Post Building, 1190 Cole Street. For more information, visit www.eventbrite. com.

Sat., Aug. 8, 3 p.m., The Golden Era of Black Radio, the fundraising event will feature a tribute to the late Doug Eason. The Post-Dispatch Building, Tucker and Cole Street.

Fri., Aug. 14-Aug.16, Black Pride St. Louis presents Black Pride

STL Weekend, Marriot St. Louis Grand, 800 Washington Ave. For more information, visit www.blackpridestl.org.

COMEDY

more information, visit www.citywinery.com.

Aug. 7 – Aug. 9, Helium welcomes Karlous Miller, Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St Louis Galleria Street, St Louis MO 63117. For more information, visit st-louis.heliumcomedy. com

July 31 – Aug. 1, Jess Hilarious, Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St Louis Galleria Street, St Louis MO 63117. For more information, visit st-louis.heliumcomedy. com Sat., Aug. 1, The Factory welcomes Aries Spears, The Factory, 17105 N Outer 40 Rd, Chesterfield, MO 63005.

For more information, visit www.thefactorystl.com.

Sat., Aug. 1, 8 p.m., Simply Brittny Live at The Dark Room, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, visit kranzbergartsfoundation.org/ the-dark-room/

Fri., Aug. 7, 7:30 p.m., D’Lai: I Beg Your Pardon Tour, City Winery, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO. For

Fri., Aug. 14, 8 p.m.

Scooter Brown Live at The Dark Room, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, visit kranz-

ST. LOUIS MUSIC SPOTLIGHT

Sat., Aug. 15, 1 p.m.

CWE Jazz and Blues Festival, Euclid and Laclede in the Central West End. For more information, visit cwescene. com.

THEATRE Through Aug. 2, The Muny presents Ain’t Too Proud, The Muny, 1 Theatre Dr, St. Louis, MO 63112. For more information, visit https://muny.org.

Aug. 6 – Aug. 13, The Muny presents Meet Me In St. Louis, The Muny, 1 Theatre Dr, St. Louis, MO 63112. For more information, visit https://muny.org.

ART Wed., Aug. 5, 5 p.m., Brickline Greenway Art Party, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington Blvd. For more information, visit greatriversgreenway.org.

Through Aug. 9, Teaser by Ayana Evans, Contemporary Art Museum, 3750 Washington Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108. For more information, visit https://camstl.org.

Fri., Aug. 14, 6 p.m.

Opening reception for the juried exhibition A Hum Beneath the Surface by Lillian Stephen, on display through November 8. The Kranzberg Gallery, 501 N. Grand Blvd. For more information, visit kranzbergartsfoundation.org

B3

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

The roots of Black excellence are firmly planted here recognized their names.

East St. Louis tells that same story. Recently I had the privilege of hosting a conversation with Dr. Last week, I had the joy of Eugene B. Redmond and Terry joining St. Louis Public Radio “Kujaliwa” Kennedy. I was not for a conversation framed around simply listening to their powerful a question that sounded simple journeys; I was witnessing lineage. enough: Who are St. Louis’s pop Dr. Redmond’s literary legacy culture royalty? The host called continues through his daughter, out a familiar line up of hometown Dr. Treasure Shields Redmond. heavy hitters—Jennifer Lewis, Kennedy’s late twin brother, Dhati Scott Joplin, Chuck Berry, Tina Kennedy, was a gifted African Turner, and Miles Davis. Each drummer, and their family’s carries a title worthy of a crown: roots extend to the incomparable the Mother of Black Hollywood, jazz vocalist Shirley Horn. Their the King of Ragtime, the Father of father survived the 1917 East St. Rock ’n Roll, the Queen of Rock ’n Louis Massacre, reminding us that Roll, and the King of Cool. It was resilience and artistry often grow a fun conversation, but not long from the same soil. after the microphones were turned And the story continues. off, I found myself thinking about Lou “Fatha” Thimes helped something much shape St. Louis radio deeper. and entertainment with We celebrate his unmistakable voice, these known icons style, and presence. all the time—and His daughter, Denise we should. But Thimes, inherited not they aren’t the only only extraordinary iconic names with musical gifts, but also lineage to the soil a deep understanding we stand on. Maybe of storytelling through we have been telling song. Today, she is one the story of St. of America’s premier Louis all wrong. The jazz vocalists—a question is not only, living legend whose “Why has St. Louis elegance, artistry, and produced so many unmistakable voice remarkable artists?”

Lyah LeFlore-Ituen have carried the sound The question becomes, of St. Louis around the “What kind of place world. creates generations The Bosman family tells another of artists who carry artistic beautiful chapter. Brothers Dwight inheritance?” and Dwayne Bosman have enriched Greatness rarely happens by the cultural life of this city for accident. It is cultivated, mentored, decades through music, education, protected, and often passed from and community leadership. Their one generation to the next until younger sister, Cheryl D. S. Walker, excellence becomes part of a comcontinues to give voice to St. Louis munity’s DNA. Look closely at St. through her poetry, while her Louis, and you see that inheritance son, Kamau O. S. Walker, carries everywhere. that literary tradition into another The creative brilliance generation. of renowned saxophonist, When you step back and look multidisciplinary artist, and at these stories together, you begin Black Artists Group co-founder to see something extraordinary.

Oliver Lake continues through his These are not isolated success sons, Gene Lake, one of today’s stories. They are branches of the most dynamic and respected same tree. Perhaps that is what percussionists, and Jahi Sundance, makes St. Louis, and this entire an innovative producer whose bi-state region, collaborations with unlike anywhere else.

Robert Glasper We do not simply have helped shape produce artists. We Greatness rarely hapcontemporary jazz, produce artistic hip-hop, and soul. pens by accident. It families. We produce The late bassist is cultivated, mencommunities that Darrel Mixon tored, protected, and understand creativity carried forward as a sacred trust often passed from the extraordinary handed from one musical legacy of his one generation to the generation to the father, John Mixon, next until excellence next. who performed becomes part of a After all, royalty with Miles Davis, community’s DNA. is not about celebrity.

Jimi Hendrix, Clark It is about legacy. It Terry, and Oliver is about accepting the Nelson. responsibility to carry Then there is something larger than yourself and Kinloch. We rightly celebrate ensuring it reaches those who come Jennifer Lewis, but Kinloch’s story after you. does not end there. The Harrold Maybe that is the real story family reminds us that communities of St. Louis. Not simply that we do not simply produce talent—they have given America some of cultivate it. Grammy-winning its greatest artists, but that, for trumpeter Keyon Harrold carries the generations, we have cultivated legacy of his family’s Kinloch roots one of the richest ecosystems of and his upbringing in neighboring Black artistic excellence anywhere Ferguson onto some of the world’s in this country. The roots of Black greatest stages. His brother, excellence are firmly planted here.

Emanuel Harrold, has become Our job is not simply to admire one of today’s most accomplished the tree. It is to water, nurture, and drummers, touring internationally care for it, so generations yet to with Gregory Porter. Together, come will continue to find strength, they represent another remarkable inspiration, and possibility in its St. Louis family whose artistry shade. was nurtured long before the world

By Lyah B. LeFlore-Ituen, AAHI Director

Saturday, October 17th St. Louis Union Station Hotel

Photo by Phillip Hamer / Courtesy of the Muny

James T. Lane and Nasia Thomas appear as Otis and Josephine Williams in the Muny’s firstever presentation of ‘Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations.’ The musical continues as part of the Muny’s 108th season through Sunday, August 2.

Muny Continued from B1 founder and last surviving original member, the Muny underscored that The Temptations’ 65-year legacy endures.

Morisseau centers the story through Williams’ eyes. A wayward youth who found purpose in Detroit after leaving Texarkana, Texas, he built the group and held it together — even as he often stood in the background while others took the lead. The Temptations were an anomaly: five men who each possessed the talent to stand alone.

That truth remains with the current lineup, which includes the soon-to-be 85-year-old Williams and Jawan M. Jackson, who embodies Melvin Franklin’s deep bass both onstage in Ain’t Too Proud and in real life as the newest member of the group.

“I call him my second Melvin,” Williams told the crowd.”

The musical shows that destiny comes with a cost.

The strain of maintaining a cohesive unit while life intrudes is at the heart of the story. “Don’t nothing rewind but a song,” Williams says more than once — a line that lands as both optimism and regret for choices that fractured relationships along the way.

For its first staging of Ain’t Too Proud, the Muny could not have assembled a stronger cast. Every performer is a triple threat whose singing, dancing and acting

impress from the start.

Led by James T. Lane as Williams, the principal cast delivers vocal acrobatics that match their kicks, spins and turns — and they bring emotional depth and sharp comedic timing to their roles.

At any moment, one of the “original five” — Lane, Daniel Yearwood as Paul Williams, Jackson as Franklin, Elijah Ahmad Lewis as Eddie Kendricks and Nick Rashad Burroughs as David Ruffin — leaves the audience in awe. Whether it’s a soaring vocal run, a split-second dance move or a heated exchange when being a Temptation becomes too heavy, none of them falter. Burroughs unleashes Ruffin’s volatility against Lane’s moral and emotional compass, while Jackson often steps in as the voice of reason.

The cast’s gifts extend well beyond the leads.

St. Louis’ own Robert Crenshaw shines as Al Bryant, a member of the group before they became a household name. His singing and dancing match the principals, and his later turn as Motown hitmaker Norman Whitfield shows sharp acting instincts.

Nasia Thomas (Josephine), Candice Marie Woods (Diana Ross) and Joseph Anthony Byrd (Dennis Edwards) further elevate the production.

Among the show’s standout moments are the title number, the Supremes medley and the “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” duet between Lane and Thomas.

Beyond the performances, Ain’t Too Proud

offers compelling glimpses into the business of making hits — the financial struggles of emerging artists, the creative restraints imposed for commercial appeal, and the complicated negotiations required to earn one’s worth.

The show’s strength also presents its lone challenge. Director Marcia Milgrom Dodge’s “more is more” approach occasionally tips into over-stimulation. The vocal acrobatics sometimes overshadow the richness of the voices — particularly Lewis and Burroughs — and some of Rickey Tripp’s choreography goes over the top for a group known for suave precision.

Still, the visual elements add to the experience. Edward Haynes Jr.’s scenic design is stellar, and Gail Baldoni’s interpretation of Paul Tazewell’s original costumes is equally impressive.

Williams was all smiles after the cast took their final bows. “You all are amazing. I’m speechless,” he told the audience as he helped close out the night. “I’ve been doing this since I was a little shorty doowop. And now, all these years later, I’m standing before all these wonderful people. We won’t take this for granted. Because if it wasn’t for you, there would be no us.”

Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations continues through Sunday, August 2 at The Muny. For tickets and additional information, visit muny.org.

B4

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

Photos by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American MATI rewind: Take two. As I promised, I want to give more space for Music at the Intersection 2026. Yes, it was two weeks ago at this point, but I still have some things to say – and I know y’all want to hear it. First, can we give a shout out to Mrs. Nancy Kranzberg for her undefeated blouse game? I got my whole life from the entire weekend’s assortment. Okay, now let us give the MATI folks bouquets of flowers for who they brought to town. I would have never paired Big Freedia and Killer Mike back-to-back on a bill. But my life will never be the same after experiencing it. That twerk-a-mania that Big Freedia conjured up…I’ve never seen anything like it! You ain’t seen nothing until you bear witness to a man who looks like a 75-year-old retired IRS auditor throwing it in a circle. And Killer Mike should make room for his background singers to drop their own set like The Hamiltones! They blew the roof off The Big Top! I still would have been in hip-hop bliss if it had just been Killa Kill and Trackstar on that stage. I don’t have space to name everything that was right about MATI 2026…just know that it couldn’t have been any righter! A special shout out to all the STL artists who showed what our city is made of musically!

BJ The DJ with boxing Champ Devon Alexander at the Living Legends Awards Saturday afternoon at The Missouri History Museum

Buddy Guy’s still got it. Listen, y’all know me well enough to know that there are a handful that I will go to the ends of the earth to see hit the stage.

And right between Denise Thimes and 8Ball & MJG is my non-biological grandfather Buddy Guy. He hit up The Factory with his Buddy Guy 90 Tour.

Before I do another thing, let me shout out The Factory for their top-tier hospitality. I don’t feel a type of way in the least bit for having to drive to West Jesus to catch a show because of the way they treat a sista. Okay, back to Paw Paw Buddy. I know there are folks who feel a type of way about him still being on the road at 90. But if they saw how Buddy cussed out the folks for being off beat and off key when trying to sing along with him, they would know that ain’t nobody forcing him to do a single, solitary thing. And he can still throw down, so why not! Everybody in the building was beyond satisfied – including me! If he can still sing and play, I will be front and center for the Buddy Guy 102 Tour.

Much love to the living legends. This might not be the place for it, but I want to give a shout out to Be The Change Now STL for saluting some of my favorite folks in the region by way of their Living Legend Awards. I had a time in my good clothes at the Missouri History Museum for the sold-out event that brought the who’s who of the city out to show love. Zaki Baruti, Ariel Bivens-Biggs, Sheila Forrest, Sharee Nicole Galvin, Bernie Hayes, Wiley Price, Dr. Eugene Redmond, Anthony Shahid and Lady Ada Taylor.

Happy birthday Michael McMillan. Since I’m talking about getting dressed up and having a good time, I might as well tell y’all about Urban League President Michael McMillan’s birthday gathering at the Missouri Athletic Club. If anyone ever doubted the fact that he is a class act (no one ever will though) Monday’s event settled it. Michael, allow me a moment to me sing the Stevie Wonder’s version of the birthday song to you – it’s the least I can do for how you keep lifting up the community!

Big ups to Brock Seals. I know I’ve been bigging him up his entire career, and Brock Seals gives me every single reason to keep doing it! Saturday night, I made my way to The Hawthorn to catch his latest installment of Art, Mimosa & Pancakes. Even as an artist in his own right, Brock and that baby face of his have been giving space and agency to the creative community for years. And

Monica was on hand to support her son, Brock Seals, for the 11th installment of his annual Art, Mimosas & Pancakes event Saturday at The Hawthorn

Charity and Roxanna were eager to catch Usher and Chris Brown for the STL leg of the R&B Tour last Tuesday night at The Dome at America’s Center

Saturday night was no different. I don’t want to compare it to Arts, Beats and Lyrics, because Brock’s set has its own super-STL vibe and energy. But I will say that if ABL is your scene, AMP should be on your calendar every year. I had a ball! I kicked off my Education Salute 2026 diet a week early, so I didn’t partake in the pancakes or the mimosas. My stomach was empty, but the art filled my soul to capacity! And I want to shout out the art of Carol ThompsonRobinson for those glorious paintings and Taylor Marrie for those super-cute chairs.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

St. Louis fans welcomed blues icon Buddy Guy as he brought his Buddy Guy 90 Tour to The Factory on Friday, July 24.

Guy Continued from B1 once again. “I love coming here,” Guy said as the crowd welcomed him with a standing ovation. They responded throughout the night with applause and verbal affirmation.

“I don’t get this kind of treatment everywhere I go,” he admitted, noting he was five days away from his 90th birthday.

He might not — but he should. Guy is your favorite guitarist’s favorite guitarist. Jimi Hendrix counted him among his biggest influences. Riffs inspired by Guy can be heard everywhere from The Allman Brothers in the 1970s to modern acts like James Bay, Coldplay and Gary Clark Jr. His hour-plus set on Friday served as further

proof that Guy is not a relic. Last year, on his birthday, he released Ain’t Done with the Blues. And at 90, he is still doing his part to ensure the blues — in its original form — lives on.

Guy announced his retirement two years ago.

At 88, he had earned it.

But he returned to the road — perhaps boosted by the exposure from filmmaker Ryan Coogler, who gave him a cameo in his blockbuster film Sinners.

Or maybe he simply knew he still had something to contribute.

Whatever the reason, Guy delivered a show that demonstrated he still carries what Waters saw in him nearly 70 years ago.

He opened with his classic “Damn Right, I Got the Blues.” He honored Waters with “Hoochie Coochie Man” and moved through blues staples

including B.B. King’s “How Blue Can You Get” and his own “Love Her With a Feeling.”

Guy also paid tribute to Bobby Rush — who is still touring into his 90s — with a take on Rush’s “Chicken Heads.”

While Ric Hall assisted on some of the guitar solos, Guy managed the weight of the performance.

He sang. He played. And he kept the audience engaged from the moment he stepped onstage until his children joined him to close the show. He shared the stage with his son Greg on guitar and his daughter Carlise on vocals.

Carlise Guy and her band opened the night with a wellreceived hourlong set that included original music, blues standards and Black music classics like James Brown’s “Sex Machine” and Cameo’s “Word Up.”

“Being from St. Louis, it’s special knowing I have the opportunity to stay home and represent my city.”

— Vashon basketball standout Jimmy McKinney III, after committing to Saint Louis University

Sports

B5

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

Inside Sports With Alvin A. Reid

Former CBC baseball star Derrick Pitts delivers for USA and Cincinnati

field, a few of which St. Louisan Derrick were featured on ESPN’s Pitts has enjoyed a standSportscenter. out year on the baseball diamond in collegiate and Welcome Back international competition.

Napheesa Collier The former CBC standout had a breakout The Minnesota Lynx sophomore year at the entered the WNBA’s AllUniversity of Cincinnati.

Star break with the best He followed that up this record in the league. Right summer with an excellent before the break, they showing while playing for received another big boost USA Baseball. with the return of star Pitts was a member of player Napheesa Collier. the USA Baseball Team The former Incarnate that competed in Word Academy star the inaugural World returned to the startCollegiate Baseball ing lineup last week Championships in the Lynx’ victory in Taichung City, over the Seattle Taiwan. The talentStorm. Collier had ed outfielder helped missed nearly a lead the USA to a year of action after 3-1 record and a undergoing ankle runner-up finish in Earl surgery following the tournament.

Austin Jr. an injury susPitts was outstanding during the tourna- tained during last season’s WNBA Playoffs. ment as the team’s leadoff In her first game back, hitter. He hit safely and she looked very much like drove in at least one run the perennial All-WNBA in each of the four games.

He finished the tournament player, scoring 24 points with a .500 batting average and grabbing 10 rebounds in the Lynx’ 86-76 victowith four runs batted in ry. The 6-foot-2 Collier and six runs scored. enjoyed her big perforIn the championship game against Japan, he had mance despite playing only 22 minutes. two hits, scored a run and With Collier back in drove in another run. In the lineup, the Lynx will the opening game against be one of the top conKorea, he was two for tenders to win the WNBA three with one run batted championship this seain and two runs scored. son. Collier will now be In the second game of the teamed with star rookie tournament against Japan, he went three for five with point guard Olivia Miles, who has been brilliant this one run batted in. season.

During the collegiate season with Cincinnati, J’Dyn Lloyd commits Pitts hit .329 with six to Missouri State home runs, 42 RBI, 12 doubles, 49 runs and 17 Belleville West basketstolen bases. He helped ball standout J’Dyn Lloyd the Bearcats earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament. has given a commitment to Missouri State.

He also made some treThe 6-foot-6 rising mendous catches in right

Derrick Pitts was a member of the USA Baseball Team that competed in the inaugural World Collegiate Baseball Championships in Taichung City, Taiwan. Pitts was outstanding during the tournament as the team’s leadoff hitter. He hit safely and drove in at least one run in each of the four games.

Photo courtesy of USA Baseball

senior guard is one of the top returning players in the St. Louis metro area. As a junior, he averaged 18.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and two assists while leading the Maroons to a 21-10 record.

Lloyd also delivered some of his biggest performances against the top teams on the schedule. In two games against Illinois Class 3A state champion East St. Louis, he scored 30 and 23 points, respectively. He scored 24 points against Missouri Class 6 state champion De Smet and 30 points against

perennial St. Louis power Chaminade.

Missouri State’s head coach is former East St. Louis Lincoln star Cuonzo Martin.

Gateway-Knights win P32 national championship Congratulations to the Gateway-Knights boys basketball team on winning the New Balance P32 National Championship.

Gateway won the national tournament last weekend in Memphis, Tennessee.

They also dominated the P32 League throughout

the summer with a perfect 18-0 record.

The team featured several talented players from the St. Louis area.

The championship team members include Sekou Cisse and Gassim Toure of Principia, Sebastian Bolden (Clayton), Liam Nixon (Kirkwood), CJ Nelson (Miller Career Academy), Kyrese Simpson (Springfield Hillcrest), Mike Acton (Daviess County, Kentucky), Akol Akol (Ivory Coast) and Paul Sama (Hamilton Heights, Tennessee). The head

coach is Lamar Colvin, who is also the assistant coach at Chaminade.

Scottie Adkinson named to All-Peach Jam first team Webster Groves basketball standout Scottie Adkinson was named to the All Nike EYBL Peach Jam first team last week. The 6-foot-3 senior University of Missouri recruit led MoKan Elite to the quarterfinals of the Peach Jam. He averaged a team-high 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals.

Sports Eye With Earl Austin Jr.

LeBron can jump start Embiid’s career Before we discuss the Jayhawks’ final two reguhappenings of Friday, lar season games and the July 24, 2026, let’s revisit Big 12 Tournament. There March 23, 2014. were legitimate concerns On that spring Sunday, about his back pain.

I sat near the late PostHe had averaged 11.2 Dispatch sports columnist points, 8.1 rebounds and Bryan Burwell during 2.6 blocks per game, and the opening rounds of helped KU land a No. 2 Midwest Regional NCAA seed in the tournament.

Tournament games being They were a favorite to played at Scottrade reach the Final Center (now Four.

Enterprise Center).

Obviously, that Proud Jayhawk didn’t happen. that I am, I was Embiid would enter confident we would the NBA Draft and top Stanford in a become the third second-round game overall pick by the and move on to the 76ers.

Alvin A. Sweet 16 — even Before playing Reid without starting a game that season, center and future he injured his foot NBA top draft pick Joel and would miss the entire Embiid. campaign. A knee injury Burwell warned me then cost him another seahe thought an upset was son. His career was going brewing. Man, was he nowhere. right. Stanford 60-57.

Embiid’s up-and-down Since that day, unfairly career in Philadelphia, maybe, I’ve had a sour which has included some attitude toward Embiid. success, fan scorn, and his While coach Bill Self own questionable attitude never hinted that Embiid and effort, reached its peak could have played, there when he won NBA MVP were rumors that the future honors in 2023.

Philadelphia 76er had His team has never decided to miss the entire reached the NBA Finals, tournament. though. Suddenly, it has a Embiid had missed the chance.

Photo courtesy of BleacherReport.com

LeBron James, left, and Joel Embiid have gone from opponents to teammates.

The 76ers acquired Jaylen Brown from Boston in a trade earlier this summer that left Celtics fans seething with anger. Then, last Friday, LeBron James announced he would sign a two-year $8 million deal with the 76ers.

Add NBA All-Star Tyrese Maxey to the mix of players and Philadelphia could take control of the NBA Eastern Conference.

The reigning NBA champion New York

Knicks still are slightly favored in the conference, but our hometown hero Jayson Tatum and his Celtics find themselves looking up at the upstart 76ers.

“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,” James said in his announcement on X.

His first assignment is to energize the sometimes-flighty Embiid.

Regardless of his injury status in 2014, I never thought Embiid was as serious about winning the NCAA Tournament as he was playing in the NBA. His KU teammate Andrew Wiggins, who was also an NBA firstround pick, showed much more enthusiasm for the college game. Wiggins would later win an NBA title with the 2022 Golden State Warriors, something Embiid has failed to do.

James could be the deciding factor in whether Embiid reaches the elusive goal of a title. James is presumably in his final two seasons, and Embiid is 32.

The NBA clock is ticking.

Meanwhile, Embiid has not officially commented on James’ decision.

When the Knicks chased Philadelphia out of the playoffs, Embiid was healthy. For the first time in a long time (knock on wood) he will begin the 2026-27 season without any physical setback.

James’ agent and lifelong friend Rich Paul didn’t shy from obvious

concerns.

“I don’t want to be hard on Embiid, but you have to think about all those [health] things,” he said.

“From my understanding, Embiid is doing a hell of a job this summer. It’s the first summer he’s actually been healthy. Not having some type of surgery over the summer, which is always good.”

That is hardly a glowing endorsement. For now, I’m excited for Embiid.

Let’s see if he lets me, and Philly, down again.

The Reid Roundup Jayson Tatum has not publicly commented on LeBron James joining the Philadelphia 76ers, but he may have taken a shot at former Boston Celtics teammate Jaylen Brown while speaking to basketball campers at Wohl Recreation Center in St. Louis last week. “Being a leader doesn’t mean you know it all. Being around somebody that feels like they know it all, I don’t wanna be around that person.”…My guess is that the Celtics and 76ers play on Christmas Day.

B6

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

ARTFUL MESSAGES from your

Art Museum Fellowship helps shape future leaders hopes to gain additional For more than 30 Saint Louis Art experience working years, the Saint Louis Museum Romare with diverse audiences Art Museum has Bearden Graduate while contributing to welcomed a Romare Museum Fellows museum accessibility Bearden Graduate initiatives.

Museum Fellow Statia holds degrees each year. The in Art History and Fellowship honors Museum Studies the pioneering from the University legacy of Romare of Delaware and has Bearden by creating focused her research opportunities for on Blackness and emerging museum Indigeneity in the professionals art of the Americas. to contribute Among her recent meaningfully to the SLAM projects, she art world. partnered with the One of the Griot Museum of Black nation’s longestHistory to produce running programs an online exhibition of its kind, the paid, Maggie Brown featuring Saint Louis cross-departmental Peoples Art Museum textiles Fellowship prepares to complement museum Legend of Kente, professionals currently on view at from historically the Griot Museum. underrepresented She is also managing backgrounds and moderating for careers in the Museum’s museums and free annual virtual cultural institutions. summit, Advancing During the twoChange: Shaping year program, Tomorrow Through Art Fellows gain Foundations, taking experience across place on Oct. 1. Check the Museum in areas the slam.org website including curatorial, for registration details. programming, and Brown-Peoples marketing. Specific concludes her projects include Daniella Statia Fellowship this summer developing the annual after two years at the Celebrate African and Museum. A St. Louis African American native, she earned Art brochure, degrees from the organizing the If University of Missouri It Wasn’t for the and the University of Women panel during Kansas. She completes Women’s History her Fellowship with Month, and teaching a digital project in the Arts in the highlighting the life and Basic Curriculum work of 19th century school program.

Each July, the African American Museum celebrates sculptor Edmonia a graduating Fellow Lewis. We invite you while welcoming a to learn more about the new Fellow to begin life and work of Lewis the program. This through this interactive summer, Cristal De experience at slam.org.

Cristal De La Cruz La Cruz (2026–2028) “My time as the joins the Museum as its 2024–2026 Romare newest Romare Bearden Graduate Bearden Graduate Museum Fellow Museum Fellow, Daniella Statia at the Saint Louis Art Museum has (2025–2027) enters her second been an incredible journey,” said year of the Fellowship, and Maggie Brown-Peoples. “As a St. Louisan, Brown-Peoples (2024–2026) it has been a privilege to serve completes the program. the community through this role De La Cruz recently earned a while gaining invaluable skills and master’s degree in Museum Studies experiences.” from the Cooperstown Graduate The Romare Bearden Fellowship Program and has worked with is supported through private funding organizations including National and the Museum’s operating budget.

History Day, Emory University’s Applications for the 2027–2029 Michael C. Carlos Museum and Fellowship will be available in Dartmouth College’s Hood Museum November. of Art. During her Fellowship, she

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

Co-headliner Usher Raymond on stage during the St. Louis stop of the R&B Tour at The Dome at America’s Center on Tuesday, July 21.

Usher Continued from B1 2024. Brown’s Breezy Bowl XX filled The Dome less than a year ago. Each show stood on its own. So it wasn’t surprising that combining their star power resulted in a production that left jaws dropped — not because it repeated what they’d already done, but because it delivered something entirely new.

Aside from the late start — fans arrived well before doors opened at 6:30 p.m., but the show didn’t begin until 9 — there was little to criticize. And thanks to Brown’s tour hype man DJ Fresh, even the delay became part of the atmosphere. By the time Brown and Usher opened with “Party,” the night was already in motion. It was clear from the first song that the audience was in for something memorable.

The R&B Tour lived up to the months of anticipation sparked by a cryptic social media teaser. It offered a distinct experience from their recent solo shows. Over two and a half hours, Usher and Brown reminded the crowd why each is a defining figure in R&B — and why mainstream pop had no choice but to absorb their influence.

The show was curated with intention, leaning on top-tier audiovisual elements that gave it a near-theatrical feel. They could have easily relied on a rapid-fire “all the hits” approach, squeezing in snippets to check boxes. Instead, they performed more than 50 songs between them — and together — while still leaving room for the production to breathe. The pacing allowed the audience to take in the technical elements, including video, pyrotechnics and Brown’s aerial stunts on a 3D wire rig.

The outfits, dancers, scene changes, video interludes and three-tiered set kept the crowd visually engaged. But both artists delivered performances strong enough to stand without any of it.

Twenty years into his career, Brown performed with the urgency of someone still determined to prove himself. Usher’s set carried the confidence of an artist with nothing left

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

Chris Brown delivers a high-energy set as co-headliner of the R&B Tour during its stop at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis on Tuesday, July 21. to justify — punctuated by the crown he placed on his head after performing “Confessions” from a throne.

Usher is more than a decade older than Brown, but it didn’t show. If Brown hadn’t respectfully referred to him as “uncle” multiple times, the audience might have forgotten. Both moved with the precision of performance athletes.

Their chemistry was evident as they opened and closed the show together and tagged in and out of segments. It was especially clear during their “Nice and Slow”/“It Depends” mashup, with Usher surrounded by dancers and Brown moving across the stage as screens cut between them.

True to its cinematic nature, the show was divided into acts — each with its own lighting, costumes and occasional pyrotechnics. Brown’s most striking set featured a vintage convertible and styling that appeared to nod to the Black film classic Cooley High. Usher’s bedroom and gentlemen’s club scenes were among his visual highlights.

Usher’s strongest performances included “You Make Me Wanna,” “Yeah” and “Love In This Club,” with vocal standouts on “Climax” and “Burn.”

Brown impressed with his

aerial work and nonstop choreography, with vocal bright spots on “She Ain’t You” and “Take You Down.”

Their contrasting approaches to audience-participation seduction moments added levity — Usher gently caressing a woman on satin sheets, while Brown placed his guest in handcuffs.

They also brought guests. Emerging R&B artist and longtime Usher background vocalist Eric Bellinger satisfied fans with a brief set. St. Louis erupted when Brown brought out hometown star Nelly, who performed “Dilemma” and “Hot In Herre.” Near the end, Mario delivered “Just a Friend,” “How Do I Breathe” and “Let Me Love You.” Rather than overshadowing one another, they stood comfortably in each other’s light. The final and most visually dramatic segment belonged to Brown, who appeared at the side of the stage and flew to a second platform to perform a trio of songs including “Hearts All Over the World.”

They reunited — with Usher wearing a St. Louis Blues jersey — to close the night with “New Flame.” Because the song features both artists, it was a fitting finale.

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

B7

THE

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ St. Louis american THE

Career Center

B8

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

GUARDIAN AD LITEM – FAMILY COURT - JUVENILE DIVISION

GUARDIAN ANGEL SETTLEMENT ASSOCIATION IS HIRING!

Family Court (Juvenile Division) of St. Louis County is seeking an attorney to serve as guardian ad litem (GAL) in the Family Court to handle juvenile matters/ parent attorney. A GAL who serves the Court must commit to serve on various Family Court (Juvenile) cases on an as needed basis for a monthly retainer to be paid by public funds. The current retainer is in the amount of $2,500.00 per month. Payments for time expended in adoption, guardianship of minor, and termination of parental rights matters may be made over and above the retainer fee.

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

To apply, please send a current resume, along with a cover letter, to SLCCourtJobs@courts.mo.gov or to the following address (application materials must be postmarked by August 31, 2026): Family Court of St. Louis County, Attn: Human Resources Department, 105 S. Central Ave., Clayton, MO 63105. EOE. Please contact the Human Resources Department at 615-4471 (voice) or RelayMo 711 or 800-735-2966 if you need any accommodations in the application process, or if you would like this posting in an alternative form.

We Publish every Thursday Newspaperand Online reaching over150,000 People per Week

•

THE

AUGUST 5, 2026

Intake Specialist – $17.00–$19.00/hr FT, Mon.–Fri. with occasional evenings & weekends. Requires a high school diploma; associate degree preferred.

Apply on Indeed or email resume to hr@gasastl. org. GASA is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Positions are funded in part by CDBG through HUD and the City of STL Community Development Administration

The St. Louis Housing Authority (SLHA) seeks bids to perform the following project: The General Scope of Work for this project consists renovation of the entire development, including new concrete walkways, new asphalt shingle roofing, new windows, new entry doors, exterior repairs, a new elevator, and electrical service upgrades. The 28 apartment units will be renovated, including new flooring, wall finishes, doors, electrical and plumbing fixtures, casework, PTACS, furnaces, and electrical panel upgrades. Modifications will also occur to the community building. The anticipated performance period for this project is 365 calendar days.

The pre-bid conference will be held at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, August 6, 2026 at the project site.

Sealed bids are due at 1:00 PM on Thursday, August 27, 2026 via QuestCDN or hand delivered to the SLHA Main Office at 3520 Page Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63106.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

St. Louis american

Food Pantry Support Aides (2 Openings) – $16.50–$18.50/hr FT & PT positions supporting our Client-Choice Food Pantry. Mon.–Fri., with 2–3 weekends per year. High school diploma, valid driver’s license, & successful background check required.

ST. LOUIS HOUSING AUTHORITY SOLICITATION RD26-26 RENOVATION CALIFORNIA GARDENS APARTMENTS 2926 CALIFORNIA AVE, ST. LOUIS, MO 63118

Latasha Barnes Contracting Officer

JULY 30 -

THE

SEALED BIDS Bids for Renovate Interior Headquarters Building, MSHP, Jefferson City Project No. R2410-01will be received

by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, August 25, 2026.

Project information available at: http:// oa.mo.gov/ facilities

REQUEST FOR BIDS Great Rivers Greenway is requesting bids for Federal Project Number STP-9901(666) GRG Bid Number 2026-008-187B St. Vincent Greenway: Eskridge High School to St. Charles Rock Road Go to www.greatriversgre enway.org/bids/ for details and submit by August 14, 2026.

www.stlamerican.com

REQUEST FOR BIDS Russell Construction is seeking bids for the Winston Churchill Apartments renovation (MHDC project #25-440TE) at 5475 Cabanne Ave, St. Louis, MO 63112. Project scope includes demolition, concrete repairs, masonry restoration, trim replacement, new roofing, openings, flooring, painting, bath accessories, appliances, cabinetry, MEPF work, elevator modernization, and light sitework.

We encourage subcontractors to attend one of the site walkthroughs for this project on 7/28 @ 11:30 or 7/29 @ noon.

Bids are due on August 6th by 5:00 PM and are to be emailed to estimatingSTL@russellco.com. To access the plans and specifications or for any questions related to this project, please contact Ashley Grass at (314) 781-8000.

Minority-owned and women-owned enterprises are highly encouraged to submit bids. This project has business enterprise goals of 21% African American, 2% Hispanic American, 0.5% Asian American, 0.5% Native American, and 11% Women. Workforce (boots-on-theground) goals are 25% minority, 5% women, 20% city resident, and 15% apprentice.

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Great Rivers Greenway is requesting qualifications for print production and mailing services. Go to www.greatrivers greenway.org/ven dors/ for details and submit by August 10, 2026.

SEALED BIDS

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Bids for Replace MultiReplace Tier Porch HVAC & & Sidewalk, Boilers/ The Lohman Pumps/ Controls, Building, Dept of Jefferson Public Safety/ Landing State Highway Historic Site, Patrol, Macon Jefferson City, Project No. Missouri, R2511-01 will Project No. be received X2514-01 will

by FMDC, State of MO, be received by FMDC, State of UNTIL 1:30 PM, MO, UNTIL September 1:30 PM, 10, 2026.

September 3, Project infor- 2026. Project mation availinformation able at: http:// available at: oa.mo.gov/ http://oa.mo. facilities gov/facilities

SEALED BIDS

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Bids for Fletcher U260701 Daniels & - Interior Teasdale Renovations, State Office C Wing Buildings Updates, - Replace Project No. Windows & Tuckpoint., U2607-01 will Project No. be received O2512-01 will by FMDC, be received State of MO,

by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 UNTIL 1:30 PM, 8/27/26.

PM, 8/27/26. Project inforProject infor- mation availmation avail- able at: http:// able at: http:// oa.mo.gov/ oa.mo.gov/ facilities facilities

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

•

JULY 30 -

AUGUST 5, 2026

B9

NOTICE OF PRIMARY ELECTION STATE OF MISSOURI CITY OF ST. LOUIS TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2026 Notice is hereby given to the registered qualified voters of the City of St. Louis, Missouri, that the Missouri Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, as certified by the Honorable Denny Hoskins, CPA, Secretary of State, State of Missouri, and the Board of Election Commissioners for the City of St. Louis. The polls will be open from 6:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

The purpose of the Primary Election is to nominate candidates in the Republican, Democratic, Libertarian and Green parties of Missouri and the City of St. Louis for the federal, state and county offices to be voted upon at the General Election scheduled for Tuesday, November 3, 2026; and to submit certain constitutional amendments and local ballot propositions to the qualified voters as set forth below.

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES FOR NOMINATION FOR STATE AUDITOR Scott Fitzpatrick, 118 Skyline Drive, Cassville, MO 65625 Gerald (Jerry) Wistrand Jr., 809 S Harding St, Oak Grove, MO 64075 FOR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 1 Paul Berry III, 11932 Barbara Dr, Maryland Heights, MO 63043 Andrew Jones, 3911 McRee Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110 FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 79 Mike Hebron, 3134 St. Vincent Ave, St. Louis, MO 63104 FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 80 Jennie Drag, 3917 McDonald Ave #A, St. Louis, MO 63116 FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 84 Robert Vroman, 4105 Dressell Ave., St. Louis, MO 63120

DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES FOR NOMINATION FOR STATE AUDITOR Quentin Wilson, 1503 Greening Lane, Kirkwood, MO 63122 Gregory Upchurch, 529 Caulks Hill Rd, St. Charles, MO 63304 FOR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 1 Alissa Murphy, 831 Westwood Drive #2N, Clayton, MO 63105 Carl E. Harris Sr, 106 Berry Manor Cir, St. Peters, MO 63376 Cori Bush, 721 N. 17th St. Apt. 507, St. Louis, MO 63103 Wesley Bell, 900 S Hanley Rd Apt 8C, St. Louis, MO 63105 Carl Earnest Henderson, 4497 Pershing Ave. Apt. 609, St. Louis, MO 63108 FOR STATE SENATOR, DISTRICT 4 Steve Butz, 3823 Holly Hills Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63116 Gina Mitten, 1615 Hunter Ave, St. Louis, MO 63117 FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 76 Marlon Anderson, 1556 Switzer Ave, St. Louis, MO 63147 FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 77 Kimberly-Ann Collins, 4234 E. Lexington Ave., St. Louis, MO 63115 FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 78 Marty Joe Murray, 2005 Geyer Ave, St. Louis, MO 63104

FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 79 Rachel D’Souza, 4272 Russell Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63110 Adam S. Hopkins, 3517 Hebert St, St. Louis, MO 63107 Helen Bailey, 2939 Dodier St., St. Louis, MO 63107 FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 80 Elizabeth (Lilly) Fuchs, 4228 Wyoming Apt A, St. Louis, MO 63116 FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 81 Tony Kirchner, 6055 Carlsbad Ave, St. Louis, MO 63116 Aaron Nathaniel Clite, 4122 Alma Ave., St. Louis, MO 63116 James (Jimmy) Lappe, 6111 Alabama Ave., St. Louis, MO 63111 FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 82 Nick Kimble, 5456 Gresham Ave, St. Louis, MO 63109 FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 84 Del Taylor, 5738 Etzel Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63112 FOR COLLECTOR OF REVENUE Gregory F.X. Daly, 4127 Upton Court, St. Louis, MO 63116 FOR LICENSE COLLECTOR Mavis “Tessa” Thompson, 3510 Dodier Street, St. Louis, MO 63107 Dylan Hassinger, 3022 Wyoming St, St. Louis, MO 63118 FOR RECORDER OF DEEDS Anthony T. Brandon, Jr., 5932 Harney Ave, St. Louis, MO 63136 Patty Ellison-Brown, 3131 Franke Ct., St. Louis, MO 63139 Shane Cohn, 4666 Tennessee Ave, St. Louis, MO 63111 Yolonda “Yogi” Yancie, 1205 N. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO 63113

LIBERTARIAN CANDIDATES FOR NOMINATION FOR STATE AUDITOR Dustin Coffell, 80 Fountain View Ter Apt 12, Lake St. Louis, MO 63367 FOR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 1 Tom Schmitz, 400 S 4th St Unit 1104, St. Louis, MO 63102 FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 77 Michael Corey, 4232 Enright Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108

GREEN PARTY CANDIDATES FOR NOMINATION FOR RECORDER OF DEEDS Jerome H. Bauer, 6036 Pershing Ave, St. Louis, MO 63112 Don De Vivo, 4451 Swan Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS AND BALLOT PROPOSITIONS TO BE SUBMITTED The following constitutional amendments and local propositions will appear on all ballot styles, including the Nonpartisan Ballot, per Section 116.240, RSMo, and applicable local authority: CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 1 (Proposed by Article IV, Section 47(c); Second Regular Session, SJR No. 1) Shall Missouri continue for 10 years the one-tenth of one percent sales/use tax that is used for soil and water conservation and for state parks and historic sites, and resubmit this tax to the voters for approval in 10 years?

The measure allows continued collection of the existing sales and use tax, which generates revenue of approximately $140 million annually.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 2 (Proposed by 103rd General Assembly, First Regular Session, HCS HJR Nos. 23 & 3) Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to: * require all charter counties, including Jackson County, to provide for the election of a county assessor; and * require assessors in all charter counties to comply with any training requirements established by general law?

State and local governmental entities estimate no costs or savings.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 4 (Proposed by 103rd General Assembly, Second Extraordinary Session, HCS HJR No. 3) Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to: * Modify current requirements that a statewide majority of voters may approve initiative petitions to amend the constitution; * Require a majority of voters in each congressional district to approve initiative petitions to amend the constitution; and * Make available to each voter the full text of initiative petitions with their ballot?

The Department of Corrections estimates increased annual costs of up to $21,817. The Office of State Public Defender estimates an unknown fiscal impact. Other state governmental entities

estimate no costs or savings.

Local governmental entities estimate no costs or savings.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 5 (Proposed by 103rd General Assembly, Second Regular Session, SS SCS HCS HJR Nos. 173 & 174) Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to: * Require legislative phase-out of the individual state income tax based on revenue growth, and authorize the expansion of sales and use taxes; * Curtail constitutional limits on taxing goods and services; and * Require local tax rate cuts without reducing school funding if local sales tax revenue increases?

The proposal has no direct impact on state or local tax revenue. If passed, implementing legislation will have an unknown impact to state and local tax revenue.

If implemented, state government entities expect a reduction of $57,000 annually in income tax check-off donations and implementation costs of at least $100,000.

PROPOSITION M — OFFICIAL BALLOT Shall the Charter of the City of St. Louis be amended to modernize language describing City departments, divisions, or other organizations, to provide for modern methods of advertisement and publication, to delete obsolete references to Missouri statute, to delete obsolete references to City departments, divisions, or other organizations, to remove obsolete references to pay scale, to replace pronouns with specific title references, and to standardize capitalization of titles and uniform formatting of numbers?

CWE SOUTH SPECIAL BUSINESS DISTRICT — OFFICIAL BALLOT (submitted to qualified voters residing within the CWE South Special Business District only) Shall the CWE South Special Business District be authorized to impose a tax on owners of real property, including that real property used exclusively for residential purposes, located in the CWE South Special Business District in a sum not to exceed eighty-five cents on the one hundred dollar assessed valuation?

A sample ballot for each party, and for the Nonpartisan Ballot, is set forth immediately following this notice.

B10

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

•

JULY 30 -

AUGUST 5, 2026

PRIMARY SAMPLE BALLOTS

BOARD OF ELECTION COMMISSIONERS FOR THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS Jerry M. Hunter, Chairperson Joseph A. Barbaglia, Secretary Susan R. DiRaimondo, Commissioner Andy Schwartz, Commissioner Leo G. (Gary) Stoff, Jr., Republican Director D. Benjamin Borgmeyer, Democratic Director

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ St. Louis american THE

Bids & Public Notices ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

SEALED BIDS

•

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Bids for Repave Replace Fire Parking Area # 57826208, Professional Leadership Alarm System, Storage Building Development Training Program Infrastructure (Lower Shop), at Moberly MSHP General Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) and Boonville Headquarters, Correctional is requesting proposals to contract with Jefferson City, Centers, qualified individuals and/or organizaMissouri, Project Nos. tions to design, develop and deliver a Project No. C2511-01 and comprehensive professional leadership R2505-01 will C2502-01, will be received development training program tailored be received

by FMDC,

by FMDC, for higher education leaders.

State of MO, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 UNTIL 1:30 If interested, a copy of the RFP can be PM, August PM, August 27, obtained by emailing Barbara A. Morrow 18 and 20, 2026. Project 2026, respecat email address: morrowb@hssu.edu information tively. Project and Erika Cotton at cottone@hssu.edu. available at: information http://oa.mo. available at: gov/facilities Proposals must be emailed no later than http://oa.mo. gov/facilities 10:00 a.m. CST on Wednesday, August

12, 2026 (there will not be a public opening), and must be emailed to: morrowb@hssu.edu and cottone@hssu. edu.

The University reserves the right to accept or reject any or all responses received, or to cancel this request in part or in its entirety if it is in the best interests of the University to do so.

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.

INVITATION TO BID McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., requests bids from qualified contractors for the following project: Phelps Health Specialty Pharmacy Phelps Health is doing a buildout of existing space to hold the new specialty Pharmacy. This project is about 1,500 square feet.

BID DATE: Friday, August 14th, 2026 by 1pm CST All contractors interested in this project must contact Brian Nisbet and/or Taylor Patton via eMail at: bnisbet@mccarthy.com and tpatton@mccarthy.com

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

JULY 30 -

St. Louis american THE

B11

AUGUST 5, 2026

ST. LOUIS HOUSING AUTHORITY SOLICITATION RD26-26 REDEVELOPMENT OF THE PARKVIEW ELDERLY APARTMENTS GENERAL CONTRACTOR (GC) SERVICES St. Louis Housing Authority, acting through its subsidiary, Parkview Limited Partners is soliciting proposals from qualified firms to provide Pre-Construction and Construction services under a modified AIA A102 Agreement Between Owner and Contractor, Cost of Work Plus a Fee with a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP). The selected contractor will provide preconstruction services and, upon successful negotiation of a GMP, serve as the constructor responsible for construction means, methods, schedule, cost control, and subcontractor performance.

Project Description The St. Louis Housing Authority (SLHA) was approved by the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to convert the 295 units at the Parkview Apartments from Public Housing to a Section 8 project-based program under the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) initiative. The scope of work includes demolition of the existing two-level parking structure, a new surface parking lot in its place, renovations to the building exterior, interior public and common spaces on floors 2-14 (12 floors), and all 295 residential units. St. Louis Housing Authority, acting through its subsidiary, Parkview Limited Partners, is seeking a qualified construction firm to assist SLHA, PLP, St. Louis Design Alliance Architects (STLDA), and Civil Design, Inc. (CDI) in the design, planning, and construction phases of the RAD conversion.

The selected construction firm will be responsible for the development of design estimates, conducting value engineering, and executing the rehabilitation of the site.

All services will be performed under HUD RAD rules and regulations. This project will also operate under the guidelines of Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) as PLP has been awarded an allocation of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) from MHDC. PLP is also pursuing State and Federal Historic Tax Credits for the project.

The pre-proposal conference will be held at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, August 4, 2026 at the project site.

Proposals will be received until: 1:00 PM (St. Louis local time), Friday, August 28, 2026, to the St. Louis Housing Authority Main Office at 3520 Page Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63106.

Latasha Barnes Executive Director Contracting Officer AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Sealed bids for the ARS-CRS2 Improvement Program, Package 3 project, St. Louis County Project No. AR-CR-1941 will be received electronically thru the County’s Vendor Self Service portal at https:// stlouiscountymovendors. munisselfservice.com/ Vendors/default.aspx, until 2:00 PM on August 19, 2026.

Plans and specifications will be available on July 27, 2026 the St. Louis County Web Site (www. stlouiscountymo.gov) or by contacting Cross Rhodes Print & Technologies, 2731 South Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63118 (314) 678-0087.

DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT ST. LOUIS COUNTY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS UPDATE OF THE ST. LOUIS REGIONAL FREIGHTWAY STUDY East-West Gateway is seeking submittals from consultants to update the St. Louis Regional Freightway Study.

Submittals are due no later than 1:00 p.m. on August 28, 2026. Submittal details and specifications can be obtained at www.ewgateway. org.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS # 57826210, State Government Relations & Lobbying Services Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) is soliciting proposals from qualified government relations firms to provide state legislative advocacy and lobbying services.

The University seeks a firm to serve as an extension of executive leadership on legislative and appropriations matters before the Missouri General Assembly, the Governor’s Office and relevant state agencies.

If interested, a copy of the RFP can be obtained by emailing Barbara A. Morrow at email address: morrowb@hssu.edu and Erika Cotton at cottone@hssu.edu.

SOLICITING BID Reinhardt Construction LLC is Soliciting Bids from MBE/WBE/DBE/ Veteran/SDVE for the following: T2505-01 Jefferson City Readiness Center Building 1 Repairs to Interior/Exterior Jefferson Readiness Center Contact: Estimating Department ; estimating@reinhardtconstructionllc. com Phone: 573-682-5505

To Advertise Real Estate, Angelita Houston at ahouston@stlamerican.com 314-289-5430

Proposals must be emailed no later than 10:00 a.m. CST on Thursday, August 13, 2026 (there will not be a public opening), and must be emailed to: morrowb@hssu.edu and cottone@hssu.edu.

ROOMS FOR RENT

The University reserves the right to accept or reject any or all responses received, or to cancel this request in part or in its entirety if it is in the best interests of the University to do so.

FOR RENT

Upscale, Very Clean, Good heating and cooling. Cable 314-484-3147

ROOMS FOR RENT Upscale, WiFi, All Utilities, W&D Call

314-518-1629

1, 3 & 4 Bed Apts & Rooms for Rent $600 - $1,000/mo Plus $500/Dep Section 8 Accepted

618-781-7968

Need a Room?

ROOMINN.COM The Place Where the Two Meet

Need Tenants?

Religion

B12

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

Prayer built the ministry.

The platform came later

By Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware Word in Black Every day at noon, Dr. LeKesha Attuquayefio’s grandmother disappeared into the bedroom of her modest home in Houston, a Bible in one hand and her family’s burdens in the other.

But when the clock struck noon, every day, he knelt beside her bed and prayed.

Those moments remain among Attuquayefio’s most treasured memories.

“They were just what Granny did,” she recalled.

Multifaceted ministry Many people know Attuquayefio as the leader of the prayer and young adult ministries of Houston’s Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church.

What they often don’t see is that Attuquayefio is building a digital ministry that reaches believers through weekly YouTube programming.

She also coaches pastors and ministry leaders through Essentials Intensified Consulting and Coaching. She mentors women called to ministry, leads international mission experiences, writes books, and teaches leadership and discipleship.

For Attuquayefio, however, none of those facets of her life exists independently.

“They all point in the same direction,” she said.

“It’s about that intensified life in God.” Long before podcasts became common and churches discovered livestreaming during the COVID-19 pandemic, Attuquayefio was experimenting with digital ministry.

She began creating online content in 2011, but set much of it aside after accepting her assignment at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church.

Like many pastors, she found herself asking what ministry would look like beyond church buildings.

The answer wasn’t creating something new; rather, it was returning to a vision God had planted with her years earlier.

Intensifying lives

“The Intensified Life,” the title of her first book, published nearly two decades ago, has become the organizing principle for everything she now produces online.

Today, the YouTube platform functions less as a single program than as a ministry network.

Weekly Bible studies sit alongside sermons preached at Wheeler Avenue and churches across the country.

Relationship conversations with her husband occupy one playlist. Another series features candid conversations with men about faith and discipleship. Travel experiences, leadership lessons, and spiritual for-

Dr. LeKesha Attuquayefio’s ministry spans preaching, leadership development, YouTube, missions and mentoring women in ministry. She credits her grandmother’s daily prayers as the foundation for her own calling.

Photo courtesy of Dr. LeKesha Attuquayefio

mation round out the programming.

The goal is to help believers discover that following Christ should never become routine.

“I like the new and impossible becoming possible,” Attuquayefio said.

“I like asking, ‘What if we could do this?’”

Attuquayefio describes herself as someone energized by vision more than maintenance. She enjoys building systems, organizing teams and preparing people to flourish before moving on to the next assignment.

“If I wasn’t in ministry,” she said, “I’d probably be doing something with organizational leadership.”

‘Light bulb moment’ That calling has resur-

faced in Essentials Intensified Consulting and Coaching, where she helps churches, pastors and individuals clarify vision and navigate seasons of transition.

“I love seeing people get it,” she said. “When they have their ‘light bulb moment.’ When they understand God’s assignment for their lives.”

Years before conversations about women in ministry became more commonplace, Attuquayefio founded Her Call Ministries, a nonprofit designed to train, encourage, and develop women sensing God’s call to preach.

The organization hosted preaching intensives, leadership workshops and conferences

while creating safe spaces for women to develop gifts that were not always welcomed elsewhere.

Divine providence Today, many of those women serve on church staffs, hold doctoral degrees, and continue using training materials from those early cohorts.

“That’s what it’s about,” she said. “Fruit that remains.”

While ministry occupies much of her public life, Attuquayefio speaks just as passionately about another unexpected gift: her marriage.

They met on a dating app during the pandemic.

When he saw her profile, he immediately believed she was the woman he had been looking for; within days of their meet-

ing, he had given her his phone number and deleted the app.

“I really feel like my husband and I coming together was providential,” she said. “It was a miracle.”

The couple now shares ministry through what they call the Agape Dance Trio, blending their mutual love of salsa dancing into marriage retreats and relationship workshops that explore trust, communication, and partnership. She celebrates dramatic healing, including answered prayers for members of Wheeler Avenue whose medical reports changed unexpectedly after prayer.

Quiet miracles But she is equally captivated by quieter miracles— providential timing, unseen arrangements and divine orchestration that becomes obvious only in hindsight.

“You couldn’t write the script,” she said.

Perhaps that’s why she continues returning, even after all these years, to the image of her grandmother kneeling beside the bed.

For Attuquayefio, prayer was never preparation for ministry.

Prayer is the ministry.

Everything else has simply been God’s answer to it.

Together We Thrive • A special publication of the St. Louis American newspaper •

St. Louis American The

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

INSIDE Demographics

PAGE C1

w w w . s t la m e r i c a n . c o m

Harvard bound, AI focused

Keisha Mabry Haymore discusses opportunity, access and the future of work

Proposal to end employer race, gender reporting advances The new proposal, if finalized, would roll back federal oversight and limit employer transparency, experts say.

~ Page C7 ~

Canceled

Banned books often erase everyday Black life Approximately 44% of the books banned in 2024 and 2025 featured characters of color and 39% featured characters who identify as LGBTQIA+.

~ Page D1 ~

Equal Pay

For Black women, it’s about more than wages Black Women’s Equal Pay Day highlights the wage gap Black women continue to face and calls attention to efforts to achieve equal pay and greater economic opportunity.

~ Page C8 ~

Photo by Tyler Small

Keisha Mabry Haymore leads an AI and digital innovation workshop. She works to make emerging technology more accessible to entrepreneurs, professionals and underserved communities.

By Lauren Marisol Preston For The St. Louis American Artificial intelligence is changing the way businesses operate, but Keisha Mabry Haymore believes the biggest opportunity isn’t just learning new technology, it’s making sure Black entrepreneurs and underserved communities aren’t left behind.

Black people are using AI as much as — and sometimes more than — other groups to search for information, create content, get news and complete schoolwork, according to recent Pew Research Center data. However, fewer than 5% of technical AI roles in the U.S. are held by Black professionals, compared

to roughly 65-70% held by White professionals.

Haymore, a certified AI educator who serves as managing director at Per Scholas in St. Louis, has trained more than 15,000 people in AI, digital marketing and ecommerce. She was recently accepted into a Harvard University AI program. She sat down with The St. Louis American to discuss how AI can help businesses grow while keeping people at the center of the work.

St. Louis American: Congratulations on your acceptance into the Harvard program. What inspired you to pursue AI at

See Haymore, C4

Barriers to leadership

Helping women overcome obstacles to advancement

By Lauren Marisol Preston For The St. Louis American Landing a promotion often requires more than doing a good job.

Career experts say advancement often depends on confidence, preparation and the Leslie Gill and people willing her team have to advocate for you. Mentors helped more than can offer advice, 1,000 women but sponsors build confidence, — leaders develop new skills who champion employees and connect with behind closed career coaches. doors — often help determine who gets opportunities to move into management.

That’s the philosophy Leslie Gill has built Rung for Women around. Since

See Gill, C2

Leslie Gill is president and CEO of Rung for Women, a St. Louis nonprofit that helps women advance their careers.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

Together We Thrive

PAGE C2

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

St. Louis American

Black women’s next breakthrough starts with one another

By Deidre Johnson

My father, who was an entrepreneur, taught me confidence, self-efficacy, and determination. He believed that if you wanted something, you had to assert yourself. Ask for the moon, he said, and if the answer was no, work your way down. Never start low and expect to work your way up.

It proved to be good advice.

Grateful as I am for his wisdom, my career trajectory might have been very different if an experienced colleague had spotted my potential and nurtured it.

Having a mentor would have made a meaningful difference. And right now, perhaps more than at any

Gill Continued from C1 launching the St. Louis nonprofit in 2017, Gill and her team have helped more than 1,000 women build confidence, develop new skills and connect with career coaches, technical training and employer partners as they pursue promotions, higher-paying careers and greater financial stability.

“We believe women have everything they need,” said Gill, The St. Louis American Foundation’s 2026 Salute to Excellence in Business Nonprofit Executive of the Year. “They just need a little support to get to where they want to go.”

“If you’re committed to growing your career,

time in recent history, Black women need the steady guidance, insight, and wise counsel a mentor can provide.

to see us. If women, and Black women in particular, hope to preserve the gains we’ve made, it’s up to us to help one another.

I tell young women they must be open to seeking and receiving guid-

ance. Don’t make it hard for people to help you.

Invite honest feedback.

Self-confidence is important, but being self-reflective is, too. Figure out who you are when nobody’s looking and focus on what

you need to flourish. It can help you identify a mentor who can get you to the next level.

Being a mentor doesn’t take special talent, require a course, or even a massive time commitment. All that’s needed is a desire to be of service.

In our patriarchal society, women don’t have a great track record of helping one another. That is why we must be very deliberate in our efforts to help the advancement of other women.

The best mentors don’t enter a relationship assuming they know anything about the person they’re helping. Instead, they listen. They ask their mentees what they believe are the solution to a problem,

that for every 100 men promoted into first-level management, only 54 Black women and women of color receive the same opportunity. Researchers refer to this gap as the “broken rung.”

Stephanie Harris, a human resources executive with nearly 20 years of experience hiring employees, says one of the biggest misconceptions is believing hard work alone leads to promotions.

“The people who consistently get promotions are advocating for themselves,” Harris said.

“They have sponsors, they have mentors, and they’re positioning themselves for opportunities.”

Harris says professionals should think beyond simply completing assignments. Building

relationships, increasing visibility and creating advocates inside an organization often make the difference between staying in the same role and moving into leadership.

Gill notes that mentors and sponsors serve different roles. Mentors offer guidance and accountability, while sponsors advocate for employees when promotion and leadership opportunities arise. Both, she said, are essential for long-term career growth.

Confidence is another critical part of the equation.

“Look at the job description knowing that you have the confidence to be curious, learn new things and develop new skills,” Gill said. She encourages professionals to focus on their potential instead of what they think

they’re missing.

Harris recommends backing that confidence with preparation by keeping LinkedIn profiles current, updating resumes regularly and maintaining a portfolio of accomplishments.

“Once you start reviewing those things, you’re going to feel better about yourself and more confident that you’ve done a lot of great things,” she said.

As artificial intelligence reshapes the workplace, both experts believe technical knowledge must be paired with strong people skills.

“AI is still very much a co-pilot relationship.

It doesn’t exist without humans,” Gill said.

Harris believes emotional intelligence will continue separating good

Disturbing trends Across the country, diversity programs are under attack. Commitment to women’s advancement is declining. Companies are scaling back or eliminating anti-bias training.

For the first time in more than a decade, Lean In’s Women in the Workplace 2025 report found that women are significantly less likely than men to want a promotion at work.

The message is clear: We can’t rely on government programs or corporate enlightenment

be very clear on your path forward,” she said. “Find allies within the organization. Look for both sponsors and mentors. Find people who will mention your name in rooms when you’re not present.”

That advice comes at a critical time.

Missouri’s Black unemployment rate stands at 7.2%, compared with 3.2% for White workers, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis has described today’s labor market as a “low-hire, low-fire” economy, where companies are hiring fewer workers even as layoffs remain relatively low.

Even after getting hired, advancement isn’t always equal. McKinsey & Company’s Women in the Workplace report found

Envato photo

Mentoring may be the most powerful way Black women protect the next generation of leaders.

then — and only then — offer advice.

We all need help to get to where we want to be.

Assistance in expanding our vision for what is possible for ourselves, our families and our communities is vital. Some of us are comfortable asking for assistance; others are lucky to have someone spot their potential and offer to help develop it.

We all need to be mentoring when the time and opportunity allow.

I’m committed to helping women grow and prosper as leaders, especially young Black women. It makes a difference.

Deidre Johnson is co-CEO and executive director of the Center for African American Health.

employees from future leaders.

“How you relate to people, connect with people, collaborate and solve problems ... those people are going to stand out,” she said.

For St. Louis, helping more Black professionals advance is a regional talent strategy. When skilled professionals stay, grow into leadership and invest in their communities, local businesses become stronger and the region is better positioned to compete for the future, experts say.

As Gill reminds professionals working toward their next opportunity, “Remain positive, be persistent and give yourself some grace. The right opportunity will come at the right time.”

Together We Thrive

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

PAGE C3

St. Louis American

Most employers still committed to workplace inclusion, report finds

By Selena Hill Black Enterprise Despite the Trump administration’s crackdown on corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, a recent report suggests that workplace inclusion efforts are far from disappearing.

According to a study released in May by Catalyst and New York University School of Law’s Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, 80% of U.S. organizations remain committed to workplace inclusion despite growing legal and political pressure surrounding DEI initiatives. The report, titled “A New Path to Inclusion: How to Overcome Legal and Cultural Constraints on Building Fair Workplaces,” surveyed more than 2,000 employees and leaders and found that many companies still value and implement DEI. The findings arrive as many corporations face increased scrutiny following President Donald Trump’s executive actions targeting DEI programs and the continued fallout from the Supreme Court’s 2023 affirmative action ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.

“Despite a high-risk legal environment, our research shows that DEI is not dying—it is evolving,” said Joy Ohm, vice president at Catalyst, in a press release. “We see a majority of organizations adjusting their strategies, so this is a story of adaptation, not a broad rollback.”

The report found that

Photo by Amy Elting / Pexels

Many employers are continuing workplace inclusion efforts despite growing legal and political challenges to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, according to a recent report.

77% of organizations have altered their DEI investments over the past three years. However, those changes have not been uniform. Among federal contractors, who are subject to heightened government oversight, 51% reported

reducing their inclusion efforts, while only 32% increased them. In contrast, 52% of organizations that are not federal contractors reported increasing their inclusion efforts, compared with just 20% that reported decreases.

“Even in the face of a concerted assault on the values of inclusion and fairness, many organizations remain deeply committed to this work,” Ohm added.

David Glasgow, the executive director of the

Meltzer Center, said the data illustrates how companies are adapting based on their legal exposure rather than abandoning inclusion altogether.

It’s been extremely challenging for organizations of all kinds to

navigate the legal environment for DEI work over the past few years,” Glasgow said. “Yet we are seeing companies adopt nuanced approaches to inclusion based on their specific risk exposure.”

The report also suggests that many companies are rebranding or reframing DEI efforts around broader concepts such as workplace fairness, belonging, and opportunity while continuing to pursue inclusion goals internally.

Researchers argue that the shift reflects a changing landscape rather than the end of corporate diversity efforts.

While companies may be changing the language surrounding DEI, the demand for fair and inclusive workplaces remains firmly in place.

“What organizations say publicly about their inclusion initiatives doesn’t always tell the full story,” said Christina Thomas, who serves as project director at the Meltzer Center.

“Organizations are responding to real legal and political pressure by changing their language and public posture. But the internal work is harder to undo,” Thomas added.

“It’s embedded in people, processes, and culture in ways that don’t shift as quickly as a public statement. These findings indicate that the reality inside organizations is more complicated than the headlines suggest, and that matters for understanding where DEI actually stands.”

Together We Thrive

PAGE C4

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

St. Louis American

Haymore Continued from C1 that level?

Haymore: Thank you!

I’ll be starting in August with an AI in human cognition class and am really excited. I’ve always been interested in higher education. I got my MBA and master’s in secondary education years ago, and recently I’ve been wanting to get back into being a student.

This opportunity means a lot to me. It means always going after your goals and never stopping learning. I’ve been in the AI space for a while now.

Most of my life’s work has been about providing access and resources to underserved communities. In this space, a lot of people of color, women and other under-resourced communities tend to get left behind.

This feels like a continuation of that work. I’m excited to learn myself and constantly put myself at the highest levels so I can equip the community.

The American: Some people are hesitant about AI. What would you tell them?

Haymore: It’s understandable. But what I’ve seen is how technology can be a game changer.

I’ve seen learners double, triple and even quadruple their income. For business owners, especially solopreneurs, AI can expand your capacity.

You can create different digital team members.

I would also say we’re already trusting technology. We’re already using Google. We’re already on social media. Instead of just being a consumer of technology, use it for production. Use it to produce things in your busi-

Photo by Tyler Small

Keisha Mabry Haymore speaks during a community event, encouraging professionals and business owners to embrace artificial intelligence as a tool for growth while remembering that “the human is still the secret sauce.” ness that improve your quality of life and your work-life balance.

The American: What’s your philosophy on using AI? Haymore: Don’t be lazy! It’s a tool, but it’s still not you. AI can be biased. It can have hallucinations. It can be wrong. More than anything, you are the secret sauce.

I always tell people there are two rules of thumb. Either use AI to create a first draft and you create the second draft, or you create the first draft and let AI help with the second. In both cases, the human is in the loop.

The American: How do you think AI will change the workforce?

Haymore: I don’t think it’s replacing jobs. It’s altering jobs.

Administrative roles will change, but there will still need to be a human for oversight. In the next few years, I believe we’ll think about the workforce as humans plus AI. AI assistants, AI agents and AI workflows. Managers won’t only manage humans. They may even have to manage AI roles.

The American: What’s one piece of advice you have for professionals who want to prepare now?

Haymore: Everybody

should be upskilling. I always say the “Four Cs”: a course, a certification, a conference, a class or a collaboration.

Right now there’s so much free AI training available. Learn AI, but also continue building the skills that got you where you are today.

The American: If readers remember one thing from this conversation, what do you hope it is?

Haymore: Just start somewhere. A lot of people start with the tool instead of starting with the task. Think about what you’re constantly having to do. Make a list of your tasks, then figure

out the tool that makes sense to help you. AI can make, save, analyze and teach. Start with one of those things.

Rapid Fire Favorite AI tool?

Haymore: None of them. None of them do everything well yet. I tool-stack, so I use all of them.

Best career advice you’ve received?

Haymore: If you have a problem, be prepared to figure out the solution.

Coolest thing you’ve created with AI? Haymore: My daughter wants to build a reading

app so we can help her learn to read. We’ve been vibe coding a reading app for her.”

If you could have dinner with anyone to talk about AI, who would it be?

Haymore: One of the early pioneers of machine learning. I’d love to learn more about how models were trained and the early days that paved the way for AI. Find Haymore on social media @ KeishaMabry and keishamabry.com/events, where she posts upcoming workshops. Many are free.

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

Together We Thrive St. Louis American

PAGE C5

Together We Thrive

PAGE C6

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

St. Louis American Sponsored Content

Commerce Bank, helping students build a stronger money mindset

By Olu Gbadebo Building a strong financial foundation early can shape a person’s confidence, choices and opportunities for years to come. That belief is at the heart of Money Matters Academy, a Commerce Bank financial education program designed to help St. Louis–area high school students develop practical money skills they can use immediately and carry into adulthood.

Launched as a community-focused initiative, Money Matters Academy brings Commerce team members directly into classrooms to reinforce essential financial concepts through real-life examples and hands-on learning. During the

2024–2025 school year, the program supported students at local schools by supplementing Missouri’s personal finance curriculum with engaging, relatable instruction.

Financial education with real-world impact

The program focuses on topics students are likely to face soon after graduation, including checking and savings accounts, budgeting, credit and loans.

Rather than relying on lectures, Money Matters Academy emphasizes interaction — games, discussion and practical scenarios that help students understand not just what financial concepts mean, but how they apply in everyday life.

“Our goal is to help about their first job, a students feel prepared checking account or future and confident, not overplans after high school. whelmed,” says Colleen Ho, a Commerce Trust Strengthening data analyst who helped community connections develop the curriculum.

With more than a Beyond decade of expebuilding finanrience as a high cial skills, the school math teachprogram also er, Ho brought strengthens conan educator’s nections between perspective to the Commerce and program’s design. the communities At Sumner it serves by buildHigh School in ing relationships St. Louis, Money with the students Olu Gbadebo Matters Academy over the course was delivered of six lessons/ through multiple classroom school visits. Commerce sessions over the course of team members volunteer the school year. Students their time to teach alongactively participated, asked side Ho, giving students questions and connected the opportunity to interact the lessons to their own with professionals who use goals — whether thinking these financial principles

every day.

For many students, those interactions and newly formed relationships help make financial topics feel more approachable and relevant. For Commerce team members, the experience reinforces the value of sharing expertise locally.

“Being present in the classroom helps us understand the challenges students face and how we can better support them,” Ho says. “It becomes a shared learning experience.”

The strong foundation established in St. Louis has since allowed the curriculum to be adapted for use in other communities, demonstrating how a locally driven program can create broader impact.

Investing in the next generation At Commerce Bank, financial education is about more than numbers — it’s about empowering people with knowledge and confidence. Money Matters Academy reflects a broader commitment to community involvement by helping students build a healthier relationship with money early in life.

By meeting students where they are and focusing on practical skills, the program helps prepare the next generation for a more informed, confident financial future — one classroom at a time.

Olu Gbadebo is community outreach and banking officer at Commerce Bank.

Sponsored Content

Making transit better one bench at a time Special to The American What began as a simple idea to improve rider experiences at bus stops without seating – often referred to as “forgotten stops” – has quickly grown into a transformative movement. In little more than a year, Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) and AARP in St. Louis, in partnership with St. Clair County Transit District, Metro Transit and local governments, have successfully installed 12 bus benches in

geographically dispersed locations across the bi-state region as part of “The Story of a Bench” program.

Launched in April 2025, the program set out to build better bus stops with the addition of a simple amenity, a bench.

A dozen stops now boast a bright red, all-weather bench featuring the slogan “Enjoy the Ride,” a customized sponsor plaque and QR code that invites riders to share how the bench has impacted their transit experience.

This feedback loop, along

with narratives compiled at these MetroBus stops by program ambassadors, has fostered ongoing engagement and helped measure the program’s impact in real time, telling the story of the bench.

Rider feedback indicates that the benches are helping to ease physical and mental stress after a long day at work or school, when carrying groceries or dealing with mobility challenges or health conditions.

“This program exemplifies how small, thoughtful interventions

can yield profound impacts, making transit stops more than just pass-through points by becoming places of rest, connection and community,” stated Kimberly Cella, CEO of CMT. “It has been among our most impactful programs and is moving full steam ahead with a goal of installing 20 more benches by fall 2027.”

To date, benches have been installed at MetroBus Stops #11223 and #11303 along North Illinois Street in Swansea; MetroBus Stop #926 at 4402

Natural Bridge Road and MetroBus Stop #4134 at 1100 S. Grand Avenue in the City of St. Louis; MetroBus Stop #5609 at the southwest corner of South Lindbergh Blvd. and Baptist Church Road in St. Louis County; MetroBus Stop #12961 at 505 S. 8th Street near the Comprehensive Behavioral Health Center in East St. Louis; MetroBus Stop #12985 at 1110 Camp Jackson Road near McDonald’s in Cahokia Heights; MetroBus Stop #15715

one block from the Belleville Town Square at 101 N Illinois Street and MetroBus Stop #12170 in the Hexenbukel Neighborhood on Scheel Street in Belleville; MetroBus Stop #1850 at 7170 Manchester Road and at MetroBus Stop #1980 at 7169 Manchester Road; and MetroBus Stop #9160 at the main entrance to UMSL’s North Campus.

These first installs have sparked $50,000 in additional transit stop enhancements at these stops,

See Transit, C7

Together We Thrive

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

PAGE C7

St. Louis American

Proposal to end employer race, gender reporting advances

By Nada Hassanein Missouri Independent A federal commission has voted in favor of a Trump administration proposal to rescind requirements that larger employers report the demographics of their workers — information that’s used to help enforce racial and gender antidiscrimination laws.

Most employers with 100 or more workers have been required to submit data annually on staff sex, race and ethnicity since 1966 to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Earlier this summer, the administration submitted a proposed rule that would eliminate that reporting requirement for companies as well as for state and local governments.

The EEOC contends that demographics reporting requirements place an “impermissible focus on ‘minorities’ and women.”

The commission argues the forms “may encourage employers to discriminate against employees who are not considered ‘minorities.’” The proposed rule will be posted

Transit Continued from C6 including bus shelters and other improvements. Ten more bus bench installations are currently in the works.

“What’s great about

to the Federal Register for a public comment period of 30 days, and a public hearing will be held Aug. 11, with requests to testify due Aug. 7.

Bloomberg Law reported that the commission voted 2-1 along party lines to advance the plan.

Since President Donald Trump took office, the administration has been focused on eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The new proposal, if finalized, would roll back federal oversight and limit employer transparency, experts say.

If the federal requirements end, states might step in to create their own requirements, said Alexandra Garrison Barnett, a partner at the law firm Alston & Bird in Atlanta, Georgia.

“We might see more states imposing those kinds of requirements in the absence of a federal requirement, or we could see states banning or prohibiting employers from collecting (demographic information),” said Barnett, a labor and employment attorney who helps employers evaluate

these benches is that it tells transit users that we are being taken into consideration, that we belong here too, and deserve infrastructure that makes this type of travel comfortable and convenient,” stated a MetroBus rider in St. Clair County, Ill. CMT and AARP in St.

Photo courtesy of Kenda Sutton-El / Birth in Color

Doulas participate in a simulation training session. A federal commission has advanced a Trump administration proposal to eliminate requirements that larger employers report the race, ethnicity and sex of their workers. their DEI policies and strategies.

A handful of states already have requirements that employers collect and report on workplace demographic information, she noted.

The commission’s vote comes on Black Women’s Equal Pay Day. Tuesday marks how far into the year Black women must work to equal the average pay earned by a white man by the end of the previous

year.

The lack of demographic data will hinder accountability for employers, said labor economist Valerie Rawlston Wilson, director of the Economic Policy Institute’s Program

Louis are actively seeking additional partners – including businesses, organizations, community groups and individuals – willing to support the installation of “The Story of a Bench” program at bus staops community wide.

Bringing a bench to a community is simple.

CMT covers the cost of the bench. Partners fund the installation, which costs between $350 and $4,5000 depending on the site, as well as a commitment to maintain the bench.

Sponsor recognition is included on a commemorative plaque at each location.

“Transit brings St. Louisans from all walks of life together to ride together for access to jobs, healthcare, education opportunities and so much more. When we ride together, we thrive together. What better way to underscore the importance of

on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy. “(The proposal) is consistent with the general anti-equity push of this administration to eliminate pretty much all of the infrastructure that have been in place for equal employment in this country,” Wilson said. “We have laws in place that prohibit discrimination, but the effectiveness of those laws is really dependent on our ability to enforce those laws. And the enforcement of those laws is facilitated by having consistent reliable data.”

The Institute for Women’s Policy Research reports that Black women make 64 cents for every dollar paid to white men — across all education levels and positions, including leadership positions.

Broken down by state, the gap widens: In Idaho, for example, Black women make 36 cents for every dollar white men make, across all workers with earnings.

The rule, Wilson said, would “severely hinder the ability of the EEOC to carry out its enforcement responsibilities.”

this connection in our communities than working collectively to improve our bus stops, one bench at a time,” added Cella.

To learn more about this program partnership opportunities, visit www. cmt-stl.org/the-story-ofa-bench-placemakingprogram/.

Together We Thrive

PAGE C8

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

St. Louis American

Commentary

Black women’s equal pay day is about more than wages

By Levi Perrin Each year, Black Women’s Equal Pay Day arrives over halfway to New Year’s Eve, marking how far into the calendar Black women must work to earn what white, non-Hispanic men earned in the previous year.

The date is often accompanied by a familiar statistic — Black women earn 65 cents for each dollar a white man earns — a few headlines, and renewed calls for pay equity.

But reducing Black Women’s Equal Pay Day to a wage comparison misses the larger story.

The observance is not simply about unequal paychecks. It is about how work is valued, whose labor is recognized, and what happens when generations of contribution are met with generations of unequal opportunity.

The wage/ opportunity gap Black women have always worked. They worked in fields and homes while enslaved.

They organized the Atlanta washerwomen’s strike of 1881 [Link to Why Black Women’s Labor Story Still Matters article] , one of the earliest large-scale labor movements led

by Black women. They became teachers, nurses, entrepreneurs, domestic workers, federal employees, caregivers, organizers, and business owners. They have sustained families,

Black Women’s Equal Pay Day highlights the wage gap Black women continue to face and calls attention to efforts to achieve equal pay and greater economic opportunity.

Envato photo

strengthened neighborhoods, and helped build institutions that continue to shape American life.

The question has never been whether Black women contribute to the economy. The question is why the economy has so often failed to fully value those contributions.

The wage gap is only one part of a much broader picture.

Lower earnings often mean fewer opportunities to build wealth, purchase a home, invest in a business, or prepare for retirement.

Student loan debt can become harder to repay.

Caregiving responsibilities

often require impossible tradeoffs between earning a living and caring for loved ones. Over time, these realities compound, shaping not only individual lives but the economic health of families and entire communities.

Changing this picture requires more than closing the wage gap, important as that work is. It also means confronting the structural barriers that continue to limit opportunity: creating pathways into higher-paying industries, ensuring essential jobs are compensated with dignity, and making higher education a bridge to economic secu-

rity instead of a source of lifelong debt.

It means investing in Black women entrepreneurs, supporting worker protections, expanding access to affordable childcare, and recognizing caregiving as work that strengthens families and the broader economy.

It also requires changing the stories we tell.

Changing stories, making investments Too often, conversations about Black women’s economic lives begin with what is lacking.

They measure disparities

without fully recognizing the extraordinary value Black women have created despite those barriers.

History tells a different story — of women who organized labor movements, built businesses, created mutual aid societies, educated communities, and sustained families through generations of economic uncertainty.

Their contributions have never been limited to a paycheck. They have shaped neighborhoods, institutions, and movements that continue to benefit the nation.

That history deserves more than recognition. It

deserves investment.

Black Women’s Equal Pay Day should not be viewed as a symbolic date observed once each year. It should serve as an invitation to rethink how opportunity is created, how work is rewarded, and what an equitable economy truly looks like.

More than symbolism The goal is not simply to move the date closer to January.

The goal is to build an economy where Black women’s labor, leadership, and innovation are valued as essential to the nation’s prosperity.

When Black women thrive economically, the benefits extend far beyond individual households. Families become more secure.

Communities grow stronger. Businesses flourish.

Democracy itself is strengthened.

Black Women’s Equal Pay Day reminds us how far there is to go. It also reminds us that progress is possible when equity becomes more than an aspiration. It becomes a shared commitment to building an economy that finally values Black women’s work as much as Black women have always valued the work of building America.

This story was provided by Word In Black.

Joshua Levi Perrin is a writer for Unerased | Black Women Speak.

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

Together We Thrive St. Louis American

PAGE C9

PAGE C10

Together We Thrive St. Louis American

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

Together We Thrive • A special publication of the St. Louis American newspaper •

St. Louis American The

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

w w w . s t la m e r i c a n . c o m

PAGE D1

Banned books hide the everyday lives of Black famlies

The Conversation

Since 2021, there have been nearly 23,000 bans on individual books in libraries and public schools.

Many of these bans remove Black and LGBTQIA+ literature from bookshelves. Approximately 44% of the books banned in 2024 and 2025 featured characters of color and 39% featured characters who identify as LGBTQIA+.

Targeting books by or about Black people has a long history in the U.S., with classics like Toni Morrison’s 1987 “Beloved” frequently Approximately appearing on banned book lists.

44% of the books When books that highlight the richness of Black people’s lives banned in 2024 are taken out of circulation or and 2025 feaplaced on a prohibited list, these tured characters stories and illustrations become of color and 39% less available to children of all featured charac- backgrounds.

Research shows that chilters who identify dren’s literature can help as LGBTQIA+. readers, including very young ones, see into others’ worlds and explore what it means to be human.

Informed by our roles as parents, educators and literacy researchers, we study “Black livingness” literature.

We describe Black livingness as Black children’s fiction by Black authors that depicts Black children and families as whole, joyful, thriving and engaged in everyday acts of living. Children’s literature can humanize Black people in a way that news coverage, television, films and school textbooks and curriculum often do not, helping to combat racial bias and stereotypes.

Children’s books about everyday Black life There are many Black children’s books that show-

See Books, page D4

Envato photo

Children’s literature can humanize Black people in a way that news coverage, television, films and school textbooks and curriculum often do not, helping to combat racial bias and stereotypes.

Together We Thrive

PAGE D2

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

St. Louis American Sponsored Content

A shared vision for St. Louis: The partnership transforming Nine PBS

Special to The American

For over 70 years, Nine PBS has been part of the fabric of St. Louis life.

Local programs like Living St. Louis, Donnybrook and Teaching in Room 9 and beloved national programs like Masterpiece, NOVA and Sesame Street have made Nine PBS a St. Louis treasure. The station has brought people together through compelling programs and a commitment to reflecting the community it serves while sparking action to help our region flourish.

Today, as the mostwatched PBS station in the nation, Nine PBS continues to link neighbors, ideas and communities in ways that go beyond what you see on television.

That spirit of connection is exactly what brought Nine PBS, Trivers and Tarlton into partnership on the planned transformation of the station’s 51,600-square-foot Grand Center home. More than a renovation, the project represents a shared commitment in the future of St. Louis. Each organization is deeply rooted in this community, and united by a belief in the power of inclusivity and collaboration. From day one, the project has been shaped by teamwork and a collective vision for a more vibrant, prosperous region.

“When we partner with organizations like Nine PBS, we’re reminded that construction is ultimately

Photo courtesy of Trivers

Nine PBS continues to link neighbors, ideas and communities in ways that go beyond what you see on television. about people. It’s about creating places where ideas can take root and where all communities feel seen and supported.

This project gives us the opportunity to help shape a space that will inspire future storytellers, innovators and neighbors across St. Louis and our region,” said Sondra Rotty, Tarlton president and COO. The people-first approach is reflected throughout the reimagined campus design. The new space will blend private workspaces with open, communal areas designed to create spaces that spark conversation and foster creativity. A refreshed entry and lobby welcomes visitors with warmth and accessibility. The Public Media Commons will

evolve into a more dynamic, inclusive destination for events and community engagement. Inside, new visitors and partner will find new community event spaces, upgraded restrooms and corridors, and outdoor spaces that create a sense of movement, connection and possibility. Infrastructure improvements, including elevator modifications, modernized offices and conference rooms, and enhanced technology and acoustics, will support the station’s founding vision for decades to come.

“At Nine PBS, our mission is to inspire pride in this region, and this renovation is about creating a space that reflects that purpose - a place where our community

can gather and celebrate all that makes our region special,” said Amy Shaw, Nine PBS president & CEO. “With Tarlton on board, we really feel like we’ve assembled the right team to make that vision a reality. Everyone involved in the project understands the significance of this investment and is equally passionate about creating a space that will serve, inspire, and connect our community for generations to come.”

The project’s impact extends beyond physical space. Tarlton is bringing forward a meaningful initiative developed in partnership with BJC HealthCare.

The “Thinking Beyond Today,” program – first launched at the

Siteman Cancer Center at Northwest HealthCare jobsite - introduced high school students and community members to careers in construction and healthcare through direct access to industry professionals.

The program continued on the BarnesJewish Campus Renewal Project through a collaboration of Tarlton, McCarthy and BJC HealthCare.

In light of its success, Tarlton, Nine PBS and BJC HealthCare will extend the initiative to the Nine PBS campus this fall, creating new opportunities for students to explore careers in broadcasting, construction and healthcare. Beginning in late September, middle and high school students will visit the campus in small

groups, connecting directly with industry professionals and gaining firsthand exposure to potential career paths.

“Our work is driven by the belief that opportunity should be accessible to everyone. By expanding our careerdevelopment partnerships to the Nine PBS campus, we’re creating pathways that didn’t exist before - pathways that can change the direction of a young person’s life. That’s the kind of impact that lasts far beyond the project,” said Roslyn Croft, Tarlton director of community engagement.

Educator registration Registration for student visits opens August 1. Educators interested in bringing their students to the Nine PBS campus can email ThinkingBeyondToday@ tarltoncorp.com for more information and to reserve a visit.

At its core, this renovation strengthens connection among people, neighborhoods, industries and ideas. By reimagining its home, Nine PBS is creating a more inclusive, accessible environment that reflects the community it serves. And through its partnership with Tarlton and Trivers, Nine PBS is not only transforming a building, but also helping build a stronger, more connected region for generations to come.

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

Together We Thrive

PAGE D3

St. Louis American

Delmar DivINe

Building opportunity along the Delmar corridor

By Lauren Marisol Preston For The St. Louis American Decades before Dr. Marcus Howard opened GreaterHealth Pharmacy inside Delmar DivINe, his grandmother began her medical career in the same building.

Phyllis Jackson trained there as a nurse when it was St. Luke’s Hospital.

She later became the first Black director of the psychiatry department at BJC HealthCare, then known as Jewish Hospital.

Today, Howard operates Missouri’s only Black-owned pharmacy there.

“There is a huge cultural significance to having a Black-owned pharmacy in the city of St. Louis,” Howard said. “I decided to build it in the heart of the community.”

Howard’s pharmacy is one of more than 40 nonprofit organizations, businesses and community partners that now call Delmar DivINe home. The nearly $100 million redevelopment of the former St. Luke’s Hospital has become a hub for organizations focused on health care, education, workforce development and neighborhood investment, with about 1,000 people working, living or visiting the campus each day. By bringing those organizations together on a single campus, Delmar DivINe has become a center for community investment along the historic Delmar corridor.

For Maxine Clark,

A GreaterHealth Pharmacy team member awaits customers at Delmar DivINe. founder of Build-A-Bear and chief inspirator of Delmar DivINe, creating that mix of organizations was the point.

“This is a building with heart,” Clark said. “I wanted people to feel this was a place for them as soon as they walked in. That they could thrive here.”

The vision began taking shape in 2015, months after the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson sparked renewed conversations about racial inequity, economic investment and opportunity.

“When I spent time in Ferguson, young people

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

The vision began taking shape in 2015, months after the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson sparked renewed conversations about racial inequity, economic investment and opportunity.

would tell me things that they thought needed to be different in St. Louis,” Clark said. “I realized this building could be a lot of those things. It couldn’t be everything St. Louis needed, but it could be a lot of it.”

The Painting for Peace exhibit is permanently installed throughout the ground-floor corridors of Delmar DivINe. It features murals originally painted on plywood during the Ferguson uprising. Art advocate Carol Klein spent

years rescuing the artwork before it found a permanent home there.

Howard said opening GreaterHealth Pharmacy there connected the business to that larger mission while placing it in the community it was created to serve.

The pharmacy provides free prescription delivery, personalized medication counseling and health care designed to eliminate barriers that often prevent residents from accessing medication.

Outside the campus walls, Delmar Main Street supports roughly 250

businesses across eight neighborhoods stretching from University City east to Taylor Avenue.

“Revitalization does not have to mean gentrification,” said Felice McClendon, executive director of Delmar Main Street. “That’s why community participation matters. Developers are listening and really taking their cues from the community.

That’s what community building looks like.”

Business owner Tameka Stigers has watched those changes unfold from nearby Locs of Glory Salon & Spa, which has served the Delmar corridor since 2009.

“Today you have businesses on all of the spaces along Delmar,” Stigers said. “There’s some vibrancy in each of the blocks. We just see the shift moving toward more economic vitality.

There’s people moving and walking up and down the streets that you didn’t see 20 years ago.”

Clark said Delmar DivINe’s next phase will transform the former nursing school and dormitories into additional apartments, nonprofit office space and expanded community amenities, including afterschool programming, fitness and wellness spaces, outdoor gathering areas and community events.

“We saved that space,” Clark said, “because it gave us a lot more time to learn about the neighborhood and what they wanted.”

Together We Thrive

PAGE D4

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

St. Louis American

Federal probe prompts Special School District to revise seclusion, restraint policies

resort, according to a letter sent to the district in February.

In the letter, the DOJ stressed students’ safety was not monitored when they were placed in seclu-

sion for lengthy periods.

It described an incident in which “a third-grade student hit himself in the face with a shoe for two minutes, giving himself a bloody nose, and then pro-

ceeded to wipe his blood on the floor and wall of the seclusion room.” The student was not removed from seclusion for another hour.

The district will dis-

continue seclusion and another person. supine restraint practices The department in its schools and partner opened its investigation districts starting this fall, into the school district in according to a statement May 2024 and examined from SSD thousands spokesperson of incident Jennifer Henry. reports from A supine “These the 2022-23 updates build and 2023-24 restraint is on the important when an indischool years. work already The letter vidual is placed states taking place that on his or her across our the supine District and restraint was back, and two reflect our ongo- staffer memused more ing commitment 400 bers hold down than to providing times during the arms and safe, supportive the two-year legs to stop learning enviperiod of the ronments where federal invesmovement. every student tigation — can learn, grow, nearly all of and realize them occurred their potential,” at Northview Superintendent Michael High School, in North Maclin said in a statement. County.

In a notice sent to staff, The school provides the district said physical special education serrestraint will continue to vices to students from be used only when the stu- Hazelwood, Fergusondent’s behavior poses an Florissant, Riverview imminent danger of physGardens and Jennings ical harm to the student or school districts.

munities do.

These books, particularly when the same few are repeatedly used in schools, run the risk of limiting children’s understanding of Black people’s lives.

All children benefit from reading Black children’s literature. Seeing Black children and their families living ordinary yet robust lives in stories undermines negative portrayals.

We have identified three important themes about Black life that emerged across a variety of contemporary Black children’s literature pub-

lished between 2020 and 2024.

Research shows that extended members of Black families serve important psychological, financial and emotional roles in many Black children’s lives.

Nancy Redd’s “Bedtime Bonnet,” for example, is a 2020 book that chronicles a little girl’s search for the bonnet she wears while sleeping, which she eventually finds atop her grandfather’s head.

“Bedtime Bonnet” illustrates the playfulness that can occur in an intergenerational household

during the nightly bedtime routine.

The 2021 picture book

by Winsome Bingham, titled “Soul Food Sunday,” details a little boy and his grandmother preparing Sunday dinner. “Soul Food Sunday” highlights Black food culture and the important traditions that are passed down at dining room tables.

These books highlight the significance of extended families and normalize the role of grandparents, aunties, cousins and “othermothers” – meaning women who care for children who are not biologi-

cally their own – in children’s living and growing.

Throughout Black Americans’ long history of struggling for freedom, imagination has been a way of dreaming up new conditions and clinging to hope for the future.

Today, contemporary children’s picture books like “The Year We Learned to Fly,” by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrate this tradition.

After being instructed by their grandmother to play with one another instead of arguing, the siblings in “The Year We Learned to Fly,” pretend

By Hiba Ahmad St. Louis Public Radio

The Special School District in St. Louis County will no longer use seclusion and supine restraints on its students after a federal investigation found it was violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. A supine restraint is when an individual is placed on his or her back, and two staffer members hold down the arms and legs to stop movement.

Seclusion is when a student is taken out of a classroom and isolated from other students and staff. Both practices should be used only in a limited capacity, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

The U.S. Department of Justice found the district routinely violated its own policies and Missouri law when it relied on seclusion and restraint as a regular practice, rather than a final

Books Continued from D1 case the lives of wellknown historical figures in the Black community, like Harriet Tubman, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks.

These books demonstrate how these leaders and activists challenged racism, and they affirm that Black people’s fight against different social inequalities are important to Black life.

But resisting is not the only thing that Black com-

The Special School District in St. Louis County has ended the use of seclusion and supine restraints on students following a federal investigation.

Illustration by Rici Hoffarth / St. Louis Public Radion

to escape their apartment and fly above their neighborhood.

The book “Nigel and the Moon,” by Antwan Eady, demonstrates the power of imagination to see opportunities ahead.

These books show the ways Black children use imagination as more than a form of escapism or fanciful thinking. They are lessons for all children to see new possibilities for themselves and others.

This story was written by Wintre Foxworth Johnson, Brooke Harris Garad, Jennifer D. Turner and Tiffany D. Meadows.

Together We Thrive

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

PAGE D5

St. Louis American Sponsored Content

Together We Thrive: The Power of Partnership in Action Special To The American When an EF-3 tornado tore through the St. Louis region, it left behind more than damaged buildings and fallen trees.

Families lost homes, businesses were disrupted, and entire neighborhoods faced an uncertain future. In those difficult moments, one truth became unmistakably clear: our community is strongest when we stand together.

For more than a century, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has believed that lasting change happens through collaboration. That belief came to life following the storm as corporations, businesses, foundations, faith organizations, volunteers, and individual donors united with one shared purpose—to help families recover with dignity, hope, and opportunity.

Although the Urban League’s own headquarters and facilities sustained significant damage, the organization immediately transformed its campus into one of the region’s primary disaster response hubs.

Staff members, volunteers, and community partners worked tirelessly to ensure families had access to food, emergency supplies, housing assistance, workforce resources, and the support needed to begin rebuilding their lives.

The response demonstrated the very best of St. Louis.

Corporate partners quickly stepped forward with financial contributions, in-kind donations, employee volunteers, transportation support, and specialized expertise.

Local businesses organized supply drives, donated essential goods, and encouraged their employees to serve alongside the Urban League.

Foundations invested in both immediate relief efforts and the long-term recovery that would continue well after the news cameras were gone.

Equally inspiring were the thousands of individual donors whose generosity proved that every gift makes a difference.

Families contributed what they could.

Children organized neighborhood fundraisers.

Retirees mailed donations with handwritten notes of encouragement. Volunteers spent countless hours loading trucks, distributing food, assembling hygiene kits, checking on seniors, and helping neighbors navigate one of the most difficult chapters in our community’s history.

Together, these acts of generosity created extraordinary impact.

Through these partnerships, the Urban League provided emergency food, bottled water, hygiene products, cleaning sup-

plies, tarps, tools, and other essential resources to thousands of families.

Teams canvassed affected neighborhoods, conducted wellness checks for senior residents,

with employers, enrolling children back in school, and accessing financial and emotional support.

Through strong partnerships across the corporate, nonprofit, phil-

connected families with critical services, and ensured assistance reached those who needed it most.

Yet recovery extends beyond meeting immediate needs.

The Urban League understands that rebuilding a community means restoring stability and creating pathways to longterm success. Families needed assistance replacing important documents, securing temporary housing, reconnecting

anthropic, and public sectors, resources were coordinated to help families move from crisis toward recovery.

This collaborative approach has always been central to the Urban League’s mission.

Every workforce development initiative, youth program, housing service, entrepreneurship effort, educational opportunity, and public safety initiative is strengthened by partners who believe that invest-

ing in people strengthens communities. Together, these partnerships create opportunities that no single organization could accomplish alone.

The tornado response reinforced an important lesson: relationships built before a crisis become lifelines during one.

Years of trust and collaboration enabled organizations to respond quickly, eliminate barriers, and deliver meaningful assistance where it mattered most. Businesses worked together instead of competing.

Nonprofits coordinated efforts to maximize impact.

Volunteers arrived ready to serve.

Donors gave generously because they trusted the Urban League to deliver help with compassion, accountability, and urgency.

That same spirit of partnership continues to guide the region’s recovery today.

As families rebuild homes and neighborhoods continue to heal, the Urban League remains committed to working alongside its many partners to ensure that recovery reaches every corner of our community.

While significant progress has been made, the work continues—and so does our shared commitment to creating a stronger, more resilient St. Louis.

“Together We Thrive” is more than the theme of

this special publication.

It reflects who we are as a region.

It is the corporation that invests not only in business, but also in people. It is the small business owner who donates supplies while facing challenges of their own.

It is the volunteer who gives up a weekend to help a stranger. It is the foundation that invests in long-term solutions. It is the individual donor who believes that even a single act of generosity can change a life.

At the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, we are deeply grateful for every partner who answered the call.

Their generosity reminds us that resilience is built through shared purpose, collective action, and an unwavering commitment to one another.

As we look ahead, we invite corporations, businesses, foundations, civic leaders, and individuals to continue investing in the future of our region. Together, we can strengthen neighborhoods, expand opportunity, empower families, and ensure that every resident has the chance not only to recover, but to thrive.

Because when we work together, we accomplish more than rebuilding structures— we restore hope, create opportunity, and strengthen the fabric of our community.

Together, we rebuild.

Together, we serve.

Together, we thrive.

Together We Thrive

PAGE D6

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

St. Louis American Sponsored Content

The oasis we choose to build

By Orvin T. Kimbrough Recently, I set out to visit a friend. I typed “Lift for Life” into my GPS and arrived at Lift for Life Academy, housed in a former bank building on South Broadway. The security officer smiled as I mentioned my friend, Rene Knott. He explained something I didn’t know: Lift for Life Academy and Lift for Life Gym share common roots, but they’ve traveled separate paths for many years.

Then I drove north. The trip from the Academy to the Gym is only about three and a half miles, yet it feels much farther because of what changes along the way.

As I wound through the back streets of North St. Louis, I was struck by the number of people gathered near the old Greyhound station and by the vacant buildings that have become so common in parts of our city. When I arrived at the gym, there

was nothing flashy about it. Just a modest building on Cass Avenue.

Inside, however, was something extraordinary.

The CEO quietly pointed toward the neighborhood surrounding the building. He explained that many of the people I had seen were part of one of the city’s largest homeless encampments. He spoke about discarded syringes, the daily realities his staff navigates, and the responsibility they feel to create a safe place for children in difficult circumstances.

Then the children started introducing themselves.

One young man proudly told me he had lost nearly forty pounds. Another shared how much he had improved since joining the powerlifting team. A young girl confidently talked about preparing for her next competition.

They weren’t simply learning how to lift weights. They were learning discipline, confidence, friendship, nutrition, team-

work, and what it feels like become overwhelmed by when an adult believes in the sheer magnitude of you. Their eyes said some- need around us. Every thing before their words neighborhood has another ever could. Hope had nonprofit. Every cause has found an address. another worthy mission.

Watching them transEvery day presents another ported me back request for supdecades to St. port.

Edward’s Catholic If we’re not Church on the careful, the size north side of St. of the problem Louis. As a young convinces us that boy, their summer our contribution work program won’t matter. became one of I’ve learned the the places that opposite. None of kept me off the us is responsible Orvin T. streets. It wasn’t for solving every Kimbrough glamorous. No problem in St. one would have Louis. But every confused it for a worldone of us is responsible class facility. But it was an for helping build an oasis oasis. somewhere.

Someone had decidBusiness leaders often ed that children like me ask me where they should deserved a place where we invest their time, talent, or could be safe, challenged, capital. My answer is simencouraged, and seen. ple: find an organization Standing inside Lift for creating an oasis and help Life Gym, I realized I was make it stronger. standing in another oasis.

It may be a school, That word stayed with church, neighborhood nonme as I drove away. As profit, workforce developleaders, we sometimes ment program, or a youth

sports organization. What matters is that somewhere, someone is creating the conditions for another human being to flourish.

That’s what I witnessed at Lift for Life Gym. The lesson extends well beyond one organization.

Economic development isn’t only measured in cranes, construction projects, and quarterly GDP. Those matter. But lasting prosperity is also measured by whether a twelve-yearold believes tomorrow can be better than today.

Whether a teenager has a mentor. Whether a child has a safe place to spend the afternoon instead of the street. Whether someone looks them in the eye and says, “I believe in you.”

Those are investments too.

In banking, we often talk about capital.

Financial capital is important. But there is another kind of capital that communities either accumulate or lose: relational capital.

Trust. Belonging. Hope.

Opportunity. These are

assets that compound over generations.

Every healthy city depends on institutions willing to build them.

As I left that afternoon, I realized I didn’t have to carry the weight of every need I had witnessed. I simply needed to do my part. Many hands really do make light work. Perhaps that’s the invitation for all of us.

Don’t wait until you can solve everything.

Find an oasis.

Strengthen it.

Then trust that, together, enough ordinary people making faithful investments in extraordinary places can change the trajectory of a city.

It Matters Where You Bank.

Orvin T. Kimbrough is Chairman and CEO of Midwest BankCentre and author of Twice Over a Man, More Than a Conqueror, and Ward and the State. For more, visit OrvinKimbrough.com or MidwestBankCentre.com.

Sponsored Content

Rooted locally, growing with you Special to The American Community isn’t just where we do business— it’s why we do business.

A strong community isn’t built by one person or one organization. It’s built by neighbors showing up, local businesses investing back into their hometowns, and partnerships creating opportunities for everyone

to succeed.

At FCB Banks, we believe banking has always been about people.

Since opening our doors 125 years ago, we’ve remained committed to helping individuals, families, businesses, and communities grow together. While financial services are at the core of what we do, our greatest

investment has always been in the people.

This commitment can be seen throughout Missouri and Illinois.

Our employees volunteer their time with nonprofit organizations, participate in community events, and serve on local boards that help strengthen our communities. You’ll find us supporting local

programs, investing in neighborhood development, partnering with chambers of commerce, and working alongside organizations that provide resources for families and underserved communities. We’re helping build stronger local economies and vibrant communities for generations to come.

Helping people reach their goals is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do. Whether it’s celebrating a family’s first home, watching a business grow, or helping someone become more confident about their financial future, we’re honored to be part of life’s biggest milestones. Those relationships are built

on trust and a genuine commitment to helping our customers succeed.

Because when families thrive, businesses grow, and communities flourish, we all benefit.

That’s what community means to FCB. Visit any of our convenient FCB locations, or learn more at FCBBanks.com.

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

Together We Thrive St. Louis American

PAGE D7

Together We Thrive

PAGE D8

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026

St. Louis American

McCarthy opens doors to in-demand construction jobs Sponsored Content

St. Louis’ largest contractor helps youth discover paths to trades

By Danielle Emert From the time Tebyron Davis was 4 years old, there’s been little doubt that he was wired to build.

His mom, Ronda, calls Tebyron “the LEGO king” because of his ability to use the iconic building blocks to create virtually any structure. “He has always loved to take things apart and put them back together, and he can assemble any product in a box without the instructions,” she recalls. “I think it must be embedded in his DNA.” After graduating from KIPP St. Louis High School in May 2026, Tebyron knew he wanted to work as a carpenter or electrician, but he wasn’t sure the best path for pursuing that passion.

He explored traditional college programs—even earning a scholarship to Mineral Area College— but sought an option where he could earn a living while learning a trade.

That alternative path materialized thanks to McCarthy Laborer Danyeal Crittenden, a family friend who invited Tebyron and Ronda to visit an active jobsite as part of a May 29 event co-hosted by the Missouri Women in Trades (MOWIT) and McCarthy.

While touring the new SSM Health Cardinal

At a recent tour of the new SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital under construction in the city of St. Louis, crew members share their expertise with Tebyron Davis (second from right) and his mom Ronda (far right).

Photo courtesy of McCarthy

Glennon Children’s Hospital under construction in the city of St. Louis, Tebyron had the opportunity to interact with carpenters, electricians and other onsite crew members about their day-to-day jobs.

“He was really excited just to be inside of a building that was being constructed and learning about the different jobs and how the building comes together,” Ronda said. “The experience made it real for

him.”

After the tour, Tebyron was so energized that he immediately called his friends to encourage them to check out the construction trades for themselves.

Jobsite visits are part of McCarthy’s broader commitment to opening doors to construction career paths for the region’s young people. Several students who visited the same jobsite as part of a Missouri Works Initiative program recently joined

the project team and are actively working alongside experienced trade partners—a full-circle moment that shows what these initiatives can unlock.

McCarthy’s outreach often begins long before high school graduation.

By engaging students in elementary and middle school, the company introduces young minds to the sophisticated techniques and technology of modern building. It also exposes them to the broad range

of available construction career paths, planting the seed for future opportunities by helping them envision what’s possible.

When someone embarks on a construction career, McCarthy’s investment continues through mentoring and ongoing support. The ultimate goal is to help individuals build long-term, rewarding careers.

The good news is that construction job prospects continue to grow. The U.S.

Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the construction industry will add roughly 380,000 new jobs by 2033, outpacing the U.S. economy as a whole. For enterprising students like Tebyron, that means the construction trades aren’t a fallback plan—they’re one of the fastest-growing career paths available to them.

This fall, McCarthy will open the St. Louis Solutions Center, a new 17-acre equipment and warehouse distribution facility in Maryland Heights. This complex will support McCarthy’s expanding pipeline of complex, large-scale projects across the region. It will serve as home base for dozens of team members who will help McCarthy continue to build a stronger St. Louis community and region.

To learn more about McCarthy’s workforce development initiatives, apprenticeship opportunities or to explore open positions in the skilled trades, visit mccarthy.com/ careers.

Danielle Emert is Manager of Workforce & Community Engagement for McCarthy Building Companies, where she works with small business partners and executes community outreach and talent pipeline strategies across the region.

Together We Thrive St. Louis American

PAGE D9

SIUE course helps students learn Samoan language, culture

By Layla Halilbasic When Megan Kraus walked into Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s new Samoan language class, instructor Viliamu Fanene couldn’t quite figure out why she was there.

Most students, he assumed, had Samoan relatives, spouses or some other personal connection to the language.

Kraus had none.

As it turned out, she simply wanted to learn about a culture she’d never encountered before.

Students like Kraus changed the way Fanene teaches. They also reinforced why he believes courses like SIUE’s new Samoan 101 matter.

The university launched the eight-week beginner course last month at its Belleville campus. Based on Fanene’s online language-learning platform Talofa Talk, Samoan 101 teaches sentence structure before vocabulary. It allows beginner students to easily build conversations.

Its inaugural class drew 49 students from the United States, Australia, New Zealand and American Samoa as one of the only university-affiliated Samoan courses east of Utah.

Fanene worries the Samoan language is fading among Samoan families living in the mainland United States, even though hundreds of thousands of people worldwide speak

the language.

“Although Samoan is not an endangered language, as far as I’m concerned, the people here within the diaspora, it is kind of endangered because they’re not really learning the language, especially when you get past the West Coast,” he explained.

He said many first-generation Samoan parents encouraged their children to prioritize English and assimilate into American culture, often at the expense of passing on their native language.

Yet Fanene remains hopeful. He sees more people, both within and outside the Samoan community, wanting to reconnect with or learn about the culture.

“They don’t want to assimilate like that. They want to stand out and they want to be proud of who they are,” Fanene explained.

The class offers an accessible place to start, Kraus said.

The English as a second language teacher said she enrolled because it offered something she couldn’t find elsewhere.

She enjoys studying languages but said most readily available learning resources focus on European languages.

“When I saw the Samoan class, it was definitely something new,” Kraus said. “I know next to nothing about Pacific Islander culture and lan-

guage, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to learn about a new language and a new culture.”

Students like Kraus changed the way Fanene teaches.

Assuming most students had Samoan roots or family ties, Fanene built his early lessons on a shared cultural baseline. Meeting learners like Kraus — with zero connection to the islands — forced him to rethink his approach and even left him wondering, at first, why someone with no Samoan background would sign up at all.

“There’s people in the class that … love to connect and share the culture.

Even if they can’t speak the language, they love to share who Samoa is, what Samoa does,” Fanene said.

Now, he begins the course with a blank slate to accommodate new learners.

Fanene hopes students leave with an appreciation for Samoa and all it has to offer. The spirit of welcoming, the instructor said, is as important as any lesson taught during the course.

“You just come to the class, and you’ll get all that kind of love,” he noted. “We give you the alofa, the love people just love to [give] when you show interest in Samoa.”

This story was originally published by St. Louis Public radio.

PAGE D10

Together We Thrive St. Louis American

JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026