Together We Thrive • A special publication of the St. Louis American newspaper •
St. Louis American The
JULY 30 – AUG. 5, 2026
INSIDE Demographics
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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.
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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+.
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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.
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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
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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
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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