March 20th, 2025 edition

St. LouiS AmericAn

Five years later

How COVID still challenges us

By Sylvester Brown, Jr.

St. Louis American

For most of America, on March 11, 2020, COVID became real. On that day, The World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus an official “pandemic.” Two days later, then President Donald Trump declared a national emergency, but it had already infected thousands and case levels were rising dramatically.

n Images are seared into the American psyche of a masked population at home, work or school.

Images are seared into the American psyche of a masked population at home, work or school; shuttered restaurants, bars and other social venues; frustrated shoppers scrambling for essential items like bread and toilet paper; long lines outside emergency rooms, food pantries and food banks; virtual funeral, church and graduation services and many more heartbreaking photos and memories.

On March 16, 2020, the first confirmed, posi-

See COVID, A6

Education cuts could blast SLPS budget

‘Hellbent

on destroying public schools’

By Alvin A. Reid

Louis American

Area public schools are bracing for the impact of President Donald Trump’s dramatic cuts in the

Department of Education, an action that Congressman Wesley Bell says he will fight.

“By dismantling the (Department of Education) kids across the country will lose access to critical funding that helps them meet basic needs,” Bell states on Twitter.

“There is nothing more important to me than the wellbeing of our children. I won’t stop pushing back on this.”

According to Bell, through the DOE, St. Louis Schools received $53.7 million in funding for low-income students,

$17.3 million in Child Nutrition Act Funding, and $8.5 million in Children with Disabilities Funding.

The cuts are underway and education experts and analysts are assessing the impact of dropping more than 1,300 jobs from a department responsible for things like providing funding for poorer schools and defending the rights of vulnerable students.

With Missouri’s Republican politicians marching mostly in lockstep

He still faces a lawsuit

By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American

A three-bed health facility that controversially carried the name, Homer G. Phillips Hospital, has officially been pronounced dead by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). The facility board, which includes developer Paul McKee who stubbornly refused to drop the Homer G. Phillips from the doomed hospital’s wall, surrendered its license, DHSS reported on Tuesday.

Homer G. Phillips Nurses Alumni, Inc., received information that the north St. Louis facility has been permanently closed, and its 80 employees terminated.

“It saddens our heart that our legacy has been damaged yet, we are empathetic towards the employees that have lost their jobs,” Lois Collier Jackson, Nurses Alumni president said in a statement to The American.

“The northside area definitely needs a medical facility, the name just needs to be

United Way helps drive a Porsha

St. Louis American

Porsha B., a St. Louis resident and QuikTrip employee was driven to support the United Way of Metropolitan St. Louis.

As a result, she’s now driving a 2024 Ford Maverick through the United Way’s annual Watch.Enter.Win! contest.

She donated $5 a week for two years to UWGSL to help others, and for her, this moment was a welcome and unexpected culmination of her generous support.

“Who would have thought that giving this $5 a week for the past two years would turn into this?” Porsha said. “All I can say is ‘Thank you.’ I never thought I was going to wake up, go to work, and come to a new truck!”

The vehicle is part of an annual donation to UWGSL by O’Fallon, Illinois based Auffenburg Dealer Group. In addition to donating a car, employees contributed more than $40,000 to the UWGSL 2024 community campaign. See SLPS, A7

Lois Collier Jackson

St.

Congressman Wesley Bell reads to Walker Elementary School students in the Hazelwood School District on March 3, 2025. Bell vows to fight Trump administration cuts to the Department of Education, which could have a dramatic impact on Black and low-income students from kindergarten to college.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Mati Davis

Dr. Matifadza Hlatshwayo Davis was sworn in as director of the city’s health department in October 2021 as the pandemic still raged.

Photo courtesy of Walker Elementary School

UMG is ‘Team Kendrick’ according to legal motion

Universal Music Group has filed a motion to dismiss Drake’s New York lawsuit against them for promoting Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” According to variety.com, the motion states that he’s only suing because he “lost a rap battle” and took legal action to “salve his wounds.”

The motion was filed on Monday, March 17. It claims that Drake “lost a rap battle that he provoked and in which he willingly participated. Instead of accepting the loss like the unbothered rap artist he often claims to be, he has sued his own record label in a misguided attempt to salve his wounds. Plaintiff’s Complaint is utterly without merit and should be dismissed with prejudice.”

The filing notes that Drake himself signed a public petition less than three years ago criticizing “the trend of prosecutors using artists’ creative expression against them” by interpreting rap lyrics as fact. “Drake was right then and is wrong now,” the motion read, according to variety.com

JD blasts Dawn Robinson for living in her car while having an assistant

Dawn Robinson, formerly of the vocal quartet En Vogue and music group Lucy Pearl, went viral for her admission that she has been living in her car for the past three years.

Robinson shared via video that she relocated to Los Angeles after moving out of her parents’ Las Vegas home.

She said her then manager paid for her to live in a hotel for eight months, but was “playing games” and wouldn’t approve any of her apartment suggestions.

So So Def founder Jermaine Dupri took to his social media to question the validity of Robinson’s housing status.

“Having an assistant is not something you should even think about if you don’t have no money,” Dupri asserted during an Instagram Live. “I’m bringing this up because Dawn, when she was telling the story… about her living in her car for the last three years, she said, ‘I was telling my assistant,’ and when she said that, I said, ‘Oh [expletive], wait a minute’…

it changed my whole vibe of what I was watching. Because, ain’t no [expletive] way she got an assistant and she ain’t got no money. Ain’t no way!” Dupri said that she lives in her car by choice.

Diddy pleads not guilty

Sean “Diddy” Combs appeared in a Manhattan courtroom on Friday, March 14 for a pretrial hearing in his federal criminal case. According to CNN.com, Combs pleaded not guilty to three charges of sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering conspiracy in a superseding indictment. The superseding indictment included additional allegations related to racketeering conspiracy but no new charges. He is currently being held at a federal detention center in New York City as he awaits trial. Jury selection will begin on May 5, with opening statements now expected to begin May 12. In addition, the indictment alleges when Combs’ authority was threatened by employees, witnesses or others, he reacted at times violently, including “multiple” acts of kidnapping. On one occasion, the indictment

says, Combs allegedly “dangled a victim over an apartment balcony.”

King Charles III belongs in the BeyHive

King Charles III celebrated Queen Bey’s latest accomplishment on his Apple Music 1 Radio special, “The King’s Room” last week. After revealing that Beyoncé’s 2003 hit “Crazy in Love” featuring her husband Jay-Z made his personal playlist, the 78-yearold celebrated her Album of the Year win for “Cowboy Carter” at the 2025 Grammys. Before going into the song, King Charles III noted, “I would like to congratulate her for winning her first Album of the Year Grammy.” MSN.com reported that King Charles praised her as a musician and a supporter of The King’s Trust charity. “She performed this song at then Prince’s Trust Fashion Rocks concert in the Royal Albert Hall in 2003. Now the King’s Trust international is turning 10 years old this year, and as I mentioned earlier, the renamed King’s Trust UK will reach its 50th anniversary next year.”

Sources: CNN.com, Variety.com, Instagram.com, MSN.com

Dawn Robinson

A Link to better family health

Family Wellness Day fights disparities

By Alvin A. Reid

St. Louis American

More African American families should be linked into health care awareness, which includes screenings for diseases that strike the Black community at higher rates and also carry increased mortality rates.

This was a message during the Family Wellness Day on March 15, 2025, at BJC Commons, hosted by the St. Louis, Gateway (Illinois) and Archway Chapters of The Links Incorporated.

“We are coming together at the expo to promote health wellness for the entire family,” said Dr. Lannis Hall, a nationally respected leader in radiation oncology and cancer disparities and a Links member.

“And we want to do it in an atmosphere of fun.”

The merriment included games and prizes for children, line dancing sessions for adult and other activities – but the goal of the day was getting serious about health care in the Black community.

Screenings for kidney health, dementia/Alzheimer’s, blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, prostate, hemoglobin and other health issues were available throughout the day.

“And all are free,” said Hall.

Through volunteers representing organizations, panel discussions, and screenings, the Family Wellness Day helped achieve the Links’ goal to reduce health and economic disparities, while saving and improving lives in the Black community.

The St. Louis Links were not alone in this mission Links Black Family Wellness Expos were being held nationwide on March 15, 2025.

“Nationally, there will be tens of thousands of people involved,” said Stacy Edwards, Gateway Chapter president.

“We want to make a difference across the entire country.”

Joining her in the important mission were Kay Royster, St. Louis Chapter president, Lauren Nash Ming, Archway Chapter president and dozens of Links members who were sporting green shirts – on the St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

Black K.A.R.E (Kidney Awareness Resources and Education) was part of the day, and Hall said, “we need to get kidney screening into the community.”

“We can change our diet, do more exercise, to at least slow some of the disparities.”

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, high blood pressure is common

health screenings, fun events for children, and

dancing.

in 12% of Black people vs. 10% vs. whites aged 18-34 years, respectively. It is common in 33% vs. 22% of those aged 35-49 years, respectively. Diabetes is common in 10% of Black people aged 35-49 compared to 6% of whites. Stroke is present in 0.7% of Black people aged 18-34 compared to 0.4% of whites the same age. Stroke is common in 2% of African Americans compared to 1% of whites aged 35-49 and 7% vs. 4%, respectively, in those aged 50-64.

The Alzheimer’s Association reports that Black Americans are roughly 1.5 to 2 times more likely than whites to develop Alzheimer’s and related dementias.

Rethel and Edd Chappelle were clad in purple shirts, a color used for Alzheimer’s awareness, as they volunteered for the Alzheimer’s Association.

Rethel’s mother was a vascular dementia patient when she moved to St. Louis to care for her from Philadelphia. Her husband, Edd, would relocate too, and together they say early screening is essential.

“We want to get more people participating in screening. We want to get more people involved with the Alzheimer’s Walks,” said Edd Chappelle.

“We need to be a part of the research. We need to say, ‘look at us.’”

He said volunteering for screenings and research is

important because “if we’re not at the table, we don’t have a voice.”

Hall said The Links are dedicated to reducing disparities “from adolescent obesity to dementia.”

Founded in 1946, The Links, Incorporated has more than 17,000 professional women of African descent in 299 chapters located in 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and the United Kingdom. Its members contribute more than one million documented hours of community service annually, including events like the well-attended and vibrant Family Health Expo.

Photo by Wiley Price/ St. Louis American

Dr. Lannis Hall speaks with Zakiyyah Phillips of the East St Louis Health District during The Links Family Wellness Day on Saturday. March 15, 2025 at the BJC Commons. The event, which was part of a nationwide series of health expos hosted by The Links, offered

healthy exercise breaks including line

Guest Editorial

Trump, Musk present threat to Black America

By Dr. Barbara Reynolds

As America grapples with shifting values and increasing chaos, we face an unsettling question: Could Black Americans find themselves pushed back to a time reminiscent of the 1870’s PostReconstruction era, where legally they had no rights whites had to respect?

The threat is real, particularly under the grip of Elon Musk and Donald Trump who do not see Black Americans as their equals.

Both have been criticized for their respective harsh racial views and have a history of negative statements and treatment of Black people. This duo stands at the forefront of a dangerous potential that could propel Black Americans into a societal landscape devoid of the hard-won rights and dignity they gained during the civil rights era of the 1960’s.

Trump has faced allegations of racism throughout his career. For instance, his company was sued in the 1970s for housing discrimination against Black renters. He also promoted the debunked “birther” conspiracy which claimed Barack Obama was not born in the United States.

In 1989, he placed ads in four New York newspapers calling for the death penalty for five Black men convicted of raping a white female jogger in New York’s Central Park. When the young men were exonerated, Trump never apologized.

the company in 2017 over vitriolic racial harassment and daily racist epithets at the Telsa plant. In a 2022 blog, a Telsa spokesperson said it “strongly opposes all forms of discrimination and harassment.”

Looking at the Post Reconstruction of the mid 1800’s, we see a disturbing pattern of reactionary forces that drastically pushed Black Americans into an era of terror, segregation, and severe discrimination—a pattern that seems to be resurfacing today. In the aftermath of the Civil War and Emancipation, Black males gained the right to vote, and around 1870, there were 16 Black men serving in Congress alongside hundreds more in state legislatures.

Many became property owners signaling a hopeful period of progress.

Meanwhile, Musk-owned companies have faced lawsuits charging racial discrimination. For example, Tesla has been accused of fostering a racially hostile work environment at its Fremont, California factory. Allegations include the use of racial slurs by co-workers and supervisors, as well as claims that complaints to human resources were ignored. A California judge recently allowed nearly 6,000 Black workers to proceed with a class-action lawsuit against Tesla, citing a pattern of discrimination of Black workers at its Fremont electric car factory.

Last year, according to a CNBC report, a federal jury awarded $3.2 million to a Black former Tesla worker who sued

However, that optimism was shortlived; within two decades, a fierce backlash emerged that systematically ousted Black legislators from office and established a culture of White Supremacy. The ensuing Jim Crow era was marked by brutal lynchings, rampant disenfranchisement, and a systematic denial of legal rights. Today, the Trump-Musk duo treats Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) not as vital components of a thriving democracy but as a “disease” to be eradicated. They are dismantling Black History programs, rolling back billions in federal initiatives that support healthcare, education, housing for people of color, and stopping the essential life-saving l aid needed in developing nations governed by Black leadership.

If this relentless assault on Black Americans goes unchecked, what safeguards do we have to prevent history from repeating itself? To save our nation and even the soul of America, we must unite to challenge the forces that seek to undermine progress, ensuring that the lessons of the past are not lost in this dangerous resurgence. The clock of history should not be ticking backwards.

Dr. Barbara Reynolds is a former USA TODAY columnist, a veteran journalist and author

Commentary

Trump is taxing all Americans

By Marc Morial

“You can’t really run a campaign where you’re like: I want to cut taxes for rich people and raise them on the poor. So instead, it’s all of this smoke-and-mirrors distraction about how foreigners are taking advantage of us … It’s a story that, if you don’t know any economics and you haven’t stopped to think about it, sounds appealing. And the more people who buy that story, the more he can do this fiscal switch and have an excuse for the tax cuts.” Kimberly Clausing

President Trump says, “tariff is the most beautiful word in the dictionary.”

The beauty, for him, is that it allows him to avoid the word “tax.”

“If a candidate announced a tax increase on the poor and middle class to fund a tax cut for the rich, voters would soundly reject that proposal,” UCLA tax law professor Kimberly Clausing wrote in The New York Times. “But tariffs wrap this fiscal switch in a veneer of nationalism.”

In other words, if it looks like a tax and sounds like a tax and raises prices for the average American like a tax, we call it a tax.

try alone.

Trump’s proposed tax increases combined could cost the U.S. a stunning 600,000 full-time jobs.

One calculation of a combination of proposed tax increases estimated an annual household cost of more than $2,600 — more than 17% of the annual income of a full-time worker earning the federal minimum wage.

Trump has offered a nonsensical and ever-changing list of rationales for his tax hike agenda, from the absurd notion of forcing Canada to become a U.S. state to raising revenue to fund child care.

In reality, his wildly unrealistic predictions of revenue from these tax hikes are meant to justify yet another tax break for billionaires. And because poorer families spend a greater percentage of their income on the affected products, the burden of that tax break falls squarely on their backs.

Trump imposed a massive, job-killing tax increase on American consumers this week, one of a dizzying array that he has threatened, withdrawn, postponed or introduced. The uncertainty has thrown the U.S. stock market into chaos and stymied economists’ efforts to precisely calculate the potential damage.

The 25% tax on all steel and aluminum imports that went into effect this week — on top of a 20% tax on Chinese imports Trump already imposed — could cost the U.S. 100,000 jobs in the aluminum indus-

Trump’s 2017 tax shift reduced federal revenue and produced the third-largest increase in the federal debt of any president in U.S. history — and the largest for a president who wasn’t trying to fund a war. And a trade war didn’t work the last time he tried it. Nearly every dollar raised through increased tariffs on Chinese imports went to bail out the farmers who were casualties of his trade war. His tax increase on imported metals sent prices soaring for cars, tools and machines even as those industries’ output shrank to the tune of $3 billion.

As Moody’s chief economist Mark Zandi said, “It’s just a lose-lose for everybody.”

Marc Morial is president/CEO of the National Urban League.

Commentary

A Black political and civics lesson

By Aswad Walker

Nearly all members of the Black world have heard the saying: “A hard head makes for a soft behind.”

That’s what’s happening to Black people (and others) right now. We’re learning political lessons the hard way. Here are three we’d do well to finally internalize.

One: Voting Matters

Though over 90% of Black women and 80% of Black men voted against the current fascist-leaning White House administration, those numbers just reflect the Black people who showed up at the polls. But when you compare our 2024 voting numbers to those during the 2020 presidential election, Black voters declined by the millions. That meant white people who voted in record numbers… white people who have for decades always voted overwhelmingly against whatever candidate Black people supported, had their way. Sadly, had we voted in numbers similar to 2020, Trump and all his anti-Black executive orders would not exist. Thousands of folks losing their jobs, SNAP benefits, healthcare, etc., would still have it. So, yes, voting matters.

Two: All politics are local

hate speech against Black people, Latinos, Asians, Muslims and LTBGQ-folk skyrocketed during Trump’s first term in office. His anti-Black, Latino, Asian, Muslim and LGBTQ rhetoric gave people license to express the same, and to go even further by acting on their prejudices violently.

The White House occupant’s world view and policy agenda also directly impact how state and local leaders move. We’re seeing this in real time with local officials and businesses adopting Trump’s anti-DEI stance.

Three: Both parties aren’t the same Yes, the Democrats are weak as wet toilet paper when compared to the level of iron-fisted fight Republicans bring to issues. Yes, the Dems take their most loyal constituents (Black folk) for granted. But when you run down the list of issues most important to us, the Dems have fought on our side and won battles on numerous occasions.

One of the most common beliefs running through Black communities was/is the idea that voting on the federal level doesn’t matter as much as voting on the local level. This is the line used by voting advocates to convince folk who, during any given presidential election, aren’t thrilled with either candidate or who operate under the belief that both parties are the same (we’ll get to that in a second).

The logic goes as follows: voting locally matters more because local judges, city council folk, DAs, etc., have a more direct, immediate and consistent (daily) impact on your life compared to elected officials who spend their time in D.C. (specifically, the president). And it’s true that those local officials impact our daily lives.

But to think that the person who sits in the Oval Office doesn’t affect our daily lives is idiotic and wrong. Presidents own the “bully pulpit,” the apparatus to sway every level of society and decision-makers toward their way of thinking.

It’s no coincidence that hate crimes and

The other party consists of members who are so antiBlack, anti-Latino that they are endorsed by the KKK, neo Nazis and a gazillion other white domestic terrorist groups. They’re so anti-democracy that they’re endorsed by Putin and every autocratic fascist on the planet.

GOP members supported George Zimmerman and demonized Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Freddy Gray, Sandra Bland, George Floyd, etc. GOP members are against women having agency over their own bodies, with many Republicans pushing for ending women’s right to vote altogether. Every program that supports Black folks’ access to healthcare, educational opportunities, criminal justice system fairness, etc., the Dems are for and the Republicans are against.

Republicans voted against confirming the over-qualified Ketanji Brown Jackson as a Supreme Court Justice and voted to confirm the supremely under-qualified Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. Dems are for environmental justice and protection. Republicans are for giving corporations the ability to pollute the planet.

Aswad Walker is associate editor of the Houston Defender Network

(1901-1988)

(1914-2000)

Guest Columnist Dr. Barbara Reynolds

Guest Columnist

Aswad Walker

Illegal dumpsites were cleaned up throughout Kinloch, Mo., last week during the 2025 Kinloch Block Builders event. The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Regional Business Council, and St. Louis Economic Development Partnership partnered on the city-wide cleanup initiative.

Kinloch Block Builders event cleans historic city

St. Louis American

Kinloch, the oldest incorporated African American community in Missouri, got a blockbuster cleanup throughout last week during the 2025 Kinloch Block Builders event.

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and Regional Business Council partnered on the city-wide cleanup initiative as part of the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership’s continuing effort to help revitalize the once-bustling county gem. Construction and utility companies, as well as municipal operating departments, cleared brush and illegally dumped rubbish on land vacated as part of an airport buyout program in the 1980s for expansion and noise abatement. A planned runway never materialized, and Kinloch lost a vast part of its population.

Michael McMillan, Urban League president and CEO said, “By coming together, we

can restore communities and create opportunities for future generations.”

Kinloch Mayor Evelyn Carter said her community is grateful for the cleanup initiative.

“We love our city, and this cleanup is a vital step toward helping Kinloch thrive and grow,” she said.

Different agencies partnering can make a major difference in revitalizing Kinloch and other under-served communities, according to Rodney Crim, SLEDP president and CEO.

“I want to thank all of the volunteers and the companies who donated their time and equipment to make this cleanup happen. It is truly a remarkable effort,” he said.

Karen Branding, Regional Business Council president and CEO said, “This effort is a testament to what we can accomplish when we work together.”

Remembering Selma’s ‘Bloody Sunday’

By Marian Wright Edelman

On Sunday, March 7, 1965, John Lewis and the Rev. Hosea Williams set out on a nonviolent march with a group of 600 men, women, young people and children headed from Selma, Alabama, to the state capital in Montgomery. They were seeking the right to vote and protesting the tragic death of Jimmie Lee Jackson, who had died Feb. 26 from injuries he received eight days earlier when he was beaten and shot by an Alabama state trooper while trying to shield his mother from a police nightstick.

As the marchers left Selma’s Brown Chapel AME Church on “Bloody Sunday” and headed to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge, they were met by state and local law enforcement officials and brutally attacked. The televised images of “Bloody Sunday” and the savage beatings of the marchers — including Lewis, whose skull was fractured — were a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement.

Two weeks later, I traveled from Mississippi to Alabama to join Lewis, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and about 25,000 fellow citizens to walk the 54 miles from Selma to Montgomery and complete that march. This time we were safer thanks to National Guard protection. We were buoyed by President Johnson’s March 15 Special Message to a Joint Session of Congress, “The American Promise,” calling on Congress to pass what became the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

In that speech President Johnson said: “This was the first nation in the history of the world to be founded with a purpose. The great phrases of that purpose still sound in every American heart, North and South: ‘All men are created equal’ Those words are a promise to every citizen that he shall share in the dignity of man.”

As King spoke to the crowd at the end of the exhilarating Selma to Montgomery March, like President Johnson, he reminded us that the work was not yet done. King said: “Let us march on poverty until no American parent has to skip a meal so that their children may eat. … Let us march on ballot boxes until we send to our city councils, state legislatures, and the United States Congress men who will not fear to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God.”

Sixty years later, instead of making sure no child’s hopes will be denied in America because of color, race, religion or place of birth, the same categories and more are being used in new ways to try to erase and exclude. Racial inequities in education, housing and other measures still loom large, but face new prohibitions on attempts to acknowledge them, study them or correct them. Voting rights remain under attack, and voting rights protections, including those created in the 1965 Voting Rights Act, have continued to be weakened. And we remain in desperate need of more leaders who will not fear to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with their God. But the courage that propelled the Selma marchers forward in the face of brutal systemic resistance must keep pushing all Americans closer to the day our nation finally realizes President Johnson’s American promise and King’s American dream.

Marian Wright Edelman is founder and president emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund.

Photo courtesy of SLEDP

Marian Wright Edelman

Continued from A1

tive COVID-19 test result in the region was of a young St. Louis County woman who had recently traveled to Italy. In April, St. Louis City reported a total of 565 cases of COVID-19 and 13 deaths while St. Louis County reported 1,337 cases and 28 deaths. By the end of 2020, more than 300,000 people had already succumbed to the disease. To date, more than 1,219,487 Americans have died from the disease.

Dr. Kendra Holmes, president & CEO for Affinia Healthcare, a nonprofit that focuses on primary and preventative healthcare, was alarmed at the pandemic’s very start.

“The first thought I had was, it was going to impact poor Black people more than any other demographic,” Holmes recalled. “Any type of crisis-housing, unemployment-it’s going to impact Blacks more. So, I thought, ‘what are we going to do for Black people?’

“This was the time when the word ‘health equity’ was just a buzzword,” Holmes added. “So, I naively thought we were going to see this major, major focus on the underserved. But from the moment I saw they put up the first testing site in West County, I thought ‘no, we gotta do something.’”

Even with limited resources, Holmes said Affinia went into action setting up testing sites in the city and county.

“We opened our first

McKee

Continued from A1

changed.”

After the hospital was

testing site (in the city) on April 3rd (2020) even though we had extremely limited funding. It was such a period of so many unknowns, we didn’t even know it was airborne at that point. So, we put ourselves at risk because I didn’t trust anyone else to do it and I still don’t.”

Mayor Tishaura O. Jones took office a year after the pandemic’s outbreak. Months into her term, she appointed Dr. Matifadza Hlatshwayo Davis as director of the city’s health department. Dr. Davis remembers her dual feelings of excitement and dread.

“COVID was a year and a half in,” Dr. Davis recalled. “I had two weeks to come up with a roll-

shut down in December, and employees left without earned wages, there were promises from the board that the facility would reopen. Talisa Smittie, a termi-

out plan for pediatric vaccines around the time when Omicron was announced which was the largest spike during the pandemic. I inherited less than one percent of the city’s budget while trying to meet this moment. Keep in mind, we also live in a state that’s dead last in the country on per capita spending on public health. So, my excitement was quickly tamed by reality. It was a lot.”

The first three to six months were particularly challenging, she confessed.

“I was learning on the job. I never worked in city government. This was a whole different field to navigate. I’m not a politician, I didn’t get

nated employee, learned late last month his job was gone.

He and other employees received a letter from the board stating, “Your position is permanently elimi-

an orientation, there was no transition plan waiting for me and I inherited a very tired and despondent staff. Navigating a global pandemic when you’re dealing with basic bureaucratic challenges with a lack of infrastructure was definitely the hardest part.”

The first vaccine doses were administered in mid-December 2020 after the FDA granted emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. From December 2020 to June 2023, billions of COVID-19 vaccines have been given while researchers continue to study more vaccines that prevent the disease.

“We are now in the post-pandemic era, but it

nated,” as of February 28.

“I was blown away,” Smittie told KSDK.

“All I did was look for something temporary because I had planned on it being my last stop. We were also told that even though they got 90 days’ permission to be closed down, that it wouldn’t take 90 days. That we will be reopened before the 90-day mark.”

In a statement following the facility’s closing, Dr. Matifadza Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, MPH, FIDSA, St. Louis director of health, said, “For decades, the original Homer G. Phillips Hospital was a beacon of health equity, training, and excellence in serving marginalized communities during a time when segregation limited access to quality care.”

“It is a name that symbolizes advocacy for justice and equity in healthcare. That legacy makes [these] developments even more devastating, as

still lives amongst us,” Dr. Davis continued.

“We have classified it as one of the top three respiratory illnesses. When we look at its influence on RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), especially during the winter months, we see more of these respiratory viruses circulating with their own ebbs and flows and we’re still trying to understand COVID’s cadence to deal with it accordingly.”

As far as health outcomes, Dr. Holmes said the country is worse off.

“There are more individuals with long COVID, there are higher incidences of individuals who’ve had strokes after COVID…this on top of the already high rates of

they represent yet another missed opportunity to honor the name with the respect it deserves.”

Upon the facility’s shutdown, SLATE began collaborating with employees to secure new employment and the assistance opportunity remains according to Director Fredrecka McGlown.

“Anyone who has been impacted by this closure, please contact SLATE immediately to be provided with employment assistance. We remain committed to connecting our community to opportunities so we can build a stronger St. Louis City.”

Terminated workers can visit SLATE’s website at www.stlouis-mo.gov/ slate/ or call (314) 5898000.

While the embattled facility is now closed, the copyright infringement case against McKee and the board on use of the Homer G. Phillips name continues, according to

diabetes and high blood pressure we already have, is another layer of chronic illnesses Black people now have.

Still, Holmes found a surprising positive from the COVID experience.

“What we’ve seen, from a community health standpoint, is that Black people are advocating more for their health and sounding the alarm when they know they’re not receiving the care they deserve. That’s a positive because Black people saw the unfair distribution of resources and we are not willing to allow that to happen again.”

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

Jackson.

“Discussion with our attorney advises that the closing of the hospital does not affect our copyright infringement lawsuit,” she said.

“We are still waiting on McKee’s group to file their response to our appeal. We did request oral argument.

An oral argument in the appeal case has been set for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday May 13 at the Old Post Office, One Post Office Square, 815 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO. 63101. The hearing will be on the third floor.

“We plan on packing the court room and having supporters outside the building with signage,” said Jackson.

The Nurses Alumni are accepting financial assistance for attorney fees, which can be sent to Homer G. Phillips Nurses Alumni, Inc, P.O. Box 211452 St. Louis, Mo. 63121

Photo courtesy of Affinia Healthcare

The Office of Minority Health of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services tapped Affinia Healthcare to collaborate in the deployment of the Department’s mobile outreach unit to offer COVID-19 testing services at remote locations across the St. Louis area in September 2020.

United Way

Continued from A1

“We are so pleased to continue this exciting tradition of allowing people who support United Way a chance to win a new car through the Watch.Enter.

Win contest,” said Michelle Tucker, president and CEO of United Way of Greater St. Louis.

“Auffenburg Dealer Group has long been a valued partner of United Way, and we are so appreciative of them sponsoring this event, donating this car, and continuing their support of United Way’s annual campaign.”

Jamie Auffenburg, president of Auffenburg Dealership Group said the car giveaway is designed “so that people could come together and learn more about the United Way story because its such a great story, they help so many people.”

“It would almost be impossible to live in this area and not have a family member or neighbor who has been impacted by United Way. They have an awesome cause that does a lot and reaches a lot of people, I don’t know anything that comes close.”

UWGSL helps 1 in 3 people throughout 16 counties in Missouri and Illinois through five impact areas: providing basic needs, early childhood and youth success, health and wellbeing, financial mobility, and community stability and crisis response.

SLPS

Continued from A1

with the president, public school officials in the St. Louis area probably aren’t looking for relief from Jefferson City.

Meanwhile, The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) said in a release it “is awaiting further guidance from the U.S. Department of Education (USED) to better understand how the announced reduction in force may impact programs and funds administered by DESE.”

According to DESE, as reported by the Springfield News-Leader, federal funds represent 27% of the state’s appropriated $8.7 million budget for this fiscal year. Of that, 11.05% are the remaining federal pandemic relief funds yet to be spent and 16.43% are other federal funds to support programs and services.

Excluding pandemic relief funds:

• U.S. Department of Agriculture child nutrition

− $375 million

• U.S. Department of Education (DOE) Title I, Part A − $279 million

• (DOE) Title I, Part B, special education − $253

million

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Child Care and Development Fund Block Grant − $223 million

• (DOE) Adult Education and Family Literacy − $38 million

• (DOE) Vocational Rehabilitation Services − $36 million

Offices that Black and low-income students depend on the most, including the offices that handle civil rights protections for minority and disabled public school students and federal student loans for college as well as research and data collection on school equity are bein gutted.

“Look at who is hurt by these cuts: 26 million kids from low-income families, 13 million kids who get financial aid for college, 7.5 million kids with disabilities. The list goes on and on,” Fedrick Ingram, secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers tells Word In Black. “Trump has turned our children into cannon fodder in an unnecessary culture war that will have real-life consequences for millions.”

“They’re hellbent on destroying public schools, not just (in Illinois), but across the nation,” said Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

He also sounded an alarm that many Trump voters in outstate Missouri and southern Illinois seem to refuse to consider.

“Rural communities, who have relied upon federal funding to keep their schools open, are likely to see school closures and will have to travel further and more minutes, more hours to get to the education that they deserve.”

At the Education Department, employees were notified that their positions would be terminated in 90 days, according to senior agency officials Those fired began teleworking on Wednesday and will go on paid administrative leave.

In addition to the Office of Civil Rights, which saw the biggest cuts, and IES, about 300 or more staff were cut from the Federal Student Aid Office.

According to the Education Student Initiative, 66% of Black students use student loans to attend college. Moreover, Black student borrowers are more likely to struggle financially after graduation, with average monthly student loan debt payments of $258.

Ingram says that while the Department of Education has many functions, its core mission is

to level the playing field for Black, Brown, and poor children by filling the opportunity gaps to help every child in America succeed.

“From bias testing to school funding, Black

Porsha B., a QuikTrip employee, won a 2024 Ford Maverick through a United Way of Metropolitan of St. Louis partnership with Auffenburg Dealer Group. She donated $5 a week for two years to support the organization.

students have had the chips stacked against them for decades,” he says.

“Gutting the department that helped them is not just cruel, it is directly in line with Trump’s overall effort to erase any gains

Photo courtesy of United Way

made by Black folks, women, the LGBTQ community and anyone else he seems to dislike.”

Aziah Siid of Word In Black contributed to this report.

‘Taking

Care of You’

Egg-cellent

STL firm developing commercial avian flu detector

Rajan Chakrabarty of Washington University helped create a biosensor that can detect avian flu in dairy farms from a single breath. His research, with the help of the St. Louis based firm Varro, could help reduce egg prices throughout the country.

By Namratha Prasad

St. Louis American

After one of the longest avian flu outbreaks in recent history, researchers at Washington University have created a microwave-sized biosensor that can detect bird flu in dairy farms from a single breath. The device would help farmers target individual chickens to prevent culling the entire flock. Now, a St. Louis based life sciences company wants to commercialize it by the end of the year.

“That’s something which you know every five minutes, if you can get a readout, depending on where your instrument is located, and it’s a portable instrument, the size of a microwave, you can shut off that portion of the animal facility and just quarantine so that you do not have to cull out and kill all the flocks,” Head Researcher Rajan Chakrabarty, PhD, said.

“Right now, what’s going on is that, oh, there is a positive somewhere in the animal facility, and you kill all the chickens.”

The machine uses a wet-cyclone, a conical device that mimics a tornado by sucking in air at around 1000 liters per minute. The air is then swirled around at a high velocity, and conjoined with fluids that line the walls of the device. Using an automated pump system, the droplets are then sampled, and within 5 minutes, it can detect the presence of the virus.

“The challenge is that okay, in a room which has billions of billions and

See FLU, A9

Connecting the body, healing the mind

By Lindiwe Vilakazi

Like a tale as old as time, some degree of trauma and pain is an inevitable fact of life. However, no matter if mental or physical, trauma affects the body.

“The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma” (2015) authored by Bostonbased psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., offers eye-opening insight on understanding traumatic stress and its impacts on the body.

The author dissects the impact of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders on physical well being.

Similar to van der Kolk’s work, Bold Yoga, LLC is utilizing the ancient practice of yoga to help rid much of the physical tension and upheaval that traumatic stress has caused in women and community members.

Charnal Chaney, a trauma informed yoga instructor and founder of Bold Yoga, LLC, and partners India Johnson and Amani Mamodesene (AM), emphasized the healing abilities of yoga and why the practice is so instrumental to restoring health.

n Johnson calls yoga a way to reconnect with your body after it has gone through so many changes throughout [a pregnancy].

“Us as women, we not only hold trauma in the body, but we hold it in our wombs. There are scientific studies that show that we hold trauma in our wombs up to 14 generations. So, the release of doing hip stretches, the somatic practices, dance, anything that requires you to move the hips where we [often] store our trauma definitely helps you release [it],” says Chaney.

“That’s why somatic yoga is really helpful for us in our community. When you look at our PTSD, our anxiety, it’s also the nervous system that is affected [by it].

See VILAKAZI, A9

Health screenings are essential for African Americans

Prevention is the best medicine

By Anissa Durham Word in Black

While not all chronic diseases can be prevented, one of the best ways to stay healthy is to take preventive health care measures, so doctors recommend that most Americans get several screenings from childhood into adulthood.

But for many Black Americans, accessing preventive health care isn’t just about making an appointment. It requires navigating a health care system rooted

See SCREENINGS, A9

Photo courtesy of Washington University

Lindiwe Vilakazi

Flu

Continued from A8

trillions of these particles, you know, other aerosols, dust. And these are all benign particles,” he said. “You have this one or two infected aerosols out there. And how do you kind of find that needle in the haystack?”

Now that the research prototype has been created, Charkarbarty said he and his team enlisted the help of Varro, a life

sciences company based in St. Louis to scale the prototype, and help it hit the market.

Tom Cirrito, PhD, CEO of Varro, said the company is trying to find engineering and design firms to advance the prototype to a commercial scale. He said the commercial design will be smaller, but will have many of the same features as the prototype created by Dr. Chakrabarty. “In the lab, it’s not like this thing’s going to get beat up, or anybody’s

‘Taking

going to, you know, expose it to the elements or anything like that,” Cirrito said. “But obviously, those are the types of things in the real world that we want to make sure our device can endure.”

The prototype is also complicated to use, Cirrito said. The commercial product will be more user-friendly and cost effective. Cirrito said large poultry farms have been included in development conversations, and they are excited to see the device used at their

facilities.

“This is not limited to the big agricultural companies.

The big agricultural companies are going to be big customers,” he said. “We’ve been having a lot of conversations with the big guys, but we are absolutely developing a device that can be used by anybody. I mean, a family farm could operate this device easily, and they’ll be able to afford it.”

Cirrito projects the device will hit the mar-

ket within the next 12 months, because Varro does not have to rely on the USDA or any other federal agency. But Chakrabarty’s team will grapple with funding issues for the foreseeable future. In January, the Trump administration signed an executive order to halt the funding of research projects across the nation. As the order has rolled out, Chakrabarty’s research has been on hold pending the approval of federal funding. His further

Screenings

Continued from A8

in racism, mistrust, and inequity — all of which make health care outcomes worse for Black folks compared to their white peers. Medical racism, experiments on Black bodies and medical mistreatment have all contributed to a deep fear about health care settings — so much so that some Black Americans report feeling apprehension about going to the doctor.

Children and adolescents typically receive developmental screenings, routine vaccinations, and lead screenings. Adults are screened for different types of cancers, sexually transmitted infections, and diabetes, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Vilakazi

Continued from A8

“Anytime something traumatic happens, like a fight, a shooting, or anything of that nature, our nervous system is disrupted. And if that’s happening [chronically], that’s where PTSD comes from. Releasing those emotions is so helpful in general, to our mental health and well-being.”

Johnson calls yoga a way to reconnect with your body after it has gone

Sickle cell screening

Sickle cell disease is a blood disorder that affects the shape and function of red blood cells. In the United States, it commonly affects people of African descent, Hispanic people from Central and South America, as well as people of Mediterranean descent, says Yvette Miller, executive medical officer at the American Red Cross. In the U.S., about 100,000 people live with sickle cell disease, and 90% are African American.

The blood disorder causes red blood cells to become rigid and shaped like the letter C. As a consequence, the sickled cells get stuck and block flow, which causes pain and infections. When a patient presents to the health care system with a pain crisis, Miller says, health care providers are not always fully aware of how to treat them properly.

“This lack of access to adequate health care is

through so many changes throughout [a pregnancy].

“It’s a way for you to come back to gratitude, and awareness for the new space you are in now, while also bringing you around other people,” she said.

“When you become a new mom, you’re going to be in the house most of the time. So, being able to come out and have that sense of community and some type of wellness activity is beneficial. I’ve seen it help mothers, and it was what helped me as well, helping me reconnect

rooted in long-standing health disparities,” Miller says. “It can be related to having no insurance or being uninsured. And many health care facilities are not located in convenient locations for people in the Black community.”

The most common way to get screened for sickle cell trait is at a primary care physician’s office. Since 2006, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have mandatory sickle cell trait screening for newborns. And in 2021, the American Red Cross began offering screening to all blood donors who self-identify as multiracial and/or Black or African American.

Adolescent mental health screening

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends pediatricians and family physicians screen children and youth for mental health conditions. About half of mental

and be more of a present mother, myself.”

While the earliest mentions and practices of yoga appear in ancient India, some researchers and practitioners explore the possibility of Kemetic yoga, or ancient Egyptian yoga, as a precursor to modern yoga practices with roots in East Africa.

“People tie it so much to Hinduism because it’s practiced so heavily in India. But, if you actually trace that, even the roots of yoga, its earlier roots are in Africa, [specifically] East Africa.,” according to

health conditions begin by age 14, and three-fourths begin by age 24. Mental health screenings allow for early identification and intervention, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

The suicide rate among Black adolescents is increasing faster than that of other racial and ethnic groups. From 2007 to 2020, the suicide rate rose 144% among 10- to 17-year-olds who are Black, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts And Black adolescents are less likely than their non-Black peers to receive mental health care.

Khadijah Booth Watkins, program director for the child and adolescent psychiatry residency program at Massachusetts General Hospital, says a lack of culturally competent mental health care is a barrier Black youth face.

“A challenge for a lot of people of color is wanting to see someone that looks like them, who

Amani Mamodesene.

With yoga, it’s so fascinating because some of these poses that have been passed down from generations, now store information in the specific posture that you’re in.

[Similar to] African dance, sometimes your body just knows how to dance, because we have African dance, indigenous tribal dances, that are already stored in the information of your body from generations before,” she said.

“This new information that your body is restoring into the body is informa-

research would expand into how many pathogens can be detected by the device.

“We are seeking out philanthropy contributions or funding to make this available to farmers and the animal welfare community, basically just prototypes for deploying for real world testing in animal farms, so that we get prepared for a next round of this bird flu,” he said. “It has been around since 2022. It does not stop.”

can better understand their experience,” Booth Watkins says. “We often feel like we’re gonna have to go through all the explanations to catch them up to speed — that’s a barrier.”

In a National Survey of Children’s Health, within a five-year period, the rate of Black adolescent preventive health care visits dropped by 15%. In 2016, Black adolescents were on track to meet the country’s target of 82.6%. By 2021, the rate of preventive health care visits for Black adolescents, which includes mental health screenings, had the most significant drop compared to other racial and ethnic groups.

Maternal and child health screenings

“The maternal and child health population is the foundation of our society,” says Shokufeh Ramirez, associate director of the Tulane Center of Excellence in Maternal

tion of joy, information of love, information of peace that’s been passed on from generations before. So, allowing your body to move into that helps to override the fear, and the trauma that is stuck inside.”

She added that “Yoga is for everybody. And nowadays, a lot of athletes are doing yoga because it helps ensure that they are stretching and preventing injury in their body.”

“Sometimes there is the stigma that yoga is a more feminine [practice],

One of the best ways to stay healthy is to take preventive health care measures, so doctors recommend that most Americans get several screenings from childhood into adulthood.

and Child Health at Tulane University. “It’s critically important to invest in the health of that population for the future of our society as a whole.”

The most common form of preventive maternal health care is regular prenatal care visits to check for gestational diabetes, hypertension, and birth defects. But Ramirez says it’s about so much more than birthing people getting access to prenatal care. Providers must consider the whole person and evaluate the health of a woman prior to pregnancy.

A 2020 report found that when Black newborn babies are looked after by white doctors, they’re nearly three times more likely to die than when cared for by Black doctors. And a 2022 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services revealed the infant mortality rate for Black Americans was 2.4 times the rate for white infants.

in our communities [seeing mostly] women [practice it]. But really, all my yoga teachers, everyone that I’ve learned from so far in yoga have been men.”

Chaney concurs, saying “It doesn’t matter how big or small you are. If you’ve never done it, you will be starting from square one. So, the more you do it, the more flexible you will become.”

Lindiwe Vilakazi is a health reporter and columnist for the Washington Informer.

The St. Louis American’s award winning NIE program offers newspapers and resources to St. Louis area teachers and students each week throughout the school year, at no charge.

Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 618-910-9551

csewell@stlamerican.com or 618-910-9551

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT

Students Milaysia White and Charleigh McFarland, in Ms. Stovall’s second-grade class at Gateway MST Elementary School, use

Students at The American’s Summer Science Academy work in teams to discover the many different computer programming languages.

Teachers, if you are using the

nominate your class for a Classroom Spotlight, please email: csewell@stlamerican. com

SCIENCE STARS

AFRICAN-AMERICAN OCEANOGRAPHER: Dawn Jeannine Wright

AFRICAN-AMERICAN MYCOLOGIST AND EDUCATOR: Jeanette Jones

SCIENCE CORNER

Jeanette Jones was born on September 19, 1950, in Fort Valley, Georgia. Jones graduated from Fort Valley State University in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in biology education. In 1973, Jones received her master’s degree in botany and mycology (a branch of biology that studies fungi) from The Ohio State University. In 1976, she received her doctorate (Ph.D.) degree.

She also studied at the University of Nevada, the University of California Medical School, the National Center for Disease Control-Atlanta, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

SCIENCE CORNER

Seventy percent of Earth’s surface is covered by oceans; therefore, oceanography is a very important topic to study!

What Are Fungi ?

Fungi are organisms made of filaments (called hyphe) that are stacked together. Unlike plants, fungi do not have chlorophyll, so they cannot make their own food. Some fungi are parasites, which mean they live off of other organisms. Some fungi feed off of dead and decaying matter. Fungi are everywhere in the environment, including the soil, lakes, river and seas, air, and on plants and animals. Fungi (plural of fungus) help organic matter to decay and release carbon and oxygen into the environment. Unlike plants, fungi do not have

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

Dawn Jeannine Wright was born April 15, 1961, on the island of Maui, Hawaii. As a young girl, Wright loved the open seas and stories of adventure and discovery. In 1983, she graduated cum laude from Wheaton College with her bachelor’s degree in geology. In 1986, she earned a master’s degree in oceanography from Texas A&M University. For the next three years, Wright took expeditions through the Pacific and Indian Oceans and offshore Antarctica as a marine laboratory specialist with the Ocean Drilling Program. In 1994, she received her doctorate degree in geography and marine geology from the University of California.

leaves, stems, or roots. Fungi use spores to reproduce. One common type of fungus is the mushrooms you find on your pizza. Mold, yeasts, and mildew are also types of fungus.

In this experiment, you will learn how mold grows best. Mold is an important fungus that has several

including breaking down

Oceanography is the study of the ocean and all of its living properties, including plant and animal life. Oceanography contains many different types of jobs, including engineers, zoologists, and marine biologists. Marine biologists focus on studying the living creatures in different types of water, such as seas, bays, and other large bodies of water. Chemical oceanographers, such as marine geochemists, study the chemical composition of the ocean waters. They investigate the effects of pollution on the water, study the chemicals found in certain ocean waters,

organic material. Some purified molds are actually used as an antibiotic to treat illnesses.

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

Materials Needed:

• 3 slices of bread • Water • 3 Ziploc bags

• 10x10 square centimeter grid • Ruler

Process:

How do you make super cold water without the water freezing and turning to ice? In this experiment, you’ll learn how to cool water below its freezing point of 0 degrees Celsius without it turning to ice.

Materials Needed:

q Wet one slice of bread enough to make it moist and place it in a bag. Seal the bag very tightly.

Freezer • Spoon • Water

• Salt • Ice • 2 plastic glasses

• Marker

w Place the two other slices of dry bread in two separate bags and seal them, as well.

Procedure:

q Fill two plastic cups with the same amount of water.

e Place the bag with the wet slice of bread and one of the bags with a dry slice of bread in a dark place, such as a closed cabinet or closet.

w Use the marker to label one cup with an “S.”

e Add four heaping spoonfuls of salt to the cup with an S.

r Place the third bag with a dry slice of bread in the refrigerator.

r Place both cups in the freezer. Make sure they are

MATH CONNECTION

MATH CONNECTION

Oceanographers track the motion of waves. In this activity, you will become an oceanographer and use your math skills to solve the problems.

Questions:

q If a wave is traveling at 18.72 meters/second, how far will it travel in 10 seconds? ____________

w How far will it travel in 20 seconds, if it is traveling at the same speed?______________

For More Information, Go to: https://kids.kiddle.co/Fungus

Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text to gain background information about fungi.

and study how ocean chemicals react to the air at the ocean’s surface. Oceanographers also include technicians who work on equipment used to study the oceans. These technicians work on boats, electronics, and other specialty equipment. Oceanographers can work in the lab and write technical reports, or they may travel and explore the oceans.

After graduation, Alabama A&M University hired Jones as an assistant biology professor. In 1986, she served as an adjunct professor in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Services at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and worked on a project with NASA. In 1991, Jones served as the first female vice president of research and development at Alabama A&M University. She also served as President of Alabama A&M University’s Faculty Senate from 2001 to 2006. In 1992, she was appointed to the U.S. Army Science Board by the U.S. Secretary of the Army, Togo West. Since 2004 Jones has been the director of the Center for Biomedical, Behavioral, and Environment Research at Alabama A&M University. She also worked as a consultant with federal agencies to help them develop training programs to attract women and minorities to STEM education and careers.

Ms. Wright was the

Growing Mold!

For more information, read: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/kids/

Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text to gain background information about oceanography.

t Check both cups every hour for four hours. What changes do you see? Leave them in overnight and check the next morning. What’s the difference between the two cups?

t For five days, measure the square centimeters of mold on each piece of bread through the bag. Use a grid, if possible, or a ruler. If mold covers more than half a square centimeter, it is counted as one full centimeter. If it is less, it is counted as 0 centimeters. This will give you the area of mold on each slice of bread y At the end of a week (5 days of measuring) or longer, use your final results to say what percentage of the bread was covered in mold. Make a table or graph to display the information.

Discuss: The freezing point of water is usually 0 degrees Celsius. Adding salt to the water lowers the freezing temperature, making it more difficult for the water to freeze solid. Therefore, the water can be colder than 0 degrees Celsius and still not actually be frozen. Although salty water will eventually freeze, the water needs to be much colder. You may see bits of ice form when the salt collects at the bottom of the cup. This happens in the ocean around Antarctica, where the very salty water sinks to the bottom of the ocean. This is called the Antarctic Bottom Water.

Discussion Questions: How much mold was on the bread? Which location had the most mold? Which had the least? What conclusions can you draw about the conditions in which mold grows? How can food manufacturers and restaurant owners use this information to help them?

Learning Standards: I can follow sequential directions to complete an experiment. I can display my results, make observations, and draw conclusions.

Learning Standards: I can follow directions to complete an experiment and make observations.

Analyzing

a Bar Graph

Discussion Questions: Which day had the most measured rainfall? Which day(s) had the least? Looking at the bar graph, what might you conclude about rain patterns in March/April? What other observations can you make?

Learning Standards: I can use a bar graph to display information. I can use the information to make deductions and inferences.

Wright worked as a research assistant for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In 1995, she began her teaching and research career at Oregon State University in the Department of Geosciences. An expert in geographic information systems (GIS), Wright has focused her work on mapping the ocean floor in locations around the globe. She assisted with a number of outreach programs to encourage more minority and female students to choose a career in science. Wright has published many papers and books describing her investigations. She has received several awards, including the U.S. Professor of the Year for the State of Oregon. She was listed as one of fifteen scientists featured in Portraits of Great American Scientists. She was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and has coauthored Arc Marine: GIS for a Blue Planet.

female African-American to dive in the three-person submersible Alvin.

In 1975, Jones was listed in the World’s Women’s Who’s Who and she was named an Outstanding Young Woman of America in 1978. Beta Beta Beta National Biological Honor Society awarded her the distinguished service award. Jones also received the Significant Service Award from the NASA Space Life Sciences Training Program and the Extramural Associate Research Development Award from the National Institute of Health. In 1990 and 2006, she was named Woman of the Year at Alabama A&M University and was given the Outstanding Leadership Award by the Faculty Senate. The U.S. Army presented Jones the Commander’s Award for Outstanding Civilian Service as a member of the Army Science Board.

Discussion Questions: Dr. Wright took inspiration for her field of study from her surroundings—namely, the Pacific Ocean when she was growing up on the island of Maui, Hawaii. When thinking about what you would like to do in the future, is there anything in your environment that has inspired you to consider a certain career or field of study?

Discussion Questions: Dr. Jones received many awards and honors. How would you describe her achievements and her contributions to science? Dr. Jones is studying how fungi might be used as agents of war. What purpose do you think fungi serve in modern warfare? Are fungi beneficial or harmful?

Learning Standards: I can read a biography to learn about an African American who has made contributions in science, math, technology, or engineering.

Learning Standards: I can read a biography to learn about an African American who has made contributions in science, math, technology, or engineering.

MAP CORNER

Use the newspaper to complete the following activities: Types of News:

Use the newspaper to complete the following activities: The Math of Newspapers: Measure, in inches, a variety of pictures, pages, and ads in the newspaper. Convert these measurements from inches to centimeters.

Use the front section of the newspaper to evaluate the types of news stories presented: local, national, and international. Sort the articles into the three categories and create a bar graph that displays the amount of coverage each type of news story received.

Practice Previewing Skills: Practice your previewing skills by scanning the front page of today’s newspaper. Read the headlines and lead paragraphs, take a look at the charts and graphs, and skim the photos and captions. Using this information, summarize the top news of the day.

Mystery Story: Cut out several pictures from the newspaper without reading the caption. Place the pictures in a bag, and without looking, pick your mystery picture from the bag. That’s your stimulus for writing. Construct a graphic organizer to identify the 5Ws (who, what, when, where, and why) of your story by looking at your picture. Then, continue the writing process.

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can categorize and summarize that information.

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can calculate and convert measurements. I can scan, skim, make predictions, and summarize.

The Atlantic Ocean’s name refers to Atlas of Greek mythology.

Photo by Ms. Stovall

Join Art Museum this Saturday for an inspiring celebration of women artists

By Maggie Brown-Peoples, 2024–2026 Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellow

Join the Saint Louis Art Museum for our annual free event, “If It Wasn’t for the Women” on Saturday, March 22, from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm. This year’s program, “The Art of Living,” honors the power of women artists in creating nurturing spaces and fostering care through their artistic practices.

“If It Wasn’t for the Women: The Art of Living” features a dynamic panel of three acclaimed artists: glyneisha, Sydney Oreoluwa, and Christine Espinal. Moderating the discussion is Maggie Brown-Peoples, the 2024–2026 Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellow.

glyneisha, a St. Louis-based artist, educator, and community caretaker, archives the healing nature of matrilineal Blackness through workshops, reflective spaces, installations, and exhibitions of “The Black Interior.” Sydney Oreoluwa, also from St. Louis, is an artist and curator whose work intersects art, design, and cultural presentation, deeply rooted in the documentation of Black experiences. Christine Espinal, a Los Angeles-based artist originally from New

York, is a spatial designer who recreates feelings of home by making spaces functional and inviting through public design and furniture.

Together, these artists will explore their multidisciplinary approaches to creativity and collabo-

Celebration of Women Artists

This Saturday, March 22, Saint Louis Art Museum, The Farrell Auditorium 11 am to 12:30 pm. Free

ration, emphasizing how artistic practices shape communal and personal experiences. The discussion will address the impact of art not only on those who experience it but also on the creators themselves. It will also examine how artistic practice can invite others into a shared, participatory

space, fostering deeper connections between artists and their audiences.

This engaging conversation will highlight the transformative power of art in shaping care, community, and connection. The program is free of charge thanks to the generosity of the Mary Strauss Women in the Arts Endowment. However, seating is limited, and advance reservations are highly recommended.

Tickets can be reserved in person at the Museum’s Information Centers, online via MetroTix, or by phone at 314-534-1111.

All MetroTix reservations incur a service charge, which is waived for tickets reserved at the Museum.

Join us for “If It Wasn’t for the Women: The Art of Living” an extraordinary opportunity to engage with artists whose work is reshaping conversations around care, creativity, and community. We look forward to seeing you there!

A legacy of learning, teaching and loving life

Salute to Excellence in Education honoree Annie House Russell passes at 81

Special to The American Annie House Russell loved to learn. Coupled by her insatiable thirst for knowledge was a passion for teaching others. Russell paid her gifts forward with a nearly 40-year career in the classroom as an elementary and middle school math teacher and an education administrator. Recognized as a St. Louis American Foundation Salute to Excellence in Education honoree, Annie passed away on November 25, 2024. She was 81. Annie Willetta House was born on December 17, 1942, at Homer G. Phillips Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. Affectionately known as “Bootsie,” she was the beloved daughter of Ural Hawthorne House and Jessie Colena Posey –and the oldest of their four children.

She grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, at 1334 Sarah Street, above Jesse’s Tavern. Baptized at Prince of Peace Baptist Church, she embraced her faith in Christ at an early age. Annie was a woman of unwavering faith, nurtured by both her mother, Jessie, and her father, Ural. They instilled in her the values of kindness, generosity, and a deep commitment to living by the Golden Rule. She attended Riddick Elementary on Whittier and Evans before graduating from Sumner High School in 1960. Her academic journey continued at Harris-Stowe State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. She furthered her education at Concordia College and the University of Missouri-St. Louis, earning a master’s degree in educational leadership and administration. In 1968, Annie married the love of her life, Michael Delmar Russell. Together they had two children, Michael Lawrence Russell and Kemba Tene Russell. He preceded her in death after 34 years of marriage. Her career in education was a testament to her passion for shaping young minds. She served the Saint Louis Public Schools (SLPS) from June 1964 to June 2002, where she taught mathematics and science to students in grades 2-8. Later, she worked in central office administration, managing state and federal programs as well as human resources.

Annie was a beloved member of St. Peter’s AME Church, where she played an active role in fellowship and service. Her faith shone through in everything she did, like the brightest star. She loved connecting with people from all walks of life. She offered counsel, mentorship, and hospitality with grace and humility. Annie believed in the power of unity and was a constant advocate for kindness, inclusivity, and understanding. She was an active and proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and served as a mentor to many. A mother to all, her home was a sanctuary for those in need, and she led with wisdom, love, and a generous spirit. Annie was also a proud member of the Red Hat Society, where she was known as “Empress Annie.”

In addition to her work and community involvement, Annie was a world traveler who enjoyed life to the fullest. Annie’s zest for life was infectious, and her motto was “Travel as far as you can, as long as you can, and eat dessert first!”

Annie’s legacy lives on through her daughter, Kemba Russell, sonin-law Zach Mitchell, sister, Marsha Cann, and her husband, Clement Cann; her brother, Ural Hawthorne Jr.; and her nieces, Wendy and Angela House. Her grandchildren, Dannon and Lauren, grand-niece, Logan Jackson, Lauren Lige’, and grand-nephew, Remi House, along with her godchildren Joelle Weaver,

Feven Askale, and Rodney Brand, and her dear friend Billy Dunn will carry forward her memory and the lessons she imparted. In addition to her parents and her husband, Annie was preceded in death by her son Michael Lawrence Russell and her brother Alfred Ray House.

Celebration of life

A memorial service will be held Saturday, March 29th at 1:00 PM at St. Peter’s AME Church, 4730 Margaretta Avenue. All are then invited for food, music, and fellowship, 5 - 8 pm at Turn and .Zack Theater, 3224 Locust Street, St. Louis MO. Guests are asked to wear red in her honor—red lipstick, red ties, or red accents with purple— because that’s how she would have wanted it.

RSVP HERE: https:// forms.gle/y8ZMHiTnfGWGCrDj8

In lieu of flowers

The family kindly requests donations to Annie’s 10-year-old grand-nephew Aderemi Sunshine Kayode’s education fund, in honor of her love for education and her dedication to seeing future generations excel in learning. This will be the building block for Remi and his education. Make Checks Payable To: “College America for the benefit of Aderemi Sunshine Kayode” Mail to: Joe Diefenbach, US Bank, 1798 Clarkson Rd., Chesterfield, MO 63017

glyneisha Sydney Oreoluwa

Christine Espinal

Annie House Russell

Pandemic still plagues STL housing market

‘Da Link Up’ addressed dilemma

By Ashley Winters

The St. Louis American

St. Louis residents, community leaders, and professionals convened for the Da Link Up, a free community event designed to spark conversations, foster connections, and inspire solutions for pressing social issues. The event was a live podcast panel discussion exploring the impact of housing stability on health outcomes.

The first event in this series, “The Link Between Housing and Health,” occurred Thursday, March 6, at the Trolley Room in the Dennis & Judith

Jones Visitor & Education Center.

Organized by Da Hood Connect, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing social and economic barriers in Black and under-resourced communities, in partnership with Da Hood Talks Podcast, Healthy Blue, IHN, and other local organizations.

Shavanna Spratt-Bailey, founder of the Da Hood Talks Podcast and executive director of Da Hood Connect. She believes housing and health are deeply intertwined because of the disparities in Black and brown communities. Historically, underserved communities nationwide have faced discriminatory

policies– redlining, predatory lending, and disinvestment in neighborhoods. This has led to unsafe, unstable housing conditions that directly impact health outcomes.

“This conversation is critical because it shines a light on the root causes of these disparities and challenges us to take collective action toward change,” said Spratt-Bailey.

“Housing and health are deeply connected—when people have stable, safe housing, they have better health outcomes and greater opportunities,” she added.

“Da Link Up is more than an event, it’s a

See HOUSING, B2

Pattonville sets the pace at WWT Student Forum

Students submitting videos showcasing their AI-driven applications designed to help curb cybersecurity breaches in their schools.

that they had,” Pattonville High School student Mathew Cafeiro said. “It feels really good to win.”

By Namratha Prasad

St. Louis American

World Wide Technology, founded by David Steward and the largest Black-owned company in the nation, recently hosted its 10th annual student forum with participants throughout the region.

Pattonville High School received $10,000 for their app “Ducky”, a browser extension with three main functions: detecting phishing emails, fact-checking social media posts and articles, and serving as an AI chatbot to help students improve their cybersecurity literacy.

“We all worked together as a team, everybody put in every ounce of effort

AI has boomed in the past few years, making it harder for teachers to keep up with new technologies. Stephanie Carsen, the computer science teacher at Pattonville, said she struggles knowing that the students oftentimes are more up-to-date on the newest technology. Teaching computer science has become more complicated, Carsen said.

Stayton elected SSD STL County Board president

Carmen A Stayton, an instructional specialist with the Washington University St. Louis Institute for School Partnership, was recently elected president of the Special School District of St. Louis County board of education, becoming the first person of color to hold the position.

Carmen Stayton

Stayton had served as board director for Subdistrict 1, which represents Hazelwood, Jennings, and Maplewood-Richmond Heights school districts.

She was elected to the SSD board in March 2023, and elected vice president in 2024 She holds a master’s degree in education/early childhood education from the University of Missouri St. Louis.

Stubblefield promoted in prosecutor’s office

Tanisha Stubblefield

Tanisha Stubblefield has been promoted to deputy chief warrant officer for the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office by St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Melissa Price Smith. The Warrant Office is responsible for reviewing and charging the majority of cases handled by the prosecutor’s office. Previously, Stubblefield served as an assistant prosecutor in the office’s warrant division, on the trial staff, the docket staff, and in the traffic unit of the office. Stubblefield originally joined the office in 2008.

Dr. Henderson named KIPP network CEO

Dr. Nathalie Henderson

KIPP St. Louis Public Schools has named Dr. Nathalie Henderson as the network’s CEO, beginning July 1, 2025. Henderson is currently Teach For America executive vice president for corps members and alumni leadership development. She has also served as chief schools officer for Indianapolis Public Schools, and as an area superintendent of Fulton County Public Schools in Atlanta. She began her career in SLPS through Teach For America as a special education teacher and served as an assistant principal and principal during her 12-year tenure.

S. Nicole Williams MHA, BS has joined Terril & Company as a portfolio assistant. She comes to Terril following more than 20 years of service to various financial entities including Wells Fargo Advisors, TD Ameritrade and the Robert Half Company. Williams will support the portfolio management team in multiple administrative and operational capacities. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis and a master’s degree from Saint Louis University.

(including

(Left to right) Panelists Marcel Hagens, Calencia Mitchell, and Teka Childress speak to the audience about the direct link between housing and health on Thursday, Mar. 6, 2025.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

S. Nicole Williams joins Terril & Company

S. Nicole Williams

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

From left, Matt Hernando, Stephanie Carsen, Lucas Konopka, Matthew Wasser, Elisha Dukes, and Mathew Cafiero pose with a $10,000 check after winning the World Wide Technology Tech Student Forum on Saturday, March 8, 2025 at the WWT in ternational headquarters in Maryland Heights, Missouri.

Housing

Continued from B1

movement to bring people together, elevate community voices, and take real steps toward change.”

Community members engaged in interactive group discussions reflecting on key takeaways while collaborating and identifying top community priorities for action.

The top priority is tackling the housing crisis boosted by the pandemic.

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. In the blink of an eye our everyday living was now a threat to our health. Nonessential workers were forced to stay home and the ripple effect of a financial crisis and the rising number of unhoused families were on the rise. In June 2020, 20% of households did not pay any rent by the first of the month.

The Habitat for Humanity Report also showed the number of borrowers who have deferred payments on their home loans has climbed.

In the week ending July 12, 2020, the total number of loans in forbearance was 7.8%. According to

Pattonville

Continued from B1

“AI has definitely changed the way people teach,” Carsen said. “We do more stuff live in person. These kids definitely know more than me. I use Youtube, I network with people in the industry and look at news releases to keep up with the newest trends in technology.”

World Wide

experts, the pandemic spurred the housing crisis in cities across the nation.

The pandemic turned the U.S. real estate market upside down. Politico surveyed 50 mayors on housing challenges in their cities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many believe the cost of housing continues to rise twice as fast compared to other basic needs. The affordable midmarket and workforce housing in the U.S. is shrinking. Also, funding and the limited availability of land are some of the barriers to building more housing many mayors face.

“When people don’t have a secure place to live, their ability to maintain employment, access healthcare, and care for their families is compromised housing in healthcare,” Spratt-Bailey said to the crowd at her event. “Without stability, achieving good health is nearly impossible, A secure home is a basic human need and the foundation for a healthy life.”

The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Healthy People 2030 Report states residents of impoverished communities are at increased risk for

Technology representative Matt Hernando said the topic for each forum varies. Within the last four years, Hernando said, the forum started to focus on diversity and inclusion in the AI space.

“As we continue to grow within the industry, we just see opportunities of how we can help our community,” he said. “This was a good opportunity to take the community and come up with a working solution to helping

mental illness, chronic disease, higher mortality, and lower life expectancy.

Individuals who experience childhood poverty are more likely to experience poverty into adulthood, which contributes to generational cycles of poverty. In addition to the lasting effects of childhood poverty, adults living in poverty are at a higher risk

their schools and community.”

Students at Bayless High School decided to use their computer science skills to create an app to help immigrants who do not speak English. Their presentation included a personal anecdote of a first-generation student who had to help his dad get out of phishing scheme situations, and translate the messages. The project aimed to create AI videos

of adverse health effects from obesity, smoking, substance use, and chronic stress. The report also shows older adults with lower incomes experience higher rates of disability and mortality.

One study found that men and women in the top 1% of income were expected to live 14.6 and 10.1 years longer

in multiple languages to raise awareness of cyber security threats. The high school won $2500 for their project.

World Wide Technology is a company founded by Dave Steward, the richest Black man in the country. The company focuses on ensuring everyone has the same opportunities when it comes to job opportunities and entry into the workforce, by partnering with Npower and other companies that

respectively than men and women in the bottom 1%.

Poverty is a multifaceted issue that will require multi-pronged approaches to address. Strategies that improve the economic mobility of families may help to alleviate the negative effects of poverty.

For instance, tax credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and

search for diverse talent within the technology sector.

“By 2040, minorities will be the majority,” Steward said to NBC anchor Sheinelle Jones at the Npower gala in 2019.

“If we’re not developing that talent, who’s going to develop that talent?”

With the development of different technologies, the students who won said they are optimistically cautious about how AI will change their path

Child

viate financial burdens for families with lower and middle incomes by reducing the amount of taxes owed. Two of the nation’s largest social assistance programs are Medicaid, which provides health coverage, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food assistance.

Spratt-Bailey hopes the region will begin to use bold solutions to the housing crisis that put the community first and not corporations. For example, expanding affordable housing, enforcing tenant protections, and investing in healthy homes. Also, supporting homeownership through land trusts, first-time buyer programs, and financial education.

“By prioritizing economic opportunity, tenant rights, and equitable development, we can create a St. Louis where everyone has access to safe housing and better health,” she said.

“This event is about building a collective movement, and if each guest walks away feeling inspired and connected to contribute to that change in some way, then we’ve done our job.”

as future computer scientists. They said the forum provided an entryway into learning to use AI responsibly to help their communities.

“Right now, what we’re using [in our app] is just fancy auto complete,” Pattonville student Elisha Dukes said. “The risk is when people start abusing it. But people will always abuse things. We just need to take some precautions.”

Shavanna Spratt-Bailey (left), founder of the Da Hood Talks Podcast, and Executive Director Da Hood Connect engage with panelists at the Da Link Up Event on Thursday, Mar. 6, 2025.

Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American

“Hey, it’s March Madness. Anything can happen.”

– Alabama State’s Amarr Knox after his winning layup in the NCAA Tournament opener

InSIdE SportS

With Earl Austin Jr.

STL teams seek to keep state title streaks alive

St. Louis, fresh off celebrating 314 Day, is sending several outstanding teams to the Missouri state basketball tournaments in Columbia.

Three schools are returning to Mizzou Arena to defend state titles, including the Vashon Wolverines who are seeking a fifth consecutive Class 4 state championship.

The Incarnate Word Academy girls’ dynasty stands at six straight titles, and the team is favored to secure its seventh consecutive state championship.

The Lift for Life girls are going for their second state championship and third in five years.

Vashon will face Potosi in the state semifinals on Friday at 2 p.m.

boys, Webster Groves and Westminster are still vying for a state title.

In Class 4 girls, MICDS is making its first Final Four appearance since 2016, where they finished as state runners-up.

Principia boys are state’s best

The winner of that game will play either LoganRogersville or Benton for the state championship on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Incarnate Word Academy is joined at the Class 6 Final Four by Cor Jesu, Staley and Springfield Kickapoo. The winners of Wednesday’s semifinals will meet for the state championship tonight at 6 p.m.

Lift for Life has moved up to Class 5 after winning the Class 4 state championship last season.

The Hawks will face Fort Zumwalt North in the state semifinals on Friday at 10 a.m. The winner will face either Helias or St. Teresa’s Academy for the state championship on Saturday at 4 p.m.

Also making the trip to Columbia will be Chaminade, who finished second in the Class 6 state tournament last year. They will face Lafayette in the state semifinals. In Class 5

The Principia boys made history last week by winning the Class 3 state championship at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia. The Panthers defeated KIPP KC Legacy 76-56 to win its first state title. Standout junior guard Quentin Coleman led the Panthers with 30 points and nine rebounds in the state final. Sophomore forward Sekou Cisse added 17 points and nine rebounds while 6’7” junior Ron Henry Jr. grabbed a teamhigh 12 rebounds.

The Principia girls were also in Columbia as well and they finished second in the Class 3 tournament. The Panthers were defeated by Fair Grove 39-33 in the state championship game. It was the third consecutive state title for the Eagles. Principia has now put together back-toback runner-up finishes in the state tournament, with many talented underclassmen on the squad.

Earl’s World

Coach Dennis Gates and his Missouri Tigers earned a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and will face No. 11 seed Drake, the champions of the Missouri Valley Conference on Thursday at 7:35 p.m. in Wichita, Kansas. Several pundits have this game listed under

3 state championship with a 76-56 victory over KIPP KC Legacy. He is shown here at the MLK Showcase on Jan. 20 at Clayton. Coleman scored a game-high 30 points in the state championship game.

“possible upsets,” following the Bulldog’s impressive run to a third-consecutive Arch Madness title… The SIU-E Cougars will make their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament after winning the Ohio Valley Conference tournament title. In a battle of Cougars, SIU-E will face No. 1 seed Houston and Big 12 Coach of the Year Kelvin Sampson on Thursday at 2 p.m. in Wichita…How the North Carolina Tarheels got a bid in the NCAA Tournament is beyond me. However, it might cool the hot seat that coach Hubert Davis has been sitting on during a lackluster season… Belleville Althoff finished as runners-up in the IHSA Class AA boys state basketball tournament last weekend. Althoff was defeated by Chicago Dyett 52-41 in the state championship game. The Crusaders finished the season with a 32-6 record. They were led by 5’10” senior guard Bryden Gryzmala, who averaged 18 points a game, and football standout Dierre Hill, Jr., who averaged 14.9 points.

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

Mizzou is really ‘Sweet’ as NCAA Tourney tips off

It’s NCAA Tournament time and I can’t back out of any picks because they are posted here. It was Monday morning when I completed this bad boy, so barring unforeseen injuries, arrests, or whatever, I’m confident this is a winner. Let’s do it Reid Roundup style. Missouri coach Dennis Gates will be a hot commodity after the Tigers knock off Drake and Texas Tech to reach the Sweet 16. That will set up a showdown with coach Rick Pitino and St. John’s…If KU, which is in its 35th straight NCAA Tournament, was any good the Jayhawks could meet Mizzou. They will lose to Arkansas and first-year coach John Calipari The SEC has a record 14 teams in the NCAA Tournament but will fail to place a team in the Final Four….Alabama is the only SEC team I have in the Elite Eight….South Region top seed Auburn

and cocky loudmouth coach Bruce Pearl will be stunned by Creighton in the second round…. UCONN will pummel West Regional top seed Florida in another second-round shocker… Michigan State will win the national championship with a 72-68 victory over Cooper Flagg and Duke… … SIUE should be proud to reach the tournament for the first time, but Kelvin Sampson and Houston will blow them out and the Big 12 champs will reach the Final Four…St. Louisan Caleb Love and the Arizona Wildcats will reach the Sweet 16 before losing to Duke…Illinois’ up-and-down season will now see the Illini rattle off a run to the Midwest Regional Final where they fall to Houston…Coach Hubert Davis and North Carolina aren’t deserving of a tournament bid. However, if the Tar Heels beat San Diego State in a

Earl Austin Jr. Alvin A. Reid

Junior guard Quentin Coleman of Principia led the Panthers to the Class

Photo by Earl Austin Jr. / St. Louis American

Wendell Kimbrough to retire from ARCHS

Wendell E. Kimbrough, who has served Area Resources for Community and Human Services (ARCHS) for more than two decades, including as CEO, has announced his retirement, effective September 30, 2025.

Since joining ARCHS in 2005, Kimbrough has partnered with its board of directors and staff to create a grant model that supports funded agencies with business consulting and compliance expertise. During his tenure, he helped it grow into one of the region’s grant-making organizations.

received national and regional honors including three quality improvement awards related to the Baldrige Excellence Framework and six “What’s Right with the Region” recognitions from FOCUS St. Louis.

According to Kimbrough, ARCHS’ mission is to improve the lives of children and families facing disparities and disadvantages in St. Louis’ most resource deprived communities.

“ARCHS works to disrupt generational poverty by advancing lifelong learning,” he said.

Its portfolio of state and federal funded grants enhances the work of over 50 human service agencies which serve over 270,000 St. Louisans.

“ARCHS’ board and staff have been fortunate to benefit from Wendell’s leadership. He has balanced community needs and fiduciary stewardship to ensure state and federal funding made meaningful impacts on the lives of St. Louis families,” said chair Sherrie Wehner.

During Kimbrough’s tenure, ARCHS has

Kimbrough’s community leadership roles include serving on the Missouri Governor’s Pre-K Readiness Panel, the St. Louis Mayor’s Commission on Children, Youth and Families, the After School for All Partnership of St. Louis and the St. Louis Prayer Breakfast Committee.

He is an immediate past board chair of Philanthropy Missouri and immediate past board treasurer of Kids Win Missouri and Clark Atlanta University’s Alumni Association., respectively.

He is also an active member of both Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and the NAACP.

A native of East St. Louis, Illinois, Kimbrough holds a master’s degree in business administration from Roosevelt University in Chicago, a bachelor’s in business administration from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta and is a graduate of the FOCUS St. Louis Leadership Training Program.

A search for Kimbrough’s replacement is being led by ARCHS’ executive board.Great

Brickline Greenway groundbreaking on March 24

Rivers Greenway (GRG)

will celebrate the groundbreaking of the north connector of Brickline Greenway at 8 a.m.

Monday, March 24, 2025. The event, hosted by partner Veterans Community Project at 1515 N. Grand Boulevard, is open to the public and refreshments will be provided, with staff on hand to discuss the project. Parking on site is limited; attendees are

encouraged to take public transit or walk or bike to the event. The 1.3-mile project will create a new, paved, accessible greenway (path) on the west side of Grand Boulevard from Fairground Park at Natural Bridge Avenue south to Cass Avenue, west to Spring Avenue, south to Page Avenue that will address the dire need for safety improvements.

In just four years of study, there were 733

reported crashes resulting in seven deaths, 301 injuries and at least 17 disabling injuries to people walking and driving in this area. The project includes new paths, crosswalks, bus stops (the #70 Grand is the highest used bus in the Metro Transit system), with hundreds of new trees, public art and amenities.

“St. Louisans deserve safe and enjoyable options for getting around. Building this section of

the Brickline Greenway in North City shows how serious GRG, the City, and everyone involved are about equitably improving our infrastructure,” said Mayor Tishaura Jones.

“Along with City projects also happening in 2025 and 2026, the Brickline Greenway is reshaping our transportation landscape and making our streets people-friendly.”

A rendering shows the future Brickline Greenway as well as a new PGA REACH golf facility for neighborhood youth, in partnership with Boys & Girls Club of Greater St. Louis, near the former

Carter Carburetor manufacturing site at N. Grand and Spring.

Photo courtesy of Brickline Greenway

Wendell Kimbrough

Living It

Love for ‘The Lou’ from millennials and Gen X

314 Day concertgoers partied like it was 2002 at St. Louis Nights

By Zaria Mac

The St. Louis American

The winds were heavy, and the rain was hard. But not even tornado warnings – or a moment of sheltering in place – could keep the high-spirited crowd, that represented for the Millennials and Generation X, from unleashing their early 2000s inner crunk. The Hawthorn transformed into a throwback to the beloved hotspots of the era thanks to St. Louis Nights. As soon as the doors opened, the concert floor filled with red and white STL gear.

Most wore some variation of St. Louis

Heavy is the crown

Queen of Hip-Hop

Soul Mary J. Blige shared her heart with ‘For My Fans’ tour

By Zaria Mac The St. Louis American

Singer, songwriter, and actress Mary J. Blige displayed her vulnerability and sang from deep within her soul for the St. Louis stop of her “For My Fans” tour Wednesday night at Enterprise Center. Throughout the concert Blige gave glimpses of her life through a collage of media coverage – where she spoke about the path to self-acceptance while on her 30-plus year journey as the Queen of HipHop Soul.

“Doing the work on yourself is not easy but it’s mandatory,” she stated in one of the montages. “You don’t have to be perfect to feel worthy.” Many affirmations like these filled montages that served as

One of the highlights from the

Hawthorn on Friday was a surprise

and Slo Down of The St. Lunatics.

Cardinals jerseys. Ladies cut them to hang off the shoulder – or cropped them to show their midriffs. The creativity and innovation were on full display through the outfits and accessories. In addition to the embellished STL baseball caps, there were handbags that resembled Red Hot Riplets – and even a box of fried rice.

To fully appreciate the vibe that St. Louis Nights, one had to be a part of the era for which the concert paid tribute. Whether it was Generation X – who created the sounds –or the millennials who grew up listening to them. Most of the songs performed had not been played for years and exist

ed solely in the memories of the early 2000s.

The event featured two specialty drinks. There was Lunatic Juice, a smooth blend of coconut and rum balanced with passion fruit and grenadine. The other was the Cardinal Margarita, a fruity blend of watermelon and orange over the traditional tequila and An elaborate backdrop showing the street view of the White Castle at Natural Bridge and Kingshighway behind an old school burgundy Malibu Classic with

The audience at Enterprise Center truly connected with music star Mary J. Blige when she brought her ‘For My Fans’ tour to St. Louis on Wednesday, March 12. The concert also featured R&B veterans Mario and Ne-Yo.

transitions for her set. She encouraged the audience. And managed to do so while maintaining her grown-and-sexy attitude. Her featured performers set the tone for a night that was grown-and-sexy from start to finish. R&B veteran Mario opened the show.

‘But What Can You Do?’

is set to star in the Metro Theater Company stage adaptation of ‘But What Can You Do?’ from March 26 – March 30 at the Sun Theater.

MTC presents stage adaptation of Mother-daughter children’s book

By Ashley Winters

The St. Louis American

The inspiring children’s book ‘But What Can You Do?’ is coming to life onstage next week. This wonderful story about perseverance and positive thinking is the brainchild of the St. Louis mother-daughter team of Arika Parr and 9-year-old Ava Johnson of Ava + Mommy Publishing.

The book has been adapted into a play by Metro Theater Company (MTC) and playwright Myah Gary. MTC – known for its innovative, inclusive productions – is bringing the book’s empowering message to life for young audiences and their families.

“We are thrilled to see our story evolve into a play,” Parr said of the play set to run March 26-30 at The Sun Theater. “It’s a magical way to inspire confidence and resilience in children.”

“I hope kids will love the music as much as I do,” said co-author Ava Johnson.

The heartwarming tale of self-awareness is part of MTC’s 52nd season under Artistic Director Jacqueline Thompson.

n Ava + Mommy Publishing creates Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) focused books for young children. Their stories equip kids with tools for resilience and positive emotional growth.

Accompanied with a live band and two backup dancers, he took the stage in a monochromatic eggshell pants, top, and jacket dusted in jewels that caught the light just right as he moved across the

See Mary, C3

“MTC is committed to creating stories where every child sees themselves reflected,” says Thompson.

“But What Can You Do? embodies our mission with its uplifting and relatable message.” Ava + Mommy Publishing creates Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) focused books for young children. Their stories equip kids with tools for resilience and positive emotional growth.

The book and stage play are based on Ava Johnson’s quest to do a cartwheel. The then Pre-K student kept practicing, and her mom soon realized that accomplishing a cartwheel for her young daughter was a goal she wanted to achieve. Parr began reminding Ava of the things she could do. They created a list of things Ava could do, including making art projects, helping her grandmother cook, playing soccer, etc. Parr said the experience was both a teaching and bonding moment for her daughter.

“I didn’t want Ava to focus on the negative of not being able to do this one thing,” Parr said. The list soon turned into a book for other families to use to help their little ones. By the end of the project, the duo came up with the main point of

Photo courtesy of MTC

Aloha Mischeaux

Photos by Taylor Marrie

St. Louis Nights 314 Day concert at The

appearance by Kyjuan, Murphy Lee

Photos by RKNPHOTO/Courtesy of Live Nation

Pretty Willie

CONCERTS

Mon., Mar. 24, 7 p.m. doors, The Glorius Tour starring Glorilla with special guests Real Boston Richey and Queen Key, The Factory at the District, 17105 North Outer 40 Road, Chesterfield, MO 63005. For more information, visit www. thefactorystl.com/

Fri., Mar. 28, 8 p.m. The 17th Annual Gateway Blues Festival, Chaifetz Arena, 1 Compton Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information visit www.chaifetzarena.com

Fri., Mar. 28, 7 p.m. Jagged Edge, The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63112. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com.

Wed., Apr. 2, 7 p.m. Tank and The Bangas with Elliott Skinner & DJ Zeus, Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd. Saint Louis, MO 63112. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com.

Fri., Apr. 4, 7 p.m. St. Louis Symphony Orchestra: Batman In Concert, Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market Street St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit https://shop.slso.org.

Thurs., Apr. 10, 8 p.m., Big 30 Still King Tour, Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar. For More information, visit www.thepageant.com

Sat., Apr. 12, 8 p.m., The R&B Invitation Tour starring Eric Benet, Joe and Musiq Soulchild, Chaifetz Arena, 1 Compton Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information visit www.chaifetzarena.com.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Fri., Mar. 28, 9 p.m. Kre8 Jamz: The Kreatives Jam

STL Sites & Sounds

Session, The Dark Room, 3610 Grandel Sq. St. Louis. MO 63103. For more information, visit https://kranzbergartsfoundation.org.

Sat., Apr. 5, 7:30 p.m., Dance St. Louis presents Collage Dance Collective, Touhill Performing Arts Center. For more information, visit www. dancestlouis.org.

COMEDY

Fri., Mar. 21-23, 7 p.m. Special Event: Godfrey, Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St. Louis Galleria Street, St. Louis, MO 63117. For more information, visit https://st-louis.heliumcomedy.com.

Fri., Mar. 28, 7:30 p.m. Wanda Sykes: Please & Thank You Tour with Special Guest Keith Robinson, Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market Street, Saint Louis, MO 63103. For more information, www.ticketmaster.com.

Fri., Apr. 11, 8 p.m. We Them One’s Comedy Tour hosted by Mike Epps, Chaifetz Arena, 1 Compton Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information visit www.ticketmaster.com.

ST. LOUIS MUSIC SPOTLIGHT

Sat., Mar. 22, 9 p.m. Spin Deep w/ Biko FKA Needles, Sophie’s Artist Lounge, 3333 Washington Ave. St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, https://kranzbergartsfoundation.org

Sun., Mar. 23, 7:30 p.m. Airrisa Renee: Shades of Blue, Blue Strawberry, 364 N. Bole Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108. For more information, https://bluestrawberrystl.com/.

Tue., Apr. 1, 7 p.m. Lil Skies,

Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd. Saint Louis, MO 63112. For more information, visit www. thepageant.com/.

THEATRE

Through Mar 22, 8 p.m. New Line Theatre presents The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Marcelle, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive, St. Louis MO, 63103. For more information, visit https:// newlinetheatre.com.

Sun., Mar. 23, 5 p.m. Jason’s Lyric Live, The Fabulous Fox,

527 N Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit www.fabulousfox. com.

Thurs., Mar. 27, 6:30 p.m. Tour De Dance, The Sun Theatre, 3645 Grandel Square St. Louis, MO 63108. For more information, visit www.saintlouisdancetheatre.org.

Thurs., Mar. 27, 4:15 p.m., The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (CAM) will host evening of civic engagement and community-centered programming The evening will begin with a St. Louis Mayoral Candidate Forum hosted by the Covenant Blu Grand Center Neighborhood Association and the Brickline North Community Development Corporation. Arts + Activism + Advocacy, will take place from 6:00 pm—8:00 pm, presented in partnership with the Regional Arts Commission. Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108. For more information, visit http://camstl. org

Through March 29, From The Deep, a solo exhibition by Michael Marshall, Atrium Gallery, 665 S. Skinker Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63105. For more information, call (314) 367-1076 or visit www.atriumgallery.net.

Through Apr. 13, 2025, Saint Louis Art Museum presents Federal Art Project 1935-1945, Saint Louis Art Museum, One Fine Arts Drive, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit www.slam.org.

Through Jul. 27, Veronica Ryan: Unruly Objects, Pulitzer Arts Foundation, 3716 Washington Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63108. For more information, visit https://pulitzerarts.org.

Through Aug. 10, Like Water, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108. For more information https://camstl. org/. Grammy

Through Mar. 30, 7 p.m. The Black Rep presents The Wash, COCA, 6880 Washington Ave., St. Louis, MO 63130. Various showtimes available. For more information, visit https://explor-

Award-nominated veteran R&B group and St. Louis favorite Jagged Edge will return to The Pageant. See CONCERTS for more information.

the book: ‘If you believe you can do it and practice, then you can do it’. “It’s such a beautiful thing that so many other people are attracted to the story like Jackie,” Parr said.

The adaptation of the book is where Thompson enters the picture. Thompson is intentional about honoring and celebrating local talent. She says the story is multi-layered in portraying perseverance and exploration.

Metro Theater hired Myah Gary, who had only five months, to turn ‘But What Can You Do?’ into a theater production. This is extraordinary because most playwrights need at least a year or two.

The process included

Mary

Continued from C1

stage.

He began to sing “Just a Friend” as the image of two chrome sculptures in an erotic embrace twirled on the screen behind him. He then moved into “How Do I Breathe” and the sculptures evaporated into bright turquoise rippling silk sheets.

Denim seemed to be the unspoken theme of the night. Many distressed and acid washed sets and jean jumpsuits could be seen rocking back and forth during his performance of “Music for Love.” The dancers then moved closer to Mario for his new single “Keep Going.” The sensual track released two months ago had choreography to match the content of the song. The audience gawked at the salacious moves as Mario led the dancers in a scene that was fit for the bedroom.

Three-time Grammy Award winner Neyo captivated the audience with a high energy set that was impeccably choreographed from start to finish. He danced in a black floorlength trench coat and pants to match. The look was topped off with a black cowboy hat and a stark white peasant-style button up shirt left slightly open. His grown-andsexy energy was in full effect with the look that was more seductive than audiences usually get from Ne-Yo.

His dancers, “The Miss Rights” took the stage while he sang “She Got Her Own” and “Miss Independent.” They also wore floor length trench coats. Underneath them were lace leotards with black, thigh high patent leather high heel boots and gloves to match that extended past their elbows.

Neyo played with a live band as well – which transitioned seamlessly from one song to the next. With this new look and the dancers behind him, his performance of “Because of You” and “Nobody,” created an even more sultry atmosphere. As the music segued into “One in a Million,” his dancers joined him with moves that resembled Michael Jackson. They were dressed in black pants and silver shoes to complete the look.

“Do You” was performed under a lone spotlight that merged into an array of blue as “Mad” began to play. The screen

conducting workshops, and surveying students, parents, teachers, and counselors to source materials and get the perspective of young students and parents about the play. “It feels cool and fun and amazing,” Gary said when talking about her book becoming a theater play.

Aloha Mischeaux, an “American Idol” season four top 24 finalist and entrepreneur, plays Ava.

The actors feel the play is a lifelong lesson for kids and adults to not beat themselves down about the things they don’t accomplish, but rather appreciate the goals they have been able to achieve.

“I want to make sure the play is both entertaining as well as true to the people I am portraying,” said Joshua Mayfield, who is playing Ava’s dad and pawpaw. Mayfield

says he’s honored to play characters that add richness to everyday African American life. Mischeaux also feels the experience of playing a nine-year-old girl has allowed the singer/actress to tap into her childhood experiences.

Parr says the entire production has come together divinely.

“We all have cartwheels to overcome,” Parr said. “We all have that one thing or two that we want to do,” said Parr.

Metro Theater Company’s presentation of ‘But What Can You Do?’ will run from March 26-March 30 at The Sun Theatre, 3625 Grandel Square, St. Louis MO 63108. For more information, visit www.metroplays. org

Three-time

then showed heavy rain with a feed of Ne-Yo that made it appear as if he was singing in the rain. The special effects added to the intensity – and seemed to encourage the audience to sing along louder. “Oh, baby, I know sometimes it’s gonna rain,” fans sang at the top of their lungs, turning Enterprise Center into a chorus of Ne-Yo background singers. “But baby, can we make up now ‘cause I can’t sleep through the pain.”

The woman of the hour emerged from a layer of smoke singing “Take Me As I Am” on the second stage positioned in the VIP section – which was decked out with plush couches and complimentary wine. The silhouette revealed a floor length seafoam fur coat with a matching encrusted bodysuit and, of course, her signature boots to match. The look was topped off with a wide-brim flat top hat in the same light seafoam color.

Blige marveled the crowd as she sang “A Dream” while floating across the audience from one stage to the next. She was met on the mainstage by her backup singers “The Mary Janes.” There was also a group of high energy dancers and a live band. The stage was framed by

started reliving their high school dance party days with their best “Nina Pop,” “Pancake” and other popular dance moves from that moment in music.

bright gold rims was near the bar. Another backdrop had “So St. Louis” being spray painted on a brick wall. In the middle was the official St. Louis City logo with 314 Day at the bottom. At the edges of this backdrop was a collection of Imo’s boxes, Vess sodas and Fitz root beer bottles. It also included Ted Drewes containers and a plethora of St. Louis sports imagery.

Getting the night started was DJ Duo playing several millennial favorites. “O Let’s Do It” by Waka Flocka was one of the first to get the audience singing along. Then he called out to the women by playing “I Need a Hot Girl.” “Flex” by The Party Boys motivated everyone to form small circles and show off their dance moves.

The crowd went crazy when STL rap diva Ebony Eyez performed “In Ya Face.” The crowd instantly

Da Bangazz also got the crowd hyped with “Ain’t No [EXPLETIVE] In Me.” Willie Moore Jr. –then known as Pretty Willie – was back in STL heartthrob mode for his set. Screams erupted the moment he started singing “She Got A Man At Home.” The song ended with the audience singing along with the chorus a capella. With hands still in the air, fans swayed and sang every word like it was 2002. The singing continued with “4 Walls” and “Lay Your Body Down.” By the time he closed the show with “Good Thang,” the audience was screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs and would meet him at the chorus with “... hold on and don’t let go.”

Crime Mob brought their club bangers to the stage after Willie did his thing. They kept the party going with “Stilettos

(Pumps)” getting all the ladies hyped before seamlessly transitioning into “I’ll Beat Yo [expletive].” The crowd bounced up and down to this song before again splitting into small dance circles for “Knuck If You Buck.”

Another STL classic packed out the dancefloor as the 314 Day love continued. When KOKO C’vere took to the stage to perform “Mobb Out,” the dance circles widened to make room for the signature move that shares the song’s name. Everyone in the building took advantage of the moment, and showcased originality with their own Mobb Out variations. Other highlights from the show included surprise performances by Shorty Da Prince as well as Kyjuan, Murphy Lee and Slo Down of the St. Lunatics. The party continued late into the night well after the storm passed as guests rediscovered songs and rekindled cherished memories.

two large hands, appearing ravaged, and holding a heavy crown. She began with songs for her day one fans. As she sang “Love No Limit”, “Mary Jane (All Night Long)” and “You Remind Me,” images of the Brooklyn Bridge projected behind her.

She cut to more recent songs like “Still Believe In Love” and “You Ain’t The Only One,” but quickly took the show back down memory lane again with “My Love.” Fans sang along and two-stepped in the aisles to her classic refrain. She used past media coverage as an opportunity to discuss some of her deepest insecurities – like not feeling pretty or smart enough – as they were displayed above the tattered hands and crown.

The moments were a reminder of Blige’s strength and resilience.

The crown backdrop faded into a recording studio that grew larger and filled with her awards and platinum records as she powered through her discography. The audience danced – some even came out of their shoes to continue the party. With the high energy and sensuality filling the room, the packed arena of mostly women left feeling sexier and more confident than ever.

Photo By Taylor Marrie

KOKO C’vere and special guests performing at St. Louis Nights held at The Hawthorn on 3/14/25.

Photos by RKNPHOTO/Courtesy of Live Nation

Grammy Award winner Neyo captivated the audience with a high energy set that was impeccably choreographed from start to finish. He

SLDC IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) is eagerly seeking candidates to join our team as we endeavor to bring economic justice to St. Louis City residents and communities that were disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

There are multiple 2-4-year limited term positions available, term of employment will vary for each position.

These positions will assist in the administration and implementation of various Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) Programs targeted for households, small businesses and communities adversely impacted by the pandemic.

All positions will be funded in whole or in part through an allocation of Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) from the US Department of the Treasury and the City of St. Louis’ Community Development Administration.

To apply online and see a full job description go to https://www.developstlouis.org/careers and then click “Open Positions & Apply Online.”

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Housing Partnership, Inc. is seeking an Executive Director who will be responsible for the management, development activities and strategic direction of the organization. For details go to www. TheHousingPartnershipSTL.org.

Please submit a resume to The Housing Partnership, Inc., P.O. Box 16356 St. Louis, Missouri 63125 or via email to patricia@thpstl.org Apply by Friday, April 4, 2025. An Equal Opportunity Employer.

SEALED BIDS

Bids for New Comfort Station at Swine Pavilion, Missouri State Fairgrounds (MSF), Sedalia, MO, Project No. F2406-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, April 10, 2025. Project information available at: http://oa.mo.gov/ facilities

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

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 March 28, 2025): 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.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The Hazelwood School District is seeking bid proposals to replace the current carpeted areas with rubber tiles at schools throughout the district.

Interested parties should submit their bid proposal through Vendor Registry via the district’s website at https://www. hazelwoodschools.org/ Page/2238 on or before Wednesday, April 3, 2025, not later than 11:00 a.m.

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Replace Windows at Waverly Regional Youth Center, Project No. H2401-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, April 10, 2025. Project information available at: http://oa.mo.gov/ facilities

PUBLIC NOTICE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL -DBE SUBCONTRACTORS

Wright Construction Services, Inc. is soliciting DBE subcontractors for the following project for the month of April 2025Relocation of AFM and SRE Facilities at St. Louis Lambert International Airport. To acquire plans and specs please call us at 636.220.6850. Please submit bids by April 14th, 2025 to Bids@ WrightConstruct.com

www.stlamerican.

CITY OF ST. LOUIS BOARD OF PUBLIC SERVICE

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AT RISK FOR NEW CONCOURSE AND TERMINAL PROGRAM AT ST. LOUIS LAMBERT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. Statements of Qualifications are due by 5:00 PM CT, FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2025 through the Bid Express online portal at https://www. bidexpress.com/ businesses/20618/home? agency=true. RFQ may be obtained from the BPS website https://www.stlouis-mo. gov/government/ departments/public-service/ bps-online-plan-room.cfm under OnLine Plan Room-Plan Room, or call Board of Public Service at 314-589-6214. DBE participation goals are to be determined.

INVITATION TO BID JENNINGS SCHOOL DISTRICT

BID #25-01 MARQUEE AND SCOREBOARD

Notice is hereby given that the Jennings School District will receive sealed bids clearly marked “Bid #25-01 Marquee and Scoreboard Project” on or before 2:00 P.M. CDT, Thursday April 8, 2025 to Jennings Public School Administration, Attn: Joe Key, 2559 Dorwood Dr, St. Louis, MO 63136. There will be a public opening of the bids immediately following at the Jennings School District Central Office.

Documents will be available Monday March 24, 2025 by emailing the district’s owner representative Tiesha Smith at: tiesha@navigatebuildingsolutions.com

There will be one (1) bid package associated with this bid. Please reference the detailed scope of work narrative provided in the bid documents. Prospective contractors are highly encouraged to attend the pre-bid meeting that will be held on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at 10:30 am CST at the Jennings School District Central Office, 2559 Dorwood Dr. St. Louis, MO 63136. In the event of inclement weather, an alternative location may be provided.

The School District reserves the right to reject any and all submittals, or to advertise for new submittals if deemed necessary.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

The Leadership School is accepting proposals for contracting out the Food Service Program with a Fixed Price contract for the 2025-2026 school year. Request for Proposals are due by 5:00p on Wednesday April 2, 2025.

For questions and bid specifications, please contact the Whitney Hooks at 314-492-2301.

INVITATION TO BID

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. requests bids from qualified contractors for:

Phelps Health Emergency Department Addition

For the following scopes of work:

Mechanical (Plumbing/HVAC/ T&B), Electrical & Low Voltage, Earthwork and Site Utilities

The new addition will be approximately 63,000 SF and includes a fully fit-out Emergency Department, shelled spaces and support areas.

BID DATE:

April 8, 2025 by 2:00 PM CDT

Bid Documents will be available by 3/20/25. All contractors interested in this project must contact Mary Peterein via email at: mpeterein@mccarthy.com

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. 12851 Manchester Road | St. Louis, MO 63131

REQUEST FOR BIDS

PARIC Corporation (GC) is requesting bids for the Relocation of Airfield Maintenance (AFM) and Snow Removal Equipment (SRE) Facilities at St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

The proposed Work includes Construction of a new 35-acre campus with (2) main buildings built upon the land totaling 230,000 sq ft of enclosed space. For mor information on this project please contact Trena Alexander (TALexander@paric.com).

Proposals are due on April 11th at 3:00pm CST. We request that you send in your scope clarification with inclusions and exclusions by April 10th at 10:00am CST.

The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation goal for this Letting is 20%. DBE firms must be certified and listed in the Missouri Regional Certification Committee (MRCC) DBE Directory as of the bid opening date and listed here: https://flystl. diversitycompliance.com.

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.

INSECTARIUM

SOLAR PANEL INSTALLATION RFP 2025

The Saint Louis Zoo seeks bids from qualified firms to submit proposals. Bid documents are available as of 3/19/25 on the Saint Louis Zoo website: stlzoo.org/vendor

PUBLIC NOTICE

Donald Maggi Inc. is accepting bids from Disadvantaged Business Enterprises for subcontracting opportunities on the 2025 Parking Lot Maintenance and Repair project in Rolla MO Project No.: RC000796 Bid Date and Time: 1:00 pm Friday, March 28, 2025 Plans/Specification is available via email/ dropbox or www. adsplanroom.com Contact Donald Maggi Inc. at 573-364-7733 or email maggiconst@gmail. com

NOTICE TO CONSULTANTS

The St. Louis County Department of Transportation is requesting the services of a highly-qualified consulting engineering firm to perform professional engineering services for the On-Call Transportation Engineering Services project (St. Louis County project number TBD).

Full details for this project, including submittal requirements and deadline, will be available on March 17, 2025 from the St. Louis County Vendor Self-Service portal: https:// stlouiscountymovendors. munisselfservice.com/ Vendors/default.aspx

SEALED BIDS

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Anti-Ligature Upgrades, Multiple Assets at Fulton State Hospital, Project No. M231201, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, April 17, 2025. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Replace Fire Alarm Panels and Devices, Hawthorn Childrens Psychiatric Hospital, St. Louis, MO, Project No. M241401 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, April 15, 2025. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

CITY OF ST. LOUIS OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS – YOUTH VIOLENCE INTERRUPTION PROGRAMMING

The City of St. Louis Office of Violence Prevention invites proposals from qualified nonprofits for youth violence interruption programming to reduce youth-involved violence through community-based intervention strategies, conflict resolution, and mentorship programs. The RFP may be found online at: https://tinyurl.com/ovp-rfp

For inquiries, contact Cynthia Davis at violence-prevention@stlouis-mo.gov or (314) 299-2196.

Submission Deadline: March 31, 2025, at 11:59 PM CST. Late proposals will not be accepted.

Bids for Retaining Wall Replacement WMMHCBM, Project No. M240701 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, March 20, 2025. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

Prayer, protest continue during the Easter season

By Dorothy Boulware Word In Black

As Easter approaches on April 20, 2025, faithful Christians worldwide are using the holy season of Christ’s journey from sacrifice to resurrection to demand protection for vulnerable people around the world — and justice for marginalized people in the U.S.

The National Council of Churches sent a Lenten letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, himself an evangelical Christian, urging him to remember Christ’s teachings and use his power to protect innocents in Gaza.

Repairers Of The Breach, a faith organization led by activist Bishop William J. Barber II, led an Ash Wednesday protest march to the Capitol and the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.

The bishop delivered a letter calling on the nation to “address the negative effects of the Trump administration’s executive orders, the budget plans in Congress and efforts to obtain personal information of the public, which directly impacts the poor and working people.”

In a story on the Religion News Service website, Jack Jenkins reported that the crowd included “Jewish, mainline Christian and Black Protestant clergy in full vestments carrying the open letter calling for repentance and activism. Barber criticized the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine the 14th Amendment and pass a budget that includes dramatic cuts to programs including Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

“We write today because we are clear that the only way that wannabe kings can be kings is if we bow,” Barber said.

“But bowing is not in our DNA. It is not in our souls, it is not in our spirits, and we will not bow. What they are about to

do with the budget is the most dangerous thing that’s going on in this country right now.

“We know the people of this country. We have blessed their babies, listened to their confessions, buried their dead, and celebrated the values they hold dear. Our political leaders have bowed in fear to the tyranny of technology; by doing so, they have ceased to represent us.”

The Rev. Amanda Hendler Voss, pastor of the First United Church of Christ in Washington, said with conviction, “This administration says, ‘America first,’ but Jesus said, ‘What you do to the least of these, you do unto me.”

This administration calls migrants criminals, but the Bible says, ‘Love the migrant among you, for you were once strangers.’ This administration says only the strong survive, but the Good Book says God chose what is weak in this world to shame the strong. So don’t get it twisted: The acts of this administration have nothing to do with the way of Jesus.”

Sojourners, another faithbased nonprofit in Washington, is continuing a series of vigils at the Capitol for peace and justice. The Faithful Wednesday Witness events, in conjunction with the Washington Interfaith Staff Community and dozens of partners, began on Ash Wednesday, March 5.

Sojourners President Adam Russell Taylor said in an email that the U.S. “faces an escalating constitutional crisis fueled by the Trump administration’s overreach and unconstitutional actions.”

Failing leadership in the Republican-controlled Congress “has allowed this crisis to grow, as it cedes its role as a co-equal branch of government,” he said. “The faith community has a unique opportunity to raise a prophetic and pastoral call,

and bullets made in America.

urging Congressional leaders to act.”

Christ’s selfless example seems more relevant than ever at a time when the Trump administration is making draconian cuts to government — hacking away at global and domestic programs intended to help the sick, the poor and people of color. Meanwhile, women, children and civilians are dying in Gaza with bombs

“God never tires of forgiving us,” Pope Francis has said. “We are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.”

The National Council of Churches held an ecumenical prayer online seminar to focus on lament, repentance, and renewal. But it also reached out to Rubio, the nation’s top diplomat, calling on him to heed the Bible’s call for justice and compassion — even for the least of these.

“The Christian faith teaches, ‘From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required, and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded,’” the letter stated. As Christians,

“our shared values compel us to help and not hurt the most vulnerable in our midst, which includes our global neighbors.”

It is “astounding and shameful” for the U.S. to abandon its responsibilities and commitments as a protector around the world, according to the letter. Instead, it states, the government is complicit in harming “the most vulnerable in the world, withholding lifesaving food and medicine from children.”

The letter is referring to Israel’s decision to block humanitarian aid to Palestinians as a negotiating tactic in its war with Hamas in Gaza.

Photo by Jack Jenkins / Religion News Service

The Rev. William Barber spoke during an Ash Wednesday demonstration against the Trump administration on Capitol Hill, March 5, 2025, in Washington.