May 28th, 2026 edition

New generation of STL leadership honored

St. Louis American See story A5, photos B6-B8

The

MAY 28 – JUNE 3, 2026

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

stlamerican.com

Vol. 98 No. 7 COMPLIMENTARY

Larry Hughes developing peak performers Retired NBA player Larry Hughes leads students through basketball instruction at Lift For Life Academy’s elementary school as part of Developing Peak Performers, an after-school program that uses athletics, academics and mentorship to expand opportunities for St. Louis youth.

Photo courtesy of The AP

Photo courtesy of Lauryn Hughes, Developing Peak Performers.

L

By Ashley Winters St. Louis American arry Hughes remembers the kinds of choices many families in St. Louis have to make — deciding which activities they can afford and which opportunities their children have to miss.

That reality, he said, pushed him to create something different: a program where cost would not stand in the way of participation and where basketball could be used to teach lessons beyond the court.

That idea became Developing Peak Performers, an after-school initiative launched through his Foundation for Success. The program began in March at Lift For Life Academy’s elementary

See Hughes, A12

INSIDE READER’S CHOICE

Reader’s Choice listings inside The time is now to let your voices be heard. The nominations for everything best in St. Louis can be found on two pages inside. Find your favorite and cast your vote.

~ Pages A10-11 ~

SPORTS

Collegiate captures first state title The Owls won the Class 3 state championship at the Missouri State High School Activities Association state meet in Jefferson City. It was the program’s first state championship.

~ Page B5 ~

Former NBA player’s initiative blends basketball, academics

Jazz icon Sonny Rollins dies at 95

By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American

strengthen support systems for pregnant women and families. Opponents contend it would expand public support for organizations critics say often discourage abortion while diverting resources from broader anti-poverty and health care programs.

The Missouri Senate Committee on Economic Development is reviewing

See Anti-abortion, A12

See Rollins, A12

Missouri proposal boosts anti-abortion center funding

Critics call Missouri’s proposed pregnancy-center tax credits a backdoor boost for anti-abortion groups.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

Missouri lawmakers are considering legislation that would expand tax credits for donations to pregnancy resource centers, organizations closely associated with the anti-abortion movement that have become increasingly influential in Missouri since the fall of Roe v. Wade.

Supporters say the proposal would

The great improviser

There are musicians who play instruments, and then there was Sonny Rollins.

He played, stretched, bent and reshaped his tenor saxophone into a language that was unmistakably his.

While Dexter Gordon is often credited with translating Charlie Parker’s breakneck phrasing to the tenor horn, Rollins used Bird’s blueprint to build an entirely new vocabulary. And for nearly eight decades, he spoke it fluently.

Rollins died Monday, May 25, at his home in Woodstock, New York. He was 95.

He spent his life excavating the creative possibility inside his horn.

His best discoveries happened in “Any instrureal time, right in ment eventufront of the people ally gets to the who came to hear point where it him. His improbecomes a part visations were legendary not of the person because they were playing it.” long, but because they were alive.

— Musician In “Saxophone Sonny Rollins Colossus,” Robert Mugge’s documentary — named after one of Rollins’ essential albums — about his life and legacy, Rollins said, “Any instrument eventually gets to the point where it becomes a part of the person playing it.”

One solo in the film stretches nearly 15 minutes.

Born Theodore Walter Rollins on Sept.

7, 1930, he was the youngest of three siblings in a Harlem household shaped by parents who had emigrated from the Virgin Islands. He grew up in central Harlem and on Sugar Hill. He started on piano, then moved to alto saxophone when the instrument was gifted to him as a child.

“My mother gave me my first saxophone, an alto saxophone, when I was seven years old,” Rollins told JazzTimes in a 2024 interview. “I got the saxophone, and I went into the bedroom and I started

Anti-abortion support expands

By Sylvester Brown Jr. St. Louis American

Sonny Rollins receives a National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama during a ceremony at the White House in 2011.

Editorial / Commentary

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • MAY 28 – JUNE 3, 2026

Guest Editorial

Mississippi’s lesson in literacy “A literacy law is an equity law, so states must make a bold stand and say they want this science-based approach. State education agencies should walk in their authority and ensure that their teachers are equipped, knowledgeable, and empowered to teach children how to read from the first day of class. That way, all states can start to see improvements in reading, the kind which will enable their students to enjoy the lifelong benefits of a quality education.”

— Kymyona Burk

Today, Mississippi Black 4th graders rank 3rd in the nation in reading and math scores among their peers.

A recent viral video that showed high The law has become a model across school students struggling to read words the nation and a reminder that investing below their grade level garnered millions in the future of our children is a of views. choice, and a choice that every The kids who mispronounced city and state should make. the word “silhouette” and failed Improved literacy has a direct to sound out “gauche” became correlation to life outcomes, the butt of jokes and the subject political participation, and critical of conversations about the future thinking; a skill that experts say of our country being “cooked.” will not only be in demand, but But for our movement, it was a essential in the artificial intellicall to double down on our work gence economy. to ensure that every child is ready Columnist To put it plainly, we cannot for work and life, and that starts Marc Morial afford to raise another generation with reading. of young people who cannot As we assess ways to improve our read. We can no longer cite the pandemic education programs, like Project Ready, and state budget deficits as excuses to which provides on-site services to supfail our young people. plement what students learn A more literate America in the classroom, we can look is a more competitive one. no further than Mississippi When our children succeed in As we assess for a model of excellence. school and can participate in Just over a decade ago, ways to our economy and our future, Mississippi ranked at the bot- improve our they feel a sense of pride and tom of national K-12 educahave a vision for their lives tion, sitting at 48th in on-time education programs...we can that goes beyond the limitagraduation, attendance, and tions too often imposed on reading proficiency. Rather look no further than accepting a system that than Mississippi them.

The Urban League left students behind, it got for a model of applauds Mississippi’s cometo work. In 2013, the state back story. It will continue excellence. passed the Literacy-Based to support our affiliates, state Promotion Act. The law superintendents, and leaders brought the “science of readwho are fighting to stop our ing” to every classroom and children from being the butt of cruel provided teachers with literacy coaches jokes and instead celebrate them as the to help fill skill gaps, focusing on stuguardians of our future. dents in K-3.

12 years later, the state ranks number Editor’s Note: The Missouri legisla1 in reading and math gains since 2013 ture debated but failed to vote on similar and number 9 in the nation in 4th-grade legislation during its recently ended sesreading scores, according to the National sion.

Assessment of Educational Progress.

Marc Morial is president and CEO of For Black students, the impact was even the National Urban League. greater.

By Marc Morial

St. Louis American stlamerican.com

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

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

Commentary

We must have empathy for all victims Seeing the humanity of people often overlooked

workers risking death daily. The children orphaned before Western audiences began paying close attention.

The most dangerous bias in the media If dozens of Africans die before today is not necessarily partisan bias.

America notices, what does that say Most Americans already expect that. about whose suffering the world has been Conservatives expect liberal slants. conditioned to value?

Progressives expect conservative framThis pattern is not new. ing. We have almost become numb to When missing persons cases involve ideological spin. attractive young White women, covWhat is far more troubling is a differerage often becomes relentless and ent kind of bias: the quiet, subtle, deeply wall-to-wall. Missing Black children ingrained bias that determines whose and women frequently receive only a pain matters most. fraction of the attention — a disparity so Two recent stories brought that reality well documented it has its own into sharp focus. name: “Missing White Woman In San Diego, three innocent Syndrome.” people were murdered in a shootWhen addiction devastated ing carried out by teenagers at a predominantly White rural commosque. Yet much of the national munities, media narratives shifted coverage quickly pivoted toward toward public health and compasunderstanding the perpetrators — sion. During earlier urban crack their backgrounds, mental health epidemics that ravaged Black struggles, online radicalization, Columnist communities, the dominant framfamily dynamics and warning ing was crime, punishment and Frances signs.

‘Toni’ Draper incarceration.

Certainly, understanding vioThe question is not whether lence matters. Prevention matters. journalists care.

Many do.

Context matters.

The question is whether newsrooms But somewhere in the coverage, the fully recognize the unconscious hierarchy victims began to disappear. that can shape storytelling.

Three human beings lost their lives.

Whose humanity gets centered?

Families were shattered. Worshippers Whose background gets explored with watched their sacred space become a empathy? crime scene. Yet too much of the storyMedia framing matters because it telling centered on the shooters rather shapes public compassion. Compassion than the people whose lives were stolen. influences policy. Policy influences Why does that happen so often?

Why do some victims become second- resources, funding, policing, healthcare and ultimately survival itself. ary characters in their own tragedy?

The press does more than report realiThe second example is global but ty. It signals value. equally revealing.

This is precisely why diverse ownThe Ebola outbreak now spreading ership and diverse newsrooms matter. through the Democratic Republic of Communities that tell their own stories Congo and Uganda has already killed are far more likely to fully humanize the scores of Africans and infected hundreds people inside those stories. more. The World Health Organization The challenge before American jourhas declared it a global public health nalism is not simply to report faster or emergency. And yet many American louder. It is to report more fairly — with headlines intensified only after reports equal humanity. emerged that an American citizen had It is whether we can fully see the contracted the disease. humanity of people the world too often To be clear: every life matters, includoverlooked. ing that American life.

Frances “Toni” Draper is publisher But so do the Ugandan nurses. The of the AFRO American Newspapers.

Congolese families. The African health

By Frances “Toni” Draper

Commentary

The shackles that still bind America

cobbled shoes. He preached. He kept a lighthouse on the same point of land where the patriot’s plantation once stood.

My grandmother was born in 1916 on In 1879, the people of Prince George the same red Virginia ground where her and Surry counties elected him to the grandfather was born enslaved. She lived Virginia House of Delegates as part of the to be 105. She carried the weight of what most successful biracial coalition in the her family had been to my family — and 19th-century South. to itself — the way you carry a stone you Black voters and White allies briefly cannot put down. When she died, the built one of the South’s most ambitious stone passed to me.

Reconstruction governments.

I went looking.

The Danville Massacre of 1883 What I found was a paradox ended that coalition with bullets. written in blood.

The argument went unfinished The man Thomas Jefferson again. called “the most learned and logIt is unfinished still. ical” of the founding generation Last June, the president fedwas my fifth great-grandfather, eralized California National Richard Bland. In 1766 he wrote Guardsmen and active-duty that Parliament’s fleets and Marines and sent them into Los armies might give it power, but Columnist Angeles over the governor’s not right. He wrote that shackles, objection. A federal judge ruled it Ben Jealous however nicely polished, would violated the Posse Comitatus Act. never sit easy on free men. He Patrick Henry warned of exactly this in was Jefferson’s cousin and political 1788, using almost the same words. mentor. He helped invent the American The Fourth Amendment was written argument. because British officers used general He owned 30 human beings. warrants — blank checks to In 1769, during Jefferson’s search any home, any paper, first session in the House of any person. In 2024, the Fifth Burgesses, he asked his menIt was unfinCircuit ruled that geofence tor, Bland, to introduce a bill making it easier for masters ished in 1776. warrants, which sweep up the data of everyone near a crime to free enslaved people. Bland Unfinished scene, are “modern-day generdid as Jefferson asked. in 1865. al warrants” forbidden by the He kept his 30 slaves. He Unfinished Constitution. died still holding them.

The 1033 Program has in 1965. It is That is the strange conpoured billions of dollars of tradiction of the founding. unfinished military gear into local police A man who understood that now. departments. Breonna Taylor government without consent was killed in her bed. Amir is tyranny could not break the Locke was killed in his sleep. shackles in his own house. He Both died during no-knock indicted himself with his own police raids. argument. So did Jefferson. So did every The patriot understood the principle Virginia patriot who signed his name to and could not live by it. His descendant natural rights while holding title to anothlived it and was outvoted by force. My er human being. grandmother carried the weight of that They wrote the creed anyway. They unfinished business her whole life. knew it would destabilize them. And It was unfinished in 1776. Unfinished the argument they could not finish was in 1865. Unfinished in 1965. picked up by the people they would not It is unfinished now. free.

And it is ours to finish.

A hundred years later, the great-greatBen Jealous is a professor of practice grandson of the man they would not at the University of Pennsylvania and forfree left the place of his enslavement as mer president and CEO of the NAACP. a teenager and never looked back. He

By Ben Jealous

Donald M. Suggs Publisher ADMINISTRATION Dina M. Suggs – Sr. Vice President Julie Erickson – Chief Operating Officer Raven Whitener – Director, The St. Louis American Foundation and Special Events Reba Smith – Executive Assistant-Coordinator EDITORIAL Rod Hicks – Executive Editor Alvin A. Reid – City Editor Kenya Vaughn – Arts and Entertainment Editor Earl Austin Jr. – Sports Editor Denise Hooks – Anderson, M.D., – Medical Accuracy Editor Lawrence Bryant – Visual Journalist Sylvester Brown Jr. – Deaconess Advocacy Fellow Ashley Winters – Assistant Editor, Community Editor Zaria Mac – RAC St. Louis reporter Taylor Marrie – RAC St. Louis Photographer / Videographer

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Fred Sweets • Ellen Sweets PRODUCTION Mike Terhaar – Art Director DIGITAL Dawn Suggs – Digital Director James LeBine – Multimedia Specialist Courtney Thompson – Digital Editor SALES Pam Simmons – Senior Account Executive Angelita F. Houston – Classified Manager Ashley Simmons – Account Executive

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

The largest weekly newspaper in Missouri

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

“Failure is a necessary part of the process. If you’re not falling from time to time, then baby, you’re not jumping high enough.”

— Actor and St. Louis native Sterling K. Brown, to Tulane University graduates

News

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MAY 28 – JUNE 3, 2026

Berry outlines vision for trust, stability, growth at SLPS

By Ashley Winters St. Louis American

focused on rebuilding trust, improving transparency and strengthening neighborhood schools.

Berry spoke with The St. Louis American about stabilizing the district, rebuilding public trust and her plans for the future of SLPS.

After months of leadership turnover and growing scrutiny from state officials, St. Louis Public Schools is entering another transition period under newly appointed Superintendent St. Louis Dr. Myra American: Berry. is your The disBerry takes over What plan for trict’s Board as the district dealing with of Education faces declinvacant school voted unanbuildings and imously ing enrollment, possible school last month vacant school closures? to appoint buildings, Dr. Myra Berry after financial presBerry: We are she served as developing a sures and an interim superplan to reshape intendent folupcoming secthe district lowing the firond-phase state around the ing of former Superintendent audit examining needs of the community. district operaMillicent That includes Borishade in tions. looking at how October. buildings can Berry takes be better utiover as the lized — whethdistrict faces er that means reopening declining enrollment, schools in neighborhoods vacant school buildings, where enrollment and financial pressures and an demand have grown, or upcoming second-phase partnering with developers state audit examining on projects that benefit district operations. Since families and the commu2022, several leaders have nity. For example, we cycled through the superintendent’s office, contrib- are exploring attainable housing opportunities for uting to instability across teachers, families and even the district. unhoused families. We A more than 20-year have three plans that we veteran of SLPS who are going to present to a began her career as a small committee in June. special education teacher at Turner Middle School, American: How do Berry said the district is

Dr. Myra Berry speaks after being announced as the permanent superintendent of St. Louis Public Schools on April 9.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

you plan to rebuild trust between SLPS and the community?

Berry: For too long, the district operated in isolation, but internally, we understand we cannot do this alone. Rebuilding trust starts with communication and transparency. We are not in a space where we can be anything but transparent because of what has happened in the past. We have to build trust through community input and engaging directly with our SLPS families.

American: How do you plan to stabilize the dis-

trict’s finances?

Berry: The district plans to ask voters to approve a $200 million tax-free bond issue on April 27, which Berry says would allow SLPS to reinvest in schools and neighborhoods without seeking additional funding beyond that request. In the past, bond issues focused on things like stair treads or windows. Now we want to show how we are going to rebuild our district. I want the community to see where their tax dollars are going. The district is also building partnerships across the community to

help invest in SLPS and restore confidence in how resources are managed.

American: What are your plans to attract more families and make the district more appealing?

Berry: My longterm vision is for SLPS to become a district of choice, where families feel confident sending their children to any school in the system. One goal is ensuring every graduating senior has access to an internship opportunity that could help offset college expenses and eventually connect

students back to careers in St. Louis. Every school should be just as good as the school down the street or across the Delmar Divide. That means every school has to be well-resourced. Community feedback will play a major role in shaping what families want and need from neighborhood schools.

American: What is your strategy for improving literacy and academic performance?

Berry: Literacy will remain one of the district’s central priorities, with an increased focus on phonics instruction and early reading intervention. We need to make sure that by the time students reach third and fourth grade, they have everything they need to become successful readers American: What other approaches are you taking to improve staff recruitment and retention?

Berry: SLPS is working to change perceptions about the district and highlight the strength of its educators. We are really trying to get people to want to work for SLPS. I would put our teachers up against any teacher across the state. I’ve seen the magic they are doing in classrooms. We have some wonderful educators, and we also need the community to understand just how dynamic our teachers are.

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • MAY 28 – JUNE 3, 2026

News Briefs

Commentary

An unfilled educational promise

shaped by segregated housing patterns and unequal tax bases. Schools serving Black students are more likely to experience Seventy-two years ago, the Supreme staffing shortages, aging facilities, fewer Court issued its ruling in Brown v. advanced courses and harsher disciplinary Board of Education, declaring that sepasystems. rate educational facilities are inherently And here lies the contradiction. Many of unequal. For generations of Black famthe same political voices lamenting declinilies, Brown represented more than a ing educational outcomes are simultaneously legal decision. It represented aspiration, attacking the institutions that help students validation and possibility. It affirmed learn. They denounce falling test scores a simple but transformative principle: while censoring history, restricting honest Black children deserved access to the conversations about race, undermining full promise of American education. teachers, weakening diversity initiatives and That promise remains unfinished. reducing educational resources for students This year, Brown Day arrived during who need them most. The ongoing a season of commencements weakening of the U.S. Department and reflection. On May 16, of Education sends a chilling mes2026, Bennett College celsage about national priorities. ebrated its centennial comWe cannot claim to value excelmencement, honoring 100 lence while starving the conditions years of Black women pursuthat make excellence possible. ing excellence against extraorDeclining scores do not dinary odds. As Bennett’s 15th emerge in isolation. Hunger president from 2007 to 2012, affects learning. Housing instabilI was especially honored to ity affects learning. Underfunded return for the centennial celschools affect learning. Poverty ebration and witness another Julianne and inequality affect learning. generation of Black women Malveaux Educational outcomes reflect the stepping boldly into their conditions under which children futures. live.

To stand on Bennett’s campus was This is why HBCUs remain so important. to witness the power of educational Institutions like Bennett continue to nurture persistence — generations of women Black intellect, cultivate leadership and who insisted on learning, leadership affirm Black humanity, often while operatand achievement even when the nation ing with fewer resources than predominantly offered them unequal schools, unequal white institutions. They remain places where resources and unequal expectations. students are encouraged not simply to surThat history matters because we are vive, but to excel. once again debating the meaning and Many HBCU graduations also occur purpose of education in America. near Mother’s Day, and that connection We hear constant alarm about declinshould not be overlooked. Behind countless ing test scores, learning loss, teacher graduates stands a mother or grandmother shortages and struggling schools. But who stretched limited resources, worked too often these conversations avoid the exhausting hours, deferred her own dreams deeper question: Who actually receives a quality education in America, and who and insisted that education mattered. Black educational achievement has always been does not?

Brown rested on a radical premise for sustained not only by institutions, but also by sacrifice. its time — that Black children deserved Brown opened doors. America has yet to the same educational investment as decide whether it is truly committed to what white children. Not leftover resources.

Not overcrowded classrooms. Not crum- lies beyond them: equal opportunity, equal investment and equal possibility. bling facilities. Not diminished expectations. Equal opportunity.

Julianne Malveaux, a former college Yet decades later, educational president, is an economist, author and cominequality remains deeply embedded in mentator based in Washington, D.C. American life. School districts are still

By Julianne Malveaux

Photo courtesy of ARCHS

ARCHS awards $412,000 for free summer camps

Area Resources for Community and Human Services, known as ARCHS, has awarded $412,000 to 14 agencies to provide free summer camp programs for more than 1,040 low-income children and teens across 17 St. Louis-area sites this summer.

The camps, scheduled for June and July, will serve youth ages 6 to 17 and include academic enrichment, recreation, life-skills programming and meals. ARCHS officials said the programs also help families facing child care and food-access challeng-

es during the summer months.

Grant recipients include Annie Malone Children & Family Services, Better Family Life, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis, Communities First, Gene Slay Girls and Boys Club, Jennings School District, Lifewise STL, Mentors In Motion, New Avenue, Northside Youth and Senior Services, Salvation Army, Sprog Inc./Horizons, The Sophia Project and Wesley House Association.

Deposition revives scrutiny of Gardner administration

ing shortages and relentless political opposition — rather than personal financial misconduct — contributed to her 2023 resignation

Former St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner was deposed by state legal ethics investigators as part of a disciplinary inquiry into allegations she misused public funds, according to transcripts recently unsealed by St. Louis Magazine.

The March deposition focused on accusations that Gardner improperly used taxpayer money from her office’s contingent fund to reimburse herself for fines and court costs tied to a Missouri Supreme Court reprimand over her office’s troubled 2018 prosecution of former Gov. Eric Greitens.

Under oath, the city’s first Black circuit attorney defended her turbulent tenure, arguing that severe staff-

North County pool among closures tied to budget cuts A North St. Louis County public pool that serves the Normandy area near the University of Missouri-St. Louis will remain closed this summer as the county scales back operations following budget cuts.

The pool at St. Vincent Community Center in North County, and another at Kennedy Recreation Center in South County, did not open with the start of swim season because of aging infrastructure, recurring leaks and mounting repair costs, county officials said.

B1 B1

Business Business

MAY 28 – JUNE 3, 2026 A5

AUG. 28 – SEPT. 3, 2025

Refinancing readiness

Business Spotlight

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Photo by Derik Holtmann / University Missouri St. Louis

Navigating the process in today’s market

D

JPMorgan Chase epending on where you are in your homeownership journey, refinancing your mortgage can be an effective strategy to help you meet your financial goals.

Refinancing may help you save money over time or add money back to your monthly budget if you score a lower interest rate. And depending on the type of refinance you choose, you could also borrow against your home’s equity to pay down debt or make a major purchase.

Understanding when and why a refinance might make sense is the first step toward getting the most from this financial tool. There are also different types of refinances to consider, and one might work better for your goals than another.

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PEOPLE

What is refinancing?

On The Move

Refinancing replaces your current mortgage with a new one—usually with a new rate and/ or terms. It can often also come with a new set of closing costs. It may also come with a new lender.

So when does it make sense to refinance? You might want to consider a refinance if you want to:

Twinda Murry named new education director

• Change the loan length or lower your monthly payments See Refinancing, A6 See LIBRARY, A6

New generation of STL leadership honored

The St. Louis American Foundation celebrates its 15th class of Young Leaders

Midland States Bank promotes Lurry, Allen

By Zaria Mac St. Louis American Young leaders across St. Louis involved in service, entrepreneurship and community leadership took the spotlight last week as The St. Louis American Foundation hosted its 15th annual Salute to Young Leaders Awards This year, 22 Reception.

This year, 22 honorees were honorees were recognized for recognized for work spanning work spanning advocacy, busi- advocacy, business, nonprofit ness, nonprofit leadership and leadership and community orgacommunity nizing — reflectorganizing. ing a generation of young professionals helping shape St. Louis through innovation, public service and entrepreneurship.

“What we saw across this cohort of honorees was a deep commitment to the city through advocacy, nonprofit and corporate leadership, creating opportunities for others and entrepreneurship,” said Raven Whitener, director of The St.

The Chamber Music Society of St. Louis has appointed Twinda Murry as director of education, overseeing the organization’s Chamber Academy and music education programs.

Murry spent 34 years teaching orchestra in the Hazelwood, Rockwood, Webster Twinda Groves and Ladue Murry school districts. In Ladue, she helped expand student participation in the district’s orchestra program and supported multiple Missouri All-State Orchestra selections.

The 2026 Salute to Young Leader awardees.

Louis American Foundation. “They are helping create change, and that’s what makes this night important.”

The event, held May 21 at Four Seasons Hotel, drew civic leaders, entrepreneurs, elected officials and families celebrating the honorees’ achievements.

Among those honored was Jessica Anderson, known professionally as “Jess Live,” co-founder of Juxtapose

Photos by Taylor Marie / St. Louis American

1764, a public relations and brand development firm focused on supporting businesses and creatives.

“I’m so blessed to be here,” Anderson said. “It means a lot to be chosen to represent the community and the St. Louis American Foundation.”

Known to radio listeners through her work on 96.3 R&B for the Lou and Hot See Leaders, A6

Midland States Bank has appointed Cornell D. Lurry Sr., community economic development director over St. Louis and Illinois and Maurice Allen, regional community development relationship manager for St. Louis and Southern Illinois.

Lurry’s 20-plus year career includes financial and banking management Cornell experience in cusLurry tomer relations, business banking, employee development, financial planning, management, regulatory compliance, sales, and training with extensive consumer and residential lending.

Allen develops and implements ways for finanMaurice cial institutions, Allen non-profit organizations, and companies to progress economic and social conditions of local communities. This includes educating the community about finances, credit, assets, and wealth building to help reach financial success.

Promotion, board appointment, new hire, award...please submit your People on the Move item (including photo) to areid@stlamerican.com.

A6

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • MAY 28 – JUNE 3, 2026

Business Briefs UMSL launches leadership institute The University of Missouri-St. Louis is launching a new Leadership Institute aimed at expanding executive education and workforce development efforts across the region.

The institute will serve as a hub for leadership training, social impact initiatives and professional development programs for business, nonprofit and community leaders, according to the university. Existing programs, including the St. Louis Coro Fellows Program and NextGen Leaders Program,

Leaders Continued from A5 104.1, Anderson said her faith has helped guide her through both successes and setbacks.

“My faith is one of the key components of how I move forward,” she said.

“There are times when I feel disappointed in myself, but I trust in God.” Her mother, Valesa Anderson, watched proudly from the audience.

“She’s so much more than what people see,” she said. “People only see the fruit — they don’t see it when it’s growing.”

The evening’s keynote address came from Orvin Kimbrough, chairman and CEO of Midwest BankCentre, who urged honorees to recognize the influence they carry in their workplaces and com-

Refinancing Continued from A5 • Secure a better or lower interest rate to save on monthly payments • Switch from an adjustable-rate mortgage to a fixed-rate one.

• Change the loan type to remove mortgage insurance costs • Access your home equity to fund home improvements, buying another property, or consolidate debt.

will operate under the new structure.

Reggie Hill, UMSL’s vice chancellor for strategic enrollment and career advancement, said the initiative is intended to connect emerging and established leaders with leadership training, networking opportunities and workforce-focused programming tied to regional economic needs.

Racial Healing fund awards tornado grants Seven St. Louis organizations will receive a combined $70,000 in grants to

support ongoing tornado recovery efforts in North St. Louis, leaders of the St. Louis Regional Racial Healing + Justice Fund announced.

The one-time crisis response grants were awarded to 314Oasis, 4theVille, Action St. Louis, Black Healers Collective, Dream Builders for Equity, Chosen For Change and St. James AME Church. Fund leaders said the groups were selected for their work organizing cleanup efforts, distributing resources and supporting residents after the May 16, 2025 tornado that heavily damaged parts of North St. Louis.

The grants are intended

munities.

“Whatever you do — whether in business, nonprofit or government — do not underestimate the power of your seat,” Kimbrough said. “Your position gives you a chance to open doors, build bridges and shift narratives about what is possible.”

He also encouraged honorees to lead authentically.

“Do not shrink,” Kimbrough said. “Don’t hide your gifts. Do not wait for someone else to give you permission to occupy your space.”

Throughout the evening, attendees applauded as KSDK reporter Melanie Johnson introduced honorees and highlighted their professional and community work.

After the formal program, the evening shifted into a celebration featur-

ing music from DJ PBN Jeffy, a fragrance bar by Le Luxe STL and a coffee-and-floral installation curated by Latte Lounge.

Early-2000s songs like “Bird Walk,” “Shoulder Lean” and “Photo Shoot” filled the ballroom as honorees posed for photos, reconnected with friends and celebrated with family members.

“The St. Louis American Foundation knows how to make someone feel seen and celebrated,” said Valerie Hughes, co-founder and executive director of Frizzy By Nature. “What an amazing group of Black and brown leaders.”

By the end of the evening, the atmosphere reflected the same mix of professionalism, ambition and community connection that organizers said defined this year’s class of honorees

How does refinancing work?

you have in relation to your income. To calculate your DTI, add up your monthly debt payments and divide by your gross monthly income. Then multiply by 100 to get a percentage. A low DTI lets lenders know you’ll likely be able to manage your monthly payments with minimal issues.

Much like your original mortgage, the refinancing process involves a thorough review of your current financial status to determine if you qualify.

Here’s an example of what a lender may review: • Credit score and history: Score requirements vary by lender and loan type; 620 is a general minimum for conventional mortgages. Lenders want to see responsible credit use, such as a positive payment history on your debt.

• Debt-to-income (DTI) ratio: This metric shows how much debt

• Property value and equity: Many homeowners have built equity over time, and the real estate market can cause property values to appreciate as well. When refinancing, your current loan balance and market value of the property will help the lender calculate a loanto-value (LTV) ratio.

to help organizations cover operational costs, expand programs and respond to community needs. The fund, launched in 2020 through a partnership that includes Forward Through Ferguson, supports racial healing and community-led recovery efforts across the St. Louis region.

United Way launches summer volunteer guide The United Way of Greater St. Louis has launched its annual Summer Volunteer Guide, an online directory connecting residents with vol-

unteer opportunities across the St. Louis region.

The guide includes more than 330 opportunities posted by 96 nonprofit organizations in Missouri and Illinois, ranging from mentoring and tutoring to neighborhood cleanups, food distribution and veteran services. Users can search opportunities by location, age group, interests and skill set.

Dellwood advances turf field project Dellwood officials broke ground Tuesday on a new artificial turf football field at Dellwood Park, part of the city’s

2026 Young Leader awardee Wesley Williams and his children.

Refinancing qualifications usually prefer lower LTVs. What are my refinancing options and how do I choose the right one?

Let’s break down a few commonly offered types of refinancing: • Rate-and-term refinance: This option allows you to replace your current loan with a new one with a different interest rate, different term or both. The primary aim is to secure terms that better suit your current financial situation, while the principal balance remains the same.

• Cash-out refinance: A cash-out refinance allows you to replace your existing mortgage with a new loan for more than you currently owe, leveraging equity you’ve built up in your home. This type of mortgage refinance might be more suited for those who need funds for significant expenses, such as home renovations or debt consolidation.

voter-approved “Dellwood Renaissance” initiative aimed at expanding public recreation amenities.

City leaders said the field will support youth sports, school programs and community events.

Officials also said few area municipalities currently offer publicly accessible turf football facilities.

Mayor Reggie Jones described the project as part of Dellwood’s broader effort to continue improving city amenities and recreational infrastructure.

Supporters say the field could expand opportunities for regional athletic events while strengthening the city’s parks system.

Photo by Taylor Marrie / St. Louis American

• No closing cost refinance: A no closing cost refinance allows borrowers to refinance without paying the upfront fees usually required. The lender may charge a slightly higher interest rate or fold the closing costs into the total loan amount.

Understanding your current financial goals and needs can help you decide which option works best.

The bottom line Refinancing can be a smart financial move for many people. You may be able to save money in the long term, and you also have options to take cash out if that’s what would support your goals. A qualified mortgage professional or home lending advisor can help clarify whether a mortgage refinance makes sense for you and ensure you’re on the right path to achieving your financial goals.

For more information, visit chase.com/afford.

For informational/ educational purposes only: Views and strategies

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

HealthMatters your

‘Taking Care of You’ ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • MAY 28 – JUNE 3, 2026

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Donated medical equipment to aid families St. Louis American staff

Photo courtesy of CleanMed

Kayla Reed, co-founder and executive director of Action St. Louis, receives CleanMed’s 2026 Community Catalyst Award from Emily Bancroft, CEO of Health Care Without Harm, during the conference awards program May 14 at St. Louis Union Station Hotel.

Tornado recovery shapes health conference Action St. Louis leader Kayla Reed honored for community response after the storm.

J

By St. Louis American staff

ust days before the one-year anniversary of the violent tornado that tore through North St. Louis, more than 600 health care and sustainability leaders gathered in St. Louis for a national conference focused on climate resilience, disaster preparedness and the future of environmentally sustainable health care.

The conference, CleanMed 2026, was held May 12-14 and hosted by Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth. Organizers said St. Louis was selected in part because of what last year’s tornado revealed about disaster response, neighborhood inequities and community resilience.

More than 4,000 pounds of donated wheelchairs, walkers, shower chairs and other medical equipment will be redistributed to St. Louis-area families after a community collection drive aimed at helping residents who struggle to obtain needed home care items.

The equipment drive, hosted by Ranken Jordan The equipment Pediatric Bridge drive collected Hospital in partnership with STL 4,045 pounds Help, collected of donated 4,045 pounds of medical equip- donated medical ment for reuse equipment for reuse across the across the region. region.

STL Help, a nonprofit that provides free refurbished medical equipment, serves families facing insurance delays, limited coverage and high out-of-pocket costs for mobility and home care equipment. The organization collects donated items, refurbishes equipment that can be safely reused and lends it to residents at no cost.

Hospital officials said the need can be especially difficult for families caring for children with complex medical conditions who depend on specialized See Medical, A8

See Tornado, page A8

Advanced care for high-risk pregnancies and critically ill infants

SSM Health to combine maternity, newborn care Designed to keep mothers and medically fragile infants together IV neonatal intensive care unit, the highest level of newborn intensive care.

SSM Health is planHospital officials said ning a new maternal and newborn care center inside the model is intended to reduce the need to separate the new SSM mothers and Health Cardinal newborns after Glennon or transfer Children’s The center is birth infants to anothHospital that scheduled to er facility for officials say specialized treatopen in late is designed to ment. keep mothers 2027.

The project and medically comes as St. fragile newborns Louis continues together while grappling with longstandproviding advanced care ing racial disparities in for high-risk pregnancies infant and maternal health and critically ill infants. outcomes. In St. Louis The center, scheduled City and County, Black to open in late 2027, will infants are three times combine labor and delivmore likely to die before ery services with a Level

SSM Health announced plans for a new maternal and newborn care center at the future SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital that will bring labor and delivery together with Level IV neonatal intensive care in one coordinated setting.

The center is expected to open in late 2027.

St. Louis American staff

Photo courtesy of SSM Health

their first birthday than white infants, according to Generate Health and city health data.

A city analysis using

Missouri health data found that between 2011 and 2015, Black infants in St. Louis died at a rate of 13.5 deaths per 1,000 live births

compared with 4.4 deaths per 1,000 live births for white infants.

Researchers also increasingly have empha-

sized reducing separation between mothers and newborns requiring See SSM Health, A8

HealthMatters your

‘Taking Care of You’

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • MAY 28 – JUNE 3, 2026

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Medical Continued from A7 equipment after leaving the hospital.

“Because of insurance delays or cost barriers, securing what a child needs to be discharged by the time they need it can sometimes seem impossible for caregivers,” said Kristin LaRose, chief nursing officer at Ranken Jordan.

LaRose said many families face challenges obtaining equipment needed for home care, particularly as children grow and require new sizes or adaptations.

STL Help Executive Director Karen Lanter said the donations will support families recovering from illness or injury while also keeping reusable equipment out of landfills.

“Every wheelchair, walker, shower chair or pediatric mobility item donated today represents relief for a family facing a health crisis,” Lanter said.

The donated items included wheelchairs, walkers, shower chairs and pediatric mobility equipment. STL Help said the equipment will be cleaned, refurbished and redistributed to residents across the St. Louis area.

To learn more about Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital, visit RankenJordanFoundation. org. For more information about STL Help, visit STLHelp.org.

SSM Health Continued from A7 intensive care. Research published by the American

Envato photo

The donated items included wheelchairs, walkers, shower chairs and pediatric mobility equipment. STL Help said the equipment will be cleaned, refurbished and redistributed to residents across the St. Louis area.

Psychological Association found that separating mothers and medically fragile newborns after birth can increase stress, interfere with bonding and breastfeeding, and compli-

cate recovery. Integrated “couplet care” models are designed to reduce that separation.

“Spanning four floors inside the new children’s hospital, the center will

include 18 maternal rooms, two cesarean delivery suites with fetal surgery capabilities, 10 maternal-newborn couplet rooms, and 90 Level IV NICU beds,” said Dr. Hossain Marandi, president of Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital and system vice president of pediatric services.

“When clinically appropriate, the couplet care model allows mothers and newborns receiving intensive care to remain together in the same private room, supporting bonding, breastfeeding, and maternal well-being while maintaining the highest standards of clinical safe-

Tornado Continued from A7 “We chose St. Louis because of what the tornado revealed: the consequences of disinvestment, the power of community leadership, and how health care can prepare and engage differently before disaster strikes,” said Emily Bancroft, chief executive officer of Health Care Without Harm.

The conference repeatedly returned to the impact the tornado had on North St. Louis neighborhoods and the community response that followed.

One year after the storm, many residents in some of the hardest-hit neighborhoods still are dealing with damaged homes, demolitions, housing instability and uneven recovery efforts.

That reality shaped the work recognized during the conference, including the selection of Kayla Reed, co-founder and executive director of Action St. Louis, for CleanMed’s 2026 Community Catalyst Award. Other health care and sustainability leaders from around the country also received awards recognizing climate preparedness, environmental stewardship and public health leadership.

“I feel very privileged

The center will build on the maternity program currently based at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital.

ty,” Marandi said.

Hospital officials said the center will build on the maternity program currently based at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital while expanding coordination with pediatric and surgical specialists at Cardinal Glennon.

and honored to do this work every day,” Reed said. “Anytime the work is recognized, I’m really grateful, because it’s a team effort that shapes our impact in this region.”

Reed has spent more than a decade organizing in North St. Louis through campaigns focused on housing, voting rights, criminal justice reform and electoral organizing.

“What keeps me in this work is the quality of life of our babies,” she said.

“That they are able to live in stable communities.”

That organizing network became part of a large grassroots relief effort after the tornado struck on May 16, 2025.

Within days, Action St. Louis created a resident intake form that collected more than 10,000 responses from 7,205 households representing more than 21,000 people.

The information became the basis for a referral partnership with the St. Louis Integrated Health Network that connected residents with medical care, behavioral health services, prescription access and help managing chronic conditions disrupted by the storm.

Reed described the tornado as the moment when “a natural disaster really met a systemic disaster,” pointing to decades of disinvestment that made recovery more difficult for many North St. Louis

The project also will connect directly with SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital and physicians from Saint Louis University School of Medicine and SSM Health SLUCare Physician Group, allowing mothers with highrisk pregnancies to access adult and pediatric specialists within the same medical campus.

Hospital officials said the center will focus particularly on pregnancies involving fetal abnormalities, premature births and newborns requiring surgery or intensive medical treatment.

residents.

“We needed to have continued relationships with institutions that could meet that moment,” she said.

“North City is a place that is often disinvested and ignored,” Reed added.

“But it is actually the spirit and soul of this city.

Everything that people love about St. Louis comes from communities and families who live there.”

She said the neighborhoods hardest hit by the storm also are central to the city’s identity and future.

“North City is our North Star,” Reed said.

“When North City is whole and well and thriving, the rest of St. Louis will absolutely be lifted up, too.”

The conference, held at St. Louis Union Station Hotel, also highlighted broader efforts across the health care industry to address climate preparedness, hospital sustainability and emergency response planning.

Featured speaker Dr. Alexander Garza, chief community health officer at SSM Health, urged attendees to build partnerships before emergencies occur.

“Do things in the routine that you would do in the extreme,” Garza said.

“Build those relationships in peacetime, so you have them when you need them.”

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • MAY 28 – JUNE 3, 2026

Rob Base dies at 59 Rob Base, one-half of the duo Rob Base & D.J. EZ Rock and the voice behind the classic hit “It Takes Two,” has died at age 59. He passed away on May 22, just three days after his birthday, following a private battle with cancer.

A statement on his social media page said his “music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions,” remembering him as a father, family man and creative force.

Rob Base

Born Robert Ginyard Jr. in Harlem, Base met EZ Rock in the fifth grade. Inspired by local pioneers like the Crash Crew, the two formed a duo as teenagers and began building the sound that would define their careers.

Base and D.J. EZ Rock — who died in 2014 — helped bring hiphop and house music into the mainstream in the late 1980s with their hit “It Takes Two.”

Sugar Ray Leonard’s son arrested A predawn incident at a gated West Los Angeles estate has drawn Hall of Fame boxer Sugar Ray Leonard and his family into a difficult legal matter. His youngest son, 25yearold Daniel Leonard, was arrested early Wednesday after allegedly attempting to enter his father’s home in violation of a restraining order.

Los Angeles police Told TMZ.com that officers responded to the 1500 block of Amalfi Drive just before 5:30 a.m. after a

call from the home’s security team. Daniel allegedly tried to gain entry by turning exterior door handles. Officers found him near the property’s pool house and took him into custody.

Court records obtained by TMZ show Sugar Ray recently sought the restraining order, though the circumstances remain unclear. A hearing is set for June 15.

Daniel is the youngest of Leonard’s four children.

Complex.com, Instagram.com, TMZ.com, Complex.com, E! News, SiriusXM.com

Tiffany Haddish featured in ‘Sports Illustrated’ “I wanted to follow in my grandmother’s footsteps of being a model, Haddish told E! News at a May 14 launch party in New York. “I feel like this is my way of honoring my grandmother and her legacy.

So it’s a big deal for me.”

The Girls Trip star shared behindthescenes moments from the shoot on social media, thanking the publication for “seeing me, celebrat-

DL Hughley is calling out what he sees as a glaring contradiction in the federal government’s treatment of January 6 rioters — and says it unintentionally strengthens the case for Black reparations.

On his “Notes from the GED” radio program and podcast, Hughley said President Donald Trump “accidentally made the strongest case for Black reparations” by supporting government payments to people charged in the Capitol attack. If the government can cut checks to those individuals, he argued, dismissing compensation for Black Americans becomes harder.

“If we’re having reparations given out to people that were unjustly treated by the government, Black people should be the first in line,” he said. “If you can give people that [expletive] all over the Capitol money, you can give people that were [expletive] on by the Capitol money.”

Hughley also pushed back on the idea that reparations are only about slavery, citing Tulsa’s Greenwood district, Palm Springs and Seneca Village. “It isn’t what you did to us in slavery,” he said. “It’s what you took from us after we pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps and then you use the power of the government to take it away.”

DL Hughley

Hot Sheet Sources:

Actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish is adding “Sports Illustrated cover star” to her already stacked list of accomplishments. The comedian and actress is featured in the latest Sports Illustrated issue.

Haddish appears on the cover of the magazine’s special swimsuit edition that features women who are reshaping entertainment and culture.

DL Hughley exposes double standard

ing me, and letting me shine.”

“I’ve been wanting this since the 1900s,” Haddish said via Instagram. “When I used to run track and field, I wanted to be in Sports Illustrated for track and field. I thought I was gonna be Flo-Jo... I became a comedian, and I was like, oh, is my dream dead? But I still believed in it. So, here I am today. First comedian ever to be on the cover.”

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

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MAY 28 - JUNE 3, 2026

The St. Louis American 2026 Reader’s Choice Nominees

The St. Louis American is providing a full listing of Reader’s Choice nominees who received enough nominations to advance to the voting phase. Voting ends Sunday, May 31. Only three nominees in each category will be selected by popular vote, one winner and two finalists. The list shows the breadth and depth of the businesses and professionals that welcome, serve and employ African Americans in the region. To cast your votes, visit stlamerican.com/readerschoice/.

ARTS, CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT Best Actor J. Samuel Davis Joe Torry Kurt Russel Mookie Tolliver Ron Himes Stephon Riggins Sterling K. Brown Zion Thomas Best Actress Charmian Aaron Dr. Marty K. Casey Jenifer Lewis Lydia Baker Meka Payne Raevyn Ferguson Ricki Franklin Best Art Gallery Griot Museum of Black History Missouri History Museum Portfolio Gallery Saint Louis Art Museum Wallace H. Smith Gallery of Art Best Boutique 2 Bald Chicks Boutique Afro World Hair and Fashion Company Dresscode Wardrobe Epiphany Boutique La Flava Shoetique Lady Tee’s Blinged Boutique LUXE Department Store Sugaz Kouture Boutique LLC Best Comedian Brandon Hotsauce Glover Cedric the Entertainer Comedian Willie C Darius Bradford Jason Jenkins Joe Torry Jovan Bibbs Larry Greene Natalie Monroe Best Creators / Journalists Alonzo Townsend Andy Cohen Carol Daniel, PBS Remrod Rene Knott Travis Cummings Best Cultural Event African Arts Festival Annie Malone Children and Family Services Black Creatives in the Lou @ Neiman Marcus Black Rodeo Frizz Fest Hairpins Pop-Up Party Juneteenth Festival Music at the Intersection (MATI), Kranzberg Arts Foundation St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dogtown Taste of Black st Louus Best Curator Alonzo Townsend Dean Daderko Kat Francis Lydia Baker Mark Sundlov Morgan Casey Remrod Robert A. Powell SieNote Best Dance Studio Best Dance & Talent Center COCA - Center of Creative Arts Dance Plus Inc Dance St. Louis Kode Redd Dance Studio Pointe Of Surrender Dance Studio Raw Style Kollective (RSK Arts) The Diva University Yes Honey Studio Best Dancer Dominique Hines aka Domo Gheremi Clay Heather Beale MJ Imani Redd Williams Renee Austin Best Designer Andre Tunstall Brandin Vaughn Tiana Tunstall Yoro Newson - Yoro Creations Young Addy Best Event Planner Alonzo Townsend Brainchild Next bubbling brown sugar productions Carol’s Creations, LLC Festive Couture Floral Lakia Grice Morgan Casey Personal Touches by Jeanetta, Inc. Best Event Space 21c Museum Hotel St Louis COCA - Center of Creative Arts HG Events Infinite Occasions Banquet and Conference Center Live! by Loews - St. Louis, Missouri Phyllis Wheatley Heritage Center Saint Louis Art Museum The Jade event center The KRe8 Place - St. Louis The Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries Best Exhibition Casting a Long Shadow: Frederick Oakes Sylvester & His Circle Griot Museum of Black History Making Their Mark: Works from the Shah Garg Collection Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum Mill Creek: Black Metropolis Narrative Wisdom and African Arts, Saint Louis Art Museum National Blues Museum Portfolio’s “All Colors” Invitational at the St. Louis Artist Guild Saint Louis Science Center The Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries To STL With Love at Sophie Artist Lounge Best Fashion Andre Tunstall Brandin Vaughn Bree Wash Redd Williams The Woke Brand Best Fashion Show “I Don’t Give A Fashion” showcase at The Fox Theater Black Creatives in the Lou @ Neiman Marcus Gent Fashion Week Juneteenth Festival Stl Black Fashion Week

Best Festival African Arts Festival Confluence Music Festival Frizz Fest Juneteenth Festival Kiarra Sovar - POOCHELLA Kimmswick Strawberry Festival Music at the Intersection (MATI), Kranzberg Arts Foundation St. Louis Undergroud Music Festival (SLUM Fest) Best Graphic Designer Amanda S. Andrew B&A Graphics LLC Emmanuel Mooty Harold Walker III (Triiilxgy) Joe JLR Richardson Media By Reaghan Best House Band Dirty Muggs Drew Project Flirt no ID Tristaño Trixie Delight Best Influencer Alonzo Townsend BradenSTL Bree Wash Church Pinkston Morgan Casey Redd Williams Remrod Shae Bae Best Local DJ

DJ Climate DJ Famous Jr ( Mike White) DJ Justin Michaels Dj Nico DJ RaeMo DJ Spliffy Flacko DJ Stew DJ TAB Infamous DJ Quinn Jason Church Nyara Williams Shorty Da Prince TreHitz Best MC Bo Dean Carol Daniels.

Carol Jackson St Louis Dano Dara dollaz Michael McMillan Queen Mochalatte Best News Anchor Kelly Jackson Melanie Johnson Michele Li Morgan Harris Rene Knott Shirley Washington, FOX 2 Travis Cummings Ty Hawkins Best Photographer Church Pinkston (Church Productions) idunnoMarty Joe JLR Richardson Media By Reaghan Suzy Gorman (Suzy Gorman Photography) Wiley Price Best Podcast Chat & Chew Da Hood Talks Fashion is Cool Podcast Listen St. Louis with Carol Daniel Polite Coolery The Hopeful Romantic / Chelsea Jenkins The Rundown With Rene Knott Best Poet/Spoken Word Branden Lewis Cheryl Walker Just Rich Kristen “KMoney the Poet” Harris Leethal the Poet Louis Conphliction Stephon Riggins Tef Poe Tracey Stanton “T-Spirit” Best PR Professional or Promoter Asia Mobley Donielle Elizabeth Dr. Angelia D. Bills (Eagle Productions) Jasper Paul PR Morgan Casey Queen Mochalatte SieNote Best Radio Personality BJ the DJ Darius Bradford DJ Ntegrity Jason Church Mishelae Robin Boyce Sean “Scooda” Thomas Sheila Reed Shorty Da Prince Tee Parks Tony Scott Best Radio Station 100.3 the beat 90.7 FM KMWU-STLPR 96.3 The Lou - WFUN-FM BBN Christian Radio - KYFI 630 AM BOOST Radio Streetz 105.1 WSIE 88.7 “The Sound” Best Rapper Dara dollaz El Train KVtheWriter Mike b wildout NandoSTL Nelly Stephon Riggins Tef Poe TreeVilla Best Reporter Apryl Simpson Justina Coronel Kelly Jackson Kim Hudson Melanie Johnson Rene Knott Travis Cummings Ty Hawkins Best Singer Adrianne Felton King Andrea Taylor Anita Jackson Be.Be the Neo-Soul Charmian Aaron Denise Thimes Mai Lee Mookie Tolliver Morgan Taylor Tish Haynes Wil Robinson Best St. Louis Act Bosman Twins Dirty Muggs Morgan Taylor St. Lunatics The Coleman-Hughes Project featuring Adrianne Felton-King

Best Stylist Ambra Graham Andre Tunstall Ashaki Meyers Brandin Vaughn Tiana Tunstall Yoro Newson - Yoro Creations Best Venue City Winery St. Louis COCA - Center of Creative Arts Infinite Occasions Banquet and Conference Center Jazz St. Louis Missouri Botanical Garden Pulitzer Arts Foundation Sophie’s Artist Lounge The Dark Room at The Grandel The House Of Soul The Jade event center The Marquee Restaurant & Lounge The Muny The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis The Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries Best Videographer Chris Boyd Church Pinkston (Church Productions) Dana Christian Harold Walker III (Triiilxgy) Jerry Hill Joe JLR Richardson Remrod Troy Anthony Best Visual Artist Brock Seals Cbabi Bayoc Church Pinkston (Church Productions) DrawnLovely Lauren Younge Maria Ojascastro Oliver Jackson Rocky Art

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Best Bank Associated Bank Bank of America (8100 Forsyth Blvd) Busey Bank (415 DeBaliviere Avenue) Chase Bank (2895 North Highway 67, Florrisant) CIBC (1401 South Brentwood Boulevard) Commerce Bank (8000 Forsyth Boulevard) Enterprise Bank & Trust (150 North Meramec Avenue) Great Southern Bank Midwest BankCentre St. Johns Bank (8924 Saint Charles Rock Road, St.) U.S. Bank Branch (8822 Ladue Road) U.S. Bank Plaza (505 North 7th Street) Best Car Sales Person Brandin Greenwell Carplug JB John Montgomery Mike Frazier Ricky Whittington Best Consultant Darlene Davis Dr. Angelia D. Bills (Eagle Productions) Edward Jones Galen Bingham, MBA, PCC Liv Group / Andrew Turnage Lynette Watson The Regional Business Council Best Credit Union African Diaspora Federal Credit Union Alltru Credit Union Arsenal Credit Union CommunityAmerica Credit Union First Community Credit Union Navy Federal Credit Union Neighbors Credit Union St. Louis Community Credit Union St. Louis Community Credit Union, St. Charles Rock Rd, St. Ann, MO, USA Vantage Credit Union - Sunset Hills West Community Credit Union Brentwood Best Financial Planner Ayana (Ana) Stringfellow Artis Keith Turner Cathey Williamson Jayson M. Thornton Judith Griffin Nicole D. Jenkins Walter L. Mckinney, Jr. Best Lawyer Alexandra Jones Alif A. Williams, Esq. Attorney at Law Blake Strode Cassandra Elaine Johnson Christopher Dentman Dan Brown Herman Jimerson Jerryl Christmas Kenneth Powell Melvin J. Smith Roldand E. Swanson, Jr. Shonte Byrd Steve Cousins Talmage Newton Best Mail Carrier/Mail person Adam Arnold Anthony Preston, Branch 43 Dionn Swift Michelle Simmons Pamela Echols Ross Thomas Best Realtor Aleshia White Antione Lawrence Benjami Wedi Carlos Turner Carlton Jones Daryl Holland Deidre Lewis Deshaun Curry Tilson Drae Fox Ebony Ingram Gary R. Smith Janelle Stowers Jenifer Garcia Kali Owens Kimberly Turner Makya Swanagan Pierre Donaldson Reed Realtors Rhonda Liddell-Davis Ron Thompson Sandra Fernandez (Holtmeyer) Best Tax Professional Darlene Davis Francine Cody Jayson M. Thornton Lavone Morris Steven Harris Tera Roberts

CHURCH Best Choir Central Baptist Church Christ Church Cathedral Friendly Temple Church God First Church

IN UNISON Jesse Williams and Total Praise Living The Word Church Mt Zion Missionary Baptist Church New Life Community Church NSM Chancel Choir Pleasant Green Missionary Baptist Church Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Refuge and Restoration Church Shalom Church (City of Peace) Voices of Central at Central Baptist Church

Best Charter School Believe Academy Confluence Academies Friendly Academy Gateway Science Academy of St. Louis (GSA) Gateway Science Academy of St. Louis - South KIPP Lift for Life Academy High School Momentum Academy: Fox Park Premier Charter School The Leadership School

Best Church (Larger Congregation) Friendly Temple Church Living The Word Church New Sunny Mount Missionary Baptist Church Prince of Peace Missionary Church Shalom Church (City of Peace) Williams Temple Church of God in Christ

Best Coach Daniel Harris Dr. Dianna Sumner Earnest Cheatham Erwin Claggett LaQuita and Jarrett Campbell LaTesha Alexander Women In Vision, Inc.

Best Church (Medium Size Congregation) Central Baptist Church Christ Church Cathedral Christian Believers Ministries Mt Zion Missionary Baptist Church Open Door Christian Center Pleasant Green Missionary Baptist Church Pleasant Grove Baptist Church St. Johns UCC The Beloved Community The Spirit Church Best Church (Smaller Congregation) Changing Lives Ministries Divine Fellowship Heights Church End Time Christian Assembly Church Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion Haven House - City of Refuge Church Hope Vineyard Church Impact Church Stl. Inspired Souls Praise and Worship Center Keeping The Faith Empowerment Center MiddleTree Church Monument of Faith Church New Life Community Church The Advancing Church Unity Chapel Church Washington Tabernacle MBC Best Deacon Brent James Dennis William Gregory Holiday Henry Wade Herman Buie Joe Hodge John Hayden Kendall Davidson Ronald Elliott Sylvester Dunn Thomas Sullivan William Joseph Zakiyah Marshall Best Minister Bishop Lawrence Wooten (Williams Temple Church of God in Christ) Dr. Charles Pearson (Friendly Temple) Minister Aaron Letcher (Pleasant Green Missionary Baptist Church) Pastor Maurice McDaniel Sr (Mount Bethel Missionary Baptist Church) Pastor Shaun Williams (Christian Believers Ministries) Rev. Bethany Johnson Javois (Monument of Faith Church) Reverend Kathie Adams-Shepherd (Christ Church Cathedral ) Best Music Ministry Central Baptist Church Connor Scott and Christ Church Cathedral Dello Thedford, Shalom Church (City of Peace) Friendly Temple Church Jesse Williams and Total Praise Living The Word Church New Life Community Church Pleasant Green Missionary Baptist Church Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Voices of Central at Central Baptist Church Best Recording Central Baptist Church Jesse Williams and Total Praise Levi “Too” King Ricky Bell and Carole Dula St Louis Shalom Church (City of Peace) Best Senior Pastor Dr. Anthony L. Riley (Central Baptist Church) Pastor Shaun Williams (Christian Believers Ministries) Rev. Dr. John K. Coar, III (Mount Zion Missonary Baptist Church) Rev. Michael F. Jones, Sr (Friendly Temple) Reverend Freddy J. Clark (Shalom Church (City of Peace)) Best Songwriter Angel McKay & James McKay Corn Robinson Jr. Dr. Phillip A. Woodmore Frank Leon Thompson (Harvest Church) Levi “Too” King Pastor Shaun Williams (Christian Believers Ministries) Ricky Bell and Carole Dula St Louis Best Usher Christine Allen Erica M Holmes Glenn Bond Lyndsey Taylor James, NP Rosie Jackson Sharon Ammons Sherwin Zenon Best Youth Pastor Darrel Hamilton (Church of God in Christ, Inc.) Dr. Michael Jones, Jr (Friendly Temple) Minister Preston Williams (Shalom Church (City of Peace)) Pastor Marvin Blake Pastor Maurice McDaniel Sr (Mount Bethel Missionary Baptist Church) Rev Brian Weaver (Senior Pastor at Peace Lutheran Church) Traci Watkins (Central Baptist Church) Tyshon Sykes (Greater Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church)

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS Best Asst. Principal Courtney Rachel Dr. Rapheal Rogers Ke-La Harris Nia B. Smith Pamela Hamilton Rebecca Maldonado Stan Johnson

Best College Columbia College-St Louis Ranken Technical College St. Charles Community College St. Louis Community College - Forest Park The Ultimate Cosmetology and Barber Academy Best Elementary School Adams City Academy Community School Forsyth School Gateway Elementary School Highland Elementary School Momentum Academy: Fox Park New City School North Side Community School Stix ECC Elementary School Best Fraternity Graduate Chapter Alpha Phi Alpha - Epsilon Lambda Chapter - St. Louis, MO Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity St. Louis Alumnae Chapter Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Kappa Sigma Chapter Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Upsilon Zeta Sigma UPSILON Omega Foundation, Inc. Best High School Beaumont High School Bishop DuBourg High School Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School Central Visual & Performing Arts High School Christian Brothers College High School Clayton High School Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience Jennings Senior High & College Prep Academy John Burroughs School Metro Academic and Classical High School Nerinx Hall High School Normandy High School Parkway Central Riverview Gardens High School Rosati-Kain Academy St. Louis University High School STEAM Academy at McCluer SouthBerkeley High School Sumner High School University City High School Vashon High School Best Middle School Clayton High School Gateway Science Academy of St. Louis (GSA) John Burroughs School Marian Middle School Storman-Lyons Leadership Academy Best Principal Andy Abbot Dr. Craige Edwards Dr. Curtese Holmes Dr. Karen L. Austin, MD Dr. Stacy Carlock Dr. Teonna Walker Felicia Miller Kaylan Holloway Molly Grumich , Ed.D. Scott McMullen Tavonda Palmer Harvey Best Sorority Graduate Chapter Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Gamma Omega Chapter, St. Louis, Mo. Saint Louis Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc- Zeta Sigma Chapter Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated Phi Nu Zeta Chapter Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Xi Zeta Chapter Best Teacher Asiyah McQueen Dr Kenya Womack Dr. Dianna Sumner Emily Feldman James McKay Jr. Jennifer Hutchinson Juanita L. Shaw Kelly Woods Leigh Cleggett Malissa Beecham Melissa Murar Phyllis D Robinson Rodney Marable Sabrina Mack Shaniya Gilmore Shelby Maxie Shemelle Taylor, RN Tonji Stringfellow Wilma Higgins Best University A.T. Still University - Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health Concordia Seminary Harris-Stowe State University Lincoln University Maryville University Ponce Health Sciences University, St. Louis Southern Illinois University Edwardsville SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital University of Missouri-St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis Webster University

FOOD & BEVERAGE Best African Restaurant African Palace Africana Restaurant & Adinkra Lounge on Delmar Fufu n’ Sauce House of Jollof Levels Best Asian Restaurant Bing Lau Chop Suey Corner 17 DD Mau Vietnamese Eatery Hong Kong Express Jefferson Chop Suey Lam’s Garden Mai Lee Panda Chinese Restaurant

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

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MAY 28 - JUNE 3, 2026

The St. Louis American 2026 Reader’s Choice Nominees Quik Wok Sado Saigon Cafe The Rice House Best Bakery/Baker Dad’s Cookies Helfer’s Pastries Jilly’s Cupcake Bar & Café La Pâtisserie Chouquette Mia’s Treats Delight Olive Bakery Sam’s Club Schnucks Shanti’s Specialty Sweets Sweet Peas Sweet Spot Cake Shoppe SweetArt Bakeshop + Café Best Bar/Bartender Bar:PM BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups KJ’s Bar and Grill Renee’s Restaurant & Bar Terminal 3 Bar & Grill Best Barbeque Bandana’s Bar-B-Q Baumann’s Fine Meats Big Mama’s BBQ Express BobaQue C&K Barbecue Restaurant Dalie’s Smokehouse Pappy’s Smokehouse Red’s The One And Only BBQ Schnucks Smokey D BBQ Sugarfire Smoke House Best Brunch/Breakfast Bristol Seafood Grill Chris @ The Docket Elicious Southern Style Breakfast and Brunch First Watch French Crêperie Latté Lounge + HG Eatery Polite Society Rooster Schnucks Tea ParTea The Original Pancake House Ladue The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis Turn Restaurant Wine Down Cafe Best Burger Bus Loop Burgers Cathy’s Kitchen Ooey Gooey Smoke Burger Tast-D Burger STL Vails Brothers Shrimp Chicken & Fish Village Bar Willieann’s Snack Shop Wine Down Cafe Best Caribbean Restaurant De Palm Tree Restaurant Jerk Unlimited Mi Hungry BBQ & Jamaican Cuisine My Marie Restaurant Seasoned To The Bone Jamaican Cuisine Restaurant Best Caterer Blessed Occasion Catering & Event Planning Cathy’s Kitchen Gourmet Soul Restaurant and Catering Hendri’s Events Kay’s Kitchen Catering & Co. Marcia’s Pure Catering STL Schnucks That’s So Good Best Club/Afterhours After Hours Bar and Grill Ash Cigar & Bar Lounge Final Destination Bar & Cafe Palomino Lounge Playboy Cappuccino Lounge TopShelf Bar and Grill Best Ethnic Cuisine Africana Restaurant & Adinkra Lounge on Delmar Brasilia Restaurant & Market Esther’s Persian Cafe Jefferson Chop Suey Jerk Unlimited King Of Soul Mi Ranchito Best Fine Dining 801 Chophouse Cleaver & Cocktail Ferguson Chophouse iNDO Ramsay’s Kitchen St. Louis Sado The Crossing Best Food Truck A’Deans Kitchen & Catering Pure Catering STL Ron Ron’s Fried Rice Tast-D Burger STL Truck Norris Twisted Eats Zeke’s St. Louis Best Fusion of Non-Traditional French Frie Factory Kalbi Taco Shack Lefty’s Fried Rice Pop Pop Hurray! Gourmet Popcorn Saucy Porka St. Louis The Rice House WillieAnn’s Snack Shop Best Ice Cream A Spoonful of Sugar Clementine’s Ice Cream Crown Candy Kitchen Ted Drewes Frozen Custard The Fountain on Locust Best Latin American Restaurant El Maguey Mexican Restaurant El Salto Mexican Restaurant Fritanga Nicaraguan Cuisine Las Fuentes Mexican Restaurant Mi Ranchito Best Pop-Up Crispy Sips Gudppl fashion house More Mocha Coffee Pharaohs Donuts WillieAnn’s Snack Shop Best Restaurant 4 Hens Creole Kitchen A’Deans Kitchen & Catering Edera Italian Eatery Esther’s Persian Cafe Euphoria Kitchen and Kocktails Idol Wolf at 21c St. Louis Ooey Gooey Smoke Burger Poochi’ Que QuesoWhaat!?!

SweetArt Bakeshop + Café Tea ParTea Tucker’s Place Twisted Tavern St. Peters Vails Brothers Shrimp Chicken & Fish Vicia Wine Down Cafe Best Seafood Big Jay’s Chicken And Shrimp Broadway Oyster Bar Mother’s Fish & Sports Bar Napoli Sea Schnucks Starrs The Kickin’ Crab

Best Soul Food Black Pearl’s Cafe Cathy’s Kitchen Diner’s Delight Gourmet Soul Restaurant and Catering Jaden’s Diner King Of Soul OL’ Henry Restaurant Son Ja’s Soul Food Carryout WillieAnn’s Snack Shop Your Place Diner Best Vegan/Vegetarian Adina’s Vegan Cuisine Bougie Bites STL Schnucks Seedz Café Sweet Vibes SweetArt Bakeshop + Café Tree House Restaurant

GENERAL SERVICES Best Aromatherapy 13th and Canna LLC African Naturals BJ’s Everlasting Oils Inc Cassie’s Lit Life Creations Best Casino Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St. Charles DraftKings at Casino Queen Hollywood Casino & Hotel St. Louis Horseshoe St. Louis - A Caesars Rewards Destination River City Casino Hotel Best Childcare/Preschool/Daycare Beginning Futures Creative Development Academy Downtown Children’s Center Stix ECC Elementary School University City Children’s Center Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Inc. Best Dispensary Feel State Weed Dispensary - Florissant Greenlight Dispensary Ferguson Luxury Leaf Dispensary & Weed Delivery Root 66 Dispensary - Dogtown, MO Terrabis Medical and Recreational Marijuana Dispensary Hazelwood Tft Smoke Shop Best Florist Botanicals Design Studio Buds Floral Design & Event Decor Dierbergs Markets - Brentwood Pointe Festive Couture Floral Petals And Pearls Florist Schnucks Trader Joe’s Best Funeral Home Austin A. Layne Mortuary, Inc. Baucom’s Life Celebration Center Cotten Branch Mortuary and Cremation Services Granberry Mortuary Henry Funeral and Cremation Services McClendon Mortuary and Cremation Services Officer Funeral Home Reliable Funeral Home Ronald L Jones Funeral Chapels William C. Harris Funeral Directors and Cremation Best Nonprofit Organization (Local) Action St. Louis Aging Advantage All Nanna’s Kids Closet Better Family Life Inc CJM - Criminal Justice Ministry Cultural Leadership Dream Builders 4 Equity Dutchtown Main Streets Employment Connection Family Care Health Centers Gateway Arch Park Foundation Grassroots redeeming love Henderson Aviation Resources International Institute Mission: St Louis Organization for Black Struggle Tabernacle Community Development Corporation The Little Bit Foundation The SoulFisher Ministries Unleashing Potential USI | Urban Strategies, Inc. Best Nonprofit Organization (National or International) 100 Black Men-Metropolitian Black Nurses Association of Greater St Louis Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis - Mathews-Dickey Club Gateway Region YMCA Girls Scouts Council of Eastern MO National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc Metropolitan St Louis Chapter United Way of Greater Saint Louis Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Inc. Best Nonprofit Organization (Regional) Affinia Healthcare Almost Home Annie Malone Children and Family Services Archway Refugee Connections Brightside St Louis Child Care Aware of Missouri COCA - Center of Creative Arts College Bound Community Action Agency Of Saint Louis County Food Pantry Deaconess Foundation Greater St. Louis, Inc. Foundation MetroHope Parents As Teachers National Center Rung for Women The Opportunity Trust Best Pet Service Animal Medical Center of Mid-America - St. Louis City Animal Protective Association of Missouri (APA) Doozle’s Den Four Muddy Paws Humane Society of Missouri Pets At Rest Hospice Shear Success Williamsburg Pet Hotel & Suites

HEALTH Best Dental Practice A.T. Still University - Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health Affinia Healthcare Children’s Dental Zone Cregger Family Dentistry Aaron J. Cregger, DDS & James J. Schneider, DDS Delmar Family Dental Dental Kids Expressions Dental Group Family Care Health Centers Forest Park Dental Hawk Ridge Dental Care Hawthorn Dental South County Lilac Dental LLC Mark Hesker, DDS & Nicholas Marino DDS St. Louis County Dental Partnership STL Urgent Dental Wydown Dental Group Best Dentist Dr. Alvin Sams Dr. Anne M. Steward Dr. Candace Wakefield Dr. Eric J Aubert

Dr. Kirk Quigless Dr. Michele Abidin Dr. Roderick Jordan Best Dermatologist Dr. Amy C. Ney, MD Dr. Eric W. Pitts Dr. Madhavi Kandula Dr. Osamuede Osemwota Dr. Prasanthi Kandula Best Health Center Affinia Healthcare Barnes-Jewish Center for Advanced Medicine BJC Christian Hospital Family Care Health Centers Holistik Wellness Center John C. Murphy Health Center Lumeris Essence Healthcare Major League Home Health LLC. Peoples Family of Corporations Ponce Health Sciences University, St. Louis Siteman Care Cancer Center Washington University in St. Louis SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital St. Luke’s Hospital Trinity Healthcare Practice Best Home Caregiver

At Home Breakthrough Healthcare LLC Care Solutions In-Home Services LLC Deer Valley Home Health Services ExtraCare Home Health Agency, Inc. Independent Home Care Memory Care Home Solutions Phoenix Home Care & Hospice Best Nurse Carlita Vasser, RN Kayla A. Ross, LPN Kaylene Inama, NP Leonora Muhammad, DNP Lyndsey Taylor James, NP Shemelle Taylor, RN Stephanie Turnage, APN Tanika Prowell, RN Torri Taylor-Spencer, APRN Best OB/GYN Dillon Mitchell Dr. Abbe L Sudvarg Dr. Andrea Sample Dr. Carolyn J. Pryor Dr. Eboni January Dr. Mitul Shah Dr. Renee D. Ewing Surbhi Jain Best Oncologist Dr. Foluso Ademuyiwa Dr. Joe Switzer Dr. Jovita Oruwari Dr. Lannis E. Hall Dr. Mia Weiss Best Pediatrician Dr Liegh Gartland Dr. Alison C. Nash Dr. Amal Antoun Dr. Earline Brownridge Dr. Edith Patrice Colbert Dr. Felicia L. Harvey Dr. Jina L. Mcatee, MD Dr. Seth Brownridge Dr. Shirley M. Knight Jahmille Simon, PCPNP Best Pharmacy Affinia Healthcare Boca Pharmacy CVS Family Care Health Centers GreaterHealth Pharmacy & Wellness at Delmar DivINe Mercy Pharmacy - Dierbergs West Oak Walgreens Best Physician Angela L. Brown, MD Anna E. Bailey, MD Bernard C. Randolph Jr., MD Dr. Danita Cole-Brown Dr. Darren R. Haskell Dr. Fnu Sumaiya Sharif Dr. Janiece N Stewart Dr. Joel Riley Dr. Radhika Jain Dr. Snehal R. Gandhi, MD Jacqueline Hayes, MD Sadaf Sheikh, MD Sibghat Tul llah Tracy Norfleet, MD Best Therapist Brianne Overton Dr. Jameca Woody Cooper Dr. John Brooks Dr. LaRhonda Jones Dr. Lekesha Davis Emme Harms, LCSW Erica LaShawn Hagan Erika Ware Nicole Jackson Tammy Kuykendoll Torri Taylor-Spencer, APRN Virginia Eldridge

HOME & GARDEN Best Air Conditioning/HVAC Service Design Aire Heating and Cooling Duane’s Heating & Air Conditioning Evans Heating and Cooling Hoffmann Brothers Vogel Heating & Cooling Best Architect Arcturis Grice Group Architects Kaelo Architecture LLC KAI Enterprises Kwame Building Group Inc Best Cleaning Service Clean Green Carpet Cleaning Ezer Home Solutions Hardworking Mae’s Cleaning Company J. Thomas Carpet Cleaning Paul Johnson - New Image Cleaning Best Contractor Deidre Lewis Just Windows and Doors Michael Bullock Walter Neely We Improve Best Home Construction | Home Improvement Busy Bee Construction Gateway Roofing Work Office Just Windows and Doors Keely Construction Group Kwame Building Group Inc McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. MLK Roofing & Construction We Improve Best Landscaping Barnes Landscaping Big Bend Landscaping BlackBerry Landscaping Fletcher’s Creations W&S Properties and Lawn Care Services Best Pest Control Midwestern Termite & Pest Control Moses Pest Control Rottler Pest Solutions St. Louis Pest Control United Spray Service

LIFESTYLE & BEAUTY Best Barber Annetta Thomas Art Green Sr Jarmez Smith Jerrod Harris Lakefades Solomon Neely Wiz The Barber Best Barbershop Dees Cutz Barber Salon First Class Barber Shop Kamikaze Kutz Shack’s Barber Shop Sharper Images Slam Town 2 Barber & Beauty Salon Starrs Best Botox Dr. Gabriela M Espinoza Enchanted Aesthetics Evolutions MedSpa Metro Medspa Racquel Aesthetics & Wellness Best Dry Cleaner Apple Cleaners Band Box Cleaners Family Dry Cleaning & Laundry Services Marquard’s Cleaners West Oak Cleaners Best Esthetician Emily Bradley Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis Kii Lux Beauty Locs Of Glory Skin By Liss LLC Skin Pretty Esthetics Sugar Me Tennille McClain Best Fitness Trainer Carlotta Peters Corey Tate Donna Yates John Harley Monica Campbell Best Gym BKM Fitness Boot Camp Crunch Fitness Generation 3 Fitness Planet Fitness The GEM Factory Best Hair Braider Be.You.tiful By Veda BraidedbyBri Nya Styled You Styles By Jor The Luxury Effect Uniquely Bamm Best Hair Salon Cultivate Salon Formation Salon and Spa Locs Of Glory SafeHaven Salon Visions Hairtique LLC Best Hair Stylist Alisha J Ambra Graham Charity Pikes Tee Thomas Whitney Marie Best Lash Technician Ashlei Monet CeCe Beauty Ebonee Eyes iStyleustare Shanshay Signature Lashes Stefani Ellis Best Loctician Bossette Stylez Damara Kelly Fulani Bettis Locs by Tara E. Ming Marie Best Make-up Artist Aignee’ LaShay Khadijah Amirah Nicole Beauty and Wellness Expert Nicole Fulks Slay Queen Best Massage Therapist BodybyQue LLC Erika Sharp Massage Therapy MassagebodiedbyT LLC Sandra Roberts Stefani Ellis Verniece Bailey Best Nail Tech / Nail Salon Aignee’ LaShay Demi Blue Monet’s Touch Ombre Nail Bar Sonder Lush Nail Studio Best Skin Care Products Oil On Me Origin of Greatness Skin & Wicks Skin Pretty Esthetics Sweethead Naturals Best Tailor Heavenly Stitches Alterations Nordstrom Rack Perfect Fit Tailor Shop St Louis Suit Co Inc Tailored Gents at Savile Row Best Tattoo Artist Black Pearl Tattoo Jpusha314 RnB Dreams Tattoo Studio Shawn Smith The House Of Art Doll

SHOPPING Best Boutique 2 Bald Chicks Boutique 2D’s Beauty Boutique and Salon Dresscode Wardrobe Fashions R Boutique La Flava Shoetique Lady Tee’s Blinged Boutique LUXE Department Store Style-Taneous Styles Sugaz Kouture Boutique LLC The Woke Brand Best Jewelry Store/Jeweler 1 Blingz Jewelry & Blingtique Collections By Joya LUXE Department Store Mulatto Designs Jewelry Shaped By Clay Best Men’s Clothing Store/Designer 1Blingz Jewelry LUXE Department Store Milano Mens Wear Personal Touch Boutique Tailored Gents at Savile Row Best Thrift Store NCJW The Resale Shop Society of St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store - Creve Coeur The Good-ish The Salvation Army Family Store & Donation Center The Vault Luxury Resale Uptown Cheapskate Ballwin Best Women’s Clothing Store/Designer 1Blingz Jewelry

Epiphany Boutique Nordstrom Rack Tailored Pieces Tiana Tunstall

SPORTS Best College Baseball Athlete Ahmaad Duff Brayden Hatley Jordan Bradley Kevin Stephens Tashaun Coleman Best College Basketball Athlete Charles Nelson Demetris Phillips Hannah Wallace Jalen Watson Kellen Thames Nashawn Davis Sydney Starks Best College Football Athlete Christopher Bennett Jr. Ke’Andre McClendon La’Revious Woods Luther Burden III TJ Houston Best College Soccer Athlete Axton Anom Gershon Henry Kennedi Hooks Mikai Neal Olivia Clemons Wole Adeoye Best College Track Athlete Aissata Kamara Devon Paulette Giovanni Jones Sarai Brown Sherrod Tate Best High School Basketball Athlete Carluan Nelson Damarion Verges Jamison White Jonny Jordan Lauren Lanton Moriyah Douglass Sydney Lanton Zha Harris Best High School Football Athlete Bryce Clayborn Jacob Eberhart Jahidi White Keenan Harris Manny Ellis Myston Johnson-Cook Nick McClellan Phoenix Isaiah Victor Williams Best High School Track Athlete Addison Becker Bryce Clayborn Gabrielle Campbell Kordel bond Sydney Lanton Best High School Volleyball Athlete Bailey Hensgens Haley Nelson Haydan Brown Jayla Everage Jordan Brown Moriyah Douglass Best Pro Baseball Athlete George Soriano Iván Herrera Jordan Walker Masyn Winn Victor Scott II Best Pro Football Athlete Blake Jackson Daniel Isom Hakeem Butler Jarveon Howard Nevelle Clarke Best Pro Soccer Athlete Célio Pompeu Jaziel Orozco Josh Yaro Mbacke Fall Miguel Perez Mykhi Joyner Rafael Santos Most Popular Athlete from St. Louis Art Green Bradley Beal Demetrius Johnson Devin Williams Ezekiel Elliott Jayson Tatum Jeremiyah Love Kyren Williams Luther Burden III

VEHICLE & SERVICES Best Auto Body Repair Caliber Collision Collier Brothers Auto Body Hood’s Automotive Larry’s Circle Services Schaefer Autobody Centers Stepney Bros Auto Body Inc West End Auto Body Best Auto Dealership BMW of West St. Louis Bommarito Audi West County Bommarito Honda Superstore CarMax Honda of Frontenac HW Kia of West County Jim Butler Chevrolet Johnny Londoff Chevrolet Lou Fusz Buick GMC Lou Fusz Ford Lou Fusz Kia Lou Fusz Subaru O’Fallon Mercedes-Benz of Creve Coeur O’Fallon Buick GMC Suntrup Buick GMC Best Auto Service Center Collier Brothers Auto Body Fred’s South County Auto Repair Greg’s Auto Service and Repair Hood’s Automotive I-70 Performance Schaefer Autobody Centers Best Car Detailing Big P’s Car Wash Elite Detailing Michael L. Gerdine, DC Showroom Finish Detailing Touch of class, woodson road Best Full Service Car Wash Big P’s Car Wash Brite WorX Car Washery Club Car Wash Elite Detailing Maine Stain Car Wash and Detailing Showroom Finish Detailing Waterway Carwash

A12

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • MAY 28 – JUNE 3, 2026

Hughes expands after-school opportunities

Hughes Continued from A1 school, offering students structured time after school for athletics, academics and mentorship.

The effort reflects a broader push to reach students during after-school hours with a mix of basketball training, STEAM learning and life-skills development. The program is designed to support students both in and out of the classroom, particularly in communities where access to structured, affordable programming can be limited.

“For us, it’s about building relationships and giving kids tools they can use every day,” Hughes said. “When kids are excited to come to school because they know they get to be part of something like this afterward — that’s what makes it worthwhile.”

At Lift For Life Academy, the partnership behind Developing Peak Performers began with an unexpected connection.

Elementary principal Danielle Price said she first crossed paths with Hughes through her involvement in women’s tackle football with the St. Louis Slam. Members of his team saw her play, which eventually led to bringing the program into the school.

For Price, the fit was immediate.

Dr. Paris Bateman works with Lift For Life Academy elementary students during Developing Peak Performers, an after-school program that combines academics, mentorship and enrichment opportunities for St. Louis youth.

Photo courtesy of Lauryn Hughes, Developing Peak Performers.

“Some of the kids at school gravitate toward the basketball court, while others don’t have access to basketball,” she said, noting the program’s no-cost model helps remove barriers that often prevent students from participating in extracurricular activities.

Since launching, the program has become part of the school’s after-school routine. Students stay once a week for structured sessions led by Hughes and his team — something Price said made an immediate impression, with students energized by his presence from the start.

“That enthusiasm has only grown,” Price said.

The demand quickly increased, forcing the school to cap enrollment.

Beyond excitement, Price said she has seen noticeable changes in students’ confidence and behavior. The program is helping students build teamwork, problem-solving skills and resilience that carry over into the classroom, she said.

For Price, the program aligns closely with the school’s broader mission of expanding opportunities for students. A key goal, she said, is ensuring every

child has access to meaningful experiences, especially those they might not otherwise encounter.

Hughes said removing financial barriers was central to the program’s design, giving more students access to consistent instruction and mentorship. Unlike traditional sports programs, he said Developing Peak Performers emphasizes both athletic fundamentals and personal growth, reinforcing communication, teamwork and confidence.

Mentorship is also a central part of the program. Hughes said expos-

Rollins

debut at 18 for Prestige Records, and within a few years he was working with Bud Powell, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Monk and East St. Louis’ own Miles Davis — who recorded three of Rollins’ compositions in 1954.

Davis once called him

“a legend, almost a god to a lot of the younger musicians.”

But like many young musicians who idolized Parker, Rollins struggled with heroin. He was arrested in 1950 and again in 1953. At a Miles Davis session that paired him

with Parker, Bird himself urged the young saxophonist to get clean. Rollins did so the next year and emerged from his addiction determined to reclaim his life and his music.

What followed was one of the most influential careers in American

music. Rollins released more than 60 albums, won two Grammy Awards, and created standards like “St. Thomas,” “Oleo,” “Doxy,” and “Airegin.” His 1956 masterpiece “Saxophone Colossus” was added to the National Recording Registry in 2016. He was often called “the greatest living improviser.” Until his retirement in 2014 due to respiratory illness, he remained a towering figure on the bandstand.

President Barack Obama awarded him the National Medal of Arts in 2011, saying Rollins inspired him “to take risks that I might not otherwise have taken.”

Those risks defined Rollins’ career. He famously stepped away from performing at the height of his fame. He practiced alone on the Williamsburg Bridge for hours a day because he felt he hadn’t yet reached what he was searching for.

He returned with a deeper sound, a sharper sense of purpose, and a renewed

Assistance for Needy Families funding could divert money from broader anti-poverty programs, health care and public education.

Pregnancy resource centers are tax-exempt organizations that provide services including pregnancy tests, counseling, parenting support and material assistance.

Missouri’s Department of Social Services oversees qualification requirements for participating centers.

State rules require that participating facilities not perform or refer patients for abortions.

A 2022 National Library of Medicine report described crisis pregnancy centers as nonprofit organizations that “present themselves as healthcare clinics while providing counseling explicitly intended to discourage and limit access to abortion.”

The centers have seen increased funding and political support since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. Missouri has nearly 100 qualified pregnancy

resource centers, according to state records, including organizations in St. Louis, Bridgeton, Fenton, St. Charles and other communities across the state.

Critics, including abortion-rights organizations and some researchers, argue some centers lack physicians or licensed medical staff. A 2024 report by The Independent said many centers advertise ultrasounds and pregnancy testing while critics accuse some facilities of providing medically unproven claims about reproductive health care.

Supporters of the tax-credit expansion say the centers provide free assistance that many families rely on.

“I will never stop fighting for the life of ALL unborn children in Missouri, and I will continue working to support women in choosing life,” Rep. Brian Seitz, a Republican from Branson, said last year while supporting related anti-abortion legislation.

Under current Missouri law, taxpayers who

donate to qualified pregnancy resource centers can receive a 70% state tax credit. The proposal would raise that to 100% for qualifying rural-related donations. The credits would allow eligible donors to offset state taxes dollar-for-dollar for qualifying contributions up to the annual cap. Some abortion-rights advocates contend the structure functions more like a state subsidy than a traditional charitable deduction.

The proposal also has intensified scrutiny of how Missouri funds pregnancy resource centers. KCUR reported in March that Missouri’s allocation of TANF funding for pregnancy centers increased from $4.3 million in 2022 to $10.3 million in fiscal year 2026, making Missouri among the states most aggressively directing TANF funding toward pregnancy resource centers.

The increase followed a broader national debate over whether TANF funds should support pregnancy resource

centers. Congressional Republicans, including Missouri U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, opposed a Biden administration proposal that would have required states to more closely justify using TANF funds for pregnancy resource centers. The administration later withdrew the proposal.

“It does make me nervous,” Amy Blouin, president and CEO of the Missouri Budget Project, told ProPublica in 2022 while discussing the growth of the tax-credit program.

The Alliance, a women’s rights advocacy organization, argued that directing TANF funding toward pregnancy centers can reduce resources available for broader anti-poverty programs serving low-income families.

Some reproductive-rights advocates also have criticized anti-abortion organizations for using racially targeted messaging in Black communities, arguing that the strategy overlaps with outreach efforts used by

Continued from A1 playing — that was it. I was in seventh heaven.”

He eventually picked up the tenor saxophone in honor of his neighborhood idol, Coleman Hawkins.

At Benjamin Franklin High School in East Harlem, he learned the craft alongside future giants like Jackie McLean, Kenny Drew and Art Taylor. Through a classmate, he met Thelonious Monk. The mentorship provided by Monk would shape him as deeply as any recording. Monk’s angular compositions and uncompromising approach to harmony pushed Rollins to think differently about improvisation. Monk taught him to leave space, to trust silence, and to let a phrase land where it needed to. Those lessons became part of Rollins’ musical DNA. He made his recording

Anti-abortion Continued from A1 legislation sponsored

by Sen. Curtis Trent, a Republican from Springfield, that would increase certain tax credits from 70% to 100% for donations to qualifying facilities located in or serving rural areas. The bill also would increase the maximum annual credit available to individual taxpayers from $50,000 to $100,000, with future adjustments tied to inflation.

According to Generate Health St. Louis and other maternal-health advocates, Black families in St. Louis continue to experience disproportionately high rates of poverty, maternal mortality and infant health complications, while access to prenatal care, housing stability and economic support remains uneven across the region.

Budget analysts and reproductive-rights advocates say the expanding tax credits and Temporary

ing students to opportunities beyond athletics — particularly in science, technology, engineering, arts and math — can help them see how different interests connect and open doors for their future.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis President and CEO Brandon Williams said after-school hours remain one of the most important periods in a young person’s day, particularly for students who may lack access to structured activities or mentorship.

“The data shows that the hours immediately

Sonny Rollins performs during a concert in Tokyo, Oct. 4, 2010.

Photo courtesy of The AP

following the school day are some of the most critical in a young person’s life,” Williams said.

“Organizations that invest in youth during those hours help close academic, social and economic gaps that too many young people face.”

Williams said students with access to safe, supportive environments after school are more likely to stay academically engaged, avoid risky behaviors and build confidence.

“Young people simply need a safe place, consistent encouragement, positive adult relationships and an environment where they can discover their strengths,” he said.

In its first year, Developing Peak Performers’ success will be measured by more than performance on the court. The program is tracking school attendance and working with teachers and administrators to encourage academic progress.

Hughes said the goal is to see students become more engaged in school and develop leadership skills they can carry into their communities.

The program is expected to expand to additional schools and community sites across the St. Louis area, with a fundraising luncheon scheduled for June 4 to support its growth.

commitment to improvisation as a form of truth telling. It was the kind of artistic gamble few musicians of his stature would take, but Rollins treated reinvention as part of the work.

Rollins was the last surviving musician from the iconic 1958 photograph, “A Great Day in Harlem” — a living link to an era that reshaped the sound of the world.

He is survived by his nephew, Clifton Anderson, and his nieces, Vallyn Anderson and Gabrielle DeGroat. His second wife, Lucille, to whom he was married for nearly 40 years, died in 2004.

No public memorial is planned.

“I think when the creative person ends, he continues in the next existence,” Rollins said in a 2009 reflection that was included in the announcement of his death. “A spiritual person doesn’t feel like this life is the be-all and end-all of everything.”

some pregnancy resource centers. A 2021 report from The Alliance cited a 2011 anti-abortion billboard campaign in cities including New York and Dallas that featured a young Black girl alongside the message: “The most dangerous place for an African American is in the womb.”

“These visuals are designed to provoke a strong emotional response by connecting contemporary reproductive choices to the historical trauma of Black disenfranchisement and population loss,” The Alliance wrote in its report.

Supporters of pregnancy resource centers reject criticism that the organizations are deceptive.

Abortion Action Missouri criticized the legislation in a statement, calling it “a sneaky mechanism to fund inherently political, anti-abortion organizations with zero transparency.”

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

“Be delusional enough to chase your dreams and bet on yourself. Be brave enough to walk down a road that no one else can see but you.”

— Queen Latifah

Living It B1 • ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • MAY 28 – JUNE 3, 2026

Drums, dance and community

St. Louis African Arts Festival celebrates Diaspora’s cultural depth and diversity

By Zaria Mac St. Louis American Driving through Forest Park on a Saturday afternoon, the steady rhythm of drums carries across the grounds. The day is warm and overcast, and the sound grows louder near the World’s Fair Pavilion, drawing guests toward the 35th annual St. Louis African Arts Festival.

The festival, which takes place during Memorial Day weekend, returned this year after a hiatus caused by the tornado that tore through Forest Park on May 16, 2025. Once again it immersed St. Louis residents in African culture through multicultural performances, traditional cuisine and a sprawling African marketplace.

See Festival, B3

Skating towards a more connected STL Rollin’ on the River debuts under the Arch with community at its center

By Lawrence Bryant and Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American For the Gateway Arch Park Foundation, Rollin’ on the River marked a new way of bringing St. Louis back to the riverfront.

Launched this Memorial Day weekend, the inaugural event drew families, skaters, tourists and longtime St. Louisans to the base of the Arch in way that provided joy, accessibility and a sense of place.

“This is our first year doing it, “The goal is and we’re excitreally about ed,” said Jason Douglas, senior collaboraevent manager for tion and the Gateway Arch community. Park Foundation.

“The response from Bringing the community has people been overwhelming. down to We’re grateful that their front people wanted this, and we’re glad we yard — the were able to bring it Gateway to them.”

Arch — and Rollin’ on the letting them River transformed the Arch grounds know they into a summertime can enjoy gathering space downtown with an outdoor St. Louis rink, music, food trucks and a 200foot and their communal table riverfront.” designed to bring people together.

– Jason “The goal is Douglas really about collaboration and community,” Douglas said. “Bringing people down to their front yard — the Gateway Arch — and letting them know they can enjoy downtown St. Louis and their riverfront.”

For many attendees, that intention landed exactly as the foundation hoped.

CB Trippin’, a local content creator who came out with his children, said See Skate, B3

Skaters of all ages laced up under the Gateway Arch during the inaugural Rollin’ on the River event, which brought families and community members back to the riverfront over Memorial Day weekend for fun.

Photo by Taylor Marrie / St. Louis American

The Black Rep’s presentation of ‘Fat Ham’ continues through Sunday, June 7 at Washington University’s Edison Theatre.

Laughs to keep from crying Black Rep closes season 49 with soulful extreme makeover of ‘Hamlet’

By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American While the main character quotes lines from the play, the most famous line from Hamlet never appears in Fat Ham. James Ijames’ Pulitzer Prizewinning adaptation poses a different question altogether. Not “to be or not to be,” but “to laugh or to cry. He leans into the answer that Black America has relied on for centuries. Laugh to keep from crying. Leave it to Black creative genius to excavate humor between the lines of one of Shakespeare’s most haunting tragedies.

And that is exactly what happens in Fat Ham. The production, which opened on Friday, May 22, closes out The Black Rep’s 49th season. Fat Ham continues through June 7 at Washington University’s Edison Theatre. In it, Ijames turns everything about Hamlet on its head. Shakespeare’s original — set in Denmark and famously his longest play — becomes a single act with no fixed location.

“PLACE: A house in North Carolina.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

See Fat Ham, B4

B2

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • MAY 28 – JUNE 3, 2026

JUNETEENTH EVENTS Sat., June 13, 8 a.m.

– 5 p.m., Delmar Blvd Juneteenth Festival featuring the Race for Reconciliation 5K (8 a.m.) , 5900 Delmar Blvd.

For more information, visit www.VisitTheLoop.com.

Fri., June 19, 12 noon, House of Soul’s 7th Annual Juneteenth Festival Block Party, House of Soul, 1204 Washington Ave. For more information, visit www. houseofsoulstl.com.

Fri., June 19, 12 noon, JuneteenthSTL Festival Parade & Cultural Celebration presented by the City of Dellwood, featuring a blend of national and regional talent, including Southern soul sensation Pokey Bear and hip-hop artist Lil Scrappy, Dellwood Recreation Center, 10266 W. Florissant Ave. Fri., June 19, 7:30 p.m., Soul of a People A Juneteenth Celebration of Black Music featuring LaKisha Jones (American Idol) and Ryan Shaw (America’s Got Talent) alongside the SLSO and IN UNISON Chorus.

Powell Symphony Hall.

For more information, visit www.slso.org.

CONCERTS May 26- May 29, Happy Birthday Miles: Terell Stafford & Tim Warfield, as part of Jazz St. Louis’ Miles in May Centennial Celebration, Harold and Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz,

3536 Washington Ave, St. Louis, MO 63106. For more information visit jazzstl.org.

THEATRE

Terence Blanchard and Ravi Coltrane join the SLSO for a special centennial tribute to John Coltrane and Miles Davis. See CONCERTS for details.

Sat., May 30 – Sun., May 31, Robert Glasper: OG Acoustic Piano Trio, City Winery, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO. For more information, visit www.citywinery.com.

Fri., June 5, 8 p.m. (7 p.m. doors) The Sherm Summer starring Mike Sherm, Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com.

Sat., June 6, 7:30 p.m., SLSO welcomes Terence Blanchard and Ravi Coltrane for a special centennial celebration for John Coltrane and Miles Davis, Powell Hall. For more information, visit www.slso.org.

Sat. June 13, 7 p.m., The Eta Boule Foundation presents An Evening with Jeffrey Osborne, Sheldon Concert Hall and Galleries, 3648 Washington Blvd.

For more information, visit www.metrotix.com.

Fri., June 19, 8 p.m. (7 p.m. doors) The Gogel Law Firm welcomes The R&B Meets Throwback Hip Hop Tour with Stokely and Kool Moe Dee, The Pageant, 6161 Delmar. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com.

SPECIAL EVENTS Fri., May 29, Salon de Griot: Conversations in Art, Ancestry, and Community, The Griot

Fri., June 5, 7:30 p.m., I Do. I Did. I’m Done: A One Woman Show with Kandi Burruss, City Winery, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO. For more information, visit www.citywinery.com.

Through June 7, The Black Rep presents Fat Ham, Washington University’s Edison Theatre. For more information, visit www.theblackrep.org.

Through June 21, 8 p.m., St. Louis Shakespeare Festival presents The Tempest, Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park. For more information, visit stlshakes.org ART

Courtesy photo

Museum, 2505 Saint Louis Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63106. For more information, visit www.thegriotmuseum.com.

find more information at www.chaifetzarena.com.

Fri., May 29 - 31, 2 p.m & 7:30 p.m. St. Louis Dance Theatre Spring Series, Catherine B. Berges Theatre at COCA. Visit https:// www.saintlouisdancetheatre.org/springseries.

Thur., May 28, 7:30 p.m. Special Event: My Cousin Tiera, Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St Louis Galleria St, St Louis MO 63117. For more information, visit https:// st-louis.heliumcomedy. com.

Sun., May 31, 1 p.m.

Missouri Bridal and Wedding Expo, The Dome at America’s Center, find more information at https://explorestlouis.com.

Sat., Jun 20, 1p.m. and 7:30 p.m. St. Louis SERA Rodeo, Chaifetz Arena,

COMEDYS

Fri., Jun. 5, 7 p.m. & 9:15 p.m. Helium Presents: Chris Redd, Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St Louis Galleria St, St Louis MO 63117. For more information, visit https://st-louis.heliumcomedy.com.

Fri., Jun. 12 - 14, Special Event: Bruce Bruce, Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St Louis Galleria St, St Louis MO 63117. For more information, visit https://st-louis.heliumcomedy.com.

ST. LOUIS MUSIC SPOTLIGHT Thurs., May 28, 6 p.m.

Twilight Thursdays, Missouri History Museum.

For more information, visit www.mohistory.org.

Thurs., June 25, 7:30 p.m., Wellston’s own A.J. McQueen, City Winery, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO. For more information, visit www. citywinery.com.

Through Jun. 28, Martine Syms: Soliloquy, St. Louis Art Museum, 1 Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit www.slam.org.

Through June 2026, The Future Is Female, 21c Hotel and Museum Hotel St. Louis, 1528 Locust St, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit https://21cmuseumhotels.com.

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

B3

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • MAY 28 – JUNE 3, 2026

Skate Continued from B1 the event reminded him of the St. Louis he grew up with.

“It’s bringing nothing but positive vibes out here — and that’s something we need,” CB said.

“I grew up in the old St. Louis, where it was nothing but positive. May Day parades, everybody out, no violence. This right here feels almost the same.”

Rob Wilson, who skates regularly at rinks across the region, said he showed up after seeing friends post about the event online. For him, the setting and the soundtrack stirred up memories.

“It reminded me of the good old days,” Wilson said. “My mom and dad skated all the time and brought me along with them. Coming out here brings some of those memories back.”

Organizers described Rollin’ on the River as a way to “bring back those warm, summer memories of hanging out on the riverfront with your family and friends.” Douglas said that feeling is intentional — and that skating,

especially in St. Louis, has always been one of the easiest ways to bridge generations.

“Skating brings back those memories of when I was younger — going to Skate King or The Palace on the weekends,” Douglas said. “We wanted to bring that to the riverfront so people can enjoy skating, be active and enjoy this great city. And what better backdrop than the Gateway Arch?”

CB Trippin’ said skating has become a way to keep his own children engaged and active.

“I’ve been skating since I was a kid, but I got back into it about two years ago,” he said. “The world changed — everything is tablets and phones now.

I’m trying to get them outside as much as possible.

A lot of times they volunteer to be outside now, and I know that came from me already having them out there.”

Rollin’ on the River is part of a broader effort to keep the Arch grounds active, inviting and connected to the community — especially as conversations about downtown’s future continue.

“I believe we all need to have a great relation-

ship with our downtown,” Douglas said. “Just like other cities, we can have a thriving downtown and really enjoy the spaces we’re accustomed to.”

By drawing crowds to the riverfront, supporting local vendors and creating a safe, multigenerational space, the event begins its run as a meaningful addition to the region’s cultural and economic landscape.

“This is a celebration of you, St. Louis,” a statement from Gateway Arch Park Foundation said about the event. “It is a celebration on the river that made us, under the glowing Arch that represents us to the world – and everyone is welcome.

Come roll with us!”

And for many who laced up their skates, it was a chance to create new memories under the monument that sets the St. Louis skyline apart from other cities.

“It’s definitely good for the city,” Wilson said.

“Just letting people know we’ve got a lot of good things going on here.

Regardless of what you hear [about St. Louis], it’s a cool city — great place, fun people.”

ARTFUL MESSAGES from your

Photo by Manfredi Gioacchini. Courtesy of Bridget Donahue.

Martine Syms

Art Museum welcomes film and performance artist Martine Syms: Soliloquy, a seven-minute video on view through June 28, 2026, is making its SLAM Join us for a special artist talk debut after its acquisition in 2022. with Martine Syms at the Saint Soliloquy is a visual experience Louis Art Museum. On Saturday, paired with brutally honest words June 6 at 11 am in The Farrell from the digital avatar, Kita. Kita’s Auditorium, audiences are invited World is a modern adaptation of to hear directly from this influential the 1990s television show Cita’s contemporary artist, whose work World, which originally aired on spans film, photography, and the Black Entertainment Television performance.

Network (BET). Following a similar In her talk at the Museum, format, Kita delivers Syms will be in hard-hitting messages conversation with that encourage viewers Maggie Brownto reflect, acknowlPeoples, co-curator edge, and engage. of Soliloquy and Kita’s high-energy the Museum’s commentary, along2024–2026 Romare side videos curated by Bearden Graduate Martine Syms, takes Museum Fellow. viewers through scenes Together, they will that highlight real-life explore Syms’s creissues, such as enviative practice and ronmental destruction, the ideas behind her political division, and work in an engagcommunity protest. ing, accessible disShe challenges the relacussion. tionship between digital Martine Syms, born Maggie Brown spaces and contempoin 1988 and based Peoples rary experiences. in Los Angeles, is a Syms examines defining voice of her perceptions of Black life in the generation. Her multimedia pracdigital landscape and investigates tice combines critique, humor, and the connection between technology social commentary working across and human relationships. Her work various media, including publishing, critiques and offers an escape from moving images, photography, instala world shaped by imperialism, caplation, performance, and software italism, and white patriarchy. programming. She challenges tradiThis program is free of charge. tional art forms to explore the world However, seating is limited, and around us through both a digital and advance reservations are highly a keen observational lens. In 2020, recommended. Tickets can be Martine Syms’s 2017 feature-length reserved in person at the Museum’s film, Incense, Sweaters, and Ice was welcome desks or through MetroTix showcased at SLAM. at [metrotix.com](https://www.

Syms work has been exhibited metrotix.com) or by calling at major institutions such as the 314.534.1111. All MetroTix resMuseum of Modern Art (MoMA), ervations incur a service charge, the Art Institute of Chicago, and which is waived for tickets reserved the Philadelphia Museum of Art. at the Museum. Same-day tickets, if Her artworks are part of collections available, will be distributed on-site at notable places like the Studio only.

Museum of Harlem, the Whitney Don’t miss this opportunity to Museum of American Art, and the engage with Martine Syms, whose Guggenheim, among others. In addiwork explores both the creative and tion to her artworks being collected destructive impacts of humanity on both nationally and internationally, physical and digital landscapes in she has completed commissioned the 21st century. projects for high-profile brands

By Maggie Brown Peoples and personalities, including Louis is a 2024–26 Romare Bearden Vuitton, LeBron James, Rihanna, Graduate Museum Fellow and Nike.

By Maggie Brown Peoples Photo by Taylor Marrie / St. Louis American

The St. Louis African Arts Festival returned to the World’s Fair Pavilion in Forest Park for Memorial Day Weekend, filling the grounds with music, dance, food and a vibrant marketplace celebrating African culture and community.

Festival Continued from B1 The drums and music that ushered guests into the festival came from Kumba, among the many artists to perform at the St. Louis African Arts Festival. The youth performance ensemble from Better Family Life presented “POWER SOURCE: A Tribute to the Greats.” The demonstration — a staple of the festival — is led by Samantha Madison, director of arts and education at Better Family Life.

“We are here to dedicate this presentation to all of those who came before us,” Madison said.

“Today’s performance is also dedicated to all of you who are engaged. So when I say come on down, don’t be scared.”

Before inviting audience members to join her on stage, Madison explained the “break,” a musical cue that signals when to start, stop or change a movement.

Children rushed forward to learn the combination as parents cheered from the crowd.

Behind the audience, the African marketplace buzzed with activity.

Patrons carried bags filled with shea butter and incense. Some paused to examine gold and brass jewelry lining vendor tables, while others browsed tinctures and syrups advertised for various ailments.

The market featured skirts, dresses and pant sets adorned with vibrant African prints suitable for casual or formal wear.

Inside the pavilion, rows of soaps, lotions and sea moss products extended outdoors, where baskets, masks, sculptures and artwork filled additional booths.

A stilt walker dressed in a burlap robe accented with red and yellow moved through the marketplace in the style of a traditional masquerade. The performer weaved through the crowd, evoking ancestral spirits and offering blessings. Masquerades often appear during major life events, including births and funerals. They are also present at festivals and community celebrations — like the St. Louis African Arts Festival — where culture and community intersect.

The festival’s cultural showcase continued in the food court, where vendors served traditional dishes such as peppered lamb and egusi from Fufu N’ Sauce — a restaurant specializing in West African cuisine — and beef sambusas from Simba Sambusa Factory, known for its Ugandan fare.

Throughout the afternoon, additional performers took the stage. Fumaca delivered an acoustic set with smooth vocals that created an intimate, conversational tone.

Tribe Azuka followed with “Dances of Egypt,” a series of solo routines rooted in Egyptian dance

traditions.

Next came vocalist Kwame KinDread, a reggae artist whose bright energy energized the crowd. His performance led into one of the festival’s most anticipated acts, the East St. Louis Performing Arts Ensemble, whose presence filled the atmosphere with communal energy.

The ensemble opened with a rolling drum introduction that carried the audience on a musical journey across the African continent — from Ghana to Gambia and Senegal.

The percussion inspired movement throughout the crowd as audience members swayed and danced to the rhythm. Dancers joined the drummers on stage, their leaps and rhythmic stomps radiating joy.

Eventually, the performers brought the celebration down to the grass, where dancers showcased their favorite moves before inviting the audience to join them. Energized by the drums and the collective spirit of the performance, audience members stepped into the circle to dance alongside them.

Each year, the St. Louis African Arts Festival highlights the depth and diversity of African culture and the traditions that continue to flourish across generations and continents.

Through music, dance, food, fashion and spiritual practices, the festival is a celebration of the beauty, richness and global influence of Africa.

B4

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • MAY 28 – JUNE 3, 2026

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American Fifteen years strong — and the Young Leaders stay ready. The 15th Annual Salute to Young Leaders went down last Thursday – it was absolutely on brand as far as how The St. Louis American Foundation celebrates the emerging and current changemakers. I could list them all, but I’m short on space. Be sure to hit up stlamerican.com if you haven’t already to read their stories in the special tabloid dedicated to them that dropped last week. Now let’s get to the lewks (yes, I said lewks). Mistress of ceremonies and KSDK baddie Melanie Johnson must have said to herself, “Y’all can be corporate if you want to, but I’ll be up in the Four Seasons as the Black Jayne Mansfield – and y’all are gonna love it.” And we absolutely did. For some reason, most of my favorite ensembles from this year’s cohort were outside the box as far as business attire. Carrie Henderson, girl did that orange ensemble come in an XXL? Frizzy By Nature co-founder Leslie Hughes had a chokehold on me with that cute little dress. The fellas were looking nice too. If I’m picking a best dressed, Virgil Pearson is the one. That plaid was quite pleasing to see.

Congrats to this year’s group. You rightfully rest among some amazing company with respect to the more than 300 folks with the same distinction that have had a solid hand in helping make St. Louis the best it can be. Oh, and did I mention the after party produced by Morgan Casey and ‘nem was on hit?!

Rappers-turned-saingas at City Winery. I had a few things on my bingo card when I perched up in City Winery to check out Murphy Lee and Kyjuan Friday night. Seeing some veterans in the STL hip hop game get their croon on was absolutely not on it! I know y’all have heard me talk about Ruka Puff plenty of times in all my years of beating these streets. I even let y’all know when he transformed into Zeus Rebel Waters. Welp, I’m here to let y’all know today that he has flipped the script all the way left and is now singing country music. The gag is that I didn’t hate it. I was perplexed at first, but then I thought, “Why not?” I’m mean, it was Nelly who revolutionized the country-hip hop connection. Zeus is clearly claiming next for STL – and dressing for the OK Corral. After him, Rhoda G gave us some sax magic. if I didn’t know the identity of both her parents, I would swear she is half Bajau. Those are the tribe of Southeast Asians who can hold their breath underwater for as long as they feel like it. And Rhoda played that note for as long as it would take them to get to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and back up when she played with Da Skwaad. And speaking of Da Skwaad, of the band’s lead singers is raptress formerly known as Chocolate Tai! Girl, I did not know you could blow like that! You and Marvin sounded goodt (yes, with a “t”)!

And your playlist was giving the 70s and 80s babies all we needed to make it through. I wish I hadn’t had to wait so long for Murph and Kyweezy to hit the stage, but the features were featuring! That includes Seviin Li and Jovan Bibbs too. And when Murph hit the stage, can you guess what he did? Yep. He was singing his heart out. He didn’t commit to a whole set of songs – or even a whole song. By the time I settled into being confused why one of the top STL MCs to ever do it was giving his best audition for “The Voice,” he jumped into his hip hop bag. I recalibrated just as quickly and was rhyming along to every single word.

Serving moves at the 35th St. Louis African Arts Festival. It goes without saying that I had to show support for Ms. Cynthia Crosby and her crew of faithful organizers’ return of the St. Louis Arts Festival after that tornado tore Forest Park up last year . They did that! Listen, it looked like it was St. Louis Senegal, instead of St. Louis, Missouri. I had an absolute time, but I left with a burning question. Did all the people who usually go as spectators secret-

St. Lunatics Slo Down, Murphy Lee and Kyjuan brought major STL energy to the City Winery stage during their show Friday night. ly decide to practice all year for its 2026 return? I felt like the only one in the whole festival who couldn’t just kick my flip flops of and gag everybody with a fully choreographed African dance combo to whatever beat the drummers were serving up. I ain’t playin’. I saw one woman randomly eating her oxtail plate from FuFu ‘n Sauce. She heard a beat she liked, sat her plate down and had me ready to link her up with Eddie Murphy to choreograph a wedding dance sequence if he decides to do a Coming to American 3?” For real, she even flung her flats off to the beat! Help! And that Haitian processional was everything.

That’s alright, I’m gonna have y’all ready to tuck y’all little African kick-ballchange set in for 2027. Heather Beal and Diadie Bathily, come to the front. I’m going to make y’all an offer you can’t refuse. Heather, you have 11 months and 22 days to teach me everything about the Dunham Technique. That means moves and vocal sound effects. Diadie, give me everything you got from West Africa – and that means the drums too. Class will not be over until I am transformed into a one-woman African drumming and dancing machine.

A whole skate party under the Arch. Another surprise for me this weekend was stopping by the Arch to partake in the Gateway Arch Park Foundation’s inaugural Rollin’ on the River skate party that took place Memorial Day Weekend. Y’all the last time I was perched to get my “Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll” on like that, I was sneaking into Aloha and The Palace. And while I’m committing to practicing my African dance technique, I’m going to have to go on ahead and book some sessions at Skate City to be ready if Rollin’ on the River comes back next year. Either that or smuggle one of those rolling training walkers Skate City has for the kids and toddlers to use so they aren’t flopping all over the rink. I almost ate that concrete too many times to count. And even with my near death skating experiences, I still had a ball!

Fat Ham Continued from A1 Could also be Virginia or Maryland or Tennessee,” the lone timeandplace description reads in the digital program. “It is not Mississippi or Alabama or Florida. That’s a different thing altogether.”

It’s the first contrast between the two plays, but far from the last. Hamlet is heavy. Humor drives Fat Ham. Director Geovonday Jones makes full use of the natural comedic timing that lives within each actor’s portrayal of their character. The emotional weight of Hamlet falls hard on anyone who engages with it. For Fat Ham it is isn’t that deep.

Like Hamlet, lead character Juicy is confronted by the ghost of his father. The ghost demands revenge, insisting Juicy kill his uncle, who has married Juicy’s mother before his brother’s body had time to cool. The setup mirrors Shakespeare almost beat for beat.

But Ijames seasons it with the burden of inherited trauma and the pressure to repeat cycles that fuel generational curses.

Murder and betrayal become just two more things Juicy must navigate as a Black queer man trying to find his way — and defend his right to exist as his authentic self.

Audiences meet Juicy preparing for the cookout that will reintroduce his uncle as his stepfather.

He’s helping prepare the backyard for the party alongside his friend Tio. The rest of Juicy’s circle arrives with the newlyweds: his friend Opal, her brother Larry, and their mother Rabby.

As his mother’s new life takes shape, Juicy stands at the crossroads.

The path he chooses determines whether he follows

Photo by Taylor Marrie / St. Louis American

The Black Rep fulfills the mission of Fat Ham by personifying the indestructible superpower that is Black joy. the familiar footsteps of struggle or creates something new — shedding the skin of misery he’s expected to wear.

Coming off roles in The Dance on Widows Row and Flyin’ West, Margery Handy has been booked and busy throughout The Black Rep’s 49th season.

She proves once again to be a reliable presence as Rabby. Her small but memorable role offers comic relief as she confronts the secrets in her own family while scrutinizing Juicy.

Angela Wildflower felt right at home in her company debut as Juicy’s mother, Tedra. Young actress Raevyn Ferguson also made an impression with her genuine take on Opal — elevated by pristine comedic timing. As a whole, the cast appeared to be on one accord in giving audiences a theater experience they’ll be laughing about long after the curtain falls.

The show leans into the silly, but the talent is serious. Marshall W. Mabry IV anchors the ensemble

as Juicy, with standout support from Enoch King (Rev/Pap), Brian McKinley (Larry), and Olajuwon Davis (Tio).

The production value matches the performances.

Patrick Huber’s scenic and lighting design sets the tone, and Tre’von Griffith’s sound design is stellar. Anyone familiar with cookout culture knows the playlist is as important as what’s on the grill.

The Black Rep fulfills the mission of Fat Ham by personifying the indestructible superpower that is Black joy. It stands stronger than family dysfunction, personal drama, secrets, lies, clashing views, and struggles with identity and orientation.

And in Fat Ham, even death meets its match when it tries to square up against Black joy.

The Black Rep’s production of Fat Ham continues through June 7 at Washington University’s Edison Theatre, 6465 Forsyth Blvd. For more information, visit www. theblackrep.org.

“They’re lamp posts to a drunk person. You can lean on them, but it won’t get you home.”

— New York Knicks guard Josh Hart, speaking on the use of analytics in the NBA

Sports

B5

MAY 28 – JUNE 3, 2026

Inside Sports With Earl Austin Jr.

Collegiate captures first state title Distance crew, jumpers lead Owls to Class 3 championship

home a third-place trophy It was a historic weekend for the boys’ track and on the strength of senior field program at Collegiate sprinter Michael Clark, who won two individual School of Medicine and events. Clark won the Bio Science.

200-meter dash in 21.3 The Owls won the seconds, then came back Class 3 state championto win the 400-meter dash ship at the Missouri State in 47.39 seconds. He also High School Activities anchored the Crusaders’ Association state meet 4x400-meter relay team in Jefferson City. It was to a second-place finish in the program’s first state 3:18.49. Clark was joined championship. The Owls

by Cameron Oliver, won the state title by scorJaquvieon Whitfield ing 49 points, followed and Kai Robinson by second-place on the team. The Richmond and Crusaders also finthird-place ished fourth in the Lutheran North.

4x200.

The Owls rode It was also a the combination banner weekend of their talented for the sprinters at distance runners Cardinal Ritter and field event Earl College Prep. jumpers to success Austin Jr. Senior Manny throughout the Ellis finished season, a trend third in the 100 and that continued at the state anchored the Lions to a championships as those pair of state championathletes accounted for all ships in the 4x100- and of the points.

4x200-meter relays. The Senior Owen Garrett team of Da’Yon Ross, won two gold medals, Jaquez Beck, Terrance including the 800-meter Jones and Ellis won the run in 1 minute 55.63 sec4x100 in 41.82 seconds. onds. Garrett also joined Ellis also joined Ryan Clyde Jackson-Cameron, Evan Moll and Malik Pratt Richardson-McDavis, Beck and Bryce Clayborn in winning the 4x800-meter relay in 7:52.92. Garrett in winning the 4x200 also finished seventh in the in 1:26.45. The Lions 1,600-meter run, Moll was also finished third in the 4x400. eighth in the 3,200 and There were two Jackson-Cameron was fifth other athletes from St. in the 800.

Louis who won Class In the field events, 3 individual state titles. sophomore Maxwell Senior Chrishod Sims McFarlane earned medof Normandy won the als in all three jumping events. He finished second long jump with a leap of in the long jump and triple 22 feet, 4 inches. Senior Luka Wangia of Lutheran jump. He also finished South won the high jump eighth in the high jump, with a clearance of 6 feet, accounting for 17 points.

8 inches. Senior Gary Senior Moses Mugenyi Johnson of St. Mary’s also earned an All-State placed second to Wangia medal by placing third in with a clearance of 6-7. the triple jump.

The top individual Lutheran North took

Area girls shine at state championships

Photo courtesy of Collegiate School of Medicine and Bio Science

Jumpers Maxwell McFarlane and Moses Mugenyi display the trophy after Collegiate captured its first Class 3 boys state track title at the state championships in Jefferson City on Saturday, May 23. boys’ performer at the state meet was senior Demeterius Thompson of Brentwood, who led the Eagles to a second-place finish in the Class 2 team standings. Thompson scored 38 points by winning three individual events. He won the 110-meter high hurdles in 14.69 seconds, the 300-meter intermediate hurdles in 37.97 seconds and the long jump with an effort of 22 feet, 6 inches.

Thompson also finished second in the triple jump.

Sophomore Gabrielle Campbell of Bayless took home three Class 3 AllState medals. She won the state title in the 400 in 55.38 seconds. Campbell also finished second in the 200 and 800.

Lutheran North sprinter Genesis Garner won four All-State medals in Class 2. She finished second in the 100, fourth in the 200 and fourth in the 400.

She also anchored the Crusaders’ 4x100 relay team to a sixth-place finish.

Junior Brianna Krueger of St. Charles West swept the distance events by winning the 1,600 and 3,200meter runs.

Sydney Lanton of John Burroughs finished second in three events: the 300meter low hurdles, the long jump and the triple jump.

Ellen Hunigen of Whitfield won the Class 2 state title in the 400.

She also ran legs on the Warriors’ second-place 4x200 and seventh-place 4x400.

More Boys Class 3 state medalists

the 300-meter intermediate hurdles.

Large schools take center stage at state meet

• Kameron Hurst of Lift for Life finished third in the 110-meter high hurdles.

• St. Mary’s finished seventh in the 4x100-meter relay.

The Missouri Class 4 and 5 state track and field championships will be held this weekend at Jefferson City High. The action will begin on Friday with field events at 9:30 a.m. and the running events at 11 a.m. On Saturday, the field events will begin at 9:30 a.m. with the championship running events set to begin at 11 a.m.

• Jaxyn Buckley of STEAM Academy finished third in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles, fifth in the long jump and fifth in the triple jump.

• Xavier Clark of St. Mary’s finished fifth in

• John Burroughs finished fourth in the 4x400-meter relay.

• Lift for Life finished seventh in the 4x400-meter relay.

• John Burroughs finished second in the 4x800-meter relay.

Sports Eye With Alvin A. Reid

NAACP call for SEC boycott could be gamechanger Sports, from youth and powerful shift in leagues, to recreational, to momentum. college, to pro are ways Aptly named “Out of to escape the political and Bounds,” the NAACP social turmoil that grips is urging Black athletour nation. ic recruits to withhold Team A against Team commitments from SEC B should have a path clear schools in Tennessee, of Black against white, red Louisiana, Alabama, against blue, them against Florida, Mississippi, us.

South Carolina, Texas and But the rules governing Georgia. this game have The initiative changed. was launched in The national the wake of the NAACP, with U.S. Supreme support of the Court’s 6-3 ruling Congressional in Louisiana v.

Black Caucus, is Callais, a decision calling on Black critics say gutted athletes and fans to the Voting Rights Alvin A. boycott public uniAct, according to Reid versities in states U.S. Rep. Wesley where Republican legislaBell and other Black memtures are quickly trying to bers of Congress. redistrict and render Black “What these states votes as meaningless as have done is not a policy possible. disagreement. It is a sprint It’s more than just polto erase Black political itics. It’s more than “elecpower,” Derrick Johnson, tions have consequences.”

NAACP president, said in There is a sinister plot at a release. work in the South, and “These actions hapsoon other states, to reduce pened in days, in some Black voters’ status. cases in hours, of a Welcome back, Jim Crow. Supreme Court ruling that It’s now “all hands gives extremist lawmakon deck” for Black ers a playbook to erode Americans. Our athletes Black representation. The could help make a swift NAACP will not watch

Photo courtesy of msn

Derrick Johnson, national NAACP president, joined members of the Congressional Black Caucus on Tuesday, May 19, during a press conference announcing the “Out of Bounds” initiative. the same institutions that depend on Black athletic prowess to fill their stadiums and their bank accounts remain silent while their states strip Black communities of their voice.”

The NAACP said several of the universities that face a possible boycott reap more than $100 million annually through their athletic programs.

It is not just players who are being asked to

have an influence.

Fans and alumni of the schools that are targeted are requested to share financial support with HBCUs and not attend games.

Hit ‘em where it hurts, Black America — and that’s on SEC football fields and basketball courts. It’s on baseball and softball diamonds and gymnastics competition venues.

In the arms race for

valued Black athletic stars, if schools fall behind and on-field performances suffer, there would be change.

Missouri is a member of the SEC. Republicans have enacted redistricting that will eliminate U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver from Congress by diluting his district through gerrymandering.

Some Republicans are saying Cleaver’s congressional district will soon be changed, almost guaranteeing that Missouri will not have another Democratic congressman, let alone another Black one.

On Thursday, May 21, 2026, I sent emails to the state, St. Louis and St. Louis County NAACP branches asking if a similar call for a boycott would be issued against the University of MissouriColumbia.

Because of the Memorial Day holiday, this column was written on Friday, and the chapters have not had adequate time to respond. I eagerly await what our local NAACP chapters are planning. Hopefully, they will support the national NAACP by acting in

Missouri.

The University of Missouri is not “the bad guy” in this case, nor is its athletic department.

However, it finds itself in a precarious situation thanks to a legislature hellbent on eliminating Black voices.

Black young men and women from the St. Louis area who are being recruited by Missouri should reflect on the impact of their decisions. This is not a demand. It is a request.

Currently, no states with Big Ten or Big 12 schools have created new gerrymandered districts, nor has there been an announced plan to do so.

There are many Power Four schools to choose from should a decision be made to boycott certain SEC universities.

I’m not telling anyone what to do; I am saying it is a time for action.

Black athletes can make a resounding statement in Missouri, the South and across America by holding state schools and state legislatures accountable for their actions on voting rights and Black representation.

B6

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • MAY 28 – JUNE 3, 2026

Honoring excellence

15th Annual Salute to Young Leaders celebrated the success of St. Louis’ emerging talent Hundreds of people gathered at the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis last week to celebrate the 2026 cohort of the St. Louis American Foundation’s Salute to Young Leaders.

Keynote speaker Orvin Kimbrough delivered an uplifting message encouraging the next generation of leaders to continue mak-

ing an impact across the region.

Spirits and excitement remained throughout the evening, culminating with the Morgan Casey Experience After Party featuring music, vendors, dancing and networking among many of St. Louis’ emerging young professionals.

Several sponsors contributed to the

success of this year’s event, including Midwest BankCentre, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, the Regional Business Council, World Wide Technology and the Steward Family Foundation, Ameren Missouri, The Opportunity Trust and Edward Jones.

Photos by Taylor Marrie and Alex Don – Additional Salute photos online

Ohun Ashe and Morgan Casey

Tim Clark

Tyson Patrick

Carrie Henderson

Kimberly. Turner ESQ and Orvin Kimbrough of Midwest BankCentre

Virgil Pearson and Jerome Harris

Wesley Williams Past and Present Young Leader group photo

B7

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • MAY 28 – JUNE 3, 2026

AKA’s strolling

Michael McMillan and Michael Holmes, foundation board chair

Aris Dakari and Stacey Pugh

Latonya AnNoor, Angel Anderson, Jessica Anderson, and Kyla Pollard

Delta Sigma Theta strolling

Alonzo J. Townsend and Alonzo J. Townsend II

Marla Wells and Jasmine Evans

Tyler Joy

Stephan Hickman

Keynote speaker Orvin Kimbrough

Khadijah Amirah

Tiffanie Marie Toles

B8

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • MAY 28 – JUNE 3, 2026

Rachel Powers

Young Leader friends and family

Jordyn Elston

Church Pinkston Leslie and Valerie Hughes

Melanie Johnson

Valerie Hughes, Leslie Hughes, Stephan Hickman, Carrie Henderson and Jasmine Evans

Mocha Latte

DJ PBNJEFFY

Daedra Smith

Javier Vallejo

Ohun Ashe and Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier

B9

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • MAY 28 – JUNE 3, 2026

Energy and nostalgia fuel ‘MJ the Musical’

National tour continues St. Louis run at The Fabulous Fox through May 24

By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American The fact that Michael Jackson was unmatched as an entertainer becomes even more apparent when watching performers attempt to capture his talent, skill and energy. Only one person to date — Jaafar Jackson in Antoine Fuqua’s biopic Michael — has truly come close. And he shares 25% of the late superstar’s DNA. Jaafar’s portrayal of his uncle during the eras between Off the Wall and the beginning of Bad set a bar so high that no one else can realistically reach it. Because Jackson was such a master, audiences extend a certain grace to anyone who steps into the role. They understand the extreme difficulty — and the nerve — required to attempt it live onstage.

That reality hangs over MJ the Musical, which returned to the Fabulous Fox Theatre on Tuesday evening amid a fresh

MJ the Musical, returned to the Fabulous Fox Theatre on Tuesday evening amid a fresh wave of “Michael-mania” sparked by the release of Fuqua’s blockbuster film.

wave of “Michael-mania” sparked by the release of Fuqua’s blockbuster film. The production runs through May 24, and even casual fans — if such a thing exists — will appreciate the show’s production value, storyline and music.

MJ the Musical premiered on Broadway in 2022, built around Jackson’s 1992 Dangerous World Tour rehearsals. With a book by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage and direction/choreography by Tony Award winner Christopher Wheeldon, the show was designed not as a cradle-to-grave biopic but as a jukebox-style exploration of Jackson’s artistry, work ethic and creative process. It went on to win four Tony Awards, including Best

Actor for Myles Frost.

The touring production brings that same framework to St. Louis — a non-linear narrative that uses Jackson’s catalog as a guide through his childhood, rise to superstardom and the pressures that shaped him.

Jordan Markus had some tough loafers to fill in his debut touring performance as Michael Jackson.

This is true in both as the musical’s namesake and as the successor to Roman Banks, whose 2024 Fox Theatre performance was wide-

ly praised.

Markus delivers a solid showing, particularly in his dancing. And between the three performers who portray Jackson at different stages of his life, audiences get the full spectrum of what the late entertainer brought to the world.

The show opens as Jackson prepares to embark on the European leg of the Dangerous tour. Through flashbacks, the audience is carried from his origins as a pintsized prodigy leading the Jackson 5 to the height of his solo career. The jukebox format allows fans to

sing, sway and relive the soundtrack of a generation.

Much like the child he portrays, Eric Wiltz has an intuitiveness with his instrument that is awe-inspiring. His use of harmony — especially during his duet with Rajane Katurah as Katherine Jackson — is one of the production’s most striking moments.

Brandon Lee Harris, who plays Jackson in his Off the Wall era, has the vocals down pat. Onstage, he serves as a reminder of the global star’s pure singing ability — something often overshadowed by the spectacle of Jackson’s per-

formances.

Meanwhile, Markus has the moves. His physicality anchors the show’s later eras, capturing the precision and musicality that defined Jackson’s choreography.

The two-and-ahalf-hour playlist of Jackson’s timeless hits is framed by Nottage’s non-linear script. MJ the Musical manages to squeeze in more than 40 songs without making the show feel cumbersome — or forcing fans to endure a fragmented story just to accommodate the music.

The curation and Nottage’s storytelling create an even-keeled production that doesn’t feel thrown together simply to make room for the singing and dancing.

Much like the film, MJ the Musical is a fan pleaser. The audience responded with such enthusiasm that applause routinely forced the cast to pause between numbers. And the standing ovation lasted nearly as long as the show’s finale medley.

MJ the Musical continues through May 24 at the Fabulous Fox. For tickets and additional information, visit fabulousfox.com.

B10

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • MAY 21 – 27, 2026

Anita Lyons Bond honored posthumously with Pioneer Award Family and close friends celebrated late Civil Rights proponent and former St. Louis School Board President at SLU’s Commencement Recognition Dinner on Friday, May 15.

“The late Anita Lyons

Bond (A&S ‘50), who passed away in August 2025, embodied traditions of scholarship, civic courage and transformative public service. She made history as the first Black student at Saint Louis University to graduate

with honors (magna cum laude) and as the first Black female student to be inducted into three national honor societies. She made significant contributions to the nation’s Civil Rights Movement and to higher education and public

education in Missouri and St. Louis. Additionally, she developed innovative speech-correction techniques that continue to serve underserved communities today.” - Saint Louis University.

First Row (l to r): Paul Randall, Esq., Lisa D. Hollingsworth, and Susie Anderson; Second Row (l to r): St. Louis American Publisher Dr. Donald M. Suggs, Dana Grace Randolph, Ambasssador (ret.) Candace A. Bond and Dale Anderson, M.D.

Saint Louis University President Edward Feser, Ph.D. (above right) presents the Saint Louis University 2026 Pioneer Award to Anita Lyon Bond, posthumously. Bond’s daughter Candace A. Bond ( left) accepts the award on her mother’s behalf at the Saint Louis University Commencement Recognition Dinner on May 15, 2026.

Photos by Megan Favignano-Mansouri | Saint Louis University.

Readers cast your votes now for your St. Louis favorites!

See pages A10 and A11.

THE

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ St. Louis american THE

Career Center ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

•

The Saint Louis Zoo seeks bids from qualified vendors. Bid documents are available as of 5/27/26 on the Saint Louis Zoo website: stlzoo.org/vendor.

SEALED BIDS

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Replace Exterior Windows & Doors, Core Building, Project No. H250201 will be received

by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, July 2, 2026. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

Bids for Parking Lot Repairs, Project No. H250101 will be received

by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, June 25, 2026. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

St. Louis american THE

B11

MAY 28 - JUNE 3, 2026

PUBLIC NOTICE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

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

Peoples Health Centers is requesting proposals from qualified contractors to construct and renovate their 11642 West Florissant Ave health center. The project will include exterior and interior construction, painting and signage, cemented sidewalks, modification of the interior “WIC” area, entry awning, 3 offices/exam rooms, interior demolition of cabinets, with office/ waiting room/lobby/ multipurpose room furniture and new flooring. The center is a one-story steel framed structure. The center must continue to operate during construction.

Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

FIRE SPRINKLER BACKFLOWS, REPAIRS, AND SYSTEM INSPECTIONS II RFP 2026

THE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS The Hazelwood School District is seeking bid proposals to remove asbestos tile from West Early Childhood Center.

Interested parties should submit their bid proposal through Bidnet via the district’s website at https://www. hazelwoodschools.org/ Page/2238 on or before Tuesday, June 2, 2026 not later than 11:00 a.m.

A pre-bid meeting will be held at Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers located at 11642 West Florissant Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63033 on Friday, May 29, 2026, at 12:30 pm For a copy of construction documents please email Michael Prost, mprost@fsastl.com Please present questions at least five (5) days prior to the scheduled bid opening to allow for any responses or addenda, if required, to be issued to all the bidders.

Additionally, bidders must comply with labor standards and prevailing wage requirements using the latest Contractor’s Wage Surveys of the State of Missouri.

Each bid must be accompanied by a Cashier’s or Treasurer’s Check of a bank or trust company in St. Louis, payable to the order of People’s Health Centers, or a Surety Bond for 5% of the bid price.

Bidders shall comply with all applicable city, state and federal laws.

Sealed Bids must be received no later than 2:00 PM June 26, 2026, and will be opened on the same day.

Bids may be delivered or mailed to BJK People’s Health Centers, 11642 West Florissant, St. Louis, MO, 63033. Attn: Mark Sanford, Executive Vice President The right of the owner to reject any or all bids is hereby expressly reserved

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS The St. Louis County Port Authority requests proposals from a firm or multiple firms to provide programmatic and administrative professional services, in support of its operations to promote economic development in St. Louis County. A copy of the RFP is available at https:// stlpartnership.com/rfp- rfq/. Proposals must be received no later than 3:00 PM on Tuesday, June 30, 2026.

Equal Opportunity Employer

To Advertise Real Estate, Angelita Houston at ahouston@stlamerican.com 314-289-5430 INVITATION FOR BIDS COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY, INC. (CAASTLC) LOW INCOME WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM (LIWAP) CAASTLC is accepting sealed bids to provide labor and materials for its residential weatherization program. LIWAP (made available through CAASTLC) is federally funded and administered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

This weatherization grant is funded through the DOE and is subject to all its provisions. Bid packages will be available to be picked up at CAASTLC starting Monday, 6/01/2026, at 9:00 a.m. and will be available for downloading on CAASTLC’s homepage at https://www.caastlc.org.

CAASTLC will have a Pre-bid Conference, via online Zoom Conference, on Tuesday, 6/09/2026, at 9:00 a.m. for questions, etc. The meeting link for this Conference will be available on CAASTLC’s homepage (https://www.caastlc.org/) the day of the Conference and the login attendee ID and password for this Conference will be in the bid packages.

Bids must be sealed, marked “LIWAP – DNR Sealed Bid” and delivered to CAASTLC, Inc., 2709 Woodson Road, St. Louis, MO 63114, no later than 5:00 p.m., Monday, 6/15/2026.

Bids will be opened and read publicly, via online Zoom Conference, at 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, 6/16/2026, at CAASTLC’s main office. The meeting link for this Conference will be available on CAASTLC’s homepage (https://www.caastlc.org/) the day of the bid opening and the login attendee ID and password for this Conference will be in the bid packages.

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PUBLISHER’S NOTICE: Advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, imitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial\status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.“We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.”

Call Angelita Houston at 314-289-5430 or email ahouston@stlamerican.com to place your ads today!

Religion

B12

MAY 28 – JUNE 3, 2026

‘Faith in the Wild’

The Advancing Church takes worship to the St. Louis Zoo Jordan said the service is meant to help people see the zoo as a space where the diversity of life reflects Pastor Rashon Jordan divine artistry and where remembers exactly how the legacy of Noah’s obethe idea came to him — dience still echoes. and how unlikely it felt at But when the idea first first. came, he admits he had The senior pastor of to work through his own The Advancing Church hesitation. said he was “It didn’t simply folmake sense lowing the at first,” he same pattern Pastor Rashon said. “You’re of obedience asking people that has guided Jordan said the inspiration not to go to his ministry their church for years when came from two building on a God placed a places he has Sunday mornnew assignalways loved ing and meet ment on his — God and you at the zoo. heart. He was I had to get animals — and led to take past my own worship to the from the way reasoning and St. Louis Zoo. his artwork what felt com“Faith in often reflects fortable for the Wild,” a people.” the beauty of worship serOnce he vice happening creation. moved beyond from 9 a.m. to that, he said, noon on June he committed 7 at the St. fully.

Louis Zoo, is The message he plans the result. to preach centers on faith Jordan said the inspiration came from two places that goes beyond experience — the kind Noah had he has always loved — when God told him rain God and animals — and was coming, even though from the way his artwork rain had never fallen from often reflects the beauty of creation. But the deeper the sky before.

“You have to believe connection came through God even if it’s something the story of Noah.

“The zoo is like a living you’ve never seen,” Jordan said. “Noah believed God, museum of the animals and because of that, the that graced the ark,” he first zoo happened inside said. “It’s a place where the ark.” we’re reminded of God’s Jordan said the impact grace — that He saved of obedience is something creation, and He saved humanity. Without the ark, he has witnessed firsthand. A few years ago, there would be no zoo.”

By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

Pastor Rashon Jordan delivers a sermon from his “Faith in the Wild” series on Sunday, May 24, at The Advancing Church. The series continues with a service on Sunday, June 7, at the St. Louis Zoo. he said God instructed his church to build a church in Johannesburg, South Africa. He didn’t know how it would happen, but he delivered the message — and the support came.

The Advancing Church eventually built the church and helped bring water and electricity to a village that had neither.

“When you move because God gave you a word, lives are changed,” he said. “We don’t always understand the long-lasting

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impact of faith.”

Jordan said “Faith in the Wild” is meant to be a celebration of that same grace — the kind that sustained Noah, his family, and the animals on the ark, and the kind he believes still sustains people today.

“If God has ever saved you from something, healed you from something, delivered you from something — this is a day to remember His grace,” he said. “Even when people talk about judgment,

there is always grace.”

He hopes the service will help people see God’s creativity in the world around them, especially at a time when global conflict, rising costs and uncertainty weigh heavily on many.

“Let’s celebrate the fact that God is still good and His grace is still present with us,” Jordan said.

And for those who attend, he believes the experience will offer something they haven’t

encountered before.

“It feels amazing to know that obedience can impact families and give people hope,” he said. “I live by faith. I walk by faith, not by sight.”

The Advancing Church’s “Faith in the Wild” at the St. Louis Zoo will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday, June 7. For more information, visit www.theadvancingchurch.org