May 29th, 2025 edition

Urban League hosts large-scale disaster relief effort

By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American

The

In a massive disaster relief effort on May 24, 2025, at the Urban League headquarters, more than 500 volunteers came together to distribute 3,000 packages of food, toiletries and other items.

The effort is ongoing with distributions scheduled for May 31, June 7, and June 14.

“We will get through this,” Michael P. McMillan, Urban League president and CEO.

“Our community has been utterly devastated by the recent tragedy of the tornado from loss of life to injury to destruction of homes, businesses, cars and institutions

“The Urban League stand ready to assist everyone that we can in any ways that we can as we work together to rebuild.”

St. Louis Schnucks Markets, a major partner with the Uban League and United Way of Metropolitan St. Louis, has responded with two relief efforts.

Through Friday, June 6, all St. Louis-area Schnucks stores will host a personal care item drive. Customers can bring or purchase personal care items and leave them in each store’s respective collection bin.

The most needed items are paper towels, cleaning products, disinfecting wipes, flashlights/ batteries, bleach, first aid kits, ponchos, toothpaste/toothbrushes, towels, lotion, rubber gloves, shampoo/conditioner, feminine products, baby products, diapers, toilet paper, soap and deodorant.

Through Tuesday, June 10,

Schnucks stores is hosting Round Up at the Register.to support Urban League and United Way tornado relief.

Customers can contribute to relief efforts simply by rounding up their purchases to the nearest dollar.

Schnucks Rewards members also have the opportunity to donate their Rewards points as part of the Donate Your Rewards program.

Red Cross offers financial assistance

the American Red Cross is now providing financial assistance to qualifying individuals whose homes were impacted by the May 16th tornadoes. To qualify, an individual’s home must have been classified by the Red Cross as having sustained major damage or was completely destroyed.

Red Cross teams are assessing damage to homes across the Greater St. Louis area to make these determinations.

Everyone whose home was damaged is asked to go to www. redcross.org/gethelp to review the information about qualifications and to fill out the online form.

For those who qualify to receive assistance, Red Cross will send personalized text messages and emails or call with instructions on how to access financial assistance. To receive the assistance, individuals must respond to the text, email or phone call. For questions regarding this process, call 1-800-RedCross.

In addition, Red Cross services are available to those impacted by the tornado including shelters, and distribution of meals and emergency clean up supplies.

Four Red Cross shelters are

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, in collaboration with community and corporate partners, hosted the first of four large-scale disaster relief distributions at its Regional Headquarters at 1408 N. Kingshighway on Saturday May 24, 2025. More than 500 volunteers came together to help distribute 3,000 packages of food, toiletries, and essential supplies to families impacted by the recent tornado. The event marked the beginning of a multi-phase response to support storm-affected communities. Volunteers are still needed to assist with packing efforts for the upcoming distributions.

open in Greater St. Louis for those affected by the tornado, with more than being housed as of Monday, Memorial Day.

Shelters are located at the following sites and all have availability:

• Friendly Temple Outreach Center, 6356 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr., St. Louis, MO

• 12th & Park Recreation Center, 1410 S. Tucker Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63104

• Refresh Community Church: 829 N. Hanley Rd, St Louis, MO 63130

• Peter and Paul Community

Services (Garfield Building) 2612 Wyoming, St. Louis MO 63118

Individuals displaced by the tornado are encouraged to come to the shelters for water, meals, snacks and a safe place to stay overnight. Trained Red Cross volunteers are available to offer disaster mental health and health care services to help those at the shelters. The American Red Cross disaster health staff can also help to replace lost prescription medications and prescription glasses

and talk through health needs.

For individuals wishing to assist the Red Cross in responding to community disasters, a financial donation is best. This allows the Red Cross to be flexible in using the funds to directly address the needs of those affected.

To donate, call 1-800 RED CROSS or donate online at www.redcross.org/donate. To volunteer to assist the Red Cross in responding to disasters, go to www.redcross.org/volunteer.

Photo courtesy of Urban League

Guest Editorial Commentary

Fear can only win if we let it Power of people over people in power

By ReShonda Tate

I recently traveled through Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, which I’ve walked through countless times in my three decades of travel.

This time was different. The TSA security line was like something out of a disaster movie: It snaked through terminals with frustrated travelers as agents shouted updates to the restless crowd. I asked one of them what was going on. They shrugged, saying “DOGE cuts. Limited staff and we’re all suffering.”

I was two and a half hours early, had priority lane privileges and still barely made my flight. As I often do, I pulled out my phone to post about it to my private social media account — a space where I’m not shy about my political views. But just before I hit “post,” I paused.

I’m just a writer from Texas, I thought. There’s no way anyone from the Trump administration would see this. But I hesitated because…what if they did? What if someone flagged it? What if, in the vindictive spirit of this new era, someone decided to revoke my travel credentials or add me to a watchlist?

Some might say I’m being extreme. But that fear was real.

And that’s the point. That’s what Donald Trump wants.

photo ops. Civil rights protections were gutted. Affirmative action dismantled. Fair housing policies rolled back. Police accountability weakened. The word “woke” has become blasphemous.

And all of this I wrapped in a campaign of fear: fear of “crime,” fear of “illegals,” fear of change, fear of Black power.

This is not new. Throughout history, African Americans have been silenced through fear—through lynching, through voter intimidation, through job threats, redlining, surveillance and censorship. Trump is not the inventor of this tactic. He’s simply its loudest, most shameless modern-day champion.

What frightened me most about that moment in the airport wasn’t the line. It was realizing that I was self-censoring out of fear. I eventually posted my message, but I watered it down. I muted my outrage. And afterward, I sat with sadness. What kind of “free” country do we live in if a journalist — someone whose job is to speak truth — is afraid to voice frustration over an airport delay, for fear that it might be held against her?

That’s not democracy. That’s dictatorship.

By Ty Jones

After over 25 years of national recognition, artistic excellence, and community impact, The Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH) has been unexpectedly excluded from this year’s National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funding list.

This decision didn’t come with a conversation — just a cold, bureaucratic letter terminating our grant and stating that our work no longer aligns with “new policy priorities.”

Let me be clear: this is more than a change in funding. It’s a cultural and political signal that threatens CTH and the very idea of who gets counted as part of this country’s rich artistic heritage.

Since 1999, CTH has told global stories through the lens of the African diaspora. Our work spans from Shakespeare to August Wilson, from Euripides to new emerging playwrights of color.

For over a decade, the NEA supported this mission, recognizing our innovative productions, youth programs, and deep roots in the community. Our summer program, Uptown Shakespeare in the Park (USP), has become a beloved New York tradition: free, high-caliber performances in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park that reach tens of thousands yearly.

We are not alone in this exclusion. Nearly 500 organizations across the U.S. have been cut, and as evidenced by those whose funding was terminated, it is clear: this administration is bent on silencing certain voices; this administration is employing cultural erasure.

Though these cuts threaten to derail CTH’s summer performances in conjunction with the $650,000+ in economic activity generated during the run in July, it is paramount to remember that in times of crisis, you and those whom you lead can never panic. Rather, you organize, strategize, and mobilize.

You identify your problem, build a coalition, come to a consensus, and execute. Wash, rinse, and repeat. As my grandmother used to say (we called her Big Mama), “No weapon formed against us shall prosper.”

The measure of a society is how well it treats those most in need. That’s what nonprofits do. We fill in gaps where government and the for-profit markets fall short – and this administration chose to go after the most vulnerable.

“Real power is fear.” That’s what Trump once said — and he’s made good on that philosophy. His political playbook isn’t built on inspiration or unity; it’s built on intimidation, vengeance and control.

For Black Americans, who have always lived under the shadow of structural fear, that kind of leadership is not just threatening — it’s dangerous.

Trump has weaponized public shaming, social media attacks, frivolous lawsuits and government authority to punish those who dare to dissent. He’s gone after journalists, judges, prosecutors, and ordinary citizens who speak out. His administration treats criticism as betrayal and disagreement as criminal.

The impact on Black communities has been especially chilling.

Black-led movements like Black Lives Matter were labeled “terrorists,” and peaceful protesters were tear-gassed for

Fear works best when it isolates us and when it convinces us that speaking out isn’t worth the risk. It works when it persuades us to be quiet, to fall in line, to sit down. That’s why Trump leans on it so heavily.

Here’s the truth: Fear can only win if we let it.

Black America has always resisted, even when it was risky, even when it cost us everything. We’ve marched, organized, voted, protested and created, knowing that silence was never an option.

Now, more than ever, we must continue to push forward — unafraid, unbought, and unbossed.

Yes, I posted my (albeit watereddown) update. I’ll keep posting, writing and raising my voice. Because if we stop speaking, they’ve already won.

Stay vigilant. Stay loud. And never, ever let fear decide your truth.

RaShonda Tate is managing editor of the Houston Defender Network

This summer, we planned to stage “Memnon,” written by Will Power and directed by Carl Cofield — a powerful retelling of the African warrior from Homer’s Iliad, made for our Harlem audience and open to all with no barriers to access. However, the NEA has now determined that this work “does not align” with their updated priorities.

It’s hard not to see the irony: “Memnon” is rooted in ancient storytelling, part of the very classical tradition the NEA is meant to uplift. I believe deeply — and unapologetically — that what we’re doing is squarely part of this nation’s rich artistic heritage. I’d argue that CTH is one of the best examples of this.

Not the Pentagon, where there is unified support on auditing its books, but rather Social Security or a non-profit that helps children with stuttering challenges. So let me state this clearly — adversity is not new to nonprofit arts organizations. We all know how to punch above our weight, and sometimes you have to punch a bully in the mouth.

CTH will not be silenced. We will be mindful, measured, and mission-driven with each key performance indicator related to culture, commerce, and community. We will keep singing, dancing, and acting with the hope of earning your support so we can one day sing from the same sheet of music.

The power of the people is always stronger than the people in power.

Ty Jones is an OBIE Award winner and the producing artistic director of the Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH).

Demagogues blame the vulnerable

By Ben Jealous

During difficult times, people look for answers.

If history teaches us anything, that answer is usually finding someone else to blame.

Today’s anti-immigrant movement follows a dangerous pattern: stoke fear, tell lies, and divide working people against each other. We should recognize the humanity of people fleeing poverty, violence, or climate chaos. Many come here with little more than hope they will find opportunity and be treated with dignity.

Instead, we are bombarded with claims that immigrants are taking jobs, draining welfare programs, and driving up crime.

Let’s be clear – the data says otherwise.

Immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than US-born citizens, according to studies from the Cato Institute and the American Immigration Council. They contribute more in taxes than they receive in public benefits. And far from taking jobs, immigrant labor fills critical shortages in healthcare, construction, farming, and more –keeping our economy going while supporting their families and ours.

But the budget reconciliation bill just passed by the US House and heading to the Senate attempts to bring it to a grinding halt. Instead of investing in the jobs that will power the global economy, the bill guts clean energy funding. It slashes Medicaid and food assistance for working families to pay for billions in tax cuts for the top 1%.

The bill does not solve a single problem. It makes every one of them worse. What is in that disaster of a bill has been well reported: Attacks on Americans who get their health care through Affordable Care Act exchanges ... deep cuts to Medicaid and food assistance ... all to pay for tax cuts for billionaires and corporations and Trump’s immigrant deportation (and detention) agenda.

The House-passed bill would also repeal most IRA clean energy tax credits and investments and undermine public health by inviting a flood of air and water pollution. The repeal of the clean energy tax credits alone would reportedly increase US household energy costs by $16 billion by 2030, and cost more than 830,000 jobs and $1 trillion in GDP over the next eight years.

The myths persist because the truth is harder to confront. Our economy has failed too many people for too long. Factory towns across the Midwest and elsewhere are hollowed out. Wages have stagnated. Housing costs have skyrocketed. College debt weighs down the next generation. When real solutions feel out of reach, fear finds a foothold.

But the solution is not scapegoating. The solution is building.

Right now, the green economy is our best shot at economic revival. Spurred on by legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are opening new factories for wind turbines, electric school buses, and solar panels. We are building a power grid for the next century. We are creating careers – not just jobs – that pay well, reduce pollution, and lower energy bills.

This transition is already underway.

Scapegoating is about power. And it’s about making an example of a group to chill dissent and create a climate of fear. We’re already seeing how this administration is trying to retaliate against those who are calling out and standing up to its dehumanizing immigration sweeps. That is also part of the playbook.

It is worth remembering that some of the people we just honored on Memorial Day were immigrants. Foreign-born Americans have always served and sacrificed for this country – from the Civil War to Afghanistan.. We can choose to turn away from politics that prey on fear. We can turn toward a future built on shared prosperity,

responsibility, and shared humanity. That’s an America

fighting for.

Columnist Ty Jones Guest Columnist

Jealous

Legacy Institute crowns new chess kings and queens

St. Louis American

The Legacy Institute recently crowned the kings and queens that participated in the Black Knight’s Chess Tournament held over two weeks at Confluence Preparatory Academy.

The competition included four age brackets, Little League, Junior Varsity, Varsity, and Adults, and more than 70 chess players representing over a dozen organizations were part of the chess challenge.

Legacy partnered with NSBE, Dream Builders, Cardinal Ritter, HEC TRIO, McCluer High, Saint Louis Public Schools, St. Louis County Parks & Recreation, and others to present its annual tournament.

With over $1000 in cash prizes distributed to chess division winners, gift cards, and other prizes distributed to all other participants, the event “embodied intellect, equity and encouragement,” according to Heather

Day, program director.

“Success isn’t just about the outcome—it’s about showing up, demonstrating sportsmanship, and giving your best effort,” she said.

“From beginning players making their first moves, to seasoned strategists battling for top honors, every individual walked away with not only a prize but also a renewed sense of confidence and purpose.”

The winners from each division:

Little League: First - Eli Warford Second - Tristen Dean, Third - Amandla Ase

Junior Varsity: First - Donald Peoples, Second - Darian Day Jr., Three-way tie for Third - Jalon Valentine, Khrell Byes, and Langston Logan Varsity: Co-First - Robert Like, Co-FirstMalik Lyles, Second - Konner McWhorter, Third - Elijah Gilliam

Adults: First - Chris Taylor, SecondJaysen Minner, Third - Robert Armstead

A long, hot summer ahead

By Jamila Hodge

Five years ago, a police officer murdered George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for nine minutes, 29 seconds.

I was two years removed from my career as a federal prosecutor. In Washington, D.C., where I worked, prosecutors hold jurisdiction over federal and local crimes. For several years, I served as a community prosecutor, where I worked in police precincts. I got to know officers as dedicated individuals, but also, crucially, as part of a faulty system.

I became a prosecutor believing I could effect change.

But I learned that the foundation of a racist punishment framework was hard to shake and that a justice system, originating in slavery, designed to control and oppress Black people, would — and does — continue to do that.

I was shocked to see how the Floyd injustice could inspire action. Americans poured into the streets throughout 2020, despite the persistence of COVID-19; as many as 26 million protested. State and local governments enacted a wave of police reforms. Corporations and their foundations promised nearly $50 billion for racial justice initiatives.

This White House administration is now drowning us in a flood of regressive executive orders and federal actions. Many will harm Black communities. From sweeping measures to eliminate DEI initiatives — essentially resegregation — to the neutering of civil rights protection to proposed legislation to cut Medicaid, we will feel this pain most acutely.

Public safety has been my work for the last 20 years. I was devastated when the Department of Justice illegally canceled 371 grants to more than 200 community-based organizations, health care institutions, and municipalities working to prevent violence.

This administration will not reinstate these dollars, so we need state and local leaders, as well as philanthropy, to step up because these programs save lives. Black lives.

Restorative justice is a process equally vital, addressing harm to avoid the legal system — especially for youth — while bringing healing and resolution for survivors. Participants who choose restorative justice report satisfaction rates ranging between 80% and 90%.

My organization was one of the 200. The loss of funding is crushing, but the impact goes further. We were passing on hundreds of thousands of dollars to innovative startup organizations saving lives in their communities. They show up at homicide scenes to support families, provide resources to youth exposed to violence and trauma, and much more. They were counting on this money to grow and address the drivers of violence they experience every day.

The timing couldn’t be worse. Violence surges every summer, as surely as the temperature rises. But it will be worse this year because of the DOJ’s actions.

This administration will blame the rise in crime on the disinvested communities most ravaged by violence — rather than take responsibility for ending the life-saving measures that made violence intervention and prevention tangible.

Our movement is struggling for oxygen, a systemic knee on our neck. We expect this administration to ignore our pleas for relief, as an officer did to George Floyd. But there are mayors, state legislators, and governors, as well as countless philanthropists, bearing witness to this grave injustice. Save Black lives now. We’re begging you.

Former federal prosecutor Jamila Hodge is CEO of Equal Justice USA, a national organization transforming the justice system through community-centered responses to violence.

A pair of youthful chess players studied the board during the Black Knight’s Chess Tournament, presented annually by The Legacy Institute. The two-week tournament is held at Confluence Academy.

Photo courtesy of Legacy Institute

Jamila Hodge

demonstrated their commitment to the region.

“Everything that is happening is just even more of an opportunity for us to take the lead and be those change makers in the city,” Whitener said before she introduced Michael McMillan, CEO of Urban League Metropolitan St. Louis, to deliver remarks.

His address reiterated the need for community throughout the process of picking up the pieces.

“This is the greatest crisis we have ever seen and only by us coming together for ourselves will it be fixed,” McMillan said as he spoke on behalf of the sponsors – which included Midwest BankCentre, World Wide Technology, Ameren Missouri along with the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.

As the Young Leaders – and the audience who came to support them –nodded in agreement, it became clear by way of mistress of ceremonies Melanie Johnson that many of them are already in the trenches helping to put impacted parts of the city back together again.

There are leaders like Samantha E. Williams, Manager of Community Relations for Ameren Missouri. She has been busy overseeing the restorations of power lines and electricity to thousands of customers. There is also Morgan Casey, Founder of Date Ideas and Things to Do. She has been a beacon of hope for small businesses in the region through her relief efforts. Casey has been in the community since Friday evening delivering meals and other essential items to those in need.

Lumberjack Jeff Bailey Jr. has been in the impact-

An appreciative crowd was on hand to honor the twenty individuals

Leaders Awards Ceremony and Networking Reception Thursday evening

ed area with boots on the ground as well. His business, Econotree, has been clearing fallen trees from yards – lifting that burden for those who face the long road of rebuilding. Dr. Kenneth Powell, co-founder and Chief Pharmacist at GreaterHealth Pharmacy & Wellness – the only Black owned pharmacy in Missouri – hand delivering vital medications to those with obstructed access due to the storms. Prior to the award

distribution, a keynote address was provided by Brandon Williams, the recently appointed President and CEO of The Boys & Girls Club of Greater St. Louis.

“To me, leadership is the capacity to influence others with inspiration,” Williams said.

“[Leadership is] motivated by a passion, generated by a vision, produced by conviction but ignited by your purpose. We need leadership – more specifically,

your leadership.”

Johnson, a 2023 Young Leader honoree, heaped praise on the Young Leaders, and the city as a whole, as she shared the accomplishments of the 2025 cohort.

“Anyone that knows St. Louis knows that it is fueled by grit, generosity and bold ideas,” Johnson said. “And tonight’s honorees are proof that anything is possible when passion meets purpose.”

She highlighted the achievements of community leaders like Caressa J. Davis, Director of Community Partnership at St. Louis Development Corporation; Jonathan C. Pulphus, Director of Grant Initiatives for Area Resources for Community and Human Services and Mikael “Mick” Austin, Director of Development at Urban League Metro St. Louis. They are all bridging the gap between corporations and organizations that

NAACP

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potential economic losses into community wealth generation.”

The NAACP shared research that detailed the tornado’s which caused over $1.6 billion in property losses and left more than 5,000 structures damaged or destroyed in north St. Louis.

Up to 70% of affected households were uninsured and even insured residents “face significant barriers to rebuilding, including contractor redlining and heirs’ property complications,” according to Pruitt.

The report outlines how systemic issues threaten to deepen the racial wealth gap, with Black families at risk of losing $400–$600 million in home equity.

“The [report] synthesizes recent data, community advocacy, and policy recommendations to chart a path toward equitable recovery, including insurance reform, anti-redlining ordinances, legal aid expansion, and direct homeowner assistance,” according to a NAACP release.

reach out and give back.

The 2025 cohort included rising financial leaders – Brandi Harris, a BankCentre Leader at Midwest BankCentre; Jonathan Kennedy, Financial Advisor at Quantum Wealth Management, and Eric C. Rhone II, Business Banking Relationship Manager for PNC Bank.

Johnson, a fellow media personality, commended 2025 Young Leader and 96.3 The Lou on-air talent Tierra “Tee” Parks for her coverage in the wake of the storm.

“You delivered the news on the radio waves so gracefully,” Johnson said. “While also letting the people know that you have not forgotten about them – and giving them the services they need in real time.”

The remainder of The St. Louis American Foundation’s 2025 Salute to Young Leaders honor-

The NAACP St. Louis Branch requests that the Missouri Department of Insurance initiate an independent market conduct examination focused on: • The timeliness, fairness, and adequacy of claims handling by all insurers (including the FAIR Plan) for tornado-affected properties in St. Louis.

• Disparities in claims approval rates, settlement amounts, and complaint rates by ZIP code and census tract, with a particular focus on North St. Louis.

• Compliance with Missouri’s anti-discrimination and fair claims handling statutes. Key issues include:

Insurance Gaps: Most North St. Louis homes lack comprehensive coverage; renters are especially vulnerable, with 90% uninsured in the hardest-hit ZIP codes.

Systemic Barriers: Contractor redlining, heirs’ property issues, and deferred maintenance prevent families from accessing insurance and aid.

Policy Solutions: Recommendations include expanding FAIR Plan coverage to include wind/tornado damage, subsidizing premiums for low-income households, prohibiting contractor redlining, and streamlining legal processes for title correction.

Community Investment: The reports urge state and city leaders to prioritize legal aid, minority contractor development, and direct homeowner support to prevent further wealth loss and displacement.

The Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis have partnered with Action St. Louis, ForTheCultureSTL and

by

ees are as follows: Quiara Burris-Boone – Director of Graphic Design, United Way of Greater St. Louis Christopher Carr –Perinatal Community Health Work Manager, Affinia Healthcare Juan V. Lewis –Business Development Officer, St. Louis Economic Development Partnership Isaac Singleton Jr., Esq. – Attorney, Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard P.C. Jordan “Shorty” Johnson – Artist/ Actor/ Ambassador Ray L. Claybrooks Jr. – Manager of Engineering, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Brandi Brooks –Director /MECCA, Harris Stowe State University Jonathan McGee –Owner / Operator, McGee Masonry LLC. Ciera L. Simril - Project Coordinator - US Bank

the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis to offer free legal advice ranging from landlord-tenant problems to insurance claims to those affected by the storm.

To learn more and request help, call Jeannie Brandstetter at (573) 6355215. Legal Services of Eastern Missouri is also offering free legal advice. LSEM can be reached by phone at (314) 534-4200.

Renter dilemma

“If your apartment or the home that you’re living in has been totally destroyed so it’s not livable, you are not legally obligated to pay for that space,” said Matt Devoti, 5th Ward alderman and a lawyer with the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys told KSDK. com.

Missouri law states that “if a residence is destroyed by an act of God, including but not limited to fire or a tornado, or other natural disaster or man-made disaster, so long as the tenant was not the person who caused the disaster, the tenant shall not be liable to the landlord for rent during the remainder of the term of the lease agreement.”

“There is some heat on the landlord to take action,” Devoti said, “to fix whatever the issue is and ensure the tenant has a place where they can safely and securely lay their head.”

at the St. Louis American’s 14th Annual Salute to Young

at The Four Seasons.

Photo

Taylor Marrie

The request to Trump and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Kehoe said, will provide funding for temporary housing, home repairs and other needs for people impacted by the storms.

President Trump approved another major disaster assistance request for the state on Friday for “supplement recovery efforts” in areas affected by severe storms and tornadoes on March 14-15, 2025. That request includes both assistance to local governments and affected individuals and families. However, it is not related to the governor’s recent request for damages incurred from the May 16 historic EF-3 tornado and high winds that struck St. Louis, leav-

Language

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Continued from A1 interventionist, two special education teachers, and several paraprofessionals. Next year, the school plans to add a counselor and a reading interventionist to our staff.

“One of the most extraordinary things about SLLIS is how the school brings together staff from across the globe and students from across St. Louis City in an international environment to provide a bilingual education,” said Superintendent of SLLIS, Dr. Meghan Hill.

Following Hill’s sentiments, SLLIS Instructional Coach Samantha Shiver said, “Teachers are often the unsung heroes in our communities. Education is

ing five people dead and causing more than $1.6 billion in damages. For that disaster, Kehoe asked Trump and FEMA to issue an Emergency Declaration for the St. Louis area impacted by the tornado. If approved, it will authorize direct federal assistance and up to $5 million in immediate funding for emergency protective measures and debris removal throughout the state. It will not include individual assistance, which must be issued through a major disaster declaration.

FEMA completed its preliminary damage assessments on Friday, just one week after the devastating tornado struck the city. The assessments are essential in documenting the extent of damage and determining whether the state met the qualifications for a broader disas-

one of the most powerful tools we have to change the trajectory of a child’s life and help shape them into productive, empowered members of society. As educators, we’re constantly evolving to give our students what they need, not just academically, but emotionally and socially, too. At SLLIS, we aim to create a just, equitable, and transformative school – and that starts with our teachers.”

Shiver aims to offer guidance, resources, and assistance as she helps teachers and staff navigate the U.S. education system. She also helps students and staff adapt to all cultural differences they may encounter in the classroom. Importantly, SLLIS is dedicated to ensuring that their teachers have the opportunity to share their

ter declaration, which will, theoretically, unlock longterm federal aid, including individual financial assistance. Mayor Cara Spencer said that FEMA crews are expected to return this week for further logistical work.

The storm’s winds, which officials estimate reached speeds of 150 mph, hit blocks in north St. Louis especially hard. According to a PostDispatch analysis of U.S. Census data more than 70% of homeowners hit by the storms likely don’t have insurance.

Reminiscent of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, city residents have seen hundreds of colored-coded notices tagged to their doors indicating the structural safety of damaged buildings. The signs do not necessarily mean those marked buildings will be condemned, nor do they mean that people are being forcibly

own cultures and experiences with others.

The charter school was founded in 2009, serving Pre-K through 8th grade in the City of St. Louis. Students embark on a dual language immersion education in French, Spanish, or Chinese, taught by native speakers.

In 2024, SLLIS was honored as the Best Elementary Charter School and the SecondBest Middle School Charter School in Missouri by U.S. News & World Report. “We are proof that when the right work is done with intention, the results follow,” Shiver said.

According to STAR and MAP assessments, the students’ academic growth in reading and math outpaces more than 90% and 80% of schools

evicted by the city. According to a KSDK News report Friday, the city has placed more than 600 red notices on doors indicating “severe concerns” for those structures. Another 500 orange and yellow notices signify “moderate concern” while green notices indicate “little to no hazard.”

The red notices, especially, have some residents already traumatized by the storm in additional panic mode because they fear displacement without housing alternatives.

Mayor Spencer tried to address those concerns: “This is purely informational, and we will not be enforcing any laws as it relates to entering buildings, she told reporters Friday.

“We are not condemning any buildings at this time.”

Ald. Sharon Tyus (5th Ward) also spoke to resi-

statewide. “That kind of progress is rare, especially among students who have historically been underserved—but it’s happening at SLLIS,” she added. Hill added, “We maintain high expectations, meet students where they are, and work with the intention to promote high growth. We are committed to making decisions that keep our students at the center at all times.”

“This is the first school I’ve worked at where the right work is not only being done, but it’s working. The results are tangible, and the energy is transformative. We are constantly working to improve based on data and evidence-based practices.”

Shiver loves to see the students transition to such

dents’ concerns but added that the process of assessing damaged buildings is crucial.

“The city does not want to condemn, because that’s been a (historically) bad word; but there are some buildings that will ultimately have to be condemned,” Tyus told KSDK, adding: “We do not have enough places for people to shelter in the city, but I’m hoping that this is a regional thing, a metropolitan thing, and people will help us out.”

Regarding additional help, on Monday, Kehoe requested that Trump approve an additional major disaster declaration to provide federal assistance to St. Louis City and County and six southeast Missouri counties – Cape Girardeau, Iron, New Madrid, Scott, Stoddard and Wayne – in response to the severe storms and tornadoes.

Keho also announced

highly rated academic environments, where they can continue to excel in their studies, and in many cases, further their language education. Shiver often tells the middle school students, “I’m not as interested in what you want to do when you grow up—I care about who you want to be.”

She says watching them grow into thoughtful, respectful, and compassionate human beings each year is one of the most fulfilling parts of the work. “We aren’t just preparing scholars, we’re striving to shape good people.”

This school year, 100% of the student body qualifies for free and reduced lunch, a population that is statistically less likely to experience academic growth. “That

that 41 members of the Missouri National Guard of the 35th Engineer Brigade has been deployed to affected areas “to support the key mission of debris removal and sorting in support of St. Louis City’s recovery timeline.”

The State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) Has been coordinating with local officials, volunteer and faithbased organizations to identify needs and assist impacted families and individuals.

For additional resources and information about disaster recovery in Missouri, including general clean-up information, housing assistance, and mental health services, visit recovery. mo.gov

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

level of growth is not accidental—it’s the result of research-based practices and high expectations,” Shiver proudly said. According to Hill, SLLIS enrollment has increased over 20%, and it continues to grow. “This is truly remarkable progress in a metropolitan area where the birth rate and public school enrollment overall are declining,” she said In the fall of 2026, the charter plans to add a third, French Dual Language classroom. ‘All of these exciting events that are coming for SLLIS speak to our commitment to continuous improvement as a school, our intentional focus on our students, our dedicated staff, and our engaged community,” said Hill.

Graduation is a time to celebrate Black achievement

By Zahiyah Carter Dallas Weekly

Once tassels have been turned from the right to the left, the caps tossed into the air, and the valedictorian has delivered their most moving, standing ovation-worthy speech, you know graduation is over – and a new chapter awaits.

This is the time of the year hallmarked by celebrating our loved ones for their academic achievements before they move on to their next big accomplishments.

Many graduates are looking to explore further collegiate routes, including graduate school or a new career. It is magical to watch our community celebrate.

For those graduates who have found collegiate homes in a Historically Black College and/or University, graduation season can mean more than a “goodbye;” it welcomes them into a vibrant and enriching alumni community.

In today’s very political and sometimes discouraging environment, it’s essential to see positive examples of successful Black graduates making large strides in their post-graduate careers.

As our Black graduates process this season with honor cords brightly displayed and their heads held high, let us not forget to support them in their endeavors after receiving their formal education.

Whether it be quick a stroll commemorate a graduate joining a National Pan-Hellenic sorority or fraternity during their time on campus, noting the carefully- practiced steps across the stage sure to make the audience smile, or simply hearing the graduates’ families cheering them on, almost nothing beats the feeling of watching our graduates wrapping their hands around their diplomas.

The importance of HBCU Black graduation season is in the fact that soon-tobe Black professionals are crossing the stage of institutions where the professors, deans, presidents, and successful alumni, etc., look exactly like the students.

The older faces of alumni serve as a reminder that even in the face of adversity, there is still an American Dream for our young Black people to strive for in this country.

It is not a secret that the statistics of Black and brown students graduating from high school, let alone attending institutions of higher education, are considerably lower compared to their white

counterparts. According to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) only 57% of Black students have the access necessary to math and science courses that are mandatory for college readiness, while 71% of white students have access to these courses.

Students have reported that attending HBCUs has long helped ease the burden of financials as it pertains to institutions. Despite HBCUs only making up 3% of the United States institutions, they are responsible for producing 20% of the nation’s graduates.

They utilized their resources, they talked to professionals, they networked, and they showed up not only for themselves but for the people who were behind them, cheering them on every step of the way. We all know that no matter where their degree of choice takes them, they are going to be successful. And, sure, there may be failures, but there will be someone to catch them when they fall.

So, to see these young Black men and women cross the stage with bright smiles, and in the spectacular clothing, is a testament to not only them but also how the Black community will find joy even when everything else is trying to bring them to tears.

Saturday, May 31, 2025 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Photo courtesy of Lincoln University

Proud graduates of Lincoln University in Jefferson City enjoyed the celebration of Black excellence on May 10, 2025.

Be a Tourist in Your Own Town

St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission

Support St. Louis with your presence

By Barry Draper

As St. Louis begins the path to recovery after the tornado on Fri., May 16, Explore St. Louis is committed to supporting local businesses, organizations and community members every step of the way. Amplifying St. Louis as a resilient and welcoming destination, we encourage residents and visitors alike to safely gather at local attractions, restaurants and events, which need our support now more than ever.

For more information, visit explorestlouis.com.

(RE) FINE

May 30 to June 1

To close its season, Saint Louis Dance Theatre will showcase the work of trailblazing creatives. The spring concert marks the return of celebrated artist Norbert De La Cruz III, following the success of audience favorite Cloud 9 in 2022, along with the spellbinding work My Dear Watson by Joshua L. Peugh. The two programs were curated to spotlight Saint Louis Dance Theatre’s love for storytelling and its commitment to bringing world-class repertory to the local community.

This House May 31 to June 29

This House, a world premiere presented by Opera Theatre of St. Louis, embraces the notion that we all walk in the shadows of our ancestors. The Walker family has lived in the same Harlem brownstone since the 1920s, and they have fought hard to keep what they have. When Zoe returns home after many years, she asks her mother, Ida, and her brother, Lindon, to let her renovate the dilapidated building, but they can’t let go of the past. The house is their whole world, and every room is full of ghostly voices and painful memories. As hidden truths about the family’s legacy come to light, Zoe begins to realize that the secrets harbored within these walls are deeper and more profound than she ever dared to imagine.

Kendrick Lamar and SZA: Grand National Tour June 4

The day after Kendrick Lamar scored a No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 with his surprise album GNX, the rapper announced a North American stadium tour with SZA for 2025. The Grand National Tour will hit 19 stadiums, including The Dome at America’s Center on June 4.

Urban Legend

June 5 to 22

Circus Flora is a beloved summer tradition in St. Louis, and it will return for its 39th season with an all-new show, Urban Legend, in which the legends and lore of St. Louis come to life in thrilling and unexpected ways. Among the daring acrobats, clever clowns and incredible dogs, there’s also a monster! The emergence of this mysterious creature has sparked fear and curiosity. Can the talented cast of Circus Flora calm the chaos and uncover its true nature? Get tickets to the show to find out!

UFL Conference Championship

June 8

It’s official – the St. Louis Battlehawks will play the DC Defenders in the 2025 UFL Conference Championship! Get in on the action and cheer on the home team at The Dome at America’s Center on June 8. St. Louis will also host the 2025 UFL Championship on June 14.

Central West End Cocktail Party

June 14

Many people claim that the first

cocktail party on record was held in the Central West End in 1917, with Mrs. Julius S. Walsh, Jr. hosting in her home at 4510 Lindell Blvd. Every year, the neighborhood pays tribute to the important anniversary by celebrating in style. This year, expect fire dancers, stilt walkers, hula hoopers and music by Marquise Knox, The Grooveliner, Monkh and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes, among cocktails and cotton candy at the event.

Juneteenth: A Celebration of History and Culture

June 19

The Griot Museum of Black History will host a Juneteenth celebration, introducing guests to St. Louis Avenue’s cultural corridor. Expect live music, local food, small businesses and animated storytelling.

Joyful Juneteenth: An Evening of Performances

June 19

The Missouri History Museum will celebrate Juneteenth with outdoor performances that spotlight the beauty of Black American culture. Enjoy spoken word by InnerGy, saxophone solos by Kelvin Evans and a step performance by Gentlemen of Vision, along with traditional African American games, food and drinks.

Pond-O-Rama

June 21 and 22

In its 25th year, the St. Louis Water Garden Society’s annual tour features amazing ponds and water gardens in the St. Louis metro area owned and maintained by its members. As a society, it has also maintained the lily ponds at the Jewel Box in Forest Park for more than 35 years. Its members work from May through October to plant and maintain the lily ponds, and Pond-O-Rama supports that effort.

Grand Pride Parade

June 29

The Grand Pride Parade, which travels down Market Street through downtown St. Louis, is the culmination of the spirited PrideFest celebrations that happen at the end of every June to coincide with the Stonewall Riots, which served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the U.S. “PrideFest is always a good time,”

Jordan Braxton, an educator and advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights, says. “Last year, the festival drew approximately 325,000 people to downtown St. Louis, and this year, we’re expecting a similarly sized crowd – plus, the same great energy!”

St. Louis will be tested by a tornado

By Jamala Rogers

There has been a river of tears since the EF3 tornado hit the St. Louis area on May 16.

Tears are still being shed by the families who were victimized by the fury of Mother Nature, and also the friends and volunteers who came to their rescue.

My moment came a week later in the ruins of a ravaged Northside neighborhood.

It wasn’t just the utter devastation. I’ve witnessed disasters including the Great Flood of 1993 here and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

What upset me is the overwhelming reality of a potential, half-hearted governmental response to the unfolding tsunami of suffering.

St. Louis has many bright people who are constrained by the suffocating web of racist, archaic systems. Our city is a reluctant learner, which rarely benefits from lessons of the past.

I’m a Sankoka woman— always going back to the past to learn from it and gaining inspiration to meet the future.

People of African descent, especially those who are descendants of enslaved people, have a treasure trove of survival tactics. We have been left with inspirational nuggets of wisdom to be tapped when we feel despair and futility.

mayor a “lying idiot.”

The mayor then ordered the gas, electric and water utilities turned off. He ordered St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officer to go door to door to remove people from their homes. It was a bold decision that was met with resistance. It ultimately saved many lives.

I wonder if Bosley was contacted by the current administration for his advice. He is the only previous contemporary mayor with experiences dealing with disaster preparedness and recovery.

Two weeks have passed since the tornado hit St. Louis and there seems to be no comprehensive recovery plan by the Spencer Administration.

It has been beautiful and moving to watch compassionate people help feed and house victims and be part of a gigantic clean up.

Basically, two distinct Black neighborhoods were hit, and we should be vigilant about ensuring that both get the resources needed. This cannot be about “who gets the hook-up because of who they are or who they know.”

St. Louis’ first African American mayor had barely celebrated his fist 100 days in office before the city was hit by catastrophic flooding of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Levees collapsed and record flood levels resulted. It was our own Katrina.

Mayor Freeman Bosley, Jr. received national kudos for his leadership during the Great Flood of 1993.

Bosley convened city department heads, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Red Cross and other partners at a command post located in the Soldiers Memorial. He collaborated with Gov. Mel Carnahan and President Clinton to quickly declare St. Louis as a disaster area. Congress swiftly passed a $2.5 billion aid package.

Mayor Bosley personally delivered the evacuation orders to potential disaster victims along the River Des Peres. The white residents rebuffed his orders, claiming the only disaster was the [Black] mayor himself. One resident even publicly called the

A comprehensive plan must include clean up and relief effort that then moves to a rebuilding plan, complete with a realistic timeline.

We are at a point where heavy equipment is needed to remove the tons of debris left from the storm. The National Guard and area construction companies have such equipment and must be called into action. Several firms are helping with the effort. They should also be involved in the rebuilding efforts.

Mobilization of resources should include our homegrown entertainers, athletes and other dignitaries who can help raise money and resources. They can also use their star power to pressure government officials to do their jobs in a timely way.

Companies, especially those with national headquarters here, should step up with resources and expertise that supports the relief and rebuilding efforts.

This tragic situation should not be subjected to the historic fault lines of race and class that plague this city. St. Louis can chart a unified response that leads to a more inclusive and humane city. Ordinary people without big titles are already leading the way.

Kendrick Lamar and SZA: Grand National Tour The Dome at America’s Center June 4

Columnist Jamala Rogers

‘Taking

Storm

Continued from A10

sequences for everyone, in the form of higher healthcare premiums, copays, and deductibles. But vulnerable people and communities will pay a particularly high price.”

“Hospitals will close, nursing homes will shut down, and communities will suffer,” Jeffries said.

“It will take food out of the mouths of children, seniors, and veterans at a time when too many families are already struggling to live paycheck to paycheck.”

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley has called the Medicaid cuts morally wrong, and “political suicide,” for Republicans.

“Far be it for me to agree with Senator Hawley, but his point is well taken,” Bell said.

“This is a slap in the face. It is an attack on working class families.”

The Senate is expected to rewrite much of it, before sending it back across the Capitol for final approval, a process likely to stretch through the summer.

Peril for Planned Parenthood

Ianthe Metzger, senior director at Planned Parenthood, told Word In Black that the bill helps Republicans achieve a

Korede

Continued from A10

not have to experience it alone.

“That critical first year is a very isolating time period, and I know I didn’t realize that what we were looking for was a doula,” she said, “In this culture, I think it’s the things that we say on the group chats, the things that we talk about privately and it’s the pain that we’re all experiencing but not really addressing.”

According to the 2024 March of Dimes report card, Missouri received a “D” because of its high maternal and infant mortality rates. City officials were moved by these rates and pushed to find more ways to provide support to birthing people, especially those in communities of color.

Completing 13 gestational exams is hard for some mothers in the city, and not having physical and mental support during pregnancy drives up the maternal disparities in Missouri’s communities of color, said Bobie Williams, director of family, community and school health for the St. Louis Health Department.

“Birthing moms go through a myriad of challenges and hurdles that they have to overcome in

Davis

Continued from A10 gram called Holyeton, which helps young adults transition from foster care to independent living.

Holyeton taught us essential life skills: how to budget, balance a checkbook, pay rent, grocery shop, and manage life’s basic responsibilities.

While many of our classmates were prepping for dorm life, my sister and I were apartment hunt-

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries spoke during the Medicaid Day of Action press conference at Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn in March. He warned of the dramatic impact on American healthcare if proposed Medicaid cuts, passed by Congress last week, are enacted. Following the May 22, 2025, vote, Jeffries said “vulnerable people and communities will pay a particularly high price.”

long-sought goal: starving her organization of the federal dollars it needs to provide health care and preventive services for low-income women, a

disproportionate number of whom are Black. Although federal money can’t be used for abortions by law, the Medicaid cuts will keep Planned

Parenthood from receiving Medicaid-eligible reimbursements for its other services, such as birth control, testing for sexually transmitted infections, and

cancer screenings.

“If we’re not able to get the Medicaid reimbursement to provide those other services, then our health centers shut down and we

Pregnancy-related maternal mortality by race

order to have a healthy pregnancy … and for a lot of women this is their first time experiencing something as important as birthing a healthy baby,” Williams said.

City health officials and Faleti said the first year of postpartum is crucial for healthy maternal outcomes.

The Stage Program will allow women to access doula care with three prenatal visits and support for postpartum visits. Women

ing. Holyeton connected us with housing and provided caseworkers who checked in weekly until we turned 21. It wasn’t just a program; it was a lifeline. Just like Medicaid. As a young adult, I kept using that same Medicaid card to schedule doctor visits and receive the healthcare I needed. I never hesitated before calling a doctor and never worried about whether I could afford antibiotics when I was sick. To me, that seemed

can also access new mom digital education content, culturally competent mental health assessments, connections with family transition specialists and virtual therapy.

“Having someone who has been through it (pregnancy) and to have those said resources when needed is pivotal,” Williams said.

Participants can also receive peer support through a 12-week struc-

normal. It wasn’t.

Once I was living on my own, I began to understand how rare that access is. Friends and partners around me often lacked insurance, and I saw firsthand the painful consequences: people staying sick because they couldn’t afford urgent care or hospital visits or skipping medications because they were too expensive.

That’s why the current budget proposals to slash Medicaid and other safety net programs are more than just frustrating to me,

tured group program that focuses on building friendships and helping moms shape their identity outside of motherhood.

“We want to make sure that you have community care, they say it takes a village to raise a kid, and everybody’s constantly looking for the village because we’ve gotten away from a lot of our ancestral roots,” Faleti said. “We have to teach it again.”

Although any pregnant

they are heartbreaking.

Cutting Medicaid doesn’t just balance a budget; it cuts opportunities for young people, especially young adults aging out of foster care. It punishes children who have no say in their circumstances.

It turns basic health needs into unaffordable luxuries for low-income families.

Let’s be clear: eliminating or restricting Medicaid will leave hardworking families, single parents, disabled adults, and foster youth without access to

can’t provide abortion care or anything else, either,” Metzger says.

Medicaid covers four in 10 births in the U.S. and is the largest single payer of pregnancy-related services. In recent years, voters in many Southern and Midwestern states approved abortion restrictions when Roe v. Wade was overturned; that, coupled with legislative assaults against Planned Parenthood, has made pregnancy even riskier for Black women, who already face the highest maternal mortality rates in the country.

“When you look at Black women, they often bear the brunt of reproductive restrictions, or just healthcare restrictions in general,” says Metzger. “And that is true when it comes to Medicaid, when it comes to defunding Planned Parenthood.”

“And when you [add] on top of that it being harder for Black women to get care that they need,” she said, “then it is going to be states that have abortion bans in the South and Midwest that will be the most impacted from Planned Parenthood being defunded and from Medicaid being cut across the board.” Jennifer Porter Gore of Word In Black and Clara Bates, Jennifer Shutt and Ashley Murray of the Missouri Independent contributed to this report.

person can apply and receive services from this program, Faleti and health officials want people of color, especially Black women, to take advantage of opportunities like the Stage Program and other initiatives to start to close the gap between white and Black maternal deaths in Missouri. Black women in Missouri are three times as likely to die within the first year of pregnancy than white women.

routine healthcare.

While adults with employer-provided insurance often have an easier time accessing care because they pay premiums and employers negotiate with providers, those reliant on Medicaid face a system where providers are already more hesitant to accept state-funded patients.

Cutting Medicaid only deepens that inequality. I am not a statistic. I am a living example

“Because of the heightened focus on the Black maternal health crisis, Black women have absorbed this information that they’re going to be mistreated, that something bad is going to happen to them, that they’re going to die, and that’s not true,” Faleti said. “They’re going to live, they’re going to thrive, and so we want them to walk away with that and actually feel it.”

of what can happen when social programs work. If we want to build a stronger, healthier, more self-sufficient society, slashing Medicaid and related services is exactly the wrong direction.

Behind every budget line item are real lives people like me, who only had a chance because the safety net held.

Demitria Davis is a birth and postpartum doula in Missouri and a volunteer with Abortion Action Missouri.

Photo courtesy of Office of Congressman Hakeem Jeffries

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

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

Teachers,

SCIENCE STARS

SCIENCE STARS

AFRICAN-AMERICAN MYCOLOGIST AND EDUCATOR: Jeanette Jones

Gibor Basri was born on May 3, 1951, in New York City, New York. His mother, who was Jamaican, taught dance; his father was a physics professor.

Although Basri grew up in Colorado with his younger brother, he also lived in Burma and Sri Lanka for a short time while his father was on Fulbright Fellowships. Basri loved to read science fiction books as a young child and discovered an interest in astronomy (the study of the sun, moon, stars, and planets). He even wrote a report in eighth grade about his interest in becoming an astronomer.

Jeanette Jones was born on September 19, 1950, in Fort Valley, Georgia. Jones graduated from Fort Valley State University in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in biology education. In 1973, Jones received her master’s degree in botany and mycology (a branch of biology that studies fungi) from The Ohio State University. In 1976, she received her doctorate (Ph.D.) degree. She also studied at the University of Nevada, the University of California Medical School, the National Center for Disease Control-Atlanta, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

SCIENCE CORNER

What Are Stars ?

Did you know that stars are actually large balls of gas that give off light?

What Are Fungi ?

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

Stars vary in their size, color, and brightness. A star can be red, orange, yellow, white, or blue. The surface temperature, which is determined by age and mass, impacts the color of the star. Stars go through many stages in their lifetime. Some of the names for these stages are Nebula, Red Giant, Supernova, White Dwarf, Neutron Star and even Black Holes. A constellation is a group of stars that makes an imaginary shape in the

In

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

Did you know stars can shine for up to 10 billion years? In this experiment, you will find out why stars seem to “twinkle.”

bags

• 10x10 square centimeter grid • Ruler

Materials Needed:

Process:

Aluminum Foil • Medium-sized Box

• Glass Bowl • Flashlight • Scissors

sky, kind of like “connect the dots.” They are usually named after mythological characters, people, animals and objects. The stars shine both day and night. However, during the day, the brightest star (the Sun) makes the sky so bright that the other stars appear dim. At night, when the sky is dark, the other stars can be seen. You can see about 3,000 stars with your naked eye, but you can see billions of stars with powerful telescopes.

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

Fun Fact:

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

The prefix “astro” means “star” in the Greek language.

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

Growing Mold!

r Place the stars on top of the cardboard.

t Place the glass bowl on top of the cardboard and turn off the lights.

y Shine the flashlight on the bowl.

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

Procedure:

q Fill the glass bowl 2/3 full with water and set it aside.

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

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

w Cut a piece of cardboard from the box. Make sure it is big enough to fit underneath the bowl.

e Cut small pieces of aluminum foil and shape them into little stars.

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

MATH CONNECTION

MATH CONNECTION

Telescopes help people see a long distance away. Solve these words problems about distance.

q If we are running at a speed of 9 miles per hour and we run for 2.5 hours, how far did we run?

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

u Tap the bowl and see what happens to the stars when the water moves.

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

Basri attended Stanford University and earned a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1973. In 1979, he earned a degree in Astrophysics from the University of Colorado. He received a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of California at Berkeley and was named a full professor in 1994. His research focused on star formation, and he is considered an expert on brown dwarf stars. Basri is well known for confirming the existence of this type of star because of his work with the 10-meter Keck telescope.

Basri has written over 200 publications and his work has been cited over 8,000 times. He was awarded a Miller Research Professorship and was named a Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer. In 2001, he was a co-investigator on the NASA Discovery Mission, Kepler, designed to find extrasolar terrestrial planets. In 2006, Basri received the Chancellor’s Award for Advancing Institutional Excellence. He earned this award by helping the University of California, Berkeley, improve faculty diversity.

Discuss:

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

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

Analyze: When do the foil stars appear to twinkle? Why? When you shine light on aluminum while water is moving, the light travels through the air and makes the aluminum stars twinkle. When the star light moves through Earth’s atmosphere at night, the air it passes through makes the star light appear to twinkle.

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

For More Information, Visit: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/ Learning Standard: I can read nonfiction text to find main idea and supporting details. How Far Can You Run? Twinkle Twinkle Little Star!

Learning Standards: I can follow directions to complete a procedure. I can analyze and compare results.

Analyzing a Bar Graph

w I walk 3,000 meters on Saturday. On Sunday, I walk twice as far. How far did I walk this weekend? ____________

e The mountain is 700 meters. I walk halfway and twist my ankle. How far did I get? _________

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

r Sean runs 143.23 meters in 40 seconds. Robert runs 97.92 meters in the same time. How much further did Sean run than Robert?

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

t Tara runs 8 laps around the

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

Dr. Basri drew his inspiration to study astronomy from reading science fiction novels. What books do you enjoy reading? Is there a way you could incorporate the topics of these books into a career in science? Have you ever used a telescope before? What does it do? How does it work? Dr. Basri and his team helped confirm that brown dwarf stars exist. What other types of stars are there?

Learning Standards: I can read a biography about a person who has made contributions to the fields of math, science, and technology.

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

MAP CORNER

Use the newspaper to complete these activities:

Activity One —

Create an Ad:

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

Create a newspaper employment ad for jobs that existed during specific periods in America’s past (1800s, 1950s, etc.). Identify the skills needed, educational requirements, salary range, and benefits that reflect the appropriate time period.

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

Activity Two — Cooperation or Conflict?

With your classmates, use the newspaper to find a story about cooperation or conflict between two countries. Draw conclusions about the regional differences or similarities (religion, resources, language, or political beliefs) that might lead to cooperation or conflict.

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

Learning Standards: I can write for a specific purpose and audience. I can identify cooperation and conflict and the causes of each.

AFRICAN AMERICAN ASTROPHYSICIST: Gibor Basri

Photo by Nikki Binion

Penicilllin mold commonly grows on fruit

caterpillar fungus has been

Explore the Outdoors with AARP’s Trail Trekkers™ in St. Louis

Join the Fun with AARP St. Louis Trail Trekkers™!

Spend your Saturday mornings exploring the stunning trails of St. Louis and making new friends along the way. Our Trail TrekkersTM program is the perfect way to enjoy the great outdoors and connect with other people who love to hike.

Our awesome hiking team has got you covered – just bring comfortable shoes or hiking boots, weather-appropriate clothing, water, and your sense of adventure!

Registration is required for all hiking events.

Check-in starts at 8:30 am, and the hikes kick-off at 9:00 am, wrapping up by 11:00 am.

2025 Trail Trekkers™ Hiking Schedule

June 21st - Klondike Park, August, Missouri

July 19th - River’s Edge, Chesterfield, Missouri

August 16th - Babler State Park, St. Louis, Missouri

September 20th - Indian Camp Creek Park, St. Louis, Missouri

October 18th - Emmenegger Nature Park, St. Louis, Missouri

November 8th - Veterans Hike and Food Drive, St. Louis, Missouri

To register and learn more about Trail Trekkers™ visit aarp.org/stlouis

Tornado

Continued from B1 unification in the response to this disaster. He acknowledges that the construction trades are “adversarial,” given that companies compete for contracts and talent. As a minority owner of a small business, Wilson knows as well as anyone the disparities between large and small contractors as well as majority and minority businesses.

For the moment, he said, those divisions have collapsed, and everyone is pitching in together to clear debris and prepare the way for stabilizing and rebuilding.

Wilson took an unusual path to becoming a minority contractor. His story has so many highs and lows, you can get seasick contemplating it, and this storm is nowhere near the first disaster associated with natural elements that he has survived.

DEI

Continued from B1

Wilson was brought to the home on Enright Avenue, he later refurbished and now inhabits, as a child. He attended the prestigious John Burroughs School and eventually graduated, via the school desegregation program, from Parkway West High School, where he was a sufficiently accomplished athlete (offensive and defensive tackle) to earn a football scholarship. An injury would shorten his college football career at Southern Illinois University - Carbondale.

That disappointment, coupled with the untimely death of his father (also named Frank Wilson), put the son through what he calls some “lost” years. He would eventually revive his football career on the professional level playing Arena football in Georgia, and he would eventually complete an undergraduate degree and later a master’s degree in business.

He did not turn his life around, however, until he went through a minority trades development protor call.

But Target is not alone.

Across industries, corporate giants that once embraced DEI are now scaling back — and seeing real consequences.

In 2025, Walmart, Amazon, Ford and McDonald’s have all either quietly dismantled or publicly downshifted their DEI programs.

Despite reporting $165.6 billion in Q1 revenue — a 2.5% increase year-over-year — Walmart is facing internal restructuring, including 1,500

corporate layoffs and the quiet disbanding of several equity-focused teams.

U.S. comparable sales rose 4.5%, and global e-commerce jumped 22%, but the gains were driven by price rollbacks, aggressive discounting, and tariff management strategies, not by growth in general merchandise. Despite rolling back related programs earlier in the year, the company made no mention of DEI in its earnings discussion.

Amazon, too, posted substantial numbers: $155.7 billion in Q1 revenue, up 9% from the prior year, with operating income reaching $18.4 billion and net income at

gram at the MET Center – the seed of the current Building Union Diversity program. Before the trades put him for the first time in double digits of hourly wages, he knew hardship.

When Wilson sees neighbors living without utilities and reduced to relying on handouts because of a tornado, he does not feel the pity of the more privileged. He knows what it’s like to live without electricity because you can’t afford to pay the bill and to huddle in one room of the house with a portable heater because the gas was shut off.

After learning some trades through the minority training program, Wilson got on with Clayco, where he says he enjoyed the opportunity to learn and the security of working for a large majority contractor. He gained many benefits from that role, including a national position in the Association of General Contractors’ diversity program.

It made him want to carve his own path.

$17.1 billion. But Wall Street wasn’t impressed — the company’s stock dipped 2.2% in afterhours trading. The reason? Investor anxiety over tariffs, rising labor costs, and customer sentiment.

Amazon has reportedly laid off multiple DEI staffers and stripped its reports of diversity language. While not addressed in the earnings call, those internal moves have sparked criticism among workers and watchdogs alike.

At Ford, the connection between policy shift and financial fallout is even more direct.

The automaker reported $40.7 billion in Q1 revenue, a 5% drop from the

That is why in 2013 he opened his own company. Demolition is the bread and butter of BFW Contractors, an acronym for Big Frank Wilson (he stands 6’5” and his playing weight was 320 pounds), which lends an irony to his work in tornado recovery.

The tornado was a master at demolition and destruction, and it was the devastation of so many structures (and trees) that called him to the worksite.

Not for the first time, he is saddened to see structures worth saving marked to be destroyed due to the horrific damage they have sustained. At times, working as a demolition contractor for a client, he has taken down homes that he would have loved to save and bring back to life wearing his other hard hat as a construction contractor.

In fact, looking at the storm damage in North St. Louis, the ravages of the tornado look like dramatically accelerated urban blight. The tornado caused massive damage to North St. Louis in a matter of

same quarter last year. Net income plummeted 64% to just $471 million and adjusted EBITA fell to $1 billion — down from $2.8 billion a year prior. The company projected a $1.5 billion annual hit from newly-imposed tariffs, suspended full-year guidance, and posted a negative free cash flow of $1.5 billion.

Yet while those figures are grim, Ford’s shift away from its prior DEI commitments has been equally troubling to observers. The company removed all specific DEI references from its reports, ended external benchmarking participation, and reshaped its employee resource groups to avoid “political” issues.

minutes that it took St. Louis and business leaders decades to accomplish through disinvestment and neglect.

As he worked his way up at Clayco, he learned more about running a business, which made him crave a more formal education on the subject. That led him to his master’s degree in business at Washington University, where he has since joined the adjunct faculty. Wilson now teaches several classes in the engineering school to provide students with business perspectives on the construction trades that he had to learn in a more difficult way.

So, this tornado recovery volunteer is a former professional football player (albeit not in the NFL). He is a college professor at a university with an international reputation, faculty, and student body. Yet he remains a brother from the block, living in the house where his parents raised him and helping out his neighbors.

He helps out whether

Critics say the move betrays its post-2020 pledges and undercuts employee morale, innovation, and consumer loyalty.

McDonald’s, once celebrated for its vocal DEI push, also sees slippage. Its Q1 2025 revenue fell 3% to $5.96 billion. U.S. comparable sales dropped 3.6% due to declining guest counts. The fast-food giant’s diluted earnings per share dropped 2% to $2.60, and the company acknowledged $66 million in restructuring charges as it reshapes its internal organization. Those internal shifts include phasing out internal DEI councils

the problem is merely clearing the side streets that the city never plows after an ice storm or a tornado that has left destruction that the city will be clearing most likely for the rest of this year if not beyond – particularly given the city’s track record in North St. Louis. Wilson is not alone in seeing a genuine signal of hope emerging from the rubble and splintered trees.

“I see a unification,” he said, “all these companies and people that are usually competing are working together.”

The place where all of this unified effort is being devoted – North St. Louis – is not an area where contractors usually compete for contracts and talent. Today, there are many forces cooperating to help people of modest means in dire need, rather than building expensive structures where more financially secure people will work and live. If that is a sign of things to come, then the future could be worth working towards.

and scaling back on equity pledges made in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. These corporate reports tell a deeper story: DEI is not a passing trend or an optional branding tool, but a reflection of values — and values matter to modern consumers.

As companies have abandoned equity, they have lost trust. The numbers show that when trust goes, revenue often follows.

“People see through the retreat,” said Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association. “And they’re responding with their wallets.”

“Top 5 first-team All-(NBA) this year. When [Jayson Tatum] comes back, he’ll be first-team All-(NBA) again.”

– Boston Celtics asst. coach

Sam Cassell

InSIdE SportS

With Earl Austin Jr.

Napheesa Collier has eyes on her first MVP Award

Let’s talk some pro basketball before we move on to track performances as Memorial Day signals the coming of summer.

Former Incarnate Word Academy All-American Napheesa Collier has been brilliant during the first weeks of the WNBA season, leading the Minnesota Lynx to a 4-0 start.

She is currently averaging 29.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 56% from the field, 53% from 3-point range and 91% from the free throw line.

Collier is also favored to be named the 2025 WNBA Most Valuable Player, which would be her first MVP award. She was runner-up for MVP last year and also garnered the Defensive Player of the Year award.

Sectional track standouts

Bailey Hensgens (Incarnate Word): The talented sophomore won the high jump, long jump and triple jump at the Class 4, Sectional 1 meet at Hillsboro.

Jahmeshia Patterson (Festus): The sprinter won the 100-meter and 200meter dashes and ran legs on the first-place 4x100 and 4x200-meter relays at the Class 4, Sectional meet at Hillsboro.

Delaney Brinker (Ladue): Brinker finished first in the 100, 200 and 400 at the Class 5, Sectional 1 meet at Hillsboro.

Kyndall Spain (Cardinal Ritter): The South Carolina recruit won the 100-meter-high hurdles and 300-meter low hurdles at the Class 5, Sectional 1 meet at Hillsboro.

While it is being acknowledged that St. Louis native Jayson Tatum will miss much, and likely most, of the 2025-26 season, his last campaign was spectacular.

The former Chaminade College Prep AllAmerican and Boston Celtics superstar was selected to the All-NBA First Team for the fourth consecutive season. Tatum averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists a game. He also made a careerhigh 250 3-pointers during the season. Tatum suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks.

Stanley Brown (Parkway Central): The talented sprinter won the 200 and 400 and finished third in the 100 at the Class 4, Sectional 2 meet in Columbia.

Small school athletes shine at state

Lift for Life’s boys completed a successful season by bringing home a third-place trophy in the Class 3 team competition. Sprinter Dai’Shawn Houston finished third in the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. He was also on the Hawks’ state-champion 4x100and 4x200-meter relay teams. Lequan Witt

finished fourth in the 400meter dash and Kameron Hurst was seventh in the 110-meter-high hurdles.

Sprinter Michael Clark of Lutheran North finished second in the 400, seventh in the 200 and ran a leg on the Crusaders’ first-place 4x400. Chris Tao of John Burroughs won the state title in the 800-meter run. The Bombers also won the 4x800 and finished fifth in the 4x400. St. Mary’s finished second in the 4x200 and third in the 4x200.

In girls Class 3, Angel Mimes of Miller Career Academy finished fifth in

the 100 and third in the 200. Gabrielle Campbell of Bayless was second in the 400 and Grace Prange of Lutheran South won the state title in the high jump. KIPP Legacy finished second in the 4x100 and seventh in the 4x200. Seventh-place finishers were Demea Hubbard of STEAM at McCluer South-Berkeley in the 100 and Lift for Life in the 4x100.

In girls Class 2, Genesis Garner of Lutheran North took home three all-state medals as she won the 200, finished

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

second in the 100 and third in the 400. Ellen Hunigan of Whitfield finished second in the 400. In boys’ Class 2, Demetrious Thompson of Brentwood won the state title in the triple jump and finished third in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles.

Earl’s World John Burroughs basketball standout Sheek Pearson has given a commitment to Marquette University. A 6’11” forward, Pearson helped lead the Bombers to a berth in

Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx is currently averaging 29.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 56% from the field, 53% from 3-point range and 91% from the free throw line.

the Class 4 championship game in 2024. This past season, Pearson averaged 16.6 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks a game in leading the Bombers to a 21-7 record… Class 5 state champion Webster Groves and Class 3 state champion Principia will play in this weekend’s Hoops and Beyond Showcase at Webster… Congratulations to Carey Lewis, Jr. who was recently named as the new head basketball coach at CBC. Lewis has been the top assistant for the Cadets for the past four seasons.

Memorial Day marks success for Cardinals, woe for Walker

I’m a Memorial Day guy when it comes to first judging a Major League Baseball team.

Regardless of a fast or slow start, and early season pitching and hitting failure or success, I reserve judgement until the unofficial start of summer. Exhibit A in 2025 are the St. Louis Cardinals. Five weeks before Memorial Day, the Cardinals were six games under .500, in fourth place in the National League Central, down and out. There was more talk of “fire Ollie Marmol,” than there was of contention for the division crown.

What a difference a month makes, right?

on the roster, let alone in the starting eight.

Outfielder Victor Scott II has been a revelation. He doesn’t lead the team in any batting category, yet he has been the catalyst for success.

Along with Gold Glove-caliber defense, Scott began the week hitting .273 with two home runs, 19 RBIs and a team-high 16 stolen bases.

Entering 2025, his career bat average (306 at-bats) was just .229. He peaked at .284 during last week’s sweep over visiting Arizona.

On Memorial Day, the Cardinals stood at 30-23, just two games behind the Chicago Cubs. The Redbirds lost 5-2 to the Baltimore Orioles to fall three back, but just five NL teams had at least 30 wins. As mentioned in previous columns, the Cardinals are a Major League Baseball oddity in that they start three Black players. Some teams have zero African American players

Scott also coined the Cardinals’ rallying cry of “we’re youngry,” earlier this season when attempting to say, “young and hungry,” during an interview.

While he has dealt with a balking back and wrist injury, second year starting shortstop Masyn Winn also posted a solid pre-Memorial Day effort. Winn hit .257 with six home runs and 17 RBIs while missing 11 of 53 games. He also has cut down on careless errors. Which brings us to Jordan Walker.

Let’s travel back to the bottom of the seventh inning of last Saturday’s game between St. Louis and Arizona. Minutes earlier, Jordan misplayed a sinking line drive and allowed three runs to score on a suspect triple. The goof left the score tied at 4-4 and the Diamondbacks added a run to take a 5-4 lead. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh,

Walker came up to bat with two men on. His clutch double gave the Cardinals a 6-5 lead and led to a vital win. I had Walker on a plane back to Triple-A Memphis before Memorial Day following that disastrous outfield play. He redeemed himself with that game-saving double but Walker, unfortunately, can’t continue on his current pace

Victor Scott II has helped lead the St. Louis Cardinals to early success.

and hope to remain in St. Louis. Following the Memorial Day loss, in which he struck out three times, Walker was hitting a weak .207 with three home runs and 20 RBIs. The Cardinals have vowed to give young players a full season to prove themselves, but at some point, enough is enough.

The Reid Roundup

The Cardinals MVP as of Memorial Day was Brendan Donovan. He was batting .328 with a team-leading 66 hits, 93 total bases and 18 doubles… For the remainder of the week, all funds generated for Stifel Charity Classic Grounds and Clubhouse ticket sales will be donated to the American Red Cross of Missouri to support St. Louis area tornado relief and recovery…A wild prediction: Tiger Woods will make his PGA Champions Tour debut at the 2026 Stifel Classic…Rumor has it (with photos) that Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders purchased a $500,000 Rolls Royce after receiving his $447,000 signing bonus. Daddy Deion Sanders posted online “LIES.”... Jordan Poole of the Washington Wizards, who posted career highs in points (20.5), steals (1.3), and three-point percentage (37.8%), will likely be traded before or during the upcoming NBA Draft.

Earl Austin Jr.

Alvin A. Reid

Photo courtesy of Lynx.wnba.com

Photo by Brett Davis / Imagn Images

Ameren donates $1 million to assist tornado recovery effort

Ameren Corporation has announced a $1 million donation to assist in recovery efforts from the powerful storms and tornado that struck the St. Louis metropolitan region and surrounding areas on Friday, May 16.

“These devastating storms struck at the heart of our communities, impacting our customers, employees, neighbors and friends,” said Martin J. Lyons Jr., chairman, president and chief executive officer of Ameren.

“Seeing the damage firsthand is heartbreaking, but our crews are working tirelessly to rebuild what’s been lost. This $1 million commitment is one more way we’re standing shoulder to shoulder with the communities we serve as they begin the long road to recovery.”

Ameren will provide $750,000 to community organizations to help assist in the ongoing recovery efforts.

Partner organizations receiving the recovery funds are the United Way of Greater St. Louis, the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, the Urban League

of Metropolitan St. Louis and the City of St. Louis Tornado Response Fund.

These relief efforts will include critical services, such as relocation assistance, tree removal, property cleanup, emergency repairs, temporary housing, food, clothing, essential supplies and transportation.

Ameren will also provide $250,000 in energy assistance support for income eligible customers in Missouri and Illinois directly impacted by the storms. These funds will be administered through select Dollar More agencies in Missouri (visit AmerenMissouri. com/DollarMore).

Illinois customers can contact the Salvation Army Midland Division at 1-800-Sal-Army. For more information about additional energy assistance options visit Ameren.com/ energy-assistance.

Ameren Missouri on Tuesday announced updates to customer assistance programs and process changes. They include: ● Pausing disconnects for nonpayment for

WWT a USA Special Olympics Games sponsor, developing ‘Champions’ app

World Wide Technology (WWT) will serve as an official sponsor of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games and will develop a mobile application for the competition called “The Champions” app.

Additionally, WWT employees will have the

opportunity to volunteer locally and at the 2026 USA Games.

The 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, to be held in Minnesota from June 20-26, 2026, is set to be one of the largest sporting events in the U.S. next year, uniting thousands of

athletes, heads of delegations, coaches, volunteers and fans from all 50 states to shine a light on the abilities and strengths of people with intellectual disabilities.

WWT will create an application designed to enhance the overall event experience for partici-

pants and attendees, with features to advance scoring systems, streamline event navigation and scheduling, boost engagement and personalize the experience for each user.

“On behalf of WWT, it is an honor to be involved in the 2026

Special Olympics USA Games in a way that holds great significance for both organizations,” said Josh Hogan, WWT vice president and general manager of Digital and AI Solutions. “By leveraging cutting-edge technology, we’re creating a more personalized, inclusive and seamless experience for athletes, coaches and fans alike.” WWT focus areas in community service include STEM education and workforce development, human services, and health and wellness.

Photo courtesy of Ameren

Ameren crews worked around the clock to restore power to thousands of residents and businesses in the day following the May 16, 2025, tornado. Ameren has pledged $1 million to assist with ongoing recovery efforts.

Living It STL loves R&B

the “We Love

and Ann

Fans enjoy Dej Loaf, Jacquees and featured performers at The Pageant

By Zaria Mac

The St. Louis American

After the disquiet of last week’s storms, some gathered at The Pageant to sing along with friends at the “We Love R&B” concert. The show featured hip hop and R&B favorites Jacquees and Dej Loaf as well as several special guests. Hosted by Jarrett “J Barzz” Buford, the Streetz 105.1 radio host, “We Love R&B” was presented by Liquid Assets, World Class Promotions and Vanessa Townsend.

Fans sang along to hits like Jacquees’s “B.E.D.” and Dej Loaf’s “Try Me.”

But several opening acts created a vibe before the headliners hit the stage. Florida native Seddy Hendrix was among them. He took the stage showing love for St. Louis. He wore a blue trucker hat with red STL patches on the side. His

n “We Love R&B” was presented by Liquid Assets, World Class Promotions and Vanessa Townsend.

fans, in sporty glam looks, vibed along as he rapped the intoxicating lyrics of “Lowkey”, a song that samples SWV’s “Weak” – and perfectly blends hip hop and R&B. His set included club bangers like “45” and slow jams like “Body 2 Body,” a seductive R&B song featuring T- Pain. He finished his set with “Monday Thru Sunday” bringing the concert back to hip hop.

J Barzz and DJ Dirty Bird took the stage to continue the hip hop energy,

playing Young Dolph’s “Preach” and the St. Louis classic “Mob Out” by Koko C’vere. In the midst of the partying the host stopped and comically said, “Wait, this is supposed to be R&B!” The DJ switched to “Love All Over Me” by Monica then Ella Mai’s “Little Things” setting the tone for the next act.

Ann Marie then took the stage in a black fleece cropped sweater on top of a white long sleeve shirt, also cropped, with a mini skirt embellished with jewels and gold chains with furry, white, calf high boots. Though she was dressed like a pop star, the loss of her most trusted security guard – EL Pancho – affected her performance.

Her fans wailed along as she sang “Different” and “Unlove You,” and doc-

See R&B, C3

Doors open for ‘This House’

Anticipated world-premiere anchors OTSL’s 50th anniversary season

By Kenya Vaughn The St. Louis American

The wait is almost over. On Saturday, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis will present the world premiere of “This House” by mother-daughter librettist team Ruby Aiyo Gerber and Lynn Nottage along with composer Ricky Ian Gordon.

“This opera will be the centerpiece of Opera Theatre’s 50th anniversary season,” Opera Theatre of Saint Louis General Director Andrew Jorgensen announced. The highly anticipated production that opens May 31st and continues through June 29th.

The production revolves around a home that has been the keeper of a family’s legacy for nearly a century. A young woman’s family seeks to reimagine the space for generations to come. In her quest to give the home a new future, she

Image courtesy of Opera Theatre St. Louis

I’ve lived a life, honey, and you’ve gotta be brave to play this character.” - Queen Latifah’s advice for anyone who portrays her in biopic

A concert for ‘the culture’

In 2016, Kendrick Lamar was one of the headliners for the 2016 ESSENCE Music Festival. The three-day event held annually in New Orleans features the biggest names Black music and entertainment.

Kendrick Lamar and St. Louis-born SZA will play The Dome June 4th

By Kenya Vaughn The St. Louis American

The last time Kendrick Lamar stepped foot on a St. Louis stage was in April of 2013. He was one of three acts to play The Verge College Tour at SLU’s Chaifetz Arena. Steve Aoki, a popular internationally known electronic dance music DJ, was the headliner. He returns next week as the other half of the biggest concert for “the culture” since Beyonce’s Renaissance Tour painted The Dome at America’s Center silver in 2023. Lamar and SZA’s co-headlining Grand National Tour will play The Dome on June 4th.

Though it was a dozen years ago, it would be misleading to imply Lamar took the Chaifetz stage as an unknown show opener. In 2011, he was included in XXL Magazine’s Freshman Class – which is essentially hip hop’s equivalent to being named “most likely to succeed” in one’s high school yearbook. That same year, Dr. Dre, The Game and Snoop Dogg proclaimed the Compton rapper to be “The New King of the West Coast.”

His first major label studio album, “Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City,” was released in 2012. When he performed as part of The Verge lineup with Aoki and The Bad Rabbits, Lamar hadn’t too long completed his run as opening act for future nemesis Drake’s Paradise Tour.

The music industry is so unpredictable that the aforementioned credentials and co signs weren’t a guarantee that he wouldn’t suffer the fate of fading into obscurity. But seeing him own the stage with just a microphone and tracks without vocal assistance back then was a huge indicator of respect for his trajectory.

“He ain’t on the verge,” Lawrence Bryant said immediately after capturing Lamar’s set in 2013. “He got next. That’s the one right there.”

Perhaps as sharp as his eye for creating unforgettable moments through photography is his discernment when it comes to separating the superstars from the talented (or not so talented in a few cases) artists and performers.

is confronted with its complicated history and hidden truths. The genre of opera is a relatively new writing form for Nottage, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and

her daughter Gerber – an accomplished wordsmith in her own right. “I have been writing plays for

‘This House’ the highly anticipated opera from Lynn Nottage, Ruby Aiyo Gerber and composer Ricky Ian Gordon opens May 31st as part of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ 50th Anniversary Season. The production continues through June 29. See OTSL, C3

Three years after Lamar opened for Steve Aoki, he headlined ESSENCE Festival. As fate would have it, Bryant was one of the small cadre of photographers granted credentials to shoot Lamar for what is arguably the biggest Black music festival in America – and perhaps the world.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Photos by Taylor Marrie/St. Louis American

Urban music enthusiasts connected with

R&B” concert headlined by Jacquees (above) and Dej

Loaf Friday night at The Pageant. Seddy Hendrix

Marie were among the featured artists.

CONCERTS

Sun., Jun. 1, 7 p.m. The Grammy Award Winning Rebirth Brass Band, City Winery, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit https://citywinery.com.

Wed., Jun. 4, 7 p.m. Grand National Tour: Kendrick Lamar and SZA, The Dome at the America Center, 701 Convention Plaza, Saint Louis, MO 63101. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster. com

Sat., Jun. 7, 7:30 p.m., The Four Tops and The Temptations, The Fabulous Fox. For more information, www.fabulousfox.com.

Wed., Jun. 18, 7:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. doors), Taj Mahal with special guest Kyshona. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar For more information, visit www.thepageant.com.

Thurs., Jun. 19, 8 p.m. (7 p.m. doors), Saba, Delmar Hall. For more information, visit www. thepageant.com.

Thurs., Jun. 19, 7:30 p.m., Ledisi: Love You Too Tour featuring Marsha Ambrosius, Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market. For more information, visit www. stifeltheatre.com.

Sun., Jun. 22, 8 p.m. (7 p.m. doors) Kountry Kousins tour starring Smino with special guests Samara Cyn and Mamii, St. Louis Music Park. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Fri., Jun 27, 8 p.m. The Mixtape Unplugged Tour with Ja Rule, Chaifetz Arena, 1 S Compton Ave. St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information,

STL Sites & Sounds

visit https://www.ticketmaster. com/.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Sat., May 31, 7:30 p.m. Shades of Rosé, The Mixery Room, 7800 Groby Road University City, MO 63130. For more information, visit www.eventbrite. com

Fri., May 30, 7:30 p.m. Saint Louis Dance Theatre Spring Concert (RE)Fine, COCA, 6880 Washington Ave, St. Louis, MO 63130. For more information visit https://www.saintlouisdancetheatre.org.

Sat., Jun 7, 7 p.m. Trap Karaoke, The Hawthorn, 2231 Washington Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit https://www.universe.com.

COMEDY

Through Jun. 1, 7 p.m. Special Event: TK Kirkland, Helium Comedy Lounge, 1151 St Louis Galleria St, St. Louis MO 63117. For more information, visit https://st-louis.heliumcomedy. com.

Through Jun. 1, Vince Morris, Funny Bone, 614, Westport Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63146. Various showtimes available. For more information, visit https://www.stlouisfunnybone. com.

Thurs., Jun. 5, 7:30 p.m.

Zainab Johnson With Bri Munnich, Hosted By Marvin Davis, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information visit https://citywinery.com.

ST. LOUIS MUSIC

Grammy Award winners Kendrick Lamar and SZA are bringing their long awaited Grand National Tour to The Dome at America’s Center. See CONCERTS for details.

SPOTLIGHT

Fri., May 30-31, 7:30 p.m.

Anita Jackson Sings with Strings, Jazz St. Louis, 3536 Washington Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information visit https://my.jazzstl.org.

Sat., May 31, 9:30 p.m. Bo Dean, The Dark Room, 3610 Grandel Sq. St. Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit https://kranzbergartsfoundation.org.

Fri., Jun. 13, 7:30 p.m. The Bosman Twins, The Blue Strawberry, 364 N. Boyle Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108. For more information, https://bluestrawberrystl.com.

Through Jun. 25, 5:30 p.m. Live Art Market, City Foundry, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110. Wednesday only. For more information visit www. cityfoundrystl.com.

THEATRE

May 31 – Jun. 29, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis presents the world premiere of This House, The Loretto-Hilton, 130 Edgar Road, Webster Groves. For more information, visit opera-stl.org.

Through Jun. 1, 7:30 p.m. & Juliet, The Fabulous Fox, 527 N. Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63103. For additional showtimes, visit www.fabulousfox. com.

Through Jun. 1, The Black Rep presents Radio Golf, Edison Theatre at Washington University, 6465 Forsyth Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63105. For more information, visit the blackrep. org or call 314.534.3807.

Through Jun. 21, 8 p.m. Rent, The Marcelle Theater, 3310 Samuel Shepard Dr. Saint Louis, MO 63103. For more information, visit https://kranzbergartsfoundation.org.

ART

Through Jul. 27, Roaring: Art, Fashion and the Automobile in France, 1918–1939, Saint Louis Art Museum, 1 Fine Arts Dr, St. Louis, MO 63110. For more information, visit www.slam.org.

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

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

He said the same thing he always did when the opportunity came for him to photograph the artists he pinged as future giants after their ascension.

“What I tell you!” If his ESSENCE Festival gig had been Lamar’s career mountain top, Bryant would have been right to say “I told you so.” But ESSENCE Festival was just the beginning. He ultimately soared even beyond music superstardom. Kendrick Lamar is a bonafide culture shifter, which was further solidified just two years after he played ESSENCE Festival. In 2018, he became the first rapper to win a Pulitzer Prize – and the first non-classical or non-jazz musician to do so. Since the start of the Grand National Tour, Lamar has broken records for the highest-grossing rap concert and the highest-grossing concert by a Black male artist. According to allhiphop.com, it was announced after his threenight concert at Sofi Stadium that Lamar is the only rapper to have multiple tours in the top five highest-grossing hip-hop tours of all time.

And he’ll blaze another trail when he and SZA come to town next week.

Just as he did when he played Super Bowl LIX in one of the most buzzed about halftime performances ever, he will be the first solo hip hop act ever to headline a show at The Dome.

OTSL

Continued from C1

upwards of 25-30 years,” Nottage said. “I’ve explored the medium in many ways – from drama, to comedy and dramedy. I recently stretched my arms and legs out and have been writing musicals.”

But there was something about opera that spoke to her creative spirit.

“I felt it was very much in conversation with the stories that I wanted to tell,” Nottage said. “I love the expansive way in which you could open up the characters with music that really drew me to this medium. And I love opera. I’ve had experiences sitting in that dark audience looking up at that stage that I’ve had nowhere else.”

She saw Norm Lewis and Audra McDonald in a production of “Porgy and Bess” and was moved to tears.

“I thought, ‘I want to make a moment like that’,” Nottage said. Her award-winning play “Intimate Apparel”

SZA’s STL roots

While Lamar will be making history in St. Louis with the Grand National Tour, the city is embedded in SZA’s personal history. Bryant did not photograph the future Grammy winner for her first visit to St. Louis as a rising star in music. When she toured here to promote her debut album “CTRL,” Citizen photographer Roscoe Crenshaw had the entire pit area to himself for her two sold-out shows at The Ready Room in 2017.

“You know, her mother Audrey and I went to Soldan together,” Crenshaw said after promising to mail a few of his best images to The American for publication. He beamed as he talked about the line that wrapped around the former Mangrove venue for blocks just to see his classmate’s “baby girl.”

“Man, this is really something,” Crenshaw said before scurrying back towards the stage to get some more shots.

On a personal note, SZA is no stranger to St. Louis. In fact, she

was adapted into an opera. One of its stars, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis favorite Justin Austin, is also charged with helping tell the story of “This House.” Directed by James Robinson, the robust cast also includes St. Louis’ own Adrienne Danrich.

As she looked for another opportunity to create an opera with Gordon, the story that most spoke to Nottage was found in the words of her daughter.

“I brought my play to her and she said, ‘there are all of these rich textures that could be enhanced through music,’” Gerber said. “It became a whole new vocabulary. Opera has taught me so much about what can be said through music – and silence.”

Gerber wrote the play during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic as a creative response to how it impacted the Black community in particular. She saw history lost through the passing of elders – and displacement through evictions.

“I was really investigating the materiality of Black History,” Gerber said. “I wanted to look at

Before a soldout audience in 2023, SZA declared the STL stop of her ‘S.O.S.’ Tour at Enterprise Center as her ‘new favorite St. Louis memory.’

Photo by Kenya Vaughn

was born here. Solána Imani Rowe was raised in New Jersey, but spent her summers here – a fun fact she pointed out when she returned to St. Louis with a sold-out show at Enterprise Center for her “S.O.S” tour. During that show, she paid tribute to her recently deceased grandmother with a special video.

“Tonight is now my favorite St. Louis memory,” SZA declared in 2023 after calling the city her “second home.”

Based on the record-breaking run of the tour on the heels of its arrival at The Dome – and “Luther,” the hit she and Lamar share that has held steady at number one for an astonishing 13 weeks and counting at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart – she’ll have a new favorite St. Louis memory in the coming days.

The Grand National Tour: Kendrick Lamar and SZA will take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4 at The Dome at America’s Center. For tickets or additional information, visit www.livenation.com.

a family in one house and tell Black history over a century – but not through official records – through stories.”

It’s a story in which a Black family gets to stay in one place for generations.

“Because we see so much displacement in Black communities –because of red-lining, because of discriminatory housing practices – it’s a story you don’t get to see enough,” Gerber said. “I was really privileged to grow up in the same house my mother grew up in –where my grandparents lived, living there with my grandfather. I really wanted to share that story.”

The world-premiere of Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ presentation of “This House” by Ruby Aiyo Gerber, Lynn Nottage and composer Ricky Ian Gordon will run May 31st – June 29th as part of their 50th anniversary season. For a full schedule of showtimes, as well as the full line up of productions, visit www.opera-stl.org or call 314.961-0171.

R&B

Continued from C1

umented the moment on their social media. Marie then stopped to share the loss with her fans. She broke down in tears and was prepared to leave the stage after being overcome with emotion. The constant cheers of her fans reignited her will to perform.

She then sang “Pain Never Looked This Good” through tears – which gave the song a new meaning. She softly smiled while performing “Handle It as she soaked in the crowd singing every lyric back to her. Her portion of the show concluded with “Act Right” and “Secret.” For her finale, she joined the crowd and sang just inches away from her adoring fans.

DJ BG, a world touring DJ who has worked with heavy hitters like Fabolous and Rich Homie Quan, took over the turntables and introduced the first headliner of the night.

He began to play Dej Loaf’s chorus on Kid Ink’s “Be Real” then “Running Through My Mind.” The crowd jumped to their feet with excitement. Dej Loaf then entered the stage wearing a white t-shirt, pulled tight and tied in the back – cropped just enough to show off her flat abs. She also wore white sweat pants with the cartoon image of two figures. One of the figures appeared to be good in blue, the other evil in red, with a matching red and blue balaclava. She emerged rapping the lyrics to “Desire.” She moved across the stage with intention as the flashes of cameras illuminated the stage. When she followed up with “Hey There,” the audience was so enthralled that they sang the lyrics with their eyes closed. This flowed perfectly into “Me U & Hennessy” that she sang under a rippling light show of orange and blue.

Dej Loaf amped the energy back up to typical hip hop form with “Back

Up,” a track that features fellow Detroit native Big Sean. Her set concluded with her club classic “Try Me.” Fans belted out the lyrics as they recorded themselves and the stage. Some dangled over the balcony to get a closer angle.

“King of R&B” Jacquees closed the show. He took the stage dressed in black leather pants, with a black t-shirt and a dark gray fisherman vest that were both removed by the end of his set. Two male background dancers – also wearing black – joined him onstage. He started his set singing his iHeartRadio hit “B.E.D.” and quickly transitioned into “Your Peace.” Jacquees’ meticulously hit every beat.

“Inside” and “Ocean,” a song by TK Kravitz that features Jacquees, were performed under colorful strobe lights. The dancers left the stage while he performed his verse on K

CAMP’s “What’s On Your Mind” and “You Belong To Somebody Else,” a song that features both Jacquees and Dej Loaf. They returned for “Feel It”, moving across the stage seductively and continuing these moves for “Come Through”. The audience mirrored Jacquees’s energy and also danced seductively side to side with their drinks in the air. For his final song he lowered the lights and the stage was illuminated only by the flash of cell phones. He then began to croon the words to “You.” Men turned to their ladies and serenaded them with the affectionate lyrics of this song. It played on while the voices of the audience filled the room. Jacquees finished the song by reaching out and singing to fans at the edge of the stage before he and his dancers bid the crowd farewell.

Photo by Taylor Marrie

When Dej Loaf sang with her club classic “Try Me” fans belted out the lyrics as they recorded themselves and the stage. Some dangled over the balcony to get a closer angle.

GUARDIAN AD LITEM – FAMILY

COURT - JUVENILE DIVISION

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

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

To apply, please send a current resume, along with a cover letter, to SLCCourtJobs@courts. mo.gov or to the following address (application materials must be postmarked by June 6, 2025): Family Court of St. Louis County, Attn: Human Resources Department, 105 S. Central Ave., Clayton, MO 63105. EOE. Please contact the Human Resources Department at 615-4471 (voice) or RelayMo 711 or 800-735-2966 if you need any accommodations in the application process, or if you would like this posting in an alternative form.

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Replace HVAC and Exterior Repairs, Project No. T2406-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 6/24/25. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Upgrade HVAC at Ozark Correctional Center, Project No. C232401, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, June 26, 2025. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

CITY ADMINISTRATOR

City of Normandy seeks City Administrator to run the City’s daily operations e.g. budget, public works, public safety, community development. Must have at least 5 years of relevant experience and a Bachelor’s degree. To apply go to www.cityofnormandy.gov

ASST. PROF. INT’L

BUS. ST. LOUIS UNIV. PHD INT’L BUS. OR BUS. ADMIN.

Asst. Prof. Int’l Bus. St. Louis Univ. PhD Int’l Bus. or Bus. Admin. (can be foreign eq.); knowl. int’l bus. strategy; solid research int’l bus.; teaching excellence. Full descr. & apply slu.wd5.myworkdayjobs. com/Careers.

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE

St. Louis County Port Authority Community Investment Fund Applications – The St. Louis County Port Authority Community Investment Fund is now accepting grant applications through July 10, 2025 for economic development non-profit projects that benefit St. Louis County. The application and detailed funding information are available at https://stlpartnership. com/port-authority/cifa/

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Executive Assistant needs excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, good communication skills ability to work independently on projects, accurate data entry, time management skills, meets weekly deadlines, proficient in Google Workspace or Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) & Adobe Acrobat, handles confidential matters with discretion

Please email Resume to Jerickson@stlamerican.com

HIRING DIGITAL INSTRUCTORS

Teach essential tech and digital skills to local residents in a supportive, community-focused setting. Full-time and flexible part-time positions available. Help bridge the digital divide in St. Louis. Learn more and apply at: https://moveworth.com/jobs/

CITY OF ST. LOUIS ST. LOUIS LAMBERT

INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

SOLICITATION FOR BIDS (SFB)

Service: Airside Snow Removal Servies

Pre-Bid Meeting Date: June 12, 2025, 3:00 PM local time (via Zoom)

Question Due Date: on or before June 16, 2025

Bid Due Date: July 1, 2025 2:00 p.m. local time

Incentives:

A five percent (5%) Bid discount shall be applied to construction, goods, and other services prime contracts on contracts $300,000 or less to prime AfricanAmerican, Hispanic American, Asian American, Native American and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Bidders.

Point of Contact: Delia Cummingsdfcummings@flystl.com

Bid documents may be obtained at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Airport Properties Division, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., or by calling (314)426-8174. This SFB may also be obtained by visiting our website at www.flystl.com/ business/contract-opportunites.

Robert Salarano Airport Properties Division Manager

CITY OF ST. LOUIS ST. LOUIS LAMBERT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

SOLICITATION FOR BIDS (SFB)

Service: Landside Snow Removal Servies

Pre-Bid Meeting Date: June 12, 2025, 1:00 PM

local time (via Zoom)

Question Due Date: on or before June 16, 2025

Bid Due Date: July 1, 2025 2:00 p.m. local time

Incentives: A five percent (5%) Bid discount shall be applied to construction, goods, and other services prime contracts on contracts $300,000 or less to prime AfricanAmerican, Hispanic American, Asian American, Native American and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Bidders.

Point of Contact: Delia Cummingsdfcummings@flystl.com

Bid documents may be obtained at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Airport Properties Division, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., or by calling (314)426-8174. This SFB may also be obtained by visiting our website at www.flystl.com/ business/contract-opportunites.

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis Head Start/Early Head Start is seeking food service management companies to provide breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks for approximately 590 children (ages 0–5) and about 145 adults. Meals must follow USDA CACFP meal patterns. The contract runs from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. Submission Details: Deadline: June 12, 2025, by 2:00 p.m. Location: Urban League North Springs Head Start Center, 911 N. Springs, St. Louis, MO 63108. Instructions: Submit sealed bids marked “Food Service BID.” Bids received early will remain sealed until the bid opening. Bid Opening:

Date & Time: June 18, 2025 Location: 911 N. Springs Head Start Center (in the presence of all bidders) Bid Forms and Specifications: Call Erin Weekes at 314.295.2353.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Bids for General Contractor for Renovate Interior and Exterior at Dunbar Gardens Apartment Complex. Project No. K0525-01 will be received at the Kinloch City Hall, 5825 Martin Luther King Blvd, Kinloch, MO, 63140, until 4:00PM on June 27, 2025. Project Packet available at Kinloch City Hall.

Bids for Replace Generator, Program Center, Project No. M232801will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, June 26, 2025. Project information available at: http:// oa.mo.gov/ facilities

Electronic bids submitted through the Bid Express Online Portal will be received by the Board of Public Service until 1:45 PM, CT on JUNE 24, 2025, then publicly opened and read. Proposals must be submitted electronically using the “Bid Express Online Portal” at https://www.bidexpress.com/businesses/20618/ home.

The bidder must pay $50 to submit a bid through the Bid Express service. Monthly subscriptions are available.

Plans, Specifications, and the Agreement may be examined online through Bid Express at https://www.bidexpress.com/businesses/20618/ home? agency=true and may be downloaded for free.

An optional pre-bid conference for all contractors bidding on this project will be held in the Ozark Conference Room at the Airport Office Building (AOB) located at 11495 Navaid Road – 4th Floor, Bridgeton, MO 63044 on June 3, 2025, at 10:00 AM. All bidders are strongly encouraged to attend the pre-bid meeting.

Bidders shall comply with all applicable City, State, and Federal laws (including DBE policies).

Robert Salarano Airport Properties Division Manager SEALED

All bidders must regard Federal Executive Order 11246, “Notice of Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Employment Opportunity”, the “Equal Opportunity Clause”, and the “Standard Federal Equal Employment Specifications” set forth within and referenced at www.stl-bps.org (Announcements).

NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS

Date of First Publication: 5/29/25

City of St. Louis: Community Development Administration (CDA) 1520 Market Street, Suite 2000 St. Louis, Missouri 63103 314-657-3700 / 314-589-6000 (TTY)

On or after 6/6/25, the City of St. Louis (“the City”) will submit a request to the U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) for the release of the following Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funds, under Title I of the Housing & Community Development Act of 1974, PL93-383, as amended, 42 U.S.C.-5301 et seq.; and Title II of the Cranston-Gonzales National Affordable Housing Act, as amended; to undertake the following programs comprising part of the City’s 2025 Action Plan, within the City:

For Sale Rehab & New Construction of Housing Program, under CDBG funds [Award # B-25-MC-29-0006] with an estimated total of $2,098,977.00, and HOME funds [Award # M-25-MC-29-0500] estimated to be $2,972,181.00, for the purpose of reinvesting in the City’s aging housing stock, by providing funding for rehabilitation or new construction of approximately 105 units in targeted areas throughout the City, at locations to be determined;

Healthy Home Repair Program Loan Pool, under CDBG funds [Award # B-25-MC-29-0006] with an estimated total of $1,900,000.00, for the purpose of assisting low- to moderate-income homeowners through approximately 80 emergency repair projects and 82 comprehensive repair projects, at locations to be determined;

Neighborhood Commercial District Facade Improvement Program, under estimated CDBG funds [Award # B-25-MC-29-0006] totaling $520,269.00, for the purpose of reviving neighborhood commercial districts, through 16 facade and exterior improvement projects at locations to be determined; The activities proposed are categorically excluded under HUD regulations at 24 CFR Part 58 from National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements. An Environmental Review Record (ERR) that documents the environmental determinations for these projects is on file at the City’s CDA, at the address listed above, and may be examined or copied, by appointment, weekdays 8 A.M to 4 P.M, or visit https://cpd.hud.gov/cpd-public/environmental-reviews to review the HUD ERR.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to Trey McCarter, CDA, Community Development Planner III, at the address listed above. All comments received by 4 p.m. on 6/5/2025 will be considered by the City prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds.

RELEASE OF FUNDS

The City certifies to HUD that, Nahuel Fefer, in his capacity as Executive Director, consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the City to use the City’s above-referenced HUD program funds.

OBJECTION TO RELEASE OF FUNDS

HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the City’s certification for a period of 15 days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the City; b) the City has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR Part 58; c) the grant recipient or other participants in the development process have committed funds, incurred costs or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD/State; or d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58.76) and shall be addressed to the HUD St. Louis Field Office, CPDRROFSTL@hud.gov Potential objectors should contact HUD to verify the actual last day of the objection period.

Nahuel

Fefer, CDA Executive Director Certifying Officer

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Replace Retaining Walls State School Building, Project No. E2401-01, Replace Retaining Walls Mississippi Valley State School will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, June 17, 2025. Project information available at: http://oa.mo.gov/ facilities

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Chiller System Upgrade, Center for Behavioral Medicine, Project No. M2430-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, June 26, 2025. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Replace Windows, Siding, Flooring & Interior Lights at Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop E Service Center, Project No. R2321-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, June 26, 2025. Project information available at: http://oa.mo.gov/ facilities

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Hawthorn Children’s Psychiatric Hospital Replace Roof, Administration Building, St. Louis, MO, Project No.M2416-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, June 17, 2025. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

SEALED BIDS

Pine Lawn City Seeks Sealed Bids for 1. Replacing Street Signs; 2. Replacing Roofs Over City Hall, Salt Dome, Community Ctr.; 3. Purchase of Older City Vehicles. ; 4. Purchase of 2315 Kienlen @ base price of $5,000. Sealed Bid Opening –6 pm Friday June 6, 2025 @ Pine Lawn City Hall-6250 Steve Marre Ave., Pine Lawn, Mo. 63121. See Bid Specifications @ City Hall prior to opening date. Address questions to d samuels@pinelawn.org or leunice@pinelawn.org.

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.”

INVITATION TO BID

UAW Labor Employment and Training Corporation (UAW-LETC) has extended its deadline for sealed bids to June 13, 2025, for shop equipment and installation of equipment, tools, and (6) vehicles to set up a training lab for its Automotive Technology Training Program. Please contact Kelly Spangler at kspangler@letc.com or 314-716-3331 to request a bid packet with sealed bid instructions. Bid documents may also be obtained at 500 NW Plaza Drive, Suite 409, St. Ann, MO 63074, between the hours of 9:00am and 3:00pm from May 18 to June 6, 2025. All bids must be received by UAW-LETC by June 13 at 1:45pm. UAW-LETC encourages M/WBE’s to apply. Bids received late or incomplete will not be considered.

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Outdoor Pavilion, Missouri Veterans Home, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Project No. U2415-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 6/3/25. Project information available at: http:// oa.mo.gov/ facilities

SEALED BIDS

Bids for St Louis Forensic Treatment Center NorthReplace Roof, Psychiatric Center Building, Project No. M250701 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, June 3, 2025. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Requests for Quotes, Bids and Proposals are posted online for public download. Please navigate to www.msdprojectclear.org > Doing Business With Us > View Bid Opportunities

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

NOTICE OF SERVICE BY PUBLICATION

Mecklenburg County, NC – Case No. 23 CV034229-590

To: Ezechiel Esther Botewa Laura R. Chimene Kodjo filed for Absolute Divorce on 05/12/2025. You must respond within 40 days of this notice or the court may grant the request.

REQUEST FOR BIDS SIDEWALK REPLACEMENT

The City of Maplewood is accepting bids for Sidewalk Replacement Services. Bids must be received in a sealed envelope, marked “Sidewalk Replacement” at Maplewood City Hall, 7601 Manchester Rd. 63143 no later than 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. For specifications, please go to the city’s website at www. cityofmaplewood.com or contact the City of Maplewood at 314-6453600. The City of Maplewood reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids.

Religion Churches helping region recover, as some deal with destruction

By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American

Churches across the region are coming together to help the community recover the shock and wreckage of the May 16 tornado.

The Church of God in Christ Women’s International Convention continues this week in St. Louis, and it has brought together hundreds of representative in St. Louis and many joined with faith, healthcare, and community leaders to respond with compassion and action on Wednesday at Williams Temple Church of God in Christ, 1500 N. Union Blvd.

COGIC, in partnership with the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Affinia Healthcare, and Deer Valley Home Health, hosted an Emergency Tornado Relief Giveaway to provide immediate assistance to families affected by the storm.

Relief items included food, bottled water, clothing, hygiene kits, medical and home healthcare resources, and more — available free of charge.

“As the community recovers from the recent tornado outbreak, this event is a collaborative response to meet the urgent needs of those displaced or impacted by the storms,” Bishop J. Drew Sheard, Presiding Bishop, Church of God in Christ, said in a release.

“By joining forces, local faith leaders, nonprofit organizations, and healthcare providers are delivering relief, hope, and essential services to the families who need them most.”

Other clergy efforts include:

Grace United Methodist Church is collecting donations of clothing, food and supplies.

Catholic Charities is offering

assistance for those affected by the storms. Visit their website to request help.

The American Red Cross has opened four shelters.

Identification is not required:

• Friendly Temple Outreach Center: 6356 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr.

• 12th & Park Recreation Center: 1410 S. Tucker Blvd.

• Refresh Community Church: 829 N Hanley Rd.

• Peter & Paul Community Services: Garfield Building, 2612 Wyoming St.

• Centennial Christian Church has established a GoFundMe fundraising drive for the church and for the Fountain Park neighborhood.

The Post-Dispatch reported that more than $18,000 of its $500,000 goal had been raised.

Bread of Life has also set up a GoFundMe account. It has raised received than $7,000 of its $9,000 goal.

Bible still holds the title as the best-selling book in history

The King James version, with over 1 billion copies sold, is still the most popular version globally, while the New International Version (NIV) is the best-selling translation in the United States. And in the United States, it’s estimated that Bible sales top $425 million annually.

But with so many copies being sold all the time — 88% of American households own at least one copy, and the average household owns four — the question is whether or not they’re actually being read. It turns out, only 11% of Americans report reading it

daily. Is it difficult to fit Bible reading into our daily schedules? Is the Bible too hard to read? Does it not hold our interest?

Dorothy Boulware of Word

In Black posed these questions on Facebook, and several people weighed in. Sherry Hunt replied that she’s reading the Bible right now, specifically, the book of Judges, “Whew! Pray for me,” she requests.

J.C. Ryle, a 19th-century Anglican bishop, said, “Knowledge of the Bible never comes by intuition. It can only be obtained by diligent, regular, daily, attentive reading.”

Theologian A.W. Tozer, in complete agreement, said, “Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.”

Dr. Howard-John Wesley, senior pastor of Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria,

Virginia, famously encourages all who listen that reading the Bible will make you a better Christian.

And there’s hope: “Our youngest adults show signs of interest in the Bible, curiosity about it, and transformative interaction with it,” ABS Chief Program Officer John Farquhar Plake, editor in chief of the “State of the Bible” report, told Religion Unplugged. “Last year, 50% of Gen Z adults (ages 18-27) agreed that the message of the Bible has transformed their lives. This year, that number rose to 54%.”

A 2016 Lifeway Research Study revealed that about 20% of Americans say they have personally read the entire Bible at least once, with 9% saying they’ve read it more than once. But do folks read it cover-to-cover?

too late.

That’s what many families in St. Louis are feeling right now.

The people of St. Louis are in trouble. And as patience wears thin among those most impacted, those of us called to help—called to love—must reach deeper: for an extra layer of presence, and an extra measure of grace.

A few days ago, I was sitting on my mother-in-law’s steps in North City, taking it all in—trying to process the loss, the destruction, the heartbreak.

A car pulled up. A woman jumped out offering meals. “You want a meal?”

I paused. I was hungry. But I wasn’t the one who lost everything. Still, she insisted—with the kind of kindness that cuts through hesitation.

As I walked toward the car, she looked again and said: “Orvin Kimbrough.”

It was Yvonne Berry, from my United Way days. Back then, she worked for the Red Cross. Now she’s serving through The New Christ Temple Church. Same mission. Still showing up.

That moment reminded me: the smallest gestures often carry the greatest power.

Disaster Response Happens in Three Phases

Phase 1: Immediate Relief

We’ve become practiced in this now— and for that, I want to say thank you. Thank you for showing up. For bringing food. Water. Presence.

A local CEO told me that when he visited North City, he didn’t speak much. “I moved big debris—I just listened.”

In this phase, we’re not just delivering things—we’re delivering dignity in the middle of disorientation.

Phase 2: Stabilization and Rebuilding Electricity was restored to my motherin-law’s home this week, but some homes still sit in silence. Some families have no timeline, no return plan—just questions.

Some will look at North St. Louis and see poverty. But what I see are lives.

A power line was felled at Warwick and Rev. Earl Nance Avenue to the north of Greater Mt. Carmel Baptist Church during the May 16,2025, storms. While homes and building surrounding the church were severely damaged, the church’s sign gave hope to residents.

“I have NOT read the Bible cover-to-cover although I am a committed student of the Bible. I have preferred to study as I have been led, rather than reading sequentially because I am strengthened by a method of study to which I feel called,” says Charlene Ndi.

Ndi also says that reflecting on Bible-reading habits “prepares us to give account for the spiritual lives we live.”

Rusty Saunders, Minister of Music and Arts on The Hill, said he hasn’t read the Bible cover-to-cover, “But I’m sure I will be attempting this task again in the future.”

Juanita Shields says she’s tried several times, “And I’m going to try again and get back to you!”

Homes built with pride. Communities anchored by love.

Stabilization doesn’t look like tents. It looks like a plan. It looks like leadership. It looks like truth-telling—naming what’s broken, but also what’s beautiful and worth preserving.

A recent headline asked: “Where is the help?”

And the hard truth is—help won’t move fast enough. Not from the region. Not from the state. Not even from the federal government.

But even when help is slow, transparency and communication shouldn’t be.

We need truth-tellers—those willing to speak honestly about what’s broken and what it will take to rebuild without erasing who we are.

Phase 3: Long-Term Recovery

This is where the work gets quiet—and dangerously easy to forget.

Because if long-term recovery is left solely to market forces, we’ll see displacement, gentrification, and loss. People won’t be pushed out by the storm—they’ll be pushed out by what comes after: rising costs, insurance gaps, and the unaffordability of rebuilding. This is where government, philanthropy, and business must show up differently. We must shift from one-time charity to sustainable hand-ups.

It’s not just about handing out emergency aid—it’s about creating coordinated recovery that includes small businesses, housing, and the people who connect them.

At the bank, we’re mobilizing what we call our Network for Good—a group of directors, shareholders, customers, and partners committed to showing up with presence, patience, and purpose.

It’s not just about money. It’s about deploying influence, proximity, and capacity—at the right time, in the right way.

You may have a similar ecosystem— your own circle of trusted voices. A board. A congregation. A crew.

Let’s each do our small part—not all at once, not alone, but together, with intentionality and care.

Because when help comes too slow, it’s not just speed that matters. It’s grace, presence, and the patience to stay.

ORVIN T. KIMBROUGH Chairman and CEO, Midwest BankCentre

The Next MOVE

Photo by Alvin A. Reid / St. Louis American