A heart to heart talk about Black Maternal Health
St. LouiS AmericAn
Old Courthouse begins renewed path of history
Reopens after renovations May 3
By Namratha Prasad
St. Louis American
It is a new day for an old and historic courthouse.
After an extensive renovation, the Old Courthouse, site of the first of two landmark legal cases of Dred Scott, his wife Harriett and other enslaved people, reopened to the public on Saturday, May 3, 2025, to celebrate the grand reopening of the Old Courthouse located downtown.
“In honoring this courthouse, we are not just preserving a building, we are honoring the memory of those who transformed it into a battleground for freedom and those who had the courage it took to get to this place,” said keynote speaker Twinette Johnson, St. Louis University School of Law dean.
See COURTHOUSE, A6
A Berry good time
Sumner High School student Jordan Stewart performs as rock and roll hall of fame rocker Chuck Berry, a 1944 graduate, who would be inducted into it’s hall of fame during induction ceremonies Friday, May 2, 2025.
‘A
disappointing day’
By Sylvester Brown, Jr. St. Louis American
When the St. Louis American interviewed Neal Richardson, chair, president & CEO of the St. Louis
Development Corporation (SLDC) in April, his frustration was palpable. The SLDC had been dragged into the mayoral race. At the time, mayoral candidate Cara Spencer claimed the SLDC was dysfunctional, lacked transparency and inept at doling out public funds and tax incentives. Shortly before she resigned from SLDC’s board, Clayco founder Bob
Clark had announced he was going to invest and convince other wealthy developers to contribute to her campaign. Reportedly, it was because SLDC had rejected his proposal to build a concrete plant in North St. Louis.
“Oh well, I guess it’s all part of the job,” Richardson lamented at the time,
Veteran journalist and editor Linda Lockhart dies at 72
By Kenya Vaughn
The St. Louis American
The name Linda Lockhart may not be a familiar one beyond the journalism community. But she deserves to be remembered alongside others who maintained a standard and served the field to the point where Black journalism and Black excellence became synonymous in St. Louis.
The nature of her work was in the often unsung, typically anonymous yet critical element of print (and later digital) journalism –copy editing. Her keen eye helped others in the field keep their best foot forward. Lockhart died on Sunday, May 4. Lockhart was so committed to her craft that she left copy editing instructions in an obituary that was released upon her death.
“A stickler for straight-forward writing and AP style, she did not pass away or transition,” the obit read. “She died on May 4, 2025, of complications associated with cancer.” Lockhart was 72.
In her 45-year career journey that included work as a reporter, editor, editorial writer and other positions, Lockhart was as devoted to training up future generations of Black journalists as she was to the AP style guidelines. This was evident through her service as a founding
By Ashley Winters
The St. Louis American
Del-Rio Swink, a disabled activist and cancer survivor, is suing several St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers, a Berkeley police officer and Walgreens Co., for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The St. Louis Police officers named in the lawsuit are Alfred Allmon, Trevor Krepps and Kristine Stark. They, along with Berkeley Police Department officer Thomas Love, are accused of using excessive force.
“I never thought people who are supposed to serve and protect would treat me this way,” Swink said.
Swink is represented by ArchCity Defenders, a legal advocacy organization well known for representing clients who live in communities of color. She was about to give up when the local law firm took her case.
“When no one would listen to me,
Lynne M. Jackson (second from left), the great-great granddaughter of Dred and Harriet Scott, guided Randy Burkett, Marcy Hart, and Vickie Hayden through the newly-renovated Old Courthouse on Saturday, May 3, 2025.
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Linda Lockhart
By Blake Strode
Guest Editorial Commentary
Keep fighting for St. louis Protecting our history begins with us
About five years ago, I got in the habit of taking myself on extended driving tours of St. Louis – from north to south, east to west.
It’s a different experience when you travel alone from one edge of the city to the other. It reminds you of the indescribable divergence between life in one corner of the city and another.
This divergence is the omnipresent backdrop of all politics in St. Louis. It’s also the backdrop reflected in two maps that tell the story of this latest political chapter.
The first is the map of 2025 voting patterns across the city, which reveals two basic facts: strong support for Black incumbents in the northern half of the city (and small majority-Black pockets of southeast St. Louis); strong support for white candidates—widely viewed as more “moderate”—in the city’s southern half.
It’s an old story: draw a line at Delmar and it’ll take you a long way to a solid election prediction.
A map that has received less attention, but is equally striking in this context, is one of “Neighborhood Transformation Investments” released by the now-former Mayor Tishaura Jones and her Community Development Administration in late February, showing a $250 million investment in housing, vacancy interventions, community assets, and transportation in north and southeast St. Louis.
in our city, with hollowed-out neighborhoods and familial inheritances lost forever. We see a politics of greed and neglect disguising itself in the language of “progress,” “growth,” and “basic services.” We see the redemption of a political coalition built around an unabashed faith in police force and corporate power. And we wonder why so many others cannot see this, or, worse, do not care.
We were making different choices as a city. We chose Kim Gardner on a promise to be a check on police corruption; Cori Bush, who pledged fight for the forgotten people and communities of St. Louis; Megan Green to lead the Board of Alderman; and Tishaura Jones, whose commitment was to rebuild and revitalize the city’s long-neglected Northside.
Most galling of all is the suggestion that none of this is about race but instead is a question of “basic services.”
Just try taking a drive around town. Note the conditions, infrastructure, and services in communities that supported this appeal. Then note the conditions in those areas that most soundly rejected it. I would love to hear a coherent explanation for this alignment that has nothing to do with race.
Nobody has one. There isn’t one. It’s just impolite to point that out.
Undoubtedly, part of what we see reflected in the changing city leadership is a steep decline in Black population in recent years.
By Marc Morial
The freedom to learn is the freedom to live. We cannot survive our current political moment or unlock the promise of our future without the tools to understand and make sense of our past. And that’s precisely why those opposing democracy and equality are trying to take away our books, our concepts, and our knowledge. Ignorance about our past is the Achilles heel of democracy. And we can’t save this democracy without confronting its weakest link. That’s why we have to fight for the freedom to learn.” — Kimberlee Crenshaw
When the deadly COVID-19 pandemic began sweeping across the United States in 2020, President Donald Trump infamously made the mind-boggling assertion, “If we stop testing right now, we’d have very few cases, if any.”
As the legacy of racism, segregation, and discrimination continues to drive gaps in opportunity, achievement, and justice under the law, the Trump administration remains committed to solving problems it doesn’t want to confront by pretending they don’t exist.
Place this image side-by-side with that of the city’s voting patterns and one conclusion is inescapable: it’s the same map. Those economically distressed, majority-Black neighborhoods receiving unprecedented investment voted to continue on that path. More prosperous, whiter neighborhoods that were watching those investments flow elsewhere voted to change course.
On one side, a demand for leveling the playing field. On the other, a preference that their side of the field remains pristine, no matter the cost.
And there’s always a cost. In this election, that cost included a newsworthy infusion of cash behind the effort to remove St. Louis’ sitting Black leadership. Unsurprisingly, it worked. Money doesn’t always win, but it certainly helps.
We continue to see a multigenerational ruling-class assault on Black existence
For the first time since the early 1990s, St. Louis is unambiguously a plurality-white city, placing racial equity and structural transformation lower on the list of public policy priorities. Through this lens, we simply see the interests of an oppressed minority defeated by the will of a favored majority. Such a dynamic is hardly new. St. Louis is home for me and many like me who feel the pull toward status quo.
We will continue to fight for it because we must. We will keep fighting to close jails, to put a roof over every head, to place care and support above police and punishment, to invest in the people and places that have been left behind, and to offer a promising future to every child in every neighborhood and on every block.
In that sense, our mandate will not change.
Blake Strode is an attorney who resides in the city of St. Louis
Three-fifths is not enough
By Camike Jones
If I owe you a dollar, giving you 60 cents just won’t do. It’s three-fifths of a dollar. Please raise your hand if you would like to be counted as 60% of a human being. I’ll wait. No takers?
The Three-Fifths Compromise of 1787 was a means of counting the population in southern slave-holding states, for the purposes of taxation and determining the number of seats those states would hold in Congress.
Only three-fifths of the total population of enslaved people would count. This compromise allowed these states to increase the number of people that would factor into their political power, without actually considering them as equal citizens.
Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith posted a video on X last week in response to Senate Democrats who likened Senate Bill 289 to the Three-Fifths Compromise because they said it encourages discrimination. Beckwith said today’s Democratic representatives have it all wrong.
best intentions, stopping short of equality is insufficient. 60% of anything is still less than the whole.
For a country that was founded on the principles of liberty and justice for all, the notion of any group of humans not living in full freedom already undermines this principle.
When the Three-Fifths Compromise is reframed as a good step toward politicians working together, we forget the real, living human beings whose very humanity was sacrificed.
In 2025, saying the Three-Fifths Compromise was a “great move” undermines the ideals of what American could be. America was established with some people — namely women, indigenous people, the enslaved and non-landowners — not having full rights of citizenship. They were not included in the “all.”
“It was not a pro-discrimination or a slave-driving compromise that the founders made. In fact, it was just the opposite,” Beckwith said. Beckwith said the move by the North countered the South’s push for more political power by limiting the number of pro-slave representatives in Congress by 40%.
According to Beckwith, DEI and “woke” educators are responsible for misunderstanding the intentions of the ThreeFifths Compromise. Beckwith argues that the compromise was a “great move” toward eventually eradicating slavery in America and creating equality.
In Beckwith’s statement, he mentioned that slave-owners considered enslaved people as “property.” That in itself should be considered a violation of human rights — enough to bring any subsequent decision-making into question.
Anything short of denouncing such an idea full stop is just not enough. Even with what some may consider the
That people are working now to rewrite that inconvenient truth does not make it less true.
Because history has not been taught accurately, many people who were finally confronted with the truth of what happened in the early years of America experienced an uncomfortable awakening. So much so that it was easier not to think about it, believe it or accept it. When you learn your heroes are not so heroic, it stings.
Either you believe that every person is a full human being and should be seen as such under the law or you don’t. For that, there can be no compromise.
I agree that people who are alive today ought not to carry the burden of centuries-old choices made by someone who happens to look like them.
But this does not mean we need to bury that history. We should uncover it, learn from it and do better.
If we welcome revised history based on false ideas, where does it end? If the Three-Fifths Compromise was a “great move,” then what sort of great moves are coming next?
The administration’s frenzied assault on American history, outlined in the Orwellian executive order, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” is a key tactic in its broad agenda to erode democracy, entrench inequities, and reinforce injustice.
the Study of African American Life and History, which created the virtual event, which was attended about 1,500 people. The conversation provided an assessment of what the first 100 days has meant for the fight for racial justice, the preservation of Black history and the defense of a multiracial democracy. I was joined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, co-founder and president of the African American Policy Forum; Kaye Wise Whitehead, founding director of The Karson Institute for Race, Peace, and Social Justice.
Also speaking were Shavon ArlineBradley, president and CEO of the Nation Council of Negro Women; Barbara Arnwine, president and founder of Transformative Justice Coalition; and Melanie Campbell, president and CEO, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and Convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable.
As part of the Freedom to Learn coalition, the National Urban League is sounding the alarm that the attempted mass erasure of Black history and culture is a key pre-condition for our ongoing anti-democratic slide.
We have just completed the #HandsOffOurHistory / Freedom To Learn National Week of Action, a mass mobilization in opposition to the extremist campaign to suppress history and wipe out decades of anti-racist, proequality progress.
Wednesday April 30, 2025 marked 100 days of the second Trump administration, and I was part of a virtual event, Beyond The First 100 Days: Centering Racial Justice and Black History in Our Fight for Democracy.
About 1,500 people attended a virtual event, according to the Association for
The week of action culminated on Saturday, May 3 in Washington, D.C. with a demonstration in defense of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Crenshaw later posted a video on social media of Bruce’s Beach, in Manhattan Beach, California. In 1912, a Black couple purchased oceanfront property and built a resort for Black people. The property was later seized by the city under eminent domain.
“It’s important to tell these stories so people understand that it’s not a natural reality that many Black folks don’t have beachfront property or that we don’t have transnational hotel chains owned by Black people,” Crenshaw said.
“These things are actually created by the weaponization of law to impose white, exclusive rights and privileges.”
All Americans can join the demonstration by visiting their local museums and libraries, seeking out exhibitions and collections that recognize the contributions of Black Americans and sharing photos of their experiences on social media with the hashtag #HandsOffOurHistory.
Supporters also can sign the Black History Is American History Affirmation. Marc Morial is president/CEO of the National Urban League.
Guest Columnist Blake Strode
Guest Columnist Camike Jones
Barack Obama Elementary School students recently completed a hygiene items drive, for Gateway 180 and collected over 700 items, including soap, lotion, toothpaste, wipes, and other toiletries valued at more than $2,000. The 180 shelter supports unhoused individuals and families in the St. Louis area.
Barack Obama School supports unhoused community
Seeing a need to assist unhoused people in the St. Louis area prompted Barack Obama Elementary School students to act.
The school’s student council organized a hygiene drive, rallying the school community, families, and staff to donate essential hygiene items for Gateway 180, a shelter supporting unhoused individuals and families in the St. Louis area.
Over 700 items, such as soap, lotion, toothpaste, wipes, and other toiletries were collected, valued at more than $2,000. Additionally, over 100 pairs of new socks were donated during a recent family sock hop event.
Students led the planning, organizing, promotion, and management of the drive.
This included using math skills to count and track the donated items, which took classroom lessons into real-world use – just as the
students will do in future careers.
The students recently presented the collected items to Gateway 180 representatives who visited the school at 3883 Jennings Station Road.
Barack Obama School, which is part of the Normandy Schools Collaborative, has been recognized for promoting healthy lifestyles for students and families.
It has received the America’s Healthiest Schools Bronze Award from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Students have planted gardens and participated in events like Girls on the Run throughout the year to encourage physical activity and healthy diets.
Barack Obama School is also home to the seventh Believe Project Literacy Lab, a library of diverse titles. Ninety percent of the characters or authors featured in the reading space will be people of color.
A legacy of young changemakers
By Marian Wright Edelman
The 65th Anniversary of the birth of a historic civil rights movement organization was celebrated in April - the founding of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).
People often forget that children and young people were major frontline soldiers in the Civil Rights Movement.
Six-year-old Ruby Bridges in New Orleans, the Little Rock Nine at Central High School in Arkansas, and other Black students desegregated schools across the South – often standing up to howling mobs.
Many, including Bridges (who later became a Children’s Defense Fund colleague), continue to write books and speak at schools and college campuses across the country sharing their experiences with young people, helping students understand that this is ancient history in our country’s story.
After Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was jailed in Birmingham in April 1963, young people responded with the Birmingham Children’s Crusade in May. More than 1,000 students walked out from local schools to march, withstanding fire hoses and police dogs to challenge Bull Connor’s brutal rule and topple segregation in that city.
College-aged young people coordinated voter registration drives, participated in Freedom Rides testing segregation laws on interstate buses, conducted voter education and Freedom Schools during 1964’s Freedom Summer in Mississippi and more. They faced pervasive risks of arrest, injury or death.
My generation was blessed beyond measure to be in the right places at the right times to experience and help bring change to the South and America.
The path to SNCC’s founding began two months before that, in February 1960, when four Black freshmen at North Carolina A&T State University — Ezell Blair Jr., Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil and David Richmond — sat in at the whites-only lunch counter in the Greensboro, North Carolina, Woolworth’s store.
That was just the spark that I and many other Black youths were waiting for that galvanized us to stand up against the segregation that daily assaulted our dignity and lives with similar actions.
At first, there was no mechanism in place to connect us all. But the visionary Ella Baker, who was working with Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), organized a meeting in April of that year at her alma mater – Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina – to bring student activists together. I was a senior at Spelman College in Atlanta at the time, and took my first ever plane ride that Easter weekend on a plane chartered by SCLC to join about 200 other college students for the April 15 convening where SNCC was founded.
From the beginning, Ella Baker insisted that students find their own voice and form our own organization instead of becoming the youth arm of SCLC or an established civil rights group. She became a trusted SNCC adviser and mentor.
While SNCC lasted only six years, SNCC alumni carried on, following up on the ideals we believed in and doing our part to make a better world for the next generations.
The children and young people who were part of the Civil Rights Movement are a reminder, as Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools scholars know, that you are never too young to make a difference in your nation and world.
Marian Wright Edelman is founder and president emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund.
Marian Wright Edelman
A voice to shatter barriers
By Franklin Morris, Missouri Historical Society
The musical history of St. Louis is full of many phenomenal performers who worked hard to break through racial barriers. One example is Robert McFerrin Sr., the first Black male soloist to perform at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. Although his story and accomplishments stretch further than St. Louis, it was his time here that would assist him in launching his career as an opera singer. McFerrin’s story is one of hard work, determination, and success against the many challenges that African Americans faced in the mid-20th century.
One of eight children, Robert McFerrin was born in Marianna, Arkansas, on March 19, 1921, to Rev. Melvin and Mary McKenney McFerrin. He was two years old when his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee. McFerrin’s childhood was filled with music. He sang as part of the church choir and formed a trio with his father and siblings, traveling to various churches to perform.
McFerrin’s parents sent him to St. Louis to live with his aunt and uncle to have the best possible educational opportunities. In the mid-1930s he attended Sumner High School with the hope of becoming an English teacher. Sumner’s famed music teacher and choir director, Wirt D. Walton, was so impressed with McFerrin’s performance in the school choir that he gave him private classical training. This would be the beginning of McFerrin’s long and successful
musical journey. After graduating in 1940, he studied music for one year at Fisk University before returning to St. Louis. Shortly afterward, he won a scholarship to Chicago Musical College, and a year later, he went on to win the first vocal competition at the Chicagoland Music Festival. In 1943, he was drafted to fight in World War II, putting a temporary pause on his education. He returned to Chicago to finish his studies, graduating in 1946. In 1949 he married a classically trained singer and pianist named Sara Cooper. They performed together in the 1950 touring company for Lost in the Stars, a Broadway musical. Their two children, Bobby and Brenda, would also become professional singers. A baritone classical opera singer, McFerrin performed with the National Negro Opera Company and the New England Opera between 1949 and 1952. He was the first African American to win the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air broadcast competition in 1953, earning a yearlong scholarship to study opera. He became the first African American to sign a three-year contract with the New York Metropolitan Opera. In January 1955, he made his debut at the Met as Amonasro in Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida, just a few weeks after Marian Anderson broke through the opera company’s color barrier. In the fall of 1956 he was named artist of the month by Musical America. The following year, he was booked for a European tour with performances in Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, and
England. In the 1959 film production of Porgy and Bess, he sang the role of Porgy, played on screen by Sidney Poitier. Afterward, he moved to Los Angeles, where he and Sara opened a vocal studio. In 1973, following their divorce, he returned to St. Louis, where he would live the rest of his life.
Even in his later years, McFerrin never lost his dedication to music as he continued to break through barriers and inspire young Black musicians. He was inducted into the Sumner Hall of Fame in 1983.
Stowe Teachers College awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1987, and he received a second doctorate from the University of Missouri in 1989. In 2003, Opera America and Opera Volunteers International presented him with a lifetime achievement award, and he has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
McFerrin married his second wife, Athena, in 1995. On November 24, 2006, he died at age 85. His final resting place is at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.
McFerrin’s life was one of groundbreaking achievements and the breaking of many racial barriers despite living in a time of significant racial oppression in the United States, as the Civil Rights Act was not passed until 1964. His story serves as an example of African American performers finding success in the face of hardship and adversity.
Franklin Morris is an African American History Initiative (AAHI) graduate student researcher. To learn more about the AAHI, visit mohistory.org/ collecting-initiatives/aahi.
Lawsuit
Continued from A1
ArchCity Defenders did,” Swink said.
Swink’s legal battle began in the fall of 2022 when she was picking up medication from a Walgreens Pharmacy in the Central West End neighborhood. She was allegedly toppled out of her chair and dragged across the floor by Love, who was working as a store security guard for Allied Services, the lawsuit states.
According to Swink, she sustained severe physical injuries from the incident caused by Love and the three St. Louis officers.
Swink said she was sitting in the waiting area of Walgreens pharmacy when she was confronted by and initially injured by Love, who “intervened in a minor misunderstanding between Swink and the pharmacy assistant.”
pharmacy area and didn’t take the time to investigate the problem. “He should have listened to what had actually happened and to the customers around. He acted sporadically and out of line; it felt like he was being a big bully,” said Swink. On a video recorded by Swink, she can be heard saying, “I’m complying” and “I didn’t do anything.”
A cancer survivor, Swink says she suffers from chronic pain and has limited mobility in her arms, legs, and back due to chemotherapy. She contends she was complying with the officers and a video recording of the incident seems to support her claim.
“None of the police officers involved took Ms. Swink seriously when she told them she was disabled and needed help. This is disturbing not just for Ms. Swink, but because many of the people police officers interact with are individuals living with disabilities,” says Ebony McKeever, staff attorney at ArchCity Defenders.
Swink alleges Love walked into the
Courthouse
Continued from A1
Following her remarks, a ribbon was cut by Lynne Jackson, the great-great-granddaughter of Dred and Harriet Scott. Joining her were Johnson, Jeremy Sweat, Gateway Arch National Park superintendent Sweat, Congressman Wesley Bell, Mayor Cara Spencer and other community leaders.
“This building is a symbol of our nation’s long struggle for freedom, equality and liberty,” said Sweat.
“This project is too big to fail. It’s too big to fail for people of St Louis. [It is] also a symbol of hope here in downtown St Louis, as our community all around us works to build a brighter future for the city we all love, and we are proud to be here at the heart of that vision.”
The Old Courthouse was built between 1839 and 1862. The Scotts fought for their freedom within its courtrooms, landing victories before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that slaves were property and had no right to sue. More than 30 freedom suits were heard in the courthouse.
Virginia Minor also fought for her, and other women’s, right to vote in The Old Courthouse, which is also a site on the National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.
The historic building was renovated following the allocation of over $2.5 million in grant funding and $6 million that was used for the construction and the new exhibits.
“The National Park Service are the keepers of the places and memories that make our nation great. We are also the keepers of our nation’s sites of conscience, places where we fell short of the promise of liberty and justice for all,” Sweat said.
President Trump’s budget proposal
However, Love continued to handcuff Swink and he dragged her on the floor, Swink alleges. She said she told him she was in pain and pleaded with him to stop.
When SLMPD arrived, Swink contends they refused to call an ambulance after she told them Love had injured her during the arrest. Instead, they proceeded without caution or consideration of her injuries and disabilities when transporting her to the hospital, she said.
“The growing presence of private security in a region already heavily saturated with police increases the risk of escalation and harm to everyday people trying to make it through their to-do list and make it home safely,” said Z Gorley, ArchCity Defenders communications director.
St. Louis American media partner KSDK reported that it reached out to the defendants in this case, and each party, except for the Berkeley Police Department, said they do not comment on pending litigation.
Berkeley Police Department had not responded, and a Walgreens spokesperson said, “We cannot provide any comment but can let you know we deny any wrongdoing.”
would reduce the National Parks budget by nearly 25% and hand over many of those to the states. It suggests cutting more than $1.2 billion from the $4.8 billion park service budget.
Theresa Pierno, National Parks Conservation Association president and CEO called the budget proposal “an all-out assault on America’s national parks.”
“The president’s proposed budget plan is beyond extreme. It is catastrophic. If enacted by Congress, our national park system would be completely decimated.”
The list of National Parks impacted could be released in the next 30 days.
The Old Courthouse will also serve as a museum and education center with interactive exhibits designed to bring more understanding to the public of the courthouse’s legacy and engage a new generation.
“Design for Justice” explores the building’s architecture and craftsmanship. “See You in Court” guides visitors through the judicial process using mock trials and immersive educational experiences.
“Pathways to Freedom” traces Black life in St. Louis, culminating in the powerful story of Dred and Harriet Scott.
Johnson said she looks forward to the exhibits educating generations of students and St. Louisans. She said the renovations and the building symbolize a path to change, to justice.
“These stories, the remarkable bravery of Dred Harriet Scott and the many men and women who filed freedom suits here at this courthouse remind us that the journey, that the journey to justice, is not always linear,” she said.
“It can be a winding road filled with great foods and heartbreak. In this journey for justice here in St Louis, each generation pushes forward with the hope that progress, however slow, is still possible.”
Robert McFerrin Sr. sang with the Sumner High School chorus in 1938, when this photo was taken.
Missouri Historical Society Collections
Del-Rio Swink
By Lynzee Mychael Michigan Chronicle
Networking events serve as crucial avenues for professional growth and connection-building, offering opportunities to forge relationships that can shape careers and open doors to new possibilities.
However, for Black people and other minorities, these events often come with a set of distinct challenges that can make the experience significantly more complex.
Attending these events can sometimes feel intimidating, leading to decreased confidence.
One of the primary challenges faced by Black people and minorities at networking events is the presence of unconscious bias. Unintentional assumptions based on race or ethnicity can lead to misconceptions about their professional capabilities and contributions. Such biases may hinder meaningful conversations and connections, making it crucial to develop strategies for overcoming these preconceived notions.
Lack of representation is another obstacle that often affects minorities in networking spaces. The absence of role models who share similar backgrounds can result in feelings of isolation and make it difficult to establish a sense of belonging. When there are few individuals who look like you or have
Navigating networking events while Black
Make the most of your endeavors with these tips
shared experiences, breaking into established circles can seem like an uphill battle.
Code-switching, the practice of altering one’s behavior, speech, or appearance to conform to different social situations, is a survival tactic frequently employed by Black people in predominantly white networking environments. This constant adaptation can be mentally and emotionally taxing, making it challenging to present an authentic self and connect genuinely with others.
To help you make the most of your networking endeavors, here are some essential tips to boost your confidence and effectiveness at these events. Shine bright and stand out!
1. Set Clear Objectives: Before attending any networking event, outline your goals. Are you looking to meet potential clients, collaborators, mentors, or employers? Defining your objectives will help you focus your efforts and guide your interactions.
2. Elevator Pitch Perfection: Craft a concise and compelling elevator pitch that introduces yourself, your profession, and what you’re seeking. Keep it engaging and succinct to ensure that you leave a lasting impression in just a few sentences.
3. Do Your Research:
Harris Stowe State University President Latonia Collins Smith (left) speaks with Midwest Bank Chair and CEO Orvin Kimbrough during the 23rd annual St. Louis American Foundation Salute to Excellence in Business on February 20, 2025, at the Ritz-Carlton St. Louis. Unlike the Salute programs, Black professionals often find themselves at networking events where there is a lack of representation. Being prepared and doing some homework before these events is helpful.
Research the event, its attendees, and any speakers or guests beforehand. Having background knowledge about the event’s focus and the people attending will make conversations more meaningful and help you find common ground.
4. Active Listening:
Stifel Bank & Trust offers tips to navigate your career search and highlights some of our open positions.
How do you stand out from the other applicants?
Have a resume the recruiter wants to read. The first step is to review your resume and make updates. Your resume should highlight your strengths, skills, and relevant experience while using a simple layout and with clearly defined titles and headers. Focus on the achievements which
When engaging in conversations, practice active listening. Pay attention to what the other person is saying, ask follow-up questions, and show genuine interest in their experiences and insights.
5. Quality Over Quantity: While it’s tempting to collect a lot of
business cards, focus on building a few meaningful connections. Quality interactions are more valuable than a stack of contacts you won’t utilize.
6. Use Social Media: Utilize social media platforms like LinkedIn to connect with people you meet at the event. This
Career tips to help you land your next interview
highlight what makes you the perfect fit. Use active language with strong action verbs when describing work history and achievements.
Your resume should feature the following
• Contact information
– Pro Tip: be mindful of your personal email address
• Work History
• Education & Training
• Skills/Proficiencies
• Licenses & Certifica-
tions
Submit a cover letter even if its not required. Keep it short, no more than a few paragraphs, and specific to the job in which you are applying to. This is your opportunity to show why you are interested in the role and what makes you a strong candidate. Take the time to submit a cover letter with your resume and capitalize on the opportunity to separate you from the rest of the applicants.
Tips for an impactful cover letter
• Tell your why - why would you like to work for that company and why you find that job exciting.
• Share your unique skills and past experience relevant to the role.
• Share how you can be successful in the role and for the organization.
Research local companies in the industry you may be interested in or specific types of roles across various industries to create a targeted opportunity list. Check job websites frequently as new openings change often. Join the company’s Talent Network to keep apprised of new openings when they happen.
Looking for a new opportunity can take time. Dedicate time each week to checking for new postings, completing applications, attending job fairs or networking opportunities, and checking the status of previous applications. Keep in mind people you may know at the companies you are interested in and reach out to them. Referrals are often considered first.
Interview tips
Preparation makes the difference
You’ve polished your resume, submitted your application, and now you’ve been invited to interview. This is your chance to bring your story to life and show why you’re the right fit for the role.
Here are a few tips to help you prepare and feel confident going in: Know the Company.
allows you to maintain and nurture those connections beyond the event itself.
7. Follow Up: After the event, follow up with the people you met. Send personalized emails expressing your appreciation for the conversation and reiterating your interest in staying connected.
8. Attend Workshops and Sessions: Participate in any workshops, seminars, or breakout sessions offered at the event. These smaller gatherings provide a more intimate setting for networking and learning.
9. Be Genuine: Authenticity matters in networking. Be yourself, share your passion, and express genuine curiosity about others. Authentic connections are more likely to lead to fruitful relationships.
By recognizing and addressing the unique hardships they face at networking events, we can collectively contribute to creating more inclusive spaces that celebrate diversity and cultivate genuine connections. Through education, awareness, and open dialogue, we can break down the barriers that hinder meaningful interactions and ensure that networking events truly become platforms for professional growth, regardless of one’s background.
Do a little homework. Learn what they do, who they serve, and what sets them apart. Being able to speak to why you want to work there goes a long way. Review the Job Description. Take a close look at the responsibilities and qualifications. Be ready to explain how your skills and experience line up - and don’t be afraid to share examples of your work that relate to the role.
Practice, but Don’t Memorize. Go over common interview questions out loud, especially the ones that ask about your background or how you’ve handled challenges. Practicing will help you feel more comfortable so your responses become natural.
Bring Questions. Interviews go both ways. Ask about the team culture, what success looks like in the role, or how the company supports profession growth. Curious candidates stand out!
Be Yourself. This might sound simple, but it’s true. Interviews aren’t just about having the right answers - they’re about connection. Show up prepared, be authentic, and let your enthusiasm come through.
And don’t forget: A follow-up email goes a long way. Thank the interviewer for their time and restate your interest in the role.
Headquartered in St. Louis, with clients across the U.S., Stifel Bank & Trust is a place where you can build a challenging, rewarding career with one of the financial industry’s most creative and grow-
ing teams. Stifel Bank & Trust is actively expanding our team and is looking for associates who can balance service, quality, and compliance while building relationships. See open roles and descriptions listed below:
Treasury Management Operations Specialist
Responsible for onboarding new clients, providing support in response to inquiries from clients and various business units, and balancing daily transactions to aid in the delivery of treasury products and services.
Commercial Servicing Associate
Responsible for processing daily loan advances, incoming payments, and coordinate new commercial loan funding at closing.
Wire Transfer Associate
Responsible for outgoing and incoming wire transfer processing as well as customer service, fraud monitoring, and reconciling accounts.
Apply for a role today, or join our Talent Network to see where your skills fit best. For additional information visit https:// bankwithstifel.com/aboutus/careers/ Stifel’s bank and trust companies are equal opportunity employers. All candidates will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, genetic information or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.
Photo by Michael B. Thomas for the St. Louis American
‘Taking Care of You’
A heart to heart talk about Black Maternal Health
At just 25 years old Tiara Johnson was diagnosed with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy: heart failure that happens in the last month of pregnancy or within the first five months after giving birth. After years of heart failure Johnson to got a heart transplant to save her life. Now she volunteers for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women.
By Ashley Winters
The St. Louis American
While Black Maternal Health Week has passed, the conversation and the work behind the movement goes on. Tiara Johnson has made it her life’s mission to help other Black mothers receive quality maternal health care. At just 25 years old, Johnson was diagnosed with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM): heart failure that happens in the last month of pregnancy or within the first five months after giving birth. Years of heart fail-
ure required Johnson to get a heart transplant to save her life. Now, she’s a volunteer for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women.
The American College of Cardiology report shows that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of maternal death in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control CDC tells an even more alarming story – Black women are more than three times more likely than white women to die of cardiovascular-related pregnancy complications.
“Hearing that statistic hurts my heart every time,” Johnson said. “It’s
Getting the care you need at doctor’s office
How to advocate for yourself
By Anissa Durham Word In Black
For some, a doctor’s visit can be a dreadful experience. For Black Americans, our complex history and relationship with the health care system adds even more stress. Black women often report dismissal of their symptoms, concerns, and questions. One in three Black Americans have reported experiencing racism within the health care system. This often leads to Black folks
not just a number – it’s people. It’s mothers, daughters, sisters, friends. Women who look like me. Women who, in many cases, weren’t heard, weren’t taken seriously, or didn’t have access to the care they needed.”
Johnson said she feels angry and sad for those who have experienced what she has. Johnson told the American that during her prenatal care medical visits, she was in so much pain. She couldn’t breathe, and left the same way she came, with no answers.
See MATERNAL, A15
Move more, live better
By Dr. Graham A. Colditz Siteman Cancer Center
It’s likely no surprise to read that physical activity is good for us. In fact, it may be hard to go a full day without seeing something positive about exercise and physical activity on the news or social media. What can sometimes get lost in all that, though, is how wide-ranging the benefits of physical activity can be.
Better-known benefits include helping us live longer and keeping weight in check, as well as lowering the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and other chronic diseases.
n Better-known benefits include helping us live longer and keeping weight in check, as well as lowering the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and other chronic diseases.
But physical activity can also have an impact on many other areas, including some that may sound a little abstract but might feel like they have a more direct effect on our day-to-day lives. One of these is how we feel about our lives, which is often referred to more technically as quality of life. While the research world has specific definitions of quality of life depending on what is being studied, one way to look at it is as an overall measure of how we feel life is going, across many different parts of it. It’s something very personal, and something we define for ourselves.
“Scientifically, there’s ‘global’ quality of life, which generally encompasses an individual’s judgment of their satisfaction with life,” said Elizabeth Salerno, a behavioral scientist at WashU Medicine in St. Louis who
See COLDITZ, A15
seeking a new provider or delaying a follow-up appointment. But it’s not enough to avoid necessary health care appointments.
Z. Colette Edwards, founder and chief medical officer at pausitive health, an organization focused on menopause, says it’s important to know how to advocate for yourself in health care settings. It’s more than just speaking up and asking questions — it’s about taking control of your health. “No one is going to care about your health and your health care more than you,” she says. Here are her top tips on how you can prepare for your next doctor’s visit.
See ADVOCATE, A15
study
mistrust,
by
that
ask questions during a doctor’s
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Photo courtesy of National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities
A
published
the Journal of the American Medical Association in March 2024 found
“experiences with racism lead to heightened
poor communication between patients and their clinicians, and decreased engagement in preventive health services.” It is important for Black patients to advocate for themselves and
visit.
Dr. Graham A. Colditz
A Red Circle’s new Creative Spot
‘It’s about claiming joy’
By Ashley Winters The St. Louis American
A Red Circle launched its Creative Spot with a two-day grand opening, May 2–3, in Ferguson, Missouri.
Hailed as “a joyful and defiant act of community-building and hope,” by the organization, it blends murals, music, and history, into an arts and wellness hub at 414 S. Florissant Road.
A Red Circle’s Creative Spot is dedicated to supporting youth-led
healing, mental health, arts education, and cultural expression for all ages. The space offers drop-in art workshops, music therapy, wellness services, and a home for community resilience through creativity.
“This isn’t about commemorating a tragedy. It’s about claiming joy. It’s about investing in the everyday magic of our kids and showing them that healing is their birthright.”, said Jessica Johnson, community arts director.
The Creative Spot is a project of A Red Circle, a nonprofit organization
founded in 2017 to address racial disparities in North St. Louis County, with a mission rooted in education, advocacy, holistic living, economic justice, and the arts. Johnson calls it “a declaration that healing is a right, that joy can be infrastructure, and that North St. Louis County deserves sustained investment in its young people and community.”
“The Creative Spot is dedicated to the arts, mental health, leadership, and holis-
Black student borrowers could face collection crisis
By Liz Courquet-Lesaulnier Word In Black
The Department of Education has begun collection proceedings on the more than five million people who’ve defaulted on their federal student loans.
That means financial pain — wage garnishment, seized tax refunds, offset social security checks, and wrecked credit scores — is in the future for people who haven’t made a payment in the past 270 days.
Black people, who hold a disproportionate amount of student loan debt and are more likely to default — and the Black community as a whole will pay the highest price.
“The most important thing to know is that this decision is a political choice that prioritizes punishment over solutions,” says Augustus Mays, vice president of Partnerships and Engagement at EdTrust.
He points to rising college costs, predatory lending practices, and racism in the labor market as root causes of the student debt crisis.
Yet the Trump administration doesn’t address any of those factors in its decision to play hardball with people who went into debt to get a college education. Instead, student borrowers already struggling to make ends meet are being blamed for their circumstances and penalized accord-
Proceedings began May 5
Braxton Brewington of the Debt Collective says any policy that does not pause or cancel student loan debt will bode poorly for Black borrowers because they hold a disproportionate amount of student loans.
says spokesperson Braxton Brewington. Rooted in racial wealth gap
Trio to be honored as Women of Achievement
Theresa Bradley, Buffy Dillon and Anna M. Warfield will be honored as 2025 Women of Achievement recipients during the 70th Anniversary 2025 Women of Achievement Award Luncheon May 13, 2025, at the Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis.
Theresa Bradley
Buffy Dillon
Anna M. Warfield
Theresa Bradley is the founding director of Communities in Unity, a 501c3 nonprofit CDC that was established in 2015 for the creation of initiatives, blueprints and community economic models to benefit disenfranchised communities and youth.
Buffy Dillon founded the Dwann Dillon Colon Cancer Foundation in 2014 in honor of her deceased husband who died of colon cancer at the age of 39 years old.
Anna M. Warfield is the founder and CEO of All Nanna’s Kids Closet, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting underserved children in the St. Louis, Missouri, and Metro East communities since 2018.
Susan Stith named Concordance CEO
Concordance, a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming lives by reducing the rates of reincarceration, has announced the appointment of Susan Stith as chief executive officer. Stith has been serving as interim CEO since August 2024.
Susan Stith
“Susan has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a deep commitment to our mission,” said David L. Steward, World Wide Technology Founder and Chair and Concordance Board Chair.
Stith has previously led enterprise-wide DEI, philanthropy, and community outreach programs at Cigna and Express Scripts.
Mbale promoted at St. Louis Mosaic Project
Annie Mbale
Annie Mbale has been promoted to program manager of the St. Louis Mosaic Project, a regional initiative within the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership and World Trade Center St. Louis. She will manage day-to-day programs for the Mosaic Project’s efforts to attract and retain foreign-born individuals to the St. Louis region, the fastest growing area for the foreign-born population
Mbale has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and International Business and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Promotion, board appointment, new hire, award... please submit your People on the Move item (including photo) to areid@stlamerican.com
agrees.
See RED CIRCLE, B2
A Red Circle team members at the grand opening of the Creative Spot Friday, May 2 (front row, left to
right): Lady J Hutson, community arts coordinbator; Erica R. Williams, executive director. (Back row, left to right): Trevor Green, development director and Jessica Johnson, community arts director.
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Photo courtesy of Debt Collective
City Foundry welcomed more than two million visitors in 2024, is welcoming new tenants as the summer nears.
Joining the diverse City Foundry offerings are: Luxe Redux Bridal opened in early 2025, and several additional tenants will open in the months ahead. The additions further diversify their offerings for families, entertainment seekers and wellness-focused visitors alike. Those new tenants include:
• Luxe Redux Bridal: A bridal boutique in St. Louis and other major cities, specializing in off the rack designer sample wedding dresses.
• Sylvie Dee’s: Based in Webster Groves, Sylvie Dee’s will offer sweet treats, including ice cream. It also will be bringing back coffee to City Foundry.
• Urban Fort Play
City Foundry gaining new tenants after impressive 2024
Café: A creative, play-forward café concept for young families.
• The Great Big Game Show: A live-action immersive game show experience.
• The Escape Game: A highly immersive, multi-room set where you’ll crack codes, uncover clues, and solve puzzles.
• The Injection Bar: A wellness lounge specializing in Botox and filler.
According to publicly available data from the Missouri Department of Revenue, City Foundry, taxable sales within the City Foundry Community Improvement District have grown from $1.97 million in 2021 to $56.2 million in 2024, a 2,700% increase.
The 2025 year-todate traffic is up 5.5% over the same period last year, with City Foundry
The Urban Fort Play Café will be joining the tenants of City Foundry, which is expanding after greeting more than two million visitors in 2024. When construction is complete, the new Urban Fort will feature an indoor play space for kids 6 and under. A cafe, integrated toy store, designated classroom and party space are included within the 4600 square foot space.
Metro partners with People’s Health to provide screenings
Metro Transit and Betty Jean Kerr People’s Health Centers are partnering again this year to bring free mobile health screening services to transit riders, visitors and area residents. Beginning May 20, the People’s Health Centers mobile health screening van will provide free blood pressure screenings and basic health assessments at four transit locations in the City of
St. Louis and St. Louis County.
The mobile screening van will visit a designated Metro Transit Center once a month on Tuesday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• First Tuesday of the month: Grand MetroLink Station (3560 Scott Avenue, St. Louis)
• Second Tuesday: Riverview Transit Center (9000 Riverview Drive, St. Louis)
• Third Tuesday: Civic Center Transit Center (401 South 14th Street, downtown St. Louis)
• Fourth Tuesday: North Hanley Transit Center (4300 Hanley Road, St. Louis County)
The mobile health services are free. No insurance, payment or co-pay is required. Adults 18 years of age and older can visit the van for blood pressure screenings and other health
needs assessments at no charge.
Information will also be available to assist in applying for health insurance and options for follow-up care at area community health centers.
Metro hiring event
Metro Transit will host a hiring event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 17, in Ferguson at the North County Transit
Center, 3140 Pershall Road.
On-site interviews will be provided only for individuals interested in full-time Metro Mechanic positions and full-time and part-time MetroBus Operator positions.
Individuals interested in other Metro Transit and Bi-State Development positions should apply online at WorkAtMetroSTL.com
A $5,000 signing bonus
is still available for mechanics who join the Metro Transit team. The $5,000 signing bonus is distributed over the first year of employment to mechanics who qualify. Applicants are encouraged to go online to learn more about these positions and to apply online in advance of the hiring event at WorkAtMetroSTL. com
Photo courtesy of Urban Fort Play
ranking as one of the most visited attractions in the region - next to the Saint Louis Zoo and Gateway
Arch National Park.
One Foundry Way, the first market rate apartment high rise in Midtown in
half a century, opened in late 2024, and future phases include additional residential.
In April, City Foundry was named one of the top five Food Halls in America by USA Today
Photo by Taylor Marrie/St. Louis American
St. Louisans of all ages gathered under the setting sun, wrapped in a cool breeze as they set up their chairs and blankets to see Dirty Muggs.
OTSL
Continued from C1
stories – including “This House.”
Nottage chimed in with a fact that will not be lost on this cast – or any other Black opera.
“Black opera singers have been some of the greatest singers and yet have not had the opportunity to tell their stories on stage,” she said. “Singers feel such a sense of joy and relief with inhabiting characters that are familiar to them and they can draw on their own resources to tell their stories as opposed to going outside of their body. It is a moment, and hopefully it isn’t a moment that will be fleeting.”
during COVID. “I was really thinking about home and missing family and also missing my grandfather who I grew up in the house with – which is the same home where she grew up with her father,” Gerber said. “I was just thinking about all of the stories. He grew up in Harlem, where the house is set. It was a lot of imagined pieces, but in a way a telling of our family history – which is why I was so excited to share it with her.”
That gesture ultimately bonded Gerber and Nottage as collaborators.
As they worked together on “This House” they both realized the moment was a demonstration of legacy that went beyond the four walls that they shared.
beautiful way – and reflect on how she emphasized that in my childhood.” The treasures with respect to wisdom and creative practice Gerber absorbed from Nottage have yielded residuals that have extended beyond the mutual joy of creating together.
“There are things that I have learned from Ruby, because she interrogates my practice in ways that I am not capable of doing,” Nottage said. “Because she is from a different generation and she sees the world in her own very special and unique way.”
They personify what they hope audiences take away from “This House.”
“Let’s Groove.” The latter song has recently resurfaced on Tik Tok thanks to a mashup with the classic jam and the rap song “Dumb Crasy” by So Supa. Younger audience members recorded themselves performing the viral dance moves as Dirty Muggs played.
Then the second lead singer, and songwriter –Lotty London – performed Foxy Brown’s “Big Bad Mama.” Her rhymes were followed by a rousing saxophone solo that flowed into Carl Carlton’s “She’s a Bad Mama Jama.”
“Enjoy Yourself” by The Jacksons provided the perfect opportunity for crowd engagement before the band glided into a pair
Black Rep
Continued from C1
The performance will also be a milestone for Conner, who will complete his first cycle of August Wilson plays as an actor through The Black Rep’s production of “Radio Golf.”
“Once I found out there were ten plays, I knew I wanted to do all ten,” Conner said. “It still hasn’t hit me that it is actually happening – and at The Black Rep of all places.”
The experience is a full circle moment for him in more ways than one.
“I remember going to the shows with my grandmother back when the theater was on St. Louis Avenue,” said Conner, now an experienced actor with stage, film and television credits.
At ten years old he
of hits by The O’ Jays –“Love Train” and then “For the Love of Money.” The crowd let out a “woo” in unison when Brewer began to play the opening chords of the second song – which was elevated by the jazzy horn players who rang out the signature melody.
They bridged musical generation gaps by playing classic hits and the modern day songs that sampled them. “Backstabbers” led by Smith, slowly transitioned into “I Wish I Didn’t Miss You” by Angie Stone led by London.
She also led “Bust A Move” by Young MC. She raised the energy for “It Takes Two” by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock, and jammed along as she rapped the lyrics without missing a beat. The subtle choreography from the
accompanied her on a trip to New York City, where he was able to see Denzel Washington on Broadway in “Checkmates.”
“Despite the generation gap, my grandmother and I were both laughing at the same things,” Conner said. He noticed all of the different people from different cultures, races and backgrounds sharing a universal experience. “I said,’ ‘I want to do that,’” Conner said.
Seven years later, It was The Black Rep that introduced him to August Wilson.
“My senior year of high school, I think it was senior year, I saw A.C. Smith in ‘Two Trains Running,’” Conner said. “As a matter of fact, Kelvin and I saw it together.”
They were both students at Cardinal Ritter College Prep. Since then, Conner has performed with Smith,
other band members that made the song feel like a party.
After a brief intermission, Dirty Muggs returned with a mix of modern hip hop and dance tunes. They slipped back into their earlier format when “Big Poppa” by The Notorious B.I.G. became “Between the Sheets” by the Isley Brothers. The lawn slowly began to clear as the sun slipped into the horizon. A few guests stopped to twostep and sing along as the evening wound down with “Love’s Train” by Con Funk Shun.
Twilight Thursdays will continue throughout the month of May at 6 p.m. Next up is a musical tribute to Gladys Knight & The Pips. Visit www. mohistory.org for more information.
a nationally renowned Chicago based actor, twice in “Two Trains Running.” Roston and Conner are both currently based in Chicago – and both received their professional foundation through The Black Rep.
“To be able to see what both of them have accomplished and be where they are in their careers and to have them consider The Black Rep home is a wonderful feeling,” Himes said. “So is the fact that whenever they can come back home, they do.”
The Black Rep’s production of August Wilson’s Radio Golf will take place from May 14 -June 1 at Washington University’s Edison Theatre, 6465 Forsyth Blvd. For more information, call 314.534.3807 or visit www.theblackrep.org.
As the title suggests, the story the singers will tell centers around a house that has occupied nearly 100 years of a family legacy. And while “This House” was inspired by the home that was a generational safe haven and launch pad where both Gerber and Nottage grew up, the production is not their family narrative.
“Nothing is straightforward with this opera,” Nottage said. “I think that people are going to be delighted about how many twists and turns – and choices – exist.”
Gerber wrote the play
“Having read her work as an adult and now getting to be a collaborator, I can see the way I was raised in her choices,” Gerber said.
Gerber reflected on the lessons she was taught, which she didn’t understand were a part of the creative process until the pair began working together.
“I thought,’ ‘that’s just how I was raised,’” Gerber said. “[But] she was raising me to be a storyteller. And now that I have been collaborating with her, I get to really appreciate that in this new and really
“I think the beautiful thing that this work does is that it brings all of this legacy – and it ends with the note of possibility of the future of a next generation,” Gerber said. “We want people to know that there can be a future – and possibility – while remembering the past. They don’t have to live separately.”
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ world-premiere of “This House” will open on May 31st as part of their 50th Anniversary Season at The Loretto-Hilton. For the full season lineup as well as dates and showtimes for “This House” visit https://opera-stl.org or call 314.961.0171.
Religion
Mother’s Day services are standard in Black church
How did the tradition begin?
By Lyndia Grant Washington Informer
The Bible asks us to honor and love our mothers.
It says so in Exodus 20:12, “Honor your father and your mother,” and Leviticus 19:3, “Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father.”
Proverbs 31:25-28 further describes a virtuous woman: “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.”
With Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 11, 2025, I feel compelled to share just a bit of history of how and why Mother’s Day began in the first place. According to the History. com website, the history of Mother’s Day began with celebrations of mothers and motherhood.
It can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, with festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele, but the clearest modern precedent for Mother’s Day is the early Christian festival known as “Mothering Sunday.”
Once a major tradition in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, this celebration fell on the fourth Sunday in Lent and was originally seen as a time when the faithful would return to their main church in the vicinity of their home for a special service.
Over time the Mothering Sunday tradition, with families worshiping with mother, shift-
ed into a more secular holiday, and children would present their mothers with flowers and other tokens of appreciation.
While Mother’s Day in the U.S. was officially established in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation, the holiday as we know it today took shape in the 1930s and 1940s.
Ann Reeves Jarvis and Julia Ward Howe are credited with starting this tradition in the United States. According to History.com, the origins of Mother’s Day as celebrated in the United States date back to the 19th century. In the years before the Civil War, Ann Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia helped start “Mothers’ Day Work Clubs” to teach local women how to properly care for their children. These clubs later became a unifying force in a region of the country still divided over the Civil War. For those of you not so familiar with the American Civil War, it began April 12, 1861, and ended April 8, 1865. In 1868 Jarvis organized “Mothers’ Friendship Day,” at which mothers gathered with former Union and Confederate soldiers to promote reconciliation. After all, they had fought against one another for four years, when hundreds of thousands of people were killed. According to the History.com website, the intense combat left between 620,000 and 750,000 soldiers dead, along with an undetermined number of civilians, our deadliest war until the Vietnam War. Therefore, this was the best time to bring mothers together for the cause of
Mother Beatrice Burns, Mother Ruby Mackey, Mother Johnnie Mae King are among the
Church Mothers of Life Outreach Ministries which holds services in Georgia. A precursor to our modern Mother’s Day was established by abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the “Mother’s Day Proclamation,” a call to action that asked mothers to unite in promoting world peace. In 1873 Howe campaigned for a “Mother’s Peace Day” to be celebrated every June 2.
celebrating them. Another precursor to Mother’s Day came from the abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe. In 1870 Howe wrote the “Mother’s Day Proclamation,” a call to action that asked mothers to unite in promoting world peace. In 1873 Howe campaigned for a “Mother’s Peace Day” to be celebrated every June 2. I’m sure there are other stories
about Mother’s Day out there, but regardless of how and why it began, it truly is a tradition which takes on its own life for mothers each year. Our mother will forever be the only one who gave birth to us; therefore, whether you believe she was good or bad, she will forever be your mother. In essence, to all of the Christian women who have been reading this column, you are the
Unrealistic Expectations: The Power of Education to Change a Life
When I talk to young people and professionals about the power of education, I often share that I once had what some called unrealistic expectations. In fact, my state case file read: “Orvin has placed unrealistic expectations on education.”
The implication was clear: this young man is probably not capable of what he believes. As if to say, “His dreams are too big for someone like him.” But I stand here today as proof that what some call unrealistic, others call vision.
I wasn’t always the most focused kid. I grew up surrounded by instability and uncertainty. I wasn’t groomed for greatness. But I had something just as powerful: dreams.
As I approached the age when I’d exit the foster care system, I needed something to give me structure, purpose, a future. Education became that gateway. When I began thinking about college, I knew it might be my only chance at stability. I needed more than textbooks — I needed healthcare, community, food, and hope.
Education offered all of that.
When I started college in 1994, I carried not only the weight of my own ambition, but also the low expectations of a system that didn’t know what to do with a kid like me. That time was also shaped by a national conversation on race — Rodney King, the riots, the affirmative action debate. On campus, I felt the tension. There was this quiet — and sometimes not-so-quiet — assumption that students like me were only there because of a policy, not because we’d earned it. Let me be clear: affirmative action may have opened a door, but effort is what kept me in the room. Education didn’t hand me anything — I had to show up and work every day. What I learned, both inside and outside the classroom, became the foundation for every opportunity I’ve had since.
Education wasn’t a magic ticket. It was a long, often uncomfortable process. Along the way, I had to overcome not only what others thought of me, but what I had come to believe about myself.
Proverbs 31 woman; you are a model of a woman who lives a life of faith, diligence and wisdom, and whose character is rooted in her relationship with God. Part 2 next week.
Lyndia Grant is a speaker/ writer living in the D.C. area. She hosts “Think on These Things,”. on 1340 AM (WYCB), a Radio One station.
That’s why I still remind young people and leaders: Don’t let someone else’s limited view of your potential define your future. What was called “unrealistic expectations” turned out to be one of the best things about me. I expected more — from the world and from myself. I realize that expectation — fueled by education — has driven me further than I could’ve imagined. I’m part of the less than 1% of foster youth who complete college. That same kid who was once dismissed now leads a $3 billion financial institution.
When I joined Midwest BankCentre, we had $1.7 billion in assets. Today, we’re pushing $3 billion. That growth didn’t come from conventional thinking. It came from challenging assumptions — viewing customer centricity through a Main Street lens, digitally reimagining service, and putting compassion at the center of a values-based business model. The imagination once deemed “unrealistic” led us to believe capital isn’t just for the few. It should be reasonably priced and widely accessible for all.
If you’re a business leader, use your experiences, your setbacks, your boldest ideas. The things people once said were “too ambitious” may be exactly what your company needs. That’s what education — and continuous learning — taught me. It won’t fix everything, but it gives you and your teams a fighting chance. And sometimes, that’s enough. To those in positions of power: don’t be distracted by the noise. I’ve seen firsthand: it wasn’t a program that changed my life. It was ordinary people showing extraordinary compassion, matched with structure and vision. That same compassion — now four degrees and four CEO roles later — is what I carry into the boardroom and the culture at Midwest BankCentre. Because I’ve learned that when leaders stop asking “what’s realistic?” and start asking “what’s possible?” — real transformation begins.
So today, as a foster care kid turned CEO, I offer this: There is power in being unrealistic — especially when it comes to the people and places others have written off. Especially when it comes to what you and your business can become.
So keep being unrealistic. It might just be the smartest thing you do.
ORVIN T. KIMBROUGH Chairman and CEO, Midwest BankCentre
Photo courtesy of Life Outreach Ministries