November 17th, 2016 Edition

‘This city needs to change’

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis

St. Louis protests Trump presidency

Hundreds of people protested the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president in downtown St. Louis on Sunday, November 13. The march began with 22-year-old Basel Isa’s Facebook post. “I want this to show the world that we’re not okay with this,” Isa told St. Louis Public Radio. “We’re going to exercise our rights, and we’re going to get active. Stand up for people that aren’t brave enough. We love, and that’s what’s most important.” In the City of St. Louis, Hillary Clinton won 79 percent of the vote, and Trump lost by more than 81,000 votes.

United Way raises record sum

More than $75M from 2016 campaign will fund area social service agencies

n “It has been an honor to see the organizations supported and the lives impacted by United Way.”

– campaign co-chair Steve Lipstein

The United Way of Greater St. Louis raised a record $75,055,451 in its 2016 campaign, co-chairs Steven Lipstein, president and CEO of BJC HealthCare, and Gene Diederich, partner with Moneta Group, announced at a victory celebration at the Saint Louis Science Center on Monday, November 14. “The St. Louis region, from its strong corporate community to its generous individuals, has once again come together to help our neighbors, co-workers, family and friends,” said Lipstein. “Reaching our goal to raise the most money ever for the St. Louis community was possible because of the dedication and

n “I plan on looking at every issue – be it money invested in our parks or tax incentives – through a racial equity lens.”

– Tishaura O. Jones

‘We are the people power party,’ says new chair, state Rep. Michael Butler

Photo by Wiley Price

By Dylan Byers and Brian Stelter Of CNN

Photo by Wiley Price

Gwen Ifill

State Rep. Michael Butler

Von Miller runs defense on release of sex tape

This week, news leaked that Von Miller of the Denver Broncos had been secretly trying to stop a sex tape from being released after a one-night-stand in Mexico.

According to legal docs, Miller met Instagram model and aspiring reality star Elizabeth Ruiz in Cancun where they had consensual sex – and he allowed their encounter to be taped via cellphone.

The documents state that when Miller asked Ruiz to delete the video, she demanded $2.5 million instead.

On Tuesday, a temporary restraining order was issued, which also temporarily bars the release of the video.

Ed Hartwell accuses Keshia Knight Pulliam of playing up divorce drama

Last week, former child star Keshia Knight Pulliam filed new legal docs in her bitter divorce, demanding estranged husband Ed Hartwell be jailed on contempt charges for not honoring their separation agreement.

Hartwell says Knight Pulliam is using their divorce for attention.

According to reports in response to the latest filing, Hartwell insists he has made every payment required by their agreement and accuses Knight Pulliam of filing motions against him to gain attention from the

He also acknowledges not submitting DNA for a paternity test for their unborn child, but insists there was never any deadline to do so. Hartwell was the party who initially requested the test.

Kenya Moore misses NenNe’s presence on ‘RHOA’

In a recent interview, “Real Housewives of Atlanta” co-star Kenya Moore dispels rumors about her relationship with former cast mate NeNe Leakes. “NeNe and I have always been

friends,” Moore told PEOPLE Magazine. “I know there came a point in time when she said we were never friends, you know she’s an emotional person and reactive. But we’ve always had a fondness for each other. She’s sorely missed.” Moore said she and Leakes speak to each other on a weekly basis credits her for the show becoming a pop culture phenomenon.

Tika Sumpter’s mother locked up because of overdue library book

Actress Tika Sumpter says that her mother, Janice Acquista, was arrested earlier this week for an overdue library book in North Carolina.

“Make sure you turn in your library books in North Carolina!” Sumpter said via Twitter. “My mom was just arrested for having a late fee of 10 dollars on an overdue book. An overdue book should NEVER result in a warrant. This is a legal scam.”

Sumpter mentioned the Smithfield County library, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory and North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper as she tweeted.

She said her mother returned the book some time ago, but it wasn’t entered into the system.

Sumpter’s mother paid a $500 bond after receiving the arrest warrant on Monday.

“She’s out now,” she tweeted. “Every cop

at the jail thought it was absolutely ridiculous. They couldn’t even believe it. ”

Judgment reheats Andrew Caldwell and Kordell Stewart beef

Last week, news leaked that Kordell Stewart won a default judgment against internet sensation and St. Louis native Andrew Caldwell after Caldwell allegedly failed to show up in court to answer questions regarding his claims that he had an affair with Stewart. Caldwell says in a video posted on Facebook Live that he was never served – and that Stewart is using Caldwell in an effort to obtain 15 minutes of fame.

“This is false information,” Caldwell said. “I hope his lawyers are hearing this. I was never served. I missed court on November the fourth? Are you crazy? Child, I would have showed up! He’s just using my name to get his book sold. You think you gonna get a dime from me? You better have some strong and powerful lawyers!” Last year, Caldwell claimed that he had dated the former NFL player and ex-husband of reality television personality Porsha Williams. He later retracted the statement, saying he was coerced into making false claims about Stewart and issued an apology.

Sources: Eurweb.com, Twitter.com, Facebook.com, TMZ.com, People.com

Tika Sumpter

Von Miller

Activist says new video evidence justifies new trial

Sentencing hearing for Elizabeth Vega is scheduled for November 21

By Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American

Ferguson activist Elizabeth Vega has requested a new trial, claiming that a recently discovered video proves that St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson lied when he testified in the assault case against her, according to a motion filed on October 31 by Vega’s lawyer.

Two months ago, a St. Louis city jury found Vega guilty of wiping pepper spray on Dotson – a thirddegree assault charge – during a May 2015 protest. A newly acquired video of the interaction between Vega and Dotson points out some discrepancies in Dotson’s testimony, the motion states. The new evidence “calls his credibility into question in a way no video or testifying witness could have during the trial,” the motion states.

“Most importantly, this new evidence would show Ms. Vega’s conviction was based on false testimony.” Vega, who is the leader of the Artivists activist group, faces up to one year in jail on the misdemeanor charge. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 21, and the motion for a retrial will be heard a the same time. Associate Circuit Judge Nicole Colbert Botchway allowed Vega to remain out on bond until sentencing.

The St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office said in a statement to The St. Louis American, “We believe the newly released video has no bearing on the ultimate issue in the case – whether or not Elizabeth Vega assaulted Chief Dotson. The assault is not captured on the video.”

The incident occurred at an evening protest outside of St. Louis Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce’s home in South St. Louis on May 19. The day before, Joyce had announced that then-St. Louis Police Officer Jason

police officers have been doing a good job at protecting citizen’s rights to free speech.

“There’s a line,” Dotson said. “And when someone touches a police officer, they’ve crossed that line. She had her opportunity to have her day in court.”

Dotson was not injured or harmed, he told The American, and that’s why it’s only a third-degree charge for “making contact” with an officer.

Vega told The American that she believes Dotson accidentally bumped into her hand and then realized that he could nail her – a well-known Ferguson activist – on an assault charge.

“That night, they were trying to target people who have been consistently active in the movement,”

Vega said.

Dotson denied that’s what happened. When asked what it meant that a leader of the protest movement was convicted, Dotson told The American, “These are the actions of an individual. I don’t think anyone should read into this as a case against a movement.”

inches from Rose’s face and pepper sprayed him in the eyes, Foster said.

“Is that what the state wants you to believe is appropriate conduct?” Foster said.

However, in prosecuting attorney Stanislav Levchinsky’s closing argument, he argued that when the officers arrived, they repeatedly asked the protestors to step off the porch and the group refused. That’s when they started pepper spraying people, Levchinsky claimed. Some of the protestors were chanting profanities, which was shown to the jury in a video. Levchinsky said the police felt threatened by the crowd.

When Dotson arrived on the scene, Foster said Vega stepped towards him to try and tell him what his officers had done. And that’s when Dotson walked towards her. Dotson testified that Vega was shouting, “You did this to us. (Expletive) you. (Expletive) the police,” and then she moved towards him.

Flanery would not be charged in the shooting death of VonDerrit Myers Jr. in October 2014.

During the trial, the case came down to Vega’s word against Dotson’s, since no video of their interaction was available. The almost all-white jury had to decide whether Vega intentionally wiped her hand across Dotson’s chest, while shouting expletives at him – as the chief testified – or Dotson walked into Vega’s pepper-sprayed hand and then told her, “That’s assault,” as Vega testified.

The new video does not show the actual point of contact, but it shows Dotson walking towards Vega. The camera pans away and comes back to Dotson and Vega when she is already on the ground being arrested by Dotson. However, Vega’s lawyer Dramon Foster said Dotson’s advancement towards Vega is enough to discredit Dotson’s testimony.

“Chief Dotson’s testimony indicated Ms. Vega moved towards

him while he ‘stood still’ and remained ‘stationery,’ and the video of the incident shows Chief Dotson walking a substantial distance towards her, while she remained at the ‘curb,’” the motion states.

It goes on to say that “no reasonable juror would have convicted her” if they realized Dotson had made “an untrue statement” regarding what led up to the point of contact.

“We knew that they lied, and now we just have evidence that they lied,” Vega told The American. “The video shows that he is clearly walking towards me, and he clearly knows the difference between walking towards and standing still.”

The American requested comment from Dotson on the motion, but the police department deferred any questions to the City Counselor’s Office. The American had not received the city’s response by press time.

After Vega’s conviction in August, Dotson told The American the case was “very important” to him because

Still, the case highlights the large rift that remains between police officers and Black Lives Matter activists in the city. The difference between the two sides’ accounts of that May evening was considerable.

On May 19, 2015, a group of about 40 protestors gathered outside of Joyce’s house. That spring, the Artivists visited several elected officials’ homes – including Mayor Francis G. Slay and Ferguson Mayor James Knowles III – and left lists of demands and protest art on their doors. The group placed on Joyce’s porch illuminated lightboxes honoring VonDerrit Myers Jr. and pledging to “fight back.”

Their demonstration was coming to a close when the first police car arrived, activists said. The officers jumped out of the car with guns drawn and started pepper spraying the group without giving a warning, Vega’s attorney Dramon Foster claimed in his closing argument. Immediately the group moved to the sidewalk, Foster said, and one protestor, Keith Rose, asked for the officer’s name.

That’s when one officer moved

A black female officer testified that Vega called her a “black b—ch” while she was arresting the activist. Above being convicted, Vega said she was most heartbroken about “the things they lied that I said.”

“I would never say any of those things,” Vega said. She has never used the “F—k the police” chant, she said, and has had debates with other activists about using it.

“It diminishes our humanity, and it’s counterproductive to what we are trying to do, which is to see each other,” Vega said.

Despite her loss, she feels that some good came from the trial. The prosecutor had to present into evidence photos of officers pepper spraying protestors who stood on the sidewalk, she said, and police were forced to justify that.

Vega could have accepted a plea bargain rather than taking the case to trial, she said.

“I chose to fight because I felt it was important that this conversation be had,” she said. “And it was important that power be held accountable for abusing their power.”

Follow this reporter on Twitter @ rebeccarivas.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

St. Louis police pepper sprayed protestors outside the home of St. Louis Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce in South St. Louis on May 19, 2015.

Editorial /CommEntary

Trump brings white-right advocacy journalist into White House

Photo by Wiley Price

Why Trump won and what we need to do now

By Mike Jones Columnist

One of the first major appointments made by President-elect Trump – that is, indeed, a difficult title to attach to that man’s name – has us reflecting on our mission as advocacy media for the black community in St. Louis. That is because Trump appointed as his senior advisor and strategist, one of the most powerful people in our federal government (and the world), a former advocacy media mogul – though, to be sure, he has not advocated for the black community. Quite to the contrary.

Trump’s senior advisor and strategist is Steve Bannon, former executive chairman of Breitbart News. Bannon may even still co-own Breitbart; a spokesman for the media company would not confirm or deny that to The New York Times –making this appointment part of a first wave of the conflicts of interest that we expect will come to define the Trump administration. Breitbart does original reporting and aggregation of other published work from the perspective of the “altright,” which the Southern Poverty Law Center summarizes as “a euphemism for a male white supremacist point of view.”

For example, under Bannon’s leadership, Breitbart published a story titled “Why Equality and Diversity Departments Should Only Hire Rich, Straight White Men,” which includes the argument, “When you allow identity politics to run rampant and you’re too terrified to question someone just because they have a certain skin color, gender or sexual orientation, you create monsters.” Another Breitbart story titled “The Solution to Online ‘Harassment’ Is Simple: Women Should Log Off” includes the following pearl of wisdom: “Women are – and you won’t hear this anywhere else – screwing up the internet for men by invading every space we have online and ruining it.” Even from this tiny sampling of the site, it’s clear that to Breitbart – to Bannon – to one of our next president’s closest advisors – white men are an oppressed, aggrieved demographic that need an advocacy voice to help them survive and prevail in the face of multiculturalism and women’s rights. But Breitbart goes considerably farther than that.

him and won Hillary Clinton the popular vote. It’s a terrible (and possibly catastrophic) sign for the country that Trump claims to want to make “great again” that he is willing to deepen the divide between himself and the diverse, dynamic urban electorate that opposed him, but is most responsible for this country’s towering economic and cultural global dominance.

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) went even harder on Bannon’s appointment, saying it “signals that white supremacists will be represented at the highest levels of the White House.” Of course, for those of us who followed the mechanics of Trump’s campaign, the appointment might alarm, but it did not surprise. Bannon managed Trump’s campaign in what became the winning home stretch and was responsible for one of its most dramatic, if tasteless, moments, which happened right here in St. Louis. Bannon smirked in a room at the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis when Trump did a Facebook Live segment before the presidential debate at Washington University, joined by women who claim to have been sexually assaulted by Bill Clinton – a key stroke in Trump responding to and recovering from his own sexual assault campaign scandals.

n We have no reason whatsoever to rally faithfully behind Trump

It took Trump less than a week after his election to issue a wakeup call to Black America that we need to stay woke, defend our every right, tighten our circles, protect one another, and prepare to vote this man out of office at the soonest opportunity. We have no reason whatsoever to rally faithfully behind Trump, as the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s all-white editorial board urged, a shocking abdication of the media’s responsibility to hold Trump accountable for the dangerously divisive campaign he waged, that was rejected by the majority of Americans who voted – and overwhelmingly rejected in urban areas like St. Louis. To the contrary, we urge those who rejected Trump to continue your dissent and loyal opposition to a president who has brought a media mogul who caters to white supremacists into the White House.

The Tony Award-winning musical “Hamilton” (which history will record as the quintessential defining American play) seems to have a song that fits every circumstance. The November 8 presidential election is no exception. When the colonists defeat the British at the Battle of Yorktown, winning America’s independence, the cast sings “And the World Turned Upside Down.” No truer words could be applied to the shock registered everywhere when Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton to become the 45th president of the United States.

The question the world asked in 1781 got asked again on November 8: “What happened?” This time the answer is not that complicated. Hillary Clinton lost because not enough white people, especially white women, voted for her.

Now the white men who largely make up the political consulting and pundit class will try to shift the case to black and brown voter performance, but let’s not get it twisted.

Black turnout or Trump getting a larger percentage of the Latino vote than pollsters predicted had much less to do with the final result. The performance of millennial voters, regardless of ethnicity, didn’t drive the final results either. Clinton’s fate and the country’s future was in the hands of non-millennial white voters. On November 8, white Americans got the chance to choose what kind of future it wanted for America, and they – even a significant majority of white women – chose Donald Trump.

It would be wrong to say that all Trump supporters are racist, xenophobic and sexist. Many people consider abortion to be murdering babies and will vote for an anti-choice candidate and swallow anything else that comes with him. And millions of white Americans

are victims of rapacious global capitalism. They now know the fear, anxiety and hopelessness caused by cultural and economic dislocation. They have experienced the anger and rage that comes from being politically used and discarded.

Many had voted for Barak Obama and Bernie Sanders.

Tragically, anti-choice voters and displaced low-income and working-class whites were swayed to support a bigoted, narcissistic, intellectually vapid reality TV con man, whose campaign was fueled by everything repugnant and vile in the American character.

So, given this reality, how should we respond?

First, reject and ignore the simple-minded, morally corrupt advice recently offered by the St Louis PostDispatch’s editorial page that recommended that we

n Black upper-class professionals can no longer maintain the illusion that their status is different than that of African Americans of a lower economic strata or a different zip code.

all come together get behind President-elect Trump. It’s this kind of unprincipled appeasement that’s infected the black community for too long, enabling and prolonging our political dysfunction.

Next, we need to be dispassionate, strategic and patient. As mean and vicious as a presidential campaign can be, it’s a church picnic compared to the death matches that happen between the factions of a winning presidential campaign. Given the competing agendas and internal contradictions of the Republican Party, the Trump honeymoon will be short-lived – the dual senior appointments of Steve Bannon and Reince Preibus appointments are early evidence – and the alienated white working class will be the first causality. Politically, we need to allow this internal

Republican meltdown and not provide a common enemy that unites them. That’s not to say don’t protest this humiliating and disastrous electoral outcome. Given Trump’s insecurities and need for approval, protestors should continue to organize and speak out, giving him every opportunity for emotionally unhinged tweets in the middle of the night.

Operationally, we would be politically well-served to heed the advice of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, who stated, “To the degree that Mr. Trump is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working families in this country, I and other progressives are prepared to work with him. To the degree that he pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic and antienvironment policies, we will vigorously oppose him.” Even the darkest of clouds can contain a silver lining. Just as children have to give up the fantasy of Santa Claus, black upper-class professionals can no longer maintain the illusion that their status is different than that of African Americans of a lower economic strata or a different zip code. We share a common destiny and always have. There’s no place to hide, and there’s no place to run. To paraphrase James Baldwin, if they take me in the morning, they will be coming for you that night. Welcome back to the struggle. For us, this is a moment of moral clarity. What is required was described 50 years ago in the seminal work “Black Skin, White Masks.” Franz Fanon – psychiatrist, revolutionary theorist and leader in the Algerian liberation struggle –wrote, “I as a man of color do not have the right to hope that in the white man there will be a crystallization of guilt toward the past of my race ... I find myself suddenly in the world and I recognize I have one right alone, one duty alone; that of not renouncing my freedom through my choices.” Mike Jones, who has held senior policy positions in St. Louis city and county government, serves on the St. Louis American editorial board and the State Board of Education.

For example, on July 1, 2015 – less than two weeks after the massacre of nine African Americans in a Charleston, South Carolina church led to a cry to take down the Confederate flag from government grounds – Breitbart ran a story about the controversy. “The American left is in a feeding frenzy, cynically exploiting the tragic murders of nine black worshippers in a Charleston church to promote its agenda of cultural genocide against conservatism, tradition and the South,” the story reads. Breitbart advocated a response: “defiance. Every tree, every rooftop, every picket fence, every telegraph pole in the South should be festooned with the Confederate battle flag.” Given that Washington, D.C. was once slaveholding territory, will Bannon advise Trump to “festoon” the White House with the Confederate flag?

Congressional Black Caucus Chairman G. K. Butterfield (D-NC) said the appointment of Bannon “sends an alarming signal that Trump remains loyal to the animosity and hatred that was the core of his campaign.” It shows that Trump does not seek rapprochement with the majority of American voters who voted against

Speaking of the Post, it finally has added a black political columnist – the first since Sylvester Brown Jr. was fired in 2009 on a pretense shortly after describing the tactics of the Slay administration (under Jeff Rainford’s direction) as “thug-like.” Unbelievably, the Post’s new columnist is a black woman who supported Donald Trump, conservative radio host Stacy Washington. It’s amazing that they could find someone like her, given that only 4 percent of black women voted for Trump. Washington recently appeared on local public television, just before the November 8 election, alongside a white print journalist who said Trump was running a racist and xenophobic campaign. Washington objected that a white man could not call the Trump campaign racist when she, a black woman, supported Trump. This is the black voice that the Post-Dispatch thinks St. Louis needs. We would wonder if Steve Bannon is now editing St. Louis’ daily newspaper, until we pinch ourselves and wake back up to a reality that’s so much worse: He is advising the president of the United States. That a messenger of the hard white right is advising him shows that the president-elect has already failed his first test of leadership.

Democracy is at stake

As we prepare for PresidentElect Donald Trump’s tenure and a change in administration, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law will continue to advocate for policies that ensure that every man, woman and child living in this nation is treated with dignity, fairness, respect and equality. In 2017, we will aggressively push the new administration, as we have consistently pushed every administration for decades, to take action to promote and ensure equality and justice under law for all.

As we move towards 2017, there is unfinished business on core civil rights issues that must remain at the forefront of our national agenda: restoration of the Voting Rights Act and strong enforcement of federal civil rights laws to address evidence of ongoing voting discrimination and voter suppression; policing reform to help strengthen policecommunity relations and end

MO, 63103. Phone: 314-533-8000 / Fax: 314-533-2332

the scourge of unconstitutional policing practices in cities across the U.S.; and sentencing reform.

Citizens across the country exercised their First Amendment rights in response to the November 8 election. These demonstrations make evident the deep level of polarization and divisiveness that exists in our country and underscores the need for leadership that promotes unity. The fate of American democracy is at stake.

Kristen Clarke, president and executive director Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

Silence the dog-whistle racial politics

Even as we extend our congratulations to PresidentElect Donald J. Trump, the NAACP, as America’s oldest and largest civil rights organization, must bluntly

note that the 2016 campaign has regularized racism, standardized anti-Semitism, xenophobia and mainstreamed misogyny. Voter suppression, as the courts have declared, has too become rampant and routine.

During this critical period of transition, we are now calling upon the next president to speak and act with the moral clarity necessary to silence the dog-whistle racial politics that have characterized recent months and have left many of our fellow citizens snarling at one another in anger and even whimpering in fear..

The NAACP stands ready to work with a new administration to realize the racial justice concerns that not only compelled millions of people to go to the polls on Election Day but also inspired millions to protest in the streets in the preceding days and months.

Cornell William Brooks, president and CEO, NAACP

Columnist Mike Jones

“Stop White Nationalism,” a Trump protestor in downtown St. Louis urged on Sunday, November 13.

Future voters

Comment period opens on ballot initiatives

The public comment period is open on ballot initiatives to legalize cannabis for medical use (2018-001)to legalize cannabis (2018-002) in Missouri. Visit http://www. sos.mo.gov/comment to view ballot initiatives and make comments.

County Library Ranked 4-Stars by Library Journal

St. Louis County Library has been ranked as a fourstar library in the Library Journal Index of Public Library Service for the third consecutive year. SLCL is the only library in the St. Louis area to be included in the index this year, and one of six in the state of Missouri. The rank of four stars indicates a high per capita use in four major areas of library service: library visits, circulation, program attendance, and public Internet computer use. The ranking is based on statistics from 2014, when SLCL circulated over 14 million items. Star Library ratings of five, four, and three stars are awarded to libraries that generate the highest combined per capita outputs among their peers.

It is time to redirect our anger

By Jamala Rogers Columnist

It is now time to dissect the facts of the Trump presidency. It is time to redirect our anger, frustrations and other intense emotions into strategic shovels that will dig us out of the hole that we’ve dug for ourselves.

Let’s start with Hillary Clinton: wrong candidate, wrong campaign strategy.

Clinton was obsessed with being the first woman in the White House. This is not enough of a reason to run. Clinton was successful in convincing Democratic Party schmucks, along with the mainstream media, to prop her up at all costs. Her campaign raised about $1.3 billion for the propping. She had three times as many field offices as Donald Trump and spent almost twice as much as her Republican rival. These facts reek of inefficiency as well as a deaf ear to Democratic voter disillusionment.

If one looks at the way money and messaging was dealt with, one might conclude that some GOP operatives had infiltrated the campaign or that Clinton’s advisors were too arrogant to pay attention to the political landscape. Clinton can hardly claim to be women voters’ candidate with only 54 percent of women voting for her – and a majority of white women large enough to win the election for him (53 percent) voting for Trump. Black voters were never energized, although those who came out did cast their lot with Clinton, though less than for Obama. She did little to no campaigning in the Rust Belt, resulting in most of those states going down like dominoes for Trump.

These constituent groups make up the traditional base of the Democratic Party. Long taken for granted by the Party – and, in some cases, totally disrespected – many stayed at home.

Republicans now control all three branches of government in Washington, D.C. So much for checks and balances. In Missouri, it was not much better.

The GOP already had a super-majority in both houses of the state legislature. On November 8, they swept all the state offices – U.S. Senator, governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer.

Most Show-Me State Democratic candidates and elected officials have consistently failed to distinguish themselves from their GOP counterparts. In most states, the Dems have proven to be impotent in their ability to capture the imagination of their base, to galvanize them around a platform that truly translates to political empowerment and that leads to measurable improvement in the declining quality of their lives.

Even for Constitutional Amendment 6 that will restrict the voting rights of mainly Democratic voters, the party mounted no meaningful statewide strategy to educate voters (especially out-state ones) of the amendment’s harmful impact. Nationally, the party has failed to aggressively fight back other voter restrictions that would be in its own self-interest to defeat. That fight seems to left up to voter rights groups to take on.

What role did the progressive social justice movement have in this presidential fiasco? We did not and do not hold the Democrats accountable. Dems have continually told us they are the only ones who love us and we keep believing them, even after they throw us under the bus.

The movement for black lives must build strong organizations and networks that have, as one of their core components, building political power. We need to start an intentional grooming process for candidates who share our values and vision and not wait until an election is upon us, then throw people in races. If our movement is to be taken seriously by either party, our strategy and tactics must reflect a sophistication warranted by the dangerous times we are in.

The Trump campaign was fueled by white extremists who think they got their country back. Their mission is to deport immigrants, to detain black and brown citizens as criminals, to strip women of their legal rights – well, maybe to just strip them. Trump voters who are part of the 99 percent have been hood-winked to think a CEO who treats workers badly will become a president who puts their self-interests at the top of his agenda.

Incredible opportunities are before us to organize supporters of Bernie Sanders who have been overlooked by all parties. There is massive discontent all around for many legitimate reasons. There are divergent views about the direction of this country. In the months and years to come, those who want to build a true democracy can change the tide. It is going to take a smart strategy and hard work by millions of us who believe in freedom.

Jamala Rogers

Leonna Johnson and Wesley Kuching collected stickers as their parents voted in Florissant on November 8.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

UNITED WAY

Continued from A1

support of thousands of volunteers and community members,” Diederich said.

More than 100,000 individuals and 2,200 companies donated to United Way during the campaign.

The St. Louis Regional Business Council, which represents more than 100 area firms, raised more than $13.8 million this year.

The 2016 Charmaine Chapman Society, comprised of more than 800 local African Americans who donate $1,000 or more annually to the United Way, raised more than $3 million for the first time. It was co-chaired by Ann Marr, vice president of global human resources at Worldwide Technology, and Keith Williamson, executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary at Centene Corporation.

“When you talk to member agencies and see how they have changed the lives of people, it makes you want to dig deeper and give more,” Marr told The

JONES

Continued from A1

to the Ferguson Commission, which proposed a set of changes for the region to further racial equity.

The Exodus Art Gallery, 5075 Delmar Blvd., was packed Tuesday night, and a diverse overflow crowd gathered outside to hear the city’s treasurer since 2012 and former state representative.

Jones’ vow not to “reinvent the wheel” regarding best practices and research resonated well with several attendees, who said they liked her “common sense” approach.

“I do not plan to waste my time, or yours, by ignoring things that are working well elsewhere,” Jones said. “We have too much at stake in this community to do any differently, and we have too

American Thirteen companies, their employees and participating labor unions were recognized for combined team gifts of more than $1 million each this year. Team gifts combine the donations of employees with the company’s corporate contribution.

At the $5 million or more level in team gifts were the associates of Edward Jones. This is the third consecutive year that Edward Jones’ associates invested $5 million or more into United Way’s fundraising campaign, raising a historic amount, more than $5.6 million.

At the $3 million or more level in team gifts were employees of Enterprise Holdings and Monsanto.

At the $2 million or more level in team gifts were employees of Ameren, Anheuser-Busch, Emerson, Wells Fargo and World Wide Technology.

At the $1 million or more level in team gifts were employees of BJC HealthCare, Centene Corporation, MasterCard, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company and Schnuck Markets.

According to the United

much to do.”

Jones said she will look at research-based policies across the country and tweak them for St. Louis. She added that she will also incorporate research that has already been done here, such as the Ferguson Commission report and “For Sake of All,” a regional study of health and wellness disparities led by Jason Q. Purnell of Washington University.

“She has a very fresh look on everything,” said Michael Kennedy Jr., president of the Up Companies. “She can connect with generations above and below her, understanding what their real needs are.”

Johnny Furr Jr., who led Anheuser-Busch’s community outreach and philanthropy for many years before retiring in 2010, said he believes Jones can unite the city. And one of the ways she’ll do that is making sure there’s “equity in

Way of Greater St. Louis, its 170 member agencies help one in three local people, and the United Way invests more than $1 million each week in social services in our region, as well as in the United Way’s 2-1-1 helpline, community enhancement grants and other programs. In the past year, United Way 2-1-1 received more than 200,000 calls from people needing help from everything ranging from employment services, disaster help, senior care and utility assistance.

Further, the local need is increasing. According to the United Way, 82 percent of its local member agencies are reporting an increase in demand for services.

“It has been an honor to see the organizations supported and the lives impacted by United Way,” Lipstein said, “and to work with so many people who believe in United Way’s mission to help people live their best possible lives.”

For more information on United Way’s community campaign, visit www. helpingpeople.org/thank-you.

investments” throughout the city.

“North St. Louis, along with downtown and South Side, need to be looked at equally,” Furr said. “If she focuses on the development of North St. Louis, the school system and criminal justice, I think that she’s going to be an outstanding mayor.”

Kara Clark, a lead organizer in the Draft Tishaura grassroots campaign that began in May, said that Jones is the candidate who can heal the city after the Ferguson unrest.

“She is someone who can face the racial issues in St. Louis, which is really probably top of the list at this point,” Clark said.

Jones consistently supports the things that Clark cares about, she said, including raising the minimum wage and attaching workforce requirements and other “community benefits” for

companies who receive tax abatements.

Before becoming treasurer, Jones was vice president of public finance for Blaylock Robert Van, LLC, an investment banking firm, and adjunct faculty at the Anheuser-Busch School of Business at Harris-Stowe State University.

Stefan Bradley, director of African American Studies at Saint Louis University, believes that Jones has been “living her whole life for this very moment.”

“What the city needs right now is someone with a level head,” he said, “someone with their finger on the pulse of the community, and someone who has enough courage to do something about the issues that are affecting St. Louis.”

Bradley said he supports Jones because she is the best candidate to help improve the school districts.

“She’s also a bit wonky,” he said, laughing, “and that’s important in terms of the fiscal solvency of the city. I’m very interested in her passion for justice. In the terms of policing, she’ll be able to broker a better relationship for us all with law enforcement.”

In her speech, Jones pledged

to close down the city’s medium-security jail known as the Workhouse.

Judy Baker, who recently lost the state treasurer race to Republican Eric Schmidt (R-Glendale), traveled from Columbia to introduce Jones.

“How do we do the work of economic empowerment for not just a few but for all?” Baker asked the crowd.

“That’s what she’s about. What we have here is a serious public servant.”

Jones started off her speech giving credit where credit was due.

“I want to begin by thanking the man whose faith in me, hope for me and unconditional love convinced me to run; the man whose influence on me determines the policies I will set; the man I will never let down,” Jones said. “Thank you, Aden. Your mom is going to run for mayor.”

Other contenders who have announced their candidacy, opened campaign-finance committees and said they are committed to filing when filing opens later this month include Antonio French, alderman of the 21st Ward; Lyda Krewson, alderwoman of the 28th Ward; and Lewis

State Senator Jamilah Nasheed (D-St. Louis) told St. Louis Public Radio that she will make an official announcement on December 3 and that she plans on filing for mayor. She also is AfricanAmerican. St. Louis Collector of Revenue Greg Daly, a white Democrat, has established a mayoral campaign finance committee. According to his spokesperson, Daly is “still considering his options to enter the race for mayor. He plans to announce his decision very soon.”

Police Chief Sam Dotson announced his candidacy last month, but discontinues it on November 8.

Filing for the March 7 municipal primary, when all these Democrats will compete, opens on November 28 and closes on January 6. Absentee voting begins: January 24. The last day to register for this election is February 8. The last day to request an absentee ballot is March 1. The last day to vote absentee in person is March 6. The municipal general election is April 4.

Reed, president of the Board of Aldermen. All are Democrats; only Krewson is white.

Youth spelled out the record $75,055,451 raised by the United Way of Greater St. Louis in its 2016 campaign at a victory celebration held at the Saint Louis Science Center on Monday, November 14.

Photo courtesy of United Way

IFILL

Continued from A1

across the nation,” Paula Kerger, PBS president and CEO, said.

“She often said that her job was to bring light rather than heat to issues of importance to our society,” Kerger said. During a press conference on Monday, President Barack Obama described Ifill as “an extraordinary journalist” who “always kept faith with the fundamental responsibilities of her profession, asking tough questions, holding people in power accountable, and defending a strong and free press that makes our democracy work.”

Ifill, who worked at The Washington Post, The New York Times and NBC News, became moderator of PBS’s “Washington Week in Review” in 1999. She was tapped to co-anchor the “NewsHour” in 2013. Ifill and co-anchor Judy Woodruff were the first women to jointly lead a national nightly news broadcast.

Ifill also moderated the 2004 and 2008 vicepresidential debates, as well

CAUCUS

Continued from A1 majority of Democratic House leadership positions are held by African Americans,” said state Rep. Michael Butler, who was elected Democratic Caucus chair. “Four out of seven leadership positions are African-American state reps.”

The others are state Rep. Gail McCann Beatty (D-Kansas City), the new minority floor leader for the Democrats; state Rep. Randy Dunn (D-Kansas City), Democratic Caucus vice chair; and state Rep. DaRon McGee (D-Kansas City), caucus secretary.

As Democratic Caucus chair, Butler is tasked with leading caucus meetings each week in Jefferson City, organizing the caucus agenda and handling many external functions of the caucus.

“I hope to change the culture of the caucus,” said Butler, who was first elected to the legislature in 2012. “We have a culture where a lot of members worked against each other in the past and were not focused on helping each other work together for the good of our communities and to help pick up seats.”

As a black man who represents the heart of the City of St. Louis, with its pluralityblack population, Butler also plans to keep the concerns of his community at the forefront.

“I hope to be a voice for the black community in Democratic politics,” Butler said. “I want to see that our cities get money in the state budget to reduce crime and

as a 2016 Democratic primary debate.

“Whether she reported from the convention floor or from the field, whether she sat at the debate moderator’s table or the anchor’s desk, she not only informed today’s citizens, she also inspired tomorrow’s journalists,” President Obama said.

“She was an especially powerful role model for young women and girls who admired her integrity, her tenacity and her intellect, and for whom she blazed a trail as one half of the first all-female network anchor team on network news.”

“I think we’re all diminished without Gwen,” said CNN’s Gloria Borger, a longtime friend of Ifill’s. Borger recalled that Ifill’s “preparation for those debates was stunning.”

“She was such a role model for me, and for so many people,” CNN’s Nia-Malika Henderson said.

“We all loved her,” CNN’s Jamie Gangel said, remembering Ifill as smart, funny and fearless.

Ifill was a pioneer for women and for African Americans in journalism, becoming the first African American woman to host

spur economic development.”

Butler serves on both the Select Committee on Budget and the Conference Committee on Budget. With Republicans holding every statewide office except state auditor, as well as super-majorities in both houses of the legislature, Butler sees budget appropriations as the most likely way to get anything done for the urban communities where Democrats are based.

“The best thing that can be done is getting funding in the budget for programs that Democrats and Republicans agree work in localities like St. Louis city and county,” Butler said, “things like community policing, anti-recidivism programs, workforce development – smaller demands that everybody agrees on that we can place as smaller solutions in omnibus bills.”

Butler also believes that the massacre of Democrats in the November 8 general election gives the party’s new, black leadership leverage to push for changes in how the party does business. “I want to improve the Democratic Party’s investment in our community at election time,” he said, “and improve its commitment to our ideals, as African Americans are the most loyal base within the party.”

Butler said he hopes that Missouri and national Democrats learned a painful lesson from mistakes made in this election cycle.

“For the past decade, we have been running a Republican strategy in the Democratic Party, a strategy more focused on money power and trying to raise money to match the Republicans on money, and not utilizing people

a major political talk show when she took the helm at “Washington Week in Review.”

Her path to prominence was hard-fought: While in college in the late 1970s, Ifill secured an internship at The Boston Herald

“They didn’t know what a college-educated black woman was and they didn’t know how to treat me,” she once told The Washington Post

One day, she told the Post a staffer left her a note in the photo lab that said “Nigger go home.” The editors were so apologetic about the issue that they hired Ifill after her 1977 graduation, she recalled.

Ifill was scheduled to receive a prestigious award, the John Chancellor Award, at a Columbia University ceremony on November 16.

In a telephone interview, Ifill’s close friend Michele Norris remembered her as a dedicated journalist, someone who stayed true to the values of her craft amid wrenching changes across the news industry.

Ifill was diagnosed with cancer sometime at the end of 2015 or early in 2016, Norris said.

Ifill shared the news with

power,” Butler said.

“We are the people power party. We have thousands of competent, skilled people on the ground all across the state who are not engaged by the party, and in some cases are being engaged by Republicans.”

family and friends but chose to keep the cancer battle private.

In April, she had to take a leave of absence from the “NewsHour,” for what were described as “ongoing health issues.”

Norris said Monday that this absence was due to complications from the treatment.

She returned to work in May, and within weeks she had an exclusive interview with

n “I hope to be a voice for the black community in Democratic politics.”

– state Rep. Michael Butler

Butler – even speaking after Donald Trump, of all people, defeated the Democratic candidate for U.S.

president by 20 points in Missouri, and Democrats in Missouri lost six statewide seats – insists that Democrats are Missouri’s true majority party.

“We have won statewide elections before,” Butler said, then did some math. “There are over 6 million people in the state, but only 2.7 million people

President Obama.

But Ifill was forced to take another leave of absence last week. She was at hospice care in Washington, D.C. when she died on Monday, according to Sharon Percy Rockefeller, the president and CEO of WETA, which owns the “NewsHour.”

“I spent an hour with her this morning and she was resting comfortably, surrounded by loving family and friends,” Rockefeller said in an internal memo. Rockefeller said she “conveyed to Gwen the devoted love and affection of all of us at WETA/NewsHour. Let us hold Gwen and her family even closer now in our hearts and prayers. I have loved knowing and working with Gwen and will always cherish her memory.”

voted on November 8. That’s a difference of about 300,000 votes compared to 2008 and 2012, when we had about 3 million votes cast. The fact is, the more people vote, the more Democrats win. If people get energized to vote, we win. We just need to do a better job at engaging and accessing our majority.”

Butler thinks one key to engaging more voters is fielding better candidates. After the November 8 massacre, there would be no better time

than now to get in the game if you are a Democrat in Missouri.

“In Missouri, the starting lineup is cleared,” Butler said.

“There are a lot of younger elected officials, that many have faith in, who will very soon be the folks at the top of ticket in our state. And there are strong community leaders who are not in political office who many want to see run. If you’re mad, let’s get you on a ballot next time.”

The St. Louis American is a CNN Wire affiliate.

Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr. led the faithful in prayer during a service at at the America’s Center in downtown St. Louis on Sunday, November 13. The Church of God in Christ held its 109th Holy Convocation from November 7-13, with more than 40,000 attendees and an economic impact of more than $30 million.

Photo by Wiley Price

Letter from Washington on Trump win and Democrats’ reboot

Don Calloway, a former Democratic Missouri state representative from North St. Louis County, is now chairman of Pine Street Strategies, a lobbying and public affairs firm based in Washington, D.C. He sent the Political EYE a long analysis of the November 8 election, from which these notes were excerpted.

Like the vast majority of casual and professional observers, I expected Hillary Clinton to win the presidency. I was prepared, however, to celebrate her win while issuing the following severe warning to my professional Democratic colleagues: While I am happy to continue to win the presidency and its prodigious spoils based upon the demographic collectives we have cobbled together under the large blue tent (young people, women, LGBTQIAs and ethnic minorities), we have to take immediate actions to make sure that white men do not feel alienated by our party. I wanted our presidential dominance to be sustainable, and I knew we couldn’t sustain without middle-American white men feeling included.

I did not expect to have to give that warning as part of a “what happened” discussion in the wake of our loss, largely because the Republican party nominated the most objectively offensive and unqualified candidate that anyone living has ever seen. But here we are.

Two existential questions of immediate importance face Democrats: What is the core issue or message that can speak to financially and geographically middleAmerican white people and make them feel included, without losing the abovereferenced demographic coalitions? And who is the proper messenger?

I am convinced that the core message has something to do with jobs. What kind of jobs? What is the role of organized labor in attracting and retaining these jobs? How do we keep up with the disruptive economy of the future while preserving and expanding traditional manufacturing and labor jobs? The second question –who is the proper messenger? –brings me to a discussion of Hillary Clinton.

America is a bastion of repugnant, vitriolic and rampant misogyny and sexism. This is why Hillary Clinton isn’t the president-elect right now. But there are other reasons.

Clinton was both a significantly flawed and substantially unpopular candidate. The emails, the 1994 crime bill and “superpredators” comment, the treatment of Barack Obama during the 2008 epic struggle, her general discomfort with seeming comfortable and genuine, Benghazi, the Clinton Foundation, the paid Wall Street speeches, the air of establishment elitism. Most of these issues were overblown by her political opponents, and all of them would have been long since overcome by a male candidate. But they were flaws. Professional Democrats knew of each of the flaws and they ushered Clinton into the nomination despite them. The DNC actively suppressed other candidates, most notably Bernie Sanders, and that was wrong. Sanders likely would have lost to her in an open and honest primary process presided over by the DNC, but the process was not honest. Democrats fell in line and acquiesced to or encouraged her nomination by satisfying ourselves with the qualification and fitness

analysis, without engaging in a rigorous, emotionally detached electability analysis.

Democrats win the presidency when they are able to expand the electorate; when they are able to compel a vote from those who for whatever inexcusable reason do not consistently vote. Central to expanding the electorate is a standard bearer who people want to vote for. It’s not enough to have an opponent that the committed and engaged people want to vote against. Unfortunately and unfairly, people did not want to vote for Clinton.

Trump underperformed each of the last two losing Republican presidential nominees. Mitt Romney got about a million more votes in

2012 than Trump did this year, and John McCain (running with Sarah Palin) beat Trump by about 50,000. So on some fundamental level, many Republicans were not willing to vote for Trump. Unfortunately, folks in key swing states with high elector votes simply did not come out to vote for Clinton.

Sixty million people did vote for Trump. It would be a generationally fatal folly for Democrats to believe and express that each of them – or even a substantial portion of them – are racists, sexists or xenophobes. The pure racists, sexists and xenophobes who voted in this election surely voted for Trump. They were there: We know it and good Republicans know it, and

Trump did nothing to repudiate their support. But there were not sixty million of them. However, there was indeed a whitelash. Van Jones was not wrong about that. We have seen it over the last eight years: a persistent undercurrent of white Americans who sincerely believe that the Obama administration and emerging leaders of his mold have discriminated against whites by aggressively pushing an inclusive agenda, and placing multicultural operatives in place to execute that agenda. I am reminded of the oft-quoted, never cited concept that “when one is accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.”

But it’s not.

Whitelashers are afraid that the Democratic Party has no place for the heterosexual, white middle class, and voted for Trump as a way to arrest their perceived marginalization. Democrats did very little to include them in this campaign and reassure them that we have a place for them.

The whitelashers also have cousins, who may have been genuinely independent or were undecided, but determined that they are tired of being stigmatized as racist or bad people for even considering a Trump vote. This segment of voters found a galvanizing moment when Clinton introduced the “basket of deplorables” comment. Strategically, that was a terrible statement, and no less damaging to Clinton than Romney’s infamous “47 percent” offering of 2012 was to him.

And then most Republican voters deferred to their core values. They decided that Trump would adhere to the party line on low taxes, fiscal conservatism, appointing a conservative federal judiciary, reducing government intervention and opposing the abortion option. Historically, presidential campaigns are on the lookout to strike with or defend against an “October surprise,” a lastminute bombshell that can shift the tide of public sentiment just in time for election day. Trump weathered two October surprises. First was the New York Times’ revelation on October 1 that Trump “could have” avoided paying taxes since 1995, seemingly affirming suspicions arising from his refusal to produce tax returns. Second came the October 7 Washington Post bomb revealing the “Access Hollywood” tapes. Either of these could have been the death knell for Trump’s presidential aspirations. But they were released early enough in October that Trump had an opportunity to apologize and regain his footing.

Clinton’s bombshell challenge came on October 28 – long after the explanatory potential of the debate stage – with FBI Director James Comey’s letter to Congress. Comey’s actions were wrong, and likely materially affected the election. The letter clearly intimated that there were new issues in the email investigation, and his exoneration was buried in the non-existent news cycle of a Sunday afternoon two days before the polls opened. Clinton ran out of clock to deal with her October surprise. Maybe, in the 24/7 news cycle abetted by social media, we have to evolve the “October surprise” theory into a “last to score” theme. Who should Democrats look to as their standard bearer in 2020 and beyond? The next and future nominees should be individuals who can maintain the demographically diverse, core Democratic constituency groups; assure middle-American, middle-class white people that they are still heard and respected in the Democratic Party; and expand the electorate by inspiring nonregular voters and first-timers to become engaged to vote for them.

I am and will continue to be inspired by the modern Jewish post-atrocity mantra of “never again.” If you are unhappy with the results of our election, I encourage you to find a cause and struggle mightily toward its achievement, because people of good conscience who believe in equality and progress can never allow this to happen again.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

Donald Trump reached to sign an autograph during a March 11 campaign rally in St. Louis.

What a doll: the Sara Lee Story

Reflections on ‘Toys of the ’50s,

’60s and ’70s’ at the Missouri History Museum

By Jody Sowell Missouri History Museum

In late October an exhibition called “Toys of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s” opened at the Missouri History Museum. It’s the perfect show for the holidays and a lighthearted way to close out the year. The curators have said the exhibit could also have been called “I Used to Have That,” because that’s what they keep hearing as visitors walk through the gallery. At first glance, it’s just pure fun. But a closer look reveals deeper histories – stories of gender, consumer culture, changes in technology, politics and race.

The Sara Lee doll demonstrates how even simple toys can be symbols of broader significance. Sara Lee was introduced in 1951 and is considered the first “anthropologically correct” African-American doll – meaning she looks like a real baby rather than a caricature. White dolls painted brown and dolls modeled on racist stereotypes existed before Sara Lee, but she was the first realistic-looking African American doll ever created.

The story of Sara Lee starts in 1949 when Sara Lee Creech, a Florida businesswoman and social activist, decided it was unconscionable that there were no African-American baby dolls for children to play with. To create a more lifelike representation, Creech photographed and studied hundreds of photos of black babies. Creech was well-connected and able to show early prototypes of the Sara Lee doll to powerful African Americans, including the presidents of Howard University and Morehouse College. Even Eleanor Roosevelt became involved: She wrote a letter of support and hosted tea with African-American leaders and executives at the Ideal Toy Company, which would go on to manufacture the Sara Lee doll.

“I like them particularly because they can be made and sold on an equal basis with white dolls,” Roosevelt said. “I think they are a lesson in equality for little children, and we will find that many a child will cherish a charming black doll as easily as it will a charming white doll.”

When the doll hit the market in 1951, it found a number of fans. “They will surely meet a longfelt need among us,” said Zora Neale Hurston, author of “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” whom Creech also consulted on the design. “It is a magnificently constructed thing ... for the whole of America, as well as the Negro children.”

As important and well-received as Sara Lee was, she had a relatively short existence. The doll was only produced for two years, owing to a mix of lower-than-expected sales and production flaws. The vinyl used to create the doll hardened, and its dyes bled and stained her clothing. More than 15 years passed before a massmarketed African-American doll became a commercial success. Christie, Barbie’s friend,

Latinos watching and ready to take action

By César J. Blanco Guest columnist

We want to thank Secretary Hillary Clinton for her work, perseverance and resolve; and thank her staff and volunteers for everything they did during this election cycle. Secretary Clinton proved that she has our back. She stood by our community, defended us against Trump’s attacks, hired some of our best leaders, addressed our concerns and demands, and talked to our community about the policies that we care about and about how to increase opportunities for our families.

We are proud to have supported her and to have been the first Latino group to endorse her, and we hope that we can continue working together to make our country a better place for Latinos and immigrants.

Latinos came out to vote this year in large numbers. We overwhelmingly supported Secretary Clinton 79-18 and delivered wins for her in Nevada, New Mexico, and Colorado. We also elected Catherine Cortez Masto as the first Latina in the U.S. Senate, elected Adriano Espaillat as the first Dominican American to serve in Congress, defeated Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Arizona, and we increased the number of Latinos in Congress and in

was introduced in 1968. Mattel has made several black Barbies since then, but debates over whether those dolls truly represent African Americans and other minorities continue. Still, it’s much easier to find African-American dolls today than it was when Sara Lee debuted in 1951, and for that we can be thankful.

It’s easy to think of dolls and other toys as simple playthings, but psychological tests have confirmed the influence of racial representations. In the 1940s, psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark showed African-American children baby dolls that were identical – except for their skin color. Most of the kids preferred the lighterskinned models and talked more positively about those dolls. The Clarks used the doll test to prove the effects of racial perceptions on the young, and to argue against segregated schools in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.

Perceptions of race start early. They’re influenced by the images children see and, yes, by the toys and dolls they play with. That’s why even though I want our visitors to have fun and share their memories of their own favorite toys, I hope they will also take a moment to pause and think about the exhibit’s deeper meanings. They are a good reminder of the complexities of history and the role that race plays in all aspects of our lives.

Jody Sowell is director of Exhibitions and Research at the Missouri History Museum.

state legislatures across the country.

Latinos turned out in large numbers and we organized; we are awake, we are engaged, we are paying attention, and we are ready to take action.

Today we face the tough reality that Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States, and millions of immigrants, Muslims, women, and members of the LGBTQ community are scared of what the next four years will look like for our country and how this will affect them and their families.

We’re preparing to keep fighting to protect the progress we’ve made over the past eight

n Millions of immigrants, Muslims, women, and members of the LGBTQ community are scared of what the next four years will look like for our country.

years and pass policies that address our community’s needs.

We will continue fighting for immigration reform, for a higher minimum wage, for action to curb climate change, and for improvements to the Affordable Care Act so our community can continue to get the care they need.

More importantly, we will fight tirelessly alongside our partner organizations to protect Deferred Action for Childhood

Arrivals (DACA) and ensure that immigrant youth are safe from deportation and that families aren’t separated. Latino Victory is proud of the work we did this year to empower the Latino community and elect more Latinos to office. We invested $1.78 million in independent expenditures to help get our candidates through the finish line; we partnered with the rock band Maná on the #CuentaConmigo campaign in Colorado, Florida and Nevada; we released a corrido from Vicente Fernandez endorsing Hillary Clinton; we helped lead protests and marches in Florida and Nevada, and we even helped put together a taco truck wall outside of Trump tower in Las Vegas. Thanks to our work, seven more Latinos will be heading to Washington: Catherine Cortez Masto (Nevada Senate), Nanette Barragan (CA-44), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Lou Correa (CA-46), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Ruben Kihuen (NV-04), and Darren Soto (FL-09). Our candidates overwhelmingly won, and we are looking forward to working with them to better the lives of Latinos and immigrants throughout the country. The Republican Party has a lot of work to do with the Latino community. We hope they come to their senses, come to the table, and work with us to restore dignity and bring much needed healing to our community.

César J. Blanco is interim director of the Latino Victory Fund.

A Sara Lee doll, on display now at the Missouri History Museum as part of the “Toys of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s” exhibition.

Guest Columnist

César J. Blanco

The March of Dimes reports that nationwide, the preterm birth rate has gotten worse for the first time in eight years.

Nation’s preterm birth rate worsens

March of Dimes gives U.S. and Missouri a ‘C’ grade on premature births

By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American

For the first time in eight years, the rate of infants being born too early has climbed.

n “In Missouri specifically, black women have a 49 percent higher preterm birth rate than the rate among all other women.”

– Ashley Lindquist, a spokesperson for the March of Dimes Midwest region

In its latest report card on premature births, that step backwards in the health of babies in the U.S. prompted March of Dimes to give the nation a “C” grade amidst widening differences in prematurity rates across different races and ethnicities. The nation as a whole has a preterm birth rate of 9.6 percent in 2014. Missouri and Illinois both earned C grades as well. In Missouri, the preterm birth rate is 10 percent and in Illinois, it is 10.2 percent. Data from the five counties with the greatest number of births in 2014 received preterm birth scores as well, and the St. Louis area does not make the grade. St. Louis City received an “F” with a 12.5 percent preterm birth rate; St. Louis County received a “D” for a 10.6 percent rate; St. Charles (9.7 percent), Jackson (10.0 percent), and Green (10.0 percent) all received “C” grades. The highest score came from Clay County, which received a “B” grade for a 8.5 percent preterm birth rate. Within states, serious gaps exist among

Latest data from the March of Dimes says Black women in Missouri have a preterm birth rate that is 49 percent higher than the rate among all other women.

racial and ethnic groups, as well as between communities, the March of Dimes said. In Missouri, black women have the highest preterm birth rate. “In Missouri specifically, black women have a 49percent higher preterm birth rate than the rate among all other women,” Ashley Lindquist, a spokesperson for the March of Dimes Midwest region, said. To help reduce the number of premature births, the Missouri March of Dimes works to eliminate early elective deliveries that are not

Your Family Doctor

medically necessary. It also encourages tobacco use reduction/elimination when women are pregnant. Additionally, women are encouraged to space pregnancies further out – to not get pregnant again for at least 18 months after the birth of the previous child.

“Premature birth is the number one killer of babies and our data is showing that the rates have gotten worse over the last year and our mission is to give all babies a fighting chance,”

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

– Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

I’m not sure how Charles Dickens could have known how appropriate the above quote was to our current political drama, but he seems to have peeked into the future and poignantly penned our situation. The shock wave that occurred November 8, 2016 caught everyone off guard and left most commentators, consultants, and voters stunned and bewildered. It was if you had been sucker-punched with a left hook by a rookie boxer. What just happened you ask yourself as you gather your composure?

And, just like after a bad breakup where you have been locked up in your bedroom for a week, eating chocolate ice cream from the carton while crying your eyes out, there comes a time when you must move on! So what does the future of healthcare look like? What can we expect from a Trump presidency?

n The ACA was becoming problematic due to rising premiums and insurers backing out of the marketplace.

Though there are not many details regarding the president-elect’s healthcare plan, we do know that he and the Republican majority congress are planning to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). By doing so, millions of Americans will once again be without healthcare coverage. Some economists have predicted that by doing so, the cost of healthcare may rise even further.

But in all fairness, the ACA was becoming problematic due to rising premiums and insurers backing out of the marketplace. Therefore, whoever won the coveted oval office seat would have had to address such issues immediately.

Hopefully, the repeal of the ACA will not eliminate the protection against denying coverage due to preexisting conditions or eliminate the ability of parents to keep their adult children up to age 26 on their health plan.

Furthermore, a Trump presidency will likely include one or two Supreme Court Justices, which will impact the future of Roe

A10

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN •

Denise HooksAnderson, MD

Photo by March of Dimes

Photo by March of Dimes

HealtH Briefs

Seven healthy tips to help you survive Thanksgiving dinner

The holiday season is about big family gatherings and food – and all too often, adding a few extra pounds to our waistlines. The American Heart Association encourages you to enjoy your traditional meals in moderation during the holiday season. Here are seven tips to help you make healthier choices over the holidays and reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke:

1. Limit your sodium Breads and rolls, poultry, and canned soups are three common foods that can add sodium to your diet. When shopping for ingredients to prepare your holiday meal, compare the labels and choose options with the lowest amount of sodium.

2. Savor the flavor. Use herbs and spices, like rosemary and cloves, to flavor dishes instead of salt or butter.

3. Outsmart the bird Reach for the lighter pieces of meat; they have fewer calories and less fat than the darker ones. Another way to cut calories and fat is to take off the skin.

4. Watch out for the gravy train. Turkey usually comes with gravy, which can add excess fat, calories and sodium. Limit gravy to a tablespoon, and keep it off other items, like the dressing.

5. Call it what it is Dressing is intended to be a complement to your meal, not an entrée. To keep calories and excess fat in check, aim for one-fourth cup (or about half a scoop with a serving spoon).

6. Judge it by its cover. If the dressing is filled with fatty meats like sausage and pork, looks greasy or buttery, or is made with white bread or sweet rolls, it may be best to pass.

7. Treat yourself right. The best way to enjoy an occasional sweet without losing control is by sampling a selection or two, rather than having full servings. For example, have one bite of pie, half a cookie or one small square of fudge. Find a family member who will stick to the sampling rule with you.

For more information about staying heart healthy over the holidays, visit heart.org/ HealthyLiving.

St. Patrick Center expresses concern over K2 overdoses among community’s homeless

In a statement, the St. Patrick Center team is deeply concerned about the recent rash of K2 overdoses among the community’s homeless population.

“Many people who find themselves chronically homeless suffer from behavioral health issues that lead to substance abuse,” the center said. “Most often, they are victims of crime, not perpetrators of it.” With this in mind, St. Patrick’s Center said it strongly cautions all who feel compelled to give money to people in the region who are panhandling.

“We know, due to our many years of experience and first-hand accounts, that they may use your money to support bad habits, including substance abuse. K2 is legal and can be bought on the streets for as little as two dollars, and even a small donation can put a life at risk. Though not usually fatal, K2 is very dangerous to anyone who takes it.”

K2, which is known as “spice” and sold under a variety of names, is a synthetic marijuana that is banned in the U.S. as are several of its chemical components, according to The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. Chemists are constantly changing the molecular makeup of these drugs to get around

legal hurdles and law enforcement, it said. Thus far, more than a hundred overdoses have been reported downtown.

“We’re not advocating that people not support the homeless population. Rather, we strongly suggest that your resources would be better

Thus far, more than a hundred overdoses have been reported among the community’s homeless population downtown.

used when given to the service agencies that are trained and ready to help people in crisis, such as those with drug addictions,” St. Patrick Center stated. “When we can engage people into programs and case management, we can help reduce the strain that is placed upon our first responders and hospital systems.”

Registration open for Worry Free Nonprofit Advocacy Training

Missouri Foundation for Health is hosting an upcoming advocacy workshop in Jefferson City, Missouri with the Alliance for Justice on Thursday, December 8 at the Capital Event Center, 623 Ohio Street (65109).

DOCTOR

Continued from A10 vs. Wade legislation and a woman’s right to choose. It makes you wonder if the women voters who supported Trump actually considered that when they overwhelmingly aligned their support with him.

Yes, I agree the future of healthcare includes a lot of uncertainties, but looking at this from an optimistic point of view may give us

This workshop will answer questions such as: What is lobbying? How much time can my Missouri 501(c)3 spend on lobbying? What are ways nonprofits can participate in an election year? The Alliance for Justice work-

fresh, innovative ideas to craft a more robust solution to the problems that face our nation. At the end of the day, the United States Congress and the president work for us. Sometimes you have to demand justice and not sit passively and wait for the trickle-down effect.

Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D. is assistant professor at SLUCare Family Medicine. You may contact her at yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com.

shop is offered free of charge for Missouri nonprofits. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided for participants. Registration is required and limited to 30 attendees. Please RSVP by 5pm, Monday,

BIRTHS

Continued from A10

Lindquist said. The U.S. preterm birth rate ranks among the worst of high-resource countries, the March of Dimes said. Worldwide, 15 million babies are born preterm, and nearly one million die due to early birth or its complications. Babies who

December 5. For more information and to register, visit http://tinyurl.com/MFHAFJadvocacy.

survive an early birth often face serious and lifelong health problems, including breathing problems, jaundice, vision loss, cerebral palsy and intellectual delays.

Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes, said, “No baby should have to battle the health consequences of an early birth. All babies, everywhere, deserve a healthy start in in life.”

The 2015 Premature Birth Report Card provides rates and

grades for major cities or counties in each state, and Puerto Rico. It also provides preterm birth rates by race and ethnicity for each state and applies a disparity index that ranks states. Portland, Oregon has the best preterm birth rate of the top 100 cities with the most births nationwide, while Shreveport, Louisiana has the worst, according to the report. In addition to Portland, Oxnard, California; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Seattle, Washington are the

Myrtle Hilliard Davis to hold grand opening for newest health center

It opened nearly a year ago, however the Myrtle Hilliard Davis Comprehensive Health Centers are celebrating their newest location, 4500 Pope Avenue (63115) on Thursday, November 17 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. The new center opened in December 2015.

Health care services at this location include primary care, dental, behavioral health, laboratory and pharmacy. Myrtle Hilliard Davis Comprehensive Health Centers, Inc. is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that provides comprehensive multi-generational health services to communities in the St. Louis area. As a community healthcare center, it offers health services to our patients regardless of health insurance status or ability to pay. For more information about its services, visit mhdchc.org.

only other cities that earned “As” on the national report card. Idaho, Oregon, Vermont and Washington earned “As,” 19 states received a “B,” 18 states and the District of Columbia got a “C,” six others a “D,” and Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Puerto Rico received an “F.” For more information, visit marchofdimes.org/ reportcard.

Police looking for man in connection with girl found dead in Ferguson

Family crowd-sourcing funds for funeral of Maleaha Talton, 16

By Mariah Stewart

American

Louis

Of The St.

Tirria Blanks used all the resources she could to keep 22-year-old Evander Terrell Thompson away from her 16-year-old daughter, Maleaha Talton.

Blanks took Talton to work with her, filed multiple restraining orders against Thompson and talked to her daughter about the dangers of being in an abusive relationship. Despite her efforts, Talton was not safe.

Last week, Talton was found dead, inside a rolled up carpet in a wooded area near a bike trail in Ferguson. Now the Ferguson Police are looking

for Thompson, who has been named a person of interest in the homicide.

home, physically beat and shot.

Police have not yet released the cause of Talton’s death.

The Ferguson Detective Bureau is currently leading the investigation and canvassing the area to search for additional witnesses and information.

Blanks said being a vigilant parent was not enough.

“We can be the best parents in the world, but our children will do what they want to do, when they want to do it ... especially in the times we’re living in today,” Blanks wrote on public Facebook post.

Nov. 24 deadline to collect in Jennings settlement

City agreed to pay $4.7M to compensate those it wrongly jailed

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

Ella M.

the

councilwoman elected in the City of Ferguson, will kick off her bid for mayor of Ferguson at noon on Saturday, November 19 at Drakes Place, 701 S.

“I always told her, ‘If you don’t stay away from him, he’s going to kill you’ and he killed her,” Blanks told The St. Louis American Thompson has not been charged with a crime and could not be reached for comment.

alone if I dropped the charges against him,” Blanks said. “It was like he was making a mockery of everything.”

The homicide occurred in a different location approximately 24-48 hours prior to Talton’s

n “She was a loving little girl that was misguided by this man.”

– Tirria Blanks

body being found, according to Ferguson Police. Blanks said her daughter was lured into a

“He said he would leave her

Ella Jones to run for Ferguson mayor

Florissant Rd. Jones, who has been a resident of Ferguson for more than 30 years, quit her job at Mary Kay to run for the Ward 1 City Council seat in April 2015. She won nearly 50 percent of the vote in a four-way race that also featured Adrianne Hawkins, Mike McGrath

and Doyle McClellan.

“For some people, it means hope,” Jones told St. Louis Public Radio at the time, answering a question about what it will mean for the council to have three black members. “For some people, it means a new face for Ferguson. And for some people, it means that it’s time for us to get

Talton was described by her mother as a “lovable little girl” who was adored by teachers and students at McCluer North High School. “She was a loving little girl that was misguided by this man,” Blanks told The American The family is crowd-funding the child’s funeral, which was held on November 14. At press time, more than $1,500 had been raised toward a goal of almost $5,000. You can donate at https://goo.gl/T43oj3.

Anyone with information about the Talton’s death or Evander Thompson’s whereabouts can call Detective Erin O’Brien at 314-522-3100 or CrimeStoppers at 1-866-3718477.

This story is published as part of a partnership between The St. Louis American and The Huffington Post.

together and do the work we need to do to build our city.”

She will run for mayor on a platform of better serving youth, seniors and veterans, job creation and education reform. She said she is “steadfast in maintaining the integrity of the City of Ferguson,” as opposed to disincorporation or a merger. She earned a B.A. in Chemistry from the University of Missouri St. Louis and served as pastor in the A.M.E. church for 22 years. She is widowed with one daughter.

If the City of Jennings threw you in jail between February 8, 2010 and September 16, 2015 because you could not afford to pay a fine or court costs, then you may have some money coming to you.

In September 2015, the City of Jennings entered into a proposed settlement agreement with ArchCity Defenders, Equal Justice Under Law and Saint Louis University School of Law Legal Clinics, who had sued the city over unconstitutional practices in its municipal court.

As part of the agreement, the City of Jennings agreed to pay $4.7 million to compensate an estimated 2,000 people who are eligible to receive money from the settlement. But there is a deadline. If you believe you are eligible you have until November 24 to complete the Jenkins v. City of Jennings Settlement claim form by mail or email in order to receive compensation from the landmark settlement. Access the form at goo.gl/7Roupk.

Of the $4.7 million, according to Thomas Harvey, executive director of ArchCity Defenders, a few hundred thousand is going to the homeless shelter in Jennings that former Superintendent Tiffany Anderson created, and 25 percent will go to attorney fees, split up between the three law firms who represented the plaintiffs “so we can file other suits here and across the country.” The remaining $3.5 million will be split among the eligible people who complete a settlement form in time. The total amount paid is based on how many days spent in jail. The proposed agreement, which would be enforceable in federal court, also includes the following reforms: elimination of cash bail, immediate release on signature or unsecured bond on a first arrest, establishment of a meaningful inquiry into a person’s ability to pay, elimination of the payment docket, conversion of unpaid fines and fees to civil judgment, elimination of warrants or jailing for the failure to pay, and dismissal and forgiveness of all fines and fees on cases dating prior to March 12, 2011. Harvey said the only sustainable solution to unconstitutional municipal court practice would include consolidation of the currently existing municipal court system; creation of a regional court system, open full time, with professional staff; and the implementation of the procedural protections proposed in the settlement with the City of Jennings (Jenkins v. Jennings 4:15-cv-00252CEJ) and ArchCity’s previous proposed settlement with the City of Velda City (Pierce v. Velda City 4:15-cv-00570HEA).

To complete the City of Jennings Settlement Form, visit goo.gl/7Roupk or go to ArchCity Defender’s office in the second floor of Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust St. in downtown St. Louis. For more information, call 1-866236-6721. The deadline is November 24.

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

Jones,

first African-American

Maleaha Talton

Ella Jones

PRESENT:

Healthy Kids Healthy Kids

Healthcare Careers

Sensible Thanksgiving Eating

Nutrition Challenge:

Thanksgiving is a day that we take a moment and remember the things/people that we are thankful to have in our lives. But let’s be honest, many Thanksgiving celebrations also include food – and a lot of it! But if you remember just a few simple tips, you can enjoy the day without the extra calories (and uncomfortably full stomach).

Follow the Meal

With a Walk!

WALK!

Being Thankful

Why not start a new tradition this year? After your Thanksgiving dinner, have your family take a walk around the neighborhood. This is a great way to spend time with your relatives, see who’s in town for the holiday, and can help prevent the all-too-common post meal stomachache. Walking aids digestion, keeps you away

Thanksgiving is a great time to remember all of the people/things that have had a positive impact on your life. Why not have each person around the table say one (or two or three!) thing(s) that they are

> Remembering week seven’s divided-plate lesson, try to fill at least half of your plate with healthy vegetables/fruits.

> Eat slowly. That way you’ll know when you’re full before you’ve overdone it.

> Limit desserts; choose just one. Or if you want to try a few different kinds, ask for a small “sample” of each.

> Can you think of any other tips?

Learning Standards: HPE 2, HPE 5, NH 1, NH 5

from the dessert table and even helps with that afterdinner slump that affects many people after a big meal.

In addition, getting up and moving will get your body back into calorieburning mode.

What are some other ways to be “active” after your Thanksgiving dinner?

Learning Standards: HPE 1, HPE 2, NH 1, NH 5

thankful for, before you begin eating? You could even make a game out of it: each person writes down what they’re thankful for on a small card. Someone then reads each card as the group guesses who wrote it.

Learning Standards: HPE 2, NH 4

Carrot Fries

Ingredients:

6 Whole carrots Cooking spray

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel the carrots and cut into small strips about ¼ inch thick and 3 inches long. Spread the carrots onto a cooking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt/pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes, flip them over. Spray with a little cooking spray and more salt/pepper. Cook for another 15 minutes, until lightly browned.

Where do you work? I am the school nurse at Humboldt School.

Where did you go to school? I graduated from McCluer North High School. I earned an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing from Meramec College in Kirkwood and I’m completing my bachelor’s degree at Webster University in Webster Groves.

What does a school nurse do? I love giving students medications, so they’re able to focus on learning. I clean and bandage wounds. I use medical equipment like a stethoscope, for example, to evaluate whether or not my asthmatics are breathing well. Moreover, I teach and promote healthy habits to my students.

Why did you choose this career? I am a St. Louis native, and was an asthmatic child who experienced frequent hospitalizations. Besides having the influence of nurses in my family, the local nurses who helped take care of me were my “angels” and always managed to nurse me back to health, thus sparking my interest.

What is your favorite part of the job you have?

My childhood health challenges have given me sensitivity to children suffering with illness. After being given a new lease on life, I consider it an honor to be in a position to promote health to the children of my community, in whatever capacity I serve — in turn, being their “angel.”

Learning Standards: HPE6, NH3

“Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 314-289-5422

Yonniece Rose, Registered Nurse

The St. Louis American’s award winning NIE program provides newspapers and resources to more than 7,000 teachers and students each week throughout the school year, at no charge.

Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 314-289-5422

5th grade teacher

Keyjuanna Jackson, and Ra’Shaun Leopold how to work a STEM problem. Bryan Hill Elementary is in the Saint Louis Public Schools District.

Louis American

CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT SCIENCE STARS

African-American Writer and Health Consultant Andrea King Collier

SCIENCE CORNER

What is a stroke? When the brain is flooded with blood and can’t get oxygen, it is a stroke. Strokes can cause sickness, brain damage, muscle weakness, and even death. During a stroke, a person will often experience numbness on one side of the body, a bad headache, dizziness, loss of balance, and difficult speaking. It is important to get help immediately.

Sometime, strokes can be treated with medicine or surgery.

There are two main types of strokes: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic is caused from a blocked blood vessel. This blockage may be from a clot or a clogged artery. Hemorrhagic is caused when a weak or thin blood vessel bursts and blood spills out. High blood pressure weakens

SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

Your senses are much more effective when they are used together. In this experiment, you will see how your senses help each other.

Materials Needed:

• Cardboard Box • Scissors • Sock

• 5-10 Small Items to Place in the Box • Volunteers

Procedure:

q Cut a hole in the box that is big enough to fit your hand through for this experiment.

w Place your items in the box.

MATH CONNECTION

Flex those brain muscles as you answer these word problems!

z A fifth grade class sold 250 tickets to a play. They sold 160 adult tickets at $7.50 each, and 90 children’s tickets at $5.00 each. They donated ½ of the money to charity. How much money did they donate? ______

DID YOU KNOW?

blood vessels and is usually the cause of hemorrhagic strokes. Doctors can diagnose strokes by using MRI imaging and CT scans. In order to prevent strokes, it is important not to smoke. This weakens your blood vessels and your immune system. Eat healthy. Limit fat intake and eat a lot of whole grains to keep your blood vessels clear from plaque. Be active. Regular, physical activity keeps your blood vessels healthy and strong. Check your blood pressure and keep an eye on diseases such as cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease

Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text for main idea and supporting details.

e Ask a volunteer to place a sock on their hand. They will place their hand in the hole and see how many items they can identify in the box.

r Next, the volunteer will repeat step 3 without the sock. Are they more successful identifying objects without their sense of touch affected?

t Finally, take the lid off the box and allow the volunteer to see all of the items.

Analyze: How does the sense of sight and touch work together?

Learning Standards: I can follow sequential directions to complete an experiment. I can analyze results and draw conclusions.

x Jim, Carla and Tommy are members of the same family. Carla is 5 years older than Jim. Tommy is 6 years older than Carla. The sum of their three ages is 31 years. How old is each one them?

c How many minutes is in one week? ______ How many minutes are in one month? ______

v A painter charges $250 for materials and $35 per hour for labor. The total cost of painting an office is $372.50. How many hours did it take the painter to paint the office? ______

Learning

Standards: I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a problem.

Andrea King Collier is a writer, health editor, columnist, and national health consultant from Lansing, Michigan. She focuses on health issues in the African American community. She earned degrees in journalism and political science from Indiana University and is a member of the American Medical Writers Association and Medical Journalism for the National Cancer Institute. She started writing for national magazines, but expanded to include social media, websites, blogs, and photography. She has worked with Kellogg Fellows Leadership Alliance, the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Health Power, Inc., and the National Association of Black Journalists.

Collier has written two books. “Still With Me: A Daughter’s Journey of Love and Loss” was written about the last year of her mother’s life. Collier was raised by a strict single mother who remarried when she was twelve years old. Upon learning her mother had cancer, Collier invited her mother to live with her and her family. The last year of her mother’s life was spent finding peace with their relationship, as well as finding peace with cancer. The ladies rekindled their love of collecting vintage Barbies. In this book, Collier writes about her personal relationship with her mother and about health issues and how they affect the entire family.

“The Black Woman’s Guide to Black Men’s Health” was coauthored with Dr. Willarda Edwards, whom Collier met at an NAACP conference. Collier believes that African-American men are more likely to eat right, be active, and seek medical attention if they have an informed woman in their life. This book is divided into chapters that focus on the following health issues: lung, prostate and colon cancer, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, mental health, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS and violence against young black men. Each chapter contains facts, treatment and prevention information, personal stories from celebrities and non-celebrities, and questions and answers with the doctor. The book also focuses on how to select an insurance plan and find a health care provider, as well as how these topics affect the African American community.

Many of Collier’s articles focus on health, wellness, and prevention. She believes strongly in supporting agriculture and making fresh foods available in urban communities.

Colllier believes in strong family and community support. She says, “My parents raised me to believe I could accomplish anything. I’ve never shied away from trying new technology, applying for fellowships or attending professional conferences that allow me to build upon my success.”

To read a collection of Andrea King Collier’s articles, visit: http://civileats.com/author/acollier/. Learning Standards: who has made a contribution to the fields of science, technology, engineering, or math.

MAP CORNER

Enjoy these activities that help you get to know your St. Louis American newspaper.

Activities —

Help Wanted: Read the classified ads and find a job that lists a salary. Calculate the hourly wage, daily wage, weekly wage, monthly wage, annual wage and wages over a three year period.

Editorials: Find examples of editorials that were written to inform the reader, interpret the news for the reader, entertain the reader, and persuade the reader. As you read the editorial, underline the facts and circle the opinions.

Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can identify author’s purpose. I can add, subtract, multiply, and divide to solve a problem.

Bryan Hill Elementary School

Bertha Hamilton uses the NIE page in the paper to show students Michael Davis, Leela Clemons, Jirah Hemingway,

Photo by Wiley Price / St.

State Rep.-elect Bruce Franks Jr., state Rep.-elect Steven Roberts Jr., state Rep. Shamed Dogan and State Rep. Alan Green at the state Capitol on Thursday, November 17.

Missouri Legislative Black Caucus elects new leadership

By Chris King Of The St. Louis American

The Missouri Legislative Black Caucus elected its leadership on Thursday, November 10 in Jefferson City. State Rep. Alan Green

(D-Florissant) is chair, state Rep. Shamed Dogan (R-Ballwin) is vice chair, state Rep.-elect Steven Roberts Jr. (D-St. Louis) is treasurer, and state Rep.-elect Bruce Franks Jr. (D-St. Louis) is secretary. This leadership group is a

mix of experience – Green and Dogan were both first elected in 2014 – and new energy –neither Roberts nor Franks have yet served a day in the legislature. It’s also a mix of Democrats and a Republican, with Dogan, the only Republican member of the caucus, serving as vice chair. Green, the chairman, said that is critical in a state Capitol more completely dominated by Republicans than ever. Republicans maintained their super-majorities in both the state Senate and state House on November 8, while winning every statewide office on the ballot: governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, and state treasurer.

“Shamed will be a key ingredient,” Green told The American. “He helps us get a seat at the table.” Green is well aware that the caucus will need to work its agenda through the Republican leadership and so plans to focus on issues where Republicans have some shared interests.

n “We need jobs, we need more job training, we need more economic development.”

– State Rep. Alan Green

“We need a more diverse workforce, we need jobs, we need more job training, we need more economic development,” Green said. “And we need an agenda that’s in line with what they want to accomplish, or we won’t get anything done.” The caucus leadership lacks gender balance – it’s all male – and geographical diversity –all of the men are from the St. Louis region – but Green said that is because women in the caucus and members from the Kansas City metropolitan area ran for positions in the broader Democratic Caucus leadership instead.

State Rep. Gail McCann Beatty (D-Kansas City) was elected as the new minority floor leader for the Democrats, beating out another AfricanAmerican woman, state Rep. Karla May (D-St. Louis). Two male state representatives from Kansas City also were elected to leadership positions in the Democratic Caucus: state Rep. Randy Dunn is vice chair, and state Rep. DaRon McGee is caucus secretary. A black male from St. Louis, state Rep. Michael Butler, was elected Democratic Caucus chair. Green was asked about the election of Steven Roberts Jr. to a leadership position in the black caucus when another member of the caucus, state Rep.-elect Cora Faith Walker (D-Ferguson), claimed Roberts raped her, and then Roberts filed civil suit against her for defamation when the special prosecutor said that Roberts would not be charged for rape.

“I know both Cora and Steve – I know Cora better – but I’m not thinking about the controversy,” Green said. “I am thinking about their performance at the Capitol. They both have a lot of talent; they are both attorneys. But the controversy is something I will not speak on.”

Jamestown Mall redevelopment discussed

State Rep. Alan Green: ‘There are opportunities in our grasp right now’

Blessing Egbon won a $50,000 equity-free grant and pro bono support services from Arch Grants for the business that Egbon founded, Exit 7C. Exit 7C (https://www.exit7c. com/) is accelerating the sustainable transportation with a flex-fuel conversion kit and a network of biofuel pumps that connect to an app. Egbon is relocating here from Milwaukee.

Melanie Igwe won a $50,000 equity-free grant and pro bono support services from Arch Grants for the business that she co-founded, Ilerasoft. Ilerasoft (http://ilerasoft.com/) allows hospitals within the same health system to share equipment and introduce intelligence to asset utilization. She is relocating here from Houston.

Kwaku Owusu won a $50,000 equity-free grant and pro bono support services from Arch Grants for Ilerasoft, the business that he co-founded. Ilerasoft (http://ilerasoft.com/) allows hospitals within the same health system to share equipment and introduce intelligence to asset utilization. He is relocating here from Houston.

By Mariah Stewart

Of The St. Louis American

Nestled between major local roads and an attractive tree line in Florissant lies the abandoned million-square-foot property of Jamestown Mall, which has been closed for nearly three years. The once-bustling property that was a financial and social asset to the community is now a vacant reminder to residents of economic downturn and empty promises from elected officials.

Jamestown Mall’s downfall is not a narrative unique to the region or even the country. In May, Time magazine reported that one-third of America’s malls will close in coming years and vital anchor stores like JCPenny, Macy’s and Sears are struggling.

On Monday, November 14, over 200 St. Louis County residents attended a forum, hosted by state Rep. Alan Green (D- Florissant), at West Side Missionary Baptist Church in

n “My main concern is that these businesses stay in North County, to keep taxes in North County, to take care of the schools in North County.”

– Terrence Hampton

Florissant to discuss the future of the abandoned mall property.

“This has been going on and on, and all we do is meet. Nothing happens out of the meetings,”

Kenneth McClendon, lifelong Kinloch resident, said at the forum.

“Why does the state rep. have to come here from Jefferson City, when everybody that’s here is represented by a mayor, alderman, a councilperson and the County Council?”

Several residents echoed McClendon’s

concerns about local government not being involved in the process and how a controversial deal to approve a multi-million dollar soccer complex in Creve Coeur was made this year with money that had been promised to North County.

“That did happen, and that money was supposed to go to North County – it went to Creve Coeur,” Green said. “That’s where it went. Now I can’t address that, because that was before me.”

Many residents stressed their concerns about travelling to more affluent areas like West County to spend money on goods instead of in their own backyard.

Some of the ideas residents shared for the future of the property included an indoor water park, public transit hub, drive-in movie theater, outdoor shopping outlet, restaurants, educational facilities, office space, Amazon factory,

See MALL, B6

A. Verona Dorch was recognized by Savoy magazine as one of the Most Influential Women in Corporate America in 2016. She is Peabody Energy executive vice president and chief legal officer. Savoy is a national publication that showcases and drives positive dialogue on and about black culture.

Mun Y. Choi was named the new president of the University of Missouri’s fourcampus system. Most recently he was the University of Connecticut’s provost. He replaced Tim Wolfe, who stepped down after demands from students who led protests on the Columbia campus. Choi will start on March 1, 2017.

Mary Cannon will be recognized for outstanding contributions to the profession of journalism by the Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists at its 40th anniversary celebration December 3 (visit www.gslabj.org for tickets). She is retired director of Community Affairs for KMOV, Channel 4.

Blessing Egbon

Kwaku Owusu

A. Verona Dorch

Mun Y. Choi

Melanie Igwe

Mary Cannon

Photo by Wiley Price

Marvin Mitchell Annette Morris Joanna Schooler

State Rep. Alan Green and Brian Ulione, a development consultant, discussed the future development of the former Jamestown Mall property with the public at West Side Missionary Baptist Church in Florissant on November 14.

Changes to the FAFSA make it easier to apply for student aid

By Nathaniel Sillin

Do you have a high school senior who is knee deep in the college admissions process?

Writing essays and filling out forms can be a stressful process for students, just as covering the cost of college can be for parents. This year, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) submission period opened on October 1 – three months earlier than in previous years. That extra time to get financial information in order could be a big benefit to many families. Don’t put off completing the application, sending the FAFSA in early could increase your financial aid package and give you more time to compare aid offers from different schools.

Understanding this form of student aid. The FAFSA determines your family’s expected contribution to the cost of higher education and serves as an application for federal financial aid, such as student loans, work study and the Pell Grant. It’s also used by some state agencies and schools to determine aid, including merit-based awards, and some scholarships require applicants fill out the FAFSA. Current and prospective college students must complete a new FAFSA each year. Dependent children will need their parents’ financial information to complete the form, and parents may want to work on the application alongside their child.

Most students complete the FAFSA online at fafsa. ed.gov. While it can be complicated, once you have all the paperwork in order the application could take less than 30 minutes.

New changes in tax requirements make filling out the FAFSA easier. The earlier submission period isn’t the only difference for the FAFSA this year, there’s also a change in the tax information you need to submit. You’ll now report your income based on the student’s and

parents’ tax return from two years before the school term begins. Your 2015 tax return for the 2017-2018 FAFSA for example.

You might be able to electronically transfer your tax return information to your FAFSA using the Internal Revenue Service’s Data Retrieval Tool. If you’re unable or don’t want to use the tool and don’t have a copy of your 2015 tax return, you can order a free tax transcript of your return online, by mail or by calling 1-800-908-9946.

The 2017-2018 FAFSA

requires that applicants use their 2015 tax return information even if there have been significant changes in your financial situation since then. After submitting, applicants can contact schools’ financial aid offices to make adjustments.

Pay close attention when filling out the FAFSA because some of the questions, such as those pertaining to current assets, are based on when you fill out the form, not your tax return.

Submitting your

The FAFSA determines your family’s expected contribution to the cost of higher education and serves as an application for federal financial aid, such as student loans, work study and the Pell Grant.

application early offers several advantages. The federal deadline for the 20172018 FAFSA is June 30, 2018, but don’t wait that long to complete your application.

States and colleges have deadlines of their own, and your eligibility for aid can depend on meeting these deadlines.

Some states and schools also distribute aid on a first come, first served basis.

Submitting your application early can help ensure you’ll receive the aid you’re eligible for before the funds run out.

SALUTE

continued from page B1

Award.

When Annette Morris accepted an internship with Purina through a Saint Louis Public Schools work-study program, she could not have envisioned that it would be her place of employment for the next 39 years.

From that internship, Morris has ascended the ranks and currently serves as director of diversity, inclusion and gender balance at Nestlé Purina PetCare Company. She is responsible for developing and executing business inclusion strategies in the areas of workforce, culture, community and marketplace.

“For me, it was important to find a connection linked to continued success, which is why I caution that you don’t always have to leave an organization to expand your career,” said Morris.

The merger of Nestlé with Purina in 2001 resulted in a greater focus on gender balance within company ranks.

Nearly half of the company’s workforce is female.

“When you think about Nestlé being the largest food company in the world with operations in 190 countries, women continue to face difficult workplace challenges in those environments,” Morris said. “We intentionally encourage women to take more leadership opportunities in the company, recognizing the impact they make.”

The St. Louis native holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Lindenwood University and is a graduate of Leadership St. Louis.

“By targeting diverse groups and organizations through e-recruiting efforts, we hope to engage highly qualified talent interested in joining Purina,” Morris said.

“Receiving this special award means that we are on the right track and have the right vision to continue growing along our diversity and inclusion journey.”

has

Joanna Schooler

Prospective students who submit the FAFSA early might receive estimated financial aid offers from schools earlier as a result. This gives families more time to compare the offers before making the big decision on which school to attend. You can list up to 10 schools on the FAFSA, including schools you’re considering but haven’t applied to yet. Submitting your info holds your place in line for aid, and you can switch out schools later if you want. You’ll also receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) after submitting the FAFSA that you can send to additional schools.

Many states require you send your FAFSA to at least one in-state school to be eligible for state grants, and some states require you list a state school in the first or second position to be eligible. The Department of Education has a list of each state’s requirements.

Bottom line. The FAFSA’s submission period opens up three months earlier than in previous years. Sending your FAFSA in early could increase your eligibility for financial aid and give you more time to compare aid offers from schools.

Nathaniel Sillin directs Visa’s financial education programs. To follow Practical Money Skills on Twitter: www. twitter.com/PracticalMoney.

survived business spinoffs, acquisitions and corporate changes in her 20-year career in public relations and communications. With each shift, she’s managed to weather the transitions and excel, particularly in management and external engagement roles that ensure she has a hand in maintaining the company’s commitment to the community. Schooler now serves as senior director, internal communications and community relations for Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals. In this position, she also develops programs that partner with local nonprofit organizations that make an impact in the community. And she consistently finds ways to leverage corporate resources to serve unmet needs in the St. Louis area. Several of the programs she’s developed use Mallinckrodt employees as professional mentors and volunteers with local nonprofit groups. In a recent interview, Schooler said she considers her community work to be a vital part of her personal job description. When Mallinckrodt recruited her for a management position 10 years ago, the move was an opportunity to come home, after spending much of her career in other cities. Schooler says she’s benefited from a bench strength of managers and mentors who form the backbone of the city’s business leadership. Now, she’s one of them, a fixture among the city’s cadre of young business leaders and an important corporate liaison to the community.

The 17th Annual Salute to Excellence in Business Awards & Networking Luncheon will be held Thursday, November 17 at the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis, with a networking reception at 11 a.m. and luncheon program at noon. Tickets are $100 for VIP/ Preferred seating, $75 for general admission. Call 314-533-8000 or visitwww. stlamerican.com for more information or to purchase tickets.

Morgan Bradley, Tavia Gilchrist and Pat Matreci contributed to this report.

n “Our kids would be grounded for years if they acted and said the things that have been said in that campaign by Donald Trump.”

– San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich

Pro Football Notebook

With Earl Austin Jr.

One step away

stars Joel Ward, P.K.

Kirkwood faces Blue Springs for state title

The Kirkwood Pioneers are one step away from winning their second state championship in football. Standing in Kirkwood’s way is a powerful Blue Springs squad from the West side of the state.

The two teams will meet in the middle on Friday night for the Class 6 state championship. Kirkwood and Blue Springs will square off in the Show-Me Bowl at Faurot Field on the campus of the University of Missouri. Kickoff is schedule for 7 p.m.

Earl Austin Jr.

Both teams travelled across the state to win their respective semifinal contests last Friday night. Kirkwood ventured to Kansas City to knock off Rockhurst 24-14 while Blue Springs came to St. Louis to defeat CBC 35-21. The Pioneers have been led by multi-talented dual-threat quarterback Reece Goddard, who became the school’s all-time leading passer last week. Blue Springs will counter with a big, physical offensive line and powerful ground game.

Semifinal games this weekend

The rest of the state will be holding semifinal games this weekend. There are still two St. Louis-area teams still alive in the semifinals in Classes 2-5. Here is the schedule of those games this weekend.

Class 5 Staley at Vianney, Friday, 7 p.m. Battle at Fort Zumwalt North,

Crowning achievement

The time for Sergey Kovalev vs Andre Ward is now. There’s never been a better time for a matchup between the two best light heavyweights on the planet (sorry Adonis Stevenson). 2016 has been a year of blockbuster mismatches such as Canelo Alvarez vs Amir Khan and Gennady Golovkin vs Kell Brook Outside of the bouts between Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter and Francisco Vargas vs Orlando Salido this year’s Fight of the Year candidates read like a list of

They say timing is everything. In the sport of boxing, this idea rings true like the piercing sound of the opening bell. More so than any other sport, timing in the ring is critical. Proper timing can determine whether a fighter finishes a bout celebrating on top of the ropes or lying unconscious underneath them. The timing in prizefights is often subtle. A small feint of the shoulder can create a major opening. A lateral step in the right direction can help close the show. Unfortunately though, when it comes to boxing, promoters and networks often spend too much time focusing on timing outside the ring. That’s why we often see an endless stream of ‘tune up’ fights for star fighters. Instead of matching the best against the best, there always seems to be a threefight build-up necessary before boxing fans are presented with a good, competitive fight. And oftentimes, some contract dispute, sanctioning issue or injury tanks the ‘big fight’ before it happens and resets the buildup back to square one.

n Make no mistakes about it. These fighters are undefeated and in the peaks of their careers. The bout will signify only the thirdtime that two top-fiverated fighters (by The RING) will match up against each other.

due to injuries suffered in the ring with Kovalev. In recent years though, Kovalev has proven that he is not just a brawler. Against Bernard Hopkins, a master boxer even at his old age, Kovalev shocked everyone the way he dismantled, dominated and out-boxed his opponent. Everyone knew about the power of the man called “Krusher” but the patience and the timing of the straight right hands surprised many viewers. Since that

years

has continued

Electoral College electors. It’s just a bunch of names that only hardcore insiders will recognize. Saturday’s PPV bout between Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KO), the WBA, IBF and WBO Light Heavyweight Champion, and Ward (30-0-0, See CLUTCH, B5

15 KO) is epic. The relatively small media build-up doesn’t match the significance of the fight. Kovalev and Ward are not media savants like Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Oscar De La Hoya. Inside the ring though, they have the chops to be just as legendary. The Russian-born unified light heavyweight champ like a real-life Ivan Drago (minus the ‘roids). By all accounts, he punches like a heavyweight. In 31 fights, 26 men have been knocked unconscious or unable to continue. One man, Roman Simakov, tragically lost his life

Former unified super middleweight champion Andre Ward (left) will battle unified light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev in a matchup to determine the new pound-forpound champion.

Vianney Golden Griffins’ quarterback Tionne Harris (7) was on the run during Friday night’s Mo. Class 5 quarterfinal game at Vianney’s Don Heeb Field. The Golden Griffins are headed to the state semifinals after upsetting Chaminade 63-44.

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Ishmael H. Sistrunk

Photo by Wiley Price

SportS EyE

With Alvin A. Reid

Minority stars Joel Ward, P.K. Subban take on Blues

St. Louis Blues fans will have the opportunity to see several of the NHL’s top players of color this month at the Scottrade Center.

On Thursday night, Joel Ward and the San Jose Sharks are in town.

Ward was a thorn in the Blues’ side during the Western Conference Finals, helping propel the Sharks to the Stanley Cup Finals. Ward scored three goals, including the game-winner in the clinching Game Six.

The game’s best black player, P.K. Subban, visits with the Nashville Predators on Saturday. Subban has three goals and five assists this season. He was traded from Montreal for Shea Weber during the offseason. Weber has outplayed him, scoring seven goals and adding six assists.

Former Blue Chris Stewart (two goals, three assists) and the Minnesota Wild take on the Blues on November 26. The Dallas Stars, featuring tough defenseman Johnny Oduya (four assists) are here on November 28.

Gregg Popovich was born in 1949 in East Chicago, Indiana. There was no silver spoon in his mouth, no easy path to stardom. His father was Serbian, his mother Croatian. After graduating from high school, he attended the U.S. Air Force Academy. He played basketball on scholarship and graduated in 1970. After serving his nation for four years in the U.S. Air Force, and considering a career with the Central Intelligence Agency, Popovich embarked on his Hall of Fame basketball coaching career.

n Dexter Fowler’s resume makes him the perfect candidate for the Cardinals –not to mention it would be refreshing to have an everyday player that is black.

Popovich words are perfect San Antonio Spurs coach

I never knew his political persuasion or his beliefs – until last Friday. The gut-wrenching result of the presidential election on Nov. 8 has left much of America in a struggle to find the right words.

Coach Popovich, the stage is yours. “Right now I’m just trying to formulate thoughts. It’s too early. I’m just sick to my stomach. Not basically because the Republicans won or anything, but the disgusting tenor and tone and all of the comments that have been xenophobic, homophobic, racist, misogynistic,” he told reporters.

“I live in that country where

half of the people ignored all of that to elect someone. That’s the scariest part of the whole thing to me. It’s got nothing to do with the environment and Obamacare, and all of the other stuff. We live in a country that ignored all of those values that we would hold our kids accountable for. They’d be grounded for years if they acted and said the things that have been said in that campaign by Donald Trump

“I look at the evangelicals and I wonder, those values don’t mean anything to them? All of those values to me are more important than anybody’s skill in business or anything else because it tells who we are, and how we want to live, and what kind of people we are. That’s why I have great respect for people like Lindsey Graham and John McCain, John Kasich, who I disagree with on a lot of political things, but they had enough fiber and respect for humanity and tolerance for all groups to say what they said about the man.

“That’s what worries me. I get it, of course we want to be successful, we’re all going to say that. Everybody wants to be successful, it’s our country, we don’t want it to go down the drain. But any reasonable person would come to that conclusion, but it does not take away the fact that he used that fear-mongering, and all of the comments, from day one, the race-baiting with trying to make Barack Obama, our first black president, illegitimate. It leaves me wondering where I’ve been living, and with whom I’m living.

“The fact that people can just gloss that over, start talking about the transition team, and we’re all going to be kumbaya now and try to make the country good without talking about any of those things. And now we see that he’s already backing off of immigration and Obamacare and other things,

so was it a big fake, which makes you feel it’s even more disgusting and cynical that somebody would use that to get the base that fired up.

To get elected.

“And what gets lost in the process are African Americans, and Hispanics, and women, and the gay population, not to mention the eighth-grade developmental stage exhibited by him when he made fun of the handicapped person. I mean, come on. That’s what a seventh grade, eighth grade bully does. And he was elected president of the United States. We would have scolded our kids. We would have had discussions until we were blue in the face trying to get them to understand these things. He is in charge of our country. That’s disgusting.”

A reporter then interrupted him.

“I’m not done,” Popovich said. “I’m a rich white guy, and I’m sick to my stomach thinking about it. I can’t imagine being a Muslim right now, or a woman, or an African-American, a Hispanic, a handicapped person. How disenfranchised they might feel. And for anyone in those groups that voted for him, it’s just beyond my comprehension how they ignore all of that. My final conclusion is, my big fear is – we are Rome.”

Joel Ward of the San Jose Sharks in action against the Blues last May 15. He and the Sharks are back in town on Thursday, November 17. The game’s best black player, P.K. Subban, visits with the Nashville Predators on Saturday.

Dexter Fowler could go red

Dexter Fowler has rejected a qualifying offer from the World Champion Chicago Cubs, officially making him a free agent. The St. Louis Cardinals desperately need a center fielder who is decent defensively and brings a steady offensive profile – and it would be ideal if he could bat leadoff. Should he not re-sign with the Cubs, Fowler’s resume makes him the perfect candidate for the Cardinals – not to mention it would be refreshing to have an everyday player that is black.

“You can’t control what goes on, but I loved my time in Chicago and I’m definitely not counting them out, but we’ll see what God has planned for us now,” he said recently on ESPN. Fowler hit .276 with 13 homers, 48 RBIs, 84 runs and an .840 OPS in 125 games in 2016. His .393 on-base percentage would have led the Cardinals, topping Matt Carpenter’s .380. Obviously, the Cardinals are not Fowler’s lone suitor. The Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, L.A. Dodgers and Texas Rangers are also reportedly in the running for his services. These teams figure to not shy away from the hefty price tag, while the same cannot be said of the Redbirds based on past free-agent failures.

Alvin A. Reid

Photo by Bill Greenblatt / UPI

f

rom

The eAST Side

With Maurice Scott

Jeff Thomas is Under Armour All American

Passing by 4901 State St. in East St Louis this week, it dawned on me once again that the only high school football lights still glowing in Southern Illinois are those of the East St. Louis Flyers.

The Flyers (12-0) will take their show on the road again this weekend in the Northern Suburbs of Chicago to battle against Lisle Benet Academy (10-2) in the semifinals of the IHSA Class 7A state playoffs.

Kick-off for the semi-final contest is set for 2 p.m. The winner will play the winner of the No. 16 seed Plainfield North and No. 4 seed Oak Park Fenwick for the state championship on Saturday, November 26 at the University of Illinois.

Flyers face Lisle Benet Academy on Saturday afternoon

yards and 22 touchdowns. Running back Jarrell Anderson has rushed 217 times for 1,251 yards and 18 touchdowns. But the straw who stirs everything for the Flyers is All American wide receiver Jeff Thomas. The senior was named to the Under Armour/ American Family Insurance All American team last week.

n The only high school football lights still glowing in Southern Illinois are those of the East St. Louis Flyers.

The Flyers have enjoyed another outstanding season in 2016. Quarterback Reyondus Estes has been outstanding this season in throwing for 2,225

Michigan State, LSU, Miami, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio State, Florida State and Michigan, among others.

Maurice Scott

The 5’10” senior, who runs a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash, is one of 100 players selected to compete in the 10th Annual event on January 1 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The game will be televised LIVE on ESPN at noon. It is a well-deserved honor for Thomas, who has collegiate offers from colleges across the country including Alabama,

During a ceremony on the campus of East St. Louis Senior High last week, Thomas was presented with his official invitation team helmet and jersey to the prestigious game where players from around the country will participate.

“Dreams are not wishes; dreams are not achieved without a plan, a lot of hard work and dedication,” said Telisa Yancy, chief marketing officer for American Family Insurance.

“American Family Insurance is honored to celebrate the achievements of these young student-athletes who pursue their dreams tirelessly and make the commitment to do whatever it takes to make them come true.”

Those dreams would not be possible without a great support system. Along with saluting Jeff Thomas, American

Light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev has destroyed nearly every fighter brave enough to stand in front him him. Will he be able to make Andre Ward bow to the thone?

Continued from B3

Family Insurance recognized his mother Veronica Reed with the American Family Dream Champion Award.

A large gathering of teammates, coaches, teachers and administrators were on hand to celebrate Thomas’ accomplishment. In 2014 Terry Beckner Jr. was named a high school All American at East St. Louis as well.

“The team goal is for us to get to the state championship game, and win it,” said Thomas. His Flyers have a tough game this week against Lisle Benet Academy out of the Suburban Catholic Conference on Saturday afternoon.

Jeff Thomas and his teammates understand that they are one-game away of reaching that goal of bringing back a championship to the “City of Champions.”

The street patrol was in full force last weekend at Willowbrook High school were an estimated 900 fans traveled to see the Flyers run away with a 60-27 victory.

Head coach Darren

been essential for Ward. He knows when to jab, when to go to the body, when to circle and when to clench. After years of low activity, Ward finally knew when it was time to make the leap to light heavyweight and once again attempt to prove his greatness. The build-up bouts are out the way. Kovalev looks a little more human after allowing Isaac Chilemba, an extremely poor man’s Andre Ward, to last the distance in his last bout. Against Sullivan Barrera and Alexander Brand, Ward has looked dominant, but a little slower

T

“Quarter-Finals” Sunkett passed the first hurdle in reaching the semi-finals. But make no mistake, the street patrol will be looking to make the trip and finishing off the turkey and cranberry sauce in

and a little more hittable than in year’s past. Also, if you go back into his early history, Ward’s chin was tickled enough to give him crazy legs more than a time or two. Still, make no mistakes about it. These fighters are undefeated and in the peaks of their careers. The bout will signify only the third-time that two top-five-rated fighters (by The RING) will match up against each other. Though it may not have the mainstream star power or billing as Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao or even Avarez vs Miguel Cotto, the fight is

much more important. It will crown an undisputed poundfor-pound king. Who will emerge victorious? Will it be the punishing puncher or the brilliant boxer? My pick? “S.O.G” Andre Ward picks himself off the canvas en route to a hardearned decision victory Ward’s timing is simply better than the champion’s. And if timing is everything, now is the time for Ward to hear the sweet words, “…and NEW!”

Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ IshmaelSistrunk

he ST. LouiS AmericAn PreP AThLeTeS of The Week

Jordan Jackson

Ladue – Football

The junior quarterback amassed 330 total yards and two touchdowns in the Rams’ 31-28 victory over Cape Girardeau Central in the Class 4 state quarterfinals.

Ward ran the super middleweight gauntlet and emerged unscathed.

Ward seemed to be destined for superstardom, but injuries, his hesitation to fighting outside of Oakland and beef with his former promoter, the lateDan Goosen, kept his profile lower than his skillset deserves.

With just 15 knockouts on his ledger, timing has always are legit. When it comes to ring tacticians though, nobody does it better than Ward. The 2004 Olympic boxing gold medalist has been a technical marvel as a professional

Continued from B3 Saturday, 1 p.m.

Note: Vianney (7-5) is coming off a stunning 63-44 victory over Chaminade, the state runners-up from last season. Battle and Fort Zumwalt North are no strangers in the playoffs, having met twice in postseason action in recent years.

Class 4 Kearney vs. Ladue at SLUH, Friday, 7 p.m. Parkway North at Harrisonville, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Notes: Ladue will get a shot at Kearney, which won the Class 4 state championship last year. Parkway North heads west to take on a Harrisonville team that defeated perennial power Webb City in the quarterfinals.

Class 3 Monett at McCluer SouthBerkeley, Saturday, 1 p.m. Maryville vs. Miller Career Academy at Gateway STEM, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Notes: McCluer SouthBerkeley will continue its

prizefighter. Ward initially gained a legion of doubters due to his standard diet of fish food opponents as an upcoming prospect. However, Ward proved himself by winning the Super Six World Boxing Classic by defeating Mikkel Kessler, Allan Green, Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch Throw in a victory against Sakio Bika in between and

undefeated season at home on Saturday while Miller Career Academy gets a shot at a Maryville program that has won a number of state titles.

Class 2 Lamar at Brentwood, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Trinity at Lawson, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Notes: Brentwood will host the five-time state champions from Lamar while undefeated Trinity will takes its loaded show on the road to Northwest Missouri to face Lawson.

The 5’8” Jackson passed for 194 yards and one touchdown while rushing for 136 yards and another score. His rushing touchdown was a 79-yard sprint at the end of the third quarter. For the season, Jackson has passed for 2,223 yards and 22 touchdowns while rushing for 634 yards and nine touchdowns.

Ladue will face defending state champion Kearney in the state semifinals on Friday night at 7 p.m.

Tionne Harris

Vianney – Football

The junior quarterback totaled 358 yards of offense in leading the Golden Griffins to a 63-44 upset of top-ranked Chaminade in the Class 5 state quarterfinals. Harris completed 15 of 20 passes for 201 yards and one touchdown while rushing for 148 yards and another score.

For the season, Harris has rushed for 1,281 yards and 13 touchdowns while passing for 2,290 yards and 17 touchdowns. He has been a starter since his freshman season.

Vianney will host Staley in the Class 5 state semifinals on Friday night at 7 p.m.

Champaign next weekend in the finals. Scott’s Prediction: Sunkett shuts up the street patrol for another week. Flyers 36, Lisle Benet Academy 23.

East St. Louis wide

Thomas was named to the Under Armour/ American Family Insurance

Kenneth McClendon, a lifelong Kinloch resident, gave his vision of a redeveloped Jamestown Mall at a public forum hosted by State Rep. Alan Green at West Side Missionary Baptist Church in Florissant on November 14.

Finance for Hazelwood School

MALL

continued from page B1

basketball courts and hotels.

Joshua Stump, 29, a lifelong North County resident who grew up in Ferguson, said the property should have something to entertain youth.

“Stop shutting stuff down because they’re fighting, and figure out why they fighting,” Stump said. “Let’s come up with solutions for that, because that’s part of the reason we are in the situation that we’re in right now. We need to connect ourselves back with the youth.”

The large size of the lot allows for many possibilities. However, Brian Ulione, a developer consultant who will be charged with helping oversee the future of the Jamestown Mall property, said the success of the property will ultimately depend on having capital and the community’s approval.

“It’s really what you want and what you can attract,” Ulione said. “You have to have the money to rebuild it the right way. You have to have the money to incentivize tenants to come in here. That’s what makes it work.”

Ulione said it is his hope to retain JCPenny, Macy’s and a small portion of the mall area in the front of the property, which is approximately 60,000 to 80, 000 square feet. “This mall can’t be a million-square-foot enclosed mall like it was 25 years ago. It is just too big and too expensive to run, “ Ulione said.

“People think over the next 20 years there’s only going to be half the number of enclosed malls there are right now, which is probably two-thirds of what it was 25 years ago. That business is shrinking.”

According to Ulione, the previous owners of Jamestown Mall and several other malls in the region “were not really responsible” with their expenses and passed off responsibility onto tenants.

Terrence Hampton, who said his first job was at Jamestown Mall, asked how rent can be controlled for tenants so they aren’t forced to move out of the area.

“My main concern is that these businesses stay in North County, to keep taxes in North County, to take care of the schools in North County,” Hampton said.

Dwight L. Lindhorst, former assistant superintendent of

District, announced earlier this year that the district’s current operating deficit is approximately $15 million.

This is attributed to the 2008 housing market crash and the downfall of the nearby malls, including Jamestown.

“The reason why West County schools are doing so well is because they have businesses and the taxes are going to those schools,”

Hampton said.

Green pointed out that the region has a new St. Louis County Council representative, Rochelle Walton Gray (who attended the meeting, but did not formally speak), and that County Executive Steve Stenger was interested in the redevelopment effort.

“There are opportunities in our grasp right now,” Green said. “We have an opportunity here. The county executive is paying attention to us.”

Vanessa Slaughter, a former Jamestown Mall tenant, expressed the community’s impatience.

“How long does it take to sit and bring about change and do something?” Slaughter said. “What will it take for people to listen to us?”

Financial Focus

By Andre Nelson, AAMS

Everyone benefits when you make charitable gifts

Now that we are in the heart of the holiday season, you may be thinking about ways you can put your money where your heart is. Specifically, you might be pondering which groups you should support with charitable gifts. And as long as you choose groups that meet the right criteria, your generosity can also be rewarding to you, in the form of tax benefits. To begin with, you’ll want to make sure you are giving to a reputable charity. That means you’ll need to ask some questions. How does a group measure its effectiveness? Is it devoting as much of its contributions as possible to the actual work of the organization, or is it spending too much money on administrative costs? Generally, a worthwhile charity should spend at least 75% of its income on programs. You may be able to find this type of information on a charitable group’s annual report and its website. You can also go to the website of one of the agencies that evaluates charitable groups. On these sites, you can get a lot of information dealing with a charity’s effectiveness, income,

spending and other topics. After you’ve identified a charity, or charities, you can decide how much you want to give and how you want to give it. If the charity has 501(c)(3) status (named after the section of the Internal Revenue Code that governs such groups), your gift can offer you a tax deduction. So, for example, if you are in the 25% tax bracket, and you give $1,000 to a qualified charity, you can subtract the $1,000 from your adjusted gross income, which will result in tax savings of $250. Upon making your gift, make sure you get a receipt that lists the name of the organization and the date and amount of your contribution. (Your maximum deduction will be limited to a percentage of your adjusted gross income.)

Photo by Wiley Price

A win for curvy women

Qristyl Frazier takes second place in Caleres Fashion Entrepreneur Competition

By Kenya Vaughn

Of The St. Louis American

When her name was called as the second place winner of the Caleres Fashion Entrepreneur Competition on Thursday, November 10 at Majorette, the smile on Qristyl Frazier’s face was as wide as the stage of the Maplewood venue. She stood with the life-sized check for $5,000 being held up by herself, her model Jessica White and her business partner P. Katrena Bragg.

It’s been nearly a year since she returned home after several years in New York as a plus-size (or size sexy, as she calls it)

fashion designer. She has enjoyed some wins as far as exposure. Nearly 10 years ago – while fresh in the business – she made a splash when her designs appeared on the popular BET program “Rip the Runway.”

She had a line in popular plus-size fashion chain Lane Bryant. She appeared on Bravo’s “All OnThe Line with Joe Zee” and appeared on a season of the popular fashion design competition show “Project Runway.”

Her clothes have also appeared on the covers of ESSENCE and Jet magazines, “The Steve Harvey Show,” “The Rachel Ray Show” and “CNN Living,” among others.

See FASHION, C4

Mary J. and Maxwell deal a winning hand

‘King

and Queen of Hearts’ tour melts R&B fans at Scottrade

By Kenya Vaughn

Of The St. Louis American

“R&B is not dead,” singer Maxwell said blissfully as he was closing out the “King and Queen of Hearts” tour with Mary J. Blige Saturday at Scottrade Center. “It’s alive and well right here tonight.”

He had every reason to be thrilled as a nearly sold-out crowd grooved with him, Blige and newcomer Ro James for the better part of four hours.

Newcomer Ro James started the evening off with a trio of selections from his debut album “El Dorado” in front of a set that included a model of the Cadillac grill for which his album is named.

Although brief, his portion of the show fared well for an audience that was mostly getting situated and searching for their seats. He closed out with his breakthrough single “Permission.” The crowd connected with the summer R&B hit from its instantly identifiable intro, and had just completely warmed up to him as he was winding down. Had James been given another five minutes, he might have been able to grow his fan base.

Mary J. Blige stood before the crowd as a few of the more tumultuous selections from her musical catalog was imitating her life –almost

prophetically so.

provide a memorable night for the musical genre Saturday night at Scottrade Center.

Tender ‘Loving’

Biopic about landmark case offers light and hope during dark hour for America

By Kenya Vaughn Of The St. Louis American

She came on stage after a series of tabloid headlines breaking the news of her impending divorce from Kendu Isaacs, who was also her manager. The divorce is already primed to be a messy one, and Blige used her current emotional turmoil to fuel the show.

Blige admitted that she never expected to be in the situation of watching the painful end of her marriage play out for the world to see, but her intention on the “King and Queen of Hearts” tour is clearly to turn her experience into a teachable moment for her legion of devoted fans.

She started out upbeat, opening the show with her dance hit “Fine” and continuing with “You Bring Me Joy,” “Love is All We Need” and a rendition of “Real Love” that turned into a sing-along.

Later she revealed to be anything but fine – and the audience showed their overwhelming support as her music expressed the tumultuous emotional rollercoaster that has become her new normal.

She segued into addressing the divorce with “Enough Cryin’,” “Not Gon Cry” and “My Life,” before getting to her newest single “Thick of It,” which speaks to her current situation. Fans had her back – cheering her on as she fought back tears during moments that hit so close to her current situation she admitted she might not make it through the songs.

n While the particulars of Donald Trump’s ascension prove America to be anything but postracial, Friday’s theatrical release of “Loving” will offer hope and optimism.

The timing for the theatrical release of Jeff Nichols’ film “Loving” feels divinely ordered. Racial tensions have been in the forefront thanks to the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign. The world watched a candidate capitalize on hate, fear and ignorance in a successful bid for the nation’s highest office. While the particulars of Donald Trump’s ascension prove America to be anything but post-racial, Friday’s theatrical release of “Loving” will offer hope and optimism with the unfolding a landmark case that took place at a pivotal moment in the Jim Crow South. Virginia native Richard Loving committed what many considered to be an extremely radical act to prove his devotion to Mildred Jeter in 1958. He married her. Richard was white. Mildred was black and Native American. According to the times, their union was not only considered immoral – it was illegal. “Antimiscegenation” was the law of the land in their state since 1691. (Alabama was the last state to decriminalize interracial marriage, as late as 2000.) Interracial relationships and the offspring that these unions produced were considered a pollution of the “superior race” and challenged the explicit separation between races that defined the times. Weeks after they secretly traveled to Washington, D.C. to wed, the Lovings were snatched from their marital bed and thrown in jail. The couple pleaded guilty to violating the Racial Integrity Act. A plea bargain meant their one-year prison sentences were suspended on the condition that they leave Virginia and not return together or at the same time for 25 years. They fled their rural town for Washington, D.C. and longed for the chance to raise their children in the town their families had called home for generations. And in 1963 Mildred was inspired to take action to legitimize her marriage in a quest for civil rights after witnessing the March on Washington. She wrote then Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and asked for his assistance in getting her marriage legalized at home. He

Alive Magazine co-founder Elizabeth Tucker with model Jessica White, Qristyl Frazier and P. Katrena Bragg at the Caleres Fashion Entrepreneur Competition Thursday night at Majorette.

Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga star as Richard and Mildred Loving in Jeff Nichols’ critically- acclaimed film “Loving,” which opens in theatres nationwide on Friday, November 18.

R&B stars Mary J. Blige and Maxwell teamed up to

Photos by Lawrence Bryant

How to place a calendar listing

1. Email your listing to calendar@stlamerican. com OR

2. Visit the calendar section on stlamerican.com and place your listing

Calendar listings are free of charge, are edited for space and run on a space-available basis.

holiday haps

Nov. 20 & 25 – 26, 2 p.m., TheatreworksUSA presents A Christmas Carol. This musical interpretation of the Charles Dickens’ classic captures both the humorous and touching moments of the classic story with witty dialogue and fresh new songs, conveying Dickens’ original message that the holiday season should be a “kind, forgiving, charitable time,” a sentiment which still rings true today. Florissant Civic Center Theater, 1 James J. Eagan Dr., 63033. For more information, call (314) 921-5678 or visit www.florissantmo.com/ departments/theatre.

Fri., Nov. 25, 6 p.m., Mesa Home hosts Black Owned on Black Friday – Pop Up Market. We will have over a dozen shops and artists present including Hop Shop, Peace by Peace, Traces of Truth, Roland Burrow, and many more. Music provided by Nappy DJ Needles. 2619 Cherokee St., 63118. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.

Nov. 30 – Dec. 24, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents A Christmas Carol adapted by David H. Bell from the novella by Charles Dickens and directed by Steven Woolf, Browning Mainstage of the Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts. For more information, call (314) 9684925 or visit The Rep’s Online Box Office at www.repstl.org.

Fri., Dec. 2, 6:30 p.m., National Sales Network’s Annual Holiday Party and Toy Drive. Cost is $15 or an unwrapped toy donation. Proceeds will benefit the Ricky Whittington Foundation Toy Drive. Troy’s Jazz Gallery, 4519 Olive St., 63108. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

Fri., Dec. 2, 8 p.m., Touhill Performing Arts Center

presents Dianne Reeves: Christmas Time is Here Featuring Peter Martin, Romero Lubambo, Reginald Veal and Terreon Gully. UMSL, One University Blvd., 63121. For more information, call (314) 516-4949 or visit www.touhill.org.

Sun., Dec. 4, 3 p.m., UMSL School of Fine and Performing Arts presents Jazz for the Holidays. This annual production showcases holiday classics with a jazzy flair. The evening features such classics as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “The Christmas Song,” “Jingle Bells” and selections from A Charlie Brown Christmas. Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Wed., Dec. 7, 8 p.m., Beyond Housing presents Home for the Holidays Benefit Concert feat. Damian Escobar and Brian Owens. At Beyond Housing we know that home matters—especially at the holidays. This is the time of year when we see that, while a roof and four walls are essential, home is so much more. Proceeds will aid in our efforts to help entire communities become better places to live. Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 932-1315 or visit www.beyondhousing.org.

Thur., Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m., The St. Louis Symphony InUnison Chorus presents A Gospel Christmas with Richard Smallwood. Powell Symphony Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 534-1700 or visit www. stlsymphony.org.

Dec. 10, 2 p.m., Our Father’s House Annual Children’s Christmas Party, family pictures will taken with Santa, face painting, games and refreshments, all free of charge. Applications are required. All paperwork must be turned in by November 18,

Featured Event

Fri., Dec. 2, 6:30 p.m., National Sales Network’s Annual Holiday Party and Toy Drive. Cost is $15 or an unwrapped toy donation. Proceeds will benefit the Ricky Whittington Foundation Toy Drive. Troy’s Jazz Gallery, 4519 Olive St., 63108. For more information, visit www. eventbrite.com.

2016 any delays could result in your child missing out. For information about application, call Our Fathers House at 314-338-4174 or email ourfathershouse1@yahoo.com . Party will take place at St. Peter’s House of Prayer, 8400 Pershall, Hazelwood, MO 63042.

Sat., Dec. 17, 7 p.m., Central Baptist Church hosts the Gift Chronicles IV feat. Ledisi 2842 Washington Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 533-0747 or visit www.cbcstl.org.

Sun., Dec. 18, 5 p.m., Kranzberg Arts Center hosts My Favorite Things feat. Adria Nicole. With special guests C. Jay Conrad, Cheeraz Gormon, Kali Assata, and Mo Egeston. 501 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 533-0367 or visit www.metrotix.com.

Thur., Dec. 15, 7:30 p.m., Family Arena presents Cirque Musica Holiday Spectacular. A concert and visual experience where audiences journey into a world of high-flying adventure with amazing acrobats, aerialists, hilarious hijinks and holiday

cheer, too! The show blends the spellbinding grace and daredevil athleticism of today’s greatest circus performers with the sensory majesty of the greatest holiday music of all time. The show will be performed with The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. 2002 Arena Parkway, 63033. For more information, visit www. metrotix.com.

Sat., Dec. 17, 10:30 p.m., NAACP St. Louis County Brunch presents Soulful Jazz Brunch Extravaganza. We will have a fashion show, live music by The Coleman Hughes Project, a shopping bizarre, silent auction, and more. Westport Sheraton Chalet, 191 W. Port Plaza, 63146. For more information, call (314) 477-9338.

Wed., Dec. 21, 7:30 p.m., The Fox presents Hip Hop Nutcracker A contemporary re-imagination of Tchaikovsky’s timeless music, performed by a supercharged cast of a dozen all-star dancers, DJ and violinist. Digital scenery transforms E.T.A. Hoffmann’s story of a palace of sugarplums into a romance set in 1980s Brooklyn. The dance work celebrates love,

information, call (314) 8750233.

Sun., Nov. 27, 8 p.m., Rockhouse Entertainment & Presidential Promotions presents Black Girl Magic Concert Series feat. Teyana Taylor and Tink. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., 63112. For more information, call (314) 726-6161 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Fri., Dec. 9, 7 p.m., A Gospel According to Jazz starring Kirk Whalum, Keiko Matsui, and Norman Brown. With special guests John Stoddart, Kevin Whalum, Shelea, Denise Thimes, FT Mass Choir, and the R.F. Specials Choir. Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church, 5553 Dr. Martin Luther King Dr., 63112. For more information, call (314) 367-9700 or visit www.friendlytemple.org.

community and the magic of New Year’s Eve. 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 5341678 or visit www.metrotix. com.

concerts

Nov. 19, The Ambassador welcomes Meek Mill, 9800 Halls Ferry. For more information visit www. metrotix.com.

Sun., Nov. 20, 4 p.m., Cote Brilliante Presbyterian Church presents Ms. Marlissa Hudson, St. Louis native and internationally acclaimed coloratura soprano in concert. 4673 Labadie at Marcus, St. Louis, MO 63115, Free admission and all are invited to attend. For more information call (314) 3812770.

Fri., Nov. 25, 8 p.m., Illphonics: A Formal Affair for Charity. Music has played such a large role in the lives of the members of iLLPHONiCS, so for this event, we’ve decided to partner with Music for Lifelong Achievement. A percentage of the proceeds from this show will put instruments in the hands of disadvantaged children. The U.City High School Jazz Band will be opening for us at this event. Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Blvd., 63108. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.

Sat., Nov. 26, 8 p.m., World Class Entertainment Group presents the Reggae Forever Tour. Featuring Etana, Fyakin, Iba Mahr, and more. 2720 Cherokee St., 63118. For more

special events

Sat., Nov. 19, 2 p.m., House of Miles East St. Louis presents Kind of Blue “View and You” Fundraiser. Join us for an afternoon of great music and learn more about the work that we do. 1701 Kansas Ave., East St. Louis, IL 62205. For more information, call (618) 213-8120.

Sat., Nov. 19, 7 p.m., The Covering House will host the Second Annual Rock ‘N Roll for Refuge. Live music, food, photo booth, silent auction, and more. All proceeds from the event will help The Covering House expands its services in 2017. The Covering House offers refuge and restoration for sexually exploited and trafficked children and teens. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., 63104. For more information, call (314) 962-3450 or visit www. rocknrollforrefuge.org.

Sat., Nov. 19, 2 p.m., Dangerous Curves presents the Show Me Curves Fashion Expo. In the Beauty Lounge sponsored by Crave Beauty Academy guests can try out makeup, indulge with a polish change, try out the lash bar and more. Guest will have the option to shop, network and mingle and listen to panelists that are leaders in the industry. Machinist’s Hall, 12365 St. Charles Rock Rd., 63044. For more information, email dangerouscurvesfashion@ gmail.com.

Sat., Nov. 19, 7 p.m., Better Family Life 30th Annual

Touhill Performing Arts Center presents ‘Dianne Reeves: Christmas Time is Here.’ See HOLIDAY HAPS for additional details.

Unity Ball: Experience the Legacy. There will also be performances from The St. Louis Black Repertory Company and BFL’s Kuumba Youth Performance Ensemble, and Paula Dione Ingram. America’s Center, 701 Convention Plaza, 63101. For more information, call (314) 367-3440 or visit www. bflunityball.com.

Sun., Nov. 20, 6 p.m., The Metro Chapters of Kappa Alpha Psi present The All Black Experience. With DJ Charlie Chan and DJ Lonnie B. Ballpark Village, 601 Clark Ave., 63102. For more information, call (314) 3459481.

Sat., Nov. 26, 8 a.m., Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri presents Girl Scouts Go: Run for the Cookies. Come out for our annual 5-mile and 1-mile run/walk. Community organizations will educate attendees on healthyliving options with fun and informational booths. We will also have a climbing wall and bounce house along with other children’s activities. Participants are encouraged to come in costume and take part in the costume contest. Everyone is asked to bring a toy donation for a local United Way agency. 2300 Ball Dr., 63146. For more information, call (314) 592-2300 or visit www.girlscoutsem.org/events.

Sat., Nov. 26, 1 p.m., STL Sister Circle presents the 1st Annual Winter Warm Up Drive. Please help keep a child warm by donating new or slightly used hats, gloves, scarves and coats. The Omega Center, 3900 Goodfellow Blvd., 63120. For more information, call (314) 4829527 or (314) 662-7289.

Thur., Dec. 1, 11:45 a.m., VOYCE invites you to the 22nd Annual Caregiver Awards Luncheon. This is a day of inspirational stories as we honor and celebrate our nominees’ contributions in defining excellence in longterm care. Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel, 9801 Natural Bridge Rd., 63134. For more information, call (314) 919-2410 or visit www. voycestl.org/events.

comedy

Nov. 25-27, Helium Comedy Club welcomes D.L. Hughley, Helium Comedy Club, 1151 St. Louis Galleria Street. For more information, visit http:// st-louis.heliumcomedy.com/ or call (314) 727-1260.

literary

Tues., Nov. 22, 7 p.m., Chaminade College Preparatory School hosts author Andy Cohen, author of Superficial: More Adventures from the Andy Cohen Diaries 425 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63131. For more information, visit www.left-bank.com.

Tues., Nov. 29, 7 p.m., St. Louis County Library hosts author David Oshinsky author of Bellevue: Three Centuries of Medicine and Mayhem at America’s Most Storied Hospital. St. Louis County Library headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63124. For more information, call (314) 994-3300 or visit www.slcl.org.

Fri., Dec. 2, 7 p.m., St. Louis County Library hosts author David France author of How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS. St. Louis County Library headquarters, 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., 63124.

art

Fri., Nov. 11, 5 p.m., Green Door art gallery’s exhibit “Barcelona, Paris and Villages of Southern France” is hosting a reception featuring Michele Wells, Vic Mastis, Linda Briesacher, Gretchen Gackstatter, Suzie Tenzer, Julie Bell, Carolyn Tschomakoff and Marilyn Callahan and 30 other artists. The exhibit will be available from November 9 thru January 6, 2017 - 21 N. Gore Ave, Webster Groves MO 63119, www.Greendoorartgallery.com 314-402-1959.

theatre

Dec. 1 – 4, Ignite presents Shrek the Musical. Ivory Theatre, 7620 Michigan Ave., 63111. For more information, visit www.ivorytheatrestl.com.

Dec. 2 – 4, The Fox presents Annie. 527 N. Grand Blvd., 63103. For more information, call (314) 534-1678 or visit www.metrotix.com.

Dec. 2 – 4, Washington University Dance Theatre presents Critical Mass. Edison Theater, 6445 Forsyth Blvd., 63105. For more information, call (314) 935-6543 or visit www.edison.wustl.edu.

Dec. 9 – 11, COCA’s Ballet Eclectica presents The Little Dancer. Enjoy the tale of

Edgar Degas’ famous sculpture

“The Little Dancer” that comes to life and discovers the world through experiencing works of art. 524 Trinity Ave., 63130. For more information, call (314) 561-4877 or visit www. cocastl.org.

lectures and workshops

Fri., Nov. 18, 8 a.m., People and Climate Change: Vulnerability, Adaptation, Social Justice. Join us for this symposium on the human impacts of climate change, the social responses necessary for transformational solutions, and the policy implications of such solutions. Key speakers include experts on flooding, drought, heat, urbanization, adaptation, and indigenous health—representing research from the United States, Latin America, Southeast Asia and other parts of the world. Hillman Hall, Washington University, One Brookings Dr., 63130. For more information, call (314) 935-7433 or visit www.eventbrite.com.

Mon., Nov. 28, 6 p.m. SLACO’s Sustainable Neighborhoods Program presentsWhat is TIF? Tax Breaks, Segregation, and Racial Equity with Molly

Metzger, Assistant Professor, Washington University St. Louis. The City of St. Louis, like many other cities, uses TIF to divert hundreds of millions of dollars of tax revenue to select housing and business developments. Dr. Metzger will analyze TIF and other incentives through a racial equity lens, focusing on specific opportunities for policy change. SLACO Offices, 5888 Plymouth Ave. St. Louis, MO 63112. More information will be available at www.slaco-mo.org or call 314.361.9406.

health

Mon., Nov. 21, 6 p.m., The Alzheimer’s Association presents The Care & Conquer Education Series Come hear Dean Hartley,

Ph.D., speak on cutting-edge dementia information and resources. Anheuser Busch Academic Center, Maryville University, 650 Maryville University Dr., 63132. For more information, visit www. alz.org/stl.

Tues., Dec. 6, 2 p.m., Seniors Home Care presents Family Caregiver Training. This free training opportunity provides tools to use when caring for a parent or loved one in multiple settings. Topics include monitoring and handling medications, home safety, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia awareness, handling care giver stress and much more. The class is taught by a Seniors Home Care registered nurse. For more information or to reserve a spot, call (314) 962-2666 or visit www. seniorshomecare.com.

Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7:30 p.m., Get Sexy Movement Boot Camp. Station styled boot camp with 1 minute at each station for three rounds. North County Recreation Center, 2577 Redman Rd., 63136.For more information, call (314) 898-8898.

spiritual

Fri., Nov. 18, 8 p.m., St. Peter’s United Church of Christ presents the 2016 Creative Ministry Series Season feat. Mardra Thomas 1425 Stein Rd., 63135. For more information, call (314) 521-5694 or visit www. stpeterschurch.org.

Sun., Nov. 27, 10:30 a.m., The Galilee Missionary Baptist Church invites you to our 118th Church Anniversary and Homecoming: There’s No Place Like Home - Come Home to Galilee. The Rev. Dr. Wallace Hartsfield, Sr. of Kansas City will be our guest preacher for the service. You may also join us for dinner after church. 4300 Delmar Blvd., 6310. For more information, call (314) 5316390.

Fri., Nov. 18, Loving opens in theatres nationwide.

Sun., Nov. 20, 4 p.m., KUTNUP Productions presents Strange Fruit: The History of African American Lynching in the United States Film Screening The evening will also feature the live theatrical dramatic narrative “Tales from the Bitter Crop” which will precede the film presentation. A discussion panel with local historians will proceed the film moderated by St. Louis’ own Marjorie Moore. The Kappa House, 500 N. Vandeventer Ave., 63108. For more information, call (314) 565-7961 or visit www. kutnupproductions.com.

The St. Louis Symphony InUnison Chorus presents A Gospel Christmas with Richard Smallwood. For more information, see HOLIDAY HAPS.

Frazier said. “I’ve learned the hard way – but I will be doing this until the day I die.”

Continued from C1

But she’s had her challenges in the past decade of building a brand that creates functional and fashionable clothing for the everyday woman, as opposed to the fashion industry ideal size 0 – including packing up her business and moving it from the fashion Mecca of New York back home to St. Louis. “This hasn’t been easy,”

Continued from C1

Those emotions impeded her vocal ability from time to time over the course of the show, but the riveting experience of watching her lean into her feelings made the show compelling enough to forgive any missed notes.

Through Alive Magazine and The St. Louis Fashion Fund, Frazier saw an opportunity to give her business a boost as she settles into her new home base.

As part of the 10th Anniversary 2016 Saint Louis Fashion Week programming, Alive Magazine, The St. Louis Fashion Fund incubator and Caleres (formerly Brown Shoe Company) teamed up to provide designers with capital to grow their business

Caleres Fashion Entrepreneur Competition.

The experience was a hybrid between “Project Runway” and “Shark Tank.” Models wearing a particular line of Caleres Shoes and a design item inspired by the footwear created by the five finalists walked the runway before designer pitched ideas for how they would use the funding of $5,000 for the runner-up and $10,000 for the grand prize.

Qristyl Frazier Designs was the elder stateswoman of the finalists with more than 10

years of operation as a brand.

“I started making clothes when I was 18 years old,” Frazier said in the video presentation portion of the competition. “I began making clothes for all sizes because I wanted women to feel good about the skin they are in and own their curves.”

Frazier told the panel of judges from that she is determined to revolutionize the plus-size industry from right here in St. Louis.

“The average woman is a size 16,” Frazier said. “While

She expressed hope of the light at the end of the tunnel as she jumped into “No More Drama” and took gave the fans for a stroll down Mary J. Blige memory lane with a video medley from her 25 years in the music industry, before closing the show with her mega hits “Sweet Thing” and “Family Affair.” Maxwell ambitiously kicked off his portion of the show off with a medley of B-side records, opting for personal

Continued from C1

wrote her back and referred her to the American Civil Liberties Union. They took the case, and after a five-year battle Loving vs. Virginia landed before The United States Supreme Court.

With “Loving” Nichols, who also wrote the screenplay, essentially offers a dramatic

interpretation of Nancy Buirski 2011 documentary “A Loving Story.” His minimal script compels viewers to see expressions of love and adoration that might otherwise not be attuned to because of dialogue. The beauty in their tender, quiet exchange is the centerpiece of the film. Those in search of quotable passages that offer arguments to profoundly dismantle the acts of inhumanity forced upon people of color as

part of segregation should look elsewhere. But the “love conquers all” message conveyed through the film as a result of capturing the organic nuances of the Loving’s relationship is more impactful than any monologue.

The lead performances in “Loving” prove to be an invaluable asset to Nichols’ intention for the film. The transformation of Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga into Richard Loving and Mildred Loving

Maxwell’s 90 minute set ran the gamut with respect to black music – funk, soul, neosoul, gospel, R&B.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant

favorites that gave the band an opportunity to shine as

is striking – especially to those who have seen the documentary. They embody the characters in a way that is stunning – and without being swept away into mimicry.

As actors they also manage to be so attuned that they fill the sparseness of Nichols’ script by expressing nonverbal connection that doesn’t feel forced or mushy.

With his snapshot of the Loving’s experience, Nichols doesn’t bear down on the

many stores carry plus size, they don’t have a lot of options.”

The told judges that if she were to win, the money would be used to create pop up shops, redesign her website, create more inventory and invest into an active wear line for her customers.

“Just because you are curvy, that doesn’t mean I don’t want you to be healthy,” Frazier said. She also said that she would use a portion of her winnings to incentivize partnerships with plus-size bloggers through

opposed to his more familiar – and commercially successful – selections. The risk didn’t pay off. He almost lost the audience’s attention after the band proceeded to overpower his crooning – particularly his silky falsetto.

But he quickly regrouped with the mid-tempo favorite “Sumthin’ Sumthin’” and kept the audience locked in from then until the finale with rearrangements to his hits that gave St. Louis natives Keyon Harrold and Shedrick Mitchell the opportunity to flex their impeccable musicianship chops as a part of the accompaniment ensemble.

Maxwell’s 90 minute set ran the gamut with respect to black music – funk, soul, neo-soul, gospel, R&B – as he reimagined songs to the

moment that made them a part of history. He instead opts to share the natural, normal experience of two people who fall in love and move forward with their quest for happilyever-after. The mundane of day-to-day captured in the film makes for slow pockets, but it’s a small price to pay for Nichols to realize the film’s purpose.

With the display of the conventional nature of their courtship and marriage, and the acceptance – by her family, at

coupons and special offers. The panel and the audience responded well to her pitch, but “cruelty-free” fashion line Fauxgerty and their vegan leather wowed judges and took the top prize.

Frazier seemed overjoyed and hopeful with second place – and the $5,000 that came with the honor.

“This has been a phenomenal experience,” Frazier said. “I would like to thank Alive Magazine and all of their partners for this amazing opportunity.”

point where they become his own. “Bad Habits,” “Fistful of Tears,” “Till The Cops Come Knockin’,” “Lifetime,” “Lake by the Ocean,” Al Green’s “Simply Beautiful” and Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work” were among them. He wove in a tribute to Prince when his quiet storm classic “Fortunate” transitioned into “Adore.” Before “Fortunate” was finished, Maxwell paid homage to Stevie Wonder’s “Ribbon in the Sky” and Andrae Crouch’s “Let The Church Say Amen.” His vocals weren’t in top form, but his versatility, coupled with the energy of his showmanship, compensated for being just outside of his usually pristine first-tenor range – and his angelic falsetto secret weapon.

least – Nichol’s shows what made the Loving’s story so revolutionary. We are shown two people who were otherwise a perfect fit for each other forced to fight for their marital union and family because of hate.

“Loving” opens in theatres nationwide on Friday, November 18. The film is rated PG-13 with a running time of 123 minutes.

Celebrations

Anniversaries

Michael and Kimberly Jackson celebrated 16 years of marriage on November 11. We are grateful that God has blessed our union for 16 years.

Reunions

Beaumont Class of 1967 will meet at the Natural Bridge County Library, 7606 Natural Bridge 63121 at 1:30 pm on Saturday, Nov. 19, and Dec. 17. Please update your contact info at Beaumontclassof67@ sbcglobal.net. We will be mailing info soon.

Pastor Arlene B. and Elder Kenneth W. McClendon celebrate their 43rd wedding anniversary on Nov. 17. They are the Founders of Chronicles Christian Center Church in Florissant, Mo. Elder retired from the U.S. Navy after 20 years and from General Motors after 31 years. Pastor has been a licensed barber and instructor for over 25 years.

Beaumont High School, Class of 1978 will celebrate its 40-year reunion in 2018. For further information, please contact: Marietta Shegog Shelby, 314-799-5296, madeshe@sbcglobal.net.

Sumner Class of 1965 is planning a “70th” Birthday Cruise for October 2017. If you’re interested and want to receive more information, please contact Luther Maufas (314) 541-4556, Brenda Smith Randall (314)382-1528, or Laura Young (314) 328-3512 with name, address so the info can be mailed to you.

Sumner Class of 1967 is planning its 50-year reunion and need contact information

Birthdays

Happy 8th Birthday to Ayanna Nunn on November 21. Daddy loves you, always!

Sending birthday wishes to Velma Brown-Rice on November 24. May God keep on blessing you! Love, Your Family

Willie Brown will celebrate his 85th birthday on November 23. Wishing you a Happy Birthday! Love, Stephanie, Sydney, William and Shirley

from those classmates. Please contact Carlotte Algee Stancil at algee1999@ yahoo.com; DonnaYoung Rycraw at donnarycraw@aol. com or Stella Smith Hunt at stellalhunt58@sbcglobal.net, 314-381-5104 with email, address and phone number. Vashon High School 90th Anniversary Celebration will be held at Renaissance Hotel Airport St. Louis, October 6-7, 2017. On October 5, 2017, there will be an Alumni Day at Vashon High School. Please save the dates.

Vashon Class of 1957 is having its 60-year reunion on May 20, 2017 at the Atrium at the rear of Christian

N.E. Hospital on Dunn Road. Classes 1955-1959 are welcomed. For more information, please contact Lovely (Green) Deloch at 314-867-1470, Marlene (Randall) Porter at 314653-0107, Mae (Simmons) Mahone at 314-653-0818 or Phyllis (Bolden) Washington at 314-531-9925.

Vashon Class of 1967 is planning its 50-year reunion and is need of contact information for all interested alumni. Please contact JoAnn Alvoid at alvoidjoe8@gmail.com; Sarah (Taylor) Robinson at srobinson647@hotmail. com; or Sonya (Walker) Smith at 314.381.8221, with

your address, email and phone number.

Vashon High School 90th Anniversary Celebration will be held at Renaissance Hotel Airport St. Louis, October 6-7, 2017. On October 5, 2017, there will be an Alumni Day at Vashon High School. Please save the dates.

St. Louis Community College needs your help identifying STLCC alumni. Alumni are encouraged to visit the website: www.stlcc.edu/foundation/, to become members or update information. For more information, contact Ashley Budde, coordinator of alumni relations, at abudde6@stlcc. edu, or 314-539-5145.

Do you have a celebration you’re proud of? If so we would like to share your good news with our readers. Whether it’s a birth, wedding, engagement announcement, anniversary, retirement or birthday, send your photos and a brief announcement (50 words or less) to us and we may include it in our paper and website – AT NO COST – as space is available Photos will not be returned. Send your announcements to: kdaniel@stlamerican. com or mail to: St. Louis American Celebrations c/o Kate Daniel 2315 Pine St. St. Louis, MO 63103 FREE OF CHARGE

Reunion notices are free of charge and based on space availability. We prefer that notices be emailed to us! However, notices may also be sent by mail to: Kate Daniel, 2315 Pine St., St. Louis, MO 63103

Deadline is 10 a.m. on Friday. If you’d like your class to be featured in a reunion profile, email or mail photos to us.

Our email address is: reunions@ stlamerican.com

Ayanna Nunn

Velma Brown-Rice

Willie Brown

Swag Snap of the week

Sumthin’ (Sumthin) to love from Mary and Maxwell live. The King and Queen of Hearts Tour starring Mary J. Blige and Maxwell Saturday night at Scottrade Center was my second-most anticipated show of 2016 (Of course Bey had the top spot). They didn’t disappoint. Ro James and his little bite-sized opening was cute enough, though his voice is even more nasally than I thought.

Mary J. Blige let us know out the gate that she was going there about that messy divorce with Kendu coming for every single one of her coins. And while she is like eighth from the bottom of my list of favorite R&B singers as far as technical skills, she puts on a show when she feels like it. Saturday night took it to the tenth power. She said, “never mind these notes, get into this raw emotion.” And I totally did! She looked great too! That shape was fantastic…and her blonde Brenda from “227”/Tootie from “Facts of Life”/Wilona Woods from “Good Times” wig was on fleek as per usual. Speaking of looking fantastic, I totally could’ve sopped Maxwell up with a biscuit. He is getting finer with age. And while I wasn’t sure what was happening at the beginning of his portion of the show, by the end he served life more abundantly. I just wish he wouldn’t play with us about taking that shirt off. I could see through his gloriously tailored suit that his body was right. And just as Maxwell did, I want to take a moment to shout out his St. Louis band members Keyon Harrold and Shedrick Mitchell – who are both clearly on the same fitness regimen as their boss, because they were in great shape too!

Porsha and so-so after party. After I left the concert, I scooted over to the OBar for the official after party starring Porsha Williams from Real Housewives of Atlanta. It was a 100.3 The Beat supported party so I ran into Osei The Dark Secret and Aye Eye was on the mic. They both are always a joy cross paths with. I also ran into Keith and Carri Griffin Shaki from Starpower, Keith from Koncepts and Mo Spoon from MPAC to name a few. I was expecting it to be at capacity. It was a decent crowd, but the last time Porsha was at a club in St. Louis they had to turn folks away. Something tells me that the grown folks at the concert were just too wore down from getting in their feelings with Mary and lusting after Maxwell to stop through before they hit it back to the crib.

8Ball and MJG got bumped. If there was ever an incident that proved the need to put an end to all of the folks crowding the stage at a club concert, Friday night was absolutely it. Y’all know I’ll go to the ends of the earth to get my dose of 8Ball & MJG. Thank goodness the last two have been at The Marquee. Friday night they had a trio of my trap favorites on the bill for 2016 that doubled as a birthday celebration for Kool-Aid. I’m still waiting for Project Pat to hit the stage, but that’s apparently a whole other story. I was devastated that it wasn’t the same sized crowd as Lil Durk, but it was still a good look. I forgot how much I got my life from Tela’s “Sho Nuff” until Friday. But anyway, my soul mate MJG and his partner in crime 8Ball were serving up the classics when all of a sudden the music cut off in the middle of “Pimp Hard.” He says “I guess that’s our time…” I was like “that’s it? Y’all couldn’t finish the song, though?” I thought an issue with them getting their coins was at the root of it. Come to find out, one of the dudes on stage for no reason bumped the DJ table sending the MacBook responsible for the performance tracks to the ground like he was an offensive lineman. I guess I’ll have to wait until 2017 to get the full glory of a performance by my favorite trap music icons.

Farewell Fleur De Lilies. By now y’all know that Soulard hotspot eatery Fleur De Lilies is no more. And I want to give props to Misha K. Sampson, Chef Ceaira Jackson and all the folks who helped her dive right in to the restaurant business. It’s no easy task, even for those with decades of experience under their belts. They created a real buzz over the past year or so. Keep doing big things! In the meantime, can you slip your girl the recipe for your apple bread pudding? I’m sorry, I know that was selfish, a bit insensitive and probably too soon…but the glutton in me had to at least try it.

Hannibal Buress and the show that never ends. Based on the ethnic makeup of the audience, I already know y’all aren’t necessarily bothered with Hannibal Buress. But hey, he’s a young black comic who nearly sold out The Pageant Sunday night. And if I had to sit through the set, y’all are going to have to suffer through reading about it. East St. Louis’ own Willie Lynch Jr. opened the show, and it seemed like he wasn’t really prepared to handle an overwhelmingly white crowd. He usually kills, but most of his material is rooted in blackness. He decided to turn information that you might normally see on Dr. Oz into a comedy routine. The audience wasn’t necessarily into it, but at least they were polite about it. Hannibal had me rollin’ when he lit into Donald Trump out the gate, but over the course of his set I was like “if you don’t jump into the next bit, I’m jump on this stage and snatch you off.” I will give him props for working Nelly into the show by calling him a hip-hop pioneer because of how he kicked into the beat of “Country Grammar” with a hum. He also gets points for addressing a pet peeve of rappers jump in and out of singing along to tracks instead of a full-fledged performance. I got life from the first few minutes of how he imitated them by hopping in on the tail end of a pre-recorded joke, but as with everything from his show it got old after a while because he didn’t know when to quit. Hannibal is gonna have to apply the “you need to cut it” technique to his jokes.

“Real Housewives of Atlanta” regular Porsha Williams and Janee Seals Saturday night @ The OBar

Raphael of the Umbrella Group and Super Ego Mitch cleaned up nice for their Formals and Sneakers event Saturday @ Rustic Goat

Deja and Brandi began their weekend @ HG Friday night

100.3 The Beat’s Osei The Dark Secret with The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul Mary J. Blige just before her emotional performance Saturday night @ Scottrade Center

Mo Spoon with “Dirty South” rappers Tela and 8Ball & MJG in VIP after their performance Friday night @ The Marquee

Kim, Monica and Shay got their party on @ HG Friday night

Teanna and Nicole stole some time to unwind Saturday night @ Mood

Stacy, Candice and Bell were among the crowd to come through for Formals and Sneakers Saturday night @ Rustic Goat

Trina and Sam toasted it up in VIP Friday night @ HG

Tia Becca of “Love and Hip Hop” with Big Tah of 3 Way Promotions Friday @ HG

Christy Anderson was able to share a tender photographic moment with Maxwell just before he headlined the King and Queen of Hearts Tour with Mary J. Blige and special guest Ro James Saturday night at Scottrade Center.

Photos by John Scott

Union Memorial United Methodist Church turns 170

Anniversary celebration on November 20

By Doris V. Harrington For The St. Louis American

Union Memorial United Methodist Church (Union Memorial UMC), located at 1141 Belt Ave. in St. Louis, will celebrate its 170th Anniversary on November 20 at 11 a.m. James Clark, vice president for Community Outreach at Better Family Life, will be the guest speaker.

The church was founded in 1846. Through the years, it has provided spiritual guidance and a level of leadership of the highest order. It is the oldest AfricanAmerican United Methodist Church in Missouri and one of the four oldest African-American churches in the City of St. Louis.

The church has had 25 distinguished pastors during its evolution as a beacon of light for many people. One of its pastors was elevated to the episcopacy.

In its early days, several Union Memorial UMC members and local pastors, guided by the esteemed Reverend B.F. Abbott, had the privilege of starting five small gatherings that later became strong churches and are continuing as anchors in their communities. They are North Park UMC, Unity UMC (Webster Groves), Asbury UMC and Beloved Community UMC.

In addition to helping small groups to start their own ministries, the church went on to distinguish itself in other ways in providing Christian service. It has an important connection in the development of Africa University in Old Mutare, Zimbabwe. Later, Union’s clergy and laity were recipients of the 1998 Denman Award for Evangelism – winning souls for Christ. It established the Come Share Food Program that, to this day, continues to serve the neighborhood and community.

Likewise, it established the Union Memorial Outreach Center in a school across the street from the church that was purchased from the St. Louis Board of Education.

In recent years, the church has implemented Breakfast and Lunch Ministries for the neighborhood and church members. In the mid-2000s, it sponsored three students in Mozambique as they pursued and completed seminary studies to become pastors in their homeland. Currently, two churches in Mozambique are being supported – one by Union’s congregation and one by an individual church member. Also, Union Memorial’s pastors have mentored several candidates for ministry, all of whom are now serving their own congregations and constituencies, in St. Louis and outside of St. Louis, with

distinction.

The current pastor, Reverend Cheree Trent Mills, arrived in June 2016 and hit the ground running in guiding the establishment of several new youth, outreach, and wellness ministries. She is the first woman pastor to be assigned to this historic church. With exciting events and activities, she and church members are continuing the focus of making disciples for Christ.

Everyone is invited to attend the 170th celebration on November 20. For more information, or to obtain a copy of the full history, please contact the church at unionmemorialumc@sbcglobal.net.

Doris V. Harrington is church historian of Union Memorial United Methodist Church.

The Message

What is your source of faith?

From where I sit, the world has gone completely crazy. Tragic world events, natural disasters, man’s renowned inhumanity to man all present a picture of faith being tested. That’s not to mention any personal challenges, family crises, health or even death issues you might be facing.

More often than not, I do believe that a lot of the drama in my life I’ve caused as a direct result of not having God cemented in my decision-making process. It’s just part of who I’m trying to become.

But, when I look at the world, there are other considerations that give me pause about what’s going on. Much of it has to do with me thinking religion has an awful lot to do with the insanity we all see and some experience each and every day.

Now the God Christians serve gives us a significantly different point of view. Jesus teaches peace, love and understanding. But the man was killed for living and preaching a life predicated on love for fellow human beings and a definite intolerance of institutionalized persecution and oppression, particularly by the church.

Columnist James Washington

Most of the tensions in the world and subsequent conflict have some base root in what many see as radical religious behavior in the name of one God or another. Violence is condoned in the name of defending or protecting God. News media have tended to ignore this over time and report a territorial point of view in many cases. It’s about oil, land, power, national integrity or just plain money.

This is changing, however.

I’m starting to see that many who fight and die are killed by someone of another, a different religion from theirs. That faith or lack thereof sanctions what have been called terrorist attacks, suicide bombers, righteous retaliation and of course political sovereignty.

We all know, or should know, the source of His strength in the midst of what He faced. This leads to my question about your source of faith in the midst of what the world is facing with you and me in it. Do you know what your source of faith is? I find myself in prayer asking God to give me wisdom to learn from whatever experience I’m going through, good or bad. Likewise, I’m also praying for wisdom to understand what in the heaven is going on out here. The end result is usually the same. I ultimately have to put it all in the hands of the Lord. At times, man has forced me to consider that maybe the reason the world is going to hell in a hay basket is because the one true God is not imbedded in the process of decision-making. When that doesn’t happen, chaos reigns. When it does, peace and peace of mind prevail. Put your faith in the fact that God wins and those who believe in Him are the only true victors. Everybody else is a victim, sad to say.

Reverend Cheree Trent Mills is pastor of Union Memorial United Methodist Church, located at 1141 Belt Ave. in St. Louis, the first woman pastor to be assigned to this historic church.