St. LouiS A meric FoundAtion An the
Don’t miss our Salute to Excellence in Education special section Inside
39th Annu
Scan the QR code to get trusted St. Louis news delivered straight to your email.
AL
Salute to
Excellence in Scholarship
Education
St. Louis American SAturdAy, St. LouiS u
Dr. Paula Knight
Stellar Perform er Award
& Awards Ga october 17
nion StAtion
th hoteL
la
Tamiko Armste
ad
Lifetime Achievem
ent Award
Richard ‘Rich’ McClure
Champio Education n In Award
The
OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
Dr. Demetri
us Adams
Excellenc e Education In Award
Dr. Samanth
a March
Excellenc e Education In Award
Carmen Meeks
Excellenc e Education In Award
Dr. Earleen
Patterson
Excellenc e Education In Award
Dr. Cierra
Wourman
Excellenc e Education In Award
Serving, empowering and advocating for equity in St. Louis since 1928
Vol. 98 No. 27 COMPLIMENTARY
stlamerican.com
A morning of Black girl sisterhood
The Sophia Project gives girls space to speak freely By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American The Farrell Auditorium at the Saint Louis Art Museum was filled wall to wall with Black Girl Magic on Friday morning. More than 400 middleand high-school girls from 11 St. Louis-area schools gathered for The Sophia Project’s fourth annual International Day of the
Girl Celebration — and somehow, in a room that size, the conversation still felt intimate. This year’s theme, “She’s A Perfect 10,” centered on confidence, identity, character, mentorship and leadership. But the real heartbeat of the morning came from the girls themselves. Their questions — honest, vulnerable and unfiltered —
Sisters Aamirah Bowman and Aamilyah Bowman listen to panelists during The Sophia Project’s fourth annual International Day of the Girl Celebration at the Saint Louis Art Museum on Oct. 9, 2026.
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
reflected a level of trust in the women seated before
them. The girls had a space
safe enough to ask questions so many women car-
ried silently at their age. They asked about heartbreak. About peer pressure. About self-esteem. About how to rise above circumstances that feel heavy even for adults. And then came the questions that reminded everyone in the room just how different their world is — shaped by social media, comparison culture and impossible standards. One girl raised her hand and asked, “Have you ever thought about getting surgery to change the way you look?” Diana Smith didn’t
See Sophia, A15
Four leaders win $200,000 Spark Prizes Recipients recognized for work in housing, justice and economic opportunity
By Na’Porsha Williams St. Louis American
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
Dr. Cierra Wourman shares a group hug with students at Confluence Preparatory Academies, where she serves as a college and career counselor. Wourman will be recognized as an Excellence in Education honoree at the St. Louis American Foundation’s 39th annual gala Oct. 17, 2026.
Wourman turns life lessons into leadership Confluence counselor is Excellence in Education honoree By Sylvester Brown Jr. St. Louis American Dr. Cierra Wourman recalled a painful experience in her junior English class in Alaska when she refused to read Mark Twain’s novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, aloud in front of her classmates because of its repeated use of the N-word. Her teacher insisted she read it aloud
or fail the class. Fortunately, Wourman had joined the youth group of a local NAACP chapter. She shared her dilemma with a representative who discovered the book had been removed from the school’s required reading list years earlier.
The representative confronted the principal, who claimed the school was unaware of the change. The teacher withdrew her threat to fail Wourman. “It was a huge deal,” Wourman recalled. “But it taught me that sometimes you have to advocate for yourself because adults aren’t always right.” Wourman, now a college and career
See Wourman, A13
Four St. Louis community leaders will each receive $200,000 from the Missouri Foundation for Health, with no restrictions on how they spend the money. The four recipients are Blake Strode, executive director of ArchCity Defenders; Jessica “The Spark Gaines, foundPrize is er of Kendall Missouri Developments and chief construction Foundation for Health’s officer for Dream Builders 4 Equity; opportunity Mike Milton, to salute founder and and support executive direcinnovators.” tor of Freedom Community Center; and Charli – Dr. Dwayne Cooksey, foundProctor er and CEO of WEPOWER. This is the second year the foundation has awarded the Spark Prize, which recognizes individuals demonstrating leadership in addressing social challenges that affect health and developing solutions to help communities thrive. “The Spark Prize is Missouri Foundation for Health’s opportunity
See Leaders, A13
Editorial / Commentary
A2
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
Guest Editorial
Commentary
Congress has failed America; we must act
Parents deserve vaccine clarity, not confusion
Time for the people of the United States to raise their voices – vote By Cynthia A. Baldwin
government can be maintained without the principle of fear as well as of duty. Good men will obey the last, but bad In January 2016, presidential canones the former only.” didate Donald Trump announced in It is time for the American people to Iowa, “I could stand in the middle of instill the fear of losing their positions Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and into those members of Congress I wouldn’t lose any voters, OK? who do not do their duty. Under It’s, like, incredible.” the Constitution, only Congress Today, he could add the folhas the power to declare war; lowing quotes: “I can do whatthey gave it to Trump. Under the ever I want by executive order or Constitution, Congress has the otherwise, and Congress won’t power of the purse; they gave it do anything. It’s like, incredible.” to Trump. Under the Constitution, Or “I can run a corrupt governthe states hold the power over ment and steal money from the Columnist elections, and Congress has failed American people and Congress to stand up to Trump as he tries won’t do anything. It’s like, Cynthia A. to take over our elections. incredible.” Or “I can trample the Baldwin We have all heard the saying, Constitution and take over elec“The only thing necessary for tions, and the American people the triumph of evil is for good men to will let me. It’s like, incredible.” do nothing.” It is time for those of us Let me be clear — no president, who know right from wrong, who have whatever the political party, has limitless power. But please understand that Donald a sense of morality, who know that our nation is going in the wrong John Trump believes that there direction and who see our greatare no limits to his power. ness fading to do something. In December 2025, Susie A little over a decade ago, Wiles, Trump’s chief of Congress during a victory speech in staff, said that Donald Trump must be Nevada, Trump spoke about believes that there is nothing he remindthe groups of people who had cannot do as president. Trump ed that its supported him. He listed several himself said as much in an groups and then said, “We won interview with The New York members with highly educated. We won Times when asked if there were are our reppoorly educated. I love the limits to his global powers. resentatives with poorly educated.” Mr. Trump, “Yeah, there is one thing. and, thereeven those in the United States My own morality. My own who are poorly educated are not mind. It’s the only thing that fore, are can stop me.” accountable stupid. The people of the United Well, we have seen Trump’s to us. States do not believe that the morality and mind in action, 2020 election was fraudulent and we all know that it is time because you lost, but the 2024 for the people to exercise their election was legitimate because you won. vote at the ballot box and stop him from Our election system is safe and trustmurdering our democratic republic. Congress has failed the American peo- worthy, and we, the people, can limit runaway executive power. Therefore, ple. Its members are our representatives people of the United States, it is time to and our voice. That voice has been silent. raise our voices. VOTE. Congress must be reminded that its members are our representatives and, Cynthia A. Baldwin is a columnist for therefore, are accountable to us; that the New Pittsburgh Courier and a retired is, “We the People.” In 1814, Thomas Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice. Jefferson said, “If our government ever fails, it will be from this weakness. No
Corrections and Clarifications A story published Oct. 1 incorrectly identified Carmen Meeks as the first person of color to serve as president of the Special School District Board
of Education. Meeks is the first Black woman to hold the position. Dr. Henry E. Anderson became the board’s first Black president in 1989.
By Dr. Dolores J. Gunn
most airtime, support for routine childhood immunizations remains strong. Keeping children healthy has never A 2025 KFF/Washington Post survey been the responsibility of parents alone. found that 81% of parents support school It requires families, caregivers, health vaccination requirements for measles care providers, schools and communities and polio, with medical and religious working together to create the conditions exemptions. Closer to home, Washington children need to thrive. University’s iHeard initiative found that Recent federal actions recommend only one-third of St. Louis-area changes to the longstanding adults surveyed believe parents childhood vaccination schedule, should be able to opt out of vacciincluding separating the comnating their children based solely bined measles, mumps and rubelon personal beliefs. la vaccine into individual shots At the same time, vaccination once those vaccines become rates are falling. Missouri’s meaavailable and, when feasible, sles vaccination rate among kingiving childhood vaccines during dergarteners has fallen below the separate medical visits. These 95% level needed to prevent outColumnist proposals come as childhood breaks. In the city of St. Louis, Dr. Dolores vaccination rates are falling and only 75% of public kindergarten J. Gunn measles cases are rising. The students and 71.4% of private share of U.S. kindergarteners kindergarten students were vaccivaccinated against measles, mumps and nated against measles, mumps and rubelrubella has fallen from 95.2% in the la during the 2023-24 school year. That 2019-20 school year to 92.4% in 202595% level is important because it creates 26. what is known as community immunity: Measles is also hitting closer to home. when enough people are vaccinated, a So far this year, Illinois has reported 23 disease has a harder time spreading from confirmed cases and Missouri person to person. has reported 11. Five of those The United States has reportcases have been reported in ed nearly 3,900 confirmed Parents and measles the greater St. Louis region, cases so far this year, including cases in St. Louis and families compared with 2,289 in all of deserve Franklin counties in Missouri 2025, reaching its highest level and Madison County in Illinois. trustworthy in 35 years. At a time when parents and Families are better able to information, families need clear, consistent protect their children’s health information, these changes risk easy access when they have access to trusted to care and creating uncertainty around information, affordable health vaccines that have protected leaders who care, transportation, paid time children for generations. off and responsive public instituwill protect For many Black and Brown tions they can rely on. both. families, these questions carry This is why proposals to particular weight. Black and break apart vaccine schedules Brown communities have are troubling. Policies that experienced generations of unfair treatrequire more appointments and additionment within health care systems, creating al steps to achieve the same protection understandable uncertainty about whom would increase burdens on families to trust. When trust has already been already balancing work, child care, transdamaged, changing guidance and added portation and school obligations. uncertainty can make decisions about a Parents and families deserve trustchild’s health even harder. The antidote worthy information, easy access to care is greater transparency and access to and leaders who will protect both. trusted health care providers who can Dr. Dolores J. Gunn is a practicing help families make informed choices physician in St. Louis and Southern about their children’s health. Illinois. She also serves on the Deaconess Despite what news headlines get the Foundation board of trustees.
Commentary
The many lessons of school choice By Camike Jones
St. Louis American stlamerican.com
Nathan B. Young (1894 - 1993) • Founder N.A. Sweets (1901 - 1988) • Publisher
Bennie G. Rodgers (1914 - 2000) • Executive Editor Melba Sweets (1909 - 2006) • Editor
Donald M. Suggs Publisher
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Fred Sweets • Ellen Sweets
ADMINISTRATION Dawn Suggs – Sr. Vice President Dina M. Suggs – Sr. Vice President Julie Erickson – Chief Operating Officer Raven Whitener – Director, The St. Louis American Foundation and Special Events Reba Smith – Executive Assistant-Coordinator
PRODUCTION Mike Terhaar – Art Director
EDITORIAL Rod Hicks – Executive Editor Alvin A. Reid – City Editor Kenya Vaughn – Arts and Entertainment Editor Earl Austin Jr. – Sports Editor Lawrence Bryant – Visual Journalist Sylvester Brown Jr. – Deaconess Advocacy Fellow Na’Porsha Williams – Breaking News Reporter
DIGITAL James LeBine – Multimedia Specialist SALES Pam Simmons – Senior Account Executive Angelita F. Houston – Classified Manager Ashley Simmons – Account Executive
The St. Louis American 2315 Pine St. St. Louis, MO 63103 314-533-8000
The largest weekly newspaper in Missouri
100% independently owned & operated continuously published, without interruption since 1928
crimination and “casual” racist remarks at the more affluent, less diverse school, presenting another set of challenges. Far too often for many Black parents Thus, it is not simply a tale of two and caregivers, in a nation still riddled choices. It’s a tale of many choices. Or with inequities, school choice is a matter maybe not. Perhaps it’s just one choice of picking between two less-than-desir— do we believe Black students deserve able options. a good education where their In a recent personal essay in identity is affirmed and they are The New York Times Magazine, prepared for the future that awaits “In Fighting for Every Black them? Child, Did I Betray My Own?,” If we do believe that, then how Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist do we get there? Nikole Hannah-Jones shared her It’s frustrating to watch one experience navigating school generation after another not choice for her only child. receive the educational training She and her husband Faraji they need. We do our part as parchose to send their daughter Columnist ents or advocates, but it feels like Najya to an underperforming Camike it’s never enough. public school in their New York Jones I have observed some Black neighborhood. While her family families reject the idea of acacould afford to send their daughdemic rigidity because it feels too similar ter to a more affluent, or even a private to oppression. Sitting quietly in a room school, Hannah-Jones chose her values, standing in solidarity with underresourced where you can’t fully express yourself and you’re told to repeat a task again and families, over personal comfort. again until you do it exactly as She and her husband chose instructed may feel oppressive. to stick with a challenging acaIn other circumstances, howdemic environment while tryI have ever, it’s considered high-level ing to improve the experience preparation. for all the school’s students. observed In our current educational Faraji Hannah-Jones joined some Black landscape, some educational the PTA. They advocated for families reject institutions are designed to policy and academic changes. the idea of guarantee their students will Their efforts may have even become your next judge, senhelped a little, but ultimately, academator, surgeon, developer or their daughter’s educational ic rigidity architect. foundation suffered in an envibecause it Meanwhile, other students ronment where students didn’t feels too sim- are essentially being supervised receive homework and assignments were left ungraded. ilar to oppres- from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. These students get the message to In the end, Hannah-Jones sion. stay quiet, not cause too much expressed regret over her decitrouble and the school will sion. Their daughter eventually keep passing them until they gained admission to a selective graduate. public high school, hoping for the rigorThis leads us to question our assumpous education she felt she had missed. tions about intellect. I strongly believe But these are not simply personal intelligence does not have a ZIP code or a choice issues; they are policy issues based on decisions that happened years or tax bracket. For those of us who want to see all students succeed, and care deeply decades ago. for the ones who look like us or come While the Brown v. Board of Education ruling was pivotal in the deseg- from our neighborhoods, school choice regation of schools, it did not solve all the remains a tough decision. Camike Jones is the editor-in-chief of educational hurdles Black families would the Indianapolis Recorder. face. Hannah-Jones’ daughter faced dis-
“Took us 30 years, but at this time, you are going to face justice for what you did on Sept. 7, 1996.” — Judge Carli Kierny, sentencing Duane “Keffe D” Davis to 40 years to life in prison for the murder of Tupac Shakur
News
A3
OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
Junior Bonds program opens doors for St. Louis-area students By Lawrence Bryant St. Louis American
Sunday for a Junior Bonds open house at the University of MissouriCarter Stigers, a St. Louis’ Millennium ninth grader at Soldan Student Center. Organized International Studies by Ricky Hughes, the High School, doesn’t yet program’s project manknow what he wants to ager with the Scholarship do after graduation. But Foundation of St. Louis, he already has something the event brought families many young people in St. together with the financial Louis don’t. Through the and educational partners St. Louis Junior Bonds who will guide students program, he has an early through high school. investment Lunch and in his future miniature golf — and a cirgave the gathcle of adults ering a celeTopics included committed to bratory feel. college, a first helping him Conversations home, a business during the learn how to use it. or savings for the event focused His mothon what future. er, Tameka comes next. Stigers, Topics includlearned about ed college, a the St. Louis first home, a Junior Bonds program business or savings for the through a text message. A future. friend encouraged her to Established with a $1.5 apply. She clicked the link, million investment from read through the details the James S. McDonnell and saw an opportunity to Foundation, Junior Bonds ease a concern familiar to gives each participating many working parents. student a share of a pooled “College is expensive,” investment fund initially Stigers said. worth about $5,000, along She and her husband with financial education. both work, but covering Edward Jones professionthe cost of college without ally manages the fund, help would be difficult. which has the potential to An investment that could grow over time but can grow during Carter’s high also lose value. school years offered their According to the family a starting point. Scholarship Foundation “It was a no-brainer.” of St. Louis, students can The Stigers family begin withdrawing their joined other participants shares in January 2030 and their loved ones after meeting program
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
Ricky Hughes meets with a parent during the Jr. Bond program’s open house Oct. 11, 2026. requirements. They can use the money for higher education, buying a first home, starting a business or contributing to retirement savings. For Tameka Stigers, learning about those choices opened a conversation with Carter about the difference between spending money now and using it to create opportunities later. Carter asked what the funds could cover. Tameka encouraged him to think about how each option might help him build his future. She also welcomed the flexibility of a program that recognizes students may take
different paths after graduation. “I know college isn’t for everybody,” she said. “I don’t have a concrete vision for the future,” Carter said. Junior Bonds gives students time and support to develop that vision. According to the James S. McDonnell Foundation, the program serves 276 students, now in ninth grade, with families included in workshops and events throughout their high school years. Parents and guardians helped get the students enrolled. They will also help them get to activities, ask questions and weigh
decisions at home. “These guardians, these loved ones know their families more than anyone,” Hughes said. Sunday’s open house expanded that circle of support. Edward Jones brings investment expertise. The Small Business Empowerment Center helps students explore entrepreneurship. St. Louis Community Credit Union provides homeownership education, while the Scholarship Foundation offers guidance on higher education. “The money is great, but the connections, relationships are worth more than gold,” Hughes said. Imani Fluellen of the Small Business Empowerment Center wants students to recognize that their interests can lead to business ownership. A young person interested in sports might think about owning a team. Someone drawn to law might eventually want a firm of their own. The center helps students connect those ambitions to the work required to pursue them. “When you’re young, you have all these possibilities going on in your head, but you don’t know how to put that on paper,” Fluellen said. Jonathan Feller, a program manager at FORWARD, described
another part of that preparation: helping students become comfortable with financial tools before adulthood. His organization supports the program’s online learning platform and the portal where participants can track their investment’s growth. “The primary focus of the program is to support the financial literacy of the student, but the parents and guardians are along for the journey as well,” Feller said. “There’s no reason that somebody shouldn’t have access to financial institutions,” he said. For Waymon Williams of Carrollton Bank, early exposure creates an opportunity to build good habits before mistakes become expensive. “It’s important to expose them young before they develop bad habits,” Williams said. Hughes hopes the program will encourage other organizations to invest in young people through funding, expertise and relationships. For Carter, the future remains open. College and a first home are possibilities, even if he has not decided where he wants to go. “Not everybody has the financial stability to go to college,” he said. Now he has a place to start — and his family has more people to help him take the next step.
A4
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
News Briefs
Commentary
Ameren’s energy plans draw protests over coal, gas
Free Cuba from U.S. cruelty
Ameren Missouri is facing opposition from environmental groups over a long-term energy strategy that relies on additional natural gas plants and continued coal production. More than 50 people demonstrated outside the utility’s St. Louis headquarters Saturday, objecting to plans for nine new gas plants and delayed retirement of two coal facilities. The Sierra Club and People’s Joy Parade organized the protest, where participants
also raised concerns about electricity bills and service disconnections. Ameren expects growing demand from data centers to require additional generating capacity. Its proposal would keep all four units at the Labadie coal plant operating through 2042, rather than closing two units in 2036. An Ameren executive told St. Louis Public Radio that extending operations would help control costs for customers.
Two St. Louis groups receive $877,626 for maternal nutrition Two St. Louis organizations will receive a combined $877,626 in federal grants to help pregnant women and new mothers access nutritious food. Hosco Shift will receive $492,773 and Operation Food Search will receive $384,853 through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal Produce
Prescription Program. The funding will support produce vouchers or prescriptions and nutrition education for low-income and medically underserved families. The Missouri awards are part of a $12.7 million national initiative aimed at improving maternal and infant health.
Ameren gives Lincoln University $100,000 grant Lincoln University of Missouri has received a $100,000 grant from Ameren Missouri to support student retention, scholarships and career preparation. The one-time grant will fund the university’s “Strengthen Education Opportunity in Mid-Missouri” initiative. The money will support financial assistance for students pur-
suing careers in engineering, energy, skilled trades, information technology, agriculture, business and other fields. Funding also will support internships, mentorships, professional development and workforce credentials intended to help students graduate and enter the workforce.
STLCC launches $1.5M program to cover tuition, books St. Louis Community College will cover tuition and book costs remaining after other financial aid is applied for eligible students from the city of St. Louis and North St. Louis County beginning in spring 2027. The STLCC Promise Program will serve full-time students at its Forest Park and
Florissant Valley campuses, focusing on manufacturing, technology and health care careers. Applicants must demonstrate financial need. Applications open this month. The college is contributing $1 million, with another $500,000 coming from its foundation.
SIU technology expo to feature data centers The Southern Illinois University System will host a free Technology and Innovation Expo from 12:30 to 6 p.m. Oct. 21 at the SIUE Health Sciences Complex, 200 University Park Drive in Edwardsville. The event will feature a keynote presentation, research and technology demonstra-
tions, an innovation showcase and a panel discussion on data centers. Researchers and representatives from across the SIU System will participate, with a reception concluding the event. Registration and additional information are available at tie.siu.edu.
By E. Faye Williams
with frequent power outages, a lack of much-needed equipment and Dr. Ron Daniels, president of forms of treatment brought on by the Institute of the Black World the U.S. with the cruel blockade of 21st Century, recently invited sev- necessities. Yet they are willing to eral U.S. leaders on a fact-finding remain in Cuba because they know mission to Cuba. Among those the value of becoming doctors and who went were Louis Romain, being willing to go into the most Julianne Malveaux, Rev. Robert difficult and dangerous places in Turner, Dr. James Early, reportthe world to provide health care. ers from The Final Call and Cuba has research programs Washington Informer, going on with something representatives of the plaguing the United World Conference of States now. They have Mayors and the National done some of the most Association of Black advanced memory care Social Workers. studies that we in the U.S. I’ve been blessed to are unable or unwilling to visit and work in many conquer. While visiting places in the world. I’ve hospitals, we saw doctors seen people struggle in with tears in their eyes many of those places. because they were unable Some have given up to provide their bestE. Faye struggling to make their known treatment because Williams country better, but not of the U.S. blockade of Cubans. We saw them goods, equipment, and carrying on with the best they medication. have, and they gave us the best of We met people who are suffereverything available to them. ing from the inability to get vitaThere’s trash on many streets, mins for headaches, eye drops, and not because Cubans don’t want to other health concerns because of take the trash away, but because of the U.S. blockade. Yet the Cubans the blockade of the United States showed us no hatred. They just against them. They have no fuel to struggle for peace from threats of send garbage trucks to pick it up. destruction from the U.S. governAll the nations I’ve visited ment, for an opportunity to feed taught me something, but in no their families, have gasoline to place were we more welcomed travel to work, and for their chilto see anything we wanted to see dren to go to school and have lights than in Cuba, including visiting to study when it’s dark. We take with Cuba’s president and elected these things for granted, but our leaders, community organizers government shows no regard for and justice workers, hospitals others needing the same things. and Cuba’s well-known medical As an American, I’m hurt and school, where young people who embarrassed about what the U.S. might never have had the opportu- is doing to Cuba — a country that nity to become doctors are doing has done nothing to us. Former so due to the graciousness of the President Barack Obama respectCuban people. fully visited Cuba and began an Some of those students are effort to resolve differences now from the U.S. and are studying in shut down by current U.S. leaders. Cuba because they were not given Lastly, thank you to Congressman a chance, for several reasons, to Jonathan Jackson, who is a major study in the U.S. No matter what, leader in the effort to free Cuba these students soldier on, studying from U.S. cruelty. under the most difficult of conE. Faye Williams is president of ditions now caused by the U.S., The Dick Gregory Society.
Business OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
A5
PEOPLE
Helping authors tell their stories
On The Move
Monique Swain to lead SLU obstetrics department
St. Louis native uses entertainment experience to create opportunities
Monique Swain has been appointed chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and SSM Health SLUCare Physician Group. Swain previously directed the Monique obstetrics and gyneSwain cology residency program at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and served as a clinical associate professor at Michigan State University. Swain will oversee patient care, research and medical education, with an emphasis on maternal health, breast cancer screening and expanded services for women of all ages.
Rambsy II examines Black students and literature Dr. Howard Rambsy II, a Distinguished Research Professor in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Department of English Language and Literature, has released his new book “The Convergence: When Collegiate Black Men Meet African American Literary Rambsy Studies.” The book follows the development of GAME, a program for first-year Black men, and considers what happens when students encounter African American literature early in their college careers.
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
Larry Rodgers, above, along with his wife, Paris, and their son, Langston, own and operate ForWord Books Publishing, a faith-based publishing company that works with authors to turn their ideas into finished books. By Na’Porsha Williams St. Louis American St. Louis native Larry Rodgers left the city as a teenager and headed to the West Coast with dreams of making it in entertainment. Decades later, he has returned home with a goal of helping others tell their stories. “St. Louis made me, Oakland, California, paid me, and L.A. kind of raised me,” said Rodgers, whose entertainment career included touring the world as MC Hammer’s hype man in the early 1990s. “And now back in the Midwest, back in the Lou, we’re going to make it do what it do.” Rodgers, his wife, Paris
Rodgers, and their son, He said he has been Langston Rodgers, own and writing since he was 12 operate ForWord Books and has been an avid Publishing, a faith-based reader throughout his life, publishing but began company that focusing on works with publishing in authors to turn Rodgers said a 2022. “Young major reason he their ideas People into finished Moving started ForWord books. Forward,” was to provide Rodgers a quarterly aspiring authors said a major children’s with a platform to reason he lifestyle magstarted azine, became publish their work ForWord without being taken the starting was to propoint for his advantage of. vide aspiring publishing authors with venture, a platform to followed by publish their work without journals, books and other being taken advantage of by projects. predatory publishing pracRodgers said the purpose tices. of the magazine is to uplift,
spotlight and celebrate local youth through storytelling, community events and literacy initiatives. He said the magazine was intentionally designed to create a sense of nostalgia for those who remember publications such as Jet and Ebony, while introducing that style of publication to a new generation. “I wanted our youth in this generation to have it and see what quality really looks like,” Rodgers said. Issues of the magazine sell for $10 to $12. Past issues have featured local stories on topics ranging from the history of Homer G. Phillips Hospital to St. Louis artist Brock Seals. “I don’t cut no corners See ForWord, A6
Help for minority contractors New guide targets St. Louis construction opportunities St. Louis American staff
business enterprises (MWBEs), including contractors, subcontractors and As billions of dollars in suppliers, navigate the conconstruction projects take struction industry, shape across the St. from understanding Louis region, a local development projnonprofit is trying to ects to preparing ensure that minorityfor bidding opporand women-owned tunities. businesses are better The 80-page prepared to compete toolkit also encourfor a share of the Scan for the ages general conwork. free guide tractors and develMission Realty opers to do more to Advisors has introduced “Build With Purpose,” bring smaller businesses into a free guide designed to help minority- and women-owned See Contratcors, A6
Envato photo
A new toolkit from Mission Realty Advisors aims to help minority- and women-owned businesses compete for construction contracts as billions of dollars in development projects are planned across the St. Louis region.
Delos Santos receives workforce scholarship St. Louis Community College student Reymart Delos Santos is among 200 students nationwide selected for the 2026 Chime Workforce Scholarship. Delos Santos is a second-year student pursuing an associate degree in clinical laboratory technology. The scholarship Reymart provides $1,000 to Delos Santos students enrolled in career-oriented certificate or associate degree programs. The award recognizes academic achievement and supports students completing workforce training.
Otis highlights statewide overdose prevention work Donald Otis, an overdose prevention coordinator with the University of Missouri-St. Louis’ Addiction Science Team, was featured in a KMOV First Alert 4 report on efforts to expand access to naloxone, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses. The team, part Donald Otis of the Missouri Institute of Mental Health, has expanded its distribution network over the past five years to reach all 114 Missouri counties. “There’s not a county in the state of Missouri that we actually don’t touch,” Otis said in the report.
Promotion, board appointment, new hire, award... please submit your People on the Move item (including photo) to areid@stlamerican.com.
A6
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
Urban League expands access to digital skills AT&T renews partnership for three years, provides 150 laptops By Na’Porsha Williams St. Louis American As technology becomes increasingly essential to everyday life and the workforce, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis is working to ensure residents aren’t left behind. That effort received a boost Tuesday when AT&T renewed its contract for the Urban League’s Connected Learning Center for three years. The center provides residents with digital literacy training and access to technology to help close the digital skills gap. The renewal was announced at the Urban League’s headquarters, where the celebration included digital literacy training and the distribution of 150 refurbished laptops to local families through AT&T’s partner-
ForWord Continued from A5 when it come to the quality of the books and the magazine,” Rodgers said. Beyond the magazine, Rodgers has helped 10 authors publish books and is currently working with several others on their projects. Willie Mae Anthony, a Berkeley councilwoman and author of three books, worked with Rodgers in 2023 to publish her children’s book, “The Duck That Was Afraid to Swim.” “I sent the words, and they turned my book into something awesome,” Anthony told The
Michelle Hawkins takes part in a digital literacy training session at the AT&T Connected Learning Center at the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis on Oct. 13, 2026.
ship with Compudopt. Michelle Hawkins, a trainee at the center, described herself as a beginner when she started the classes. Now, she considers herself an intermediate computer user. “I was intimidated by tech before I first started taking the class,” Hawkins said. “I have a lot more confidence, too, from being in this class among some peers that are willing to learn and not ashamed of, you know, where we are technically.” Before receiving her laptop, Hawkins said she primarily accessed computers at the library and through the Department of Veterans Affairs. A 2023 analysis by the National Skills Coalition and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta found that 92% of online job advertisements examined from
2021 required at least one digital skill. The study also found that jobs requiring digital skills generally paid more than those requiring none. Madelyn Johnson, director of the AT&T Connected Learning Center at the Urban League’s headquarters,
said participants learn skills ranging from navigating Google and search engines to understanding web browsers and accessing online resources. Johnson said the center has served more than 5,000 people during her nearly three-year tenure through digital literacy
classes, résumé assistance, job fairs and other digital resources. The center also offers instruction in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint and has hosted apprenticeship programs and workforce development workshops. Ernesto Moran, nation-
American. She said she came to ForWord with only a manuscript. “He helped with the illustration. He helped with the printing. He helped getting the word out,” Anthony said of working with Rodgers and his family. Her book is now available for purchase through Amazon. Robert Powell III, founder of Bruh Got Game Foundation, was featured in “Young People Moving Forward” and has remained connected to the Rodgers family since. Powell said he did not know what to expect at first because people often approach him with promises of what they can do for
his organization. Powell said. “I’m like, “I just went along with man, you really put your it. I made journalistic sure that I got hat on to actuhim all of my ally put in real source matethorough conA multifacetrial,” Powell tent for me.” ed entertainer, said. “He was Rodgers Rodgers sings, able to come said his years dances, acts out to some of of experiand performs my events.” ence in the Powell said entertainment comedy. He got Rodgers took industry have his break in time to learn prepared him about the foun- 1990 when he for what he was hired as MC is now offerdation and the impact of its ing through Hammer’s hype work before ForWord. man and toured publishing the A multifacthe world with story. eted entertainhim until 1993. “I was er, Rodgers floored sings, dances, because I acts and percouldn’t forms combelieve how just clean and edy. He got his break in nice and beautiful it was,” 1990 when he was hired as
MC Hammer’s hype man and toured the world with him until 1993. His career also included working with other household names, including Janet Jackson. Rodgers also worked as a stunt performer and live-action tour actor for the Black Power Ranger in the 1990s. He now performs comedy skits on social media featuring characters he created, including Reverend Rufus and Detective Larry Eats. Rodgers said entertainment remains part of ForWord’s broader mission. He said the company can work across books, movies, plays and music, as long as the material is positive and uplifting. “I want my people to have major professional
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
al program director of Compudopt and an instructor for Tuesday’s training, said the session covered online safety and practical skills such as online banking, using Google Maps and shopping safely online. The lessons focused on helping participants use their phones and computers to handle everyday tasks more easily, Moran said. Andrea Withers, another trainee, previously owned a laptop, but said it stopped working. “With this computer, being able to have one like this and take it home,” Withers said, “I’m just excited.” She said the computer skills she has learned can be used for “events, jobs” and business, as well as staying connected with friends and family.
platforms where things are done with godly excellence, done very professional,” Rodgers said. Rodgers is planning the ForWord Christian Book Festival from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 24 at the Deaconess Foundation, where community members can fellowship, meet local authors and learn more about the process of publishing a book. The event is free and open to the public. ForWord also plans to select one attendee to receive a free book publishing deal. “I feel like everybody in this world has a story,” Rodgers said. “No matter what race or even age. … As long as you’re breathing, it’s never too late.”
Contractors Continued from A5 projects, including reaching out to them earlier, offering mentorship and ensuring timely payments. The initiative comes as longstanding disparities in construction contracting persist, despite decades of efforts to expand participation by minority-owned businesses. St. Louis County’s 2024 minority- and women-owned business report found that minority-owned firms received 14% of spending on completed projects, below the county’s 24% annual participation goal. Women-owned businesses received 32%, exceeding their 9.5% goal. The county also reported that $21.2 million, or 45.3%, of the value of 13 construction contracts awarded in 2024 was committed to minority- and women-owned businesses combined. Those commitments do not necessarily represent money already paid. In the city of St. Louis, contracting policies have undergone changes. Goals established in 1997 called for 25% minority-owned business participation and 5% women-owned business participation in city-funded contracts. After temporarily pausing parts of its minority contracting program in August 2025, the city resumed certification under an executive order signed by Mayor Cara Spencer the following month. The revised approach calls for participation goals tailored to individual projects, informed by the city’s 2024 disparity study. “While there is an abundance of information available about certification, financing, workforce development, and contracting, there was not a single St. Louis-based resource that brought these pieces together,”
“Build with Purpose” offers guidance for minority- and women-owned businesses to compete for construction contracts. said Chantal Ogbeifun, a Washington University student who authored the toolkit. The guide walks smaller businesses through the construction process, covering certification, financing, bonding, insurance and bidding. It also encourages general contractors to look beyond their usual subcontractors, involve smaller firms earlier in projects and adopt payment practices that don’t put unnecessary financial strain on those businesses. Pete Kinsella, executive director of Mission Realty Advisors, said the region faces substantial construction demand over the next five to 10 years, driven by projects including the expansion of St. Louis Lambert International Airport, data centers, health care facilities and housing developments. Kinsella estimates that more than $100 billion could be invested in regional construc-
tion during that period, although the organization has not provided a complete project-by-project accounting supporting that total. “Meeting future demand will require expanding contractor capacity, in part, by increasing investment in small MWBE businesses,” Kinsella said. The toolkit points to the Refuge & Restoration Marketplace redevelopment in Dellwood, where it says minority- and women-owned businesses accounted for 80% of contractor participation and those workers made up 70% of the labor force. The project had set a goal of 100% participation. Mission Realty Advisors was established in 2023 by Summit Real Estate Group to help nonprofits address commercial real estate challenges. Its work includes involvement in the Dellwood redevelopment and the Brickline Greenway initiative.
your
HealthMatters ‘Taking Care of You’ OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
A7
Election anxiety weighs on Black mental health
Measles cases reach a 35-year high in the U.S. By Sylvester Brown Jr. St. Louis American
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
A voter looks over a ballot at Nance Elementary School in St. Louis’ North Pointe neighborhood in 2024. As the midterm elections approach, psychologists warn that concerns about civil rights, political uncertainty and racial discrimination can compound stress among Black voters, affecting their mental health.
How political uncertainty and racial discrimination compound stress By Jennifer Porter Gore Word In Black With the midterm elections 2½ weeks away and early voting underway in some states, Black voters are heading to the polls with a familiar knot in their stomachs, worried that democracy itself — and their civil rights — is on the ballot. The anxiety is palpable: A Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights survey found 82% of
Roughly 37% of Black Americans doubt or don’t believe their state and local governments will run fair elections.
democracy is threatened, and a national survey of Black women found that 9 in 10 are dissatisfied with the direction of the country. Roughly 37% of Black Americans doubt or don’t believe their governments will run fair elections, compared with 27% of White Americans. Concerns about voting rights and civil rights protections have intensified since President Donald Trump defeat-
likely voters fear their rights are being rolled back. Nearly as many believe
See Anxiety, A8
Measles cases in the United States have reached a 35-year high, with 4,080 confirmed cases reported as of Oct. 8, surpassing the 2,289 cases recorded throughout 2025, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pennsylvania has reported 1,078 measles cases statewide as of Oct. 7, compared with 16 during all of 2025, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, as officials contend with an ongoing outbreak. Other states have also battled significant outbreaks. South Carolina experienced an outbreak totaling Missouri has 997 cases between reported 11 October 2025 confirmed and March 2026 measles cases before it was declared over in this year, April, according including one to state health involving a St. officials. The Utah Department Louis County of Health and resident. Human Services has reported more than 500 cases this year. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a disaster emergency in October in response to rising infections. Missouri has reported 11 confirmed measles cases this year, including one involving a St. Louis County resident, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. No city of St. Louis residents are listed among the confirmed cases, although state and local health officials issued warnings in September about possible exposures at Busch Stadium and several other locations in the region. Despite the relatively low number of cases, Missouri’s preliminary school-reported vaccination rate for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) is 89.5%, according to the state health department. That is below the approximately 95% coverage the CDC says is generally needed to prevent sustained measles transmission. The United States is at risk of losing See Measles, A8
12-bed facility expected to open in 2028
BJC plans first hospice house in St. Louis Black Americans remain far less likely than Whites to receive hospice care St. Louis American staff BJC HealthCare plans to open the first dedicated hospice house in St. Louis, expanding end-of-life services as national data show Black Americans remain substantially less likely than White Americans to receive hospice care. The 12-bed facility, Evelyn’s House at BarnesJewish Hospital, is expected to open in 2028 on the hospital campus. “It will give patients a dedicated hospice environment closer to where they live,” said Nick Barto, president and CEO of BJC Health. BJC says the number of patients receiving inpatient hospice care in
National statistics point to a persistent racial divide in who receives hospice care.
its hospitals has doubled over the past five years, with the strongest growth at Barnes-Jewish and Christian hospitals. National statistics point to a persistent racial divide in who receives hospice care. Among Medicare beneficiaries who died in 2024, 40.5% of Black patients had received hospice care, compared with
55.8% of White patients, according to the National Alliance for Care at Home. Comparable figures for St. Louis were not available. BJC told The St. Louis American that limited awareness and access contribute to racial disparities in hospice use. The health system said it is working to address those barriers by expanding services in communities that have had fewer options close to home. BJC also said the new facility could create opportunities for earlier conversations with patients and families about hospice care, helping them better understand their options. See Hospital, A8
Photo courtesy of BJC Healthcare
BJC HealthCare plans to open the 12-bed Evelyn’s House at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in 2028, bringing the first dedicated hospice house to St. Louis.
your
HealthMatters ‘Taking Care of You’ ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
A8
Anxiety Continued from A7 ed Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. “People are at their edge, and understandably so,” said Dr. Wendi Williams, president of the American Psychological Association. Voters, she said, want answers: “When will the vote that I cast be counted? Will someone figure out a way to take away the vote that I cast, and so on and everything in between? Can we trust the people who are running to follow up and do the things they say that they can do or that they will do?” In St. Louis, psychologist Dr. Timika Edwards said election anxiety can add to the stress of experiencing racial discrimination, although its impact varies from person to person. Edwards, president of the St. Louis chapter of the Association of Black
Measles Continued from A7 its measles elimination status, achieved in 2000, according to the CDC. The World Health Organization defines elimination as the absence of continu-
Hospital Continued from A7 Dawn Mullins, who leads Mercy Hospice,
A Gallup/Kettering Foundation survey of 23,683 adults found 67% were concerned about political leaders pressuring election officials to change outcomes. Half worried their ballots would not be counted. Heavy social media users reported more concern
than nonusers. right now,” she said. She More than 3 in 4 Black described politics, the adults were concerned economy and public systems marked by what she about peaceful protesters called “a lack of care.” being harmed by federal That reckonagents, the miling played out itary or police, in late August, compared with when far-right 60% of White activist Laura adults. Loomer posted Edwards said racist and sexist the history of attacks aimed at denying Black Florida state Rep. Americans the Angie Nixon, right to vote the Democratic shapes how some nominee for U.S. view today’s polit- Dr. Timika Senate, and other ical battles. People Edwards Black women. who understand “When you normalize a that history may also feel pressure to educate others, dehumanization response or treatment of people, adding to their stress. then it gives it a permisWilliams, author of sion structure,” Williams ‘Black Women at Work: On Refusal and Recovery,’ said. The cumulative effect, she said, is “giving sees the anxiety as part permission that we still of a broader struggle for don’t have to care about Black women. “I think that we are liv- anybody, and that becomes ing through a simultaneous pretty nihilistic.” reckoning of the devaluaTaking back your power tion of Black women and Black women’s leaderClinical psychologist ship, and also the conseDr. Calvin Fitch calls the quences of not having it accumulated effects of in key places and spaces
discrimination and oppression “disempowerment stress.” Over time, he said, it “starts to erode core psychological faculties,” weakening a person’s sense of control and safety. Fitch, who founded Courageously You, selfhelp resources for Black gay, bisexual and trans men, developed the concept based on minority stress research. “It starts to feel like life is just happening to you,” Fitch said, “and you sort of start to become accustomed to things happening to you.” To help patients cope, Fitch separates the “flame” from the “gas.” The flame is an immediate trigger: a headline, social media post or political event. The gas is accumulated stress from racism or anti-LGBTQ+ stigma that “makes this hit even harder,” Fitch said. “We cannot solve every systemic issue in one interaction, but we can choose meaningful actions: finding validating
community, platforming people and organizations that are speaking out, giving less of a platform to people who are remaining silent or [seem to be] supporting” the attack. Edwards recommends seeking reliable information, limiting distressing news and connecting with supportive people. Voting together and participating in civic activities can help people stay engaged without sacrificing their well-being, she said. Whatever their politics, Williams hopes Black voters recognize the stress and “vote for the care of each other.” She also urged people not to dismiss small acts of restoration: rest, spirituality, time in nature, a 10-minute walk or a call to someone who “just loves the pants off of you.” “It is not a waste,” she said. St. Louis American Executive Editor Rod Hicks contributed to this report.
ous, locally established transmission for at least 12 months. The CDC has described achieving that status as a “historic public health achievement.” The CDC reports that the overwhelming majority of measles cases involve people who are unvaccinated or whose
vaccination status is unknown. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has a long public record of skepticism toward certain vaccines and public health mandates. The American Academy of Pediatrics has linked the resurgence of
measles to declining vaccination rates for the MMR vaccine. According to the CDC, two doses of the MMR vaccine are approximately 97% effective against measles. The vaccine is typically administered to children at ages 12 to 15 months for the first dose
and ages 4 to 6 years for the second. CDC data show that MMR vaccination coverage among U.S. kindergartners fell from 95.2% in the 201920 school year to 92.4% in 2025-26, below the level generally needed to prevent sustained transmission.
Kennedy’s criticism of vaccine programs has also raised concerns among public health organizations about the federal government’s messaging on routine immunizations. Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.
a separate health care organization, said the disparity reflects several factors, including historical mistrust of the health care system, limited awareness of hospice services and
delays in discussing endof-life care with patients. “While patient preferences are certainly important, we know the disparity cannot be explained solely by patients declining hos-
pice services,” Mullins said. “Referral patterns, timing of conversations, access to palliative care and how hospice is presented to patients all play significant roles.” Mullins said patients are sometimes referred to hospice only days before death, leaving families little time to understand their options or benefit from available services. The new Evelyn’s House will be built at 4520 Clayton Ave., on the site of the former Barnes Lodge. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, supported by nearly $20 million in donations through The Foundation
for Barnes-Jewish Hospital. BJC said it has never turned away a hospice patient because of an inability to pay. Admission to its hospice program is based on medical need rather than a patient’s financial circumstances, the health system said. The project builds on the original Evelyn’s House, a 16-bed hospice facility that opened in 2017 on the campus of Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital in Creve Coeur. Most hospice patients receive care at home, but some need inpatient treatment when pain or other
symptoms become too difficult to manage there. The new building will include family gathering spaces, lounges and gardens. Mullins cautioned that expanding inpatient hospice capacity would not necessarily close racial gaps in care. “Additional inpatient hospice capacity may help address specific needs related to symptom management and short-term acute care, but more beds alone will not solve the broader access challenges,” she said. Earlier referrals, community education and better access to palliative care are also needed, she said.
Psychologists, said research links chronic racial discrimination to anxiety, depression and physical health concerns. More research is needed, she said, to understand election-related anxiety among Black St. Louisans. Some residents still face displacement, financial strain and uncertainty following the May 2025 tornado. “When people are already managing trauma and unmet basic needs, additional political and racial stressors can compound their burden,” Edwards said. Distrusting the process
A9
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
Nivea shares health update, announces new music on ‘The Tamron Hall Show’ Singer and songwriter Nivea shared an update on her health during a recent appearance on The Tamron Hall Show. Earlier this year, she revealed on the YouTube series The Cadillac Chronicles that she had been diagnosed with leukemia and is now in remission. During her Oct. 7 interview with Hall, Nivea announced she is preparing to release her first major music project in nearly 20 years. She also said she has enrolled in school to study audio engineering. “I’m in love with sound in general,” she said. Nivea added that the new album will include “a lot more very relatable topics” and will sound “a lot more soulful than people have heard from me in the past.”
Nivea
Osefos get real about fallout from their fraud case on RHOP Dr. Wendy Osefo and her husband, Eddie Osefo, are speaking openly about the strain on their marriage after a fraud case upended their lives. During the Oct. 11 season premiere of The Real Housewives of Potomac, Wendy said the arrest changed everything. “The world that I knew is completely different,” she shared. “Everything happened at what I thought was the height of my career, and then I lost it all.” Eddie echoed the uncertainty. “You just never know what tomorrow will bring,” he said. “We’ve just been going through the process. The process takes a freaking long time.” In October 2025, a grand jury indicted the couple on charges including insurance fraud and conspiracy. Prosecutors say the case stems from a reported burglary at their home, where more than $200,000 in items were allegedly stolen while they vacationed in Jamaica in April 2024. Both have denied wrongdoing. A rep previously told Us Weekly the Osefos “look forward to their day in court.” On Sunday’s episode, Wendy confirmed they have separate legal teams as the case moves forward. “This has definitely been the darkest time in our marriage,” she said. Eddie added, “I feel we’re rebuilding trust with each other.”
Eddie and Wendy Osefo
Tory Lanez pushes $100M stabbing lawsuit California prison officials are pushing back against Tory Lanez’s $100 million lawsuit, arguing the rapper knowingly accepted the risks tied to his housing assignment before he was stabbed last year. In a court filing dated Oct. 7, T. Valdez — acting warden at California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi — said Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, agreed to his placement. The California attorney general’s office filed the response on Valdez’s behalf, Tory Lanez stating Lanez “consented to his prison housing classification and assignment and assumed any risk alleged to be associated with that housing.” Lanez’s lawsuit describes the May 12, 2025 attack as an “unprovoked life-threatening” stabbing by inmate Santino Casio. It argues officials should have known Casio posed a danger. Valdez confirmed the stabbing but denied responsibility. Lanez’s team initially said he suffered 14 stab wounds; later filings claimed 16. Casio told TMZ he acted in self-defense after hearing rumors of a bounty on his head. Valdez’s filing also argues Casio’s actions were the direct cause of Lanez’s injuries.
Verne Allison, co-founder of The Dells, dies at 90 Verne Allison, a founding member of the legendary R&B group The Dells, has died. He was 90. His death was announced by his son, VA Allison, in a Facebook post. “It is with much sorry that I and my sister Sheila Allison Moore inform you of the passing of our father, LaVerne Allison on October 6th, 2026,” the post read. “We really appreciate the outpouring of love and support. “ Allison co-founded The Dells along with Marvin Junior, Johnny Funches, Chuck Verne Allison Barksdale, and Michael and Lucius McGill in 1953. They started out as the El-Rays. After changing its name to The Dells, the group released its first hit, “Oh What a Night” in 1956. Soultracks.com was the first to report Allison’s death. The site called Allison “an essential part of the vocal blend that made the group instantly recognizable.” The site also called The Dells “one of soul music’s most enduring groups.”
BillHot Sheet Sorces: Bravo.com, TMZ.com, US Weekly, Soultracks.com
A10
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
A11
A12
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
Sponsored Content
United Way is changing lives across our region The United Way of Greater St. Louis Community Campaign is underway, bringing our community together around one shared purpose: to give. Each year, support for United Way helps make a difference in the lives of more than 1 million people across Missouri and Illinois. Through a network of more than 150 nonprofit partner agencies, United Way provides funding,
resources, and support that help individuals and families meet immediate needs, overcome challenges, and build a brighter future. When people, partners, and workplaces come together and give collectively, they can create change far greater than any one gift alone. United, We Give. With one campaign, we can help meet immediate needs, support trusted non-
profit partners, and create stronger, more stable communities across our region. Adeline was born with a developmental disability that was so rare that it was hard for doctors to determine a specific diagnosis. The fear of the unknown was unsettling for her family, but fortunately, United Way’s specialized services provided support and stability in the midst of uncertainty. Because of this support, Adeline continues to overcome
challenges, exceed expectations, and live a healthy, fulfilling life. After Karen’s biological parents terminated their parental rights at birth, her childhood stability was in limbo until a United Way funded program helped place Karen with a loving family that gave her the support she needed to succeed. Today, Karen thrives in an award-winning career in business and project management thanks, in part, to the vital
role United Way played early on in her life. Just after retiring, Jodie’s plans were derailed by a devastating cancer diagnosis that felt like a death sentence. Through United Way wellness programs and partnerships, she rebuilt her physical, mental, and emotional strength and found hope alongside others who were surviving and thriving. This support gave her something to hold onto, something that reminded
her that she still had control, still had power, and still had a future. One community. One campaign. Stories like Adeline, Karen, and Jodie are possible because our region giving together can create change far greater than any one gift alone. The need is now, and the opportunity is ours. Donate today at Helpingpeople.org.
A13
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
Wourman Continued from A1 counselor for Confluence Preparatory Academies in St. Louis, will be recognized as an Excellence in Education honoree during the St. Louis American Foundation’s 39th annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala on Saturday at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. The lesson she learned in Alaska has stayed with her. “We have to make sure that students can always advocate for themselves,” Wourman said. “I teach my students that if you feel strongly about something, you (must) be strong and stand your ground.” Wourman credits much of her determination to her father, Johnny Wourman Jr., a military man who raised her and her older sister while their mother was largely in and out of their lives. Growing up mostly in Detroit, the sisters also accompanied their father to military bases in New Mexico, Alaska and Scott Air Force Base in St. Clair County, Illinois. “My dad was very innovative when it came to his parenting style,” Wourman recalled. “We had hearty dialogues growing up and he encouraged us to speak up. He gave us that space to be effective communicators.” Her father prepared his daughters for the challenges of being among the few Black children in predominantly White environments. “Dad would always say, ‘my job is to make sure you don’t shrink yourselves around people who don’t look like you, it’s to make sure you grow up to be functional adults.’” At a remote base in Alaska, the sisters sometimes had to order hair care products by mail or rely on their grandmother back home to send clothes and other necessities. Because of her father, Wourman said she learned
Leaders Continued from A1 to salute and support innovators,” said Dr. Dwayne Proctor, president and CEO of the foundation. “We’ve chosen people who are thinking broadly, differently, and creatively about how to improve their communities. We hope this prize encourages people to spark change where they live.” “I just was quite overcome with gratitude and excitement,” Strode said of being named a recipient. “It’s a wonderful feeling to know that your work and your contributions are valued, are seen and valued in that way.” Through ArchCity Defenders, Strode has advanced civil rights litigation and provided legal representation to people affected by the criminalization of poverty and state violence. He said he has spent more than 11 years working to create a more just St. Louis and plans to continue that work. “We see this as an
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
Dr. Cierra Wourman, who is a college and career counselor for Confluence Preparatory Academies in St. Louis, has helped make dual enrollment a flagship program, allowing high school students to earn credits toward both their diplomas and college degrees. to recognize, cherish and champion diversity and equity at an early age. “It has to do with having a sense of integrity … doing the right thing no matter what and speaking up for those who couldn’t speak up for themselves. Our dad raised us that way.” After high school, Wourman enrolled at Wilberforce University, a historically Black university in Ohio, to study mass communication. She later completed her degree at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville while her father was assigned to Scott Air Force Base. Her journey into education began unexpectedly while she was attending SIUE and working at a shoe store in St. Clair Square mall.
investment in these individuals and the opportunities it will open up for them into the future,” said Ivory Clarke, vice president of strategic Blake relationships at Strode the foundation. “The Spark Prize is really the starting point. It’s an opportunity to jump-start something more.” As a real estate developer, Gaines has prioritized building energy-efficient homes powered by solar energy. She praised the foundation’s willingness to think outside the box when considering what contributes to community health. “They really were intentional about widening their lens and really exploring,” Gaines said. “What does health, or what does it mean to have healthy humans, and who’s working toward that?” She said although her company is not a health care provider, access to comfortable, stable housing is part of living a
Gary Trailer, a counselor with TRIO Upward Bound, noticed Wourman doing her homework in the store. He asked whether she had ever considered working for TRIO, a program that helps students prepare for college. She hadn’t. Trailer arranged an internship for her in recruitment. He kept an eye on her progress and eventually encouraged her to consider counseling. Wourman followed his advice, earning a master’s degree in counseling at Lindenwood University. She later pursued doctoral studies in educational leadership at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Her first counseling job was at Langston Middle School in St. Louis. “It was a rough
Charli Cooksey healthy life. “This wasn’t, like, a popularity contest,” Gaines said. “They really took their time and they did their research on us.” Cooksey said the award will allow her to continue pursuing systems change focused on child well-being and economic justice, including efforts to expand access to child care and close the racial wealth gap. “This will give me a chance to breathe a little more while doing so,” Cooksey said. She said she sometimes has to finance her work herself, and the award will provide a financial cushion while she waits for larger investments. She also said policy and systems-change work can be more difficult to fund than direct-service
school,” Wourman recalled, but “the kids were amazing ... their stories were amazing.” It was there, she said, that she “really learned to lead with love.” After the school closed, Wourman moved to Central VPI, where she took on new initiatives and learned more about students’ social and emotional needs. Her work caught the attention of Confluence administrators, who hired her as a counselor. “It was a lot about being surrounded by the right people in the right spaces,” Wourman said. “It created a sense of hope for me as far as college access and making sure our kids get on those campuses.” At Confluence, Wourman has helped
make dual enrollment a flagship program, allowing high school students to earn credits toward both their diplomas and college degrees. Confluence partners with institutions that include Harris-Stowe State University, St. Louis Community College and Ranken Technical College. Wourman is particularly proud of the school’s “To and Through” approach, which helps students not only gain admission to college but also develop the skills and support needed to graduate. She was named Confluence’s 2022-23 Professional of the Year and received St. Louis Community College’s 2023-24 Community Partner Award for her
use a portion of the award to create time to rest, reflect and document lessons from the organization’s work. He hopes to take a writing sabbatical and pursue research Mike Jessica and editorial menMilton Gaines torship to develop essays and a book based on that work. programs. “This prize would offer “We’re excited that this me something that this funding is investing in a leader like me that is doing work has rarely afforded me: the opportunity to policy and system change rest, breathe, and imagine work because that rarely beyond the urgency of the gets funded in a region struggle,” Milton said. like St. Louis,” Cooksey Recipients were nomisaid. nated for the award, then For the past six years, submitted applications Milton said Freedom describing their work and Community Center has its impact. Finalists particworked with survivors of ipated in interviews with violence and people who the Spark Prize committee. have caused harm, using Ciearra Walker, approaches centered on healing, accountability and founder and CEO of the Community Health transformation. Worker Coalition and a Milton said he plans to
work in community engagement. In an interview with the Telegram newspaper last year, Wourman was asked about the most worthwhile aspect of being an equity coach. “The most rewarding aspect of being an equity coach is witnessing Black and Brown scholars take ownership of their futures, whether that means securing college acceptance, exploring career opportunities, or gaining confidence in their abilities,” Wourman said. “Helping students recognize their strengths and break through systemic barriers fuels my passion for this work.” Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.
2025 award recipient, said she has used the funding for both personal and professional investments. “I invested in my sustainability,” Walker said. “I stepped away long enough to rest, gain clarity, and practice something restorative, because leaders shouldn’t pour from an empty cup.” Walker also reinvested a portion of the award into the mission of the Community Health Worker Coalition, the organization she credits with helping her showcase her work in Missouri. She said the funding helped provide resources to develop an app designed for its workforce. “The Spark Prize was exactly that: a spark for long-term change, both in what we’ve built and in opening the door to additional resources so the vision can live on,” Walker said.
A14
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
Civil service overhaul would reshape city hiring By Sylvester Brown Jr. St. Louis American Mayor Cara Spencer, backed by Board of Aldermen President Megan Green and Comptroller Donna Baringer, announced a plan Tuesday to rewrite civil service rules to give the city and department directors more power over hiring and the civil service system. The move, which follows years of complaints from city officials who say they have struggled to fill growing numbers of vacancies in the city workforce, marks one of the most extensive attempts to change personnel rules in decades. The city says it currently takes an average of 54 days to hire an employee, a figure officials hope to reduce to 45 days. St. Louis’ current civil service system, adopted through a 1941 charter amendment, was largely a rebuke to political patronage. It sought to prevent mayors from hiring whomever they wanted to run city departments, regardless of their qualifications, by requiring that hiring and promotions be based on merit and fitness. The proposals outlined Tuesday would give the mayor and department directors more discretion in hiring for some of the city’s top posts. St. Louis’ civil service system covers more than 4,000 employees, many of whom have protections against political firings and can keep their jobs regardless of who runs City Hall. During the press conference, Spencer said the proposed changes would maintain a merit-based system while giving department directors more
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer is pushing an overhaul of the city’s civil service system that would give department leaders more flexibility in hiring while retaining protections against political interference. The proposed charter changes would require voter approval in April 2027.
File photo by Lawrence Bryant
authority over hiring and managing their departments. Aldermen Daniela Velazquez and Matt Devoti joined the mayor as she introduced six bills that would collectively modernize aspects of the city’s 1941 civil service system. The proposed system would replace the
Department of Personnel with a Human Resources Department led by a chief human resources officer selected from the top three candidates on a competitive examination. The officer could be removed only for cause after a public hearing. Spencer said the proposals are largely based on department leaders’ com-
plaints about delays in hiring and concerns raised by aldermen about poor city services that have upset their constituents. The mayor and other city leaders propose moving detailed hiring, pay and workplace rules out of the city charter and into ordinances and administrative regulations. Meritbased hiring requirements
and protections against political coercion and discrimination would remain in the charter. The legislation also would require the Civil Service Commission to decide disciplinary appeals within 60 days after receiving evidence. If the commission misses that deadline, the employee’s appeal would be granted.
Workers also would have a formal grievance process, including optional mediation and a review committee with labor representation. Another provision would give city employees greater freedom to express political views and participate in political activities as private citizens, subject to safeguards. Former personnel director Richard Frank voiced skepticism about Spencer’s reform proposals. Frank, who served for more than 20 years, left the job in 2021 but has since sought reinstatement. He said the reason deputy directors were under civil service rules was to protect institutional knowledge between mayoral administrations. “Otherwise, you could clean house and have directors and deputy directors who have no idea what’s going on,” Frank told St. Louis Magazine. He also shared his concerns about putting personnel rules into ordinances, within reach of the mayor and aldermen. “Essentially, it is introducing exactly what [the 1941 charter change] was designed to keep out, which is politics.” The six bills must go through the Board of Aldermen’s legislative process, including committee consideration and a vote by the full board. Changes to the city charter also require voter approval. The proposed charter amendment, Proposition HR, is intended for the April 6, 2027, ballot. The accompanying ordinances would take effect only if voters approve the amendment. Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.
Urban League honors St. Louis American’s Kenya Vaughn She’s among media professionals to be recognized at luncheon By Na’Porsha Williams St. Louis American Kenya Vaughn, arts and entertainment editor of The St. Louis American, is among 10 media professionals being honored by the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis for their contributions to journalism, entertainment and the community. For Vaughn, the recognition carries special meaning because of the journalists who have received the honor before her.
“I know people who have received the award in the past, so knowing the caliber of journalists that they select, it was encouraging and made me even more grateful that I get to do what I do every day,” Vaughn said. The honor also holds special meaning for Vaughn because her mentor, former St. Louis American photojournalist Wiley Price, was previously recognized by the Urban League. “It’s something that I will always treasure,”
Vaughn said. community to Rod Hicks, her reporting.” executive editor “Kenya is of The St. Louis our bulwark American, weland rightly comed the reccalled the heartognition. beat of The “I appreciAmerican,” St. ate the Urban Louis American League for Publisher recognizing Donald M. how valuable Suggs said. Kenya Vaughn Kenya is to both The nine The St. Louis other honorees American and the St. are Damon Arnold, news Louis community,” Hicks anchor and journalist at said. “She brings intelKMOV; Jay Gill, vice ligence, creativity and a president of engineering deep understanding of this and operations at KTVI/
KPLR; Morgan Harris, evening news anchor at KMOV; veteran radio personality DJ Kut; and Jasmine Osby, music, arts and entertainment reporter at the St. Louis PostDispatch. Also being honored are Tani “Talus” RobbinCoker, brand manager at Audacy; Cam Rhodes of VOP (Voice of the People); Denisha Thomas, news director at KSDK; and Malik Wilson, television personality and “Show Me St. Louis” host at KSDK.
“Black media professionals have played an extraordinary role in shaping the stories, conversations and perspectives that define our community,” said Michael P. McMillan, president and CEO of the Urban League. The honorees will be recognized Thursday, Oct. 15, during the Urban League’s Salute to Blacks in Media Luncheon at the Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel. Veteran journalist Carol Daniel will serve as emcee.
Housing crisis threatens 150 North County families By Sonal Churiwal St. Louis Public Radio Housing advocates and tenants of Northern Village Apartments packed the St. Louis County Council meeting Tuesday evening seeking $450,000 in emergency housing funds as residents face the possibility of losing their homes. The testimony follows years of what tenants describe as uninhabitable conditions — including a lack of heat, mold and collapsing ceilings — at the North County complex, which houses about 150 families. “Last year, the heat went out every weekend in the winter,” 73-year-
old tenant Troy Kirby told St. Louis Public Radio. “I never knew what it was like to have heat Friday, Saturday and Sunday.” Kirby said conditions have steadily worsened over six years, forcing him to make plumbing repairs himself. Other tenants described mice, pest infestations and collapsing ceilings. County Executive Sam Page said property operator Mazal St. Louis has until Oct. 19 to address maintenance problems and approximately $700,000 in unpaid bills to Spire, which could result in gas service being shut off ahead of winter. Otherwise, the county would move toward con-
Photo by Sonal Churiwal / STLPR
Northern Village Apartment tenants, housing advocates and others attend a St. Louis County Council meeting Tuesday to speak on emergency funding needs. demning and vacating the property. Mendel Fischer, a Florida resident listed as the property owner, could not be reached for com-
ment. Page said the company also owes $780,000 in back property taxes. Page requested $450,000 from the coun-
ty’s general revenue fund for emergency and transitional housing. But council Chairwoman Rita Days questioned the proposal, calling such assistance “corporate welfare” and suggesting nonprofit organizations should help residents instead. Tenant Morgan St. Peters called that characterization insensitive. “When we think that we’re going to get a little bit of help from the people who we made sure we put in office because we believed that they would do what was right for us, we’re called corporate welfare,” she said. District 5 Councilwoman Lisa Clancy supported holding
a committee meeting next week to discuss the funding request. Legal Services of Eastern Missouri attorney Lisa D’Souza said legal assistance alone cannot solve the problem, particularly given the owner’s mounting debts. “Trying to figure out how to get the owner to pay for moves – it’s not something that will happen quickly, and people certainly need a place to live in the winter that has heat very quickly,” she said. With the Oct. 19 deadline approaching, tenants face the possibility of displacement without the emergency assistance they say they need to find new homes.
A15
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
Sophia
Dawn Price, founder of The Sophia Project, stands among students during the organization’s fourth annual International Day of the Girl Celebration at the Saint Louis Art Museum’s Farrell Auditorium. More than 400 girls from 11 St. Louis area schools gathered for conversations about confidence, identity and leadership.
Continued from A1 flinch. “No, I haven’t,” she told her. “I realized that I only feel bad about what I see on the outside when there is something internal — something going on that I don’t like on the inside.” The panel — a lineup of women whose careers stretch across entrepreneurship, education, public safety, storytelling and community leadership — didn’t shy away from anything the girls brought forward. Tepra Wells, a national digital storyteller and founder of Tepra Marketing LLC, spoke openly about heartbreak. “It can be so hard because you get used to being around someone in like or love with them for a number of years, and then all of a sudden it falls off,” she said. “What I decided to do during that heartbreak is to lean into the love for myself.” She told them she took herself to the movies. Took herself out to dinner. Looked in the mirror and said the same affirming things she once waited for someone else to say. “Be your own soulmate versus leaning on somebody else,” she said. Another girl asked what to do when boys call you ugly. Wells paused, then shared a story she admitted still stings. During a fourth-grade English lesson on nouns and adjectives, one of the most popular boys in her class used “Tepra” as his noun — and “ugly” as his adjective. Her classmates laughed. She put her head down on her desk and cried. All those years later, her voice still cracks when
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
she talks about it. “But moving on in my life, I recognized that God did not make any mistakes on the way that He designed me,” Wells said. “And the same goes for all of you. You were beautifully and wonderfully made — and very special.” Dr. LaTonia Collins Smith, president of Harris-Stowe State University, reminded the girls that their futures are not defined by their ZIP codes or circumstances. “I want you to leave here knowing that you can,” she said. “If I can, you can. You can be the first at whatever it is you
desire to do.” She encouraged them to speak power over themselves — even when it feels impossible. “Stand 10 toes down and be prepared to walk in any room and sit at any table,” she said. In her recap of the event, Dawn Price, founder of The Sophia Project, said the morning served as a reminder that the girls do not have to have their entire lives figured out right now — and that their purpose does not have to look like anyone else’s. “The assignment is not to fit in,” she said. “The assignment is to become
who God created you to be.” She praised panelist Nyshaun Harvey for urging the girls to listen to the inner voice that nudges them toward or away from people and situations. “Discernment matters. Obedience matters,” Price said. “Make your plans. Pray. Listen. Stay open. Let God direct the path. You were not made to simply fit in. You were made to bring your own light into the room.” By the end of the program, the girls had heard from women who built businesses, led institutions, created art, raised
families and carved out careers in spaces where Black women are still too often overlooked. They had also heard from women who once sat in classrooms just like theirs — navigating the same insecurities, the same pressures, the same questions. The Sophia Project has been creating spaces like this since 2011 — spaces where girls can be honest, curious, hopeful and heard. Spaces where they can see themselves reflected in women who have walked the road ahead of them. Spaces where they can learn that confidence isn’t perfec-
tion. And that leadership isn’t about being fearless — it’s about showing up for yourself, especially on the hard days. On this International Day of the Girl, they showed up. And the women on stage showed up for them right back. For a few hours on a Friday morning, they were reminded that they are not alone. That their voices matter. That their dreams are valid. That they are queens. And that even when their crowns lean a little, they have the power — and the support — to straighten them back up and keep going.
A16
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
“You have to go with your heart. You have to try and ignore the noise. If you listen close enough, you can hear exactly what your gut is telling you to do.”
Living It
– Aaron Pierre
B1
OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
Raw emotion meets arena-level energy Rod Wave fans packed Enterprise Center for a night of honesty and connection
By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American Rod Wave is a different kind of hip-hop star. That was clear before the show started — even before the doors opened for the St. Louis stop of his “Don’t Look Down Tour” Monday night at Enterprise Center. A line stretched around the corner and down Market Street almost to Union Station. Similar lines formed at every entrance. Fans showed up in crisp white shirts, black ties, blazers and every variation of bottoms you could imagine. The “Boss Babe Concert Chic” aesthetic belongs to his fan base alone. It’s a signal of their devotion — and a reminder that Wave and the people who follow him operate outside the ecosystem of run-of-the-mill rap stars. They came ready to connect with an artist who centers the feelings many of his peers create an escape from. He’s built his lane on emotional awareness and vulnerability. And after an extended delay that DJ Chubb handled like a pro, Wave gave them exactly what they came for.
Hip-hop star Rod Wave repped for the city with a custom Cardinals jersey during the St. Louis stop of his 'Don’t Look Down' tour Monday night at Enterprise Center. The show also featured emerging R&B artist Fridayy.
See Wave, B3 Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
CeCe and friends turn Chaifetz into house of praise
Mike Claiborne and Bob Kendrick revisit a legacy that helped shape the game
The ‘Come Worship! Tour’ brought a night of spirit-filled performances
By St. Louis American Staff
Coming” across the arena and had the crowd rocking in unison. “He Sees You,” “Build My Life,” and her hit “Big God” kept the momentum steady and sincere. Red Worship followed with a sound shaped by the diversity of its members. Born out of Redemption Church in California, the group moved easily between rock, rap, soul, gospel and R&B — even a hint of country — without ever losing
St. Louis will get a front-row seat for an important conversation in sports and American history next Tuesday, Oct. 20. Award-winning broadcaster Mike Claiborne sits down with Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for “Beyond the Diamond.” The program brings together two men who have spent their careers preserving stories that stretch far beyond the field. Claiborne is a veteran St. Louis journalist whose four decades in broadcasting include seven Cardinals World Series, the NBA Finals, the Kendrick leads the Stanley Cup Finals, Kansas City-based championship boxing Negro Leagues and NFL playoff Baseball Museum, football. His recent inductions into both where he has become the Missouri Sports one of the nation’s Hall of Fame and the foremost authorities Missouri Broadcasters on Black baseball. Association Hall of Fame cement his place as one of the region’s most respected voices. Kendrick leads the Kansas City-based Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, where he has become one of the nation’s foremost authorities on Black baseball and its impact on American culture. Since assuming the presidency in 2011, he has helped guide a more than $20 million turnaround — transforming the museum into a nationally recognized institution dedicated to preserving
See CeCe, B3
See Baseball, B4
By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American The faithful didn’t just show up at Chaifetz Arena Friday night — they came ready. The Come Worship! Tour asked them to do exactly that, and for more than three hours they answered the call. They stood. They sang every lyric. They clapped, swayed, and lifted their hands. The arena became a living instrument long before CeCe Scripture framed Winans stepped into the spotlight. every perforTerrian, Red Worship mance. Verses and Charity Gayle formed flashed across a contemporary Christian massive screens music trifecta that understood the assignment from that gave even moment the house lights the back wall of the dropped. Each brought a disthe 200s a clear tinct sound, a distinct lane, view. and a level of intention that made their sets feel less like openers and more like fully realized worship experiences. Scripture framed every performance. Verses flashed across massive screens that gave even the back wall of the 200s a clear view. And each artist was introduced not as an act, but as a “worship leader,” setting the tone for what the night was meant to be. Terrian opened with a polished blend of R&B and pop that felt both familiar and fresh. Her voice — clean, controlled, and radio‑ready — carried “Joy Is
‘Beyond the Diamond’ spotlights St. Louis Black baseball history
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
Headliner CeCe Winans leads a powerful moment of song and worship onstage Friday night at Chaifetz Arena during the St. Louis leg of the Come Worship! Tour.
B2
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
St. Louis American Calendar
Halloween Through Oct. 30 (select nights) 5 p.m., Boo at the Zoo presented by SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Hospital, The Saint Louis Zoo. For more information, visit stlzoo. org. Sat., Oct. 31, 12 noon, Annie Malone’s Safe Halloween Trunk-orTreat, Annie Malone Children and Family Services, 5355 Page Blvd. For more information, visit www.anniemalone.com. Sat., Oct. 31 4 p.m. & 7:30 p.m., Thriller Live! A Halloween Exclusive Michael Jackson Tribute Featuring Santana Jackson, The Blue Strawberry, 364 N. Boyle. For more information, visit www.bluestrawberrystl.com. CONCERTS Sat., Oct. 16, 6 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., City Winery welcomes Rakim, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way. For more information, visit citywinery.com Sat., Oct. 17, 6 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., Winery welcomes MC Lyte, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way. For more information, visit citywinery.com. Sun., Oct. 18, 7 p.m., The Sheldon presents in partnership with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Branford Marsalis and Dianne Reeves celebrate John Coltrane. Powell Symphony Hall. For more information, visit.theshel-
don.org.
For more information, visit www.bluestrawberrystl.com.
Fri., Oct. 23, 8 p.m., BMN Entertainment presents Cash Money and No Limit Tour, Enterprise Center. For more information, visit bmnshows.com.
THEATRE Oct. 15 – Oct. 18, Soul Siren Playhouse presents The Niceties, The Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, visit www.playsiren.com
Thurs., Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m., Thundercat: Distracted AF Tour, The Factory at The District, 17105 N. Outer 40 Road, Chesterfield, MO 63005. For more information, visit thefactorystl.com. SPECIAL EVENTS Thurs., Oct. 15, 7 p.m., The St. Louis County Library Foundation presents D.L. Hughley for an onstage conversation about his memoir Charlie’s Boy, The Pageant. 6161 Delmar. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com. Sat., Oct. 17, 6 p.m. (5 p.m. reception), St. Louis American Foundation’s 39th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala, St. Louis Union Station Hotel. For more information, call 314.533.8000 or visit www.stlamerican.com. Tues., Oct. 20, 6:30 p.m., Beyond the Diamond: An Evening with Mike Claiborne and Bob Kendrick, Spend an evening with acclaimed St. Louis journalist and broadcaster Mike Claiborne and Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell. For more
In honor of Coltrane’s 100th birthday year, Branford Marsalis and Dianne Reeves team with The Sheldon and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra for a tribute to the music master at Powell Symphony Hall. See CONCERTS for more information. information, visit www. mohistory.org. Thurs., Oct. 22, 8 p.m., The Rogue Route Tour with Sarah Jakes Roberts, Stifel Theatre. For more information, visit www.stifeltheatre.com. Sun., Nov. 1, 3 p.m., St. Alphonsus Ligouri ‘Rock’ Catholic Church presents Oh Glory! A Concert of Negro Spirituals, 1118 N. Grand. For more information, visit www.stalphonsusrock.org. COMEDY Sun., Oct. 18, Helium Comedy Club We Ain’t Done Wild’N Yet starring James Charles Lewis III and Mope Williams , Helium. For more information, visit st-louis.heliumcomedy. com.
Thurs., Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m. Funky Dineva Live featuring Quentin Lathan, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way. For more information, visit citywinery.com. Oct. 30 – Oct. 31, Josh Johnson’s Comedy Band Camp, The Factory at The District, 17105 N. Outer 40 Road, Chesterfield, MO 63005. For more information, visit thefactorystl. com. Sun., Oct. 11. 7:30 p.m., Grief Sucks: A One-Man Show by KevOnStage, The Pageant, 6161 Delmar. For more information, visit www.thepageant.com. Fri., Oct. 16 – Sun., Oct. 18, Helium Comedy Club welcom05 N. Outer 40 Road, Chesterfield, MO 63005. For information, visit thefactorystl.com.
ST. LOUIS MUSIC SPOTLIGHT Sun., Oct. 25, 3 p.m., The Erykah Badu Experience featuring Crystal Lynn and The Black & White Band, The Blue Strawberry, 364 N. Boyle. For more information, visit www.bluestrawberrystl.com. Tues., Oct. 27, 6:30 p.m., Love is a Song – The music of Roberta Flack starring Margery Handy, The Blue Strawberry, 364 N. Boyle. For more information, visit www.bluestrawberrystl. com. Sun., Oct. 25, 3 p.m., The Erykah Badu Experience featuring Crystal Lynn and The Black & White Band, The Blue Strawberry, 364 N. Boyle. For Blue Strawberry, 364 N. Boyle.
Through October 18, Stages Saint Louis presents Come Away with Me, Performing Arts Center, 210 E. Monroe Ave. Kirkwood, MO 63122. For more information, visit stagesstlouis.org. Oct. 23 – Oct. 24, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis presents Joshua’s Boots by Adolphus Hailstork and Susan Kander. COCA’s Catherine B. Berges Theatre. For more information, visit opera-stl. org. ART Through November 8, A Hum Beneath the Surface by Lillian Stephen, on display through November 8. The Kranzberg Gallery, 501 N. Grand Blvd. For more information, visit kranzbergartsfoundation.org Through February 7, 2027, Ayana Evans: Nobody’s Gonna Love You the Way I Do, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63108. For more information, visit camstl.org.
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
B3
Wave Continued from B1 Chubb kept the crowd occupied for the two hours between the doors opening and the first live performance. Philadelphia native Fridayy opened the show. His 30-minute set began with “Stand By Me.” He had enough confidence to hold his own against the size of the crowd and the massive stage placed in the middle of the floor. He packed about a dozen tracks into his brief but effective showing — including “Back To You,” “Baddest In The Room” and “Proud Of Me.” After another quick session from DJ Chubb, Rod Wave entered from the side and dapped up fans as he made his way to the stage. Instead of the shirt-and-tie look his fans wore, he showed St. Louis love with a light blue Cardinals jersey with “Mike” embroidered on the back. “Feed The Streets” played as he made his entrance. Instead of walking up the stairs, he went beneath the stage and slowly rose from a cutout in the center. “One More Time” played as he emerged. “Hustle” opened the actual performance. A set piece lowered from above — a pecan-colored woodgrain oblong shape with mid-century modern design elements. It shifted up and down, and Wave wore a harness so he could move with it as it rotated. Fans were locked in from the start. They stood the entire time — even during the video segments that traced his climb from TikTok sensation by way of “Heart on Ice” in 2019 to a chart-topping artist selling out arenas less than a decade later. His 80-minute set never lost their attention. They sang along so precisely it sounded like teleprompters were placed at every section. While the tour promotes Don’t Look Down, Wave didn’t hold back on
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
Instead of the shirt-and-tie look his fans wore, Rod Wave showed St. Louis love with a light blue Cardinals jersey with “Mike” embroidered on the back. his biggest hits and fan favorites. Staples like “Sky Priority,” “The Greatest” and “Dark Clouds” came early. The crowd was so invested it was hard to tell which songs resonated most. “Piece of Your Love,” “Love Overdose” and “Boyz Don’t Cry” stood out among the slower tracks. “Last Lap” was a highlight for the mid-tempo songs. “Federal Nightmares,” “Rags2Riches,” “Tombstone” and “Great Gatsby” were among the strongest of the club-leaning records. His lyrics — and the way fans sang them with-
out hesitation — sparked envy for this reporter, a product of the gangsta rap generation. Watching Gen Z live inside the feelings Wave expressed was as captivating as the performance itself. The size of the venue and the set design — which included bursts of pyrotechnics — didn’t allow for much intimacy. But Wave improvised with both his entrance and his exit. He closed the show with “25,” the perfect emotional peak for a set that had fans in their feelings for nearly 90 minutes. The song mirrors the lived experiences of Gen Z — navigating issues their
parents didn’t talk about, trying to figure out who they are while still healing from what they’ve been through, and feeling older than their age even when people assume their lives are just beginning. He left the stage as “Green Light” played, taking a second chance to shake hands, sign autographs and connect with fans up close. It would have been nice to see “Green Light” performed — and it certainly would have sent the crowd home on a high. But the fans who got the chance to reach out and touch Wave as the song played would have chosen that moment over anything else.
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
Fans connected with emerging R&B star Fridayy, who opened the show for Rod Wave’s ‘Don’t Look Down’ Tour, Monday night at Enterprise Center.
CeCe Continued from B1 the thread of worship. “Be Praised,” “Show Me Your Face/Yahweh,” and “Christ Our King” showcased a rotation of leaders who each served as vessels, ushering the room from one praise moment to the next. They made Christian music look current, cool and expansive. Jonathan Stamper’s jersey — red and black with a bold “23” and “Psalms” stitched above it — drew the eye to a familiar reference that could be LeBron James or Michael Jordan, but flipped with purpose, summing up their whole aesthetic. Charity Gayle carried the final handoff before CeCe’s arrival. Her verse, Psalms 92:4, set the tone for a set rooted in gratitude and conviction. Gayle’s voice is striking, but her delivery is what disarms people — understated, warm, and anchored in sincerity rather than vocal theatrics. “New Name Written Down in Glory” and “Thank You Jesus for the Blood” provided the kind of spiritual clarity that could move even a skeptic. She spoke briefly about Acts 16 and the power of praise to break chains, then invited her husband Ryan Kennedy to help lead “I Speak Jesus,” creating a moment that felt both intimate and communal. Then came the woman of the hour. CeCe Winans stepped out in a full‑length leather skirt and a red sweater stitched with “Let everything that have breath
Red Worship kept the crowd on their feet during their featured performance as part of the ‘Come Worship!’ Tour starring CeCe Winans Friday night at Chaifetz Arena.
Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
praise the Lord,” and opened with “Hallelujah Praise (The Highest Praise).” From the first note, she reminded the room why her presence carries a particular kind of authority. When CeCe and her brother BeBe first crossed into mainstream R&B and urban adult contemporary, they did it with a sound that didn’t chase theatrics. Just like their brothers before them, they offered easy‑listening gospel. The
sound is polished, pure — and in the past forty‑plus years of their family’s musical dynasty — unmistakably Winans. As a solo artist for more than three decades, CeCe has refined that approach into something rare: worship music that feels both gentle and commanding. Her tone is clean. Her pitch is exact. She doesn’t waste breath or lean on runs for effect. She could — and she gives flashes that prove it — but
she chooses clarity over flourish every time. That restraint is part of her brilliance. Her live shows are a masterclass in connection. With 12 top‑selling albums, she could easily fill three hours alone, but her set was curated with intention — enough to satisfy, never so much that it felt rushed or overstuffed. She reached back for “Alabaster Box,” then moved into newer work like “Testimony,” bringing
Terrian back out to join her. At one point, Chaifetz shifted from concert venue to sanctuary. CeCe invited those early in their Christian walk to pray with her and scan a QR code for support. The simple gesture was a reminder that worship isn’t just performance; it’s community. “When we all get on one accord and we worship God according to His greatness, great things happen,” she told the
crowd. “So whatever you need tonight, release your faith. We are all here for one reason — to lift up the name of Jesus.” She closed by welcoming all the night’s artists back to the stage. Together, they sent the audience home with a final praise through “That’s My King.” Instead of a tour stop, the night felt more like a gathering of believers who came expecting — and left full.
B4
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
Photos by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American Brittney, Whitley, Mechelle and Asia represented the “Boss Babe Concert Chic” look at Rod Wave’s “Don’t Look Down” Tour Monday night at Enterprise Center.
It’s almost Salute 39 time! In a couple of days, I will be able to say I told you so. After promising that a time will be had by folks with their good clothes on for The St. Louis American Foundation’s 39th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala Saturday at St. Louis Union Station Hotel, it will happen on October 17. Now I already told y’all that I’m expecting for honorees Tamiko Armstead and Dr. Paula Knight to bring the heat on the style tip. Now that the full list has been revealed, I’m also checking for what Carmen Meeks, Dr. Samantha March – and hopefully her little sister Amanda – and Dr. Cierra Wourman are going to bringing to Salute as far as their style. Y’all better visit www.stlamerican.com or call 314.533.8000 to get your tickets! Churchin’ with Chance The Rapper. I hate when shows fall on a Wednesday, because by the time I’m able to get around to talking about it we have all moved on. But it wouldn’t be right for me to shout Chance out for filling The Pageant to capacity for his ‘Coloring Book’ 10th Anniversary Tour. I left that show knowing two things for sure. The first is that Chance loves him some Jesus – and I am not the least bit mad about it. He gave a great show that included as many praise breaks as CeCe Winans and ‘nem at Chaifetz a few nights later. The show was quite cute. Which brings me to the second thing I know for sure. That La Reezy is something else! I never thought I would live to see a Gen Z rapper do the Pee Wee Herman dance and shake his tailfeather like Tina Turner, but here we are. Rod Wave’s preppy brigade. Speaking of Gen Z rappers, Rod Wave had thousands of teens and twenty-somethings pulling up in Enterprise Center Monday night looking like they were all interviewing for the same restaurant maître D position. I had no idea that his fans dressed up like that! I will say that the girls got creative with how they managed to still be half nekkid while keeping with the theme. Shout out to the young lady who wore a swimsuit on top of a freshly pressed church usher blouse! But y’all came to hear about Rod Wave! He shole (yes, shole) took his time getting to the stage. I must say that once he did, I was beyond satisfied. I even liked that little Fridayy. And was I tripping, or was that St. Louis’ own Bradd Young who came out and sang with him towards the end of the show? I could barely hear the name because of all the screams and singing along with Rod. enjoyed myself – especially watching the young people sing along to songs about their feelings. When I went to a rap show at their age, the chorus didn’t have a drop of encouragement or emotional transparency. I’m too shame to type the actual lyrics of the hooks I was singing. But if you are curious, feel free to google 8Ball & MJG’s “You Don’t Want Drama.” Another top-tier Animal House reunion. Morgan Casey and her squad did not disappoint with their second installment of their Animal House Reunion at Live By Loews on Sunday. When I was being fast up in the OG Animal House, I had to involve an accomplice who shall never be named. The instructions involved meeting me at the bottom of the hill at Lake In The Wood Apartments with specific instruction to turn their headlights off. We did an over the phone dry run that always ended with, “Don’t stop the car. Just have the back door open and move
St. Louis’ own Rhoda G was the featured musical guest for the one-and-only Tamar Braxton Friday night at City Winery.
St. Louis rap star Chingy came to check out Chance The Rapper Wednesday night at The Pageant.
slow enough for me to hop in without hurting myself.” Forty years later I was able to kick it with some of the same folks I saw in the club back then without the fear of my big granny pulling up in her 1980 Buick Electra Station Wagon wearing a moo moo and hair rollers. She would have shamed me to death and then made me pick out a switch and put me to actual death if I had ever been caught. Thanks to Morgan and ‘nem, I could kick it 1980s style without the anxiety of constantly looking over my shoulder– like I had to do in the 1980s. The folks came out looking like they walked up out of a scene from “Krush Groove.” Chan was killing it on the tables. And that wicker chair photo moment had me wishing I had gone with my first mind and made a quick weave with stacks and a shag. And did I mention I was home before “60 Minutes” came on? I can’t wait for part three!
Photo courtesy of the Missouri Historical Society
The St. Louis Stars Negro League team will be part of the conversation during ‘Beyond the Diamond,’ featuring Mike Claiborne and Bob Kendrick on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at the Missouri History Museum.
Baseball Continued from B1 the stories of the players, teams and communities that shaped the Negro Leagues. He also hosts the “Black Diamonds” podcast and has earned numerous honors, including induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Their conversation will explore how Black baseball didn’t just change the game — it helped change America. With St. Louis and Kansas City as the backdrop, Claiborne and Kendrick will explore how Negro League teams built Black institutions that stood strong through segregation. They will also detail how players like Jackie Robinson helped move the nation forward long before history officially caught up. Kendrick often reminds audiences that St. Louis played a leading role in that legacy. “St. Louis has tremendous Black baseball history,” he told Cardinals Insider in 2024. “They had one of the original eight Negro League franchises when Rube Foster established the Negro National League.” That team was the St. Louis Giants, who later became the betterknown St. Louis Stars.
The St. Louis Giants played as an independent team from 1906-1919. They became the St. Louis Stars in 1921 and played until the team became a casualty of The Great Depression in 1931. “The St. Louis Stars — as the name implied — had a lot of star power,” Kendrick said. “They had some of the biggest names to ever play for the Negro Leagues.” Among them was James “Cool Papa” Bell, one of the fastest players the sport has ever seen. Their style of play set them apart. “The pace of the game was far faster. It was daring. It was aggressive,” Kendrick said of Negro League games. “It had you sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to see what was going to happen.” In another interview, he noted that the Stars’ approach drew fans across racial lines. “Their style of play was faster, more daring, and aggressive compared to Major League Baseball. This unique style, which included bunting, stealing bases, and even home, attracted both Black and white fans.” The players themselves became cultural icons. Kendrick recalled how St. Louis fans celebrated slugger Mule Suttles: “When he would come to
the plate, the fans there in St. Louis would start the ‘Mule kick’ chant — they wanted to see him hit that ball out the ballpark.” For Kendrick, the Negro Leagues offer lessons that reach far beyond baseball. “The Negro Leagues are a tremendous example of why diversity, inclusion, and equity are so important,” he told Enspire Magazine. “When Jackie Robinson, selected from the Kansas City Monarchs, broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, it opened the door for players of color to take the field, and the game instantly improved.” Tuesday’s program invites audiences to see baseball not just as a pastime, but as a lens on justice, resilience and legacy. The Eta Boule Foundation is the community presenting partner for “Beyond The Diamond.” The evening begins with a happy hour featuring DJ Nune, with food and drinks available for purchase from The Crooked Boot and Chillax. Tickets are $20, or $15 for Missouri Historical Society members and members of the Eta Boule. Doors open at 6 p.m. for firstcome, firstserved seating. The conversation begins at 6:30 p.m. Visit www.mohistory. org for more information.
“I’m really just grateful that it was a tie.” — New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston, after rallying his team from a 27-13 deficit to a 27-27 tie against the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
Sports
B5
OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
Inside Sports With Earl Austin Jr.
Tough schedule prepares Cardinal Ritter for playoffs The Cardinal Ritter back Amir Tillman, who College Prep Lions have has run for 423 yards and played one of the toughest four touchdowns. schedules in high school Cardinal Ritter will football this season. close the regular season Some of the very with games against Class talented teams on the 6 state contenders CBC Lions’ schedule include and Jackson. Knoxville Catholic from Tennessee, Millard South from Nebraska and St. Reece Shanklin James from the commits to SEMO Washington, D.C., area, plus area Standout quarterpower De Smet. back Reece Shanklin The Lions have of East St. Louis high hopes when has given a committhe Class 5 playment to Southeast offs begin later this Missouri State. month. The 6-foot-1, Earl The Lions 190-pound Shanklin Austin Jr. have won their has enjoyed a big last two games senior season in with victories over leading the Flyers to a Naperville Central and last 7-1 record. His best game Thursday’s 30-22 win over came on Oct. 2 when he Lift for Life. They broke passed for 364 yards and open a 6-6 halftime tie six touchdowns in a vicwith 24 second-half points tory over Belleville West. against Lift for Life. He threw for 298 yards The Lions have some against Belleville East on excellent young talent on Sept. 18 and 271 yards the offensive side of the and two touchdowns in a ball. Sophomore quartervictory over Gainesville back Rhylan Moore has (GA) on Sept 4. passed for 1,289 yards and SEMO is a mem14 touchdowns. He tossed ber of the Ohio Valley three touchdown passes in Conference. the victory over Lift for Life. Tyran Frazier commits Moore has a stable of to Virginia Tech talented receivers to throw the ball to. Junior Ryan Basketball standout McDavis has 31 recepTyran Frazier of Principia tions for 601 yards and has given a commitment six touchdowns. Senior to Virginia Tech. Malahan Green has 33 A 6-foot-11 senior receptions for 493 yards forward, Frazier is and four touchdowns. He ranked among the top has already committed to five prospects in the state Oklahoma. Sophomore of Missouri. He is also Terrell Davis Jr. has four ranked among the top touchdowns while junior 75 prospects nationally Breyon West Jr. has two in the Class of 2027. He touchdowns. chose Virginia Tech over The Lions’ leading Missouri, Cincinnati, West rusher is senior running Virginia and several other
running back rushed for a school-record 467 yards and six touchdowns in the Shells’ 49-20 victory over Alton Marquette. Karter Downs (Kirkwood): The sophomore defensive back recorded a team-high 14 tackles in the Pioneers’ 35-21 victory over Fox. Calvin Husel (Parkway South): The senior quarterback completed 21 of 26 passes for 303 yards and five touchdowns in the Patriots’ 41-8 victory over McCluer. Steven Brown (Althoff): The senior running back rushed for 247 yards on 23 carries and five touchdowns in the Crusaders’ 63-30 victory over Mt. Vernon. Photos by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American
Cardinal Ritter senior Malahn Green reaches for a pass as a Lift for Life defender contests the catch Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, at Cardinal Ritter. Green caught a touchdown pass in the Lions’ 30 to 22 victory. major college programs. Frazier spent his first two seasons at Hazelwood East, where he averaged 16 points and 13.3 rebounds as a sophomore in leading the Spartans to a 19-11 record. Last year, Frazier went to Atlanta to play in the Overtime Elite League. Lyric Hughes commits to Rockhurst Westminster Christian girls’ volleyball standout Lyric Hughes has given a commitment to Rockhurst University. A 6’1” senior hitter, Hughes recently recorded her 500th career
kill in the Wildcats’ victory over Metro League rival MICDS. She has recorded 172 kills this season in helping the Wildcats to a 21-9 record. She is the daughter of former CBC and Saint Louis University basketball star Larry Hughes, who played 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association. Standout performers from last weekend Kai Robinson (Lutheran North): The junior running back rushed for 310 yards and four touchdowns in the Crusaders’ 55-35 victory
over MICDS. Ja’Khori Battle (St. Mary’s): The freshman quarterback completed 15 of 18 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns in the Dragons’ 58-12 victory over Pacific. Cameron Dowell (Cahokia): The sophomore running back scored three rushing touchdowns in the Comanches’ 47-14 victory over Highland in a game in which Cahokia clinched the South Seven Conference championship. Mehki Shorter (Roxana): The junior
What’s on tap for this weekend CBC at Cardinal Ritter, Thursday, 6 p.m. De Smet at St. Mary’s, Friday, 6 p.m. Parkway North at Pattonville, Friday, 6 p.m. Ritenour at Seckman, Friday, 7 p.m. East St. Louis at Naperville North, Friday, 7 p.m. Lutheran North at Kansas City St. Pius X, Friday, 7 p.m. Morris at Cahokia, Friday, 7 p.m. Eureka at Lafayette, Friday, 7 p.m. Gateway STEM at SLUH, Friday, 7 p.m. MICDS at St. Dominic, Friday, 7 p.m. Summit at Kirkwood, Friday, 7 p.m.
Sports Eye With Alvin A. Reid
Daniels shines like a star in Dallas That smile that Tampa kept smiling as fans, Bay QB Jalon Daniels including me, chastised his wore after leading his team decision making and turnover the Dallas Cowboys over-at-the-worst-moment is authentic. As a K Club capability. board member, I met the When Tampa Bay former Kansas quarterback signed him as an undrafted several times during his free agent, I figured the college career. The group best he could do was make supports current KU aththe Bucs’ practice squad. letes and former varsity When the 53-man roster letter winners. was announced, not Daniels, who only did Daniels could have transmake the team, but ferred and likely he was also named collected a larger the No. 2 quarterNIL deal with back behind starter another univerBaker Mayfield. sity, remained at After Mayfield went KU through six down with a hand Alvin A. seasons, includinjury three weeks Reid ing the COVID ago, Daniels got his year. Injuries first start against plagued him, and he the Green Bay Packers and missed a major part of almost pulled an upset, the Jayhawks’ 2023 sealosing 17-14. son, which ended with a Last Thursday, he outGuaranteed Rate Bowl played Dak Prescott and victory over UNLV in led his team to a 24-16 Phoenix. spanking of the Dallas Untimely fumbles and Cowboys. interceptions kept him “Six months ago, if you from reaching the level of would have told me my success pundits predicted first win would have been (he was on the preseason on Thursday night Prime Heisman Trophy watch list football game, I don’t in 2023) but he never gave know what I would have up on himself or his dream told you,” Daniels told of playing in the NFL – reporters after the game one he shared with me. while wearing that signaHe kept battling and ture beaming smile.
NFL career. The Reid Roundup
Photo by Jerome Miron / Imagn Images
Tampa Bay quarterback Jalon Daniels led his team to a stunning 24-16 upset of the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Oct. 8, earning his first NFL victory. He completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown, while adding 23 rushing yards. He was poised and productive. Daniels did almost throw a disastrous interception, but the football gods were smiling along with him — Cowboys defensive back DaRon
Bland dropped a sure picksix that would have cut the Bucs’ lead to two points. Fittingly, Daniels’ mother is named Star, and he pulled her up to the podium in AT&T Stadium to share in his moment of triumph. You won’t find a nicer person. I’m pulling for him to secure a lengthy
Saint Louis University and World Wide Technology have announced a strategic partnership that includes placement of the WWT logo on all team uniforms. “As an active SLU alumnus and former Billiken soccer team member, I care deeply about supporting the priorities of the University and enriching the student and fan experience,” said Jim Kavanaugh, CEO of World Wide Technology, which he helped found with company Chairman David Steward….Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott should be more concerned with his and the team’s sorry performance in an upset loss to Tampa Bay last week than a stadium worker who shouted “embarrassing” to him following the game…Another Black QB, Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders, cost his team a shot at a game-winning field goal in a 27-27 overtime tie with the New York Giants. Somehow, he forgot his team had no timeouts, and
his decision to run the ball instead of throwing it away blew his team’s chance to win as the clock ran out. Inexcusable.… Jameis Winston has stepped in for the Giants at QB in solid fashion. After losing to the L.A. Rams when thrust into the game for injured Jaxson Dart in Week 2, Winston has gone 2-0-1 as a starter, helping put the Giants in first place in the NFC East.…The St. Louis Sports Commission should work on bringing a WNBA preseason game to Enterprise Center in spring 2027 featuring Minnesota Lynx former MVP and perennial AllStar Napheesa Collier, a St. Louis native. Giving local fans a chance to see Rookie of the Year Olivia Miles would be great too… Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese was named WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, led the league in rebounding, and her team is in the WNBA Finals against the Golden State Valkyries…Guess who will join millions of people watching Reese play? Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, and the rest of the over-hyped Indiana Fever.
THE
Career Center
St. Louis american THE
B6
ST. LOUIS AMERICAN
•
JR97848 – Medical Secretary II – Certified – WUCA Grant Medical & Diabetes Associates This position provides patient-facing and administrative support within a clinical setting. Responsibilities include patient registration and check-in, appointment scheduling, processing insurance referrals, managing medical record requests, coordinating electronic document workflows through Epic, Sfax, and OnBase, and supporting daily clinic operations. The position serves as a key resource in ensuring efficient patient flow and exceptional customer service while maintaining compliance with organizational and regulatory requirements. This position requires a Basic Life Support certification, and it must be obtained within one month of from date of hire.
For the full job description and to apply, visit jobs.washu.edu, JR93641, JR97848. We seek people from diverse backgrounds to join us in a supportive environment that encourages boldness, inclusion, and creativity. EEO/AA/VET/Disability Employer
Notice is hereby given that The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Requests for Quotes, Bids, Proposals and Single Source Procurements are posted on-line for public download. Please navigate to: > www.msdprojectclear.org > Doing Business With Us > View Bid Opportunities The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is an Equal Opportunity Employer
NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Sealed bids for the Airport Road Multimodal Improvements – Traffic Calming project, St. Louis County Project No. AR-1906, Federal Project No. TAP5613(612) will be received electronically thru the County’s Vendor Self Service portal at https://stlouis countymovendors.munis selfservice.com/Vendors/ default.aspx, until 2:00 PM on November 18, 2026. Plans and specifications will be available on October 12, 2026 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlou iscountymo.gov) or by contacting Cross Rhodes Print & Technologies, 2731 South Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63118 (314) 678-0087. DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT ST. LOUIS COUNTY
SEALED BIDS Bids for Design & Construct New, Supervision Center Building, Joplin Community Supervision Center, Project C2512-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, in November of 2026. Project information soon available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities
THE
ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE Will receive electronic bids for the Furniture Package for Contract No. F27 403-B,Transformed Projects at the Forest Park Campus for the Phase 3 Renovation, until November 10, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. local time CST. Proposals MUSTbe submitted electronically to Travis Aly, Sr. Project Manager at tcaly@tarlton corp.com on or before the time and date stipulated in the Request for Proposal (RFP) document. Specifications and drawings may be obtained from Cross Rhodes’ Plan room at 1712 Macklind Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 – https://www. xrhodes.com/sendfiles.php. Documents are also available in Bonfire at https://stlcc.bonfirehub. com.
We Publish every Thursday
JR93641 Housekeeper - Real Estate Maintenance This position is responsible for the cleanliness of assigned areas, offices, building facilities or other residential spaces associated with a business unit for WashU. Daily responsibilities include the cleaning of areas within assignments such as entryways, entry lounges, restrooms, stairwells, hallways, floor lounges, study rooms, laundry areas, student suites and detail projects within residential areas assigned. Perform other duties as assigned. Daily communication with housekeeping supervisors is important to relay any issues concerning an assignment and reporting all maintenance issues that are observed. Required qualifications: Education: A diploma, certification or degree is not required. Work Experience: No specific work experience is required for this position. Driver’s License: A Class E (MO) or Class D (IL) license and a good driving record are required for this position.
St. Louis american
OCTOBER 15 - 21, 2026
PUBLIC NOTICE
Washington University in St. Louis offers rewarding opportunities in various fields at all levels, with positions in engineering, nursing and health care, research, administration, technology, security and more.
THE
Questions regarding the scope of work should be directed to Travis Aly. Individuals with special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act may contact 314-644-9039. An Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer
REQUEST FOR REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PROPOSAL Proposal for Parking Facilities Kiel Garage Lighting Proposals will be received by City of St. Louis Treasurer UNTIL 3:00pm October 30, 2026 http://www.stltreasurer. org/Request for Proposals/
Proposal for Parking Facilities Garage Repair Design Services Proposals will be received by the City of St. Louis Treasurer UNTIL 3:00PM October 30, 2026 For Specific project Information, go to http://www.stltreasurer.org/ Request for Proposals/
St. Louis american THE
Bids & Public Notices ST. LOUIS AMERICAN
•
REQUEST FOR BIDS
SEALED BIDS
Great Rivers Greenway is requesting bids for Missouri Greenway: Monarch Chesterfield Levee Trail Signage Replacement Project. Go to www.greatriversgre enway.org/bids and submit by November 06, 2026.
Great Rivers Greenway is requesting bids for Seasonal Conservation Project and Volunteer Management Services. Go to www.greatrivers greenway.org/bids and submit by October 20, 2026.
Bids for Design & Construct Replacement Nurse Call Systems at Missouri Veterans Homes Statewide, Project No. U2602-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, October 27, 2026. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities
MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOOK GRAPHIC DESIGN RFP
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
SEALED BIDS
REQUEST FOR BIDS
Proposals are requested from qualified contractors to clear and dispose of vegetation,brush, and overgrowth along designated rights-of-way in Kinloch, Missouri. This project is managed in part by the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership. A copy of the RFP is available at https://stlpartnership.com/rfp-rfq/.
The Missouri Historical Society Press, a not-for-profit publisher, is creating a book on the Lindbergh Collection. We are seeking a graphic designer to lay out the book and design the cover. Please visit https:// mohistory.org/about/ requests-for-proposal for details. Submission Deadline: November 9, 2026
Proposals must be received no later than 3 PM CT on Thursday, October 15, 2026. Equal Opportunity Employer
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority of the County of St. Louis (the “LCRA”) requests proposals from qualified contractors to An Equal Opportunity inspect the current HVAC system and implement a Employer recommended approach for replacement or repair of the SEALED same for the Early Explorers SEALED BIDS Child Development Academy BIDS located at 1232 Robert L. Bids for Water Bids for Powell Pl, St. Louis, MO REBIDSupply System, 63133. A copy of the full Fulton Bryant Creek RFP is available at https:// Reception and State Park, stlpartnership.com/rfp-rfq/. Diagnostic Ava, Missouri Center HVAC Proposals should be received no later than 3:00 PM CST Project No. Improvements, on Friday, X2409-01 will Project No. November 13, 2026. be received by C2406-01 will be FMDC, State of St. Louis Economic received by MO, UNTIL FMDC, State Development Partnership 1:30 PM, of MO, Equal Opportunity Employer UNTIL October 22, 1:30 PM, 2026. Project November 3, 2026. Project information MISSOURI information available at: HISTORICAL available at: http://oa.mo. http://oa.mo. SOCIETY gov/facilities gov/facilities
BOOK GRAPHIC DESIGN RFP
SEALED BIDS
SEALED BIDS
Bids for Bids for Design & Upgrade Construct HVAC New, Directors System, House, Project No. Sedalia, R2518Project No. F2402-01 will 01 will be be received received by FMDC, by FMDC, State of MO, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, UNTIL 1:30 November PM, 11/5/26. 12, 2026. Project infor- Project information avail- mation available at: http:// able at: http:// oa.mo.gov/ oa.mo.gov/ facilities facilities
The Missouri Historical Society Press, a not-for-profit publisher, is creating a book on the Great Divorce of St. Louis City and County. We are seeking a graphic designer to lay out the book and design the cover. Please visit https:// mohistory.org/about/ requests-for-proposal for details. Submission Deadline: November 13, 2026
Bids for REBID Replace Concrete Driveway at Higginsville Veterans Cemetery, Project No. U2603-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, October 20, 2026. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities
An Equal Opportunity Employer
To Advertise Real Estate, Angelita Houston at ahouston@stlamerican.com 314-289-5430 FOR RENT Nice, clean, 1 Bed Apart, $700/mo, Southside, near Benton Park,
314-437-4763
FOR RENT
1, 3 & 4 Bed Apts & Rooms for Rent $600 - $1,000/mo Plus $500/Dep Section 8 Accepted
618-781-7968
ROOMS FOR RENT Upscale, Very Clean, Good heating and cooling. Cable 314-484-3147
THE
B7
OCTOBER 15 - 21, 2026
LETTING NO. 8800 REMOVAL & REPLACEMENT OF SOUTHWEST & COLUMBIA BRIDGES FEDERAL PROJECT NO. STP-9900(675) Electronic bids submitted through the Bid Express Online Portal will be received by the Board of Public Service until 1:45 PM, CT, on NOVEMBER 10, 2026, then publicly opened and read. Proposals must be submitted electronically using “Bid Express Online Portal” at https://www.bidexpress.com/businesses/20618/home. Plans and Specifications may be examined online through Bid Express at https://www.bidexpress.com/businesses/20618/home and may be downloaded for free. A pre-bid conference for all contractors bidding on this project will be held October 20, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. The pre-bid conference will be held in City Hall, 1200 Market Street, Room #301, St. Louis, Missouri 63103. The project has a DBE goal of 0%, and there is not an On the Job Training (OJT) goal. Bidders shall comply with all applicable City, State and Federal laws (including MBE/WBE policies). All bidders must regard Federal Executive Order 11246, “Notice of Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Employment Opportunity”, the “Equal Opportunity Clause” and the “Standard Federal Equal Employment Specifications” set forth within and referenced at www.stl-bps.org (Announcements). REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
St. Louis Economic Development Partnership requests SEALED proposals from qualiBIDS fied firms to conduct Bids for Repair a comprehensive cost & Renovate benefit analysis, feasiInterior bility study, boundary Judiciary analysis and impleLibrary, mentation roadmap Supreme Court of Missouri, for a potential special Jefferson taxing district along City, Missouri Bellefontaine Road Project No. O2604-01 will between Spanish Pond Road and Trampe be received by FMDC, State of Avenue in the Spanish MO, UNTIL Lake community 1:30 PM, in unincorporated October 27, St. Louis County, 2026. Project Missouri. A copy of information available at: the RFP is available at http://oa.mo. https://stlpartnership. gov/facilities com/rfp-rfq/. Proposals must be received no later than 3 PM CT on SEALED Friday, November 6, 2026. BIDS Bids for Renovate Building No. 5 at Missouri Interoperability Center in Jefferson City, Project No. R2607-01, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, October 29, 2026. Project information available at: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities
St. Louis american
Equal Opportunity Employer
ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE St. Louis Community College will receive sealed bids for the General Contracting Work for Contract No. F27 403, Transformed Projects at the Forest Park Campus for Phase 3 Renovations, until November 10, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. local time CST. Bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at the Transportation Education Center, 5475 Highland Park, St. Louis, MO 63110 in Conference Room TC021. Specifications, drawings and bid forms may be obtained from Cross Rhodes’ Plan room at 1712 Macklind Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110. Documents are also available in Bonfire at https://stlcc. bonfirehub.com. A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on October 20, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. in the Transportation Building, Room TC021. Individuals with special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act may contact 314-644-9039. An Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer
Religion
B8
OCTOBER 15 – 21, 2026
Nolan Wells’ friends to Fox News: We’re ‘closer to God’ By Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware Word In Black For the first time since a Mississippi grand jury declined to hold anyone responsible for his death last month, three white friends of Nolan Wells, the Black teen who died on a boat outing with them this summer, say they loved him, would never have done him harm and reject the notion that race played a role in his death. In a recent Fox News interview, the friends, appearing with their lawyers, said they’ve rediscovered their faith, which is helping them deal with grief over Wells. They also say it helps shield them from the harsh public spotlight they’ve faced since their close friend disappeared on the July 4 trip. “I learned to lean on the Lord,” Warren Hudson told host Kayleigh McEnany, describing the impact that Wells’ death and the widespread controversy surrounding it have had on his life, including death threats against him and his family. Jax Pitalo agreed, saying the loss “got us all closer to God.” Morgan Seymour described a change in their religious practice: “We started going to church more.”
No hard questions or answers But the young men weren’t asked to clarify exactly how they believe Wells died, what they did when they realized he had gone missing or precisely why they left him behind on Horn Island, a barrier island off Mississippi’s Gulf Coast that’s popular with young people. They also insisted that the grand jury’s conclusion — there was no credible evidence of wrongdoing to indict anyone — vindicated them. Wells, 18, a football player at Southwest Mississippi Community College, disappeared during a Fourth of July boat outing. His friends have said their boat began taking on water and that Wells stayed behind on Horn Island, expecting another ride back later, and gave them his cellphone for safekeeping. While the friends made it home safely, Wells wasn’t heard from or seen again. After reporting him missing, his mother, Christine Wells-Wonsley, demanded authorities search for him. She and her husband have questioned why their son would remain without his phone, calling it inconsistent with his behavior.
Photo courtesy of Facebook / Fox News / Kayleigh McEnany
Months after Nolan Wells died following a July 4 boat trip, three friends who were with him are speaking publicly. From left, Morgan Seymour, Warren Hudson and Jax Pitalo discussed their grief and threats they say they have received, while questions surrounding Wells’ death remain.
and state autopsies classified the cause and manner of Wells’ death as undetermined. The grand jury concluded that the condition, location and position of his body were consistent with drowning. Wells’ friends were not asked during the Fox News interview if they knew how his injuries occurred. The interview followed a Jackson County grand jury’s mid-September decision not to criminally charge anyone on the three boats that traveled to the island with Wells. But the panel’s report said charges could be brought in the future if new, credible evidence comes to light. Crump, Sharpton and Wells’ family continue to question the investigation’s conclusions and are seeking a federal review. Doubts remain
His body was found July 6. The circumstances surrounding Wells’ death drew national headlines and sparked widespread speculation on social media. Commentators pointed to Mississippi’s long history of lynching, including the murder of Emmett Till, and noted that police initially ruled Wells’ death an accidental drowning with little investigation.
Federal review urged Authorities took a second look at the case after civil rights lawyer Benjamin L. Crump and the Rev. Al Sharpton began pushing for it. An independent autopsy commissioned by the family found Wells had suffered blunt force trauma to the back of his head and other areas of his body before he died. Both the independent
The Fox News interview failed to resolve doubts held by many viewers, judging from hundreds of comments and responses posted online. In response to the interview, “The Trent Out Loud Show” podcast and YouTube broadcast questioned the friends’ public expressions of grief, as well as the repeated presentation of their accounts as exclusive interviews. “For me, much of this sounded like the same story we have heard
repeatedly,” the episode description stated. It also said the friends’ presentation and apparent lack of emotion raised questions for the host. Those assessments reflect the commentator’s opinion, not new evidence about Wells’ death. On Reddit, discussion of the Fox News appearance included criticism of the friends’ choice of outlet. One anonymous commenter wrote: “How are you so lacking in awareness to not understand how bad doing this exclusive with Fox News is going to look to the people who are already not on your side?” Others pushed back against comments minimizing the threats the friends said they received. One participant cautioned: “All it takes is one person angry enough or with the right amount of mental issues to become violent.” The anonymous comments offer a limited snapshot of public reaction; the commenters’ identities could not be independently verified. The friends’ testimony describes how they are coping spiritually. The family’s demands concern the unresolved circumstances of Wells’ death. The interview brought those differing concerns back into public view, with faith, grief and the search for answers still unfolding.
St. LouiS AmericAn FoundAtion the
39th AnnuAL
Salute to
Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala SAturdAy, october 17th St. LouiS union StAtion hoteL
Dr. Paula Knight
Tamiko Armstead Lifetime Achievement Award
Richard ‘Rich’ McClure Champion In Education Award
Stellar Performer Award
Dr. Demetrius Adams
Dr. Samantha March
Carmen Meeks
Dr. Earleen Patterson
Dr. Cierra Wourman
Excellence In Education Award
Excellence In Education Award
Excellence In Education Award
Excellence In Education Award
Excellence In Education Award
Page 2
St. Louis American • SALUTE TO EDUCATION
October 15 – 21, 2026
39 years of opening doors For nearly four decades, The St. Louis American Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Education has brought our community together to celebrate outstanding educators, leaders and partners who have made a difference in the lives of young people throughout our region. On Oct. 17, we will continue that tradition with our 39th annual celebration. In 1994, The St. Louis American Foundation was formed and received its 501(c)(3) status. We sharpened our focus on enhancing educational opportunities for deserving students while recognizing talented and dedicated educators. Over the years, our community has embraced this mission, and our partnerships with area colleges and universities have helped us provide millions of dollars in scholarships to high-achieving students with financial need. This year, I am particularly grateful to our university partners who have continued their relationships with the Foundation and, where necessary, made thoughtful pivots to maintain these important academic opportunities. As institutions across the country navigate a changing environment, their continued commitment to students and educational access is meaningful. Although some things may look different because of the current state of our country, the meaning and purpose behind
our mission stand Keith Williamson + firm. The need to St. Louis American invest in promising Foundation young people has not Scholarship, with supchanged. Neither has port committed for its our responsibility to first two years. His inrecognize the educavestment reflects not tors and community only his belief in the leaders who dedicate potential of deserving their lives to helping students but also his students reach their confidence in The full potential. We St. Louis American remain focused on Foundation and our creating opportunities, ability to connect celebrating excellence young people with and ensuring that demeaningful educationserving students have al opportunities. We access to the resources Michael R. Holmes are honored to have they need to succeed. his partnership as we We are thankful for the continued partbegin this new scholarship tradition. nership of Goldfarb School of Nursing, This event also gives us an opportuHarris-Stowe State University, Maryville nity to recognize individuals who have University, Saint Louis University, dedicated their careers to education and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, the development of our youth. In the St. Louis Community College, University weeks leading up to the Salute, The St. of Missouri-St. Louis, Washington Louis American has highlighted their University and Webster University. Their stories and contributions. Their work willingness to continue working alongside reminds us that the impact of education the Foundation shows what can be accom- extends far beyond a classroom and can plished when institutions remain commitinfluence families and communities for ted to students and to our community. generations. We are also grateful to the Centene I am also grateful to this year’s Dinner Charitable Foundation and Keith Committee for lending their names, Williamson for partnering with us on the leadership and support to this important
celebration. Their involvement reflects the broad community support that has sustained the Salute over the years. As we gather for our 39th celebration, we certainly expect everyone to enjoy an outstanding evening. But we also recognize the importance of the work behind the celebration. Circumstances may change, programs may evolve and new challenges may arise, but our commitment remains the same. We will continue working with those who believe, as we do, that talented young people deserve the opportunity to receive an education and become the next generation of leaders in our community. I want to thank Raven Whitener, our foundation director, for her dedication and hard work in bringing this year’s event together. I also want to thank the entire staff of The St. Louis American for their continued support of the Foundation and the Salute to Excellence in Education. Finally, I want to thank you, our sponsors, partners, supporters and community. Without your continued investment, we would not be able to help so many young people as they work to improve the futures of themselves, their families and their communities. Michael R. Holmes Board Chairman St. Louis American Foundation
39th Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala Dinner Committee Adrian Bracy — Steward Family Trust Arnold Donald — Retired, Carnival Corporation Everett Johnson — Retired, Edward Jones Darryl Jones — Tri Tec Inc. Orvin Kimbrough — Midwest BankCentre
Michael McMillan — Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis Emily Pitts — Retired, Edward Jones Larry Thomas — Retired, Edward Jones Cornell “Niddy” Thirdkill — Privileged Society Janet Williams — Estelle Foods Inc.
October 15 – 21, 2026
St. Louis American • SALUTE TO EDUCATION
Excellence In Education Awardees
Tamiko Armstead
Dr. Demetrius Adams
Dr. Paula Knight
JR Howell
Dr. Samantha March
Carmen Meeks
Page 3
Rich McClure
Earleen Patterson Ph.D
Dr. Cierra Wourman
Salute to Excellence begins exciting new chapter By Raven Whitener For 39 years, the St. Louis American Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Education has celebrated outstanding educators while expanding educational opportunities for deserving students throughout the St. Louis region. Through longstanding partnerships
with area colleges and universities, the foundation has helped provide millions of dollars in scholarships to high-achieving students, including many who are the first in their families to pursue higher education. Those partnerships remain at the heart of the Salute and its commitment to investing in the next generation.
This year, the Salute begins an exciting new chapter as the celebration moves to the St. Louis Union Station Hotel for the first time in more than 30 years. The setting may be different, but the mission remains unchanged: recognizing excellence, creating educational opportunities and honoring those whose leadership and dedication make a lasting difference in
the lives of students. The 2026 honorees are Tamiko Armstead, Lifetime Achiever; Dr. Paula Knight, Stellar Performer; Richard McClure, Champion in Education; and Dr. Demetrius Adams, Dr. Samantha March, Carmen Meeks, Earleen Patterson Ph.D and Dr. Cierra Wourman, who are receiving Excellence in Education awards.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS YEAR’S DR. DONALD M. SUGGS SCHOLARS AND AWARDEES. Webster University is proud to support The St. Louis American Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala.
Laila Davis
Courtney Wright
October 15 – 21, 2026
St. Louis American • SALUTE TO EDUCATION
Page 5
Lifetime Achiever Award in Education
Cardinal Ritter helped shape her. Now she shapes it By Sylvester Brown Jr. Tamiko Armstead, who leads her alma mater, is being honored for education excellence with the Lifetime Achievement Award. When Tamiko Armstead first heard about Cardinal Ritter College Prep, she didn’t know such a place existed. Her parents were determined to send their children to Catholic schools, but Armstead’s experience in predominantly white Catholic elementary schools left her frustrated. “It was an environment that expected me to assimilate without letting me be my true female self,” Armstead recalled. That changed after two Cardinal Ritter representatives came to “High School Night” at her elementary school to tell students about their predominantly Black Catholic high school. When Armstead came home, she told her parents, “I absolutely have to go there!” She did. And it changed her life. “It was the first time in my educational experience I felt at home. I felt like it was a place made for me,” Armstead said. Decades later, Armstead returned to the school that had given her that sense of belonging — this time to lead it. Since becoming president and CEO of Cardinal Ritter in 2014, Armstead has doubled enrollment, overseen major improvements to the school’s 17-acre campus and expanded its science, technology, arts and health and wellness programming. The school reports that its graduates have an 82% college persistence rate, compared with 73% nationally. Armstead will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award during the St. Louis American Foundation’s 39th annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala on Oct. 17 at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. Armstead was quick to credit Cardinal Ritter’s success to the people around her. “I haven’t made it this great institution all by myself. I’m not the teacher, I’m not the principal, I’m not the coach,” Armstead said. “Those are the people who
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
Cardinal Ritter College Prep President and CEO Tamiko Armstead returned to her alma mater in 2014 determined to strengthen its academic programs. make the magic happen.” Cardinal Ritter’s longtime board chairman, Joe Conran, describes her as a leader who cares about the school’s more than 400 students as if they were her own. “She leads by example,” Conran said, crediting Armstead and the people around her with creating a culture that produces well-rounded and successful young people. What makes Armstead’s accomplishments in education even more noteworthy is that she returned to Cardinal Ritter after spending 19 years in the business world
as an executive with the St. Louis-based financial services firm Edward Jones. But Armstead acknowledges there were what she calls “divine” indicators along the way that seemed to predict where her life was headed. At age 7, Armstead, who grew up with two older brothers, asked her parents not to buy her any girl dolls for Christmas. She insisted on a boy doll, telling them, “When I grow up, I’m only going to have sons.” Today, she and her husband, William, have five boys.
Another prediction came to fruition years later at Wilberforce University, where Armstead blossomed, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science, national and international business internships and other academic accolades. In June 1994, she was crowned Miss Wilberforce. During the competition, a panel of judges asked the candidates where they saw themselves in 20 years. “I see myself running a school,” she
See ARMSTEAD, page 7
Learn deeply. Serve boldly. Lead with heart. The world needs more Saints. maryville.edu/StrategicPlan
October 15 – 21, 2026
St. Louis American • SALUTE TO EDUCATION
Tamiko Armstead has helped double enrollment at Cardinal Ritter College Prep since becoming its president and CEO.
Armstead Continued from page 5 told the audience. Twenty years later, to the month, she accepted the invitation to lead Cardinal Ritter. By then, Armstead had spent nearly two decades at Edward Jones and earned an MBA from Washington University. Although she had never run a school, she said her business experience prepared her for the challenge. “I knew I had to get enrollment up; do some work on our strategic plan, build our brand and I knew I had to fundraise,” Armstead recalled. She had already led large departments and spent 17 of her 19 years at Edward Jones in leadership roles. She also carried over a guiding principle
from the time she spent at the company. “Edward Jones’ motto is to ‘put the client first.’ So, I said, ‘that’s the same for us at Ritter, put the kids first.’ We put the mission first in everything we do.” Dr. Pamela Hamilton, Cardinal Ritter’s assistant principal, said that focus is evident throughout the school. “Every planning session, every meeting, everything is predicated on uplifting and celebrating our children,” Hamilton said. “When everyone else talks negatively about our children, she’s always trying to find ways to empower them.” Bob Virgil, a former dean of Washington University’s Olin School of Business and general partner at Edward Jones, credits Armstead with breathing “life and vitality” into Cardinal Ritter. “Through her leadership, she’s shown that there can be excellence in secondary education … as long as there is
commitment to excellence and to stewarding wisely and carefully limited resources,” Virgil said. That commitment includes bringing more Black men into the school. In 2022, Armstead led a strategic campaign to recruit more Black male teachers. Today, about 40% of Cardinal Ritter’s faculty and staff are Black men, compared with about 2% of teachers nationally. “We now have a Black male in every subject — science, math, social studies, arts, music, you name it — and I’m just so proud of that,” Armstead said. Her belief in the importance of Black male involvement with young people goes back to her late father, who started Organized Men Against Juvenile Crime, a nonprofit that worked with police and public schools to reduce gun-related violence. “I have been so blessed to have been surrounded by strong Black men from
Page 7
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
high school to college to even Edward Jones,” Armstead said. “I know a Black boy can get something irreplaceable from an adult Black male.” Her father’s work came “full circle” in 2021, she said, when she partnered with the Urban League to start Movement Not Moment, a student-led nonviolence initiative born after the murder of Cardinal Ritter student Isis Mahr. Last year, Armstead received the President’s Award from the National Catholic Educational Association for contributions and leadership in Catholic education. Looking back, Armstead said she had no idea that the predictions, experiences and connections in her life would lead her back to Cardinal Ritter — the school where she first felt at home — and ultimately to its leadership. “I didn’t know but God knew.”
October 15 – 21, 2026
St. Louis American • SALUTE TO EDUCATION
Page 9
Stellar Performer Award
Knight takes Jennings beyond classrooms By Na’Porsha Williams Jennings Superintendent Dr. Paula Knight is honored for a career defined by resilience, service and an unwavering commitment to students. When floodwaters damaged a Jennings School District building and a cyberattack targeted the district’s network, Superintendent Dr. Paula Knight had one message for her team: “I got it. We’re OK.” That steady leadership through backto-back crises is one reason Knight will receive the Stellar Performance Award during the St. Louis American Foundation’s 39th annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala. The event will be held Oct. 17 at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. Jennings Board of Education President Miranda Walker Jones said Knight rallied her staff through both emergencies, ensuring students lost no instructional time while the district rebuilt and recovered. “She’s had to continuously rise to the occasion and rally her team to make sure that our kids didn’t lose any time away from their academics — while rebuilding a building and managing a cyberattack at the same time,” Walker Jones said. Knight said moments of adversity reveal the true measure of a leader. “No good sailor was ever formed on calm seas,” Knight told The St. Louis American. “If the seas are always calm, how do you know you’re a good sailor until those waters get really, really rough and choppy?” Since taking over the district in 2021, Knight has expanded its pre-K program to include 3-year-olds and pushed opportunities for students to earn college credits and travel internationally. “In our great state of Missouri, the state has not quite embraced universal pre-K. But I have,” Knight said. “I am not gonna let these barriers be the reason why children who look like us can’t come to school.” The emphasis on early education follows Knight throughout a career that began in a second-grade classroom and included 27 years with St. Louis Public Schools. Knight grew up in St. Louis. Her father,
Dr. James Knight, was a cardiovascular surgeon, while her mother, Donna Knight, served as a finance manager for former Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan. But Knight credits her grandfather with first encouraging her interest in education. “He got me a chalkboard, and I would play school,” Knight recalled. “And I would line up the dolls, line up my stuffed animals, put them on the floor, you know, put them in the rows. And I would just play school.” Knight graduated from Parkway Central High School and Saint Louis University before earning advanced degrees from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She began her career as a second-grade teacher at Hamilton Elementary School in SLPS. Gloria Shelton, a former SLPS administrator who mentored Knight, recalled recognizing her potential early in her career. “I used to tell her she was the youngest, oldest person I knew — full of wisdom,” Shelton said. Knight eventually became chief academic officer and deputy superintendent and spent almost a decade working closely with former Superintendent Dr. Kelvin Adams. “Dr. Knight was someone who cared deeply about kids and wanted to see what was best for them,” Adams said. “She cut to the chase and wanted to know how we could best support kids. She had high standards and did not tolerate people around her who were not focused on excellence.” Knight was appointed to the Missouri Coordinating Board for Early Childhood in 2013. While overseeing early childhood education at SLPS, she doubled enrollment from 1,100 to 2,200 students. The work comes as Jennings continues to struggle academically. Missouri’s 2025 Annual Performance Report rated the district “Approaching” in English language arts achievement and “Emerging” in math. The district fared better in several measures of student growth and met the state’s target for its four-year graduation rate. Knight also has sought to broaden students’ opportunities beyond the classroom.
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
Dr. Paula Knight has expanded educational opportunities for Jennings students, from
See KNIGHT, page 13 early childhood programs to college-level courses
Thank you for your commitment to academic excellence. We are proud to honor the Salute to Excellence in Education award recipients. Education unlocks possibilities, inspires innovation, and prepares students to lead with confidence in a changing world.
October 15 – 21, 2026
St. Louis American • SALUTE TO EDUCATION
Page 11
Champion in Education Award
McClure makes learning a lifelong mission By Sylvester Brown Jr. Champion in Education awardee says quality education is a moral imperative Richard “Rich” McClure has spent a lifetime learning to appreciate the value of learning — not just for young people, but for himself as well. From his childhood in Springfield, Missouri, through 20 years in public service and a long corporate career to his later work with nonprofit and educational organizations, McClure, 73, has put what he has learned to use. On Saturday, Oct. 17, McClure will receive the Champion in Education award during the St. Louis American Foundation’s 39th annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. The throughline of McClure’s life speaks to the value of learning and utilizing newfound knowledge for the greater good. That philosophy has followed him from government through banking and his leadership of UniGroup to his current position as managing director of Spero Advisors, a strategy and governance advisory firm. During a 2015 education summit, McClure stunned the audience by shifting the conversation away from increasing college graduation rates to a more somber topic. Noting that millions of children were living in poverty, McClure said strengthening education beginning at the preschool level was more than an “economic imperative.” It was a “moral imperative, the sleeping civil rights issue of our day.” Does he still hold those feelings? “Absolutely,” McClure promptly answered. “For there to be unequal opportunities and challenges to access quality education for people because of the ZIP code they were born in or because of economic or social circumstances, making things available for some people and not others ... that to me is a moral issue.” Former St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent Kelvin R. Adams described McClure as “a trusted and confidential confidant, a thought partner, and a genuine friend for many years.”
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
Rich McClure believes access to quality education is a moral imperative, bringing that conviction to decades of public service, business leadership and community advocacy. “He has an incredible ability to see possibilities and solutions when others may only see problems,” Adams said. “At the end of the day, perhaps the most important thing I can say about my friend Rich McClure is very simple: you can trust him.” McClure grew up in Springfield in an environment, he said, that taught him about “family and faith and the values it takes to serve others.” His father was a World War II veteran who owned a small appliance shop. His mother was a high school teacher who
posted moral or principled quotes on her classroom blackboard and discussed them with students. “It was her way of transmitting values from one generation to the next as a teacher who loved her students,” McClure said. After earning degrees from Missouri State University and Syracuse University’s Maxwell School, McClure went into public service. He spent 20 years holding public policy positions, including work in the administrations of Missouri Gov. John Ashcroft and Illinois Gov. Jim Thompson.
McClure ticked off valuable lessons learned from government, including the resources needed to educate children in urban school districts. “Those dynamics are important if you want to address the racial and social dynamics of education,” he said. His desire to enter the corporate world led him to banking and later UniGroup, where he eventually became president. McClure and Sharon, his wife of
See MCCLURE, page 13
WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT
The St. Louis American Foundation
October 15 – 21, 2026
St. Louis American • SALUTE TO EDUCATION
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
Jennings Superintendent Dr. Paula Knight greets students at Northview Elementary School, reflecting her commitment to staying connected with the children she serves.
Knight Continued from page 9 Jennings junior Zion Hite transferred from a private school after learning he could graduate with an associate degree through the district’s dual-enrollment program. “I decided to move to Jennings because they had a dual-enrollment program, and I had the ability to graduate high school with an associate’s degree before I’m even 18,” Zion said. “That was an outstanding opportunity that I wasn’t offered at my private school.” The district has 28 students enrolled in the program. Students who complete it also have the opportunity to travel abroad. Previous trips have included London and Paris, with South Africa next on the itinerary. “Yes, we are in Jennings, and our tax base may be different, but it doesn’t preclude our kids from seeing the world,” Knight
Rich McClure has carried a lifelong commitment to learning and service into his work with nonprofit and educational organizations across the St. Louis region.
McClure said. “When you go into education, it can’t be a job. It has to be a calling over a contract.” Zion said Knight’s influence goes beyond the programs she has created. “She is extremely personal and very in touch with the community and with the kids,” Zion said. “A lot of superintendents, people don’t really see them. But she’s in the school. She’s making sure she’s connected with the students.” That commitment to service extends beyond the school district. In spring 2022, Knight pledged the Gamma Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., a decision she said came at exactly the right time in her life. For Knight, however, the thread running through her career remains the classroom where it began. “I’m always going to be a teacher at heart,” Knight said. “You don’t have to chase the work, the work will find you. The positions will find you. People will find you.”
Page 13
Continued from page 11 48 years, appeared on the CBS reality show “Undercover Boss” during his time at UniGroup. He walked away with a deeper understanding of the value of employees. McClure said he also learned invaluable lessons while serving as co-chair of the Ferguson Commission, formed after 18-year-old Michael Brown was killed by Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson in 2014. “Those hours of listening to our community across our region, but particularly those in impacted areas, taught me lessons that I never would have learned in any other way,” McClure said. “One that I needed to learn was whatever breaks God’s heart needs to break my heart, too. It’s about a deep understanding of heartbreaking experiences.” His community work has included service with World Wide Technology, United Way,
St. Louis Children’s Hospital, the St. Louis Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America and Teach For America. “If there were more Rich McClures in the world, the world would be a better place,” said Steven H. Lipstein, former president and CEO of BJC HealthCare. “When Rich serves on a commission or a board of directors, he is all-in,” Lipstein said. “You literally get all of him.” A deeply religious man, McClure said he has tried to follow a biblical principle: “To whom much is given ... much is required.” “There’s a standard there that says if you’ve been blessed with positions, platforms, relationships, resources, networks, you are required to use them for human flourishing.” McClure contributed an essay on “identity and authenticity” to “The Inspired Leader: 101 Biblical Reflections for Becoming a Person of Influence.” “My foundation and my identity come from the following of
Jesus, not any position I’ve ever had,” he said. “The authenticity part is the ability to realize these positions are temporal ... they are gifts.” After his years at UniGroup, McClure and Sharon decided “it was time for ‘life three’” and the “great experiences” of the nonprofit world. McClure said he was dedicated to following Sharon’s lead as she had done for him throughout their marriage. Their goals included transmitting their values to their children and the next generation and having “kingdom impact,” which meant living their lives the “way Jesus calls us to do,” McClure said. McClure still has an appetite for learning and helping others learn. He’s still that disrupter who, more than a decade ago, reminded a crowd that quality, equal education for all children — no matter their background — is a “moral imperative.” “None of us get a pass on advocacy,” McClure told the American. “We all should be champions of education on behalf of our children.”
Southern Illinois University
As a leading producer of bachelor’s degrees in the
Edwardsville (SIUE) is proud
St. Louis region, SIUE provides a high-quality education
to support the St. Louis
that transforms the lives of individuals who seek
American Foundation’s Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala.
something greater. We are proud to celebrate this year’s honorees and applaud their accomplishments.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville congratulates Dr. Earleen Patterson on her recognition at the 2026 Excellence in Education Awards.
For more than three decades, Dr. Patterson has dedicated her career to expanding opportunity, championing student success and helping generations of students realize their potential. Her leadership and commitment embody the transformative power of education.
Bright tomorrows start with doing good today.
Ameren Missouri is investing in our community to light the path for future generations. Learn more at AmerenMissouri.com/community AmerenMissouri.com
AMS_606600_SaluteToExcelence_STLAm_10X9.45.indd 1
9/29/25 11:27 AM
October 15 – 21, 2026
St. Louis American • SALUTE TO EDUCATION
Page 17
Excellence in Education Awardee
From struggling student to school leader By Na’Porsha Williams Dr. Demetrius Adams brings the high expectations that changed his life to his students Long before Dr. Demetrius Adams became the principal of Hazelwood West High School, he was a student struggling to read and wondering whether he could keep up with his classmates. Adams had an individualized education plan and said St. Louis Public Schools educators described his academic challenges as a “severe learning disability.” But after entering the voluntary desegregation program at Lindbergh High School, teachers began pushing him beyond what he thought he could do. “I found out that I’m not a slow learner,” Adams said. “I’m a learner that needed to be challenged and I needed people to believe in me and have faith in me.” Adams will be recognized as an Excellence in Education honoree during the St. Louis American Foundation’s 39th annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala on Oct. 17 at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. A St. Louis native, Adams grew up on St. Louis Avenue, where he and his siblings were raised by his great-grandmother and great-aunt after his great-grandmother fought to gain custody of them from the foster care system. At Lindbergh, Linda Farney met Adams in her reading strategies class and remembers him as hardworking and willing to learn. “He was exactly the kind of student a teacher loves to have in their class,” Farney said. As Adams’ reading improved, Farney pushed him further. By the end of his sophomore year, she encouraged him to take more advanced classes. “He kind of became what I think every teacher hopes for,” Farney said of watching Adams’ progress. “He was as good for me as I was for him. He’s a teacher’s dream.” Looking back, Adams credits the desegregation program and the educators who challenged and believed in him with changing his life. “The deseg program saved my life,” Adams said.
He graduated from Lindbergh High School in 1993, but college presented another challenge. The University of Missouri-St. Louis was his first choice, but the university rejected him because of his low ACT score. After enrolling at Harris-Stowe State University, UMSL offered him provisional admission with specific academic requirements. Adams transferred but struggled and ultimately stepped away from college the following semester. He later improved his ACT score, returned to UMSL and earned his bachelor’s degree in elementary and early childhood education in 1999. Adams taught in St. Louis Public Schools before joining the Hazelwood School District in 2004, where he met fellow Arrowpoint Elementary teacher Anya King. When Adams told King he wanted to pursue administration, she agreed to take his first administration course with him. “I’m here to encourage him,” King recalled telling their professor. Adams continued his own education while building his career, ultimately earning a Doctor of Education degree from Missouri Baptist University in 2014. He also spent years teaching at the college level, including at St. Louis Community College’s Meramec and Florissant Valley locations and, more recently, Harris-Stowe State University. His leadership career took him to Lindbergh and Ferguson-Florissant before he returned to Hazelwood in 2018 as principal of Hazelwood Central Middle School — where King was now one of his teachers. Three years later, Adams moved to Hazelwood West High School as an assistant principal. When the principal position opened, he was encouraged to apply. “If you get this position, you are going to make history,” King said. In 2022, Adams became the first Black male principal to lead Hazelwood West, according to Adams and King. Adams measures his success by whether students are succeeding. He points to the school’s Annual Performance Report,
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
Dr. Demetrius Adams, principal of Hazelwood West High School, brings the
See ADAMS, page 26 encouragement and high expectations that shaped his own education to his students.
Bringing brighter futures to more people Along with the St. Louis American Foundation, Edward Jones salutes tonight’s honorees who are shaping the future of St. Louis. Together we share a purpose of improving lives and bettering our communities. edwardjones.com/findingfulfillment
CAU-24186 © 2026 EDWARD D. JONES & CO., L.P. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Member SIPC
October 15 – 21, 2026
St. Louis American • SALUTE TO EDUCATION
Page 19
Excellence in Education Awardee
March expands access to early education By Sylvester Brown Jr. Excellence in Education honoree works to give children the advantages she found in Clayton Dr. Samantha March, founding associate partner of early learning with Opportunity Trust, is on a “bring-back” mission. She grew up in North St. Louis but attended schools in the posh Clayton School District through the desegregation program. March, who still lives in North St. Louis, wants children in disadvantaged communities to have the educational opportunities she encountered in Clayton. She will be recognized as an Excellence in Education honoree during the St. Louis American Foundation’s 39th annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala on Oct. 17 at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. Julius B. Anthony, president and CEO of the Believe Projects, has known March for more than 10 years, dating to her days as a classroom teacher. “After being in her classroom for five minutes, I knew exactly what kind of teacher Samantha was,” Anthony said. “She was very creative and very attentive to her children.” March’s path to that classroom was shaped by her family and the experience of growing up in two different worlds. She and her three siblings spent weekdays with their father and weekends with their mother. Her father encouraged her to push past her doubts and fears. Her mother kept her involved in church, while an aunt and uncle worked as educational administrators for St. Louis Public Schools. “The combination of them all kind of drove me into the world of early childhood education.” In her doctoral thesis, March described living in the city while attending school in Clayton as existing in “two different galaxies.” “It was a totally different atmosphere going from my neighborhood to a predominantly white institution in the county. So, I just navigated through learning how to be myself while adapting to a new culture and standard of living.” She “navigated” elementary and high school, then accepted a full-ride
Dr. Samantha March works to expand early childhood education opportunities through Opportunity Trust. scholarship to Dillard University, a historically Black university in New Orleans. Pregnancy interrupted her studies, and she returned home to have her son. Her father, as was his habit, pushed her to get on with life. “Dad said, ‘Well, you gotta work and you want your son around you,’” March recalled. “‘So, why not get a job in childcare?’” March found a job at the University of Missouri-St. Louis that allowed her to bring her son to work while pursuing a degree in education. “I went to work from 9-to-5 Monday through Thursday, then I went to school
from 5:30-to-8:30 and I had my little baby with me.” She has never forgotten the comfort of knowing her son was safe nearby. “Everything was unknown and uncertain when I came back (home), but the one thing that was always stable for me was childcare,” March recalled. “It was a place where I could take my child, and every day he felt safe and I did, too.” March graduated cum laude from UMSL with a bachelor’s degree and certification in early childhood education. She later earned a master’s degree and doctorate in educational leadership from Maryville University.
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
She worked her way from teacher’s assistant to director of early childhood education for St. Louis Public Schools, overseeing the state’s largest public prekindergarten program. Those years helped shape her belief in learning through play and making sure children feel welcome, supported and loved. One of March’s mentors, Sheila SmithAnderson, described her as an “innovative, exquisite educator who has her finger on the pulse of early childhood education
See MARCH, page 26
At WashU, we’re proud of our global reach as an educational and research institution. And we’re especially proud to be a partner in our hometown. “In St. Louis, For St. Louis” stlouis.WashU.edu
PARTNERS FOR BETTER EDUCATION: WashU’s Institute for School Partnership provides over 5,000 local teachers with coaching, professional development and a kit-based science curriculum that brings innovative, hands-on STEM education to nearly 190,000 students, pre-K through 12th grade at 50+ school districts and 60+ independent schools in the region.
October 15 – 21, 2026
St. Louis American • SALUTE TO EDUCATION
Page 21
Excellence in Education Awardee
Meeks carries educators’ lessons forward By Na’Porsha Williams Special School District board president says teachers who saw her potential inspired her to teach Carmen Meeks had to repeat the fourth grade, but that same year, she decided she wanted to become a teacher. “She was like, ‘I knew you were amazing. I’m not shocked by who you are today,’” Meeks recalled her fourth-grade teacher, Gwendolyn Beckwith, saying when the two reconnected during Meeks’ first year of teaching. “‘But you needed to close some gaps, and I wasn’t going to let you slip through anybody’s crack.’” Meeks, who went on to become a teacher and education leader, will be recognized as an Excellence in Education honoree during the St. Louis American Foundation’s 39th annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala on Oct. 17 at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. Meeks said she remembers being frustrated with Beckwith for keeping her desk close, staying on her and ultimately deciding she was not ready to move on. Throughout her schooling, Meeks said she struggled because she did not always feel seen or understood. By high school, she was frequently suspended for fighting and was eventually kicked off the track team. “I just didn’t feel seen and valued,” Meeks said. As she grew older, however, Meeks realized there were educators who had seen beyond her behavior. She pointed to Beckwith, her second fourth-grade teacher, Rosalie Gale, and Hazelwood Central social studies teacher Brian White as educators who invested in her and recognized her potential. Beckwith handpicked Gale to teach Meeks when she repeated the fourth grade. It was in Gale’s classroom that Meeks said she fell in love with teaching and began tutoring younger students. White told The American that Meeks was a student who came to class with a smile and was eager to learn and contribute. He said the two often talked about her desire to one day give back through education. White said he still keeps a letter Meeks
wrote him before graduating in a keepsake box. In the letter, she told him about the impact he had on her life and how she planned to carry what she learned into her future education. “I firmly believe that she impacted other kids as a result,” White said. “It gets passed down. And that’s what it’s all about for us as educators.” Meeks entered the University of Dubuque in Iowa as an education major, but during her freshman year, she said she was discouraged from pursuing teaching and switched her major to psychology. Still, she continued taking education courses. After earning a master’s degree in higher education from the University of Northern Iowa in 2009, Meeks joined Teach For America and was placed in Kansas City, where she taught preschool and kindergarten. “I was supposed to be two and done and go to law school,” Meeks said. “It did not work out that way. That was 2009, and we still here serving the children.” After three years in Kansas City, Meeks returned to St. Louis and worked at South City Prep and the Special School District before joining Washington University’s Institute for School Partnership in 2022. She is now director of the 314 and School Leadership programs. In her role, she works with school districts to strengthen math and science instruction. Meeks worked with 61 pre-K teachers in the Hazelwood School District through professional development, coaching and lesson planning. Two years into the partnership, 80% of students completing pre-K were assessed as kindergarten-ready, up 27 percentage points from 2023. That same year, Hazelwood was recognized by the Missouri School Boards’ Association as its Early Childhood Education Program of the Year. She joined the Special School District Board of Education in 2023 and became board president in March 2025. She is the first Black woman to serve in the position. Zion Guthrie, 17, was a third grader at Northview Elementary School when
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
Carmen Meeks, president of the Special School District Board of Education, draws
See MEEKS, page 27 inspiration from her teachers in advocating for students with disabilities.
Because Every Moment Deserves Exceptional Care BJC HealthCare is moving health forward through clinical excellence, compassionate care, and community connection. We’re national leaders in delivering life-changing care, from advanced treatments to routine checkups for the entire family. Learn more BJC.org
October 15 – 21, 2026
St. Louis American • SALUTE TO EDUCATION
Page 23
Excellence in Education Awardee
Patterson’s work goes beyond graduation By Na’Porsha Williams Dr. Earleen Patterson credits her commitment to education and service to her mother, who had little access to education herself but instilled the drive and focus that shaped her life. “She could go to school on the days that it rained, when she didn’t have to work in the cotton fields,” Patterson said. “And so those days that it rained might be an opportunity for her to go to school.” Her mother’s formal education ended around the eighth grade, but Patterson said she understood the opportunities education could provide and was determined that her children would attend college. Patterson will be recognized as an Excellence in Education honoree during the St. Louis American Foundation’s 39th annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala on Oct. 17 at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. For 30 years, Patterson has helped students navigate higher education at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where she serves as associate vice chancellor for student opportunities, diversity, equity and inclusion. She began her career at SIUE as an academic adviser before becoming a program director and moving into her current position in 2020. “I am as excited about this work 30 years later as I was when I first began as an academic advisor,” Patterson said. “There have been a lot of shifts in the responsibilities. There have been shifts in the titles. However, the students, the people, they don’t change, the goal, that doesn’t change, and that’s what continues to excite me.” Patterson earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Illinois State University and a doctorate in higher education administration from Saint Louis University in 2004. She said her job never gets boring because every student enters college with a different story, and she does not view them simply as numbers or data points. “Every one of these students have a story,” Patterson said. “And to be able to connect and engage with them and their story creates relationships, and relationships — I mean, that’s the soul of the
work that we do.” Ariel Combs, a former SIUE student, developed a relationship with Patterson after Patterson became her adviser through FAME, or Females of African Descent Modeling Excellence, in 2018. Combs described Patterson, whom she calls “Dr. P,” as a nurturing, charismatic and fashionable force who made students and their families feel welcome. She remembers Patterson reassuring parents about their children’s safety as they prepared to leave them on campus. “She made sure that by the time they left, they felt confident that you was going to be OK,” Combs said. Patterson would pick Combs up from her dorm at least twice a month for church and helped her develop campus relationships that led to other opportunities, including working as a Black Studies assistant. “Even now as an adult, I’m no longer there. I’m no longer a student, but she makes sure I’m OK,” Combs said. “She’s encouraging me. She’s uplifting me, making sure that I’m reaching my full potential.” Patterson said those lasting relationships are among the most rewarding parts of her career. “I am seeing the children of the children of some of my students now,” Patterson said. “It happens all the time.” SIUE Chancellor James T. Minor said Patterson’s influence stands out when he encounters graduates. “I have met countless SIUE alumni who, with gratitude, simply say to me, ‘If it were not for Dr. P. …,’” Minor said. Howard Rambsy, a distinguished research professor of literature at SIUE, has worked with Patterson for 22 years through the Boundless Scholar Experience, a program for first-year Black students. Rambsy described Patterson as a knowledgeable leader with high standards and a skill for anticipating what students and programs will need. BSE once served about 50 Black students. When university leadership decided to expand the program, Rambsy said
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
Dr. Earleen Patterson has spent three decades helping students succeed at Southern
See PATTERSON, page 27 Illinois University Edwardsville.
October 15 – 21, 2026
St. Louis American • SALUTE TO EDUCATION
Page 25
Excellence in Education Awardee
Wourman turns life lessons into leadership By Sylvester Brown Jr. Dr. Cierra Wourman recalled a painful experience in her junior English class in Alaska when she refused to read Mark Twain’s novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, aloud in front of her classmates because of its repeated use of the N-word. Her teacher insisted she read it aloud or fail the class. Fortunately, Wourman had joined the youth group of a local NAACP chapter. She shared her dilemma with a representative who discovered the book had been removed from the school’s required reading list years earlier. The representative confronted the principal, who claimed the school was unaware of the change. The teacher withdrew the threat to fail Wourman. “It was a huge deal,” Wourman recalled. “But it taught me that sometimes you have to advocate for yourself because adults aren’t always right.” Wourman, now a college and career counselor for Confluence Preparatory Academies in St. Louis, will be recognized as an Excellence in Education honoree during the St. Louis American Foundation’s 39th annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala on Oct. 17 at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. The lesson she learned in Alaska has stayed with her. “We have to make sure that students can always advocate for themselves,” Wourman said. “I teach my students that if you feel strongly about something, you (must) be strong and stand your ground.” Wourman credits much of her determination to her father, Johnny Wourman Jr., a military man who raised her and her older sister while their mother was largely in and out of their lives. Growing up mostly in Detroit, the sisters also accompanied their father to military bases in New Mexico, Alaska and Scott Air Force Base in St. Clair County, Illinois. “My dad was very innovative when it came to his parenting style,” Wourman recalled. “We had hearty dialogues growing up and he encouraged us to speak up. He gave us that space to be effective communicators.”
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
As network college and career counselor for Confluence Academies, Dr. Cierra Wourman works to ensure students have the guidance and opportunities they need to pursue their ambitions. Her father prepared his daughters for the challenges of being among the few Black children in predominantly White environments. “Dad would always say, ‘my job is to make sure you don’t shrink yourselves around people who don’t look like you, it’s to make sure you grow up to be functional adults.’” At a remote base in Alaska, the sisters sometimes had to order hair care products by mail or rely on their grandmother
back home to send clothes and other necessities. Because of her father, Wourman said she learned to recognize, cherish and champion diversity and equity at an early age. “It has to do with having a sense of integrity … doing the right thing no matter what and speaking up for those who couldn’t speak up for themselves. Our dad raised us that way.” After high school, Wourman enrolled at Wilberforce University, a historically
Black university in Ohio, to study mass communication. She later completed her degree at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville while her father was assigned to Scott Air Force Base. Her journey into education began unexpectedly while she was attending SIUE and working at a shoe store in St. Clair Square mall.
See WOURMAN, page 29
Page 26
St. Louis American • SALUTE TO EDUCATION
Adams Continued from page 17
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
Once a struggling student, Dr. Demetrius Adams now helps Hazelwood West students build confidence and prepare for life beyond high school.
March Continued from page 19 and has been a champion of early education for so many years.” In 2023, March left the district to join Opportunity Trust, a St. Louis-based education nonprofit, and lead its St. Louis Pre-K Cooperative. The network connects childcare providers and schools to expand educational opportunities for children ages 3 to 5 across the region. “I left my good job with SLPS as the director of the largest preschool program in the state of Missouri for my great job now with Opportunity Trust,” March said. “Now I can impact students all over the region. I work with home daycares, child development centers, public charter schools
… I’m able to impact thousands of children.” Cortagia Collins, owner of Good Shepherd Early Learning Center, said March’s current role has broadened her reach. “Oh, my goodness! Dr. March is the most amazing advocate for early childhood providers,” Collins said. “She is such an asset to the industry, the community and the whole ecosystem of childhood education.” March said the Excellence in Education award is a milestone, not a stopping point. She remains committed to bringing the advantages she saw in Clayton back to neighborhoods like her own. “Everything I do is about making sure our kids get the best of what we normally see in affluent areas. I’m able to bring that to our disadvantaged areas. “This award says to me, ‘keep going.’”
which factors in attendance, assessments and college and career readiness, as one measure of its progress during his tenure. The school earned 77.7% of its possible APR points in 2025, according to Hazelwood School District data. “I have such high expectations for my students here because of what somebody had for me,” Adams said. Cody Crawford, a junior at Hazelwood West, has experienced those high expectations firsthand. “He’s always … making sure I’m learning right at school and just making sure I’m on top of my work,” Crawford said. “He always checks on me throughout the hallways whenever he sees me.” Crawford began his high school career at West and said he has built a good relationship with Adams, although it started out rocky. “My freshman year was kind of rough because I stayed in and out of trouble, and he didn’t like that,” Crawford said. “But that’s just being like a good role model,
October 15 – 21, 2026 someone who cared for me.” For Adams, preparing students for life beyond Hazelwood West means exposing them to multiple pathways — universities, community colleges, technical training, trades, the military and the workforce — with the goal of every student leaving with a plan. Adams will soon be eligible for retirement, but he says his work isn’t done. “I still have a lot of passion and fire in me,” Adams said. “Retirement is just an age and it’s just a number. When I am fulfilled with my entire career, then I’m going to retire.” He said receiving the Excellence in Education honor has given him an opportunity to reflect on his career and recognize the impact others have already seen in his work. “Somebody noticed it,” Adams said. “Somebody believed in me. Somebody knew what I was doing.” That belief is what Adams hopes to pass on to his students. “Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t be anything,” Adams said. “It doesn’t matter about a test score. It doesn’t matter about what people think of you.”
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
Through Opportunity Trust’s St. Louis Pre-K Cooperative, Dr. Samantha March connects childcare providers and schools to expand early learning opportunities across the region.
October 15 – 21, 2026
St. Louis American • SALUTE TO EDUCATION
Page 27
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
Carmen Meeks, an education leader and advocate, has built her career around helping students feel seen, supported and prepared to succeed. Courtesy photo
Dr. Earleen Patterson helped expand SIUE’s Boundless Scholar Experience, connecting first-year Black students with support and opportunities to thrive.
Patterson Continued from page 23 Patterson was instrumental in making it happen. This fall, he said, the program serves 685 students. “She was the person to make it actually happen,” Rambsy said. “She’s that person back there behind the curtain making all the magic happen.” Rambsy said Patterson also led a team of advisers in coordinating schedules after Black students complained about being the only Black student in some of their classes. “They don’t know that there was a person who made it possible,” Rambsy said. “That’s how it is sometimes when people, they enjoy a kind of benefit, but [are] not really clear how that came about.”
Patterson is also a Golden member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., serving the organization for more than 50 years. She recently was appointed to the Central Region leadership team as scholarship committee chair and also serves as membership and scholarship chair in her graduate chapter. “I enjoy membership development. I enjoy bringing new people into our organization. I enjoy making sure students have funds and providing scholarships for students to continue their education,” Patterson said. “It fits again so much with who I am, what my personal goals are [and] my professional goals.” It is a commitment that traces back to the example set by her mother. “They didn’t have the opportunity, but they had the vision,” Patterson said. “They had the vision for the future.”
Meeks Continued from page 21 Meeks became her teacher. Zion said Meeks was the first teacher to expose her to leadership opportunities, encouraging her to participate in WE Schools, a program that introduced students to leadership and community service. “She felt like I could have learned a lot, and she felt like I had a lot to offer,” Zion said. “She was very encouraging all the time.” Now a senior at Jennings Senior High School, Guthrie has held leadership positions in several organizations. Her mother, Duana Guthrie, said Meeks also helped her recognize her daughter’s potential at an early age. Guthrie said Meeks encouraged Zion to enter a writing competition in third grade. Zion wrote her own speech and won. “She helped me with tapping into Zion’s ability to be a great student,”
Guthrie said. “She encouraged and pushed me to challenge her because she saw something in her at an early age.” Years later, Meeks remains in contact with the family. “She doesn’t have to keep in touch with us, and we don’t have to keep in touch with her,” Guthrie said. “That just lets me know that it’s genuine and it always has been, and she cares.” Shannon Rochon, executive director of Black Count, where Meeks serves as a board member, described her as a natural coach who can identify where people or organizations are and help move them toward their goals. “She’s a coach in every way,” Rochon said. “She just knows how to get people where they need to go.” Meeks is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership, which she expects to complete in May 2027. “If we don’t find all of our students and really catch them and get them everything they need, the Carmens of the world may not get here,” Meeks said.
I T ’ S YO U R T I M E
T O G R A D U AT E
Earn a real high school diploma as an adult.
100% full 100% full scholarship scholarship provided provided Learn at Learn at your your own own pace pace 24 // 7 24 7 online online access access
Ready to get started? Call 314-658-9303 or Scan the QR Code
October 15 – 21, 2026
Wourman Continued from page 25 Gary Trailer, a counselor with TRIO Upward Bound, noticed Wourman doing her homework in the store. He asked whether she had ever considered working for TRIO, a program that helps students prepare for college. She hadn’t. Trailer arranged an internship for her in recruitment. He kept an eye on her progress and eventually encouraged her to consider counseling. Wourman followed his advice, earning a master’s degree in counseling at Lindenwood University. She later pursued doctoral studies in educational leadership at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Her first counseling job was at Langston Middle School in St. Louis. “It was a rough school,” Wourman recalled, but “the kids
St. Louis American • SALUTE TO EDUCATION were amazing ... their stories were amazing.” It was there, she said, that she “really learned to lead with love.” After the school closed, Wourman moved to Central VPI, where she took on new initiatives and learned more about students’ social and emotional needs. Her work caught the attention of Confluence administrators, who hired her as a counselor. “It was a lot about being surrounded by the right people in the right spaces,” Wourman said. “It created a sense of hope for me as far as college access and making sure our kids get on those campuses.” At Confluence, Wourman has helped make dual enrollment a flagship program, allowing high school students to earn credits toward both their diplomas and college degrees. Confluence partners with institutions including HarrisStowe State University, St. Louis Community College and Ranken Technical College.
Wourman is particularly proud of the school’s “To and Through” approach, which helps students not only gain admission to college but also develop the skills and support needed to graduate. She was named Confluence’s 2022-23 Professional of the Year and received St. Louis Community College’s 2023-24 Community Partner Award for her work in community engagement. In an interview with the Telegram newspaper last year, Wourman was asked about the most worthwhile aspect of being an equity coach. “The most rewarding aspect of being an equity coach is witnessing Black and Brown scholars take ownership of their futures, whether that means securing college acceptance, exploring career opportunities, or gaining confidence in their abilities,” Wourman said. “Helping students recognize their strengths and break through systemic barriers fuels my passion for this work.”
INTRODUCING OUR AFFORDABLE MORTGAGE PROGRAM We can make buying your home up to $7,500 more affordable Stifel Bank & Trust’s Affordable Mortgage Program (AMP) provides qualified2 buyers in low-to-moderate income neighborhoods of the St. Louis area, in both Missouri and Illinois, a contribution towards closing costs and pre-paid items1 up to $7,500 with no repayment required.
Ready to AMP Up Your Homebuying Power? Call Terry to get started:
Terry Pettigrew
Vice President/Mortgage Banker pettigrewt@stifelbank.com (314) 317-6902 | (314) 550-2574 cell NMLS# 398804
Maximum lender contribution of $7,500 is subject to limitations of selected loan type – FHA, Conventional or VA. Additional eligibility requirements apply. FHA: closing cost contribution limited to the lesser of actual costs incurred or 6% of the sale price. Conventional: closing cost contribution limited to the lesser of the actual costs incurred or 3% (< 10% down), 6% (10 – 24.99%), or 9% (25% or more) of sale price. VA: closing cost contribution limited to the lesser of actual costs incurred or 4% of the sale price. 2 Purchase transactions only. Must be for the purchase of an owner-occupied primary residence. Income and geographic restrictions apply. 1
Stifel Bank & Trust | 12655 Olive Boulevard, Suite 250 | St. Louis, Missouri 63141 (314) 317-6900 | stifelmortgage.com | NMLS# 375103
Page 29
Photo by Lawrence Bryant
Dr. Cierra Wourman is dedicated to helping Confluence Academies students recognize their potential and build pathways to success beyond graduation.
The St. Louis American Foundation believes in the power of potential We invest in promising students from under-resourced communities, opening doors to education and brighter futures. In partnership with The St. Louis American, we amplify voices, tell untold stories, and inspire hope through independent, impactful journalism. The Foundation and its university partners have awarded more than $1.87 million in scholarships this year, part of an ongoing commitment that has nurtured and supported more than $21.4 million in scholarships for exceptional students since the program began.
Institution Amount Goldfarb School of Nursing Harris-Stowe State University Maryville University Southern Illinois University Edwardsville St. Louis Community College (STLCC) St. Louis University (SLU) University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL) Washington University in St. Louis Webster University St. Louis American Foundation
$20,000 $104,000 $319,128 $128,000 $18,000 $20,000 $267,540 $680,000 $266,880 $50,000
Total $1,873,548
Now enrolling Supporting Children. Strengthening Families.
Early Learning for Children Ages 0–5 Extended Hours: 7:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Home-Based Program Options Food Pantry Access Utility Assistance Resources Employment Assistance Resources
ULSTL.com 314-867-9100
October 15 – 21, 2026
St. Louis American • SALUTE TO EDUCATION
Page 31
2026 Donald M. Suggs Scholars Goldfarb School of Nursing
Samrana Begum Samrana Begum, of St. Louis, is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing at Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing, with an expected graduation date of Aug. 10, 2027. She chose nursing to help patients during critical moments and was drawn to Goldfarb’s clinical training and academic support. Begum hopes to provide compassionate, research-based care while expanding her knowledge of acute care. She considers persistence, adaptability and empathy essential to her work with patients. The Dr. Donald M. Suggs Nursing Scholarship has allowed her to concentrate on her education and prepare for a career in patient-centered care. Harris-Stowe State University
Leah Clark Leah Clark, a native of Prince George’s County, Maryland, is a junior at Harris-Stowe State University majoring in urban affairs with a concentration in public administration. A Presidential Scholar, Honors College student, Thelma V. Cook Scholar and 2026 Thurgood Marshall College Fund DevCon Scholar, she has received the Provost Honor Award three consecutive years. Clark has served as Student Government Association vice president, Honors College liaison and events coordinator for Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority’s Alpha Delta Chapter. She hopes to pursue a career in public administration, developing policies and community programs addressing homelessness, housing insecurity and access to essential services. Maryville University
Marrione Barnes
Marrione Barnes is a first-year student at Maryville University, majoring in biology on a pre-medical track. A member of the Class of 2030, Barnes participates in
track and field and is involved with the Association of Black Collegians Street Team. Combining a passion for athletics with a desire to help others, Barnes hopes to become an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine. Barnes also aspires to serve as an Army surgeon, helping athletes and others recover from injuries, improve their health and reach their full potential.
Kendrick Cunningham Kendrick Cunningham is a freshman at Maryville University pursuing a dual-degree program in mechanical engineering. His interests include designing weapons systems, developing futuristic technologies and exploring innovative engineering concepts. Outside his academic studies, Cunningham enjoys playing music, learning new skills and studying space and astronomy. His curiosity about how things work and his interest in technological innovation are helping shape his educational pursuits. St. Louis Community College
Katie Hernandez Katie Hernandez is pursuing a degree in dental hygiene at St. Louis Community College. Although the program has challenged her academically and personally, the experience has strengthened her determination to become a skilled and compassionate dental hygienist. Hernandez hopes to provide quality patient care while educating community members about oral health and helping people overcome barriers to dental services. She also wants to build trusting relationships with patients and help them feel more confident about their oral and overall health. Scholarship support has eased the financial burden of her education and brought her closer to achieving her professional goals.
Erica White Erica White is a surgical technology student who expects to graduate in May 2027. She maintains a 3.2 GPA and brings more than 10 years of hospital and medical experience to her training. A single mother navigating a recent separation, White balances her education with managing a household and raising her daughter. She is determined to complete her degree and build a stable future for her family. Her career goal is to specialize in cardiac and vascular surgery, using her clinical training and professional experience to develop advanced surgical skills and contribute to patient care in the operating room.
Olivia Whittaker Olivia Whittaker, 19, is a sophomore at St. Louis Community College pursuing an associate degree in general transfer studies. Her coursework spans science, technology, engineering, mathematics and the humanities, allowing her to explore interests in science and the social sciences. She is particularly interested in human anatomy, physiology and behavior, including how people interact in social settings. Whittaker plans to become a licensed physical therapist, with a particular interest in helping stroke survivors recover mobility and independence. She hopes to use her education to improve patients’ quality of life. Saint Louis University
Mackenzie Colgan Mackenzie Colgan, of St. Robert, Missouri, is a Waynesville High School graduate majoring in political science with a minor in music at Saint Louis University. She graduated in the top 10% of her high school class and received several honors, including the George Washington Carver Award and the President’s Award for Educational
Achievement. She also earned state-level recognition for her clarinet performances. At SLU, Colgan performs with the pep band and writes for Her Campus. Having worked since age 16, she has balanced employment with academics. She hopes to pursue public service and advocacy while maintaining her involvement in music and the arts.
Sandra Mayen Sandra Mayen, born in South Sudan, came to the United States as a refugee and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Colorado Denver. She later returned to South Sudan to support HIV/AIDS education and awareness programs. Back in the United States, she managed federally funded public health programs while raising her daughter as a single parent. A first-generation college student, Mayen is now pursuing a second bachelor’s degree in nuclear medicine technology at Saint Louis University. She hopes to combine her public health experience with advanced diagnostic skills to provide patient care while serving as a role model for her daughter and community. University of Missouri-St. Louis
Jackson Paiz Rodriguez Jackson Paiz Rodriguez, a St. Louis native and Gateway STEM High School graduate, is a freshman at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. A graduate of the UMSL Bridge Program, he served as a student board member at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and earned the Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish. He also won first place in a regional National History Day competition for research on the Bracero Program. A Donald J. Suggs Scholar receiving a full scholarship, Rodriguez plans to major in business administration with an emphasis in information technology, pursue an honors certificate and minor in Spanish.
See SCHOLARS, page 33
St. Louis Community College is committed to excellence in education. Creating access for our diverse communities has allowed us to serve over 1.3 million students. With over 80+ career-focused programs, workforce-customized training, and 1,200+ continuing education courses, we are opening doors to opportunity for learners at every stage of life. Because we believe education is a powerful investment in our region’s collective future, we are proud to sponsor the St. Louis American Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship & Awards Gala.
stlcc.edu
October 15 – 21, 2026 Maryam Pettus Maryam Pettus, a St. Louis native, is a freshman honors student at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, majoring in communication and maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Pettus plans to expand her studies into political science and international relations as she pursues a career in international journalism. Active in campus life, she attends student events, enjoys meeting new people and is seeking a position in student government. A Donald J. Suggs Scholar, Pettus hopes to become a journalist who brings overlooked stories to public attention and connects local experiences with international issues.
Taubah Pettus Taubah Pettus, a St. Louis native and Donald J. Suggs Scholar, is majoring in computer science at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Homeschooled during high school, she also participated in the Bridge Program, developing interests in technology, science and community service. Pettus volunteers and teaches basic programming skills to middle school students. Her interests also include woodworking, vintage shopping and exploring St. Louis with friends. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in bioinformatics. Her career goal is to become a bioinformatics research analyst, interpreting biological data and contributing to advances in medicine. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Shane Chronister Shane Chronister, a Belleville East graduate, is a fourthyear psychology student who returned to college after years in the workforce. He began working at 16 and built a career in information technology and contact center management without a degree. At 35, he decided to return to school to achieve a personal goal of earning a college degree. Balancing work, school and personal responsibilities has been challenging, but Chronister credits his
St. Louis American • SALUTE TO EDUCATION partner’s support with helping him continue his education. His experience has reinforced his belief that it is never too late to pursue academic goals and personal growth.
last semester. The Suggs Scholarship has eased financial pressures as she prepares for student teaching and pursues her goal of creating a supportive classroom environment.
Owen Cole Owen Cole, of Granite City, Illinois, is a fourthyear economics major at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. A transfer student from Southwestern Illinois College, he discovered an interest in economics through business courses that combined analytical problem-solving with working with people. Navigating transfer credits and degree requirements has been challenging, but careful planning has kept him on track for graduation. Cole also performs with the SIUE Wind Symphony under Rubén Gomez. The Suggs Scholarship will help cover summer courses, reduce financial pressures and support his goal of graduating next fall.
Kristin Dowling Kristin Dowling, of O’Fallon, Illinois, is a fourth-year applied communication studies major at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Interested in how people communicate and work together, she has focused on communication in workplaces, relationships and communities. As a parent, Dowling has balanced college assignments and deadlines with her children’s activities, developing stronger organizational and time-management skills. The Suggs Scholarship has eased the financial burden of returning to school and helped support her final two semesters. After graduation, she hopes to advance her career in public relations with her current employer.
Tiffany Gillison Tiffany Gillison, of Alhambra, Illinois, has dreamed of becoming a teacher since fourth grade, when a teacher inspired her by making every student feel included and supported. She put her education on hold after her mother died, later marrying and raising three children. A multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2023 motivated her to return to school to pursue a degree in elementary education. Despite fatigue and other challenges, Gillison earned her first 4.0 GPA
Katharine Mockler Katharine Mockler, of Knoxville, Illinois, is a third-year nursing student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. After several years working in health care, her experiences with patients inspired her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Returning to school required adjusting to the demands of a rigorous academic program, strengthening her discipline and reinforcing her belief that success does not follow a single timeline. The Suggs Scholarship has provided financial support as she works toward her degree. Mockler is particularly interested in women’s health and perioperative nursing and hopes to continue her education by earning an advanced nursing degree.
Quantrelle Rudd Quantrelle Rudd, of Mount Vernon, Illinois, is a fourthyear history major at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. His studies have deepened his understanding of historical events and how they continue to shape society. An introvert, Rudd has challenged himself to step outside his comfort zone, meet new people and become more involved on campus. He considers his personal and academic growth among his greatest accomplishments. The Suggs Scholarship has eased financial pressures, allowing him to concentrate on completing his degree and preparing for graduate school.
Olivia Salvati Olivia Salvati, of Fairview Heights, Illinois, is a public relations major at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Drawn to storytelling, creativity and building relationships, she hopes to pursue a career in public relations or marketing, specializing in social media, digital communication and brand strategy. Balancing college coursework with long work hours
Page 33 to support herself has been among her greatest challenges. After moving into her first apartment, she worked multiple shifts each week while maintaining her studies. The Suggs Scholarship has eased financial pressures, allowing Salvati to concentrate on her education and career preparation.
Leroy Smith Leroy Smith, of East Alton, Illinois, is a fourth-year student majoring in English and literature at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. His lifelong love of reading and writing has inspired him to address literacy challenges and pursue a career as an author and storyteller. Choosing a major was among his greatest challenges because of his wide-ranging interests. Smith encourages other students to explore their options and remain open to new opportunities. The Suggs Scholarship has helped cover tuition and eased financial pressures, including commuting expenses. After graduation, he hopes to write stories that bring readers the same enjoyment he has found in books. Washington University
Noorul Ahad Maher Noorul Ahad Maher graduated as valedictorian of Theodore Roosevelt High School in St. Louis, where he served as senior class president and completed the Youth Leadership St. Louis program. While maintaining his academic and leadership responsibilities, he also helped support his family and worked 35 hours a week at Walmart. Maher is attending Washington University in St. Louis, where he plans to study electrical engineering at the McKelvey School of Engineering. His long-term goal is to develop language tools and assistive communication technology that help people communicate more effectively.
See SCHOLARS, page 35
Congratulations to the 2026 recipients of the Excellence in Education Awards! Learn more about our partnerships with educators
Through civic education, the Judicial Learning Center promotes public understanding of the role of courts in upholding the rule of law.
October 15 – 21, 2026
St. Louis American • SALUTE TO EDUCATION
Berikti Yehdego Berikti Yehdego graduated from Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience in St. Louis, where she served as senior class vice president and defensive captain of the volleyball team. She was also a member of the National Honor Society. Yehdego participated in the St. Louis Internship Program as an intern in training and attended the BESt Healthcare Institute. She balanced those activities with a parttime job at Amighetti’s on the Hill. Now
attending Washington University in St. Louis, Yehdego plans to study cognitive neuroscience and pursue a career as a psychiatrist.
long viewed art as a way to express ideas, emotions and experiences. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in fine art, illustration or art therapy while continuing to develop
Webster University
Laila Davis Laila Davis, of Florissant, is a graduate of Marquette Catholic High School and a studio art major at Webster University. In high school, she participated in varsity basketball, student council, art club and diversity club, developing leadership and creative skills. She maintained a 4.68 GPA, earned high honor roll recognition all four years and received a Silver Medallion. Davis has
her artistic skills.
Courtney Wright Courtney Wright, of Florissant, graduated from Hazelwood Central High School and is studying biology with an emphasis in health science. Her academic interests include public health, health care and law.
Page 35 She has participated in leadership and community programs, including Wyman Leadership and the St. Louis Internship Program. Wright also completed a summer internship with Brown & Crouppen and served as secretary of the International Thespian Society. Her interests extend to theater, music and community involvement. She hopes to build on her academic and professional experiences while exploring career opportunities that allow her to make a meaningful contribution to her community.
St. Louis American Foundation Scholars Alexander Berryhill Jr. Alexander Berryhill Jr. is a freshman at Webster University majoring in business administration and competing in track and field. Inspired by the dedication and accomplishments of successful businesspeople around him, he hopes to build a career in real estate. Berryhill is committed to completing his college education and making himself and his family proud. Outside the classroom and athletics, he enjoys walking, listening to music, playing eight-ball and socializing with friends.
Zayna Fakhani Zayna Fakhani is a second-year student at Maryville University majoring in international studies. Driven by an interest in global systems and public policy, she plans to attend law school after graduation,
concentrating on international law. Her long-term goal is to use her legal career to advocate for marginalized communities and help bring about meaningful change around the world.
Akeem Paulette Akeem Paulette is a freshman at Texas Southern University majoring in civil engineering. A high school salutatorian, he was a member of the Student Council and National Honor Society. He hopes to return to his hometown and use his engineering skills to improve infrastructure in underserved communities, including roads and transportation systems. Paulette
believes success should be measured not only by personal accomplishments but also by the positive impact a person makes on others. An avid reader, he enjoys books about leadership, personal development and human behavior.
Susan Grace Pinex Susan Grace Pinex, a 2026 graduate of Ladue Horton Watkins High School, is studying criminology and criminal justice at Saint Louis University. An aspiring civil rights attorney, she hopes to advocate for wrongfully convicted people. Her academic interests include African American history and psychology. In high school, she completed more than 150 hours of community service. She also is a certified lifeguard and swim instructor and participates in competitive a cappella
singing in college. She draws inspiration from 1 Peter 3:8, which emphasizes compassion, humility and love for others.
Nyla Weathersby Nyla Weathersby is a student at the University of Chicago double majoring in environment, geography and urbanization and anthropology. Growing up in St. Louis and witnessing the effects of the Delmar Divide sparked her interest in how infrastructure, transportation and environmental conditions influence access to opportunity. Her academic interests include urban planning, environmental justice and sustainable development. Weathersby hopes to pursue a career in urban planning, helping create more equitable, sustainable cities where infrastructure improves residents’ quality of life rather than limiting their opportunities.
Keith Williamson Scholars Anthony Holmes Anthony Holmes, a graduate of Cardinal Ritter College Prep, is a second-year student at the University of Missouri-St. Louis majoring in health communication. He is passionate about improving health literacy and helping people better understand the information they need to
make informed decisions about their health. Holmes hopes to use his education to address health disparities and improve health outcomes in the Black community throughout the St. Louis region. His long-term goal is to build a career combining communication, health care and community service to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Bobbylynne Anna Zinnah Bobbylynne Anna Zinnah, a Kansas City native, is a junior at Saint Louis University majoring in criminology and criminal justice with a minor in African American studies. She is on the pre-law track, with academic interests in public service, civic engagement
and addressing wrongful convictions within the criminal justice system. She participated in the inaugural William L. Clay Sr. Institute Pathways to Progress Cohort, meeting with lawmakers in Washington. Zinnah plans to pursue a legal career advocating for others, promoting fairness and accountability in the justice system and serving communities in Kansas City or St. Louis.
UNITED, WE SUPPORT 150+ LOCAL NONPROFITS
United Way of Greater St. Louis supports more than 150 local nonprofits—helping families meet urgent needs while strengthening the services that support our entire region.
U N I T E W I T H U S. | D O N A T E T O D A Y.
HELPINGPEOPLE.ORG
October 15 – 21, 2026
St. Louis American • SALUTE TO EDUCATION
Page 37
Previous Salute major awardees 2025 Dr. Flint W. Fowler (Lifetime Achiever) Mary Elizabeth Grimes (Stellar Performer) Maxine Clark and Bob Fox (Champion in Education) 2024 Jackie Joyner-Kersee (Lifetime Achiever) Ellicia Lanier (Stellar Performer) Kimberly Merrill (SEMO Community Based Partner of the Year) 2023 Dr. James T. Minor (Stellar Performer) Dr. Joycelyn Pugh-Walker (Stellar Performer) Khadija Tejan (SEMO Community Based Partner of the Year) 2022 Holly Cousins (Lifetime Achiever) Dr. Latonia Collins Smith (Stellar Performer) Tashanna Stanciel (SEMO Community Based Partner of the Year) 2021 Arthur R. Culver (Lifetime Achiever) Gwendolyn Diggs (Stellar Performer)
2014 Dr. Katie Harper Wright (Lifetime Achiever) Dr. Terrence L. Freeman (Stellar Performer)
2001 John E. Jacob (Lifetime Achiever) Victoria Nelson (Stellar Performer)
2013 Dr. Lynn Beckwith Jr. (Lifetime Achiever) Dr. Art J. McCoy (Stellar Performer)
2000 Rev. William G. Gillespie (Lifetime Achiever) Carolyn D. Seward (Stellar Performer)
2012 Gerald Early (Lifetime Achiever) Judge Jimmie Edwards (Stellar Performer)
1999 Dr. James M. Whittico (Lifetime Achiever) Gloria L. Taylor (Stellar Performer)
2011 Joyce M. Roberts (Lifetime Achiever) Anthony “Tony” Thompson (Stellar Performer)
1998 Gloria Waters-White (Lifetime Achiever) Steven N. Cousins (Stellar Performer)
2010 Dr. Zelema Harris (Lifetime Achiever) Dr. Stanton Lawrence (Stellar Performer)
1997 Judge Theodore McMillan (Lifetime Achiever) Gwendolyn Packnett (Stellar Performer)
2009 Eugene B. Redmond (Lifetime Achiever) Diane Miller (Stellar Performer)
1996 Dr. Helen Nash (Lifetime Achiever) Fr. Maurice Nutt (Stellar Performer)
2008 Dr. James E. McLeod (Lifetime Achiever) Donna Patton (Stellar Performer)
2020 Dr. Doris A. Graham (Lifetime Achiever) Dr. Sharonica L. Hardin-Bartley (Stellar Performer)
2007 Dr. Henry Shannon (Lifetime Achiever) Don Danforth III (Stellar Performer)
2019 Charles and Shirley Brown (Lifetime Achievers) Valerie Bell (Stellar Performer)
2006 Dr. John Wright (Lifetime Achiever) Dr. Cheryle Dyle-Palmer (Stellar Performer)
2018 Johnetta R. Haley (Lifetime Achiever) Michael P. McMillan (Stellar Performer)
2005 Dr. Queen Fowler (Lifetime Achiever) Darlynn Bosley (Stellar Performer)
2017 Michael A. Middleton (Lifetime Achiever) Dr. Kelvin Adams (Stellar Performer)
2004 Dr. Henry Givens (Lifetime Achiever) Joyce Roberts (Stellar Performer)
2016 Dr. Charlene Lofton Jones (Lifetime Achiever) Deborah Patterson (Education Advocate)
2003 Martin Mathews (Lifetime Achiever) Audrey Ferguson (Stellar Performer)
2015 Dr. Alice Faye Roach (Lifetime Achiever) Tiffany Anderson (Stellar Performer)
2002 Dr. George H. Hyram (Lifetime Achiever) Vickie and Howard Denson (Stellar Performers)
1995 Kathryn E. Nelson (Lifetime Achiever) Khatib Waheed (Stellar Performer) 1994 Bob Shannon (Lifetime Achiever) Dr. Doris Wilson (Stellar Performer) 1993 Al Johnson (Lifetime Achiever) Carol E. Jackson (Stellar Performer) 1992 Frankie M. Freeman (Lifetime Achiever) Drs. Victor and Vincent Rodgers (Stellar Performers) 1991 Jesse Hill (Lifetime Achiever) Dr. John H. Gladney (Stellar Performer) 1990 Fred H. Black (Gold Medallion Awardee) 1989 Bertha Gilkey (Gold Medallion Awardee) 1988 Vincent E. Reed (Gold Medallion Awardee)
Empowering Youth to Win in Life www.JJKFoundation.org
October 15 – 21, 2026
St. Louis American • SALUTE TO EDUCATION
Page 39
Past Excellence in Education Awardees Looking back at all the awardees from the past 38 years Salute Class of 2025 Dr. Rhonda M. Key Tambra Pendleton Dr. Michael L. Peoples Dr. Michael D. Triplett Erica Williams Salute Class of 2024 Asquith S. “Sean” Armstrong Dr. Latricia Singleton-Clark Dr. Mary Hairston Lt. Col. Nina McLean Salute Class of 2023 John Carlos Armstead Sr. Dr. Shawn A. Baker Brian C. Griffin Dr. Brandon Haynes Christopher C. Miller Briana Morales Charles Murphy Kendra Vaughn Salute Class of 2022 Leah Crawford Ashley Ellis Starlett Frenchie Ashley Gerald Dr. Brittany Green Roosevelt Mitchell Dr. Regina Ware Linda Wells-Glover Salute Class of 2021 Dr. Howard E. Fields III Brian M. Gant Lynn R. Hinton Jonathan Strong Ronda Wallace
Salute Class of 2018 Dr. Chauncey Granger Kim I. Haywood Bernard Long Jr. Dr. Dorthea B. Nevils Raymond K. Robinson, M.Div. Dr. Leslie Thomas Washington Dr. Tamara D. Wells Rhea M. Wells Salute Class of 2017 Alan Byrd Jr. Anya Gray Franklin Dr. Crystal Gale Shanise N. Johnson Angela Keys Dr. Kevin M. Martin Dr. Raghib Muhammad Dr. LaTisha A. Smith Salute Class of 2016 Kimberly D. Berry Dr. Sarah Briscoe Cori Cloyd Kathleen Foster Dr. Stacy Hollins Dr. Kacy Seals Dr. Gladys Smith Dr. Cynthia D. Warren Salute Class of 2015 Russell Arms Dr. Erica L. Bumpers Dr. Ingrid Clark Jackson Alicia G. Davis Veronica Hildreth Dr. Ashley R. McGhaw Bessie Bennett Peabody Dr. Tiffany L. Taylor-Johnson
Salute Class of 2012 Jason Brown Earnestine Carr LaChrisa Crenshaw Duane M. Foster Andrea N. Hayes Jaqueline Storman Turnage Doretta A. Walker LaRhonda L. Wilson Salute Class of 2011 Carolyn Blair Nikki Doughty Latasha M. McClelland Michelle L. McClure Art J. McCoy II Marsha Yvonne Merry Natissia Small Darnell P. Young Salute Class of 2010 Dr. Celeste A. Adams Michael Blackshear Sheandra P. Brown Florida M. Cowley Bruce Green Carole Johnson Matthew McCallum Sybil Selfe Salute Class of 2009 Kelly Ballard Eric Clark Niyi Coker Jr. Natasha Mosley Rona Roginson-Hill Michelle A. Pendleton Dr. Alice F. Roach Margaret Williams
Salute Class of 2020 LaShanda R. Boone Shantana Goodwin-Payne Dr. Karen I. Hall Romona Miller Sheryl Denise Rogers Rhonda Stovall John E. Thomas Dr. Craig A. Waddell
Salute Class of 2014 Wesley J.C. Bell Nicole Binion Dr. Nina D. Caldwell Dr. Edward M. Johnson Dr. James Paine II Germaine Stewart Jim Triplett Martha Warren
Salute Class of 2008 Julia Robinson Burke Mama Lisa Gage Terry J. Houston Sr. Eric D. Johnson Sr. RaShawn Johnson Marilyn Mims Darlene Morgan Simone Williams
Salute Class of 2019 Petra Baker Dr. Monica D. Diggs Victoria A. Harris Kimberly Patrice Long Duane McGowan Tina Clark-Scott Lawerence Shields Tanesia L. Simmons
Salute Class of 2013 Clara Collins Coleman Dr. Tiffany C.E. Fane Dr. Vanessa Howard Dr. Wanda P. LeFlore Dr. Nathalie Means Henderson Wilma L. Slaughter, MS Dr. Jody J. Squires Deitre J. Terrell
Salute Class of 2007 Luella Atkins Haliday Douglas Sonja P. Little Romona Miller Tyrone Jeffrey Darlene Norfleet Victor Poindexter Brian Rogers
Salute Class of 2006 Jowanda Bozeman Dr. Harvey Fields Jr. Kathryn Garrett Clarice Hall Crystal Herron Howard Rambsy Kathy Walker Steele Zella Williams Salute Class of 2005 Charles Ransom Betty Robinson Gwendolyn Shannon Makeda Reid-Vales Shirley Washington-Cobb Chelsea Watson Brian Weaver Dr. Brenda Youngblood Salute Class of 2004 Travis Brown Sr. Patrick Jackson Pat Johnson Vernon Mitchell Terri Moore Joan Barnes-Parham Monette Gooch-Smith Dr. Ann Chism-Williams Salute Class of 2003 Vera Atkinson Dr. Stephanie Carter Rose Coleman Dr. Vern Moore Juanester Russell Frank Smith Dr. Linda Lou Smith Dr. Gwen Turner Salute Class of 2002 Cynthia Boone Thomas Edwards Terrance Freeman Flossie Henderson Billie Mayo Edna Pipes Salute Class of 2001 Dr. Edwin F. Bailey Jr. Terrence Curry Juliette Hite Dr. Larona Morris Annie House Russell Hattie K. Weaver Salute Class of 2000 Prof. Bennie A. Adams Ian P. Buchanan Mabel Thomas Edmonds Dr. Michael T. Railey Linda Riekes Cynthia J. Sutton
Salute Class of 1999 Dr. Michael R. DeBaun Roland Nichols Eugene B. Redmond Althea Taylor Dr. Kerry M. Woodberry, Salute Class of 1998 Dr. Alexander Harris Louis M. Marion Dr. Patricia Nichols Dr. Savannah Miller-Young Louis Zitzmann Salute Class of 1997 Alice M. Aldridge Marion Bosley-Evans Cynthia L. Cosby Ivory Johnson Andrea Walker Salute Class of 1996 Carol Barnes Nino Fennoy Dr. Charlene Jones Bettye Reed Chanuncey Trawick Salute Class of 1995 Victoria Cothran Dr. Charles Harris Dr. Ernest Jones Michelle Lowery Viola Murphy Salute Class of 1994 Dean James McCleod Dr. Arvarh Stickland Rudolph Wilson Barbara Woods Dr. Edith Mae Young. Note: The specific category of “Excellence in Education” Awards commenced in 1994.
Salute Class of 1991 Dr. Nettie S. Armmer Leon Burke Jr. Dr. Queen Fowler Yvonne Howze Louise Mitchell Bessie L. Reid Beatrice Strong Betty Porter Walls Louise T. Wilkerson Salute Class of 1990 Lt. Col. Leroy Adkins Stephen Banks Marguerite Ross-Barnett Lynn Beckwith Jr. Evail Boyd Jerry L. Bryant Lois Harris Edward Hightower Kermit Hill Floyd Irons Rev. Dr. Buck Jones Jerome B. Jones Betty Jean Kerr Shirley LeFlore Kathryn Nelson Hershel J. Walker Rochelle Walker Wilma Wells Edna J. Whitfield Gaye S. Wilson Dorrie K. Wise Salute Class of 1989 Sarah Short-Austin Ron Carter Rose Davis Mathew Foggy Rev. C. Garnett Henning Sr. Hulas King Andre Jackson Oval Miller Eugene Redmond Ollie Steward Eric Vickers
Past Merit Awardees: Salute Class of 1993 Dr. Edna Allen Dr. Frances J. Gooden Elizabeth Hutcherson Addie Bryan Jackson Fontroy Todd Salute Class of 1992 Dr. Harvest Collier Dr. Lincoln I. Diuguid Alicia Ivory-House Sandra Murdock Dr. Wilfred Sorrell
Salute Class of 1988 George Elliott Jonathan Ford Dr. George Hyram Carolyn Kingcade Richard Martin Judge Theodore McMillan Jamie Rivers Irene F. Schell Norman Seay Willie Mae Ford-Smith Dr. Phillip Venable Dannette Connor-Ward Bill Wilkerson
WE ARE PROUD TO HONOR THE
Salute to Excellence in Education award recipients. Thank you for your commitment to academic excellence. Education unlocks possibilities, inspires innovation, and prepares students to lead with confidence in a changing world.