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University City Lions roar to 5-0 start Page B5

St. Louis American The

OCTOBER 1 – 7, 2026

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

St. Louis County review of license plate reader use St. Louis County Executive Sam Page has ordered a review of automated license plate reader cameras on county property as concerns grow locally

COMPLIMENTARY

stlamerican.com

Flak over flock cameras

By Na’Porsha Williams St. Louis American

Vol. 98 No. 25

and nationwide about privacy and misuse of the technology. In Brentwood, a police officer was accused of using Flock Safety’s system to track his ex-wife during a contentious divorce. Investigators

A Flock Safety automated license plate reader captures vehicle information as motorists pass by. The technology has come under increased scrutiny over privacy, surveillance and concerns about potential misuse. Photo by Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

determined the officer’s actions did not constitute a

crime under Missouri law. In St. Charles County,

police canceled their contract with Flock Safety and

removed 28 cameras after a former employee admitted conducting personal searches. Court filings show Melissa Renee Smith faces two counts of misuse of official information by a public servant and is accused of improperly searching the system more than 200 times over three years. Page signed an executive order Friday directing the county’s Department

See Cameras, A16

ICE arrests more than double in Missouri

Carmen Meeks 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.

By Sylvester Brown Jr. St. Louis American Arrests by or on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Missouri more than doubled during the first seven months this year, while the share of those arrested who have no criminal convictions continued to rise. Former St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Paul Wagman detailed these findings and others in the latest issue of the Gateway Journalism Review. Citing newly released immigration enforcement data, Wagman noted that immigration arrests in Missouri have grown faster than the national rate over the past year and a half. ICE arrests that led to detention

See ICE, A15

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

Meeks carries educators’ lessons forward 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 fourthgrade 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

BUSINESS

Rate hike adds to inflation squeeze The Federal Reserve’s first interest rate hike in more than three years could be especially costly for Black consumers, who are more likely to carry credit card balances.

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Newspaper earns seven first-place awards

By Dawn Suggs St. Louis American

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 ulti-

Black women made meaningful strides at the 160th Missouri Press Association Convention in Columbia — and The St. Louis American brought home seven first-place awards. Taylor Marrie, a former intern and part-time photographer who worked full time as a photographer and videographer from 2024 to 2026, won Best Photo of the Year, becoming the first Black woman photographer to receive the honor. The category debuted in 2023 and was first won by longtime American photographer Wiley Price, now retired. Her winning photo, “Struttin’ their stuff,” was taken during the Street Runway Fashion Show at the House

See Meeks, A16

See Awards, A16

Special School District board president says teachers who saw her potential inspired her to teach

By Na’Porsha Williams St. Louis American

American celebrates wins, historic milestones

LIVING IT

The mixtape that became a movement

Chance will appear at The Pageant on Wednesday, October 7. St. Louis fans will get a chance to revisit the record that reshaped his path and rewrote the rules for the industry.

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Editorial / Commentary

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 1 – 7, 2026

Editorial

Assault on free press harms all Americans

“The people must know before they can act, and there is no educator to compare with the press.” — Ida B. Wells own filtered news outlet, “Trump TV.” In many ways, the “channel” functions like many propaganda machines we see If you placed me in a time machine around the world: discrediting the free and took me back to grade school when I press while disseminating unchecked first learned about World War II — speaccounts of government actions. cifically, the portion of history where I It is clear that we have crossed a red learned how the far-right came to power line and entered a danger zone. And a in 1930s Germany — I would have zone that threatens to further told you it was unimaginable divide the American people and that those tactics would ever be disproportionately impact Black accepted in America. I’m sure and other marginalized people many of you who learned heraldwho need access to information ed stories of our troops’ bravery most. But this isn’t the first time fighting tyranny on the shores of the administration has targeted France and deep into Germany information flow to Black comwould agree. munities. But decades later, I witnessed Columnist In his first term, President the sitting president of the United Trump threatened to revoke the States ban three of our largest Marc Morial press credentials of April Ryan, media outlets from the White who was then with American House: CNN, MS NOW and Politico. Urban Radio Networks, the only BlackThe same day, ABC, CBS, NBC and owned broadcaster with a bureau in Fox News joined CNN in solidarity, susthe White House press room. He’s also pending the television pool that provides called a question from CNN video coverage of the president. anchor Abby Phillip “stupid” The result is effectively a and accused former PBS corremedia blackout of pooled teleJournalists spondent Yamiche Alcindor of vision coverage from the White asking “racist” questions about from all House as the nation is in the midst of a seven-month war that three outlets his administration’s decisions. To be clear, these are all has cost the American people were initially forms of censorship and vioover $50 billion and counting. lations of our constitutional The blackout also overlaps with turned away right to a free press. It is also a despite the United Nations General massive distraction from major Assembly, the first state visit the order issues facing the American peofrom China this decade and before being ple including the skyrocketing growing lawsuits to stop the allowed cost of living, dangerous cuts administration from deploying to programs like Medicare and back in later federal agents to the polls this SNAP and investigations into midterm election. that day. the administration’s endless The three outlets challenged cycle of corruption. the ban in court, and on Sept. The American people 24, a federal judge temporarily deserve to know the truth about ordered the White House to what is going on in this country. Instead, restore their access. Journalists from all the White House is setting the stage for three outlets were initially turned away mass indoctrination through its own despite the order before being allowed media outlets controlled by a president back in later that day, and disputes over and Cabinet that have as much respect access to specific events continued. The for the truth as they do the mainstream outlets have since asked the judge to media. extend his order while their lawsuit proWe are standing in solidarity with ceeds. these outlets as they go to court and fight Meanwhile, the president’s behavior this injustice. drifted further toward the authoritarMarc Morial is president and CEO of ian tactics we’ve seen in regimes in the National Urban League. Germany and Russia: He launched his By Marc Morial

St. Louis American stlamerican.com

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

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

Commentary

Death penalty still preys on the poor lowed in 2021, the first state of the old Confederacy to abolish. I woke up Monday thinking about Then we stopped. No state has Troy Davis. Fifteen years ago, Georgia abolished the death penalty since executed him. I believe he was innocent. Washington formally repealed it in 2023. I was outside the prison that night. Washington’s Supreme Court had already As the old song goes, that’s the night ruled the state’s death penalty unconstituthe lights went out in Georgia. tional in 2018. No physical evidence tied The machine kept running. Troy to the killing of Officer Since 1973, at least 203 people Mark MacPhail. The case rested have been exonerated from death on eyewitnesses. Seven of the row. For every eight people exenine later recanted or changed cuted, one has been exonerated. their accounts. Several swore the Two years ago, Missouri executed police had pressured them. They Marcellus Williams, after the very pointed instead to another man at prosecutor’s office that convicted the scene, the man who first gave Columnist him asked a court to throw out police Troy’s name. One witness the conviction. Ben Jealous testified he saw that man fire the The death penalty preys on the shots. poor. About 95% of the people on Good people spoke up. William death row could not afford a lawyer. Sessions, who ran the FBI (Federal Today, 23 states have abolished the Bureau of Investigation) under three death penalty. The question of when the presidents, wrote that the case was national consensus becomes sufficient permeated with doubt. Bob Barr, a for the Supreme Court to conclude that Republican who supports the capital punishment violates the death penalty, wrote that conEighth Amendment is not a demning a man on the skimpifixed 26-state threshold. est of evidence does not serve Ohio is closest. Its The death justice. I am grateful to them. Republican governor, Mike penalty But they did not have what DeWine, has not carried preys on the out a single execution. In I had. I worked that case for poor. About 15 years. I read the affidavits June he called for abolition. myself. I did not come away Pennsylvania’s governor, Josh 95% of the with doubt. I came away cerShapiro, refuses to sign death people on tain. Georgia killed the wrong warrants. North Carolina has not death row man. executed anyone in 20 years. could not Troy saw what we could Much of the country is not. He kept telling us the moving the other way. States afford a only way to break the killing executed 47 people last year, the lawyer. machine was to make the counmost since 2009. Florida alone try watch it work. So we built killed 19. In January 2025, the our campaign around a hashtag, president signed an order press#TooMuchDoubt. His execuing states to seek more death tion became the second-most-tweeted sentences. The order directed the attorney event on earth that year. Weeks later, general to encourage state prosecutors to Gallup found support for the death penal- bring capital charges and to pursue the ty at a 39-year low. death penalty in specified federal cases. The next spring, Connecticut abolThese are hard times. We carry many ished the death penalty with a horriffights. We cannot set this one down. ic murder case still in the headlines. Two weeks before he died, Troy Troy made that possible. A year later, asked me to be an uncle to his nephew, Maryland became the first state south De’Jaun. I said yes. I had known him of the Mason-Dixon Line to abolish since he was 3. Today he is an engiit. I watched that vote from the Senate neer, helping build a dental school in balcony in Annapolis, beside Kirk Savannah, his uncle’s hometown. Troy Bloodsworth. Maryland had sent Kirk, should have lived to see it. a White waterman and former Marine, Ben Jealous is a professor of practice to death row for a murder he did not at the U. of Pennsylvania and former commit. DNA freed him. Virginia folpresident and CEO of the NAACP. By Ben Jealous

Commentary

Missouri must hold all schools accountable

rural districts that have experienced serious financial problems. Yet the auditor’s own 2024 annual report says his office Missouri State Auditor Scott released performance audits of only two Fitzpatrick’s demand that the president of school districts that year and launched the St. Louis Board of Education testify audits of two more. about the firing of former Superintendent That is precisely why selective Millicent Borishade raises a larger question: Is this really about accountability, or enforcement matters. The auditor has chosen to place is accountability being selectively extraordinary attention on St. applied? Louis Public Schools. His office Dr. Borishade has filed an issued a “poor” rating and publicactive whistleblower and wrongly emphasized the district’s deficit ful-termination lawsuit against the spending, even projecting when district. Having a board president its fund balance could eventually provide open-ended testimony fall to financially stressed levels if about matters that could become corrective action were not taken. evidence in pending litigation carFine. Hold SLPS accountable. ries legal risks for the district. Columnist But hold everybody accountProtecting the district’s legal able. Ray position is not hiding from Audit the charter schools with Cummings accountability. It is protecting St. questionable financial practices. Louis taxpayers. Investigate districts operating with danBut if Auditor Fitzpatrick wants to gerously low reserves. Examine failures make himself Missouri’s watchdog over to make required retirement contributions. public education, then he should explain Demand answers from rural, suburban, why that watchdog seems to bark much charter and traditional public louder at public schools. schools with the same intensity Consider Kairos Academies, being directed at St. Louis. a St. Louis charter school. Its Accountability cannot Accountability fiscal year 2024 independent depend on geography, school audit identified material noncannot type or political ideology. compliance, a material weakdepend on The State Auditor possesses ness in internal controls, and a geography, enormous public power. That significant deficiency in internal controls. Yet where was the school type or power should be used to prohigh-profile intervention from political ideol- tect taxpayers—not to advance the political campaign against the State Auditor? Where were ogy. traditional public education. the demands for public testiThe St. Louis Board of mony and the accompanying Education should cooperate political spectacle? fully with legitimate financial There have also been serious oversight while refusing to compromise questions raised about Kairos’ finances, its legal position in pending litigation. including concerns surrounding fund balAnd Auditor Fitzpatrick should answer ances and retirement-system contributions. If a charter school failed to make required a simple question: If this is really about accountability, retirement contributions on time and why isn’t everyone being held to the corrected the problem only after it was discovered, that deserves as much scrutiny same standard? This commentary originally ran in the as financial or management problems at a Missouri Independent. traditional public school district. Ray Cummings is president of AFT St. And the standard cannot change when Louis, Local 420, AFLCIO and a biology we leave St. Louis. Missouri has more teacher with St. Louis Public Schools. than 500 school districts, including small By Ray Cummings

Donald M. Suggs Publisher ADMINISTRATION

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Fred Sweets • Ellen Sweets PRODUCTION

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

Dawn Suggs – Digital Director James LeBine – Multimedia Specialist

EDITORIAL

SALES

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

Pam Simmons – Senior Account Executive Angelita F. Houston – Classified Manager Ashley Simmons – Account Executive

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

“Black men are tired of being burned by a system that was never designed for us.” — NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson, on the launch of National Black Man Voter Day, Oct. 24

News

OCTOBER 1 – 7, 2026

Trump blasts Supreme Court over Missouri map ruling

Congressman Cleaver will seek reelection under existing 5th District map

so hard for Fairness and Election Security.” President Donald The ruling means Trump is criticizing the Democratic Rep. Emanuel U.S. Supreme Court for Cleaver of Kansas City blocking a Missouri conwill seek reelection in the gressional map he pushed 5th District under the 2022 Republican state lawmakboundaries rather than the ers to adopt, adding anoth- Republican-drawn lines er chapter to a redistricting approved last year. The fight that began with his 2025 map significantly call for GOPreshaped led states Cleaver’s to redraw district as part The ruling means of an effort their districts before the to improve Democratic Rep. 2026 midterm Emanuel Cleaver Republicans’ elections. chances of of Kansas City “The winning seven will seek reelec- of Missouri’s Supreme Court of eight U.S. tion in the 5th the United District under the House seats States will of the 2022 boundaries. instead just not let six they now Missouri have hold. an Election Cleaver Victory,” is one of Trump wrote Sunday on Missouri’s two Black Truth Social, two days members of Congress. after the court ruled for the The other, Democratic third time that Missouri Rep. Wesley Bell of St. must use its previous conLouis, represents the 1st gressional map in the Nov. District, which was largely 3 election. “They continunchanged by the 2025 uously, three times now, map. overrule Judges who came Trump began pressing to the correct decisions.” Missouri Republicans Trump also thanked more than a year ago Missouri Gov. Mike to take the unusual step Kehoe and others in the of redrawing the state’s state “who are fighting congressional districts in

U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver will seek reelection in Missouri’s 5th Congressional District under the 2022 map after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the Republicandrawn 2025 boundaries.

St. Louis American staff

Photo by Rudi Keller / Missouri Independent

the middle of the decade rather than after the next census. Some Republican lawmakers initially expressed reluctance. In July 2025, Missouri House Speaker Pro Tem Chad Perkins said the White House contacted him after he publicly questioned another round of redistricting. Perkins said White House officials told him they planned to contact every Republican member of the Missouri House as well as Kehoe. “If you’re a Republican state senator, a Republican state representative,” Perkins said at the time, “you don’t want to be on the wrong side of this

president.” Kehoe ultimately called lawmakers into a special session, and Missouri’s Republican-controlled Legislature approved the new map. During the session, Trump personally spoke to Republican state senators and publicly urged them to pass the map without changes. Opponents of the new boundaries collected more than 300,000 signatures seeking a statewide referendum. Secretary of State Denny Hoskins rejected the petition Aug. 4, but the Missouri Supreme Court unanimously ruled Sept. 3 that the petition was legal, sufficient and timely. The court held that the refer-

endum petition prevented the 2025 map from taking effect. Conflicting state and federal court orders followed, repeatedly putting the map for November in doubt. On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court settled which map will govern the November election. “As a matter of state law, the 2022 map — not the 2025 map — must be used in the 2026 congressional election,” the court said in an unsigned opinion. There were no noted dissents. The ruling came four days after the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals

ordered Missouri to use the 2025 map. The appeals court ruled that using one set of districts for the August primary and another for the general election would violate the U.S. Constitution. By then, however, Missouri’s general election was already underway. Ballots had been sent to military and overseas voters, and absentee voting had begun. “The election is not merely upcoming; it has already started,” the Supreme Court said, adding that changing maps again at this stage “would usher in electoral chaos.” The court also noted that it had intervened twice previously in the dispute. “Given this Court’s two prior orders in this litigation, our conclusion that this was error should come as no surprise,” the justices wrote. Missouri therefore will use the same congressional districts used in the 2022 and 2024 elections, even though the 2025 boundaries were used for the August primary. The fight over the new map is not over. Voters will decide its future when they vote on Proposition A on Nov. 3. A yes vote would approve the 2025 map, which would take effect 30 days after the election. A no vote would leave the 2022 boundaries in place.

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 1 – 7, 2026

Pro bono task force to fight fraud against tornado survivors By Kavahn Mansouri St. Louis Public Radio A volunteer-led task force of St. Louis-based lawyers will go after contractors who take advantage of victims of last year’s May tornado. Mayor Cara Spencer announced the creation of the task force on Thursday as an expansion of the city’s effort to provide legal aid to victims in the tornado zone. The EF3 tornado damaged and destroyed thousands of homes in the north and west parts of the city. The task force will be composed of area lawyers and Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, a legal aid group that often works with the city on housing and other legal issues. Together, the litigators will provide free legal expertise and representation to eligible homeowners who believe they were defrauded by a contractor, including by receiving shoddy or partial work. Spencer said she hopes the task force sends a “clear and unambiguous message” to fraudsters looking to victimize homeowners impacted by the tornado. “I’ve just heard over and over again some truly heartbreaking stories of folks that have been taken advantage of by contractors, some of which are local,” Spencer said. In May, a High Ridge contractor was charged with defrauding victims of the tornado by Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway’s office. Homeowners seeking legal aid will go through a two-stage screening process to evaluate their

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

A volunteer-led task force of St. Louis-based lawyers will provide free legal expertise and representation to eligible homeowners who believe they were defrauded by a contractor, including by receiving shoddy or partial work. claims. Then, if selected, an attorney will be matched with the homeowners. The intake form can be found here. Celeste Vossmeyer, an attorney who has worked with Spencer’s administration on several other projects, helped assemble the task force. She said the city’s north and west

sides need extra eyes while recovery efforts continue. “We’re hoping that this is also going to be a deterrent as other money flows into the tornado disaster area and to other scammers that may try to take advantage of these individual homeowners,” she said. Spencer said the city

will also partner with the attorney general’s consumer protection office. The office will forward complaints from homeowners in the tornado zone to the task force. Spencer said that without the help of the volunteers, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and the attorney general, the city

could not offer this type of help. Shawn Caruso, a senior attorney at Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, called on other lawyers in the area to consider joining the pro bono team. “Every lawyer who volunteers expands our ability and our capacity to provide more free legal aid

to our residents,” Caruso said. Published with permission as part of a content partnership between The St. Louis American and St. Louis Public Radio. Click here to view original story.

Young athletes find their footing in the game of soccer

Camp opens a field of possibilities for St. Louis children during national team’s visit of Tuesday’s U.S. men’s national team match against Chile at Energizer Park, which the United Rodger Kelly had States won 4-2. two answers when asked Brandon Williams, about his favorite part of president and CEO of Monday’s soccer camp. He liked scoring goals. He Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. also liked stopLouis, said the ping them. chance to expe“I am the rience something goalie. Number Boys & Girls new made the one,” he said, Clubs of partnership valuas another child Greater St. able. Children nearby chalwho had never lenged his claim Louis hosted met a World to the top spot. the camp Cup player could For Rodger’s in North St. spend an aftermother, Chloe Louis with noon learning Kelly, that U.S. Soccer’s from people who enthusiasm was had reached the Soccer the point. Her sport’s highest son usually Forward inilevel. plays baseball tiative and “One of the and football. He New York biggest things had seen soccer for me is expoLife. on television sure,” Williams and played a litsaid. “Getting tle at school, but our young peothe free camp at ple exposed to the Mathews-Dickey Club different opportunities, gave him a chance to try innovation, different the equipment, practice drills and learn more about people, different experiences is something that’s the game. extremely important.” “I hope that he takes Williams told the chilsome knowledge of the dren he had once been a game,” she said. Seeing club member himself. As a him as a goalkeeper young person, he met prowas especially exciting fessional athletes through because it was a position the club and said those unlike those in the sports encounters helped him he normally plays. believe he could become Boys & Girls Clubs of a professional athlete, too. Greater St. Louis hosted The skills and inspiration the camp in North St. he received from the club Louis with U.S. Soccer’s took him all the way to Soccer Forward initiative the NFL, where he played and New York Life. It wide receiver for the San was organized for chilFrancisco 49ers, the then dren ages 5 to 13 ahead By Lawrence Bryant St. Louis American

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

Brave Brown lifts his knee to control a soccer ball as Tim Ream, captain of the 2026 U.S. World Cup team, watches during a free youth camp at the Mathews-Dickey Club in north St. Louis on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. home team St. Louis Rams before concluding his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. At Monday’s event, he wanted the children to take advantage of their own chance to learn, listen and meet people. Among the guests were St. Louis natives Brad Davis, who played in the 2014 World Cup, and Tim Ream, who captained the U.S. team at the 2026 World Cup. Ream is scheduled to be honored

before Tuesday’s match, though he is not on the roster against Chile. Ream said athletes have a responsibility to show up in their communities. Meeting a player in person can give a child someone to look up to – or introduce that child to a sport they have yet to consider. “We can have such a major impact on the next generation of kids,” he said. Davis said some of

his favorite memories of soccer came long before his professional career, when he played with friends as a child. He saw that same chance for fun at Mathews-Dickey. But he also raised a question about what comes after a single afternoon of drills. He wants children who discover they love soccer to have a way to keep playing, with adults following up and helping them find other opportu-

nities. “This is a great starting point,” Davis said. “But now it’s taking the next step to make sure that all these kids that are currently out here now or in any other program around the country have a gateway to continue going.” Williams said the club’s role is to keep showing up for children after special events end. “We are consistently here every single day,” he said. Maya Stephen, manager of partnerships at the Soccer Forward Foundation, said she watched children pass the ball, make eye contact and communicate with one another. Those small exchanges were lessons in teamwork, even for children who might never join a soccer team. She hoped they would remember the people around them as much as the drills: the players they could aspire to be, and the club staff there to help them grow. “This game belongs to everyone,” Stephen said. Chloe Kelly saw another possibility for Rodger. If he comes across a soccer game somewhere else, she said, he may now feel confident enough to join in. Rodger left Monday’s camp with goals scored, new people met and a place he was eager to defend.

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 1 – 7, 2026

State Sen. Angela Walton Mosley files defamation lawsuit over Facebook posts By Na’Porsha Williams St. Louis American Missouri state Sen. Angela Walton Mosley has filed a defamation lawsuit against Shonte Harmon-Young, alleging Harmon-Young made false statements on Facebook accusing her of accepting money to interfere in the Aug. 4 St. Louis County executive primary. The lawsuit was filed Wednesday, Sept. 23, in St. Louis County Circuit Court. Walton Mosley is seeking $1 million in

punitive damages as well as compensatory damages in an amount to be determined at trial. Walton Mosley, who represents Missouri’s 13th Senate District, alleges Harmon-Young, a former aide to St. Louis County Councilwoman Shalonda Webb, made the statements with “actual malice,” meaning the lawsuit claims she knew they were false or acted with reckless disregard for whether they were true. Walton Mosley entered the Democratic

primary on the final day 19.93%. of candidate filing, joining According to the state Sen. Brian Williams lawsuit, Harmon-Young and County wrote in a pubAssessor Jake lic Facebook Zimmerman. thread that County election Walton records show Mosley wantWilliams and ed to “destroy Zimmerman filed Brian’s chances Feb. 24, while of winning” and Walton Mosley alleged that St. filed March 31. Louis County Zimmerman ultiExecutive Sam Angela Walton mately won the Page “stepped Mosley Aug. 4 primary in and paid for with 46.47% her to do it.” of the vote, followed by Walton Mosley denies Williams with 33.61% accepting money from and Walton Mosley with Page or anyone else

to enter a political race and denies attempting to sabotage another candidate. The lawsuit alleges Harmon-Young’s statements falsely accused the senator of bribery, corruption and election interference. Harmon-Young told The American she had not yet seen the lawsuit and therefore could not comment on its specific allegations, but defended her Facebook comments as protected speech. “From what I’ve read in the paper, it sounds like I exercised my First

Amendment right,” Harmon-Young said. “As a former elected official, I’ve had far worse said about me and I’ve never sued anyone about it because it’s par for the course.” Harmon-Young said she has contacted an attorney and expects the case “to be over before it really even begins.” Walton Mosley alleges the posts caused emotional distress, public humiliation, and damaged her reputation and relationships with constituents and colleagues.

Bailey steps down from FBI, returns to Missouri St. Louis American staff Former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is stepping down as co-deputy director of the FBI after a little more than a year and returning to Missouri. “With great pride in what we have accomplished, I am announcing that I am stepping down to return to my family in Missouri,” Bailey wrote Monday on X. “I am confident Director [Kash] Patel will continue to reform the FBI, combat violent crime, defend the homeland, ensure strong organizational accountability and restore public trust in this institution of excellence.” Bailey’s last day is expected to be Friday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He joined the FBI in September 2025 after leaving the Missouri attorney general’s office. Bailey initially shared

the deputy director role with Dan Bongino and later with Christopher Raia, a longtime FBI agent. The arrangement was unusual because the bureau traditionally has

Patel praised Bailey in a post on X, saying he made a “fantastic contribution instituting critical reforms” at the bureau.

had one deputy director. Patel praised Bailey in a post on X, saying he made a “fantastic contribution instituting critical reforms” at the bureau. Bailey’s longtime friend and former campaign manager, James Lawson, told The Kansas City Star that Bailey plans to spend time with his wife and four

children after returning to Missouri. Lawson said Bailey also will be watching Missouri’s political landscape in the coming months but did not identify any office he might seek. Bailey was appointed Missouri attorney general in 2022 and won election to the office in 2024. His tenure included several high-profile actions in the St. Louis region, including an effort to remove thenSt. Louis Sheriff Alfred Montgomery from office and the prosecution of St. Louis County Executive Sam Page over county-funded mailers related to a 2025 ballot measure. Page has pleaded not guilty, and the case remains pending. His trial is scheduled for Jan. 25, 2027. Gov. Mike Kehoe appointed Catherine Hanaway to replace Bailey as attorney general when Bailey left for the FBI. Photo courtesy of the FBI

Supreme Court allows expanded citizenship checks By Sylvester Brown Jr. St. Louis American The U.S. Supreme Court has lifted restrictions on the Trump administration’s expanded federal voter citizenship database, allowing it to be used while a legal challenge continues. The Trump administration last year significantly expanded the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, program, created after Congress passed legislation in 1986. Trump, by executive order, directed the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration to integrate records so state and local authorities could use SAVE to check the citizenship of registered voters.

The Supreme Court’s decision puts on hold U.S. District Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan’s June order that blocked the administration’s revamped version of SAVE. Noting that a 1996 law allows the Department of Homeland Security to obtain citizenship and immigration information from other federal agencies, the Supreme Court majority said the government has “an obligation to respond” to states seeking to verify citizenship. “The order below prevents the Federal Government from using the program it believes is best suited to the task,” the majority wrote in the unsigned opinion. Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor dissented.

Former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is stepping down as co-deputy director of the FBI after a little more than a year and returning to Missouri to be with his family.

“The harm caused by burdening or disenfranchising even a few lawful voters outweighs the nonexistent harm that the Government experiences when it is prevented from taking an action that it likely lacks the authority to take,” Jackson wrote. Federal law generally prohibits states from systematically removing voters from their rolls within 90 days of a federal election, which the Supreme Court said limits the potential impact of its decision on the midterm elections. Individual voter inquiries, however, are permitted during that period. States also are not required to use SAVE. Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 1 – 7, 2026

News Briefs

Crystal Carter to complete Dellwood mayor’s term

Dellwood’s Board of night’s meeting. Aldermen has selected “No one can fill the Alderwoman Crystal shoes of Jones,” Carter Carter to serve as mayor said. “It’s been a tremenfollowing the unexpected dous undertaking for us death of Mayor Reggie as a board, the staff, the Jones last month. city administrator, our city Carter will serve the attorney and the city of remainder of Jones’ twoDellwood residents as a year term, with the city’s whole.” next mayoral election Carter, who has lived scheduled for April 2027. in Dellwood for more than Crystal Carter Board of Aldermen 16 years, said residents can President Kenneth expect continuity under her Robinson had served as interim leadership and that city operations mayor since Aug. 24. He resigned will continue without disruption. as board president during Monday

Missouri voter registration deadline is Oct. 7 Missourians have until Wednesday, Oct. 7, to register to vote in the Nov. 3 general election. The ballot includes congressional, state and local races and five statewide measures. No-excuse absentee voting runs

Oct. 20 through Nov. 2. On Election Day, polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters can check their registration, polling place and sample ballot through their local election authority.

Hanaway investigates ActBlue fundraising Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway is investigating whether ActBlue, an online fundraising platform used by Democratic candidates, accepted illegal foreign or fraudulent contributions. The probe follows a congressional report alleging ActBlue failed to prevent illegal foreign contributions.

ActBlue disputes the allegations and says it has cooperated with investigations and subpoenas since 2025. ActBlue and congressional Democrats have denounced the investigations as a coordinated political effort to damage the party’s primary digital fundraising platform.

Police investigate damage to 50 hydrants Nearly 50 fire hydrants in St. Louis have been deliberately damaged and rendered inoperable, city fire and police officials said Sunday. Police are investigating the damage and seeking those responsible. Authorities have not confirmed a

motive or what is being done with parts removed from the hydrants. Officials said functioning hydrants are critical to emergency response and urged anyone who sees someone tampering with a hydrant to call 911.

Commentary

Moving forward includes looking back

Rosewood, Florida; East St. Louis, Illinois; and far too many other communities where The United States was never really a racial hatred erupted into violence. melting pot. What, exactly, were we supAs children across this country return posed to melt into? to classrooms this fall, one of the most Perhaps we could be better understood important subjects they can study is history as a salad bowl — each ingredient main— all of it. Students should learn history taining its unique color, texture, and flavor through a kaleidoscope of lenses that brings while contributing to the whole. the entire picture into focus — not a careOur nation is much the same — a mixfully cropped photograph designed to make ture of cultures, nationalities, ethnicities, us comfortable. histories and traditions. Our shared citiTeach that Indigenous people zenship is the dressing that binds occupied lands that were taken us together. from them. For that vision to work, we Teach that Black people were must respect our differences enslaved, bought, sold and treated while remembering the history as property. that connects us. Unfortunately, Teach that enslaved people racism — both blatant and subtle resisted bondage rather than hap— has repeatedly interfered with pily accepting it. America’s promise of equality. Teach about laws deliberately I was reminded of that recentdesigned to strip Black Americans ly in Birmingham, Alabama. of rights. While visiting the Teach about people — Black Maxine Bryant Birmingham Civil Rights and white — who fought, sacInstitute, I walked through exhibrificed and sometimes died to its chronicling the struggle for Black civil change this nation. rights. One detail on a timeline stopped Teach also about Black genius that me. shaped this nation: the agricultural knowlIn early September 1963 — as edge Africans brought to the Colonies, the Birmingham confronted the desegregainventions of Garrett Morgan and Lewis tion of its public schools — Ku Klux Latimer, the medical breakthroughs of Dr. Klansmen who would later be connected Charles Drew and Dr. Patricia Bath — just to the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist to name a few. Our children should know Church were reportedly seen scouting the not only that Black people survived, but church. what Black genius produced. Black children were entering previously Accurate history must teach our children segregated schools, carrying books, hopes that Black history is more than oppression. and the possibility of equality. Yet while It is genius. children were entering classrooms, hatred That is where Sankofa becomes particuwas plotting. larly relevant. Then, on Sept. 15, a bomb exploded at Sankofa, a concept from the Akan peothe 16th Street Baptist Church, killing four ple of Ghana, teaches that there is wisdom girls preparing for Youth Day: Addie Mae in going back to retrieve what has been Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson forgotten or left behind so we can carry it and Cynthia Wesley. A fifth girl, Sarah forward. Collins Rudolph, survived with devastatMoving forward often requires looking ing injuries. backward. Later that day, two Black boys — Our children deserve that backward Johnny Robinson and Virgil Ware — were glance. killed in separate acts of racial violence. This school year, give our children the Six Black children died in Birmingham whole story. Give them the tools to wrestle that day. They never got to finish that with it. Give them the opportunity to learn school semester. from it. Then trust them to build something And Birmingham was not alone. better. American history bears the scars of Dr. Maxine Bryant is the founder of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma; GriotSpeaks. By Maxine Bryant

Business OCTOBER 1 – 7, 2026

Rate hike adds to inflation squeeze

Black consumers could face greater pressure as borrowing costs rise By Na’Porsha Williams St. Louis American The Federal Reserve’s first interest rate hike in more than three years could be especially costly for Black consumers, who are more likely to carry credit card balances and have less household wealth to fall back on when expenses rise. The Fed raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point last month, putting its target range at 3.75% to 4%. The central bank said inflation remains elevated and that the

The central bank said inflation remains elevated and that the increase is intended to help bring inflation back toward its 2% goal.

increase is intended to help bring inflation back toward its 2% goal. For consumers, the move means borrowing is likely to get more expensive, particularly on credit cards and other loans with variable interest rates.

For Todd West, a North County resident, those higher borrowing costs come on top of prices that already have risen because of inflation. “Credit cards, everything,” West said. “Everything, ’cause peo-

ple buy everything on credit cards. … It’s going to affect everything.” Jayson Thornton, a financial advisor with Thornton Financial in St. Louis, said credit card borrowers could notice the effects relatively quickly because most cards have variable annual percentage rates tied to the prime rate. “Cardholders typically see their APR adjust within one to two billing cycles — roughly 30 to 60 days,” Thornton said. Federal data show Black See Inflation, A8

PEOPLE On The Move Ross to deliver Homer G. Phillips lecture Dr. Will R. Ross will deliver the 2026 Homer G. Phillips Public Health Lecture at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, at Washington University’s Eric P. Newman Education Center, 320 S. Euclid Ave. Ross will present “The History of Public Hospitals and the Advent of Dr. Will R. Homer G. Phillips Ross Hospital.” Ross is Washington University’s associate dean for diversity, principal officer for community partnerships and Alumni Endowed Professor of Medicine in Nephrology. Homer G. Phillips Hospital was a major economic and medical institution for Black St. Louisans during segregation.

Williams named Franchisee of the Year James E. “Jimmy” Williams Jr., president and CEO of Estel Foods Inc., has been named a 2026 Franchisee of the Year by the International Franchise Association. James E. Williams’ comWilliams Jr. pany owns and operates McDonald’s franchises in Illinois and Missouri. He was among 89 franchise owners honored. Williams, The St. Louis American’s 2024 Person of the Year, also received the Fred Turner Golden Arch Award in 2022, McDonald’s highest recognition for a franchisee.

Finley receives SIU collaboration award

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

Fueled by kindness

Mo Gwaltney was among drivers who received free gasoline last week during a $10,000 giveaway sponsored by My Mother’s Roots. The North St. Louis child care center provided the money for Rodney Scales, owner of the BP station on Kingshighway, to give drivers up to $50 in gas as prices climbed across the St. Louis region. The money ran out in about two hours.

Commentary

We must be AI fluent – or be left behind

directly in the hands of the community with an initiative led by AI fluency strategist Susan Hearn. The AI Fluency We are at the forefront of a fundamental shift in access and Initiative’s premise combines the doctrines of racial equity with technology and culture, elevating how access makes AI opportunity. such a consequential force in determining who gets When new technology emerges, marginalized to shape the next era of American life. communities must adapt to We are not just workers to be displaced and systems we did not design demographics to be reached after AI has already and adjust to landscapes that disrupted the landscape. We are purveyors and engiNobody is comwould sooner leave us behind neers of this technology and should be considered than include us in their archiing to teach us; tecture. Now, at the dawn of active participants in its use. Our initiative seeks to we must do it interrupt that sequence, refusing to let us become the artificial intelligence era, passive figures in a shift that should be empowering ourselves. It is Black America must learn this us. new language of power. a civil rights For more than three decades, NAN has underNobody is coming to teach Al Sharpton issue. stood that civil rights advocacy must be practiced us; we must do it ourselves. It wherever inequality shows up. Technology education is a civil rights issue. is included in this conversation because of what it bestows on If Black and Brown communities the communities it reaches. It is one component of a broader are going to compete at the highcommitment, ensuring that communities historically excluded est levels of industry, then practical AI training cannot be from emerging industries have the tools to participate fully in reserved for Silicon Valley boardrooms, elite universities or people with a seat at the table. It must reach our residents, our the economic and cultural shifts of our future. Economic self-determination is as much a pillar of equity clergy, our organizers, our entrepreneurs, our young people and our families. The National Action Network is putting AI education See AI, A8 By Rev. Al Sharpton

Deja Finley, an assistant clinical professor in the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy, has received the 2026 SIU System Faculty Collaboration Award for Deja Finley cross-campus work advancing health equity, interprofessional education and team-based patient care. Finley works with Wrapping Obstetric Care for Moms and Babies in St. Clair and surrounding counties, a grant-funded maternal health initiative known as WOMBSS that incorporates pharmacy services into prenatal and postpartum care for underserved patients.

Melissa Hamilton selected for fellowship Melissa Hamilton, a graduate of Lutheran High School North and the University of MissouriColumbia, has been selected as one of 43 leaders in Leadership Greater Chicago’s 2027 Melissa Signature Fellows Hamilton Class. Hamilton is senior director of strategy, planning and execution for Elevance Health and is active in civic and community organizations.

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

Inflation Continued from A7 consumers could be particularly exposed to those higher borrowing costs. A Federal Reserve survey released in May found that 72% of Black credit card holders carried a balance at least once during 2025, compared with 40% of white cardholders. Among all Black adults, 48% carried a balance, compared with 34% of white adults. Thornton said the potential for a disproportionate impact is tied in part to longstanding differences in accumulated wealth.

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 1 – 7, 2026 “Due to historical wealth gaps, Black households are statistically more likely to be debt consumers rather than capital asset holders,” Thornton said. “When the Fed raises rates, borrowing costs increase immediately, while the benefits of higher yields primarily flow to those with cash accounts and investment portfolios.” Those differences can be substantial. The Federal Reserve’s most recent comprehensive survey of family finances found that in 2022, the median Black family had $44,900 in wealth — assets minus debts — compared with $285,000 for the median white family. Thornton described wealth as a “financial

The Federal Reserve’s most recent comprehensive survey of family finances found that in 2022, the median Black family had $44,900 in wealth — assets minus debts — compared with $285,000 for the median white family.

shock absorber.” Families with savings have more flexibility to handle unexpected expenses without borrowing, while households living paycheck to paycheck have fewer options. The rate hike also comes as Americans are carrying near-record levels of credit card debt. Balances reached $1.26 trillion during the second

quarter, up $21 billion from the previous quarter, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Auto loan balances reached $1.71 trillion. New delinquencies on credit cards and auto loans remain elevated, the New York Fed reported. Black consumers also are more likely to use some higher-cost forms of credit. The Fed’s 2025

AI Continued from A7 as voting rights and equal legal protections. For us, access is not meaningful if it arrives after everyone else has already learned the rules. So, we start with the fundamentals. The AI Fluency Initiative is designed as a repeated working session to meet people where they are. Students are introduced to the technology across various use cases, then sent home with usable skills based on the work produced during the session. AI is the next gate through which the mechanisms of opportunity will pass. It is quickly becoming part of how people apply for jobs, build businesses and articulate themselves. The use cases are vast, and the adoption

household survey found that 15% of Black adults had used a payday, pawn, auto-title or refund-anticipation loan during the previous year, compared with 4% of white adults. Thornton said emergency cash shortages and barriers to traditional credit can push some consumers toward those loans. “When an unexpected emergency strikes without a dedicated cash reserve, predatory lenders — offering triple-digit APRs — become the lender of last resort,” he said. Housing presents a somewhat different picture. The Fed does not directly set mortgage rates, which are influenced by longer-term Treasury yields and other

market forces. But higher mortgage rates can make monthly payments more expensive and make it harder for prospective buyers to qualify for loans. Thornton said consumers should focus on building emergency savings when possible, reducing variable-rate debt and reviewing household expenses. He said policymakers should watch credit card and auto-loan delinquencies, small-business loan access and housing affordability over the next six to 12 months. West said consumers should prepare for the financial uncertainty. “It’s not time to be scared,” he said. “It’s time to prepare.”

has been swift. If these tools are becoming part of everyday life, then access to understanding them must become an element of everyday empowerment. It is paramount to us that Black communities are not only exposed to AI but also at the helm. We know that progress

in industry. We must refuse to be told to wait our turn and instead harness the tools of self-education and empowerment. To be serious about the wealth gap means confronting the technologies reshaping work culture. Closing the academic achievement gap requires us to prevent a literacy discrepancy from arising in the first place. Equity requires preparation, and we are in the unique position to harness these emerging tools so that it is our voices that are heard, our perspectives that are amplified and our communities that are enfranchised. The AI Fluency Initiative is an access measure addressing an economic gap.

AI is the next gate through which the mechanisms of opportunity will pass. does not always distribute evenly. Communities must demand access and request inclusion in the infrastructure of change. This self-advocacy is often the only way to ensure that hegemony does not continue to inflict exclusion and disenfranchisement on those who could most benefit from seismic shifts

Rev. Al Sharpton is founder and president of the National Action Network.

HealthMatters your

‘Taking Care of You’ OCTOBER 1 – 7, 2026

Lung cancer progress leaves racial disparities

Black patients face barriers to clinical trials By Jennifer Porter Gore Word In Black Black Americans remain underrepresented in clinical trials for new drugs and medical treatments, and a panel at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference on Friday explored how to change that. The session, “Let’s Talk Trials: Why Representation in Clinical Research Matters,” examined Barry Nelson barriers that keep Black people and other historically underrepresented populations from participating in research and ways to make clinical trials more accessible. Why it matters

Envato photo

Lung cancer death rates continued their long decline from 2019 to 2023, including among Black Americans, but significant racial disparities in cancer deaths persist.

Black Americans still face stark disparities in deaths By Syvester Brown Jr. St. Louis American Lung cancer death rates fell for both men and women from 2019 to 2023, continuing a 20-year downward trend, according to a new national report. The 2026 Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer documented the continued decline in cancer deaths, driven largely by progress against lung cancer. The

Lung cancer remains the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. report was produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Cancer Institute, American

Cancer Society and North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. The report notes that, despite significant progress, lung cancer remains the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. Researchers said that further reducing cigarette smoking and supporting tobacco-free environments will be important to continuing the

Diseases can affect people differently based on age, gender, weight, race, ethnicity and other factors, making representation in clinical trials important. Roughly 1 in 4 clinical trial participants are from communities of color, although those communities make up more Diseases can than 40% of the U.S. population, affect people according to phardifferently maceutical combased on pany Merck. age, gender, A 2022 report from the National weight, race and ethnicity. Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine found little progress had been made during the previous three decades in increasing participation by racial and ethnic minority groups. The report also found willingness is not the main obstacle. Asian, Black and Latino Americans and American Indian and Alaska Native people are no less likely, and in some cases more likely, to participate in research if asked. Fueled by a personal passion Merck began an effort to improve

See Lung Cancer, A10

See Trials, A10

Fighting barriers to health care

Groups help patients keep Medicaid coverage

By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American New Medicaid work requirements taking effect by Jan. 1 will require certain adults ages 19 to 64 to meet community engagement requirements to remain eligible for coverage. Adults subject to the requirements must complete at least 80 hours per month of work, community service or participation in certain work programs, or be enrolled in an educational program at least half time. Qualifying activities may be combined, and some recipients are exempt from the requirements. How some of those

exemptions will ability to meet be applied is the work requirealready being ments. challenged in Missouri court. already faces A Kansas City problems keeping Medicaid recipieligible resient is among five dents enrolled in enrollees from Medicaid. More five states who than 333,000 filed a federal Missourians lost Kendra lawsuit challengcoverage from Holmes ing a Trump January 2025 administration through February rule governing exemptions 2026. Nearly 92% were for people considered dropped because of paper“medically frail.” The work issues rather than a lawsuit argues that the rule determination that they unlawfully narrows the were no longer eligible, exemption by requiring according to federal data people with qualifying reported by the Missouri medical conditions to Independent. show that their conditions A recent Washington significantly impair their University analysis found

that about twoare partnering to thirds of Missouri help the commuMedicaid recipnity stay connectients ages 19 to ed to both health64 are employed, care and employa rate similar to ment resourcnational levels. es,” Affinia Many of those who Healthcare are not working President and report circumstancCEO Dr. Kendra es such as illness Holmes said in a Sal Martinez or caregiving release. responsibilities “A key focus that may qualify them for of the partnership is helpexemptions under the new ing patients keep their federal requirements. Medicaid coverage by St. Louis-based Affinia connecting those who need Healthcare and Employment to meet work requirements Connection have partnered with employment, job to help patients who are training, and volunteer subject to the new requireopportunities through ments keep their coverage. Employment Connection,” “Affinia Healthcare and Holmes said. Employment Connection Both organizations

serve many of the same clients, and the partnership is intended to connect community members with health care, employment and other support services. Employment Connection CEO Sal Martinez said the partnership will include other services offered by his organization. “Our mutual clients will continue to benefit from Affinia Healthcare’s award-winning, comprehensive health services while being exposed to Employment Connection’s multitude of wraparound services,” he said. Affinia Healthcare’s See Medicaid, A10

HealthMatters your

‘Taking Care of You’

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 1 – 7, 2026

A10

Lung Cancer Continued from A9 progress, along with access to early cancer detection, timely diagnosis and the latest treatments. Recent St. Louis County data show progress against lung cancer, too. From 2018 to 2022, lung and bronchus cancer death rates declined an average of 6.2% annually among men and 5.6% among women. New cases also declined, by an average of 1.7% annually among men and 1.3% among women. These county figures were not broken down by race, however, so they do not show whether those

Trials Continued from A9 clinical trial representation in 2018. Dr. Adrelia Allen, executive director of representation in clinical trials at Merck, is a pharmacist and medical doctor who specialized in clinical research. “I had my own trials that I was managing and recognized that the patients that I was enrolling in my trials didn’t look like me,” she told Word In Black. Her own family underscored the problem. There were indications her father might have prostate cancer, but he was delaying treatment because he would need an MRI. “He didn’t want to be treated as a guinea pig. And it was triggering for him,” Allen said. Her fam-

declines were shared equally across racial groups. Lung and bronchus cancer remained the leading cause of cancer death in St. Louis County during that period. The annual report also examines trends in new cancer cases. Overall, rates rose slightly each year from 2018 to 2022, driven by increases in breast cancer among women and prostate cancer among men. Breast and prostate cancer remain the most common cancers among women and men, respectively. Despite the increase in prostate cancer, the overall rate of new cancer cases among men remained stable. The decline extended to

Black Americans. Cancer death rates fell among men and women of every major racial and ethnic group from 2019 to 2023. Health organizations, however, emphasize that while the trend is downward, serious racial disparities remain. The American Cancer Society reports that overall cancer death rates dropped by 49% for Black men and 33% for Black women from 1991 to 2022. The American Cancer Society said that while the overall gap between Black and White cancer death rates has narrowed, disparities persist for several cancers. Black men remain more than twice as likely to

ily, she said, “would not have considered joining a clinical trial at the time because of past atrocities.”

Merck is working to expand access to information through educational initiatives such as Let’s Talk Trials. “The biggest part for me right now is awareness,” Allen said. Trials also must consider families and caregivers, she said. Transportation issues, missed work and language barriers can keep people from participating. Allen described an African American mother whose daughter was newly diagnosed with a serious disease. The mother researched the prescribed drug, saw that its clinical trials lacked diversity and did not want her daughter to take it. “That’s the power of an empowered patient leveraging the resources that are available to really do the work to see who were the patients that were included in the trial,” Allen said.

A historical moment presses the issue Allen said the COVID19 pandemic also drew attention to the lack of representation in trials and helped move Merck toward “having a team that’s accountable for representation in our clinical trials.” “It is better for us to understand how the drug works in a controlled environment before it is made available to the general public,” Allen said. Since drugs can work differently in different populations, “we need to have all patients involved in our clinical trials to make sure that the science is what we need and it’s the right thing to do.”

die from prostate cancer as White men, and Black women have a 38% higher breast cancer death rate than White women despite having a 5% lower incidence of the disease. “Lack of access to high-quality cancer care and socioeconomics continues to play a significant role in persistent racial disparities,” Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, senior vice president of surveillance, prevention and health services research at the American Cancer Society, said in releasing the organization’s 2026 cancer statistics report. Jemal is also a co-author of the new Annual Report to the Nation. The American Cancer

Cancer disparities Black men are 1.5 times as likely to develop prostate cancer and 2.2 times as likely to die from it as White men. Black men account for roughly 30% of U.S. prostate cancer deaths but less than 3% of participants in prostate cancer clinical trials. Black men also are about 12% more likely to develop lung cancer than White men, according to the American Cancer Society. A study of more than 50,000 patients with five types of cancer found that 4.4% of Black patients participated in oncology clinical trials compared with 7.2% of White patients. A survivor’s story Barry Nelson, a lung

Society’s 2025 “Cancer Statistics for African American and Black People” report also found that racial inequalities in cancer care and outcomes persist. The report found that five-year survival was lower for Black people than White people for almost every cancer type and stage. For many common cancers, death rates also remain higher among Black people. Compared with White people, Black people have twice the death rate from myeloma and stomach cancer and 40% to 50% higher death rates from colorectal and liver cancers. The study stressed that future efforts “must go

cancer survivor and patient advocate who spoke on the panel, told the audience how a clinical trial changed his experience of treatment. “When [I] was diagnosed, I was given six months to live,” Nelson said. After months in a clinical trial, Nelson said, he was able to ride his bicycle to chemotherapy appointments. He said his research team provided emotional support in addition to medical treatment. “I knew that I had real partners,” Nelson said. “Sometimes people just need to know that someone is there — that someone is with me as I’m going through this.” The experience inspired him to speak publicly. “That’s one of the reasons why I like to do this … to lend my voice.”

beyond research to disentangle the influence of structural racism on health and actively develop mechanisms to reverse course.” Among its recommendations are increasing diversity in clinical trials, improving provider education and strengthening the health care system through policies that reduce patients’ out-of-pocket costs. The report also called for ensuring that patients receive timely follow-up after a diagnosis and timely treatment, along with efforts to make cancer care more equitable. Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.

Medicaid Continued from A9 outreach team will identify patients who need assistance with Medicaid enrollment or employment services. “As I assist many of our patients with Medicaid enrollment, I find they are also in need of employment and the services that Employment Connection provides,” said Affinia Healthcare Outreach Director LaDon Meriweather. “We’re working to help our patients keep their coverage, and I believe this partnership is a natural fit. Ensuring members of our community have access to equitable services is a main priority.”

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ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 1 – 7, 2026

Keke Wyatt disputes booking details after Georgia arrest

Singer Keke Wyatt was arrested in Henry County, Georgia, on September 20, 2026. The 44‑year‑old was initially listed as facing charges that included terroristic threats, simple assault and cruelty to children, according to CBS News. She was released two days later after posting a $1,050 bond. Authorities have not published details about what led to the arrest. Wyatt is pushing back on reports about the charges. Her representatives say Henry County court records show only one count of simple assault. The booking entry listed aggravated assault, terroristic threats and acts, and third‑degree cruelty to children as misdemeanors. In a statement post‑ ed to Wyatt’s Instagram account, her team disputed that information. Keke Wyatt “Contrary to information currently being circulated, the Henry County court documentation reflects one charge: simple assault,” the statement said.

Jasmine Guy keeps it classy while clapping back at online haters Jasmine Guy is responding to criticism about her appearance after the A Different World sequel premiered on Netflix Thursday (September 24). Guy, 64, reprises her role as Whitley Gilbert in the sequel, which premiered nearly four decades after the original series debuted in 1987 – and stars St. Louis’ own Cornell Young IV. Following the premiere, social media users began commenting on Guy’s appearance and how she has aged since the original show. Guy took to social media with a message in response to the negative comments. “The internet can be brutal to women as we grow older. It asks us to celebrate life while criticizing every sign that we’ve lived it,” Guy said via Instagram. Her statement served as the caption of photos of her getting glammed up for pro‑ motional appearances and the show’s premiere. “Growing older brings change, and I won’t pretend every change is easy. But beauty, style, and joy don’t have an expiration date,” Guy said. “Let’s spend less time judging ourselves and each other, and more time loving each other, making memories, and living the life we’re here to live.”

Jasmine Guy

Sidney Starr says she’s ‘too famous for jail’

Reality star Sidney Starr is asking a Georgia judge to release her on bond, arguing that her celebrity status is making jail unsafe for her. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, the former Love & Hip Hop cast mem‑ ber — who is facing child molestation charges — says she has no criminal history and poses no danger to the community if released while awaiting trial. Her attorney says incarceration is having “adverse effects” on her physical and Sidney Starr mental health. Starr claims her notoriety has made her a target. She says inmates have pressured her for money and that her personal iden‑ tification number for the jail’s video communication system was stolen and used by others. As previously reported by TMZ, Starr was arrested at a Georgia hotel earlier this month after a young man’s parents called police. They told officers Starr met the boy in the lobby and went back to her room. Starr has denied knowing he was underage.

Former BET host Angela Stribling dies at 58 Angela Stribling, radio personality and for‑ mer host of several BET shows, has died. She was 58. Stribling’s husband, Ken Washington, announced the news in an Instagram post shared on her account and in a statement to her longtime Washington, D.C., radio station, WHUR 96.3, on Sept. 27. “It is with a broken heart that I share that my beloved wife, Angela Marie Stribling, passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, Angela September 26, after a courageous two-year bat‑ Stribling tle with brain cancer,” Washington said. “Her sister Darlene and I were by her side.” Friend and veteran BET personality Ed Gordon shared a trib‑ ute to Stribling on social media, calling his former colleague “a sweet soul.” She hosted BET’s entertainment news show Screen Scene in the 1990s and pioneered the network’s jazz coverage by hosting Jazz Central and other programs.

Hot Sheet Sources:

BET.com, CBS News, Instagram.com, TMZ.com

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Sponsored Content

24th Annual Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Celebration Underground Re-enactmen October 10th

For the first time, the 2026 Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Celebration will be held on the downtown St. Louis Riverfront, beneath the Gateway Arch. Themed “Seeking Freedom Long Before and Long After 1776,” the 24th annual celebration highlights enslaved peoples’ continuous fight for freedom in the context of celebrating America’s 250th anniversary by re-enacting the historic events of the Underground Railroad escape attempt of May 21, 1855. The October 10 event is free and open to the public from 2-4 p.m. All ages are welcome to witness and reflect on how enslaved people, and their allies, risked it all in pursuit of basic freedoms. After 23 years at the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing site on the Mississippi Greenway just north of the Merchant’s Bridge, organizers decided to move the theatrical production downtown to the performance area beneath the Gateway Arch so more people can experience this

Free immersive performance on the Downtown Riverfront beneath the Gateway Arch from 2-4 p.m. about the May 21, 1855, escape attempt along the Mississippi River that changed Missouri history.

ICE

Hispanics have been the group most targeted by ICE. More aggressive enforcement is evident in the state’s biggest metropolitan areas — St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield. Arrests in St. Louis more than tripled during the first seven months of this year, to 395 from 127 during the same period last year. Wagman noted that the data use both “St. Louis” and “Saint Louis,” with both appearing to include arrests in the city and county. The increase also can be seen at ICE’s St. Louis Hold Room at 1222 Spruce St. in Downtown, where people arrested in eastern Missouri and southern Illinois are routinely booked into the immigration system. Through late July or early August, 1,375 people had been booked there — nearly 50% more than during the comparable period last year and up from just 11 during the same period in 2024. In St. Charles, arrests nearly tripled to 97. Combined arrests in Kansas City and Independence rose 67% to 343, while arrests in Springfield more than doubled from 243 to 514. More than 130 state and local law enforcement agencies in Missouri have some sort of agreement with ICE, according to Wagman. The Missouri State Highway Patrol entered into the state’s first 287(g) program last year. The Missouri National Guard separately provides administrative and clerical support for ICE operations in the state. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and St. Louis County Police Department, however, have not participated in the 287(g) program. The federal government’s 287(g) program allows state and local law enforcement agencies to perform designated immigration enforcement functions. Local participants include St. Charles County police and sheriff’s departments in Ste. Genevieve, Jefferson, Franklin and Washington counties, along with police departments in Hillsdale,

Continued from A1 rose from 1,179 during the first seven months of 2025 to 2,620 during the same period this year. Additionally, the share of those arrested who had no criminal convictions continued to climb. It rose from 38.7% in 2024 to 62.3% last year and 70.6% during the first seven months of this year. Wagman noted that the rates are consistent with national rates. The primary source of the data was UC Berkeley and UCLA’s Deportation Data Project, which gathers, analyzes and posts U.S. government immigration enforcement records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. In June and July, people with no criminal convictions and no pending criminal charges — those Wagman described as “accused solely of immigration violations” — made up the largest single category of those arrested and detained in Missouri, at 43.3%. Another 29.6% had pending criminal charges and 27% had criminal convictions. ICE disputed the validity of the data. “DHS [Department of Homeland Security, of which ICE is a part] nor ICE have verified the accuracy, methodology or the analysis of the project and its results. The bottom line is that the Deportation Data Project is not accurate,” ICE said. ICE also said nearly 70% of people it arrests nationally have criminal convictions or pending criminal charges. Wagman followed with more data, noting that ICE arrests leading to detention nearly quadrupled from 2024 to 2025 and have continued to rise. “This past July alone… the number of those arrested in Missouri soared to nearly 500, a record and 24 percent higher than the previous record, set just the month before,” Wagman wrote. Wagman noted that although Missouri has one of the lowest concentrations of Hispanics in the country, about 5.2%,

year’s play, a unique education and entertainment combination. The new venue is more accessible via downtown parking options, Laclede’s Landing MetroLink stop, and the Mississippi Greenway. Organizers still host small programs at the original location to keep the story and site alive. “Some stories deserve more than a historical marker,” says Angie da Silva, historian and Mary Meachum event director. “They deserve voices, music, and engaged audiences. This event offers exactly that opportunity while honoring a woman whose courage still echoes across the river where freedom once beckoned.” Audiences can expect much more than a traditional history presentation. A cast of 20 actors will bring scenes from America’s struggle for

ery. The program will be approximately one hour. Guests can take MetroLink to the Laclede’s Landing station (accessible with elevator), then a 0.4-mile walk (~8 minutes) from the Metro Station to the event at the steps beneath the Gateway Arch. Use Metro Trip Planner to plan your route.

If driving, guests can park on the levee if the water level allows. Directions and more information on Riverfront Parking here. Gateway Arch National Park parking info here. Parking is also available on Laclede’s Landing, 0.4 miles away. More information here. Mary Meachum (1801–1869) and her husband, Reverend John Berry Meachum, were American abolitionists who dedicated their lives to educating and freeing enslaved people, after having been born into slavery themselves. On the night of May 21, 1855 – in the area that is now part of the Mississippi Greenway – Mary Meachum attempted to help a small group of enslaved people cross the Mississippi River to Illinois, where slavery was outlawed. However, enslavers and law enforcement officials caught at

Breckenridge Hills, through its STL Rapid Ellisville, St. Ann, St. Response Hotline. John, Woodson Terrace Because Missouri does and Country Club Hills. not have a dedicated fedArrest numbers reflect eral immigration detention a surge in center, ICE agreements contracts for between ICE beds at counMore aggresand local law ty facilities, enforcement including the sive enforceagencies, Ste. Genevieve ment is eviWagman County dent in the writes. There Detention were 95 arrests state’s biggest Center, Greene under the County Jail in metropolitan program stateSpringfield, areas — St. wide in 2025. Phelps County During the first Louis, Kansas Jail in Rolla City and seven months and Ozark this year, there County Jail in Springfield. were 536 — Gainesville. about 20% of Last year, all arrests. The Marshall Much of the immigraProject reported that cashtion enforcement activity strapped rural Missouri in the St. Louis area and jails were experiencing a eastern Missouri also has windfall from the Trump been tracked by the Ashrei administration’s mass Foundation, a St. Louisdeportation efforts. based, social justice-oriICE planned to spend ented nonprofit. The “$45 billion on new conorganization maintains a tracts to hold and transport dashboard with data on detainees and provide ICE arrests and related detainee services,” The information gathered Marshall Project reported,

adding that counties such as Ozark were getting a taste of what the federal expansion could mean. Data from the Deportation Data Project illustrate a sharp increase in deportations. In 2024, 488 people arrested in Missouri were deported. The number increased to 1,979 last year and reached 2,219 through July this year — almost three times as many as during the same period a year ago. Some detainees are flown directly out of the country from Kansas City International Airport. Others are bused to St. Louis and “flown from Lambert International Airport to Alexandria, La., the site of the nation’s primary deportation airport,” Wagman wrote. The data also show that some immigrants have been deported to countries other than their native land — 45 last year and 32 during the first seven months of this year.

Courtesy photo

A past performance from the Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Celebration. freedom to life through dramatic performances including historic spirituals that were sung by enslaved people, live music, and powerful storytelling tied directly to Missouri’s past. The cast includes child actors who play an important role reflecting the experiences of young people living under slav-

least five of the enslaved people and arrested Mary for her participation in the plot. She was charged in criminal court for helping the “fugitives” escape. Some of those attempting to escape to freedom were enslaved by Henry Shaw, founder of Missouri Botanical Garden and Tower Grove Park. John Berry Meachum founded the first Black church west of the Mississippi River, creating one of the only places where enslaved and free Black residents could legally worship together. He also purchased enslaved people from owners, employed them in his barrel business until they repaid their purchase price, then secured their legal freedom while teaching them to read and write. This event is made possible by many partners, including Angela da Silva, Great Rivers Greenway, and the Missouri Division of Tourism, with promotional support from Missouri Botanical Garden, Explore St. Louis, an

Those arrested are mostly working-age men, according to the Deportation Data Project. Women constituted 9% of those booked in Missouri last year and a little more than 11% so far this year. Twenty-one people age 18 and younger have been arrested this year, compared with 49 last year. Among people 60 and older, 34 have been arrested this year, compared with 31 last year and 13 in 2024. On its website, the Ashrei Foundation addresses what it describes as “systemic injustices” related to “anti-immigration” policies. “The racist, anti-immigrant culture that shapes both federal and state government do not match the shared values and vision we have for our community,” the organization states. Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.

A16

Cameras Continued from A1 of Transportation and Public Works to audit cameras located on St. Louis County property or within county rights-ofway. The department will also review its procedures for authorizing automated license plate reader installations and agreements with municipalities, political subdivisions and police departments that operate or maintain the technology. “Technology can be

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 1 – 7, 2026 an important tool for law enforcement, but the public deserves to know that it is being used responsibly and for legitimate public safety purposes,” Page said. “Governor Kehoe has raised important questions about safeguards at the state level, and I want to ensure we take a careful look at how these systems are being used on County property.” The order also calls on the St. Louis County Board of Police Commissioners and the St. Louis County Police Department to review

existing policies and procedures governing automated license plate readers and consider revisions establishing clear requirements for their use. Automated license plate readers, commonly known as ALPRs, capture images of passing vehicles and record information including license plate numbers. Flock Safety, one of the largest providers of the technology, uses artificial intelligence to identify vehicle characteristics such as make, model and color, allowing law enforcement agencies to search the

information during investigations. Police departments say the technology can help investigators develop leads in cases involving stolen vehicles, illegal dumping, missing people and homicides. But the use of the technology has also raised concerns about privacy, government surveillance and the potential for employees with access to use the systems for personal purposes. Edward McPherson, a Washington University professor and author of

Awards

Missouri Press Association President Bryan Chester pres‑ ents awards to representa‑ tives of The St. Louis American, from left, Dawn Suggs, Alvin A. Reid and Delali Suggs‑Akaffu.

Continued from A1 of Soul’s Juneteenth Festival on Washington Avenue. The image captures an exuberant model striding down the middle of the street as spectators lining both sides smile and take photos. Marrie’s honor was among seven first-place awards won by The St. Louis American in the MPA’s 2026 Better Newspaper Contest. The American was recognized for its coverage of the May 16, 2025, tornado, news and feature reporting, government reporting, editorial writing, community service and photography. “I’m so proud of this staff and the hard work they put in every day for our readers, whether they get their news from us in print or on our digital platforms,” Executive Editor Rod Hicks said. “Their work keeps getting stronger, and our readers are better informed about the issues and events that matter to them.” The Missouri Press Association, which has nearly 200 member news-

Meeks Continued from A1 mately 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

a book about mapping and surveillance, said his concerns extend beyond individual cases of alleged misuse to the amount of information the systems collect about ordinary drivers and the broader implications of constant surveillance. “If you’re driving a car, you can’t really opt out of Flock,” McPherson said. “It’s always going, it’s 24/7 and it’s just scooping up so much data.” McPherson said his biggest concerns are the scale of the data collection and the use of AI to analyze it.

More than 100 law enforcement employees nationwide have been implicated in misuse of Flock’s system, according to The Washington Post. Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe also signed an executive order Sept. 16 establishing safeguards for automated license plate readers used by agencies receiving state funding. The order sets requirements for accessing and using the information and generally requires license plate and vehicle data to be deleted within 30 days.

The American’s first-place awards The St. Louis American won seven first-place awards in the 2026 Missouri Press Association Better Newspaper Contest: ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Best Multimedia Reporting (Classes 1, 2 & 3): Coverage of the May 16, 2025, tornado Best News and Feature Series (Class 3): Ashley Winters Best Story About Government (Class 3): Sylvester Brown Jr. Best Editorial (Class 3): Staff Community Service (Classes 2 & 3) Best Photo of the Year: Taylor Marrie Best Feature Photograph (Class 3): Taylor Marrie

Photo by Matthew Barba / Missouri Press Association

papers, held its 160th Annual Missouri Press Convention and Trade Show Sept. 24-26. The St. Louis American, a long-standing MPA member, continues to maintain a presence at the convention and a seat on the board. Last year, The American’s Dawn Suggs became the first Black woman to serve on the MPA board when she was elected to a two-year term as National Newspaper Association state chair for MPA. Black women reached another milestone Friday when Kansas City Star

senior opinion columnist Mará Rose Williams became only the third Black woman inducted into the Missouri Press Association Hall of Fame. Lucile H. Bluford, editor of The Kansas City Call, became the first Black woman inducted, posthumously, in 2009. Kia Breaux, regional director of The Associated Press, was the second in 2020. Williams has worked for The Kansas City Star for nearly 30 years. The reporter-turned-editor and opinion writer described a career that has taken her

from covering police and courts to social justice, health care, culture, education and municipal government. During the Hall of Fame ceremony, Williams spoke about the work that shaped her career and the lessons she carried forward. She reflected on leading The Truth in Black and White, the seven-story project that confronted The Star’s decades-long failure to adequately and fairly cover Kansas City’s Black community. “What the industry learned from that project was the importance of

community engagement,” Williams said. “If you are not in the community cultivating a trusting relationship with those community members, you are likely failing to amplify the voices of the community.” Video tributes to Williams and the other Hall of Fame inductees offered a mosaic of nearly 50 years of journalism history and the ongoing struggle to protect First Amendment rights and Missouri’s Sunshine Law. The convention concluded Saturday with an awards brunch recognizing winners of MPA’s Better

Newspaper Contest, Rural Missouri Newspaper Scholarship recipients, Outstanding Young Journalists and Sunshine Hero awardees. MPA’s newest honor, Journalist of the Year, was presented to Amanda Mendez, publisher of the Howell County News in Willow Springs. The award recognizes coverage with significant local or statewide impact. Mendez’s reporting held the local school board accountable for fiscal mismanagement, leading to a new budget and the election of several new board members.

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 is now director of the 314 and switched her major and School Leadership to psychology. Still, she programs. continued taking education In her role, she works courses. with school districts to After earning a master’s strengthen math and scidegree in higher educaence instruction. tion from the Meeks worked University of with 61 pre-K Northern Iowa teachers in the In her role, in 2009, Meeks Hazelwood joined Teach For she works School District America and was with school through profesplaced in Kansas sional developdistricts to City, where she ment, coaching strengthen taught preschool and lesson planand kindergarten. math and ning. Two years “I was supinto the partscience posed to be two nership, 80% of instruction. and done and go students completto law school,” ing pre-K were Meeks said. “It assessed as kindid not work out dergarten-ready, that way. That was 2009, up 27 percentage points and we still here serving from 2023. the children.” She joined the Special After three years in School District Board of Kansas City, Meeks Education in 2023 and returned to St. Louis and became board president worked at South City Prep in March 2025. She is the and the Special School first Black woman and District before joining first person of color to Washington University’s serve as board president. Institute for School Zion Guthrie, 17, was a Partnership in 2022. She third grader at Northview

Elementary School when 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. 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.

“God gave me the strength to build the family that I always wanted. I didn’t have it in the beginning, but I have it now.” – Ms. Pat

Living It

OCTOBER 1 – 7, 2026

The mixtape that became a movement

Chance The Rapper stops in STL to celebrate 10th anniversary of ‘Coloring Book’ Chance the Rapper lifts a soldout crowd at the thenScottrade Center during the Be Encouraged Tour in 2017 — a year after Coloring Book changed his path and the industry. He returns to St. Louis this fall, giving fans an intimate moment to commemorate the mixtape’s 10th anniversary at The Pageant.

By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American Nine years ago, Chance the Rapper stood before a soldout crowd of 18,000 at the then-Scottrade Center and said something I had never heard at a hiphop show before or since. “I want to get to Heaven, and I want all of you to get to Heaven too,” he told the crowd. It was the final number of the night — a Sunday night, fittingly — and he closed with songs that reflected the spiritual walk he had been sharing with listeners since the release of Coloring Book. the chorus of “Blessings” rang out — Are you ready for your blessing? Are you ready for your miracle?

That St. Louis stop on the Be Encouraged Tour came a year after Chance had already changed the music industry with Coloring Book — the breakthrough independent mixtape that redefined what an artist could accomplish without a major label behind them. Next week, St. Louis will be one of the cities where Chance marks the 10th anniversary of that genre-defining project. He’ll bring an intimate show to The Pageant on Wednesday, October 7. St. Louis fans will get a chance to be right there with him — revisiting the record that reshaped his path and rewrote the rules for the industry he disrupted. See Chance, B3

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

STL natives help lead Netflix’s ‘A Different World’

Reece and Young channel legacy, culture and community in the hit show St. Louis American Staff HarrisStowe State University got a special shoutout Tuesday from Kennedi Reece — one of two St. Louis-bred leads in Netflix’s number-one show A Different World. “What’s up Hornets, it’s Kennedi Reece from Netflix’s ‘A Different World,’” she said in her video message. The reboot has sparked plenty of conversation, The reboot has and in less than a week it’s sparked plenty become a cultural moment for a new generation. of conversaa St. Louis native tion, and in less and“As an HBCU alum of The than a week it’s Howard University, I know become a cultur- just how special the HBCU experience can be,” Reece al moment for a new generation. said. Reece grew up in the Chicago suburbs but has consistently claimed St. Louis as home. She often shares how the original series inspired her father to attend Morehouse College. “My dad went to Morehouse, and a big part of why he went was because of A Different World,” she told Afro.com. He passed that love for HBCUs — and the show — down to her. Reece was studying musical theater at Howard when she learned about auditions for the

See Hit Show, B4

Courtesy photo

Cast members of the A Different World Netflix series at the premiere, featuring (front row, left to right) Kennedi Reece, Cree Summer, Darryl M. Bell, and Jordan Aaron Hall, with (back row, left to right) Alijah Kai, Chibuikem Uche, Maleah Joi Moon, and Cornell Young IV.

Remembering Marsha Cann Actress, activist, poet and educator dies at 72

By Kenya Vaughn St. Louis American There’s a familiar saying: to know them is to love them. In Marsha Cann’s case, it meant something deeper. To know her was to know that she loved you. Marsha Marie House Cann — a poet, actress, educator, activist and a woman who made everyone she encountered feel seen — died Wednesday, September 9, after a series of health setbacks. She was 72. Born July 21, 1954, in St. Louis, she was the youngest Marsha Cann of Ural and Jessie House’s four children. Her academic gifts showed early, but it was the arts that called her. While she was a student at Beaumont High School, a group of Black drama students from Washington University in St. Louis performed Douglas Turner Ward’s “A Day of Absence.” “That was it for me,” Cann said “Marsha was perin a 2024 episode haps the reason that of Carol Daniel’s Listen, St. Louis podI’m in theater.” cast. “I said, ‘These are my people.’” - Ron Himes She followed that feeling to Washington University, where she studied theater — a decision that helped shape the future of St. Louis theater. “Marsha was perhaps the reason that I’m in theater,” said Ron Himes, founder and producing director of The St. Louis Black Repertory Company. “She inspired me to want to do theater. She was an integral part of the beginnings of the company that would become The Black Rep.” In a video created by her husband, Clement See Cann, B3

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 1 – 7, 2026

St. Louis American Calendar

Halloween Oct. 9-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.

Braxton, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way. For more information, visit citywinery.com Fri., Oct. 16, City Winery welcomes Rakim, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way. For more information, visit citywinery.com Sat., Oct. 9, 6 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., City Winery welcomes MC Lyte, City Winery St. Louis, 3730 Foundry Way. For more information, visit citywinery.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.

CONCERTS

SPECIAL EVENTS

Sat., Oct. 3, 7:30 p.m., Bryson Tiller presents The NeoSoul Trap Tour, Hollywood Casino Amphitheater. For more information, visit www. livenation.com.

Fri., Oct. 2-Sat., Oct. 3, We Survived Conference – Hope Strength Renewal hosted by Alisha Vaughn, Maryland Heights Community Center, 2300 McKelvey Rd. For more information, visit Eventbrite.com.

Sun., Oct. 4, 8 p.m. (7 p.m. doors), Swayze The Nostalgia Tour, The Pageant, 6161 Delmar. For more information, visit thepageant.com. Wed., Oct. 7, 8 p.m. (7 p.m. doors), Chance The Rapper Coloring Book 10th Anniversary Tour, The Pageant, 6161 Delmar. For more information, visit thepageant. com. Sat., Oct. 9, 6 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., City Winery welcomes Tamar

Hip hop icon Rakim is set to return to City Winery St. Louis. The veteran MC is known for providing the kind of energy fans recognize before the first beat drops. See CONCERTS for more information.

Thurs., Oct. 15, 7 p.m., The St. Louis County Library Foundation presents D.L. Hughley, The Pageant. 6161 Delmar. For more information, visit www. thepageant.com. Sat., October 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.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

Louis Union Station Hotel. For more information, call 314.533.8000 or visit www.stlamerican.com. Thurs., Oct. 22, 8 p.m., The Rogue Route Tour with Sarah Jakes Roberts, Stifel Theatre. For more information, visit www.stifeltheatre.com. COMEDY 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 welcomes Tony Rock, Helium. For more information, visit st-louis. heliumcomedy.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. ST. LOUIS MUSIC SPOTLIGHT Thurs., Oct. 1, 6 p.m., Twilight Thursdays presents The Music of The O’Jays, Missouri History Museum. For more information, visit www.mohistory.org. 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. THEATRE Through Oct. 11, St. Louis Shakespeare presents Romeo and Zooliet, Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park (across from Saint Louis Art Museum). For more information, visit stlshakes.org. Oct. 15 – Oct. 18, Soul Siren Playhouse presents The Niceties, The Grandel Theatre, 3610 Grandel Square. For more information, visit www.playsiren. com 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 Fri., Oct. 2, 5 p.m., The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (CAM) presents First Friday: Celebrating Vaughn Terrell Davis Jr., Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, 3750 Washington Boulevard, 63108. For more information, visit camstl.org. 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. Through Dec. 12, Counterpublic 2026: Coyote Time, various locations. For more information, visit counterpublic.org.

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 1 – 7, 2026

Cann Continued from B1 Cann, she recalled casting Himes — then a business major — in his first role. For her senior project, she directed an act from Lonne Elder III’s Ceremonies in Dark Old Men. “I had decided to cast all of my friends in it — and I cast Ron as Blue,” she said. Himes said she quickly became part of the campus circle that would evolve into The Black Rep. “She just became part of our crew,” he said. “We hung out together all the time… we just grew together and took care of each other through the years.” Years later, Cann appeared in The Black Rep’s first production of Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf. She hadn’t been on stage

recently, but Himes said she was looking forward to being recognized during the company’s 50th anni‑ versary season — which includes a new presenta‑ tion of For Colored Girls later this year. “Three of the seven women from my orig‑ inal company of For Colored Girls are now gone,” Himes said, refer‑ ring to Cann, Jennifer Beavers‑Wright and Linda Kennedy. “It’s more than I can bear.” Cann’s influence extended far beyond the stage. She spent years working with young peo‑ ple as an administrator with St. Louis Public Schools, championing their voices and possibili‑ ties. She later founded the 40 Corners Street Theater Company for young people, continuing her commitment to nurturing emerging artists. Her artistic reach was broad. She was a founding

member of The Black Rep ed herself to a 12‑Step pro‑ and one of three found‑ gram supporting families ing members of the New affected by addiction and York‑based poetry collec‑ alcoholism. She offered tive PotLuck Poets. “She compassion without judg‑ was a wonderful, wonder‑ ment and hope without ful, very creative writer hesitation. and poet,” Cann met Himes said. her husband, “Back in the Clement days when Cann, on the Cann spent years everybody WashU cam‑ working with thought they pus. Their young people as an partnership could write administrator with poetry, she spanned was one of 50 years of St. Louis Public those who Schools, champion- friendship proved it to and 40 years ing their voices and of marriage be true. She possibilities. really had — a union that gift, and built on art, she loved to devotion share it.” and shared She wrote Black magi‑ purpose. They surrounded cal fiction, performed with themselves with godchil‑ ease, and mentored anyone dren, nieces, grandnieces who needed encourage‑ and a grandnephew who ment — especially young adored them. artists. Himes said The Black Her faith was central to Rep plans to establish a her life. She was an active scholarship in her name to member of St. Peter’s support young people in A.M.E. Church and devot‑ the Summer Performing

B3 Arts Program — a tribute to her lifelong commit‑ ment to nurturing the next generation. “It’s on me to continue to build on this foundation that she was so instrumental in building,” he said. “Our education programs are so closely tied to her commitment to young people, to educa‑ tion, and to being an artist and being an activist.” She traveled widely, loved fiercely and gave generously. She leaves behind her husband, Clement; nieces Kemba Russell, Wendy House and Angela House; grandniec‑ es Lauren Lige and Logan Jackson; and grandnephew Aderemi Kayode. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ural House Sr. and Jessie House; her sister, Annie House Russell; and her brothers, Ural House Jr. and Albert Ray House. “To have known Marsha Cann was to have been loved — fully,

intentionally and without condition,” her family said in a statement. “Though Marsha’s earthly jour‑ ney has paused, the love she shared, the lives she touched, and the legacy she left will endure among all who knew and loved her. Now, our Marsha is free to be everywhere.” Final Services for Marsha Cann are as follows: A visitation will be held on Friday, October 2, 2026, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Layne Renaissance Chapel, 7302 West Florissant Avenue in St. Louis. A second visitation will take place on Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 10 to 11 a.m. at St. Peter A.M.E. Church, 4730 Margaretta in St. Louis. The Celebration of Life will immediately follow at 11 a.m. at St. Peter A.M.E. Church.

Chance Continued from B1 In an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon last week, Chance described the anni‑ versary tour as a check-in — not just for him, but for the people who grew up with the project. “There’s so many people, you know, mainly me, whose lives were greatly impact‑ ed and maybe changed by this project,” he said. He was only 24 years old at the time of its release. “In the 10 years since it came out, we’ve gone through many more chang‑ es,” Chance told Fallon. “I think this is an opportunity for us to check in with each other and reach back to this nostalgic moment — but also sing along about all the changes that have happened since.” Those changes began the moment Coloring Book arrived in May 2016. The mixtape blended gospel, hiphop and warm live instrumentation into a sound that felt familiar but still pushed the genre forward. The record was a celebration of faith, joy and the creative lineage Chance came out of in Chicago. He built it with the people who had been shaping that sound with him for years: Nico Segal, Peter Cottontale and The Social Experiment, with additional production from Kaytranada, Brasstracks and Francis and the Lights. But the music was only part of the story. Coloring Book broke bar‑ riers because of the way Chance chose to release it. It dropped independently, without a major label, and fully digital at a time when streaming was still chang‑ ing the landscape within the industry. It became the first streaming-only project to land on the Billboard

Chance will bring his intimate show to St. Louis appearing at The Pageant on Wednesday, October 7.

Photo by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

200, and the first indepen‑ dent release to take home a Grammy. Chance earned three in all: Best Rap Album, Best New Artist and Best Rap Performance for “No Problem.” That win forced the industry to rethink what success could look like outside the traditional system. It also cemented Chance as a new kind of star — one who built his career on community, col‑ laboration, and ownership rather than the machinery of a label. The accolades didn’t stop there. During the project’s tenth anniversary year, Coloring Book offi‑

cially went Platinum — a of his peers were tied up milestone that once felt in label politics, he carved out of reach for a project out his own lane. He Chance gave away for paved it with intention that free. Eleven was focused tracks earned independence, new certifica‑ Chicago’s cre‑ tions, including During the ative ecosystem 4x Platinum for project’s tenth and a willing‑ “No Problem,” ness to blend anniversary 2x Platinum gospel warmth for “Juke Jam,” year, Coloring with hiphop’s Book officially urgency. His and Platinum honors for went Platinum. music carried a “Same Drugs,” sense of uplift “Smoke Break,” that reached “Summer across audi‑ Friends,” “Angels,” “All ences. He spoke to church We Got,” and “All Night.” kids. It activated rap Chance’s rise set him purists. It was life-affirm‑ apart from the artists ing music for folks who around him. While many simply needed something

hopeful to hold onto. In the decade since Coloring Book, Chance has continued to evolve. He released Star Line, a full-length project that blends Chicago’s soul traditions with global influences and explores growth, fatherhood, iden‑ tity, and community. He’s collaborated across genres, expanded his philanthrop‑ ic work in Chicago, and remained committed to the independence that shaped his early career. But for many fans — especially those who were in that arena nine years ago — Coloring Book remains the moment when

Chance’s vision crystal‑ lized. It was the project that shifted his trajectory and reshaped the industry. It also reminded listeners that joy, faith, and commu‑ nity could sit at the center of a hiphop record without losing its edge. Ten years later, he’s coming back to St. Louis to celebrate that moment — and to see how much everyone has grown since. The Coloring Book 10th Anniversary Tour with special guest La Reezy will stop at The Pageant at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. doors) on Wed., Oct. 7. For more information, visit www. thepageant.com.

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 1 – 7, 2026

Photos by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American Salute 39 loading. In just over two weeks, THE premier event of St. Louis – the most glamorous party for a purpose you can imagine will get underway. The St. Louis American Foundation’s 39th Annual Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarship and Awards Gala is going down on Saturday, October 17 at St. Louis Union Station Hotel. When I tell you that it’s going to be an opulence overload situation as we celebrate scholars and the often unsung heroes of education. Because of that Chick-fil-A chicken and waffle sandwich, my outfit options are now narrowed down to two. They really could have waited until the holidays to launch that thing. But this blurb is about the moment where Black excellence meets high fashion, so let’s get back to that. I can’t wait to be in the room where a new era of the Education Salute gets underway – and by new era, I mean new venue. Same glamour, new space. Visit www.stlamerican.com or call 314.533.8000 for details. BJ’s bow. Because I kept on rambling last week, my message to BJ The DJ on a career well-served got dusted. But all would not be well with my soul if I didn’t give BJ flowers for his forty-plus years on the airwaves – and his 50 years as a DJ. Sir, you don’t look like you have been doing anything professionally for 50 years. Give me that wellness routine, ASAP. The Launch Code building was transformed into the cutest gathering. The folks had a time. And the way BJ popped, locked, dropped and hunched his way in for his introduction made me wanna sign up for a Silver Sneakers mall walking session to make sure I stay in shape for my 50th anniversary of Partyline. But for real, folks enjoyed themselves – and BJ got the party hype like he was on the payroll for his own event. The party’s female security team was so serious that they made Viola Davis and her “The Woman King” squad seem like lightweights. I must give a shout out to Linda Robinson and Sheryl Rogers for always looking out for your girl. Ten times the Power (100). Thursday night had me geeked up for one of the other most anticipated gala moments in Black St. Louis. My peeps over at Delux revealed the 2026 class of their Power 100 at a special mixer that also made note that this is the 10th anniversary of the event. The Angad Arts Hotel set was the perfect preview for what we can expect – and who we can expect to see – when the milestone celebration takes place in December. Congrats to everyone honored from 2016-2026! Martin is still the man. Okay, I would be lying if I didn’t tell y’all that my first order of business when I made my way to the Stifel Saturday night for Martin Lawrence’s “Y’all Still Know What it Is” tour was a health and wellness check. What? He said it himself on stage that folks had everybody out here thinking all was not well. He all but did the presidential fitness test on that stage to convince us that he had full mobility. I’m so glad that I have good news to report. He is well… and he is funny! He made a few jokes denying the stroke – but made a whole bunch of jokes about another kind of stroke that is NSFP (not safe for Partyline). His set went long, and he was more mannish than I’ve ever seen him – yes even more than the Def Comedy Jam days. Now what I got a kick out of, was his jokes about how his body has betrayed him now that he has become a man of a certain age. And when he threw Bobby Brown under the bus by saying he thought

Wiley and Kevin take in the laughs with Martin Lawrence Saturday during the St. Louis stop of the “Y’all Still Know What It Is” Tour at Stifel Theatre.

Michelle met comedy legend Martin Lawrence during the St. Louis stop of his “Y’all Still Know What It Is” Tour on Saturday at Stifel Theatre.

Photo by Trevion Conklin

Power 100 2026 honoree Dr. Phil Woodmore and Kellie Vincent at the reveal event for the Power List 2026 on Thursday at Angad Arts Hotel Bobbayye was T.D. Jakes when he showed up at Martin’s 60th birthday party, it sent me to the upper room. I got a kick out of the new material. It would have been funny even without the blue (i.e. nasty) jokes – which I feel like he went too far with. The folks hollered all the way through those jokes too – and the opening acts. The 8 p.m. show got started at 7:54 with our own Willie Lynch Jr. When he said he was vegan, but don’t care about animals like that while showing off his leather jacket and shoes – and threatened to get a pair of German Shepherd shoes – I was howling like one. Daphnique Springs was funny too. I’m always nervous about the internet famous funny folks, but she did y’all proud. Now I was a wreck about her having those high heels on in her third trimester. Girl, if you don’t get you some Skechers Go Walk Air 3.0’s while you have a pass to wear them on stage…Oh, and Benji Brown got it in too!

Hit Show Continued from B1 reboot. “I got an email from the coordinators of my program: ‘Untitled HBCU Project auditioning here,’” she told Afro.com. “I submitted a selftape and acting reel. I literally threw together monologues I had for class and got an audition.” She landed the role of Hazel — a character she says mirrors her own story: raised in the suburbs, often the only Black student in the room, and choosing an HBCU to find community. “There is something so powerful about walking onto an HBCU campus and knowing you’re part of a community filled with history, culture, excellence, creativity and possibility,” Reece said in her message to HarrisStowe. “Now, being a part of A Different World on Netflix, I get to celebrate that experience in a whole new way.”

She closed with a challenge for HarrisStowe students. “Make some memories, chase your dreams and make your HBCU experience your own,” she said. “I can’t wait to introduce you to Hazel on Netflix’s A Different World.” The show was already sitting at number one when she recorded the message for the only HBCU in her hometown. Another St. Louisan also anchors the lead cast. Cornell Young IV plays Shaquille Johnson — Hillman College’s quarterback and the son of Ron Johnson Jr., one of the original series’ central characters played by Darryl M. Bell. Young played wide receiver at Riverview Gardens and Kirkwood High School before attending McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois. “This good brother was an exceptional student leader who actively participated in the TRIO (Upward Bound) Program that I lead,” Ali Kenyatta said in a Facebook post

celebrating Young’s success. “He’s always been a great student of noble character. His parents did an excellent job of guiding him into the leader he is today.” Young will also appear in Tyler Perry’s upcoming drama Doing Life, which premieres on Netflix on Friday, October 2. In an interview with Men’s Journal, Young said he’s found another tribe within the A Different World ecosystem — on set and behind the scenes. “I’m meeting good people and good spirits who genuinely care about you,” Young said. “They care about your wellbeing and your journey.” “I feel like this is a show that all generations can watch,” he added. His hope is that viewers see themselves reflected in the world the reboot is building. “This show is for them to see themselves in this current climate — in this current world. It’s a different world from A Different World.”

“Zay ran a great route, and I just had to deliver the baby.” — Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, after his 27-yard pass to Zay Flowers set up the winning field goal against Dallas in Brazil

Sports

OCTOBER 1 – 7, 2026

Inside Sports With Earl Austin Jr.

University City Lions roar to 5-0 start

last Saturday’s Big Ten The University City Conference showdown Lions’ football team has between Top 20 teams in been on an impressive roll Los Angeles. for the past two seasons. The sophomore running Head coach Will back amassed 168 yards Franklin led the Lions to of total offense and scored a 9-2 record last season. two touchdowns. He They have followed up rushed for 63 yards and that success with a 5-0 two scores on 15 carries start this season. The Lions have a potent while adding four receptions for 105 yards. His offensive attack, scoring 50-yard catch-and-run in 65, 47 and 44 points in the second quarter set up three of their five victories. Directing the attack is his first touchdown run. junior quarterback Teddy Robin Thompson Stephens, who has passed inducted into MICDS for 699 yards and nine Hall of Fame touchdowns with only two interceptions. Congratulations to my Junior running back nephew Robin Thompson Travis Allen leads the on his induction into the ground game with 397 MICDS Athletic yards on 50 carries Hall of Fame. The and a team-high ceremony was held nine touchdowns. last Friday at the Several talentschool. ed wide receivers Thompson was a have gotten into standout basketball the act this season. player for the Rams Senior Dominique from 2011-14. He Bolden leads the Earl was a two-time group with seven Austin Jr. All-State selection receptions for 156 during his career. yards and five He scored more than 1,000 touchdowns. career points and graduatJayshun Cotton, Gerard ed as the school’s career Minnix and Bob Murphy leader in blocked shots. each have at least 100 He also entertained the receiving yards and two crowd with his rim-rattouchdown receptions. tling dunks that regularly Junior Camarey Christian brought local television is a dual threat with 131 cameras out to the MICDS yards rushing and 133 gymnasium on Friday yards receiving. nights. Bolden is also a standout on defense with a Standout performers team-high five intercepfrom last weekend tions. Senior defensive end Karhon Edwards has Royce Searcy (De a team-high five sacks, Smet): The senior wide while senior defensive receiver had 10 receptackle Joe Hutchins has tions for 149 yards and four. two touchdowns in the Spartans’ 59-20 victory Dierre Hill Jr. shines over Vianney. in Oregon victory Ronnie Gomiller (East St. Louis): The senior Former Belleville rushed for 276 yards on Althoff football star 15 carries and four touchDierre Hill Jr. was one downs in the Flyers’ 35-0 of the standout performvictory over Edwardsville. ers in Oregon’s 41-27 Kyren Evans victory over USC in

Photos by Lawrence Bryant / St. Louis American

University City junior wide receiver Camorey Christian carries the ball as Normandy’s Damarion Crayton, No. 8, attempts a tackle. (Lutheran North): The senior wide receiver scored on an 82-yard run, a 44-yard punt return and a 79-yard reception in the Crusaders’ 61-0 victory over Lutheran South. Kai Robinson (Lutheran North): The junior running back rushed for 149 yards and three touchdowns in the Crusaders’ 61-0 victory over Lutheran South. Daylen Austin-Harvey (CBC): The junior quarterback rushed for 156 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 266 yards and another score in the

Cadets’ 35-34 loss to Lipscomb of Tennessee. Alex Harvey (Parkway North): The senior wide receiver had nine receptions for 137 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings’ 50-14 loss to Ladue. Aeran Collins (Pattonville): The junior running back rushed for 238 yards on seven carries and four touchdowns in the Pirates’ 61-0 victory over Parkway Central. Nigel Gooden (Cahokia): The senior quarterback completed 19 of 25 passes for 283

yards and five touchdowns in the Comanches’ 50-0 victory over Mt. Vernon. Kristian Mitchell (St. Charles West): The senior running back rushed for 123 yards on 11 carries and three touchdowns in the Warriors’ 35-14 victory over Orchard Farm. What’s on tap for the weekend • Lift for Life at St. Mary’s, Thursday, 6 p.m. • De Smet at SLUH, Friday, 6 p.m.

• Ladue at Hazelwood West, Friday, 6 p.m. • Lindbergh at Kirkwood, Friday, 7 p.m. • Webster Groves at Oakville, Friday, 7 p.m. • East St. Louis at Belleville West, Friday, 7 p.m. • Westminster at Lutheran North, Friday, 7 p.m. • Gateway STEM at Cape Girardeau Central, Friday, 7 p.m. • Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (Georgia) at CBC, Friday, 7 p.m. • Priory at MICDS, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Sports Eye With Alvin A. Reid

Harris II is my 2026 Black MLB MVP

With postseason baseball now underway, it is 2. Chase Burns, evident who earned my Cincinnati Reds P — For vote for Black MVP of much of the season, Burns Major League Baseball. was the National League’s And the winner is ... best pitcher. His tendency Michael Harris II, to walk batters sometimes Atlanta Braves center drove up his pitch count, fielder. but his numbers demonIn July, I named my strated his dominance on top 10 Black players, and the mound. Burns finished Harris was No. 7. the year with a 15-3 Injuries and secrecord, a 2.86 ERA ond-half slumps and 185 strikeouts. by other players helped Harris rise 3. C.J. Abrams, to the summit. Washington More imporNationals SS/2B tantly, he helped — Abrams was the Braves hold asked to move from Alvin A. off a challenge by shortstop to second Reid the Philadelphia base late in the Phillies to win the season. Undeterred, National League East by Abrams hit 33 home runs six games. and collected 106 RBIs. Along with playing stel- He also stole 34 bases and lar outfield defense, Harris was an All-Star Game closed the regular season starter. hitting .294 with 26 home runs and 87 RBIs. He 4. Taj Bradley, also played in 155 of 162 Minnesota Twins SP — games, far more than most Bradley posted a 12-6 MLB players.Following record with a very respectHarris in my MVP tally able 3.73 ERA for the are nine outstanding playTwins, who had one of ers who could certainly the AL’s worst offenses. blossom into future Hall of The right-hander made an Famers. impressive 31 starts, struck

with 23 home runs and 69 RBIs. He belted the 300th home run of his career on June 24 and added 14 more, bringing him to 314.

Photo courtesy of Atlanta Braves

Michael Harris II was instrumental in the Atlanta Braves run to National League East champions and is poised for a big postseason. out 205 batters and walked just 76. Bradley, if he can avoid an arm injury, could be among baseball’s top pitchers for years to come. 5. James Wood, Washington Nationals RF — Wood’s .265 batting average was the highest of his career, and he added 30 home runs and 77 RBIs. His 106 runs scored were among the highest in the NL. Injuries slowed him after the AllStar break, and he played in just 135 games.

6. Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals RF — Am I giving Walker a bit more credit in the ranking than he deserves? I don’t think so. While his second half of the season paled in comparison to the first half, Walker closed the year with a .269 batting average, 29 home runs and 102 RBIs. He also scored 97 runs. His home runs, RBIs and runs scored were all career highs. He slumped in September, but he arrived as one of the game’s best Black players.

7. Xavier Edwards, Miami Marlins 2B — Edwards helped the Miami Marlins remain in playoff contention until the season’s final week. He hit .280 with six home runs and 52 RBIs and stole 21 bases. He also is growing into one of the game’s best second basemen. 8. Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers SS — There was talk that Betts was “washed” after a dismal start to the season. But he rebounded to hit .257

9. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees RF — When the 2027 season begins, Judge will be listed among baseball’s best players. But his 2026 season was disappointing. A freak rib injury sidelined him for about three months, and a calf injury kept him off the Yankees’ roster for the Wild Card Series. His regular season ended with 18 home runs and 41 RBIs in just 66 games. 10. Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins CF — Buxton was on his way to winning MVP votes in the American League for much of the season, then his annual rash of injuries limited him to 93 games. He hit 25 home runs and drove in 46 runs, but his campaign was completely derailed by a hip ailment.

ST. LOUIS AMERICAN • OCTOBER 1 – 7, 2026

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Career Center ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF EASTERN MISSOURI IS HIRING! Upward Mentoring Manger, Part-time Lead Mentor, Full-time The primary goal of these positions is to ensure youth and young adults served through Mentoring programs experience consistent high-quality supports that lead to measurable growth and long-term success. Bachelor’s degree preferred. A minimum of four years of related experience, or a combination of education and experience. Knowledge of the K-12 school and resource landscape and customer service principles and practices required. Reliable transportation a must. Join us in providing enduring mentoring relationships that partner with young people in their pursuit of creating positive futures for themselves and their communities. For more information and to apply: www.bbbsemo.org

SEALED BIDS

NESTLÉ REGIONAL GLOBE OFFICE NORTH AMERICA, INC. EXPERT IT BUSINESS SYSTEMS (MULTIPLE POSITIONS AVAILABLE) – St. Louis, MO. Telework is acceptable up to 3 d/wk. Drive and support the Transportation Management System (TMS) module within SAP as part of the Supply Chain IT team dedicated to Nestlé Purina. For reqs & to apply, visit https://www.nestlejobs.com & apply to job # 420880, or send resume to nestlejobsgm@ us.nestle.com referencing Job Code 0861. All rights reserved. EOE, AAE, M/F/D/V. We Publish every Thursday Newspaper and Online

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OCTOBER 1 - 7, 2026

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY O’FALLON FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT The O’Fallon Fire Protection District is currently seeking qualified applicants to establish a hiring pool for the position of Firefighter/EMT-P. Application packets can be picked up at the O’Fallon Fire Protection District Administration Office located at 111 Laura K Drive, 2nd Floor, O’Fallon, MO 63366 beginning September 28, 2026 through October 16, 2026 between the hours of at 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CST Monday through Friday. Packets may be obtained electronically by going to our website ofallonfire.org and downloading the application packet beginning September 28, 2026 or by contacting the office at 636-272-3493 x 9112. Application Packets can be returned beginning September 28, 2026 through October 16, 2026 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Packets are to be returned in person ONLY. The O’Fallon Fire Protection District is not responsible for any correspondence that is lost or misdirected, or received after 4:30 p.m. on October 16, 2026. The O’Fallon Fire Protection District is an Equal Opportunity Employer SEALED BIDS

SEALED BIDS

Bids for Bids for Bids for Bids for Bids for REBIDRenovate Design & Scruggs Upgrade Fulton Kitchen Construct Stations SEALED SEALED SEALED Reception HVAC Food Service New, Warehouse Bids for Water Bids for Repair and BIDS BIDS BIDS Building, & Renovate Directors Complex, System, Diagnostic Supply System, Moberly House, Porite Roof Interior Project No. Center HVAC Bids for Design Bids for Bids for Bryant Creek Correctional Sedalia, Electrical Judiciary Improve& Construct REBID Replace R2518Renovate Center Project Project No. & HVAC State Park, Library, ments, Replacement Building No. Concrete 01 will be No. C2419F2402-01 will Repairs, Project No. Ava, Missouri Supreme Court Nurse Call 5 at Missouri Driveway at 01 will be be received C2406-01 Project No. received of Missouri, Systems at Project No. will be received by FMDC, O2534-01 will Higginsville Interoperability Jefferson by FMDC, Missouri received by X2409-01 will City, Missouri by FMDC, State of MO, be received Center in Veterans State of MO, State of MO, Veterans FMDC, State UNTIL by FMDC, be received by Jefferson City, Cemetery, Project No. of MO, Homes UNTIL 1:30 UNTIL 1:30 PM, State of MO, Project No. FMDC, State of O2604-01 will Project No. UNTIL Statewide, 1:30 PM, November UNTIL PM, 11/5/26. 1:30 PM, U2603-01, will R2607-01, will MO, UNTIL be received by Project No. 10, 12, 2026. 1:30 PM, November 3, Project infor- November FMDC, State of be received by be received by U2602-01, will 2026. Project 1:30 PM, Project inforNovember 5, MO, UNTIL be received by FMDC, State of FMDC, State of 2026. Project information 2026. Project mation avail- mation availinformation October 22, 1:30 PM, FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL available at: MO, UNTIL able at: http:// information able at: http:// available at: 2026. Project October 27, http://oa.mo. MO, UNTIL oa.mo.gov/ http://oa.mo. available at: 1:30 PM, 1:30 PM, oa.mo.gov/ 2026. Project information gov/facilities gov/facilities facilities http://oa.mo. 1:30 PM, October 29, October 20, facilities information gov/facilities available at: October 27, 2026. Project 2026. Project available at: 2026. Project http://oa.mo. information information http://oa.mo. information gov/facilities available at: available at: gov/facilities PARKING AND REVENUE CONTROL SYSTEM available at: http://oa.mo. http://oa.mo. http://oa.mo. REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS gov/facilities gov/facilities gov/facilities

www.stltreasurer.org/request-for-proposals/ stlouis-mo.gov/govern ment/procurement/

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Bids & Public Notices ST. LOUIS AMERICAN

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An informational in-person meeting is scheduled at 1 p.m. on November 2nd, 2026, at MoDOT’s Transportation Management Center, 14301 South Outer 40 Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017. It is anticipated the Request for Qualiﬁcations (RFQ) will be released that same day. At the meeting, a presentation will be made on the project, followed by a question-and-answer period. Firms interested in receiving Forward 44: U.S. 50 Interchange Improvements Project information should send a one-page Letter of Interest to MoDOT via email to SLForward44@modot.mo.gov no later than Wednesday, October 28th, 2026 to ensure that you receive all information. The Letters of Interest will allow MoDOT to compile a list of interested companies for notices and any announcements relating to this project. Address all letters or emails to: Forward 44: U.S. 50 Interchange Improvements Project SLForward44@modot.mo.gov Include in your Letter of Interest the company name and a contact person at your company including, address, phone, and e-mail. Please indicate if your firm is a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE).

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Proposals are requested from qualified contractors to clear and dispose of vegetation,brush, and overgrowth along designated rightsof-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/. Proposals must be received no later than 3 PM CT on Thursday, October 15, 2026. Equal Opportunity Employer

PUBLIC NOTICE We Publish every Thursday

One Design-Build team will be selected to design and construct the project. MoDOT will use a Best Value selection process to evaluate the ability of the Design-Build proposers to meet or exceed the project goals.

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REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST FOR DESIGN-BUILD SERVICES The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is soliciting Letters of Interest from companies interested in providing Design-Build services for the Forward 44: U.S. 50 Interchange Improvements Project in Franklin County, Missouri.

St. Louis american

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

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS HPP MEDICAL RESPONSE & SURGE EXERCISE FOR BIOTERRORISM HOSPITAL PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM East-West Gateway Council of Governments is seeking submittals from consultants to plan, design, facilitate, evaluate, and document the St. Louis Regional Healthcare Coalition’s annual Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program Medical Response and Surge Exercise, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Submittals are due no later than 1:00 p.m. on October 1, 2026. D/S/W/ MBEs are encouraged to submit proposals. Find submittal details at www.ewgateway.org.als. Find submittal details at www.ewgateway.org.

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Sealed bids for the New Halls Ferry Road Sidewalk project, St. Louis County Project No. AR-1857, Federal Project No. TAP-9901(685) will be received electronically thru the County’s Vendor Self Service portal at https://stlouis countymo.bonfirehub. com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities, until 2:00 PM on October 21, 2026 Plans and specifications will be available on September 21, 2026 from the St. Louis County Web Site (www.stlouiscountymo. 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

LETTING NO. 8799 TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT ENHANCEMENTS, PHASE VI FEDERAL PROJECT NO. CMAQ-9901(699)

Electronic bids submitted through the Bid Express Online Portal will be received by the Board of Public Service until 1:45 PM, CT, on OCTOBER 20, 2026, then publicly opened and read. Proposals must be submitted electronically using “Bid Express Online Portal” at https://www.bidexpress.com/business es/20618/home. Plans and Specifications may be examined online through Bid Express at https://www.bidexpress.com/ business es/20618/home and may be downloaded for free. A pre-bid conference for all contractors bidding on this project will be held October 1, 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).

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Religion

B16

OCTOBER 1 – 7, 2026

Should you have to pay to hear the Gospel? By Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware Word In Black For generations, the Black church has passed the offering plate to keep the lights on, pay the preacher, help the poor and carry the Gospel beyond its walls. But what happens when the preacher leaves the sanctuary, takes a popular Christian podcast on tour — and charges admission? That question has placed Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell, founder and lead pastor of Atlanta’s fast-growing 2819 CHURCH, at the center of a heated social media debate. Mitchell and Tim Timberlake, senior pastor of Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida, host “Street Preachers,” which its official website describes as a “raw, unfiltered podcast” committed to spreading the Gospel. ‘A brood of vipers’ The controversy began after ticket prices for the podcast’s 2026 tour circulated online. General admission tickets reportedly cost about $60 before fees, with premium options, including a VIP meet-and-greet package, priced at $200. Critics questioned whether ministers should charge people to hear the Gospel.

Others defended the pastors, arguing that Christian events require venues, transportation, security, equipment and staff. Mitchell answered critics from the pulpit last month, calling them “a brood of vipers.” He said the podcast is a separate, personal project and that neither his church nor Timberlake’s is bankrolling it. “Now we have decided to go on a tour to take the gospel to cities, and because that’s not funded by 2819, and it’s not funded by Celebration Church, Tim and I gotta do that with our own pockets,” Mitchell said. “It’s why there is tickets. We have to pay for venues and security and productions and staff from our own pockets.” Mitchell called some critics “ignorant” and said they did not know that a child was healed through faith during one of the events. “And you want to complain about a $60 ticket?” he said. “So hate on!”

Photo courtesy of Street Preachers Podcast

A sold-out podcast tour featuring Pastors Philip Anthony Mitchell, left, and Tim Timberlake has sparked debate over the boundary between spreading the Gospel and selling an experience. Critics question whether ministers should charge admission to hear the Gospel, with tickets including a $200 VIP package. Yet the presence of pastors, Scripture and Gospel language makes the distinction less clear to some believers. The official tour website lists all eight 2026 stops as sold out. Promotional material announcing additional dates promised, “Better ticket options. Same Gospel. Same move of God.”

Worship service vs. media event

Corporate prayer gathering

Mitchell maintains that “Street Preachers” is an independently produced podcast tour, not a worship service, and that ticket revenue helps cover production costs.

The language gets to the heart of the dispute. Some Christians argue that no one should be kept outside because they cannot afford a ticket. Others say the Gospel remains free

even when people pay for the venue and experience surrounding its presentation. The paid podcast tour, however, is not Mitchell’s only largescale gathering. On Oct. 10, 2819 CHURCH will host “ACCESS — That Powerful Hour of Prayer” at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Admission is free. 2819 CHURCH has said 80,000 free tickets were claimed before registration reopened. The contrast raises another question: What makes one Gospelcentered event a ministry supported by donors and another a production supported by customers?

Unfiltered preaching, youth appeal Mitchell’s congregation, composed largely of young Black adults, grew from fewer than 200 weekly worshippers in 2023 to about 6,000, according to the church. Some worshippers arrive before sunrise to secure a place inside. His appeal rests partly in an intense, vulnerable and raw preaching style. “I’m preaching without watering that down, without filtering out things that we think might be too controversial,” Mitchell told The Associated Press. That visibility has also brought scrutiny of his theology, associations,

travel, security and the businesses surrounding his ministry. But the controversy reaches beyond Mitchell and Timberlake. Christian music concerts charge admission. Seminaries charge tuition. Religious publishers sell Bibles, books and devotionals. Churches pay musicians and guest preachers. Money becomes particularly uncomfortable, however, when an event is presented as ministry and entertainment. Ministry vs. entertainment Supporters should not assume every dollar collected becomes personal profit. Critics, however, question whether lower-cost seats or free admission for people who cannot pay should be part of a Gospel-centered event. The Black church always has required resources for ministry. It also has carried a sacred responsibility to make room for people with little or nothing to give. The sold-out “Street Preachers” tour shows people are willing to pay to attend. The free ACCESS gathering offers a different model. The challenge is preserving that open door as Christian ministry increasingly adopts the economics of popular entertainment.

October 1st, 2026 edition